#A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains

[ziseviolet]

Also on mamianqun (x):

And qipao (x):

Blue-Green Mountains and Rivers

The blue-green shan shui (simplified Chinese: 青绿山水; traditional Chinese: 青綠山水; pinyin: Qīng-Lǜ Shān-Shuǐ), is a Chinese painting style of “shan shui”. The main colours of the paintings are blues and greens. (Source)

Emperor Minghuang’s Journey to Sichuan; a blue-green shan shui painting depicting the flight of Emperor Xuanzong from Chang'an, a late Ming Dynasty painting after an original by Qiu Ying (1494–1552).

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The aesthetic brought on by this art style is acknowledged and celebrated to this day. Probably the most notable example would be this dance last year, that imitated the blue-green mountains using a clever combination of dyed clothing and choreography.

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There are cosplays like this too, paying homage to the style.

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See 19:50 mark for a whole CAKE!

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And in the currently airing Cdrama New Life Begins, there’s a whole sequence of a banquet held with a blue-green shan shui diorama as the backdrop! (End of episode 5 and beginning of ep 6)

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If you know of more examples please feel free to share!😍

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More posts by me

[artved]

— A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains (details) by Wang Ximeng, silk, 51.3 × 1191.5 cm

[yovodoes]

腾云驾雾 来去自如

to float as if on a fog of clouds; as vibrant as the rivers and mountains of my ancestry

look inspired by 千里江山图 / A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains by 王希孟 / Wang Ximeng

this painting scroll is a beautiful example of 青绿山水画 / Blue-green landscape paintings

[milkbobatyun]

a false sense of security

pairing: wanderer/scaramouche x gn!reader

genre: angstober, events, yandere

summary: he would hunt you down to the ends of the earth, just to bring you back to your rightful place beside him

word count: 478

a/n: ofc i had to make him yandere, like have you NOT seen him when he was balladeer??? (so sexy oml). this piece can be read as a continuation of anyone but you

you had thought that if you could run to the other side of teyvat, he would stop chasing you.

oh how foolishly wrong you were.

scaramouche’s changes scared you. his thirst for power was insatiable, like a wild fire that had quickly grown out of control. the fire consumed him in every way, burning away the innocent, wide-eyed kunikuzushi, leaving behind only the heartless, cruel balladeer.

he yearned to be worshipped like a deity, with mortals bowing and grovelling at his feet. he wanted to feel powerful, to show to the god who had cast him away his true worth.

his pursuit of power made him greedy, blinding him from everything he had and held dear. distancing him, from you.

how he hated your empty promises and blatant lies.

you promised that you wouldn’t leave him, that you would always remain by his side.

so how was it, that now, he was hunting you down, sending his soldiers hot on your trail like a pack of hunting dogs?

like a rabbit with rabid dogs chasing at its heels, you scampered, ducking beneath branches and tearing carelessly through bushes, no heeding the clawing fingers of the branches, that sliced through your skin.

you could run, yes, but you could never, NEVER hide from him.

your breath fogged up in the chilly air, the cold seeping through the clothes you had thrown on in your panic. clutching your clothes tighter against your body, you carefully scaled the mountain. 

one wrong move, one slip of the foot, and the soldiers would track you down, binding you and presenting you to their lord like a prized prey.

you pressed on, the frost clinging to your eyelashes, your cheeks, your nose.

you were not going to turn back.

every day you lived in fear.

you were thousands of kilometers away from him, but still you chose to venture out of the house with your hair and face obscured by a hood, throwing glances behind you as though someone watched your every move.

every twitch of the shadows had you tensing, ready to run at any sight of danger. some nights, you feared sleep, afraid that his men would snatch you from your bed. yet, as you slowly settled into your new life, your defences began to crumble.

you were thousands of kilometers away from him, the oceans and desert separating you from the cold wasteland he inhibited.

surely, you were safe now.

what a dumb little bunny you were.

you had thought yourself free of his grasp. separated by oceans and rivers and deserts, there was no way his soldiers could reach you.

yet, in the twisting shadows of the alleyways, peeking through the boarded up windows, eyes always scrutinsed your every move, like a hunter, keeping watch with a careful eye, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

no, you were never safe.

∧,,,∧ ( ̳• · • ̳)  © curated with love by milkbobatyun 2024 / づ ♡

[chinesehanfu]

[Hanfu · 漢服]China's national Important Cultural Relics Impression Series By Artist @陆曼陀

 China Neolithic Period:The Hongshan culture(4700-2900 BC)Relics<玉猪龙/Pig dragon>

China Shang dynasty / Western Zhou dynasty(1200–800 BC) · Shu state Relics < 太阳神鸟金���/Golden Sun Bird>

China Western Han Dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD)Artifact Relics<长信宫灯/oil lamp in the shape of a kneeling female servant>

After the lamp is lit, the soot enters the base of the palace lantern through the sleeve to achieve the purpose of cleaning the air.

China Eastern Han Dynasty(25–220 AD)Artifact Relics<铜奔马 or the Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow (馬踏飛燕)>

China Eastern Han Dynasty(25–220 AD) Artifact Relics<摇钱树/Money tree (myth)>

China Tang Dynasty(618–907CE) Artifact Relics<女立俑/Female standing figurine ​​​​>

China Song Dynasty (960–1279) Artifact Relics<汝窑天蓝釉刻花鹅颈瓶/Ru kiln sky blue glaze carved gooseneck bottle>

China Song Dynasty (960–1279) Painting<千里江山图/A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains>by 王希孟(Wang Ximeng)

China Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) Artifact Relics<霁蓝釉白龙纹梅瓶/Ji blue-glazed plum vase with white dragon pattern>

【Artist:陆曼陀 Social Media】 ————————

Twitter：https://twitter.com/LuDanling

Weibo：https://weibo.com/u/2846691957

Post Source：https://weibo.com/2846691957/NzQ9IyzKL

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[carpofdiem]

The Windsong Garnment was probably inspired by a famous Chinese painting called One Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains

The painter, Wang Ximeng, was 18 when he completed it in 1113 AD and the painting itself is actually huge 51.5 x 1191.5cm (~20 x 469inch)

[eyesfullofsttars]

. ⊹✧༓ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 ༓✧⊹ .

One of the myriad legends of betrayal among lovers, from childhood friendships to mortal enemies, still bound by a strange affection and an attraction whose nature only they comprehend...

Welcome to the Masterlist of this adventure, a tale of war and betrayal to be reclaimed through bloodshed! Amidst the fog lies the treachery of having been betrayed by the one woman who once understood you, her presence haunting even your dreams...

Warnings: This story will likely contain descriptions of violence (not overly graphic), nudity, obscene language, sin, guilt, an incessant ache in the chest from not being able to kiss the person you’ve most hurt, and the lingering sense that everything would be a thousand times easier if you were young again.

In ancient times, when kingdoms emerged amidst ancient forests and towering mountains, two women of contrasting origins and bold ambitions rose as rulers of neighboring lands, forging a perilous alliance fraught with the impossible-to-conceal forbidden love.

The realm of Loborth rose through the union of wolves, fierce guardians who aided in raising the orphaned queen. Its stone walls stood as unyielding shields against any intruder, and under the governor's command, Loborth's army marched with unwavering discipline. The kingdom's tranquility was forged in the fiery crucible of war, where every strategic decision bore heavily upon the vulnerable, paying the toll for the safety of its citadels.

In Vermont's lush, verdant hills, the kingdom thrived amid the whispers of ancient trees and the serene flow of rivers. Noble music echoed in natural harmony, and their ruler, a jealous protector of her lineage, found solace amidst birdsong and the sweet fragrance of flowers adorning the castle's battlements. Guided by principles of honor and loyalty to their queen, they lived in unity with the land that enveloped them. Every hamlet and farm bore witness to a community bound together under her leadership.

Yet, peace between these bordering realms shattered with the treachery of one of Loborth's wolves. Mercilessly, the Queen ended the life of Vermont's favored son out of spite, severing the peace alliance and sowing the seeds of enmity that would soon grow like the shadow of a storm. Thus began the primary dispute over the borderlands.

Since then, the neighboring nations regarded each other with suspicion and animosity. The coexistence that once flourished between their peoples was eclipsed by deceit, a specter that reaches into the very core of their rulers. This curse inexorably leads to the tragedy of scattered bodies, whose bones lie as mute witnesses beneath the foundations of their castles.

Abigail had always regarded these stories inscribed upon scrolls as mere legends, harbingers of the direst misfortunes. To her, the splendor of Loborth was not condemned by the prophecies of the past, much less by a betrayal motivated by love. Nevertheless, as she beheld her father's crown, stained with his own blood, she began to feel the weight of the history that enveloped her.

In the depths of her grief and rage, Abigail's heart contorted with a desire fueled by sorrow. Despite their former friendship, despite the love she had once nurtured...

"I want Eleanor Williams' head," Abigail declared through clenched teeth, her jaw tightening with ferocity.

𝟎𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝.

𝟎𝟐: 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐲𝐞, 𝐀 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝟎𝟑: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐚𝐫.

𝟎𝟒: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩ness.

(comment or reblog to be on the taglist for this work!!!)

[kingdoms-and-empires]

Kingdoms and Empires Wiki Drop!

Sup guys, im releasing what i have done in the wiki today! In this post im only going to talk about the Wiki because I dont want to create an even more massive wall of text here than it already is. Please see the entire post on the forums thread!!! I solidified the lore (which means no more massive changes), set the foundations to the story (so i dont end up writing a shit ton and having to fucking rewrite everything anymore), and pretty much rewrote the canon lore until i reached a point where i literally cannot share it because itd be spoilers without the future rewrite (regarding the worldbuilding, all introduced characters and such are still the same, some just had minor tweeks, so nothing crazy like changing our old bodyguard Mary:

and turning her into our childhood friend lmao So the plan now is current wiki drop. A good amount of it will be hidden since alot of it is spoilers, so you get 39,174 thousand words of unlocked content out of about 50k words in the wiki. And that's without me transferring 90% of the Codex ingame to the wiki, so its ALL (okay like 85%) new words of content and lore! Dont worry, im dropping literally all extra work and focusing purely on playable updates now until i regain your guy's trust in me after being so radio silent.

I also know and recognize that this has gotta be annoying asf since what you guys really want is updates but after what happened with the Total War franchise (my beloved) and their lightning fast content pipeline and lack of upgrading their engine ended up destroying the health of the company and ruining fans trust in em, id rather invest on the long term than short term unlike them (meaning id rather have a set story, narrative line complete, and research resources so that i can use that to run wild in writing).

I made a history of the world as known to them, so much of it is subject to embellishment, lies, and "the victor writes history" trope.

Historia Mundis

If you'd rather just have the list of articles that can be found within the timeline though, here it is: The Great Disturbances, Wars of Unification, and the Longwei Empire

Reign of the Daishu Dynasty

Ecumenical Dominion and the Flight of the Belthean People.

Belthean Migrations

Reign of Emperor Garland

Reign of Emperor Daerin I

Reign of Emperor Valerion

Reign of Emperor Elric I

Reign of Emperor Cenric

Reign of Emperor Saldwin

Reign of Emperor Elric II

Reign of Emperor Daerin II

The Interactive Outdated Map Yeahhh almost as soon as i published the map for the patreons it became outdated lmaoooo Nareth is much bigger than originally imagined, Argent is surrounded by mountain and forest tribes (think Hispania’s Lusitanian Wars or the Germanic Tribes type of vibe). The empire (being Imperial Chinese and Persian Empire inspired) also is surrounded by the these tribes, and the Imperial Province of Lymark is now the “Protectorate of the Western Regions” which basically means theyre the watchdogs of Western Nareth. Its funny because theyre also across the St. Hytera River, which is much like the Danube River, and will inevitably face the same issues Rome did with Dacia when they had a presence that extended the natural borders.

Master List of Articles

The Evolution of Belthean Civilization

Veldora Duchy I may have gone too far here. I regret nothing and learning about agriculture and stuff was awesome.

Silverhill Duchy Mining is alot more complicated than I thought, though Engineering MC is gonna have equally alot to improve!

Imperial Ranks The ranks will have importance. I know that sounds weird, but I did not spend an afternoon writing this just for the lulz.

Emperor/Empress

Imperial Crown Heir

Imperial Prince and Princess

Imperial Duke/Duchess

Imperial Count/Countess

The Imperial Landed Knight

The Belthean Empire The biggest entry from the ingame Codex that I transferred over and polished. This should give you a hint of how ill do the other kingdoms in the future for their article.

Kin of Arava I experimented here and instead of making an actual article, made it a class lecture of a series of days focusing on the Kin with a racist professor lmao

Zera Arava So i had to do this in intervals as I was writing and plotting out his side stories. Honestly hope i did the homie justice, he's a fav of mine, though i think each of the ROs will be favs as I write more and more about them.

Sacred Dance I assure you the Sacred Dance isnt what you think it is.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Patreons, you guys already read the below list. However ive cleaned the articles up and polished them! The Genesis of the Belthean Empire: From Invasion to Unification

Voryn Resdayn I wanted to see how i could make a character entry. It looks awesome, but holy fuck do they take time to create lmaooo, ill make the rest of them in the future.

Kin of Arava

Eastern Kin The descendants of Kin and Beltheans who mixed, that are settled within the empire.

House Resdayn Wanted to see how I could do the houses, still unsure (okay i dont like it) of how it came out. Hence why I started with a minor house that one of the RO's belonged to.

The Astute Emperor and the Imperial Provincial Rule: A Revolutionary Shift in Governance

Master-Scholars of Jelaytha The Jelaythan organization of scholars that Master Feren is from.

Post-Unification Transformations in the Belthean Empire: Trade, Economy, Industry, and Immigration in the Wake of Conquest

Imperial Historians Obviously the imperial faction that wants to get their hands on tutoring you lmao.

Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium The Jelaythan/Imperial organization at the forefront of the intellectual international community.

Tripartite Alliance Read what the empire is teaching their citizens about how they conquered the alliance.

The Satrap System and Imperial Provincial Rule

The Great Racist of the Academy: Imperial Historian Acillus Cinna

The Sword Saint

Master-Scholar Kaleb

The Gleaming Horizon: Silverhill's Maritime Supremacy The book of a writer who we'll meet ingame. Youll decide whether or not to bully him as a 12 year old lmao.

Baniel Worthton The author of above said book. He even wrote about himself. Yes, it's supposed to be an ick.

The Ulrich Cothon The second book of his that'll feature in the game.

So…I guess in basketball or futbol terms… rebuilding phase is over, and i got all the players i need for a championship run!

It was an almost year long rebuilding phase, true, but omg it was so needed.

Plus I also learned alot of fucking coding at the same time lmao. Basically a lot of tweaking around with Choicescript and knowing how to code some actions. Also there's CoG implementing a new checkpoint system so thank fuck for that because this game's gonna be huge and id hate to play it without a save system.

[radical-revolution]

The Natural State

Perfectly stay in the natural flow,

There is no other concentration.

Perfectly realize the natural state,

There is no other wisdom.

~ Patrul Rinpoche

When shall I come to dwell in forests amongst the deer, the birds, the trees?

~ Shantideva

When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are - perfect, complete, lacking nothing.

~ Dogen Zenji

“Mountains and rivers, the great earth itself—these are the true masters, offering teachings without words.”

~ Chan Saying

“In the silence of the forest, where the winds chant their songs, one discovers the dharma more clearly than in a thousand sermons.”

~ Ajahn Chah

“Living among the pines and the cedars, I let the stream and rocks teach me how to practice.”

~ Ryokan

“To see the essence of things, walk in the wilderness; there, the mind and nature are one.”

~ Milarepa

“There are no greater temples than mountains, no more profound scriptures than rivers, no truer teachers than the rustling of leaves.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

“On retreat in nature, I see that the sound of the wind in the trees and the cry of the cuckoo are no different than the Buddha’s voice.”

~ Zen Master Bankei

“When the body sits at rest under a tree, the heart can truly take refuge in the forest’s stillness.”

~ Ajahn Sucitto

“A mind that is quiet and at ease, like a mirror reflecting the sky, finds its reflection in the unspoiled beauty of the natural world.”

~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

“The forests and mountains invite us to abide in a state of simplicity, to rediscover the ground of being.”

~ The Buddha, paraphrased from the Pali Canon

The great 13th century master Longchen Rabjam said that nature provides a perfect support for resting in “the mind of uncontrived naturalness” which lies at the heart of the Buddhist Great Perfection tradition.

One’s own present awareness, left as it is, in natural ease,

Beyond qualities and flaws to be added or removed, accepted or rejected,

Is the unaltered, unchanging wisdom of pure awareness;

And to rest in this experience is to unite view and meditation.

~ Patrul Rinpoche

May you find your way home today - to your true nature, the natural state.

… 🙏

***

[ruiconteur]

li lianhua's final letter to di feisheng

i hear the official eng subs weren't great so here's my own attempt at a translation (under a read more bc fuck it's Long)

edit: translated qiao wanmian’s letter to li xiangyi as well, which mirrors this one!

十年前

Ten years ago,

东海一决

during the duel of the eastern sea,

李某蒙兵器之利

this unworthy Li made benefit of whetted blade

借沉船之机与君一战犹不能胜

and capsizing boat whilst battling thee but was yet unvictorious.

君武勇之处

Thy martial prowess and valiance

世所罕见

are unexampled in this world.

心悦诚服

Mine heart delights in it, and by mine own will yields to thine eminence.

今事隔多年

The affairs of today are by many years separated.

沉疴难起

By pains alone would a lingering malady be cured.

剑断人亡

The sword hath broken—the man hath perished,

再不能赴东海之约

and can no more honour the accord to duel by the eastern sea.

谓为憾事

Such is the cause for most sincere regret.

余感念君所赠之忘川

I recall in deepest gratitude the flower of oblivion bequeathed by thee,

然终有负君之所望

yet did forsake all thou hadst longed for in the end.

江山多年

The rivers and mountains of this land have many years endured,

变化万千

their changes reckoned in the tens of thousands.

去去重去去

Partings upon partings, farewells upon farewells;

来时是来时

the coming times shall be the coming times.

方多病习我之功法

Fang Duobing hath been studied in my skills,

资质上佳

and his own endowments of the utmost excellence.

不暇多日

Shouldst he not keep idle days,

定不在明月沉西海之下

he shall surely be not beneath the bright moon sinking into the western sea.

君今无意逐鹿

Thou hast not now any desire to pursue the throne,

但求巅峰

but instead to seek the height of skill.

李某已去

This unworthy Li hath since gone;

若君意不平

if thy desire be not appeased,

足堪请其代之

he shall suit, shouldst thou bid him succeed me.

李相夷绝笔

Thus end the last words of Li Xiangyi.

footnotes

i've translated this letter into (my best attempt at) early modern english to try and reflect the formality li lianhua is writing in. also because he uses 君 for di feisheng throughout, which is a literary second-person pronoun, and i wanted to emphasise that. i know thou is actually the informal pronoun, but given how archaic it sounds in comparison to you, the actual formal pronoun in early modern english, i thought it a better fit. (for all the feihuas out there: 君 was also used by women to address their husbands, so actually i thought the informality might work in my favour here LOL)

if you saw this post before, you might have noticed that my translation of the third and fourth lines changed slightly lmao. ty to @/presumenothing for the reminder and ofc my fav @/bat1lau4can4 for talking through it with me and being the 文言文 expert i need <3

for the purposes of my goal in the above footnote, i've had to take some creative liberties in my choice of vocabulary. for example: unexampled is not quite an accurate translation of 罕见, which actually means rarely seen.

i phrased 心悦诚服 as mine heart ... yields but that's a somewhat liberal interpretation of the phrase lol. there is a heart in it; it's just maybe not the thing that's yielding, to be precise. close enough imo though!

江山 literally translates to rivers and mountains but is often used as a metaphor for a country as a whole, hence my translating it as the rivers and mountains of this land.

grammar is not as important as Vibes.

逐鹿, which i've translated as pursue the throne, literally means to chase the deer, and stems from the 《史记》 / records of the grand historian.

绝笔, rendered here as last words, specifically refer to the last words written by one before their death.

[xinrouska]

What kind of backgrounds do you imagine in your Deity (oh my gosh, it wanted to autocorrect to 'dirty') AU? I've seen some vague gesture lines, but nothing concrete.

Also, you're little sneak peaks from the arm incident have me in pain already. I crave angst.

this iss so funny i am so horrendous at background, i didnt even think about it yet LOLL

now that i AM thinking about it, i'd love to reference more old chinese paintings, i've always noticed their use of atmospheric perspective and the use of turquoise

this is all high hopes considering my hand and brain does not align on backgrounds

also side note look at the insanity of this painting. I'm 98% sure its part of the a thousand li of rivers and mountains by wang ximeng

[hanzajesthanza]

Hey there, what is the estimated time Ciri, Geralt and Yennefer spent together since the events at Stygga castle and the Rivia pogrom?

It was short, right? :(

it's a little complicated to calculate, because not too many dates are given specifically. however, i have already thought about this and reread these parts for clues on dates way too much, and come up with some of my own calculations:

so, the precise date of the assault on stygga castle isn't known, but i calculate it to be from around the 17th to the 19th of march 1268. this is for a couple of reasons:

firstly, geralt returns to beauclair on january 8th/9th:

‘Geralt left for the Pomerol vineyard on the morning of the eighth of January. And returned … at eight in the evening … or nine in the morning … I don’t know … I’m not sure …’

and leaves on the evening of the 9th:

They watched him ride away and saw him trotting towards Beauclair. The sky darkened.

reynart provides an overview of their journey:

‘The Sansretour will guide you for the first few days. Keep to the river. (...) Should you with God’s will conquer Malheur, don’t hurry too much, for you’ll still have the Sansmerci and Mortblanc passes ahead of you. Should you conquer both of them, you’ll descend into the Sudduth valley. Sudduth has a warm microclimate, almost like Toussaint. (...) At the mouth of the Sudduth lies the small town of Caravista. (...) the direction of your journey is the Mag Deira plain, the valley of the River Sylte. Further on, Geralt, it’s according to the maps you copied at the town cartographer’s.

the month of january, we can see from their approach of the malheur pass in chapter seven, is frigid and frozen over. but in chapter two, in condwiramurs' dreams, she dreams of them during spring:

That included the dreams about the rebellion on the Isle of Thanedd and the journey of the Witcher and his company through the blizzard on the Malheur pass, through the spring downpours and soft roads in the Sudduth valley.

springtime is considered to be from march to may, so by the end of winter, they had left the mountains.

secondly, there's a select window of time that stygga can take place during (either before or after the beginning of april), because emhyr shows up at castle stygga in ebbing, but is also in cintra for the peace treaty; the peace of cintra took place on the second of april. this is actually mistranslated in the english official translation, in polish it's "nów księżyca," which is new moon, which means it's the second date of the month, as the humans begin their months by the new moon.

‘If my memory serves me—’ Boreas cleared his throat ‘—the kings arrived in Cintra in April?’ ‘The second of April, to be precise,’ the pilgrim corrected him. ‘It was, I recall, a full new moon.’

but since emhyr and false cirilla's scene occurs, i believe, in nilfgaard:

‘I shall not be staying here long,’ he said after a moment of oppressive silence. ‘I must ride to Cintra and grace with my person the ceremony of the peace treaty being signed. (...)’

he had to go from stygga, to nilfgaard, to cintra. now, he likely didn't make this journey on horseback; the distance to nilfgaard was so great, as geralt explains to milva in fen carn:

‘Rumour has it that Ciri’s in Nilfgaard, the capital of the Empire. Which is around two and half thousand miles from here. Simple arithmetic tells me that at this rate I’ll get there in a year and four months.’

that emhyr must have had imperial sorcerers with him to portal him and his military retinue around. thus making his travel mostly irrelevant to the calculations, but relevant as so far as that he can't be in two places at once, so the assault on castle stygga likely didn't happen in early april, but instead, either late march or late april.

and it has to be later in the month, because of the third point: remember, humans begin their months with the new moon. and in baptism of fire, we learn that regis can only fly as a bat during a full moon.

‘Why are you staring at me like that? I mean, rivers being obstacles to vampires is another myth and superstition. Or perhaps I’m wrong.’ ‘No, you are not wrong. But I can only fly during a full moon, not at any other time.’

so stygga must have occurred on a full moon. the full moons we see in baptism of fire and tower of the swallow occur from [approx.] the 17th to 19th (sapkowski counts multiple nights of the full moon, e.g., "the second night of the full moon"). because regis turns into a bat at stygga castle, it must have been from around the 17th to the 19th of either march or april.

fourthly, geralt, yennefer, and ciri begin to travel during april (chapter 11). though this is not explicitly stated, as in there is no "it was april" describing their scene, we get a couple of lines which suggest it.

one of these is the flash-between of houvenaghel's arena burning down:

On the ninth of April, soon after midnight, the first residents of Claremont were awoken by a flickering brightness, a red blaze (...)

this scene is married with the scene of ciri paying respects to the rats' graves in jealousy. no, it's not stated that this scene happens exactly on the same day, but in tower of the swallow, some days and times when flashed-between have lined up: for instance, geralt's dream of ciri on september 9th, nenneke, iola, and triss performing a ritual spell on november 19th. so it's not out of pocket to assume that this scene with them in jealousy occurs sometime near april 9th, perhaps the day of.

and in order to get to jealousy from stygga, the chapter opens describing their riding:

They rushed like the wind, like mad things, at breakneck speed.

so they must have ridden for some time to arrive at jealousy from stygga, they didn't just appear there suddenly. which suggests to me that they used the beginning of april to travel from stygga to jealousy. this also makes sense considering emhyr would have needed to be in cintra at this time.

another line is this:

May came, suddenly.

which suggests that may snuck up on them as they had been travelling throughout the month of april.

fourthly, the weakest reason why i think the assault on castle stygga occurred in march, which has nothing at all to do with facts, but rather, themes: march is the month of mars, the god of war. i find this apropos. :)

so, following my assumed date of march 19th:

they travel throughout april, following up on ciri's sites to pay respect to (jealousy for the rats' graves, the town of unicorn, vysogota's cottage in the pereplut swamps).

they spend belleteyn (may 1st) together.

then, later in may, geralt has this dream of philippa ordering yennefer to bring ciri to the lodge:

… bring her to us, Yennefer. We order you. (...) … is meeting the first of June, at the new moon. We order you both to appear.

yennefer has to leave the next day after this communication, leaving ciri and geralt to travel together. they're already at the sansretour when yennefer leaves:

‘Where to now?’ Ciri asked dryly, a short while after Yennefer had vanished in the flash of the oval teleporter. ‘The river …’ Geralt cleared his throat, fighting the pain behind his breastbone that was taking his breath away. ‘The river we’re riding up is the Sansretour (...)’

toussaint is in the sansretour valley. when geralt & co. were here months prior, it didn't take them long at all to get to beauclair from following the river, maybe a day or two (there were some complications involving the druids and cahir's scalp).

geralt and ciri arrive in toussaint around the 20th:

It was the day after the full moon when they saw Toussaint bathed in greenery and sunshine.

so i'm assuming that yennefer left ciri and geralt around the 17th of may. philippa calls them - a day passes - ciri and geralt travel for two days - arrive on the 20th.

ciri and geralt go to beauclair, pick up dandelion, and travel for a bit. they basically do their journey from tower of the swallow in reverse: passing through riedbrune, and then crossing the yaruga on the 26th, over a new bridge (not the one they fought on :'( ):

They crossed the Yaruga on the twenty-sixth of May over a very new, very white bridge smelling of resin. The remains of the old bridge–black, scorched, charred timbers–could be seen in the water and on the bank.

ciri leaves geralt and dandelion on the 1st of june, to go to vengerberg to meet with yennefer and face the lodge, as philippa requested to have their presence on the first of june:

‘I, meanwhile, will sort out what I need to in Vengerberg, pick up Yennefer and we’ll both be in Rivia in six days. Don’t make faces, please. And let’s not part like it was forever. It’s just six days! Goodbye.’

of course, dandelion comments on this, confirming to the reader that yes, ciri went [/tp ciri mom]

‘Six days,’ Dandelion repeated pensively. ‘From here [Koprzywnica] to Vengerberg and back to Rivia … All together it’ll be close to two hundred and fifty miles … It’s impossible, Geralt.

then, the rivian pogrom happens on the 6th of june:

It was the sixth day after the June new moon when they arrived in Rivia.

final calculations:

geralt - ciri - yennefer | 2 months | from (approx.) march 19th to may 17th, geralt, ciri, and yennefer travelled together for 59 days, around 2 months.

geralt - ciri | 3 days | from (approx.) may 17th to may 20th, geralt and ciri travelled solo, then picked up dandelion in beauclair

geralt - ciri - dandelion | a little less than 2 weeks | geralt, ciri, and dandelion travelled together from then until june 1st, for 12 days. if you count both, that's about 2 weeks.

geralt - dandelion | 6 days | they travel for six days to june 6th. almost a week.

geralt - ciri - yennefer spent 2 months together, and if you add the time just geralt and ciri spent (including that with dandelion), it's like 2 and a half months after the events of stygga castle.

whether that's short or not, i'll leave it up to you... :(

[wiz-writes]

Not sure if anyone is interested in reading some Chinese poetry, but since chapter 3 of Yinshan features quite a few lines, I felt it appropriate to share with you the pieces I used in the final version.

It took me so many days to find lines that matched what I wanted to convey, I almost tore out all my hair haha. It was quite difficult to find something that wouldn't be too easy or too hard to guess, but I think that the final selection is alright.

(cut for length)

This first piece is mentioned in passing when the MC turns to inspect one of the scrolls.

Li Bai - The Roc (To Li Yong) If once together with the wind the roc could rise, He would fly ninety thousand li up to the skies. E'en if he must descend when the wind has abated. Still billows will be raised and the sea agitated. Seeing me, those in power think I'm rather queer; Hearing me freely talk, they can't refrain from sneer. Confucius was in dread of talents that would be; A sage will ne'er look down upon a youth like me. translation here

The next one is for the first pedestal, dao.

from Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu A tree too big to embrace Is born from a slender shoot. A nine-storey tower Rises from a pile of earth. A thousand-mile journey Begins with a single step. translation here

Next is the last pedestal, xin.

Li Bai - Hard Is The Way Of The World Pure wine in golden cup costs ten thousand coins - good! Choice dish in a plate of jade is worth as much - nice food! Pushing aside my cup and chopsticks, I can't eat; Drawing my sword and looking round, I stamp my feet. I can't cross Yellow River: ice has stopped its flow; I can't climb Mount Taihang: the sky is blind with snow. I can but poise a fishing pole beside a stream Or set sail for the sun like a sage in a dream. Hard is the way, Hard is the way. Don't go astray! Whither today? A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves; I'll set my cloud-white sail and cross the sea, which raves. translation here

Now the three choices for the tian pedestal.

Du Mu - Mountain Travel Far away on the cold mountain, a stone path slants upwards, In the white clouds is a village, where people have their homes. I stop the carriage, loving the maple wood in the evening, The frosted leaves are redder than the second month's flowers. translation here

Li Bai - Zazen on Ching-t'ing Mountain The birds have vanished down the sky. Now the last cloud drains away. We sit together, the mountain and me, until only the mountain remains. translation here

Li Bai - Moon Over Mountain Pass A bright moon rising above Tian Shan Mountain, Lost in a vast ocean of clouds. The long wind, across thousands upon thousands of miles, Blows past the Jade-gate Pass. The army of Han has gone down the Baiteng Road, As the barbarian hordes probe at Qinghai Bay. It is known that from the battlefield Few ever live to return. Men at Garrison look on the border scene, Home thoughts deepen sorrow on their faces. In the towered chambers tonight, Ceaseless are the women's sighs. translation here

Now onto the jue pedestal.

Du Mu - On Parting Fond are my feelings, yet unfeeling I feign, Before our wine-cups, we merry-make in vain. So heartful, the candle, our parting it grieves, And in tears it melts, till the sky lights again. translation here

Li Yu - I Climb The Western Tower In Silence Wordless, alone, to the West Tower I climb the stair; The Moon, like a curved sword, hangs there. Held captive in the deep courtyard and its lonesome phoenix tree, Is the cool, pure Autumn breeze. Cut it, it doesn’t sever; Sort it, as entangled as ever — It is a great sorrow to part, Creating an entirely different feeling in my heart translation here

Li Bai - Farewell To A Friend Green hills above the northern wall, White water winding east of the city. On this spot our single act of parting, The lonely tumbleweed journeys ten thousand li. Drifting clouds echo the traveller's thoughts, The setting sun reflects my old friend's feelings. You wave your hand and set off from this place, Your horse whinnies as it leaves. translation here

And I believe that's it!

Sometimes you'll notice the translations don't match with what's in the chapter. That's because I usually took a look at several versions, as well as my own interpretation, and then somehow put it together.

I'm sure you'll also notice I might have a favourite 😂

[lotusrootcake-recs]

Request from @thirdlotusprince3: Do you think you could find a Nezha and Ao Bing Mystery/Detective fic? I would love that.

bird's-cry to loving you by Anonymous

Summary: Snippets of bamboo carved from the story of Ao Bing and Nezha, on the opposite sides of prison bars, separated yet together in their circumstances. Alike yet different in their fates. Cycling through phases like the watchful moon. Friends. Muses. Lovers. Husbands. Strangers. Enemies. Soulmates.

Words: 2,078 Chapters: 1/?

(Technically not mystery/detective but I thought a prison AU adjacent to that.)

【云冰】业火焚舟 by @bayeyeye:

Summary: >小警察✖️二世祖 >黄里搞纯爱⚠️ >设定在现实世界 308大案，九级村群体性癔症。 初出茅庐的小警察李云祥分配到重案组特别部门实习，跟随小队调查此案，看似简单的案子却被德家三公子横插一脚。八字不合，缘分天定。李云祥又开始做起小时候做过的同一个梦，梦中琥珀色的眼，告诉他，来见我吧。 极东之土，万河入海。丘山横卧，瘴气纵生。人烟罕至之处，万山环绕之间，有一海眼，极深，不可测。闻古人言，直通幽冥。 相传明朝天启六年，山火燎原，海眼坠龙。

Translated Summary: Young Police Officer X Second-Generation Heir Pure Romance in a Crime Thriller ⚠️ Set in the Real World The 308 Major Case: a mass hysteria incident in the Jiuji Village. Rookie police officer Li Yunxiang is assigned to intern at the Special Unit of the Major Crimes Division. He followed the team to investigate the case. What seemed like a straightforward case is unexpectedly disrupted by the intervention of the third young master of the De family. Their personalities clash, yet fate has other plans. Li Yunxiang began to have the same dream he had when he was a child. The amber eyes in the dream told him to come find him. "Come find me." IIn the far east, thousands of rivers flow into the sea. Hills and mountains lie across the land, and miasma is rampant. In a land rarely touched by human presence, deep within an unbroken mountain range, there lies the eye of the sea, unfathomably deep. Ancient texts speak of it: A gateway straight to the underworld. According to legend, in the sixth year of Tianqi in the Ming Dynasty, a fire spread all over the mountains, and a dragon fell into the eye of the sea.

(This is Li Yunxiang/Ao Bing but I count it as Nezha/Ao Bing because he's a reincarnation of Nezha.) Fic not translated, let me know if you're interested in an English translation!

[freisende]

Faraway Wanderers Audio Drama Song - Faraway Wanderers《天涯客/Tian Ya Ke》(Hanzi/Pinyin/English) Lyrics & English Translation

✲ Faraway Wanderers (天涯客/Tian Ya Ke) Audio Drama Season 1 Song

✲ Singer: Kē Mùqīng (柯暮卿)

Youtube Music Lyric Video (+Dialogue): here

Youtube Music Lyric Video: here

📌Production ℗ 2021:

•Composer: Li Dabai (李大白), Chen Yiming (陈亦洺)

•Lyricist: Minghuang (冥凰)

•Arranger: Li Dabai (李大白)

•Vocal Solo: Ke Muqing (柯暮卿)

•Harmony Vocals: Chen Yiming (陈亦洺)

•Dong Xiao/Flute: Qiuniu (囚牛)

•Mixing Engineer: Li Dabai (李大白)

•Supervisor: Gugu (咕咕)

——————————————

Lyrics:

Verse 1:

这人间困境几何 

zhè rénjiān kùnjìng jǐhé

得超脱有几个 

dé chāotuō yǒu jǐ gè

如敢以生死来涉 

rú gǎn yǐ shēngsǐ lái shè

孑然是天涯客

jiérán shì tiānyá kè 

Pre-chorus 1:

谁辞别庙堂 

shéi cíbié miàotáng 

醉山河 

zuì shānhé 

沐得天光赏春色

mù dé tiānguāng shǎng chūnsè 

欲做仙云鹤 

yù zuò xiān yún hè 

偏又生纠葛

piān yòu shēng jiūgé 

Chorus:

飞絮身 偏走黄泉路 

fēi xù shēn piān zǒu huáng quán lù 

看尽英雄嗔癫群鬼舞

kàn jǐn yīngxióng chēn diān qún guǐwǔ 

黑白错 风崖起疑雾 

hēibái cuò fēng yá qǐyí wù 

妙手设局待谁入

miàoshǒu shè jú dài shéi rù 

六合渺渺 纵是无觅处

liùhé miǎomiǎo zòng shì wú mì chù 

携酒来 拔剑去 自有归宿

xié jiǔ lái bá jiàn qù zì yǒu guīsù 

Verse 2:

正邪道人心叵测 

zhèngxié dào ren xīn pǒcè 

甘苦自取自舍

gānkǔ zì qǔ zì shě 

遇知己明眸澈澈 

yù zhījǐ míngmóu chè chè 

如举灯过渊泽

rú jǔ dēngguò yuān zé

Pre-chorus 2:

谁以鬼行世 

shéi yǐ guǐ xíng shì 

恨善恶

hèn shàn è 

红袍褪身谁识得

hóng páo tuì shēn shéi shí dé 

一眼竟万年 

yīyǎn jìng wàn nián 

情痴终不赦

qíngchī zhōng bù shè 

Chorus:

飞絮身 偏走黄泉路 

fēi xù shēn piān zǒu huáng quán lù 

看尽英雄嗔癫群鬼舞

kàn jǐn yīngxióng chēn diān qún guǐwǔ 

黑白错 风崖起疑雾 

hēibái cuò fēng yá qǐyí wù 

妙手设局待谁入

miàoshǒu shè jú dài shéi rù 

六合渺渺 纵是无觅处

liùhé miǎomiǎo zòng shì wú mì chù 

携酒来 拔剑去 自有归宿

xié jiǔ lái bá jiàn qù zì yǒu guīsù 

Bridge:

天欲晚 风雪袭巴蜀 

tiān yù wǎn fēng xuě xí bāshǔ 

何幸借这温存不孤独

hé xìng jiè zhè wēncún bù gūdú 

问余生 怎舍好眉目 

wèn yúshēng zěn shě hǎo méimù 

三秋如梦也愿赴

sānqiū rú mèng yě yuàn fù 

Last Chorus:

六合渺渺 自有自在处

liùhé miǎomiǎo zì yǒu zìzài chù 

竹林响 忘沉浮 寻光欲渡

zhúlín xiǎng wàng chénfú xún guāng yù dù

——————————————

English Translation:

Verse 1:

How many hardships are there in this mundane world? 

How many can be detached?

Daring to risk experiencing life and death,

Are the solitude, faraway wanderers

Pre-chorus 1:

Who bids farewell to the Manor;[1]

Travelling and drunken on the mountains and rivers, 

and bathing in the light spring vibes under the sky? 

Desiring to be as free as the immortal fairy crane [2] in the clouds, 

yet still with these remaining life entanglements…

Chorus 1:

As free as the flying catkins drift to the Underworld,[3]

Beholding the frenzied dance of the heroes and ghosts,

Black and white inverted; Fengya veiled under doubts and suspicions, 

For whom is the crafted trap set by the master?

The immense six directions are boundless, there is no specific place [4]

Carry a bottle of wine, wield the sword, reach their own destination

Verse 2:

Measurement of the good and evil are unpredictable, 

As well as the owned good times and spurning hardships

Encountering the destined soulmate with unwavering eyes, 

Holding a lantern illuminating across this abyss

Pre-chorus 2:

Who walks this world as a ghost, 

Who despises virtues and vice,

Unrecognizable disguise under the shed red robe

One glance lasting for ten thousand years, 

With this unforgivable mad and love-struck feeling

Chorus:

As free as the flying catkins drift to the Underworld,

Beholding the frenzied dance of the heroes and ghosts,

Black and white inverted; Fengya veiled under doubts and suspicions, 

For whom is the crafted trap set by the master?

The immense six directions are boundless, there is no specific place

Carry a bottle of wine, wield the sword, reach their own destination

Bridge:

As the sky darkened, the wind and snow blows towards Bashu [5]

How fortunate to still be able to linger with this warmth and keep accompanied?

Contemplate in giving up the beautiful world as life is nearing the end,

Willing to be intoxicated in these three autumns dreams. [6]

Last Chorus:

The immense six directions are boundless, each where they belong respectively

The sound of bamboo forests, forgetting the ups and downs of the world, seeking light to cross through.

——————————————

Notes:

[1]: In this context, refers to Four Seasons (Siji) Manor

[2]: simply, freedom like a flying fairy in the clouds. There is also a story of Chinese fairy famous for her eternal youth and brews immortal wine from magical plants

[3]: Flying catkins / dandelions; Yellow Spring or the Underworld.

[4]: north, south, east, west, up, down. 六合 can also mean the world/universe

[5]: 巴蜀, Province in Southwestern China

[6]: Three autumns means three years (ehem, Zhou Zishu’s remaining lifespan)

——————————————

Don't forget to check the Youtube Music Lyric video here.

Thank you for reading. Have a good day! ✨

Please feel free to tell me if you have any questions, or if you notice any mistakes-- whether they be the vocabulary, grammar or something else.

Navigation: ✤ Also read Faraway Wanderers Audio Drama Season 2 Lyrics Translation: Tian Ya Xun Chun ✤ For translations, here. ✤ For more discussions and perspectives, here. ✤ For meme, here! If you like my writing, please consider giving me a tip through Ko-fi! 😊 ✤ More information (commission, messages, requests): Carrd