Focus on Chu Shuzhi: Regardless of what you do, I’ll support you unconditionally

[maggie33]

Chu Shuzhi – the SID’s only field personnel and a huge Black-Cloaked Envoy fanboy. :)

This is his first scene.

Quite an impressive entrance.

I liked him from the start. The first things that caught my attention was his beauty and his fighting style, but most of all his unwavering and intense loyalty to Black-Cloaked Envoy, which is obvious straight away in the 1st episode. After the 1st episode I thought “I like that guy a lot.” After the 2nd episode I was already in love. Mainly because of this scene:

“I will not hesitate to sacrifice my life for the Honorable Envoy.”

And that was it for me. I have a loyalty kink and a thing for people kneeling to show respect and that scene cemented my love for Chu Shuzhi.

This is such a fascinating relationship and it’s not one-sided. Shen Wei uses Chu Shuzhi for a purpose, of course, but he also respects him. Which is confirmed when the first thing Shen Wei does, after realizing that SID knows he’s secret identity, is to apologize to Chu Shuzhi for not telling him earlier.

And coming back to that scene and to the quote from the title of this post.

“Regardless of what you do, I’ll support you unconditionally.”

Which for me begs the question – would he really? If Black-Cloaked Envoy would do something morally questionable or even evil would Chu Shuzhi still support him? Would he even consider something The Envoy does as anything else but just and right? After all when he argues with Zhao Yunlan in episode 32 he says: “Sometimes you need to be ruthless, or you’ll miss the big picture and regret it forever.”


In the 1st episode we are introduced the two of the three most important relationships Chu Shuzhi has in the drama – Guo Changcheng and Black-Cloaked Envoy. The third is Chu Nianzhi. It’s mainly that relationship that informs who Chu Shuzhi is in present time. It gets the spotlight in episodes 32 and 33 when we find out some facts about Chu Shuzhi’s life in Dixing.

But we don’t know much, or rather we don’t know anything at all, about his life in Haixing, after Black-Cloaked Envoy brought him here. I don’t think he had any acquaintances, casual or otherwise, in Haixing, besides the SID people.

“What are pleasantries?” he asks after the dinner with Guo Changcheng’s aunt and uncle. He clearly didn’t have any opportunities, or the need to socialize.


His relationship with Guo Changcheng is another highlight of the drama for me. And the way it changes from this

to this:

From awe laced with a healthy dose of fearful respect on one side, and annoyance and disdain on the other, to partnership where both sides complement each other and work beautifully together.

I made two post with recs for Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng fanworks here and here.

But I would also like to rec these two fics:

Discidium, Reparandam by galaxysoup

This fic has fantastic scenes between Chu Shuzhi and Shen Wei.


For a more concerted victory by china-shop

It’s a wonderful canon divergence AU, where after the last battle Chu Shuzhi travels back in time before the Reunion Festival, and he’s given the opportunity to fix things.


So – these are my thoughts. What is your opinion about Chu Shuzhi? Which of his relationships is the most interesting to you? Recs or links for fics, meta, picspams, fanart, fanvids are very much appreciated, too.

Comments

[trobadora]

Ooooh, that is a fantastic idea! Ye Zun tries to manipulate Chu Shuzhi into turning against Shen Wei, and that's how Shen Wei finds out the reason for Ye Zun's grudge! Because Lao-Chu may doubt, but he's not going to jump to conclusions, not when it's the Envoy.

[extrapenguin]

Because Lao-Chu may doubt, but he's not going to jump to conclusions, not when it's the Envoy.
Yes! His trust in and loyalty to the Envoy is wonderful. He'd also be pretty chuffed at being the instrument of the Envoy and his little brother's reconciliation.

[trobadora]

He really would! :D