What is this drama about?
For 400 years, the Rong family has lived in Linji and managed large tea plantations, which has had a profound impact on the entire region. For centuries, it has been run exclusively by women, who learn the family business from a young age. Men from the most distinguished families compete with each other to join this old, very private family.
An old unsolved murder case causes the paths of the Rong family’s eldest daughter, Shanbao, to cross with the ambitious new judge, Lu Lianglai. The young official has no idea what mysterious cases he will be solving.
This was a truly excellent drama. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a story with such a fast-paced plot, so many twists and turns, and so much intrigue. A kind soul from a Facebook drama group got me into watching this drama, and I’m grateful for that. We both found ourselves jaw-dropping at every unexpected twist. Of course, such dramas are best watched in good company. I really liked the idea of the women being dominant in this story, and the men merely complementing their strong personalities. The actors played this brilliantly. Rong Shanbao (Gulnezer Bextiyar) was sensational. Cool but kind, incredibly intelligent, able to anticipate her opponent’s every move, whether it was a prospective husband, a greedy official, or even her own sister. She demanded a lot of work from everyone, but most of all from herself.
Lu Lianglai (Hou Minghao) was the perfect partner for her. Equally cunning and intelligent, with a strong moral compass, yet gazing at her like a sacred image, not dominating, even slightly submissive. The chemistry was there, on a level of intellect and mutual understanding, but there was little passion. Besides, this story isn’t a romance.
All the characters, even those in the background, were brilliantly portrayed, especially the grandmother and all the sisters. I’m glad that so many actors and actresses I know played in such a good drama, including the beautiful Richard Li – the king of mini-dramas. I was a bit worried about Cheng Xiao’s performance, as she’s not a particularly talented actress, but she truly embraced her role.
The overall experience was complemented by beautiful views of the tea fields and stunning costumes, and at the end of almost every episode, there’s a short educational video about tea, for example.
Who is this drama for? For viewers who love strong, even dominant, female characters, plenty of intrigue, and unexpected plot twists.
photo source: MyDramaList
