CHAPTER 129
On November 3rd, the production team of Deep in the Palace released its first—and only—two-and-a-half-minute trailer, announcing the drama would premiere three days later.
Never before had a series released just one trailer, nor had any show dropped its preview a mere three days before airing. Netizens joked that this was indeed the most arrogant production team, but their overwhelming confidence only heightened viewers' anticipation. Within 24 hours of its release, the trailer surpassed 100 million views and stubbornly clung to the top three trending spots.
The trailer opened with the soft strumming of a guzheng as the camera panned leisurely across vermilion walls and blue-tiled roofs.
"Mother, I refuse to marry that fool!" Zou Yirui, playing Princess Chong'an, made her debut appearance, dabbing her tears with a silk handkerchief.
The camera descended from the dazzling Chaoyang Five-Phoenix Pearl Hairpin adorning her dark hair to He Chenying's portrayal of the Empress, who sighed with a slight frown. "Chong'an, you're no longer a child. Stop being willful."
Zou Yirui smashed a blue-and-white teacup. "I won't marry him! Let someone else do it if they want!"
"Nonsense!" the Empress scolded.
"Marquis Wuding holds immense power and enjoys the Emperor's favor. His greatest worry is his dim-witted second son. Chong'an is certainly unwilling to marry him. Chongping, this is a good opportunity, do you understand?" Zheng Wan, playing Consort Zheng, flashed a shrewd gleam in her eyes.
Guo Zhilu, as Princess Chongping, lifted her head hesitantly. "Mother, I..."
Chong'an stormed into the Shou'an Palace in a tantrum, with both the Empress and Consort Zheng present. Amid the commotion below, the Empress Dowager, played by Zhu Ehua reclined on her divan, beckoning lazily. A snow-white long-haired cat leaped onto her lap as she idly stroked it. One palace attendant massaged her legs while another kneaded her shoulders. Her eunuch, Zheng Zhongren, stepped forward, taking a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to dust the cat's fur.
The Empress Dowager maintained a detached demeanor, leisurely remarking, "Tsk..."
Beside her, Zhou Yu, playing the Crown Prince, frowned in visible distress.
The camera then shifted to Liang Ji, played by Xiang Xiaoyuan, behind him, who subtly looked up, then lowered her gaze in silence.
For the first minute, the background music featured the gentle, flowing melodies of the guzheng as each actor delivered their lines and appeared on screen, their names and roles displayed alongside them.
Once the introductions concluded, the guzheng abruptly gave way to the crisp, urgent plucking of a pipa.
A rapid montage of key dramatic moments followed.
Chong'an screamed, "I refuse to marry!"
The Empress Dowager clicked her tongue coldly and looked away. "Truly spoiled!"
Chong'an quarreled with the Crown Prince, who in turn argued with the Empress, creating discord.
Imperial Consort Zheng bowed to the Empress Dowager and said, "Aunt, this time it was all thanks to your help."
The Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids slightly to glance at her. "I didn't do it for you. I did it for the Emperor." Zheng Zhongren, beside her, silently lowered his gaze, a dark flicker in his eyes.
Imperial Consort Zheng's smile stiffened before she withdrew. Outside, she encountered the Empress, and the two stood face-to-face in a silent standoff—Consort Zheng with a triumphant, haughty smirk, the Empress with a deep, inscrutable gaze.
The pipa music softened. Liang Ji, kneeling, slowly raised her eyes. The light in them seemed to speak through the melody before she lowered her head again. At first glance, her beauty was androgynous, her delicate features carrying an indescribable allure.
The camera then pulled back, revealing a grand panorama—goblets clinking, silk robes fluttering, jade pendants tinkling, all set against the backdrop of towering eaves and opulent palaces. The long vermilion palace walls stretched endlessly into the distance, fading like a scroll being rolled up, until four bold cursive characters appeared: "Deep in the Palace."
Hours later, the "Deep in the Palace" trailer immediately topped the trending searches, with the entire internet screaming in excitement.
[Oh my god, the star-studded cast is breathtaking! This production is overflowing with stunning beauties! Absolutely gorgeous! I'm speechless!!! Xiang Xiaoyuan is actually cross-dressing as a eunuch!!! This woman is incredible!]
[I never expected her to suit male attire so well—it doesn't feel like forced 'female-to-male' acting at all. She just looks like a pretty-faced eunuch, and so restrained too! I love it!!!]
[Like people said before, she never takes on 'normal roles.' This girl has ambition, always breaking the mold!]
[He Sanjin's ancient costume looks so good! Zheng Wan is dazzling—the role of a favored consort fits her perfectly! Oh my god, witnessing He Chenying and Zheng Wan go head-to-head in my lifetime? I'm beyond thrilled!]
[The legendary Zhu Ehua! How is she already in her sixties? She looks barely forty! And with Lu Yue joining later—this is the century's most anticipated showdown! (My grandma's hyped too, hahaha!)]
[Everyone's talking about the drama, but I just want to see them flex their acting chops! A feast for the senses!]
[Douban says there are only eight episodes—release them all at once! I want to binge-watch! Don't stop me from pulling an all-nighter!]
When the third trailer dropped, the production team held a press conference that same evening. The younger cast members attended, eagerly "spoiling" some plot points: Liang Ji's ambiguous relationship with the Crown Prince, her status as the most captivating figure in the harem, her later service to the Empress... and the mysterious death of a young prince...
Both the live audience and online viewers were stunned:
[This is too intense—I wasn't ready for such a wild plot!]
[I can't believe my ears! I'm so hyped! I've already turned into a different color!]
[Wait—is this BL or GL?! Holy crap, this is next-level! Lao Xu, I bow to you!]
Xiaoyuan quickly became the reporters' most sought-after interviewee.
The actresses present were all dressed in bright, eye-catching dresses with exquisite makeup, shining like flowers in full bloom. Only she stood out in a sleek black suit, her long hair tied back, adorned with long earrings and sporting a subtle smoky eye look—a strikingly unique charm. Yet she found herself bombarded with rapid-fire questions from reporters, struggling to keep up with who was asking what.
One question landed with particular impact: "Teacher Xiang, between Teacher Zhou and Teacher He, who do you feel more chemistry with in romantic scenes?"
Xiaoyuan blinked in confusion: "Huh?"
Zhou Yu: "...Huh?"
Zou Yirui: "Ha?"
Xu Muyi: "Pfft."
Other reporters on scene: "...HAHAHAHAHA!"
The live chat exploded: [?????? LMAO THIS IS WILD!!]
A faint blush colored Xiaoyuan's cheeks as she fumbled for an answer, finally deflecting with, "...You'll see when it airs."
Reporters had long heard that Xiang Xiaoyuan wasn't particularly skilled at handling interviews—either giving overly cautious answers or simply smiling through them. Her combination of professional excellence and personal shyness actually endeared her to the media, who decided to go easy on her.
The live chat erupted in laughter, teasing her: [The contrast is adorable! She's so fierce when acting but turns into a shy kitten off-screen!]
[LMAO these reporters went for the kill! Asking who she has better chemistry with—Zhou Yu or He Chenying!]
[Impossible question! But my money's on triple-golden actress He!]
[Oh no, I'm already shipping them!]
Xu Muyi, perfectly at ease in such settings, bantered effortlessly with reporters: "I'm so blessed with this cast—each one teaches me something new!"
"Mark my words—if this isn't amazing, I won't eat meat for ten years!"
"Only Sister Xiaoyuan could play Liang Ji—no one else has both the acting chops AND her beauty!"
"Exactly! Teacher Zhu and Teacher Lu are both my godmothers. Why? Obviously because I'm adorable! laughs Can't compete with that!"
The press corps roared with laughter.
For three consecutive days, Deep in the Palace received outstanding ratings and reviews. When it premiered simultaneously on Jinku and IQ platforms at 8pm on the 6th, even film critics on Weibo live-tweeted their viewing experience.
Originally planned as six episodes, the final cut expanded to eight—each 80 minutes long, airing two episodes daily for four days straight. The decision to avoid "premium early access" gimmicks won widespread audience approval.
After the first two episodes aired on the 6th, the internet exploded with recommendations, plot analyses, and performance appraisals:
[MASTERPIECE!!! Acting tour de force! I cried throughout—every frame is gorgeous! Didn't expect Director Xu to have such visual flair!]
[Tight plotting, brisk pacing, stunning cast and sets—clearly no expense spared! Tonghua and Warner went ALL OUT!]
[First line: Chongping married the fool from the Wu Ding Marquis family—Consort Zheng wins! The Empress is so pitiful, with an unambitious daughter and a weak-willed son!]
[Empress Dowager! Oh my god! I can't figure her out! She and Consort Zheng come from the same family, but they don't seem like allies. Yet she doesn't side with the Emperor either—though no wonder, since he's not her biological son!]
[Zhu Ehua is absolutely incredible. Her face must've had some cosmetic treatments to stay so youthful, but old ginger is still the spiciest! She acts effortlessly, appearing casual while every subtle glance brims with cunning. A few of those looks sent chills down my spine.]
[Breaking down the factions now: Consort Zheng and the Zheng family in court form one faction; the Empress, Crown Prince, and the Empress's brother another. The Empress Dowager and Emperor remain neutral for now—after all, they represent the legitimacy of the Great Chong Dynasty. But Liang Ji is the real wild card!]
[Right, Liang Ji's allegiance is impossible to pin down...]
[Is Xiang Xiaoyuan using her real voice? It sounds different, but upon closer listening, it does seem like her natural tone...]
[The interview said it was dubbed later by herself. Apparently, they hired a professional voice coach to guide her. Luckily, she's playing a eunuch, so sounding slightly feminine fits—hahaha!]
[Liang Ji is so mesmerizing! God! That restrained beauty makes me want to... cough cough! I'm sinful!]
[Did you see the preview for Episode 3? There's a... b3d scene between Liang Ji and the Crown Prince?! Aaaaaah, my inner fangirl is screaming!!!]
[Groundhog screech! I'm so happy! This production is god-tier! The writers are divine!]
......
The show is anything but filler—two episodes totaling 160 minutes, with tightly packed storytelling and an A-list cast. It aired on a Friday night, prime time for viewers to binge, and sparked near-total internet discussion. By the next day, related hashtags for Deep in the Palace were trending on Weibo.
One particularly amusing hashtag was "Heartache for Zou Yirui." Xiaoyuan was puzzled and clicked in, finding a post from Zou Yirui's account: a tearful meme captioned—"I'm really struggling!"
The backstory? Many netizens had singled out Zou as the weakest link in the acting department. With a great sense of humor, she leaned into it with this post.
Xiaoyuan couldn't help laughing, and netizens piled on with more memes:
[Zou Yirui: Ghosts know what I've been through!]
[Zou Yirui: The bronze-tier player in a squad of legends, the bottom of the food chain.]
[Zou Yirui: I didn't want this—I tried my best!]
[Zou Yirui: Acting takes courage to face the gossip!]
[Zou Yirui: It's not that I haven't improved—my co-stars are just too strong!]
Chuckling, Xiaoyuan opened their WeChat group chat with Zhou Yu, Zou Yirui, Lu Jingnian, Guo Zhilu, and herself. The others were already chatting.
[My scenes are done airing. Episodes 3 and 4 are Xiaoyuan's big moments!] Zou Yirui wrote gleefully. [Episode 3 with the Crown Prince, Episode 4 with Sister Sanjin! I can't wait!!!]
Xiaoyuan: "..."
Lu Jingnian joined in, [My scenes start toward the end of Episode 3.]
Guo Zhilu added, [Mine are over too. Now it's your turn to shine.]
Zhou Yu was offline—probably busy.
Zou Yirui: [By the way, are you guys free? Want to come over to my place and watch episodes three and four together!]
Xiaoyuan didn't answer immediately. She exited to check the pinned chat window—the one she'd been waiting days for Wei Zhuang to message first. Staring at the contact name she'd given her—"Big Bad Wolf"—she thought bitterly, This woman really is a big bad wolf. An icy, awkward big bad wolf. She'd mustered the courage to confess her feelings without expecting reciprocation, yet here she was feeling wronged by the woman's continued aloofness!
[TL note: I changed 'Big Bad Guy' to 'Big Bad Wolf.' Just wanted to inform everyone to avoid confusion about where it came from.]
She had reflected on that day in Wei Zhuang's office. The woman had been working and probably disliked overly personal behavior during work hours.
"This isn't home." she'd said.
So maybe the coldness wasn't entirely unjustified...
Xiaoyuan wrestled with these thoughts endlessly, making excuses for Wei Zhuang one moment before resentment flared again: But she still hasn't reached out all these days?
She's just too cold.
Now that her drama was airing, what better opportunity to talk? There were countless chances if only the woman would take the initiative—but she refused.
The realization stung: her own heart constantly rippled with restless joy, eager to share every little thing, while Wei Zhuang remained utterly unmoved.
The more Xiaoyuan dwelled on it, the sadder and angrier she grew. A few tears fell before she impulsively blocked Wei Zhuang's WeChat.
This time, she wouldn't be the one to break the silence with this big bad wolf.
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