[Recap] Princess Agents Episode 1-4

Princess Agents is a 2017 Chinese television series based on the novel 11 Chu Te Gong Huang Fei (11处特工皇妃) written by Xiao Xiang Dong Er. It stars Zhao Liying, Lin Gengxin, Shawn Dou and Li Qin.

Title: Princess Agents (特工皇妃楚乔传)

Episodes: 68

Release date:  June 5th, 2017  2 episodes every Monday to Thursday on Hunan TV

Where to watch: watch it on youtube with Eng Sub!

Episode 1

Our female lead, Chu Qiao or Jing Xiao Liu (I will refer to her as this in the beginning), was dreaming while on her way to the hunting ground. She dreamt of her mom, her training, her past and asking who she is (amnesia). When she woke up, a girl in the same carriage offered her food. When they got to the campsite, they were hushed into the tents to pick new clothing with embroidered name.

On the other side, the 5 royalties/lords (Left to right is Zhao Xifeng, Yan Xun, Yuan Song, Yuwen Huai and Wei) bashed thru the city and toward the hunting ground since Yuwen Huai wanted to introduce them to his new “game.” The rules of the game are to either shoot the wolves or the slave girls, whoever have the most slave girls remaining win the game. Yan Xun and Yuan Song were against the killing while the Zhao Xi Feng was excited for the “game.”

Back at the manor, Yuwen Yue sat like a monk as the assassin lay waiting for him in bed to seduce him. He played along but easily disarmed the assassin. He left the assassins to the guards and rushed to the hunting ground afterward.

Xiao Liu tried to protect the little sister as they ran away from the shooting arrows and wolves. She lured the wolves away but was dragged and bitten by the two. Using an arrow, she killed the two wolves. She went back to find the little sister and the two ran for survival. However, even with the announcement of the end of the “game”, Yuwen Huai didn’t like that Yuwen Yue won (since they both had the Yue embroidered clothing) therefore shot at the girl. He wanted to kill off Xiao Liu too but was saved by Yuwen Yue, who shot his arrow from far away. (Yan Xun attempted but failed)

As promised, Xiao Liu was pardoned for her crime but was taken back to the manor. 5th brother, Lin Xi, saw the whole scenario and snuck in to give her food. As she laid there, she questioned the values of life and the rights given by status. 5th brother asked ZhiXiang to find medicine to cure Xiao Liu.

The next day, Yan Xun asked Yuwen Yue to help him out with Chun Er trying to throw him a birthday party. Yuwen Yue suggested having it in his manor to avoid the conflict. On the other side, two of Xiao Liu’s sisters were taking care of her while she was dreaming about her past where she fought with a guy named Yuwen Hao. It was in that fight that she got thrown into water and bumped her head in the depth of the ocean. Before she woke up, a mean lady, Song, burst in and started whipping the two sisters for being lazy. Xiao Liu used a slingshot and shot Song in the thigh and scared her away.

Episode 2

While everyone was playing arrow throwing game, princess Chun Er arrived at the party. Her attachment to Yan Xun is obvious to everyone when she called her brother a pig and Yan Xun “the only handsome guy in the room.” In Yuwen Yue’s room, he received information regarding his investigation of the assassin in a cool device. With his grandfather, they revealed that the assassin was sent by Yuwen Huai to kill him.

During the Yan Xun’s bday party, everyone arrived and was having fun. Xiao Liu was sent to be a stepping stool for the princess to aid her off the horse carriage. She overheard Yuwen Huai’s plan to poison Yuwen Yue’s alcohol. Zhixiang went to serve the alcohol to Yuwen Yue but he noticed that something was off and stopped drinking. Yuwen Huai pushed for him to drink and said if he doesn’t, they will kill off the beauty (the big sister).Not wanting her big sister to suffer, Xiao Liu knock the wine glass off. Yuwen Huai wanted to kill her but Yan Xun stopped him and gave her a chance to survive in a flip the pendant game. If she guessed right, she will be pardoned if not she will be killed. He helped her by doing something to the jade pendant.

 Even though she guessed right, she couldn’t escape punishment. They hung her upside down through the night. Yuwen Yue let her down afterward and told her that she was dumb to be courageous without an escape plan.

But since Xiao Liu ruined Yuwen Huai’s plan, her family tried to help her escape. 5th brother asked an upper maid, Jin Zhu, to help him get a pass that will allow people to leave the estate. She did so and asked 5th brother to give Yuwen Yue’s grandfather a chess set in return. 5th brother agreed without knowing that the chess set was poisoned by Yuwen Huai and that he was just a scapegoat in the whole plot. Xiao Liu escaped at night but overheard the plot and rushed back to rescue 5th brother. When she arrived, the place was on fire and Yuwen Yue had stabbed 5th brother thru the heart!

Episode 3

Xiao Liu witnessed the death of 5th brother as Yuwen Yue stabbed him and threw him in the pit of fire. She ran toward the fire but was stopped by the guards. Xiao Liu cried and told him that her brother is innocent. His replied was “So what if I killed the innocents. The strongs survive in this world and the weaks are meant to be stepped on” She promised him that if she lives she will become strong! On the ground, Yuwen Yue saw the poisoned spider crawling on Xiao Liu’s arm and slashed at it. He told her that that was “punishment” for trying to runaway.

Yuwen Huai wanted to confirm the death by pretending to pay his respect to the old man at the funeral. He was stopped by Yuwen Yue. Yuwen Yue and Yuwen Huai picked up their sword and went at each other again. Yuwen Huai’s weapon shot out a hidden arrow and headed straight toward the incoming Wei consort. The both stopped fighting and welcomed the consort. The consort praised Yuewen Yue for sealing off the body to keep the suspect from tampering with evidence and agreed to examine the body for verification. After the examination, she concluded that the grandfather died of poison and forbid Yuwen Huai from entering Qing Shan Yuan, Yuwen Yue’s manor. Yuwen Yue thanked the consort Wei for helping him. She advice him gain the king’s trust and revive DieZhiTianYan so that he can marry Chun Er and gain more power since DieZhiTian Yan is a precious treasure that the king will not let just anyone take ownership over.

The next day, guards were carrying a bloody body across the garden and Xiao Liu overheard that the body belonged to Jin Yan who was sent to Ji Le Ge to serve Yuwen Yue’s grandfather. Song picked the next batch of slaves to be sent to Ji Le Ge and Xiao Liu was choosen. Zhixiang begged her to let Xiao Liu go and promised to do anything in return. Xiao Qi finally returned to the Yuwen Manor. Zhixiang sister told them that she will be gone for a few days and asked Xiao Liu to take care of Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba in her place. She didn’t tell them where she was going. Zhixiang gave Xiao Ba a pendant that belonged to Xiao Liu for keepsake. (Love the sisterly bond here)

Zhixiang and other girls were sent to Ji Le Ge where they were surrounded by make-up and pretty clothings. The girls excitedly tried out everything while Zhixiang stood tense. Slowly from the water, Yuwen Xi crawled out and walked toward ZhiXiang. She stood still while everyone ran away. He took a sniff and left her to chase after the other girls. Until the last one died, Yuwen Xi went back to ZhiXiang and strangled her.

Xiao Liu was waken up by Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba crying. When she asked them what was wrong, they told her that Zhixiang was sent to Ji Le Ge. The three rushed out to find Zhixiang’s body being wheeled to a body disposable spot. Xiao Liu and them waited for the guards to leave before approaching the body. While kneeling, she promised Zhixiang that she will take care of the little ones. She took her slingshot from Zhixiang’s hand and cried in the rain.

Because of her big mouth, Song was asked to pack her bag to leave. On her way out, she saw Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba doing something sneakily. She followed them and saw that they were burying Zhixiang and LinXi, which is against the rule at Yuwen manor. She wanted to report it to Yuwen Huai. Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba ran after her to stop her. The three started fighting at the bridge and by accident Song got knocked over and fell into the water.

Episode 4

While Yuwen Yue was studying, his parrot announce the arrival of “bad egg” Yan Xun. Yan Xun warned him about Yuwen Xi’s visit and sending him a lady to warm his bed. Before he left, Yan Xun pocketed Yuwen Yue’s expensive medicine.

Yan Xun wandered toward the court where the slaves work and live and got involved when some guards were trying to take Xiao Liu away for interrogation regarding Song’s death. He accused the guard of stealing his horse and used the same words that the guard said to Xiao Liu “I’m evidence. Everything I said is true.” The guard begged Xiao Liu for forgiveness and she told him to roll away (Lol! which he did literally). After the guard left, Yan Xuan told Xiao Liu that he wanted something to drink. She told him to go elsewhere. She told him of her brother and sister’s death and do not that the mood to entertain him. He noticed the seriousness, put down the medicine and left.

Yuwen Xi came to Qing Shan Yuan as warned. He wanted to refute Yuwen Yue’s right to the manor. 16 years ago, Yuwen Yue was born to the second household but because his mom went crazy, the first household took him in. However, his status was not sealed since his father’s signature was missing. Right at that moment, the king’s notice came and announce Yuwen Yue as the heir of Qing Shan Yuan. With that plan down the drain, Yuwen Xi wanted Yuwen Yue to accept a designated slave as his woman. Yuwen Yue told him that to be fair, he will hold a competition to pick the woman that will serve him. The competition will be opened up to the bronze and silver class slaves in the Yuwen estate.

Xiao Liu wanted to use this opportunity to protect Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba from Yuwen Huai and avenge LinXi. She went to sign up for the opportunity but because she is of the metal class, she had no rights. She kneeled in front of his door for hours before he came out. He explained that the slave chosen will be serving the master in bed. If that is the only way to survive, then she is willing to. Before he left, Yuwen Yue permit her to participate in the competition.

There were three rounds on the day of the exam, those that lost twice will be eliminated. The first round was some sort of chess game. Xiao Liu does not know the rules and was forced to forfeit. In the second round, Xiao Liu used fresh water and a mint leave to brew tea and that caught Yuwen Yue’s attention. She passed the second round (even though knowledge of tea brewing was zero to none). For the third round, the remaining slaves were told to memorized a buddha’s scripture and write it out in the allotted time. Thru watching, Xiao Liu learned how to write and wrote out the symbols based on memory. Before she was announced winner, Yuwen Yue told her to sign her name. But because she doesn’t know how to write, she used her bell to do so.

As the winner of the competition, she was brought to Yuwen Yue’s chamber. He told her that he will use her if she passes all his tests. He asked her to come over and help him shave. With all those sharp knilves in front of her, Xiao Liu remembered how he killed her brother and wanted to aim for his throat.

Chexmix: First episode was heaaaaavy! I had to stop for a while before I watched the second ep. All the killing and torturing! At least they toned it down quite a bit from the book. I think they also toned down Chu Qiao’s character (like how they did Weiyoung..) a bit too. In the book, Madame Song died because of Xiao Liu’s revenge instead of it being an accident. And she schemed to harm the maid to get into Yuwen Yue’s manor. I guess they didn’t want Chu Qiao to start off too strong.  I don’t know how but even all torn and ragged up, Liying still look amazing! XD I like it so far. Yan Xun is such a fun character to watch. Still gotta warm up to Yuwen Yue. So sad when the brother and sister died!!! =(

The only thing that is off so far is the weird biology lesson when Liying was dreaming about her battle with Yuwen Hao. The whole bone breaking, blood freezing, heart tearing part is kinda weird….Oh and the part where she “jumped” 40 feet to kill the wolf made me feel like Biyao was alive again. hahahah

Episode 1 BTS

Episode 2 BTS

Episode 3 BTS

Episode 4 BTS