Chasing the Moon

This film (drama)Also known as奔月，is aMainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2003Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating6.8(For reference only)。

During the Han Dynasty, Liu An, the King of Huainan, became interested in ancient myths and was commissioned by Emperor Wu (played by Liu Wei) to write "Li Sao Fu." To collect materials, he and his wife traveled through the countryside. After experiencing the vicissitudes of life and witnessing the upheaval caused by Emperor Wu's construction projects, heavy taxation, and harsh punishments, which led to widespread robbery and suffering among the people, his motivation to write diminished. Furthermore, due to his wife's exhaustion during their journey, he fell ill and returned to the capital to write a memorial of over ten thousand words. Angered, Emperor Wu wanted to execute him, but thanks to the protection of his ministers, he was instead ordered to complete "Huainanzi" in three days after receiving a severe beating. Upon returning home, he learned that his beloved wife had passed away. Heartbroken, he shed tears and wrote furiously for two days, completing two volumes. When he reached the story of Houyi and Chang'e in the fifty-fourth chapter, he struggled to write due to his longing for his deceased wife. In his exhausted and drowsy state, he saw her appear before him, grinding ink for him and recounting untold stories: how Houyi (played by Li Mingxun) was commanded by the Jade Emperor to slay the giant snake and eliminate the Eight Calamities to save the people; how he shot the fierce birds to rescue Chang'e (played by Fan Wenfang) when they harmed her. She explained that she came back after death to reconnect their marital bond. After finishing her tale, she ascended into the air. Awakened, Liu An saw the bright moon above, with the figure of his wife faintly visible in the Moon Palace. Thus inspired, he wrote passionately all night long, turning his black hair white, ultimately leaving behind legendary tales of Houyi shooting the sun and Chang'e flying to the moon. People saw that in ancient times, life was filled with suffering, while the gods lived in indulgence due to their immortality. The skilled archer Houyi was honest and forthright, often reprimanding the gods for ignoring the suffering of humans, and thus faced exclusion. The Jade Emperor, wary of his sharp words, used the pretext of a mission to banish Houyi to Dongting to guard the aquatic creatures and leave him idle. Upon taking office, Houyi befriended the filial fisherman Feng Yi, learning about the giant snake that was harming the people and wanting to ask for the heavenly decree to slay it. The Heavenly Empress Xihe had ten sons and one daughter representing the sun, running on their respective schedules through the sky, with the daughter being Chang'e, gentle and loving toward humanity. Chang'e at this time also wanted to report the "Great Wind," a fierce bird, for causing chaos in the central plains and the other seven calamities. The Jade Emperor, furious about the resistance to the decree and the intrusion into his court, ordered Houyi to deal with the issue alone, threatening to strip him of his divine status if he failed. Although Houyi understood the grave risk, he accepted the mission willingly, deeply moving Chang'e. In his first battle against the fierce bird, Chang'e secretly supported him but was unfortunately devoured by "Great Wind." Houyi fought desperately and finally rescued Chang'e. In the face of life and death, they developed feelings for each other and vowed to eliminate demons together. Feng Yi brought out the giant snake, and together with Houyi and Chang'e, they managed to kill the snake, but unfortunately, he perished in Dongting. The Jade Emperor, impressed by his high ideals, deified Feng Yi and granted him the title of River God to guard the Yellow River. The River God admired Chang'e's beauty but could not seize his friend’s love, creating an emotional void that led to his indulgence. Fuxi's daughter, Luo Pin, known for her beauty, was initially meant to marry Chang'e's friend, but after secretly falling in love with Houyi, she found a kinship with the River God. The River God incited Luo Pin to sow discord between the Emperor and Empress, while the Jade Emperor grew wary of Houyi's influence. After Houyi eliminated the Eight Calamities, he went back on his word, claiming Houyi had improper motives toward Chang'e and stripped Houyi of his divine status, banishing him to mortal life. Deeply grateful for Houyi's love vows, Chang'e secretly descended to the mortal world with the help of her aunt, the Queen Mother of the West, and they became husband and wife. From then on, they lived happily together, with Houyi hunting and Chang'e weaving. Luo Pin was aware of her past mistakes and felt regret; the River God’s clever schemes backfired on him. Fuxi took the opportunity to request that the Jade Emperor endorse a union between his daughter and the River God. Xihe, furious that her daughter could not be reconciled, escalated her anger by dispatching one sun each day to scorch the earth, forcing Chang'e to comply. As a result, crops withered, rivers dried up, and living beings suffered. Just when Houyi and Chang'e were at a loss, the River God devised an evil plan. He secretly stole the great divine bow and pretended to help the people while inciting Houyi to shoot down the suns to avert disaster. Houyi shot down nine suns, becoming a hero. However, Chang'e lost her nine brothers, which strained their relationship. The River God, knowing Houyi would face certain death for his crime, secretly delighted in this while abandoning Luo Pin who was now treated coldly and resented her earlier decisions. She wept daily, and Houyi, feeling guilty toward Chang'e, spent his days hunting in the wild, distracted by Luo Pin, as if they lived in different worlds. While Luo Pin could express her love, Houyi's heart remained with Chang'e. Ultimately, mocked by the River God, Luo Pin broke down, abandoning her divine power and drowning herself in the Luo River. With Houyi's help, Luo Pin finally revealed the immoral actions of the River God and herself. Although furious at the River God for betraying their friendship and his duties, Houyi considered the initial merits of the River God for removing the calamities and shot out the River God's left eye as a warning. The River God reported to the Jade Emperor, seeking to kill Houyi but to no avail. Luo Pin, inspired by her unrequited love for Houyi, turned her tears into the Luo (River), forever nurturing the earth. The Heavenly Empress Xihe swore that after Houyi and Chang'e's deaths, they would fall into the realm of ghosts and never be reborn. Unable to bear the thought of his beloved wife suffering, Houyi endured numerous trials and ventured into Kunlun to seek the elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West, planning to share it with Chang'e on the night of the full moon in August. However, Xihe, seeking retribution for her lost son, preemptively ordered Chang'e, stating that if they both consumed the elixir, they would receive immortality, the heavenly court would severely punish them, and Houyi would be transformed into a toad. If only Chang'e took the elixir, she could return to the Moon Palace, and Houyi could be reborn as a human. Though Chang'e found it hard to part with their love, she could not bear the thought of her husband becoming a monster forever; thus, on the night of the full moon, she consumed the elixir and flew to the Moon Palace. Houyi misunderstood his beloved wife, leading to a wild and reckless descent into despair. Although Chang'e could see the truth, she was helpless to save him and suffered greatly. The Queen Mother of the West, sighing, prophesied that on the night of a lunar eclipse two thousand years later, Chang'e would descend again to reconnect with Houyi. Although Feng Meng had received kindness from his master, he harbored resentment toward his abilities, and eventually, dark intentions arose. By this time, Houyi had lost all interest in life and longed for an early release. Thus, a peach wood nail came down unexpectedly and struck him; the legendary hero left behind an eternal regret. ——At dawn, Liu An fell to the ground exhausted. The Emperor Wu, recalling that Liu An managed to complete the great work "Huainanzi" in three days, intended to pardon him and not blame the past. However, Liu An asked to drink poison at home, choosing to accompany his late wife into the afterlife. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother of the West had already sent celestial children holding the elixir and had been waiting for a long time...