[Mainland Chinese Drama 2018] Story of Yan Xi’s Palace 延禧攻略

[Far^away]

Somehow I managed to finish all  Yanxi episodessss!!! 

 

So exhausting. Lol. Watching them at the start as their ‘younger’ self, i was totally weirded out watching them growing old. Haha. QL really seemed older then, especially the scene where he and WYL was fighting for the blanket. I was chuckling to myself. 

 

And the saddest part in episode 70 was when Hailancha asked WYL on Fuheng’s behalf. *sobs hard*

 

i remember watching a clip on youtube where the casts were watching the last episode together and Xu Kai actually cried watching this scene. 

 

 

In fact everybody was so engrossed, even Nie Yuan as well. 

 

and here is one of my favourite BTS!

 

 

 

Anyone who knew Chinese, can you translate when Nie Yuan accidentally kissed WJY? Hahaha. She was supposed to cover his lips but she was too slow and resulted to the kiss! 

[leeemyis]

This drama is the best Qing Dynasty drama I've ever watch, at least to me. I love nearly everything about it except ep.59 to ep.63. Somewhat I was sad over the fact that the emperor ignored her and didn't try to help her even though he kind of did in his kind of way. I really hope that they show us more of the kids instead of just mentioned them. Poor Fuheng, he had suffered for eternity. He deserves better and his death is too tragic. My favorite pair is still the emperor and yingluo though. 

 

Congrats for the success and being goggle top search! This drama sure is really loved by the universe. Big thanks to the gentle empress team at viki. They were doing an incredible job for providing us subtitles. The actors and staffs deserve all the love from us for making the best drama of 2018. 

 

 

[ForgottenSoulx]

On episode 36 and all i can say is Fuheng is a damn idiot for giving her up that fast clearly he did not love her enough to fight for her.

3 hours ago, leeemyis said:

This drama is the best Qing Dynasty drama I've ever watch, at least to me. I love nearly everything about it except ep.59 to ep.63. Somewhat I was sad over the fact that the emperor ignored her and didn't try to help her even though he kind of did in his kind of way. I really hope that they show us more of the kids instead of just mentioned them. Poor Fuheng, he had suffered for eternity. He deserves better and his death is too tragic. My favorite pair is still the emperor and yingluo though. 

 

Congrats for the success and being goggle top search! This drama sure is really loved by the universe. Big thanks to the gentle empress team at viki. They were doing an incredible job for providing us subtitles. The actors and staffs deserve all the love from us for making the best drama of 2018. 

 

 

i mean what ever he suffered he brought on him self. 

[leeemyis]

@Wotad I agreed with you on that. Fuheng is always late at making decision that's why he lost her to the emperor. He lack of ideas and doesn't understand her needs. She would fight with him even if it will cost her life at least they can be together but he gave up too quickly. I think the emperor is a better choice for yingluo. He understands her and truly loves her although the country is still his priority. What I like most about the emperor is that he is not stupid and he tries to make time for his women as possible as he can. Nie Yuan made emperor Qian Long likeable and watchable. If it weren't for him, I don't think I would like the emperor this much. 

[housetangaryen]

On 12/17/2018 at 11:47 PM, blessedchild said:

 

 

 

 

Thanks @kyoko22. I have done some reading on the website. Quite surprised that the drma is almost 90% similar to the book. Wondering if anyone knows if there's anything which is not shown in the drama but is mentioned in the book?

 

Also, what are you guys' opinions as to when Ying Luo fall in love with the Emperor and also when the Emperor fall in love with Ying luo? 

I also thought about this question quite a bit and discussed with some friends of mine who are into the show. When did QL fall for WYL and vice versa.

 

For me, QL's feelings for WYL were abit more obvious in its development. The obvious one to me was in Ep 30 when WYL was abused by Gao Gui Fei when she delivered the milk to Gao Gui Fei's palace (Empress Fuca had saved her life and sent her to that department where all the menial hard labour work was done). Gao Gui Fei had stepped on WYL's fingers really hard causing more damage to her delicate fingers, and hence WYL's talent in sewing was also destroyed by that incident besides scrubbing all that chamberpots and barrels.

 

QL saw her battered fingers, and went to look for WYL in the rain. But cos he was so proud, even though he cared enough to look for her, he couldn't be nicer. The only nice and caring thing he did was to throw the umbrella at her and insulted her again. Then he huffed and puffed back to his Yangxin Palace, but also  huffed and puffed out of his palace to return to the place thinking WYL would still be there. That to me showed he started feeling for WYL, a lowly servant whom he didn't need to care about. 

 

But some friends of mine felt it was way earlier, at Ep 19 when QL had chickenpox. WYL was clearing his bedsheets and taking them away to wash, QL's eyes were tracking her and looking irritated at her, just then Empress Fuca entered and was bemused. She asked him when he was lying down and him irritated by the itches why he didn't like WYL. QL didn't answer her and turned to his side, and while Empress Fuca was telling him all of WYL's good traits, he was trying to distract himself with the itch by scratching against his bedsheet, but the next scene showed who he was thinking of as Empress Fuca was talking... the scenes were all about WYL. I think that was more likely the real start of some feelings for WYL, except he didn't know how to handle these new feelings, that the only reaction he could fall back on was just anger towards her. Bratty behaviour really... so it's also good we see a good character development of QL in this show and how he grew up. 

 

As for WYL, I don't think she fell for QL that early. The way I see it, her love of him grew slowly and she didn't even realised she had actually fallen for him, even though it was clear to many pple around her.

 

Her reason for returning to the palace and become one of QL's concubine was due to her only goal: to investigate Empress Fuca's death, to seek revenge and to save Mingyu. So her heart was already taken over by all that strong feelings of revenge, and love for Empress Fuca. No space for anything or anyone else, but slowly, things happen.

 

I think the little breadcrumbs were dropped at ...

Ep 45: This was the scene between Mingyu and WYL strolling in the Imperial Garden; Mingyu telling WYL about the rumours that were flying throughout the palace when Fuheng returned from the war, hence QL stopped coming to Yanxi Palace to stay the night.  WYL mentioned that she expected QL, who was wise, to be someone who would not believe in such rumours. And that she was very surprised he did, something that seemed to her to be very unexpected. I feel at this point, she hadn't made the connection that QL had feelings for her (she definitely didn't have any for him here), but that kinda made her pondered abit more as to why he would behave this way. 

 

Then in Ep 49, just before Xiao Quan Zi informed her that QL was going to teach her horse-riding, there was that little conversation between Mingyu and her again. WYL said she had to be more diligent in practising the arts (zither, calligraphy, poetry etc) so that she wouldn't look like a fool in front of QL when they are together discussing these things. Mingyu sniggered thereafter. I saw it as, WYL wanted to do these things and do them well for QL, which unknowingly to herself, she must have feelings for QL to bother about these things and spend time practising.

 

But I think the most obvious to me that she had fallen for QL was in Ep 53 when QL was being bratty and wanted WYL to be jealous (he had wanted to spend the night with the unfortunate comic-relief Shu Ping and told Li Yu to get his zither back from Yanxi Palace). But he had been thinking of her the whole day and night, and in the end, went to Yanxi Palace and started playing that zither and woke WYL up from her sleep. QL told her that he knew she didn't kill Consort Chun and pointed out that it wasn't WYL's character to do such a thing. She had thought this was why QL was angry with her, but the next revelation from QL stumped WYL, and this was possibly the first time she couldn't find the right words to reply/retort him. QL told her that he was angry with her that she didn't care about his opinion in this matter, that she didn't think it necessary to explain herself. Hence to him, it bothered him that WYL didn't care about him. I think the fact she had no words for that showed that she realised this was a man who understood her and that must have touched her to make her heart feel alot more for QL.

 

Though I think she continued to be very guarded towards him, cos of her revenge goal. But once her revenge was completed, she had also lost his affections and also realised she had hurt QL very deeply in that revenge process. And it's during her 3 years in the Summer Palace with the Empress Dowager, when she kept writing letters to QL every month that she also pined for him and her feelings grew even more. It's quite ironical actually, cos the Empress Dowager had planned for QL to be the one to pine for WYL instead. In the end, both did, somewhat.

[believed]

@housetangaryen just said everything I wanted to say, including and especially the comments about ep 53! My favorite WYL/QL moment!

[ForgottenSoulx]

12 hours ago, leeemyis said:

@Wotad I agreed with you on that. Fuheng is always late at making decision that's why he lost her to the emperor. He lack of ideas and doesn't understand her needs. She would fight with him even if it will cost her life at least they can be together but he gave up too quickly. I think the emperor is a better choice for yingluo. He understands her and truly loves her although the country is still his priority. What I like most about the emperor is that he is not stupid and he tries to make time for his women as possible as he can. Nie Yuan made emperor Qian Long likeable and watchable. If it weren't for him, I don't think I would the emperor this much. 

 

Im now on episode 39 and do feel sorry for Fuheng now , sure he brought this on him self but the emperor really stole his love then had sex with his wife.. so sad. 

 

Not finished the drama but Erqing better die. 

[Cedric Ong]

4 hours ago, Wotad said:

 

Im now on episode 39 and do feel sorry for Fuheng now , sure he brought this on him self but the emperor really stole his love then had sex with his wife.. so sad. 

 

Not finished the drama but Erqing better die. 

Spoiler

Er qing and Qianlong didnt have sex. She merely created a fake impression by waking up with a drunken QL. 

 

[housetangaryen]

Was rewatching Eps 43 now that the English subtitles are in. Thank God for the Gentle Empress subtitles team (love the name  and I'm wondering if they named themselves after Empress Fuca).

 

The English subtitles helped clarified and confirmed what I understood when watching the show before the English subtitles, most of it is accurately translated, except for some awkward vocabulary, which is understandable cos Chinese idioms can be hard to translate. 

 

There was the scene when QL was irritated and angry that WYL didn't come to pacify him, and instead was going about with her merry life on her newly installed swing. He took it to mean that she didn't care whether she saw QL or not, didn't care if he came to her or not. He had thought she would rush to see him and maybe beg him to reinstate her onto the list of names for his night visits   I think that snub got to him and this was the first time he felt he wasn't placed at the pedestal by all his subjects/concubines... bratty over-entitled rich kid

 

But I'm wondering if WYL had planned for this,  schemed to have this happen since she seemed to read QL better than he understood himself; that WYL knew how he would react and hence was easy to entrap him.

 

Later on, when Dr Leaf  came by to Yangxin Palace for the regular pulse checks, QL drove him out and insisted he didn't need it. I am assuming this was a daily thing for imperial physicians to do their rounds with QL

 

On the way out, Dr Leaf and Li Yu had a conversation in which Dr Leaf said it was necessary for QL to get his pulse checked, and let out the snippet of news that WYL was punished by Jia Ping, made to kneel for about 4h and had bruised her knees so badly that would have resulted in her mobility. There seemed to be a little sly look between the two, as if they both had collaborated to help QL understand what had actually happened to WYL and tried to smooth things over between QL and WYL.

 

Li Yu's expression when QL overheard their conversation was really epic as he knew QL so well that he also knew QL would react to what they had said. QL's expression btw was also comical. QL in the show is actually really predictable. 

 

So now I'm wondering WYL didn't plan for this outcome, but that it is actually Dr Leaf and Li Yu who decided to take things into their own hands. I think Li Yu had more reasons to help QL and WYL cos having a angry Emperor would also have made his life, as the PA, very terrible.

 

Sidetrack, QL really liked to thrash his cups, petition documents etc around  

 

 

[ForgottenSoulx]

On 12/21/2018 at 11:41 PM, Cedric Ong said:

  Hide contents

Er qing and Qianlong didnt have sex. She merely created a fake impression by waking up with a drunken QL. 

 

 

Spoiler

She still cheated and its not Fuhengs baby. 

 

His damn visuals hes gotta be one of the most beautiful male actors around.

 

 

[lyserose]

Hi all. Just back from my year end vacation and am happy that this thread still alive and kicking. 

 

Anyway, congrats to Yanxi palace for being "Google's most searched drama 2018" despite China not using google. This series really been shattering whatever possible records out there and truly deserving of all the success. 

 

On 12/22/2018 at 1:51 AM, housetangaryen said:

I also thought about this question quite a bit and discussed with some friends of mine who are into the show. When did QL fall for WYL and vice versa.

I am in the opinion that QL started to fall for YL in episode 19 when she treated him over his chickenpox. Though he already noticed her earlier and misunderstood her action as trying to seduce him, he only first experienced his heart fluttering when she applied the medicine on him and then started thinking of her. And his subconscious feeling realization came when Fuheng asked to marry YL in episode 26. The possibility of YL becoming other man's wife already mortified him at that moment. Though Empress Fuca already revealed QL's heart deep buried secret, he was still in denial until the snow scene. So to me, the conscious feeling realization that QL indeed has fallen for YL was when he picked up YL in the snow. 

 

I do agree that YL took a long time to fall for QL. She is extremely clever to know that she should not invested so much of her heart loving a man who has so many women in his life. I am in the opinion that she already fell for QL by episode 49, referring to her desire to impress QL by trying to master so many skills. The fact that she cares for his opinion on her means that she has developed feelings for him. And then, that dancing scene in episode 51 to cheer him up and their heart-to-heart talk (so as to share his burden) further strengthen the fact that by this time, YL already fallen for QL, except she herself didn't realize it. It was after their big arguement and 3 years separation that she admittedly (to herself) realized that she does love QL. To me, when she congrats Step Empress on the upcoming birth of a Crown Prince in episode 56 already telling how hurt she feels that QL no longer by her side and losing him to other women. She made many attempts at Yuan Ming Garden to make him miss her in hope that he will run back to her but he still gave her cold shoulder. YL was very happy when she saw her Yanxi Palace in good keep during her absence because she thought QL did it out of still missing her. Chen Bi's presence only made her realized that she finally needs to fight to win back the man she loves. 

 

10 hours ago, housetangaryen said:

Sidetrack, QL really liked to thrash his cups, petition documents etc around  

I read that in history, QL's temper worsened after Fuca's death. I find that all these little traits of QL in Yanxi making him really human and that's why this QL is so beloved. 

[jadore1]

From their first meeting at the tree, YL's  distinct voice , her very clear speech pattern / pronunciations , her reasoning /explanations  totally threw him off  -  he did say later  thats why he let her go - she confused him lol     and thus  got his attention immediately;  so thorough was that imprint, that he would recognize her after all that time when he first saw /heard her again as the maid to Empress .  In all the episodes QL is shown as truly listening when his subjects are speaking , but its with YL that I see him having a full and honest  conversations .   For all these reasons, i too fell in love with YL   and  another  facet of China's history .   QL did not stand a chance LOL 

[ForgottenSoulx]

I just finished 70 episodes in like 3/4 days which was crazy, what a ride this show was . Its easily one of the best Chinese drama's from china and im happy it ended on a good note apart from Fuheng who i had a love hate relationship with. I hated him for giving up WYL but loved him for protecting and saving her he loved her which was obvious that one mistake costed him. Im really unsure who WYL loved the most but i think she loved them both which i know is something people now days would laugh at but clearly on the show i do think she loved them both. 

 

The acting in this drama was so damn good every villain was acted to perfection really proud they did not go for the typical lets hire all the top actors/actresses and got less known people who put everything they had into this drama.

 

I cried at the end but it was a mix of happy and sad tears for WYL living and getting a happy ending and sadness for Fuheng dying.

 

My one small issue with this drama is i Wish the stuff cut was not fugging cut from what i know the stuff cut would have added so much more and made this drama even better which is so damn sad. I also wish we saw more of the children. 

[leeemyis]

@Wotad I agreed. Wish there are more scenes of the princes and princesses. Overall, it was a great drama.

 

Just wanna share a performance that was done by these young stars at the Chinese youth talent show. The stories are touching and sad. I was moved to tears for Fuca Fuheng all over again. 

 

Note: 4th Prince Yongcheng is one of the contestants. He was good. All the contestants are talented. 

 

Skip to 21:37 for Yanxi Palace part. 

 

 

[ForgottenSoulx]

8 hours ago, leeemyis said:

@Wotad I agreed. Wish there are more scenes of the princes and princesses. Overall, it was a great drama.

 

Just wanna share a performance that was done by these young stars at the Chinese youth talent show. The stories are touching and sad. I was moved to tears for Fuca Fuheng all over again. 

 

Note: 4th Prince Yongcheng is one of the contestants. He was good. All the contestants are talented. 

 

Skip to 21:37 for Yanxi Palace part. 

 

 

I love the second song what is it ;p 

[leeemyis]

@Wotad I'm not quite sure which one you are talking about. Do you mean the one after Yanxi Palace? If that's the one you are talking about then I really sorry because I don't know and I can't understand Mandarin. 

[ForgottenSoulx]

5 minutes ago, leeemyis said:

@Wotad I'm not quite sure which one you are talking about. Do you mean the one after Yanxi Palace? If that's the one you are talking about then I really sorry because I don't know and I can't understand Mandarin. 

I think i meant the Yanxi one i know its probs a song from the show but no idea which one ;p 

[leeemyis]

@Wotad The title of the song is called 'The sound of falling snow' and yes it is an OST from Yanxi Palace. 

[vanbari]

Here someone made an English version of this song:

https://youtu.be/pdz08EZaZZg?fbclid=IwAR3d4RBBXifKTqISS0F4deDAtDzhC11yRBnrPEPeEU5n8gQVlAWblkXA7HI

 

[Far^away]

On 12/22/2018 at 1:51 AM, housetangaryen said:

I also thought about this question quite a bit and discussed with some friends of mine who are into the show. When did QL fall for WYL and vice versa.

 

For me, QL's feelings for WYL were a bit more obvious in its development.

 

Yes, a bit more obvious but in a roundabout way. Haha... 

 

QL is finally aware on YL’s existence during their first face-to-face meeting in Changchun Gong when YL was debating with Empress about previous emperor who buried his concubine as a companion. His first impression undoubtedly wasn’t good, she was criticizing the previous emperor and one does not do that to your own ancestor. When he finally connected the dots, that she was the same maid who glibbed her way out during their encounter at the blessed tree. He was more than annoyed but he couldn’t punish her because of the empress. Her views, her choice of words appalled him then and her rebellious streak continues to put him off.

 

Until that time when YL purposely ran into him with a bowl of water. As viewers we knew she did that to save the Empress but for him, she did it to seduce and make him to notice her more. He even complained to the Empress, who doesn’t have any other choice but to just laugh at his words because she knew that wasn’t true.

 

So when she was the one who’s serving him while he was sick IN Ep19, he still viewed her in a negative light anyway until to the point where the Empress asked is everything okay after he threw a fit. When YL answered “nothing, my lady”, his face changes as if he can’t believe that she actually dares to take the matter into her own hands without asking his permission!

 

Her attentiveness makes him suspicious, and when the Empress voiced how she couldn’t understand why QL hated YL so much when she is actually considerate and capable person, he doesn’t say anything. But he recalled how clumsy she had been and how meticulous she was when she applied ointment on him. In my opinion, this is the moment where his negative view of her shifted.