Empresses in the Palace

Empresses in the Palace is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel of the same name by Liu Lianzi. It follows the life of Zhen Huan, from her entry into the imperial harem and her navigation of palace intrigues, to her eventual rise as Empress Dowager. In 2015, the series was condensed into a six-episode version for Netflix before later moving to Amazon Prime Video.
Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, the show is acclaimed for its strong ensemble cast and sophisticated dialogue, becoming one of the most successful Chinese television dramas of all time, enjoying frequent reruns and significant cultural influence across the Chinese-speaking world.

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Plot

In the later years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, then-Fourth Prince Yinzhen and his eight brothers are embroiled in a bitter power struggle for the Qing throne. With the help of powerful allies, Yinzhen becomes the Yongzheng Emperor and the brothers who fought against him are either killed or imprisoned. Despite becoming emperor, Yinzhen grows increasingly paranoid of being usurped and vows to not follow in his father's footsteps.
As a prince, Yinzhen was deeply in love with his first wife, posthumously titled Empress Chunyuan, who had died before his ascension; her younger sister became his second wife as well as the empress after his ascension. Both sisters, along with his mother, Empress Dowager Renshou, belong to the Ula-Nara clan, making them maternal relatives of Yinzhen.
Six months after his ascension to the throne, Empress Dowager Renshou organizes a selection to bring newer members into the Imperial Harem of the Yongzheng Emperor. Despite not wanting to be selected, Zhen Huan is forced to join the selection and ends up being chosen due to her resemblance to the late Empress Chunyuan. She joins the Imperial Harem alongside her childhood friend Shen Meizhuang, and the low-born An Lingrong.
Zhen Huan attempts to avoid the Imperial Harem's politics but ultimately falls in love with the Emperor, resulting in the other consorts plotting various schemes against her and Shen Meizhuang as retaliation. Due to some misunderstandings and her own sensitive and suspicious personality, as well as out of jealousy toward Zhen Huan, An Lingrong also begins plotting against her and works alongside higher-ranking imperial consorts, notably the Empress, Ula-Nara Yixiu.
While avoiding the pitfalls of such schemes, Zhen Huan befriends the neglected Fourth Prince Hongli, promising to care for him when she can. She also learns the reason behind the Emperor's favor toward her, and this disillusionment ultimately leads her to become a nun at Ganlu Temple. There, her relationship with Prince Guo secretly blossoms and the two become intimate with each other.
Despite the two planning to elope, Prince Guo is sent away to Tibet by the Emperor and presumed to be dead. Now seeking both revenge and protection, Zhen Huan convinces the Emperor to bring her back into the Imperial Harem. She takes on a new identity as Consort Xi, or Niohuru Zhenhuan, Hongli's biological mother who had supposedly spent years away from the palace praying at Ganlu Temple, and she formally adopts Hongli. With her new status, Zhenhuan gains more allies.
Prince Guo is revealed to be alive, but he and Zhenhuan have to cease their relationship now that she has returned to the Imperial Harem. Despite doing what she can to remain favored by the Emperor and distance herself from Prince Guo, the Emperor's suspicion towards their relationship escalates as time passes and Zhenhuan is ordered to kill Prince Guo but the latter commits suicide instead.
The Empress begins to lose favor as her schemes against Zhenhuan backfire and she ultimately confesses to her role in her sister's death and several other crimes. The Emperor attempts to depose her as punishment, but the will of the Empress Dowager, who wishes to maintain the influence of the Ula-Nara clan, forbids him from doing so; he unwillingly puts the Empress under house arrest instead.
The Emperor is slowly poisoned by Zhenhuan and she meets with him one final time to narrate the infidelities of some of his concubines, before announcing his death.
Hongli becomes the Qianlong Emperor and Zhenhuan is granted the coveted title of empress dowager. Although the Empress should have also become an empress dowager upon the Yongzheng Emperor's death, a loophole in the previous Empress Dowager's will forces her to remain empress indefinitely instead.
Zhenhuan spends the rest of her life serving as the sole empress dowager: planning the next selection for the Imperial Harem, advising the Qianlong Emperor on state matters, and warning his imperial consorts about the consequences of harming each other.

Cast

Supporting

Imperial Harem

Ranking System: Lady-in-waiting → Second Class Attendant → First Class Attendant → Noble Lady → Concubine → Consort → Noble Consort → Imperial Noble Consort → Empress
In the series, it is considered a huge honor to be bestowed a title rather than using one's own surname for one's rank.

Played by	Role	Introduction
Jiang Xin	Nian Shilan	Consort Hua → Noble Consort Hua → Consort → Consort Hua → Second Class Attendant → Noble Consort Dunsu → Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu The Yongzheng Emperor's favorite consort at the beginning of the series. Due to her family's status in the Imperial Court, she is arrogant and gets away with acting impudently.
Lan Xi	Shen Meizhuang	Lady Shen → Noble Lady → Noble Lady Hui → Second Class Attendant → Noble Lady Hui → Concubine Hui → Consort Hui → Noble Consort Hui Zhen Huan's best friend and ally in the Imperial Harem since their childhood. After being framed by Consort Hua for fake pregnancy in episode 15, she became cold-shouldered to the Emperor. She turn to serve the Empress Dowager wholeheartedly, ultimately impressed her. She initially fell in love with Wen Shichu, her personal doctor who took care with her during the plague. Unfortunately, she died when she just giving birth to her daughter in episode 64. She is the biological mother of Princess Jinghe.
Tao Xinran	An Lingrong	Lady An → Second Class Attendant → First Class Attendant → Noble Lady → Concubine → Consort Li Originally Zhen Huan's friend, she grows jealous and tries to scheme against her due to pressure from her family to win the Yongzheng Emperor's favor, as well as the manipulation of other imperial consorts. Her evil deeds was later revealed to the Emperor, placed under house arrest then commits suicide after her last meet with Zhen Huan in episode 68. Her last words would provide evidence to Zhen Huan to knock the Empress down successfully in episode 71.
Yang Fanghan	Feng Ruozhao	Concubine Jing → Consort Jing → Noble Consort Jing → Dowager Noble Consort Jing A high-ranked imperial consort who is unfavored by the Yongzheng Emperor, and Zhen Huan's close friend and ally. She is the adoptive mother of Princess Longyue.
Li Yijuan	Qi Yuebin	Consort Duan → Imperial Noble Consort → Dowager Imperial Noble Consort A experienced high-ranked imperial consort who is unfavored by the Yongzheng Emperor. She often gives advice to Zhen Huan and often assists her in need. She is the adoptive mother of Princess Wenyi after Concubine Xiang's death since episode 42.
Zhang Yameng	Li Wanting	Consort Qi A high-ranked imperial consort who is unfavored by the Yongzheng Emperor due to lack of her intelligence. She befriends with Lady Fuca and she's the biological mother of Hongshi.
Chen Sisi	Cao Qinmo	Noble Lady → Concubine Xiang An unscrupulous low-ranking imperial consort. She used to work for Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu but later betrayed her after the latter's downfall. She is the biological mother of Princess Wenyi. Died by poisoning under the Emperor and Empress Dowager's command in episode 41.
Tan Songyun	Fang Chunyi	Lady Fang → First Class Attendant Chun → Noble Lady Chun The youngest imperial consort to enter the palace at the beginning of the series. Innocent and child-minded, also a loyal close friend to Zhen Huan. After she accidentally heard about Consort Hua's shady business in episode 27, she's unfortunately been killed by Zhou Ninghai.
Cui Manli	Yu Ying'er	Palace Maid → Lady-in-waiting → Second Class Attendant → Commoner Initially a palace maid in the imperial garden, she witnesses the first encounter between the Yongzheng Emperor and Zhen Huan, and later enters the Imperial Harem by pretending to be Zhen Huan during that encounter. She was soon lost the Emperor's favour after he knows that Zhen Huan is the one who have the encounter with him. She initially been thrown into the Cold Palace then been strangled to death by a group of eunuchs in episode 10.
Liu Yitong	Qiao Songzhi	Senior Maid of Consort Hua → Palace Maid → Second Class Attendant Zhi Consort Hua's loyal maid who joins the Imperial Harem to consolidate the former's failing power.
Tang Yixin	Gūwalgiya Wenyuan	Lady Gūwalgiya → Noble Lady Qi → Concubine Qi → Noble Lady Qi → Commoner A consort who tried to accuse Zhen Huan and Wen Shichu of having an affair. After her failure of accusing Zhen Huan having an affair with Wen, she's been thrown into the Cold Palace as punishment in episode 64. On account of her offences, her family has been under investigation from the Emperor which caused her family's downfall. She's ultimately been beaten to death by a group of guards after she ran away from the Cold Palace in episode 66.
Rayzha	Ye Lanyi (叶澜依)	Lady Ye → Second Class Attendant → Noble Lady Ning → Concubine Ning A horse trainer who is forced to join the Imperial Harem after gaining the Emperor Yongzheng's attention. She commits suicide after the death of Emperor Yongzheng.
Wan Meixi	Lü Yingfeng	First Class Attendant Xin → Noble Lady Xin → Concubine Xin → Dowager Concubine Xin A kind, experienced but low-ranked imperial consort who was unfavored by Emperor Yongzheng. She's been bullied by other concubines who's been favoured by the Emperor so often as she's not good at gaining favour from the Emperor. She's later corporate with Zhen Huan after the latter's return to imperial harem.
Ying Er	Xia Dongchun	Lady Xia → First Class Attendant An obnoxious imperial consort who picks on An Lingrong and offends Consort Hua with her brazen ways at the beginning of the series.
Zhao Qin	Fuca Yixin	Lady Fuca → Noble Lady A scheming but timid imperial consort who is responsible for manipulating An Lingrong. She lost her sanity just after she heard a story about human swines from Zhen Huan in episode 35.
Li Jiaxuan	Fei Yunyan	Concubine Li A scheming and mean-spirited imperial consort who's unfavoured by the Emperor Yongzheng. She's often messes up with Zhen Huan just because of her unloyal servant, she's soon lost her sanity after she's been scared by a ghost then ultimately been thrown into the Cold Palace in episode 11.
Mao Xiaotong	Caiping	Maid → Second Class Attendant Ying → First Class Attendant Ying → Noble Lady Ying Initially a maid at Prince Guo's Mansion, she is gifted to the Yongzheng Emperor by Huanbi.
He Yanan	First Class Attendant Kang
Guo Xuan	Concubine Zhen

Production

Publisher: Zheng Xiaolong, Zhong Yi, Dun Yong, Li Ruigang
Producer: Cao Ping, Dun Qi, Xu Xiaoou
Supervisor: Liu Zhiyuan, Wang Xiaodong, Zhang Suzhou, Chen Liang, Tang Rang, Zhang Ping, Li Junming, Zhang Ping, Zhao Hongmei, Chen Yaping
Director: Zheng Xiaolong
Assistant director: Dong Xiaoyun, Liu Le, Zheng Hanqing
Screenwriter: Liu Lianzi, Wang Xiaoping
Photographer: Li Zhiqiang, Li Qiang, Yu Fei, Zhang Yuanshou, Feng Yucheng, Wang Lindong, Zhao Hao, He Lichun, Chen Jianwei, Wei Liangliang, Li Meng, Yang Jinbo
Music: Liu Huan, Meng Ke, Ding Ji, Zhao Liang, Song Lei, Wang Songyang, Wan Xiaoyuan, Li Wei, Sui Jing, Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, Huang Lijie
Editor: Jin Ye, Jiang Jimei, cao translation
Props: Wang Yue, Liu Yuanfei, Wang Guiqing, Wang Shili, Gao Guiyong, Liu Jiye, Zhang Yanlong, Fang Jie, LiBiao, Cao Yongli, Wang Yanhua, Su Huizhi, Gao Yashi, Gao Xian, Lv Qiang, Zhang Fengjun
Casting: Li Yang
Voice acting: Liao Jing, Zhang Wei
Art: Chen Haozhong, Luan Hexin, Wang Yongkang, Yang Kun
Modeling: Chen Minzheng, Li Yuanyuan, Wang Yingkai, Kou Hainan, Yang Jia, Sun Yue, Guo Yang, Min Cong, Zhang Rongbin, Qin Yiping, Wen Lulu, Xing Lu
Wardrobe: Chen Tongxun, Shi Dongling, Ji Doni, Zhu Yuxiang, Tang Biyun, Liu Xiaohu, Chen Guanglin, Guo Sheng, Shi Jianmin
Visual effects: Beijing Huacai Shengtang Mathematics Technology Co., LTD
Lighting: Li Tianlei, Zhang Xin'an, Zhang Cun, Wang Zhonghai, Xu Wanfei, Zhang Feng, Lin Shucong, Wu Tianzhao, Zhang Yunling, Meng Xudong, Chen Guofu, Xu Bing, Zhang Jiayu
Recording: An Wei, Liu Xinghe, Lin Xin
Script supervisor: Guo Guanhua, Yu Feng
Issuing: Cheng Ting

Impact

Chinese traditional arts
According to the Overseas Chinese Language and Culture Education Online website, the "Filigree Inlaid Metal Art", an accessory craft skill that can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period became a phenomenon due to being featured in the series.
Donkey medicine
A traditional remedy derived from donkey-hide gelatin had its profile increased through product placement in the show.

Ratings

Highest ratings are marked in red, lowest ratings are marked in '''blue.'''

International broadcast

The series first aired in China in 2011 on Shaoxing News, a regional channel. As it gained popularity there it was picked up by national television channels and first aired nationwide in 2012.
In April 2015, the series was added to Netflix US and has since been taken off and put on Amazon Prime Video. It was edited down to six episodes, each with a 90-minute duration. The original audio was kept intact with the addition of closed captions in English.
In Thailand, the series was first aired in 2016 on Channel 7 and in 2018 on One31 and LINE TV.
The series was uploaded on YouTube by LeTV in 2018.