LayarHijau.com—Earlier this month, rumors surfaced that Cheng Yi might be paired with Ren Min to star in the costume drama Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang'an.
The drama is reportedly set to begin filming at the end of November. However, as of this writing, there hasn't been any official announcement from the production team.
On Douban, information about the drama's production team, including the director, screenwriter, and the lead actress Ren Min, is already available. But the male lead has yet to be listed.
Today, Cheng Yi and Xu Lu are trending on Weibo with hashtags suggesting that the two will star in Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang'an.
Weibo users are posting that Cheng Yi and Xu Lu will indeed be in the drama, and filming is expected to start in early December. Interestingly, despite the trending rumors, the Douban page hasn’t been updated.
Looking at the comments on Douban, many users are protesting Ren Min's casting as the lead actress. They express concerns that the drama might fail if Ren Min is chosen, as they feel her appearance doesn't suit a costume drama. Some have suggested replacing her with Yang Zi or Zhou Ye.
Now, the rumor of Cheng Yi and Xu Lu teaming up has also gone viral. Reactions from Weibo users are mixed. Some are excited because they believe Xu Lu is a better fit than the previously rumored actress. Others, however, feel that replacing Ren Min with Xu Lu is a downgrade.
Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang'an is scheduled to air in 2025 on Youku.
Synopsis of Twenty-Four Strategies of Chang'an
During Emperor Wencheng's reign, the Tiger Guard has occupied Chang'an for years and is deeply entrenched. Hu Yi, the chief of staff of the Huainan County Office, receives a secret letter from Emperor Ji Wuyang and is immediately transferred to the capital, Chang'an, to root out traitors.
Yan Fengshan, the general of the Tiger Guard, doesn't want to see power fall into someone else's hands, so he gathers the Tiger Guard's forces to try to split the country and crown himself king. He uses the Cangbing Gang in Chang'an as a cover and spreads secret guards among them, always looking for opportunities to strike back.
With Ji Wuyang's help, Hu Yi teams up with loyal general Gu Yu, swordsman Ye Zheng, painter Bai Guan, young scholar Xie Ziling, and others to dismantle the Cangbing Gang with clever tactics, thwart Yan Fengshan's conspiracy to divide the country, and restore peace and prosperity to Chang'an.
As of now, there has been no confirmation from the relevant parties regarding these rumors.