I wasn’t planning on watching this one although I heard of it. I just didn’t know what it was about at first. Then I realized it was mystery, so I decided to give it a try. Considering how I did like Li Lan Di in Filter and Ao Rui Peng was fine in Moonlight Mystique, so I dived in.
Main Cast:
- Li Lan Di (李兰迪) as Shen Wan (沈莞) / Qin Wan (秦莞). Her family was massacre and she was forced to flee. She took on another identity and with the help of Qin Wan’s maid, managed to hide herself within the residence to bide her time and think up of a plan to clear her father’s name and restore her family’s reputation. However, she soon stumbled into the Qin family’s own dramas and messes that almost costed her life (again). That wasn’t all wasted because she managed to gain a reputation of her own and take a closer step to achieving her initial goals. What was admirable about her was her unwavering heart to seek justice for others yet never caved to the dark side. Yes, she did see a lot of injustice in the world but she wanted to right the system and shine the light on all the problems with the world. She was heartbroken and affected many times because of the tragedies she encountered but she still held her head up high to take a step forward. In fact, those tragedies that she uncovered strengthened her resolve even more. Li Lan Di did really well in here, conveying her character and emotions throughout. I last watched her in Filter and thought her character was different for both cases, even if both were equally righteous. This one, her character faced a different challenge than the other yet she delivered with the complexity of the plot involved. Even though she didn’t know martial arts but she was still very courageous and willing to take actions to save others or do her part in various circumstances. She wasn’t some weakling waiting around to be saved. She tried to do all she could, even if the odds might be against her. She did need rescuing but she never intended to stop fighting with all her might. Aside from showing all those sides of her character, she also show great strength in being able to create a different type of chemistry with her co-star, which I was amazed and unsure how I could push my biases aside after having watched the other one.
- Ao Rui Peng (敖瑞鹏) as Yan Chi (燕遲). He had a harsh life, mostly because he was involved in the royal conflict and all. Not that he was the fighting type but it was hard not to get pulled into the conflicts when he was part of the royal clan. He had to work a lot to gain a reputation and had always been cautious against scheming parties. Yet he continued to move forward and was determined to achieve his goals of exposing some parties. It was a normal role for him, somewhat cold character like in Moonlight Mystique but also a mixture of lightheartedness too. It mostly had to do with how he found a companion who could share his burden with him and understand him. Of course, he was equally protective of his loved ones.
- Yu Cheng En (余承恩) as Yan Li (燕離). He seemed quite laid-back and up to no good at times yet he had a good heart in general. He was very loyal and supportive toward Yan Chi at times. He wasn’t just all talks either because he backed Yan Chi up whenever the situation called for it–whether it was in regard to the investigations or toward the emperor. Having a dark past probably made him vulnerable at times but he appreciated those around him who cared enough to stick around.
- Shen Yu Jie (沈羽洁) as Yue Ning (岳凝) aka Princess Yong Ning (永寧郡主). Yan Chi’s cousin. She was so cool as a character because she didn’t care about everyone’s BS and just plain unleashed on those Qin family members to defend Qin Wan. She was like her grandmother all right. I was glad Shen Wan had an ally like her from the start. I was so scared she would be another arrogant character but was glad she wasn’t so. I don’t like it that people use their powers to bully others but in this case, I swear those Qin family members deserved it with the way they treat Qin Wan on a personal level and others in general because they were considered well off, etc. It wasn’t like she was unreasonable either because she knew right from wrong from the start. She was at times stubborn but for the most part, she had the same righteous streak from grandmother. The last I watched of her was in Only for Love and it was somewhat similar but in a different way. So, it was nice to see her again.
- Wang Lu Qing (王路晴) as Fu Ling (茯苓). Qin Wan’s loyal maid and later became Shen Wan’s confidante and loyal maid. She quite supportive in Shen Wan’s journey to seek justice for her family (initially) and for all (later). She was also quite cute at times, especially regarding random banter with Bai Feng, lol.
- Chen Hong Xin (程泓鑫) as Bai Feng (白楓). Yan Chi’s loyal guard and a deputy general. It was funny how he was in Moonlight Mystique too. Yet this time, he got to live longer and got a halfway funny role. He always said the wrong things at times, which caused Yan Chi to give him even more random tasks to carry out, lol.
Qin Family (秦家)
- Wang Ji (王姬) as Old Madam Qin (秦老夫人). The head of the Qin household. It wasn’t surprising that she chose to cover up everything to reserve the family reputation. So it was satisfying to see her world crumbling when the truth came out bit by bit.
- Zhang Ming Jian (张明健) as Qin Shu (秦述). Marquis Zhongyong, from the main branch of the Qin family.
- Hu Xiao Ting (胡小庭) as Lady Hu (胡氏). Qin Shu’s wife.
- Quinn Ho (何君誠) as Qin Liang (秦良). From the second branch, not close with his brothers.
- Chen Guan Ning (陈冠甯) as Qin An (秦安). Part of the third branch.
- Zhu Yan (朱晏) as Lady Lin (林氏). The third branch’s legitimate wife, Qin Chen’s mother.
- Mei Bao Lai (梅宝莱) as Lady Yang (楊氏). The third branch’s second wife, Cai He’s mother.
- Liu Rui Qiao (刘芮侨) as Lady Liu (柳氏). The eighth wife from the third branch.
- Li Jia Xin (李佳馨) as Yao Xin Lan (姚心蘭). Qin Chen’s wife, Jianzhou’s prefectural magistrate’s second daughter.
- Luo Ze Kai (罗泽楷) as Qin Li (秦隸). The second son of the Qin family, from the third branch.
- Cui Shao Yang (崔绍阳) as Qin Yan (秦琰). The third son of the Qin family, from the main branch and the heir to the head of the household position.
- Wang Jun Bi (王俊笔) as Qin Xiang (秦湘). The fifth daughter of the Qin family. She was arrogant because she was quite spoiled by her family. She had high hopes of marrying into a well off family that would match with her. She didn’t realize that also led to her downfall. I thought she would have learned after the other incident yet she still didn’t give up. It wasn’t wrong to want to marry into a well off family, considering how women had limited choices back then and how marrying into the right family would affect their entire life. However, what took the cake for her was turning down decent candidates because she thought she was above them.
- Pan Jun Ya (潘珺雅) as Qin Shuang (秦霜). The sixth daughter of the Qin family. At first, she was in cahoots with her cousin to bully Qin Wan. Yet later realized her wrongdoings when Qin Wan saved her. She started to think for herself and managed to get to know Qin Wan (or who she thought was Qin Wan) and actually got along with others well.
- Wang Jing (王靖) as Liu Chun (劉春). The butler who was having an affair Lady Liu.
- Sun Xue Ning (孙雪宁) as Cai He (采荷). Old Lady Qin’s maid. She was initially overlooked because of her role within the household and how she was getting along with certain characters. Yet she infiltrated the Qin family with the intent of seeking revenge for her mother and sister.
- Yu Wen Xia (俞玟霞) as Lian Ye (蓮葉). Old Madam Qin’s second ranked maid.
- Li Min (黎敏) as Xiu Qin (秀琴). Lady Liu’s maid.
- Xia Qian Yi (夏千懿) as Xiu Shu (秀書). Lady Liu’s maid.
- Crystal Xu (徐钰涵) as Wan Tang (晚棠). Qin Chen’s maid, hid by Qin Wan’s side.
- Wu Jing Xin (吴婧鑫) as Wan Xing (晚杏). She placed there by Yan Chi to protect Shen Wan.
- Liu Yi Ling (刘奕灵) as Wan Yu (晚雨).
- Liu Rong Qing (刘蓉清) as Wan Qing (晚晴). Qin Xiang and Qin Shuang’s maid.
- Liu Jia Tang (刘佳棠) as Wan He (晚荷). Qin Xiang and Qin Shuang’s maid.
- Zou Si Zhu (邹思竹) as Mo Shu (墨書). Yao Xin Lan’s maid.
- Wei Yu (卫羽) as Butler Zhou (周管家).
- Wang Hao Yue (王昊月) as Mo Yi (墨意). Qin Chao Yu’s personal maid.
Royal Family (皇室)
- Dai Chun Rong (戴春荣) as Empress Dowager (太后). She made a decision that affected the others later. However, the complexity of the situation made it like she had no choice. She found out that her sons had been switched (or more like they switched places) yet didn’t say anything. In some ways, she felt guilty for her past decisions and didn’t want to expose her son completely. Because after all, both were her sons. That had also caused a lot of complications and affected many people’s lives later on. This was a typical royal palace role for her. So, I didn’t think it was that complicated for her. She was up to it.
- Ren Zhong (任重) as Yuan Huai (燕淮) and Yan Han (嚴涵). A pair of twins who was separated at birth and later in life found out about one another. Well, more like the older sibling found out he was sent away to live a peasant life. That didn’t sit well with him, so he sought out chances to come back and regain his rightful place. He ended up killing his brother and taking over as the king. That led to a lot of complications and coverup later.
- Deng Ying (邓英) as Madam Yan (嚴夫人). Yan Han’s wife, Yan Li’s mother. After the death of her husband, she lived a simple life and in recluse for the most part. She still cared for her son but didn’t indulge in those extravagant stuff.
- Li Sheng (李晟) as Zhao Shu Hua (趙淑華). The queen, Yan Che’s mother. She patiently kept the secret all these years in hope of one day the heir would return to its rightful branch. However, she didn’t know the plans of the imposter. Because her hope was all in vain.
- Zeng Yong Ti (曾泳醍) as Feng Ling Su (馮齡素). Consort Su, Yan Qi’s mother. She competed with the queen and wanted her son to become the emperor.
- Du Jia Ren (杜嘉人) as Consort Jin (瑾妃). Yan Sui’s mother. She suspected Yan Han and confronted him about it hence was killed off.
- Ma Jing Han (马敬涵) as Yan Lin (燕凜). Prince Rui, the king’s half brother from the same mother, Yan Chi’s father.
- Na Xin (那馨) as Prince Xin’s wife (信王妃). Yan Ze’s mother. She was killed by Yan Han because she spotted his birthmark.
- Du Zi Yang (杜子阳) as Prince Jin (晉王). The first prince.
- Yu Xuan Chen (于轩晨) as Yan Che (燕徹). The second prince aka the crowned prince.
- Yang Shi Ze (杨仕泽) as Yan Ze (燕澤). The third prince. Because of the sensitive situation within the palace, he pretended to not care or was weaker than he was supposed to be. It made sense to keep his head down and play it safe. However, it was revealed that he had orchestrated quite a few schemes behind the scene that led to the outcome of the ending. It made sense that he wanted to lie low to wait for a chance. Others had attempted to hurt him before so it was only right that he strike back, right? Yet his method wasn’t helping others either. It still looked like he was taking advantage of the opportunity to throw everything into chaos so he could take over.
- Liu Yi Hong (刘一宏) as Yan Qi (燕麒). The fourth prince, despicable and ruthless. He would do anything to acquire the throne.
- Ma Jun Ke (马珺珂) as Feng Chen Bi (馮沉碧). Yan Qi’s wife.
- Chen Tian Yu (陈天雨) as Yan Sui (燕綏). The ninth prince, Yan Han and Consort Jin’s son. He ended up ascending the throne after all the chaos was subdued and the aftermath was taken care of (for the most part).
- Hu Yi Yao (胡亦瑶) as Yan Zhen (燕蓁). The queen’s daughter.
- Miao Yu Jiao (苗雨峤) as Feng Zhang (馮璋). Consort Su’s nephew.
- Jiang Rong (姜蓉) as Lady Chen (陳嬤嬤). She was the wet nurse who was by the empress dowager’s side when the twins were born.
Marquis Anyeung Residence (安陽侯府)
- Tian Niu (恬妞) as Elder Grand Princess (大長公主). The king’s aunt. Although coming from a royal background, she was quite down-to-earth and understanding of others.
- Zheng Qi (郑奇) as Yue Qiong (岳瓊). Marquis Anyeung.
- Xu Hao Xiang (徐浩翔) as Yue Jia (岳稼). The prince of the Marquis Anyeung’s Residence, Yan Chi’s cousin.
- Li Zhuo Yang (李卓扬) as Yue Qing (岳清). The second son of the Marquis Anyeung’s Residence.
- Yu Jia Qi (于佳琦) as Lu Xiu (綠袖). The maid of the Marquis Anyeung’s Residence.
Cases:
Headless Bride (無頭新娘案) + Corpses Under The Well (井底埋屍案) Cases
- Li Shi Peng (李世鹏) as Huo Huai Xin (霍懷信). The prefectural magistrate of Jingzhou.
- Ma Ding (马丁) as Mrs. Huo (霍夫人). Huo Huai Xin’s wife.
- Zhang Hong Ming (张洪鸣) as Huo Ning (霍甯). Qin Wan’s supposed fiancé. The Huo family nullified the engagement after his father’s rise to a high position, not wanting to associating themselves with someone with no backing like Qin Wan.
- Xu Hao Yuan (唐浩渊) as Xu He (徐河). Jingzhou’s coroner. He learned a lot from Shen Wan in regard to the investigative techniques. But he was also revealed a sneaky character in one of the cases. He was indeed a good poser.
- Qu Yi Cheng (曲弈成) as Constable Qi (齊捕頭). Jingzhou’s constable.
- Qiang Yu (强宇) as Wei Qi Zhi (魏綦之). The eldest son of the Wei family.
- Li Dai Kun (李岱昆) as Wei Yan Zhi (魏言之). The Wei family’s illegitimate son. He hated his position and upbringing and all the backlash that he received, which wasn’t his fault. However, what took it to next level was killing his lover.
- Gao Yuan (高原) as Wei Cheng (魏誠). The head guard of the Wei family.
- Xiao Yuan Xi (肖沅希) as Song Rou (宋柔). The victim of the case. She was betrayed by her lover, Wei Yan Zhi.
Medic Garden’s Heart Devouring Case (百草園噬心案)
- Ji Xiao Bing (季肖冰) as Sun Hao Yue (孫皓月). Medic Valley’s eldest disciple, Shen Wan’s senior. On the outside, he was seen as a kind and loving medic who would let others seek refugee at his place or always sharing with the townspeople. It was a typical setup with a gentle medic like him. However, it was later revealed that he’d been targeted townspeople for their organs and experimented in extreme methods. The justification of his character was saying how he did it to save his wife. Did he love his wife? Yes. But to put all the reasons on her was just an excuse to get away with it all. Well, he went mad anyway, after all these failed experiments and the wall closing in. However, it was a bit easy letting him off like that. Acting wise? He was brilliant and creepy. I had no doubt about his performance. It was too bad he was in here for a little bit only. But I shouldn’t be surprised, if he was in here more, others wouldn’t have paid attention to anyone else. Sad but true, he was the handsomest in here and also the best in acting comparing to the main cast. So, yes, having him around for too long would harm them. Yes, this does sound arrogant on my part. But seriously, after having seen him with his solid performances with his past roles, it was a shame that he’s not higher on the cast list regarding of recent production. The ones he was more involved with the main plot, he had to portray the villain so others could shine as well.
- Li Shu Ya (李书雅) as Bai Fei Yan (白非煙). Sun Hao Yue’s wife.
- Wang Zi He (王子禾) as Bai Fei Jue (白非珏). The real person who was imprisoned and had his identity stolen.
- Liu Run Ming (刘润铭) as Bai Fei Jue (白非珏). The imposter who helped Sun Hao Yue find the next suitable candidate for their supposed experiments.
- Liu Xiu (刘秀) as Uncle Dong (董叔).
- Wang Zhi Yuan (王沚渊) as Auntie Lin (林嬸).
- Wang Hong Li (王泓力) as Xiao Song Zi (小松子). Sun Hao Yue’s patient. He was cured and stayed to help at the medic garden. Yet he was killed off because he saw something that he shouldn’t have.
- Ma Rui Ze (马瑞泽) as Sun Mu Qing (孫慕卿). Shen Wan’s senior. He’s considered too immersed in the medical journey that he would be willing to go anywhere to search for new techniques and learn things beyond his territories. Of course, he had his limits, because he wouldn’t go to the extreme of hurting others for the sake of medical advances. It would defeat the purpose of finding different cures to help others.
- Zhang Cheng Lang (张珹朗) as Constable Song (宋捕頭).
Ghosts Seeking Justice Within The Theater Case (戲伶冤魂索命案)
- Min Zheng (闵政) as Wang Huai Yu (汪懷宇). The prefectural magistrate of Yuzhou.
- Liu Ya Peng (刘亚鹏) as Liu Ren Li (劉仁勵).
- Zhou Yuan (周远) as Pang Fu Liang (龐輔良). The richest merchant in the northwest.
- Yao Tong (姚童) as Mrs. Pang (龐夫人). Pang Fu Liang’s second wife.
- Hao Yi Ran (郝熠然) as Pang Yi Wen (龐宜文). Pang Fu Liang’s oldest son from his first wife.
- Li Mu Chen (李牧宸) as Pang Jia Wen (龐嘉言). Mrs. Pang’s daughter.
- Jiang Lai (姜来) as Pang Jia Yun (龐嘉韻). Mrs. Pang’s adopted daughter.
- Qiao Fei (乔飞 ) as Butler Pang (龐管家).
- Wang Yan Su (王妍苏) as Mrs. Tan (覃夫人) aka Qing Yun (清筠).
- Hu Yi Lin (胡伊林) as Qing Li (清璃). Shuang Qing Clan’s current leader, Qing Yun’s disciple.
- Cheng Qi Meng (程启蒙) as Yang Ying (楊英). Shuang Qing Clan’s second in command. He accidentally killed Qing Li because his props got switched.
- Zhang Dong (张冬) as Qing Xi (清曦). Shuang Qing Clan’s previous leader and Qing Yun’s junior, Qing Huan’s master.
- Xiao Yan Bo (肖彦博) as General Zhang (張將軍). Qing Xi’s husband.
- Cui Bao Yue (崔宝月) as Qing Niang (晴娘) aka Qing Huan (清嬛). Pang Residence’s maid.
Maiden in Brocade Garment (錦衣少女案) + Hunting the Prince (獵殺太子案) + Bloody Punishment of the Heavenly Law (天道血色罰罪案) + Cold Shadow Murder within the Palace (深宮寒影殺人案) Cases
- Zhao Bin (赵滨) as Shen Yi (沈毅). Shen Wan’s father. He held the key evidence to a case regarding the royal family so he was silenced.
- Geng Li Ming (耿黎明) as Mrs. Shen Yi (沈毅夫人). Shen Wan’s mother.
- Cai Yi Da (蔡宜达) as Li Mu Yun (李牧雲). A member of the Heavenly Law Guild, Shen Yi’s disciple. Upon seeing Shen Yi stuck in an obstacle, he took advantage of the situation and ascended to the position. He was indeed despicable yet acted all righteous and upright.
- Otto Chan (陳俊安) as Zheng Bai Shi (鄭白石). The magistrate of the capital, assisted Yan Chi with the investigation.
- Li Ming Ming (黎明明) as Uncle Fang (方伯). A coroner of the capital.
- Zhang Ming Bo (章明伯) as Zhan Yang (展揚). The constable of the capital.
- Guo Zhen Yu (郭贞宇) as Xue Qing Shan (薛青山). Seventh ranked military official, Qin Shuang’s husband.
- Zheng Feng (郑锋) as Cai Feng (裁縫). The killer in the Maiden in the Brocade case.
- Li Yu (李彧) as Zhang Dong Xuan (張洞玄). Fortune teller.
- Gao Cheng (高晟) as Yuan Hong (元弘). The crowned prince of Bai Dai.
- Liang Xue Feng (梁雪峰) as Yuan Rui (元銳). The fifth prince of Bai Dai.
- Kim Zhang (张鑫) as Yuan Wu (元蕪). The princess of Bai Dai
- Wang Ming (王铭) as Xu Chang (徐常). The crowned prince of Bai Dai’s general. He bought off by the fifth prince to assassinate the crowned prince.
- Liu Ming Hao (刘铭浩) as Liu Zan (劉贊). The third prince of Hanxi.
Likes:
- Cases. Definitely one of the sole reasons I stuck around. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of mystery and crime solving shows. So, yeah, I found them intriguing and liked how they went through the journey of unearthing evidence and the story behind it all.
- Makeup and costumes. I have to give credit where credit is due. Because it was a mixture of disappointment and astonishment with recent dramas that I needed to acknowledge this. They had the right touches for everyone, which fitted their characters.
- Music. They were average but I thought decent enough for this series. They didn’t flood it with the songs to make it feel like a typical idol drama. It was place in at the right moment.
Dislikes:
- The fact that they excused Yan Chi’s killings versus the others’ killings. Sure, I got it that his deeds were honorable according to his people and his country. However, I didn’t like it that Shen Wan scolded this other dude who argued with her when he pointed out Yan Chi had a lot of blood on his hands too. Did Yan Chi suffer a lot and had to go through numerous trials to establish his reputation? Yes. But it was also true that he killed a lot of people too. Just because they were on the opposing sides and were forced to participate in those senseless wars didn’t mean they weren’t real people. No one was innocent regarding the amount of blood they had on their hands. No one had to the moral high road regarding that.
- Didn’t go all the way with incriminating everyone. Yes, I wanted everyone to be dragged out and nothing was hidden. In some ways, all the tragedies that happened and everyone who was involved got somewhat of the punishment and the truth was revealed to the key characters of the stories. Yet I swore they should be condemned publicly and let it be known by all. Yeah, so, I thought it was too lenient on some parties. Just because they wanted to protect the innocent children of those perpetrators didn’t mean they should let it go like that regarding revealing the absolute truth.
Discussions:
- Novel versus adaptation. I started reading the novel and realized it was a rebirth/ reincarnation kind of thing. Of course, that part had been edited out and the transition actually made sense regarding how they approached the details about Shen Wan using another identity to enter the Qin household. I had to put the novel aside because I’m occupied with other stuff and will have to come back regarding this in the future.
- Royalties and their extended families and allies. It was indeed another messed up family and how they thought they were better than normal people. Everything was rotten to the core. It wasn’t surprising at all.
Recommended? If you like mystery with a touch of romance and a side of the typical palace schemes, then yes. I didn’t care for the palace schemes much (as usual) but it was essential to Shen Wan’s journey in finding the truth behind her parents’ death so I just had to accept it. But it wasn’t too bad regarding the plot development. Because it didn’t drag on unnecessarily.
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