This review may contain spoilers
Chen Du Ling At Her Finest
Chu Zhao (Chen Du Ling) was at her best in this drama, Ashes to Crown. Her performance was masterful. Chu Zhao, a general's daughter, did not know how to use weapons or practice martial arts; she knew strategies. Chu Zhao was very intelligent and she learned how to use weapons very quickly. In this drama, Chen Du Ling was somewhat like she was in her 2025 drama, The Grlory, except better. She was a heroine and had compassion for people. Bad people, evil people she destroyed. That stare....that stare.
Xie Yan Lai / Fu Jiu (Zhou Yi Ran) was an excellent fighter. He was always beaten and persecuted by his family and the people. He was beaten so badly that he spit out what seemed to be rivers of blood. How could a body take such a beating and so frequently?
Chu Zhao grew up without her mother (who she did not know) and her father (always fighting on the border). When she thought of herself as grown, she decided to head to the capital. Her father told her that her mother liked the capital and part of the reason Chu Zhao wanted to go there was to experience what her mother experienced and to be close to her mother. She was excited about the crowds of people, the bright colors, the sounds, the smells, the activities and so forth. She made her way to a crowd. She pushed her way through the crowd, just to witness a sight that made all of the nice things she had just experienced seem unimportant. She witnessed a young man being beaten to death and the crowd standing around him, yelling kill him. She stopped the man from striking the young man and she yelled at the crowd. She was taken away by one of her father's solders. She made such a great impression on XXie Yan Lai for he dared to look up and he had seen someone willing to stand up for him, to protect him.
Eventually, Chu Zhao met Xiao Xun and fell in love with him. She took him back home to meet her father. Her father told her that she could not marry him. The general did not give his blessing. She left home, with her husband to be. On her 22 birthday, she was married to the prince, her love. He had invited the general to the wedding reception / birthday gathering, behind Chu Zhao's back. The prince, Chu Zhao's new husband, behead her father and later strangled her to death. Chu Zhao was reborn years before she married the evil prince. With all of the knowledge of events from her previous life, she would navigate through everything with strategy, cunning and intelligence. During the rebellion between the princes, she made her way into a building in the chaotic capital. There she found a eunuch and a little boy hiding in the dark. She reassured the little boy, the youngest prince, that she would not hurt him. The little prince trusted her almost immediately. They left the building and they were surrounded on both ends of the street. Help came. It was Xie Yan Lai and his men. He took Chu Zhao away on his horse, leaving the little prince and eunuch in the middle of the street. She convinced him to take her back to the little prince. Chu Zhao, the little prince and Xie Yan Lai made their way to the palace. She was able to take the prince into the emperor's palace, where the emperor was able to see his grandson. Chu Zhao spoke to the emperor and the emperor finally decreed that the little prince would be the next emperor and Chu Zhao would be made the Grand Princess. She guided the young emperor and she attended court regularly. Her and the young emperor became older sister and younger brother. She was the main reason that the first and subsequent rebellions were squashed. Xie Yan Lai taught her how to use a sword and bow. She practiced everyday, per Chu Zhao. She gave strategies to win the wars at the border, even fighting on the battlefield. She did meet her mother, who was a former general of the enemy country. Her mother loved her enough to stay away from her daughter, as not to get her in trouble. He mother died in the war, right in front of Chu Zhao. Her mother bas blown up and engulfed in fire, as she looked back at her daughter.
The Grand Princess stopped rebellions, fought in wars, cleaned up the court, guided the young emperor, and so much more. She ended up with Xie Yan Lai. They had 2 children together. She started her own army and peace was in the land.
Xie Yan Lai / Fu Jiu (Zhou Yi Ran) was an excellent fighter. He was always beaten and persecuted by his family and the people. He was beaten so badly that he spit out what seemed to be rivers of blood. How could a body take such a beating and so frequently?
Chu Zhao grew up without her mother (who she did not know) and her father (always fighting on the border). When she thought of herself as grown, she decided to head to the capital. Her father told her that her mother liked the capital and part of the reason Chu Zhao wanted to go there was to experience what her mother experienced and to be close to her mother. She was excited about the crowds of people, the bright colors, the sounds, the smells, the activities and so forth. She made her way to a crowd. She pushed her way through the crowd, just to witness a sight that made all of the nice things she had just experienced seem unimportant. She witnessed a young man being beaten to death and the crowd standing around him, yelling kill him. She stopped the man from striking the young man and she yelled at the crowd. She was taken away by one of her father's solders. She made such a great impression on XXie Yan Lai for he dared to look up and he had seen someone willing to stand up for him, to protect him.
Eventually, Chu Zhao met Xiao Xun and fell in love with him. She took him back home to meet her father. Her father told her that she could not marry him. The general did not give his blessing. She left home, with her husband to be. On her 22 birthday, she was married to the prince, her love. He had invited the general to the wedding reception / birthday gathering, behind Chu Zhao's back. The prince, Chu Zhao's new husband, behead her father and later strangled her to death. Chu Zhao was reborn years before she married the evil prince. With all of the knowledge of events from her previous life, she would navigate through everything with strategy, cunning and intelligence. During the rebellion between the princes, she made her way into a building in the chaotic capital. There she found a eunuch and a little boy hiding in the dark. She reassured the little boy, the youngest prince, that she would not hurt him. The little prince trusted her almost immediately. They left the building and they were surrounded on both ends of the street. Help came. It was Xie Yan Lai and his men. He took Chu Zhao away on his horse, leaving the little prince and eunuch in the middle of the street. She convinced him to take her back to the little prince. Chu Zhao, the little prince and Xie Yan Lai made their way to the palace. She was able to take the prince into the emperor's palace, where the emperor was able to see his grandson. Chu Zhao spoke to the emperor and the emperor finally decreed that the little prince would be the next emperor and Chu Zhao would be made the Grand Princess. She guided the young emperor and she attended court regularly. Her and the young emperor became older sister and younger brother. She was the main reason that the first and subsequent rebellions were squashed. Xie Yan Lai taught her how to use a sword and bow. She practiced everyday, per Chu Zhao. She gave strategies to win the wars at the border, even fighting on the battlefield. She did meet her mother, who was a former general of the enemy country. Her mother loved her enough to stay away from her daughter, as not to get her in trouble. He mother died in the war, right in front of Chu Zhao. Her mother bas blown up and engulfed in fire, as she looked back at her daughter.
The Grand Princess stopped rebellions, fought in wars, cleaned up the court, guided the young emperor, and so much more. She ended up with Xie Yan Lai. They had 2 children together. She started her own army and peace was in the land.
Was this review helpful to you?
