Fang Yi (simplified: 方怡, traditional: 方怡, pinyin: Fāng Yí, jyutping: fong1 ji4) is one of Wei Xiaobao’s seven wives in The Deer and the Cauldron. She is a member of the House of Prince Mu (沐王府 — Mù Wángfǔ) and a disciple of Liu Dahong (刘大洪). Unlike Shuanger, who remains consistently loyal, Fang Yi’s relationship with Wei Xiaobao is complex, marked by deception and conflicting loyalties.
Biography
Early encounters
Fang Yi first meets Wei Xiaobao when she participates in a plot with other members of the House of Prince Mu to assassinate Qing officials while disguised as followers of Wu Sangui (吴三桂), hoping to frame him for the crime. During this mission, Fang Yi is injured and is brought by her junior martial sister Mu Jianping (沐剑屏) to Wei Xiaobao’s quarters in the palace for treatment.
At this time, Fang Yi is involved with Liu Yizhou (刘一舟), who serves as her first love interest. However, when Liu Yizhou is captured by the authorities, Fang Yi believes that Wei Xiaobao is a eunuch and cannot marry, so she agrees to marry him in exchange for his help in rescuing her lover.
Involvement with the Mystic Dragon Order
After being rescued from the palace, Fang Yi and the others find themselves captured by the Mystic Dragon Order (神龙教 — Shénlóng Jiào). The Order’s members are controlled through a poison called “Leopard Fetus Easy Tendon Pill” (豹胎易筋丸 — Bàotāi Yìjīn Wán), which requires regular antidotes to prevent painful death.
Under the influence of this poison, Fang Yi is forced to betray Wei Xiaobao multiple times, leading him into traps set by the Mystic Dragon Order. Despite her previous promise to marry him, she uses seduction and deception to manipulate him, nearly causing his death on several occasions.
These betrayals create a complex dynamic between Fang Yi and Wei Xiaobao, characterized by mistrust and conflicting emotions. Even after the truth about her situation is revealed and they reconcile, the relationship remains complicated.
Later relationship with Wei Xiaobao
Fang Yi eventually becomes one of Wei Xiaobao’s wives, but their relationship is far from harmonious. Wei Xiaobao himself reflects that if he were to commit suicide, Fang Yi would likely “cheat at dice” to avoid joining him—unlike Shuanger, who would definitely accompany him.
This assessment reflects the fundamental difference between Fang Yi and Shuanger: while Shuanger is unconditionally loyal, Fang Yi’s loyalty is conditional and often compromised by external pressures or her own self-interest.
Personality and traits
Fang Yi is characterized by her cunning, resourcefulness, and pragmatic approach to survival. She is intelligent and capable, but her actions are often motivated by necessity rather than genuine affection or loyalty. Her relationship with Wei Xiaobao is marked by:
- Deception: She repeatedly betrays Wei Xiaobao under duress from the Mystic Dragon Order
- Pragmatism: She makes choices based on survival and immediate needs rather than long-term loyalty
- Complexity: Her feelings toward Wei Xiaobao are ambivalent—she is neither fully devoted like Shuanger nor completely hostile
Fang Yi’s character illustrates the difficult choices faced by those caught between competing loyalties and external pressures. Her actions, while often self-serving, are understandable given the life-threatening circumstances she faces.
Significance
Fang Yi serves as a contrast to Shuanger, highlighting different approaches to loyalty and survival. While Shuanger represents ideal devotion, Fang Yi represents the more realistic complexities of human relationships under duress.
Her character also demonstrates how external pressures—such as the Mystic Dragon Order’s poison—can force people to act against their better judgment, adding depth to the novel’s exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and the difficult choices people must make to survive.
Fang Yi’s relationship with Wei Xiaobao reflects the novel’s broader themes of trust, deception, and the gray areas of human behavior, where people are neither purely good nor purely evil but are shaped by their circumstances and choices.