The Bronze Teeth (2001)

The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan (Chinese: 铁齿铜牙纪晓岚; pinyin: Tie chī tóng yá jì xiǎolán) is a Chinese historical comedy television series chronicling fictitious events in the life of Qing official Ji Xiaolan in the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. It stars Zhang Guoli as Ji Xiaolan, Wang Gang as Manchu official Heshen and Zhang Tielin as the Qianlong Emperor.

The series first aired in mainland China on January 8, 2001 and concluded on July 17, 2009, with 173 episodes broadcast over four seasons. It was a critical success in China and was nominated in 2003 for three Feitian Awards for Outstanding Actor (Zhang and Wang) and Outstanding Historical Television Series, the latter of which it won.

Premise

Scholar Ji Xiaolan was a close official to the Qianlong Emper alongside Heshen, the emperor's favorite albeit extremely corrupt official with whom Ji is locked in a political rivalry. While Ji considers the welfare of the common populace when discussing matters at court, he is frustrated constantly by Heshen who undermines him by appealing to the emperor's ego for his own means. Throughout his time in court, Ji finds himself involved in numerous facets of political affairs that are often complicated by personal ones of the emperor, from which he is challenged to not only ensure justice for the empire's commonfolk, but also to use his counsel as a moral compass for the Son of Heaven to ensure the prosperity of his reign.

Cast

Main

Zhang Guoli as Ji Xiaolan, a prominent official for the imperial Qing court and patron of the arts, poetry, and other intellectual pursuits.

Wang Gang as Heshen, the Emperor's favorite who often leverages his favoritism to his political and financial advantage, and is responsible for several instances of corruption in the court.

Zhang Tielin as the Qianlong Emperor, the sixth monarch of the Qing Empire.

Yuan Li as Du Xiaoyue, a fictional Peking Opera singer and martial artist who helps lead a peasant revolt when the corruption of officials results in famine and the deaths of several civilians. She later becomes a main assistant of Ji.

Supporting

Cynthia Khan (season 1) as Mo Chou, Du Xiaoyue's oath elder sister. After her fiance the peasant revolt leader was murdered when attempting to bring the corruption of the Qing to court, she succeeds his leadership and seeks justice for him. She later becomes a main assistant of Ji. She would not appear in later seasons after taken as an imperial consort.

Zhao Minfen (seasons 1 and 2), Wang Liyuan (season 3), and Yan Minqiu (season 4) as Empress Xiaoshengxian, the mother of the Qianlong Emperor.

Xiang Neng (season 1) as Fuk'anggan, a Manchu general and staunch supporter of Heshen.

Pan Xiaoli as Si Guniang (season 1), a swordswoman seeking revenge on the emperor as her father was executed for a slanderous poem / Zhao Qing (season 2), the daughter of a censor.

Yang Xiyan (season 2), Zhang Lei (season 3), and Liu Kaifei (season 4) as Xing'er, a servant in Ji's estate.

Zhang Chunnian as Liu Quan, the main steward of Heshen's.

Zhang Ting (season 3) as Lu Linlang, a love-interest of the Qianlong Emperor who becomes the target of assassination by a jealous Step Empress. She later becomes a main assistant of Ji in place of Du.

Others

Season 1

Cong Peixin as Censor Hong

Wu Zhen as Hong Xia

Shu Yaoxuan as Shang Rong

Liu Weihua as Yunti, Prince Xun of the Second Rank

Huo Siyan as Xiangcao

Zeng Jing as Lu Chang'an

Han Fuyi as Huang Bingtang

Zhang Jing as Tao Xiangyun

Li Xiaolei as Chen Weiyuan

Li Qingxiang as Businessman Jin

Ruan Danning as Su Qinglian

Yan Huaili as Chen Huizu

Jia Dazhong as Wang Shanwang

Yang Junyong as Wang Tingzan

Liu Yuanyuan as Chuntao

Season 2

Liu Yanjun as Zhao Xinjin

Ma Zijun as Zhang Wanjie

Hong Zongyi as Zuo Shankui

Bai Qiulin as Zhao Wenlong

Zou Hewei as Min De

Song Dong as Wu Shengqin

Wang Shenshen as Liao Fan

Ma Weifu as Xu Qingyu

Xu Meiling as The procuress

Wei Wei as Xiao Hongyan

Ma Yili as Yan Ruyu

Sun Yan as Dai Zhan

Gao Yuqing as Hong Zhongyu

Pan Guangju as Yan Ji

Lu Hualei as Lao Cai

Zhang Yuchun as Wu Shaofu

Lu Donglai as Ye Tingbin

Cui Jian as Qi Sutu

Zhong Yuan as Gu Dali

Fu Di as Li Chunmei

Wang Bing as Li Xiaochun

Zhang Jingyu as Hong San

Lu Xiaoyi as Qi An

Dang Yongde as Li San

Ma Jie as Hai Sheng

Ma Lun as Gui Ning

Hao Zi as Mian En

Wang Jingming as Wu Shenglan

Li Geng as Jia San

Guo Lihong as Xiaofang

Yuan Hongqi as Ren Gang

Lin Yongjian as Lu Chao

Jiang Xinyan as Yao Qin

Season 3

Huang Xiaolei as Changsi

Xu Xiaodan as Hoifa-Nara, the Step Empress

Li Yixiao as Honglian

Li Lihong as Yue Jinzhi

He Jinlong as Guo Min

Liu Naiyi as Ma Rufeng

Hao Subei as Yu Tiexin

Song Dong as Gu Yezhi

Chen Dacheng as A Gui

Zhang Yue as Mingyue

Wang Jianing as Chu Ming

Zhang Mo as Yuan Hong

Li Shijiang as Hua Jianmeng

He Shengwei as Liu Shunmin

Xia Lixin as Sai Huahong

Wu Xiaodong as Hong Hai

Season 4

Yan Ni as Ge Song'er

Hu Guangzi as He Wenjin

Gao Xinde as Chunhong

Han Yuqin as Mei Yingxue

Du Jun as Yi'ertai

Zhao Hongfei as Cui Yuyan

Miriam Yeung as Qianqian

Shi Lin as Lizhi

He Yongsheng as Ren Caomu

Li Heng as Tao Dabao

Liu Yong as Fugui

Historical inaccuracies

The Qianlong Emperor and Ji Xiaolan were 39 and 26 years Heshen's seniors respectively, but in the series the three are depicted as peers.

Heshen did not have 13 concubines, while the Emperor did not have 18 daughters.

When Prince Yunti died, Heshen and Fuk'anggan were only 5 and 1 respectively, but in Season 1 the three were described as peers.

Qing emperors were never prohibited from taking Han women as imperial consorts as Seasons 1 and 3 suggested.

The event of deposing the Empress in Season 3 happened in 1765, while the event of marrying a princess to Fengšeninde in Season 1 happened in 1789, 12 years after the death of the Empress Dowager. Historically the Empress was deprived of her rights as empress but never formally demoted to a consort.

Fuk'anggan was not a bastard of the Qianlong Emperor as implied in Season 4.

Reception

Critical reception

The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan received consistently high viewership in mainland China during its broadcast. On Chinese database Douban, the first season has an audience score of 8.4 out of 10, the second 8.1, third 7.5, and fourth 7.7. For their performances, lead actors Zhang Guoli, Wang Gang, and Zhang Tielin became collectively known in Chinese media as 'the Iron Triangle'.

Accolades

References

External links

The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan 4 at Sina

Tie Chi Tong Ya Ji Xiaolan at IMDb