Jun Jiu Ling Review

Jun Jiu Ling (君九龄) is a 40-episode historical drama starring Peng Xiao Ran and Jin Han. I watched it because of the high ratings on certain sites. I know many did so because of the actress but I have not watched any of her works including the highly popular Goodbye, My Princess. With no idea of what the story is all about, I took a gamble with this one that it would be something worth my time. It turns out to be just satisfactory overall and you can read my Jun Jiu Ling review below to see if this is a drama that might interest you.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Historical Romance
Aired: September 2021
Images Credit: Youku

The Cast Of Jun Jiu Ling

• Peng Xiao Ran as Jun Jiu Ling / Jun Zhen Zhen
• Jin Han as Zhu Zan
• Du Ya Fei as Lu Yun Qi
• Wang You Shuo as Ning Yun Zhao
• Zhou Zhan as Fang Cheng Yu
• Chen Fang Tong as Liu Er
• Aro Yang Yi Fei as Chen Qi
• Gao Fei as Fang Jin Xiu
• Zhao Li Juan as Old Madame Fang Cao
• Liu Jun as Chu Rang
• Jiang Long as Zhang Bao Tang
• Yi Yong Ming as 12th Prince / Prince Xian

Main Characters

Jun Jiu Ling / Jun Zhen Zhen

Jiu Ling is a princess and second daughter of the previous emperor who was killed by his younger brother. She is a smart and observant lady with plenty of guts. Jiu Ling is also a very talented physician and learned the skills from her master, Dr. Jun Ying Wen. Zhen Zhen is her assumed identity to escape from persecution. Jiu Ling has an elder sister, Jiu Li, and younger brother, Jiu Rong or Prince Huai.

Zhu Zan

Zhu Zan is a general and son of Duke Cheng. He is a witty and smart guy. Although Zhu Zan can be playful, he is also a principled man. Zhu Zan and Jiu Ling were childhood friends and fond of each other then. They separated for a number of years when he was sent to the border for army duty. Bao Tang and San Bing are his sworn brothers.

Supporting Characters

Lu Yun Qi

Yun Qi is the Commander of a guards department. He is a cold and ruthless man who is obsessed over Jiu Ling. He has been decreed to marry Ju Ling by the current emperor.

Ning Yun Zhao

Yun Zhao is a scholar and son of a noble family. He is a gentleman who respects rules and etiquette. Yun Zhao has a betrothal agreement with Zhen Zhen. He also has feelings for Jiu Ling.

Fang Cheng Yu

Cheng Yu is the only male heir of a very wealthy merchant family. He is sickly and expected to die young. Cheng Yu is a depressed and demotivated young man because of his illness.

Liu Er

Liu Er is Jiu Ling’s maid. She is loyal and can be hotheaded when she sees Jiu Ling being bullied.

Chen Qi

Chen Qi is a sugar figurine street hawker. He has feelings for Jin Xiu.

Fang Jin Xiu

Jin Xiu is the eldest daughter of the Fang family. Her mother is Concubine Su Qi. Jin Xiu can be arrogant and straightforward but harmless. She has a younger half-sister, Yu Xiu, and younger half-brother, Cheng Yu. All of them share a good relationship.

Old Madame Fang Cao

Old Madame Fang Cao is the matriarch of the wealthy Fang family. Her husband and son have died while her grandson, Cheng Yu, is a sickly young man. Old Madame Fang Cao is a strict but fair woman.

Chu Rang

Chu Rang is the current emperor of Tianyou. He is a suspicious and devious ruler who will resort to underhanded tactics to kill off threats to his position. Yuan Bao is his assistant.

Zhang Bao Tang

Bao Tang is Zhu Zan’s sworn younger brother. He is Zhu Zan’s sidekick and would listen to his instructions.

12th Prince / Prince Xian

Prince Xian is the younger brother of the previous and current emperor of Tianyou. He has a friendly relationship with Zhu Zan. Prince Xian is uninterested in the country’s affairs and spends his time fooling around.

Synopsis

Jiu Ling’s father was the previous emperor of Tianyou. He was killed by his younger brother, Chu Rang, who succeeded him. Chu Rang decreed Jiu Ling to marry Lu Yun Qi to keep an eye on her. She tried to kill Chu Rang in revenge on her wedding day but failed. She was jailed and tortured. Her master who was the renowned physician, Dr. Jun Ying Wen, saved her. Dr. Jun’s daughter, Zhen Zhen, sacrificed herself to ensure their escape from prison. Zhen Zhen burnt herself to death in Jiu Ling’s prison cell. Hence, Jiu Ling is presumed dead.

Dr. Jun changed Jiu Ling’s appearance and told her to take on Zhen Zhen’s identity before he died. He also told her to head to Zezhou to look for the Fang family where Zhen Zhen’s maternal grandmother is. There are clues pertaining to Jiu Ling’s grandfather’s death in Zezhou of which Chu Rang is a suspect. While in Zezhou, Jiu Ling meets Zhu Zan. They have a close relationship when they were kids but he can’t recognize her due to her changed appearance.

Jiu Ling hides her identity from Zhu Zan to avoid dragging him into her investigation into Chu Rang. But Zhu Zan wants to unearth what happened to Jiu Ling and her father. In the meantime, Jiu Ling has to earn the trust of the Fang family and live her life as Zhen Zhen who has a marriage contract with the son of the noble Ning family.

Jun Jiu Ling Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Jun Jiu Ling has a happy ending. Chu Rang’s murder of his elder brother is exposed in the royal court through the palace maid, Bing Er, and the silver bars from the Fang family that were meant as ransom payment for his father. Yun Qi also switches side to help Jiu Ling and ensures Chu Rang’s guards are neutralized. With his crimes exposed, Prince Xian succeeds him as the next emperor of Tianyou.

Jiu Ling will be leaving the capital with Zhu Zan to go back to his home in the north with marriage on the cards. Yun Zhao pays her a visit to bid her goodbye. Jin Xiu and Chen Qi also end up together as a couple.

How Did Jiu Ling End Up With 4 Men in Her Life?

The first man, or rather boy, in Jiu Ling’s life is Zhu Zan. They are childhood friends with feelings for each other. Then, Zhu Zan left to protect the country’s border in the north. He was gone for 8 years. By the time he returned from war, he heard that Jiu Ling had died. When he met her again, she has changed her appearance and introduced herself as Zhen Zhen.

The second man is Yun Qi. Jiu Ling left a very deep impression on him when she protected him from being beaten up while they were kids. He loved her to the point of obsession. Chu Rang ordered him to marry Jiu Ling to keep an eye on her. But she was imprisoned when she tried to kill Chu Rang during the wedding ceremony. She was subsequently presumed dead due to a fire in her prison cell. When she returned to the capital as Zhen Zhen, Yun Qi could see the similarities and refused to let her go.

The third man to appear in Jiu Ling’s life is Yun Zhao. By then, Jiu Ling was living her life as Zhen Zhen and the latter has a marriage contract with Yun Zhao. While Yun Zhao has feelings for Jiu Ling, she only treats him as a friend. She turned him down twice when he confessed her feelings and intention in Episode 7 and 27. He respected her decision and continued to help her as a friend.

Cheng Yu is the 4th man in Jiu Ling’s life. She married him in order to cure his sickness and entrap the Fang family’s enemy. It was a fake marriage as agreed with Cheng Yu’s grandmother. Jiu Ling only treats him as a younger brother although Cheng Yu has other thoughts.

Who Did Jiu Ling End Up With?

It is pretty clear throughout the drama that Jiu Ling and Zhu Zan will end up together. They become a couple in Episode 31 although their feelings are already obvious in the earlier episodes.

Anyway, Jiu Ling hates Yun Qi for his ruthlessness and controlling behavior. She sees Yun Zhao as a virtuous man and good friend with whom she could confide in. As for Cheng Yu, she really just regards him as a younger brother and he knew all along that he doesn’t stand a chance with her. So, he never did confess his feelings to her and finally acknowledged Zhu Zan as his brother-in-law in Episode 34.

What Happened To Jiu Ling’s Father?

Jiu Ling’s father was strangled to death by Chu Rang. This is because he investigated and found out that Chu Rang had diverted ransom payments meant for the Beiqi state who had held their father hostage. During the transportation of the silver bars to Beiqi, they have to pass by Zezhou which was then Chu Rang’s fiefdom. Old Madame Fang Cao’s husband cooperated with Chu Rang to steal those bars. As a result, the Beiqi people didn’t get the agreed ransom and Jiu Ling’s grandfather was killed.

It was also because of those stolen silver bars, that the Fang family started to become wealthy and their business expanded. Old Madame Fang Cao revealed this to Jiu Ling in Episode 35. But they have to pay the heavy price of having the men in their family being killed. Chu Rang was fearful that his secret would be exposed and he wanted to slowly kill off the Fang family.

On the night Jiu Ling’s father was murdered, his maid, Bing Er, saw Chu Rang and Yun Qi at the scene. Yun Qi was appointed by Chu Rang to be the late emperor’s guard. Hence, he didn’t stop the killing and subsequently kept quiet about the incident. In Episode 40, Yun Qi tells Jiu Ling to kill him to avenge her father’s death. But Jiu Ling lets it go and says that they are now even as he has helped to keep her safe and expose Chu Rang.

When Did Jiu Ling Reveal Her Identity?

Jiu Ling first admits who she is to Zhu Zan in Episode 31 when they become a couple. Zhu Zan already knew much earlier when he volunteered to be a guinea pig for her smallpox vaccine in Episode 21. When he seemed to be in a state of delirium, Jiu Ling was calling him by the name that she had given him when they were kids. Zhu Zan knew then but waited until she was ready to tell him.

Jiu Ling next told Old Madame Fang Cao her identity in Episode 35 when the latter revealed the secret of the stolen silver bars to her. In Episode 37, she was forced to tell Yun Qi the truth when he wanted to take her away to safety as the Beiqi soldiers prepared to storm the capital. She told him that she can’t leave the people and the city because it is her duty to stay and fight.

Then, Jiu Ling told Prince Xian that he is her uncle. She did so to convince him to take the lead and save the capital from Beiqi soldiers. Once the Beiqi army was defeated, Jiu Ling revealed her identity to Jiu Li and Jiu Rong for a touching reunion in Episode 39. In the last episode, Jiu Ling revealed who she is to Chu Rang and all the ministers present as his crimes were being exposed.

Jun Jiu Ling Review – Satisfactory

Jun Jiu Ling is the type of drama that is good enough to watch but nothing compelling to make it really stand out unlike The Long Ballad. The story is there and easy to follow but it doesn’t give you that adrenaline rush or enough anticipation to make you crave for more. Once you start watching, chances are you will continue on because you will want to know when the female lead’s identity as a princess will be revealed. But once you get there, it kind of falls flat.

Furthermore, along the way, the investigation aspect seems to take backseat as Jiu Ling goes through her life as Zhen Zhen and a doctor. So, it starts strongly as if the focus will be on investigating the protagonist’s father’s death. But as you watch, numerous sub-plots will emerge to take the attention away from the main storyline. By the time you are taken back to the murder case, it is already very late in the drama. That is why I find something is lacking in Jun Jiu Ling and it is a pity because the story could certainly be better executed.

A Revenge Plot

Basically, Jun Jiu Ling is a drama about getting revenge. But it is not a depressing watch. Conversely, it is relatively stress-free for a revenge drama whereby a princess has to hide her identity to avoid danger. The face changing part reminds me of Love Of Thousand Years although this is not a xianxia drama either. Thus, you will find there are certain elements in the plot that would seem rather farfetched. You will need to ignore those parts to enjoy the drama. If you take it too seriously, then this will lose its attractiveness and logic.

Personally, the plot is okay to me and I’m not one who will nitpick on plot holes. The subplots are there but thanks to the good pacing, the drama doesn’t fall victim to long boring stretches. It would have been better if the screenwriters have tightened the storyline and increased the suspense. As it is, the story still flows along rather well but just lacks a more effective approach to give viewers a more persuasive and satisfying watch.

A Strong Female Character

I think viewers nowadays would prefer to see smart and talented female characters rather than weak ones waiting to be saved. So, you will get your wish fulfilled with Jun Jiu Ling. The main female character is a strong and courageous individual. She has both brains and beauty. She also displays maturity with her patience in her quest for revenge as well as her forgiving nature. Hence, Jiu Ling is a character that is quite well-written and developed.

As for the male characters, they are also portrayed very differently to give viewers some contrasts. Zhu Zan is playful, Yun Qi is cold, Yun Zhao is noble, while Cheng Yu is the most innocent of the lot. While these 4 characters do not have the same depth as Jiu Ling, they still have important roles to play to help drive the story.

Chemistry Between The Leads

The chemistry between Peng Xiao Ran and Jin Han is good and they display enough of it to give viewers something sugary when it comes to the romance. But it is nowhere near explosive and I doubt this on-screen couple will stay in the viewers’ mind for long. Their interactions have a flirty feel at times but also cringey for some scenes. There are not many kisses in the drama and thus, don’t expect this to have The Eternal Love Season 3 kind of smooching.

My Verdict – A Decent Watch

I would categorize Jun Jiu Ling as a decent drama overall. It is watchable despite the plot holes. The ending isn’t particularly great either as some scenes should have been included to give viewers a better explanation and closure. For instance, we are not told exactly what happened to Chu Rang and Yun Qi for their crimes. Basically, you will get the feeling that there is not enough time to squeeze in greater details for each character’s ending.

Overall, it is enjoyable as long as you don’t demand all the little details to make sense. As an example, it is unrealistic that they could get ready for war within a day towards the end of the drama. So, if you are the type who likes to scrutinize all details in the plot, this may not pass your high standards. But if you can overlook them to just appreciate the main story, then this would become an enjoyable drama.

While Jun Jiu Ling seems like a love story, the romance isn’t particularly intense. This is not General’s Lady kind of historical romance drama. It is kind of light for the most part and the couple only officially start dating in the last quarter. It doesn’t roil your emotions the way One And Only does. Hence, I’m not so sure if this would be perfect for those who are looking for pure romance dramas.

In conclusion, I would give this Jun Jiu Ling review a score of 7.5/10. Don’t dive in just for the romance but an overall adventure of a princess looking to avenge her father’s death and the detours that come with it. It is satisfying enough to give it a go but insufficient to term it as great for me.