Early shows were dominated by male characters and mostly watched by men. 早期的电视剧以男性角色为主，大部分观众也是男性。

Today's TV drama audience is 70-80% female and mainly from smaller cities, says Lei Ming of ABD Entertainment, an audience-analysis firm. 收视分析公司ABD 娱乐的雷明说，如今的电视剧观众中有70-80%是女性，而且主要来自小城市。

Viewers typically watch on smartphones, he adds. 他补充道，观众通常在智能手机上看剧。

Their favourite part about the show is talking it over afterwards with friends. 现在观众最喜欢的部分是看完剧后和朋友们讨论。

The leading man in "Yanxi Palace", Qianlong, is something of a cipher: a stern autocrat who finds his harem a chore. 《延禧攻略》的主角乾隆，就是一位无足轻重的角色：一位严厉的独裁者为嫔妃们伤透了脑筋。

Chinese pundits have debated whether the show is a feminist tale about strong women, or a retrograde saga about women who survive by obeying and pleasing bossy men. 中国权威人士一直在争论这部电视剧是否是关于女强人的女权主义故事，或者相反，讲的是女人通过服从和取悦专横的男人而生存下来。

It is both. 其实两者都有。

It is a reflection of the country today, a chauvinist place full of strong women. 这是如今这个国家的缩影，一个满是女强人的大男子主义国家。

In a fast-rising China, life is hard and filled with obstacles and anxiety, says Wang Xiaohui, chief content officer at iQiyi, the Netflix-like entertainment company behind "Yanxi Palace". 《延禧攻略》的出品方是爱奇艺，相当于中国的网飞，其首席内容官王晓辉表示，在快速崛起的中国，生活艰难，障碍重重，焦虑难安。

Mr Wang describes today's main melody. 王先生介绍了如今的主旋律。

The masses (and the party) like stories in which subordinates are loyal, kindness is rewarded and wickedness punished, and in which young people who work hard can succeed. 群众（和党）喜欢这样的故事：忠诚善良的下属受到嘉奖，邪恶则受到惩罚，努力工作的年轻人可以成功。

Mr Wang hails the women in his drama for an "independent spirit" that resonates with viewers. 王先生称赞剧中的女性具有“独立精神”，能与观众产生共鸣。

Outsiders may note that such spirits do not always seek to reform or change a society. 局外人可能会注意到，这种精神并不总是寻求改革或改变一个社会。

Getting ahead can be enough. 只要有前进的动力就足够了。

A recurring theme of "Yanxi Palace" is that the Forbidden City is a place of harsh rules, but that rules keep chaos at bay. 《延禧攻略》反复出现的主题是紫禁城是一个宫规森严的地方，但这种规则阻止了混乱的发生。

Such obedient resignation suits China's modern rulers well. 这种逆来顺受的顺从很适合统治者。

With 15bn cumulative downloads, this will not be the last of its kind. 《延禧攻略》累计下载量达150亿次，这将不是最后一部火起来的宫斗剧。