WARNING: SPOILERS

Maybe the easiest way to guess who is Kunwu is by elimination so I am keeping a list of who can be ruled out as Kunwu as we go along. Please add to it / share your eliminations and why.

What we know about Kunwu:

  1. Long hidden/dormant Japanese spy. 
  2. Reactivated 5 years ago
  3. He is confident of reuniting with his family soon. Most like wife + son and daughter.
  4. He suspected that  Muzhi faked his death in Shanghai but he did not know for sure
  5. He sent a sketch to warn Milan not to be distracted and fall for Hongqi.
  6. He joined the National Army in 1925 making him 32-39 years of age
  7. He appeared in the first 8 episodes

Eliminations:

  1. Yang Ziming - based on (4) he knew Muzhi faked his death bc he asked him to
  2. Yun Hongqi - Based on (5) and (6) Hongqi should not be Kunwu
  3. Li Liang - dead
  4. Milan - works for Kunwu
  5. Zong Fang - mid-level Japanese spy.


Top Remaining Suspects (in order):

  1. Assistant Wu
  2. Ke Jing Ping
  3. Ling Han
  4. Captain Tang
  5. Zhu He

I think we can eliminate anyone who is below 30 (or maybe 35) since he's been undercover for 15 years and knows muzhi intimately. 

 mango7:

I think we can eliminate anyone who is below 30 (or maybe 35) since he's been undercover for 15 years and knows muzhi intimately. 

I think so too but there has been some c-netizen speculation about the possibility that the Kunwu who popped up 5 years ago is not the same Kunwu from many years ago. That Kunwu may have died and been replaced. 

 PeachBlossomGoddess:

WARNING: SPOILERS

Maybe the easiest way to guess who is Kunwu is by elimination so I am keeping a list of who can be ruled out as Kunwu as we go along. Please add to it / share your eliminations and why.

What we know about Kunwu:

  1. Long hidden/dormant Japanese spy. 
  2. Reactivated 5 years ago
  3. He is confident of reuniting with his family soon. Most like wife + son and daughter.
  4. He suspected that  Muzhi faked his death in Shanghai but he did not know for sure
  5. He sent a sketch to warn Milan not to be distracted and fall for Hongqi.

Eliminations:

  1. Yang Ziming - based on (4) he knew Muzhi faked his death bc he asked him to
  2. Assistant Wu - is privy to (4) as Yang Ziming confides in him
  3. Yun Hongqi - Based on (5) Hongqi should not be Kunwu
  4. Li Liang - dead
  5. Milan - works for Kunwu
  6. Zong Fang - mid-level Japanese spy.

I am now thinking Yang Ziming.  

 Madoncdramas:

I am now thinking Yang Ziming.  

Why?

 PeachBlossomGoddess:

Why?

I think he is under the radar.  I think the voice and glasses seen when Mi Lan was in the church sort of fits and most importantly, the way he has quietly been manipulating things seems a suspect to me 

Yang Ziming looks like the man in the poster, whom Hong Shen pointing his gun at.

That is too sad, since he is Yun Muzhi's most trusted person. But the resigned gesture, as if regretting.

The figure could be Chief Ke too. 

Both have resources and time to be Kunwu.

Cons: Why would they be Kunwu since they seem to love and protect the Chinese people.

 Madoncdramas:

I think he is under the radar.  I think the voice and glasses seen when Mi Lan was in the church sort of fits and most importantly, the way he has quietly been manipulating things seems a suspect to me 

I agree that the glasses fit but in the church, he looks like he has eyebags and very leathery skin that doesn't look like Yang's skin.

 BaekhyunoonaID:

Yang Ziming looks like the man in the poster, whom Hong Shen pointing his gun at.

That is too sad, since he is Yun Muzhi's most trusted person. But the resigned gesture, as if regretting.

The figure could be Chief Ke too. 

Both have resources and time to be Kunwu.

Cons: Why would they be Kunwu since they seem to love and protect the Chinese people.

It could be the first sketch is a threatening message. The Japanese are holding Kunwu's family hostage. The sword pointing at them means cooperate or they die. Hongshen may have misread it. 

 PeachBlossomGoddess:

It could be the first sketch is a threatening message. The Japanese are holding Kunwu's family hostage. The sword pointing at them means cooperate or they die. Hongshen may have misread it. 

Not the painting, but the main poster.

Official website released a much clearer one (still blurry tho 😅)

https://mydramalist.com/photos/5vbply_3

 PeachBlossomGoddess:

It could be the first sketch is a threatening message. The Japanese are holding Kunwu's family hostage. The sword pointing at them means cooperate or they die. Hongshen may have misread it. 

The first sketch would hold hidden messages like how Mi Lan has been receiving her messages, right?  Most of Mi Lan's images are of things that have happened / are happening to her. 

Since they found the first sketch in Viscount's possessions, I'm willing to entertain that Viscount could be Kunwu and the sketch is meant for someone else. Or Viscount has killed some important people's families? My head is bursting with theories. 

 mango7:

The first sketch would hold hidden messages like how Mi Lan has been receiving her messages, right?  Most of Mi Lan's images are of things that have happened / are happening to her. 

Since they found the first sketch in Viscount's possessions, I'm willing to entertain that Viscount could be Kunwu and the sketch is meant for someone else. Or Viscount has killed some important people's families? My head is bursting with theories. 

But the Viscount is dead so he can't be Kunwu unless he was faking it...

 PeachBlossomGoddess:

But the Viscount is dead so he can't be Kunwu unless he was faking it...

Viscount commited suicide with some sort of poison after realising that Hongshen added anesthetic to his tea. 

Even if he was faking it... 

Shouldn't Kunwu be in NBIS? 

 BaekhyunoonaID:

Viscount commited suicide with some sort of poison after realising that Hongshen added anesthetic to his tea. 

Even if he was faking it... 

Shouldn't Kunwu be in NBIS? 

Did they ever explicitly state that Kunwu is in NBIS? Or just speculation? He could be operating through people like Ling Han, right.

I think one thing is for certain though - when Friday comes and everything is revealed, we'd be scrolling back at these theories feeling absolutely dumb that we missed everything lol 

 BaekhyunoonaID:

Viscount commited suicide with some sort of poison after realising that Hongshen added anesthetic to his tea. 

Even if he was faking it... 

Shouldn't Kunwu be in NBIS? 

I think he should be and maybe we are just over complicating it and Kunwu is just Ling Han, as YHS obviously thinks he is.

The reason I think he could be someone outside of NBIS is there are already a ton of Japanese spies in NBIS. Why does Kunwu need to expose himself like that when he already has a bunch of moles stashed there? Also Kunwu seems to be following Milan around a lot. How does he have time to do that if he were stuck in some high post in NBIS where he has to be at meetings etc all the time?