The Affaire in the Swing Age

The Affaire in the Swing Age, also known as The Dynasty or Love Against Kingship, is a 2003 Chinese television series based on the novel Jiangshan Fengyu Qing by Zhu Sujin, who was also the screenwriter for the series. The series depicts the events in the transition of the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty in China, focusing on the lives of historical figures such as Li Zicheng, Wu Sangui, Chen Yuanyuan, the Chongzhen Emperor and Huangtaiji.

Plot
In 1627, the young Chongzhen Emperor succeeds his brother, the Tianqi Emperor, as the sovereign of the Ming dynasty, with help from the eunuch Wang Cheng'en. The hardworking Chongzhen Emperor strives to save his dwindling empire from collapse and seeks to restore it to its former glory. However, it seems impossible for him to achieve these goals because the Ming government has been plagued by corruption since his predecessors' time, and the people have also rebelled against him under the leadership of Li Zicheng. Besides, on the northern frontier, Huangtaiji, the ambitious ruler of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, is actively preparing his army for an invasion of the Ming Empire.

Yuan Chonghuan and Hong Chengchou are both capable military commanders appointed by the Chongzhen Emperor to counter the Manchu invaders, but they meet different fates – the emperor orders Yuan to be executed by slow slicing after believing false accusations that Yuan is plotting against him; Hong is forced to surrender to the Manchus after his defeat at the Battle of Songjin, and he aids the Qing forces on their campaign against the Southern Ming dynasty later.

In 1644, Li Zicheng's rebel forces capture the Ming capital, Beijing. The Chongzhen Emperor commits suicide by hanging himself on a tree. Shortly after, Wu Sangui, a Ming general defending the border, defects to the Qing dynasty and opens Shanhai Pass, allowing the Qing forces to enter and overrun the rest of China. The reason behind Wu's defection is the loss of his beloved concubine, Chen Yuanyuan. Chen was initially kept as a hostage in Beijing to prevent Wu from betraying the Ming Empire. However, after the fall of Beijing, she was taken by Liu Zongmin, a rebel general under Li Zicheng. Wu is angered and he decides to ally with the Qing forces against the rebels.

Cast

 * Wang Gang as Wang Cheng'en
 * Li Qiang (first-class actor) as the Chongzhen Emperor
 * Ding Haifeng (actor) as Wu Sangui
 * Liu Wei (actress) as Li Zicheng
 * Zhang Lanlan as Chen Yuanyuan
 * Tang Guoqiang as Huangtaiji
 * Chen Daoming as the Tianqi Emperor
 * Chen Baoguo as Zhu Changying
 * Bao Guo'an as Hong Chengchou
 * Wang Huichun as Fan Renkuan
 * Zhou Jie as Hou Chaozong
 * Li Zhi as Dorgon
 * Yan Kun as the Shunzhi Emperor
 * Deng Chao as the Kangxi Emperor
 * Xu Min as the Longwu Emperor
 * Li Ding|zh|李丁 (影視演員) as Wei Zhongxian
 * He Xianda as Koxinga
 * Niu Li as Consort Zhuang
 * Wang Minghu as Hooge
 * Zhang Xiaozhong as Yuan Chonghuan
 * Li Jianqun as Empress Zhou
 * Liu Jun as Huang Yu
 * Ma Jie as Lu Si
 * Zhang Qiuge as Liu Zongmin
 * Liu Yubin as Zhou Yanru
 * Wang Jinghua as the Tianqi Emperor's concubine
 * Zeng Jing as Eunuch Li
 * Liu Peiqing as Gao Yingxiang

List of featured songs

 * Ping'an Meng (《平安梦》; Dream of Peace) performed by Han Lei
 * Bianshui Liu (《汴水流》; The Bian River Flows) performed by Han Lei and Liu Jin
 * Dian Jiangchun Guiqing (《点绛唇·闺情》; Red Lips, Woman's Love) performed by Liu Jin
 * Biyuntian (《碧云天》; Jade Cloud Sky) performed by Liu Jin