The phenomenon-level hit drama “Joy of Life” welcomed its second season, garnering immense attention. Upon its release, the drama immediately dominated the hot search lists and broke historical records on Tencent Video, earning the title of “Drama King” officially certified by Tencent itself. Currently, “Joy of Life Season 2” has set a new record for the highest heat value in Tencent Video's history, claiming the top spot in viewership ratings during its time slot, truly deserving the title of a “hit drama.”
Since the airing of “Joy of Life 1,” it has been five years, leaving viewers with a cliffhanger: Fan Xian (played by Zhang Ruoyun) was sent on a mission to the Northern Qi, one of his tasks being to retrieve Yan Bingyun. However, during the negotiations, he was betrayed by Yan Bingyun and collapsed after being stabbed, coughing up blood. As the protagonist of the series, we all know Fan Xian won't easily die, but how he dies and how he survives are intriguing questions.
The beginning of “Joy of Life Season 2” briefly callbacks to the past, quickly refreshing the memories of the audience. Afterwards, Yan Bingyun personally sets fire to the corpse in front of the Second Prince's attendants to corroborate the news of Fan Xian's death. The news swiftly reaches the capital, and Fan Xian's three “fathers” are initially frantic upon hearing the news, but they soon calm down and begin to ponder. They believe there must be something fishy about their son's actions.
Even though they cannot fathom Fan Xian's motives, they tacitly decide to cooperate and assist him, quickly spreading the news of his death throughout the city. On the other hand, Fan Xian, in order to rescue Fei Jie, Fan Sizhe, and the orphan from the Teng family held captive by the Second Prince, feigns death to buy time and rushes back to the capital with Wang Qinian.
As soon as Fan Xian enters the city gates, he personally participates in his own funeral, miraculously becoming a deity who blesses marriages and education. He single-handedly revitalizes a street, with various peripheral products emerging endlessly and in diverse forms.
The time for Fan Xian's death is also limited; he must revive before the return of the embassy to dispel the rumors. In a society ruled by imperial power, feigning death and deceiving the emperor is a capital offense. Despite Fan Xian being favored by Emperor Qing, he still needs to obtain Emperor Qing's forgiveness before taking action. Seeing Fan Xian kneel before the palace, shedding tears and sincerely repenting, and finally obtaining Emperor Qing's forgiveness in exchange for information on the Shen Miao's whereabouts, the crime of deceiving the emperor is finally absolved after Emperor Qing's dismissal with a single word.
Fan Xian's return to the capital this time is urgent, with heavy tasks at hand. He regrets not being able to be in multiple places at once, so he decides to inform the Crown Prince (played by Zhang Haowei) about the collusion between the Second Prince (played by Liu Duanduan) and the Eldest Princess (played by Li Xiaoran), while he searches for the whereabouts of the others. Wang Qinian learns that Fei Jie and Fan Sizhe are safe, but Teng Zijing's wife and child have been taken to Baoyue Tower, a brothel in the capital.
During his infiltration of Baoyue Tower, Fan Xian meets an old vegetable seller named Lao Jintou (played by Wang Jianguo). Lao Jintou incurred a debt of five hundred taels after offending Dai Gonggong (played by Qin Yan), the procurer of vegetables. His daughter was sold to Baoyue Tower to repay the debt. To reunite Lao Jintou with his daughter, Fan Xian gives him five hundred taels to redeem her, and he also obtains a name card for Baoyue Tower on his behalf. Fan Xian believes this will reunite Lao Jintou with his daughter, but it only leads to tragedy. The five hundred taels are embezzled, Lao Jintou's daughter remains unredeemed, and she dies on the streets.
A vibrant life disappears before his eyes, and Lao Jintou's body is quickly disposed of by the attendants of Baoyue Tower, leaving no trace behind. In the face of power, the fate of the common people is as insignificant as ants. Lao Jintou's death deeply angers Fan Xian. What is the law of the king? The law of the king is the game rules set by those in power.
Lao Jintou, due to his lack of courtesy and insufficient tribute to Dai Gonggong, is repeatedly harassed, accumulating debts he cannot escape from under the oppression of power. Who is Lao Jintou? No one cares. Even Dai Gonggong doesn't remember such a person. They abuse their authority to kill innocents, never considering the plight of the common people. Even a mere procurer has such great power; the power behind this is evident.
It's not just Lao Jintou in this world; Lao Li and Lao Zhang may also encounter such misfortune. Lao Jintou is not the first and won't be the last. Under the power, Fan Xian also overestimates his own status. Holding onto the hope of being recognized as Emperor Qing's illegitimate child, Fan Xian publicly exposes the crimes of the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess, hoping to gain Emperor Qing's support. However, he receives nothing but a loud rebuke from Emperor Qing. Fan Xian is not special enough to be unconditionally favored by Emperor Qing; he is just like the token in his hand, easily discarded. Everyone is just a pawn in Emperor Qing's balancing of power.
Fan Xian, feeling frustrated and hitting walls everywhere, visits his mother's stele. Though he outwardly claims to only care for himself, the seeds of speaking up for the people have silently sprouted within him. At Chen Pingping's suggestion, Fan Xian decides to take charge of the Inspectorate and starts from there to rectify the corrupt practices in the officialdom. To break the deadlock, he sets up a trap. Fan Xian publicly accepts a bribe from Dai Gonggong, which incites dissatisfaction among the officials of the Inspectorate, leading to their petition for impeachment. To expedite the process, Fan Xian deliberately uses mocking words, eventually bringing the matter to the imperial court.
Fan Xian enters the game alone, using the Bureau of Procure as a bait and accusing the officials of widespread corruption. With the assistance of Chen Pingping and Lin Ruofu's subordinates, the various moves culminate in the Inspectorate deflecting the issue, with the ultimate goal of bringing down the Second Prince. With multiple players cooperating and layers of groundwork laid, this court drama is truly spectacular. And Fan Xian is steadily moving towards the center of power.
The closer he gets to the vortex, the more he needs people like him to stand up. He finds Deng Ziyue in a crowd of tendentious people. When Deng Ziyue first entered the officialdom, he was passionate and patriotic, submitting evidence of official corruption to the Inspection Court despite the risks. In a world filled with injustice, Deng Ziyue chose to stand up against it, even at the cost of his own safety. But one man against many is no match, and eventually, worn down by time, he was ground down by society.
He no longer speaks out against injustice and refuses to compromise his principles, choosing instead to suppress his edge. All he can do is refuse bribes. This scene is one of the highlights of “Joy of Life Season 2”. Faced with Fan Xian's cutting questions, Deng Ziyue's emotions gradually shift from silence to breakdown. Layer by layer, his emotions progress, and the innocence buried within him is finally brought to light by Fan Xian.
Fan Xian is determined to fight for justice for the people, but he still has many challenges ahead, especially after Jin's death. Jin's daughter was beaten to death on the street, echoing Teng Zijing's death: the killer didn't even bother to inquire about her identity, just glanced at her and beat her to death, just like Teng Zijing, “who cares about a guard/courtesan who dies?”
If “Joy of Life 1” was about Fan Xian navigating the brutal feudal society for self-preservation, “Joy of Life Season 2” shows his growth and transformation. Fan Xian enjoys a life in ancient times with modern thinking. With an Emperor as his biological father, a foster father in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and a godfather wielding power, he's buffed to the max. Wealth, power, and wisdom are all at his disposal. If life lacks lofty ambitions, he could easily live his life oblivious to the world outside. So, he once thought he couldn't follow his mother's wishes.
It's only after experiencing the deaths of Teng Zijing, Lao Jintou, and Jin's daughter that he begins to realize that if he doesn't stand up to resist, those in power will continue to trample on the common people with impunity. He gradually walks into the world of power struggles, increasingly discovering the cruelty of the feudal monarchy. He knows he can't turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people, so he awakens and begins to walk the path his mother once did.
He wants to use his humble body to shake the evil forces in Qing Country. This path is bound to be fraught with difficulties, but he is determined to tread it. Although “Joy of Life Season 2” has many comedic plots that lean towards comedy, the core is dark. When an idealist begins to face reality, all illusions must be shattered, and a new hope can be born only after the pain.