LayarHijau – Actor Yang Xuwen has drawn public attention once again after his latest drama, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3: To Chang’an (长安诡事录3：前往长安), achieved remarkable success on iQiyi. Within less than three days of its release, the series surpassed 10,000 views and became iQiyi’s fifth title this year to reach that milestone.
Yang shared the news on his Weibo account, writing, “Work paused to celebrate Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3: To Chang’an surpassing 10,000 views! It seems to have become popular out of nowhere. Viewers really have sharp eyes — do you think this show is good or not?”
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The actor, best known for his role as Ling Feng, also added that mystery and case-solving dramas still have loyal audiences. “Long-form dramas never truly die; good dramas will always be rewarded by the market and by viewers,” he wrote.
Many Weibo users congratulated him and praised his performance. One netizen commented, “Yang Xuwen’s portrayal of Ling Feng is absolutely amazing! He completely becomes the character. The Tang Dynasty Ghost Stories series would lose its soul without him. He has such a dignified, commanding presence — the casting couldn’t be better!”
However, some users also brought up old rumors involving the actor’s past controversies. One comment read, “If I remember correctly, wasn’t this person involved in a major scandal?”
Another user mentioned other celebrities previously arrested in China’s entertainment industry, writing, “Before, Li and Wu were arrested and had huge fanbases, but now they’ve vanished. As for Yang Xuwen, I barely remember him. Someone with that little influence, who was rumored to be involved in a scandal, can still appear in a big drama like Tang Guifei and even trend online? I don’t think he has powerful enough connections. So for now, I believe he’s innocent.”
Yang Xuwen’s name was previously linked to the death of actress Ren Jiao in 2017. Ren was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Suzhou, and CCTV footage reportedly showed the two were at the same location the night before the incident. Police later ruled her death an accident, caused by a fall while intoxicated. Although Yang Xuwen was not found guilty of any wrongdoing, speculation about his relationship with Ren Jiao affected his image at the time.
More recently, Yang Xuwen’s name resurfaced in discussions surrounding actor Yu Menglong’s death in 2025. Several social media posts claimed he was allegedly present at a private dinner that Yu attended before the tragedy. However, no evidence has confirmed his attendance, and authorities later stated that Yu Menglong’s death did not involve criminal activity.
Despite the resurfaced rumors, most comments under Yang’s post still focused on his acting and the drama’s success. Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3: To Chang’an continues the series’ trademark formula — a blend of mystery, history, and supernatural elements set in the Tang Dynasty.
On the other hand, only a handful of Weibo users dare to openly discuss Yang Xuwen’s possible connection to Ren Jiao’s case. The Chinese government has reportedly tightened censorship on online discussions related to Yu Menglong’s mysterious death and anyone allegedly associated with it. This has made most users cautious when commenting. Even the two comments mentioned earlier avoided naming Ren Jiao directly, as if hinting that the topic remains too sensitive to touch in China’s online sphere. It’s also possible that the comments weren’t referring to Ren Jiao at all, but to Yu Menglong — or perhaps both.
