The Qin Empire II: Alliance

The Qin Empire II: Alliance
Poster
Traditional	大秦帝國之縱橫
Simplified	大秦帝国之纵横
Mandarin	Dà Qín Dìguó zhī Zònghéng
Genre	Historical drama
Developed by	Zhou Yaping Jiao Yang
Screenplay by	Zhang Jianwei
Story by	Sun Haohui
Directed by	Ding Hei Bao Chengzhi
Creative director(s)	Ding Guoli
Presented by	Hu Zhanfan Duan Xiannian Luo Ming Ren Xianliang Liu Bin Ma Runsheng Wang Guangqun Zhang Xuguang
Starring	Ning Jing Fu Dalong Yu Entai Yao Lu Fu Miao Zhou Bo Jing Hao Li Li-chun Yang Xinming Chen Hao Peng Bo Yang Zhigang Zheng Tianyong
Ending theme	Tianxia Qin Feng (天下秦风) performed by Sitar Tan / Tan Jing
Composer(s)	Zhao Jiping Zhao Lin
Country of origin	China
Original language(s)	Mandarin
No. of episodes	51 (original version) 23 (CTV version) 43 (CCTV version)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Zhang Jie Wang Hao He Xiaoli
Producer(s)	Zhang Ziyang Li Yuan
Production location(s)	China
Cinematography	Zhang Chaoying
Editor(s)	Li Zimeng
Running time	45 minutes per episode (original version)
Production company(s)	Xi'an Qujiang Cultural Industry Investment
Release
Original network	Astro Wah Lai Toi
First shown in	Malaysia
Original release	22 June 2012 (2012-06-22)
Chronology
Preceded by	The Qin Empire (2009)
Followed by	The Qin Empire III (2017)

The Qin Empire II: Alliance is a 2012 Chinese television series adapted from Sun Haohui's novel of the same Chinese title, which romanticises the events in China during the Warring States period primarily from the perspective of the Qin state during the reigns of King Huiwen and King Wu.

It was first aired on Astro Wah Lai Toi in Malaysia in 2012. It was preceded by The Qin Empire (2009) and followed by The Qin Empire III (2017), which were also based on Sun Haohui's novels. The series began streaming as Qin Empire: Alliance on Netflix in 2017.^[1]

Plot

The series is set in the mid fourth century BC during the Warring States period of China. In 338 BC, Ying Si (King Huiwen) succeeds his father, Ying Quliang (Duke Xiao), as the ruler of the Qin state. After coming to power, he gets rid of Shang Yang, whom he has a personal grudge against, but retains the sociopolitical reforms implemented by his father and Shang Yang in the past two decades.

Ying Si soon receives an invitation to attend a ceremony in Pengcheng, where he and the rulers of the Qi and Wei states will declare themselves kings and recognise each other's legitimacy. (The rulers of Qin and Qi were previously dukes.) He survives assassination attempts and prevents rival states from forming an alliance against Qin. While he is away, the Qin aristocrats who have long opposed Shang Yang's reforms instigate the Yiqu state to attack Xianyang, the Qin capital, and attempt to use the opportunity to overthrow the king. However, King Huiwen remains cool-headed while dealing with the crisis, and eventually drives back the Yiqu invaders and eliminates the traitorous aristocrats.

Under King Huiwen's reign, the Qin state defeats the Wei state and seizes all the Wei territories west of the Yellow River between 330 and 328 BC. In 330 BC, the Qin state takes advantage of internal conflict in the Yiqu state to attack them and force them to surrender by 327 BC. In 318 BC, the Qin army successfully repels an invasion by a five-state alliance – Wei, Zhao, Han, Yan and Chu. Two years later, Qin conquers the Shu state to its south. In 313 BC, King Huiwen sends his chancellor Zhang Yi to sow discord between the Chu and Qi states. When King Huai of Chu learns that he has been deceived, he orders an attack on Qin but loses at the Battle of Danyang. With these victories, the Qin state gains control over the Guanzhong, Hanzhong and Bashu regions, and poses an even greater threat to its rivals in the east.

King Huiwen dies in 311 BC. He is succeeded by his first son, Ying Dang (King Wu), who wages war against the Han state and gains access to the Zhou dynasty's capital, Luoyang, after the Battle of Yiyang. In 307 BC, while visiting the Zhou royal palace in Luoyang, King Wu attempts to powerlift a ding as a show of his physical strength. Although he succeeds in his attempt, he suffers a fatal injury and dies shortly afterwards. His younger half-brother, Ying Ji (King Zhaoxiang), will eventually succeed him as the next king of Qin.

Cast

Main cast

Other cast

Broadcasts

References

External links

• (in Chinese) The Qin Empire II official page on CCTV's website
• (in Chinese) The Qin Empire II official page on CTV's website