A TV series inspired by a legendary queen is making waves in China. The Glory of Tang Dynasty, being shown on Beijing Satellite TV since late January, has been adapted from the popular novel of the same title, and chronicles the life of Shen Zhenzhu, setting in the 8th-century Emperor Daizong.

The story tells the life of an intelligent and kind-hearted woman who becomes a concubine of the inner court. Driven by her selfless love for the people, she goes on to do great things for the country. It seems to be the standard palace politics that we’ve all heard before but also the kind that can be so addictively good.

The series is brought to us by H&R Century Pictures which means that a number of their homegrown talents are part of the cast, which also includes Ren Jia Lun (Legend of Chusen), Wan Qian, Shu Chang, Yu Xiao Wei, Qin Jun Jie and Mao Zi Jun.

Jing Tian, who starred in the film The Great Wall, directed by Zhang Yimou, plays the role of Shen, a tough queen who sacrifices herself to protect the people and her husband, played by Ren Jialun, an upcoming star. The series has been made with a budget of around 260 million yuan (U.S.$ 38.68 million), and shot in 70 sets.