Fandom 50 S4 Post 40: Blossoms of Power, or a WHOLE JOURNEY C-drama style!
Oct. 19th, 2026 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
glitteryvBlossoms of Power
A 2026, 36-episode (plus a 12-minute "Special Episode" that is a sort of coda) historical drama based on a novel (of the same title) by Jin Huang (who also adapted the screenplay.) It's co-directed by Zhong Qing and Guo Feng.
The premise
NB: I'm gonna be more detailed than the official blurb because the vagueness of it might confuse some folks.
While some kind of massive fight between clans is happening, Gu Qingzi (the 5th Prince's consort) decides to poison herself for plotty reasons. She ends up at a limbo-type of place.
At the same time, Commandery Princess Zhaoning (played by Meng Ziyi) is on a boat that's heading to the capital. Because her father's a super important duke in charge of the northwest region, the emperor and her father have agreed that the princess will marry one of the emperor's sons. But then, the princess is murdered. She too ends up at the SAME limbo place as Gu Qingzi.
Just then, in the real world (?), there's a rare sky occurrence. Something that looks like an eclipse AND two moons, IDEK.
All of those things together, somehow prompts Gu Qingzi to enter the princess' body and blend their essences/consciousness/souls together.
Next thing she knows, she's found on the riverbank by none other than the Crown Prince (played by He Yu) who is in disguise. So, now going by Shen Xihe, she realizes she's got her memories from her own time as a consort AND the princess' memories too. Now in a sort-of-second life, she's got the opportunity to take care of business once and for all . . .
This is a drama that premiered this past July. I heard a lot abt it and then the chatter kinda died down--which was weird.
The cast is HELLA PRETTY. There are face cards EVERYWHERE for men and women. Speaking of which, there were several actors from one of my ult dramas (Blossom) among the main cast:
* Meng Ziyi -played Dou Zhao, i.e. the main female lead in Blossom. Here she's the Main lead as well.
* He Yu - played a younger version of the Emperor in Blossom. Here he's the male lead.
* Snow Kong Xuer - played Dou Zhao's female bestie & had a romance with Song Mo's younger brother in Blossom. Here she's the 4th Prince wife. Has an incredibly tough and complex storyline in this drama.
* Wang Jisusheng - played Song Mo's father in Blossom. Here he's Prince Kang.
* Zhu Junlin - played Chen Jia in Blossom (a character that was both a good guy AND a villain (depending on the timeline). Here he is Shen Xihe's bodyguard.
* Zhang Chenghe - played General Mo in Blossom. Yes, THE ONE WHO STARTED THE WHOLE THING FOR LI YUNRI'S CHARACTER ARC. Here he plays Duke King.
* Quan Yilun - played the v. sweet and naive younger Wu who had feelings for Dou Zhao in Blossom. Here he pops in toward the end of the drama for 1 whole scene as a minister.
* Yumiko Cheng - played Empress Wan in Blossom; was mother to Prince Qing. Here she's Consort Liang; mother to Princes 5 and 9.
* Dong Zifan - played Prince Qing in Blossom. Here he works for the Court of Justice and has a v. significant romance.
* Ye Zuxin - played the Crown Prince in Blossom. Here he's the shifty 2nd Prince who was v. π¬ in his interest for one specific female character.
NGL, it was quite lulzy to recognize all of them and see whether or not they had the range and talent to do different roles across dramas. I'm v. happy to say that everyone was v. convincing!
One more thing that I found interesting was a character called Bu Shulin (played by Fan Shuai Qi), who is a woman disguised as a man. She becomes besties with Shen Xihe. Their friendship is really nice; I like them together. Bu Shulin has her own storyline that was what it was. Many ppl who watched the show, though, loved Bu Shulin/The dude she gets matched up with. I kinda get why. In some ways, it was pseudo-BL with a strong wink at the audience. The two actors have a v. enticing, Opposites Attract type of dynamic. All of that made this a secondary couple that folks rooted for.
However, I had such a strong feeling as to what was gonna be her storyarc that I ended up pulling all way back emotionally speaking. Even more so when Bu Shulin's own storyline took over the drama for a couple of episodes here and there. YMMV.
ANOTHER THING this drama had by the bucketfull was villains. They ranged from mildly annoying to deadly and scary. I appreciated the variety. Especially with how many obstacles they threw in the CP's path.
The best one of the bunch was the 5th Prince (played by Jeremy Xu). I liked his OTTNESS. He was so fucking creepy!
It was so messed up how, out of everyone, he was the only person who knew--FROM THE GET--abt Shen Xihe's true identity. Due to that, he had a bizarre sense of righteousness that made everyone WTF at him every so often. He was also an extremely morally gray character. His relationship with Shen Xihe was FASCINATING. They were honest with each other every time they interacted and that's something that, much as it was gross to watch (dude was DELULU TO THE MAX), balanced out the way Shen Xihe deceived nearly everyone else (aside from the Crown Prince.) It was a lot of a lot.
I did liked the Crown Prince character cuz he had his own DRAMARAMA. He'd gotten poisoned by someone when he was 9 y.o., barely survived it even though he hadn't been fully cured. And so he'd spent 15 or so years searching for the identity of the poisoner while also playing up that he's sicker than he actually is AND working behind the scenes to secure the throne for himself. He falls for Shen Xihe first and is v. intense abt that. He's a yearner, a total simp, and he doesn't care. MY WIFE, MY WIFE, MY WIFE. β- that's how he moved throughout the drama and I was A-OK with that, LOL.
There are certain things he does that I found cute BECAUSE IT WAS FICTIONAL! Such as when he marries Shen Xihe, they enter into an agreement: she will help him find out the poisoner AND (hopefully) a cure while he will help her secure her and her family's future. He's insistent abt the reality that she will fall in love with her to the point I CRINGED.
The ONLY reason why I wasn't grossed out by his attitude is that it takes them a looooooooooooooooooong time to become an actual CP. I did find the romance OK. This is a FREAK4FREAK ship. It kept me watching the show even if I was π by the last third of the drama.
One last that made me happy was that there's a character that's 100% a Good Person. They have a v. sweet personality and were one of the few characters who never got involved in any messiness. NGL, I was actually scared that this character was gonna get killed. THANKFULLY, the character made it to the end. What's more, it's implied that they go on living a fantastic life so i saw this as a WIN FOR ME!
Do I have any criticisms?
The first 12 eps were super-fast paced. Many mini arcs. Such as, let's say, the Crown Prince and Shen Xihe find out that a character is embezzling funds. By the end of the NEXT EPISODE, the embezzler and his cronies would be in jail and the funds had been returned. In other shows, this would've taken 3 eps minimum?
I wasn't sure of how well this was gonna work for the remaining episodes. Thankfully, things slowed down, with the drama having 4-7 different storylines. The PROBLEM was that none of the stories connected to each other and so the overall plot didn't progress in a steady way. This also meant that the drama was entertaining . . . as long as you didn't look too closely at the lack of bridges between one storyline and the next. This becomes an even bigger problem when the drama moved to the last block of episodes. Suddenly, there were betrayals upon betrayals and V. IMPORTANT, SRS BIZNESS things happening with almost no emotional pay-off to speak of. This was more evident when
The 4th Prince's coup attempt goes all kinds of sideways resulting in the Crown Prince's "death". Which I know should've made me sad and yet my reaction was Β―\_(γ)_/Β―. Seeing how said "dead" Crown Prince popped right back up AT THE END, after 4-5 yrs of the coup, my shrug was ENTIRELY JUSTIFIED, LOOOL. Doubly so since there was NO explanation in Episode 36 as to what happened. The wisp of a explanation was given in the special episode, but it was 100% bullshittery and nonsense, IMO.
ANOTHER THING was something that both annoyed me for the entire drama. I tried to make my peace with it, but it'd make me π.
Basically, Shen Xihe was a complete Mary Sue. It didn't matter how dangerous a situation might be, whether it looked like she was trapped, as long as she was involved, she'd make it out fine somehow. The plot would rearrange itself for her. So, OTOH, there was no point on worrying abt her. OTOH, however, it eliminated every single danger and obstacle from her path.
In addition to this, Shen Xihe had an extremely sensitive nose. As in, to the point that she could no only determine what kind of incense had been burning around different ppl, but also down to the component of XYZ incense. And, at no point, did the villains manipulated things (using pepper or some other irritant to disguise themselves EVEN AFTER THEY LEARNED THAT SHE'S GOT A DELICATE SENSE OF SMELL.) Nor did she get a cold that would make using her nose impossible. So, there was that.
The biggest problem with the ENTIRE DRAMA was the lack of motivation for Shen Xihe and a villain character.
In the case of Shen Xihe, after the two spirits/souls/consciousness blended into a third personality, she was ready to take care of her destiny and was super focused on never letting anyone step on her ever again! She was GIRLBOSSING AND DIDN'T CARE WHO KNEW IT. Which those would've been pretty solid goals.
Except that viewers only met both Gu Qingzi and Commandery Princess Zhaoning when the former killed herself and the other one was murdered. Nothing else was shown abt either of them BEFORE that moment. So, viewers had to go along with the GIRLBOSSING based on Shen Xihe's words and that's abt it. There was nothing of substance to build a foundation for her drive. There wasn't anything to compare her present self (cunning, icy, excessively practical) to the past.
The emptiness of an incentive ALSO extended to one particular villain. Just like Shen Xihe, this specific female character decides she's Shen Xihe's MORTAL ENEMY. That character schemed every which way and blah, blah, blah. FTR, that villain's plans were fairly good, but she'd always get found out and bitchslapped (metaphorically speaking). She ended up being, out of an entire ROSTER of evil doers, the weakest one. Her viciousness was v. π€·πΎββοΈ.
Finally, because of the messiness of the plot AND Shen Xihe's GIRLBOSSING for no reason AND her memories of her time as Gu Qingzi (which hardened her heart), the CP romance is slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww AF. It almost broke my patience...
They didn't kiss until ep. 25 (out of 36) and didn't sleep together until two eps later--which, by then, she was officially IN LURVE.
This meant I had to sit thru over β of the drama BEFORE there's the actual!romance. It's not that the Crown Prince was a doormat, but he was a sap. The unevenness in their feelings (and how long that went on) was a bit disturbing at times.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
It was present from the start since the MMC was the Crown Prince. However, it wasn't until the last third of the story that it became the main focus of the drama. I was less engaged with a lot of it.
Per what I've read in some reviews and comments elsewhere, a lot of the confusion and disconnect some viewers (including myself) felt while watching the last part of the drama came from the screenwriter (who also wrote the webnovel this drama was based on) cramming a LOTTA PLOT in, like, 7 eps. So many of the connecting threads and/or potential things of interest (including reveals, betrayals, alliances, etc) weren't there OR were loopy AF.
Oh, and the ending was a happy one, but also extremely abrupt. I was shocked at how it was like Boom, OVER! The Special Episode (12 mins long) did explained how certain things happened AND gave ppl a lot of sugar w/r/t to the CP. It didn't quite work for me, but whatevs.
Do I recommend it?
Not really? I'm not sure who this would be for? And I'm saying this as someone for whom a lot of the things WOULD be of interest!
OTOH, I liked Meng Ziyi (and the rest of the cast), Shen Xihe being a badass (even if her actions made no sense at times) was fun to watch, the CP was a FREAK4FREAK ship, there were lots of pretty ppl to stare at, and some moments here and there were neat.
OTOH, Shen Xihe was an absolute Mary Sue, the romance took forever to happen (NGL, I was almost checked out from the story by the time it was official), the plot was wacky, and the ending was rushed.
TBH, though, at the end of things, I was entertained despite all of my griping up and down Main Street. Still, I cannot rate this drama cuz I don't hate it the story nor I don't regret watching it yet I do have to acknowledge that the story was terribs. So, there we are. π
Queerness level
I already mentioned the whole fake!BL thing featuring Bu Shulin. Her persona is v. rakeish. She's always hanging out with courtesans, she's got a reputation, women are chasing after her, etc.
Once she becomes good friends with Shen Xihe, things get a bit lulzy. Since almost no one knows the secret identity, a lot of other ppl find their friendship controversial, hahah. Maybe, kinda, if you look at them sideway, there might be some GL vibes. It's v. faint, tho.
FTR, I do think my fave character (the Good Person) gives me v. strong ace vibes?
Le Trailer
This gives potential viewers a bit of an idea of the level of ridiculousness the show has for most of the episodes. It also showcases what a true simp the Crown Prince is for Shen Xihe.
A 2026, 36-episode (plus a 12-minute "Special Episode" that is a sort of coda) historical drama based on a novel (of the same title) by Jin Huang (who also adapted the screenplay.) It's co-directed by Zhong Qing and Guo Feng.
The premise
NB: I'm gonna be more detailed than the official blurb because the vagueness of it might confuse some folks.
While some kind of massive fight between clans is happening, Gu Qingzi (the 5th Prince's consort) decides to poison herself for plotty reasons. She ends up at a limbo-type of place.
At the same time, Commandery Princess Zhaoning (played by Meng Ziyi) is on a boat that's heading to the capital. Because her father's a super important duke in charge of the northwest region, the emperor and her father have agreed that the princess will marry one of the emperor's sons. But then, the princess is murdered. She too ends up at the SAME limbo place as Gu Qingzi.
Just then, in the real world (?), there's a rare sky occurrence. Something that looks like an eclipse AND two moons, IDEK.
All of those things together, somehow prompts Gu Qingzi to enter the princess' body and blend their essences/consciousness/souls together.
Next thing she knows, she's found on the riverbank by none other than the Crown Prince (played by He Yu) who is in disguise. So, now going by Shen Xihe, she realizes she's got her memories from her own time as a consort AND the princess' memories too. Now in a sort-of-second life, she's got the opportunity to take care of business once and for all . . .
This is a drama that premiered this past July. I heard a lot abt it and then the chatter kinda died down--which was weird.
The cast is HELLA PRETTY. There are face cards EVERYWHERE for men and women. Speaking of which, there were several actors from one of my ult dramas (Blossom) among the main cast:
* Meng Ziyi -played Dou Zhao, i.e. the main female lead in Blossom. Here she's the Main lead as well.
* He Yu - played a younger version of the Emperor in Blossom. Here he's the male lead.
* Snow Kong Xuer - played Dou Zhao's female bestie & had a romance with Song Mo's younger brother in Blossom. Here she's the 4th Prince wife. Has an incredibly tough and complex storyline in this drama.
* Wang Jisusheng - played Song Mo's father in Blossom. Here he's Prince Kang.
* Zhu Junlin - played Chen Jia in Blossom (a character that was both a good guy AND a villain (depending on the timeline). Here he is Shen Xihe's bodyguard.
* Zhang Chenghe - played General Mo in Blossom. Yes, THE ONE WHO STARTED THE WHOLE THING FOR LI YUNRI'S CHARACTER ARC. Here he plays Duke King.
* Quan Yilun - played the v. sweet and naive younger Wu who had feelings for Dou Zhao in Blossom. Here he pops in toward the end of the drama for 1 whole scene as a minister.
* Yumiko Cheng - played Empress Wan in Blossom; was mother to Prince Qing. Here she's Consort Liang; mother to Princes 5 and 9.
* Dong Zifan - played Prince Qing in Blossom. Here he works for the Court of Justice and has a v. significant romance.
* Ye Zuxin - played the Crown Prince in Blossom. Here he's the shifty 2nd Prince who was v. π¬ in his interest for one specific female character.
NGL, it was quite lulzy to recognize all of them and see whether or not they had the range and talent to do different roles across dramas. I'm v. happy to say that everyone was v. convincing!
One more thing that I found interesting was a character called Bu Shulin (played by Fan Shuai Qi), who is a woman disguised as a man. She becomes besties with Shen Xihe. Their friendship is really nice; I like them together. Bu Shulin has her own storyline that was what it was. Many ppl who watched the show, though, loved Bu Shulin/The dude she gets matched up with. I kinda get why. In some ways, it was pseudo-BL with a strong wink at the audience. The two actors have a v. enticing, Opposites Attract type of dynamic. All of that made this a secondary couple that folks rooted for.
However, I had such a strong feeling as to what was gonna be her storyarc that I ended up pulling all way back emotionally speaking. Even more so when Bu Shulin's own storyline took over the drama for a couple of episodes here and there. YMMV.
ANOTHER THING this drama had by the bucketfull was villains. They ranged from mildly annoying to deadly and scary. I appreciated the variety. Especially with how many obstacles they threw in the CP's path.
The best one of the bunch was the 5th Prince (played by Jeremy Xu). I liked his OTTNESS. He was so fucking creepy!
It was so messed up how, out of everyone, he was the only person who knew--FROM THE GET--abt Shen Xihe's true identity. Due to that, he had a bizarre sense of righteousness that made everyone WTF at him every so often. He was also an extremely morally gray character. His relationship with Shen Xihe was FASCINATING. They were honest with each other every time they interacted and that's something that, much as it was gross to watch (dude was DELULU TO THE MAX), balanced out the way Shen Xihe deceived nearly everyone else (aside from the Crown Prince.) It was a lot of a lot.
I did liked the Crown Prince character cuz he had his own DRAMARAMA. He'd gotten poisoned by someone when he was 9 y.o., barely survived it even though he hadn't been fully cured. And so he'd spent 15 or so years searching for the identity of the poisoner while also playing up that he's sicker than he actually is AND working behind the scenes to secure the throne for himself. He falls for Shen Xihe first and is v. intense abt that. He's a yearner, a total simp, and he doesn't care. MY WIFE, MY WIFE, MY WIFE. β- that's how he moved throughout the drama and I was A-OK with that, LOL.
There are certain things he does that I found cute BECAUSE IT WAS FICTIONAL! Such as when he marries Shen Xihe, they enter into an agreement: she will help him find out the poisoner AND (hopefully) a cure while he will help her secure her and her family's future. He's insistent abt the reality that she will fall in love with her to the point I CRINGED.
The ONLY reason why I wasn't grossed out by his attitude is that it takes them a looooooooooooooooooong time to become an actual CP. I did find the romance OK. This is a FREAK4FREAK ship. It kept me watching the show even if I was π by the last third of the drama.
One last that made me happy was that there's a character that's 100% a Good Person. They have a v. sweet personality and were one of the few characters who never got involved in any messiness. NGL, I was actually scared that this character was gonna get killed. THANKFULLY, the character made it to the end. What's more, it's implied that they go on living a fantastic life so i saw this as a WIN FOR ME!
Do I have any criticisms?
The first 12 eps were super-fast paced. Many mini arcs. Such as, let's say, the Crown Prince and Shen Xihe find out that a character is embezzling funds. By the end of the NEXT EPISODE, the embezzler and his cronies would be in jail and the funds had been returned. In other shows, this would've taken 3 eps minimum?
I wasn't sure of how well this was gonna work for the remaining episodes. Thankfully, things slowed down, with the drama having 4-7 different storylines. The PROBLEM was that none of the stories connected to each other and so the overall plot didn't progress in a steady way. This also meant that the drama was entertaining . . . as long as you didn't look too closely at the lack of bridges between one storyline and the next. This becomes an even bigger problem when the drama moved to the last block of episodes. Suddenly, there were betrayals upon betrayals and V. IMPORTANT, SRS BIZNESS things happening with almost no emotional pay-off to speak of. This was more evident when
HUGE SPOILER FOR THE LAST THIRD OF THE DRAMA
The 4th Prince's coup attempt goes all kinds of sideways resulting in the Crown Prince's "death". Which I know should've made me sad and yet my reaction was Β―\_(γ)_/Β―. Seeing how said "dead" Crown Prince popped right back up AT THE END, after 4-5 yrs of the coup, my shrug was ENTIRELY JUSTIFIED, LOOOL. Doubly so since there was NO explanation in Episode 36 as to what happened. The wisp of a explanation was given in the special episode, but it was 100% bullshittery and nonsense, IMO.
ANOTHER THING was something that both annoyed me for the entire drama. I tried to make my peace with it, but it'd make me π.
Basically, Shen Xihe was a complete Mary Sue. It didn't matter how dangerous a situation might be, whether it looked like she was trapped, as long as she was involved, she'd make it out fine somehow. The plot would rearrange itself for her. So, OTOH, there was no point on worrying abt her. OTOH, however, it eliminated every single danger and obstacle from her path.
In addition to this, Shen Xihe had an extremely sensitive nose. As in, to the point that she could no only determine what kind of incense had been burning around different ppl, but also down to the component of XYZ incense. And, at no point, did the villains manipulated things (using pepper or some other irritant to disguise themselves EVEN AFTER THEY LEARNED THAT SHE'S GOT A DELICATE SENSE OF SMELL.) Nor did she get a cold that would make using her nose impossible. So, there was that.
The biggest problem with the ENTIRE DRAMA was the lack of motivation for Shen Xihe and a villain character.
In the case of Shen Xihe, after the two spirits/souls/consciousness blended into a third personality, she was ready to take care of her destiny and was super focused on never letting anyone step on her ever again! She was GIRLBOSSING AND DIDN'T CARE WHO KNEW IT. Which those would've been pretty solid goals.
Except that viewers only met both Gu Qingzi and Commandery Princess Zhaoning when the former killed herself and the other one was murdered. Nothing else was shown abt either of them BEFORE that moment. So, viewers had to go along with the GIRLBOSSING based on Shen Xihe's words and that's abt it. There was nothing of substance to build a foundation for her drive. There wasn't anything to compare her present self (cunning, icy, excessively practical) to the past.
The emptiness of an incentive ALSO extended to one particular villain. Just like Shen Xihe, this specific female character decides she's Shen Xihe's MORTAL ENEMY. That character schemed every which way and blah, blah, blah. FTR, that villain's plans were fairly good, but she'd always get found out and bitchslapped (metaphorically speaking). She ended up being, out of an entire ROSTER of evil doers, the weakest one. Her viciousness was v. π€·πΎββοΈ.
Finally, because of the messiness of the plot AND Shen Xihe's GIRLBOSSING for no reason AND her memories of her time as Gu Qingzi (which hardened her heart), the CP romance is slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww AF. It almost broke my patience...
DETAILED SPOILER OF SPECIFIC EPISODES FOCUSING ON THE ROMANCE
By the time they get married (ep. 20), the Crown Prince told Shen Xihe that he didn't care if she never loved him, he was happy to be her husband, etc. Her reply was v. cold. And I was like I GUESS.They didn't kiss until ep. 25 (out of 36) and didn't sleep together until two eps later--which, by then, she was officially IN LURVE.
This meant I had to sit thru over β of the drama BEFORE there's the actual!romance. It's not that the Crown Prince was a doormat, but he was a sap. The unevenness in their feelings (and how long that went on) was a bit disturbing at times.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
It was present from the start since the MMC was the Crown Prince. However, it wasn't until the last third of the story that it became the main focus of the drama. I was less engaged with a lot of it.
Per what I've read in some reviews and comments elsewhere, a lot of the confusion and disconnect some viewers (including myself) felt while watching the last part of the drama came from the screenwriter (who also wrote the webnovel this drama was based on) cramming a LOTTA PLOT in, like, 7 eps. So many of the connecting threads and/or potential things of interest (including reveals, betrayals, alliances, etc) weren't there OR were loopy AF.
Oh, and the ending was a happy one, but also extremely abrupt. I was shocked at how it was like Boom, OVER! The Special Episode (12 mins long) did explained how certain things happened AND gave ppl a lot of sugar w/r/t to the CP. It didn't quite work for me, but whatevs.
Do I recommend it?
Not really? I'm not sure who this would be for? And I'm saying this as someone for whom a lot of the things WOULD be of interest!
OTOH, I liked Meng Ziyi (and the rest of the cast), Shen Xihe being a badass (even if her actions made no sense at times) was fun to watch, the CP was a FREAK4FREAK ship, there were lots of pretty ppl to stare at, and some moments here and there were neat.
OTOH, Shen Xihe was an absolute Mary Sue, the romance took forever to happen (NGL, I was almost checked out from the story by the time it was official), the plot was wacky, and the ending was rushed.
TBH, though, at the end of things, I was entertained despite all of my griping up and down Main Street. Still, I cannot rate this drama cuz I don't hate it the story nor I don't regret watching it yet I do have to acknowledge that the story was terribs. So, there we are. π
Queerness level
I already mentioned the whole fake!BL thing featuring Bu Shulin. Her persona is v. rakeish. She's always hanging out with courtesans, she's got a reputation, women are chasing after her, etc.
Once she becomes good friends with Shen Xihe, things get a bit lulzy. Since almost no one knows the secret identity, a lot of other ppl find their friendship controversial, hahah. Maybe, kinda, if you look at them sideway, there might be some GL vibes. It's v. faint, tho.
FTR, I do think my fave character (the Good Person) gives me v. strong ace vibes?
Le Trailer
This gives potential viewers a bit of an idea of the level of ridiculousness the show has for most of the episodes. It also showcases what a true simp the Crown Prince is for Shen Xihe.
Fandom 50 S4 Post 39: Pursuit of Jade, or a whole lot of story and funsies.
Oct. 18th, 2026 12:54 pmglitteryvPursuit of Jade
A 2026, 40-episode drama that has Tian Xiwei as the lead female character. It's based on the web novel Zhu Yu by Tuan Zi Lai X. The screenplay is by Zou Yue, Jin Zi, and Zeng Zhen.
The premise
This is a drama set in a fictional version of ancient China. Fan Changyu (played by Tian Xiwei) is a young woman who lives in the small village of Lin'an and makes a living as a butcher. The latter is something that carries a social stigma. Fan Changyu doesn't let it get to her most of the time, tho. After all, she has a younger sister Fan Changning (played by Cao Yanning) to take care of after both of their parents got killed by bandits. The drama begins a little over a month since their parents' deaths.
One day after work, Fan Changyu finds a guy semi-buried in the snow. Since the guy is still alive, she decides to take him to her home. "Yan Zheng" (played by Zhang Linghe) says he's a security escort that was attacked by bandits who stole all of his money and documents. [NB: Yan Zheng is the name I'll be using for this character throughout the post to avoid confusion. Though he has a few other names: Xie Zheng / Marquis of Wuβan /Xie Jiuheng (this is his courtesy name).]
Fan Changyu only has two other living, blood relatives: her grandfather (played by Bai Liwei) who is old and v. sick AND Fan Daniu, her uncle (played by Gao Yuqing) who is an alcoholic gambler. Her uncle rolls up to Fan Changyu's place with a gang. He plans to take her home. She pushes them back for the time being.
When she talks to the local authorities abt what's happened, she lears that, due to local law, the next living male relative CAN put a claim for the house . . . because Fan Changyu is single. It doesn't even matter that her father had legally given her the house in his will.
SO, after some deliberating, she sits down with Yan Zheng and says "how abt we get married so I can keep my home AND you'll be able to secure documentation? It's a win-win for both. Even better, since this is a business arrangement, once you fully recover (Yan Zheng is seriously beat up. He even needs a crutch to go around), we'll get divorced and you can leave!" Yan Zheng agrees and they get married. But he's not who says he isβ¦
I'd been hearing a ton abt this drama--with everything being mostly positive.
The funny thing is that I happen to have renewed my Netflix subscription for a little bit (in order to watch BTS stuff) and figured, well, let me give this drama watch. If I don't like it, it's no big deal. And if I do, it'll be a good time.
Let me tell you, I finished this drama in FIVE DAYS, but there we are. SWEAT EMOJI
This drama is directed by Zeng Qingjie who happens to be the director of my most recent 5-star drama (Blossom). So I went in with high expectations and, for the most part, they were surpassed by a ton. Zeng Qingjie is v. precise abt everything from a scene of two ppl are quietly eating all the way to kisses, love confessions, and dramatic reveals. He's an expert at what he does.
The cinematography is IMPECCABLE! If you want to see a lot of pretty onscreen (from the setting to the special fx to the cast), this drama is for you! The technical aspects are amazing as well.
I like the majority of the cast. Everyone--from the main actors to the background characters --knows what they're supposed to do. It's deeply enjoyable to watch talented ppl do their thing in a natural way.
The sets feel real as well. Which is a neat thing since much of the story takes place in regular ppl's homes. At different points of the story, there are fancy houses as well as the Imperial Palace. But a lot of the drama happens in middle and low class settings. The village design is super interesting. This focus on realism extends to when the story moves to army camps. Even the tent for the leader looks like an actual place and not some museum piece.
Kudos to the music. The OST rocks every which way, really.
As for Tian Xiwei as Fan Changyuβ¦she was great (with a v. small, YMMV caveat that I'll mention in my criticisms.) I'd first seen her in New Life Begins and found her charming then. In this drama, she's able to show a range of emotions (from super bubbly to strong and assertive). She can do many things v. well (with one exception that, again, I'll mention in my criticisms.)
One interesting thing abt her character is that she's v. physically strong. Especially for someone who is so petite. Funnily enough, there's a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of her, frex, carrying Yan Zheng w/o assistance. This adds another layer to who she eventually becomes in the drama.
I also like Zhang Linghe as "Yan Zheng" and his real identity (heheh). Just like Tian Xiwei, he can do comedy or drama pretty well. On a shallow note, the camera loves him.
Seeing the different types of women in the story is greatness. Female friendships and women supporting each other are two undercurrent themes from beginning to end. Neither is presented in a too contemporary way (which some dramas have fallen victim to.) Another thing is that everyone (including characters viewers might hate at first) does end up having at least a little bit of character development. There are a lot of things going on and so, it makes sense that ppl's opinions, feelings, and thoughts would change too. Sometimes for good, others for evil.
For the most part, the villains are good. The MAIN VILLAIN is a truly horrible person . . . that's also tremendously fascinating. Please understand that the things he does and/or orders others to do on his behalf are TERRIBLE. At the same time, though, he has a meaty backstory. The reasons motivating him do have some weight to it. That said, he's THE ABSOLUTE WORST. The second [this Character] shows up you'll run out of red flags. He's one scary mofo.
Do I have any criticisms?
1. A character (not gonna say whether they're part of the main cast nor mention their gender) gets information that is super important AND extremely sensitive. I liken the info to a vial full of nitroglycerine. In the sense that, used wrongly, it can make a huge mess out of everything.
The character makes the (to me) infuriating decision to keep the info to themselves and carry that burden. EVEN THOUGH, via internal monologue, they are scolding themselves abt not telling someone what they've learned. So they actively choose to lie--which was already making me πβ¦
Only for that character to find out, literally THE NEXT EPISODE, that the person who should've gotten the info already knew abt it and told the secret-keeper so. It was a v. rare pointless scene. SMH!
2. Regarding the CP, whenever the scene has to do with something cute, sweet, romantic OR non-sexual intimacy (such as holding hands, hugging, feeding each other, etc), the CP WORKS (thank the gods). As a viewer, the vibe is solid.
HOWEVAH, whenever the focus is on sexual stuff (foreplay or actually sleeping together), things go a little askew, IMO.
Zhang Linghe is game. You can tell that his character is attracted to Tian Xiwei's character. Sadly, those are the moments when Tian Xiwei lacks confidence. And that's something that comes across her performance. She looks confused at the attention on her pleasure and/or desire--which lowers whatever strong feels viewers are supposed to be experiencing.
So, their intimate scenes are moderately hot, but that's mostly due to Zhang Linghe's acting.
Unfortunately, I can't help but compare them with Blossom's CP (given that was directed by the same guy). And over in that drama, Song Mo and Dou Zhao have a carnal aspect to their relationship that is playful and v. human. You can tell they FUCK, basically. It's a v. adult vibe.
Back over to Pursuit of Jade, even worse for Yan Zheng/Fan Changyu fail at sexy times (IMO), the Secondary Couple really goes to town. This other couple is pretty much the bizarro/flipside of the CP. Meaning that there's undeniable love and trust between Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng, but there's none of that when it comes to the Secondary Couple. Theirs is an extremely twisted and toxic dynamic.
And yet, during the Secondary Couple's intimate scenes, both actors are into it with the female actor projecting confidence in her sensuality. It makes Tian Xiwei's uncertain reactions to her own husband's attentions and lust even more π. IJS.
3. I also kept waiting for Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng to become a Power Couple. The story tries to present them as such, and yet I'm not convinced. They are good together and excellent partners to each other, but that's where it ends. Again, especially compared with (say) Blossom's Dou Zhao/Song Mo, Xue Li/Duke Su in The Double or Chu Chu/The Prince in Imperial Coroner. All who ARE true Power Couples.
To me, the CP in POJ doesn't get there. In the show, Fan Changyu's shift from a character who just wants to lead a rather simple life to someone who ends up amassing a lot of power is not as smooth as it should be.
LET ME MOVE ON to other things that bugged me.
4. The drama gets away from the production team somewhere around ep. 30-32. Things are happening, I'M INVESTED IN THE OUTCOME and all that. BUT, during the last batch of episodes, there are too many betrayals and sudden reveals for the amount of time left in the drama. NGL, I keep thinking of matryoshkas because there's a lie covered by another lie to cover the lie to cover the truth and then another truth. FTR, I understand what happened, but I didn't like how stuffed the last eps are.
5. Also, the last episode is V. WEIRD. It has a HEA, but, well, I gotta be detailed in my explanation.
Then there's a scene that shows her returning to her hometown on horseback, dressed in regular clothes.
The first thing that makes it an odd scene is that it's got a hazy filter that adds a dreamlike OR otherworldly vibe to it. Fan Changyu is welcomed by the entire town, it seems. But then, viewers will notice that the ppl welcoming her are ALL OF THE PPL WHO HAVE DIED THROUGHOUT THE DRAMA. Yan Zheng is there too (is he dead? WHEN did he died?) She gets off her horse and embraces Yan Zheng. He says something like "I've been waiting for you. It's been so long". MY understanding was that they were in the afterlife?
AND THEN, the scene fades into the drama's current timeline. She's back at her home, hugging the Zhao couple. Her husband and the Northwest Pig Butchering Crew are there. Fan Changyu starts telling the Zhaos abt the ppl who've died.
I⦠still don't know WHAT was the point of the previous scene. Maybe it was her making peace with those who have passed on? The thing is that it legit gave the impression of it happening AFTER Fan Changyu herself had died. O__o?!
THEN there's another scene where Chancellor Wei is given poisoned wine that had been prepared by his nephew. As he starts to drink it, he thinks abt his nephew showing up in his cell. There's a quick montage where they're having a meal, talking, etc. Again, it was confusing cuz I truly didn't know if the Chancellor was hallucinating as he was dying from the poison OR if the scene was something that had actually happened. Apparently, it did happened for realsies? It was fucking weird.
Then there are a whole bunch of time skips. And the last shot is of Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng heading into battle together as he snarks at her cuz she's a mother of two. Sure. Why not?
The end credit scene is a v. neat coda, tho.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
Medium-ish.
Fan Changyu does tend to succeed and/or get away with things that, logically speaking, would've sent other ppl to jail. At the same time, the show (for all of its protectiveness toward her) does place her in v. dire situations. I also have to point out that, by the end of the series, she's lost many ppl who were close to her. This leads to moments when grief drives her not-quite-crazy, but she does become reckless cuz she's nearing her breaking point.
How's the CP? Are there any other ships I liked?
Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng, well, they're a FREAK4FREAK couple. Both are super compatible. They're absolute weirdos. Their flirting isn't the lovey-dovey kind. Instead, it's a mix of snark and randomness that only make sense TO THEM AND THEM ALONE.
They're a solid couple because the show gives them enough time to develop their bond. From the beginning of the story, they're living and working together as husband and wife, etc. Thus both characters get to really know each other both in good and bad ways, discuss their respective backgrounds [somewhat since Yan Zheng is hiding his true identity at that time], and so forth.
Although I wouldn't say that he falls first, IMO the show makes it look like he falls the HARDEST. I don't want to give the impression that (emotionally and romantically) this is an unbalanced relationship. It's not. The reality is that Yan Zheng has a lot more life experience given his position, age, and whatnot. So it takes Fan Changyu a bit to connect the dots (so to speak) when it comes to being in a relationship and sorting out her feelings.
However, once she's in, she's IN IT TO WIN IT. I do adore the FACT that he MAKES IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS (AND EVEN THOSE WHO DON'T) that Fan Changyu is HIS PROPER/OFFICIAL WIFE. That's something that he NEVER questions. She does waver for a moment (obvs, once she finds out who he really is), but then regroups and they're back for good.
Theirs isn't a Like Attracts Like or an Opposites Attract type relationship. To me, they fall somewhere in the middle. They haven't had the same upbringing, but they do share similar values. When they're together, he's able to be vulnerable and soft. [One of the best things abt the first β of the story is that he heals physically and emotionally. And it happens in a way that he doesn't even notice it until way later.] Meanwhile, he gives her a sense of security AND support. Which is something she's lacked for a while.
As for negative traits, he does have a tendency to be overprotective of her and she is quite stubborn and impulsive. Eventually both of them do grow out of those things. There are some moments of jealousy, but the relationship remains solid even during the episodes they're apart.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
In an interesting way.
The current emperor Qi Sheng (played by Guan Yunpeng) is a puppet figure. He's on the throne cuz Chancellor Wei (played by Yan Yiquan) put him there. Complicating things is the decades long struggle between Chancellor Wei and Grand Tutor Li (played by Wang Jiusheng). The one unpredictable variable is the Marquis Wu'an (who is Chancellor Wei's nephew.) BUT nephew and uncle have been at odds for a while.
Then there's the Main Villain who has a long-term plan to get the throne for himself.
Later on, there's an idea to replace the current emperor with someone else (NOT the Marquis). Regardless, ecause the emperor is so shitty, I was game to see him GONE!
One ππΎ is that are less emphasis on court scenes than in other dramas. It's likely that's cuz the emperor is such a dweeb. Also the Marquis has a cooler/detached attitude toward the emperor. So the court stuff mainly happens in the last third of the story and even then, there are other things to keep it from overwhelming the plot too much.
Another plus is that everyone in court is SO morally gray. In other dramas, the emperor and his inner circle are either benevolent or fully evil. This show makes a good point of, when it comes to gov't, there are truly bad ppl who have the worst ideas and intentions AND there are LESS TERRIBLE ppl who have some good intentions but are also v. ambitious. This drama doesn't make it easy to side with one specific group. Everyone got something that's slightly twisted abt them.
Do I recommend it?
I think so! It's got drama, action, intrigue, mystery, comedy, AND romance. And even better, the romance is NEVER pushed out of the way.
THAT SAID, I do have to warn that around the halfway point, the mood shifts from cozy romance and comedy to brutal and dark as war-like situations begin to pop up. V. few ppl are actually safe in this drama (aside from the CP and abt 6 more characters?) There's also onscreen violence (though, since this is a Cdrama, there's nothing graphic such as gore. BUT ppl do die in terrible ways.) I wouldn't go as far as to say that it reaches GOT levels of gore, but things do get π¬.
Eventually, the mood levels out. Though it doesn't return to the fluffy (and again, cozy) vibes of the first third of the show, the BRUTALITY lowers plenty.
I don't regret watching it one bit; was v. entertained from first episode to the last.
I'm giving it a 4 out of 5.
Queerness level
I'm gonna go with non-existent. #SADTROMBONE
Le Trailer
A 2026, 40-episode drama that has Tian Xiwei as the lead female character. It's based on the web novel Zhu Yu by Tuan Zi Lai X. The screenplay is by Zou Yue, Jin Zi, and Zeng Zhen.
The premise
This is a drama set in a fictional version of ancient China. Fan Changyu (played by Tian Xiwei) is a young woman who lives in the small village of Lin'an and makes a living as a butcher. The latter is something that carries a social stigma. Fan Changyu doesn't let it get to her most of the time, tho. After all, she has a younger sister Fan Changning (played by Cao Yanning) to take care of after both of their parents got killed by bandits. The drama begins a little over a month since their parents' deaths.
One day after work, Fan Changyu finds a guy semi-buried in the snow. Since the guy is still alive, she decides to take him to her home. "Yan Zheng" (played by Zhang Linghe) says he's a security escort that was attacked by bandits who stole all of his money and documents. [NB: Yan Zheng is the name I'll be using for this character throughout the post to avoid confusion. Though he has a few other names: Xie Zheng / Marquis of Wuβan /Xie Jiuheng (this is his courtesy name).]
Fan Changyu only has two other living, blood relatives: her grandfather (played by Bai Liwei) who is old and v. sick AND Fan Daniu, her uncle (played by Gao Yuqing) who is an alcoholic gambler. Her uncle rolls up to Fan Changyu's place with a gang. He plans to take her home. She pushes them back for the time being.
When she talks to the local authorities abt what's happened, she lears that, due to local law, the next living male relative CAN put a claim for the house . . . because Fan Changyu is single. It doesn't even matter that her father had legally given her the house in his will.
SO, after some deliberating, she sits down with Yan Zheng and says "how abt we get married so I can keep my home AND you'll be able to secure documentation? It's a win-win for both. Even better, since this is a business arrangement, once you fully recover (Yan Zheng is seriously beat up. He even needs a crutch to go around), we'll get divorced and you can leave!" Yan Zheng agrees and they get married. But he's not who says he isβ¦
I'd been hearing a ton abt this drama--with everything being mostly positive.
The funny thing is that I happen to have renewed my Netflix subscription for a little bit (in order to watch BTS stuff) and figured, well, let me give this drama watch. If I don't like it, it's no big deal. And if I do, it'll be a good time.
Let me tell you, I finished this drama in FIVE DAYS, but there we are. SWEAT EMOJI
This drama is directed by Zeng Qingjie who happens to be the director of my most recent 5-star drama (Blossom). So I went in with high expectations and, for the most part, they were surpassed by a ton. Zeng Qingjie is v. precise abt everything from a scene of two ppl are quietly eating all the way to kisses, love confessions, and dramatic reveals. He's an expert at what he does.
The cinematography is IMPECCABLE! If you want to see a lot of pretty onscreen (from the setting to the special fx to the cast), this drama is for you! The technical aspects are amazing as well.
I like the majority of the cast. Everyone--from the main actors to the background characters --knows what they're supposed to do. It's deeply enjoyable to watch talented ppl do their thing in a natural way.
The sets feel real as well. Which is a neat thing since much of the story takes place in regular ppl's homes. At different points of the story, there are fancy houses as well as the Imperial Palace. But a lot of the drama happens in middle and low class settings. The village design is super interesting. This focus on realism extends to when the story moves to army camps. Even the tent for the leader looks like an actual place and not some museum piece.
Kudos to the music. The OST rocks every which way, really.
As for Tian Xiwei as Fan Changyuβ¦she was great (with a v. small, YMMV caveat that I'll mention in my criticisms.) I'd first seen her in New Life Begins and found her charming then. In this drama, she's able to show a range of emotions (from super bubbly to strong and assertive). She can do many things v. well (with one exception that, again, I'll mention in my criticisms.)
One interesting thing abt her character is that she's v. physically strong. Especially for someone who is so petite. Funnily enough, there's a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of her, frex, carrying Yan Zheng w/o assistance. This adds another layer to who she eventually becomes in the drama.
I also like Zhang Linghe as "Yan Zheng" and his real identity (heheh). Just like Tian Xiwei, he can do comedy or drama pretty well. On a shallow note, the camera loves him.
Seeing the different types of women in the story is greatness. Female friendships and women supporting each other are two undercurrent themes from beginning to end. Neither is presented in a too contemporary way (which some dramas have fallen victim to.) Another thing is that everyone (including characters viewers might hate at first) does end up having at least a little bit of character development. There are a lot of things going on and so, it makes sense that ppl's opinions, feelings, and thoughts would change too. Sometimes for good, others for evil.
For the most part, the villains are good. The MAIN VILLAIN is a truly horrible person . . . that's also tremendously fascinating. Please understand that the things he does and/or orders others to do on his behalf are TERRIBLE. At the same time, though, he has a meaty backstory. The reasons motivating him do have some weight to it. That said, he's THE ABSOLUTE WORST. The second [this Character] shows up you'll run out of red flags. He's one scary mofo.
Do I have any criticisms?
1. A character (not gonna say whether they're part of the main cast nor mention their gender) gets information that is super important AND extremely sensitive. I liken the info to a vial full of nitroglycerine. In the sense that, used wrongly, it can make a huge mess out of everything.
The character makes the (to me) infuriating decision to keep the info to themselves and carry that burden. EVEN THOUGH, via internal monologue, they are scolding themselves abt not telling someone what they've learned. So they actively choose to lie--which was already making me πβ¦
Only for that character to find out, literally THE NEXT EPISODE, that the person who should've gotten the info already knew abt it and told the secret-keeper so. It was a v. rare pointless scene. SMH!
2. Regarding the CP, whenever the scene has to do with something cute, sweet, romantic OR non-sexual intimacy (such as holding hands, hugging, feeding each other, etc), the CP WORKS (thank the gods). As a viewer, the vibe is solid.
HOWEVAH, whenever the focus is on sexual stuff (foreplay or actually sleeping together), things go a little askew, IMO.
Zhang Linghe is game. You can tell that his character is attracted to Tian Xiwei's character. Sadly, those are the moments when Tian Xiwei lacks confidence. And that's something that comes across her performance. She looks confused at the attention on her pleasure and/or desire--which lowers whatever strong feels viewers are supposed to be experiencing.
So, their intimate scenes are moderately hot, but that's mostly due to Zhang Linghe's acting.
Unfortunately, I can't help but compare them with Blossom's CP (given that was directed by the same guy). And over in that drama, Song Mo and Dou Zhao have a carnal aspect to their relationship that is playful and v. human. You can tell they FUCK, basically. It's a v. adult vibe.
Back over to Pursuit of Jade, even worse for Yan Zheng/Fan Changyu fail at sexy times (IMO), the Secondary Couple really goes to town. This other couple is pretty much the bizarro/flipside of the CP. Meaning that there's undeniable love and trust between Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng, but there's none of that when it comes to the Secondary Couple. Theirs is an extremely twisted and toxic dynamic.
And yet, during the Secondary Couple's intimate scenes, both actors are into it with the female actor projecting confidence in her sensuality. It makes Tian Xiwei's uncertain reactions to her own husband's attentions and lust even more π. IJS.
3. I also kept waiting for Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng to become a Power Couple. The story tries to present them as such, and yet I'm not convinced. They are good together and excellent partners to each other, but that's where it ends. Again, especially compared with (say) Blossom's Dou Zhao/Song Mo, Xue Li/Duke Su in The Double or Chu Chu/The Prince in Imperial Coroner. All who ARE true Power Couples.
To me, the CP in POJ doesn't get there. In the show, Fan Changyu's shift from a character who just wants to lead a rather simple life to someone who ends up amassing a lot of power is not as smooth as it should be.
LET ME MOVE ON to other things that bugged me.
4. The drama gets away from the production team somewhere around ep. 30-32. Things are happening, I'M INVESTED IN THE OUTCOME and all that. BUT, during the last batch of episodes, there are too many betrayals and sudden reveals for the amount of time left in the drama. NGL, I keep thinking of matryoshkas because there's a lie covered by another lie to cover the lie to cover the truth and then another truth. FTR, I understand what happened, but I didn't like how stuffed the last eps are.
5. Also, the last episode is V. WEIRD. It has a HEA, but, well, I gotta be detailed in my explanation.
FULL SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING
After everything has been taken care of, Yan Zheng asks Fan Changyu what she wants to do now. She replies that she wants to go back to Li'nan and have a peaceful life. From there, scenes go by showing the new Emperor, what roles Yan Zheng and Fan Changyu got as part of the new Imperial Court, etc.Then there's a scene that shows her returning to her hometown on horseback, dressed in regular clothes.
The first thing that makes it an odd scene is that it's got a hazy filter that adds a dreamlike OR otherworldly vibe to it. Fan Changyu is welcomed by the entire town, it seems. But then, viewers will notice that the ppl welcoming her are ALL OF THE PPL WHO HAVE DIED THROUGHOUT THE DRAMA. Yan Zheng is there too (is he dead? WHEN did he died?) She gets off her horse and embraces Yan Zheng. He says something like "I've been waiting for you. It's been so long". MY understanding was that they were in the afterlife?
AND THEN, the scene fades into the drama's current timeline. She's back at her home, hugging the Zhao couple. Her husband and the Northwest Pig Butchering Crew are there. Fan Changyu starts telling the Zhaos abt the ppl who've died.
I⦠still don't know WHAT was the point of the previous scene. Maybe it was her making peace with those who have passed on? The thing is that it legit gave the impression of it happening AFTER Fan Changyu herself had died. O__o?!
THEN there's another scene where Chancellor Wei is given poisoned wine that had been prepared by his nephew. As he starts to drink it, he thinks abt his nephew showing up in his cell. There's a quick montage where they're having a meal, talking, etc. Again, it was confusing cuz I truly didn't know if the Chancellor was hallucinating as he was dying from the poison OR if the scene was something that had actually happened. Apparently, it did happened for realsies? It was fucking weird.
Then there are a whole bunch of time skips. And the last shot is of Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng heading into battle together as he snarks at her cuz she's a mother of two. Sure. Why not?
The end credit scene is a v. neat coda, tho.
What's the FMC's plot armor level?
Medium-ish.
Fan Changyu does tend to succeed and/or get away with things that, logically speaking, would've sent other ppl to jail. At the same time, the show (for all of its protectiveness toward her) does place her in v. dire situations. I also have to point out that, by the end of the series, she's lost many ppl who were close to her. This leads to moments when grief drives her not-quite-crazy, but she does become reckless cuz she's nearing her breaking point.
How's the CP? Are there any other ships I liked?
Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng, well, they're a FREAK4FREAK couple. Both are super compatible. They're absolute weirdos. Their flirting isn't the lovey-dovey kind. Instead, it's a mix of snark and randomness that only make sense TO THEM AND THEM ALONE.
They're a solid couple because the show gives them enough time to develop their bond. From the beginning of the story, they're living and working together as husband and wife, etc. Thus both characters get to really know each other both in good and bad ways, discuss their respective backgrounds [somewhat since Yan Zheng is hiding his true identity at that time], and so forth.
Although I wouldn't say that he falls first, IMO the show makes it look like he falls the HARDEST. I don't want to give the impression that (emotionally and romantically) this is an unbalanced relationship. It's not. The reality is that Yan Zheng has a lot more life experience given his position, age, and whatnot. So it takes Fan Changyu a bit to connect the dots (so to speak) when it comes to being in a relationship and sorting out her feelings.
However, once she's in, she's IN IT TO WIN IT. I do adore the FACT that he MAKES IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS (AND EVEN THOSE WHO DON'T) that Fan Changyu is HIS PROPER/OFFICIAL WIFE. That's something that he NEVER questions. She does waver for a moment (obvs, once she finds out who he really is), but then regroups and they're back for good.
Theirs isn't a Like Attracts Like or an Opposites Attract type relationship. To me, they fall somewhere in the middle. They haven't had the same upbringing, but they do share similar values. When they're together, he's able to be vulnerable and soft. [One of the best things abt the first β of the story is that he heals physically and emotionally. And it happens in a way that he doesn't even notice it until way later.] Meanwhile, he gives her a sense of security AND support. Which is something she's lacked for a while.
As for negative traits, he does have a tendency to be overprotective of her and she is quite stubborn and impulsive. Eventually both of them do grow out of those things. There are some moments of jealousy, but the relationship remains solid even during the episodes they're apart.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
In an interesting way.
The current emperor Qi Sheng (played by Guan Yunpeng) is a puppet figure. He's on the throne cuz Chancellor Wei (played by Yan Yiquan) put him there. Complicating things is the decades long struggle between Chancellor Wei and Grand Tutor Li (played by Wang Jiusheng). The one unpredictable variable is the Marquis Wu'an (who is Chancellor Wei's nephew.) BUT nephew and uncle have been at odds for a while.
Then there's the Main Villain who has a long-term plan to get the throne for himself.
Later on, there's an idea to replace the current emperor with someone else (NOT the Marquis). Regardless, ecause the emperor is so shitty, I was game to see him GONE!
One ππΎ is that are less emphasis on court scenes than in other dramas. It's likely that's cuz the emperor is such a dweeb. Also the Marquis has a cooler/detached attitude toward the emperor. So the court stuff mainly happens in the last third of the story and even then, there are other things to keep it from overwhelming the plot too much.
Another plus is that everyone in court is SO morally gray. In other dramas, the emperor and his inner circle are either benevolent or fully evil. This show makes a good point of, when it comes to gov't, there are truly bad ppl who have the worst ideas and intentions AND there are LESS TERRIBLE ppl who have some good intentions but are also v. ambitious. This drama doesn't make it easy to side with one specific group. Everyone got something that's slightly twisted abt them.
Do I recommend it?
I think so! It's got drama, action, intrigue, mystery, comedy, AND romance. And even better, the romance is NEVER pushed out of the way.
THAT SAID, I do have to warn that around the halfway point, the mood shifts from cozy romance and comedy to brutal and dark as war-like situations begin to pop up. V. few ppl are actually safe in this drama (aside from the CP and abt 6 more characters?) There's also onscreen violence (though, since this is a Cdrama, there's nothing graphic such as gore. BUT ppl do die in terrible ways.) I wouldn't go as far as to say that it reaches GOT levels of gore, but things do get π¬.
Eventually, the mood levels out. Though it doesn't return to the fluffy (and again, cozy) vibes of the first third of the show, the BRUTALITY lowers plenty.
I don't regret watching it one bit; was v. entertained from first episode to the last.
I'm giving it a 4 out of 5.
Queerness level
I'm gonna go with non-existent. #SADTROMBONE
Le Trailer
Fandom 50 S4 Post 38: New Life Begins, or an uneven C-drama
Oct. 15th, 2026 01:15 pmglitteryvNew Life Begins
A 2022, 40-episode drama that's described as a "romantic comedy" (Hmmmmβ¦.). It's adapted from the webnovel Time Travel to the Daily Life of the Qing Dynasty by DuoMuMuDuo. The screenplay was written by Liu Lianzi and Wang Xiaoping. It was directed by Zhao Qichen.
This is a story set in a fictional version of ancient China. There's one main kingdom and 8 smaller ones. The leader of the main kingdom has 11 sons: 4 are already married, 2 of them are too young, one passed on during childhood, and the remaining 4 are of the perfect age to find wives.
Per tradition, every 3 or so years, the 8 smaller kingdoms have to send eligible women to (ideally) become an official wife OR a concubine of whichever main kingdom's princes are marriageable.
Li Wei (played by Tian Xiwei) is among the women sent to land one of the available princes. Her background is sorta middle class (tho her father's an official). The thing abt Li Wei is that she's got a PLAN TO NOT GET MARRIED TO ANYONE just so she can be sent back to her family (who is v. loving and close.) She also LOVES FOOD and is shown constantly snacking on something (this is kinda an important thing abt her character as a whole.)
MEANWHILE, Hao Jia (Li Wei's BFF who is played by Chen Xiao Yun) has her own plan: she's gonna marry the most powerful of all the guys: Yin Song, Crown Heir and 2nd prince (played by Edward Zhang). Hao Jia DOESN'T CARE THAT THE 2ND PRINCE IS NOT AMONG THE PRINCES-TO-BE-MARRIED. She's READY to marry him--even if it means being a concubine since 2nd Prince already has an Official Wife: Zhao Fangru (played by Chen Zi Han).
Li Wei does an excellent job at being the worst so that the selection committee sees her as unworthy. She's THRILLED when she gets word that she didn't make the cut.
The night before she's gonna be sent back home, she sneaks into someone's kitchen and has a sorta Meet Ugly with SOME DUDE who is wondering what she's doing unchaperoned and at night. Li Wei replies that she's checking out the snacks because she's going home which YAYS. LI WEI IS WINNING AT LIFE. Halfway thru, she even tells the dude that the selection committee even considered marrying her to 6th Prince who is A TOTAL LOSER, HAHAHAHAH.
Obviously, the dude she's talking to happens to be none other than Yin Zheng, a.k.a. The 6th Prince (played by Bai Jing Ting.)
THE NEXT MORNING, instead of going home, she's been ORDERED by the Main Kingdom's lord to MARRY THE 6TH PRINCE.
Li Wei: DAFUQ?! O__o
Even "worse" is that she can't decline the marriage so, for now, she goes along with it. Mainly cuz she overhears (and misunderstands) something that leads her to think that the 6th prince has some kind of terminal disease. At most, he's got ~3 weeks to live. Which means that she'll be a widow before the next season. Not ideal, but then she can "retire" back to her hometown. *Hands*
Unfortch for her, she's super wrong.
Once she realizes her mistake (after some topsy-turvy moments and shenanigans), the 6th prince and her come to an understanding: he's gonna try to figure out a way to divorce her without thoroughly ruining her reputation (which would've been the outcome of a divorce.) In turn, she will run the household until she's able to leave for good . . .
This is a chill drama for the first half. The story isn't plotless; there are definite storylines from beginning to end. HOWEVAH, the overall vibe is v. slice of life with strong focus on the female characters (from Li Wei and Hao Jia to other official wives, concubines, female teachers, etc.). I feel the promos really pushed this idea (even if it didn't quite turn out to be 100% true.)
There IS a romance that's extreeeeeeeeeeeeemely slow burn. The 6th prince falls first. LI Wei takes a long time to return the 6th prince's feelings. Additionally, the story also puts the romance on pause up until around ep. 28 (or a little past the halfway point.) That said this is a v. playful CP (even before the romance actually blossoms).
Whether for good or ill, there are 7 other different couples to track in addition to the CP. Each pairing has varying degrees of sweetness. I had one fave couple (who were total introverts)
I'm talking abt Ruan Sisi (played by Tang Meng Jia) and Yin Yan (played by Ma Hao, the 7th prince. She's super rich, smart, and a v. slow-speaker. Which leads to a lot of ppl (outside of the circle of friends) to dismiss her. Meanwhile, the 7th prince is super shy and also has a physical disability that means he's gotta use a cane.
ANYWAYS, they've got a v. Like Attracks Like type of relationship that gave me the warmest feels. Since theirs is an easy-going marriage, they ended up as one of the background relationships.
There are also 2 other couples (featuring antagonists) that are hella toxic . Oh, and an endgame couple I will talk abt in my criticisms.
Again, the bulk of the first 27 eps are v. much on 'daily life' type of thing. With a lot of comedy (both of the subtle as well as broad types). Somewhere around eps. 28 and 29, the story starts to focus on royal infighting, etc. Up until to that point, though, there are a lot of mini story arcs abt female friendships. Especially how they must be nurtured. The main message is that of how, when women support each other, everyone benefits.
This drama's MVP is Tian Xiwei as Li Wei because she plays a slapstick, goofy type of humor that made me shake my head with mirth. Her portrayal of an optimistic, friendly character was easy to warm up to.
Shoutout to Liu Ling Zi as Yuan Ying, the 6th's prince official wife too. I was v. HMMMMMM whe she turns up. But then, she's got a fascinating backstory (that's revealed by the halfway mark) and it's simply beautiful to see her bloom.
AND, a super tip of the hat to Chen Xiau Yun as Hao Jia. Despite having SOME SERIOUS ISSUES with certain aspects of her story, her story arc is ultimately rewarding to watch.
In all truth, the cast is solid AF. Everyone showed up to do their job (whether a good person, a villain, someone who gets caught in a crossfire, and so on.) Both the cinematography and costuming were great as well.
Do I have any criticisms?
I sure do! Funnily enough, with the exception of two specific points, my :| had to do with things I've just praised the drama for!
Starting with the humor. This is a v. lighthearted story until around ep. 20. It's got a v. ditzy mood. THAT SAID, the humor can go OTT at times. See frex, there's a secondary character who is a v. cute, fat woman. And, every so often, the drama will have her say something abt how she hungry she feels. π .
Then, there's the theme of empowering women/girlbossing is the way and the show goes into hyperdrive with the messaging. For me, it clashed because it was an v. contemporary viewpoint that was kinda shoved into a historical drama. Despite loving stories of women being friends with and supporting other women, the way is presented here is superficial and nonsensical. The best way to explain what I mean is with a
in the next-to-last-episode, the new Crown Prince convinces his father to replace the arranged marriage set-up with one where the other kingdoms will still send young women. Only this time it'll be for them to get educated/trained with all types of skills so that they can find their own employment OR even try to become actual!officials in court.
It kinda made me ??? then AND now. Especially cuz the Main Kingdom is v. patriarchal-focused (like 6 out of the other 8 smaller kingdoms are led by men. Out of the remaining 2, one is a matriarchy while the other has both men and women as equals) and everyone just rolls with that change w/o any problems. WHICH DOESN'T MAKE A LICK OF SENSE.
Especially because throughout the story there are several dramaramas regarding women working outside of their homes (especially those who are connected to the court.) They can't own any business, let alone run it. So, during the last of those kinds of problems, Li Wei and her friends start talking to the crowds (and back at the authorities who are trying to shut their business down). The crowds side with the women (which is nice) and this leads for the new set-up to happen just cuz.
AGAIN, THIS IS TOTALLY (AND IMMEDIATELY?) ESTABLISHED WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THRU THE COURTS OR ANYONE PROTESTING AGAINST IT OR ANYTHING. WHAAAA????
I just . . . changing the ENTIRETY SOCIOPOLITICAL structures for all 9 kingdoms in a matter of a year and change was a bit too much, IJS! NGL, this also feels like an empty win BECAUSE IT'S AN IDEA THAT COMES FROM THE CROWN PRINCE AND NOT LI WEI HERSELF.
Mind you, I'd already accepted the idea of the story being set in an imaginary world, but I'd loved a smidgen of logic!
MOVING ON
The villains are weak and a little too similar in random ways. One example is a character who is super-obsessed with eliminating any competition. This character is an abuser too. Their comeuppance was the height of ridiculousness.
Then, the next villain is a coward and hella manipulated by his wife. His ending is also v. ?????
ANOTHER THING that bothers me has to do with something that's actually v. serious: how the show approached the topic of domestic violence.
There are two couples in which DV is a feature of the relationship.
In one couple, [Character A] is abused (physically, emotionally, psychologically. Her husband controls her food--even while she's pregnant.) She's isolated and humiliated so much that, at one point, she tries to commit suicide (thankfully, she's saved in time.)
Eventually, she gets her life back on track, etc. Her story is heartbreaking and intense. It's meant to elicit strong emotions from the viewers. I didn't love watching her getting slapped and shoved, but she ends up at a triumphant (yet mellow) point in her life. THAT SAID, the show doesn't do a good job of balancing out her terrible situation with the flighty vibes in the rest of the drama. Cuz it'd be like REALLY BAD SCENE OF [Character A] BEING ABUSED and then some silly moment that's meant to calm the viewer down BACK TO ANOTHER BAD SCENE OF [Character A]'S ABUSE and then buffoonery. That unevenness wore me down, NGL.
At the opposite end is another couple in which [Character B] is constantly (and I do mean CONSTANTLY) abusing her husband. [Character B] comes from a matriarchy. She's a warrior who's always carrying a spear, she's v. tough, and always ready to fight anyone and/or defend weak women from abuse. She IS an actual princess (so she's got the etiquette down), but her default mode is hardcore!tomboy with a v. quick temper. And, because the writers think it'd be funny, she ends up getting married to [Silly Male Character]
[Silly Male Character] is good-natured but also lacks a talent for most things EXCEPT being super loyal to those he cares abt. He's not the best person (and is a bit of a misogynist at first), but he's got a pure heart. Unfortch, what he says tends to annoy [Character B]. And her reaction is to hit him. All the time.
This show presents this as 'oh, look at this guy being so ridiculous that he gets beat up by his wife". It's VERRRRRY JARRING TO SEE DV PLAYED FOR LAUGHS just because it's a woman abusing the husband.
I got the sense that the story wanted to use DV in both drama and comedy with the latter NOT WORKING AT ALL. It legit made me dislike that couple so much I'd hit the fast-forward button whenever the drama focused on them. This happened a LOT during the last 10 eps--during which half of the storyline is their relationship "healing" and both of them "really falling in love". ππΎππΎππΎ
The CP romance is a bit so-so too. :((((
OTOH, the romance between Li Wei and the 6th prince is nice and low-key. There are moments of jealousy and a lot of misunderstandings, but they're not a couple you worry will break up. OTOH, this CP lacks PASSION. I couldn't imagine them rolling in bed or whatever. Still, despite having a simpatico, there's no fire EXCEPT FOR TWO SCENES IN THE ENTIRE DRAMA. Both scenes feature the 6th prince tapping into a commanding persona because Li Wei is in danger. He should've done more of that in the series, IJS.
FINALLY, Li Wei (and the rest of the women, really) had SUPER THICK PLOT ARMOR. I hadn't expected a v. high-stakes type of plot, but any difficulty that popped up is dealt with quickly.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
It's kinda present from the beginning because the lord (or Emperor) is still around and the line of succession is clear. And yet everyone is still vying for the throne. It did get a bit too much after the halfway point. I did get BORED, BUT KEPT WATCHING due to key characters.
One thing that surprised me is that there are no wars, no one gets poisoned or killed (out of the main cast, I mean.) It's different from what I've seen in other dramas. At the end, I was quite disinterested in the goings on because it was crystal clear who would end up ruling as soon as [character] shows up onscreen, so there's that.
Do I recommend it?
Maybe? I still haven't made up my mind abt this. Some aspects (the first 20 or so eps, the female friendships are awesome, half of the comedy is great) that I enjoyed are balanced out by things I disliked (the Crown Heir storyline, the dramatic abuse vs. the 'funny' abuse, the clown humor, and the 'female empowerment' angle that went off the rails.)
I truly don't know. Like, I gobbled the first half in, like, 3 days and actually!LMAO at the goings on. But the 2nd half was something else. I'm giving it a 2.1 out of 5.
It IS watchable! However, it ALSO shows DV in a graphic way as well as a "comedic" one, so you know, there's that. :|
Queerness level
Surprisingly high? Especially in the second half of the story (WHICH IS WHY I STUCK WITH THIS MESS OF A DRAMA.)
Later in the drama, and despite women being able to run businesses, something happens which prohibits women from owning and running business. This puts Li Wei and her group of friends in danger of closing down their restaurants. So, Hao Jia decides to set up a stall and sell beauty products . . . while disguised as a guy. FTR, she's really pretty both as a woman and as a dude. There are several scenes where other characters ask her what she feels/thinks abt the disguise. She says that she loves it because it makes her feel good that ppl value her for things other than her beauty.
A bonus is that there are a lot of women who want to marry her OR keep suggesting their daughters for marriage. She's not disgusted by this ONE BIT!
At one point toward the last third of the story, Hao Jia and Fang Ru (played by Chen Zi Han), the 2nd prince's former official wife cross paths. Back when they were both married to the 2nd prince, things were NOT cool. Fang Ru felt threatened by Hao Jia's youth and beauty while Hao Jia wanted to keep the peace. THANKFULLY, they became frenemies and parted ways as soon as the 2nd prince was history.
So then Fang Ru runs into Hao Jia (disguised as a man), and they have an extremely flirty back-and-forth. Fang Ru is aware it's Hao Jia. Sadly, that doesn't go anywhere.
At the end of the story, all of the different married couples and then Hao Jia and Yuanying sitting v. close to each other. And this was verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry INTERESSSSSSSSSSSSSTING to me cuz Yuanying reads extremely queer-coded to me (and many other viewers).
The official CP was cute and all, but to me, the TRUE LOVE MATCH WAS LI WEI AND YUANYING. The second she's the 6th Prince's wife, she lets Li Wei and the 6th prince know that she's NOT INTERESTED in the prince, thinking of giving him children or fall in love with him. Her only goal is to train Li Wei to run the house and then, hopefully, be able to divorce the 6th prince.
While all of that is happening, Li Wei and Yuanying become V. CLOSE. When it's time for them to part ways, it's a tremendously emotional and romantic moment. I'd been shipping them from the get cuz Li Wei kept being too cute with Yuanying, IJS.
In my heart of hearts, Li Wei/Yuanying and Li Wei/The 6th Prince did eventually become canon. IDC, IDC, IDC, TRA-LA-LA.
***
The last queer thing is a CANONICAL M/M SHIP in the show. Because of Chinese censorship, it's subtext-y AF. If you notice it, you notice it and if you don't, then I can't help you, LOL.
It begins in ep. 34, when Li Wei and her friends are looking for a new chef to help keep their restaurant prosperous. No one is really at the level they need the chef to be. Until that is, Yin Han, a.k.a the 9th prince, (played by Xu Rui Hao) shows up and introduces his friend Xiao Yang (played by Gao Xu Yang). What made ME sit up was that they were being extremely casual with each other (considering one is a prince and the other one is a chef) . . .
Xiao Yang and Li Wei are from the same kingdom. He's also v. cute, courteous, and a fantastic chef. EVERYONE IS DAZZLED BY HIM EXCEPT THE 6TH PRINCE, THAT IS. Mainly cuz Xiao Yang and Li Wei are spending too much time together. . . .
It's V. CLEAR THAT Xiao Yang is friendly but not flirty with any of the women. To the point that a lot of the female clientele is doing everything short of putting their boobs on his hands. Xiao Yang maneuvers around the come ons and whatnot.
Because of this, and after Li Wei making a veiled comment on Xiao Yang and the 9th prince's closeness, the 6th prince eventually calms down. I'm still NOT SURE if he understood what Li Wei kept trying to tell him, but that's his problem, IJS.
Fast-forward to Li Wei's official wedding (in which she becomes the Official Wife) to the 6th Prince. The screen shows all of the couples . . . And then there is Xiao Yang elbowing and laughing with the 9th prince. UH-HUH
THEN, during the next-to-last episode, it's time for the next batch of single and eligible women to meet the remaining single princes. It's also time for the 9th and 10th prince to go and get married. The 9th prince is actively trying to escape cuz that's NOT something he's even remotely wanting in his life. He gets in a tussle with the 10th prince (who was immature and spoiled). They get caught and told (separatedly) that the arranged marriage thing has been replaced. The 10th prince is DEVASTATED. This was supposed to be his year! (He then decides to go travel through the different kingdoms and find a wife.)
MEANWHILE, the 9th prince is DELIGHTED AF. He doesn't "have to pretend anymore", he's "free"!! It's all rainbows (ahem) and roses.
AT THE END OF THE STORY, all of the couples, plus Hao Jia, and Yuanying, are sitting on a roof while enjoying some fireworks or whatever. Someone asks the 6th prince where's the 9th prince. He replies "oh, well, the restaurant was SUPER PACKED, so he went over there to help Xiao Yang."
Me: IS THAT SO????? π
(Hehehehe)
Le Trailer
Not my fave cuz it leans so hard into the comedy aspect of the drama. THAT SAID, it does highlight the importance of food in Li Wei's life and the female friendship vibes. Β―\_(γ)_/Β―
A 2022, 40-episode drama that's described as a "romantic comedy" (Hmmmmβ¦.). It's adapted from the webnovel Time Travel to the Daily Life of the Qing Dynasty by DuoMuMuDuo. The screenplay was written by Liu Lianzi and Wang Xiaoping. It was directed by Zhao Qichen.
This is a story set in a fictional version of ancient China. There's one main kingdom and 8 smaller ones. The leader of the main kingdom has 11 sons: 4 are already married, 2 of them are too young, one passed on during childhood, and the remaining 4 are of the perfect age to find wives.
Per tradition, every 3 or so years, the 8 smaller kingdoms have to send eligible women to (ideally) become an official wife OR a concubine of whichever main kingdom's princes are marriageable.
Li Wei (played by Tian Xiwei) is among the women sent to land one of the available princes. Her background is sorta middle class (tho her father's an official). The thing abt Li Wei is that she's got a PLAN TO NOT GET MARRIED TO ANYONE just so she can be sent back to her family (who is v. loving and close.) She also LOVES FOOD and is shown constantly snacking on something (this is kinda an important thing abt her character as a whole.)
MEANWHILE, Hao Jia (Li Wei's BFF who is played by Chen Xiao Yun) has her own plan: she's gonna marry the most powerful of all the guys: Yin Song, Crown Heir and 2nd prince (played by Edward Zhang). Hao Jia DOESN'T CARE THAT THE 2ND PRINCE IS NOT AMONG THE PRINCES-TO-BE-MARRIED. She's READY to marry him--even if it means being a concubine since 2nd Prince already has an Official Wife: Zhao Fangru (played by Chen Zi Han).
Li Wei does an excellent job at being the worst so that the selection committee sees her as unworthy. She's THRILLED when she gets word that she didn't make the cut.
The night before she's gonna be sent back home, she sneaks into someone's kitchen and has a sorta Meet Ugly with SOME DUDE who is wondering what she's doing unchaperoned and at night. Li Wei replies that she's checking out the snacks because she's going home which YAYS. LI WEI IS WINNING AT LIFE. Halfway thru, she even tells the dude that the selection committee even considered marrying her to 6th Prince who is A TOTAL LOSER, HAHAHAHAH.
Obviously, the dude she's talking to happens to be none other than Yin Zheng, a.k.a. The 6th Prince (played by Bai Jing Ting.)
THE NEXT MORNING, instead of going home, she's been ORDERED by the Main Kingdom's lord to MARRY THE 6TH PRINCE.
Li Wei: DAFUQ?! O__o
Even "worse" is that she can't decline the marriage so, for now, she goes along with it. Mainly cuz she overhears (and misunderstands) something that leads her to think that the 6th prince has some kind of terminal disease. At most, he's got ~3 weeks to live. Which means that she'll be a widow before the next season. Not ideal, but then she can "retire" back to her hometown. *Hands*
Unfortch for her, she's super wrong.
Once she realizes her mistake (after some topsy-turvy moments and shenanigans), the 6th prince and her come to an understanding: he's gonna try to figure out a way to divorce her without thoroughly ruining her reputation (which would've been the outcome of a divorce.) In turn, she will run the household until she's able to leave for good . . .
This is a chill drama for the first half. The story isn't plotless; there are definite storylines from beginning to end. HOWEVAH, the overall vibe is v. slice of life with strong focus on the female characters (from Li Wei and Hao Jia to other official wives, concubines, female teachers, etc.). I feel the promos really pushed this idea (even if it didn't quite turn out to be 100% true.)
There IS a romance that's extreeeeeeeeeeeeemely slow burn. The 6th prince falls first. LI Wei takes a long time to return the 6th prince's feelings. Additionally, the story also puts the romance on pause up until around ep. 28 (or a little past the halfway point.) That said this is a v. playful CP (even before the romance actually blossoms).
Whether for good or ill, there are 7 other different couples to track in addition to the CP. Each pairing has varying degrees of sweetness. I had one fave couple (who were total introverts)
MILD spoiler
I'm talking abt Ruan Sisi (played by Tang Meng Jia) and Yin Yan (played by Ma Hao, the 7th prince. She's super rich, smart, and a v. slow-speaker. Which leads to a lot of ppl (outside of the circle of friends) to dismiss her. Meanwhile, the 7th prince is super shy and also has a physical disability that means he's gotta use a cane.
ANYWAYS, they've got a v. Like Attracks Like type of relationship that gave me the warmest feels. Since theirs is an easy-going marriage, they ended up as one of the background relationships.
There are also 2 other couples (featuring antagonists) that are hella toxic . Oh, and an endgame couple I will talk abt in my criticisms.
Again, the bulk of the first 27 eps are v. much on 'daily life' type of thing. With a lot of comedy (both of the subtle as well as broad types). Somewhere around eps. 28 and 29, the story starts to focus on royal infighting, etc. Up until to that point, though, there are a lot of mini story arcs abt female friendships. Especially how they must be nurtured. The main message is that of how, when women support each other, everyone benefits.
This drama's MVP is Tian Xiwei as Li Wei because she plays a slapstick, goofy type of humor that made me shake my head with mirth. Her portrayal of an optimistic, friendly character was easy to warm up to.
Shoutout to Liu Ling Zi as Yuan Ying, the 6th's prince official wife too. I was v. HMMMMMM whe she turns up. But then, she's got a fascinating backstory (that's revealed by the halfway mark) and it's simply beautiful to see her bloom.
AND, a super tip of the hat to Chen Xiau Yun as Hao Jia. Despite having SOME SERIOUS ISSUES with certain aspects of her story, her story arc is ultimately rewarding to watch.
In all truth, the cast is solid AF. Everyone showed up to do their job (whether a good person, a villain, someone who gets caught in a crossfire, and so on.) Both the cinematography and costuming were great as well.
Do I have any criticisms?
I sure do! Funnily enough, with the exception of two specific points, my :| had to do with things I've just praised the drama for!
Starting with the humor. This is a v. lighthearted story until around ep. 20. It's got a v. ditzy mood. THAT SAID, the humor can go OTT at times. See frex, there's a secondary character who is a v. cute, fat woman. And, every so often, the drama will have her say something abt how she hungry she feels. π .
Then, there's the theme of empowering women/girlbossing is the way and the show goes into hyperdrive with the messaging. For me, it clashed because it was an v. contemporary viewpoint that was kinda shoved into a historical drama. Despite loving stories of women being friends with and supporting other women, the way is presented here is superficial and nonsensical. The best way to explain what I mean is with a
HUGE, HUGE SPOILER
in the next-to-last-episode, the new Crown Prince convinces his father to replace the arranged marriage set-up with one where the other kingdoms will still send young women. Only this time it'll be for them to get educated/trained with all types of skills so that they can find their own employment OR even try to become actual!officials in court.
It kinda made me ??? then AND now. Especially cuz the Main Kingdom is v. patriarchal-focused (like 6 out of the other 8 smaller kingdoms are led by men. Out of the remaining 2, one is a matriarchy while the other has both men and women as equals) and everyone just rolls with that change w/o any problems. WHICH DOESN'T MAKE A LICK OF SENSE.
Especially because throughout the story there are several dramaramas regarding women working outside of their homes (especially those who are connected to the court.) They can't own any business, let alone run it. So, during the last of those kinds of problems, Li Wei and her friends start talking to the crowds (and back at the authorities who are trying to shut their business down). The crowds side with the women (which is nice) and this leads for the new set-up to happen just cuz.
AGAIN, THIS IS TOTALLY (AND IMMEDIATELY?) ESTABLISHED WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THRU THE COURTS OR ANYONE PROTESTING AGAINST IT OR ANYTHING. WHAAAA????
I just . . . changing the ENTIRETY SOCIOPOLITICAL structures for all 9 kingdoms in a matter of a year and change was a bit too much, IJS! NGL, this also feels like an empty win BECAUSE IT'S AN IDEA THAT COMES FROM THE CROWN PRINCE AND NOT LI WEI HERSELF.
Mind you, I'd already accepted the idea of the story being set in an imaginary world, but I'd loved a smidgen of logic!
MOVING ON
The villains are weak and a little too similar in random ways. One example is a character who is super-obsessed with eliminating any competition. This character is an abuser too. Their comeuppance was the height of ridiculousness.
AND A BIG SPOILER, I GUESS?
So, after a long time of doing all kinds of horrible things, the character gets demoted to commoner and ends up exiled (instead of killed.) OUT OF NOWHERE, he does a whole long-ass speech abt repentance and having been a failure. This was v. confusing since there wasn't anything in [character's] particular story (up to that point) to indicate that he'd be remorseful in any way.Then, the next villain is a coward and hella manipulated by his wife. His ending is also v. ?????
ANOTHER THING that bothers me has to do with something that's actually v. serious: how the show approached the topic of domestic violence.
There are two couples in which DV is a feature of the relationship.
In one couple, [Character A] is abused (physically, emotionally, psychologically. Her husband controls her food--even while she's pregnant.) She's isolated and humiliated so much that, at one point, she tries to commit suicide (thankfully, she's saved in time.)
Eventually, she gets her life back on track, etc. Her story is heartbreaking and intense. It's meant to elicit strong emotions from the viewers. I didn't love watching her getting slapped and shoved, but she ends up at a triumphant (yet mellow) point in her life. THAT SAID, the show doesn't do a good job of balancing out her terrible situation with the flighty vibes in the rest of the drama. Cuz it'd be like REALLY BAD SCENE OF [Character A] BEING ABUSED and then some silly moment that's meant to calm the viewer down BACK TO ANOTHER BAD SCENE OF [Character A]'S ABUSE and then buffoonery. That unevenness wore me down, NGL.
At the opposite end is another couple in which [Character B] is constantly (and I do mean CONSTANTLY) abusing her husband. [Character B] comes from a matriarchy. She's a warrior who's always carrying a spear, she's v. tough, and always ready to fight anyone and/or defend weak women from abuse. She IS an actual princess (so she's got the etiquette down), but her default mode is hardcore!tomboy with a v. quick temper. And, because the writers think it'd be funny, she ends up getting married to [Silly Male Character]
[Silly Male Character] is good-natured but also lacks a talent for most things EXCEPT being super loyal to those he cares abt. He's not the best person (and is a bit of a misogynist at first), but he's got a pure heart. Unfortch, what he says tends to annoy [Character B]. And her reaction is to hit him. All the time.
This show presents this as 'oh, look at this guy being so ridiculous that he gets beat up by his wife". It's VERRRRRY JARRING TO SEE DV PLAYED FOR LAUGHS just because it's a woman abusing the husband.
I got the sense that the story wanted to use DV in both drama and comedy with the latter NOT WORKING AT ALL. It legit made me dislike that couple so much I'd hit the fast-forward button whenever the drama focused on them. This happened a LOT during the last 10 eps--during which half of the storyline is their relationship "healing" and both of them "really falling in love". ππΎππΎππΎ
The CP romance is a bit so-so too. :((((
OTOH, the romance between Li Wei and the 6th prince is nice and low-key. There are moments of jealousy and a lot of misunderstandings, but they're not a couple you worry will break up. OTOH, this CP lacks PASSION. I couldn't imagine them rolling in bed or whatever. Still, despite having a simpatico, there's no fire EXCEPT FOR TWO SCENES IN THE ENTIRE DRAMA. Both scenes feature the 6th prince tapping into a commanding persona because Li Wei is in danger. He should've done more of that in the series, IJS.
FINALLY, Li Wei (and the rest of the women, really) had SUPER THICK PLOT ARMOR. I hadn't expected a v. high-stakes type of plot, but any difficulty that popped up is dealt with quickly.
How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?
It's kinda present from the beginning because the lord (or Emperor) is still around and the line of succession is clear. And yet everyone is still vying for the throne. It did get a bit too much after the halfway point. I did get BORED, BUT KEPT WATCHING due to key characters.
One thing that surprised me is that there are no wars, no one gets poisoned or killed (out of the main cast, I mean.) It's different from what I've seen in other dramas. At the end, I was quite disinterested in the goings on because it was crystal clear who would end up ruling as soon as [character] shows up onscreen, so there's that.
Do I recommend it?
Maybe? I still haven't made up my mind abt this. Some aspects (the first 20 or so eps, the female friendships are awesome, half of the comedy is great) that I enjoyed are balanced out by things I disliked (the Crown Heir storyline, the dramatic abuse vs. the 'funny' abuse, the clown humor, and the 'female empowerment' angle that went off the rails.)
I truly don't know. Like, I gobbled the first half in, like, 3 days and actually!LMAO at the goings on. But the 2nd half was something else. I'm giving it a 2.1 out of 5.
It IS watchable! However, it ALSO shows DV in a graphic way as well as a "comedic" one, so you know, there's that. :|
Queerness level
Surprisingly high? Especially in the second half of the story (WHICH IS WHY I STUCK WITH THIS MESS OF A DRAMA.)
LENGTHY SPOILER ABOUT SAID QUEERNESS since it involves several characters. I'm trying to be nice to anyone who doesn't want to know! π
Later in the drama, and despite women being able to run businesses, something happens which prohibits women from owning and running business. This puts Li Wei and her group of friends in danger of closing down their restaurants. So, Hao Jia decides to set up a stall and sell beauty products . . . while disguised as a guy. FTR, she's really pretty both as a woman and as a dude. There are several scenes where other characters ask her what she feels/thinks abt the disguise. She says that she loves it because it makes her feel good that ppl value her for things other than her beauty.
A bonus is that there are a lot of women who want to marry her OR keep suggesting their daughters for marriage. She's not disgusted by this ONE BIT!
At one point toward the last third of the story, Hao Jia and Fang Ru (played by Chen Zi Han), the 2nd prince's former official wife cross paths. Back when they were both married to the 2nd prince, things were NOT cool. Fang Ru felt threatened by Hao Jia's youth and beauty while Hao Jia wanted to keep the peace. THANKFULLY, they became frenemies and parted ways as soon as the 2nd prince was history.
So then Fang Ru runs into Hao Jia (disguised as a man), and they have an extremely flirty back-and-forth. Fang Ru is aware it's Hao Jia. Sadly, that doesn't go anywhere.
At the end of the story, all of the different married couples and then Hao Jia and Yuanying sitting v. close to each other. And this was verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry INTERESSSSSSSSSSSSSTING to me cuz Yuanying reads extremely queer-coded to me (and many other viewers).
The official CP was cute and all, but to me, the TRUE LOVE MATCH WAS LI WEI AND YUANYING. The second she's the 6th Prince's wife, she lets Li Wei and the 6th prince know that she's NOT INTERESTED in the prince, thinking of giving him children or fall in love with him. Her only goal is to train Li Wei to run the house and then, hopefully, be able to divorce the 6th prince.
While all of that is happening, Li Wei and Yuanying become V. CLOSE. When it's time for them to part ways, it's a tremendously emotional and romantic moment. I'd been shipping them from the get cuz Li Wei kept being too cute with Yuanying, IJS.
In my heart of hearts, Li Wei/Yuanying and Li Wei/The 6th Prince did eventually become canon. IDC, IDC, IDC, TRA-LA-LA.
***
The last queer thing is a CANONICAL M/M SHIP in the show. Because of Chinese censorship, it's subtext-y AF. If you notice it, you notice it and if you don't, then I can't help you, LOL.
It begins in ep. 34, when Li Wei and her friends are looking for a new chef to help keep their restaurant prosperous. No one is really at the level they need the chef to be. Until that is, Yin Han, a.k.a the 9th prince, (played by Xu Rui Hao) shows up and introduces his friend Xiao Yang (played by Gao Xu Yang). What made ME sit up was that they were being extremely casual with each other (considering one is a prince and the other one is a chef) . . .
Xiao Yang and Li Wei are from the same kingdom. He's also v. cute, courteous, and a fantastic chef. EVERYONE IS DAZZLED BY HIM EXCEPT THE 6TH PRINCE, THAT IS. Mainly cuz Xiao Yang and Li Wei are spending too much time together. . . .
It's V. CLEAR THAT Xiao Yang is friendly but not flirty with any of the women. To the point that a lot of the female clientele is doing everything short of putting their boobs on his hands. Xiao Yang maneuvers around the come ons and whatnot.
Because of this, and after Li Wei making a veiled comment on Xiao Yang and the 9th prince's closeness, the 6th prince eventually calms down. I'm still NOT SURE if he understood what Li Wei kept trying to tell him, but that's his problem, IJS.
Fast-forward to Li Wei's official wedding (in which she becomes the Official Wife) to the 6th Prince. The screen shows all of the couples . . . And then there is Xiao Yang elbowing and laughing with the 9th prince. UH-HUH
THEN, during the next-to-last episode, it's time for the next batch of single and eligible women to meet the remaining single princes. It's also time for the 9th and 10th prince to go and get married. The 9th prince is actively trying to escape cuz that's NOT something he's even remotely wanting in his life. He gets in a tussle with the 10th prince (who was immature and spoiled). They get caught and told (separatedly) that the arranged marriage thing has been replaced. The 10th prince is DEVASTATED. This was supposed to be his year! (He then decides to go travel through the different kingdoms and find a wife.)
MEANWHILE, the 9th prince is DELIGHTED AF. He doesn't "have to pretend anymore", he's "free"!! It's all rainbows (ahem) and roses.
AT THE END OF THE STORY, all of the couples, plus Hao Jia, and Yuanying, are sitting on a roof while enjoying some fireworks or whatever. Someone asks the 6th prince where's the 9th prince. He replies "oh, well, the restaurant was SUPER PACKED, so he went over there to help Xiao Yang."
Me: IS THAT SO????? π
(Hehehehe)
Le Trailer
Not my fave cuz it leans so hard into the comedy aspect of the drama. THAT SAID, it does highlight the importance of food in Li Wei's life and the female friendship vibes. Β―\_(γ)_/Β―