@icekatze Yea, normally it'd be for insults (actions against the crown) rather than just a spat of cross-dressing. (Which most would see as an amusing peccadillo.)
On the other hand, Thailand even today has horribly strict laws against royal insults, where even stepping on a coin (say to stop it from rolling away from you after you dropped it) is a crime against the crown. So maybe the inspiration is from there?
(And the "
always ask your boss what to do,
never do anything on your own", is a common baseline in many Asian countries, no matter what problems it may cause.)