Gas stove, staff appearing in scenes: Zhang Linghe’s new costume drama Pursuit of Jade has viewers in stitches

While fans of Chinese actors Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei were engrossed over their visuals and sweet moments in new Chinese costume drama Pursuit of Jade, some have gone one step further by looking too meticulously into the series.

In doing so, they found themselves in stitches over multiple production and editing blunders, which were shared in posts on various social media platforms since last week.

Pursuit of Jade centres on the love story between butcher Fan Changyu (Xiwei) and marquis-warrior Xie Zheng (Linghe).

The latter, hiding in Lin’an town under the false name Yan Zheng after he was seriously injured in battle and saved by Changyu, agrees to enter a fake marriage with her to save her family home.

As they grow to care for each other over time, war separates them. Xie Zheng reclaims his title, fighting to protect his country and seeking revenge, while Changyu goes to the battlefield in search for him and to find out the truth behind her parents’ death. Reunited in battle, the couple stand together, fighting for justice, truth and their love.

The drama is currently streaming on platforms Netflix, iQiyi and WeTV.

Spoilers ahead.

Not supposed to be there

In episode eight, Changyu and her neighbour Mrs Zhao (Liu Lin) are having a conversation outside Changyu’s home about Yan Zheng. While Mrs Zhao tries to convince her that he is a good man and they should consider consummating their marriage, Changyu thinks about revealing the truth to Mrs Zhao.

Sharp-eyed netizens spotted a staff member, believed to be the director, sitting inside Changyu’s home in the background, looking down at the camera screen which lit up his face.

A netizen joked: “This man looks like the director; would this be considered as self-directing and starring himself?”

According to checks by AsiaOne at press time, he can still be seen in the scene in the drama streaming on Netflix. However, he has been digitally removed from the same scene on iQiyi.

Another production error was spotted in episode 10, where Changyu is given the opportunity to operate her own braised pork stall in front of the inn run by her friend, businesswoman Yu Qianqian (Snow Kong).

A gas stove with blue flames, which wouldn’t be available in this era, is seen under a steaming pot behind the counter.

The same gas stove appeared again in episode 12, in a scene where Yan Zheng helps out at the stall as women fight to be served by him.

In episode 18, Yan Zheng, who regains his identity as Xie Zheng after leaving Lin’an town, goes with his men in search of Changyu after he received news that the town has been attacked with Changyu and her younger sister missing.

In the scene where Xie Zheng and his men arrive at the bottom of a cliff, a paparazzi wearing a white T-shirt can be seen holding up a camera and hiding at the top of the cliff in the background.

Paparazzos, also known as dai pai, are common and known to illegally roam drama sets to photograph popular celebrities during their filming.

CGI blunder

The beginning of episode 23 shows Xie Zheng and his men succeeding in breaking a dam to flood the enemies’ escape route and his opponent, Prince Sui Yuanhai’s (Deng Kai) manor.

In the scene where the water crashes into the manor, which is likely done through CGI, a servant is seen running towards the large waves and into the muddy waters, instead of away from it.

What are they doing?

The awkward acting by some of the extras in the series have also caught the attention of viewers.

An extra, who plays a dead villager in a scene in episode 18, had his eyes open and looking directly at the camera, before closing them as the focus moved to another fallen villager beside him.

In episode 22, Changyu, who doesn’t know Xie Zheng’s real identity and thinks he was conscripted, goes searching for him and meets a team of hooligans she befriended back in Lin’an town.

In one of the scenes where they are having a meal together, an extra is seen holding a bun and bringing it to his mouth a few times and pretending to eat it.

Despite the various hilarious production errors, the drama has been well received by viewers and topped the weekly charts in China, achieving a total weekly viewership of 750 million views across all platforms. On Netflix, the drama is among the top five shows in Singapore since March 8.

The series also boosted Linghe and Xiwei’s popularity to new heights. Linghe is known for his performances in dramas including The Best Thing (2025) and Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022), with Xiwei for her dramas including Guardians of the Dafeng (2025) and New Life Begins (2022).

Reception towards the second lead actors, Snow and Deng Kai, have also been positive for their portrayal of an ill-fated couple in the series.

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