The Long Ballad

Li Chang Ge's family falls victim to a brutal power play at the heart of the Tang court, setting her on a perilous quest for vengeance. To take back control of her fate, she adopts a male disguise and slips into the military world, far from the throne rooms she longs to overthrow. She travels through the frontier provinces and volatile border towns, building networks and testing herself against seasoned soldiers as she aims to raise an army capable of challenging the emperor. Yet every step is a test of nerve, strategy, and loyalty as she negotiates shifting allegiances, hidden agendas, and the unforgiving costs of war in a world where promises are easily broken, and every choice carries consequences.

Released in 2021, The Long Ballad is directed by Chu Yui-bun and Gu Zhiwei and adapts Xia Da's popular web novel Chang Ge Xing, pairing sweeping battlefield sequences with intimate political drama for fans of mythic epics and historical sagas.

Critics have noted the series for its bold blend of action and political intrigue, anchored by Li Chang Ge's resourcefulness and moral ambiguity. The show probes revenge, identity under disguise, and the price of leadership as regional empires collide. It also probes loyalty under pressure and the cost of vengeance.

Its style echoes classic epics while pushing a modern pulse for audiences. Fans have praised the series for its visual scope and a female lead who navigates battlefield politics with grit. The show has fed conversations about gender representation in period dramas and has inspired similar titles in the genre.