Princess Agents

The story is set during the Northern Wei dynasty, a period marked by political instability, kidnappings, and violent power struggles. Chu Qiao (also known as Jing Xiaoliu), a slave, is cast into a forest with other captives to be hunted for sport by aristocrats, including Yuwen Huai, Zhao Xifeng, Wei Shuye, Yan Xun, Prince of Northern Yan, and Yuan Song, the 13th Prince of Wei. Chu Qiao is the sole survivor.

She is subsequently assigned as a chamber maid to Yuwen Yue, where she undergoes rigorous training alongside her adopted siblings. During this period, she forms a close bond with Yan Xun. She later encounters Yuan Song and Xiao Ce, the Prince of Liang; both develop romantic feelings for her and support her, though she does not reciprocate their affections. Throughout these events, Yuwen Yue emerges as her primary protector and eventual romantic partner.

Political intrigue escalates when nobles of Western Wei, led by Yuwen Huai and Wei Shuyou, falsely accuse the Northern Yan royal family of treason. Acting on these accusations, the emperor orders the execution of Yan Xun’s relatives. Yan Xun and Chu Qiao are imprisoned, and the massacre of his family transforms Yan Xun into an ambitious and ruthless figure determined to seek revenge, initially with Chu Qiao’s support.

Chu Qiao is later promoted to archery instructor and transferred to the Xiaoqi Camp, where she encounters officers of the Xiuli Army of Northern Yan. Although Yan Xun initially views them as traitors, Chu Qiao persuades him to spare them. Yan Xun maintains lingering regard for Yuan Chun, his childhood companion. When the emperor orders their marriage as part of a plot to assassinate Yan Xun, Yan Xun anticipates the betrayal and launches a rebellion. Yuan Chun pleads unsuccessfully to save him, and their bond is ultimately severed.

After ascending the throne as king of Northern Yan, Yan Xun grows increasingly distrustful of Chu Qiao and distances himself from her while pursuing power through morally questionable means. Disillusioned, Chu Qiao withdraws from him and grows closer to Yuwen Yue, deepening their romantic relationship. Yan Xun eventually orders Yuwen Yue’s assassination, prompting Chu Qiao to formally sever ties with Yan Xun and oppose his campaign of revenge.

Chu Qiao later learns that she is the daughter of Luo He, leader of the Fengyun Order, an intelligence network opposed to slavery and feudal warfare. Trained from childhood in advanced combat techniques, including the Cold Ice skill, Chu Qiao had been forced into hiding after her mother’s assassination, during which she lost her memory and was sold into slavery. Mr. Wu later reveals that Luo He’s death resulted from internal betrayal linked to the Wei and Liang factions and offers Chu Qiao her mother’s former position, which she declines.

As conflict intensifies in the north, Yuwen Yue is lured into a military trap and isolated on a frozen lake. After resisting capture, he is gravely wounded when Yan Xun personally orders an attack. Chu Qiao attempts to reach him but is forcibly separated as the ice collapses. As Yuwen Yue sinks beneath the lake, he urges Chu Qiao to survive. The event devastates her and marks her transformation into a resolute and independent force.

The series is directed by Wu Jinyuan (Chinese Paladin, Beauty's Rival in Palace, Scarlet Heart). The script is written by Yang Tao and Chen Lan, and reportedly took two years to be completed. Huang Wen (Tiny Times) acts as the style director, while Li Cai (Painted Skin: The Resurrection) serves as the stunt coordinator. The original soundtrack is composed by Roc Chen who worked on the soundtracks of Kungfu Panda 3.^[45][46]

Principal photography began on 30 May 2016, at Hengdian Studios, and wrapped up on 21 November 2016.^[47][48] Zhao reportedly lost 8 kg for her role.^[47] The filming set was opened to fans and the media for viewing in August.^[49]

On 26 June, the drama achieved a 2.01% rating with an audience share of 14.88%, according to National Average ratings.^[53] This set a record for a drama airing in a non-primetime time slot on a non-holiday weekday.^[54] The series also became the first Chinese drama to surpass 40 billion views while still airing.^[54] Princess Agents gained popularity in overseas markets as well.^[55][56][57] The series received praise for its distinctive storyline, strong performances, and its use of complex plot developments and scenic visuals.^[58][57]

Despite its commercial success and initial positive reception, the series later faced criticism regarding production quality, including the use of photoshop and green screen effects, an overly bright color palette, and inconsistent dubbing.^[59] The writing was also criticized for portraying the female protagonist as a "Mary Sue" beneath a facade on independence, as well as for incorporating unnecessary subplots and excessive screen time for minor characters, which some reviewers felt weakened pacing and narrative coherence.^[60] Additional controversy arose over the heavy emphasis on the second male lead’s storyline, leading some viewers to sarcastically refer to the series as “Yan Xun’s revenge story.” The drama was further criticized for concluding with a cliffhanger ending.

The source novel 11 Chu Te Gong Huang Fei (11处特工皇妃), was alleged to have been plagiarized from several other works, including Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (斛珠夫人) by Xiao Ruqin, Novoland: Eagle Flag (九州缥缈录) by Jiang Nan and Kun Lun (昆仑) by Feng Ge, among others. In August 2015, the author Xia Xiang Dong'er admitted to the plagiarism allegations.^[66] In a public statement, she promised to provide a "clean" version of the novel, in which all plagiarized content would be removed, in order to ensure tha the adapted television series would not infringe upon the copyrights of the original authors.

When the television series was first released in June 2017, the original authors continued to allege that the adaptation contained plots and dialogue plagiarized from their works. Xiao Ruqin, author of Novoland: Pearl Eclipse (斛珠夫人), stated on Weibo that she intended to pursue legal action to protect the copyrights of the original works.^[67][68]