LayarHijau.com – The costume drama Pursuit of Jade (逐玉) has finally premiered and quickly captured the attention of viewers. Starring Zhang Linghe, Tian Xiwei, Kong Xue’er, Deng Kai, Li Qing, Yu Zhong, Ren Hao, Liu Lin, Yan Kuan, Yue Yang, Du Chun, Tan Kai, Mao Linlin, Ye Zuxin, Yu Yang, and Li Jianyi, the drama had already generated strong anticipation even before its official release.
It should be noted that the explanations regarding the characters’ backgrounds below are largely based on the original novel that inspired the drama. The television adaptation may include changes or adjustments to the storyline and relationships between characters.
Before its premiere, Pursuit of Jade had already surpassed 10 million reservations from viewers. After it began airing, the drama’s popularity quickly surged on two major platforms, iQIYI and Tencent Video, where it climbed to the top of the popularity charts. It is no surprise that the series is being regarded as one of the most highly anticipated historical romance dramas of the year.
The story follows Fan Changyu, the daughter of a butcher who must learn to survive on her own after both of her parents pass away. In order to protect her home and family business, she becomes the head of the household.
Her life changes when fate brings her together with Xie Zheng, a nobleman who is hiding from enemies.
Xie Zheng is actually a marquis living under a false identity while secretly planning revenge for the tragedy that destroyed his family 17 years earlier. Their first meeting happens during a snowstorm, when Fan Changyu discovers the severely injured Xie Zheng and saves his life.
She even pawns her silver hairpin to pay for his medical treatment. To repay her kindness and also help Fan Changyu protect her family property from her greedy uncle, Fan Da, Xie Zheng eventually decides to marry her and become a live-in son-in-law of the Fan family.
A Fake Marriage That Turns Into Real Love
However, their married life is far from peaceful. Xie Zheng secretly keeps in contact with his trusted subordinates through a messenger falcon. From them, he learns that after Chongzhou fell, the army in Yanzhou has been left without a leader.
Knowing he cannot abandon his soldiers, Xie Zheng quietly prepares to leave while recovering from his injuries. He tells Fan Changyu that he is merely a caravan guard, and she believes him completely.
Their fake marriage, which gradually turns into genuine love, does not last long. The people hunting Xie Zheng eventually take drastic action by rounding up all outsiders living in Xi Gu Lane and forcing them into military service.
Although his identity is not exposed, Xie Zheng chooses to join the army. This leads to one of the drama’s most dramatic developments: Fan Changyu picks up her butcher knife and heads to the battlefield to search for her husband and seek justice.
One of the most emotional moments occurs when Fan Changyu finally finds Xie Zheng on the battlefield, covered in blood.
“Stop being a soldier. Go back home. I’ll raise you by selling pork,” she says through tears.
Xie Zheng pretends to be seriously injured and weakly replies, “You want to divorce me…”
Fan Changyu quickly shakes her head as tears fill her eyes. “No divorce! No divorce! As long as you’re alive, nothing else matters!”
Fan Changyu even joins the fight and manages to behead the enemy leader herself, proving that her combat ability is no less impressive than Xie Zheng’s.
When Xie Zheng leads his troops to rescue her, Fan Changyu finally discovers the shocking truth. Her husband is actually the man she has long admired and prayed to: Marquis Wu’an, Xie Zheng.
The True Identity of Fan Changyu
But the surprises in the story do not end with Xie Zheng’s identity. Fan Changyu herself turns out to have a far more complicated background than anyone expected.
In the novel version, Fan Changyu’s real name is Wei Changyu. Her father is Wei Qilin, a former loyal subordinate of the Xie family, while her mother is named Meng Lihua.
Their deaths were not caused by bandits as Fan Changyu had believed all her life. Instead, they were killed because they possessed a secret connected to a major political conspiracy known as the Jinzhou Blood Case.
Wei Qilin knew the truth behind this conspiracy because he had kept documents that could expose powerful figures within the court. As a result, he and his wife were both silenced.
The Complicated Relationship Between Xie Zheng and Wei Yan
The same conspiracy also led to the destruction of the Xie family. Xie Zheng’s father, a respected general, was brutally murdered in Jinzhou. His mother later chose to take her own life.
The mastermind behind these tragedies is a powerful official named Wei Yan.
In the novel, Wei Yan’s relationship with Xie Zheng is especially complicated because they are actually related by blood. Wei Yan is the maternal uncle of Xie Zheng, meaning he is part of Xie Zheng’s extended family.
Despite this family connection, Wei Yan does not hesitate to destroy his own nephew’s family. In order to protect his political power in the imperial court, he frames the Xie family for treason and manipulates military reports.
This conspiracy not only destroys the Xie family but also leads to the deaths of Wei Qilin and his wife, since they knew the truth behind the Jinzhou Blood Case.
In other words, both Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu are victims of the same conspiracy orchestrated by Wei Yan.
The Secret Hidden Inside the Silver Hairpin
The drama also hints at Fan Changyu’s true identity several times. One moment occurs when Xie Zheng asks about the name of her mother. He begins to suspect something because he knows that Wei Qilin’s wife was also named Meng Lihua.
Another clue appears when Fan Changyu treats Xie Zheng’s wounds and mentions that her father once had similar scars. At the time, she believed her father was only a caravan guard, not realizing that he had actually been a soldier.
In the novel, the most important secret left behind by her parents is hidden inside Fan Changyu’s silver hairpin. It contains documents that can prove Wei Yan’s crimes.
Through military archives, old letters from former soldiers, and these secret documents, Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu gradually piece together the truth about the conspiracy that happened 17 years earlier.
In the end, they expose all of Wei Yan’s crimes before the imperial court, including framing loyal generals and colluding with foreign enemies.
After the truth is revealed and their revenge is complete, Xie Zheng and Fan Changyu choose to leave behind the dangerous political life of the court and return to a simple life in the countryside.
Fan Changyu goes back to her old life as a butcher, while Xie Zheng continues living as the Fan family’s son-in-law. After everything they have endured, this quiet and ordinary life becomes their greatest happiness.