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 from Jin, Zhong Er and Yi Wo, lose their way during a hunt and inadvertently enter the enemy state of Li Rong, where they are captured as spies. The old king of Jin, who already harbors ambitions to annex Li Rong, uses this as an excuse to launch an attack and occupy Li Rong, unaware that with the help of princesses Li Lan and Li Duo, the two young nobles have turned the situation around and developed deep feelings for them. At the time of the nation's downfall, thanks to the protection of Zhong Er and Yi Wo, the two sisters avoid slaughter. After being taken back to Jin, the king of Jin, out of concern for his son’s future, adamantly opposes Zhong Er and Yi Wo marrying the enemy princesses and repeatedly attempts to put them to death. Only through the obstruction of Zhong Er and Yi Wo do the sisters escape death time and again. When the king of Jin sees Li Lan and Li Duo, he is moved by their beauty and decides to take them both as concubines. This move not only meets with fierce opposition from Yi Wo, Zhong Er, and heir Shensheng but also causes the sisters immense pain. Unable to forget their national grievance and family hatred, as well as being persuaded by their attendant You Shi, they survive an attempted suicide and are forced to marry the aging king of Jin. In sadness and despair, Yi Wo, seeing no way to change this matter, plans to elope with the little princess Li Duo, only to be discovered by the king of Jin, who, in a fit of rage, stabs Li Duo to death and banishes Yi Wo from the palace to guard the borders at Qu City. The death of her sister brings Li Lan another crushing blow, causing her to faint from grief at the tomb. Originally planning for Li Lan to bear a son to inherit the throne and avenge their nation, You Shi takes advantage of Li Lan’s unconsciousness to assault her. Zhong Er arrives too late to discover the wrongdoing but grows suspicious. To achieve his goal of long-term infiltration in the palace of Jin, You Shi voluntarily castrates himself to become a eunuch. Perhaps by fate, Li Lan indeed becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. The king of Jin, thinking he has fathered a child in old age, is exceedingly excited and hosts a banquet for his courtiers, with only Zhong Er and his close companion Jie Zhitui knowing the origin of the child named Xi Zi. After giving birth, Li Lan, who only loves Zhong Er, feels guilty towards him, yet is also under continual pressure from You Shi to accelerate their revenge plan. The heartbreaking news of Yi Wo being seriously injured by a Li Rong woman reaches the capital, prompting Zhong Er to rush to Qu City to visit Yi Wo. While Zhong Er is away, You Shi sets a romantic trap; the honest and kind Shensheng, unaware of the scheme, walks step by step into the trap laid for him. The king of Jin mistakenly believes Shensheng has flirted with Li Lan, and in a rage, regardless of the objections of his wife and all the ministers, he sends Shensheng into exile to Qu Wo. Under pressure from the treacherous minister Liang Wu during the journey, the desperate Shensheng hangs himself in a rural inn. The queen of Jin vents her grief over the loss of her son on Li Lan, beating her brutally, and still feeling unsatisfied, orders Zhong Er to stab Li Lan to death upon his return to the palace. However, because Zhong Er still has feelings for Li Lan, he cannot bring himself to do it. The narrow-minded queen of Jin not only fails to kill Li Lan but is instead harmed by her; Li Lan achieves her wish to become the queen of Jin. Due to the king of Jin's suspicion about Xi Zi's origins, he does not designate him as crown prince. Knowing of the changes within the palace, Yi Wo immediately returns to the capital. Since he was injured by a Li Rong woman, he harbors a deep-seated hatred for the Li Rong people and vows to eliminate Li Lan and her son to help his brother Zhong Er inherit the throne. However, due to Zhong Er's opposition to his recklessness and disrespect towards their father, the two brothers become estranged enemies. Yi Wo then seeks to claim the throne for himself, taking Xi Zi hostage to force his father to abdicate, but Zhong Er crushes his plan, and Yi Wo is forced to flee to the state of Qin. Because Zhong Er repeatedly saves Xi Zi's life, and after enduring many near-death experiences, the feelings between Li Lan and Zhong Er deepen further. To express her love for Zhong Er, Li Lan is willing to kill her son and abandon the revenge plan. Although she does not succeed, it still deeply moves Zhong Er. Ultimately, he cannot help but kneel before Li Lan, submitting to her charms. Their love flourishes uncontrollably, which not only worries You Shi but also causes King Jin to feel intense dissatisfaction. To avoid the misfortune of being expelled by his father, Zhong Er, feeling deeply guilty, is forced to leave the country with Jie Zhitui and more than ten attendants, embarking on a desperate life of exile. Years later, he has no choice but to settle in the state of Chu and marry Princess Chengyu. The king of Jin, of course, hopes to pass the throne to Zhong Er. After repeatedly calling for his son without success, he becomes melancholic and falls ill. Having suffered humiliation in the Jin palace, You Shi immediately sees hope for revenge. He colludes with Liang Wu, using eight highly skilled Li Rong women he recruited to control the palace and kill King Jin. Because Li Lan opposes Xi Zi's ascension, You Shi is forced to seal off news of the king's death. Li Lan attempts to send this news outside the palace, hoping to bring Zhong Er back immediately, but her plan is thwarted by You Shi. In order to quickly have her son ascend the throne, You Shi threatens to burn Xi Zi alive; to save her son's life, Li Lan is compelled to take him to the court to announce the king's death and support her son in ascending the throne. The king of Chu informs Zhong Er of this news and forces him to return to claim the throne. You Shi and Liang Wu dread the return of Yi Wo and Zhong Er to contest for the throne and have long set up an ambush. They repel Yi Wo and almost kill Zhong Er, but General Li Ke helps Zhong Er escape with his life. Li Ke returns to the capital to contact the officials and organize forces, first slaughtering Liang Wu, and then leading troops into the palace to kill You Shi and the “king of Jin” whose origins are unknown. Just as he is about to kill Li Lan, Zhong Er returns to the palace and saves her. After ascending to the throne, Zhong Er still cannot forget his past feelings; however, for the sake of his reputation and the country, Li Lan chooses to silently return to Li Rong, sacrificing her own desires. Zhong Er chases her to Li Rong but fails to achieve his wish. Li Lan has already retreated into the mountains and forests, and no one has ever seen her beautiful figure again...