Chinese Drama 2019
Qing Yu Nian (Joy of Life) Chinese Drama Review & Summary
Global Granary Drama Recommendation
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Joy of Life poster
Genre: Historical Costume Drama Fiction, Romance
- Release Date: 26 November 2019
- Origin: China
- Cdrama: 46 Episodes
- Link:
Cast
- Zhang Ruoyon as Zheng Qing/Fan Xian, Prince of Chu
- Li Qin as Lin Wan’er
- Chen Daoming as Liu Yu (Emperor of Qing)
- Li Xiao Ran as Li Runyui (Princess Royal, mother of Wan’er)
- Wu Gang as Chen Ping Ping (Overall Head of the Investigation Department)
- Hai Yitan as Zhu Ge (Head of the First Bureau of the Investigation Department)
- Li Qiang as Yan Rouhai (Head of the Fourth Bureau of the Investigation Department)
- Song Yi as Fan Ruorou, younger sister
- Guo Qi Lin as Fan Sizhe – younger brother
- Cao Cui Fen as Madam Fan
- Han Jiunuo as Ye Ling’er
- Tong Mengshi as Wu Zhu
- Wayne Wang as Teng Ziying
- Tian Yu as Wang Qinian
- Zhao Ke as Liu Ruyu (Lady Ruyu)
- Lui Hua as Fei Jie
- Gao Shuguang as Fan Jian, Minister of Revenue, Adoptive father of Fan Xian
- Xiao Zhan as Yan Bingyan
- Yuan Quan – Ye Qingmei, Fan Xian’s biological mother
- Zhang Haowei as Li Chengyu, the Crown Prince
- Lui Duan Duan as Second Prince
- Xin Zhilei as Haiting Duo Duo
- Li Chun as Si Li LI
- Liu Meiton as Zhan Duo Duo
- Yu Rong Guang as Xiao En
- Yu Xiao Wei as Shen Zhong
- Li Shen as Gao Da
- Li Zi Feng as Yan Xiao Yi
- Zhao Zhen Ting as Xie B’ien
Episode 1
Present time: Zheng Qing is a university student who was doing his thesis analyzing Ancient Literature against modern values.
Professor Ye said that she had already read the thesis and did not approve of it.
Zheng Qing said that it was not really his thesis per se. It was actually a story he was writing for an online competition. Each week, someone gets eliminated and the one left in the end will win.
The theme of the contest was “If you have a chance to live once again…”
Zheng Qing reckons that everyone should cherish the present and to live for happiness.
Now, he had written the first chapter of his story but he was still missing a suitable title.
Professor Ye became intrigued.
Zheng Qing finally came up with Joy of Life.
He then started recounting the first chapter where he was the hero. He went far far far into the past of ancient China but as a baby.
He was baby Fan Xian. He was in a basket being protected by a blind-folded Wen Zhu.
Wen Zhu was a disciple of Fan Xian’s mother, who was well-respected but got killed because of it.
Chen Ping Ping wanted to take Fan Xian but Wen Zhu was protecting the boy with all his might. Chen Ping Ping had some sympathy for the boy so he told Wen Zhu where he should take the baby,
Wen Zhu took the boy to the Fan Manor in Danzhou.
Baby Fan Xian grew up with his ‘sister’ Fan Rourou.
Madam Fan had to send Fan Rourou in the end because Fan Xian was a rather forceful influence on Fan Rourou.
Boy Fan Xian was into everything, very hyperactive and self-possessed.
Madam Fan called in a teacher for Fan Xian.
When Master Fei Jie appeared in the dead of the night at Fan Xian’s bedroom, he did not expect that Fan Xian could defend himself. Master Fei Jie ended up unconscious on the floor.
Boy Fan Xian went to Wen Zhu for help, he told him that he killed someone.
Wen Zhu examined Master Fei Jie and told Boy Fan Xian that the master was not dead and he was a good guy, he was the new tutor.
The tutoring did not start well, Boy Fan Xian was testing his tutor all the time and the tutor was torturing the boy. Master Fei Jie is a master poisoner. They would often poison one another. Borne from their distrust of one another was mutual respect.
Wen Zhu had also started teaching the boy martial arts. Wen Zhu was not an official martial artist but very natural. Apparently he was excellent that he could have been the Fifth Master but somehow he was not interested. He just wanted to serve Fan Xian’s late mother.
Then came the time when Master Fei Jie had to leave as he had taught everything he knew to the boy.
Boy Fan Xian had told Master Fei Jie that he only ever trust one person and that was Wen Zhu. But now Master Fei Jie is the next person he trust and he will protect him one day.
Awww Master Fei Jie was so overwhelmed with feelings that he said he wished he met Boy Fan Xian sooner, his life would have been different. He could have gotten married and had a son as naughty as Fan Xian. 🙂
Meanwhile, Boy Fan Xian was lonely again.
Madam Fan told him that one day the Red Armour Knights would come for him. He must not go with them.
Boy Fan Xian was curious though so he made it a habit to sit on their front porch to wait for the Red Armour Knights.
He must have sat there regularly for 10 years?
Because suddenly Boy Fan Xian is now a young man Fan Xian.
I would like to commend the child who played Boy Fan Xian as being so adorable and promising young actor. He was so good.
Episode 2
Fan Xian was dining with Madam Fan when Fan Xian decided to eat all the bamboo shoots. As soon as he ate it, he went out and vomited into the pond.
He then noticed that the Fan servants were all doubled up on the ground and had been poisoned. He heard that the cook, Mr Ha had gone awol.
Fan Xian went to look for the cook, who he found gagged and tied up at his house.
Then appear Teng Ziying of the 4th Division of the Investigation Office.
They had a good fight, Teng Ziying had a coat embedded with little knives which came flying into Fan Xian, who was able to dodge them each time.
Fan Xian had become a strong fighter and was easily a match to Teng Ziying.
At last one of the knives grazed Fan Xian, which made him slow down.
Teng Ziying said that Fan Xian would definitely die soon. But suddenly, he felt strange himself as if he was dying.
Fan Xian laughed and stood up then walked to the surprised Teng Ziying.
Fan Xian said that he had been poisoned so many times since he was a child, it would take a pretty potent poison to harm him. Then he laughed some more because Teng Ziying was poisoned from Fan Xian’s own knife.
Teng Ziying admitted that he was going to kill Fan Xian by the order of the Investigation Office.
Fan Xian then showed him the jade seal which was given to him by Master Fei Jie of the Investigation Office.
Teng Ziying was flabbergasted that Fan Xian had the jade seal.
Fan Xian told him that Master Fei Jie was his teacher.
Now Teng Ziying realised that someone who wanted to kill Fan Xian had used the Investigation Office to carry out the assassination.
Fan Xian asked Teng Ziying how he managed to enter the Fan Mansion.
Fan Xian was just going back to see Madam Fan when he saw that she had Butler Zhou already bound before her.
Butler Zhou confessed immediately that he was originally sent to the Fan Mansion when Baby Fan Xian was sent to the Fan Manor. And the person who sent him was Lui Ruyu.
Madam Fan advised Fan Xian that since he was now grown up, he should learn to be merciless. And to show him how too, she asked the guard to break Butler Zhou’s legs and then throw him in a canal and never let him set foot on solid ground again.
Fan Xian spoke to Madam Fan about leaving and going to the Capital to find out who was trying to kill him.
Madam Fan was upset at first but she could not really stop Fan Xian now that he’s grown up.
Fan Xian went to tell Wu Zhu that he was leaving.
Wu Zhu seemed unconcerned.
Fan Xian told Wu Zhu that he was the most important person to him in this world as he was more than like a family. Fan Xian would need him till the day he dies but he was grown up now and wanted to find out about things on his own.
He told Wu Zhu to get his own life, find something he wanted to do and live his own life.
Wu Zhu suddenly looked like he was a robot and getting his own life does not compute with him somehow.
Fan Xian was packing his things when Wu Zhu suddenly appeared.
Wu Zhu said that he wanted to do something, and that was to open a little chest that Fan Xian’s mother had left.
Somehow they can’t open the box.
When Fan Xian asked where the key was, Wu Zhu said that it was in the Capital and he was leaving immediately to find it. Aww Wu Zhu was really desperate to go to the Capital with Fan Xian.
There was a poignant moment between Fan Xian and Minglan’s grandma who is Madam Fan.
Madam Fan had really grown really fond of Fan Xian so she was finding it hard to let him go. She told him that she hated goodbyes so she won’t see him leave.
But Fan Xian came bounding by and gave Madam Fan a tender and loving kiss on her forehead. He then gave her respectful bows then left.
Madam Fan was rather gratified.
Now is the start of Fan Xian’s adventure.
It was an eventful journey. He met Teng Ziying, who had asked him to kill him before. So they pretended that Fan Xian did kill him and now Teng Ziying was working as one of Fan Xian’s traveling servants but he left when nearing the Capital.
Fan Xian also met Master Fei Jie again who advised him to be careful.
Somehow his whole entourage to the Capital had all vanished leaving Fan Xian alone. He ended up in a temple.
Episode 3
Upon entering the temple, Fan Xian noticed that there were no statues or icons inside. What he found was a girl eating a drumstick while hiding under the table.
She was so pretty he had to ask her if she was a heavenly creature.
The girl shook her head and smiled. The girl was hiding from her maid who was going demented with worry trying to find her.
Anyway, the girl came out from under the table and handed her chicken drumstick to Fan Xian. She then left.
Fan Xian got worried because he did not even ask her name.
Finally, someone took Fan Xian, still holding tightly to the chicken drumstick to the Fan Manor. He was kept waiting by Lady Lui Ruyu, his stepmother. Fan Xian at the moment was being introduced as a bastard of Master Fan.
Though Fan Xian wanted to meet Lui Ruyu asap, he was content to sit in the garden to wait for her to wake up from her supposed nap.
When Lui Ruyu found out that Fan Xian was unconcerned about waiting, she went out into the garden and found him sleeping like a baby, snoring contentedly.
She was insulting towards him. Telling him that he was naive and simple.
Fan Xian did not let her get away with her rudeness, though he wrapped his return insults in sweetness towards her. He told her that she was so elegant and beautiful, almost like the real wife rather than a mere concubine. LOL
Fan Xian met his ‘half-brother’, who was so immature he tried to bully Fan Xian, who was more than a match to him.
Then he was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of his younger sister, Rourou.
They missed each other but by the sound of it they have been corresponding regularly.
Apparently, Fan Xian had become popular in the Capital even before he set foot on it.
Rourou had been telling scintillating vignettes of stories from Fan Xian’s letters about the red mountain or Red Mansion (or something) which engagingly left listeners and readers in bated breath. Rourou was showing him a roomful of knick-knacks given to him by his fans when he was asked to meet his father.
In the meantime, the royal family, especially the Emperor, were rather curious of Fan Xian.
Episode 4
I love this drama. There is an effervescence to it, a real joy to watch despite the many goings-on that the hero had to encounter. There is always a lot of humour even to the most innocuous storyline.
Fan Xian went to see Fan Jian, his ‘father’ who kept him waiting while he tended to his paperwork first.
Fan Xian just stood there alert in front of his father.
His father then asked him if he was upset that he kept him waiting.
Fan Xian said that he had waited long enough in Danzhou, he was prepared to wait a little bit more.
His father asked him what he wanted to do in life.
Fan Xian said that he wanted to be the richest man in the word and then live a happy contented life.
He was asked how he was going to accomplish it.
Fan Xian said that he had plenty of ideas in the pipeline. He said he was going to introduce a glistening material that has many uses and can be a vessel for drinks.
His father passed him a glass. He said someone had beaten him to it, his own mother.
Fan Xian cannot be defeated. He said he was going to make soap.
His father showed him the soap, Fan Xian mother had already introduced to the kingdom, both the scented and unscented ones. She even introduced granulated sugar.
Fan Xian mentioned more things but alas, his mother had already been there and done it.
His father said that Ye Qingmei was the CEO of a multinational corporation called Neiku. The corporation had been taken over by the Imperial family and now being managed by Princess Royal.
His father said that Fan Xian should get back what his mother had built in her lifetime. To do this he had to marry the secret daughter of Princess Royal.
Fan Xian said he was not going to do that because of a certain drumstick (chicken leg).
Anyway, at that moment, Princess Royal sought the Empress Dowager to ask her to intervene and not allow her daughter to marry a country bumpkin from Danzhou.
The Empress Dowager signaled her eunuch to give the Princess Royal a stinging slap in the face. She then told the princess that the king’s edict is the law. The king wanted Fan Xian to marry the princess’ daughter, Lin Wan’er and that’s that!
Not quite defeated yet, Princess Royal was summoned by the king who told her that she was way out of line. Lin Wan’er was to marry Fan Xian.
The king summoned the Crown Prince as well and told him off for being out of control.
After the audience with the king the Crown Prince and Princess Royal agreed to join forces to kill Fan Xian. Princess Royal said that no one can take Neiku from her.
Back with Fan Xian and his father, Fan Xian said that he did not come to the Capital to get married but to find out who was trying to kill him. He heard that it was Lady Ruyu, as squealed by Butler Zhou.
His father took him to see Lady Ruyu who had prepared dinner for Fan Xian’s homecoming.
They then discussed the failed assassination which Fan Xian said was ordered by Lady Ruyu.
Lady Ruyu was shocked. She admitted easily that she sent Butler Zhou to Danzhou as her eyes and ears because she was more worried that Fan Jian never visited his son, not even once. That was more worrying that frequently visiting him. She also added that if she really wanted to kill Fan Xian then she would have chosen some random person to kill him and not an obvious one because she knew that if Fan Jian found out, she and her son will be out of the house for good.
Fan Xian understood this and before you know it, Lady Ruyu became his loving stepmother much to the confusion and ire of Fan Sizhe.
Fan Sizhe was looking askance at his dysfunctional family. Could not believe it. His mother trying to kill Fan Xian one moment and then next being so loving and motherly towards him. 🙂
Fan Xian’s father also advised him to be careful and not to associate with Teng Ziying who had an imperial warrant of arrest.
Episode 5
Teng Ziying sought protection from Fan Xian. Fan Xian was wary of him at first because of his warrant of arrest for assassinating a high ranking official.
Teng Ziying said that it was all a made-up charge. There was no assassination that took place. He further added that he helped a couple who threw water on the street but accidentally splash the hanfu of somebody.
The next thing he knew was being arrested and the two people he helped gave evidence against him. The court threatened to kill his family for his transgressions.
He was saved by the Investigation office. He does not want to join them but when he went to find his family, they have vanished.
He asked Fan Xian to help him locate his family. He said if he helps him, his life will be Fan Xian’s. He will become his humblest servant.
Fan Xian promised to help him when he learned that Teng Ziying did not kill the couple even when he had a chance.
Wan’er seemed to suffer from consumption. She was spitting blood but this did not stop her looking for the elusive Fan Xian because she had fallen in love at first sight.
Episode 6
This is such a heartwarming episode. Fan Xian managed to make his ‘family’ more like a family. He made Master Fan look at Fan Sizhe in a more positive light rather than the wastrel he thought his son was.
Lady Ruyu was grateful to Fan Xian and promised him that she will not make any trouble for him again.
Fan Xian started helping Teny Ziying to look for the document regarding the person he had supposedly killed.
Fan Xian is widening his group of acquaintances. He met Prince Jing who is the brother of the emperor.
Prince Jing invited him to a soiree for the next day. It was for a poetry appreciation.
Episode 7
Fan Xian was desperate to find the chicken leg girl. He had been trying to locate her and would tell anyone that he was in love.
Rou Rou was also determined to help. She said that she was going to visit every manor to look for the girl.
Fan Xian agreed to go to the poetry recital hoping to find the chicken leg girl also attending.
The poetry appreciation was far from a gentle soiree. Poetry was used to better each other.
Chicken Leg girl was a no show but despite it Fan Xian showed his prowess in writing couplets.
His poem was much lauded. Everyone wanted to hear about it including the Emperor, who instructed to send a copy to the crown prince.
There might be a brewing problem for Fan Xian because he met up with the Second Prince, who the crown prince did not get on with as they were both vying for the throne.
Episode 8
This episode is about meeting loved ones.
Fan Xian had an accidental encounter with the girl with the chicken leg and yes she was holding on to a chicken leg when he finally met her again.
Fan Xian introduced himself as a pageboy working for Guo Baokun while mistook her as a chicken leg thieving lady’s maid.
She asked him if he could help her meet Fan Xian. He was intrigued that she wanted to see Fan Xian (him). Not wanting to disappoint her request, he told her that Teng Ziying is Fan Xian.
Teng Ziying got a document confirming the death of his wife and son. He was gutted, he went absolutely mental and was even ready to kill Fan Xian who was very concerned.
But in the end, they found out that Teng Ziying family did not die but made to look that way as a precautionary measure from any potential assailant after the pseudo-death of Teng Ziying.
Teng Ziying had a happy reunion with his wife and kid.
Fan Xian was so annoyed at Guo Baokun, he sort of covered him with a sack that beat him really well.
Episode 9
Poor Guo Baikun was bandaged like a mummy from head to toe. He reported to the magistrate that Fan Xian was his assailant.
Fan Xian was arrested at his house.
Lady Ru Yu was very protective of Fan Xian and was so annoyed with the guard.
Fan Sizhe also came out with a broom and chase the soldiers away.
Fan Xian, however, went willingly to the magistrate to answer to any charges brought against him.
He had Prince Jing to testify for him as well as Si Lili who confirmed that Fan Xian was in her bed all night last night.
With his strong witnesses, the magistrate was prepared to dismiss the case but the Crown Prince turned up.
The crown prince manipulated the magistrate and ended up for Si Lili to be tortured, to tell the truth.
Then the Second Prince turned up and said that Si Lilil is a witness, not a criminal and should not be punished.
The soldier frogmarched Teng Ziying. The crown prince said that Fan Xian transgressed once again by letting it be known that the warranted Teng Ziying had been killed by him and yet here he was.
They were about to commence torturing Teng Ziying when the King’s personal eunuch entered.
He said by order of the king that Teng Ziying had been known to be alive and working for a mission for the king. The king also ordered that all members of the royal family should go home and stop interfering with this case.
Episode 10
This drama is so much fun and has a big heart.
Anyway, the Crown Prince was just leaving the magistrate court when Fan Xian asked him point-blank why he was interfering.
Crown Prince just ignored the question and left.
What occurred at the courtroom trended immediately. Everyone had got an opinion.
Princess Royal went to have a chinwag with the Empress Dowager. She told the Dowager that it was becoming more apparent that Fan Xian was not a suitable husband material to Wan’er. He was too much of dissolute to be with the pure Wan’er. He will just bring disgrace to the royal family.
The Empress Dowager was beginning to see that Princess Royal may have some point but still, the marriage was an edict from the Emperor.
The Royal Princess sent a message to Wan’er that she need not marry Fan Xian anymore.
Wan’er wanted to know if she could marry anyone she likes like a pageboy for example.
The Royal Princess was intrigued and asked her maid to investigate this situation.
The emperor had called the magistrate for an interview. The emperor said to the magistrate that they had practically grew up together so he had a lot of respect for him. However, he was disappointed that the magistrate seemed to have written the Emperor as having a one-foot in the grave and had already affiliated himself to the Crown Prince as the magistrate seemed to do everything the crown prince had told him to do, thus bypassing the authority of the emperor himself.
This kind of talk frightened the magistrate so much. He apologised profusely and said that he will jump on his well but begged that his family will not know the reason.
The Emperor told him not to be so serious. There will be no jumping in the well and no death. As they were childhood friends, he would allow the magistrate to return to his hometown and live a comfortable life.
As soon as the magistrate left, the emperor ordered his eunuch to kill the magistrate and to make it looked like he was a victim of highway robbery.
Meanwhile, Fan Xian was being told off by his father for castigating the Crown Prince in public and for his cavorting with ladies from the brothel.
Fan Xian said that he did the dissolute behaviour to force the engagement with Lin Wan’er to be broken.
His father said that he will get his mother’s company upon marriage with Wan’er.
Fan Xian said that he was thinking of Chicken leg girl.
His father said that the marriage had been written in stone as per the order of the Emperor so it can’t be broken. The marriage will go on.
Meanwhile, Teng Ziying and his wife were packing their belongings ready to get away from the Capital and from further trouble.
But for some reason, Teng Ziying was not happy. His wife told him to go see Fan Xian.
In the middle of the night, Teng Ziying went to Fan Xian and started berating him for being stupid and getting caught castigating the Crown Prince in public. He then said that he cannot or rather won’t leave the Capital because Fan Xian needed him for protection.
He said he would like to be paid 50 taels per calendar month, 2 hectares of land and an ox.
Fan Xian agreed immediately although he was rather worried for Teng Ziying as well as he knew the Crown Prince will be attacking again soon.
Episode 11
At last Fan Xian found out that Wan’er was a chicken leg girl and in return Wan-er finally knew that her pageboy was none other than her betrothed Fan Xian.
This was such a cute episode.
Episode 12
Fan Xian and Wan’er were so loved up which was so cute. The actors have so much chemistry.
Princess Royal summoned Wan’er to tell her that she might not have to marry Fan Xian because even the Second Prince had been working to convince the emperor to cancel the engagement.
Wan’er said that perhaps there was no need to cancel it.
Oops Princess Royal was shocked and knew immediately that Wan’er had met and fallen in love with Fan Xian.
Fan Xian had been making medicine for Wan’er to cure her tuberculosis. He told Teng Ziying that he came to the Capital to find out who was trying to kill him and who killed his mother but these days, he just wanted to marry Wan’er and take her back to live in idleness, peace, and quiet in Danzhou.
Anyway, he got invited by Prince Jing and the Second Prince to the brothel. He cannot really say no so he went.
Episode 13
After being lulled to false security and utter cuteness from the two previous episodes, this one wrung my heart so much it activated my tear ducts.
On the way to the brothel by invitation of the Second Prince and Prince Jing, Fan Xian and Teng Ziying were attacked by veiled hatted flying female ninjas.
And then their piece de resistance was Cheng Jishu, the Chinese cousin of the Incredible Haulk. Fan Xian and Teng Ziying were shaken like a couple of rag dolls.
Cheng Jishu is a fighting mean machine. Though Fan Xian and Teng Ziying put up a good fight, Cheng Jishu who was a Level Eight (whatever that means) squeezed the life of Teng Ziying and then threw him on the ground. Poor Teng Ziying was a goner.
The heavily wounded Fan Xian found his pure Qi and suddenly had a superpower. He became evenly match in strength with Cheng Jishu and in no time overpowered him. Defeated him. Fan Xian then fainted and when he woke up he was being looked after from the money-obsessed man from the investigation unit. He was Wang Qinian.
Fan Xian was going to kill Cheng Jishu but he was stopped and assured that there will be a fair trial conducted by the investigation unit.
Fan Xian was overwhelmed with grief. He ended up at Wan’er’s apartment where she lovingly looked after him.
The next morning, Rourou found him at Wan’er’s. Rourou told him that the trial was over and Cheng Jishu was being set free.
Fan Xian was incandescent with rage.
He went to the investigation unit and managed to speak with the Director who said that Cheng Jishu was being let go to prevent a war with the Northern Qi. Cheng Jishu was under the protection of the kingdom of Northern Qi.
To add insult to injury the director said that Cheng Jishu really only killed a guard.
Fan Xian was raging. He said at the very foundation of the investigation unit was the tablet that said every man, whether poor or rich is equal. Where is the justice in that?
So Fan Xian left and told the money-obsessed man to find out the exact time when Cheng Jishu is being set free.
Fan Xian was ready and waiting, having a bit of tea in a cafe when Cheng Jishu walked out from the dungeon of the Investigation Unit.
This drama is really something. So much fun and then goes so dark. Love it. One of the best dramas of 2019.
Episode 14
This is a rather harrowing episode.
As Fan Xian kills Cheng Jishu, he was told by Cheng Jishu that the boy, Teng Ziying’s son, was the only person who treated him as a human being. He had been treated merely as a tool by everyone. He was made into a killing machine.
Any sympathy Fan Xian could have dug out from his heart was quickly buried by the thought of the death of Teng Ziying.
Then it was time for him to bring Teng Ziying back home to his wife.
His wife was obviously very upset. She told him that she does not want Fan Xian to visit them that often. She does not want what happened to her husband to befall her only son as well.
Fan Xian understood but arranged for people to watch over her and her son discreetly,
Episode 15
Fan Xian had come to the conclusion that Si Lili was the mastermind for his attempted assassination and the murder of Teng Ziying.
It was only Si Lili who knew that he had been invited by the Second Prince to the Drunken Immortal Tavern.
The death of Teng Ziying meant a sidekick vacancy for Fan Xian.
Wang Qinian applied for the vacancy and the two decided to hunt down Si Li Li who they reckoned was a spy for the Northern Qi.
There was a fun interaction between the king and Fan Jian regarding the later’s overzealous issue of command from the king. Fan Jian said it was because he can read the king’s brilliant mind.
Fan Xian said a cute goodbye to Wan’er. She back-hugged him and told him to come back to her.
Fan Xian and Wang Qinian unknowingly stayed at the same inn as Si Lili.
Si LI Li found this out and decided to poison their food.
Fan Xian noticed the poison powder on the food and asked the cook why he poisoned the food, the cook/waiter denied it and said that it was perhaps the young lady who waylaid him as he was delivering their meal.
Episode 16
Si Li Li got away but Fan Xian and Wang Qinian were hot on her tracks. They finally found her surprisingly waiting for them. She told them that they won’t get her because…
Suddenly the bandits had surrounded them, they had been lying in wait for Fan Xian and Wang Qinian on the behest of Si LiLi.
Si Lili cunningly tried to get away again but her plan was thwarted by the arrival of the Black Knights, the most powerful army in the land answerable only to the President of the Bureau of Investigation.
The masked Black Knights annihilated every single one of the bandits. They left Si Li Li as a prisoner of Fan Xian.
Meanwhile, the news of the Black Knights helping Fan Xian greatly troubled Zhu Ge. He can’t fathom why the President/Dean would send the Black Knight to help out Fan Xian.
Yan Rouhai, the Head of the Fourth Bureau of Investigation was not particularly enamored of Fan Xian but had told Zhu Ge to leave things well alone. The President had his own reason.
Fan Xian and Wang Qinian rode through the town with Si Lili but ensuring that the public knew that Si Li LI was the most wanted spy from Northern Qi.
Along the way, Fan Xian was trying to interrogate Si Li LI about the assassination and who was behind it. Si Li Li was not telling.
When they finally reached their destination, Yan Rouhai took over and said that he will take Si Li LI.
Fan Xian gave way immediately.
Episode 17
With the extensive map of the investigation unit provided by Wang Qinian, Fan Xian was able to sneak in into her cell. Yan Rouhai surprised him though when he told Fan Xian that Si Li Li is all his to interrogate.
Fan Xian at first got what he wanted but Si LiLi was bargaining hard for the most important question, Who tried to kill Fan Xian?
In the end, she refused but Fan Xian decided that he was over with bein a Mr Nice Guy so told Si Li Li that he was not going to torture her instead he will do up another level in the dungeon where there will be no light. He will bury her alive in a narrow claustrophobic compartment.
This made Si Li Li give the name immediately.
The name rather shocked Fan Xian.
It was Lin Dong, the doting brother of his intended, Wan’er.
Episode 18
Lin Dong was in cahoot with the Crown Prince. The crown Prince encouraged him to kill Fan Xian but the assassination kill Teng Ziying instead.
Rourou warned Fan Xian that if Ling Dong dies in his hand, there can never be a future between him and Waner.
Bummer, Fan Xian finally realised this. But he can’t just let Teng Ziying die in vain.
This made Fan Xian determined to kill Ling Dong. Under the guise of night, he went to kill Ling Dong but he was waylaid by Wu Zhu.
During a very balletic martial art, Wu Zhu told Fan Xian that he should stop with his mission. He cannot kill Ling Dong when he is so obviously distracted.
Fan Xian woke up at the Fan manor the next morning to learn that Ling Dong had left the Capital for destination – unknown.
Fan Xian did not give up. He tried to follow the trail and met the Second Prince who tried to give him Mr Xie, an expert swordsman to help him with his mission to avenge Teng Ziying.
The Second Prince said that he wanted them to be friends.
Meanwhile, Wu Zhu was already on to Lin Dong. The choreography of Wu Zhu’s fight was divine.
Singlehandedly and under the blindfold, he annihilated the guards and soldiers at the Lin Dong’s manor.
Until there was only Lin Dong who tried to bribe Wu Zhu with fame and fortune but Wu Zhu just stabbed him with his sword.
Everyone things that Fan Xian was behind the death of Lin Dong but he can honestly say that it was not him who killed Lin Dong.
Episode 19
Fan Xian was a wanted man. Everyone wanted to meet him including Wan’er’s father, the Crown Prince and also the Emperor.
His father advised him not to keep the Emperor waiting.
The Emperor was rather indulgent of Fan Xian, so much so that he even promoted him to Assistant Minister of Rites.
The Crown Prince also turned up but the Emperor bought time for Fan Xian and turned the Crown Prince away.
Fan Xian finally met the Prime Minister, Waner’s father. After an awkward start, the Prime Minister said that Fan Xian should marry Waner immediately.
He sets a condition that the Lin Family will be Fan Xian’s biggest supporter as long as he marries Wan’er and looks after Dabao (a man-child) after the Prime MInister’s death.
Fan Xian said that there was no deal, this surprised the Prime Minister.
Fan Xian said it was not a deal about marriage between him and Wan’er. He fell in love with her at first sight and upon marriage, he would certainly look after her and Dabao and the rest of Lin’s family as per his duty as a husband and not because of a deal. Awww
Episode 20
The Crown Prince was determined to create trouble for Fan Xian. So he has now made it a mission to see Si LiLi to prove that she did tell him about Lin Dong.
The Crown Prince tried to forcibly enter the Investigation Office with his soldiers.
Zhu Ge stopped the prince by telling him that it was an edict from the emperor that Royal Family should not be involved in the investigation unit. The investigation unit should always remain as being a standalone division and above partisan.
The Prince did not care and told his soldiers to unsheath their swords.
Even the appearance of Yan Rouhei did not deter him.
Fan Xian, watching from afar and thought his number is up because surely the Crown Prince will be able to make Si LiLi talked.
In the last minutes, the Black Knights marched in with the dean, Chen Ping Ping.
The Crown Prince knew that next to the Emperor, Chen Ping Ping is the most powerful man in the land.
Nevertheless, he still tried to push his luck and going berserk to enter the unit.
Wang Qinian threw a knife near the prince and of course, this gave reason for the knights to take the prince away for protection.
It turned out that Wang Qinian had been working with Chen Ping Ping all along to protect Fan Xian.
Cheng Ping Ping had always cast a fatherly eye on Fan Xian because of Ye Qingmei.
The Emperor called all those who may be involved in the death of Lin Gong.
The Prime Minister was there who told Fan Xian not to be nervous as he will be there with him.
Anyway, the Crown Prince said that the real killer was Xie Bin who is the right-hand man of the Second Prince.
The Second Prince was so shocked and annoyed but he has a cast alibi because he and Xie Bin were with Fan Xian in the morning of the killing and would have had no time to race to another town to kill Lin Dong.
Fan Xian had to say that he was, indeed, with them.
The Crown Prince was super annoyed that he was again thwarted and started arguing that perhaps the Second Prince was working in cahoot with Fan Xian.
The Emperor interrupted them and asked the opinion of the Prime Minister.
He said that the person to blame was Chen Ping Ping who was not good with his job for not having solved the case yet.
The Emperor had Chen Ping Ping brought in.
Chen Ping Ping revealed that they have solved the case and knew the real killer. It was some super-sword player from Dongyi.
Episode 21
The Prime Minister did not really believe it, no one really believes it but it was a convenient answer to everything especially to the Emperor’s thirst to start a war with the Donyi and Beiji.
And it was decided! To avenge the death of Lin Gong, they will go to war.
Chen Ping Ping told the Prime Minister that he had a right to change his mind of marrying Wan’er to Fan Xian. Any previous engagement can be invalidated.
Everyone was shocked. The Prime Minister said that Wan’er and Fan Xian had nothing to do with the death of Lin Dong.
Chen Ping Ping persevered. He said because of the death in the family, Wan’er will not be able to marry for the next three years.
Again, the Prime Minister said that Wan’er can Fan Xian can marry anytime because Wan’er is not officially a member of the Lin Family.
Emperor intervened and said that after the war, Fan Xian and Wan’er can get married.
Outside, the Red Knights and the Black Knights had a bit of stand-off.
Fan Jian and his Red Knights told Chen Ping Ping and his Black Knights that Fan Xian was better off inheriting the Neixus but Chen Ping Ping disagreed. He said that he will be making Fan Xian the next head of the Investigating Unit. Power is better than money. Fan Jian disagreed because Neixus was Fan Xian’s legacy.
Poor Wan’er thought that Fan Xian might have killed her brother and she was ready to kill herself to be with her brother rather than kill Fan Xian because she loves him too much.
Fan Xian was very moved and promised to take her away for a walk in the countryside when she was a little better.
Episode 22
So good!
It was the day of the picnic in the countryside.
A family entourage was there with Wan’er, her best friend, Dabao, Rourou, Sizhe, Wang Qinian. Though the location was idyllic, it became fraught with danger.
Fan Xian used the occasion to find out how to enter Tianying Villa, to find the key for the case his mother left him.
Waner was tasked by her father to send Fan Xian into the woods for a final test. He wanted to make sure that though he did not kill Lin Dong that no super expert martial artist was behind him and killed Lin Dong.
Anyway, Rourou told her brother that she found Tianying Villa. They made an excuse to gather flowers to see the villa.
In the meantime, the Crown Prince whose three days house arrest came to an end decided to go for a picnic as well.
The Crown Prince invited Waner to go with him in the woods where they met the assassins the Prime Minister had sent.
They thought that the crown prince was Fan Xian so they took him away.
Meanwhile, Fan Xian and Rou Rou were looking at the villa when an arrow came whizzing by. Thank goodness Wu Zhu was there.
While Wu Zhu was distracting the 9th level, arrow master, Fan Xian sneaked into the villa.
He was surprised to find the emperor in Ye Qingmei’s old bedroom.
The 9th level arrowman would have killed Fan Xian if not for the emperor who did some expert martial arts.
Episode 23
Poor Fan Xian was totally exhausted with the eventful day.
The Prime Minister said that he now trusts Fan Xian implicitly but he also confessed that he doesn’t know how long he can keep his position. He also told Fan Xian not to have anything to do with Waner’s mother, the Royal Princess, who was a crazy woman.
The Crown Prince who was mistakenly arrested by the Prime Minister’s men said that he wanted the Prime Minister to join forces with him as well as Fan Xian.
Before the Crown Prince gets a firm agreement with them, there was a commotion outside. They found out that every single soldier had been killed by Xie Bien who came to rescue the Crown Prince with the Second Prince.
Episode 24
With his forthcoming wedding to Waner, Fan Xian had been invited to visit the harem to meet the various consorts of the Emperor.
The consorts have looked at Waner as their own.
Fan Xian found the ladies rather different from the norm, especially Waner’s mother.
He realised that the Prime Minister was right. The Princess Royal is downright crazy.
The Princess Royal openly admitted that she was the mastermind for the attempted assassination of Fan Xian which killed Teng Ziying.
Episode 25
Yan Rouhai plotted to have Chen Ping Ping killed while the Black Knights and other fighting soldiers of Investigation Unit were otherwise engaged protecting the Master Poet from Beige.
Shadow, Cheng Ping Ping guard, came to get Fan Xian to help out with protecting Cheng Ping Ping.
They took Cheng Ping Ping into the lowest level of the dungeon. They were trapped.
The Shadow said that the only way they could get out alive was to kill Chen Ping Ping and bring his head to the rebels.
Fan Xian just looked at the Shadow and said that they will take their chances.
This was all what Shadow wanted to hear. He was just testing Fan Xian if he was loyal to Cheng Ping Ping.
Shadow singlehandedly annihilated every rebel. Later Chen Ping Ping said that Shadow has a 9th Dan level and could take a thousand people in a single fight.
It was now quiet outside and Cheng Ping Ping instructed Fan Xian to wheel him outside into the open straight into Zhu Ge who was so surprised.
He said that he had to come back to the Unit from Beige because the Master Poet seemed to have disappeared.
Cheng Ping Ping called an immediate meeting among the leaders of the various factions of the Investigation Unit. He let it be known that his heir is Fan Xian who will inherit the Investigation Unit. Not everyone agreed but Chen Ping Ping said they can have a go killing him again.
Fan Xian had been given the task of being one of the negotiators after the war with Beige and Dunyi.
Episode 26 – 27
The negotiations went well and to celebrate, a party was started which will be attended by the master poet from Beige.
Fan Xian had earned the sobriquet of being the best poet of Nanjiang despite only writing one poem.
During the party, Fan Xian planned with Wu Zhu and Wang Qinian that they will look for the key at the Empress Dowager’s room.
So as an alibi, Fan Xian started drinking heavily. He was charged by the master poet from Beige that he was a con-man. He said that Fan Xain plagiarised the poem of the poet’s old master. He then showed a copy of the poem of the old master and it was exactly word for word with the poem that Fan Xian had previously recited.
Everyone started sniggering that Fan Xian was a liar and a cheat but Fan Xian said that he copied the poem but certainly not from the master poet’s teacher.
Fan Xian said that it was from a place out of this world where it was a thousand of years ago and to prove it he started reciting poems after poems, more beautiful and affecting that the firsts. He was so drunk but he continued on. His poems where being recorded by the eunuchs and scribes and anyone else who was interested, including the Princess Royal.
In the end, he stopped and asked if he had recited a hundred? He was assured that it was more than a hundred and everyone was happy.
But the master poet, Zhuang Mohan, was absolutely humiliated, he had a nosebleed. In just one day, he lost his sterling reputation as a master poet of the land.
Fan Xian was dead drunk but work is not over yet.
With Wu Zhu and Wang Qinian they still had to go back to the Imperial Harem to retrieve the key of Ye Qingmei to be able to open the case.
Wu Zhu was able to distract the super martial artist eunuch.
They were able to get the key hidden from the Empress Dowager’s bed by drugging her room.
But returning the master key afterward was another matter.
On his way back to the harem, Fan Xian was waylaid by what he spied upon.
He saw Zhuang Mohan, the master poet going into the Princess Royal manor. He then heard some dastardly plans the two had concocted.
It was preplanned to humiliate Fan Xian.
The Princess Royal had something to do with how and why Yan Bingyan was caught for spying in Beigi.
The Princess Royal had promised Zhuang Mohan to free Xiao En, the vicious monster who was incarcerated at the lowest level of the Investigation Unit. Apparently Xiao En is a brother of Zhuang Mohan.
Fan Xian was distracted by what he heard that he was unable to put back the key to its original place.
Episode 28
The key.
Yep they had finally opened Ye Qingmei’s mysterious box. In the box were a couple of letters. The first one was addressed to Wu Zhu.
Fan Xian did the honours of reading it for Wu Zhu. Fan Xian had so much giggle reading the artless message of his mother to Wu Zhu, who cannot help but grin widely.
In her letter, she gave a hint that she was intimate with the emperor.
The box contained a weapon of mass destruction.
Fan Xian also found another letter addressed to him, who was not born yet when the letter was written.
His mother explained that there was no time travel or parallel world.
What happened was all cyclical. It was extreme global warming or global freezing. The planet returned to ice age and humans had to start all over again.
Ye Qingmei was revived from a frozen state. When she came to, the primitive state was over, and so does the slavery society and now living in a feudal society.
To answer any question he might have, his mother advised him to find it in Taiping Residence where there is a pond leading to a blank door. This is the forbidden doorway that would lead to answers.
What an interesting concept.
Chen Ping Ping found out that the palace break-in had something to do with Fan Xian. He asked Wang Qinian, who refused to confess of what he knows, that Chen Ping Ping will clean up after Fan Xian.
Episode 29
Fan Xian scattered leaflets accusing Princess Royal as beng behind the capture of Yan Bingyan and many unpatriotic things.
Episode 30
It turned out that the spy within the Investigation Unit and who had been collaborating with the Princess Royal was Zhu Ge.
Zhu Ge was going to be arrested but he begged Cheng Ping Ping to be allowed to end his own life.
And Zhu Ge killed himself.
Episode 31
As a punishment for the Princess Royal’s shenanigans, she was banished out of the Capital. But she left a surprise to Fan Xian.
She started casting some doubt about Fan Xian. She spread the news that it was Fan Xian who betrayed Yan Bingyan.
Everyone knew that this was a lie but the people started doubting Fan Xian.
Episode 32
The Emperor invited the Crown Prince, Second Prince and Fan Xian for a family meal.
Fan Xian said that he should not be there as he was not part of the family.
The Emperor said that he was thick-skinned enough and should stay.
The Emperor then put Fan Xian on the spot and asked who he preferred, the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. The Emperor said that as it was a family meal, Fan Xian can be truthful and whatever he says won’t be taken against him.
Fan Xian then was truthful and complained that it was unfair of the emperor to pit him against the Second Prince and Crown Prince.
Meanwhile, the Emperor had tasked (forced) Fan Xian to be the emissary to Dongying and escort back Si Lili and Xiao En in exchange for the release of Yan Bingyan.
Fan Xian had to obey the edict of the emperor because it is a condition if he wanted to go ahead with marrying Wan’er.
The Investigation Unit prepared Fan Xian for his mission. He was introduced to the gadget unit, just like Q in James Bond – the research and development division, where he was given the latest technology for personal protection.
Fan Jian went to the emperor to beg him to reconsider sending Fan Xian to Northern Qi.
The Emperor would not budge, instead, he said that this task will be a test for Fan Xian.
Fan Xian had a date with Wan’er and they shared a longing kiss among a sea of flowers. They promised that they will see each other again soon.
Fan Xian seemed to be meeting everyone before he went because he also saw his old teacher, Fei Jie.
He found out that Fei Jie hurried from a mission to see Fan Xian before he leaves for the Northern Qi.
He tried to get Fan Xian to leave with him but Cheng Ping Ping arrived and thwarted Fei Jie’s plan. He reminded Fei Jie that if Fan Xian disobeys the emperor’s decree, Fan Xian will never be able to return to Southern Qi ever.
Fei Jie was very upset but he gave Fan Xian much advice including who he should be wary of and people he should not incite too much.
They had a very poignant parting.
But not as poignant when Fan Xian saw his family seeing him off. His father told him that he will be sending the best of his Red Knights to go with him which was headed by Gao Da.
Episode 33
Before he left for his mission Fan Xian was told to go to Taiping Courtyard where he met the Emperor.
The Emperor told him that Fan Xian has an extra mission and that was to kill Xiao En. And the crux of the matter was that Fan Xian will be all on his own with his mission. He will not get any support from the Investigation Bureau.
Fan Xian curiously asked why he was asked to meet the Emperor secretly in Taiping Courtyard when he could have easily gone to the palace.
The Emperor mysteriously said that in the palace he would be the Emperor, he then told Fan Xian to come back alive.
Fan Xian had to ask if he can come back even if he does not complete his mission.
The Emperor said obviously! And again told him to come back alive and that was an order!
Fei Jie gave Fan Xian last-minute instructions and he also gave him the antidote for the poison that had been inflicted to Si Lili.
Fan Xian got very shocked when he found out that he could get the poison from Si Lili if he becomes intimate with her.
Fan Xian said he was never going to touch her but all the same Fei Jie insisted that Fan Xian gets the antidote because Si Lili can be very fetching and enticing.
During the first leg of their journey, Fan Xian stopped the carriage because he said he needed to go for a wee and a poop.
Gao Da prevented Wang Qinian from following Fan Xian, who went to meet Wu Zhu.
Wu Zhu reported that he had been to Taiping Villa pond. He noticed that there was a floating mini-island shaped like the key to the box.
After investigation, Wu Zhu said that it would only be Fan Xian who would fully understand what his mother’s legacy was that is submerged in the pond.
Wu Zhu said that he will go to Northern Qi and would try to engage Grandmaster Gu He so he won’t bother Fan Xian.
Before he left Wu Zhu seemed to have remembered something about Xiao En. He said that Xiao En belongs to the same league as Ye Qimeng.
Fan Xian was intrigued especially after he had been tasked to kill Xiao En, who may know more about his mother.
Wang Qinian became in charged of Xiao En.
And Wu Zhu was a sight to behold against the backdrop of the waterfall.
Episode 34
Wu Zhu had a very dramatic, scenic and panoramic kung fu with a cute young lady with a nine-level degree in martial arts.
But the lady ended up admiring Wu Zhu not only for his excellent martial arts but also for his poreless smooth skin. She wanted to know his skin cleansing regimen.
Fan Xian is learning more about Xiao En.
He had now found out that Si Lili is really a member of the Qing Royalty. Her real name is Li LiSi and she had a brother who was being held hostage by Northern Qi. She had to spy for them to save her brother.
Fan Xian is also developing a slow rapport with Xiao En. He took into consideration what Wu Zhu told him that Xiao En was the reason why Ye Qimeng came into this world and they were companions previously.
Xiao En had told Fan Xian that he must not completely give his trust to Chen Ping Ping because one day Chen Ping Ping will betray him in a heartbeat.
And it seems this was the time because Chen Ping Ping had ordered that the soldiers from the Investigation unit escorting Fan Xian to withdraw. So Fan Xiao is now more or else on his own with skeleton guards against the coming onslaught of General Shang Shanhu, the adoptive son of Xiao En, and his army.
Fan Xian though, has a plan which he asked Gao Do and Wang Qinian to help carry it out. They had to kidnap Xiao En.
Episode 35
Fan Xian carried out his plan to kidnap Xiao En. But it did not go exactly as he had planned.
Saintess Haitang or Doudou, the last disciple of Grandmaster KuHe turned up with the mission of killing Xiao En.
This episode is epic. Beautifully filmed with lovely fighting scenes of the impossibly gorgeous cast.
The fight between Doudou and Fan Xian was not long enough and so was the fight scene between Fan Xian and Xiao En.
Then there were the fight scenes as well with Lord Yan and General Shang Shanhu, who came to rescue Xiao En.
Everyone wanted Fan Xian dead, including Guo Baukun, who was doing it as a revenge for his incarcerated father.
Somehow, Fan Xian ends with people trying to save him in the nick of time, just like Xiao En when he learned that Fan Xian grew up in Dongyan.
He told Fan Xian not rely solely on the patronage of Cheng Ping Ping. He also commented that the Black Knights were nowhere to be found.
Xiao En told Fan Xian to make more friends with other people.
Fan Xian took this to heart and made a promise to Guo Baukun that he will help him free his father from prison when they return to the Capital but with the condition that his family and friends will form an alliance with Fan Xian.
Guo Baukun agreed because Fan Xian did save him from death.
There were cute scenes between Doudou and Fan Xian. He teased her that he had poisoned her, he had given her a love poison.
Doudou was so shocked, she left immediately and dove into the lake to calm herself down.
Si Lili heard about this and thought that she might have been given the love poison as well. She seemed to have fallen for Fan Xian as well because she saved him by running in front of him and impaled with the arrow from Lord Yan instead of Fan Xian.
Episode 36
Fan Xian and his convoy had reached Northern Qi. They were met by Shen Zhong who is the head of the Imperial Guards.
Shen Zhong appeared at first as a bit of a bumbling idiot but quickly showed his true colour with his utter cruelty.
He tortured Xiao En to make him confess the reason why he was kept alive by Cheng Ping Ping.
As Xiao En would not talk, Shen Zhong continued his brutality towards Xiao En by breaking his legs and treating him as a punching bag.
His brutality made even the guards winched. They said that he was out of order.
There is currently a power struggle in Northern Qi between the young Emperor and Empress Dowager which unsettled the Northern Qi and its citizen.
Episode 37
Fan Xian got caught between the power struggle between the Emperor and Empress Dowager of Northern Qi.
The young emperor told Fan Xian to kill the brutal Shen Zhong.
Fan Xian refused because killing Shen Zhong would mean the young Emperor could turn around and order the beheading of Fan Xian.
Fan Jian went to see the Emperor of Southern Qi to beg him to bring back Fan Xian immediately.
The emperor said though that Fan Xian sojourn into the Northern Qi was his final test. He thinks that Fan Xian had it too easy that there was always someone helping him.
Surviving in the Northern Qi would test Fan Xian’s mettle.
Episode 38
Fan Xian had send Guo Bai Kun to find the location of the Royal Imperial Prison. No one wanted to talk about it despite Guo Bai Kun asking everyone.
What he was doing got to Shen Zhong who went to see Guo Bai Kun, who did not know him. Shen Zhong gave Guo Bai Kun some random direction to the prison cell.
Meanwhile, Fan Xian evaded Shen Zhong and his men when they came looking for him at the inn.
Someone was helping Fan Xian, if rather hesitantly. He was Ha Dao Ren, who was asked by Chen Ping Ping to look out and assist Fan Xian.
Fan Xian found out where Yan Bunyan used to stay and when he got to the house, he found Shen Zhong waiting for him.
Shen Zhong said that Fan Xian was too late. He won’t be able to find anything, any clues from the house as he had already cleared out the entire house and its yards of anything and everything.
But Fan Xian was quite crafty and logical. He went drinking with the locals and found out that when Yan Bunyan was taken by the guards, a certain young lady made quite a scene and yet she was treated with almost indulgence.
The girl was Yan Bingyun girlfriend/cover and who happens to be the sister of Shen Zhong.
Now, Fan Xian, Qinian and Ha Dao Rin were shadowing the girl.
When they got to the girl, Fan Xian appealed to the girl. Making used of her love for Yan Bingyan and saving him from his injuries.
Ha Dao Rin was supposed to be a double agent for both Fan Xian and Shen Zhong but Dao Rin was protecting Fan Xian.
Fan Xian used the girl as a hostage to get into Yan Bingyun’s heavily guarded prison cell.
Fan Xian found that the gorgeous Yan BingYun was rather unwilling to be saved as he did not trust Fan Xian. He reckoned that it was near impossible to waylay Shen Zhong so he thinks that Fan Xian was working for Shen Zhong to get Yan Bingyun to reveal all the names of the spies, including the sleepers, working for Northern Qi.
The girl confirmed to Yan Binyun that Fan Xian was kosher, that he was the ambassador from Southern Qi.
Yan Bingyun only became more enthusiastic when Fan Xian said that he was being assisted with the rescue mission by Wang Qinian.
Episode 39
The girl did her best to protect both Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun when her brother, Shen Zhong entered the cell.
Shen Zheng, however, was ready to kill both Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun. He said that no one knew where Fan Xian was so no one would be able to connect him with Fan Xian.
As Shen Zheng was ordering to start attacking Fan Xian, a guard came to whisper something to Shen Zheng.
Fan Xian’s reenforcement had arrived in the person of Haitang Duo Duo.
Dou Dou told Shen Zheng to release both Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun by the order of the emperor and the empress dowager.
Dou Dou personally drove the carriage for Fan Xian and Yan Binyun, who was getting more confused and suspicious about Fan Xian. Dou Dou afterall was a high-ranking officer of Northern Qi.
They got Yan Bingyun to a safe house.
Dou Dou had a quick conversation with Fan Xian. She told him that the emperor would like him to kill Shen Zhong.
Fan Xian declined to have anything to do with their politics.
Dou Dou also mentioned that her senior, Lang Tao, the number disciple of Ge He was coming to town.
And lo and behold he had arrived, all mean and moody.
Yan Bingyun was going mental when he found out that in exchange for his life, Xiao En had been handed back to Northern Qi.
Yan Bingyun got even angrier when Fan Xian told him that he was ordered to kill Xiao En but he did not.
Yan Bingyun is very true to the cause of the Investigation Bureau. He truly believes that when you sign in with the bureau, you sign in with your life.
Despite being very weak, he was determined to go find Xiao En and kill him himself.
It was only when Fan Xian reminded him that Qing State paid a great deal to save and rescue him and having himself killed in the street because of his current weakened state would brand him a traitor to Qing.
This calmed Yan Bingyun a little bit.
Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun had a debriefing of what had happened after Fan Xian got to Northern Qi.
Fan Xian mentioned that Ho Da Ren had been helping him.
Bingyun said the Da Ren was a dead man.
Shen Zhong would find out about Da Ren’s role.
And soon enough Shen Zhong called in Da Ren and asked him why he lost sight of Fan Xian when he was a top-level nine.
Then walked in Lang Tao that worried Da Ren.
Meanwhile, Gao Do had been enjoying fighting off people, who were trying to get to Fan Xian. So far he won every time but his latest opponent is Tan Wu, second in command of Shang Shan Hu.
Woah! Gao Do was well-matched up with Tan Wu and exchange information about current events while fighting. 🙂
Fan Xian is setting up a plan to kill Shen Zhong by Shang Shan Hu to revenge Xiao En.
This plan seems to satisfy the young emperor. She was so pretty (played by a woman)
Episode 40
Yan Bingyun had been studying the accounts book and noticed some major anomalies.
When Binyun saw Fan Xian, he told him immediately to cancel the plan of killing Shen Zhong, He then explained that a lot of ‘tax’ money was being sent to the Qing State by Shen Zhong.
However, the money was going to someone else and the accounts books sent to Qing State were fakes.
Bingyun deduced that with that much money going to someone else and it could only mean one thing. That person is going to stage a rebellion to depose the emperor. This someone is working with Princess Royal.
It was too late do to stop Shang Shan Hu trying to rescue Xiao En from prison, thereby fighting with Shen Zhong.
Shen Zhong, however, had so many soldiers behind him so Shang Shan Hu soldiers had to beg Shang Shan Hu to get away and revenge them one day. Meanwhile, Tan Wu and the rest douched themselves in gasoline and then set themselves alight, together with the collapsed Xiao En.
But Xiao En was not dead. He got away but not for long because Shen Zhong instinctively knew that he would have escaped. He would have not died that easily.
Shen Zhong send both Da Ren and Lang Tao to get Xiao En.
Da Ren injured Xiao En badly but felt rather upset that time had taken its toll on Xiao En and was not as agile as he was once. Xiao En was a legend.
Lang Tao was going to finish Xiao En but Fan Xian intervened and told Da Ren to help him in a subtle way.
The most thing that Da Ren could do to help was to push both Xiao En and Fan Xian into the cliff.
He then told Lang Tao that both would have died falling from the cliff.
The Emperor of Qing seemed to have had a nightmare about Fan Xian because he woke up all bothered.
Fei Jie found out that Chen Ping Ping had recalled all the Black Knights who were supposed to be escorting Fan Xian.
He found this out from Shadow. He also found out who Shadow really was. Who is Shadow???
Cheng Ping Ping asked Fei Jie who his informant was and it turned out to be Fan Jian.
Fan Jian was upset that they had sent Fan Xian to Northern Qi and threatened that if something happens to Fan Xian, he will take his revenge.
The three all ended up with the Emperor, who admitted that it was him who ordered Chen Ping Ping to recall the Black Knight.
So much twists and turns in this episode. So good.
Episode 41 Xiao En’s Secret
Though Fan Xian was able to stop the bleeding of Xiao En’s wound, they both knew that Xiao En was on the way out, he was dying.
Xiao En decided to reveal all including the most wanted ‘secret’ to Fan Xiao.
The secret which Xiao En guarded with his own life and would rather accept every abominable form of torture rather than reveal it, especially to Chen Ping Ping.
The first secret was that Xiao En truly believed that Fan Xiao was from his own bloodline.
He had been made to deduce by the crafty Chen Ping Ping that Fan Xiao was Xiao En’s missing grandson. The son of Xiao En’s son from a prostitute called Yu Xiang.
Cheng Ping Ping plotted the most heinous revenge on losing the use of his legs because of Xiao En. He would make Xiao En unknowingly kill Fan Xian, his own grandson, the last of his bloodline. Or maybe Fan Xian killing his unknown grandfather.
Despite not really believing that he was his grandfather, Fan Xiao allowed him to tell him the great secret.
Apparently, it was about God Temple and its location.
Xiao En, however, said that the real secret was a place and a person.
Apparently 20 years ago, some 1,000 soldiers went to the mountains. As they go high up, it became very perilous. Soldiers cannot take the altitude and they began to drop like flies. There was hardly any vegetation, everywhere was snow and more snow. Because of hunger, some soldiers went mad and died.
The hunger got to everyone including Xiao En and Ku He that they resorted to cannibalism.
Xiao En and Ku He were the only ones left of the strong band of 1000 soldiers.
They were in a tent, where they would look up the perpetually dark sky (Ever Night) which is sometimes lit by a polar night.
It was getting rather desperate for him and Ku He, who apparently was a descendant of the Royal Family.
Until one morning, the sun was shining bright. They ventured out of the tent and in a blink of an eye, a great temple appeared before them. It was the God Temple.
Ku He was so overwhelmed that he bowed and paid respect to the temple.
Xiao En and Ku He quickly climbed up the steps of the grey edifice with huge brown doors.
Xiao En slowly tried to touch/push the door opened but it retreated mysteriously. He tried it again and it moved and retreated. He tried it a couple more times and did the same. He cannot touch the door.
Ku He had a try and the temple move just out of their way.
They suddenly it opened, the brown gate opened and out came a radiant girl who told them to leave with her because there was something bad inside the temple who were after her.
Ku He believed that the girl was a heavenly being and from then on pledged himself to protect her. He bowed to her humbly.
When the girl started to leave the place, Ku He followed her without hesitation.
Xiao En, however, tried to give the brown door another push but again it vanished and then found it behind him.
When they reached the borders to Northern Qi, the girl, who said that her name was Ye Qingming told them that she was going to leave them to find someone. However, she made them promised never to talk about the temple, never to reveal anything about the temple or when she came from.
They had to promise it with their life. Ku He would have certainly killed Xiao En if he had talked about it. This was the reason why Ku He now wanted Xiao En dead.
Xiao En was as getting old and might start talking about the temple.
Apparently they had not seen Ye Qingming ever since but they knew that she married a prince, who was now the Emperor of Qing, and they had a child, who would have been the same age as Fan Xian.
This got more complicated.
Fan Xian was a prince.
Episode 42
Again, Xiao En said never to trust Chen Ping Ping.
Xiao En asked Fan Xian to bring him into the mouth of the cave where he can see the light. He had enough of years of darkness.
He told Fan Xian that he was really a Xiao, his grandson and despite the evil deeds of Chen Ping Ping, he advice Fan Xiao not to seek revenge against Chen Ping Ping. Just live a quiet life.
He also told Fan Xian to leave him in the cave and not to bother burying him. And then he died.
Fan Xian, with some regrets, said that he was not his grandson.
Fan Xian began to realise that he had been set up from the word go. He realised that his friend Teng Ziying was actually part of the plot. Everything that he believed in was all part of a plan to find out the big SECRET from Xiao En of the mythical TEMPLE.
He was able to confirm about Teng Ziying from Guo Bai Kun, who said that he never did any of the things he was blamed for regarding Teng Ziying. How could he? His father was the Minister of Rites and he himself holds an official position as well. In fact, it was Teng Zinying who incited him so much.
Meanwhile, in the Taiping Villa, the old coots gathered around. Fan Jian was really upset that Fan Xian was being used as a pawn to get to the big secret.
Fan Jian really cared for Fan Xian like his real son.
The emperor said that he sees Fan Xian as a son as well, in fact, he woke up from a nightmare thinking of Fan Xian, though he cannot remember what it was about.
Them emperor looked at Cheng Ping Ping and commented that didn’t Chen Ping Ping also sees Fan Xian as his own son?
“Who would you choose? Fan Xian or Qing?
Chen Ping Ping started prevaricating that of course, he does see Fan Xian as his own son but he would always choose Qing.
The Emperor was not happy with Chen Ping Ping. He asked his number one guard to put Chen Ping Ping under surveillance.
Fan Xian got back to Yan Bingyun and reported that Xiao En is dead. But Shen Zhong was still alive.
Yan Bingyun was mollified because they needed Shen Zhong to clarify the ledger anomalies.
Fan Xian got curious about the real grandson of Xiao En.
He asked Yan Bingyun of who amongst the people at the Investigation Units were of the same age as Fan Xian.
Binyun said that there were quite a few, including him. He was the same age as Fan Xian.
Dun Dun Dun…
So Yan Bingyun maybe Xiao En’s grandson. Chen Ping Ping ultimate plan was to make Xiao En’s grandson to hate Northern Qi with a passion and Yan Bingyun does just that!
Episode 43
Later, because Fan Xian felt let down by the people he trusted he said to Wang Qinian that he had made up his mind, his goal now is to become the head of the Investigation Unit and be the governor of Qing. He was going to take back what his mother had
Bingyun had told Lady Shen that he will allow her to enter his heart if she can bring him the head of her brother, Shen Zhong.
Lady Shen went away crying. She does love her brother who had looked after her since she was a girl.
She told her brother to give her a couple of days to get every fibre of Bingyun out of her heart.
Seeing that his sister was really unhappy, Shen Zheng went to find Fan Xian to tell him to take Bingyun back to Qing.
Fan Xian said that if Shen Zhong wishes, Fan Xian will kill Bingyun for him but he has to tell him who was the leader of the smugglers from Qing.
Shen Zhong laughed at Fan Xian as he told him to have a guess.
They ended up challenging one another.
Fan Xian went to see Shang Shanhu and told him that Shen Zhong was the person behind the murder of Xiao En.
Shen Zheng had ordered both Lang Tao and Da Ren to carry the assassination of Xiao En.
Fan Xian worked with Shang Shanhu how to carry out his revenge for Xiao En against Shen Zheng. Fan Xian said to listen to him and forget his pride.
Fan Xian took the general to the Empress Dowager as a birthday present. The General humbly bowed down low to pledge his full allegiance only to the Empress Dowager.
Shen Zheng heard that Fan Xian and the general was with the Empress Dowager. He hurried to find out what Fan Xian was plotting.
And Fan Xian plotted so well that the Empress dowager who relied so much on Shen Zheng started seeing him with new eyes.
The Dye is cast.
Episode 44
This episode is more of a filler episode before the big shocking ending.
As Wan’er was in Qing, they could not really show us a romance with her with Fan Xian.
The next best thing was a mini-romance with the lovely Dou Dou.
So not to be so much as a shock to the systems to us romantics, they sort of given Dou Dou the same attributes of Ye Qingmei, which Fan Xian realised and even mentioned that Dou Dou was like someone he ‘knew’.
This little interlude started when Fan Xian was put on the spot before the Empress Dowager.
Shen Zhong asked Fan Xian why he seemed favouring Northern Qi over the Qing State. What is his motive.
Fan Xian, cheekily used Dou Dou was his ‘motive’. He said that he fell in love at first sight with Dou Dou and wanted to see her more.
Though the Empress Dowager and Shen Zhong really did not believe him, it seemed Dou Dou took his declaration seriously.
Dou Dou warned Fan Xian that his feelings for her were in no way mutual. She does not care for him.
Fan Xian started laughing. But he asked for her cooperation if she wanted him to get rid of Shen Zhong as what the young Emperor wanted.
They spent the day together, shopping in the market and being very domesticated at the little cottage that Dou Dou owned. They got on so well that Fan Xian started to open up with her because he wanted a friend he could talk to and confide in. He started telling Dou Dou that he was really a prince but Dou Dou just scoffed at him.
They had a very companionable day, she cooked while he dug up her little garden.
Dou Dou was a good cook and Fan Xian requested wine to wash down the feast of food she made.
They were both drinking heavily.
So heavily that Fan Xian fell dead drunk.
He then woke up in bed with a woman sitting by his bed.
It was Si Li Li who immediately confessed of her feelings for him.
Fan Xian said that nothing could ever happen between them because he had promised a lifetime fidelity to Wan’er the woman in his heart.
Si Li Li said that was fine, she just wanted to be with him, even if just by talking.
Fan Xian left the bedroom and saw Dou Dou sniggering at him. She said that that was payback time for when he poisoned her with aphrodisiac.
It was the day of the Empress Dowager’s birthday party.
Shen Zhong proudly wore his one of a kind robe with a dragon design especially bestowed to him by the Empress Dowager of his valued service.
He was walking up toward the greatly elevated palace when he noticed someone wearing the same robe as him. Upon closer look. it was Shang Shanhu. Shen Zhong knew he was no longer the most trusted ally of the Empress Dowager as far as she was concerned.
You might have noticed that I have been rather slow summarising the last few episodes. This is because I love this drama so much, I love all the cast, the story and every nuiances of it that I don’t want it to end.
I heard that there will definitely be a second series and even a third series but the thing is that I heard also that it might be shown in 2021 0r even 2022.
Noooooo
Fan Xian can’t be dead for that lonnnngggggggg
Episode 45
It was the Empress Dowager’s birthday.
To make it more exciting, Lang Tao, who had it in for Fan Xian challenged him to a duel.
Fan Xian immediately admitted defeat. He said that Lang Tao was better than him, there was no doubt about it so there was no need to fight, Lang Tao was better.
Lang Tao, however, was aching to fight and kill Fan Xian, said that if Fan Xian admitted to the fact that Southern Qing’s soldiers and its people are inferior and cowards compared to those of Northern Qi then he will not fight.
Lang Tao’s grand-standing was interrupted by Dou Dou, who appealed to the Empress D that she should be the one to challenge Fan Xian to find out whether he was really in love with her.
The Empress D assented immediately.
And there, Fan Xian and Dou Dou simulated a fun and well-choreographed with ‘modern’ music and dancing.
Some of the soldiers were wondering when the real fight would commence. Gao Do asked Wang Qinian about it.
Wang Qinian, who was always been a bit of a tease told Gao Do that this was an erotic dance about a relationship. Finally, Gao Do thought he got what it meant.
The Empress Dowager finally told Fan Xian that he can go back home with his entourage and also announced that there will be a new representative to their business transactions.
This was too much for Shen Zhong who directly contradicted the Empress D.
The Empress D was not amused but did tell her audience and party-goers that she was demoting Shen Zhong from his post.
This was not enough for Shang Shanghu, he stepped forward and declared that Shen Zhong and his sister had committed treason.
They both have been secretly working for Yan Bingyun as spies. They had been feeding Bingyun with secret military information which was the reason that Qing State soldiers were able to anticipate everything the Northern Qing soldiers did, thus they lost.
Shang Shanghu mentioned that Miss Shen was the lover of Bingyun with a tacit agreement by Shen Zhong.
Shen Zhong was taken away as a prisoner.
As he was more or less allowed to leave Beiqi, Fan Xian went to see Shuang Mohan to comply with the request of Xiao En.
Shuang Mohan was very happy to see Fan Xian and told him that he had been feeling really uneasy for having treated Fan Xian the way he did when obviously Fan Xian was the God of Poetry.
Fan Xian hesitantly mentioned the real purpose of his visit. He told Shuang Mohan that Xiao En had passed.
Shuang Mohan was very upset but he accepted what happened to his brother. He said that Xiao En lived a sad and lonely life because he killed so many.
He then advised Fan Xian to not emulate Xiao En. He should concentrate on literature and have a peaceful and happy life.
Fan Xian was very moved (as I was) with how paternal Shuang Mohan to Fan Xian. He looked at the master Mohan for a long time rather regrettably. (I feel that Fan Xian was wishing he was really related to Xiao En and Mohan)
Episode 46
It was going home day.
The Southern Qing entourage started moving out when they stopped for Dou Dou, who was waiting at the layby.
Dou Dou said that she was not the only one to see them go as Si Li Li was watching from the mountains.
Dou Dou told Fan Xian that Master Mohan had passed away in the early hours of the morning but he left all his books, which were now contained in the carriage, to Fan Xian. He said that he hoped Fan Xian would continue on with literature.
Fan Xian cared for Dou Dou because she was so uncomplicated. She was what she was no pretensions and artifice. He told her that he will see her again one day.
As they were saying their goodbyes suddenly Shen Zhong, who got away from his jailors attacked.
Shen Zhong was so good that Yan Bingyan was no competition for him. He was about to finish Yan BingYan when his sister run in front of Binyun and got stabbed in his place.
Shen Zhong went mental and it took both Fan Xian and Dou Dou to subdue him.
And when they finally did, Shen Zhong dropped his sword and went to Fan Xian to speak to him quietly.
He said that he will tell Fan Xian everything but he had to promise to take his sister to Southern Qing. His sister, who was being looked after by Bingyun, was not severely injured. He made sure of that. He wanted her out of Northern Qi because he knew she would be treated harshly for being a ‘spy’.
Fan Xian promised.
Shen Zhong said that the smugglers who had received tonnes of money was inside the Ming Royal Family.
It was the Royal Princess and the Second Prince.
Fan Xian was confused because the Royal Princess had always been closed to the Crown Prince.
Shen Zhong said it was the Second Prince.
Fan Xian seeing that Shen zhong would for certain end up dead asked him to go back to Southern Qing with them.
Shen Zhong declined but looked worriedly at his sister.
Dou Dou said that Fan Xian can take Miss Shen with them, no problem. She would say she did not see her.
This time, Dou Dou said that it seemed they might not see each other again. She mentioned that Fan Xian owed his life to Si Lili. It was her who gathered up the soldiers to the rescue.
Fan Xian and Bingyan were talking about the Second Prince.
Bingyan said that he was 100 percent patriotic to SouthernQing and loyal to the Investigation Unit. He said that he believed the unit’s aim of not allowing the country to be in turmoil.
Fan Xian asked him even if there were corruption involved? He asked Bingyan to pick a side. to work with him, for Qing.
The Second Prince’s aid came to see Fan Xian and more or less told him that they have got Fan Siche, Fei Jie and the young son of Tian Ziying under their radar.
When the soldiers of the Second Prince came Fan Xiao told them that Siche was a legitimate son of Minister Fan who would not stop if Siche was harmed by the second Prince.
As to Fei Jie, he was one of the masters of the Investigation Unit who would not abandon their own.
As to the young son of Tian Ziying, Fan Xiao will personally hunt the Second Prince and kill him.
These many scenarios from the declaration of Fan Xiao sounded like it the country would end up in turmoil.
The turmoil of Qing City and Yan Bingyan do not go together so he stabbed Fan Xian to ‘death?’
And in the end, Bingyun picked a side or did he?
And that is how his story ended which shocked and surprised Professor Yue who was reading Fan Xian’s manuscript.
Just to confirm, the professor asked Zheng Qing if that was the end?
Zheng Qing looked at her and said, ‘hell, no!’
Not to worry, there is definetely another season or two to come with all the original cast, hopefully.
BTW, the Director of this drama warned not to go hating Yan Bingyan or the gorgeous Xiao Zhan.
Hmmmmm intriguing.
Did Fan Xian and Bingyan plot the stabbing during the night?
This episode had so much going for it. It was beautifully filmed, beautiful acting and the script was very taut. But the ending was very frustrating!
END OF SERIES ONE
According to a reliable source, this drama has a happy ending! 🙂
April 2020 Updates
It has been announced that filming for Series two will commence towards the end of the year. It is more than likely that it will be shown towards the end of 2020 of early 2021.