2020 Chinese historical series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Serenade of Peaceful Joy (Chinese: 清平乐; pinyin: Qīngpíng Lè) is a 2020 Chinese television series loosely based on the novel The Lonely City by Milan Lady. It is directed by Zhang Kaizhou, and stars Wang Kai as Emperor Renzong of Song and Jiang Shuying as Empress Cao.[2] The series aired from April 7 to May 18, 2020.[3]
| Serenade of Peaceful Joy | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | Held in the Lonely Castle |
| Traditional Chinese | 清平樂 |
| Simplified Chinese | 清平乐 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Qīngpíng Lè |
| Genre | |
| Based on | The Lonely City (孤城闭) by Milan Lady (米兰Lady) |
| Written by | Zhu Zhu |
| Directed by | Zhang Kaizhou |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | Wish Song by Hu Xia |
| Ending theme |
|
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language | Mandarin |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 69 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Hou Hongliang |
| Production location | Hengdian World Studios |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 40–45 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network |
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| Release | April 7 – May 18, 2020 |
When Emperor Renzong discovers his biological mother is not Empress Dowager Liu, but her maid Li Lanhui, he arranges a marriage between his beloved daughter Princess Fukang and the Li family's son Li Wei as compensation for his lack of filial piety.
In the political arena, the Emperor strives to maintain a balance of power between the conservative and progressive factions after the Qingli Reforms experiences a significant backlash from the former.
Inside the palace, Emperor Renzong faces the dutiful Empress Cao, the troublesome Consort Zhang and the gentle Consort Miao. As time passed, none of his sons survive past childhood, leaving him without a male heir.
Outside the palace, Princess Fukang's married life with Li Wei is far from pleasant — displeased with her foolish and boring husband, and annoyed by her prying in-laws, she develops a close relationship with her eunuch Liang Huaiji. After a serious dispute with her husband's family, the Princess knowingly breaks the law by charging back to the palace the same night. The next day, conservative official Sima Guang presents a scathing memorial to Emperor Renzong, heavily criticizing Princess Fukang for her selfishness and violation of imperial etiquette.
The Emperor had always encouraged freedom of speech and supported a supervisory system that would maintain disciplinary surveillance over bureaucrats and the imperial clan, and must ultimately choose between his daughter's happiness and the stability of the government.[4]
Principal photography commenced on January 5, 2019 at Hengdian World Studios.[6]
On November 8, 2018, Wang Kai was announced as the male lead, and the director confirmed that the focus of the drama would be on the emperor's reign, while still keeping the original romance between Princess Fukang and Liang Huaiji intact.[7] On December 7, 2018, the rest of the cast was announced.[5] In May 2019, the drama wrapped up filming and announced guest appearances by several actors.[8]
The original soundtrack album was released on April 30, 2020, and was produced by Meng Ke and Lu Liang.[9] The compilation album of the ending themes was released on May 1, 2020, and was produced by Dong Yingda.[10]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wish Song (愿歌行)" (Opening theme) |
| Liu Xuandou | Hu Xia | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Seeking Light (寻光)" (Ending theme; 6–10, 18–24, 31–36, 55–62) |
| Dong Yingda | Zheng Yunlong | 4:07 |
| 3. | "Two Flying Swallows (双飞燕)" (Ending theme; 1–5, 11–17, 25–30, 37–42, 50–54, 68–69) |
| Dong Yingda | Cui Zige | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Tender Peach (桃夭)" (Ending theme; 43–49, 63–67) | Zhang Jingyi | Liu Xuandou | Shuang Sheng | 4:21 |
| Air date | Episode | Ratings (%) | Audience share (%) | Timeslot rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2020 | 1–2 | 2.294 | 7.91 | 2 |
| April 8, 2020 | 3–4 | 2.216 | 7.57 | 3 |
| April 9, 2020 | 5–6 | 2.365 | 8.01 | 3 |
| April 10, 2020 | 7 | 2.562 | 8.15 | 1 |
| April 11, 2020 | 8 | 2.45 | 7.74 | 1 |
| April 12, 2020 | 9–10 | 2.751 | 9.31 | 1 |
| April 13, 2020 | 11–12 | 2.562 | 8.77 | 1 |
| April 14, 2020 | 13–14 | 2.699 | 9.27 | 1 |
| April 15, 2020 | 15–16 | 2.798 | 9.62 | 1 |
| April 16, 2020 | 17–18 | 2.69 | 9.23 | 1 |
| April 17, 2020 | 19 | 2.292 | 7.46 | 2 |
| April 18, 2020 | 20 | 2.123 | 6.71 | 3 |
| April 19, 2020 | 21–22 | 2.684 | 9.04 | 1 |
| April 20, 2020 | 23–24 | 3.068 | 10.53 | 1 |
| April 21, 2020 | 25–26 | 2.742 | 9.6 | 1 |
| April 22, 2020 | 27–28 | 2.793 | 9.66 | 1 |
| April 23, 2020 | 29–30 | 2.935 | 10.55 | 1 |
| April 25, 2020 | 31 | 1.926 | 6.43 | 2 |
| April 26, 2020 | 32–33 | 2.874 | 10.31 | 1 |
| April 27, 2020 | 34–35 | 2.428 | 8.78 | 1 |
| April 28, 2020 | 36–37 | 2.397 | 8.68 | 1 |
| April 29, 2020 | 38–39 | 2.316 | 8.49 | 2 |
| April 30, 2020 | 40–41 | 2.615 | 9.54 | 1 |
| May 1, 2020 | 42–43 | 2.407 | 8.80 | 1 |
| May 2, 2020 | 44 | 1.834 | 6.78 | 2 |
| May 4, 2020 | 45–46 | 2.593 | 9.46 | 1 |
| May 5, 2020 | 47–48 | 2.552 | 9.23 | 1 |
| May 6, 2020 | 49–50 | 2.458 | 9.08 | 1 |
| May 7, 2020 | 51–52 | 2.26 | 8.31 | 1 |
| May 8, 2020 | 53 | 2.741 | 9.55 | 1 |
| May 9, 2020 | 54 | 1.521 | 5.53 | 3 |
| May 10, 2020 | 55–56 | 1.573 | 5.87 | 3 |
| May 11, 2020 | 57–58 | 2.032 | 7.54 | 2 |
| May 12, 2020 | 59–60 | 2.184 | 8.27 | 1 |
| May 13, 2020 | 61–62 | 1.938 | 7.15 | 2 |
| May 14, 2020 | 63–64 | 2.147 | 7.92 | 1 |
| May 15, 2020 | 65 | 1.806 | 6.38 | 3 |
| May 16, 2020 | 66 | 1.890 | 6.91 | 2 |
| May 17, 2020 | 67–68 | 2.198 | 8.08 | 2 |
| May 18, 2020 | 69 | 2.563 | 9.79 | 1 |
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