There's an almost-r*pe scene in one of the early chapters, it serves a purpose and moves the plot along and nothing happens beyond knowing that it could've happened.

At that point in time, when he realised that FL was likely reborn and was originally his daughter-in-law who he never met, he ran off to fix some disaster and left FL pregnant at home without him. Although in some way he is running away (if you disregard the part where he 'ran' off to somewhere where he was actually needed to help with disaster relief), he was giving himself time to think about what he wanted to do with the information he has now, and I respect that level-headedness. I believe that the reason for his suspicion and worry was that the reason FL married him was purely for revenge against his son. Even though she kept a respectful distance from said son, it's not a far-fetched reasoning, and if I were him, I too would have some irrational fear that the person I love had never loved me at all, even if I trust that person. It could be seen that he didn't truly suspect FL, else, he would not be constantly thinking about her and worrying about her. And at the end of his mental struggle, he went back early due to his worries anyways. It is in fact because of this that makes me like his character more!

There were some reviews that stated that they were displeased with the ML later on, but I think that they might have not wholly understood what happened. The MC apologized not for her reincarnation but rather for her previous actions, which she deemed spoiled, because she learned the truth of what happened between the late Wangfei and her husband. The MC felt sorrow for what her lover had experienced.

The ML also did not want her to apologize. In fact; what he was worried about was whether or not she approached him because she wanted to be with his son. In all honesty, his doubt was reasonable as he finally met the love of his life. It was also clearly stated that he was not bothered by her past, rather, it was whether she was trying to go back to her past or did she actually let it go. He even called himself a fool and being a coward for being caught up in his feelings and wanting to be away--because as much as he was conflicted inside--the ML knew that his actions were childish and willingly acknowledges that he should have been by his pregnant wife.

To be fair, the MC is not truly vicious. Her evil status is only a mistaken matter of perception. She only acts to protect herself from characters convinced she will become an enemy.

That's one of my favourite aspects of this story. Each character has clear motivations and reasoning behind their actions no matter which side of a conflict they are on. You could rewrite this story in its entirety with different protagonists and still have a fully fleshed out plot based only on the existing character development. Each member of the cast is living out their own story and perspective. The depth provided from this method shows an oddly realistic display of personal bias, ie how a characters perspective can completely change perception of events.

One thing in particular I found interesting about these characters was that the MC and Rival were both envious of each other. They simply processed and acted on that envy in different ways. Gou Ran settles in happily as a cuckoo convinced the MC is her great enemy. Gou Xi initially fears and admires the rival's seemingly monsterous skills. It's an interesting display of the clash of cultures and values.

Gou Ran as a modern person looked down on the privilege of being a di daughter, yet at the same time used her privilege as a shu child of nobility and the self proclaimed 'protagonist' more than any other character. The contradictions in her character are both astounding and perhaps more accurate than any other transmigration novel I've read. I feel like I could write paragraphs doing a character study of this cannon fodder enemy's psychological state. The same holds true for at least 5 other characters, including some that are dead before the story even begins!

Gou Xi has always admired Yan Wang, even if not romantically, since well before she married his son in her past life. She respects him as a hero of the country rather than as a father-in-law. Yan Wang met a young 17 year old girl in need of protection rather than his son's wronged ex-wife 'Gou Xi'. He's protective, but maintains a platonic yet pampering friendship rather than romantic or parental love for her. He treats her as a younger generation, but respects her as an adult. Their mutual respect and friendship is what their marriage relationship is decided upon rather than lust or love.

Of course this does change over time, but it's important to note that she isn't (intentionally) seducing him and he is not harbouring supremely illicit thoughts about a little girl. There is no grand plan to groom each other into a romantic relationship. Gou Xi is looking for a chance to move out of the Yan Wang estate and would have eventually done so if not for interference from Gou Ran.

I'll admit that there were better marriage choices to resolve the situation, but ultimately the pair couldn't trust a stranger would treat her as well as Yan Wang. It didn't help that Gou Xi marrying out would mean they would essentially have no proper reason to meet the only true friend either had made in life ever again due to rules of the era. They were reluctant to say goodbye on such short notice, so why say goodbye at all? Neither truly expected the marriage relationship to be more than a righteous reason for Yan Wang to protect her righteously.

I have to say both were quite naive on that front, but I can see why considering both their previous relationships that had a honeymoon phase of a month or less before the marriage was dead. They committed to the first night out of custom. The following nights I won't spoil too much, but their affection as husband and wife develops naturally from there.

I hold the same feelings as the duke's servants. These two cinnamon buns deserve a partner who understands and supports them. They fit well together in that sense.

The age gap, although larger than expected, becomes completely irrelevant compared to the sincere happiness of the main characters.

I was a little nervous because of some other reviews, but the ML departure mid-pregnancy as he thinks things over went better than I expected. I wouldn't have been able to read it if that plot was stretched too far, but it was summed up within a chapter or two. He still did wrong by the female lead mind you, but he repents and acts to protect her in the end. It's only luck that he repented before it was too late. The FL also repents for using him and they have a fresh start as a happy family letting her previous life die peacefully. One thought that made me accept his struggles more, although not mentioned in the novel, is that in ancient times she would literally be seen as a ghost possessing a dead body. A monster. To the ML credit he only struggled wondering about her sincerity to him.

Honestly, his remembrance and suspected emotional entanglement with women similar to Gou Xi (including his odd concern for his stepmother who is similar in personality and his new concubines similar in appearance to his ex-wife) somewhat make him more of a scum. It's way too late and he is only concerned with soothing his own feelings of regret. He doesn't care for any of these women. In fact, the woman he married before the mourning period ended was only to help distract him from these negative feelings, despite the great disrespect it was to the wife he was failing to mourn. His regret gave him depth but in no way made him a better person.

He is not a major target of revenge in the end. He never crosses the line (unlike Gou Ran) and silently acquiesces to becoming a widow for a second time before he is 20.

He needs to super spoil his sister and respect his mother. One day in his 30s he should meet someone completely unlike Gou Xi, fully let go of his unhealthy attachment, fall in love, and treat his new wife with respect she deserves. That novel would unfortunately have characters like that pink clothes concubine as villains to be put down one by one until everything left of his previous attachments are cleansed. He still has hope yet to become a romantic devoted to one woman. Letting go at this point is the best thing he can do for everyone.

I think it's interesting that the ML has suspicions about the MC and eventually is able to put together the pieces. It makes sense. I do wish the MC and ML had an honest heart-to-heart conversation, their conversation is quite light (everything is implied under the surface) but I wasn't as satisfied by their "reconciliation". I'm glad though that ML is sensible/mature enough to distances himself from MC to process his thoughts, and comes back when he has accepted the truth. The side stories also adds more to the ML and ex-ML's thought process.

The end when the ML killed the FL's half-sister to keep the secret that the FL had been reincarnated. Messed up and lambasted as such a plot is, I like them ruthless and it showed his determination not to let anything threaten her or their life together.

One reviewer mentioned about ML leaving MC while she was pregant after discovering her true identity. Honestly, I think his reaction is very fair. To MC, he was marrying the daughter of one of his friends/subordinate. To find out, the daughter already died and in her place, was his son's ex-wife. Even though there's no inc*st in play, its still hard to accept right away. Plus, she originally didn't marry him for love. ML had doubts. Esp with his past and being forced to marry Shen shi. So his reaction of running away is fair. He needed time to process. He really love her, but was doubting himself if she only married him to stay close to his son. He might be an almighty war god, but in the end, still a man in love with doubts.

One thing I'm disappointed and sad about, is that author still try to make Gu Cheng Yao as SML. I would have liked it better if Gu Cheng Yao came to realised he's been idolising the wrong idea of love and marriage base on his mom's one sided opinion, after seeing MC and his dad being in love and harmony. Versus him seeing Gao Xi in Liu Wei Xi. Gu Cheng Yao's entire life was revolved around a fantasy. Allowing him to wakeup from it, and live in harmony with his dad, stepmother and siblings, to give him the family love he never had would have been a better outcome. Having his life end in regrets with endless bad choices, and living alone away from his dad and siblings was heart breaking. The author basically made ML too wonderful that his son was too dim in comparison. I found this distasteful. It didn't add anything to story.

As soon as she takes over the body, she has to deal with a multitude of people trying to steal her things (from the magistrate to her aunt). Then it was people trying to matchmake her with various men in the village as if she doesn't have a choice (in this case, she has no immediate relatives or maternal family so she has a little more say then normal but only to finding someone to vouch for her). Then her new cousin tries to sexually assault her.

Which is why she runs to the ML and convinces him to take her out of the village and find her somewhere safe to live.

Such as wanting to leave a meeting with the Emperor early which resulted in the Emperor sending a sedan chair for the FL instead.

Her half-sister schemes against the woman about to become a concubine for the former husband by using the yin yang pot (allows you to pour two different drinks from it). The FL reveals the pot to the former husband and it begins a crack in the relationship (especially once the former husband hears how the half-sister has been lying about their initial meeting and the marriage with the FL's original body).

The pot leads her former father learns that he has been spoiling a concubine (and her children) even though she was responsible for the death of his legal wife as well as schemed against his most beloved concubine in the same way. He flat out says she is going to be sold in the morning and then leaves the manor in his grief (over the death of his wife, concubine and how much he had ignored his di daughter). In his turmoil, he ends up having an accident. The concubine doesn't reveal that he left the manor upset so no one goes to look for him and he dies.

This leaves the Duke family with no heir (the half-sister always assumed it would be her brother but he is a shu son so that would reduce the title by several levels and the clan doesn't want that) so they plan to adopt a relative under the FL's original mother. The half-sister tries to scheme both this adopted son and the FL (as she was pregnant at the time) by drugging a horse to crash into the FL. This is the downfall of the half-sister who is then confined for the rest of her life.

And the former husband begins to realize that his wife has been reborn as his now-stepmother which causes him to develop feelings for her. This is made even more awkward by his father, the ML, realizing that his son clearly had inappropriate thoughts about the FL. The former husband never acts on his feelings, just watches in anguish as the FL and ML are very doting to one another.

It's actually a little deranged as she is the one who instigated her mother into all the acts that led to them becoming favored in the Duke household. We don't see these events but she basically helped her mother stress out the legal wife (which caused her to miscarry and then die from complications), helped her with the yin yang pot to scheme the other concubine and explained that she needed to make the half-brother flatter and act like a good son so he could take the position as heir (even if that was impossible).

She also constantly schemed against her half-sister as they were growing up. She made a point of showcasing how awesome she is but as it's pointed out in the books, it was easy for her to appear better because she had the knowledge of an adult woman behind a child. The thing with the husband was a little messed as well, she helped a random stranger and gave him a pendant instead of her name. All so she could say it was her sister if the man came looking and wasn't up to her standards. Once she discovered that it was Yan Wang's heir, she immediately claimed her sister stole it all from her.