“Even bitter fruits are fruits!” This piercing statement quickly made Xie Wei a popular character on the internet. It was his forced and insane actions of love towards Jiang Xuening. However, in the drama Story of Kunning Palace, we only see Xie Wei constantly targeting Jiang Xuening. Every time he appears, it is a deadly situation for her. Whether it is him holding a knife to her throat or threatening her, she is constantly under his control.
If Jiang Xuening truly fell in love with such a madman, then she must have gone mad herself, right? In fact, that is the case. In this reincarnation, Jiang Xuening did not choose her childhood sweetheart Yan Lin, who had unresolved feelings from their past life. She did not choose her ex-husband Shen Jie, who showered her with love in their past life. She did not choose Zhang Zhe, the unattainable love from their past life. She only chose the crown prince's teacher, Xie Wei, who once tried to take her life.
Her choice leaves the audience puzzled. However, it is not that difficult to understand once we unravel the love and hate entanglements between Jiang Xuening and these four individuals.
01 From the essence of love
Zhang Zhe loved her with restraint, Yan Lin loved her passionately, Shen Jie loved her indulgently, and only Xie Wei was different. His love was profound.
Looking at these four men's love for Jiang Xuening, there are essential differences:
- Zhang Zhe is a gentleman who values emotions but is too straightforward and bound by rules. He has concerns and cannot break free to give Jiang Xuening what she desires.
- Yan Lin is a romantic who values emotions but tends to be self-righteous in his one-sided approach to pleasing the other person, causing Jiang Xuening psychological burden.
- Shen Jie is a ruler who values emotions but is bound by his position and the unequal relationship between him and Jiang Xuening, due to their status as ruler and subject.
- Xie Wei can be considered a confidant who doesn't prioritize emotions but is the only one who truly understands her. He and Jiang Xuening are fundamentally the same kind of people, both wanting to break free from constraints and fight against fate. They share the same values, and as they say, like-minded people naturally come together.
Looking at it this way, in the first life, Xie Wei did not not love Jiang Xuening, but rather loved her too deeply without realizing it. He didn't know, and neither did she. In the past life, Jiang Xuening thought that Xie Wei wanted to kill her when she took the dagger he handed her and pleaded for him to spare Zhang Zhe.
At that time, Xie Wei gritted his teeth and said, “Trade my life for a mere Zhang Zhe.” It is evident that he already had a jealous mindset, but he responded with an ambiguous, causing Jiang Xuening to misunderstand and assume he agreed with her. She then proceeded to take her own life with the dagger. However, she never knew that Xie Wei never intended to kill her. Giving her the dagger was not for her to commit suicide, but for her to defend herself when faced with Yan Lin's coercion. Xie Wei never expected her to misunderstand him and die in such a decisive manner before his eyes, leaving him shocked and unable to bear witness.
Their interactions in the past were not extensive, as Jiang Xuening had always avoided him like a snake. Furthermore, Jiang Xuening valued power and had direct conflicts of interest with Xie Wei, so all she had for him was fear and caution. However, even so, Xie Wei was different to Jiang Xuening. After all, during their journey to the capital back then, they experienced life and death together.
As they say, true colors show in times of adversity. Jiang Xuening could have left the ill Xie Wei behind and returned to the capital on her own, but she didn't. She even resorted to feeding him her own blood to save his life, using her stubbornness to bring him back from the brink of death. It is evident that Xie Wei was not a complete stranger to her. Remember when she was reborn and saw Xie Wei, she secretly mocked him by saying, “Xie Wei is still as boring as ever.” This implies that she had paid attention to him in the past, otherwise, how could she say such words? Therefore, in the first life, without misunderstandings and without Zhang Zhe, Jiang Xuening and Xie Wei were not an impossible match.
02 Cause in past life and effect in future life
In the previous life, due to the influence of Wan Niang, Jiang Xuening desired to sit on the position of the Empress. Thus, driven by power, she did not hesitate to use Shen Jie to achieve her goal, which led to their intersection. However, in this life, she no longer harbors such thoughts, therefore her and Shen Jie's relationship is destined to be impossible.
As for Yan Lin, throughout both lives, she only regarded him as a friend. She never had any feelings for him, but he treated her exceptionally well. Moreover, in the previous life, he became obsessed with her because of her influence. One would think that in this life, she would give him a chance. However, in the last moments of the previous life, Yan Lin, consumed by love and hatred, was willing to destroy Jiang Xuening in order to possess her. Thus, when she was imprisoned in the Ning An Palace, he defiled her.
For a man who had insulted her, Jiang Xuening could not possibly be without resentment towards him, let alone be with him. Furthermore, Jiang Xuening did not love Yan Lin to begin with. In order to change Yan Lin's fate, she informed him of everything in advance, and he, in order to protect Jiang Xuening from being implicated in his family's affairs, distanced himself from her early on. Therefore, it is impossible for Jiang Xuening and Yan Lin to be together in this life as well.
So, what about Zhang Zhe? Some say, “To Jiang Xuening, Zhang Zhe is like a piece of coal in the snow, a lamp in a dark room, and a boat crossing a treacherous river.” It is evident that regardless of the past or present life, Jiang Xuening feels differently towards him. In the previous life, he was imprisoned because of her, and she died to protect him. They were destined to be apart. In this life, Jiang Xuening no longer plays the role of a villain, and she wants to bravely pursue Zhang Zhe once again.
However, Zhang Zhe is also a reincarnated individual who does not want to repeat the mistakes of the previous life. After all, his mother died because of Jiang Xuening in the previous life. As a straightforward person, if he were to be with Jiang Xuening, he would inevitably feel guilt. Furthermore, due to Jiang Xuening's own circumstances, when she learned that Zhang Zhe still considered her a moonbeam from the previous life, she couldn't help but feel guilty for the misdeeds she left in his memory. Two people with a gap between them are destined to be unable to be together and find peace. Ultimately, they are not meant to be.
But for Xie Wei, it is unavoidable for Jiang Xuening. How can he be exempt? In the previous life, Jiang Xuening had little interaction with Xie Wei, but in this life, after her rebirth, she changed many trajectories, which led to an early intersection with Xie Wei. Whether intentional or unintentional, Xie Wei always appears in Jiang Xuening's life, leaving a strong presence. This makes Jiang Xuening both afraid of him and unable to ignore him.
But the more you pay attention to someone, the more you understand them. When Jiang Xuening learned about Xie Wei's background, she empathized with the suffering she had experienced from being trapped in her previous life, which caused her heartache for him. As the saying goes, it is only when you have a fondness for someone that you can truly feel heartache. It is at this moment that Jiang Xuening begins to care about Xie Wei. They are both unfortunate individuals, naturally, they are drawn to each other. Their union is not only a mutual redemption, but also a two-way commitment. In reality, there is nothing inappropriate about it.
03 Xie Wei's intense and unrestrained love
Shen Jie, Yan Lin, Zhang Zhe, and Xie Wei all love Jiang Xuening, but if you look closely, you will see that they have reservations in addressing her, indicating a distant relationship. In their past lives, Zhang Zhe called her “Niangniang” and in this life, he calls her “Jiang'er guniang”. Shen Jie called her “empress” in their past life and now calls her “Jiang'er guniang”. Yan Lin, regardless of past or present, mostly calls her “Ning Ning”. Only Xie Wei uses the term “Ning'er” as a unique address, and when angry, he would call her “Jiang Xuening”.
The first two individuals have a distinction in status, and although Yan Lin's address seems affectionate, it is more of a term of endearment between family members. Only Xie Wei's address carries an equal status, making it the most appropriate term for lovers.
Zhang Zhe is more like a friend to Jiang Xuening, Shen Jie is more like a brother, and Yan Lin is more like a younger brother. Xie Wei, on the other hand, is more like the passionate lover. In this life, Xie Wei's madness exceeds that of the previous life. He no longer hides his love for Jiang Xuening but learns to confront the obstacles that come their way. Even when he learns that Jiang Xuening likes Zhang Zhe, he refuses to let her escape. He is determined to keep her by his side, even if it means using any means necessary.
In fact, Xie Wei is essentially a madman. He is willing to do anything, even sacrifice his own life, to obtain Jiang Xuening's love. When Jiang Xuening finds out that Xie Wei loves her, she tries to avoid him, but he does not allow it. He constantly questions her, “Why are you afraid of me?” He pushes Jiang Xuening to admit her love for him, to the point where she has to reveal their past, saying, “What if you have killed me before?” Xie Wei doesn't care at all. If you say I have killed you, then go ahead and kill me again. He even hands Jiang Xuening a dagger, asking her to kill him. This action of his can be seen as a gamble with his own life to test Jiang Xuening's sincerity.
Xie Wei's love for Jiang Xuening in this life is crazy, as some netizens jokingly say, if Jiang Xuening doesn't choose Xie Wei, then everyone else will die. With his madness, he would be considered a lunatic in real life, and he is capable of such actions. However, mental illness can be cured, and Jiang Xuening is his remedy. Only when Jiang Xuening chooses to be with him can he truly find redemption and prevent further harm from occurring. Of course, it is not possible for Jiang Xuening to sacrifice her own happiness for Xie Wei. She does not have such a sense of righteousness.
In essence, Jiang Xuening and Xie Wei are similar. They both have a hidden factor of madness within them. What Xie Wei does is understandable to her, as it is a way to seek solace and break free from constraints, something she also desires. So, to Jiang Xuening, isn't he also a form of redemption? The reason why Jiang Xuening chooses Xie Wei is not without reason.