JoleCole's Station

According to the scriptwriter of Imperial Doctress, Liu Shi Shi and Wallace Huo's characters are the OTP of the story. The role of Zhu Qiyu is just a plot device to achieve the end results she wants, which to me is quite unfortunate. Zhu Qiyu's evil transformation would provide the platform that the scriptwriter needed to justify the love relationship between Zhu Qizhen and Yunxian. Zhu Qizhen was written to be Yunxian's soulmate and confidante. He also gives her unconditional support in everything she does. On the other spectrum, Zhu Qiyu is destined to be her first love, husband, and father of her child as well as a major obstacle in her medicine career. I guess the writer is trying to convey the message that first love is not always good husband material. Love is not the only ingredient you need to a happy marriage. So be careful with whom you choose to fall in love! LOL.

When I first reported about the Imperial Doctress nearly two years ago, I was adamantly against Liu Shi Shi's character falling in love with the second male lead, Huang Xuan's Zhu Qiyu. I was strongly shipping Wallace Huo's character, Zhu Qizhen, with Liu Shi Shi's Tan Yunxian (pseudonym Hang Yunxian). I even decided to abandon following the news about Imperial Doctress when I found out the story may not go in the direction I wanted. After watching Zhu Qiyu's first appearance and the available promotional materials, I'm completely sold on Huang Xuan's performance as Zhu Qiyu, Zhu Qizhen's younger brother and later the seventh emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He prevented the Ming Dynasty from suffering a similar fate as the Song Dynasty, which got split into the Northern Song and Southern Song when the Jurchens invaded northern China.

Left to Right : Li Chengyuan, Wallace Huo, Huang Xuan, and Liu Shi Shi Hua Qian Gu  recently held a press conference in Guangxi Province. In an interview, Wallace Huo supposedly revealed that he and Liu Shi Shi do not have any intimate scenes in The Imperial Doctress . The love relationship is unfortunately one-sided. Wallace Huo's Zhu Qizhen is completely enthralled and lovelorn over Liu Shi Shi‘s Tan Yunxian. On the other hand, she is in love with his younger brother, Zhu Qiyu, played by Huang Xuan.

We now have a fresh glimpse of The Imperial Doctress with these newly released character stills. The costume theme is very typical of Tangren Production. However, the details and cut of the costumes in this production are perhaps one of the most accurately depicted Ming Dynasty clothing I have seen in Chinese TV productions. The colors, the intricate embroidery, elegance, and simplicity are all in line with Ming Dynasty clothing books I perused. Many will feel Ming Dynasty fashion is very reminiscent of Joseon fashion in Korean dramas. The Chinese Ming Dynasty and Korean Joseon Dynasty were two very politically and culturally connected geographies.  In fact, the Ming Dynasty had a very heavy influence on the bureaucratic structure of the Joseon government. Quite a few Ming Dynasty emperors also took Joseon noblewomen as their imperial consorts (see Emperor Yongle) and the Joseon court would pay annual "tributes" to the Ming court to show their tributary status.

This may not be much of news, but apparently Wallace Huo and Liu Shi Shi are pairing up again after Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei three years ago in upcoming bioepic Imperial Doctress . For happy ending lovers, I highly doubt this story will end happily for fans shipping Wallace Huo and Liu Shi Shi together in this drama...unless they make substantial tweaks to the history. The writer (Zheng Wei) behind this production is the same person who scripted Female Prime Minister , later known as Legend of Lu Zhen .