Compared to many dramas I've selectively chosen to watch, this is the first whereby I have no knowledge of all actors but I decided to try out the first episode. It gave light-hearted vibes, comedy and also presented challenges, and mystery-solving. My approach to drama watching nowadays is to not compare on similarities etc. but to go along with the flow and the story, and character development.
After years of not writing in this blog, I had to do this for one character which left the most lasting impression on me - Zhuo Wen Yuan (卓文远)。
!!This post will contain major spoilers!! These are all of my thoughts on the storyline and character build after I've watched the whole drama. So please make sure you finish the series before you continue further. Click on the YouTube link here, and you'll be taken to the drama playlist.
Tip: avoid the comments section at all costs :)
This character by far has been the most complex and tragic character in this show. During the drama, there were many moments that I enjoyed of all the other characters, but I realised that I cried more of his death than I did of Sang Qi's funeral (at that stage, I didn't know that she was going to live).
Why did I cry? Because much of his struggles that he's had to overcome was by his own effort, and throughout the series, we get glimpses of the dark path that he's walking and right up until the end. I can also relate to him in many aspects.
Background + Present
Ep 9: We learnt that WenYuan's childhood background was complicated. His father had been executed and he had been exiled to the city's outskirts. There, he met SangQi and they were both trapped in a cave while playing. He then let out his emotions that nobody cared for him or will come to save him (which is exacerbated later in EP 29). SangQi however, said that if no one wants him, she will come and save him, and made a pinky promise.
This scene was a foreshadow of his present self in that he actually needed rescuing from the dark path he was walking down soon after he returned back to his family's household.
Ep 10: After spending time on LingWu mountain, and when he reached home, we learnt that his Aunt (Consort Zhuo) can be ruthless to him in punishment, and continued to press the matter of him working with the Song Family. Later on in the series, we came to understand that Song Family were only humbly following orders and are not quick-witted enough nor tactful, and that their only means of securing this relationship is because Song Family had an imperial court martial to influence politics. Wen Yuan was in fact a mastermind behind all illegal operations.
Him and Sang Qi
Episode 29: His last exchange with Sang Qi before her death was a ripper scene; it completely ripped my heart out. After some prodding, he finally revealed who he really was to her: a side that she had never seen and that he had been battling within for so many years....he was never bold enough to share because he knew that it would never sit well with Sang Qi. Only when he was too far gone with his actions, that he revealed this to her before she died.
Yes, there was an aspect to him to rise above the system and to rule; he did it out of vengeance and wanting power/authority. In some ways, he wanted to surpass his dad. Even though he did this out of spite, but at the same time, what choice did he have under his Aunt's upbringing?
When SangQi said that knowing him was her biggest mistake in life, he took it one step further saying that losing her would be the biggest regret in his life. He's not a perfect person, and his desperation had clouded his judgement, but he fully meant it when he knew he made a mistake when he contributed to her health deterioration and passing. He then said: "But losing you, means I will have no more weaknesses".
Hold up! How is it that Sang Qi was ever his weakness? He clearly wanted to ace his studies at Imperial College, and to gain power and authority to protect her.
His Aunt spun this as an obsession >:( She's always been giving subtle hints for Wenyuan to give up Sang Qi and slowly poisoning his mind that he's been held back of his (evil) potential because of his emotions for her.
It was not until Ep 25 revealed that an order was sent out to have Sang Qi's brother removed. After finding this out, Wen Yuan then blamed himself for his misstep, which indirectly costed someone dearest to Sang Qi. He could not possibly blame his Aunt for it, for he truly believed that the consequence was due to his error.
(By this point I was sobbing but also wanting to flip the table). If there's anything that I can tell you about the very simple nature of human beings, is that the ones who have fallen victim to such thoughts are usually the very kind-hearted ones.
Layers + Symbolism
Many people who commented on YouTube called him crazy, possessive, manipulative and psychotic behaviour in the series. I'm about to unveil a number of layers with a different perspective, and I'd like to know what your thoughts are by the end of it.
Behaviour
In the beginning, he's a thoughtful guy, getting Sang Qi into college, going from the highest stream to the lowest just to help her out in class, and to protect her against the all-male intellectual societal norm. He was worried for her when she was poisoned, checked on her when she's injured, and went out to look for her in the middle of the night when she went missing. He even traveled to the mountains to give her a hand with training as well (even if he was there to spy).When Jian Qiu threatened to harm her several times, his bottom line was that no one can touch her. In the eyes of Sang Qi's father, there's no mistake that he knew how Wen Yuan looked after Sang Qi as he would have gladly given Sang Qi's hand in marriage to Zhuo Wen Yuan.
Although overbearing and annoying having to appear all the time, I believed that he would've spent a lot of time with her, and went everywhere with her during his exile days. This wouldn't have stopped him even after they have returned to their respective households. His loyalty to her is second to none.
Opportunities/Tests
His meticulous self proceeds to create opportunities or rather I'd like to call it as tests for Sang Qi, and to see how she would react to his gestures. Each time that he does this, he's merely trying to relive his care-free memories (well...maybe except Ep 28 when he went over board with it).
Some examples include:
1. Ep 9: Simulating the same environment as being trapped in the cave with Sang Qi, and she announces she would save him.
2. Ep 18: Restoring her old bow and finding her favourite childhood horse. She loved the horse, but rejected the bow and his feelings towards her.
3. Ep 28: Sang Qi keeping the pouch (that he poisoned) next to her, and him asking for it.
Even through all these times, I still pitied him. Why? It will be revealed in my Final Thoughts at the end of the analysis.
Broken Promise
Ep 29: He was broken by her when she tricked him into marrying Song Jia Yin. He suffered humiliation by everyone in the city. This was the final straw of his tolerance towards her - remember that her appearance in the city had made things more difficult for him and his Aunt because he always held a soft spot for Sang Qi, and wanted to do things and help her, while also having to balance his illegal duties in the background.
Granted that slowly but surely, he did not do the right things by her, and went through extremes for her hand in marriage, his forceful and blameful nature actually was his own demise. Sang Qi did not reciprocate him one bit, and that left him in an even more lonely state. He really was the one to have dug his grave deeper and deeper, and he could only express this by how much trust he had lost in her (again this goes back to the pinky promise they made as children, which I believe he has not forgotten).
People like Wen Yuan would blame others because they either are too damn proud to apologise, or the fact that taking the responsibility for their own actions and admitting his wrongful deeds would mean a turning point of redemption. He chose to go down the dark path further.
Fire
During Sang Qi's funeral, he torched her resting place to deny Yun Zhi. He also wanted to be the only person to send off Sang Qi and he cried in silence. Have you wanted something so selfishly that you'd do unspeakable things?
I looked at the scene and saw the fire symbolised a complete severing of ties. Burning of all memories, and letting the consumption reduce it to ashes until there's nothing left. For Wen Yuan, this was a way for him to be able to let it all go.
Death and Final Song
Ep 30: "Once again, you lied to me", Sang Qi faked her death and was able to escape from the flames. Even in the final sword fight, Zhuo Wen Yuan had the upperhand twice and could've severely wounded Sang Qi, but he withdrew. Those actions still meant that he cared for her deeply, and was remorseful for what he had done.
In the final moments when he willingly surrendered, SangQi says to him: 'Come back with me' 跟我回去。The literal translation is correct, but for him to 'return', means to face the consequences of his crimes under the law. He responded using the same words in Mandarin, but saying that he's at a point of no return 我已经回不去了。Before he died, he could've said anything else, but he looked at Sang Qi with a bit of gladness that she's alive. By a smidgen of nobility, he acknowledged that since he tried to take her life, he would exchange the life that is owed to her tonight; and committed suicide by her sword.
Although the drama ended with a happy ending, I was the most torn when Wen Yuan final thoughts went back to the day he grew up with Sang Qi in exile, before all the scheming happened. If only he had someone to teach him right, and looked after him instead of having to please his Aunt through corruption :'( And no one would know that he still reminisced those days, but would forever be branded evil.
This song carries the entire scene through during his death, and become one of my favourites.
Final thoughts
I was mad that the Consort Zhuo because of her marital ties to the King only got off scot-free and is living in the cold palace. Her punishment was not as severe as the Song family who got exiled. Meaning that she would never be completely removed from court either and still has the power to influence and can still rebuild from there even after the routes have been destroyed and case is closed.
Thus, this sealed my thoughts that the King wouldn't spare the men who ran crimes. Even if Wen Yuan were to surrender, he would've been beaten, tortured before being executed. Let's not forget who has the higher status and were manipulating the strings here. Wen Yuan's father death was a penalty served by the King after being exposed for his crimes.
Song Luo Tian gets a mention because while he didn't know his family's scheming, and that his family has been exiled, he is willing to suffer with them and turn over a new leaf. Wen Yuan absolutely had no one to accompany him but Sang Qi; this is why he was so desperate in holding onto her.
When he learned of the death of Sang Qi's brother, he not only did not win Sang Qi's heart, but there was never ever going to be a chance for him to. Before he knew it, he unwillingly created the void (death of Sang Yu) between Yun Zhi and Sang Qi, and fostered the healing/closure that only those two could fulfill for each other.
This is why I will forever think that he is the most pitiful character in this drama, and it is also why I wept bitterly for him.
What are your thoughts about Zhuo Wen Yuan?
Image sources:
https://mydramalist.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/腾讯视频Tencent/about
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