The Glory (雁回时) is surprisingly good to a lot of people as the cast is not that popular especially the male lead. But it has managed to attract a lot of attention as well as compliments. Thus, it also caught my eye and I have to watch it to judge for myself. Well, the start is engaging and it will make you stay for the long haul. If you are wondering what is the story about, it centers around the abandoned daughter who is now back for revenge trope. My review of The Glory below will have more to say about this drama.
My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 30
Type: Crime, Historical
Aired: March 2025
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook
The Cast Of The Glory
- Chen Du Ling as Zhuang Han Yan
- Xin Yun Lai as Fu Yun Xi
- Yu En Tai as Zhuang Shi Yang
- Wen Zheng Rong as Ruan Xi Wen
- Wang Yan as Zhou Ru Yin
- He Hong Shan as Zhuang Yu Shan
- Liu Xu Wei as Zhuang Yu Chi
- Zhang Hai Yan as Old Madam Wei
- Jinna Fu as Chai Jing
- Huang Hai Bing as Lord Yuwen Chang An
- Liu Min as Zhang Wan Jun / Lady Qiu
- Vicki Dong as Aunt Kou
- Huang Bo Si as Fu Ling Zhi
Main Characters
Zhuang Han Yan
Han Yan is the third child of the Zhuang family. Her mother is the official wife but Han Yan was abandoned after birth as she was deemed to be a harbinger of misfortune. Han Yan is a smart and patient lady who knows how to scheme against those who harm her.
Fu Yun Xi
Yun Xi is the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He is feared as well as hated by his enemies with his relentless pursuit of a corrupted gang. Yun Xi is stoic and aloof with a ruthless streak against corrupted officials. He was married to Han Yan’s eldest stepsister who has since died. They have a little daughter, Ling Zhi.
Supporting Characters
Zhuang Shi Yang
Shi Yang is a scholar and junior official at the Hanlin Academy. He has an official wife as well as a concubine. Although Shi Yang is supposedly the head of the family, he is fearful of his wife and tends to be easily manipulated by his concubine.
Ruan Xi Wen
Ruan Xi Wen is Shi Yang’s wife while Han Yan is her only child. She used to be a noble lady. Although she is wheelchair-bound, she is a fierce and domineering woman. Ruan Xi Wen appears as coldhearted and cruel to everyone including her own daughter. Nanny Chen and Ji Lan are her personal servants.
Zhou Ru Yin
Zhou Ru Yin is Shi Yang’s concubine and Han Yan’s stepmother. She is kind and generous on the surface but knows how to pretend to achieve her aims. She has 2 daughters and a son but the eldest daughter has since passed away after marrying Yun Xi.
Zhuang Yu Shan & Zhuang Yu Chi
Yu Shan and Yu Chi are Han Yan’s stepsister and stepbrother respectively. Their mother is Zhou Ru Yin who is a concubine. Both of them are shallow and willful. They see Han Yan as an enemy especially Yu Shan who is in love with Yun Xi.
Old Madam Wei
Old Madam Wei is Shi Yang’s mother. She is the matriarch of the Zhuang family but doesn’t get involved in the family’s daily matters. She prefers to stay above the fray and simply enjoy her life.
Chai Jing
Chai Jing is an assassin from Danzhou and Han Yan’s trusted friend. She was an orphan who owed her life to Han Yan.
Lord Yuwen Chang An
Lord Yuwen is the Left Imperial Censor. He is a high-ranking government official with old ties to Ruan Xi Wen.
Zhang Wan Jun / Lady Qiu & Aunt Kou
Lady Qiu is Yun Xi’s mother. She is a widow and a warmhearted woman. Aunt Kou is Lady Qiu’s maternal cousin. She lives in the Fu Mansion and oversees the household’s daily management. Aunt Kou is a lively and straightforward woman.
Fu Ling Zhi
Ling Zhi is Yun Xi’s daughter with his late wife. She is a cute and loving little girl.
Synopsis
Han Yan is the third daughter of the Zhuang family but is abandoned at birth. Her grandfather died when she was born and a fortune teller had deemed her to be a jinx who would bring misfortune to the family. Hence, she was sent to the countryside to be fostered by her father’s acquaintance. However, she grew up being abused by her foster parents. When her foster father wanted to sell her to the brothel, she killed them and made her way back to her family in the capital.
However, Han Yan learns that her family is not what it seems after her return. Her mother is cruel and coldhearted towards her but has a covert agenda. Her stepmother is kind and welcoming on the surface but is full of schemings behind her back. There are hidden secrets from years past that Han Yan needs to unravel to get to the truth about her abandonment.
In the meantime, she gets entangled with Yun Xi who is a Vice Minister investigating a gang of corrupted officials. Yun Xi needs to find out the details of a high-ranking official’s ties to Han Yan’s mother in the corruption case he is investigating. Hence, Han Yan is wary of Yun Xi’s motives but has to rely on his help to counter her stepmother. How would both of them dissolve the distrust between them and work together to confront their enemies?
The Glory Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
The Glory has a bittersweet ending. Yun Xi’s poison cannot be completely eradicated despite obtaining the antidote prescription from Shi Yang. It has been inside his body for too long. But it also means that Yun Xi and Han Yan will cherish each other more as no one knows how long he has to live. But the last scene implies that he might have died as he is standing on the side of those who have been killed by Shi Yang during a festive gathering.
After Yun Xi’s identity as a spy is proven to the Emperor, he is summoned to the palace to give a briefing on the case. Yun Xi rejects Shi Yang’s offer of the antidote in return for not exposing him as Pei Da Fu’s adopted son. He gets both Shi Yang and Duke Qi arrested for their crimes. Duke Qi is demoted to be a commoner while Shi Yang is imprisoned. In a scheme sanctioned by the Emperor, Han Yan pretends to rescue Shi Yang from prison in return for the antidote prescription to save Yun Xi who has fallen unconscious. She locks him up in the Zhuang Mansion’s secret tunnel after the rescue and promises to free him if Yun Xi awakens.
In the meantime, Zhou Ru Yin and Yu Shan have patched up their differences after having experienced Shi Yang’s cruelty and manipulation. Shi Yang had helped Duke Qi to capture Yu Shan after she had fled from her psychotic husband and hid in her father’s home. After Yun Xi awakened, Han Yan releases Shi Yang as promised but left him at the mercy of Zhou Ru Yin and Yu Shan in the Zhuang Mansion. Zhou Ru Yin kills him in revenge.
Is There Any Breakup?
Han Yan offers herself to Yun Xi in Episode 10 as she needs his help to save Chai Jing who has claimed responsibility for her foster parents’ deaths. She tells Yun Xi that she is willing to do anything for him if he can save Chai Jing. Han Yan starts to trust him a little after he manages to get Chai Jing out of prison. Yun Xi also accidentally kisses Han Yan in Episode 15 when he rescues her from an agitated horse.
In Episode 16, Yun Xi asks Han Yan about her marriage plans. She replies that she has no thoughts on romantic love but only wants a home that can offer her peace and security rather than being bullied and humiliated. Yun Xi tellls her that he can give her what she desires. When her father tries to marry her off, Yun Xi shows up with their betrothal agreement and proposes a deal with her.
If she marries him, he will become her strategist and make her a noble lady within a year. He recognizes her capabilities and wants them to become allies. He also needs someone to take care of his family. Han Yan agrees after listening in to his conversation with his subordinate whereby he appears to have some feelings for her in Episode 17. But when she learns that he has used her as a pawn in Episode 18, she decides that they should go their separate ways.
When Did The Leads Get Together?
After Shi Yang killed her mother and Lord Yuwen in Episode 18, Han Yan changes her mind and decides to marry Yun Xi in Episode 19. They strike a deal to work together since they have a common enemy in her father. Han Yan sees the marriage as a means to get her revenge. They have their wedding in Episode 20. But Han Yan’s obsession for revenge against her father makes her take big risks that could result in dire consequences not only for her but also Yun Xi’s family. She has also made used of Yun Xi in her scheming. Hence, the couple has a disagreement over it in Episode 23.
After a setback in her revenge plot in Episode 24, Ling Zhi’s innocence and plea make Han Yan pause and reflect. She promises Yun Xi that she will be sincere towards him from then on. Yun Xi’s revelation that he is an adopted son makes Han Yan realizes that as long as there is love, there will be a home even if there is no blood relationship.
When Shi Yang’s scheming result in Yun Xi and Han Yan being accused of laundering Pei Da Fu’s wealth, Yun Xi takes all the blame in Episode 27. He is tortured in prison and Han Yan feels helpless. Yun Xi tells her that she doesn’t need to save him as he is already dying anyway as he had drank some of the poisoned wine that killed his late wife. Yun Xi confesses to Han Yan that he is attracted to her while she is heartbroken that he has got her falling for a dying man. Unwilling to give up, Han Yan manages to obtain evidence that Yun Xi is a spy and frees him from prison in Episode 28.
Yun Xi’s Secret
The corrupted Pei Da Fu actually has 2 adopted sons. Yun Xi tells Han Yan that he suspects her father is the adopted son in Episode 17 after she agreed to marry him. Together, they set a trap to flush out Shi Yang. But Shi Yang turns around and accuses Yun Xi of being Pei Da Fu’s adopted son too. He claims that Yun Xi’s pursuit of the remnants of the corrupted gang is a cover to seize Pei Da Fu’s hidden wealth for himself. By exposing Shi Yang’s relationship with Pei Da Fu, Yun Xi will also be able to escape scrutiny since everyone assumes the corrupted eunuch only has 1 adopted son.
Han Yan finds both to be despicable men. She is also disappointed that Yun Xi has used her as a pawn in his schemes to save himself although he tells her that he meant her no harm and has developed genuine feelings for her in Episode 18. Yun Xi only tells Han Yan the real truth in Episode 19 when they are discussing marriage again to counter Shi Yang. Yun Xi is actually a spy sent by the Chief Minister, Lord Wen Ming Chang, to infiltrate Pei Da Fu’s inner circle. However, Lord Wen was subsequently killed. Hence, no one could prove Yun Xi’s identity as an undercover agent while his association with Pei Da Fu runs the risk of being exposed.
After Pei Da Fu was caught and imprisoned, Yun Xi offered to hunt down the remaining of the corrupted gang to protect himself. That was how he found out that Pei Da Fu has another adopted son.
Shi Yang’s Crimes
Han Yan learns what her father did in their confrontation in Episode 18 when his identity as Pei Da Fu’s adopted son is flushed out. 17 years ago, Han Yan’s grandfather refused Pei Da Fu’s request to help him to hide his stolen wealth. He wanted to report the matter to the Emperor. But Shi Yang feared that the powerful Pei Da Fu would kill them all. So, he poisoned his own father to stop him from making the report. To cover his crime, he took advantage of Zhou Ru Yin’s scheme to frame Ruan Xi Wen for giving birth to a baby with an evil aura. He maliciously played along and the evil aura is conveniently used as the cause of his father’s sudden death.
After earning Pei Da Fu’s trust and becoming his adopted son, Shi Yang helped to managed the eunuch’s stole loot. But Shi Yang keeps fearing that his crimes would be exposed. So, he slowly poisoned Pei Da Fu who subsequently died in prison. Shi Yang ends up living in constant fear of being exposed and hence, trusts no one. When Yun Xi is close to finding out his identity, Shi Yang killed all the informants. He also tried to poison Yun Xi but his own daughter ended up as the victim.
In Episode 27, it is revealed that Han Yan’s grandmother actually saw what happened to her husband. But she pretended not to know and has played dumb ever since to stay safe.
Chai Jing’s Past
Chai Jing relates her past to Yun Xi in Episode 10 when she insists on taking the blame for Han Yan’s foster parents’ deaths. Han Yan has been arrested for the killings due to Zhou Ru Yin’s doing. Chai Jing was an orphan who was brought up to be a personal bodyguard and assassin for a ship owner. One night, a group of men boarded the ship and killed her master. Chai Jing was forced to jumped overboard to save herself. She was washed ashore and was saved by Han Yan. They formed a close bond. Han Yan is like a sister as well as new master to Chai Jing.
After claiming that she killed Han Yan’ foster parents, Chai Jing is tortured in prison until she is rescued by Yun Xi at Han Yan’s request. But the torture has broken her body and she could no longer protect Han Yan. So, Chai Jing leaves a farewell note to Han Yan and returns to a life at sea following Han Yan’s marriage to Yun Xi in Episode 20. She feels that Han Yan now has Yun Xi to protect her instead.
Why Ruan Xi Wen Hates The Zhuang Family
In Episode 12, Ruan Xi Wen reports that Shi Yang has association with Pei Da Fu who was a corrupted eunuch. The accusation could get the whole family executed including herself as Shi Yang’s wife. But she is willing to die to bring the family down with her due to her hatred and obsession for revenge. Han Yan who has been removed from the family register by her mother is not on the execution list. Unwilling to see her mother die, Han Yan manages to get her family off the hook.
Ruan Xi Wen is furious with Han Yan for foiling her plan. Nanny Chen has to tell Han Yan why her mother is consumed by hatred in Episode 14. Zhou Ru Yin set Ruan Xi Wen up with the story about Han Yan bearing an evil aura and has to be gotten rid of. Her position as a concubine will be further threatened if Ruan Xi Wen has a child. With Han Yan’s grandfather on his deathbed when she was born, the evil aura story became a convenient excuse. Ruan Xi Wen was forced to give up her daughter and she was beaten until she became crippled in a sham ritual of driving away evil. She knows that the schemer behind the scenes is Shi Yang.
Han Yan convinces her mother to stop seeking death in her plot for revenge despite her hatred. Mother-daughter relationship becomes closer after this incident. In Episode 16, Ruan Xi Wen learns that Shi Yang has purposely kept her cripple because the doctors he commissioned to treat her after the beating didn’t do their job as they should.
Ruan Xi Wen’s Relationship With Yuwen
In Episode 6, Yun Xi narrates to Han Yan about her mother’s relationship with Lord Yuwen. Both Lord Yuwen and Shi Yang were Ruan Xi Wen’s students. Lord Yuwen and Ruan Xi Wen had feelings for each other and were engaged at one point. But Shi Yang was also interested in Ruan Xi Wen. He married her when her family fell into ruins overnight when they were accused of incurring the wrath of the royalty. Coincidentally, Lord Yuwen has been sent to another city for duty. By the time he rushed back, Ruan Xi Wen has married Shi Yang but his love for her has remained in his heart.
As Ruan Xi Wen hates Shi Yang, Lord Yuwen tries to convince her to leave the Zhuang family and be with him in Episode 16. After Ruan Xi Wen manages to walk again with proper treatment, she decides to put the past behind her to marry Lord Yuwen. She demands a divorce from Shi Yang in Episode 18. When Shi Yang refuses, she threatens to expose his crime of tampering with her father’s draft eulogy for the late Emperor. It was that tampered eulogy that caused her family’s downfall and gave Shi Yang the chance to marry Ruan Xi Wen.
Left with no choice, Shi Yang grants Ruan Xi Wen the divorce. Ruan Xi Wen marries Lord Yuwen after leaving the Zhuang household. But on their wedding night, their food is poisoned by Shi Yang who is consumed by jealousy that Ruan Xi Wen has never loved him. Lord Yuwen, Ruan Xi Wen as well as Nanny Chen are killed as a result.
Zhou Ru Yin’s Fate
Yu Chi dies in Episode 19 after he tried to attack Han Yan but slipped and fell on a sharp protrusion. He was angry as Han Yan was about to marry Yun Xi who is his sister’s love interest. Zhou Ru Yin quarrels with Shi Yang over their son’s death in Episode 20. She threatens Shi Yang over his secrets and wants to be the official wife to keep her silence. As a result, she has a fall out with Yu Shan who feels that her mother is manipulating her children for her own selfish reason of wanting to be the official wife.
In Episode 23, Zhou Ru Yin persuades while Shi Yang manipulates Yu Shan into marrying the psychotic Duke Qi in order to counter Han Yan’s growing influence among the nobles. So, Yu Shan marries Duke Qi in Episode 24 but is frequently being mistreated. When Yun Xi and Han Yang manage to unearth the evidence that her grandfather was poisoned in Episode 25, her grandmother gives them a clue to nail Shi Yang.
However, Shi Yang turns around and uses Zhou Ru Yin as his scapegoat. Yu Shan sides with his father since she sees her mother as manipulative since she was young. She has been taught that they need to keep their father happy as that is the only way to gain more favors as a concubine branch of the family. During the trial adjournment, Shi Yang hires killers to kill off Zhou Ru Yin in Episode 26. Han Yan and Yun Xi save her. After learning that Shi Yang has also killed Ruan Xi Wen and Lord Yuwen, she decides to cooperate with Han Yan to bring down her husband.
The Glory Review – Girl Power Revenge Drama
At its core, The Glory is a female-centered revenge drama. A pair of mother-daughter are consumed by hatred and obsessed over revenge as the story progresses. It has a gripping start just like The Double. It also has a measure of suspense as viewers are not told upfront who are the good and bad guys. Things are not what they seem on the surface. Even if you can guess who is what, you still have to wait for the hows and whys. So, I think the production team did a good job to keep viewers hooked for at least two-thirds of the drama.
But being a female-centered historical drama, you also can’t run away from the typical fight between two branches of the family. Like Si Jin, you will find the female lead in The Glory having to counter another woman in the same household which in this case is her stepmother. It does have this cliche aspects of status, jealousy, and schemings among the women for a significant part of the story. So, be forewarned in that sense.
However, what is interesting is the hidden secret behind those fights. There is something sinister going on underneath the open animosity between the two camps. This is what provides depth to the story. You will chase after the episodes because there is an anticipation of further reveals. And sometimes, there are twists to these reveals which make the story very engaging.
Plot Twists Here And There
To me, the little plot twists littered throughout The Glory gives it an edge over other revenge-driven dramas. There is a level of unpredictability to the story with these twists. Hence, you are less likely to feel bored. For instance, just when you think that the ultimate villain will be flushed out, a twist happens to create more intrigue to the plot.
However, while the twists are good to keep the story riveting, the last third of the drama doesn’t feel as great as the earlier episodes. The subplots feel rushed and stacked with a feminism theme. The insertion of these feminist subplots just seem simplistic and forced to me. There is also a phase whereby the male lead is following the female lead’s instructions on what to do to gain the attention of a noble consort. This part doesn’t jive with his character at all when he is a smart schemer in his own right from the beginning of the drama.
So, there is a certain degree of plot holes and poor plot execution in The Glory. But they are easily forgotten as the suspense is gripping enough to overshadow those weaknesses. The main characters are also hardly innocent people with their connivance and schemings. This makes them different from the usual heroes and heroines that tend to be utterly good people. As a result, the drama becomes more captivating with morally questionable protagonists.
Less Than Upright Protagonists
I do recall that the male protagonist has said that he is no gentleman in one particular scene. In other words, he is no goody-goody male hero. He tortures those he has arrested to extract confessions. He preyed on the female lead’s fear of arrest to try to get her to do his bidding. And he made used of her for his own schemes. He has his reason naturally but is certainly deceiving her with his secrets.
The female protagonist is not much better. She is consumed by hatred and obsessed about revenge at one stage. She is cold and used the male lead for her own ends to the point of being reckless in one of her plots.
Therefore, both of them are morally grey characters. They are not bad people but pushed to do morally questionable acts due to circumstances. It is easy to hate them. But the production team has managed to write a compelling story for them so that the viewers are more likely to understand their predicament and actions. Thus, you will feel for the protagonists despite their flaws. They are imperfect but more interesting than the usual characters. Unfortunately, this is somewhat marred by very average acting especially for the male lead.
Acting
This is only the second time that I have watched Xin Yun Lai in a lead role. The first was in Mr. Honesty. Personally, I think the role of Fu Yun Xi in The Glory is a bit too challenging for him. Fu Yun Xi is not just a stoic character. He also has hidden secrets and a family he loves. He can be ruthless but he also has a soft side. So, being expressionless for some scenes is fine. But having the same impassive face for almost an entire drama just doesn’t sit right with me somehow. I feel that he lacks the micro expressions to make the character really comes alive. As it is, the character becomes too wooden across different scenes.
Chen Du Ling’s acting is better compared to her co-lead in the way she portrays Zhuang Han Yan. At the very least, her eyes really show the coldness and hatred in the character for some important scenes. The most impressive actress to me in The Glory is the one who plays her mother. Wen Zheng Rong really commands the screen whenever she appears as the crippled Ruan Xi Wen.
In terms of chemistry between the leads, I can’t really sense the tension between them. Some viewers think they do have the required sparks. Perhaps Xin Yun Lai’s acting doesn’t resonate with me and hence, the chemistry isn’t obvious in my eyes. I guess if you can relate to his acting, then maybe you would feel differently.
My Verdict – Watch!
The Glory is a gripping tale that deserves a watch. It is filled with surprises in the way the story twists and turns. Although the ending is predictable, the details leading up to it is not. This is where the intrigue is that will make you keep watching. The female protagonist is consumed by the need for revenge but she has also endured a lot since birth. Her experience will make you sympathize with her and understand why she needs to even the score with those who have harmed her and her mother. So, the plot has its dark side of hatred. Once meshed with the character, it becomes a captivating and suspenseful story.
On the other hand, the drama doesn’t have feel good moments. In fact, you might find everyone to be cruel towards the female lead including her own mother for a dozen episodes or so. Her stepmother and step-siblings would be highly annoying. So, if you can’t stand the cruelty and the bad hand that the female lead has been dealt with, you might just find The Glory to be too intense for your taste at the start.
Finally, this is not a romance drama. Many would assume that there is some level of sweetness between the leads. While there is indeed a slow burn kind of love, the romance is pretty much non-existent throughout most episodes. The focus is on revenge and cooperation to bring down a common enemy. Love is just a tool to tie up the plot towards the end. For this review of The Glory, I would give it a score of 8/10. Apart from the gripping tale, watch it for the cute little girl who acts as the male lead’s daughter. She is simply adorable!
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