Zhu Jian: Yan Jin
Chinese Title
願我如星君如月
願我如星君如月
Network: iQIYI
Mini Recaps
[Ep1] Yan Zhi Xia is a girl but was always raised as a boy. She's got men following her to make a living. Some time ago she had made a deal with Wang Eunuch but he only paid the first installment and is owing her the rest of the money. She sneaks into the palace by passing a test to be a eunuch for the rest of the money that's owed to her. The test is to have her manhood be sliced off. She doesn't have one to begin with. She manages to escape anyways. She sneaks around and is caught by the Emperor (Yan Jin) himself. She doesn't know he's the Emperor and continuously taunts him. She reads him quite accurately that he's a man who wants power but is powerless. She calls him pitiful. He really is because he's the Empress Dowager's puppet. He gives her a deal: if she can win him in a duel, he'll set her free. The two engage in a battle for a Steamed Pork Bun. It's a chopstick war that transformed into a martial arts battle. Yan Zhi Xia cheats to win. She returns the favour and locks him up in the prison that he had locked her up. These two had actually met each other previously. When Yan Zhi Xia had met Wang Eunuch, Yan Jin was there pretending to be a servant.
Yan Zhi Xia runs away and meets Princess An Le. Yan Zhi Xia pretends to be San Ji, a man who had promised the Princess to give him his urine. She turns around for Yan Zhi Xia to pee. Luckily, Yan Zhi Xia finds a pot of yellow liquid that can pass as pee. Princess An Le holds onto the bottle of her pee wonders why the urine isn't warm. Ha. Yan Zhi Xia manages to lie out of that one. The Princess promises San Ji that she will help him leave the palace. Unfortunately, that's when she's summoned by the Emperor to be selected as one of his personal eunuchs.
[Ep2] Yan Zhi Xia timidly enters the Emperor's court and inside finds Yan Jin. She's surprised to see him there and just when he's about to introduce himself as the holy Emperor, she figures out his identity: he must be the Imperial Front Guard.
She colludes with him to convince the Emperor to not choose her as his personal eunuch. Yan Jin plays along. He goes behind the curtain and puts on a play for her. He uses his voice to fool her that he's talking to the Emperor. The Emperor changes her name from San Ji to San Bao. He tells the Emperor how ugly and fat "he" is so that the Emperor wouldn't choose San Bao as his personal eunuch. Yan Zhi Xia is grateful for that.
Later that night, the bandit in her soul is itching so she sneaks around the palace to steal some money. She accidentally sees Hai Eunuch kill Wang Eunuch with a cup of poisonous wine. She quickly runs away and packs her bags to leave but that's when she receives news that she's the selected one to serve the Emperor. Before visiting the Emperor, Yan Zhi Xia is summoned by the Empress Dowager (and Hai Eunuch). Empress Dowager threatens and bribes Yan Zhi Xia to be her mole. Yan Zhi Xia hesitates but once she sees the money, her eyes glitter. She accepts the money and the job. Despite that, she wants to leave the palace ASAP; it's just way too dangerous here.
Yan Jin is waiting for her and tells her the Emperor had wanted him to test her battle skills. She's fed up that she lost within ten seconds. He kneels down to nudge her if she's okay because she looked awfully down after losing. He wants to check if she's okay and reaches towards her chest. She quickly snaps out of it and bites down hard on his hand. Zhi Yan holds grudges. When he finds the chance he bites her hand back with enough force that sends her screams echoing the entire palace.
Yan Zhi Xia finally finds out he's the Emperor when other guards bow to him. Immediately after his identity is exposed, he vaingloriously flicks his clothes like a prideful Emperor that is he. That smugness; that flick; that music; those haughty eyes. I love this. She cowers to her knees immediately.
As a eunuch, Yan Zhi Xia helps him change. He's disappointed his fun was cut short now that she knows he's the Emperor. When she's physically close to him, he notices a piercing in her earlobe. He touches her and she flinches at his touch. Does he know?
[Ep3] Yan Jin has a master (Yan Jin Zhi Shi) who taught him martial arts. It's kept a secret from Empress Dowager. When Yan Zhi Xia was informing Empress Dowager about Yan Jin she automatically keeps it a secret. Gong General is also secretly tapping into the Emperor's information using a eunuch to befriend Yan Zhi Xia. Yan Zhi Xia, although is in love with money, she's a loyal one and barely lets valuable information out. Not that she knows much anyways.
When Yan Jin discovers she's receiving money from Hai Eunuch, he engages her in a battle. He smacks her with a stick and condemns her with harsh words. She's angry and fights back but he stops her by holding her chest. Shocked, she pushes him away and falls on top of him. They're uncomfortably close. His focus soon zooms in to her lips.
Yan Jin complains to Empress Dowager about being bullied. Hai Eunuch stuffs money in her hand and she's all happy again. Her mood plummets the next second when she finds out Yan Jin named a turtle after her (San Bao). It quickly rebounds when she receives money again from Hai Eunuch after trading in invaluable information about the Emperor (he's named a turtle after her).
[Ep4] Despite being suspicious of her, the Emperor chooses to believe Yan Zhi Xia when she helps him find an excuse to refuse the Empress Dowager's summoning. Yan Zhi Xia has also made her choice of being loyal to the Emperor obvious to Empress Dowager. The two go kite flying to make it look like he's playful and irresponsible. When she's close to him he starts wondering about her gender because of rumours he heard. She suddenly turns her head and finds his face inches from hers. She screams and falls. Yan Jin had a chance to save her but he just watches her fall, ha.
Later at night, she's bathing in Yan Jin's pool. Yan Jin is also entering the bath so Yan Zhi Xia quickly blows out the candle. Yan Jin hollers. He's afraid of the dark. That's also when he finds out his trusty eunuch was a girl all along. He keeps it a secret for her and orders her to continue to be his eunuch.
Lin Yan Qing begs Yan Jin to save his grandfather from being sabotaged by Gong General. He offers his help to him so that he's no longer a puppet. Their conversation is cut short with Yan Zhi Xia runs in. And thus Lin Yan Qing finally finds his fiancée who's currently a eunuch. He likes her but she doesn't like him.
[Ep5] Yan Jin is doing quite a bit of saving here and there this episode. When Lin Yan Qing breaks into jail to save his grandfather, Yan Jin's master stops him to protect him because Yan Jin has grander plans. Yan Zhi Xia is also caught by Hai Eunuch and suffers whips from him because she won't betray the Emperor. She almost faints and that's when the Emperor's Imperial Guards show up to save her. Cool rock music plays and that signals our Emperor's grand entrance. He scoops up Yan Zhi Xia who pretended to faint (ha) and brings her to a dorm he had revamped just for her. Yan Zhi Xia becomes wary of her livelihood in the palace from now on and Yan Jin isn't doing much to comfort her because he enjoys scaring her. She comforts herself instead and Yan Jin holds her cheeks in his hands to compliment her. He likes it that she's brave and willing to stay next to him despite the danger it entails. It takes him a while to realize he's holding a girl's cheeks. He blushes and that doesn't go unnoticed by Yan Jin. She asks him about it. He replies by pinching her cheeks. In other words he didn't reply.
Yan Jin keeps losing in chess to Yan Zhi Xia. As punishment he keeps getting flicked in the forehead. He then cheats. Yan Zhi Xia walks off but he grabs her back and she ends up on his laps. It gets awkward. He flicks her to distract the awkwardness. Her reflex is to flick him back but he whips out cash right before her eyes and she immediately changes her attitude and lets him flick her forehead all he wants.
Gong Zhi Yue (Gong General's daughter) has a crush on the Emperor and is making a move on him. Yan Zhi Xia isn't happy about it and stops it in the name of protecting Yan Jin's reputation. It's not because of jealousy at all.
[Ep6] Yan Zhi Xia dresses up as a girl under Yan Jin's orders (he's trying to get the hang of what girls like to get on Gong Zhi Yue's good side so as to not raise the Empress Dowager's suspicions). Yan Zhi Xia adds a moustache to hide the fact that she's a girl. Yan Jin walks up to her and rips off her moustache. He twirls her into his arm and takes off her hat to let her hair flow down. Later he tells her that she doesn't look half bad in girl clothes. She tells him, of course.
When Yan Jin tells Yan Zhi Xia his plans she compliments his wits. Yan Jin casually asks her what her thoughts of him were. She starts listing it all out: narcissistic, arrogant, shameless, etc When she realizes what she's saying, she quickly apologizes. Emotionlessly, he leans into her and tells her, "Too late." I love their conversations.
Yan Zhi Xia is alone in her room and dressed up in female clothes. She's jealous from today's meeting between Yan Jin and Gong Zhi Yue. Yan Jin shows up in her room and is mesmerized once again by her appearance. However, his imperial guards show up to visit her as well and they quickly hide in the closet. Yan Jin is afraid of the dark and is visibly shaking. She takes out a light for him. He asks her to tell him a story. She starts, "Once upon a time there was a eunuch..." He waits but there's no more. He sighs and asks for another one. She starts, "Once upon a time there was a eunuch and... that's it." He's exasperated.
The next night Yan Zhi Xia is catching fireflies for Yan Jin. She made a lantern of them. She walks into his room ready to give him the lantern but finds him dressed rather skimpy. She immediately covers her eyes while he's grumpy that he's exposed to her. She blows out the candle to show him the lantern. However, the lantern light makes a scary shadow on her face. It makes him jump and he accidentally knocks over her lantern. The fireflies escape and lights up the room. The two of them sit there gazing at the beautiful scene. She wants to know why he's afraid of the dark but he distracts her by questioning her whether she has a perversion to his bare body. She curtly cuts his hopes off and denies any interest of any sort. He, as the Emperor, gives her the permission to have a tad bit of interest in his body. She adamantly refuses. There's an awkward silence and she decides to tell him a story. It's his turn to refuse, he's had enough of her stories. He complains that it's still dark even with the fireflies so he inches closer and closer to her until their shoulders touch. She's flustered and he tells her it's much better now. She smiles.
[Ep7] The Princess captures Yan Zhi Xia so that she can play with her. The Princess still doesn't know she's a girl. Yan Zhi Xia cooperates because she sees the gold pass on her that will allow anyone to enter or exit the palace. She wants to exit. Yan Zhi Xia makes her drunk to steal it. She herself is pretty drunk as she returns to her dorm. She finds Yan Jin in her room but he's poisoned with a Viagra type of medicine. The two of them become intimate as she's leaning into her body to touch his Adam's apple and hear his heartbeat. They start making out. In the midst of it all, she drunkenly says she will take responsibility of him. Yan Jin slaps himself with cold water to wake himself up. He returns to put her to bed and finds the gold pass on her. She's still drunk and tells him she's worried about being in the palace and harming her mother if her female identity is exposed.He's going to let her go :[. She wakes up in the morning and thinks everything was a dream. She unblushingly smiles at that dream.
The Princess drops by in the morning to visit the Emperor. She's here for one thing and the Emperor tells her to just take it. So take it she does. The Princess grabs Yan Zhi Xia's hand but that's the only thing Yan Jin won't give up. In the midst of fighting for her, the Princess is reminded that she "poisoned" her brother with the Viagra type of medicine. She wants him to be like a normal man, I guess.
Somehow Yan Jin is asking Yan Zhi Xia about love.
Yan Zhi Xia: Love is when two people are together and can bicker but when they're apart they miss each other. With one look they can understand what the other wants. When they're together doing silly things they're still happy. It is accepting each other and caring for each other. It is having conversations that never end. There's happiness, there's headaches, there's arguments and all will become beautiful memories. Their eyes will also have... - she stares in his eyes and he into hers - uh...love is just love! She's just described the two of them.
He asks her what decision she will make in face of love. She's not like him confined to the palace. Yan Zhi Xia tells him, "If I find the one I love, I will only love him forever. I just want a peaceful and simple love." He's pensively absorbing what she's saying. From his clothes, a gold pass drops. Yan Zhi Xia recognizes it and also realizes that night they made out wasn't a dream. She ducks under the desk in embarrassment while he's playing it cool. Without looking at her, he casually asks her if she's willing to stay next to him. She's like, of course, not understanding the depth of his question. He's happy enough to hear that and sends her out of the palace on a fake mission. He doesn't want to put her life in danger next to his.
Yan Zhi Xia leaves the palace according to his wishes. She knew all along that Yan Jin had sent her out on purpose. I was surprised she knew. Our drama heroines are getting smarter these days.
[Ep8] Yan Zhi Xia and Yan Jin are physically separated but their hearts haven't left each other at all. Everything reminds both of them of each other.
Yan Zhi Xia tells the two Imperial Guards she won't return to the palace even if the Emperor is heartsick. The next minute, she's kidnapped by the Hai Eunuch back to the palace. However, when he opens the box where she's supposed to be, she's not. She's our brilliant Yan Zhi Xia after all. She sneaked out of his grasps and arrived right in front of Yan Jin. They hug. Not. She kicks him first for using her. He doesn't care about being kicked, he's just happy to see her and gives her a back hug. With a few hints from him, she understood all his genius plans to scheme the Empress Dowager and Gong General.
Later that night, Yan Zhi Xia is back in her eunuch outfit. He takes her to his favourite place: the palace roof. He also gives her a present: a wooden doll he carved himself. He asks her why she's back. She distracts him with another topic. Knowingly, he teases her that she should leave the court tomorrow. She whimpers. Ha. It's him who changes the topic now and tells her he's promoting her to a higher rank that way Hai Eunuch can't bully her. And so she's staying. Yan Zhi Xia is so excited she hugs him without realizing it. A hug from him and a hug from her this episode (:
[Ep9] Yan Jin likes Yan Zhi Xia more. Yan Jin couldn't eat without Yan Zhi Xia but she could. He wants her to care about him but she's got better stuff to do. He is forced to marry Gong Zhi Yue and complains to her but she's lax about it. He continues to ask her what if she was the girl he liked but he has to marry another girl. She tells him he's the Emperor, he can't just marry one girl. But that is what he wants. He asks her what does it matter when the one girl he loves can just give birth eight to ten kids. No. Big. Deal. Yan Zhi Xia blushes and turns around. Yan Jin thinks she's clueless and was about to confess but Lin Yan Qing makes him faint over to take Yan Zhi Xia out of the palace. She refuses to leave with him so he takes her by force.
Gong Zhi Yue is definitely a General's daughter, she's quite the warrior herself and captures Lan Yan Qing for trespassing palace grounds. Jin Yan arrives with cool music again. He's probably chasing down Zhi Xia as well (he was smacked back to consciousness by the Princess, lol) that's when Zhi Xia pops out from Lin Yan Qing's carriage. Yan Jin can't save Lin Yan Qing anymore as he angrily takes back his girl. He also learns of her engagement with Lin Yan Qing. He's angry with her but when he sees her injured hand his worry for her overrides any other emotion. Except when she tries to talk to him he shuts her up reminding her he's still angry while anxiously blowing her injury. So angry. She assures him that she doesn't like her fiance. However, what makes him continuously frustrated with her is her oblivion to his love for her. Is she actually oblivious though? I'm having a hard time understanding why she would be so oblivious.
[Ep10] Yan Jin has ordered his imperial guards to release non-stop fireworks. It’s an event he had planned to make Zhi Xia happy. She excitedly grabs his hands. The whole time she’s staring at the sky, he’s staring at her. He wants to confess but each time his stomach grumbles. Instead of confessing, the two enjoy a round of drinking. He’s drunk and tells her he’s lonely. She doesn't understand how the mighty Emperor could be lonely and he clarifies it's his heart that's lonely. Thus she decides to stay with him forever in her slurred words. These two are currently super drunk. He asks her if she's staying because she likes him just a tiny bit. She nods and admits she likes him just a bit. The two drunks sleep together in his bed.
[Ep11] Zhi Xia is shocked when she found out she grew an extra leg. It's Yan Jin's. She screams when she realizes they've slept on the same bed. She soon learns he's very sick. This guy gets very sick after drinking and he drank for her. She's feeding him medicine but it's her who's drinking it all up. Despite being sick, he's complaining about her ignorance to his feelings.
I like the scene when San Bao Eunuch (Zhi Xia) meets Hai Eunuch. It's like they're cowboys who met in the desert. Although she lost to him, the way she taunts him is a win in my book. Zhi Xia is jailed up for making the Emperor sick. Rock music fills our eardrums when Yan Jin makes his appearance in the prison to princess carry her out. He purposely tells her to hold onto him just to make Lin Yan Qing jealous (he's still imprisoned). He's carrying her out but Gong Zhi Yue is making her way to visit Lin Yan Qing. Yan Zhi quickly hides with Zhi Xia still in his arms. Gong Zhi Yue wants to make an alliance with Lin Yan Qing and informs him that Yan Jin is in love with Zhi Xia. Yan Jin is so upset to have his very first confession be ruined like that. It's in a jail cell, with his love in his arms, and his love being confessed by Gong Zhi Yue. LOL. Yan Jin and Zhi Xia stare into each other's eyes. Perhaps Zhi Xia is allergic to romance because her immediate reaction is to pretend to faint again.
When Yan Jin was trying to tend to her butt from the flocking she endured, Princess An Le swings open the door. It scares them both and somehow Yan Jin is practically on top of Zhi Xia in bed. Fun misunderstandings are to ensue.
[Ep12] Princess An Le has fallen in love at first sight with Yan Qing. She's determined to make him her "Fu Ma" (Princess's husband). I burst out laughing at Princess An Le falling in love with Lin Yan Qing. The music and the sound effect are once again used brilliantly. The drama used that viral filter of a man holding your hand and turning back to look at you on Yan Qing. LOL
Yan Jin makes Zhi Xia angry because he sided with Gong Zhi Yue. She locks him out of her room. However, he walks around the set to appear right in her room. LOL. It's a very traditional scene where the male and female lead are separated by a wall. I laughed that the drama actually thought of doing this. Ha. He tries to apologize but it doesn't work. Thus he decides that he might as well send her out of the palace. Zhi Xia quickly recedes her stance and takes her anger out on the mannequin instead.
I'm still laughing that Yan Zhi never gets to know the stimulation pill he took from Princess An Le was supposed to be made for Zhi Xia's urine. Lucky for him she wasn't a man, otherwise she really would have peed.
Rumours of the Emperor and San Bao travel far and wide. The entire palace knows the Emperor likes a eunuch. Yan Jin doesn't want to stop the rumours because he plans to use the rumours to confess. He lists out all her bad traits. She's offended but those are the reasons he can't let her leave. Who else can take care of her when she's this bad? He asks her if she likes him. Before she can answer the Emperor already knows how perfect of a man he is, there's no way she wouldn't like him. She smiles but treats his confession like a joke. She doesn't want to like him because he can't give her the simple love she wants. He emphasizes he's sincere about her. She's not looking at him. Behind her smile, she's holding back tears.
Yan Jin takes Zhi Xia to the city for the lantern festival. She's dressed up in normal cltohes and he calls her "odd". She's looking at herself in the mirror not knowing what's odd. He then finishes his stance, "You're oddly cute." This is a viral pick up line in China.
[Ep14] Zhi Xia writes her wish on a lantern. Yan Jin calls her stupid. He reminds her that he is the Emperor, she might as well tell her wishes to him. She pouts at him for ruining her mood. Thus he corrects himself for her sake that since he is the Emperor, the gods will have to look at their wishes first. She's happy again. Her wish is for him to be safe and healthy. He's looking at her and his wish is for her wish to be granted.
Yan Jin isn't simply out to celebrate the lantern festival. He's investigating something and it's at the brothel house Zhi Xia's mother owns. Thus he meets Zhi Xia's mother. The three have dinner and Zhi Xia is so used to picking food for him, she forgot they were no longer in the palace. It's so cute how Yan Jin is excitedly thumping the table waiting for food to be brought to his bowl. I also find it a bit odd because most of the time I only see her eating in the palace while Yan Jin just watches her eat. I’ve never seen her done anything servant-ly except bow over.
Zhi Xia didn't know about the mission. She's upset and he tells her that the mission was only secondary to bringing her out on a date, heh. He takes her onto a boat and confesses again. He promises he'll give her the love she yearns for. He's never loved someone so much before. She's still rejecting him. Although he's sad, he's not giving up. Time will prove it to her that he loves her. When he's still sulking, instinctively, she holds onto his hands. He's shocked and exclaims to the sky that Zhi Xia likes him back. He's so loud that the last of the imperial guards finally learn of Zhi Xia's female identity. It's probably because he's way too loud that Hai Eunuch also learns of her female identity and kidnaps her.
Yan Jin finds them but there's am ambush from Gong General. Hai Eunuch seems to be protecting Yan Jin from Gong General. When he's killed all the enemy, Hai Eunuch comes back to kill Zhi Xia because she's a threat to Yan Jin. Hmmm. So Hai Eunuch is a good guy? After they're safe, Yan Jin is holding onto Zhi Xia comforting her that he won't let anyone hurt her again. They talk about his past and how it was Empress Dowager (and Hai Eunuch) who killed his mother and that is why he's afraid of the dark. Yan jin also tells her his dreams of becoming a great Emperor. He sure has a lot on his plate.
[Ep16] The timely interruption wasn't coincidental. The Emperor had anticipated it. With Ye Lu Ming's appearance, his consort business is set aside because politics come first. Simultaneously, there is proof that Lin Yang Qing is innocent. With Ye Lu Ming and Lin Yan Qing at his side, Yan Jin is securing his army.
Second couple: Princess An Le is rejected by Lin Yan Qing. She also learns that San Bao is Yan Qing's fiancé and is a girl. She's about to report it to Yan Jin but he already knows. Seeing how lovely they are, Princess An Le feels assured her Prince Charming has no hope with Zhi Xia. Her anger immediately ceases.
Third couple: Ye Lu Ming has fallen in love with Gong Zhi Yue. Seems like he's liked her from before. Empress Dowager and Gong General agree to let her be married off to Ye Lu Ming.
[Ep18] Zhi Xia realizes she's forbidden from entering the palace. Despite that, she's already promised her love for Yan Jin. She will not love another. Thus, she finds a way to sneak back into the palace. She plans to get a free ride to the palace by escorting Ye Lu Ming but he's ambushed by someone from the palace and that thwarts all her plans.
[Ep19] Yan Jin can't stand not seeing her anymore so he ventures out of the palace to see her one last time. She stares at him, emotionless. An emotionless smile appears. The next scene she's rambling on about her married life with Yan Qing. But he knows she's not married. He calls her stupid. She's angry hearing that and questions him why he even bothered looking for her when she's this stupid. 'Cause he wants to be stupid with her. He thought he was able to control himself to only see her one last time but he can't. He grabs her in for a back hug. Their reunion is interrupted. The Empress Dowager has a search warrant for Zhi Xia for bewitching the Emperor.
Zhi Xia's mother learns of Yan Jin's identity. She's against the relationship because she doesn't want her daughter to become like her. A marriage between two different classes will never lead to happiness. The mom is a perfect example of this: she's a prostitute and her husbands is noble and now they're divorced. Her daughter's even worse; she wants to marry the Emperor.
Third Couple: Lin Yan Qing and Princess An Le are drunk. The episode ends with them about to kiss.
[Ep20] This episode starts with Lin Yan Qing waking up from bed in his pajamas and Princess An Le staring shyly at him. Before she leaves, she had placed money under his pillow. Lol. The whole day, Princess An Le is dropping by here and there to give him money. Lin Yan Qing is clueless to her intentions. She actually left a loving message on each bill.
Zhi Xia's mom is determined to separate her daughter with the Emperor. She sends her ladies to seduce him. Mom's plan backfires when Yan Jin seduces the ladies with his money. Zhi Xia is teaching him the ways to win her mom over but it's amazing how he can butcher everything. However, mom recognizes his efforts. She accepts him. Zhi Xia is so happy she jumps into Yan Jin's arms. He's confused. Zhi Xia orders him to spin her. Spin her he does. That night they somehow find a boat. They kiss and love is made. Or not? It's suggestive of it but I think nothing happened.
Mom reveals she has seen Yan Jin's mother's pouch before. With her hint, Yan Jin goes to find his mother. Meanwhile back in the palace, Gong General has rebelled and taken over the palace. The imperial jade is with him too.
[Ep22] Yan Jin is surrounded by two women he loves: Zhi Xia and his mother. However, Gong Zhi Yue pays a visit to Yan Jin and interrupts his heaven. She's here to convince him to return to the palace to take back his reign. Yan Jin has another mission for her though. He wants her to find Ye Lu Ming. Gong General's men also find their way to Yan Jin. His mother protects him and dies. With her last breath (and it's a long one), she tells him she thinks he's the right man to rule the country and she tells Zhi Xia she would like a few grandchildren.
Zhi Xia's hairpin from Yan Jin's mother is the "Bing Fu", the key to operate the imperial army. Yan Jin has decided to re-enter the palace. Zhi Xia overhears his decision. She's sad and worried for him. That night she gives him a back hug and tells him, "I love you", words that she owes him. After those words are said, she’s waiting for him on the bed. In the next scene we skip to him being unconscious. He’s being escorted to safety by his master. Zhi Xia is planning to take the dangerous mission for him. The country can live without her but not without its Emperor. She's planning to take on Gong General with the imperial army for him.
[Ep23] Yan Jin won't let his true love sacrifice for him. He turns himself in to Gong General to save Zhi Xia. The imperial guard makes a heroic sacrifice to protect her. Zhi Xia's father also dies to protect her (and her mother). The last death in this episode is the Emperor himself. He drank the poisonous wine poured by Lin Yan Qing. Side note: apparently Princess An Le is pregnant.
[Ep24] Zhi Xia is broken all over, mostly her heart. However, Yan Jin isn't dead. Him and Lin Yan Qing had planned everything before it all began. On cue with his signature OST, Yan Jin majestically and confidently strides in to take down Gong General who was just about to take the throne not knowing that it would be the day of his death.
Zhi Xia finally sees Yan Jin. She cries. He apologizes for not telling her his plans. She's crying angry and happy tears complaining about his useless apology. She stomps her feet and whines, "Hug me!" Aw xD.
In the last scene we see each of the three couples on a horse. Princess An Le and Lin Yan Qing are married. Gong Zhi Yue and Ye Lu Ming are the combat couple. Exactly how Yan Jin and Zhi Xia are in wedding clothes isn't explained.
It's a happily every after.
Remarks
[First Impression (Ep1-8)] This is a comedic romance. The dialogues are so fun especially the ones between Yan Jin and Yan Zhi Xia. I love the sound and special effects in this drama. They make the drama so much more exciting and it enhances the comedy. The rock music that accompanies Yan Jin every time he does something cool makes me love the guy even more. The story is a typical one: a girl dresses up like a guy and somehow meets the man she loves. This man happens to be the Emperor. The girl is clever and the man is intuitive. It's a basic story that's executed well.
[Actors/Actresses] This is Ma Meng Wei's first leading role. I've seen her in various supporting roles (Love The Way You Are and Fairyland Lovers) and she's always left a memorable impression on me so I'm glad she gets her time to shine. I quite love her here; she's bright and clever. First time seeing Zhu Jian. I'm pleasantly surprised by him. He doesn't have those striking features but his acting carries him, especially that haughty look he summons whenever he needs to look cool.
[OST] Yan Jin's signature rock and rap OST is TNK's 君臨 (The King Has Arrived). When something emotional happens: 心不自禁 (Can't Help My Heart) by 周品. Ma Meng Wei also sang her version of this. When something happy and sweet happens: 最美的心動 (The Most Beautiful Heart Moving Moment) by 周子琰.
[Ending] This was a bit rushed. Ye Lu Ming had a much smaller role than I had anticipated. The last three episodes had quite a few deaths of significant people (three) but the ending didn’t feel dark at all. Maybe it was because it was rushed and there wasn’t anytime to feel emotionally overwhelmed. It technically wasn’t that type of drama anyways. I would have liked to know how Yan Jin got rid of her Eunuch identity to marry Yan Qin. By the way, is Zhi Xia going to give birth to a football team to make up for the consorts that Yan Jin can't marry?
[Review] My first impression summarizes the way I feel about this drama even after the ending. I love the way this drama was edited. Yan Jin’s signature OST never gets old and I think a lot of it is because it's not overly overused. It’s my first time hearing rock music in a historical drama and to my surprise they match in this drama universe. It wouldn’t work anywhere else. It’s not just the rock music that is contradicting. There’s a stark contrast between the visual tone versus the story tone. The drama has muted colours but the story is colourful and bright. Perhaps that's why I love the beginning; it was just so unexpected. The only glaring flaw is the overly simplified story. I don't think the drama producers cared at all about it’s simplicity. Their sole focus was to make Yan Jin look cool, decorate the lighthearted romance with dramatic poses (see screenshots above), and insert modern trinkets here and there (from Lin Yan Qing’s boyfriend filter to Yan Jin's popular pick up lines). It’s not new to modernize historical romcoms but the editing crew knows how to insert them to make me laugh. Despite the story not being the strongest, the editing, the dialogues and the acting made this worthwhile.
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