Li Ya in "Latent", his complex identity and tortuous experience always make people feel emotional. But you may not know that the role of Li Ya is not imaginary, his prototype is actually more real and moving.
In the era of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, spies and spies seemed to be the standard of that era. Li Ya's name in "Latent" has made countless viewers remember the image of a calm, witty agent with a deep background. His true identity is based on the synthesis of two historical figures, Shen Zhiyue and Li Juncai.
Shen Zhiyue's name is almost unknown in the dust of history. He was originally an ordinary member of the Kuomintang, but later because of his special mission, he infiltrated Yan'an, the heartland of the Communist Party, and assumed the pseudonym Li Guodong. The name "Li Ya" in the TV series is a product of the clever combination of Shen Zhiyue's pseudonym and original name. Another prototype of Li Ya, Li Juncai, is a more complex character. After Wu Jingzhong fled Tianjin, he took over the post of station chief and really planned the "Yellow Bird Project", setting up four special teams, each equipped with radio stations and weapons. However, as Wu Jingzhong predicted, the "Yellow Bird Project" ultimately did not succeed, and Li Juncai and his team members were eventually arrested. is different from the fiction of the TV series, Li Juncai finally chose to surrender.
The spy's life did not end in prison, as he was pardoned in 1966 and became the vice-principal of the Xi'an Caotan Farm Workers' School in the years that followed. He once said that he was engaged in espionage, not for fame, but in the hope that the children would have a better future. This unexpected ideal of life added a little warmth to him.
In "Latent", Li Ya's setting is more dramatic. Dai Li's order made him a lurker who was difficult to detect. Even if the identity is revealed, it will not be punished too severely. He did not carry out a single assassination or sabotage mission, but went into hiding as an elementary school teacher. Li Ya's secret identity and activities in Yan'an were gradually revealed by the character of Zuo Lan. Zuo Lan seemed to be an archivist, telling Li Ya's past in detail: he was a student of the Qingpu Special Training Class of the Military Commander, participated in the battle of Jin Shanwei, and was deeply used by the head teacher Yu Lexing. In 1941, through Yu Lexing's introduction, Li Ya was introduced to Wu Jingzhong, and then went to Chongqing to start his complicated latent career.
In 1944, Li Ya's successful arrival in Yan'an from Tianjin played a crucial turning point in his fate. In Yan'an, he not only has to hide his true identity, but also has to find a way to survive in a hostile environment. Although the image of Li Ya in the TV series is highly dramatic, what is reflected behind it is the real and cruel survival status of the agents of that era.
Let's go back to Li Ya's two archetypes. Shen Zhiyue and Li Juncai, although they are slightly small in the long river of history, their choices and sacrifices are the epitome of countless people in that turbulent era. Especially Li Juncai, the difference between his ultimate destination and his former beliefs has left us with deep thoughts: when a spy takes off that mysterious coat, how different is his inner world from ordinary people?
These agents are not just a simple record of espionage operations, they touch the deeper layers of human nature. Whether it is Shen Zhiyue or Li Juncai, their life choices can't help but make people reflect on whether everyone's choices and sacrifices in an extreme environment are passive obedience or active choices?
Li Ya shows us that whether it is the Kuomintang or the Communist Party, the characters of each era cannot be simply defined by the labels of "heroes" or "traitors". Every step of their action is full of complex personal reasons and constraints of the background of the times. Such a historical viewpoint is more in line with modern people's understanding of the complexity of history.
By exploring the historical prototype of Li Ya's character in the TV series "Latent", we not only relive that period of changing history, but also have a deeper understanding and respect for those characters who are unknown behind history. They are not only narratives about war and espionage, but also profound reflections on human nature, choice and sacrifice. Although the history is far away, the stories and emotions are always alive, which may be the reason why we still need to look back to the past today.