TABLE OF CONTENTS
Note: Pictures link to their sources [To view the list of my other drama companion pieces (with links to them), check : HERE.] |
Zǐchuān / Eternal Brotherhood 紫川 (Purple river) formerly titled "The King of Light" is based on a future fantasy/scifi novel by Lǎo Zhū (老猪) which started publishing in 2002 on Qidian serial platform and evolved over 8 years, until it was completed on March 3, 2010, to a mammoth and successful epic. In June 2009, it was ranked as second on the " Ten Years Inventory of Internet Literature" . In 2019 it was among top 20 on the literary value list. The novel was published by Jiāngsū Literature and Art Publishing House. Zǐchuān has already been adapted to dònghuà with 35 animated episodes, aired Dec 21, 2021 to Sep 20, 2022 (a 42 episodes version was made into one mammoth 11 hr video version, with double subtitles in English and Hànzì).
[More information in the Zǐchuān discussion about the adaptation to donghua, including that of some characters like Zǐchuān Ning]
 老猪 Lǎo zhū ("old pig") / 李鑫 Lǐ Xīn | About the author: Lǎo Zhū 老猪 is the pen name of Lǐ Xīn 李鑫, a civil servant who started writing after college and a disappointing love life. Idly publishing first chapters on Internet, he was surprised by the positive response to it, and started writing more seriously, despite juggling job and initial financial difficulties. Zǐchuān started as a hobby, grew into a passion, and became "after writing 500,000 to 600,000 words, a responsibility", causing him to put in long hours well into the nights. Lǎo Zhū is also the author of "Doukai" (Fighting Armor), and "My Princess of the Ming Dynasty" which are currently being serialized. About the world of Xīchuān and the state of Zǐchuān, Soryuu Aya Brea posted to comments section an interesting short glossary about the original novel. Although there are some differences between the novel and the series, there are also similarities, so this is for those who intend to read the novel, or get more information about Lǎo Zhū's creation of the Xīchuān world, Zǐchuān and its neighboring states, and its timeline. |
《紫川·光明三杰》 "Zǐchuān·Guangming Three Heroes (2024 drama)
Baidu infos : The costume drama《紫川·光明三杰》 "Zǐchuān·Guāngmíng Three Heroes" was jointly produced by iQIYI, Shangshi Pictures, Ciwen Media, and Linghe Culture.
Important notice: the title refers to the "first part" of the epic, which runs for 24 episodes ; the remainder will be aired subsequently, probably as Zǐchuān - King of Light (which was the title that the complete drama, meant to be one piece, was originally titled). Baidu had an alert in March 2024 with a mention that "The first and second parts of "Zichuan: The King of Light" and "The Three Heroes of Purple River", starring Yang Xuwen, Liu Yuning, and Zhang Mingen, are expected to be broadcast on iQiyi before June" in this : LINK. |
Production credits :
- Directors : Zhāng Méng (张萌, who directed 2020 The Great Ruler), Wèi Lìzhōu (卫立洲, who directed 2020 Ultimate Note), Jīn Shā (金沙, who directed 2021 Novoland Pearl Eclipse)
- Screenwriter : Tián Liángliáng 田良良 (Baidu, Dramawiki, MDL) + Chén Chén (陈晨), Jiǎ Bīnbīn 贾彬彬 (dramawiki) or Qián Jīngjīng 钱晶晶, Xú Zǐyuán 徐子沅, Chéng Tíngyù 程婷钰 (MDL)
- Dubbing Director: Běi Chén (北辰) - Most of the cast is dubbed, although no dubber is listed for Liu Yuning
- Art Director: Máo Jiàn (毛建)
- Music Director: Chén Xuěrán (陈雪燃)
- Producers: Mǎ Zhōngjùn (马中骏) , Bái Yīcōng (白一骢) Yáng Bèi (杨蓓), Yú Jié (鱼洁)
- Production Designer: Liú Shìyùn 刘世运
- Company: iQiyi, SMG Pictures, Ciwen Media, Línghé Culture
- Weibo social media pages of the production
 | Filmed 2021.07.06- 2021.08.24, in Héngdiàn and Běijīng, this 24 episodes iQIYI drama version took some time (and name changes: it was first known a "The King of Light in Zǐchuān") until "passing review". But after the long wait, it came almost as a surprise scheduling, airing end of February on Tencent and iQIYI ! Airing scheduled from Feb.27, 19:00 on iQIYI (direct link) to March 22, 2024 (airing schedule on posters, below) |
oreades206 added this precision in comments : "When they had the booting ceremony in July, the filming had actually started in May. Yáng Xùwén wrapped Strange Tales on 19 May and 20 May he rushed to Zǐchuān set. First they shot the war scenes for a month or a month and a half then they moved to Héngdiàn in July for the indoor scenes." The desert battleground used perhaps a location in Héběi province, close to Běijīng, maybe well-known Tiānmò 天漠 film and television base, 90 km away from the PRC capital. Héngdiàn studios in Zhèjiāng province's video presentation of June 2023 is below. According to other info, palace scenes were shot in the 'Palace of Emperor Qín' area, while other scenes were in the Riverside scene at Qīngmíng festival area, Spring&Autumns, Qín & Hàn dynasties areas.
[Tiānmò first became famous with the 1994 Romance of the Three Kingdoms TV series. Since then "over 4,000 episodes from more than 300 TV programs have been at least partly shot in the desert... Blockbusters featuring scenes filmed here include Tsui Hark's martial-arts film, [2011] Flying Swords of Dragon Gate; Féng Xiǎogāng's action-drama, [2004] A World Without Thieves; and the dark-fantasy Hollywood flick, starring Jet Li and Brendan Fraser, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." (China Daily feature) --2018 Oh! My Emperor! was also filmed there.]
Marcus Sim shared these blog pictures to support the info of imminent airing days before Feb 27, despite warning that the production had not made it official yet. The Baidu page was completing details at the time, and the airing date was confirmed soon after :
Following threads and videos, here are some screenshots of some main leads in the cast, a short synopsis, and a paragraph about these source and adaptation :
 Yáng Xùwén as Zǐchuān Xiù |  Lǐ Mòzhī as Zǐchuān Ning |  Liú Yǔníng as Dì Lín |
"Set in the turbulent land of Zǐchuān, where the clans of Zǐchuān and Sāirong (populated by "Sāiyàs" 塞亚族) are engaged in intense warfare. Zǐchuān Xiù, stationed at the border, returns to the capital with remarkable military achievements, bringing a momentary peace to his homeland. However, new challenges arise as Yáng Mínghuá, a prominent court official with sinister intentions, launches a rebellion. Zǐchuān Xiù, along with his sworn brothers Dì Lín and Sī Tè Lín, take action to eliminate the threat and restore tranquility to Zǐchuān. Yet, as the dust settles, the aggressive Sāirong officially declares war on Zǐchuān."
"Zǐchuān is adapted from a fantasy novel which tells the story of the male protagonist Zǐchuān Xiù and his friends Dì Lín and Sī Tè Lín ("Sterling"), facing an interstellar crisis, working together to resist foreign forces, and finally winning peace. The adaptation written by Tián Liángliáng will focus on the down to Earth elements, with some xuánhuàn fantasy.
In real life, the production faced some controversy, touching the leads behavior, which is always a sensitive topic that can make and more often, break a production in China, with adverse rumors:
- Yáng Xùwén (fondly remembered as Guō Jìng in 2017 The Legend of Condor Heroes, and as Llú Língfēng in 2022 Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty) was embroiled in the investigation of actress Rén Jiāo suicide by jumping from a window (he was cleared of responsibility). He plays the titular Zǐchuān Xiù.
- Zhāng Míng'ēn (who debuted in 2016 in The Mystic Nine) had previously brought attention to him for reckless driving a motorcycle, hurting Chén Wěitíng (aka William Chan) and not apologizing, and for a "cheating on girlfriend" allegation, involving Xú Lù and his co-star Hú Bīngqīng from Insect Totem in April 2020. But while both claimed he had already split with Xú Lù, Hú Bīngqīng also claimed Zhāng Míng'ēn confessed his feelings for her but she did not accept, and other things messed up the narrative, for a Chinese audience always sensitive to gossip.
- LYN was caught smoking after he claimed he had quit.
All these concerns caused reporters to doubt the drama would air! But after sufficient (long) time, these have been washed away into best forgotten past. Zhāng Míng'ēn has played as guest role in 2023 Three-Body and Scent of Time and is back also with the Zǐchuān co-star main role of Si Yi Lin (Sī Tè Lín in the novel and dònghuà), together with the two other leads, albeit he is listed as "special guest star" on the Baidu description.
Liú Yǔníng's successful (if also diversely discussed) role as Níng Yuanzhou in 2023 A Journey To Love costume drama (also about ancient politics) has helped pushing this long awaited adaptation of a major Chinese e-novel to get on screens. Nevertheless, the rush to air it may have been detrimental to proper marketing efforts, as this drama which did not get much promotion and may have fallen below the radar of casual c-drama audiences. Promotion was done on the way, and a live stream was scheduled and announced on the production Weibo for March 7, 2024, with cast.
But the date was not the most auspicious after the audiences got rattled by the length of screen time devoted to the less important "female lead character", played by Lǐ Mòzhī, when the novel and dònghuà lovers (who made up a big part of audience), knew that character to be, at most, a secondary one in the original story. So, they found her over-represented in comparison with the original story characters.
There is a characters correlation chart, pictured above (click on it to expand picture)
Drama posters and character posters :
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Airing Calendar (click on to enlarge) and Reception ( Heat index, In weekly top ten web dramas watched in China)
 |  --> Heat Index of Feb.28 monitored by MDL user Dreams (who also keeps track of Tencent drama ranking 2023 for info): - if the index reaches:
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Trailer and BTS:
GIF from Eternal Brotherhood 1 Trailer: The Three Brothers Protect Their Home | 紫川·光明三杰 | iQIYI (1min43 : click on picture to view in full)
 1'05 Trailer on Weibo ; excerpt: |  |
 Dì Lín: " I am willing to be your slave" from ep7 (click on picture to see the bullet comments on Weibo) |  BTS (1'33) : The spectacular sand scene in ep.1, shot in 45°C surface heat after a rainstorm! |
Music MVs
(click on pictures for direct links to sources and listen)
 Lǎo Péngyǒu (Liú Yǔníng song ; original MV o Weibo), also on Youtube. Sarann translated MV of " Lǎo Péngyǒu" |  Peachey Blossom translated MV Starlight translated MV of "Old Friend" |
 Shi Ni A (It's You) sung by Zhang Ming'en, original MV. (launched 2024.02.29)
|   Peachey Blossom translated MVs |
Full OST posted on the YT channel of CDRAMA LYRICS (with timestamps but no subtitles)List of songs in the OST as listed on Baidu drama page :
- 《老朋友》 Old Friend, music by 陈雪燃 Chén Xuěrán, lyrics by 明天 MíngTiān, sung by Liu Yuning 摩登兄弟刘宇宁
- 《火》 Fire, music by 陈雪燃 Chén Xuěrán, lyrics by 明天 MíngTiān (pseudonym of Chen Xueran's wife) , sung by Chén Xuěrán
- 《是你啊》(男生版) It's You (male version), music by 许昊珂 Xǔ Hàokē, lyrics by 海雷 Hǎi Léi, sung by 张铭恩 Zhāng Míng'ēn ; female version sung by , 莎啦啦 Shā Lā Lā
INTERVIEW (in Chinese)
Last revision and update 2025.05.05 Next: Character Directory
links : Back to general info . / Back to start of Character directory
Characters and Cast Directory - part 1 (Episode 1)
Kǎ Dān's carriage on Héngchuān battlefield on the border of Zǐchuān
Zǐchuān capital - the land was beset by threats from foreign North Clan and barely subdued occupied 远州 Yuǎnzhōu border country. General Ming Hui [33] mentioned he had to "watch the Liufeng family". Several provinces ("Liuyang, Jiasha, Xiluo, Wuyan" mentioned by YM in ep.10), were being under attack, while the Zǐchuān ruling family was not seated as firmly as they hoped to be. The ruling family could not control all the fief lords.
oreades206 noted, from the original story : "Factions are Empire of Light, House Zǐchuān, House Liu Feng, House Lín, and the Demon empire. I think they changed the demon empire into North clan in the drama."
| By order of appearance | Character | Actor/Actress (v: Voiced by) | ||
 | [1]. Gé Shā 葛沙 barbarian commander in chief of the North Clan, who was attacking Yuǎnzhōu province of Zǐchuān country in ep1. | not credited | ||
  KD and SYL, ep.9 (45:03) | [ 2]. Kǎ Dān 卡丹 Barbarian princess captured by Zǐchuān Xiù, hidden in a sack, at the Héngchuān battlefield. She became a hostage, since she was the beloved youngest daughter of the North Clan Divine Emperor. She was saved by Sī YìLìn [18] [ep.6]. He suffered for letting her fly a lantern for her dead mother (ep.9). She had fallen for him, told him about her life in Jushen castle and Sāirong tribe staying connected to mountains (ep.11), and was waiting for him when he had to go to war against the uprisings (ep.13-14). (from ep.1 forward) |
Main Support cast | ||
 | [3]. Luō Jié 罗杰 He led the cavalry against the barbarians, and fought with Míng Yǔ and Bái Chuān (from ep.1 forward) |
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 | [4]. Míng Yǔ 明羽 He was one of the three closest followers and faithful aides of Zǐchuān Xiù, together with Luó Jié and Bái Chuān . (from ep.1 forward) |
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 | [5]. Bái Chuān 白川 Lieutenant in the Yuǎnzhōu army, she found Zǐchuān Xiù [7] "sleeping" after the defeat of the barbarians and dragged him to the battlefield. - Later, Z.Xiù exposed her as a spy for Yáng Mínghuá [9], but by then, she had shifted allegiance to support him (ep.9). (from ep.1 forward) |
Main Support cast | ||
 | [6]. Gǔ Léi 古雷 Yuǎnzhōu guard who wore Zǐchuān Xiù's armor while his superior "slept". (ep.1) |
Chinese actor and blogger, b.January 18, 1998; he played in guest role in 2021 Falling Into Your Smile, and as Xiao Zi in 2024 Amidst a Snowstorm of Love | ||
   Ep.16 (17:04) Z.Xiu and his most trusted aides  Xiu and Ning, ep.8 (38:20) and 18 | [7]. Zǐchuān Xiù 紫川秀 Z.Xiu had been exiled to Yuǎnzhōu (a harsh border province in the north) seven years before, by Yáng Mínghuá [9]. He was protected by Gē Yingxing [15] who had made him a captain in the Yuǎnzhōu army. He was viewed as "unstable and unreliable" eve by his subordinates. But he secretly got rid of Gē Sha [1] while pretending to be asleep (---or, was it the mythical master of Lin House, Zuo Jiaming, who had come secretly to help the land of Yuǎnzhōu he once ruled, as GYX told YMH in ep. 10?) Zǐchuān Xiù was Zǐchuān Yuanxing's stepson (Z.Xiù's original name was Lin He, so his origins were complicated with a link to another important family). He had been brought up as an "elder brother" to protect ZYX's daughter Zǐchuān Ning [12] but despite feeling loyal to her, he had mixed feelings of affection and annoyance about her childish selfishness since they were small. (from ep.1 forward) |
MAIN MALE LEAD | ||
 | [8]. Zǐchuān Xiù (young) Flashbacks of memories (ep.1, 3 and other) about his being condemned by Yáng Mínghuá, playing with Z.Níng... |
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 | [9]. Yáng Mínghuá 杨明华 Most powerful of the three leaders of the Zǐchuān clan, commander and guardian of the capital, but jealous of Zǐchuān Xiù. He was in the past sworn brother of Gē Yīngxīng [15] and of Zǐchuān Yuanxing (defunct brother of current old Chieftain) [17]. (Ep.1-12. ) |
b. July 25, 1982, graduate from the Central Academy of Drama. He has played in support roles in many movies and dramas since 2001, including 2017 TMOPB, 2023 Mysterious Lotus Casebook and A Journey to Love (as Dèng Huì, opposite LYN) Main Suppot Cast | ||
 | [10]. Tiěshǒu nárén 铁手拿人 "Iron Hand" Weapons blacksmith and military arrests officer, under Yáng Mínghuá [9] He was entrusted by YMH to deal with his secret mine, but ZCX and SYL stopped him. (Ep.1-8. ) |
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  LMH & YMH, ep.5 (32:58) | [11]. Luó Mínghǎi 罗明海 Lord Luó was Yáng Mínghuá's subordinate (ep.1) "Chief Remonstrator", he schemed on orders, to make the peace negotiations with North Clan fail (ep4) and take over the task to "protect" the old Chieftain (ep.7). He suggested a plan for the capital city's intake of refugees but had also had Kǎ Dān's carved message intercepted to prevent peace negotiations start again (ep.8). He appeared to be a double agent against YMH, but his family was not spared in the aftermath of the red night. (ep.12-13). Embittered against Dì Lín with whom he had to work, he also targeted SīYìlín and Z.Xiù. But his loyalty to Zǐchuān made him accept Dì Lín's harsh decisions against corruption, and propose to send him as last ditch defender against enemies pushing through the borders (ep 22) (from ep.1 forward) |
aka Benjamin Zhāng, formerly Zhāng Shushu; b. October, 1980, in Liáoníng, graduate from the Film and Television Art Department of Nánjīng University of the Arts. Debuted in the 2001 TV series, "Red and Black". Has played in many movies and dramas; is married and has a daughter since 2012. Main Support cast | ||
 | [12]. Zǐchuān Níng 紫川宁 The princess and and Zǐchuān Xiù [7] were childhood sweethearts. She came just in time to rescue him in ep.2 and was willing to house and feed him and his three lieutenants while they were in the capital. The favorite niece of the old Chieftain [17] (orphan of his defunct brother Z.Yuanxing); he said (ep.9) that he might let her take over as ruler after her upcoming 18th birthday. She wanted to play the guqin at this occasion, but was not good at it and prone to temper tantrums. Her trip to Yuǎnzhōu and return to the capital made her grow up. (from ep.1 fprward) |
aka Cherry Lee (Weibo); b. June 24, 1993 in Sìchuān, graduate of the Shànghǎi Theatre Academy. She has played in dramas since 2016, including in 2023 My Lethal Man (FL). MAIN FEMALE LEAD | ||
 | [13]. Zǐchuān Níng (young) 少年紫川宁 In flashbacks of Z.Níng and Z.Xiù's memories from childhood. (ep.3) |
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 | [14]. Xiǎo Měi 小美 Zǐchuān Ning's maid and confidante. She covered up for the princess when she ventured outside the palace. (from ep.1) |
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 | [15]. Gē Yīngxīng 哥应星 Gē was his family name, not meaning "brother"; General of the Yuǎnzhōu Army, he had been secretly protecting Z.Xiù. He was a key part of the peace negotiations with the North Clan and asked Z.Xiù to protect Kǎ Dān. (ep.4). He called Yáng Mínghuá "Sān Dì" 三第 (Third younger Brother, in ep.7), being sworn brother with YMH and with the defunct brother of the Chieftain. He was cornered and killed by those he trusted. (Ep.1-12. ) |
b.April 11, 1975, he is also a screenwriter, and director who graduated from Hénán Theater Academy. He has played in movies in dramas since 1996, among which 2021 Fall in Love (as warlord Xu BoJun). Main Support cast | ||
 | [16]. Wèi Míng 未名 Gē Yīng Xīng's attendant; he was puzzled by the leather gift sent by Z.Xiù to Lord Gē. He was the finger missing man who had been planted by YMH near GYX, but he chose to side with him. Rappelling down a cliff, he escaped the trap set against GYX who stayed behind, but he was ambushed later and died giving Z.Xiù only a cryptic answer to his question about who killed GYX. (ep.1, 12-13) |
Main Support cast | ||
 | [17]. Zǐchuān CānXīng 紫川参星, old Chieftain of Zǐchuān (addressed as Jūn zhǎng dàrén 君张大人, “Your Majesty"). He looked powerless, playing with puzzles while leaving State matters to Gē Yīngxīng and Yáng Mínghuá. He disliked Zǐchuān Xiù who was his defunct brother Yuanxing's stepson (Z.Xiù's original name was Lin He). In fact he had his own game, playing those around him. (from ep.1) |
b. September 23, 1955, he has played in many dramas and a few movies since 2003, many patriotic such as 2011 1911 Revolution (as Sun Yatsen) Main Support cast | ||
 (* Baidu keeps the name used in the dònghuà Sītèlín, "Sterling" 斯特林)  YSL and KD, ep. 10. | [18]. Sī Yìlín 斯毅林 * Deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, secretly sworn brother of Z.Xiù and Dì Lín. He lived in the palace, close to his uncle, the Chieftain, and (from ep.4) was also in charge of the War Prisoner camp, including Princess Kǎ Dān. Later, the Chieftain entrusted the "Royal Escorts"/Palace Guards to him (ep.9). But he was framed and apparently maimed by YMH henchmen (ep.11). He reappeared to confront YMH later (ep.12) but asked to be sent to pacify Yuǎnzhōu with his 150,000 troops afterwards, earning the nickname of "Tiger of Zǐchuān" (and even more distrust from the new Commander in Chief). He had fallen for Kǎ Dān and was reluctant to leave her with just a flower in a box. (ep.14-15). But he had to go pacify Yuǎnzhōu and hunt Lei Hong, finding a large embezzlement case on his way. . (ep.16-18). He endured the public surprise betrothal to Li Qing arranged by the Chieftain for him, but out of honesty confessed his feelings about Kǎ Dān before being sent against North Clan who were pushing forward after Léi Hóng's betrayal. (ep.21) (from ep.1 forward) |
Main Support cast in dramas, including as ML Pan Jun in 2023 Insect Totem. (Weibo) 3RD MALE LEAD (SML), guest role | ||
[19] Sī Tè Lín (young) 少年斯毅林 | Liú Kūnlóng /Bi Lóng 刘堃龙 He took part in the 3rd China Child Star Finals in 2016 (no further info) | |||
 | [20]. Luō Bō 罗波 In charge of Yuǎnzhōu army where Z.Xiù was a captain. He warned Z. Xiù that he was being summoned to the capital not for a reward but to be investigated as suspicious. Together with Lin Bing [36] he was in charge of hunting down Léi Hóng [35] after the red night, but became a pawn in the war game along the border, and had to retreat, severely injured, to Wǎyún key fortress between Yuǎnzhōu and Zǐchuān. (ep.1, 14) |
aka Yip Wong, b. 1986-Feb-18 in Shěnyáng, he is also a director and has played in a couple of movies and in 16+ dramas. | ||
  Ep1 (38:56): the 3 sworn brothers in their secret hide out | [21]. Dì Lín 帝林 He stayed close and had earned some trust from Yáng Mínghuá who thought Dì Lín had a deep grudge against Zǐchuān Xiù. He was asked by Yáng Mínghuá to bring back and monitor Z.Xiù, whom YMH was viewing with suspicion. He was sent on an expedition to pacify the border after negotiations with North Clan failed (ep7) and came back to play another part in the complex game of the YMH rebellion. But following orders, he still became the arch enemy of the new Commander-in chief. He was an invaluable asset for the security of Zǐchuān. A cruel man, Dì Lín still had a soft spot for his wife Lin Xiujia [23] and would never harm his sworn brothers Z.Xiù and SīYìLín, even if it meant rescuing one from the execution grounds or suffering torture for standing firm in his loyalty. (from ep. 1 forward) | Liú Yǔníng 刘宇宁 (mini profile link)  2ND MALE LEAD (SML) | ||
[22]. Dì Lín (young) 少年帝林 |
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Back to general info link. / Back to start of Character directory link
 Dì Lín (Liú Yǔníng) and Zǐchuān Xiù (Yáng Xùwén) exchanging coded messages (ep.4) ; the meaning is explained by Z.Xiù to SYL in the beginning of ep.5 (There is a funny BTS of the scene on Weibo) |
Character Directory (part 2)
 | [23]. Gé Qīng 葛青 Dì Lín's follower. After the red night, he got rid od traitors on orders from Dì Lín. (ep2, 4, 13) |
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  | [24]. Lín Xiùjiā 林秀佳 Dì Lín's wife ; she made a glossary for him before he left on mission (ep7) , and she was the first he visited when he came back (ep.11) ; she liked gardening and calmly trusted Dì Lín to come back to her (ep.14.) She was going to have a child (ep.18) so Dì Lín did not have the heart to blame her for Níng's leaving the city, where Xiujia had helped. (from ep.2 forward ) |
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 | [25]. Xiāo Lóng 萧龙 also addressed as Xiāo dàrén 萧大人(Lord Xiao) An official, fawning on Yáng Mínghuá with whom he shared a shave and information, building a frame-up case against Z.Xiù (ep.2). He taunted Gē Yīngxīng about the peace negotiations (ep.6). (Ep.2-13. ) |
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  | [26]. Lěi Xùn 蕾迅 He opposed peace talks with the North Clan (ep.3). In charge of the 170 000 Palace Guards also in charge of city gates, he gave them time off, so the North Clan envoys could abduct Kǎ Dān and leave in the night. Despite being "demoted", he was to be sent with GYX to head an expedition against North Clan. But Dì Lín stepped in to say he would lead it with 50,000 men only. This “Lei Daren“ 雷大人 was going to help YMH and become commander in chief, but the sworn brothers boxed him. Z.Xiù used his black leopard tally to take care of the guards. (ep.3, 6, 7, 12. ) |
b.1986, Nov.1, in Shenyang, graduated from Sichuan University of Communication, he is director, actor, and screenwriter who has played in movies and tv series. In 2023, he competed in Sweden and Spain with his short film "Thirty Five". aka | ||
 | [27]. Gē Shān 哥珊 Commander of the Ministry of Government Supervision, to which Z.Xiù was assigned after the frame-up fell through and Yáng Mínghuá got busy with the North Clan peace talks. (ep.4, 6) |
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 | [28]. Mù Qí 穆奇 The negotiator for North Clan was balking at the demand for return of 3 provinces and cities in the peace talks with Gē Yīngxīng and Yáng Mínghuá. (ep.4. ) |
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 | [29]. Lǔ Dì 鲁帝 Even though his name was Lǔ Dì, he was not "Emperor Lǔ" but only "general of the 11th army" of the "Divine Emperor". The huge warrior envoy of North Clan was pretending to have rashes to stall the peace talks, but was outraged when he was challenged to a fight by Z.Xiù who was only a "logistics" staff serving tea! His mission in bringing Kǎ Dān away was not what it seemed. Later, he led the troops against Zǐchuān and captured Léi Hóng. (ep.4, 20-22) |
b.March 30, 1981, has played in support roles in many movies and dramas including recently in 2023 I Am Nobody. | ||
 | [30]. Línglóng 玲珑 "exquisite" : one of the ladies at the Chunfeng Garden capital city brothel. Z.Xiù saw her secretly sending a message out of the back gate to be carried by a mysterious man. (ep.8) |
b.July 16, 1994, active in support roles in movies (including one FL role in 2021) and dramas since 2020 ; this is her 5th role in a drama. | ||
 | [31]. Tóng Chuí 铜锤 He had been working for Yáng Mínghuá, as a weapon making blacksmith for 8 years, together with Tiěshǒu [10]. The Chieftain had been implying that he was a spy for him, so even though the two were the closest to him, and Tiěshǒu had been killed, Yáng Mínghuá could not tolerate him any more. (Ep.1, 9. ) |
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 | [32]. Míngyuè 明月 "Bright Moon", the manageress of the Chunfeng Garden brothel. She gathered and sold information, and taught Z.Níng [12] to play the guqin (to perform at her upcoming birthday party). (ep.9-11) |
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 | [33]. Xiǎo Qī 小七 Mingyue's associate at Chunfeng Yuan brothel in Zǐchuān capital. (ep.9) |
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 | [34]. Míng Huī 明辉 General in charge of the "Border Appeasement Army" ,"watching the Liufeng family": He was reluctant to take up backup duty in Yuǎnzhōu uprisings and advised the Chieftain to send Commander Fāng instead. Cautious about his words at the dinner with Yáng Mínghuá and Lord Luó [11], later, he was made aware that YMH had been funding his and Fāng Jìn's armies since the treasury of Zǐchuān was empty. But he was spared after the red night, and was sent to Yuǎnzhōu to assist SiYiLin in the defense of Wayun. He sketched a plan with SYL in front of Weiyu Forest. He lost his mind after being one of the few survivors of Payi fortress which he had believed impregnable. (ep.22) (ep.10-11, 14, 16, 22) |
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 | [35.] Fāng Jìn 方劲 Commander Fāng, in charge of the valiant Black Banner Army. Embittered by the report of Dì Lín's ruthlessness (North Clan and Yuǎnzhōu enemies might be more determined not to surrender), he was blackmailed by Lord Luó [11] (who knew Fāng's one weakness: his daughter) into promising to stay put, if Yáng Mínghuá rebelled. Still he was spared after the red night and fought valiantly in Yuǎnzhōu until he was killed by Lǔ Dì at Moon Bay. (ep.10, 14, 21. ) |
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  | [36]. Léi Hóng 雷洪 He told Gē Yīng īng [15] that, as the Deputy Commander of Yuǎnzhōu Army, he was ready to recapture four cities with a 20,000 army. But he defected to side with YMH while Gē was on his way to the Lin family [9]. He killed GYX, and while on the run from the victors, instigated the Orcs ans Snake race at the border, and maneuvered to become the new king of Yuǎnzhōu. He finally betrayed Zǐchuān totally by surrendering to North Clan. (ep.20) and became "Duke Pingjing" with the mission to defeat Sī YìLín ! (Ep.10-12, 14, 20, 24) |
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 | [37]. Lin Bing 林冰 She informed Gē Yīngxīng that Luó Bo [20] was looking to find Dì Lín, and objected to Dì Lín's tactics of using surrendered North Clan soldiers to expand his 50,000 army to 200,000, slaughtering those who would not surrender. She was sent with Luó Bō to capture Léi Hóng but they were ordered to suppress the Orcs and Snake rebellion instead. After a stinging defeat in Yuǎnzhōu, when Luó Bō was injured, she stayed to defend the heavily damaged Wayun fortress until Dì Lín came with reinforcement. (Ep.10, 14, 22) |
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  | Dé Kē 德科 and his father who introduced him to Z.Xiù, at Princess Níng's birthday celebration ; they were the first public victims when they accused YMH of rebellion. (Ep11.) | not credited | ||
 | [38]. Dù Kè 杜克 Léi Hóng's subordinate had set up a trap for Gē Yīngxīng and Wei Ming {16], forcing them to escape by rappelling down a cliff, but Gē stayed to face him and Léi Hóng. Du Ke followed Léi Hóng in self chosen exile, to stir Yuǎnzhōu into more rebellion. He was ordered by LH to surrender his troops to North Clan, but Z.Xiù and his men caught up with Du Ke, who fell from a height, wounded, into an area where metal masked North Clan guards were waiting. He was granted "captive ceremony" next, together with Léi Hóng, and joined the enemies. (ep.11, 14, 20) | Cáo Yùfēng 曹玉峰 ( no more info) | ||
 | Ān Níng 安宁 ; Mǐ HǎiYí 米海仪 ; Gé Xīn 葛新 They headed three armies who were going to occupy the capital for YMH during his rebellion and "prevent trouble", but finally turned around, persuaded by Z.Xiù's promise, and stayed put in South Camp. (ep.12-13. ) | First two are not credited ; the last one is below. | ||
 | [39]. Gé Xīn 葛新 The Deputy Commander, in charge of 50,000 men, faced by the troops led by Bái Chuān, finally bowed down, like An Níng and Mi Haiyi's troops had done, when Z.Xiù showed the leopard tally of Lei Xun [25] and next fooled them about the death of YMH and Lei Xun and GYX's arrival with 400,000 troops, showing the Commander's seal. Z.Xiù promised the Palace Gard armies that they would be spared, but it was too late for Dì Lín's ruthlessness (causing Z.Xiù heartache and a rift with his Elder Brother, before Z.Xiù left the capital.) (Ep.12-13.) |
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 | [40]. Cānxīng nèishì 参星内侍 The Chieftain's attendant was carrying messages to the Ministry of War, including that of sending Z.Xiù as far away as possible from the capital (ep.16). (ep. 13, 14, 16) |
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 SīYìLín and Kǎ Dān in episode 14 "Forget me not" (cut from the drama Weibo) when he announced that he was leaving Zǐchuān capital to go to war in Yuǎnzhōu. |
Links : Back to general info . / To start of Character directory part 1 / part 2 / part 3
 From the dònghuà version - Yun Qianxue of Demon army against Z.Xiù and SīTèLín |
Jiashan fortress, in Jixin province, to which Z.Xiù had been demoted again, now in charge of Reserve service, a post with "no outside resources" and "no perspective for promotion". It was a dilapidated and dusty place at the border of Yuǎnzhōu. 21 out of 23 provinces of that country (formerly governed for 200 years by Zǐchuān) had rebelled, instigated by Léi Hóng who was trying to establish himself as king there, and instigating Orcs and Snake tribes to further uprisings. Those had defeated Lin Bing and Luó Bō, who had been severely injured and forced to retreat in Wǎyún fortress. The Chieftain and the new Commander in Chief LMH laid out a plan to deploy armies, including the 150,000 Palace guards of SīYìLín, and calling in Reserve, in view of the war that had started.
Character Directory (part 3) Ep.15 -end
 | [41]. Jīn Chāng 金昌 captain of the reserve service at Jiashan fortress (ep.15) |
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 | [42]. Ā Zé 阿泽 A colleague of Mingyue ; at the local Chunfeng Yuan (Chunfeng Garden), closed, but still selling information. He revealed that Jixin Province was short of manpower, money, and food, so all able bodied men had become robbers. (ep.15) |
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 | [43]. Mào Cái 茂才 The Dà Gē (Elder Brother) of the local gang of mountain robbers was warned that soldiers were coming, but when they were rounded up, they were tricked into signing up for Z.Xiù's battalion of reserve. (ep.15 and forward) |
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 | [44]. Xiǎo Shàozi 小哨子 The young spy had listened to Z.Xiù and Ā Zé's conversation in front of Jiashan Chunfeng Yuan and rushed to warn his elders in the mountain. He later served as Z.Xiù's young spy to gather information about Léi Hóng from the Wealth Growth merchants. (ep.15 and forward) |
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 | [45]. Lǐ Nóng 李农 Bandit in the gang of Mào Cái, he rushed to meet Bái Chuān who wrestled him into defeat and accepting to sign up as reserve. (ep.15 and forward) | Wèi Yuǎn 魏远 He has played as support in 2023 All I See Is You mini drama. No more info. | ||
  | [46]. Lǐ Qīng 李清 Foster daughter of the Chieftain, from a noble family in Zǐchuān, she had been sent away by YMH as warrior to defend the south-east fortress. She admired SīYìLín and the Chieftain promised he would arrange marriage for them. She had brought a mysterious box for Z.Xiù. Later, the Chieftain entrusted her with the matter of provisions for the armies fighting on the fronts, before formally betrothing her to SīYìLín, as a gesture to quell the rumors against the Tiger of Zǐchuān, and reinforce family strength. (ep.15-16, 21) |
b.January 3, 1995 in Hángzhōu, she has played since 2016 in a couple of movies and 11 dramas, including in 2019 The Golden Eyes (FL Qin Yi Bing) | ||
 | [47]. Gǔ Sēn 古森 He added fuel to the hostility of the new Commander in Chief [11] against those who warred in Yuǎnzhōu "without military discipline", like SīYìLín, "stayed outside of Wǎyún fortress, delaying the expedition" like Ming Hui [33], and were late for the military review, like Z.Xiù's new battalion. (ep.15, 22) |
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 | Old hungry woman who hid with refugees in the forest outside Kaige town, where Níng and Z.Xiù crossed paths but did not meet. She slaughtered Níng's beloved white horse, Zhui (which had carried Níng on her clandestine journey from Zǐchuān to Yuǎnzhōu) to feed her famine-stricken family and fellows. (ep.17-18) | not credited | ||
  | [48]. A Guài 阿怪 "Weirdo" An Orc, who had captured Níng with two clansmen, when she was fleeing the compound where the refugees had eaten her horse. She was terrified when she heard them comparing her to streaked pork meat. She fled right into the arms of Z.Xiù, who was an old acquaintance of A.Guai. (ep.17-18) |
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 | [49]. Dé Lún 德伦 He and his Zuoyi clansmen had the Xiù Battalion surrounded, when they were pushing on, led by Bái Chuān on orders from X.Xiù, to find where Léi Hóng was hiding. He was an old acquaintance of Z.Xiù too. - Z.Xiù and the Xiù battalion escorted him and his men back to their home Bulu village, in a remote mountain under a sacred temple. (ep.18, 20) |
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 | [50]. Gǔ Lán 古蓝 The governor of Deyun Province did not agree with SYL's request of 50 T grain for his Palace Guards troops: even suggesting 15T caused an uproar. SYL's attendant warned that Gu Lan was close to Luó Mínghǎi. In fact, he was his brother in law, so LMH was reluctant to investigate him, as the Chieftain ordered him to. (ep.18-19. ) |
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 | [51]. Zhuō Lín 卓林 He spilled wine on SYL, to draw him aside from the shabby banquet, and tell him about the disappearance of his captain, and of the corruption going on. SYL investigated, advised the capital and entrusted Zhuo Lin to escort Gu Lan to be indicted there. (ep.18-19) |
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 | [52]. Zǐchuān Yún 紫川云 Backstory of Zǐchuān as told by Princess Níng to the followers of Z.Xiù in Yuǎnzhōu. Because of his growing increasingly unstable when he was an autocrat, the Three Central Offices were established to supervise the family administration, even, have the power to impeach the Chieftain and replace him, while preserving the bloodline. But with time, it grew into a bloated system where nobles only cared for themselves. (ep.20) |
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 | [53]. Xiǎobàn shòurén 小半兽人 "Little half beast man/orc" He greeted the Xiù Battalion as they arrived with De Lun in Bu Lu Village. (ep.20) |
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 | [54]. Wen He 文河 He was sent to escort Princess Níng back from Yuǎnzhōu to the imperial capital. (ep.20) |
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 | [55]. Kǎ Dùn 卡顿 The "Second Brother" was closer to the North Clan emperor and his intentions. He mocked Yun Qianxue's injury together with Lǔ Dì, and sent Duke Pingjing (LH) to battle in front of Pàyì. (ep.20-24) |
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 | [56]. Kǎ Lán 卡兰 He was more expert in military affairs, and wondered why LH and DK had been granted the benefit of captive ceremony. (ep.20-24) |
b.June 18, 1998 in Heilongjiang, he made his acting debut in 2016 in a movie and has played in many movies and dramas including in 2023 An Ancient Love Song (ML) | ||
 | [57]. Xiāo Píng 萧平 Member of the Three Central Officers advisors to the Chieftain. He reminded the members of the voting mechanism that governed Zǐchuān. He objected to the barging in to their conference by Dì Lín (non member) who strongly reacted to the "treasonous words" he had overheard. He believed Zǐchuān should let go of Yuǎnzhōu. (ep.20-21) |
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 | [58]. Mǎ Qīn 马钦 Member of the Three Central Offices advisors to the Chieftain. Together with Xiao, Wang, and Ma, he wanted peace to be able to resume business. He suggested they stir up the people against Sī YìLín, through painting him as a warmonger. (ep.20-21) |
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 | [59]. Wang'er / Wang Ge 汪格 Member of the Three Central Offices advisors to the Chieftain. He strongly reacted to Dì Lín accusing the advisors of being hypocrites and parasites, tolerating enslavement and corruption. He argued that the profits from mining had been paying for the Ministry of Military and Legal affairs, and provisions for the army. (ep.20-21) |
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 | [60]. Mǎ Wéi 马维 Member of the Three Central Offices. The "junior member" said he had worked on a plan to help the Zǐchuān family restore peace. He introduced elder Bu Nong. He also, later, suggested to the advisors that they use the people as new leader. Was he sincere, when he was reassuring Z.Níng that he admired Z.Xiù for his being apt to find unusual solutions? (ep.20-23) |
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 | [61]. elder Bù Nóng 布农 Invited by the Three Central Offices members. Former chief of Zuoyi clan (which had highest prestige among the tribes in Yuǎnzhōu), uncle of the current chief, Budan, he had come to negotiate peace with the Zǐchuān family for Yuǎnzhōu. He suggested that he be given the "barren lands" to "manage" with its unruly tribes, and vowed he would stay faithful to Zǐchuān. Both the Chieftain and Dì Lín reacted to this treasonous suggestion of relinquishing control over Yuǎnzhōu. (ep.20-21. ) |
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 | [62]. God-emperor Sairon of North Clan 塞戎神皇 He was old but shrewd and decisive in his battle plans, using Léi Hóng, promoted to Duke in North Clan, to target Wǎyún fortress as key to Zǐchuān. He'd wait in Maple Forest. (ep.22) |
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  | [63]. Yún Qiǎnxuě 云浅雪 General Yun Qianxue of North Clan. He carried out the battle plans together with Lǔ Dì, estimating that Si Yiling was targeting Maple Forest. He caught up with him in front of Pàyì, but was maimed by Z.Xiù masked as North Clan scout. (ep.22-23) |
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| [64]. Yún Qiǎnxuě bùjiāng 云浅雪 部将 Yun Qianxue's lieutenant |
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 | [65]. Hēi shā jūnshī 黑纱军师 "Black Veil strategist" He came in as if transforming from a bird that flew in to talk to General Qianxue. (ep.24) |
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| []. Qí Luò / Qí Ge 琪珞 |
b. April 24, 1996; he has played in one movie and 4 dramas including 2023 The Princess and the Werewolf (as general Mǎ Yīngxióng) | |||
| []. Ying Mulan (Ming Lan?) 大将军名兰 The general who was beheaded for dirtying the carpet in front of old Zǐchuān Yun on returning from a victory? (ep.20) |
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| []. Bù Dān 布丹 |
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| []. Bù sēn 布森 |
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| []. Luó Sī 罗斯 | ||||
| []. Hú Ān 胡安 |
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| []. Jiāng dàrén 江大人 | Guō Jiàn 郭健 ( no more info) |
 From episode 24 : the defense of Wǎyún, key fortress of Yuǎnzhōu, led by Dì Lín. Meanwhile SīYìLín and Z.Xiù were buying time for them, keeping North Clan busy besieging Pàyì. Dì Lín would soon leave to join them as "third idiot". |
.... TO BE CONTINUED ....
Links : Back to general info . / Back to start of Character directory part 1 / part 2 / part 3
 Cut of the episode opening credits. |
Character table in alphabetical order
(click on numbers to find the description in the Directory, part 1, 2, or 3)
A- A Guai [48] – A Ze [42] |
B- Bai Chuan {5] – Bu Dan [] – Bu Nong [61] - Bu Sen [] |
C- Canxing neishi [40] |
D- De Lun [49] - Di Lin [21] – Di Lin young [22] – Du Ke [38] |
F- Fang Jin [35] |
G- Ge Qing [23] - Ge Sha [1] – Ge Shan [27] - Ge Xin [39] - Ge YingXing [15] - Gu Lan [50] - Gu Lei [6] - Gu Sen [47] |
H- Hei Sha junshi [65] – Hu an [] |
J- Jiang Daren [] – Jin Chang [41] |
K- Ka Dan [2] – Ka Dun [55] – Ka Lan [56] |
L- Lei Hong [36] - Li Nong [45] - Li Qing [46] – Lin Bing [37] – Linlong [30] - Lei Xun [26] - Lin Xiujia [24] – Lu Di [29] - Luo Bo [20] - Luo Jie [3] – Luo Minghai [11] – Luo Si [] |
M- Ma Qin [58] - Ma Wei [60] – Mao Cai [43] – Ming Hui [34] - Ming Yu [4] –Ming Yue [32] - Mu Qi [28] |
Q- Qi Luo [] |
S- Sairon [62] - Si Yi Lin [18] - Si Yi Lin young [19] |
T- Tie shou [10] - Tong Chui [31] |
W- Wang Ge/Wang Er [59] - Wei Ming [16] – Wen He [54] |
X- Xiao Long [25] - Xiao Mei [14] – Xiao Ping [57] – Xiao Qi [33] - Xiao Shaozi [44] - Xiaoban shouren [53] |
Y- Yang Minghua [9] – Ying Mulan [] - Yun Qianxue [63] - Yun Qianxue's lieutenant [64] |
Z- Zichuan Can Xing [17] - Zichuan Ning [12] – Zichuan Ning young [13] - Zichuan Xiu [7] – Zichuan Xiu, young [8] – Zichuan Yun [52] - Zhuo Lin [51] |
Links : Back to general info . / Back to start of Character directory part 1 / part 2 / part 3
MINI PROFILE of Liú Yǔníng 刘宇宁
This mini profile is a copy of that which was first posted to A Journey To Love discussion page.
Liú Yǔníng as Di Lin in Eternal Brotherhood, Zǐchuān
    Social media: Weibo (18.6 million fans /粉丝 1862.1万 - Dec.23) FANDOM DATAHis fandom name is quirky : Mó fàn, péng fēi /摩饭，棚妃- from “摩饭” (scraping or scavenging for food), "棚妃" (princess or concubine): like those left starving in "cold palaces" of yore. LYN once joked during a livestream that his fans ought to build a shed in a field for the "知性小棚妃 [zhīxìng xiǎo péng fēi] "intellectual little shed princess" ! But it could now evolve to MFan, Yi Lu (poster above ; "from scraping meals, to road to attainments"). Fandom color: yellow ; Fandom chant: 一生所爱,与宁同在 [yī shēng suǒ ài ,yǔ níng tóng zài]= "the love of my life is with you Ning!" Some fans in wedding dresses have even thrown wedding bouquets to him, in concerts, which just delighted him, for the love shown.
| Liú Yǔníng (nicknames Xiǎo Níng (!) or Ning Gē, but some now increasingly call him 宁头儿 Níng Tóu'er, i.e. "Chief Ning" or, for a simple translation like in the AJTL drama: "Boss Ning"). He was born 8 January 1990 , in Dāndōng (a very special city, that you can discover in the link), Liáoníng province of China. He is 1.89 m (6ft 2) tall, according to Wikipedia. Chinese zodiac: Earth Snake, star sign Capricorn. He is a Chinese mainland actor, and lead singer of Modern Brothers pop band.  Dec.2018, his powerful cover of "Lightyears away" 《光年之外》from the G.E.M. 鄧紫棋 song created for the 2018 movie Passengers. In childhood, he wanted to study music but his family was poor. He was raised by his grandparents after his father passed away when he was 4 years old. So he had to struggle through helping with cooking, suffering a serious health issue, working odd jobs until he bought a guitar with his first salary as a chef and became a singer at local bars where he could sing 20 ~ 30 songs a day. Later, he formed the rock band Modern Brothers with his best friends and did street performances at first. The video to top left illustrates his rise from Dāndōng street singer (list of songs in comments of the video) to Héngdiàn live streamer, composer and singer of star OST songs. He has a lot of humor, and joked that he got his long legs because he had to jump over fences with barbed wire on top, to escape beatings from a jealous schoolmate and other thugs, and from playing his favorite games of shuttlecock and rubber band, where the girls could not compete with him! He also likes wordplay, as in a short clip (now unavailable) showing him on his way through the crowd, a fan insisting on wanting an answer about the "boat" (舟 zhōu), probably referring to the enticing address in the AJTL drama Weibo : 导语：一舟之远在于宁，一念关山起，远舟归何处 / "Introduction: A boat is far away from Ning. A thought of Guānshān rising : where will the boat go?" Liú Yǔníng impishly turned back to shout back to her that it was eight-treasures porridge (八宝粥 bābǎozhōu)! [Well: there were 5 Liudao members, Rèn Rúyì, Prince/Princess Li, and for the 8th member, why not the impressive Lǐ Tóngguāng?]. His fandom of "concubines" (棚妃们 péng fēimen) is as snarky as he can be, exchanging shouts and sarcastic comments, even to naming fan accounts like "我捡垃圾养你啊Ning /I pick up trash to feed you, Níng". But very faithful and waxing poetical in their praise!
Unusual and generous idol (although not having followed the usual idol path to fame), he loves to interact with his fans which ties in with his relatively rare ENTP personality (Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving) if this MBTI page is to be believed (there's another page with a different, but less believable verdict + at least 2 glaring mistakes about him). Latest test he took, impromptu on set of a December 2023 interview, he was told he was a more common ISTP (see more about that in link: well, if Liú Yǔníng can be likened to undying, soon centennial "Make my day" jazz lover Clint Eastwood, that's a good omen anyway, lol!!) -Let's take it with a grain of salt, since MBTI is known "pop psychology" more for fun than science. What is true is that he is a workaholic, having released "76 songs, two and a half year after his debut!" (over 100 now) AND taking part in TV shows, including as host (in 2021), regular member or guest. AND having roles in over 20 dramas and movies, since his debut as " Hé tāo 何涛, a high school boy trying to fulfill his musical dream and love" in 2016 movie Class 952. Liú Yǔníng does not do much photo covers, does not sell physical albums and even his digital ones were free. There will be commemorative, limited edition albums for sale now, and concerts upcoming, but he earns enough not to want the price to be a burden on his fans: there are lotteries to distribute a number of the albums for free. Liú Yǔníng is not specially modest, but has been very savvy about the management of his IT presence since launching his covers on platforms YY's Live Streaming and Douyin in 2014 ; after his contract with YY ended, he created his own studio 刘宇宁 LYN Studio in 2021, to manage his own career and that of his two "Modern Brothers" (guitarist Chén Zhuó aka Ā Zhuó 阿卓, keyboardist Zhāng Yú aka Dà Fēi 大飞) when they occasionally meet again to discuss music (Ā Zhuó and Dà Fēi are not permanently working with Liú Yǔníng who includes them mostly from fidelity to friends in his "title" as performer). Liú Yǔníng who is not primarily a songwriter or composer has a knack for choosing to collaborate with gifted composers like Chén Xuěrán 陈雪燃 and Du Zhìwén 都智文 who composed the music for the song "Offer/Present" 奉上, written by lyricist Lín Qiáo 林乔.). He has had to develop a thick skin and a wry humor to deal with attacks on his person for his not conforming to beauty standards, for having been married briefly and his ex wife having chosen to divorce almost immediately "because she wanted a stable life", 6 years before he entered C-ent showbiz. He has no grudge and prefers to leave his unfortunate relationships buried in the past, has no ties nor children there. But when a an e-reporter slandered him and exposed pictures of his ex with her child, he rose swiftly and decisively to rebuke the slanderer, even if he had to go to the live stream room in full costume drama regalia! Even then, over the past and recent years, he has been bullied for not having kept from smoking, and for the sin of not receding into the background and for daring to take part in dramas. Especially being main lead in a tragedy like AJTL (although every true-blue wǔxiá fan knows that this genre is NOT romance with happy-ever-after end!). Some even went to replace his face with that of other actors!! Liú Yǔníng had the appropriate response to that. Next he was seen in the glass case as if on display, with his partner, the graceful ex ballerina Liú Shīshī (who he said helped him keep a better posture as "warrior Níng Yuǎnzhōu", instead of his usual slouched shoulders). On the other hand, he is kind hearted and has proved his empathy when he lent his coat to Zhào Lìyǐng in an interview where she sat quietly freezing under the A/C, and next treated her to dinner because she realized then that she had no payment card with her and awkwardly stepped aside. They have stayed friends ever since, and other people in showbiz deciding circles have come to appreciate his down-to-earth seriousness and talent. He is also generous: when earthquake stroke in December 2023, in a remote area of Gānsù, China, he was among the first to send funds for relief efforts, that went speedily and efficiently. Despite not wanting to be misunderstood in romances outside screen work, he has proved to show quite some chemistry with several "romance partners" on set, and has undeniable charisma. But at the moment, the "love of his life" is his pet female Schnauzer, Dāimǐ! He does not dislike cats but prefers tidiness and no hair shedding from his pet. About food, he mentioned that he likes chicken dishes and bullfrog hotpot in Hengdian, although he also said once that he "likes spicy food but he can't eat it" (the Sichuan recipe linked is probably too hot for him - but fun to watch). In the same interview, he reminisced that he had been inspired by the series Candle in the Tomb, to start acting, and mentioned his singing an OST for one (Tomb of the Sea starring Wú Lěi, in 2018: Ràng jiǔ /"Let's toast!" song). For the Jiāngsū TV Dec.31, 2023 New Year's Eve, he sang the A Journey to Love OST song "Offer" 奉上 on stage, and together with Máo Bùyì (who entered on the tune of his own signature song "Drowning Sorrows") a well-known 2009 "Mongolian grassland" song originally by Jiàngyāng Zhuómǎ : "Walking around the world" 走天涯 (notice LYN touching Máomao's back at 3:06 to prevent him from risk of falling as the platform lifts) - and another song with Joseph Zēng Shùnxī 曾舜晞 and 汤非 Tāng Fēi (中国智慧中国行 /"China Smart China Journey"). As for dramas (20 to date) and movie (5) appearances, check the MDL page links. Among the upcoming dramas, there are:
After his Breakthrough Actor award (Weibo night Dec.5, 2023), LYN won, January 13, 2024, his first ever Hot Actor of the Year Award at Weibo Night recognizing him officially as an actor. |
* Snippets of 刘宇宁 HUMOR :
- Story of Dāimǐ 呆米 the Schnauzer (Jan 2022)
- Putting on makeup for the live stream (May 2021)
* Also visit the following article, that has a lot of interesting infos, pleasingly put together !
last update, revisions and links checked for this section, June 4, 2025
Link to playlists of songs by Liú Yǔníng and to the Cho Na compilation of OST by LYN (all linked to MVs).
Back to general info link. / Back to start of Character directory link
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