Story of Yanxi Palace

Story of Yanxi Palace
Promotional Poster
Genre	Historical fiction
Based on	Yan Xi Gong Lüe by Zhou Mo
Written by	Zhou Mo
Directed by	Hui Kaidong Wen Deguang
Starring	Wu Jinyan Charmaine Sheh Qin Lan Nie Yuan Xu Kai Tan Zhuo
Country of origin	China
Original language	Mandarin
No. of episodes	70
Production
Executive producer	Yu Zheng
Production location	Hengdian World Studios
Running time	45 mins (TVCs times included for Vietnam)
Production companies	Huanyu Film iQiyi
Original release
Network	iQiyi Zhejiang TV
Release	July 7 (2018-19-07) – August 26, 2018 (2018-08-26)

Story of Yanxi Palace (Chinese: 延禧攻略) is a Chinese period drama series recounting the struggles of a palace maid in the court of the Qianlong Emperor. It was created by Yu Zheng, with original screenplay written by Zhou Mo, and later developed into a novel by Xiao Lian Mao. Starring Wu Jinyan, Charmaine Sheh, Qin Lan, Nie Yuan, Tan Zhuo and Xu Kai, the series premiered on iQiyi from July 19, 2018 to August 26, 2018. During its run it was streamed more than 15 billion times.

Distributed in more than 70 markets worldwide, Story of Yanxi Palace has since become a huge hit, especially in Asia. It was the most Googled TV show in the world in 2018, despite Google being blocked in Mainland China.

A spinoff and sequel to the series, the 6-episode Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures, aired on Netflix December 31, 2019.

Synopsis

During the Qing dynasty, in 18th century (18 March 1741) Beijing, Wei Yingluo enters the court of the Qianlong Emperor, Aisin Gioro Hongli, as one of the palace embroiderers to secretly investigate her beloved sister's rape and subsequent mysterious death.

At first believing the imperial guard Fuca Fuheng to be the prime suspect, Yingluo schemes to approach his sister, the Empress Fuca Rongyin, and succeeds in getting transferred from her embroidery unit to the Empress's Changchun Palace as her maid. She learns that the Fuca siblings are innocent of the crime. Yingluo and Fuheng fall for each other. Meanwhile, Qianlong's Consort Chun allies herself with Empress Fuca because of her crush on her brother.

Yingluo eventually catches the attention of Qianlong himself. Though Yingluo is not noble by birth and is illiterate, Empress Fuca teaches her how to read and write, and the proper etiquette and mannerisms for noblewomen. The empress saves her several times from punishment for probing too deeply into her sister's death. In turn, Yingluo helps Empress Fuca survive a series of maneuvers by her chief rivals. The two develop a close friendship. In time, Yingluo discovers that her sister was raped by the son of the late Emperor Yongzheng, half-brother to the current emperor. To cover up the shameful act, the Prince's mother murdered Yingluo's sister. Yingluo successfully hatches a plot to kill the culprit. Empress Fuca feigns anger over Yingluo's defiance and banishes her to the palace sanitation unit to allow Yingluo to escape a potentially more severe punishment from the Emperor. There, Yingluo befriends a conniving eunuch, Yuan Chunwang, who is subsequently implied to be an illegitimate son of Emperor Yongzheng.

Without Yingluo, Empress Fuca falls victim to the machinations of Noble Consort Gao that put her in a coma. News reaches Yingluo, who visits Empress Fuca's chamber to sit by her mistress's side and care for her. Yingluo's devotion to Empress Fuca touches Qianlong even more. His own feelings towards her cause him to forbid Fuheng and Yingluo from marrying. Yingluo persists in her love despite various punishments from the emperor, but Fuheng backs down, causing the two to become distant. Meanwhile, Consort Xian drives Noble Consort Gao to commit suicide. The emperor eventually relents on his tough stance towards Yingluo and allows her to return as maid to the Empress.

Empress Fuca eventually wakes from her coma and becomes pregnant again. She almost loses her life while giving birth to a son, who is immediately the target of assassination by Consort Chun. Consort Chun, stinging at Fuheng's rejection, strives to be the Emperor's new favorite and even bears a son, placing her in direct competition with the Empress. That New Year's Eve, Consort Chun murders the Empress's new baby. A devastated Empress Fuca commits suicide out of grief. After Empress Fuca's death, Yingluo is sent to live and guard over her mistress's grave at the Old Summer Palace. She stays there with Yuan Chunwang until during an imperial visit by Qianlong and his consorts to Fuca's grave, Yingluo learns that Consort Chun was responsible for her late mistress's suicide, and was torturing another friend and fellow maid of the late Empress. She decides once again to enter the Forbidden City and exact retribution on the evildoers.

In order to achieve her goal, Yingluo skillfully charms Qianlong, becoming part of his harem, and is bestowed a title. She quickly rises through the ranks, toppling her rivals including the now Noble Consort Chun, and exposing her role in Empress Fuca's death, which leads to her fall in the hands of the newly named Empress Hoifa-Nara (1751). Yingluo's captivation of Qianlong brings her numerous threats, especially that of her former sworn brother Yuan Chunwang. At Empress Hoifa-Nara's direction, he reveals Yingluo is secretly taking birth control, revealing her true reason for entering the harem. Qianlong, who has fallen for her, instantly brands her out of favor.

Yingluo teams up with the Empress Dowager, whose own relationship with Qianlong has been put to the test through the Empress's schemes. It was revealed that Qianlong was not the biological son of the Empress Dowager, but the offspring of Madam Qian, a Han Chinese woman whom the late emperor Yongzheng married and had died under mysterious circumstances. It is implied that the Empress Dowager had killed Qian out of jealousy for having a son and adopted Qianlong for herself for this reason. The two women once most dear to Qianlong went into self-imposed exile, leading to Qianlong feeling guilty for doubting his adoptive mother, who undeniably was the one who raised him for years since Qian's death.

A few years later, another threat in the form of newcomer Concubine Shun, a beautiful and cunning woman, calls Yingluo back to the Forbidden City. Yingluo sets out to reclaim Qianlong's favor, but finds herself befriended by her rival. But Shun has her own agenda. Framing Yingluo for attempted assassination, Concubine Shun teams up with Empress Hoifa-Nara to put Yingluo under house arrest. Nevertheless, Yingluo is able to reverse her situation, reveal Shun's treachery, and reclaim Qianlong's affections for her. Around the same time, Yingluo is discovered to be pregnant with Qianlong's child, much to Qianlong's happiness. Having reached stalemate at this point, Yingluo negotiates for a truce with Hoifa-Nara on the condition that they both not harm any children of the palace in spite of the rivalry. Yingluo, who also raised Fifth Prince Yongqi, goes on to bear two daughters and two sons for the emperor over the next ten years, but one of her sons dies in infancy, and her health also slowly deteriorates.

A decade later (1765), however, Yuan Chunwang, now Hoifa-Nara's trusted servant, betrays his new mistress by causing a series of mishaps in the palace that destabilize Hoifa-Nara's rule and affect her sanity. Yuan Chunwang gradually uses Hongzhou's, the Emperor's half-brother, affection for Hoifa-Nara to instigate a rebellion. They plot to sabotage Qianlong's Southern river tour in order to seize power and, in Hongzhou's mind, free the Empress from her eroding position. One night, a band of rebels suddenly storms onto the royal vessel just as a fire engulfs the Empress Dowager's cabin, prompting Qianlong to charge into the flaming cabin to save his mother, seemingly perishing in the process.

The next morning, as Hongzhou gallantly appears to restore order from the overnight coup, Qianlong and the Empress Dowager emerge safely from a secret passageway designed by Fuheng and expose Hongzhou's plan of treachery. As it turns out, Hongzhou is betrayed by the Empress, who always loved Qianlong and wanted to use Hongzhou's rebellion to prove her devotion to her husband. Just then, Yingluo comes out of hiding under the protection of the Emperor's guards, the only consort to receive protection. This clear favoritism after all her years of devotion drives Hoifa-Nara mad. In a fit of jealous rage, she cuts off her hair, a taboo in Manchu tradition, effectively cursing the entire Aisin Gioro clan. After Qianlong sentences Hongzhou to confinement and the Empress is dragged away, Yuan Chunwang proclaims his innocence, only for Yingluo to reveal the real reason Yuan hated Qianlong so much.

Yuan believed he was an legitimate son of the late Yongzheng Emperor, from the clothes belonging to Yongzheng left behind to his family. The Empress Dowager loudly denies this and claimed that he was an offspring of a bandit who killed Qianlong's birth mother Qian and later raped Yuan Chunwang's mother, and asserted that the clothes belonged to Yongzheng were the same ones Qian exhanged with Yongzheng and wore to distract the bandits from Yongzheng. Her pity for his "wasted life", which she said Yuan Chunwang would have used to spend as a commoner who could marry and have kids, drives Yuan Chunwang, who instead was misled by a lie and thus chose to be castrated and enter the Forbidden City for revenge, into madness. Although the Qianlong Emperor desired to execute the now insane Yuan Chunwang by lingchi for his crimes, the Empress Dowager however, suddenly asks for the emperor to spare him. When the emperor protests, the Empress Dowager tells the Emperor to trust her this one time. It is implied that the Empress Dowager was lying about Yuan Chunwang's backstory to maintain peace in the family. Yuan Chunwang is banished into the hard labor department for life, never recovering his sanity.

Back when Wei Yingluo was being punished to work in the hard labor department, the then Noble Consort Xian had saved her life by ordering an Imperial Physician to attend to her after she collapsed from illness. To repay this kindness from long ago, Wei Yingluo pleads for leniency for Empress Hoifa-Nara, and she is permitted to keep her title, but loses her managerial authority in the imperial harem and all of the Emperor's affections. Hongzhou is given poisoned wine by the emperor, who orders him to go back to his palace after drinking it to make it look like he died of an illness. With Hongzhou executed for his crimes, Wei Yingluo's revenge for her sister is finally complete. Wei Yingluo is elevated to the most powerful title: 'Imperial Noble Consort" (second in rank only to the Empress) and given the authority to manage the imperial harem.

Cast

Main

• Wu Jinyan as Wei Yingluo, Noble Consort Ling (令)
  • Embroidery Maid → Maid at Changchun Palace → Maid at Labor Workhouse → Maid at Changchun Palace → Maid at Yuanming Garden → Noble Lady Wei (魏）→ Concubine Ling → Consort Ling → Noble Consort Ling → Imperial Noble Consort Ling → Empress Xiaoyichun (孝儀純皇后 - posthumous)
  • An upright, strong and cunning woman who is ahead of her time in terms of knowledge and reasoning. She enters the palace to investigate the murder of her sister. In the palace, she uses her innate skills to rise above the tangles of conventional palace rivalries for nobler causes and defeat her enemies. She also became the adoptive mother of the Fifth Prince, Yongqi.
• Charmaine Sheh as Hoifa-Nara Shushen, Consort Xian (娴)
  • Consort Xian → Noble Consort Xian → Imperial Noble Consort Xian → Empress Hoifa-Nara /The Step Empress Nara
  • The Second Empress of Emperor Qianlong, posthumous Empress Xiaoxianqing of Nara Clan, initially a kind-hearted woman who desires only peace, she soon realizes that her kindness only results in her being stepped on. After her family's demise, she becomes a cunning woman who manipulated others for her own means. She is also stripped of her titles when she lops off her hair in the Southern Tour.
• Qin Lan as Empress Fuca Rongyin
  • The First Empress of Emperor Qianlong, Empress Xiaoxianchun. Kind, gentle and virtuous. A mentor of Yingluo during her stay in Changchun Palace.Care, love and deep protect Yingluo like her own sister. Killed herself after her infant son, Yongcong, was killed by Consort Chun.
• Nie Yuan as Emperor Qianlong
  • Emperor of the Qing Dynasty — a ruthless Emperor who fell in love with a cunning woman Wei Yingluo, who became the mother of their children and posthumously known as Empress Xiaoyichun.
• Xu Kai as Lord Fuca Fuheng
  • Leader of the imperial guards, younger brother of Empress Xiaoxianchun. He is a foil for the Emperor since he is a rather free man without the hamper of pomp and circumstance. In this way, he can be truer himself in love and life, and he maximizes the privilege by being upfront and forward in his feelings, without the hesitation and unease that clouds every step taken by his more powerful superior. Ends up marrying Erqing and dies from malaria while retrieving a cure for a rare disease Yingluo contracted.
• Tan Zhuo as Gao Ningxin, Noble Consort Gao
  • Noble Consort Gao (高) → Imperial Noble Consort Huixian (慧贤) (posthumous)
  • The first mentioned Noble Consort of Emperor Qianlong in the series. Her palace strategy can be summed up as "the best defence is a strong offence." With an air of indifference, she walks and talks meaner than a viper, and for those who think lightly of her, cruelty is her specialty. However, for all that they know, she is actually a lonely child who lives by making the whole palace her stage in the hopes of catching the attention of her man. She commits suicide after Lady Xian convinces her that her beauty is ruined after an accident.

Supporting

Qianlong's Harem

• Wang Yuanke as Su Jinghao, Noble Consort Chun (纯)
  • Consort Chun → Noble Consort Chun → Second Class Female Attendant Su
  • Consort of Emperor Qianlong. Described as gentle, sophisticated, and talented by many, she is actually a supremely intelligent schemer. She initially acts as the loyal lackey and confidant of Empress Rongyin (posthumous Xiaoxianchun), going so far as to deliberately avoid the Emperor's favour. Later, it is revealed that she was in love with Lord Fuca Fuheng and that due to the machinations of her maid, she misunderstood Fuca Fuheng's actions as returning her affections but being unable to act on them. The revelation of the truth turned her into a scorned woman. Due to her humiliation, regret, and Hoifa-Nara Shushen's sly instigations, she went berserk and caused the death of Empress Xiaoxianchun's son, which therefore directly caused her death. She becomes ruthless on her quest for the Emperor's affections and power struggle to ensure her son becomes favored.
• Jenny Zhang as Niohuru Chenbi, Concubine Shun (顺)
  • gifted to Emperor Qianlong as a diplomatic gesture by a Qing vassal state. She has the face of pure innocence and the heart of a shrew.
• Lian Lian as Keliyete Ayan, Consort Yu (愉)
  • Noble Lady Yu → Concubine Yu → Consort Yu → Nun
  • gave birth to Qianlong's fifth son Yongqi. Timid and cowardly, she remains reticent about her abuse until Yingluo comes to her protection. In time, she learns to be quite a machiavellian as she sacrifices herself and takes down Yingluo's rival, Consort Chun.
• Xu Baihui as Imperial Concubine Yi (怡)
  • Friend to Noble Lady Yu. An early victim of Noble Consort Gao.
• Pan Shiqi as Imperial Concubine / Noble Lady Jia (嘉)
  • Concubine Jia → Noble Lady Jia → Second Class Female Attendant Jin
  • Concubine Jia → Consort Jia
  • A daughter of Korean minister. Underling of Noble Consort Gao and mother of 4th Prince. To survive, she does Gao's dirty work and is there to take the fall for her. Her younger sister later enters the harem with a strong distaste for Yingluo and does not get very far. Moreover, younger concubine Jia is impulsive and pretensional.
• Li Chun'ai as Nalan Chunxue, Lady Shu (舒)
  • Noble Lady Shu → Concubine Shu → Consort Shu
  • One of the harem who very early handled by Yingluo and even over the course of the series, to the point of becoming comic relief.
• Li Ruoning as Lu Wanwan, Consort Qing (庆)
  • First Class Female Attendant Qing → Noble Lady Qing → Concubine Qing → Consort Qing → Noble Consort Qing
  • Quiet but self-assured, she is a little person who can effect big changes. She becomes Wei Yingluo's most trusted ally and raises 15th Prince Yongyan.
• Liu Lu as Consort Ying (颖)
  • She seems to be a well-informed lady with good intentions and a conformist
• Wang Xinhui as Concubine Wan (婉)
  • Timid and tactfull lady, she obeys the rules.
• Fu Xiaoyu as Noble Lady Rui (瑞)

Female servants

• Su Qing as Lady Hitara Erqing
  • first maid to Empress Fuca → Fucha Clan duchess
  • Historical prototype: Lady Yehenara, wife of Fuca Fuheng
  • An opportunist who will not let morals get in the way of ambition. She marries Fuca Fuheng. She turned into a crazy villainess struggling for attention of her husband. Killed by Yingluo during the Silkworm Ceremony organized by Empress Hoifa-Nara.
• Jiang Zixin as Mingyu
  • second maid to Empress Fuca → Maid to Consort Ling
  • Outspoken but dim, she is loyal to Empress Fuca unreservedly, and later becomes Yingluo's reliable friend and co-conspirator. Is manipulated into committing suicide by Consort Shun
• Zhang Yixi (张译兮) as Jixiang
  • Yingluo's first friend in the embroidery unit. Got tricked by Linglong and met her death.
• Gao Yu'er as Jinxiu
  • Jealous of Yingluo while at the embroidery unit and is later punished to hard labor. In Hard Labor Camp, she handed her tasks to Yingluo and tried to catch the attention of Yuan Chunwang.
• Chen Ruoxi as Linglong
  • Yingluo's rival at the embroidery unit. Is sent to Ningguta because she left a needle in the Emperor's robe.
• He Jiayi as Supervisor Zhang
  • Head of the embroidery unit and Yingluo's first mentor at the palace.
• Zhang Tingting as Supervisor Liu
  • Head of the crew at the palace sanitation unit. Pawn of the consorts in the schemes against Yingluo. Had her tongue cut.
• Yin Xu as Fang Nizi
  • Second head of the embroidery unit and hates Yingluo. Framed Yingluo for having an affair with a guard and was banished. It was revealed that she had stolen Yingning's personal items.
• Fang Anna as Zhen'er
  • Maid of Empress Hoifa-Nara, and becomes her lackey and partner in crime. She is loyal to Empress Hoifa-Nara. Killed by Yuan Chunwang during the Southern Tour.
• Ren Wanjing as Fangcao
  • Maid of Consort Yu. She was unknowingly swapping poisonous shell powder with pearl powder with Ah'Shuang, maid of Concubine Jia during Noble Lady Yu's pregnancy.
• Qian Chenjie as Ah'Shuang
  • Maid of Concubine Jia. She was giving poisonous shell powder to Fangcao, a maid of Consort Yu. Collaborated with Prince Yi Hongxiao to topple Yingluo, who led to the demotion of her mistress.
• Shi Yufei as Zhilan, maid of Noble Consort Gao.
  • Arrogant and vulgar, she is ready to commit any crime for her master. She uses Chuxiu palace maids for her mistress' needs without a single word, even if it breaks the Palace law. She treats badly people junior to her and imperial concubines who tried to cross Noble Consort's plans covering by the good will of mistress. Her whereabouts were unknown after Noble Consort Gao's suicide.
• Chen Mo as Yuhu, maid of Noble Consort Chun.
  • Before Noble Consort Chun entered the palace, she had burnt her correspondence with Fuca Fuheng. By the order of her mistress, she told supervisor of Fire Bureau to change normal coal to bursting chrysanthemum coal and to freeze the water (hence playing a significant role in Empress Fuca's death). Placed silver needles in Mingyu's body after Mingyu discovered that she had an affair with someone from the Fire Bureau. She was willing to testify against Noble Consort Chun after being interrogated by Empress Hoifa-Nara.
• Deng Sha as Wei Yingning, Yingluo's deceased older sister.
  • When Yingluo was born and thrown to the river, she rescued her and brought her up. As a seamstress, she changed her name to A'Man to avoid naming taboo (as "ning" sounded similar to a character in Noble Consort Gao's personal name, Gao Ningxin). Yingning was raped by Hongzhou, Prince He of the First Rank and killed by Imperial Dowager Consort Yu, who tried to cover up the rape incident and make it look like Yingning died of suicide. Her body was cremated and Yingluo kept the ashes among her possessions during her time as a servant before she scattered them down an abandoned well upon killing Imperial Dowager Consort Yu as revenge.
• Yang Jingru as Hupo
  • Staff at Empress Fuca's Changchun Palace. Thinking that she and Yingluo are essentially on the same level even after Yingluo's promotions, she becomes cheeky and is punished to hard labor. She reveals to Yingluo that Erqing had an affair with the Qianlong Emperor and that Erqing had deliberately revealed this to the late Empress Fuca to deal a heavy emotional blow after the death of her son Yongcong (which led the Empress to kill herself).
• Zhang Tianyun as Zhenzhu
  • Staff at Empress Fuca's Changchun Palace. She later becomes Yingluo’s personal attendant and remains extremely loyal to her.
• An An as Manao
  • Staff at Empress Fuca's Changchun Palace.
• Zhao Mengjie as Feicui
  • Staff at Empress Fuca's Changchun Palace. Later, she served in Empress's Immortal Room in Forbidden City.
• Gao Rui as Bailing, maid of Imperial Consort Dowager Yu.
  • When consort dowager was alive, she advocated her interests. After the death of Imperial Consort Dowager Yu, she stayed at Shoukang Palace and later served deposed Empress Hoifa-Nara as a Momo.
• Zhang Jie as Yizhu, a palace maid of Concubine Shun
  • Brought new mirror with scissors as a wedding gift for Mingyu (thus coaxing Mingyu to commit suicide). She reservedly served Concubine Shun.

Male servants

• Liu Enshang as Li Yu
  • Head eunuch and loyal servant of Emperor Qianlong. He can read his master by his countenance and does not mind being the butt (literally) of his aggression.
• Lawrence Wong as Hailancha
  • Imperial guard and friend of Fuca Fuheng. Falls in love with Mingyu.
• Wang Maolei as Yuan Chunwang
  • Mysterious person with a wicked mind. He believes that he and Yingluo are two of a kind, and will do whatever it takes to make her see it his way, whether or not she wants to. He was implied to be a illegitimate son of the late Emperor Yongzheng.
• Li Peng as Zhang, a head eunuch of Yuanmingyuan
  • He was responsible for capturing two eunuchs trying to kill Yingluo.Seeming to embody the palace law
• Tan Xuqi as Cigiya Qingxi
  • A friend of Yingning. Drew Yingluo into the Imperial Garden and framed her for seducing him. Was punished by the emperor.
• Zheng Long as Xiao Quanzi
  • The little thief who has proven his worth to Yingluo at the end.Later became Yingluo's head eunuch.
• Sun Di as Wu Shulai
  • Eunuch supervisor of the inner courts. Rival of Yuan Chunwang.
• Chang Cheng as Desheng, junior eunuch and assistant to Li Yu.
• Yong Yi as Ye Tianshi, a talented physician.
  • He cured the emperor when he had scabies. When Mingyu arrived to Yuanmingyuan, Ye Tianshi removed newly placed needles from Mingyu's body. Was implicated in incindent of coarse medicinal herbs. Treated 5th Prince's illness during the Southern tour

Imperial Family

• Wang Huichun as Yongzheng Emperor
• Ma Chunyan as Empress Xiaojingxian
  • Chose Fuca Rongyin for Hongli, Qianlong Emperor.
• Song Chunli as Empress Dowager Chong Qing
  • Adoptive mother of Emperor Qianlong and a woman with some secrets of her own. Prizes a stable empire above all and will actively pursue a stable harem for her son. A pious buddhist.
• Fang Yangfei as Yongcheng, Prince Lü
  • Fourth son of Emperor Qianlong, from Noble Lady Jia. Surrogate son of Empress Hoifa-Nara. Later, he was sent to Imperial Clan Court.
• Chen Youwei as Yongqi, Prince Rong
  • Fifth son of Emperor Qianlong, from Consort Yu. Surrogate son of Yingluo when she becomes Consort Ling and potential candidate for the throne due to his many talents.
• Zhou Yicheng as Yongcong, Prince Zhe (哲)
  • Seventh son of Emperor Qianglong, from Empress Xiaoxianchun, he dies at a young age in raging flame. When he was born, he was highly favored and loved.
• Tang Jiatong as Yongyan, Jiaqing Emperor
  • Fifteenth son of Emperor Qianlong, from Consort Ling.
• Wang Herun as Princess Zhaohua
  • Seventh daughter of Emperor Qianlong, from Consort Ling but raised by the Dowager Empress.
• Bai Shan as Imperial Consort Dowager Yu (裕)
  • Consort of the Yongzheng Emperor and mother of Hongzhou. Willing to commit all kinds of evil to protect her son. She conceals her villainy under the face of pious Buddhist. It was revealed, that she killed Yingluo's sister. Engineered by Yingluo, she was murdered by being struck by lightning after Yingluo instigated her to smuggly swear that she will be struck by lightning as a will of Heaven if she had ever committed any unforgivable acts in her life.
• Hong Yao as Hongzhou, Prince He
  • Brother of Emperor Qianlong. Puts on an apathetic, foolhardy demeanor to conceal his ambition and lifelong disappointment of being second to Qianlong.
• Cheng Junwen as Hongxiao, Prince Yi
  • cousin of Emperor Qianlong. Collaborates with Noble Consort Gao against Yingluo and Empress Hoifa-Nara (framed her father for corruption).Was sent to the Imperial Clan Court because he added salt to the sacrificial meat.
• Gong Fangmin as Yuntao, Prince Lü
  • Qianlong Emperor's paternal uncle and Yongzheng Emperor's half-brother. Criticised Hongzhou's behavior, especially Hongzhou's fight with Necin during a court session. He was succeeded by his adoptive grandson, Yongcheng.

Historical Comparisons and Inaccuracies

Main

• In the beginning of the series, Empress Xiaoyichun entered the Forbidden City in the 2nd day of the 2nd month of the 6th year of Qianlong Emperor's reign. However, there are no records about the exact date.
• Empress Xiaoyichun was appointed Noble Lady Wei in year 1747 (3 years before Empress Xiaoxianchun's death), later promoted to Concubine Ling at the same year, then appointed as Consort Ling by then Imperial Noble Consort Nara. However in-series her appointment as Consort happened when Hoifa-Nara was Empress.
• Empress Xiaoxianchun became seriously ill and eventually died during one of the Qianlong Emperor's southern tours, instead of committing suicide via jumping from the palace watchtower as depicted in-series.
• According to official records, Empress Xiaoxianchun died two months after the death of her infant son Yongchong instead of a day later.
• Lord Fuca Fuheng died in year 1765 in-series instead of the actual year 1770.

Qianlong's Harem

• Imperial Noble Consort Shujia was never demoted as a Second-Class Female Attendant (答應) since her appointment as Noble Consort.
• Imperial Noble Consort Shujia had a twin sister as depicted in-series, however in-history Imperial Noble Consort Shujia was still as a single individual throughout her lifetime.
• Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui was never demoted as a Second-Class Female Attendant (答應) since her appointment as Noble Consort.
• Imperial Concubine Yi from the Bo clan committed suicide by hanging herself at the beginning of the series, despite her actual death at year 1757.
• Also, according to Imperial Laws, any members of the imperial harem who get demoted or commit suicide are strictly forbidden from being buried in the Imperial Tombs and being conferred posthumous titles, therefore the imperial state funeral for Empress Xiaoxianchun (suicide via jumping from the palace watchtower) and conferring of the posthumous title Imperial Noble Consort for Noble Consort Gao (suicide by hanging herself) in-series did not comply the Imperial Laws.

Imperial Family

• Qianlong's infant son, Yongcong died of smallpox instead of being burnt to death as depicted in-series.
• Empress Xiaoshengxian in-series had a daughter named Princess Hean (和安公主) who passed away long ago, however in real life her only issue was Emperor Qianlong.

Other Casts

• Ye Tianshi (1667-1747) was depicted in-series as a middle-aged man and remained survived during Empress Nara's downfall (year 1767).

Production

Many of the film props and costumes use as centerpieces exquisitely made articles from traditional Chinese crafts that are dying out with few master-level experts remaining to pass on their skills to the next generation. The acquisition of these skills requires a lifetime commitment to perfect, since they are unsurprisingly labor-intensive, demanding a sharp eye and tireless hands in order to replicate in painstaking detail the exclusive nature of their beauty.

Velvet flowers (ronghua)

The velvet flower headwear used by the main characters was designed based on historical documents or antiques housed in the Palace Museum. Each adornment is created according to the characteristics of individual palace women. Zhao Shuxian, one of the few craftsmen still making velvet flowers, created all the headwear in the show using the art of making velvet flower (ronghua). This technique dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and refers to the creation of not only floral displays, but also animal shapes made by silk on a twisted wire frame.

Jeweled hairpins (tian-tsui)

Worn by the Empress and Consorts as status symbols of opulence, these are hairpins of a particular vibrant blue hue, made from the preserved feathers of the wings and back of the kingfisher bird. The technique resembles cloisonné, and when inlaid with pearls and other gemstones, are especially eye-catching the way a peacock dazzles fanning its tail.

Soundtrack

Story of Yanxi Palace Original Soundtrack (OST)
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released	July 23, 2018
Genre	Mandopop Ballad
Language	Mandarin
Label	Dongyang Huanyu Film

The original soundtrack was released as an extended play on July 23, 2018. "Willows of the Palace" by Li Chunai was released independently from the album.

A 70-track studio album titled The Story of Yanxi Palace TV soundtrack (延禧攻略 影视剧配乐) was released July 19, 2018, containing the instrumental music of the series composed by Chen Guoliang. The music was recorded in J Productions House, and features flute player: Tan Baoshuo, Violin player: Leslie Ryang, Pipa player: Liu Tuotong, erhu player: Huang Leting, and Li Junzhu as the female voice. A total of 129 pieces were used in the show.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singers	Length
1.	"Look (看)" (Opening theme song)	Yu Zheng, Lu Hu	Lu Hu	Lu Hu	4:03
2.	"Sighs of the Palace Walls (红墙叹)" (Ending theme song)	Wang Yaoguang	Wen Kui	Hu Xia	4:30
3.	"The Sound of Snow Falling (雪落下的声音)" (Ending theme song)	Yu Zheng, Lu Hu	Lu Hu	Lu Hu	5:11
4.	"The Sound of Snow Falling (雪落下的声音)"	Yu Zheng, Lu Hu	Lu Hu	Qin Lan	5:05
5.	"Forgetting About Each Other (相忘)" (Ending theme song)	Wang Xiaoqian	Yang Chengyin	Su Qing	4:13
6.	"Willows of the Palace (宫墙柳)"	Yu Zheng	Tan Xuan	Li Chunai	4:13

In the Philippines, "Aahon" sung by JMKO was released under ABS-CBN Star Music and was the show's theme song.

Reception

The series has generated buzz online for its engaging plot of a "Cinderella" tale with Chinese characteristics. It set the single-day online viewership record in China with a total of 530 million views, and has attracted a cumulative over 13 billion views since August 2018. The drama is the most viewed Chinese language drama of 2018.

It was also the most Googled show on earth in 2018, despite Google being blocked in the mainland.

Many viewers praised the story, because unlike the amicable heroines they were used to seeing, the main character Wei Yingluo fights fire with fire and outmaneuvers her opponents. It also received praise for its well-developed cast of characters and exciting interpretation by the actors; beautiful cinematography and intricate costume design; as well as its accurate portrayal of history and Qing-dynasty settings. Owing to its success, there has been an increased number of visitors to the Palace Museum in Beijing, which is where all the main characters in the show used to live in times gone by.

Ratings

Zhejiang TV CSM52 City Network 09:30-16:00 ratings

Air date	Ratings (%)	Rank	Audience share (%)	Daily cumulative eps
September 24, 2018	0.253 (AM)/0.498 (PM)	1	—	8
September 25, 2018	0.330	7	3.787	4
September 27, 2018	0.319	6	3.853	4
September 28, 2018	0.354	5	4.316	4
September 29, 2018	0.285	7	3.780	4
October 1, 2018	0.593	—	—	8
October 2, 2018	0.615	—	—	8
October 3, 2018	0.689	1	7.317	8
October 4, 2018	0.694	1	7.474	8
October 5, 2018	0.603	1	6.202	2+ 6 (two rounds)
Second round
October 6, 2018	0.565	2	5.576	8
October 7, 2018	0.619	2	5.787	8
October 8, 2018	0.403	4	4.894	4
October 9, 2018	0.422	4	4.915	4
October 10, 2018	0.494	2	5.957	4
October 11, 2018	0.442	1	5.546	4
October 12, 2018	0.520	1	6.485	4
October 13, 2018	0.518	1	5.451	8
October 14, 2018	0.588	1	5.848	8
October 15, 2018	0.528	1	6.362	4
October 16, 2018	0.541	1	6.545	4

• Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue

Controversy

There was uproar in China after a Vietnamese website managed to acquire episodes not yet shown in China and asked visitors to the website to answer questions confirming their Vietnamese identity before the website loads. "This service is for Vietnamese people only. Please answer the following questions: To which country do the Xisha Islands (Paracel Islands) belong? Vietnam, China, Philippines or Japan?". The only correct answer to the question is Vietnam. Copies of the episodes were later removed from the platform.

Censorship

On January 25, 2019, the Beijing Daily, an official government newspaper, criticized the program for failing to promote socialist values. Four days later, on January 29, the Chinese government cancelled the program and similar programs such as Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. CNN and other media outlets quickly reported on this incident, calling it Chinese censorship. A Hong Kong professor stated that the show was censored because it became too popular and defied social norms.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2018	5th Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China	Best Television Series	Story of Yanxi Palace	Won
	24th Huading Awards	Best Actress (Ancient Drama)	Wu Jinyan	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Charmaine Sheh	Nominated
			Qin Lan	Nominated
2019	Golden Bud - The Third Network Film and Television Festival	Most Influential Web Series	Story of Yanxi Palace	Won
	Influence of Recreational Responsibilities Awards	Web Drama of the Year		Won
	Asian Academy Creative Awards	Best Telenovela/Soap Opera		Won

International broadcast

Region	Network	Dates	Notes
	TVB Jade	6 August - 6 October (Monday-Friday at 20:30) (Two episodes back to back for Saturday & Sunday) at 20:30.	Dubbed in Cantonese, 26 August and 22 September was not aired. TVB Jade aired at 20:30 on 1 October.
	Astro AOD
	HTV7 - Ho Chi Minh City Television	9 August - October 2018 (Monday-Friday at 17:00)	Dubbed in Vietnamese
	H1 - Hanoi Radio Television	22 November 2018 - 20 February 2019 at 19:50: Monday-Friday and Sunday (before 19 January 2019) Every day (19 January - 20 February 2019)	Aired on the Film for fans (Vietnamese: Phim truyện Dành cho người hâm mộ) time slot. Original language with Vietnamese voiceover. Edited to 77 episodes. Delayed on 25 November 2018 and from 4 to 7 February 2019. Episodes 49 to the end aired every day.
	VTC1	March - 13 May 2019 at 17:00	Dubbed in Vietnamese
	Hub VV Drama	20 September - (Weekdays 17:00)	Original language
	Mediacorp Channel U	8 March - 13 June (Weekdays 22:00)	Original language
	Fairchild TV 2 HD (FTV2HD)	6 August - Present (Monday-Friday) Vancouver (West) 4:30pm, 8:30pm Toronto (East) 7:30pm, 11:30pm	Dubbed in Cantonese (TVB Version)
	ABS-CBN (defunct)	27 January - 5 May 2020 (cancelled broadcast on free-to-air, due to the network's shutdown because of expired franchise)	Dubbed in Filipino
	Asianovela Channel (defunct)	1–30 June 2020 (cancelled re-run)
	Kapamilya Channel	November 2, 2020 - February 12, 2021 (complete re-run, via cable and satellite)
	Sony Entertainment Television	Coming Soon	Dubbed in Hindi
	RCTI	TBA	Dubbed in Indonesian
	M-Net	Coming Soon	Dubbed in English
	CTI America	From 3 September 2018 - (Weekdays) At 7:00 PM (PT) Repeat at next day 3:00 PM (PT)	Original language
	Eigeki	18 February 2019 (Monday-Friday at 21:00)	Original language with Japanese subtitles
	PPCTV Drama 10	10 March 2019 (Monday-Sunday) 11:30 & 19:30	Dubbed in Khmer
	8TV	16 September 2019 - 22 December 2019 (Monday-Friday at 19:00)	Original language with subtitles
	Astro Prima	TBA	Dubbed in Malay
	Polsat 1	Coming soon	Dubbed in Polish
	TVR 1	9 October 2019 - 28 January 2020 (Monday-Friday) 17:35 24 March - 13 July 2020 (Monday-Friday) 17:00	Original language with subtitles
	LNK	4 January 2020 - 30 August 2020 (Saturday-Sunday at 17:45)	Dubbed in Lithuanian
	RTP1	Coming Soon	Subtitled in Portuguese
	Asian Box (Mongolia)	5 June 2019 - 10 July 2019 (Monday-Friday at 22:00)	Dubbed in Mongolian
	TRT 1	Coming soon	Dubbed in Turkish

Sequel

On December 31, 2019, Netflix released a six-episode season, "Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures", which covers the marriage of Imperial Consort Ling's daughter, Princess Zhaohua, played by Wang Herun.

External links

• Story of Yanxi Palace at IMDb
• Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventure on Netflix (The spinoff and sequel)