Chen Pingping, male, is a character in the historical drama series “Joy of Life” and “Joy of Life Season 2,” portrayed by actor Wu Gang.

Chen Pingping is the Director of the Supervisory Council of the Southern Qing Kingdom, holding power second only to the Emperor. He is a highly intelligent and decisive figure. While seemingly cold and ruthless on the surface, he also possesses a deep sense of warmth, especially towards Fan Xian. He goes to great lengths to help Fan Xian, viewing him as his successor. Chen Pingping became disabled in his legs after capturing the Northern Qi spy Xiao En, and now relies on a wheelchair for mobility.

Character Background

Chen Pingping is a character in the television series “Joy of Life” and “Joy of Life Season 2.” The series is directed by Sun Hao, with Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin in leading roles, and supporting actors including Chen Daoming, Wu Gang, Guo Qilin, Tian Yu, Li Xiaoran, Song Yi, Xin Zhilei, and Liu Duanduan. The first season premiered on Tencent Video and iQiyi on November 26, 2019. The second season is set to premiere on CCTV and Tencent Video on May 16, 2024.

Character Appearance

Chen Pingping is slender, with dark skin and a face covered in wrinkles. He wears loose robes, which makes him appear somewhat comical, giving off an impression that is both serious and eccentric.

Character Experience

Chen Pingping was once an insignificant eunuch in the palace, growing up alongside Emperor Qing. In that era, no one valued people like Chen Pingping. His life seemed destined to be nothing more than a servant to the Crown Prince, with no opportunity for fair treatment. However, his fate changed when he met Fan Xian’s mother, Ye Qingmei.

Ye Qingmei, coming from the modern era, had no prejudices against Chen Pingping and treated him like an older brother. Chen Pingping deeply admired Ye Qingmei’s ideas and talents and became one of her admirers. After Ye Qingmei founded the Supervisory Council, Chen Pingping became its Director.

Ye Qingmei transformed Chen Pingping from a slave into a master, and after Ye Qingmei’s death, Chen Pingping, like other admirers, transferred his feelings to Fan Xian.

Chen Pingping utilizes all of his resources to cultivate and protect Fan Xian, paving a wide path for him. He remains by Emperor Qing’s side, witnessing the power struggles in the court. When Fan Xian was born, Chen Pingping devised a detailed plan for Wu Zhu to take Fan Xian back to the Fan family in Danzhou to protect the child’s life.

After Fan Xian grew up, Chen Pingping never forgot about Fan Xian, who was far away in Danzhou. He dispatched Fei Jie to Danzhou to teach Fan Xian the necessary skills, and also gave Fei Jie a token to make it easier for Fan Xian to enter Kyoto and join the Supervisory Council in the future. Chen Pingping made thorough preparations to protect Fan Xian.

Chen Pingping hopes that Fan Xian can inherit the Supervisory Council, and even intends to help Fan Xian ascend the throne. He poured all of his feelings and efforts into cultivating and protecting Fan Xian. Their relationship has long surpassed that of a teacher and student, and is more like the support of an elder for a family member.

Years later, Chen Pingping never gave up investigating the cause of Ye Qingmei’s death. When he learned the truth, he quietly distanced himself from Fan Xian, solely to protect him. He suspected that Ye Qingmei’s death was not just an assassination by conservatives, but that there was also a powerful force manipulating things behind the scenes.

Despite this, after Ye Qingmei’s death, Chen Pingping had to abandon Ye Qingmei’s ideal of equality, going against his own will to turn the Supervisory Council into Emperor Qing’s intelligence agency. However, Chen Pingping never gave up investigating the cause of Ye Qingmei’s death. Eventually, after gathering enough evidence, he realized that Emperor Qing was the mastermind behind Ye Qingmei’s murder.

Character Evaluation

Chen Pingping is a typical tragic figure, born into humble beginnings and subjected to great oppression, yet he met a guiding light, and was then hurt by the person he trusted. In the end, he dedicated his life to his ideals, dying at the hands of a butcher.

Despite his tragic nature, Chen Pingping is the most dazzling “white moonlight” in the entire story, a true believer in egalitarianism. He does not fear power, nor does he use conspiracies and tricks, but instead bravely confronts powerful forces with his own strength. Chen Pingping is the closest to Ye Qingmei’s ideals among those who admired her. After Chen Pingping’s death, Fan Xian finally awakens and embarks on a path of revenge, killing his father to avenge his mother.