anitfa

Yes

Yes and yes

No

In that city, the residents still support the royal family. The military commandant of that city play in two feet, which later renew his loyalty to the prince and princess.

It is because she always want to know what kind of relationship Empress Lv and Wuyin have. And, it cannot be known by hiding. So, she approached them. If you found her without plan, it means her action is spontaneous and driven by emotion. Maybe it is indeed a dumb move. But at least, we know the process behind such move.

In the previous scenes, we saw Wuyin's disappointment to Empress Lv's cold treatment to him. JTH gave him some words that resonate as true for him despite he was in denial. Later, he realized the truth himself that Empress Lv doesn't love him.

Of course, everything in a story is a plot. What matters is whether the plot push story development or not.

Better you watch and interpret every "romantic" scenes yourself after you get the nature of ML and FL relationship in the beginning, mid, and end. Without that context, you will be disappointed.

Yeah. That scene is bitterly beautiful, in my view. They are good at creating parallel contrasts.

Watch till the end, don't just a few minutes. Your answer is right there.

IMHO, when she is a "superwoman" who doesn't ask for help and fights alone, some people criticize her character for not asking for help and making an alliance with ML. Now, she is weak and got ML's help, and some people called her a damsel. Maybe her characterization is not consistent, but the way we perceive her may also be biased. Nevertheless, in the end, they fight together.

1) The CP's. He canceled it, as you already know the reason.
2) The JTH. Qintai eavesdropped CP and Hauijin before they canceled the plan and told their plan to JTH. JTH used it for her own benefit (to gain SZY's trust).
3) The SZY. He didn't know the CP's initial and canceled plan. He staged the assassination attempt himself with the help of the second prince.

Results: JTH got shot by SZY's arrow. SZY felt regret deeply, which turned him into a believer again. JTH thought she had won SZY's trust. In fact, she got SZY's affection.

That's around the episode you maybe are watching now.

Actually, there are three schemes going on there. JTH's scheme is the successful one.

Aunty, you still here? Haven't dropped it already?

She did have a role, especially in Prince Wuxia's character development. She may look childish, thanks to her upbringing. In episode 30, we finally know the truth behind her relationship with SZY. SZY loves her so much as his sister.

They just didn't know the real danger ahead. So, they explored the city during the lantern festival. And, the city was peaceful before the fire operation began.

The city burning down is not a consequence of her rescue, if you watched closely. Empress Lv had planned it from the start, intending to kill SZY and Prince Wuxia. JTH was merely the bait to lure SZY out of Qi.

She didn’t know the Empress would be in that city. In the previous episode, she was threatened with her brother’s severed finger and warned that he would be executed for violating military rules. So, she returned to Beiyuan. I think this plot point makes sense.

You may start from his drama with highest MDL score (>8.00), like Blood of Youth, Love and Redemption, Ancient Love Poetry, and A Moment but Forever. You will appreciate him more, whether he plays the main role, villain, or a supporting one.

Episode 30 has good city battle scenes. In most dramas, city battles often feel empty due to the lack of cameos and absence of tactics. They did it well in this drama.

The drama version is not a love story, but survival in a political jungle. Love story is not the main course.

It is not straying plot, but progressing plot. That vengeance has ended long ago when the emperor put an end to the case involved Huaijin and Crown Prince. Why should a man pursue vengeange when life must go on and have the next mystery to solve?

I think, the story goes this way is because, since beginning, JTH ultimate purpose is to take Changjue away with her and live somewhere away from Empress Lv (not to find happiness, not to find love, like in typical romance drama).

So, it makes sense that she doesn't want to have any permanent ties with SZY. Since beginning, we know that she uses their marriage for her gain and when this marriage serves no use anymore for the ultimate purpose, she asked for divorce and when they meet again, she doesn't want to come back.

Above is her perspective, which is in conflict with SZY's. SZY treats their marriage as a real thing, especially after the cliff incident. He sees JTH as his wife, a woman to protect and to live with. But for her, she is a princess longing to break free (at least until ep 26).

Joining hands with SZY may look promising, an easy way out for every challenge in the game. We imagine a better story this way, but it stems from our logic/ expectation that this drama must be a romance (the purpose of a romance is unity among lovers). Princess's Gambit is not primarily a romance (see the genre tag).

So, think again, had they really joined hands as we wish for an alternative story, JTH would have to be his woman in the end. From JTH's perspective, being with SZY contradicts the initial purpose. Up to ep 26, she doesn't change her purpose yet.

We need something really big to happen for her to see SZY differently, so that SZY has the same weight as her brother, or even greater. That is when the romance would naturally flow in. I think, the delayed romance and real cooperation between SZY and JTH are not flaws. The story itself has internal coherence. In case its technical execution is not perfect (like pacing, sequencing, editing), that is a different matter.