''The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan'' () is a Chinese television series about the life of

Ji Xiaolan Ji Yun (; 1724–1805), also known as Ji Xiaolan () or Ji Chunfan () was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and writer. He was an influential scholar of Qing dynasty China and many anecdotes have been recorded about him. Ji Yun left behind a bo ...

. The series was directed by

Zhang Guoli Zhang Guoli (born 17 January 1955) is a Chinese actor and film director who was a '' xiangsheng'' actor before he started working on films and television series. He is mostly known for his roles playing the Emperor in various dramas involving Qi ...

and consists of a total of 173 episodes shot in high definition, each 45 minutes long and containing 10 minutes of 3-D effects. The series is based on events during the reign of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 ...

in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

Plot

Season 1

Involved in several events, Ji Xiaolan always tried to achieve justice, while the corruptive Heshen and his fellows always held him back. After initial misunderstanding two swords-women Mo Chou and Du Xiaoyue joined Ji Xiaolan. Qianlong Emperor always knew what Heshen had done but never punish him severely.

Season 2

Mo Chou, who during the last episodes of Season 1 had born Qianlong Emperor a son and become his imperial concubine, never reappeared in the following seasons due to audience criticism and was only mentioned in a few conversations.

Season 3

Du Xiaoyue never appeared due to the absence of her role player Yuan Li, claimed to have been married off. A new girl named Lu Linlang was introduced to be her replacement.

Season 4

Lu Linlang, claimed to have left, did not reappear; After her husband was killed by corruptive officials associated with Heshen, Du Xiaoyue rejoined Ji Xiaolan.

Cast

* Wang Gang as

Heshen Heshen (; ; 1 July 1750 – 22 February 1799) of the Manchu Niohuru clan, was an official of the Qing dynasty favored by the Qianlong Emperor and called the most corrupt official in Chinese history. After the death of Qianlong, the Jiaqing Emp ...

Zhang Tielin Zhang Tielin (born 15 June 1957) is a British actor and film director. He is best known for portraying the Qianlong Emperor in the first two seasons of the Chinese television series ''My Fair Princess''. Early life and education Zhang was born ...

as the

Yuan Li Yuan Li (; born 12 July 1973), sometimes called "China's Audrey Hepburn" or "China's Mother Teresa", is a Chinese actress. She has won the China Golden Eagle Award for Best Supporting Actress and Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actress ...

as Du Xiaoyue * Zhao Minfen/ Yan Minqiu/ Wang Liyuan as

Empress Xiaoshengxian Empress Xiaoshengxian (12 January 1692 – 2 March 1777), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the consort of Yinzhen, the Yongzheng Emperor and mother of Hongli, the Qianlong Emperor. She was ...

* Zhang Ting as Lu Linlang * Yang Xiyan/ Zhang Lei/ Liu Kaifei as Xing'er * Zhang Chunnian as Liu Quan *

Cynthia Khan Yang Li-tsing (born 13 December 1968), better known internationally by her stage name Cynthia Khan, is a Taiwanese actress. She starred in many Hong Kong and Filipino girls with guns films. Early life Yang studied Chinese and jazz dance i scho ...

as Mo Chou * Xiang Neng as

Fuk'anggan Fuk'anggan (Manchu:, Möllendorff: fuk'anggan; ; 1748–1796), courtesy name Yaolin (), was a Manchu noble and general of the Qing Dynasty. He was from the Fuca clan () and the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Eight Banners. Fuk'anggan's father, ...

* Pan Xiaoli as Zhao Qing

Others

Season 1

* Cong Peixin as Censor Hong * Wu Zhen as Hong Xia * Shu Yaoxuan as Shang Rong * Liu Weihua as Royal Highness *

Huo Siyan Huo Siyan (born October 23, 1981) is a Chinese actress. Biography Huo was born in a middle-class family in Beijing. Both her parents were university don A don is a Fellow#Academia, fellow or Tutor (education), tutor of a college or university, ...

as Xiangcao * Zeng Jing as Lǚ Chang'an * Han Fuyi as Huang Bingtang * Zhang Jing as Tao Xiangyun * Li Xiaolei as Chen Weiyuan * Li Qingxiang as Businessman Jin * Ruan Danning as Su Qinglian *

Yan Huaili Yan Huaili (; 24 July 1936 – 12 April 2009) was a Chinese actor best known for his role as Sha Wujing in the 1986 television series ''Journey to the West''. Yan was a member of the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang. Early life Yan ...

as Chen Huizu * Jia Dazhong as Wang Shanwang * Yang Junyong as Wang Tingzan * Liu Yuanyuan as Chuntao

Season 2

* Liu Yanjun as Zhao Xinjin * Ma Zijun as Zhang Wanjie * Hong Zongyi as Zuo Shankui * Bai Qiulin as Zhao Wenlong * Zou Hewei as Min De * Song Dong as Wu Shengqin * Wang Shenshen as Liao Fan * Ma Weifu as Xu Qingyu * Xu Meiling as The procuress * Wei Wei as Xiao Hongyan *

Ma Yili Ma Yili (, born 29 June 1976) is a Chinese actress. Ma ranked 42nd on ''Forbes'' China Celebrity 100 list in 2019. Early life Ma was born in Hongkou District, Shanghai on June 29, 1976, with her ancestral home in Rudong County, Nantong, Jiangsu. ...

as Yan Ruyu * Sun Yan as Dai Zhan * Gao Yuqing as Hong Zhongyu * Pan Guangju as Yan Ji * Lu Hualei as Lao Cai * Zhang Yuchun as Wu Shaofu * Lu Donglai as Ye Tingbin * Cui Jian as Qi Sutu * Zhong Yuan as Gu Dali * Fu Di as Li Chunmei * Wang Bing as Li Xiaochun * Zhang Jingyu as Hong San * Lu Xiaoyi as Qi An * Dang Yongde as Li San * Ma Jie as Hai Sheng * Ma Lun as Gui Ning * Hao Zi as Mian En * Wang Jingming as Wu Shenglan * Li Geng as Jia San * Guo Lihong as Xiaofang * Yuan Hongqi as Ren Gang * Lin Yongjian as Lu Chao * Jiang Xinyan as Yao Qin

Season 3

* Huang Xiaolei as Changsi * Xu Xiaodan as Hoifa-Nara, the Step Empress * Li Yixiao as Honglian * Li Lihong as Yue Jinzhi * He Jinlong as Guo Min * Liu Naiyi as Ma Rufeng * Hao Subei as Yu Tiexin * Song Dong as Gu Yezhi * Chen Dacheng as A Gui * Zhang Yue as Mingyue * Wang Jianing as Chu Ming * Zhang Mo as Yuan Hong * Li Shijiang as Hua Jianmeng * He Shengwei as Liu Shunmin * Xia Lixin as Sai Huahong * Wu Xiaodong as Hong Hai

Season 4

* Yan Ni as Ge Song'er * Hu Guangzi as He Wenjin * Gao Xinde as Chunhong * Han Yuqin as Mei Yingxue * Du Jun as Yi'ertai * Zhao Hongfei as Cui Yuyan *

Miriam Yeung Miriam Yeung (born 3 February 1974) is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop diva. As of 2020, she has released more than 35 albums and has starred in more than 40 films. In 2012, Yeung won the Award for Best Actress at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Award ...

as Qianqian * Shi Lin as Lizhi * He Yongsheng as Ren Caomu * Li Heng as Tao Dabao * Liu Yong as Fugui

Inconsistencies with History

According to historical accounts: *Liu Quan was older than Heshen. *Ji Xiaolan had a good relationship with Heshen while Fuk'anggan did not. *Qianlong Emperor and Ji Xiaolan were 39 and 26 years senior than Heshen respectively, but in the series the three were described as peers. *Heshen did not have 13 concubines, while Qianlong Emperor did not have 18 daughters. *When Prince Yunti died, Heshen and Fuk'anggan were only 5 and 1 respectively, but in Season 1 the three were described as peers. *During Qing dynasty the status of actors was low, thus Du Xiaoyue would never be adopted by the Empress Dowager as a princess and married to Scholar Zhu Junhao (claimed to have died of illness at the beginning of Season 2). *Qing emperors were never prohibited to take Han women as imperial consorts as Seasons 1 and 3 suggested, while the mother of future Jiaqing Emperor was of Han ethnicity. *The event of deposing the Empress in Season 3 happened in 1765, while the event of marrying a princess to Fengšeninde in Season 1 happened in 1789, 12 years after the death of the Empress Dowager. In history the Empress was deprived of her rights as empress but never formally demoted to a consort. *Fuk'anggan was implied to be a bastard of Qianlong in Season 4, which actually had been proven to be fictitious.

Contradictions in Itself

*In later versions, some dialogues of Lady Liu that claimed herself to be the biological mother of Qianlong Emperor had been edited to only claiming herself a wet nurse, but Ji Xiaolan still referred her as biological mother of the Emperor. *The years appeared in the series spanned widely, while the age of Du Xiaoyue changed only a little. *In the series Heshen was described as a former imperial guard who was considered to be good at martial arts just as historical accounts recorded, but he always seemed to be without martial ability besides several certain episodes. *In Season 3 the Empress Dowager comforted the Empress that Qianlong Emperor would not dare to take Han women as imperial consorts, and warned the Emperor to obey the ancestral precept and he agreed; all these events are contradicted with the early event he had taken Mo Chou as an imperial consort in Season 1.

Critical reception

The series was one of the most watched ones in mainland China while it was broadcast.

References

External links

''The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan 4''
Sina {{DEFAULTSORT:Eloquent Ji Xiaolan, The 1999 Chinese television series debuts Television series set in the Qing dynasty Mandarin-language television shows Chinese historical television series Qianlong Emperor Television shows written by Zou Jingzhi