Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

Modern day relationship woes transposed into historical settings

Personally, once in a while, I do like to watch sad endings because in reality, not everything is rainbows. What I really like here is Ruyi is the embodiment of a modern woman, someone who knows what she wants and will ruthlessly protect her sense of self and worth even if it means to cut off from her one true love who have turned toxic with the environment he is in. The star here is definitely Zhou Xun where even her gaze or eye movement can mean certain things.

While the ending might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I feel that it does represents the many issues that couples faced in modern relationship. The only difference is that because this is set in a historical setting, she can only choose isolation and death as a way of freedom which shows how oppressive women faced especially in the royal harem of ancient China. But I don’t think the ending is completely sad as I see Ruyi’s fate as her road to freedom while her lover suffers in eternal agony for the things she did to her. Overall, this was a really good historical show to watch.

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A Great Love Story with a Slice of History

I was a team- Story of Yanxi Palace who refuses to watch Ruyi because it’s supposed to tell the same story upside down where the protagonists and antagonists are swapped. I used to believe that Yanxi told a more historically accurate version of these people. But I have now changed my mind after watching this 7+ years after it airs. This is a Masterpiece that makes so much more sense. To me, it makes Yanxi a little lightweight in terms of realism and depth although Yanxi is still very entertaining and charming.

1) Story
For people who complain about the plot and ending etc, I think they forgot that this is supposed to be a historical drama. So you can’t change history. It helps if one reads up a bit about Qianlong (his family section, double click on the characters) in Wiki before watching this drama. Everyone knows that Step Empress’ life didn’t end well but we never figure out a logical story of what happened until this comes along. The story told in Yanxi is too fictionalized. This drama helps to explain LOGICALLY how a person can seem so unloved yet she had children and was constantly with the Emperor until something happened. And what could happen to upset her so much that she cut off her hair knowing it is a taboo and would end everything for her…must be humanly too much to bear, as told in this drama. . This drama also explains why a person is infertile for so long and suddenly could get pregnant in succession after 15 years of marriage. I think the drama tries to explain all these to us in a well written way; although the reason for her to be buried away from Qianlong is a bit romantized (but I gladly accept it as it fits the narrative). However I dont believe Imperial Consort Ling’s ending is correct. Otherwise she wouldn’t be buried next to Qianlong unless her own son the next Emperor intervened and moved them together after Qianlong died. Regardless this is a very well narrated version of the history we know. From the fate of each character, the children they bore, their clan and background, etiquette, food, surroundings in the palace, all told with precision… exception being the costumes and jewellery …probably…they were more accurate in Yanxi.

Acting
I was resisting this drama for the last 7 years. One day I looked through the list of actors for this one and realised that a lot, I mean most are now established or very established stars. So I got interested since there aren’t that many dramas where you get to see a galaxy of stars together. People raved about Zhou Xun, yes she is good. People said Wallace Huo can’t act, that’s wrong. He acted so well that it makes us hate him at some point. But he is so subtle too, in terms of expression that you can see his lust, his confusion, his arrogance and his regret without too much dialogue. His body language is also wonderful. I especially like the subtle gesture of him holding the consort’s hand when he walks with them to their palaces He makes me pity the Emperor and wonder at the same time how is he supposed to sleep with so many women and make them feel loved too. How does he decide who to visit each evening. Normal human like us would want to spend our evening after hard at work relaxing with the person we like most but the Emperor’s evening job is to entertain one of the women in the harem. I pity the Emperor. So I think he deserves some praise here for bringing out the character so well. At some point I feel the Emperor is a breeding machine. He must be so exhausted. The other actors and actresses all act well too. Villains or otherwise, they pulled it off brilliantly. You could hate, love or pity them. Jing Chao who plays the royal guard is very underrated. I hope he gets more and better roles to show his talent.

Overall, to all Yanxi fans who refuse to watch this and thinks Yanxi is more historically correct, I suggest you watch this to appreciate both differently. Like me, I am blown away by the depth of this drama. I still love Yanxi especially the Emperor played by Nie Yuan. He is super charming. But I can’t help but love Wallace here. He must be the most handsome Qianlong of all time with Nie Yuan as a close second to me. Enjoy this for the overall impact. Don’t expect a lovey dovey ending but to me it’s a perfect ending.

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The sets and costumes and beautiful female actors draw the viewer in and keep them hooked. The fact many of the characters have multiple titles and names (and these often change over time) which can be very confusing and make it hard to follow. The English subtitles are terrible in places, as if a literal translation is being made, given the very different grammars Chinese/English this doesn't help and at times they grate on the historic atmosphere - referring to multiple persons as 'guys' is lazy and inappropriate. I know torture practices in ancient china were indescriabably awful and what is portrayed here by comparison is tame but it still comes over as revolting, as does the deliberate humiliation. By 50 episodes in I found the waring in the harem and spitefulness, not to say downright malice, too much. The Emperor, Dowager Empress and Empress are very flawed characters and the regime in the Forbidden City is irredeemable.

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I'm at episode 47 and I think I'm done. Something good finally happened to Ruyi and I can't watch everything go downhill from now on (no, I'm not spoiling, because this all happened in real life over 200 years ago).
I've managed to get this far only because of the amazing performance of Zhou Xun as the title character, fighting against my dislike of the Qing hair (at one point Ruyi looks like she has a hammerhead shark on her head) , the Qing clothes, the Qing interiors , and every. single. other. character. Except for two of the maids: pour one out for Suoxin and Lianxin. Ok, FINE. One eunuch (Li Yu) and one doctor (Jiang Yubin). And Ling Yunche, how could I have forgotten him.

Sigh. Maybe I'll watch a few more episodes, but as other posters have said, it does get a bit samey - 1. Ruyi's doing her own thing (love you, girl). 2. Horrible people plotting against her. 3. No one believes Ruyi. 4. Ruyi suffers (and yes, Zhou Xun suffers BEAUTIFULLY). 5. Ruyi is vindicated. And the cycle starts again.

The thing is, I watched Yanxi Palace first, and even though Yanxi Palace has some nonsense towards the end, the characters are generally much better developed. Also, Concubine Ling, the heroine of Yanxi Palace is entirely demonised here, and I'm kind of not there for that? Seeing as we know exactly two facts about the real woman, why make her evil? Yes, she has a different name here, but there was only one Concubine Ling, who, SPOILER FOR 2-CENTURY OLD EVENTS , was the mother of the next Emperor.

I mean, fine, Yanxi Palace made Ulanara / Ruyi into a villain, so idk.

Basically, it's well acted for the most part (90% of that being Zhou Xun - I'm not a fan of Wallace Huo's portrayal of Qianlong) , has some awesome exterior scenes which attest to the enormous budget this must have had, and it's massively interesting to watch. Just, you know, not if you're prone to depression.

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Leaves you feel perpetually depressed!

Let me start off by saying THIS DRAMA IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!! On that note... I am actually faint at heart so I was unable to finish. I'll let you know why down below but first a general overview.

General Overview
The drama starts off really slow. it sort of paces like a day time soap opera. Most episodes pick up right where it ended and it basically follows the day to day lives of the females who live in the emperor's harem. We see the hierarchy of the wives and get a basic idea of how things are done. The drama, however, does not pick up really until its well in its 20's (it drags quite a bit prior) but the episodes are still interesting to watch. Btw if you're watching this for the revenge..don't do it..not worth it...trust me..This is one of those shows that make you depressed and happy at the same time...Like while watching it I hated it but I always kept wanting to know what would happen next. The more I watched though the sadder I became. The one thing I will commend this drama for is how strong Ruyi is, regardless of what she faced she remained strong and that was awesome because her husband was wilding for literally this entire drama!

SPOILERS!!!!!!
Like I mentioned earlier this drama is not for the faint of heart. It made me extremely uncomfortable, Not because I'm conservative and couldn't get behind the many wives troupe, that was fine. What was not fine is how the whole sister wives thing affected all the women especially Ruyi (the main female lead) Okay from that get-go they introduced Ruyi and the emperor to us, they were childhood friends who loved each other hence they're both excited to marry each other. After the marriage however is when the shitshow begins,..Initially, the emperor started out with 2 wives and 1 concubine. However, by the time I gave up on the show he probably had about 9/10 in total. Now throughout the drama (up to where I stopped anyway) the emperor was constantly reassuring Ruyi that she was the only one he loved. He doted on her more than the others and he treated her the best out of all his wives & concubines. However, in this same breath, he would see a random girl and "fall in lust" with her and marry her and for a couple of months she would be his main focus the one he visits every night. Ruyi is obviously accustomed to it but you can see eventually it begins to take a strain on the love she has for him. This dude cannot keep it in his pants. Its so hard to believe that he loves her when you see him with all the other women (he treats all of them the pretty good too) some of whom he saw once or twice before being with them. Not taking away all the times he abandoned her in some instances to 'protect her' and in the end, she would have no choice but to go back to him. It was so difficult watching him basically fall in love with another woman while he claimed to be so in love with Ruyi

This drama is heartbreaking because eventually Ruyi can't take it anymore and she closes her heart to him and he eventually "sets her aside" for a shiner evil sly conniving bitch. No happy ending here folks. Its literally like watching a documentary on how the love of your life will eventually break you.

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Ride of frustation and some moments of glory

WOOW what a ride. This drama really surprises me, I already knew it was going to be a sad ending, but I still wanted to see how all this plays out at the end.
It's impossible to not feel sad for Ru Yi at the end, if she never married the Emperor maybe she would be free all her life...

I have to admit RY's character pissed me off sometimes, I wanted to see her more "evil" with spies and powerful allies, but she was always so chilled and people framed her so many times and she still didn't turn "evil". I ended up respecting her for maintaining her manners and ideals till the end.

Han Lain's character surprised me a lot, she was a coward and would cry for everything but when she opened her eyes, she never closed them again hahah she was loyal till the end and even got her hands dirty for RY.

The Emperor... well, I didn't feel sorry for him, he lost so many people along the way and regretted overtime but still didn't learn. He died alone just what he deserves.

Jia and YW performance in this drama was fantastic and the retributionwas perfect for them.

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A most unsatisfying female protagonist

I signed up to kisskh simply becoz I wanted to rant abt Ruyi's Royal Love. Ruyi's Royal Love n The Story of Yanxi Palace came out in the same yr, both potraying the story of Step-Empress Ula Nara n Ling Gui Fei, w Ruyi potraying Ling Gui Fei as the villain while Yanxi Palace potrayed the Step-Empress as the villain. I cried watching Ruyi's but ultimately I was so turned off by the character Ruyi n ended up disliking her. Ruyi was supposed to be this character that retained all of her integrity n yet, for me, she was a weak woman that ultimately allowed her love for a man to overtake any consideration she could've given to her friends.
Why I disliked the character Ruyi in Ruyi's Royal Love :
1. Of all the characters, only Ruyi is potrayed as the completely virtuous one, while all others hv schemes. Even the good Hui Fei schemed to get the emperor's favor so that she could rescue Ruyi.
2. Ruyi depended too much on the emperor, believing that the emperor will always see the truth just becoz she loved him.
3. As a favoured consort n later on as a Step-Empress that has the support of the emperor, n later on even having the backing of the Empress Dowager, Ruyi did nothing to protect the prople that she supposedly love. She only cared abt how she would look to the emperor, presenting herself as the only one who didn't play dirty. As a Step-Empress that's supported by the Empress Dowager, she had a real power to make sure the concubines adhered to the palace rules. But, she still let the concubines continued scheming, doing nothing to stop them even when she knew what they're doing.
4. The emperor promoted Ruyi to Step-Empress w his full backing. N yet, the drama made it that Jia Fei was still so powerful that she could still immediately went to the emperor to complain abt Ruyi making her wore the big earrings, n the emperor somehow could continue listening to her badmouthing Ruyi.
5. Ruyi hid the gender of ther baby when she was pregnant, pretending that the baby was a girl instead of a boy. But, again, Ruyi was the Step-Empress. She had the power to protect her pregnancy. Why was she so cowed by Jia Fei, who actually didn't hv strong political relatives that the emperor had to appease? Jia Fei was frm Goryeo (present day Korea), a country conquered by China n Goryeo just didn't hv sny power in the emperor's court. Heck, at that time, even choosing an emperor in Goryeo required China emperor's approval. Ruyi could hv told the truth of all Jia Fei machinations to the emperor n the emperor would've believed her. N yet, it's Hui Fei that finally took the initiative to expose Jia Fei that made the emperor demoted her.
6. Suoxin n Sir Li worked tirelessly to protect Ruyi, yet again n again Ruyi didn't her power to protect them. They were slandered by Ruyi's enemies, but, as a Step-Empress, Ruyi could hv stepped in to at least made sure no one tortured Suoxin n Sir Li while investigations were made. N once the truth was known, Ruyi could've punished the actual criminals. Sir Li's fate was especially demeaning. N probably even Sir Li realised how any help he gave to Ruyi n whatever good positions Ruyi bestowed on him only resulted in him being tortured, demoted n castrated, n thus he actually asked Ruyi to stop doing things for him.
7. The Empress Xiaochang was potrayed as an evil character. It's not believable then that after knowing the truth of the Empress's evil doings, the emperor didn't do anything to clear Ruyi's name. The emperor actually raised the Empress's status higher upon her death, punishing his sons that he perceived to hv disrespected the Empress by not crying at her funeral. That's not the action of somebody being disappointed or angry w the dead person. Even if the emperor wanted to save face, he could've just overlooked the sons non-crying as something that the evil Empress perhaps deserved.
8. For me, the character Wei Yan Wan was more admirable. She started frm a lowly maid, didn't hv any backing whatsoever, no member of her family was an official of the emperor's admin, not even as a minor official, the Empress Dowager dislike her, she had no real allies w the other concubines, she didn't display any special characters that would make the emperor favoured her so much. All she had was the head eunuch Jiazheng n her own ingenuity. Compared that w Ruyi who came frm a highly respected clan, hv Empresses as part of the clan's list of impactful figures, hv the backing of the Empress Dowager, hv the love n support of the emperor. Ruyi had all the advantages.
9. Sir Li gave the ring token that proved his prior relationship w Ling Fei to Hui Fei. Yet, Hui Fei n Ruyi didn't use the ring to clear Sir Li n Ruyi's names.
10. This drama is supposedly a continuation of The Legend of Zhen Huan. Yet, Ruyi's Royal Love started w everything that's opposite of what happened in The Legend of Zhen Huan. In Zhen Huan, Hongli didn't like Ruyi/Xian n even asked Zhen Huan to replace her w Gao Feinas his second wife. In Zhen Huan, when the Empress Ula-Nara died, Zhen Huan told Ruyi/Xian to visit her aunt, but Ruyi/Xian said she had no such family member. Zhen Huan had no further need to scheme as all her enemies had died, she had protected her son by putting him in the 17th Prince's family, n Hongli revered her. Yet, Zhen Huan in Ruyi's Royal Love schemed against Hongli. Why? What political advantage she'd hv in having control over Hongli? She didn't hv anyone that she planned to take over as emperor. N if she's a continuation of the character frm Zhen Huan, then she had no further need to play court politics, becoz as the Empress Dowager, she's the most powerful woman in the inner palace.
11. Ruyi gave Rong Fei the infertility medicine when Rong Fei asked it of her. But, it's a very heavy crime to stop any concubine frm producing heirs to the emperor. How could Ruyi, who'd know of the severity of this action which totally goes opposite of making sure the emperor had many heirs, allow Rong Fei this medicine w/o telling the emperor first. N the emperor slapping Ruyi in public upon knowing this? That's a very gross breach of court etiquette. Also, an emperor losing control in public n displaying his anger would actually means the emperor was freely letting people see his weakness. N slapping Ruyi was basically taking away her face or her honour. N insulting the Empress Dowager as it's the Empress Dowager that allowed Ruyi to give the infertility medicine.
12. Much was said how the costumes n rituals in Ruyi's were so good. But, for me, there's nothing extraordinary abt them n it paled in comparison to the costumes in Legend of Zhen Huan.

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"Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" is a harem drama that shows the life of the emperor, his concubines, all the conspiracies, lies and secrets.

It's a spectacular drama, one of the best cdramas I've ever seen. I initially started it because it reminded me of "The Story of Yanxi Palace", because both stories are about the royal family and life inside the palace, but this drama is much heavier and darker, with lots of deaths, pain and romance taking a back seat. In fact, that's one of the main themes. Ru Yi's love is gradually fading away, as the emperor is becoming someone she no longer recognizes.

Ru Yi never wanted this life or the place of empress; all she ever wanted was Hong Li's love. The problem is that he never truly trusted her. The former empress had prevented her from having children since she got married and Hong Li did nothing. They framed Ru Yi for having an affair, and he really thought that was true. I can't explain how angry I was when Hong Li basically begged Ru Yi to make Xiang Jian sleep with him, because with her it was love at first sight... the constant humiliation never stopped.
I can't judge Ru Yi for her decision to let the disease kill her, because she had no reason to live anymore. Her two children died and the only one left was not being raised by her, and after everything that happened, anyone would be tired and want to give up, it's too much tragedy for one woman.

There are 87 episodes, but you watched it in the blink of an eye. I loved all the characters, especially the ones that were made to be hated.
Ru Yi and Hai Lan's friendship is truly beautiful, they are like sisters, helping each other through life.

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A love that withered, like the Green Plum Blossom | Greatest betrayal of all.

"I am the Empress. Here I am, sitting on the throne of the phoenix that you so desire. Therefore, any gift is your punishment, and any punishment is your gift." Empress Ruyi to Consort Jia

Wanna know how good this drama is? All I can say is, despite all the brutality and cruelty in this show, I only have good memories of it. Not because I disregard those atrocities, but because I was utterly captivated by Ula Nara Qingying (Ruyi)—the woman who kept her feet grounded and her conscience pure, no matter how hard the situation was or how high her position became. Her never-changing magnanimity lasted from the very start until the end.

I fully expected her to exact revenge, especially after her aunt, the late Empress Ula Nara, used her own death as a catalyst for her to vie for power. However, she never did. She truly believed that distancing herself from conflict would keep her safe. I even thought she had finally learned her lesson after being imprisoned in the Cold Palace for several years. I was excited to see her seek vengeance, but again, it never happened. Her values and integrity remained so unfazed that I was actually quite pissed off by how forgiving she was, constantly disregarding the schemes against her. Yet, as I continued watching, I realized it was because she never desired power or fame. She wasn't hungry for revenge; the only time she would make a move was if someone touched her loved ones. Her patience and tolerance are as vast as the universe. She is definitely the purest FL I have ever seen in a drama.

There are plenty of imperial consorts vying for the Emperor's favor, but she is the only one who never fights for his attention. Some may think it is because she knows he loves her, but for me, it is more than that. It is not because she is confident in his love, but rather because she fully trusts him—despite the many times he has disappointed her. This is proven by Ruyi's favorite phrase of his: "Do not worry."

That single sentence had been her assurance of his trust and affection; it is why, despite the multiple instances where he disappointed her, she kept holding on. She trusted him and his love, just as she expected him to trust hers. Consequently, the moment he stopped trusting her and began doubting her—probing her continuously—was the moment she finally lost her trust in him as well. The man she loved in her youth is no longer the person she is with now. This became the breaking point of her unconditional trust for the person she once loved and wished to spend her entire life with.

In retrospect, the most heartbreaking element of this story is knowing that the young man she once dearly loved, and sacrificed so much for, had changed. Despite her faithfulness and utter commitment, he still chose to doubt her and trust others more than her. It was truly agonizing and enraging to watch a once lovely, cheerful woman get depleted to the very brim by a single man. It is a stark reminder of how fickle men can be and a portrait of what the ultimate betrayal looks like.

Another sad realization while watching this show was how much pent-up emotion, resentment, and how many grudges Ruyi must have accumulated over the years of being married to Hongli. She stripped herself of jealousy and greed, striving instead to be considerate, compassionate, and tolerant. Despite constantly being on the receiving end of attacks from the harem, she remained completely devoted to him—only for him to doubt her. She must have been in so much pain that, eventually, all she wanted was to break free.

Initially, I assumed it was a coincidence that the scenes I found most compelling involved Ruyi’s growing disillusionment with Hongli. However, by the end of the drama, I realized I loved those moments because they were the only times she genuinely expressed her emotions. It was her moment of truth: realizing that nothing is permanent and accepting that some things are bound to change...sadly, even his trust and love for her.

NOTE: Nothing compares to the satisfaction of seeing Ruyi looking so done with Hongli. Every time she vindicates herself, I can almost taste the disgust and dissatisfaction she wants to slap him with.

This review would be much longer if I were to write out my personal thoughts on each of the scenes I loved about this show. So, let me just list them instead.

×× My absolute favorite scene was in Episode 81, when Hongli threatened to depose Ruyi and she shot back: "I don't need you to depose me. I am sick and tired of being this Empress of yours. I don't want to endure it anymore." Then she proceeded to cut her hair. Dang! Peak drama! The most satisfying scene of the entire series.

×× I find it fascinating how imperial consorts facing an untimely death—whether by poison or suicide—are almost always depicted in their full ceremonial dress. It serves as a final display of dignity and power, even at the very end.

×× Another scene I liked the most was the consorts' daily greetings to the Empress. I find so much enjoyment in seeing them constantly dissing each other. it feels like being in a cockfight arena, waiting to see who lands the heaviest blow and who ultimately emerges victorious. Hahaha!

×× The most unexpected, yet most precious, aspect of this story is the unbreakable bond between Hailan and Ruyi. I deeply admire their mutual devotion and loyalty. It is truly one of the most beautiful friendships depicted in an imperial harem drama.

There are plenty more, but this is getting so long. To cut it short, let me just mention one of my most hated and most aggravating scenes in this show.

In Episode 72, when Emperor Qianlong (Hongli) said that while Ruyi was his childhood sweetheart, Consort Rong was his 'love at first sight.' He argued that because he met her as an adult, his emotions were harder to control. Man! I wanted to slap him then and there. Left and right, multiple times. He truly was the worst!

Lastly, the ending. I totally admire and look up to Ruyi for ending her relationship with Hongli so thoroughly and without reservation. I love how she blatantly declined his offer to be Empress again and kept her terminal illness a secret from everyone. Also, while I appreciate that Hongli eventually understood Ruyi’s wish to no longer be Empress, I hated that he allowed her to be buried without the posthumous titles she deserved, even going so far as to destroy all records of her existence. I understand why he did it, but I still hate it.

Anyway, kudos to him for finally giving her a rest and lowkey letting her go by not being buried with him. She cut ties, and I am glad he understood.

"When people's minds turn to evil, even dogs are greater in character." Consort Jia (coming from her? lol)

​P.S. I feel so heartbroken for Ling Yunche. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if he’d stayed by Ruyi's side until the end? Huhu! Here I go again, letting my imagination run wild with "what if" scenarios!

Story - 10, Absolute perfection! It was well-paced, compact, and a lengthy yet extremely worthy drama. This is one of those series that made me realize the length or number of episodes doesn't equate to quality. I was never bored, and I even felt heartbroken when there were only a couple of episodes left. I wish C-dramaland would allow creators to go "all out" again without restricting episode counts, which often ruins stories by forcing scenes to be shortened into incoherent pieces.

Acting/Cast - 10, An ensemble of excellence. The execution from every single actor is flawless. The lines are delivered eloquently and articulately, emphasizing the weight and deep meaning of the script. It is a cast you could not improve upon—a total powerhouse. Kudos to Zhou Xun above everyone else. I was amazed by her absolute, unbreakable composure. Everything from her movements to her facial expressions shouted "calm and collected." It was very fitting for her character.

Music - 10, I love them all! The entire soundtrack radiates heartbreak caused by betrayal, disappointment, and deception, which perfectly complements and elevates the drama’s emotions.

Rewatch Value - 10, This is one of the few shows I wouldn't mind rewatching if someone asked me to—even though I just finished it and have a mountain of other C-dramas waiting for me.

Overall - 10, This is a peak masterpiece! It’s the ultimate drama—one I’ve sincerely loved and enjoyed more than anything else in years. Each episode was masterfully directed and crafted to perfection. I highly recommend this show to everyone and would advise people not to be intimidated or daunted by the number of episodes.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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