I did think the hostage-taking was on purpose, yeah, but it's not a firm headcanon or anything. Like I said, I'm not clear on her goals, but I hope I'll figure out at least a convincing version eventually, for my own peace of mind. *g*

(Oooh, I love the idea of an AU where Zhu Hong gets suborned via mind-control, and Ya Qing gradually realises she wasn't actually convinced, but instead her will was overridden. I'd love to see Ya Qing grapple with that!)