The series is the sequel to the critically acclaimed drama Empresses in the Palace.[1][2] It aired on Tencent Video from 20 August to 15 October 2018;[3] during which it was streamed more than 18.9 billion times.[4] It later went on national broadcast and aired simultaneously on Jiangsu Television and Dragon Television from 25 December 2018.[5]
Despite the plot and characters receiving mixed reviews from viewers, the series won acclaim for its exquisite props, lavish sets and stellar cast. It has a total score of 7.5 points on Douban.
Originally known as Ula-Nara Qingying, the niece of Empress Xiaojingxian, she is childhood friends with Fourth Prince Hongli and initially chosen to be his primary consort. However, when the Yongzheng Emperor exposes Empress Xiaojingxian for her role in helping Third Prince Hongshi become an usurper, Hongli is forced to rescind his decision, taking Fuca Langhua as his primary consort instead. Qingying is banished from the Imperial Palace upon Empress Xiaojingxian's house arrest. Hongli compromises with the Yongzheng Emperor and is allowed to take Qingying as a secondary consort in exchange for also taking Gao Xiyue as a mistress.
All three women are promoted once Hongli ascends to the throne as the Qianlong Emperor; Qingying becomes Consort Xian, Langhua becomes the empress and Xiyue becomes Noble Consort Hui.
Due to her involvement with the Ula-Nara clan and her reputation as the Emperor's most favored woman, Consort Xian is initially not well received in the Imperial Harem and Imperial Family. Empress Dowager Chongqing initially distrusts Consort Xian but grants her the name "Ruyi" once trust is later established.
Threatened by Ruyi's favor among both mother and son, the Empress, Noble Consort Hui, and her maid A'ruo conspire against her, resulting in Ruyi being blamed for the deaths of imperial heirs. She is demoted and sent to the Cold Palace where the truth about her infertility surfaces and where she forms a friendship with lowly imperial guard Ling Yunche. Ruyi is able to return to the Imperial Harem with the help of her allies. A'ruo is banished to the Cold Palace, Noble Consort Hui is abandoned by the Empress, and the Empress is isolated from her allies.
Devastated by the deaths of her two sons and forced to marry her only daughter off to Mongol allies, the Empress falls into water during winter and nearly drowns. On her deathbed, the Emperor confronts her for her evil deeds. In return, she curses his future empress to endure his coldness until her death.
It is revealed that the late Empress and Noble Consort Hui were both manipulated by Consort Jia, a foreign consort who wants to win the love of the head of her tribe. Ruyi's elevation from noble consort to imperial noble consort to step-empress is made uneasy due to Consort Jia's curbing her favor with scathing rumors and an attempt to frame her for adultery. Furthermore, she rallies her maiden tribe and well-known noblewomen to convince the Emperor to name her eldest son as crown prince. Eventually, Consort Jia loses favor and is demoted to a commoner. On her deathbed, to have her confess to her crimes, Ruyi reveals to her that the head of her tribe exposed the fact that she is a commoner, which is why he never loved her. Ruyi is unaware that Consort Jia's downfall is due to the scheming of the unfavored Consort Ling.
Consort Ling, a former maid who looks similar to Ruyi begins rising in power. Driven by spite against those who had wronged her and financially pressured by her family, Consort Ling grows in favor due to constantly feeding into the Emperor's wants over his needs and reputation. Ruyi's differing opinions for his health and reputation begin to clash with his expectations and desires, causing a dramatic decline in their relationship.
Ultimately, a confrontation between them causes Ruyi to cut her hair as a means of symbolically ending their marriage and rescinding her status as empress. This act is seen as a major insult/curse against the emperor and empress dowager.
Consort Ling is promoted to imperial noble consort where she continually offends the Mongol imperial consorts and abuses her power obnoxiously. Ruyi refuses to be treated for tuberculosis and collects evidence of Consort Ling's crimes. Consort Ling's life comes to an end when her crimes are exposed to the Emperor and she is punished to be poisoned daily until her dying day.
Though no longer under house arrest, Ruyi refuses to be involved with the Imperial Harem and doesn't accept her role as empress. While the Emperor is on a hunt at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, Ruyi finally succumbs to her illness without letting anyone know. Despite the fact that he greatly mourns her death, the Emperor only grants her a very small funeral as an imperial noble consort, refuses to give her a posthumous name, orders all records of her to be destroyed and her death to be recorded as merely the passing of an untitled clanswoman. This bringd controversy throughout the country and the Imperial Palace. When the Empress Dowager asks about his decision, he justifies his act by recounting how Ruyi had cut her hair in defiance and how his order was her eternal punishment, but he also explains his wish to free her of the empress title in death. The Emperor spends the rest of his life being haunted by her memory.
A now elderly Emperor cuts a piece of his whitened hair and places it beside the original lock of dark hair that Ruyi had cut in front of him years ago. After the passing of the Emperor, a dead prunus mume plant once nurtured by Ruyi begins to blossom.
The ending sequence states that no woman from the Ula-Nara clan ever entered the Imperial Harem after Ruyi's death.
The Step-Empress (繼后) Lady Ula-Nara → Secondary Consort → Consort Xian → Noble Lady Xian → Commoner → Consort Xian → Noble Consort Xian → Imperial Noble Consort → Empress → Mistress of Yikun Palace
Childhood friends with the Qianlong Emperor, she is initially chosen to be his primary consort before her family's reputation is compromised. Wanting to distance herself from her past, she later receives the name Ruyi (如懿), meaning 'beautiful and quiet', to remind her that she must be calm if she wants to have a peaceful life in the palace. Due to her past relationship with the Qianlong Emperor, she is despised by the women of the Imperial Harem and suffers trials and tribulations as a result.
Empress Xiaoshengxian (孝圣宪皇后) Noble Consort Xi → Empress Dowager Chongqing
Although she appears to share a civil relationship with her adopted son, they are wary and suspicious of each other. She initially dislikes Ruyi because of her familial relationship with Empress Ula-Nara, but later grows to respect her.
Ling Yunche (凌雲徹) Imperial Guard of the Cold Palace → Imperial Guard of Kunning Palace → Lanling Imperial Guard → Imperial Guard of the Third Rank → Slave → Imperial Guard of the Second Rank → Imperial Guard of the First Rank → Eunuch of Yikun Palace
An imperial guard who helps Ruyi survive in the Cold Palace, and Consort Ling's first love. He rises into the ranks through his loyalty and efforts.
A skilled pipa player and a favored consort of the Qianlong Emperor during the earlier years of his reign. Because of her father's status and popularity in the Imperial Court, she is obnoxious and ill-tempered, often abusing her authority. She maintains an alliance with Empress Fuca and Consort Jia, and often plots against Ruyi.
Elegant and dignified, she presents herself as a virtuous and frugal empress but is insecure, paranoid, and jealous. Her grudge against Ruyi for initially being chosen as the primary consort causes her to often act against her.
Imperial Noble Consort Shujia (淑嘉皇貴妃) Mistress → Noble Lady Jia → Concubine Jia → Consort Jia → Noble Consort Jia → Concubine Jia → Noble Lady Jia → Concubine Jia → Noble Consort Jia → Second Class Attendant Jin → Noble Consort Jia → Commoner → Imperial Noble Consort Shujia
In the public eye, she presents herself as an ally of Empress Fuca who is subservient but often a gossiper with no limitations. In secret, she is manipulative and shrewd, all in an attempt to gain power as a favor to her true lover, the head of her maiden tribe.
Empress Xiaoyichun (孝仪纯皇后) Palace Maid → Maid of Consort Chun → Maid of the Imperial Garden → Maid of Consort Jia → Second Class Attendant Wei → First Class Attendant Wei → Noble Lady Ling → Concubine Ling → Consort Ling → Second Class Attendant Wei → Noble Lady Ling → Concubine Ling → Consort Ling → Noble Consort Ling → Imperial Noble Consort → Imperial Noble Consort Lingyi
Always driven by obligations toward her family, she is regarded as their main breadwinner. She faces hardships and constant mistreatment in the palace and her evil ambitions grow with the passing of time.
Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui (純惠皇貴妃) Mistress → Concubine Chun → Consort Chun → Noble Consort Chun → Imperial Noble Consort → Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui
Naive and kind, she is often manipulated. Initially recommended to succeed Empress Fuca, she falls out of favor but remains an important figure in the Imperial Harem until the end of her life.
Concubine Shen (慎嬪) Senior Maid of Secondary Consort Ula-Nara → Senior Maid of Consort Xian → Palace Maid → First Class Attendant Shen → Noble Lady Shen → Concubine Shen → Commoner
At the start of the series, she is subservient, but as the story progressed she becomes more conceited due to her father's abilities in the Imperial Court. She turns bitter toward Ruyi and secretly conspires with Empress Fuca and Noble Consort Hui against her.
Spirited and eloquent yet blunt, she is the second member of the Imperial Harem from Mongolia, serving as a representative for all the Mongolian women in the Imperial Harem.
Consort Rong (容妃) Princess of the Han tribe → Noble Lady Rong → Concubine Rong → Consort Rong
Her beauty, which captivates the Qianlong Emperor, causes fear and jealousy in the Imperial Harem. However she abhors the Emperor and maintains her loyalty to her deceased fiance.
Sun Wenting
Lady Lin (林氏)
Jingren Palace
First Class Attendant Gong (恭常在)
Wang Mian
Lady Sirin-Gioro (西林覺羅氏)
Jingren Palace
First Class Attendant Xi (禧常在)
Zhu Jue
Lady Socolun (索綽倫氏)
Jingyang Palace
Noble Lady Rui (瑞貴人)
Xia Yuxia
Lady Fang (方氏)
Yonghe Palace
First Class Attendant Kui (揆常在) Palace Maid → Second Class Attendant Kui → First Class Attendant Kui
Zhao Ruoxi
Lady Xu (徐氏)
Jingyang Palace Zhongcui Palace
First Class Attendant Xiu (秀常在) Second Class Attendant Xiu → First Class Attendant Xiu
Qu Rong
Lady Qian (錢氏)
Yonghe Palace
First Class Attendant Ping (平常在) Palace Maid → Second Class Attendant Ping → First Class Attendant Ping
Empress Xiaojingxian (孝敬憲皇后) Empress → Mistress of Jingren Palace
Ruyi's paternal aunt and the adoptive mother of the Third Prince. She is placed under house arrest at the beginning of the series, which results in the reputation of the Ula-Nara clan being compromised.
Zhu Yan
Cold Palace
Dowager Concubine Ji (吉太嬪)
One of the Yongzheng Emperor's imperial consorts who was banished to the Cold Palace, supposedly due to the Empress Dowager's influence.
Elder daughter of the Yongzheng Emperor and the Empress Dowager. She is initially married to Dorza Khan and becomes High Princess of the Dzungar Khanate. After her husband is killed, she is forced to marry his usurper, Dawachi Khan.
Younger daughter of the Yongzheng Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Initially chosen for a marriage alliance to Septeng Baljur, she is later married to Deputy Minister Zong Zheng.
Guan Xueying Wu Yuyu (teen)[27] Liu Sitong (young)
Prince Bao's Mansion Changchun Palace Khorchin Mongolia Third Princess's Mansion
Princess Hejing of the First Rank (固倫和敬公主) Third Princess → Princess Hejing of the First Rank
Third daughter of the Qianlong Emperor by Empress Fuca. Proud and eloquent, she is Empress Fuca's only surviving child. She looks down on the imperial concubines due to her noble birth, and later becomes resentful of Ruyi.
Prince Bao's Mansion Yanxi Palace Zhongcui Palace Eldest Prince's Mansion
Prince Ding'an of the First Rank (定安親王) Eldest Prince → Prince Ding'an of the First Rank
Eldest son of the Qianlong Emperor by Imperial Noble Consort Zhemin. Innocent and mild-mannered, he is abused and neglected after the death of his biological mother. He becomes Ruyi's adopted son and later Consort Chun's, and grows up to be ambitious and yearning to succeed his father.
Ma Yanan
Lady Ilari (伊拉里氏)
Eldest Prince's Mansion Prince Ding's Mansion
Primary Consort of Prince Ding'an of the First Rank (定安親王嫡福晋) Lady Ilari → Primary Consort
Yonghuang's wife and a distant relative of Consort Chun. She is chosen to marry Yonghuang because of her humble family background.
Prince Xun of the Second Rank (循郡王) Third Prince → Prince Xun of the Second Rank
Third son of the Qianlong Emperor by Consort Chun. A kind, filial and hardworking person, he is goaded by his mother to compete for the position of crown prince.
Qixiang Palace Fourth Prince's Mansion Prince Lü's Mansion
Prince Lü of the First Rank (履親王) Fourth Prince → Prince Lü of the First Rank
Fourth son of the Qianlong Emperor by Consort Jia. Ambitious, cunning, and calculating, he is initially favored due to being the first son born after the Qianlong Emperor's ascension.
Tang Mengjia
Lady Irgen-Gioro (伊爾根覺羅氏)
Prince Lü's Mansion
Primary Consort of Prince Lü of the First Rank (履親王嫡福晋) Lady Irgen-Gioro → Primary Consort
Yongcheng's wife. She is chosen by Consort Jia due to her strong family background.
Yanxi Palace Yikun Palace Prince Rong's Mansion Chonghua Palace
Prince Rong of the First Rank (荣親王) Fifth Prince → Prince Rong of the First Rank
Fifth son of the Qianlong Emperor by Noble Consort Yu and Ruyi's foster son. Sensitive and intelligent, he becomes his father's favorite son. He is very observant and talented, but is pressured to hide such skills to avoid making any of the brothers jealous, lest they target him.
Li Yiru
Lady Sirin-Gioro (西林覺羅氏)
Prince Rong's Mansion Yanxi Palace
Primary Consort of Prince Rong of the First Rank (荣親王嫡福晋) Lady Sirin-Gioro → Primary Consort
Yongqi's wife. The marriage is granted by the Qianlong Emperor as a political move and because their marriage was out of duty rather than love, Yongqi keeps himself busy with court matters while she manages his household and concubines.
Prince Cheng of the First Rank (成親王) Eleventh Prince → Prince Cheng of the First Rank
Eleventh son of the Qianlong Emperor by Consort Jia.
Xu Lingchen Ye Shengtong (teen) Lin Jingjie (young)
Aisin-Gioro Yongji (愛新覺羅·永璂)
Yikun Palace Yanxi Palace
Prince of the Third Rank Twelfth Prince → Prince of the Third Rank
Twelfth son of the Qianlong Emperor by Ruyi. Free-spirited and adventurous, his father has high expectations for him because he is the only legitimate son.
Lin Jingyi
Aisin-Gioro Jingsi (愛新覺羅·璟兕)
Yikun Palace
Princess Heyi of the First Rank (固倫和宜公主) Fifth Princess → Princess Heyi of the First Rank
Fifth daughter of the Qianlong Emperor by Ruyi. She is born premature and with a weak heart.
Patient and soft-spoken, she is one of Ruyi's maids since her time in Prince Bao's Mansion and later becomes her senior maid. She marries Jiang Yubin, her childhood sweetheart.
Loyal, firm, and sharp-tongued, Rongpei is an orphan who spent her life working as a maid in the Imperial Gardens. She meets Ruyi after being sent to the Forbidden City's Clothes Washing Division and succeeds Suoxin as her senior maid.
The Qianlong Emperor's attendant. Diligent and ambitious, he ultimately becomes the Head Eunuch of Yangxin Hall succeeding Wang Qin. He is childhood friends with Suoxin and Jiang Yubin.
The Qianlong Emperor's attendant and Li Yu's disciple. Lecherous and ambitious, he becomes obsessed with Wei Yanwan since her time as Consort Jia's maid.
Cameo by the original author; most of Liu Lianzi's scenes were deleted from the final cut.
Production
Crew
The series is directed by Wang Jun,[45] produced by Huang Lan,[46] and written by the author of the original novel Liu Lianzi.[47] It also employed William Chang and Tongxun Chen as their overall style director,[48] Han Zhong as art director and Peng Xuejun as cinematography director.[49]
Development
Liu Lianzi started to write the original novel in 2011, and changed her work several times to achieve the best version in the next five years.[50]
New Classics Media picked up the project for a 90–episodes series (later shortened to 87), with a ¥300 million budget, making it the most expensive television series in China.[51]
"Like the Fragrance of Plum Blossoms We Once Knew (梅香如故)" (Ending theme between ep. 1–38 and 40–46)
Lv Jingye
Chen Shimei
Mao Buyi
Zhou Shen
4.
"Things Stay The Same, But People Have Changed (人非物是)" (Opening theme from ep. 47)
Chen Shimei
Asia Philharmonic Orchestra
5.
"Worries (心事)" (Ending theme ep. 39)
Lv Jingye
Yan Qing
Deng Tongtian
Reception
The series received mixed responses from viewers.
Many felt underwhelmed by the unaggressive heroine, who was not able to fight the villain imperial consorts even in the second half of the drama, thus making her character design flawed and unconvincing. The drama was also criticized for its anticlimactic story and depressive tone. Critics felt that it was ironic and unbelievable for the protagonist to pursue monogamy in a highly feudalistic context. The slow pacing in the first half of the drama was pointed out, with critics believing that the screenwriters neglected to write with compact story-telling to flesh out the characters.[57]
The series has also received criticism over the age of the leading performers, with viewers saying they made unconvincing teenagers, and criticized the series' producers for not using younger actors to portray the lovestruck teens. Viewers were also divided over the lack of dubbing for Zhou Xun's 15-year-old character, as they felt that her voice was "too raspy" and "mature" for a teenager.[58]
However, there was also praise for the drama. Zhang Hanyue, a writer and critic, said that "The show becomes more and more heart-tugging as the story goes deeper." Many viewers agree that Ruyi bears many characteristics of a modern female. Vogue China commented that the drama actually recorded "the failure of a high-end girl" because what Ruyi had been pursuing was spiritual connections with her spouse; and such a pursuit represents the taste and ideal of the modern middle class.[citation needed] Critics agree that the drama introduces a new light to and narrative of palace dramas, deviating from the existing patterns of treacherous harem games.[59] The drama won acclaim for its exquisite props, lavish sets, and stellar cast.[60]
Censorship by the Chinese government
On January 25, 2019, the Beijing Daily, an official government newspaper, criticized the series for failing to promote socialist values.[61] Four days later, on January 29, the Chinese government cancelled the series and similar ones such as Story of Yanxi Palace.[62]CNN and other media outlets quickly reported on this incident, calling it Chinese censorship.[63][64]
On 10 June 2016, Fox Networks Group Asia (FNG) acquired global rights to the series outside mainland China.[71] It was the first epic period drama secured by FNG for markets outside China, and was carried by STAR Chinese Channel (SCC), the flagship Chinese general entertainment channel, starting 20 August 2018 in selected countries and re-run on August 6, 2019 in all countries.[72]
^"《如懿传》发布重磅海报 陈冲邬君梅"对峙"". People's Daily (in Chinese). October 31, 2017. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
^"《如懿传》再爆演出阵容 宣璐入住后宫备受期待". Tencent (in Chinese). December 2, 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
^Lee, Lily; Wiles, Sue, eds. (2015). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women. Vol. II. Routledge. p. 609. ISBN978-1-317-51562-3. An emperor's [...] sister or a favorite daughter was called grand princess (zhǎnggōngzhǔ); and his aunt or grandaunt was called supreme princess (dàzhǎnggōngzhǔ).
^"中传校花王鹤润加盟《如懿传》 小花开霸屏模式". Tencent (in Chinese). December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
^"《如懿传》正式定档 吴雨珏多部大戏将播". Netease (in Chinese). September 26, 2017. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
^"胡先煦加盟《如懿传》 获汪俊钦点彪戏霍建华". Tencent (in Chinese). December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
^"屈楚萧加盟《如懿传》 饰演五阿哥永琪". Sina (in Chinese). December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
^《如懿传》周迅要演清宫"娘娘"(有图). CZ (in Chinese). January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)