Stand By Me (2021)

In Tang Dynasty-era China, in the 9th Century CE, the Emperor is locked in a deadly power struggle with a group of formidable eunuchs who wield enormous power at court. He decides to strike back by ordering the death of their ringleader Qiu Shi Liang (He Sheng Ming). But the mission is botched. The eunuchs take revenge by ordering the death of the Emperor’s loyal first minister, along with his entire family. But his twin daughters, later to be known as Cheng Ruo Yun (Zhang Yu Xi) and Qiu Yan Zhi (Xuan Syun Lou), escape. The eunuchs now seize yet more power over the royal court, rendering the Emperor a mere puppet. But the minister’s two daughters have evaded detection – and move off toward very different fates… Yan Zhi becomes part of Qiu Shi Liang’s household, and is secretly hell-bent on revenge. But her sister Ruo Yun has taken the other side, joining a group of military professionals that is enlisted by the new, young Emperor Li Yan (Cheng Yi). The Emperor is determined to rid the palace of the scourge of the eunuchs once and for all, and Ruo Yun pledges her life to help him do that – even if it means throwing herself in the path of danger. The duo starts to form a romantic bond as they get to know one another. But will the Emperor still trust her if he discovers her true identity – and her connection to his mortal foe? “Stand By Me” is a 2021 Chinese drama series that was directed by Zeng Li Zhen, Zhao Li Jun, and Liu Guo Nan.