The world of gongdou (palace scheming) dramas is a captivating one, and these Chinese series are no exception. Beyond the intense power struggles, these shows offer a wealth of meaningful and thought-provoking quotes that have left a lasting impression on viewers. Let’s explore some of the most memorable lines from popular Chinese palace scheming dramas:
1 Memorable Quotes from Story of Yanxi Palace
Memorable Quotes from Story of Yanxi Palace
1. “Moderation in love, like food, ensures longevity.” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
2. “You can’t force someone to stay if their heart isn’t in it.” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
3. “What use is respect to a woman who doesn’t have her husband’s love?” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
4. “Whether intentional or unintentional, wrong is wrong, and one must take responsibility.” – Consort Hua
5. “If the wind understood the flower’s intent, it would not blow it away.” – Wei Yanwan
6. “The ways of the world are such that it’s easy to share prosperity but difficult to endure adversity together.” – Wei Yanwan
7. “When employing someone, don’t doubt them; when you doubt them, don’t employ them.” – Wei Yanwan
8. “Don’t let your emotions show, and keep your thoughts to yourself. Don’t let others guess your joys and sorrows.” – Wei Yanwan
9. “No matter how cold it is, don’t warm yourself with another’s blood.” – Wei Yanwan
10. “In the harem, there is no such thing as sisterly love. The weak rely on the strong, and the foolish listen to the wise. Today’s sisters are tomorrow’s enemies. They smile at you but hold a dagger behind your back.” – Consort Hua
11. “When you return to the palace, you must leave certain things behind. For example, your heart. Not in a heartless way, as the word ‘heartless’ still contains the character for heart. Rather, leave it with no heart.” – Su Jin
2 Memorable Quotes from Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace
1. “When the storm comes, we all have to face it. If we survive, we continue to live. If we don’t, we become fallen leaves and withered branches, swept away.” – Ula-Nara Ruyi
2. “I’ve never liked having only one flower in the palace. A hundred flowers blooming is the most beautiful scenery of spring.” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
3. “This is indeed a game of chess. But like all games of chess, whether to play or not is up to you. If you choose to play, every move you make is your own doing, and you can’t blame others.” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
4. “I only hope that your path ahead will be smooth and safe. I will follow closely behind you, illuminating the path you’ve taken.” – Ling Yunzhe
5. “To everyone else, you must follow the rules, but with me, you can still be Qing Ying.” – Emperor Qianlong
6. “In the Forbidden City, all talk of filial piety and brotherhood is but a joke, mere inscriptions on commemorative plaques after death.” – Hailan
7. “People often say that only strong grass can survive the storm. But I don’t believe it. Only the soft grass that adapts to the wind will not be torn apart.” – Hailan
Memorable Quotes from Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace
8. “I know that everyone in the palace is fighting to have children. But children should be born out of love, not as a tool to secure favor and protect one’s life. Nor should they be forced into this world.” – Han Xiangjian
9. “By the time I understood the transience of power and glory, my life was already over.” – Empress Xiaoxian
10. “This life of mine is like a dream, and any regrets are too late. I only hope that in my next life, I can marry an ordinary man, love my husband, raise my children, and be a virtuous and chaste woman.” – Gao Xiyin
11. “Today, I realize the mistakes of yesterday, but it’s too late, and everything before my eyes is but a spring dream.” – Consort Shu
12. “To me, the most important thing is not the expensive gifts, but that even in my most desperate moments, the Emperor doesn’t let go of my hands.” – Ula-Nara Ruyi
13. “When feelings are deep, words are unnecessary. But now, every word seems to hurt, so silence is best.” – Ula-Nara Ruyi
3 Memorable Quotes from Story of Yanxi Palace
1. “I only know that as long as I don’t bother others, others won’t bother me. If you’re afraid of losing, you resort to despicable means, which only makes people despise you.” – Wei Yingluo
2. “Women are caged from birth, and even when they marry, they only change cages. How can a pampered golden oriole be like a falcon, with a broad vision and the freedom to roam the world?” – Wei Yingluo
3. “I thought you would stand by me, but you gave up first, took a step back first, and broke your promise first. Now, I don’t want to ask why. No matter how much pain you’re in, the result is clear. From now on, don’t come looking for me.” – Wei Yingluo
4. “Everyone’s heart is inherently good, but you must know how to protect yourself.” – Wei Yingluo
5. “I made a mistake by getting entangled in romantic love. I only wanted to conquer the Emperor’s heart.” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
Memorable Quotes from Story of Yanxi Palace
6. “People are inherently heartless, and strict rituals cannot be broken. To expect the monarch to be affectionate is foolish, as human hearts are treacherous, and the way of heaven is cruel. Betrayed time and time again, a slight mistake leads to disaster. Emperor, you are right! I am not a good empress. I apologize!” – Empress Fuca Rongyin
7. “Empress Xiao loved freedom, Consort Gao loved her family, and Consort Shun never loved anyone. In their eyes, there was only the dragon robe and glory, but only I, the entire Forbidden City, only I, loved you, clearly and deeply!” – Noble Consort Xian
8. “I don’t hate her, I hate you, Aisin-Gioro Hongli! I hate you!” – Noble Consort Xian
9. “You spent ten years trying to win the Emperor’s heart, but she did it in an instant. What method did she use to make the Emperor love her so deeply?” – Noble Consort Xian
10. “Emperor, the one you love, you don’t cherish, and the one you don’t love, you treat like treasure. Hongli, you are a fool… No, I am the biggest fool, the most foolish and stupid woman in the world.” – Noble Consort Xian
11. “I had a thousand and ten thousand chances to kill you, and every day and night, a voice echoed in my head, ‘Do it, do it,’ but I couldn’t. My heart, my feelings, couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t hurt my husband, the person I love, the person I couldn’t hurt.” – Noble Consort Xian
12. “Wei Yingluo, in this life, I’ve protected you enough. In the next life, will you protect me?” – Fucha Fuheng
13. “If I put in three parts effort, he must see five parts. If I put in five parts effort, he must repay me with ten parts. Otherwise, it’s unfair. If you silently sacrifice behind someone’s back, they won’t cherish you.” – Wei Yingluo
14. “When you start something seriously but only want to gain without losing, you’ve already lost.” – Wei Yingluo
4 Memorable Quotes from Beauty’s Rival in Palace
Memorable Quotes from Beauty’s Rival in Palace
1. “Between loving someone and being loved, I will always choose to love. Because this feeling is eternal, coming from my heart, my destiny. To preserve this feeling, even if I turn to ashes, I am not afraid.” – Zi Yan
2. “In this world, all suffering, troubles, separations, and hatred come from the heart. If the heart stops beating, people will be much stronger.” – Zi Yan
3. “If you truly love each other, it doesn’t matter if you’re together a day earlier or a day later.” – Xue Pian
4. “I just want to look at you, and even a lifetime is not enough.” – Liu Zhang
5. “It doesn’t matter where you are, what matters is who is by your side.” – Zhang Yan
6. “I just want to love one person with all my heart. For the rest of my life. Even if the outcome is not good, I still want to try.” – Liu Heng
7. “The most important thing in life is to meet someone you love and who loves you back… Love that remains unchanged is precious because of its constancy. No one else can compare.” – Yi Fang
8. “The Electric Light Pavilion is so big, but I have nothing. I only have you.” – Yi Fang
5 Memorable Quotes from The Empress of China
Memorable Quotes from The Empress of China
1. “The harem is a place of intrigue and unpredictable hearts.” – Wu Zetian
2. “The women in this palace are like boxes. They are chosen and then discarded. No one can avoid this fate.” – Wu Zetian
3. “With powerful men, you can’t just give and sacrifice. The best way is to strive to be their equal. A woman who always bows her head will never earn a man’s respect, let alone his love.” – Wu Zetian
4. “Sometimes, peace is more important than the truth.” – Yang Shi
5. “Meeting the Prince was my life. I am willing to die for him. Death holds no regrets.” – Empress Wang
6. “Do you really believe that relationships between women in the palace exist? The one who stabs you in the back is the one closest to you.” – Liu Shi
7. “There are reasons that can deceive others but not your conscience.” – En Dephie
8. “I must become the cruelest woman in the harem to protect myself.” – Wu Zetian
9. “In this world, with blessings come disasters. Sometimes, we laugh, and sometimes, we cry as we clean up the mess.” – Wu Zetian
Indeed, these Chinese palace scheming dramas offer not just captivating historical stories but also profound insights into human nature and life through the meaningful dialogues of their characters.