- Drama Title: The Princess Royal
- Also Known As: 度华年, The Grand Princess, Zhang Gong Zhu, Du Hua Nian
- Director: Go Yik Chun
- Cast: Zhao Jin Mai, Zhang Ling He
- Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Historical
- Number of Episodes: 40+1
- Date of Release: June 26, 2024
- Original Network: Youku
- Where to Watch: Youku, Viki, Netflix
- Adapted from the web novel: “The Grand Princess” by Mo Shu Bai
Dear readers, I’ve been fiddling with this drama review for several days when I came across the Interlaced Scenes drama (I also wrote Interlaced Scenes drama review). Afterwards, a lot of words bounced around in my head. To make things easier for myself, I decided to postpone this The Princess Royal drama review and write the latter first.
But later I felt that my opinion about The Princess Royal went through some changes, I got some dissatisfaction but there were also praises for it. And in this The Princess Royal drama review post, I will describe everything I felt after watching this highly anticipated drama. Enjoy reading, dear readers.
The Princess Royal Drama Synopsis
The Princess Royal is a Chinese romance drama with 40+1 episodes. Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan got married for convenience when they were 18 years old. Li Rong had to choose Pei Wen Xuan to avoid her father’s suspicion, while Pei Wen Xuan needed her power to establish his power in the imperial court.
At first, the marriage was fine, but when the past love surfaced, everything was ruined. Hurt and being hurt, Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan’s lives drifted apart. She drowns herself in wine, singing and dancing in the arms of a good companion, Su Rong Qing.
Meanwhile, Pei Wen Xuan spent all his time at the imperial court protecting his childhood sweetheart. They spent the rest of their lives as a nominal couple. Staying together only for political reasons, until the day someone turned them against each other, leading to their demise.
Unbeknownst to them, heaven is giving them a second chance. Li Rong woke up in her 18 year old body and Pei Wen Xuan also returned to his 20 year old body. Realizing that they were blessed with another chance to live a happy and fulfilled life, Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan reconciled. They promised not to interfere in each other’s lives.
However, some fates were meant to be endured. Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan had to go the same way and got married again for the second time. But this time, to avoid disaster, they tied the knot with divorce in mind.
As time goes by, Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan discover that things are not as they seem and that their destiny in their past lives was played out by someone else. So they decided to put their trust in each other. Side by side, Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan work together to find the truth and build a better future for the country. In the end, they are able to rekindle the love that was once lost.
The Princess Royal Drama Review
I have been waiting for this drama for a long time. I read a few chapters of the novel, but I couldn’t finish it because the English translation is not finished yet. I couldn’t read Chinese characters, so I relied heavily on the English translation to quench my thirst for good Chinese dramas or novels.
But it was actually okay. There were tons of good Chinese dramas and novels with good English translations. You just have to be patient to find them.
And if you need a guide to good Chinese dramas, you are in the right place. 😁
Back to the drama!
Story-wise, The Princess Royal offered some intriguing stories. The multiple reborn characters are not easy to find in dramas (although you could find a lot of them in Chinese web novels). Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan decided to become friends in their second lifetime.
Both of them value the second chance and wish each other a good life. It’s not easy to forget past grievances, and it takes a mature mind to be on good terms with one’s enemies. Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan managed to do it perfectly because they still had love deep in their hearts.
The first episode of The Princess Royal showed you the terrifying side of Pei Wen Xuan. As the Senior Grand Secretary of the Great Xia Kingdom, he exudes power with every move he makes. Pei Wen Xuan’s indifferent and cold demeanor was fitting for the second in command under the emperor.
Meanwhile, Li Rong has the aloofness of an important member of the royal family. She looked like a noble old lady. The way she wrinkled her forehead and pursed her lips reminded me of Hua Zhi’s grandmother in the drama Blossom in Adversity. Except for that and her pale face, she didn’t look any different from her 18-year-old character.
But they were two decades apart from the person who was close to middle age and a virgin who was not yet married. At least they should let us find some signs of aging on her face. 🙄
I was a little disappointed with Pei Wen Xuan’s character in this drama. When I read the novel, I thought of a laid-back, lazy, smart young man with big ambitions. You know, the kind of laziness that radiates wildness.
Just like Cheng Yi’s character, Li Xiang Yi, in The Mysterious Lotus Casebook or Lin Geng Xin’s Xing Zhi in The Legend of Shen Li. However, when it comes to the screen, Zhang Ling He’s portrayal of Pei Wen Xuan is more like an infatuated concubine trying hard to get her husband’s attention. I know it sounds harsh, but that’s how I feel. And this political drama ended up like a harem battle drama in disguise. 🤷♂️
If you think The Princess Royal is a serious drama, think again. Some scenes were quite funny. And as far as I can remember, Zhang Ling He is present in those scenes. He was just like a concubine who always pretended to faint to get the attention he needed. 😅
My favorite scene in this drama is in episode 23. It was a fight between Su Rong Qing and Pei Wen Xuan at the imperial banquet. It was not a real kick and punch fight. But they were fighting for Li Rong’s attention by competing to be the best at accompanying Li Rong’s guqin. No one cared that this stage was originally set up to highlight the performance of Princess Huayue and Prince Su. 😂
At first, only Li Rong played the guqin to accompany Huayue’s flute. But Su Rong Qing was reminded of the time when they played the song together. So he stepped forward and played the drum. Pei Wen Xuan, who was extremely jealous, suddenly appeared on the stage to play the erhu (a spike fiddle). He played a completely different tune and ruined the heroic performance of Li Rong, Huayue and Su Rong Qing.
The first thing that came to Li Rong’s mind was gratitude because Pei Wen Xuan didn’t get to play the Suona (an ancient wind instrument). I really enjoyed all the music and the jealous look…😆😆😆
Although this drama came with a real story, I was a little bored when I watched this drama. Of course, it was not for the whole episode, but when it was nearing the 20th episode, I started to wonder if I should skip this episode. In the end, I didn’t skip any, but my finger was busy hitting the fast-forward button.
I thought the acting was good and the story was well written. However, everything seemed to flow in a leisurely style. The pacing of the story was too slow for me. And some scenes seemed to be deliberately prolonged. For example, the scenes when Su Rong Qing played the guqin in the burning room.
The sound of the music and the fire created a dramatic effect. But I don’t think the scenes need to be that long. People tend to panic and run as fast as they can when they see fire.
I also found some flaws in this drama. According to the title, this drama is supposed to focus on Li Rong. She was caught in the middle of a power struggle within the royal family and was also caught between two men who loved her, Pei Wen Xuan and Su Rong Qing.
According to the main characters, Pei Wen Xuan was the former and Su Rong Qing was the latter. But why do I feel that Su Rong Qing had a better story, better character description, and better character development than Pei Wen Xuan? Actually, in my opinion, Su Rong Qing’s story is much more interesting than Pei Wen Xuan’s.
The Princess Royal Drama Cinematography
After watching a dreamy and beautiful visual of The Double (I also wrote The Double drama review and The Double ending explained), I feel that The Princess Royal drama visual is not as beautiful as the former.
The Double feels like watching a fantasy, while The Princess Royal seems to throw you into reality, a good one of course. Everything is set up perfectly, but I didn’t see any added value. It feels like other historical drama. They have good costumes, but I’ve seen better. Good sets, but I’ve seen better.
However, the lighting and camera angles are pleasing to the eyes. I love bright and colorful dramas. And The Princess Royal won my heart in that aspect.
The Princess Royal Drama Wardrobes
I love Li Rong’s costumes, especially the embroidered black velvet dress. Unlike dramas like The Double or Lost You Forever, which used thin and smooth fabrics that could create a beautiful silhouette when the actress moved or when it was blown by the wind.
Princess Royal’s female characters used thick and heavy fabric on the top, but there was lighter fabric on the skirt. The design of the costumes was simple but chic. And I love to see Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan wearing matching casual robes at home. It’s so cute because I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like that before.
The Princess Royal Drama Cast
From the beginning, you could see that there was great chemistry between Zhao Jin Mai and Zhang Ling He. This is something I predicted. I think Zhao Jin Mai and Zhang Ling He were known for not being afraid to do intimate scenes. You could see her in Amidst Snowstorm of Love drama and him in Story of Kunning Palace.
In The Princess Royal, they kissed, hugged and bathed together. And I also loved to see them bickering with each other. Everything is so natural as if they were couple in real life. It was fun to watch them in this drama.
Being a jealous character is not a new thing for Zhang Ling He. I remember he was a jealous person in The Story of Kunning Palace. But this time, he is no yandere. On the contrary, Pei Wen Xuan is very good at conveying his feelings and emotions.
Zhao Jin Mai also did a good job as Li Rong. I thought Li Rong’s personality was a bit too serious and uncompromising. However, I realized that it came from her cautious nature since she was born as a member of the royal family. After watching her as a pampered lover in Amidst a Snowstorm of Love drama, a depressed and guilt-ridden student in One Week Friend movie, and a determined girl in the Reset drama, I can’t express how impressed I am with her acting. Kudos to her!
I’ve seen Chen He Yi in several dramas such as You Are My Glory, Till the End of the Moon, and You Are Desire. However, he didn’t make much of an impression on me. It was only in The Princess Royal that I was able to recognize his skill. Although I didn’t like Su Rong Qing’s cloyingly sweet appearance, you could almost see his complicated thoughts.
In Li Rong’s first life, Su Rong Yi chose his family over her. And in her second life, he did it again. But Su Rong Qing’s feelings for her are real. So, yes… there was an intense battle in his mind and heart whenever he contradicted her. And Chen He Yi left me in awe. He managed to portray all the emotions perfectly. You could not choose whether to hate OR love Su Rong Qing. You will feel both love and hate for him.
My favorite character in this drama is, you won’t believe it. It’s Tong Ye (played Wei Zi Xin). As a close attendant of Pei Wen Xuan, he was full of nonsense. He talked a lot and was a very dramatic person. Yes, his comedy was sometimes corny, and his presence is often annoying. But oh boy! I loved this man, for no particular reason…😆
The Princess Royal Drama Story
“The nation belongs to the people”,
said Pei Wen Xuan to the dying Li Chuan.
The focus of Princess Royal is Li Rong. In a world where many women act as supporting players (forgive the offense), Li Rong steps up to claim power. At first, Li Rong only wanted to protect her loved ones.
However, with her intelligence and a powerful maternal family behind her, Li Rong’s presence becomes a thorn in the side of her father and stepbrother. From the very first episode, I could sense that the emperor was wary of her. And what makes someone wary of others? Fear!
With the help of Pei Wen Xuan, who also retains his memories, they work together to create a better future for the country. They wanted Li Chuan to be a better emperor to avoid the catastrophe of the past.
So Li Rong had to play her role as the eldest princess. She took a step forward and joined the court to pave the way for her brother. And on the way, she recruited some talented women, Xun Chuan and Shangguang Ya. In their previous lives, both women were victims of the situation. She wanted them to have a better life and be with their loved ones.
Li Rong also wanted a happier life. She almost decided not to get married, but fate said otherwise. Pei Wen Xuan saw Li Rong’s predicament and decided to help her by marrying Li Rong a second time, but this time he promised to divorce her within two years.
Pei Wen Xuan had always been in love with Li Rong since their first life. It hurt him when he was cast aside for seventeen years and had to watch Su Rong Qing stay by the side of the woman he loved.
The main conflict in this drama is when Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan try to change the future of the Great Xia Kingdom. I don’t think romance is a big problem because even though Li Rong had a problem expressing her feelings and opening her heart, Pei Wen Xuan never gave up on her. Mainly because he did not want to lose her to Su Rong Qing a second time.
The political issues are a bit complicated. There were two opposing parties in this story. The paranoid emperor supported the common people and would do anything to prevent his eldest son from being the next successor. The power-hungry empress was backed by the nobles and would do anything to keep the crown prince as the heir to the throne. The social gap is the main problem. The commoners and the nobles wanted to overpower each other.
Things got complicated because the crown prince did not want to be the next emperor, while the younger prince, who had lofty ambitions, did not have the capacity to be the next emperor. And the paranoid emperor loves to see them fight because he doesn’t really want to give up his power.
Poor Li Rong really has a disaster-prone family. Well, just imagine her family members: a paranoid emperor father, a power-hungry empress mother, a duplicitous concubine, a weak younger brother/crown prince, an ambitious but incompetent younger stepbrother, and an arrogant stepsister. Now I think her second marriage to a jealous scoundrel like Pei Wen Xuan is a blessing in disguise… 😅.
The pace of the story has slowed down due to this complicated problem. Bear with it and you will eventually get to the key episodes that will unveil all the secrets.
In the last 7 episodes, the truth behind Li Rong’s death was finally revealed. The twist in the story made my heart ache. Fortunately, no matter what happened in the past, the present ended happily. We also got a glimpse of their married life with a special episode.
After the drama ended, I needed some time to think about the complexity of this drama, honestly, I need to watch the ending (33-40) twice to understand the whole story. The tangled knots between past and present were too complicated. Li Rong is indeed the most pitiful character in this drama. You can read more detail about this on The Princess Royal ending explained post.
The Princess Royal Drama Characters
Li Rong
Li Rong (played by Zhao Jin Mai) is the eldest princess born to the Empress of the Great Xia Kingdom. Because she had the Shangguan family behind her and was tied to the noble families, the emperor was suspicious of her. To curb her power, the emperor decided to arrange her marriage with young men from less powerful families. And one of the candidates is Pei Wen Xuan.
As a princess living behind the high wall of the palace, Li Rong is very cautious in her actions. For years, Li Rong has always suppressed her emotions. She was raised to always hide her feelings or preferences. She even lied about her favorite flower. Li Rong knew a lot about the power struggle brewing in the palace. The desire to protect her loved ones forced her to become involved.
Li Rong is very intelligent, righteous, brave, and wise. She is also cunning. She tends to make decisions based on her logical thinking rather than her emotions. In her first life, Li Rong’s pride was hurt because of Qin Zhen Zhen. So she gave up her marriage and her love for Pei Wen Xuan. But in her second life, Li Rong learns to fight for her love.
Pei Wen Xuan
Pei Wen Xuan (played by Zhang Ling He) is a smart and cunning person, he used all his past knowledge to change his fate and the future of the country. Pei Wen Xuan only wanted to have a blissful marriage with Li Ron in this life. But fate keeps challenging him in the form of Su Rong Qing.
In his first life, Pei Wen Xuan fell in love with Li Rong on their wedding day. At first, everything was fine until Li Rong found out about Qin Zhen Zhen. She immediately withdrew from their relationship and Pei Wen Xuan didn’t do anything to keep her by his side. For the next 17 years, Pei Wen Xuan could only see her accompanied by Su Rong Qing, and he, the legal husband, was cast aside.
In the second life, Pei Wen Xuan tries hard to keep his marriage intact. He tries his best to avoid making the same mistake. But sometimes he was too impatient, too self-centered to understand Li Rong, and too insecure about Su Rong Qing. They often ended up arguing over small things. Fortunately, in this life, Pei Wen Xuan was more determined to keep her than he was back then.
Su Rong Qing
Su Rong Qing (played by Chen He Yi) is the epitome of a noble young master. He is handsome, very gentle, intelligent, and kind. Because of his privileged family, he has entered the imperial court since he was young. Su Rong Qing loves Li Rong. However, he realized that he could not choose her as his wife, or else his family would bear the brunt.
Behind his friendly and gentle exterior, Su Rong Qing is a mysterious and hard to understand person. His thoughts were only for his mind. He never took any risks and always planned his actions meticulously.
Su Rong Qing is an important member of the Su family because his ability surpassed that of his older brother, Su Rong Hua. Therefore, all the hope of the Su family rests on his shoulders. He is the example of “With great power comes great responsibility”.
Li Chuan
Li Chuan (played by Liu Xu Wei) is the Crown Prince by birthright. He is the only son of the Empress. However, his Shangguan blood made the emperor despise him. Li Chuan loves his sister very much. To him, she is the one he loves the most, even more than his parents. Li Chuan believes that Li Rong is the one who understands him best.
As the Crown Prince, Li Chuan lacked ambition. He didn’t want to be the crown prince, and he knew that he didn’t have the ability to be an emperor. He only knew that he needed to have the highest power to protect his loved ones. Especially his sister and Qin Zhen Zhen, whom he has loved for two lifetimes.
Shangguan Ya
Shangguan Ya (played by Cheng Guo) is from the Shangguan family. She is the direct cousin of Li Rong and Li Chuan. She is a free-spirited person, smart and knowledgeable. In front of her family, Shangguan Ya always maintains the appearance of a noble maiden. But secretly, she would wear a man’s robe and sneak into a casino.
In the past and present lives, Shangguan Ya was chosen to be Li Chuan’s wife. She was designated as the future Empress of the Great Xia Kingdom. The Empress chose her to preserve the Shangguan bloodline in the royal family. However, Shangguan Ya has her own ambitions and dreams. In the second life, Shangguan Ya has more choices and freedom, including expressing her love for Su Rong Hua.
Su Rong Hua
Like Shangguan Ya, Su Rong Hua (played by Yi Da Qian) is a free-spirited person who is righteous and dislikes the hustle and bustle of the imperial court. He chose to live a slow life so that he could maintain his freedom. Fortunately, he had his younger brother Su Rong Qing take over his responsibilities.
As young masters of a prominent family, Su Rong Hua and Su Rong Qing have a uniquely good relationship. They took care of and protected each other, and never thought of coveting each other’s rights.
In the past life, Su Rong Hua perished together with the Su family, while Su Rong Qing was saved by Li Rong. Su Rong Hua fell in love with Shangguan Ya at first sight. And it was Li Rong who made it happen. If Li Rong hadn’t chased Shangguan Ya back then, he might never have met Shangguan Ya and gotten to know her. Su Rong Hua loves Shangguan Ya because she has the same free-spirited personality as him.
Qin Zhen Zhen / Xun Chuan
In the past life, Qin Zhen Zhen (played by He Qiu) was the reason why Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan’s marriage was doomed. She and Pei Wen Xuan were betrothed since they were children.
But when they grew up, the Qin family broke off the engagement, and later Qin Zhen Zhen entered the palace to become Li Chuan’s concubine. Li Rong learned of Pei Wen Xuang’s feelings for her, and it hurt her pride and love, leading to the 17-year estranged marriage.
In both lives, Li Chuan and Qin Zhen Zhen love each other. But in the past, Qin Zhen Zhen died because of the harem battle. Li Chuan was broken because he couldn’t protect her. In this present life, Li Chuan fell in love with her again, but this time it wasn’t easy for him to bring her into his harem.
Qin Zhen Zhen comes from a military family. Her brother is a promising military general, and she is also skilled in martial arts. Qin Zhen Zhen is a cheerful and simple woman who is also kind and righteous.
The Conclusion
With in this review, I would say The Princess Royal is not your average romance drama. If you just want a heartwarming romance without any political issues or complicated conflicts, then you should pass this drama by. This Princess Royal drama is made for those who enjoy political issues and are patient enough to wait for all the secrets to be revealed at the end.
This 40-episode drama may not be suitable for binge-watching. You have to savor it slowly. However, the chemistry between Zhao Jin Mai and Zhang Lin He was worth watching. Pei Wen Xuan’s jealous look is too entertaining to miss. And if the story genre was not to your liking, the sight of Zhang Ling He in costume was too good to miss.
So, dear readers… After reading this The Princess Royal drama review, have you decided to put The Princess Royal on your weekend watch list? Don’t forget to tell us your opinion about this drama. Thanks for stopping by and I hope this review helps. Happy watching!
