Destined Review

Destined (长风渡) is another much anticipated Chinese drama for 2023. Perhaps the news that the leads are rumored to be dating in real life after filming adds to the hype. While the rumors will automatically fuel publicity and invoke curiosity, ultimately you will still have to sit through the drama episode by episode. Hence, if it is lousy, you will still feel shortchanged no matter if the leads are actually dating or otherwise. So, what is important to me is the quality of the drama rather than the leads’ personal life. Scroll down for my Destined review below for my thoughts on this 40-episode historical romance starring Bai Jing Ting and Song Yi.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Historical Romance
Aired: July 2023
Images Credit: Douban Movie

The Cast Of Destined

• Bai Jing Ting as Gu Jiu Si
• Song Yi as Liu Yu Ru
• Liu Xue Yi as Luo Zi Shang
• Zhao Zi Qi as Jiang Rou
• Sha Yi as Gu Lang Hua
• Zhang Xi Lin as Liu Xuan
• Zhang Yan Yan as Su Wan
• Hu Ke as Zhang Yue Er / Concubine Yue
• Ai Mi as Yin Hong
• Li Xiao Pang as Mu Nan
• Zhang Hao Wei as Ye Shi An
• Zhang Wei Na as Ye Yun / Yun Er
• Ray Chang Rui as Zhou Ye
• Nie Zi Hao as Chen Xun
• Terry Guo Hao Jun as Yang Wen Chang
• He Zhong Hua as Fan Xuan
• Zhang Shao Gang as Wang Shan Quan
• Ding Yong Dai as Li Rong / Emperor
• Wang Ce as Prince Liang
• Wang Peng Xiao as Huang Long Fei
• Li Xin Ze as Shen Ming
• Zhao Yuan Yuan as Qin Wan Zhi
• Kong Lin as Empress Dowager
• Cheng Zi as Princess Yun Chang
• He Sheng Ming as Jiang He

Main Characters

Gu Jiu Si

Jiu Si is the only child of the Gu family. He is known as a playboy and likes to fool around with his 2 friends. He appears as a rascal who is spoiled by his parents but unknown to many, he also has a kind heart and a bright mind. Jiu Si comes from an ultra rich family which has great influence in Yangzhou.

Liu Yu Ru

Yu Ru is the eldest and legitimate daughter of the Liu family. Her father is a cloth merchant. Yu Ru is smart and has learned how to scheme to protect her interests in the family due to her father’s unfair treatment towards her and her mother. She is also stoic, resourceful, and hardworking.

Supporting Characters

Luo Zi Shang

Luo Zi Shang is a businessman who has arrived at Yangzhou not too long ago. He has a mysterious background and seems to have inside knowledge of the political situation in the capital. He is a determined and strategic man who has an agenda to destroy the Gu family. His main strength is his foresight and ability to pull strings behind the scenes. He has 2 assistants namely Xi Feng and Ming Yi.

Jiang Rou & Gu Lang Hua

Both of them are Jiu Si’s parents. They love their son but find it hard to get him to be more responsible and mature. They are ultra rich merchants with a vast network of shops and businesses around Yangzhou. Thus, they are influential and few dare to offend them. Jiang Rou is the business-minded one who controls the Gu family’s business affairs although she is a woman. Her brother is Jiang He who is the Minister of Personnel.

Liu Xuan & Su Wan

Liu Xuan is the head of the Liu family and a cloth merchant. He is also Yu Ru’s father. Liu Xuan is a despicable man who ill-treats his own wife and daughter in favor of his concubine. Su Wan is his official wife and Yu Ru’s mother. She comes from a noble family which has since lost their power and influence. Su Wan is a sickly woman due to years of suffering but is kind and softhearted.

Zhang Yue Er / Concubine Yue

Concubine Yue is Liu Xuan’s concubine and the favored one at home. She has 2 daughters, Yu Zhao and Yu Ying, as well as a son, Yu Mao, with Liu Xuan. Concubine Yue is a spiteful and hypocritical woman who is always mistreating Yu Ru and her mother.

Yin Hong & Mu Nan

Yin Hong and Mu Nan are Yu Ru’s and Jiu Si’s personal servants respectively. Both of them are loyal to their respective employers and have been serving them since young.

Ye Shi An & Ye Yun / Yun Er

Ye Shi An and Yun Er are siblings. They come from the noble Ye family of scholars. Ye Shi An is always seen as a role model by other parents including Jiu Si’s due to his scholastic achievements. Together with his sister, Yun, Er, they are childhood friends of Yu Ru. Yun Er and Yu Ru are particularly close to each other.

Zhou Ye

Zhou Ye is the son of Commanding General Zhou Gao Lang of Youzhou and the army’s Chief of Staff. He is an honest man with strong principles. He is an unfavored son but shares his father’s love to serve the people and country.

Chen Xun & Yang Wen Chang

Both of them are Jiu Si’s best friends. They are both equally playful and come from rich families.

Fan Xuan

Fan Xuan is the Governor of Youzhou which is not a particularly wealthy state but has fair policies and rule of law to benefit the people. He is assisted by General Zhou who is responsible for keeping the state safe. Both men go back a long way and are good friends. Fan Xuan has a son named Fan Yu.

Wang Shan Quan

Wang Shan Quan is the Governor of Yangzhou but still has to give face to the rich and noble families including the Gu family due to their influence and backers in the capital. He is a small-minded and greedy man who just wants to control Yangzhou and its wealth. Wang Shan Quan has sired many sons including Wang Rong who is a spoiled and rotten man.

Li Rong / Emperor

Li Rong is the Emperor of Darong which is a country that is facing frequent flood disaster and an empty treasury. He is also in poor health while Darong continues to weaken and the governors of the different states try to secede.

Prince Liang

Prince Liang is the nephew of the Emperor and controls the Ministry of Revenue. He has his own ambition to overthrow Li Rong and grab power. His wife is Jiang Rou and Jiang He’s foster sister.

Huang Long Fei

Huang Long Fei is the head of security at the magistrate court in the capital city of Youzhou. He is a righteous man but can be hotheaded and impulsive.

Shen Ming

Shen Ming is the deputy master of Heifeng Fort which is a bandit outfit. He has great martial arts skills and unlike other bandits, he is upright and principled.

Qin Wan Zhi

Wan Zhi is the only child of Commander Qin who controls Bingzhou’s army. She is an unconventional lady who prefers to serve in the army than getting married as women her age tend to do. She is righteous and cares for the people.

Empress Dowager & Princess Yun Chang

Empress Dowager is Li Rong’s wife while Princess Yun Chang is his only daughter. Both mother and daughter have an evil mind and are always stirring trouble. Princess Yun Chang is also snobbish and spiteful.

Jiang He

Jiang He is Jiu Si’s maternal uncle. He is the Minister of Personnel under Li Rong’s rule. Jiang He is a very smart and astute man. He is shrewd and has a brilliant tactical mind.

Synopsis

Jiu Si has a reputation of a playboy and idler. His family is the richest merchant in Yangzhou. Hence, Jiu Si grew up surrounded by luxury and an easy life. With their vast amount of wealth and businesses, his parents have to tread with caution as many have an eye on their assets.

In contrast, Yu Ru has a hard life even though she is the eldest and legitimate daughter of a cloth merchant. This is because her father favors his concubine rather than her mother. Therefore, Yu Ru tries her best to get married off to Ye Shi An who is from a noble family and a childhood friend. However, before a betrothal agreement could be sent by the Ye family, Jiu Si’s parents beat them to it on the mistaken belief that their son likes Yu Ru. Furthermore, they need to hurriedly get Jiu Si married to avoid a betrothal to a princess from the capital.

Thus, Jiu Si and Yu Ru begin their married life pretending to be a couple and have an understanding that they will divorce at some point. But as time goes by, they begin to see each other’s better qualities. Jiu Si also starts to change to become more responsible. However, tragedy strikes when an upheaval in the capital spreads to Yangzhou and other states. The Gu family’s enemies collude to accuse them of treason resulting in hard times for Jiu Si and Yu Ru as they flee from Yangzhou.

Destined Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

Destined has a happy ending. After Luo Zi Shang has been killed by Jiang He in Episode 40, Jiu Si persuades General Zhou not to wage a war in the capital for personal revenge against Fan Yu who is complicit in the execution of the Zhou family. This is because the country cannot afford another round of war. So, General Zhou agrees to take the throne as per Fan Xuan’s will.

However, Jiu Si thinks General Zhou’s son, Zhou Ye, is a more ideal ruler. He is honest with General Zhou about it. General Zhou himself prefers to be a military commander than an Emperor. So, he appoints Zhou Ye to be the Crown Prince and leaves the latter to manage the country’s affairs while he goes off into battles to unite the country for the next generation. Jiu Si and his friends become Zhou Ye’s trusted senior officials while Yu Ru decides to do business and earn profits for her charity work after learning about Luo Zi Shang’s hard life as a kid.

5 years later, Yu Ru and Jiu Si already have a son who is just as mischievous as Jiu Si in the past. Yu Ru wants a daughter next. Yun Er is married to Shen Ming and pregnant with their child. Ye Shi An is still single and a workaholic. Zhou Ye still misses Qin Wan Zhi and has no intention to marry another. He has decided to appoint his eldest brother’s son to succeed him in the future. General Zhou manages to win wars and unite the country. He abdicates after that due to ill health and passes the throne to Zhou Ye who is assisted by Jiu Si and friends to preside over a peaceful and prosperous nation.

When Did The Leads Get Together?

Yu Ru and Jiu Si start off as a married couple very early on in the drama. While Yu Ru rather marry Ye Shi An who is a childhood friend, she is resigned to her fate and prepared to play the dutiful wife to Jiu Si. However, Jiu Si suggests that they just pretend to be a couple and he will divorce her when the time is right. Yu Ru is depressed about her fate initially but decides to make the best out of her situation with her in-laws’ support.

By Episode 7, Yu Ru has decided that she wants to be a businesswoman and make her own living eventually. Hence, she is prepared for a divorce. But Jiu Si doesn’t seem too happy anymore with the idea after getting used to Yu Ru’s presence and admiring her qualities. He also starts treating her better and better. Yu Ru is touched when Jiu Si rather be whipped to force Wang Rong to apologize to her for humiliating her in Episode 9.

In Episode 11, a drunk Jiu Si tells Yu Ru that he is capable and will protect her all his life. He asks her not to regret marrying him to which she replies she has no regrets. He leaves her a divorce letter in Episode 14 when his family lost their influence and things turn chaotic due to a power struggle in the capital. But Yu Ru still stick with Jiu Si and together they overcome dangers and near death to flee from Yangzhou. Their relationship becomes stronger as a result.

The couple reaffirms their relationship as husband and wife when they thought they are going to die during a war with Prince Liang in Episode 27. They consummated their marriage in Episode 28.

Is There Any Breakup And Love Triangle?

There is no breakup after Yu Ru and Jiu Si got married but they are forced to separate in Episode 33. This is because Luo Zi Shang has set up a trap with Empress Dowager and Princess Yun Chang by using Yu Ru to bait Jiu Si into committing an offense in the palace. Empress Dowager then pressures Fan Xuan to execute Jiu Si. Yu Ru offers to sacrifice her life in exchange for Jiu Si’s life. Facing relentless pressure, Fan Xuan then connives with Jiang He to save Yu Ru. They let everyone including Jiu Si to believe that Yu Ru is dead while secretly sending her away to another province.

In the meantime, Fan Xuan sends Jiu Si away from the capital to keep him safe and to allow him the opportunity to gain great achievement by solving the flooding problem. Jiu Si works hard to build a dam and buries himself in his work to forget the pain of losing Yu Ru. Behind the scenes, Yu Ru secretly helps Jiu Si by using her business profits to finance the building of the dam. Yu Ru could only show herself and regain her identity as his wife after 3 years when the dam is completed and Jiu Si’s achievement is acknowledged by all. The couple reunites in Episode 36.

Part of the reason for their forced separation is due to Princess Yun Chang’s insistence on marrying Jiu Si. She keeps stirring trouble for Jiu Si and Yu Ru despite being rejected in Episode 30 and 31. Fan Xuan finally orders her to be married off to Northern Liang for a political alliance after Empress Dowager still tried to push for Jiu Si’s execution following Yu Ru’s “death”.

Why Is Yu Ru Unfavored?

Yu Ru’s mother, Su Wan, is her father’s official wife. However, her father, Liu Xuan, married Su Wan due to her family’s influence. The Su family was a prominent noble family. However, when Yu Ru was 5 years old, a fire caused most of the members of the Su clan to perish. Consequently, the Su family lost their influence and power. As the Su family no longer has any benefits to offer and with Su Wan having lost her pillar of support, Liu Xuan then took a concubine and started mistreating his wife and Yu Ru.

Liu Xuan is killed in Episode 13 by Wang Shan Quan’s soldiers during a takeover of Yangzhou. Wang Shan Quan and Luo Zi Shang have been colluding to control Yangzhou following a rebellion in the capital.

What Happened To Concubine Yue?

During the escape from Wang Shan Quan’s soldiers, Su Wan is kind enough to bring Concubine Yue and her children along. Yu Ru has arranged a carriage for her mother to bring her to the dock to board the Gu family’s ship in Episode 14. But upon reaching the ship, Su Wan is missing. Concubine Yue claims that Su Wan has fallen off the cliff when their carriage overturned in heavy rain.

In Episode 18, Concubine Yue’s son, Yu Mao, feels extremely guilty over what has happened to his stepmother. In a flashback, it is shown that Su Wan was hanging to the edge of the cliff after the carriage overturned. But Concubine Yue chose to flee with her children rather than save her.

Su Wan survived the ordeal and was saved by Ye Shi An. She reunites with Yu Ru in Episode 24 when the latter returns to Yangzhou on a mission to buy grains for Youzhou’s army. Su Wan then follows Yu Ru back to Youzhou. Concubine Yue has to admit her wrongdoing in Episode 25. She agrees to be subjected to a trial and punishment. In return, Yu Ru and her mother agree to Concubine Yue’s plea to take care of her 3 children.

Who Is Luo Zi Shang?

Luo Zi Shang was born out of wedlock. His mother, Luo Yi Shui, was the daughter of the noble Luo family which had a lot of influence and power. Hence, Luo Zi Shang’s existence was a shame and he was constantly locked up as a result.

The Luo family and Su family were neighbors. When Yu Ru was still very young, she met Luo Zi Shang before and showed him kindness even after he became a beggar following a fire that killed his family. This is revealed via Luo Zi Shang’s flashback in Episode 13. However, Yu Ru has little recollection of the events due to her young age then while Luo Zi Shang secretly yearns for her.

In Episode 34, it is revealed that Jiang He was Luo Yi Shui’s lover during a conversation between the 2 men. Jiang He abandoned her when she was supposedly raped by Jiu Si’s father and got pregnant. That is why Luo Zi Shang hates the Gu family but he has gotten his facts wrong. His father is actually Jiang He who only tells him the truth in Episode 40. Jiang He abandoned Luo Yi Shui because he found out that her father killed his brother.

The abandonment has caused Luo Zi Shang to suffer and become evil. Hence, Jiang He feels it is his responsibility to stop Luo Zi Shang and ends up stabbing him to save Yu Ru who has been taken hostage. After stabbing his son, Jiang He also stabs himself to compensate for his guilt and what he had done. Before both father and son die together, Luo Zi Shang mentions that he caused his mother’s death but it was unintentional. The fire was an accident when he knocked over a candle.

Fan Xuan’s Fate

Fan Xuan becomes the new Emperor of Darong (renamed Daxia after his ascension) in Episode 28. This is after he defeated remnants of Prince Liang’s army in the capital together with General Zhou. Fan Xuan is a good Emperor but inherits a troubled administration with corrupted officials who are still loyal to the previous ruler. His effort to bring in Jiu Si and his friends caused much upheaval and unhappiness among the old guards. His own son, Fan Yu, is also shallow-minded and becomes easily influenced by Luo Zi Shang.

The heavy burden takes a toll on Fan Xuan’s health. He also has disagreement with General Zhou who objects to Fan Yu being made the heir. Fan Xuan finally decides to pass the throne to General Zhou in Episode 36 when he realizes that his son doesn’t have the character needed to rule. When he tells Fan Yu of his decision, the latter gets angry at his father. The sickly Fan Xuan is agitated and dies in Episode 37.

Fan Yu is easily manipulated and controlled by Luo Zi Shang after Fan Xuan’s death to the extent of wanting to kill General Zhou and his soldiers. When the time is ripe to seize power, Fan Yu is confined to his room. Fan Yu realizes he has done wrong after reading the notes his father left for him. After Luo Zi Shang is defeated in Episode 40, Fan Yu just wants to lead an idle and carefree life as per his father’s wish. He also wants to be with Xi Feng but the latter decides to leave him instead to find her own path in life.

Other Key Events

• Jiu Su, Yu Ru, and Zhou Ye become sworn siblings in Episode 11.
• Jiu Si’s master sacrifices himself to let Jiu Si and Yu Ru to escape from Wang Shan Quan’s soldiers in Episode 14. His father is also found burnt to death.
• Wen Chang is captured to force Jiu Si to show himself in Episode 14. He is then beheaded.
• Wang Shan Quan uses Yun Er’s life to threaten Ye Shi An to work for him in Episode 15. Yun Er stabs him to death in Episode 24.
• Jiu Si and Yu Ru start a new life in Youzhou in Episode 16. They donate their family fortune to General Zhou’s army in Episode 17 in anticipation of chaos brought on by war and food shortages.
• Jiang Rou learns from her servant that Jiu Si and Yu Ru only has a fake marriage in Episode 18.
• Jiu So starts works as a lowly patrol officer while Yu Ru opens a small cosmetics shop in Episode 19.
• Huang Long Fei dies in Episode 27 while defending Youzhou from Prince Liang’s army.
• Jiu Si and his family move to the capital in Episode 28 after he was appointed as Deputy Revenue Minister by Fan Xuan for his valor in defending Youzhou against Prince Liang.
• Yun Er decides to becomes a combat medic in Episode 29 and follows Shen Ming to Bingzhou as a medic officer in Episode 34.
• Zhou Ye plans to propose to Qin Wan Zhi in Episode 38 after winning a war with his father. She dies while the Zhou army is on the way home when she tries to protect the Zhou family from being massacred by Luo Zi Shang.

Destined Review – Love After Marriage

Destined starts off with a marriage. It is a loveless marriage that neither party wanted. But circumstances and coincidences forced them to end up marrying each other. Thus, the enjoyability of this drama largely depends on how convincing or interesting is the process in which the couple falls in love after marriage. What I like about it is the obvious personal growth of the characters as they become better people due to each other’s support and influence. Of course, circumstances also force them to become more mature especially the male protagonist. Hence, if you like to see character growth in your dramas, this is one of the better ones.

In fact, the characters in Destined are well-crafted and likable. Although there is the typical evil stepmother and arrogant princess to cause trouble for the female lead, it is overshadowed by her protective husband, loving in-laws, and a wise ruler in later episodes. The 2 main characters are strong-minded people with talent and decisiveness in their action. As such, it is easy to root for them and addictive to follow their life journey.

Furthermore, the whole story has more than just romance. At times, it simply stays in the background while other issues gain the spotlight such as the politics and the villain’s revenge.

Different Arcs To The Story

Destined has 3 arcs to the story whereby circumstances compel the protagonists to start life anew in different places. However, it doesn’t make the story choppy in any way. It is a very natural progression and the story flows coherently despite the clear demarkations. I guess you can put that down to great plot execution. Of course, there are both good and bad to this. On the positive side, each arc comes with new challenges for the protagonists. There are peculiarities to each new location that they have to settle in.

In that sense, the drama is not so monotonous. It doesn’t have elaborate schemings all the way like The Ingenious One or the mystery of A League Of Nobleman which could potentially bore you with its depth. The drama doesn’t get bogged down by details because the story needs to flow quickly to cover the couple’s life in the different places. Thus, it is easy to follow all the way to the end.

On the flip side though, there would be a little lull when a new arc begins before things start to heat up. Just like Sword Snow Stride, new characters will be introduced in each arc while some old ones will fade away. With too much to cover, most of these characters do not make much of an impact as a result. There is no backstory and/or depth to these characters to make you feel for them although they may be indispensable to the overall story.

Positive Relationships

Although Destined is a historical drama, there are certain things that run contrary to the usual. For instance, the typical horrible mother-in-law is non-existent. Instead, the female lead is much loved in her husband’s family. Hence, it is a very wholesome relationship between the 2 women. On top of that, women are also respected in the household and their talent recognized which means there is an element of women empowerment in the drama. Apart from family, there are also friendships built on trust and admiration of each other’s qualities.

As for the romance, it is also a very heartwarming one despite the initial bad start. In fact, the bickering doesn’t last long and isn’t intense unlike Romance Of A Twin Flower. The main couple is devoted to each other and fully supportive of one another. There is no annoying misunderstanding that will put you off as the story progresses.

Therefore, Destined is largely a pleasurable watch except for the villains. The positive relationships between the good characters make it so. At the very least, you don’t have to keep putting up with quarrels and hypocrisies.

Acting And Chemistry

The first time I watched Bai Jing Ting is in the modern drama, You Are My Hero. Ever since then, I have watched a few of his other dramas including New Life Begins. He is the type of actor that can be both serious and funny. In Destined, he does it again as his character Jiu Si is mischievous in the beginning but matured in the later stages. There is evolution in the character and Bai Jing Ting is able to portray that change to me.

Song Yi depicts Yu Ru as tough and stoic for the most part. She can be fierce and you will be able to witness the anger flares up with her facial expressions. Overall, I enjoy watching her acting with nothing much to complain about. Together with Bai Jing Ting, the chemistry is there to make them convincing as a couple. Although she looks older (which she is in real life), I think the pairing is an ideal one since the she is supposed to be more matured compared to him in the drama.

The other actor worth mentioning is Liu Xue Yi. Although he is not the main lead, he can still display a commanding screen presence to grab your attention. It is the same case in The Blood Of Youth whereby his character has less screen time than the lead but his acting simply shines through. The actor is charismatic when he needs to be and totally evil that is conveyed through his eyes when the character calls for it.

My Verdict – Great Story To Follow

By and large, Destined is a drama that is worth a watch. Although it has 40 episodes, it is not boring to me and I managed to complete it without skipping scenes. There is a logical and natural flow to the plot. That will automatically suck you into the story. Add in the heartwarming romance and positive relationships, it is easy to sit through to the end.

There is just a little bit of mystery as to the villain’s identity but nothing too complicated to throw you off-balance. The plot twist at the end is expected given the set-up. While the ending doesn’t feel rushed, the villain’s wrong assumption about his background is not that well-explained. This is the only stain that stands out to me in the whole drama. Perhaps some parts have been edited out and the story relating to the past seems incomplete as a result. The main question is answered but the hows and whys are never fully explored.

For this Destined review, I would rate it 8/10. Watch it for the ups and downs of the couple’s journey as they face challenges brought on by political changes and revenge. It is not an in-depth power struggle palace drama with intrigues and elaborate schemings. You can skip this if this is what you are looking for. Instead, Destined is more about overcoming hardships and crises for the couple while recognizing their love for each other along the way. Add in friendship, business, family, revenge, and ideals, and you will have more or less a well-rounded drama.