As a Chinese viewer who have watched lots of Qing Dynasty harem dramas, the main female lead are always portrayed to undergo a malicious change to evolve into a 'strong, capable and victorious' character in the end. Zhen Huan had casted away her love for Emperor Yongzheng and Yun Li, and only became the Empress Dowager for 'feeling safe'; while Wei Ying Luo can easily be summarized by a single word, which is 'revenge'. Falling in love with Fucha Fuheng or becoming the Imperial Noble Consort wasn't her initial motive either.
We have been so used to the concept in these dramas that to succeed, one must 'cast away our pure original heart, and embrace the dark side in us', while at the same time these dramas also portray that climbing up the peak of the haram is equivalent to as 'achieving success'. But is that the real case?
Ru Yi clearly knows that she CAN choose this path that'll lead her to success and prosperity but she refused to, as she still persists and held on to her true self. The beauty and essence of the drama lies exactly at here: A constant reminder that in the materialistic world where succeed is measured by the power and wealth you hold, it is still a façade and not as important as to holding on to your 'true self'.
I personally believe that a good drama doesn't necessarily mean that it should have a fast exciting pace, superb acting skills or flawless editing, but rather the moral values that it brings. This drama impacted me very, very deeply and changed my views on life. Of course, I dare not say that RRLITP brings out the best moral values, but it definitely embodies the Chinese idiom: Blooming from piles of mud, yet the lotus flower remains unstained.
Signing off here, and I hereby wish everyone a good day. Enjoy the series!
