YanXi Palace ［Finale] Recap + Review

[@AileenFound]

Emperor: Butt kicking expert Ying Luo: Bitch slap professional They made for each other 😂

[@TeroTheShortOne]

In RuYi, the ending made me sad because they did such a good job of twisting the knife on-screen. The ending of YanXi Palace is supposed to be happy, but I get *so sad* when HongLi says that he wants YingLuo by his side for the rest of his life because I know that she's going to end up dying 24 years before he does. Sometimes knowing the history makes it more painful.

[@kyriacarica5862]

It’s even sadder when you realize that Princess Adventures is about her eldest daughter, Zhaohua, who also historically died young. Her death was the final nail in the coffin that drove Ling Fei’s health to worsen due to grief.

[@AmandaLeigh1004]

I think one of the cut scenes showed that FuHeng's brother was actually the father of Erqing's son, I nominate him as runner-up for the Simp award. Also I really thought Erqing and Gao would place on the Audacity tier...but you're right Mingyu really did sweep it.

[@Soleanthia]

If memory serves this is revealed in the short sequel series.

[@AmandaLeigh1004]

@@Soleanthia I thought of that one too but I couldn't remember which one it actually was lol

[@KC-ne1vi]

Notes: -For the southern inspection tours, no expenses were spared---a total of 20 million silver taels were spent across all six trips (so about 3.3 million per trip), at a time when the annual GDP of Qing China was 50 million. Qianlong had an entourage of 2,500 people---consorts, maids, eunuchs, guards, and various servants---2,500 horses, 800 camels, and 400 mules, to pull the boat and his various belongings. RRLitP shows the boats as more historically accurate, but I can understand why they were made bigger here---this is the show-stopping climax, so squeezing everyone into a little boat seems a bit strange. -During the trip, there are a group of dancers that perform for the Emperor, who the Empress is displeased with, and Yingluo convinces him to stop watching by requesting a group of handsome eunuchs for her own palace (translation: if you can watch beautiful women perform in front of your harem, why can't I?). They're referred to as 扬州瘦马/Yangzhou shou ma ('Yangzhou thin horses'). This is a euphemism for them being...'ladies of the evening', so to speak. The Yangzhou area became very rich due to the salt trade, which resulted in a demand for women, so traffickers would buy or steal girls, raise them to dance, sing, play instruments, etc., and then sell them once they came of age for a huge profit, similar to how horses would be bought as foals, trained, and then sold for a higher price. This is also why the Empress is so displeased---it could cause a huge scandal if word gets out that he's 'indulging', and because they're from a low background, they can't be harem members. -The bugs Doctor Ye probably uses normally would likely be maggots---they will eat necrotic flesh and spare healthy tissue, and are actually used today to treat similar conditions where dead flesh needs to be removed, since they cause less damage and are more accurate than human surgeons. The bugs he actually got were 'Myanmar corpse beetles' (that's not a beetle, I can tell you that much) and I think they're meant to be Nicrophorus nepalensis, the 'burying beetle', known as 尼泊爾/橙斑埋葬蟲, nibo'er/cheng ban maizang chong, 'Nepalese/orange-spotted burying beetle'. Not sure how 'Nepal' turned into 'Myanmar', but there you go. (AFAIK, they aren't venomous) -Charmaine Sheh plays these two episodes masterfully---you can hear the grief and anger in Shushen's voice here and believe that she's finally, fully lost it. That last shot of her being dragged away, with one of the tails of her liangbatou loose, always kills me. -Chunwang has actually been calling the Emperor 'Hongli' this entire time, just only in private. He could've been killed for that, which shows just how much he hates the Emperor. -Ironically, Xian is wearing a.....certain symbol....in her last scene that *used to* be associated with Buddhism as a good luck symbol, before a certain party co-opted it and ruined it for modern viewers such as myself. -IRL Fuheng actually did die of malaria contracted while fighting in Burma (now Myanmar), having signed a truce with the Burmese army that later fell through. He died in Beijing, though, not Burma, and left behind several sons and daughters. -Final fates of everyone else: -Yongqi did die around this time historically, leaving behind one son and one daughter. There are still plenty of 'what-if's' floating around, mainly 'what if he'd been the next Emperor'. -Prince He IRL never committed treason and died several years after these events (around 1766). He was given the posthumous title '和恭親王', 'Prince Hegong of the Second Rank' (恭/gong meaning 'reverent'). -Shu Fei died about a year after the drama ends. She was a relative of the famous minister Nalan Xingde, entered the palace as a Noble Lady, got promoted to Imperial Concubine within 6 days, and made Consort at the same time as Ling. Her 10th prince, who died at the age of 3, was buried on the same grounds as Empress Fucha's kids, showing the Emperor did favor him. -Qing Pin got a pretty good deal, all in all. She started as a 2nd-Class Female Attendant (daying) of the Lu clan, then skipped 1st-Class Female Attendant (changzai) to Noble Lady, then Imperial Concubine, receiving the title '庆/qing', 'celebration'. Her family was promoted to the Bordered Yellow Banner, she eventually also made Consort, and though she had no children of her own, she raised Ling's 15th prince, and was then made Noble Consort later. Her adoptive son, Yongyan, also known as the Jiaqing Emperor, elevated her to Imperial Noble Consort posthumously; her final title was 慶恭皇貴妃/Qinggong Huangguifei, with the 'gong' being the same as Prince He's. -We actually know the exact day the Step-Empress was deposed (I forgot to mention this in my RRLitP comments): 18th day of the leap 2nd month of 1765. In the morning, her name was on the records showing gifts of food, customary for the Emperor to show his love and care for the harem. In the evening, it was covered with yellow paper, and Ling Guifei was the first one listed, so the hair cutting happened some time that day. Apparently, according to letters the Emperor wrote to her nephew, she said she wanted to become a Bhikkhunī/Buddhist nun, which is why she cut her hair. Take this with as many grains of salt as you want to. Qianlong demoted her family members and according to some sources kicked her clan out of the Bordered Blue Banner. He also banished any ministers who spoke up in her defense. After her death, the rumors were that she had cut her hair to stop him from taking in some of the dancers as concubines. Again, we'll never know the real reason, because all the records of her were destroyed (thanks, Hongli, I will never not be mad about that loss of historical information). -Yongji, the 13th prince, died at the age of 25, a few years after his mother. He was given no title, and buried as a Prince of the Third Rank (very low for a son of the Emperor). -Finally: Lady Wei died at the age of 49 in 1775. She was a Huangguifei, given the posthumous title 'Lingyi/令懿', with 'yi/懿' meaning 'honorable, righteous'. She had six children, and her son Yongyan succeeded his father to become the Jiaqing Emperor, Renzong of Qing; he posthumously conferred her as Empress Xiaoyichun '孝仪纯, 'filial and pure' (she had been honored as Empress Xiaoyi after Qianlong publically announced Yongyan as his successor). Later, when Qianlong's tomb was robbed (circa 1928), her corpse was noted to be exceptionally well preserved, to the point where you could still see her face. Hardest Worker: (tempted to give it to the Imperial ceramics workers again) I'd have to say Li Yu. Attending to the Emperor is a hard job when he's *not* kicking you in the butt. Dum-Dum: Agreed, Jixiang (suprised Mingyu wasn't in there). Most Attractive:....I want Gao to step on me, and also Xu Kai is hot I guess. Favorite Character: This is a stretch, but other than the leads (who you're supposed to like), Zhenshu. She's the only one of Yingluo's main maids to survive the series, and she's such a sweetheart. Also liked Xian (pre-10-year-timeskip, of course), Rongyin and Mingyu. The Audacity: Honestly, Gao. She straight-up acted like she was the Empress for the first half of the drama, killed people left and right, and tried to end both Yu Fei and her son *while the Emperor was home*. (But I still love her for it, she served). Biggest Simp: Zhen'er, natch, only because she spent *ten years* with Chunwang and only figured out he was evil in the last 2 minutes of her life. Rongpei Inaugural Slap Award: No arguments here, although my second place would go to the Shu slap during the contraceptive fallout. (I'm assuming the Hupo kick doesn't count here, but I loved that too.) Final Note: In the last shots, when Yingluo is being conferred as Imperial Noble Consort, she's holding the clear Buddhist beads the first Empress gave her. My cold, dead heart, d'aww. This has been your local amateur historian/KZbin Commentor, signing off. (Please do Minglan next!)

[@MaadiiM]

This was so professional 👏

[@rujeaniasabajo8487]

Gao had to win the drama queen award. The moment her even her laugh was on screen .. you knew Drama arrived

[@ErwinAponia78]

lol the emperor kicking compilation at the end 😂😂 I was looking forward to the hair cutting scene!!! While I think Ruyi’s hair cutting tugged on my heart strings more but Yanxi Palace’s version definitely had me shook as well. The way Xian’s love transpire to an equally intense hatred enough to wish death on her husband is so raw.

[@imogencrusader6306]

the opposite of love isn't hate but indifference. So I absolutely felt how Xian could hold so much resentment while also professing her love. It got me good.

[@greygryphon6881]

Yes!! I loved her speech/rant, and I honestly felt for her in that moment. Like go off!!

[@beeworkin1461]

so true yet in the midst of that I also felt for Hongzhou, I had almost completely forgotten the hate I had for him when I found out he was A'man's rapist.

[@StaticCling99]

Oh god, poor HongZhou actor. The *teefs* were bad enough, but every time I see that scene of him triumphantly sheathing his sword on the ship, I think "That man has never handled a sword in his liiiife." He nearly skewered himself

[@dawnoheee9524]

5:36 I gasp when I first watched the Empress do this. I'm Native American, and my tribe has similar beliefs about hair cutting while in mourning. I didn't know about the beliefs in the Qing Dynasty. This was the first C-drama I watched. I didn't know the Step Empress really did this until I read a KZbin comment. She was DONE. She gave zero f*#&$ and cut her hair.

[@melanielau6762]

No best actress/actor award? Was kind of looking forward to that since it’s a staple in the ZH and Ruyi awards :) but either way, really enjoyed the series

[@beeworkin1461]

Best actress would be so hard. It would have to be Erqing, the way she could change faces like that

[@EnglishVirgo]

Did anyone else get an audio dead spot starting at 9.40? Every time I watch the scene where Yingluo is told about Fuheng and then what to me is a visitation from him, I sob and sob like a baby. It never loses it's impact on my emotions. As much as I do believe that she does actually love the emperor over time, that love for Fuheng will forever be deep in her heart.

[@beeworkin1461]

yeah .. I also didn't hear anything in that spot when we saw YL promised a smiling Fuheng

[@rujeaniasabajo8487]

Noticed it too

[@MDinnerParty723]

Thank you for this… You know…I know technically Royal Feast isn’t an official sequel, but I like to pretend they end up together in another life 😊 EDIT: I will add I recommend Royal Feast enthusiastically! If not just for the AMAZING theme, for the exploration of authentic Chinese dishes and a look into the palace kitchen.

[@bassantisamess4279]

I loved the food too! But I didn't like their romance it felt a bit forced I was robbed of Yinglou and Fuheng's synergy 😭

[@MDinnerParty723]

@@bassantisamess4279 I was desperate. You're totally right.

[@ThatGmoney]

Me too! Me too!! Royal feast

[@steambunie]

Royal Feast is great

[@djosepha3963]

Yesss royal feast next omg!

[@phthalojohan]

12:14 “who is sending rude comments to an actor of a bad guy of a show” - every horrible fan with bad reading comprehension ever. 😢 it happens so often, it’s the worst thing about being in a fandom, I always have to be like “i am not affiliated with those guys!”

[@TeroTheShortOne]

Jake Lloyd, Ahmed Best, and Jack Gleeson are three Western actors I can name off the top of my head who were harassed for no reason (because there is NO REASON to harass anyone, regardless of what you think of the character they play!).

[@Alloriel]

@@TeroTheShortOne Antony Starr, Ewan Mitchell, Fabien Frankel. People seem to lack even the basic comprehension skills, to separate charcter from actor.

[@TeroTheShortOne]

@@Alloriel Yep. It's infuriating and frustrating.

[@LadyVintageBags]

I love qing and shu's friendship. It actually reflect a lot of real life female friendship dynamics. It shows how in real friendships there is hurt feelings, power dynamics, bossiness and walking around like you're joined at the hip 😅

[@Stinoco]

Nooo stop, you’re killing me with the Rongpei Inaugural Slap Award 😭😂 And I just love how Jia’s versions from RYRL and in Yanxi Palace won the Hottest in the Office Award. Also, so Yuan wasn’t executed because the Empress Dowager wanted to preserve the royal line. However, Hongzhou, the previous Emperor’s legitimate son, was executed? Why did the Empress Dowager stop his execution? Yuan did evil things too

[@cheryl8069]

Hmmmm.... yeah that's a good question.... I'm hazarding a guess that Hongzhou was a prince guilty of treason. Hongzhou was raised a prince with all the privileges and education and responsibilities. Yuan was a kick-down who grew up under very difficult circumstances and it wasn't explicit that he was trying to overthrow Hongli, he was a servant who stirred a lot of shit. He should have been put to death for harming the 5th prince - can't remember if it was revealed that he directed swopping the creepy crawlies? But taking into account how he was made to grow up, I am glad he wasn't put to death. I hope he was at least happy in his illusory world after that.

[@Stinoco]

@@cheryl8069 I understand that treason is punishable, especially for princes that are supposed to be examples for loyalty to the Emperor. But I still can’t grasp it. Even the previous Emperor didn’t kill his brothers. And the royal family also cares a lot about what their subjects will say. Killing a prince while letting a servant live will cause gossip. Although you could argue that no one knows about Yuan because the Empress Dowager dismissed everyone to talk about him, and no one outside the palace knows him… it’s an interesting plot hole 🤔

[@ryeryeryerye]

@@StinocoI reckon it’s because hong zhou, being an official prince, has an actual chance of revolting and usurping the throne, whilst yuan (a eunuch) has no chance of official support.

[@cheryl8069]

@@Stinoco I think that plothole occured because the wanted to show that the Empress Dowager was lying when she denied that Yuan Chunwang was the preceding Emperor's illegitimate son. I wish they developed this part more! I didn't like the way Yuan's story arc ended with him being mad and later he died being mad.

[@Stinoco]

@@cheryl8069 I also think the only reason they didn’t kill Jim was just to show that the Empress Dowager wasn’t lying, but at least they should’ve made her protest Hongzhou’s and Yuan’s execution to be more consistent. It doesn’t ruin the message because you see the Empress Dowager protecting a prince’s life and a eunuch’s? The only explanation is that the eunuch has the same status (although illegitimate) as an imperial prince

[@Idontwantomakeupahandle]

The Rongpei award! 😂 I can’t!!

[@Nkechi89]

There is a sequel to this drama called Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures. Its the story of Yingluo's eldest daughter and alot of the original cast is in it! Its six episodes long and a fun watch.

[@MiyuMotou]

Now, even though no one asked, I'll just share my personal awards: Hardest worker, I'll have to give it to Yingluo, from the embroidery department she was so extra, she had all under control for empress Fuca, to the point that horrible things happened just when she wasn't around. Dum Dum award... girl.. same XD special mention to Zen'er, she was instrumental on empress Xian's fall. Smarty Pants, Yingluo obviously, she is the protagonist, we get lots of moments of her being on top of everything, but Shun/Chenbi, that was beautiful, loved it, in some sense, well, she won. Hottest in the office, Fuheng being the absolute apple of discord, most desirable bachelor... it's a plot point, lol, I like the Emperor, too, mostly because of the presence, the bearing, something like that. and for the women, empress Fuca is just my favorite, the way she looks, the way she talks, I just love her, Gao was stunning too, absolute villainess. My favorite character... the Emperor XD he just makes me laugh a lot, he's a kicker. The audacity, Erqing, she is just too much! a maid becoming the tyrant wife of a high official, and we know the rest. The simp award... Hongzhou, just because of the whole scene in the boat, completely betrayed and still defending Xian. The RongPei Inaugural Slap Award, same, that slap Yingluo gave Erqing, I had to repeat that scene at least three times, it's just that good. again, I'll watch this recap on repeat, I love it so much XD

[@DianaDonineaux]

18:03 ; technically Fuheng died as a virgin because of Yingluo ?? He is FAITHFUL to her to the end .

[@missemma559]

Now that it's over, it's time to marathon the ZhenHuan and Ruyi Royal Love recaps again. God, how I love this channel❤❤❤

[@LadyChubbyBlueberry]

I love that Ying Luo didn't give up on revenge even after 10 years. The last act is literally Ying Luo showing how she finally learned patience like the late Empress advised.

[@limabean9228]

im trying to figure out what the true story is and all i can come up with is this: 1. qian gets pregnant with hongli 2. the royals go on the trip 3. the bandits attack, qian gets separated from the group while wearing one of the emperors cloaks, and the emperor takes shelter at some random womans house and sleeps with her?? (idk why u would do this while literally on the run for your life??) 4. they get reunited with qian and either find out she was assaulted or the empress dowager plants evidence to make everyone think so 5. during all of this the emperor loses a cloak or they lose track of the one qian was wearing so it gets left behind 6. they return to the palace, qian gives birth to hongli, and then gets executed 7. the empress dowager is the official mom of hongli now 8. yuan is born to the woman whose house the emperor stayed at

[@AB-om2te]

Timeline wise Hongli (the emperor) would already have been born before the incident, but he must be baby to not remember it

[@limabean9228]

@@AB-om2te ohhhh ur right, i forgot

[@Wyn_rose33]

Congrats on finishing the finale!! 🥳 I didn’t even realize exactly how satisfying the slaps were in yanxi palace until the inaugural rong pei awards, the Emperor’s kicking compilation was chiefs kiss too! 😂😂😂🥳

[@noeraldinkabam]

“Next time, will you protect me?” Had me crying.

[@imogencrusader6306]

He finally understands YL's strength 🥲

[@jonsart5643]

That was so awkward

[@imogencrusader6306]

@jonsart5643 why do you say that?

[@mercyjinn]

Please do Royal Feast next! It was another surprisingly good C-drama with good drama and humor and the added bonus of incredibly delicious looking food!

[@beeworkin1461]

Have you seen Legend of Hao Lan, it has most of the actors from Yanxi palace , with such similar characters it's almost a parallel Drama-verse

[@mercyjinn]

@@beeworkin1461 Yes, I watched that one too! It took me a long time to realize that it was the story of Qin Shi Huang's mother. The start was good but ending was not as satisfying.

[@1997aiya]

What a doozy of an ending! I love that no matter which universe you put qianlong in, he still comes out as a good emperor but a bad husband 😂. But man...... What ever hypnosis yuan is using i need to get use to get a raise! 😂 Thank you again Ms drama recap for your hard word and wit! Ill never get tired of you bashing on stupid consorts or servants!

[@yeppeogeu2828]

also wu jinyan and nie yuan play together in another drama! it is called Legend of Haolan! highly recommend. gao shun and mingyu’s actresses and hongzhou and yuan’s actors are there too! its basically a yanxi cast reunion. it has an interesting story too im sad this drama is not more well known.

[@LisaDeeCanada]

I agree - I didn't like it as much as this drama or Ruyi's, but it is still pretty good.

[@kaseywashington-y2k]

Yes, we were sad about Fuheng. Yes, watching 'Royal Feast' helps with that.😅 Anyway, it's a wrap! Thank you our Recap Queen!

[@amikireicraftstore]

NOT THE EMPEROR KICKING EVERYONE 😂 Yuan just gives me creepy eunuch vibes, he makes my skin crawl, I don't get the hype from the palace girls, but I don't know, Hailancha was the handsomest to me. And girl, Mingyu had an attitude but I cried my eyes out for her ;-; I thought the actual don't know her place insane mode would go to Erching, that girl was... Too much. I like the watch empresses in the palace, the Ruyi and finish with Yanxi because the lighthearted moments are perfect after Ruyi destroying me 😂 Thank you for tbe recaps ♡♡♡♡ I love it wo much, I'm still advocating for Ruyi's novel videos ;-; See you soon ♡

[@Clinds_Diary]

I feel like zhang momo, and the other consorts should had better roles. I agree jixiang was so dumb but she was still so cutem

[@dusksunsetio6042]

9:42 The audio cuts out here for a bit

[@imogencrusader6306]

i think it's copyright due to the song playing over it.

[@MiyuMotou]

I would just like to know if there was commentary that we lost there

[@wildone7024]

​@MiyuMotou most likely. The commentary that we hear next doesn't line up with what we heard before the cutoff

[@taetannim3581]

I got a audio drop at 11:03

[@Krumpus.Clausson]

Damned copywriting

[@wingkc]

I hope you'll consider recapping The Story of Minglan! It's another great historical drama but with more of a focus on family dynamics and a clever heroine.

[@dahliahawthorne4151]

And an absolutely lovely main romance!

[@missemma559]

Yes🎉🎉🎉 please!!!

[@princess7jasmine]

Thank for anoter fantastic series recaps! Personally, I honestly still prefer Ruyi's Royal Love and Legend of Zhen Huan in almost all aspects even if Yanxi Palace is pretty fun. They feel more complete and developed though I understand Yanxi Palace was subjected to a ton of cuts, unfortunately we have to take what we have here. Cant wait to see what your next recap will be! I hope its Legend of Mi Yue or even Magnificent Century (even though its Turkish). I remember even making a list of suggestions in the ending of your Ruyi recap video. Either way, I'm looking forward to whatever you put out!

[@charliemagnebautista2902]

I prefer her talk about empress of china

[@alisima]

MC is sooo gooood, but I do think it’d be hard for her to get through the entire show since it’s 140 episodes

[@princess7jasmine]

@@alisima Honestly, that is a very good point. It has a ton of filler.

[@TeroTheShortOne]

@@princess7jasmine I would love to see her takes on the Hurrem vs Mahidevran drama! (I'm personally all for Hurrem, Mahi spent so much time crying and 'woe is me, the consequences of my actions!' that I just rolled my eyes every time she was on screen)

[@girlypop3233]

i second magnificent century!!!!!!

[@cheryl8069]

Hongzhou....oh Hongzhou... that look on his face when the Empress betrayed him. I don't like him but I did feel so sorry for him. All those things Nara said to Hongli just before she cut her hair, Hongzhou could have said to her too. She gave her love to someone who didn't love her, but didn't care about the one who truly loved her. Actually, it applies more to herself than the Emperor.

[@lyzhenyang2982]

The Rongpei inaugural slap award had me dead. My girl Drama Recaps should be awarded a PhD degree in physics for her complete analysis of slapping 😭 but honestly those three slaps are my best three too

[@billy_deil]

i just realized when yuan has goned mad, he was actually imagining that hes the 8th prince of the late emperor,

[@PTT-w1m]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾for this whole AMAZING recap series! The insightful analysis, the commentary, capped off by the slap and kick fest at the end! Simply marvelous! 🧑🏾‍🍳👌🏽❤️👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@LeighIR]

The plus one montage was a thing of beauty.

[@leahburns3278]

The awards had me LOL-ing at work 😅 thank you so an awesome ride!!

[@johannawebley4101]

Now knowing that HZ and yingluo are now married and may be expecting a baby makew it funny when she tortures him in this drama.

[@dramarecaps4217]

Dude, I sawwwwww that!!! The comments under her post were so hilarious XD

[@princess7jasmine]

The audio cuts off for a bit at like 9:40 and resumes at like 9:50 btw

[@cutebloons]

This was a fantastic series. 😭 thank you for covering this drama. There's soooo many parts that I remember not understanding, you explained them all perfectly, and now I finally know how it ends! It totally felt rushed, rip fuheng you deserved better 💔

[@meredithnakayama6245]

soooo sad this is ending!

[@CookiepiejeffreyN]

Love your drama recaps :) And the editing is entertaining too. Tbh, I would love to see you do recaps of "love like the galaxy" and "oh! my sweet liar! ".

[@dramarecaps4217]

Thank you so much! I'm about to have a vote so I'll add both to the list :)

[@bernie-be]

BRAVO !!!!!! We did it y’all !!! Ready for the next one !!! Thank you !

[@kylefang8254]

Thank you for a whole month’ recap! I always looked forward to watch your video and eat my food during the break. Definitely going to miss this.

[@TailoredTaylor]

Thank you for yet another amazing recap series! ❤ I fund myself rewatching yanxi every now and again due to the amazing performances of the Empresses and Emperor. They make those roles feel really lived in and the series is so pretty to look at. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@Yan-xm1xt]

Woah, your recaps are so good! Never missed an episode after waiting for months.

[@y-mefarm4249]

Awesome job putting this re-cap together! It's just sad that censorship sent all the juicy stuff and tied a lot of loose ends up to the cutting room floor. I think it was over 10 hrs of story that didn't make it. Hopefully one day it will be released uncut. Nothing Gold Can Stay is an excellent drama and true story. You may want to consider that one next.

[@mgold7503]

I agree that too much was on the cutting room floor Nothing Gold May Stay is so beautifully done, and it has such resonance with me because I am a widow.

[@y-mefarm4249]

@@mgold7503 So sorry for your loss.

[@Backtoalonica]

For me my favorite is the emperor hahaha the actor is so handsome and charming. He is great, it was such a weird crush for me lol but he was my favorite and second it’s Yuan, he also is extremely charming and weird lol this drama gave me weeded crushes but I couldn’t complain at all

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

Oh how I have waited for this! :D Loved these! Hope you'll make more about other series!

[@themrshorwitz]

Your analysis of those slaps is glorious 🤣

[@megumim6795]

thank you so much for watching and recapping this drama. I watched till episode 65 and I was like, you know what? I don't need to watch the downfall of this capable step-empress. So, I didn't know what exactly happened after ep 65. btw, AvX recently told in her live stream, Ruyichuan is now a hot topic on Bilibili and many criticize the drama from different perspectives. Since my Chinese proficiency isn't high enough to understand, I can't watch them, but it's so bizarre that the drama, which was pulled down from the platform criticized so massively.

[@crayolaclouds2696]

I feel bad for Yuan's actor, he portrayed the character so well and people were attacking him 😢 same thing happened to Joffrey's actor from Game Of Thrones, dude gave up acting after he left GOT because the hate got so bad. But people are crazy lol Another fantastic series of drama recaps complete! As usual, you went above and beyond to try to fill in gaps, I learned some new things and loved the recap of a show I won't watch again, as Erqing infuriates me and my heart breaks for Rongyin too much. Your editing style is my favorite and the Rongpei Slap Award is one I hope continues in other recaps, she really is the queen of slaps 😂 I agree that the pacing got messed up at the end, but the episode cuts make it make more sense, they did have to rush some stuff so nit much can be done lol Thank you for all your hard work! The only other C-drama I've watched is Legend of Haolan and whether you do that one or not, I'm still gonna be here for every video lolol. Rest well!

[@stephaniezuniga6359]

Thank you so much for all your hard work. Your videos were the highlight of my day and to this day they are my comfort videos. Loved your awards! I couldn't stop laughing at the science behind the slaps!!! I look forward to watching whatever drama you recap next

[@toluwanimioladele1303]

Thank you so much for your hard work in recapping legend of zheh huan, ruyi's royal love in the palace and yanxi palace. I wonder what drama you will do next can't wait! I know it's not easy making these videos but please do another drama i listen to your videos while going about my daily activities ❤

[@dramarecaps4217]

Thank you so much!! I am back with a new drama tomorrow, and then I will put the next choice up for a vote :)

[@bassantisamess4279]

Omg yaaassss the finale!! Thank you so much for this amazing recap your channel is truly a jem 😭💜 Charmaine Sheh is just 👑👑👑 Love how even though the Empress lead Hongzhou to believe she's with him she still had a back up plan to save herself. It gave me a bit of reassurance even if it wasn't for long that she wasn't dumbed down to wrap up the plot. Loved Shu's part when she was crying about how disheveled she looked instead of asking about the Empress dowager and the emperor 😂😂 Bro Yuan is CRAZYYY and I'm still wondering about his final motive, even if he's a prince he was castrated he can never be a reigning emperor he will get toppled and replaced before he even blinked, what role will he play for the dynasty as a eunuch? He can't even start a new dynasty because he can't have sons his dynasty is bound to end. Just like Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, she ruled but ultimately had the worst headache about her successors. 9:21 it's a sad scene your edit is a crime 😭😭😂 Fuheng was a true gentleman like wdym he can't go back to recuperate because he's a general he has to die on the frontline the emperor didn't deserve the Fucha's fr

[@MiyuMotou]

I was so happy watching this series, I've said it before, I felt like it was my birthday, I'm so grateful. This is the first time I got to watch the drama first and then get the recap with you, with Ruyi, I got your recap first and then used that to go watch the best scenes on the drama, hehe.

[@SoSophiiie]

I really enjoy these reviews! It helps a lot when I sometimes miss details or can't keep track of the different characters. Looking forward to the next series you are going to cover!

[@nat_melo5450]

one more series finished! i'm so glad what you talk about mu favorite chinese dorama ever. thank you. ❤

[@susanphillips8172]

Thank you so much for doing these recaps/reviews! I watch certain ones over and over because they are so good. What is the next show? I can't wait for it, no matter what it is.

[@Retrobutterfly1020]

You see I had to stop this video at 9:25 because… how can you possible add such a sound after staying that Fuheng died?! I cried like a baby that scene I could barely breathe lmaooooo I’ve never been so shocked in my life.This had me clutch my non existent pearls! 😂😂😂

[@aonline_abridged]

Yup, everything from Chenbi's resolution to the end was... overcut and undercooked. :( the Princess mini-series also has a strong start but fizzles then deflates into confused nonsensical resolutions. But I'll still watch what you have to say about it :)

[@cheryl8069]

Thank you for your wonderful recaps! I watched Yanxi back then only for my favourite characters - Rongyin, Chun, Yuan Chunwang, and Xian - and it was otherwise hard to remain interested. Your recaps and the discussions they generated in the comments helped me appreciate the story, and I like some of the characters I already liked (though I wasn't so invested in them) more - Mingyu, Hailancha and Qing. Lol, and I actually like Shu now. Hahaha! Prior I found her annoying but watchinh your recaps, she grew on me.

[@missemma559]

18:59 I simply loved! The analysis and classification of each slap to the face, perfect😂😂😂

[@moonstarstories1298]

I agree with your rankings on Xian! She's definitely the second smartest in the show. Aside from her Empress Dowager gloating blunder and her downgrade in the last five episodes, she was a genius and someone you get constantly impressed by. She's definitely the kind of villian whose skill you respect and a well-written and interesting character. Definitely in my top three favorites even though I don't have a sure top three list. I do have to put Empress Rongyin in my top three though. I just found her arc so emotional and heartwrenching and it had a very impactful message. I guess the characters that I consistently liked the most were Qianlong's three Empresses - Rongyin, Shushen, and Yingluo. I like that in both Ruyi and Yanxi, the fifth prince was a kind and outstanding person and Emperor material. His reputation definitely carries on throughout these dramas. I really feel sympathy for Yuan. He's definitely really bad but it's hard for me to not feel bad for someone who basically suffered for his entire life. His obssession with Yingluo was extremely concerning to say the least, but it just seemed like he was someone who lack warmth for so long that he got completely attached to the first person he could trust. The ending with him was very unclear, but a lot things ended being unclear in Yanxi, large part due to the cuts but also some mysteries end up being mysteries in the main show. I actually thought at first that Yuan was not a lost Prince because I found him very pitiful so it didn't seem weird to me that the Empress Dowager would pity him too. I thought it kind of fits his tragic story that his whole life was a lie. But after this video, I definitely realized that he is actually the Prince. Due to the actor's comment and also due to two other things. Firstly, I may feel bad for Yuan enough to spare him out of pity but I don't think Empress Dowager would be so sympathetic and the way she said "DON'T" made me think that it's not just regular pity for a servant who tried to kill her and her son. Secondly, the Empress Dowager laughed about what happened to Lady Qian which suggests there's more to the story than what was told. As for what exactly happened, I guess we'll never know (unless it's revealed somewhere). Classic Yanxi keeping it vague. P.S. It's not just Jixiu lol. The whole workhouse department was talking about how handsome Yuan is.

[@akaNaz1]

I like the actor for this emperor over the one from Ruyi's. No wonder they were paired again for The Legend of Haolan.

[@keetadani_02]

I knew Mingyu was getting the audacity award.

[@idalia799]

this was an amazing month shame its over haha MOOOOOAAAAR

[@nullnull4010]

Yuan Chunwang dies anyway in Yanxi Princess adventures lol

[@handyglance4848]

I’d love to see a compilation of all the broken tea cups

[@phthalojohan]

I loved your recap of this series

[@staryeyedctzen7683]

that was awesome! now to go rewatch your zhen huan series….

[@crayolaclouds2696]

I've rewatched her recap like 5 times 😂😂😂 I did a rewatch of the actual show and that one scene where Hua comes in and our recap queen edits in "HAHAHA IM BACK BITCHES" played in my head when she walked in the room 😂 i'm glad I'm not the only one who loves to rewatch her recaps!

[@dahliahawthorne4151]

These recaps are my work soundtrack ngl

[@billy_deil]

Princess adventure really opened my jaw, like mother like daughter

[@ruyii_1]

Love the awards EVERYTIME😂

[@LadyVintageBags]

Appreciate your channel so much i click like as soon as the video starts❤

[@FULLTIMEDRAMA-er1fd]

The Rongpei inaugural slap award got me 😂😂😂

[@kayland.5724]

The slappening analytics will be the staple of this dear channel 💀 I heart DramaRecaps

[@VamikaKarn]

I am WAITING for your new video 😢

[@dramarecaps4217]

See you tomorrow :D

[@LucyHeartfilia-q5j]

I absolutely love your drama recaps I would like to recommend my favorite c drama princess Wei and I want your funny commentary on it

[@dramarecaps4217]

Princess WeiYoung, right? I've seen that one, I'd love to cover it one day!

[@LucyHeartfilia-q5j]

Yes and Thank you ❤

[@Lisamisamoo]

Oh heck yesh! Thank you for this recap series, I love rewatching your videos or just to even have your past recaps replaying in the background 😊❤ Totally agree with Jia 2 being the prettier one but I only think it’s because she has that mad confidence and cuteness whereas her sis was more low-key and working in the background. The actress really killed it! Totally thought YW would get the #1 simp award as it would have been so obvious but tbf HZ is the true definition of a simp as he holds Xian high until the end 🥲 That pythagorean theorem calculated mingyu slap LOL 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🎉❤

[@huangguifei]

Omg we would love to hear your episodic analysis of ‘The Legend of MiYue’

[@Jezz1yjd.]

Please consider watching and recapping The rebel princess and The empress of china

[@Blackrozen18]

Thank you!!! I saw both dramas (Yanxi Palace and Ruyi's Royal Love) almost at the same time and both were awesome... Thank you for taking the time to make those videos. Are you going to do the same with Yanxi Palace's sequel? It's about the Emperor and Yingluo's daughter Zhaohua... BTW, There's a moment between 9:40 and 9:50 when there's no audio...

[@aonline_abridged]

yaaaay congrats for winning 1st place Yuan!

[@sheherezahade]

the slapping analysis

[@chiderahnwafor2740]

IVE BEEN WAITING ALL WEEKEND 🥹🥹🥹🥹

[@PuntTheTurtle]

I always love your recaps of harem dramas. I even got my roommate to watch them and she thinks you are hilarious. I can't wait for your next recap! Any hints as to what you are thinking of doing next?

[@dramarecaps4217]

I try not to do hints as I don't want to end up disappointing anyone lol, but thank you for sharing my vid! This month I’ll be posting Princess Adventures and The Double, and the next drama is up for a vote. Right now, looks like story of MingLan is winning...

[@Violet-qs7fj]

Are voting for the next series? You should totally do The story of Minglan.

[@princessaynsophie]

I hope to see which next

[@TheTCMfan]

Hoping u can post a vid letting us know all is well

[@dramarecaps4217]

Just wanted to let you know your comment specifically is the reason I decided to do a check in video :D Back for December uploads!

[@TheTCMfan]

@ thank u 😃love your videos but most important is that all is okay with you

[@kajhaelynn]

miss youuuu!

[@dramarecaps4217]

I'm back!! :D

[@TeroTheShortOne]

Okay, this is the Yuan explanation I've come up with. Completely all my thoughts, based on what information we're given and extrapolation based on what we know of the customs of the Imperial family and such. I think Yuan isn't just HongLi's half-brother, I think he's his full brother. When his 'mother' was dying, she said he was adopted. He thought it was only his father who was adoptive, but it was both parents. Lady Qian is also his mother. How? It sounds like Qian was the only lady with the Emperor on that trip where they got attacked. Even if there were other women, the Household Department keeps very, VERY careful records of when and how the Emperor and his ladies... passionately hug. So there would be records of the Emperor and Lady Qian spending adult fun time together, right? So when Lady Qian dressed as him and led the assassins away, they probably attack her, and in the borrowed garments, including the cloak, she drags herself into Yuan's village. Yuan's 'grandfather' and family take in this poor woman who has obviously been attacked and is wearing very fine clothes. We don't know how long it took for the Emperor to find Lady Qian again afterwards. Let's say it takes a few weeks to find her and her doctor finds she has a pregnancy pulse. Based on the timing, there is now a conundrum. She's far enough along that it *could* be the Emperor's based on the careful recordkeeping... but it could also be from the assault. We know from what ErQing told FuHeng when she claimed her pregnancy was HongLi's, they would believe that the heavens would curse them if they killed the Emperor's child or did the mother harm, but they have no way of knowing whose baby it is. Conscious of this, Lady Qian either stays with the kind people in the village, is sent to live with her brother, or is secluded in the Forbidden City before she is showing and has the baby. A girl could possibly have been acknowledged or kept by a favored servant, but it's a boy, so there must be utmost secrecy. He's sent back to the village to the family that kept Lady Qian safe. They either had the cloak or were sent the cloak to remind them that the child might be the Emperor's, so don't you DARE do anything to hurt him, but also be sure to send him to the Forbidden City if something happens where they can't care for him any more. Sadly for Lady Qian, because she was a 'fallen woman' because of the shitty standards of the time, she has to go. Her brother knows, and this is why the ED has him killed when he's coming during the Xian Mommy plot. The care for the Imperial bloodline explains why Yuan was brought in as a servant instead of straight up killed when he showed up on the Forbidden City's doorstep claiming to be the Emperor's kid. Later, when 8th Prince mysteriously dies while that kid is serving him, making him a eunuch gets around the "Don't kill the Emperor's kids" thing, and guarantees that he won't be having a family of his own to say "Hey, we should be part of the Imperial family" to. I don't know what the plan would have been if he'd stayed in the village, but who would believe 'So and so's kid, Yuan Chunwang' is actually the Emperor's? They'd probably think he was loonier than an outhouse rat. Anyway, that's how I could see it working, and I think it would work with how both Yuan and the ED explained things. Edit because I was typing this fast and brain goes faster than fingers sometimes.

[@Monica-by4me]

BTW Wallace huo had to deactivate his account as well due his role in ruyi royal love, people is so intense with drama actors smh

[@banditegg5675]

I can’t wait for the next series you’ll review Personally I recommend ‘royal feast’ it’s good refresher from harem dramas and addictive ☺️☺️

[@gayathri_rajavarapu]

Thank you so much for the series, you're awesome ❤

[@HelenSheAlphaz]

Hello! Sad to see another recap playlist over, I hope to see more in the close future. Also, allow me to recommend you: - Empress Ki. (Korean) - Princess wei young. Loved the video!

[@dramarecaps4217]

Hey, thank you so much! I have heard so many good things about Empress Ki, though I would be nervous about pronouncing the Korean names lol. But I hope I can get to it one day! Princess WeiYoung I've actually seen and I remember loving it T.T we're having a vote now I guess I'll see if it wins!

[@DaeganJohn-de5bj]

Omg your recaps are so good can u do the Princess Weiyoung next its a realy jice drama and I would love to see you recap that one

[@yellowpurple600]

is there an audio error? There's no sound from 9:40 to 9:52 and audio abuptly starts again at "loses his mind"

[@TheTCMfan]

I think it’s cause of copyright over the song from the show I forgot the real name but I call it “Fuheng and Yinglou’s Love theme”

[@rosemaryskies1998]

Y'all there is actually a sequel to this drama called Yanxi Palace Princess Adventures. It's about Yingluo's daughter. Some of the cast returns too. There's not that many episodes and it's on American Netflix.

[@thomascampbell3179]

I hope you’ll do a recap of the Netflix yanxi palace princess adventures. Erqing’s affair plays a surprisingly important role in it