Gushing over Legend of Lu Zhen 陆贞传奇


I'm still on a hiatus from recapping, but being a drama addict means staying away from dramas would probably leave terribly lonely and lost. I'm watching a couple of Kdramas - Mandate of heaven and You're the best, Lee Soon Shim. MOH has the ingredients for a pretty good sageuk, which in my dictionary, just needs to be engaging. On the other hand, YTBLSS has a charming feel to it even if the storylines are cliches and nothing to shout about. Jo Jung Suk is adorable with a capital A here with IU and totally worth my adulation since he made me a fan in What's Up. For me, he's the biggest draw in the drama...and I would admit to FF through all the birth secrets stuff to skip the boring part.

Currently, my biggest guilty pleasure is actually c-drama Legend of Lu Zhen (also known as Female Prime Minister).



Sypnosis:

The story is about the titular heroine, Lu Zhen who hails from a wealthy pottery merchant family and doted by her loving father. She's well-versed with her father's business and possesses good pottery making skills leading to step mum feeling threatened and plots to get rid of her. She eventually escapes into the palace as a palace trainee to escape from her stepmother's clutches and vows to rise through the ranks to be in a position to avenge her father's death. Women are allowed limited freedom to assume various positions in the palace. In the interim she falls for the crown prince GaoZhan. Their social status disparity means the odds are stacked up against them being together, complicated by jealous sabotages from a bevy of beauties all enamored by the charismatic prince. There's an ex-first love, Siao HuanYun who married his brother the King, Gao Yan; a daughter of noble's birth who wants to marry him, Shen Jia Ning; Lu Zhen's nemesis Shen Bi. These three are major rivals for GaoZhan's attention and expect lots of schemings and betrayals. During all these, Lu Zhen is gradually acknowledged for her skills and talents and rises through the ranks after overcoming various obstacles. And then there is also the overarching plot of the Queen Mother plotting to kill GaoZhan so that the throne remains firmly in her son's (Gao Yan) grasp. Lu Zhen would eventually aid GaoXhan in overcoming a coup d'etat and since he could never make her his empress, she devoted her energies to politics to finally become the first female prime minister.
Lu Zhen
GaoZhan
Shen Jia Ning
Queen Mother Lou
Gao Yan

Siao Huan Yun
Shen Bi
All these threads means there's nary a dull moment in the drama as we follow LuZhen's experience and growth as a aspiring politician and watch her navigate the treacherous palace trappings while being in a passionate relationship with GaoZhan.



Chen Xiao (so very HAWT) and Zhao Liying (so very adorable but strong willed) has this epic chemistry that is at once sweet and fiery passion. Zhao's Lu zhen and Chen's Gao zhan owns my heart and soul so bad that I'm in a pretty bad shape...I marathoned 33 episodes right up to like 6am in the morning because I just.could.not.stop. When they are together I squee at their adorable selfs...and when they fight, I still felt like they ought to be jumping each other's skin. I went through the episodes thirsting for every little chance they would meet. The palace intrigue is much better done in c-dramas imho than in k-drama (what with the super obvious group meetings) and they keep things moving along just fine. Usually it's a bitch fight in there because so many of the ladies fall in love with GaoZhan (not that I blame them :P) but that also means Luzhen bears the brunt of their jealousies. She's a smart lass though and usually gets out of the mess just fine, though of course she had help, sometimes even from foes (others say the scheming is lacking is finesse compared to Zhen Huan Zhuan, which I didn't watch, but I find them alright).



I was never tempted to FF even though my dearies are not together on my screen, because when they do, it makes the wait all the more sweeter. And it helps that I actually like the other pairing and characters, evil or not, as well. I read some spoilers and know my heart would break (and more teeth gnashing), but this is the most addictive drama I've seen of late and I know I would stay to the bitter end. I doubt it's as exquisite as BBJX but like I said, I LOVE it. Any drama that could make me sacrifice my sleep big time is a major crack for me.
 "陆贞"现身《快乐大本营》 陈晓赵丽颖当众激吻
At Episode 33, the drama is not quite over yet since it's slated for 45 episodes (it's over in China at the time of writing I think). It may sound daunting but each episode is essentially only about 35 to 40 minutes long, minus all the repeats at the beginnings. There are loopholes and sometimes the editing is a major fail, especially at the beginning but it's the epic love story and Lu Zhen's struggles that drew me in so if you can get past that, I think this is an absolute gem, especially if you like period pieces like me.

Check out the lovely opening song...



15 comments:

  1. Actually, Hunan is milking this drama as long as it can, which means extending it to around 58 episodes I heard. That makes more sense since each episode was getting shorter and shorter as the drama went on.

    Chen Xiao and Zhao Liying are super adorable! They are the heart of this drama, which I'm sure would not have done as well if not for their amazing chemistry. YZ should cast them in another production while they are hot! And I might actually watch through it, even if it means he's the one directing it...

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    1. Dang it...If that is true...that would mean I may still suffer from sleepless nights until next Monday. I was wondering about that because I swear some episodes are only about 25 minutes or so in actual length.

      Yes, these two are just perfection!!!!! Without them, this would be just another palace drama...albeit a tolerable one. I replayed their scenes so many to savour every moment of their interactions...that I'm probably going mad. Just pure LOVE. If they star in anything else, I'd be sure to watch it...or at least check it out.

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    2. lu zhen is so gullible to the point of being stupid. script writers have taken viewers for a ride. yet, the more she is being bullied, the more viewers want to watch to see the day her enemies get their just retribution.

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    3. After a while, the story gets a little repetitive...and what kept me watching at the end of the day is really the two leads. At least the writer managed to hook their intended viewers by making sure they're still onboard to watch the villains fall...

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  2. I completely agree. I remember going through the drama thinking, "Why am I still watching" and then the two leads show up to remind me. While Lu Zhen doesn't have the intrigue/cruelty of Zhen Huan Zhuan, the story is simple and sweet. I think it was geared towards an audience jaded by tragedy. Gong balanced out BBJX and I think Lu Zhen balanced out Zhen Huan. Did you see the ending though? I found the drama's half hearted attempt to get an deep emotional reaction from the audience was a bit of a cheap and deserapte ploy. It's their way of saying, "Wait, we can be a critically acclaimed historical drama like Zhen Huan", when all along it was about the leads and their chemistry.

    Anyways, I'm doing a recap of the episodes, and I'd love your input if you have time to check it out.

    http://dramatictealeaves.wordpress.com/

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    1. It was never gonna be a critically acclaimed historical drama LOL. That's pretty much delusional. But it was a nice watch. It doesn't wring your soul and tears like BBJX (that one left me emotional exhausted) but instead maintains an almost upbeat mood despite the various tragedies. It kept me happy though I wanted to kill Shen Bi half the time she's onscreen. So yeah in the end this drama was beautiful for me because of the leads.

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  3. where did u watch the drama with sub?

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    1. I believe it's available of most eng-subbing drama streaming sites. Look under the title "Female Prime Minister". Dramacool has it.

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  4. Just finished watching this drama. Cried too much on last few eps. Damn it! Cried twice not because it was sad, but I was touched by Gao Zhan's words. "Willing to give up country for Lu Zhen", "without her, nothing is important", "they all will pay for hurting my most beloved woman". I want a man like him as well!! Yes I cried when he said those words! I'm tired to see so many obstacles they have been going through. I just want them to be happy. Too many tears and sacrifices. Yet in the end...
    I really wanted to kill Shen Bi and Jia Min. Empress Dowager is evil but not annoying like those two.
    Moreover I'm curious about Jia Yan. This hottie should appeared in the end, but not. He sacrificed so much and I'm glad he is alive. Yet I wanted to see him converse more with Lu Zhen after Gao Zhan died. I don't mind if he is married to other girl or still single as long as he appears to support Lu Zhen.

    Overall, the ending really forced me to cry another hour. Sighing, wondering, reminiscing, regretting, I don't wanna let go of this drama! Didn't want that kinda ending! I will rewatch it, but after knowing the ending it saddens me....

    Zhao Liying and Chen Xiao are just perfect! No wonder they dated for more than a year~

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  5. Just finished watching this drama. Cried too much on last few eps. Damn it! Cried twice not because it was sad, but I was touched by Gao Zhan's words. "Willing to give up country for Lu Zhen", "without her, nothing is important", "they all will pay for hurting my most beloved woman". I want a man like him as well!! Yes I cried when he said those words! I'm tired to see so many obstacles they have been going through. I just want them to be happy. Too many tears and sacrifices. Yet in the end...
    I really wanted to kill Shen Bi and Jia Min. Empress Dowager is evil but not annoying like those two.
    Moreover I'm curious about Jia Yan. This hottie should appeared in the end, but not. He sacrificed so much and I'm glad he is alive. Yet I wanted to see him converse more with Lu Zhen after Gao Zhan died. I don't mind if he is married to other girl or still single as long as he appears to support Lu Zhen.

    Overall, the ending really forced me to cry another hour. Sighing, wondering, reminiscing, regretting, I don't wanna let go of this drama! Didn't want that kinda ending! I will rewatch it, but after knowing the ending it saddens me....

    Zhao Liying and Chen Xiao are just perfect! No wonder they dated for more than a year~

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  6. i was just wandering which family lu zheng from.. i a bit confused about it, and waht is the meaning of that hairpin

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  7. i was just wandering which family lu zheng from.. i a bit confused about it, and waht is the meaning of that hairpin

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    1. Same here! the subbing sucks on the episode when they explained about her parents -_-

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    2. Lu Zheng's mother was also a female official married to a known general so Lu Zheng's biological parents are members of the aristocrat. It was the Empress, mother of Ah Zhan who gave the phoenix hairpin to Ah Zhen's mother according to the First Princess. The evil empress sought to kill the family & Lady Lu managed to survive by becoming a concubine of the merchant that Ah Zhen knew as her father.

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  8. One of the best love story I've watched. It portrayed what real love is. Not just sweet moments but it entails sacrifices, commitments, loyalty & trust which were the core elements that was able to overcome all the obstacles, trials that comes in real life too. In that world of scheming, betrayal, greed, power grab, only real love was able to conquer all. Had two sleepless nights marathon watching this epic. Great drama, stellar performers, beautiful costumes & wonderful love chemistry of Chen Xiao & Zhao Liying.

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