A Dream of Splendor

A Dream of Splendor is a 2022 Chinese historical drama television series directed by Yang Yang and starring Liu Yifei, Chen Xiao, Liu Yan and * Lin Yun. Set in the Northern Song Dynasty, the series is based on the (Yuan Opera-style) drama Zhao Pan'er Fengyue Jiu Feng Chen《赵盼儿风月救风尘》 by the Yuan Dynasty playwright Guan Hanqing. It is airing on Tencent Video and WeTV from June 2, 2022 to July 24, 2022. Hong Kong's TVB was the first television station to broadcast this drama on TVB Jade from September 5, 2022 to October 14, 2022, previously on its streaming service MyTV SUPER from June 9 to July 2, 2022. It later went on national broadcast and aired simultaneously on Beijing Satellite Television from 22 November 2022.

Synopsis
Zhao Pan-Er is the owner of a famous tea shop in Qian-Tang. She supported her fiancé, Ou-Yang Xu, for three years before he went to Eastern Capital to take the imperial exam, promising to marry her once he passed.

She meets Gu Qian-Fan, an upright commander from the Imperial City, and they become entangled in a big case in Jiang-Nan where he is framed and becomes a wanted man. During that time, she finds out from Ou-Yang Xu's servant, Uncle De, that though her fiancé won third place in the imperial examination, he agreed to marry the daughter of an official, and can only take Zhao Pan-Er as a concubine instead of as his legal wife.

Unwilling to accept her fate, she decides to go to the Eastern Capital and find out the truth, and seek justice. Before going, Zhao Pan-Er, helps an injured Gu Qian-Fan escape the authorities by getting him onto a ship. She also finds out that her friend, Song Yin-Zhang, was tricked into marriage by a gambler who only wanted her money, and is being abused by him. Along the way, she finds Sun San-Niang, a chef who was driven to suicide by her callous, cheating husband and ungrateful son, clinging to a large piece of driftwood. Sun San-Niang is rescued by Gu Qian-Fan. Sun San-Niang becomes ill from overwhelming grief and is nursed back to health by Zhao Pan-Er and Gu Qian-Fan. Zhao Pan-Er comes up with a plan to rescue Song Yin-Zhang and get justice for her. After successfully saving Song Yin-Zhang, the three sworn sisters decide to go to the Eastern Capital together to find the truth about Ou-Yang Xu.

When Zhao Pan-Er arrives in the Eastern Capital, she finds out what Uncle De said is true. She confronts Ou-Yang Xu, and he confirms his plans to marry Gao Hui. He again asks her to be his concubine, but she refuses and asks him to return the things she gave him, including a damning painting sought after by several court officials. He is unable to comply, and, convinced by Uncle De that she would be detrimental to his career, frames her for a violation, and has her driven out of the Capital in shame with her friends.

When Zhao Pan-Er encounters Gu Qian-Fan at the capital gates, he convinces her to stay in the Eastern Capital after he hears what Ou-Yang Xu did, and has the trumped-up violation revoked. In order to remain in the Eastern Capital, Zhao Pan-Er, Song Yin-Zhang and Sun San-Niang pool their funds and start a small teahouse in an undesirable area. But after several of Pan-Er's innovative ideas challenge the status quo, the teahouse becomes a success. They then decide to start up a restaurant in the Eastern Capital. In the beginning, they encounter issues with the restaurant guild, but are eventually able to create a successful restaurant catering to all kinds of customers. The three sworn sisters experience a lot of hardship and obstacles, but are finally able to find success and happiness. Their restaurant becomes a place where entertainers can work and make a decent living. With the help of the emperor, Zhao Pan-Er is able to have the pariah status and restrictions removed. 9

Caste System
An unusual aspect of this series is that it explicitly addresses and explores the caste system of the Northern Song dynasty. Caste systems existed in China, though they are not as famous or rigid as the ones in India and Edo Period Japan. Broadly speaking, the general citizenry were classed as either "Dastardly" or "Virtuous" based on their profession and ancestry, with a complex system of sub-castes within these two broad classifications. "Dastardly" citizens were restricted in various ways, had fewer civil rights, and were ineligible for imperial examinations and public office. It was not explicitly illegal for women from a "dastardly" background to become the main wife of an official, but it was severely frowned upon and considered to be a mark of poor character.

"Dastardly" professions in this series include merchants, businessmen, and "entertainers", a category which includes the sub-castes of instrument players, singers, dancers, and prostitutes. Scholars have always been highly regarded throughout Chinese history, so of course, they are considered "Virtuous".

Zhao Pan'er's father was a general who violated military orders in order to save citizens from slaughter. As part of his punishment, his family were demoted to "sinners" and Zhao Pan'er was trained as a government-regulated "entertainer". She was later "ransomed/redeemed" by her father's comrades and regained her freedom, but her time as a "sinner" would forever be regarded as a blemish to her reputation if it was ever found out. After being "ransomed/redeemed", Zhao Pan'er opened a tea shop and became a business owner.

Zhao Pan'er's background as a business owner and former sinner was the primary motivation behind Ouyang Xu concealing his relationship with her and later on, reneging on marrying her as his main wife, the inciting incident which sets the story in motion. The Empress was also a former entertainer, and her attempts to protect her identity, and her schemes against those who criticize her for being unworthy of her position, all play key roles in the story.

Song Yinzhang, a talented Pipa player, also struggles with her identity as an "entertainer" of the "dastardly" caste.

Awards

 * 2022 The 13th Macao International Television Festival|The 13th Macao International Television Festival Best Actress in "Golden Lotus": Liu Yifei.