#accurate it is I can't find anything on baidu at least about her not dying and anything online just connects her dying with the lotus

[the-monkey-ruler]

We know that Erlang saved his mother and reunited with her. However, in other versions, he fails and his mother dies. At what point did this version of the story become known or what are the first versions where Erlang fails to save her?

Well, it is kinda a complicated answer.

Elang has the famous story of him carrying the mountain and chasing the sun which came around the Song Dynasty around 960-1279. The story actually doesn't start with Erlang saving his mother, until the Ming dynasty 1368 - 1644 that which was connected to saving his mother. It was Erlang Baojuan where it brought up the tale of Erlang Shen splitting the mountain to save his mother, which was connected to the existing tale of Erlang chasing the suns. But in this tale his mother was actually attacked by Sun Wukong and that is why she was under the mountain and in this version, Erlang Shen is the one to put Wukong under a mountain in revenge. This could be where Erlang's mother being injured from being under the mountain comes from.

"Erlang Baojuan" tells a complete story: Yunhua, the mother of Erlang Shen, was pinned down by the monkey pilgrim at the foot of Mount Tai. Erlang Shen received the advice of the Queen Mother and carried the mountain to chase the sun in order to save his mother. He then split the mountain to rescue his mother, but her mother did not wake up. Erlang Shen also collected medicines and made elixirs, and boiled elixirs and holy water for his mother to take. Only then did his mother wake up and mother and son reunited. In order to avenge his mother, he pinned the pilgrim under Mount Tai." -baidu page

So this is more drama in another version, even if it doesn't work chronologically speaking with the Wu Cheng'en's Xiyouji canon but honestly speaking I think that there is just so many versions where Erlang's mother doesn't survive because of the 宝莲灯前传 Lotus Lantern Prequel that slightly changed this story as well. This show has it that Erlang does save his mother in the end, however, the Jade Emperor sends his ten sons to kill her, which they do. Erlang in his anger shoots down nine of the ten suns, connecting to his chasing the suns legend, but is stopped before he can kill them all. So kinda that Erlang killed his cousins to avenge his mother.

I could be wrong and this is also another version that I just cannot find out written anywhere before Lotus Lantern Prequal but if I'm wrong please someone correct me. Otherwise, the best I can say is that Erlang's mother dying is just more of a popular headcanon in the community (similar to Bailong being called Ao Lie) that other directors and producers have taken up on in other pieces of media.