LayarHijau – The highly anticipated drama adaptation of the Chinese historical fantasy novel The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage has finally confirmed its leading cast. Dylan Wang and Meng Ziyi have been officially announced as the main leads in a project that has long been under intense discussion among readers of the original novel.
The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage is widely regarded as one of the “three giants” of guyan (ancient romance) novels, alongside Black Lotus Strategy Manual (which was adapted into the drama Love Game in the Eastern Fantasy) and Till The End of The Moon. Its popularity is undeniable. The original audio drama has surpassed 100 million plays, while related topics on Douyin have exceeded 1.4 billion views. As a top-tier IP, the adaptation has been under close scrutiny from the very beginning.
The story centers on Shen Miao, the daughter of a general who is reborn after a tragic death and determined to seek revenge. The narrative blends aristocratic family intrigue, palace power struggles, and intense romance, building a fiercely loyal fanbase deeply attached to the original characterization.
The drama is produced by Tencent Video, Xinli Media, and Yuewen Pictures, with a planned total of 36 episodes. It is positioned as an S+ level historical romance centered on political power struggles, a category typically reserved for large-scale productions with high commercial expectations.
However, shortly after the official announcement, a wave of criticism erupted from fans of the original novel in China. Some readers argued that Dylan Wang and Meng Ziyi do not match the character images they had envisioned for years. The comment sections on the drama’s official social media accounts were quickly flooded with complaints and heated debates, reflecting significant dissatisfaction among loyal readers.
Controversy also arose over the slogan featured on the announcement poster. The phrase “一杯温酒策千军，一根红绳系三世,” translated as “A cup of warm wine strategizes for thousands of troops, a red thread binds three lifetimes,” is not a direct quote from the original novel but a line created by fans. Its use in official promotional material was viewed by some readers as a lack of respect for the source material.
In addition, fans of Love Like The Galaxy voiced concerns over the use of Cheng Shaoshang’s background music in Meng Ziyi’s official character introduction video. Because the music is strongly associated with the character portrayed by Zhao Lusi, some netizens criticized the production team for lacking originality.
The intensity of the backlash was immediately reflected on social media. As of the evening of February 20, 2026, topics related to The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on Weibo’s trending list. These high rankings were largely driven by ongoing debates and criticism from original novel readers, who filled the platform with discussions, complaints, and memes about the poster and casting choices.
With such strong reactions emerging at the casting announcement stage alone, the adaptation now faces considerable pressure to prove its quality once production progresses and the drama eventually premieres.
