Story of Kunning Palace cast and characters
宁安如梦 · Ning An Ru Meng
Who plays whom in Story of Kunning Palace, and how the 19 characters are connected. Identity reveals stay closed until you open them.
Main cast
Zhou Junwei周峻纬as Yan LinSecond lead
How they are connected
Grouped around the main characters. Connections that give away a twist are hidden.
Jiang XueningBai Lu- Yan Lin 燕临Played by Zhou Junweichildhood friend
Shen Zhiyi 沈芷衣Played by Liu Xieningfriend
You Fangyin 尤芳吟Played by Tang Mengjiaally
Xue Shu 薛姝Played by Ye Xiyuerival
Shen Jie 沈玠Played by Zhou Daweihusband in first life
Jiang Boyou 姜伯游Played by Lu Xingyufather
Lady Meng 孟氏Played by Weng Hongmother
Jiang Xuehui 姜雪蕙Played by Yu Zhonglisister
Zhou Yinzhi 周寅之Played by Wang Zitengformer ally
Xie WeiZhang Linghe- Jiang Xuening 姜雪宁Played by Bai Lustudent → married
Lü Xian 吕显Played by Qin Tianyufriend
Plot revealShow 1 hidden connection
Xue Yuan 薛远Played by Huang Haibingfather
Zhang ZheWang Xingyue- Jiang Xuening 姜雪宁Played by Bai Ludeep bond
Yan LinZhou Junwei
Yan Mu 燕牧Played by Zhang Zhaohuifather
Shen ZhiyiLiu Xiening
Shen Lang 沈琅Played by Hu Yunhaosiblings
Xue ShuYe Xiyue- Xue Yuan 薛远Played by Huang Haibingfather
Xue Ye 薛烨Played by Zhou Tishunbrother
You FangyinTang Mengjia- Lü Xian 吕显Played by Qin Tianyubusiness partner
Plot revealShow 1 hidden connection
- Zhou Yinzhi 周寅之Played by Wang Zitengkills her
Shen JieZhou Dawei- Shen Lang 沈琅Played by Hu Yunhaobrothers
Shen LangHu Yunhao
Empress Dowager Xue 薛太后Played by Liu Minmother
Change what opens automatically in .
Who's who
- Jiang Xuening (Bai Lu): reborn after a disastrous first life as empress. She is clever, impulsive and guilty about the people she used, and she spends this life trying to protect them.
- Xie Wei (Zhang Linghe): imperial tutor, musician and the most respected scholar at court. He is calm, polite and dangerous, and he is afraid of almost nothing except cats.
- Zhang Zhe (Wang Xingyue): a poor, honest official at the Ministry of Justice who never bends the law. In her first life he was the one person who was kind to her for nothing.
- Yan Lin (Zhou Junwei): her childhood friend, the bright heir of a frontier family. His coming-of-age ceremony is the day his family's fortunes turn.
- Shen Zhiyi (Liu Xiening): the warm, impulsive princess whose study companion Xuening becomes.
- You Fangyin (Tang Mengjia): a timid girl from an abusive household whom Xuening helps, and who turns out to have a genius for business.
- Xue Shu (Ye Xiyue): the Xue clan's perfect daughter, and Xuening's rival in both lives.
Identity Reveals
Ending spoilerShow identity reveals
Xie Wei is Xue Dingfei, the son of Xue Yuan, presumed dead for twenty years. As a child he was one of a group of boys sent to Prince Pingnan's rebels in the crown prince's place, and he was the only one to survive the massacre that followed. Chinese recaps place the confirmation around episode 24, with Xuening guessing the truth for herself around episode 32. He has also been secretly connected with the rebel Tianjiao (天教) movement, which he uses to work against the Xue clan.
Xuening's own secret is her rebirth. She never tells anyone she has lived this life before, but the drama suggests that Xie Wei suspects more than he says.