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Pursuit of Jade has successfully concluded its run.
According to data from Maoyan Entertainment, on March 28, Pursuit of Jade, starring Zhang Ling He and Tian Xi We, surpassed 3 billion valid views.
The C-drama's official Weibo account also posted "Tian Xi Wei's Fan Chang Yu Weibo Index Peaks at 85.46 Million" and "#Zhang Ling He's Xie Zheng Weibo Index Peaks at 90.55 Million", marking the drama's conclusion on a high note.
In fact, this strong finish was foreshadowed early on. As soon as it premiered, it quickly climbed onto trending charts across major platforms.
The visual appeal, combined with refined production and a storyline blending sweetness and political intrigue, instantly captured the attention of young audiences.
During its run, discussions about the plot and fan-made content could be seen everywhere across platforms in China, and its performance in numbers has been exceptionally strong. It broke records upon release, becoming the platform's (Tencent Video) first hit of the year.
As for the actors, male lead Zhang Ling He is undoubtedly the biggest gainer. In Pursuit of Jade, he plays Xie Zheng, the Marquis of Wu’an — a character defined by valor, unwavering loyalty, and formidable martial prowess. While some viewers criticized his styling as being overly "soft" or "delicate", his striking looks more than made up for it.
During the drama's broadcast, Zhang Ling He's fanbase surged hugely, also contributing to his commercial value. He has, by all appearances, become one of the standout figures among the new generation of buzz-generating male stars.
Riding on the wave of buzz, the drama could have bid farewell with hugely positive reviews had it not been for a comment from Chinese military media about its portrayal of a "general".
Right at the peak of the finale's popularity, state military media made a comment, although they didn't explicitly say names, anyone perceptive could tell that the criticism was aimed at Pursuit of Jade.
At 5:49 PM on March 27, the official Weibo account of Jun Zhengping Studio (run by the People's Liberation Army Daily) posted a piece with a headline:
"The 'generals' in costume dramas wearing makeup cannot bear the social responsibility of embodying masculine vigor."
The commentary opens by pointing out:
"In some current literary and artistic works depicting ancient warfare, the image of battlefield generals — who ought to embody masculine vigor — has quietly changed in tone. It has become overly softened and deliberately refined; some are even portrayed wearing makeup, prettified."
They also stated: "Masculine vigor represents responsibility and hot-blooded passion, and carries the value pursuit of esteeming martial [strength] and serving the nation."
They concluded with: "While literary and artistic creation may certainly pursue diverse aesthetics, ‘beautifying’ the image of soldiers results in the loss of not only authenticity, but also a dissolution of the spirit of masculinity. We call for more works imbued with masculine vigor, so that this toughness and sense of responsibility become the most solid underlying tone of the spirit of the times."
For the unversed, Jun Zheng Ping is an official account affiliated with China's military media — an authoritative voice. Generally speaking, this account does not publish content related to film or television entertainment. The fact that it has released such a statement suggests that it is quite serious in China.
Meanwhile, Legend of Chu and Han, a historical drama that aired 10 years ago, starring Chen Dao Ming and Peter Ho, suddenly went viral on China's media platforms — largely because of Peter Ho's performance as Xiang Yu.
With a broad, powerful build and an overwhelming aura of dominance, his thunderous roars struck fear into viewers. He was praised as "one of the most masculine ancient generals ever portrayed on screen."
As a result, Peter Ho trended on hot search charts, and his fanbase surged enormously within just a few days. Clips of his portrayal of Xiang Yu were widely shared and liked, with Chinese netizens saying, "This is what an ancient Chinese warrior should look like."
This stands in stark contrast to Zhang Ling He's portrayal of Xie Zheng in Pursuit of Jade. As a result, netizens began comparing Pursuit of Jade and Legend of Chu and Han, with critics roasting Pursuit of Jade and Zhang Ling He's portrayal of the military general Xie Zheng.
The most viral meme to emerge is the "foundation-wearing general."
Jokes like "Messenger: The army is to retreat thirty li (also known as the Chinese mile). The general's foundation is caking. He needs to touch up his makeup. He has to look flawless before going to the battlefield," went widespread on local community platforms.
The term "foundation-wearing general" exploded across Chinese social media, becoming a term for portrayals of ancient military generals with smoothed, flawless skin and heavy makeup.
After Jun Zhengping Studio published its commentary, mainstream outlets also followed up, reposting or expressing similar viewpoints over the heated public discourse surrounding Pursuit of Jade.
However, what happened next is equally interesting.
Some of Zhang Ling He's fans, upon seeing criticism directed at the character he portrayed, immediately lashed out. Many of them likely didn't look closely at the account verification, mistakenly treating Jun Zhengping as just another marketing account or even as "anti-fans" from rival fandoms, and rushed straight into the comment section.
For a time, the comments section became a "battlefield":
"Saying this… is just a baseless accusation! Who are you to judge? This kind of idol costume drama isn't even for you — you're just clout-chasing!"
"A military-related account not focusing on military or current affairs, but targeting an idol drama… have you also learned fandom culture now?"
"Posting from a personal phone number and outside working hours. A six-year-old phone too — looks like you're afraid of being traced. A military media outlet picking a fight with an idol drama is just lowering its own standing!"
Some comments went even further, with harsh language spilling over into broader social frustrations. But, considering it is an official Chinese authority account, some netizens stepped in to remind others: "Do you even know who you’re attacking? This is an official military account!"
Following that, the fans hurriedly deleted their comments and issued apologies. Some accounts even changed their usernames or their operators got them deactivated entirely.
Well-known screenwriter Wang Hai Lin also issued a statement, sharply criticizing this kind of "mindless idol-defending" behavior and the act of clashing with China's authority media as "utterly lawless", calling for stricter regulation.
However, throughout the entire incident, the production team of Pursuit of Jade and Zhang Ling He's studio — both at the center of the storm — remained silent.
Aside from the drama's regular broadcast and promotions, the official side made no public response whatsoever to the massive controversy sparked by the character portrayal.
Some sources also say that the celebration banquet for the drama originally scheduled for March 29 had also been quietly canceled. Nevertheless, despite all the criticism, the buzz remained high, and Pursuit of Jade "safely" concluded its run.
Pursuit of Jade tells the story of butcher's daughter Fan Chang Yu (Tian Xi Wei) and Xie Zheng (Zhang Ling He), a fallen noble, who meet by destiny on a snowy day.
Chang Yu, having lost both of her parents, strives to support her remaining family, while Zheng hides his identity, digging deep into a blood feud from 17 years ago. With each harboring their own motives, the two concoct a marriage of convenience. Though they initially joined hands to use one another for their own purposes, their alliance gradually blossoms into genuine emotions.
