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| URL | https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/ |
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| Meta Title | Flash Review: The Story Of Minglan [China] - The Fangirl Verdict |
| Meta Description | I felt engaged right away, from episode 1, even though I was still in the midst of getting my bearings in terms of who's who. |
| Meta Canonical | null |
| Boilerpipe Text | This was a show that I just couldnât
not
check out, come to think of it.
First of all, this is by Daylight Entertainment, the same good folks who gave us
Nirvana In Fire
and
Nirvana In Fire 2
, both of which are excellent shows that I loved.
Second of all, lots of you guys loved this. And your love was so effusive that I felt like I would like this one too (this, when I hadnât yet seen a single episode, heh. See how persuasive yâall are?)
Now that Iâve emerged on the other side (73 whole episodes!), I have to say that while I donât think I loved it as intensely as many of you did, I did like this one quite well indeed.
OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
Hereâs the OST album in case youâd like to listen to it while you read the review.
WHAT I LIKED â A BRIEF OVERVIEW
1.
I felt engaged right away, from episode 1, even though I was still in the midst of getting my bearings in terms of whoâs who. Thatâs pretty impressive.
2.
A lot of time is spent exploring the relationship and power dynamics of the Sheng household, a relatively ordinary family (ie, theyâre not royalty, even though they arenât exactly common folk either).
Thereâs so much delicacy and politicking among the various wives of the household, where almost nothing said can be taken at face value, and itâs quite fascinating to watch.
3.
Daylight Entertainment put in a lot of detailed effort to make the rendition of this drama world as authentic and true to the times as possible, famously refusing to use additional lighting during night scenes, and depending on candlelight instead.
Yes, this made for some pretty dark nighttime scenes, but this also effectively made me feel like a fly on the wall, watching the goings-on of this world that felt real, but felt light years away.
4.
Our cast serves up lots of very solid performances, and together with the writing, this made the characters feel like real people. Over time, I really felt like I was getting to know these people, and I eventually grew fond of them too.
5.
Minglan (Zhao Liying) is just the kind of underdog heroine that I can get behind, because beneath her quiet demeanor, sheâs quick-witted and her ability to analyze a person &/or situation is razor sharp. I loved watching her come into her own.
WHAT I LIKED LESS â A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT MAKE IT HARDER TO ENJOY THIS SHOW
To be fair, besides those of you who loved this show, there were also lots of folks who seemed to have run into a wall with this drama.
I personally found my watch an uphill one, on occasion, and hereâs a quickish run-down of the various reasons why.
1. It takes some getting used to
Showâs got a strong slice-of-life flavor about it, which is one of its strengths.
At the same time, because of the slice-of-life approach to storytelling, it can feel like very small things are being presented as plot points, and if youâre not in the right brain space, this can feel, well, underwhelming.
[MINOR SPOILER]
For example, in the very early episodes, the issue of coal being embezzled within the Sheng household spans several episodes, and I found it hard to sustain my interest in the mechanics of the whole thing.
[END SPOILER]
Additionally, I found it frustrating to see scheming glib-tongued characters get away with framing others for their misdeeds, and good-guy characters extol silence as a virtue, when they are the ones suffering at the hands of said scheming characters.
To Showâs credit, the scheming characters eventually get their comeuppance, and also, I can rationalize that the ideal of pious silence is a sign of those times, but it was still trying to watch.
[EARLY-EPISODE SPOILER ALERT]
For example, in episode 3, Iâd expected Ming Lanâs birth mother (Liu Xiyuan) to die as a result of the manipulation of the second wife (Gao Lu), but this was still tragic to watch.
Itâs terrible how much scheming went into her death, and how many people were complicit. The worst part was watching them try to conceal their triumph and glee, as they watched Minglan run for dear life, trying to find someone to help her poor mother.
[END SPOILER]
2. The transition to adulthood is rather jarring
Personally, I found it quite jarring when all the children suddenly grow up in episode 5.
For one thing, it was hard to figure out who was who, especially since there were so many characters, and I ended up having to look up everyone on
this showâs Wikipedia page
, just to get a handle on them all.
Another thing was, at this point of the story, the kids have all grown into youths / young adults, but the actors are much older than their screen age.
It was distracting for me, to have to try to wrap my brain around the fact that these full-grown men who looked to be around 40 years old, were supposed to be young men in their early twenties.
By around episode 7, though, Iâd gotten more used to the older actors, and that helped.
3. The focus shifts
Sometimes Show goes on what feels like a long tangent
Probably because of Showâs slice-of-life nature, sometimes our narrative spotlight would seem to wander, and for no apparent good reason.
Of course, the writers knew what they were doing, pulling characters together into the same orbit, but during those tangents, I sometimes found my attention waning.
Essentially, whenever the focus shifted away from the Sheng household shenanigans, I found my interest dip. This turned into a bit of a problem for me, because, as I learned, this story was never all about the Sheng household.
Eventually, court politics take a big chunk of screen time
In Showâs mid-episodes, court politics start to creep into the picture, and by Showâs later stretch, we start to get very large chunks of court machinations and inner palace goings-on. This feels like a huge shift away from the period family drama tone where we started, and so took a bit of getting used to.
The political stuff was admittedly not as interesting to me as the personal and family matters; however, because the political stuff increasingly formed the context within which this family existed, I could rationalize their importance to our characters.
However, I can see how viewers disinterested in court politics would struggle to stick with the show, by this point. My sister dropped out late in the game as well, partly because of this.
Eventually, things also get quite dramatic, with hysterics thrown in for good measure
The other reason my sister dropped out, is because things became too melodramatic for her taste, by Showâs later episodes. In her words, it felt like Show had switched writers; the tone just felt so different from Showâs early episodes.
For me personally, sometimes, I found the high drama quite cracky, and I sometimes watched back-to-back episodes, because I was curious to know how our characters would survive.
At the same time, I have to confess that the near-constant dramatics and hysterics got to me after a while, and I did feel like Show was getting tiring to watch.
4. Sometimes it gets repetitive
Not gonna lie; sometimes it felt like certain plot devices were used and then reused, so much so that stuff started to feel repetitive and therefore boring, to me.
[MINOR SPOILER]
For example, Showâs second half is when we see Minglan coming into her own and standing up for herself.
I loved that, but, everyone showing up to make things difficult for Minglan in every way possible, did get a little old, I have to admit.
[END SPOILER]
5. Sometimes I just donât get it
I soon learned that many people in this drama world donât generally speak their minds, and instead, talk in veiled riddles.
I have to admit, I often had no clue what they were actually communicating, and for what purpose. It felt obtuse and confusing, and honestly, it made me feel kinda dumb sometimes.
It also made me think, how
hard
it is to survive in this drama world, where itâs a challenge to understand what other people mean, unless youâre complicated, sharp and very, very shrewd.
A SPOTLIGHT ON OUR KEY PLAYERS
For a 73-episode whopper of a show, thereâs a lot to possibly say, and a vast cast of characters to cover as well.
Itâs just not possible to cover everyone or everything in a single review, so just know that Iâll be touching on as big of a handful as I can, but will inevitably still leave out some characters even though they can be considered rather key to our story.
Zhao Liying as Sheng Minglan
First of all, let me just say that I thought Zhao Liying did very well in the role of Minglan.
In the beginning, when young Minglan morphed into Zhao Liying, Iâll admit that it was hard for me to get used to the change.
Not only is Zhao Liying much older than teenaged Minglan is supposed to be, the bangs didnât do her any favors, making her look much older than her 31 years. To put it bluntly, I found it jarring, because the hair and makeup made Zhao Liying look like she was a woman in her 40s, dressing young and acting young.
However, I eventually got used to it, so that distraction was relatively fleeting, in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, I want to commend Zhao Liying, because I feel that she got the speech patterns and mannerisms of a teenaged Minglan down pat.
I also wanted to say, after Minglanâs marriage, when she no longer wore the bangs, I found that Zhao Liying looked so much more youthful and beautiful.
Overall, I very much enjoyed watching Minglan grow into her own skin, and shed the layers of cautious pretense that sheâd taken to wearing, out of self-preservation.
Because Minglan wears those defensive pretenses for a good length of time, I have to say that I generally preferred watching mid-to-late episode Minglan, for being a truer representation of herself.
Hereâs a quickish collection of my thoughts and observations of Minglan, during my watch.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E5.
As expected, Minglan is smart and shrewd, even if sheâs not academically inclined. She knows that Molan (Shi Shi) covets the young master Yuan Ruo (Zhu Yilong), and she shrewdly keeps her distance from him, even as he shows interest in her.
E15.
Twas pretty satisfying to see Minglan give sharp answers when Molan tried to bully her and talk her into a corner.
And then, even more impressive, to see Minglan then smooth things over and even get Molan to say that they are in the same boat because they are not born of the main madam. Impressive.
E16.
This was a fun episode, with Minglan surprising everyone with her horseback riding and polo skills.
Girlâs got skillz, which is very cool indeed. Seeing Yuan Ruo so shocked and amazed was entertaining. Seeing Molan so annoyed that Yuan Ruo availed himself to play with Ming Lan was quite satisfying. Seeing Ming Lan and her friend so happy when they won the pin back was satisfying too.
E18.
âTwas very satisfying to see Minglan question Gu Tingyeâs mistress Manniang (Li Yixiao) and outwit her soundly. Yesss.
E21.
Minglan managing to get rid of all the spy servants without having to lift her own finger, is so shrewd. I feel like there is a lot to learn from the patience, wisdom and shrewdness of the smart women in this show.
E25.
Minglan being the brains to solve the family predicament of the divorce impasse, is again proof of how sharp and shrewd she is. And sheâs the youngest of the family too.
E33.
Itâs true that Minglan basically plotted Madam Linâs death, but in this context, where the law is often not to be relied upon, and in this world, where danger lies everywhere and itâs every man for himself, and lives are taken easily and often, her revenge doesnât seem so out of the ordinary.
E36.
I like how clear Minglan is, about what she will and will not put up with, in marriage. And I do like her insight, that the other personâs greatest weakness is where you must look, because you need to ask yourself if you can live with the weakness for the rest of your life. How wise.
E41.
Itâs interesting and satisfying to watch how Minglanâs accumulated knowledge and experience combine with her natural sharpness and intelligence, to manage the immediate politics in the Gu Household. Sheâs impressive.
She remains polite and well-mannered, but she doesnât let the elders have their wily way. Instead, she gains the upper hand by pretending to retreat. She would make an excellent general, I think.
E42.
For now, Iâm really enjoying watching Minglan come into her own, in the face of everyoneâs efforts to corner her. The way she handled the incoming servants from the Gu Household was so sharp and shrewd, while remaining ever so dignified and gracious. I love it.
I love that she doesnât need to lose her cool; I love that her not losing her cool and outsmarting the ones coming after her is frustrating those who want to step all over her; I love that she takes care of it all without looking like sheâs ruffled a single feather.
E51.
Looks like weâre finally bringing Madam Linâs murder of Minglanâs mother to light. I see now that Minglan has been wise to wait this long.
Sheâs no longer a powerless young girl with no evidence. Sheâs now a powerful woman with her own title bestowed by the Emperor (Qin Yan), and she has witness and evidence to prove her case. She holds herself with what I would call.. fiery dignity. I like it.
E58.
I love the way Minglan coaches the girls, it reminds me of how Grandmother (Cao Cuifen) used to coach Minglan when she was young. Teaching them to not only read the accounting books, but also analyze the context with sharpness and wisdom. I love it.
E61.
Minglanâs words of wisdom to the Empress (Yang Yuting) really turned the situation around. Grandmother has reason to be proud of her.
E72.
The moment Rongâer (Ye Xuantong) cries out
âMother!â
to Minglan, sealing a kinship and intimacy that Minglan has always hoped for but never pressed for, was so moving, it brought tears to my eyes.
[END SPOILER]
Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye / Zhong Huai
To be honest, my affection for Feng Shaofeng in the skin of Gu Tingye was quite the slow burn. This is thanks in part to the writing, and partly due to Feng Shaofengâs delivery.
First, letâs talk about the delivery. I donât know if itâs just me, but I found something quite theatrical about Feng Shaofengâs delivery of Gu Tingye, particularly in his mannerisms.
To my eyes, it kinda-sorta looked like he was acting on a Chinese opera stage while everyone else was in front of a camera crew. I found it weird, to be honest, and it took me.. many episodes, to accept that this is just how Gu Tingye is.
Secondly, Show makes him out to be quite the cryptic character. In the first third of the drama, save for the childhood scene where he stepped in to help Minglan, heâs portrayed as a bit of a flippant delinquent.
Itâs only from the second third of our story onwards, that Show starts to peel away Gu Tingyeâs outer reckless, impertinent layers, to reveal the person that he is, underneath.
In the beginning, I didnât exactly
dislike
Gu Tingye, but I didnât quite like him either. By Showâs later episodes, though, I felt like I understood him a lot better, and over time, I even grew rather affectionate of him. Thatâs quite a turnaround, Iâd say.
Because much of my change in perception of Gu Tingye hinges on his relationship with Minglan, Iâll talk more about this later in the review.
Zhu Yilong as Yuan Ruo / Qi Heng
Compared to Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye, I feel like my reaction to Zhu Yilong as Yuan Ruo is almost an opposing, contrary sort of trajectory.
For one thing, Yuan Ruo starts off as a pretty appealing character, to me. As we get deeper into our story, though, Yuan Ruoâs appeal also fades, to some degree.
[
MODERATE SPOILERS]
For instance, heâs extremely earnest and open about his affections for Minglan, and his efforts to woo her â combined with his stubbornness in wanting to marry her â made him rather melty at times.
However, his naĂŻvetĂŠ and petty tendencies eventually come to the fore, when things donât go the way he desires, and Minglan ends up marrying someone else.
[END SPOILERS]
On the issue of delivery, I loved Zhu Yilongâs delivery of Yuan Ruo from the very beginning.
I found his interpretation of Yuan Ruoâs emotions very natural and nuanced, and often, just a quick flicker of his eyes and a slight shift in his gaze, made me feel like I could see the turn of emotions going through his heart.
My favorite Yuan Ruo moment, which I felt really showcased Zhu Yilongâs acting ability, is in episode 28.
[SPOILER ALERT]
This episode, Zhu Yilong really shines, with the way he brings out Yuan Ruoâs hopelessness and sorrow.
That moment when he considers that marriage contract at the House of Yong, tears staining his face, his eyes looking so lost, is really quite affecting. Very nicely done. I felt sorry for the way he feels forced into this situation, of marrying someone else, when his heart is with Minglan.
[END SPOILER]
Another favorite Yuan Ruo moment of mine, is in episode 70, not so much for Zhu Yilongâs delivery, but for what the moment means for Yuan Ruo as a character.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Yuan Ruoâs wife (Chen Yalan) helping him to visit Minglan, against the wishes of his mother (Chen Jin), is such a highlight of the episode, for me. Yuan Ruoâs always kept her at a distance, but I feel like this is the turning point, where he begins to see her in a whole new light.
The first surprise, is when he realizes that everything sheâd said had been a ruse to get him out of the house without his motherâs objection. And the next surprise, is when she demonstrates her ability to think shrewdly and sharply, when discussing Minglanâs case.
That small moment, where his gaze flicks at her in surprise, is, I feel, the moment when he probably realizes for the first time, that his wife might be pretty awesome after all. I like that a lot.
[END SPOILER]
Cao Cuifen as Grandmother / Old Mrs. Sheng
Omigosh, I freaking loved Cao Cuifen as Grandmother. She is arguably my favorite character in this entire drama world.
I loved how sharp and wise Grandmother always is. She consistently sees through all the bull and is always very clear-cut in terms of what is the best course of action.
Grandmother is so shrewd and strategic in her thoughts and actions, that she really wouldâve made a great general, no exaggeration. Watching Grandmother in action, I always felt like there was a lot to be learned from her, particularly in the area of strategic thinking.
More than that, I love how compassionate she is towards Minglan. Thereâs always such a softness in her face, when sheâs with Minglan, and I never tired of seeing them together â which Iâll talk about next.
A QUICK SPOTLIGHT ON THE MAIN LOVELINES
Grandmother & Minglan
It wouldnât be an overstatement at all, to say that the relationship between Grandmother and Minglan was my favorite loveline in this show.
There is deep, deep love between the two, and even though we donât get a great deal of screen time unpacking the relationship between them, every scene they share is precious and affecting in the best way. I love it, so much.
One of my favorite motifs in this show, is of Grandmother holding Minglan. We see it again and again, where Grandmother hugs Minglan to herself, to comfort her, assure her and defend her.
In a story world where hugs are not often given, and where Grandmother is an authority figure that strikes respectful awe in most, this stood out to me as extra, extra special.
It was also gratifying to witness Grandmother teaching and coaching Minglan on the ways of the world, in order to equip her to survive and live well, on her own. It felt heartwarming, but also, educational, to witness.
Hereâs a collection of my favorite moments between Grandmother and Minglan.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E4.
The scene where Minglan is on the boat and Grandmother holds her and cries out, âMinglan has someone who loves her!â is so moving. Literal tears to my eyes.
E33.
One of the things that really touches me in this show, are the scenes of Grandmother embracing Minglan and holding her to herself.
When she was a small child whoâd lost her mother; when sheâd been heartbroken by the news of Yuan Ruoâs marriage; and now, when she admits that sheâd planned the trap that had led to Madam Linâs death.
Grandmother embraces her and empathizes with her pain, each time.
E40.
The scene where Minglan tells Grandmother that she canât bear to part with her, and Gran, holding back her tears, tells her that she feels likewise, brought actual tears to my eyes. Such a poignant, bittersweet moment.
E40.
Aw man. Granâs tearful outburst on Minglanâs wedding day, as she stops Minglan, grasps her hands and tells her to be well, just made me cry. I wish Minglan and Gran could live together for always.
E41.
How lovely, to see the joy with which Grandmother welcomes Minglan back. Such a big hug, with so much warmth and tenderness.
E52.
I do love that Gran knows Minglan well, and hurries over because she knows that anything to do with Madam Lin will rile Minglan up like no other.
E59.
Woof. Every time Grandmother is active in Ming Lanâs narrative, my attention picks right up. I think thatâs my favorite thing in this series: watching Grandmother protecting Ming Lan, while teaching her to see the world more critically and clearly.
E64.
So glad Grandmother is awake and will be ok. The reunion between her and Minglan legit brought tears to my eyes. So much emotion between these two. I luff them together, so much. â¤ď¸
[END SPOILER]
Minglan & Yuan Ruo
Itâs rare for a drama to introduce a loveline for the female lead, other than the one with her One True Love, and I appreciate that Show bucks the drama trend, to show us something closer to real life.
Coz itâs true â and probable â that first loves donât always end up together for the long haul.
However, largely because I already knew who romantic endgame was for Minglan, just from looking at Showâs poster, I found myself somewhat detached from the developments of this loveline, and also, rather unable to root for the success of this young love.
Coz, how do you root for a love that you know is already doomed to fail, right?
Additionally, I found the portrayal of Minglanâs reciprocal feelings a little sudden, since sheâd been studiously avoiding Yuan Ruo prior.
However, I appreciate the insights that this loveline gives us, regarding both these characters.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E16.
Yuan Ruo is so keen to connect with Minglan that heâs blithely oblivious to social mores, which makes Ming Lanâs clearly uncomfortable. His happiness at seeing her drowns out her efforts to get him to behave with more decorum.
Also, his own joy outweighs her protests, which feels like a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, itâs rather swoony that he doesnât care about anything but letting her know how he feels.
On the other hand, shouldnât he put her preferences and feelings first? And, he seems pretty undiscerning and immature, to not be aware of the obstacles that would be in the way of a union between them.
E17.
Yuan Ruo is pretty naive.. He seems to truly believe that he can marry Minglan and have her as his main wife, while Minglan, though younger than he, is much more astute, and knows full well that his mother would never allow it.
E17.
Despite his naĂŻvetĂŠ, Yuan Ruoâs earnest manner in declaring his affections and intentions to Minglan is quite endearing. His face is so pure and open, and so untainted by the grit of realism. His refrain of calling Minglan a little liar is quite cute too.
E28.
Itâs terrible and horrifying that the House of Yong would resort to kidnap and threats, to have Yuan Ruo marry their daughter.
Itâs a tough situation, and given Yuan Ruoâs cautious, softhearted nature, itâs understandable that he wouldnât feel able to go rogue and threaten them back, as Tingye suggests.
E28.
The way Minglan continues to trust Yuan Ruo is touching as well. She believes in him; she chooses to believe that he tried his best and failed, and that he has his painful reasons for letting her down, and she will not blame him nor let her maidservants blame him either.
I really like that. It takes a gracious person to be able to think like that, when theyâve just been hurt deeply themselves. Kudos to Minglan. Such maturity, faith, and grace.
[END SPOILERS]
Minglan & Gu Tingye
Not gonna lie; this loveline was a hard sell at first, for me.
First of all, as I mentioned earlier in this review, Show was slow to reveal Gu Tingyeâs true nature, so I didnât yet like him, when Show started pushing this loveline.
Second of all, Show had put all this effort into teasing out the emotion surrounding Minglanâs loveline with Yuan Ruo, which means that I didnât feel ready to believe that Minglan would grow feelings for someone else, relatively soon after having her heart broken.
And then third of all, at around the episode 23 mark, Show starts making Minglan and Gu Tingye meet repeatedly, by chance.
Serendipitously, Gu Tingye is
always
nearby when Minglan finds herself in mortal danger, so much so that it becomes completely predictable. By the third time Tingye swooped in to save her, I found myself thinking, âAlright, fine, I geddit, this is supposed to be
fate.â
I honestly found myself having a hard time buying into it all, and doubted Showâs ability to persuade me otherwise. Happily, Show surprised me with how
well
it convinced me of Gu Tingyeâs suitability as Minglanâs match, which Iâll talk about in this next section.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E23.
How serendipitous, that itâs Gu Tingye who rescues Minglan from the water. But, phew that she and Grandmother are ok.
E24-25.
Gu Tingye saves Minglan time and again from bandits.. how considerate, that he guards her and her family from afar, ensuring their safe journey, while traveling rough himself.
E28.
Gu Tingye clearly has developed a soft spot of sorts for Minglan. The moment he hears of the marriage between the houses of Qi and Yong, he seeks out Yuan Ruo and tells him there is still hope.
The way he tells Yuan Ruo of the kind of effects his decision will have on Minglanâs future, show that he is thoughtful and considerate of Minglan, and that he cares.
E28.
The way Gu Tingye goes to Minglan and gently relays the message from Yuan Ruo, is so compassionate and empathetic.
I actually really like where we leave this couple-to-be. They have both learned hard lessons in love and loss, and are encouraging each other to stay strong and be well, and to look to the future. That feels so wholesome and pure.
They donât have feelings for each other at this moment, and the moment just feels like one shared between kindred spirits on similar journeys, and I like that.
E35.
It gets completely predictable that Gu Tingye will show up to save Minglan whenever sheâs in mortal danger, lol.
E38.
Woah.
I didnât realize Tingye really was asking for Rulanâs (Zhang Jianing) hand in marriage!
Wait, Tingye really did ALL that stuff, to marry Ming Lan? That.. sucks. He basically ruined her previously perfectly fine marriage prospects, by unearthing the exiled cousin and extracting her from her previously sealed fate, and then sending her to create unrest for Minglanâs prospective marriage.
Thatâs so meddlesome and so underhanded. This does not endear him to me. And itâs upset Gran so much too.
E39.
Well-played, Show. I didnât think that Show would be able to win me over to accept Gu Tingye as Minglanâs husband, nor did I think there was anything he could say that would win her over. But win her over he did, and resoundingly too.
By demonstrating that he truly understands and sees her, that he knows all of her sufferings and unhappiness, and telling her that he wishes to set her free from that constricting way of existing, he moves her â and he moves me too. Slow applause.
E40.
I really appreciate how Tingyeâs emphasis with Minglan is first and foremost, an emotional connection.
Honesty and loyalty; the sharing of all of each of their truths; sincerity and appreciativeness with Minglan for her gracious attitude towards his children; trusting her fully with all of his assets; promising to be good to her always.
I mean, I do also love that he went out and got food for her and made sure it was good food, never mind if people concluded that he was cowed by a fierce wife.
How perfect: taking care of her physical hunger, then when thatâs done, talking to her in the most honest, meaningful way, before moving to consummate their marriage.
E42.
I like the couple moments we see between Gu Tingye and Minglan. They really do behave like a real married couple, and I especially appreciate how natural the skinship is. This really is quite possibly the biggest advantage to having our leads be married in real life.
E43-44.
Tingye overhearing Minglanâs caution in trusting and depending on him too much, and wanting to draw her into fully trusting him. I appreciate how much he desires a strong and pure connection with her.
E47.
Itâs nice to see Minglan supporting Gu Tingye, and worrying for him, and having him feel touched by her worry, as if he expected her to only worry for her own safety.
E49.
Gu Tingye is so furious at Minglan for saying that itâs easy to agree to him spending the night with Manniang (Li Yixiao). The irony. He wants her to be jealous, but Minglan isnât, lol.
E50.
Tis good to keep a cool head on your shoulders. If not for Minglanâs shrewdness, Tingye wouldâve fallen into his stepmotherâs trap. I like how she balances him out that way.
E52.
I also like that Tingye swoops in and speaks up for Minglan, and everyone has to listen, because heâs now the big powerful guy. I like this dynamic where they mutually look out for each other, all the time.
E52.
The way Tingye comforts Minglan and holds her in the carriage on their way home, really speaks of a marriage relationship that is made up of strong bonds. I like it.
E52.
The whole concubine thing is rather amusing, with Tingye refusing to sleep with his new concubine, and Minglan blithely leaving him to his own devices. It really says a lot about their relationship; he wants no one but Minglan, and Minglan trusts him to do whatâs best.
E54.
Tingye being cold to Minglan for a full 2 months, wow. He must really feel that she doesnât love him.
E56.
While itâs true that Tingye and Minglan are sleeping separately, their relationship is much better than what Madam Stepmother thinks.
Theyâre talking quite deeply and honestly, and there is still a clear affection between them. But Minglan just canât see what Tingye is so upset about, when it comes to whether she gets jealous, and whether she sees him as her Marquis husband, or as Gu Tingye. Itâs kind of funny, but itâs also kind of sad.
E58.
Tingyeâs joy at Minglanâs pregnancy is cute and quite infectious.
E58.
The way Minglan supports him to go do the salt inspection even though that would mean sheâs left alone while pregnant, is very admirable and sweet.
E70.
I appreciate that the decision on whether or not Tingye and Minglan ought to legally separate in order to protect their child, is handled with so much heartfelt emotion.
In contrast to their usual dynamic, this time, itâs Tingye whoâs working to be logical, for the sake of his family, while Minglan is the one whoâs holding her heart in her throat, threatening that she will never accept Tingye again, if he separates from her now. Her growing love for her husband is clear to see, and itâs quite moving to witness.
QUICK SHOUT-OUTS TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS
Liu Jun as Sheng Hong
Dad mostly shows up as the ineffectual, hapless official head of the Sheng household. The truth is, though, heâs basically at the mercy of the women in his life.
At first, I found Dad frustratingly weak, but over time, Show did a solid job of demonstrating that Dad really does care, and he does the best he can, despite his faintheartedness and dull wits. Eventually, I grew rather fond of him, which is why he gets a quick shout-out here.
Liu Lin as Wang Ruofu
I thought Liu Lin did a fantastic job portraying Main Mother. Main Mother is straightforward, hotheaded, and far too simple of mind to do well in a complicated, dog-eat-dog world like this.
I loved how naturally Liu Lin portrayed all of these facets of Main Mother; it just looked so effortless, and yet, there was so much expression and nuance in her delivery. Kudos.
The sisters
Wang Herun as Hualan
As the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Hualan is married off in Showâs early episodes, and therefore, we donât see much of her over the course of our story.
However, I really enjoyed what I did see of her. Wang Herun is radiant and beautiful as Hualan, and makes her quite incandescent. On top of that, Hualan always has a level, gracious head on her shoulders; an oft-needed voice of reason, in the Sheng household foibles.
Shi Shi as Molan
Molan is just like her mother Madam Lin, and learns to use her wiles to get what she wants. She often lies blithely without the bat of an eyelash, and she does it to make herself look good while making her sisters look bad.
Beyond the daily pouting and underhanded trickery to better her position within the household, hands-down the most interesting arc involving Molan, was her scheme regarding her marriage. The audacity of it all, had me on the edge of my seat.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I mean, to manipulate it such that she would have a chance at a secret rendezvous with young master Liang (Wu Hong), the groom of her choosing, so that she could flirt him into bed, is bold enough, but Molan does this repeatedly, so that she will fall pregnant, so that their families will have no choice but permit their marriage, and in this way, she will be a main wife instead of a concubine.
How brazen, right? But even more brazen, is how Molan and her mother just go for it, trusting that the family will do everything to clean up the mess, if only for the sake of the other daughtersâ reputations. What a gamble.
I found the entire arc quite thrilling and riveting.
Beyond the shamelessness of this entire arc, I want to credit Shi Shi for playing Molan with an undercurrent of sadness. That sadness doesnât surface often, but when it does, it reminds me that Molan really isnât that happy with herself or her life.
For example, in episode 32, the scene where Mo Lan considers her future, now that Madam Wu has agreed to the marriage, with tears in her eyes and sadness in her gaze, is actually really well done. It tells me that Molan didnât want to do this; that there is a lot of bitter mixed in with the sweetness of her so-called victory.
Eventually, in Showâs final episodes, Molanâs deceitful ways finally catch up with her, when her hard-won husband rejects her for basically tricking him into marriage.
Overall, I canât say I liked Molan, but I did find her quite compelling.
[END SPOILER]
Zhang Jianing as Rulan
I didnât like Rulan much at first, not least because she also bullied Minglan in her own way, always getting Minglan to do chores for her.
[MINOR SPOILER]
However, in Showâs mid-episodes, when Rulan falls for Scholar Wen (Zhang Lu), I really liked the new closeness that develops between Minglan and Rulan, where they get together regularly in Rulanâs chamber and talk about boys, heh. How cute!
I loved the cozy sister talk between Minglan and Rulan, as they mused about their impending marriages and shared their feelings and thoughts and fears. The encouragement and shared laughter feels so real and so organic; I truly believe these two sisters care for each other.
[END SPOILER]
The chief wily women
There are a number of wily women in this story, to bring the conflict and angst as needed, so if youâre leery of being spoiled by knowing who these characters are, maybe skip this section.
Gao Lu as Lin Qinshuang
When Show first presented Lin Qinshuang as the coquettish, sly, manipulative concubine of the Sheng household, alarm bells started pinging in my head. And itâs true that Lin Qinshuang was a sizable source of trouble for the members of the Sheng family.
The first time my jaw dropped in this show was in episode 4, thanks to Lin Qinshuang.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I was astounded at the gall with which Lin Qinshuang lied that she was innocent and cried for mercy.
I mean, she swore to the heavens without blinking an eye that she had nothing to do with Minglanâs motherâs death, when sheâd in fact singlehandedly plotted the entire tragedy, and with glee. Wow.
[END SPOILER]
As far as villains go in this drama world, though, I found Lin Qinshuangâs behavior something that I could rationalize, even though I couldnât condone it.
Given her lot in life, and given the world into which she was born, she probably felt that this was her best chance at giving her children a boost up the social ladder.
Thankfully, Show doesnât let her off easy, and Lin Qinshuang does end up paying for her misdeeds.
Also, by Showâs end, I came to realize that there are scarier women, than Lin Qinshuang. Shudder.
Li Yixiao as Zhu Manniang
At first glance, Manniang appears to be cut from a similar cloth as Lin Qinshuang: pretty, sly and coquettish, set on using her charms to manipulate her man, so that she can get what she wants.
Compared to Lin Qinshuang, though, I found Manniang more cunning, more ruthless, and also, more resilient.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I could hardly believe that Manniang would be so ruthless as to basically treat her son so poorly while on the run, that the child would die. And then, instead of feeling at all sorry about it, she berates her son when she visits his grave, and also, proceeds to spread lies that Tingye killed their son.
By episode 50, Iâd concluded that Manniang is like a cockroach that will not die. In that episode, even armed guards shooing her out of the city and foiling her efforts for food and shelter wouldnât stop her efforts to malign Gu Tingye.
Credit to Li Yixiao; I really did feel as we got deeper into our story, that Manniang became more and more crazed, delusional and hysterical.
[END SPOILER]
Wang Yinan as Lady Qin
Lady Qin is arguably the most lethal among the crafty women in this drama world.
Serene, gentle and kindly on the surface, Lady Qin put much effort into scheming for the betterment of her own station as well as that of her son, and also, shockingly, took much pleasure out of successful scheming, even when that scheming often resulted in death and destruction.
[SPOILER ALERT]
The first time it registered in my head just how dangerous this woman was, was in episode 19, when Show revealed the lengths that Lady Qin had gone to, to expel Tingye from the Gu household.
I mean, to have doted on him since young as a loving and indulgent stepmother, so that she would be able to expel him upon her husbandâs death, is an impressive level of endurance and patience. Now that is some scary stuff.
[END SPOILER]
Credit to Wang Yinan; every time Lady Qin switched between her sweet benign kindly demeanor, to her dark, hardened, scheming one, I always felt a touch startled.
Zhang Yanyan as Wang Ruoyu / Madam Kang
Having only seen Zhang Yanyan play gentle, dignified and demure characters in Nirvana In Fire and The Disguiser, I was suitably astonished at how well she plays the ill-intentioned, spiteful, gossipy Madam Kang who has a bit of a volatile, violent bent.
From outright lies, to coercion, blackmail, and actual attempted murder, Madam Kang does it all, and I believed Zhang Yanyan every step of the way.
Madam Kang turned out to be cruel and inhumane, and I didnât like her one bit, but at the same time, I couldnât help marveling at Zhang Yanyanâs ability to portray her so seamlessly.
OTHER RELATIONSHIPS
Ming Lan & Zhang Guifen (Madam Shen)
Minglan is shown to have several close friends over the course of our story, but the one that stood out to me the most, is her unlikely friendship with Madam Shen (Wu Xiaoyu).
[SPOILER ALERT]
I rather like how their connection started in such a rocky, dramatic manner, but that in the end, Minglanâs sincerity and sensitively-spoken words of wisdom really turned Madam Shen around, and thereafter, they became such close and trusted friends.
Later in the show, when Madam Shen becomes the target of her husbandâs concubineâs plot to deprive her of medical help during the delivery of her baby, I thought it was a very good full circle, that Minglan was able to personally stop it, and save her life.
This felt to me like a form of closure for Minglan, for the time sheâd been unable to save her mother from a similar plot, as a mere child. I found this very meaningful indeed.
[END SPOILER]
Minglan and her loyal maids
Even though this dynamic is kept mostly in the background, I really enjoyed Minglanâs positive, trusting relationship with her personal maids.
Here are my two favorite highlights that really showcase the depth of care and emotion in these relationships.
[SPOILER ALERT]
E55.
Minglan is a genuinely caring mistress who wouldnât hold her maid back from marriage for her own comfort.
The scene where Minglan talks to Cuiwei (Li Yuanyuan) about her potential marriage match, is so poignant. Both women tear up at the prospect of saying goodbye, and itâs clear to see that this is born of genuine relationship.
E72.
Xiaotao (Wang Ziwei), pledging to live and die next to Minglan, and then admitting she was afraid, before telling Minglan, âLetâs go!â is just so heart-swellingly brave.
Sheâs not hesitating even for a moment, even though she is scared, and this is literally a life-or-death situation where she might not live to see another day. That is absolutely a demonstration of deep love.
[END SPOILER]
Xiaotao & Shitou
This is a tiny little tangential arc, but I loved the idea of a loveline between Xiaotao and Shitou (Shen Chi).
Because Xiaotao is Minglanâs close personal maid, and Shitou is Gu Tingyeâs righthand man, the two often have occasion to hang out together while waiting for their master and mistress.
When Show started giving little hints that Shitou was smitten with Xiaotao, I was thrilled.
And I found the scene in episode 52, of Shitou and Xiaotao talking giddily about food, and about what was delicious, absolutely adorable, funny and perfect. â¤ď¸
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING
[SPOILERS]
Show serves up a twist in its final episode that I wasnât expecting, to be honest.
Gu Tingye comes back and saves the day, and we find out that everything was one very intricate ruse, where the emperor put up an elaborate act, together with the empress and Gu Tingye, in order to bait the empress dowager to make her move to stage a mutiny.
While that plot twist did suddenly make the emperor appear much more shrewd than heâd ever appeared, I have to admit that it does niggle at me, that this ruse was a high stakes one in which many lives were put in danger, and many lives were also lost.
Minglan herself suffered a true shock regarding the probable death of her husband, while she was still weak from childbirth, and the stressful events of the mutiny, with soldiers attacking her home, would have been a lot to bear.
After all the drama is over, Minister Sheng remarks casually that if Minglan were to develop any health issues later on, it would be all Gu Tingyeâs fault â and I canât help thinking that potential health issues isnât that far-fetched an idea, given all that Minglanâs been through.
My mum finished watching this show ahead of me, and when I asked her if it had a happy ending, she said,
âWell, I suppose so. All the bad people died.â
..Which they did.
Lady Qin dies in a fire of her own causing, lamenting that sheâd never lived as herself for even a day. Sheâs distraught that all of her scheming for Tingwei has come to naught, and furious that sheâs lived this way all for nothing. Itâs a dramatic way to die, and I almost feel sorry for her, but.. not quite.
Manniang dies in this last narrative arc as well, getting killed in a bid to murder Gu Tingyeâs son, as revenge for her own dead son.
Again, I have no sympathy for this woman, who pushes her own daughter down and injures her in her bid to kill an infant, and doesnât even look back at her injured child, because sheâs so set on stabbing the baby.
Ugh.
That is just insane.
In happier news, one of my favorite moments this finale, is how Show gives us a glimpse of how Yuan Ruoâs heart towards his wife has changed.
Iâm glad that we see him apologizing to her, for how heâs treated her in the past, and pledging to make it all up to her, going forward into the future.
Wifey is gently gracious about it, demurring that he never wronged her, and with soft smiles, this couple walks into their new future, arm in arm. How lovely.
Iâm also very pleased to see that, unspoken time skip later, Shitou and Xiaotao are married and expecting their first child together.
Woot!
Iâm just really happy for them, and Iâm glad that they get to be together, and even though sheâs now married, that Xiaotao still gets to spend time with Minglan, whom she clearly adores.
As Show draws near its final curtain, the Gu household bustles with activity, as the whole family â members of the Sheng household included â works together to restore the Gu ancestral hall that had burned down.
Gu Tingye and Minglan rib each other as usual, but also, they share warm smiles, and remark that the days ahead will be happy ones, as they walk back into their home together, hand in hand.
I have to admit, even though there were times when I dragged my feet a little, when Showâs story seemed to ramble on, sometimes with what felt like a lack of strong direction, Iâm pleased that I stayed with these characters to the end.
They grew on me, in spite of myself, and now, Iâm content to see that theyâre content, and that all is as well as can be.
THE FINAL VERDICT:
Rather long and meandering, but Showâs got enough heart to make it worth the while.
FINAL GRADE:
B+
TRAILER:
MV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH2AXY-D5lg
An instrumental playlist:
WHERE TO WATCH:
You can check out this show on Viki
here
. You can also find it on YouTube
here
.
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. |
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# Flash Review: The Story Of Minglan \[China\]
[October 5, 2019May 13, 2022](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/)
\| [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/author/kfangurl/)
This was a show that I just couldnât *not* check out, come to think of it.
First of all, this is by Daylight Entertainment, the same good folks who gave us [Nirvana In Fire](http://thefangirlverdict.com/2015/12/09/flash-review-nirvana-in-fire-chinese-drama/) and [Nirvana In Fire 2](http://thefangirlverdict.com/2018/09/06/flash-review-nirvana-in-fire-2-the-wind-blows-in-chang-lin-china/), both of which are excellent shows that I loved.
Second of all, lots of you guys loved this. And your love was so effusive that I felt like I would like this one too (this, when I hadnât yet seen a single episode, heh. See how persuasive yâall are?)
Now that Iâve emerged on the other side (73 whole episodes!), I have to say that while I donât think I loved it as intensely as many of you did, I did like this one quite well indeed.
**OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE**
Hereâs the OST album in case youâd like to listen to it while you read the review.
**WHAT I LIKED â A BRIEF OVERVIEW**
**1\.** I felt engaged right away, from episode 1, even though I was still in the midst of getting my bearings in terms of whoâs who. Thatâs pretty impressive.
**2\.** A lot of time is spent exploring the relationship and power dynamics of the Sheng household, a relatively ordinary family (ie, theyâre not royalty, even though they arenât exactly common folk either).
Thereâs so much delicacy and politicking among the various wives of the household, where almost nothing said can be taken at face value, and itâs quite fascinating to watch.
**3\.** Daylight Entertainment put in a lot of detailed effort to make the rendition of this drama world as authentic and true to the times as possible, famously refusing to use additional lighting during night scenes, and depending on candlelight instead.
Yes, this made for some pretty dark nighttime scenes, but this also effectively made me feel like a fly on the wall, watching the goings-on of this world that felt real, but felt light years away.
**4\.** Our cast serves up lots of very solid performances, and together with the writing, this made the characters feel like real people. Over time, I really felt like I was getting to know these people, and I eventually grew fond of them too.
**5\.** Minglan (Zhao Liying) is just the kind of underdog heroine that I can get behind, because beneath her quiet demeanor, sheâs quick-witted and her ability to analyze a person &/or situation is razor sharp. I loved watching her come into her own.
**WHAT I LIKED LESS â A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT MAKE IT HARDER TO ENJOY THIS SHOW**
To be fair, besides those of you who loved this show, there were also lots of folks who seemed to have run into a wall with this drama.
I personally found my watch an uphill one, on occasion, and hereâs a quickish run-down of the various reasons why.
**1\. It takes some getting used to**
Showâs got a strong slice-of-life flavor about it, which is one of its strengths.
At the same time, because of the slice-of-life approach to storytelling, it can feel like very small things are being presented as plot points, and if youâre not in the right brain space, this can feel, well, underwhelming.
**\[MINOR SPOILER\]**
For example, in the very early episodes, the issue of coal being embezzled within the Sheng household spans several episodes, and I found it hard to sustain my interest in the mechanics of the whole thing.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
Additionally, I found it frustrating to see scheming glib-tongued characters get away with framing others for their misdeeds, and good-guy characters extol silence as a virtue, when they are the ones suffering at the hands of said scheming characters.
To Showâs credit, the scheming characters eventually get their comeuppance, and also, I can rationalize that the ideal of pious silence is a sign of those times, but it was still trying to watch.
**\[EARLY-EPISODE SPOILER ALERT\]**
For example, in episode 3, Iâd expected Ming Lanâs birth mother (Liu Xiyuan) to die as a result of the manipulation of the second wife (Gao Lu), but this was still tragic to watch.
Itâs terrible how much scheming went into her death, and how many people were complicit. The worst part was watching them try to conceal their triumph and glee, as they watched Minglan run for dear life, trying to find someone to help her poor mother.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**2\. The transition to adulthood is rather jarring**
Personally, I found it quite jarring when all the children suddenly grow up in episode 5.
For one thing, it was hard to figure out who was who, especially since there were so many characters, and I ended up having to look up everyone on [this showâs Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Minglan), just to get a handle on them all.
Another thing was, at this point of the story, the kids have all grown into youths / young adults, but the actors are much older than their screen age.
It was distracting for me, to have to try to wrap my brain around the fact that these full-grown men who looked to be around 40 years old, were supposed to be young men in their early twenties.
By around episode 7, though, Iâd gotten more used to the older actors, and that helped.
**3\. The focus shifts**
Sometimes Show goes on what feels like a long tangent
Probably because of Showâs slice-of-life nature, sometimes our narrative spotlight would seem to wander, and for no apparent good reason.
Of course, the writers knew what they were doing, pulling characters together into the same orbit, but during those tangents, I sometimes found my attention waning.
Essentially, whenever the focus shifted away from the Sheng household shenanigans, I found my interest dip. This turned into a bit of a problem for me, because, as I learned, this story was never all about the Sheng household.
Eventually, court politics take a big chunk of screen time
In Showâs mid-episodes, court politics start to creep into the picture, and by Showâs later stretch, we start to get very large chunks of court machinations and inner palace goings-on. This feels like a huge shift away from the period family drama tone where we started, and so took a bit of getting used to.
The political stuff was admittedly not as interesting to me as the personal and family matters; however, because the political stuff increasingly formed the context within which this family existed, I could rationalize their importance to our characters.
However, I can see how viewers disinterested in court politics would struggle to stick with the show, by this point. My sister dropped out late in the game as well, partly because of this.
Eventually, things also get quite dramatic, with hysterics thrown in for good measure
The other reason my sister dropped out, is because things became too melodramatic for her taste, by Showâs later episodes. In her words, it felt like Show had switched writers; the tone just felt so different from Showâs early episodes.
For me personally, sometimes, I found the high drama quite cracky, and I sometimes watched back-to-back episodes, because I was curious to know how our characters would survive.
At the same time, I have to confess that the near-constant dramatics and hysterics got to me after a while, and I did feel like Show was getting tiring to watch.
**4\. Sometimes it gets repetitive**
Not gonna lie; sometimes it felt like certain plot devices were used and then reused, so much so that stuff started to feel repetitive and therefore boring, to me.
**\[MINOR SPOILER\]**
For example, Showâs second half is when we see Minglan coming into her own and standing up for herself.
I loved that, but, everyone showing up to make things difficult for Minglan in every way possible, did get a little old, I have to admit.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**5\. Sometimes I just donât get it**
I soon learned that many people in this drama world donât generally speak their minds, and instead, talk in veiled riddles.
I have to admit, I often had no clue what they were actually communicating, and for what purpose. It felt obtuse and confusing, and honestly, it made me feel kinda dumb sometimes.
It also made me think, how *hard* it is to survive in this drama world, where itâs a challenge to understand what other people mean, unless youâre complicated, sharp and very, very shrewd.
**A SPOTLIGHT ON OUR KEY PLAYERS**
For a 73-episode whopper of a show, thereâs a lot to possibly say, and a vast cast of characters to cover as well.
Itâs just not possible to cover everyone or everything in a single review, so just know that Iâll be touching on as big of a handful as I can, but will inevitably still leave out some characters even though they can be considered rather key to our story.
**Zhao Liying as Sheng Minglan**
First of all, let me just say that I thought Zhao Liying did very well in the role of Minglan.
In the beginning, when young Minglan morphed into Zhao Liying, Iâll admit that it was hard for me to get used to the change.
Not only is Zhao Liying much older than teenaged Minglan is supposed to be, the bangs didnât do her any favors, making her look much older than her 31 years. To put it bluntly, I found it jarring, because the hair and makeup made Zhao Liying look like she was a woman in her 40s, dressing young and acting young.
However, I eventually got used to it, so that distraction was relatively fleeting, in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, I want to commend Zhao Liying, because I feel that she got the speech patterns and mannerisms of a teenaged Minglan down pat.
I also wanted to say, after Minglanâs marriage, when she no longer wore the bangs, I found that Zhao Liying looked so much more youthful and beautiful.
Overall, I very much enjoyed watching Minglan grow into her own skin, and shed the layers of cautious pretense that sheâd taken to wearing, out of self-preservation.
Because Minglan wears those defensive pretenses for a good length of time, I have to say that I generally preferred watching mid-to-late episode Minglan, for being a truer representation of herself.
Hereâs a quickish collection of my thoughts and observations of Minglan, during my watch.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E5.** As expected, Minglan is smart and shrewd, even if sheâs not academically inclined. She knows that Molan (Shi Shi) covets the young master Yuan Ruo (Zhu Yilong), and she shrewdly keeps her distance from him, even as he shows interest in her.
**E15.** Twas pretty satisfying to see Minglan give sharp answers when Molan tried to bully her and talk her into a corner.
And then, even more impressive, to see Minglan then smooth things over and even get Molan to say that they are in the same boat because they are not born of the main madam. Impressive.
**E16.** This was a fun episode, with Minglan surprising everyone with her horseback riding and polo skills.
Girlâs got skillz, which is very cool indeed. Seeing Yuan Ruo so shocked and amazed was entertaining. Seeing Molan so annoyed that Yuan Ruo availed himself to play with Ming Lan was quite satisfying. Seeing Ming Lan and her friend so happy when they won the pin back was satisfying too.
**E18.** âTwas very satisfying to see Minglan question Gu Tingyeâs mistress Manniang (Li Yixiao) and outwit her soundly. Yesss.
**E21.** Minglan managing to get rid of all the spy servants without having to lift her own finger, is so shrewd. I feel like there is a lot to learn from the patience, wisdom and shrewdness of the smart women in this show.
**E25.** Minglan being the brains to solve the family predicament of the divorce impasse, is again proof of how sharp and shrewd she is. And sheâs the youngest of the family too.
**E33.** Itâs true that Minglan basically plotted Madam Linâs death, but in this context, where the law is often not to be relied upon, and in this world, where danger lies everywhere and itâs every man for himself, and lives are taken easily and often, her revenge doesnât seem so out of the ordinary.
**E36.** I like how clear Minglan is, about what she will and will not put up with, in marriage. And I do like her insight, that the other personâs greatest weakness is where you must look, because you need to ask yourself if you can live with the weakness for the rest of your life. How wise.
**E41.** Itâs interesting and satisfying to watch how Minglanâs accumulated knowledge and experience combine with her natural sharpness and intelligence, to manage the immediate politics in the Gu Household. Sheâs impressive.
She remains polite and well-mannered, but she doesnât let the elders have their wily way. Instead, she gains the upper hand by pretending to retreat. She would make an excellent general, I think.
**E42.** For now, Iâm really enjoying watching Minglan come into her own, in the face of everyoneâs efforts to corner her. The way she handled the incoming servants from the Gu Household was so sharp and shrewd, while remaining ever so dignified and gracious. I love it.
I love that she doesnât need to lose her cool; I love that her not losing her cool and outsmarting the ones coming after her is frustrating those who want to step all over her; I love that she takes care of it all without looking like sheâs ruffled a single feather.
**E51.** Looks like weâre finally bringing Madam Linâs murder of Minglanâs mother to light. I see now that Minglan has been wise to wait this long.
Sheâs no longer a powerless young girl with no evidence. Sheâs now a powerful woman with her own title bestowed by the Emperor (Qin Yan), and she has witness and evidence to prove her case. She holds herself with what I would call.. fiery dignity. I like it.
**E58.** I love the way Minglan coaches the girls, it reminds me of how Grandmother (Cao Cuifen) used to coach Minglan when she was young. Teaching them to not only read the accounting books, but also analyze the context with sharpness and wisdom. I love it.
**E61.** Minglanâs words of wisdom to the Empress (Yang Yuting) really turned the situation around. Grandmother has reason to be proud of her.
**E72.** The moment Rongâer (Ye Xuantong) cries out *âMother!â* to Minglan, sealing a kinship and intimacy that Minglan has always hoped for but never pressed for, was so moving, it brought tears to my eyes.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye / Zhong Huai**
To be honest, my affection for Feng Shaofeng in the skin of Gu Tingye was quite the slow burn. This is thanks in part to the writing, and partly due to Feng Shaofengâs delivery.
First, letâs talk about the delivery. I donât know if itâs just me, but I found something quite theatrical about Feng Shaofengâs delivery of Gu Tingye, particularly in his mannerisms.
To my eyes, it kinda-sorta looked like he was acting on a Chinese opera stage while everyone else was in front of a camera crew. I found it weird, to be honest, and it took me.. many episodes, to accept that this is just how Gu Tingye is.
Secondly, Show makes him out to be quite the cryptic character. In the first third of the drama, save for the childhood scene where he stepped in to help Minglan, heâs portrayed as a bit of a flippant delinquent.
Itâs only from the second third of our story onwards, that Show starts to peel away Gu Tingyeâs outer reckless, impertinent layers, to reveal the person that he is, underneath.
In the beginning, I didnât exactly *dislike* Gu Tingye, but I didnât quite like him either. By Showâs later episodes, though, I felt like I understood him a lot better, and over time, I even grew rather affectionate of him. Thatâs quite a turnaround, Iâd say.
Because much of my change in perception of Gu Tingye hinges on his relationship with Minglan, Iâll talk more about this later in the review.
**Zhu Yilong as Yuan Ruo / Qi Heng**
Compared to Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye, I feel like my reaction to Zhu Yilong as Yuan Ruo is almost an opposing, contrary sort of trajectory.
For one thing, Yuan Ruo starts off as a pretty appealing character, to me. As we get deeper into our story, though, Yuan Ruoâs appeal also fades, to some degree.
**\[****MODERATE SPOILERS\]**
For instance, heâs extremely earnest and open about his affections for Minglan, and his efforts to woo her â combined with his stubbornness in wanting to marry her â made him rather melty at times.
However, his naĂŻvetĂŠ and petty tendencies eventually come to the fore, when things donât go the way he desires, and Minglan ends up marrying someone else.
**\[END SPOILERS\]**
On the issue of delivery, I loved Zhu Yilongâs delivery of Yuan Ruo from the very beginning.
I found his interpretation of Yuan Ruoâs emotions very natural and nuanced, and often, just a quick flicker of his eyes and a slight shift in his gaze, made me feel like I could see the turn of emotions going through his heart.
My favorite Yuan Ruo moment, which I felt really showcased Zhu Yilongâs acting ability, is in episode 28.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
This episode, Zhu Yilong really shines, with the way he brings out Yuan Ruoâs hopelessness and sorrow.
That moment when he considers that marriage contract at the House of Yong, tears staining his face, his eyes looking so lost, is really quite affecting. Very nicely done. I felt sorry for the way he feels forced into this situation, of marrying someone else, when his heart is with Minglan.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
Another favorite Yuan Ruo moment of mine, is in episode 70, not so much for Zhu Yilongâs delivery, but for what the moment means for Yuan Ruo as a character.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
Yuan Ruoâs wife (Chen Yalan) helping him to visit Minglan, against the wishes of his mother (Chen Jin), is such a highlight of the episode, for me. Yuan Ruoâs always kept her at a distance, but I feel like this is the turning point, where he begins to see her in a whole new light.
The first surprise, is when he realizes that everything sheâd said had been a ruse to get him out of the house without his motherâs objection. And the next surprise, is when she demonstrates her ability to think shrewdly and sharply, when discussing Minglanâs case.
That small moment, where his gaze flicks at her in surprise, is, I feel, the moment when he probably realizes for the first time, that his wife might be pretty awesome after all. I like that a lot.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Cao Cuifen as Grandmother / Old Mrs. Sheng**
Omigosh, I freaking loved Cao Cuifen as Grandmother. She is arguably my favorite character in this entire drama world.
I loved how sharp and wise Grandmother always is. She consistently sees through all the bull and is always very clear-cut in terms of what is the best course of action.
Grandmother is so shrewd and strategic in her thoughts and actions, that she really wouldâve made a great general, no exaggeration. Watching Grandmother in action, I always felt like there was a lot to be learned from her, particularly in the area of strategic thinking.
More than that, I love how compassionate she is towards Minglan. Thereâs always such a softness in her face, when sheâs with Minglan, and I never tired of seeing them together â which Iâll talk about next.
**A QUICK SPOTLIGHT ON THE MAIN LOVELINES**
**Grandmother & Minglan**
It wouldnât be an overstatement at all, to say that the relationship between Grandmother and Minglan was my favorite loveline in this show.
There is deep, deep love between the two, and even though we donât get a great deal of screen time unpacking the relationship between them, every scene they share is precious and affecting in the best way. I love it, so much.
One of my favorite motifs in this show, is of Grandmother holding Minglan. We see it again and again, where Grandmother hugs Minglan to herself, to comfort her, assure her and defend her.
In a story world where hugs are not often given, and where Grandmother is an authority figure that strikes respectful awe in most, this stood out to me as extra, extra special.
It was also gratifying to witness Grandmother teaching and coaching Minglan on the ways of the world, in order to equip her to survive and live well, on her own. It felt heartwarming, but also, educational, to witness.
Hereâs a collection of my favorite moments between Grandmother and Minglan.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E4.** The scene where Minglan is on the boat and Grandmother holds her and cries out, âMinglan has someone who loves her!â is so moving. Literal tears to my eyes.
**E33.** One of the things that really touches me in this show, are the scenes of Grandmother embracing Minglan and holding her to herself.
When she was a small child whoâd lost her mother; when sheâd been heartbroken by the news of Yuan Ruoâs marriage; and now, when she admits that sheâd planned the trap that had led to Madam Linâs death.
Grandmother embraces her and empathizes with her pain, each time.
**E40.** The scene where Minglan tells Grandmother that she canât bear to part with her, and Gran, holding back her tears, tells her that she feels likewise, brought actual tears to my eyes. Such a poignant, bittersweet moment.
**E40.** Aw man. Granâs tearful outburst on Minglanâs wedding day, as she stops Minglan, grasps her hands and tells her to be well, just made me cry. I wish Minglan and Gran could live together for always.
**E41.** How lovely, to see the joy with which Grandmother welcomes Minglan back. Such a big hug, with so much warmth and tenderness.
**E52.** I do love that Gran knows Minglan well, and hurries over because she knows that anything to do with Madam Lin will rile Minglan up like no other.
**E59.** Woof. Every time Grandmother is active in Ming Lanâs narrative, my attention picks right up. I think thatâs my favorite thing in this series: watching Grandmother protecting Ming Lan, while teaching her to see the world more critically and clearly.
**E64.** So glad Grandmother is awake and will be ok. The reunion between her and Minglan legit brought tears to my eyes. So much emotion between these two. I luff them together, so much. â¤ď¸
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Minglan & Yuan Ruo**
Itâs rare for a drama to introduce a loveline for the female lead, other than the one with her One True Love, and I appreciate that Show bucks the drama trend, to show us something closer to real life.
Coz itâs true â and probable â that first loves donât always end up together for the long haul.
However, largely because I already knew who romantic endgame was for Minglan, just from looking at Showâs poster, I found myself somewhat detached from the developments of this loveline, and also, rather unable to root for the success of this young love.
Coz, how do you root for a love that you know is already doomed to fail, right?
Additionally, I found the portrayal of Minglanâs reciprocal feelings a little sudden, since sheâd been studiously avoiding Yuan Ruo prior.
However, I appreciate the insights that this loveline gives us, regarding both these characters.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E16.** Yuan Ruo is so keen to connect with Minglan that heâs blithely oblivious to social mores, which makes Ming Lanâs clearly uncomfortable. His happiness at seeing her drowns out her efforts to get him to behave with more decorum.
Also, his own joy outweighs her protests, which feels like a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, itâs rather swoony that he doesnât care about anything but letting her know how he feels.
On the other hand, shouldnât he put her preferences and feelings first? And, he seems pretty undiscerning and immature, to not be aware of the obstacles that would be in the way of a union between them.
**E17.** Yuan Ruo is pretty naive.. He seems to truly believe that he can marry Minglan and have her as his main wife, while Minglan, though younger than he, is much more astute, and knows full well that his mother would never allow it.
**E17.** Despite his naĂŻvetĂŠ, Yuan Ruoâs earnest manner in declaring his affections and intentions to Minglan is quite endearing. His face is so pure and open, and so untainted by the grit of realism. His refrain of calling Minglan a little liar is quite cute too.
**E28.** Itâs terrible and horrifying that the House of Yong would resort to kidnap and threats, to have Yuan Ruo marry their daughter.
Itâs a tough situation, and given Yuan Ruoâs cautious, softhearted nature, itâs understandable that he wouldnât feel able to go rogue and threaten them back, as Tingye suggests.
**E28.** The way Minglan continues to trust Yuan Ruo is touching as well. She believes in him; she chooses to believe that he tried his best and failed, and that he has his painful reasons for letting her down, and she will not blame him nor let her maidservants blame him either.
I really like that. It takes a gracious person to be able to think like that, when theyâve just been hurt deeply themselves. Kudos to Minglan. Such maturity, faith, and grace.
**\[END SPOILERS\]**
**Minglan & Gu Tingye**
Not gonna lie; this loveline was a hard sell at first, for me.
First of all, as I mentioned earlier in this review, Show was slow to reveal Gu Tingyeâs true nature, so I didnât yet like him, when Show started pushing this loveline.
Second of all, Show had put all this effort into teasing out the emotion surrounding Minglanâs loveline with Yuan Ruo, which means that I didnât feel ready to believe that Minglan would grow feelings for someone else, relatively soon after having her heart broken.
And then third of all, at around the episode 23 mark, Show starts making Minglan and Gu Tingye meet repeatedly, by chance.
Serendipitously, Gu Tingye is *always* nearby when Minglan finds herself in mortal danger, so much so that it becomes completely predictable. By the third time Tingye swooped in to save her, I found myself thinking, âAlright, fine, I geddit, this is supposed to be *fate.â*
I honestly found myself having a hard time buying into it all, and doubted Showâs ability to persuade me otherwise. Happily, Show surprised me with how *well* it convinced me of Gu Tingyeâs suitability as Minglanâs match, which Iâll talk about in this next section.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E23.** How serendipitous, that itâs Gu Tingye who rescues Minglan from the water. But, phew that she and Grandmother are ok.
**E24-25.** Gu Tingye saves Minglan time and again from bandits.. how considerate, that he guards her and her family from afar, ensuring their safe journey, while traveling rough himself.
**E28.** Gu Tingye clearly has developed a soft spot of sorts for Minglan. The moment he hears of the marriage between the houses of Qi and Yong, he seeks out Yuan Ruo and tells him there is still hope.
The way he tells Yuan Ruo of the kind of effects his decision will have on Minglanâs future, show that he is thoughtful and considerate of Minglan, and that he cares.
**E28.** The way Gu Tingye goes to Minglan and gently relays the message from Yuan Ruo, is so compassionate and empathetic.
I actually really like where we leave this couple-to-be. They have both learned hard lessons in love and loss, and are encouraging each other to stay strong and be well, and to look to the future. That feels so wholesome and pure.
They donât have feelings for each other at this moment, and the moment just feels like one shared between kindred spirits on similar journeys, and I like that.
**E35.** It gets completely predictable that Gu Tingye will show up to save Minglan whenever sheâs in mortal danger, lol.
**E38.** *Woah.* I didnât realize Tingye really was asking for Rulanâs (Zhang Jianing) hand in marriage\!
Wait, Tingye really did ALL that stuff, to marry Ming Lan? That.. sucks. He basically ruined her previously perfectly fine marriage prospects, by unearthing the exiled cousin and extracting her from her previously sealed fate, and then sending her to create unrest for Minglanâs prospective marriage.
Thatâs so meddlesome and so underhanded. This does not endear him to me. And itâs upset Gran so much too.
**E39.** Well-played, Show. I didnât think that Show would be able to win me over to accept Gu Tingye as Minglanâs husband, nor did I think there was anything he could say that would win her over. But win her over he did, and resoundingly too.
By demonstrating that he truly understands and sees her, that he knows all of her sufferings and unhappiness, and telling her that he wishes to set her free from that constricting way of existing, he moves her â and he moves me too. Slow applause.
**E40.** I really appreciate how Tingyeâs emphasis with Minglan is first and foremost, an emotional connection.
Honesty and loyalty; the sharing of all of each of their truths; sincerity and appreciativeness with Minglan for her gracious attitude towards his children; trusting her fully with all of his assets; promising to be good to her always.
I mean, I do also love that he went out and got food for her and made sure it was good food, never mind if people concluded that he was cowed by a fierce wife.
How perfect: taking care of her physical hunger, then when thatâs done, talking to her in the most honest, meaningful way, before moving to consummate their marriage.
**E42.** I like the couple moments we see between Gu Tingye and Minglan. They really do behave like a real married couple, and I especially appreciate how natural the skinship is. This really is quite possibly the biggest advantage to having our leads be married in real life.
**E43-44.** Tingye overhearing Minglanâs caution in trusting and depending on him too much, and wanting to draw her into fully trusting him. I appreciate how much he desires a strong and pure connection with her.
**E47.** Itâs nice to see Minglan supporting Gu Tingye, and worrying for him, and having him feel touched by her worry, as if he expected her to only worry for her own safety.
**E49.** Gu Tingye is so furious at Minglan for saying that itâs easy to agree to him spending the night with Manniang (Li Yixiao). The irony. He wants her to be jealous, but Minglan isnât, lol.
**E50.** Tis good to keep a cool head on your shoulders. If not for Minglanâs shrewdness, Tingye wouldâve fallen into his stepmotherâs trap. I like how she balances him out that way.
**E52.** I also like that Tingye swoops in and speaks up for Minglan, and everyone has to listen, because heâs now the big powerful guy. I like this dynamic where they mutually look out for each other, all the time.
**E52.** The way Tingye comforts Minglan and holds her in the carriage on their way home, really speaks of a marriage relationship that is made up of strong bonds. I like it.
**E52.** The whole concubine thing is rather amusing, with Tingye refusing to sleep with his new concubine, and Minglan blithely leaving him to his own devices. It really says a lot about their relationship; he wants no one but Minglan, and Minglan trusts him to do whatâs best.
**E54.** Tingye being cold to Minglan for a full 2 months, wow. He must really feel that she doesnât love him.
**E56.** While itâs true that Tingye and Minglan are sleeping separately, their relationship is much better than what Madam Stepmother thinks.
Theyâre talking quite deeply and honestly, and there is still a clear affection between them. But Minglan just canât see what Tingye is so upset about, when it comes to whether she gets jealous, and whether she sees him as her Marquis husband, or as Gu Tingye. Itâs kind of funny, but itâs also kind of sad.
**E58.** Tingyeâs joy at Minglanâs pregnancy is cute and quite infectious.
**E58.** The way Minglan supports him to go do the salt inspection even though that would mean sheâs left alone while pregnant, is very admirable and sweet.
**E70.** I appreciate that the decision on whether or not Tingye and Minglan ought to legally separate in order to protect their child, is handled with so much heartfelt emotion.
In contrast to their usual dynamic, this time, itâs Tingye whoâs working to be logical, for the sake of his family, while Minglan is the one whoâs holding her heart in her throat, threatening that she will never accept Tingye again, if he separates from her now. Her growing love for her husband is clear to see, and itâs quite moving to witness.
**QUICK SHOUT-OUTS TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS**
**Liu Jun as Sheng Hong**
Dad mostly shows up as the ineffectual, hapless official head of the Sheng household. The truth is, though, heâs basically at the mercy of the women in his life.
At first, I found Dad frustratingly weak, but over time, Show did a solid job of demonstrating that Dad really does care, and he does the best he can, despite his faintheartedness and dull wits. Eventually, I grew rather fond of him, which is why he gets a quick shout-out here.
**Liu Lin as Wang Ruofu**
I thought Liu Lin did a fantastic job portraying Main Mother. Main Mother is straightforward, hotheaded, and far too simple of mind to do well in a complicated, dog-eat-dog world like this.
I loved how naturally Liu Lin portrayed all of these facets of Main Mother; it just looked so effortless, and yet, there was so much expression and nuance in her delivery. Kudos.
**The sisters**
**Wang Herun as Hualan**
As the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Hualan is married off in Showâs early episodes, and therefore, we donât see much of her over the course of our story.
However, I really enjoyed what I did see of her. Wang Herun is radiant and beautiful as Hualan, and makes her quite incandescent. On top of that, Hualan always has a level, gracious head on her shoulders; an oft-needed voice of reason, in the Sheng household foibles.
**Shi Shi as Molan**
Molan is just like her mother Madam Lin, and learns to use her wiles to get what she wants. She often lies blithely without the bat of an eyelash, and she does it to make herself look good while making her sisters look bad.
Beyond the daily pouting and underhanded trickery to better her position within the household, hands-down the most interesting arc involving Molan, was her scheme regarding her marriage. The audacity of it all, had me on the edge of my seat.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I mean, to manipulate it such that she would have a chance at a secret rendezvous with young master Liang (Wu Hong), the groom of her choosing, so that she could flirt him into bed, is bold enough, but Molan does this repeatedly, so that she will fall pregnant, so that their families will have no choice but permit their marriage, and in this way, she will be a main wife instead of a concubine.
How brazen, right? But even more brazen, is how Molan and her mother just go for it, trusting that the family will do everything to clean up the mess, if only for the sake of the other daughtersâ reputations. What a gamble.
I found the entire arc quite thrilling and riveting.
Beyond the shamelessness of this entire arc, I want to credit Shi Shi for playing Molan with an undercurrent of sadness. That sadness doesnât surface often, but when it does, it reminds me that Molan really isnât that happy with herself or her life.
For example, in episode 32, the scene where Mo Lan considers her future, now that Madam Wu has agreed to the marriage, with tears in her eyes and sadness in her gaze, is actually really well done. It tells me that Molan didnât want to do this; that there is a lot of bitter mixed in with the sweetness of her so-called victory.
Eventually, in Showâs final episodes, Molanâs deceitful ways finally catch up with her, when her hard-won husband rejects her for basically tricking him into marriage.
Overall, I canât say I liked Molan, but I did find her quite compelling.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Zhang Jianing as Rulan**
I didnât like Rulan much at first, not least because she also bullied Minglan in her own way, always getting Minglan to do chores for her.
**\[MINOR SPOILER\]**
However, in Showâs mid-episodes, when Rulan falls for Scholar Wen (Zhang Lu), I really liked the new closeness that develops between Minglan and Rulan, where they get together regularly in Rulanâs chamber and talk about boys, heh. How cute\!
I loved the cozy sister talk between Minglan and Rulan, as they mused about their impending marriages and shared their feelings and thoughts and fears. The encouragement and shared laughter feels so real and so organic; I truly believe these two sisters care for each other.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**The chief wily women**
There are a number of wily women in this story, to bring the conflict and angst as needed, so if youâre leery of being spoiled by knowing who these characters are, maybe skip this section.
**Gao Lu as Lin Qinshuang**
When Show first presented Lin Qinshuang as the coquettish, sly, manipulative concubine of the Sheng household, alarm bells started pinging in my head. And itâs true that Lin Qinshuang was a sizable source of trouble for the members of the Sheng family.
The first time my jaw dropped in this show was in episode 4, thanks to Lin Qinshuang.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I was astounded at the gall with which Lin Qinshuang lied that she was innocent and cried for mercy.
I mean, she swore to the heavens without blinking an eye that she had nothing to do with Minglanâs motherâs death, when sheâd in fact singlehandedly plotted the entire tragedy, and with glee. Wow.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
As far as villains go in this drama world, though, I found Lin Qinshuangâs behavior something that I could rationalize, even though I couldnât condone it.
Given her lot in life, and given the world into which she was born, she probably felt that this was her best chance at giving her children a boost up the social ladder.
Thankfully, Show doesnât let her off easy, and Lin Qinshuang does end up paying for her misdeeds.
Also, by Showâs end, I came to realize that there are scarier women, than Lin Qinshuang. Shudder.
**Li Yixiao as Zhu Manniang**
At first glance, Manniang appears to be cut from a similar cloth as Lin Qinshuang: pretty, sly and coquettish, set on using her charms to manipulate her man, so that she can get what she wants.
Compared to Lin Qinshuang, though, I found Manniang more cunning, more ruthless, and also, more resilient.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I could hardly believe that Manniang would be so ruthless as to basically treat her son so poorly while on the run, that the child would die. And then, instead of feeling at all sorry about it, she berates her son when she visits his grave, and also, proceeds to spread lies that Tingye killed their son.
By episode 50, Iâd concluded that Manniang is like a cockroach that will not die. In that episode, even armed guards shooing her out of the city and foiling her efforts for food and shelter wouldnât stop her efforts to malign Gu Tingye.
Credit to Li Yixiao; I really did feel as we got deeper into our story, that Manniang became more and more crazed, delusional and hysterical.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Wang Yinan as Lady Qin**
Lady Qin is arguably the most lethal among the crafty women in this drama world.
Serene, gentle and kindly on the surface, Lady Qin put much effort into scheming for the betterment of her own station as well as that of her son, and also, shockingly, took much pleasure out of successful scheming, even when that scheming often resulted in death and destruction.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
The first time it registered in my head just how dangerous this woman was, was in episode 19, when Show revealed the lengths that Lady Qin had gone to, to expel Tingye from the Gu household.
I mean, to have doted on him since young as a loving and indulgent stepmother, so that she would be able to expel him upon her husbandâs death, is an impressive level of endurance and patience. Now that is some scary stuff.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
Credit to Wang Yinan; every time Lady Qin switched between her sweet benign kindly demeanor, to her dark, hardened, scheming one, I always felt a touch startled.
**Zhang Yanyan as Wang Ruoyu / Madam Kang**
Having only seen Zhang Yanyan play gentle, dignified and demure characters in Nirvana In Fire and The Disguiser, I was suitably astonished at how well she plays the ill-intentioned, spiteful, gossipy Madam Kang who has a bit of a volatile, violent bent.
From outright lies, to coercion, blackmail, and actual attempted murder, Madam Kang does it all, and I believed Zhang Yanyan every step of the way.
Madam Kang turned out to be cruel and inhumane, and I didnât like her one bit, but at the same time, I couldnât help marveling at Zhang Yanyanâs ability to portray her so seamlessly.
**OTHER RELATIONSHIPS**
**Ming Lan & Zhang Guifen (Madam Shen)**
Minglan is shown to have several close friends over the course of our story, but the one that stood out to me the most, is her unlikely friendship with Madam Shen (Wu Xiaoyu).
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I rather like how their connection started in such a rocky, dramatic manner, but that in the end, Minglanâs sincerity and sensitively-spoken words of wisdom really turned Madam Shen around, and thereafter, they became such close and trusted friends.
Later in the show, when Madam Shen becomes the target of her husbandâs concubineâs plot to deprive her of medical help during the delivery of her baby, I thought it was a very good full circle, that Minglan was able to personally stop it, and save her life.
This felt to me like a form of closure for Minglan, for the time sheâd been unable to save her mother from a similar plot, as a mere child. I found this very meaningful indeed.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Minglan and her loyal maids**
Even though this dynamic is kept mostly in the background, I really enjoyed Minglanâs positive, trusting relationship with her personal maids.
Here are my two favorite highlights that really showcase the depth of care and emotion in these relationships.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E55.** Minglan is a genuinely caring mistress who wouldnât hold her maid back from marriage for her own comfort.
The scene where Minglan talks to Cuiwei (Li Yuanyuan) about her potential marriage match, is so poignant. Both women tear up at the prospect of saying goodbye, and itâs clear to see that this is born of genuine relationship.
**E72.** Xiaotao (Wang Ziwei), pledging to live and die next to Minglan, and then admitting she was afraid, before telling Minglan, âLetâs go!â is just so heart-swellingly brave.
Sheâs not hesitating even for a moment, even though she is scared, and this is literally a life-or-death situation where she might not live to see another day. That is absolutely a demonstration of deep love.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Xiaotao & Shitou**
This is a tiny little tangential arc, but I loved the idea of a loveline between Xiaotao and Shitou (Shen Chi).
Because Xiaotao is Minglanâs close personal maid, and Shitou is Gu Tingyeâs righthand man, the two often have occasion to hang out together while waiting for their master and mistress.
When Show started giving little hints that Shitou was smitten with Xiaotao, I was thrilled.
And I found the scene in episode 52, of Shitou and Xiaotao talking giddily about food, and about what was delicious, absolutely adorable, funny and perfect. â¤ď¸
**THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING \[SPOILERS\]**
Show serves up a twist in its final episode that I wasnât expecting, to be honest.
Gu Tingye comes back and saves the day, and we find out that everything was one very intricate ruse, where the emperor put up an elaborate act, together with the empress and Gu Tingye, in order to bait the empress dowager to make her move to stage a mutiny.
While that plot twist did suddenly make the emperor appear much more shrewd than heâd ever appeared, I have to admit that it does niggle at me, that this ruse was a high stakes one in which many lives were put in danger, and many lives were also lost.
Minglan herself suffered a true shock regarding the probable death of her husband, while she was still weak from childbirth, and the stressful events of the mutiny, with soldiers attacking her home, would have been a lot to bear.
After all the drama is over, Minister Sheng remarks casually that if Minglan were to develop any health issues later on, it would be all Gu Tingyeâs fault â and I canât help thinking that potential health issues isnât that far-fetched an idea, given all that Minglanâs been through.
My mum finished watching this show ahead of me, and when I asked her if it had a happy ending, she said, *âWell, I suppose so. All the bad people died.â*
..Which they did.
Lady Qin dies in a fire of her own causing, lamenting that sheâd never lived as herself for even a day. Sheâs distraught that all of her scheming for Tingwei has come to naught, and furious that sheâs lived this way all for nothing. Itâs a dramatic way to die, and I almost feel sorry for her, but.. not quite.
Manniang dies in this last narrative arc as well, getting killed in a bid to murder Gu Tingyeâs son, as revenge for her own dead son.
Again, I have no sympathy for this woman, who pushes her own daughter down and injures her in her bid to kill an infant, and doesnât even look back at her injured child, because sheâs so set on stabbing the baby. *Ugh.* That is just insane.
In happier news, one of my favorite moments this finale, is how Show gives us a glimpse of how Yuan Ruoâs heart towards his wife has changed.
Iâm glad that we see him apologizing to her, for how heâs treated her in the past, and pledging to make it all up to her, going forward into the future.
Wifey is gently gracious about it, demurring that he never wronged her, and with soft smiles, this couple walks into their new future, arm in arm. How lovely.
Iâm also very pleased to see that, unspoken time skip later, Shitou and Xiaotao are married and expecting their first child together.
*Woot\!* Iâm just really happy for them, and Iâm glad that they get to be together, and even though sheâs now married, that Xiaotao still gets to spend time with Minglan, whom she clearly adores.
As Show draws near its final curtain, the Gu household bustles with activity, as the whole family â members of the Sheng household included â works together to restore the Gu ancestral hall that had burned down.
Gu Tingye and Minglan rib each other as usual, but also, they share warm smiles, and remark that the days ahead will be happy ones, as they walk back into their home together, hand in hand.
I have to admit, even though there were times when I dragged my feet a little, when Showâs story seemed to ramble on, sometimes with what felt like a lack of strong direction, Iâm pleased that I stayed with these characters to the end.
They grew on me, in spite of myself, and now, Iâm content to see that theyâre content, and that all is as well as can be.
**THE FINAL VERDICT:**
Rather long and meandering, but Showâs got enough heart to make it worth the while.
**FINAL GRADE:** B+
**TRAILER:**
**MV:**
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH2AXY-D5lg>
An instrumental playlist:
#### **WHERE TO WATCH:**
You can check out this show on Viki [here](https://www.viki.com/tv/35895c). You can also find it on YouTube [here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQqbdnAgoRmZx4cWwhNGNmPGjpUglzrG_).
#### **GETTING AROUND GEO-RESTRICTIONS**
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I personally use **NordVPN.** You can find my review of NordVPN [here](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2022/03/28/review-nordvpn-for-my-drama-needs/).
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uyen
2 years ago
As I usually do after I finish a drama, peeping in to see your review, KFG! I loved this more than you did, but I agree with you on the things I liked less. At times it did feel very slow, and I wasnât as much a fan of the political/court scheming as I was of the household scheming. I also really liked Yuan Ruoâs arc a lot, more than I expected, and it took me time to warm up to Gu Tingye but they really won me over in the end. Loved Minglan dearly.
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[chongbrood](http://bigontrips.wordpress.com/)
5 years ago
So glad I found this blog! Been looking for a good space where C-dramas are dissected and discussed intelligently and this is it! So Iâve been trawling your blog and sniffing out all my favourites. My C-drama watchlist is a daisy chain â it was Changâan that led me to First Half of My Life â which led to Surgeons and then finally NIF and NIF2 and now to Liu Haoranâs older work With You which is shaping up to be a cute watch. But I am here to talk about Ming Lan.
Rewatched Ming Lan and still love it. Did not know that it was the same production firm that brought us NIF and NIF2 (why canât there be a NIF3 where I can continue to be immersed in that world for a little longer?) Really loved the relationship between Tingye and Minglan. But my favourite pairing is still Ming Lan and grandmother. So much love. At more than 70 eps it is inevitable that some parts will flag in pace. But overall I liked the quietness and slice of life feel and was quite happy to potter along, even at a slow pace. NIF started out slow too but only gripped after ep 9 or 10. Maybe the best C-dramas are like that â a slow burn. With a sterling ensemble cast that brings each character to life.
The litmus test for a good drama rests on whether at the end, we are reluctant to leave this particular universe. With Ming Lan, NIF, NIF2 and all my favourites, I was very very reluctant to say good bye to the cast and that world.
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Nancy Chua
6 years ago
Iâm currently rewatching this beautiful drama, watching while comparing with your beautifully written and true to the drama review, I love this drama so much, I love MingLan and i agree in every words that was written here, just by reading the love between grandmama and MingLang brought tears to my eyes several times,
MingLang has someone who loves her is so very powerful for me \<3
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Nancy Chua](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74564)
Ooh, a rewatch! I hope youâre enjoying this show just as much, the second time around, Nancy! đ Thanks for coming back to allow this review to accompany you on your revisit of the show! And indeed, that line, âMinglan has someone who loves her!â just gave me chills. Just *thinking* about it while typing this, gave me actual chills. Very powerful indeed. \<3
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Oscar
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74803)
Ming Lan is the best C drama Iâve watched. The plot is so well spun with close attention to many intricate details. Acting is excellent by all, especially Li Ying, who is also beautiful and charming. For Li Ying, winning the award for lead actor/ actress whose tv dramas are most watched is well deserved. The chemistry between the main couple in Ming Lan is obvious, a reflection of their real life union.
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Nancy Chua
6 years ago
Reply to [Oscar](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74835)
Hi Oscar , have you seen The Story of Yanxi Palace ? If you loved Minglan i guess youâll also that Yanxi đ
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Oscar
6 years ago
Reply to [Nancy Chua](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74837)
Yes, Iâve watched Story of Yanxi Palace, which is excellent, but the sequel Princess Adventures is disappointing.
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Oscar](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74835)
Hi there Oscar, glad you enjoyed this show too! Yes, Zhao Li Ying did a fantastic job as Minglan, I was very impressed indeed. I do think youâre right that the leadsâ real-life chemistry helped their onscreen character relationship. I very much believed their couple moments, because they were so at ease with each other. A casting choice that worked out really well, I thought đ
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Nancy
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74803)
I loved it the second time as well ! And noticed some other details i missed on my first watch â¤ď¸
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Nancy](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74836)
Thatâs great! I love it when a rewatch brings additional details into focus. Makes it feel fresh again! đ
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[Basima.s.h](http://inspiringseries.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Loved your post and beautiful dramaâŚ
And i truly LOVED this drama.
My first 72 episodes drama watched fullyâŚ
And best part was the leadâs chemistry.
Imagine my glee to know, upon finishing the drama that both are a couple and that too married now with a kid đ
HurrayâŚ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Basima.s.h](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-74205)
Hi there Basima! Glad you enjoyed the show â and this review! đ And yes, that mustâve been the best kind of surprise for you, to discover that they were married, after you finished the show! đ I, on the other hand, already knew that going in, so there was no surprise for me.. Sometimes itâs better to save the surprises for later, eh? đ
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Oscar
6 years ago
Kfangurl, Iâm so glad I stumbled upon your website. Your flash review of Ming lan is excellent. Ive watched this show, and look forward to your other reviews eg NIF and Changan.
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Oscar](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-72335)
Hi there Oscar, welcome to the blog! đ Iâm glad you enjoyed my review of Minglan, and I hope youâll enjoy the other reviews as well! đ
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D
6 years ago
I absolutely loved this show. One of my favourite Chinese dramas. Iâm glad you watched it. I loved reading your review too. Made me re live the drama.
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [D](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70298)
Aw, thanks for enjoying the review, D! \<3 I'm glad I took the time to watch this one. đ
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Xiaojiang
6 years ago
Your reviews are so true as always. Zhu Yilong and Liu Lin are nominated for âThe best actor/actress in supporting rolesâ in Magnolia Awards (an award for dramas), which I cannot agree more đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Xiaojiang](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70144)
Oh, thank you Xiaojiang! Iâm glad you enjoy the reviews, and YAY that Zhu Yilong and Liu Lin were nominated for acting awards for their roles in Minglan! I thought they both did excellently. Very deserving of the recognition, imo. đ
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Dolores
6 years ago
Spot-on review, as usual, Fangurl, and I cannot quibble with a word of it. I suspect I may have been been one of those people who basically hectored you into watching & reviewing this drama, but I canât truthfully say I feel bad about itâŚIâve been waiting for a while to hear your thoughts and opinions.
Somehow, I didnât notice the length of the seriesâI thought it was 50 episodes, and imagine my chagrin when I realized I had another 20+ to go. Yikes! But I was too far in it to give up and Iâm so glad I stuck with it.
The heroâif this doesnât sound completely crazyâreminded me a bit of Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. Maddening, selfish, but charismatic and loyal. I felt like he was different than a lot of heroes, and that made him that much more faceted and interesting to me. You know he would NEVER have given up on Minglan the way her first love did. YR was all caution and contemplation; the hero was all action, but being quite clever and wily about it, too.
That said, the story of YR and that first love broke my heartâŚ.and you didnât even mention how his servant gets beaten to death by his mother. Damn, these people donât play around\!
Minglan and Grandmother are the BEST. Favorite relationship, no question.
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Dolores](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70085)
Well, thank you for persuading me to check this one out, Blenny! đ It was a long watch, but it was solid and felt worthwhile. Itâs been years since I read Jane Eyre, so my memory of Mr. Rochester is very, very hazy. But, your description does fit Gu Tingye quite well! He was maddening, but he was also fiercely loyal, and quite charismatic. I didnât think I would warm to him at first, but Show did a really good job of turning things around. đ Yes, Yuan Ruo just wasnât as strong, and caved under pressure. And YES, that thing where the masters could literally order their servants beaten to death was quite startling. đ I am glad I donât live in those times! đ
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Owl Star
6 years ago
I thought this was a solid watch in a quiet, comforting kind of way. I LOVED grandma, truly the best grandma in the world like you said. Iâm not a huge fan of FSF but he was good with ZLY, and I liked their relationship. My memory of the show is a bit fuzzy, but I remember not being a fan of the final twist, I felt like he shouldâve let her in on it, but I guess the stakes were so high he couldnât risk it? But still, Iâd be so pissed if my husband pulled something like that, it would be a long time before I forgave him. đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Owl Star](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70072)
Your assessment is spot-on for me, Owl Star! Minglan really was solid in a quiet sort of way. There were more exciting bits, sure, but overall, it was more family drama comfort food at its heart than big dramatic adventure. The final twist was a tough one, yes. It bothered me too, that Minglan was put through so much stress because she didnât know the truth. I mean, this could have lasting negative effects on her mental, emotional and physical health. Sigh. I decided to look past it, since Show didnât dwell on it much, but it did niggle at me. :/
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[sarahlantz](http://thewaverunners.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Canât do it. 72 episodes with a so-so review? Canât do it. But I would LOVE to read one on Legend of Fuyao? Ethan Yuan is so ridiculous hot and nails a very complex (eat your heart out, GoT). And Yang Mi
Is a hella strong female lead.
Anyway. Thatâs my 3 cents đ
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[sarahlantz](http://thewaverunners.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [sarahlantz](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70067)
I meant the show was so-so â not the quality of your prose, without a doubt:)
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [sarahlantz](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70068)
Minglanâs not for everyone, so I think if youâre in the mood for something romancey, Minglan might not be a good fit because the romance is front-and-center only for a portion of our story. Iâve still got Fuyao on my list, but I must admit, Iâm drowning in my watch list â there are just too many shows, and all the C-dramas have sooo many episodes! đ¤Ş
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
What I really enjoy about you reviews Kfangurl is your use of language including the way you write, the balance you bring to your comments and the what ifâs (even when there is a conclusion).
For me, Minglan is the same. The one thing that really drew me in was the use of language, both in terms of conversation and the hidden meanings here and there. A lot of effort went into how they did speak at that time in Song history. It was masterful.
Like you, the highlight for me was Minglan and Grandmother. I really wanted to see more of them together. I certainly agree the writing did change. In fact it was very noticeable. However, thankfully, it all got back on track in the last third of the show.
In reading further afield, we know our main couple are married in real life and have now had their first child. Sadly though, they have to keep denying the negative rumours about their life together. Zhao Liying is currently preparing for her next role.
I thought Zhao Liying as Minglan was wonderful. Reading interviews with her along the way, she revealed that she had to work very hard to portray the role of Minglan. It was very different to her other roles (and I have watched some of these shows) and I read the odd comment here and there of how surprised they were at how well she transformed Minglan. I think she has to be admired for even commenting she has limitations, but then has worked very hard to overcome them.
I enjoyed Williamâs role in Hanson and the Beast (a very wacky movie, but very good). As Gu Tingye, I thought he portrayed the complexities of his character very well. Sometimes though, he was too clever for his own good. However, he was very heroic nonetheless đ
I have mentioned previously how Minglan captured the poems and songs of the great Song poet Li Qingzhao (and in some ways her life, because her literary works openly portrayed her experiences). The showâs end song to each episode contains her lyrics. Li Qingzhao was imprisoned herself by the emperor for one month when she sort a divorce from her very wicked second husband. So, the political aspect in Minglan re the emperor and her, her family, her father and Gu Tingye is a legitimate focus in the story. Well, Iâm happy to make that conclusion anyway đ
For me, both Minglan and Changâan have made it so hard to watch a range of other Chinese dramas. They just donât compare\!
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[phl1rxd](http://phl1rxd.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70058)
@SKF â My top three CDramas are \#1 NIF, \#2 The Longest Day in Changâan and \#3 Minglan. Changâan bumped Minglan out of the \#2 spot due to the production value, story, beautiful OST and stunning visuals. I agree that these will be hard to top.
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [phl1rxd](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70083)
I keep dancing around NIF â Iâm sure I will get to it soonish đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70705)
Wait, what? Iâm stunned that you havenât yet watched NIF, Sean! đą I really do think youâd like it. And if youâre fresh off Changâan and looking for something as a worthy follow-up, I donât think you could go wrong, with NIF! đ
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70713)
There you are â Iâm underway with episode one đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70725)
Oh, YAYY!!! đ𼳠Iâm envious that youâre embarking on a first watch of NIF, coz you can really only have a first watch once! I remember the general wisdom for NIF was that it takes about 4 eps or so, to get your bearings in terms of characters. This is partly why NIF stands up so well to a rewatch, coz you then notice many details that you wouldnât have picked up on or understood, the first time around. I guess in that sense, NIF kinda-sorta offers the viewer TWO first watches, since the second one will feel just as fresh? đ
I hope youâre enjoying the watch so far! đ
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70732)
I can say right from the get go the vibe has really appealed to me. I managed to watch two episodes before I hit the road for a three hour drive this afternoon, and I have just finished another four. I havenât had any issues working out whose who in the zoo. Fabulous đŚđŚđŚ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70735)
Thatâs great that youâre enjoying the vibe of it, Sean! đ Itâs a worthy follow-up to Changâan, isnât it? đ NIF ruined me for a fair while for other shows, but it was so worth it! \<3 Also, color me impressed, I was definitely slower to find my bearings that you, with NIF's sprawling cast! đ
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70756)
Yes, it is a worthy follow up. I am now ploughing ahead and putting other shows on the backburner 𤊠In terms of my bearings, I have to be good at something đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70762)
Tee hee. Most viewers tend to shelve everything else and just focus on NIF; that was my experience too! Suddenly, I wasnât really interested in any other show. đ I attempted watching Six Flying Dragons at around the same time that I watched NIF, and sadly, even though everyone else loved SFD a lot, it paled in comparison for me. đ All in all, Iâd say itâs a wise decision to just put everything else on the backburner for now! đ
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Listaty
6 years ago
Reply to [phl1rxd](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70083)
Hi, can you tell me the C Drama NIF stands for what ?
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [Listaty](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-72603)
NIF is Nirvana in Fire, a 2015 drama. đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70058)
Youâre very right, Sean.. the language in this felt elegant and well-crafted, which perhaps made the obtuse implied meanings of many conversations even harder to grasp, lol. I agree Zhao Liying was excellent as Minglan.. I actually thought that this was my introduction to her, so consider my surprise to realize that she was also the lead in Boss and Me, which I watched AND reviewed! I didnât recognize her at all! đą Some of the credit goes to the wardrobe and styling of course, but I do feel like she carried herself very differently as well. I thought she did wonderfully in Minglan.
I didnât delve into the history or poetry related to Minglan, but itâs really cool to know that the context is so rich. đ
The Longest Day in Changâan is shaping up to be a very solid watch, and just as youâve said, the cinematography is on another level. So polished and thoughtful! Iâm awed by Lei Jiayin, whom I wouldâve never placed as playing an alpha male, since Iâve only seen him play beta males. And yet, heâs just so riveting and commanding in Changâan! Really impressive! đ¤Š
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70674)
Hahahah 𤣠The first thing I saw Zhao Liying in was her breakout role in the Legend of Lu Zhen, which I thought was very good.
I found a very good video on YouTube that explained the title for the book re Minglan was taken from a poem by Li Qingzhao. The producers for the show wanted to keep the same title to reflect the thrust of Li Qingzhaoâs poetry regarding the life of women at that time. So, if she referenced a flower in a poem, the meaning was effectively to do with its life cycle. The allegory is that women experience a short period of freedom before getting married (growing and blooming), and once married, face restrictions that include the different types of interactions they need to navigate along the way (and thus could end up fading from view). Li Qingzhao didnât like being restricted and this is reflected in Minglan too.
Lei Jiayin is fabulous in Changâan as is Reyizha Alimjan and together, for me, are the best on screen couple of all time. One can only wonder what will happen next as it looks like there is a sequel on its way đ
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70704)
Oh, thatâs very interesting, about the symbolism of flowers in Li Qingzhaoâs poetry â thanks for sharing, Sean! đ And yes, I can see that theme being played out in Minglan.. our Minglan didnât like being restricted either! đ
OMG is that a Changâan sequel coming?!? 𤊠Iâm far from being done with the show, but Iâm enjoying it very well, and suitably impressed. Wow, best onscreen couple of all time! Thatâs a big statement, especially considering your breadth of exposure! đą Sounds like it will be hard to top indeed. Maybe Lei Jiayin will henceforth only play strong alpha males? Coz now, remembering him as his beta male role in First Half Of My Life makes me giggle, itâs just so dissonant! đ
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[seankfletcher](http://strategicteams.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [kfangurl](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70712)
Not just a sequel, but a movie to follow the sequel as well. Anyway, letâs see what happens\!
As for our strong alpha male, I also had to smile at all the different women who kept falling over him along the way đ
As much as I like the lovey dovey couples and even the âangstyâ ones in many dramas, movies etc. here we have two people who just seem to know what they mean to each other. They are in a hell of a situation and move heaven and earth to make sure each other come out the other side. For me their interactions are sublime.
I think Lei Jiayinâs future choices will be interesting. He seems to have some guest/support parts on the horizon including something with Jin Dong (the Chinese version of Suits?)! Is dissonance the sign of a true and great talent? đ¤đđ¤Ł
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [seankfletcher](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70724)
A movie AND a sequel! Thatâs huge news, and testament to how well the show has done! đ Tee hee, itâs true, there are a lot of women who are quite taken with our strong alpha male! I canât wait to see whether I will also crown Changâanâs OTP as best OTP Iâve ever seen, but it does sound extremely momentous and moving, based on your description\!
Ooh, a reunion between Lei Jiayin and Jin Dong?? How fun! And I wonder whether theyâll both play alpha males this time? Coz Lei Jiayin was definitely the beta to Jin Dongâs alpha in The First Half of My Life. Also, YES. I do think dissonance is a sign of true talent! It kinda-sorta reminds me of how Jung Kyung Ho went from playing perennial beta male types, before exploding onto the scene as a badass crime lord in Heartless City. That was very dissonant too, but OH SO IMPRESSIVE. đ¤Šđ¤Šđ¤Š I completely agree that Lei Jiayinâs future choices will be interesting. Just as Heartless City made me look at Jung Kyung Ho in a whole new light, Changâan is doing the same to how I see Lei Jiayin. I will never look at him the same again, ha. đ¤Š
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[phl1rxd](http://phl1rxd.wordpress.com/)
6 years ago
Yes Fangurl! You have finished the drama LOL! So very delighted to see this review.
I always love how you break up the episode highlights in your reviews but more so this time because it a review of a drama I truly loved.
I even teared up as I read the Grandmother section as it was also my favorite relationship and I can relate to it personally. How wonderful to have a grandmother who loves you that much and teaches you how to deal with the world you live in. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to live in that world â honest to goodness I can kinda (just kinda) understand how lethal some of these women were. All that stifled and repressed energy\!
Yes, this was a slow burn but to honest I truly never realized how many episodes I was in. It felt that it went by so fast. I even watched episodes raw â that is how impatient I was to find out what was going to happen next. I was so engrossed in these characters that I lost track of time and was so bummed when I realized it was over. I literally said out loud âWhere did everybody go?â.
I have to say that I was truly mesmerized by Liu Junâs character. I literally laughed to see his frustration when he was surrounded by angry women (all his own fault of course). He portrayed his character perfectly. In fact, all the actors did a great job.
I loved how Minglan managed to get through all of the trials she had to face with grace and determination. Her character was awesome and I rooted for her from the very first episode. Loved the polo expertise as well. Ugh â so much I loved about this drama that I could write a few pages LOL.
So very glad that you liked it! Thanks for this review â appreciate that you detailed it so marvelously.
0
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[kfangurl](http://thefangirlverdict.com/)
6 years ago
Reply to [phl1rxd](https://thefangirlverdict.com/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/#comment-70053)
Aw, thanks for enjoying this review, phl! \<3 I confess I envy your enthusiasm and engrossment with this show.. I liked it quite well, but rarely felt as sucked in as you describe. đ Still, it was an enjoyable watch that I don't regret, and all the characters turned out to be interesting in their own way. Ming Lan really was a champ, and Grandma was just wonderful as well. And OMG I'm with you, I can't imagine having to live in this very complicated world either! đI think I might get eaten alive..! đ¤Ş
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# 12 April 2026
Weâre discussing E13â14 in our Alchemy of Souls group watch this week! â¨
So many interesting twists in this story so far â really well done! đ¤Š
Come chat with us! đ¤
â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Friends! â¤ď¸ Sniper Butterfly snuck up on me in the best way. 𼚠Low expectations going in, but I got hooked fast and stayed for the feels. Not perfect â but still very solid. Come revisit it with me? đ¤
â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
I didnât expect this one to steal my heart the way it did⌠but here we are. 𼚠Love Between Lines gave me so many feels, and I just couldnât get enough of this OTP. 𼰠My review is now up â come revisit this one with me? đ¤
â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â
Just posted my review of Can This Love Be Translated? â a thoughtful show that I found really interesting for most of its run, even if the finale wobbles a little. â¤ď¸ Come see? đ¤
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Today Iâm sharing my episode 1-4 notes for c-drama Pursuit of Jade which I am lapping up happily! Come join me? đ¤â¤ď¸
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This was a show that I just couldnât *not* check out, come to think of it.
First of all, this is by Daylight Entertainment, the same good folks who gave us [Nirvana In Fire](http://thefangirlverdict.com/2015/12/09/flash-review-nirvana-in-fire-chinese-drama/) and [Nirvana In Fire 2](http://thefangirlverdict.com/2018/09/06/flash-review-nirvana-in-fire-2-the-wind-blows-in-chang-lin-china/), both of which are excellent shows that I loved.
Second of all, lots of you guys loved this. And your love was so effusive that I felt like I would like this one too (this, when I hadnât yet seen a single episode, heh. See how persuasive yâall are?)
Now that Iâve emerged on the other side (73 whole episodes!), I have to say that while I donât think I loved it as intensely as many of you did, I did like this one quite well indeed.
**OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE**
Hereâs the OST album in case youâd like to listen to it while you read the review.
**WHAT I LIKED â A BRIEF OVERVIEW**
**1\.** I felt engaged right away, from episode 1, even though I was still in the midst of getting my bearings in terms of whoâs who. Thatâs pretty impressive.
**2\.** A lot of time is spent exploring the relationship and power dynamics of the Sheng household, a relatively ordinary family (ie, theyâre not royalty, even though they arenât exactly common folk either).
Thereâs so much delicacy and politicking among the various wives of the household, where almost nothing said can be taken at face value, and itâs quite fascinating to watch.
**3\.** Daylight Entertainment put in a lot of detailed effort to make the rendition of this drama world as authentic and true to the times as possible, famously refusing to use additional lighting during night scenes, and depending on candlelight instead.
Yes, this made for some pretty dark nighttime scenes, but this also effectively made me feel like a fly on the wall, watching the goings-on of this world that felt real, but felt light years away.
**4\.** Our cast serves up lots of very solid performances, and together with the writing, this made the characters feel like real people. Over time, I really felt like I was getting to know these people, and I eventually grew fond of them too.
**5\.** Minglan (Zhao Liying) is just the kind of underdog heroine that I can get behind, because beneath her quiet demeanor, sheâs quick-witted and her ability to analyze a person &/or situation is razor sharp. I loved watching her come into her own.
**WHAT I LIKED LESS â A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT MAKE IT HARDER TO ENJOY THIS SHOW**
To be fair, besides those of you who loved this show, there were also lots of folks who seemed to have run into a wall with this drama.
I personally found my watch an uphill one, on occasion, and hereâs a quickish run-down of the various reasons why.
**1\. It takes some getting used to**
Showâs got a strong slice-of-life flavor about it, which is one of its strengths.
At the same time, because of the slice-of-life approach to storytelling, it can feel like very small things are being presented as plot points, and if youâre not in the right brain space, this can feel, well, underwhelming.
**\[MINOR SPOILER\]**
For example, in the very early episodes, the issue of coal being embezzled within the Sheng household spans several episodes, and I found it hard to sustain my interest in the mechanics of the whole thing.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
Additionally, I found it frustrating to see scheming glib-tongued characters get away with framing others for their misdeeds, and good-guy characters extol silence as a virtue, when they are the ones suffering at the hands of said scheming characters.
To Showâs credit, the scheming characters eventually get their comeuppance, and also, I can rationalize that the ideal of pious silence is a sign of those times, but it was still trying to watch.
**\[EARLY-EPISODE SPOILER ALERT\]**
For example, in episode 3, Iâd expected Ming Lanâs birth mother (Liu Xiyuan) to die as a result of the manipulation of the second wife (Gao Lu), but this was still tragic to watch.
Itâs terrible how much scheming went into her death, and how many people were complicit. The worst part was watching them try to conceal their triumph and glee, as they watched Minglan run for dear life, trying to find someone to help her poor mother.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**2\. The transition to adulthood is rather jarring**
Personally, I found it quite jarring when all the children suddenly grow up in episode 5.
For one thing, it was hard to figure out who was who, especially since there were so many characters, and I ended up having to look up everyone on [this showâs Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Minglan), just to get a handle on them all.
Another thing was, at this point of the story, the kids have all grown into youths / young adults, but the actors are much older than their screen age.
It was distracting for me, to have to try to wrap my brain around the fact that these full-grown men who looked to be around 40 years old, were supposed to be young men in their early twenties.
By around episode 7, though, Iâd gotten more used to the older actors, and that helped.
**3\. The focus shifts**
Sometimes Show goes on what feels like a long tangent
Probably because of Showâs slice-of-life nature, sometimes our narrative spotlight would seem to wander, and for no apparent good reason.
Of course, the writers knew what they were doing, pulling characters together into the same orbit, but during those tangents, I sometimes found my attention waning.
Essentially, whenever the focus shifted away from the Sheng household shenanigans, I found my interest dip. This turned into a bit of a problem for me, because, as I learned, this story was never all about the Sheng household.
Eventually, court politics take a big chunk of screen time
In Showâs mid-episodes, court politics start to creep into the picture, and by Showâs later stretch, we start to get very large chunks of court machinations and inner palace goings-on. This feels like a huge shift away from the period family drama tone where we started, and so took a bit of getting used to.
The political stuff was admittedly not as interesting to me as the personal and family matters; however, because the political stuff increasingly formed the context within which this family existed, I could rationalize their importance to our characters.
However, I can see how viewers disinterested in court politics would struggle to stick with the show, by this point. My sister dropped out late in the game as well, partly because of this.
Eventually, things also get quite dramatic, with hysterics thrown in for good measure
The other reason my sister dropped out, is because things became too melodramatic for her taste, by Showâs later episodes. In her words, it felt like Show had switched writers; the tone just felt so different from Showâs early episodes.
For me personally, sometimes, I found the high drama quite cracky, and I sometimes watched back-to-back episodes, because I was curious to know how our characters would survive.
At the same time, I have to confess that the near-constant dramatics and hysterics got to me after a while, and I did feel like Show was getting tiring to watch.
**4\. Sometimes it gets repetitive**
Not gonna lie; sometimes it felt like certain plot devices were used and then reused, so much so that stuff started to feel repetitive and therefore boring, to me.
**\[MINOR SPOILER\]**
For example, Showâs second half is when we see Minglan coming into her own and standing up for herself.
I loved that, but, everyone showing up to make things difficult for Minglan in every way possible, did get a little old, I have to admit.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**5\. Sometimes I just donât get it**
I soon learned that many people in this drama world donât generally speak their minds, and instead, talk in veiled riddles.
I have to admit, I often had no clue what they were actually communicating, and for what purpose. It felt obtuse and confusing, and honestly, it made me feel kinda dumb sometimes.
It also made me think, how *hard* it is to survive in this drama world, where itâs a challenge to understand what other people mean, unless youâre complicated, sharp and very, very shrewd.
**A SPOTLIGHT ON OUR KEY PLAYERS**
For a 73-episode whopper of a show, thereâs a lot to possibly say, and a vast cast of characters to cover as well.
Itâs just not possible to cover everyone or everything in a single review, so just know that Iâll be touching on as big of a handful as I can, but will inevitably still leave out some characters even though they can be considered rather key to our story.
**Zhao Liying as Sheng Minglan**
First of all, let me just say that I thought Zhao Liying did very well in the role of Minglan.
In the beginning, when young Minglan morphed into Zhao Liying, Iâll admit that it was hard for me to get used to the change.
Not only is Zhao Liying much older than teenaged Minglan is supposed to be, the bangs didnât do her any favors, making her look much older than her 31 years. To put it bluntly, I found it jarring, because the hair and makeup made Zhao Liying look like she was a woman in her 40s, dressing young and acting young.
However, I eventually got used to it, so that distraction was relatively fleeting, in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, I want to commend Zhao Liying, because I feel that she got the speech patterns and mannerisms of a teenaged Minglan down pat.
I also wanted to say, after Minglanâs marriage, when she no longer wore the bangs, I found that Zhao Liying looked so much more youthful and beautiful.
Overall, I very much enjoyed watching Minglan grow into her own skin, and shed the layers of cautious pretense that sheâd taken to wearing, out of self-preservation.
Because Minglan wears those defensive pretenses for a good length of time, I have to say that I generally preferred watching mid-to-late episode Minglan, for being a truer representation of herself.
Hereâs a quickish collection of my thoughts and observations of Minglan, during my watch.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E5.** As expected, Minglan is smart and shrewd, even if sheâs not academically inclined. She knows that Molan (Shi Shi) covets the young master Yuan Ruo (Zhu Yilong), and she shrewdly keeps her distance from him, even as he shows interest in her.
**E15.** Twas pretty satisfying to see Minglan give sharp answers when Molan tried to bully her and talk her into a corner.
And then, even more impressive, to see Minglan then smooth things over and even get Molan to say that they are in the same boat because they are not born of the main madam. Impressive.
**E16.** This was a fun episode, with Minglan surprising everyone with her horseback riding and polo skills.
Girlâs got skillz, which is very cool indeed. Seeing Yuan Ruo so shocked and amazed was entertaining. Seeing Molan so annoyed that Yuan Ruo availed himself to play with Ming Lan was quite satisfying. Seeing Ming Lan and her friend so happy when they won the pin back was satisfying too.
**E18.** âTwas very satisfying to see Minglan question Gu Tingyeâs mistress Manniang (Li Yixiao) and outwit her soundly. Yesss.
**E21.** Minglan managing to get rid of all the spy servants without having to lift her own finger, is so shrewd. I feel like there is a lot to learn from the patience, wisdom and shrewdness of the smart women in this show.
**E25.** Minglan being the brains to solve the family predicament of the divorce impasse, is again proof of how sharp and shrewd she is. And sheâs the youngest of the family too.
**E33.** Itâs true that Minglan basically plotted Madam Linâs death, but in this context, where the law is often not to be relied upon, and in this world, where danger lies everywhere and itâs every man for himself, and lives are taken easily and often, her revenge doesnât seem so out of the ordinary.
**E36.** I like how clear Minglan is, about what she will and will not put up with, in marriage. And I do like her insight, that the other personâs greatest weakness is where you must look, because you need to ask yourself if you can live with the weakness for the rest of your life. How wise.
**E41.** Itâs interesting and satisfying to watch how Minglanâs accumulated knowledge and experience combine with her natural sharpness and intelligence, to manage the immediate politics in the Gu Household. Sheâs impressive.
She remains polite and well-mannered, but she doesnât let the elders have their wily way. Instead, she gains the upper hand by pretending to retreat. She would make an excellent general, I think.
**E42.** For now, Iâm really enjoying watching Minglan come into her own, in the face of everyoneâs efforts to corner her. The way she handled the incoming servants from the Gu Household was so sharp and shrewd, while remaining ever so dignified and gracious. I love it.
I love that she doesnât need to lose her cool; I love that her not losing her cool and outsmarting the ones coming after her is frustrating those who want to step all over her; I love that she takes care of it all without looking like sheâs ruffled a single feather.
**E51.** Looks like weâre finally bringing Madam Linâs murder of Minglanâs mother to light. I see now that Minglan has been wise to wait this long.
Sheâs no longer a powerless young girl with no evidence. Sheâs now a powerful woman with her own title bestowed by the Emperor (Qin Yan), and she has witness and evidence to prove her case. She holds herself with what I would call.. fiery dignity. I like it.
**E58.** I love the way Minglan coaches the girls, it reminds me of how Grandmother (Cao Cuifen) used to coach Minglan when she was young. Teaching them to not only read the accounting books, but also analyze the context with sharpness and wisdom. I love it.
**E61.** Minglanâs words of wisdom to the Empress (Yang Yuting) really turned the situation around. Grandmother has reason to be proud of her.
**E72.** The moment Rongâer (Ye Xuantong) cries out *âMother!â* to Minglan, sealing a kinship and intimacy that Minglan has always hoped for but never pressed for, was so moving, it brought tears to my eyes.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye / Zhong Huai**
To be honest, my affection for Feng Shaofeng in the skin of Gu Tingye was quite the slow burn. This is thanks in part to the writing, and partly due to Feng Shaofengâs delivery.
First, letâs talk about the delivery. I donât know if itâs just me, but I found something quite theatrical about Feng Shaofengâs delivery of Gu Tingye, particularly in his mannerisms.
To my eyes, it kinda-sorta looked like he was acting on a Chinese opera stage while everyone else was in front of a camera crew. I found it weird, to be honest, and it took me.. many episodes, to accept that this is just how Gu Tingye is.
Secondly, Show makes him out to be quite the cryptic character. In the first third of the drama, save for the childhood scene where he stepped in to help Minglan, heâs portrayed as a bit of a flippant delinquent.
Itâs only from the second third of our story onwards, that Show starts to peel away Gu Tingyeâs outer reckless, impertinent layers, to reveal the person that he is, underneath.
In the beginning, I didnât exactly *dislike* Gu Tingye, but I didnât quite like him either. By Showâs later episodes, though, I felt like I understood him a lot better, and over time, I even grew rather affectionate of him. Thatâs quite a turnaround, Iâd say.
Because much of my change in perception of Gu Tingye hinges on his relationship with Minglan, Iâll talk more about this later in the review.
**Zhu Yilong as Yuan Ruo / Qi Heng**
Compared to Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye, I feel like my reaction to Zhu Yilong as Yuan Ruo is almost an opposing, contrary sort of trajectory.
For one thing, Yuan Ruo starts off as a pretty appealing character, to me. As we get deeper into our story, though, Yuan Ruoâs appeal also fades, to some degree.
**\[****MODERATE SPOILERS\]**
For instance, heâs extremely earnest and open about his affections for Minglan, and his efforts to woo her â combined with his stubbornness in wanting to marry her â made him rather melty at times.
However, his naĂŻvetĂŠ and petty tendencies eventually come to the fore, when things donât go the way he desires, and Minglan ends up marrying someone else.
**\[END SPOILERS\]**
On the issue of delivery, I loved Zhu Yilongâs delivery of Yuan Ruo from the very beginning.
I found his interpretation of Yuan Ruoâs emotions very natural and nuanced, and often, just a quick flicker of his eyes and a slight shift in his gaze, made me feel like I could see the turn of emotions going through his heart.
My favorite Yuan Ruo moment, which I felt really showcased Zhu Yilongâs acting ability, is in episode 28.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
This episode, Zhu Yilong really shines, with the way he brings out Yuan Ruoâs hopelessness and sorrow.
That moment when he considers that marriage contract at the House of Yong, tears staining his face, his eyes looking so lost, is really quite affecting. Very nicely done. I felt sorry for the way he feels forced into this situation, of marrying someone else, when his heart is with Minglan.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
Another favorite Yuan Ruo moment of mine, is in episode 70, not so much for Zhu Yilongâs delivery, but for what the moment means for Yuan Ruo as a character.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
Yuan Ruoâs wife (Chen Yalan) helping him to visit Minglan, against the wishes of his mother (Chen Jin), is such a highlight of the episode, for me. Yuan Ruoâs always kept her at a distance, but I feel like this is the turning point, where he begins to see her in a whole new light.
The first surprise, is when he realizes that everything sheâd said had been a ruse to get him out of the house without his motherâs objection. And the next surprise, is when she demonstrates her ability to think shrewdly and sharply, when discussing Minglanâs case.
That small moment, where his gaze flicks at her in surprise, is, I feel, the moment when he probably realizes for the first time, that his wife might be pretty awesome after all. I like that a lot.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Cao Cuifen as Grandmother / Old Mrs. Sheng**
Omigosh, I freaking loved Cao Cuifen as Grandmother. She is arguably my favorite character in this entire drama world.
I loved how sharp and wise Grandmother always is. She consistently sees through all the bull and is always very clear-cut in terms of what is the best course of action.
Grandmother is so shrewd and strategic in her thoughts and actions, that she really wouldâve made a great general, no exaggeration. Watching Grandmother in action, I always felt like there was a lot to be learned from her, particularly in the area of strategic thinking.
More than that, I love how compassionate she is towards Minglan. Thereâs always such a softness in her face, when sheâs with Minglan, and I never tired of seeing them together â which Iâll talk about next.
**A QUICK SPOTLIGHT ON THE MAIN LOVELINES**
**Grandmother & Minglan**
It wouldnât be an overstatement at all, to say that the relationship between Grandmother and Minglan was my favorite loveline in this show.
There is deep, deep love between the two, and even though we donât get a great deal of screen time unpacking the relationship between them, every scene they share is precious and affecting in the best way. I love it, so much.
One of my favorite motifs in this show, is of Grandmother holding Minglan. We see it again and again, where Grandmother hugs Minglan to herself, to comfort her, assure her and defend her.
In a story world where hugs are not often given, and where Grandmother is an authority figure that strikes respectful awe in most, this stood out to me as extra, extra special.
It was also gratifying to witness Grandmother teaching and coaching Minglan on the ways of the world, in order to equip her to survive and live well, on her own. It felt heartwarming, but also, educational, to witness.
Hereâs a collection of my favorite moments between Grandmother and Minglan.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E4.** The scene where Minglan is on the boat and Grandmother holds her and cries out, âMinglan has someone who loves her!â is so moving. Literal tears to my eyes.
**E33.** One of the things that really touches me in this show, are the scenes of Grandmother embracing Minglan and holding her to herself.
When she was a small child whoâd lost her mother; when sheâd been heartbroken by the news of Yuan Ruoâs marriage; and now, when she admits that sheâd planned the trap that had led to Madam Linâs death.
Grandmother embraces her and empathizes with her pain, each time.
**E40.** The scene where Minglan tells Grandmother that she canât bear to part with her, and Gran, holding back her tears, tells her that she feels likewise, brought actual tears to my eyes. Such a poignant, bittersweet moment.
**E40.** Aw man. Granâs tearful outburst on Minglanâs wedding day, as she stops Minglan, grasps her hands and tells her to be well, just made me cry. I wish Minglan and Gran could live together for always.
**E41.** How lovely, to see the joy with which Grandmother welcomes Minglan back. Such a big hug, with so much warmth and tenderness.
**E52.** I do love that Gran knows Minglan well, and hurries over because she knows that anything to do with Madam Lin will rile Minglan up like no other.
**E59.** Woof. Every time Grandmother is active in Ming Lanâs narrative, my attention picks right up. I think thatâs my favorite thing in this series: watching Grandmother protecting Ming Lan, while teaching her to see the world more critically and clearly.
**E64.** So glad Grandmother is awake and will be ok. The reunion between her and Minglan legit brought tears to my eyes. So much emotion between these two. I luff them together, so much. â¤ď¸
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Minglan & Yuan Ruo**
Itâs rare for a drama to introduce a loveline for the female lead, other than the one with her One True Love, and I appreciate that Show bucks the drama trend, to show us something closer to real life.
Coz itâs true â and probable â that first loves donât always end up together for the long haul.
However, largely because I already knew who romantic endgame was for Minglan, just from looking at Showâs poster, I found myself somewhat detached from the developments of this loveline, and also, rather unable to root for the success of this young love.
Coz, how do you root for a love that you know is already doomed to fail, right?
Additionally, I found the portrayal of Minglanâs reciprocal feelings a little sudden, since sheâd been studiously avoiding Yuan Ruo prior.
However, I appreciate the insights that this loveline gives us, regarding both these characters.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E16.** Yuan Ruo is so keen to connect with Minglan that heâs blithely oblivious to social mores, which makes Ming Lanâs clearly uncomfortable. His happiness at seeing her drowns out her efforts to get him to behave with more decorum.
Also, his own joy outweighs her protests, which feels like a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, itâs rather swoony that he doesnât care about anything but letting her know how he feels.
On the other hand, shouldnât he put her preferences and feelings first? And, he seems pretty undiscerning and immature, to not be aware of the obstacles that would be in the way of a union between them.
**E17.** Yuan Ruo is pretty naive.. He seems to truly believe that he can marry Minglan and have her as his main wife, while Minglan, though younger than he, is much more astute, and knows full well that his mother would never allow it.
**E17.** Despite his naĂŻvetĂŠ, Yuan Ruoâs earnest manner in declaring his affections and intentions to Minglan is quite endearing. His face is so pure and open, and so untainted by the grit of realism. His refrain of calling Minglan a little liar is quite cute too.
**E28.** Itâs terrible and horrifying that the House of Yong would resort to kidnap and threats, to have Yuan Ruo marry their daughter.
Itâs a tough situation, and given Yuan Ruoâs cautious, softhearted nature, itâs understandable that he wouldnât feel able to go rogue and threaten them back, as Tingye suggests.
**E28.** The way Minglan continues to trust Yuan Ruo is touching as well. She believes in him; she chooses to believe that he tried his best and failed, and that he has his painful reasons for letting her down, and she will not blame him nor let her maidservants blame him either.
I really like that. It takes a gracious person to be able to think like that, when theyâve just been hurt deeply themselves. Kudos to Minglan. Such maturity, faith, and grace.
**\[END SPOILERS\]**
**Minglan & Gu Tingye**
Not gonna lie; this loveline was a hard sell at first, for me.
First of all, as I mentioned earlier in this review, Show was slow to reveal Gu Tingyeâs true nature, so I didnât yet like him, when Show started pushing this loveline.
Second of all, Show had put all this effort into teasing out the emotion surrounding Minglanâs loveline with Yuan Ruo, which means that I didnât feel ready to believe that Minglan would grow feelings for someone else, relatively soon after having her heart broken.
And then third of all, at around the episode 23 mark, Show starts making Minglan and Gu Tingye meet repeatedly, by chance.
Serendipitously, Gu Tingye is *always* nearby when Minglan finds herself in mortal danger, so much so that it becomes completely predictable. By the third time Tingye swooped in to save her, I found myself thinking, âAlright, fine, I geddit, this is supposed to be *fate.â*
I honestly found myself having a hard time buying into it all, and doubted Showâs ability to persuade me otherwise. Happily, Show surprised me with how *well* it convinced me of Gu Tingyeâs suitability as Minglanâs match, which Iâll talk about in this next section.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E23.** How serendipitous, that itâs Gu Tingye who rescues Minglan from the water. But, phew that she and Grandmother are ok.
**E24-25.** Gu Tingye saves Minglan time and again from bandits.. how considerate, that he guards her and her family from afar, ensuring their safe journey, while traveling rough himself.
**E28.** Gu Tingye clearly has developed a soft spot of sorts for Minglan. The moment he hears of the marriage between the houses of Qi and Yong, he seeks out Yuan Ruo and tells him there is still hope.
The way he tells Yuan Ruo of the kind of effects his decision will have on Minglanâs future, show that he is thoughtful and considerate of Minglan, and that he cares.
**E28.** The way Gu Tingye goes to Minglan and gently relays the message from Yuan Ruo, is so compassionate and empathetic.
I actually really like where we leave this couple-to-be. They have both learned hard lessons in love and loss, and are encouraging each other to stay strong and be well, and to look to the future. That feels so wholesome and pure.
They donât have feelings for each other at this moment, and the moment just feels like one shared between kindred spirits on similar journeys, and I like that.
**E35.** It gets completely predictable that Gu Tingye will show up to save Minglan whenever sheâs in mortal danger, lol.
**E38.** *Woah.* I didnât realize Tingye really was asking for Rulanâs (Zhang Jianing) hand in marriage\!
Wait, Tingye really did ALL that stuff, to marry Ming Lan? That.. sucks. He basically ruined her previously perfectly fine marriage prospects, by unearthing the exiled cousin and extracting her from her previously sealed fate, and then sending her to create unrest for Minglanâs prospective marriage.
Thatâs so meddlesome and so underhanded. This does not endear him to me. And itâs upset Gran so much too.
**E39.** Well-played, Show. I didnât think that Show would be able to win me over to accept Gu Tingye as Minglanâs husband, nor did I think there was anything he could say that would win her over. But win her over he did, and resoundingly too.
By demonstrating that he truly understands and sees her, that he knows all of her sufferings and unhappiness, and telling her that he wishes to set her free from that constricting way of existing, he moves her â and he moves me too. Slow applause.
**E40.** I really appreciate how Tingyeâs emphasis with Minglan is first and foremost, an emotional connection.
Honesty and loyalty; the sharing of all of each of their truths; sincerity and appreciativeness with Minglan for her gracious attitude towards his children; trusting her fully with all of his assets; promising to be good to her always.
I mean, I do also love that he went out and got food for her and made sure it was good food, never mind if people concluded that he was cowed by a fierce wife.
How perfect: taking care of her physical hunger, then when thatâs done, talking to her in the most honest, meaningful way, before moving to consummate their marriage.
**E42.** I like the couple moments we see between Gu Tingye and Minglan. They really do behave like a real married couple, and I especially appreciate how natural the skinship is. This really is quite possibly the biggest advantage to having our leads be married in real life.
**E43-44.** Tingye overhearing Minglanâs caution in trusting and depending on him too much, and wanting to draw her into fully trusting him. I appreciate how much he desires a strong and pure connection with her.
**E47.** Itâs nice to see Minglan supporting Gu Tingye, and worrying for him, and having him feel touched by her worry, as if he expected her to only worry for her own safety.
**E49.** Gu Tingye is so furious at Minglan for saying that itâs easy to agree to him spending the night with Manniang (Li Yixiao). The irony. He wants her to be jealous, but Minglan isnât, lol.
**E50.** Tis good to keep a cool head on your shoulders. If not for Minglanâs shrewdness, Tingye wouldâve fallen into his stepmotherâs trap. I like how she balances him out that way.
**E52.** I also like that Tingye swoops in and speaks up for Minglan, and everyone has to listen, because heâs now the big powerful guy. I like this dynamic where they mutually look out for each other, all the time.
**E52.** The way Tingye comforts Minglan and holds her in the carriage on their way home, really speaks of a marriage relationship that is made up of strong bonds. I like it.
**E52.** The whole concubine thing is rather amusing, with Tingye refusing to sleep with his new concubine, and Minglan blithely leaving him to his own devices. It really says a lot about their relationship; he wants no one but Minglan, and Minglan trusts him to do whatâs best.
**E54.** Tingye being cold to Minglan for a full 2 months, wow. He must really feel that she doesnât love him.
**E56.** While itâs true that Tingye and Minglan are sleeping separately, their relationship is much better than what Madam Stepmother thinks.
Theyâre talking quite deeply and honestly, and there is still a clear affection between them. But Minglan just canât see what Tingye is so upset about, when it comes to whether she gets jealous, and whether she sees him as her Marquis husband, or as Gu Tingye. Itâs kind of funny, but itâs also kind of sad.
**E58.** Tingyeâs joy at Minglanâs pregnancy is cute and quite infectious.
**E58.** The way Minglan supports him to go do the salt inspection even though that would mean sheâs left alone while pregnant, is very admirable and sweet.
**E70.** I appreciate that the decision on whether or not Tingye and Minglan ought to legally separate in order to protect their child, is handled with so much heartfelt emotion.
In contrast to their usual dynamic, this time, itâs Tingye whoâs working to be logical, for the sake of his family, while Minglan is the one whoâs holding her heart in her throat, threatening that she will never accept Tingye again, if he separates from her now. Her growing love for her husband is clear to see, and itâs quite moving to witness.
**QUICK SHOUT-OUTS TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS**
**Liu Jun as Sheng Hong**
Dad mostly shows up as the ineffectual, hapless official head of the Sheng household. The truth is, though, heâs basically at the mercy of the women in his life.
At first, I found Dad frustratingly weak, but over time, Show did a solid job of demonstrating that Dad really does care, and he does the best he can, despite his faintheartedness and dull wits. Eventually, I grew rather fond of him, which is why he gets a quick shout-out here.
**Liu Lin as Wang Ruofu**
I thought Liu Lin did a fantastic job portraying Main Mother. Main Mother is straightforward, hotheaded, and far too simple of mind to do well in a complicated, dog-eat-dog world like this.
I loved how naturally Liu Lin portrayed all of these facets of Main Mother; it just looked so effortless, and yet, there was so much expression and nuance in her delivery. Kudos.
**The sisters**
**Wang Herun as Hualan**
As the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Hualan is married off in Showâs early episodes, and therefore, we donât see much of her over the course of our story.
However, I really enjoyed what I did see of her. Wang Herun is radiant and beautiful as Hualan, and makes her quite incandescent. On top of that, Hualan always has a level, gracious head on her shoulders; an oft-needed voice of reason, in the Sheng household foibles.
**Shi Shi as Molan**
Molan is just like her mother Madam Lin, and learns to use her wiles to get what she wants. She often lies blithely without the bat of an eyelash, and she does it to make herself look good while making her sisters look bad.
Beyond the daily pouting and underhanded trickery to better her position within the household, hands-down the most interesting arc involving Molan, was her scheme regarding her marriage. The audacity of it all, had me on the edge of my seat.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I mean, to manipulate it such that she would have a chance at a secret rendezvous with young master Liang (Wu Hong), the groom of her choosing, so that she could flirt him into bed, is bold enough, but Molan does this repeatedly, so that she will fall pregnant, so that their families will have no choice but permit their marriage, and in this way, she will be a main wife instead of a concubine.
How brazen, right? But even more brazen, is how Molan and her mother just go for it, trusting that the family will do everything to clean up the mess, if only for the sake of the other daughtersâ reputations. What a gamble.
I found the entire arc quite thrilling and riveting.
Beyond the shamelessness of this entire arc, I want to credit Shi Shi for playing Molan with an undercurrent of sadness. That sadness doesnât surface often, but when it does, it reminds me that Molan really isnât that happy with herself or her life.
For example, in episode 32, the scene where Mo Lan considers her future, now that Madam Wu has agreed to the marriage, with tears in her eyes and sadness in her gaze, is actually really well done. It tells me that Molan didnât want to do this; that there is a lot of bitter mixed in with the sweetness of her so-called victory.
Eventually, in Showâs final episodes, Molanâs deceitful ways finally catch up with her, when her hard-won husband rejects her for basically tricking him into marriage.
Overall, I canât say I liked Molan, but I did find her quite compelling.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Zhang Jianing as Rulan**
I didnât like Rulan much at first, not least because she also bullied Minglan in her own way, always getting Minglan to do chores for her.
**\[MINOR SPOILER\]**
However, in Showâs mid-episodes, when Rulan falls for Scholar Wen (Zhang Lu), I really liked the new closeness that develops between Minglan and Rulan, where they get together regularly in Rulanâs chamber and talk about boys, heh. How cute\!
I loved the cozy sister talk between Minglan and Rulan, as they mused about their impending marriages and shared their feelings and thoughts and fears. The encouragement and shared laughter feels so real and so organic; I truly believe these two sisters care for each other.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**The chief wily women**
There are a number of wily women in this story, to bring the conflict and angst as needed, so if youâre leery of being spoiled by knowing who these characters are, maybe skip this section.
**Gao Lu as Lin Qinshuang**
When Show first presented Lin Qinshuang as the coquettish, sly, manipulative concubine of the Sheng household, alarm bells started pinging in my head. And itâs true that Lin Qinshuang was a sizable source of trouble for the members of the Sheng family.
The first time my jaw dropped in this show was in episode 4, thanks to Lin Qinshuang.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I was astounded at the gall with which Lin Qinshuang lied that she was innocent and cried for mercy.
I mean, she swore to the heavens without blinking an eye that she had nothing to do with Minglanâs motherâs death, when sheâd in fact singlehandedly plotted the entire tragedy, and with glee. Wow.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
As far as villains go in this drama world, though, I found Lin Qinshuangâs behavior something that I could rationalize, even though I couldnât condone it.
Given her lot in life, and given the world into which she was born, she probably felt that this was her best chance at giving her children a boost up the social ladder.
Thankfully, Show doesnât let her off easy, and Lin Qinshuang does end up paying for her misdeeds.
Also, by Showâs end, I came to realize that there are scarier women, than Lin Qinshuang. Shudder.
**Li Yixiao as Zhu Manniang**
At first glance, Manniang appears to be cut from a similar cloth as Lin Qinshuang: pretty, sly and coquettish, set on using her charms to manipulate her man, so that she can get what she wants.
Compared to Lin Qinshuang, though, I found Manniang more cunning, more ruthless, and also, more resilient.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I could hardly believe that Manniang would be so ruthless as to basically treat her son so poorly while on the run, that the child would die. And then, instead of feeling at all sorry about it, she berates her son when she visits his grave, and also, proceeds to spread lies that Tingye killed their son.
By episode 50, Iâd concluded that Manniang is like a cockroach that will not die. In that episode, even armed guards shooing her out of the city and foiling her efforts for food and shelter wouldnât stop her efforts to malign Gu Tingye.
Credit to Li Yixiao; I really did feel as we got deeper into our story, that Manniang became more and more crazed, delusional and hysterical.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Wang Yinan as Lady Qin**
Lady Qin is arguably the most lethal among the crafty women in this drama world.
Serene, gentle and kindly on the surface, Lady Qin put much effort into scheming for the betterment of her own station as well as that of her son, and also, shockingly, took much pleasure out of successful scheming, even when that scheming often resulted in death and destruction.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
The first time it registered in my head just how dangerous this woman was, was in episode 19, when Show revealed the lengths that Lady Qin had gone to, to expel Tingye from the Gu household.
I mean, to have doted on him since young as a loving and indulgent stepmother, so that she would be able to expel him upon her husbandâs death, is an impressive level of endurance and patience. Now that is some scary stuff.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
Credit to Wang Yinan; every time Lady Qin switched between her sweet benign kindly demeanor, to her dark, hardened, scheming one, I always felt a touch startled.
**Zhang Yanyan as Wang Ruoyu / Madam Kang**
Having only seen Zhang Yanyan play gentle, dignified and demure characters in Nirvana In Fire and The Disguiser, I was suitably astonished at how well she plays the ill-intentioned, spiteful, gossipy Madam Kang who has a bit of a volatile, violent bent.
From outright lies, to coercion, blackmail, and actual attempted murder, Madam Kang does it all, and I believed Zhang Yanyan every step of the way.
Madam Kang turned out to be cruel and inhumane, and I didnât like her one bit, but at the same time, I couldnât help marveling at Zhang Yanyanâs ability to portray her so seamlessly.
**OTHER RELATIONSHIPS**
**Ming Lan & Zhang Guifen (Madam Shen)**
Minglan is shown to have several close friends over the course of our story, but the one that stood out to me the most, is her unlikely friendship with Madam Shen (Wu Xiaoyu).
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
I rather like how their connection started in such a rocky, dramatic manner, but that in the end, Minglanâs sincerity and sensitively-spoken words of wisdom really turned Madam Shen around, and thereafter, they became such close and trusted friends.
Later in the show, when Madam Shen becomes the target of her husbandâs concubineâs plot to deprive her of medical help during the delivery of her baby, I thought it was a very good full circle, that Minglan was able to personally stop it, and save her life.
This felt to me like a form of closure for Minglan, for the time sheâd been unable to save her mother from a similar plot, as a mere child. I found this very meaningful indeed.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Minglan and her loyal maids**
Even though this dynamic is kept mostly in the background, I really enjoyed Minglanâs positive, trusting relationship with her personal maids.
Here are my two favorite highlights that really showcase the depth of care and emotion in these relationships.
**\[SPOILER ALERT\]**
**E55.** Minglan is a genuinely caring mistress who wouldnât hold her maid back from marriage for her own comfort.
The scene where Minglan talks to Cuiwei (Li Yuanyuan) about her potential marriage match, is so poignant. Both women tear up at the prospect of saying goodbye, and itâs clear to see that this is born of genuine relationship.
**E72.** Xiaotao (Wang Ziwei), pledging to live and die next to Minglan, and then admitting she was afraid, before telling Minglan, âLetâs go!â is just so heart-swellingly brave.
Sheâs not hesitating even for a moment, even though she is scared, and this is literally a life-or-death situation where she might not live to see another day. That is absolutely a demonstration of deep love.
**\[END SPOILER\]**
**Xiaotao & Shitou**
This is a tiny little tangential arc, but I loved the idea of a loveline between Xiaotao and Shitou (Shen Chi).
Because Xiaotao is Minglanâs close personal maid, and Shitou is Gu Tingyeâs righthand man, the two often have occasion to hang out together while waiting for their master and mistress.
When Show started giving little hints that Shitou was smitten with Xiaotao, I was thrilled.
And I found the scene in episode 52, of Shitou and Xiaotao talking giddily about food, and about what was delicious, absolutely adorable, funny and perfect. â¤ď¸
**THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING \[SPOILERS\]**
Show serves up a twist in its final episode that I wasnât expecting, to be honest.
Gu Tingye comes back and saves the day, and we find out that everything was one very intricate ruse, where the emperor put up an elaborate act, together with the empress and Gu Tingye, in order to bait the empress dowager to make her move to stage a mutiny.
While that plot twist did suddenly make the emperor appear much more shrewd than heâd ever appeared, I have to admit that it does niggle at me, that this ruse was a high stakes one in which many lives were put in danger, and many lives were also lost.
Minglan herself suffered a true shock regarding the probable death of her husband, while she was still weak from childbirth, and the stressful events of the mutiny, with soldiers attacking her home, would have been a lot to bear.
After all the drama is over, Minister Sheng remarks casually that if Minglan were to develop any health issues later on, it would be all Gu Tingyeâs fault â and I canât help thinking that potential health issues isnât that far-fetched an idea, given all that Minglanâs been through.
My mum finished watching this show ahead of me, and when I asked her if it had a happy ending, she said, *âWell, I suppose so. All the bad people died.â*
..Which they did.
Lady Qin dies in a fire of her own causing, lamenting that sheâd never lived as herself for even a day. Sheâs distraught that all of her scheming for Tingwei has come to naught, and furious that sheâs lived this way all for nothing. Itâs a dramatic way to die, and I almost feel sorry for her, but.. not quite.
Manniang dies in this last narrative arc as well, getting killed in a bid to murder Gu Tingyeâs son, as revenge for her own dead son.
Again, I have no sympathy for this woman, who pushes her own daughter down and injures her in her bid to kill an infant, and doesnât even look back at her injured child, because sheâs so set on stabbing the baby. *Ugh.* That is just insane.
In happier news, one of my favorite moments this finale, is how Show gives us a glimpse of how Yuan Ruoâs heart towards his wife has changed.
Iâm glad that we see him apologizing to her, for how heâs treated her in the past, and pledging to make it all up to her, going forward into the future.
Wifey is gently gracious about it, demurring that he never wronged her, and with soft smiles, this couple walks into their new future, arm in arm. How lovely.
Iâm also very pleased to see that, unspoken time skip later, Shitou and Xiaotao are married and expecting their first child together.
*Woot\!* Iâm just really happy for them, and Iâm glad that they get to be together, and even though sheâs now married, that Xiaotao still gets to spend time with Minglan, whom she clearly adores.
As Show draws near its final curtain, the Gu household bustles with activity, as the whole family â members of the Sheng household included â works together to restore the Gu ancestral hall that had burned down.
Gu Tingye and Minglan rib each other as usual, but also, they share warm smiles, and remark that the days ahead will be happy ones, as they walk back into their home together, hand in hand.
I have to admit, even though there were times when I dragged my feet a little, when Showâs story seemed to ramble on, sometimes with what felt like a lack of strong direction, Iâm pleased that I stayed with these characters to the end.
They grew on me, in spite of myself, and now, Iâm content to see that theyâre content, and that all is as well as can be.
**THE FINAL VERDICT:**
Rather long and meandering, but Showâs got enough heart to make it worth the while.
**FINAL GRADE:** B+
**TRAILER:**
**MV:**
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH2AXY-D5lg>
An instrumental playlist:
#### **WHERE TO WATCH:**
You can check out this show on Viki [here](https://www.viki.com/tv/35895c). You can also find it on YouTube [here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQqbdnAgoRmZx4cWwhNGNmPGjpUglzrG_).
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| Shard | 131 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 7323515772229093131 |
| Unparsed URL | com,thefangirlverdict!/2019/10/05/flash-review-the-story-of-minglan-china/ s443 |