#Author: Ling Luo Cheng Ni

[joys-of-everyday]

MXTX and Class

I thought about how to do this for a while and got stuck. So instead of writing anything, I'm just going to list potentially interesting topics and think about it later.

Shen Jiu and Ling Wen: the distant dreams of meritocracy. The pitfalls of supposed meritocracy. The importance of education and why those who rise to the top tend to shed their origins.

Luo Binghe: poverty and trauma. The lasting impacts of Luo Binghe's childhood on his mental health and the Problems that caused. Bonus: What that says about Shang Qinghua.

On 'Prominent Households' in Chinese history. What were they exactly? Reflecting on the Lius, Qius, Mings, Wens, Jins, Jiangs, Lans, Nies, etc. of MXTX's worlds.

Jin Guangyao: of courtesans, murder, and the nuances of class. Comparisons with Wu Zetian, courtesans in the Tang dynasty, and the nuances around people who exist outside the usual class buckets.

Wei Wuxian, and Mu Qing: the different flavours of gentry adjacent. So what was WWX's position actually ? Retainers 家臣, servants 家仆, and their position in society. Bonus: Feng Xin, Wen Zhuliu and how they fit into this.

Qiu Jianluo, the Little Palace Mistress, and Wen Chao: subtle notes of the spoilt rich brat. What makes the 'insufferable rich' so insufferable. (And what changed with Qi Rong.)

The Old Palace Master, Wen Ruohan, and Jin Guangshan: big daddy. Of power, exploitation, and manipulation. Comparisons to the above point.

Gongyi Xiao, Lan Wangji, and Lan Sizhui: look the rich can be good too. On benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity. Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and the ideal of a 'gentleman'.

Yu Ziyuan, Wang Lingjiao, and Xuan Ji: intersections of class and gender. Positions and powers of women in Chinese history.

Xue Yang: morality, class, and salvation in unlikely places. ‘The good person can reach the Pure Land, so of course the evil person can as well’ said some Buddhist dude. What even is Xue Yang's character arc actually.

Xie Lian: morality, class, and virtues of saving one person. How worldviews change with hardship. On 'big virtues 大德', 'small virtues 少德' and the self-importance of the elite.

Jun Wu and Xie Lian: so are the common people unworthy? The hundred people in the temple, the importance of the random people on the street, and why class buckets can be unhelpful.

Mu Qing, Hua Cheng, and the tale of the Street Performer. Why the poor fight each other and the middle class turn on the poor. (maybe someone upstairs is fanning the flames)

Lang Ying: vive la revolution Comparisons with the Hongwu Emperor. Social unrest, revolutions, and why things go back to how they were before (but not completely). (edit: oops. fixed a mistake)

Ghost city vs Heavenly Court: on virtue signaling The disorder of the Ghost city vs the corruption of the Heavenly Court. Ghost city as a 'safe space' for those running from authority and Hua Cheng's thing about going after 'tyrants'.

#mxtx meta #svsss #mdzs #tgcf