The First Jasmine

The First Jasmine (2026) was such a pleasure to watch from beginning to end.

The First Jasmine (2026) was such a pleasure to watch from beginning to end. It wasn't trying to be overly dramatic or packed with unnecessary twists—it just told a genuinely good story that kept me invested the whole way through.

What I appreciated most was how well-balanced the plot was. It flowed naturally, never felt dragged out, and kept me looking forward to the next episode without relying on overused drama.

Of course, the highlight was the relationship between the male and female leads. Their interactions felt refreshingly genuine. There were no exhausting jealousy arcs, no unnecessary third-party love triangles, and no frustrating misunderstandings. Instead, their relationship was built on trust, respect, and simply enjoying each other's company. It felt relatable, which made it even more enjoyable to watch.

The side characters were another pleasant surprise. They added so much charm and humor to the story, especially the scenes between Bai Lu's sister, Ye Ying, and Hang Ming Xi when they first met. Their awkward, hilarious interactions had me laughing every time they were on screen and gave the drama an extra layer of warmth.

Overall, The First Jasmine (2026) isn't trying to reinvent the romance genre—and it doesn't need to. It's a heartwarming drama with a solid story, lovable characters, and just the right amount of humor. If you're looking for something light, sweet, and easy to binge after a long day, this is definitely one to add to your watchlist. 🌸

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My goodness, it's incredibly beautiful visually speaking. The sets and costumes are lavishly designed. They really went all out. Lots of light textiles, jade, scarlet red, and gold. The background music is top-notch, with intoxicating strings and choirs. Always a pleasure to start an episode knowing that the music will be there to delight our ears. I really love that solo cello with the echo around it and the pauses between phrases ; it creates a sense of suspense. Lots of ninth chords and open fifths. It's all so, so lovely ! Beautiful, nostalgic songs during the climactic moments. Overall, the music is always exquisite and charming. Everything is sublime.

Episode 1 doesn't reveal much, doesn't really introduce any plot elements, and yet it remains captivating. But… I must admit that the beginning really tested my patience. I understand why the first five episodes were released all at once. We clearly see the heroine receiving secret messages, but we don't know why. She talks to an imaginary friend at times. It's unclear, this whole thing, and they don't revisit it, so oh well... And then, what were we doing in the Lishan Mountains that keeps coming up all the time ? We'll see. Or maybe not. (perhaps)

In any case, as soon as I saw Bai Lu in the cast, I decided to give this C-drama a chance. And you quickly realize that you have to let the series unfold at its own pace. Just enjoy what’s being offered.

I watched this alongside Ashes to Crown, where, on the contrary, a lot happens in every episode. What a contrast. It took a full 13 episodes for the husband to start questioning all those suspicious deaths linked to his wife, just as she arrives in the capital. What a phenomenal coincidence. Anyway, here we are at episode 20 out of 40, and we're still wondering what the series is even about. Everything remains so vague. And mesmerizing. We're denied access to the characters' thoughts and motivations.

"Don't let your life be nothing than a show for them"

Bai Lu first plays a bubbly, lively young bride. She goes for a run every morning in her gilded cage. She sneaks a drink. She makes people happy with her radiant presence. But she's playing a double game, just like her husband. Cheng Lei plays a more reserved role, with intensity ; at first withdrawn and on the verge of exploding, then letting his frustration and anger at being trapped in the past spill out. We're left in the dark about these two characters' pasts and why they act the way they do. The more we learn, the more interesting it gets. But I was disappointed by the slow pace ; the "revelations" don't live up to expectations.

These two spouses are going to get to know each other. They heal each other, thats really the heart of the story : they're both fixing each other. A forced but happy marriage… well, okay. Let's go with that. And they're the most formidable couple in the empire. And they lived happily ever after and apparently didn't have any children ; fine by me.

"_From now on, we'll have each other. No matter what path you take, smooth or thorny, I'll be with you. You won't be alone anymore.
_Once I'm better, I want to hear that again."

Not many fights, but they were all beautifully executed. Bai Lu in an alley. Or the wheelchair fight in episode 22 ! My God, that was classy. And then the spear fight ! Definitely some of the best scenes.

When the show first aired, Bai Lu was accused of firing the writing team so she could rewrite certain episodes to her liking. But I don't quite understand how that's possible. With 40 episodes, a sudden change in the writing would be noticeable, especially since the series is apparently faithful to the novel it's adapted from. So, I don't know, it seems unlikely for such a lavish production. And should we blame an actress for this (if that's even true) or should we be concerned about the production's lack of backbone when dealing with its stars ? If you sign a contract to star in a series, you act, you don't write and you don't fire people. It's easy to pin everything on a woman after you've failed.

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REAL MEANING OF "MO LI" (THE FIRST JASMINE)

The title means 'never part' and perfectly captures the profound devotion and unshakable bond between two highly traumatized, fiercely intelligent leads who start with separate revenge agendas but become each other's sole anchors. On the surface, Bai Lu plays the traditional role of a noble daughter seeking vengeance for the destruction of her clan's legendary Lishan Academy. But she portrays Ye Li with many hidden layers. Ye Li is plagued by nightmares and trauma from her eight-year exile on Mount Li. She talks to people who aren't there and masks her deep fear with modern, quirky resilience. Her dialogue is a brilliant study in subtext; she rarely says exactly what she means, and her language is always like chess, thinking ten moves ahead. On the other hand, Cheng Lei leaves behind the 'cold but secretly OP' male lead trope. Mo Xiuyao is a heavily traumatized, disabled commander confined to a wheelchair, riddled with survivor's guilt after the massacre of his brother and his army. Cheng Lei delivers a powerhouse performance. He beautifully portrays the raw frustration of physical limitation, bitter self-loathing, and the agonizing restraint required to bow to the Empress Dowager, the very woman responsible for his family's ruin, to maintain national stability.

Furthermore, the romance of The First Jasmine is arguably one of the most rewarding slow-burns in recent C-drama history, as it relies on earned intimacy rather than forced tropes. Ye Li's love language is fundamentally food, a trauma response to her starving years at Lishan. In the early episodes, her way of chipping away at Mu Xiuyao's defensive walls is simply bringing him honey cakes, millet porridge, and lotus cakes. The visual transformation of the Ding Manor from a dark, isolated 'man-cave' to a place of warmth, laughter, and soaring kites is a beautiful representation of their mutual healing. They don't just fight side by side; they quietly piece each other back together. The production doesn't rely on cartoonish, one-dimensional villains. Characters like the Empress Dowager and even the scheming Prince Mo Jingli are driven by understandable, deeply human motivations of self-preservation and fear. The drama asks heavy moral questions: 'When your family has been framed and slaughtered, do you accept the status quo for the sake of the country's peace, or do you burn everything down for justice?" It beautifully anchors this dilemma in traditional philosophy, emphasizing that true justice and state governance must begin with cultivating one's internal character and harmonizing the family first.

However, this drama has a few flaws. Around the midpoint (specifically the Cangbei arc involving Princess Ling Yun and Su Zhi Die), the pacing hits a few speed bumps. The drama occasionally introduces new subplots before entirely wrapping up previous ones, which can cause minor narrative whiplash. Viewers looking for explosive, melodramatic confrontations might find some of the political resolutions a bit flat or quietly intellectual. It is a show that rewards patience and favors tight dialogue over chaotic action.

In conclusion, The First Jasmine is a beautifully directed, cinematic, and thought-provoking masterpiece. With an exceptional, film-like musical score, stunningly restrained acting, and a script that treats its audience with intellectual respect, it is a must-watch for anyone who loves high-stakes political intrigue and deeply mature romance.

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Great First Quarter, Fell Flat Towards the Ending

Ye Li from Lishan Academy is ordered to descend the sieged mountain to fullfil the Empress Dowager’s decree to marry former-general-now-crippled Prince Ding, Mo Xiuyao, after her past bethrothal to her childhood sweetheart Prince Li, Mo Jingli, fell through. Treated coldly by the brooding Mo Xiuyao who is the only survivor of the battle of Suixue Pass with her brother the general branded as rebel and sentenced to death, Ye Li is adamant on making his life better by secretly dealing with the officials who have been treating him badly and insisting on curing his legs. Her strange behaviour only increases her husband’s suspicion but her crafty nature finally manages to break Mo Xiuyao’s emotional defenses. Both needed to traverse around each other carefully and they each have strategical moves brewing behind them, although unbeknownst to them they actually had the same goal.

Although the story is incredibly slow paced, it managed to keep my interest on as the mysterious backstory of Ye Li took ages to surface. Most of the plot is really flat and the major of it focuses on the growth of the mainleads’ relationship, a typical romance story. Although I did not expect much action, I did anticipate political struggles and manoeuvre but even this fell totally flat. There was not much strategy going on, no backstabbing drama or plot twists, the political play was really flat and straightforward, almost nonexistent strategy like how they had it on Fated Hearts.

My heart goes to Bai Lu’s Ye Li though. As usual she excels in crying scenes, that arc of her life in the academy was really heartbreaking and incredibly sad. This is also the third of Bai Lu’s show that I didnt drop, I am glad she finally came across a good script this time. Her character is the only thing that kept me going to the last episode depite me starting the show solely for Cheng Lei. The plot went rather uninteresting and mundane in the last quarter, and Ye Li was the only thing that made me stick on to it.

My hat’s off for the writeup that despite being more than 50% love story, they managed to exclude erotic bedscenes that is usually a staple for such genre. Even the kissing scene is very few and they ended it as quickly as they could. I really appreciate the modesty in displaying the physical spicy romance, this is what i call a real asian values untainted by western style. Gotta give an extra star for that.

Basically I can say this is a story of a couple that heals each other, Ye Li by curing Mo Xiuyao’s physical disability and Mo Xiuyao by healing Ye Li’s emotional scars. Despite being portrayed very cheery and sassy as Princess Consort Ding, Ye Li is actually the most pitiful character of all, keeping it all inside while appearing to be normal to the people around her.. The show isnt for those who are impatient, because the writer made sure to take his time peeling the layers of the jasmine flower petals one by one for the audience’s consumption. There are no back-to-back fighting sequences or dramatic arguments to keep the heat up, but instead many uninteresting things that couples do while on a date, generally to show the buildup of their romance. Good thing that I feel the chemistry, so I dont mind those boring scenes and didnt use the FF button much.

Although this isnt my kind of preferable genre, I am still glad that I stick to the end and not drop it midway. For once, kudos to Bai Lu for making Ye Li so mysterious and alive for me to stick on. I finally managed to not drop her show. Hell yeah.

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I came back for Cheng Lei... and stayed because MoLi was actually good

I think Moli just ended my C-drama slump for the past two months. But weren't we all taking a break from ongoing dramas during that period? Lol.
Anyway, here's my review.

First of all, I'm a fan of Cheng Lei, but not really of Bai Lu. I've watched three of her previous dramas and only managed to finish one (Story of Kunning Palace). So when they announced Moli's release date, I packed my bags from K-drama land and immediately came back just for Cheng Lei. Lol.

When I watched the first few episodes, I noticed they didn't use that many filters. The editing and color grading felt so raw that I could actually see their pores, eyebrows, and even the girls' blush. I'm not complaining, but after spending years watching dramas with heavy filters and color correction, it was surprisingly refreshing.

Another thing I noticed was how quiet some scenes felt. The background sounded so empty in a few parts, and I don't know why they didn't add any BGM. Usually, there are birds chirping, leaves rustling, or at least some instrumental music playing in the background. But I eventually got used to it, and by the later episodes it felt normal. I really liked the couple's OST, though.
Story-wise, I didn't read the synopsis beforehand, so I went in with zero expectations and without comparing it to the novel. I honestly don't care how they portrayed Mo Xiuyao in the novel, I really liked him in the drama. And Ye Li too, of course. She has to be one of the strongest human beings ever. If I were in her position, I would've REALLY buried myself in that hole already. She suffered so much, and it's completely okay to pity her.

I think the pacing across all 40 episodes was executed pretty well. I read somewhere that they cut a lot of Cheng Lei's scenes, and as a Cheng Lei fan, all I can do is hope they'll release them as special clips or something. But I also understand that Bai Lu is the main highlight of this drama. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not her fan, but I know she's a sweetheart and she's a very capable actress. Still, Cheng Lei was the one who kept me watching, so I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. I'm sorry :(((

The pacing was good overall, but the ending felt like a letdown. No, not the main couple's ending, I mean the supporting characters. Mo Jingli's final rebellion scene was such a disappointment. What do you mean he lost just like that? Mo Xiuyao didn't even do anything, like, no attack, no COOL entrance, nothing. Yes, he saved Ye Li, but... he didn't really save her. He was just... there... if you know what I mean. Come on, director. You could've given us an epic flying-blocking-attacking-stabbing three-way fight between Ye Li, Mo Xiuyao, and Mo Jingli 😭 Instead, the arrows ended everything. Oooookay.

Then there's the Empress Dowager's ending. It was so anticlimactic to let her die ‘peacefully’ in her own bed. I wanted her own son to issue an imperial edict FIRST, strip away her title, exile her, and let her die in the poorest conditions ever. Lol. I guess I was just craving some dramatic ending after my C-drama slump. But who am I? I'm not the scriptwriter or the producer haha.

The main couple's ending, though, was adorable. I loved how Ye Li finally succeeded in finding her husband on the battlefield, just like what she wanted to do when she was younger. I'm convinced they cut the bed scene after their reunion (I choose to believe that!), which was annoying, but the closure at Lishan Academy still had me in tears. You've worked so hard, Ye Li. Now please, just walk the flower path together from now on ☹️

By the way, I really don't understand why people are hating on Mo Xiuyao for divorcing Ye Li. What he did was actually valid and realistic. It was a misunderstanding. He genuinely believed Ye Li was only repaying a debt and didn't actually love him. He wasn't exactly in the healthiest state of mind either, so it's understandable that he misread her intentions. Honestly, Ye Li's initial reason for helping him was probably really to fulfill the promise she made to his brother. It just gradually turned into love so naturally that people couldn't even pinpoint the exact moment her feelings changed. That conflict was absolutely necessary for the story and it was actually my favorite part because apparently I enjoy watching my favorite characters suffer (?) hahahahaha. This isn't one of those smooth, too-good-to-be-true first-love stories from a youth drama, you know, and that's exactly why I liked it. I especially loved the main couple's love language, particularly Mo Xiuyao's constant nagging and scolding. He genuinely cared about his wife, he just... didn't really know how to express it in a green-flag way lol. Poor A Jin had to witness all of it. Anyway, they're both soooo cute.

And there's really nothing to say about their acting except that both of them are pros. Like, they can actually move their faces. I cried when they cried, and I laughed when they laughed. What more could I ask for? The supporting cast was also excellent. Ye Li's crew and Mo Xiuyao's crew absolutely deserved to be thereeee. I love A Jin so much. Please give this man a raise! He's a babysitter, an adopted son to his dad, a matchmaker, a bodyguard, and the most dedicated audience member throughout MoLi's entire journey. He even cried together with his dad ☹️

Shoutout to Senior Li too, because he deserved every second of his screentime. And Ye Ying... she really is the definition of "love is blind." I almost skipped her scenes with Mo Jingli in Episode 38 because she was just that frustrating to watch. So stupid, oops, sorry lol.

Style-wise, Cheng Lei with white hair looked FANTASTIC, although Song Mo still wins for me haha. Sorry, Cheng Lei. Xiao Dudu and Xiahou Dan are still your best looks in my opinion. But I'll always love you anyway lol. As for the girls, I never thought I'd actually like the Tang dynasty's tall, rounded hairstyles, but they looked beautiful, especially Ye Ying's. Qing Yu's side buns, though... she startled me every single time she appeared on screen. Haha. But I have to say, the actress really looks like those women from ancient Chinese Tang dynasty you see in history books.

Last but definitely not least, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MOLI BECAUSE CHENG LEI USED HIS OWN VOICE FOR DUBBING!! That is an achievement. Lol. That's it. That's all. I'm so proud of him. Please keep using your own voice in your future dramas, pleaseeeee.

Overall, Moli was a great cure for my C-drama slump. The empty release schedule in May and early June was so painful that I actually went back to watching K-dramas again. I actually watched Ashes of Crown and Dazzling before Moli (with a completely flat face and 1,5x speed, honestly), and I can confidently say that it wasn't until Moli that I finally felt like calling myself a C-drama fan again. As a Cheng Lei fan, it's still a little disappointing because of his ‘limited’ screentime. But considering the C-drama drought I've been going through, Moli was definitely a solid comeback and one that reminded me why I fell in love with C-dramas in the first place.

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Neither amazing nor bad

The drama is pretty much what synopsis tells you and yes there had been many dramas with pretty much similar set up and plot so if you are here for something unique or unheard of...this might not be for you. Let me tell you first hand...this drama is not for you if you don't like Story of Minglan type of dramas or to be precise slice of life genre. The story is pretty much balanced so far in terms of pacing. The best part about it is that they did not stretch unnecessary details in the plot to tire the viewers. So if you have a question why something is happening like that...you will get the answer in (most probably) the next episode. I am loving all the characters so far but the plot ultimately circle around the main leads. Bailu and Ryan both are good in terms of expressing emotional scenes and that has been their strength in all their previous dramas. I did not like any of their dramas that recently aired in the past. What really disappointed me was the storyline and character dev and here as well I found the plot quite simple as well despite them being so smart to deal with the things that could kick up a storm in the royal palace. I do find that questionable at times as FL spent most of her life in the mountains...yes she had all the bookish knowledge but would that be helpful pragmatically? Both of them are shown pretty much cooped up inside their palace so I find it quite unbelievable that they could do so much this easily. But it is still early to really make up my mind about it all and I am waiting for the moment that would make be so compeled to wait for the next episode desperately. So far it is a simple plot with beautiful cast. Obviously with revenge plot but despite having some similarities with the drama theLove like the galaxy, it is really very weak in world building and character development. But I will keep my fingers crossed till the last episode.

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The First Jasmine

If there's one thing The First Jasmine did exceptionally well, it's proving that a revenge story doesn't have to rely on constant twists to keep you invested. From the very first episode, the drama built an atmosphere that felt elegant, melancholic, and quietly intense. The cinematography was beautiful, the costumes were stunning, and every frame looked carefully crafted. You can tell the production team paid attention to the little details, making the world feel immersive rather than just visually pretty.

The acting was probably the strongest part of the drama. Both leads carried the emotional weight of the story so naturally that even during the slower episodes, I never felt disconnected from them. Ye Li, in particular, was a character I couldn't help but sympathize with. Her backstory was genuinely heartbreaking but it definitely fueled her desire for revenge. She's very cunning and intelligent. It shows the lengths she's willing to go through for her revenge. Can we also take a moment to appreicate her acting? Her micro facial expressions, expressing émotions through her eyes and the crying scenes, Bailu's acting is topnotch. Mo Xiuyao on the other hand, holds deep resentment for the people that had taken part in his family massacre and also the guilt for being the survivor. But at the same time, he's determine to restore his family's name. I enjoyed watching his relationship with Yeli slowly develop. Their chemistry wasn't loud or overly romantic, but it built on mutual understanding and respect. I wish there had been more kissing scenes tho.

The storyline was well-paced for the most part. It balanced political intrigue, family conflicts, revenge, and romance without becoming overly complicated. I liked that most characters had understandable motivations rather than being purely good or evil. It made the conflicts feel more believable.

That being said, the ending left me with mixed feelings. After all the emotional build-up, some character decisions suddenly felt forced. Yeli missing Mo Xiuyao so much that she simply rode off on horseback to find him didn't really make sense to me considering everything the story had established. It felt more like the writers needed to reunite them quickly than something Yeli herself would realistically do. Meanwhile Ye Ying is still a lovesick fool, she kept on making poor decisions which was exhausting to watch. there was barely any romantic payoff. After investing dozens of episodes into their relationship, I was honestly surprised there wasn't even a proper kissing scene. Their chemistry deserved a more satisfying conclusion. The emotional connection was there throughout the drama, but the ending held back when it came to giving viewers the romantic closure many had been waiting for.

Overall, The First Jasmine is still a drama I'd recommend. It shines because of its excellent performances, gorgeous production quality, emotionally grounded characters, and engaging story. It isn't perfect, and the ending definitely could have been stronger, but the journey itself was worth watching.

Petition for Bai Lu & Cheng Lei to have another drama together please, don't let that chemistry goes to waste!

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Great Acting by Ryan Cheng. Great Character Development.

If I had my way, the English title for this drama would simply be its native name, Mo Li, rather than The First Jasmine. The original title is a brilliant double entendre: it combines "Mo" from Mo Xiuyao and "Li" from Ye Li. But phonetically, Mo Li (莫离) translates to "don't leave." This hidden meaning perfectly captures Ye Li’s deep devotion to her loved ones, echoing the tragic backstory of her life long before she ever married Mo Xiuyao.

At its core, The First Jasmine is a deeply touching story with beautifully written characters. Even though it’s a costume drama set in what appears to be the Tang Dynasty era, its moral dilemmas and emotional beats feel incredibly relevant to our modern world.

Both Bai Lu and Ryan Cheng (Cheng Lei) are veteran actors, and they both deliver incredibly convincing performances. However, I have to give a special shoutout to Ryan Cheng. His character, Mo Xiuyao, is wonderfully complex and layered. On the surface, he appears bitter, angry, and resigned to his fate. But beneath that exterior is a hot-blooded man fiercely determined to bring his enemies to justice. Confined to a wheelchair for years, he is deeply frustrated by his physical limitations. Imagine having to sit face-to-face with the person responsible for the massacre of your brother and your army, yet being unable to strike back because doing so would plunge the country and his own family into ruin. He has no choice but to endure the pain in silence.

Yet, when he’s with Ye Li, we see a completely different side of him. He starts off bemused and puzzled by her, which gradually melts into profound gentleness and care. Ryan Cheng captures this emotional duality flawlessly, bringing out the exact nuances the character requires. Bravo to him for such a stellar performance!

What I also loved is that every character is deeply human. There are no cartoonish, one-dimensional villains here. Everyone’s actions are rooted in their lived experiences and circumstances. Every major character has a compelling, understandable motivation: Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao are driven by a desire for truth and justice for their fallen loved ones; the Empress Dowager seeks power out of a desperate need to protect herself and her son; Mo Jingli just wants to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his. This nuanced portrayal feels much closer to the messy reality of real life, which is a refreshing change from the black-and-white morality we often see in Hollywood.

Ultimately, The First Jasmine grapples with a profound question: How should you act when facing an enemy who has slandered your family and murdered thousands of your people? Mo Xiuyao has to bow to the Empress Dowager regularly, knowing she orchestrated his brother's death. Ye Li faces a similar struggle—how do you treat the woman who was your mother’s best friend, even when you know she’s responsible for ruining the prestigious academy your grandfather built? Should they just accept the status quo to maintain national stability? Or should they risk everything to seek justice for the dead?

The author brilliantly resolves this agonizing dilemma with a beautiful philosophical anchor: a passage from Confucius’s The Great Learning (Daxue). It reminds the audience that true change and justice must begin from within:

"Ancient leaders who wanted to spread virtue throughout the world began by governing their own states well.
To govern their states well, they first harmonized their families.
To harmonize their families, they cultivated their own character.
To cultivate their character, they aligned their minds.
To align their minds, they made their intentions completely sincere.
And to make their intentions sincere, they extended their knowledge to the absolute limit.
This expansion of knowledge began with investigating the nature of things."

The First Jasmine is a gorgeous, thought-provoking journey. It asks the hard questions about duty, revenge, and forgiveness, and answers them with grace. Highly recommended!

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I was hooked !!!

I never leave reviews, and I didn't even have an account here but I created one just to write this review. It's been such a long time since a drama had me this hooked. I binge watched the entire series in just two days because I simply couldn't stop watching.
Every episode kept me invested, with excellent writing, strong performances, and a storyline that felt both unique and deeply emotional. I cried so many times throughout the drama. What stood out the most to me was the female lead - she had such a refreshing and distinctive personality compared to the typical female characters we often see.

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Bai Lu and Cheng Lei in a story that doesn't leave audiences indifferent

The drama was much discussed from inception to final airing. Although it is based on a novel ("Sheng Shi Di Fei" 盛世嫡妃 by writer Feng Qing 凤轻), the drama version differs too much to be labeled as other than "inspired by" original story. Scriptwriter Zhao Na completely rewrote the script while an earlier version was discarded, causing its writer to later raise a ruckus on social media after the drama started airing, furthermore targeting the lead actress as if that other scriptwriter had become a leader of her haters! Since this person had no copyright to the story anyway, she only appeared to shoot herself in the foot, and is kindly best forgotten, but her since quelled controversy (she ended up apologizing), caused a lot of unwelcome attacks (causing production and Bai Lu to sue).

Still, the new script is not flawless; some characters which played important parts in the novel, ended up as having disappointing roles in The First Jasmine: this was notably the case for Han Mingxi (played by much anticipated Lin Muran appearing on screen again after the breakthrough success he achieved in "Pursuit of Jade", as antagonist) .

The initial meaning of the Chinese title Mò Lí, coined from the names of the protagonists Mò Xiūyáo and Yè Lí, with can be summed up as "Never Part" got distorted in the translation into English, although defenders of the choice threw in that the flower was almost rhyming in the quote "送君茉莉，愿君莫离" [Sòng jūn mòlì, yuàn jūn mò lí] : “I give you jasmine, wishing we will never be apart.” But since the story differs so much in the drama version from the novel one, the heavily perfumed title (a trend in recent dramas with "blooms" and "blooming" occurring almost as much now as "love") does fit the romance transformation of an initially more battle heavy story featuring a strong female warrior deriving her power from transmigration (totally absent in the drama, which modified the story from fantasy to an equally difficult to believe female Tarzan like upbringing, despite bringing in ghosts and apparently demonic creatures). Many incongruities were remarked upon such as the true end of Ye Li's mother. The initial sprawling novel of over 458 chapters became a spiky romance, where overcoming hurdles hid in mazes made the plot grow puzzling.

Nevertheless, the drama carried an addictive mystery aura which made many try and guess what would come next, what were the explanations for Ye Li (played by Bai Lu) apparently seeing ghosts while otherwise appearing to function normally, or for the sometimes crazy like outburst of Mo Xiuyao (played by Cheng Lei) who seemed to take a lot of time to accept his wife's ministrations and sincere feelings for him.

Another reason for the rewrite may have been the poor state of health of Bai Lu who experienced very worrying health troubles and exhaustion bouts during the long shoot which lasted from May 31 to October 11, 2025 at Xiangshan Film and Television City (Xiangshan Film City) in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. All the palace and princely mansion, mountain academy, scenes were filmed there. But it must be noted that the summer of 2025 was particularly torrid. A heat wave lasting from June to August with relentless humid temperatures above 45°C was later acknowledged : it was the worst heatwave since the 2022 record one. In China, in the past decade, the excessively hot temperatures have been played down on weather forecasts (like in many other countries now, which find "reasons" to explain why they can't deliver a usable forecast, and blame it on El Nino, or on sudden unpredictable "heat domes") because in the PRC, the legal framework of the Administrative Measures for Heatstroke Prevention and Cooling sets limits based on outdoor and indoor working conditions where workers should not be exposed to heat over 40°C outdoors, over 33°C indoors: industries are supposed to pause then... So even with air conditioning and portable fans, the conditions were particularly difficult. Bai Lu fell ill around July 18 with searu=ing pain from her neck to her back and headaches. She was treated with modern and traditional medicine but still lost 5kg from her already slight weight, and was often exhausted. She laughed it off as usually (never lingering on self pity) on her post-wrap meeting of October, saying the directors praised her "unhappy look" which fit with the early scenes, and her recovered look about a month later, when she played more active scenes. The BTS videos where she can be seen resting her head in the lap of Cheng Lei were not just for CP ads, and it is fortunate that Cheng Lei proved to be an attentive colleague during the shooting.

This was a drama that made me dig a bit, since I have visited the real Lishan near Xi'an, with the Guifei baths, and remember enough from this place to feel that it had no connection whatsoever with the story in the drama. On the contrary, although I at first thought of Huashan in the Qinling mountains south of Xi'an, I think the closest model was Songshan near Luoyang, There was a Confucean academy on Songshan, called Songyuan, which could be the model for the drama imaginary Lishan academy, which showed teachers who seemed to believe in a different form of creed from the Daoism that is often referred to in many scenes during the drama.

The story seemed to mix together some bits of Song dynasty, such as the rise of Confucean academies like the Songyuan one. and the earlier Tang dynasty power struggle a century earlier of empress Wu Zetian (690–705 CE). But the status of Buddhism as an almost state religion such as that reign brought is totally absent from the drama.

The story of Dowager Guo Jin ( played by Dong Jie) and the treatment of her memory after she handed power over to her son was nevertheless clearly modeled on the historical Wu Zetian , who also started her career as an out of favor concubine, although her son Li Xian , known as emperor Zhongzong, was not a youth when Wu Zetian handed power over to him. Unlike Mo Yanqi, (played by Xu Wailuo as a rather indecisive adolescent in the drama),

The Da Chu name of the imaginary country Mo Yanqi and Guo Jin jointly reigned over was just decoration to get a feel of "otherness" and "ancient History", but could not in any way be connected to Tang History. -- Contrary to the Cangbei tribes shown as enemies or potential allies in the drama, who probably got modeled on the real Xiangbei - but those were already not a threat any longer at the time of Wu Zetian, so if they are enemies in the drama, there is a small discrepancy when thinking of the name of one minister character in the drama: Murong Shen, whose name is distinctively of Xiangbei origin (Murong Shen, played by Wang Shuo, appears as the Chief Imperial Secretary who openly showed support for Mo Xiuyao, who was aligned with his cousin, emperor Mo Yanqi).

The main antagonist in the drama derives his power from his position: Zhou Jing/marquis Muyang (played by Yu Jinwei) is the Court of Judicial Review Minister, also known as Dàlǐ sì (大理寺) which has nothing to do do with a mysterious 寺 Buddhist temple in Dali 大理 town.... As such he commands what appears as a gang of corrupt and wicked ministers and inquisitors. Foremost among those was the ruthless and ugly Lu Chang Fu [General of Imperial Guard]( played by Li Hongquan), who meets a spectacular end in the drama.

Of course, the drama story is fictional, but like most "historical" fictional dramas, it does draw on some History, real or legendary, and impressions of those times' customs, dresses, and technology. The use of white phosphorus to set silk on fire, in the drama, is a creative idea; although silk can indeed catch fire from the phosphorus which reacts with atmospheric oxygen.  In other scenes in the drama, oil was mentioned as an incendiary agent, and that does more conform with documented Chinese History which used 猛火油 (měng huǒ yóu) petrol bombs at least since the Eastern Han Dynasty.

I was also looking into the connection with ghost stories and the monkeys or apparently supernatural elements in the drama, and into the flower symbolism beyond the jasmine one which was not depicted in the series :
* Ye Li's rock flowers,
* the golden flowers grown in pots by for princess Lingyun, played shortly but memorably by Li Muyun (probably "Golden queen" aka Jinlian hua 金杯花, which originate in Mongolia and look like double buttercup flowers),
* the beloved potted flowers of the empress,
* the deep pink blooms of the curcuma potted plant which Ye Li stares at, in episode 39,
* the Red Pearl fruits of the plant Mo Xiuyao sends her an astringent wine from the border in ep.38,
* the bouquet of purple flowers that Ye Ying (played by Yang shuyi) brings to her last meeting with Mo Jingli. These look like aconitum aka monkshood which are "extremely toxic in all parts to humans and animals"!!
* finally, the white flowered twigs which Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao used to spar in martial arts in last episode were, I think, plum tree twigs. Plum flowers have quite a powerful symbolism in China among which Resilience and Strength, since the "méi huā"梅花 , blooming in harsh cold symbolizes the ability to endure adversity and maintain integrity (like in the famous beloved 1983 mandopop song 一剪梅 sung by singer Fei Yuching - this song is not featured in The First Jasmine of course, but the OST has many nice songs.)....

Ye Li had from start of the drama a mission, symbolized by the straw dolls which she weaved and took down from Li Shan mountain/prison. She went about showing superior craftiness and outstanding skills in unexpected fields of knowledge from a girl barely out of adolescence who had survived without relying on helpers, before she was released to get married in the capital, on her coming of age (usually around 15-16 years old in Tang dynasty times). No money had been provided: her family or other did not bring any help for that journey. She still managed to reach the city, to find that her intended had been swapped; having her own reasons, she did not complain. She had already matured beyond her years. But she had a troubled mind.... Her husband, and her brother in law Mo Jingli (played by Cai Zhengjie) also had their own demons in mind to fight, as they had been forced to hide their strengths and intentions. Mo Jingli, nephew of Mo Xiuyao and illegitimate son of the late emperor in the story, is also a somewhat tragic character whose reasons for rebellion are understandable although not really excusable. The palace politics are ruthless, despite the polished appearance of the Dowager and the Consort Qin Zheng (played by Zhang Yue) who withheld but finally released a crucial piece of evidence.

I differ about the notion of "happy ending" since the last picture show the married couple facing each other but not touching, with a gap between them: what positive developments will come next for them or for their friend Li Feibai (played by Zhang Shulun) is only implied. The moral justification in the end, expounded in the young emperor's edict, feels very preachy and spin, cant. Whatever relevance it could have with modern morals is not very clear. The opening Douban rating of 6.3 on June 30 feels too low, although we know how Douban seldom rates much higher especially for historical dramas "One and only" still sits at 7.3 in the high rating of historical dramas category); it still feels disappointing and perhaps a results of hater actions that this drama got rated below "Story of Kunning Palace", another ambitious historical drama, which garnered 6.8 on Douban.

But this TV series was still gripping enough to make me consider re-watching parts or whole. It has comedic moments and political struggle, and many other angles, some scenes with nice cinematography, such as the misty scenes on Lishan, the views in the palaces, details that can be pondered. It is very different from Bai Lu's other tragic masterpiece drama "One And Only", set in an earlier dynasty, and the story is less painful. Because of the way it kept my attention and the way the leads managed to portray their characters bridging the hurdles, I have given it top score and would recommend it to those who like historical romance dramas and prefer mature themes.

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When lonely finds someone even lonelier

I want to start by saying I'm a pretty harsh critic. I'm the type where if something doesn't make sense in the drama, I'll check if it has a book and read that afterwards in order to gauge whether the story/interpretation of the story was wrong to begin with OR was this a production related issue (erroneous script writing, amount of funding, time constraints, new laws placed on drama length or subject matter like in TTEOTM, etc).

Basically, to summarize, this is a great drama if you prioritize story > dramatizations of love and relationships. It's a very adult type of love between two people who have experienced unthinkable hardships despite their age.

If I were very young again, I would likely prefer a drama that puts visuals and attraction between the leads as the main focus with less care on whether the story was all that great or well thought out. Just enough to get the two leads together would suffice with lots of heart pounding touches and looks. And to be fair, if you sign up for a romance drama then it's only right that you feel there was 'enough' romance AND drama to keep you interested. Many of these reviews cite "not enough romance" or "chemistry" as the shows weakness for this reason.

I personally felt that though they 'could' have added more blatant sexual chemistry/tension to the show, I do think it would feel less appropriate for the characters. For one, they have an 8 year age gap....and she's been quoted to say he's a man in his 'twenties' and he is crippled for the majority of the show. That does imply she's VERY young to be overly sexualized and lusted over on television for our enjoyment as well as making him feel a little like some horny disabled dude who meets a child he saved 8 years later and is lusting over her (he still vividly remembers what she was like as a child after all and recognizes her as soon as he meets her as well).

Due to this, I had the feeling the writers were careful to build the right pacing and create atmospheric events that would genuinely bring these two leads closer together emotionally before any true emphasis on physical attraction for one another. You can really tell when the male lead begins to understand the female lead from his internal monologues and the questions he asks her. The moments we do get of their love are very sweet and shows how they give each other strength as well making them appear more real. If anything, I wish they made her love for him more compelling besides "love at first sight" as a child. Especially because as an adult, you learn that attraction is never enough to sustain a relationship because you start to understand how incompatible people can be with you through experience and how that affects you emotionally over time. Nobody is perfect. But there's reasons why we can't just marry any good looking person we meet. I felt I wanted to see her learn about him the way he tried to learn about her and watch her realize that he's more than just a good looking dude with great martial arts and a stunning family background. Things like his hobbies, his dreams, his surprising talents or deficiencies beyond "he's immature when he's jealous" which I do NOT count (though we ALL love a cute jealous ML doing dumb adorable stuff while in love). Though this is me being picky because this show was REALLY done SO well already and I don't want to just glaze it all day in my review.

My only real gripe is that the two break up points felt too rushed and premature thus feeling uncharacteristically dramatic for these two. Mainly the male lead as the female lead has lived in seclusion for so long, she would understandably not know how to deal with conflict and would be scared to be alone again. But I believe these moments were shoe horned in to arbitrarily create conflict which is beneficial to create emotional impact at the risk of being overly dramatic.

If I had to point it it's strong points, I would say:
1) The cast are incredibly likable and relatable. No one feels like a true villain or saint and they flesh out each character in a way we can actually be satisfied with versus leaving them as loose ends.
2) No unnecessary deaths or drivel on the motivations of the villains as well as making them look STUPID to make our characters look smarter. Also, not making them just GREEDY for power. The queen was ambitious and smart. She made choices that were cruel but not unheard of. It's society that paints a woman doing it as so terrible but reasonable if a male ruler were to do so. She's not right. But can we really say she should have given up and let them kill her and her child? Atleast her reforms helped people in the long run. Sometimes, we can't really compromise if we want to make real change in our lifetimes and that's the point. There is no real moral high ground. Locking yourself on a mountain and taking 47 other perfectly young and amazing talents with you to the afterlife does NOTHING to fix the society you are protesting against. It only creates victims like our female lead. Even guard Qin wasn't just doing illegal stuff just to get more power. He wanted to be loved by his birth father. He longed to belong and be accepted. He heard exactly what he needed and stayed loyal to him for that reason. Even when he was betrayed and chose to rat on him--it was for survival and NOT to get even. He wasn't full of anger and vengefulness when he saw his father for the last time. Just shared the sincere words he held for a long time in his heart.
3) Romance pacing and character development were en pointe. You learn about the female character at a good pace that makes putting all the puzzle pieces together satisfying VERSUS predictable which makes them feel more one dimensional and simple. People aren't that easy. Secrets exist in us in layers that need time to be peeled back from those around us and we were on the same page as the ML due to this. I was devasted the way he was devastated and I was remorseful when he felt shame too.
4) Due to the above, another great point is that this is a VERY rewatchable show. I personally feel like the second watch through, you actually feel differently than the first time. That's because the first time you watch, you are seeing things from the male leads perspective in terms of understanding the female lead. We only see action but can't really make sense of what motivates her besides the typical "for peace and justice!" mind set they give to EVERY male and female lead or just pure "revenge!". The second time around, I felt way more emotional earlier on because I started to notice things I didn't understand before in a different light. So basically, I'm not seeing things from the perspective pf the male lead anymore but as someone who understands the female lead already.

Overall, everything was great. Music, set, costumes, casting, script and filming. I would watch this again and recommend it for anyone who wants to appreciate how two lonely and traumatized leads meet--and wrap themselves around the others wounds with their love and support for one another. A great drama with an amazing team of cast and production!

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