Youthful Glory (韶华若锦) is an arranged marriage C-drama. Hence, if you are a big fan of this genre, you might like to give this a go. Furthermore, there is the tall and handsome Song Wei Long for you to feast your eyes on. As for me, I’m neutral when it comes to this type of drama. It really depends on the story and how it all fits together. So, did this production pass the test? Well, it’s okay overall but nothing great to me. My Youthful Glory review below will have more on this drama.
My rating: 7/10
Episodes: 30
Type: Fantasy
Aired: May 2025
Images credit: Douban Movie
The Cast Of Youthful Glory
- Song Wei Long as Jiang Xu
- Bao Shang En as Ming Tan
- Dai Lu Wa as Bai Min Min
- Bai Shu as Zhang Huai Yu
- Quan Yi Lun as Shu Jing Ran
- Yang Bo Xiao as Lu Ting
- Wang Ke as Ming Chu
- Li Hong Tao as Ming Ting Yuan
- Ke Ying as Yun Yi
- Xiu Qing as Su Wen Chun / Lord Su
- Qin Xiao Xuan as Liu Mo
- Edward Zhang as Cheng Kang / Emperor
- Li Shu Ting as Zhai Nian Ci / Princess Zhai
Main Characters
Jiang Xu
Jiang Xu is the Prince of Dingbei as well as the General of the Northern Garrison. He is rumored to be ruthless and a coldblooded killer. However, he is a caring man in private. Jiang Xu is principled and against corruption which earns him enemies in the royal court. He is assisted by Zhui Ying.
Ming Tan
Ming Tan is the 4th daughter of Marquis Jing’an. Her mother was the official wife but died young. Ming Tan is smart and sneaky. She is independent-minded but has a typical wish of marrying an ideal husband.
Supporting Characters
Bai Min Min
Min Min is Ming Tan’s cousin sister. Her father is Duke Changguo and Ming Tan’s maternal uncle. Both ladies have a very close bond from young. Min Min is an expressive lady with a fiery temperament.
Zhang Huai Yu
Zhang Huai Yu is the owner of Jade Pavilion which is a top entertainment outlet in the capital. He has great financial acumen and prefers to do business than becoming an official. His elder sister is the Empress. Zhang Huai Yu is one of Jiang Xu’s good friends.
Shu Jing Ran & Lu Ting
Together with Zhang Huai Yu, Shu Jing Ran and Lu Ting are close friends ofJiang Xu. Shu Jing Ran is a top scholar and his father is the Right Chancellor while Lu Ting is the Deputy Commander of the imperial guards.
Ming Chu
Ming Chu is Ming Tan’s elder stepsister. She is a spoilt and petty lady who is always jealous of Ming Tan. Her mother is Concubine Liu who is equally selfish and wicked.
Ming Ting Yuan
Ming Ting Yuan is Marquis Jing’an. He is also Ming Tan and Ming Chu’s father. Marquis Jing’an is a decorated general who controls the Western Garrison. While he is influential and powerful because of his contributions to the state, Marquis Jing’an is a military man rather than a politician.
Yun Yi
Yun Yi is a bodyguard picked by Jiang Xu to protect Ming Tan. She is a skilled martial artist with a straightforward personality.
Su Wen Chun / Lord Su
Lord Su is the Left Chancellor and Ming Tan’s godfather. He and Marquis Jing’an are old friends. Lord Su is a cunning man with a network of underlings to do his bidding. He has a daughter, Su Er Rong, and a son-in-law, Yu Bo Zhong, who run the family affairs in Lingzhou.
Liu Mo
Liu Mo is the Vice Minister of Revenue. He is also Lord Su’s minion.
Cheng Kang / Emperor
Cheng Kang is the Emperor of Daxian. He is a good ruler who wants to weed out corruption among his officials. The Emperor is close to Jiang Xu and trusts him completely.
Zhai Nian Ci / Princess Zhai
Princess Zhai is a spoilt and temperamental royal. Her maternal grandmother is the Empress Dowager. Princess Zhai has always been envious of Ming Tan and sees her as an enemy.
Synopsis
Jiang Xu is a prince as well as the General of the Northern Garrison. He is back in the capital to investigate embezzlement in military funds and supplies which have caused the death of some of his troops in a battle. Meanwhile, Ming Tan is the daughter of a powerful marquis and General of the Western Garrison. Hence, she is much sought after by ambitious families as a potential bride. After Ming Tan had broken off her engagement to the unfaithful son of the Liang family, Jiang Xu is worried about the tilt in the balance of power if she is married off to someone from the enemy camp.
As a result, Jiang Su quickly got a decree from the Emperor to marry Ming Tan. Both of them start off disliking each other but gradually begin to find love together. Their marriage also causes uneasiness in the villain due to their combined power and Jiang Xu unrelenting pursuit of his corruption network. Just when Jiang Xu and Ming Tan start to have a real loving marriage, tragedy strikes when her father is framed for embezzlement and treason. Doubt begins to arise in Ming Tan about Jiang Xu’s sincerity towards her and her family. Will they be able to overcome the distrust and get justice against the perpetrator?
Youthful Glory Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)
Youthful Glory has a happy ending. Ming Tan is pregnant a month after Lord Su has been killed and the rebels defeated. Zhang Huai Yu and Min Min are still bickering as usual but he is serious about marrying her. Shu Jing Ran has asked the Emperor to be the new Governor of Lingzhou and Yun Yi is following him there to take up the new posting.
6 years later, Ming Tan and Jiang Xu already have a son and a daughter. Zhang Huai Yu and Min Min are blessed with a son. They lead blissful lives. The drama ends with them enjoying fireworks together with Ming Tan’s father and the rest of the servants. There is also a special 15-minute bonus episode which comprises extended scenes of the happy moments of the 2 couples.
When Did The Leads Get Together?
Marquis Jing’an agrees to the Emperor’s request to the marriage between Ming Tan and Jiang Xu in Episode 5. Jiang Xu also convinces Ming Tan that their marriage is beneficial to her family with his power and status. They have their wedding in Episode 8. Jiang Xu agrees to Ming Tan’s proposal that they only pretend to be loving in public to save her face and protect her reputation. But after the marriage, Ming Tan begins to find Jiang Xu to be caring and attentive rather than cruel and ruthless as what people assumed. She even tells Min Min that she thinks Jiang Xu is impotent as he doesn’t seem to be affected by her as a woman in Episode 10.
In Episode 13, Ming Tan becomes angry and jealous when she wrongly assumes that Yun Yi is Jiang Xu’s concubine. In actual fact, Yun Yi is sent by Jiang Xu to protect Ming Tan. They have their first kiss after clearing up this misunderstanding in Episode 14 and consummate their marriage in Episode 27.
Is There Any Breakup?
When Marquis Jing’an is framed for corruption and treason, there are certain aspects that make Ming Tan suspicious about Jiang Xu’s actions. In Episode 15, Ming Tan tries to ask Lord Su for help to save her father. Instead, Lord Su plants doubts in Ming Tan’s mind that Jiang Xu is trying to cut ties with Marquis Jing’an to save himself from being stained due to his father-in-law. While Ming Tan suspects Lord Su is involved in her father’s case and cannot be trusted, she also can’t help but doubts Jiang Xu’s sincerity in helping her father due to a few questionable incidences.
Things deteriorated between them when her father dies from poisoning while in prison in Episode 17. Ming Tan becomes cold and distant towards Jiang Xu. In actual fact, Jiang Xu arranges for Marquis Jing’an’s death so that the marquis can be sent out of prison before his execution. With Lord Su spying on them, Jiang Xu is forced to keep his plans from Ming Tan to ensure everyone’s safety.
The couple reconciles 2 months later in Episode 19. Jiang Xu brings Ming Tan to meet her father while they are on their way to Lingzhou to look for Zhang Huai Yu and investigate the embezzlement that is taking place.
What Happened To Ming Chu?
As Ming Chu had tried to harm Ming Tan, she is married off to the son of the Feng family of Lingzhou in Episode 6. As the Feng family is a military family known for their discipline, it is hoped that Ming Chu will learn to be more responsible. However, Ming Chu continues to be reckless and a bully in Lingzhou in Episode 23. She blames Ming Tan when she is punished by her father-in-law for buying smuggled goods at an auction in Episode 25. This is after Ming Tan exposed the smuggling taking place under the Su family.
After the Su family has been taken down, Ming Tan convinces Ming Chu that she only wants their family to be well in Episode 29. She also hopes Ming Chu can have the life that she wants and live well. Ming Chu’s heart softens as a result and the sisters reconcile. She is also happy to see her father again whom she thought had died earlier. This makes Ming Chu willing to admit her mistakes as all that matters is that her father is still alive.
Lord Su’s Fate
Su Er Rong tries to frame Jiang Xu for murder of an official when the latter keeps the pressure on the Su family to unearth their corruption in Episode 25. But Jiang Xu sets her up instead and her crime becomes exposed in Episode 26. Officials who have taken bribes from the Su family start speaking up when they found that Su Er Rong is planning to silence them. The list of officials who have been bribed is also exposed. Hence, Su Er Rong is arrested. However, there is no evidence to link the embezzlement to Lord Su as he has kept her daughter’s household register separate from his own. Instead, Liu Mo is arranged to be the scapegoat and arrested in Episode 27.
Liu Mo thought he owes his life to Lord Su who supported him after his parents’ death. His father was a scout who was arrested for delaying the previous Emperor’s orders for reinforcements to the northern troops. As a result, the casualties include the prince leading the troops. Liu Mo’s father was reported to have committed suicide in prison and his mother died shortly after. However, the Emperor reveals to Liu Mo that his father’s confession stated that he inexplicably fell into a deep sleep at the post station when he was required to relay the order. An investigation was ordered but the trail went cold after he died. His father was also drugged before his “suicide”.
Liu Mo’s Revenge
Lord Su was the suspect. He had just become the Chancellor then and wanted military support. By killing the prince, there will be an opening for someone new to lead the Northern Garrison. With the new information, Liu Mo turns against Lord Su and fingers him as the mastermind. Hence, Marquis Jing’an’s name is also cleared with Lord Su being flushed out as the villain.
But Lord Su refuses to give up and arranges for a rebellion in Episode 28. The revolt fails with Jiang Xu arriving in time to save the Emperor from the rebels in Episode 29. At the same time, Liu Mo confronts Lord Su at his home. He has to fight off Lord Su’s guard and gets stabbed in the process. But he manages to kill both the guard and Lord Su before succumbing to his injuries. The Empress Dowager commits suicide by hanging herself to death after the downfall of the Su family.
Side Couples
Zhang Huai Yu & Min Min
Zhang Huai Yu is instantly attracted to Min Min the first time he met her. But Min Min finds him annoying which makes him retaliate in kind. Hence, their relationship is full of bickering. In Episode 6, Zhang Huai Yu thought Min Min is interested in him due to a mix-up talisman. This makes him changes his attitude towards her which confuses Min Min in Episode 7. He saves her from an attack in Episode 11 which softens her attitude towards him somewhat.
In Episode 13, Zhang Huai Yu offers to marry Min Min when she is forced by her parents to go on a blind date. When she turns speechless by his suggestion, he quickly brushes it off. He gives control of Jade Pavilion to Min Min in Episode 16 when he has to leave on a dangerous mission to investigate corruption in Lingzhou.
2 months later, Zhang Huai Yu seems to have gone missing in Lingzhou in Episode 18. Min Min is worried for him. She is shocked and sad when news came that he might have died in Episode 20. They reunite in Episode 27 after Zhang Huai Yu is saved and returned to the capital. He tells Min Min that he longs for her and wants to marry her. She agrees to his proposal.
Shu Jing Ran & Yun Yi
Shu Jing Ran finds Yun Yi to be very different from other women. So, he introduces himself to her in Episode 14 but gets brushed off. They have a better interaction on their next meeting and their relationship becomes closer after they went on a trip together to look for Zhang Huai Yu in Lingzhou in Episode 19. He shields Yun Yi from an attack when their party is ambushed in Episode 20. When Yun Yi is taken hostage, he goes to rescue her together with Jiang Xu in Episode 21. Again, he shields her when they are being attacked.
Shu Jing Ran asks Jiang Xu and Ming Tan to release Yun Yi to him. In response, Ming Tan tells him that it is all up to Yun Yi. Moreover, his family needs to agree to their relationship due to their difference in status. In Episode 22, Yun Yi feels bad and touched that Shu Jing Ran had risked his life to save her. He replies that he won’t be able to forgive himself if he didn’t.
After Lord Su and his rebels have been brought down, Shu Jing Ran pleads with the Emperor to be the new Governor of Lingzhou in Episode 30. He is prepared to be stationed there long-term to prove his worth and forge his own future so that he can be with Yun Yi. Shu Jing Ran also tells Yun Yi that he only wants to marry her when she feels that they should just be friends due to his much higher status. He asks her to follow him to Lingzhou. To make it easier for Yun Yi to decide, Jiang Xu gives her a new mission to protect Shu Jing Ran in Lingzhou. Hence, Yun Yi leaves for Lingzhou together with Shu Jing Ran.
Youthful Glory Review – Arranged Marriage Drama
There is nothing really special about Youthful Glory to me. It has an arranged marriage theme whereby the male protagonist is rumored to be ruthless and a coldblooded general. The female protagonist is sought after as a bride because her father has military power. They got married due to mutual benefit. As expected in this kind of story, the animosity doesn’t last long and they fall in love. Then, throw in some drama that drives them apart for a few episodes before reconciling, and you have a complete romance to appeal to those who adore arranged marriage plots.
The good thing is this drama is light and easy to digest. The political power play is projected in a superficial manner. There is no depth to it and the villain is known upfront. So, you don’t have to really pay attention to the details. For those who don’t fancy prolonged palace politics and would rather watch the romance, then Youthful Glory might be a suitable choice. But if you want something that has more substance and depth like The Glory or even Si Jin, then this would feel very simplified.
Personally, the plot is too simple to me to qualify it as a masterpiece. Of course, there is nothing wrong with simplicity if it is done right. But in this case, I think the magic is just not enough to make up for the very average plot. From the cliches to the underdeveloped subplot towards the end, it just feels like another lackluster drama to me.
Script Fails To Inspire
I know many people don’t necessarily watch romance dramas for the script. It is largely the feels that it gives you that makes it delightful. But I think the problem with Youthful Glory is that it wants, or at least, it tries to do something more with the script by incorporating subplots such as the corruption investigation. So, at times, the romance takes precedence and at others, the screen time is dominated by the villain’s corruption case. It is a good balance if done well but unfortunately, the subplots are half-baked.
For instance, the female protagonist’s sister is hateful for the sake of being hateful. There is no depth to her story at all. The short incursion of a hostile state with its prince is another subplot that just feels out of place. The villain is shown to be corrupted but his ultimate aim is never clearly spelled out. Thus, all these subplots feel shallow but they still take up a lot of screen time.
But one thing I do like about the script is the great relationship between the Emperor and the male lead. It’s not often you will find a nice Emperor who is not suspicious of those around him in Chinese historical dramas. I think Love Like The Galaxy has one such Emperor but it is really not the norm. So, it is a welcomed change to see a more likable Emperor in Youthful Glory.
Characters Aren’t Well-Written
The female protagonist, Ming Tan, has this inconsistent vibe to me. She is supposed to be smart and cunning with the ability to run a household although young of age. You would assume she is mature in thinking when the drama begins. But a short while later, she also seems to be a little shallow when she lists out all her requirements for her ideal husband in her prayers. Apart from the usual noble characteristics, she also wants him to be rich and good-looking to match her status and lifestyle.
After the marriage, Ming Tan also wants her husband to pretend that they are a loving couple in public to save face as part of the contract. Basically, bits of these inconsistencies about her character will stick out like a sore thumb in the first half of the drama. You can’t really figure out the real her. Fortunately, there is some growth in her character in the latter part of the story to show her to be more matured.
As for the male protagonist, Jiang Xu, I sense a lack of depth with the way the character has been written. He is either a feared general or a hopelessly in love prince throughout the drama. There is no layer or subtle emotions in the character to make him more interesting and realistic.
Acting & Chemistry
I think both Bao Shang An and Song Wei Long did the best they could with the script that they are given. Their performance is okay on the whole. It is just that the characters are not that well-written and thus, the portrayals will reflect that inadequacy. What really matters should be the chemistry instead as this is after all a historical romance drama.
But sad to say, the chemistry is not hot enough to make us forget the very ordinary plot and uninspiring script and turn it into something really sweet. Sometimes, romance dramas can still shine with a poor plot as long as it has top notch chemistry. For example, Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love has such a thin story but the leads’ chemistry triumphs over everything else. Unfortunately, I don’t think Bao Shang An and Song Wei Long were able to replicate that kind of chemistry in Youthful Glory.
Yes, they are sweet in the drama. But it doesn’t feel a natural kind of sweet to me. Something seems to be missing. Perhaps the female character’s immaturity and younger vibe doesn’t match perfectly with the more matured male protagonist. In short, they are fine as an onscreen couple but something more would be needed from them for me to overlook the various weaknesses in the drama.
My Verdict – Watchable But Not Great
Youthful Glory is one of those dramas that is watchable but nothing spectacular to me. It is the watch-and-forget type that I won’t find myself going back to for a second round. I guess the key point is whether you can sense the sweetness in the main couple. If you can feel it, this would be enjoyable and fluffy. The accidental fall cliches and damsel in distress situations will magnify their romance. But if you can’t sense the chemistry between them or feel that the sparks aren’t bright enough, those very same things will backfire and other weaknesses of the drama will also become very glaring.
I think one of the main problems is the corruption plot takes up too much time in the drama and yet, we have an underdeveloped story and villain. No doubt, the simplified storytelling here means the pacing is quick and viewers are not bogged down by details. So, I would suggest just watching this for the romance and don’t expect anything much in terms of the plot. Otherwise, the whole drama will feel poorly written.
For this Youthful Glory review, I would rate it 7/10. If you are a Song Wei Long fan, I supposed you won’t want to miss this. But this is definitely not one of this best dramas. It is not awful but simply a very average production that suffers from a poor script and not so well-written characters. it just relies on the romance to make it sell and hence, its enjoyability will depend on your feels towards the main couple.
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