Title: Back to the Ming Dynasty as a Prince: The Story of Yang Ling

Producer: Ji Weijie

Director: Xu Jinliang

Starring: Jiang Jinfu, Yuan Bingyan, Liu Ruilin, and Liu Yan

First broadcast date: November 1, 2018

Streaming platform: Youku

Plot Summary:

During the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, on the very day of his wedding, the scholar Yang Ling (played by Jiang Jinfu) suddenly collapsed and could not rise. A few days later, having recovered from a severe illness, he looked upon his impoverished home and his newlywed wife, Han Youniang (played by Yuan Bingyan), who had remained by his side through thick and thin. Overcome with shame, Yang Ling resolved to sell his fields and head to the capital to take the imperial examinations. Passing through Jiming Post Station, he encountered Wang Da, who mistakenly accused Ma Ang of murdering his father, and the two engaged in a fierce brawl. Drawing on his wit, erudition, and keen powers of observation, Yang Ling skillfully helped Ma Ang clear himself of the murder charge, thereby resolving a wrongful case that had torn apart the Ma and Wang families. For this, he won the favor of the county magistrate and was swiftly appointed as a legal advisor to Jiming County. Meanwhile, Ma Ang’s younger sister, Ma Lian’er (played by Wang Zixuan), secretly fell for Yang Ling. Soon after, Yang Ling was promoted beyond the usual ranks to become the county’s chief legal advisor, playing a pivotal role in the events at Jiming Post Station. On the battlefield, he forged a bond of life-and-death friendship with the Crown Prince Zhu Houzhao (played by Liu Ruilin), who was traveling incognito. For his distinguished service, Yang Ling was summoned to the capital and appointed as the Crown Prince’s personal attendant. He and Zhu Houzhao became as close as brothers—both ruler and subject—and together they braved one treacherous plot after another, vanquishing their foes at every turn. In the end, Yang Ling helped Zhu Houzhao ascend the throne, purged corrupt officials, and consolidated imperial authority. Thus, from an ordinary scholar, he rose to become a non‑imperial prince in the Ming dynasty, completing a legendary life that was both tumultuous and grand in scope.