The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (成化十四年; Chéng Huà Shí Sì Nián, meaning "The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua") is a 2020 Chinese series starring Darren Chen, Fu Meng Bo and Liu Yao Yuan. It's produced by Jackie Chan and is a loose Live-Action Adaptation of the webnovel of the same name by Meng Xishi.
The series revolves around Tang Fan, an administrative official during the Ming Dynasty who balances his passion for food with his passion for solving crime, Sui Zhou, a captain of the guard, and Wang Zhi, a high-ranking eunuch in the palace.
Released by iQiyi on April 1, 2020, it is also available on Viki.
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Duo'erla. She can hold her own in fights and, while taken prisoner at one point, gets very far in escaping on her own after improvising a sling.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Wang Zhi is only mentioned here and there during the first mystery in the novel. In the show, he's an active player in the investigation.
- Adaptational Heroism: Zheng Zhi's motivations in the novel behind his murder of Zheng Cheng boiled down to wanting the position of heir. In the show, the murder is explained through his desire to restore the family's honor.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul / But Not Too Gay: While the original novel depicts a romance between Tang Fan and Sui Zhou, the television adaptation keeps only the homoerotic subtext.
- Adaptational Sexuality: Besides the leads not being romantically involved, Zheng Cheng is only portrayed as a skirt-chaser, where in the original novel his orientation was closer to Depraved Bisexual.
- Adapted Out: Many minor characters.
- Age Lift: Novel!A-Dong is around eight years old, while show!Dong-Er is said to be thirteen or fourteen. This helps avert
Dawson Casting, as Dong'er's actress was around that age while filming. - Alas, Poor Villain: Happens a number of times, for example with Ma Lin.
- Both Lin Chaodong and Feng Qingzi are much more sympathetic than their victim. Both of them are driven by their circumstances, while Zheng Cheng was just an asshole.
- And the Adventure Continues: The show concludes following this trope.
- Asshole Victim: Zheng Cheng's first appearance features him sexually harassing a flower seller and sneering at Tang Fan, who proceeds to mention his reputation as a lecherous drunk. It's hard to feel sorry for him when he turns up dead later in the episode.
- Bastard Bastard: Zhu Jianmou, though his being a bastard and his being a serial killer are completely separate, as he only finds out about the former during a trial.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: First Zhu Jianmou's cart bearer, than Zhu Jianmou himself in quick succession.
- The Charmer: Pei Huai, a doctor, is also known as the Genius Gynecologist.
- Child Prodigy: In the show, Dong'er is an example of this, on top of being an Adorably Precocious Child. Wang Zhi and Tang Fan are also described as being graduates of this trope.
- Cry into Chest: Dong'Er cries into Tang Fan's chest after he rescues her from the brothel.
- Cut Apart: Briefly while Tang Fan and Duo'erla are being held in Zhu Jiamou's home and Sui Zhou is investigating, he starts rattling something, they hear something else, and start yelling for help. The editing suggests that it's Sui Zhou, but in reality it's a henchman.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Zheng Zhi in his father's.
- Disguised in Drag: Multiple instances of this.
- Tang Fan dons drag to disguise himself as Cui Mama.
- Zhang Gongzhu is secretly Princess Gu'an.
- Jin San may also be an example of this, or more specifically, of Sweet Polly Oliver, as they don drag in order to move freely in society and lead a gang of thieves.
- Easily Forgiven: Zhu Jianmou murders 62 women and comes extremely close to murdering Tang Fan and Duo'erla as well. His punishment? Exile to the far north with his family so that he can "spread his good deeds" elsewhere. Tang Fan is not impressed, and attempts to get justice on his own. His attempt ends with Duke Zhu taking his own life in public.
- Epic Tracking Shot: Used in the resolution of the hostage situation at the brothel.
- Eye-Obscuring Hat: When tailing others or trying to blend into a crowd, Jia Kui is often seen wearing a comically large hat.
- Family of Choice: Most of the main cast, especially Sui Zhou, Tang Fan, and Dong'er. Consort Wan is also shown to view Wang Zhi as a surrogate for her deceased child.
- Faux Fluency: Possibly As Long as It Sounds Foreign, the spoken Oirat (and Jurchen) is dubbed over Mandarin-speaking actors.
- Gilligan Cut: Episode 4 features one. Tang Fan is making it clear that he's going to be involved in an upcoming arrest...and then it cuts to Sui Zhou locking him in a cell, ignoring his many loud protests.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Duo'erla chooses to die with A'lasi but not before ensuring that Tang Fan escapes a carriage that is about to explode.
- Historical Domain Character: The Chenghua Emperor
, Consort Wan, and the future Hongzhi Emperor appear in the series.- Wang Zhi himself is a historical domain character, albeit a much more obscure one than the royal family.
- Identical Stranger / Criminal Doppelgänger: Yang Fu.
- The Igor: Zhu Jianmou has one. Tang Fan initially mistakes him for the serial killer he's chasing. As it turns out, he's also Zhu Jianmou's father.
- Incidental Villain: Wan Tong is commander of the Northern Imperial Police who is mostly motivated by the promise of money and prestige. He is shown to be wary of endangering his older sister, Consort Wan, but this doesn't really stop him from participating in dubious activities.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Several. Tang Fan takes the cake.
- Master Archer: Only Wuyun and three other archers have the skills to shoot down the bo-langs that are raining down all over the capital.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: In the lead up to the final showdown of the series, Ding Rong betrays Wang Zhi, seemingly for this reason.
- In the end, despite his betrayal, Ding Rong fails to kill Wang Zhi and is then similarly spared from death. In perhaps a downplayed example of Can't Live with Them, Can't Live Without Them, Wang Zhi takes an imprisoned Ding Rong with him to Hetao.
- Non-Action Guy: Tang Fan, oh so very much. He's useless in a fight, especially early on, and routinely gets his ass handed to him by Duo'Erla in an early arc.
- No Periods, Period: Averted by the first episode, where Feng Qingzi tries putting Zheng Cheng off by saying she's on her period at the moment.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: When Tang Fan is drugged a third time in the course of several hours while investigating a case, he just resignedly says "here we go again" as he loses consciousness.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tang Fan gives Zhu Jianmou one in open court during a trial, even throwing back things he'd said during his Motive Rant back in his face.
- Renaissance Man: Wang Zhi's subordinate Ding Rong. Besides his knowledge of poisons, torture, and horse thieving, it is implied that he can whip up a pretty detailed diorama. He is also shown as being a logistics expert, a capable fighter, and, without previous experience, a bomb disposal technician.
- Serial Killer: Zhu Jianmou is revealed to be the perpetrator of several crimes. His final bodycount was a chilling 62.
- In the meantime, Pei Huai is implicated for the murders in the capital and held in the Northern Imperial Prison.
- Sheath Strike: Prominently used by Sui Zhou.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Used in some scenes where traditional Chinese instruments are shown.
- Supreme Chef: Sui Zhou. One time when he cooks for Dong'er and Tang Fan, the latter starts crying due to the deliciousness.
- Those Magnificent Flying Machines: Built by Wang Xian.
- Eventually, Wang Xian and Princess Gu'an Face Death with Dignity by taking off in the flying machine while it is carrying multiple bombs.
- Together in Death: Feng Qingzi and Lin Chaodong. They were planning to kill themselves anyway, as they saw no hope in either of their lives, but then got roped into a murder plot.
