The thread is open.
Episodes 1 to 5: The mystery of the beheaded bride
Episodes 6 to 10: Dark secrets in the purple bamboo grove
Episodes 11 to 15: The monster of Samyuan village
Episodes 16 to 19: The ballad of the Shuangqing Troupe
Episodes 20 to 21: The mannequin in the bridal gown shop
Episodes 22 to 24: The power struggles of crown princes
The power struggle is real.
We have the obvious infighting between Yan Che, the Crown Prince, and the presumptuous Yan Chi aka Prince Cheng. Then, the guests at the royal banquet are openly vying for the emperor’s sole daughter to establish dominance. Their names are:
Yuan Hong, CP of Beidai: the one with the annoying sister who wants to marry our hero Yan Chi. Good luck with that with Shen Wan around!
Liu Bin, Prince of Xihan: he brought the better gift, a silver fox, for the Crown Princess.
And let’s not forget the potential dark horses in the Crown Prince sweepstakes: Yan Chi himself and his BFF, Yan Li. Though they’re considered outsiders in the court and profess no interest in court politics, they’ll be far better CPs than the emperor’s two sons.
Edited to add this:
In Ep 23, we learned from Yan Chi that the late emperor (his grandfather) originally intended Prince Rui (YC’s father) to be the Crown Prince. But in order to preserve family unity and to avoid distressing their mother (the current Empress Dowager), Prince Rui declined the throne and “exiled” himself in Shuoxi to lead the army. His action — his selfless action, I must point out — allowed the emperor to rule in peace. However, there have been recent attempts (with an S) to assassinate not only Prince Rui, but also Prince Rui’s heir aka Yan Chi. That’s why Yan Chi had to go to the capital and find out more what’s going on.
Let’s enjoy the show.
An update on the new characters in this mystery arc.
From the Beidai country.
Yuan Hong, Crown Prince.
Yuan Rui, Brother of the Prince
Yuan Wu, Sister of the Prince, has a crush on Shi Wan.
From the Xiahan country
Prince Liu Bin: the Third Prince. Gifted Crown Princess a fox.
The old characters, with some additional info.
The Qin clan:
Shen Wan: also known as Qin Wan.
Qin Yan: Shen Wan’s male cousin. Back in Ep 14, he calculated that his father would deem Shen Wan to be a better Crown Princess than his own sister, Qin ZhaoYu, in terms of depth and strategy. But he also understood that SW was a double-edged sword: lethal, sure. But her loyalty can’t be guaranteed.
Qin Zhaoyu (or Yu for short): Qin Yan’s sister and SW’s cousin, too. A match with the Crown Prince is being arranged by their father. But in Ep 23, he reprimanded her scheming ways as unworthy behavior of a future Crown Princess/Emperor. He said, “Today’s Crown Princess will be tomorrow’s Empress. The selection of the Crown Princess is not only a state affair, but also a matter of the rise and fall of the Qin family. Any immature act would be detrimental.” He also rebuked his wife for encouraging (I should say “instigating” is more like it) their daughter’s actions.
Qin Shu: the patriarch/First Son of the Qin family. Also, called Marquis of Zhongyong. Politically, he’s aligned with the Crown Prince. He recognizes that Shen Wan is the best of all his nieces, and even better than his own daughter. He volunteered Shen Wan as coroner in the CP’s case.
Qin Xiang: the cousin who eloped with the bad guy. Is desperate to marry somebody well-off. Seems irredeemable. Legitimate daughter of that evil, syphilitic Third Son of the Qin family. In Ep 23, she’s jealous of Shen Wan’s quick rise in status, and threatened to expose her humble beginnings and cancelled engagement.
Qin Shuang: the cousin who seems to be getting closer to Shen Wan after Shen Wan rescued her from the well. Was ordered caned by Princess YongNing because she dissed the Grand Princess. But in Ep 23, she and Princess YongNing became better friends. Redeemable. Daughter of the Third Son and a concubine.
The Yan clan:
Yan Chi: the lead male. Son of Prince Rui. Emperor’s nephew. Former general in his father’s Shouxi Army but is working as an assistant minister at the Ministry of Justice. Has mastered flight so can easily leap onto rooftops and save Shen Wan.
Empress Dowager: the wife of the Previous Emperor. Mother of the current emperor and Prince Rui/Yan Chi’s father. Grandmother of Yan Chi and the other princes except (Prince Li) Is the sister-in-law of The Grand Princess/Shen Wan’s god-grandmother.
Yan Huai: Emperor. Good or bad guy? Time will tell. From Ep 23, we learned that his father, The Previous Emperor, actually wanted Yan Chi’s father aka Prince Rui to be the Crown Prince. But Prince Rui had no desire for the throne, fearing that a succession rivalry would distress their mother, the current Empress Dowager. So Prince Rui volunteered to move to Shuoxi and watch the borders. Emperor Huai was then able to take the throne in peace.
Prince Rui: The emperor’s brother. General of the Shuoxi Army. Seemingly estranged from his son, Yan Chi, because of some military squabble. But this could all just be fake news so Yan Chi and his father could go their separate ways and avoid being easy targets by assassins. Update: in Ep 22, we learned from Yan Chi that his father loved his mother very much. At the same time, however, rumors were circulated that Prince Rui poisoned his own wife because he suspected her of infidelity. Update: in Ep 23, we learned that father-and-son disagreed on the issue of their involvement in politics. Prince Rui believed in isolation while Yan Chi believed in engagement as that’s the only way to prevent their destruction.
Yan Che: the Crown Prince. The son of the empress. A weak and insecure prince. Not above using short cuts or circumvent the law to gain objectives. Considered a failure in the emperor’s eyes. The Qin family supports him, though, and tries to marry the eldest daughter to him. Forming an alliance with Yan Chi would considerably boost his standing in court, but Yan Chi is lukewarm towards him.
Princess Yan Zhen: daughter of the emperor and empress.
Zhao Shuhua: Empress. Mother of Yan Che and Yan Zhen. Approves of the Qin 1st Daughter for her son.
Yan Qi: aka Prince Cheng. The son of the favorite consort so the emperor favors him over the CP. New baddie in town.
Feng Lingsu: aka Noble Consort Su.
Feng Chenbi: related to Consort Su? A niece? Her father is the Duke of Zhong who’s supposedly a confidant (relative?) of the Consort. Chenbi and Princess Yan Zhen hate each other’s guts but they’re united in opposition against Qin 1st daughter as a match for the CP.
Prince Li: aka Yan Li. BFFs with Yan Chi. Flamboyant, gregarious, but seems to get the job done. To be matched with Princess YongNing. Can make a good spy.
Princess Yongning: BFFs of Shen Wan. Cousin of Yan Chi on the matriarch/Yue side of the family. To be matched with Yan Li.
Yue Qiong: Uncle of Shen Wan (brother of his mother?). Current Marquis of Anyang. Seems to be another father figure to Yan Chi. Adopted father of Shen Wan.
The Grand Princess: She was the sister of the Previous Emperor and aunt of the current emperor and Prince Rui (Yan Chi’s father). Known for her expertise with the whip. At the behest of Yan Chi, she became the adopted grandmother of Shen Wan. She’s the matriarch of the Yue clan, meaning she married a Yue man.
Prince Yu: the emperor’s uncle. From the Yan clan. IIRC, Shen Wan thought he was a dirty old man because, given his old age, he still sired a son with a young concubine. Has a birthday party and Shen Wan, Yan Chi, et al., have to detour and attend the festivities at Yuzhou.
Prince Jin: deceased. The emperor’s eldest son. Good friends with Yan Chi.
The same old bad guy:
Li Muyun: the new Minister of the Supreme Court. Shen Wan’s father used to mentor him until his betrayal; he accused SW’s father of conspiring with Prince Jin and covering up the crime. It stands to reason that Shen Wan hates him. Good thing he can’t remember Shen Wan’s face. Oddly enough, he’s currently one of the emperor’s favorites in court. Was sent to investigate the salt transport, just like Yan Chi. But it’s also possible that he’s been sent there to put pressure on Prince Yu (the emperor’s uncle) and the officials in the region.
To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to watching this episode because I thought it was all politics. But as it turns out, this is a satisfying episode with sweet couple moments we’ve been all waiting for and comeuppance/paybacks for those trying to undermine Shen Wan. Only the last 5 minutes of the episode was actually about the foreigners.
Since I have time today, I can comment on the scenes I like as if I was doing a rewatch. Well, technically, I am doing a rewatch by myself.
1. The ambush marriage by proposal by Princess Wu
They were discussing the prize of winning at archery and Princess Wu proposed marriage to Yan Chi (YC).
The eyes of Shen Wan (SW) was fixed on YC. I can’t help remembering how this is one of her stipulations for marriage. She told firmly, “No concubines. No secondary wives. Whether we’re married or not, if you cannot be faithful to me alone, then vast as the mountains and seas are, I can go anywhere I please.” I guess, she also meant no concubines or any association with females even PRIOR to their meeting. Lol.
I like YC’s instant reaction: he stood up and warned her to watch her words. He pointed out that they never met before. When she tried to juggle his memory about his escorting her back to Beidai, he said he thought she was a soldier. Hahaha. Too funny, he thought she was a man.
Losing that argument, she demanded an engagement on the spot, whether he agreed to it or not. YC’s answer was a smackdown.
YC: No way!
Wacko Princess: Why? Am I not good enough for you?
YC: First, I will only take the woman I love as my wife. (he pointedly looked at Shen Wan) but you are not her.
SW: (with a mona lisa smile on her face)
YC: Second, with me here, you won’t win the archery contest.
Wacko Princess: I love you with all my heart! How could you humiliate me?
The answer is: with pleasure. He could humiliate her with pleasure.
He glanced again at SW when he sat down but SW had an inscrutable look on her face. He couldn’t guess her reaction.
On the sideline, Princess YongNing (YN) worriedly asked her what she would do if the emperor ordered YC to marry the Wacko. She answered, “I only care about his reaction. As for what the others do, it’s none of my concern.”
In principle, that’s a great answer! Jealous girlfriends should take notes.
2. Gauging SW’s reaction
I like the angelic/choirboy look on YC as he waited outside the palace gates for a word with SW after the banquet. In his mind, he did well rebuffing the Wacko’s proposal so he was fully expecting SW to smile and acknowledge him.
Her snub rattled him, so he quickly moved to follow after her carriage.
YN then capitalized on the situation to tease him. Their cousin-ly rivalry is funny to watch.
YC: Was Wan upset?
YN: (lying) Who wouldn’t be upset by Yuan Wu’s nonsense?
YC: (protesting) But I already declined her on the spot.
YN: (tormenting him) what difference does it make? As Little Wan’er said, if the emperor grans Yuan Wu’s wish for harmony between Beidaii and our country, are you going to defy His Majesty?
YC: In that case, I’ll have to disobey His Majesty. (turning to go after SW)
YN: Little Wan’er said one more thing!
YC: (hopeful) What was it?
YN: Little Wan’er said, as the illustrious Heir of Prince Rui, you should prioritize state affairs. How could she let the romance between you two ruin your hard-earned prestige. Therefore…
YC: (impatiently) What?
YN: (shamelessly) Take me on the outing the day after tomorrow and I’ll tell you the rest.
YC: (knowing that he’s been had) Not a chance!
3. The carriage ride home
I like this moment because SW, in no uncertain terms, rejected her aunt and cousin’s offer of an arranged marriage alliance with the foreigners. In other dramas, the women, including the supposedly feminist heroines, would be mealy-mouthed and intimidated to speak up when pressured by “senior” relatives.
But SW made herself clear.
SW: Is it Uncle’s idea, too?
Aunt: It’s your marriage we’re talking about. Your opinion is valued, of course. If you’re interested, I’ll tell your uncle right after we get home.
Cousin: (fake smiling)
SW: I am not interested at all. Yu, thank you for looking out for me. Glorious though a marriage alliance seems misery is always hidden deep inside. Besides, fame and wealth are not what I pursue. Don’t bother to make any efforts for me in that respect, Aunt, Yu.
I’m glad that she’s finally got the true measure of her cousin.
Cousin: (fake flattering her) Wan, you truly have a pure and uncorrupted heart. What you think and pursue is unconventional.
SW: (not willing to be patronized) How flattering, Yu! But I’m exactly the opposite of that. Practical benefits matter more to me.
She won this argument hands down.
To be continued.
4. When the maid urges her to marry to get rid of the uncertain future
SW refused because people might regard her work as nepotism in action. Plus, she’d never convince people of her father’s innocence should they view her connections to Yan Chi negatively. Plus, given all the problems that YC had to deal with, she didn’t want their relationship to distract him further.
I like what she said, “For a faithful partner, his every action represents a commitment. For an unfaithful partner, even the solemnest vows can’t stop him from backtracking.”
Words of wisdom, folks!
Then, YC came knocking on her door at that very moment, and she said, “That’s my “faithful partner.”
5. The river scene was cute, too.
YC: You’re the first one I’ve taken on a boat trip here.
SW: (not affected by his romantic words) You once brought Princess Yuan Wu back to Beidai. Doesn’t that count as a trip with a girl?
YC: (sighing then grinning back at her) How I wish Yuan Wu had shown up earlier.
SW: What do you mean?
YC: (smugly) If she had shown up earlier, I would’ve seen you getting jealous sooner.
If their banter had stopped her, I would have dismissed this as cheesy, run-of-the-mill conversation. But then, the dialogue continued.
SW: Nonsense. I’m not jealous at all. Princess Yuan Wu is exceptionally beautiful. Did you really not realize she was a woman?
YC: I found no one but you exceptionally beautiful – when you held that blood-dripping human heart without batting an eye.
Lol. All their romantic dates can be dates in the morgue then, with her gowned and masked.
I also like that he reaffirmed in private what he said in public.
YC: Wan, as I said, I will only take the woman I love as my wife. The woman I love can only be you.
I’m personally not into jumbotron confessions, so I prefer his idea of a “lets-get-away-from-it-all-and-have-a-private-time- together.”
However, I think the props director should have tone down the use of flowers and candles (the place looks like an airplane runway at night).
6. He brought her to his ancestral home.
I like that they were able to confide in each other. He told her:
-that he looked up to his father as the “unrivalled god of war”
-his father would have been Crown Prince had he not walk away for the sake of family unity, and his mother (the current Empress Dowager). He voluntarily self-exiled to give his brother/current Emperor a chance to rule without fear of a power struggle.
-his father disagreed with his return to the capital, believing that he’d only be held hostage to allay the fears of the emperor.
-But YC believed it was imperative to return to the capital, despite the possible treachery/bloodshed/strife, for his and his father’s own good and the good of the Shuoxi Army. The isolationism that his father advocated didn’t work.
-The assassination attempts and the roadblocks he encountered signaled to him that there was a bigger plot/mastermind behind them all.
His main reason for bringing her there? To tell her that his life was just as shattered (I would say it’s complicated, not shattered, though) as his dilapidated ancestral home. He was warning her of troubles ahead.
She reassured him that she thought highly of him no matter what.
He then said that she gave new meaning to his return… Whatever did he mean by that?! Oh well.
Hi @pkml3, now that you have some time you’re really rattling along at breakneck speed to do your own Rewatch Party here!
Thanks a lot for the listing of all the characters. I still can’t really refer to most of them by name. I am confused that there seem to be names that are repeated but are different people.
I completed Ep 22 yesterday. Will see if I can continue tonight. I’m a bit torn because I’d like to also continue with the jdorama, MMH.
You jinxed it, @GB. 🙂
Have work today. 🙁
Be back, fingers crossed, tonight.
LOL @pkml3 No! Really!!
I’m into Episode 24 now. Murder and political intrigue. I prefer the murder!!
I’ll keeps my appendages crossed that you can get out of work early!!
I watched episodes twenty five and twenty six today. Some interesting forensic findings.
We are seeing the Underbelly of society here. It will be interesting to see how it relates back to palace politics which I imagine it will.
@GB, I’m replying to you here.
You wrote:
I think there’s a foreshadowing in Eps 23 and 24 about a conflict (or power struggle?) between Yan Chi and his BFF Yan Li.
1. From Ep 23 at 26:20
On New Year’s Day (?), the two men paid their respects to Madam. She didn’t go out to meet them as she was praying to Buddha. Instead, she had her maidservant give them two bracelets that she had placed before the Buddha for many days (implying that they were imbued with blessings and good fortune/wishes). She gave them to both princes, wishing them both to “be bosom friends forever and enjoy a lifetime of wellness.”
Yan Li thought it was a weird thing to say.
Li: Chi, what does my mother mean by this? You and I are already close like brothers. Why should she wish us to be bosom friends forever?
YC: Seeing you stir up trouble everywhere, perhaps she is worried that you might lose my friendship and support.
Li: (scoffing) My mother is worried about nothing. You and I will never drift apart, right?
YC: (gave him a “odd” look)
Li: Hmm?
YC: (smiling) Of course.
Li: What a nice bracelet.
As for YC, he too thought the Madam’s greeting was a weird thing to say. But he kept it to himself.
YC: (musing) A new year has just begun. Why am I sensing a self-harm from Madam’s words?
Self-harm = suicide??? I don’t know what he meant by that, really. Did he think she was saying goodbye? Getting ready to depart from this world? Die?
Furthermore, don’t you think the Madam’s attitude to her own son is suspicious? She was supposedly in love with her husband, but why doesn’t she treat their son, Yan Li, better? Why does she ignore him? She should be enjoying and doting on Yan Li because he’s a living reminder of her brief time married to her husband. Instead, she ignores him to the point that in Ep 25, Yan Li was crying in the street that he had no home.
Also, Shen Wan thought the hairpin she received was a symbol of the love between Madam and (the honorary) Prince Yi/farmer Yan Han. But why is it that in Ep 23, we see her removing the hairpin after the posthumous promotion of her dead husband and arrival at her new residence? Why did she look sad? Shouldn’t she be joyful that her late husband was recognized as hero by the emperor and her son elevated to honorary prince, as well?
Something doesn’t add up with this woman….
2. Ep 24 at 36:05
It’s noteworthy that the King cut off YC as he lecturing the CP’s brother for attempting to kill his own brother.
Wacko Princess: Why did you do this?
Prince Rui: To become the Crown Prince! Were it not for your incapability to handle Yan Chi and Qin Wan, Yuan Hong [the Crown Prince] would have been dead already!
CP: Rui, I’ve treated you with deep and sincere brotherhood for years. Never did I expect you to be such a vicious and despicable hypocrite!
Prince Rui: Were it not for your stupidity and incompetence, our Beidai wouldn’t have kept losing territory to the Shuoxi Army! If Wu weren’t this useless, she would have won over Young Commander Yan of the Shuoxi Army! I only wished for brotherly harmony. But being a nice brother means I can’t be an emperor. The foolish yields to the talented; the capable take power. This is the natural order.
He implied that he would make a better emperor than the CP.
YC: You think too highly of yourself. A kingdom without unity, a ruler without benevolence, and people unable to survive. If you can’t bring the court closer to the people, and settle the people down, even killing 100 crown princes won’t help. Using the national interest to justify your greed and disloyalty, you’re nothing but a hypocritical schemer trying to steal the throne.
Emperor: Enough!!
The emperor appears to have lost his cool. His reaction tells me that he was provoked by YC’s words. Why? Given the backstory of Yan Chi’s father (incidentally also a Prince Rui, like the Beidain prince), did he feel guilty that he had usurped the throne from his brother whom the Late Emperor had wanted as Crown Prince?
Then he ordered Yan Chi and Yan Li to stay so he could them his final thoughts.
Emperor: The fight for the Beidai Crown Prince’s position occurred within their imperial family. It’s something upsetting for me to see.
Li: (immediately bowing) Your Majesty, please rest assured. Chi and I absolutely have no desire to be the Crown Prince.
For some reason, Yan Li reminds me of Peter and the crowing of the rooster in the bible. Peter passionately insisted that he would never leave Jesus’ side, that he would even die for him but Jesus predicted that before the end of the night, Peter would have denied him three times. Well… Li also professed his friendship. I wonder how it will hold up when tested.
YC: (concurring) We mean it seriously.
Emperor: It’s easy to say that when you’re not involved.
To my ears, that’s an odd observation to make. He told them not to be too quick to judge until they were in the same situation. But when would YC and YL ever be in the same situation? They weren’t candidates since Prince Che and Prince Qi were ahead of them. Was the emperor hinting that there would come a time that the two BFFs would face that problem?
Do you know where Yan Chi got the pot, bowl and spoon when he waited for Shen Wan to wake up in the forest after she escaped that Wacko Princess?
I get that he made her straw shoes – a skill he learned from the army. But don’t tell me that he also carved the pot, bowl, and spoon while Wan slept. What a Boy Scout!
How long was she out anyway.
LOL @pkml3! I was thinking to myself that his costume sure was kinda neat, being able to hide so much in the way of utensils as he traveled about searching for her. I thought he must have been carrying ’emergency’ articles with him everywhere he went!!!
I asked AI about the speed of carving a wooden bowl and wooden spoon by hand. In the hands of an experienced carver (like the horrible killer who flayed people alive) a spoon could take an hour (softer wood?) but more likely 2-4 hours, and a bowl, significantly longer like hours or a day.
@pkml3, okay…. when you highlight those times when YC and Li are together or the scenes of how people speak about them or tell them what to do, it does seem as if we’re getting a set-up for future conflict.
I was just thinking to myself that with the cases mostly going smoothly and YC able to meet Shen Wan so often, able to whisper sweet nothings or give gifts… and get her kisses… it was getting a bit boring on the romance front.
Now that Show is highlighting bad blood between brothers… then it seems reasonable that it’s making the brotherhood of YC and Li official with the bracelets, so they too are seen as equals (but not quite, since one is more capable than the other), but may end up in a situation where they may have to compete.
It is strange that Li’s mother does not seem to care about him. I feel her cloistering herself and not wanting to be called by her title is a strong rejection of the court, her family and all these signify. It appears selfish at the moment unless she thinks she’s protecting Li by distancing herself in this way.
We have 2 ‘lost’ boys then in this series so far. The little boy of Consort Jin who is traumatised by his mother’s murder and Li who is ‘abandoned’ by his mother.
That reminds me … we have to see what the death of Prince Jin and the murder of Consort Jin have to do with cases we’ve gone through or will go through in the remaining episodes.
@GB,
Yes, I get wanting to live a cloistered life as a Buddha disciple after seeing her husband dead and her family killed for treason, but it was rather selfish AND hypocritical of her considering she still had a young child dependent on her. How’s that considered compassionate allowing her son to feel like an orphan growing up? If she truly loved her husband, then she should have treasured their child they made together as the child was his only remaining link to the past.
And then to ask Yan Chi to look after Yan Li when she did a poor job of it herself?
There’s something there that’s not adding up.
As for the young 9th prince, there’s something weird about that one, too. Didn’t he appear to be scared of the emperor to you? Did he see the emperor too on the night his mom was killed?
The 9th prince also accidentally knocked over his book (and spilt ink on his clothes), when the Empress Dowager was raving about how filial her son, the Emperor was, and how the country was thriving with him around (or something like that).
I’m sure the child will be material to the plot when Shen Wan and Yan Chi are on the case of Prince Jin’s death already.
😂 Right, @GB? How many pockets does YC have that he could carry everything but the kitchen sink with him?
I know my father and brothers can carve a whistle (from the willow tree) in no time at all. I hated those whistles because my brothers used them to signal to each other — and harass me — whenever I went near their stupid Boys’ Only fort in the woods.
@pkml3
Yes, the 9th prince did not seem at all inclined to go near the emperor. He also remained mute with everyone at first. Shen Wan managed to get him to speak by pretending that she could not understand him. And wonder of wonders, he was able to muster speech.
Now that he can speak, I wonder if anyone will be worried about what he might say, since he was likely a witness to the events that led to his mum’s murder. He might end up in danger, now that he has a voice again. And especially so if he is able to reveal secrets surrounding Prince Jin’s death as well.
Oh dear what a childhood with only brothers for company! Tiresome when they gang up on one. But were they the protective type over their sister and disapproving of all other males who got close to you?
@GB,
The 9th prince is a witness so we’ll keep an eye on him.
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As for my brothers… 🙂
Looking back, I’m thankful that they didn’t play easy on me. They toughened me up. And taught me to play dirty. Like that fort of theirs? I emptied one bag of brown sugar while they were away. (Brown not white so it blended with the dirt) They found ants and other critters in the weirdest places around the fort after that.
I was called a “pest” for good reason. 🙂
LOL @pkml3, so you too were a right royal terror as a child!
Hello @Packmule and @GB!
I really enjoyed this sequence. I am finding the murders and autopsies a tad grizzly so this was relatively light on blood shed and rather fun.
Did I miss Wacko Princess getting some sort of come-uppance for the murder of 2 guards and attempted murder of the soon to be Princess YongCi? That was not an internal matter and should have been dealt with within the local justice system. Non? Unless she got diplomatic immunity.
Hello @Kate!
I was also waiting to see that entitled brat of a princess get punished for her crimes. However nothing much was made of it. I believe she only received a rebuke. Her brother’s crimes seemed to outweigh hers in the eyes of the royal court.
Ultimately the incident between the brothers is the one the show wants us to remember as it reflects (as in a mirror) or parallels what happened elsewhere.
@GB – hi there!
Thank you for that clarification. So we have an underlining of a big driving theme in this segment and a possible foreshadowing of future conflicts and decisions about the right person to inherit the throne. .