Zhen Ji's Real Name... (Discussion thread for Lok Sun)

[Jiang Zhi]

I was watching that Zhen Ji show "Lok Sun" on TV and I noticed, they don't call her Zhen Ji but something else: 甄宓......dunno how to say that in Pinyin......

Is that like her real name?

[jiuwan]

I was watching that Zhen Ji show "Lok Sun" on TV and I noticed, they don't call her Zhen Ji but something else: 甄宓......dunno how to say that in Pinyin......

Is that like her real name?

Her "real name" is Zhen Ji. But as you noticed in the movie they call her "foak yee" (if your cantonese, I think it's fu er in mandarin, not sure).

It could have been her style name.

Or

That's not a name. The last character is something you would use to address someone younger than you or someone close. It's sorta like a style name but only it's not. Am I making any sense? It's sorta an added character when that person has one character in their name.

Can you post up the exact name they used? Look at the subtitle.

[Zhanghe_of_Wei]

Zhen(1) Fu(2); affectionately called Fu-er.

Real name? I dunno

[Lady Wu]

I can't find Lady Zhen's name recorded in SGZ (Wei book 5). In fact, in an annotation taken from Wei Lue, all the names of Zhen Ji's brothers and sisters were listed, but not her. Zhen Mi (宓) is a name that appeared in the novel "Luo Shen", written by the brothers Hu Xiaoming and Hu Xiaohui, and which was adapted into the TV show that people are talking about.

They picked the character "Mi" 宓 because in old legends, there was a lady called Concubine Mi who drowned in the Luo River, and became the goddess of Luo River = "Luo Shen". Since the novelists wanted to make Lady Zhen to be the Goddess of Luo, they took Mi to be her name.

[Kingdom of Cheng]

Foak Yee? Ha ha...thats a funny name

[jiuwan]

They picked the character "Mi" 宓 because in old legends, there was a lady called Concubine Mi who drowned in the Luo River, and became the goddess of Luo River = "Luo Shen". Since the novelists wanted to make Lady Zhen to be the Goddess of Luo, they took Mi to be her name.

Well according to that legend. After concubne Mi drowned in the river and became "Luo Shen". Many poems were written about her.

Many, many years later...

It was said that Cao Pi and Cao Zhi had bothed loved Zhen Ji. But in the end, she became the wife to Cao Pi. I've heard that Cao Zhi had expressed his feelings for Zhen Ji in some of his poems. The biggest one was the one where he wrote by the Luo river. The poem was initially titled "Zhen Ji", and it was written about Cao Pi's wife by Cao Zhi. Cao Pi didn't like it so he later changed the poem's title to 洛神賦 (Luo Shen Fu).

This is what Cao Zhi wrote (translated):
<i>
"Gazing upon her from a distance;
Bright as the sun
Over rosy morning clouds.
Step nearer, look more closely,
She shimmers like a lotus
Above the waves.
Neither thick-set nor frail,
Neither tall nor short
Her shoulders seem scripted,
Her waist narrow
As if bound.
The graceful curve of her long neck
Reveals the white flesh of her throat.
There is no need for perfume here,
No need for leaden powder." </i>

That crafty Cao Pi, changes the title I think that was how Zhen Ji got connected to Luo Shen.

P.S.
Scarlet.. when you're watching "Lok Sun" (Where the legends begin), don't take it as a historical source. There are lots of errors in it, that they changed to fit the story line.

[Lady Wu]

That crafty Cao Pi, changes the title I think that was how Zhen Ji got connected to Luo Shen.

Hehehe at least that's how the story goes... though there's quite a bit of scholarship done between the Ming and Qing dynasties arguing that "The Ode to the Goddess Luo" (Luo Shen Fu) was not written for Lady Zhen, nor were there proofs of Cao Zhi's involvement with Lady Zhen anywhere.

In fact, I'm not aware of any outstanding pure romantic poetry from Cao Zhi, while Cao Pi had a couple of poems about thinking of a loved one, or courting a beautiful lady, or waiting for a lover that touched me. However, I liked the "Lok Sun" (hehehe switching to Cantonese now) story (at least the novel version -- I still haven't seen the TV show yet).

[jiuwan]

Hehehe at least that's how the story goes... though there's quite a bit of scholarship done between the Ming and Qing dynasties arguing that "The Ode to the Goddess Luo" (Luo Shen Fu) was not written for Lady Zhen, nor were there proofs of Cao Zhi's involvement with Lady Zhen anywhere.

Yes. That is how the story goes, after all the topic of this thread isn't based on history. So I can bring in all the legends and tales

However, I liked the "Lok Sun" (hehehe switching to Cantonese now) story (at least the novel version -- I still haven't seen the TV show yet).

There are two versions to "Lok Sun" for the movies. The first one was done in the late 70's or early 80's by Adam Cheng (Cheung Siu Chow) and others. The version Scarlet is talking about is starring Ada Choi (Choi Siu Fun) and Steven Ma (Ma Jun Wei). I'm not sure how accurate they are to the actual novel. As I haven't gotten to read the novel yet.

[Lady Wu]

There are two versions to "Lok Sun" for the movies. The first one was done in the late 70's or early 80's by Adam Cheng (Cheung Siu Chow) and others. The version Scarlet is talking about is starring Ada Choi (Choi Siu Fun) and Steven Ma (Ma Jun Wei). I'm not sure how accurate they are to the actual novel. As I haven't gotten to read the novel yet.

Yeah, I haven't got a chance to watching the recent version yet. Perhaps when I get to Vancouver next month I could go rent it (is it as good as people say?). The novel, though, is fantastic -- if you could find it in e-town you should read it!

[jiuwan]

Yeah, I haven't got a chance to watching the recent version yet. Perhaps when I get to Vancouver next month I could go rent it (is it as good as people say?). The novel, though, is fantastic -- if you could find it in e-town you should read it!

Well it all depends on which actors you like watching. I don't want to go into too much details of the new version (can't spoil the storyline he he he)

But Steven Ma did a very good job for his character in the movie. One of the best scenes is where he did the "chut bo sing se" (Poem composed of seven steps) for Cao Pi to save his life. You know the poem , it goes like this..
煮 豆 燃 豆 基, (Boiling beans in a beanstalk fire)
豆 在 釜 中 泣. (From the pot out came a plaintive cry)
本 是 同 根 生, (Since we came from the same root)
相 煎 何 太 急! ( Oh why so eager to kill me!)

Ada Choi was quite boring I found in this movie. I have seen her do better.

The actor that did Cao Pi, played his character quite well. I gained a lot of respect for that actorr when before I just thought of him as a "small potatoe" actor

And the actor for Yang Xiu did a great job too. New actor I think.

Overall I liked the movie. I can't say anymore without spoiling the storyline, so you got to watch it for yourself.

And none of the e-town book stores has the novel version :wahh: