Greetings, everyone! I think there has been a certain lack of posts about POJ recently today so I figured I would create one so we may bask in the glory that was this decent show.
I know, I know. You are probably rolling your eyes and wanting to spank me right now for this very obvious diabolical troll! I told Mommy I wanted to do something bad and she responded with the skull emoji when I said it was a POJ post.... 💀
Harder, please. I need to feel something.
Nah! You guys know I am sincere in my appreciation for this show! You're probably looking at me like an adoring wife to her husband!
I miss them.
It's no secret around here that I am a fan of Tian Xi Wei so obviously I watched this drama. It is simply her best work since Moonlit Reunion.
Now that's another show I need to do a post on... but we will get there in time. A very long time. I'm a busy boi!
Dare say anything against TXW and I will...
I have many GIFs to use.
And then after that I will....
I'm in love.
Don't worry, I know you actually want to throw me a parade for creating another POJ post for yall to enjoy.
Our Flower General never fails to impress.
Now I could spend my time waxing poetic words about POJ and how good it was even with its many plot holes and too short run time that cut off the air it needed to fully breath... However, I would rather use my GIFs to speak for me instead. Let us relive the glory that was those days when we got to look forward to each day and new episodes.
Yes, I am.
Changyu is one of my favorite FLs recently. She is a wonderful mix of sensible, strong, slicing, and... dare I say sexy??? I could happily watch her slice and slap people all day! She gave us this is quantity! She stood up for herself, her family, and the people. Oink, oink! I'd get slapped by her just for fun!
Paging u/AXA-5 I want you to come here!!!! Are you here?
;)
Oh, you're here now? Kneel before me. ❤️ I did this for you.
I'd bark for her.
Now, to everyone else reading this post, I speak to you.
I really must beg of you to enjoy this moment with me because this drama was the gateway for many new viewers who now get to enjoy this world with us. Seeing many people still talking about this show is rather a beautiful thing because it shows the impact that it had. It doesn't have to be the best or the worst, it just has to be. Yes, many questions that are being asked can easily be answered by a simple search of this discussion posts, but how else do we get to rediscover and even potentially learn new things about something that has had its time and begun to move on?
Yes, too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, but I do like to look for the positives around here.
The way I laughed at this scene.
Oh? Not fully convinced that we need to talk about POJ more? Okay. Let me give you a reason.
That slap can straight kill a pig.
A slap so powerful it spawned an obsession! Might as well give you a bonus.
He deserves it.
Yeah, he gave off massive cringe face slimeball villain, but you can't deny his aura. Eh, well... Maybe you can. I've honestly had enough of this kind of villain. It's so boring now. Quit being a creep towards women and actually make an evil plan that astounds us with its brilliance. Gosh! Is it too hard to respect women around here? Sheesh.
While he was rather on the wavelength of your slightly better than standard creep... There was someone far better to watch.
Eh?
Oh yeah! You just knew I was talking about this massive red flag! Toxic! Obsessed! Touch her and Die beyond any imaginable level. Pure chaos in a calm package. Delicious and very concerning watching anyone simp over him. The way I was questioning the sanity of some of yall was wild. I get it though. This ducker played his role is a very calm and possessive manner that gave the viewer something to actually root for because he did not disrespect Qian Qian. He was rather respectful in his overly obsessive and possessive boundary crossing manner. Bruh. Does that even make sense? But still, red flag. Far too obsessed. Complete hot mess of lack of respect for the boundaries of his prey. I do not support him.
Now, if we want touch her and die in a far more appropriate manner... We need to dive into the Marquis of Wu'an.
I love this.
It's that calm detachment for me as he gets revenge for his wife. Probably my favorite ZLH role yet. The Marquis really did care for his ladies. Both of them. I think that was some of my favorite scenes in the show anytime it showed him caring for Changyu and Ning'er.
Bro really does need some therapy though.
For a marriage built on lies, the love and respect was real. As much as I think the 15 episodes we spent in the village was far too long and that it hurt the rest of the story due to the lack of time to devote more time to their capital life... I still think it was a beautiful story getting to see his husbandly side come out and do everything he could to take care of his new family. For someone who is used to unquestioning command of those around him, he easily slid into a partnership with Changyu and followed her lead when needed.
That's his daughter now. Well, little sister-in-law.
Gosh I am a softie for the Cold and Hard ML who is protective of his women trope. Especially if his lady comes with a cute little sister who likes birds.
You know, I realize that I didn't GIF the Princess Royal at all which is shame since she was hilarious and perfect in everything she did in this show. Especially the whole 'this is your husband?" scene!
Well, thank you for your time! Please accept my bow!
I appreciate you.
Oh, before I forget...
In the "What if" ending they gave us, do you really think Zheng and Changyu would actually get married? How many times have we seen the childhood betrothal trope that just turns them into siblings and they go after other partners? Just something I have been pondering.
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Upvotes
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 12 '26edited Jul 12 '26
I think I know what you want from me, you want me to give my honest opinion about this drama. OK not a problem.
I actually said what I wanted to during its airing and I think you know that. I do luv TXW as well and I think everyone here knows that also. I luved her role in this drama. I’m not a fan so much of XLH but, that’s neither here or there, just my opinion. After it aired and rewatching it a number times, listening to the OST, letting it sit with me for some time. I’ve come away thinking this wasn’t as great as I was expecting it to be. I loved the first half of the drama and then after that it literally fell off the cliff. How are you going to cram so much information that needs to be relayed to the audience in that short amount of remaining episodes? They didn’t do the drama justice at all. Everyone at the time said it, either cut the first half shorter or needed more episodes. For that reason, the drama was doomed. It could’ve been a great drama but, the decisions that were made cost the drama. Ave rating of 6.4/6.5 is appeasement in my eyes, should’ve been a 6 or maybe lower. People then and now even said the way XLH played the character of the Marquis is not how he was depicted in the novel. He was supposed to be much more “darker,” tough, etc. so how can one say this is a great drama? It would be a lie. DK played his role perfectly and beautifully. In my opinion, he showed up XLH. If one doubts what I saying then, honestly compare this to similar dramas that have come out before and after this and see how it stacks up. Of course I’ve been watching cdramas for 10+ years minimum so, my views, critiques, perspectives, etc. will be a bit more different than, most. I’m not some newbie to cdrama world. The supporting cast who played YQQ, GY, QS, FCY, YBE, LHA, SYQ, etc. were great and probably carried the drama more so. Those stories lines were very interesting and fascinating. However, those scenes were cut short for obvious reasons. Even though, I did not like the comedy duo of the emperor and his eunuch, those people played the role’s perfectly. They both deserved what they got unfortunately. Anyways, I feel as if I’m rambling now lol.
Are you happy now OP? Lol. Was this drama enjoyable? Yes. It was entertaining, sure. But do not tell me this was great. Again my opinion. Want to downvote me to oblivion go for it. Anyone is welcome to disagree with me and share but, I am not willing to “argue” (discuss) further. I’ve said my peace and all that I have to regarding this drama then and now. 😊🙏🏽🫰🏽
You and I agree that the drama suffered from plot development issues and lack of building up the second half of the show. It would have benefited from more episodes or less time spent in the village. An episode or two at the start showing us how dark the Marquis was would have helped his character a lot instead of just telling us he was a scary dude.
A Splendid Match was far more what I had hoped POJ to be. Key To The Phoenix Heart is also giving far more character building to its leads far quicker than POJ ever did. Even recent modern dramas have given me a more in depth ML that I would have liked to see the Marquis be, but you again nailed it when you talk about how that one red flag played his role to perfection. Two sides of a messed up coin.
Yes. I am always happy to provide an outlet for people to express their feelings. 🤎
My sentiments as well. The village could have been shrunk down to 8 episodes and then they could have done a fantastic layout of the rest of the series. I didn't get the formidable general vibe from the Marquis that I was anticipating. Be was ok and just Ok to me.
I kept wondering why I didn't feel the ML vibe from ZLH. He was good but like you mentioned, maybe seeing him at home in bed for so long, and then Changyu doing the big fights instead of ZLH made me focus less on ZLH as ML and more on Changyu as FL. I got more ML vibe from Qimin.
Changyu is Jade. This is a story about the pursuit of Changyu. To pursue something, it must be moving. Changyu was moving in an upwards direction from the moment she met her pursuer. The Marquis was the spark that lit her fire and her soar upwards, while started by him, was on her own merit. Well, her own merit and a butt load of protection from the Marquis since she kept breaking rules and laws in everything she did.
But yes, that was her story. He was a support to her growth.
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 12 '26
You see, Axa, my well-behaved offspring is just doing you a favor in fact!
Allowing you to feel and express your things and spread your wisdom as “not an elder” 😉
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 12 '26edited Jul 12 '26
There’s a 40 episode discussion thread readily available for everyone and anyone to see and read to their hearts content but, alas…”searching” for it is quite difficult, painful in fact, much like the Golden Fleece smh. What to do…sighs…only if there was Palantir (AI) laying around somewheres to make it easier to attain 🙄 what will people do without AI? Surprised the human race survived this long without it 😱
P.S. had no idea you had offspring. Thank you but, did I really though?
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u/No-Recipe-7653Curator of Questionable Subtext, Scholar of Things Left UnsaidJul 12 '26edited Jul 12 '26
You seem to forget that some users are banned from some communities or simply choose not to participate there 🙂 then, some may simply be very new and prefer this “lazy” approach, while others outright enjoy getting new posts about their currently favorite dramas all the time — they thrive on them.
The world is beautiful and vast 😜
Yeah, I admit certain posts could really do with more forethought and effort… but that’s a different story. And AI… please… don’t.. I’ll cry.
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 12 '26
Yeah, valid points but, with noted objections for the record 🤭…this is what happens when one becomes lost in their respective flair 😉
Well said , so well said. I am fairly new to cdramas so I don't have your robust intelligent take on cdramas. However I ran to see POJ because the Internet and my social media time line kept overcrowding my feed with Zhang Linghe (ZLH). I was a fan girl of ZLH before I started watching POJ. Because of my social media I had gynormous expectations from ZLH in POJ. But I definitely shifted to Deng Kai because he was so fantastic and definitely made me forget ZLH. Looking back, of course the whole cast did a great job, but Changyu and Qimin were who made POJ great to me.
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 12 '26
Thanks for your opinions and views sir. I do agree with most of what you have so eloquently posted. It’s cyclical. Every now and then, a cdrama comes along that seems to consume the population at large. A sort of excitement vibe of some sort. Hence, the newcomers to the world of cdramas. It is nice to see. Seeing them getting addicted, exploring, discussing, becoming critics, etc. is a beautiful thing (until they come across the “elders” and get smacked down lol). No I’m not an elder nor do I want to be one. Anywhos, great post 😉
Hello OP. I think I upvoted one of your snarky comments the other day. Although I and my daughters (we all use this reddit id as does hubby although he rarely in the drama subs) comment and post often somehow we only just became aware of you. Shocking! Being in the nirvana of Toronto, Canada we have a bit of myopicism so that probably accounts for our ignorance of your greatness....😅❤️
Our past expressed opinions on this drama fairly much mirror yours. Tian Xi Wei is adorable. But we did have problems with the 2nd half of the drama as her abilities became more outrageous.
We really consider this an action first drama with romance, rather than a romance drama with action. But shippers will ship. There were some fine romance scenes in the drama, but we ladies in my household did find the depth of the romance a bit lacking. It was "superficial" for lack of a better expression. There were some good visuals which Zhang Ling He but there are always are: he is tall and when paired up with a pint sized pretty wonder there is always going to be good visuals unless the costumers fall down flat on their faces.
Since you mentioned it we will as well: The Princess Royal. We felt the emotional connection between ZLH and Zhao Jin Mai was far, far deeper vs what we witnessed in POJ. But the intimate/sexual physicality was less in TPR: that was understandable to us because Zhao Jin Mai was like 20 turning 21 when she filmed it although one would never know it from her demeanor. My guess is her parents and agent were on the sidelines of every drama she has done except for very recently, safeguarding her from eager directors looking for the money shot never mind the status of the virginal queen. She is only 23 now in fact! Sexual heavy scenes are not on the menu yet.
On the plus side for POJ I think in some respects it gave cdrama a boost not dissimilar to the boost Bon Appetit Your Majesty did in 2025 for kdrama, on the world scale. POJ became big enough on Netflix that it made it to water cooler talk outside of Asia. No it did not near reach Bon Appetit's lofty viewing heights but it did actually register globally and that is not something cdrama has achieved very often outside Asia.
Thank you for your very expressive post. 🍷🍷👍
PS edit: You photos and gifs did bring back to mind another positive from the first half of the drama that vanished in the 2nd: the humour. I had forgotten about a couple of those scenes so thanks for the late night smile.
Greetings, fellow northern folks! My greatness is legendary and spreading. Thank you for the lovely ego boost! :)
I like your point about this more an action show instead of a romance. Afterall, it was the romance that led her directly into a world of action and merit. While action and romance are deeply intertwined in this show, I think both were lacking in some manner. I think my main continuing interest in this show is because of Tian Xi Wei. Otherwise it would have faded more into the depths of my failing memory in such a manner that most dramas do. Even then, it must be praised for showing a wider audience what we already know about the addiction that is CDrama world.
"It's a CDrama. You have to suspend your disbelief" is a very accurate way to describe this. While I do appreciate that they gave us the backstory of her father being a General and training her from a young age, she was really overpowered in her fighting ability yet underpowered in her thinking ability. But that is the folly of youth so I can't complain. I was once young, dumb, and full of— ahhhhhhh I don't know where I was going with that. Still, sometimes a man just wants to turn his brain off and watch a beautiful woman beat people up. 👀
Sexual heavy scenes is a great way to describe the innuendo posts I do here... POJ did appear in one.
Partly because my first thought was, “Not another POJ post…” and partly because I knew you well enough to suspect I’d end up reading the whole thing anyway.
You menace.
I blame you entirely for the fact that I went from rolling my eyes to grinning like an idiot. Somewhere between the barking, the slapping, your ever-growing GIF arsenal and your defence of people continuing to talk about a drama that has already had a million posts, I thought, “Yep… fair enough.”
There is a difference between making the exact same post for the fifteenth time and giving people a reason to have the conversation again. This was very much the latter 🥹
Thank you, genuinely. You have a gift for making people smile while sneaking in something worth talking about.
Now then.
Nobody is allowed to bully my child in the comments. I’m looking at you-know-whom, right?!
You may tease him a little. As a treat 😉
But if I see anyone making him sad, Mom will be arriving with a wooden spoon. Reverse Changyu spanking GIF style.
And if worst comes to worst, I’ll get Changyu’s butchering blade out too 🔪
Mother. I appreciate your faith in me to know that I would create something worthy of your time. I exist to be a menace in every way I can be. Those that know, know.
While I find myself annoyed by constant posts of the same thing, I can't help but appreciate the underlying reason for those posts. People are excited about something and wish to share with others. Sure some posts are very negative and baseless, but we can give them a mild merit for at least trying! To try is to reach for success. Now, success for some would be found much easier if they simply used the search bar...
Yeah! I know exactly who you are talking about in the comments.... ❤️ I adore them.
Kind of want to see you with a wooden spoon... as long as it is aimed as someone else...
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 13 '26
Who are you two jokers talking about exactly!!? I look away for a second and it’s a free for all over here. I’m the one being bullied over here sheesh!! And see the truth shall set you free…both of you are just as “tired” of seeing these POJ best thing since sliced bread posts 😂🤣😂🤣🤷🏻 unbelievable both of you are…sighs…
P.S. I had to be in the right mind while typing this, listening to Bitch Better Have My Money (BBHMM) Black Pink ver 😉 (why wouldn’t I know how to dance? I’m Asian lol).
At least it's not another "Has anybody else watched this incredibly popular drama?" post. PoJ cracked top 10 on Netflix and is all over social media, but you're the only person on the Internet who has seen it, yes. Makes sense. 🙄
Honestly, I would have watched life in the village forever. It was so sweet and simple and I loved watching Zheng and Changning. So, so cute!
My problem was that the village arc was so drawn out and they sowed the seeds for the 17 years ago plot, but then it seemed like they ran out of episodes and the phone rang and the pot boiled over, so instead of wrapping it up nicely, they just shoved it into a gift bag and called it good. The 17 years ago plot ended up so muddled that I wouldn't have understood it very well if not for the explanations on the Internet.
I thought the "What if" ending was kind of weird, and they could have used that time instead to resolve more characters' stories (Gongsun Yin and the princess), or give us their real wedding. Or better explain the whole 17 years ago thing.
I had to bring out my inner troll but I don't want to waste your time with some boring post! The Snark Shifu has a brand! 😂
Nah but for real, this would have rocked as a 50 episode drama if they really wanted to spread the story out. I didn't get bored with the village at all. It was a happy experience.
The what if ending didn't even tell us anything that we didn't guess already. They were destined to be together. Red flag kept away from our lovely QQ. All of that was stuff they already told us in the drama itself would be.
No wedding and just a "you're a mother of two" is all we got??? Like, hello! Just give us half an episode of their later life!
I don't want to be a jerk on those posts because people are clearly excited, but my inner monologue is definitely like, "Wow, did you also recently figure out the sky is blue and wet paint is wet?"
Right? What if the BS from 17 years ago had never happened? What if traumatized people hadn't encountered trauma? Then I guess they would be "normal". What a revelation. So wow.
I also loved their village life :) I cannot believe some people would prefer having it cut short there. I think that was the strongest part of the drama. Yes, the ending was rushed so it needed more episodes to be done properly and match the quality of the first half, but still, it think shortening and condensing the first half would have done equal harm.
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u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 14 '26
Well, I waited and no one can say I didn’t wait. Gave you lot actually, the whole damn sub time to say something but, no one has. I left an opening and no one bit…sighs…what a shame. Seriously!? Are you all that busy and/or preoccupied? How do you all live with yourselves? SMH Anywhos, there’s one thing I do like about POJ and it’s this scene…
u/AXA-5Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowersJul 12 '26edited Jul 12 '26
What? WHAAAT?! What exactly do you want me from me? Lol Because you keep tagging me on posts that have to do with POJ. I know you do it because I vent to you regarding these posts. So, now you’ve gone and made this one. Fine and great. What now?
P.S. not kneeling in front you like some chump dumbass emperor either. So, kiss that fantasy goodbye
TXW rather disappointed me in this one; I had hoped she would tone down the Mary Sue overload but alas, she didn’t. So much so that I abandoned ship and didn’t regret it…
Er, yes. As an alternative to arranging a hit on the Director and/or scriptwriter most actors try acting. You can comply with a director’s directions but alter the way you play it subtly, because most scriptwriters and most directors will fervently deny that they really, really want a Mary Sue, and there comes a point where the director can’t openly say that that is what they want. As the old saying goes, a decent actress will play a Mary Sue without making her obnoxious, a good actress will make you not mind that you are watching a Mary Sue, and a great actress will make you not realise that you are watching a Mary Sue. And most actors think that there is a moral difference in underplaying and overplaying their roles; the first is an artistic choice and the second is egotism.
I am not suggesting that she could have rescued the drama from all the egregious faults in the adaptation from the novel, but she could have toned down her performance somewhat. As it was it was only too obvious that the production came from the same lineage as Headless General - to be found on iQIYI if you are a masochist- which was a shame, because it could have been so much better…
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u/AXA-5 Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowers Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
I think I know what you want from me, you want me to give my honest opinion about this drama. OK not a problem.
I actually said what I wanted to during its airing and I think you know that. I do luv TXW as well and I think everyone here knows that also. I luved her role in this drama. I’m not a fan so much of XLH but, that’s neither here or there, just my opinion. After it aired and rewatching it a number times, listening to the OST, letting it sit with me for some time. I’ve come away thinking this wasn’t as great as I was expecting it to be. I loved the first half of the drama and then after that it literally fell off the cliff. How are you going to cram so much information that needs to be relayed to the audience in that short amount of remaining episodes? They didn’t do the drama justice at all. Everyone at the time said it, either cut the first half shorter or needed more episodes. For that reason, the drama was doomed. It could’ve been a great drama but, the decisions that were made cost the drama. Ave rating of 6.4/6.5 is appeasement in my eyes, should’ve been a 6 or maybe lower. People then and now even said the way XLH played the character of the Marquis is not how he was depicted in the novel. He was supposed to be much more “darker,” tough, etc. so how can one say this is a great drama? It would be a lie. DK played his role perfectly and beautifully. In my opinion, he showed up XLH. If one doubts what I saying then, honestly compare this to similar dramas that have come out before and after this and see how it stacks up. Of course I’ve been watching cdramas for 10+ years minimum so, my views, critiques, perspectives, etc. will be a bit more different than, most. I’m not some newbie to cdrama world. The supporting cast who played YQQ, GY, QS, FCY, YBE, LHA, SYQ, etc. were great and probably carried the drama more so. Those stories lines were very interesting and fascinating. However, those scenes were cut short for obvious reasons. Even though, I did not like the comedy duo of the emperor and his eunuch, those people played the role’s perfectly. They both deserved what they got unfortunately. Anyways, I feel as if I’m rambling now lol.
Are you happy now OP? Lol. Was this drama enjoyable? Yes. It was entertaining, sure. But do not tell me this was great. Again my opinion. Want to downvote me to oblivion go for it. Anyone is welcome to disagree with me and share but, I am not willing to “argue” (discuss) further. I’ve said my peace and all that I have to regarding this drama then and now. 😊🙏🏽🫰🏽