In truth, I really don’t like this part, because it also represents that we are bidding our characters farewell for good.
In the morning, when I was getting my makeup done - in an instant, I returned to that summer. I felt that, to be together with good friends, and then having experienced as sweltering a summer as that…
Such an ardently hot-blooded jianghu was presented to everyone; to stand here today--
Because… Because, during the time of Mysterious Lotus Casebook’s initial broadcast, everyone and all the lianluorens must also be thanked. I know there must have been a lot of difficulties when it was first broadcasted, right? To have reached this step today, I think is already very good. I think it is a result of every person’s hard work.
Just now, when we were off-stage, Yan-laoshi said something I really like; in an instant, I lost my composure.
I don’t think fate is something that will come with enough waiting, or something that can be insisted on having. It’s when there comes a day where we stand together and work hard to strive toward a common goal. The sentiments of that moment, I feel, last forever.
I hope, however many years later, everyone is still together - that lianluorens can still be together. Thank you, everyone. This summer, thank you to every person. Thank you to all my good companions; thank you, every single person.
江湖路远 山高水长 祝 「繁华」 似锦!
The roads of the jianghu stretch far; the mountains are lofty, and the rivers are long. I wish your future to be as splendid as an embroidered tapestry!
「追光」 而行 不负初心 愿 永生难忘!
Chase the light as you journey; live up to the original intentions of your heart. I hope this will be unforgettable for your lifetime!
我的手 习惯摸摸我的头
My hands are used to touching my head
就打开 记忆的河流
Just like opening a river of memories
池塘边 总有几个好朋友
There are always some good friends by the pond
听蝉鸣 看渔舟
Listening to the cicadas, watching the fishing boat
人和人 如何区别儿零后
Between people, how do you differentiate
是年幼 或是很成熟
Are they young or old?
淤泥下 终于长出了莲藕
Under the soil, finally does the lotus grow
请莲花 莫回首
May the lotus never turn back
我爱初春 也会爱深秋
I love the start of spring and also late autumn
我爱青丝 也会爱白头
I love black hair and will love white hair
我爱漂泊的人回到家门口
I love how the wandering return back to the doors of their home
人生简单就足够
It’s enough for life to be simple
我爱新鲜 也会爱陈旧
I love new things and also the past
我爱梦醒 也会爱梦游
I love being awake and also walking among dreams
我爱重逢的人紧紧不撒手
I love those who reunite and never let go
我爱昙花一现的所有
I love everything short-lived
人和人 如何区别几零后
Between people, how do you differentiate
是年幼或是很成熟
Are they young or old?
淤泥下 终于长出了莲藕
Under the soil, finally does the lotus grow
请莲花 莫回首
May the lotus never turn back
我爱初春 也会爱深秋
I love the start of spring and also late autumn
我爱青丝 也会爱白头
I love black hair and will love white hair
我爱漂泊的人回到家门口
I love how the wandering return back to the doors of their home
人生简单就足够
It’s enough for life to be simple
我爱新鲜 也会爱陈旧
I love new things and also the past
我爱梦醒 也会爱梦游
I love being awake and also walking among dreams
我爱重逢的人紧紧不撒手
I love those who reunite and never let go
我爱曾经失去的所有
I love all that I lost
Is the lotus lantern something that belonged to Sanshengmu or did she steal it to protect her family?
In the most modern interpretation that I have read, it was a gift from Sanseng's mother Yunhua, who was given it as a gift by Nuwa who created it. At least that is the version I am familiar with but that could just be the most popular modern interpretation. But otherwise it is Sanseng’s, she never stole it.
But it does have a long history. An item called the Lotus Lantern was first seen in the "Eight Immortals Awakening to the Way " and was originally the magic weapon of Our Lady of Mount Tai. It was used for lighting and exorcising evil spirits. Later, it became the treasure of Mount Huashan in the folk tale "The Lotus Lantern" which was formed in the late Qing Dynasty and the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
"You must possess the power of incomparable kindness to activate its divine power that shakes the world and reverses the universe. It usually turns into a lotus, but it will only appear when there is danger in the world. If you have any evil thoughts, you will be hurt by it. Its power is boundless and no one in the Three Realms can match it. It has seven petals in total, emitting colorful light to guide people in life. Each petal can transform into any form to protect its owner. It has spirituality, recognizes its owner, and is never damaged. It has the ability to heal any injury and restore all the abilities and skills of the injured. It can also stimulate all human potential.
If the magic lamp goes out in the middle, the remaining potential of the person with high potential will remain in the magic lamp, which will conflict with the power of the magic lamp itself. The person with high potential will die under the attack of the two forces, thus being locked to death in the magic lamp. It can protect and preserve the soul of a person who dies abnormally. As long as the body is turned 81 times to the left and 81 times to the right, it can be resurrected. If there are not enough or too many circles, you may not be able to resurrect, or your spirit may be swapped, and you must start over to recover. At the same time, it can wash away all the filth in the world; it can lead all things in the world to go anywhere; it can give an early warning to its owner by luminous light, and its intensity represents the degree of danger."
Not sure how much of this is from the original purpose to the newer version of the Lotus Lantern but this is considered as a very powerful creation in general. I do like to think that Sanseng was able to at least have one thing that connected her to her mother while she was under the mountain. Like the one thing she was able to take with her as a child when she and Erlang Shen were running away from heaven.
第七名:《莲花楼》!
In seventh place, Mysterious Lotus Casebook!
李莲花长命百岁。
May Li Lianhua live a long life [to be a hundred years old].
《莲花楼》剧里剧外高度一致。它只播了十八天,和李莲花的寿命一样短。它也和李莲花一样好,到现在还让莲络人们久久难忘!播完了反而引发长尾效应:爱奇艺热度破万、豆瓣58万人打出8.5的高分、主角配角纷纷破圈、产出各种莲学热梗。
Mysterious Lotus Casebook was consistent both within and outside the drama. It broadcasted for only 18 days, a length as short as Li Lianhua’s lifespan. It is also as good as Li Lianhua, even now still not leaving lianluoren’s memory for a long time! In fact, its impact has continued to last even after the end of its broadcast: its iQiyi heat broke ten thousand; on Douban, it received a high score of 8.5 from 580,000 ratings; main and supporting roles gained fame [beyond fan circles] one after another; and it created all sorts of popular “lian-style” punchlines.
一字诗:绝!
To summarize in a one-word poem: excellent!
作为一部悬疑武侠探案剧,《莲花楼》有很多优点,但最让人印象深刻的还是人物!
As a mystery/wuxia/crime-solving drama, Mysterious Lotus Casebook has a lot of merits, but what has left the deepest impression upon viewers must still be its characters!
就在江湖之上我们看到了太对惊喜。
Within the jianghu alone, we have seen too many pleasant surprises.
角丽樵疯得彻底也爱得痴狂。
Jiao Liqiao went insane to the point of completion, and also loved to the point of infatuated obsession.
乔婉娩不再等待归人,拿起了她的剑。
Qiao Wanmian no longer waited for someone to return, and instead picked up and drew her own sword.
笛飞声认定了对手就一辈子不会放手。
Di Feisheng recognized one person as his well-matched adversary and thus, in this lifetime, would not let him go.
方多病初出茅庐却热血赤诚。
Fang Duobing was naive and inexperienced, yet also ardently righteous and utterly sincere [wholly devoted].
而从天下第一的李相夷到放下一切的李莲花,他来时一叶扁舟、去时江上漂流,经历了一场对整个江湖的盛大告别后挑了个自己喜欢的结局。
And from the Li Xiangyi who was number one beneath the heavens to the Li Lianhua who had set everything down, his arrival was on a small boat, and his departure was carried away by the currents of the river. After experiencing a splendorous farewell to the entirety of the jianghu, he chose an ending that he himself liked.
这部剧后劲如此之大在于看完之后有所感。
That the drama’s after-effects were so great has to do with how it made viewers feel after they finished watching.
它在匆忙人世里写放下、写告别、写顿悟、写没有如果不必回头、写从前那样很好现在这样也很好。
Within the hurried bustle of the human world, it told a story of setting things down; of bidding goodbye; of sudden enlightenment in a moment’s time; of no what-if’s and no need to look back; of “How it was in the past, was good; how it is now, is also good.”
原来一念心清静真的能莲花处处开。
So it turns out that with a single thought, the heart attains peace; and lotus flowers truly can bloom all around.
from low君's 《2023年度十大高分国剧》 Top Ten Highest-Rated Mainland Dramas of 2023
Can you elaborate on Yao Ji having her husband and first son killed? Because I looked her up but that part of her story didn’t show up in either version of her origins
So looking into it, it turns out that this was another case of a single piece of media making headcanon so popular that other pieces of media copy it. It was Lotus Lantern the TV series that makes Yao Ji Erlang's mother when she is more considered a daughter of the jade emperor (something the 1996 series kept right). And from there other series or stories have copied that format giving Yaoji that attention.
But the real name of Erlang Shen's mother is Yunhua 云花女. She is still considered a daughter in some myth but it is hard to tell which myths are the most popular. Yunhua, also known as Cloud Flower Girl, is a character also known as Zhang Xiangu, Zhang Sanjie, Zhang Yuntai, and San Shengu, her titles are Princess Bailian and Princess Lotus. The records mainly come from classical literary works such as "Erlang Baojuan" and "Journey to the West " as well as folklore.
She is the wife of Yang Tianyou, the third princess of Heaven, and the owner of the Bullfighting Palace. Yunhua is either the third daughter of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West (other theories believe that Yunhua is the sister of the Jade Emperor, and the Third Holy Mother is the daughter of the God of Huashan Mountain in Xiyue).
So sorry for the confusion! Here are links to both Yunhua and Yaoji if you wish to read more!