Introduction
Not another transmigration drama! Transmigration stories are popular because they offer an ultimate escapist fantasy for viewers, allowing us to experience a fresh start in a new world through the eyes of the protagonists, with modern knowledge, overpowered abilities, or the ability to fix past mistakes. However, in How Dare You!?, we have more than one transmigrator. The challenging part was that one just skimmed the book, another didn’t even read it, and another read it but wasn’t cooperating. And all of them were thrown into a very treacherous political situation in the Great Xia Dynasty. This dynasty is associated with early bronze metallurgy and flood control of the mighty Yellow River.
We’ll see how the protagonists fight against the cruel fate written for them, amidst the political turmoil and the ancient natural disaster.
Drama Info
Drama title: How Dare You!? (Native title: 成何体统)
Alternative titles: Cheng He Ti Tong, In What Manner, This is Ridiculous
Genres: Historical, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Aired: 6 Feb, 2026 - 18 Feb, 2026
Episodes: 32 | Duration: 45 min.
Directors: Liu Hai Bo (刘海波) - chief director, and Wang Li (王莉)
Screenwriters: Wang Huan (王欢), Fan Jing (樊菁), Jiang Li Hua (蒋丽华), Zhou Ying Lei (周莹蕾), and Liu Qian Jiu (刘芊粢)
Adapted from the web novel "This Is Ridiculous" (成何体统) by Qi Ying Jun (七英俊)
Where to read English subbed novel: ReadtheDrama, Bethany Delleman, MyDramaNovel, Novel Updates, Wattpad
Where to watch: iQiyi
OST: Full album (fan sub Hanzi/Pinyin/English)
Trailer
Synopsis
Workplace rookie Wang Cuihua unexpectedly finds herself inside the plot of a transmigration novel, where she meets Zhang San, another time-traveler. One is a novice struggling to fight against fate in the workplace; the other is a domineering king who has spent ten years lying low, hiding his achievements. Together, the two, armed with knowledge of the script, begin a series of strategic maneuvers to survive. Tests confirm that the secondary female character, Xie Yong’er, is a transmigrator from an even lower level of the story world. Wang Cuihua and Zhang San prepare drought-resistant crops in advance, recruit talented individuals, stabilize the borderlands, and win over Xie Yong’er, all while defeating the Duke of Duan. Victory seems within reach, but Xiahou Dan (Zhang San) suffers from a long-term, incurable head illness. Only then does Yu Wanyin (Wang Cuihua) realize that the anonymous guest had long prophesied that only one of them could survive. Back when Xiahou Dan spared her life, he missed his best chance to survive. Now, Yu Wanyin makes the same choice to save Xiahou Dan. The weak Qiang Kingdom frequently sends assassins to defeat the Great Xia. When a mute assassin attempts to poison Xiahou Dan, Yu Wanyin uses poison to counter poison, curing his head illness and saving his life. In the end, Yu Wanyin and Xiahou Dan both survive, witnessing the prosperous era they had worked so hard to achieve. (Source: iQiyi)
Characters
Relationship Chart
Main Characters
Wang Chu Ran (王楚然) as Yu Wan Yin
Ryan Cheng/Cheng Lei (丞磊) as Xiahou Dan / Zhang San
Tang Xiao Tian/Daddi Tang (唐晓天) as Xiahou Bo, Duke of Duan
Hu Yi Xuan (胡意旋) as Xie Yong Er
Supporting Characters
Queen Dowager (Ma Su)
Bei Zhu (Cui Yi) – female version, bodyguard
Bei Zhu (Louis Fan) – male version, bodyguard
A Bai (Cheng Hong Xin) – general
My Rating
Will rate when I finished watching.
Recap Episodes 1 to 8
Episode 1
Wang Cuihua (I assumed she is a screenwriter?) was asked by her boss to write an unparalleled adaptation and evaluation plan of the novel Transmigrated: The Devil’s Beloved Consort and submitted the report the next day! Before leaving, her colleague asked her to make a big wish, since tomorrow was Cuihua’s birthday. Cuihua secretly wished to be transmigrated into the book. Cuihua went home super late by subway. At midnight, her phone notified her of her birthday. Suddenly, everything around her froze, and she was transmigrated into the ancient world of Transmigrated: The Devil’s Beloved Consort!
When her maid called her Concubine Yu, Cuihua realized she had become the mean Yu Wanyin, the Second Female Lead. This concubine was the antagonist, and later was killed by the Male Lead, Prince Duan, and the Female Lead, Xie Yong Er, in the novel. Her maid informed that she and Yong’er were just promoted to be concubines by the Empress Dowager yesterday. Wanyin, the name I would call her now, decided to compete with Yong’er to be the Female Lead and to win Prince Duan’s heart. Yong’er was just a 2-D character anyway.
Her maid told her that she had to get dressed, since the Emperor would bed her tonight. Well, at first, let’s pass this ordeal first. From the novel, she knew that the emperor liked glamorous girls. Wanyin decided to put on her own makeup to look glamorous.
In the royal chamber, apparently, His Majesty didn’t have an appetite tonight, so he ordered his guard to drag her out. Wanyin cried that she didn’t want to die. The Emperor asked the guards if she would be executed. Wanyin was confused. Why did His Majesty ask the guards? His Majesty then let her stay.
When the royal curtain was lifted, Wanyin could see how handsome the Emperor was. When she was busy admiring his handsome face, suddenly the Emperor called her “hey, you!” (嘿你是 = hei ni shi) Wanyin was surprised; that was a modern phrase. Could he also be a transmigrator?
Wanyin tested His Majesty with an English phrase: “How are you?” The Emperor was shocked, tears rolled from his eyes, and he replied in English: “Fine, thank you! And you?” After that they exchanges story. His Majesty, Xiahou Dan, whom I called Dan for now, was Zhang San in the real world. He was vacationing on a yacht, drinking champagne, when suddenly the novel popped up on his phone. He accidentally clicked it, and here he was! Wanyin told what he would become in the novel. He was also a villain, a brutal emperor, and would die at the end. She would be buried with him. The Male Lead, Prince Duan, would replace him. Realizing the tragic fates for both, they decided to change their fates and made plans.
First things first, Dan made Wanyin his consort, so they could work closely. Second, they had a banquet in the next two days, to find if the leading characters in the novel were also transmigrators. They found that the Female Lead, Yong’er, was also a transmigrator when she held the pipa horizontally like a guitar and played a folk song, “Jasmine Flower”. Before they could signal to Yong’er that they were all from the modern world, Prince Duan arrived at the banquet, but Dan and Wanyin couldn’t determine if he was a transmigrator or not.
Indeed, Yong’er was from the modern world. She had the advantage of reading the novel thoroughly, while Wanyin only skimmed it through, and Dan didn’t even read it. Yong’er was surprised that His Majesty appointed Yu Wanyin as a consort, and wondered if her arrival in the novel changed the plot. Knowing she was the Female Lead, Yong’er (we didn’t know her modern name) decided to do her character justice. She went to have an ‘accidental’ meeting with Prince Duan, while supposedly Wanyin who met him.
With the findings from last night’s banquet, Wanyin decided to approach Yong’er, while Dan would approach Xu Yao, Prince Duan’s strategist, who was talented and cunning. His father, an upright senior minister, was framed and then exiled by His Majesty, which made Xu Yao hate Dan.
Episode 2
Wanyin went to visit Yong’er. In the novel, Wanyin caused Yong’er to fall into the water, so Yong’er wanted to get ahead of Wanyin first. Wanyin saw her trick but didn’t say anything. Afterward, a eunuch framed Wanyin, as per Yong’er’s order. Luckily, Dan arrived to save Wanyin. Wanyin didn’t mention Yong’er’s name in public, which confused Yong’er with her sudden change of behavior. However, Yong’er believed this was just Wanyin’s tactic. Later, Wanyin told Dan about Yong’er framing and hating her. Even if she told Yong’er they were both transmigrators, Yong’er wouldn’t believe her. Dan thought Yong’er must be a fictional character then, thus programmed by the novel to hate Wanyin.
Meanwhile, Dan had started planting the seeds of doubt in Xu Yao’s mind about Prince Duan.
Wanyin explained the political map as 70% power belonged to the Empress Dowager, Dan’s stepmother, and mostly court officials. The rest 30% leaned to Prince Duan, were not satisfied with the officials and the military. Wanyin and Dan wanted them to fight against each other, so both could survive.
The opportunity came when General Luo, with his Central Army, entered the Capital to attend the court after defeating the enemy’s army. He requested more provisions for the military, presented the grain mixed with sand and gravel, and accused the Ministry of Revenue’s corruption. Dan acted crazily and chased the Minister of Revenue with a sword, and eventually ordered a guard to kill the minister. He then told General Luo to get his grain ration himself from the ministry. The court was in uproar, Prince Duan’s side was confused with half-brother’s unexpected action, but worried because the former Minister of Revenue was on the Empress Dowager’s side. Prince Duan secretly coaxed General Luo to be by his side by feeding his army. Now, if fewer people hate His Majesty, he wouldn’t be able to rebel.
Meanwhile, Wanyin wanted to prevent the drought that would cause the death of the Emperor, according to the novel. She went to the royal library to look for some knowledge about drought-resistant crops to plant. While there, she saw Prince Duan and Xu Yao. She suddenly remembered that in the novel, Wanyin met Prince Duan once and had a crush on the prince. However, Prince Duan thought that this Wanyin was different from the one he met before. Wanyin also saw Yong’er already given a sachet to the prince, so she assumed they hooked up.
Well, this Wanyin was in big trouble since she didn’t follow the palace etiquette, yet was favored by His Majesty. Wanyin forgot she had to greet the Empress Dowager twice a month, together with other women. Wanyin became the target of bullying from the other consorts; they spread the gossip of her having an affair with a guard. Dan came to protect her, but the Empress Dowager, who was already angry at her step-son for executing her minister, arrived and accused Wanyin of bewitching His Majesty and ordered her to be buried alive!
Episode 3
Zhang San, the Male Lead’s real name, probably knew how to win women’s hearts in real life. Dan knew how to appease the Empress Dowager’s anger by being submissive and apologizing to Her Highness. Moreover, he turned her attention to the Crown Prince, who tagged along with his grandmother. She bragged about her accomplishment of educating the little prince, but he still needed training in horsemanship and archery. Her Highness took advantage to ask Dan to order General Luo to send his youngest son to be the prince’s companion in those skills. Knowing her real intention to make the boy a ‘hostage’, Dan was reluctant but couldn’t refuse. With that, Her Highness was no longer angry at Wanyin.
While alone, Wanyin teased Dan that, as the “demonic” consort, she had become his shield and weakness to deal with their enemies. Dan assured that no matter who she chose, Prince Duan or nobody, he would never betray her.
During the full moon, Prince Duan and Yong’er were supposed to meet as per the novel, so Dan and Wanyin went to eavesdrop for any important info. They talked about Grand Tutor Wei, a key ally of the Empress Dowager, who was Noble Consort Wei’s father. An official had been involved in corruption and killed someone, and the grand tutor knew about it. The official bribed the grand tutor with a valuable Buddhist relic, which was given to Noble Consort Wei. Yong’er offered to steal the relic.
Dan and Wanyin accidentally made noise. Fortunately, Xu Yao, who was watching over the date, didn’t report them to Prince Duan. The next day, Yong’er stole the relic and hid it in a box in Changning Palace, Wanyin’s residence. Of course, Noble Consort Wei right away went to Changning Palace to search for the relic. Since Wanyin already knew about it, she replaced the relic in that box with a piece of date, then sent the relic inside a steamed bun to Yong’er. Yong’er was shocked that Wanyin found out about her scheme, but chose to stay quiet about it. Yong’er then threw the relic into a pond in the Empress Dowager’s palace. Since Wanyin witnessed it, she fished out the relic and let the eunuch present it to His Majesty. A minister identified it as the missing relic that was supposed to be an imperial tribute. Dan then called Noble Consort Wei, who identified it as her missing possession, and even her name was carved on it. It proved that the Grand Tutor stole imperial tributes. Another minister then took the advantage of accusing Grand Tutor Wei of covering his son’s crime, receiving bribes from the Salt Inspector, and embellishing imperial tributes. Grand Tutor Wei requested his backup, the Empress Dowager, to defend him. However, Her Highness didn’t want to be implicated because the relic was found in her pond. Dan sent Grand Tutor Wei to prison.
As Dan wanted Xu Yao to be by his side, he let him listen to the interrogation secretly. To lessen his punishment, Grand Tutor Wei revealed the shocking fact that Prince Duan orchestrated the downfall of Xu Yao’s father and claimed that the grand tutor did it.
Unfortunately, Prince Duan also realized that Grand Tutor Wei spilled his crime in the former Minister Xu’s case. He then poisoned Xu Yao’s tea because Xu Yao also knew his crimes, and sent assassins to kill Xu Yao. Realizing being targeted, Xu Yao ran away for his life into the royal library, where Wanyin happened to be. He revealed to her that Prince Duan was behind his father’s case. He had recorded all of the Prince’s crimes and buried the record under the window of the Prince’s back kitchen. She assured that His Majesty would reopen the case and free his father. Unfortunately, it was too late for Xu Yao. The assassins burned the library. Xu Yao urged Wanyin to leave and died in the fire. She jumped into the lake from the third floor. Outside, Prince Duan already waited for Wanyin and wanted to take her away. Yong’er arrived, and Wanyin signaled her for help. Yong’er told the prince that it was inappropriate for the prince to take His Majesty’s wife away, but Prince Duan insisted with the excuse of an emergency. Luckily, Dan arrived at the right time to rescue Wanyin.
Episode 4
Although saved, Wanyin was injured. She was also traumatized by Xu Yao’s death. Me too, we were only in Episode 3, and there was already a tragic death? The so-called arsonists were just pawns set up by Prince Duan. Fortunately, His Majesty managed to take Mr. Xu out and hide him somewhere, or else he might have been killed, too. When Wanyin expressed her feelings of guilt that she couldn’t save Xu Yao, Dan assured her that, according to the forensic exam, Xu Yao had died from the poison before the fire engulfed him.
With Noble Concubine Wei’s disgrace after her father’s crimes were revealed, Dan promoted Wanyin as the noble concubine, to Empress Dowager’s dismay. To keep the villain off guard, he and Wanyin maintain the outer reputation as the public saw them: the tyrant king and his demonic consort. Empress Dowager couldn’t obtain any important info from her spies than the couple deliberately showing PDA in front of people.
After several days of acting, they grew tired and sneaked out of the palace as scholars with their secret guards. They intended to find a man named Beizhou, who was Dan’s mother’s childhood sweetheart and bodyguard. The man was also good at martial arts. They wanted to recruit the man to help them fight their villains. While at a scholar’s gathering place, an assassin wanted to kill His Majesty.
Episode 5
Surprisingly, the boss lady of the scholar’s gathering place defended them. After she killed the assassin, she was shocked to see Dan, whose mustache had fallen off. She was none other than the man Beizhou, who, besides knowing martial arts, also knew the bone-shrinking technique and the disguise technique, and lived as a woman for many years. Beizhou then followed Dan and Wanyin to the palace as a woman. She was the only one who could serve and be close to Wanyin.
Mr. Bei…
became Madam Bei.
Grand Tutor Wei committed suicide in the prison.
Beizhou obtained the record book written and hidden by Xu Yao. Together with Beizhou, Dan, and Wanyin started making their plans. However, before they did anything, the Empress Dowager was one step ahead by making her ministers accuse Minister Yu, Wanyin’s “father,” of using card games as a front for bribery and embezzlement, and they wanted to impeach him. Minister Yu was the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision.
Episode 6
Wanyin suggested that Dan demote her father, then they played the act with her crying and begging to His Majesty behind the doors to be heard by the servants and spies. While in fact, they were eating hotpot! Although Empress Dowager was convinced by the act, Prince Duan was still suspicious of the two.
Wanyin wanted Dan to call Yong’er for her concubine service while fishing info from her about Prince Duan’s plan. Dan was reluctant to do that and asked Wanyin to stay behind the curtain. Dan invited Yong’er to drink. After she got drunk, Wanyin put on a mask of “Seven-Tailed Fox”, the author of Transmigrated: The Devil’s Beloved Consort. The author accused Yong’er of changing the plan because she transmigrated into the author’s novel, and demanded that Yong’er tell her what she had done and the name of the scholars Prince Duan wanted to recruit to be his men. Yong’er lamented that Prince Duan no longer followed her advice and changed the tactic. Wanyin was deeply disturbed and compared Yong’er’s info and Xu Yao’s record. That meant Prince Duan had his own will. Could be that Prince Duan was a transmigrator, too???
Remember, I wrote that Prince Duan was not convinced about Dan and Wanyin’s stage play, right? He specifically was supicious at Wanyin. He sent someone to get a sample of Wanyin’s classical handwriting from her grandfather’s house and compared it with the modern, simplified characters he had seen her write previously. What a striking difference! Prince Duan concluded that this Wanyin was an impostor!
Episode 7
Following the demotion of Minister Yu, Dan and Wanyin executed the act of the Noble Consort Yu’s fall from grace. He deliberately praised Yong’er, giving her the best service last night, and made her sit next to him. Wanyin feigned sickness and left the room. While she was walking back, Prince Duan’s men asked her to meet the prince.
Prince Duan’s went straight to the point, asking Wanyin’s identity. He even asked her who His Majesty and Yong’er were, because he couldn’t figure out their odd behaviors. After testing him with some modern phrases, Wanyin was convinced that he was NOT a transmigrator. He was just an exceptionally observant character. Knowing that she was an impostor, and pretending that he had fallen for her, Prince Duan coaxed her come side with him.
Beizhou, who was still suspicious of this “demonic consort”, secretly followed Wanyin and told Dan about her secret meeting with Prince Duan. Dan was not worried, telling Beizhou that Wanyin was his “lifeline”. Even if she sided with Prince Duan for her own survival, he would let her go.
Wanyin came back with a solid conclusion that the prince was not a transmigrator, but His Majesty was happier that she chose to be by his side. The next day, Dan wanted to go ahead and select the scholars before Prince Duan did. Dan asked the scholars to meet them secretly. Prince Duan found out that his brother had left the palace and decided to ambush him.
On a boat in the middle of the lake, Xiahou Dan met with the scholars: Li Yunxi, Du Shan, Er Lan, Yang Duojie, Wang Zhao, and Cen Jintian. He and Wanyin pretended to be scholars, and Dan gave a patriotic speech about serving the country. When he was done, he revealed his and Wanyin’s royal identities. He was open to them and explained that they were forced to play the role of a tyrant and a demonic consort because of the Empress Dowager and Prince Duan’s fighting powers above him.
Episode 8
After scholarly arguments between the two parties, Dan and Wanyin convinced the scholars to unite with them and become the backbone of the building of the Great Xia. When the scholars left, Prince Duan already sent his assassins who leaked their boat. Dan, Wanyin, and Beizhou tried hard to rescue these poor people, but one scholar, Du Shan, couldn’t make it and died. Beizhou, he was a man now, went to chase and kill all the assassins. Prince Duan was very angry because his skilled assassins were dead.
Since Wanyin’s hand was injured while saving the scholars, she and Dan staged an act again that he injured her hand while they were fighting. Xiao Mei, Wanyin’s personal maid, was not happy with the bad treatment and reminded Wanyin that she once liked Prince Duan. Wanyin thought about this tragedy. Only Dan and she knew about the secret meeting itinerary; the scholars didn’t even know who they were before the revelation. Deep down in her heart, Wanyin became suspicious that Dan intentionally leaked the meeting plan, so Prince Duan knew about it. In His Majesty’s eyes, one person dying was nothing to solidify the other scholars’ loyalty to him. Because after the tragedy, every scholar pledged their loyalty to His Majesty to help him build the country.
Later, Empress Dowager held a women’s gathering to prepare for the Flower Festival. The consorts and concubines competed for floral arrangements. Since Wanyin couldn’t do floral arrangements, the women insulted her. Angry, Wanyin walked away and wandered at the garden, only to find herself face-to-face with Prince Duan!
Conclusion
I wonder if there was someone behind the scenes who controlled the situation, like the “author” of the novel who transmigrated into the novel. Because even though the villains didn’t seem transmigrators, the plot changed from the novel. Also, there was something odd with Xiahou Dan I yet to find out. We’ll see as the mystery unfolds in the second part!
