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Chen Ping Ping is my favorite character - appreciation corner for him.

Lady Lilith

Hi, I don't know if I'm the only one, but honestly, Cheng Pingping is my favorite character after watching both seasons.

He is an interesting, multi-dimensional character who both manipulates and looks after FX. Among the old generation, apart from FJ, I think he is the nicest character. True, I don't think he's a good person - in the world presented to us in JoL, there are hardly any good people at all, but I like him the most. He's an interesting, gray character and isn't... a hypocrite like FX is in most cases. CP seems to me to be convinced of his "being an evil character" and feels good about it, using everything he has at his fingertips to do what he set out to do. Even if it destroys many lives in the process. He values the lives of those who are with him and are important to him much more than other, random people. 

What do you think about this character?
I'd love to hear your opinion, or maybe I'm interpreting it completely wrong, maybe I was deceived by him >.<

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Period_addict

ChengPP is a very cunning, manipulative, scheming genius character. His brain works very similarly as Fan Xian. It is more obvious in the novel that CPP considers FX as his son. He never failed protecting FX. He is not what he seems to be in season 3. Be prepared! 

Note. Perfect actor, perfect character.

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JustAnotherFan

CPP is great. He knows he isn't a good person, he is slowly teaching FX the way of politics, schemes, and even how to live. He told FX to trust no one, even himself. You can't get a better mentor than CPP. Besides Wu Zhu, no one love FX like CPP IMO.

That in itself is probably relates to how Ye Qing Mei (YQM) used to treat CPP. She treated him like a real person when everyone else's was afraid of him. Imagine, 20 years of pretense for revenge, that's CPP loyalty.

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Lady Lilith
 Period_addict:

ChengPP is a very cunning, manipulative, scheming genius character. His brain works very similarly as Fan Xian. It is more obvious in the novel that CPP considers FX as his son. He never failed protecting FX. He is not what he seems to be in season 3. Be prepared! 

Note. Perfect actor, perfect character.

Regarding the actor - true, I didn't mention it, but
Wu Gang is completely inextricably linked to this character for me. I don't know if this character would have made such an impression on me if he had been played by someone else. I'm reading a book now and I read every sentence that CPP says, hearing his voice in the back of my head.
Wu Gang has such a subtly addictive voice, the kind that tells you "burn the world for me" and you can't say no to him :) I need to watch other dramas with this actor (I've already seen Under the microscope and it was brilliant, he still stole every scene!). 

I can't wait for the next season. I'm sure I'll have finished reading the book by then, but I'll watch it anyway :) I've already received a spoiler on how CPP's story ends in the book - I hope they change it in the series.

And speaking of which, CPP treats FX like its son. In my eyes, FX is the son of FJ and CPP. Fuck the emperor. He's an asshole and doesn't deserve any child (he fucked up all the princes' lives just because he's bored). Let's forget about YQM, FX doesn't even remember it. He is the son of CPP and FJ. They both care about his future and safety, they often work against each other, but... it also looks more like friendly arguments, not an actual fight for power :P 

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Lady Lilith
 JustAnotherFan:

CPP is great. He knows he isn't a good person, he is slowly teaching FX the way of politics, schemes, and even how to live. He told FX to trust no one, even himself. You can't get a better mentor than CPP. Besides Wu Zhu, no one love FX like CPP IMO.

That in itself is probably relates to how Ye Qing Mei (YQM) used to treat CPP. She treated him like a real person when everyone else's was afraid of him. Imagine, 20 years of pretense for revenge, that's CPP loyalty.

Exactly. I love this moment when CPP tells FX not to trust anyone, and then (during the diplomatic mission to QI) FX starts to understand that CPP actually controlled him and set up everything that was happening in his life and it's like "Don't trust anyone" >.<

CPP is somewhere inside, beneath the many layers of traps, thorns and danger, a really nice person. I would like to get some memories from his youth with YQM, but I probably won't delve into these topics. I adore him. And I admire the path he has taken. She is a truly multi-dimensional, deep character.

In general, even the way he looks and addresses FX - I am completely on his side and even if he murders half the world, I will defend him.

My favorite pose, my favorite actor.

Wu Gang has such an amazing, calm, melodic voice that makes it really hypnotizing and makes you want to listen to it... 

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Period_addict

I'm right there with you, completely in agreement! :)

Wu Gang has one of the most expressive facial expressions I have seen in an actor, or maybe it's because I cared very much about him in the drama. He stares, and the person is dead. LOL.

I'm glad you're reading the novel. You will understand the nuances and differences. I believe they cast everyone correctly with few exceptions (Ye'Ler). I just cannot picture another Fan Xian or CPP, or FJ, second prince, Niang Wang, or even the emperor.

I won't spoil your fun about CPP. The only thing I can tell you is that he never once betrayed FX. And in the novel, FX never doubted CPP.

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Uma_shakti

Oh, I totally agree about CPP's character - he gradually became one of my most favorite morally grey characters ever written/created. He's just so good! Apart from his genius scheming and plotting, he has  this human side that often peeks through (usually regarding Fan Xian, the rest of the world could literally burn, but his boy needs to be alright ? ). I also love his loyalty and I feel like he's hiding a very deep and strong hatred towards the Emperor (because I suspect he had something to do with YQM's death, but I haven't read the novel, so I don't know for sure).

I also can't imagine any other actor portraying CPP - right from the first episode of the first season when they showed him meeting Wu Zhu with a baby in a basket, I could sense this man was interesting. His presence on screen is so captivating!

I love how with everything happening you sometimes have to wonder - is he actually good or bad? But when it comes to FX, in the end, he seems to always help him and protect him even when he's manipulating the heck out of him ? 

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Lady Lilith

I love that I'm not the only one who appreciates CPP <3

* He is definitely one of my favorite morally gray characters - I agree that the most interesting feature in him is the "human side". I love how his actions always matter and how he always chooses FX, even the fact that he manipulates him is designed to make him stronger and more resilient. CPP could have easily exploited him, but they didn't.

* I definitely can't imagine another actor playing CPP, before watching the second season, I checked at least ten times to see if he was listed among the actors playing in the second season. I wouldn't care so much if there wasn't a second season, but if CPP was replaced - I wouldn't watch it. He holds at least half of my fascination with this series on his shoulders :)

* Personally, what I love about CPP is how you have to listen carefully to what he says (let's not forget how wonderful his voice sounds - really, I could listen to him for hours, it's addictively calm) and how he says it. For example, in the scene after "FX's death" when CPP meets with the Emperor. This is a wonderful scene. So calm, nothing happening, two men talking. In any other series, I think I would scroll through it because it would bore me, but in this combination, with these two brilliant actors, even such a simple conversation was like trying to walk on a tightrope, over a cliff, knowing that there are crocodiles at the bottom and one end of the rope is on fire...
Tension, emotions, anticipation.
Truly amazing acting.

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