Legend Of Yun Xi Review

Legend Of Yun Xi (芸汐传) is a Chinese costume drama that was released quite some time back in 2018. I would have missed it if not for the news about The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion which will star the same male and female leads. I know many fans are excitedly looking forward to their new drama and this got me interested to see what the hype is all about. Whether the interest has been worthwhile is reflected in my Legend of Yun Xi review below. To cut a long story short, I would say that I wouldn’t mind watching them being cast together again. But that doesn’t mean Legend Of Yun Xi is perfect either. Unfortunately, I still do have my complaints!

My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 48
Type: Romance, Costume
Aired: June 2018
Images Credit: IJQ TV, iQiyi

The Main Cast Of Legend Of Yun Xi

Ju Jing Yi as Han Yun Xi

Yun Xi is the unloved daughter of an imperial physician. Her mother, Tian Xin, died when she was a young girl and she has been badly treated by her second stepmother and stepsister. Her beauty is marred by a carbuncle on her face which is later cured. However, despite her misfortune, she is a cheerful and loving lady. Yun Xi has great skills in the study of poisons aided by her late mother’s magical bangle.

Zhang Zhe Han as Long Fei Ye / Prince Qin

Fei Ye is a prince of Tian Ning and Emperor Tian Hui Di’s younger brother. But below the surface, he hides another identity. Fei Ye is serious and aloof with rarely a smile. He is seen as a threat by the Emperor due to his military power and capability.

Yalkun Merxat as Gu Qi Shao

Qi Shao is a prince of Northern Li. He is in Tian Ning as a spy and to carry out missions for his half brother, Crown Prince Jun Yi Zheng. However, he does so reluctantly as he does not get along with his royal family. Qi Shao is also a poisons specialist and owner of Yao Gui Valley with its wide range of herbal plants. He is in love with Yun Xi.

Supporting Cast

Hu Bing as Emperor Tian Hui Di

Tian Hui Di is the Emperor of Tian Ning. He is a suspicious and ruthless man who will do anything to keep his throne. His real threat comes from Fei Ye who is his 4th younger brother. He has 2 sons, Long Tian Mo and Long Tian Qing as well as a daughter, Princess Chang Ping.

Zhang Rui Jia as Empress Dowager

Empress Dowager is Emperor Tian Hui Di’s mother. She is a shrewd and suspicious woman. She also wouldn’t hesitate to issue threats to achieve her aims.

Lu Xing Yu as Chief Imperial Physician Han Cong An

Han Con An is the chief royal physician in the palace. He is also Yun Xi’s father and seems uncaring towards her. He has 3 wives. The first was Yun Xi’s mother who died when Yun Xi was still a little girl. Han Cong An has a daughter, Han Ruo Xue, with his second wife and a son, Han Yun Yi, with the third.

Kiki Xu Jia Qi as Princess Chu Qing Ge

Princess Qing Ge is one of the Emperor’s consorts. She is a young and beautiful princess from Western Qiu who married the Emperor after her country lost the war with Tian Ning under Fei Ye’s command. Princess Qing Ge is calm and patient as she pursues her own personal agenda in the palace.

Sun Zi Hang as Crown Prince Long Tian Mo

Crown Prince Tian Mo is a young and rash man who hasn’t shown to be capable of running the nation. He is always fearful of losing his position as he doesn’t seem to have the Emperor’s trust. His mother was the Empress but died while he was still young. Crown Prince Tian Mo often has to rely on his maternal uncle (Royal Uncle) for support and guidance. He also has a sister, Princess Chang Ping.

Qin Xiao Xuan as Second Prince Long Tian Qing

Prince Tian Qing is an ambitious and ruthless man but more capable than Crown Prince Tian Mo. They are enemies as Prince Tian Qing is also eyeing the throne. His mother is Noble Consort Xiao who is the Emperor’s favorite consort until the arrival of Princess Qing Ge.

Tan Li Min as Grand Imperial Consort Yi

Grand Imperial Consort Yi is Fei Ye’s mother. Her son was sent away from the palace when he was still a baby due to his inauspicious birth chart at the Empress Dowager’s suggestion. She only reunited with her son after more than a decade when he is allowed to return by the previous Emperor. Grand Imperial Consort Yi and Empress Dowager do not get along due to their history.

Justin Zhao Yu Xin as Chu Xi Feng

Xi Feng is Fei Ye’s loyal assistant who cares for his master. He has a dependable character who is ever ready to carry out Fei Ye’s orders. His love interest is Zhu Yu, Qi Shao’s loyal aide.

Wang You Shuo as Tang Li

Tang Li is Fei Ye’s younger brother. He is a little immature but willing to learn and listen to Fei Ye. Tang Li has a betrothal agreement with Ning Jing but unwilling to marry her. He is always trying to escape from Ning Jing.

Sissy Lin Si Yi as Ouyang Ning Jing

Ning Jing’s father is the owner of Yun Kong Academy and Tang Li’s master. She and Tang Li are childhood friends. Ning Jing has a domineering personality and likes to lord over or bully Tang Li. She is also constantly pushing Tang Li to marry her.

Shao Xue Cong as Baili Ming Xiang

Ming Xiang and Fei Ye are childhood friends. She has been in love with Fei Ye for a long time and is even willing to sacrifice her life to cure him. Ming Xiang has been consuming poisons for years so that her blood can be mixed with Fei Ye’s medicine to suppress his Gu Poison. Her father is Fei Ye’s trusted general and she is also a niece of Fei Ye’s mother.

Li Rui Chao as Gu Bei Yue

Gu Bei Yue is an imperial physician but hides another identity.

Marco Li Yiu Ging as Poison Master / Bai Yan Qing

Poison Master is a man with great knowledge in poisons and has interest in its study and experimentations. He is the creator of the Gu Poison which can turn men into poison zombies. Although he is incarcerated by the Emperor, he is wanted by different people due to his knowledge.

Synopsis

The Emperor orders Fei Ye and Yun Xi to wed after Fei Ye’s successful campaign to defeat Western Qiu. An earlier encounter between the 2 of them makes them wary about each other. As she escapes from Fei Ye then, she strikes up a close friendship with Qi Shao who shares the same interest in poisons with her. Although Fei Ye is not interested in the marriage and didn’t even receive his bride on their wedding day, Yun Xi simply forces her way into his home as his consort.

As for Fei Ye, he has a much larger agenda to pursue amidst the political power play in the royal court. He has to constantly watch his back while outwitting his enemies. Fei Ye has a powerful military behind him and is seen as a threat by the Emperor who wants to see his downfall. Furthermore, the Emperor and Empress Dowager are suspicious of Fei Ye’s identity. At the same time, Fei Ye wants to hunt down the Poison Master which is a taboo subject in Tian Ning.

After marrying Fei Ye, Yun Xi is inadvertently dragged into the political power play. She is threatened by Empress Dowager to spy on Fei Ye. What would happen to their relationship then? Why is Fei Ye interested in the Poison Master? What is his personal agenda?

Legend Of Yun Xi Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

After sitting through 48 episodes of Legend Of Yun Xi, you will come to an ending that is open to your own interpretation. I see it as neither particularly happy or sad because some things are left unexplained. The storyline is clear that Yun Xi has to sacrifice herself to cure Fei Ye’s Gu Poison. What is needed is the blood from her heart. So, she begged Qi Shao to help her with the cure before she killed herself. The viewers are led to believe that she died despite her magical bangle glowing when she took her last breath. There is also a scene that shows Qi Shao trying to call out to her in his semi-conscious state when a woman appears to take away the magical bangle in his possession after Yun Xi’s death.

At the same time, viewers are shown how Fei Ye and Qi Shao miss and mourn Yun Xi. In the last scene, the timeline should be more than a year after Yun Xi’s death. Fei Ye is recollecting his time with Yun Xi. Suddenly, he sees her in the garden and goes over to hug her… and the drama ends! If Yun Xi is supposed to live, we are not told exactly how she stayed alive and where she had been. Since Fei Ye is also shown thinking about Yun Xi in the last scene, it could also be interpreted as him dreaming or hallucinating since his feelings for her is so strong. Hence, the ending is open-ended in that way. You can check out my Legend Of Yun Xi episode summary for more details.

Why Fei Ye Is After The Poison Master

Fei Ye is actually a prince of the fallen state of Qin Xi. With the defeat, his whole family was caught and imprisoned. Emperor Tian Hui Di has a hand in the poison zombie project. He enticed the Poison Master to conduct research on it as an army of poison zombies would win him wars. Fei Ye is the guinea pig who turned out to be a successful experiment. All his family members were killed during the experiment except for Tang Li who was smuggled out of prison earlier.

With the Gu Poison inside his body, Fei Ye will turn into a zombie when the poison acts up especially when he is in a fit of rage. He will have enormous strength when that happens and then feels weak when he reverts to his normal self. It will also take a toll on his long term health as he becomes weak and dies. Hence, he has an urgency to hunt for the Poison Master as he needs the antidote for his Gu Poison.

Who Is The Poison Master

The Poison Master is actually Yun Xi’s biological father. His wife left him while pregnant with Yun Xi because of her objection to his involvement in the poison zombie project. Tian Xin then married Han Cong An who fell in love with her. Later, Tian Xin had to treat Empress Dowager but had let slipped that she is knowledgeable about poisons. Hence, she was thrown into jail to help out with the poison zombie project and met up again with the Poison Master.

They decided to escape. Tian Xin ran off with Fei Ye but died while protecting him from their pursuers. The Poison Master saw Tian Xin getting killed. He was recaptured but turned into a lunatic in prison.

What Happens In The Final Battle

Emperor Tian Hui Di is defeated by Fei Ye. He tries to escape but ends up at a cliff. Refusing to surrender, he commits suicide by dropping himself off the cliff. Qi Shao also helps Fei Ye’s army to kill the poison zombies. He does it for Yun Xi as it was her wish to see Fei Ye’s triumph. Princess Qing Ge escapes with Princess Chang Ping after Emperor Tian Hui Di’s defeat. She regrets betraying him as she has gradually developed feelings for him and vice-versa. Although the Emperor found out that she had been poisoning him, he didn’t kill but merely imprisoned her.

After the war, Fei Ye refuses to be the Emperor as he wants to mourn Yun Xi. He asks Tang Li to take up the duty instead. So, Tang Li is installed as the new Emperor with the re-establishment of Qin Xi.

Who Else Died In The Drama

• Bai Su – She is killed by Prince Tian Qing while trying to snatch the Poison Master from Fei Ye’s prison with Qi Shao.
• Grand Imperial Consort Yi – She leaps to her death while being held as hostage by the Emperor to threaten Fei Ye into retreating. She has long known that Fei Ye is not her biological son but has no regrets regarding him as one.
• Crown Prince Tian Mo – He swallows a poison pill to kill himself in front of his father after being caught for rebellion.
• Prince Tian Qing – He is killed by Crown Prince Tian Mo for trying to obstruct Fei Ye from getting the antidote needed to save him when he has been poisoned.
• Empress Dowager – She commits suicide by drinking poisoned wine after Fei Ye successfully conquers the city.
• Noble Consort Xiao – She is executed after becoming mentally unstable following the death of her son and tries to harm Princess Qing Ge.
• Poison Master – He wants to sacrifice himself to cure Fei Ye but is killed by Ming Xiang before he could do so.
• Ming Xiang – She dies while protecting Yun Xi from being killed by the Emperor’s eunuch. She does it because Yun Xi is needed to save Fei Ye.
• Royal Uncle – He is reported for embezzlement and sentenced by the Emperor to drink poisoned wine.
• Old General Mu – He objects to the use of poison zombies. The Emperor orders him to be detained but he slices his neck against the sword held by the guard.
• Gu Bei Yue – He dies while fighting a poison zombie. He is a disciple of the Poison Master.
• Emperor of Northern Li – He dies of sickness. Qi Shao hates his father for the poor treatment accorded to him and his mother who was a palace maid.

Legend Of Yun Xi Review – Kind Of Predictable

The way the story is told in Legend Of Yun Xi is that the characters’ background is revealed bit by bit. In the early parts of the drama, we see Fei Ye as a prince of Tian Ning before his back story is peeled off layer by layer as the drama progresses. So, as you watch episode after episode, you can kind of guess what is going to happen next. It is not hard to figure out who Fei Ye is or who is Yun Xi’s real father. It is not the type of drama that is suspenseful in that way.

The Romance Is Lacking

I know many people look forward to watch Legend Of Yun Xi for the romance. But this is not a drama that is particularly heavy on the romance side of things either. Yes, the 2 main characters fall in love but for the most part of the drama, they are either cold towards each other or apart. Of course, there is a good reason for it but if you are hoping for a lot of lovey-dovey scenes like those in The Love By Hypnotic, you will be in for a disappointment. I think Yun Xi spends just as much time, if not more, with Qi Shao as with Fei Ye. Personally, I feel they should have done more to develop the relationship between Yun Xi and Fei Ye so that viewers will be more emotionally invested in their love story.

The chemistry between Zhang Zhe Han and Ju Jing Yi is palpable which is partly why I suppose viewers are giving Legend Of Yun Xi fairly positive reviews. I have no complaints there but Zhang Zhe Han’s acting could have been better. I know it is not easy to act as a stern and distant royalty and military commander but I think Allen Ren did it quite well in Under The Power. Fei Ye’s character lacks depth in Zhang Zhe Han’s portrayal that it looks a little too superficial. I think I like him better in the modern drama, Everyone Wants To Meet You. At least, he shows more emotions there with better acting.

Watch It For Yalkun Merxat And The Plot

If there is one good reason to watch Legend Of Yun Xi, it would be Qi Shao’s character. He can appear cold and evil with his foes but he can also be warm and endearing with Yun Xi. He speaks with his eyes and smiles. In fact, I like his character and Yalkun Merxat’s portrayal better than Fei Ye and Zhang Zhe Han’s role.

The other reason that got me to continue watching is how Fei Ye will defeat Tian Ning’s Emperor and whether he will be cured. Although most aspects of the drama are predictable, the storyline is still pretty interesting with the poison zombie angle being an important element that glues everything together. You can guess that there will be a battle between Fei Ye and Emperor Tian Hui Di in the end. You can also predict that Yun Xi would want to save Fei Ye. But as the story builds up, the motivation is there to plough on to see how the ending will be presented to the viewers.

My Verdict

I’m not particularly fond of open endings. That is why for this Legend Of Yun Xi review, I have only given it a 7/10 rating. I don’t mind a sad ending if it fits the story because a forced happy ending would just make it unsatisfying as the drama closes. It also doesn’t have a compelling a story as Love And Destiny or The Untamed but it is still a watchable production given its interesting plot.

If you like palace political machinations and power struggles, then Legend Of Yun Xi is for you. The poison zombie story also makes it a little different from the standard fare. The romance is there and is an important component to the whole plot but it is not the most attractive part of the drama for me. As I have mentioned, if the screenwriters had invested more effort into the romance, Legend Of Yun Xi could have turned out better. Viewers would then feel moved with Yun Xi’s sacrifice which is the climax of the story. But as it is, it is still worthwhile to give this drama a go. Just don’t put too high hopes on the romance part and a highly satisfactory ending if that is what you are looking for.