Royal Rumors Review

Royal Rumors (花琉璃轶闻) wasn’t a title that I had planned to watch. But as I’m waiting for Till The End Of The Moon to finish screening, I looked around and found this one to pass my time. It is just nice at 24 episodes and the ratings are also quite high generally. I watched this with not much expectations but it turns out to be a pretty enjoyable drama overall. You can scroll down for my Royal Rumors review below. I will also give you the cast and synopsis as we go along.

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Romance
Aired: March 2023
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook

The Cast Of Royal Rumors

• Jeremy Tsui as Ji Yuan Su
• Meng Zi Yi as Hua Liu Li
• Zhang Xin Yi as Yuan Wei
• Wang Shan Shui as Song Guang
• Ryan Zhu Yuan Bing as He Yuan Ting
• Su Meng Yun as Tian Jia Min
• Yi Yun He as Ji Yuan Hao
• Li Qing as Pei Ji Huai
• Richard Li Fei as Yun Han
• Chen Yi Heng as Emperor Chang Long
• Heidi Wang Ji as Empress Dowager
• Zhu Yan as Consort Xian
• Shi Nan as Consort Lin
• Li Wei as Tian Shang Shu
• Liu Yi Han as Princess Shun An
• Chen Xu Ming as Grand Preceptor Du
• Jiang Shan as Du Xiu Ying
• Wang Jian Xin as Hua Ying Ting
• Ma Li as Wei Ming Yue

Main Characters

Ji Yuan Su

Yuan Su is the Crown Prince of Jin. He is a smart and observant man but feared by many. Yuan Su is cold and fierce as well as unpopular among the ministers. He also appears as an idle prince but is actually doing work behind the scenes to gather intelligence. His mother died when he was young. Yuan Su is also a cat lover.

Hua Liu Li

Liu Li is the daughter of 2 great military generals. She is smart and cunning with the ability to improvise and think on her feet. She is good at scheming and playing pretense to get back at those who bully her.

Supporting Characters

Yuan Wei

Yuan Wei is Liu Li’s personal maid but they are more like friends.

Song Guang

Song Guang is a former soldier of the Hua Army and used to take care of Liu Li when she was a little girl. He quit the army after getting injured and no longer able to serve. Liu Li made him her butler when they meet again in the capital thereafter.

He Yuan Ting

He Yuan Ting is the Second Prince of Jinpo. Liu Li had an encounter with him while at the border during a war between the 2 states. His subordinates include General A Wa.

Tian Jia Min

Jia Min is a minor royal princess. Her father is a minister while her mother is a princess. Jia Min is snobbish and petty due to her noble status but largely harmless. Yun Han is her idol while Yao Wen Yin is her best friend.

Ji Yuan Hao / Prince Ying

Yuan Hao is the eldest prince and Yuan Su’s elder brother. He is a man with an inflated self-confidence and ego which gives him a comical appearance as he is often clueless about others’ real thoughts of him. But Yuan Hao is a very honest prince.

Pei Ji Huai

Pei Ji Huai is a Supreme Court Junior Secretary and one of Yuan Su’s righthand men. He is a capable assistant who will loyally carry out the Crown Prince’s orders.

Yun Han

Yun Han is a popular musician in an upper class entertainment venue called Jinling Garden.

Emperor Chang Long & Empress Dowager

Emperor Chang Long is the ruler of Jin. He has 3 sons namely Yuan Su, Yuan Hao, and Yuan Hong. He is a good ruler who takes care of his people. Empress Dowager is Emperor Chang Long’s mother. She looks serious and fierce but has a hidden side with those she sees as having a sincere heart.

Consort Xian & Consort Lin

Consort Xian is Yuan Hao’s mother. She is a calculative woman who likes to fight for her son’s interests. Consort Lin is the mother of the third prince, Yuan Hong. She appears as soft-spoken and timid. Her son is a quiet young man who rarely speaks but likes to express himself through his cute drawings.

Tian Shang Shu & Princess Shun An

Tian Shang Shu and Princess Shun An are a married couple. Jia Min is their only daughter. Tian Shang Shu is the Minister of Revenue while Princess Shun An is Emperor Chang Long’s sister. Princess Shun An is also an admirer of General Wei.

Grand Preceptor Du & Du Xiu Ying

Grand Preceptor Du is a respected senior court official. He is a loyal subject but has reservations about the power of the Hua Army. Du Xiu Ying is his granddaughter. She is a learned young lady who likes to seclude herself to study.

Hua Ying Ting & Wei Ming Yue

Hua and Wei are Liu Li’s loving parents. Both are courageous generals who had led the Hua Army to defeat Jinpo. They also have 2 sons. The eldest is also a military officer who is based at the border. The second son, Hua Chang Kong, is a scholar.

Synopsis

Liu Li is the daughter of the Protector General Hua Ying Ting who had led the Hua Army to bring glory to the state of Jin by defeating Jinpo in a war. However, the strength of the Hua family does not sit well with the ministers who see it as a threat to Emperor Chang Long. Hence, Liu Li is summoned to the capital to be kept under a watchful eye in case the Hua Army rebels.

While in the capital, Liu Li pretends to be sickly and frail to pre-empt trouble and suspicion. Her aim is to protect her family’s reputation and hence, safety from being accused of rebelling. At the same time, Crown Prince Ji Yuan Su is investigating assassins from Jinpo who have infiltrated the capital. He is also unsure if Liu Li is colluding with them to destabilize Jin

Therefore, Liu Li and Yuan Su start off being wary of each other. But as their interactions increase, they begin to develop feelings for one another. Things get complicated when Emperor Chang Long has plans to betroth Liu Li to Yuan Su’s brother. In the meantime, a hidden enemy is lurking around which Yuan Su needs to flush out.

Royal Rumors Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

Royal Rumors has a happy ending. The last scene shows Liu Li and Yuan Su’s wedding. The got married after the rebels have been flushed out. A rebellion took place during a palace banquet in Episode 23 and Yuan Su lured the assassins away to minimize casualties. The arrival of General Hua and General Wei at the palace crushed the rebellion. However, Yuan Su was left fighting alone with the assassins after luring them away from the palace to a hilltop.

Liu Li arrived to help him out and so did Song Guang who died in the process of protecting her. Liu Li and Yuan Su then ended up falling off a cliff when He Yuan Ting shot at them. The latter thought they had died but they actually survived the fall. Thus, He Yuan Ting was surprised when he received their wedding invitation in Episode 24. To him, Liu Li’s survival means their conflict has not ended.

When Did The Couple Get Together?

The couple got together in Episode 19 after Yuan Su confessed his feelings to Liu Li. She kissed him in response. Yuan Su already developed feelings for Liu Li early on and he was worried when she was kidnapped together with Jia Min in Episode 11. He hugged her tightly when he saw her again in Episode 12. Liu Li felt that she was falling for Yuan Su in Episode 15.

Is There Any Breakup & Love Triangle?

No, there is no breakup after Liu Li and Yuan Su started dating. There is also no love triangle although He Yuan Ting was also trying to gain Liu Li’s affections. Although he likes her, the fact that they belong to opposing states means they will always be enemies. Their history is revealed by Yun Han to Yuan Su in Episode 18.

During the war between Jin and Jinpo, He Yuan Ting thought he could sneak into Jin to lure Liu Li into Jinpo as hostage. He pretended to be a merchant to get close to Liu Li. He was attracted to her but still deceived her to cross the border with him. However, Liu Li knew what he was up to and played along. She set up her own trap and his soldiers were captured by the Hua Army.

In the earlier episodes, Yuan Hao was also expected to be betrothed to Liu Li. However, Liu Li has little interest in him. Yuan Hao begins to have second thoughts on marrying Liu Li in Episode 16 when he keeps thinking of Jia Min.

Who Is The Evil Mastermind?

The mastermind behind the rebellion is Prince Consort Xie Lin Zhou and Consort Lin. Prince Consort Xie is Princess Le Yang’s husband. The princess is Emperor Chang Long’s sister. Prince Consort Xie’s role is revealed in Episode 18 while Consort Lin appears as a rebel in Episode 23. Both of them were lovers in the past but were forced to break up when Consort Lin had to marry the Emperor. Prince Consort Xie married Princess Le Yang but the marriage was a miserable one.

Consort Lin also admitted that she was the one who killed Yuan Su’s mother in Episode 24. She was a supporter of the late Empress who tried to rebel against the Emperor. The Empress had no son and had promised Consort Lin to elevate Yuan Hao to be the Crown Prince. But Yuan Su was a threat to that plan. She had wanted to kill him with poisoned soup but his mother drank it instead and became the victim.

Prince Consort Xie was also the mastermind who had caused great casualty to the Hua Army during a battle with Jinpo a decade earlier. His subordinate was Imperial Censor Zhu who carried out his orders. Imperial Censor Zhu was silenced in Episode 22 and the blame was pushed on Liu Li. Prince Consort Xie also murdered Grand Preceptor Du in Episode 22 before he launched the rebellion.

When their rebellion failed, Consort Lin was captured and Prince Consort Xie was killed by Yuan Su after he tried to escape by taking Princess Le Yang hostage in Episode 24.

Yun Han’s Background

Yun Han is a musician and Yuan Su’s subordinate on the surface but is actually working as a spy for Prince Consort Xie. His family was part of the late Empress’ clique of rebels. Prince Consort Xie saved his life after the rebellion by the Empress failed. Hence, Yun Han was obligated to work for him. On top of that, Prince Consort Xie used a drug to keep Yun Han in line.

Pei Ji Huai found out Yun Han’s identity and reported to Yuan Su about it in Episode 16. Yuan Su still chose to trust Yun Han and believed that he would do the right thing. But Yun Han disappointed him in the investigation into Grand Preceptor Du’s death. Yuan Su still let him go rather than kill him for being a traitor in Episode 22. Yun Han returned Yuan Su’s kindness in Episode 23 when he shielded Yuan Su from an attack at the risk of his life during a rebellion staged by Prince Consort Xie and Consort Lin. Yun Han was seriously injured but shown to have survived in Episode 24.

Side Couples

The first side couple is Jia Min and Yuan Hao. Yuan Hao is a pretty blur man with his self-absorbed personality. He thought it was great to be betrothed to Liu Li at first. But they obviously do not click romantically. Jia Min tried to get close to Yuan Hao initially because she thought she could use him to take revenge against Liu Li for some petty reasons. But she ended up developing feelings for him instead. Yuan Hao also began to miss Jia Min when she ignored him after he made her angry. He recognized his own feelings for her in Episode 16 and coaxed her back with Liu Li’s guidance. He was talking about marriage by the end of the drama.

The second side couple is Du Xiu Ying and Yun Han. He saved her from being caught in an embarrassing situation for being in Jinling Garden and they developed a mutual attraction for each other. In return, Du Xiu Ying also allowed Yun Han to recuperate secretly in her room after he was injured in a fight with He Yuan Ting’s men. She thought Yun Han had died in Episode 23 after he was seriously injured during the rebellion. She became a teacher in Episode 24 and never knew that he survived. It was Yun Han’s choice not to let her know as he wanted to continue serving Jin and hence, his life will always be at risk.

The third couple is Yuan Wei and Pei Ji Huai. There is nothing much going on with this couple except for some scenes here and there that they have feelings for each other. Pei Ji Huai is also a pretty blur man romantically which leaves Yuan Wei frustrated at times.

Royal Rumors Review – Just A Rom-Com

To me, Royal Rumors could have been a highly intriguing drama in the mould of Luoyang or even Sword Snow Stride. This is because the plot itself is conducive to something more thrilling and riveting. It has 2 states at odds with each other and one is always stirring trouble with their assassins. With this on-going situation, an enemy within cleverly makes use of this situation and hides behind the open feud to prepare for a rebellion. There is also a spy in the midst. Hence, the protagonist has a hard time flushing out the hidden mastermind.

But instead of a serious palace drama with such a plot, we are served a rom-com in exchange. That is not to say that the rom-com is badly done. It is nothing great but should be delightful for rom-com fans. You can’t treat this seriously with the way the story has been executed. It is meant to be lighthearted despite the palace setting and the politics involved. Whether you will be entertained by the comedy will then depend on your acceptance of the female protagonist.

Smart But “Sickly” Female Lead

Just like in Jun Jiu Ling and The Long Ballad, we have a smart, knowledgeable, and courageous female lead in Royal Rumors. Liu Li is witty and strategic. Hence, it is interesting to see her using her wits to go one up against her enemies. So, if you are into clever female leads, this is one of them.

However, the story also requires her to pretend to be sickly and frail. Thus, you will see her putting up the pretense again and again for about 8 to 10 episodes. Some viewers will see this as funny because it is a rom-com after all. Therefore, the pretenses are obviously fake. On the other hand, there will be those who find this annoying or overdone. The repeated pretense gets old quickly and the fake coughing and fainting will eventually make you roll your eyes.

The good thing though is that the plot moves quickly given that this is only a 24-episode drama.

Fast-Paced But Simplistic

With the amount of things that is going on throughout the drama, the fast pacing is simply necessary especially towards the last quarter. Again, it is good for those who like short dramas but terrible for viewers who prefer a more complete story. Some parts are simplified and condensed that you may find it unsatisfactory once you reach the end. Characters that hardly have any screen time will suddenly have prominent roles as we approach the last 2 episodes. There is no foundation to their development apart from a short dialogue of why they become a villain.

There are also several pairs in the romance department which is not really necessary. For instance, they try to pair up both the leads’ maid and assistant which gets nowhere. For another couple, the love happens quickly and their ending wouldn’t please most of us. At times, I just feel that the screenwriter introduced too many things into the drama when there is simply not enough time to develop them properly.

Hence, you should also come to expect a simplistic ending whereby not all the characters will get their just desserts. I guess the comedic nature of the drama mitigates some of that displeasure and you won’t feel too aggrieved over it. But Royal Rumors could have so much more potential which is a waste.

Acting & Chemistry

The very first time that I come across Meng Zi Yi is in The Legend Of The Condor Heroes 2017. I have also caught her in a few other dramas after that such as The Untamed and Immortal Samsara. For some reason, she will leave an impression even if her roles are minor. Perhaps her looks make her easy to remember. So, this is the first time that I have seen her as the main lead. I think she did reasonably well in Royal Rumors with what she was given. She had to act playing pretend in a lot of scenes and watching her do that just automatically emits the rom-com vibes.

Jeremy Tsui is a veteran by now and there is also no doubt that he is good to look at. While he can act, I don’t think this role suits him particularly well. I like him in Be My Princess and The Autumn Ballad but not this one. I feel that he suits serious roles better especially given his age and looks. He still did okay in Royal Rumors but it wasn’t anything that will leave a lasting impression on me. Trying to look cute as a lovestruck Crown Prince just doesn’t fit well with his maturity to me.

Fortunately though, both the leads could still generate enough chemistry to make the rom-com watchable. The way their eyes meet will give viewers the feeling that their hearts are melting for each other. However, this drama doesn’t much skinship which may disappoint some. The lack of kisses is a pity given their chemistry but that is not what this drama intends to sell.

My Verdict – Okay For Some Fun

Royal Rumors seems like a low budget flick at some instances but a better quality production at others. For instance, the costumes don’t look cheap at all. Neither is the cast with the 2 leads and several veterans in the supporting roles. But at the same time, the fighting scenes is poorly done and the screenwriting could be much better. The rushed ending and poor story development for the villains also add a toll on the plot execution.

All in all, this is a typical rom-com and you just need to view it as such. There are some moments that will tickle your funny bone but just like The Starry Love, the comedy will taper off towards the end when the story takes a more serious turn as it nears conclusion. At just 24 episodes, it is fast-paced with a simplistic storyline. It doesn’t get bogged down by details and complicated palace intrigues which will be great for some.

For this Royal Rumors review, I would give it a score of 7/10. Basically, it is a cute rom-com that you might find enjoyable if you are in the mood for something lighthearted. It is not one that you should pick if you are looking for a steamy or heartfelt romance. Neither is it a gripping tale of power struggle. It is just an average rom-com that is entertaining enough while it lasts before you move on to something else.

==> Royal Rumors is available on Amazon Prime (affiliate link)