Introduction
A palace-intrigue drama, which thankfully, doesn’t focus on the palace but on the home of the lovely Xue family. Unfortunately, their peaceful life was soon shattered by the paranoid emperor’s decree. But no worries, this drama has a comedic vibe through and through.
The article title “Hit on the prince” is a pun (wordplay). The Female Lead literally is ordered to kill the missing former crown prince from the previous dynasty because of the emperor’s paranoia. Being a military person, it makes more sense if she plans to kill him with a sword instead of poison, for example. That’s the first meaning of “hit [physically attack] on the prince”. ‘Hit on’ also means to discover something, which is the quest that she needs to find him. Since this is a romance, the slang meaning of ‘hit on’ is also to flirt with someone.
Some Chinese reviewers noted that the comedy in this drama was comparable to the comedic style of Hong Kong filmmaker Stephen Chow, mo lei tau. I will explain it in the Review/Story section.
Let’s start!
Drama Info
Drama title: Moonlit Order (Native title: 锦月令)
Alternative titles: Jin Yue Ling
Genres: Historical, Comedy, Romance
Aired: 28 Oct 28, 2025 - 7 Nov, 2025
Episodes: 24 | Duration: 30 min.
Director: Xi Zi (喜子)
Screenwriters: Li Fei Fei (李飞飞), Xie Shu (邪叔), and Zhang Yi Xin (张义新)
Where to watch: WeTV and Kukan
OST: Full album (fan audio - English translated)
Trailer
Synopsis
Feng Zuoren, commander of the Snow Feather Guards, infiltrates the Marquis’ estate under imperial orders to find and eliminate the former crown prince. Her mission becomes complicated when she crosses paths with the young lord, Xue Hexu. Their initial deadly encounters slowly transform into a complex bond, blossoming into an unexpected affection amidst the domestic intrigue and power struggles! However, they soon discover that a far greater conspiracy is unfolding behind the scenes, masterminded by a hidden puppeteer. (Source: WeTV)
Characters
Main Characters
Hankiz Omar/Ha Ni Ke Zi (خانقىز ئۆمەر/哈妮克孜) as Feng Zuo Ren
Feng Zuoren is the commander of the Snow Feather Guards. She is known for her cold and sharp image, with her agile skills and decisive killing. She was ordered by Emperor Jia to sneak into the Dingyuan Marquis’s Mansion. Her purpose was to track down and kill the former crown prince to prevent future troubles. In the mission to assassinate the former crown prince, Feng Zuoren disguised herself as a new bride and sneaked into the Marquis’s Mansion.
Huang Jun Jie (黄俊捷) as Xue He Xu
Xue Hexu is the second son of the Marquis of Dingyuan. On the surface, he looks as gentle as jade and seems to be a playboy. On the contrary, he has a deep heart, revealing the secret trajectory of protecting his family amidst the vortex of power and intrigue. Xue Hexu repeatedly saw through Feng Zuoren’s assassination plan, and the two tested and calculated each other in the confrontation.
Supporting Characters
Gu Qian Fu (Yan Zi Xian) – Chief of Jing’an Bureau
Xue You Shou (Wang Ming Yang) – Mr. Immortality from Imperial Astronomical Bureau
Grandma Xue (Xu Yi Wen)
Xue Fu Gui (Liu Bin) – Marquis of Dingyan
Xue Dong Yang (Zhang Kai Lun) – First son
Liu Jiao Qian (Dong Chi Chi) – Xue Dong Yang’s wife
Xue Nuan Nuan (Zhu Rong Jun) – Xue Hexu’s twin sister
Emperor Jia Di (Ma Jing Han)
My Rating
My rating for this drama was based on MyDramaList’s scoring system, which is from 0.0 to 10.0. For any drama/movie/show I completed, I gave a minimum rating of 6.0 to appreciate the hard work of the production team, and to adjust to MyDramaList’s overall score base. From 6.0, this drama has additional scores of:
1.0 for the comedic story and fast plot, with some plot twists.
1.0 for the characters, the Xue family, and the acting from the second and third male characters.
My final rating is 8.0/10.
Review
Story and Plot
Story
The drama takes the route of nonsense comedy. There is no logic. Just laugh and laugh. I mentioned above about mo lei tau. Mo lei tau (無厘頭) is a popular form of nonsensical, slapstick humor associated with Hong Kong popular culture and cinema that developed in the late 20th century. The phrase roughly translates to “makes no sense,” “no reason,” or “silly talk”. The characteristics of mo lei tau are: incongruity and absurdity, wordplay, slapstick and farce, and lastly, ironic dialogue.
The style was championed and popularized by the “King of Comedy” Stephen Chow in his films during the 1990s. He took the foundations of earlier Cantonese action comedy pioneers and transformed them into something uniquely farcical and illogical.
You can’t delve into the drama logic in Moonlit Order, because it has no logic at all. Nor can you look closely at its essence, because the drawback of this drama is that 24 episodes with a duration of 30 minutes each make it feel more like a short drama, with choppy editing and a jumpy plot.
Plot
Because the comedy style of this drama is very nonsensical, the plot is a pity. The premise that comedy doesn’t have a good plot is a common perception rooted in the unique structural demands and primary goal of the genre: to generate humor. The priority on jokes over narrative, thus, logical discrepancies are acceptable.
Although the leading actor and the leading actress look gorgeous and good to be seen together, the romantic line is a bit mediocre. The dramatic plot towards the end is also full of plot holes. For example, how can a villain who has planned almost his entire life for revenge get a change of heart and a reconciliation that fast? How big are the hearts of both sides that they can smile at each other and forget the hatred? And he really managed to quickly clear his name?
Characterization and Acting
As I mentioned above, the Xue family turned out to be lovely. Each family member is a beautiful character and interesting. Unfortunately, because of the short duration, there is no character growth or three-dimensional character. For example, it would be nice if there were a deeper story about Xue You Shou. The actor who played the character, Wang Ming Yang, could emote a superficial cheer and hidden emotion without it being openly expressed. More to say that he looked like my fave actor, Xiao Zhan!
The best character, which means the funniest since this is a comedy, is Gu Qianfu. Without him, how much fun would be lost? I have seen the actor, Yan Zi Xian, in many dramas already, and he mostly played a cold or ruthless character. Seeing him here in a clownish character blew my mind.
On the contrary, the scenes of the Female Lead and Gu Qianfu bickering and fighting seemed more interesting to watch than her romantic scene with the Male Lead.
Visualization
The visualization is okay but not outstanding, being filmed in Hengdian World Studios, which provides a comprehensive range of services for drama productions, including the leasing of costumes, props, makeup, and sets.
Conclusion
In conclusion, in my opinion, Moonlit Order focuses on generating a narrative that prioritizes a quick laugh over a complex, tightly woven story. There are nice plot twists, though. In general, the drama is sweet, fun, and romantic, with a good balance of humor and heartwarming scenes. The overall tone is considered lighthearted, despite having dramatic elements towards the end.
