寂寞空庭春欲晚 | jìmò kōng tíng chūn yù wǎn | Chronicle of Life (2016, 37 episodes)

寂寞空庭春欲晚 | jìmò kōng tíng chūn yù wǎn | Chronicle of Life (2016, 37 episodes)

Chronicle of Life is a Chinese period drama from this year. It is 37 episodes long and is set during the Qīng dynasty. The story features a number of clichés like identity amnesia, a love triangle, a revenge plot, supposedly dead characters actually surviving, a rich man of high status falling in love with a poor woman of low status, etc.

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The main character is Wèi Lín-láng (卫琳琅), a selfless young woman who works in the palace doing laundry. Her romantic counterparts are the strong and warm Emperor Kāngxī's (康熙) and the kind poet warrior Nàlán Róng-ruò (纳兰容若). In reality, Lín-láng and Róng-ruò are cousins, but Lín-láng does not remember this as she lost her memories from childhood. All three of these players have known each other since they were young, in one way or another.

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After the childhood establishment episode, the beginning of the series takes place away from the palace on one of the Emperor's hunting trips. This means that the start of the show has little in the way of court intrigue, which I found refreshing. The 11th episode brings back the standard cloistered environment of the palace . When this happens the series shifts distinctly away from the largely playful and carefree tone that characterized the first third of the show. By the final episode we see a mirroring of the first episode's tragic atmosphere.

[Many Spoilers Ahead!!]

To be honest, while these main characters were enjoyable to watch at first, eventually they became repetative and boring. There's only so many times you can watch Lín-láng be injured and needing rescue, watch Róng-ruò lie to preserve Lín-láng's blissful ignorance, and watch Emperor Kāngxī put all decorum aside and aim towards Lín-láng at the expense of all others because of one night in his childhood. How many times can you watch Lín-láng stab a man she loves? Once was too much.

If you aren't marathoning the show, I'm sure these things wouldn't be quite so bothersome. For me though, I was ready to direct my attention away from this tired love triangle well before the show reached its conclusion.

That's where the secondary characters Cháng-qìng (长庆) and Yún-chū (芸初) come in. Moreso than any of the other side characters, these two captured my heart and my attention, and they kept me interested when the rest of the show became boring.

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Cháng-qìng is actually Lín-láng's supposedly dead brother, and he has set himself on avenging the deaths of his family members (including, he thinks, his little sister) at the hands of the Emperor a decade prior. Yún-chū has no great background; she is wholly and truly a simple person. She, like Lín-láng, works at the palace as a laundress. Yún-chū is innocent and naive, and has a fondness for food.

While Cháng-qìng is well occupied seeking vengence, the easy going Yún-chū still manages to capture his heart with her sweet ways and honest affection. The two meet in the 6th episode when Yún-chū goes to the kitchen tent to sneak away some food. Afterwards, the two develop a warm friendship, each looking out for the other in any way they can: Yún-chū makes new shoes for Cháng-qìng when she sees his are worn, Cháng-qìng holds Yún-chū's hand as they are beaten to bolster her courage, etc.

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Strife comes when Cháng-qìng has the realization that his efforts to assissinate the Emperor may soon come to fruition, and when he is caught Yún-chū will suffer for his deeds. In fact, she is already suffering because his ambition means he must bow eagerly to the whims of those with power, even when they aim to hurt her. His love for her means he must leave her, but doing so proves to be more difficult than he thought, both because of Yún-chū's persistence and his own longing.

There is also the complication of the fact that Cháng-qìng became a eunuch in order to get closer to the Emperor. Yún-chū did not know what this meant when she asked Cháng-qìng to marry her, and he was too devestated to explain it. Of course, once she does learn the truth of it, Yún-chū does not let it change her feelings at all.

These hurdles are overcome by Yún-chū's earnest character and great love for Cháng-qìng. She even takes on the danger of helping him escape the Emperor's guards. Before things take a tragic turn, Cháng-qìng and Yún-chū are finally able to be truly honest about their love for each other, with no secrets between them. Sadly, it doesn't last.

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There are so many amazing Cháng-qìng/Yún-chū moments in this show. I've tried to link to many of them from the official YouTube releases with Enlgish subtitles, but if you want to really see all of them check out this upload on the Chinese site bilibili. You'll also find several cute fanvids in the 长庆芸初 tag.

As for the show itself? Cháng-qìng and Yún-chū's story reached its conclusion in the 31st episode. But the show still had 6 episodes to go. Cháng-qìng's primary relationship shifts from a romantic one to a familial one when he learns that Lín-láng is his sister.

Unfortunately, Lín-láng's character was already spread too thin between the Emperor and Róng-ruò, and the efforts of the Grand Empress Dowager Xiào-zhuāng (孝庄). Bringing Cháng-qìng into her story so initimately should have been exciting and emotionally explosive, but instead it felt strange and awkward. The way she was shoehorned into Cháng-qìng's life after Yún-chū's death was especially jarring, though also emotional and full of heartache. The brother and sister's former position as enemies hung over their new interactions like a lead weight.

It was obvious Lín-láng's affection for the Emperor reigned over any newfound love she had for Cháng-qìng, making everything that happened feel very rote and boring. When Cháng-qìng was killed, it was expected but disappointing. I wish death wasn't the only redemption option available to him. That Róng-ruò also dies, and that the Emperor and Lín-láng are forever separated just made things more depressing.

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Ultimately, the show had a disappointing finish for me. The tragic ending was just exhausting after the chaotic and melodramatic arc that began when the hunting trip ended. I wish there had been a small bit of happiness to be found for at least one of the characters.

Nonetheless, I don't regret watching the show at all, and I don't regret finishing it. Although I don't think I'll ever watch the show again in its entirety. I'm so glad to have been able to watch Cháng-qìng and Yún-chū's story. I really would watch a show just about them. Hopefully they have better luck in the next life.

To read episode by episode summaries of this show, go to the Chinese website Baidu. For some wallpaper worthy images, see this article.