The mountains are high and the emperor is far away 山高皇帝远.
Under the Microscope takes a detailed look at some of the ancient financial shenanigans that eventually collapsed a dynasty. It is an adaptation of a documentary written by Ma Boyong based on rare ancient folk archives from the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty's demise was in large part due to the inability of the government to properly manage its finances, particularly with respect to tax revenue collection. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away 山高皇帝远/shān gāo huángdì yuǎn; thus local fief lords and officials in remote locations were able to do as they please. Social unrest frequently erupted as a result of local officials' failure to carry out central government directives due to both incompetence and corruption. That is the backdrop against which this ancient tax puzzle cum murder mystery unfolds.Shuai Jiamo is an orphaned peasant and a math savant. He is known in Renhua county as a simpleton and is probably either Aspergic or mildly autistic. He makes a simple living providing field measurement services. In his spare time, he counts cards for his only friend Feng Baoyu, playboy and scion of the prosperous Feng's Ham Shop. He is obsessed with accuracy and when he discovers discrepancies in land records, he tries to track it down. In the process, he stumbles across a misallocated tax that awakens long-dormant memories of the day his whole life changed. Without considering broader consequences, he obstinately decides it must be made right and single-mindedly sets out to rectify these errors. All sorts of vested interests from fief lords to various county officials are affected and conspire to frustrate him. First they turn Chen Renqing, a wily lawyer whose justice and honour can be bought by the highest bidder, loose on him. They also inflame peasants across all eight counties of Jin'an Prefecture, ensuring that chaos, murder and mayhem ensues.
Zhang Ruoyun steps out of his comfort zone in this role of a character that is not always in the moment and relates to others in a different way. Although he seems to over-act in places, the brilliance in his overall interpretation is how insidiously he plants the seeds of doubt. Is the over-acting deliberate and in character? Is the real Shuai Jiamo the one who chastises Feng Baoyu for not paying more heed to his sums and observes that he will soon have a brother-in-law? Or are the glimpses of cunning, empathy, even wit and humour just inconsistent characterisations? Is Shuai Jiamo really that simple and traumatised or does he have complex hidden motives? His nemesis the shrewd and cynical Chen Renqing certainly believes the latter. Leaving these questions largely unanswered makes this yet another fascinating and memorable characterisation by Zhang Ruoyun. His incredible chemistry with Wang Yang thrills and delights in new ways as their roles here force them to connect across entirely different wavelengths. Wang Yang is always at his best in morally ambiguous roles and delivers a wicked and empathetic performance as this lawyer on a white horse. It is also nice to see the limelight shared by Fei Qiming (Feng Baoyu) and Qi Wei (Feng Biyu), who also deliver hilariously engaging portrayals.
This is a beautifully shot production with a detailed eye that captures the humble, tattered and vivid humanity of the common people and the contrasting texture of their venal overlords. The devil is always in the detail with these kinds of accounting and mathematical puzzles that do not lend themselves well to screen adaptation. But this production creatively and humorously dresses up the inherently dry subject matter and does its best to avoid too much exposition. The plot is well paced and the conspiracy builds to a climax that shook me and left me speechless with my heart in my mouth. The villains are well foreshadowed but the reveal still satisfyingly ties up loose ends. Some bad guys got off too lightly but this is realistic and somewhat dictated by historical fact. This is a superbly well-written and entertaining ancient grassroots story that will appeal to anyone on the lookout for fresh themes and stories. 8.5/10.0.
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A Dry Story Based on Actual Event
Under the Microscope is a story adapted from the Silk Case, one of the six cases under Ma Boyong’s historical textbook. The author has also written numerous well-loved novels, among others, Secret of Three Kingdoms, Luoyang, and The Wind Blows from Longxi. Like the other dramas, the mood of this drama is serious albeit with subtle humor. It is a departure from the usual stories of royalty, noblemen and aristocrats, and instead looks microscopically into the issues faced by the commoners during the Ming Dynasty.The tax and financial system during the Ming era was a very complicated subject, and the story revolves around a tax called the “ren ding sijuan” (silk by head count). Shuai Jiamo (Zhang Ruoyun) accidentally discovers a silk tax entry on the county’s account book with a questionable amount. He deems it erroneous and requests the county official to rectify the error but is told he needs to appeal to higher up. While attempting to do so, he meets all kinds of obstacles, including attempts on his life; someone is trying to prevent him from appealing and digging deeper. Together with his only friend, Feng Baoyu (Fei Qiming), they are determined to get to the bottom of it despite putting themselves in great danger.
Shuai Jiamo is a young mathematical genius with signs of autism. To him, math always tells the truth and he doesn’t allow a speck of inaccuracy in it. Because of his obsession, most people regard him as an idiot, except Feng Baoyu who thinks Shuai Jiamo very special and would do anything for him. Zhang Ruoyun is an incredible actor. As the autistic Shuai Jiamo, he is genuine and very believable.
To readjust the tax amount on the account book, Shuai Jiamo is told to bring his appeal to court. While in court, he meets Cheng Renqing (Wang Yang), a talented but morally and ethically questionable lawyer working for a shadowy character to try to throw Shuai Jiamo’s case out. He has been successful, but Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu do not give up easily despite getting thrown into prison and their life being threatened. Wang Yang is a veteran actor, and has a charismatic aura. With a smirk on his face and a sharp tongue, his performance is on script and has no holes to poke.
All the other actors give a wonderful and believable performance. I particularly love the Magistrate Fang character (Hou Yansong). Seemingly lazy and useless, he turns out to be the hero of the people and the actor Hou Yansong has performed with full marks. I also like the Feng Baoyu character who loves gambling and is a real friend worth having for anyone. Fei Qiming’s portrayal is outstanding, bringing out the essence of the character convincingly.
My Verdict
This is a true story based on a historical event but not a drama for everyone. Some of the characters such as Shuai Jiamo and Cheng Renqing (written differently but with same homophones) were real historical figures. Shuai Jiamo’s obsession in math and in going to court to correct the tax errors can bore many viewers unless one is very interested in the complicated and confusing Chinese bureaucratic and financial system during Ming Dynasty. To add fireworks to a dry story to make it more palatable for entertainment consumption, some ninjas and wuxia sword fights are added. The scene when Cheng Renqing comes to the rescue of Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu in the nick of time on the beheading tables by throwing out two knives is simply hilarious and unreal.
Though at the end of the drama, it seems everyone receives their justifiable rewards or punishments, it doesn’t feel right to me. Despite all the heinous acts by the villains, the ultimate culprit’s punishments seem like just a slap on the wrist compared to what Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu receive for pointing out the problem -- some of the culprit's wealth is confiscated while the good guys are beaten and imprisoned -- this is probably quite realistic.
In the real event, Shuai Jiamo’s and Cheng Renqing’s fates were not as rosy as shown here; they were both sent away in exile for stirring up "trouble". In other words, the best way to deal with any problems at the local level was to punish those who pointed out the problems. As always, the drama depicts the aristocrats are the ones suppressing and stealing from the people, and the government the enhancer and the gestapo police -- a satire of wealth inequality, the world is never fair nor just.
Overall, this is a dry drama based on a real story full of ironies and paradoxes. The acting is very good and the script writing is tight and logical but too bad, as much as I have enjoyed it, the drama doesn’t make a compelling story for most casual viewers.
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1A David and Goliath Story
Who doesn’t love an underdog triumph over the odds story? I don’t know how this gem almost eluded me but a show that features men with beards squabbling over the technicalities of the legal code is likely not to be everybody’s cup of tea. For me however this 14 episode series is a rare combination of smart, heartwarming, hilarious and just plain fun. It has me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Moreover the courtroom drama (and there are a few) in the final two episodes of this is an exemplar of entertaining theatre.Set during the waning days of the Ming dynasty, Zhang Ruoyun is the neurodivergent Shuai Jiamo who has a knack for figures. His obsession with the accuracy of his calculations especially in the distribution of land leads him and his best friend Feng Baoyu (Fei Qiming) down a rabbit hole of bureaucratic mismanagement and corruption. The Central Plains is a large place. The country’s capital located some distance away relies heavily on diligent and even honest officials to ensure that the people are flourishing and everyone’s paying their fair share of taxes so that the world can go on spinning. All this assumes that officials picked from the country’s intelligentsia are worth their salt and are content to humbly “serve the country”. However when the cat’s not looking, the mice get up to mischief. There’s never enough money so they collude with the gentry to defraud the uneducated peasants and increase their pieces of the pie over time hiding behind layer upon layer of red tape with all kinds of mutually beneficial trade-offs.
Ultimately the war on corruption is not fought with weapons of steel. There are plenty of weapons showcased (including a large leg of ham) but the biggest one is likely to be red tape itself. It may be used as an impediment to truth. But in the right hands it is also the salvation of the show’s protagonists. Wielded by a knowledgeable soul with conscience, it can be a tool that holds back the forces of evil to great effect.
The tragedy though is that truth and justice is the last thing that matters to most in this fray. There are fascinating modern parallels here. No one really cares that 1+1=2. In fact 1+1=2 can become 1+1=3 at the whim of a corrupt educated class determined to push forward their own agendas on an unsuspecting populace. It’s akin to Winston Smith at the end of Orwell’s 1984. If the powers that be can make you state a lie as truth, it can make you do anything.
Shuai Jiamo is the outsider in a world of competing agendas. He’s suffering trauma from an event 20 years earlier that saw him orphaned. He is the age old oak tree that stands in the midst of the storm. Immoveable. Incorruptible. A challenge to the status quo. His role in the story is to bring to light all the man-made complexities caused by a web of self-interest. His simplicity is a bulwark against the complexity. Nonetheless he can’t do it alone. He needs his friend Feng Baoyu and frenemy lawyer Cheng Renqing (Wang Yang) to help him address a wrong that has implications beyond 1+1. It is a telling indictment not just of that world but ours that the truth matters very little but boils down to how one is able to prosecute one’s arguments in such a way as to negotiate trade-offs and mutual benefits.
Without saying, Zhang Ruoyun is terrific in this and he can be relied on to pick intelligent scripts. He also has a penchant for playing quirky characters. The presence of Wang Yang is usually also a guarantee of a quality production. The other faces in this are rock solid even the youngish Fei Qiming (not exactly his first outing) really comes into his own in those last two episodes. Others will recognize Wu Gang who also co-starred with Zhang Ruoyun in Joy of Life and Zhang Fan who seems to be in every other project that I watch.
The production values are great apart from the usual obvious editing misdemeanours. It's a testament to the quality of the direction that a show that's based on palace politics and bureaucratic red tape can be as enjoyable as this.
[This review is based on one on my blog.]
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This review may contain spoilers
JUSTICE DONE RiGHT
1. Not a big fan of any characters that has mental disorder. Whatever it is, hard enough for people who has mental disorder and for us to mimic them. They're genius in their own right, but also challenging as personality, socially awkwardness, unacceptably by social standard, misunderstood, entirely different than anyone of us. So, acting as one of them is hard and ZRY eyes was into Nystagmus wild and scary intense than innocent glances. I don't think ZRY portrayed it appropriately.2. Four Counties overpaid 'Silk Poll' taxes since way back 100 year ago. The argument of 4 Magistrates were justified; none of them born yet, all 4 Magistrates worked hard for their district and seeing people's poor life condition in their counties, avoiding riots and anger from public, the intention of Shuai JiaMo to open up ancient case, no one knew how to resolve it. The solution came out brutally, 4 counties has to remeasure all lands, bigger land had bigger taxes. The riches and nobles had more land but paid small taxes as they manipulated the land measurement in order to pay less taxes, the common people outraged and rioting. Shuai JiaMo was a math genius, he's the best for advisor but not as a plaintiff. Because people would question his qualification, mental stability and articulation, the integrity of his intention. If I can change the story, that's what I am going for but since this one was based on true story during Ming Dynasty.
3. Setting was rustic and old (considering newly c-drama modern ancient setting) very traditional and preserved the cultural heritage of the buildings/interiors/set-up. All actors has no make up which's their natural beauty shone, costumes were simple and appropriate. ZRY joint again with Wang Yang and Wu Gang (JOL), they're great team together. The story were ended with great justice for all, done it right even for the modern perspective. Lucky Shuai JiaMo had a greatest best friend who's not lost hope and trust in him, defended him in any price even gambling it with his life. All was only 14 episodes, good numbers for good drama.
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Lots of politics but must watch if you are a Zhang Ruo Yun fan
If you are a Zhang Ruo Yun fan this is a must watch and the fact that Wang Yang (the lawyer) is also a main character makes it that much better. They were my favorite pair in Joy of Life.The story is unique but you can't get away from the politics so if you can't stand political dramas then this may be hard to watch. In addition the dialogue is quite complicated so hopefully translation can fully capture the meaning.
Loved:
1. Casting. Stellar cast and interesting characters
Shuai Jia Mo - Mathematical genius played perfectly by Zhang Ruo Yun
Cheng Ren Qing - sharp tongue lawyer that will help anyone for money.
Feng Bi Yu - Out spoken female character
2. Supporting cast. I love that many were not written as one dimensional good or bad characters
3. Few twists but not overwhelming
4. Overall story with a gratifying ending
There were no romances or side character's story lines so 14 episode felt pretty short. I wish the story could've been longer as I think many of the characters are interesting.
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You cannot miss this brilliant drama featuring a math genius.
This drama is truly exceptional and I highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good TV show to watch. It was a perfect blend of great casting, superb acting, top-notch direction, incredible soundtrack, and impressive artistic vision. The way the characters were brought to life felt authentic and genuine, and the seamless transition of each scene into the next made the storytelling even more compelling.I was particularly impressed with the portrayal of the autistic mathematics genius character, played by Zhang Ruo Yun. The way he brought the character to life was simply incredible, and I found myself truly invested in his story. His performance was nothing short of remarkable, and it was a delight to watch him on screen.
Another standout actor was Wang Yang, who played the wicked lawyer in the show. He was able to convey the character's evil persona with ease and made the audience root for his downfall. WuGang also did an amazing job portraying the villain, and his performance was both menacing and captivating. 3 of my favorite actors (Joy of Life). Shoutout to actress Qi Wei.
Overall, I would highly recommend this drama to anyone who's looking for a well-crafted and engaging TV show. It's a true masterpiece that has everything from great acting to impressive direction, and it's definitely worth your time.
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Dry but Relatable
It's probably a flat boring story for some people, but I find it enjoyable ☺️ I prefer this kind of drama than those lovey-doey badly written ones (which I think most C-Drama these days were pretty much crap.. ? sorry) I found it amusing how a Ming dynasty problems were similar to how things worked today. That somethings never change after hundreds of years. How corrupted government officials are. How complicated it is to get through bureaucracy. How hard, if not impossible it is to have justice. How easy it is for influential/rich people to have things go their way on the cost of others sufferingWas this review helpful to you?
Really interesting to see how Shuai Jia Mo interacting with everybody else, especially Cheng Ren Qing (RQ) & Feng Bao Yu (BY). Also what really interesting is how in the end everything connected with each other, what we think unimportant & have no connection, in the end they prove us wrong...
RQ himself also very interesting being, that at first we don't know where is he stand for, bad side or good side. But upon time, we got the 'true self' of RQ & his difficulty. BY in the other hand also kinda interesting to see, we can see how until the end he actually still 'a coward' but how he build up his courage trough the drama is really something we must praise...
But actually until the end I'm not really understand why everything happen in the drama must happen & also why must at that time. Haha... Maybe if I can sum this in 1 sentence, it's gonna be... What ordinary 'stupid' people do to get justice & fairness from the rich person, in this case Fan Yuan.
Overall this diff mystery drama that maybe not everybody cup of tea. But still interesting enough for you to watch till the end. In my opinion, don't stop in the middle, because u'll gonna missed something in the end....
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AMAZING ACTING
I love Zhang Ruoyun's acting!! Especially in this drama, his acting of a character who is a mathematical genius but doesn't have strong social awareness is so impressive. His performance is always so good! This was a short drama and even though it's a bit dry, I like how it's not dragging. It started with a problem that the ml needed to solve and it ended after the problem was solved. I really liked the cinematography and directing of this drama. The colors and the pan movements were really fitting. There is also a lot of politics that go really deep. I wouldn't say the plot itself is that interesting but if you like Zhang Ruoyun, this is a good filler drama! Also almost everyone is this drama are experienced actors and I'd say they played their roles of government officials so well!Was this review helpful to you?
Numbers don’t lie, or do they?
3530.3530 of discrepancy in tax payment that should be shared with 7 other districts.
3530 tax payment error meets with an autistics mathematical genius that’s obsessed with accuracy, and boom, we have our story.
As Shuai Jiamo brings his appeal on the case to the court, he is met with various obstacles and attempt of murders on his life. That’s because once tax and other districts are involved, we have interest of people to consider.
What makes this story engaging for me is the multi-faceted magistrates that come into the story. I love the honest (one-sided) discussion they had with Shuai Jiamo on why they could not support his appeal even if they think he is right simply because they have their people’s interest to protect. And ironically, they only share their true stance with Shuai Jiamo because they know he only care about numbers, and not the complex burden of human desires.
Addition of Chen Renqing veiled moral principles to the mix further add colors to a supposedly dry story.
Despite my enjoyment of Under the Microscope, I recognise this isn’t a show for everyone. This is a show, microscopically for people who have interest in politics, psychology, math, finance system, and history.
I’d also recommend watching this 14-episode in one go. There are many informations and facts to take note after all.
- How does Shuai Jiamo proof that his district had overpaid 3530 tax amount for over 100 years?
- Why and how 3530 tax error draws the interest of a local tyrant?
- How does it links with the death of Shuai Jiamo’s parents 20 years ago?
Still following? Have fun with Under the Microscope.
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A scrutiny of corruption
This complex tale of corruption by the people in power and the actions used to cover up their greed and malfeasance is quite gripping.The ML, like his father before him, is a genius at maths. His savant nature enables him to absorb and compute vast data and understand it. He appears disconnected to the world and has only one friend that he can relate to and together they set out to correct the corruption.
Enter the jaded lawyer whose ability to use his rhetoric to confuse his audience and lead them to the outcome he wants (has been paid to get) and truth is lost.
The story may have a dry topic, however, the cliff hangers come thick and fast as the master mind conspires with the corrupt officials to maintain his position and do away with these two upstarts.
Their near death experiences and last minute rescues keep the action at the forefront. Their touching trust in each other and strong support add warmth to the story.
NB Ep. 13 the solo singing of the Tea Harvesting song is breathtakingly beautiful.
Terrific support roles, great settings and camera work add to the enjoyment of a tale well told and relevant today.
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a strange genius
They made a good series based on a simple story. Of course, there were simple mistakes, but the connection of the flow of the series to the past, the boy keeping his father's words obsessed with a measurement event with what was left in his mind. Land measurements and the prevention of a great injustice that has been going on for years are also explained. Of course, issues such as the obstacles of those who have interests, personal conflicts of interest, the burning of age as well as the currency, the perspective of friendship, family, knowledge and skill were also discussed. We also learned that those who remained silent in the face of injustice finally could not stand it and exposed themselves, and that the beneficiaries wanted to silence the public by presenting the bandits as if they were officers. A little bit of romance and a little bit of humor was added and mixed with it. In fact, although long conversations, mathematical equations, dwelling on the measurement techniques of that time were a bit boring, we also experienced emotional scenes. So it's a blending. Ruo Yun was pretty good in the slightly awkward Jia Mao role. Because the personality was somewhat interesting. They mixed quirkiness with a little weirdness, it just seemed like a malfunctioning type to me. I wondered if this is how it should be. The image of a genius in one subject was like a sick type. I guess they saw it as appropriate, I watched it even though I was a little strange. The actor gave this oddity well, but it is debatable whether he should have played like this. After all, I enjoyed watching it. However, it's not perfect. It was a watchable production for those who like this style. The actors were also quite successful. The story was simple but had a complex narrative. Some things were overlooked while others were overlooked too quickly. It was skipped or something, there was a missing breach.Was this review helpful to you?
