Running to the Moon

This film (drama)Also known as奔月，is aMainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2003Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating6.8(For reference only)。

During the Han Dynasty, Liu An, the Prince of Huainan, became interested in ancient myths and was commanded by Emperor Wu (played by Liu Wei) to write the "Li Sao". To collect materials, he traveled with his wife to seek the moon through the countryside. After experiencing various worldly matters, he witnessed the rise of bandits and hardships faced by the people due to Emperor Wu's heavy taxation, forced labor, and severe punishments. This led to a decrease in his writing productivity. Additionally, after returning from their journey seeking the moon, his wife fell ill and passed away, leaving him heartbroken. In grief, he wrote a ten-thousand-word memorial upon returning to the capital. Emperor Wu was furious and wanted to kill him, but with the support of his ministers, he was instead ordered to complete the "Huainanzi" within three days after receiving a severe beating. Upon returning home, he learned of his beloved wife's death and, in his deep sorrow, wrote with tears flowing, completing two volumes in two days. When he reached the fifty-fourth chapter—the story of Hou Yi and Chang'e, he found it hard to write due to his longing for his deceased wife. Exhausted and half-asleep, he suddenly saw his wife appear before him. She ground ink for him while recounting the untold story: how Hou Yi (played by Li Ming Shun) received a command from the Heavenly Emperor to slay the giant python and eliminate the eight calamities to save the people, and how he shot down a ferocious bird that harmed Chang'e (played by Fan Wen Fang) to rescue her. She explained that her purpose for appearing was to re-establish their marital bond. After finishing her words, she ascended into the sky. Waking up, Liu An saw the bright moon in the sky and the silhouette of his wife in the moon palace. Filled with righteous thoughts, he wrote fervently through the night, turning his black hair into white, ultimately leaving behind enduring myths like "Hou Yi Shoots the Suns" and "Chang'e Runs to the Moon" for future generations. People saw—ancient times were filled with suffering, while the gods above indulged in pleasure due to their immortality. The skilled archer Hou Yi was straightforward and righteous, often reprimanding the gods for neglecting the suffering of humanity, and was thus often ostracized. The Heavenly Emperor was also wary of his sharp words, which led to Hou Yi being demoted to Dongting to oversee the water tribe in idleness. Upon taking office, Hou Yi befriended the filial fisherman Feng Yi, learning that the giant python was harming the people and wishing to seek a heavenly decree to slay it. The Heavenly Queen Xi He had ten sons and one daughter, each a sun, who traveled across the sky daily. The daughter was Chang'e, gentle and loving towards the people. At this time, Chang'e also wanted to report the malice of the ferocious bird "Big Wind," among the seven calamities plaguing the land, to the Heavenly Emperor. Enraged that Chang'e attempted to challenge his decree and intruded into the heavenly court, the Heavenly Emperor commanded Hou Yi to eliminate the threats alone, threatening that failure would result in the loss of his divine status. Although Hou Yi knew it was a perilous mission, he accepted it, which deeply moved Chang'e. In his first battle against the ferocious bird, with Chang'e secretly aiding him, she was unfortunately devoured by "Big Wind." Hou Yi fought valiantly and ultimately rescued Chang'e. In the face of life and death, the two fell in love, vowing to eliminate demons together. Feng Yi lured out the giant python, and with Hou Yi and Chang'e, they killed the python, but unfortunately, Feng Yi perished in Dongting. The Heavenly Emperor, moved by their high moral integrity, enshrined Feng Yi as a god, granting him the title of River God to guard the Yellow River. The River God was envious of Chang'e's beauty but could not take his friend's love, leaving him emotionally tormented and often indulging in pleasure to vent his frustrations. Fuxi's daughter, Luo Pin, was renowned for her beauty and was supposed to marry Chang'e's close friend. However, due to her secret love for Hou Yi and her loneliness, she found solace with the River God. The River God instigated Luo Pin to sow discord before the Emperor and Empress, while the Heavenly Emperor, fearing Hou Yi's authority, went back on his word after Hou Yi eliminated the eight calamities, falsely claiming that Hou Yi had ill intentions towards Chang'e, revoking his divine status and demoting him to the mortal realm. Grateful for Hou Yi's love vows, Chang'e covertly descended to the mortal world and became his wife with the help of her aunt, the Queen Mother of the West. From then on, the male hunts and the female weaves, living a life filled with mutual love among mortals. Luo Pin lamented her past mistakes and felt remorse, while the River God failed in his crafty schemes and received no rewards. Fuxi then supported the flow of events, urging the Heavenly Emperor to unite his daughter with the River God. Xi He, unsuccessful in persuading her daughter to return to her senses, became enraged and, in her fury, sent an additional sun each day to scorch the earth, coercing Chang'e to comply. Instantly, the fields withered, rivers dried, and countless beings suffered. Just when Hou Yi and Chang'e found themselves helpless, the River God devised another wicked scheme by stealing the divine bow of the great deity. Under the pretense of rescuing the people, he provoked Hou Yi to shoot down the suns to avert disaster. Hou Yi shot down nine suns and became a hero, but Chang'e lost nine brothers, which strained their relationship. The River God, knowing that Hou Yi would undoubtedly face death for his crime, secretly rejoiced and discarded Luo Pin, desiring to marry a beautiful mortal; otherwise, he would take pleasure in causing disaster. Luo Pin, neglected and filled with self-hatred, spent her days with tear-stained cheeks. Hou Yi felt guilty towards Chang'e for the calamities and spent his days hunting in the wild, coincidentally encountering Luo Pin, as if they were in different worlds. Though Luo Pin could express her love, Hou Yi only loved Chang'e, and the River God’s mockery ultimately drove Luo Pin to collapse, voluntarily giving up her divine powers and drowning in the Luo River. With Hou Yi’s help, Luo Pin finally confessed the unethical deeds between the River God and herself. Though Hou Yi was furious at the River God for betrayal and his cruelty towards "officials," he remembered the River God’s past assistance in eliminating threats, only shooting out the left eye of the River God as a warning. The River God reported to the Heavenly Emperor, requesting to kill Hou Yi, but his request was denied. Luo Pin, determined to pursue Hou Yi, was transformed into water, becoming the Luo (River) that eternally blesses the land. The Heavenly Queen Xi He vowed that after their deaths, Hou Yi and Chang'e would fall into the path of ghosts, never to be reborn. Unable to bear his wife suffering, Hou Yi endured hardships and ventured into Kunlun, seeking the elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West. They planned to consume the elixir together on the night of the full moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. Little did they know that Xi He, seeking revenge for her lost son, had previously commanded Chang'e: should they both consume the elixir, they would gain immortality, but the Heavenly Court would punish Hou Yi harshly, turning him into a toad. If only Chang'e took the elixir, she could return to the moon palace, and Hou Yi could be reborn as a human. Although Chang'e found it hard to part from her marital bond, she could not bear to see her husband become a monster, thus on the night of the full moon, she swallowed the elixir alone and ascended to the moon palace. Hou Yi, however, misunderstood his beloved wife, leading to his madness and self-destruction. Chang'e could see through his turmoil but could not save him, suffering in vain. The Queen Mother, sighing, predicted: on the night of a lunar eclipse two thousand years later, Chang'e would descend again and rekindle her bond with Hou Yi. Feng Meng, although grateful to his master, harbored hatred for Hou Yi, and eventually developed murderous intentions. At this moment, Hou Yi had lost interest in life and preferred to find release from his suffering. Therefore, a peach wood tip unexpectedly struck him from behind, leaving the once-great hero with eternal regrets. ——As the rooster crowed at dawn, Liu An collapsed from exhaustion. Emperor Wu, remembering his ability to produce the great work "Huainanzi" in three days, intended to pardon him. However, Liu An requested to drink poison at home to accompany his deceased wife. Unknown to him, the Queen Mother had already sent an immortal boy holding the elixir, waiting for a long time...