Drunkenly Embracing the Realm: A Tale of the Two Queens of Southern Tang

The story centers on the tangled relationships between Li Yu, the last ruler of Southern Tang, and the sisters Da Zhou Hou and Xiao Zhou Hou. At first, Li Yu and Da Zhou Hou, Ehuang, are perfectly harmonious, but beneath this flawless facade lie his political escapism and weakness. When the young Xiao Zhou Hou, Jiamin, enters the palace, Li Yu loses control on the boundary between morality and desire. This forbidden romance not only destroys Ehuang’s life, but also sounds the death knell for Southern Tang. From a life of drunken revelry in Jinling to the humiliation of captivity in Bianjing, only after losing everything does Li Yu understand the heavy responsibilities of an emperor and the weight of love. At last, he gives his life to compose his final lyrics, completing his tragic transformation from “foolish ruler” to “emperor of lyric poetry.”