From My Journey to You to The Best Thing, 7 Zhang Linghe C-dramas you should check out if you're still obsessed with Pursuit of Jade

Forget everything you thought you knew about historical romances because 2026 isn't just another year for C-dramas. It's the year. And at the very top of the mountain, claiming the number one spot with undeniable authority, sits Pursuit of Jade.

Even though this 40-episode masterpiece wrapped up its run back in March, new fans are discovering it every single day, and they're falling hard for Zhang Linghe. Because once Xie Zheng has stolen your heart, there's no going back.


So whether you're a fresh recruit to the Zhang Linghe fan club or a longtime admirer looking to revisit his finest work, consider this your official watchlist. We've combed through his filmography to bring you seven dramas (five that have already aired and two highly anticipated upcoming releases) that will keep that swoon going strong.

Before we dive into the rest of his work, let's set the stage with the drama that started it all.

Pursuit of Jade is a 2026 historical romance that took the streaming world by storm, debuting at number six on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English Shows chart shortly after its release. The series follows Fan Changyu (Tian Xiwei), a butcher's daughter left orphaned and fighting to keep her family's home. During a snowstorm, she encounters Xie Zheng (Zhang Linghe), a man who appears to be a frail, sickly scholar but secretly hides his true identity as the Marquis of Wu'an, burdened by a 16-year-old blood feud against those who massacred his family.

It all begins as a marriage of convenience as she needs protection and he needs a cover; however, it slowly blossoms into a passionate romance. But when war tears them apart, Changyu doesn't wait helplessly. She takes up her butcher's knife and charges onto the battlefield to find her husband, while Xie Zheng reclaims his title to protect both his country and the woman he loves.


Now, for the 7 dramas you absolutely need to watch next.

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If Xie Zheng broke your heart, He Suye will put it back together, gently, patiently, and with a whole lot of traditional Chinese medicine.

Released just before Pursuit of Jade in February 2025, The Best Thing is the kind of healing romance that feels like a warm hug. Zhang Linghe plays a gentle, dedicated TCM doctor from a prestigious medical family. He treats Shen Xifan (Xu Ruohan), a hotel manager suffering from severe insomnia after a painful breakup. The two discover they live in the same neighbourhood, and as their paths keep crossing, a relationship built on mutual understanding and support begins to grow.

Where to watch: iQIYI

Before he was Xie Zheng, Zhang Linghe was Gong Ziyu, and this is the Wuxia drama that proved he could carry a complex, suspense-filled historical epic.

Directed by the visionary Guo Jingming, My Journey to You follows Yun Weishan (Yu Shuxin), an assassin spy sent to infiltrate the powerful Gong Clan by posing as a bride candidate. Zhang Linghe plays Gong Ziyu, the clan's fourth son who is a playboy who seems more interested in lazing around than in clan politics. But when his father and brother are murdered in one night, Ziyu is forced to inherit the position of Sword Leader, whether he's ready or not.


Where to watch: iQIYI

Zhang Linghe himself has called this drama the "turning point" of his career, and once you watch it, you'll understand why.

Set in a small mining town in the 1990s, Our Generation follows a group of friends growing up together. Zhang Linghe plays Jiang Qiaoxi, a gifted but introverted boy forced to bear the weight of his family's expectations after his older brother's death. Pushed into intense math Olympiad training, he grows up brilliant but emotionally stunted, until he meets Lin Qile (Zhao Jinmai), a cheerful girl whose warm, supportive family becomes his only solace.

Where to watch: Youku

This is where it all began. Before Zhang Linghe became a household name, he was Chang Heng — the God of War of Shuiyuntian — in the massively popular fantasy romance that took the C-drama world by storm in 2022.


The series follows Orchid (Yu Shuxin), a low-ranking fairy who accidentally revives Dongfang Qingcang (Dylan Wang), the powerful and feared Moon Supreme. Zhang Linghe plays Chang Heng, the noble and kind-hearted God of War who has secretly loved Orchid for centuries. As the love triangle unfolds, he must decide between his duty to the fairy realm and his feelings for the woman he cannot have.

Where to watch: iQIYI, Netflix (select regions)

If you loved the second-chance elements in Pursuit of Jade, prepare to be obsessed with The Princess Royal.

Zhang Linghe reunites with Our Generation co-star Zhao Jinmai in this fantasy historical drama. He plays Pei Wenxuan, a strategist who enters a politically arranged marriage with Princess Li Rong (Zhao Jinmai) at age 18. After 20 years of betrayal, misunderstandings, and court conspiracies, they die as bitter enemies, only to wake up on the day of their wedding as their younger selves. Determined to change their fate, they form an uneasy alliance that slowly transforms into something deeper.

Where to watch: Youku

This one is for fans of angst, revenge, and second-chance romance, with a stunning Republican-era twist.


Adapted from a novel by Fei Wo Cun (known for heartbreaking romances), Overdo follows Murong Qing Yi (Zhang Linghe), a warlord's son who suffers abuse before being rescued by Ren Su Su (Wang Churan). Her family pays a devastating price for helping him. Years later, they reunite and fall in love, until Su Su fakes her own death to protect others. When she returns three years later, she's engaged to Qing Yi's own elder brother.

The 33-episode drama has already cleared censorship and is tentatively scheduled for release in July 2026. Republican-era dramas have a unique aesthetic, and this one promises plenty of tears. Plus, the novel's source material guarantees a story that will emotionally devastate you in the best way.

Where to watch: iQIYI and Tencent Video

Can't get enough of Zhang Linghe in period costumes? Good news is that he has another historical drama on the way.

The Road to Glory stars Zhang Linghe as Xiao Li, the head of Yongzhou's East Market who unexpectedly rescues Wen Yu (Lin Yun), a princess of a fallen kingdom on a mission to secure military aid. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, the two develop feelings as he helps her on her arduous journey to restore her kingdom.


Production was wrapped last month, so this one should be coming soon, although a confirmed release date is awaited.

Where to watch: Tencent Video

So go ahead. Queue up Love Between Fairy and Devil to see where his journey began. Or dive into The Princess Royal for more Zhao Jinmai chemistry. Just don't say we didn't warn you because once you start watching Zhang Linghe, you won't be able to stop.

And with Overdo and The Road to Glory just around the corner? Your watchlist is about to get a whole lot longer.

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