The Legend of Mi Yue () is a 2015 Chinese television series directed by Zheng Xiaolong and based on eponymous historical novel. It stars Sun Li in the title role of Mi Yue. The series aired 2 episodes daily on Beijing TV and Dragon TV from 30 November 2015 to 9 January 2016.
Synopsis This is a story about the life of Mi Yue, the first stateswoman and Queen Dowager () in China's history.
Mi Yue was a young princess who lived in the Kingdom of Chu during the Warring States period. Her childhood was not peaceful, after witnessing her mother falling into the schemes of the Queen of Chu. Yet, she was on good relations with her sister, Mi Shu and her father, King Wei. She was eventually sent to Qin as a concubine as part of her sister's dowry, separating her from Huang Xie, her first love. Mi Yue gains the favor of King Ying Si and gives birth to a son named Ying Ji. This leads to the jealousy of Mi Shu, Wei Yan, the queen, and other concubines.
After King Ying Si passes away, Ying Dang becomes his successor. Mi Yue is sent as an ambassador (banishment) to the State of Yan with her son Ying Ji. However, King Ying Dang suddenly dies after lifting weights, leaving Qin in a state of chaos where Ying Si's sons are battling for the throne. Mi Yue enlists the help of the "barbarian" Yiqu army, successfully returning to Qin, suppressing political revolts and instates her son Ying Ji on the throne.
Cast Main characters +CastRoleDescriptionSusan Sun Mi YueThe name of "Mi Yue" is not the queen dowager's real personal name and the History books never tell her personal name and early life. It based on the interpretation from Professor Duan Xizhong (段熙仲) of the character "脾" in the Terracotta Warriors which Duan believed that these are two independent characters, namely "月" on the left and "芈" on the right. Chen Jingyuan (陈景元) further believes that "Yue Mi" is the real name of Queen Dowager Xuan. There was a report tell that in addition to the remnants of Qin Shi Huang's terracotta warriors, “Mi Yue” also comes from King Huiwen's A'fang Palace (阿房宫) as a combination of pottery inscriptions. Meanwhile, at the same time, there are reports that deny the claims of these information.
Liu Chutian as 4-5-years-old Princess Yue Li Jing'er as 7-8-years-old Princess Yue Chai Wei as 12-13-years-old Princess Yue
Princess Yue of Chu (楚國公主)→Consort Mi (羋八子)→Mother of Qin (秦國質子之母)→Lady Consort of Yiqu (義渠王妃)→Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin (秦宣太后)Most favourite daughter of King Wei of Chu, born from Concubine Xiang. Talented and highly perceptive, she was persecuted by the Queen of Chu since childhood due to an astrologer's prophecy. After the death of King Wei, she was rushed to the cemetery to guard her father's spirit and was ordered to only return after she grows up. She initially fell in love and agreed to marry Huang Xie, a renowned scholar and a bosom childhood friend, but for the sake of her half sister, Princess Shu's dowry, she instead married Ying Si, King Huiwen of Qin and bore him Ying Ji. After King Huiwen's death, she went to the State of Yan as a hostage along with her son and lived a life of hardship. After the death of Ying Dang, the King Wu of Great Qin, Queen Huiwen's only son, she married Zhai Li, the Lord of Yiqu and bore him Ying Fu. With help from Zhai Li and his people, she installs her son Ying Ji as the new King and is proclaimed as the Queen Dowager.Liu Tao Mi Shu
Li Nini as 6-years-old Grand Princess Hao Yilin as 8-years-old Grand PrincessGrand Princess of Chu (楚國公主)→Queen of Great Qin (秦國王后)→Queen Huiwen of Great Qin (秦惠文后)Daughter of King Wei of Chu from his Queen. Initially, she was a gentle and a kind girl who took Princess Yue everywhere and matched her and the Scholar Huang Xie when they were still in the Chu Palace. She fell in love with King Huiwen at first sight and later married him as she wished, but fell out of favor due to being framed, and later gave birth to Ying Dang, the later King Wu. Since Consort Mi and Madame Wei were increasingly favored by him, she got jealous and tried every means to deal with Consort Mi and her Son. Their sisterly relationship then broke down after Consort Mi comes into light about Queen Mi's schemes. After King Huiwen's death, she was crowned as Queen Hui and banished Consort Mi and her son to the State of Yan as hostages, while arranging for hitmen and the locals to harm them. After her son, King Wu's death, she tried to help her adopted son Prince Zhuang ascend the throne while creating chaos in the court. She failed and was placed under house arrest by the Queen Dowager. Spent the rest of her life in Qingliang Hall (清涼殿) under constant supervision. Ma Su as Wei Yan Lady Wei of Wei (魏氏) → Madame Wei of Qin(魏夫人) A Lady from the State of Wei, sister of Wei Zhang and aunt of Wei Yi. Ambitious, sinister and cunning, she wants to become the Queen of Qin and hopes that her son will become the next King while she repeatedly targeting Mi Yue and Mi Shu. She later died at Yongcheng. Alex Fong as Ying Si Prince Si (公子絲)→Crown Prince (太子)→ King of Qin (秦王)→ 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘶𝘪𝘸𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘘𝘪𝘯(秦惠文王) A strategic, farsighted and a compassionate ruler with the ambition to conquer the world. He falls in love with Princess Yue and becomes the father of Ying Ji, born by Consort Mi, Ying Dang, born by Queen Mi and Ying Hua, born by Madame Wei. Huang Xuan as Huang Xie Lord Chunshen, the Prince of Chu (楚公子 春申君) Gu Haofeng as 10-years-old Huang Xie Ding Nan as 15/6-years-old Huang Xie Qu Yuan's disciple who is loyal to his motherland. He is Mi Yue's first love and childhood sweetheart. He accidentally fell off a cliff to save her right as they were about to elope, and temporarily loses his memory. He studies with Crown Prince Heng of Chu and helps him ascend the throne. He eventually becomes the Prime Minister of Chu. Years later, a young scholar who looks just like him, Wei Choufu, becomes a reading companion to the Queen Dowager Xuan. Gao Yunxiang as Zhai Li King of Yiqu (義渠王)→Lord of Yiqu (義渠君) The ruler of Yiqu and Consort Mi's second husband—father of Prince Fu. His title of King was demoted to Lord (Jūn) after returning his land to the State of Qin. For his lifelong love towards Consort Mi, he is willing to bear the pain of witchcraft rituals to save her life. When the conflict between Yiqu and Qin gradually deepened, he left the Qin Palace. He later led Yiqu troops into the Palace to rebel but was killed, leaving Mi Yue sad and sick for months and aging rapidly thereafter.
Supporting State of Chu Winston Chao as King Wei of Chu The ruler of the Chu State and father of Mi Huai, Mi Yin, Mi Shu, Mi Yue, Mi Rong. When he returned home gloriously after war, he learns Mi Yue that Consort Xiang was sent out of the palace after being framed by the Queen. He was furious and gave the queen a death sentence. Angered by his son, he died suddenly in the palace. Jiang Hongbo as Queen Wei of Chu Primary wife of King Wei, Mi Huai and Mi Shu's biological mother who later was given a death sentence. Li Beilei as Dai Mao A close-knit maid of Queen Wei who followed Mi Shu to Qin State, always guarding against Mi Yue. She was executed after trying to make Mi Yue die from a difficult childbirth. Jiang Xin as Consort Ju Formerly the "Princess of the Ju State" (莒國公主) who becomes the favourite consort of King Wei and foster mother of Mi Yue and Mi Rong. After the King's death, she hanged herself to protect Mi Yue and Mi Rong from death. Sun Qian as Lady Xiang "Madame Xiang" (向夫人)→"Consort Xiang" (向妃) A dowry maid of Consort Ju, she then becomes the biological mother of Mi Yue, Mi Rong and Wei Ran. She was framed by the Queen and sent out of the palace, then raped and gave birth to Wei Ran. She was taken back to the palace by the King, but knew that she would not live long after returning there, so she framed the queen by putting poisonous wine in the queen's bottle and drinking it herself. When the King came, she told him that the queen poisoned her, then she died. Tian Yixi as Zhen Zhu, Mi Shu's confidant. Liu Zihe as Shan Hu, Mi Shu's confidant who later committed suicide due to the killer bee incident. Ren Han as Lü Luo, pure-hearted woman who becomes Mi Shu's personal maid, but later beaten to death due to Mi Shu and King Ying Si. Cao Zheng as Mi Huai "Crown Prince of Chu" (楚太子)→"King of Chu" (楚王)→"King Huai of Chu" (楚怀王) Legitimate son of King Wei, from Queen Wei and a brother of Mi Shu. Although knows that his mother hates Mi Yue, he still sometimes speaks for her. Xu Fanxi as Mi Yin "Princess (born from concubine) Yin of the Chu State" (楚國茵(庶)公主)→"Madame of Yan State" (燕國國相夫人) Su Chenxi as 8-years-old Mi Yin Daughter of King Wei and Princess Wei who later becomes the wife of Guo Kui. During Mi Yue's stay in the Yan, she framed her many times. Tried to poison Mi Yue but her plan backfired when her husband gives her the poison instead, killing her. Yuan Zhibo as Zheng Xiu "Queen Nan" (南后) King Huai's primary wife who is secretly conniving. She often disagrees with Queen Wei, knowing that the queen hates Mi Yue, and deliberately helps Mi Yue a lot. Lu Ying as Lian'er, Queen Nan's maid He Dujuan as Lady Wei "Beauty Wei" (魏美人) Wei State-born woman who was given to King Huai. Due to Queen Nan's jealousy, she is hidden at the remote Zhanghua Terrace (章華台). Gentle and simple, no scheming, good at dispelling depression, she befriends Mi Yue and is on good terms with her. She didn't listen to Mi Yue's suggestion to guard against Queen Nan, who manipulated her because of jealousy, resulting in King Huai cutting off her nose. Thereafter she committed suicide. Li Hongliang as Mi Rong "Prince (born from concubine) of the Chu State" (楚國(庶)公子)→"Lord of Huayang" (華陽君)→"Lord of Xincheng" (新城君) Li Qingyu as 2-years-old Mi Rong Li Zekai as 7/8-years-old Mi Rong Lou Zixuan as 11/2-years-old Mi Rong Son of King Wei and Consort Xiang, also a younger brother of Mi Yue whom after her marriage to Qin, he stayed alone in Chu. Su Hang as Mi Heng, son of King Huai "Crown Prince of Chu" (楚太子)→"King of Chu" (楚王) Wu Bolin as 13-years-old Mi Heng Zhou Qi as 16-years-old Mi Heng Liu Xinyu as the "Little Princess of Chu State" (楚国小公主) Zu Feng as Qu Yuan, Prime minister of Chu. Jiang Feng as Jin Shang A greedy and despicable man who becomes the Prime Minister of Chu. As one of Zheng Xiu's confidants, he always opposed Qu Yuan. Shi Yueling as Female Doctor Bian Que's disciple with superb medical skills and good heart, she delivered Mi Yue and later Mi Yuen's son. She followed when Mi Shu married to live in Qin. After Ying Dang's death, when the political situation was still undecided, she went up the mountain to collect medicine, but was killed by a rebellious army. Zheng Yecheng as Song Yu, a poet of Chu. Liu Yijun as Tang Mei An astrologer who predicted the dominance theory, but Lady Xiang gave birth to a daughter instead of a son, so King Wei dug out his eyes in anger. He later died to save Mi Yue. Sun Shuaihang as Zhao Yang Zhang Yujian as Tang Le Liu Ziming as Young Master Feng Xie Ziyi as Mi Qing
State of Qin Cai Wenyan as Lady Ying "Madame Ying" (嬴夫人) Adopted mother of Meng Ying. Initially was a crown princess of the Wei State. Secretly helped Qin win the war and was divorced and exiled by her husband (the current ruler of Wei). Lived in northern suburbs palace in Qin. She befriends Yong Rui and kept the edict for King Ying Xi, then died after Mi Shu set fire to the palace in order to force her to surrender the edict. Song Jialun as Ying Ji (Chulizi 樗里子) Half brother of Ying Si who have no desire to fight for the throne and is deeply trusted by him. He later assists Ying Dang and Ying Ji. Held the post of Left Militia General and Left Chancellor (Senior Prime Minister). Xiao Hui as Lady Tang "Madame Tang" (唐夫人)