A Journey to Love | Open Thread

A legendary assassin of her kingdom and a top secret agent of his kingdom make babies and babysit.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Liu Shi Shi: Ren Ru Yi

Liu Yu Ning: Ning Yuan Zhou

Director

Zhou Jing Tao

Scriptwriter: 

Zhang Wei

Chinese Title

一念關山

Genres: Period, Romance, Team, Period Romance

Network: iQIYI 

Year: 2023
Episodes: 40

Jump to Remarks | Reviews | Recs | Comments

Cast

Liu Shi Shi: Ren Ru Yi / Ren Xin	Liu Yu Ning: Ning Yuan Zhou
He Lan Dou: Yang Ying	Chang Hua Sen: Li Tong Guang
Chen Hao Yu: Chu Yue	Fang Yi Lun: Yu Shi San (Yu 13)
Chen You Wei: Yuan Lu	Wang Yi Zhe: Qian Zhao
Li Huan: Sun Lang	Chen Du Ling: Xiao Yan (Wu Kingdom)
Chen Xiao Yun:  Consort Chu (An Kingdom)	Huang Meng Ying: Jin Mei Niang (Ling Lang)
Zhang Zhi Xi: Jia Ling	Wang Yan: Empress Zhao Jie (An Kingdom)
Lv Xing: Minister Du (Wu Kingdom)

Romcom/Romance Checklist

How much of the plot is angst/romance?

0 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

The ML: 

Cold–Lukewarm–Warm / Timid / Falls in Love First / Noble Idiot / CEO / General /

The FL: 

Bold / Cute / Cool & Independent / Falls in Love First / Better than ML / Noble Idiot / 

Describe the Relationship (the tropes):

Bickering Start / Childhood Connection / Cohabitation / Contract Marriage or Fake Couple / Enemies to Lovers / Hidden Identity / School to Adulthood / Love Triangle / Married Couple (Real) / Secretly in Love (F/ML) / Star-Crossed Lovers / 

Relationship Progress (officially together; first (official) kiss; breakup*):

Ep 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40

# of CPs (including main CP):
0 / 1 / 2 / 3+

Ending:

Happy / Sad / Open Happy / Open Sad / Bad

Screencaps

[Ep1]

Liu Yu Ning was a chef at one point. The wok armour is so fitting.

[Ep2]

[Ep3]

This tea!

The flirtiest inmate. The most frivolous Fang Yi Lun character ever.

Our maverick boy squad unite!

[Ep4]

[Ep5]

Liu Yu Ning is protecting a princess again (with Fang Yi Lun too!!) but this time feels so different.

Wise words from Empress Zhao Jie: "Don't easily fall in love with men, but you must have a child of your own."

Ning Yuan Zhou: I can't make babies. I'm defective. [Poisoned]

Yu13: "You mean, I can help with this?" [Making babies]

Melon Eating Crowd

[Ep6]

[Ep7]

👆 Boring sperms following our FL assassin around too

Now this is a princess-carry!

She's asking her pending-baby-making-machine to teach her interpersonal skills to bond with their future kid. 

[Ep8]

vs.

vs.

Nobody asked if you were okay Yu13! 

He's a goner.

[Ep9]

Ru Yi: Hey, check if he's jealous

Yu13: Yes, yes he is! 

Even if you’re always capable, sometimes you still need to be protected.

[Ep10]

Boys, this is not how you treat your sister-in-law!

[Ep11]

Kidnapped Princess saves her kidnapper-assassin

Are you crazy?! 

Yes I'm crazy for you!

Don't be like this or I'll really turn crazy for you.

[Ep12]

She's back for the stripping! And the whipping. 

Oho. He's going to father her child! (This may have something to do with stripping and whipping. Yes?)

[Ep13]

I'll give you sweets from now on <3 ~~

Yu13 being Yu13

Ning Yuan Zhou is jealous that she looks more handsome than him!

Please don't forget our princess is this scene too~

Melon Eating Pair

[Ep14]

The cat's a roly poly now!

Scarecrows. 

Yu13

Yu13

Yu13, lol. 

(The horns match him. They're horns, right?)

Qian Zhou rolling his eyes at Yu13

Back to dashing boys!

She's in love. 

She's in love too.

(We all are)

She kisses. He kisses.

This is me watching this too.

They overdid the romantic leaves. LOL

[Ep15]

Introducing Ren Xin, Ren Ru Yi in killer mode. 

Introducing Ning Yuan Zhou, the only Ship that kills

This Ship talks! 

(Zhou Zhou rejected her because his mission is likely fatal. He changed his mind because he’s afraid of loneliness, but more than that, he doesn’t want her to be lonely. This all happened without the dramatic fanfare. It’s just him telling her his sincere feelings, aw.)

[Ep16]

Yu 13: Ooooops. Am I interrupting? 

Don't make Ru Yi feed the unconscious again. 

[Ep17]

[Ep18]

These cuties, but there's a twang of poignancy in their scene. Please be okay, Yuan Lu!

This Ship doesn't eavesdrop.

Wait. Where'd the Ship go!

[Ep19]

He Lan Dou isn't done growing yet, right? xD

Peek

Peek peek

Peeeek

I love our sturdy couple's love token: a wobbly cat. 

Our Ship and cat look kinda alike!

[Ep20]

[Ep21]

This show understands proper eavesdropping! 

I can't find a single man here. All kindergartens.

Listen. This is very important: 1234567. I can count backwards too. 7654321.

This girl wants babies.

This guys wants to keep his virginity. Why.

[Ep22]

They can toss all my veggies. 

[Ep23]

[Ep24]

Ruyi: Allow me to pamper you. 

NYZ: Yes ma'am.

Yu13: Pamper me too.

This is a two-person boat. 13 is too much.

She bought him matching clothes with her!

And he didn't wear them!

[Ep25]

[Ep26]

My poor babies pretending to be brave 🥺🥺🥺

Why are all their sweet scenes poignant! 😭

These two have their OTP too. Sun Lang, our animal lover with a kitty cat, and Yu13 with his mirror.

[Ep27]

[Ep28]

[Ep29]

Princess Chu Yue joins our peeping team!

Begin the romance with princess ~ I mean the pictures below and not above...

[Ep30]

Yu13 only has one dance move: spread those arms like a scarecrow. 

Ning Yuan Zhou can't defend his bro in front of his wifey

Li Tong Guang and Chu Yue have teamed up for a fake marriage!

What goes around comes around. Yu13, you have days of being peeped on too.

[Ep31]

Mommy's asking what's wrong, and Daddy's confiding in only him.

So we need 5+ boys to save one Emperor, and 1 girl can slaughter her way through a battalion to "kill" another Emperor. Or not. Or yes?

Not Yu13 flirting with the Emperor too! 

[Ep32]

[Ep33]

Her: I'm a girl

Him: 😶

Her: I'll be your wife

Him: 😨 She's going to be my aunt.

Her: I'll have your kid

Him: 🤯 She's giving birth to my nephew.

[Ep34]

Yang Ying, you're my queen.

"From the moment I killed her with my hands, I've already lost the right."

[Ep35]

I f*cking hate you, Emperor Wu. My boys would be FINE, surrounded by all things furry (😭😭😭).

[Ep36]

Yuan Lu! That's so sad; you ran to death?

She's promising her next life to you at least! ~

But this life, she's going with this guy....

YOU TWO WERE MY CP ALL ALONG???

My head really hurts, but my heart is fuzzy for these two 🤯 Did I just betray Yuan Lu who died in the same ep....

[Ep37]

LTG's marriage plot is strange. If you care for a theory of why he would pull something so stupid. I've got one. Subscribe if you like.

Li Tong Guang, suffer Liu Yu Ning's 6ft legs! Yes. he's all legs.

Congratulations Ning Yuan Zhou! By the way, your bros are dead.

Yang Ying 🤯. You're more shocking than our psycho boy. She's going to wear the robes Ru Yi threw, and she's going to clean up the mess Li Tong Guang made. Omg 😍 

Yu13.... all three boys were in him arms, two died in his embrace. Leader Ning, where were you?

[Ep38]

[Ep39]

Ru Yi and NYZ enjoying the 🍉 on the side. They must have somehow resolved the marriage error back in Ep37 without telling us.

For the weird fans shipping LTG and Ru Yi, here you go....

These scenes actually look pretty....

Yu13 blindfolding himself. See, even Yu13 doesn't want to see you anymore, Ning Yuan Zhou! Oh wait you can't see. You weren't there. Our Yu13 died ALONE, BLIND, and in the DARK.

[Ep40]

NYZ: Thanks brat. If you weren't stupidly reckless, your shifu and I wouldn't have a reason to die.

Shifu-in-law!

I can't believe Ru Yi and NYZ's last moments were given to LTG...

Looketh! His wife #1, wife #2, and wife #3 all here!

Remarks

[Actors/Actresses] These amazing supporting actors:

• Fang Yi Lun (Yu Shi San) – The Long Ballad, The Love By Hypnotic 
• Chen Hao Yu (Chu Yue) – I Don't Want to Be Friends With You (The mom bestie)
• Wu Hong (Zhao Ji) – The Story of Minglan (The guy who married Mo Lan)
• Chen Xiao Yun (Concubine Chu) – Novoland: Pearl Eclipse, New Life Begins (The girl who keeps marrying toxic men)
• Huang Meng Ying (Jin Mei Niang) – She still needs her big break. 
• Zhang Tian Yang (Emperor Wu) – Listening Snow Tower, Sword Snow Stride, Vacation of Love 2, Who Rules the World, Love Like the Galaxy (The funny uncle)
• Su Meng Yun (Officer Pei) – One and Only (female general), Royal Rumours (eye-rolling princess)
• Zhou Lu La – One and Only (monk)

[Drama Connections]

• The Long Ballad. Liu Yu Ning and Fang Yi Lun reunited to escort a princess again! They're friends irl. 
• Bu Bu Jing Xin. Liu Shi Shi and Ye Qing (Ling Long) reunited and still star-crossed. They're friends irl too. 

[Behind the Scenes] 

• 14: The leaf that fell on Liu Yu Ning's face during the kiss wasn't planned. He acted through it because director never called cut. 

[Ep37 Analysis] Topic: Li Tong Guang

TLDR: 1) Li Tong Guang is misunderstood by the couple, in that they don't realize he saved them. 2) Li Tong Guang had no intention of rape. 

The Scenes/Dialogues

Li Tong Guang (is spiteful to his servant who recklessly killed Emperor An): You already pushed me onto a road of no return. Why do I want your life? To be my accessory when I die? (read: he expects to die himself)

• Li Tong Guang's surprise operation was to protect Ning Yuan Zhou and Ru Yi who were severely injured / still healing. He didn't want to kill the Emperor. Too late. He's dead, and now there's civil unrest. How can he fight Beipan when he can't stabilie his own kingdom? Li Tong Guang is prepared for death.

Li Tong Guang (voiceover): Shifu, I know this isn’t right. [...] I don’t think I’ll be alive to see you again. I can only use this way to bid farewell to you. 

Ru Yi (takes her hairpin, pointing fatally at his neck): Don’t think I will let you get what you want even if you give me double the dosage. Now. Immediately. Release Ning Yuan Zhou. 

• Boy is still the psycho in love with his shifu, but I will strongly argue that he had no intention of rape. He's sitting still and he's sad, and when Ru Yi wanted to kill him, he didn't flinch. He anticipated it. I surmise that he only wanted a memory with his shifu in a wedding gown as his last memory of her, despite knowing it's selfish and it's wrong, and she'd hate him. 

LTG voiceover: I will let him go. 
Immediately, Ning Yuan Zhou kicks the door open to save Ruyi. 

• Again, it's the utter lack of surprise from LTG that's indicating he was expecting how this will unfold, and how it's futile. He was expecting failure, and hatred. 

Li Tong Guang (to Ning Yuan Zhou who calls him a coward): Even if I’m unworthy, I don’t regret. Unlike you. You’re weak. You didn't even dare to kill the [emperor]. Here he’s needlessly taunting Ning Yuan Zhou.

• A lie from LTG. He didn't want to kill the Emperor either, but here he is, needlessly taunted Ning Yuan Zhou. Now our CP has no idea LTG saved them, and didn't kill the Emperor. 
• At the very end, Ru Yi and Ning Yuan Zhou walked away safely (and even married), which had everything to do with LTG. If he truly wanted to claim Ru Yi as his, there's no need to go through the elaborate makeup and dress. 

It's a scene to have our leads misunderstand him. I did take the extra leap in thinking maybe he wanted them to leave safely, never to return while he fights in this losing war, but I don't have proof from the way this is written just that if there was logic in this (ha ha ha), when he realized his enemies are both the unrest within his own kingdom and the pending war with Beipan, I wouldn't piss off the two people who can save me (=NYZ and RY). But he did and did it so stupidly. This traces back to his conversation with his servant. He already thinks he's on the road of no return = Death. No need to drag them down. (And then that's when Yang Ying marries him to rescue him!) 

I find that subscribing to this theory (or at the very least that LTG mostly had good intentions) is the only way to make sense of his random redemption in Ep39 when the team gathers again. 

[Ending] You may have choices.

If you want to believe the meadow parts at the very end, then it’s a happy ending for the main couple.

Otherwise, it’s a sad ending. They’re so dead. (But at least they're reunited, so it's not too sad....yeah?) Chu Yue would know about the details from her time with Yu13, Yang Ying, and Ren Ru Yi. Chu Yue dying would also mean she can reunite with Yu13, making it a "happier" ending........ The choice of using such a fake CGI scenery is likely to indicate this is heaven, a dream-world. 

Opening theme was also telling. 

Their last moments were all illustrated from the beginning. Qian Zhao's last attack is the swing of his weapon. Sun Lang sacrificed himself to save Yu13 with his shield. Yuan Lu Terry Fox ran to his death. Yu13 battled in his blindfold. The last we saw of Nian Yuan Zhou was in that stance. Ru Yi didn't die in those clothes, but that scene was the moment she decided she would die with Ning Yuan Zhou. 

The ending theme rewinds the opening theme. The Chinese title is 一念關山: remembrance of their hometown (of fortresses and mountains). Floating above are five lanterns. Four for each of the boys' souls, and one for the married couple, Ning Yuan Zhou and Ren Ru Yi. 

Reviews

Submit Your Review | Rating Guide

Five (5/5)

Four (4/5)

Reviewer: cynlynn

Date: December 2023

Hearts:♥♥♥

[Major Spoilers Everywhere]

All abroad A Journey to Love, an express to hell, and the assailant of my heart. 

This SE is a BE. Good tragedy exists, and this ain’t it. Tragedies build their angst so that it hurts real good. This one, it’s not that there is no buildup, there simply is no angst. It’s a sudden onslaught of devastation assaulting my heart.

Foreshadowing is ineffective. The lightness for the entire first half (or more like 34/40 episodes) is deceitful. Miracles suddenly quit on us. I went from sad to emotionally impaired because it was too much, and too rushed. 

[Points: – 2]

The SE could have been a Good E. Behind the emotional assault that is the finale, I can see reason and the envisioned ending. Call me a fool, but I definitely believe in the best of this “writing team” despite everything. Here's three takes on why the ending wasn't a total bomb. 

(A) The deaths would have been so good. In the Ep34 cave scene, Yang Ying said: “You all have something to risk your lives for” That’s the switch that started it all. Everyone has something/someone they could die for.

At the end Li Tong Guang made a similar decision as Yang Ying: sacrificing himself for the greater good = peace. It’s just our ML and FL valued his life, and so they died in his stead. It was never blind patriotism. Qian Zhao hated the Emperor but saved him for the stability of Wu, and in extension, the safety of his brothers. Sun Lang and Yuan Lu fought to keep their brothers alive. Ning Yuan Zhou and Ru Yi protected Li Tong Guang for the safety of An. Our team fought for peace regardless of which nationality they were. The magnitude of their death is profound but vanquished by the ending madsacre 

[Points: + 1]

(B) There is no way I believe that Li Tong Guang committed rape or even attempted rape because that would be a writing fail, and I never once saw this drama as a writing failure. In Ep36, the Show evoked the awful memories of Qing Yun. He's the princess' first love who attempted rape again and again and ultimately punished by the princess. The show cannot, cannot follow up with Li Tong Guang committing the SAME crime in Ep37 and then be rewarded in the finale (with our princess). That is the stupidest writing failure ever. There is no logic in that. I refuse to believe the writers can fail like that. My Ep37 analysis isn’t something I forced myself to see, but that is literally how I experienced that episode. Obviously, it's still undoubtedly poorly executed. On top of that, he’s a character who has earned negative trust. Somehow I have this faith that his character was written with a good core despite his consistent bipolarity. At the critical moment, I believe that he doesn't have the heart to truly hurt his shifu.

[Points: + 1 (complex plot) -1 (poor execution) = 0]

(C) Show is the odd brave C-drama that didn’t cop out from a sad ending. It's clear to me the gang’s dead (plus Chu Yue). I’m happier sad like this. Yes... you see, if Ning Yuan Zhou survived, I’d end this drama resenting him, and I would hate hating the ML as my final thought. Since he died with them and so cruelly, it's like he stayed until the bitter end so that our boys did not die in vain. He will live as our boys’ forever leader. 

I am truly disappointed, however, that Ru Yi ended her own life for love. I try to convince myself that she's surrounded. It was either they kill her and she kills herself, and not that she let go of her only chance at survival.....Yeah still trying to convince myself of this.... it's clearly working............(no, it's not. I hope it works for you though). 

[Points: + 1 (NYZ's death) - 1 (Ru Yi's death) = 0]

Romance (Ning Yuan Zhou and Ru Yi). The Lius have no chemistry, but I still love and appreciate the characters, their healthy communication, and stability. Unfortunately, it can only be so exciting watching our couple be stable, really stable, incredibly stable, terribly stable, and so damn stable. Pacing could have solved this. Don’t give me everything and then leave me nothing for the finale. I never felt both void and annoyed watching a main CP's marriage in my drama-watching history. 

[Points: + 1 – 0.5 = + 0.5]

Romance (Yuan Lu and Yang Ying). This star crossed romance was pitched to near perfection. Sweet and poignant, and they did it in just two scenes: the one by the bed, and the one on the roof. Their simple happiness hurts so good. See, Show knows how to set up a tragic plot. It just didn’t do it for, you know, the whole story….

[Points: + 1]

Romance (Li Tong Guang and Yang Ying). Guys, I am floored by how subtle Show hid this love line! I combed bilibili just for their scenes, and they did so well sprinkling the seeds of their romance throughout like his first smile at her. I LOVE IT. Beautifully hidden power couple with all the tropes! They’re starved of love, yearned for love, burned by love, and “killed” their love. Their lives were parallels, and miraculously they crossed paths. They became rivals forced to collaborate. He didn’t know she was a girl, and he still went to save her. Then she rocked his world simply by letting down her hair, and soon she will mean the world to him. She understands him better than anyone. They're in a marriage first and love second romance. AND NOW I NEED MOOAAARRR. They’re tantalizing my imagination. The patience in the setup of our royals transitioning from their "first love" is masterful, I think, but unfortunately was butchered between its brainstorming phase and its shitstorming finale. 

[Points: + 1]

My not so popular acting take: 

(A) I don’t love Fang Yi Lun as much as everyone else does. Breath slow, people. It's more the difference I feel from everyone. I still really like him in this, but this is his usual acting level rather than a breakthrough. 

(B) I say the writing was more powerful than the acting. Fang Yi Lun and Liu Shi Shi are given really easy characters to love. I'd include Chang Hua Sen's too (character, not character development). Act it well (just 50%) and they will be adored. Give these characters to other suitable actors and they can excel too. Liu Yu Ning is a bad example of this. I saw more of what he lacked than what he brought to the drama. His character development also had nowhere to develop. He's not terrible, he just couldn't capitalize on this opportunity like Liu Shi Shi (comeback), Fang Yi Lun ("breakthrough"), and Chang Hua Sen (newbie). 

(C) I think Liu Shi Shi and Liu Yu Ning should only take light romance dramas if they have to take romance dramas. 

[Points: + 0.5]

My popular acting takes: 

(A) No one can be Yang Ying except He Lan Dou. She owns this role and made the princess better than anyone ever can. 

(B) And hello, shoutout to Minister Du's actor, Lv Xing. The dude just naturally breathed into his role. *Palms together. Bow*

[Points: + 1]

My final takeaway: The ending is bad, the controversies are worse, but they don't beat everything that was precious to me like all these characters:: Ning Yuan Zhou, Ren Ru Yi, Yu13, Yang Ying, and might I had Li Tong Guang (for myself), all my Liudaotang boys, the forever recruiting peeping squad, Minister Du, Mei niang, and even Ren Little Ship. There’s also so many precious moments that will stay with me: princess-carrying the princess, a minister praying, the leaf that wants a kiss too, 1234567-7654321, “Ha-Ha! I’m okay!”, peeping, peeping, and more peeping. 

[Points: + 1]

Total: + 4

Three (3/5)

Reviewer: Loving  Cdrama

Date: December 2023

This was a good drama though the back 2-3 episodes had a lot of W.T.Fs.

Ren Ruyi is a trained assassin for the An Empire. She was very powerful and had the best mentors to lead the Emperor’s special forces. But 5 years ago, she was accused of killing the Empress of An (who also was her mother figure and mentor). She was put in prison but escaped and presumed dead. Since then, she has been searching for the people who framed her as well as revenging the Empress’ death.

Ning Yuan Zhou is the disgraced head of Liudao Hall of the Wu Empire. When the Emperor of Wu was captured by the An Empire after a failed campaign, the Prime Minister reinstated Ning Yuan Zhou to head up Liudao Hall to go save the emperor. He gathered his merry men to lead the different facets of Liudao Hall (I think it means Hall of 6 Paths?) but really the story is about only 5 of them LOL. So in exchange for the Wu Emperor, An Empire wanted Wu Empire to send a Prince with Gold to their Capital. Liudao Hall was the escort for the “Prince.”

Most of the story takes place in the An Empire, where Ren Ruyi meets up with the Wu Party. She agreed to accompany the Wu Party and teach Prince Li (who is female) to act princely so that she can gather more information on who killed the An Empress.  During their trip across Wu and An Empires, they were met with assassins from both sides. Prince Danyang of Wu doesn’t want the party to succeed because he wants to be king. The An Empire doesn’t want them to reach the Capital safely. They just want the money. Interspersed in all of this is Ren Ruyi’s student who is obsessed with her. Once he found out she was alive, he wanted to claim her as his wife.

This was a very good ensemble story. The Liudao Hall men were pretty fleshed out. You get why they would follow Ning Yuan Zhou and why each are the way they are. Ren Ruyi and Prince Li (aka Princess Licheng) were also pretty fleshed out. However, Ning Yuan Zhou was just too perfect of a character and there wasn’t really any character growth nor any sad backstory.

In terms of acting, I was blown away by Alan Fang (Fang Yilun). He brought the flamboyant character, Yu Shisan, alive. A character like Shisan can become very cartoony and / or sleazy but Alan struck the right tones in his scenes. The sleazy lines didn’t sound sleazy, and the exaggerated gestures were not cringy. Liu ShiShi did a good job as Ren Ruyi, but to be fair this character was pretty badass so as long as the actress can maintain character, then it should be fairly easy. She has decent chemistry with Liu Yuning (Ning Yuan Zhou). I was also impressed by the actors who played Prince Li/Princess Licheng and Li Tongguang. Both were complicated characters to play. The actress nailed the fish out of water / isolated princess trying to learn the ways of the world as well as trying to become a prince. With the guidance of Ning Yuan Zhou and Ren Ruyi, she blossomed and found her footing. The Li Tongguang actor did a decent job with what he had to work with. Tons of his decisions and thoughts gave me pause (and maybe whiplash), but the actor had great chemistry with all the ladies. Poor Liu Yuning. Love him as a singer, but he is still so green as an actor. I’m not sure he’s ready to be a ML, but this character is a good start. Like Ren Ruyi, Ning Yuan Zhou is so perfect that as long as the actor doesn’t break character, it should be decent. And Liu Yuning was able to be decent. There are scenes that begs for subtle emotions and he couldn’t do it, but it doesn’t take away from the scenes.

Two (2/5)

One (1/5)

Recommendations

Genre List: 

Scheming / Palace Romances

Ensemble	Wuxia	Random