Secret History of Princess Taiping

Secret History of Princess Taiping, also known as Taiping Gongzhu Mishi, is a 2012 Chinese historical television series. The protagonist is the firstborn daughter (posthumously known as Princess Andingsi, who died in infancy according to history) of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. However, in this television series, the princess survived, and when she grows up she impersonates her younger sister Princess Taiping to take revenge on her mother and attempts to seize the throne for herself. Directed by Lee Hon-to and Zhou Min, the series starred three actresses — Alyssa Chia, Zheng Shuang and Lin Miaoke — as Princess Taiping, each playing the princess at a different stage of her life. It was first broadcast in mainland China on Hunan Satellite TV on 27 March 2012.

Plot
In 654, during the Tang dynasty, Wu Zetian (then a concubine of Emperor Gaozong) murdered her firstborn daughter (posthumously known as Princess Andingsi) and pushed the blame to Empress Wang. The princess's wet nurse, Zhaoniang, discovers that the baby princess is still alive and smuggles her out of the palace. Zhaoniang and the young princess escape from the capital and venture further north into the desert regions. Several years later, the princess has grown up and she develops a romantic relationship with Axiena Simu, a young Tujue prince.

At one point, Zhaoniang dies trying to protect the princess. The princess learns the truth about her origins. She decides to seek vengeance on her mother Wu Zetian, who has seized the Tang throne and currently rules as a female emperor. The princess collaborates with Axiena Simu to kidnap Princess Taiping, Wu Zetian's younger daughter. As the two princesses resemble each other in appearance, the older one impersonates her younger sister and returns to the palace, where she plots her revenge and schemes to take over her mother's place as the ruler of China.

Cast

 * Alyssa Chia as Princess Taiping / Princess Andingsi (young adult)
 * Zheng Shuang as Princess Taiping / Princess Andingsi (teenage)
 * Lin Miaoke as Princess Taiping / Princess Andingsi (child)
 * Lan Yan as Empress Wang
 * Sun Yaoqi as Shangguan Wan'er (young adult), Wu Zetian's secretary
 * Tu Liman as Shangguan Wan'er (middle age)
 * Liu Yuxin as Wu Zetian (young adult), the mother of the two princesses
 * Li Xiang as Wu Zetian (middle age)
 * Xu Weilu as Wei Tuan'er, a servant of Wu Zetian
 * Yu Xintian as Princess Anle
 * Jiang Linjing as Empress Wei
 * Grace Yu as Zhaoniang
 * Zhang Han as Emperor Xuanzong
 * Zhu Zi as Xue Shao
 * Yuan Hong as Axiena Simu
 * Gao Zi as Emperor Gaozong
 * Ye Peng as Emperor Ruizong
 * Tian Yu as Emperor Zhongzong
 * Guo Qiming as Gao Qi
 * Wu Yuhua as Li Chongjun
 * Wang Hao as Wu Youji
 * Ma Fei as Wu Chengsi
 * Ye Xinyu as Di Renjie
 * Ju Hui as Zhang Yizhi
 * Yuan Jiabao as Zhang Changzong