#and look at fangxu
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Review: 将进酒 Qiang Jin Jiu by 唐酒卿 Tang Jiuqing
My second Tang Jiuqing novel and honestly, I didn't expect to discover such a masterpiece out of the blue.
This is honestly the best danmei I've read so far and currently on top of my favorite list!
Note(s):
(Very) long post ahead
May contains spoiler
This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience
Summary:
During the reign of Emperor Xiande, the nation of Da Zhou came under attack from their mortal enemy, the Biansha Tribes. The Prince of Jianxing, Shen Wei, retreated his troops as the enemy advanced, causing the total destruction and massacre of the entire prefecture of Zhongbo. Shen Wei was thus deemed a coward and a traitor of the nation suspected of colluding with the Biansha Tribes, yet he immolated himself and his entire family perished, save for his estranged eight son of common born, Shen Zechuan.
Now carrying the burden of his father's sin on his shoulders, young Shen Zechuan was dragged to the capital city of Qudu to face a death sentence. A political twist taking place among those in power allowed Shen Zechuan to narrowly escape death, only to receive a near lethal kick that crippled his health for life from a young wolf from Libei, Xiao Chiye.
Xiao Chiye was the youngest son of Libei's "King of Wolves," Xiao Fangxu, a famed general who had defended Da Zhou's northeast border from Biansha attacks for many years. His eldest brother was one of the heroes who halted the Biansha Tribes from advancing further into Qudu following Shen Wei's retreat, thus rising the Xiao clan's fame and reputation.
However, it was exactly for this reason that the power-thirsty noble clans in Qudu feared that the Xiao clan's influence would grow beyond control. Thus, they conspired to force the Xiao clan to leave their second young master in Qudu in guise of bestowing upon him a great position in the capital, when in truth, he was being taken prisoner as a warning to the Xiao clan.
The son of an irredeemable criminal and a free soul who was trapped far away from home, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye both found themselves "imprisoned" with no way to escape. They saw each other as a mortal enemy, but that hostility was also the string that drew them toward each other.
Five years later, political arrangements brought the two young men to meet each other again, who were now determined to stand their ground, each with their own reason. Unbeknownst to them, this meeting would not only change the course of their relationship but also unravel the darkest conspiracies that had been lying deep beneath the powerful country named Da Zhou.
STORY: 10/10
At a glance, Qiang Jin Jiu seemed to be a typical "fight for power" political drama added with war as the cherry on top. However, just a few chapters into the story and it proved to be so much more than that.
Qiang Jin Jiu is an epic historical fantasy with complicated and deep conspiracies enveloping everything like a spider web, combined with intense confrontations against a powerful foreign enemy who is actually not at all "foreign."
282 chapters might seem daunting at first, but it was in fact the perfect length to reach the ultimate resolution that would overturn the whole nation after going through countless unexpected twists and revelations along the way. It invites the readers to think and pay close attention to even the smallest detail, as the cleverly planned foreshadowing would turn into surprises after surprises as the story unfolds.
This was further embellished with absolutely epic and cinematic battle scenes that were so intense it would keep you gripping the edge of your seat the entire time. It was so visually vivid that one could almost see and hear how their blades were clashing, how people and horses were trampling on the battle ground as they slaughter one another.
The main characters' journey from being a pair of helpless youths being looked down upon into an unstoppable force that would change the fate of the whole nation was written in such a way that it could be fierce, suspenseful, bittersweet, fun, full of anguish, and invigorating—all combined into one grand saga worth to follow until the very end.
In addition, it contains a heart-wrenching but sweet and complex romance not only between the two main characters, but also several other supporting roles. Some got their happy ending, some did not. It was the kind of story that would give full satisfaction and a sense of regret at the same time to the readers once we reach the last page.
CHARACTER: 10/10
One must really appreciate the author for successfully creating a complex story with so many intersecting characters, yet still managed to put everything in a neat line, leaving all the mysteries and truth to be unraveled one by one.
Everyone, and by this I really mean EVERYONE, has proportional roles and sufficient time under the spotlight to fill that role. In many other stories of similar genres, most of the time we can pay less attention to the majority of the side characters as they usually served as cannon fodders. But that was not the case in Qiang Jin Jiu since even a seemingly insignificant minor character who died in the early chapter might end up being the key to answer the biggest mystery.
Granted, it might be hard to remember each and every single character who'd appeared, especially to readers who aren't familiar with Chinese names. But give it a bit more time and you'd realize all of these characters are given enough opportunity to showcase themselves, so that you would still recall who they were when they appeared again much later in the story.
When it comes to the two main characters, Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye, their "mortal enemies to devoted lovers" dynamic was an absolute delight to follow. They were the kind of couple who complemented each other; they would become strong with the other's presence and crumble without it. They held fierce hostilities at each other in the beginning, yet ended up being unable to live without one another.
Naturally, there were lots of romance (and sexy times). But it was not to the point of being too "over the top" and disturbed the mood/feels of the story. Personally-speaking, I feel that the moment Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan were able to spend time together with all their antics and passionate desire was like a moment of respite to take a breather after going through an intense story arc. It was hard not to cheer for them and at the same time feeling worried if one of them seemed to be about to fall into big trouble.
Another plus point of Qiang Jin Jiu's characterization is that everyone has a clear motive to do what they do, be it the protagonist and his allies or the antagonists whom they were fighting along the way. This is not to say that there are no unlikable character, but it just means that even the despicable villains have their own reason that can make us go "Oh, so that's why they commit a crime."
TECHNICAL ASPECT: 10/10
A slapping opening that will get you hooked at once.
Perfect pacing, sufficient information and explanation about the complex matters without being redundant.
Impeccable narration, character interactions, mood building, and visualization.
Well-written romance, including the building of sexual tension.
Well-planned foreshadowing and hints that could make you gasp once you realized that a not-so-important thing that took place in Chapter 10 turned out to be a major turning point in Chapter 100++.
In short, I can't find any flaw in it.
OVERAL SCORE: 10/10
As I put down the book after finishing the last chapter, I felt exhausted. But it was a good kind of exhaustion a.k.a. that total satisfaction when you finished a story so good you are still overwhelmed in it and not sure what to do now that it's over. There's even some feelings of wanting more, and wanting to re-read it again to experience the whole epic saga a second time after understanding all the mysteries.
The major and minor characters are well-developed and placed. The supporting character truly supports the major characters without being overshadowed that we can sometimes laugh and weep because of them.
I usually avoid rating anything with a "10-out-of-10" because I believe nothing is perfect. But I really can't find any fault with Qiang Jin Jiu, no matter how hard I tried to scrutinize it.
It was intense, it was suspenseful, it was funny, it was full of love, it also has bittersweet aspects that left you with some regret, but it was part of a big great story.
I can't wait to find some spare time to read this whole book one more time. <3
#Danmei#Review#Qiang Jin Jiu#QJJ#Tang Jiuqing#Shen Zechuan#Shen Lanzhou#Xiao Chiye#Xiao Cean#CeZhou#将进酒#唐酒卿
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I have read Qiang Jin Jiu and honestly think I'll never recover
(Spoilers ahead!)
Oh god, where to start this? Maybe I should start with the very begging: I didn't understood shit. I just saw a kid being tortured and lots of information. When I felt it was too much, I went after the translated map and OMG that was so helpful! Bless the translators for that. After looking carefully at the map, things started to make sense.
As the story went, before the end of book one I was not very familiar with all the characters. I kept mistaking Hai Liangyi for Hua Siqian lol. But during my reading I started to take some notes and was never confused again. The thing is, this book has A LOT of characters and some of them are introduced early but only become major players later (Yao Wenyu, Hua Xiangyi...)
Even though this huge ensemble would make characters easy to forget, this doesn't happen. The author managed to create likeable and rememberable characters pretty easily??? I fell in love with many of them at first read, even if they didn't show up a lot. And there were characters that got me completely off guard, I wasn't expecting them to be so cool and relevant, BUT THEY WERE (Fei Sheng, Kong Liu)! And the antagonists were also brilliant, I love a good story where everyone has a point and no one is actually evil: People from Biansha had their truths and in a war there are no right sides, Xue Xiuzhuo wanted the best for Dazhou (even though I can't forgive what the did to my baby Yuanzhuo), and Li Jianting??? WHAT A LEGEND! Also, Feng Quan plot twist left me speechless, what an interesting character. Every character was very human (in the good and bad way), everyone had their own goals and beliefs. I actually might do a second post screaming about every character because I have a lot to say about them. (hello hasen my love)
The Plot??? Perfectly done. AND WELL EXPLAINED! I was always a little afraid of reading novels with a lot of politics, but I really dug this one. The problems with grains, provisions, registry, army and BRO THERE WAS EVEN SOME AGRARIAN REFORM SHIT
The way this author write the MOST well written battles I have read, without using any magic... it's just... I never thought I would be so enthusiastic about cannons, rocks and GRAINS.
The conflicts in Zhongbo could be all repetitive, but they weren't at all. Each prefecture that Lanzhou took back had a interesting story.
The war with Biansha was also brilliantly written. The way Amu'er was attacking Dazhou from the inside out and the scorpions with those hammers??? My man was a genius. Sadly, he could never have predicted Bai Cha and her son.
Talking about that, the family relationships are a great point in this. Seeing flashbacks about Lanzhou, Ji Mu, Ji Gang and Hua Pinging made me CRY! They were so happy... And seeing Xiao Chiye with his brother and HIS DAD LIKE... Xiao Fangxu and Ji Gang best daddies. Fei Sheng and Yin Chang too, what a beautiful chapter the one that they talk after Fei Sheng has a fight with Qiao Tianya.
Talking about Qiao Tianya, it was refreshing to see a novel with more LGBT characters. The secondary pairings were great, they didn't steal the spotlight from cezhou, but were very enjoyable (even though THAT happened between Songyu). I just wished we could have seen more Qihua moments and OH GOD KONG LIU AND LUO MU??? That got me truly off guard, wasn't expecting at all. Also, I found really interesting how Lanzhou basically got a LGBT parade following him at the end, that was truly the gayest empire ever. I have so many headcanons here, let me scream them: Xue Xiuzhuo is AroAce, Li Jianting is a non-binary legend and Huo Lingyun a Bi King. Also, Fei Sheng is not straight. Said it.
The little animals in this??? I WAS TERRIFIED WHEN LANG TAO XUE JIN FELL IN THAT HOLE YALL I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA DIE. But luckily he didn't. Meng, Hunu, Feng Shuang Ta Yi were all the cutest, I need more novels with cats.
THE CHILDREN - Ding Tao, Li Xiong, Xiao Xun and Jiran. They served chaos, humor and cuteness. I really liked whenever they showed up.
THE LADIESSS - If you have read my other posts you know I love some powerful women. This story did not disappoint me in that sense. Hua Hewei had some despicable acts, but she really got everyone on her hands despite never leaving the inner palace, good for her. Hua Xiangyi is a way better version of her aunt, my girl was smart and cared for the people, an amazing woman. QI ZHUYINNN owns my life, I really adored the fact that she was a badass and that she never hated the fact she was born a girl, slay. Bai Cha was really out there helping women that were sold and their children, that is some real sorority there. Lu Yizhi was so kind, loved seeing her interactions with Lanzhou. Li Jianting was everything, her story was one of the saddest and yet she was doing her best to become a ruler. Duo Er'lan was amazingly brave, even more than Hasen, mad respect for her.
And last, but definitely not least, there is cezhou. I have no words to explain how much I adored these two. The way both of them got their own development and had their own private goals and went after them, so good. They are so well written that I wanna scream. The chapters that are focused on Lanzhou's feelings are not big in number, even when he is the main character, his feelings are shown in discreet ways (the handkerchief!) and most of the time we don't know what he is plotting or thinking. But when we take a peek at what's going inside of his heart, it's... astonishing. And I love seeing how he actually cared for the side characters, even though he doesn't show a lot.
And Ce'an kind of caught me off guard, I thought he was going to be a totally different character but he went and delivered
Xiao Chiye was a perfect fit for Lanzhou and Lanzhou was a perfect fit for Xiao Chiye: they were both in similar situations where only them could understand each other's suffering, and after they leave Qudu we see how much of a match made in heaven they are (not just romantically, but strategically).
THE SEXUAL TENSION AT THE BEGINNING YALL... They were scheming/fighting and flirting at the same time. Iconic.
Read this, you won't regret it!
By the way, I started reading the story in December and finished by March, but I completely forgot to post this! College has been frying my brain these days.
Hopefully I will resume my Sha Po Lang reading and come back here to tell my opinions on the book. (Not sure when though.)
See ya!
#qiang jin jiu#qjj#将进酒#qjj spoilers#danmei#danmei recs#nana rambles about novels#bl novel#book review#novel review#novel recommendation
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great beauties of danmei
In most danmei novels, at least one partner from the main couple is one of the greatest beauties, or good-looking enough to be an actor or celebrity. I thought it would be fun to write about a few great beauties whose reputation for beauty have really left an impression on me.
(All artwork in this post are from the audiodramas.)
from historical danmei: Shen Zechuan from Qiang Jin Jiu
古风大美人：沈泽川 《将进酒》
李建恒魂不守舍地念着：“你可没跟我说过，他长这个模样……”
Li Jianheng mutters as if entranced, "You never told me, that he looks like this ..."
No one left an impression on me quite like Shen Zechuan, who has a smile worth more than thousand teals of gold, according to his boyfriend. Everyone who has ever met him can't help but praise his appearance, from seasoned playboy Li Jianheng to serious general Qi Zhuyin; even semi-reluctant future father-in-law Xiao Fangxu has to agree that he is stunning.
Shen Zechuan gets his looks from his late mother, who is also famed for her beauty. Even decades after her death, people remember her and can recognize her son based on the similarity. Their resemblance draws out old acquaintances to unveil her backstory, which becomes an important clue to the current plight facing our heroes. Literally advancing the plot with his beauty has seared Lanzhou's reputation into my mind.
from fantasy danmei: Pheonix aka Chu He from Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms
玄幻大美人：凤凰 aka 楚河 《提灯映桃花》
“你不录吗？”李湖一边咳血一边道，“你哥的法相被称作天道十大美景之一，很难得呢。”说着艰难的打开微信开始发朋友圈。
"Aren't you recording?" Li Hu says while coughing up blood. "Your brother's canonical form is known as one of the Ten Most Beautiful Sights in Heaven, it's a very rare treat." With great difficulty, she opens WeChat while she talks, and starts posting to her shared Moments.
Pheonix's admirers range from a Wisdom King in Heaven to the Demon Venerable in Hell. He is so beautiful that there is an entire affair every time he shows his true form in the human world, and he doesn't hesitate to use it to his advantage. One time he shows up in his true form to rile up an entire bar so he can slip a drugged drink to his (ex?) husband. Another time he shows his true form to humans hoping to win a bet, but the human is too stunned by his beauty and fainted.
Even his friends and coworkers rush to get photos of him. In one of those instances he is a literal baby phoenix, which is a incredible sight in of itself as well.
from modern danmei: Yan Mingxiu from Professional Body Double
现代大美人：晏明修 《职业替身》
陈英看周翔和蔡威都在看对面的广告，她也看了看，然后赞叹道：“怎么一个男孩子能长得这么好看呢，太好看了。”
Chen Ying sees that Zhou Xiang and Cai Wei are both looking at the ad across from them. She also takes a look, and exclaims, "How can a boy be this good-looking, far too beautiful."
Even after years of working alongside beautiful celebrities, Zhou Xiang is immediately drawn to Yan Mingxiu's good looks during their first meeting. Anytime anyone comments on his appearance, it's definitely an amazed compliment. In-universe, Yan Mingxiu becomes a famous actor who isn't very expressive or good at (or even enjoy) acting, which has led the fandom to conclude that he must have earned his fame by coasting on his extremely good looks.
The author herself has crowned Yan Mingxiu as the best-looking out of her 188 Club. If he can beat out Chinese-German mixed-race superstar pop singer Song Juhan (from Years of Intoxication), then his face must be something truly special.
bonus: most contested couple in danmei : Chu Mingyun vs Su Shiyu from Jun You Ji Fou
各有千秋：楚明允 vs 苏世誉 《君有疾否》
“楚爱卿虽也漂亮，但眉眼太妖冶艳丽，不是朕喜欢的那种。”
“Chu-aiqing is also beautiful, but his features are too provocative and glamorous, which is not the type I like."
Chu Mingyun's reputation for beauty is well-known in the Capital, inspiring even men to lust after him. People meeting him are often shocked that the famed general is beautiful like a woman. A visiting princess nicknames him "Beautiful Gege" right off the bat, and even Su Shiyu himself calls Chu Mingyun an extraordinary beauty.
However, when compared to Su Shiyu, there is definitely room for debate. The Emperor thinks Su Shiyu has the most beautiful face conceivable, but concedes that Chu Mingyun is also beautiful though his features are too flamboyant for his taste. (I will never not laugh at the conversation above in which he says this to CMY's face.) Noblewoman Lu Qinghe prefers Chu Mingyun, feeling that Su Shiyu's kind of beauty feels too distant and untouchable. I can only conclude they are both breathtaking but in very different ways.
#qiang jin jiu#qjj#Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms#Professional Body Double#jun you ji fou#pbd#tdyth#jyjf#将进酒#提灯映桃花#职业替身#君有疾否#danmei#danmei novels#danmei beauties#reading thoughts#for fun#my reading
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Enemies to Lovers: Cezhou's Defeats & Victories
Enemies to lovers. Such a popular trope, and such a well-used one in Qiang Jin Jiu. But, as I said here, the ultimate enemy Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye each face is not each other, nor is it the corrupt dynasty or the Biansha Tribe.
It’s themselves.
Shen Zechuan said leisurely, “I can just admire myself in the mirror; there’s no need for another person.”
“You still don’t know how to have fun.” Xiao Chiye said. “How can self-admiration be as delightful as being admired by me? Both of us have to be reflected in the mirror for it to be aesthetically rousing.”
With glistening eyes rippling with desires, Shen Zechuan asked, “So what’s considered aesthetically rousing?”
“Seeing is believing.” Xiao Chiye checked Shen Zechuan’s temperature. “Try it with me one of these days, and you’ll find out.”
Shen Zechuan is wrong in this passage. He needs to see others around him--especially, of course, Xiao Chiye. Xiao Chiye, too, needs to have Shen Zechuan there to not just be fully alive, but to be fully himself. This begins even before the novel proper begins: Shen Zechuan was saved from the Chashi Sinkhole by his elder martial brother, Ji Mu, and was then immediately captured by Xiao Jiming, the elder brother of his future other-half. What Shen Zechuan lacks, he finds in Xiao Chiye, and vice versa.
What does it mean to lose yourself, and what does it mean to find yourself? Well, let’s look at Cezhou’s losses and victories, shall we? Specifically, their first major military losses operating on their own: to Huo Lingyun and to Hasen, and then their final military victories on their own: over Qudu and over Hasen.
Defeat: Huo Lingyun and Hasen 1.0
Both Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye experience a defeat at their first conflict with Huo Lingyun and Hasen. The difference, of course, is that Xiao Chiye’s defeat is in-person, while Shen Zechuan’s defeat is via his representatives in Fei Sheng and his troops. This fits with Shen Zechuan’s role, as observed by Xiao Fangxu: “Men like this can’t fight battles, yet they can come out on top to stand upon a mountain of corpses amidst a sea of blood.”
Through seeing how Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye interact with these respective foils in Huo Lingyun, Hasen, and Li Jianting (all five of whom claim legacies via seeking revenge for family; in 4/5 cases it’s their fathers specifically), we can see not only the central flaws Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye each respectively overcome, but what the novel is trying to say about what it means to get to know yourself, what it means to create a lover from an enemy, and what victory over an enemy actually is.
Shen Zechuan and Huo Lingyun
How Shen Zechuan finds himself seems pretty clear. Throughout the novel Shen Zechuan slowly gathers allies, who all represent parts of himself:
Ji Gang: desire to live and grief
Xiao Chiye: strength and family
Qiao Tianya: bitterness and loss
Yao Wenyu: physical weakness
Gao Zhongxiong: shame
Fei Sheng: the search for a purpose
Hairigu: his mother’s legacy
Huo Lingyun: trauma
Qi Zhuyin: non-conforming and underestimated
Hua Xiangyi: kindness
This list is by no means exhausted and is simplified, but you get the idea. Not to mention, most of these people have, at some point perhaps with the one exception of Ji Gang, been an enemy or at the very least a rival of Shen Zechuan’s.
Shen Zechuan starts the novel with nothing, with every part of his life seemingly over except for the physical, which is locked up. Of course that’s symbolic too: Shen Zechuan’s primary internal conflict is in locking himself up and hiding his true nature.
Shen Zechuan’s true nature is not fierce either: it’s wounded and empty; submissive, no, but hollow all the same. Yes, he bites back, but because he was first bitten. He has little purpose or drive: yeah, he’s leading a rebellion, but why exactly? He’s not great at answering that question, because to answer that question would mean admitting certain things about himself that he would rather not.
Yet, Xiao Chiye is aware of Shen Zechuan’s true nature from the start. It’s important that Shen Zechuan becomes completely unable to hide it during a physical act (sex) because the physical is Shen Zechuan’s sacrificial mask in other circumstances, but not with Xiao Chiye. Instead, the physical heals with Xiao Chiye.
He could not keep up an ounce of pretense, and what remained of “Shen Zechuan” lay fully exposed before Xiao Chiye. This was a side of him that Shen Zechuan himself could not bring himself to face. All that had to do with hypocrisy, deceit, and hostility was swept up into the tidal waves of desire.
So what is this part of himself Shen Zechuan cannot face? Shen Zechuan has been hurt his entire life. In contrast to Xiao Chiye, he does not need to defeat himself. He needs to embrace and accept every part of himself in order to find his purpose. These hypocrisies, deceits, hostilities, betrayal and loyalty and hatred, are all most blatantly embodied in Huo Lingyun.
Huo Lingyun, like Shen Zechuan, operates from the shadows and masks his true self. He sets up an elaborate plan to get revenge for his father’s death at King Li’s hand, but uses his own body as bait for it (much like Shen Zechuan continually does, to Xiao Chiye’s chagrin: while Huo Lingyun’s bait is sexual and Shen Zechuan’s is violent, they are both still sacrificing their bodies for a cause).
Huo Lingyun is sexually abused by King Li and then by Cuiqing, and then has the woman torn apart by dogs. The woman is the one who raised and sold Shen Zechuan’s mother--even if not as a prostitute, there is certainly a sense of poetry to this woman being finally destroyed by a clear parallel of Shen Zechuan. Huo Lingyun succeeds by acting as if his father meant nothing to him, when in actuality, his father meant everything to him.Shen Zechuan also starts off motivated in part by a father, to prove that “Shen Wei never collaborated with the enemy.” And indeed Shen Wei didn’t, but it was precisely Shen Wei’s intense fear of being seen as collaborating with the enemy that led to him strangling Bai Cha, a woman who was not only Shen Zechuan’s mother but one of the few people who cared for others no matter their heritage.
So, who then is Shen Zechuan really fighting for? Just for himself? He states that this is the case:
“Regardless of who my parents are... I am Shen Zechuan... I am my own nightmare.” ... Shen Wei, Bai Cha. He did not care for them at all.
Surely this is somewhat true, but is this entirely accurate? Shen Zechuan is a highly unreliable narrator, holding the reader at a distance as he holds most people (save Xiao Chiye). It might have been accurate when he spoke it, but it is almost certainly not actually accurate considering he didn’t even know his mother’s story at the time. When he accepts his mother’s true story from Hairigu, he gains new allies in those his mother helped save.
Similarly, when Shen Zechuan accepts Huo Lingyun, he gains another new ally (and invigorate the flagging loyalty of Qiao Tianya). Huo Lingyun is first introduced to Shen Zechuan as a prisoner in shackles too heavy for him, and Xiao Chiye initially dislikes him. (Fei Sheng’s attitude towards Huo Lingyun is a mirror of Xiao Chiye’s attitude towards Shen Zechuan too.) It’s all very much a callback to the first chapters of the novel, and a challenge to Shen Zechuan to acknowledge the parts of himself he would rather not: his weakness, his suffering, and the consequences of his actions.
Everyone mistrusts Huo Lingyun, for good reason, just as they mistrusted Shen Zechuan. Huo Lingyun doesn’t do himself a lot of favors when he insults Xiao Chiye. But, it is then significant that Xiao Chiye stands up to him and helps Huo Lingyun find a place, because this moment reflects how Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan are polishing each other by working together like iron sharpening iron. Shen Zechuan gives Huo Lingyun a chance symbolizes him giving the worst parts of himself a chance to improve, trusting Xiao Chiye to hold them in check.
Xiao Chiye and Hasen
If Shen Zechuan’s motif is finding and specifically gathering, Xiao Chiye’s is in losing. But, he’s a victorious general, obviously, though this by no means comes easily to him. By the time he’s faced his first loss in battle, he’s already lost in other ways:
His home
Tantai Hu (whom he gains back, but the point is that Xiao Chiye has to first lose things to get them back)
His friend, Li Jianheng
Xiao Jiming has been defeated
His own reputation is shot
But how do you tame a wild animal? As is noted by Xiao Chiye himself with Meng, the falcon, through hardships. Torture even, breaking its will, etc. Hence, it makes sense that for Xiao Chiye to tame himself, he has to lose again and again and again.
That said, Xiao Chiye faces no military defeat until he does at Hasen’s hand. And in contrast to Shen Zechuan’s standoffishness creating his own defeat with Huo Lingyun via Fei Sheng, it’s Xiao Chiye’s activeness that creates his defeat:
Xiao Chiye thought he was taking the initiative, but he was, in fact, paralyzing himself. Right from the moment he decided to turn around and head for the Tudalong Banner, he had already fallen into the role of the passive player.
Hasen himself takes note of this:
“His desire to win is too strong... Like my father, he won’t allow himself to cower and retreat. This is his strength, but also his weakness...”
So what saves Xiao Chiye’s life this battle? Well, firstly, Shen Zechuan (even though, as is usual for Shen Zechuan’s battle motif, he’s not physically present):
A loud “THUD” rang out as the blow was blocked by the arm guard Shen Zechuan had gifted him.
And of course, his father riding in to save the day. Xiao Fangxu’s following advice to Xiao Chiye about his defeat is interesting:
“You don’t need seven years to defeat Hasen.” Xiao Fangxu gazed at Xiao Chiye and said, “But you must learn to be tolerant.”
The interesting part of this is that this statement occurs within Xiao Fangxu expressing his insatiable desire to win in warfare. What does tolerance have to do with that?
Because the real battle isn’t physical. It’s inside. I’m not saying it’s a trite “believe in yourself” (on the contrary) but instead it’s about taming yourself for the sake of a broader picture. Taming wild beasts is a motif of Xiao Chiye: he tames Meng the falcon, his wild horse, even Shen Zechuan to an extent, but the one he ultimately needs to tame is himself. He can’t act selfishly. He has to act with the good of others in mind, including his family. He has to act with love, which is not the same as acting with desire (hence why it’s symbolic Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan’s relationship starts with being purely physical and slowly becomes something far more intimate).
Xiao Chiye, much like Shen Zechuan, cannot be motivated by simply wanting to defeat enemies, because often enemies are part of you. He must be motivated by those who love him and whom he loves.
When Xiao Chiye is first brought back to Qudu, he lashes out multiple times at Shen Zechuan because he sees himself in him: an innocent child in prison for the military actions of a father and brother. The only difference is that for Shen Zechuan, it was the Shens’ defeat; for Xiao Chiye, it was Xiao Jiming’s victory. Win or lose; it’s all the same. The children still wind up as prisoners, not just of corrupt kingdoms, but of hatred and warfare and corruption. We see it with Huo Lingyun, with Hasen, with Li Jianheng, Li Jianting, and more.
Xiao Chiye and Hasen 2.0
Xiao Chiye then finds himself engaging in a series of victories over Biansha. Well, victories-ish. Because the motif of losing to be tamed is still there.
Firstly, Xiao Chiye loses his father, but then finds some semblance of himself back when he singlehandedly storms the enemy camp to get Xiao Fangxu’s head back. It’s interesting that he interrupts Hasen as Hasen is pondering the reality of what victory might mean:
To both parties, excessive compassion was tantamount to suicide...
What does strict revenge actually offer? The answer is that it offers nothing.
Hasen had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
“But you don’t look very happy,” Wulihan said.
“Not quite what I expected.” Hasen held up the bowl with both hands and remembered his war trophy. “I grew up listening to legends of him. He’s invincible, coming from my father’s mouth.”
Killing just continues the cycle. Xiao Chiye getting his father back is, on the one hand, an incredibly risky and stupid move. On the other hand, he succeeds thematically because he’s driven by pure love for his father. He will not allow his father’s legacy to be a head mocked by enemies. Victory is not in killing or battling an enemy.
Xiao Chiye’s subsequent confrontation with Hasen warns him of what could happen:
He stared at Hasen and said, one word at a time, “Give my father back to me.”
Hasen brushed back the red hair that was hanging over his eyes and looked at Xiao Chiye as he said in a cold, detached voice, “Then, when will your father give my brother back to me?”
Xiao Chiye had already sprung closer. He had no wish to hear Hasen speak at all...
Hasen twirled out a new piked dagger between his fingers. He slid those fingers along the cold gleam of the blade and said expressionlessly, “I’m merely returning the favor tit for tat.”
Xiao Chiye has no wish to hear Hasen speak, because compassion has little place in the world of Qiang Jin Jiu’s Dazhou. Or does it? Because Bai Cha’s legacy endures because of her compassion, not in spite of it. Xiao Chiye gets his life saved because of Shen Zechuan’s romantic love, not in spite of it. Xiao Fangxu’s head is rescued because of compassion, not in spite of it.
Yet, Xiao Chiye has already learned an important lesson: to defeat an enemy, you have to learn to think like them. Instead of relying on his own strength and prowess, like he did the first time he fought Hasen, he learns to think like his enemy, and that is what gives him a heads-up (i’m sorry) that something is wrong with Xiao Fangxu.
Xiao Chiye... paced back and forth in the same place and rubbed away those haphazardly drawn lines. He gradually stopped tracing Xiao Fangxu’s path and put himself in Hasen’s position.
To overcome himself, he must think like the enemy. To defeat his enemy, he must overcome himself. Xiao Chiye is as much his own enemy as Hasen is, and everyone realizes this. It’s why the Empress Dowager is convinced Xiao Jiming and Xiao Chiye will turn on each other, why Xiao Fangxu scolds him instead of praising him, and why Shen Zechuan nearly ends up dead from a certain kick. But in each of these relationships, love proves to be an elixir healing them, helping Xiao Chiye paradoxically become more himself and also more like those around him. Chief among these is Cezhou.
Xiao Chiye’s relationship with Shen Zechuan can be seen as symbolic of a new way forward, of making family out of enemies.
Of course, the other party has to be willing, and Hasen is not:
“After tonight, my name will overshadow the Libei Armored Cavalry. I’ll make you people pay back double for what you owed me since the battles on the eastern mountain ranges.”
Hasen claims to be repaying Xiao Fangxu “tit for tat” for Xiao Fangxu killing his brother. But an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. This is the same path Shen Zechuan started the novel on, but thanks to his relationship with Xiao Chiye, has been pulled back from.
We see this thematic line continued through Xiao Chiye fighting two more battles against Biansha.
Firstly, he fights A-Chi at the Chashi Sinkhole by tricking A-Chi into falling into the same trap Xiao Chiye once fell into: being too quick to act. Xiao Chiye even changes the field via literally moving the goalposts to trick A-Chai. He’s learning to see the playing field, the bigger picture beyond his wants and needs. Just like Xiao Chiye’s first loss against Hasen, we see Shen Zechuan’s armguard saving Xiao Chiye’s life.
When Xiao Chiye gets buried in the sinkhole with Lang Tao Xue Jin, it’s symbolic of his primitive, immature, animalistic side being buried. He’s symbolically pulled out of the sinkhole by Shen Zechuan, of course, who is terrified. This accomplishes two things: firstly, instead of losing another beloved person to the sinkhole like he lost Ji Mu, Shen Zechuan is able to pull Xiao Chiye out by his hand. Secondly, it forces Xiao Chiye to experience the human crush Shen Zechuan had barely survived back then, even if only for a few moments, forcing him literally into the experience of someone he once considered an enemy. Shen Zechuan, too, goes from being a physical yet object guard to being a physical presence pulling Xiao Chiye from the battlefield, and saving him from the trauma he himself experienced.
It’s only after that experience, that empathy and Shen Zechuan’s saving him, that Xiao Chiye is able to grow up at last. Xiao Chiye is given the chance to grow via learning how to work with his enemies--whether they are Biansha or even from Libei (Guo Weili, who attacked Gu Jin). It’s telling that this is the opportunity Xiao Jiming offers Xiao Chiye to prove he’s really ready to fully grow up and lead in their father’s stead: can you reconcile with your enemies?
And then Xiao Chiye can defeat Hasen at last. This time, Shen Zechuan is not just present in an object, nor does he arrive to save Xiao Chiye after the battle. This time, he’s a physical presence, because the two of them are fully one now.
That Xiao Chiye will defeat Hasen at last at Duanzhou is a fitting conclusion: it happens in the same place where Shen Zechuan’s nightmare, where the sins of Shen Wei, linger , thereby resolving Xiao Chiye’s need for revenge for his father, and also for Shen Zechuan’s torture after Shen Wei’s defeat and for Bai Cha’s abuse and murder. For Shen Zechuan’s part, he cannot do it all by himself. He can only reclaim his legacy through others (Xiao Chiye, Fei Sheng, Huo Lingyun, Qiao Tianya, etc).
Xiao Chiye also can only reclaim his trauma through another (Shen Zechuan). Insofar as the trauma concerning Xiao Fangxu’s death is concerned, the final battle at the Chashi Sinkhole is not about Hasen and Xiao Chiye, or Xiao Fangxu. It’s about Xiao Chiye first and foremost saving what he loves in Shen Zechuan. And it’s Shen Zechuan’s presence that gets Hasen and Xiao Chiye to confront one another. That Hasen almost kills Shen Zechuan and indeed wants to use Shen Zechuan’s death to taunt Xiao Chiye is symbolic of Hasen recognizing that befriending your enemies is a new way forward, and not being particularly enthused about it.
Yet the ultimate end goal is not accomplished with Hasen’s death. Amu’Er continues to want to kill in revenge, even though he himself threatened Hasen to bring results or face his wrath.
Duo’Erlan waffles between wanting to save her child and wanting revenge. She and Amu’Er both demand that Xiao Chiye give her back Hasen, much like Xiao Chiye demanded that Hasen give him back his father, and so on. The end of Xiao Chiye’s arc is less about killing Amu’Er as it is about sparing Duo’Erlan (a vengeful, angry, hurting person who lost their home and the people they love; aka she’s a Shen Zechuan foil, and a Xiao Chiye one). Xiao Chiye kills the mighty legendary warrior he has always been destined to be, but saves the future he has (raising a child) despite Duo’Erlan’s begging him to kill her if she can’t get revenge.
Shen Zechuan, Li Jianting, & the Role of Emperor
Shen Zechuan’s arc is about his identity, which is not found in the Shens, who rejected him and ignored his existence out of paranoia. It is also not found in a throne or in victory, and it is certainly not found in hatred. Instead, it’s found in acknowledging those who loved him: his allies and their trust in him, his mother and the legacy she left, and the legacy Shen Zechuan builds with Xiao Chiye.
His victory comes when he finds that others need him as emperor, and when he accepts that he can be a good one. One cannot truly become their own person without other people. His victory is in accepting his role with Xiao Chiye’s help.
In a tragic sense, Shen Zechuan also foils Li Jianting here. In the end, she chose to identify herself with her heritage. If her heritage burned, then she would burn with it. She could see no other purpose, and it’s tragic.
Conclusion
Xiao Chiye ends up back in Qudu, but this time he is not a prisoner, but the emperor’s husband. It’s not the circumstances that matter but the people. Additionally, Xiao Jiming sends Xun’Er to Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye to raise as heir, a reversal of both Shen Zechuan’s and Xiao Chiye’s circumstances at the beginning. Xiao Xun’s presence is not as a hostage, but instead as an expression of trust in family, of love.
#cezhou#qiang jin jiou#qjj meta#qjj#shen zechuan#xiao chiye#huo lingyun#li jianting#ling ting#hasen#duo'erlan#xiao xun
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more qjj liveposting pt.5
|| there are obviously going to be spoilers ||
“You’ve been poisoned by someone, it’s inadvisable for you to stay out in public. If you don’t mind, you can stay at my home. My teacher and yours are considered colleagues, and you are old friends with Ce’an. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.” any friend of my boyfriend is a friend of mine bajklsfbla
like i know yao wenyu was like. literally poisoned but him being sick is making me nervous,,,,, ive seen the official art and read the spoilers,,, idk how it happens but
SO SEXY OF YOU YAO WENYU TO JUST FIGURE IT OUT LIKE THAT
‘If not for the fact that this person was in such dire straits, even Shen Zechuan himself wanted to kill him, what’s more the others.’ asjdkhfblas????
love that for her
wait so xue xiuzhuo basically fucked over all the other scholars???
i love smart commander vs. smart commander stuff
which,,,, in hindsight,,, is probably why i like cezhou so much
XCY IS THAT STRONG?????
oh thank GOD and xiao fangxu
oh he’s mad mad
yikes
OH SO THATS THE PLAN
aw he’s such a good dad it’s like watching my dad and my lil brother
“I found myself a man!” Sunlight shone on Xiao Chiye’s face, dispelling the dark clouds of yesterday. This brat was truly a little rascal as he shouted provocatively, “The best-looking man in the whole of Da Zhou is my wife!” LOVE OF MY LIFE
he’s so excited to be with szc it’s absolutely adorable
“Xiao Chiye!” Xiao Fangxu let out an earth-shaking roar. He pushed himself off the ground with his hands to chase after him, but he could not catch up. In a fit of anger, he picked up a piece of horse dung and flung it at Xiao Chiye, cussing, “Get your ass back here and make yourself clear!” I LOVE THEM
this is so funny actually. “dad, i’m gay and im bringing my bf home for thanksgiving. also, he’s the most hated guy in the world. love you!”
can you IMAGINE suddenly finding out that your sister-in-law-to-be is just. at your house.
omg he did the roofing just bc that’s how xcy likes it??? they really are in love huh
she likes him!!!!
THREE PAGES IS,,,,, so much,,,,
xcy has such a good family
aw, yao wenyu :((
‘technically, shen zechuan was also on the run. the difference is that xcy beat the hell out of this guy, ruined the plans of this guy, destroyed everything this guy had going,,,,, so xcy was the main target’
when he calls him ce’an <3
GZX WHAT HAVE YOU DONE
unleashing the protective wrath of xcy on szc like that how could you
going to libei to talk to WHO??
i just KNOW they’re about to be so disgustingly cute
omg,,,,,, he’s taming his horse for him (NOT an innuendo) (i want to make a joke but idk what)
why are xcy and his dad the actual cutest thing ever
‘The quality iron had been smashed to the point it was no longer usable, but he still did not have it changed.��� love. of. my life.
HELL OF A SURPRISE
running huggggg im going to cry my eyes out
Shen Zechuan swung the folding fan between his fingers and said, “That’s something I have to do in passing while I’m at it. My heart is all here.” SOBBING
FUCK THEYRE SO CUTE
they need to stay long distance bc i cant handle it when theyre not
sxc is such a little shit ill never get over it
meeting the parents
Xiao Fangxu was initially sitting with his leg propped up, but on seeing the white figure entering, he suddenly sat straight up. But then, he felt he was really being too unnatural, so he attempted to cover it up by propping his hand on his knee to appear more imposing, only to look all the more conspicuous as he looked at Shen Zechuan without so much a smile. he’s such a cringe dad i just KNOW his hugs are incredible
pleaseeee even xfx agrees he’s drop dead gorgeous
do you HAVE to eyefuck him in front of xfx. must you.
HES FOND OF HIS KISSESSSSS
‘Nothing in this world could be relied on, nothing except Xiao Chiye.’ i cant do this anymore
how do they, two fictional characters, make me feel like im intruding
THEY BOTH SAID IT
the way t97 uses their courtesy names kills me everytime
i had to stop and take a lap
okay why is szc so damn cute when he's not killing people and plotting various downfalls bc this piggyback ride is going to end me
they are. sharing a blanket and watching the sunrise. thats all i want from life
i literally cant function. i cant.
THE FACT THAT FATHER AND SON ARE BOTH GIFTING HIM MILK. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
ik what it means but like honestly im dying. i cant. xiao fangxu do you want to be my second dad because i can definitely handle three parents
poor guy just wanted to become a bandit overlord and got in way over his head
DING TAO AND LI XIONG MY DARLINGS ARE BACK ONSCREEN
MY LOVE HAS ARRIVED TO SAVE THE BOYS
catching the candy is unreal im in love
if szc doesnt kill this man xcy will hunt down his entire family line
YOU ARE WELCOME TO BE OUR GUEST
szc literally one chance that was the sexiest shit ive ever read
im going to print out that scene and sharpie it onto my walls i cant. i cant.
the way he swooped in and saved HIS retinue. love. love. i love him. no one is doing it like him
im reeling rn how am i supposed to continue my life
im halfway into the next chapter and still thinking about it. holy shit.
wait what the fuck does gedale mean
also??? the hurt??? the injuries??? the quiet suffering? good shit
omg wait what
OMG
OMG ITS TIED TO HIS PARENTS??? WHAT??
szc putting his hair into a bun would kill xcy on the spot
wonder what THAT meant
well that was freaky
aw ding tao :( dont be scared my darling he just risked his life for yours a few chapters ago
i feel like this fellow is also someone szc is eventually going to put out to pasture
he seems like he'll get a bit too cocky
okay yes but the fuck does that mean
#qjj#qiang jin ju#cezhou#shen zechuan#shen lanzhou#xiao chiye#i think i ended at ch.172 before i went to sleep last night#so thats where this ends#qjj reading log#its been over a day#i just got back from a formal ceremony#and im STILL thinking about that fight scene
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salt moment incoming but I will never. NEVER. forgive Ultimate Note for blurring Pangzi out when Xiaoge says 'take me home'. like he's almost not part of the moment. like he isn't the one who has been taking care of Xiaoge since the hospital.
Cheng Fangxu gave the reaction of a lifetime, blinking in surprise, lips slightly parted as his breath catches. like. he's giving the Shen WeiTM look over here, he's doing the most. and they had the gall to blur him. it's an actual crime
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Monster Movie Madness
After finding out Cheng Fangxu (UN!Pangzi) was in a dinosaur movie, of course I had to watch it, forcing Iben and Jack to join me. Of course we couldn’t leave it like that, after finding a MDL list of monster movies, and then YOUKU’s monster movie playlist. We’ve seen three now and I feel like sharing my opinions (and the links to the movies).
1. Metamorphosis ( 异变暴龙 )
The movie that started this all. 5 stars, without a doubt.
This movie proves that buildup is absolutely overrated. Sometimes you just gotta go into having the dinosaur kill people immediately. Backstory? We don’t need that, we’ll barely even drop hints why characters know each other.
If you love science, absolutely the movie for you! Because what do you get when you combine a chameleon, crocodile and a velociraptor? A t-rex that can turn invisible, among many other things, of course! BUT! It’s not just dinosaurs, no no! We also have GIGANTIC SNAKES! we daomis love snakes of course :)
Lastly we have Cheng Fangxu just looking absolutely delicious in a leather jacket AND he has some kind of romance something going on with a very pretty lady he gets to hug. I love that for him.
This entire movie is just unhinged and a good laugh, go watch it.
2. Inside the girls ( 女生宿舍 )
Not a monster movie, but Jack and I recently watched it and it was just such an insane experience I had to add it.
The first and only review on MDL starts with “ It's not porn! Not really! “ which says a lot, I guess. It’s mostly about the title, as they forgot to add the “dorm” part. But if you just skip through the movie, you could absolutely just convince yourself that it’s just a very drawn out porn.
It’s a murder mystery movie about four girls who get to live in a ‘cursed’ dorm room.
Cheng Yi and Yin Zheng are in it. They play the most sus guy and the most pathetic guy. Cheng Yi has the worst haircut in history of haircuts, I tend to say I could recognise him by the lips alone, but this movie made me second guess that. When he’s wearing his hat, it’s ok. But once he takes it off, that’s not Cheng Yi...
This movie is filled to the brim with under the skirt shots, shower scenes and girls being girls in bed. So much so that we were surprised that this was written and directed by a woman.
This is one of those movies where you think it’s over, so much insane stuff has happened already and the mystery seems solved, but no. It’s not over. You still have half an hour to go and shit just gets wilder.
I would never watch this again, still giving it four stars for the sole reason that it was of those movies that just had us sitting in silence on VC once it was over for a while, just... processing.
3. Village of Monsters ( 荒村怪兽 )
Zombie movie, the most boring kind. 1 star. Don’t watch it.
The male lead is an absolute jerk, we kept hoping he’d die. His love interest is annoying and boring and for some reason is extremely obsessed with keeping what’s left of her restaurant, that got destroyed by a plane crash, in tact. And then we have A-ning if she was actually American, she is the best part of this movie. She has a cool sword, fighting scenes (even though at times very unconvincing).
My favourite part of the movie is that A-ning girl doesn’t speak or understand Chinese, and the other characters don’t speak English. They kind of forget about this towards the end of the movie which sucks.
I also love patient zero zombie man, idk why, he was just cool ok.
Everything else about the movie was slow and boring. If the male lead had died I’d have liked it more.
Just, don’t watch it, it’s not worth the hour of your time.
4. Mega Crocodile ( 巨鳄 )
Jurassic Park 3 but with crocodiles. 4.5 stars. Totally worth it.
Starts off strong with a random white man’s arm being ripped off within the first few minutes of the movie. CGI crocodiles are amazing. They have a crew of six people, three beefy white guys called Steve, Mike and George. They kind of half way through decide that actually, Mike is George and George is Mike. At least I think so, I was very confused. George’s tits are absolutely massive though, he gets to show them in a quite homoerotic scene between MC and Steve.
We get crocodiles, parasites and leeches. Betrayal, way too many difficult words and um... Science. Idk man these crocodiles might just be what Zhang blood is made from because apparently 1 vial of this crocodile’s blood can make 500 people immune to all sorts of incurable cancers.
The most important thing to learn from this movie and Village of Monsters is that you should always carry a grenade with you, it will kill any kind of monster.
Next up: Snow Monster ( 大雪怪 ) which seems to have a very friendly looking snow monster, snow sharks, madame Yu and ladies dressed in shorts and tank tops. I cannot wait.
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I mean, how did Shi Guang play?
The next scene:
#hikaru no go#qi hun#hao fu shen#han mubo#cdrama#the fact that this dude snapped on liang was sadly funny#like liang you sound obsessed boy#you have no shame when it comes to guang huh#and look at fangxu#LOL#fave#mymymy#liang x guang
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New ZSX/XYL Bazaar Content (March 4): Pics + Q&A English Translation
previous bazaar content: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8
photos are screenshots because you can't save photos from the app directly and bazaar hasn't posted these publicly on weibo 😅 (there's also another short behind-the-scenes clip that i have no way to screenrecord because the app doesn't let you go fullscreen and the phone im using has a very tiny screen sorry!)
translation of the new short interview below the cut aka pingxie soulmates you heard it here first 👍:
Q: What kind of person do you think Zhang Qiling is? Can you describe the relationship between Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie?
ZSX: I feel like Zhang Qiling is someone who people find impossible to figure out; he probably can’t even figure out himself. There’s a thread connecting Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling; if one of them disappeared, the other would definitely know. The two of them know each other’s hardships, but they will still support each other and give each other mental/psychological strength, kind of like soulmates (1).
Q: What kind of person do you think Wu Xie is? Can you describe the relationship between Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie?
XYL: For Zhang Qiling, he’s just “tianzhen-wuxie” (2). In Zhang Qiling’s eyes, Wu Xie is a little kid, but Wu Xie is always courageously helping everyone find solutions, even helping Zhang Qiling find his memories. Such a Wu Xie is worthy for Zhang Qiling to protect, to entrust. The relationship between the two of them can be described using one word--bound together (3). As they experience more and more things together in the future, the feelings between them will grow deeper and deeper.
Q: Imagine, after Zhang Qiling comes out from the Bronze Gate, what is the Iron Triangle’s life in Rain Village like?
ZSX: Foot soaking, eating luosifen (4), living a simple life.
XYL: Although I can’t guess exactly what their life will be like, I think they would aspire to have tranquil, peaceful days. Drinking tea, eating hot pot, staying away from the unrest and turmoil of the world.
Q: If Zeng Shunxi, Xiao Yuliang, Liu Yuning, Cheng Fangxu, and Liu Yuhan formed a group and debuted, what role do you think everyone would have?
ZSX: I’m definitely the face of the group. Kidding (laughs). Yuliang is the entire group’s ace and the main dancer. Liu Yuning-laoshi is the lead singer. Xiao Hua is the face of the group and in charge of having money. Cheng Fangxu-laoshi is responsible for the atmosphere and for speaking in every interview.
XYL: Xiao Xi is definitely center stage, the team leader, his command ability is very strong. I’m the main dancer. Pangzi is bullied by the group; we can bully Pangzi together. Xiao Hua is responsible for being the most good-looking. Liu Yuning-laoshi is responsible for being a chatterbox and thinking of jokes (5).
(1) 灵魂伙伴 i kid u the fuck not
(2) 天真无邪/innocent and pure, pun on wu xie’s name, which im assuming most of you already know at this point anyway
(3) 羁绊 (lit. bound/tied up; fetters/restraints) is one word in chinese anyway
(4) its that food yuncai made that xiaoge wrinkled his nose at, which zeng shunxi apparently does like to eat and also compared xiao yuliang to in the other bazaar interview lol
(5) 梗 is kinda like slang for joke/meme
#ultimate note#dmbj#zjbj#pingxie#zeng shunxi#xiao yuliang#曾舜晞#肖宇梁#终极笔记#瓶邪#shouting into the void#translation#usually I wouldn't share these since it's paid content#but ik the magazine was really difficult if not borderline impossible for overseas fans to buy (it took me 2.5 hours before I succeeded 🤡)#so here u go lol#anyway 灵魂伙伴？？？？羁绊？？？？？？ bruhhhhh
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Prompted by his father telling that he has a horse looks like it would be perfect for Xiao Chiye’s wife, Chiye finally tells his father that he’s not seeing some girl, but instead has a man as his partner.
“I found myself a man!” Sunlight shone on Xiao Chiye’s face, dispelling the dark clouds of yesterday. This brat was truly a little rascal as he shouted provocatively, “The best-looking man in the whole of Dazhou is my wife!”
Having said that, he did not even wait for Xiao Fangxu’s reaction before he turned around and took to his heels.
Heh, can’t wait see to see Xiao Fangxu’s reaction when he finds out the identity of the man in question, when he’s already going off like this with just the mention of a male wife.
“Xiao Chiye!” Xiao Fangxu let out an earth-shaking roar. He pushed himself off the ground with his hands to chase after him, but he could not catch up. In a fit of anger, he picked up a piece of horse dung and flung it at Xiao Chiye, cussing, “Get your ass back here and make yourself clear!”
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Hi, @akatsuki-shin thanks so much for sharing your wonderful fanfics. I love to read them...🤩
I found your blog, cause I saw a lot of your JJK posts. Then I realized that you're also the author of quite a lot my favorite fanfics (sorry for being late in realizing it)....
Wow, now that you mentioned it, one of my twitter moot also like to post paralell between SatoSugu and HuaLian, somehow I felt it's not quite fit to their dynamics, and you worded them perfectly....
After reading your previous ask, do you mind if I ask you danmei questions? Can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from 'X'? And why you loved them? And your top 5 (or top 3) favorite moments from the novel? Thanks if you want to answer and sorry for the long ask....
'X' can be Qiang Jianjiu, Can Ci Pin or Mo Du, feel free to pick either one that you want to answer....
Aaaahhh thank you so much for reading my fics! 🥺 Hopefully I can post in the future for you to read hahaha
Yeah, I mean, for a ship to be similar to SatoSugu, I think one of them has to at least give off that Mom vibe like Suguru. Ngl, if Gojo were to marry Geto, he's not only going to get himself a wife but a Mom, as well, because he can be pretty childish and unhinged while Geto is there to make sure he doesn't run off somewhere. 😂
For your question, I'll go with Qiang Jinjiu.
My favorite character is definitely Shen Lanzhou. He's so pretty and smart. If he weren't so sickly, he would've been super strong when it comes to fighting. I love the fact that despite him often being looked down due to his looks and status, he ends becoming the most fearsome character in the story. Like, if you slight Ce'an, you may get off with just a few punches from him, but if you slight Lanzhou, you'll probably disappear that very same day. 😂
Next one is Xiao Ce'an. I love to see his change from wanting to kill Lanzhou on first sight then ended up becoming the most dedicated and loyal lover as the story progressed. Considering how precious Lanzhou is to me, I kinda share Ce'an's adoration for him and it just makes me happy to see him trying to spoil Lanzhou in every way.
For the third place, I'm not sure if I should say Papa Xiao Fangxu or Qi Zhuyin. They both definitely have a special place in my heart because of how strong and cool they are. Maybe I'll put Papa Xiao on 3rd and General Qi on 4th because I really love how we can see Xiao Fangxu's personality in Ce'an, especially with the way they both love and adore their partner. Qi Zhuyin is super awesome, though. Despite everyone's doubt on her as a woman, she proved to be a great and strong general (I think her troops are the most crucial there because she leads, like, 300thousand soldiers or something?).
I think it's pretty weird to put this one as a favorite character, but for some reason, I really love Ce'an's horse, Lang Tao Xue Jin. This horse always has the coolest description whenever it shows up and it's so funny when CeZhou had sex that night while riding the horse. The poor thing, LMAO. Also love Meng the gyrfalcon. I love them both. <3
As for my favorite moment, my number one is definitely when Ce'an resurrects the Libei Armored Cavalry after his father's death, that battle when they caught the Scorpions off-guard bytheir weapons and tactics upgrade in winter and pushes them all down to the Chasi Sink Hole. What I love the most about QJJ is how cinematic the battle scenes are and that one, followed by how Lanzhou desperately jumps into the sink hole to chase after Ce'an like a scene straight out of his nightmare is so uuurrgggghhhhhh 😭😭😭
Next one is the huge decisive battle with Hassen. Like, man, I didn't think I sleep at all until I finished that entire arc until Ce'an came and finished Hassen for good. From the very start when the invasion has just begun, to when the old commander (Yin Chang?) sacrificed himself outside the gate, when Fei Sheng rode all the way to lit the tower, when Tantai Hu came with reinforcement, and when Ce'an shot his arrow right before Hassen killed Lanzhou. I truly have no words; that must be the coolest battle scene I've read in my whole life.
The third one goes back a bit further to the earlier part when Lanzhou lets Ce'an go and locks him out of the city gate, so he could confront the guy who killed his teacher (Han Cheng, I think). But then Fei Sheng opened the gate for him and let Ce'an brought Lanzhou with him. That was so intense and the following hurt/comfort scene is just heartbreaking aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I'm not sure what to put as my fourth and fifth favorite scenes because there are so many interesting scenes throughout the story. I do remember two scenes that I still remember to this day.
One is when Qi Zhuyin's vice commander(?) sincerely told her that even if nobody were to remember her after this, then he would be the one to always light a candle for her, and after his death he would make sure his children continue to do the same. Qi Zhuyin really deserved that recognition after all her struggles and this show of sincere loyalty really just strikes me in my weakest point hhhhhhhhh
The other one is when Lu Yizhi came to visit Lanzhou to see what kind of man his brother-in-law has fallen in love with, but Lanzhou has no idea about it at all. And then at the end, Fei Sheng inadvertently opened the gift Lu Yizhi left for Lanzhou and went "mother of god it's a dowry" or something. xD
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Ultimate Note (2020)
Episode 1
I put off watching this one for long enough, but I am back with my wildly inconsistent dmbj watch-blogging adventures! Gosh, do I miss this series.
I honestly love how barely anyone reprises their role in this franchise, and if you’ve been in for a few seasons worth of dramas, it barely even fazes you anymore. The cast this time includes Zeng Shunxi as Wu Xie, and his name did not ring a bell until I looked at his profile - he was Zhang Wuji from the 2019 Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre! Not sure what popular consensus is, but I liked his performance there. Then, we have Xiao Yuliang who is actually reprising his role as Zhang Qiling from the flashbacks in Tomb of the Sea. He doesn’t 100% fit my image of Zhang Qiling, but I thought that about Cheng Yi and ended up loving him, so. Cheng Fangxu is a new addition as Pangzi. Haven’t heard of him or seen any of his works.
Aside from the main cast, there’s Liu Yuning who is playing Hei Yan Jing??? I honestly would have pinned him more of a Xie Yuchen and I also forgot he is also an actor haha (I know him from Our Song/我们的歌).
That’s all the speculation from me, time to get into the episode itself!
Serious talk for a moment.
One of the reasons that this series is so appealing to me is the slow integration of the overarching conspiracies behind the mysterious places our main characters have visited, and the fact that the mysteries begin to tie into the characters’ histories and pasts is the motivation to keep watching. The character relationships are the glue that binds all of the zany events together.
This series is one where I seriously wondered why I was still watching it well into TLT2, because it isn’t the type of genre I usually watch. It just has a lot of charm, strong enough to endure the multiple cast changes and out of sequence timelines.
Anyways, episode 1, here I come.
I loved the opening sequence, as it gives you a mysterious vibe - the sort of wonder you get when you look at an abandoned building and try to imagine the lives that once inhabited it. I also appreciated the recap. It’s much needed at this point, especially given the timeline of the dramas’ release dates, the change in casts, and the absence of the heavenly palace arc.
The episode opens with a scene that will very soon become the bane of Wu Xie’s existence: Wu Sanxing running off without a word, leaving Wu Xie to chase after him looking for crumbs of the truth and possibly uncovering even MORE trouble than if his uncle simply told him what was up in the first place.
Then, of course, the highlight of my day was seeing Wu Xie so damn possessive of ANYTHING that involves Xiaoge. He snatched that box up so fast as soon as Pangzi said “Zhang Qiling” lol.
There’s also something hilarious about Pangzi being fed up with the empty tape and kind of joking about a hidden code in the static, only for Wu Xie and his uncle to take it seriously and take a closer look. Love the family resemblance lol.
I am definitely missing context with the whole heavenly palace/Changbai Mountain segment of the story but the great thing about dmbj is that I’ve long gotten used to missing parts of the story but can still enjoy what I’ve got right in front of me at the moment. Anyways, apparently Xiaoge is supposed to be elsewhere but he is actually once again stalking Wu Xie lol. Wu Sanxing was right, without his friends, Wu Xie probably would’ve died several times over at this point haha...
Ah Ning shows up again! Less antagonistic this time, and I really like how she is portrayed across the shows honestly. Definitely a sort of frenemy haha. It’s going to take me a bit to get used to this actress, I still prefer TLT2 Ah Ning the most out of all the ones who have played her I think?
Also lol at Hei Yan Jing following Xiaoge around.
??? Wu Xie doppelganger! Or is it the other way around? Now that’s not something I expected. Nor do I recall reading about it in a spoiler, which is pretty amazing given all the events I’ve spoiled for myself. Also has something to do with the missing women who were part of Wu Sanxing’s archeological expedition team...
Oh no, Wu Xie is going off alone on this one. He’s lucky that Xiaoge is following him, otherwise he’d probably end up being monster chow or something.
Really going for horror movie vibes with this one, haha. That creepy hand reaching for him under the bed and the accompanying soundtrack...
I love how he’s self-aware about his habit of waking the dead with his prodding around tombs and coffins lol...
Eeey, Xie Yuchen! Seems more straightforward than he was portrayed in TLT2, though perhaps that’s due to the situation/subject.
And it looks like this notebook is starting to tie everything together.
Yes, Xiaoge, come save Wu Xie! He doesn’t even realize he’s got a creepy thing stalking him lol.
Ooh, blooper reel in the credits! I love bloopers haha.
Anyways, first episode done, and I look forward to seeing what the rest of the season has in store!
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more qjj livetweets but only on tumblr pt.4
|| so very many spoilers ||
im baaaack and im really actually not that funny but this is more of a reading log for my future self
nerd revolution!!!
like. hai liangyi’s end was awful. it was painful. but it’s objectively kind of funny to watch the students flip out because their nerd god died
domesticity
my instincts want me to say girlboss. my common sense says there’s OBVIOUSLY going to be something wrong with her when she ascends to power
someone told me shen zechuan is canonically horrendous at horseback riding, is that what this is about to be??
i see now that i was wrong
OKAY DING TAO I SEE YOU
li xiong,,,, baby what do you mean why are they bullying you, you’re a criminal
it’s like himbo to the nth degree
i never get sick of tactical prose, i really don’t
ngl ateez while reading this battle scene kinda hits
wow xiao fangxu im sure that’s not foreshadowing or anything. who could possibly be wolfish and also willing to lead libei. that’s crazy
falling asleep at a desk shouldn’t be as cute as it is
yao wenyu you say???? i wish i was surprised but i accidentally spoiled THAT storyline for myself
okay not to pull a sqq but,,,,, xcy kills very decisively,,,, that beheading tho
i sound insane but like the way the author describes his body tipping off the horse is art
xcy is NEVER beating the furry allegations
wait why is this luo mu fellow so interested in kong ling’s looks??? ‘,:| it's giving fruity
“earring” ooh, chapter title’s promising
A THOUSAND SERVANTS????
ah, yes, misogyny
hmmmm maybe not awful, just not as bright as szc, meaning he's going to be in hot water soon
my spidey senses are tingling and they say this man is going to die
“i can excuse murder but i draw the line at domestic abuse”
when szc smiles all i think of is death and destruction and maybe this makes me xcy but,,,, im not complaining
‘It was only then that Luo Mu understood that it was not just a front when Kong Ling said he was confident of success.’ szc is just That Good and i love that about him
OH MY GOD THE MILKKKKKKK
im dying thats so cute
THE LETTER SZC IS SO SMOOTH AND THEY ARE IN LOVEEE
you go ahead and try that strategy babe. i have full faith that you will die
so sexy of him
SO SEXY OF HIM
the threatening music,,, this scene is great but its so funny. want your enemies scared over afternoon tea? "alexa, play IC3PEAK"
I KNEW THEY WERE FRUITY
sbskskal 'breaking news: most dangerous man in the world still scared of being tattled on to his husband'
ji gang is such a dad i love him
the way that they're everything is so insane
CAUGHT RED HANDED
i always forget he's only twenty until he's literally hiding under the blankets to escape a scolding
oh boy everybody's in trouble now
they really are a found family huh
im crying laughing “A-Ye, I’m so hungry.” he is trying EVERYTHING
omg,,,,, in sickness and in health
and also FINALLY someones bringing up the kick
“Go on, keep acting cute with me. It’s futile, Shen Lanzhou. If you give yourself another stab the next time, I’ll die immediately in Libei. I won’t exist anymore, do you hear me?” this needs no words
#qjj#qiang jin ju#cezhou#xiao chiye#shen zechuan#shen lanzhou#logging off at ch. 145 for the night#i lied im reading more#qjj reading log
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I Am My Own Nightmare
Rereading Qiang Jin Jiu and getting so. much. more. out of it the second time around caused me to notice a recurring motif throughout the story. Actually, several motifs, like that it is way more based in alchemy than I first thought--
But anyways. The motif I want to talk about is that of Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan rescuing each other (and themselves) from their worst nightmares.
Chapter 96: Leaving Qudu
Xiao Chiye flipping over a city wall to rescue Shen Zechuan, who is trapped inside and probably about to get himself killed in a futile attempt to save his Teacher Qi Huilian is literally Xiao Chiye facing his own nightmare of being stuck forever in Qudu. At this point, Xiao Chiye’s been trapped in Qudu for years as a glorified hostage to keep his own father and brother in line, and it was all futile anyways. In the end, Xiao Jiming still got poisoned and defeated and injured, and Xiao Fangxu still had to return to the battlefield. Li Jianheng got killed too.
(art by Jianyachi on Twitter, who has given permission for use)
So, Xiao Chiye rescues Shen Zechuan from Xiao Chiye’s nightmare... only to symbolically see that Xiao Chiye is not facing just his own trauma, but the trauma Xiao Chiye inflicted. Everything about the confrontation between Shen Zechuan and Han Cheng is a callback to the start of the novel, from Qi Huilian being dragged before the city gate in chains just like Shen Zechuan was to Han Cheng’s demand that Shen Zechuan humiliate himself to save his Teacher.
A disheveled Qi Huilian was dragged out. He fell into the rainwater and cursed, “Treacherous traitor!”
Yanking at the chain, Han Cheng spurred the horse forward and dragged Qi Huilian through the streets. He pointed at Qi Huilian and said to Shen Zechuan, “Haven’t you been looking for him for a long time? He’s here! Shen Zechuan, come and get him!”
“Traitor, traitor!” Qi Huilian was boiling with fury as the dragging smeared his face with muddy water.
Han Cheng looked at Shen Zechuan’s pale face, then at the dark expression in his eyes. He said, “Your eldest brother is the Hereditary Prince of Jianxing, I remember that the Biansha Cavalry dragged him to his death alive. But there is no love lost between you both, so you weren’t hurt by it at all. Are you hurting now that it’s your teacher’s turn today?”
Han Cheng mistakes whom it is he’s symbolically giving a “turn” to. It’s not reminding Shen Zechuan of Shen Zhouji, whom he didn’t even know, but Shen Zechuan’s own being dragged before the city gate to be kicked to death by Xiao Chiye that he’s alluding to. Learn to read, Han Cheng! (this is a joke, but also shows how Han Cheng misunderstands whom Shen Zechuan is loyal to; his filial piety has nothing to do with his blood family, nor should it).
Han Cheng then asks Shen Zechuan to do this:
“...If you still want him to live, then kowtow to me and admit your mistakes! Kneel and call me ‘father’ loudly three times, and I’ll spare him, and you as well!”
Shen Zechuan strode a big step forward and said, “Deal!”
Which of course calls to mind Xiao Chiye’s request in front of the temple years ago:
Xiao Chiye retracted the whip and said, “You can say anything, but who knows whether or not they are true. How about this? Bark a few times like a dog. Once I’m satisfied, I’ll let you off tonight.”
Shen Zechuan said nothing.
The Squad Commander was scared witless by Xiao Chiye’s eyes and shoved Shen Zechuan a few times.
The color drained from Shen Zechuan’s face as he said timidly, “… At least let me do it before you alone.”
Xiao Chiye then flips back over the wall, descending into his own nightmare to pluck Shen Zechuan out, and has to face his previous self: selfishly making cruel demands of a boy he knew nothing about, willing to kick a battered and beaten man while he’s already chained. He sends Meng, a symbol of Xiao Chiye’s free nature, to claw Han Cheng’s eye out. To leave Qudu, Xiao Chiye’s nightmare, and find freedom, Xiao Chiye has to first face the worst parts of himself--face the fact that his cruelty and aggressiveness can imprison not only others, but the best parts of Xiao Chiye. It’s pretty telling that after this rescue, Xiao Chiye promises Shen Zechuan that he should never have to be in pain again, and tells Shen Zechuan he loves him.
Chapter 174: Burning Tower
Of course, we have to talk about the chapter where Shen Zechuan declares that he is his own nightmare.
“Regardless of who my parents are,” Shen Zechuan turned his head to the side and whispered into his ear, “I am Shen Zechuan. Whether your word is the truth or a lie is of no significance to me at all. I am my own nightmare.”
...
Shen Wei, Bai Cha.
He did not care for them at all.
Is this true? Well, ish. I’ll write more about this another time. Shen Zechuan is not exactly a reliable narrator. It may be somewhat true in how he regards himself, for sure, but it isn’t true at all in how the world regards him, and how the world regards him does affect him whether he wants it to or not.
The symbolism of this scene is that Shen Wei’s legacy is a burning tower trapping Shen Zechuan with seemingly no escape. Lei Jingzhe then tells Shen Zechuan something that should make him look twice at himself:
“You’re really the world’s most pitiful child. Do you know how Bai Cha died? Shen Wei found out her real identity, then strangled her to death with his very own hands. You were born of abhorrence. Why did Shen Wei raise you? Did you think you were regaining lost grounds when you crawled your way out of the Chashi Sinkhole and returned to Zhongbo after experiencing all that hatred and sorrows?” He let out a dreary laugh and said cruelly, “You made it all out to be so incredibly touching, but you didn’t expect it, did you? No one will accept you for how you are. If Libei were to find out who Bai Cha is, Xiao Chiye’s blade would turn on you.”
He challenges Shen Zechuan’s identity at its core, asking if he really is Shen Wei’s son, asking if he really is born of love or of assault, asking if he is part Biansha, the army that traumatized Shen Zechuan at the Chashi Sinkhole and took away Ji Mu and Hua Pingting. He tells him that no matter, once Xiao Chiye finds out, he will turn against Shen Zechuan. The truth is muddled here, some parts honest and some parts lies, all cruel: symbolic of Shen Zechuan’s relationship with the Shen legacy.
But here’s where Lei Jingzhe is wrong: even if he had been telling the truth about Bai Cha (and he wasn’t), Xiao Chiye would not have turned against Shen Zechuan. Their loyalty to one another is not born out of some sense of filial piety or tradition or even bloodline: it’s out of love. If Shen Zechuan were to find out everything he thought he knew about his family was a lie that went up in flames, if he fell from that pyre, Xiao Chiye would still catch him. Which is exactly what Xiao Chiye does.
(art also by Jianyachi on Twitter; please support them!)
This scene also challenges Shen Zechuan, though, to face what his parents might be and to actually consider what he wants and why. If he wants to reunite and lead Zhongbo, he can’t do it just because he’s Shen Wei’s blood, and he can’t do it without facing Shen Wei’s legacy. Lei Jingzhe calls out Shen Zechuan’s own hypocrisy here: he needs to face his legacy and the worst possibilities of who he is and what he could become in order to move forward. If he wants to move forward, he has to look back and ask himself to what extent these legacies matter. With Xiao Chiye to catch him, he’s able to leap off the worst possibilities of what his past might be and to let it burn.
There’s another similarity with Shen Wei that Shen Zechuan has to face during this confrontation with Lei Jingzhe. Shen Zechuan had considered himself a weapon rather than a person for so long (which infuriates Xiao Chiye off to no end; hence why he was so angry after Shen Zechuan risked his safety atop the burning tower). He uses his own body as a weapon, and risks himself carelessly. And this is directly compared what Shen Wei did:
When Shen Wei was once again faced with the choices presented to him as he stood before the fork in the road in front of him, he hesitated for only a moment before ending her.
He was a blade.
Who eventually stabbed himself bloody.
It of course also calls back to Xiao Chiye’s own mentor, Zuo Qianqiu’s, decision to shoot an arrow through his wife to defeat his enemy. Zuo Qianqiu considers himself to have died when he shot that arrow, after all, and the message is clear: fear and love do not coexist, and if you live in a place where the worst parts of yourself remove what you love, then... you might know yourself, but you also might be afraid of yourself.
Choosing duty over loved ones is not always the best answer (Shen Wei, Zuo Qianqiu--Shen Zechuan’s father; Xiao Chiye’s mentor, though of course Zuo Qianqiu is able to then learn to love his students and come back to the effort for them). Choosing love over duty is also not always the right answer (see, Mu Ru and Li Jianheng). Yet, sometimes love is the right choice (Xiao Fangxu, Ji Gang; Xiao Chiye’s father and Shen Zechuan’s mentor) especially when tempered with wisdom. It’s a complex theme that is more question than answer, and this scene forces Shen Zechuan to ask who he is, but the fear can be soothed by love. The nightmares might not cease, but you can walk through them with others.
And that’s precisely what Shen Zechuan does, and finds himself in Xiao Chiye. The parts of him that are a blade, a weapon, are tempered by Xiao Chiye, and the parts of Xiao Chiye that want to imprison others as he himself was once imprisoned are challenged and tempered by Shen Zechuan. These traits of theirs are both flaws and strengths, and they compliment each other perfectly.
With the case of the Zhongbo troops’ defeat unraveled, the primary issue Shen Zechuan faced was not only the threat of the cavalry from the east, but also how he should naturally progress to stand on his own feet under the stain of Shen Wei’s name...
“During my time in Duanzhou, I thought that if there ever came a day when I grew up, I would change my family name and take on shifu’s family name to become a Ji. Then I’d be a squad commander in Duanzhou, just like my big brother.” Shen Zechuan glided his fingers along gently; he was like the imprisoned moonlight as he lay here in Xiao Chiye’s arms. “But then, while at Zhao Zui Temple, I came to the realization that I would still be Shen Wei’s son even if I were to change my family name.”
With a face that bore a striking resemblance to Bai Cha, all traces of Shen Wei seemed to have been erased by his mother. But those traces lay concealed deep within him, manifesting into a different kind of insanity...
Xiao Chiye could succeed in keeping Shen Zechuan under lock and become Shen Zechuan’s sheath.
...
“They all say that I resemble my old man.” Xiao Chiye looked at Shen Zechuan, “When I was sent to Qudu, I thought it was a punishment, because I had once been complacent over it. There in Qudu, I wanted to strip off the part of me that belonged to Libei...”
That was a sort of restless torture. Xiao Chiye did not even know who he should hate during that period of time. He knew that his father and brother were not at fault—he could only hate himself...
“You may be Shen Wei’s son,” Xiao Chiye whispered, “but you’re mine.”
Through this encounter, Shen Zechuan has to face his hypocrisy: like Lei Jingzhe, he can betray and manipulate and use others, and he is Shen Wei’s son. But, Xiao Chiye protects him from himself (as a sheath protects a blade’s owner from stabbing themselves).
Chapter 208: Chashi Round 2
In one of the latest released chapters, Xiao Chiye tricks the Biansha troops to arriving at the Chashi Sinkhole and defeats them there. Ish. (For a moment the novel scared me and made me think something happened to Lang Tao Xue Jin, which is utterly unacceptable, but fortunately the horse is fine.)
Of course, throughout the novel Shen Zechuan has been having actual nightmares of the massacre at the Chashi Sinkhole. Waking to find Xiao Chiye with him is of course symbolic itself (especially because they first have sex after Shen Zechuan wakes up from just such a nightmare).
Just as the scene in Qudu to end volume 1 puts Shen Zechuan in Xiao Chiye’s waking nightmare, this scene puts Xiao Chiye in Shen Zechuan’s nightmare. Now Xiao Chiye is the one trapped in the Chashi Sinkhole, the place Shen Zechuan lost his older brother, his freedom, his name, and where Biansha then slaughtered so many in Zhongbo.
...the moment he entered the vicinity of Chashi Sinkhole, that nightmare came surging to the surface like a tidal wave, and the familiar stench of blood choked his nose and throat. Shen Zechuan gasped for air, unable to see Xiao Chiye in the bloodshed.
Shen Zechuan shouted in a grim voice. “Xiao Ce’an—!”
Fei Sheng... jumped up and down, waving his blade as he shouted. “The sinkhole, in the sinkhole, Second Master is in the sinkhole!”
In that instant, Shen Zechuan’s face turned a shade of ghastly white. With icy-cold limbs, he rolled off the horse; even his hands that were holding onto Yang Shan Xue were trembling. Blood seeped through his white robe, wetting it as he stepped over the corpses. All he could see was the sinkhole that appeared in his nightmares millions of times...
Nightmare and reality overlapped. Shen Zechuan had seen his own body strewn among the corpses here before, but he had never imagined that Xiao Chiye would be among those lying here.
But, some things are different. This time, Biansha is the one who ended up there by mistake, which shows Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan have grown from their traumas and defeats and can reverse their worst nightmares into nightmares for their enemies--which is exactly what they need to do: face the worst parts of themselves and overcome them, together. Xiao Chiye gets to be the one enacting a trap. Shen Zechuan can pull him out of it, even if Xiao Chiye ends up trapped by his own traps.
And the worst part of Shen Zechuan’s nightmares he gets to reenact:
Over the course of seven years in which he was plagued by nightmares, Ji Mu turned into a grotesque skeleton. Shen Zechuan forgot what his elder brother looked like; he could not even remember their last conversation.
Why didn’t he pull Ji Mu up?
Shen Zechuan crawled his way out, then fell back in again. In the first few years, he would still lie within and cry inconsolably. And so, “Shen Zechuan” was left behind here.
This time, he is able to pull Xiao Chiye up and out of the sinkhole, and to see his face:
He dug up the body before Lang Tao Xue Jin among the bloodied mountain of corpses, raking so hard with his hands that they both turned slick with blood. The ‘corpse’ suddenly raised a hand, and grabbed hold of Shen Zechuan’s wrist with speed and accuracy.
“Lanzhou,” Xiao Chiye felt suffocated under the helmet. “Lan…”
Shen Zechuan had already pushed off Xiao Chiye’s helmet. In that whirling snow, he got a clear look at Xiao Chiye’s face, and with no regard for the bloodstains, he hugged Xiao Chiye’s head tightly in his embrace.
Here, Xiao Chiye is not only a symbolic reflection of Ji Mu, but also of Shen Zechuan himself. He’s pulling Xiao Chiye out of the nightmare, just as Xiao Chiye is pulling him away from his worst self. Xiao Chiye is experiencing what Shen Zechuan experienced before he gave Shen Zechuan that kick years ago. The bloodstains are also symbolic: it doesn’t matter if Xiao Chiye stains him, if Shen Zechuan stains Xiao Chiye. They’ll bear it, together.
Who Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan have to defeat are not Hasen and the Biansha Calvary, nor are they the Empress Dowager, Xue Xuizhou, and/or the rotten Dazhou Empire. They have to defeat themselves, first, and learn to turn these losses into victory.
Future Chapter ? Hasen
Just a theory: there’s one nightmare that Xiao Chiye is noted to have that Shen Zechuan is depicting comforting him from within the story that hasn’t been reenacted yet:
He heard Hasen, Hasen—this name being shouted everywhere.
This word was a shadow haunting him relentlessly.
At night, Shen Zechuan could not sleep well. He had to wake up every now and then to make sure Xiao Chiye was still there, but when he awoke this night, Xiao Chiye was not inside....
Shen Zechuan watched Xiao Chiye’s tears slide down slowly. He understood everything; to this day, Xiao Chiye was still lost in his memory of that blizzard. The wolf pup that had run alone for dozens of li had not returned at all.
Shen Zechuan embraced Xiao Chiye hard and stood on tiptoe to cover the back of Xiao Chiye’s head, as if he was a barrier, taking the physically and emotionally battered Xiao Chiye completely into the protective shelter of his arms.
Xiao Chiye rescued his father’s head from Hasen, but it was just a head. It wasn’t really his father. Considering the ongoing motif of nightmares and reenactments, one metaphorical and one literal for Shen Zechuan and one metaphorical for Xiao Chiye, and here we have one literal one for Xiao Chiye that hasn’t been addressed yet... I’d bet anything Hasen is going to get his hands on Shen Zechuan at some point, but this time Xiao Chiye will save Shen Zechuan’s life.
#qiang jin jiu#qjj#cezhou#shen zechuan#xiao chiye#qjj meta#qiang jin jiu meta#xiao ce'an#shen lanzhou
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