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Legend of the Magnate exceeds 2 million reservations on iQIYI – four days before it premieres

Michelle Topham November 21, 2025

Legend of the Magnate exceeds 2 million reservations on iQIYI

Business-themed C-drama peaking people’s interest four days before premiere

With Legend of the Magnate now getting a November 25th premiere date, the promo visuals are coming thick and fast today.

Well, that and the more than 2 million reservations Legend of the Magnate has already earned on iQIYI, with four days to go before it drops also pushing iQIYI to promote the C-drama even more.

Along with the announcement of 2 million reservations, a quite dramatic poster was also released, with iQIYI reminding everyone “Watch the rise-to-riches journey unfold. Owning millions is no longer a dream!”

Legend of the Magnate Chen Xiao still
Chen Xiao as Gu Ping Yuan in Legend of the Magnate

Legend of the Magnate tells an historical commerce story that looks gripping

Now, for drama viewers who enjoy a good period drama, and are also interested in the history of business, I must point out that this one looks like a banger.

The story takes place during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and follows Gu Ping Yuan (played by Chen Xiao) – a young man from a family of small merchants whose goal in life is to be successful in business.

Things start to go wrong for Gu Ping Yuan, however, when he fails an imperial exam and then is framed for a crime, and exiled.

While that terrible luck might stop most people from achieving their dreams, it only serves to make him even more determined.

That’s why, even in exile, Gu Ping Yuan figures out a way to begin a business, make it profitable, and then expand into other businesses that are even more lucrative.

All while allying himself with Shanxi merchants and a business tycoon.

RELATED: C-drama Legend of the Magnate drops 6 cool stills

In other words, beyond just being a historical-themed Chinese drama, if you are as interested in success in business as I am, Legend of the Magnate may just give you some useful tips.

Look out for the C-drama’s first episodes on iQIYI beginning Tuesday, November 25th. I have a feeling this one will not be the usual historical drama.

The drama’s director, writer and cast details look like this:

Screenwriter/Director: Zhang Ting (The Long River and Ming Dynasty)
Leading Cast: Chen Xiao (The Ingenious One), Sun Qian (19th Floor)
Co-Starring: Luo Yizhou, Cheng Taishen
Special Guest Stars: Huang Zhizhong, Li Chun
Special Appearances: Zhu Yawen, Xiang Hanzhi, Wu Yue

About the Author

Michelle Topham

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British-American journalist obsessed with C-dramas, a subject I have been writing about for more than two decades. How many C-dramas have I watched? Many many hundreds. How many are still in my backlog? Hundreds more.

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What is Michelle Topham?

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A blog dedicated to Chinese dramas founded by Michelle Topham -- a British-American journalist who spent almost two decades living in Asia, and wrote about Chinese series for most of that time. That's me!

Come on, if I'm this obsessed with C-dramas, you need to be as well.

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