The Princess Royal (2024)

Entertaining but also frustrating

The Princess Royal turned out to be one of those polarizing dramas where many viewers enjoyed the series thoroughly, while others condemned it as a terrible waste of time. This drama scored higher ratings on Douban than another show with an 8.9 rating on MDL and breached 10,000 on Youku’s popularity index. Yet, if you read the reviews and comments on MDL, you will see many with an opposite sentiment.

In the beginning, there were folks who judged the FL character based on her actions in the novel, and despite the scenes not even happening in the drama, began hating on her. As the show progressed, some complained that the novel had better scenes and the drama should have included them. Furthermore, fans of Zhang Ling He lamented that his ML character got less screen time than the SML and was not a strong enough character. Others wanted a full-fledged romance story and felt that the show spent too much time on palace politics and the interactions between the FL and the SML.

Lucky for me, I was not influenced by such factors. Not having read the novel, I could start with a clean slate. Also, not being a major fan of any actor, I was not comparing the amount of screen time each character had. While I enjoyed the development of the leads' romance, I was most interested in seeing how the leads would triumph against the villains when given the opportunity to redo things. The show drew me in because of its interesting premise of giving multiple characters a second chance.

**Why Entertaining?**

Having not only one lead but multiple characters being reborn into an earlier period of their lives added a nice twist to the usual story of a second shot at life. Moreover, we got another twist where instead of the ML being the tsundere one with all the power and prestige, it was the FL, Li Rong, who started off with a colder and unapproachable personality. As the Princess Royal, she was the political heavyweight with the backing of her noble family's background. In contrast, Pei Wenxuan, the ML, came from a humble common family and was married to the FL as her Prince Consort.

I liked Li Rong because she was unlike the stereotypical strong female lead. She had plenty of flaws but also had her own strengths. With conflicting personality traits, she was initially misunderstood by many viewers because she was cold and harsh on the outside towards Pei Wenxuan and yet showed care and thoughtfulness for him through her actions. Those viewers who supported and defended her against criticism finally felt vindicated when Li Rong showed character growth as she learned to trust the ML and revealed a warmer side. Through this growth, Li Rong also became freer, dropped her defensive wall, and expressed her feelings towards Pei Wenxuan more openly.

What added to her appeal for me was her complicated backstory. In her first life, Li Rong was no Mary Sue; she was not your usual FL who was perfect and good, and her only fault was trusting and loving the wrong people. In Li Rong's case, she was so proud, and her pride led her to misunderstand Pei Wenxuan and cut him off. She ended up in a relationship with Su Rong Qing, the SML, for many years while her marriage to Pei Wenxuan was just a sham. This setup also led many viewers to condemn her, but for me, who cares? The story was about them getting another opportunity to change things and start afresh, so I was more interested in what happened in their present (second) lives.

Zhao Jinmai did a good job as Li Rong. She was supposed to be young, and she certainly looked the part with her baby face, but she was able to portray the emotions of someone who may look young but had already experienced over 40 years of life. A life that was not easy, being entangled in palace politics. That said, there were times when I thought she was not regal enough and did not give that feeling of gravitas that someone in her position should have.

As for Zhang Lihe, whether or not he got sufficient screentime, I don't think anyone can deny that he found his stride in this drama. This is his best ML role so far, and he completely embodied Pei Wenxuan as a sunny, besotted man who was also calculating. Pei Wenxuan was also prideful like Li Rong in his first life as her Prince Consort, and when given another chance, decided not to waste it by hiding his love for Li Rong like he did the first time. In the second life, he wore his heart on his sleeve, and having understood Li Rong so well, was patient and willing to bear a lot for her. To me, he was an endearing simp who had it bad for Li Rong but was not a wimp. He got things done in his own way and was a brilliant strategist with his political maneuvering. He could also outshine anyone, including Su Rong Qing, during his jealous fits. Minor spoiler alert: the scene where he played the erhu in the middle of Li Rong's and Su Rong Qing's performance was just the best.

I enjoyed the progression of their relationship in the second life. Mostly through Pei Wenxuan's efforts, the leads actually talked through their issues. It took them the whole of their first lifetime to second-guess, and ultimately scheme against each other, so the second time around, they made sure to communicate. There were times when I thought there would be misunderstandings again, but each time, one of them would try to move forward by sharing their feelings. This was really the best strategy for Pei Wenxuan to win Li Rong over this time round.

With the romance underplayed during the last quarter, the show put a heavier focus on palace and court politics, which I also found entertaining. The show emphasized how blood ties and affection would always take second place when it comes to power struggles among the royal and noble families. This drama did a pretty good job depicting how people will stop at nothing to retain power for their family names and were mostly propelled by self-interest. As frustrating as it was to watch, it was understandable given the history of the Chinese empires. At least for me, it gave more depth to many of the characters in this show. It also added more nuances to the relationship between the leads as they navigated conflicts between the royal and noble families and survived being in the center of political struggles and turmoil. Seeing them together left a good feeling, and I was satisfied with how they ended.

**Why Frustrating?**

Where the show failed for me and why I could not give it a higher rating was how Su Rong Qing was portrayed. This character got a lot of hate for being the clingy SML who could not move on and later as the main villain, got a lot of screen time. I believe the show wanted to elicit sympathy for him, given his backstory and complicated relationship with Li Rong in the first life. The show probably also wanted a more complex villain whose actions may have seemed rash and selfish at first but never wavered from his desire to protect and ensure the safety and happiness of the ones he loved, including Li Rong. Also, by adding him to the mix, perhaps the show wanted to create more than just a sweet, flat romance between the leads.

If a more veteran actor had played the character, I might have developed a soft spot for Su Rong Qing and felt bad for him. However, Chen Heyi's portrayal did nothing for me. At the beginning, I did not really notice him except as a plot device to drive the leads closer. Later, when he turned out to be the main villain, I was not surprised to see him featured more. After all, like many other shows, villains tend to have more screen time during the buildup to the climax to drive up the angst factor. However, never once did I feel sympathy for Su Rong Qing. It could be the writing, but unfortunately, Chen He Yi's acting was not enough to depict this lost soul. Even in the end, I could not feel the hopelessness and defeat that Su Rong Qing must have felt, trapped with no way out between his family, duty, love, and his own desires. Even the music and numerous flashbacks failed to stir any emotions within me.

The acting of others also missed the mark for me. The actress playing Consort Rou, for example, had the oddest expressions, almost like she had a constant twitch. For someone who was featured quite a bit, I found it somewhat distracting.

**Overall**

Despite the lackluster acting of some, I love that the characters were shades of gray. We had antagonists who felt justified in their actions, people on both sides helping each other, sometimes for justice but mostly for purely selfish interests. Then we have the protagonists who made bad decisions, said and did things they did not mean in the heat of the moment. The show scored points with me for its dynamic characters who struggled with their actions, who were not always clear if they were doing the right thing or what the right thing even was.

This was certainly not a "always feel good" show where the good ones win all the time but it certainly provided the satisfaction I wanted. I was half expecting some open ended dream sequence but the ending was a proper and complete one.

Aesthetically, the set designs and costumes were well done and indicated the high budget of the show. The costumes were lovely, especially for Pei Wenxuan, and his clean hairstyle highlighted how handsome he was. The styling for Li Rong and Shangguang Ya was also nicely done, especially their hairstyles and accessories.

I also found the OSTs fitting and memorable. For posterity, here is the playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLaG0k-PXfnd8aOjOOxIaKTGfGdB4VKtm (maintained by Peachy Blossom) or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28GuPBlliOm48KGAl2fefJ?si=c8ba7e1257c24081

I recommend that you try this drama out and see for yourself. Thematically for me, The Princess Royal is a show that encapsulates life in many aspects and topics. It touches upon self-awareness and personal growth, love (romantic and familial), respect and loyalty (to self, family, country), politics, societal obligations and problems, the balance of power and inequality, friendship, and more.

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Alternate Drama Title: The Legend of Su Rongqing

The premise of The Princess Royal is a rather unique and intriguing one, but it soon felt like I was walking along a bridge that could collapse at any moment. The bridge looks to be sturdy, but in reality is missing the most important nuts and bolts to keep it standing. I was drawn to the drama due to its lead actors (Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe), beautiful production and seemingly-interesting plot. The first few episodes were enjoyable, but everything soon went downhill.

The Princess Royal is a historical Chinese drama, telling the struggle of a deep, political struggle and the romance between the Princess Royal Li Rong (Zhao Jinmai) and her consort/government official Pei Wenxuan (Zhang Linghe). It is adapted from the very well-received novel "The Princess Royal" by Mo Fei Bai. What sets the drama apart from other period series from the start is that the leads are sent 20 years back into their young selves (18 and 20-year-olds). This was an opportunity for the leads to redeem themselves and prevent past tragedies from occurring. In this sense, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were a lot more mature, as they had decades of experience with politics.

I’ll say off the bat that I had no problem with the acting whatsoever. The main leads, as well as the supports, embodied their characters very well. Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jinmai had a decent amount of chemistry, which (arguably) saved some of my sanity as I watched the rest of the drama. They had some cute moments, but even these scenes weren’t enough to make up for the real issue: the overall plot.

As the power struggle between different political parties emerged, I soon got pretty bored with the drama. The plot was progressing in the way that people were plotting against one another for political gains, but it just felt like the drama really wasn’t going anywhere. It was just the usual struggle between two princes for the throne with a few suspenseful moments thrown here and there. I just didn’t feel attached to many of the characters in this drama as there wasn’t sufficient character build-up. Because so much of the precious screen time was given to our oh-so-amazing second male lead, Su Rongqing (hence the title of this review). There was even an episode where Su Rongqing had 28 minutes of screen time (the entire ep is 40 min long). There were plenty of opportunities to cut some of SRQ’s scenes to give the audience more scenes of the lead couple, or even scenes of other characters. Su Rongqing even took up a good portion of the last episode, leaving many viewers (and especially og novel fans) disappointed with the leads’ short ending. Most of the other characters weren’t given a definite/satisfying ending as well. There were also times when SRQ’s actions just didn’t make sense. I have no problem with the actor himself, but the character and his screen time is truly frustrating. I only read part of the original novel, and found many similarities between the novel and drama, but there are some unnecessary-added scenes in the drama (cough cough, SRQ). Who knew what the screenwriters were thinking.

On the brighter side, I appreciated the emphasis on female empowerment in this drama. Shangguan Ya and Qin Zhenzhen are very intelligent and loveable characters, quickly becoming the female lead’s biggest supports. Consort Rou was also put into a major political position. Quite a few women played heavy roles in the political landscape, which contrasts greatly with other political period Cdramas. However, Li Rong still made some questionable decisions, although she had already lived a previous life. Her constant entanglement with Su Rongqing also dragged the show. On one hand, she is telling Pei Wenxuan how much she loves him, but also can't seem to forget about her moments with the SML. Pei Wenxuan has plenty of reasons to be upset. PWX's character was great overall. He, like Li Rong, was very intelligent and thought ahead.

However, I would like to point out that the overall production wasn’t bad. Many of the costumes and hairstyles were gorgeous, and the backdrops and props looked like some thought had gone into them (in other words, they didn’t look cheap). The OST was nice, but I still don’t understand why the production/editing team decided to use music in more scenes between the FL and SML than between the two leads.

In conclusion, there is real eye candy in this drama and the acting is top-notch, but the plot was just lackluster and disappointing. If you’re a Zhang Linghe and/or Zhao Jinmai fan, you could give The Princess Royal a try, but I did warn you! Otherwise, the drama really is a waste of time.

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Loved you before, love you now, love you always.....A love transcending time.

The Princess Royal is on my list of favorite dramas of 2024!

You will find TPR enjoyable if you can get by the SML without him annoying you too much. To me, he was there for the plot and did not take away from my enjoyment of this drama.

*Except for a few specific chapters, I did not read the novel.
*The review is based on the drama.
*I went in with no expectations other than great acting and chemistry, but I understand the novel readers' frustration with any adaptations.

What I love most about The Princess Royal is the main couple. Both Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan died on the same day thinking one killed the other. They are taken back in time to when LR was 18 and PWX was 20. Both were married in their previous lifetime but lived apart due to a misunderstanding. The first 2 episodes are tough to watch due to the way LR bullies PWX because she thinks he killed her. Thank goodness that was cleared up quickly. The misunderstanding that caused their separation was cleared up by episode 11 and from there, the couple starts to grow closer as they try to discover who was behind LR's death. By the time you get to episode 12, you will have a better understanding about LR and PWX's viewpoint on their relationship. I wish I could say it was all settled by then but it will take time for LR to admit her love fully. Be patient. The ride is entertaining. There are comical moments, frustrations, and sweet moments.

The chemistry between LR and PWX is unique. They are like old married couples. They bicker, but they understand each other. In one sense, they are comfortable with each other, but LR is not ready to trust her heart to anyone yet. However, it was clear to me by the little things she did that she cared deeply for her husband. On the other hand, PWX has no qualms about showing his affection. But he is also capable of petty jealousy that you will be sure to find entertaining. Nobody does petty jealousy like Zhang Ling He! I loved watching this couple especially when it became clear they loved each other.

This is one of the best cp I have seen. Jin Mai and ZLH were outstanding with their depiction of a couple who was on the one hand familiar with each other and acted like old married couples sleeping next to each other and knowing what each other needs and wants, but on the other hand getting to know each other as they came to realize the misunderstanding that caused their separation.


The FL, Li Rong, is a complex character due to who she is. She is THE Princess Royal raised to view marriage and love in a way that makes her more restrained and unwilling to trust. And yet her character possesses kindness and empathy for others. There are some viewers who do not like LR. They believe she is a stupid FL. I DISAGREE! She is not perfect, but I like her. She doesn't always make the right decisions, but she is in no way an evil person. She is caring and strives to improve the lives of the common people. She is proud. She grew up in a royal family where everyone had an ulterior motive. And even though she seems to reject getting closer to PWX, she constantly seeks reassurance that he will always be by her side. Her actions are not because she is stupid. She is the way she is because her trust issues are from a deep and complex place. Lucky LR that she has her Prince Consort..her love, Pei Wen Xuan! She appreciates him and in a rare moment told him, "....let me tell you, you do not need to compare yourself to anyone, let alone Su Rong Qing."

The ML, Pei Wen Xuan, is the Prince Consort. Zhang Ling He played his role in such a way I was able to see him as an intelligent man who is a strategist with a high IQ and EQ as well as a patient and understanding man. He is the perfect match for Li Rong. She comes to lean on him when at times she needs support. PWX is my favorite character in this drama. As a husband if only a nominal one at first, he wants LR's happiness and will do anything he can to help her. But he will also point out her mistakes quite vehemently at times and patiently at other times. And he also has another side. While he appears soft when he is around LR, he is also commanding, confident, and fearless especially when he must defend his princess. He has the greatest lines. Many times I found myself going back to listen to his words:


"Either I die with you, or take you home."

" As a husband, no one can touch you unless someone steps over my dead body. As your ally, I'll stand in front of you even if you're cut in pieces. So whether we are husband and wife or allies, our fate has long been tied together."



The Princess Royal is filled with romance and palace intrigue. It is a story of a second chance in life, acceptance and forgiveness, trust and love. The question of who to trust is a recurring theme. It was surprising to me to see the emperor hesitate to eat pastries brought to him by his daughter, LR. It is no wonder LR has trust issues. By the end of the drama the only person she could trust was her husband, PWX. And even when trust is betrayed, it is possible to forgive when given the chance to change your life.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Some viewers feel that the SML is actually the ML. I disagree. Pei Wen Xuan is very much present and the ML! The SML became more visible in the second half of the drama when the plot picked up concerning the details of who killed LR and the truth about the SML and his part in her death. How else is the drama supposed to head into resolution without addressing the SML's part? Perhaps it is because I was fully invested in this couple and was totally convinced of their love for each other that I did not feel frustrated with the presence of the SML. He became annoying and frustrating to watch, but this did not take away from my enjoyment of the main leads. I enjoyed The Princess Royal because I watched it for LR and PWX.

SPOILER BELOW ON EPISODE 40!

However, I also understand the disappointment of viewers with the final episode. The screenwriter chose to use the final episode as Su Rong Qing's grand farewell. Understandably, SRQ must explain his actions. And perhaps the producer wanted to emphasize all that he has lost with flashbacks to his previous life with LR. And perhaps pity was the emotional reaction this producer sought. While I can see the focus and understand the motives, I felt it went too far and showed too much. Some of it was cringy. But while many dropped ratings due to this, I did not because there were so many more beautiful scenes and outstanding performances to make The Royal Princess a drama I will rewatch. Would I have liked to have seen less of the SML in the final episode and more of LR and PWX? Absolutely! But I was happy with the outcome and the happy ending. Even better, there is a bonus episode!

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The Story of Nut Sack

The title says it all, doesn't it? I can't say this was a highly anticipated drama for me, but I did add it to my watchlist because of ZLH. At the time, I hadn't yet seen ZJM in anything but was familiar with the SML or CHY and several others in the supporting cast from previous things. I however didn't expect to see so much of the series essentially taken over by SRQ and away from the ML and leads altogether. It was sad and everyone was sick of it. Instead of The Princess Royal, this should have been renamed "The Story of Nut Sack." That's what I dubbed him; even funnier just how many people started using that nickname after I put it out there. I knew we were all in the same boat.

Pros: Everyone's acting. The leads really embodied their characters especially ZJM or LR; I'd only seen her in a modern drama at the beginning of this year. For a 21 year old, she sure knows how to act. Very impressive. ZLH or PWX, though relegated to a virtual supporting character, he was infinitely patient and loved with all of his heart. I don't know how he was written in the novel as I never read those but he did the best with what he was given. Little prince was too cute and I really liked him with QZZ. It was actually funny that he in real life is older than ZJM who plays his older sister. The other characters I liked were SY, SRH, QL, LFB, the eunuch, and the rest of the folks on team LC. None of these characters were cookie cutter good. They were all complicated with problems that they had to overcome and evolve into. That was the part of it that was really good. The sword fights were good; loved when PWX told nut sack off at the end for being so damn delusional and how he had every choice in life number two to change everything but still didn't. I also really loved the OSTs.

Neutral: Before I start on the cons, I just want to make sure people understand that I have no hate towards any of the actors. Though this story of nut sack was played by CHY, the actor did the best he could with what he was given. He himself is still very new in the industry and green. I do hope for better work for him. I think he was miscast here. If you want him in a good drama; check out "Warm on a Cold Night."

Cons: The people responsible for turning this story into the mess it became, was production. The script was absolutely horrendous (we had a second lifetime of do overs to get things right but instead what we got was a convoluted mess); it turned the story away from the leads and to the SML who wasn't even given a billing lead role but as a supporting character. How could they do that to him given how much screen time they gave him? Really unfair to the actor. At every turn, nut sack took most of full episodes of screen time and became essentially an obsessed lunatic with forced second lead syndrome plus producers really wanted to give him a redemption arc, though they still killed him; but his constant glorification was pretty ridiculous. He was vile and stupid; he killed her in their first life, yes with two others but he was probably the first forgiven. If the reason it took her longer to forgive her little brother and SY was because she cared about both more, why the hell did she waste so much time yelling for nut sack to turn back to the right path? Right up until his fiery death, both leads still were trying to get this POS to see reason and become good. It just didn't make any logical sense. Reason and what we were seeing were two different things and this was constant. Say one thing, mean another. Just constant contradictions until you got a damn headache! I can't begin to even really explain what happened to the story but it went from in-fighting palace politics over a throne in two lives that would have still happened to absolute chaos with the SML. A lot of the time, you were wondering; what was even happening and why? Many scenes had you cracking up because they were so absurd.

Nut sack was both Superman and somehow escaped flames for a long time after being stabbed plus he was able to play a song. What in the what? Way too many loopholes and continuity issues; arrow that killed consort Ru came from where? How did her daughter scream without opening her mouth? Cheng 2.0 came from where; was he created from clay? How did nut sack catch up to LR when they went diving off the cliff? When did this turn into a Xianxia? And many others. Suspension of disbelief was a constant must. Wasn't this an S+++ drama? Why the hell was everything so cheap looking? Where did all of the money go?

The ending was rushed obviously because over half an hour was spent on nut sack's last time on earth, though the sword fight with PWX wasn't bad. It was an HE for our 3 couples but very rushed and a lot of the characters didn't even get proper closure as they were just left on the sidelines or disappeared altogether. So now we're getting an extra episode at some point because our leads barely got their 3rd wedding in and the kids weren't shown. My question to producers is, was it worth it? To screw up a great story for one character that should have been kept as is. Only reason this got the score it got was because of the really awesome acting of the actors.

Would I recommend it? Even though the actors were awesome, this story was a mess and I can't with good conscience recommend something so completely out of left field. Even if you didn't read the book (like me), as just a viewer, you'll know very quickly something is very off about the story. All of these actors deserve a better script, so I'd recommend you watch all of them in other things.

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Flat romance, lacklustre politics & ML reduced to side accessory

I usually start my reviews explaining what the drama is about but this one is misleading as hell. You think you get a second chance romance where the main leads rebirth from their late 30s back to 18, work on repairing their broken relationship and the corrupt court. But the story revolves around the past history and family rivalry between the female lead and the second male lead. If you are a fan of Zhang Linghe or like your male leads to be more than a love puppy support role, you will be massively disappointed with this drama.

Even though I very much enjoyed the first 12 episodes, the drama totally lost me afterwards. I was only able to finish it for ZLH, and also because of my NDD + FOMO.

The female lead in terms of her interpersonal relationships is a bully at first and emotionally insensitive to others. Although a smart cookie, confident and authority at court, in matters of the heart, she spends half the drama confused about her feelings. The second male lead has many romantic scenes with the female lead, and the focus is on his tragic first life. The director creates scenarios to make you want to sympathise with him but it all falls short and in fact annoys the audience even more. The male lead’s sole purpose in the drama is to be a love puppy and nothing more.

If the story was actually about the female lead and second male lead, I would have liked it. You have a love-hate relationship, power or love dynamic, family or love themes. I see the potential. But the writers did ZLH dirty by making him a lovesick puppy with no purpose in the plot. The poster of this drama is totally misleading and they should have put the second male lead in there (no hate to the actor, he is super cute) instead of ZLH.

POSITIVE:
- Zhang Linghe (ML). He is hands down the best part of this drama. I loved him in every scene, all his line deliveries were wonderful, he was great at comedy too. His character is a sweet, green flag cutie pie and the actor brings in the sexy factor too.
- Confident and authoritative female lead in terms of court/politics scenes.
- Lighthearted for the most part.
- Flashbacks from previous life are woven well into the story.
- Good comedy for the most part.
- Male lead’s jealousy scenes were 10/10. He cracked me up every time.
- Great acting from the main leads Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jin Mai.

NEGATIVE:
- Second male lead is actually the male lead. First half of the drama he has many romantic moments with the female lead (and even a special OST), and in the second half his story completely takes over the screen time. Giving him screen time is not as much of an issue as the way he was written and portrayed which drove many viewers into angry fits. He became an unwatchable character to the point that a lot of people were skipping his scenes. If the writers wanted to create a tragic villain, they failed.

- Male lead is just a side accessory and has no story arc. His emotional world is never explored. In all the major political plot points, he doesn’t contribute much to anything. His sole purpose is to be a love interest for the female lead. In fact, the female lead treats him badly many times but he still stays madly devoted to her. His mad devotion is never properly explained either which makes his character feel very one dimensional.

- Flat romance. The foundation of the romance is written poorly which didn’t allow me to connect with the couple. The reason their marriage failed in the first life is due to a somewhat silly misunderstanding. Even if I can find reasons why it makes sense, my biggest issue is that in episode 11 the male lead suddenly confesses that he has always loved her. But we aren’t shown why, how or when he fell for her. Aside from 2 second flashbacks where they glance at each other lovingly, we have no substance for this confession. It’s just a fact we are supposed to blindly accept. Throughout the drama he is blindly devoted to her and the writers failed to show me why. So even though the main leads looked good together, even though ZLH delivered beautiful romantic lines, I felt nothing for the couple. On top of that, their one steamy bath scene was abruptly cut, leaving the audience very unsatisfied.

- Love triangle. Usually in cdramas the female lead only has eyes for the male lead so love triangles are not really triangles for me and don’t bother me. But in this case, the female lead has actual confusing feelings for both men and is pondering for many episodes which one to choose. The worst part is that, even at episode 30 the director shows us romantic shots with her and the second male lead. In fact, they even have telepathy scenes where they stare at each other and speak the dialogue in their minds. Total soulmates right. Well, this love triangle could have worked if it was written right. But the fact is that pretty much everyone hated the second male lead and absolutely nobody was rooting for him to get the girl.

- Lacklustre politics. Nothing new I haven’t seen before, very simple and boring at times. In fact, the first life's story has more angst and is definitely a more exciting story to tell than the second life (which is the main plot of the drama).

- No logic. The male lead is the hottest piece of cake walking in and outside the court and the writers tell me that nobody wants a piece of that? (not even his wife for the most part?) #plothole (Ok it’s more of a joke but you know it’s true. It would have been a bit more realistic if he had at least one girl pining over him).

OVERALL:
Even though I didn’t have extremely high expectations I found myself very disappointed and misled by this drama. It’s one thing to highlight a second male lead and deepen the story but it’s unacceptable to reduce the male lead to nothing when he is one of the reasons many people have tuned in to watch. But even without the male lead issue, I found the plot of this drama very forgettable and boring. Nothing much stands out. Considering this is a S++ production (one of Youku’s highest budgeted dramas), this is a fail for me and one of my 2024 biggest disappointments.

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Worth Watching.

This drama is interesting so far. I look forward to new episodes each day.

**Update after completion**
I loved this drama. One thing I learnt when watching this drama is to never skip scenes or episodes, every conversation or action will connect to the next episode or future episodes at some point. My expectation for the ending was ?.

Acting - Both FL and ML development of character was amazing to follow. Their acting skills was amazing. ZJM as always never disappoints. Her delivery of lines was exceptionally done. She may be young and maybe people preferred an older actress for this role, but i think she portrayed her character really well. I can't see anyone else playing Li Rong but her, and that goes for ZHL as well. I loved their chemistry.

Story - I will quote from someone in the comments. "You ask for chocolate cake, but you get a beautiful fruit cake. And even though fruit cake is not what you ordered, it is still beautiful and delicious. " Exactly how I felt with the TPR last few episodes. I only expected a happy ending, and I got that.

Ost - not full points for me, but that's ok.

Rewatch - I will definitely rewatch this, maybe not soon but sometime later.

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A Do Over + Zhang Ling He + Zhao Jin Mai = A recipe for perfect drama!

Ep 1 to Ep 6: I have bad feeling. That it isn't really a a reincarnation trope but dream one, like the one in Scent Of Time, where by the end we figure out that there are no second chances or redos in life. You live it once, so you should live it well to not leave behind any regrets. From the first episodes, it was easy to see that there were a lot of misunderstandings between the leads. I do not like Li Rong in the 2nd episode at all. She humiliated him so much, it was disturbing to watch. That is not a lead character you root for, reminds me of Li Su Su hitting Tantai Jin when she returned back in time. Throughout the episode I kept wondering when they would figure out about their second chances, it is good that it happened earlier on. 3rd episode clarifies a few things about their previous relationship. There was such a lack of trust between them, when it was necessary to speak out for their relationship, Pei Wen Xuan remained silent . At the same time, Li Rong spoke over him, trying to save some dignity, claiming that she liked someone else. What Fools! In 4th episode, we find out that We Xuan knew that Li Rong thought he had betrayed her & didn't clarify because things weren't simple. As we get glimpses of their marriage, it does seem like he let her down a lot. He also admits it himself, maybe that's the reason he seems to like her & wants to protect her despite of the way she treated him when they started again. Zhang Ling He does so well in historical costume dramas. The glimpse of the lovey dovey memories makes me wonder when did it start going wrong. You can see that Pei Wen Xuan refuses to deny his involvement with Zhen Zhen, I wonder why though? I can only hope that he did not cheat on her. It is hard to come back from that.

Ep 7 to Ep 13: Oh what a mess! The only reason things didn't work out between the two is because they refused to trust each other and depend on each other. It didn't even take much to break them apart, just a little misunderstanding. Li Rong was insecure and did not trust him, Pei Wen Xuan cared more about his ego than their relationship. If only they had talked to each other and sorted things out, but no, who wants to be mature! That conversation in the rain was a long time coming and I'm so glad Pei Wen Xuan took that lead. I kept wondering why on the earth would he listen to her nonsense. All he had to do was deny it once. But in Li Rong's defense, it did seem like Wen Xuan had unresolved feelings for Zhen Zhen. He even said that she should have waited for him to sort through it. How long after being loved by him was she supposed to deal with his feelings for other woman? Even if those feelings turn out nothing but a habit that was mistake as feelings. Their relationship status was sure as hell complicated. I just hope that if this is not a dream, both of them make it by the end. I like watching jelaous Wen Xuan, at least he is not holding it in like the previous lifetime where he just let Su Rong Qing have her.

Ep 14 to Ep 24: What Li Rong did for Pei Wen Xuan was beautiful & a long time coming. Right now, I do feel like the script has issues, but the characters & the leads make up for it. It is especially good when Pei Wen Xuan decides to act all cute. Them claiming that they are besties is good way for them to start their relationship this time around. I wasn't worried that he had died but what worried me for a bit was that Rong might accept Su Rong Qing's proposal. That was too close for the peace of my mind. Su Rong Qing is either going to be a great help to Li Rong & Pei Wen Xuan or the biggest hurdle they have to cross in their way to stay alive for which they require power. Pei Wen Xuan sure is adorable when he pouts, the man is crafty. He has to be when dealing with someone as frustrating as Li Rong. Wow, I was right there with Pei Wen Xuan when she was struggling to express her feelings, but I felt for her too. So, I just want the two dummies to get together. So, Su Rong Qing gets a do over as well, that's good though, I felt like we should have seen what he got out of poisoning Li Rong if he really did it. But that part wasn't show and we were back in the past. Now we can get to know how he felt as he was poisoning her daily. What on the earth is Su Rong Qing doing? I don't get his actions. He is perhaps anticipating Li Rong's and Pei Wen Xuan's moves incriminating them but he has himself admitted his feelings and care for Li Rong. Here's to hoping he is actually trying to help Li Rong while doing away with Pei Wen Xuan since both of them don't like each other. It would be better if they join hands.

Ep 25 to Ep 34: I want to nitpick the plot and say that a lot of irrational scenes were put in to just cater to a certain audience. However, looking at the history of human behavior, we are not all that rational. We try to be but let go of reason when in bind. We react without thinking and so a lot of things Pei Wen Xuan does aren't all that insane. Li Rong, on the other hand seems so collected and exactly what is needed in situations like these. She doesn't panic easily. Reminds of the FL from Wonderland Of Love, where she kept busting heads with ML who wanted to run away. Why can't Su Rong Qing just join hands with our duo so that his family and all of them get out of it safely. Whoa there Li Rong opened the pandora's box asking Su Rong Qing who poisoned her. The answer was like she said disgusting. I'm so afraid for both Li Rong and Wen Xuan right now.

Ep 35 to Ep 40: I have gotta say the emperor is pretty heartless with no care for his children at all. All he sees is plots against him and his quest to hold on to the power. Li Rong claims that Li Chuan betrayed her, but did she not force his hands at times and treat him exactly like a pawn, interfering where she had no business interfering. It was sickening to watch when she tried to convince Li Chuan to get Shangguan Ya pregnant, even though he didn't have a care for her. He shouldn't have married her either if he was just gonna cast her aside. But Shangguan Ya was willing to do those things. To be honest, none of the key players were saints, they were all plotting against each other trying to save their own asses. The only characters I feel bad for are Su Rong Hua, Qin Zhen Zhen / Xun Chuan, and sometimes Pei Wen Xuan. Even though he didn't betray Li Rong, he was more focused on the power as well. It did end as expected, thankfully it wasn't just a dream but they did get their second chance.

We go to see so many actors shine in their role, from Su Rong Qing to Consort Rou, they did a good job.

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A Couple Given a Second Chance to Correct Past Mistakes and Clear Misunderstandings.

Disclaimer; You don't have to agree with what's written below, it's just my opinion.

"The Princess Royal" is set during the era of the Xia dynasty.The nobles were in power. The emperor hates the noble families. Hence, The princess Royal "Li Rong" couldn't marry from any of the noble families. "The Princess Royal" tells the story of Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan who married for political reasons. Li Rong married Pei Wen Xuan because he's not from a noble family, Pei Wen Xuan too did so too because of his political ambition. As time pass by, these two eventually ends up standing on two different sides. Li Rong became the leader of the nobles, while Pei Wen Xuan became the leader of the commoners. Year after year, the misunderstandings of this married couple made them grew much further and further away from each other. Li Rong as The Regent Princess Royal had the best interest of the nobles at heart, while Pei Wen Xuan as the Prime Minister had the best interest of the commoners. After 20 years, the misunderstandings eventually resulted in the death of these two. Through a strange phenomenon, these two travelled back in time, 20 years back in time, exactly to the time when they weren't married. And thus, a chance to correct their mistakes. Will these two be able to correct their mistakes and clear up their misunderstandings?

Their past life misunderstandings explained;
In the past Li Rong thought Pei Wen Xuan loved another while he was married to her, that's their first misunderstanding. The second one was that Li Rong thought Pei Wen Xuan poisoned her in their struggle for power that's their second misunderstanding.
I love how the two couple cleared one of their misunderstanding. During the first four episodes, when Li Rong asked Pei Wen Xuan why he killed her, he told her, he wasn't the one who poisoned her. There she knew that the one who actually poisoned her was someone else and not Pei Wen Xuan. I love how one of their misunderstandings was cleared up.
The second misunderstanding about their feelings was cleared up during the first half of the drama.

In the past, only the nobles are able to hold high positions in the court, while the commoners only held low positions. This is one of the main reason that led to Pei Wen Xuan and Li Rong's death. In the present life, Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan decided to get married for the second time and reform the laws of the imperial court, allowing the commoners to hold high positions like the nobles. But a reform is never easy, they'd have to face many oppositions from high rankings court officials. But that's why it's also a political drama. Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan will have to overcome the many adversities that comes their way while reforming the laws of Xia. I love the main couple, although, they weren't the best couple I've seen when watching a drama, they had a unique chemistry. Yes, Li Rong was unsure about her feelings, and that went on for quite some time, but she later came to realize that whether it's the past or the present, the only one she truly loved is Pei Wen Xuan.

I love the interaction of the two couples. Theirs is one of the best interaction I've seen when watching a drama. I particularly love the strong character of both Pei Wen Xuan and Li Rong. Zhao Jin Mai delivered in her role as the strong, scheming and intelligent princess "Li Rong" excellently, Zhang Ling He also delivered in his role as the strong, intelligent, and scheming Pei Wen Xuan very perfectly. I love how well this two planned their schemes. I love strong FL and ML when watching a drama, and this drama has that.

IGNORE THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS
There were comments stating Li Rong was pining for Su Rong Qing, even after learning he was the one who killed her in the past. Ignore those comments. It's not what it seems. Whether it's the past or the present, Li Rong loved Pei Wen Xuan. Li Rong grew up being thought that affection is but a fleeting cloud in the face of power. Also, she had trust issues. She grew up seeing her father growing weary of her mother. Furthermore, the emperor who is also her father always guards against her and her brother who is the crown prince because of their mother who's also the empress being one of the noble families, and the most powerful one at that (the Shangguan family). So, she's weary of being hurt and betrayed. She tries to convince herself that her feelings for Pei Wen Xuan wasn't real, but she eventually give in to her feelings for him. I love how she came to realize that Pei Wen Xuan is the only one she could trust whether it's the past or in the present.

Some said Li Rong was angry when she found out that Li Chen was the one who killed her in the past, but she wasn't that angry when she thought it's Su Rong Qing did it. Sometimes, being stabbed by your closest kin is much more painful than being stab by a friend. Who's Li Chen to Li Rong? He's her closest kin, the main reason she ventured into the political world was to make sure he ascends the throne without a hitch. But then she finds out he was responsible for her death? Who wouldn't be angry? In my opinion, it's a natural reaction.

There's also complaints about Su Rong Qing's screentime overshadowing Pei Wen Xuan's. But I'm telling you this, "it's a false alarm." During the first half of the drama, Su Rong Qing was almost irrelevant in the drama. He only started getting a noticable amount of screentime during the last ten episodes which I didn't have complaints about. After all, this is a political drama, and it's only natural for the villain to get some screentime which Su Rong Qing happens to be. Pei Wen Xuan has more screentime than Su Rong Qing, that's a fact.

I love how the schemes and how the politics was portrayed in this drama. The schemes were well executed. I particularly love our main couple, PeiRong. Zhang Ling He and Zhao Jin Mai chemistry is both unique and natural in this drama. Not to mention the beautiful OST. This drama delivered beautifully. As for me, I didn't have problems with Li Rong, and the negative comments didn't sway me because I only focused on the main couple "PeiRong".

Ending Explained.
I've watched quite a number of dramas which had sad endings, but this one is an exception. After much scheming, the final battle finally ensues. The battle for power, the one who climbs to the highest position possible. Pei Wen Xuan and Su Rong Qing had a final show down after their long standing grudge. Their swords clash, and Pei Wen Xuan won. Su Rong Qing burned himself to death while playing the Zhiter. Li Chen ascended the throne. Pei Wen Xuan and Li Rong finally made a reform and eliminated the corruption that has been the norms of the imperial court, now, the nobles and the commoners are able to be high ranking officials. In other words, the aspiration of Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan of making the commoners and nobles equals finally was realized. Pei Wen Xuan became the highest ranked official once again, and LR became the Regent Princess Royal again, but they accomplished all these things side by side, hand in hand. In the past they achieved great things while standing on different sides, which eventually led to their doom, but in their present life, they accomplished far more greater things together, as loving couples.

I love how the villains were punished. I loved more how every character got to be with their beloved, in which all those couldn't be achieved in the past life. A special episode was released. There we see the two children's of Pei Wen Xuan and Li Rong, and their married life as couples. I don't know about others, but I enjoyed "The Princess Royal", and very thoroughly at that. It's a drama that kept me hooked from episode to episode. One of my best historical drama of the year.

In conclusion, I loved this drama not just because it's a political drama, it's more because of the main couple. I love their chemistry. "The Princess Royal" was worth my time. I didn't regret watching this, except for the wait when it's airing that is. If you're interested in watching it, I'll advice you to ignore the negative comments and watch with an open mind.

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The Title is Misleading-ish

The title of this drama is called the "The Princess Royal" but I feel like it's all about Su Rong Qing.

Let me start off that the first half of the drama was intriguing and interesting. I like the concept of both Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan returning to the past and trying make changes, but I also feel that Li Rong was acting the same as she did in the past. It was so frustrating watching her trusting SRQ and "loving" him even though she realized that he killed her in the past. I feel so bad for PWX because she treated him so poorly even though he was the most loyal person by her side. He was willing to sacrifice his life for her and yet, she put his feelings aside for "what it might be".

I hated SRQ the most. In the past life, he not only killed "his loved one" he did everything he can to get revenge for his family, and he was even willing to excuse his brother for killing QZZ and having an adulterous affair with the empress. It does not make any sense to me that he was willing to stand by all of that. I mean, I get it, he lost his entire family and was even humiliated by Li Chuan, but he needs to understand that what SRH did in the past was also wrong.

He claimed that he "loves" LR but does he really though? It feels like he loves himself more than anyone else. He claims to "love" his family, but yet, he killed his own father to gain control of the Su Family. Everything that he did, was for himself and no one else. He claim that he was protecting his family and LR but he was really doing everything for himself.

My main compliant about this drama is that SRQ was the main lead and everyone else was just supporting characters. I mean, SRQ has the most screen time and his face was everywhere. I know that PWX and LR are the main leads in this drama, but I feel like they have been sidelined and it became SRQ.

7.5 is where I am standing at with this drama. I don't think I will rewatch this drama unless I'm totally bored, but if I did, I would probably watch the first few episodes and that's it. I did thought of dropping this drama and I did end up ffw majority of the episodes, but I didn't because I wanted to see it through and I was right, it was disappointing.

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entertaining the first 11 eps and then repetitive

Ep12/13 : I am revising my rating of this story as it's repetitive. Episode 11, I thought there's finally some progress. She shows remorse for what she did to her ex-husband. In the next episode, she contradicts herself. They are just going back and forth ... for now I am going to drop it because I don't have time to watch these back-and-forth plot fillers. Maybe when they finally resolve her conflicts, it will be better... but for now, I am switching to another show.

Yep ... went back to see the ending ... the SML still taking up a lot of time... and the fighting scenes not too exciting either, very low tech. Glad I didn't invest my time on this drama!

I also don't like the lead actress ... her expressions are sometimes annoying to watch because it's too modern ... PLEASE NOTE that I didn't say she's a bad actress. She's a good actress. BUT I just don't like some of her mannerisms. Sometimes she has an unsympathetic blank face, and she also flicks her head to the ML as if to answer him ... This is supposed to be a ancient time ... some of these mannerisms just kill a scene sometimes.

HOWEVER, I DIDN'T drop this drama due to her acting or expressions. NOTICE I gave acting a 9.5!!!!

PLEASE DON'T question/criticize me about my rating, otherwise, you will be BLOCKED. It's a personal choice/taste. I am not an anti-fan. I welcome constructive questions and not personal attacks. I usually dropped the drama because I don't like it as a whole.

---- REVIEW up to 11 ---
This is a solid story. Yes, it's confusing at first ... but if you are patient to wait for the development and growth of the characters, by ep 11, you will start to understand and feel less frustrated.

Special effects in fighting scenes are not as good as The Double ... in general, the filming is just normal C Drama. However, the story makes the drama.
I feel that in these types of stories, acting and plot make a huge difference, not the fighting or special effects.

There are lots of twists and funny lines in the story, which is full of redemptions ... I love that the relationships of the characters are better in the 2nd life. When given a chance to communicate in the 2nd life, the leads do ! And that is what makes this story interesting to watch. They know what happened in the last life. They communicate their needs and they worked things out.

People ask is this story a tragedy, comedy ? I think it's a story about redemption. It's complicated but it's unfolding slowly through communication.
It's a comedy of errors because the FL is too strong-will and controlling. She turns all her relationships into tragedy. She wants to fix things for others without asking their permission or even understanding the reasons behind their actions. She is essentially a good person. But she's too controlling.

In her second life, she is willing to listen fix her flaws. I think it takes a humble person to do this ... to make things right the second time.

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The Flawed Portrayal of Strong Female Lead

Let me start by saying I held on as long as I could, but I can't continue. I believe a drama should be judged as a whole and not just based on the last few episodes. We're in the final stretch, and this constant portrayal of the SML getting so much attention just isn't right. So many scenes of the ML have been cut to show the SML.

Now that this little rant is over, let me start the review again. This is just my opinion—feel free to have your own and disagree with anything written here.

"TPR" tries to show a strong female lead, but it falls into a lot of the same old traps that many C-dramas do.

First off, why do strong FLs always have to have multiple love interests? In this drama, the FL treats the male lead like a doormat. Fans try to justify this with weird reasons, like claiming the FL has no feelings for the second male lead (SML) based on "scientific research." It's as if they think they know better than the writers and directors. They might be right, but the way the FL keeps giving SML the googly eyes, the sudden slow motion, and romantic OST (Note: SML, in my opinion, has the best OST) starts playing, sorry, but as viewers, we can only judge what we see. The FL failed to set boundaries with SML for the majority of the show. The anger she showed to ML at the start was not conveyed to SML even after all he has done and after the full truth was out. And those who say she loved ML in both lives—she was behind ML’s killing and couldn't wait to marry SML in the second life.

This drama really highlights a big issue in C-dramas: to show a strong FL, she’s never single, there's always a love triangle, and she can't show too much emotion because that’s seen as weak. Meanwhile, the ML is often portrayed as a pure virgin who’s been waiting for the FL for years. It's an outdated and unrealistic portrayal of relationships.

In this show, the FL’s supposed strength is overshadowed by her lack of emotional expression and her constant involvement in a love triangle. Showing too much emotion is apparently a sign of weakness, which is just wrong. Real strength comes from being able to express and manage emotions.

The ML, on the other hand, is just waiting around for the FL to decide what she wants. This passive role is frustrating and reinforces an outdated double standard.

Overall, while the drama had potential, it falls short by sticking to tired tropes and unrealistic dynamics. A strong FL doesn’t need multiple love interests or to treat others poorly. And the ML should have his own story and emotional depth too. Until C-dramas make these changes, we'll keep seeing the same flawed portrayals.

This drama could have been great, but instead, it just repeats the same old mistakes.

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