Hou Minghao's Interview with L'OFFICIEL Magazine about Xiao Wuyi & KTTPH/Que Gu

“Who says we have no clothes? We share the same robe"

When talking about his role in Que Gu, Hou Minghao shows a different kind of charm. Rather than answering an interview, it feels more like he’s breaking down the script scene by scene. As if he had personally built a house, he can’t help but walk others through every carefully crafted detail. “Xiao Wuyi is a very complete character—complex and realistic. His motivations, backstory, and the logic of the plot are highly unified. From the first scene to the last, everything connects very smoothly.”

His tone reflects an instinctive recognition of a good script. Xiao Wuyi is a character he is particularly fond of. A battle-hardened general who carries the world on his shoulders, his ultimate goal is to “bring peace to the realm.” In the eyes of others, he is a noble-born young man—arrogant and unruly. In truth, he harbors a deep desire to serve the world, promotes those from humble backgrounds, and is a sharp, reform-minded young figure.

In the drama, Hou Minghao appears in many different looks. Dressed in flowing white robes or blue scholar’s attire, he embodies elegance and nobility; on the battlefield, blindfolded while riding and shooting, or wielding a sword in the rain, he transforms into a heroic young general. To better portray the role, he is especially committed to action scenes. “No guy dislikes action scenes, but more importantly, I want to convey Xiao Wuyi’s combat ability—to make the character more convincing and more moving for the audience.”

He admits that in today’s film and TV environment, action scenes are often compressed in shooting schedules. “It’s a very harsh reality. A great action sequence might end up being five minutes on screen, but it takes two or three days to film. So action scenes are the easiest to cut. But as an actor, I want to defend this to the very end.” To ensure quality, he meets with the director and action choreographers in advance, refining storyboards and movements to achieve efficient execution on set.

“Que Gu has an excellent team—everyone is willing to work together to complete this creation.” What impressed him most was a scene involving a fire blade: a weapon over two meters long, coated with gunpowder. As he swung it, it scattered sparks like fireworks. Throughout filming, he held the blade barehanded, with tiny sparks splashing onto his body, arms, and face. Hou Minghao explained, “I didn’t get burned, but there was a stinging sensation.”

The scene took three days to shoot, with each take requiring the gunpowder to be reapplied and reignited. “Usually in battlefield scenes, actors need ‘battle damage’ makeup or dirt applied to their faces—but I didn’t need that. By the end, my face was already covered in ash. We weren’t just filming for spectacle—we wanted to convey the tragedy of war and the brutality experienced by the character, to release Xiao Wuyi’s energy and emotions through the action.”

The emotional storyline is another highlight of Que Gu. Xiao Wuyi, by a twist of fate, marries his friend’s childhood sweetheart. What begins as a decision for greater ambitions gradually turns into genuine feelings, trapping him in a conflict of “wanting to love, but unable to.” Hou Minghao describes it as an “emotional blind spot”: “He can’t fully let himself love, yet he can’t help but get close. He becomes overwhelmed, secretly jealous, and even pushes the other person away with harsh words. That kind of inner conflict feels very real.”

This imperfection is exactly what Hou Minghao loves about the character. His emotional struggles and human flaws make him more grounded and give the role more room for development. When it comes to personal feelings, he has his own stance; when it comes to duty and the greater good, he holds grand ambitions. Xiao Wuyi’s worldview and values become increasingly clear and complete as the story unfolds and his emotions evolve.

Hou Minghao about Xiao Wuyi :

"A man burdened with many shackles, who nearly lost his life in a battle, but that didn't affect his dedication to protecting his country and its people. He'd rather suffer any hardship and injury than compromise his principles to get everything he wanted!"