“SALUTE to the unsung heroes who silently contribute to society. SALUTE to you and me who never give up in adversity.” – Quote from Golden Platform

You can say a lot about series that come from China but the two noteworthy standouts in all of them are, one is that they have gravitas and two, they are sensuous. After all, they have been conveying folklore for centuries and have mastered how to relay ballads in tales and fables that are complex yet colorful. In this case, before your very eyes, they have created a lush almost magical story of love without physicality. It is understood. Add in a historical drama and period costumes and you are in a different type of a magic kingdom. One of fantasy and enchantment. This series is all that plus pure entertainment.

This is a period piece minus any reliance on occult, mysticism, or sorcery. It is purely about palace intrigue and the need for power to retain power. A message as formidable today as it was for this time. General Chu comes back victorious from a military campaign and rather than being celebrated as a hero, he is looked at as a threat and labeled a traitor. The Crown Prince attempts to murder him but does not quite succeed. However, he does manage to wipe out his entire army and stain them with the label of traitors. Thinking that Chu is dead, he rises from the ashes and takes on a new personification. However, because of what they had done to him, he is confined to a wheelchair. Chu’s physical appearance has also changed. He has remained cloistered, studying to become a sage and an advisor. He has also taken on a new name. His new name is Wu Ming (He Congrui).

Because of his articulate skills and manipulative abilities, he is quite able to convince the Crown Prince that he is the Leader of the Golden Platform and has been sent to provide assistance to him as a chief adviser. However, it is a ruse. He has come back for justice and also in essence to clear his name and those of his men and to set the record straight.

Yan Li (Zhou Huangu), who is also the Fourth Prince, and he had been devoted and close friends previously. However, he dare not expose himself to who he actually is just yet. But there remains a strong sense of connection between the two, even if it appears that Yan Li distrusts Wu Min. This then becomes their story of reunification and reconnection and in a sense a rebirth of something that was lost.

Despite it being a Chinese series, it is oh so romantic and sensuous and do not let anyone say otherwise. The two main protagonists are quite intimate without being physical. One does not have to be overtly sensual to nuance a certain eroticism that perhaps the Chinese sensors have yet to grasp. These two actors are brilliant at it and display that their characters indeed had a special connection not only before but also continue to have one now, even if Yan Li did not know initially who Wu Ming honestly was. He still feels it. It never left him as much as it never left Wu Ming. There is still a bond, an understanding, and an intimacy, if you will.

This is a series where everyone shines. I say this because the Chinese are unique in a sense that they have had centuries to perfect stories, even stories of love. To display love not so much in direct ways but nuance it or layer it into the story itself. Love becomes part of the plot of the storyline and is told obtusely and through innuendo and delicacy and manifested through gestures of appreciation and temperament links to one another that may be imperceptible but are transmitted with more impact than superficial nods. In addition, their language and expressions allow for things to be said that guise feelings but have underlying hidden meanings only known between giver and receiver. And the actor and actress who perform, if they feel that and grasp its meaning, can convey those messages loudly and clearly. In this case, they certainly did. Actors/Actresses + 1 Censors 0.

You feel this series, irrelevant if you grasped all the nuances. You know these two are in love with each other. It does not have to be said or recognized. You will also see a female connection, albeit brief, but intense. You will feel that one as well. You will also KNOW they have an attachment. It is done through superb acting.

I hated the TikTok filming of this series. I honestly did. I find it profoundly restricting and limiting. I feel like I am being robbed of an even greater experience. Nonetheless, the cinematography of this series is simply breathtaking. Costumes, sets, locations were all spectacular. Its message also was still not diminished. The message is reflective of the quote as stated in the beginning. For those of us from the West, it is pure escapism and enters us into a world of swashbuckling days-gone-by. A world we know little to nothing about, which simply enhances its romanticism.

Rating- 4.75 out of 5