Chinese dramas and films

On April 14, 2026, filming commenced in Hengdian for the historical drama "Nirvana in Flames" (凤不栖, Feng Bu Qi). A total of 36 episodes are planned.

The production involves Mango TV, Hunan TV, Cixi Media, and Xirui Culture. The director is Guo Hu, known for his work on "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" and "A Dream within a Dream". The shooting schedule is expected to last about 100 days, and the premiere is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2026 on the Mango TV platform.

The lead roles are played by Wu Jin Yan ("The Story of Yanxi Palace", "Kill Me Love Me") and Wei Zhe Ming ("Love Beyond the Grave", "You Are My Fateful Love"), for whom this is his first experience starring in an S+ level historical drama as the main lead.

The story is set in an alternative world divided into four warring states. The heroine, Qin Chang Ge (Wu Jin Yan), is a disciple of the Qian Jue Men clan. Her mentor entrusts her with delivering the sacred artifact “Emperor‘s Star” to Prince Yu Zi Xi, so that he may unite the lands and establish peace. However, witnessing the suffering of ordinary people, she disobeys orders and gives the artifact to Xiao Jue (Wei Zhe Ming), an underprivileged prince of Western Liang.

Together they suppress the unrest, and Qin Chang Ge becomes the founding empress. But because she changed her destined fate of her own accord, she faces the destructive power of the artifact and dies under mysterious circumstances - her eyes are gouged out and she is burned alive. Three years later, a woman who looks exactly like the deceased appears in the palace. Returning under the guise of a maid named Ming Shuang, she is determined to uncover the true cause of her death and take revenge on those responsible. The tragic love story of the emperor and empress, born from hatred and love, unfolds in a tangled and gripping plot.

Wu Jin Yan admitted that this role has become the most challenging of her career: after discussing the script with the director, she often could not fall asleep. Wei Zhe Ming plays Xiao Jue — a kind-hearted ruler whose character undergoes a transformation.

The supporting cast includes Wang Duo, Liu Ling Zi, Wang You Shuo, Yan Yu Cheng, Xu Yang, and others.

At the opening ceremony, fans of Wu Jin Yan organized a themed flower wall with the slogan "A new beginning for Chang Ge, the phoenix soars to the nine heavens." Wei Zhe Ming personally handed out treats to three hundred fans present on set.

Fans of the original novel expect the adaptation to preserve the key storyline of the source material - the relationship between the emperor and empress, which evolves from mutual hatred to cooperation.

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