Legend of Lu Zhen
| Legend of Lu Zhen | |
|---|---|
 Drama poster | |
| Also known as | Female Prime Minister |
| Genre | Historical fiction Romance |
| Based on | Female Prime Minister by Zhang Wei |
| Written by | Zhang Wei |
| Directed by | Li Huizhu Zheng Wei'en Liang Guoguan |
| Starring | Zhao Liying Chen Xiao Qiao Renliang Yang Rong Tang Yixin Maggie Cheung Ho-yee |
| Opening theme | Cherish by Li Yuchun |
| Ending theme | Mood by Zanilia Zhao and Chen Xiao |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language | Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 59 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Yu Zheng Mu Xiaohui |
| Production location | Hengdian World Studios |
| Production companies | Perfect World Hunan Broadcasting System Yu Zheng Studio |
| Original release | |
| Network | Hunan Television |
| Release | 5 May – 29 May 2013 |
Legend of Lu Zhen (Chinese: 陆贞传奇) is a 2013 Chinese television series based on the novel Female Prime Minister (女相) by Zhang Wei. Directed by Li Huizhu, Zheng Wei'en and Liang Guoguan and produced by Yu Zheng and Mu Xiaohui, the series stars Zhao Liying and Chen Xiao. It was first broadcast on 5 May 2013 in China and subsequently aired in other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan.
Synopsis
The story centers on the rise of Lu Zhen (Zhao Liying) from a mere lady-in-waiting to becoming prime minister during the Northern Qi dynasty. The character of Lu Zhen is based on Lu Lingxuan, a lady-in-waiting of Northern Qi that withheld supreme power.
Lu Zhen was the elder ambitious daughter of the Lu family, who successfully ran the family porcelain business, much to her father's delight and her stepmother's jealousy. Afraid of Lu Zhen taking much of the family assets upon her impending marriage, her stepmother Zhao Yinglan schemed to poison her father and attempted to frame Lu Zhen for the murder. When Lu Zhen was acquitted, her stepmother arranged her to marry off as a concubine to an old man so that she could seize the family assets. Lu Zhen fled and was saved by Prince Gao Zhan (Chen Xiao), who fell in love with Lu Zhen due to her resemblance to his first love Xiao Huan Yun (Yang Rong).
Gao Zhan faced the same family problem; when his father died, Empress Lou usurped his succession to the throne so that her own son and Gao Zhan's elder half-brother, Prince Yan (Qiao Renliang) could become emperor. Through Gao Zhan's connection, Lu Zhen entered the palace to become a maid, with the aim to rise to sixth rank female official so that she could appeal to the supreme court to re-investigate her father's murder. Amidst the constant scheming between Prince Zhan and Empress Lou in the fight to claim the throne, Lu Zhen managed to gain the emperor's support and rise through the ranks with her hard work, intelligence, and luck. She then helped Prince Gao Zhan claim his rightful throne, but could not be his empress due to certain circumstances. Emperor Zhan instead conferred her the title of prime minister, which is the highest position in the court so that she could best exercise her talent and aid him in ruling the country.
Cast
- Zhao Liying as Lu Zhen
- Chen Xiao as Gao Zhan
- Qiao Renliang as Gao Yan
- Yang Rong as Xiao Huan Yun (Xiao Guan Yin)
- Yuan Xue Er as child Xiao Huan Yun
- Tang Yixin as Shen Bi
- Maggie Cheung Ho-yee as Lou Qing Qiang
- Emma Wu as He Dan Niang
- Leanne Liu as Lou Zhaojun
- Bai Shan as Yujiulu
- Wang Lin as Zhao Ying Lan(Mrs. Lu)
- Yue Yao Li as Lu Jia
- Li Ji Chun as Shen Jia Yan
- Xi Xue as Shen Jia Min
- Jiang Hong as Wang Xuan
- Tao Shuai as Yuan Fu
- Zhang Hao Ran as Yuan Lu
- Li Wen Wen as La Mei
- Li Yi Xiao as Gao Xiang
- Jin Qiaoqiao as Du Hen(Du Si Yi)
- Madina Memet as Du Mei Er
- Liu Jia Yuan as Ling Long
- Lv Jia Rong as Lady of Yue
- Deng Sha as Princess of Yu Yang
- Gao Yunxiang as Xu Xian Xiu
- Han Dong as Li Cheng
Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cherish (珍惜)" (Opening theme) | Yu Zheng | Tan Xuan | Li Yuchun | |
| 2. | "Mood (心情)" (Ending theme) | Yu Zheng | Tan Xuan | Zhao Liying & Chen Xiao |
Ratings
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| Air date | Weeks | Average ratings | Rank | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 9, 2013 | 1 | 0.35 | 7 | 01-02 |
| August 12th - August 16th, 2013 | 2 | 0.51 | 4 | 03-07 |
| August 19th - August 23rd, 2013 | 3 | 0.74 | 5 | 08-12 |
| August 26th - August 30th, 2013 | 4 | 0.88 | 4 | 13-17 |
| September 02 - September 06, 2013 | 5 | 0.77 | 4 | 18-22 |
| September 09 - September 13, 2013 | 6 | 0.79 | 4 | 23-27 |
| September 16, 2013 - September 20, 2013 | 7 | 0.67 | 4 | 28-32 |
| September 23 - September 27, 2013 | 8 | 0.92 | 5 | 33-37 |
| September 30 - October 04, 2013 | 9 | 1.04 | 4 | 38-42 |
| October 07 - October 09, 2013 | 10 | 1.07 | 4 | 43-45 |
- Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in blue
Reception
The series was the 8th highest rated drama of 2013 with an average rating of 1.944 (CMS46).[2] It is also well-received by South Korea viewers and led to increased recognition for Chen Xiao in the region.[3][4][5]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | China TV Drama Awards | Top 10 Television Series | Won | |
| Best New Actress | Zhao Liying | Won | ||
| Asia Rainbow TV Awards | Actor with the Most Potential | Chen Xiao | Won | |
| LeTV Awards | Most Popular Actress | Zhao Liying | Won | |
| Tudou Young Choice Awards | Most Popular Actress (Mainland) | Won | ||
| Most Popular Actor (Mainland) | Chen Xiao | Won | ||
| 2014 | Huading Awards | Best New Actor | Nominated | |
| Best New Actress | Zhao Liying | Nominated |
References
- ^ "电视剧收视率排行榜 | 收视率排行" (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 2020-06-07.
- ^ "《陆贞传奇》收视破二 弱化历史情感更细腻". Tencent (in Chinese). 2013.
- ^ 《陆贞传奇》成日韩收视黑马 于正剧风靡亚洲. Tencent (in Chinese). 2014.
- ^ 《陆贞传奇》横扫韩国荧屏 陈晓新戏即将开拍. Tencent (in Chinese). 2014.
- ^ 《陆贞传奇》亚洲升温 陈晓引韩国女粉丝告白. NetEas (in Chinese). 2014.