Tribes and Empires: Muyun De

Tribes and Empires Muyun De
 
If I could go on a date with anyone from Tribes and Empires it would be Muyun De. He is such an intriguing and complex character. Yes, his morals are shaky, but during our date I’ll simply turn a blind eye. Instead, while drinking tea we’d idly chat about his hopes and dreams of conquering the world. Our date would promptly end when Mr. Mo comes lurking from a behind a corner.


Muyun De is Prince Ye’s second son. By day he’s the Head of Wanchuan’s Chamber of Commerce, but by night he plots to become king via magic that comes from occultism.

Tribes and Empires Zhang Xiao Chen

The character is an accomplished sweet talker, handsome, has refined composure, and wealthy. These attributes make him a likable and respected figure. However behind closed doors he’s calculating and sly. There are moments of violence and surprising moments of self-respect and kindness. He really is a complex man. 

In any given situation, around any people, and even with himself De is a total control freak. The only time we see vulnerability is during interactions with this father. He reacts to the feelings of life-long rejection and needs for approval. Being well aware of this, his father is amused and chooses to intentionally and tauntingly withhold affirmation. It’s quite painful to watch and in those moments he is relatable.


Tribes and Empires Zhang Xiao Chen

De has a few unconventional relationships and the the most peculiar is the one with Mr. Mo. Through a shared goal, compatible personalities, eventually a father-son, mentor-mentee relationship forms. It must be refreshing for them to have someone they can trust, discuss and make plans with. Especially with something as serious as conquering the world…

Their plans are cautiously set into motion, always leaving an untraceable path for retreat. De uses people without batting an eye, but that doesn’t mean he dislikes people, for example, while using Muyun Sheng and eventually Yu’er, he sincerely enjoys their company and conversations. Throughout the drama, never for a second did I believe they would have any success in their conquest. It was such a long shot. Were they naive? 

Tribes and Empires Yu Er
His relationship with Yu’er is very interesting, unconventional and, ambiguous. If you take a moment you realize their pseudo-romance is one of the few that somewhat last the whole drama. Both stay alive and not in any dire situations. Almost all the others relationships have a Romeo and Juliet plot line. 


Yu’er slowly becomes a significant person in De’s life. It is doubtful he even knows how much he needs her, her self-respect, and unconditional love. Their intimacy develops once Yu’er sheds her rose-colored glasses and sees reality. Consequently he considers her more of an equal. There are two engrossing scenes with the two of them alone, the conversation telling and the silence poignant. All that said, when it comes to romance he’s kind of a jerk. I do hope he falls in love with her and treasures her. If he doesn’t, I hope she’ll find someone who will. 

Zhang Xiao Chen was the perfect choice for Muyun De, his looks, acting, and on-screen presence is perfect.


Thanks for reading this review! For more drama musings, be sure to stop by my blog.
 
 

3 Comments

  1. Sunny

    January 26, 2018 8:16 PM
  2. AndreaK

    January 30, 2018 2:26 AM
  3. Unknown

    April 6, 2018 10:23 PM

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