The Flea on the Drum

This film (drama)Also known as鼓上蚤时迁，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2006Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin，Current Douban rating6.8(For reference only)。

"The Flea on the Drum" is a historical romance martial arts television series adapted from the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin." The character Shi Qian, nicknamed the Flea on the Drum, implies he is as nimble as a flea bouncing on a big drum, and he is known in folklore as the world's number one thief. Despite ranking second to last among the 108 heroes of Liangshan, his story and fame far surpass his rank, making him an extremely lovable and popular character, a rare and excellent film and television subject. The story begins when an envoy from Xiliang presents the national treasure, the Purple Gold Nightlight Pot, to the Emperor of the Song Dynasty but is intercepted and attacked by the coachman Luan Tingyu and others at Zhujiazhuang in Jizhou. The world-renowned catcher Yang Xiong steps in to save the national treasure. Luan Tingyu and his companions, not daring to reveal their true motives, are forced to stay at the Zhu Inn, waiting for an opportunity. This shocking secret is overheard by the inn’s waiter, Shi Qian, who has his eye on both the treasure and the thief Lian Er. The national treasure ends up in the hands of the prefect, Zhou Zhi, who plans to use Yang Xiong's skills as a catcher to host a grand banquet on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, using the treasure as bait in an attempt to catch the thieves. Luan Tingyu knows well that Yang Xiong is their biggest obstacle, so he sends Zhu Long to disturb Yang Xiong's girlfriend, Pan Qiaoyun, devising a series of schemes to first tease, then force into marriage, and finally abduct. This distracts Yang Xiong, allowing Lian Er to steal the Purple Gold Nightlight Pot. However, "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," and the skilled Shi Qian steals the pot right under everyone's noses, leading to love, battles, and fighting centered around the treasure. Yang Xiong captures the innkeeper Zhu Lu, and Shi Qian secretly visits the Jizhou King’s manor to rescue him, leaving a grievance note. The name "Flea on the Drum" stirs the entire Jizhou, prompting the Jizhou King to order Prefect Zhou to capture the thief and retrieve the national treasure. Prefect Zhou relies again on Yang Xiong, who works extra hard because of his beautiful wife, Pan Qiaoyun. Yang Xiong devises a clever plan to trap the thief, using Zhu Lu as bait to lure Shi Qian into handing over the treasure at the Tianwai Building. At the Tianwai Building, fierce battles ensue among several groups. Shi Qian goes to please Lian Er with the pot; Yang Xiong’s plans do not go as hoped, but he unexpectedly meets the reckless and daring Shi Xiu, and the two become blood brothers. Luan Tingyu, having protected the Jizhou King at Tianwai Building, is appointed as the General of Jizhou Defense, while Zhu Long becomes a county magistrate. After facing humiliation from Zhu Long, Yang Xiong is imprisoned. Shi Qian and Lian Er go to Liangshan to gather troops to rescue him, but their efforts are in vain. Shi Xiu also tries everything to save Yang Xiong, and eventually, Shi Qian offers the treasure in exchange for rescuing Yang Xiong, Zhu Lu, and the Liangshan hero Yang Chun. After the heroes are released from prison, they immediately kill Zhu Long, and Luan Tingyu is also forced to leave Jizhou. Lian Er deeply loves Shi Qian, but she has a prior engagement with Zhu Hu and has no choice but to return to Zhu Jiazhuang with Luan Tingyu. Shi Qian and his newly acquainted hero Wang Ying decide to leave Jizhou to venture into Zhu Jiazhuang. Zhu Chaofeng despises Yang Xiong for having killed his son, secretly sends people to Jizhou to arrange matters, making him untouchable. Zhou Zhi's maid, Xiao Cui, also roots for Zhu Jiazhuang, deceiving Yang Xiong into a brothel and causing great dissatisfaction from Pan Qiaoyun. At this moment, Pan Qiaoyun is seduced by the monk Pei Ruhai, leading to an affair. When Shi Xiu discovers this, he informs Yang Xiong, who does not believe him and is misled by Pan Qiaoyun’s slander, expelling Shi Xiu from his home. Shi Xiu, enraged and helpless, acquires evidence and, together with Yang Xiong, cleverly kills Pei Ruhai, leading to Pan Qiaoyun's shame and suicide. The two then join Liangshan. As tensions rise between Liangshan and Zhu Jiazhuang, Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu are dispatched by Liangshan to spy on Zhu Jiazhuang, meeting up with Shi Qian and Wang Ying, who have long been negotiating there. During this time, Wang Ying takes a liking to the skilled fighter Hu Sanniang. Shi Qian is also entangled with Lian Er. The four heroes, using all their cleverness, manage, with the help of Lian Er and Hu Sanniang, to obtain Zhu Jiazhuang's defensive secrets and, after a fierce battle with Zhu Jiazhuang, destroy the key beacon tower of their defenses, making significant contributions to Liangshan's victory over Zhu Jiazhuang. Afterwards, Hu Sanniang agrees to marry the short Wang Ying; the intelligent and beautiful Lian Er loves Shi Qian even more, vowing to be the Flea on the Drum's wife and bear a lively and lovely brood of crafty children for Shi Qian.