Chinese Drama 2023
Blooming Days (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)
Blooming Days poster
- Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Romance
- Release Date: 23 October 2023
- Origin: China
- Cdrama: 36 Episodes
- Network: Tencent
Cast
- He Hong Shan as Luo Qinglian
- Peter Ho as He Lianxin (3rd Son of Prince An)
- Morni Chang as He Yun Shuo (Prince of An, Duke)
- Li Jin Rong as He Lian Chu (2nd Son of Prince An)
- Shen Tai as He Lian Xiu (4th Son of Prince An)
- Li De Long as He Lian Zuo (5th Son of Prince An)
- Xie Chen as He LianZhi (6th Son of Prince An)
- Chen Peng Wan Li as He Lian Qi (7th Son of Prince An)
- Li Hao as He Lian Hua (8th Son of Prince An)
- Niki Chow as Fang Huai Rui (Lianxin’s first wife)
- Fan Zhen as Li Qian Mo (Lianxin’s concubine)
- Huang Sheng Yi as Mu Hai Yao/Lady Yao (Lianxin’s favourite Concubine)
- Huang You Ming as Lu Bei Yi
- Gao Shu Guang as Offical Luo (Qinglian’s father)
- Luo Hai Qiong as Madame De
- Zeng Yi Xuan
- Xia Nan as
- Jinna Fu as Xie Qing Han
- Xu Ling Chen – [Qing Lian’s young brother]
- Qi Ji as Xie Qing Han
- Dong Yan
- Wang Ruo Xi as Sun Kang Min
- Zhao Yu Tong as Ce Lun
- Chen Qian Hua as Ling Wei
- Jiang Rui Lin as Luo Zhan Ang
- Qi Er Luo as Jia Yi Guan
Snippets
This drama was filmed in 2019 and would have been shown this May 2023 but got postponed for technical reasons.
Episode1
It has been 30 years and the prince was still waiting for the return of the dead, Fu’er.
So it was arranged to find a lookalike of Fu’er.
Madame Jinfang, who was the lady’s maid of Fu’er noticed Luo Qinglian’s uncanny resemblance to Fu’er.
Lady Yao, the influential concubine of the Third Prince, was told about Luo Qinglan so she plotted to get Qinglian by hook or by crook. She was trying to earn extra points for the Third Prince so he could inherit the seat from his father.
Lady Yao used Qinglan’s mother’s avarice to trap Qinglan.
Qinglan was forcibly taken during her wedding to Lu Bei Yi, a medicine doctor.
Episode 2
Luo Qinglan was trained by Madam Jinfang to the art of being a lady.
Episode 3
It was the day of the selection.
It went horribly wrong for Luo Qinglan when she kindly shared the basin of water meant for her to the other girls. It turned out that the water was a poisonous acid which killed the girls instantly.
Li Bei Yi tried to save her but he was arrested and then demoted into a slave with an added proviso that it was hereditary so even his future children and their generation will remain to be slaves, they cannot buy properties or engaged in their own business.
Madame Jinfang took the punishment for Qinglan and killed herself.
The Prince said that Qinglan had to work as a slave for Prince Zhao, the Fifth Prince, while investigation was being carried out to find the real culprit for the toxic water.
Episode 4
The Third Prince went to see his brother, the Fifth Prince. He exchanged a thoroughbred horse for Qinglan.
Life at the Third Prince harem is pretty dangerous for Qinglan.
Lady Yao had been setting her up. Qinglan almost got killed when a flower pot almost fell on her head. When she looked up there was a cat. What she did not see was the maid that push the pot.
The cat was killed and Qinglan was blamed for it. The cat was a pet by a young prince, the son of the legal wife of the Third Prince.
The young prince blamed Qinglan. But later on, she spoke with the young prince and reminded him that he knew she liked Pompom, the cat.
The young prince believed Qinglan but he got emotional because he knew who really had the cat killed.
He went to Lady Yao who pushed him accidentally. He knocked his head on a furniture and died instantly.
She wanted to confess to the Third Prince but one of her maid said that they could blame Qinglan. They carried the body of the young prince into Qinglan’s quarter.
I am really liking this drama. It is fast-paced but the blooming days are still far from happening.
Episode 5 – 6
They really pack situations in every episode.
Yes, Qinglan was blamed for the death of the young prince. As Qinglan refused to admit what she did, the Third Prince was going to kill her but he was stopped by his guard reminding him that the Duke/Prince had ordered him not to treat Qinglan as a mere concubine.
Anyway, the Third Prince punished Qinglan but imprisoning Lu Bei Yi in a cage in the heat with no food or drink.
It turned out that Lady Yao’s made is working for the eldest First Prince who does not trust his brothers especially the Third Prince. He suspected that the Third Prince was not the simple womaniser he was supposed to be. He thinks that he was up to something.
One of the concubines of the Third Prince confessed that she saw someone carrying a sack that looks like there was a child inside it. The maid was Lian’er, Lady Yao’s maid.
Before Lian’er was interrogated about it, Lady Yao had her killed already.
Meanwhile, the Duke issued an edict for the First Prince, the Third Prince and Qinglian to make a pilgrimage to the Ancestral Tomb.
They were ambushed. The third prince was hurt pretty badly and Qinglian had to save him and hide him in a cave while the First Prince who masterminded the ambush that killed many ordered an extensive search for the Third Prince and have him killed.
Episode 7 – 8
It was a perilous few days for the Third Prince as he was not only being hunted but he was badly hurt as well. Qinglian had to find a physician to cure him.
He did get better after a few days and even told Qinglian that because she had been so good to him, he will allow her to leave and live the life she wanted outside.
Qinglian was preparing to go when they were spotted by Qinglian’s rather excited maid. The maid related the sad fate of Lu Bei Yi.
Lu Bei Yi went to their old hometown where he was expecting to find his family. He did find them but they were all dead. They killed themselves because without dignity for being mere slaves all their lives is no better than being dead.
Qinglian asked her maid to take her to the gravesite of Beiyi’s family. Beiyi was away looking for wood to make markers for the graves.
Qinglian waited for a long time. The Third Prince stayed with her but then assassins came out from the woods.
Though the Third Prince fought with all his might, there were just too many of the assailants. But at the last minute, He Lian Qi turned up with his guards and managed to rescue the Third Prince.
Qinglian was just leaving but He Lian Qi went on bended knee begging her to return with them as Prince An would be unsettled if she vanishes.
With the promise that Beiyi would be exonerated from being a slave, Qinglian agreed to return.
The Third Prince let it be known that Qingliang was the new wife on the block, an important wife rather than an ordinary concubine.
The Third Prince gave her the much sought after villa overlooking the Weishi pond.
He asked Qinglian who was the real murderer of Hui’er, his son.
Qinglian said that she does not have a real evidence but her gut feeling tells her that it was Lady Yao.
Prince of An awarded his sons with formal titles. Fourth and Fifth sons got titles but not the Third Son.
But then, Prince An made a special announcement that the Third son will be in charge of something.
At another court meeting Prince An announced that they can’t help the people in need because they have run out of money. The treasury was empty as all their capital and resources had been lent out.
The Third Prince who was known for being idle and he cultivates the image was tasked to collect debts.
Meanwhile, his harem was in chaos.
Two of his concubines, Lady Yao and Lady Qiaomo are pregnant.
But something happened. Qiaomo’s made found the hairpin that Qinglian dropped. The maid gave it to Qiaomo who strategically undid all the beads and spread them to where Lady Yao was likely to walk.
Lady Yao had a miscarriage and had summoned Qinglian to punish her but then The First wife and concubines came to Lady Yao’s villa to ask how she was.
Lady Yao pretended that she was still pregnant which shocked Qiaomo and divulged so many information about the fall including Qinglian’s hairpin.
Lady Yao knew who masterminded her fall and subsequent miscarriage.
Episode 9 -10
As Lady Yao and Qiaomo have the same due date, Lady Yao still pretended to be pregnant and was about to give birth as soon as she heard that Qiaomo was in labour.
There was a plot of snatching Qiaomo’s baby and substitute Lady Yao’s baby which was being kept in the ice plant.
Someone snitched to the First Wife that Lady Yao’s baby was dead so when the First Wife heard that Lady Yao was in labour, she went to Lady Yao’s villa and insisted to see her but she was prevented by Lady Yao’s strong guards and maids.
It seemed the hierarchy at the Third Prince harem had changed.
Episode 11
He Yuan Xue, Prince An’s daughter escaped from the palace and witnessed the death of Official Li by an assailant who made it appear that it was a suicide.
Yuanxue was saved by Lu Bei Yi.
The First Wife tried to get Qinglian’s help but Qinglian said that she was pushed for time as she had a more pressing and important thing to do. She turned down the First Wife despite kneeling before Qinglian.
This was because Qinglian heard that Third Prince was in trouble, having been ambushed.
The Second Prince instigated thee ambush by assassins and ordinary people who were asking for justice on the death of Official Li who is a people’s person. Official Li was Qiaomo’s father. The news of her father’s supposed suicide was what brought her labour earlier than expected.
Anyway, it happened. Qiaomo’s baby boy was exchanged for Lady Yao’s miscarried baby.
Lady Yao is now the queen bee of the harem which was what the First Wife feared would happen.
When Qinglian finally reached the Third Prince, the skirmish was all over. The hero of the fight was Lu Bei Yi was an ace martial artist.
Qinglian and the Third Prince was having a mild PDA when Lu Bei Yi saw them.
Qinglian and Lu Bei Yi had a heart to heart when Lu Bei Yi said that he was now working as adviser to the Third Prince.
Qinglian was shocked and felt guilty that Lu Bei Yi was in the state that he was because of her. She promised him as the moon as witness that she will do everything to make him not an outcast.
Back at the court, Prince An was happy that monies are aplenty once again. He rewarded General Mo for services rendered.
He threw a private banquet for the Third Prince and his three main wives.
Episode 12
Whoa, I did not expect that!
Mu Tian Shu, brother of Lady Yao was rewarded handsomely for services provided to the the third Prince to carry out debt collection and helping distribute aid to the dispossessed.
Lady Yao was behaving like a spoilt brat when Prince An rewarded the three wives with beautifully handmade fans.
Lady Yao created such a fuss about wanting the pink peony fan that the First Wife had already chosen. Lady Yao said that she was a mother to the Third Prince’s new born baby son. She even asked Prince An to mediate who should get the fan, whether her or the First wife.
Prince An tried to pacify the brattish Lady Yao telling her that he had another similar fan but give the fan to the First Wife.
Lady Yao took her time fiddling with the man and when she gave it to Lady Yao, it broke. It shocked everyone because it was an insult to everyone.
Mu Tian Shu immediately went on bended knees to apologise for his sister who he knew had gone too far.
Prince An said that it was up to the Third Prince to punish Lady Yao and they all looking at him.
So the Third Prince issued such an unexpected punishment. Lady Yao was to be demoted as a commoner and had to leave outside their palace.
Lady Yao was shocked.
Later on, the Third Prince was talking to Qinglian. They realised that it was actually all a set up to oust Lady Yao.
Qinglian said that she more or less guessed what would happen. She knew that Prince An hated nepotism amongst the secondary families. As the Mu are getting more powerful with Lady Yao intending queening it in the harem, Prince An wanted her gone and left the expulsion to the Third Prince to test him if he has the guts to carry out unsavoury things with character.
The Third Prince said that he had avenged his son Hui’er.
He then asked Qinglian what she wanted most, he asked if she wanted to be the first class concubine or even the primary wife but Qinglian turned the offer down. But she said she wanted Lu Bei Yi to be not an outcast anymore.
This killed the romantic moment between Qinglian and the Third Prince who had been wooing her.
Episode 13
Lady Yao was expelled from the main Villas and moved to secondary villa in the outskirts of the city.
She begged the Third Prince to have someone accompany her on the lonely travel to the remote villa. And of course Qinglian was chosen to be the companion.
Lianxin and Lu Beiyi followed the carriage. Beiyi, of course is now the adviser to Lianxin.
Inside the carriage, Lady Yao indoctrinated Qinglian about how untrustworthy Lianxin was and that he will ultimately betray everyone for his own sake in a heartbeat just like what he did to her. To give gravitas to her pronouncement, Lady Yao said that contrary to what Lianxin said, he will never upgrade Beiyi from being an outcast, infact he will kill him when he inherit from his father.
Lady Yao push out Qinglian from the moving carriage knowing that the deed was done. She had given Qinglian enough food for thought.
And she was right because despite being rescued by Lianxin she was mooning over Beiyi. Finally Lianxin got fed up with it especially when Qinglian demanded if he would really release Beiyi from his slavery.
Lianxin said no and then ordered that it was the night that Qinglian would share his bed.
The next morning almost the first person the traumatised Qinglian met as she was leaving Lianxin’s villa was a shocked Beiyi.
Beiyi later threatened Lianxin. Lianxin told him to stab him with his sword if he dares but Qinglian was his woman.
Lianxin was a good judge of character, as he told Qinglian, Beiyi is an ambitious guy so he knew that injuring or killing Lianxin would be the end of him. So he gave up and instead went drinking with the horny Princess Yuanxue who fell for him when he saved her from the killer of Official Li.
Beiyi was not the only who wanted to kill Lianxin. Qinglian was also had plan of stabbing him with her hairpin but then the the 7th Prince, He LianQi came to see her and told her the backstory of Lianxin.
Lianxin was a neglected child. His mother, Madame De, was absolutely uncaring towards Lianxin and biased toward the 8th Prince. She used to give everything to the 8th Prince including cloak given to Lianxin as a reward,
The only one that really cared for Lianxin was Madame Yi who looked after him unitl he was 9. It was Madame Yi who handmade another cloak for Lianxin to cheer him up. The cloak became Lianxin’s prized possession. And the fact that he gave it away to Qinglian which she was now wearing meant so much.
That evening, Qinglian was summoned to have a drink with Lianxin.
He said that he knew how she wanted to kill him. He said to drink and then she could do it. He then gave her his dagger as he continued drinking.
Episode 14
The departure of Lady from the harem, created a vacancy so another concubine was quickly put in place who was planted by Ruan Zei Mi, the wife of the 4th Prince, who also happens to be Lianxin first love.
The new slave concubine was Nan Ru Zhen who Qinglian met and knew immediately that she will be trouble.
True enough, Qieye Villa caught fire while Lianxin was away on business. Qinglian just managed to grab the cloak she previously returned to Lianxin.
Anyway, she was going to report what happened to Lianxin when he returned but when she tried to, she was prevented from seeing him because he was otherwise engaged with Nan Ru Zhen.
So after waiting for a while, she decided to go back to her villa.
The next morning, gifts galore was being showered to Nan Ru Zhen because she managed to beguile Lianxin on her first day.
A newly awakened Lianxin heard the commotion and announced that there had been a mistake, take the gift away.
Nan Ru Zhen knew that she really did not make an impression to Lianxin, much more when he found out that Qinglian came to visit him.
He dressed immediately and went to see Qinglian who would not see him as she was resting as she was under the weather.
Lianxin was concerned that she was not feeling very well. He opted to sit and wait for her on her doorstep.
Qinglian was forced to come out but she fainted.
Beiyi who is now Lianxin’s shadow examined her. He was staggered to find out that Qinglian was pregnant.
Lianxin was over the moon. But Qinglian was not. She was contemplating abortion because she thought that it would be kinder not to exist rather than live in the the harem. Beiyi was shocked.
Lianxin overheard what Qinglian said and he went absolutely mental. He told her that he owns everything in his domain including her and what is inside her body. So does not get to decide.
Anyway, the news got around that Qinglian was pregnant. Prince An was overjoyed.
Episode 15
Qinglian confessed to Prince An that she wanted to leave the harem to protect her baby from the harem politics.
Prince An looked at her and showed her the lotus flower. He then told her that she could leave if she wanted to.
The simplicity of his pronouncement made Qinglian have second thought so she told Prince An that perhaps she has to give herself more time to think.
Qiaomo was so jealous of Qinglian so she asked Madam Ruo to help her get rid of Qinglian and her baby.
Madam Ruo asked Qinglian to go for a walk with her knowing that a rabid dog with surely attack Qinglian. But Madam Ruo had a second thought and tried to persuade Qinglian to return to her villa. Qinglian said she had been cooped up in her villa, she wanted to perambulate a little longer.
The dog did go for Qinglian but Beiyi was quick and kicked the dog. The incident was investigated and Qiaomo was found to be the culprit. She was expelled from the harem and her baby taken from her and given to the First Wife.
Episode 16
Qinglian’s sister came to visit. She was the most annoying character ever. She was so rude, Qinglian slapped her.
The sister then went humpy and of course became a willing accomplish of Nan Ru Zhen.
Again, Qinglian had a misunderstanding with Lianxin who went home and got drunk with Nan Ru Zhen at his beck and call.
Nan Ru Zhen’s maid ordered that the gate to the villa is closed and not to admit anyone, no exemption.
Qinglian went to see Lianxin but she she slipped on the beads scattered on the ground. She was so helpless and started to have contraction. Her guard shouted for help but the villa’s door remained closed.
Her guard took her back to her apartment but it was too late. Even miracle doctor, Beiyi could not save her baby.
Episode 17 – 18
Early in the morning, Lianxin was woken by his panicked guard. He told Lianxin that something bad had happened to Qinglian.
This really woke Lianxin and went out to find Qinglian kneeling in front of the red gate clutching their dead baby.
Lianxin was gutted but Qinglian told him that it was his fault that their baby died. She then took off the jade ring he gave her and threw it which smashed into two. This made Lianxin know that Qinglian would not forgive him.
Qinglian fainted in distressed and was in a coma for a few days.
Everyone was so worried that she was not waking up. Lianxin, lifted her and hugged her and told her to wake up.
She then woke up and looked at him as if he was a stranger. She calmly asked him to demote her into a commoner and make her live at the secondary courtyard.
Lianxin agreed because he knew he owed her.
Qinglian with her maid and guard travelled to the secondary courtyard. The place was so derelict but for Qinglian it did not matter.
Their neighbour was Lady Yao who at first made their life miserable.
Meanwhile, Prince An convened a court of inquiry to the death of his longed for grandson from Qinglian.
He had the guards and the maids summoned. Prince An immediately found out that the culprit was the maid.
The maid poisoned herself but before she died, she pointed at the heir as the mastermind.
The heir was so shocked because he did not even know the maid. But then a piece of paper was found. It was a note he wrote that the baby in Qinglian’s womb should be killed. This was a jest amongst the brothers when they had their get-together, Lianxin did not take the note seriously and knew his brother was not so evil.
They both know that it was the work of the 4th prince.
Prince An however grounded the heir for two years.
Yes, two years later…
Qinglian’s maid asked her what was her future plan… She said that Nan Ru Zhen will pay for what she did to her baby. Qinglian heard tht Nan Ru Zhen had been elevated to being a side concubine.
Episode 19
I am really into this drama. Love it.
Beiyi is a double agent. He was also working for the 4th Prince who managed to create such a stink, Prince An deposed Lianchu as the heir apparent to Prince An.
This was because Lianchu had a breakdown after being humiliated by Prince An to have a contest with his 11 year old brother over a gun Lianchu really wanted, He got so frustrated so instead of shooting a teacup as a target, he shot his young brother.
Lianxin would have accompanied Lianchu to speak and plead to their father but Qinglian turned up and prevented Lianxin from going. She told him that if he goes he will be implicated and it turned out she was right. Lianxin was enchanted and asked her if she missed him at all.
She said how can she when she thinks of her baby all the time who died because of him. She then left him.
Anyway, Qinglian was almost poisoned by the Ma Brothers who Qinglian had treated as part of her family in the Secondary Courtyard.
Qinglian confronted them. The Ma said it was not about money. They were really sorry but before they could elaborate who asked them to kill Qinglian, assassins came attacking. The Ma Brothers helped Qinglian’s guard to protect her.
As the Mas were really not fighters, they got fatally injured. One of the brothers managed to whisper to Qinglian that Nan Ru Zhen was the one who forced them to poison her.
When an assassin was about to attack Qinglian, Beiyi showed up.
Lianxin heard about the attack and hurried to check on Qinglian. When he found her, she pretended to have lost her marbles. She has gone crazy. She does not recognised him. But he noticed that she was wearing a necklace and the pendant was the jade ring. He was so happy. He bought her crazy act. He thought deep down Qinglian loves him so he began to hung around her, neglecting his duties that would put him in the running for heir status,
This was reported by Beiyi to the 4th Prince. Beiyi advised the fourth prince not to get comfortable because Lianxin might be playing a long game.
Episode 20
Qinglian continued to pretend to have lost her mind. Lianxin actually prepared her to be a bit loopy because she seemed so happy. He reckons that if she becomes compos mentis again, she might asked him to leave and never to see her again.
Anyway, despite to be seemingly crazy, she was able to help Lianxin with reinstating Lianchu but turning up at the campsite with a cushion as a baby. There she pathetically asked for Lianxin to help her look after their baby.
It made Prince An remember that he promised Fu’er that Lianchu will be his heir. Fu’er would be upset in the afterlife if he renege on his promise so Lianchu is back as heir.
Lianchu late said that Lianxin helped him regain his position not because Lianxin loved him particularly. He believes Lianxin has his own agenda.
Beiyi found Lianxin getting drunk and feeling sorry for himself. He kept telling Beiyi that he envies him so much because Qinglian loves him.
Qinglian was very quiet at her manor. Dongli mentioned her concern to the guard that because Qinglian was pretending to be crazy, she might have really gone crazy.
The guard told her not to be stupid.
Anyway, a drunk Beiyi turned up in the middle of the night. Qinglian told him to go home as he seemed to be worst for wear.
Beiyi told her that only if he drunk that he could tell her what he was about to say.
He then told Qinglian that he had let her down so many times. He was given a chance to run away with Qinglian but he turned down the chance each time. He was more concern about overturning his outcast status that be with Qinglian. He was now setting her free.
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Episode 24
Episode 25
Episode 26
Episode 27
Lianxin was finding it hard to locate the kidnapped Qinglian. They looked everywhere for Qinglian but they can’t find her.
Dongli, Qinglian’s maid, remembered something when Prince Yi tended to her would and mentioned that insect bites differ from area to area. Dongli then said that the kidnapper has a raw long would on his hand. This gave them a clue to where Qinglian was taken.
Poor Qinglian was in danger of being raped so she put her hairpin against her neck and said that she would kill herself if someone comes near her.
Anyway, Lianxin just came in time and rescued Qinglian, who after a nap went to see a very worried and solicitous Lianxin. She told him that she knew what they were looking for in Hongzhou. It was the armoury.
Suddenly the game plan changes, Lianxin does not trust any of his many brothers anymore including Prince Yi.
But Qinglian said to give Prince Yi the benefit of the doubt.
They found the armoury. It contained the Royal Seal and a document listing all of Prince An’s corruption and it was signed by Prince Lianchu, the heir.
This was fatal for Lianxin because it was him who encouraged Prince An to reintall Prince Lianchu as the heir.
Anyway, Dongli is developing a crush on Prince Yi who she found stoke the seal and document. She told him to return it and she made a good argument.
They were back in the city, Lianxin told Prince Yi that he might not see him again as he was going to be surely punished by Prince An.
Prince Yi, however, said that Lianxin was his most dearest brother and nothing had change.
Lianxin was preparing to go to Prince An to report when someone announced that Prince Yi had gone to Prince An rather than going home.
Dongli finally confessed what she knew.
Lianxin was irate but Qinglian begged him not to put Prince Yi in danger. If he had to lie then he must to cover for Prince Yi.
And this was what Lianxin did when Prince An asked him if knew or seen the Royal Seal and document before. He said that he heard about it. but had never seen until today.
Anyway, a royal decree had been issued. Poor Lianchu was the real victim. He was deposed again for mental illness reasons and would be forever out of the running for the Prince An title. Prince Yi was going to be sent to the border.
Episode 28
Prince An doted on Nanzhou, Lianxin and Qinglian’s son. When Prince An announced a memorial celebration, life for 12 years old Nanzhou became dangerous as he became the subject of envy and therefore, assassination.
To protect him, Qinglian moved with him at Prince An’s palace.
Madam De who was mother ot Lianxin and Lianhua even tried to poison her grandson as she was desperate to have her favourite second son, Lianhua to be the heir to Prince An.
Meanwhile, General Mu told Lianxin to take back Lady Yao and he will make him the heir.
Episode 29
Zhao’er is continuedly became the subject of attack. But Prince An made sure to catch the mastermind who turned out to be Ruan Zhi Mei and Lianxiu
Prince An was about to issue a death order for the both but Qingliang appeared from nowhere begging the Prince to change his mind as watching your child died is the most unbearable thing.
Seriously, this drama had turned into a complete farce.
Anyway, Zhao’er was in the hand of Li Beiyi.
Episode 30
Qingliang announced that Zhao’er is dead.
The poor Prince An who doted on young Zhao’er was obviously upsert but he was too ailing to do anything aside from calling his sons as his end is nigh.
Prince An especially wanted to speak to Lianxin because he is the chosen heir. Lianhua was too young but going to war is all he knew, Lianxiu was excellent but to ambitious, sneaky and self-serving. So it was Lianxin who is to become the next Prince An,
The old Prince An told him a secret that should never be told to anyone including to Qinglian. Prince An made Lianxin promised on Qinglian’s life or something. Anyway the secret was that Prince An was in an ongoing mission of building Quliang so he become powerful enough to overthrow the powerful ministers around the Emperor.
Prince An was on his last breaths but his eunuch whispered something to him. Prince An stood up laughing merrily, maniacally and then he sat again and died.
Lord Rui/Lianxin is now the new Prince An of Quliang. His first task was to revoke the death penalty on Zhimei. Lianxin assured Qingliang that he was not letting Zhimei off because of his history with Zhimei but he wanted a new beginning to his princehood.
Qingliang ate up what he said. Qinglian confessed to Lianxin that Zhao’er is alive. She tricked Prince An to make sure that Lianxin will have not doubt that he became heir not because of Zhao’er. But she did let Prince An know before he died.
Lianxin realised why Prince An laughed so hard before his death.
Meanwhile, he met his wives/concubines and announced that as mourning tradition would have it, he will have a three-year abstinence so his wives and concubines should just kept themselves busy with their hobbies🤣
But what shocked everyone was the arrival of Lady Yao who had been reinstated.
Episode 31
This drama has seriously lost the plot, I lost the plot.
Lianxin is now Prince An but it can still be overturn because he had not had the official ceremony to install him yet. That is why his brothers are still busy plotting to depose him.
Meanwhile, because Qinglian is a known and accepted favourite of Lianxin, she became an object of envy and suspicion. She did not help matters when she just pouted and rolled her eyes but not saying anything except that she agreed with her two friends in the harem, Ji Rou and Jing Rong, that deep down she still felt letdown that she was sent to the Secondary Villa by Lianxin, completely forgetting that it was her who begged and insisted to go. She could have been recalled but she made it known that she was having the time of her life away from Lianxin’s harem.
Anyway, a war was about to break out between Quling and Qu’er. With Lianxiu’s machination, Quling is losing the edge. He was sabotaging Quling’s army. Lian Zou was beginning to see Lianxiu as a complete nutjob but still Lianzou did not say or do anything.
It somehow turned out that the war had indirectly something to do with Qinglian. Of course, instead of gathering evidence that she had nothing to do with it, she just pouted and expected Lianxin to believe her implicitly. He did say he believed her but this did not stop him from putting her under house arrest. Of course, everyone knew that she was innocent but she was just so annoyingly magnanimous, they liked that she was suffering
Episode 32
Lianxin did let her out of prison but he got annoyed with her and told her to eff off when she went to see him to convince him that marrying his daughter Ling Wei to King Celun of Qu;er was cruel to his daughter.
Lianxin told her that an alliance between Quling and Qu’er was the only way that peace could prevail at Quling.
Qingliang was not having this as she had promised Rong, Lingwei’s mother that she will convince Lianxin to change his mind. For the first time in ages, he told Qingliang to leave his sight.
Qingliang still did everything to remedy Lingwei’s situation. But she realised later that King Celun was actually quite a hunk and really intelligent with his heart in the right place. So she told Rong to allow the marriage.
Rong started to hate Qinglian.
Episode 33 –
Zhao’er knew that his sister, Lingwei run away so when he saw that his mother was deeply concerned as Lingwei seemed to have vanished from the face of the eaeth, he asked her what would happened if Lingwei had run away.
Qinglian immediately noted that her son knew where Lingwei was. She told him prosaically that Madam Rong will be executed and it would start another full blown war with Qu’er.
Zhao’er realised the enormity of it so he confessed. Qinglian tasked him to go after Lingwei with guards and bring her back.
It was good that he went after his sister because she was ambushed and would have been killed if Zhao’er had not turned up with the soldiers.
Zhao’er immediately took charge and drove his sister away in her carriage. But they met some trouble with the carriage wheel near a village. The villagers were common assassins and would have killed them if a masked Lianzuo had not shown up. He was so good as a ninja warrior and singlehandedly killed all the many assassins.
He watched Zhao’er and Lingwei drove away to safety. He might have competed against Lianxin for the inheritance but never did he contemplate to put Quling into danger, thus he protected the heir to Lianxin for the stability of Quling.
So Lingwei was married off to King Celun who promised to look after her. He noticed that the very young princess was really pretty.
Just after this upheaval, Prince An was told that his mother was dying. He was so upset that she was already unconscious when he was notified on the order of Madame De. Lianxin was upset that even in death, she was distant to him.
Madam Rong was also dying. She had flu which her immune system could not combat because of how stressed and depressed she was from Lingwei’s departure.
Madam Rong made up with Qinglian and made her promised to make sure that she does everything in her power to support Prince An so that Quling will be stable and strong so Lingwei would be safe with King Celun.
Qinglian was so upset when Prince An found her. He hugged to comfort her which was seen by First Madam.
First Madam was so jealous that it was so easy for Zhimei to convince her to join forces with her to remove Qinglian from the harem.
Their plot involved blaming Qinglian’s father for corruption who sent poisoned provisions to the soldiers.
Episode 34
Qinglian immediately went to plead to Prince An for her father. Prince An pranked her by pretending that he was deaf to her plea but he was already signing an order to allow Qinglian’s father’s out of prison.
Lianxiu knew that his days are numbered and was ready to poison himself but Zhimei found him and told him to calm down. Everything is not lost, it is still under control.
Zhimei went to First Madam to convince her to beg her brother Officer Fang who conducted the investigation to admit that it was all his doing. His investigation was corrupted because he was the culprit who sent poisoned provision to the soldiers.
Zhimei told the First Madam that it was the only that the First Madam would be able to keep her new status of Princess Consort and the Fang family ‘s safety.
So the first madam sacrificed her brother who was then executed.
Official Zhang had been arrested. He was the last witness to the poisoned provision. He would not talk so he was kept in a well guarded room.
Prince An tasked Qinglian to specially supervise the food taken to Official Zhang. No one was allowed to see him other than his trusted guards and Qinglian.
Meanwhile, Lady Yao caught the deadly flu as well. She seemed to have lost the will to live. Qinglian visited her and told her that they should form an alliance for the sake of Prince An whom they both love and adore.
Lady Yao, however, declined because in the last 16 years, Lianxin had not purposely visited her. She was nothing to him anymore.
Qinglian said that life is short, it should not be spent mooning over someone. There are so many things to do to busy and enjoy oneself. This convinced Lady Yao to start really living for herself alone. So she made up with Qinglian.
Qinglian was deliving another food tippin to Official Zhang when one of the concubines purposely poisoned herself to waylay Qinglian from her task.
Qinglian, who envisaged herself as Florence Nightingale looked after the concubine. Lady Yao was also there but she was suspicious of the other girl.
Qinglian told her Ran Yun, her stalwart maidservant to deliver the food to Official Zhang under strict instruction that she must not hand it to anyone other than Official Zhang.
On her way to Officail Zhang, Ran Yun was ambushed by the First Wife who told her that she will deliver the food to Official Zhang.
Ran Yun backed away by pretending to have forgotten the soup.
Ran Yun reported what happened to Qinglian and Lady Yao. So Lady Yao offered to carry out the task.
After Lady Yao delivered the food she ran into Prince An. Lady Yao was resigned that she had lost him so she was very casual and did not linger to talk to Prince An.
Prince An could not believe that everyone seemed to know the top secret that his father made him promised to keep classified and restricted. Both Beiyi and Qinglian told Prince An that they knew his ultimate goal and that was to help the Emperor gain supreme power over his ministers and officials.
Episode 35
Official Zheng was about to confess about his role in the poisoned supply and corruption and named the mastermind but he suddenly collapsed. He had been poisoned.
As Lady Yao delivered the food to Official Zheng, she was accused of being the poisoner. Poor Lady Yao was put under house arrest until full investigation was carried out.
Unfortunately, she died.
This enraged Mu Tian Shu so he went berserk and tried to destroy the New Regulations compiled by Li Beiyi for Quliang. Li Beiyi stopped him but just fighting alone against Mu Tian Shu and the Mu soldiers, Beiyi did not really stand a chance but Yuanxue turned up and when she saw Ma Tian Shu about to stab Beiyi with his sword she run to Beiyi and she got fatally stabbed instead. It was sad for Beiyi and Yuanxue because after living together platonically (she has one-sided love on him) for more than a decade, Beiyi promised to marry her after he had finished the New Regulation compilation. But now she died.
Mu Tian Shu was beheaded.
It broke Lianxin’s heart and would have let Mu Tian Shu free but it was Mu Tian Shu who begged to be executed so they could smoke out the mastermind of corruption.
Zhimei was having a meeting with LianZuo and his brother, the 9th Son. LianZuo finally extricated himself from Zhimei’s plotting because he reasoned that Lianxin was actually actioning what their father wanted done in Quliang.
LianZuo added that even Lianxiu wanted a peaceful, stronger Quliang.
Lianxiu turned up but he sided with his wife. He is absolutely obsessively in love with Zhimei that he does everything she wanted him to do and let her get away with her machination.
She told him that it was the time to ask Lianxin to abdicate as there was upheaval in Quliang because of the death of the popular, Mu Tian Shu.
Lianxiu and his ninth brother and their cohorts who came with them were shocked when Lianyi turned up with Mu Tian Shu’s soldiers with news that all the traitors, Lianxiu’s soldiers had been rounded up.
Lianxin said that since Lianxiu was his brother he will not kill him …
Episode 36
Knowing that she had been busted, Zhimei went to Lianxin to plead that Lianxiu had nothing to do with the plotting. it was all her doing. She offered her life and Lianxin agreed.
So Zhimei got home and drank poisoned wine. Lianxiu who could not live without her killed himself as well.
Li Beiyi was grieving for Yuanxue so he decided to leave and to find himself🤣🤣 so he turned down a job offer from Lianxin.
Meanwhile, the First Madam went to see Lianxin and admitted the grievous harm she did in connivance with Zhimei. She asked to be deposed from being the Princess Consort.
The title and the robe was immediately delivered to Qinglian but she turned it down. When Lianxin asked why she would decline it when he had been dying to make her the Princess Consort for almost 20 years, Qinglian said that she never wanted to be the Princess Consort because the position entails so many complicated issues and she would not like to lose herself in the role. All she ever wanted was to be the woman that Lianxin love the most. She is contented with it.
They agreed that Quliang is their priority and when a guard came running to inform them that the soldiers sent by the Grand Chancellor was almost on their doorstep.
It was a worrying time but the people of Quliang rose up with Lianxin. Lianxin also asked King Celun for help. So they defeated the Grand Chancellor’s hundred thousand soldiers.
Quliang is rebuilding and prospering.
The ending was very anti-climatic and the dialogues and the acting during the last 10 minutes were so cringey. Despite that, I did have fun watching this drama in its entirety,