Showering Chang’an with Fire and Blood
Witnessing the slaughter of his whole family, Xie Huai’an is forced to fend for himself since 10years old, moving from place to place to evade his enemies the Hubei Army with a little sister in tow and losing her later, until he came upon the remote land of Huainan where he decided to be his home. Working quietly as a small registrar, he knew he had only two ways to live, to stay in remote place such as Huainan or head to the capital to become a court official. Opportunity finally came when the son of the previous emperor (elder brother of current emperor) marched forward and captured the capital. Hearing the survival of Lie Clan Xie Huai’an, the new emperor summoned him to the capital and appointed him as his sword, to hunt down Yan Fengshan, the commander of Hubei Army and most influencial court official, which aligned with Huai’an’s mission for revenge. He gladly accepted and thus began his journey of vengeance only to find himself embroiled with a much bigger struggle than his vendetta.Tong Mengshi who played Ye Zheng was the one that led me to this show, to my surprise it’s another of Cheng Yi’s work that I have been meaning to watch since last year and had forgotten. Tong mengshi was awesome here! I missed Joy of Life’s Wuzhu, so it’s great to see him again with a main role and real dialogues than mere robotic phrases spoken. He was very good here, acting and action-wise. His fights were fierce and forceful, and of course bloody too. And man it is such a satisfaction to see Su Changlin being taken down by Xiao Wangyu, he was such a snob after hurting Ye Zheng so badly and for using Ye Zheng’s shimei, the arrogance was a real pain to watch!
Cheng Yi has gone back up again in my rating after his flop in The Journey of Legend. Yeah I am now convinced that he fits more with roles that doesnt need romance to prop his character. And his crying here is done remarkably well compared to TJoL. Although his character Xie Huai’an is more scholarly with no martial prowess whose moves rely more on strategy than brawn, he definitely doesnt shy away from physical fights. The ruthless stabbings, whether he as inflictor or receiver, are heinously brutal. Sometimes I forget that Xie Huai’an doesnt know any martial art, cuz he doesn’t rely much on his more athletic sword-wielding friends. He makes use of the surrounding people and situations well, and he definitely doesn’t need anyone to come rescue him. This character is someone that can be thrown into a river of fire (literally) and the next moment you blinked he’s already crawling out of it somewhere in the distance where you least expected it. That is why even the King of Tiemo sees him as his biggest threat, even bigger than the invincible Yan Fengshan or the current emperor Xiao Wangyu.
The sad scenes here are considerably touching and heartfelt. It was heartbreaking when Bai Wan was recounting her earliest memories of her brother when they were on the run, while the rest of the people who listened actually knew who her brother was and where he was located, exactly next to her! But nobody said anything, as Xie Huai’an is adamant that her sister won’t be dragged into his revenge mission. OMG I was so sad for her and Huai’an. So close yet also so far apart. Though I could not understand why she is included in the main cast when her role ceased to be part of the plot even before half of the show.
I really liked the way this story is executed, the ups and downs and unexpected hits that befell on our main characters with ML racking his brains to improvise and come up with twisty strategies. What’s more surprising is I became more invested in the deposed emperor Xiao Wencheng’s interaction with his oblivious elder brother who deposed him. I really like this fake Zhang Mo character, the screenwriter managed to turn him into a very likable one as opposed to the start of the show when he ruthlessly took down ML’s beloved pageboy. His transformation and growth looked much closer to reality when despite being able to grow some spine during his adventure with Xie Huai’an’s gang, he was still torn between saving his brother or the citizen of Chang’an against Tiemo’s assault, and reverted to his cowardly nature, which cost his brother a whole lot more than a simple promise of King of Tiemo’s “to let him stay alive,”. Fake Zhang Mo is a coward by nature, although I was dumbfounded when the plot turned that way, I had to admit that this is very much expected of him according to this preset characteristics. And I must say his devotion and worry for Xie Huai’an and the elder brother who usurped his throne was very touching, and his banter with Ye Zheng never ceased to be amusing.
Love the action choreograph! They worked hard on this. Even though the plot and its twists were barely at par with Nirvana in Fire, I had to say the show is overloaded with action after action more than NiF, eventhough our ML Xie Huai’an know squat of martial art. Ye Zheng, Xie Wangyu, Yan Fengshan, Wang Pu, Su Changlin…gosh I cant even list everyone down cuz there are so many characters who had executed the action scenes remarkably well. And boy the final battle against the big boss was so fierce and gripping!
The song by Sa Dingding is so awesome i keep hearing it in my head. The lyrics are forlorn yet prideful and the melody makes you wanna hum with it.
Be warned, this is a very dark and gory show, with plot so twisty I had to rewind quite a lot to get a grip of its flow. Blood is spilled senselessly onscreen episode after episode, AND there is no romance whatsoever. Consider yourselves warned.
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Intriguing from first episode
The twist and everything is amazing. Everyone is so calculative and have their own motives.All the actors and actresses played their roles so well.
This drama will keep you on the edge of your seats.
Please watch for yourself and ignore the hater comments. They are even faster than actual fans. Who rates a drama upon the first episode and drops without actually continuing ?
I’m all for diff opinions but at least give it a try more than one episode.
Anyways I can’t wait for the ending. I’m suspicious on some of the characters but I’m so excited to see who is the big boss pulling the strings.
Each episode is a plot within a plot. People I believe are dead prob ain’t. I can’t even distinguish between good and evil at this point.
I HAVE COMPLETED IT. The senior actors did such a good job. I predicted some wrong and some right but the last episode was really the best. It was so calculative and I knew the dead Wasnt dead. Won’t spoil anymore but this drama beat chengyi’s other two drama. Best of 2025.
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A REVENGE MATERPIECE
CHENG YI brought on different character he as played on like the other dramas he has filmed in which he is strong or zero to hero, in this drama he is just a boy wanting to avenge the death of his family. A boy who is parents were killed and his sister survived and he took care of was his sister for seven years. IN the twenty-Four Strategies of Chang’an ,CHENG YI (Xie Huai An) came not to clear his parents name but to take revenge who killed his parents though he was smart some death cannot be avoided .What CHENG YI brought our screen was wonderul. LIU YI JUN protrayal of the general king and ZHOU QI who protrayed the deposed emperor and zhang mo were very good as they fit for the roles
Though i am in the 14th episode this was a wonderful change in cheng yi roles and his acting ,This is me first time seeing cheng yi as a scholar and he fits the revenge driven roles. Looking forwad to Liang Jing Shi Wu Ri .
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I am absolutely loving it.
This is truly a must-watch drama. I am only on the fifth episode, but I already feel confident in saying this. It is not just another revenge drama; it is innovative, intense, and masterfully executed, with outstanding performances and breathtaking scenes that can leave even the most composed viewer speechless.Do not be misled by negative comments or unsustainable comparisons. Cheng Yi is superb, delivering a performance completely different from his last drama, which does not even need to be mentioned.
In short, it is highly recommended. I am absolutely loving it.
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Annoyed
The handling of the dethroned emperor's character annoys me. Especially after he kills Zhang Mo. For that reason only. Im dropping this show. Other viewers giving this rewatch rating a 10 stars is insanely stupid. How do you re-watch a show that is not even finished yet. It's only 9 episode in. Bot or paid reviewers?Was this review helpful to you?
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crime
I was so angry cos cheng yi didnt tell his sister that he is siter! that was just insane, so she didnt know to keep carful and she got killed, only because cheng yi didnt tell her who she is! that is really crime from cheng yi !there was no reason to not tell her and to behave like psycho. she could fall in love with him, and then find out he is brother!
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The Vendetta of Boredom
"The Vendetta of An" is a political revenge drama that squanders its intriguing premise through slow, plodding storytelling and a lack of narrative tension. Despite promising courtly intrigue, the plot unfolds at a tedious pace, burying key developments under excessive detail and repetitive scenes. This isn't a sophisticated slow burn, but a boring execution that fails to make its central vendetta feel urgent or compelling.The drama ultimately feels tailored only for the domestic Chinese market, leaning heavily on familiar tropes without the sharp writing or universal emotional stakes needed for wider appeal. Its failure highlights a risk for the industry: without opening creative horizons and prioritizing tight, globally-resonant storytelling—as seen in many Korean dramas—Chinese productions may remain insular and artistically stagnant.
Verdict: A missed opportunity that confuses slowness with depth. It serves as a case study in how to drain all excitement from a promising premise.
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A slow start but engaging story of vengeance
Without spoilers I'll just say there's a lot of build up to pay attention to in the beginning that got me feeling bored. Then there's a point in the series almost midway that just flips the entire thing over and I was incredibly engaged like how they went with the story was contrary to a lot of shows in China.I won't spoil what but it's pretty obvious what happens to the main character.
There's a handful of things that take a bit of just TV magic so I had to quench my thirst of complaining like I'm no fan of how certain more realistic shows end up doing some bullshit science which I won't say what but it's also pretty obvious since it's the first few episodes where I was like are you kidding me...but it does have something to do with a Nobel.
They reused the same bullshit science later on which annoyed me but otherwise the story came together and wrapped up nicely.
There is no love story here which is perfect like I'm so tired of that kind of theme.
Actors all played their parts like no one I found annoying, the main character is a strategist and he plays the "genius" role very well unlike the main character from Treasure at Dawn. Supporting cast all did their parts too. Even the bad guys like I never really felt they were bad because this whole show isn't about good vs evil just everyone involved has their own personal agenda and why they do what they do.
This is definitely not suitable for people who want light heated drama or something funny or cute. There's nothing cute here. This is about vengeance.
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Muddled Potential
The series was just entertaining enough for me to have completed it but I decided to drop it to move on to another. It really already started faltering a bit for me after the first few episodes, when all the characters personalities does too large of a shift in attempt to soften up the tone. Here are the positives followed by the negatives that watered them down.- The cast is quite good with some interesting characters but there isn't enough depth to really solidify an attachment to anyone.
- While there isn't a distaste for the ML, they did portray him in a confusing way. One minute, he's this genius who can see 10 steps ahead and the next, he's just missing in action. He continuously talks so confidently about what he can handle but ends up just using someone's life to survive. I can deal with this if this was part of his plan, but it isn't if he's slightly moping about the sacrifices. And if he's fated to use others lives to survive, it would have been better if he showed some humbleness in his opinions about his abilities and maybe grow from it.
- The main plot itself is relatively intriguing and I actually really do appreciate that the "genius strategists" doesn't always succeed. But the are too many large plot holes that are left unanswered and the pacing is too overdrawn for it to be overlooked smoothly.
- I also appreciate the hinting towards who the future emperor will be and how this journey is a harsh but needed reality check and growth phase for him. But his character growth felt more like a double personality disorder which ironically could also make more sense given his background.
This really did have a ton of potential because there are a lot of positives and there is a good base of complexity. If it was just woven together better with focuses on being more detailed instead of drawn out conversations, it would have been great.
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Suspense to it's maximum
This is a great series. There is lots of violence for vengeance so expect it. It's a good story and the music makes it so much more stressful to watch. I do find there is a lot of violence and the theme is vengeance. I enjoyed seeing new actors for me in this series. The suspense and political intrigue with twists and turns makes it a bing watching series.Was this review helpful to you?
From Hype to Snooze: A Political Thriller That Puts You to Sleep, Starring Cheng’s Boredom
I was really looking forward to The Vendetta of An. I thought, “Finally, the same director who gave us Love and Crown, and Journey of Legend, is back! (irony intended)I’m usually not one to hold bias, but after this, I have serious doubts about the producer, and even Cheng Yi. Sorry, Cheng Yi, I genuinely loved your past performances!
The story is refreshingly unoriginal, offering nothing new or deep, the soundtrack is random noise sprinkled generously throughout, and the conversations are thrillingly shallow and boring; I spent most of the time yawning, so much so that staring at the sky would have been more engaging. A masterclass in how not to deliver a political thriller or a serious political power game.
And Cheng Yi… well, he’s consistent. He looks exactly the same as in all his other latest three dramas: same character, same eye expressions, same bored gaze from the corner of his eyes. I love Love and Redemption (my top fantasy drama) and even gave Mysterious Lotus Casebook a perfect 10, but watching him in his latest dramas feels painful. All the characters feel like they were cast from the same “sleepy” template.
Cheng Yi, supposedly a strategic mastermind, is perfectly cast… as a bored extra. I seriously doubt that even a different producer could make him convey any actual strategic sharpness or character depth for this type of role. I was expecting a tight, intense political thriller; instead, I got a melodramatic snooze fest. Bravo. Truly inspiring.
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Boring and monotoom actors
A lot of the male voices were in the same ghostly euh euh voices. Its fine if it's one, but a couple so soon, it will be annonying. The start of the series is incredible weak, no expanded why and how, just a short this and this. Great cast, incredible subpar acting. ML monotoom acting, no sense of anger in either the events for e1 or e2.Good music, just misplaced at times.
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