THE CAST
AND
THE DESCRIPTION
OF THE
CHARACTERS
|
CAST
|
CHARACTER
|
DESCRIPTION
|
Nicky Wu
|
Yinzhen, The Fourth Prince / Emperor Yongzheng
|
The fifth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty and the
third Qing emperor to rule over China proper. (Born: 1678 / Reign: 1722 to
1735)
He succeeds his father as the Yongzheng Emperor. His
legitimacy is questioned for years after his accession. He moves his
residence to the Palace of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Dian).
Yongzhen is despotic, efficient, and vigorous, and uses
military force to preserve his power. He continues an era of peace and
prosperity and cracks down on corruption.
He is passionately in love with Ma’ertai Ruoxi.
His biological brother, the 14th Prince, was raised by
their mother.
(When Yinzhen was born, his mother, being of a low status,
was not allowed to raise him. For most of his childhood, Yinzhen was raised
by Noble Consort Tong.)
|
Kevin Cheng
|
Yinsi, The 8th Prince
|
He is nicknamed 'The Virtuous Prince'. He is romantic but
is very ambitious and has incisive intelligence.
He is Ruoxi’s first love interest and Yinzhen’s rival for
her affections as well as in politics.
He is bestowed the title, 'Beile', the Manchu, non-Chinese title for Manchu princes, when he is 17 years old. He has two consorts, Minghui (Mingyu's older sister) and Ruolan (Ruoxi’s older sister). |
Cecilia Liu
|
Zhang Xiao / Ma'ertai Ruoxi
|
She is a woman from 2011 (21st century). After suffering a
near-fatal accident, she has an out-of-body experience and travels
back in time, becoming stranded in the 18th century for 21 years (1704-1725),
and is trapped in the body of Ma'ertai Ruoxi, the daughter of an 18th-century
Manchu aristocrat from the Northwest of China.
Despite her modern outlook, she is forced to adapt to the
life in the 18th century.
She is romantically linked with three of the Kangxi
Emperor's sons: Yinzhen, Yinsi, and Yinti.
Ruoxi's romantic entanglement with the princes is
complicated by her knowledge of their future political struggles and feuds.
She is initially unaware of the 'predestination paradox'
by which her actions would ultimately shape the outcome of history.
At the end of the series, Ruoxi dies after confessing to be the unwitting cause of the princes' struggle for power. After her death, she returns to the 21st century as Zhang Xiao, her original self, reawakening after several weeks in a coma. |
Damian Lau
|
The Kangxi Emperor
|
The Kangxi Emperor was the fourth (1622-1722)
ruler of the Qing or Manchu Dynasty, the last dynasty of China.
The emperor was the head of the Aisin Gioro clan from
Manchuria and lived in the Qianqing Palace.
Damian Lau plays the role of a supposedly benevolent father and ruler. He is partial towards Yinti and very indulgent towards the Crown Prince but very prejudiced against Yinsi. |
Yuan Hong
|
Yinxiang, The 13th Prince
|
He, a bold, modern prince, has a strong sense of justice
and shares the same liberal views as Ruoxi.
He is a staunch supporter of Yinzhen and a close confidante of Ruoxi. He loves Luwu, a courtesan who suffers with him for 10 years when he is placed under ‘House Arrest’. |
Lin Gengxin
|
Yinti, The 14th Prince
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He is Yinzhen’s biological brother.
He is also in love with Ruoxi. He is made the General-In-Chief of the Border Pacification Campaign in the Northwest. After Yongzhen's ascension to the throne, Yinti is demoted to a guard at the Qing Imperial Tombs at Zunhua. |
Ye Zuxin
|
Yin'e, The 10th Prince
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The bird-brained, silly and playful husband of Gololo
Mingyu
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Yinzhi, The 1st Prince (Prince Zhi)
|
He is jealous of Yinreng, the heir-apparent, and is
punished for practising ‘voodoo’ / sorcery and putting a curse on the Crown
Prince in order to oust him.
(He is to be differentiated from Prince Yinzhi, the third prince who is also called Prince Cheng) |
|
Zhang Lei
|
Yinreng, The 2nd Prince / Crown Prince
|
He is the Crown Prince for two terms. The heir
apparent is removed twice from his position because of his extravagance,
immorality, sexual impropriety and abhorrent behaviour, which includes an
attempt to assassinate the emperor.
He is the favourite son of the Kangxi emperor because he is the first-born of Kangxi's beloved empress who died young. Kangxi personally raises the prince. The prince turns out to be wayward and this reflects badly on the Kangxi emperor.
Yinreng is lecherous and calculating; he wants Ruoxi to be
his consort to improve his political standing. He even seduces one of the
emperor's concubines.
After Yinreng is demoted for good (1712), the emperor
refuses to name an heir.
|
Han Dong
|
Yintang, The 9th Prince
|
Maertai Rouxi calls him 'The Venomous Snake’. He is
hot-headed, arrogant, corrupt, ruthless, scheming and a trouble-maker.
His only good deed is being charitable to the poverty-stricken Yutan, Ruoxi's maid and sworn sister when she was young. But then, he takes advantage of her unswerving loyalty by making her his spy in the Forbidden City. |
Chen Jingyu
|
Yinzhi the
3rd prince, Prince Cheng
|
He is ordered by the Kangxi Emperor to investigate the
rivalry between the Crown Prince, Yinreng, and the First Prince, Yinzhi or
Prince Zhi.
|
Wang Xiaodong
|
Yinqi, the 5th prince.
|
A prince who is intelligent but is not interested in the
imperial throne.
|
Annie Liu
|
Ma'ertai Ruolan
|
Ruoxi's older sister and Yinsi's (8th Prince) consort
(second wife).
She feels bitterness towards Yinsi for supposedly causing the death of her beloved 'Qing San'. Ruolan tries to find peace of mind through reading Buddhist scriptures and daily prayers. |
Shi Xiaoqun
|
Gololo Minghui
|
Yinsi's first wife, the older sister of Gololo Mingyu
(wife of the Tenth Prince, Yin’e)
She is loyal, giving, loving towards Yinsi and is willing to sacrifice her life for him but he does not cherish her. She commits suicide after Yinsi is forced to divorce her. |
Liu Yuxin
|
Gololo Mingyu
|
She is Prince Yin'e's (10th) domineering
consort who is an impetuous and arrogant woman.
|
Guo Zhenni
|
Lüwu
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Yinxiang's (13th) love interest.
After she is redeemed from a brothel, she becomes a courtesan. It is later revealed that she is of noble birth and whose family has fallen from grace. |
Cao Xinye
|
Qiaohui
|
The Ma'ertai family's faithful maid who accompanies Ruolan
when she marries Yinsi.
After Ruolan’s death, she becomes Ruoxi’s maid until Ruoxi’s death, whereupon she decides to take care of Cheng Huan (13th Prince's daughter). |
Ye Qing
|
Yutan
|
Ruoxi's maid who becomes her sworn sister and best
friend.
She has been saved from poverty by Yintang who later makes her his spy. She is boiled or steamed alive by the Yongzhen emperor for her 'crimes'. |
Kang Mingtong
|
Yunxiang
|
a maid in the palace working with Yutan under Ruoxi.
|
Deng Limin
|
Li Dequan
|
The Head Eunuch and the personal attendant to the Kangxi
Emperor
He is Ruoxi's benefactor and mentor. He is forced to drink poison by the Yongzhen emperor upon his ascension to the throne in order to seal his lips. |
Zhou Yancheng
|
Wangxi
|
Li Dequan's godson, a young eunuch who is Ruoxi's good
friend and helper.
He works secretly for the Yongzhen emperor and is tasked with offering poisoned wine to his immediate master or 'sifu', Li Dequan. |
Hu Zhonghu
|
Gao Wuyong
|
An eunuch, and the personal attendant to the Yongzhen
Emperor
|
Cristy Guo
|
Minmin
|
Prince Suwan-Guwalgiya's daughter who befriends Ruoxi and
develops a crush on Yinxiang (13th) but marries Irgen-Gioro Zuoying
|
Mu Tingting
|
Lady Ulanara
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Yinzhen’s empress (first wife)
|
Lu Meifang
|
Consort Nian
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Yinzhen's second consort, the sister of General Nian Gengyao
|
Chai Wei
|
Cheng Huan
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Yinxiang (13th) and Lüwu's daughter
|
Ba Sen
|
Prince Suwan-Guwalgiya
|
He is the head of the Suwan-Guwalgiya clan, one of
the Jurchen tribes and he has distinguished himself in military campaigns.
|
Zheng Kai
|
Irgen-Gioro Zuoying
|
Zuoying is Minmin's suitor and eventual husband.
Irgen-Gioro is a notable Manchu family name which is a big branch
of the Gioro clan and one of the eight big clans of the Manchus.
|
Gao Sen
|
Li Guangdi
|
A Qing court official
|
Lian Teyue
|
Imperial Physician He
|
The personal physician to the emperor who treats the
illness of the emperor and other special ‘patients’ like Ruoxi
|
Dai Chunrong
|
Concubine De
|
The empress and mother of Yinzhen (4th prince) and Yinti
(14th prince).
She is a biased mother who is partial towards Yinti as she has personally raised him. She refuses to accept the fact that Yinzhen is the emperor. (Yinzhen had been raised by Noble Consort Tong, the daughter of Tong Guowei, the Kangxi Emperor's maternal uncle and an eminent official in the early part of Kangxi's reign.) |
Liu Jie
|
Consort Liang
|
One of the Kangxi Emperor's consorts who is from a
humble background. The mother of Yinsi (8th Prince)
|
Zhao Jialin
|
Long Kedou / Longkodo
|
The younger brother of one of Kangxi’s consorts, Empress
Xiaoyiren
He is a strong supporter of Yinzhen and helps the prince to ascend the throne with his military might. |
Xing Hanqing
|
Nian Gengyao
|
He is a Han Chinese Qing general, whose name has
been proposed by Yinzhen to assist the Kangxi emperor.
His sister is the second consort of Yinzhen so he is a strong supporter of Yinzhen. Later, he becomes arrogant because of his military prowess. |
Ma Tianyu
|
Huang Di
|
Zhang Xiao's (Ma'ertai Ruoxi) boyfriend in the 21st
century
|
Eunuch Zhang Qianyin
|
The sleazy, corrupt Head of the Laundry Department whose
tongue has been sliced and limbs chopped off by the Yongzhen Emperor
|
|
Prince Honshi
|
The third son of Yongzhen who is influenced by Yintang, the
9th Prince to plead for forgiveness for the 8th faction.
He is also encouraged to fight for the Crown Prince position by the 9th Prince. (He was punished because of his prolonged struggle for the throne. It was rumoured that he was forced to commit suicide by Yongzhen.) |
|
Created by
|
Tong Hua (original story)
|
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Directed by
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Lee Kwok-lap (Li Guoli)
|
|
Production company
|
Tangren Media
|
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HIERARCHY
& ALLIANCES
THE KANGXI EMPEROR (1654-1722)
(The 4th ruler of the Qing or Manchu Dynasty)
|
|
YINZHEN
(4th PRINCE)
Lady Ulanara, 1st Consort
Consort Nian, 2nd Consort (sister of Nian Gengyao, a Han Chinese Qing general)
|
YINSI
(8th PRINCE)
Gololo Minghui, 1st Consort
Ma'ertai Ruolan, 2nd Consort
|
YINRENG
THE CROWN PRINCE
(2nd Prince)
The
heir apparent
Yinzhen
supports Yinreng
|
YINTI
(14th Prince)
(Yinzhen’s biological brother)
|
YINXIANG
(13th Prince)
Lüwu, his love interest
Chenghuan, his daughter with Lüwu
|
YIN’E
(10th Prince)
(the husband of Gololo Mingyu)
|
YINTANG
(9th Prince)
Yutan’s (maid) beloved
Ruoxi calls him ‘The Venomous Snake’
|
|
