#huli jing li zilong | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

eatprayworm · 4 years

Text

without fox demons, no village is complete: an essay on tsomd’s li zilong and fox spirits

The big bad of The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty live action series, Li Zilong, is in many ways a mystery. We never learn his real motivations for wanting to take down the emperor, and there’s so many odd details about him that don’t add up (how did he disappear in thin air from Wang Zhi?). I propose a theory that provides an explanation for this antagonist: he is a fox spirit. I use a combination of sources to come to this conclusion. Let’s read.

The Real Li Zilong

A good place to start is the history of the real life Li Zilong. According to “The Eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty” by Shih-shan Henry Tsai, the Chenghua emperor established the Western Depot in 1477, with Wang Zhi at the helm. What made the emperor create the Western Depot? Well! The original mission of the Depot was to investigate the case of Li Zilong, a “transvestite” (the book’s words, not mine) who allegedly practiced witchcraft and had magical abilities. Li Zilong worked with a court eunuch to sneak into the imperial harem and mingle with superstitious women. And so, the Chenghua emperor created the Western Depot and had Wang Zhi search for any other witches or strange people. Wang Zhi went on to become a terror in the lives of many common folk.

So, the real Li Zilong was tied to mystical practices.

The Book Li Zilong

What about Li Zilong in the novel? Well! I haven’t read the novel so I can’t fully speak to it, but I’ve read some passages that describe Li Zilong. In chapter 3, Tang Fan discusses the Demon Fox Case, about a golden fox demon who was sent in to kill the emperor. This demon fox was said to be killed by the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor. There was also a Taoist named Li Zilong who appeared around the same time, and for whatever reason, the court associated Li Zilong with the fox, and he was executed. After Li Zilong was executed, the emperor established the Western Depot so he’d have a more reliable source of information.

Since I haven’t read the novel, I can’t say if Li Zilong is really dead or if there’s more information on this case. I’d love to hear if there is! Otherwise, what we can infer here is that Li Zilong was, most likely, a fox demon spirit out to kill the emperor.

The book is not the show, though, so this could be dismissed. However, I propose that the show version of Li Zilong is indeed a fox spirit. To better explain why I believe this, we need to understand a few things about Chinese fox spirits.

What are fox spirits?

There is a very long history of fox spirits in Chinese lore. I’ve done a few hours of research, but I am by no means an expert, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Likewise, fox spirits are called many terms (huxian, humei, huli jing, to name just a few) and they have various roles within ancient lore. For the purposes of this essay, I’ll focus on some general fox spirit information.

There are some generally accepted lore about fox spirits. According to old records, fox spirits have long lives and can take different forms depending on their age. When they reach 500 years, they can take the form of a beautiful woman, a handsome man, or an old wise scholar. When they reach 1,000 years, they may enter the heavens and become a celestial fox.

In some stories, foxes are seen as good omens who bring wealth and fortune to humans. In other stories, foxes take human form and seduce men or women. In others still, foxes are seen as signs of misfortune, sorcery, and rebellion.

Powers

Fox spirits are noted to have particular traits and powers, including:

strike their tail on the ground to cause fire

the ability to possess humans

ability to see into the future

can see events up to 1,000 li away

invisibility

pass through walls

a cunning and trickster disposition

Motives

The motives of foxes vary. Some have no moral alignment. Others seek to play mischief and tricks on humans; others steal the spirits of men so they may increase their own.

There are also tales of fox spirits taking revenge, either for themself or a deceased individual. To quote one source, “Typically in folklore the Chinese fox had two basic motives, to show its powerful shape-shifting ability by assuming the form of a person or demon to achieve the second motive: that of revenge for some crime it perceived, real or imagined.”

Interestingly, this is not the only source to discuss fox spirits and revenge. One tale speaks to a fox who cursed three generations because it was harmed by the family. Another source states, “...the Chinese revenge-fox stories: the killed fox is able to punish his murderer, being almost as clever as he is.”

Li Zilong? A Fox?

Now, why do I think the show!Li Zilong could be one of these crafty fox spirits? It’s a combination of canon clues and some inferences on my part. Let’s begin!

Age & Revenge

Li Zilong tells Princess Gu’an that he is a descendant of the Li family, who ruled during the Tang dynasty. The Tang Dynasty. What’s interesting to note is that the Tang Dynasty ended in the beginning of the 900’s - over 550 years before the present day in the show. Why would a descendant from this very old royal family have it out for the emperor? And what does this have to do with foxes?

The Tang Dynasty was the height of fox and fox spirit worship. The Tang Scholar Zhang Zuo noted: “From the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, many of the commoners worshipped fox deities. They offer sacrifices to them in their bedchambers, and food and drink offered are the same as those consumed by humans. At the time there was proverb saying ‘without fox demons, no village is complete.’”

There are other mentions of fox demons and their roles as gods. In one instance, dozens of “fox demons” appeared at a temple honor Li Jing, a Tang Dynasty general who was revered as a god. In another instance, a temple was erected for the “fox kings” in the land. In the year 1110, the Grand Councilor ordered that 1,000 fox-king shrines should be destroyed. (Li Jing? Some demon foxes being called huli jing? interesting coincidences.)

So. We have Li Zilong, who was a descendant of the royal family that ruled during the height of fox worship. What’s more, Li Zilong wears the same type of headpiece that the Chenghua emperor wears.

Was Li Zilong truly the descendant of royalty? Or, is he perhaps royalty from the era itself, a remnant of the fox kings of old? After all, why would a descendant of the Tang Dynasty care about an emperor who lived hundreds of years later, unless he’s been around long enough to have a reason to care? Could he, like his book counterpart, have been slighted by the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor?

When he finally confronts the emperor, he stares and says he’s waited a long time for this day. Maybe he’s waited over a hundred years.

Photos for reference:

Powers & Omens

Li Zilong exhibits traditional powers of fox spirits.

Invisibility. When Wang Zhi and he are walking out of the brothel, he tells Wang Zhi to look away. Wang Zhi looks away for a few seconds, turns back, and Li Zilong is gone. There’s no hint that he leaped away; he seemed to disappear out of thin air. Or, perhaps, he simply turned invisible. He pulls a similar trick when Tang Fan sees him across the street, but he disappears after a carriage goes by. Naturally, he probably hopped on the carriage. But….what if he didn’t. Additionally, how did Li Zilong get into the brothel when he was holding the meeting with the Oirats? Why was he so unafraid to be in public when he was literally public enemy number one? Only someone who could disappear quickly could have such confidence.

Precognition/knowledge. Li Zilong knew everything about everyone, even when it didn’t make sense for him to know these things. How did he know so much about the chicken cup? How could he predict the moves of the heroes again and again and again? How did he know the history of individuals so well? Sure, he had men that kept him informed. He had Qing Ge. But his ability to not only know so many past and current events, and keep a thumb on so many individuals and schemes (like the Yunhe silver situation) for years is very, very impressive. Almost inhumanly impressive.

Fire. Now, Li Zilong himself does not have the power of fire, but he sure is attracted to it. Ding Rong describes the explosions of the bolang as a sea of fire - and wouldn’t that appeal to a fox who can strike fire with his tail? Imagine being able to amplify this natural ability. Li Zilong seemed to grow particularly protective and fond of the bolangs; his eyes would light up, he asked for far more than he ever needed. A fox with a penchant for fire indeed.

Wealth & Rebellion. Li Zilong fits the archetype of the fox being both a benefactor and an ill omen. He says time and time again that he’s a businessman, and indeed he is: he fills the pockets of men (and himself) with gold, so long as they follow him. Sounds almost like worship? And wouldn’t an old fox king just love that? Additionally, Li Zilong is considered a rascal, an outsider, a rebel; Shang Ming, Wan An, and Wan Tong will collude with him, but they still deem him an “other”, an outside force. Fox spirits were typically seen as the other, as a sign of chaos.

Miscellaneous

Here’s some additional details I picked up while rewatching that lend some credence to my fox theory.

Fox Rings. On one of his hands, Li Zilong wears orange and black rings, side by side. These colors are typically associated with foxes.

2. Actual fox reference. In episode 47, Li Zilong warns Qing Ge that you cannot run from the eyes of the “three old foxes.” These mean the corrupt officials, of course. But what’s even more curious is what Dong’er tells the emperor: don’t run from Li Zilong, because he will always find you. So who is really the old fox here?

3. Qing Ge. One of the most common tales of fox spirits is them taking on the form of beautiful women to enchant men. Li Zilong adopting a skilled courtesan who canonically has men falling at her feet? Could this old fox king see a potential fox spirit in this adoptive daughter?

4. Tang Fan. In the Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures, the author states that “huli jing are especially fond of attacking virtuous scholars, as reasonable and virtuous people enrage them.” Li Zilong focused on Tang Fan as his real enemy. Not Sui Zhou. Not Wang Zhi. And why, when all three would eventually lead to his downfall? Because I think Tang Fan was the exact kind of scholar who Li Zilong couldn’t outsmart and beat, and he hated it.

5. Eyes. When Li Zilong falls down and dies, his eyes briefly change color. They flash from grey to silver; in the next scene, they’re brown again. What happened here? What spirit has left him? Could it be the death of a very old fox?

Conclusion

Fox or human? Descendant or royalty? Who knows what a Li Zilong is, but I think we can certainly assume he isn’t human - and may be the trickster from old. Ultimately, this is just my headcanon. At the end of the day, he may just be an old man who wanted to cause havoc for the hell of it. But I think this is a fun theory to entertain, and it gives him far more depth and intrigue than canon gave him otherwise.

Again, I am no expert in Chinese lore or Chinese fox spirits. Any mistakes are mine, and I’m certainly open to corrections!

#the sleuth of ming dynasty #tsomd #li zilong #huli jing li zilong #if anyone reads this kudos to you LOL #i figured if i was gonna write more of this au i should explain some of my thought processes #hastily written and not well edited bc whatever #lmao #mine

29 notes · View notes

eatprayworm · 4 years

Text

portions for foxes pt. 2

part 2 of my werewolf au/huli jing!li zilong au. credit to this asofterworld comic for one of the lines in this one.

previously: part 1.

ding rong stares down at his bowl of noodles, scarcely remembering how he wound up here. over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears, he can faintly hear the noise of conversation and sizzling food. right. wang zhi brought them to a restaurant.

he remembers now.

“what’s wrong? did you see him?”

“we need to leave. now.”

“ding rong, w-”

“now, du-gong. he’s here, he’s a -”

ding rong remembers the way wang zhi had looked at him then, the wide curve of his eyes, like ding rong had sprouted a second head. not because of what ding rong had seen, he knows now, but what he must have seen in ding rong.

monsters are even more frightening when you’ve seen them afraid.

“ding rong.”

he blinks up from the endless void of his noodles, meets wang zhi’s (calm, business-like) gaze from across the small table. there’s no traces of the horror we wore like dripping paint earlier; no, nothing haunted lingers at all. ding rong wishes he could say the same is true of his own heart, which still pounds like danger is afoot.

because it is, his mind helplessly supplies, and you cannot protect him.

“you’re certain he’s a huli jing?” wang zhi asks. he hasn’t touched his noodles either, ding rong notes. he supposes neither have much of an appetite.

ding rong nods, reluctant and solemn. “i’m certain.”

wang zhi doesn’t press him for evidence, and normally ding rong would be pleased that he has his commander’s trust, but right now all he feels is relief. he doesn’t have the language to properly describe how he knows to a human; this, as in other matters, is an understanding that lies beyond the mortal realm.

“alright,” wang zhi says, picking up his chopsticks. “so what does this mean?”

he exhales a heavy breath because where to begin? his gaze turns downwards again, examining the wooden table with more scrutiny than it deserves.

“he’s at a high level of cultivation. i can’t say for sure what all he can do, but based on his aura, i can make assumptions. he can probably walk through walls, master invisibility, see events from far away,” ding rong says.

he looks up when wang zhi makes a noise of surprise. “you mean, he may be able to hear what we’re saying right now?”

ding rong smiles, tiny and humorless. “possibly, yes.”

wang zhi straightens, leans back from his seat like he’s about to leave. ding rong shakes his head, a gentle action meant to soothe. it’s okay.

“he may not be watching us right now,” ding rong says. “and even if he is, he may not be able to hear.”

the benefits of a crowded restaurant, where they’ve curled their bodies toward each other. a small defense, but any counts in this new playing field where the rules have been turned completely upside down.

seemingly accepting it, wang zhi gives a brief nod; ding rong wonders if it’s more in agreement or to try to convince himself that the malicious, cunning glow of a fox’s eyes aren’t upon them.

wang zhi starts eating at last, and ding rong can tell it’s more to give himself time to think than any hunger. ding rong waits quietly, his own bowl still untouched.

“we know he’s a remnant of the royal family - would that affect his powers?”

ding rong’s brows furrow. a remnant, he repeats. the soft hair on his neck bristles, and he forces down a warning growl at an unseen foe.

“I don’t think he is a descendant,” ding rong says slowly. “i think he is from the era.”

wang zhi blinks, taken aback. “and he’s survived for this long? how didn’t we notice him before?”

it’s a good question, one ding rong has been mulling over as well. there should’ve been more signs, more warnings. “he’s been keeping a low profile and playing his cards very carefully. most huli jing are discovered and killed by now.”

“so something has lured him out?”

ding rong pauses again, and when it comes to him, the words immediately spill out like a fallen glass, “the bolang.”

wang zhi and ding rong share another long look, concerned and empty respectively, as this horrid truth lies between them. the explosion years ago. the flames, the destruction, the chaos. everything a nefarious fox spirit loves. he fights back a shudder.

ding rong has never liked fire.

wang zhi leans in a fraction. “do you have ideas on how to defeat him?”

ding rong meets wang zhi’s stare, holds it for a few somber seconds. he drops his gaze back down to his bowl and begins to eat.

---

the rest of the day is a flurry of activity at the western depot. between conversations on informing the emperor, research into myths of huli jings, and other general business, there is much to discuss. if ding rong stays closer to wang zhi’s side than necessary, no one comments.

night has long since settled in by the time they wrap up for the day. wang zhi steps outside, ding rong at his heels, ready to retire for the night. one step, two steps, and every step away from ding rong makes his chest clench.

“du-gong,” ding rong murmurs.

wang zhi turns. he looks beautiful like this, framed by the sparse moonlight; he looks so young like this, so tired and so human. ding rong aches.

“if i may suggest, it may be….prudent, to have extra protection during the night,” ding rong says, and he bows his head low. had he been in wolf form, his tail might have tucked to show that he’s about to make a very unreasonable request.

ding rong can’t see wang zhi’s face when his commander speaks, “and do you have a suggestion?”

ding rong swallows. the words lodge in his throat, nearly choking him as he pushes past the rituals of propriety, summons courage from his bloodline to continue, “i can organize men for you, if you would like.”

he’s glad he can’t see wang zhi’s expression; the soft sound of amusement makes ding rong want to shrink further into himself as he waits for the sting of rejection, either in word or hand. “but that’s not your recommendation.”

“it is not,” ding rong agrees, caught.

a heavy pause, only interrupted by the sound of the wind through the trees.

“i have a guest room, if staying there would put your mind at ease.”

ding rong’s heart does something stupid, something he hopes doesn’t shine in his eyes when he dares to look up. “thank you, sir. it would.”

he catches a glimpse of something soft in wang zhi’s eyes before he turns. “come on then.”

and so ding rong follows, under the cover of the night sky.

(but even here, the shadows are always watching.)

#tsomd #rongzhi #werewolf au #huli jing li zilong #my fic #not too much in the ways of plot here #but in the next part: ding rong and li zilong have their first meeting!

12 notes · View notes