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#li zilong
whenlovetriestoleave · 2 months
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li zilong, chen xiongyuan, lin cuncheng, & yang haobo by yu xiangyu for men's uno china jan '24
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t110n · 1 year
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rongzhi · 2 years
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An acting challenge
English added by me :)
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mutantfactor · 2 years
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Legend Of Exorcism - The great escape
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cnovelartreblogs · 2 years
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Tianbao Fuyao Lu (Legend of Exorcism) manhua. Original author: Fei Tian Ye Xiang. Artist: Wrap. Published by Bilibili, and available (for free! in English!) on their website and app. Read it now!
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nemainofthewater · 1 month
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Best Character surnamed: Li
Come and vote for the best characters with the same surname!*
What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!
*note, the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often there will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.
Propaganda is very welcome! If I’ve forgot anyone, let me know in the notes.
This is part of a larger series of ‘best character with X surname’ polls’. The overview with ongoing polls, winners, and future polls can be found here
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unforth · 8 months
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Lmaooo. So my brother and soon-to-be sil took the kids to the playground and I've got maybe a half hour to myself so I decided that, now that I've finished Dinghai Fusheng Records and read all of the Legend of Exorcism manhua, I could try starting the donghua again, since I'll have some idea wtf I'm doing now. And anyway I'm lmao cause I realize now that this is the donghua showing us Li Jinglong...
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And when Zhao Zilong says "do you know a better-looking man is more deceiving?"
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Li Jinglong fucking SNEEZES lmaooooo
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web-novel-polls · 3 months
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the-archlich · 1 year
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Dynasty Warriors: Who Is Xu Sheng
Although it wouldn't be correct to call Xu Sheng an obscure figure, he's certainly not one of Wu's most famous commanders. There are, however, a few interesting things to be said about him.
Xu Sheng doesn’t have an especially big footprint in 3K fiction. Like a lot of 3K figures he’s been an NPC in Dynasty Warriors for a long, long time and an officer in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series. His stats in the latter are generally above average, so that’s nice for him.
He was never your first choice for something but it never hurt to have him along for the ride and he’s one of the better “late game” officers. He doesn’t really have a presence outside of these games, so there’s not much to talk about in this section.
All things considered, then, I was pretty surprised when they added him as a playable character in DW9. As is usually the case with Xu Sheng he wouldn’t have been my first choice but it’s not a decision I could really complain about, either. The most active part of his career overlaps nicely with the portion of Wu’s history DW cares about and he was certainly an accomplished individual, so it’s a solid choice.
I don’t really think I have anything to say about Xu Sheng in DW9, though. He gets the moments you’d expect if you have any familiarity with him, but outside of that he’s mostly a background figure. I can’t identify any particular personality traits he has or character motivations. I’d like to see him as a more dynamic figure but with what we got, I don’t have a lot to talk about.
Someone with more passion for Xu Shu wrote in anonymously and gave me their opinion. I’ll share it here because I don’t have any opinions of my own to give about his DW9 characterization.
Xu Sheng's DW9 Characterization: He doesn’t have much of a massive presence aside from the Guangling Fake Wall thing. But from some of his lines in 9 Vanilla and Empires, he feels more like a reverse Wang Yi. He developed PTSD from losing Xu Province, but instead of going all vengeance mode, he tries to be a better person and defend Wu as an atonement for losing his homeland. He does have moments of lapsed judgement like him doubting on Zhou Tai because pirate bad but made up in ZT's ending.
I think KT wants Xu Sheng to be more like Wu's version of Guan Xing and Li Dian where they wanted smarterish warriors? Though he also is heavy on Japan's love for "gap moe '' where he has lines where he likes sweets and he cries when he feels an extreme emotion worthy of it like accomplishment or gratefulness or loss. Also they fucked up the Fake Wall story in that everyone in Wu was on board with the tactic instead of being Sheng's "fuck you did it anyway" thing.
Make of that what you will. For now we’ll move on to Xu Sheng in the Yanyi. Xu Sheng is first mentioned in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms as an officer who joins Sun Quan prior to Chibi.[1]
During the campaign, Zhou Yu sends him and Ding Feng to capture and kill Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang anticipated this and isready with a fast boat. When Xu Sheng’s ship draws near, Zhao Yun shoots the rope holding its sail, which allows Zhuge Liang’s to get away and intimidates Sun Quan’s officers into not following. Ding Feng shrugs it off saying,“Zhuge Liang is too clever for anyone; and Zhao Zilong is the bravest of the brave.” Later, Xu Sheng and Ding Feng serve as Zhou Yu’s guards during the fire attack.[2]
Xu Sheng next appears at the siege of Jiangling, acting as an assistant to the general Jiang Qin. Although bested in battle twice by Cao Ren, he plays a key role in eventually defeating his army in the field.[3] Later, he and Ding Feng are involved in an entirely fictitious attempt to capture Liu Bei at his wedding with Lady Sun but are shamed by the lady into letting the couple pass. They subsequently join up with Zhou Yu and pursue Liu Bei but are unsuccessful.[4]
Xu Sheng returns as a commander at Hefei. There, he plays a noteworthy role in extracting Sun Quan from danger.[5] He gets to have a significant moment of glory in the subsequent battle at Ruxu, where he leads a daring strike against Li Dian. Although initially successful he is soon surrounded and in danger of being killed. Fortunately, he is rescued by Zhou Tai and both emerge heavily wounded.[6]
Following this, Xu Sheng has a consistent presence in Sun Quan’s campaigns against Liu Bei. He plays a small role in Lü Meng’s operations against Guan Yu, where he is once again working with Ding Feng.[7] They serve as Lu Xun’s guards during the operations in Yidu. In one incident they are taunted by Wu Ban and want to fight him, but Lu Xun correctly predicts it is a trap and restrains them so they do not fall into an ambush.[8]
Xu Sheng’s biggest moment of glory comes in chapter 86, which is inspired by Cao Pi’s Guangling Expeditions. When word reaches Sun Quan that Cao Pi is invading in the east with a large army, Xu Sheng volunteers to meet them.[9] In an earlier chapter, he objects to Sun Quan accepting a title from Cao Pi, considering it a shameful humiliation.[10]
Xu Sheng immediately begins preparing to meet Cao Pi’s army but has some trouble with his subordinate Sun Shao. The latter objects to Xu Sheng’s decision to take a defensive position, to the point where Xu Sheng orders his execution. Sun Quan soon arrives and rescinds the order. Instead of apologizing for his disobedience, though, Sun Shao crosses the river to fight Cao Pi, completely disobeying all instructions. Xu Sheng is aware that Sun Quan has a fondness for Sun Shao, so he sends Ding Feng to rescue him.[11]
Once Cao Pi’s army arrives, Xu Sheng erects false walls in the night, manned by scarecrows. In the morning, Cao Pi thinks that Xu Sheng raised an entire fortress in one night and decides to retreat. During the retreat, he is ambushed first by Sun Shao and then by Ding Feng, as Xu Sheng planned. Cao Pi narrowly escapes but Zhang Liao is wounded by Ding Feng and dies shortly after.[12]
Xu Sheng gets one last bit of glory during the battle at Shi’ting, where Lu Xun has him lead the vanguard. He defeats Cao Xiu’s general Zhang Pu and almost captures Cao Xiu before being fended off by Jia Kui’s army.[13] His death is not mentioned in the novel, but that goes for most people.
On the whole, Xu Sheng is depicted as a relatively powerful warrior, though not quite on the same level as men like Zhao Yun or Cao Ren. His bravery is beyond criticism, though, and he’s also rather clever. Zhou Yu, Lü Meng, and Lu Xun all entrust him with vital tasks and he usually pulls them off. He is nearly always found with Ding Feng.
It’s that last part that strikes me as the strangest thing about the fictionalized Xu Sheng. I can find nothing to suggest that they shared any particular closeness. The two were not related, by blood or marriage, nor were they from the same homeland. While there are points where their careers overlapped, the same can be said for dozens of Sun Quan’s prominent officers. Linking the two of them together is kind of a random choice. It seems to come out of nowhere.
Honestly, though, I think that might be a good angle to lean into. Ding Feng doesn’t have too many other people in the Wu cast to really interact with so playing up a friendship between him and Xu Sheng might give them both a more emotional connection to the narrative.
The fictionalization of Xu Sheng’s life does hit most of the key points, though there are a few interesting bits that I think get lost in the background.
Originally from Langye in Xu province, he fled to Wu when everything fell apart in the north. There, he became known for his personal valor. Sometime after 200, Sun Quan gave Xu Sheng independent command over a small force and tasked him with protecting Chaisang from Huang Zu. During this time, he distinguished himself by defeating Huang Zu’s son Huang She in a battle at Chaisang despite being badly outnumbered. He was promoted to a colonel and rounded out his early career by suppressing some mountain bandits in Lincheng. After this he became one of Sun Quan’s personal generals, with some supervisory duties.[14]
For the next several years, Xu Sheng was highly active in the campaigns conducted between the Huai and Jiang rivers. In 213 he helped defend Ruxu from Cao Cao and remained with the garrison there. Xu Sheng was badly wounded in the fighting at Hefei and even lost his favorite spear (though it was later returned to him by He Qi). In 217 he was at Ruxu again. A storm found him stranded on the enemy side of the river, and Xu Sheng boldly led a sortie from the ships to protect them until the wind died down and allowed him to return to friendly shores.[15] This last incident appears to be the source of his heroics against Li Dian during the same battle in the Yanyi.[16]
As in the novel he did fight in the defense against Liu Bei in Yidu. In that chapter, as noted earlier, he is taunted by Wu Ban and almost falls into an ambush, though Lu Xun restrains him.[17] This is actually very close to the truth. Wu Ban did attempt to draw Wu officers into an ambush during the fighting at Yiling but Lu Xun restrained his men. Xu Sheng is not specifically mentioned but the dissatisfaction was widespread and it’s a fair bet that he was one of those who wanted to be more aggressive. Time, of course, proved Lu Xun’s caution wise.[18] Xu Sheng did, however, earn appreciable merit in the decisive battle that forced Liu Bei’s retreat.[19]
After Cao Pi took the throne, he sent an envoy to make Sun Quan King of Wu. Xu Sheng was outraged at seeing Sun Quan be given this title as though he were a mere underling and made a great show of his displeasure. The Wei envoy noted that with men like Xu Sheng, Wu would not remain subservient for long.[20] This is a scene that is repeated almost exactly in the Romance.[21] True to this prediction, Sun Quan soon revolted against Cao Pi and the two went to war. During the subsequent Great River Campaign (222–223), Xu Sheng gave distinguished service defending Dongpu from Cao Xiu. During this campaign he was shipwrecked by a storm for the second time, making him a man with remarkably bad luck.[22]
Xu Sheng is most famous for his exploits during Cao Pi’s Guangling Expeditions (224–225), and for good reason. The Yanyigives an exaggerated account of this (as it is wont to do) but it’s easy to recognize the truthful foundation upon which the fictionalization is based.
Cao Pi’s attack from Guangling in 224 was unexpected, since it was very difficult to cross the river there, as subsequent events proved. Sun Quan’s defenses were thus weak in the area. Although he was able to quickly assemble a fleet to intercept Cao Pi, the land-based defenses were still soft. Xu Sheng came up with the plan to erect false walls to make the defenses look stronger and deter an assault. His plan did fool Cao Pi’s scouts. Finding the defenses stronger than anticipated, Cao Pi withdrew.[23]
The Yanyi also adds in the story of the disobedient Sun Shao and his ambushing Cao Pi in retreat. The novel depicts Sun Shao as valiant but impetuous and young. In reality, Sun Shao was almost 40 years old at the time of the Guangling expeditions and had been defending the region south of Guangling for almost 20 years.[24]
During Cao Pi’s return in 225, Sun Shao dispatched a raiding party against Cao Pi’s headquarters under one Gao Shou. They were able to capture some of Cao Pi’s imperial regalia, which was a great humiliation to the Wei army.[25] There is, however, no indication that he was acting against orders, had conflict with Xu Sheng, or that the raid resulted in the heavy casualties mentioned in the novel. There is also no mention of Ding Feng.
Xu Sheng passed away sometime between 224 and 228, slightly before his disappearance form the novel.[26]
On the whole it’s a solid career. He gave distinguished service in most of the key battles during his lifetime. He was a skilled fighter with impressive bravery, and he has no record of any untoward personal conduct. While perhaps not Wu’s most dynamic commander, there’s nothing in his history anyone could fault him for.
It is hard to get a sense of who Xu Sheng was from his biography, though. Aside from listing his battles and achievements there isn’t much known. There aren’t any little anecdotes from his personal life or comments on his personality. I guess I can’t fault DW9 too badly, then. Even if they were looking at the same things I am, there isn’t much to be found.
Still, there are a couple threads I’d be interested to see future incarnations of Xu Sheng pull on. The fact that he was so unlucky as to be shipwrecked twice seems like something a writer could lean into. And while his friendship with Ding Feng and function as a guard for important commanders are both fictional aspects of Xu Sheng’s life, that’s no problem for Dynasty Warriors and they would serve well to give him a firmer place in the overall Wu army. It’s some food for thought anyway.
In a lot of ways, you could say Xu Sheng is the perfect example of the typical military officer. He fought frequently and fought well, displaying both courage and cunning. While not dazzling like some of his contemporaries, it’s hard to find someone more reliable. Men such as him are the foundation of any successful state.
Endnotes
SGYY 38
SGYY 49
SGYY 51
SGYY 55–56
SGYY 67
SGYY 68
SGYY 75–76
SGYY 83–84
SGYY 86
SGYY 82
SGYY 86
SGYY 86
SGYY 96
SGZ 55.10
For more on these incidents, see https://classicalamateur.wordpress.com/2020/10/31/the-huai-jiang-campaigns/
As seen in SGYY 68
SGYY 84
SGZ 58.1
SGZ 55.10
SGZ 55.10
SGYY 82
See https://classicalamateur.wordpress.com/2020/07/17/riverine-warfare-in-the-three-kingdoms/ for an account of this portion of the campaign.
SGZ 55.10; see also https://classicalamateur.wordpress.com/2019/04/27/the-guangling-expeditions/
SGZ 51.9
Wu Lu, SGZ 47
SGZ 55.10
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Question: If you can enter 4 dramas and interact with the characters without consequences, what would you do? Like, you can go in and smack/beat someone up and then return back to our world. Anything goes, legs or illegal, no consequences as long as you return to our world. You can go back to the same one if you want, no one will remember what you did prior. It like resets, and your actions would have been done by some ‘unknown person’ even if there are evidence and witnesses.
Which would be your 2nd to 5th dramas? (I say 2nd to 5th because I know Killer and Healer would be your 1st choice.)
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Oh jiejie, you know me so well. Yes, Killer and Healer would absolutely be my first choice because I have many characters that need a good smacking (none of the mains, though, they're fine).
Anyways, 2nd-5th drama...
2nd drama: S.C.I.
I think Feng Jie needs a good ole sucker punch to the face. And also Eugene. Zhao Jue I don't like, but he's not someone I wanna hurt. He's too interesting. But I don't like him
3rd drama: The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty
Oh my god, there are so many people...Li Zilong, Wan Tong, Shang Ming, He Lin...especially He Lin. Tang Fan kind of put him in his place but I would have gone apeshit on his ass. Also Wan Tong. He needs a good ole hit in the face with a frying pan
4th drama: The Devil Judge
Oh....oh, how I wish I could have roundhouse kicked that fucking dude...the one Sunah worked for before she killed him...in the fucking face. And also the Korean Elites, minus Cha Kyunghee. She was a bitch, but she wasn't as annoying as the others. Oh, and Min Jun-ho. I'm sorry, but I'd knife his ass. Just one quick little *stab* and disappear...violent, but necessary. Make sure I do it in a place where no one could see or hear and make sure there would be no cameras.
5th drama: The Hot Blooded Detective
If we're talking like just straight violence, then I think everyone in this drama needs a good slapping, minus our beloved doctor, of course. Kong Xuli needs to be smacked just for being himself (which is just dumb sometimes) and of course the restaurant owner that he falls in love with...lord, you don't know how many times I just wanted to smack her. Like ma'am. Out of all the badly written female characters, you are by far the worst
Bonus: My Roommate is a Detective
Just so that I can smack the shit out of BYN. Like, I want to show her what an actual reporter/investigator should do since you know...I have the degrees that actually qualify me unlike her. Also, she deserves a good smack, if no one else is gonna do it, then I'm gonna do it
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whump-by-the-tbsp · 3 years
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The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, episode 42
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incorrect-sleuth · 3 years
Conversation
Li Zilong: The Emperor, my arch nemesis.
Tang Fan: I thought I was your arch nemesis.
Li Zilong: I have a life outside you, Ministrate Tang.
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eatprayworm · 4 years
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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!
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rongzhi · 2 years
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tsomd + textposts (39/?)
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khazadspoon · 4 years
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Me when I wake up and realise the world is still on its bullshit.
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cnovelartreblogs · 2 years
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Tianbao Fuyao Lu (Legend of Exorcism) manhua. Original author: Fei Tian Ye Xiang. Artist: Wrap. Published by Bilibili, and available (for free! in English!) on their website and app. Read it now!
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