Wei Xiao Bao's wives

[Panadol]

can someone list all 7 of wei xiao bao's wives and their significance and personality for me?

[TrinketWei]

Su Quan - Formerly the wife of the Leader Hong of Mythical Dragon Island. Beautiful Cunning, deadly, resourceful, undoubted elder sister and leader of WXB wives. Does not appear till middle of novel, and has significant roles in end of novel.

Fang Yi - The proud, jealous, and somewhat selfish but beautiful martial sister of Mu JianPing. Meets WXB in palace after being injured during an assassination attempt. Significant in middle part of novel where she leads WXB into numerous traps by Mythical Snake Island.

Chen AhKor - Gorgeous, stubborn yet naive daughter of Chen Yuan Yuan. Driving force behind WXB actions during middle parts of the novel. After marriage plays little more than vaselike role.

Zeng Rou - The epitome of a vase-like character. Adorable, innocent, and more or less irrelevant in the plot.

Princess KienNing - The haughty, jealous, sadomasochistic princess of the realm. In actuality daughter of Mao DongZhu, the fake empress. Significant in the comedic relief scenes she has WXB throughout novel.

Shuang Er - Loyal, dutiful, ideal paramour of any man. This adorable maid was given to WXB during middle part of the novel and plays most significant role amongst his wives. She shares the most "screen time" (in the novel's case, ink) with WXB in his adventures.

Mu JianPing - Young, naive, and innocent countess of previous dynasty. First actual wife WXB encounters during early parts of the novel. Provides for some comedic scenes with WXB. More insignificant and vaselike near the end.

[Panadol]

wow thx

now can anyone give me a synopsis of the story. I really haven't had time to get it, all i can base my knowledge on is the movie and shows, that i don't really watch.

thx

[TrinketWei]

The Duke of Mount Deer is essentially about an anti-hero, WeiXiaoBo who through cunning, bluffing, and the greatest of luck becomes a person of great influence during Emperor Kang Xi's reign.

WXB's mom was a prostitute and he grew up in a brothel. Illiterate and uneducated, he learned of the world through the depictions of heroes and great events by the local storytellers. A myriad of events culminate in him leaving his home town of YangZhou and entering the forbidden city where he pretends to be a palace eunuch. While posing as a eunuch he befriends the young Emperor Kang Xi.

WXB helps KX resolve many problems and soon finds himself being constantly elevated in rank at the court. WXB's gregariousness and his generosity with money earns him many friends at the court. On occasion WXB was kidnapped by the group known as Heaven and Earth, a faction that wanted to overthrow the Ching dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. Through necessity, luck, and bluffs WXB becomes the disciple of the rebel group's leader and a lodge master of the group giving him dual and conflicting identities.

The rest of the novel details his adventures while serving both the group and the king. He encounters mysterious sects, becomes a chinese monk, confronts tibetan monks, faces off with generals and dukes, and even travels to Russia. In the course of these adventures he discovers the secrets behind the 8 manuals of Forty Two Sutras, encounters and woos lovely young ladies, swears brotherhood oaths with numerous heroes, while gambling and mouthing profanity.

The main conflict of the novel is ultimately the need for WXB to pick a sid;, for the emperor or against the emperor. When the Emperor discovers and confronts WXB's regarding his dual identities, WXB isordered to betray the Heaven and Earth group. His reluctancy and refusal results in him hiding away on a secluded island with his wives for a couple of years. When the Emperor finally allows him to return to Beijing, WXB expects a return to his early years of happiness. Unfortunately, pressure from both sides causes WXB continual discontent with his life, and he ultimately decides to stage his death to retire from the conflicts of the world.

Panadol: This is a really brief summary that I must admit does not do the novel justice. Lu Ding Ji(Duke of Mount Deer) is my favorite chinese series of all time and I would strongly suggest that if given the chance you read it. Seeing as to how you mentiom you have had exposure to the shows, my recommendation is that you give your time to the 1985 TVB serial adaptation starring Tony Leung and Andy Lau. The 2000 Taiwanese Wong Jing production starring Dicky Cheung. while midly entertaining is a debauchery in terms of faithfulness to the novel.

If you simply don't have time and want to know more about the novel, you can listen to an audio enactment of the novel in cantonese here:

http://www.rthk.org.hk/classicschannel/mountdeer.htm

[Yang Guo]

The 1998 version with Jordan Chan was actually quite well done as well. He looks a bit old for the role, but his portrayal was great.

as an added bonus, prettier girls too

[TrinketWei]

The 1998 version with Jordan Chan was actually quite well done as well. He looks a bit old for the role, but his portrayal was great.

as an added bonus, prettier girls too

Jordan's portrayal was indeed good and the 1998 version was pretty well done in its own right. While neither the 1998 nor the 1985 version was entirely faithful to the novel, I felt that the 1998 strayed just a bit more and hence neglected to mention it in passing. The 2000 version was only mention as something not to base the novel on.

In terms of the wives Jordan's was undoubtedly much easier on the eyes. The 1985 Su Quan looked like she could have been WXB's mother. Both versions however, would have been shamed by the girls in the 2000 version; which I still believe to be the most beautiful group of wives assembled in any series.

[Yang Guo]

Jordan's portrayal was indeed good and the 1998 version was pretty well done in its own right. While neither the 1998 nor the 1985 version was entirely faithful to the novel, I felt that the 1998 strayed just a bit more and hence neglected to mention it in passing. The 2000 version was only mention as something not to base the novel on.

In terms of the wives Jordan's was undoubtedly much easier on the eyes. The 1985 Su Quan looked like she could have been WXB's mother. Both versions however, would have been shamed by the girls in the 2000 version; which I still believe to be the most beautiful group of wives assembled in any series.

yeah well... leave it to Wong Jing to pick cream of the crop girls

although horrendously unfaithful, the 2000 version was a version I liked quite a lot as a series (not as an adaptation)

[Radken]

I like Annie Wu as Seung Yi in the 2000 version. Cherie Chan is a close second from 1998. Seung Yi is always and will be the hottest wife. *grins*

[TrinketWei]

yeah well... leave it to Wong Jing to pick cream of the crop girls

although horrendously unfaithful, the 2000 version was a version I liked quite a lot as a series (not as an adaptation)

It's not that I didn't find the 2000 series entertaining, I just believe that Wong Jing would have been better off making up his own original story with a happy-go lucky polygamous hero instead of mutilating the novel. In a sense you summed up my own opinion that it was a good series but a bad adaptation.

Annie Wu was decent as Shuang Er, although I dare say any reasonably looking female would be irresistable with the qualities of Shuang Er. I think Ruby Lin did the best job in the 2000 series as she actually made the Princess, my least favorite of WXB's wives, quite compelling. I must confess that I still don't know whether such statement is based on her acting skills or how ridiculously adorable she looked as the Princess. I know WXB didn't, but I would have given up the whole forest for her one tree.

[Yang Guo]

It's not that I didn't find the 2000 series entertaining, I just believe that Wong Jing would have been better off making up his own original story with a happy-go lucky polygamous hero instead of mutilating the novel. In a sense you summed up my own opinion that it was a good series but a bad adaptation.

Annie Wu was decent as Shuang Er, although I dare say any reasonably looking female would be irresistable with the qualities of Shuang Er. I think Ruby Lin did the best job in the 2000 series as she actually made the Princess, my least favorite of WXB's wives, quite compelling. I must confess that I still don't know whether such statement is based on her acting skills or how ridiculously adorable she looked as the Princess. I know WXB didn't, but I would have given up the whole forest for her one tree.

Shuang Er the character is the epitome of a perfect lover

regarding Ruby Lin... I can't decide if it was a good thing or not that she made the character so lovable since the character in the novel is so... er... well, she ain't no Shuang Er :P

[Radken]

Ruby Lin's character underwent the most significant change in character development. From spoiled princess in the beginning to redeeming housewife near the end. Makes her death that much more tragic.

Maybe Mu JianPing should've taken her place...

[Yang Guo]

Ruby Lin's character underwent the most significant change in character development. From spoiled princess in the beginning to redeeming housewife near the end. Makes her death that much more tragic.

Maybe Mu JianPing should've taken her place...

I found the death unnecessary =\

wasn't it enough to totally transformed zen you? AND they killed her off after like ep 1

[TrinketWei]

Wong Jing has a certain flair for the dramatics and sending the Princess to an early grave was his way of stirring interest. Judging from the ratings that DOMD 2000 received in Hong Kong, such a ploy was indeed quite successful. As I recall Zeng Rou was never in the 2000 version unless you are referring to Hsu Chi's Little GoldFish character.

With all the changes that he did make, I am surprised Wong Jing didn't shock the world and make WXB a real eunuch. But then again the tragedy which would have resulted would have been too mucn. I mean who wouldn't have wanted to console those poor, lonely living widows?

[SkineePanda]

If you guys notice, the 2000 adaption was sort of a hybrid cross between the 1992 Stephen Chow movie adaptions(Ng Man tat and Tsui Kam-kwong had the same roles, Lamas come to Aobai's rescue, Xiaobao gets great kungfu) and elements of the novel.

Wong Jing had to add in Ekin Cheng as Chen Jinnan, who I think was only in it for 1 or 2 episodes yet he get refered to throughout the series. The girls of the 2000 version(Annie Wu, baby) is indeed quite hot. But freaking Dicky Cheung makes me want to smack him repeatedly everytime he tries to act in those serious scenes or when he repeats that annoying poem every 2 minutes or so.

[Radken]

I memorized that poem to a tee...

[Yang Guo]

everyone was reciting that poem when it showed ~_~ (including me)

The movie was also a Wong Jing production... that's why :P

[Radken]

Offing Ruby Lin not only made her more valuable to the story but also created a controversial conclusion. It demonstrates how a person with Xiao Bao's life style plus the choices that he make does come with repercussions.

I personally wanted a happy ending.

Back then, when Journey to the West came out I wished to mimic Monkey King's every moment, gesture, and speaking pattern. It was a wonderful gimmick by Dicky Cheung.

[shanghai girls are hot]

i like 2000 version, it was funny and the special effects were nice.

[TrinketWei]

The movie Royal Tramp starring Stephen Chow was indeed directed by Wong Jing and thus harbored many similarities with the 2000 series. The Princess did not die in the movie making her death in the series all more surprising.

The death of one or more of WXB wives as a karmic form of punishment seems to be the direction that Jin Yong himself is heading towards if we are to believe the rumors with the third edition changes. While I think that the notion of altering the novel to deter modern youths from mimicking some of WXB's immoral behavior is rather naive, I will defer criticism till I see what the changes are.

I initially found the poem Dicky recited quite amusing as well, but it became annoyingly repetitive after a while. What I found most ironic was the illiterate WXB, who wouldn't be caught dead with a book(unless it was a picture book with questionable depictions) fancying himself as a poet.

[Candide]

What was the poem about? In the novel, WXB often sang or recited poems he heard at the brothel where he grew up, or from the local story teller.