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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(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)