Diamond tycoon
The full series of the grand luxurious period drama "Diamond Aristocracy" presents a panoramic view of the old Shanghai concession, showing the conflicts and grievances within the mansions and the love-hate relationships between two generations. It also portrays the difficult choices people had to make during national crisis, with tangled emotions hard to sort out.
"Diamond Aristocracy" is a TV series set against the historical backdrop of the 1920s and 30s in China. It mainly tells the story of the love-hate relationship between two generations living in the luxurious mansions of the Shanghai concession at the beginning of the Republic of China era. It vividly presents the conflicts and grievances within these mansions for the audience.
They say that there are many conflicts in wealthy families. Driven by life circumstances, little Aixue cautiously began her life in a wealthy household. Sometimes, even when one doesn't seek trouble, it comes automatically. The unreasonable antics of her half-siblings from her father's side and the deliberate harassment from her stepmother weigh heavily on her young heart, burdening her with unhappiness imposed by life. When the Cinderella living in the back courtyard grows up into a beautiful swan, will things change? Regarding the love-hate relationships between two generations, they say debts incurred by fathers should be repaid by sons. But should daughters bear the emotional debts incurred by their mothers?
Faced with Ai-xue, who is not her own daughter (played by Dai Jiaoqian), Wang Cailing (played by Liu Xuehua) and Xu Yunzhi (played by Liu Fang) portray mothers with completely opposite attitudes. Xu Yunzhi is gentle and understanding, having no children of her own but treating Ai-xue as her own, nurturing her growth and educating her to become an adult, warming Ai-xue's heart which has been distant from her biological mother since childhood. However, Wang Cailing is like a real-life vicious queen, transferring her jealousy towards Ai-xue's mother Yao Keren onto the young Ai-xue. Indeed, good deeds bring good returns and evil deeds bring evil returns. Wang Cailing's embarrassing end serves as a good example of this saying.
Choices made during national crisis: They say one should care about family matters, state affairs, and global issues. In the first half of the last century, the Shanghai concession was a place where family matters, state affairs, and global issues were all in chaos. Especially after the Japanese invaded Shanghai, during this time of national crisis, even those living in luxurious mansions could not remain aloof. To surrender or to uphold the dignity of the master, this was the question everyone faced in those perilous times. When the cunning Japanese targeted the Yu family's flour mill, what choice did the Yu family make?
Tangled emotions hard to untangle: They say meeting the right person at the right time is the happiest thing in the world. Similarly, meeting the wrong person at the right time is the most tormenting thing. When several young people began their journeys of love in their hearts, the choice between loving and not loving made their already unquiet lives even more tumultuous. Should one go crazy for love? Should one abandon true love to protect the entire family? Should one let go of their deepest love for the sake of family ties? Faced with intertwined emotions of family and love, the ending varies depending on each person's answer.
