this dude is really great at reading the room and surviving. He is so good at smelling out information while he…
All good observations. I don't know the answer. I do think the character is complex - cunning, high EQ and morally flexible. He is one where he can choose to be good or bad. Its hard to tell which way he will go. That makes him dangerous. In a game of chess, its easy bc each chess piece has limited moves. But in real life, they are much more unpredictable, esp when given free will.
this dude is really great at reading the room and surviving. He is so good at smelling out information while he pretends to chop wood. I wouldn't close my eyes around him. His favorite poem is 上林賦/ Shànglín fù, a bombastic tribute to the wealth and extravagance of the imperial hunt. This guy has dynastic aspirations.
The thing is I think it was done deliberately. Which is fine if the distinct voice was important to the plot but its not. Its just there to annoy the audience.😅🤷🏻♀️
1. Ziyan's motive for turning on his brother as explained to the Mysterious Person seems to relate to an incident…
I suspect the Mysterious Person must be the Royal Tutor, head of the Academy where Huaián and the deposed emperor went for schooling. It should be a very influential court position. I don't know why he lives in that prison at Yulong Pass but I don't think he is really a prisoner. I also think he was the 6th person but maybe he was just observing not participating. If he was Ziyan's teacher, he is most likely also Ziwen's teacher.
1. Ziyan's motive for turning on his brother as explained to the Mysterious Person seems to relate to an incident…
I went back and re-watched that part - you are right Ziyan was betrayed by a family he saved and he turned around and killed them. Ziwen condemned him for it and booted him out of Huben for it. It just still seems quite extreme to not just turn on him but help massacre his family and then personally stab him to death. I think there must be more to it. And it doesn't explain the whole army turning either. Usually an army is dead loyal to their general.
A few comments about Liu Biwen and Liu Ziyan and speculation about the Mysterious Person
1. Ziyan's motive for turning on his brother as explained to the Mysterious Person seems to relate to an incident at Chen Valley where he saved a family. Why is saving a family a bad thing? Did Biwen (or someone else's military command he had to blindly obey) order genocide of that village by the Huben? We have so far just assumed Biwen is a good guy bc he is Huaián's father. But why would an entire army he founded including his brother turn against him?
2. Ziyan addressed the Mysterious Person as 先生 or teacher and washing his feet is an act of filial piety kind of like a student would do for their teacher. I wonder then if he is also Huaián and the deposed emperor's teacher at the academy. Then he would know Huaián's brilliance and must also be the cloaked figure who advised the current emperor to summon him to the capital. Yet he was also there at Liu family/Ziwen's massacre. Again raising the question over what is this big fight about? Is it simply a power struggle? Let's see.
Overall I feel no closure with Ziyan's death. Too many unexplained motives and I didn't like how Huaián just shut him up when he tried to tell him what Ziwen's last words were. It was also kind of sad bc once there was genuine affection between them all - young Liu Zhi and Ziyan and Pu Nichuan. What happened to trigger such a huge betrayal of Liu Ziwen and his family?
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2. Ziyan addressed the Mysterious Person as 先生 or teacher and washing his feet is an act of filial piety kind of like a student would do for their teacher. I wonder then if he is also Huaián and the deposed emperor's teacher at the academy. Then he would know Huaián's brilliance and must also be the cloaked figure who advised the current emperor to summon him to the capital. Yet he was also there at Liu family/Ziwen's massacre. Again raising the question over what is this big fight about? Is it simply a power struggle? Let's see.
Overall I feel no closure with Ziyan's death. Too many unexplained motives and I didn't like how Huaián just shut him up when he tried to tell him what Ziwen's last words were. It was also kind of sad bc once there was genuine affection between them all - young Liu Zhi and Ziyan and Pu Nichuan. What happened to trigger such a huge betrayal of Liu Ziwen and his family?