Chinese Drama 2022

Unchained Love (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

 

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• Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Politics, Romance
• Release Date: 27 December 2022
• Origin: China
• Cdrama: 37 Episodes

 

Cast

• Dylan Wang as Xiao Duo
• Chen Yu Qi as Bu Yin Lou
• Wang Li Xin as Cao Chun Ang
• Peter Ho as Murong Gao Gong
• He Nan as Tong Yun
• Zeng Li as Empress Rong An
• Guan Chang as Murong Wan Wan
• Cheng Zi as Bu Yin Ge
• Kang Kang as Yu Wen Liang Shi
• Li Xi Zi as Mister Lian Cheng
• Zhang Zi Jian as Bu Yu Lu
• Shi Yu as Sun Tai Qing
• Zhang Shao Gang as Yan Sun Lang
• Li Dong He as Yu Qi Lang
• Ariel Ann as Meng Jie Yu
• Lin Meng Qi as
• Xu Rong Zhen as Madame Bu
• Li Chuan Ying as Eunuch Liu
• Yang Ming Na – [Bu Yin Lou’s mother]
• Zhao Zheng Yang as Hong Wu
• He Xing Yu as Yu Zun
• Yan Ke Xin as Ruo Lan
• Joy Sheng as Li Ping Ru
• Sun Zi Jun as Qin Kui
• Hao Shuang as Bao Zhu
• Gao Yi as Zhou Cheng De
• Zhu Ya Ying – [Empress Dowager]
• Feng Ming Jing as Li Fu
• Zhang Qing Qing as Zhao Lan Zhou
• Tan Li Min as Madame Qian

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Quick Precis

Eunuch Xiao Duo saved Bu Yin Lou from being buried alive with her dead husband.  This ensued a romance between the two.

How can she have a relationship with a eunuch, I have to ask?

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Episode 1

I started watching the first few minutes and I must say I am curious and would like to continue watching it.

Anyway, it started with the death of the Emperor.

Apparently, it was a tradition to bury his consorts, concubines, and personal maids as a form of tribute or sacrifice for the dead Emperor.

Bu Yin Lou is one of the tribute ladies.  While most of the ladies were raving and crying, she was rather stoic and told a particularly sad concubine that she will not die, they both will not die because she has a plan.

The Empress paid a ransom for her niece Miss Zhang.

Meanwhile, Bu Yin Lou had an idea of inserting chopsticks into their mouth to their throat so they gagged and seemed poisoned.  Being unhealthy meant they become disqualified as tribute ladies.

Unfortunately, when Bu Yin Lou went home, her mother told her to go back because being a tribute lady will bring glory to their family.

Her mother went so far as go see the eunuch in charge of the tribute ladies.  She paid him off to make sure that Bu Yin Lou is included which surprised the eunuch.  He said to his assistant later that many screamed and begged for their daughters to be allowed home but not Madame Bu.

He did have his own answer.  Apparently, Bu Yin Lou is not Madame Bu’s legitimate daughter.  Bu in Lou’s death as a tribute lady will ensure her legitimate brothers are promoted at work.

The Empress is now the ruler of the kingdom being the queen dowager until Prince Rong had grown up.

In actuality though, it is a handsome eunuch who is the power behind the throne.   He said that he is the ears, the mouth, and the hands of the late Emperor. He is Xiao Duo and he got his power from implanting spies everywhere including in officials’ households so he knows what is going on.

Still, he kowtows to the Empress who fancies him something rotten. She wanted some loving despite still having the body of Noble Consort Shao in her living room who she poisoned.

Xiao Du told her that he is deformed and that the Emperor had just died and to be gossiped about for having hanky panky will not be good press for her.

Xiao Du was aghast when he found out from the Empress that she was joining hands with Prince Nanxing.

Xiao Du actually has an ultimate goal.  To carry out his revenge on Prince Nanxing for the death of Ah Dou.  Now that he found out about the Empress and Prince Nanxing, he said that they can both die together.

I must admit, Dylan Wang and Zeng Li are really good in their roles.

As Prince Rong is still little, Xiao Du was plotting to put Murong Gao Gung as the intermin ruler but when he went to see Murong Gao Gong, he found him diffident.  Murong asked Xiao Du to save Bu Yin Lou, who at that moment had been ushered together with the other tribute ladies into the Tower of Sacrifice where they will be entombed to their death.

Episode 2

Xiao Du was just in time to save Bu Yin Lou who was already hanging from the ceiling just like the other sacrificial ladies.

Xiao Du ordered that Bu Yin Lou be brought down from her suspension from high above but the eunuch in charge was taking his time complying.

Bu Yin Lou fell down by herself after she managed to break the long cloth holding her up by the neck.

The Eunuch said that he could not really take her off the list because there should be an exact number of 12.

Xiao Du was prepared for this and presented the eunuch with the body of Noble Consort Shao.  Later on he ordered that the eunuch get 50 lashings.

Bu Yin Lou was promoted to Noble Consort Duan.

Xiao Du told Bu Yin Lou to ensure that the Empress is otherwise engaged so he has a chance to abduct Prince Rong.

Episode 3

Bu Yin Lou was more in fear of Xiao Du rather than the Empress so during a get together of the remaining concubines, Xiao Du set the Empress on fire ‘accidentally’ as a delaying tactic which was good enough as Xiao Du managed to take Prince Rong who was screaming his head off.

Bu Yin Lou came to the rescue and pacified the young prince who said that he does not like the hateful empress who killed his mother.

Xiao Du managed to take Prince Rong out of the palace and sent him to Murong Wei’s palace.

Xiao Du realised the Murong Wei would do anything for him if he sort of involved Bu Yin Lou.

So his next task for Bu Yin Lou was to pamper and be a sycophant to Murong Wei/Prince Fu.

I am not sure how to take Chen Yu Qi as Bu Yin Lou.  She is gawky, can be stupid, and has a scary bulging eye at times when she gets excited.  Hope her acting improves a little bit because Dylan Wang can’t really carry the whole drama solely on his shoulders, though he tries.

Episode 4

There is no consistency in the script.  Xiao Du is supposed to be so ferocious, one look could shrivel someone on the spot but Yin Lou’s maid heard a little knock inside the room where Xiao Du and Yin Lou were and she was going mental.  Prepared to go inside to save her mistress.  And she did as well and found Bu Yin Lou begging Xiao Du on her knees.

Anyway, it is getting interesting.

The backstory between Yinlou and Prince Fu was that she saved him when he was locked up by his brothers in a darken room when they were little.  From then on he idolised Yinlou but still has a little phobia of darkness.

And this became a big problem.  He was alone in his workshop doing his painting when someone childishly put their hands on Prince Fu’s eyes from behind.  Prince Fu was so surprised he pushed that person behind him rather roughly.

The person was Prince Rong who was found dead from his head wounds.

Xiao Du was called.  He was very upset because he did promise the young prince protection.

Anyway, they had a contingency plan.  They had a realiable servant believe with his own eyes that the dead Noble Consort came for her son.  The boy fell inside the coffin of his mother.

And that is how the Empress saw Prince Rong, dead in his mother’s arms.

As the spare to the throne was Prince Fu, Xiao Du declared him as the new Emperor which made the Empress very livid.

The Empress plotted to discredit Prince Fu.  She had Yinlou kidnapped and lock in a room with aphrodisiac incense burning inside the room.

The Empress had already sent a message to Prince Fu that Yinlou is locked up in the room.  The Empress thought that the effect of the aphrodisiac would overwhelm the Prince.  She can then say that the prince killed Yinlou in a fit of madness and lust.  He can then never be Emperor.  The Empress had already picked up a lookalike for `Prince Rong.

Episode 5

Xiao Du was put in a quandary.  Assassinate Prince Nanying or rescue Prince Fu but really it was Yinlou.

He chose to rescue Yinlou who told him that she suspected that there was something iffy about the room because the incense burner is too prominently located by the bed.

Yinlou assured him that she turned the light but then she poured the ashes directly into Xiao Du’s face.

After a few minutes the effect of the aphrodisiac was working but he tried to fight it and when he pushed Yinlou outside, she was so disappointed.  She was knocking to get back in.  Don’t blame this saucy woman, Xiao Du is gorgeous.

Anyway, Prince Fu finally became the king.  It looks like that he would not be as easy to control as Xiao Du thought because he is easily manipulated by everyone, especially by his head eunuch.

Episode 6

Xiao Du was jealous of the Emperor’s fondness for Yinlou.  He confiscated the wooden lantern that the Emperor made and then gave it to Yinlou, saying that it was violating made palace’s rules like health and safety as well as decoration.

Xiao Du plotted to finish the relationship before it even gets started so he told the Emperor that there are rumours of his closeness and constant visits to his sister-in-law, Yinlou.  Xiao Du added that it was unseemly for the Emperor as well as for Yinlou’s reputation.

The Emperor was shocked. Instead of keeping away, he immediately went to Xiao Du and hugged her tightly telling her that he will protect her and make her his consort.

Xiao Du let him hug her but then she turned him down saying that she does not want to be a consort because she has been there and done it.  She wanted to be free. She wanted to do what she wanted.

The Emperor said that she could if she is the Empress but Yinlou said that she wants to be able to come and go.  She wants to live free.

The Emperor was crushed but he let her go.

Xiao Du who heard everything arranged for Yinlou to leave the palace ground and live at the mausoleum, where he intend to keep an eye on her.

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