In the intricate tapestry of Wuxia (武侠) dramas, characters often wear masks that hide their true nature. The series Generation to Generation (江湖夜雨十年灯) introduces viewers to a web of love, betrayal, and calculated revenge. While the male lead, Qi Yunke (戚云柯), appears to be a tragic figure consumed by madness and nostalgia, a closer look reveals that the true architect of the entire story's conflict is a woman who has been dead from the start.
Cai Pingshu (蔡平殊) is not just a memory that haunts the living; she is the ultimate chess player, a master strategist whose plans were set in motion long before the series' present timeline. Her influence dictates every major character's actions, making her the hidden, yet most powerful, force in the entire narrative.
The Heart of the Battlefield: A Master Strategist
Cai Pingshu was far more than a beautiful face in the martial arts world. She was a female martial arts fanatic whose true weapon was not just her exceptional skill, but her profound understanding of human nature. She saw people's hearts and desires as a battlefield, and she was undefeated in this arena. This is evident in her final days, when, severely injured and nearing death, she took the time to mentor Cai Zhao (蔡昭). She taught her young charge to see through the illusions of the Jianghu (江湖), to detach from fleeting emotions and focus on the bigger picture. This lesson was not about passivity; it was about control. She was passing on her legacy of psychological manipulation, ensuring her perspective would survive long after she was gone.
It is this unique ability to "take the human heart as a battlefield" that makes her so formidable. She understood that direct confrontation is often less effective than planting seeds of thought that will grow and bear fruit years later. Her influence over Qi Yunke is the clearest example of this. He was a deeply infatuated admirer, a man whose love for her bordered on obsession.
Cai Pingshu recognized this devotion not as a romantic connection, but as a tool. She knew that by becoming the unattainable, tragic love of his life, she could bend his will long after her death. He became, in her grand design, a mere instrument—a powerful one, but an instrument nonetheless—to be wielded from beyond the grave.
A Love Story and a Calculated Fall
In her youth, Cai Pingshu was a dazzling figure—stunningly beautiful, cheerful, and highly skilled, attracting many suitors. Among them were the twin brothers Mu Zhengming (幕正明) and Mu Zhengyang (幕正扬) of the Li Sect, and the unremarkable Qi Yunke. Where her heart truly lay was with the one who ignited her passion.
She was drawn to appearances and fell instantly for Mu Zhengyang. Their mutual affection grew through shared experiences, painting a picture of a genuine romance. However, this love story was set against a turbulent backdrop of sect rivalries and personal ambitions. Mu Zhengyang was consumed by his desire to reclaim his family's legacy from the villainous Nie Zhe (聂喆), a quest that led to his imprisonment by his own brother in the Nine Provinces Treasure Scroll.
The situation spiraled out of control when Nie Hengcheng (聂恒城), seizing the Mu family's moment of weakness, slandered them as a demonic cult, leading to the deaths of many righteous warriors. Believing Mu Zhengyang had succumbed to evil practices and lost his mind, Cai Pingshu made a devastating choice. She killed him herself. In the aftermath, she told his brother, Mu Zhengming, that Mu Zhengyang’s only true wish was for a peaceful Jianghu.
This single act and its explanation transformed the Mu family's perception of her. They moved from seeing her as their brother's lover to understanding her as someone capable of making the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good, solidifying her reputation as a complex and decisive figure.
The Ultimate Gambit: Molding a Puppet Master
Qi Yunke was a man of principle, slow to act but with a meticulous and ambitious mind. Though not initially the strongest, he had the potential for greatness, given time. Cai Pingshu, however, was unwilling to wait. She recognized his latent talent and his burning desire for recognition, and she used the oldest trick in the book: a calculated seduction.
By offering him shortcuts to martial arts mastery and showering him with praise, she appealed to his ego and ambition. At the time, he was overshadowed in the Qingque (青阙) Sect by Qiu Renjie (邱人杰), who was beloved by everyone and destined to be the next leader. Cai Pingshu devised a plan to elevate Qi Yunke, orchestrating events so that he, and not Qiu Renjie, would slay the villain Nie Hengcheng and claim the glory.
Her machinations didn't stop there. She understood Qi Yunke's veneration for the sect leader's wife, Yin Sulian (尹素莲), whom he saw as an untouchable fairy. Cai Pingshu manipulated this dynamic, creating opportunities for him to surpass Yin Sulian in martial arts. Simultaneously, she learned of Yin Sulian's desire to hold the title of "First Lady" of the sect.
By subtly influencing events, she ensured that Yin Sulian would push for Qi Yunke to be named the next sect leader, which also secured Yin Sulian's position as his wife. Cai Pingshu had successfully placed her chosen pawn at the very top of the martial arts world. Shortly after their marriage, Cai Pingshu died, leaving behind a legacy of "grievances" for Qi Yunke to discover, ensuring his loyalty to her memory and his hatred for her enemies was forever stoked.
With status and power, the emotionally unfulfilled Qi Yunke became a perfect vessel for Cai Pingshu's vengeance. His marriage to Yin Sulian was loveless, and his obsessive personality fixated on the woman he lost. Cai Pingshu had predicted this perfectly. She calculated that he would dedicate his life to avenging the wrongs done to her, using his authority to dismantle the hypocritical factions that had opposed her.
The arrival of Cai Zhao, a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Cai Pingshu, was the final piece of the plan. She was the living embodiment of Cai Pingshu's will, constantly reminding Qi Yunke of his purpose. Under this influence, he systematically destroyed the enemies of the Mu family and even nurtured the next generation, like Mu Qingyan (幕清宴), to carry on the legacy. Cai Pingshu, though gone, ensured her vision of a reshaped Jianghu was not just a dream, but an inevitability. She was both its guardian and its most effective saboteur.
