The Story of Minglan

The Story of Minglan
DVD cover
Also known as	Legend of the Concubine's Daughter: Minglan
Genre	Historical fiction Politics Family
Based on	Do you know? Do You Know? If the green is still plump and the red still lean? by Guanxin Zeluan.
Written by	Zeng Lu Wu Tong
Directed by	Zhang Kaizhou
Starring	Zhao Liying Feng Shaofeng Zhu Yilong
Country of origin	China
Original language	Mandarin
No. of episodes	73
Production
Executive producer	Hou Hongliang
Production locations	Hengdian World Studios Jiaxing Wuxi Jiangsu
Production company	Daylight Entertainment
Original release
Network	Hunan TV
Release	December 25, 2018 (2018-12-25)

The Story of Minglan
Simplified Chinese	知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦
Traditional Chinese	知否？知否？應是綠肥紅瘦
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhīfǒu? Zhīfǒu? yìng shì lǜféi hóngshòu

The Story of Minglan (simplified Chinese: 知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦; traditional Chinese: 知否？知否？應是綠肥紅瘦) is a 2018 Chinese television series adapted from an eponymous novel by an author written under the pseudonym Guanxin Zeluan. It stars Zhao Liying, Feng Shaofeng and Zhu Yilong. The series premiered on December 25, 2018, on Hunan TV.

Background

Set in the Northern Song dynasty, the story revolves around Sheng Minglan, the unfavored sixth daughter of an official. After being mistreated by her legal mother and bullied by her half-sisters, Minglan learns to hide her skills and true intentions, and ultimately succeeds in avenging her biological mother's death. She meets Gu Tingye, who initially dislikes her but after witnessing her wits and intelligence, decides to help her. They eventually fall in love with each other. After Gu Tingye becomes a powerful official, he successfully makes Minglan his wife. As his wife, Minglan helps guard against his unpleasant relatives and purges the court of corrupt ministers. The couple eventually earned their happily-ever-after, and Minglan rose to prominence as an influential figure of the Sheng family.

Plot

Sheng Hong, a fifth rank official, is head of the Sheng household, and he has one official wife, two concubines, and six children. His official wife is Wang Ruofu, a bad tempered but kind lady who is always at odds with Sheng Hong's favorite concubine, Lin Qinshuang. Lin Qinshuang, a former servant, pretends to act weak and sympathetic, gaining the pity and attention of Sheng Hong, to Wang Ruofu's dismay. Sheng Hong also has a step mother, Old Mrs. Sheng, who is the only daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi and is respected by her fellow nobles. However, her relationship with Sheng Hong is strained because she dislikes how Sheng Hong isn't able to control Lin Qinshuang's tactics.

Sheng Minglan is the sixth daughter of Sheng Hong and was born to his second concubine, Wei Shuyi. Although she is bright and intelligent, she hid her talents after witnessing her pregnant mother die as a result of Minglan standing up for her. She was raised by Old Mrs. Sheng, who dotes and loves her dearly. She has five other siblings, Hualan, Changbai, Changfeng, Molan, and Rulan. Hualan, Changbai, and Rulan are the children of Wang Ruofu and Changfeng and Molan are the children of Lin Qinshuang, and the children inherited their mother's personalities and dislikes. Hualan is the respected eldest daughter but is domineered by her mother in law. Changbai is a wise scholar and is Gu Tingye's close friend. Changfeng is carefree and wants a higher social standing. Rulan is short tempered but easy-going while Molan is scheming and wants to improve her social status through marriage. The children study and grow up together along with Qi Heng, Gu Tingye, and Yu Yanran.

Meanwhile, Molan is desperate to marry into a rich household to suppress her feelings of inferiority as the daughter of a concubine. Lin Qinshuang helps her daughter, and Molan flirts with Liang Han, the son of the Count of Yongchang. Liang Han's mother, Lady Wu, prefers Minglan as a daughter in law and despises Molan. Molan eventually uses an underhanded method to marry into the Liang household, to the shame of her father, her siblings, and her grandmother. As a result, Lin Qinshuang is beaten and reveals that she didn't have feelings for Sheng Hong. She is sent away, and Minglan reveals to Lin Qinshuang that Molan's marriage was revenge for Wei Shuyi's death. Molan eventually suffers in her marriage as Liang Han has a lot of concubines, especially favoring his maid Chun Ke. Rulan is simple and only wishes to find true happiness. She shares the characteristics of her mother and despises Molan and Lin Qinshuang. She has an amiable relationship with Minglan. Her mother Wang Ruofu wants her to marry into a noble family to compete with Lin Qinshuang. Rulan instead falls in love with her father's student, who also happens to be Molan's fiancee until the Liang Han incident. She eventually marries the scholar, who also loves her back and treats her well.

On the other hand, Qi Heng develops feelings for Minglan. Qi Heng is the only son of the Duke of Qi and the Princess of Pingning. He is well respected coming from an affluent family, and is considered a suitable husband by many households. Molan and the Princess of Jiacheng are interested in marrying him, but he only likes Minglan. She also develops feelings for him, but Qi Heng never understands her feelings through his idealized view of her. Qi Heng is eventually forced to marry the Princess of Jiacheng. However, their marriage doesn't last long because of a rebellion against the Emperor. His wife and her family is executed, and his mother the Princess of Pingning witnesses the tragedy and becomes mentally ill. Gu Tingye is rewarded for saving the Emperor, and he returns to the Gu Household with honors. He is the son of the Marquis of Ningyuan, but he has a poor relationship with his father and his stepmother Lady Qin despises him. His father was forced by his family to marry his mother Lady Bai for her wealth, and Lady Bai died of grief after finding out the truth. Gu Tingye also has a horrible reputation, fathering two children with his mistress Zhu Manniang. Zhu Manniang eventually leaves him when she believes he's of no worth, and Gu Tingye also has to deal with the constant scheming of Lady Qin. Lady Qin wants her son Tingwei to be the next Marquis, although Tingwei clearly objects.

Gu Tingye proposes to Sheng Minglan after being impressed by her, and although she refuses at first, she agrees after realizing he's changed his old habits. Minglan becomes the lady of the Gu household, and she has to deal with the schemes of Lady Qin, Gu relatives, Wang Ruoyu (Wang Ruofu's older sister and lady of the Kang household), Zhu Manniang, and the imperial household (Emperor, Empress Dowager, Consorts). She strengthens her relationship with her siblings, father, and stepmother Wang Ruofu, and helps other nobles find success in their respective families. She helps Gu Tingye win back the trust of the emperor and they gradually realize their feelings and trust for each other.

Differences from the Novel

(Incomplete)

In the novel, the protagonist is a 21st century woman who died and whose consciousness entered the body of a fever-ridden, five year old Minglan. She uses almost none of her knowledge from the 21st century though and strives to not stand out, so the actual events which take place aren't really affected.

Rulan is haughty and arrogant. Once she grows up, she has a reasonably amicable relationship with Minglan, but only because Minglan goes out of her way to be accommodating. Minglan does not actually like Rulan's company all that much.

Gu Tingye initially sought to marry Minglan's friend, but Minglan interfered with this matter and Gu Tingye eventually married Minglan's friend's sister who was born from a concubine. At that time, he was already in a relationship with, and had children with, Zhu Manniang. Minglan warns Gu Tingye that Manniang is just a gold digger putting on an act, points out some flaws in her reasoning, and predicts a series of events which all come true. Following the death of Minglan's friend's sister, Gu Tingye performs an investigation and eventually decides to expel Manniang. She and her children are sent away and never heard from again.

Gu Tingye uses a scheme to marry Minglan. He fell for Minglan after numerous interactions with her and slightly seeing through her facade of being an ordinary, obedient girl. However, he doesn't ask her parents for her hand in marriage because he knows Old Madam Sheng will definitely object, as she wants Minglan to have a happy marriage and does not care if Minglan's marital family lacks high power and status. Instead, he proposes a marriage to the Sheng house after finding out Rulan was in love with a scholar. Since he was of extremely high status, Minglan's family readily agrees to marry "One of the Sheng daughters" to him. He then makes a show of discovering Rulan's relationship with the scholar, making Minglan the only "Sheng daughter" who can be married to him. Even then, he still has to meet with Minglan in private to convince her to convince her grandma to allow the marriage to go ahead instead of defaulting on the agreement. Minglan does not believe she will be as happy married to Tingye as she will be if married to her original intended partner, but she believes it will be tolerable and makes the sacrifice for the sake of her family.

Gu Tingye keeps his word and basically gives Minglan a free pass to break all social norms and be as rude as she likes to Gu Tingye's relatives and to be as tyrannical as she wants to her servants. Minglan, however, chooses to maintain the image of an virtuous, traditional wife who manages things using the proper methods.

Cast

Main

Actor	Character	Introduction
Zhao Liying	Sheng Minglan	Sheng Hong's sixth child and fourth daughter, by his concubine Wei Shuyi. Gu Tingye's wife. The mother of Tuan and Yuan. Despite her intelligence and bright nature, she is the most disadvantaged and overlooked child of the family and has tried from a young age to perfect herself and refrain from being a bother to avoid being discarded. An astute observer and predictor of human behavior, Minglan often hides her natural talents in favor of drawing people into situations where their own bad natures defeat themselves. Due to her upbringing, she is used to being underestimated and punished without reason, and finds it very difficult to trust the selfless intent of others, or to let herself become emotionally attached. She often feels like she must provide merit to prove her continued worth. Her temperament is normally calm, pragmatic, and pleasant, and she can endure any hardship demanded of her without complaint, but she will attack fiercely on behalf of a wronged loved one.
Feng Shaofeng	Gu Tingye	The second son of the Marquis of Ningyuan, by his second wife, Lady Bai. Possessing high intelligence and astonishing levels of military and physical prowess, Gu Tingye nevertheless has a horrible reputation as an unfilial, worthless womanizer. Extremely bold and brash, Gu Tingye goes after what he wants in the most direct way possible to ensure he gets it, regardless of what, or who, he has to cut through to get there. Nonetheless, he always has good intentions. Generous towards strangers to a fault, he will move heaven and earth to aid those close to him. He grew up being the scapegoat for every wrongdoing in his family; as a result, he cares little to nothing for public opinion or social norms, and does and says what he wants regardless of how it paints him as a villain. His method of facing every enemy directly head on with full strength often wins him Pyrrhic personal battles and worsens his reputation. He is desperate for the genuine affection of those he cares for most, and deeply hurt if they betray his sincerity or fail to trust him. With Minglan's help and socially-conscientious touch, he is able to improve his reputation and becomes a trustworthy subject of the emperor.
Zhu Yilong	Qi Heng	The only son of the Duke of Qi, by his wife, the Princess of Pingning. Minglan’s childhood sweetheart. An earnest, handsome gentleman with a genuine, amiable nature and sincere soul, Qi Heng is considered the capital's most desirable bachelor, to his eventual sorrow. From his privileged vantage point, Qi Heng can be somewhat oblivious to the inconvenience and plight of others, but never in a malicious way. Qi Heng is bound to his family and social norms in ways Gu Tingye will never be. Qi Heng obstinately pursues a relationship with Minglan despite her more realistic view on their circumstances. Qi Heng is often guilty of underestimating Minglan and is frequently surprised when he misunderstands her true nature under the idealized view he has of her. He ends up being forced to marry a princess who favored him or else his family risk execution only for his wife and her family to be executed due to their relation to a rebel prince. He then studies hard and becomes a scholar in the hopes of having enough prestige to marry Minglan who becomes betrothed to Gu Tingye instead. As an imperial official, he begins to antagonize Gu Tingye under the claim that he does not approve of his reforms and policies, though it becomes apparent he remains jealous and aggrieved and wallowing in self pity over not having been able to marry Minglan. He marries another woman though their relationship is initially not a loving one. Eventually, he moves on from Minglan, repairs his friendship with Gu Tingye to the point of coming to his defense when he is charged with the murder of Madame Kang (in complete self defense as she had attempted to murder his wife and newborn son) and eventually falls in love with his wife.

Supporting

Sheng household

Kaifeng

Actor	Character	Introduction
	Old Mr. Sheng	Sheng Huaizhong's younger brother. Sheng Hong's father. He placed third in the Hanlin Academy examination.
Cao Cuifen	Old Mrs. Sheng	The only daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi. Old Mr. Sheng's wife. Sheng Hong's legal mother. She adopted Sheng Hong, who is the son of her husband's concubine Lady Chun, as her own. She takes a particular liking to Minglan, and raises her after her mother's death. She is often irritated by Sheng Hong's inability to control the women of his household or give his official wife due respect. Old Mrs. Sheng is an adept player, able to easily side-step malicious schemes and get her way gracefully, but prefers to stay out of the way and live quietly.
Liu Jun	Sheng Hong	The father of Hualan, Changbai, Changfeng, Molan, Rulan and Minglan. He puts Lin Qinshuang over the rest of his family, thus straining his relationship with his adoptive mother. He is tactful and sensitive, but dislikes confrontation and turns helpless and ineffectual at the conflicts between his wives, often choosing the path easiest for him. He is fond of all of his children, but easily swayed by compliments, and often believing surface evidence over the truth, making him particularly susceptible to manipulation and favoritism. The Sheng family's public reputation is of greatest importance to him.
Liu Lin	Wang Ruofu	Sheng Hong's official wife. The mother of Hualan, Changbai and Rulan. Her explosive bad temper hides her reasonable and kind side, and also causes her husband to avoid her or assume she is the villain in situations. Wang Ruofu has reason to be resentful: she spent the early years of her marriage struggling alone with a baby while her husband was far away on business, and when he returned, he made Lin Qinshuang his concubine. Though she does not mind Wei Shuyi, Wang Ruofu openly hates Lin Qinshuang. Wang Ruofu has a very direct, proud nature, which makes her a poor match for Lin Qinshuang's emotional manipulations. She often finds her plans to finally oust her husband's concubine flipped by Lin Qinshuang's hand into making Wang Ruofu look bad. She is a very devoted mother to her children and longs for her husband's undivided attention. She is easily manipulated by others and is later manipulated by her sister Madame Kang to antagonize Minglan and even is even tricked into giving Old Mrs. Sheng poisoned pastries. She is punished by being sent to live with her relatives in her hometown to meditate on her actions, though does grow to realize the foolishness of her actions and even tries to give advice for Minglan, who no longer holds a grudge for what happened.
Gao Lu	Lin Qinshuang	Sheng Hong's favorite concubine. The mother of Changfeng and Molan. She has a gentle and weak appearance, but is particularly vicious and good at scheming, thus allowing her to establish and secure her position in the household despite being a former servant of Old Mrs. Sheng. When given temporary control of the household management and budget, Lin Qinshuang embezzled Wei Shuyi's allotment, and her later actions regarding Wei Shuyi's medical care contributed to Wei Shuyi's death. Lin Qinshuang frequently uses tactics such as bribing or framing servants, planting false evidence, dramatic emotional displays, and pretending to be ill to escape the consequences of her scheming. After her and her daughter Sheng Molan's plans of secretly having Sheng Molan rendezvous with the Li lord are exposed, she reveals her true nature to her husband, who has her beaten and sent to the outskirts of town as a result. Minglan reveals she purposely deceived her and Sheng Molan into having Sheng Molan meet with the Liang lord in a bid to get her married off and Lin Qinshuang dies from her wounds a few days later.
Liu Xiyuan	Wei Shuyi	Sheng Hong's small concubine. Minglan's mother. Unlike her husband's official wife, or other concubine, Wei Shuyi has no powerful family connections or wealth to aid and protect her. She is from a poor family who needed her to become a concubine to aid with expenses and debts. Wei Shuyi is a gracious, long-suffering woman who dislikes causing fuss or drawing attention to herself, preferring neglect over the negative consequences of standing out. She taught Minglan how to ride horses and play pot-arrows. She often tries to teach Minglan the benefits of accepting what is given without demanding more, and to hide talents in order to pass without notice. She died giving birth to Minglan's stillborn younger brother.
Wang Herun	Sheng Hualan	Sheng Hong's first child and eldest daughter, by his wife Wang Ruofu. The mother of Zhuang and Shi. Though considered a good and ideal daughter, her higher status in-laws mock her lack of palace refinement and her husband installs 4-5 concubines. Wang Ruofu worries for her eldest daughter, and Hualan's marriage, which her mother opposed but her father fought for, is a point of contention between Wang Ruofu and Sheng Hong. Her husband is kind but she is tormented by her mother in law who sometimes even tries to separate her from her children and neglects them to the point of near abuse.
Wang Renjun	Sheng Changbai	Sheng Hong's second child and elder son, by his wife Wang Ruofu. Quan's father. He is knowledgeable and well-learnt but humble. He puts his family's interest over his own welfare, and is seen as a dependable sibling and son. Unlike his father, however, he cares more for honor and justice than his family's reputation and will uphold the law against his own scheming relatives, proving to be a fair and just person. Friends with Gu Tingye.
Ren Wanjing	Hai Zhaoyun	Sheng Changbai's wife. Quan's mother. Like her husband, she is intelligent and sensible. She is on good terms with Sheng Minglan and Sheng Rulan but strongly dislikes Sheng Molan.
	Sheng Quan	Sheng Changbai's first child and son, by his wife Hai Zhaoyun.
Zhang Xiaoqian	Sheng Changfeng	Sheng Hong's third child and younger son, by his concubine Lin Qinshuang. Changfeng nearly causes a shameful disaster for the Sheng clan at Hualan's wedding when he became drunk and began gambling away the bridal gifts. He is easily discouraged in the face of hardship or embarrassment, and favors partying and drinking with his higher-status friends over advancing himself, but is very loyal to his mother and will defy great lengths to save her when he can.
	Lady Liu	Sheng Changfeng's wife.
Shi Shi	Sheng Molan	Sheng Hong's fourth child and second daughter, by his concubine Lin Qinshuang. Liang Han's wife. The most academic of the sisters, Molan is highly intelligent and enjoys composing poetry. Molan was raised by her mother to stand out and always strive to be the best. Molan deeply resents her own lack of status and can become cruel, violent, and vengeful when denied. She often uses her mother's low tactics to antagonize her sisters and gain her father's favor. Desperate to improve her social status, with the help of her mother, Molan uses an underhanded method to become Liang Han's wife.
Zhang Jianing	Sheng Rulan	Sheng Hong's fifth child and third daughter, by his wife Wang Ruofu. Wen Yanjing's wife. Childish, pampered, and impetuous, as a legitimate daughter, she has a security her illegitimate sisters do not share. She is honest and forthright, and her pride does not allow her to back down when she feels she is in the right, even if it means more suffering for herself. Rulan lacks ambition and wants to live an easy, happy life enjoying things. Though she normally has a kind heart, she enjoys maliciously needling Molan about their respective statuses, especially when Molan calls attention to Rulan's lack of intelligence or skill. She later grows close to Sheng Minglan, especially after Sheng Molan leaves and Sheng Rulan falls in love with Wen Yangjing, a kind man who is devoted to and loves her. She begins confiding in Sheng Minglan regarding her relationship with him and the two eventually become close as sisters and as friends.
Zhang Lu	Wen Yanjing	Sheng Hong's student. He is a good man and devoted to Rulan, though he lacks importance.
Shi Yan	Mother Fang	Old Mrs. Sheng's servant.
	Suqin	Old Mrs. Sheng's servant.
	Dongrong	Sheng Hong's servant.
Hong Hua	Mother Liu Jia	Yinxing's mother. Wang Ruofu's servant.
Wang Yi	Caihuan	Wang Ruofu's servant.
Ma Ding	Zhou Xueniang	Lin Qinshuang's servant. She is faithful to her master and uses all means to ensure her safety, no matter how underhanded.
Lu Yanqi	Liu Xiaodie	Wei Shuyi's servant. She is framed for theft by Lin Qinshuang. Wei Shuyi manages to save Xiaodie from being beaten to death, instead having her dismissed from the household, and gives Xiaodie a precious token in farewell.
Yuan Yuan	Zhulou	Lin Qinshuang's servant, later sent to serve Wei Shuyi.
Zhang Shuwei	Lümeng	Lin Qinshuang's servant, later sent to serve Wei Shuyi.
	Hanniu	Sheng Changbai's servant.
	Yanghao	Sheng Changbai's servant.
	Langhao	Sheng Changbai's servant.
	Yunzai	Sheng Molan's servant.
	Luzhong	Sheng Molan's servant.
Tian Luo	Mother Cui Ru'an	Old Mrs. Sheng's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Wang Ziwei	Xiaotao	Sheng Minglan's servant. The two girls are of the same age and grow up together as companions.
Han Ye	Danju	Sheng Minglan's servant.
Li Yuanyuan	Cuiwei	Old Mrs. Sheng's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Cao Ying	Jiu'er	Wang Ruofu's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
	Yinxing	Mother Liu's daughter. Wang Ruofu's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
	Ke'er	Sheng Changfeng's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
	Mei'er	Sheng Changfeng's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Yang Xiaodan	Lady Guan	Head of Kitchen.
Liu Qing	Lady Wei	Wei Shuyi's younger sister. She convinces Old Mrs. Sheng and Wang Ruofu to care for an orphaned Minglan, and is very paranoid of the Sheng family's intentions.
Ning Xiaozhi	Zhuang Xuejiu
Yu Nannan	Granny Kong	An imperial tutor brought in to instruct the Sheng sisters in feminine graces and imperial court manners.

Youyang

Actor	Character	Introduction
	Sheng Huaizhong	Old Mr. Sheng's elder brother. The father of Sheng Wei and Sheng Shu.
Zhu Huaixu	The elder Old Mrs.	Sheng Huaizhong's wife. The mother of Sheng Wei and Sheng Shu.
Wang Gang	Sheng Wei	Sheng Huaizhong's eldest son. The father of Changsong, Shulan, Changwu and Pinlan. The master of the eldest branch of the Sheng family.
Qian Youyou	Lady Li	Sheng Wei's wife. The mother of Changsong, Shulan, Changwu and Pinlan.
	Sheng Changsong	Sheng Wei's eldest son, by his wife Lady Li.
Zhang Hanyun	Sheng Shulan	Sheng Wei's elder daughter, by his wife Lady Li. Sun Zhigao's ex-wife.
Hu Shuoyu	Sheng Changwu	Sheng Wei's second son, by his wife Lady Li.
Xu Yue	Sheng Pinlan	Sheng Wei's younger daughter, by his wife Lady Li.
	Sheng Shu	Sheng Huaizhong's daughter.
Xia Minghao	Sun Zhigao	Sheng Shulan's ex-husband.
Xue Yuanyuan	Mrs. Sun	Zhigao's mother.

Gu household

Cheng garden

Actor	Character	Introduction
Zhao Qi	Qian Fengxian	Gu Tingye's concubine though Gu Tingye never sleeps with her or show any form of interest in her. Sent by Gu Tingye's stepmother (Old Madam Qin) as a spy. She tries to poison Sheng Minglan and later tries to kill Gu Tuan (2nd son of Gu Tingye) during Gu Tuan's one month old celebration. In the attempt, she will be captured by Shi Tou.
Li Yixiao	Zhu Manniang	Gu Tingye's outside mistress. The mother of Shurong and Yanchang. Despite coming from desperate poverty and working as a street performer for a time, her goal is to become the legal wife of the Gu Tingye. She is manipulative and guileful, using both her wits and schemes to try to marry into the Gu family. She bears two children for Gu Tingye but ultimately only cares for herself. Later, when she believes Gu Tingye no longer has wealth or status, she attempts to leave sell off many valuables. When he sees through her lies, she leaves him while taking her son along but leaving her daughter behind, most likely to claim an inheritance later. She does return and tries to become a concubine of Gu Tingye's in exchange for him to meet his son but he sees through her lies and she tries to murder him instead. He later releases her since she was unwilling to say where their son was and has her followed to discover his whereabouts, where it is revealed he fell ill and died. She tries to defame him by claiming in front of a large crowd he abandoned her but he ignores her. She fails and later tries to defame him once more when he is charged of killing Madame Kang. Her final act of vengeance includes attempting to stab Gu Tuan, Gu Tingye's third child but is thwarted by Granny Chang, who kills her in self defense.
Ye Xuantong	Gu Shurong	Gu Tingye's first child and only daughter, by his mistress Zhu Manniang.
Deng Hanyu	Gu Yanchang	Gu Tingye's second child and eldest son, by his mistress Zhu Manniang. Died.
	Gu Tuan	Gu Tingye's third child and second son, by his wife Sheng Minglan.
	Gu Yuan	Gu Tingye's fourth child and third son, by his wife Sheng Minglan.
Kang Qunzhi	Granny Chang	Gu Tingye's nanny. Gu Tingye is extremely fond of Granny Chang who reciprocates. He purchases her a house and servants to care for her in her old age. Gu Tingye later installs his mistress, Manniang, and children into her household. Granny Chang is unimpressed with Manniang and easily sees through her acts and manipulations. By contrast, she quickly grows deeply fond and protective of Gu Tingye's wife, Sheng Minglan and treats her with utmost respect. Despite her old age, she has a fiery temper and is not afraid to be rude to and even act physically against those who threaten her loved ones.
Shen Chi	Shi Tou	Gu Tingye's servant. He is loyal and faithful to his master but knows to give advice to his master and is his close confidante. He likes Xiaotao, Minglan's close maid.
Yang Yang	Lady Che	Shitou's third sister-in-law.
	Mr. Tu	Gu Tingye's subordinate, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Tian Junlian	Mother Diao	The younger Lady Qin's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Cong Zhongxiao	Mother Lai	Mingyue's mother. The younger Lady Qin's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Liu Mengke	Mingyue	Mother Lai's elder daughter. The younger Lady Qin's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
Jing Tian	Mother Tian	Fourth Aunt's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
	Mother Hua	Fifth Aunt's servant, later sent to serve Sheng Minglan.
An Wei		Wang Wu's wife.
Zhang Jing	Xiaocui	Zhu Manniang's servant.
Zhou Yihua	Ba Laofu	The manager of Heishan Farmstead.

Ningyuan manor

Actor	Character	Introduction
Li Hongtao	Gu Yankai	The father of Tingyu, Tingye and Tingwei. The Marquis of Ningyuan. With a surly, military, and unyielding disposition, Gu Yankai was very fond of his first wife, but bowed to family pressure to divorce her and marry the much wealthier Lady Bai. He takes his resentment out on Lady Bai, and later her son, Gu Tingye. He dislikes shows of wealth and impropriety, and is the only one of his brothers considered a gentleman.
	The elder Lady Qin	Gu Yankai's first wife. Tingyu's mother. Her husband's family took advantage of her sickly physical health to force him to divorce her. She kills herself due to their pressure.
Wang Jingyun	Lady Bai	Gu Yankai's second wife. Tingye's mother. Lady Bai was from a very wealthy merchant family who only recently became lesser nobility. Her excellent reputation and massive dowry made her a target to the aristocratic Gu family, who had significant debts. Her parents initially refused their matches since the Gu sons offered had very poor reputations as gambling womanizers, and the only son of the family they'd consider worthy of Lady Bai, Gu Yankai, was already married. Lady Bai's family was persuaded to arrange a match between Lady Bai and the newly, and conveniently, widowed Gu Yankai, but the marriage was an unhappy one. Lady Bai was mocked for being lower class and her husband ignored and resented her unwitting role in the death of his first wife and the power her family's money had over his family. Lady Bai was unaware that the sole reason her husband married her was for her dowry, and demanded a divorce once she learned the truth behind his mistreatment. She went into labor over the upset and died before she was granted a divorce.
Wang Yinan	The younger Lady Qin	Gu Yankai's third wife. Tingwei's mother. She married her late sister's husband shortly after the death of Lady Bai. She carefully cultivates a reputation for having the temperament of a bodhisattva and is sure to always keep her hands clean of wrongdoing. Though she appears even-handed among her step-sons, and a calming influence on her husband, she privately favors her own son's advancement over his two, older half-brothers.
Gao Zifeng	Gu Tingyu	Gu Yankai's eldest son, by his first wife, the elder Lady Qin. Xian (娴)'s father. Gu Tingyu has been a sickly, frequently-ill person from birth. Though he presents himself as virtuous, he resents Gu Tingye, knowing his younger brother will likely outlive him, and was raised to villainize Lady Bai for usurping his mother.
Yang Zhidi	Lady Shao	Gu Tingyu's wife. Xian (娴)'s mother.
Kang Jiaye	Gu Xian (娴)	Gu Tingyu's only child and daughter, by his wife Lady Shao.
Liu Zhehui	Gu Tingwei	Gu Yankai's third son, by his third wife, the younger Lady Qin. Xian (贤)'s father. Unlike his scheming mother, he is a genuinely kind person and was not involved with his mother's attempts at defaming his two half brothers. He is not as bright or clever as his brothers. He is also ultimately the only family relative of Gu Tingye's from the Ningyuan Manor who genuinely cares for him and the only one who maintains a genuine and friendly relationship with Gu Tingye and Gu Tingye is shown to reciprocate, even giving him the title of Marquis of the Gu family at the end of the series.
Xia Yiyao	Lady Zhu	Gu Tingwei's wife.
Xu Yulan	Third Aunt	Gu Yankai's third younger sister.
Yang Xinming	Fourth Uncle	Gu Yankai's fourth younger brother. Tingbing's father. The master of the fourth branch of the Gu family.
Cui Yi	Fourth Aunt	The fourth master's wife. Tingbing's mother.
Ye Zicheng	Gu Tingbing	The fourth master's second son.
Hu Yuanjun		Gu Tingbing's wife.
Tan Xihe	Fifth Uncle	Gu Yankai's fifth younger brother. Tingdi's father. The master of the fifth branch of the Gu family.
Wang Lele	Fifth Aunt	The fifth master's wife. Tingdi's mother.
Liu Mianzi	Gu Tingdi	The fifth master's son.
Chen Xi		Gu Tingdi's wife.
Zhao Qianzi	Mother Xiang Ji'an	The younger Lady Qin's servant.
	Youqing	Gu Tingyu's servant.
	Zhuique	Gu Tingye's servant.
	Hongxiao	Gu Tingye's servant.

Bai household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Tu Nan	Bai Tingyu	Lady Bai's cousin. The eldest son of the second branch of the Bai family.

Qi household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Liu Pizhong	The Duke of Qi	Qi Heng's father.
Chen Jin	The Princess of Pingning	The wife of the Duke of Qi. Qi Heng's mother. A proud, elegant, and highly educated noblewoman, she is the dragon guarding her only son, Qi Heng, and believes no one is good enough for him.
Zhang Hengyu	The Princess of Jiacheng	Qi Heng's first wife. The princess' family uses nefarious means to secure Qi Heng's hand in marriage.
Chen Yalan	Shen Hezhen	Qi Heng's second wife.
Wang Zijie	Buwei	Qi Heng's servant and companion. He often gets roped into Qi Heng's machinations to see Minglan. He died from caning by the Princess of Pingning for helping his master see Minglan.
Shi Jingyi		Lady Shen's servant.

He household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Mu Liyan	Lady Zhuang	Longtime friend of Old Mrs. Sheng, Lady Zhuang is an expert in medical matters.
Liu Yue	He Hongwen	Lady Zhuang's only grandson. Hongwen is an excellent doctor and intelligent man. He has a calm, solicitous, and gentle personality, which makes him Old Mrs. Sheng's preference amongst Minglan's potential suitors.
	Cao Jinxiu	He Hongwen's maternal cousin.
Yan Jingyao	Mrs. Cao	Jinxiu's mother.

Yuan household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Huang Youming	Yuan Wenchun	The eldest son of the Count of Zhongqin.
Cao Yueyao		Yuan Wenchun's wife.
Wang Ziming	Yuan Wenshao	The second son of the Count of Zhongqin. The father of Zhuang and Shi.
	Yuan Zhuang	Yuan Wenshao's first child and daughter, by his wife Sheng Hualan.
	Yuan Shi	Yuan Wenshao's second child and son, by his wife Sheng Hualan.

Yu household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Ma Yanbin	The Grand Preceptor	Mr. Yu's father.
Feng Jun	Old Mrs. Yu	Grand Preceptor Yu's wife. Mr. Yu's mother.
	Mr. Yu	Grand Preceptor Yu's son. The father of Yanran and Yanhong. The master of the eldest branch of the Yu family.
Liu Shuchen	Lady Fang	Mr. Yu's second wife. Yanhong's mother.
Deng Sha	Yu Yanran	Mr. Yu's first child and elder daughter, by his first wife Lady Fan. She is Minglan's best friend.
Liu Yanchen		Mr. Yu's second child and only son, by his second wife Lady Fang.
Zhao Qin	Yu Yanhong	Mr. Yu's third child and younger daughter, by his second wife Lady Fang.

Liang household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Wang Siyu	Lady Wu	The wife of the Count of Yongchang. Liang Han's mother. Bright, sincere, and bold, Lady Wu adores Minglan and earnestly desires to have Minglan marry into her house as the official wife of her sixth son, Liang Han.
Wu Hong	Liang Han	The sixth child and youngest son of the Count of Yongchang, by his wife Lady Wu. Liang Han enjoys poetry and flirtation.
	Chun Ke	Liang Han's concubine.
	Qiujiang	Sheng Molan's servant.
	Furong	Sheng Molan's servant.

Wang household

Actor	Character	Introduction
	Wang You	The father of Shiping, Ruoyu and Ruofu. He served as the Imperial Tutor, and was buried in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Zhao Shuzhen	Old Mrs. Wang	Wang You's wife. The mother of Shiping, Ruoyu and Ruofu.
Ma Yan	Wang Shiping	Wang You's first child and only son, by his wife Old Mrs. Wang.
Liu Wanting	Mrs. Wang	Wang Shiping's wife.

Kang household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Li Duo	Kang Haifeng	The father of Jin, Yun'er and Zhao'er.
Zhang Yanyan	Wang Ruoyu	Kang Haifeng's wife. The mother of Jin and Yun'er. She is a cruel manipulative woman who grows jealous of Minglan's higher status and happy marriage, especially due to her own unhappy marriage with a husband who frequently installs concubines. She manipulates Zhao Qi to become a concubine of Gu Tingye to cause a scene and kill herself to defame the Gu family. She later manipulates her own sister Wang Ruofu into giving pastries to Old Mrs. Sheng (Minglan's grandmother and Wang Ruofu's mother in law) claiming they would make her sick, when in reality they had a strong concentration of gingko juice that would have killed her had Minglan not intervened. Minglan later captures and severely punishes her, locking her in the courtyard until Sheng Molan learns and releases her due to her own jealousy of Sheng Minglan. She feels no remorse for her actions, relying on her status as the wife of an official to protect her and is even willing to blame her sister and relatives for her actions to escape penalty. She tries to murder Gu Tingye and Minglan's first born son during a fire that breaks out in their manor but is murdered by Gu Tingye in self defense to protect them. Her death is the catalyst for a case against Gu Tingye that grows bigger due to his influence in court and connection with the emperor.
Lu Jin	Kang Jin	Kang Haifeng's son, by his wife Wang Ruoyu.
Du Lingli	Kang Zhao'er	Kang Haifeng's daughter, by his concubine Lady Su. She is a daughter born of Kang Raifeng's concubine who was not favored by him and is threatened by Madame Kang into becoming a concubine of Gu Tingye's and to cause a scene by killing herself to discredit the Gu family. If Zhao'er does not comply, her mother's life will be in danger due to Madame Kang's control and her little sister will be sent to a brothel. Eventually Minglan discovers this and gives her two options: become Gu Tingye's concubine in order for Zhao'Er to be able to protect her family from Madame Kang, or to marry a not well off scholar and live a comfortable life where her family will be protected. Zhao'Er immediately chooses the second option as she understands that no one would willingly be a concubine rather than a main wife and she and her family escape Madame Kang's clutches.
Lin Dengdeng	Mother Qi	Wang Ruoyu's servant.

Imperial household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Yang Qing	The Empress Dowager	The Emperor's mother.
Qin Yan	The Emperor
Yang Yuting	Noble Consort Rong
Ning Wentong	The Prince of Yong	The Princess of Jiacheng's father.
Xie Chengying	The Princess Consort of Yong	The wife of the Prince of Yong. The Princess of Jiacheng's mother.
Wang Yongquan	The Prince of Yan
Feng Hui	Zhao Zongquan	The father of Ceying and Zhao Yong. The new Emperor.
Juan Zi	Shen Congying	Zhao Zongquan's wife. Ceying's mother. The Empress.
Fu Miao	Noble Consort Liu	Zhao Zongquan's concubine. Zhao Yong's mother.
Huo Yaming	Zhao Ceying	Zhao Zongquan's elder son, by his wife Shen Congying. The Prince of Huan.
	Zhao Yong	Zhao Zongquan's younger son, by his concubine Noble Consort Liu.

Shen household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Yan Xiang	Shen Congxing	Shen Congying's younger brother. A close friend of Gu Tingye. He loved his first wife and took his concubine Zou in because she was his first wife's sister, and as a result dotes on her over his second/current wife. Eventually, he is made to realize how much he has made his wife suffer and exiles his concubine.
Jiao Qiyue	The elder Lady Zou	Shen Congxing's first wife.
Wu Xiaoyu	Zhang Guifen	Shen Congxing's second wife. Initially at odds with Minglan due to her intervention in a fight between herself and Zou Ping and being envious of Minglan's harmonious relationship with her husband, Zhang Guifen soon becomes close friends with Sheng Minglan, and Minglan even helps protect her against Zou Ping's machinations. She is highly skilled in polo and gives birth to a child for her husband. She is deeply loved by her parents.
Chen Mengxi	Zou Ping	Shen Congxing's concubine. A scheming, manipulative woman who uses her relation to her husband's first wife to monopolize his affections at the expense of having him neglect his current wife. She is even willing to kill to ensure she does not give birth to a child and receive her husband's favor. Eventually, her husband is forced to see her for who she really is and exiles her from the family.
Wang Yijie	Shen Yuzhen	Shen Congying's younger sister.

Zhang household

Actor	Character	Introduction
Wang Yongquan	The Duke of Ying	Guifen's father.
Hu Qingyun	The Duchess Consort of Ying	The wife of the Duke of Ying. Guifen's mother.
Tian Miao	Mother Fan	Zhang Guifen's servant.

Imperial court

Actor	Character	Introduction
Wei Jinsong	Eunuch Li	The new Emperor's servant.
Yu Zhe	Qingyun	A eunuch.
Wu Yujue	Ruichu	A palace maid.
Li Yan	Eunuch Zhu	The Empress Dowager's servant.
	Mother Su	Shen Congying's servant.
Cheng Guodong	Han Zhang	The Grand Chancellor.
Mi Te	Duan Chengyong	A general and friend of Gu Tingye. He is falsely accused of rape, and unable to enter the salt market as a result.
Fan Zhechen	Geng Jiechuan	A general.
Sun Zhengyu	Xie Pingde	Gu Tingye's superior.
	Shen Guotao	Hezhen's father. An official.
Dong Zhao	Imperial Physician Zhao

Other

Actor	Character	Introduction
Li Ruoning	Prostitute Wei	Gu Tingye's confidante.
Zhang Xinyuan	Yunniang
Hao Shuang	Rong Feiyan	Noble Consort Rong's younger sister.

Production

Crew

The series is produced by Hou Hong Liang and Daylight Entertainment, who has produced several hit television series like Nirvana in Fire and Ode to Joy. It is directed by Zhang Kaizhou of Love Me If You Dare and Ode to Joy 2. The screenplay of the series is written by Zeng Lu and Wu Tong, who were both co-writers of Battle of Changsha.

Casting and shooting

Pre-production started in April 2017. On May 8, 2017, Zhao Liying was announced to play the leading role of Sheng Minglan. Feng Shaofeng was unveiled as the male lead on June 20, 2017. The rest of the supporting cast was announced in August 2017. Filming began in September 2017 at Hengdian World Studios. The series wrapped up filming in April 2018.

Soundtrack

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singers	Length
1.	"Don't You Know? (知否知否)" (Theme song)	Li Qingzhao, Zhang Jingyi	Liu Xuandou	Hu Xia & Yisa Yu
2.	"Dang Ge (当歌)"	Zhang Jingyi	Liu Xuandou	Ye Xuanqing

Reception

The show has an 8.1 out of 10 on Douban and received mainly positive reviews. It has become a major trending topic on social media, with related hashtags being viewed hundreds of millions of times. Many netizens have praised the television series for revealing problems and contradictions in real life, such as traditional Chinese families' preference for boys over girls (重男轻女), NEET (啃老族), and generational conflicts when it comes to providing care for the elderly (家庭养老).

Ratings

Hunan Satellite TV Premiere broadcast ratings

Air date	Episode	CSM52 City network ratings			National Internet ratings
		Ratings (%)	Audience share (%)	Timeslot Rank	Ratings (%)	Audience share (%)	Timeslot rank
2018-12-25	1-2	0.608	2.39	5	0.59	2.47	2
2018-12-26	3-4	0.751	2.93	4	0.63	2.62	2
2018-12-27	5-6	0.710	2.71	4	0.65	2.68	1
2018-12-28	7-8	0.737	2.79	4	0.68	2.75	1
2018-12-29	9	0.549	1.84	5	0.61	2.04	2
2018-12-30	10	0.720	2.39	4	0.83	2.74	1
2019-01-01	11-12	0.932	3.24	3	0.81	3.08	1
2019-01-02	13-14	1.003	3.75	2	0.77	3.16	1
2019-01-03	15-16	0.981	3.67	2	0.88	3.56	1
2019-01-04	17	0.599	2.06	5	0.54	1.82	3
2019-01-05	18	0.662	2.25	5	0.71	2.37	1
2019-01-06	19-20	0.995	3.49	1	0.77	2.87	1
2019-01-07	21-22	1.146	4.19	1	0.87	3.39	1
2019-01-08	23-24	1.045	3.89	1	0.99	3.94	1
2019-01-09	25-26	1.102	4.06	1	0.92	3.51	1
2019-01-10	27-28	1.140	4.24	1	1.12	4.43	1
2019-01-11	29	0.715	2.51	3	0.75	2.62	1
2019-01-12	30	0.876	2.98	1	0.93	3.19	1
2019-01-13	31-32	1.211	4.38	1	1.14	4.34	1
2019-01-14	33-34	1.418	5.26	1	1.36	5.25	1
2019-01-15	35-36	1.536	5.63	1	1.52	5.9	1
2019-01-16	37-38	1.568	5.61	1	1.49	5.61	1
2019-01-17	39-40	1.552	5.71	1	1.43	5.48	1
2019-01-18	41	1.105	3.90	1	1.05	3.66	1
2019-01-19	42	1.251	4.27	1	1.33	4.64	1
2019-01-20	43-44	1.549	5.32	1	1.51	5.41	1
2019-01-21	45-46	1.803	6.6	1	1.68	6.37	1
2019-01-22	47-48	1.67	5.94	1	1.49	5.53	1
2019-01-23	49-50	1.739	6.32	1	1.69	6.42	1
2019-01-24	51-52	1.61	5.82	1	1.58	5.89	1
2019-01-25	53	0.864	3.07	4	0.87	3.07	1
2019-01-26	54	1.146	4.03	1	1.06	3.74	1
2019-01-27	55-56	1.505	5.32	1	1.43	5.22	1
2019-01-28	57-58	1.751	6.31	1	1.62	5.90	1
2019-01-30	59-60	1.791	6.42	1	1.67	6.12	1
2019-01-31	61-62	1.722	6.18	1	1.69	6.12	1
2019-02-01	63	0.985	3.54	2	0.92	3.41	1
2019-02-02	64	1.303	4.55	1	1.37	4.89	1
2019-02-03	65-66	1.689	5.89	1	1.68	5.87	1
2019-02-04	67	0.881	2.97	1	1.2	3.68	1
2019-02-06	68-69	1.395	5.52	1	1.46	5.72	1
2019-02-07	70-71	1.482	5.73	1	1.7	6.49	1
2019-02-08	72	1.224	4.51	1	1.34	4.96	1
2019-02-09	73	1.374	4.96	1	1.35	4.78	1
2019-02-10	74	1.426	4.99	1	1.42	4.91	1
2019-02-11	75-76	2.061	7.36	1	1.62	5.93	1
2019-02-12	77	2.252	7.50	1	1.99	6.68	1
2019-02-13	78	2.211	7.30	1	2.03	6.71	1
Average ratings		1.288	4.65	/	1.21	4.54	/

• Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
25th Shanghai Television Festival	Best Television Series		Nominated
	Best Director	Zhang Kaizhou	Nominated
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Zeng Lu, Wu Tong	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Liying	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	Zhu Yilong	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actress	Liu Lin	Nominated
	Best Art Direction		Nominated
26th Huading Awards	Best Actor (Historical drama)	Feng Shaofeng	Nominated
	Best Actress (Historical drama)	Zhao Liying	Nominated
Golden Bud - The Fourth Network Film And Television Festival	Best Actor	Feng Shaofeng	Nominated
		Zhu Yilong	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Liying	Nominated
Baidu Fudian Awards	Top Ten Television Series	The Story of Minglan	Won
30th China TV Golden Eagle Award	Outstanding Television Series		Won
	Best Actress	Zhao Liying	Nominated
	Audience's Choice For Actress		Won
	Audience's Choice For Actor	Zhu Yilong	Nominated
	Best Cinematography	Li Baichao	Nominated
	Best Original Soundtrack	Zhi Fou Zhi Fou	Nominated