Scarlet Heart (Chinese: 步步惊心, lit. Startling by Each Step) is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua. It premiered in China on Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS) on 10 September 2011.
The series tells the story of a woman, Zhang Xiao, who time-travels from the 21st century to the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi Emperor's reign, where she, as her previous incarnate Ma'er'tai Ruoxi, encounters the emperor's nine sons, who are involved in a lengthy battle for the throne. During the course of the series, she has relationships with the Eighth Prince and then the Fourth Prince, the latter eventually ascends the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor. Although largely faithful to the novel, the series’ ending differs from the original.
Scarlet Heart was a commercial and critical success across Asia, establishing Cecilia Liu as a lead actress and revitalizing Nicky Wu’s career. A sequel, Scarlet Heart 2, aired in China on Zhejiang TV on 22 April 2014. A film version, Time to Love, with different cast, was released in 2015. A Korean version, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, aired in 2016. A Thai version, Scarlet Heart Thailand, was announced in 2024.
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Synopsis
Zhang Xiao (Cecilia Liu), a young woman from the 21st century, suffers a near-fatal accident that sends her back in time to the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi Emperor's (Damian Lau) reign. She finds herself trapped in the body of one of her previous incarnations: Ma'ertai Ruoxi, the teenage daughter of a Manchu general. In this new timeline, she has an elder sister, Ruolan (Annie Liu), who is a concubine of the Kangxi Emperor's eighth son, Yinsi (Kevin Cheng). Ruoxi initially tries to return to the future, but she soon adjusts to life in this era. She gets acquainted with Kangxi's other sons, including the fourth prince Yinzhen (Nicky Wu), tenth prince Yin'e (Ye Zuxin), and fourteenth prince Yinti (Lin Gengxin). She also forges a close friendship with the thirteenth prince, Yinxiang (Yuan Hong).
Ruoxi attracts the attention of the emperor with rumors of her brashness and bravery, and manages to charm him with her intelligence and wit. Later, at the imperial palace's "beauty draft" (during which concubines and wives are chosen for the princes or the emperor himself), conflicting arrangements are made by Yinsi and his wife, Gogoro Minghui (Shi Xiaoqun), leading to Ruoxi being drafted into the service of the dowager empress to keep the peace, before Ruoxi is given an appointment as a servant to the emperor, specifically to prepare and serve tea to him and those he hosts.
During Ruoxi's stay in Yinsi's house, Yinsi falls in love with her. She initially rejects him but then returns his feelings, and agrees to marry him if he gives up competing for the succession to the throne. This is because Ruoxi is aware of the history, in which Yinsi's ambition will ultimately lead to his death in prison after Yinzhen becomes emperor. However, Yinsi refuses to and thus Ruoxi breaks up with him. Before leaving, Ruoxi warns Yinsi of Yinzhen's plans to usurp the throne and came up with solutions for him to prevent being taken down by Yinzhen.
Ruoxi then starts to get closer to Yinzhen, and their interactions changes her unfavorable opinion of him, and they gradually fall for each other. Meanwhile, Yinsi and his supporters, acting on Ruoxi's advice, frame Yinzhen for plotting against the crown prince Yinreng (Zhang Lei). Yinxiang, the closest brother to Yinzhen, steps forward to take responsibility and is sentenced to house arrest. After this incident, Yinsi realizes that Ruoxi is now romantically involved with Yinzhen. Yinreng is deposed after his criminal ways are exposed and is imprisoned for life. Kangxi then begins showing preference for Yinti and offers Ruoxi as a concubine to him. However, Ruoxi boldly defies the emperor's order, and as a penalty, she is demoted to the laundry department.
Cast
Main
Cecilia Liu as Maer'tai Ruoxi (馬爾泰·若曦) / Zhang Xiao (張曉)
A modern day 9-to-5 white-collar worker, who accidentally goes back in time from the 21st century to the Qing Dynasty as the teenage daughter of a Manchu general. Smart and plucky, she crosses paths with nine princes while trying to use her knowledge of history to navigate the ever treacherous palace games.
Nicky Wu as Yinzhen (胤禛)
The aloof and reserved fourth prince, known for his perceptive thinking and cruelty. In order to protect the people around him and driven by his mother's favouritism toward his brother, Yinti, Yinzhen decides to fight for the throne. He becomes interested in Ruoxi when he notices her avoiding him, before falling for her.
Kevin Cheng as Yinsi (胤禩)
The gentle and virtuous eighth prince, considered a favorite to the throne and the archrival of Yinzhen. Having been born to a lowly palace maid, Yinsi seeks power to win the respect of his brothers and ministers. He falls in love with Ruoxi, but gives up on her when asked to choose between the throne and love.
Yuan Hong as Yinxiang (胤祥)
The rebellious, free-spirited thirteenth prince, who shows no interest in power as his brothers do. His nonconformist nature lends him to relate to Ruoxi's 21st century mindset, and they become best friends.
Lin Gengxin as Yinti (允禵)
The forthright and sincere fourteenth prince, who is loyal to his brothers and to Ruoxi, but estranged from his full brother, Yinzhen. To save Ruoxi from the palace, he eventually marries her.
Supporting
Damian Lau as the Kangxi Emperor (康熙)
Zhang Lei as Yinreng (胤礽), the crown prince
Yang Xiaobo as Yinti (胤禔), the First Prince, he was jailed for life as he was found out by the Emperor that he's a culprit for cursing Yinreng to being deposed.
Chen Jingyu as Yinzhi (胤祉), the Third Prince, he spread rumours accusing the First Prince of using sorcery to overthrow Yinreng from his Crown Prince position, causing him to lose favour with the Emperor.
Wang Xiaodong as Yinqi (胤祺), the Fifth Prince
Han Dong as Yintang (胤禟), the Ninth Prince who is calculating and brusque. He is aligned with Yinsi and thinks of ways to help him plot against Yinzhen.
Ye Zuxin as Yin'e (胤礻我), the Tenth Prince who is cheerful and bumbling. He has an unrequited crush on Ruoxi, but the two later becomes close friends.
Qu Aohui as Hongshi (弘时), the third son of Yinzhen who stands against his father.
Dai Chunrong as Consort De (德妃), Yinzhen and Yinti's mother
Liu Jie as Consort Liang (良妃), Yinsi's mother
Mu Tingting as Lady Ula Nara (乌喇那拉氏), Yinzhen's first wife
Lu Meifang as Consort Nian (年妃), Yinzhen's second wife and Nian Gengyao's sister
Shi Xiaoqun as Gororo Minghui (郭络罗·明慧), Yinsi's wife
Annie Liu as Ma'ertai Ruolan (马尔泰·若兰), Yinsi's second wife and Ruoxi's sister. She is unwillingly married to Yinsi, who loves her and thus led to her father killing her lover in a bid to get her married to Yinsi.
Deviations from the novel
The show's producers have announced that the series will remain mostly faithful to Bu Bu Jing Xin, the novel by Tong Hua on which it is based. However, there are some differences:
In the novel's beginning, though in the television series Zhang Xiao remains a 25-year-old white-collar worker — her alter ego, Ma'ertai Ruoxi, was 13 years old, not 16. Another difference was that Zhang came from the year 2005, not 2011.
In the novel, Ruoxi is unable to return to her own time and ultimately succumbs to her illness, while Yinzhen dies ten years later amid hopes of reuniting with Ruoxi after death. The story ends with Yinzhen's son Hongli's (whom he fathered with Lady Niohuru) ascension to the throne as the Qianlong Emperor. In the television series, after Ruoxi and Yinzhen's deaths, Ruoxi's soul returns to her incarnation in the 21st century. Whilst struggling to get over the trauma of her experiences of time travel, she encounters a man who resembles Yinzhen and is possibly a present-day incarnation of him. The man does not recognize her, though he did inquire her if they knew each other before making his leave. Zhang Xiao remains in guilt over everything that happened when she was Ma'ertai Ruoxi. She chooses not say anything and tearfully watches the man leave.
Soundtrack
Songs not included in the commercial release
Aide Lianyi (爱的涟漪; Love's Ripples) performed by Ailiya & Alicia [04:30]
Diaoke Aiqing (雕刻爱情; Sculpture of Love) performed by Zheng Jiajia [03:35]
Xuehua Hongmei (雪花红梅; Snowflakes and Red Plum Blossoms) performed by Gong Shujun [04:14]
Remake
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a South Korean remake, directed by Kim Kyu-tae. It is the first Korean drama project for Universal Studios and has a budget of $13 million. It began airing on 29 August 2016 for 20 episodes. It received criticisms for its screenplay, direction and performances, but was well received overseas. In China, the series aired at the same time as its Korean broadcast on Youku and Mango TV, also, in Hong Kong on LeTV, and on ONE TV ASIA in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia under the title Scarlet Heart. Due to its simultaneous broadcast and extensive publicity campaign, including a fan-meeting with Kang Ha-neul before the premiere, the drama was well received in Singapore and Malaysia, and has 2.5 billion cumulative views on China's biggest video platform, Youku.