Luoyang Chinese Drama Review

I was looking forward to watching Luoyang (风起洛阳) as it has been quite some time since I last saw Huang Xuan and Victoria Song in action. I think most people would have a certain level of expectation on this title given the cast list. True enough, this Chinese historical drama comes across as a big budget production with more filming locations and better story execution than the usual. At the very least, you can see they have given a lot of thought to the project rather than dishing out another substandard drama for the viewers. You can check out my Luoyang review below for more details.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 39
Type: Palace
Aired: December 2021
Images Credit: iQIYI

The Cast Of Luoyang 2021

• Huang Xuan as Gao Bing Zhu
• Wang Yi Bo as Baili Hong Yi / Er Lang
• Victoria Song Qian as Wu Si Yue
• Song Yi as Liu Ran
• Yong Mei as Empress
• Liu Duan Duan as Prince Dong Chuan
• Zhang Xi Lin as Liu Xiang / Lord Xun Shan
• Han Shuo as Wang Deng Cheng
• Zhang Duo as Wu You Jue
• Ning Wen Tong as Wu Shen Xing / King of Jin
• Feng Hui as Gao Sheng
• Zheng Jia Bin as Pei Jian
• Jiang Long as Bai Lang
• Zhang Li as Yao Niang
• Yu Yong Hai as Han Dong Qing
• Zhang Zhi Lin as An Bai Tan

Main Characters

Gao Bing Zhu

Bing Zhu used to be an official at Unwelcome Well which is a place reserved for descendants of criminals. Currently, he works as a mortician under the Court of Judicial Review. He is an outcast and a lone wolf who is looking for the person responsible for killing his friends. Bing Zhu is a stubborn and determined man. He is also very observant and intelligent.

Baili Hong Yi / Er Lang

Er Lang is the second son of Baili Yan who is the Minister of Works. He is a very aloof guy who seems cold and direct. Er Lang is a smart and thinking man but with no martial art skills. He is also known as a foodie. His father has arranged for him to marry Liu Ran but he is against it. Er Lang has a personal assistant called Shen Fei. His elder brother was Baili Kuan Ren who has since passed away.

Wu Si Yue

Si Yue is an Inner Guard official who has the trust of the Empress. She has good martial art skills and the aptitude in solving cases. Si Yue is serious about her work and has little interest in getting married. She doesn’t give up easily when pursuing a case and would rather uncover the truth than playing safe. Her family is related to the Empress.

Supporting Characters

Liu Ran

Liu Ran comes from the powerful Liu family. Her uncle is Liu Xiang who is known as Lord Xun Shan. She has known Er Lang since they were kids and has feelings for him. Their families have agreed to their marriage despite Er Lang’s objection. Liu Ran’s father is Liu Shi who has left the city after offending the Empress. Her personal maid is Yun Zhi.

Empress

The Empress is a soft spoken and calm woman. But she is supposedly ruthless and her officials are fearful of her whenever they are summoned for explanation. Crown Prince Li Dun is one of her sons.

Prince Dong Chuan

Prince Dong Chuan is the Empress’ grandson. He appears as a playboy and goes about in a carefree manner.

Liu Xiang / Lord Xun Shan

Liu Xiang is the head of the powerful Liu family. His niece is Liu Ran whom he dotes on. Liu Xiang’s bodyguard is Yuan Fei.

Wang Deng Cheng

Deng Cheng is the current official of Unwelcome Well. He is also Bing Zhu’s good friend who has been supportive of him.

Wu You Jue

You Jue is head of the Inner Guard Services. He is a cautious man who seems unwilling to rock the boat and offend those who have power. He is also sickly with a chronic ailment. Si Yue is his younger sister.

Wu Shen Xing / King of Jin

King of Jin is You Jue’s elder cousin brother. He is an influential member of the royal family and is not on good terms with the Crown Prince. He is also the Empress’ nephew.

Gao Sheng

Gao Sheng is the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review. He is often fighting with the Inner Guard Services over the right to investigate and interrogate suspects.

Pei Jian

Pei Jian is the Managing Clerk of the Court of Judicial Review. He reports to Gao Sheng but is principled and upright with an aim to capture criminals.

Bai Lang

Bai Lang is a bootlegger and small-time scammer. He is Bing Zhu’s good friend who is indebted to him.

Yao Niang

Yao Niang is the owner of Jishan Casino. She is also Bing Zhu’s good friend and has feelings for him.

Han Dong Qing

Han Dong Ching is a senior agent of the Intelligence Services which is an outfit directly under the Empress. He reports to Lord Chu who is the masked and mysterious head of the Intelligence Services.

An Bai Tan

Bai Tan is the personal assistant and bodyguard of Lord Chu of the Intelligence Services.

Synopsis

When the Empress took the throne, she relied on informers to strengthen her position. But after the fall of oppressive officials, this network of informers gradually declined until it faded completely for a number of years. But all of a sudden, an informer appeared in the capital and was killed on the streets. Bing Zhu, a mysterious man from the ghetto, was noticed by Si Yue during the commotion. Si Yue is from the Inner Guard Department which is responsible for the Empress’ safety.

The informer wanted to reach Er Lang who is the son of Baili Yan, the Minister of Works. As Bing Zhu has his own personal agenda in going after the killer, he strikes up contact with Er Lang and has a run-in with Si Yue who is investigating the case. The issue becomes more serious when Baili Yan is killed. Er Lang, Si Yue, and Bing Zhu are forced to cooperate when their respective investigation reveals a common enemy. They do so even though they don’t completely trust each other with each having a different aim.

The trio then learned that massive corruption is taking place to divert copper from a construction project. As they probe deeper, they discover the different personalities being involved in an underground society preparing for a coup. However, the identity of the mastermind remains elusive with moles having infiltrated the Empress’ intelligence services.

Luoyang Drama Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Luoyang has a neutral ending to me. It doesn’t close off on an extremely sad mood but neither is there a happily ever after for the main couple. This is because Si Yue dies in the last episode. She shields You Jue from getting shot by Liu Feng and dies as a result. Liu Feng wants to avenge Pei Pei’s death and blames You Jue for killing her.

In the last scene, the city is shown as vibrant and peaceful. Bing Zhu is alone but his community from the Unwelcome Well ghetto now has a place in Luoyang. They now have their freedom which is what he has always wanted. He also chooses to remain in Luoyang and protect it because Si Yue would have done the same if she is alive.

Er Lang is rewarded with a lordship and the Deputy Minister of Works position. But he chooses to resign and leave the city with Liu Ran. The Crown Prince is proven to be innocent and released from house arrest. King of Jin is stripped of his title and placed under house arrest for dereliction of duty. Prince Dong Chuan re-assumes his position as head of the Intelligence Services. Pei Jian is promoted to be the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and tasked to oversee the Chunqiu Sect cases. Liu Feng is spared the death penalty but ordered to become a monk to reflect on his mistakes.

Why Is The Informer Killed?

The informer, Lin Zhong, wants to report on the embezzlement of copper from one of the mines. The copper is meant for the construction of the Heavenly Temple in Luoyang. The project is being overseen by Baili Yan who is the Minister of Works and Er Lang’s father. That is why Lin Zhong wants to reach out to Er Lang. He is killed to stop him from revealing that someone is stealing the copper.

The people behind the murder and the embezzlement are from the Chunqiu Sect. Initial investigations reveal that the copper is being used to mint coins and make weapons but they turn out to be a misdirection. Liu Xiang is ordered to kill himself when the copper smelting foundry is exposed in Episode 11. He is working for the Chunqiu Sect and reports to Yuan Fei. Both Song Liang and Deng Cheng are also Chunqiu Sect members. They are arrested in Episode 13 and 14 respectively after the weapons production location is exposed.

Background Of Chunqiu Sect

Chunqiu Sect started out as the Chunqiu Academy which was established by the former Crown Prince. Er Lang’s grandfather once taught at the academy before he was kicked out. He was accused of practicing witchcraft. This is told to the viewers in Episode 29.

The sect was headed by Lord Freedom. But he was betrayed and got arrested after the plan to kill the Crown Prince failed. The person who saved the Crown Prince was Song Liang. That was how Song Liang got promoted to be the Minister of War. It was all part of the plan to have people working for Chunqiu Sect to be promoted to positions of power.

After the arrest of Lord Freedom, the sect is headed by his disciples, Lady of Autumn and Lord of Spring. Both of them do not really get along but forced to cooperate to achieve the greater plan.

Who Killed Bing Zhu’s Friends?

They were killed by Yao Niang who is a Chunqiu Sect member. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Bing Zhu illegally brought them out of Unwelcome Well for an outing. On the way back, they saw the Crown Prince being attacked by assassins. Bing Zhu fought them and his friends pitched in to help him. Then, Song Liang arrived with his soldiers to escort the Crown Prince away from danger while leaving Bing Zhu and his friends behind. One of the assassins ended up killing his friends. Bing Zhu was spared because the assassin was Yao Niang.

Yao Niang also killed Lin Zhong and his daughter. This comes to light in Episode 20. Yao Niang was sold to the sect by her own father when she was a little girl. She was taught martial arts and how to kill to survive. In the sect, she is known as 16th Night. The only reason she didn’t kill Bing Zhu is because she fell in love with him when they first met. He protected her from bullies then and she was impressed with him.

Yao Niang’s last mission is to kill both Bing Zhu and Er Lang. But she chooses to commit suicide instead after coming clean with Bing Zhu about her role. She couldn’t hide anymore as Bing Zhu already knows about her identity. So, she kills herself in front of him in Episode 21.

Who Killed Er Lang’s Father?

Er Lang’s father was killed under Lady of Autumn’s orders. He needed to be silenced because he found out about the copper embezzlement. Lord of Spring brings Lady of Autumn to Er Lang and invites him to kill her to avenge his father’s death in Episode 34. But Er Lang is reluctant. So, Lord of Spring kills her instead.

Lord Of Spring’s Identity

Lord of Spring is actually Er Lang’s brother, Baili Kuan Ren. The confirmation is in Episode 31. He is supposed to have died but their father arranged for him to fake his death. Kuan Ren is a very idealistic man with talent but was unfavored because he was born with 6 fingers. His deformity ruled him out from being an official. Hence, he is a dissatisfied and angry man who felt the system should be changed. He became Lord Freedom’s disciple because the latter was willing to listen to his views.

When Kuan Ren wrote some articles that were critical of the royal court, he was ordered to be exiled. His father knew he wouldn’t be able to survive life in exile. Thus, they pretended that he fell sick and subsequently died after the order was made. Kuan Ren disappeared after that and re-appeared before Er Lang in Episode 34 after his plan to destroy the granary succceeded.

Kuan Ren’s plan all along is to cause panic among the people with insufficient grains and then instigate them to rebel against the Empress while he appears as their savior. That is why he blows up the granary. The Xuanwu Pearl was the ingredient needed for the explosives while the copper was to make the boxes to store those explosives for greater impact when detonated.

Kuan Ren is arrested in Episode 36 when his plan to instigate a rebellion among the people seemingly fails. He is ordered to be executed at the end of Episode 37.

Who Is The Ultimate Villain?

The ultimate villain is You Jue. This is revealed in Episode 37 when he meets Kuan Ren who has been imprisoned. Both of them were friends during their younger days. You Jue shares Kuan Ren’s views on the need for a change to a new order. He was the one who agreed to let Kuan Ren go when the latter was ordered to be exiled. They had an understanding of what each must do to achieve what they saw as the greater good. Hence, You Jue knew about the Chunqiu Sect and played along with their plans to achieve his long term goal of becoming the new emperor. Kuan Ren’s arrest is also part of the overall scheme.

Si Yue confronts her brother in Episode 38 and finds out his plans. Kuan Ren is bitter about what happened to their parents who died as sinners. Their parents’ kindness was taken advantage of and they were convicted. Si Yue was too young to understand then. But Kuan Ren suffered humiliation for it. He became a food tester for the Empress to ensure her food is poison-free to regain her trust in the family. You Jue then poisoned himself to make her notice him and gain a foothold in the royal court.

In short, You Jue wants revenge and to satisfy his ambition of becoming the new leader. He wants to kill the Empress and make the people lose faith in the Crown Prince so that he can emerge as the new ruler. But his plan is foiled by Bing Zhu who is suspicious of him after he maneuvered his way to lead the Intelligence Services. You Jue is arrested in Episode 39 but spared the death penalty in recognition of Si Yue’s sacrifices. However, he becomes insane in prison.

Other Key Events

• Lord Chu of Intelligence Services is Prince Dong Chuan. Bing Zhu reveals his identity in Episode 9 during a discussion on how they could cooperate.
• Bing Zhu’s mother dies in Episode 14 after being held hostage by Deng Cheng. She pushes herself into Deng Cheng’s blade to save Bing Zhu from having to choose between saving her and Si Yue. Deng Cheng is arrested and reportedly dies of heart attack in prison in Episode 15.
• Si Yue finds out the existence of Lord Freedom from the Crown Prince in Episode 15.
• Agent Yi Ze or Hua Qing Zhi is found out to be the mole in the Intelligence Services in Episode 23.
• Liu Feng recognizes Pei Pei as his ex-lover in Episode 26.
• Shen Fei dies after shielding Er Lang from getting shot in Episode 33.
• Bei Qi is killed by the Inner Guards while saving Si Yue in Episode 34. In actual fact, he was not a Chunqiu Sect member but was emotionally blackmailed by You Jue to cooperate. Bei Qi couldn’t report on You Jue because Si Yue would also be executed as a result. But he couldn’t bring himself to kill You Jue either as the latter raised him. This is revealed in Episode 38.
• Pei Pei stabs Prince Dong Chuan and You Jue is thus commanded to take over the Intelligence Services in Episode 35.
• Bing Zhu confesses to Si Yue and they become a couple in Episode 37.
• Pei Pei is a Chunqiu Sect member. She is killed by Gong Yan on You Jue’s orders after seeking permission to leave Luoyang in Episode 37.

Luoyang Review – An Intense Drama

Luoyang starts off very strongly and it will immediately catch your interest. This is because there is a mysterious air about it right from the first episode with a man and his daughter being pursued and killed. There is a bit of action in those scenes to give it a gripping start. But what is great about this drama is the sustained intensity for more than 10 episodes straight. I find that it only starts to taper off around Episode 15 which I think is pretty good already for any drama.

The intensity comes from the male lead’s pursuit of his friends’ killer and the close calls of getting to the bottom of the killer’s identity. So, the viewers are not told who they might be and what the end game is. In other words, the story is structured as a gradual revealing of villains and motives. Hence, even when the intensity starts to fizzle out towards the middle section of the drama, the viewers’ interest should remain because the curiosity to know who, what, and why would heighten as the story progresses.

Is There Romance?

Luoyang is hardly a romance drama. There are no kisses in the entire 39 episodes. All you would get are hugs and they come rather late for both couples. The central focus of the drama is on the investigation. The romance is very subtle and has little story development to make it a really intense relationship especially for the main couple.

Therefore, if you want to watch a romance drama, you can drop this immediately. This is not a Novoland: Pearl Eclipse type of story of sacrifice and forbidden love although the male protagonist is an outcast while the female lead is related to the Empress. This is closer to The Imperial Coroner type of slow burn romance. The growing attraction between the leads is expected but it is not the main plot.

Good Plot Execution

The story begins with a typical revenge story line. Bing Zhu is looking for his friends’ killer who is tied to a syndicate which is embezzling copper meant for the Empress’ Heavenly Temple construction project. Hence, his quest for revenge automatically draws him into a conspiracy that involves government officials. What the screenwriter did well here is to tease viewers of who could be the betrayers. Not everything is revealed at one go as you need to follow the protagonists’ investigation to get the answers.

Basically, if you like crime and investigation dramas, Luoyang should have a lot to offer. But it is kind of intense and complex which some might find boring after 10 episodes or so. This is because it is not the type of drama that you can fast forward and skip like a typical rom-com. Similar to Nirvana In Fire 1, you need to follow the conversations and story closely to know what is happening.

On top of that, there is one layer after another of misdirection to throw the protagonists’ investigation off track. There is also a parallel investigation being carried out by the second male lead at times. Personally, I’m fine with it and the story remains intriguing overall as the leads slowly drill down to the core of the crime. But for those who prefer a more straightforward manner of storytelling, Luoyang could end up being draggy.

Lackluster Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

The main reason I couldn’t give this a higher score is the anti-climatic ending. It feels rushed to me and it ends on a whimper after so much buildup throughout the drama. I was expecting a full blown confrontation between Bing Zhu and the villain with lots of tension and excitement. Unfortunately, it is reduced to merely a talk between the 2 men of how the hero foils the villain’s grand plan.

Many people also do not like that the female character has to die and the manner in which she is killed. Yes, it seems rather unnecessary but I guess it is a fitting punishment for the villain to lose his beloved family member. I’m neutral about this ending for the female lead. It may be sad but it doesn’t ache you terribly because this is not a romance drama with intense love between the leads unlike One And Only. So, don’t let this stop you from watching Luoyang despite the main couple failing to end up together.

Great Performance From The Leads

The last time I watched Huang Xuan was in Perfect Partner. He has his way of depicting the characters to give them depth with layers to their personalities. In Luoyang, he projects Bing Zhu as stubbornly determined with a rough edge. He gives off the vibes of someone who is desperate for revenge and teetering on the brink of depression. Bing Zhu is a complex character to play and Huang Xuan nails it perfectly. His smirks that display confidence and sneer is always great to watch.

Victoria Song’s last drama that I watched was Find Yourself. This is a modern romance drama which is totally different from Si Yue’s character in Luoyang. Victoria Song’s depiction of Si Yue is on point as a no-nonsense investigator. I also think she did fairly well for those fighting scenes. She displays toughness through her body language and expressive eyes.

As for Wang Yi Bo, I think he did better in Luoyang than in Legend Of Fei. Perhaps I have got used to him playing cold characters after The Untamed. In Luoyang, he puts on a stoic and impassive face throughout but it doesn’t look forced. You can still sense there are feelings beneath the exterior through the subtle expressions that he display.

As a side note, Luoyang is the work of the same director that gave us Jun Jiu Ling and Legend Of Fuyao.

My Verdict – Worth Watching!

Luoyang is definitely one of the best Chinese dramas for 2021 to me. Compared to the many substandard productions, this is way above the rest. I guess the big budget helps. You can see this through the set decorations, props, filming locations, costumes, and cinematography. Hence, Luoyang really looks like a bustling city and the difference is obvious compared to lower budget historical dramas.

The main attraction is, of course, the plot itself. What makes this worth watching is the successful use of suspicion and curiosity to make you hooked. As these feelings come to the fore as you watch, you will be tempted to binge to the end to find out the ultimate villain and the motive. It doesn’t rely on jealous love rivals like Rebirth For You or palace power struggles cliches like Stand By Me as the main plot. Instead, it focuses on investigation and rides on a good script and excellent storytelling to create intensity and excitement.

For this Luoyang Chinese drama review, I would give it a score of 8/10. The ending is less than ideal which is a pity when the drama has been going so well until the last 2 to 3 episodes. By then, the ultimate villain would be obvious to all as there is no one left that would fit the bill. Whatever it is, I still strongly recommend a watch for this one. But just bear in mind that Luoyang is not a breezy drama. You do need to be attentive when you watch as the story can get a little intricate. So, save this for the days when you have the mood and time to get into a complex but gripping story.