The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Review

I think a lot of drama viewers really look forward to The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion (如意芳霏) after the success of Legend Of Yun Xi. The pairing of Zhang Zhe Han and Ju Jing Yi attracted a lot of attention then and fans are now rewarded with another drama that put the 2 leads together again. There are a few other familiar faces as they have also appeared in the older production. But is this newer drama as good as the previous one? The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion review below will reveal more about my thoughts on this production.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Romance, Costume
Aired: October 2020
Images Credit: iQIYI

The Cast Of The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion

• Ju Jing Yi as Fu Rong
• Zhang Zhe Han as Prince Su / Xu Jin
• Liu Yi Chang as Ju Shui / Duke An / Xu Ping
• Wang You Shuo as Wu Bai Qi / Little Marquis
• Kiki Xu Jia Qi as Fu Xuan
• Jiang Shan as Cui Wan / Princess of Xihe
• Wang Yi Ting as Qi Zhu
• Gong Bei Bi as Liu Ru Yi
• Song Qi as Xu Jia
• Cheng Jun Wen as Ge Chuan
• Zhou Zhao Yuan as Wen Xing
• Jerry Chang Cheng as Emperor Jia He
• He You Ning as Prince Cheng / Xu Mao
• Lan Xi as Consort Shu
• Lu Xing Yu as Marquis Xindu / Zhang Yao Cheng
• Yang Gen as Zhang Yan
• Chen Ye Lin as Qi Ce
• Song Xin Ran as Gu Yuan
• Li Hao Nan as Prince Huai / Xu Hao
• Terma Tong Rong Qing as Consort Duan
• Su Mao as Lord Fu Pin Yan
• Wang Tian Yu as Xiao Qi
• Du Cheng Jun as Xiao Ba

Main Characters

Fu Rong

Fu Rong is the second daughter of a magistrate. She is also a disciple of Liu Ru Yi who taught her the art of designing and making jewelry. Fu Rong is a cheerful lass but prone to trouble-making with her adventurous spirit. She has an elder sister, Fu Xuan, and a younger brother, Fu Guan. She also has a personal maid named Lan Xiang.

Prince Su / Xu Jin

Prince Su is the Emperor’s 4th prince. He has just returned from the frontier after spending years there under his master who is the General of Zhenbei. He was thought to be a jinx when he was young and the Emperor sent him to the frontier to defend the border from enemies. Prince Su is a capable and upright man. He has 2 loyal subordinates Ge Chuan and Xu Jia.

Ju Shui / Duke An / Xu Ping

Ju Shui is a literary expert with lots of admirers. He always wears a mask as he has to hide his real identity as Duke An. He is also the Emperor’s half-brother. Ju Shui and Fu Rong are childhood friends but have lost contact for years. He is a cautious man who is always thinking ahead to outwit his enemies. His mother was forcibly taken away from him and subsequently died in a fire.

Wu Bai Qi / Little Marquis

Wu Bai Qi is an undisciplined Imperial Guard. He likes to fool around and everyone knows he is the eldest son of Marquis Xindu. However, he has a strained relationship with his father and would rather take his mother’s surname. He has a jewelry business inherited from his late mother called Feng Lai Yi which supplies to the imperial palace. Consort Duan is his maternal aunt.

Fu Xuan

Fu Xuan is the eldest daughter of the Fu family and Fu Rong is her younger sister. She loves her sister dearly and they share a close bond. Compared to Fu Rong, Fu Xuan is much more responsible and conventional. She is also smart and a good artist.

Supporting Characters

Cui Wan / Princess of Xihe

Cui Wan is the Emperor’s foster daughter who was taken into the palace when she was just a kid following the death of her parents. Her biological father was a loyal general. Cui Wan is a temperamental and spoilt princess. She also has a long-term obsession for Prince Su.

Qi Zhu & Qi Ce

Qi Zhu is Fu Rong’s best friend. They have known each other since childhood. She is a sweet and naive lady with a loving elder brother, Qi Ce. Their father had died while their mother is just a mistress. Hence, they are often bullied by her father’s official wife. Qi Ce is an ambitious man and prosecutor at the Criminal Investigation Bureau. He is interested in Fu Xuan and wants to marry her.

Liu Ru Yi & Gu Yuan

Ru Yi is Fu Rong’s master and also owner of the Ruyi Pavilion which sells jewelry and other valuables. She loves Fu Rong dearly. Gu Yuan is Ru Yi’s staff and she is a big fan of Ju Shui.

Xu Jia & Ge Chuan

Xu Jia is Prince Su’s subordinate who does all the legwork. He is also good at martial arts. Ge Chuan is Prince Su’s physician as well as trusted confidant.

Wen Xing

Wen Xing is Ju Shui’s trusted subordinate. He is loyal and does everything as instructed without question.

Emperor Jia He

Emperor Jia He rules over Dayu. He is also a father to Prince Cheng, Prince Su, and Prince Huai. Cui Wan is his foster daughter while Ju Shui is his half-brother. The Emperor is not always right and fair but he does try to do what he thinks is necessary for the state.

Prince Cheng / Xu Mao & Consort Duan

Prince Cheng is the Emperor’s 3rd prince. He is a greedy and ruthless man who does not hesitate to kill to achieve his aims. His mother is Consort Duan who is also Wu Bai Qi’s aunt. Consort Duan is equally greedy and revengeful and would cooperate with her son to do evil deeds.

Prince Huai / Xu Hao & Consort Shu

Prince Huai is the Emperor’s 5th prince and Prince Su’s younger brother. He is a harmless young man who has feelings for Qi Zhu. He is also unhappy with Prince Su’s cold attitude towards their mother, Consort Shu who is a kind woman. Consort Shu quietly misses Prince Su who had been taken away from her when he was young. She also has a brother, Lord Dong Fang Li, who is in charge of the Imperial Storehouse.

Marquis Xindu / Zhang Yao Cheng & Zhang Yan

Marquis Xindu works for Prince Cheng and is a greedy man. He has 2 sons by different women. His first wife had passed away. She bore him Wu Bai Qi whom he has a strained relationship with. His first wife and Consort Duan are sisters. His second wife bore him Zhang Yan who is engaged to Fu Rong through a family arrangement years ago. Zhang Yan loves her but his mother hates her due to the Fu family’s lower status. Fu Rong is also not interested in him. Zhang Yan is not a particularly bright man and lacks guts.

Lord Fu Pin Yan

Lord Fu is a magistrate in the capital and father to Fu Xuan, Fu Rong, and Fu Guan. He is a strict but loving father who only wants his daughters to be happy and lead a peaceful life.

Xiao Qi And Xiao Ba

Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba are street peddlers who are often seen around Ruyi Pavilion. They are also Fu Rong’s friends.

Synopsis

Prince Su is back at the capital after spending years at the frontier. He wants to investigate a corruption case involving the army rations. But his return causes some people to feel threatened and there are attempts on his life. He decides to appear at a literary event to be hosted by Ju Shui who is a famous literary expert and commentator.

Fu Rong also wants to attend the event as she has a gut feeling that something untoward will happen then to cause trouble to her father who is a magistrate. She has a premonition that something bad is going to befall her and her family as she has been having nightmares of being married off with a scary outcome. Hence, Fu Rong and Prince Su end up meeting each other. Their lives are further entangled when they start investigating the same person for different reasons.

As they fall in love, the corruption cases also become more complicated and a hidden hand is trying to break them apart for his own personal agenda. Fu Rong begins to question her master and subsequently, distrusts Prince Su. Will this couple be able to overcome all the obstacles and get back together in the end?

The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Fans would be happy to know that The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion has a happy ending unlike the ambiguity in the Legend Of Yun Xi. Prince Su requests the Emperor to allow him to divorce Fu Rong and then re-marries her as his official wife. So, this time, she could put on her master’s gift of the phoenix wedding crown that matches her status as an official wife rather than a concubine. There is a wedding procession and the drama ends with them hugging each other in bed. You can check out The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion episode summary for a full drama recap.

What Is Ruyi Pavilion’s Secret?

On the surface, Ruyi Pavilion is involved in the jewelry business. But is also has a darker side that is kept hidden. It is an underground intelligence network that sells or barters information for the right returns. Fu Rong’s master, Ru Yi, established it with the aim to use intelligence to uphold justice. Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba work for her.

Fu Rong has no idea about this until Xiao Qi tells her in Episode 32. Her bracelet from her master has an emblem that would allow her to seek help from the pavilion members if she is in danger. It is also the key to unlock a box that contains the pavilion’s token. This token is needed to control Ruyi Pavilion as the members would only recognize the token holder.

Is Ruyi Pavilion Destroyed?

No, because Fu Rong surrenders the Ruyi Pavilion’s token to the Emperor which means he is now the token holder. Hence, he will have the power to decide whether Ruyi Pavilion will take on a good or evil path. The Emperor listens to Prince Su’s advice is to make good use of the organization instead. He orders Prince Su to oversee Ruyi Pavilion and re-organize its members.

Did Fu Xuan And Wu Bai Qi Become A Couple?

Yes, they did. But there is no wedding yet for this couple although Wu Bai Qi has asked for her hand in marriage. When Lord Fu died, Fu Xuan has to mourn for 3 years. Lord Fu was lured by Zhang Yan to Ruyi Pavilion and died in a fire. Wu Bai Qi vows to wait for her. Their relationship is further strengthened when Wu Bai Qi hurt his legs while on duty and Fu Xuan promises to be with him no matter what happens.

What Happens To Ju Shui?

Ju Shui dies after piercing himself with his own sword in the last episode. He is fighting with Prince Su and accidentally stabs Fu Rong when she steps in to protect Prince Su. He regrets what he has done and couldn’t believe that Fu Rong is willing to sacrifice her life for Prince Su. Hence, he commits suicide on the spot. Before he dies, he realizes his mistake when his mother shows up.

Prince Su didn’t kill Queen Dowager Wen when he knocked over a candle and started a fire at the temple. Ju Shui thought all along that the fire killed his mother and the Emperor sent Prince Su away to the frontier to protect his son. That is why he wants revenge against Prince Su.

In actual fact, the fire was a set-up to save his mother who was deemed to bring bad luck due to her different colored eyes. The ministers were pressuring the Emperor to kill her. So, a fire was arranged to give the impression she had been burnt to death. Queen Dowager Wen then led a secluded life in a hidden valley. Uncle San of the Ruyi Pavilion found her. Ju Shui reunites with his mother and dies in her arms.

Queen Dowager Wen then brings Ju Shui’s ashes back to the valley. Wen Xing accompanies her and vows never to return due to the terrible wrongs that he had done. Hence, he rejects Lan Xiang’s interest in him which leaves her disappointed.

The Fate Of Other Characters

• Cui Wan – She agrees to a diplomatic marriage after getting rejected by Prince Su again. So, she marries the new King of Xuanhan who finds her adorable.
• Qi Zhu – She is presumably dead because a poisoned weapon has grazed her hand when she pushed Prince Huai out of the way. She leaves him a note and no one has any news on her thereafter. Qi Zhu is blinded by her anger for Fu Rong and cooperates with Ju Shui who subsequently tries to kill her which leads to her fate.
• Qi Ce – He takes the blame for Prince Cheng’s crimes and kills himself.
• Prince Cheng – He is caught for treason and disowned. The Emperor orders him to do hard labor as punishment.
• Consort Duan – She is banished to the Cold Palace for misappropriating the palace’s gems and then framing Fu Rong for it.
• Marquis Xindu – He blows himself up when his arms smuggling activities are exposed and his residence is surrounded by Prince Su’s men.
• Zhang Yan – He dies in a fire that he himself started at Ruyi Pavilion at the behest of Ju Shui. He wants revenge against Prince Su and Fu Rong for his parents’ deaths.
• Ru Yi – She dies after being pierced by the dagger Gu Yuan is holding during a fight with Ju Shui.
• Gu Yuan – She dies protecting Fu Rong while they are fighting off assassins who are after Cui Wan. She loved Ju Shui and did his biding until she realizes he is trying to silence her for knowing too much. Gu Yuan then repents and tells Fu Rong about Ju Shui.
• Xiao Ba – He dies after being attacked by Ju Shui’s men. Ju Shui is looking for the token to control Ruyi Pavilion and killing members who are not cooperative.

The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Review – Truly For Fans!

If you like Legend Of Yunxi, chances are you will also like The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. Apart from the cast, there are similarities between the 2 productions in the way the story is told. Somehow, I just get the feeling that they have simply transported Zhang Zhe Han and Ju Jing Yi from that drama to this one. Of course the story is totally different but the couple vibe is the same. The infighting among the royalty and behind the scenes maneuverings also feel the same.

I guess the success of Legend Of Yunxi gives the producers a good reason to retain the same style in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. After all, the fans ask for it and the producer and director are also the same people. I have no complaints though because the story doesn’t feel dragged out and the pacing is well done. The events flow along smoothly one after another that it is tempting to follow the story to its conclusion.

More Than Romance In The Plot

The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion is not just about the romance. In fact, the main bulk of the story is about corruption investigations and a personal revenge agenda. The romance is needed to tie together the antagonists’ evil schemes with the hero’s attempts to expose their wrongdoings and protect his beloved. The plot lays out pretty clearly who are the bad guys as the story progresses just like in Maiden Holmes. Hence, there is little suspense in that sense.

However, you will be sucked in by the anticipation of seeing how the evil doers will get exposed. Due to behind the scenes maneuverings, there is some level of excitement as the drama moves towards the ending. I was actually looking forward to knowing how the heroine will find out the truth that has been hidden from her. Thus, I think the story is properly laid out throughout the drama although details are glossed over especially in the last 2 episodes.

The Chemistry Remains

Zhang Zhe Han’s character in The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion is more expressive compared to his role as Fei Ye in Legend Of Yunxi. So, he is less stiff here and I think his acting is better overall as a result. I guess it is not easy to play an expressionless prince and yet, look natural. Prince Su is more forthcoming with his affections and feelings despite having a stern demeanor and this enables the actor to show more varied expressions for the character.

I can’t detect much difference for Ju Jing Yi’s character in both dramas though. They are both cheerful and spunky lasses. The actress did well in Legend Of Yunxi and she simply continues with the same at The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion. Basically, Fu Rong isn’t a breakthrough role for her but she is still convincing as a mischievous and gutsy young woman.

The chemistry between Zhang Zhe Han and Ju Jing Yi remains evident after their previous partnership. There is compatibility between the 2 of them that their interactions automatically emit a couple vibe. They just seem to be a natural fit for one another which is why many fans crave for more of this pairing. Perhaps the story helps to build up the ideal couple image in the viewers’ mind but they also obviously know how to draw each other out in their respective roles to make their on-screen relationship seems real.

My Verdict – Watchable With A Few Caveats

While I find The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion to be worth a watch, I think it is also apt to highlight some issues that might put potential viewers off. If you are watching this purely for the Zhang Zhe Han and Ju Jing Yi pairing, then you might like to know that the second couple comprising of Wang You Shuo and Kiki Xu does take up quite a bit of air time. So, if you like their love story, it will be a bonus when you watch the drama. But if you don’t, then you will be cursing. It actually reminds me of Here To Heart whereby the second couple’s screen time can dominate certain episodes.

Personally, I’m fine with it because certain scenes of the couple are pretty sweet. Their characters are also likable to me. However, I do think that the drama has given too much time to this couple when there is a lack of loving moments for the main couple themselves which brings up my next point.

Don’t Expect Much Romance

In a way, I’m quite apprehensive in labelling The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion as a romance drama. It is certainly not one that has a heavy dose of sweetness like Eternal Love Of Dream or exaggerated sacrifice like Love And Redemption. Much of the time is taken up by hidden agendas of the bad guys and the investigation into the corruption cases. The romance is there but it is more like a backdrop to me.

Therefore, if you want to watch something that is heavy on romance, this is not it. If you expect passionate smooches and more lovey-dovey moments from the couple, you will also be disappointed. Even dramas like The Sleepless Princess will fare better in the kissing department. However, viewers will still be able to feel the love between Prince Su and Fu Rong because their relationship development is properly laid out. It is just that theirs is not an intense love story as the romance is not the only focus of the drama.

Anti-Climatic Build-Up (Spoilers Alert!)

As the drama reaches the last quarter mark, a certain level of anticipation would be have been built up in the viewers. But I think this is where the story could have been better handled as there is a feeling of an anti-climax when everything is revealed. Some viewers are even complaining that Fu Rong’s distrust of Prince Su makes her undeserving of his love. Well, I can only say that I expected more twists in the way she finds out the truth. As it is, Fu Rong is simply told what happened and suddenly, Prince Su is her hero once more!

In the last episode, the bit about Ju Shui’s mother is also too simplistic. She conveniently turns up just before he dies so that the ending can be wrapped up. Fu Rong recovers after a lightning strike. There is no clarification how that could happen although we are later told that she was wearing a soft armor beneath her clothes that prevented her from dying when Ju Shui accidentally stabbed her. But the significance of the lighting strike isn’t explained.

Therefore, you can say that details are overlooked in the last episode to quickly conclude the story. What should have been a climatic ending isn’t as exciting as it should be. But the good thing is they did give viewers a happily ever after kind of ending with no ambiguity whatsoever unlike Legend Of Yunxi and Dance Of The Phoenix. That should at least make viewers happy.

Not Too Bad Overall

I would still think The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion is worth the time despite the weaknesses highlighted above. For the most part, the story is well-executed on-screen. It has good pacing and follows an interesting sequence of events that can easily get you hooked. While it is a little disappointing to me as it moves to its conclusion, it doesn’t take away the enjoyment of the drama from the beginning.

Overall, I would give The Blooms Of Ruyi Pavilion review a score of 7.5/10. There is satisfaction in watching the evil guys getting their just desserts and this is where a good story development plays its part in getting viewers invested. The drama is not perfect and it is not an epic like Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms but it is good enough to give it a go. Watch it for the main couple’s chemistry and the plot. Just don’t put too high an expectation on the last episode and the romance though, and it will be fine.