DefyingDestiny

That "reputation" nonsense is totally false. He didn't care about reputation when he let his concubine be in control of the house account; or when his legitimate daughter was put of the house long enough for people to guess something very bad had happened; or that his concubine was embezzling and allowing the staff to spread rumours (which he knew but pretended to be blind to).
It's not the family reputation he cares about. He just wanted his choice of Concubine Qiao to never be questioned. Both Madam Gu and Madam Lin were disappointed with him early and seemed to ignore him quickly into their marriage but Qiao is always acting pitiful and dependent by his side. So everything she does is right and everybody else is embarrassing him. It's an ego trip and Concubine Qiao was the only one willing to massage his ego.

Honestly I've been scared since. I was guessing based on the actress that she would stay good but I have been nervous since 😅

The father has shunned two legitimate wives and one legitimate daughter. The grandmother turns a blind eye because she doesn't want to keep fighting her son about his messy family, she already had a dead daughter-in-law and an "exiled" granddaughter on her conscience, no need to add the woes of a mistreated grandson to the mix, especially since she said she could never seem to get close to him and that was likely purposely done on his part to avoid worsening the relationship between the grandmother and his ridiculous father

The drama is different from what you describe the novel to be like but I could sense the "bones" of a solid slice of life story. Which is why I am enjoying it so much. The cdramas that are just about romance or mystery always feel forced to me, so I lose interest easily.
They seem to have adapted this story to have more suspense, giving it a "slice of life thriller" vibe. It's quite interesting so far.

MDL seems to have become a little toxic lately. It appears cancel culture has entered people rating decisions and they'll downrate any show that has even the slightest appearance of one of their "red flags" 🤷‍♀️

She really shouldn't care. Collateral damage from her enemies person shouldn't phase her. She honestly should even laugh that PW is killing off her own people. XFF lost so many people along her journey to revenge and justice, it would be insane and silly and disrespectful to her own losses to bemoan her enemies person's death.
Remember, the pregnancy scheme was not just to be mean, XFF was actively trying to prevent King Wang's plans to usurp the throne, which would have led to many many more deaths. PW killing her physician and his had better not derail her for a moment if she is being serious and she was!

No normal person would murder their personal physician and his family immediately after being diagnosed with a miracle pregnancy. XFF has neither means or wherewithal to protect the physician and his family from his "master"/employer, Princess Wanning.
Me personally, I wish XFF knew exactly what a fake pregnancy would do toWanning and specifically chose that method of torture but the screenwriters chose to let it be a lucky surprise. Wanning and all the people that worked with her were in line to receive retribution from multiple sources since Princess Wanning indiscriminately destroyed numerous lives including a whole village and her physician's.
Royal physicians tend to live their lives by the edge of a knife because you never know which diagnosis or treatment is going to offend the wrong person. His death is a work hazard at best and has almost nothing to do with XFF. Because, once again, NO NORMAL PERSON WOULD KILL THEIR PRESONAL PHYSICIAN AT THE START OF A MIRACLE PREGNANCY!!!!

Guys they made a zero budget mini drama version 😂😂😂
https://youtu.be/kqEkQBnKcrY?si=xprv8wPAJQ_ySqQ6

I think so too, my "plan to watch" list keeps inflating with unreleased shows. Apart from the studios, the audience's attention can only stretch so much before shows, no matter how good, have sub par reception.
I was thinking just today, that I have become a bit pretentious when I watch dramas lately: a show must have a unique story, great performance, great costumes, cinematography.... I used to just enjoy the escape but now I'm ridiculously picky from scene to scene

If they straight up say its a retelling, the fanbase would hold all expectations and instead of hating the divergence, they would be excited to see what they kept.
I personally eat up every retelling of Cinderella aand The Beauty and the beast.

The difficulty lies in "artist interpretation". Screenwriters and directors want to add their own POVs to beloved novels and the audience just wanted to watch cute actors play out the book fantasy. Especially when they change the tone of the story or character motivation. For example: even though there were alot of changes in The Double, the tone and characters motivations were highlighted more with the storytelling unlike Princess Royal which also made similar changes but lost the core sense of the story and characters.

I think they should declare if the drama is:
A. An Adaptation
B. A Dramatisation
C. A Retelling
D. Loosely based of...
E. Same title and names of characters but no relation to original story

It would really help the audience manage our expectations.

The two most graceful best looking people in the industry right now.

Rewatching 🌟🌟🤩⭐️🤩💖💖💗💗😍😍

I guess we have to accept them as a couple that break up and make up easily🤷‍♀️. Before the really got together, when they were a fake couple they kept fighting publicly, so maybe this is their real couple dynamics.

There was no reason for them not to agree and plan together. He had time and resources to safeguard people Lai would have killed, he definitely had it to give his wife a heads up.
I personally no longer "support" this couple. I think since they chose a break up, they should have given them time apart to figure out the value of being together. Like in LLTG, after their break up it took 5 years of maturation of both characters before a reunion was possible or logical. In Princess Royal, the ml was completely opposed to the breakup, even a fake one, till he understood and allowed the fl to call the shots but even in that he only agreed after she had agreed to a "no divorce" first.
If break up is an option, then what am I watching? Why am I rooting for your lovestory?

I thought there would be a story reason why he was acting like that at the end. Maybe they would reveal a close friend or family was a spy, that way the reason he needed to be so awful was to thoroughly fool the enemy but nope. They just did it just because!!
The things he said are valid. If he had no reason to be that mean then he meant it. After settling Lai, how are their issues resolved? Why should they reconcile? If he can breakup because of a case, then he doesn't need to bother getting back together.
Yes she is immature but as the "mature" partner he should have communicated better. Lai didn't ask him to break her heart, he just asked them to break up and even if he did, no one was watching them. And he certainly didn't need to act out again after Lai's death.
That whole arc was 🫤

I genuinely dislike so many of these characters. Pathological liars, the lot of them. The fl's logic to go parading as herself or doppelganger when she remembers nothing and noone...is just...

Things I Loved:
1. SHEN DU: Everything about him was perfect. Backstory, story, character growth, costumes, fight scenes, aura and Ding Yu Xi's performance and visuals
2. Characters: Lots of interesting and well fleshed out charcters.
3. Storyline: Unique and intriguing
4. Costumes and Set design: Everything looked lovely. Although the sets felt tight/small!
5. Use of public opinion and rumours as a character: Public gossip was used alot in the plot. I love seeing this in shows. See also: ROTAR, Royal Rumors.
6. Morally grey characters and story: The story dealt with people doing bad things for "good reasons" or good deeds leading to bad outcomes and they told this story very well. They didn't moralise or villify charcters and it was really enjoyable to watch.

On a fundamental level, I don't vibe with Shen Du and Yan Xing as a couple. I always have "buyer's remorse" for couples that have late in the series breakups especially when it doesn't make sense. My distaste for this CP is partly due to this but even before the ending arc I was not entirely convinced.
Something like in LLTG, where they got 5years apart to think about what they want from life and each other. I always felt they would make a better couple with an older more matured Yan Xing and a Shen Du that had loved and respected her for a few years before marrying at an older age.
Yan Xing is still emotionally immature and starting her career. After a few years when she has learnt to balance out, I think she could make a better matriarch of the Shen Mansion. The things Shen Du said to break up were out of line but not untrue. She willingly let Yun Que take over her house management because of that. She also wanted to be part of the Shen case reveal and it wasn't necessary, she still has to learn when to advance and retreat, professionally.
Shen Du, I absolutely love but he needs time to breathe and heal before jumping back into a relationship. He chose to break up, publicly and privately denounced Yan Xing over and over again and refused to talk to her clearly about what his plan was or what he needed from her. He broke the trust they had built and he didn't have to. And after that without reflection or repentance went to ask her to come home. He was selfish because he's used to only being responsible to himself. The things he said whether or not he meant them, he needs to think about it and decide how he's going to live his life with a workaholic wife as a man who needs to rebuild his family tree and be the support of an old monarch and a young monarch and a reconciling royal family.

Shen Du and Yan Xing for me is an iffy couple. I'm happy for them amd happy it's a happy ending and wasn't drawn out and the comedy for winning his wife back was great but as a fantasy lovestory, it's not my favourite. More like a 'When life gives you lemons" realistic couple.

1. Ye Yan (the little boy): I started suspecting him of being a spy/saboteur during the Yinzhou arc and suspected him till ep 38😅. He was just a child that found a mentor😂
2. Prince Xian: At first I thought he was swapped, when it looked liked Chen Hou'e could change faces. And then I thought he was the mastermind egging Lai on. And then I thought he was just one of the causes of the Shen case. It turns out he's just an innocent sweetheart that is sidelined by his mother for her favourite child 🤦‍♀️
3. Princess Running: After I stopped suspecting Prince Xian of being the mastermind, I thought she was the mastermind and she was recruiting Princess Yong'an to her evil league 😈 . Nope, just a repented humble royal lady😅
4. Mama Shen: For a very brief moment I thought Shen Du's mother would "come back from the dead"( haven faked her death) and be the mastermind causing chaos to avenge her family. This was my most wacky prediction. I didn't really take it seriously 😬
5. Chui Chui: I thought she would either die or cause Jiang Liang and Marshall Xu's deaths or both. She and JL survive and Marshall Xu's death had nothing to do with her😐. (Once again, Chui Chui I apologise for being a hater🫠)
6. Yun Que: Maybe she was a spy? But I didn't care much either way... Instead she finds love and dies 🤷‍♀️. A very random character.

The plots I did guess correctly:
1. Yong'an would be "innocent"
2. The Dowager Empress would be innocent
3. Concubine Shu would be Lai's mother
4. Lai would not be eligible to take the throne for some reason even if his mother was Concubine Shu.
5. Two characters of our main cast would die for the plot. I had expected Xu and Liang but Xu and Yun Que is not far off.