I'm struck on every rewatch how early she leaves the scene, she evidently made a huge impression on me first time round.
Me too! She feels like one of the main villains, even though she's defanged so early, and when Xia Jiang briefly enlists her umpteen episodes later, you don't think "Who was that again?" or even "Oh, she's been dealt with, nothing to worry about here."
It just feels more like Yue's style than tne Empress somehow, not because the Empress is nicer, but because it is a bit of a desperate lunge
I suppose a lot of the Empress's caution comes from the fact she knows the Emperor doesn't like her, whereas Consort Yue has faith that he'll let her off lightly. But she doesn't seem to be a very imaginative person. Once Yue is demoted, she doesn't think beyond starving her a bit. Yue's got more brains, but still isn't all that bright. Like all the Eastern Palace people, she only thinks in terms of forcing people to do things, not manipulating them, and although she's got a sexual hold over the Emperor, when her "I've been wronged!" schtick fails, she's got nothing to fall back on.
You're quite right that even if the plot had been successful, it wouldn't have been of great benefit to the Eastern Palace, but as long as everyone had bveen forced to do what they wanted, I think they'd have seen it as a great victory. When it fails, of course, they're in deep trouble, not just because it was a terrible thing to try to do to Nihuang - who still has her 100,000 troops and who the Emperor is afraid might rebel - but because the women of the Inner Palace were forbidden from getting involved in politics. They weren't even allowed to advise the Emperor, which is why they have to be so cautious and girlish in letting him know which candidates they favour.
Prince Jing is a delight. Taking the Criwn Prince hostage is such a great way of showing who he is
Diving straight in to do what he thinks is right, not held back by any consideration of his own safety or the political consequences.
The Empress's modus operandi seeks to be spite. She treats Yue, once she has the chance, on the same spectrum as she's mean to Consort Hui, who is blameless except the emperor is sometimes nice to her (and she had sons).
I didn't realise that the women were actually forbidden from being involved in politics to that extent, but that does increase the severity of the crime and why the emperor responds as he does. I think you're right about the Eastern Palace would have perceived themselves as achieving a great victory, regardless of actual long term impact (and surely Sima Lei would have been dead in a month "falling from his horse"), because force and success in that is how they think. It's all about chess pieces.
Diving straight in to do what he thinks is right, not held back by any consideration of his own safety or the political consequences. Absolutely! And his reward - the first iteration of that ominous phrase, "are you rebelling?"
the first iteration of that ominous phrase, "are you rebelling?"
Oh goodness, I missed that! Honestly, it's amazing Prince Jing has survived as long as he has, given his incurable honesty. He had the advantage of being out of town when the shit hit the fan, but that alone wouldn't have been enough to keep him alive. I wonder if it was his mother's idea to have him be constantly sent away on military business? If not, then we have to regard it as the Emperor being, by his own lights, merciful. Perhaps he felt that to lose two sons would look like something worse than carelessness.
No one seems to have made any effort to frame him first time round - perhaps it simply seemed implausible- so his risk was from his own 'stubbornness'. But the slaughter of thee 70,000 army and a lot of generals created some military vacancies, so a useful way to get him out of the way without it looking like either favour or the opposite, as Jing is the sole martial prince. Consort Jing is certainly canny enough to sugest it within hearing of the right ear, but even Xie Yu might have been pro - he knows Jingyan is both loyal, and without allies, so is safe to send to the border, and doesn't want him hanging around town reminding everybody and prompting questions. As you say, losing two sons would look iffy, and the emperor's temper can't be relied on.
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Me too! She feels like one of the main villains, even though she's defanged so early, and when Xia Jiang briefly enlists her umpteen episodes later, you don't think "Who was that again?" or even "Oh, she's been dealt with, nothing to worry about here."
It just feels more like Yue's style than tne Empress somehow, not because the Empress is nicer, but because it is a bit of a desperate lunge
I suppose a lot of the Empress's caution comes from the fact she knows the Emperor doesn't like her, whereas Consort Yue has faith that he'll let her off lightly. But she doesn't seem to be a very imaginative person. Once Yue is demoted, she doesn't think beyond starving her a bit. Yue's got more brains, but still isn't all that bright. Like all the Eastern Palace people, she only thinks in terms of forcing people to do things, not manipulating them, and although she's got a sexual hold over the Emperor, when her "I've been wronged!" schtick fails, she's got nothing to fall back on.
You're quite right that even if the plot had been successful, it wouldn't have been of great benefit to the Eastern Palace, but as long as everyone had bveen forced to do what they wanted, I think they'd have seen it as a great victory. When it fails, of course, they're in deep trouble, not just because it was a terrible thing to try to do to Nihuang - who still has her 100,000 troops and who the Emperor is afraid might rebel - but because the women of the Inner Palace were forbidden from getting involved in politics. They weren't even allowed to advise the Emperor, which is why they have to be so cautious and girlish in letting him know which candidates they favour.
Prince Jing is a delight. Taking the Criwn Prince hostage is such a great way of showing who he is
Diving straight in to do what he thinks is right, not held back by any consideration of his own safety or the political consequences.
(no subject)
I didn't realise that the women were actually forbidden from being involved in politics to that extent, but that does increase the severity of the crime and why the emperor responds as he does. I think you're right about the Eastern Palace would have perceived themselves as achieving a great victory, regardless of actual long term impact (and surely Sima Lei would have been dead in a month "falling from his horse"), because force and success in that is how they think. It's all about chess pieces.
Diving straight in to do what he thinks is right, not held back by any consideration of his own safety or the political consequences.
Absolutely! And his reward - the first iteration of that ominous phrase, "are you rebelling?"
(no subject)
Oh goodness, I missed that! Honestly, it's amazing Prince Jing has survived as long as he has, given his incurable honesty. He had the advantage of being out of town when the shit hit the fan, but that alone wouldn't have been enough to keep him alive. I wonder if it was his mother's idea to have him be constantly sent away on military business? If not, then we have to regard it as the Emperor being, by his own lights, merciful. Perhaps he felt that to lose two sons would look like something worse than carelessness.
(no subject)