A still shot of "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace". [Photo: Chinadaily]

Reputed as the sequel of "Empress in the Palace," another costume drama titled "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" is expected to hit the small screen at the end of this year in China.

The author Liu Lianzi has spent five years of writing "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace." Since "Empress in the Palace" has received many praises from the viewers, its sequel has received public attention since shooting began.

Starring Chinese mainland actress Zhou Xun and Taiwan actor Wallace Huo, the drama tells the romantic love story of emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty and his empress Ruyi, who used to be childhood sweetheart, later threatened by growing crises in the palace and work together to overcome the difficulties.

Writer Liu Lianzi revealed that most of the plots in "Empress in the Palace" were fictional, but as "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" is set in an actual dynasty, every character has a historical basis.