The Legend of Zhuohua (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

Chinese Drama 2023

The Legend of Zhuohua (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

 

The Legend of Zhouhua

  • Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Romance, Wuxia
  • Release Date: 19 August 2023
  • Origin: China; Adapted from a web novel, She Was Once A Playful Soul, by Sui Yu Er An
  • Cdrama: 40 Episodes
  • Network: Tencent

 

Cast

Snippets

  • 22 June 2022: The filming will commence in September 2022.
  • 21 September 2022: The booting ceremony was held today.
  • 14 August 2023: News of broadcast commencing 19 August 2023.

Episode 1

I already love the first few minutes because it is so archaic so it is so funny.  The bride concubine had to bow to a chicken, then to kitchen utensils and then to needlework or something to bless her for her good housekeeping.🤣🤣🤣. Love it.

The bride is the 17th concubine to Mu Rong, the head of the Mu Clan, the richest .

While the wedding is ongoing and everyone was otherwise engaged, Mu Zhuohua, the seventh Mu daughter was escaping the mansion with her maidservant, Guo Juli.

Episode 2

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Episode 7

Never hand over your destiny to someone else’s hand.
– Zhuohua’s mother

It was the day of the Metropolitan Examination.  General Ding esprecially escorted Zhuohua to the examination centre which made the other wonder who she was.

It was a rigorous three days test.  The first test, Zhouhua tied with Shen Jinghong. The second test, her answer was correct but her poem was rough and did not rhyme🤣.  The third test is about how to deal with the war along the border, Zhouhua’s answer was bold to the point of rather subversive which shocked the tutors but General Ding understood her point while First Prince Chen was not amused.

Zhouhua, herself was not sure whether she will pass or not.  She was so different from the confident girl who told General Ding that when she tops the test, she wanted him to give his jade pendant to her.  But now even before the result had been released she had already resigned herself from not passing and had mentally prepared herself to move on and to study harder and retake the Metropolitan Examination once again in three years time.

She surprised when Juli came back all excited after checking the result to find out that Zhouhua passed and in the 17th place.

Meanwhile, the conniving Queen Dowager had her maid widen her investigate to include Zhouhua.  She wanted to know everything about Zhouhua.

Episode 8

Zhouhua who is a hit with the neighbouring brothel, threw her a celebration party.  She then got a second invite from the Holy Princess who was holding a Flower Poem Gathering where all recent passers of the Metropolitan Examination were invited.

Zhouhua was happy to go despite facing sexist and other aspersion from the male guests.

Zhouhua was desperate to win the poetry contest because of the limited edition prize so she used everything she’s got and even resorting to underhand method.

She won hands down because she made it sound as it the poem was especially written by Lord Ding.  So everyone voted for the poem.

Later on they felt there were duped.  But the Holy Princess rebuked them all.

Meanwhile, Lord Ding finally realised that there is no such thing as familial love.  When push comes to shove, everyone betrays the nearest and dearest.

Episode 9

By the by, did I mention how gorgeous Feng Shao Feng is in here.  He is even better looking than last year’s Shining Just For You.

Anyway, after passing the Metropolitan Examination, the 100 that made it can take the Palace Examination.

The test is in two parts.  Written and a personal interview with the Emperor.

Poor Zhouhua almost did not make it because something supernatural happened when she was writing her paper.  The ink pod spilled on her paper all by itself.  Everyone wrote her off because there was only 30 minutes left and it would be impossible to redo the paper.  But she did not give up.

During the interview, she managed to be coherent and logical and yet bold which pleased the Emperor.

But still when she was announced to be on the third place, no one was more surprised than her.

She is now called Tanhua Wu.

Lord Ding confessed that it was his doing with regards to the inkpod spilling.  He told her that he had to test year.

Zhouhua was so annoyed and scolded him.

:Lord Ding bowed to her in apology which shocked her and told him that she did not want him to do that.

Anyway, Lord Ding gave her his jade pendant to congratulate her in comiing third at the 24th year of Zhaoming.  He gave the jade to her despite not coming the first one.

She was also appointed as the Seven-Rank Editor in the Hanlin Academy.

The three topnotchers were Shen Jinghong who became the Zhuangyuan Jinshi having came first place.

Sun Yun Qian was now Bangyan Jinshi as the second placer.

Mu Zhuohua is the Tanshan Jinshi, the third placer.

Meanwhile, as Shen Jinghong came first during the exam.  The Emperor offered him a marriage to Princess Roujia who had just completed the 5 years mourning period for her dead fiancee.

Princess Roujia commented that Jinghong is much younger than her and also she heard that he had no plans of getting married until he becomes a first rank officer.

Poor Jinghong who is so inlove with the Princess can’t really dispute what he previously said so he just agreed with what she said.

The Emperor agreed and told the Princess that she could more or less choose who she wanted to marry.

Episode 10

Jinghong, Sun Yun Qian and Mu Zhouhua started working at Hanlin Academy.  They had become the personal tutor of the three princes.

Princess Roujia was rather upset that now that Jinhong is a court official that he would no longer see him at Jialin Hall.  But to her surprise, he was still there and promised that he will still continue to tutor the children.

Mu Zhouhua moved out of the Flower Alley as she is now an official.  Living near a brother is not really the ideal thing but her reason of moving out was to search for the house that her mother’s family used to live at.

She remembered a pear blossom near a pond so she went to visit all her new neighbours to introduce herself and to do a bit of reconnoitre.

She ended up trespassing into Lord Ding’s villa.

He ended up strangling her thinking she was an assassin.

He asked her what she was doing.

So for lack of a better excuse, she told him that she likes him so much that she moved in nearby so she could be near him.  She knew that it would only be a one-sided love but just being able to breathe the same air with him was enough for her because she knows and accepts that they can never be together.🤣🤣🤣

Lord Ding though she had gone mad.

But he let her off.

Episode 11

The first day at work ended just like in modern times.  A drink up party to celebrate new appointment.

The party was at the brothel/restaurant.  The seniors were laughing and dismissively saying that Mu Zhouhua would not turn up for being a prissy woman in that kind of establishment.

But Zhouhua did turn up and was drinking them off the table,.

Jinghong and Sun were rather protective of her but she told them that she was ok.

Nevertheless, Miss Song ushered out Zhouhua with the pretext that she had some new purchases that she wanted Zhouhua’s opinion on.

Unfortunately, whe  Shen Jinghong came to check on Zhouhua, she had without her robe so the mark on her neck was visible. One of their seniors saw them and the kiss-mark-like on Zhouhua.  He put two and two together but came out with five.

The senior can’t wait to spread the news of the new lovers of Hanlin Academy.

It trended immediately by word of mouth.  Everyone found out.

The geography lesson led to the third prince challenging the First Prince to a fight.  But the Second Prince was really the sneaky one, goading the Third Prince to challenge the First Prince.

Episode 12

The fight got out of hand with the Third Prince slashing the First Prince on the leg.

Episode 13

If I am a father, I don’t want you to be my daughter said the affronted Lord Ding to the drunk Zhouhua.

Zhouhua however did not pick him on it instead she latched on the daughter bit and told him if he wanted a daughter she can give him a daughter.

Lord Ding was intrigued and asked how she will do it.  But she was just too drunk to elaborate.

Lord Ding told the already sleeping Zhouhua to never drink to excess in front of others.

Episode 14

The Prince of Northern Liang, Yemu Jing, came for a pseudo diplomatic meeting with the Southern Chen’s Emperor.  But Yemu Jing was intent on creating havoc instead.  He brought his sister, Yemu Zhen, with him which he said was a gift to cement the friendship between their two nations.  He said that he hoped his sister is treated well as she is precious.  He then made a request to marry her off to the eligible bachelor, Lord Ding.

Lord Ding said that Southern Chen will look after Yemu Zhen and she will become as the Emperor’s goddaughter and as one of the family.

Yemu Jing’s plan was thwarted.  He was so annoyed, he took his ire on the First Prince who was able to defend himself but his would opened up again and Zhouhua had to treat it.

Lord Ding showed Zhouhuana drawing of a claw hand which was a clue to most heinous murders.  They found him within the Northern Liang troope.

Episode 15

Yemu Jing was throwing his own party and invited Lord Ding and the First Prince.  Zhouhua was also in attendance as she is an official ambassador.

Lord Ding knew that the banquet would me tricky and that he will be poisoned. But Zhouhua had this covered.  She had already formulated and concocted an antidote which made Lord Ding appreciate her more.

So during the evening party, Yemu Jing watched Lord Ding like a hawk while he drunk three shots of the Northern Liang Special Best Brew.  Yemu Jing knew that the wine will activate Lord Ding’s old toxin from the Yuanluo Flower, that is still in his system.

Lord Ding might not have been poisoned but he got so drunk, poor Zhouhua had to look after him.  And he got frisky as well and ended up kissing her under a tree.

Lord Ding could not remember what happened though so he went to find Zhouhua to ask what occurred the night before.  Zhouhua was too embarrass to say so she pretended nothing happened.

Whoa, Princess Roujia rescued the bleeding Xue Xiaotang who happens to be the hawk claw man but now without his claws.

It looks like that he might have been Roujia’s ‘dead’ fiancee.

The wicked Queen Dowager plotted to keep Lord Ding busy so he had no time to investigate what happened at Jemu five years ago.

She sent her maid to tell Yemu Jing to ask for the hand of Princess Roujia in marriage.

Episode 16

Lord Ding and Zhouhua was investigating Yemu Jing, who was surprised that despite being poisoned with the Yuanlou flower, Lord Ding remained alive.

Lord Ding and Zhouhua found out from Yemu Jing that it was Xue Xiaotang who betrayed the Southern Chen.  Yemu Jing said that Xiaotang took refuge at Northern Liang as a mute slave.

Lord Ding can’t understand why Zhouhua had been avoiding him. He started thinking that Zhouhua might like someone else, the First Prince.

Meanwhile, Princess Yemu Zhen was crushing on Jinghong.

The First Prince told Zhouhua that she could return as the princes tutor.

Lord Ding advised her not as being caught in the middle of the three princes would only put her in jeopardy.

Zhouhua, however, ignored Lord Ding.

Lord Ding thought that Zhouhua likes the First Prince so he started avoiding her.  He blanked all her request to see him.

But then he was told that Zhouhua had again begged to see him to say goodbye as he was leaving for Jianyang with the First Prince to help with the flood victims.

Lord Ding tried to see Zhouhua but it was too late.  Her carriage had pass the gates to the municipality🤣

Episode 17

When the First Prince’s entourage reached Jianyang County, they realised that the situation was much grimmer than they anticipated.

The food supply sent by the palace/court had not gone to the people and no one knew what happened to it.

Then, the rich merchants only donated pitiful amount of food and money.

So Zhouhua named and shamed all the merchants with their pittance of donations.  The people went to each of the merchants’ houses and berated them for their greed and lack of empathy.

Zhouhua went to the his father’s mansion as an official of the court.

Mu Rong at this time had 19 concubines and so many children so he did not recognised Zhouhua at all.

Anyway, Zhouhoa did not bother to tell him who she was.  Instead, she told him that she was a seventh rank official of the court and as such she was going to make the scandal about greed go away.  All he had to do was open his granary to the people.

Mu Rong refused at first but Zhouhou told him that if someone opened their granary first, they Mu Rong following suit later will have no impact.

Mu Rong agreed to Zhouhou’s proposal.

Episode 18

Zhuang Wen Feng was beating his wife Mu Ba who could not bear him children when he was told that Zhouhua was back in town.

Mu Ba was the eight daughter of the Mu Family.  Anyway, Zhuang Wen Feng told Mu Ba to make sure that Zhouhua return to him.

So Mu Ba invited Zhouhua to meet up for tea.  Mu Ba said that because Zhouhua ran away, she ended up marrying Zhuang Wen Feng.  As soon as Zhouhua drank her tea, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, she was in bed in a strange room and Zhuang Wen Feng was just entering the room.

Zhouhua was pliable and gentle towards him.  She told Zhuang Wen Feng that she was abducted by the instigation of Mu Ba so her sister could marry Zhuang Wen Feng.  Zhouhua was so convincing, Zhuang Wen Feng called Mu Ba and then had her imprisoned.

Meanwhile, Zhouhua told Zhuang Wen Feng that she wanted to beautify herself for him so she asked him to leave her for a while while she gets prepared.

As soon as he left, Zhouhua search the mansion and ended up in the warehouse where sacks of rice were stored.  She also found a few ledger but before she can get to them Zhuang Wen Feng showed up.

Thank goodness Zhijian showed up.  He took her away with him.  They were followed by a battalion of guards.  They were just too many for brave Zhijian.

A guard was attacking Zhouhua.  He cut her jade token and would have been stabbed but the guard collapsed because behind him was Lord Ding.

Zhouhua was so relieved to see him she ran into his arms.

But he over exert himself he ended up collapsing in Zhouhua’s arms.  Lord Ding was in a pretty bad condition so Zhouhua told Zhimo to take them to the Mu Mansion.

Zhouhuo asked her father to give her a very rare and expensive herb to treat her guest.

Episode 19

This is a sweet moment for Zhouhua and Lord Ding.

Mu Rong was not against Zhouhuo having a harem of her own but he told her not to fall so deeply for any man.

He was then very scathing of the Lord Ding which he did not recognise.  He thought Lord Ding was just a gigolo so he lectured Lord Ding that while Zhouhuo was at work, Lord Ding should do the housework, not to make too many demands on Zhouhua, etc.

But then he found out he was lecturing Lord Ding and he could not be more lowly in begging for forgiveness,

Meanwhile, the benevolent Princess Roujia was attacked by the mercenaries sent by the Empress Dowager.  The Empress Dowager does not want Roujia to meet Xue Xiaotang and learn the truth of what happened at the Jima River five years ago.

Anyway, Roujia ended up by the cliff and would have fallen to her death if Xiaotang did not show up to save her.  He fell into the ravine with a bandit instead.  The stress was too great for Roujia she fell into a dead faint and that was how Jinghong found her.  The First Prince also turned up and brought back Roujia to their lodge.

Zhouhua was told by Zhijian that the Zhuang Wengfeng were gone.

Zhouhua went to the Zhuang residence were she saw her Eight Sister being beaten up by her mother-in-law.

Anyway, Zhouhua knew that her sister was to wily and had found the ledgers. Her sister would not give her the ledger unless she gets tonnes of money in return.

Zhouhua was not going to be blackmailed so she turned down her sister’s demand.

Zhouhua and Lord Ding visited Zhouhua’s mentor, Master Zhang.

Master Zhang was happy with their feeding projects of the poor and dispossed but he warned them that this was like putting a band aid to a wound.  The problem is deeper.

Episode 20

Later on Zhouhua confessed to Master Zhang that she may have fallen for Lord Ding which scares her as it might derail her goal.

Master Zhang spoke to Lord Ding as well.  He warned Lord Ding that his feelings for Zhouhua might become a shackle for Zhouhua.

Lord Ding assured Master Zhang that he would make the road easier for Zhouhua.

The well fed people were happy so it was time for Zhouhua and Lord Ding to return to the Capital.  The first thing they did was to put Zhouhua’s mother’s ashes to rest.

Juli and Zhimo’s romance is heating up.

Mu Ba turned up in the Capital and got a flogging of 30 strikes for beating the drum for audience. Anyway, Mu Ba bear it.  She was then led to the court in front of the Emperor.

She grassed on her husband and Zhuang Zhixian, who was a court minister.

The Emperor ordered a prison sentence and execution and exile to those involved in the fraud and corruption.

Meanwhile, Mu Ba was lauded and rewarded with thousands of silver put a monument for her loyalty.

Zhouhua was promoted to a Director of the Ministry of Revenue while Shen Jinghong became a Human Resources Director. 🤣

Princess Roujia received loads of jewels and fabrics which she ordered her maid to convert to rice and goods for the Jinshan Hall.

The First Prince was not happy that he did not get a reward.  Later on, the Emperor told him that what he did was a normal duty of the Crown Prince who will one day be the Emperor, the protector of the people.

Zhouhua told Mu Ba that she was given thousands tael of silver.  She would not want for anything and also she was given a monument which will ensure that no one will ever bully her.

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The Legend of Zhouhua
Post Views: 1,974
Updated: September 5, 2023 at 9:00 pm
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