Pursuit of Jade

A 2026, 40-episode drama that has Tian Xiwei as the lead female character. It's based on the web novel Zhu Yu by Tuan Zi Lai X. The screenplay is by Zou Yue, Jin Zi, and Zeng Zhen.

The premise

This is a drama set in a fictional version of ancient China. Fan Changyu (played by Tian Xiwei) is a young woman who lives in the small village of Lin'an and makes a living as a butcher. The latter is something that carries a social stigma. Fan Changyu doesn't let it get to her most of the time, tho. After all, she has a younger sister Fan Changning (played by Cao Yanning) to take care of after both of their parents got killed by bandits. The drama begins a little over a month since their parents' deaths.

One day after work, Fan Changyu finds a guy semi-buried in the snow. Since the guy is still alive, she decides to take him to her home. "Yan Zheng" (played by Zhang Linghe) says he's a security escort that was attacked by bandits who stole all of his money and documents. [NB: Yan Zheng is the name I'll be using for this character throughout the post to avoid confusion. Though he has a few other names: Xie Zheng / Marquis of Wu’an /Xie Jiuheng (this is his courtesy name).]

Fan Changyu only has two other living, blood relatives: her grandfather (played by Bai Liwei) who is old and v. sick AND Fan Daniu, her uncle (played by Gao Yuqing) who is an alcoholic gambler. Her uncle rolls up to Fan Changyu's place with a gang. He plans to take her home. She pushes them back for the time being.

When she talks to the local authorities abt what's happened, she lears that, due to local law, the next living male relative CAN put a claim for the house . . . because Fan Changyu is single. It doesn't even matter that her father had legally given her the house in his will.

SO, after some deliberating, she sits down with Yan Zheng and says "how abt we get married so I can keep my home AND you'll be able to secure documentation? It's a win-win for both. Even better, since this is a business arrangement, once you fully recover (Yan Zheng is seriously beat up. He even needs a crutch to go around), we'll get divorced and you can leave!" Yan Zheng agrees and they get married. But he's not who says he is…


I'd been hearing a ton abt this drama--with everything being mostly positive.

The funny thing is that I happen to have renewed my Netflix subscription for a little bit (in order to watch BTS stuff) and figured, well, let me give this drama watch. If I don't like it, it's no big deal. And if I do, it'll be a good time.
Let me tell you, I finished this drama in FIVE DAYS, but there we are. SWEAT EMOJI

This drama is directed by Zeng Qingjie who happens to be the director of my most recent 5-star drama (Blossom). So I went in with high expectations and, for the most part, they were surpassed by a ton. Zeng Qingjie is v. precise abt everything from a scene of two ppl are quietly eating all the way to kisses, love confessions, and dramatic reveals. He's an expert at what he does.

The cinematography is IMPECCABLE! If you want to see a lot of pretty onscreen (from the setting to the special fx to the cast), this drama is for you! The technical aspects are amazing as well.

I like the majority of the cast. Everyone--from the main actors to the background characters --knows what they're supposed to do. It's deeply enjoyable to watch talented ppl do their thing in a natural way.

The sets feel real as well. Which is a neat thing since much of the story takes place in regular ppl's homes. At different points of the story, there are fancy houses as well as the Imperial Palace. But a lot of the drama happens in middle and low class settings. The village design is super interesting. This focus on realism extends to when the story moves to army camps. Even the tent for the leader looks like an actual place and not some museum piece.

Kudos to the music. The OST rocks every which way, really.

As for Tian Xiwei as Fan Changyu…she was great (with a v. small, YMMV caveat that I'll mention in my criticisms.) I'd first seen her in New Life Begins and found her charming then. In this drama, she's able to show a range of emotions (from super bubbly to strong and assertive). She can do many things v. well (with one exception that, again, I'll mention in my criticisms.)

One interesting thing abt her character is that she's v. physically strong. Especially for someone who is so petite. Funnily enough, there's a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of her, frex, carrying Yan Zheng w/o assistance. This adds another layer to who she eventually becomes in the drama.

I also like Zhang Linghe as "Yan Zheng" and his real identity (heheh). Just like Tian Xiwei, he can do comedy or drama pretty well. On a shallow note, the camera loves him.

Seeing the different types of women in the story is greatness. Female friendships and women supporting each other are two undercurrent themes from beginning to end. Neither is presented in a too contemporary way (which some dramas have fallen victim to.) Another thing is that everyone (including characters viewers might hate at first) does end up having at least a little bit of character development. There are a lot of things going on and so, it makes sense that ppl's opinions, feelings, and thoughts would change too. Sometimes for good, others for evil.

For the most part, the villains are good. The MAIN VILLAIN is a truly horrible person . . . that's also tremendously fascinating. Please understand that the things he does and/or orders others to do on his behalf are TERRIBLE. At the same time, though, he has a meaty backstory. The reasons motivating him do have some weight to it. That said, he's THE ABSOLUTE WORST. The second [this Character] shows up you'll run out of red flags. He's one scary mofo.


Do I have any criticisms?

1. A character (not gonna say whether they're part of the main cast nor mention their gender) gets information that is super important AND extremely sensitive. I liken the info to a vial full of nitroglycerine. In the sense that, used wrongly, it can make a huge mess out of everything.

The character makes the (to me) infuriating decision to keep the info to themselves and carry that burden. EVEN THOUGH, via internal monologue, they are scolding themselves abt not telling someone what they've learned. So they actively choose to lie--which was already making me 🙄…

Only for that character to find out, literally THE NEXT EPISODE, that the person who should've gotten the info already knew abt it and told the secret-keeper so. It was a v. rare pointless scene. SMH!


2. Regarding the CP, whenever the scene has to do with something cute, sweet, romantic OR non-sexual intimacy (such as holding hands, hugging, feeding each other, etc), the CP WORKS (thank the gods). As a viewer, the vibe is solid.

HOWEVAH, whenever the focus is on sexual stuff (foreplay or actually sleeping together), things go a little askew, IMO.

Zhang Linghe is game. You can tell that his character is attracted to Tian Xiwei's character. Sadly, those are the moments when Tian Xiwei lacks confidence. And that's something that comes across her performance. She looks confused at the attention on her pleasure and/or desire--which lowers whatever strong feels viewers are supposed to be experiencing.

So, their intimate scenes are moderately hot, but that's mostly due to Zhang Linghe's acting.

Unfortunately, I can't help but compare them with Blossom's CP (given that was directed by the same guy). And over in that drama, Song Mo and Dou Zhao have a carnal aspect to their relationship that is playful and v. human. You can tell they FUCK, basically. It's a v. adult vibe.

Back over to Pursuit of Jade, even worse for Yan Zheng/Fan Changyu fail at sexy times (IMO), the Secondary Couple really goes to town. This other couple is pretty much the bizarro/flipside of the CP. Meaning that there's undeniable love and trust between Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng, but there's none of that when it comes to the Secondary Couple. Theirs is an extremely twisted and toxic dynamic.

And yet, during the Secondary Couple's intimate scenes, both actors are into it with the female actor projecting confidence in her sensuality. It makes Tian Xiwei's uncertain reactions to her own husband's attentions and lust even more 🙃. IJS.


3. I also kept waiting for Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng to become a Power Couple. The story tries to present them as such, and yet I'm not convinced. They are good together and excellent partners to each other, but that's where it ends. Again, especially compared with (say) Blossom's Dou Zhao/Song Mo, Xue Li/Duke Su in The Double or Chu Chu/The Prince in Imperial Coroner. All who ARE true Power Couples.

To me, the CP in POJ doesn't get there. In the show, Fan Changyu's shift from a character who just wants to lead a rather simple life to someone who ends up amassing a lot of power is not as smooth as it should be.

LET ME MOVE ON to other things that bugged me.


4. The drama gets away from the production team somewhere around ep. 30-32. Things are happening, I'M INVESTED IN THE OUTCOME and all that. BUT, during the last batch of episodes, there are too many betrayals and sudden reveals for the amount of time left in the drama. NGL, I keep thinking of matryoshkas because there's a lie covered by another lie to cover the lie to cover the truth and then another truth. FTR, I understand what happened, but I didn't like how stuffed the last eps are.

5. Also, the last episode is V. WEIRD. It has a HEA, but, well, I gotta be detailed in my explanation.

FULL SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING

After everything has been taken care of, Yan Zheng asks Fan Changyu what she wants to do now. She replies that she wants to go back to Li'nan and have a peaceful life. From there, scenes go by showing the new Emperor, what roles Yan Zheng and Fan Changyu got as part of the new Imperial Court, etc.

Then there's a scene that shows her returning to her hometown on horseback, dressed in regular clothes.

The first thing that makes it an odd scene is that it's got a hazy filter that adds a dreamlike OR otherworldly vibe to it. Fan Changyu is welcomed by the entire town, it seems. But then, viewers will notice that the ppl welcoming her are ALL OF THE PPL WHO HAVE DIED THROUGHOUT THE DRAMA. Yan Zheng is there too (is he dead? WHEN did he died?) She gets off her horse and embraces Yan Zheng. He says something like "I've been waiting for you. It's been so long". MY understanding was that they were in the afterlife?

AND THEN, the scene fades into the drama's current timeline. She's back at her home, hugging the Zhao couple. Her husband and the Northwest Pig Butchering Crew are there. Fan Changyu starts telling the Zhaos abt the ppl who've died.

I… still don't know WHAT was the point of the previous scene. Maybe it was her making peace with those who have passed on? The thing is that it legit gave the impression of it happening AFTER Fan Changyu herself had died. O__o?!

THEN there's another scene where Chancellor Wei is given poisoned wine that had been prepared by his nephew. As he starts to drink it, he thinks abt his nephew showing up in his cell. There's a quick montage where they're having a meal, talking, etc. Again, it was confusing cuz I truly didn't know if the Chancellor was hallucinating as he was dying from the poison OR if the scene was something that had actually happened. Apparently, it did happened for realsies? It was fucking weird.

Then there are a whole bunch of time skips. And the last shot is of Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng heading into battle together as he snarks at her cuz she's a mother of two. Sure. Why not?

The end credit scene is a v. neat coda, tho.


What's the FMC's plot armor level?

Medium-ish.

Fan Changyu does tend to succeed and/or get away with things that, logically speaking, would've sent other ppl to jail. At the same time, the show (for all of its protectiveness toward her) does place her in v. dire situations. I also have to point out that, by the end of the series, she's lost many ppl who were close to her. This leads to moments when grief drives her not-quite-crazy, but she does become reckless cuz she's nearing her breaking point.


How's the CP? Are there any other ships I liked?

Fan Changyu and Yan Zheng, well, they're a FREAK4FREAK couple. Both are super compatible. They're absolute weirdos. Their flirting isn't the lovey-dovey kind. Instead, it's a mix of snark and randomness that only make sense TO THEM AND THEM ALONE.

They're a solid couple because the show gives them enough time to develop their bond. From the beginning of the story, they're living and working together as husband and wife, etc. Thus both characters get to really know each other both in good and bad ways, discuss their respective backgrounds [somewhat since Yan Zheng is hiding his true identity at that time], and so forth.

Although I wouldn't say that he falls first, IMO the show makes it look like he falls the HARDEST. I don't want to give the impression that (emotionally and romantically) this is an unbalanced relationship. It's not. The reality is that Yan Zheng has a lot more life experience given his position, age, and whatnot. So it takes Fan Changyu a bit to connect the dots (so to speak) when it comes to being in a relationship and sorting out her feelings.

However, once she's in, she's IN IT TO WIN IT. I do adore the FACT that he MAKES IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS (AND EVEN THOSE WHO DON'T) that Fan Changyu is HIS PROPER/OFFICIAL WIFE. That's something that he NEVER questions. She does waver for a moment (obvs, once she finds out who he really is), but then regroups and they're back for good.

Theirs isn't a Like Attracts Like or an Opposites Attract type relationship. To me, they fall somewhere in the middle. They haven't had the same upbringing, but they do share similar values. When they're together, he's able to be vulnerable and soft. [One of the best things abt the first ⅓ of the story is that he heals physically and emotionally. And it happens in a way that he doesn't even notice it until way later.] Meanwhile, he gives her a sense of security AND support. Which is something she's lacked for a while.

As for negative traits, he does have a tendency to be overprotective of her and she is quite stubborn and impulsive. Eventually both of them do grow out of those things. There are some moments of jealousy, but the relationship remains solid even during the episodes they're apart.


How does the show handle the inevitable "Oh noes, the emperor's in danger of losing his throne!" storyline?

In an interesting way.

The current emperor Qi Sheng (played by Guan Yunpeng) is a puppet figure. He's on the throne cuz Chancellor Wei (played by Yan Yiquan) put him there. Complicating things is the decades long struggle between Chancellor Wei and Grand Tutor Li (played by Wang Jiusheng). The one unpredictable variable is the Marquis Wu'an (who is Chancellor Wei's nephew.) BUT nephew and uncle have been at odds for a while.

Then there's the Main Villain who has a long-term plan to get the throne for himself.

Later on, there's an idea to replace the current emperor with someone else (NOT the Marquis). Regardless, ecause the emperor is so shitty, I was game to see him GONE!

One 👍🏾 is that are less emphasis on court scenes than in other dramas. It's likely that's cuz the emperor is such a dweeb. Also the Marquis has a cooler/detached attitude toward the emperor. So the court stuff mainly happens in the last third of the story and even then, there are other things to keep it from overwhelming the plot too much.

Another plus is that everyone in court is SO morally gray. In other dramas, the emperor and his inner circle are either benevolent or fully evil. This show makes a good point of, when it comes to gov't, there are truly bad ppl who have the worst ideas and intentions AND there are LESS TERRIBLE ppl who have some good intentions but are also v. ambitious. This drama doesn't make it easy to side with one specific group. Everyone got something that's slightly twisted abt them.


Do I recommend it?

I think so! It's got drama, action, intrigue, mystery, comedy, AND romance. And even better, the romance is NEVER pushed out of the way.

THAT SAID, I do have to warn that around the halfway point, the mood shifts from cozy romance and comedy to brutal and dark as war-like situations begin to pop up. V. few ppl are actually safe in this drama (aside from the CP and abt 6 more characters?) There's also onscreen violence (though, since this is a Cdrama, there's nothing graphic such as gore. BUT ppl do die in terrible ways.) I wouldn't go as far as to say that it reaches GOT levels of gore, but things do get 😬.

Eventually, the mood levels out. Though it doesn't return to the fluffy (and again, cozy) vibes of the first third of the show, the BRUTALITY lowers plenty.

I don't regret watching it one bit; was v. entertained from first episode to the last.

I'm giving it a 4 out of 5.


Queerness level

I'm gonna go with non-existent. #SADTROMBONE


Le Trailer

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