THREADS · READER SAFE

Pursuit of Jade

逐玉

China · 2025 · 40 episodes

Sarcastic Warning: Contains Maximum Tropes. It's the classic drama bingo! Our heroine somehow ends up on a war-torn battlefield armed with nothing but a butcher knife to find her missing husband. Between the fake marriage and the 'fallen noble' revenge plot, you'll need a scorecard to keep track of his secret identities.

23Characters 9/14Connections 3/7Arcs 3/8Timeline 100%Mapped
Story movement

Story Arcs

3/7arcs
Revenge EP 1+

Xie Zheng's Quest for Ancestral Vengeance

Following a devastating household tragedy and the subsequent downfall of his noble lineage, Xie Zheng operates under a dense cover of secrecy to dismantle the corrupt political forces that framed his family. He assumes multiple false personas and soft-spoken facades to misdirect his adversaries while gathering evidence across county borders. Operating from hidden sanctuaries, his covert operations target the deeply embedded networks of regional administrators. The ultimate stakes involve the total exposure of historical crimes and the full legal restoration of the Marquis of Wu'an ancestral line.

Xie ZhengQi MinXie Shi Yi
Romance EP 1+

The Fake Marriage and Contract Alliance

To protect her family property and shield her younger sister Fan Chang Ning following their parents' death, the resilient butcher's daughter Fan Chang Yu enters into a fake marriage of convenience with the hidden nobleman Xie Zheng. Initially structured purely as a contract for mutual domestic survival, the alliance forces the mismatched pair to cohabitate within a small village butcher shop. As they repeatedly shield one another from local administrative harassment and unexpected violent ambushes, their tactical partnership slowly blossoms into profound, authentic romantic devotion. The bond is tested as external wartime chaos threatens to tear them apart permanently.

Xie ZhengFan Chang YuFan Chang Ning
Power Struggle

The Imperial Capital Bureaucratic Power Struggle

Inside the high executive chambers of the capital, a ruthless administrative battle rages for absolute legal dominance and the preservation of corrupt elite factions. Scholarly advisors like Grand Tutor Tao Yi navigate shifting alignments and rigid traditional protocols to counter the manipulation of weaponized imperial decrees. The opposing Sui-Qi Faction utilizes strict territorial checkpoints and high-profile ambushes to seal away the secrets of past massacres. The macro conflict reaches its climax as the stability of the entire court is heavily contested under the watchful eye of Dowager An.

Grand Tutor TaoDowager AnHe Jing Yuan
Who carries the story

Characters

23characters
Main Role

Xie Zheng

谢征
Main Role

Fan Chang Yu

樊长玉

The physically strong and fiercely determined daughter of a butcher who steps up to protect her family after losing her parents. To defend her property and care for her younger sister, she disguises herself as a man and enters a fake marriage with Xie Zheng. When war tears them apart, she courageously picks up her butcher's knife and enters the battlefield to seek justice and reunite with her husband.

Antagonist

Qi Min

齐敏
Family Member

Fan Chang Ning

樊长宁

The younger sister of Fan Chang Yu who resides within the family compound. Deeply cared for by her resilient older sister following their parents' tragic passing, her safety serves as a primary domestic motivation for Chang Yu's initial protective choices and marital setups. She represents the home front that must be preserved at all costs.

Support Role

Gongsun Yin

公孙银

A strategic and calculated supporting figure operating within the political and military landscape of the drama. His actions heavily intersect with the overarching power structures and the fallout of the noble houses. He serves as an intellectual anchor or adviser navigating the shifting loyalties brought upon by the war.

Support Role

Yu Qian Qian

郁芊芊

A noble-born lady who navigates the strict social hierarchies and romantic expectations of the high society circles. Backed by her maidservant Fu Ling, her path weaves into the central families, providing either domestic rivalries or strategic alliances. Her presence highlights the distinct social burdens placed on women during the wartime transition.

Mentor

Grand Tutor Tao

陶一疆

A highly respected scholar and mentor holding premier administrative and advisory status in the capital. He serves as an ethical benchmark within the court, guiding or counseling the younger generation of officials while managing bureaucratic protocols that could aid in exposing historical conspiracies.

Support Role

Qi Sheng

齐晟

An influential supporting character tangled within the complex administrative or martial landscape. He participates in the grand schemes that dictate county security or military movements as the empire shifts into wartime footing. His loyalties are tested as regional conflicts begin to directly threaten the capital.

Antagonist

Sui Yuan Qing

隋远青
Support Role

Yue Li

Support Role

Li Huai An

李怀安

A scholar or hidden professional character navigating the domestic and strategic boundaries of the Capital and regional estates. Moving under dual designations, he assists in archiving clues or providing structural guidance to secondary factions during periods of intense political transitions.

Family Member

Xie Qi

谢祁

A relative or loyal associate connected to the historical lineage of the Xie noble house. He holds memory or lingering loyalty to the family's past prestige, occasionally interacting with Xie Zheng's covert network to rebuild their ancestral footprint or protect hidden bloodlines.

Support Role

Dowager An

安太后

A powerful matriarchal authority figure rooted within the elite ancestral structures or high-ranking courts. Her verdicts, traditional decrees, and ancestral expectations carry massive political weight, governing the rise and fall of aristocratic titles and impacting the main characters' quest for formal restoration.

Support Role

Xie Wu

谢五

A dedicated fighter, subordinate, or close family connection linked to the defensive remnants of the Xie estate. He works diligently to safeguard the covert communications and movement of Xie Zheng as they attempt to bypass hostile checkpoints set up by rival factions.

Support Role

Qi Shu

齐术

A prominent supporting actor embedded within the local factions or military operations defining the region. His actions influence the enforcement of law and military defense, impacting how the main characters move between safe havens. He plays a key role in executing domestic or tactical maneuvers.

Support Role

Zhuo Ran

卓然

A supporting figure operating within the military factions or local resistance forces during the outbreak of war. He coordinates defensive lines or assists primary fighters on the battlefield, adding grit and execution capability to the righteous factions fighting for justice.

Support Role

Wei Yan

魏严

An official or strategist operating within the larger political framework of the imperial court or local military camps. His administrative decisions create systemic pressure or assistance for the protagonist's secret investigations into historical injustices. He helps establish the high-stakes historical environment of the series.

Support Role

Zhao Xun

赵勋

A peer or regional associate whose family coordinates closely with the local business or defensive grids. He interacts with the surrounding neighbor networks, adding context to the community challenges faced by the Fan family before the grand military campaigns begin.

Support Role

He Jing Yuan

贺景元

A refined supporting individual rooted in the wider social or political framework of the Capital City. His family alliances or tactical choices provide minor structural support to the main plotlines as noble title restorations reach their critical phases.

Support Role

Wei Sheng

魏胜

A martial or bureaucratic agent affiliated with regional defensive networks. He handles operational orders, logistics, or security boundaries during sudden wartime escalations, contributing to the broader background arc of state defense. His tactical decisions ripples down to affect the local villages.

Support Role

Xie Shi Yi

谢十一

A loyal subordinate or guard closely linked to the Xie household remnants. Operating in the shadows, his primary duty is to execute tactical reconnaissance, protect confidential communication paths, and shield the primary leaders from ambush during operations across provincial boundaries.

Support Role

Li Chang

李昌

A supporting character operating within the domestic, legal, or regional administrative offices. His actions intersect with local regulations or household networks, providing context to the bureaucratic procedures and external pressures confronting the central families.

Support Role

Li Huai Qing

李怀庆

An aristocratic or scholarly individual moving through the elite social networks of the Capital City. His interactions with other minor nobles reflect the shifting allegiances, traditional familial expectations, and political currents that run parallel to the main conflict.

What ties them together

Connections

9/14connections
Xie Zheng Husband & Wife Fan Chang Yu

The central connection of the drama, beginning as a marriage of convenience and fake setup for mutual survival. Xie Zheng hides his true noble identity under a gentle facade, while Fan Chang Yu seeks to protect her property. Over time, their bond deepens into profound mutual devotion and love as they face separation and the realities of war.

Romantic
Fan Chang Yu Sibling Fan Chang Ning

Biological sisters who depend entirely on each other after the tragic passing of their parents. Fan Chang Yu acts as a fierce protector for her younger sister, structuring her initial marriage setup primarily to secure a safe environment for Chang Ning. Their household bond anchors the emotional stakes on the domestic home front.

Family
Xie Zheng Admirer Yu Qian Qian

Yu Qian Qian moves within the elite social circles of the capital and develops a strong romantic infatuation or one-sided admiration for Xie Zheng's high noble standing. Her personal pursuit introduces subtle romantic tension and high-society domestic ripples around his primary arrangement with Fan Chang Yu. This dynamic emphasizes the class differences and social expectations contrasting the female lead's humble origin.

Romantic
Fan Chang Yu Allies Zhuo Ran

Battlefield allies forged during the sudden escalation of regional wartime campaigns. Zhuo Ran coordinates local defense plans and provides tactical support on the front lines, reinforcing Fan Chang Yu as she transitions from a simple villager into a courageous fighter. Their mutual cooperation helps secure crucial safe havens for displaced refugees.

Alliance
Wei Yan Acquaintance / Family Connection Wei Sheng

Linked through their shared lineage and complementary roles inside the empire's bureaucratic and defensive grids. While Wei Yan acts as a court-level strategist managing administrative pressures, Wei Sheng oversees tactical logistics and security boundaries within the regional military camps. Their structural interaction builds out the complex historical backdrop of state defense.

Family
Grand Tutor Tao Associate He Jing Yuan

Professional associates operating within the elite executive and advisory offices of the Capital City. They collaborate to maintain traditional court protocols and manage high-level policy transitions during sudden military crises. Their bureaucratic alignment indirectly influences the timing of noble household title restorations.

Professional
Gongsun Yin Associate Qi Sheng

Professional associates operating within the broader administrative and martial structures of the empire. They collaborate on regional security arrangements and adjust to shifting military commands during sudden wartime escalations, reflecting the strategic adjustments made by local authorities.

Professional
Li Huai An Social Circle Peer Li Huai Qing

Peers moving within the shared scholarly and aristocratic networks of the Capital City. Their interactions show the social expectations, intellectual trends, and family pressures that govern the lives of refined gentlemen during the era's political transitions.

Other
Zhao Xun Associate Li Chang

A minor background relationship based in the regional administrative and legal offices. They interact during routine checks, local property disputes, or community safety assemblies, framing the basic bureaucratic layer that the Fan family deals with before the grand military campaigns begin.

Professional
Where it happens

Places

9places
Home

The Fan Family Butcher Shop

The modest home and workplace where Fan Chang Yu resides and works with her younger sister Fan Chang Ning following their parents' death. It serves as the foundational starting setting where Fan Chang Yu establishes her fake marriage agreement with a hidden Xie Zheng for mutual safety and property protection. This domestic anchor remains the peaceful harbor she strives to preserve before the chaos of war uproots their lives.

Village

Qinghe County

The local rural region and small-town hub housing the Fan family estate and community networks. It functions as the initial battlefield where corrupt local officials from the Sui-Qi Faction weaponize administrative laws to harass the residents. The escalating tension and sudden outbreaks of violence here eventually push the main characters to escape into the wider world.

City

The Imperial Capital

The ultimate imperial center of power, high noble society, and complex administrative networks. It houses the supreme court bureaucracy, Dowager An's palace, and the offices of prominent political scholars like Grand Tutor Tao Yi. The city serves as the macro-setting where the final strategy for the Marquis of Wu'an lineage restoration is fought and resolved.

Court

The Imperial Court

The high-stakes political workspace and administrative hall of the Capital City where supreme decrees are debated and issued. It is heavily frequented by Grand Tutor Tao Yi, court strategists, and top-ranking bureaucrats navigating the shifting balances of state power. Events here directly dictate the formal legal survival or destruction of the empire's historical noble clans.

Military Base

Regional Military Camp

The strategic provincial defense outpost and army staging ground managed by the empire's frontier officers. It serves as a cutthroat arena where front-line commanders like Zhuo Ran coordinate defensive battle lines against enemy advances while logistical officers enforce strict security boundaries. The location transitions Fan Chang Yu's arc from a simple village helper into a courageous martial fighter.

Hideout

The Xie Clan Safe House

A highly confidential underground sanctuary maintained in secret by the surviving loyal remnants of the Xie estate. It is actively utilized by Xie Wu and tactical scouts like Xie Shi Yi to run hidden communication networks, archive clues, and shield Xie Zheng from hostile provincial patrol traps. This safe haven provides the necessary tactical springboard to plan their counter-strikes away from public eyes.

Home

The Baxia Territory Mansion

An imposing aristocratic estate and fortified residence that serves as a vital strategic stronghold for high-ranking factions. It functions as a secure operational base where crucial alliance negotiations are held, defensive military maps are drafted, and secondary lines of defense are orchestrated during wartime escalations. The location acts as a physical representation of high noble lineage power outside the primary Capital administrative rings.

Restaurant

The Tianxiang Building

A prominent, multi-story urban pavilion and social venue where the paths of elite historical figures intersect. It serves as a memorable setting for high-stakes societal encounters, undercover reconnaissance, and crucial romantic subplots between the central characters. The structure represents the bustling, commercial upper-class lifestyle framing the main narrative.

Palace

The Ming and Qing Palatial Gardens

An expansive, elaborately detailed royal courtyard and garden complex located within the innermost palace grounds. It is used for formal imperial court proceedings, majestic royal assemblies, and high-tension legal actions, including the symbolic ceremonial drum beating. The architecture symbolizes strict imperial protocols and the absolute power of the monarch.

Who holds power

Organizations

5organizations
Family

The Xie Clan

A noble and historical aristocratic lineage heavily impacted by past tragedy and false accusations. Its surviving members operate undercover through an extensive secret network to rebuild their ancestral legacy and secure formal title restoration. The household balances survival against relentless hunting by powerful corrupt regional factions.

Family

The Fan Household

A humble and resilient local family operating on the domestic home front of the village. Left isolated following the tragic passing of the parents, the household's survival depends entirely on physical endurance and protective arrangements. It serves as the emotional foundation and initial sanctuary for the main couple before the outbreak of grand military campaigns.

Royal Court

The Imperial Court / Capital Administration

The supreme governing body of the empire where premier executive, scholarly, and bureaucratic decisions are executed. It functions as a complex political battleground governed by traditional protocols, strict imperial decrees, and systemic corruption. The choices made within its offices heavily impact the rise and fall of noble titles across the nation.

Military

Regional Defense Forces

The provincial defense grid and military camps responsible for maintaining territorial boundaries and executing emergency orders during sudden wartime escalations. The organization coordinates field logistics, front-line battles, and village security check-points. It transitions the narrative from localized family conflict into grand historical action.

Government

The Sui-Qi Faction

A corrupt network of local administrators and ruthless enforcers operating under hidden dual identities across county offices. Bound by shared illegal motives and high-stakes cover-ups, the group weaponizes forged decrees, strict roadblocks, and violent ambushes to eliminate political threats. They act as the primary antagonist force opposing the restoration of noble houses.