Chinese Drama 2017

 

Love in the Imperial Palace (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

• Genre: Historical, Romance, Palace Life
• Release Date: December 2017
• Origin: Adapted from historical figures of Qing Dynasty
• Cdrama: 22 Episodes

Cast:

• Zhao Bin as Kang Xi (Emperor)
• Li Sha Min Zi as Nian Shuyuan
• Liao Yanrong as Yin Reng (Crown Prince)
• Zheng Xiaodong as Yin Zhen (Fourth Prince)
• Wang Liyon as Xiao Zhuang Huang Tai Hou
• Liang Danni as Hui Fei
• Zheng Tuojiang as Nian Gengyao (Nian’s Brother)
• Wang Qing as Princess Rong Xian
• Sang Na as Yao Jun
• Mao Na as Princess Wen Xian
• Jiang Mengxuan as He Lan
• Wei Yankan as Yin
• Xing Cheng as Yin Ti
• Zhao Nan as Yin Zhi
• Qi Chao as Wu Ergun
• Xu Bing as Liang Jiugong
• Li Yusu as De Fei
• Qin Wei as Ning Xiu
• Bai Hongbiao as Suo Etu
• Ren Xihong as Long Keduo

 

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Episode 1

The princes are of marrying age, especially the crown prince.  King Kan Xi asked his ministers to recommend the most suitable girl for the crown prince to marry.

The ministers put forward daughters of the ministers.

The choices were varied, but one minister discriminated against the Han, which another minister objected to as a previous emperor made an edict against anti-Han as he married or had a favourite concubine belonging to the Han race.

Another minister suggested that they should have a beauty contest where the candidates will show their beauty, grace and talents.

Episode 2

The day of the beauty contest came and one of them was a reluctant Nian Shuyuan.

The girls were the daughters of the ministers and so was Nian Shuyuan.

The king was in attendance and so were his consorts.  The two princesses were there and so were the princes who stood in the balcony for a better view.

Someone played sithar, dance, etc.

Nian Shuyuan was a revelation with the sword dance, which was apparently so complicated and intricate that only a few can do it and she did it so beautiful that the king was so impressed and so were the princes, including the crown prince who already marked Nian Shuyuan for himself.

Three girls were selected including Nian to enter the palace as companions to the princesses, who wanted to study with the princes.

Episode 3

The princes were having archery lessons when the princesses joined in together with their three new companions including Nian Shuyuan.

The ladies were having a tough time holding a bow and arrow, but not Shuyuan who had a bulls eyes with her first shot and then her second and for her third, she used three arrows at the same time and again right on target.

The crown prince is becoming more attracted to her.

The princes had a polo match, which was attended by the king.  It was a pretty companionable game to start with until the crown prince was thrown off his horse.

Princess Rong Xian was a bit of a medical doctor, who saw that the crown prince twisted his back, she had to click it back in place.

The crown prince was looking at Nian Shuyuan, who ignored him.

Episode 4

Nian started to investigate why the crown prince was thrown off his horse.  She believed that it was not an accident but a premeditated action by someone.

She left the palace but was stopped at the gate because she did not have permission to leave.  Good thing the crown prince was just going out and allowed him to accompany him.

In the carriage the prince started flirting with her, thinking that she was actually waiting for him.

When she disabused him of that idea, he told her to get out in the middle of nowhere and instructed his driver to go on.

Nian was rather shocked but she was determined to investigate the crown prince’s horse steward.  She went to his cottage only to find that some ninja assassins were there killing the whole family.

Nian went to her brother, who was also at the palace as a scholar. She told him of what she found out.

He told her not to put herself in danger but wanted to know everything she found out.

Right at that time, the crown prince came in to see Nian Gengyao.  Nian wanted to leave immediately but the crown prince said that he feels insulted for being treated like a pariah by Nian.

Nian Gengyao told the prince that his sister was very tired after visiting home to their ailing mother.

As soon as Nian Shuyuan had left, her brother told the crown prince of what his sister had found out with her investigation.  That the killer of of the horse steward family was ninjas from inside the palace.

The crown prince was not really listening because he was so chuffed to learn that Shuyuan was investigating his accident, which means she cares for him afterall.

Episode 5

Princess Ronger went to the mountains to look for herbs but she did not come home.

Ning Gengyao who had a crush on the princess had advised the crown prince of what had happened.  With a couple of eunuchs with them then went to look for the princess.  They got ambushed by bandits and taken into their lair.  Princess Ronger saw what had happened.  She went to the bandits’ lair and negotiated that if she could cure the leader of his ailments, i.e. deafness and lung problem, he had to let go of the two men they had kidnapped.

The leader reneged on the deal and it ended up in a fight but the crown prince was able to get away and came back with hundreds of palace guards and rescued the princess and Ning Gengyao.

The King was not happy with the crown prince leaving the palace with proper notice.  So he punished him and his other two sons for flouting palace rules.

It was the ghost festival.  Nian Shuyuan with the other two girls went to said festival boats.

The crown prince was there and tried to stop her when she tried to leave.  The scene they were creating was upsetting one of the companion girls, who already decided and saw herself as the crown princess.

Nian Shuyuan, knowing this shouted at the crown prince to stop toying with her.

Without her knowing her childhood sweetheart Nalan had come to visit her.  But seeing that she was otherwise busy left without saying a word.

Nian Shuyuan had been waiting to hear from him.  She will be devastated.

Episode 6

The first prince wanted to become the crown prince not only for himself but to elevate her mother’s status in the eyes of the emperor.

So he took advantage of the brewing discontent and uprising from the Cewang tribe. He volunteered to fight the battle with Nian Genyiao was his deputy general.

This turn of event was not welcomed by the two princesses who thought themselves in love with Nian Geng Yao.

Anyway, the other four princes remarked to the departing First Prince that if he succeeds in this battle, he will be elevated and the king had to reward him big.

Episode 7

Nian Shuyuan had a bet with Ying Reng that if she can find a solution to the Yellow River disaster, he would start calling her ‘Teacher’.

Nian Shuyuan found a brilliant solution that impressed even the king, who left the palace to visit the site of the Yellow River disaster. He left the management of the palace to Ying Reng, the crown prince.

Ying Reng would not honour the bet because he thought it would be strange to call her teacher.

He tried to kiss her but she was so annoyed.  She called him a playboy.

Episode 8 – 9

Ying Reng does not want to call her teacher.   He confessed to her instead “Wo shi ai ni” (I like you) and said that he will marry her and make her the crown princess.

Nian Shuyuan was not interested because she loves Brother Nalan Xingde.

Coincidentally, Nalan Xingde sent a letter to Nian Shuyuan breaking everything between them.  He said he will not change his mind.

Meanwhile the mother of the First Prince was plotting to put the Crown Prince in a compromising position with He Lan so he is forced to marry her but their plan came to nought because Prince Boxu was able to save the crown prince.