A League Of Nobleman Review

Frankly speaking, I nearly dropped A League Of Nobleman (君子盟) after the first few episodes. But I persevered since some review sites have given this a high rating. I was curious if the compliments were justified. So, I soldiered on and completed this. I have the A League Of Nobleman review written out below to offer some insights and thoughts about this historical drama. It is not the best but neither is it the worst that I have watched. You can scroll down for more if you are interested to know how did it go for me on the whole.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 29
Type: Crime, Mystery
Aired: January 2023
Images Credit: Douban Movie

The Cast Of A League Of Nobleman

• Jing Bo Ran as Lan Jue / Pei Zhi
• Song Wei Long as Zhang Ping
• Guo Cheng as Chen Chou
• Hong Yao as Wang Yan
• Wang Duo as Gu Qing Zhang / Shu Lin
• Zhang Shu Lun as Emperor Wang Xuan / Qi Zhu
• Shi Yue Ling as Empress Dowager
• Yang Yun Zhuo as Xuan Ji
• Zhang Shao Rong as Tao Zhou Feng
• Zhang Zhi Zhong as Gong Song Ming

Main Characters

Lan Jue

Lan Jue is the Vice Minister Of Rites who is aiming for a promotion to head the ministry. He is a graceful and coolheaded man with foresight. Lan Jue is also careful and astute. While he tries to be upright, he is also a pragmatic person who understands the importance of balancing the need for the truth with the realities of royal court politics. Lan Jue has his own personal agenda which involves his late father, Lan Lin. Xu Dong and Liu Yun are his trusted aides.

Zhang Ping

Zhang Ping is a poor scholar and an orphan. He sells noodles for a living together with his best friend. Zhang Ping is a very inflexible and stubborn young man but incredibly smart and observant. He has dogmatic views and sees everything as black and white with no shades of grey. He can also be very persistent in finding out the truth and loves investigating cases which cause him to be reckless at times.

Chen Chou

Chen Chou is Zhang Ping’s best friend. He is more down-to-earth and understands the practicalities of social norms.

Wang Yan

Wang Yan is the Minister of Justice and Lan Jue’s best friend who knows the latter’s secret. He is in charge of criminal investigations and often helps Lan Jue whenever there is a need. Wang Yan ‘s father is Wang Qin who is the Great Commandant.

Gu Qing Zhang / Shu Lin

Gu Qing Zhang is Lan Jue’s old friend from 10 years ago. He was a scholar and has a philosophical air about him.

Emperor Wang Xuan / Qi Zhu

Emperor Wang Xuan is a young man who doesn’t seem interested in the country’s affairs. He is often absent from the royal court to indulge in hunting and other leisure activities.

Empress Dowager

Empress Dowager is Emperor Wang Xuan’s mother. She is a powerful figure in the royal court and thought to be the true power behind the throne. She is ambitious and often presides over the court meetings.

Xuan Ji

Xuan Ji is the Chief Astronomer and senior official in the royal court. He is a supporter of Empress Dowager which puts him at odds with officials who side with Emperor Wang Xuan.

Tao Zhou Feng

Tao Zhou Feng is the Minister Of Judicial Review. He is a laidback and harmless man who doesn’t see the urgency in carrying out his tasks to solve cases.

Gong Song Ming

Gong Song Ming is the Minister Of Rites who is about to retire. He is also Lan Jue’s direct supervisor and teacher. He is an honest man with integrity. Gong Song Ming has a granddaughter named Gong Yu Zhen who is a talented musician.

Synopsis

Lan Jue is the Vice Minister Of Rites who has written a letter to a neighboring enemy state which could cause him to be accused of treason. The letter has fallen into the hands of a merchant who is working for Lan Jue’s political rival. Hence, Lan Jue needs to retrieve the letter. In the process, Zhang Ping gets embroiled in the case by accident. He is a scholar and noodles seller with a persistence for the truth. This puts him at odds with Lan Jue who is trying to hide the existence of the letter.

After a series of investigations into a few cases, Lan Jue and Zhang Ping begin to understand each other better and become good friends. Lan Jue’s father was accused of treason 20 years ago and Lan Jue has been trying to investigate the case to clear his father’s name. The cases that have cropped up seem to be connected to the past incident. Zhang Ping becomes interested to find out the truth and helps Lan Jue to unearth what happened years ago.

A League Of Nobleman Ending And Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

A League Of Nobleman has a good ending for the protagonists. Emperor Wang Xuan returns in triumph from a war with an enemy state. He remains a respected ruler despite the suspicion that he doesn’t have a royal bloodline. He appoints Zhang Ping to be a county magistrate to make him gain experience. Emperor Wang Xuan has high hopes on Zhang Ping to eventually become a senior official.

Wang Yan becomes the Minister of Judicial Review and he starts tackling the backlogged cases that have accumulated. Lan Jue is now the Governor and part of his duties will take him to different counties. He is seen meeting up with Zhang Ping in his new county during his travels. In the last scene, viewers are told that he has a young son whom he has sent to the countryside in the past due to the risk he was taking to clear his father’s name. So, it is now time to reunite with his son.

What Happened To Lan Jue’s Father?

Lan Jue and Zhang Ping find out partly what happened to the former’s father, Lan Lin, in Episode 14. Their investigation led them to Xuan Ji who was forced to tell them about the incident. According to Xuan Ji, he recruited a witch from Moluo Village to work at the Department of Incantation 20 years ago. He claimed the witch deceived Lan Lin and that the Moluo clansmen were witchcraft experts and spies for Nandong Kingdom. They used witchcraft to get intel out of Lan Lin who was then accused of treason. Xuan Ji then hired 2 experts to annihilate the Moluo Village and made it look like divine retribution. He claimed that was to hide his own culpability in wrongly recruiting the witch.

However, in Episode 20, Tao Zhou Feng reveals a different story. He was the Judicial Officer in charged of reviewing the dossier on the Moluo Village case. His own investigation revealed that Xuan Ji was acting under Empress Dowager’s orders to wipe out Moluo Village. Due to the power of Empress Dowager, Tao Zhou Feng feared for his life and chose to keep quiet about the truth.

The whole picture becomes apparent in Episode 25. Lan Lin was framed by Empress Dowager and forced to admit that he is a traitor in exchange for his son’s life. Lan Lin found out about her secret which could threaten her powers.

Zhang Ping’s Background

Zhang Ping’s mother was the “witch” from Moluo Village. Xuan Ji revealed the clues before he was killed in Episode 15. The “witch” had a child and a unique bowl which enabled her to practice a form of hypnotism. This would allow her to read people’s mind and get their secrets. Zhang Ping is of the right age and has the same bowl which could only mean that the witch was his mother.

Zhang Ping recalled everything that happened when he was a kid In Episode 25. He returned to Moluo Village to try to find out the truth after his master was killed by Empress Dowager’s guards who were after him. After he managed to find and enter the village, he was immersed into a dream-like state. He saw his mother and learned that the Moluo Clan were actually healers.

Zhang Ping followed his mother to the capital 20 years ago to see Lan Lin as he didn’t want to be left behind. Lan Lin then returned with them to the village but were tailed by Xuan Ji and his men. He was surprised as he only informed Empress Dowager about his trip. Lan Lin held back Xuan Ji and his men to give room for Zhang Ping and his mother to escape. His mother hid him and then sacrificed herself to keep him save. Lan Lin was overpowered and captured. Zhang Ping was found by a passerby who raised him and became his master.

Empress Dowager’s Secret

In Episode 25, both Zhang Ping and Lan Jue found out what happened in the past. Zhang Ping did so through his childhood memories and his mother’s notes. Lan Jue learned the truth from Gu Qing Zhang. 30 years ago, Empress Dowager’s baby son was dying. In order to save him, she and the late Emperor instructed Xuan Ji to arrange for a Resurrection Incantation to try to heal the prince. One of the people recruited for the incantation was Zhang Ping’s mother.

After the ceremony, Zhang Ping’s mother realized that the baby had been switched. She tailed Xuan Ji who was preparing to bury the sick prince alive. But Xuan Ji got cold feet when lightning and thunder struck. He simply abandoned the baby to the elements together with his birth certificate. Zhang Ping’s mother saved the prince and raised him. When the prince became a teenager, she felt that it was time to tell him the truth about his identity as he deserved to go back to his rightful place and family.

That is why Zhang Ping’s mother met with Lan Lin and he followed her back to Moluo Village. They thought the switch was Xuan Ji’s own idea as he could be punished if the baby dies. But it was Empress Dowager’s order to switch her own dying baby with a healthy one to fool everyone. As the late Emperor only had one son, she would have status and power once her son succeeds the throne. So, when Lan Lin informed her that her son is still alive, she ordered everyone in the know to be killed including the Moluo Clan and her own son to keep the secret that she switched her dying baby and the current Emperor is a fake.

The Mysterious Villain

Apart from Empress Dowager, the other villain is Gu Qing Zhang. He is the serial killer who has been targeting the people involved in the Moluo Village case. Gu Qing Zhang was Empress Dowager’s biological son and the ill baby she gave up. Hence, Gu Qing Zhang grew up in Molou village after he was saved by Zhang Ping’s mother. On the day Xuan Ji unleashed the poisonous red mist on the village, Gu Qing Zhang happened to be away. Thus, he escaped from death. He tells Zhang Ping his experience and how Empress Dowager’s men tried to kill him in Episode 26.

The Villain’s Plan

Gu Zhang Qing’s wanted revenge and hated Empress Dowager for abandoning and sacrificing him in pursuit of power. But in order to get his revenge, he didn’t care about harming the innocent. His plan was to claim the throne and then abdicate to let the contenders fight it out. He wanted to create chaos to let his mother witness the destruction.

Gu Zhang Qing abducted Empress Dowager and unleashed the same poisonous red mist on the city like what his mother had done to Moluo Village. He wanted his mother to admit regret and her mistake. She refused and had the last laugh that her name will still be in good standing in the history books since her secret will remain hidden. This is because Gu Zhang Qing only has a fake birth certificate to claim he is the rightful prince and Zhang Ping pointed it out to cast aspersion to his claims. Zhang Ping and Lan Jue knew Gu Zhang Qing is the real prince but were trying to stop him as his revenge will cause misery to the people.

Gu Zhang Qing left his tied-up mother to die in the poisonous mist. He didn’t get the satisfaction he wanted as his mother didn’t acknowledge her mistake or show that she cared about him. In the end, Gu Zhang Qing is shown walking alone on a city street towards the mist with no clear indication of his fate in Episode 29.

A League Of Nobleman Review – A Male-Dominated Drama

A League Of Nobleman is actually a detective drama in a period setting. Just like The Wind Blows From Longxi, there is no romance here, absolutely none. Instead, you will have a group of men cooperating to solve cases. Therefore, if looking at handsome men in long hair and ancient Chinese costumes is your thing, this is the drama for you! How it works in this drama is that there will be murder cases happening and each one is connected in some way to a past incident involving the protagonists. This is not apparent at first but as the story progresses, the mystery will build up as to the cause and perpetrator.

Thus, there is curiosity to the viewer because as each case is solved, a little bit of the past is revealed. This gradual reveal will naturally make you sit around till the end. Personally, I didn’t like the beginning because the way one of the main characters is written is hard to stomach for me. Zhang Ping is a very rigid young man and his inflexibility is thrown at your face right at the start. So, it takes time for me to warm up to his truth-at-all-costs personality which is annoying at times but necessary to the plot.

After about 10 to 12 episodes, the story begins to pick up for me and the annoyance at the character starts to go away. The individual cases and the way they are solved are actually not that exciting or intense. The reliance on hypnotism at the beginning is also a lazy way to write an investigative story. What makes it addictive, at least to me, is the way the cases are tied up to the past and that is where all the curiosity is evoked.

Is A League Of Nobleman A BL Drama?

Well, I think this is meant to cash in on the BL trend given the success of past dramas of this genre. But it is also clear that A League Of Nobleman has been heavily edited. My guess is all the scenes that hint of BL have been removed. Thus, what we are left with is a very diluted and subtle version unlike Word Of Honor or even The Untamed. If you are sensitive enough, you might be able to catch the BL feeling. For me, I can’t sense that the male leads are meant for each other although I can capture the BL essence of certain scenes.

Overall, I don’t think A League Of Nobleman is a drama to watch for BL elements after all the editing and censorship. The BL vibes are just not strong enough to give you that pleasure. The protagonists are more like friends and brothers to me than lovers. So, you are better off watching this as a detective drama than a BL one.

A point to note is that after all the snipping, this drama is left with an odd 29 episodes of 30 minutes each except for the first episode which runs longer. You will also have the theme song being played not at the beginning but slotted in whenever it feels right in the first 15 minutes of each episode. It is weird but perhaps that break makes the choppiness of the scene transitions less obvious with all the cuts.

Controversial Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

The ending for A League Of Nobleman is certainly not ideal. It is understandable to me but runs foul of the true nature of the protagonist’s character. As mentioned, Zhang Ping is the kind of guy who is inflexible when it comes to the truth and doesn’t do cover-ups. But in the end, he chooses pragmatism over truth. It is not consistent with his personality although you can also argue that it is part of his character growth to be able to see that the greater good triumphs over the need to reveal the truth at times.

There is also no satisfaction to the villains’ ending. One has it too easy with the way she dies without making her being accountable for her evil deeds. The other is a bitter character whose hatred is understandable. He desired revenge and executed it. But the people who reaped the rewards are the protagonists who also wanted the same revenge but chose to oppose him because of the evil manner he was going to carry it out. So, someone else did the job for the 2 protagonists and the ending for that someone just feels tragic.

I think different viewers will have different feelings when it comes to the ending. It is a pragmatic one whereby the greater good has to prevail even if the truth needs to be hidden and the one that did all the crimes don’t get publicly condemned. Hence, it doesn’t have a feel good factor to it but is a realistic close to the story.

Acting

Personally, I’m not a fan of Song Wei Long. Generally, I find his acting to be a little stiff and wooden. The only drama that he did reasonably well to me is the contemporary older woman-younger man romance in Find Yourself. I also feel that he is not suited for historical dramas and he didn’t impress me either in In A Class Of Her Own. In A League Of Nobleman, his acting is okay but again, there isn’t anything extra from him to make his portrayal stand out.

Because of Song Wei Long’s not so impressive performance, Jing Bo Ran’s acting automatically shines in comparison. Jing Bo Ran is able to depict the required gracefulness inherent in the character that he has to play. Even the supporting cast seems to be able to grasp their characters better than the lead including Guo Cheng and Wang Duo.

In terms of chemistry, I can’t feel anything blazing between Song Wei Long and Jing Bo Ran. Perhaps it isn’t fair either to pass judgement due to the heavy cuts in their scenes together. As such, you may even feel that the 2 leads have better chemistry with other men around them than between themselves.

My Verdict – Give It A Try!

I don’t think A League Of Nobleman will impress as a BL drama but you can still give it a try if you are searching for a drama in this genre. Basically, you are better off watching this for the mystery. The investigative element may not be as interesting and detailed as Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty and Imperial Coroner but the appeal is in the twists that slowly emerged as the the story unfolds. Hence, there is a degree of unpredictability in the drama which helps to keep viewers hooked.

Although each episode is short which is more typical of low budget productions, this is not a cheap drama. There is a certain standard to it from the costumes to the cinematography. It is a pity that we couldn’t watch this in its entirety due to the heavy editing to snip away all the BL scenes. Despite all the cuts, it is still able to keep the overall story intact. So, you will still have a coherent and understandable plot.

For this A League Of Nobleman review, I would give it a 7.5/10 rating. The way the cases is solved could be better written rather than relying on hypnotism and coincidences. Same goes for the ending. It leaves you with the message that the truth doesn’t matter which isn’t exactly a nice feeling. But it is worth a try. The start may not be appealing with a not so likable protagonist but it will get more and more addictive once you have hit a dozen episodes or so. And the bonus is you get to drool over the good-looking actors in this male-dominated cast!

==> A League Of Nobleman is available on Amazon Prime (affiliate link)