[Mainland Chinese Drama 2020] Royal Nirvana 鹤唳华亭

[Min Nee Leong]

I must have missed the part that CP knew that Lady Gu is Wenxi. Which episode is that. So CP did know that Lady Gu is Wenxi?

[Min Nee Leong]

I have finished the drama but have difficulty understanding the ending and after credit. 

 

[PPB]

18 minutes ago, Min Nee Leong said:

I must have missed the part that CP knew that Lady Gu is Wenxi. Which episode is that. So CP did know that Lady Gu is Wenxi?

It's episode 53  though at the end of 52 he's starting to have an inkling of it... 

[PPB]

19 minutes ago, Min Nee Leong said:

I have finished the drama but have difficulty understanding the ending and after credit. 

 

If you have a look, a few pages back people have discussed it... Apparently it is left open, those who would like a happy ending can think that she's waiting for him, just as he repeats, and then they are reunited when they are in the pavillion together looking at the beautiful scenery. Others say this is her imagining this, and he doesn't really return because he's dead. The after credit scenes are very unclear, though we have to bear in mind that lots ants was cut (originally 72 episodes..). 

[GiaGia]

On 4/8/2020 at 4:13 AM, PPB said:

If you have a look, a few pages back people have discussed it... Apparently it is left open, those who would like a happy ending can think that she's waiting for him, just as he repeats, and then they are reunited when they are in the pavillion together looking at the beautiful scenery. Others say this is her imagining this, and he doesn't really return because he's dead. The after credit scenes are very unclear, though we have to bear in mind that lots ants was cut (originally 72 episodes..). 

 Did you read the novel? Is the novel the same ending as the drama?

[PPB]

21 minutes ago, rosierosie said:

 Did you read the novel? Is the novel the same ending as the drama?

I have not read it because I can't read Chinese that well (ok , I can only read a bit!), and I've looked for the novel in English, but cannot find it. 

However, I know how it ends as @bluehibiscushas discussed it a number of times on this thread. The drama is in many ways very different from the novel, for example  there is no initial scene when they meet behind the screen. The novel is a tragedy, so the ending is very sad. 

Spoiler

He commits suicide and she gives birth and then also commits suicide. 

 

[Cdrama]

18 hours ago, PPB said:

I have not read it because I can't read Chinese that well (ok , I can only read a bit!), and I've looked for the novel in English, but cannot find it. 

However, I know how it ends as @bluehibiscushas discussed it a number of times on this thread. The drama is in many ways very different from the novel, for example  there is no initial scene when they meet behind the screen. The novel is a tragedy, so the ending is very sad. 

  Hide contents

He commits suicide and she gives birth and then also commits suicide. 

 

 

The drama and the book are quite compliment each other (luckily the book is translated to my language. I have just started the book and only finish half of them)

 

The book started after the teacher, crown princess and Li Bai Zhao passed away and the Zhao is already the queen. There is no scroll, the examination, military horses case. The first case in the book is the nursery rhyme. 

 

Here ‘re some thoughts on the first half of the book,

- The relationship between father and son is a bit cold. The prince always scared and be very formal to his dad. In the drama, you can see the dad also shows some affection and wants to protect CP.

- I like the depth of the character in the drama better. There are more different characters and  someone can turn good to bad or bad to good. In the book, you know the intention of the characters pretty much up front.

- There is more focus / influence on the  role of the female lead in the drama. 

 

In nutshell, I like both. The whole story could start with the drama and, for me, since the missing 12 episodes are not release, I will take the ending in the book.

[Baki Allen]

On 12/15/2019 at 5:37 AM, bluehibiscus said:

The Emperor let him have a taste of being in his position by forcing him to choose between 1) saving Lu Ying and his son (and letting his teacher bear the blame i.e. gets a dishonourable zi to describe his life) and 2) letting his teacher get an honourable zi to describe his life (and sacrificing Lu Ying and his son). He further made his choice irrevocable by declaring the zi could never be changed even when he was no longer alive.

 

Given that Lu Ying and his son were officially executed, would that allow CP to remove the dishonourable zi from his Teacher and give him an honourable zi?

[Cdrama]

5 hours ago, Baki Allen said:

 

Given that Lu Ying and his son were officially executed, would that allow CP to remove the dishonourable zi from his Teacher and give him an honourable zi?

 

CP chose #2 so his teacher name is already honourable.

[Baki Allen]

59 minutes ago, Cdrama said:

 

CP chose #2 so his teacher name is already honourable.

I thought he had chosen to keep Lu Ying and his Son alive.  If that wasn't the case dang that is messed up

[PPB]

7 minutes ago, Baki Allen said:

I thought he had chosen to keep Lu Ying and his Son alive.  If that wasn't the case dang that is messed up

You can see he was really  really cut up about it, what a horrible choice to be given..... That is why he decided he would maintain the good name of his beloved teacher, and marry. The marriage would give him a six months reprieve (you could not have executions when a royal marriage was taking place as it would bring bad luck) and bee then had the opportunity to save Liu Ying and his son in a different way (he almost managed it!!) 

[bluehibiscus]

On 4/8/2020 at 2:47 AM, Min Nee Leong said:

I must have missed the part that CP knew that Lady Gu is Wenxi. Which episode is that. So CP did know that Lady Gu is Wenxi?

 

You can read my transcript of Ep 53 on page 40 for that scene.

[bluehibiscus]

On 3/14/2020 at 7:11 PM, PPB said:

 

Of course @bluehibiscus, I should have known that. Becoming a concubine was in itself a complicated (and bureaucratic, by the sound of it!) matter. So she did become his concubine, but we don't get to see it in the drama as it stands. I do think it is hinted at in the episodes, but left unspecified... they spend a lot of time together, and it's beautiful to see how he falls in love with her despite himself,  though I still don't get whether they consummate their love, other that at the end obviously. It seems as if they may, but... not sure! 

 

Thanks also about the 5th Prince explanation, as in the precis at the beginning it does say Prince V is also plotting (someone else reminded me of this, and I did read it then), and indeed in the early episodes it looked as if he was going to be a greater player, but that obviously has been cut. Do you know by any chance if it was just a case of editing it out of expedience, or actually cut out because of censorship (if the latter, I don't really understand why)? 

 

I'm going to ask a few questions if I may in the next post, thank you as always. 

 

 

 

Sorry, I somehow missed this post of yours.

 

1) I think they only consummated their relationship after the second kiss scene in the snow. He said he didn’t want to miss out again.

 

2) One possible reason is that killing one’s mother may be one of the taboos of Chinese censors. Also, there are probably connections between this plot and the final rebellion plot that make it difficult to retain it when the latter is also not allowed. The latter was also likely the reason why all the parts where she became his concubine were cut.

[PPB]

Thank you so much @bluehibiscus for taking the time to reply. I really miss the drama, and the discussions. A bit bereft.... Nothing is quite as good as R N. Are you watching anything that you may recommend? Thanks and take care. 

[baiqian]

Rewatching Royal Nirvana  for the 20th time!  I've been trying to piece together how it all went wrong for the Crown Prince. 

What was the catalyst? When did it all start to go wrong.  I haven't read the book so I'm just going by the drama. I think it all started go downhill when the Crown Prince let his cousin Jia Yibo leave the capital.  To me that was basically telling his dad that he was on the side of the Gu Family.  His father was already questioning where his loyalties were and letting his cousin go sort of sealed his fate.

 

What's everyone else's take on what went wrong? 

[PPB]

42 minutes ago, baiqian said:

Rewatching Royal Nirvana  for the 20th time!  I've been trying to piece together how it all went wrong for the Crown Prince. 

What was the catalyst? When did it all start to go wrong.  I haven't read the book so I'm just going by the drama. I think it all started go downhill when the Crown Prince let his cousin Jia Yibo leave the capital.  To me that was basically telling his dad that he was on the side of the Gu Family.  His father was already questioning where his loyalties were and letting his cousin go sort of sealed his fate.

 

What's everyone else's take on what went wrong? 

 

Watching for the 20th time, fantastic, that's a real fan! I've watched it 3 or 4 times, also to understand the complicated plot. You make a good point, but... I personally think there was no catalyst for things to go wrong. The way I understood it is that the Emperor was suspicious of his own son, the Crown Prince, from the beginning. He was testing him from the start (when the problem arose at the capping ceremony, it seemed to me that the emperor was pretty cold and unwilling to believe in the CP), and not trusting him much. I think towards the end, when the Emperor says "people kept on telling me CP was so much like his uncle I started to believe it, but in fact he's much more like me" it kind of shows that he was suspicious from the start, because of the circumstances of CP's childhood. Mainly the fact that CP was scared of the emperor and loved his uncle who remembered his birthday, and was there to comfort him.  

 

It is true that CP did a lot of things that really irritated the emperor, thus not improving their relationship, they were constantly at odds with each other. When the Emperor asks Wenxi why did CP protect her (and subsequently got severely punished for it), Wenxi replied I don't know, I don't understand CP sometimes, and neither do you... that was so true.

 

So.... I think rather a catalyst, it was more a bad beginning, compounded by a series of actions (on both sides, but obviously the one wielding the power is the emperor, not CP) which were misunderstood, or at odds with the Emperor's thinking. This accumulation of events, plus the Emperor's need to control and balance his own power, led to all the troubles we saw. 

 

 

[bluehibiscus]

23 hours ago, PPB said:

Are you watching anything that you may recommend? Thanks and take care. 

 

Sad to say, I don’t have the time or mood to watch any dramas now. The COVID-19 measures have disrupted my life and work.

[PPB]

39 minutes ago, bluehibiscus said:

 

Sad to say, I don’t have the time or mood to watch any dramas now. The COVID-19 measures have disrupted my life and work.

 I'm so sorry to hear that @bluehibiscusit is a very tough time for just about anyone atm. We're in lockdown too, trying to keep our spirits up, please take care, sending our best, best wishes.  

[bluehibiscus]

1 hour ago, PPB said:

 I'm so sorry to hear that @bluehibiscusit is a very tough time for just about anyone atm. We're in lockdown too, trying to keep our spirits up, please take care, sending our best, best wishes.  

 

I appreciate your kind thoughts and wish you the same too. Hope everyone and their loved ones stay safe during this period and we will all come out stronger for it.

[Baki Allen]

On 12/28/2019 at 7:05 AM, bluehibiscus said:

 

I think he is threatening Zhang because Zhang objects to his edict and given his temperament, that is exactly the kind of response he would give since he knows of Zhang’s role in Lu Ying’s death .

 

In those days, the Emperor did not have unfettered power. He was restricted by laws and the system of administration.

 

Many people seem to think making Zhao Empress protects her from being investigated but even the Empress was subject to the law. I think it was more to send a message to the Gus and to provide some support for Qi.

 

None of the characters in the drama are truly black and white. This includes Zhang Luzheng and it makes him real.

I can't remember what episode it was, but was near the end when the Empress was begging the Emperor to protect Qi.  She was making the case that the Crown Prince was a Gu and would always be a Gu and that Qi was his son and part of his family.  It seemed to hint that the two of them had been working together to replace the CP with Qi but needed an airtight pretext.  Sending Qi out of the palace and to his fief she viewed as a betrayal of their shared plan.  Remember the Emperor always tells Qi to tell me what you have done so I can protect you.  He is never looking to punish him, but keep him in the game.  The CP Uncle was right, the Emperor will replace him down the road at some point and bring Qi back.