#ashile zuobi

[thinkingaboutdramas]

Li Shimin is such a fascinating antagonist. Every moment when he speaks of or thinks of Li Changge, I’m like oh boy, oh boy. He may be the antagonist, may be the source of Li Changge’s pain, but Tang needs him. Tang is young, in a precarious position, and Li Changge chose Tang--her home, her country, her people--when she interfered with the assassination attempt. 

Also, I felt like Li Shimin was finally in charge again. When he had scenes with the three stooges in the earlier episodes, it sometimes felt like the stooges were more vocal, more present than him. But you could say that he was getting his head in order after everything.

Mimi Guli was Ashile She Er’s slave? Well, two birds, one stone. The Great Khan removed the slave that distracted Ashile She Er and then later sent her to Ashile Sun. (To spy?) I see now why hot-headed Mimi Guli doesn’t show signs of being an abused slave. Sure, she’s occasionally scared, for obvious reasons, but Ashile She Er cares about her (I don’t think I can say ‘love’ at the moment, since he keeps stressing ‘belonging’ and ‘slave’) and even made her a promise. He must have protected her and maybe even indulged her in little ways … but she’s so subdued around him. Though, the Ashile She Er in front of Ashile Sun and the Ashile She Er in front of Mimi Guli is fascinating.

I’m really, really liking Ashile Sun and Li Changge. They don’t make my heart skip a beat like Hao Du and Li Leyan, but I’m enjoying their dynamic and their relationship, and every time Ashile Sun worries about her, I think: ‘Poor baby boy, so in love, but she’s not there yet.’ 

He cares about her so much, but that means he becomes controlling and has his men tie her down, which makes even his men eye him. What a stark contrast compared to the snowy scene when Li Changge handed over Gongsun Heng’s head; all the men except for Mu Jin scoffed and laughed at her. 

Urgh, I would have loved to see that transition between Li Changge and Ashile Sun’s men, from enemies to companions. (Or maybe ‘acquaintances’ is more accurate?) Because Ya Luo wanted to rush in to help her, but Nu Er actually considered the situation and voiced the consequences. They’re not bad men, and Li Changge could have killed Su Yi She, but she didn’t.

The Great Khan said that after he would drink the wine, the archers should shoot Li Shimin. Which wouldn’t be the best moment for an assassination, for him that is--wouldn’t he be too close to Li Shimin and his guards and the enemy archers? That is what I initially thought, and at first I disagreed with the way he worded the order; instead, have the archers only prepare to shoot once he drank the wine but wait for him to step away, away from danger. 

Then I thought, no, Ashile Zuobi was expecting a successful assassination, so he wanted to immediately charge ahead with his army--once Li Shimin fell, he would lead his people and win the war. More glory for him, the Great Khan who rushes ahead to danger. But the assassination attempt failed. Some people would immediately flee, but he didn’t. 

(I don’t think he’d want to die with arrows in his back.) 

But it is still a weird, though also understandable, place for an assassination attempt. Weird because both armies are so close to each other, and archers from both sides can kill the important leaders. But understandable because there’s a river with a very strong current and only one bridge, as far as I can tell.

Li Leyan and Xiao Wu. My babies. My poor babies! I know what’s going to happen with Xiao Wu--and it’s like waiting for a car crash to happen--and I hate it. Hate it, hate it! I do like it that the makeup artists made Xiao Wu’s cheeks pink, which showed that he has a fever. But Li Leyan and Xiao Wu? They make my heart hurt--‘I apologise on behalf of my sister,’ be still my heart. Xiao Wu called her his sister! But about Xiao Wu and the refugees, I still feel that Li Leyan’s story will be about the people. Just as Li Changge is thinking about her revenge and the people.

Li Changge and every moment after the attempted assassination! The way she wore Wolf Army uniform and pinned the blame on them, instead of the Eagle Army. She could have done that. But didn’t. The way she used the phrase ‘Heavenly Wolf God’--I’m assuming that she heard the phrase while she was living in the Eagle Army camp. 

Also, I wonder what she was thinking while she stood in front of Ashile Zuobi. Did she think that she’d be able to avoid a death sentence? And did she think that it would be okay to die there because at least Tang was safe? At that moment. But Li Changge is one fierce, intelligent lady, and I love her.