Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

This film (drama)Also known as隋唐演义，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At1996Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating8.2(For reference only)。

In 587 AD, the Sui ruler Yang Jian unified the world, deploying his second son Yang Guang to lead the army to attack the Chen state. The following year, they entered Jiankang, finally restoring the ancient China that had experienced over 280 years of war and division to unity. After the Sui unification, intricate power struggles erupted within the court. Yang Guang, in pursuit of the throne, framed the Crown Prince and adopted a facade of aversion to luxury, advocating frugality and diligent governance to enhance his status in the eyes of the emperor and empress. Yang Guang took back the concubines from Chen's royal harem to present to Yang Jian. Yang Jian crowned Chen's sister Chen Shulan as Lady Xuanhua, and Yang Guang fell in love with her at first sight. Upon learning she had been chosen as a consort, Yang Guang felt a deep sadness. The Crown Prince Yang Yong and Prince of Jin Yang Guang's factions plotted and lobbied to maintain and secure the Crown Prince position. The Crown Prince's trusted minister Ji Qi secretly allied with Yang Guang and conspired against the Crown Prince. To quell the turmoil in Jizhou, the powerful Prince Yang Lin was commanded to enter the capital and warned Yang Jian not to change heirs lightly. Yang Guang devised a plan to prevent Prince Yang Lin from returning to rescue Crown Prince Yang Yong, thereby gaining the trust of the emperor and empress. Yang Jian ignored the loyal advice of Duke Zhongxiao and Li Yuan and ultimately decided to depose Yang Yong, appointing Yang Guang as Crown Prince instead. After becoming Crown Prince, Yang Guang faced dissatisfaction from the court and his brothers, leaving him uneasy; to please the emperor, he exploited the populace, building Wanan Garden, which incited public resentment. After becoming Crown Prince, Yang Guang was deeply unsettled by hostility from his three brothers and the uncertain prospects of his succession. He exploited the maid Wuchizhen, who had a vendetta against Yang Jian for having killed her grandfather and father, and seized the opportunity to present her to Yang Jian. Wuchizhen failed to carry out the assassination and was then pursued by Yang Guang's men, fleeing to Shandong. To prevent the exposure of his plan, Yang Guang hastened his royal coup. However, Lady Xuanhua intercepted a secret letter from Duke Yang Su to Yang Guang, revealing his usurpation plot. Yang Jian attempted to rectify his error in naming the Crown Prince, but it was too late... Yang Guang killed his brother and father, finally ascending to the long-coveted imperial throne. Duke Zhongxiao (Wu Jianzhang) listed Yang Guang's crimes at the emperor's funeral and was executed, with his entire family being executed; only the family servant Wu Bao managed to escape and informed Wu Yunzhao in Nanyang. Upon learning that his father had been brutally murdered by Yang Guang, Nanyang Marquis Wu Yunzhao raised the banner of revenge. Ultimately, the city fell and the army was defeated. After ascending the throne, Yang Guang favored Lady Xuanhua and indulged in the harem, often neglecting court affairs for days, arousing the queen's jealousy; meanwhile, he heavily taxed the people, expanded the palace, disregarded advice, and killed old officials, which left the ministers feeling insecure and increasingly dissatisfied, intensifying public grievances. Some outlaws openly raised the banner of rebellion. In the course of fleeing, Wuchizhen encountered the brave warrior Qin Qiong on the road to Qizhou. Qin Qiong, recommended by his friend Fan Hu, the captain in the Qizhou government, became a constable. Assigned to escort a prisoner to Luzhou, he unexpectedly became stranded for several days due to unforeseen circumstances. Facing hardship, he was treated poorly and humiliated, and reluctantly sold his beloved steed. On his way back to Qizhou, he fell ill at Sanqing Temple, where he met heroic figures like Wei Zheng, Xu Maogong, and Shan Xiongxin. Led by Shan Xiongxin, the outlaws fought against the rich to help the poor and rescue the nation, which deeply impressed Qin Qiong. After recovering from his illness and yearning for his mother, he bid farewell to Shan Xiongxin, Xu Maogong, and Wei Zheng to return to Qizhou. However, he mistakenly caused someone's death en route and was thrown into a death cell. Shan Xiongxin ran around to appeal and managed to change Qin Qiong's sentence to military service in Youzhou, Hebei. On the way to his sentence, he coincidentally saved Wuchizhen and a troupe of performers. Qin Qiong, dispatched to Youzhou, not only made friends with local figures like Zhang Gongjin but also unexpectedly reunited with his long-lost uncle and aunt, the commanders Luo Yi and his wife. They joyfully recognized each other and wept tears of happiness. Luo Yi and his wife considered Qin Qiong's future and decided to hold martial arts competitions to recruit him for military positions. Qin Qiong excelled in all his martial skills, gaining the admiration of the military; only Wu Liang and Wu Kuai voiced opposition. During the contests, Wu Kuai fell off his horse and died; Wu Liang bore a grudge against Qin Qiong for his brother's death. Wu Liang sought revenge and devised a plan to trap Qin Qiong in his estate. Luo Cheng, Jin Jia, and Tong Huan stealthily entered the Wu residence with the intention of rescuing Qin Qiong, while also discovering that Wu Liang was plotting to collude with several military leaders to betray Youzhou and join the Shatuo state. Qin's mother, deeply missing her son, fell ill due to emotional distress. Considering Qin Qiong’s longing for home and mother, Luo Yi introduced him to serve under Governor Tang Bi of Shandong. Tang Bi recognized Qin Qiong's exceptional martial arts skills and assigned him to escort birthday gifts for Yang Su to the capital. On the way, they were ambushed by robbers wanting to steal the gifts; after engaging in combat, they found out the robbers were actually friends from the outlaws, stealing from the rich to help the poor. Happy to meet friends, they excitedly decided to travel to the capital together with Qin Qiong. On the way to Chang'an, they also met renowned figures like Chai Shao and Li Jing.