www.mieranadhirah.com: Chinese Drama: The Virtuous Queen of Han

Dec 29, 2014

Chinese Drama: The Virtuous Queen of Han

I am also currently watching the Virtuous Queen of Han. This is on Astro Quan JIa ch 308, but I had it recorded on PVR so it has been running for quite a while now and is nearing the end. I just started on it and found it really good...

This amazing historical drama is about the life of Han Dynasty empress Wei Zifu, the empress consort with the second-longest reign in Chinese history.

Wei Zifu, comes from a very poor family and loves her youngest brother Wei Qing the most and she has a very close childhood friend Duan Hong who she cares for as well.

Somehow when she grew up, she became a maid who serves in the household of the young Princess Pingyang, the elder sister of Emperor Wu .

Whilst on the run from a young noble taking advantage of the poor peasants sufferings to bully them, she stumbled into the room of Prime Minister Dou, Duan Hong and begged for protection which they gave. At that time, she did not recognise her childhood friend and he, her. In return , the Prime Minister then asked her to pen a few words which she did and he found it very interesting and gave it to Duan Hong to pass to the emperor just as he sent Duan Hong to protect the emperor.

The Emperor was very stunned that a normal peasant woman could think of the whole country in just a few words and wants to find her. He decides to visit his sister the Princess Pingyang and whilst saving her good friend from falling during a dance, caught the Emperor's attention.

For more political advantage, Pingyang offers Zifu to Emperor Wu, who immediately falls in love with Zifu’s charms and even more so when he realise she was the woman he had on his mind who penned the words he found so interesting.

Emperor Wu is already in an extremely strained relationship with his cousin and wife, Empress Chen Ajiao , whom he was forced to marry for a political alliance.

Much to Ajiao’s displeasure, Emperor Wu consummates his relationship with Zifu and takes her as his consort. Ajiao turns to witchcraft to curse Zifu, but her vile attempts are soon discovered. Zifu begs the emperor to pardon the empress’ death sentence, and Emperor Wu deposes Ajiao’s empress title, banishing her to the cold palace.

Zifu has three princesses with the Emperor and is pronounced as empress after she gives birth to Emperor Wu’s first son and later crown prince.

Zifu’s title of empress is challenged by court officials, but the modest Zifu patiently proves her worth to the court through a modest reign. Zifu offers ideal political suggestions to Emperor Wu, who eventually entrusts Zifu to govern the court whenever he is absent.

The people around her are her childhood friend Duan Hong who is in love with her, but he ultimately chooses to stay by her side to support her and the court.

Then there is her beloved younger brother Wei Qing who rose to be a great general who fell in love with Princess Pingyang, but finds himself far below her status since he was once a servant in her household. The Princess loves him back and wants him as her spouse after the death of her husband but their relationship could not be because of statuses and Wei Qing does not want her to be a laughing stock and marries Zifu's hand maiden and good friend instead much to the Princess misery. Princess Pingyang then turns against Zifu as she felt that Zifu wanted to be an Empress and made her brother give up his love for her (Princess Pingyang)

I love the series and hated it when the first Empress Ajiao and her mother the Princess Dao poisoned the Grand Dowager Empress and Dowager Empress mind against Zifu. They were really terrible and horrible people to do so to the gentle, patient and devoted Zifu.