At long last, Story of Yanxi Palace 延禧宫略 has finished its 70-episode run. I can’t speak for others, but it is easily one of the most enjoyable dramas I’ve watched this year. I’m starting Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace next, so it may be too soon to have a final verdict. I really liked all aspects of Yanxi – the cast, the relationships that developed between the characters and the storylines that I was always at the edge of my seat waiting for the next episodes to be released.
The events of the final episode take place 24 years after Wei Ying Luo (Wu Jin Yan) entered the imperial palace as a seamstress, intent on finding those responsible for and avenging the death of her older sister. Since Ying Luo’s mother died after she was born, it was her older sister who took care of and raised her. After many years of not getting along, Ying Luo and the Qianlong Emperor (Nie Yuan) finally develop true feelings for each other and Ying Luo becomes one of Qianlong’s most beloved consorts, Noble Consort Ling. She and Qianlong are parents to three children, one son and two daughters.
On to the recap….
The Dowager Empress and Qianlong Emperor preside over the questioning of the Ulanara Empress (Charmaine Sheh) and Prince He Hongzhou (5thPrince, Qianlong’s younger brother) in the aftermath of Hongzhou’s failed rebellion against Qianlong.
Under questioning, the Empress’s long-standing grievances come to the surface as she tells Qianlong how much she has loved and respected him over the years, but all he ever cared about was Ying Luo. She accuses Ying Luo of never caring about Qianlong, that she was always just using him for her own purposes (to be fair, this was true for a few years before Ying Luo realized that she had come to love Qianlong). The Empress calls Qianlong a fool for caring so much about someone who didn’t return his feelings. Ouch. Upon further reflection, she says that no, it’s her who’s the most foolish person in the world.
Tired and annoyed with the spectacle the Empress is making of herself, Qianlong orders the guards to take her away. She seizes the chance to take one of the guard’s knives, and a shocked Qianlong asks if she’s really gone crazy. She goes on a rant about Qianlong’s other consorts, “Xiaoxianchun Empress (Fucha Empress) loved him, but loved freedom more. Noble Consort Gao loved him, but loved her family more. Consort Chun never loved you, she always loved someone else.” She says that she’s the only one who ever truly cared for and loved him and that she could never bring herself to hurt him. I’m pretty impressed with Charmaine Sheh’s acting here.
When Qianong asks her to put down the knife, she asks him if he’s worried that she will hurt Noble Consort Ling. She tells Qianlong that no, he’s the one she hates most. She collapses to the ground completely worn out and in her frustration and sorrow, she takes the knife and cuts her hair. This is an action that goes against all palace rules, consorts cannot cut their hair. It is a sign of great disrespect to the Dowager Empress and Emperor. The Dowager Empress demands to know if the Empress is cursing her or cursing the Emperor. Qialong orders that the Empress be taken back to the palace. Yuan Chun Wang, who serves as the Empress’ main eunuch, smiles to himself as he watches these events unfold. Ugh, he’s horrible.
Hongzhou who has had feelings for the Empress for a long time tells Qianlong that everything was his doing, and no blame should fall on the Empress. Qianlong orders the guards to throw him in prison.
Realizing that Yuan Chun Wang has betrayed the Empress, the Empress’ closest maidservant picks up the knife from the floor and lunges at him while he accuses her in turn for daring to hold a weapon in the Emperor’s presence. They struggle and in the process, Yuan Chun Wang takes control and stabs the maidservant, killing her.
Ying Luo, who has remained unusually quiet this whole time, accuses Yuan Chun Wang of being the one who planned everything. She recollects the personal story that he had told her many years ago, of being born into a rich family, but his father did not acknowledge him and he had to watch from afar as his brothers lived a rich, privileged life. Ying Luo tells him that she investigated his background, including his hometown, Tai Hang Shan. The Dowager Empress, obviously recognizing the name, is shocked and immediately dismisses everyone. She asks Ying Luo what she learned, and Ying Luo says that many years before, when the previous emperor, Yongzheng, was being pursued by assassins, he hid with a farmer family. Yuan Chun Wang’s mother was the daughter from that family.
Yuan Chun Wang tells Ying Luo that he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, to which she responds that she has brought those who were present at the time. She asks him if he wants to meet them. This only serves to annoy and frustrate Yuan Chun Wang further. As it turns out, Yuan Chun Wang believes himself to be Yongzheng’s son, making him a member of the Aisin Gioro royal family.
He has always held a grudge against the imperial family and he was going to use Prince He to kill the Dowager Empress and Qianlong, drive the Empress to insanity, and then betray Prince He afterwards so he can be the ultimate victor. Upon hearing this, the Dowager Empress can’t stop shaking, while Qianlong is angry that Yuan Chun Wang would use his younger brother like this. Yuan Chun Wang can’t bear it any longer and rants at Qianlong that since he entered the palace, he was assigned the worst, lowliest job in the palace. It was a life that is not suited for a person.
Ying Luo furiously asks what any of this has to do with the Fifth Prince, Yong Qi, and why he tried to poison him. Angry at being exposed, Yuan Chun Wang exposes that even though Ying Luo saved Yong Qi’s life, she poisoned herself in the process. He dares her to show Qianlong her hand. Qianlong rushes over and grabs Ying Luo’s hand. He cares about her so much, you can tell.
We see that Ying Luo’s hand is already turning black from the poison. Qianlong demands the antidote only to hear that there isn’t one. Qianlong asks Ying Luo why she didn’t tell him, and she just smiles and shakes her head.
Just then, the Dowager Empress says that Yongzheng never had an illegitimate son. If he did, she would know about it. She asks Yuan Chun Wang what evidence he has to support his story, and he says that many years ago, Yongzheng had left his Prince’s clothes at his mother’s home.
The Dowager Empress says that Yongzheng had exchanged clothes with an official at the time which means that Yuan Chun Wang has believed in a lie his whole life. Yuan Chun Wang becomes extremely angry and accuses the Dowager Empress of lying. She says that he could’ve just lived a normal life, get married and have kids, but instead he chose revenge, all of which is meaningless because it is based on a mistaken assumption. She tells him that he is not a member of the Aisin Gioro family and that he spent his life hating the wrong people. She calls him a pitiful child.
Qianlong orders that Yuan Chun Wang be taken away and executed, but the Dowager Empress intervenes and tells Qianlong not to kill him. Given how the Dowager Empress reacted after hearing Yuan Chun Wang’s hometown and her unwillingness to kill him, I think that Yuan Chun Wang may be a member of the Aisin Gioro family after all and Qianlong’s brother. After he is taken away, Qianlong says that they will return to the palace immediately so Ying Luo can receive treatment.
Physician Ye examines Ying Luo’s hand, but can only shake his head as there is nothing he can do. Qianlong says he can’t believe it. There must be something that can heal Ying Luo. Qianlong tells Li Yu (Qianlong’s main eunuch) to have Fuheng (Xu Kai) look into whether there is a cure to save Ying Luo.
After dismissing everyone, Qianlong asks what he did so wrong that people around him are leaving one by one. Ying Luo tries to assure Qianlong that she’s feeling fine when Li Yu returns with important news. Qianlong tells him that he doesn’t want to hear it, but Li Yu tells him there is news from the warfront. Ying Luo tells him to go, that she’ll wait for him. Touched at Ying Luo’s words, Qianlong takes her hand and kisses it before he leaves. Aww, that was really sweet.
Immediately after Qianlong leaves, Ying Luo starts coughing up blood. Ying Luo tells her servants to stop crying. If her three children come and see them crying, she’ll have to make up an excuse. She tells her maid that if she dies, to tell her three children that she went travelling, and didn’t want to bring them along. Aww. Physician Ye comes in to examine Ying Luo, but she soon faints.
Some time later, Ying Luo wakes up. She is informed that Hai Lan Cha (Lawrence Wong), Fuheng’s closest friend, has come to see her. Ying Luo questions Hai Lan Cha’s presence, since he’s supposed to be fighting a war with Fuheng. He tells Ying Luo that the war has ended, and Ying Luo says that she knew Fuheng would return victorious. Hai Lan Cha has returned to the palace to bring back the antidote that he and Fuheng found to cure Ying Luo’s poison.
Ying Luo senses that something is wrong and demands to know Fuheng’s whereabouts. Hai Lan Cha proceeds to tell Ying Luo the story. Fuheng became injured while seeking Ying Luo’s antidote and went on to be killed in battle. His body is being brought back to the palace. Ying Luo has a hard time accepting this news, and she struggles to stand. Hai Lan Cha apologizes for not bringing Fuheng back with him. He says that for a man of Fuheng’s position, his life purpose is to go into battle and fight to win, even if it ultimately costs him his life.
Hai Lan Cha tells Ying Luo that he has a question to ask her from Fuheng, “Wei Ying Luo, in this life, I protected and watched over you, it has been enough. In the next life, can you protect and watch over me instead?” When Ying Luo doesn’t answer, Hai Lan Cha turns to leave, but can’t help but turn back to ask, “Even if you are Qianlong’s most beloved consort, can’t you give Fuheng a little bit of hope?”
Hai Lan Cha leaves, and without turning around, Ying Luo dismisses her maid from the room. She looks into the distance and says “Okay, I promise you.” We see Fuheng as he smiles and disappears. Fuheng is such a good person… even though he wasn’t able to marry Ying Luo like he wanted, he spent his life helping and supporting her whenever she needed it.
For her punishment, Qianlong has dismissed almost all of the Empress’ servants and taken away the symbols of her rank except her title of Empress. When Ying Luo comes to visit her, the Empress asks why she spoke on her behalf to Qianlong, because Ying Luo is not the type of person who would not seek vengeance after being wronged. Ying Luo asks her if she remembers that years ago, when she was still a maidservant, there was one night when she collapsed from exhaustion. It was the Empress who saved her life by calling a physician to take care of her. The Empress says that she has long forgotten that minor incident, and Ying Luo says it’s enough that she remembers. However, in the future, neither of them owe each other.
As Ying Luo starts to leave, the Empress stops her, because she has come to a realization. She tells Ying Luo that she knew a long time ago that Yuan Chun Wang was talking Prince He into rebelling against Qianlong, and she let it happen. It is revealed that 24 years ago, Prince He was the one responsible for Ying Luo’s sister’s death. It took many years, but Ying Luo finally has her revenge. Since they are brothers, Qianlong would never have turned against Prince He unless he committed an offence as serious as treason.
The Empress asks how Ying Luo was able to get Qianlong to love her so much, and Ying Luo’s response is simple, “You cared so much, but why did you tell him? Whoever says it first, has already lost.” Lol. The Empress can’t believe it and just laughs.
Hai Lan Cha comes to the prison to deliver poison to Prince He, as Qianlong has sentenced him to death. Prince He says he understands why their father selected Qianlong to be his successor as Emperor, because he can be so cold and ruthless.
Ying Luo goes to see Yuan Chun Wang and observes that he has gone completely mad. Even so, the Dowager Empress will not allow him to be executed. When her maid asks, Ying Luo responds that it’s not important if he’s really royalty or not – he has just returned to where he came from.
Qianlong appoints Ying Luo to the position of Imperial Noble Consort, second in rank only to the Empress in the Inner Palace. Since the Empress holds the title in name only, Ying Luo essentially becomes in charge of all matters in the Inner Palace. Dressed to the nines in ceremonial clothing, she receives the respectful greetings of Qianlong’s other consorts and concubines.
After the ceremony, Ying Luo sits, holding on to the bracelet given to her by the Fucha Empress (Qin Lan). I’m so happy to see that Ying Luo still has not forgotten the previous Empress and has held on to the bracelet all these years. In my opinion, the relationship between Ying Luo and the Fucha Empress was one of the best in the drama, if not the best. Even though Ying Luo started out as being the Empress’ maid, their relationship eventually grew to where they were so much more. To Ying Luo, the Fucha Empress became her teacher and sister, from whom she learned calligraphy, poetry, and much more, and someone who deserved her utmost loyalty. As for the Fucha Empress, all she wanted was for Ying Luo to be safe and happy. Even when Ying Luo was constantly offending Qianlong and making him angry, the Fucha Empress always stood by her.
Qianlong asks from around the corner, “How does it feel? To receive the respect of everyone.” Qianlong takes in how she looks with pride, and Ying Luo responds that it feels fantastic. Qianlong asks her if she has anything to say to the man who gave her this position, and Ying Luo responds, “No, nothing to say”. Qianlong tells Ying Luo that she doesn’t have a conscience, and Ying Luo cheekily asks him why he likes her so much if she has no conscience.
Ying Luo tells Qianlong to just admit that he’s spent so much time on her, he has to receive something in return. Qianlong tells her that even if she was sick and dying, he would still pay attention to court matters first, because he is an Emperor. He isn’t one who can understand true love. Ying Luo says they are the same then. Qianlong pulls her close and tells her to answer his question again, this time properly, or he will execute her.
Ying Luo says that Qialong puts the country first, but wants her to love him most – he’s just being overbearing. Ying Luo: “I don’t have an answer to your question now, but I’ll use my life to answer. Just wait patiently”. They both laugh as the drama ends.
I think Qianlong and Ying Luo ended up making a very good couple and suited each other really well – you can tell that they must’ve had this conversation a million times before. Their interactions are adorable. Even though neither of them will admit it directly, it’s obvious that they love each other immensely and are very happy together.
Thank everyone for reading! Please leave comments with your own thoughts on this drama.
Anonymous
I think it's debatable whether Ying Luo truly loves Qianlong in the end or not. She played her entire way up to the position she is in now and finally got revenge, but with the last conversation about putting court matters first, with her heartbreaking reaction to Fuheng's death, with her explanation to Ulanara of how she successfully got Qianlong's love, and with her exposing her entire plot starting from long ago, there still seems to be a little bit of falsity. From Qianlong's side, I think his true love was the Fucha empress, and he was heartbroken over that and possibly sees Ying Luo as a replacement/stand-in.
Unknown
yl learned to loved the emperror trully after fu heng’s death,thats what how i understands
yl knows that she needs the emperrors grace for her to accomplished all her revenge plan for the empress
fu heng is such a good man,though he was not able to marry yl like what he always wanted but never fail to protect and keep her all his life in his heart
Anonymous
I have Yanxi on hold right now. I watched up to ep 42 and I can see why Yanxi has good reviews and online views. Wei Ying Luo starts out with a bang since 3 mins into ep 1 showing how smart and capable she is. I wasn’t planning to check out at first coz I can’t stomach Qing Dynasty styling especially for males, but I am impressed with all those beautifully tailored costumes.
Qian Long’s true love is Empress Fu Cha, as for Ying Luo, she is a fascination and an oddball to him coz when the rest of his consorts are craving for his affection, Ying Luo stays indifferent. He is attracted to Ying Luo mysteriousness in the beginning but after reading the finale recap, I guess he really comes to love Ying Luo.
Ying Luo and Fu Heng are first love to each other. Ying Luo love for Fu Heng does not come across as very deep since for YL, things she treasures come before FH i.e. her sister and people around her.
I don’t get too emotionally invested to the characters in the drama but still a good watch with great acting from the casts with adequate production value.
Nony
I think he loved fucha Empress and Ying Luo because they both have many things in common. Ying and Empress before she became empress seem to be of similar nature but but empress was tamed alot and tried to embody what was expected of her and be very soft and submissive while Ying stayed mostly true to her nature and only subdued a little. If Emperor was attracted to Fucha empress before they were married then he already liked nature on Ling too, unless he did not know the empress nature before they were married and she subdued herself. You can also love more than 1 person and more than 1 person of differing natures too. So to me he loves em both and i think both women characters have a lot in common.
Nony
I think he loved fucha Empress and Ying Luo because they both have many things in common. Ying and Empress before she became empress seem to be of similar nature but but empress was tamed alot and tried to embody what was expected of her and be very soft and submissive while Ying stayed mostly true to her nature and only subdued a little. If Emperor was attracted to Fucha empress before they were married then he already liked nature on Ling too, unless he did not know the empress nature before they were married and she subdued herself. You can also love more than 1 person and more than 1 person of differing natures too. So to me he loves em both and i think both women characters have a lot in common.
Anonymous
I agree too he loves Fucha empress, also seems that he had a childhood with her. But he had a crush on Ying Luo even when the empress was still alive, so maybe Ying Luo is not really a replacement. He's just impressed by her ever since the begnning for her quick thinking mouth and unusuallness of ignoring him. His duties come first so he is ruthless like his brother said, even when the empress died he will still continue on duties as usual, his life goes on, and the grieviance wasn't all that long. Although he loves empress and Ying Luo he's still quite a womanizer in someway. But surprisingly! And most amazingly! He isn't that much of an annoyance for womanizing like all other Yu Zheng past dramas. Could be because he's a king after all. In Yu Zheng's usual dramas, they often get ruined and so annoying after the main guy starts cheating for no good reason, they became extremely detestable. Or, if the men didn't cheat then they usually get rape by the overbearing jealousy women. This pattern still happened, Er Qing raped the king LOL. But glad that her scenes were not overtaking and overkilling compared to somebody like Shen Bi in Legend of Luzhen who people wished to just die arleady in each and every episodes 😛 Yu Zheng had tons and tons of those same characters all the time. They were just plainly hateful, unncessary, uninteresting, nothing creative and overly used. But all the evil ladies in Yanxi Gonglue did not happen to annoy me to death because they do have an interesting humanness thing about them that makes me actually wonder what they will be up to next.
And I believe this was really watchable because Ying Luo comes off as a very smart (even too modern minded) woman who knows an emperor is an emperor, he has many women and not worth to love him the way you would for an ordinary husband. So, people don't really tend to ship her and the emperor much, although they were still able to manage coming off as a very cute bickering couple.
Momto5
I think the way he loves Fucha empress and his love for Ying Luo are very different. His love for the Fucha empress is one laced with deep respect for her purity, her kindness, her graciousness particularly since she came from a respectable Manchu lineage. She was his wife and I guess, his first love. Yet (at least in the show), the Fucha empress was not accessible to him emotionally. She was deeply depressed over the death of her children, the position of empress took its toll on her, a free spirit and the down-to-earth marital relationship she craved never happened because he was after all, the emperor. There are layers between them. Yet they loved each other in their own way.
For Ying Luo, the attraction stemmed from the fact that she was refreshingly spunky and bold, in a time when women, let alone maids, were not expected to be. But that attraction over time grew into grudging admiration and then later, into love. Whether or not she plotted her way into his heart, the fact remains that he did love her and this is said so many times in the show (by Fu Heng), from his actions with Ying Luo. With Ying Luo and the emperor, it was a love that was born over time, through all the machinations of the palace. By the end, I believe they displayed the chemistry of a long-married couple who are comfortable with each other, who still have that playful teasing vibe. I think that's really nice – and yes, you can tell I ship Ying Luo with the emperor!
Historically, this plays out quite correctly as well. The concubine Ling, surnamed Wei, is a Han lowly born woman who came into the palace as a maid and later grew to become the Imperial Noble Consort and posthumously, the third empress in Qian Long's life. Among all the consorts, he had the most number of children with her, he also promoted her the fastest among all the consorts and when she died, he was the one who conferred the post-humous title of empress on her. So I think yeah, he did love her.
Anonymous
Don't get me wrong, I do think that Qianlong loves Ying Luo, even though his first great love was Fucha Empress, but I am doubting whether or not Ying Luo herself truly longs Qianlong considering that she admitted at one point during the show that she was using Qianlong to get revenge for herself and for Fucha Empress (she loves Fucha right up until the very end). Also considering how it seemed like she was still very invested in Fuheng and how she revealed that she knew what Ulanara was up to since a long time ago, which means that she had been plotting for a significant length of time.
Of course it could very much be true that the two of them are truly in love, but palace dramas are very complicated and the women had to be smart to survive!
Anonymous
Oh goodness, I did not know about the Yu Zheng drama situation (DramaPanda, want to do a post about that to inform the less educated people? Haha)
In regards to Qinglong/Ying Luo, like I said below, I agree that Qianlong loves Ying Luo to some degree. She's fresh in that she doesn't give him what he wants (remember when she said: "Why did you tell him" to Ulanara). But I don't know if Ying Luo necessarily loves Qianlong, since her entire motivation throughout this whole drama was revenge: first for her sister, of course, and also for the Fucha Empress. I think it might be significant that they showed her handling Fucha's beads at the end, but it might a symbol of Ying Luo's dedication to Fucha. Plus the plotting in order to rise in ranks and to gain Qianlong's trust and love, etc., etc.
I'm not sure. Ying Luo is too smart of a person for me to easily say that she fell head over heels with the man who was the husband of Fucha (essentially Ying Luo's surrogate sister).
Chua Mei Ling
Just wanna know why the empress dowager refused to kill yuan chun luo… So what's the secret… Sorry I'm used to watching tvb dramas which always explain the plot… Here I'm left hanging many times!
jo
This drama did a great job giving depth to the plot line, in large part due to the entire cast of great actors and high quality script. You can tell a lot of research went into this production. I liked TVB dramas back in its heyday, but I prefer not having to fast-forward because everyone is rehashing or dragging out the same stuff.
Re your question; my take on it was that the Empress Dowager removed Yuan Chun Luo's reason for revenge by denying his existence/his tie to Aisin Jueluo as the ultimate act of revenge. I had to clap at that kind of quick-thinking after a traumatic blow – so smart! Empress Dowager is pretty crafty, that one….and I'm sure she knew the her husband, the previous Emperor, very well. Whether or not his story is true, the Empress Dowager probably didn't want to give Yuan Chun Luo the satisfaction.
Anyhow, thinking that Yuan Chun Luo destroyed his life chasing something false made him the ultimate loser and put him over the edge into crazypants-landia. Being a victim had given him purpose and calling him a nobody, made him pathetic.
But with the refusal to kill Yuan Chun Luo (as supported by Empress Dowager's subtle vulnerably pained face at the end…and the Emperor's quivering eyes as understanding dawned on him), the emperor knew that it could be true: that Yuan Chun Luo is or might be his half-brother. She probably couldn't bring herself to kill a prince – and her character is one that is very religious and loving of her children and grandchildren (although I would bet money that Empress Dowager did some shady things in her time and hence prays all the time to make up for it).
Unknown
Adding to Jo. If you consider that empress dowager is Zhen huan in the other drama, it explains why she is so religious, having spend multiple years at the buddhist temple when she was banished. While she started sweet, she was abused by many, ordered to kill her true love and she killed a few in the end. She loved her little sister in that drama, wich ties nicely in yanxi palace where she wanted to believe Chen was the reincarnation of her.
Anonymous
It was a very addicting drama and enjoyable from beginning to end. I'm amazed I watched the whole through without subs lol so I def am missing some things. The rebellion & conclusion were all wrapped up so quickly in 2 episodes. I think the ending was a bit rushed, even though it was still satisfying. I wished they gave them a little more time for their happy ending and gave some more history about what happened afterwards. I did some googling out of curiosity and apparently YL's son, the 15th prince, becomes the next emperor. In 1761, a year later after she falls out of favor, the 2nd Empress dies. I was surprised it was a span of 24 years already at the end of the drama. I guess YL enters the palace in 1741 so she's only 13-14 years old in the beginning.
I felt so sad for Fuheng and his family. His sister died, he never really married, got a son that isn't his, and he died. I was suspicious when his wife claimed her son was the king's, I thought there was some hints that she might've had an affair with Fuheng's younger half-brother? Hai Lan Cha is a sweetheart and didn't get a happy ending either 🙁 Def am left with curiosity about Yuan Chun Wang's history but judging by the Dowager Empress' reactions seems like he was a prince. What I'm really curious about is in the beginning her last scene in ep 70, the Empress is praying and you see that one lit candle on the left while the rest are put out. I believe the last one was for the Dowager Empress but since she never killed her or got her revenge for her dad she left it for the last decade? Maybe never gave up on revenge or kept as a reminder?
Never saw the chemistry between Fuheng & YL. Only as felt they were good friends. Tbh they never had much time to interact and she was using/targeting him initially as well… Don't recall why she all of a sudden was like yeah, we're in love, lol. I do think over the years she built a fondness for Qianlong at the very least, if not more. I feel Qianlong(the man) loved YL, while Qianlong(the Emperor) loved Empress Fucha.
Anonymous
The last candle is Qianlong, she stated in episode 69 she hates him the most out of everyone but could never bring herself to kill him because she loved her husband.
Anonymous
Late on the reply but theres an article about scenes that were cut from the show to reduce the episodes. Some of the cut scenes have to do with Chenbi (which was why her storyline was so confusing and why you dont see her face in the first couple episodes) and Erqings storyline (which stated that she indeed did have an affair with Fuhengs brother and the son is his). This was why the brother was always protective of Erqing even when she did such evil things that he didnt like.
Anonymous
I love reading the discussion here! So many in-depth analysis and observation lol
Throughout this drama, I was always curious about who does Qianlong love more. Empress Fuca or Yingluo. As for Yingluo, Fuheng or Qianlong?
Knowing that Empress Fuca took a liking in Yingluo because the latter reminded her of her younger self. I feel like a part of Qianlong also loves Yingluo due to her resemblance to the free-spirited, younger self of Fuca Rongyin. However, I think their love strengthened over time because they are of equal wits. They understand each other without having to say anything. Nie Yuan said in one interview that Qianlong really did love Empress Fuca, but she's really different from him. she kind of expect monogamy and freedom, but being an emperor, he can't grant that for her. Whereas, Yingluo understands his thinking, actions, motives, and the position he is in.
For Yingluo, the love for Fuheng has turned into a somewhat life-time comrade and mutual respect for one another. He was her first love, but then has became her soulmate. Yingluo didnt fall in love with Qianlong just because he is her husband, but I feel like their similarities have built a type of love that is unbreakable over the years. A love full of trust, understanding, and sacrifices.
jo
Haha agreed, this love square was executed very well, full of balanced tension spread over the episodes.
Fucha Rongyi saw her younger self unfettered by duty in Wei Ying Luo and also knew that her brother Fuheng is a kindred spirit in wanting to follow his own heart. It's why she wanted to protect not only Ying Luo, but also their happiness together…which is why it was so tragic. That Er Qing was vicious – everyone liked to say that Ying Luo only loves herself, but Er Qing was the truly selfish one.
I agree, Ying Luo and Hong Li (the Qianlong Emperor), were a very good match for wits, but so was Fuheng in terms of intelligence. He always understood the behind-the-scene plotting machinations and did not fall into traps. One of my favorite moments was when he told the Emperor: "You have to opportunity to be with her, so you should treasure it instead of ruining it with jealousy" or something like that. Fuheng gave up his chance and lost his opportunity to be with Ying Luo, but it never stopped him from loving her. I think Fuheng's continued obvious love for Ying Luo is what simultaneously made the Emperor stew in jealousy, but also fall for Ying Luo harder. The Emperor is used to women vying for his affection and for the first time, he sorta has competition (even though as Emperor, he's in a clear power advantage).
As for Ying Luo, I think she loved both men. If Empress Fucha was burdened by her duties and loss, then Ying Luo's heart was always tied in complications due to her revenge for her sister and for Empress Fucha. Fuheng was her first love (Ying Luo was moved that someone so perfectly good also be so loving and giving to her, even after seeing her dark side). Someone who understands you, truly sees you, and also still loves you? ….yeah, Ying Luo definitely never stopped loving Fuheng – her love just changed as they both accepted their paths were not meant to be taken together in marriage. Fuheng knew and understood all this and more (i.e. that Ying Luo also fell in love with the Emperor, who loves Ying Luo so much that he grants her so many freedoms in order for her to be happy), which is why I think it was fitting his last words after saving her life by getting the antidote and being poisoned in the process were "I'm tired of protecting you, will you protect me in the next life?" So cheeky, and Ying Luo said yes! That was such perfect way to bring closure to their relationship.
sid
true . i also think so .like i had always felt that even though she did love emperor . she never truly stopped loving fuheng . and in the drama that maid ask if she could be a bit considerate of fuheng . but it was obvio that she was so sad that she could nt speak and her last words to fuheng is very meaningful , they were soulmates who were never meant to be together star crossed lovers .
jo
(second part of above comment, lols):
It goes without saying that the Emperor loves Ying Luo, but I don't think it was because she never said I love you to him. That part was kind of mehhh to me. Ying Luo had him wrapped around her finger long before that, and she could've said it and the Emperor would still be crazy for her. I think her love with the Emperor started the same way as her love with Fuheng: she played them both in order to get revenge…and ended up falling in love with both as well. She definitely got jealous when she thought the Emperor had fallen for another consort as fast as he fell for her. The path of love is wrought with competition and jealously and even when a relationship matures and feels secure, those feelings don't go away – you (hopefully) handle them better. The final scene where Ying Luo promised to show her love through her actions embodied how their relationship matured while maintaining that original spark.
There is no doubt the Emperor loved Empress Fucha – they were childhood sweethearts and she was the perfect Empress in so many ways. Her death and sorrow changed the Emperor and in the end, allowed him to better love Ying Luo. Ying Luo is essentially his second chance at love.
Lastly, I thought the Emperor's character was written and acted out very well. He's like the Chinese imperial equivalent of Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice…just way busier running the country and such, haha. But like Darcy, he has this huge prejudice against Ying Luo (also from a lower status like Elizabeth Bennet) and tries to protect the people he loves from Ying Luo while fighting his attraction and admiration. Of course, Story of Yanxi Palace is way more dynamic and fleshed out, but the basic premise is there.
Can you tell I binge-watched this entire drama and loved every minute of it? Hehee.
Anonymous
"I feel like a part of Qianlong also loves Yingluo due to her resemblance to the free-spirited, younger self of Fuca Rongyin."
Maybe that's why he didn't crown her empress, being afraid she will take Empress Fucha's footstep into losing her freedom and carefree self. But, Ying Luo is still a smart person and will handle things differently for sure. The reason of not getting another empress makes me beileve because there is that one spot for Empress Fucha.
I believe Ying Luo loves the emperor but smart to know she cannot expect monogamy from him. So she is aware not to get too attach to him. Where as Empress Fucha knows that as well, but she loves the emperor too much so she does seem to kind of expect monogamy silently although she never really say it or make it obvious.
Anonymous
Thank you for this article. Was looking high answer low on a recap of the episode because I can’t understand mandarin 100% and am still waiting for the subtitles to come out! And I wasn’t disappointed. Please keep up the good work! Because of you I had the ending explained and life is so goodnight now. THank you xoxo
Unknown
i believe that ling fei and the emperror love each other so much.
feel so sad for fu heng,at first he really need to sacrifice to marry the evil minded woman for yl to be freed.till his last breath he had protect and kept her into his life.
well it happens even to this modern day that you dnt always marry the person you love the most for some certain matters
RIP fu heng lol
i jst love fu heng character here
an army in words and deed
Unknown
fu heng is such a good man
and yl still loves him from the deepest part of her heart
but thats impossible already for she is the emperror woman
yl is a girl that knows to put limits in whatever situation
but glad to know that no matter what had happen in the past includes the fact that was not able to marry her
i love the way how fu heng help and support her all the time till his last breath
i hope theres a seperate story for their nxt life and have happy ending lol….hahahha
Unknown
I hope so too. That was an very creative idea. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed Ying Luo and Fu Heng was not able to end up together.
All is well in the end, the ending is extremely sad but satisfying in the end with their characters well acted out.
Unknown
i need to know when YL was dying from poison, before fainting, she saw a man walking past, was it Fuheng that she saw…???
could anyone comments…
Unknown
I'm pretty sure that is. Ying Luo fainted and was about to die. She met Fu Heng there but since he just walked away, that kind of symbolize that Ying Luo wasn't going to die.
It just shows how Fu Heng even at the extent of his own life, still put Ying Luo first. That was so touching.
Unknown
hope there is another drama based on fuheng & yl on next life….
Unknown
Hongli must also be included.in this life ;he wil be the loser??.if the backgroung is republic area,it will be nicer
Unknown
Next Life drama on Fuheng & yl,should be the same actor/actress
sidharth
just like one and only and forever and ever (1 is in historical sense while other is modern )
Adele Oroma
Where can I get English subtitles for this drama please
Anonymous
what happened to fifth prince. Did he become emperor?
Daph
The did not address it in the show. But in history, the real 5th Prince died early and Yingluo’s son aka 15th Prince became the next emperor. (Thats also because Qianlong lived a veryyyyy long and healthy live) so when 15th pronce was the emperor, Qianlong still hold power as Emperor Regent for another 3 years before he passed away.
The Ulanara Empress was buried as a noble consort and Qianlong was buried between his beloved Fuca Empress and Empress Wei (Yingluo’s title was amended to Empress when 15th Prince ascended the throne)
Anonymous
I believe you have done a fantastic translation almost to the exact word. This is very useful for those who do not understand Mandarin.
Unknown
an emperor knowing Fu Heng love for YL & yet he still do not bless them but instead have YL for himself ….what a selfsh man…he can have so many concubines he wants, & yet he need to steal YL from Fu Heng…
Unknown
I agreed at first, but everything turned out the way it is, and I'm happy with it.
This forbidden love (kind of) between Ying Luo and Fu Heng just highlights his character.
W..A..H
I really hate emperor for being so selfish but I hate Fu Heng as well for given up so early. YL feeling so hopeless when knowing FH is marrying another women. FH should trust YL more as she is smart women know how to pull out from trap. If only he trust her more.
Kitty
Do you not remember that Emperor Q said he would kill Ying Luo and relented only after Fu Heng agreed to marry that treacherous witch?
LilyLeeKL
In real life, is there such a man like FuHeng who will stand by his love, YingLuo even though she has married another? I just love this romantic story. I am moved to tears to see YL in pain to hear her FH has died ??.
Thank you for writing such a detailed storyline.
Unknown
so far YouTube but Viki is trying to pick it up
Unknown
Great news! Viki has licensed this summer's mega hit web drama Story of Yanxi Palace!
Unknown
Great news! Viki has licensed this summer's mega hit web drama Story of Yanxi Palace!
Anonymous
what was the story with Chen bi ? didn't quite catch her arc
Unknown
Oh boy!
With so many woman under one roof
Definitely plenty of headache.
How is the Emperor going to run the country effectively (and have the time to).
No wonder great dynasties eventually fail and falter.
Unknown
Towards the later part of the series
Came another PYT
Demure, Beautiful, Damsel-in-Distress disposition
And definitely captivating (to the Emperor)
It turns out that this newbie Concubine Chen Bi is the most vicious ingrate, liar and back-stabber.
In modern office politics, pretty prevalent.
Beware of such "chen-bi-saurus"
ps:
PYT = Pretty Young Thing.
Kudos to her acting. In just 2 short episodes, we are able to witness the 180-degree transformation from goodie-lass to the most vile-creature in the entire series.
Unknown
I loved Fuheng
Unknown
i just wished she ended up with Fuheng but overall the ending is good
Lr
clarifications:
-normally the rank of Imperial Noble Consort (huangguifei) is equivalent to an Empress-in-waiting; but in Wei Yingluo’s case, the rank is the highest an imperial concubine of non-Manchu banner origins can attain; Lady Weigiya (the RL Wei Yingluo) was of ethnic Han Chinese origin, despite the Manchu-fied clan name, hence she can never become Empress of Great Qing
(and anyways, since her son Yongyan became Jiaqing Emperor, it was understood he would posthumously promote his birth mother (who died in 1775) to the rank of Empress Consort as an act of filial piety)
-the “bracelet” Wei Yingluo holds in her hands is actually a Buddhist rosary/prayer beads
-historians theorize that Noble Consort Ling was directly responsible for Step Empress’s downfall, and some opine that Step Empress was alarmed at her promotions from Noble Lady (guiren) to Noble Consort (guifei) in a span of 14 years!
Justin
This nice series was just finished here in Ph. A bit weird tho that they sort of changed the some parts in ending, which is rather good.
It says that prince Ha was just locked in, it doesn’t say that he’ll be executed. Good since we don’t need another death, and the Empress was quite relieved with news that Lady Ling told her. Yes that’s included in their conversation scene. While the scene woth Prince Ha and Hai Lan Cha was cut off. Huhu. And…. Fu Heng, he got sick with malaria (actual history shows it’s true!) while fighting and getting the antidote, but fu heng wanted not to let the opportunity of winning the war, so rather than go home, he and the army fought.
I think that’s a more better story for Fu Heng since he’s really good at fighting only sickness can stop him, and most probably he got it from finding for the plants that can cure (and even prolong youth) for Ying Luo. This is the sad part of the ending tgat made me all teary. ? And I’m a guy! Lol. Nice series! This is actually the first C series that really got us watching.
Frank Heller
I respect everything that you have written in this blog. Please continue to provide wisdom to more people like me.
Anonymous :)
First of all I want to say how good this drama was, like every thing was just perfect the storyline, the plot and both characters and the developments they had. One my first run in watching the drama, I was so captivated in the actors performance that I forgot they were actors in the first place.
But on the second run i started picking up on things I missed, and it made suspect if there was any deeper meaning to some scenes.
IF ANY HASN’T FINISHED THE DRAMA YET I SUGGEST NOT TO READ FURTHER. WARNING!! SPOILERS!!
so anyway these are the questions I need answered:
– did wei linglou’s farther ever get bribed by concubine gao. I think it was when concubine gao’s brother was still in power and had most of the court ministers under his control. I’m pretty sure concubine gao was getting sick of yinglou so she went after her farther. But I can’t really remember I think I might have two dramas mixed up, this and “the empress in the palace”
– anywaaayyy if that was true, everyone remember when yinglou’s farther just HAD TO GET SICK ON THE NIGHT THE EMPRESS DIED and she had to go babysit his as*. And when the maids report to consort shu or chu? That “yinglou had left the palace, LIKE THEY WHERE EXPECTING HER TOOO” didn’t that also say that “now the guard dog is gone the empress…….?”( <—— can’t remember what comes after that, also don’t quote me on that can’t remember full details) that they could finally take action
(honestly I’m a little devil so I was questioning why they didn’t do the scheme while yinglou was still in the palace) soooo IS THAT A COINCIDENCE or not? Like was her farther involved in that scheme. Did he purposely get injured to keep yinglou away from the palace
– and lastly (because I’m writing to much) in episode 70 minute 32:19(don’t be calling me out for not remembering the other stuff properly, it’s just that I’ve just finished my * time watching it.) you realise how there’s still one more candle burning. Like the psycho had this pleasure of cutting/ stopping the candles from burning when she got her revenge on so and so. But why is there still one left?? Who was her last enemy ( this is the one I needed answering the most the other two are just there to make it longer)
Thank you for wasting your time on my 4 sentences question. If you reply back with answers (ESPECIALLY THE 3 ONE) to any of the questions I’ve asked if would be appreciated. Bless the kind souls that helped. I apologise for any reading difficulties you had. (Gave up on school work during lock down and due to that any educational teachings I’ve had are slowly being forgotten.BUT I REGRET NOTHING
( ◠‿◠ )
Kitty
Good for Noble Consort Ying Luo in the end, but I felt sorry for everyone except the Emperor Q and Empress Dowager.
I wonder if Ying Luo ever found out why Fuheng married that witch who used deception to get impregnated by the Emperor, betraying her former master, the first Empress! He did it because the Emperor Q said he would kill Ying Luo…
The Emperor and the Empress Dowager demonstrated ruthlessness at least twice: the Empress Dowager had the second Empress’s father killed and the Emperor refused to allow Fuheng to marry Ying Luo for what looked like selfish reasons in hindsight…
However, in the spirit of our righteous heroine, Ying Luo, I’ll forgive them.
Cláudia
O amor da vida dela é Fuheng.
Ela somente desenvolveu sentimentos pelo imperador, mas não amor de verdade. Isso fica bem claro.
Boss
It’s entirely possible to love more than one person and to do so sincerely. Why is it okay for the Emperor to have multiple loves while WY is expected to love only the Emperor? Personally, my own inclination to love is similar to WY and I’ve fallen “in love” and had serious relationships at least four times in my life but I ended up married for almost 30yrs to someone who I knew loved me more than I did him and he was okay with that. What is love anyway? I believe love should be an action that accumulates daily and incrementally. In any event, WY is exactly who the Emperor deserved. Someone who made him sit up and pay attention. She drove him into corners no one else would have dared to and in return he got to live a more fulfilling and loving life. Why then do we need to quantify WY’s “love”?
If it helps, think of Fuheng as WY’s concubine husband. Okay? Women should be allowed to have emotional relationships that aren’t sexual. My opinion of course.
Anyway, this series is a masterpiece of great writing and excellent acting. It drove up my stress level and had me talking to my self. The scale of production is staggering likewise the costumes and set design. The editor deserves an award for cutting out all those awkward long pauses and useless long walks that acts as fillers in most Chinese historicals.