REVIEW: ‘Royal Betrothal’ Struggles To Find Its Balance

Tales of political intrigue are a staple of Chinese dramas, which can make them occasionally blur together if not enough is done to create its own unique stance. In the latest Cdrama, Royal Betrothal (Yù tíng yáo), a budding romance between an emperor and his subject may be the hook, but the inclusion of a secretive cult, a destructive gang with a hold on the court, and a growing conspiracy give this drama some legs. Unfortunately, while the pieces come together, much is rushed, leaving little time for the weight of these plot threads to settle in.

Spanning 32 episodes, Royal Betrothal follows Meng Tinghui (Wu Jinyan), an orphan who longs to tackle the corruption of her land, having experienced it firsthand as a child who was trafficked. Unbeknownst to her, and the first sign that fate has linked the two of them together, is that the emperor of the dynasty, Ying Gua (Chen Zheyuan), rescued her from the traffickers. Fate reunites them again when Ying Gua, going by the name He Du when outside the palace, travels to her region to investigate corruption taking root there. 

Through a series of events that establish Tinghui’s character in the first few episodes, she proves smart, tough, and conniving because she needs to survive. This paints her as untrustworthy in the community, and her poor reputation inevitably carries over to her time in the capital, when she can finally sit down for the exam and earn her place at court. Once she passes, Tinghui is assigned to take over the Censorate, and that’s where the juicier intrigue kicks into gear in Royal Betrothal. 

The grief and trauma surrounding Meng Tinghui’s sister is some of the series’s strongest elements.

Royal Betrothal takes time to find its footing at the beginning, partly because the action in these opening episodes feels so separate from what happens later in the series. However, the seeds that are planted come to fruition with some rewarding payoffs. From the trauma of what Tinghui experienced in the trade to the arguably too subtle behind-the-scenes hand of the Blood Moon Society interfering with the Emperor’s investigations, all can be traced back to the beginning. 

Wu Jinyan’s portrayal of Meng Tinghui fits the kinds of roles that she’s become known for. She carries Tinghui with her guard up. A wall Tinghui that is hard-won from years of abuse, neglect, and pain, and one she only lets down for those she cares for and trusts. When those walls crack, and Tinghui finally lets go, Wu Jinyan delivers her finest performances in the series. Unfortunately, the makeup and styling in Royal Betrothal do little to disguise the actress’s age, despite earnest efforts to portray the younger Tinghui who is meant to be in her early 20s.

Chen Zheyuan is arguably the weaker of the two in Royal Betrothal. Tethered to a court that pulls him every which way despite his opinions on reform, it is understandable that his Ying Gua keeps an unreadable expression most of the time. His words belie his intentions, particularly when toe-to-toe with Tinghui, yet for much of the series, Chen Zheyuan’s performance has little nuance. This naturally fuels the inevitable conflict between the two later in the series, but it also makes the love that springs forth harder and less believable.

The romance between the two leads in Royal Betrothal is an ill-matched, unbelievable affair.

As Tinghui and Ying Gua grow closer, a relationship forms, one that sets them on the path to the inevitable but rocky romance. Despite their best efforts, Wu Jinyan and Chen Zheyuan’s chemistry doesn’t spark. Their interactions read more like friends than would-be lovers, and even the contrived romantic moments fizzle rather than sizzle. There would be nothing wrong with that if the whole premise of Royal Betrothal didn’t hinge on the romance leading to said betrothal. 

Romances between secondary characters have more luck, with the romance between Ying Gua’s cousin, Shen Zhishu (Yan Yuchen) and business owner and Tinghui’s friend, Yan Fuzhi (Zhao Zhaoyi), feeling the most earned by the series’ end. The resistance and bickering the two fling at each other from the start, with Zhishu’s playboy-like persona earning Fuzhi’s derision, eventually fades away. Mutual respect forms between them until a development surrounding Tinghui challenges their belief in one another.

Similarly, the relationship between the Shenwui Guards’ captain, Di Nian (Huang Zuxin), and Shen Zhili (Zhang Nan) takes time to develop. The will they/won’t they of it all fuels the relationship’s hook, with Zhili making frustrating yet understandable mistakes along the way under Chancellor Gu Qin’s (Dylan Kuo) influence. The broader grooming storyline between the latter and Zhili is hard to watch, knowing the road ends in pain. However, with Di Nian’s support, there is a light at the end that makes this doomed route watchable.

The broader ensemble stumbles under the weight of unbalanced plotlines.

With all these juggling storylines, one character who would have benefited from more screen time to strengthen his arc is Yin Qing. Reunited onscreen with Wu Jinyan, Liang Yongqi plays Yin Qing, who starts as almost a jester-like character, someone joyous and acting like he doesn’t take anything seriously. He’s comic relief at times, balancing out the serious nature of the Inspection Bureau’s cases. That is, until much later in Royal Betrothal, when the character’s trajectory shifts dramatically in both intention and personality.

The character is a wonderful change of pace for Liang Yongqi, stretching a different side of his range with Ying Qing’s more hopeful and supportive manner. Even as the character’s personality pivots to a different extreme toward the end of the series, Liang Yongqi is compelling and makes you believe in his motivations, even if the road to reaching this point lacks nuance. It is one of many instances where unbalanced writing and uneven pacing hamper the overall impact of what plays out onscreen. 

That’s what makes Royal Betrothal‘s ending so underwhelming. As if the production team realized that they were running out of time, character arcs are hastily wrapped up. While this does lead to closure on plot threads, the rush to reach the finish line neuters the emotional impact the series’ final arc could have had, especially as we say goodbye to characters we’ve spent multiple episodes with. 

When the writing lets us linger rather than rush along, it gives audiences a better chance to connect.

While shorter series have become the standard, a series like Royal Betrothal would have benefited greatly from a longer episode count with this production and writing team (many of whom also worked on The Double, which also struggles with pacing issues in its middle). In the moments where Royal Betrothal allows its characters and plots to settle and breathe and then grow, it is at its strongest.

One such example is the development of Ling Yunfei (Sheng Yilun) and the overarching plot focus on the Tiger Roar Gang. As the story spends time strengthening and demonstrating the Gang’s influence while peeling back the layers of Yunfei, the people in his periphery, and those who want to use him and his gang for their own ends, he becomes a character people attach to. Something that likely wouldn’t have happened if the pacing was rushed rather than given its due time, as seen in Royal Betrothal.

Unfortunately, by the time Royal Betrothal reaches its end, an ambiguous ending frustrates more than it offers artistic catharsis. Despite some rare, beautifully shot moments and characters we eventually come to connect with, the series never breaks free from its own indecisiveness. Struggling to find its balance and give its more intriguing characters their justice on both page and screen, Royal Betrothal ultimately can’t break free of the chains it makes itself in the long run.

All episodes of Royal Betrothal are streaming now on Viki.