#wei chengxiang

[morethanwonderful]

One thing I've really been chewing on from the new Tai Sui extra is the final few paragraphs and the parallel they strike between Wei Chengxiang and Xi Ping.

One of my favorite things about the original extras has always been Xi Ping using the name "Peony" as an old man. He's using Jiangli's name (Baishao, meaning white peony) as his own, literally living on in her name. Aside from being a nod to the debt of life he owes her and a generally nice gesture toward her importance, this also has the effect of subtly upholding her memory to the public hundreds of years after her death. None of the people in the present day at the end of Tai Sui know the story of Chen Baishao; she was an ant. However, people all over have the name Peony on their lips and a white peony in their eyes whenever they encounter the famous Xi Ping, which means some part of Jiangli is preserved as long as "Mr. Peony" exists in public.

The act of using Chen Baishao's name is an act of tribute.

And now that we know the fire god "Chunying" Wei Chengxiang invented has been given Wei Chengxiang's face by the public, everything I said above about Xi PIng and Chen Baishao applies to Wei Chengxiang and Chunying as well. Wei Chengxiang's face has been preserved in the public consciousness for hundreds of years after her death in the form of the fire god, and that memory of her carries the name Chunying. Wei Chengxiang has ensured that, even though none of the public know the story of the ant who died in a fire several hundred years prior, her name is on their lips, and thus some part of her memory lives on.

The deaths of Chen Baishao and Chunying are what set Xi Ping and Wei Chengxiang off on their respective journeys to cultivation. Both Xi PIng and Wei Chengxiang owe their respective lost loved ones a debt they can never repay, and both of them try to repay some small portion of that debt by seeking revenge for their deaths in the south. Their stories have always been in parallel, and the new detail of Chunying the Fire God receiving Wei Chengxiang's face only furthers that connection.

That's why Xi Ping can say with confidence that Wei Chengxiang would be happy to answer to Chunying's name if she were still alive. Why he knows she would be happy to hear that that name is now tied to her face. It's not just that he understands her in general, though he does. It's that he's living the exact same circumstance. He's chosen to answer to Chen Baishao's name as a way to uphold her memory in his old age. He's actively choosing to do the same thing that happened to Wei Chengxiang by happenstance.

Xi Ping carries on Chen Baishao's name because he owes her everything, so he knows that Wei Chengxiang would be equally happy to carry on the name of the person she owes her own everything to in turn.

[rosencrantzsguildenstern]

tai sui fancast - part one

i have read more chinese novels than seen chinese dramas. i have seen like, 3 chinese dramas. however, i did do a lot of research for this, so indulge me! this is the first time i've done a fancast or even thought to do one, so there's definitely thought and feeling put into this.

part two will include more characters from later arcs, as well as zhi xiu, who i'm stuck on (mostly because i don't feel like casting zhang zhehan~) this part focuses on the characters we meet early on!

xi ping - chen zheyuan

a lot of these, i'm choosing by watching a small sample of their acting (as i haven't seen that many cdramas), but chen zheyuan's someone i've actually watched a full drama starring, and he's an experienced actor who can pull off a character who's mischievous, smart, and morally ambiguous. i'd like to see him play xi ping's arc as he becomes further and further alienated from himself, and he could easily nail spoiled brat. i also really tend to imagine and draw xi ping as this kind of soft, round-cheeked man; i think it suits his ‘young master’ character quite a bit, and chen zheyuan has the ideal looks without having an innocent feeling unsuited to the story

wei chengxiang — huang yang tian tian

this one was difficult, as wei chengxiang's not very feminine and i also see her as not very conventionally attractive— and most cdrama actresses are. huang ying tian tian, though, has a lot of experience in somewhat gritty historical roles and can play dark emotions well. she's known for playing child versions of main characters and is still young (seventeen at the time of writing this), making her a great fit who can match both wei chengxiang's youthful immaturity and her cool side, and potentially play her at all of her ages-- acting and styled as younger for when a-xiang is youngest and then additionally aging as the drama is filmed (which would be best with a multi-season structure, i think, given the arc format of tai sui).

zhou ying - tan jianci

an experienced actor's best for this kind of role, and tan jianci's been acting since 2008. he's got the skills and range-- he's played in serious dramas, getting critical acclaim for his performance in under the skin, and not just heartthrob-types, also playing historical roles like sima zhao in the advisor's alliance and cao pi in secret of the three kingdoms. ...and here is where i realize that i've matched the casting for the upcoming adaptation of sha po lang, which stars him and chen zheyuan; i haven't even read sha po lang, so this was completely unintentional~ in any case, this lining up with opinions from actual auditions and directors means he'd probably work well with chen zheyuan in this theoretical situation, too, though i don't mean to parallel the 'lead couple' setup.

bai ling, pang jian, jiangli, and princess duanrui under the cut!

bai ling - luo yunxi/leo luo

an accomplished actor who received a ton of acclaim for his performance in till the end of the moon, playing a character who's lived a varied life of 500 years as well as that character's progenitor, the devil god. he's super skilled and slated to play chu wanning in the adaptation of erha, as well as being cast as the lead of three other future dramas. he's fitted to play a half-demon character, but i admit: i'm taking this all-star and giving him a fairly minor role, and that role is largely due to his facial features, which are just odd enough (in certain makeup styles) to suit the image of bai ling i've had in my mind.

pang jian - jin dong

he caught my eye initially due to his appearance and age-- i think casting a noticeably older actor is a great way to characterize pang jian as a walker in the mortal world--, but i think his body of work also suits this role; he's known for work in the disguiser, a spy drama, and candle in the tomb, an action-adventure show about tomb raiders, and i think that suits 'assistant commander' pang jian, someone who's practical, working in the field, and dealing with a lot of situations. he's a veteran actor with a wider body of work beyond that and a wide range, including comedy-- something i think pang jian's actor should have skills in, given how many genuinely funny bits there are with him-- and a role in nirvana in fire.

chen baishao/jiangli — ju jingyi

ju jingyi recently costarred in the drama 'in blossom', and watching her act, though this would be a minor role, it's one with a lot of complexity and one i think she could elevate and leave a strong impression of in the viewer's mind, deserving for the first arc that leaves its shadow throughout all of tai sui.

princess duanrui/zhou xueru — wang churan

a description on an article which mentioned "elegant beauty and ethereal disposition" and opinioned that she had a good face for period dramas caught my eye, and after seeing some of her acting in small clips and gifs, i think she's excellent at portraying characters with restrained emotions. she smiles, cries, and shows anger in her current roles, but without a bubbly energy; rather, it feels like there's a huge lake of depth beneath the surface. i think her face also suits a princess perfectly, and she has the range to portray both way-of-clarity princess duanrui and the younger zhou xueru!

[grassbreads]

Before Wei Chengxiang raises anchor on her first expedition beyond the continent, Zhao Qindan comes to pay a farewell visit.

Zhao Qindan/Wei Chengxiang fic is up on Ao3!!

Come get your once-yearly grassbreads fanfic oneshot :)

[pippuns]

more extras :)

[cinammonelles]

Sketchbook is full so here's a little ts sketch dump :>

Bonus Xi Ping I literally don't remember drawing

[zhoudadudugongjin]

[hnyibee]

wonder how priest feels knowing she has some of the coolest women ever in her character roster

[unfotp]

i was joking when i said Zhou Ying was off being omniscient and turning into mist but my goodness he actually did that

like he does strike me as slightly suicidal but even he wouldn't do it in front of his baby brother his only tether to humanity. meet me beyond the bounds my ass you mean death?? the bounds of cultivation?? life in general???

[andwhatnot1]

Yet another fem! san guo AU smut fic

Where It Settles by andwhatnot1

After Liu Bei's return to Jingzhou following her arranged marriage in Wu, Zhuge Liang is overjoyed to see her again. But Liu Bei senses a trace of sadness, perhaps even jealousy, beneath her smile too. Determined to make it up to her, she takes matters into her own hands!

In short: Overly sweet, Xuanliang reunion love-making with not much plot

As always, feedback is appreciated! Love reading your comments! They really motivate me! ❤️

Sidenotes and yapping under the cut:

1994 Zhuge Liang is just not the jealous type, so I based this off more of his reactions from the 2010 series (crying on his knees, looking up, teary eyed to his Zhugong before he leaves...you know the drill) However, I wouldn't say this fic is completely 2010 san guo adjacent either, because I left some things out that just didn't work out well and went with the 1994 series direction SOOO it's quite a mix and match, haha

and also, it's different from the usual cross-dresser Zhuge Liang AU too, where only Jiang Wei and her Chengxiang are women (maybe Sun Ce and Zhou Yu come to mind as well). So, this fic is a little nonsensical from that standpoint, but I'll see if I can work with this setup in the future :)

[morethanwonderful]

Rereading The Mountain Falls and feeling nauseous about the Wei Chengxiang/Jiangli parallels

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Women Tournament 

[Please be kind and respectful in the notes. Anti-Propaganda is NOT allowed.]

A-Qing from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation / MDZS

Submission: Incredibly clever. Fakes blindness to survive as a street orphan and pickpocket people. Successfully deceives a magnificent liar into believing she's really blind for years. Tries to hinder said liar's schemes and save people from him even after she's dead and actually blind and unable to speak. 

Wei Chengxiang from Tai Sui

Submission: 

Wei Chengxiang is one of the most important characters in Tai Sui. She's the impoverished foil to the rich kid protagonist, and she becomes one of his most important friends. She grows up to travel the world, joining the most downtrodden, powerless people on her continent and helping fight for them to have a better life.  She dresses like a boy as a child in order to work factory jobs, and once she's grown up, she continues to dress in "men's clothes" despite living as a woman. She trades sassy backtalk with one of the most terrifying people in history. She has kickass gambling-themed cultivation powers. She gives her friends handmade embroidered new years gifts. She has a permanent magic wound on her face in the shape of a tear track. She goes on a revenge quest and succeeds! She kills the people that hurt her loved ones and eventually contributes to the downfall of the entire societal system that abused her.  She goes from impoverished orphan to founder of a rebuilt nation, and she never once stops being wise as hell and cool as hell in that time, even when she's facing unfathomable odds. I love her. 

[mademoiselle-red]

Zhuge Liang’s Shu-Han harem and their appeal (to me):

Jiang Wei 姜维: The chosen one. Zhuge Liang’s spiritual successor. He was Zhuge Liang’s hope for the future of the northern campaign. And Jiang Wei really did devote his life to Zhuge Liang’s dreams and lived the rest of his life in Zhuge Liang’s image 最终活成了你的样子.

Wei Yan 魏延: This one is really growing on me. The one who was not chosen, but nevertheless loved, protected, and supported, just not in the way he wanted. No matter how much Liang Liang gives him, it’s never enough attention for Wei Yan. If Kongming is the light that slowly burnt itself out for the Shu-Han dream, Wei Yan is the moth that threw itself into Zhuge Liang’s flame 飞蛾扑火, his funerary sacrifice 陪葬品 in both real history and in the Romance. But I like the historical dynamic a lot more because Liang Liang really did try to protect Wei Yan in his final will, including ordering the other generals to “let him go” if Wei Yan refuses to retreat back to Chengdu. He knew that Wei Yan would only submit to him and Liu Bei, and now that they are both dead, he wanted to free this wild hound that they’ve kept on a leash for too long.

Liu Bei 刘备: the empress of the harem 绝对的正宫, the love of Zhuge Liang’s life, his soulmate, the fish to his water, the fish that he helped guide upstream and through the dragon gate to become a dragon

Li Yan 李严: From Li Yan wanting to be Zhuge Liang’s equal and Zhuge Liang trying to be his friend, to Li Yan trying to take power and Zhuge Liang stripping him of all power. Li Yan harboring one sided love-hate feelings while Zhuge Liang isn’t emotionally invested at all and just deals with him. 任是无情也动人.

Liu Shan 刘禅: the step-parent version of the Oedipal complex 小妈文学, the kid he projects his love for Liu Bei onto 替身文学

Zhang Yi 张裔: Historical Liang wrote him a really sweet letter saying their bond is as firm as stone, followed by a pretty nasty breakup letter comparing him to a divorced woman trying to get back with her ex. So all the right ingredients are there for a short lived fling that totally went up in flames

Xu Shu 徐庶: Technically not Shu-Han but spiritually a member of the Shu-Han harem 身在曹营心在汉. I like him best for an adolescent romance. He fits my headcanon for Zhuge Liang being into the wandering swordsman 游侠 type

My impression of members of the Chengxiang harem that exist but I haven’t looked much into:

Zhao Yun 赵云: this one is pretty popular

Jiang Wan 蒋琬: the favorite successor

Yang Yi 杨仪: the not chosen one

Fei Yi 费祎: the youngest successor

Meng Huo 孟获: it’s got dom-sub vibes

Ma Liang 马良: another adolescent romance candidate

Ma Su 马谡: a replacement for Ma Liang

[grassbreads]

XIANGDAN REAL.

Old Xi Ping writing lesbian flirting in his goddamn friendfiction. This is everything to me.

[stellarish]

POV: You just caught two suspicious individuals skulking around the southern mines

[zhoudadudugongjin]

the way they go SO HARD with jiang wei's caretaker role for the slowly dying zhuge liang in the advisors alliance. the way boyue is finely attuned to every slightly abnormal movement, every stumble, every tremor of his chengxiang's hand... makes me sick

[the-monkey-ruler]

So, my understanding is that FengShen Yanyi is before Journey to que west. My question is, are the events of Lotus Lantern before Sun Wukong wants a place in heaven? I know those three stories the most, but I don't know if there are any others that I should know. I also wanted to ask where Chang'e's story falls between these stories.

Shang Dynasty: c.1750 B.C. - c.1066 B.C.

The Investiture of the Gods, also known by its Chinese names Fengshen Yanyi (Chinese: 封神演義) story is set in the era of the decline of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) and the rise of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC).

Zhou Dynasty: Western Zhou: 1066 B.C. - 221 B.C.

Chang'e first appeared in Guicang, a divination text written in Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC).

Qin Dynasty: 771 B.C. - 206 B.C.

Wukong bursting out of the stone (Warring States Period)

Han Dynasty: 206 B.C. - 220

Wukong Dies (at the age of 342)

Wukong Trapped Under Five Element Mountain

Liu Xiang (Liu Chenxiang's father), a scholar of the Han Dynasty (first draft)

Three Kingdoms: Wei: 220 - 280

Western Jin: 265 - 316

Eastern Jin: 317 - 420

Sixteen Kingdoms: 304 - 420

Southern and Northern Dynasty: 420 - 581

Sui Dynasty: 581 - 618

Tang Dynasty: 618 - 907

Journey to the West (Chinese: 西遊記) is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang

The Magic Lotus Lantern is a Chinese fairy tale from the Tang dynasty (618–907). (recreation in Qing Dynasty)

Five Dynasties: 907 - 979

Song Dynasty: 960 - 1279

Liao Dynasty: 907 - 1125

Western Xia Dynasty: 1032 - 1227

Jin Dynasty: 1115 - 1234

Yuan Dynasty: 1279 - 1368

Ming Dynasty: 1368 - 1644

Qing Dynasty: 1644 - 1911

I'm taking this from when the legends are either first mentioned OR have said IN THE TEXT when they are to take place. Chang'e was first mentioned in the Zhou Dynasty, but I am not sure if the story is meant to be even earlier depending. I have also seen that the story of Chang'e first appeared in the Shang Dynasty hexagram "Gui Zang ". The complete story of Chang'e flying to the moon was first recorded in "Huainanzi·Lanmingxun" of the Western Han Dynasty. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the relationship between Chang'e and Yi was established, and Chang'e turned into a toad that made medicine after entering the moon palace. After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the image of Chang'e returned to being a woman. In Han Dynasty portraits, Chang'e has the head of a human and the body of a snake. Her hair is in a high bun, she wears a long jacket with wide sleeves, and her long tail is decorated with short, barb-shaped feathers. After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Chang'e was portrayed as a peerless beauty. 

Xiyouji is also very much in the Tang dynasty and is even said to have prolonged the Tang dynasty within the novel. Wukong’s birth and creation is to be sometime in the Warring States period and to be guessed in the Qin Dynasty. Lotus Lantern ALSO was created in the Tang Dynasty and from my understanding and its first interaction is when Liu Xiang (someone said Liu Xi) is a scholar of the Han Dynasty and went to Beijing to take an exam (this is the version of lotus Lanter were he gets remarried) He passed by the Huashan Temple and wrote a poem in the temple. He teased the temple deity, the Sanseng Mu of Huayue. Sanseng Mu was so angry that they wanted to kill him but fell in love with him in the end. I cannot say that if the original version is meant to be before or after the Wukong has been punished by heaven and is under the mountain but considering that Wukong mentions Erlang's mother and not his nephew that would be a good suggestion that is after in this version. It is in the Qin Dynasty do we see the version that Lotus Lantern being definitively placed after Wukong going on his journey in Tang Dynasty, making the legends VERY recent in comparison to others. This is the version where Chengxiang's father doesn't get remarried and is the more popular of the two honestly.