Do you know, do you know? It should be green plump and red slim.

Synopsis

"The Story of Minglan" is a 2018 period family drama produced by Daylight Entertainment, directed by Zhang Kaizhou, and starring Zhao Liying, Feng Shaofeng, and Zhu Yilong. It tells the story of Minglan, a young girl from an official family in the Northern Song Dynasty, who grows up in adversity and eventually becomes the mistress of a noble household. With a Douban rating of 8.0 and 73 episodes, the drama is praised for its exquisite costumes, makeup, and set design, and is hailed as a masterpiece that portrays human relationships and worldly wisdom to the extreme.

Overview

The Story of Minglan is a 2018 historical family drama produced by Daylight Entertainment, directed by Zhang Kaizhou, and written by Zeng Lu and Wu Tong. It stars Zhao Liying and William Feng, with Zhu Yilong, Shi Shi, Zhang Jianing, Cao Cuifen, Liu Jun, and Liu Lin in supporting roles. The series premiered on Hunan TV on December 25, 2018, with a total of 73 episodes and a Douban rating of 8.0. Following Nirvana in Fire, this is another meticulously crafted production by Daylight Entertainment, featuring exquisite costumes, sets, and props. It paints an extremely detailed portrait of the social customs and human relationships within a Northern Song dynasty official's family.

The title is taken from the lyric poem Rumengling by the Song dynasty female poet Li Qingzhao: "Know it or not, know it or not, should be green plump and red slim." This poetic name hints at the heroine Minglan's life transformation from "green" (youth) to "red" (maturity). The series is not only the work that brought Zhao Liying and William Feng together romantically but is also one of the most critically acclaimed historical family dramas in recent years.

Plot

The story takes place during the Song dynasty. Sheng Minglan (Zhao Liying), the daughter of Yangzhou official Sheng Hong, is intelligent and lovely. However, her mother, Concubine Wei, is merely a side wife, making Minglan a target of jealousy and hatred from the legal wife, Madam Wang, and her underlings. On her deathbed, Concubine Wei advises Minglan to hide her talents and avoid standing out. Following her mother's dying wish, Minglan seeks refuge with the highest-ranking member of the Sheng family, the Old Madam Sheng (Cao Cuifen), who personally takes her in and raises her.

Within the large Sheng family, Minglan conceals her intelligence and buries her sharp edges. Outwardly, she appears submissive and non-confrontational, but in secret, she observes, learns, and accumulates wisdom for survival. She must navigate the complex family relationships with ease and protect herself from the oppression of the legal wife and the covert and overt struggles among her sisters.

As the plot develops, Minglan becomes entangled in romantic relationships with Qi Heng (Zhu Yilong) and Gu Tingye (William Feng). Qi Heng, the son of the Duke of Qi's household, is gentle and refined. He and Minglan share mutual affection, but pressure from family interests prevents them from being together. Gu Tingye, the son of the Marquis of Ningyuan's household, appears unrestrained on the surface but is deeply affectionate. He sees through Minglan's disguise, appreciates her intelligence and resilience, and ultimately, Minglan marries into the Gu family.

After marriage, Minglan faces even more complex struggles within the marquis's household. She evolves from being forbearing and yielding to gradually showcasing her abilities, eventually growing into a key figure capable of influencing the family's rise and fall. Through Minglan's growth, the series showcases the survival wisdom and resilient character of women in traditional Chinese society.

Cast

Cultural Impact

The Story of Minglan is another historical masterpiece from Daylight Entertainment following Nirvana in Fire. Renowned for its high production quality, this series achieves an extremely high standard in costumes, makeup, and props—from the layout of official residences to character attire and makeup, from daily meals to wedding and funeral rituals, all underwent rigorous historical research, making it a vivid scroll painting of Song dynasty social life.

The most striking aspect of the series is its profound depiction of human relationships and worldly wisdom. Unlike typical historical dramas that focus on palace intrigue or martial arts adventures, Minglan turns its gaze to family relationships closer to ordinary life—conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, struggles between legal wives and concubines' children, covert and overt rivalries among sisters, and the博弈 of family interests. Although these plots occur in the Song dynasty, they resonate strongly with modern audiences. The original novel was praised by readers for depicting human relationships to the extreme, and the TV series successfully brought this quality to the screen.

Zhao Liying's performance in the series received widespread acclaim. She distinctly portrayed Minglan's layers, from the forbearing and low-key youth to the composed and confident married woman. Particularly in several scenes where Minglan reveals her sharpness at critical moments, Zhao Liying conveyed wisdom and decisiveness through her eyes and subtle expressions, thrilling the audience.

The character Qi Heng, played by Zhu Yilong, also became one that left the audience with a sense of poignant regret. His gentle refinement and the ultimate missed connection with Minglan moved countless viewers. This role significantly boosted Zhu Yilong's popularity and recognition for his acting skills.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/26928226/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/知否知否应是绿肥红瘦/20485668
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/知否？知否？应是绿肥红瘦