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{{Infobox manhua

| image           = Melancholic Princess -volume I-.JPG
| image_size      = 
| alt             = 
| caption         = Cover of the second original edition volume 1 published by Da Ran Culture, featuring the main character Li Ying.
| hanzi           = {{lang|zh-TW|古鏡奇譚第一章：傾國怨伶}}
| romanized       = Chʻing-kuo Yüen-ling;<br />Qīng guó yuàn líng
| genre           = [[Action fiction|Action]]<br />[[Adventure fiction|Adventure]]<br />[[Contemporary fantasy]]<br />[[Historical fantasy]]<br />[[Romance comics|Romance]]<br />[[Supernatural fiction|Supernatural]]
| author          = [[You Su-lan]]
| illustrator     = You Su-lan
| publisher       = {{flagicon|ROC}} Hua Shang Culture <small>(1990)</small><br />Da Ran Culture <small>(1991)</small><br />Kung Long Int. <small>(2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kung-long.com.tw/findCopyRightUICopyRightAction.action?copyright_id=150|title=Copyright about Comic: 傾國怨伶|publisher=Kung-long International|accessdate=5 September 2017|language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010290777|title=傾國怨伶1|publisher=Kung-long International|website=[[Books.com.tw]]|accessdate=5 September 2017|language=zh-TW}}</ref></small><br />Rye Field Publishing <small>(2012, [[box set]])</small>
| publisher_en    = 
| publisher_other = {{flagicon|Hong Kong|1959}} Fun-Lok Publishing<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53144248-2 |title=Melancholic Princess, vol. 2 (Hong Kong edition) |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=goodreads.com |access-date=13 September 2019}}</ref><br />{{flagicon|Singapore}} [[Chuang Yi]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nlb.gov.sg/biblio/200024468 |title=Qing guo yuan ling = The Seven Mirrors' Stories / You Su Lan. |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1995 |website=[[National Library Board|nlb.gov.sg]] |access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref><br />{{flagicon|Vietnam}} [[Tre Publishing House]]<br />{{flagicon|South Korea}} Bluebird Book Publishing, {{ill|Seoul Cultural Publishers|lt=Seoul Media Land|ko|서울문화사}}
| demographic     = <!-- Do not use Japanese terms -->
| magazine        = {{flagicon|ROC}} ''Weekend Comics''
| first           = 1989
| firstmo         = 
| last            = 
| lastmo          = 
| volumes         = 4 <small>(first edition)</small><br />5 <small>(new edition)</small>
| chapter_list    = 
| related         = 
| content         = 
}}

'''''Melancholic Princess''''' ({{lang-zh|t=傾國怨伶|zhu=ㄑㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄩㄢˋ ㄌㄧㄥˊ|w=Ching1-kuo2 Yüen4-ling2|p=Qīng guó yuàn líng|l=Melancholic Beauty in the Han-ling Palace Hall}}) is a Taiwanese [[comic book]] [[Limited series (comics)|series]] (called ''[[manhua]]'' in Taiwan) written and illustrated by the comic artist {{ill|You Su-lan|zh|游素蘭}}, serialized in ''Weekend Comics'' since 1989 and published by {{ill|Da Ran Culture|zh|大然文化}} in 1991. The series is the 1st installment of ''[[The Seven Mirrors' Stories]]'' collection, followed by ''[[The King of Blaze (manhua)|The King of Blaze]]''.

==Plot summary==
Ling-ling Mausoleum ({{lang|zh-tw|唐靈陵}}), an untouched [[Tang dynasty|Tʻang dynasty]] (7th century) tomb is discovered by Robert, an American journalist and a close friend of Wei Yung-chʻien's father, who is a [[Taiwanese Americans|Taiwanese-American]] archaeologist living in [[New York City]]. Joined by another friend, the four travel to [[mainland China]] to inspect the mausoleum. The occupant is a mysterious princess whose name has never been recorded in any historical documents, and who appears in Yung-chʻien's recurring dreams. The resurrection of the princess leads to a series of other startling revelations which put Yung-chʻien in unpredictable danger.

==Main characters==
; Hua Chʻêng ({{lang|zh-tw|嫿琤}})
Goddess of Water, the love of Shang Hsüan. She is the only female among the seven gods.

; Li Ying ({{lang|zh-tw|李盈}})
Hua Chêng's first [[reincarnation]] in the Tang dynasty, princess of Kuang-yü ({{lang|zh-tw|廣玉公主}}), fictional daughter of [[Emperor Gaozong of Tang|Emperor Kao-tsung]] and [[Wu Zetian|Empress Wu Tsê-tʻien]], who falls in love with Hao Yüeh. She has supernatural abilities such as making flowers or other objects fly in the air, also she herself can fly, walk on water, go through walls, etc.

; Wei Yung-chʻien ({{lang|zh-tw|蔚詠倩}})
Hua Chêng's second reincarnation (Li Ying's reincarnation) in present day, a 16-year-old Taiwanese-American girl living in New York City, falls in love with Shang Hsüan.

; Hao Yüeh ({{lang|zh-tw|昊玥}})
God of Thunder, reincarnated in the Tʻang dynasty as an imperial general and bodyguard of princess Li Ying, the two fall in love with each other.

; Shang Hsüan ({{lang|zh-tw|尙軒}})
God of Creation and Universe, the leader of the seven gods. He has a romantic relationship with Hua Chêng.

; Robert ({{lang|zh-tw|勞勃特}})
An American journalist and a good friend of Wei Yung-chien's father, who discovered the mausoleum of princess Li Ying.

==List of volumes==
; Second original edition
{| class=wikitable style="font-size:small;margin:0 auto;"
!rowspan="2"|No.
!rowspan="2"|Original title
!colspan="2"|{{flagicon|ROC}} [[Da Ran Culture]]
|-
! Publication date !! ISBN
|-
!Volume 1
|[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47586413-1 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶1}}]
|25 September 1991||{{ISBN|957-25-0910-1}}
|-
!Volume 2
|[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47586710-2 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶2}}]
|5 October 1991||{{ISBN|957-25-0911-X}}
|-
!Volume 3
|[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47586768-3 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶3}}]
|15 October 1991||{{ISBN|957-25-0912-8}}
|-
!Volume 4
|[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47586847-4 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶4}}]
|25 July 1991||{{ISBN|957-25-0913-6}}
|}

; New edition
{| class=wikitable style="font-size:small;margin:0 auto;"
!rowspan="2"|No.
!rowspan="2"|Original title
!rowspan="2"|Chapter
!colspan="2"|{{flagicon|ROC}} [[Kung Long International Publishing Co.]]
|-
! Publication date !! ISBN
|-
! Volume 1
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47580021-1 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶1}}]
| 1.Dark Underground Palace<br />2.Silhouette in Moon Lights<br />3.Surprising Attack<br />4.Prophet Shang Hsüan<br />5.Confusion
| 1 January 2001||{{ISBN|957-0498-15-3}}
|-
! Volume 2
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47585674-2 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶2}}]
| 6.A Light Sign<br />7.Crying Blue Lotus<br />8.The Underground Palace<br />9.Dancing with Flowers<br />10.The General with a Sword<br />10.5.Extra: Be Your Vanguard
| 1 February 2001||{{ISBN|957-0498-16-1}}
|-
! Volume 3
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47585714-3 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶3}}]
| 11.Anguish Roar<br />12.Intermingling<br />13.Palace Romance<br />14.The Bodyguard<br />15.Magic Axes<br />15.5.Extra: Look Back Somewhere Quiet
| 1 March 2001||{{ISBN|957-0498-17-X}}
|-
! Volume 4
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47586024-4 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶4}}]
| 16.Feeling<br />17.Love and Death<br />18.Waiting Fate<br />19.Past<br />20.A Broken Dream<br />20.5.Extra: Kids Never Lie
| 1 April 2001||{{ISBN|957-0498-18-8}}
|-
! Volume 5
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47586060-5 {{lang|zh-tw|傾國怨伶5}}]
| 21.Dust in Wind<br />22.An Ancient Tune<br />23.Morning Tide<br />24.Long Come and Gone<br />25.The Last Chapter: Far and Away+Extra [End]
| 1 May 2001||{{ISBN|957-0498-19-6}}
|}

==Sidequel==
[[File:Dream of the Tʻang Dynasty Palace by You Su-lan.JPG|thumb|150px|Cover of ''Dream of the Tʻang Dynasty Palace'', published by Da Ran Culture, featuring Hao Yüeh and Li Ying.]]
A sidequel of ''Melancholic Princess'' titled '''''Dream of the Tʻang Dynasty Palace''''' ({{zh|links=no|c=[[wiktionary:唐|唐]][[wiktionary:宮|宮]][[wiktionary:夢|夢]]}}) which written and illustrated by the same comic artist and published by Da Ran Culture in 1994, printed in colour. This is a short [[side story]] that tells the lonely princess Li Ying felt bored in the palace, so she sneaked out and encountered the [[Shigandang|shih-kan-tang]]. The latter thought she is a demoness and ready to kill her, but the general Hao Yüeh saved her just in time.

==Adaptations==
; TV series adaptation
The main characters and portions of ''Melancholic Princess'' were used and loosely interpreted, in the [[The King of Blaze (TV series)|2018 television series adaptation]] of ''[[The King of Blaze (manhua)|The King of Blaze]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://star.ettoday.net/news/938059 |title=陳柏霖《火王》演員陣容公開 《傾國怨伶》詠倩是她 |language=zh-TW |last=Chên |first=Chien-hsiu |date=4 June 2017 |website=star.ettoday.net |access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref> The adaptation is seen to be unsuccessful, and disappointed a number of viewers. It has been questioned by the audience if the series is anything like the ''manhua'' except the names of some main characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tech.ikanchai.com/article/20181128/252533.shtml |title=《火王》首播收視0.3：從BL到BG，漫改劇的四大困局 |language=zh-CN |last=Qing |first=Dai |date=28 November 2018 |website=tech.ikanchai.com |access-date=29 August 2019}}</ref>

; Novel
A novel of the same name written and adapted by Taiwanese author Nalan Chên ({{lang|zh-TW|納蘭真}}), was published in 1992.
{| class=wikitable style="font-size:small;margin:0 auto;"
!rowspan="2"| Original title
!rowspan="2"| Translation
!rowspan="2"| Story
!rowspan="2"| Novel
!colspan="2"| {{flagicon|ROC}} Da Ran Culture
|-
! Publication date !! ISBN
|-
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47643430 {{lang|zh-TW|小說傾國怨伶 上}}]
| 'Novel Version of Melancholic Princess, vol. 1'
| You Su-lan
| Nalan Chên
| 1 November 1992 || {{ISBN|957-72-5187-0}}
|-
| [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47643496 {{lang|zh-TW|小說傾國怨伶 下}}]
| 'Novel Version of Melancholic Princess, vol. 2'
| You Su-lan
| Nalan Chên
| 1 May 1993 || {{ISBN|957-72-5188-9}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

{{Portal bar|Comics|Taiwan}}

[[Category:Taiwanese comics titles]]
[[Category:1989 comics debuts]]
[[Category:Fantasy comics]]
[[Category:Romance comics]]
[[Category:Action-adventure comics]]
[[Category:Comics set in the Tang dynasty]]
[[Category:Comics set in New York City]]
[[Category:Comics set in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Comics adapted into novels]]
[[Category:Manhua adapted into television series]]
[[Category:Archaeology in popular culture]]
[[Category:Fiction about reincarnation]]
[[Category:Fiction about resurrection]]
[[Category:Supernatural fiction]]
[[Category:Taiwanese novels]]