Juniper
If you can ignore the fact that Zhang Zi Yi is playing a teenage princess in The Rebel Princess, then you can continue with the story which I think is very interesting so far. In episodes 30-33, Princess Wang Xuan or Awu is beginning to realise the plots in the palace are extremely complicated with different parties competing for the throne. The old King is dying (probably slowly poisoned by The Queen) and reveals to Awu that he has a Will hidden behind a calligraphy board.
Awu’s father, the Prime Minister is trying to usurp the throne. He holds the Crown Prince and Crown Princess hostage. The Crown Prince’s mother, the Queen tries to snatch the late King’s Will from her hand (the Queen probably strangled the King to death) as she believes the King has left the throne to 3rd Prince, Zi Dan who is actually quite useless as he walks around like a love struck teen & takes action without thinking whether it is the best solution.
As Awu’s father and husband, General Xiao Qi come to a confrontation, Awu’s mother (the Princess Royal, late King’s sister) arrives and after talking to her husband, she commits suicide by slashing her throat with a sword. Awu has revealed earlier that the King’s Will states that the Crown Prince is to inherit the throne, much to the surprise of the Queen. If she’d known that in the first place, she probably wouldn’t have murdered her husband.
The PM is thrown into jail and sentenced to beheading but General Xiao Qi manages to get a “Get Out of Jail Free” pass from the new King. Based on this pass, the PM is taken away from prison and set free to go into exile but the Dowager Queen has no intention of setting him free (thet are siblings). She orders his assassination but the PM is protected by his bodyguards.
Awu is depressed and grieving her mother’s death as well as her miscarriage (she fainted when she saw her mother die), she retreats to the same temple her mother sought refuge in when she wanted to get away from Au’s father. After 3 months, Awu decides to go back to Xiao Qi and upon arrival at their mansion, is surprised to see the place decorated in red for a wedding. Inside, Xiao Qi is waiting for her and he decided to arrange this marriage ceremony to make up for their first ceremony where he had to go away before the rituals were completed (he didn’t go into their bedchamber). He declared to all present that Awu will be his only wife for the rest of his life. How sweet and romantic!
