Terms that have been Lost in Translation in Pursuit of Jade:
Jiefu （姐夫）- Changning calls Xie Zheng this, she would never call him by his name - see my explanation here
Sunsun (隼隼) - a nickname for the Falcon, because Xie Zheng's white falcon is a Gryfalcon - a "mao sun" (矛隼), and Changning gives the falcon a nickname derived from that, "Sunsun". Kind of like if you called a cat a "kitty" or something. "Sun" by itself just means falcon, generally.
a-jie (阿姐)- Changning calls Changyu "a-jie", which means "older sister"
Zheng'er (征儿) - dilf Wei Yan refers to his nephew Xie Zheng as "Zheng Er", the "Zheng" being his name, and the "er" being a diminuitive, often used for children / someone a generation below you.
Ben Hou (本侯) - this is the personal pronoun Xie Zheng uses to refer to himself, we can see it when he spoke with Li Huai'an in episode 11. It roughly translates to "I, the marquis", and really emphasises his title. He is kind of pulling rank on Li Huai'an here, heh.
People in Lin'an seem to call Fan Changyu "Changyu," unless you're Li Huai'an or Gongsun Yin (aka virtual strangers), then it is Fan Da Niangzi (it's another version of "the eldest Miss Fan"). Changning, OTOH, is always Ning Niang (the Niang isn't really part her given name but it's hard to describe). I don't think anyone actually calls her Changning unless I'm missing something.
No one says "Zheng." It is Yan Zheng. I guess Fan Changyu calls him Xie Zheng later.
Unless you're Gongsun Yin, who I believe is a classmate of Xie Zheng, then he refers to Xie Zheng as "Jiuheng" which is Xie Zheng's courtesy name.*
It looks like the proper title for Xie Zheng as is used in the drama is Wu'an Hou Xie Zheng (the marquis of Wu'an, Xie Zheng.). It sounds other officials i.e. Li Huai'an refers to him as "Wu'an Hou" or "the Marquis of Wu'an."**
Gongsun is the first or family name, Yin is the surname. Gongsun is one of those two character family names that are relatively rare among actual chinese population but are very popular in fiction.
Xie Zheng "not blowing his cover" aka IMO sarcastically referring to himself as "Yan Mo" to Li Huai'an. The use of "mo" is this humble one. So he was being sarcastic. Li Huai'an said "Yan Xiong" or "brother Yan" when he was trying to stop Xie Zheng from killng that guy with his bare hands. That's a pretty common way to refer to someone of your similar age.
*Although he does use "Houye" at times.
** I say this because in some dramas, aka the rise of ning, Lu Houuuuuuu is technically An Bei Hou (the marquis of An Bei) but everyone calls him the *surname* marquise.
another way they call changyu here is fan jia yatou 樊家丫头: basically means the girl of the fan family
rather than mr. zhao, changyu calls him zhao da shu 大叔: it's a more more affectionate, familiar term to refer to someone's older (who's around the age of one's dad/uncle who is not a direct relative) it's more like her calling him "uncle zhao!"
the underlings using shu xia 属下: it's a subordinate self-referral that they use in front of their superior-- when xie zheng's underling found him rather than "we are late" it's more of "your subordinate(s) is late", same with li huai'an underling when he was giving advice during the talk about the former's arranged marriage, rather than "i think" it's more of a "subordinate thinks", same goes with UILF wei yan's underlings
another one is that magistrate referring to himself as xia guan 下官 when talking to li huai'an, it's also another hierarchical-etiquette thing, he's basically referring to himself as "your humble servant"/ "I (the lower ranking official)" in front of the latter, usually used by lower-ranking officials when addressing superiors/higher rank, or when addressing seniors.
contrast that to when he's referring to himself as ben xian zhun 本县尊 when talking to his subordinate; much like the ben hou explanation above, but rather than "marquis" it's "county magistrate"
xie zheng refers to wei yan as jiu jiu 舅舅 in the flashbacks: uncle, yes, but maternal uncle
much like the explanation for xie zheng's use of "mo" above, he also refers to himself as cao min 草民 (grass people/commoner) it's a self-addressed form when addressing officials/superiors (again he uses it sarcastically/nonchalantly in that exchange with huai'an since changning shows up)
fuqin 父亲 and die 爹: both translated as father which is true, but there is a distinction in terms of colloquiality and to an extent formality- best way i can put it: the former is "father" the latter is "dad" "pa"; how wei xuan refers to wei yan, how changyu refers to her dad, how xie zheng calls her dad and how xie zheng's mum talks to him about his dad and so on and so forth
muqin 母亲 and niang 娘: same as above, but the mother version
general he, during the grave visiting scene with li huai'an, refer to himself as lao gu tou 老骨头: direct translation means old bones, but it's basically a sort of.... humble/self-depreciating reference of "this old man" if i could desc it, it's like "this man who is too old&useless"-- fun fact: in different context it's also used as a nickname when describing an elderly to imply that they're too stubborn (hard-boned) lol.
he also uses the good ol' lao fu 老夫 lit translates to old man: another self-reference term; this one's for elder men
li huai'an on the other hand sometimes refer to himself as xue sheng 学生 when talking to general he; lit translates to learned person/student but this is another self identifying term used by individuals seeking guidance from someone of higher social standing, age, or expertise, basically he refers to him self as this student, your student, when talking to the general
hence why he also call general he lao shi 老师, he doesn't refer to general he as "you" per translation; it's more respectful, in this context: he calls him teacher, his teacher.
Also I think I heard Qi Shu, the princess masquerading as a man An Xu at the academy, almost giving herself away in front of her crush Gongsun Yin by beginning to say "Ben Gong" aka "this princess"
I know people are mad at him because he has been disrespectful to Xie Zheng but I think that this scene clearly shows that he just goes around talking big and acting tough but it's just a facade and his twisted way of showing that he cares about Fan Changyu.
Also, why do people still believe that Xie Zheng is going to marry the princess, like can he make a public announcement that that's NOT going to happen????
on the snowy eve of a political uprising, dou zhao (meng ziyi), the marchioness wei, is killed by an arrow in a buddhist sanctuary. her crime? elopement and adultery with the empire's traitor, song mo (li yunrui). dying wronged and weakened from her years of domestic labour for her unfaithful husband, dou zhao wakes again from a dream in her child body with a mysterious playbook in her hand. this time round, she is determined not to lead the same life of suffering again.
returning to the dou manor, she battles against the strict patriarchal rules that try to confine her, fighting for a meaningful life of freedom and happiness where she is able to keep safe those whom she loves most.
l⃣e⃣ t⃣’ s⃣ b⃣e⃣g⃣i⃣n⃣
aww I had so much fun watching this drama, it's a lovely one. it's a very well written, with beautiful lighting and beautiful cinematography- like genuinely. also. I'm such a sucker for good metaphors and motifs- I haven't seen a costume drama shot like this in quite a long time. the relationship and the chemistry between the two main leads song mo and dou zhao is so so charming and despite all the political killings and bloodshed, it may just end up to be one of my comfort dramas lol.
o⃣u⃣t⃣ o⃣ f⃣ t⃣ e⃣ n⃣
𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 8/10
𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 8/10
𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 7/10
𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10/10
𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 8.25/𝟙𝟘
o⃣u⃣t⃣ o⃣ f⃣ f⃣ i⃣v⃣ e⃣
𝖍𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝖌𝖊𝖒 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - 💎💎💎
[ besides from its really beautiful cinematography, it's a pretty standard but very well done idol costume drama. the writing is excellent, but the messages behind the drama are pretty normal, ideal in a kind of pride-and-prejudice way, where the characters aren't really challenging anything too scandalous for our modern senses. ]
𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - ✨✨ ✨ ✨
[ I personally love it. it's like a good hearty soup, very normal but warming. I will be rewatching at some point I think :,> I love them so much. ]
‘keep reading’ for detailed review
[note]
its been a year since I've watched this show so my senses are lagging a little bit! some parts of this review was written right after I'd finished the drama (ie, the above introduction and short summary above and the bonus section at the end). the individual rating explanations have been written just now.
this isn't the most accurate review but I thought I might as well get this out there especially with the director's (zeng qingjie) more recent drama, pursuit of jade (2026) airing right now. I really really love this director and watching pursuit of jade made me really miss the blossom era- so lets get into it ;>
𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 8/10
a really strong plot and narrative in my opinion! in some places it does slip up in terms of the schemes and their logic, but none that were particularly offensive in my mind. the pacing was so so good and very well done, at no point was I bored and the two characters' storylines wove together very well. all in all, the writing was incredibly strong and streamlined. it was funny, it was suspenseful, it was faced paced, it was emotional- hells yes.
from a literary point of view I absolutely LOVED the way the story was told. I can say with some confidence that this director has a really good understanding of theme and the use of visual motifs which was really well demonstrated immediately from the first episode. the opera motif had me GAGGED.
I also really loved the director's incorporation of buddhist spirituality and chinese literary traditions which gave the drama the air of it's fictional time frame (ming dynasty) and a lot of artistic weight in my very humble opinion. at multiple points the drama referenced the chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber which I really appreciated and thought was really elegantly and effectively done. I feel like I could write a whole essay on it just because it was so well done but I think that might bore a lot of you so maybe at another point in time!
𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 7/10
this director is PEAK female gaze. dou zhao and song mo will live in a very warm part of my heart. I loved the way they played off each other and the central ethos of "together we are strong, but apart we are just as strong", truly a writer for modern times. I think this central ideal has also translated into pursuit of jade and I'm honestly so happy to see stories and fictional women who are multi-faceted, steady and capable. the supporting cast of female characters where all very well written with agency and strength which I really appreciate.
the struggles of being a woman within a restrictive ming dynasty society was handled very well. I can't quite remember why I'd initially given it a 7 out of 10 (lowest of all the other ratings), but I think it must have had some kind of problem with the use of cliches, but nevertheless I stand firm in asserting this drama's depiction of women slays down.
𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 8/10
god the chemistry for this show was FIREEEE. never have I ever been so invested in a lead couple in my adult life as I was in dou zhao and song mo 😭😭😭 its honestly quite embarrassing.
𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10/10
an incredibly beautiful drama with incredible production. the lighting, the costumes to the framing of the camera and the use of visual motifs, its an incredibly visually striking production unlike any idol costume dramas I'd seen before. highly highly highly recommend.
.
𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖚𝖘!!
favourite characters
song mo ( his idealism speaks to me on some deep level, like my boy just wants a fair and just world, where good is supposed to triumph but in reality it doesn't really. like I feel his rage. I do get it. )
grandma ( og boss queen, advocate for women's education- honestly fuck the dou family institution )
grand princess ( damn I wish she played a bigger role because she was so interesting!! tell me about her rebelling against conventional feminine roles as a young woman! tell me about her role in the court! instead we got just that arc with dou sishu and ugh. I don't need to see more of that man )
People claiming the female lead of Pursuit of Jade is OP (overpowered) despite the fact that male leads get to be OP all the time AND that this drama/novel is one of the very few that gives a sensible reasons for the female lead's specific skill set. She is good with knives because she's a butcher. Her dad taught her martial arts, probably because he only had daughters. She is naturally freakishly strong, but she also does a very labour intensive job all day long. Unlike characters who do one training montage/Sexy Archery Lesson and then conquer the world, Fan Changyu comes by her skills honestly
Also, she has pretty major flaws, she's bad at defending herself (which is why Xie Zheng helped her in the forest fight, she wasn't parrying) and she's not well-educated. Xie Zheng is educated, also freakishly strong, and crazily intelligent. He's probably more OP than her. But of course people are used to that
this!!!
also wanna add that the show does a great job at humanizing her. she even explains how her dad taught her how to lift heavy objects during that episode she volunteered to carry the two baskets of rocks up the mountain. and yes, she is freakishly strong, but that's very heavily attributed to her butcher background + her dad training her in the martial arts.
"but he's a second commander and a battle-hardened warrior! how could she have defeated him??" now obviously we could always just chalk it up to "because that's the plot" but might i offer this bit of analysis for your consideration: as we've seen so far, the 2nd shu commander is very impulsive, always trying to go head first into a fight until the first commander talks some sense into him. this is also exemplified by his choice of weapons: two maces instead of the usual sword. and if you've ever played any sort of medieval fighting game, you'll know that the use of maces usually requires a lot of strength from your character and it's always used as a type of brute force attack against enemies which is essentially shi hu's fighting style.
meanwhile, changyu, although she does try to fight him head on in the beginning, decides to use her speed and her smaller size to her advantage, often dodging his swings instead of fully blocking them, and immediately going for the vital parts and making use of her environment to disarm him. and she does this precisely because she couldn't match shi hu's physical strength (as exhibited by her barely holding her ground and getting thrashed around by this big ass guy). and when she manages to get a hold of the guy's mace--after slashing the length of his arm and other several body parts btw, she builds a lot of momentum first (spinning and running) before delivering the final blows as opposed to going at him with pure brute force (like general wu did). and immediately after the fight, after that big rush of adrenaline, she collapses. like it's such a believable fighting style and not really OP at all, especially for a female character.
oftentimes, when a smaller, weaker character goes against a big brute, they will rely heavily on speed, agility, and efficiency. and that's how they usually win. (like mulan!)
The bts showed it was Zhang Linghe who instructed Tian Xiwei to turn his head when she kissed him. And it was his idea to kiss her back. And the director liked the take so it stayed.
#PursuitOfJade Premiere On This Friday. Don’t miss it!
🔍 Search #PursuitOfJade on WeTV
#逐玉
#ZhangLinghe #张凌赫 #TianXiwei #田曦薇 (Listed in no
And THIS ladies and gentlemen is why directors matter. A four minute scene had more tension and intimacy than actual bed scenes.
I've already waxed on about how much I love Director Zeng Qingjie's work and his use of the "feminine gaze" so I won't repeat myself too much but dammit the way he portrays desire (especially women’s desire) and does so this skillfully with barely a word of dialogue is unmatched.
Just look at the cinematography:
It's the architectural framing of the curtains and the soft backlighting to emphasize the intimacy of the characters being "alone" as husband and wife for the first time. It's the gradual tightening of each shot to capture the characters' growing physical awareness of one another. It's the play of power with her more physically dominant in the frame while he guides her movements verbally. It's the impressionistic use of a handheld camera and the fluid rack focus on the eyes to mimic the intoxication of their almost-but-not-quite kiss.
And don't forget Zeng's strategic insert of a close-up:
Look at how the lighting reveals the texture of the clothes she's taking off him! And the blanket he hugs to bring her closer! And the goosebumps that appear on his skin when she washes him! All that suggestive wetness.
(Side Note: Hilariously, Tumblr marked those particular images of the blanket and goosebumps as needing a content label so I had to remove them.)
There's a certain haziness to the scene but where they touch is still in focus--there's sensuality in the tactile.
Director Zeng, please make at least 1-2 romance dramas a year and show these other directors how it's done.
In an interview (here) from around 6min 30s with Tian Xiwei and Zhang Linghe they were both saying the director had a lot of opinions and instructions on how to film these intimate scenes, like when to kiss, and when to initiate physical touch, etc - he knows a lot! And Tian Xiwei said, "if the director could, he'd act the dang scene himself" and they're very curious howw the director knows so much lmao, and apparently whenever they ask him he won't give them anything and gets very embarrassed 🌝 lmaoo
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