Love Of Nirvana (流水迢迢) is adapted from a novel. I have not read the novel but I have come across reviews mentioning that some aspects of the story have been changed in the drama. Whatever it is, this is still quite a compelling story to follow. There are parts of it that are really great but there are also certain things that I’m not particularly gung-ho about. You will find them in my Love Of Nirvana review below. It is also nice to see Allen Ren back as an aloof commander which is what he excels in in various historical dramas.
My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Historical Romance
Aired: September 2024
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook
The Cast Of Love Of Nirvana
- Allen Ren Jia Lun as Wei Zhao / Xiao Wu Xia
- Landy Li Lan Di as Jiang Ci
- Jeremy Tsui as Pei Yan
- Wen Zheng Rong as Rong Yu Die / Lady Rong Guo
- Gao Han as Cui Zi Ming
- Zhang Feng Yi as Liang Emperor
- Yao Zhuo Jun as Uncle Ping
- Tao Xin Ran as Yan Qiao Shuang
- Mark Han as Teng Rui
- Xia Ning Jun as Xie Chun / Prince Qi
- Ji Xiao Bing as Crown Prince
Main Characters
Wei Zhao / Xiao Wu Xia
Wei Zhao is the Commander of the Guang Ming Guards of the Liang Kingdom which is responsible for the Emperor’s safety and capital’s security. He has the trust of the Emperor and is a favored official. Wei Zhao is a strong martial artist and clever strategist. He is patient and bides his time to achieve his aim. However, he can be ruthless and cold. Wu Xia is Wei Zhao’s hidden identity. Yi Fei is his deputy and personal assistant.
Jiang Ci
Jiang Ci is a carefree young lady who grew up in the mountains with her master as she was an orphan. She is a herbs collector. Jiang Ci has an adventurous spirit and a kind heart.
Pei Yan
Pei Yan is a marquis and heads the Chang Feng Guards. He is a loyal subject of the Liang Emperor and constantly needs to prove his worth due to his family history. His father died young while his mother is strict towards him. Pei Yan appears as a gentlemanly noble who is upright and smart. He is assisted by An Cheng and Xu Jun.
Supporting Characters
Rong Yu Die / Lady Rong Guo
Rong Yu Die is Pei Yan’s mother. She is a strict mother who demands obedience from her son. Rong Yu Die is a hard-hearted person with a lot of grievances in her mind.
Cui Zi Ming
Cui Zi Ming is Pei Yan’s retainer and a doctor. He is also a scholar with a righteous mind and is principled.
Liang Emperor / Xie Che
The Liang Emperor is Xie Che. He appears as responsible and fair but is calculative and shrewd. He is also good at hiding his real thoughts. Consort Wei, who was Wei Zhao’s sister, was his favorite concubine but died during childbirth. Chief Steward Tao is his loyal personal attendant.
Uncle Ping
Uncle Ping is Wei Zhao’s subordinate and a member of the Shadow Sect. He belongs to the Yueluo Tribe.
Yan Qiao Shuang
Yan is Jiang Ci’s master. She and Jiang Ci share a close bond. Yan has good martial arts skills.
Teng Rui
Teng Rui is an envoy from the Wei Kingdom. He is also the father-in-law of the Wei Emperor. Teng Rui is a despicable and selfish man.
Xie Chun
Xie Chun is Prince Qi. He was the Liang Emperor’s younger brother but died 20 years ago in Yueluo. He was presumably betrayed and killed by the last mayor of Yueluo. Xiao Hai Tian.
Crown Prince
The Crown Prince of Liang is the Emperor’s eldest son. He is a kind and benevolent man. He is also close to Pei Yan. The Crown Prince has a good relationship with his younger brother, Prince Zhuang, who appears as an idler with no interest in state affairs.
Synopsis
Wei Zhao is the Commander of the Imperial Guards. He appears to be the Liang Emperor’s favorite official as his late sister was the ruler’s beloved consort. However, Wei Zhao has a secret identity as the son of a condemned traitor. His aim is to investigate what happened in the past and to clear his father’s name. His father was accused of killing Prince Qi who was the Emperor’s younger brother.
During the course of his secret mission, he runs into Jiang Ci. He tries to silence her but is saved by Pei Yan who is a marquis and government official. This begins a cat-and-mouse game between Wei Zhao and Pei Yan who wants to get to the bottom of Wei Zhao’s real identity and objective. Jiang Ci ends up being caught in between the 2 men. Things become complicated when Jiang Ci starts developing feelings for Wei Zhao but he has to use her to lure out her master who was linked to Prince Qi’s death.
Love Of Nirvana Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Love Of Nirvana has a sad ending. The Liang Emperor sets up Wei Zhao to die inside a pavilion laden with explosives. He thought he could walk away after their confrontation about the past and hold Wei Zhao back with his guards. But Wei Zhao drags him back into the pavilion during the fight with the guards and they perish together from the explosion.
Jiang Ci is sad over Wei Zhao’s death. She regards him as her husband even after his death. She leaves Yueluo and declines Pei Yan’s request to return to the capital with him. Pei Yan is appointed as the Chancellor of Liang after the Crown Prince ascended the throne. He requests the new Emperor to restore Yueluo’s reputation and give them justice which is approved. Cui Zi Ming decides to leave Pei Yan as his retainer to travel the world. He believes Pei Yan will be a benevolent Chancellor. The Yuelou folks pay their respects to Wei Zhao and appreciate his sacrifice. Yi Fei decides to remain in Yuelou.
5 years later, Jiang Ci returns to Yueluo with her son. She brings him to the house she once shared with Wei Zhao and tells him about his father to bring the drama to an end.
When Did The Leads Get Together?
Jiang Ci and Wei Zhao start off as enemies. But Jiang Ci begins to learn more about Yueluo’s situation in Episode 8. She also witnesses the death of 2 Yueluo tribe members who would rather die for their cause than exposing Wei Zhao’s identity in Episode 10. This makes her feel that there must be value in what Wei Zhao is doing and decides not to expose his identity. They work together to investigate an embezzlement case in Episode 13 and Wei Zhao saves her from the enemy’s captivity in Episode 14. He blocks a sword attack aimed at Jiang Ci during the case trial in Episode 16.
Jiang Ci also helps Wei Zhao to cover up his identity by stealing the evidence that Pei Yan has in his possession to expose Wei Zhao in Episode 18. She could have left the capital and free from Pei Yan’s clutches but risks her freedom to save Wei Zhao. Jiang Ci could feel Wei Zhao’s pain when she follows him back to his family home in Yueluo in Episode 22. In Episode 23, she announces that she was Xiao Wu Xia’s wife to protect Wei Zhao’s identity.
Jiang Ci tells Wei Zhao that she is willing to be with him and assume the role of Xiao Wu Xia’s wife in Episode 27. But her master gets in between them since she is wanted by Wei Zhao in relation to his investigation into Prince Qi’s death. They reunite in Episode 37 with a war with Wei Kingdom on the cards. Jiang Ci wants to start over with Wei Zhao. After the war is won, they consummate their relationship in Episode 39. Wei Zhao quietly offers his prayers to take Jiang Ci as his wife before leaving for his final confrontation with the Emperor.
Is There Any Breakup?
Jiang Ci decides to leave Wei Zhao in Episode 25 after finding out that he had lied to her about her clay cat. It was supposed to have been crushed but he had kept it instead. Wei Zhao claims that he kept it from her as he is afraid that she would leave him to look for her master if she has gotten back the figurine. However, Jiang Ci turns around when she learns of an impending attack on Yueluo by General Lu Yu’s army. He also takes an arrow for her during an ambush. They survive and the looming war with General Lu Yu makes Jiang Ci remain with Wei Zhao in Yueluo in Episode 26.
However, Jiang Ci is angry at Wei Zhao again after seeing her master during the battle with General Lu Yu’s army. She realizes that she has been deceived by Wei Zhao to lure out her master. Wei Zhao has found out earlier in Episode 19 that Jiang Ci’s master, Yan, was involved in Prince Qi’s death. Hence, Wei Zhao has to keep Yan captive which incensed Jiang Ci further. She drugs him and escapes with her master in Episode 29 but they are re-captured.
Jiang Ci blames Wei Zhao for causing her master’s death in Episode 34. Her heart softens after her ordeal of being accused of poisoning the Emperor. Wei Zhao helps her to prove her innocence and risks his life to send her out of the palace in Episode 36. In Episode 37, Jiang Ci learns from Pei Yan that her master was killed by his mother and Wei Zhao is not to be blamed.
Is There Any Love Triangle?
Pei Yan develops deep feelings for Jiang Ci after saving her from an injury inflicted by Wei Zhao. He keeps her by his side to lure Wei Zhao out but ends up falling for her. He asks Jiang Ci to stay with him but she would rather leave in Episode 11. She refuses to go back with him again in Episode 17 after he is forced by circumstances to favor the perpetrator over the victim in an embezzlement and assault case. Jiang Ci escapes from his residence in Episode 18 after he brought her back and refused to let her go as requested.
Pei Yan catches up with her in Yueluo in Episode 24 but she refuses to go back with him again. She even shields Wei Zhao from Pei Yan’s attack. She still chooses to stay with Wei Zhao in Episode 29 despite him deceiving her over her master. This makes Pei Yan to report to the Emperor that Jiang Ci is Prince Qi’s daughter to force her to be summoned back to the capital in Episode 29. He asks the Emperor to grant him a marriage to Jiang Ci in Episode 30 although she is unwilling to marry him. The request is granted in Episode 31 and the decree is issued in Episode 32.
But the wedding fails to take place after Pei Yan’s mother rebels and kills Jiang Ci’s master in Episode 33. Pei Yan realizes in Episode 34 that he shouldn’t have insisted on marrying Jiang Ci as that had made her suffer. Moreover, what she wants is freedom. His perspective changes and he becomes genuinely concern and sincere towards her instead. Pei Yan also helps Jiang Ci to get Wei Zhao released in Episode 36 after the Emperor found out about the latter’s real identity.
Wei Zhao’s Identity
Pei Yan finds out that Wei Zhao is the person behind the assassination attempt on Teng Rui in Episode 18. This is after he saw a wound caused by Wei Zhao’s arrow on a dead man matches the one Wei Zhao shot at Teng Rui earlier. Pei Yan makes a deal with Wei Zhao not to expose his identity in Episode 27. In exchange, Wei Zhao will return the evidence that will implicate the Pei family as rebels since Pei Yan’s mother has been stocking up weapons.
The Emperor learns that Wei Zhao is Xiao Wu Xia in Episode 36 following investigations. He has been suspicious of Wei Zhao after the latter’s return from Yueluo. He is labelled a traitor and sent to the slave arena. But Pei Yan requests for his release when the Wei Kingdom starts an invasion into Liang territory in Episode 36.
Jiang Ci’s Background
Jiang Ci learns that she is Prince Qi’s daughter in Episode 28. This is after she found a letter written by her father that her master had left inside her pouch. In Episode 29, her master confirms that her father was indeed Prince Qi. Yan tells Jiang Ci that she and Jiang Ci’s mother were sisters. They were assassins from Wei Kingdom which were planted beside Prince Qi to acquire intel. However, Jiang Ci’s mother and Prince Qi fell in love.
When the ex-Liang Emperor fell sick, there was turmoil in the palace. Prince Qi was placed under house arrest upon his return to the palace. He was convinced by Yan to flee and was hidden by Wei Zhao’s father in Yueluo. General Lu then attacked Yueluo to force Prince Qi out. Prince Qi agreed to return to the capital to stop the war but they then got the message that he had been killed in Yueluo. Jiang Ci’s mother subsequently died of heartsickness after giving brith.
Yan believes that Wei Zhao’s father betrayed Prince Qi because the latter had lost influence. Hence, he killed Prince Qi to obtain benefits from the new Emperor. She also met Wei Zhao’s sister at Prince Qi’s tomb which strengthened her belief that Wei Zhao’s father had benefited from the betrayal since Wei Zhao’s sister had become a consort to the new Emperor.
Yan dies in Episode 33 after being deceived by Pei Yan’s mother to cooperate to stop Jiang Ci and Pei Yan’s wedding. Pei Yan’s mother uses Yan as the sacrificial lamb in her plan to blame the Emperor for killing a witness of Prince Qi’s death.
The Ultimate Villain
Yan tells Wei Zhao in Episode 30 that she didn’t harm his pregnant sister when she took her hostage after bumping into each other at Prince Qi’s tomb in the past. Hence, she couldn’t have caused her death during childbirth. But what Yan said caused Wei Zhao’s sister to be suspicious of who killed Prince Qi. Yan also mentions to Wei Zhao that the Emperor has been discreetly looking for her all along.
In Episode 32, Pei Yan’s mother also claims that the Emperor caused Wei Zhao’s sister’s death when she seeks his cooperation to expose the Emperor’s crimes. General Lu Yu tells Wei Zhao in Episode 38 that it was him who quietly sent the Emperor to Yueluo 20 years ago. That was why he was made a general but his son was kept as a hostage in the capital which is to prevent him from talking.
After defeating Wei Kingdom with Yueluo’s assistance in Episode 39, Wei Zhao wants to bring up Prince Qi’s death publicly to clear his father’s name with the Emperor. However, the Emperor threatens to kill some Yueluo’s civilians who have been led into the area. This forces Wei Zhao to bite his tongue. The Emperor then orders Wei Zhao to follow him to a pavilion for a final conversation in Episode 40. Prince Qi was his brother but he was jealous as the former was their father’s favorite son.
After he got the throne in a power struggle following their father’s death, he drove Prince Qi to commit suicide. He justifies that he didn’t kill Prince Qi but his words basically left his brother with no choice as they implied that it was a decree. Wei Zhao’s sister was silenced because her encounter with Yan made her suspect that he killed Prince Qi.
What Happens To Pei Yan’s Mother?
Pei Yan learns that his mother, Rong Yu Die, has been stocking up weapons through Governor He of Nanling in Episode 16. After his discovery, she wants him to usurp the throne in Episode 20. This is because Pei Yan’s father had sacrificed himself to serve the Liang Emperor but he got nothing in return and ended up dead instead. Rong Yu Die and the Emperor were lovers in the past but he gave her up to marry another. She is bitter over it and this was compounded by the early death of her husband which made life hard for her. However, Pei Yan refuses to listen to his mother.
Rong Yu Die is against Pei Yan’s plan to marry Jiang Ci in Episode 30 as Jiang Ci does not have the power to help him politically. So, she abducts Yan in Episode 32 and convinces the latter to cooperate to stop the wedding. Yan will be able to rescue Jiang Ci from the palace while she can expose the Emperor’s involvement in Prince Qi’s death and force him to abdicate. But her rebellion fails and she was arrested. The Emperor didn’t execute her due to their past history but sent her to the monastery instead.
Love Of Nirvana Review – Great Story-Telling
Overall, I quite enjoyed Love Of Nirvana. The story starts off in an interesting manner with an attempted assassination on an envoy. It is not as dramatic as The Double but it sets the tone for an enemy-to-lovers relationship when the female lead got in the way of the male lead’s mission. The girl is also caught in between 2 men who have different goals. The fun is in watching the 2 men’s cat-and-mouse games as they try to keep tabs on and outwit each other. This is amidst an overarching plot of the male lead trying to get justice for his late father who has been wrongly accused of treason.
The story is well-executed and written in a way that is easy to follow. The pacing is consistent and you will get dragged into the story. This is because it moves with things happening to keep you engaged. It doesn’t tell you who the ultimate villain is upfront but slowly reveals the character and the cruelty in a subtle manner. You can possibly guess what happened halfway through but the villain’s cruelty is hidden under a facade and there is always a chance of a plot twist as the story is not always straightforward. As you need to piece together some things along the way, the pleasure will still be there when things reach a climax and the character is unmasked towards the end.
Furthermore, the rivalry between the 2 male protagonists makes this feel like a chess game with their strategies against each other. It is not as elaborate as Joy Of Life but it is still well-developed that there are anxious moments if one will succeed against the other. Nevertheless, there are still some parts of the story that may not go down well for some.
Debatable Aspects Of The Plot
In the beginning of the story, the male lead actually tried to kill the female lead when she saw him attempting to assassinate an envoy. She almost died as a result. To keep her from revealing that he is behind the attempt, he threatens her with her master’s life. Hence, it is a very ruthless start to their relationship on the part of the male lead. You will have to get past the male lead’s actions in the beginning if you want to enjoy their romance down the road. Of course, their relationship is a slow burn one and the female lead’s change of perspective is gradual and based on her experiences. So, it is palatable in that sense. That is provided you don’t think back on how he stabbed and then harassed her in the beginning.
The other debatable point is the cliche jealous third party syndrome. The second male lead who is also in love with the female lead turns into a controlling and jealous man who is obsessed over making her his woman for about three-quarters of the drama. She keeps saying no but he keeps insisting that she stays with him. It gets annoying that his character has been reduced to a typical toxic love rival. The saving grace is there is a redemption arc there that is long enough for him to undo all his past mistakes towards her.
Finally, I feel that the first half of the drama is better than the second. The rivalry between the 2 male protagonists is replaced by investigative subplots and a war towards the last quarter. This is not as riveting as the first half to me. However, I guess it is still needed to pave the way for the ending which then gives rise to another issue.
The Ending (Spoilers Alert!)
The ending sees the male lead dying together with the villainous Emperor. The story starts out with the male lead’s desire to clear his father’s name and restore justice for his land. His mayor father was accused of betraying and killing the Emperor’s brother. As a result, his city was oppressed and became a slave land to the Liang kingdom. But when the end comes, this is not achieved. He only managed to free the city from continuous oppression and got them their recognition. But the male lead died without being able to publicly restore his father’s good name. I think this is a missing piece that would have made the ending more satisfactory.
Even the sad ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea. So, if you hate the heavy emotions of having the male lead dying, you might like to skip this one. For me, I’m fine with it as his death has been foreshadowed. So, it goes along well with the story since it is an expected outcome.
I’m not sure if this is also how the story ended in the novel as I didn’t read it. But some viewers have complained that the story has been butchered and changed quite drastically. The characters in the drama have also been altered and inconsistent with what is presented in the novel. Perhaps this is why there are obvious debatable and weak aspects to the plot as discussed above.
Acting & Chemistry
Allen Ren is back being a charismatic and good-looking commander in Love Of Nirvana. He excels in this kind of role where he has to project an aloofness and cold leader in a historical setting just like in Under The Power and One And Only. But where he fails at times is in the emotional scenes. He is not convincing enough when he needs to portray the character’s raw and deep emotions in the drama. After all, Wei Zhao is a complex character with different layers to his personality. I feel that Allen Ren couldn’t really bring up those complexities and layers. But I still like watching him though for his general looks.
The last time I caught Landi Li is in The Starry Love. Her performance in Love Of Nirvana is not too bad overall. The character she has to play is not a really a well-written one as Jiang Ci is overshadowed by the 2 male protagonists who possess commanding personalities. But I think she did the best she could to make Jiang Ci lively and free-spirited.
However, Landi Li and Allen Ren only have a so-so chemistry between them to me. It is still better than Fair Xing’s partnership with Allen Ren in Burning Flames though and Love Of Nirvana is also not a strictly romance drama. Romance is slow burn and not the focus. It is not an intensive and passionate kind of romance that I suppose any lack of chemistry is not going to seriously affect the watchability of the drama overall.
My Verdict – Watch
There are certain things that Love Of Nirvana does well. The kickoff is engaging and the 2 male protagonists are formidable opponents. They are smart and their mind games are interesting to watch. I think this is where the drama really sucks you into the story. The characters are complex and they all have their shades of grey rather being one-dimensional heroes or villains. The way the story is presented also has elements of subtlety in the reveal of the ultimate villain with plot twists along the way. So, it keeps you interested rather than bored.
However, there are also weaknesses in the way the characters are written especially for the second male lead. It is as if he is being reduced to a toxic and obsessive man in order to make the male lead stand out as the better lover. In actual fact, both are manipulative and made used of the female lead for their own ends. The second male lead’s toxicity is just the usual romance drama trope which this drama could really do without. Anyway, romance is also not the strong point of this drama unlike Are You The One. The nature of the story doesn’t really support a good romance here with a love triangle and the violent way the couple’s involvement with each other begins.
For this review of Love Of Nirvana, I would give it a rating of 8/10. It is compelling enough with a good flow to make me continue watching. It has a creative way of telling the story and slowly revealing the villain for the climax towards the end. So, despite the few weaknesses, Love Of Nirvana is worth the attention. Just don’t jump in solely for the romance to keep disappointment at bay.
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