Empresses in the Palace

Empresses in the Palace
Also known as	The Legend of Zhen Huan
Genre	Historical fiction
Based on	Hougong Zhen Huan Zhuan by Liu Lianzi
Written by	Liu Lianzi Wang Xiaoping
Directed by	Zheng Xiaolong
Starring	Sun Li Ada Choi Chen Jianbin Jiang Xin Li Dongxue Lan Xi Tao Xinran
Country of origin	China
Original language	Mandarin
No. of episodes	76
Production
Production location	China
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Production company	Beijing TV Art Center
Release
Original network	Shaoxing News regional channel[citation needed]
Original release	17 November 2011 (2011-11-17)
Chronology
Followed by	Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018)
Related shows	The Legend of Mi Yue (2015)

Empresses in the Palace (simplified Chinese: 后宫·甄嬛传; traditional Chinese: 後宮·甄嬛傳, lit. The Legend of Zhen Huan), is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the Internet 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 was first aired in China on 17 November 2011. English subtitles are available on LeTV YouTube channel. (Not all videos available in eng sub).

Background[]

In 1722, Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing dynasty has ascended to the throne thanks to the help of Nian Gengyao (Duke of the Second Class) and Longkodo (Duke of the First Class). 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 most things, allowing her to act in ways that would normally be seen as disrespectful in the actions of a normal concubine. The Empress installs a maid, Fuzi, into Consort Hua's household to keep an eye on her rival. However, Consort Hua is on to the Empress' plan, and quickly managed to get Fuzi killed. 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 to be viewed and selected by the Emperor and Dowager Empress is Niohuru Zhenhuan. She prays at a buddhist temple with her maids, Liuzhu and Huanbi, to not be selected. Even Imperial Doctor Wen, a family friend and man who has feelings for Zhenhuan, offers her a jade vase as a promise to marry her. However, she can't as she is one of the chosen ones to appear before the royal family to selection.

Others among the selection are: Shen Meizhuang (an old friend and playmate of Zhen Huan and highborn lady); An Lingrong (a meek young girl from a low ranking officer); and Xia Dongchun (an arrogant girl from a high ranking family). When Ling-rong accidentally spills her hot tea on Dongchun's outfit, Xia ridicules her mercilessly until Zhenhuan and Meizhuang intervene. The four women are selected to serve the Emperor as Concubines. When Zhenhuan is shown to the Emperor and Dowager Empress, a startling reaction leaves her fate up in the air.

Plot[]

After much strife and hardship, Zhenhuan is visibly changing from the pure innocent maiden who entered the harem to the cruel and relentless heartbroken woman. Along the way she experiences a miscarriage due to mistreatment by Consort Hua, who is the second most powerful woman in the harem, second only to the Empress in rank. However, even though Consort Hua's mistreatment of Huan contributed to her miscarriage, the primary reason for it was because of an ointment that she used regularly to heal a wound. The ointment had ingredients that could induce a miscarriage, given to her by another concubine who Huan thought of as a sister, An Lingrong, the same girl she had once saved. Eventually, Consort Hua is imprisoned in the Cold Palace, a place for discarded concubines, for her many misdeeds, including murder and arson and is eventually given a death sentence and told to commit suicide. Although Consort Hua refuses at first, Huan makes a visit and tells her that the Emperor has never loved her and only favoured her to please her brother, the general Nian Gengyao. She also tells her the reason for her infertility was a special incense granted to her by the Emperor. In the end, Consort Hua commits suicide but refuses to do so in a way that was decreed.

The Empress plots against Zhenhuan, arranging things so that she ends up unknowingly wearing the Emperor's most beloved late Chunyuan Empress's clothes. The Emperor is enraged by this and grounds her to her palace, where she becomes disillusioned with him. At this time, she is pregnant, and only days after she gives birth to a daughter she is transferred over to a nunnery where she becomes a nun. While there she falls in love with the Emperor's brother, Yunli (Prince Guo). However, she eventually comes back to the Forbidden Palace when she mistakenly believes that the Emperor's brother is dead and wants to find out the truth of his death. (After this, she finds that he is still alive, but it is too late.) In the palace, she gives birth to twins, fathered by Yunli, but she convinces all that they are the Emperor's. She also adopts the fourth prince, who was looked down upon. Gradually she regains the love of the Emperor. She also erodes the power of the Empress and kills An Lingrong, who caused the death of Shen Meizhuang after she had an affair with an imperial doctor.

Finally, the Empress confesses her past crimes after Zhenhuan set her up for inducing a miscarriage and admits that she was the one who killed the late Chunyuan Empress and caused several other miscarriages. However, the Empress, who has been granted amnesty by the late Empress Dowager, is not killed but discarded. Towards the end, the Emperor suspects that Huan and Yunli, the seventeenth prince, of having an affair. He orders her to kill him to prove that she has no feelings towards him. Yunli sacrifices himself for her, and although she does not intentionally kill him, he dies. Following this incident, the Emperor makes Huan the leader of the Imperial Harem, a post that carries supreme authority in the inner palace. However, increasingly the Emperor grows suspicious regarding the paternity of his children with Zhenhuan. In order to save her children, she and a concubine named Ye Lanyi plot against the Emperor, and eventually manage to kill him. As the most senior widow, she plays a crucial role in the succession and installs her adopted son, the fourth prince Emperor Qianlong, upon the Dragon Throne instead of her own biological son as she does not want him to be burdened by the role of emperor. In the end, Zhenhuan becomes the sad and lonely Empress Dowager.

Cast[]

Soundtrack[]

Cultural influence[]

The style of Zhen Huan[]

After the series became popular, audiences began to imitate the way people spoke and behaved in the show. Many individuals discuss problems or issues by using the language of this drama in forums. The drama helped promote interest in classic Chinese philosophy.

Controversial values[]

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The drama elicits a controversial debate that divided two sides. People's Daily pointed out that in the series, it appears good characters cannot win against evil characters unless they stoop to their level of cunning. Furthermore, when evaluating the production of historical themes, the most significant critique standard should focus on the values standard instead of authenticity standard. Social media is able to shape people's mind in visible and invisible ways, and incorrect values would lead the audience to the survival of the incorrect ideas into real life. Conversely, the article of Seeking Truth holds an opposite viewpoint; and they assert this drama reveals the decadent essence of ancient Chinese feudal society and traditional and outdated lifestyle obstructs the development of society. It also praises and appreciates the brave women constantly who pursue their happiness and fight against with the forces of evil.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[8]

In Thailand, the series was first aired in 2016 on Channel 7^[9] and in 2018 on One31 and LINE TV.

The series was uploaded on YouTube by LeTV in 2018.

References[]