LayarHijau — Following her successful roles in dramas like Moonlight Mystique (白月梵星) and Feud (臨江仙), Bai Lu once again captivated audiences with her latest historical mystery drama, Unveil: Jadewind (唐宮奇案之青霧風鳴). The series, which pairs her with Wang Xingyue, premiered on Thursday (5/12) and instantly gained widespread attention, achieving the highest rating and securing the trust of 14 advertising sponsors.
Unveil: Jadewind has received significant praise for two core strengths. First, the drama utilizes a female perspective, which is rare in the mystery genre. Bai Lu plays Li Peiyi, an extraordinarily intelligent character who solves mysteries without depending on male characters. Conversely, Wang Xingyue, portraying Xiao Huaijin, complements Li Peiyi without intentionally stealing the spotlight, creating a very strong on-screen dynamic between the leads.
The second strength is the dense, surprise-filled storyline. Netizens have praised the plot’s complexity and engaging nature, predicting Unveil: Jadewind will be a massive hit.
In Unveil: Jadewind, Bai Lu stars as Li Peiyi, the Head Imperial Guard and the Da Tang County Mistress (Xianzhu). Despite losing her parents at a young age, her exceptional intelligence makes her deeply cherished by the Emperor. Wang Xingyue plays Xiao Huaijin, a Taishi Cheng in the Imperial History Bureau, who is adept in astrology and feng shui, making him a vital advisor to the Emperor.
In the opening episode, Li Peiyi must investigate a case involving a young woman forced to become a ghost bride. She goes undercover as a ghost bride in a spirit marriage ceremony. For her mission, Li Peiyi drinks a breath-holding pill that makes her appear dead; she is even pierced with stakes before being buried. Just as viewers believe she is doomed, Li Peiyi blows a whistle, signaling her subordinates to save her. This strategy successfully leads to the capture of the real culprit.
The second case involves Li Peiyi’s close friend, the Fifteenth Princess, Wanshun (played by Zhang Weina). Wanshun, who holds low status in the palace because her mother was merely a dancer, is forced into a political marriage. While she is dancing on a high tower during the Shangyuan Festival, a figure identified as a “Yaksha” (half-human, half-ghost) suddenly appears, carrying gunpowder and flying toward her. The princess dies instantly, leaving Li Peiyi devastated.
Initially, the suspect is Cui Manshu (Han Jiunuo), the Prime Minister’s daughter, known to have conflict with Wanshun. However, throughout the investigation, Li Peiyi discovers that Wanshun might have only faked her death. After tracking Wanshun down, the princess confesses that the entire incident was a ruse orchestrated by Cui Manshu. Cui Manshu had hired a guard to pretend to fall in love with Wanshun. After Wanshun successfully escaped (faking her death), she promised to meet her fake lover for an elopement. However, when Wanshun arrived at the designated room, she found Cui Manshu instead. In a fit of rage, Wanshun stabbed Cui Manshu to death.
Li Peiyi chose not to disclose the true cause of Cui Manshu’s death to the Emperor. Wanshun subsequently managed to return to the palace, only to be forced into another marriage. In despair, she performs a final dance before the Emperor, concluding her tragic life by jumping from the high tower. Many viewers have praised Unveil: Jadewind for its highly surprising and captivating plot.
