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Zhan Zhao Adventures (Yu Lin Ling) – director, cast, plot details and production information

Michelle Topham April 9, 2026

Chinese Title: 雨霖铃
English Title: Zhan Zhao Adventures
Also Known As: Yu Lin Ling, Zhan Zhao Wen (展昭文)
Genre: Historical, Wuxia, Mystery, Adventure
Episodes: 37
Director: Liu Hong Yuan (刘洪源)
Screenwriter: Wu Tong (吴桐)
Original Work: Adapted from the novel Yu Lin Ling (雨霖铃) by minifish, a reinterpretation of the classic The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (《三侠五义》).

Zhan Zhao Adventures Plot Synopsis

Zhan Zhao (played by Yang Yang), a fourth-rank imperial guard serving by the emperor’s side, receives evidence from an old friend about an unsolved case and sets out on a solo investigation to uncover the truth. Hunted by both righteous and villainous factions for obtaining incriminating evidence against the treacherous Prince Xiangyang, he finds himself gravely injured and poisoned.

At a mountain inn, he crosses paths with Huo Linglong (played by Zhang Ruo Nan), the headstrong eldest daughter of Linglong Manor who has run away from home to escape an arranged marriage. Intrigued by the mysterious man in black who repeatedly comes to her aid despite his injuries, she later discovers his true identity as the legendary “Southern Hero,” Zhan Zhao.

After defeating several formidable enemies, Zhan Zhao realizes his poison-induced injuries are beyond cure. He entrusts the evidence to Huo Linglong, buying her time to escape by holding off their pursuers, only to fall into an ambush himself. Meanwhile, Huo Linglong is caught by Shao Jizu, her fiancé and one of Prince Xiangyang’s subordinates, who demands the evidence she holds.

Guided by a white-clad young swordsman, Huo Linglong defeats Shao Jizu. The young swordsman is revealed to be none other than the renowned “Golden-Furred Rat,” Bai Yutang (played by Alen Fang).

Together, Huo Linglong and Bai Yutang rescue Zhan Zhao. The three like-minded companions join forces to pursue clues, uphold justice, apprehend criminals, and dismantle Prince Xiangyang’s vast web of influence, which spans both the court and the martial world. 

Main Cast & Characters

Lead Cast

Yang Yang as Zhan Zhao (展昭)
Zhang Ruo Nan (章若楠) as Huo Ling Long (霍玲珑)
Alen Fang (方逸伦) as Bai Yu Tang (白玉堂)

Supporting Cast

Zhang Yu Xi as Zhang Yue Shi / Ding Yue Hua
Yue Yang as Si Ming / Qiu Han
Xiu Qing as Jing Yi Ming / He Bao
Xu Wai Luo as Ming Zhu Er / “Ghost’s Sorrow”
Lin Xin Meng as Zhao Zhi Er
Wang Run Ze as Tang Tian Hao
Zhang Ming En as Shao Ji Zu
Jiang Zhen Hao as Hu Xiao Chen / Dong Jun
Lenox Lu as Zhi Hua
Shi An as in Zhen Ping

Production Details

Original Work: Adapted from the novel Yu Lin Ling (雨霖铃) by minifish, a reinterpretation of the classic The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants.
Director: Liu Hong Yuan
Screenwriter: Wu Tong (The Story of Ming Lan)
Producer: Liu Hong Yuan (South Wind Knows)
Production Companies: YOUKU, CCTV (China Central Television), Daylight Entertainment
Filming: Filming began on September 15th, 2024, and ended on February 19th, 2025, at Hengdian World Studios

Episodes & Airing

Total Episodes: 37
Episode Length: 45 minutes
First Aired: May 13th, 2026
Final Episode: May 30th, 2026
Original Network / Platform: CCTV-8 (China Central Television), YOUKU

Where to Watch Zhan Zhao Adventures

China: CCTV-8 – Television broadcast (premiered May 13, 2026), YOUKU, Zhejiang Satellite TV

International Platforms: YOUKU and Viki, plus YouTube via official channels, and Viu in select Southeast Asian regions .

Why Zhan Zhao Adventures Worth Watching

Star-Studded Cast – Yang Yang returns to the wuxia genre alongside rising star Zhang Ruo Nan and long-time favorite Alen Fang

Produced by Daylight Entertainment (正午阳光) – The renowned production house behind critically acclaimed hits like Nirvana in Fire, The Story of Ming Lan, and Reset ensures high production values

Veteran Creative Team – Director Liu Hong Yuan and screenwriter Wu Tong bring their proven track record of compelling storytelling

Classic Source Material – A fresh reinterpretation of the beloved Seven Heroes and Five Gallants, introducing the legendary Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang to a new generation.

Action-Packed Adventure – Features meticulously choreographed martial arts sequences, investigation-driven plotlines, and a thrilling conspiracy that spans the imperial court and the jianghu.

Aired and Available – The drama has already completed its run and is available to watch across multiple platforms.

Articles About Zhan Zhao Adventures

12 Zhan Zhao Adventures character visuals drop as C-drama premieres on YOUKU – then doesn’t

Zhan Zhao Adventures drops pretty set design photos – Yang Yang wuxia drama releases this week

Zhan Zhao Adventures gets May 13th premiere, drops TON of visuals and two posters

Yang Yang’s Zhan Zhao Adventures grabs 2 million reservations – drops 5 new posters as premiere arrives soon?

About the Author

Michelle Topham

Editor

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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