Plot

The series revolves around Wei Xiao Bao and his adventures as the unwilling pawn of both the emperor and the revolutionaries.

Can a hero with no combat abilities still save the empire? Wei Xiao Bao (Han Dong) is the most unlikely hero as the sly but witty son of a prostitute during the early Qing Dynasty. As he makes his way from the brothel where he was born in Yangzhou to the capital city of Beijing, he encounters all kinds of trouble and mishaps.

He was born to a prostitute from a brothel and through series of adventures, he went to the Forbidden City impersonating as a eunuch. In the palace, he had a fateful encounter with the young Kangxi Emperor and they develop an unlikely friendship. Out of the palace, he meets Chen Jinnan, the leader of the anti-governmental secret organization, Heaven and Earth Society and becomes Chen's disciple. Throughout the drama, Wei Xiaobao makes several seemingly impossible achievements. First, he discovers the whereabouts of the Shunzhi Emperor, who was presumed dead, saves him from danger, and then helps him reunite with his son, the Kangxi Emperor. Second, he weakens the rebellion staged by Wu Sangui by bribing Wu's allies to withdraw, allowing the Qing army to crush the rebels easily. Third, he eliminates the Mystic Dragon Cult by stirring up internal conflict. Last, he leads a campaign against the Russian Empire and helps the Qing Empire reach a border treaty with Russia. For his numerous accomplishments, Wei Xiaobao is rewarded with immense wealth and titles of nobility. His highest rank was "Duke of Deer and Cauldron".—China Huace TV

The Deer and the Cauldron (Lu Ding Ji) is a 2014 Chinese series starring Han Dong and Wei Qian Xiang. It's one of the many, many adaptations of The Deer and the Cauldron by Jin Yong. Like the novel, the series revolves around Wei Xiao Bao and his adventures as the unwilling pawn of both the emperor and the revolutionaries.—TVTropes

The Deer and the Cauldron (Lu Ding Ji) is a 2014 Chinese series starring Han Dong and Wei Qian Xiang. It's one of the many, many adaptations of The Deer and the Cauldron by Jin Yong. The drama is adapted from Jin Yong's 2005 newly revised version of the novel of the same name, set in the social history of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, depicting the story of the legendary experiences of a young man, Wei Xiao bao, who comes from the lowest strata of society.

Can a hero with no combat abilities still save the empire? Wei Xiao Bao (Han Dong) is the most unlikely hero as the sly but witty son of a prostitute during the early Qing Dynasty. As he makes his way from the brothel where he was born in Yangzhou to the capital city of Beijing, he encounters all kinds of trouble and mishaps.



When he is kidnapped and taken to the imperial palace, Xiao Bao impersonates a eunuch to survive. By accident, he meets the young Emperor Kang Xi (Wei Qian Xiang) and the two become unlikely friends.



Through sheer luck, cunning and other accidents, Xiao Bao is able to help Kang Xi protect his throne from dangerous challengers while surviving several kidnappings by cults and other dangerous groups. He also goes on to have seven wives, including the beautiful Shuang Er (Zhang Meng).



But can Xiao Bao ultimately choose between his conflicting loyalties to the emperor and the anti-Qing regime?



"The Deer and the Cauldron" is a 2014-2015 Chinese drama series directed by Lai Shui Qing. It is adapted from the novel of the same name by Jin Yong (Louis Cha).