Spring of the Blade is a 30-episode historical romance starring Xu Kai and Zhou Ye. It premiered on September 17, 2026, on iQIYI and Youku in China, with an international listing on iQIYI. Its revenge story brings two people with a shared past into a powerful family’s disputes and the politics surrounding it.
How the release schedule works
The official launch schedule opened with six episodes for VIP members on September 17. It announced two per day from September 18, followed by one per day from September 22. That is a membership schedule for the Chinese release, not a guarantee of identical access in every country.
The announced sequence is Episodes 7–8 on September 18, 9–10 on September 19, 11–12 on September 20, 13–14 on September 21, Episode 15 on September 22 and Episode 16 on September 23. Check the full-episode label and access status in your account before treating an entry as available.
In the September 21 check, iQIYI’s page header still displayed 12 of 30 episodes while the list contained previews for later installments. The total of 30 is consistent; the displayed availability can lag behind the announced calendar. A finale date is not established here by extending that calendar on our own.
What Spring of the Blade is about
Xie Qingyuan returns to the Xie home to uncover the injustice surrounding her mother. Shen Run, now a figure with authority, arrives on an investigation into corruption. They once helped each other through hardship, and their paths cross again as private family struggles connect with events at court.
The official summaries describe romance, revenge and investigations. The story is adapted from You Sijie’s novel 一瓯春 and directed by Pan Anzi. This guide covers the setup rather than revealing how the family dispute or the central relationship ends.
The leads and their alternate names
iQIYI’s Chinese credits list Xu Kai as Shen Run / Yan Rui and Zhou Ye as Xie Qingyuan / Chen Yunya. International episode clips often use Yan Rui, while the main English synopsis uses Shen Run. The paired names below follow the official cast listing without explaining story details behind them.
Who’s who in Spring of the Blade
Supporting cast members include Bai Shu as Shen Che, Min Chunxiao as Lian Fanqiao, Ke Ying as Xie Qingru and Chen Yihan as Xie Qingrong. These are selected confirmed credits, not an exhaustive list.
Where to watch
Use iQIYI or Youku in China, or check the iQIYI International listing in your own market. Look for Spring of the Blade or 一瓯春. Subtitle choices, membership access and the latest unlocked episode can differ by region; the existence of an international page alone does not promise playback everywhere.
Explore the cast, images and related stories on our Spring of the Blade series page.
