Legend of Li Ji

This film (drama)Also known as骊姬传奇，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2003Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating6.4(For reference only)。

Young noblemen Chong'er and Yi Wu from Jin lose their way while hunting and accidentally enter the enemy territory of Li Rong, where they are captured as spies. The old king of Jin, who harbors ambitions to annex Li Rong, uses this as an excuse to mobilize troops to conquer Li Rong, unaware that the two young men, with the help of the Li Rong princesses Li Lan and Li Duo, have turned danger into safety and formed deep bonds with them. At the brink of annihilation, it is only through the protection of Chong'er and Yi Wu that the sisters escape execution. After being brought back to the state of Jin, the Jin King resolutely opposes Chong'er and Yi Wu marrying the enemy princesses for the sake of his son's future and multiple times desires to put them to death. It is only due to the obstruction of Chong'er and Yi Wu that the sisters manage to escape death again and again. When the Jin King sees Li Lan and Li Duo and is moved by their beauty, he decides to take both sisters as concubines. This action not only meets with strong opposition from Yi Wu, Chong'er, and Prince Shen Sheng, but also causes great pain to the sisters. Unable to forget the enmity of the state and the family hatred, and after being persuaded by the servant You Shi, they attempt suicide but fail and are forced to marry the elderly Jin King. Desperate and heartbroken, Yi Wu plans to elope with the youngest princess Li Duo, but is discovered by the Jin King, who, in a fit of rage, stabs Li Duo to death and banishes Yi Wu to defend the borders at Qu City. The tragic death of her sister brings Li Lan another excruciating blow, causing her to faint from grief at the grave. You Shi, who originally planned for Li Lan to bear a son to inherit the throne and achieve revenge for their country, takes advantage of her unconscious state to rape her. Chong'er arrives too late to discover the infidelity, but grows suspicious. You Shi, in order to fulfill his desire to remain in the Jin palace long-term, voluntarily becomes a eunuch. Perhaps it is fate, but Li Lan indeed becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. The Jin King, believing it to be an old-age blessing, is overjoyed and holds a feast for the officials, while only Chong'er and his friend Jie Zhi Tu are aware of the mysterious origins of the child named Xi. After giving birth, Li Lan, who only loves Chong'er, feels guilty towards him, yet under You Shi's continued urging, pushes forward their plans for revenge. Heartbroken Yi Wu receives news of being seriously injured by a Li Rong woman in Qu City, prompting Chong'er to rush there to visit him. Taking advantage of Chong’er's absence, You Shi sets a romantic trap, and the honest and kind-hearted Shen Sheng, oblivious to the scheme, steps right into it. The Jin King mistakenly believes Shen Sheng is teasing Li Lan and, in a fit of rage and ignoring the opposition of his wife and court officials, banishes Shen Sheng to Qu Wo. Due to pressure from the treacherous minister Liang Wu along the way, a desperate Shen Sheng hangs himself in a village inn. The grief of the Jin Queen over the loss of her son is vented entirely on Li Lan, and after beating her in anger, she still cannot quell her rage and orders Chong'er to kill Li Lan upon his return to court. However, due to the lingering feelings between Chong'er and Li Lan, he cannot bring himself to do it. Instead of killing Li Lan, the petty-minded Jin Queen becomes a victim of Li Lan herself, fulfilling Li Lan's desire to become the Jin Queen. Since the Jin King has his doubts regarding Xi’s origins, he does not name him as heir. Upon learning of the palace's upheaval, Yi Wu immediately returns to the capital. Harboring deep-seated hatred for the Li Rong people due to his injury, he vows to eliminate Li Lan and her son to help his brother Chong'er ascend to the throne. However, due to Chong'er's opposition to his recklessness and disrespect towards their father, the two brothers end up at odds. Yi Wu then seeks to ascend the throne himself, taking Xi hostage and forcing the Jin King to abdicate, but his plan is thwarted by Chong'er, leading him to flee to the state of Qin. Time and again saving Xi’s life and experiencing brushes with death deepened the bond between Li Lan and Chong'er. To express her love for Chong'er, Li Lan even considers killing her own son and abandoning the revenge plan. Although she does not go through with it, it still deeply moves Chong'er. Unable to control himself, he falls at Li Lan's feet. Their relationship flows effortlessly, an unstoppable trend that worries You Shi and greatly displeases the Jin King. To avoid the misfortune of being banished by his father, deeply feeling remorse, Chong'er must leave the kingdom with Jie Zhi Tu and over ten attendants, embarking on a life of being a fugitive without a nation to call home. Years later, he settles in the state of Chu and marries Princess Cheng Yu. The Jin King certainly hopes to pass the throne to Chong'er. However, suffering from stress due to worry over his son’s absence and his advanced age, he eventually suffers a stroke and falls ill. You Shi, who has endured humiliation since entering the Jin palace, quickly sees a hope for revenge. He colludes with Liang Wu, using eight skilled Li Rong women he recruited to control the palace and kill the Jin King. Since Li Lan opposes Xi's ascension, You Shi is forced to tightly seal the news of the Jin King's death. Li Lan tries to spread the message to the outside world to summon Chong'er back, but her plan is thwarted by You Shi. In a rush to have her son ascend, You Shi threatens to burn Xi alive; to save Xi, Li Lan is forced to bring her son to announce the Jin King's death and support her son’s ascension. King Chu conveys this news to Chong'er and compels him to return and seize the throne. You Shi and Liang Wu fear nothing more than Yi Wu and Chong'er returning to争位, and have long schemed an ambush. They repel Yi Wu, then nearly assassinate Chong'er, but are saved by General Li Ke’s timely assistance. Li Ke returns to the capital to rally the bureaucrats and organize troops, first executing Liang Wu, then leading an army into the palace to kill You Shi and the unknown “Jin King.” Just as he is about to kill Li Lan, Chong'er arrives to save her. After Chong'er ascends to the throne, he still cannot forget the past, yet Li Lan, for the sake of his reputation and the country, must painfully sever their bond and quietly return to Li Rong. Chong'er chases after her to Li Rong but is unable to achieve his wish. Li Lan has already secluded herself in the mountains, and her beautiful figure is never seen again…