Starring Wu Jinyan, Charmaine Sheh, Qin Lan, Nie Yuan, Tan Zhuo and Xu Kai, the series premiered on iQIYI from July 19, 2018 to August 26, 2018.

[1] Distributed in more than 70 markets worldwide, Story of Yanxi Palace became a huge hit across Asia, catapulting Wu Jinyan and Xu Kai to stardom and revitalizing the careers of Qin Lan and Charmaine Sheh.

Changchun Palace II (Episode 37–40) The Empress eventually wakes from her coma and becomes pregnant again, but almost loses her life while giving birth to a son.

Consort Chun, insulted by Fuheng's rejection, strives to be the Emperor's new favorite and even bears a son, which places her in direct competition with the Empress.

Yingluo's captivation of the Emperor and rapid promotions bring her numerous threats, especially from her former sworn brother Yuan Chunwang.

Yanxi Palace II (Episode 59–70) A few years later, another threat in the form of newcomer Concubine Shun, a beautiful and cunning woman, calls Yingluo back to the Forbidden City.

Having reached stalemate at this point, Yingluo negotiates a truce with the Step-Empress Nara on the condition that both of them will not harm any imperial offspring in spite of their rivalry.

Yuan Chunwang, now the Step-Empress Nara's trusted servant, betrays his new mistress by causing a series of mishaps in the palace that destabilize her rule and affect her sanity.

One night, a band of rebels suddenly storms onto the imperial boat just as a fire engulfs the Empress Dowager's cabin, prompting the Emperor to charge into the flames to save his mother and seemingly perishing in the process.

The next morning, as Prince He gallantly appears to restore order from the overnight coup, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager emerge safely from a secret passageway designed by Fuheng and expose the plan of treachery.

This clear favoritism, after all of her years of devotion, causes the Step-Empress to break down into a fit of jealous rage and cut off her hair, a taboo in Manchu tradition.

Yuan Chunwang is driven into madness upon realizing that he has been misled by a lie, which led him to choose to be castrated and enter the Forbidden City for revenge.

Back when Yingluo was being punished to work in the Hard Labor Department, the then-Consort Xian had saved her life by ordering an imperial physician to attend to her after she collapsed from illness.

To repay this kindness from long ago, Yingluo pleads for leniency for the Step-Empress, who is permitted to keep her title, but loses the authority to manage the Inner Palace and all of the Emperor's affection.

Initially head of the Imperial Guards, he later becomes the Emperor's highly regarded court official, minister, military general, and is bestowed the title of a Duke of the first rank.

金氏 Elder of the two Jin sisters, who becomes an ally of Gao Ningxin and takes the fall for their schemes against Hoifa-Nara Shushen.

玉壶 Personal attendant of Su Jinghao and romantic interest of Wang Zhong, a eunuch from the heating department.

Palace Eunuchs 李玉 Personal attendant and trusted confidante to Qianlong Emperor and a comic relief for the series.

吴书来 索伦·海兰察 齐佳·庆锡 叶天士 张院判 爱新觉罗·胤禛 乌拉那拉氏 钮祜禄氏 Empress Dowager and one of the late Yongzheng Emperor's high-ranked imperial consorts.

爱新觉罗·永珹 Fourth son of the Qianlong Emperor by elder Lady Jin; raised by Hoifa-Nara Shushen but often insecure when compared to his brothers, allowing Yuan Chuanwang and Zhen'er to sow discord between him and the Step-Empress.

Others 钱正源 王天一 魏清泰 富察老夫人 富察·傅谦 富察·福康安 青莲 A pretty personal attendant and trusted confidante of Fuca Fuheng.

高斌 高恒 辉发那拉·那尔布 郎佳氏 辉发那拉·常寿 钮祜禄·爱必达 钮祜禄·讷亲 Many of the props and costumes were made using traditional Chinese crafts that are dying out, with few master-level experts remaining to pass on their skills to the next generation.

The acquisition of these skills requires a lifetime of commitment, since they are unsurprisingly labor-intensive, demanding a sharp eye and tireless hands.

The velvet flower headwears used by the main characters were designed based on historical documents or antiques housed in the Palace Museum.

[17] The technique dates back to the Tang dynasty (618–907) and refers to the creation of not only floral displays, but also animal shapes made of silk on a twisted wire frame.

[18] Worn by the imperial consorts as status symbols of opulence, these are hairpins of a particular vibrant blue hue, made from the preserved feathers of the wings and back of the kingfisher bird.

A 70-track studio album titled The Story of Yanxi Palace TV soundtrack (延禧攻略 影视剧配乐) was released on July 19, 2018, containing the instrumental music of the series composed by Chen Guoliang.

[21] A total of 129 pieces were used in the show.In the Philippines, "Aahon" JMKO was released under ABS-CBN Star Music and was the show's theme song.

[18] It also received praise for its well-developed characters and exciting interpretation by the actors, beautiful cinematography and intricate costume design, as well as its accurate portrayal of the Qing dynasty setting.

[34] On December 31, 2019, Netflix released the six-episode spinoff Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures, which covers the marriage of Wei Yingluo's daughter, Zhaohua.