Chinese Drama 2023
Under The Microscope (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
Under the Microscope poster
- Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Life
- Release Date: 2023
- Origin: China; Adapted from a Ma Boyong Novel
- Cdrama: 14 Episodes
Cast
- Zhang Ruoyun as Shuai Jiamo
- Stephy Qi Wei as Feng Biyu
- Wang Yang as Ren Chengqing
- Wu Gang as Fan Yuan
- Gao Yalin as Huang Ningdao
- Fei Qiming as Feng Baoyu
Quick Precis
It gives a glimpse to the lives of the common people during the Ming Dynasty.
Episode 1
I love this drama instantly.
It looks like Shuai Jiamo suffers from the ancient version of the autism spectrum. His first and foremost interest is arithmetic. He has a very quick and retentive memory for anything to do with numbers. He is a walking calculator. He believes that arithmetic is a precise science that is easy to understand.
He is so focused on numbers that he overlooked his personal safety that is why he has a scar just below the corner of his eye because he ignored the fact that his house is burning when he was still a young boy.
His father died in the fire and he sort of grew up in the Feng household which is ruled by Feng Biyu.
Jiamo’s best friend is Feng Bao Yu who gets him into trouble.
Anyway, their latest trouble was Bao Yu dragging Jiamo into a new gambling house. They were winning at first but the owner decided to play with Jiamo himself.
The owner cheated and made Bao Yu and Jiamo pay what they were supposed to have lost.
Feng Biyu heard this latest trouble and came to rescue the duo until everything got out of hand and they ended up in front of the magistrate.
The owner hired an ace lawyer, Cheng Reng Qing who was very eloquent and managed to push aside math corrections from Jiamo.
But Jiamo had information that cannot be ignored. It was the owner’s high income which is taxable and the town people were clamoring for transparency. But quick-witted Cheng Reng Qing managed to pacify the magistrate with money so the case was closed immediately.
This did not stop Jiamo from thinking about another case during the proceedings with the magistrate. He learned from Bao Yu that there is an archive where all land deeds and tax documents are kept.
Episode 2
Prefecture Huang came to visit the county. He was a top official so his visit was highly anticipated.
Meanwhile, Jiamo found out that Renhua had been singlehandedly paying a Silk Poll Tax for the last 100 years which is more or less 3530 per year.
However, Jiamo was ignored so he made use of ancient social media by inciting uncles and aunties to gossip and complain.
Jiamo said that he was going to sue the other seven counties for reneging on paying land tax.
By the way, Jiamo seemed to be compos mentis and only pretending to be abnormal.
Episode 3
I am loving this drama although I can’t fully understand it as based on Chinese history. But very interesting all the same.
The mature cast delivered a sublime performance and of course, Ruoyun’s forte is playing off against these mature actors. Masterclass of acting all around which makes for enjoyable watch.
Anyway, the magistrate of Jin’an did not really want to change the status quo of paying solely for the silk tax. He reckoned that 3000 taels is worth it for a peaceful co-existent with the 7 other counties who agreed with him.
However, Prefecture Huang told Jiamo privately not to give up. In fact he was giving him full support but they had to make it secret.
At first, a magistrate who was another mathematical prodigy was able to explain that the silk tax was no ordinary tax. It has something to do with the delivery of food and armaments to the army.
Everyone accepted this explanation at first but then Jiamo said that there was a change of taxation in the 10th century or there is no separate taxation anymore. The magistrate was forced to admit that Jiamo was right.
Prefecture Huang said that they need more investigation and they should allow Jiamo into the archives of the 7 other counties. This was bad news to the other magistrate. An aged Magistrate Ren of Wancheng Country pretended to collapse which interrupted the proceeding.
Cheng Ren Qing appeared during the secret meeting of the magistrate.
Episode 4
Sent to prison for revenge. Biyu gave background info to Cheng Reng Qing.
Prefect Huang told Jiamo that Jia’an was not the place to file the case.
Episode 5
Master Fan summoned Cheng Re Qing for his unprofessionalism.
Cheng Ren Qing found out that Jiamo had gone to the Provincial Capital to lodge his Silk Poll Tax issue.
When they got to the Provincial Capital, they found out that it was not easy at all to lodge a case. They need to grease some palms. An expensive exercise.
Cheng Ren Qing said that Jiamo was a dummy with a pure of heart. Jiamo ‘saved Cheng Ren Qing because he does not want to see anyone dying because it would make him scared and sad.
They almost got killed by assassins but Cheng Ren Qing saved them without them knowing
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