Sending straw men to scam arrows from the enemy, for one. Sending small grease-laden boats to burn the enemy's chained-together ships when a wise man predicts that there will be wind to turn the tide of the battle, for another. A variant of empty city strat, when He Yan's master sits atop the city gates with his Qin and deters the enemy after most of the city has already evacuated and there aren't enough troops, although he's more OP and deals real damage with his arrays compared to Zhuge Liang's bluff.

First one; the teacher of the FL and his sweetheart the queen. Second one; Yan he and his wife. Both times the male dies.

The first one was already super sad but the second one was just heartbreaking. First letting us see him as an arrogant/agressive general. Later seeing him love his wife wholeheartedly and bragging about her. To then just letting him slowly die in the war when he was looking forward to seeing his child get born and looking forword to being a great dad. It really ripped my heart apart.

Although you can't really say it was a couple but the Chu guy (second ML) and the maid were also pretty tragic. I was actually rooting for the 2 but there is always a guy who can't get over the FL even years later. I just don't like that concept but it gets repeated so many time. I hoped he would have a happy ending with the maid but that went to hell because of the crown prince and Chu's stempother&fiance. But even if that didn't happen, the author would probably make it so that he still wouldn't get over the FL even if she's by his side.

He deserved a better ending. His life just too cruel without any real choice. The only options he had where between two kinds of hell. The maid once said that she knew his cruel side but I don'tagree with that. He didn't have much choice and had to be cruel but it wasn't something he liked. It was pretty clear because he was never cruel if he didn't have to be. If circumstances allowed it, he would always choose the kind way. So he really deserved a haply ending or at least an ending where he gets over the FL. But even that wasn't granted

Because the moment the ML realizes his feelings, the conspiracies and intrigue that was built ul slowly, gets solved pretty fast so that the focus can be more on the relationship progress. Not that I'm complaining. Their relationship is great and funny. Just a little disappointing how the built up was amounted to one big action and ML handing all the other evidence afterwards.

Maybe because it was a daughter but well, I've seen too many MLs like this that make it hard for their children just so that they hand over their responsibilies to them to have more time with the FL and explore the world together

PS: the villain died so easily in my opinion. maybe cause he's already so old and had no sons to take over? a son-in-law can be viewd as a son somewhat but will never compare to a biological one. There's lot of plot holes in the end but more importantly SEND A KNIFE TO THE AUTHOR!!! WHY DID YOU KILL THE LIVELIEST ONE OF THE BUNCH????? Hate you hate you.......i cried a river cause of you! imma gonna find ice now my eyes are swollen. Author also has great opinions about love. many cahracters are left single by choice and author-made circumstances like being killed by said author........ humhumhumhum