The Virtuous Queen of Han Episode 1-3 Recap
January 10, 2016Drama begins with Wei Zifu becoming empress and then it flashes back to the start of Wei Zifu's life
An Introduction to Wei Zifu's Childhood
-WZF's has one brother, two sisters, and one half-brother
-Her family is moving due to catastrophe
Because she offended a fortune teller, she was left behind by her stepfather who believes the teller's words of her being his bad luck charm.
WZF helps a man and this man teaches her three phrases
To not fight, to not stand out, to not show -
THIS REMINDS ME OF TVB BEYOND THE REALM OF CONSCIENCE LAU SAM HO'S THREE GOOD DEEDS
Her family comes back for her and her half-brother Zheng Qing decides to follow them changing his surname to Wei (aka the future famous general Wei Qing)
Introduction to New Characters
-Grown-up Wei Qing
-Marquis
Basically Wei Qing wants to hunt a deer but the Marquis stops him since he doesn't want to stand out. He tells WQ to leave the bigger hunt for others.
-Emperor
-Grand Empress Dowager Dou and Imperial Aunt
The grand empress accuses loyal officials of misleading the emperor and thus sentences them to death --- the emperor understands his grandmother still wants to hold authority
He learns this lesson and vows to be a good emperor when he visits his teachers/the officials for the last time.
One of his trusted official Han Yan comes forth to inform the emperor that his officials have committed suicide and he himself came to remind the emperor of his loyalty
After speaking with the emperor, it is revealed that Han Yan is the one that betrayed the emperor by conspiring with the Imperial Aunt by being the "mole"
-Grown-up Wei Zifu
-Duan Hong, the childhood friend of Wei Zifu
Duan Hong is basically looking for his childhood friend but destiny parts them and wouldn't let them meet until it's too late
Han Yan wants the commoners to put a show for him so he swings a golden ball out his carriage. WZF goes to save a child while Wei Qing kicks HY's carriage in order to save WZF. As a result, HY wants WQ to be captured.
WZF meets Advisor Dou and he saves her from being captured. In return, she writes six characters to describe the situation of the commoners. She writes something along the lines of: "The people are suffering yet the nobles mock them."
Introduction to More New Characters
-Shen Jia
WZF's friend
-Yi Han
The man WZF saved when she was young
The siblings reunite to pray for their mother
Princess Pingyang appears just in time to save Wei Qing from being taken away by Han Yan. Her husband is a useless man who doesn't want to offend HY so he easily handed WQ over. But the princess appears and remind HY about the Marquis' family power and her power as the emperor's sister.
DH is ordered by Advisor Dou to protect the emperor and through this "saving the emperor from a poisonous snake" scene, they become close buddies
DH finally found his childhood friend WQ and is eager to meet WZF
First Meeting
WZF wasn't supposed to perform but because a girl got sick, she went out to perform
WQ points out his sister to DH
Basically WZF steals the entire spotlight. Even the emperor who had a headache thinking about the six characters Advisor Dou relayed to him and the girl who wrote it, couldn't stop concentrating on her. DH realizes she is the one he has been looking for all along but it seems like he knew it's too late.
Just The Beginning
Princess PY sends WZF to take care of the emperor, seeing how mesmerized her brother is with WZF. The emperor also finds out that she is the girl he has been thinking day and night.
WZF meet reunite with childhood friend DH (but it's too late now)
The emperor is rewarding everyone that made it a great experience for him at the princess' residence
WZF is rewarded with gold and other expensive item but she retreats feeling upset that he is not taking her along with him as he returns to the palace
Later that night, he visits WZF and tells her he have decided to bring her along with him - even though they would have to go through many obstacles, he is still willing to try to overcome them with her.
WQ is allowed to follow along and both siblings express their gratitude towards the princess' years of helping them
DH comes to escort her to meet up with the emperor - he tells her that he vows to protect her as her other brother even though now she is one of the emperor's consort
Bad CGI scene of the two traveling back to the palace
-Empress Chen Jiao
She smiles kindly as WZF approaches her and urges her to come forward to get a closer look at her
In actuality, she is a vicious woman who slaps WZF in front of everyone accusing WZF of seducing the emperor with her face and beautiful hair
Wanting to slap her again, the emperor comes just in time to stop it
She is disrespectful towards her husband as she has the power to since she is the beloved granddaughter of the Grand Empress
Her mother came just in time to stop her from embarrassing herself and disrespecting the emperor - she also takes the opportunity to remind the emperor that WZF has to learn the etiquettes of the palace since she is a maid after all
Ordered to Learn The Etiquettes
- New Character: The empress
She is a sympathetic woman who has no power or authority even though she is the empress. She expresses to her son that she can't do anything to protect him since she doesn't have that power.
She even had to ally with the Imperial Aunt in order to help his son gain the throne which is why the queen is Empress Chen.
WZF is locked in a residence and meets the Grand Concubine Ru
Concubine Ru goes insane all of a sudden and attacks WZF
Comment: I watched this a year ago --- it is not the best drama but it is watchable. It reminds me of TVB Moonlight Resonance where evil plots are resolved within a few episodes. I usually enjoy watching smaller plots instead of one major conflict that can only be resolved at the very last episode.
The introduction is fast pace with almost all characters introduced already in the first two episodes. It is really sad seeing how her family almost abandoned her when she was young but they did come back for her. There are some cheesy parts of her and her siblings always repeating that phrase her mother taught her. But after all this is a production of Lau Kar Ho and Mui Siu Ching
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