Overlord (also known as Jiu Liu Overlord 九流霸主) stars Bai Lu and Leon Lai Yi. Frankly speaking, I’m watching this because of Bai Lu as I think she is a very versatile actress. Hopefully, I can sit through all the 36 episodes as I have read conflicting reviews on this drama with a lot of not so flattering feedbacks. I will have my own Overlord review once I’m done and you can check out my views there. In the meantime, I will just go ahead to watch this drama and fill up the episode summary as I move along.
Contents Table
Episode 1 – 5 : The Missing Gold Thread
Introduction
Silver City is divided into 2 areas. The Southern part is occupied by the lower class people with 2 rival gangs overseeing certain trades such as gambling, prostitution, and silkworm. The 2 gangs are Longzhu and Snake sects. The Northern part is populated by the upper class.
Long Ao Yi is the new leader of the Longzhu sect. She is a street-wise and brash young woman with a tomboyish behavior. Qi Yan is the leader of the Snake sect and a profiteer who would oppress the poor to earn more money. Li Qing Liu is a tycoon who owns a big silk clothing business called Xinsilu. He has mastered a unique embroidery method that earns him a reputation from near and far. Qing Liu is assisted by Du Xiao Xian who has feelings for him. Xiao Xian is the daughter of Commissioner Du who is in charge of Silver City.
Li Zhao also arrives in Silver City to investigate the taxes collection which he suspects has been underpaid to the central government. Commissioner Du pushes the blame onto the merchants whom he claims are getting too powerful especially Qing Liu. He also wants Xiao Xian to try to get Li Zhao’s attention although she is reluctant.
The Meeting
Ao Yi and Qing Liu start on the wrong footing when she mistakenly gets onto his carriage. Then, they meet again when they are at the same venue for 2 different events. Qing Liu is having an exhibition for his clothing while Ao Yi is gambling with Qi Yan to divide up the control of the area’s trades. Qing Liu helps Ao Yi with the wager money as he wants control of the silkworm trade which is under Qi Yan. Ao Yi wins but Qi Yan is angry as he has been tricked with fake title deeds as the wager money.
Qing Liu turns dizzy when Ao Yi gets up close with him. He is rumored not to have any interest in the opposite sex. Just like that, Ao Yi snatches away all the winnings they obtained from Qi Yan. Li Zhao also notices Ao Yi during the gambling session with Qi Yan and immediately takes a liking for her.
The Auction
Xinsilu has received a large order from Persia but the gold thread needed to make the clothes has been stolen on arrival. Qing Liu predicts that the gold thread will appear on the black market auction. Ao Yi is also at the auction to buy a valuable item for her master. Qing Liu has to spend a lot of money to bid for an item he thought is the gold thread because Ao Yi is also bidding for the same thing. He is frustrated when he realizes the item he bought is not the gold thread. He also accuses Ao Yi and the Longzhu sect of stealing it based on a shred of fabric at the crime scene which is supposedly the sect’s uniform.
While escaping from Qing Liu, they bump into Li Zhao which cause him a minor injury. Both of them are arrested and put into the same prison cell. Qing Liu deduces that Ao Yi couldn’t be the thief through her behavior and the respect others have for her. Ao Yi also learns that her sect member, Da Chun, is suspected to be involved. But he is later found dead with a suicide note that she has ordered for the gold thread to be stolen. In actual fact, Da Chun is killed by Qi Yan’s subordinate when the former wanted to tell the truth about what happened.
Qi Yan sends his men to try to kill Ao Yi while she is in prison but is saved by Qing Liu. He also asks Ao Yi to be freed from the prison with him by emphasizing that she is Li Zhao’s friend. They have to free Qing Liu because imprisoning him would delay the production for the Persian order which will jeopardize the relations between the 2 countries.
Ao Yi Joins Xinsilu
Ao Yi wants to clear Da Chun’s name and is also enticed by the reward money offered by Qing Liu to solve the gold thread case. So, she joins Xinsilu at the Silk Manor as she suspects there is a mole inside the organization. Xiao Xian is jealous that Qing Liu is allowing Ao Yi to get close to him. But she sees her as a low class woman who wouldn’t be able to compete with her.
Li Zhao is targeting the corrupted Official Bai. He entices the official into a gambling session and the latter ends up owing him a big sum of money. When Li Zhao drops by Xinsilu, Qing Liu and Ao Yi have just been released from prison. He buys a dress for Ao Yi and invites her to join him for a banquet hosted by Commissioner Du. Ao Yi is treated as a low class peasant as she couldn’t care less about the upper class etiquette. Xiao Xian tries to embarrass her by asking her to dance as others throw their valuables onto the dance floor as payment. Ao Yi takes the challenge and impresses them with her dancing skills.
Ao Yi starts to investigate the people who would have information about the arrival and location of the gold thread at the Silk Manor. She has some clues and asks Qing Liu to meet her at the warehouse.
Episode 6 – 10 : Coveting Xinsilu’s Custom Seal
Overcoming Supply Problems
Ao Yi believes there is collusion among the supervisors at the Silk Manor and the main suspects are 2 lovers. She keeps an eye on the both of them. Li Zhao has Official Bai cornered and is about to extract more information out of him when he is immediately arrested and dragged away.
Li Zhao is offering government capital to the silk merchants. All of them accept the funds except Qing Liu as he doesn’t want to be controlled. Li Zhao proposes a rule that only merchants who accept investments from the government can be the guild leader to put pressure on Qing Liu. The suppliers also start to increase their prices and refuse to sell to Xinsilu to create problems in their production. Qing Liu overcomes the supply problem by getting Ao Yi to use her Longzhu sect’s network to source from another city.
Qing Liu then invites these suppliers over to try to get them to agree to a contract. Ao Yi helps him to win over the most important supplier by engaging him in a gambling session.
Catching The Thief
Ao Yi brings Qing Liu to a lock master. They bring the box where the gold thread was kept to get some clues as to the people who could have the ability to unlock the box to steal the thread. They learn that the person who has the skill must have a bent finger.
Ao Yi and Qing Liu come up with a plan to flush out that person in the Silk Manor. It turns out to be Dong Zi. A search of his living quarters reveals a tag that leads them to a secret storage bank. Dong Zi is also there. He overturns a crate of peppercorns to escape. They chase after him. He falls down from the roof together with Ao Yi. Qing Liu catches Ao Yi and stays rooted for a while as he is affected by her proximity. Dong Zi dies from the fall before they could ask for more information but they find the gold thread on him.
Qing Liu’s assistant, Yan Bin, meets up with Ao Yi’s assistant, Xiao Qin. He tells her that Qing Liu has left him behind to go out with Ao Yi. He thinks Ao Yi must be seducing Qing Liu and unthinkingly holds Xiao Qin’s hand to demonstrate what he thinks he saw. Both Yan Bin and Xiao Qin are jolted by the touch. Qing Liu confides in Yan Bin that he doesn’t have any adverse reaction when catching Ao Yi and holding her after she fell. Yan Bin suggests it must be because Qing Liu has a crush on her.
Freezing Xinsilu’s Accounts
With the gold thread recovery, Xinsilu could resume production. Qing Liu offers to bring the staff to the hot springs for relaxation. Ao Yi overhears Qing Liu telling Yan Bin that letting her into the Silk Manor and saving her just make good business sense. She feels annoyed with his revelation. Ao Yi’s deputy, Second Master Lyu, asks Qing Liu about his background to fish for information. He is then seen telling a man that he is still gathering hard evidence about the man that they are looking for.
Commissioner Du and Qing Liu’s rivals are not happy that Xinsilu has overcome their problems. The commissioner tells Li Zhao that Qing Liu has contempt against the royal court for not accepting the government’s offer. This instigates Li Zhao to order officials to investigate Xinsilu’s accounts to check their tax payments. However, Li Zhao knows that they are only using him to bring down Qing Liu. He also knows that the officials have been lying to him about the amount of pepper trade going on in the city after being informed by Ao Yi about the stock in the secret storage bank.
Xinsilu’s money is frozen as investigations are on-going. Ao Yi is feeling uneasy as she has invested the sect’s savings into the workers’ wagers pool for higher returns and the money is now stuck. Xiao Xian wants to give all her jewelries to Qing Liu to help Xinsilu with the cashflow shortage. But Qing Liu refuses to accept. Ao Yi makes a deal with Qing Liu whereby she will supply him with raw silk at a cheaper rate in return for him teaching her how to do business.
Li Zhao Woos Ao Yi
Li Zhao looks for Ao Yi at Silk Manor but she is not around. He ends up drinking with Qing Liu and admits that he likes Ao Yi. Yan Bin is showing interest in Xiao Qin. Ao Yi returns to Silk Manor to find both Li Zhao and Qing Liu drunk. But Li Zhao is merely pretending to be drunk and tries to express his feelings to Ao Yi. But she says that she only treats men as brothers. Li Zhao still tries to woo her and is not giving up. He is more impressed when he hears how Ao Yi has helped the poor.
With Xinsilu having shortage of funds, Qing Liu wants to use old stock to make women’s undergarments. Ao Yi comes up with a design which Li Zhao helps her to promote. Official Zhu accuses Qing Liu of making indecent clothings. Qing Liu asks to be given time to investigate. Ao Yi admits that she is the designer while Xiao Xian accuses her of ruining Xinsilu’s reputation. Qing Liu supports her design but wants her to improve the comfort aspects. The undergarments are enjoying high demand.
Xiao Xian is asked by his father to accompany Li Zhao on an outing. Both of them admit that they are in love with someone else. Xiao Xian has gone through the ups and downs with Qing Liu when they started Xinsilu. Li Zhao finds Ao Yi to be very different from the ladies he has met and loves her free spirit.
Arson In Silk Manor
Commissioner Du is not happy that Official Zhu has failed to bring down Qing Liu. He wants Qing Liu’s Custom Seal which allows the holder to trade with foreigners. Qi Yan is ordered by an official to do his part. Qi Yan’s subordinate, Vendor Zhou, then hits Ao Yi unconscious while she is sleeping and burns down her quarters and the warehouse. When she awakens because of the smoke, she tries to save the stock of undergarments.
Qing Liu rushes into the burning building to save Ao Yi and injures his hand. Li Zhao arrives to tend to Ao Yi who has scalded her arm. Qing Liu is not happy that they seem close to each other. His jealousy gets the better of him and he ends up arguing with her over the cost of the fire. Qing Liu is told that someone is trying to kill Ao Yi. Qing Yan is angry that Vendor Zhou has failed in his mission. The latter overhears that a government official has been in contact with Qi Yan.
Episode 11 – 15 : Xiao Xian’s Jealousy
Attempts To Win Over Ao Yi
Yan Bin advises Qing Liu to soothe Ao Yi’s anger after their earlier argument. But his clumsy attempt fails when he inadvertently admits that he has overheard her conversation that mentioned about a mole on her chest. It embarrasses her. Qing Liu then seeks opinions from his staff about understanding women. They suggest being more caring, understanding, and romantic. But his gift of a plant still loses out to Li Zhao’s bouquet of flowers. Li Zhao also uplifts the freeze on Xinsilu’s accounts as he wants Qing Liu to investigate the attempt on Ao Yi’s life.
Qing Liu attempt to feed Ao Yi medicine also results in an argument as both lack patience and understanding. He then allows Xiao Qin to stay at Silk Manor to take care of Ao Yi whose arm has yet to recover. This would be better than having Li Zhao around to take care of her. Yan Bin is also happy as he has feelings for Xiao Qin and has tried to express his love for her.
The undergarments are selling very well. Xinsilu should reward Ao Yi for a job well done. Ao Yi asks Qing Liu for a share of the profits from each undergarment sold. Qing Liu agrees on the condition that she oversees the whole design department. Ao Yi has a lot of ideas but can be temperamental. Qing Liu indulges her as they work together.
Ao Yi Leaves Silk Manor
Xiao Xian’s maid informs her that Qing Liu is getting close to Ao Yi. Xiao Xian asks her maid to find out more about Longzhu sect and their activities. Ao Yi has designed a pillow for Xinsilu with inputs from Qing Liu. She has an idea to sell a similar version but made with cheaper materials for the working class market. Ao Yi wants to seek permission to use the design from Qing Liu but he isn’t around. Xiao Xian tells her that Xinsilu doesn’t care about imitations as the quality is different.
Hence, Ao Yi gets his sect members to produce and sell the pillow to the poorer people with Li Zhao’s help. Xiao Xian then purposely leads Qing Liu to their stall. Qing Liu is angry when he sees Ao Yi and Li Zhao almost lying down together to promote the pillow. Ao Yi manages to sell out the pillows and regards Li Zhao as a brother for his help.
Qing Liu quarrels with Ao Yi and accuses her of using him to make money as well as being indecent with Li Zhao. He returns her all the money that she has deposited with Xinsilu. Ao Yi leaves Silk Manor in anger.
Framing Ao Yi For Murder
Ao Yi is informed that Qi Yan has been sighted. She follows him and sees him trying to kill Vendor Zhou. Ao Yi tries to stop Qi Yan but he proceeds to stab Vendor Zhou to death before quickly leaving. Commissioner Du then arrives and accuses Ao Yi of murder. Second Master Lu distracts the officials to allow Ao Yi to escape. While doing so, her arm is injured by an arrow. She becomes weak and hides in an abandoned temple.
Ao Yi is now a wanted criminal. Xiao Xian forbids Yan Bin from informing Qing Liu by giving him the excuse that it will disturb their efforts to have Qing Liu selected as the guild leader. Qing Liu also misses Ao Yi. The Longzhu sect is mobilizing its members to look for Ao Yi while her master is also anxious over her disappearance. Li Zhao tries to help. But Commissioner Du produces a letter from Li Zhao’s mother who orders Li Zhao to stop mixing closely with the lower class people. Hence, Li Zhao’s hands are tied.
A few kids save Ao Yi. She gives her bead tassel to a boy and asks him to look for Xiao Qin. Qing Liu hears about Ao Yi’s situation during the business dinner to select him as the guild leader. He has yet to accept the selection and angry that Yan Bin has failed to inform him. He orders his men to look for Ao Yi to Xiao Xian’s disappointment.
Saving Ao Yi
Qi Yan goes to see Commissioner Du but the latter refuses to meet him. Xiao Xian notices Qi Yan at their residence and confronts her father who slaps her for questioning him. Her father wants her to choose Li Zhao instead of Qing Liu.
Qi Yan wants to take matters into his own hands. He wants to sell off his stock of silkworms and get the White Hair Gang to help him to look for Ao Yi. They manage to capture her by following the boy. Qi Yan then sends a ransom note to Qing Liu. He wants the Customs Seal in exchange for Ao Yi’s life. Ao Yi is surprised that Qing Liu actually turns up with the Customs Seal to save her. With Ao Yi’s life in danger, Qing Liu gives Qi Yan the seal and allows himself to be beaten up without retaliating. Qi Yan then seals them up in a big kiln which will be fired up when workers turn up the next morning. He also admits that he stole the gold thread and set fire in Silk Manor.
Official Zhu scolds Qi Yan for capturing Qing Liu as it has drawn unnecessary attention. Qi Yan wants to speed up the sale of the silkworms. Yan Bin continues to look for Qing Liu. Ao Yi’s master is also looking for Ao Yi and tails the White Hair Gang. Yan Bin saves her while she is under attack by a gang member. They deduce where Qing Liu and Ao Yi might be and saved them just in time from being roasted in the kiln.
Qi Yan Is Killed
Ao Yi begins to feel awkward with Qing Liu after spending a night together with him in the kiln. He had also sucked out toxic blood from her neck after she was bitten by a poisonous insect and they had discarded their outer clothing due to the heat in the kiln. They then tail Qi Yan who is offloading his silkworms to a buyer. But it is a trap laid out by Commissioner Du. He has Qi Yan arrested and then killed on the spot to prevent him from spilling the beans on their cooperation. Commissioner Du lays all the blame on Qi Yan for all the crimes. Ao Yi is no longer a criminal but she has lost all the evidence that Qi Yan was working for Commissioner Du.
Qing Liu wants to invite Ao Yi to a banquet but she is playing hard to get although she is beginning to like him. Xiao Xian listens to her maid that she should be friends with Ao Yi so that Qing Liu will notice her good qualities.
Episode 16 – 20 : Exploring Each Other’s Feelings
Misunderstanding
Li Zhao continues to try to woo Ao Yi and shows his good side by helping the needy. But she is oblivious to his true feelings. Xiao Xian tries to get into the good books of the staff at Silk Manor to compete with Ao Yi.
For the Double Seventh Festival, Xiao Xian invites Qing Liu for a boat ride but he wants to see Ao Yi instead as he has prepared a dress for her as a gift. Ao Yi has agreed with Li Zhao to drink together. Xiao Xian follows Qing Liu to see Ao Yi who expresses interest to join them for the boat ride. But Xiao Xian stresses that she has only made preparations for 2 passengers. But Qing Liu is also not willing to see Ao Yi celebrating the festival with Li Zhao. So, he agrees for the 4 of them to go to the night market instead.
At the market, Xiao Xian asks Qing Liu to win a lantern as a gift for a business associate and then tells Ao Yi that he is doing it for her. Ao Yi steps up to compete with him in the poem recitation competition. Qing Liu purposely loses as Ao Yi is embarrassing herself with her lack of skills. Ao Yi is angry with him as she thinks he is looking down on her and storms off the stage. Xiao Xian is disappointed that Qing Liu doesn’t seem to have any romantic feelings for her. Ao Yi starts to take an interest in literary works. Yan Bin and Xiao Qin think Qing Liu and Ao Yi are just denying their feelings towards each other.
Setting Qing Liu Up
Commissioner Du is going to be promoted and transferred to the capital. He wants Xiao Xian to detach herself from Xinsilu. He also forces Qing Liu to prepare a national gift for a neighboring state and shows him the order from the Emperor. But the gift that is wanted involves drawings of an indecent nature but presented in a respectable way in an artistic form. It puts Qing Liu in a spot.
Qing Liu needs to hire painters for the task but those that paint indecent pictures are from the lower class. None is willing to accept Xinsilu’s job offer which forces Qing Liu to seek Ao Yi’s help. He sends an invitation to Ao Yi to meet up. She is expecting him to apologize and confess his feelings. Ao Yi dresses up and meets Qing Liu only to learn that he wants her help to get Painter Xu onboard. She is annoyed but makes a deal with him to establish Qinglong as a business and share the profits.
Xiao Xian Is Merely A Sister To Qing Liu
Xiao Xian reports to her father that she is afraid Qing Liu might be fooled by Ao Yi. But her father warns her to stay off the project. While they are toasting to the establishment of Qinglong, Xiao Xian shows up. She is hurting that Qing Liu is joining up with Ao Yi to start another company when she has stuck with him through thick and thin. Ao Yi asks Qing Liu to go after Xiao Xian to check on her after she has left. Qing Liu makes it clear that he only treats her as a sister.
Painter Xu needs a couple to model for his painting. Qing Liu and Ao Yi end up being the models. Li Zhao sees them so close together and is disappointed. Xiao Xian is wandering around in disappointment as well with Qing Liu’s rejection. Both Li Zhao and Xiao Xian end up drinking together and agreeing to help each other. Xiao Xian relates to Li Zhao that she has known Qing Liu since they were kids. Qing Liu was brought to Silver City by his nanny and adopted by the childless Li couple. The nanny later took in Yan Bin to be Qing Liu’s companion.
Qing Liu confronts Li Zhao after hearing that the latter and Xiao Xian had been drinking together at night. He wants an assurance from Li Zhao that his intention towards Xiao Xian is sincere. But Li Zhao tells Qing Liu that he has no interest in Xiao Xian. On the other hand, it is Qing Liu who has hurt Xiao Xian and he is the one who should make things clear with her.
Lack Of Raw Silk Supply
Commissioner Du gives approval for the pictures and instructs for a batch to be produced. Ao Yi has other more explicit pictures that they could also make money from. But there is a lack of raw silk in the market. The government had forcibly bought all the raw silk at a low price previously. Li Zhao promises to help them. He finds some of them hidden in the secret storage bank and knows Commissioner Du is the culprit. He also manages to order a big batch of silk to be released to Xinsilu.
Commissioner Du wants Xiao Xian to leave for the capital immediately to settle down there ahead of him. Qing Liu and Ao Yi have a celebration dinner with the Longzhu sect after completing all the paintings. He gets drunk and orders Ao Yi not to leave him. As everyone anticipates Qing Liu to confess his feelings, he deems Ao Yi a great business partner and that is why they should stick together. Ao Yi is frustrated with him but agrees to keep Qinglong going.
Second Master Lyu sends a drunk Qing Liu back to his room. He checks out his birthmark which matches the pattern he has been looking for. He will make his way to the capital. Xiao Xian leaves a letter to Qing Liu. She is traveling to the capital and will not be back anytime soon. But she still harbors hopes of being with him and wants to expand Xinsilu’s business for him.
Minister Pang And Concubine De
Minister Pang is the Head of the Revenue Ministry and Li Zhao’s uncle. Li Zhao has reported to him about Commissioner Du’s corruption. But the report has been held back and given back to Commissioner Du to settle. Commissioner Du assumes it must be Qing Liu who has backstabbed him. He uses an official order to get Qing Liu to deliver the paintings as an envoy of the royal court to the Princess of Jia’ermu. Qing Liu gets Ao Yi to be his escort for the delivery.
The box containing the gift for the princess is already sealed when it is delivered to Qing Liu and they couldn’t inspect the contents. Commissioner Du’s plan is to arrest them when the cross the border with the charge of exporting weapons. Qing Liu and Ao Yi set out on their journey with Yan Bin and Xiao Qin.
Li Zhao is summoned back to the capital by his mother, Concubine De, who wants him to stop investigating Commissioner Du. He learns that Minister Pang has asked Commissioner Du to clean up the mess in Silver City before leaving for the capital and his mother is also involved.
A Detour On The Way To Jia’ermu
While on the way to Jia’ermu, Ao Yi and Qing Liu find a new opportunity to make money through goods shipment using the waterways. They send Yan Bin and Xiao Qin back to Silver City to get funds and rent a warehouse while they seek out Master Weng who is one of the water gangs’ leader. Ao Yi had saved Master Weng’s life previously and he agrees to work with them.
Before crossing the border, Ao Yi and Qing Liu stops by an area occupied by the Zheluo tribe. They get involved in a wrestling match with Qing Liu winning his match against a woman called Dabaru. The tribe leader’s daughter, Yuawuji, invites them to stay for the night. Dataru takes an interest in Qing Liu and wants to spend the night with him. He declines and asks her to go away.
Concubine De wants to get Minister Zhao Jin on their side. Minister Zhao is in charge of the Ministry of Penalty and known to be loyal to the Emperor. Li Zhao is not comfortable in currying favor with Minister Zhao but has to listen to his mother. Concubine De wants him to put revenge aside until they have gained power. She wants Li Zhao to attend Minister Zhao’s birthday banquet.
Commissioner Du wants to collect more taxes from the merchants and arrest those who resist and seal up their businesses. He wants more money to prepare gifts for his new posting at the capital. When he hears that Qing Liu and Ao Yi are with the Zheluo tribe and has yet to cross the border, he becomes anxious and makes his way there. Yan Bin and Xiao Qin arrive back at Silk Manor and finds Xinsilu has been sealed. They smuggle Xinsilu’s stocks out.
Episode 21 – 25 : Qing Liu’s Identity
Li Zhao’s Pain
Li Zhao chooses not to attend Minister Zhao’s birthday banquet as instructed by his mother. She is angry with him but Li Zhao refuses to work with Minister Zhao because the latter had framed his grandfather which caused hardship to the family. Concubine De had to sacrifice her body to keep the family safe. Li Zhao finds that her mother has changed but she wants to grab power so that her humiliation would not be in vain.
The next day, Li Zhao has left the palace. He is looking for Ao Yi as he is afraid that she might be in danger.
Qing Liu Expresses His Feelings
Qing Liu spends the night in Ao Yi’s room after being propositioned by Dabaru. He tells Ao Yi that he wants to always work together with her to realize their dreams. The next day, they strike a business deal with Yuawuji as she likes the tea leaves that they have brought. Qing Liu finds it strange that the the pass to Jia’ermu has been flooded for some time and yet, he is told to deliver the gift. He suspects there is a set-up.
Yuawuji leads them through an ancient route instead to cross the border. While on the way, Qing Liu hints to Ao Yi about his feelings by apologizing and giving her a token. She shyly accepts his gift and leaves before he could say more. They camp for the night and dance with the Zheluo tribe members while holding hands. Li Zhao arrives and notices that Ao Yi is happy together with Qing Liu. He quietly leaves in disappointment.
Qing Liu is about to directly express his love for Ao Yi when Commissioner Du arrives and arrests them for smuggling weapons designs across the border.
Qing Liu Is A Prince
Commissioner Du sentences Qing Liu and Ao Yi to death after a short trial. Second Master Lyu appears and reveals that Qing Liu is the long lost son of the current Emperor. Second Master Lyu is a royal guard and was accompanying Qing Liu’s mother, Concubine Cui, her baby son, and maid when they left the palace. They were ambushed and Concubine Cui was killed. The maid took Qing Liu and escaped. Subsequently, Qing Liu was adopted by the Li family and the maid became his nanny. Second Master Lyu has been looking for the prince ever since.
Qing Liu and Ao Yi are shocked by the revelation. His identity is confirmed by Lord Yuan, head of the secretariat. Commissioner Du has to release them and blames everything on the county official to get himself off the hook. As a prince is not allowed to do business, he orders for Xinsilu to be closed and obtains the Custom Seal. He also wants all merchants to be registered so that he can control the city’s businesses.
Ao Yi’s Master Is Killed
Ao Yi’s master, Feng, is unsure of what to do as she is afraid Qing Liu will now bring Ao Yi to the capital. She digs out a carp pendant besides her master’s grave. Feng has been hiding herself in Wuyun Pavilion. The enemy is a powerful person in the capital. Feng is being observed by assassins.
Qing Liu is summoned to the capital but he is reluctant to leave Ao Yi behind. He sends her a notice to meet up before he leaves. Just before Ao Yi leaves to meet Qing Liu, Feng is killed by assassins. Feng’s last words to Ao Yi is not to go to the capital. Qing Liu is disappointed and writes Ao Yi a letter when she did not turn up to meet him. He expresses his feelings for her and tells her to wait for him. But the letter is taken away by a Xinsilu staff member, Manager Liu.
Ao Yi is disappointed that Qing Liu has left without leaving any message for her. Yan Bin has left with Qing Liu but he did leave a note for Xiao Qin. Li Zhao returns to Silver City to look for Ao Yi but she is nowhere to be seen.
Ao Yi Looks For The Killer
Ao Yi decides to look for her master’s killer and make her way to the capital with Xiao Qin. They find out that the famine has caused food shortage. Assassins also continue to target Ao Yi who seeks Second Master Lyu’s help. She asks him to help her to lease a place to trade as well as clues to the carp pendant. He points her to a high class gambling den who might have information about the pendant.
Ao Yi meets a veiled lady who runs the gambling den. She wins a risky and dangerous bet with her before she gets the right to ask information about the pendant. Ao Yi learns that the the pendant originates from the palace. After leaving the gambling den, Ao Yi is attacked by the assassins and is severely injured. She escapes by jumping onto a royal carriage transporting supplies to Li Zhao’s mansion. Xiao Qin couldn’t find her and panics.
Ao Yi ends up in Li Zhao’s residence. Her life is in danger. Li Zhao summons Imperial Physician Qin who advises him to get a rare herb to increase Ao Yi’s chances of survival. Only 2 people in the palace has it and one of them is his mother. Li Zhao steals it from her quarters as she quietly watches him. He needs to keep Ao Yi’s presence a secret. He also orders Wu Lin to investigate the assassination attempt. Li Zhao tenderly nurses Ao Yi as she slowly recovers.
Qing Liu And Xiao Xian Are Engaged
Qing Liu is appointed to the Ministry of Rites. He is also decreed to wed Xiao Xian who expresses her feelings for him now that they are engaged. Commissioner Du informs his daughter that Ao Yi is at Li Zhao’s residence and is severely wounded. He is afraid Qing Liu and Li Zhao might suspect him and tells Xiao Xian not to cause trouble.
Minister Pang enquires about Ao Yi from Commissioner Du. They are worried about her close relationship with the 2 princes. But Commissioner Du is clueless who might want to kill her.
Yan Bin meets Xiao Qin and brings her back to Qing Liu’s mansion. She tells them that Ao Yi is missing. Qing Liu orders Yan Bin to mobilize everyone to look for her. Xiao Qin meets Xiao Xian and finds out about the engagement. She is angry as Yan Bin tries to calm her. They hear Xiao Xian talking to her servant that Ao Yi is at Li Zhao’s mansion.
Xiao Xian goes to Li Zhao’s place and asks to see Ao Yi. Li Zhao denies that she is there. Xiao Qin also tries to see Ao Yi but Li Zhao has to pretend as Xiao Xian is there. He reiterates to everyone that Ao Yi is not with him. Qing Liu finds out where Ao Yi is but Li Zhao refuses to let him see her. Li Zhao reminds Qing Liu that he is now an engaged man and he shouldn’t be with another woman.
Ao Yi utters Qing Liu’s name during a bout of high fever. Li Zhao pays off the physician to keep quiet about it. Qing Liu waits outside Li Zhao’s residence until he sees the physician coming out of the place and is assured that Ao Yi is recovering.
Princess Sheng Ping
Li Zhao asks Ao Yi about her killers but she keeps quiet about the pendant since it comes from the palace. But the owner of the gambling den is actually Li Zhao’s half sister, Princess Sheng Ping. He asks her about the case but she has no idea who might want to kill Ao Yi. Li Zhao also admits to her that he loves Ao Yi and Qing Liu is his rival. Princess Sheng Ping advises Li Zhao to let Ao Yi go as she might lose her life for daring to get entangled with a prince.
Qing Liu finds out that the late Noble Consort Dugu and his mother used to be close friends. Noble Consort Dugu is the Emperor’s beloved and died 2 years ago. He has her coffin kept in the palace grounds under tight security.
Qing Liu visits the Grand Dowager Consort who is happy to have him back. However, she is indifferent towards Xiao Xian and tells Qing Liu to inform her if he is not happy with the engagement. She also introduces Qing Liu to Princess Sheng Ping. Qing Liu asks the princess about Noble Consort Dugu only to be told that it is a sensitive issue that cannot be discussed.
Li Zhao has arranged for Xiao Qin to look after Ao Yi. Her Longzhu sect team has also arrived to begin their trading business in the capital. Qing Liu knows it is best for Ao Yi to stay with Li Zhao as it is the safest option for her. Then, Concubine De drops by Li Zhao’s mansion and meets Ao Yi.
Episode 26 – 30 : Ao Yi’s Pregnancy Deception
Ao Yi Leaves Li Zhao’s Mansion
Ao Yi doesn’t want to stay on at Li Zhao’s residence given Concubine De’s hostility towards her. Li Zhao wants her to remain but he couldn’t disobey his mother who is angry with him due to the potential consequences of being caught with a low class woman. He feels trapped and is sorry for being an unambitious son although he tries to follow his mother’s orders as much as he can. But he has also tasted the possibility of another kind of life after meeting Ao Yi.
Qing Liu is not romantically interested in Xiao Xian. She is unhappy and worried when she finds out that Ao Yi has left Li Zhao’s mansion as this means Qing Liu could take her in.
Ao Yi meets Xiang Yue, a dancer from Wuyun Pavilion, who is now with a foreign dance troupe. They will perform in the palace. Ao Yi joins the troupe to investigate her master’s case. The veiled women are dancing to entertain Grand Dowager Consort and a few other people including Li Zhao and Qing Liu. Grand Dowager Consort allows Li Zhao to pick a woman as his servant from the dancers. Li Zhao picks Ao Yi but Qing Liu also stakes a claim. Their grandmother decides on a dancing competition to settle the dispute.
Sleeping Together
While Qing Liu is dancing with Ao Yi, Xiao Xian orders her servant to drug Qing Liu’s wine. Xiao Xian is feeling insecure and wants to make him sleep with her to ensure he can’t escape from the marriage. Qing Liu wins the dancing competition but Ao Yi reasons with the Grand Dowager Consort that she is not comfortable being at someone’s disposal. The Grand Dowager Consort likes her frankness. She orders her to drink a cup of wine with Qing Liu instead to settle the matter. So, both of them end up drinking the drugged wine and spending the night together in a confused state.
Xiao Xian asks Li Zhao to find Ao Yi and Qing Liu by all means because of the drugged wine. But he has no idea where they are. The next morning, Qing Liu promises Ao Yi that he will take responsibility for what happened. Ao Yi brushes the incident off as nothing serious. Furthermore, he cannot fulfill his promise since he is already engaged.
The Emperor learns about the incident and wants Ao Yi punished. Li Zhao tries to defend her. Qing Liu clarifies that Ao Yi is a good person and courageously volunteers to take any punishment on her behalf. The Emperor decides to wait half a month in case Ao Yi may be pregnant. Qing Liu tries to talk to Xiao Xian but she insists on marrying him and is even willing to accept Ao Yi as his concubine. Li Zhao is miserable and disappointed over the turn of events.
Faking A Pregnancy
Commissioner Du continues his corrupted ways as he thinks he has the support of Concubine De who has asked him to manage her illicit goods. Ao Yi goes to Princess Sheng Ping’s gambling den again. She is unwell but is given a weird look. She gets the idea to fake a pregnancy which will enable her to enter the palace to investigate her master’s death. Ao Yi has a special way to fool the physicians which she learned from her master. The physicians confirm that she is pregnant. Ao Yi is pretty sure nothing happened that night as the sheets are clean.
Xiao Xian questions Ao Yi’s upbringing to create doubt about the baby’s father. Qing Liu gets angry and shouts at her. Grand Dowager Consort is happy and thinks it is a good idea to have more babies for the royal family. Concubine De assures Commissioner Du that her daughter will still be Qing Liu’s consort. She also scolds Li Zhao who is wallowing in misery. He begins to change his attitude.
Qing Liu is monitoring Ao Yi’s diet. She has to eat a lot as indigestion is part of the method to deceive the physicians that she is pregnant. Qing Liu makes it clear to Xiao Xian that he only treats her as his sister and he will protect her. Hence, he will honor the betrothal but there will be no love involved.
Seeking Clues
Ao Yi is shunned by the women in the royal court due to her low class but her frankness and rich life experiences eventually make them enthralled with her. Grand Dowager Consort also finds her interesting. Ao Yi also networks through the palace servants to try to find clues about the carp pendant.
Qing Liu is learning the ropes of the workings of the royal court. Lord Yuan supports his suggestion to market the government private reserves to alleviate the food shortage.
Qing Liu indulges and pampers Ao Yi who continues to fake her pregnancy. She tells him of the secret waterways that she is using to transport food into the city. Qing Liu then suggests to the Emperor to use Qinglong to bring in grains to the capital. Li Zhao objects but the Emperor approves Qing Liu’s proposal. When the grains arrive, they couldn’t reach the famine victims but kept by the army. Commissioner Du claims they are needed as military provisions first while Minister Pang says that the carrying capacity of the water channels are limited.
Concubine De wants Ao Yi punished for questioning her proposal to help the famine victims. But the Grand Dowager Consort only asks Ao Yi to copy scriptures as punishment. Qing Liu helps her.
Xiao Xian Exerting Her Status
Xiao Xian listens to her friends to create trouble for Ao Yi. They give her a fan that contains a poisonous powder but Ao Yi is alert enough to know what they are up to. The plan fails and the culprits are almost exposed. Concubine De advises Xiao Xian to show her status as the future consort of Qing Liu.
Xiao Xian starts to do so and provokes Ao Yi. She brings up Ao Yi’s relationship with Li Zhao when she knows Qing Liu is listening to create a rift between them. Qing Liu steps forward and Ao Yi knows she has been set up. She couldn’t care to explain but simply tells Qing Liu that she has found out that grains are being sold in the black market for 20 times the normal price.
Qing Liu reports to the Emperor about the profiteering. Commissioner Du claims that he has caught some of them. He has bribed other ministers and officials to work together. The Emperor orders the 3 princes to come up with a proposal each to solve the transportation capacity of the waterways. Ao Yi has her contacts to get the map of the old official water channels. They will need the map to come up with the proposal.
Ao Yi is unhappy when she sees Qing Liu seemingly being intimate with Xiao Xian in her room. But Qing Liu is just being made to try out the wedding fabric. Ao Yi then starts drinking in a whorehouse and meets Li Zhao. They get drunk together. She leaves him to go home after he has fallen asleep at the table.
Stealing Qing Liu’s Proposal
Qing Liu finds a drunk Ao Yi wandering in the street and carries her home. When Li Zhao awakes, he is angry that Ao Yi has gone. He still cannot accept that Ao Yi now belongs to Qing Liu.
When Ao Yi sobers up, Qing Liu explains nothing happened between him and Xiao Xian. He kisses her and gives her a comb that he has personally made for her. With the map that Ao Yi has obtained, they come up with a way to solve the shipping problem. They are happy that they share the same dream to help those in need. Xiao Xian is listening in to their conversation and gives away their proposal to Li Zhao who also asks her to confirm Ao Yi’s pregnancy. He is suspicious that a pregnant woman would drink so much.
Li Zhao then takes Qing Liu’s idea and reports to the Emperor as his own. Qing Liu is humiliated when the report he hands in is just a blank piece of paper. He is in a bad mood. Ao Yi uses her way to make him change his perspective. She also manages to make Grand Dowager Consort happy as she has a way to make the latter’s pet bird sing while Xiao Xian fails.
Xiao Xian gets a servant to try to confirm Ao Yi’s pregnancy. The servant pretends to fall and tears part of Ao Yi’s dress but couldn’t get a good look of her belly. But Qing Liu sees the stuffings and her fake pregnancy is exposed. They quarrel over it privately as Qing Liu is hurt over her deception. Ao Yi leaves in anger.
Episode 31 – 35 : The Real Mastermind Emerges
Qing Liu Expresses His Love
Qing Liu visits his grandmother without Ao Yi who has left. His grandmother expresses her fondness for Ao Yi not because she is pregnant but because she is full of life. Qing Liu realizes why he loves her.
Ao Yi is missing and Qing Liu is worried about her with a thunderstorm raging. Xiao Xian still has no confirmation about Ao Yi’s pregnancy but continues to be suspicious. She can see Qing Liu’s heart lies elsewhere. She agrees to let him go. Qing Liu decides to look for Ao Yi in the rain only to find her sitting outside his mansion. They reconcile and he tells her that the fake pregnancy must be kept between the both of them. He will also talk to the Emperor to cancel his engagement to Xiao Xian.
Xiao Xian’s plan is to agree to a break up first and then wait for an opportunity to expose Ao Yi’s fake pregnancy. From Qing Liu’s reaction, she suspects that he is hiding something.
Qing Liu leaves a note for Ao Yi with an expression of love. He is bringing her to a temple to pray. While at the temple grounds, Ao Yi wanders around and chances upon a monk treating another with red blotches all over his body but leaves without investigating further.
Attempt On Qing Liu’s Life
Concubine De is jealous that the Emperor still misses Concubine Cui and has praises for Qing Liu. During an annual hunting event involving the 3 princes, Concubine De has arranged for the Crown Prince’s quiver to be changed with his arrows having poisoned tips. The plan is kill Qing Liu by luring the unsuspecting Crown Prince with a fake white deer. Ao Yi discovers it and rushes to stop them.
The Crown Prince nearly shot Qing Liu as Ao Yi blocks it just in time. The arrow pierces the stuffings for her fake pregnancy. She quickly pulls out the arrow and throws it away before the Crown Prince finds them. She pretends to have just fallen down and is fine. Li Zhao witnesses the whole incident. He picks up the arrow and learns it is his mother who had arranged the assassination attempt as he listens in to her conversation with her servant.
Grand Dowager Consort lets Ao Yi have her seal and pick one of her valuables as a gift to cheer her up after she was involved in an argument with Concubine De’s servant over a gathering place. Ao Yi notices a hairpin with a carp design. It is an antique that started from the beginning of the Tang dynasty.
Ao Yi sneaks into a hall to check old records. She finds out that Noble Consort Dugu and her daughter died with red blotches visible on their bodies. But there are missing pages on the information about the carp design.
Qing Liu Investigates The Consort’s Death
Ao Yi tells Qing Liu her findings. Qing Liu remembers his nanny had also told him about the red blotches afflicting his mother before she died. He goes to the temple to investigate but a servant is spying on him. The abbot relates that Master Wuwen had been poisoned when he was found. He was wearing royal court clothing. The abbot saved his life but Master Wuwen has lost the ability to speak.
A royal tomb is being constructed for Noble Consort Dugu. Qing Liu suspects Master Wuwen must be inside the underground tunnels to pay his respects to the late consort. He ventures in to look for him. He finds him and learns that Master Wuwen was the late consort’s eunuch. Somebody knows who he is and is trying to harm him. Just then, the tunnel starts to crumble.
Ao Yi rushes to the scene and is devastated that Qing Liu could be buried alive. Xiao Xian is also there. Li Zhao orders the soldiers to look for survivors. When Qing Liu emerges, he hugs Ao Yi tightly as Li Zhao and Xiao Xian look on.
Concubine De Takes The Blame
Concubine De warns Commissioner Du not to panic and report it as an accident. She is the one who has tried to kill Qing Liu in the tunnel as he knows too much. Master Wuwen is dead. Qing Liu suspects he must have been killed to silence him. He pretends not to remember anything about the incident to lower the enemy’s guard. The Emperor is not convinced with Commissioner Du’s report and complains to Lord Yuan. He wants further investigation.
From the records, it is stated that Concubine De often sent stationery to Noble Consort Dugu. Qing Liu deduces that the Crown Prince is also being slowly poisoned through his paper stationery which is why he is sickly. Commissioner Du is informed that Qing Liu has found the evidence he needs to accuse Concubine De.
Li Zhao pre-empts Qing Liu from reporting about Concubine De. He accuses his own mother instead of murdering Noble Consort Dugu, her daughter, and Concubine Cui as well as poisoning the Crown Prince. Concubine De admits to the crimes to ensure her son remains untainted. The Emperor orders Concubine De and Minster Pang to be imprisoned.
Qing Liu and Ao Yi confront Concubine De who admits to all the murders as she believes she needs power to live in the palace. But Ao Yi is feels Concubine De is not her master’s murderer as the latter doesn’t seem to recognize the carp pendant. Qing Liu swears in front of his mother’s memorial tablet that he will marry Ao Yi.
The Real Mastermind
The man that Concubine De has been colluding with is Lord Yuan. Concubine De and her family have been carrying out Lord Yuan’s dirty deeds in return for his cooperation to elevate Li Zhao to be the next Emperor. He now forces Concubine De to drink poisoned wine to kill herself for breaking the rule between them when the missing pages of the carp design were found in his residence. He assures her he will continue to help Li Zhao to ascend the throne after her death if she keeps quiet about their collusion.
Before Concubine De dies, she tells Li Zhao to listen to Lord Yuan and exact revenge against Ao Yi and Qing Liu who have trapped her. Li Zhao is devastated over his mother’s death and sacrifice.
Ao Yi drops by to offer her condolences and concern. But Li Zhao thinks she has helped Qing Liu to kill his mother. He tries to force himself on her when she asks him if he has seen a carp design among his mother’s belongings. Ao Yi pushes him away and slaps him. But her fake pregnancy is exposed. Li Zhao threatens to report it to the Emperor if she doesn’t leave Qing Liu. Ao Yi simply cuts off ties with him and walks away. Xiao Xian overhears their whole conversation.
Ao Yi Is Arrested
Li Zhao gets drunk over all the unhappiness. He bumps into Minister Zhao who had framed his family in the past and kills him on a drunken impulse.
Ao Yi and Qing Liu suspect that only Lord Yuan has the power to cause Concubine De’s death. Soldiers arrive at Qing Liu’s mansion to arrest Ao Yi for faking her pregnancy. Commissioner Du tortures her in prison. Qing Liu pleads with the Emperor to release Ao Yi. The Emperor listens to her explanation and Qing Liu’s defense of her. Princess Sheng Ping also speaks up for Ao Yi but Xiao Xian insists that Ao Yi must be punished. The Emperor wants her beheaded but Grand Dowager Consort decides that Ao Yi should just be banished from the palace and returned to where she belongs.
Qing Liu warns Ao Yi that she will be killed once she is out of the palace. Ao Yi becomes alert and escapes from her pursuer. The Emperor orders Qing Liu to get married after the Ao Yi debacle. Qing Liu refuses which stresses up the Emperor and causes him to fall sick. He has no choice but to accept the decree. Lord Yuan is planning with Commissioner Du on elevating someone to the throne now that the Emperor is ill.
A Plan To Poison The Crown Prince
Xiao Xian is unhappy when Qing Liu reiterates that he has nothing to offer her and doesn’t care about the wedding. But she still wants to go ahead with it. Commissioner Du will try to poison the Crown Prince during the tea ceremony. If the plan fails, he wants Xiao Xian to be the backup and laced the Crown Prince’s tea with poison. Once the Crown Prince dies, Lord Yuan will supposedly get Qing Liu to inherit the position.
During the wedding ceremony, Ao Yi sneaks into Qing Liu’s mansion to take a peek. Lord Yuan’s men are already inside the mansion. Qing Liu thinks he notices Ao Yi. He purposely drops the tea meant for the Crown Prince and whispers to Yan Bin to check things out. Ao Yi wanders back to her room to escape being noticed. Lord Yuan shows up and tells her that he had been looking for her master for years. He was searching for Qing Liu and noticed Ao Yi who led him to her master. Ao Yi wants to avenge her master’s death but Lord Yuan’s personal guard stops her.
Lord Yuan wants Ao Yi to give him the Qinglong’s water routes map and the token to control the waterways. In return, he could help her to stop Qing Liu’s wedding. Qing Liu had refused the Emperor to marry Xiao Xian but Lord Yuan had threatened him with Ao Yi’s safety to make him comply.
Why Lord Yuan Killed Feng
Lord Yuan also killed Ao Yi’s master. Both Lord Yuan and Feng were disciples of the same master who gave them a black and white carp pendant respectively. He overheard their master prediction’s to Feng. Their master foresaw that Lord Yuan will bring disaster to the country and only Feng with her white carp pendant could stop him. Lord Yuan has always been uneasy over the prediction and wanted Feng killed as his power grew. He kept Ao Yi alive though because he thought she can be the leverage needed to control Qing Liu.
Ao Yi tries to escape and shouts for help before she is subdued. Qing Liu hears her cries and wants to leave the wedding ceremony. Xiao Xian pleads with him not to but he refuses to listen. She asks him to drink the poisoned tea in anger if he wants to leave and Qing Liu does so to signify that their relationship is over and he doesn’t owe her anything anymore.
Lord Yuan enters the wedding hall and immediately kills Commissioner Du for trying to poison the Crown Prince. Xiao Xian becomes crazy over her father’s death and Qing Liu’s abandonment. Qing Liu rushes to save Ao Yi. He defeats Lord Yuan’s men before the poisoned tea takes effect. Li Zhao appears and drags Qing Liu away. Ao Yi is given a map of where to meet them with the things Lord Yuan wants.
Li Zhao’s Plan
Ao Yi turns up with the token for the waterways. In return, she obtains an antidote for Qing Liu’s poison. But Lord Yuan still wants Qing Liu dead. Ao Yi is disappointed with Li Zhao who claims that he wants power because Ao Yi and the rest have never cared about him. Qing Liu is kicked down a poisonous pit. Ao Yi grabs him. Li Zhao refuses to help them and both Ao Yi and Qing Liu fall down the pit.
Li Zhao then turns around and tries to kill Lord Yuan but fails. He knows Lord Yuan has plotted everything when Concubine De told him to blame her for all the crimes. Lord Yuan then kills both Wu Lin and Li Zhao. Li Zhao grabs Lord Yuan’s waist belt before he collapses. He then holds on to a straw carp which was a gift from Ao Yi before he dies.
Episode 36 : Lord Yuan Is Defeated
Qing Liu Kills Lord Yuan
Ao Yi and Qing Liu survive the fall into the pit. Qing Liu consumes the antidote. Second Master Lyu and his men arrive to look for Qing Liu and Ao Yi. Lord Yuan claims that Li Zhao has lured Qing Liu and Ao Yi there and he has tailed them. He brings them to the pit and is planning to push them down too. But Qing Liu and Ao Yi appear then. Lord Yuan realizes Li Zhao had tricked him. He had picked the place to expose Lord Yuan’s base and opened the pit door for Qing Liu and Ao Yi to escape.
Lord Yuan orders his men to kill Qing Liu and the rest. But Ao Yi manages to convince the soldiers not to work for an immoral man who would bring hardship to their families. Lord Yuan then pushes his guard forward and escapes. Ao Yi and Qing Liu chase after him all the way to his treasure cave. Lord Yuan flings a dagger at Ao Yi but her carp pendant saves her. Qing Liu slashes Lord Yuan’s neck in response. Before he dies, he mentions about Qing Liu’s antidote. They learn from his guard that Qing Liu has only been given one part of the antidote while Lord Yuan should still have the other. But they couldn’t find it on him.
Back at the capital, the Emperor orders for Li Zhao to be conferred a title and buried at the imperial tomb. He had feigned his illness because he knew all along about Lord Yuan’s crimes and needed to lower his guard. The Emperor had been gathering intelligence through Princess Sheng Ping’s gambling den.
The Ending
Second Mater Lyu returns the straw carp found on Li Zhao’s body to Ao Yi. Xiao Xian has lost her memory and becomes a happier and naive lady. Qing Liu is dying because of the poison in his body. He is subsequently thought to have died. Ao Yi goes missing. Before that, she entrusted the water routes map to Master Weng who then hands it to the Emperor.
3 years later, the Emperor dies and the Crown Prince succeeds him. Grand Dowager Consort still thinks of Ao Yi 5 years after Qing Liu is gone. She wonders where she is.
Back in Silver City, Xiao Qin has yet to agree to marry Yan Bin despite numerous proposals. Ao Yi and Qing Liu already have a son and a daughter. Qing Liu was saved when Ao Yi discovered that the antidote was in Li Zhao’s straw carp. Li Zhao had grabbed it from Lord Yuan’s waist belt and hidden it inside the straw carp before he died. The Emperor had agreed to release them from the palace after Ao Yi agreed to hand in Qinglong’s water routes map. Ao Yi and Qing Liu are still a happy couple after 6 years together.
Other Dramas Featuring The Leads
Many fans like Bai Lu for her role in The Legends and Arsenal Military Academy whereby she was paired with Xu Kai. Both of these dramas have pretty good ratings and remain popular. Then, she partnered Xing Zhao Lin in a rom-com entitled Lucky’s First Love to give us a different feel from her previous roles. Her popularity increased after Love Is Sweet was released due to the sizzling chemistry she had with Leo Luo Yun Xi. Bai Lu has other upcoming dramas to be released for 2021 including The Monkey King 3 and Song Of Youth.
Leon Lai Yi has mostly been acting as supporting characters for his dramas before landing a main role in Overlord. He can be seen in Legend Of Fuyao as well as the highly acclaimed Eternal Love Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. He also has a role in The King’s Avatar which stars Yang Yang. Leon Lai Yi has other dramas yet to be released such as Braveness Of The Ming but it looks like he would remain playing supporting roles in them.
Image Credit: Tencent
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