The Story of Ming Lan | Micro Recaps

A pair, so evenly matched, charge forward through thistles and thorns whether it’s back-court harem or front-court politics. 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Zhao Li Ying: Sheng Ming Lan 

Feng Shao Feng: Gu Ting Ye / Zhong Huai

Director: 

Zhang Kai Zhou

Scriptwriter: 

Zeng Lu, Wu Tong

Chinese Title
知否知否應是綠肥紅瘦

Genres: Period, Romance, Palace, Family, History, Period Romance

Network: iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku

Year: 2018
Episodes: 73

[Recaps]

In this post: 

Micro Recaps

Characters (family relations) 

Chinese Translations 

Micro Recaps and Chinese Translations will be updated as I complete the recaps ^^ 

Micro Recaps

*Gu Ting Ye- and Ming Lan-centric*

[Childhood]

Ming Lan and Gu Ting Ye are alone in this world

[Ep1] Ming Lan beats Gu Ting Ye in a game of arrow toss (or did she?) 🏹

[Ep2] Gu Ting Ye is almost murdered by his maternal family. 

[Ep3] Ming Lan’s (“little”) mother dies. 😭

Gu Ting Ye is the only one who helped Ming Lan. 

[Ep4] Ming Lan to be raised by Grandma Sheng. 

Gu Ting Ye receives the knee pad from Ming Lan. 

[Early Adolescence: Young and Naive]

Ming Lan retrains herself to be the average and obedient girl; Gu Ting Ye is framed to be the loud and hedonistic boy. No one knows what they’re truly like. 

[Ep5] Ming Lan has an admirer: Qi Heng.

Gu Ting Ye has a lover: Zhu Man Niang.

[Ep6] Ming Lan + Ru Lan are sabotaged by Mo Lan. 

Gu Ting Ye is sabotaged by Madam Qin. 
[Ep7] Ming Lan + Ru Lan are punished by their father. 

Gu Ting Ye is punished by his father.

[Ep8] Gu Ting Ye learns of how his mother died. 

[Ep9] Ming Lan learns of the suspicious events leading to her mother’s death.

[Ep10] Ming Lan is in awe because of the formidable Nanny Kong. 👏

[Ep11] Ming Lan impresses with her brilliant speech in class. 

[The Hardships of Growing Up]

[Ep12] Gu Ting Ye fails to pass the imperial exam (not because of his marks).

[Ep13] Father Sheng is confined in the palace. 
[Ep14] Madam Wang accuses Concubine Lin of adultery. 

[Ep15] Ming Lan is in charge of managing Sheng Manor. 🔫💣

[Ep16] Ming Lan wins the polo match against Gu Ting Ye. 🏇🏻

[Ep17] Ming Lan receives a proposal promise from Qi Heng

[Ep18] Gu Ting Ye threatens to propose to Ming Lan. 😈

[Ep19] Gu Ting Ye’s father dies. 😭🎭

[Ep20] Gu Ting Ye sees through Zhu Man Niang’s facade. 🎭

(Ming Lan makes fish porridge for a sick Gu Ting Ye.)

[Ep21] Ming Lan craftily cleans up her courtyard. 

Gu Ting Ye saves the future Emperor. 

[The Budding of True Love]

Intertwined by fate 

[Ep22] Ming Lan is rejected by Qi Heng’s mother. Grandma Sheng takes her on a trip for her heartbreak, but then she's attacked by pirates!🏴‍☠️

[Ep23] Gu Ting Ye falls in love with Ming Lan 😍 

Although Gu Ting Ye saved her, her words saved his life too.

[Ep24] Gu Ting Ye strategizes for the army. 

Ming Lan strategizes for her cousin’s divorce.  

[Ep25] Gu Ting Ye saves Ming Lan from (multiple) bandits! 🏹

[Ep26] Ming Lan learns who murdered her mother and her unborn brother. 

(Ming Lan also learns Qi Heng is fasting for her, but she doesn't know everything Gu Ting Ye has done for her)

[Ep27] Qi Heng is forced to marry Prince of Yong’s daughter. 

[Ep28] Gu Ting Ye mends Ming Lan’s broken heart ❤️‍🩹

[Revenge: Concubine Lin]

[Ep29] Ming Lan begins her plan and lures Mo Lan with Liang Han. 
[Ep30] Mo Lan falls into Ming Lan's trap (and injures Ming Lan). 

[Ep31] Concubine Lin teaches Mo Lan 生米煮成熟飯 🍚.

Ming Lan speeds up the cooking process. 

[Ep32] Mo Lan schemes for her marriage, risking the entire family's honour. 

[Ep33] Ming Lan avenges her mother. 

[The Great Battles for Peace and Love]

[Ep34] Gu Ting Ye escorts the future Emperor to the palace.

[Ep35] Gu Ting Ye saves Ming Lan! 🏹❤️

A new Emperor is installed. 

[Ep36] Gu Ting Ye leaves for a battle, but his biggest battle is in the capital. ⚔️

Ming Lan almost accepts He Hong Wen but a cousin helicopters down from nowhere. 
[Ep37] Gu Ting Ye wants to marry Ru Lan! 😱

Ming Lan agrees to marry He Hong Wen.

[Ep38] Gu Ting Ye’s is a spider devil, weaving his ginormous web. 🕸
[Ep39] Gu Ting Ye proposes to Ming Lan (sincerely!). 🏇🏇

[Ep40] Gu Ting Ye marries Ming Lan, fulfilling everything he proposed to her in one night. 🍸🧧🥡❤️

In Chang Bai’s eyes, Gu Ting Ye is a ‘cunning ghost’ (clever and mischievous). In Ming Lan’s eyes, Gu Ting Ye is a Spider Devil.  

[Newlywed Life]

[Ep41] On the first day of marriage, Ming Lan kneels to attack Madam Qin. 

[Ep42] On the first day of moving to a new manor, Ming Lan disciplines the servants (and an aunt). 👏
[Ep43] On a rainy day, Gu Ting Ye is angry with Ming Lan. ☂️
[Ep44] On a happy day (when the sly servants are gone), Gu Ting Ye is stressed that Ming Lan doesn’t trust him. 🐖

[The Beginnings of Royal Problems]

[Ep45] Ming Lan and Gu Ting Ye clean up their farmstead. 

Empress Dowager finds Gu Ting Ye an eyesore. 
[Ep46] Ming Lan cleverly dodges a concubine-bomb from the Empress Dowager. 
[Ep47] Gu Ting Ye refuses to help his “family”.

[Ep48] Gu Ting Yu entrusts his family and all of Gu inheritance to Gu Ting Ye. 
[Ep49] Gu Ting Ye pressures the Emperor for a favour. 

Gu Ting Ye asks Ming Lan to call him 二郎 (er lang). 

Zhu Man Niang is back. 

[Concubine/Wife Problems]

Gu Family: Zhu Man Niang and Feng Xian

Shen Family: Concubine Zou

[Ep50] The calm Ming Lan protects the rash Gu Ting Ye. 
[Ep51] Chang-ge is found; Gu Ting Ye loses his composure. 

Mo Lan wants to bring Concubine Lin’s tablet back to the monastery; Ming Lan loses her composure. 

[Ep52] The calm Gu Ting Ye protects the rash Ming Lan. 

Ming Lan accepts a concubine (and she’s not jealous!)

[Ep53] Ming Lan doesn’t understand 😂

Ming Lan meets with Qi Heng (and she also doesn’t understand 🤣)
[Ep54] Ming Lan and Gu Ting Ye are cupids for Shen Cong Xing and Madam Zhang (but not for themselves) 
[Ep55] Chang Bai, the cupid! 💘

Gu Ting Ye and Ming Lan making up over pig trotters 🐖❤️

(Is this the night Tuan-ge was conceived? 🙈)

[Royal (Family) Problems]

Empress Dowager

Empress Shen & Shen Cong Xin & Madam Zhang 

[Ep56] Ming Lan is in tears because Gu Ting Ye is flogged by the Empress Dowager.

[Ep57] Gu Ting Ye loves that Ming Lan is not 賢慧 (xianhui).

There are scandals left and right for the Yuzhou boys. 

[Ep58] Gu Ting Ye learns Ming Lan is pregnant before he leaves the city 🤰 

Nanny Kang blasts Aunt Kang 🖕(Pei!) 

[Ep59] Grandma Sheng saves Ming Lan! 👵

[Ep60] Ming Lan is not 7; she will protect Madam Zhang and her unborn child. 🗡

[Ep61] Ming Lan is the Empress’s tactician

[Justice for Grandma! & Love of Ming Lan!]

[Ep62] Ming Lan imprisons Aunt Kang for poisoning Grandma Sheng. 
[Ep63] Ming Lan can put everything at stake for her grandmother. 
[Ep64] Gu Ting Ye’s got Ming Lan’s back! (With his 橫 ways)

Ming Lan is in love with Gu Ting Ye 😍

[Ep65] Ming Lan learns of jealousy!

Ming Lan drops her pretences with her father. 

[Ep66] Mo Lan helps Aunt Kang escape.

Ming Lan is in preterm labour! 

[Ep67] Gu Ting Ye returns to save Ming Lan and their baby boy 👶🏻

[Ep68] Ming Lan is jealous!!! 🥰

[The Last Battle for Peace and Love]

[Ep69] The fist to punch out Gu Ting Ye has gathered. 👊

[Ep70] Gu Ting Ye is imprisoned and wants to divorce Ming Lan. 😱
[Ep71] Ming Lan hosts a baby shower. 

Ming faints in front of the palace and has lost her senses. 
[Ep72] Ming Lan braces for a revolt and protects her family all on her own. But is she all alone? 
[Ep73] Our ancestor fox saves his little fox! 😍🏹

Characters

*There may be spoilers*

 

Sheng Family 

Sheng Ming Lan (6th sister)

Dad: Father Sheng (Sheng Hong)

Grandma: Grandma Sheng 

Maids: Xiao Tao, Dan Ju, Cui Wei

Mom: Concubine Wei

Mom’s Maid: Xiao Die

Maternal Aunt: Aunt Wei

Cousins: Sheng Shu Lan, Sheng Ping Lan

Husband: Gu Ting Ye

Friend: Yu Yan Ran

Ex-potential Fiancé: He Hong Wen

Sheng Ru Lan (5th sister) 

Mom: Madam Wang

Mom’s Maid: Nanny Liu

Sister: Sheng Hua Lan (1st sister) 

Brother: Sheng Chang Bai (2nd brother) 

Brother’s wife: Sister-in-law Hai

Husband: Wen Yan Jing

Maternal Aunt: Aunt Kang

Maternal Grandma: Grandma Wang

Sheng Mo Lan (4th sister)

Mom: Concubine Lin (Lin Qin Shuang)

Mom’s Maid: Nanny Zhou

Brother: Sheng Chang Feng (3rd brother)

Husband: Liang Han

Mother-in law: Countess Wu

Gu Family

Gu Ting Ye (2nd Brother; Zhong Huai)

Mom: Madam Bai

Dad: Father Gu 

Loyal servants: Shi Tou, Nanny Chang

Stepmother: Madam Qin

Stepmom’s Maid: Nanny Xiang

Brothers: Gu Ting Yu, Gu Ting Wei

Maternal Cousin: Cousin Bai

Friend: Courtesan Wei

Ex-concubines: Zhu Man Niang, Feng Xian

Wife: Sheng Ming Lan

Children: Rong-jie, Chang-ge, Tuan-ge 

Qi Family

Qi Heng (Yuan Ruo) 

Mother: Princess of Pingning 

Servant: Bu Wei

Current Wife: Madam Shen

Imperial Family

Emperor Zhao Zong Quan [Ep35+]

Wife: Empress (Shen)

Mother by law: Empress Dowager

Royal Concubine: Consort Liu 

Son: Prince Huan (Zhao Ce Ying)

Trusted Aides: Gu Ting Ye, Shen Cong Xing, Lao Geng, Xiao Duan, Prime Minister Han

Shen Family

Shen Cong Xing (General)

Sisters: Empress, Sister Shen

Brother-in-law: Emperor

Wife: Madam Zhang

Parent-in-laws: Duke and Duchess of Ying

Concubine: Concubine Zou 

Chinese Translations

Some Chinese terms/quotes/idioms/proverbs used in the drama. 

[Terms]

大娘子 (da niang zi)

Big Wife/Madam/Mother

All children in the house will address the legitimate wife as 大娘子 whether or not she’s their birth-mother (e.g. Madam Wang, Madam Qin, Madam Zhang)

小娘 (xiao niang)

Little Wife/Madam/Mother

A title given to concubines (e.g. Concubine Wei, Concubine Lin, Concubine Zou)

官人 (guan ren)

Official

A title wives/concubines uses to address their husbands who have an official post in the palace (e.g. Ming Lan always calls Gu Ting Ye her 官人). 

二郎 (er lang)

Second Lad 

The title Gu Ting Ye wants Ming Lan to call him. He’s second (二) because he’s the second Gu Brother. 

小狐狸 (xiao hu li)

Little fox (cunning and clever)

Gu Ting Ye’s nickname for Ming Lan whenever she pretends to be dumb and demure. 

賢慧 (xianhui)

A term that describes a wife who is wise, kind, and simply perfect in traditional ways (understanding, compassionate, etc.). 

[Quotes]

[Ep4] Ming’er is my sweet granddaughter. Remember this. As long as grandmother is by your side, fear nothing my child. My Ming’er is loved! 

Grandma Sheng loving her granddaughter. 

[Ep18] I’ll be a Buddhist nun. I’ll be a Daoist nun. I’ll marry to the mountains. I’ll raise cows and plow fields, and I’ll never marry you! 

Ming Lan refuses Gu Ting Ye’s devilish marriage proposal. 

[Ep23] The last time you said you wanted to repay me for finding a physician for you, you told me Zhu Man Niang was evil. This time you want to repay me again, I think I’m afraid of you. 

Gu Ting Ye afraid of Ming Lan xD 

[Ep28] That’s right. Eyes grow in the front so we must look forward. Coming to this world was tough already. We must try to live better. 

Heartbroken Ming Lan comforted by Gu Ting Ye

[Ep35] There aren't that many people who’d I give my life to. There’s my mother, my grandmother. Second Uncle Gu, you’re the third one. 

Ming Lan repaying Gu Ting Ye with her life, but he wants more than that. 

[Ep35] I will wait for your return. 

Ming Lan’s I will wait for your return changes in meaning with each time she says it to Gu Ting Ye

[Ep37] Wait, wait. Is he talking about Ru Lan? Because that sounds like Ming Lan. 

From Father Sheng xD 

[Ep39] 我在男人堆裡是老幾妳在女人堆裡便是老几 

Among the herd of men, whatever rank I am, then you in your herd of women, will be that rank 

[Ep50] One is impulsive, the other is calm. One advances, one defends. If we don’t break them apart, how are we going to kill them thoroughly? 

A quote from Madam Qin describing our lovely couple. 

[Ep52] But it looks like I came at a bad time. But it also looks like I came at the right time. 

Gu Ting Ye protecting Ming Lan from her father’s slap. 

[Ep52] Eat, eat, eat! How do they look like the madam and the main servant of the house? They're more like sisters. 

This is Gu Ting Ye being pissed off at his wife. 

[Ep54] 天下萬事都逃不過一個理字 

In this large world with everything happening, nothing can escape one word: ‘Reason’. 

The word 理 (li) is simply translated to ‘Reason’ but it can be much more than that. 理 encompasses one’s inner essence, the intrinsic order of the world (logic, truth, science, natural science, etc.) 

[Ep54] Prince Huan was really right in making this friend. Buy one get one. Worth! 

A quote from Empress Dowager. Gu Ting Ye and Ming Lan are the BOGO couple! 

[Ep55] Planted the beans in Nanshan, although the grasses are luscious, the bean sprouts are sparse.

Chang Bai commenting on Gu Ting Ye for getting the wife but not her heart. 

[Proverbs & Idioms]

省油的燈 (sheng you de deng)

A candle that saves oil (wax)

Usually used in the drama in a negative sentence to describe someone who isn’t easy to deal with (a candle that wastes a lot of wax)

釜底抽薪 (fu di chou xin) 

Removing the firewood from the cauldron

Taking drastic measures to deal with a drastic situation.

[Ep10] 聰明反被聰明誤 

Intelligence ruins intelligence 

A clever person may become the victim of his own ingenuity

[Ep31] 生米煮成熟飯 

The raw rice is now cooked

What’s done cannot be undone.

[Ep36] Ming Lan modifies the idiom that what’s "half cooked”also cannot be undone. 

[Ep39] 聲東擊西 (sheng dong ji xi) 

Make noise in the east and then punch in the west 

Diversion 

[Ep39] 披荊斬棘 (pi jing zhan ji) 

Cut through thistle and thorns

Overcome all obstacles along the way

[Ep39] 衝鋒陷陣 (chong feng xian zhen) 

Break through enemy lines

Charge through any any dangers 

[Ep46] 近朱者赤(近墨者黑) 

Those who handle cinnabar are tainted red (those who work with ink are stained black)

You are the product of your environment. 

(Ming Lan learned to be shameless from the masterful Gu Ting Ye.)

[Ep55] 妾身絲蘿依托喬木

The concubine is a like a newlywed relying on the trunk 

≈ The concubine is the lichen, entwined to her husband, the trunk.

[Ep55] 人心不足蛇吞象 (ren xin bu zu she tun xiang)

A man who is never content is like a snake (she) trying to swallow (tun) an elephant (xiang). 

[Ep64] 偷雞不成蝕把米 

You tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice used to lure it.

Tried to gain advantage only to end up worse off 

[Ep64] 沒吃到羊肉反惹一身羊臊 

You haven’t tasted the lamb but ended up with lamb urine stench.

Tried to gain advantage only to end up worse off

[Ep66] 渾水摸魚 (hun shui mo yu) 

Fishing in troubled waters.

To take advantage of the crisis for personal gains.

[Ep69] 戰戰兢兢 (zhan zhan jing jing)

To advance in fear and trepidation

戰 = Battle; 兢 = Fearful = To battle and battle but to be fearful and fearful.