A Plum Blossom

Facts

Han Yusheng
- It was love at first sight upon meeting Ha Lee
- He almost lost it because of Ha Lee's disappearance but managed to keep himself together since he made himself believe she was still alive and waiting for him
- Deep down he knew Ha Lee wasn't alive but didn't want to believe it
- He didn't know about his mother's suffering because she often held everything in and didn't want to trouble him
- Han Shi (the fake king) often sent him away on journeys even if they were dangerous

Ha Lee
- Because of the constant rape and harassment she experienced from the king, this caused for her to lose some of the most important memories
- She died on her birthday, at midnight
- When she came back to life she was overwhelmed by Li Dai because she really missed her little brother and he filled the void later on
- When Yusheng asked if she was a virgin she said she was because she didn't want to count the times she was raped constantly (I don't think anyone would)
- When Shing decides he wants to die, she was hurt because she believed he didn't deserve that ending since he was confused and didn't know who to truly trust

Han Shirong
- He knew that he loved Ha Lee during the time she was his Crown Princess but he didn't speak up because of his pride and felt conflicted
- After her disappearance, he wanted to find her again leading him to find Shen because he wanted to say sorry
- The last woman he killed was during the night of his son's banquet because once he saw Li Mei up close, he was sure that was Ha Lee
- When in exile he is poor but eventually works his way up to become a middle class citizen
- Later he meets Mo Liu again and realizes then that he should've stayed focused on her and not repeat his mistakes
- He does apologize to Mo Liu and is happy at last with her and their son

Mo Liu
- Because of Shirong killing innocent women, their dead spirits haunted her in her sleep but faded once he was gone
- Her father is taken from position and demoted to commoner
- Later on when she is in her late twenties she goes to find Shirong along with her son having finally gotten the will to see him and reunite as a family living together
- She did come to love Shirong as time went on but wasn't sure because she felt guilty for taking Ha Lee's place

Ha Ru
- He was a longtime friend of Crown Prince Han Ru (they share the same name) and Li Chen, hanging out in a trio
- Everyday he and Li Chen were always sharing liquor and tea talking about the old days when Han Ru was still alive
- He met Yue Ying on the town streets and when he found out about her identity he didn't care because it was her that mattered not her past

Yue Ying
- Often made missions for herself to find Jian Wei and always promised her husband she'd return safely
- At her last mission to distract Shing and Liang while Ha Ru went to get their children, she told him she couldn't promise to come back safe
- From the Jin Kingdom and originally a royal guard
- Was given the plum blossom hairpin by a royal

Jian Wei
- She witnessed Han Ru's death by the king's hand which she was forced to keep quiet or else Yusheng would also be killed
- The king raped her
- She and Lady Yue Ying were close friends but hid away because of the king causing her to never contact her again
- More pain was added onto her when she found out about Yue Ying's death but couldn't even go to her funeral because the king forbid her

Jian Li
- The noble man who adopted him when he was a child was actually Jian Wei's uncle making him take the Jian name
- He realized he liked Niu Xia the moment she smiled at him once more later on because he believed that was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen

Jian Wen
- She does realize Zihao has interest in her and acts like she doesn't know to tease him although she also feels the same way about him

Zihao
- As a former player he doesn't exactly know when you like someone
- When he realizes he likes Wen he avoids her like a child but later on follows her CLOSE
- He likes her birthmark that's shaped like a heart a lot

Niu Xia
- She confirmed her feelings for Jian Li when he asked her that same question again "Then what's the other reason?"
- She randomly brung up the topic of marriage to Jian Li first which he asked her father personally later
- Upon seeing Li Mei after awakening, she knows something is off
- She learned herself that Li Mei was not Li Mei but remained by her side because she was still there physically
- Ha Lee tells her about everything later on

Li Chen
- Finding out that both of his friends were killed by the same man, he fell into deep despair
- Once Ha Ru left, he was alone in his drinks and would talk as if he were talking to both Han Ru and Ha Ru like they were beside him
- When the news came that Yusheng was actually Han Shi's son (which he isn't) after he becomes king, he didn't exactly believe it and took him under his wing
- He was a father figure to Yusheng and everyday he always told himself  "You look like him"

Li Dai
- He eventually does get married in the future but will never forget the woman he loved most and he does love his future wife more than anything
- He still dotes on Li Mei although he doesn't know she's actually Ha Lee

Li Mei
- She had a crush on Yusheng which was why she hid from him sometimes
- If she wasn't killed, while she's married to Yusheng he wouldn't give her as much attention as he does right now to Ha Lee who's in her body but would still love her as a wife just not romantically

Han Shi
- Born from a concubine's son, his life wasn't bad but he was very jealous of his much younger brother, Han Ru, and always stricken with fear everywhere he went since he believed that people were trying to bring him to his downfall when no one was
- He thought he should've had Jian Wei because he "saw" her first although he already had a family
- Very narcissistic
- Later on, he began to fancy Ha Lee because of her looks just like how he did with Jian Wei
- He knew Ha Lee was actually Yusheng's Crown Princess and knowing the consequences of Daiyu, he still went against it for his own desires

Han Ru
- He died wondering what he ever did wrong to his brother
- When he left his son, Yusheng, he promised himself he'd return safely but instead his lifeless body came back

Shing
- When he was a teenager, he took part in the selection of becoming apart of the king's personal guards where the king then took interest in Shing because of his undeniably attractive looks
- He was molested by the king but didn't know it was wrong until later on since he believed everything the king did was right (which he was brainwashed into believing)
- Later on he questions the king's decisions of who is right or wrong when he meets Ha Lee because her suffering made him wake up
- At the end he decides to die because he believes everything he did was not worthy of a pardon

Fei Ling (Ning)
- He knew the problems of the Sui Kingdom's royal family crisis since the Jin Kingdom is supposed to never cause war or problems and help maintain each kingdom's balance
- Undoubtedly, he was sad at his brother's death caused by Yusheng but did not show emotion and contained it
- After the problem is resolved he goes back home to marry his Crown Princess and take the throne

The Four Kingdoms

Each of the kingdoms have a deity that rules over their land. These deities are said to be siblings that've split to build their own countries making it the Four Kingdoms.

For the Sui Kingdom, the Divine Goddess Daiyu, choses the Crown Princess to the future king. The first born son of the chosen Crown Princess, is to and is the only person who can become king and marry their chosen Crown Princess. If a son who is not born of the Crown Princess becomes king, a cycle of misfortune shall begin. However, if both the Crown Prince son does not become king along not being with their Crown Princess not in their given title, death shall come instead and a demon will unravel itself within the royal family set by Daiyu herself. If fate is not turned, the kingdom shall fall apart, and soon after the other three kingdoms.

This can explain why the king went mad and killed everyone along with confining Ha Lee, but what started it was because of his mad jealously towards his half-brother Crown Prince Han Ru and his greed to take the things his brother had.