Blossoms of Power Episode 19

Hidden agendas, desperate moves and a lack of sincerity

They solved the attempt to drug and get intimate with Xihe so quickly that I wonder what the reason was to even include that in this story? Was it to show us that there is a hooded man who is secretly plotting against her? Or maybe the hooded man is using her to target someone else? 🤷‍♀️🤔Considering what happened with Prince Ding and his consort, my suspicion regarding my previous theory just keeps growing. The Emperor might marry his sons to the daughters of powerful families, and then those families somehow become traitors, enemies, etc., and get executed/wiped out, except for the wife of the prince. Maybe I am wrong, but I am seeing such a pattern, even if that's not what is happening. 🧐No matter how desperate Changqing is in his pursuit of Xihe, I can't really find the will to dislike him. I have found some sympathy for his tragic and pitiful love story with Gu Qingzhi and his character in general, so all I want is for him to find a way out, away from this obsession, and find his own happiness or at least some satisfaction in his life. And it easily could be him protecting Xihe and the Shen family from the sidelines — something he couldn't do for Qingzhi and the Gu family, being in front. I still think it would be a great redemption arc. 😔And now the Emperor is saying that he values Changqing the most, while to Huayong he said he's his favourite and most loved son. I know valuing someone and loving someone is not exactly the same, but this sounds a little bit like not being sincere with either of them. 🤨

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Testing the rules of marriage alliances

The princess who tried to set up XiHe found herself waking up in the scenario she planned for another. She was at least betrothed closer to home. Here the emperor proved himself a kinder father than peacekeeper. He had already decided none of his daughters would be sent so far away. He knew the pain of separation due to marriage alliance and refused to comply. When Crown Prince was asked how he knew the story he said truth could always be found if you looked hard enough. At the market XiHe finds a rare flower and a rare scented fan she wanted to purchase. The fan turned out to be already purchased by Changqing. He knew his wife loved the scent and said he purchased one every year in her memory. She declined his offer of the fan but then was rather forced to accept it or make a scene. The Crown Prince learned she was staying the night to watch a flower bloom and invited himself to her room. He then was surprised she was doing exactly that.🤣😂 After waiting to watch it open to its fullest the Crown Prince found himself as mesmerized by its beauty as XiHe. She promptly picked the flower, put it in a special box and was ready to return.🤣😂The princess is captured on her way home and both Changqing and Huayong go to rescue her. It is noted she had used knockout powder and was ready to leave when they arrived.😝😂👏🏻 She noted the tattoo on her captors and who was behind her kidnapping. Changqing took this opportunity to challenge Huayong and managed to injure his shoulder. Huayong leaves with Princess but his jade token was left behind. Changqing brings his case to the emperor and it is not without merit. He has rightly figured out who’s been removing corrupt officials and that the crown prince is not as frail as he pretends showing the Yong jade piece left behind. He is demanding that Huayong expose his shoulder to prove he wasn’t there. To his surprise, XiHe steps up to defend him claiming they had spent the night together. It was clarified that she was by his side offering aid. The emperor then suggests it’s time to get married but this time Huayong asks for a delay. When the brothers confront each other Changqing wanted to know how he could marry his brother’s wife and Huayong responded she had never loved him. The only way to earn her love was by letting her have her own choice. Changqing still tried to promote his suit of XiHe to the emperor but it was shot down. It was revealed that while the emperor favored Huayong in affection, Changqing was the son groomed for the throne. His determination to pursue XiHe claiming she is his wife, has put that choice in question. The emperor is no longer as convinced he is fit to rule when so willing to toss his position for love, not just once in Gu case, but a second time with XiHe. His punishment was to stand guard where two brothers chided him about not being loved or even glanced at by XiHe. Prince Ding’s wife was behind the attackers and he defends her. He proves it by drinking poisoned wine for her. The emperor is disgusted with both of them for different reasons. It was later found out that the prince was only knocked out and not killed. The episode comes to an end with the crown prince not believing he will live long enough to accomplish everything he had hoped. He no longer thinks he is best choice for XiHe, but he loves her too much to let go. He decides his best course of action is to pave the way with outsider support by having court officials in place that would rule in her favor. The next crisis is a scandal with exams and a bias against commoners trying to take the test. The crown prince surprises everybody by taking the case.🧐These two are making it more a habit to come to each other’s defense. They are talking enough to understand the other’s point of view much better. Their actions are seen in context rather than by bias. The Prince has long been smitten but it now seems the Princess is more interested in the Prince than just his short life span. It might not be love, but her trust is growing in him and that speaks volumes.

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