张凌赫的小核桃𖹭@everydayzlh
⚔️disclaimer: I made this post only to rant about how screenwriter ruin the characters. also make supporting characters and viewers overly look down on xie zheng.
when I watched the 108 lashes scene on eps 36, I was disappointed with how screenwriter write changyu's dialogue, as even after that sacrifice from xie zheng, she keeps calling him as yan zheng, and not xie zheng. it feels like screenwriter has made her ooc and honestly some of her action in the later part made me can't feel her love for xie zheng. I also see some viewers commented the same. in the novel, if I'm not mistaken, she called him by "xie zheng" after knowing his identity. but in drama, I barely see that. xie zheng even propose her with his real name. xie zheng. it feels like I'm watching xie zheng being refused for the whole time.
the screenwriter is so obsessed with "matrilocal husband" things to the point viewers forget that it was xie zheng who helped her with this fake marriage. sw made supporting character leep looking down on xie zheng even after knowing he is the marquis of wu'an. also how exaggerated viewers response to the slapping scene that made xie zheng being hated even if he do that to protect her.
in the novel there is a part of zhengyu's grand wedding. but after looking at this, now it's make sense why that grand wedding is not being included. the screenwriter wants to tone down xie zheng's character and made him only be remembered as "matrilocal husband" instead or "marquis of wu'an". thats maybe also the reason why we barely see his battle scene too.
there is a plot hole of this grand wedding as xie zheng asked grand tutor tao to take changyu as his adoptive daugther. yes that fake marriage is invalid as wei yan said. xie zheng know that so he asked grand tutor tao to be her adoptive father, so he will be able to give changyu the proper grand wedding.
P4:
Changyu completely changed from someone who once cared deeply about Yanzheng / Xie Zheng into a totally different person. She no longer loves Xie Zheng, and her characterization feels completely out of character (ooc). She even lets that hooligan who bullied her in the beginning humiliate Xie Zheng right in front of her.
Back then, Xie Zheng only pretended to marry into her family to help her support the household. It was a fake marriage. He was helping her, not truly selling himself or actually becoming a live-in son-in-law.
But what happened?
Both in the drama and outside of it, everyone forgot the word “fake.” They forgot that Xie Zheng was the one helping her.
Jin Yuanbao calls him “live-in son-in-law” to his face. People around the female lead keep making sarcastic remarks again and again.
Even the female lead herself, it’s as if she truly believes that Xie Zheng married into her family.
She forgot that he originally came to help her. She forgot the gratitude and care she once had for Yanzheng.
What’s most disgusting is the suppression of Xie Zheng’s real identity.
Changyu clearly knows what Xie Zheng cares about most. He cares about being Xie Zheng, his true self. He cares about whether his identity as Xie Zheng is accepted, loved, and acknowledged by her.
Yet she stubbornly clings to the name “Yanzheng.” She refuses to call him Xie Zheng.
It’s as if she doesn’t love the accomplished marquis with glorious military achievements at all. She only wants the injured, powerless “Yanzheng” who can only depend on her. Even at the very end, she still calls him Yanzheng.
Xie Zheng is never truly acknowledged by her.
Xie Zheng has humbled himself so many times, confessed his love so many times, shown his insecurities again and again, fearing that she only loves Yanzheng and not him. Yet she continues like this.
Even worse, the audience outside the drama behaves the same way.
It feels like a kind of domestication, slowly grinding down his complete identity and dignity,
pulling him down from the pedestal of a marquis.
(1/2)
