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News Article
The Empire is of More Importance
- The Two Big Mysteries of Qing Dynasty
Reported by Feng Feng,
Qian Jiang Evening News, 05 October 2001
Shooting of the thirty episode series, The Empire is of More Importance, a joint
production by Zhejiang Great Wall Production and Haining Government, has begun
in 4th October in Haining.
There are two mysteries left behind by the legacy of The Qing Dynasty: One is
Yongzheng's sudden departure from life, while the other relates to the birth of
Emperor Qianlong. Several fables surrounding the two mysteries have been
circulating among the people for hundreds of years. One fable says that
Yongzheng was murdered by Lu Si-Niang. Yongzheng's tomb has never been opened,
and people have been wondering if his body that lies inside the coffin was
attached with a gold head, in order to verify if Lu Si-Niang had indeed sought
vengeance on him.
According to Unofficial Historical Records of Qing Dynasty, Qianglong was the son of Chen
Yuan-Long of Haining. Emperor Kangxi chose the heir to his throne based not just
on his son's capability to govern the Manchurian Empire, but also whether his
grandson was of no lesser calibre, to ensure the Manchurians' everlasting reign
over the country. Yongzheng's own son was a weakling and he surreptitiously
arranged for his daughter to be swapped for Chen Yuan-Long's son, who became
apple of Kangxi's eye. Thus, Yongzheng got to succeed the throne, and his "son",
Hongli, subsequently became Emperor Qianlong. Later, when Qianlong went to
southern part of the country four times, he stayed in Chen's house in Haining,
leaving behind his calligraphy and also frequently also issued imperial decree
making Haining a tax-free state.
The Empire is of More Importance is based on fables and historical records about
these two mysteries, with its characters being modelled in some fashion after
them. It carries a deeply sorrowful theme about putting the welfare of the country
above anything else. It talks about the young Qianlong and a tragic goddess -
Yongzheng's daughter, Yu-Niang, who was an abandoned princess. Through the
tragic love story between Qianlong and Yu-Niang, it shows the goodness and evil
of people's heart, the struggle between love and hatred, and the inability to
control one's destiny even as the king and the princess, especially when Chen
Yuan-Long eventually had to poison his own son, Cheng Bang-Guo, and wrote, with
tears of blood, The Empire is of More Importance.
This drama serial features a strong cast that includes Wu Jing, Xu Huai-Shan,
Wei Zong-Wan, Fan Bing-Bing and Liu Guan-Xiong and a top-notch director, Jing
Quan. The producer, Zhao Rui-Yong, told the press that, while it draws
references from folk legends, it's far from being a fictitious show. Rather it
blends the real historical facts with fables centring upon the mysteries. He
hopes to make it as good as the classic, Imperial Court of Yongzheng.
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