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If life could always be like that first meeting, what need would there be for sorrow? When this poem was touted as a masterpiece by that famous literary woman, she even wrote a book on it, resonating with many who found that half-bald man incredibly romantic. With such beautiful poetry, such fine lyrics , and such romantic imagination, how could we not use it in our creative works? And so it came to be—a high-budget, top-tier TV series, a historical drama, named after this very line. And once named, what was the intention? This is where it gets ironic , because this show is a classic case of "skirting the line." When I say " skirting the line," stop your imagination right there—I don't mean that kind of content. Its method of skirting the line is actually quite subtle and intriguing. Since 2019, we have strictly regulated period dramas on screen to prevent the whitewashing of feudal figures. If we let that " whitewashing" return, it's like a zombie rising from the grave. But since you won't let me do it, I'll find a way to do it anyway—it doesn't look like whitewashing on the surface, but it cleans the reputation thoroughly. That’s what we call a " boundary-skirting drama." Oh, it’s brilliant—a whole new genre: the historical boundary-skirting drama. But will such boundary-skirting be noticed? The eyes of the masses are sharp; it was spotted long ago. So, when the show aired in 2022, before it had even finished a few episodes, the public realized, "Wait a minute, this is blatant counter-revolutionary propaganda!" So, after a public outcry, the broadcast was halted. Did everyone think the matter was over? Well, unfortunately no. In 2025, under the bright light of day, Hu Hansan has returned to make a comeback. Very well, since he’s back, we must also return, open our eyes wide, and see exactly what this thing is up to. Because often with literary works, if you claim creation is free but suppress it too harshly, creators no longer know how to produce anything. You cannot simply tighten a noose around someone's mouth. Liberal ideologies often persist right within our imaginations and ring in our ears. Under such constraints, can you not criticize someone's creative freedom? Does creative freedom have a boundary line? And where exactly should that boundary line be drawn? How exactly does this show manage to skirt the edges? Did it actually cross that boundary line? Did it overstep? Right, why is it constantly testing the limits on this high-voltage line? In my opinion, the creative team is truly remarkable, absolutely the elite of the elite, the best of the best—my respects to them, they’re just brilliant! How are they so brilliant, you ask? The most important thing is that they found a great entry point; as we know, if you're not allowed to wear a braid, how can you whitewash anything ? They found a great angle, and praising the Xinhai Revolution is perfectly fine, right? The Xinhai Revolution is something that must be praised. Since the Xinhai Revolution is right, if I film a drama about it, doesn't that let me latch onto the tail end of the Qing Dynasty? Once they’ve latched onto that tail, they naturally include Qing-era characters, and then they present those characters using the most handsome actors, the finest acting , and the noblest traits, making you think: he’s so handsome, so what if he’s a royalist? So what if he’s a petty official? So what if he’s a counter-revolutionary? He’s so handsome, forgive them; what is this media technique? Media techniques have always contained this kind of power, known as "beauty.""Looks are justice" —that carries immense weight in media , so never underestimate an actor's face. When someone is truly good-looking, pleasing to the eye, and hits the right notes in your heart, you'll forgive them for anything— you'll excuse them even if they court death, and you’ll find their wrongdoings understandable. Therefore, we must look at who plays the positive roles in a show, how the costumes and props are designed, what their temperament is, and how their daily life details are portrayed. These details, which seem like artistic freedom, are actually the result of the creators racking their brains every day , which is truly exhausting. So, in times like these, how should we relax and ease our minds? The weather has been hot lately, making us sweat, so brothers suffering from acne on their chests and backs should try this Heran cold water body wash. According to a 28 -day report on acne reduction and oil control, acne and blackheads have decreased by over 40%. After having the greasy men in my life use it for over half a month, the acne on their backs has faded away. 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Before that, whenever characters from the Qing Dynasty appeared in movies or TV shows, they were always cast in a dark light; they were portrayed as perverted, violent, reactionary, oppressive, or at best, just ignorant. Once characters like that appeared, you knew it was a dark and decadent era where life was miserable, and you knew for certain that we could never go back to that time. But by the 80s and 90s, did you notice that when they made Qing Dynasty court dramas, they cast handsome men and beautiful women like Adam Cheng and Angie Chiu—men whose looks couldn't even be held back by a bald head—who immediately captured everyone's hearts. Since they look like that, maybe we can forgive them for being a bit problematic. From then on, the emperors of this dark era began to flood our screens, taking root in the minds of many viewers who started to see them as romantic, free-spirited, and broad-minded. Once these things appear, they form a collective imprint, effectively polishing away the dark filter cast over that era. What is this ? This entire operation, this act of " polishing," is what we call whitewashing. When you continuously use these handsome leads and charming plots to whitewash that era, the public's overall perception of that period starts to shift—this is the power of artistic works. So, coming back to this show, I’m saying the creators are absolutely high-level, but just how high-level are they? At such a critical juncture as the Xinhai Revolution, he actually managed to pluck out characters from a completely reactionary royalist party who were worth talking about; this is the well-rounded nature of his male lead. This character is quite interesting; he is a Manchu noble, a standard royalist whose deep-seated interests lay entirely with the Manchu imperial court , yet he received a Western education. The effect of receiving this modern education was that he genuinely wanted to pursue a constitutional monarchy, desiring reform and hoping to change the course of the nation. He wanted to maintain the regime, which is a standard royalist move, and within that scope, you could indeed find some sparks of merit in him, because the act of royalism is also what you might call "building order." Who told you that a constitutional monarchy isn't a new order? Even today, many Chinese intuitively feel that a constitutional monarchy was a good option, and that we simply failed to achieve it at the time . However, was a constitutional monarchy truly a viable option in the late Qing era? Regrettably, it was never a viable option at all, let alone a "good" one. You see, for any country to achieve a constitutional monarchy, there is a prerequisite: the king or monarch must devolve power and adjust the political structure. This method implies a crucial condition: the country must be a unified entity where the only divisions are those of social class. Therefore, by devolving power layer by layer, one can alleviate some class conflicts; this is the essence of how a constitutional monarchy can lead a country toward stability. But the Qing Dynasty was not just a matter of simple class conflict; if it were, the problem would have been easy to solve. If you look at the Qing conquest, if they had simply wanted to replace one dynasty with another, do you think the ministers in the court and the gentry in the countryside wouldn't have accepted it? If only they had kept their hair, changed their clothing, adjusted their surnames, and used the existing bureaucracy, institutions, and scholars, everyone would have welcomed the new rulers directly. Given the historical ties between them, if they had just done those things, nobody today would be asking whether the Manchu Qing was "China"—that topic wouldn't even come up; it would just be a case of a dynasty falling. In that scenario, royalists would indeed be acting as maintainers of order, and we could then analyze which parts were good or bad and why they weren't progressive enough, but the Qing was different. When discussing the Qing Dynasty, one must emphasize a specific point: its exceptionalism. Why is it an exception? Because it wasn't just a simple class conflict or layered exploitation; it involved a very distinct caste-based segregation and ethnic division, which was clearly reflected in all its institutions. First, the garrison system and military outposts throughout the country: for years, the Qing Dynasty kept its core elite forces in the interior rather than on the frontiers. They didn't need to defend against outsiders; they were there specifically to suppress the people. This was unprecedented in any previous dynasty. What does this mean? It means the Qing court was very clear that its mortal enemy was internal, not external. This dynasty wasn't just about ordinary class oppression that could be eased by tax exemptions or periods of recovery; its oppression was inherently racial in nature. The rulers viewed the people as enemies, and the people viewed the rulers as mortal foes . This completely hostile relationship necessitated a tightly knit web of suppression. When the Qing's 200-year rule functioned this way, what did it imply? Its governing structure relied on a tiny, hostile force to suppress the vast majority of the oppressed people. This method meant that any attempt to preserve the regime directly violated the fundamental interests of the masses. Because for the common people, the primary goal over the past 200 years had been to drive away those who enforced this caste segregation, while those attempting reforms were doing something entirely different. They were trying to whitewash the past, glossing over all the brutality and pretending it was just a typical class struggle. They thought if they just offered some relief, the matter would be settled. This is precisely the reactionary nature of their efforts. Therefore, it’s not that they were " half-progressive" just because they proposed a constitutional monarchy at that time. From the moment they began whitewashing for the Qing court, they were already moving in a reactionary, anti-people direction, and there was no turning back. That is why, during the late Qing period, while various forms of constitutional monarchy and symbolic monarchies appeared internationally, they couldn't be realized in China because no one agreed with them. Except for those who remained nobles wanting to stage a "preparatory constitutionalism" or a "royal cabinet, " no one supported such things. It is a fundamental distinction. Applied to Liangbi, his approach was to adopt some advanced political management techniques in an attempt to prolong the wicked era of the Qing dynasty. As long as the Manchu Qing rule is sustained, there is no way for the nation to improve or transition toward modernization. Because once a country enters modernization, common people must become literate, acquire technical skills, and develop the ability to learn. Once they possess these capabilities, the first thing the people will do is overthrow the monarchy; this is a fundamental contradiction and conflict. Yet in this show, when they choose a protagonist who seems somewhat aspiring and eager to improve, and cast a handsome man everyone loves to display his broad-mindedness, ambition, and even his charm—oh my, your heart just flutters, doesn't it? If he had succeeded back then, perhaps we would have our "last aristocrats" today. Over the past few decades in China, there have indeed been some people who still fantasize about the so-called aristocratic spirit. They still imagine aristocratic decorum, but we must clearly understand what these so-called aristocrats of the Qing generation actually were. In this very series, there is a scene where a Han Chinese family wants to host a Manchu woman, a noble lady, and not knowing the proper etiquette to receive her, they find a down-and-out woman to serve as a companion for the banquet. It seems like a reasonable thing to do, but in the end, it results in a slap in the face. Why? Because when the guest of honor arrives, she discovers that the person brought in to keep her company is actually a descendant of Dorgon’s Plain White Banner, a descendant of the banner masters. So, the high-ranking official’s wife, despite her status, ends up having to kneel on the ground to pay respects to this destitute person. Thus, a banquet that seemed intended to flatter a noble lady turns into a slap in the face—an act that treats others like slaves—and all the relationships are torn apart. In this scene, they appear very elegant, insisting on such rituals, claiming " this is our heritage" and "we have many rules here." It seems to be called the aristocratic spirit or aristocratic decorum. You like this sort of thing, right? But let me tell you, what is this scene actually saying? This story is about the essence of the so-called noble spirit and order of the Eight Banners: once a master, always a master for life; once a slave, always a slave for generations. This is what we call servitude. It is a slave mentality, my friend. You treat them as nobles, but the internal logic of the nobility tells you that a supposed descendant of Dorgon from 200 years ago, even if he cannot afford a meal today and is licking the edge of a bowl, might even kneel before a Han Chinese person and claim their etiquette is like this. But when he encounters the descendant of someone who has since become successful , he can immediately act as their master. What is this? This is exactly what the Yongzheng Emperor personally criticized back then, saying that in Han households, there is no distinction between master and slave, which is hopeless. Unlike us, where our households have rules: once a master, always a master; once a slave, always a slave. What is the meaning of the noble , exalted, eternal noble spirit, noble demeanor, and noble order that you yearn for? You like this, right? Then what was our ancestor’s cry 2,000 years ago: "Are kings and nobles born with a special status?" What about "The people are precious, the ruler is light "? When a TV show allows these so-called nobles to put on airs at any time, saying, "You Han people really don't understand etiquette," and it reaches this point, do you still think, "Yes, they really do embody a noble spirit"? Do you always feel like you are the master yourself? How many masters are there in this world? The very idea that "once a master, always a master" means you have no possibility of social mobility. Do you have any idea what kind of society that is, where upward mobility is forbidden? Of course, because the creators of this show are very high-end and talented, they also seem to want to play the feminist card. Oh, can you really play the feminist card in the era of the Manchu Qing Dynasty? Why couldn't they? Let's take a look. In the original version of this show, there is a specific feminist passage that emphasizes the remarkable status of Manchu women in their families. What are they doing? They sigh and say, " Unlike you Han families who value men over women and where women have no status, in our families, women are in charge. So, what is so surprising about the Empress Dowager being in charge now ?" This statement is full of holes, like a sieve. But when you truly believe it, you think, "Yes, we do value men over women at home; hasn't everyone said so?" In our Han tradition , men are valued over women, but when people talk about Empress Dowager Cixi, is it really a matter of favoring men over women? What does this have to do with favoring men over women? She ruled from behind the curtain, but wasn't Empress Lü Zhi also ruling from behind the curtain? Wasn't Wu Zetian ruling from behind the curtain? Wasn't Empress Liu E ruling from behind the curtain? Empresses ruling from behind the curtain has happened throughout our history; whenever a young emperor ascended the throne, who wouldn't bring out the Empress Dowager? It was certain to happen. Moreover, not only were they brought out, but the Empresses who ruled in our history had names and surnames. Tell me, do you even know Cixi’s name? Regrettably, you don't. Why isn't it recorded? They say my Manchu auntie had such a high status, yet she had no name while in charge. You only know she was from the Yehenara clan. What is Yehenara? That is a surname. What is her given name? What is it exactly? I know Lü Zhi was called Lü Zhi, and I know Empress Liu E, but tell me, what was this Yehenara Empress Cixi called? Nobody knows. She was an Empress Dowager ruling from behind the curtain, yet she couldn't even use her own name. And they call that having a high status as a Manchu auntie. They claim traditional Han families favor men over women, so all these words sound sincere, speaking right to your heart, catering to all your emotions, and soothing your soul. But what is the information actually being conveyed? It is that your Han traditions are rotten, and fortunately, we Manchu nobles are willing to come and rescue your oppression. What is their intention? What is their plan? They tell you, "We Manchu nobles have the world at heart; if we complete the constitutional monarchy, we will have noble spirits and noble manners today." And then, they simply want to continue being slave owners. So, all these messages appear to be talking about reform, but they are actually talking about monarchy—and not just any monarchy. We once said we were opposing feudalism and imperialism, but it’s a pity; strictly speaking, during the Qing Dynasty, we were opposing a slave system. Therefore, their restoration was a restoration of slavery, which is more terrifying than any other form of restoration, isn't it? In the end, they wrapped it all up in a beautiful candy coating, making you wonder, why would you even need a revolution? Yes, when you see those bright and polished noble manners, you start thinking, why bother with a revolution? Wouldn't just making a few changes be enough? They say a stitch in time saves nine, but when the show turns to depict revolutionary figures, you'll find them unkempt and messy, constantly drinking until they're wasted, and not even bothering to keep their glasses on their nose. When they meet a pretty young girl, they deceive and exploit her, ultimately leading a revolutionary woman to get entangled with the royalists. So, who is this revolutionary woman? It is said, allegedly, that the character is based on Ms. Qiu. I’m a bit worried the real heroine might just jump out; she had a notoriously fiery temper and even wrote poems criticizing the clothes she was forced to wear, labeling them as barbarian garments. When she was having her portrait taken, she would rather have worn a kimono than that specific outfit. Yet in this show, she persistently wears those Qing-era women’s clothes, acting like a downtrodden, pathetic little wife, getting deceived by one side and then the other. Is that the kind of person Qiu was? With her indomitable spirit and a "draw the blade at any moment" attitude— "If you dare deceive me, I will respond in kind; you use words to trick me, I’ll use a blade to settle the score"—that is what you call a heroine. What does true chivalry mean? Chivalry is about quick retribution and settling scores. No one who is called a heroine has a mild temper; you’ve got it all wrong. So, when the show turns a revolutionary woman of that era into a pitiable little wife you couldn't even imagine, letting others bully her, I ask you: wouldn't you start to wonder, "What was the point of the revolution?" "What’s the point? You’re not even as good as the others." Yes, that is exactly the intended effect. So when I call this "borderline," we look at how it repeatedly tests the high-voltage wires—does it cross the line, and where should that line actually be drawn? If you claim that simply including a revolutionary figure in a show means there is no "crossing the line," isn't that standard way too loose? When revolutionary figures are turned into villains and portrayed as a complete disaster, are they still actually revolutionaries? So, where is the boundary placed? If the ultimate effect of a show is to make people yearn for a dark era and a decaying past, you surely can’t claim that it’s positive. However, the creators of this show are clearly very clever and remarkable; they found a narrow loophole and, using some peripheral excuses, managed to elevate something that completely contradicts facts and historical objectives. This brings us back to our conclusion from decades ago : when the line is wrong, the more knowledge one has, the more reactionary they become.