Story of Kunning Palace
Synopsis
The best analysis and explanation of how to understand the series Story of Kunning Palace can be found in the two part review by Rukminising at word press
Series opens with Jiang Xue Ning's early life and the events that shaped her life and her thinking that led to her achievements and ultimate demise.
Wanniang, Jiang Xue Ning's father's concubine, switched her own daughter Jian Xue Hui with Xue Ning, partly out of spite because she was being thrown out and partly because she wanted her own biological daughter to have a good life (a massive fuck-you to the Jiang family)
On her deathbed, Wanniang confesses to Xue Ning about what she did and that she has informed the family as well. Once, Ning's back home, she's faced with a family that she knows nothing about. Her father, in her first life, was largely indifferent towards her, her mother was outright hostile (she remained the same for a large portion of the 2nd life as well) and finally there was Xue Hui, the usurper through no fault of her own. Her entire life, up until that moment had been a massive lie and one that had absolutely nothing to do with her, she was just unfortunate to get caught in the Xue Ning needed someone to blame and placed her hatred on her.
f we look at things from Ning's perspective, she was raised by Wanniang and thinks that Wanniang didn't really care about her, she talks about her insecurity both in the novel and show, when she says that Wanniang would sometimes look at her as if trying to see someone else in her face, or that she'd suddenly pull away from Ning. It was only later that Ning realized why that was.
At the Jiang household, she always felt like an interloper. She knew that when her real mother looked at her, she saw Wanniang and would not let go of that prejudice. Her father had no influence at home (he's repeatedly told that he should leave the home front to the wife) and the sister, who is so damn virtuous that there's no way that Ning could compete with her.
Her ambition then, to become the empress, makes complete sense, it stems from wanting power and control over her life.
DESIRE FOR POWER AND CONTROL was routed in wanting to be in complete control of her own life whereby up to that point was taken away from her. It is easy to see why she would want to be the empress because the only person more powerful than her would be the emperor. But never again would she be left unable take the reins in her life.
Her pursuit for power and control stems from her perceived lack of love in either of her lives. She felt like she didn't have any agency, all of the things that had happened were due to other people and the decisions they made, no one considered Ning's feelings or what she might want to do.
HER PlAN TO BECOME EMPRESS
Though Jiang Xue Ning was raised in the country she was gifted with a brilliant mind that allowed her to evaluate the surroundings she was in. Her Pursuit of Shen Lang was for two reasons…. One his older brother is sickly and sooner or later, it would be Shen Lang on the throne. The second was that she sees it as balancing the scales…. Since Xue Hui took everything that was meant to be hers, she would take Shen Lang, it's that simple. It's fortunate that Shen Lang is a decent man and while Ning was never in love with him, she did care about him.
DESIRE FOR LOVE
Ning herself would beat up anyone who dared to say that she was driven by her desire for love. If that was the case, why did she rebuff Yan Lin who so clearly loved her? Her desire for power and control over shadowed her need for love .She knows that love doesn't mean a damned thing if she's still powerless and ultimately her need for power overshadows any tender feelings she might harbor for Yan Lin. Her feelings of being used by the people who should have been looking out for her stripped whatever sentiments of love that resided in her heart. . Ning thought that Wanniang didn't love her and she could probably deal with that if she got along with her 'birth' family but she instead found herself alienated from them when they proclaimed her second Jiang daughter thus reducing her status once again .Being isolated once again …. she felt that there since there was no one in her corner, no one to protect her, she would have to do that herself but that also came from a place of hurt and disappointment. Her attitude towards and treatment of the people in her first life reflects her vindictiveness, she's going to use them to get what she wants.
Ning's actions in the first life are largely driven by her hurt and the all the trauma she's experienced. Imagine coming home to your "family" and realizing that you're the outsider. Her desire for power and love are so deeply intertwined that I doubt that Ning herself could differentiate between them. She's been hurt by people who should have cared about her, accepted her, and she will be damned before she lets anyone else do that again. It never occurs to her that there are people who could genuinely care about her and moreover she doesn't let herself consider that they might care.
HER SECOND LIFE — FALSE ASSUMPTIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
It is only once she comes back that she has more information and context and she spends more time with people like Xie Wei, Shen Zhi Yi, Yan Lin, etc that she realizes that maybe she was wrong. Time and distance allow her to see people more clearly now that her judgement is not clouded by her prejudice, by her hurt. It's why she realizes that Shen Zhi Yi is very clearly in love with her and treats her as her best friend…..Her false assumptions lead to her own demise was evident to her when she clearly understood why Xie Wei gave her the knife,…. maybe he did want her to have something to defend herself with. Xie Wei had to know what Yan Lin was doing every night but being an ally, he probably didn't want to alienate him, so instead gave Ning the dagger to protect herself with.
In keeping people at an arm's length lest they wouldn't hurt her. Ning doesn't realize that she's also closed herself to people who might genuinely care for her and when she does she realizes that she's her own worst enimy. It's just that she figures that it's a fair trade, she's convinced that love and regard won't last in the long run but shared interests will….. hence her relationship with Zhou Yinzhi…. but she only had to look at You Fangyin to know that people do have the ability to surprise you.
The one thing that stayed consistent with both 'lives' was Ning's ability to cultivate relationships with people around her. There is something about her that draws people to her.
In the first life, she had Zhou Yinzhi and You Fangyin. Zhou Yinzhi was never truly trustworthy, always more interested in furthering his own ambition and keeping his neck safe. The only reason he stayed loyal to Ning was because her ambition far outpaced his own. You Fangyin's loyalty was purer, she stayed by Ning's side even at the cost of her own life and safety.
SECOND LIFE- Second Chance
In the second life, things are very different, with Ning trying to actively make changes and in doing so, she won over and also changed so many people she came into contact with.
There was of course You Fangyin, who remained steadfast as ever. But her relationship with Yan Lin matured. She was open and upfront that while she cared immensely for him, she was not in love with him and he took it well. The people around her had clear transformations that changed her perceptions….. Shen Zhi Yi…. went from someone who actively harassed Ning in life 1 to becoming one of her staunchest supporters and protected her in the court …true love and probably the healthiest of all her potential suitor). Then we have Xie Wei, who probably underwent the greatest amount of growth. And finally Zhang Zhe and with him, she actively tried to undo the mistakes of her past.
What didn't change in either life is tha tNing was very clear when it came to her objective. She pursues her goal with a single-minded focus and is capable of thinking ten steps ahead while keeping track of possible obstacles. In the novel, we have access to her thoughts quite a bit of it is just inner monologue) and they're great insight into her character and her growth through the story.
Her arc in life 1 is a great example of just how dedicated she is when she sets her mind on something. Think about it, she becomes the empress with all of the cards stacked against her, with no backing at all, it was all her own doing. That is admirable and impressive.
Ning thinks that in life 1, she was too clever for her own good and all she wants to do in life 2, is stay under the radar and live a boring life. In most other stories, there would have been a perceivable shift in her thinking, like she would be more noble after being humbled in her first life, and that's just not the case. She is still very much the same person, capable of being just as callous and cruel as she used to be. This aspect is more clear in the books because we have access to her thoughts. I was concerned about how they would pull this off in the show, but thankfully they did a great job.
She remains cunning and conniving throughout the story, it's just that she chooses to focus her considerable mental resources to protect those he comes to care about. And she is single-minded in that regard as well, even willing to put her life on the line if it means that she can save them (when she was willing to whisk away Shen Zhi Yi, while fully aware of what it would cost her.)
CONCLUSION to the complicated persona that is Jiang Xue Ning
Was Ning "evil" in her first life? She did what everyone around her was doing and continued to do throughout the narrative with the Xue family vying for control of the court….along with Xie Wei with his own vengeful vendetta among others. Are her actions somehow more heinous because she dared to be ambitious and work to make that ambition a reality?…. she did what was needed to survive in the hellish Palace with everyone only in it for themselves.
When she realised that she was at the end of her rope in life 1, she chose to sacrifice herself to save Zhang Zhe's life even though she didn't need to do that. If she was truly as callous as she thought she was, she would not have spared another thought for him.
Ning is her own greatest critic and worst enemy.. Taking into account, the setting of the story, Ning sees her ambition as dishonorable. Women are meant to work behind the scenes and not make too much noise. Power struggle within the harem? Perfectly fine, because that is a woman's space. But the wider society? How dare a woman have ambitions beyond marriage and children! While Ning is fairly progressive, she's not immune to the subconscious social prejudices of her time.
It is no surprise then that Ning thinks she was evil but as the viewer/reader, we know that she's far from that. She's not the conventional, dull, do-gooder female lead we usually get. Instead, in Ning, we have a nuanced and complicated female protagonist who takes back the reins of her life. She is calculating and manipulative but she is also capable of being incredibly selfless. She uses her skills to protect her loved ones but also does not shy away from using those same skills to take down people who would do her and hers harm.
Character Analysis- Xie Wei aka Xue Ding Fei
Though the series is focused on Jiang Xue Ning with her trials and tribulations the character of Xie Wei AKA Xue Ding Fei…Cannot be overlooked since he was perceived to be the most scary person in Jiang Xue Ning's life…. she was most afraid and bitter towards him in her first life…As was the case with many of her misconceptions and assumptions she too came to realize in her second life that the love that was locked away in her heart could only be given to this man that was the Crown Prince's teacher and advisor to the Emperor, Xie Wei…. even though she had every reason to be wary of him.
He held the secrets that were forbidden to be spoken about since he was used as the central pawn to quench the Rebel Uprisingof 20 years ago. He was the sole survivor when 300 innocent children were slaughter at the hands of rebel Leader Prince Ping 'An yet he was raised by him to take revenge on the Xue family and the Royal family that betrayed him. Tricked by his Aunt the Empress Dogwar….., the 7 year old Viscount Xue Ding Fei was used to replace the Crown Prince whose life was being demanded by the rebel leader .
Traumatized at seeing an arrow shot by his own father Duke Xue coming his way, only to be saved by the rebel leader at the last minute . Though he survived the massacre was forced to be the puppet that was trained and conditioned by Prince Ping'An to hate the Royal Family … his hatred for his biological father Xue had no bound. His affection for Yan family however was stemmed by the knowledge that his mother was the beloved sister of Duke Yan (Yan Lin's father).
The Massacre also caused him to develop PTSD since he would have nightmares of being in the center of all the dead children and the sound of cats eating their dead flesh.
As he grew …His main goal and obsession was in devising a plan that would destroy the Xue Family. As was the case with Jiang Xue Ning he was blessed with an incredible intellect and the ability to strategize how to achieve his goal no matter the circumstances. Though Jiang Xue Ning saved his life four years prior their interactions were marred with mistrust and almost antagonistic confrontations towards each other since Jiang Xue Ning only remembers him from her first life handing her his knife thinking that she needed to commit suicide …..which she did.
His jealousy for her having affections for Zhang Zhe further complicated their relationship in that he couldn't understand why she didn't see him as her most suitable companion and lover… it was he that understood her the best and loved her the most. Though the series lacked real romantic feel to it… once the passion was ignited in ep 36 everyone knew that these two one time enemies were doomed to an an unbreakable love between them.
Understanding the Support characters
Yan Lin's one sided love
In this new life Jiang Xuening redeemed her mistake by secretly planning to stop Yan Lin's bloody upcoming-age Crown Ceremony from happening, result of power struggle between 2 influential family Xue & Yan. With Jiang Xuening and Xie Wei's plan, the Yan family's lives were saved although they went exile for wrongful accusation. In life 1 Yan Lin lost his whole family during his coming-to age celebration because of the Xue family's quest for dominance and that was the day Xue Ning rejected his love. Her betrayal made Yan Lin obsessed and furious. When he started to gain power to rebel, Yan Lin determined to make her his woman, but she killed herself to exchange life for a life. In the Life 2 Xue Ning made sure toforewarn Yan Lin that her feelings for him was only friendship, not romantic, Yan Lin gradually accepted this and avoided his obsession and hatred hatred by not falling falling deeper in love with her like in their previous life. He was destined to be a grand general and respected by whole country as Yan's family all came back home.
Zhang Zhe -disciplined moral conviction was his tunnel vision
Jiang Xue Ning most precious person was Zhang Zhe. In previous life she was using him to cover up her many of her wrong doings….. For the sake of love Zhang Zhe betrayed his conscience to make wrong judgements….. He felt unworthy and his guilt of the death of his mother …he wrote a letter to Justice Dept to sentence him to death. Xue Ning begged him to forgive himself and blame her instead. Few days before his death sentence, Xue Ning went to Xie Wei for his mercy and killed herself in exchange for his life. In the Second life it was clear that, Zhang Zhe being an upright man was indeed love with Ning… they even had a chance to have their happy ending together, if not for his mother's death from the same cause and affect him with the same guilt so Xue Ning decided to let go remembering how bad Zhang Zhe ended up on their previous life. All in all Zhang Zhe assisted Xie Wei, Yan Lin, Xue Ning to reveal the truth of evil-doers Xue family.
Princess Le Yang/Shen Zhi Yi - antagonist to best friend
Jiang Xue Ning was her best friend, they're study mates in the second life. Jiang Xue Ning was successfull in changing their relationship dynamic into friendship rather as adversary from their previous life, but for sure Xue Ning knew that Princess Le Yang would be sent off to get married with enemy's prince and would tragically die. In this life, with the help of Xie Wei …. Xue Ning would rush to save her from her fatal outcome and was finally free to come back home.
You Fang Yin- Uncompromising Friend
In previous life, she's the faithful attendant/maid to her Empress life, Fang Yin's been through too much during her reign so she felt guilty for what she put her through. In life 2 Jiang Xue Ning saved her from the jealous bitter step sister and hateful You family. Xue Ning trusted her with business and independent. She married to a very nice man, handled businesses good, sadly died for loyalty.
Though the Ending of this series was a feel good moment especially with the two twins and their banter with their father…. The series left out some crucial interactions that could provide a real happy ending to this dramatic series.
In episode one it was revealed that this series was a web novel being posted on the internet with each chapter submitted as the writer finishes her composition.
The Writer finishes writing her last words of Empress Jiang Xue Ning's life…
"She accidentally entered the palace, trapped in a cocoon of grandeur…In the End Nang'an Palace became her dying ground, a tomb in which her life was buried"
Phone Call … Chief Editor: Darling…Are you done writing?
Writer: I don't want to write anymore.
Chief Editor: What now?….. Do you know… your novel " Story of Kunning Palace" has become the Top ranking work?
Writer: The direction of this story … is not what I wanted at all…. Look at the current Heroine… Look at what she has become…. These are not the the values…that I wanted to convey.
Chief Editor: But in the current market.
Writer: You've been forcing me with the market…. You insisted on adding these angsty tropes for the sake of it…. But Jiang Xue Ning is my hard work….It shouldn't have ended like this… I have to write according to my own ideas…. Other wise, I would rather terminate the contract and pay the fine… then write it.
Chief Editor: Calm down….As long as you keep updating the story… everything else is negotiable….Tell me …..How do you want to change it?
Writer: I want… I want to let Jiang Xue Ning go back to the past with her memories of this life and experience everything again… Let her know what she did wrong and what she neglected….. so that she can make up for them ….. It'll also let her figure out …What she really wants….so she won't repeat the same mistakes…..
As Empress Jiang Xue Ning lay dying her thoughts went to her mistakes: If I knew this would happen… I wouldn't have waisted my life…Chasing after fame and power….I should have traveled far and wide….To see the vast land and waters….to be like the birds …This time ….. Jiang Xue Ning will never enter the palace.
At the end of Episode 39 the conversation between The Chief Editor and the Writer resumes.
Writer picks up the phone.
Writer: I just finished writing and was about to send it to you… you need to stop rushing me.
Chief Editor: I'm confident in your speed… I just want to tell you … I plan to publish your" Story of Kunning Palace " as a printed Book….The company has asked the Editor in Chief to communicate with you ….face to face…to see if you have any other opinions about the layout design…He'll be there soon.
Door Bell Rings
Editor in Chief: Miss Jiang…..I'm your editor, Xie Ju'an.
Writer with her eyes filled with a pleasant surprise: I think … I've seen you some where before.
The Series ends but does it?
Episode 40 - Third Life
Writer: No sooner was I told about this and here you are.
Editor In Chief: Miss Jiang….is this an inconvenient time ….we can make other arrangements….. I wanted to use the time to introduce myself .
Writer: No it's fine….. I just finished writing ….. so I can take a break…. Please come in …. Can I offer you something to drink?
Editor In Chief: Water would be fine… You said you're finished writing… what have you written?….. I've been following your story so far and I marvel at the twists and turns you've taken so far.
Writer hands the glass of water: For the good or for the bad? … This story has taken a life of it's own so at times even I don't know where I'll end up.
Editor in Chief: That can be a good trait… so tell me where you have ended up this time?
Writer hands him her finished text: You can read it your self ….please tell me what you think?
As he reads … the writer sees different facial expressions….. The writer can no longer hold herself back: Mr Xie …. You're hard to read…. I pride myself is understanding peoples reactions… especially of my work….. what is your evaluation as Editor in Chief?
Editor In Chief: Please call me Ju'An…. Since we'll be working together….. is this your final chapter or are you planning to add more…. I especially like the banter with the children
Writer: I'm not yet fully satisfied…. Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei have had an extra ordinary journey… from enemies to lovers and now parents … something still feels that I've missed something.
Editor in Chief: Could it be that you've taken to much of a leap of faith?
Writer: How so?
Editor in Chief: You went from Jiang Xue Ning proclaiming her love and pleading with him not to abandon her at her time of need… to them having children especially five year olds…. What happened in between?… Xie Wei wanted to marry her yet Jiang Xue Ning was hesitant and for them living in the wilderness with two children….. your readers are left wondering … how did any other this come about?
Writer: What are you suggesting?
Editor In Chief: You opened the window to her heart after Xie Wei forcibly kissed her and made her relent by sleeping with him before marriage… something no man could ever make her do.
Writer: so you're telling me to instill more passion and love making… I usually don't like putting gratuitous sex into my writings.
Editor in Chief: Your choice of words explains your thinking….. though gratuitous sex still sells but can be offensive… passionate love making that opens one's heart makes every woman and man that have not experienced it….. want to. Like I said you opened that door and made Jiang Xue Ning especially angry that he had the audacity to leave her when she was most vulnerable.
Writer: Oh I see…In your opinion …..How would I correct my obvious error in judgement?
Editor in Chief: You were able to take a dead empress and bring her back to life ….. how simple would it be to have a husband and wife return to the point in time that they consummate their commitment to each other. These two characters are fiery and passionate with whatever they do… can you once again ignite that passion and fire that burns in both of them? … you should give it some thought before proceeding …. By the way have you had any dinner yet…. I forgot to eat while rushing over here.
Writer: Are you asking me out?
Editor In Chief: I'm asking you to eat with me….. we can discuss your writing in more detail with a full stomach.
Jiang Ning the Writer finds herself somewhat complicit in promoting sexual pleasure to sell her web novel… yet she can't help but think in how she felt when writing about Jiang Xue Ning and Jie Wei having their first sexual encounter. Though she had decided to leave the description to each of her readers imagination she herself found herself overwhelmed with desire to be touched and made love to.
While at dinner they each began sizing the other out with eye contact that was meant to garner further interest in each other.
Editor In Chief Xie Ju'an couldn't help at marvel at writer Jiang Ning's beauty…. She was a classic … every man's dream but not every man's fulfillment…. His thoughts : she will certainly be a challenge… but well worth the prize…. He continues to smile at her with his innocent nerdish looks.
While Writer Jiang Ning can't stop thinking: Why does he look so familiar?…. Did I meet him before and chose to ignore him?….. Every man I meet only wants to make me their conquest…. Something to brag about to their friends… if her turns out to be that kind of a jerk….. I'll have my fun in toying with him… There isn't a man alive that can make me do what I don't want to.
Editor In Chief Xie: Miss Jiang… anything that you see on the menu that you would like … I come here often with clients.
Writer Jiang: You can call me Ning…. As you said we'll be working together …why bother with formalities….. Shall we get some wine to enhance our conversation… you surprised me with your observations of my work. This should be interesting working with you.
The rest of the night provided a playful banter between the two of them while also revealing insight into what can be added to the book novel that would provide a clearer understanding into the persona of the two main characters.
This being the first night in a very long time that Writer Jiang has been out with a man and had a meaningful conversation…. Be it work….. but it was meaningful in that he was able to let her think about bringing the characters thoughts during whatever interactions they were in… Several glasses wine helped her relax enough to accept his suggestions instead of viewing then as angsty tropes that have led her astray from her initial direction.
That night she falls into a very deep sleep as she dreams of Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei's wedding night. Being an observer she sees herself as Jiang Xue Ning and surprised to see that Xie Wei is Xie Ju'An. They are both dressed in their red wedding garments as they walk their way into the wedding hall… as they walk they walked over the symbols that that were obstacles in their journey to this point, saddle, sword and beads that were meant to keep them apart but failed. Seated at the wedding table they eat their first meal as husband and wife.
Writer Jiang looks around and sees no guests … she hears Xie Wei speak
Xie Wei: It's just the two of us at our wedding….. when you think about it in the future….. you wouldn't regret it …..would you?
Jiang Xue Ning: With our sincerity as evidence and Heaven and Earth as our witnesses…..that's more than enough…besides it's our wedding….we can do whatever we want.
Xie Wei: From now on ….. we're husband and wife…. Are you sure you've thought it through…and have no more worries.
Jiang Xue Ning: At such a time you're still afraid that I'll run away….. Xie Wei…. Iv'e seen your light and your darkness….. your vulnerability and your madness….I know everything about you….. that is known or unknown to others…..I might even say that I know you better than you do…as for my past worries…after I almost lost you that time…..they no longer exist… I'm only afraid that you wouldn't be in my future… I want to be wherever you are, I'll be there with you. You are extremely smart, but in love….. you're not that smart…..In the past you taught me how to read, write, play the Qin and to be a good person… from now on …..let me teach you instead… I'll teach you how to love someone, properly, Okay.
Xie Wei looks at his beautiful wife and moves to her face as though he's going to kiss her burt gradually moves to her ear and whispers: Jiang Xue Ning….. I'm yours
He picks her up and carries her to their wedding bed and gently places her on it
Writer Jiang own body begins sending signals throughout her entire body in the anticipation what is to come….. Will Xie Wei be his rough self or will he adhere to Jiang Xue Ning's wishes and let her guide him in how to properly make love to her. His head moves to hers and his lips gently kisses hers… She then whispers into his ear: My body is different than yours … I need gentle stimulation … take off my cloths gently so that your eyes can feast on what now belongs to you… know that no other man has had me including the emperor.
Xie Wei unties her red garments and throws them to the floor leaving her beautiful body with her 34 24 35 proportions … Xie Wei has never been with a women before but seeing her nakedness immediately gives him an erection
Writer Jiang's heart begins pounding harder and she finds that her breathing has increased as she begins feeling the wetness between her legs and lets her hand begin to rub her clitoris. She hasn't had a dream this intense before.
Jiang Xue Ning lifts herself up so that she can help her husband remove his garments so that she to can enjoy the pleasure of his nakedness. She proceeds to kiss him and then lets her tongue protrude his lips while swirling around his. As Empress she managed the harem and often was told what they were required to do for the men they had to service. Men went to brothels to receive what their wives wouldn't do for them. Jiang Xue Ning had long decided that she wouldn't deprive her husband of any womanly pleasures… for her to receive what she wanted she needed to show him how it is to be done…. She moves her hands and lips to his chest muscles and messages his pectoral muscles and letting her lips kiss and suck on his nipples while her one hand moves down and takes hold of his hard and erected penis….. which she begins stroking and messaging.
Writer Jean can't believe what happens next… Jiang Xue Ning pushes her husband onto his back and spreads her legs so that his face is between her thighs and his lips are inches away from her vaginal opening. She often heard the stories from the harem that a wet tongue on an excited vagina was to die for. She and her husband were going to enjoy oral pleasure together…. As she strokes his manhood she lets her tongue begin licking and sucking on it the penis head that she has been tightly squeezing. Xie Wei feeling the pleasure he is receiving pulls her ass cheeks downward so that his mouth and tongue can return the favor. Feeling his tongue and lips on her clitoris and vaginal opening Jiang Xue Ning begins to feel her body sending orgasmic signals throughout. To increase her pleasure even more she begins gyrating her ass against his mouth and lips until she begins to feel the intense contractions forming with her stomach muscles tightening and then the jerking quivers that begin releasing her multiple orgasms. Seeing that she has received such intense pleasure she strokes his hard penis a a faster pace untilit too releases his hot semen into the air. She lifts her legs from his face and lays on his chest after giving him a congratulatory kiss for a job well done.
Jiang Xue Ning: a perfect start to our new married life…. Lets rest before we do it the normal way.
Writer Jiang immediately wakes up and can't believe at how real this appeared to be to her… She moves to her computer and begins writing every detail that she remembered and then realizes this may be the start of the missing fivesyears that Editor in Chief Xie Ju'an had said would be necessary for the book .
Writer Jiang receives a call from her financial advisor and best friend Fang Yin
Fang Yin: Ning ….it's time we go over your portfolio... have you got time for me to come over or are you to busy writing?
Writer Jiang: I'm so glad you called … come over….. I need your input on something.
Fang Yin: I'll be right over
Jiang Ning and Fang Yin met in college …. Fang Yin was always a shy girl that let everyone push her around up until she met Jiang Ning. A group of snotty rich girls thought that they could make Fang Yin become their gopher and berate her for not defending herself. Jiang Ning would have none of that and stepped into the hornets nest and threatening the lead bitch with bodily harm if they were to ever abuse Fang Yin again. The closer they got the more confident Fang Yin became . It turn out that Fang Yin was a financial wiz that understood everything about investments and had a knack for making money… so when Jiang Ning began receiving advances for her writings she had no trouble in letting Fang Yin manage her finances.
Fang Yin walks into Jiang Ning's house: You sounded a little flustered what's up?
Writer Jiang: I don't know if I'm getting to emotionally attached to my story, but something feels off with me.
Fang Yin: Tell me from the beginning what's going on… you've always been emotionally attached to your stories that's why their so good and you make all this money.
Writer Jiang: My editor is always putting pressure on me for my "Story of Kunning Palace" he now told me that they decided to make it into a book form and I need to work with this Editor in Chief?
Fang Yin: So what's the problem….. you're going to make even more money.
Writer Jiang: I met with him and he has some good ideas, but there's something about him that makes me wonder…. I went out to dinner with him to talk about the story and then I had the strangest dream …. I found myself as an observer to my story what was strange I was Jiang Xue Ning and this new Editor in Chief was Xie Wei.
Fang Yin : what's strange about that… you gave your lead character your name so what?
Writer Jiang: I'm not making an sense…. Read this and tell me what you think ….. this was my dream.
Fang Yin begins reading and soon begins realizing her friends frustration: You had a wet dream from what you wrote it was rather intense…. I still don't understand the problem…. Has this guy turned you on and that you want to have sex with him.
Writer Jiang : You're no help… what did you need to tell me about the portfolio?
Fang Yin: With recent changes in the financial markets we need to make adjustments to protect your investments so that if theirs a down turn you won't get hit as hard.
Writer Jiang:You know I trust you with the money…. If you were only better with men?
Fang Yin : When are you going to meet this guy again?
Writer Jiang: Now that I've written this , I'll need to run it past him.
Fang Yin : See if he can come over while I'm here …..who knows I may be able to get a new client…. If he's the Editor in Chief he must have considerable assets to invest?
The Doorbell Rings
Writer Jiang is surprised to see that it's Xie Ju'An
Writer Jiang: What a coincidence… I was just ready to call you… I got inspired and wrote what I think you were hinting at from our conversation… Come in so we can talk about it.
Xie Ju'An walks in and sees Fang Yin: You have company … we can do this another time.
Writer Jiang: Don't be silly….This is my best friend and financial advisor… she knows everything about me. Do you want water again or wine.
Fang Yin: After he reads what you wrote ….. you should've said Coffee, Tea or Me.
Writer Jiang: you were my best friend.
Xie Ju'An: You two are best friends….. water will be fine.
Fang Yin: I'll get the water.
Writer Jiang : this isn't the complete chapter but I think this is what you were getting at ….. it may be too graphic ….. what do you think?
Xie Ju'An begins reading and his facial expressions again change to the subject matter he comments: You achieved in bringing them back to life…. Kidding aside…. The wedding scene was perfect… Xie Wei gave her the perfect wedding … just the two of them….. gone all the pressure of family or the royal court ….. gone with what was required from them… they were now left to themselves to do what they wanted to do…. You certainly let them do it. What else do you have in mind for them going forward?
Writer Jiang: When the Empress lay dying she said the things she wished she would've done….. now that she has the man that she loves … the shackles that kept her as prisoner in the Royal Palace can be removed and they both can walk away and be free as birds …. While they discover there new selves…. Jiang Xue Ning and Xie Wei have to understand what a free life means to them….. especially when they learn that they will become parents.
Xie Ju'An: Will you keep them isolated or will there be interactions with their friends?
Writer Jiang: Though I jumped five years they can't remain isolated for the sake of their children and themselves. As was shown in Ep 39 their friends remained loyal to them …. How they were affected is still part of the story
Fang Yin: Will there be a third life set in modern times?
Writer Jiang looks to Editor in Chief Xie with eyes wide open and a smirk on there faces.