Princess on peace path

"Our employees are collecting reviews from the audience and internet users," he says.

"We hope the show will slowly and stably draw more viewers."

Depicting the protagonist, princess Wang, as a "rebellious" figure in her era, Mu says the role has a modern spirit despite being set in ancient China. In the series, the character refuses to marry the crown prince in early episodes as she wants to pursue true love, a bold move when women were considered "virtuous" if they entered arranged marriages.

Hou Yong, the chief director, says that, once he got the chance to helm the project in 2017, he wanted to raise the bar for period dramas. He is also the dean of the film department at Shanghai Theater Academy.

With a growing female audience for Chinese TV and online shows, the genre－tales of women, set in ancient China－has become popular in recent years.

But such stories often only depict major female characters as either contending for supreme power in a royal harem or fighting for peace alongside a male lead.