#zhao E

[city-of-ladies]

"Zhao E, the mother of Pang Yu (Pang Yu Mu Zhao E), fl. 179, also known as Eqin, was the daughter of Zhao An (or Jun An) of Fulu District (present-day Jiuchuan in Gansu Province). She is known by her zi, E, her given name being unknown. Her son, Pang Yu, was appointed Marquis of Guannei (guannei hou) during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Wei dynasty.

According to the biography of Pang Yu in the History of the Wei Dynasty (Wei shu), the Record of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo zhi), and Huangfu Mi’s Biographies of Eminent Women (Lienü zhuan), Zhao E’s father was killed by a man named Li Shou of the same district. Li Shou was so well protected, however, that none of Zhao E’s three younger brothers was able to avenge their father’s death before they themselves died in a plague. Overjoyed at the news of their deaths, Li Shou invited his clansmen to a celebration where he announced:

“All the strong ones of the Zhao clan are now dead and only a weak daughter remains. I need worry no longer.”

He therefore began to let his guard down. Zhao E was enraged when she heard from her son what Li Shou had said and tearfully she vowed:

“Li Shou, don’t you be happy. I will not let you live, for that would bring shame on the three sons of our family. How can you be so sure that Eqin cannot kill you with her own hands? You are not as lucky as you think.”

Harboring vengeance for her father’s death, she secretly bought a famous sword and sharpened it day and night, even as she honed her hatred for Li Shou. Hearing of this, Li Shou resumed his old habit of vigilance, wearing his sword at his belt when he rode out on his horse. He was a vicious man of whom the villagers were terrified. A neighbor of Zhao E, a Madame Xu, tried to dissuade her from her mission, saying:

“Li Shou is a man accustomed to violence. He is also on his guard. No matter how great your determination, you are no match for him and catastrophe will befall you when you find yourself unable to kill him. He will wipe out your entire household, causing untold pain and humiliation. For the sake of your family, I ask you to recon- sider your plan.”

To this Zhao E replied:

“It is wrong to share the same heaven and earth, sun and moon with the murderer of one’s parent; if Li Shou lives, I cannot. Now that all my male siblings are dead, I must seek revenge. If I did as you say, no one would kill Li Shou, and I would not be able to live with myself.”

Her family and neighbors scoffed at these words, but Zhao E continued:

“Well may you laugh at me, a mere woman, vowing to kill Li Shou, but you will see when I stain this blade with the blood of Li Shou’s neck.”

Zhao E became obsessed with Li Shou, abandoning all else to stalk him from a small cart in which she rode. On a fine day early in the second month of 179, she finally confronted him at the metropolitan post-house in Jiuquan. Descending from her cart, she grabbed the bridle of his horse and began to abuse him. When Li Shou tried to yank his horse away, Zhao E lashed out with her sword, wounding both him and the horse. Li Shou was thrown from his horse and landed in the gutter, where Zhao E fell on him, stabbing him repeatedly with her sword. She did not manage to kill him, however, and in her wild haste she broke her sword on a tree. She tried to grab Li Shou’s sword, but he continued to resist, all the while calling loudly for help. He attempted to get up but Zhao E held him down with her left hand, hitting him repeatedly across the throat with her right fist. When he finally stopped struggling she chopped off his head with his sword.

Having killed Li Shou, Zhao E went straight to the district office to give herself up and then started walking toward the jail. The magistrate, however, could not bring himself to sentence her and was ready to hang up his seal and resign from his position, allowing Zhao E to abscond. One version of the story has Zhao E and the magistrate running away together at this point. But Zhao E was determined to pay for her deed.

“Having killed my enemy, I should die. Clearly, this is my lot. As a magistrate, you are responsible for administering the laws and meting out punishment; I dare not treasure my life at the expense of the law.”

News of Zhao E’s integrity attracted a crowd of awed onlookers and even her guards were moved, to the extent that they intimated to her that they would look the other way were she to run away. An emotional Zhao E told them:

“It is not my wish to escape death at the cost of contravening the law. Now that I have wrought vengeance it is right that I die. I beg you to let me bear the full force of the law so that good government will not be jeopardized. I would rather give my life ten thousand times than destabilize the law.”

When the guards still would not listen, she said:

“I may be just a humble woman, but I do understand the law, and I know that the crime of murder is not pardonable. I do not want to run away, I want to receive the punishment due for my crime and be executed in the marketplace in order to uphold the emperor’s law.”

She showed no sign of fear but grew increasingly fervent, so the guards stopped arguing and simply bundled her into a carriage and took her home. Another version is that she did go to jail but was granted amnesty and was able to go home.

Several people, including Zhou Hong, the regional inspector of Liangzhou, and Liu Ban, the governor of Jiuquan, memorialized the emperor about Zhao E’s integrity, and her story was inscribed on a stone stele so that her family might be glorified. Zhang Huan, who held the position of chamberlain for ceremonies (taichang), presented her with twenty bolts of silk out of admiration for her actions. Zhao E’s act of revenge was recorded in official histories and spread far and wide by word of mouth, while men of letters of later ages immortalized her in biographies and poetry. Liang Kuan of late Eastern Han, for instance, wrote her biography, and Zuo Yannian of the Three Kingdoms period praised her integrity in his ballad Qinnü xiu xing. Qinnü xiu xing is also the title of a poem written by Fu Xuan of Western Jin telling of a woman who braved the powerful to avenge her father, and then gave herself up. In this latter poem the woman is called Pang’s wife and one line runs, “One good daughter is worth one hundred sons.”"

Shen Lidong, "Zhao E", in: Xiao Hong Lee Lily, Stefanowska A. D. (eds.), Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui 1600 B.C.E.–618 C.E.

[willumity2020]

This is the most steamy lesbian sex affair ever🤤

[renshengs]

大梦归离 fangs of fortune names + titles masterpost

brought to you by @mengyan and @renshengs <3

*note: this is only for what we consider as main characters, or recurring side characters! if you need clarification for a character that isn't here, send either of us an ask!

common terminology:

daren 大人 (suffix) — gender-neutral honorific often translated as Mr. or Ms. (e.g. Pei-daren = Ms. Pei)

xiao 小 (prefix) — little (e.g. Xiao-Jiu = Little Jiu)

jie/jiejie 姐姐 (suffix) — older sister (e.g. Wen-jiejie)

ge/gege 哥哥 (suffix) — older brother (e.g. Xiao-Zhuo-ge)

didi 弟弟 (suffix) — younger brother (e.g. Bai Jiu-didi) 

“A-” 阿 (prefix) — added before a single character of someone’s name/address, to indicate affection, familiarity, closeness etc (e.g. A-Heng, A-jie)

“er” 儿 (suffix) — added after a single character of someone’s name & is an affectionate term used by someone (often older) whose relationship to them involves some kind of caregiving; can be romantic or platonic (e.g. Wen Xiao’s foster father calling her Xiao’er)

common mistakes:

referring to someone with only one character—in chinese this is generally considered odd (e.g. Zhuo Yichen as “Zhuo”) and is not recommended unless done in-story (e.g. 蜚 Fei’s name just being Fei).

referring to a character by only their surname (e.g. Pei Sijing as “Pei”). chinese names put surnames before given names. (to call her by just her given name, use “Sijing”.)

referring to a character with a 2-character name by only their given name (e.g. Bai Jiu as “Jiu”). since his given name is only 1 character, it can’t be used on its own. using just the given name generally only works with 3-character names (e.g. Zhao Yuanzhou can be referred to as just “Yuanzhou”).

NOTE 1: calling a character by their given name usually implies closeness and informality. generally it is more common among chinese-speakers to use each other’s full names or their surnames combined with a title.

NOTE 2: to call a character by their surname or 1-character given name, you add on a prefix or suffix (e.g. Xiao-Zhuo or Xiao-Chen with Zhuo Yichen, Wen-jiejie or Xiao-jie with Wen Xiao)

NOTE 3: jiejie, gege, didi, (+meimei, what Wen Xiao called E’shou) are not just addresses exclusive to those of blood/familial relation! they can be used to address anyone younger/older than you and also be used in a flirtatious manner (e.g. Wen Xiao’s “Pei-jiejie” is very different from Bai Jiu’s “Pei-jiejie”)!

characters!

name: Zhu Yan | Zhao Yuanzhou [朱厌 | 赵远舟]

abbreviation: ZYZ

nicknames/titles: Great Demon (大妖 -> Da Yao), Stinky Brat (臭小子 -> Chou Xiaozi)

who uses what:

Wen Xiao: Zhao Yuanzhou, Da Yao, Zhu Yan (early on), gege (once)

Zhuo Yichen, Li Lun, some minor characters: Zhao Yuanzhou, Zhu Yan

Pei Sijing: Zhao Yuanzhou, Da Yao

Bai Jiu, Ying Lei: Zhao Yuanzhou

Ying Zhao: Chou Xiaozi

name: Wen Xiao [文潇]

abbreviation: WX

nicknames/titles: Baize Goddess (白泽神女 -> Baize Shennü), Wen Xiao-xiaojie, Wen-daren, Shennü-daren, Wen-jiejie, Xiao-jie, Xiao’er, Archivist Wen (文典藏 -> Wen-diancang)

who uses what:

Zhao Yuanzhou: Wen Xiao, Wen Xiao-xiaojie (early on)

Zhuo Yichen, Pei Sijing: Wen Xiao

Bai Jiu: Wen-jiejie, Xiao-jie

Ying Lei, Ying Zhao, Zhu Yin: Shennü-daren

Fan Ying: Xiao’er

minor characters (often people who aren’t close/are lower in position): Wen-daren, Wen-diancang

name: Zhuo Yichen [卓翼宸]

abbreviation: ZYC

nicknames/titles: Xiao-Zhuo, Xiao-Zhuo-daren, Zhuo Yichen-daren, Xiao-Zhuo-ge, Zhuo-daren, Xiao-Chen, Zhuo Xiao-Chen, Commander Zhuo (卓统领 -> Zhuo-tongling)

who uses what:

Zhao Yuanzhou: Zhuo Yichen, Xiao-Zhuo, Xiao-Zhuo-daren, Zhuo-daren, Zhuo Xiao-Chen (once), Zhuo Yichen-daren (once)

Wen Xiao: Zhuo Yichen, Xiao-Zhuo, Xiao-Zhuo-daren (rare)

Pei Sijing: Zhuo-daren, Xiao-Zhuo (very rarely), Zhuo-tongling, Zhuo Yichen (once)

Bai Jiu: Xiao-Zhuo-ge, Xiao-Zhuo-daren, Zhuo-daren (once)

Ying Lei: Xiao-Zhuo-daren

Li Lun: Zhuo Yichen

Zhuo Yixuan (ZYC’s brother): Xiao-Chen

Fan Ying: Zhuo-tongling, Xiao-Zhuo

Tiandu citizens: Zhuo-tongling

minor characters: Zhuo Yichen, Xiao-Zhuo-daren, Zhuo Yichen-daren

name: Pei Sijing [裴思婧]

abbreviation: PSJ

nicknames/titles: Pei-daren, Pei Sijing-daren, Pei-jiejie, A-jie, jiejie, Pei-jie

who uses what:

Zhao Yuanzhou, Zhuo Yichen: Pei Sijing, Pei-daren

Wen Xiao: Pei Sijing (once), Pei-daren, Pei-jiejie, Pei Sijing-daren (once), jiejie (once)

Pei Siheng: A-jie, jiejie (occasionally)

Bai Jiu: Pei-jiejie

Ying Lei: Pei-jie

minor characters: Pei-daren

name: Bai Jiu [白玖] / implied to originally be named Situ Jiu [司徒玖], after his father’s surname, and took the name Bai Jiu after his mother, Bai Yan

abbreviation: BJ

nicknames/titles: Xiao-Jiu, Little White Bunny (小白兔 -> Xiao Baitu), Bai Jiu-didi, Bai-daren, Bai Jiu-daren, Xiao Bai Jiu, Tu’er (Disciple)

who uses what:

all characters: Bai Jiu

Demon Hunting Bureau squad, Zhen Mei: Xiao-Jiu

Wen Zongyu: Xiao-Jiu, Tu'er

Zhao Yuanzhou: Xiao Baitu

Wen Xiao, Pei Siheng: Bai Jiu-didi

Bai Yan (Bai Jiu’s mother): Xiao Bai Jiu

minor characters: Bai-daren, Bai Jiu-daren

name: Ying Lei [英磊]

abbreviation: YL

nicknames/titles: Little Mountain God (小山神 -> Xiao-Shanshen), Shanshen, Shanshen-daren, Little Ying Lei, child

who uses what:

all characters: Ying Lei

Zhao Yuanzhou: Xiao-Shanshen, Shanshen (once)

Wen Xiao, Zhuo Yichen: Xiao-Shanshen, Shanshen-daren

Zhu Yin: Little Ying Lei

Ying Zhao: child

name: Li Lun [离仑]

abbreviation: LL

nicknames/titles: daren, Boss (老大 -> Lao Da)

who uses what:

almost all characters: Li Lun

Ao Yin: daren, Lao Da

the pagoda spirit: Boss/Lao Da

name: Pei Siheng [裴思恒]

abbreviation: PSH

nicknames/titles: A-Heng, didi

who uses what:

almost all characters: Pei Siheng

Pei Sijing: A-Heng, didi

[why-be-social-when-you-can-read]

In honor of pride month 🏳️‍🌈 here are some queer recs (only books I’ve read and actually enjoyed)

Sci-fi:

the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells - great aspec rep (aro, ace, agender) and lots of background queer characters (being queer is considered normal) and just a great book in general (Murderbot is the most character and it’s anti-capitalism)

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - features a lot of female rage and a poly relationship (also the main character is an utter badass)

the Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin - casually queer (trans background characters and poly relationship) but that’s not the focus of the book (still the story itself is sooo good)

Vicious by V.E. Schwab - ace (confirmed) & gay (idk whether confirmed or not) main character

(Projekt Hail Mary by Andy Weir - not necessarily queer but there’s no romance and one of the main characters is considered queer for humans (I’m kind of cheating, sorry))

Fantasy:

the Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon - great wlw romance and more queer characters, also the worldbuilding is top notch (and there are dragons!)

Carry On (Simon Snow Series) by Rainbow Rowell - kinda like gay Harry Potter fanfiction but in better (also failed chosen one) (it’s silly and cute and just a perfect read for when you’re feeling down)

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune - mlm romance, the character development is great and it’s a perfect mix of emotional and funny (everyone loves the house in the cerulean sea but I honestly think this one’s better)

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - this one‘s about a genderqueer, totally badass main character who ends up in a lesbian (kinda) relationship

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - i think we‘ve all heard of it, it’s fantastic!

the Atlas Six by Olivie Blake - everyone’s some form of queer and it really shows, it’s also a critique on capitalism/elitism (really fun and chaotic)

the Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Horror - wlw romance, feminism, sisterhood and witches (if that doesn’t catch you idk what does but trust me it’s just so good)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - nice story about a trans teen with a cute mlm romance and ghosts

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - it’s a sapphic retelling of Cinderella with feminism and rebellion

[yingtan]

Zhao Lusi for Cosmopolitan China (November 2024)

[terapsina]

Let's decide on the IMPORTANT Fangs of Fortune question! Which of these two is the BIGGEST BISEXUAL FLIRT?

[senecalui]

Zhao Mengjian, 歲寒三友 (Three Friends of Winter), Song dynasty. Album leaf, ink on paper. National Palace Museum, Taipei. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

The Three Friends of Winter are pine, bamboo, and plum, and they are a popular Confucian symbol that represents perseverance, resilience, and steadfastness. The ancient Chinese noted the plants' ability to thrive in the winter when others wither. The ability to endure hardship and persevere through adversity were noble characteristics of the ideal Confucian scholar-gentleman.

[callmehabie]

I'm watching Wall-E with my kids and there's a scene where Eve explodes like fifteen old ships because she's mad and Wall-E basically makes heart eyes at her and I thought "Haha Just like Iron Widdow by Xiran Jay Zhao. =)"

[hidey-writes]

wip wednesday

“Ran-ge,” Xiaoguang starts. Gu Yiran looks up, warily. “Ran-ge, does that mean I have to give both of you the shovel talk?” Xiaoguang sounds genuinely conflicted about the idea, but he’s looking at Gu Yiran again, hands earnestly thrust in his shorts pockets. “It’s a lot to put on me, but it’s not like you have someone else to do it for you here in Halan, right?” Gu Yiran, who had started out hiding his smile, finds himself unexpectedly touched, even as his smile fades. But it’s an unnecessary offer. “I appreciate it, Xiaoguang,” he says, hands folded carefully in the blankets of Zheng Bei’s bed, “but there’s no need for you to. I’m not— it’s not what you think. I’m not planning to do anything.” There won’t be anything to act on, when the case inevitably closes next week and Gu Yiran leaves Halan. Xiaoguang is staring at him, but in the end it's Gu Yiran who looks away first.

i have secret designs on a xiaoguang & gu yiran bromance in this fic ... we shall see if it comes to fruition. i just really really like the idea of xiaoguang's loyalty and protectiveness showing up for gu yiran now that he's accepted him as a bro, yknow?

[slightlybiasedbookreviews]

If you like ACOTAR try these:

More information about why under the cut

Do you want more dangerous fae terrorizing a human girl? Try Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles (YA, historical fantasy)

Do you want more re-tellings of classic fairy tales? Try Starling House and Fractured Fables by Alix E. Harrow (YA, modern fantasy) OR Ella Enchanted (or anything) by Gail Carson Levine (children's and teens, fantasy). These books do a wonderful jobs at being modern, fun takes on many of your favourites.

Want more post-apocalypse but less fantasy? Still want a mix of strong women, action and romance? Try Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (YA, sci-fantasy) and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (YA, sci-fi).

Do you want a fantasy romance aimed at teens and young adults? Do you like a main character who is an archer? The Celestial Kingdom duology (Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior) by Sue Lynn Tan (YA, fantasy)

Do you want an epic fantasy centred around women? Do you want more dragons? The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (adult, fantasy)

[else-creates]

Well we haven't quite finished January

So far this year I've read: "Legends & Lattes" and "Bookshops and Bonedust" by @travisbaldree and "The Fragile Threads of Power" by @veschwab

Next on the list is "Heavently Tyrant" by @xiranjayzhao

[rladpeps]

[todayisafridaynight]

WHY did they call it bleach japan in y8 wouldn’t that carry negative connotations after the founder was exposed and subsequently stabbed to death by another high profile member. sure yeah its ominous to ichi but is that worth the risk of bad pr

oh brother dont get me started everything about ebina pisses me off but the bleach japan bit ESPECIALLY jesus fucking almighty that was so annoying

[yingtan]

ZHAO JINMAI & WU LEI for ELLE China, February 2024

[betterbooksandthings]

"Manipulating morality is a fine thing. It might be why books where the villain is actually the hero just hit right.

This inversion of the hero-versus-villain dynamic plays with our ideas of the public perception of good versus bad. Oftentimes, systems of power are not inherently just, but they establish a set of rules and laws that govern goodness and badness on a large scale.

It is much easier to see wealthy, powerful people as good because, if you follow the just world fallacy, they have worked hard to deserve it. On the flip side, if things are going wrong, by the same principle, it is their fault. Just like many psychological principles, it is just one of those things that often feels intuitively correct but is not.

However, the underlying idea makes a “the villain is actually the hero” setup compelling. It disproves the just world fallacy and reveals a darker truth about the broken systems of justice. “The villain is actually the hero” also sets out to correct historic antisemitic, racist, ableist, and homophobic villainous tropes.

Sometimes, the histories and social structures we are taught growing up misidentify goodness and heroism. The only way to correct it is to go through the difficult process of discovering the truth that the hero was the bad guy all along. “The villain is actually the hero” is always satisfying because even when no one else notices the hero is the problem, the villain is there to thwart them."

[ll-net]

LL E&M Talent List

(click here for series info)

ARTISTS

RICA (2010- )

Tae-Yi (2014- )

KOMODO (2013- )

LLRookies (2015- )

ACTORS

Moon Yejin

Kang Minwoo

MODELS

Jeong Wooin

Myeong Gaeun