If you spent any part of 2018 glued to the screen watching Wei Yingluo dismantle her enemies with the precision of a surgeon, you probably felt that massive void when Story of Yanxi Palace ended. It was a cultural juggernaut. Then, almost out of nowhere, Netflix dropped Yanxi Palace Princess Adventures. It was short. It was colorful. It was... well, it was different.
Honestly, it’s kind of a weird beast.
Produced by Yu Zheng, the six-episode sequel focuses on the next generation. Specifically, we're looking at Zhaohua, the daughter of Wei Yingluo and the Qianlong Emperor. If you expected the slow-burn psychological warfare of the original 70-episode masterpiece, you were probably disappointed. This isn't that. It’s a fast-paced, almost frantic melodrama that feels like it’s running on a triple espresso.
What Yanxi Palace Princess Adventures actually gets right (and wrong)
The show picks up years after the original ended. Rain Wang plays Princess Zhaohua, and she’s basically a concentrated version of her mother’s temper without the years of trauma-induced restraint. She’s loud. She’s spoiled. She’s also deeply insecure because of a childhood kidnapping incident that the show uses as a major plot engine.
The plot revolves around a messy love triangle involving Zhaohua, a Mongolian prince named Rakuzhan, and Fu Kangan—who is the son of the villainous Erqing. If you remember Erqing, you probably just felt your blood pressure rise. The show banks heavily on that lingering resentment. Fu Kangan wants revenge for his mother, and he decides the best way to get it is by making the Emperor’s favorite daughter fall in love with him, only to break her heart.
It's classic melodrama.
But here’s the thing: the pacing is jarring. In the original Yanxi Palace, a scheme might take ten episodes to breathe. Here, a character plots something, it happens, and it's resolved before the next commercial break would have aired. It feels like a "greatest hits" reel of palace intrigue rather than a lived-in world. For some, that’s a relief. For purists? It’s a bit of a slap in the face to the genre's tradition of "the long game."
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The Wei Yingluo Factor
Wu Jinyan and Nie Yuan actually show up. This isn't just a cheap cameo where they appear in a dream sequence. They are secondary characters, playing the roles of seasoned, slightly tired parents.
Seeing Wei Yingluo as a mother is fascinating. She hasn't lost her edge. She tells her daughter, "If you've given him your heart, but he doesn't give you his, you must take yours back. Otherwise, you're just a fool." It’s the kind of pragmatic, cold-blooded wisdom that made us love her in the first place. But the dynamic has shifted. She’s no longer the underdog fighting for survival; she’s the establishment.
Why the visual style changed
You’ll notice immediately that the color palette in Yanxi Palace Princess Adventures is more vibrant. The original was famous for its "Morandi" colors—muted, grey-toned, sophisticated hues that looked like an ancient silk painting.
This spin-off leans into higher saturation.
Some critics argued this was to appeal to a younger, international Netflix audience. It looks "poppy." The costumes are still intricate—Yu Zheng doesn't skimp on the embroidery or the authentic Qing dynasty hairpieces—but the vibe is less "historical document" and more "young adult fiction." It fits the story, which is essentially a coming-of-age tale wrapped in silk and spite.
The ghost of the past: Fu Kangan's motivation
The biggest hurdle for the show is convincing the audience to care about Fu Kangan. We spent dozens of hours hating his mother, Erqing. Seeing him manipulate Zhaohua feels less like a new story and more like a retread of old wounds.
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Is he a villain? Is he a victim of his upbringing?
The show tries to play both sides. He’s caught between his loyalty to a dead, disgraced mother and his growing feelings for a girl who is just as volatile as he is. It's a toxic mess. Honestly, it’s kind of refreshing to see a C-drama lean so hard into a "mutually assured destruction" romance rather than something saccharine.
The controversy of the "Madness" plotline
Without spoiling the ending entirely, there’s a heavy focus on Zhaohua’s mental state. The show suggests she has a "split personality" resulting from her childhood trauma. This is where the writing gets a bit shaky.
Historically, and even within the context of the show’s own logic, this isn't handled with much nuance. It’s used as a "gotcha" moment. It turns the princess into a bit of a horror movie trope. Fans of the original show’s grounded (if heightened) realism found this a bit too "supernatural" or "theatrical."
However, if you view it as a psychological manifestation of Wei Yingluo's ruthless bloodline coming to the surface, it’s kind of cool. It’s like watching a superhero—or supervillain—origin story.
Why it was so short
Six episodes. That’s it.
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Most C-dramas are marathons. Yanxi Palace Princess Adventures is a sprint. There were rumors that the show was originally longer and got chopped down in the editing room to meet Netflix’s preference for shorter, bingeable seasons. This would explain why some character arcs feel like they’re missing their middle sections.
The Mongolian Prince, Rakuzhan, suffers the most from this. He’s supposed to be the "noble" choice for Zhaohua, but he has the personality of a damp paper towel for the first four episodes because he simply doesn't get enough screen time to be interesting.
Practical advice for new viewers
If you haven't seen the original Story of Yanxi Palace, do not start here. You will be lost. You won't understand why the older woman with the sharp tongue is so terrifying, or why the guy in the guard uniform looks so conflicted.
- Watch the original first. At least the first 20 episodes to get the vibe.
- Adjust your expectations. This is a spin-off, not a sequel. It’s a "side story."
- Pay attention to the jewelry. The craftsmanship in the headpieces (tian-tsui) is actually top-tier and historically accurate to the mid-Qing period.
The legacy of the Yanxi brand
Despite its flaws, the show was a hit on streaming because the brand is ironclad. It proved that there is a global appetite for "Palace Intrigue" stories that don't require a degree in Chinese history to enjoy.
The show basically functions as a bridge. It bridges the gap between the traditional, long-form broadcast dramas of mainland China and the fast-paced, high-concept content favored by global streamers. It’s a bit messy, sure. It’s a little loud. But it captures that specific brand of "vindictive satisfaction" that made the Yanxi universe famous.
If you’re looking for a quick fix of silk robes, poisoned words, and incredibly elaborate hair, it’s worth the weekend binge. Just don’t expect it to change your life the way the original did.
Your next steps for the Yanxi experience
To get the most out of this specific corner of the C-drama world, you should look into the actual history of the daughter of Empress Xiaoyichun (the real Wei Yingluo). The real Seventh Princess, Princess Hejing of the First Rank, had a life that was arguably just as dramatic as the show, though with fewer "split personalities" and more political maneuvering involving the Mongolian borders.
If you've finished the six episodes and want more, check out Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. It covers the exact same time period and characters but from a completely different—and much darker—perspective. It’s the perfect palate cleanser after the high-energy antics of Zhaohua.