# Royal Rumours (花琉璃轶闻)

**Royal Rumours** (花琉璃轶闻) is a 2023 Chinese costume romantic comedy web drama adapted from the novel *Zaizuo Shiguang* (造作时光) by the writer Yue Xia Die Ying (月下蝶影), starring Xu Zhengxi (徐正溪) as Crown Prince Ji Yuansu and Meng Ziyi (孟子义) as Hua Liuli. It was produced by Penguin Pictures, streamed exclusively on [Tencent Video](https://www.edgepedia.org/tencent-video) from March 15 to March 30, 2023, and ran for 24 episodes of about 45 minutes each.<sup>[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/62517543)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source | Novel *造作时光* by Yue Xia Die Ying, serialized on Jinjiang Literature City<sup>[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/62517543)</sup> |
| Lead cast | Xu Zhengxi as Crown Prince Ji Yuansu; Meng Ziyi as Hua Liuli<sup>[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/62517543)</sup> |
| Reception | Tencent heat value passed 21,000 within four hours of launch and 26,000 later in its run; Douban score 6.2<sup>[2](https://star.tom.com/202303/1880182438.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.chinawriter.com.cn/n1/2024/0627/c419388-40265787.html)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### Premise and plot

The story is set during the fictional Changlong era of the Great Jin dynasty. General Hua Yingting has just defeated the rival kingdom of Jin Po, and rumors spread in the capital that the Hua family's military power threatens the throne. To defuse the suspicion, the emperor summons the general's only daughter, Hua Liuli, to the capital and grants her the title of County Princess.<sup>[4](https://www.chasingdramas.com/reviews/review-royal-rumors-2023-%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/)</sup>

Hua Liuli, who grew up in her father's border army and is skilled in martial arts and military tactics, decides that the safest posture in a hostile court is weakness. She plays the sickly, delicate young woman, feigning illness at her first public appearance, while quietly gathering information and protecting her family's standing. Crown Prince Ji Yuansu, a cold and calculating figure focused on border security, sees through her act but is intrigued, partly because her letters to him in their youth had shown a fierce and capable personality opposite to the frailty she now displays.<sup>[4](https://www.chasingdramas.com/reviews/review-royal-rumors-2023-%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/)</sup>

The two leads, described in Chinese promotional material as a "cold-faced" prince and a "deliberately delicate" county princess, work through overlapping case clues, join forces against corrupt officials, and eventually marry.<sup>[5](https://ent.qingdaonews.com/2023-03/19/content_23422294.htm)</sup> Supporting characters include He Yuanting (played by Zhu Yuanbing), the unfavored second prince of Jin Po who first tries to kidnap Hua Liuli for leverage and later comes to the Jin kingdom for peace talks, and Tian Jiamin (played by Su Mengyun), a wealthy, good-natured princess's daughter who becomes Hua Liuli's friend rather than her rival.<sup>[4](https://www.chasingdramas.com/reviews/review-royal-rumors-2023-%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/)</sup>

## Production

The drama was shot in 2021 at [Hengdian World Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/hengdian-world-studios) and wrapped on January 11, 2022; its online release filing was approved in November 2022, and the premiere date was announced on March 13, 2023.<sup>[1](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/62517543)</sup> Zhou Jiawen (周家文), a TVB-trained director whose earlier credits include *My Date with a Vampire 3* and *Justice Bao*, served as chief director, with Wang Hong and He Zhezhe as screenwriters.<sup>[6](https://yule.360.com/detail/3333797)</sup>

## Reception and performance

**Commercial performance.** Within four hours of its March 15 launch the drama's heat value on Tencent Video passed 21,000, and it topped the platform's rising-drama chart; it went on to pass 26,000 in heat, held the platform's daily viewing championship for consecutive days, and reached first place on Maoyan's weekly web-drama chart.<sup>[5](https://ent.qingdaonews.com/2023-03/19/content_23422294.htm)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://star.tom.com/202303/1880182438.html)</sup> Producer Zhu Yi described it as Tencent Video's first costume drama of 2023 to break the 26,000 heat threshold.<sup>[7](https://www.jiemian.com/article/9520660.html)</sup> In the week of April 3 to April 8, 2023 it ranked third among television dramas on the industry broadcast index, behind *He Shi Shei* and *Gui Lu*.<sup>[8](https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H301_AP202304091585242217_1.pdf)</sup>

**Critical scores.** On Douban the drama received 6.2 out of 10, placing it 38th among 2023's literary-adaptation dramas by that measure; the 2023 blue-book of literary adaptations also recorded its source novel *造作时光* at 6.5.<sup>[3](https://www.chinawriter.com.cn/n1/2024/0627/c419388-40265787.html)</sup> The review site Chasing Dramas rated it 6.2/10, calling it a serviceable, light-hearted romance with weak chemistry between the leads and a thin overall plot, while praising Hua Liuli's monologues on border security and her devotion to her family's soldiers.<sup>[4](https://www.chasingdramas.com/reviews/review-royal-rumors-2023-%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/)</sup> A Sina Entertainment commentary judged the leads' intelligence consistently on display and the storylines cleverly handled, but found the court-intrigue plotting unable to withstand close scrutiny.<sup>[9](https://k.sina.com.cn/article_2851781302_a9fabab6001010j74.html)</sup>

## Place in the 2023 sweet-romance trend

Chinese commentary grouped the drama with the light, sweet costume comedies that followed the 2022 hit *Qing Qing Daily* (卿卿日常): a warm romantic comedy built on the leads' love line and comic supporting characters, and, like *Qing Qing Daily*, largely avoiding the jealous female rivalry ("雌竞") common in costume drama in favor of sincerity between its women.<sup>[10](https://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2023/03/31/ent-240992.html)</sup>

Producer Zhu Yi framed the adaptation around female expression: the project was defined as a costume love drama giving more voice to women, showing women helping women and friendship, with a gentle tone in which villains are not irredeemably evil but simply positioned against the leads. She attributed the character's appeal partly to fidelity to the novel and partly to making Hua Liuli feel like a real woman audiences might meet or befriend, rather than building a grand world.<sup>[7](https://www.jiemian.com/article/9520660.html)</sup> This aligns with a broader 2023 shift in the genre away from passive, long-suffering heroines toward independent, assertive female leads.<sup>[7](https://www.jiemian.com/article/9520660.html)</sup>

## Distribution

Beyond its exclusive Tencent Video run in mainland China, the series is available internationally under the English title Royal Rumours on Amazon Prime Video, WeTV, and Rakuten Viki, and can be purchased on Amazon Video.<sup>[11](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/royal-rumours)</sup>

## References

1. [花琉璃轶闻, Baidu Baike](https://wapbaike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/62517543)
2. [《花琉璃轶闻》收官在即，全员演技在线打造下饭神剧, TOM明星](https://star.tom.com/202303/1880182438.html)
3. [2023年文学改编影视作品蓝皮书, 中国作家网](https://www.chinawriter.com.cn/n1/2024/0627/c419388-40265787.html)
4. [Review: Royal Rumors (2023) 花琉璃轶闻, Chasing Dramas](https://www.chasingdramas.com/reviews/review-royal-rumors-2023-%E8%8A%B1%E7%90%89%E7%92%83%E8%BD%B6%E9%97%BB/)
5. [苏梦芸《花琉璃轶闻》热度霸榜 可爱郡主逗趣上线, 青岛新闻网](https://ent.qingdaonews.com/2023-03/19/content_23422294.htm)
6. [周家文导演新剧《花琉璃轶闻》今日开播, 360娱乐](https://yule.360.com/detail/3333797)
7. [2023甜宠变奏：从女性崛起与生活流开始, 界面新闻](https://www.jiemian.com/article/9520660.html)
8. [电视剧播映指数周报 (04-03 至 04-08), 东方财富PDF](https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H301_AP202304091585242217_1.pdf)
9. [《花琉璃轶闻》：剧情有趣、主演讨喜, 新浪新闻](https://k.sina.com.cn/article_2851781302_a9fabab6001010j74.html)
10. [腾讯古偶再翻车，又拍降智片糊弄观众, 文学城](https://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2023/03/31/ent-240992.html)
11. [Royal Rumours - streaming tv show online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/royal-rumours)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › East Asian web and streaming serials › Titles My to So*

*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license