Story of Yanxi Palace

How to gain his Majesty's favor unceasingly | The forbearing and relentless revenge.

"The person who speaks of love first is the loser." - Wei Yingluo

I knew that this drama was great, but never did I expect that it was in an extraordinary level! I thought it was just another imperial in-fighting between the consorts but damn, was I so wrong. Through this drama, I was able to consciously understand how harsh life was back then—specially to those of the royal lineage. A reminder of how sinister polygamy is and how tragic power struggle can truly be. Constantly having to be cautious and vigilant, at the same time clever and crafty in order to survive and stay alive is definitely not a task I am willing to take on in my lifetime. It also made my eyes wide open on how excessively lecherous and fickle men back then. I may have watched over 150+ costume dramas but this is the only show that made me genuinely realize how disgusting and loathsome the situation was during those times. This also made me realized the painstaking and the weight of the ruler's responsibility—dealing with the state and political issues while keeping ones internal/family issues on check.

The storytelling, pacing and narration of this drama is a cut among the finest production out there. It exhibits complexity in the most ingenious way. Every episode is carefully and intricately crafted to connect to the whole story. The plots are unpredictable and thrilling, making me pace back and forth trying to guess what's about to happen. They excelled in ensuring that all plot device are unravelled and addressed, preventing any plot holes in the story. This is a mind game that's difficult to predict which is miles different to the dramas nowadays where the plot is being shoved right in front of our faces. This drama made me miss the good old times when people are still thinking about the value and quality of the story, how should it unfold and ended in a justifiable and rational way; and not just by carelessly throwing everything just to speed up the process and forcefully make the scene look appetizing/good—like a forced marketing.

"I, Wei Yingluo, have never been afraid of fights. The more I fight, the more energetic I become." - Wei Yingluo

Dare I say that Wei Yingluo is one of the best (if not the best) female character I have watched ever. Her presence makes people with bad intention cautious and afraid that they don't dare take any action when she's around. She's quick-witted, bold and fearless. Her unwavering passion in seeking revenge for her loved ones using tactical and definite scheming ideas against the perpetrators she deemed unpardonable is one of her striking traits for me. I admire her resolute determination in eliminating anyone who plot against her regardless of their status without showing mercy. An audacious, persistent, unyielding and remorseless character I have been looking for. The type of woman who can succeed whenever she wants to. A real expert in climbing the social ladder by executing thorough, ingenious, and flawless strategies and plans. This show is like her chess game; she keeps on eliminating sinister people like it's some kind of elimination game. lol

"Managing life is all about finding appropriate ways to fight troubles that come your way. if you're always worried and frightened, then there's no fun in living." - Wei Yingluo

This drama also has the best "good turned bad" characters. Clearly shows how you shouldn't push kind people to their limits because they can be extremely dangerous once pushed to the edge.

I also just wanna mention Yuan Chunwang & Wei Yingluo's chemistry. Their siblings energy was so strong and truly entertaining to watch; too bad Yuan Chunwang became an enemy towards the 3/4 part of the story.

Lastly, the ending was great! I appreciate that they allowed us to witness the princes' in their teenager/teen adult years and although it's unfortunate that they never showed us the Princesses, I am just happy that we at least got to see how Yingluo protects the kids even at the risk of her own life.

Fuca Fuheng: "Wei Yingluo, with this life, I've guarded you. I've guarded you enough. in the next life, can you be the one to guard me instead?"

Wei Yingluo: "Okay. I promised you."

P.S. I'm still heartbroken at Fuca Fuheng's death. Huhu! He never even got to say his final words to Yingluo personally. Well at least I can deduce that Yingluo truly loves him...it's just that she's true to her words "Strangers upon meeting" when he chose to left her and marry that bitch Er Qing. Anyways, I genuinely admire his love and devotion.

Story - 10, It was outstanding! Deserves multiple round of applauses for how closely knitted the plots to the story was. It's slow-paced yet never boring, as each episode is packed with crucial scenes and information that connect directly to the main narrative. No episode or scene was wasted. Job well done!

Acting/Cast - 10, I love all of them so much to the point where I can't imagine anyone else playing their respective roles. I appreciate Xu Kai even more here and ghad! he fits that bald head very well. Wu Jinyan's laughing/mocking face threw me off at first, but I eventually got used to it and find it sinister instead (in a good way when she's dealing with the enemies).

Music - 10, For some reason, I really have a thing for c-opera songs, so I find the opening really interesting. The ending song was good, as I am sucker for ballad and I never felt off with the insert songs/tunes; reason why I'm still giving it a 10. Just for the fact that it never bothered me. lol

Rewatch Value - 10, I highly recommend this drama to those who are looking for a well written and entertaining imperial struggle drama.

Overall - 10, I've been watching dramas that were released back in 2015-2019, and this one never disappointed me. It was a gem that everyone should discover and watch. The script was well-written, and I am just so grateful that the subtitles I watched it with were so informative, which helped me better understand the poems and context of the story.

IF you find this review helpful please let me know.

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Do not give this a miss!

Yanxi is a drama that needs to be rated 10/10 in my must-watch drama list. I am usually not drawn to overrated shows because they will turn out to be under whelming as compared to the public response, but I am super thankful that I didn't give Yanxi a miss because everything about this show is beautiful.

Yanxi is one of those typical harem politics show where women fight for love, ranks, etc. EXCEPT with the twist of a badass female lead that is smart and very good at adapting to different situations. I believe smart female leads are not rare in chinese shows but Wei Ying Luo (FL) is extremely quick-witted. This makes it so fun to watch how she survives in different environment, be it with the maids or even the emperor. Just when you thought she is defeated, SHE IS NOT.

We also watch her romance with Fuheng which explores the other side of her personality. I love their relationship so much (although it's meant to break my heart at the end.. ). I would say if you're looking for a show that has a huge part of romance, then this show is not for you.

FINAL VERDICT: if you want to watch a never-say-die female lead, satisfying show where evils are punished, pls watch! i wouldn't give this a miss :)

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I don't usually watch dramas that is longer than 40 episode,but then I'm a fan of xukai that's why i gave it a try.. as soon as i started watching it, I can't help myself from watching till i reach the finale😁
The story is nice but then i wish that fuheng also have his happy ending,my heart really aches for him.. he sacrificed alot for yinglou. Though i understand that if only fuheng didn't gave up and fight for their love. I don't like the role of the emperor to be honest, he's a scumbag and selfish. He already have lots of concubines but still didn't want to give fuheng his love,he sacrificed alot and yet ... Haysst. Anyways. Maybe it's their fate.

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"Being powerful is better than relying on those in power. "

Story of Yanxi Palace is one of the best-known dramas to have been produced in Mainland China. I was scared to pick it up- there were too many episodes, sounded too dramatic, bald guys, controversies, etc. I have never watched a drama with harem politics so this was completely unknown territory for me. I'm super glad I gave this so much of my time as this drama is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.

PLOT:
It's complicated as heck. I was rooting for the female lead- Wei Ying Luo right from the get go. It reminded me a lot of Empress Ki in the aspect of a palace maid becoming the Empress of China. However, here the focus was more on her survival than the journey to royalty itself. The female lead is one of the best I have seen in any drama and she was badass, smart, witty and fearless. She's a modern woman by mind stuck in an older era. It was amazing to see how she navigated grueling circumstances and braved the storm. She has a cold heart as she values herself over others but possesses a keen sense of justice and her own way of viewing the world. Her character was deeply complex and it was interesting to her many sides. She was a protective sister, a loyal servant, a calculated lover and a fierce friend. I loved her relationship with Fuheng and also with the Empress, Empress Dowager and the Emperor himself. I couldn't hold back celebrating every time she triumphed over evildoers. She is really never scared of anything nor does she run away from any challenge.

CHARACTERS:
I've already described Ying Luo quite a bit. My next favourite characters were easily Ming Yu and Fu Heng. Ming Yu had an excellent development from evil to a supporting friend. Fu Heng was typical second lead and he succeeded in making me feel sorry for him the end. The Empress is a saint but a fool, however I loved how much she valued our female lead's service to her. The Emperor was funny at times but he was always authoritative and manipulative. I couldn't really get invested in the love story as him bedding several women made me uncomfortable as heck. I've seen Concubines in other dramas too, but never as many as in this one. The other enjoyable characters were Consort Gao and Xian- who were wonderfully wicked and never fell short of tricks to play.

ACTING:
The cast all did an excellent job at their roles. I'm super impressed with Wu Jin Yan as she played Ying Luo with perfection and no one could have done better. I was surprised to see Charmaine's role being major in this drama. She nailed the emotions and many sides to her character also - especially the twisted one. Xu Kai was lovable as Fu Heng and I'm glad he shot to stardom with such a good role in the start of his career. The others were also quite good- including the Emperor, Empress, etc.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
I know this is a historical story, but the portrayal of women in general was a little heartbreaking. They portrayed everyone as evil in the harem and there was a dialogue about self-interest being the only interest in the Forbidden City. The women are all cunning, scheming and ready to backstab each other. The Emperor treats women as object of desire and eyes our female lead as " has to made attainable by any means". Thankfully, the female lead manages to find people who give her comfort but it shows those times very bleak. It was also inspiring to see a woman stand up for herself and gives a good message about being independent and standing tall among men. It's a very feminist take on the historical times. The creative liberty the writers took clearly shows. I wish Fu Heng didn't go through what he had to because Er Qing was an evil witch. He and Ying Luo come out most memorable out of this drama.

OVERALL:
I cannot convince anyone to pick up a drama of 70 episodes. However, this is fast-paced, there are always twistsand the plot keeps progressing every episode. It became repetitive after the 58th episode and it could have done without the last arc of the new Concubine. I also wish the drama focused a bit more on the female lead as the Empress, however it continued to be about her survival in the crazy world of deranged Forbidden City inhabitants. I am quite impressed at how it maintained its quality and came out as a top-notch drama. It was well worth my time and effort.

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This is one of the dramas that I hold as a benchmark for all-around perfection. There are not many Chinese dramas- or any really- that meet the sheer scope and mastery of this.
1. The acting is just beyond; mind-blowing veteran actors that make you feel so many conflicting emotions that it just becomes a journey you feel you took part in yourself. Nie Yuan as the quintessential brilliant and dictatorial emperor. There are very few that can so perfectly capture the chilling absolute power of imperialism like he does. YingLuo draws you in with her canny intelligence, and absolute refusal to back down against seemingly overwhelming odds.
The supporting cast would have completely stolen the show if there had been weaker leads, they were that strong. You fall in love with all of them.
2. It is very bittersweet at the ending, I was sobbing, and it is really hard to get me to do that. I can think of maybe 5 that have, and I have seen hundreds. Seriously.
3. The entire production, from the OST (which I have on my youtube playlist), to the costumes and sets, the spectacular writing and cinematography, all of it was so perfect for the show. Nothing was jarring.
4. This is one where you might not even like the main characters, but you deeply respect them. I found myself interested in the historicity of this and researched how it fits along with other shows I have seen in a similar time frame. (Scarlet Heart and Empresses in the Palace- two other favorites of mine- are about the father of this emperor, and both would be a great series to watch in conjunction with this one, preferably before and in that order.)
5. I would watch this again. And again. And probably until I got to the point where I could recite the lines myself. It will probably become a yearly thing for me. A definite can’t miss series.

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A must watch drama

Love this drama..it is very interesting story through start to end. Never a dull moment . The characters had done their job performance perfectly. The acting of each and everyone is very good. I love ying Lou how she played character . And had taken her revenge on who has hurts her and her love ones . I really like how much she loved the empress and being faithful to her . And the last how she had promise to take care of FUHENG in the next life. I love the empress how sweet she is and faithful to the king and holds the sense of justice .. many people will think that she is too soft and don't know what's happening but actually she knows .and the emperor was good to being an emperor we just can't accept him to be perfect because he being the emperor must be have tyrann symptoms. FUHENG being the sweetheart how much he loved the Ying Luo and protected her and their love is sweetest . I really recommend to watch this

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The best harem show I've seen

This show is by far my type of show. Though there is hardly any sensual romance, at least in my opinion, it has everything to do with loyalty and love. The relationships that evolve over time are beautiful. The characters you hate, you end up loving and vice versa.

The female lead is also a strong girl. She stood up for herself and didn't allow others to transpire behind her back, which I absolutely loved because it is very hard to find a strong female lead nowadays. Even though she has hardships, she knows how to remain coy and does not give any indication to how she is feeling to others, but behind closed doors, she lets her emotions out. It is awesome.

There is no politics in this drama, just mostly concubines fighting with each other, which I had no problem viewing.

The main couple is the emperor and female lead, not the warrior and female lead, which had many people angry and confused as they watched, which I totally understand, as the age difference is quite big. I however had no problems. If anything, it seemed like their relationship seemed far more mature and developed than her being with the second male lead.

The music was a bit interesting but not my taste, however, I would definitely watch it again.

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May 2024 Recommendation Challenge

Long time hesitate to watch this, because it really has long episodes but the review always great. But thanx to Recommendation Challenge & bitcoolcat, I finally watch this.... And yes I must admit this is one the best historical drama.

The story nothing too new about the harem. Story about a girl named Wei Ying Luo (YL) who enter palace from embroiderer and rising to the top to became emperor's consort. The difference is just the motive beyond YL action. YL 1st came to the palace because of her sister rape & murder, she wanted to investigate & bring justice to her sister's death. And upon investigating, she find out, or think, the one responsible for her sister's death is Fuca Fu Heng (FH), the Empress's brother. But as time goes by, she learn the character of FH & finally trust it's not him responsible for her sister's death. How the story goes.... It's really interesting to watch how the story goes till the end.

YL is one interesting girl, she's loyal, brave, smart & quick witted girl. She's like a new wind in the palace, and her wittiness get the attention of the Empress, FH & even Emperor and later on the Empress Dowager. Her shortfall only one, she's willing & will do anything in her power to achieve her goal, no matter who obstruct her way she'll gonna strike it. And that's often bring trouble for her. But with the protection of Empress, FH, Emperor and later on the Empress Dowager, she's manage to avoid all the danger & thrive till the end.

What I like:
+ The clever FL. YL is really one smart girl that know how to manipulate situations for her advantage.
+ I finally understand the feeling of missing opportunity between FH & YL. Oh one really sadly miss opportunities for these couple. And I really quite like the chemistry between Xu Kai & Wu Jin Yan.

What i don't too like:
- A little slow pace the last 10 episode. I really hope it end when YL & 2nd Empress make peace. I mean the moment the 2nd Empress said it will gonna be peace for a couple of year, before the emperor's sons grow up. I understand they need to close the curtain when YL's revenge to Prince He is completely ending, and I really wish that happen before the emperor's sons grow up, but that's maybe what's written in the history book & I can't really blamed the writer for it.
- Watching too much of the same time period & the same person, but in different drama, make me feel the character itself blurry in the end. And the most obvious character for me is the character of the 2nd empress & the empress from Huan Zhu Ge Ge & FL from Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace is like different person although they all the same.

Overall this really one good historical drama to watch. Highly recommend.

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Mastermind

One word: Mastermind. I am absolutely blown away by this drama, I entered expecting to drop it but 2 episodes in and I was hooked! I love how powerful, smart and clever Ying Luo is. This is a beautiful well written drama that deserves 10 star rating, not only because of the beautiful costumes but also the intricate characters that moves with reason and logic. Everything is smoothly transitioning even in parts I was scared that it would be going haywire. (Ex: entering the harem)

I did not want to start this at first as I am a person of aesthetic and i did not like the baldness fajdnsajnds BUT i quickly got over it with how this is beautifully made. I just can't get over how until the end, like until the end of the drama, MC did not forget to enact her revenger. Truly a mastermind. The supporting characters and antagonists are also so good, I love them so much and I was even a bit sad when they got KO'd but ohhh, how satisfying everything was.

I am a very picky watcher and me liking this so much says so much! Watch it now!

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WE need moreeeee

SUCH a good drama!! So many plot twists and a smart FL TY! Although 70 episodes is longer than any drama you would see but its totally worth it. My dumb self decided to binge watch this in 3 days 3 nights. Regretted it so much because then I didn't feel like there was a connection with me and the drama. And it sort of affected the other dramas I watch after yanxi. But that's my fault.Cried twice in this drama and some were almost forced tears lol. Usually I would cry more than that.

The storyline is good. Plot twists as I mentioned, but fuca and ming yu :( I personally prefer ying luo with fuheng just because he was her first love and they were just so PERFECT. The emperor and ying luo is also a good couple though. A chaotic one too.

Acting is on point. 100/10. The FL did a wonderful job and xu kai as well with the 'cold' personality. The acting WILL take you on a emotional roller coaster ride

Music is alright, the osts are pretty good, no complaints towards it

rewatch value: 9.0 just bc the episodes are quite long for you to go through every single one of it. There were some parts that stood out that you might want to go back and see it again.

overall: 9.5!!

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