[Mainland Chinese Drama 2020] Royal Nirvana 鹤唳华亭

[DramaLover]

On a side note, don’t you think ShaoYun have beautiful dreamy eyes? Those eyes were just shimmering away when ShaoYun was tearing up after CP called WX to bed..... 

 

[bluehibiscus]

1 hour ago, DramaLover said:

 

That’s my fear too. A good ending to them might be the ending per the novel.   That would be a horrible ending after what those two have been through. 

 

The previews do provide a bit of hope. Their reunion in the next few episodes and hopefully, WX makes CP grovel and pay for the way he manhandle her.

 

Quick question on my mind for awhile - did WX drink the poison and was given antidote /rescued by CP?  Or was it just a sleeping drug, as she slept for two days?

 

The director said he feared the viewers would want his head if DQ died so DQ would most probably not die. Li Yitong also says it will be very sweet towards the end. We still haven’t got the second kiss.

 

It was not poison.

[JoyceDreamer]

If CP dies, I hope that the emperor will regret it later. I just want to see Prince Qi, Zhang, and Empress fall. I miss Gu Feng En.... 

[bluehibiscus]

1 hour ago, Cdrama said:

Hi @bluehibiscus

 

In the book, 

  Reveal hidden contents

How was the print Qi and his mother ended? Why was cp deposed? Did the cp ever bring justice to himself? 

I really like this drama and hope the best for the cp but the tone it is moving toward it really make me feel uneasy.

 

Spoiler

 

Prince Qi is demoted to a lower title and sent away to the borders with his wife quite early on. Empress Zhao is forced to commit suicide by 5th Prince. I think they have removed this plotline where 5th Prince turns out to be a villain.

 

The novel was written to convey the message that those who were not victors of the spoils in history could be heroes in their own right who followed their principles and beliefs. Hence even though CP saves many lives by stopping the rebellion halfway, he is given the bad name of a rebel for posterity and deposed. The Emperor has him incarcerated but never intends to kill him and a body check is customary to ensure he has no access to sharp items. Reputation mattered more than life in those days and CP decides to commit suicide. Ah Bao helps by giving him the weapon (the crane hairpin he had given her) when she is allowed by the Emperor to visit him.

 

Fans of the novel want the drama to have the same ending as the novel but I don’t think it will be the case. If you appreciate my answer, please click on the little heart at the corner. Cheers.

 

 

[Cdrama]

Thank you! Much appreciated. @bluehibiscus

 

Spoiler

I understand that the heros may not be the victor in the history. Just couldnt imagine a father would do this to a son especially when the son is good.

 

[DramaLover]

58 minutes ago, bluehibiscus said:

We still haven’t got the second kiss.

 

@bluehibiscus, you got another leaked clip for us?!?!?  

[bluehibiscus]

@Pie39

 

I'm still working on the synopses you requested as it is quite time-consuming (need to rewatch the episodes). Sorry for the delay.

 

Here's Ep 44:

 

Wenxi donned the clothes of an attendant and forged a letter allowing her to leave CP's residence after the doors had closed. She stamped it with his private seal to make it look authentic. She then headed to Prince Qi's residence and disclosed that she knew Chen neiren had been working for Prince Qi as she also had the huazelan herb that Jiang gave her (previousy used to incriminate her in the miscarriage of Crown Princess case). However, Chen was not reliable due to her personal feelings for CP. Wenxi offered to be Qi's new informant if he would help her get rid of Chen neiren. When Qi pointed out she was no different from Chen, Wenxi said she did not want to waste her energy fighting the yellow bird when her real opponent was the eagle. We did not hear who the eagle was but Qi was convinced after that. 5th Prince/Prince Zhao overheard their conversation.

 

Qi wrote an anonymous letter stating that the white jade (Empress' reputation) has a slight blemish (Wenxi) and to remove (kill) it (her) when the opportunity arose. 5th Prince tried to dissuade Wenxi from her plan by offering to take her away, anywhere she wanted. He was disappointed when Wenxi chose to borrow his horse to return to CP's residence before the doors opened. 5th Prince had to borrow another horse from Qi to return home, claiming that his horse had run away but Qi suspected 5th Prince knew that servant from CP's residence.

 

Xi Xiang wondered why Wenxi chose to return when she could leave. Wasn't she afraid of torture and possible death? Wenxi replied she was afraid but she was even more fearful she could not get to fight the eagle.

 

Wenxi ran into Youming checking on the people entering the leaving CP's residence. He wanted to retain the letter of authority but she said CP did not want others to know of it. He allowed her to take back the letter but noticed her red fingernails. Wenxi destroyed the letter.

 

Wenxi was caught by the other maids in the laundry department. Chen asked Wenxi why she did not leave as she had intended. The two compared the length of time they had known CP (Chen's 15 years vs Wenxi's 6 months) and their knowledge of his sleeping habits, the nightmares that disturbed his sleep and his ability to drink wine (Wenxi taught him to drink a few cups). Chen gave Wenxi the option to leave after the doors opened which she would then report to CP as running away. Wenxi refused and agreed with Chen that she was forcing her hand. Chen ordered Wenxi to be beaten and signalled the staff executig the punishment to find a chance to kill her.

 

Meanwhile, Xi Xiang wore the clothes of an attendant and slipped a letter inside the bedchamber of CP. The letter was discovered by Wang and he arrived to slap Chen and halt the punishment of Wenxi. Chen was exposed as an informant of Qi due to the letter. CP recognised his brother's poor handwriting and the blemish reference he had used previously at Zong Zheng Si. CP was deeply hurt and disappointed. Wenxi was carried to the Crown Princess' residence. CP almost wanted to go in to take a look at her but retreated and went off to meet the officials waiting for him to discuss the rituals for Xian Fu Li (Presentation of Prisoners of War).

 

Upon returning to his residence, CP called for Chen out of habit. After remembering where Chen was, he asked if Wenxi had slept only to be told she had insisted on leaving because her position did not befit her staying there. She visited Chen together with Xi Xiang. Chen realised she had been set up by Wenxi but wondered how she did it. She regretted entertaining the thought of letting Wenxi go when she had in fact laid a trap for her. Wenxi revealed she was doing it to avenge the death of Crown Princess as she knew Chen must have been the one to persuade Crown Princess to attend the birthday celebration. Wenxi advised her not to wait till she had no choice, implying she should commit suicide by eating the poisoned food she had prepared. Chen believed CP would let her off on account of her 15 years of knowing him as long as Wenxi did not tell him of her role in the Crown Princess' death. Wenxi agreed to give it a try, remarking that this time, she would be there to see the end result (Chen previously said Wenxi would not be around to witness the outcome).

 

 

 

[bluehibiscus]

23 minutes ago, DramaLover said:

 

@bluehibiscus, you got another leaked clip for us?!?!?  

 

No but it is shown in the opening music.

[-jade-]

36 minutes ago, bluehibiscus said:

No but it is shown in the opening music.

Do you mean this kiss? 

Spoiler

 

I'm still way behind, stuck at (ep 23) the wedding of CP with his Crown Princess (but couldn't stop myself from sneak peeks at spoilers lol). That's a very beautiful wedding, and would have been so much more beautiful and satisfying if the bride were Wenxi. 

 

Love this drama a lot. However, at this point (based on spoilers/teasers/comments), perhaps the screenwriter/PD could have overplayed their "angst/torment factor where OTP is concerned." I hope it won't be too little too late. I'm still looking forward to PD/screenwriter's "promised satisfying ending (as opposed to novel's original ending)." I hope nothing will derail them with another alternate version. 

 

Btw...

Spoiler

Ming Dynasty, with Zhu Yawen and Tang Wei, is quite a different nice cup of tea - a quicker pace, a more pronounced growth in characters' (esp. OTP) development, some humor and comic infused in action and language, just as beautifully presented in terms of costumes, rites and etiquette, etc - if anyone is looking for something else to partake post-RN. d(^∇^)b

 

[bluehibiscus]

@jadecloud Yup, that’s the one.

 

Spoiler

I tried 2 episodes of Ming Dynasty and also watched cuts of scenes from other episodes but I think it is not for me. If I find myself distracted by the ML’s messy hair, then the story is not engaging me enough.

 

[DramaLover]

53 minutes ago, jadecloud said:

contents

Thanks @jadecloud  Fingers crossed for super sweet episodes to come. 

 

I also tried Ming Dynasty. I couldn’t quite see the chemistry between the OTP, and gave up after the 5th episode. 

[Pie39]

the end of last year the story of ming lan ... waiting for each latest episode .. lucky for ming lan every episode every day .. following the forum, look at the pieces of the episode..so crazy with that serial drama..

now the end of 2019 ... royal nirvana ... from the first episode the same now, the same ... waiting for monday to thursday thursday to monday ... as there is no other work , from tuesday to thursday look at the forum, see the episode On YouTube, download the ost ,mv .. im  really crazy because of royal nirvana ,fortunately my husband doesn't know what's on my mind lately since watching royal nirvana ... if he knows he might be jealous , i kind of don't care about him lately

[DramaLover]

@bluehibiscus, would you be so kind enough to give summary of CP and WX conversation in bed, after she got spanked by Attendant Wang?

 

Did CP allude to her being his concubine since she ate 5 seeds, and thus he’s eligible to apply medicine on her buttocks?

[bluehibiscus]

Great BTS of the kissing scene http://t.cn/AiFgwgqu?m=4455923466587060&u=6333892461

[GiaGia]

^lol cute, the hat was supposed to come off. I thought the opposite. 

[bluehibiscus]

4 hours ago, DramaLover said:

 

Did CP allude to her being his concubine since she ate 5 seeds, and thus he’s eligible to apply medicine on her buttocks?

 

CP: You’re such a good liar, how come you couldn’t keep it from him?

WX: Your Highness was out for so long. Can Your Highness manage to keep it from him by yourself?

CP: When I’m in front of him, I can’t lie. Why are you feeling a sense of grievance? Each Liang Di only got 4 pieces of the pomegranates bestowed by the Emperor while you ate 5. You’ve broken even.

WX: It’s not enough!

CP:(He reaches out to pinch her left cheek) Why is your skin still...so....[thick]?

WX: Ouch!

CP: You still glare at me?

WX: I don’t have any sense of grievance.

CP: (Smiles, gives the tip of her nose a light pinch and pats her forehead) That’s good.

He purposely puts his hand on her injured buttocks as he gets off the bed. Wenxi gives a squeal of pain.

CP: (To Xi Xiang) Help her apply the medicine.

WX: It’s not the pomegranates. If I were Wang, I would have done the same.

CP: Now you are lying again.

WX: (Mischievously) True, because I’m not before Wang but Your Highness.

CP pauses as her words sink in. He holds out a hand imperiously.

CP: Give me the medicine.

With the bottle of medicine in hand, he resumes his position on the bed.

WX: (In panic) Your Highness...

CP: It’s not as if it’s the first time.

WX: This...this..is not the same.

CP: True, it’s not the same. Since you’ve eaten 5 pieces, why don’t ...

He places his hand on her blanket as if about to tug it away.

WX: But..

She looks at Xi Xiang who discreetly turns her head and body away. WX’s rounded eyes swing back to CP. Their gazes hold for a long, pregnant moment and her face begins to heat. She lowers her eyes shyly and hurriedly turns her body away, laying her flushed face on the pillow, eyes scrunched tight in embarrassment even as her lips curve into what feels like a goofy smile.

 

 

[Reverie]

  

On 12/31/2019 at 2:58 PM, bluehibiscus said:

If he hadn’t take the rap, then the most likely person to be investigated was General Gu and that could bring unwanted repercussions. 

 

It is disappointing that CP strategy is to take the full blame for the song and not launch a counter-measure to reveal the true instigator as he had always done in the past. I find it a sudden drop in the level of politicking power that the CP has, even after he has shown us through all the cases - coronation, examination, military horses - that he is not one to take things lying down. He would go all out to protect his uncle of course, but to pin the blame on himself is a noble idiot move as his uncle is associated with his faction. Be it CP or General Gu, both are on the same sinking boat because CP suddenly declared himself the pirate. No wonder suicide is the only way out. He really did himself in this time. How are viewers supposed to root for a character who brought a tragic ending onto himself?

[bluehibiscus]

On 1/1/2020 at 9:24 PM, Reverie said:

  

 

It is disappointing that CP strategy is to take the full blame for the song and not launch a counter-measure to reveal the true instigator as he had always done in the past. I find it a sudden drop in the level of politicking power that the CP has, even after he has shown us through all the cases - coronation, examination, military horses - that he is not one to take things lying down. He would go all out to protect his uncle of course, but to pin the blame on himself is a noble idiot move as his uncle is associated with his faction. Be it CP or General Gu, both are on the same sinking boat because CP suddenly declared himself the pirate. No wonder suicide is the only way out. He really did himself in this time. How are viewers supposed to root for a character who brought a tragic ending onto himself?

 

The Emperor has been looking for an excuse to take back the military power from the Gus. This can be the excuse he’s looking for, regardless of any evidence they may find. The Emperor did something similar 3 years ago but the scene mentioning this was cut. That is what worries CP. I read that 5 episodes worth of this case did not get past the censors.

[Reverie]

22 minutes ago, bluehibiscus said:

i read that 5 episodes worth of this case did not get past the censors.

 

No wonder... that’s a literal plot hole right there dug by the censors  it’s sad that the scriptwriting and characterisation did not get to be fully fleshed out.

 

I also wonder what has happened to WX who has turned from a free-spirited independent lady with her own spunk to this Mary Sue caught up in sadomasochism. It’s like her only redeeming quality now is how much torture she can endure before CP 5P or Zhang Shao Yun can save her. 
 

CP characterisation seems to have done a 180 degree turn too when it comes to Ah Bao. He was always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt like in the case of Zhang-shi, Du Shi Lang and the Emperor for whom he was willing to accommodate and forgive to no end. But poor Ah Bao is always taking the brunt of his perverse paranoia. For someone in such a compromised position he repeatedly inflicts his very own predicament onto Ah Bao without remorse. What he goes through because of the Emperor is what Ah Bao goes through because of him. He doesn’t need to know she is WX, just needs to trust that she’s a decent human being just like him! 

[bluehibiscus]

@Reverie 

If you mean Zhang Luzheng, he is still family by marriage and CP probably feels it is what Nianzhi would want. He feels guilty towards Nianzhi. CP said he would only give Zhang Luzheng one chance.

 

If you mean the servant who died in the scroll debacle, she watched him grow up and he is a sentimental person.

 

Du Shi Lang was a student of CP’s uncle and watched him grow up. CP also said he would only give him one chance. I would say Du has repaid CP many times over.

 

The Emperor is his blood kin and fillial piety means a lot to CP.

 

With Wenxi, things get complicated. Don’t people always say love clouds the mind? She is an enigma who draws CP irresistibly as they are very similar in terms of intelligence and interests but her origins and motivations are suspect. All his life, he’s been warned not to trust strangers easily. Is he a moth being drawn by the veritable flame? Can he trust her? His heart is constantly at war with his mind.

 

Although he has been pretty harsh with her physically and verbally because of her lowly position, emotionally she is also torturing him with her unwillingness to come clean with him. He has given Wenxi many chances when he could simply have killed her. I wouldn’t want to be in Wenxi’s position and he does need to make up for how he has treated her but given the setting of feudal times and the wide disparity in their stations, his actions were not entirely out of bounds.