Serial thrillers

Yang Xiaopei, the drama's chief producer and vice-president of the Shanghai-based studio Linmon Pictures, told reporters at a news conference in Beijing on Aug 15 that she read the novel around four years ago and immediately felt a connection with the protagonist.

"Fuyao is not shy to express her feelings, both love and hatred. She is very brave and independent as she attempts to fulfill her dangerous mission," explains Yang.

Even though the story is set in an era when women in China were considered inferior to men, Fuyao sets out to subvert the historical view that women were not as capable as their male counterparts.

"We've infused modern values into the characters to make them easier to identify and resonate with contemporary audiences," adds Yang.

Interestingly, online novels and screen productions revolving around the theme of gender empowerment have become a trendy genre favored by millions of domestic viewers, especially women.

Taking shape from the 2011 hit series Empresses in the Palace, also known as The Legend of Zhen Huan, the genre has seen a flood of such tales, including the Jing Tian-led The Glory of Tang Dynasty, Yang Mi-led Eternal Love and Princess Agents.

With the slowdown in China's film industry from mid-2016 to mid-2017 and the expansion of the drama series industry - thanks to the unprecedented growth of Chinese internet users which have surpassed 800 million - a bunch of A-listers who previously only worked in film have switched their focus to the smaller screen, with many of them choosing these kinds of feminism-themed tales.