Pursuit of Jade

Another ruined drama with great potential.

Pursuit of Jade had the potential to be a masterpiece, boasting amazing pacing, gripping storytelling, and a strong cast. Unfortunately, this is derailed by the female lead, Changyu, whose exaggerated, overpowered persona ruins the show.

The breaking point is the absurdity of Changyu knocking out the Marquis mid-battle. After mere weeks of training with an Old Taoist and some generals, she expects to be a de facto commander. Why would an army blindly follow a newcomer who just assaulted their leader? Despite the Marquis’s built-up reputation as a formidable, city-capturing general, he’s constantly reduced to a stumbling, heavily wounded mess. Meanwhile, Changyu, a former butcher, walks away with barely a scratch.

This highlights a glaring lack of creativity in Eastern fantasy. Writers seem trapped between helpless damsels and flawless badasses who need no saving. Where are the nuanced characters with actual flaws? The recent "butcher girl" trope feels like a lazy shortcut to assert female independence. Worse, the casting and choreography clash terribly. Giving a delicate, doe-eyed actress a brute-force fighting style is visually jarring; modifying her combat to fit her physique would have been far more believable.

This unnatural empowerment also exposes the stale male lead. Like many current Asian dramas, the ML is a stoic plank of wood. While the supporting cast has actual personality, you could swap this ML into a dozen other shows and no one would notice.

Dropped at episode 30! Creators must learn to weave in female empowerment with subtlety and prioritize believable characters over logic-defying tropes.

(Written with the help of GenAI)

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THE BEST C-DRAMA OF THE YEAR!

I just finished Pursuit of Jade and I honestly don’t think I’ll recover anytime soon. This is hands down one of the best dramas I’ve ever watched, and I’m not even exaggerating. Everything about it just hit perfectly—the story, the pacing, the emotions, and especially the leads. Like… where do I even start?

The female lead? Absolutely iconic. She’s strong, smart, and doesn’t take nonsense from anyone. It’s so refreshing to see a character who actually stands her ground and makes her own decisions instead of constantly being pushed around. She’s not just “strong” for the sake of it either—it feels real, like every choice she makes comes from her experiences and values. I loved how she handled every situation with both confidence and vulnerability.

And the male lead… oh my god. He is EVERYTHING. The way he’s so powerful and respected, yet completely soft and whipped for her? I was screaming. He has that classic general aura—calm, intimidating, in control—but the second it comes to her, he melts. It never felt forced or cringey either. His love was steady, protective, and honestly just so satisfying to watch.

Their chemistry?? Insane. Every scene together felt natural and emotional, whether it was tension, romance, or just quiet moments. You could feel how much they cared about each other without it needing to be over-the-top.

I genuinely didn’t want it to end. This drama set the bar way too high, and now I don’t know what to watch next because nothing feels like it’ll compare. If you’re even thinking about watching it—just do it. It’s THAT good. Seriously! Anyone who doesn't watch this drama is missing out a lot. The whole series is just 10/10.

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I'd rewatch it in a heartbeat

I loved it. I cried in ep 40. I feel like we get to know those ppl from 17 years ago.. that are presnet and or tell us on why they did what they did, and we i feel get to know each part of their story. Sad moments. I mean i creid.. I paced. I'm a person.. if something intense happened.. I will pause the show and start pacing. Ive done that a lot in this drama because its intense. I loved the sountrack as well. I loved the story. It wasnt dragging. I feel like if you dont pay attention on who each character is it will drag. unless its just bad writing then it may drag. this drama didnt drag for me. I loved it. I loved the chemistry, the intensity, everything about this drama. and yes like the headline says.. id rewatch it in a heart beat.

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The true Legend of the Female General story

Pursuit of Jade feels like the story that Legend of the Female General was aiming to tell, but even then, it doesn’t fully commit to its own setup.

At its core, this becomes Changyu’s journey to becoming a female general. That in itself isn’t the issue. The problem is how completely it sidelines Xie Zheng in the process. He’s introduced as a feared, cold, and ruthlessly powerful general, yet the narrative rarely allows him to embody that reputation where it matters most: on the battlefield.

Instead, most major victories are driven by Changyu. Not as a partnership, but almost entirely by her, with Xie Zheng contributing minimally. This imbalance weakens both the dynamic and the stakes. What should feel like a formidable duo instead feels uneven, with revenge and larger political motivations gradually being overshadowed by Changyu’s individual arc.

That said, the chemistry between them is undeniable. It’s what carries the drama, especially in the first half. Xie Zheng’s duality is particularly compelling. His ability to shift from gentle and deeply caring with Changyu to merciless toward those who threaten her creates some of the most satisfying moments in the series. Scenes like his brutal reaction when Changyu and her friend got attacked.

Which makes it more frustrating that this cruelty doesn’t translate into the larger conflicts. In battle, where his reputation should peak, that edge is noticeably absent.

Ultimately, Pursuit of Jade succeeds in building an engaging central relationship but falters in delivering a balanced narrative. It promises two powerful leads, but only fully realizes one.

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Beginning Eps are everything?

Started off so strong—those village episodes were everything. The chemistry, the simplicity, all the cute little moments… I was completely hooked. Honestly, that part of the story felt so genuine and warm, I just wanted it to last longer.

But later on, I found myself skipping quite a bit. I couldn’t connect the same way anymore. I get that the ML had to hide his identity in the beginning, but I really feel like he should’ve told her the truth sooner. Anyone in her position would’ve reacted the same way—it just felt frustrating to watch.

And after she becomes a general… I don’t know, something felt different. Maybe it’s just me, but the vibe changed and I couldn’t fully stay invested. It'll always be Yan Zheng for me!!

And that sparring scene?? Absolutely unforgettable. Easily my favorite moment in the drama.
Still… I can’t help but wish we could go back to those village days :(

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Exceptional, Strong fl. Excellent

Woowww, this drama is so good, I was hooked from episode 1. I love that the fl is strong, she's not a damsel in distress. She carries her strongness from ep 1 to the end. Zhang linghe did justice to the character. He was strong when he needed to be and with Changyu he was clingy, he wasn't cold and dismissive like the typical generals, whenever it came to Changyu he was like a baby, always wanting reassurance and kisses which is so beautiful. The ending was done beautifully. Overall the all the actors did so well. Well done to the team I will definitely rewatch this a countless times. Don't listen to the other haters saying ugly stuff about the drama, it's a 100/10

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"YOU WERE A GOOD PIG IN THIS LIFE, BE A GOOD PERSON IN NEXT " FAN CHANGYU/ WEI CHANGYU

I like every character in this drama, even when they make mistakes, their intentions are understandable. Still, I have to admit the last episode made me cry. I don’t know why they cut the scene where Lord Li sees the twins of the main couple and remembers his old friends, if they had kept that from the novel, I would’ve been in pieces.
OVERALL SOLID 10/10
I felt bad for Sui Yuanqing, Wei Yan, Wei Yuan, and even the 13th Lady, but I grew to hate Qi Min. At first, I thought he was a tragic character, but his later actions made me despise him even more, especially when he destroyed Lord Changxin’s family, the very people who had raised him.
About our LEADS : YAN ZHENG/ XIE ZHENG X FAN CHANGYU/ WEI CHANGYU
I loved their chemistry and their love. I adored the moment when Yan Zheng said, "Anybody can be prince consort except Xie Zheng, I only love you in this lifetime." I admired their yearning for each other, how they supported and trusted one another without any misunderstanding, and how they were both strong generals.
I also liked Lord Li and Sui Yuanqing’s blind trust in his family, even his troublesome brother. He was a good person, at least for his family.

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Not perfect, but deserving.

I have read the novel before and this was announced to be mymade into drama adaptation and I am thankful for the production who have chosen ZLH and TXW as the heroic duo because I am expecting a lot.

Every single plot has already been used hundreds of times. Simply because the concept is similar doesn’t mean the execution will be the same, just like what they did to The Legend of Female General, that was half baked for me and I still have a nightmare from it. Theres also many short dramas using this theme.

But what differentiate between this and others, of course high/large scale budget with premium actors, of course it changes the game. I love the Lian's village environment when they have no big conclicts,of course noisy aunties/gossipers, and some provoking people like Changyu's uncle/auntie, foul gossip grandma kang, song and his mother😂😂😂😂, her 5 debt collectors /hometown buddies, smart transmigrator Qianqian jiejie, and so on. Thankfully theres also countless good characters that make my days such Zhao family who going through thick and thin with her and many more that i lost count. The cutie Changning too🥰 she is too cute and lovable.

Yes disturbing characters like Qimin, Suiyuanqing so on..

Its only March but this has to be one the best dramas for me and until another dramas can top this, this will be timeless for me.

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script needed more work.... basically a weaker version of Fated Hearts

I don't even know where to begin w this.... the first 29 episodes were EXCELLENT and Fan Changyu skyrocketed to the top of my fave FL list after just a few episodes....... and then the writing just nosedived off a cliff in the last 10 episodes to the point where I was *B E G G I N G* for the show to be over and quite literally pulling out chunks of my hair bc how frustrated I was with literally every decision being made.

As I've seen quite a few other reviews mention, the first third showing Changyu's life in Lin'an is 100% the best part of the show. I adored watching Changyu and Xie Zheng start to trust each other and protect each other and I totally understood how they would fall in love given everything they went through. I had practically no complaints about the first act, but as soon as the show tries to expand beyond Lin'an, it collapses under the weight of trying to balance too many disjointed storylines — the political machinations of the Wei family vs the Li family and their attempts to manipulate the puppet Emperor; Qi Min's obsession with Qianqian and holding her captive; the slow pace of trying to interweave Changyu and Xie Zheng's storylines after they were separated in ep 17; etc etc. There was just too much that the show was trying to juggle after the jarring (but imo expertly done) tonal shift with the brutal Lin'an massacre in episode 18.

The main reason my brain likened Pursuit of Jade to Fated Hearts was honestly the political aspect. Xie Zheng nearly dies in a battle due to people in his kingdom working with the enemy kingdom against him. There's a bit more going on in this iteration of this story than in Fated Hearts — in Pursuit of Jade, the Emperor is inept and has no idea what he is doing and the Wei family and Li family are constantly fighting each other trying to gain control of him. And honestly I'm not fully sure how Xie Zheng fits into this as a Marquis (but pls no one explain it to me, at this point I do not care), but, y'know, that's an official title so he clearly has quite a bit of power. While the politics in Fated Hearts always had me fascinated and on the edge of my seat, it's so peripheral for the first ~half of Pursuit of Jade that I just found it impossible to care about any of the people involved, but then it starts taking up so much space that you literally can't ignore all these annoying power hungry and traitorous people and it's honestly agonizing how much screentime they suck up.

Also, a lot of people are probably going to disagree with me here, but the romance left a lot to be desired for me. Changyu and Xie Zheng were so sweet and cute at the start and I was convinced they were skyrocketing to the top of my CDrama pairings ranking, but then their argument in episode 17 happened........ I understand that Xie Zheng is trying to *show* Changyu how he feels by kissing her, but she pushed him off of her and then he kissed her again??? That's assault! I didn't abandon ship over this bc I do understand the desperation and where they both were emotionally, but it's certainly a moment that made me wary and then as the show continues there are just more moments where he ignores her boundaries: Changyu learns Xie Zheng's real identity given he had been using a fake name in Lin'an and she's like "our relationship can't continue bc our differences in status" and he repeatedly pushes back against that and won't accept that things are over; when she pulls away after learning The Secret™️about her father, he again pushes for them to resume their relationship; there's even a scene in one of the final episodes where Xie Zheng has been drugged (I guess by an aphrodisiac given his behavior???????) and he keeps repeatedly trying to initiate physical intimacy with Changyu and I just had to fast forward the scene bc it honestly was making me sick to my stomach how she kept trying to push him off and repeatedly asked him to stop and he wouldn't. There's also multiple scenes where Changyu gets drunk and Xie Zheng stops her from drinking more alcohol and I know it's *supposed* to show his care and concern for her but given how abrasive he is about, it honestly comes off more as him being controlling. idk... by the end I was just incredibly uninterested in their dynamic.

Where do I even start with the Qi Min and Qianqian storyline....... it started really menacing with Qi Min being fixated on Qianqian upon "meeting" her in Lin'an and then it is confirmed by one of his subordinates that she is the woman that he thought she was. Qianqian has flashbacks of a scarred man and she very clearly has a trauma response and panics when she thinks about him. A few episodes later a maid meets Qianqian's son and reports back to Qi Min that "he looks like you when you were a child." so......... the implication is (pretty clearly imo) that Qi Min raped her. he then spends multiple episodes trying to get Qianqian back into his clutches and manages to do so when she attempts to flee Lin'an the day before the massacre. Qianqian and her son are then being held hostage and Qianqian tries to be as amicable as possible to protect her son. Once she facilitates her son's escape, she no longer cares to play into Qi Min's fantasy and starts to fight back in small ways, leading to him chaining her up in a shed. He saves her when she nearly drowns, then tries to track down their son and threatens to kill him again before Qianqian finally manages to escape. But no of course this plot can't end there, and after only like 5 episodes of freedom, she gets kidnapped AGAIN and Qi Min AGAIN threatens to kill their son and the only reason he doesn't go through with it is that Qianqian threatens to kill herself if he harms her son. Qianqian is back to fulfilling his fantasy as she looks for an opening to steal Qi Min's tiger tally and send it to Changyu but then it turns out he let her steal it as a trojan horse...... so she's back to fighting him which, of course, makes him clamp down on his control even harder. Then, in the final episode (or penultimate episode maybe? I already forget even tho I just finished the show a handful of hours ago) Qi Min has the audacity to say that he fell for Qianqian bc she was the only person who wasn't scared of him upon seeing his scarred face......... So the show is really saying "you saved my life and didn't view me as a monster bc my facial deformity, so I raped you".............. WHAT ARE WE F*CKING DOING?????????????????? And as an abuse survivor, I know that emotions towards your abuser can be complicated, but the last two episodes give a vibe that Qianqian is sad to see Qi Min die / touched that he was willing to die for her and..... it just does not sit well with me, it feels more like abuse apologia than a thoughtful exploration of Qianqian's trauma. (And don't get me started on the finale post credits AU nonsense with these two.)

The last 10 episodes literally made me feel like I was being pranked — the sudden slapstick-y and downright cartoonish humor becomes really prominent (and the majority of said humor does not land), characters are making decisions that make no sense with the way they'd been written until this point, a reveal out of nowhere that one of my fave characters was working with Qi Min...... It was MADDENING. Like okay for inconsistent characterization: Changyu is asked to join the military after killing a formidable enemy general and Changyu is insistent that she wants nothing to do with war after the horrors of the Lin'an massacre and that she can't bear to lose anyone else, but then 5 minutes later she's thinking about something that her mentor figure told her and she's donning the armor she was given. In the battle that she joins immediately after this decision, one of Changyu's close friends dies and she feels like it's her fault bc she wasn't fast enough to stop the enemy, but FOR 10 EPISODES the show completely ignores the gravity of that loss and the fact that he's no longer present is never acknowledged until like the final 20 minutes of the finale?????????? Like so many ridiculous things happen I can't even recall all of the batshit insane developments. One character who had spent half the show fixating on his desire to kill Changyu is fatally stabbed by another enemy of his — someone he didn't even view as an enemy until the prior episode, at that! — and one of his allies finds him before he succumbs to his wound and he holds out an item and tells his ally to give it to Changyu bc it will "help her" and then she's like "why would Changyu trust anything I say" and then he's like "you'll also give her this to show your sincerity" AND THEN F*CKING DECAPITATES HIMSELF. What are we doing??????????????? WHAT ARE WE F*CKING DOING??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

anyway I'm losing my train of thought and I have rambled enough. Changyu I love you I wish your show was better bc you are iconic 💗

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Everything a perfect 10 until Episode 30 - Disappointed with the last arc

I've updated my rating for this drama from a 10 to an 8.5. I think the development in the beginning is amazing. Lots of details and storytelling is perfect. The second arc about the FL's development is also very good. However, after episode 30, the structure of the drama is not as good as the book. And the editing has issues. I am disappointed at the end.

I guess the problem is mystery is too convoluted to begin with. And then there's hints all along that the Prime Minister was not what he seems. And suddenly, the story delivered a surprised villain at the end. The storytelling of the drama is not perfect towards the end and loses momentum after 30. The editing was a sloppy too.

UPDATE after ep 30
I am disappointed with adaptation of the book as it loses focus and tension towards the end, starting at 30. There were some jokes that seemed random. And the fact that there's no tension between the leads on the revenge motif. Anyways they have to make extra money and fill it up to ep 40. But I wish they would focus on the events of 17 years ago to keep up the suspense. I don't need to see so many jokes. There was a meeting between Wei Yan and ML as soon as he gets to the city.

There are 3 themes that run through out most genre of this type:
1) A struggle between love and hatred and LOVE wins.
2) Loyalty to one's country
3) Mysteries that happened before the main characters were born

#1 is missing to give way to love and humor in this drama!

Also, a few scenes just happened randomly - like a problem with editing.

EP36: I think it doesn't make sense that Wei Yan can impose traditional family rule on XZ because his last name is Xie, not Wei! In the book, XZ asked for the punishment from the Xie family to be with FL!


This drama has everything going for it: chemistry, storytelling, humor, and mystery. Let’s begin with the mystery, as the other elements are more self-evident. The plot is rooted deeply in the past, with secrets hidden from both the audience and the characters themselves.

Character Backgrounds
The Male Lead (ML): Xie Zheng
Names: Xie Zheng (Formal), Marquis Wu’an (Title), Yan Zheng (Alias used while in hiding), “Xie Jiu Heng” (Name given by his teacher).
Family: His father, Xie Linshan, married the sister of Prime Minister Wei Yan.
The Mystery: After his father’s death, Xie Zheng was raised by his maternal uncle, Wei Yan. Curiously, Wei Yan treats Xie Zheng better than his own son, even convincing the renowned Grand Tutor Tao to take him on as a student.

The Female Lead (FL): Fan Changyu
Family: Her father is Wei Qilin (formerly a servant of Wei Yan). He married General Meng Shuyuan’s daughter and took the surname Meng. Later, while in hiding, he changed his name to Fan Erniu.


Other Characters:
Meng Family
FL's grandfather and Mother
Zhu Youchang (General Zhu - served under Meng Shuyuan) was imprisoned by Wei Yan for seventeen years
According to him: Wei Yan sent FL's father Wei Qilin with a Tiger Tally and a letter telling the Meng General to abandon the transfer of grains to ML's father. They should rescue the 16th prince instead.
Tiger Tally of Xunchang to no avail, it turns out Zhu Youchang had sewn it into his severed leg - when QM's shadow men came, he gave it to them hoping to clear the Meng General's name.

Wei Family
Wei Yan - Prime Minister supposedly conspired to kill the ML's father.


Qi Min/Sui Yuanhuai : The imperial grandson. As a child, he stood in for the eldest son of Prince Changxin; during this time, half of his face was severely burned, leaving him with chronic illnesses.
This chapter discusses QM's history and how he became Sui Yuanqing's brother:
https://www.readthedrama.com/novels/chasing-jade-zhu-yu/chapters/66

Why he dislike his son - Yu Bao'er? because YB can take his throne before he can succeed in overthrowing the current king.

Sui Yuanqing: The second son of Prince Changxin and the heir apparent. If Prince Changxin takes the throne, Sui Yuanqing will inherit it. Qi Min intends to use Xie Zheng to eliminate Sui Yuanqing.
The Li Family Alliance: When Prince Changxin’s path to the throne falters, Qi Min begins collaborating with the Li family to secure his own chance at power.

The Li Family:
Second Male Lead (SML): Li Huaian / Wen Kan.
Grandfather: Grand Tutor Li, a powerful court official. He married his daughter to the Emperor, but she remains a childless Empress because the Emperor seeks to balance power between the Li and Wei families. He sends his grandson, Li Huaian, to investigate the events of 17 years ago.

The Events of 17 Years Ago
Meng Shuyuan, a loyal general under Xie Linshan, disregarded military orders to rescue 100,000 besieged civilians while transporting provisions. This delay led to the deaths of the Chengde Crown Prince and Xie Linshan at Jinzhou. Meng supposedly committed suicide to atone.
Wei Yan order Wei Qilin to kill his wife. WQ refused and took his wife into hiding - changing his name to Fan.

That same year, the Eastern Palace caught fire, reportedly killing both the Crown Princess and the imperial grandson. These two events—the defeat at Jinzhou and the palace fire—occurred in quick succession. Anyone with eyes can see they are undoubtedly connected.
The Answer: The Crown Princess set the fire herself to secure a slim chance of survival for the imperial grandson.

THE Mysteries:
1) Why did Meng Shuyuan, who was not known for being reckless or disloyal, disobey a direct order?
2) If Wei Yan was the culprit orchestrating the conspiracy to kill Xie Linshan, why did he allow Meng Shuyuan’s descendants to live?
3) Did Wei Qilin pressure General Meng to delay the shipment?
4) What does the Li family have to do with all of these events?
5) Who wanted to harm the Eastern Palace?
6) What is in the box given to He Jingyuan to give to Wei Yan when Fan Changyu's parents commit suicide?

7) Did Wei Qilin mastered the events that killed Zie Chang's father? This is the question that Changyu needs to answer because if he did, Zie Chang can't be with her!
-- I think this is a predictable scenario and might make the drama feel like it's the same old type of story- star crossed lovers again.


ANSWERS (spoilers ALERT)
1) "Back then, it wasn’t the old general who disregarded military orders and delayed the grain transport. It was the Sixteenth Prince, who was accompanying the army, obsessed with glory. Seeing only a few thousand Northern Turks guarding Luocheng and tens of thousands of civilians trapped inside, he ignored the old general’s orders and insisted on leading a rescue. In the end, the Sixteenth Prince was captured alive. The Northern Turks demanded the old general exchange the army’s grain supplies for the prince’s life—or else they would use the prince’s blood to consecrate their banners!"

2) Together ML figured out that delaying Old General Meng's grain shipment—the true aim of the mastermind was to ensure Jinzhou's fall. Or rather, to ensure the death of the Chengde Crown Prince and 16th prince die so that another prince (19th) could take the throne. They attributed this to Wei Yan.
MYSTERY: However, I think it's not WY because FL's father Wei Qilin is not guilty as she claimed because then her mom would not have lived with him. WQ's letter sent to WY must be this letter!

3) Why does WY raised the ML?
When ML's mother discovered the plot, she committed suicide and made WY promise to raise ML. This way, WY won't kill him because he's under his watchful eye.
He hated his mother for killing herself but when discovered that she died for him, he was remorseful.

My Rating
Storytelling: I think it offers a fresh take. While there have been stories about butcher female leads before, the combination of the characters, the director’s filming, and the actors contributes to the show's popularity. It’s time to take a woman who is a butcher seriously. Her skills are not just there for show; they actually save lives. She is the true lead because the story focuses mainly on her journey to become an equal to the ML.
Humor: I like how the humor comes from irony as well as physical gags. The actors deliver these comedic moments with a nonchalant touch and solid acting skills.
Direction: Sometimes we give all the credit to the actors. However, in this case, the director also contributed significantly to the success of the drama.

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