Empresses in the Palace

''Empresses in the Palace'' (, ''lit.'' ''The Legend of Zhen Huan''), is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel of the same name by Liu Lianzi. Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it stars Sun Li in the title role of Zhen Huan. The series started airing in China for the first time on 17 November 2011.

Premise

In 1722, Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen ascends to the throne of the Qing dynasty as the Yongzheng Emperor, thanks to the help of Nian Gengyao (Duke of the Second Class) and Longkodo (Duke of the First Class).

Nian Gengyao's younger sister, Consort Hua, serves as a concubine to the Emperor and wins his favor among the women in his harem. The Empress tolerates her rival in many things, allowing her to act in ways that would normally be seen as disrespectful.

Six months into his reign, the Empress Dowager encourages her son to expand his harem and add newer, younger women to serve him and increase the family line. Among the ones who are chosen for the selection is Zhen Huan. Others among the selected ladies are Shen Meizhuang (an old friend of Zhen Huan and highborn lady), An Lingrong (the meek daughter of a low-ranking province officer) and Xia Dongchun (an arrogant girl from a powerful family).

Plot

After much strife and hardship, Zhen Huan visibly changes from the pure and innocent girl who entered the harem, to a cruel and heartbroken woman.

Along the way, she experiences many schemes plotted against her and lady Shen. The most heinous one is her miscarriage after being chastised by Noble Consort Hua. However, even though Noble Consort Hua's mistreatment contributed to it, the death of Lady Chun, the poisoning of Chosen Lady Yu, and an ointment given to her by another concubine who Zhen Huan thought of as a sister, An Lingrong ttendant Antied all the efforts together in eliminating the child.

Eventually, Consort Hua is imprisoned in the Cold Palace for her many misdeeds, exposed by her confidante—lady Cao (later Concubine Xiang), and is eventually given a death sentence and options for suicide. Second Attendant Nian refuses to die without a decree from the Emperor, giving time for Zhen Huan to visit and reveal so many things that would break Lady Nian's heart. Zhen Huan gives her the reason for Lady Nian's several reinstatements and unending favor from the Emperor, which is a scheme to keep Nian Gengyao loyal and content. She also proves Consort Duan innocence by revealing that the person who had caused Lady Nian's miscarriage that year was no other than the Emperor himself. The revelation of the secret behind the pleasancy in her palace deals a final blow to her. In the end, Second Attendant Nian commits suicide but refuses to do so in the way that was decreed, not sparing an offense to the Empress even moments before her death. Although she was in a lowly position at the end of her life, on account of her service and the Emperor's reputation, she was posthumously entitled to Noble Consort and was further entitled Imperial Noble Consort upon Noble Consort Xi's plead later in the series.

Zhen Huan then gets promoted from Concubine to Consort Huan, and the Empress plots against her. She arranges things in such a way that Consort Huan ends up unknowingly wearing the late Empress Chunyuan's clothes. The Emperor is enraged by this and demotes her back to Concubine and strips off Concubine standards and replaces them with that of a second-attendant. This is when she becomes disillusioned with him. At this time, she is also pregnant, and only days after she gives birth to a daughter she becomes a Banished Consort and is sent to be a nun in the Ganlu Temple.

While there, she falls in love with the Emperor's 17th younger brother, Yunli, Prince Guo of the Second Rank. She and Lord Guo devise a plan to feign death and elope. But, Lord Guo is sent to Tibet and fails to return even after four months. Zhen Huan, wanting the child to have a good life and to avenge Lord Guo's possible death, gets in touch with the Emperor's Head Eunuch, Mr. Su with the help of her former Head Maid, Lady Sui. She eventually comes back to the Forbidden City as Consort Xi of the Niohuru clan. In the palace, she gives birth to twins, fathered by Yunli, but she convinces everybody that they are the Emperors'. She also adopts the fourth prince, Hongli (Later Lord Bao) who is looked down upon because he is the son of an ugly deceased palace maid.

Gradually she regains the love of the Emperor. She also erodes the power of the Empress and kills Consort Li (An Lingrong). Finally, the Empress confesses her past crimes after Zhen Huan sets her up for inducing a miscarriage and admits that she was the one who killed the late Empress and caused several other miscarriages. However, she has been granted amnesty by the late Empress Dowager and is not deposed but imprisoned.

Towards the end, Yongzheng suspects Zhen Huan and Yunli of having an affair. He orders her to kill the prince to prove that she has no feelings toward him. Yunli sacrifices himself and although she does not intentionally kill him, he dies. Following this incident, the Emperor makes Zhen Huan the Empress in everything but in formal title.

However, he grows suspicious regarding the paternity of his children with Zhen Huan. To save them, she plots against the Emperor with another woman forced into being in the Emperor's harem, Concubine Ning, and eventually manages to kill him.

As the most senior widow, she plays a crucial role in the succession and installs her adopted son, the fourth prince, as the Qianlong Emperor, instead of her biological son Hongyan as she does not want him to be burdened by the role. She also makes her son the heir to Prince Guo, his biological father.

In the end, Niohuru Zhenhuan becomes the sad, wistful and lonely Empress Dowager.

Cast

Main

Supporting

Yongzheng's harem

Imperial Family

Imperial princes

* Wu Lipeng as Aisin-Gioro Hongshi
** 3rd prince of the Yongzheng Emperor
** Li Wanting's son, adopted by the Empress. Later adopted as the son of Yunsi, Prince Lian of the First Rank, Yongzheng's younger half-brother.
* Wang Wenjie as Aisin-Gioro Hongli
** 4th prince of the Yongzheng Emperor → Prince Bao of the First Rank → Emperor / the Qianlong Emperor
** Born to a palace maid. He is later adopted by Zhen Huan.
* Duan Shaonan as Aisin-Gioro Hongyan
** 6th Prince of the Yongzheng Emperor
** Zhen Huan's son with Yunli and Lingxi's twin brother. Later adopted into Yunli's/Prince Guo's lineage.

Imperial princesses

* Yao Wan'er as Princess Wenyi (温宜公主)
** Cao Qinmo's daughter, later adopted by Qi Yuebin.
* Yang Xinyi as Princess Longyue (胧月公主)
** Zhen Huan's daughter, adopted by Feng Ruozhao.
* Ding Xiaomei as Princess Lingxi (灵犀公主)
** Zhen Huan's daughter with Yunli and Hongyan's twin sister.
* Zhang Zhixiang as Princess Jinghe ()
** Shen Meizhuang's daughter with Wen Shichu, adopted by Zhen Huan.

Court officials

* Shen Baoping as Zhen Yuandao, later Niohuru Yuandao
**Father of Huan, Yuyin and Yurao
* Zhang Yi as Tunggiya Longkodo
* Ma Weifu as Gūwalgiya Emin
**Father of Gūwalgiya Wenyuan
* Sun Ning as Nian Gengyao
**Older brother of Nian Shilan
* Li Hongrui as Moge
* Wang Biao as Zhang Tingyu

Others

* Zhang Xiaolong as Wen Shichu ()
**Imperial Physician and Zhen Huan's childhood friend.
Zhang Xiaolong also served behind the scenes as the drama's expert regarding traditional dance and Qing court etiquette.
* Sun Qian as Cui Jinxi ()
** Maid to Zhen Huan, and later Su Peisheng's wife
* Lee Tian-chu as Su Peisheng ()
**Head Eunuch to the Yongzheng Emperor
* Zhan Jingyi as Liuzhu ()
**Maid to Zhen Huan
* Li Dan as Yun Xinluo, Madame Zhen, later Madame Niohuru
** Mother of Huan and Yurao
* Luo Kang as Eunuch Xiao Yunzi ()
**Head Eunuch to Zhen Huan
* Zhai Beibei as Pei'er ()
** Maid to Zhen Huan
* He Mengting as Huasui ()
**Maid to Yu Ying'er, and later to Zhen Huan
* Cheng Nan as Feiwen ()
**Maid who betrays Zhen Huan
* Li Qun as Bin'er ()
**Maid at Zhen Manor, and later at Gūwalgiya Manor
* Du Xiang as Huang Guiquan ()
**Head Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department
* Zhang Zhiwei as Jiang Zhongmin ()
** Second Head Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department
* Quan Baojun as Eunuch Gou
* Zhang Zhiwei as Liang Duorui ()
* Liang Yixin as Baojuan ()
**Maid to An Lingrong
* Hu Xinhui as Baoque ()
**Maid to An Lingrong, later executed for "causing" the death of Shen Meizhuang
* Li Mengyang as Juqing ()
** Maid to Zhen Huan, and later to An Lingrong
* Xu Lei as Eunuch Gui
* Liu Yin as Jixiang ()
** Maid to Qi Yuebin
* Tian Shumei as Sun Zhuxi ()
**Maid to the Empress Dowager
* Yang Jingfang as Fang Ruo ()
** Maid to the Yongzheng Emperor
* Yang Kaichun as Jianqiu ()
**Maid to the Empress
* Liu Yang as Jiang Fuhai ()
**Eunuch to the Empress
* Sun Fei as Fuzi
* Wang Yiming as Zhou Ninghai ()
**Head Eunuch to Nian Shilan
* Wang Xiaoming as Suxi
**Eunuch to Nian Shilan
* Zhao Hailong as Kang Luhai ()
**Eunuch to Zhen Huan, and later to Fei Yunyan
* Guo Zihao as Eunuch Yin
* Liu Boting as Ajin ()
** Servant to Yunli
* Sun Boyang as Xia Yi
* Qin Yiming as Wei Lin
**Imperial Physician trusted by Zhen Huan and disciple of Wen Shichu
* Xing Hanqing as Ji Weisheng
* Du Xiaotao as Jiang Cheng
**Imperial Physician trusted by Nian Shilan
* Yang Xiaobo as Jiang Shen
**Imperial Physician trusted by Nian Shilan
* Guo Chen as Liu Ben
**Imperial Physician who betrays Shen Meizhuang
* Hai Yan as Jing'an
**Head Nun at Ganlu Temple
* Zhao Qianzi as Jingbai
**Nun at Ganlu Temple who makes life difficult for Zhen Huan
* Wang Lihan as Moyan
**Nun at Ganlu Temple who helps Zhen Huan
* Li Lubing as Eunuch Xia ()
**Eunuch to the Yongzheng Emperor and disciple of Su Peisheng
* Li Yingya as Huichun ()
**Maid to the Empress
* Li Yang as Xu Jinliang
* Han Yuting as Cuiguo ()
** Maid to Li Wanting
*Yuan Yi as Lady Fuca
**Primary Consort to the 4th prince → Primary Consort to Prince Bao of the First Rank → Empress → ''Empress Xiaoxianchun'' (posthumously)
*Zhang Yan as Ula-Nara Qingying
**Secondary Consort to Prince Bao of the First Rank → Consort Xian →Noble Lady Xian (冼貴人) → Commoner → Mistress Yi (易姐) → Consort Xian (冼妃) → Noble Consort Xian (冼貴妃) → Imperial Noble Consort of the Ula-Naras (黃貴妃烏拉那拉施)→ Empress (皇后)→Step Empress (成帝繼皇侯)
* Liulianzi as Liu Lianzi (劉蓮子)
**One of the candidates of the Draft Selection in episode 1
Cameo by the original author, most of Liulianzi's scenes outlining her character profile were deleted from the final cut, but were shown during her wedding

Soundtrack

Backstage crew

*Publishers: Zheng Xiaolong, Zhong Yi, Dun Yong, Li Ruigang
*Producers: Cao Ping, Dun Qi, Xu Xiaoou
*Supervisors: Liu Zhiyuan, Wang Xiaodong, Zhang Suzhou, Chen Liang, Tang Rang, Zhang Ping, Li Junming, Zhang Ping, Zhao Hongmei, Chen Yaping
*Director: Zheng Xiaolong
*Deputy director's assistants: Dong Xiaoyun (Assistant Director), Liu Le (Assistant), Zheng Hanqing (Assistant)
*Script writer: Liu Lianzi, Wang Xiaoping
*Photographer: Li Zhiqiang, Li Qiang, Yu Fei, Zhang Yuanshou, Feng Yucheng, Wang Lindong, Zhao Hao, He Lichun, Chen Jianwei, Wei Liangliang, Li Meng, Yang Jinbo
*Music: Liu Huan, Meng Ke, Ding Ji, Zhao Liang, Song Lei, Wang Songyang, Wan Xiaoyuan, Li Wei, Sui Jing, Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, Huang Lijie
*Editor: Jin Ye, Jiang Jimei, cao translation
*Props: Wang Yue, Liu Yuanfei, Wang Guiqing, Wang Shili, Gao Guiyong, Liu Jiye, Zhang Yanlong, Fang Jie, LiBiao, Cao Yongli, Wang Yanhua, Su Huizhi, gao Yashi, Gao Xian, Young spring library, Lv Qiang, Zhang Fengjun
*Casting director: Li Yang
*Voice acting directors: Liao Jing and Zhang Wei
*Art designers: Chen Haozhong, Luan Hexin, Wang Yongkang, Yang Kun
*Modeling designers: Chen Minzheng, Li Yuanyuan, Wang Yingkai, Kou Hainan, Yang Jia, Sun Yue, Guo Yang, Min Cong, Zhang Rongbin, Qin Yiping, Wen Lulu, Xing Lu
*Fashion designers: Chen Tongxun, Shi Dongling, Ji Doni, Zhu Yuxiang, Tang Biyun, Liu Xiaohu, Chen Guanglin, Guo Sheng, Shi Jianmin
*Visual effects: Beijing Huacai Shengtang Mathematics Technology Co., LTD
*Lighting crew: Li Tianlei, Zhang Xin 'an, Zhang Cun, Wang Zhonghai, Xu Wanfei, Zhang Feng, Lin Shucong, Wu Tianzhao, Zhang Yunling, Meng Xudong, Chen Guofu, Xu Bing, Zhang Jiayu
*Recording crew: An Wei, Liu Xinghe, Lin Xin
*Directors: Zhang Xiaonan, Zhang Xiaofeng, Wang Gaofeng, Wang Kuanxi, Guan Xiaoming, Wang Kuandong, Zhang Yongbo, Zhang Wei, Dai Zuyin, Dai Zuyuan, Li Shunyi, Li Weitan, Jia Xinquan, Liu Quanmin
*Script supervisor: Guo Guanhua, Yu Feng
*Issuing: Cheng Ting

Impact

Chinese traditional arts

According to the ''Overseas Chinese Language and Culture Education Online'' website, The Filigree Inlaid Metal Art (花丝镶嵌), an accessory craft skill that could be oriented back to the Spring and Autumn Period from 770-256 BC that uses gold, silver, and metal as the based; pearls, and gems on top, attracted a wide number of audience and became a phenomenon due to it being featured on ''Empresses in the Palace'.''.''

Ratings

* Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue.

Accolades

International broadcast

The drama was first aired in China in 2011 on Shaoxing News, a regional channel. As it gained popularity there it was picked up by national TV channels and first aired nationwide in 2012.

In April 2015, the series was added to US region of Netflix and has since been taken off and put on Amazon Prime Video. It was edited down to six episodes, each with a ninety-minute duration. The original audio was kept intact with the addition of closed captions in English.

In Thailand, the series was first aired in 2016 on Channel 7 and in 2018 on One31 and LINE TV.

The series was uploaded o
YouTube
by LeTV in 2018.

References

{{Anhui Television Dramas

2011 Chinese television series debuts
Chinese historical television series
Television shows based on Chinese novels
Television series by SMG Pictures
Television series set in the Qing dynasty