Flourished Peony 国色芳华 [Current]

[abs-oluteM]

Flourished Peony

 国色芳华

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

Set in the Tang Dynasty, it tells the legendary and inspirational story of a woman who cultivated peonies and eventually helped the people of the world. He Wei Fang, the daughter of a merchant with the help of Jiang Chang Yang,, an official in Chang'an, divorced from a marriage where only benefits were exchanged. The two met again by chance in Jingcheng.

 

He Wei Fang relied on her superb skills in cultivating rare peonies and her extraordinary business acumen to form a combination of craftsmen and investors with Jiang Chang Yang. She started her business cultivating peonies and led a group of women who had a rough life to jointly run a flower shop and build a brand. He Wei Fang gradually discovered that he was actually a general for the country, who was pure on the outside, clever on the inside, and caring about the world. Seeing firsthand the hardships of the poor and hard-working people, He Wei Fang was determined to transform the industry into one that benefits the people.

 

On Jiang Chang Yang's road to serving the country, He Wei Fang repeatedly helped him, and the two sides gradually developed a secret love. After a near-death experience, the two worked together to put down a rebellion, and both retreated into the world of heaven and earth.

 

(Source: MDL via Official Huace Film & TV)

 

Screenwriter: Zhang Yuan Ang

Director: Ding Zi Guang

Episodes: 32

Airing date : Jan 7, 2025 - ?

Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Original Network: Hunan TV, Mango TV, Viki

Duration: 45 min.

[abs-oluteM]

Main Cast

Yang Zi as He Weifang / Mu Dan

Li Xian as Jiang Changyang

Wei Zhe Ming as Liu Chang

 

Supporting Cast

Spoiler

Zhang Ya Qin as Li Youzhen

Tu Song Yan as Prince Ning

Guan Yue as Zhu Fu

Xu Ling Yue as Xiao Xuexi

Shen Meng Chen as Huangfu Ling Ge

Tong Meng Shi as Li Xing

Dong Jie as Little Aunt Feng

Yang Kun as Sun Da Niang

Zhang Lei as Father Liu

Hao Wen Ting as Mother Liu

Zhang Qi as Xu Zuping

Shao Yun as Qin Shengyi

Sun Mei Lin as Lv Gengchun

Gu Zi Cheng as Qin Liulang

Qu Zhe Ming as Qin Sanlang

Ma Yi as Cao Yuying

Guo Zhe as Chuan Yu

Zhou Pu as Uncle Wu

Chen Yi Long as Pei Zhong

Bao Chen Xi as Lian Zhou

Kui Yuan as A Tao

Hu Yi Yan as Qing Que

Ni Han Jin as Yu Zheng

Liao Yin Yue as Yu Lu

Gao Sheng as A Ci

Lin Zi Lu as Bi Yu

Xie Xin as Yun Niang

Wang Tian Yu as Qiu Shi

Xin Peng as Wang Qing

Mu Tong as She Yan

 

Character Chart

 

Airing Schedule

[abs-oluteM]

Trailers (with subs) 

 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Previews for ep 1 to 4 (no subs)

Ep1 

Ep 2 

Ep 3

 

Ep 4 in spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Viu and Viki will only start airing tomorrow. Mango TV is not available for me and apparently there are no subs yet at the time of me posting this. It really sucks that Mango TV produced this. 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Some cuts from the press con which was 

subbed

 

[abs-oluteM]

Can also watch it directly on YT via China Huace. Just join their membership (not expensive)

I liked the first 3 episodes. Story not draggy and things move along quickly. 

MuDan / He Wei Fang felt compelled to marry into the family purely because  Liu Chang's family had a rare herb/ medicine for her mother's illness. The Liu family needed her as her family is rich (merchants but not of nobility) and they were cash strapped despite the father holding an official rank ( but not a very high one). Liu Chang (Mile's character) wasn't happy to marry her as he had someone he loved - the County Princess. With an overly micromanaging mother-in-law and a non-loving husband, HeWeiFang's life was hell . But she was smart girl and what kept her going was her maid , YuLu (who was also like a sis to her) and the peonies that her mother had left for her as part of her dowry.

 

Before long she finds out that the medicine for her mother is fake. She also found out that her in-laws had sold some shops that were part of her dowry without her permission. She wanted a divorce but Liu Chang despite not liking her didn't wish to grant her one. The tipping point came when her father-in-law's men accidentally caused the death of her maid, Yulu and from them she knew she had to find a way to leave this family.

 

LiXian's Jiang Chang Yang is such a character.   He's known to be a corrupt and greedy official, and spends plenty of time enjoying the finer things of life (women and wine). However this external persona that puts on is to hide the things that he is truly capable of. He seems to be the trusted minister of the Emperor or something and he accompanied the County Princess to the Liu's family's flower festival. So during the stay there were some interesting interactions between JCY and HWF. While she initially thought him as a "player" , she soon sees that he's not what he seems. As of ep 4, he's already helped her by playing along to expose her FIL's misdeed.

 

As to her husband Liu Chang - he isn't a one dimensional character either. He may have hated the idea of being forced to marry her but he also sees that she's a person with good virtues. The County Princess whom he was in love with seems rather different from how he last remembered her. The princess who is now widowed wishes to be reunited with LiuChang (her father had disallowed her to marry him 3 years ago due to his lower status) .However it seems that LiuChang dislikes the arrogant person she has become. So what I am sensing is that he has fallen out of love with her, and I feel his heart has shifted towards HeWeiFang. Which is likely why he is against divorcing her. 

[mademoiselle]

22 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

As to her husband Liu Chang - he isn't a one dimensional character either. He may have hated the idea of being forced to marry her but he also sees that she's a person with good virtues. The County Princess whom he was in love with seems rather different from how he last remembered her. The princess who is now widowed wishes to be reunited with LiuChang (her father had disallowed her to marry him 3 years ago due to his lower status) .However it seems that LiuChang dislikes the arrogant person she has become. So what I am sensing is that he has fallen out of love with her, and I feel his heart has shifted towards HeWeiFang. Which is likely why he is against divorcing her. 

Only seeing cuts and saw some mentioning of their marriage life. Did they only marry for a year before the County Princess reappear and then they divorce? If so, then it's too bad. If he had more time to resolve his resentment regarding the forced marriage and get to know He Wei Feng without tainted lens, he would have been in a better situation with his heart. That said, he still would not be a "good husband" because he obeys his parents too much.

 

[abs-oluteM]

 

On 1/9/2025 at 12:40 PM, abs-oluteM said:

Can also watch it directly on YT via China Huace. Just join their membership (not expensive)

They stopped this much to my annoyance. I actually paid.. 

[rocher22]

 

finally a quiet and lovely scene between Mudan and JCY...

the golden fish scene in the garden full of the white flowers ep 11

I think he was worried about her.

 

ep 12...

The three girls (Mudan, Fu and Shangyu ) and the oath scene...I had a good laugh...

and the whole sunset scene was beautifully captured...Mudan and Jiang on the staircase

Liked her new hairstyle and the pastel pink dress.

 

 

ep 13

The opening scene with the teacher Xu was totally unexpected...But JCY looked pretty cool in black.

Im glad we saw some different scenes of him. I guess it is a hidden plan between JCY and the tutor Xu.

 

I feel bad for the husband Liu...He isnt a totally bad guy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

I am up to eps 11 and I have been enjoying the show very much. 

These are two very interesting leads - I like that they are both so money minded   and have a good head where making money is concern. So much so that they are constantly bickering and bargaining over stuff. Jiang Chang Yang said in eps 8 that his ideal woman is one who has a sharp tongue and cherishes money like life itself. He definitely met his match in He Wei Fang.

 

So these days a lot of cdramas even in these pseudo historical ones like to write their heroine to be independent, business minded and self-sufficient. I mean gone are the days of the helpless candy girl type character who just accepts her lot in life, remain optimistic and wait to be saved by the ML. He Wei Fang is certainly no candy girl. She's resourceful  and sharp. Despite the dire situations she keeps encountering, she's kept her wits and uses her head. It's not been easy after escaping from her greedy in laws who tried to kill her,  and a husband who now refuses to divorce her because he belatedly realises that he likes her. My favourite thing about her is her how quickly she reads the room and seizes opportunities that someone else may not have thought of.

 

As to Jiang Chang Yang - TBH it is rare to see a glib-tongued  ML like this who has no shame in acquiring wealth by receiving gifts and enjoying the lil pleasures of life . He's so overt about it that his corrupt and seemingly player image precedes him. Except as He Wei Fang has noted - that the more obvious he plays up this persona, the more it seems like a cover. JCY also doesn't seem to scoop in to save her like you'd expect the typical ML to do so. So much so I have read comments that LX's role here seems to be just about appreciating her capabilities. It isn't that he doesn't wish to lend a hand - he does but he respects her enough to know she is capable of fending for herself. He only intervenes when circumstances are beyond her. I love that LiXian is playing such a character - it is really quite a departure from his previous roles.

 

@rocher22 I too don't hate Liu Chang. I think Miles took on this role because LiuChang's characterisation is complex and layered. There are moments where I feel sorry for him but then I am thinking that if a man is seems so helpless and cornered, how will he defend and protect you?  Like I posted on my X handle, my greatest issue with Liu Chang is that he strives to be a good and righteous person but it's not because it is the right thing to do but because his pride is at stake. In earlier episodes he shunned those who made it through connections, but he doesn't have enough gall to refuse it when he was bestowed with one. True that his circumstances seem to dictate the life he now has to lead but his choices are ultimately always about his own feelings and not what is best for the other person.