diff --git a/python/taichi/lang/matrix.py b/python/taichi/lang/matrix.py
index c8aacb621bf6e..d94d4e8129df3 100644
--- a/python/taichi/lang/matrix.py
+++ b/python/taichi/lang/matrix.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import copy
 import numbers
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@
 from taichi.lang.enums import Layout
 from taichi.lang.exception import TaichiSyntaxError
 from taichi.lang.field import Field, ScalarField, SNodeHostAccess
-from taichi.lang.ops import cast
 from taichi.lang.types import CompoundType
 from taichi.lang.util import (cook_dtype, in_python_scope, python_scope,
                               taichi_scope, to_numpy_type, to_pytorch_type)
@@ -356,16 +354,8 @@ def w(self, value):
     @property
     @python_scope
     def value(self):
-        if isinstance(self.entries[0], SNodeHostAccess):
-            # fetch values from SNodeHostAccessor
-            ret = self.empty_copy()
-            for i in range(self.n):
-                for j in range(self.m):
-                    ret.entries[i * self.m + j] = self(i, j)
-        else:
-            # is local python-scope matrix
-            ret = self.entries
-        return ret
+        return Matrix([[self(i, j) for j in range(self.m)]
+                       for i in range(self.n)])
 
     # host access & python scope operation
     @python_scope
@@ -420,14 +410,6 @@ def set_entries(self, value):
             for j in range(self.m):
                 self[i, j] = value[i][j]
 
-    def empty_copy(self):
-        return Matrix.empty(self.n, self.m)
-
-    def copy(self):
-        ret = self.empty_copy()
-        ret.entries = copy.copy(self.entries)
-        return ret
-
     @taichi_scope
     def cast(self, dtype):
         """Cast the matrix element data type.
@@ -440,10 +422,9 @@ def cast(self, dtype):
 
         """
         _taichi_skip_traceback = 1
-        ret = self.copy()
-        for i, entry in enumerate(ret.entries):
-            ret.entries[i] = ops_mod.cast(entry, dtype)
-        return ret
+        return Matrix(
+            [[ops_mod.cast(self(i, j), dtype) for j in range(self.m)]
+             for i in range(self.n)])
 
     def trace(self):
         """The sum of a matrix diagonal elements.
@@ -1352,8 +1333,7 @@ def cast(self, mat):
                 int(mat(i, j)) if self.dtype in ti.integer_types else float(
                     mat(i, j)) for j in range(self.m)
             ] for i in range(self.n)])
-        return Matrix([[cast(mat(i, j), self.dtype) for j in range(self.m)]
-                       for i in range(self.n)])
+        return mat.cast(self.dtype)
 
     def filled_with_scalar(self, value):
         return Matrix([[value for _ in range(self.m)] for _ in range(self.n)])
diff --git a/python/taichi/lang/ops.py b/python/taichi/lang/ops.py
index 1d4176e0858fc..aa4ee600c8faa 100644
--- a/python/taichi/lang/ops.py
+++ b/python/taichi/lang/ops.py
@@ -919,13 +919,13 @@ def rescale_index(a, b, I):
         assert isinstance(
             I, matrix.Matrix
         ), f"The third argument must be an index (list or ti.Vector)"
-    Ib = I.copy()
+    entries = [I(i) for i in range(I.n)]
     for n in range(min(I.n, min(len(a.shape), len(b.shape)))):
         if a.shape[n] > b.shape[n]:
-            Ib.entries[n] = I.entries[n] // (a.shape[n] // b.shape[n])
+            entries[n] = I(n) // (a.shape[n] // b.shape[n])
         if a.shape[n] < b.shape[n]:
-            Ib.entries[n] = I.entries[n] * (b.shape[n] // a.shape[n])
-    return Ib
+            entries[n] = I(n) * (b.shape[n] // a.shape[n])
+    return matrix.Vector(entries)
 
 
 def get_addr(f, indices):
diff --git a/python/taichi/lang/struct.py b/python/taichi/lang/struct.py
index 69eddf5a46aa5..f9dac3f2d30a5 100644
--- a/python/taichi/lang/struct.py
+++ b/python/taichi/lang/struct.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import copy
 import numbers
 
 from taichi.lang import expr, impl
@@ -186,21 +185,6 @@ def assign_renamed(x, y):
 
         return self.element_wise_writeback_binary(assign_renamed, val)
 
-    def empty_copy(self):
-        """
-        Nested structs and matrices need to be recursively handled.
-        """
-        struct = Struct.empty(self.keys)
-        for k, v in self.items:
-            if isinstance(v, (Struct, Matrix)):
-                struct.entries[k] = v.empty_copy()
-        return struct
-
-    def copy(self):
-        ret = self.empty_copy()
-        ret.entries = copy.copy(self.entries)
-        return ret
-
     def __len__(self):
         """Get the number of entries in a custom struct"""
         return len(self.entries)
diff --git a/taichi/ir/frontend_ir.h b/taichi/ir/frontend_ir.h
index fcf6883c92a26..b686bcc8d0f8d 100644
--- a/taichi/ir/frontend_ir.h
+++ b/taichi/ir/frontend_ir.h
@@ -584,7 +584,10 @@ class RangeAssumptionExpression : public Expression {
                             const Expr &base,
                             int low,
                             int high)
-      : input(input), base(base), low(low), high(high) {
+      : input(load_if_ptr(input)),
+        base(load_if_ptr(base)),
+        low(low),
+        high(high) {
   }
 
   void type_check() override;