Debunking Rumors on Cheng Yi New Drama, Chang'an 24 Strategies

 

Finally, after months of speculation about whether Cheng Yi would star in this historical drama from Youku, the 34-year-old Chinese actor broke his silence and reposted the official Weibo page of the drama announcing the full cast lineup. The Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang'an (working title) is a historical suspense drama. Cheng Yi plays the role of Xie Huai'an, a palace official tasked by the emperor to investigate a conspiracy within the court. 

There have been rumors circulating on Weibo, picked up by clueless international fans, that Cheng Yi was just forced to accept this role, or Cheng Yi would not star in this drama or the script and cast members kept changing, and so on and so forth.

I wonder where they got this information? Cheng Yi, his studio, and his agency did not say anything in public, they have not released an official statement turning down the project. Those rumors were purely speculations and assumptions by fans. The fact that Youku announced it officially last year means the project deal has been sealed with Cheng Yi's camp.

The rumors started when Cheng Yi did not right away "claim" publicly the project after Youku's announcement last year, which is not usually the case as he always shared his new projects after the official announcement of the production and the networks. 

Well, there are many reasons why he did not do so: 

First, it was still in the story conference stage where the production crew is still polishing the script. No cast members were finalized, Youku's announcement was just to release a statement that there's a new big budgeted costume drama in their pipeline. 

Second, the production has not yet opened an official microblog on Weibo (which is the only time the cast members will share the new acting project on their own Weibo account), they only created the page on the 16th.

Third, actors usually wait the final signal from the production and their talent agency to share any relevant information about the projects they are in. Perhaps, Cheng Yi was told to wait before sharing it on his Weibo account.

Whatever the real reasons, hopefully fans should stop spreading malicious rumors or any bizarre speculations about this project. The fact that none from Cheng Yi's camp said anything about the project, all the rumors were purely imaginations from fans. 

We know how C-Entertainment works. There are water armies who are just waiting for a timing to discredit a celebrity they hated, or some fans who love to create assumptions if they don't want their favorites to be in that project. That's why, you should not eat too much "melons" if you cannot digest it properly, chances are you will be bloated with toxic rumors. 

There is no basis that Cheng Yi is just forced to accept this project. That's purely speculation. Why would he be forced to be in the project he does not like? He is already a big star, one of the most popular celebrities in China, who at 34 is nothing to prove considering his fame status. 

He is not a starlet who will just blindly follow whatever his management wants him to do. For sure, Huanrui Entertainment does not want to lose him, he is their biggest talent now after Ren Jialun left. They will surely beg Cheng Yi to stay with them and forcing him to do a project he does not like is the last thing they will ever do to their most precious talent. 

So to all fans who said that Cheng Yi was just forced to accept this project, think about it, and analyze the situation carefully using your logic and balance judgment, and not just believe whatever you read on Weibo, most of it are wild speculations from fans.

Okay, enough about it and let's look forward to the filming of this new drama. This looks exciting as it is an investigative drama. This is also the first historical costume drama that Cheng Yi will star after "Stand by Me" in 2021 where he played an emperor. 

Stars in the Main Roles

The lineup is equally interesting: Liu Yijun, Wang Jingsong (who Cheng Yi already starred in two dramas - Deep Lurk and The Promise of Chang'an where they played father-and-son), Zhou Qi, Tong Mengshi, and Xu Lu.

Based on the plot summary in Douban, this drama has zero romance arc, but they might put a bit of romance between Cheng Yi and Xu Lu's characters. Not certain, just a speculation, so let's see.

Complete Line-up:

Main Lead: Cheng Yi as Xie Huai'an

Cast in the main roles: Liu Yijun as Xiao Wuyang, Wang Jinsong as Wu Zhongheng, Zhou Qi as Xiao Wenjing, Tong Mengshi as Ye Zheng, and Xu Lu as Bai Guan.

Supporting cast: Ni Dahong as Cen Weizhong, Cheng Taishen as Zhu Zhilong, Han Tongsheng as Yang Chuhao, and Zhang Hanyu as Yan Fengshan.

Plot Summary:

During the reign of Emperor Wencheng, the Tiger Guards had occupied Chang'an for many years and had become deeply rooted. Xie Huai'an (Cheng Yi), the chief clerk of the Huainan County Office, received a secret edict from the emperor Xiao Wuyang (Liu Yijun) and was urgently transferred to the capital Chang'an to eradicate the treacherous. 

Yan Fengshan (Zhang Hanyu), the Tiger General, was unwilling to see power fall into the hands of others, so he gathered the forces of the Tiger Guards to try to split the country and establish himself as king. He used the Cangbing Lane in Chang'an as a cover and distributed the secret guards among them, always looking for an opportunity to counterattack. 

With the help of Xiao Wuyang, Xie Huai'an joined forces with the loyal general Wu Zhongheng (Wang Jinsong), the swordsman Ye Zheng (Tong Mengshi), the painter Bai Guan (Xu Lu), the young scholar Wenjing (Zhou Qi) to destroy the Cangbing Lane with wisdom, destroying Yan Fengshan's conspiracy to split the country and restoring the peace and prosperity of Chang'an.