The Prisoner Of Beauty Review

The Prisoner Of Beauty (折腰) is Song Zu Er’s second drama to be aired after a long break following a tax evasion scandal. The first was The Demon Hunter’s Romance. It seems that she is on a roll now with her dramas getting a lot of attention and even good reviews. With Liu Yu Ning being the male lead for this current title, it is also getting a lot of views from Chinese drama fans. Currently, it is enjoying a very high rating among the international audience although the local Chinese viewers are giving it a more moderate 6.4 score on Douban. You can read my own review of The Prisoner Of Beauty below.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 36
Type: Historical romance
Aired: May 2025
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook

The Cast Of The Prisoner Of Beauty

• Song Zu Er as Man Man / Xiao Qiao
• Liu Yu Ning as Zhong Lin / Wei Shao
• Xuan Lu as Su E Huang / Lady Yu Lou
• Liu Duan Duan as Shi Yuan / Wei Yan
• Wang Cheng Si as Wei Liang
• Wu Hao Chen as Wei Qu
• Liu Yi Hong as Wei Xiao
• Chu Zi Jun as Wei Duo
• Wei Zi Xin as Gongsun Yang
• Liu Xiao Qing as Lady Xu
• Cui Yi as Lady Zhu
• Li Xue Qin as Xiao Tao
• Hu Xiao Ting as Chun Niang
• Cola Yao as Xiao Zao
• He Hong Shan as Qiao Fan / Da Qiao
• Zhou Lu La as Bi Zhi
• Ji Xiao Bing as Liu Yan
• Liu Ling Zhi as Qiao Yue
• Du Yu Ming as Chen Pang
• Shi Dan Jiang as Wei Dian

Main Characters

Man Man / Xiao Qiao

Xiao Qiao is a granddaughter of Qiao Gui who is the Governor of Yanzhou. She is a smart lady with a strategic mind. Xiao Qiao is also a kindhearted person who cares for the masses. Her mother died young while her father, Qiao Ping, is the second son of the family and a follower rather than a leader. Xiao Qiao also has a brother, Qiao Ci, who is principled but still young and brash.

Zhong Lin / Wei Shao

Wei Shao is Lord of Wei. He is a determined and hardhearted man due to his childhood trauma of having his male family members killed in front of his eyes. He is suspicious of outsiders and wants revenge against those who caused his family members’ deaths. But Wei Shao does care a lot for the people. Xiao Tan is his personal servant.

Supporting Characters

Su E Huang / Lady Yu Lou

Lady Yu Lou is the wife of the Governor of Bianzhou. Although her husband dotes on her, he is a sickly man and they have no heir. She is from the Su clan and distantly related to the Wei clan. Wei Shao’s grandmother is her grandaunt. Lady Yu Lou is an ambitious woman with a vengeful streak. She is assisted by her cousin brother, Su Zi Xin.

Shi Yuan / Wei Yan

Wei Yan is Wei Shao’s cousin brother. His late mother was Wei Shao’s aunt. Wei Yan was brought up by his grandmother as his mother died young. He appears as a playboy who likes to travel and fool around.

Wei Liang, Wei Qu, Wei Xiao & Wei Duo

These 4 men are Wei Shao’s loyal generals. They are like brothers to each other and have their own unique dynamics with Wei Liang being the comical and blur one.

Gongsun Yang

Gongsun Yang is Wei Shao’s advisor. He is also a father figure to Wei Shao who would seek marital advice from him as well.

Lady Xu

Lady Xu is Wei Shao’s grandmother. She is a wise woman who can put the past behind her to ensure a happier future for her grandson. She is a sharp woman who is not easily fooled.

Lady Zhu

Lady Zhu is Wei Shao’s mother. She is a simpleminded woman who is easily led by those with bad motives. Lady Zhu hates Xiao Qiao but adores Zheng Chu Yu who is her niece.

Xiao Tao, Chun Niang & Xiao Zao

These 3 women are Xiao Qiao’s servants. Chun Niang is Xiao Qiao’s nanny. Xiao Tao is Wei Liang’s love interest.

Qiao Fan / Da Qiao

Da Qiao is Xiao Qiao’s cousin sister. They are very close and would protect each other.

Bi Zhi

Bi Zhi is a stableman in the Qiao clan. He is an expert on horses and a man of incredible strength. He and Da Qiao are underground lovers due to his low status.

Liu Yan

Liu Yan is the heir of Liangya which is a neighboring state of Yanzhou. He is Xiao Qiao’s cousin and wants to marry her.

Qiao Yue

Qiao Yue is Xiao Qiao’s uncle and heir of Yanzhou. He is a weak leader with little ability to strategize and think ahead. His advisor is Zhang Pu who is equally clueless and shortsighted.

Chen Pang

Chen Pang is the Prefect of Danjun. The Governor of Bianzhou is his nephew. He is suspicious of Lady Yu Lou who is his nephew’s wife as both of them are vying to take over Bianzhou.

Wei Dian

Wei Dian is Wei Shao’s uncle and the Prefect of Hanjun. He is always questioning Wei Shao’s leadership and looking for ways to sabotage him as the leader of Wei.

Synopsis

Xiao Qiao’s grandfather and Wei Shao’s grandfather were Governors of Yanzhou and Wei State respectively. They were also strong allies. But an attack by Bianzhou on Wei State caused Wei Shao’s grandfather, father and brother to be killed. Yanzhou failed to send their soldiers to help their ally in order to protect their own state. As a result, Wei Shao grew up with hatred towards the attackers as well as Xiao Qiao’s clan for her grandfather’s broken promise.

However, Wei Shao’s grandmother doesn’t want him to live in hatred. So, she arranges for a marriage alliance with Xiao Qiao’s grandfather. Xiao Qiao ends up being the bride to Wei Shao. Wei Shao agrees to the marriage as Xiao Qiao’s dowry includes a key city in his battle plans. As theirs is a political marriage, the couple starts off being suspicious of each other. Both will scheme and counter-scheme against each other to advance their own state’s interests. But at the same time, they also try to make things work between them as allies.

As time goes by, Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao begin to admire each other’s qualities. Wei Shao feels guilty falling for Xiao Qiao due to what happened to his family. At the same time, enemies are working hard to break the alliance between the Wei and Qiao clans to weaken them.

The Prisoner Of Beauty Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

The Prisoner Of Beauty has a happy ending. Liu Yan is defeated and killed by Wei Shao and Bi Zhi. The canal is now operational across most states who look up to Wei Shao as the leader. Chen Pang has died of asthma and Wei Yan is the new Governor of Bianzhou. Bi Zhi leaves the Qiao clan’s hometown with his son after Da Qiao’s death. Wei Liang’s comrades and Xiao Tao offer prayers at his tomb with a bittersweet feeling. Xiao Qiao and Wei Shao are busy looking after their daughter. They dote on her.

Years later, all the waterways are connected and the canal has brought much benefit to all sides. Thus, there is no more strife and hatred. The people live in peace and prosperity. Hence, Wei Shao gets his wish to travel and see the world with his wife.

Key Events Leading Up To The Ending

• Liu Yan convinces Qiao Yue to be allies in Episode 34. Qiao Yue feels his own position is under threat due to the popularity of his brother who also has the backing of Wei Shao as his son-in-law. Thus, he agrees to the cooperation and imprisons Qiao Ping after drugging and blinding him.
• Qiao Yue also tricks Da Qiao and Bi Zhi to Yanzhou and takes her hostage to force Bi Zhi to serve under Liu Yan.
• Wei Liang is killed when he arrives in Yanzhou at the same time to invite Qiao Ping to visit Xiao Qiao who is pregnant. She gives birth to a baby girl in Episode 35.
• Liu Yan kills Qiao Yue after they have captured the key city of Panyi. The city mayor has taken Qiao Yue hostage. Liu Yan simply kills both of them since Qiao Yue has outlived his usefulness.
• We Qu loses his arm during a fight to free Qiao Ping from Qiao Yue’s imprisonment in Yanzhou and also to bring back Wei Liang’s body.
• Lady Yu Lou leads troops to attack Wei State while Wei Shao is attacking Panyi. Wei Yan arrives from Bianzhou to help his grandmother and kills Lady Yu Lou’s general. In the commotion following the defeat, her disfigured face is exposed. So, she kills the general sent by Liu Yan to escort her to safety. In his dying breath, the general tells Lady Yu Lou that Liu Yan already knew about her disfigurement earlier. Realizing that Liu Yan’s love for her is real, she commits suicide in regret in Episode 36.
• Da Qiao kills herself to free Bi Zhi from being controlled by Liu Yan.
• Liu Yan kills his uncle when he doesn’t like the latter’s advice to stop being influenced by Lady Yu Lou.

When Did The Leads Get Together?

As Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao gradually learn to trust each other, they admit that they have begun to admire each other’s qualities in Episode 20. But Wei Shao is still afraid of regrets and fears that the peace between them wouldn’t last. Xiao Qiao makes a vow to be loyal to him and tries to use her sincerity to dissolve the hatred in him. However, Wei Shao still finds it hard to let go and feels guilty for falling for Xiao Qiao.

As it gets harder to suppress his feelings for Xiao Qiao, Wei Shao kisses her on her forehead when she is drunk in Episode 23. She kisses him back but couldn’t recall her action the next day. They become a real couple in Episode 25 after Wei Shao suggested so to Xiao Qiao who agrees. This is following Lady Yu Lou’s attempt to frame Xiao Qiao’s brother for attempting to kidnap her to be married off. After the plot is exposed, Wei Shao realizes that not every Qiao family member is deceitful.

Is There Any Breakup?

There is no breakup between Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao. However, Wei Shao is very angry with her in Episode 29 when he learns about a secret tunnel that she had told Bi Zhi to build in his city to protect Yanzhou from Wei State at the beginning of their marriage. He feels that Xiao Qiao doesn’t trust him by not telling him about the tunnel which is now being used by Liu Yan to attack a gateway city to Yanzhou. They quarrel over it. However, Wei Shao still listens to his grandmother to help Yanzhou to defend the city as failure to do so means they are no different from the Qiao clan which turned their backs on them years earlier.

Xiao Qiao does her part to stop Liu Yan’s reinforcements from arriving during the critical battle in Episode 30. This ensures victory for Wei Shao and his troops. When Wei Shao learns that Xiao Qiao has risked her life to help him, his heart aches for her in Episode 31. She explains that she loves him and hence, she will do everything possible to help and fulfill her promise to him. Wei Shao realizes Xiao Qiao’s difficult situation of being stuck in between him and her Qiao clan. Their relationship deepens as a result.

Is There Any Love Triangle?

There is no love triangle although Wei Shao’s cousin, Zheng Chu Yu, also wants to marry him. Zheng Chu Yu tries to seduce Wei Shao with drugged wine but is unsuccessful in Episode 10. Wei Shao wants his mother to send Zheng Chu Yu away following the incident. His grandmother demands that she leaves immediately instead. Zheng Chu Yu leaves the Wei mansion feeling dissatisfied in Episode 11. She is killed by Su Zi Xin to silence her after she cooperated with him to sabotage the alliance between the Qiao and Wei clans to get back at Xiao Qiao in Episode 15.

Wei Yan also falls for Xiao Qiao as she seems to understand and sympathize with him. He draws a portrait that resembles her in Episode 21. But he knows he has to stop his affections for Xiao Qiao upon learning that Wei Shao has confessed is feelings to Xiao Qiao in Episode 26. Unfortunately, his secret is exposed when he mistaken his servant, Lan Yun, for Xiao Qiao in his drunken state in Episode 27. Lady Yu Lou takes advantage of the situation by getting Lan Yun to tell Wei Shao about his cousin’s secret feelings for his wife. She also spreads rumors of an affair between Wei Yan and Xiao Qiao.

Wei Shao is willing for forgive and forget after a confrontation with Wei Yan. To protect Xiao Qiao’s reputation and Wei Shao’s dignity, Wei Yan decides to take the blame and return to Bianzhou. He asks Wei Yan to let him go and leaves in Episode 28.

Wei Shao’s Hatred

Wei Shao’s hatred towards the Qiao clan is totally dissolved in Episode 32 after visiting Xiao Qiao’s family in Yanzhou. He notices that Xiao Qiao’s father, Qiao Ping, is a good man who truly cares for the people and hope for peace. He kneels and bows to acknowledge him as his father-in-law. Qiao Ping also does the same in the direction of Wei State to register his respect towards Wei Shao’s fallen family members and remorse for failing the Wei clan back then.

Wei Shao then assures Qiao Ping that the hatred has already been dissolved with his marriage to Xiao Qiao as arranged by his grandmother. He promises his father-in-law that he will take care and protect Xiao Qiao.

Wei Yan’s Parents

Lady Xu tells Wei Shao that Wei Yan’s father is Chen Pang in Episode 15. Chen Pang abducted Wei Shao’s aunt and violated her. By the time she was found and returned to the Wei clan, she was already pregnant. She died after giving birth to Wei Yan. Lady Xu then tells Wei Yan about his parents in Episode 16 although he already knew who his father is by then. However, he didn’t know that his mother was abducted and violated by his father. Lady Xu also explains to Wei Yan that his identity makes it impossible for her to entrust him with power to govern Weizhou. After all, he could be the heir of Bianzhou.

Lady Yu Lou’s Background

Lady Yu Lou is a distant relative of Lady Xu. She spent her childhood in the Wei clan and was supposed to be betrothed to Wei Shao’s brother. This is revealed in Episode 14. But Wei Shao’s brother died in a war when Xiao Qiao’s grandfather failed to render assistance to Weizhou. Subsequently, she ended up marrying the Governor of Bianzhou who is sickly and subsequently dies in Episode 16. This makes Lady Yu Lou bitter towards the Qiao clan.

After her husband’s death, Bianzhou is taken over by Chen Pang which forces Lady Yu Lou to look for another powerful figure to latch onto. So, she plots to get close to Wei Shao and plays on his sympathy as his late brother had requested him to take care of Lady Yu Lou before he died. She tries to break up Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao by framing her brother for attempting to kidnap her but her lies are cleverly exposed by Xiao Qiao in Episode 23.

Lady Yu Lou then spreads rumors of an affair between Xiao Qiao and Wei Yan when she learns that Wei Yan has feelings for Xiao Qiao in Episode 27. Wei Shao spares her life but cuts off her nose after her cousin exposed her deeds in Episode 28. To get her revenge, she allies herself with Liu Yan. She marries him to influence him to continue his quest to conquer Wei State in Episode 33.

The Prisoner Of Beauty Review – Love Dissolves Hatred

The Prisoner Of Beauty is a historical drama with a great start. It is able to capture viewers’ imagination because the situation the leads are in gives a strong foundation to the events that follow. While the male lead’s grandmother arranged the marriage, both the protagonists also have their own reasons to go ahead with the union despite the distrust between them. So, it is not marrying just for the sake of giving viewers a sweet romance but there is a well-laid reasoning behind it. Therefore, it doesn’t end up as just another average romance drama but one that is well-written and sensible.

The story starts off with the protagonists’ grandfathers being good friends and allies. But the girl’s grandfather failed to help the guy’s during a war to protect his own state. The guy’s grandfather, father and brother died as a result. This is emphasized in the beginning of the story to let it sink in the viewers’ mind why the hatred runs so deep in the male protagonist. Correspondingly, it also explains why the female protagonist is wary of her husband and couldn’t trust him not to attack her clan despite their marriage alliance.

Therefore, the first third of the drama is filled with mind games between the 2 of them. He tries to advance his own state’s interest while she tries to defend hers. To me, this is the best part of the drama as it is enjoyable watching the girl scheming against the guy and trying to appear innocent. The various characters also help to build the drama into one comprehensive story.

Great Characters

I think the characters in The Prisoner Of Beauty is one of the main reasons why this drama sells. For instance, the female protagonist is smart, courageous and wise. She can also be sharp-tongued with solid arguments to back up her point of view. She may be in a weak position in relation to the male lead, but she is his equal, if not more, in terms of wit. There is also a contrast between her character and her cousin sister’s character as both of them hold different views when it comes to sacrifice. There is no right or wrong and hence, their one confrontation in the drama is one of the most memorable scenes to me.

The male protagonist is stoic and hardhearted on the outside but ridden with guilt on the inside the moment he finds himself falling for his wife who comes from enemy camp. His 4 generals are also gems in the drama. They provide the comedy especially the most senior one who falls for the female lead’s maid. This second couple is an amusing pair that you won’t get bored of.

As for the second male lead’s character, he is written in a way that you can’t really guess his ultimate direction. There is always a sense that he may do the wrong thing and turn to the dark side. This creates an anticipation and you won’t get an answer until pretty late in the drama.

Enemies To Lovers Romance

If you are into enemies to lovers trope, then you can’t miss The Prisoner Of Beauty. It is a slow burn romance like Flourished Peony and you will be left gushing at the way the female lead manages to wrap her finger around the cold male lead who resents her in the beginning. Basically, her sincerity and gentleness soften him bit by bit. What you will be watching is the gradual deepening of their feelings for each other after every misunderstanding or distrust. Although he is momentarily affected by her beauty at first sight, there is no sudden jump from enemies to lovers. The progress of their love story is carefully paced to make it believable.

Along the way, you will find comedic jealousy on the part of the male lead. The usual denial that he puts on in front of his subordinates about his feelings for his wife will probably make you smile. As their love deepens, the sweetness will come to make you swoon. There are 2 or 3 kissing scenes that you might just playback after the drama ends as you can feel the heat through the screen.

Of course, this is only possible when there is great chemistry between the leads. Liu Yu Ning and Song Zu Er played their roles really well to bring out the essence of their characters. There is rage, comedy, sadness and sweetness between them to make this a complete romance for those who are into this for the love story. However, if you are looking for something more politically intriguing or a better villainous plot, then this will be lacking.

Basic Plot

The plot is probably The Prisoner Of Beauty’s weakest point. The producers did well with the characters and romance. The engaging start helps to build the interest. The first third is where the mind games are played which is also the most interesting part of the drama. But once the feelings between the leads are established, it becomes bogged down with daily domestic matters and other subplots. Hence, the middle portion is boring if you are not into the romance that much.

In other words, if you take the romance out of the picture, what is left lacks depth. The villains’ story is simplistic although you can discern their motivations from the dialogues. There is no real schemings and counter-schemings in the battle between the protagonists and antagonists because most of the screen time has been taken up by the romance.

As a result, some of the side characters’ stories are also stifled although they could have evolved better with the plot. This includes the second male lead and the female lead’s cousin sister subplots. By the time we reached the last few episodes, the plot jumps back to the final battle between the leads and the villains. I find it to be rushed with plot holes visible which is probably due to deleted scenes to fit the 36 episodes. On the flip side, it doesn’t feel dragged out like Serendipity especially if you are into this for the romance.

My Verdict – Watch!

The Prisoner Of Beauty’s strength lies in its well-written characters. It is very easy to laugh and cry with them as you watch. They are likable and real which make it easy to relate to them. Of course, the alluring start also contributes much to lead you into the story. I suppose when you are invested in the characters, it is easy to watch the drama from start to finish. The boredom is lessened and there are scenes that will move you to tears. This is where this production did very well.

In addition, the cast did an excellent job to bring the characters to life. It is of little use if we have well-written characters but poor acting. In this case, both the leads as well as the supporting actors seem to jive together perfectly to bring out the best in each other. They could convey the emotions required effectively. Song Zu Er’s pretense of innocence in some scenes gives her a unique charm while you could feel Liu Yu Ning’s rage for the angry moments in the drama.

However, the antagonists are not given enough screen time to really develop their story. The political plot fades as the drama progresses. At times, it starts to feel like a rom-com. I guess if you like more romance, then this would be highly appealing. It is a touching and swoon-worthy love story. But if you want more political intrigue and schemings among the different state players like Joy Of Life, this would fall significantly short without an in-depth plot. Therefore, for this review of The Prisoner Of Beauty, I would give it a score of 8/10. The characters alone should make this worth watching while the sweet romance is the icing on the cake.