#and was so in love with yongzheng

[dangermousie]

I decided to sorta-rewatch Gong/Jade Palace Lock Heart which I am old fogey enough to have watched as it aired back in 2011.

The time travel/transmigration ban is thanks to the success of it and BBJX one-two punch combo. Tragic but almost worth it because two dramas are both huge huge faves. Where BBJX is a moody tragic masterpiece, this is just insanely addictive fun.

In the event you were not (1) watching cdramas back in 2011 (2) did not watch this since (3) weren't around when I posted about this before, JPLH centers around our awesome heroine Qing Chuan, who is a modern day owner of an antiques shop and a huge Emperor Yongzheng fangirl, who falls through time and ends up in the Qing Dynasty, during the time of Kang Xi's sons' fight for the throne, a fight that she knows and is happy Yongzheng eventually wins.

She meets and has some epic interactions with hunky YZ, then merely the Fourth Prince (played deliciously by young Mickey He - as always with plenty of chemistry with Yang Mi; they were a tragic OTP in Schemes of Beauty some time before JPLH, the chemistry is still there.)

Today's censors would collectively immolate themselves rather than release this drama - Four is ruthless and scheming and fine with murdering his brothers (and others) on his path to the throne (so like the historical YZ.) There is no noble "I care for the people" from him or anyone, they just want power. He does develop a soft spot for our plucky FL and she has an epic crush on him but...wrinkle. Her endgame OTP is not this gentleman. It's this one:

The immature Eighth Prince, loser in the battle of the princes, her bete noir in the palace and one who is here confusing one of his brothers who does not understand that his bullying is a bizarro form of flirting that even he doesn't get, not a genuine desire to harm.

One of the things that this drama, bubblegum tho he is, ahistorical tho it is (QC teaches one of the concubines to get into Kang Xi's favor by rollerskating!) gets is how bloody and murder-happy that world is. None of these people blink at murdering, maiming or otherwise damaging others

Did I mention that JPLH is a Qing era AU of Boys Over Flowers, btw? With our FL as Makino, Eighth Prince as queued Domyouji and Four aka Yongzheng as an extremely homicidal Rui. I have said it before and said it again - this is the first BOF adaptation that actually makes sense to me in power and character dynamics because of course period absolute royals are gonna be insane, bloody, and get everyone to obey.

This drama has the old school cdrama delicious vibe (that Dashing Youth brought back) of starting light and then descending into hell. It's the best. I love how long it takes Eight to win her. I love the ship and angst and happy ending and why it makes sense for her to take so long to realize it's him she loves (look at his initial behavior, look at her being a time traveler etc.)

This was my first Qing era drama actually. When I looked at Feng Shao Feng not just with the queue but unbound loose hair (with the half shaved look) and went "you know, I don't know if it makes sense, he looks FUCKING HOT" I should have known I was a goner for period cdramas, if I wasn't before.

PS I am old enough to remember FSF and YM having hordes of RPShippers. Oooooold.

PPS Equivalent of Rui's violin:

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

~*~

Hi! It's me and yes, it's a Time Travel rec...BUT hear me out! Sect Leader Yao saves the world. No. Really! Look. He worked REAAALLLY hard. Of COURSE, things were better since he SINGLE-HANDEDLY saved! SAVED!!! the cultivation world. It is just over 6k of pure joy... and Sect Leader Yao (who, as the tag describes is every overconfident underqualified middle-aged cishet man ever). @ck90

🔒 how Yao Yongzheng traveled back in time to save everyone

by ShippersList

T, 6k, Wangxian

Summary: ”You were a man who loved the sound of his own voice,” the shape says, voice drifting over to him like a half-forgotten scent. ”So, how about you put that voice to better use and show what good you actually are.” OR A story in which Fate challenges Sect Leader Yao to put his money where his mouth is and change everything better. Obviously, it should be easy and simple because Sect Leader Yao knows everything, right?

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[0junemeatcleaver0]

okay so my brain apparently wants to focus solely on a shit post instead of outlining this fic, working on my novel, or finishing my substack post but here we go because my brain worms have decided to fixate on the boys playing with guns. cool.

𝖇𝖆𝖓𝖌 𝖇𝖆𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖞 𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖞 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙 𝖒𝖊 𝖉𝖔𝖜𝖓

but i just keep picturing armand deciding his latest fixation is now guns. pistols, specifically, and he's got quite a lovely collection going on. he probably finds it really meditative to take them apart and restore them, the ones that are worse for wear.

and so there are just a bunch of fucking hand guns out on a table when lestat comes over. some are already restored, some are being worked on. armand has a thin sheen of blood sweat coating his forehead from sheer concentration alone--the goal is always, for him, to make the gun operable but not to damage it in any way and never accidentally strip any of the patina off, which can lower the value of the gun drastically.

they're fussing at each other. it's mostly playful and the funniest part about this whole debacle is that it's not even the worst fight they've ever had. it's not even ugly for the forms their spats take in the modern era.

but lestat, as always, is feeling cheeky and in mock offense scoops a gun off the table and aims it squarely at armand's chest--laughing at the momentary look of shocked outrage that crosses his face.

"knock it off, lestat." armand scowls, picking up one of his many small tools to resume work on the pistol currently in his hands.

"why? scared?" he's smiling but the truth is, he is the one that is scared. something happened when he picked up the pistol--his heart beginning to trip over itself. the last time he pointed a gun at something, it mattered, it meant something. he's not had much reason to point a gun at anything since his turning but some near-human part of him (or an echo of his former humanity) is screaming and thrashing like a beast inside of him.

"please." armand rolls his eyes, spitting the word out as though the thought of ever being scared of lestat is the stupidest thing he can imagine. he doesn't even have the decency to look up to mock him, just keeps running a small, soft bottle brush inside the barrel of the gun in his hand.

anger momentarily flares in lestat and he's shocked to find his finger tightening on the trigger a fraction before he eases off the pressure.

"i could, you know." lestat sniffs haughtily. "i could shoot you."

"oh, and what a tragedy that would be." armand sounds bored of him already. he's hold a gun on the little shit and he's bored. "please, sir," he mocks, voice dripping sarcasm, "don't kill me. i'm too young to die!"

they both flinch when the gun goes off in lestat's hand. and while he doesn't remember telling his brain to pull the trigger he does recall the split second decision he made to aim just over armand's shoulder--bullet colliding with something breakable behind him. lestat doesn't know what he's just atomized into a fine powder that hangs in the air but armand doesn't even seem to need to turn to figure it out, chair legs scraping loudly over the floor as he rises to his feet like a VHS skipping --and isn't that an old reference! one he doubts his son would understand. but don't worry, viktor, i'm full of outdated references that would boggle the mind--

logically he cannot work out which he's aware of first--the sound of the shot or the bullet connecting with his shoulder. do bullets travel faster than the speed of sound? modern ones certainly, but these hunks of rust?

"--my damned Yongzheng vase!" armand is saying when he tunes back into what's being screamed at him.

it ultimately doesn't matter--the shot won't kill him but it certainly hurts and so that's the only bit of the tirade he catches before his attention is squarely on his shoulder and the searing pain radiating out from it, down his bicep and into his back.

"would you rather i had hit you?" lestat hisses through his teeth. his senses are a heady mixture of hot pain, the coppery-sweet smell of his blood, and the sensation of his body starting to knit itself together.

"yes!" it's one of the most ridiculous things lestat has heard in a minute but the seriousness with which its said sets him off into a fit of laughter again--guffawing harder and the look of irritation on aramnd's face.

"fine!" he proclaims between giggles, "have this, then."

he's not truly aiming when he squeezes the trigger this time, just points it vaguely at armand's form and fires. it grazes his side, sliding between the barely-there hollow between ribs. lestat's not certain if the bullet has even had time to settle into the wall behind armand before he's being shot at again--this time the bullet connecting with his hip.

it's worse than before, his leg buckling so that he must catch himself on the table before him. the pain is bad enough but his heightened senses means he can acutely hear the bone chipping and splintering where armand's shot has caught his pelvis.

his vision is red, the roaring in his head drowning out whatever thoughts he's having. whether he thinks to shoot again is lost on even him, his brain only coming on line quick enough to watch a large red stain spread stickily over the torso of armand's shirt, hearing himself finish whatever he was saying with a resounding, "--my fucking hip!"

it happens too quickly--he thinks perhaps he's feeling that tingling under his skin that feels so much like a million ants marching to duty to weave together the fibers of his muscle, cement his bone back in place. or it is merely the sensation of blood leaking carelessly from his body, trickling over his skin. he doesn't have time to puzzle it out before the gun goes off in armand's hand again.

the last thing he feels before momentary night engulfs him is the sensation--and sound, my god the sound!--of his lower jaw cracking, the right side parting from his face entirely. the indignity of feeling his mandible swinging like a barn door in a storm, marring the perfect beauty of his face.

the next thing he knows, he's staring up into the disapproving face of marius, shoving his open wrist into the red-gape of writhing pain where lestat's mouth used to be.

[sophia-sol]

MDZS/CQL fic recs for the month!

within these walls, by Shadaras

- cql/mdzs. this is a remix of another fic but you don't need to read the original to follow this one, as it follows a character who gets less focus in the original

- about wen qing and her interactions over the years with jin guangyao, in an au where she's imprisoned by him and helping him, after surviving leaving the burial mounds

- a great look at wen qing and her choices, and what she is and isn't able to do to affect things, and what she's willing to help with

- 2k words in length

Bird on the Wire, by villainousfriend (katzenfabrik)

- mdzs space au about nie huaisang and his years-long project in avenging his da-ge

- a repeated theme throughout the fic is nhs visiting and talking to back-ups that had been taken of nmj's personality before death, and the way that this makes literal how HAUNTED nhs is by his brother's absence is just sooooooo good

- the worldbuilding is great, the things that are changed from canon due to this different context are great, the anguish and monofocus of nhs are great

- I AM ALL EMOTIONS ;_;

- 8k words in length

mutual aid, by verity

- mdzs wangxian modern-with-cultivation au where lwj is a trans man and wwx is a trans woman

- and ahhhh it just makes me so emotional about how GREAT wangxian are!!!

- wonderfully integrated characters/plot into a world they inhabit where friends and work and weird tastes in books are part of their lives, and also, lwj and wwx find each other and are immediately obsessed with each other, finding something in each other that allow them to best be themselves

- so many very funny details also, at the same time that it's many feelings

- 10k words in length

how Yao Yongzheng traveled back in time to save everyone, by ShippersList

- mdzs/cql time travel au fic where Sect Leader Yao travels back in time at the point of his death, and intends to Make Changes For The Better

- a funny and fun look at how things happen, with and without his intervention!

- 6k words in length

lotus blossoms out of season, by Kieron_ODuibhir

- mdzs/cql canon divergence au, where instead of mxy sacrificing himself to resurrect wwx, jc sacrifices himself to resurrect jyl

- jyl and wn and mxy eat soup together about it

- and jyl grapples with how she feels about everything that happened. and what she's going to do next

- and like. DANG I love it!!!

- 5k words in length

the mountain, by verity

- mdzs songxuexiao t4t4t modern au where they're grad students in china

- I had the pleasure of getting to see this fic as it came together, and the thought and care verity puts into their writing is always so evident in their beautifully written and beautifully constructed stories!

- from song lan's pov as he watches creepy stalker xue yang entwine herself into his bff (and object of pining) xiao xingchen's life

- sl DOESN'T trust xy, he DOES find it super hot to put her in her place and have sex with her, he DOES struggle to be fully vulnerable with xxc despite everything she is to him

- the vibes are so good, I love how real and present each character and their complex emotions about each other are, and I love the way the theme of the weather runs through the whole fic holding things together

- highly recommend!

- 12k words in length

[rosethornewrites]

T & G reading since 3/24

Finished

Teen:

Shards of Hope, by Dreaming_Days (18 chapters)

He had fought his entire life to make his way in the world. Made choices that turned his stomach just to survive. Built a life with blood and sweat and watched it crumble before him. And, in the end, utterly forsaken, Jin Guangyao died.

Then, 25 years earlier, Meng Yao woke up.

how Yao Yongzheng traveled back in time to save everyone, by ShippersList (🔒)

”You were a man who loved the sound of his own voice,” the shape says, voice drifting over to him like a half-forgotten scent. ”So, how about you put that voice to better use and show what good you actually are.”

OR

A story in which Fate challenges Sect Leader Yao to put his money where his mouth is and change everything better. Obviously, it should be easy and simple because Sect Leader Yao knows everything, right?

General:

A Significant Difference, by nirejseki

Lan Qiren wouldn’t have thought that there was much difference between being acting sect leader and raising one’s nephews because your brother was in permanent seclusion and being acting sect leader as regent for one’s underaged nephews because one’s brother was dead, but apparently there was.

A significant difference.

Untitled, by @only10th

Wangxian meeting at the mall, single mom wwx shopping for some clothes with his little radish.

wen!wwx au fic, by @stiltonbasket

Prompt: For the wen!wwx au, how does lwj find out that wwx is a spy for the resistance?

Happy Ending, by pinkychan (6 chapters)

After eloping with Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian is living his best life, because happy is what happens when all your dreams come true... excetp when it doesn't.

OR

Don’t Think About the White Bear [your past life]

The Missing Piece, by nununununu (🔒)

Wei Wuxian leaves and the world forgets him. Even Lan Wangji.

Except he doesn't, of course. He can't. How could he?

Forget Gold, by mondengel (🔒)

Wei WuXian admires his husband

Unfinished

Teen:

What Remains After the War, by Swan_Song

There is a child in the burial mounds.

Looking at the face of a sobbing toddler, crying for the man he once called brother, Jiang Wanyin he can’t find it in him to care that the boy has Wen blood.

He takes the boy home

A-Ying Lives Alone, by DizziDreams

Lan Qiren approaches, trying not to frown as he looks down at the young boy in his strange clothes. “Young man, are your parents at work? They should not have left you home alone without a caretaker."

"No, shushu!" The boy shakes his head vigorously, large eyes growing wide. "A-Ying lives alone!"

General:

Each Day I Go Into the Fields, by stiltonbasket (48th in a series)

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan’s uncle says, on a balmy summer morning about a week after the Duanwu festival. “Have you and Wangji been down to the produce field lately?”

Wei Wuxian looks at Lan Zhan over the Jingshi’s scarred kitchen table, puzzled by the sudden question, and passes Xiao-Yu a plate of hot baozi before turning back to his uncle-in-law.

“Of course, Uncle,” he replies, wondering if the baby disciples have been trampling over Lan Qiren’s favorite herb patch again. “Why do you ask?”

Or: a year after his wedding, Wei Wuxian is surrounded by an overgrowth of vegetables, and just the right amount of love.

life in love's exchange, by stiltonbasket

“Do you think I don’t want to marry you?”

“You’re not in love with me,” Nie Mingjue says, pointing out the obvious. “Why would you want to?”

“You have been my dearest friend since before we both laid eyes on our little brothers,” Xichen smiles, leaning over to kiss his forehead. “There is no one closer in my heart, and that will never change; so if I must marry now, whom could it be but you?”

Jin Guangshan shows his hand too soon in the aftermath of the Sunshot Campaign.

Luckily for everyone else, Nie Huaisang plays to win.

[gilthairpins]

Book 2 Chapter 9: Joy Breed Sorrow, Love Breeds Fear

The flowers bloomed, withered, withered and bloomed again. A year had passed between the blooming and withering of flowers.

Zhang Qianying sent someone to call me. I quickly dried my hands and rubbed my hair with the water from the basin acting as a mirror. This is probably what it means to be disheveled, right?

As soon as I entered the room, i immediately regretted it. Zhang Qianying stood at the door to greet me respectfully. When he saw me come in, he quickly left and closed the door. Tenth and Fourteenth stood up when they saw me. Fourteenth ordered the eunuch who came with them: “guard the door”.

Fourteenth looked gloomy. He looked me up and down and then up and down. Tenth was stunned. After a while, he asked, “Why are you like this, Ruoxi?”

He rounded angrily on Fourteenth, “Didn’t you say you had everything arranged? Is this what you arranged?”

“You look like you’ve been working.” I laughed and said.

“How does Zhang Qianying treat you?” Fourteenth asked.

“He’s very caring. He turns a blind eye to my mistakes and is very kind.” I said nodding.

I have figured out Zhang Qianying’s temperament, so it’s not too difficult to deal with him. The palace has its own rules. Not to mention that Fourteenth would never interfere with the personnel changes in the palace, which would only make things difficult for me. Even if he did, who knows if Zhang Qianying would be replaced by a more difficult person?

Tenth’s expression eased a little and he pointed to a chair for me to sit. I had recovered from the shock of our first meeting, but I was suddenly startled again and I jumped up from the chair.

“What happened?”

The two looked sad and stared at me with grief, wanting to say something but stopping.

I covered my mouth in horror and murmured, “No, what happened to my sister?”

They were both stunned. Tenth said, “Your sister is fine, although she has always been weak. You know this yourself that she’s been like this for many years.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in my seat. “You came to me with such fanfare, what happened?”

Fourteenth said slowly, “The matter is urgent, I can’t take care of so many things. Ever since the incident from two years ago, Eighth was hit hard and fell seriously ill. He’s been in a low mood, although he has recovered. His body was weak to begin with and his insides and outside are connected. Now he is sick again, this time the disease is sever. The imperial physician said… the imperial physician said…” He turned his face away and said nothing more.

My mind was a mess for a moment. I held my head up and tried to concentrate. Eighth should have lived until Yongzheng ascended the throne, so he should be fine at this time. But I was too concerned and confused. I was not sure if what I knew would happen. My heart was pounding and I tried to comfort myself. Wasn’t the prince twice deposed as I knew? Everything would still go according to history. I slowly let go of half my heart, but I suddenly felt infinitely sad. If it really went according to history, I could only escape this day, but I could escape the next day. I held my head up and closed my eyes without saying a word. After a while I asked, “What did the emperor say?”

Tenth’s face was gloomy as he answered woodenly, “Royal Father only said four words to the imperial physician ‘try your best to treat’. Later he wrote on a memorial about Eighth’s condition: ‘if the disease is cured it’s a blessing. If the poison is not completely eliminated, it will be difficult to cure with supplements.’ Later, in order to avoid bad luck, royal father ordered a seriously ill Eighth, who was not suitable for moving, to be moved into a villa near Changchun Garden, back to the prince’s mansion. Ninth objected, but royal father insisted on doing so saying…”

Fourteenth interrupted Tenth and said, “We came here specially to ask if you have anything to say or anything you want to tell us. We can pass along your message. We have pens and ink, paper and ink stone here. If you want to write a letter you can do so.”

“Did Eighth Master ask you to come?” I asked.

Fourteenth shook his head. “It was my idea while Eighth was unconscious. Tenth came here specially to see you.”

“What is your relationship with Eighth, Ruoxi? Why did Fourteenth come to inform you that he was critically ill?” Tenth asked staring at me.

I pretended not to hear and asked, “How is the mansion now? How are Eighth Fujin and my sister?”

“Since the year before last, Eighth has ignored everything. All affairs of the mansion are handled by Eighth sister in law, who is also taking care of Eighth, who is always sick.” Fourteenth said. “Now…if you see her, you will know. Because everyone in the mansion points fingers at her and Eighth is like this, she is just relying on her will to hold on. Your sister worries about you and Mynah every day, kneeling in the Buddhist temple all day long, chanting sutras and praying for blessings. I heard from the maid she cries several times a day.” He sighed.

I am now outside the circle of right and wrong, but the people I care about are… am I too selfish? I only think about how you don’t want to change your mind, but you make your loved ones are unhappy.

Tenth sighed, “I have never admired any woman, but now I admire Eighth sister in law. She really is a man among women. When Thirteenth got into trouble that day, Thirteenth’s house was in all sorts of chaos. All kinds of petty theft and robberies came out. Thirteenth Fujin had no choice but to dismiss all the servants and maids. There were hundreds of people in Eighth’s manor, inside and out, and there are farms and other properties. The situation was much more complicated than in Thirteenth’s house, but Eighth sister in law shocked everyone and there was no chaos.”

I stared at Tenth, stunned for a while. “I don’t have anything to say to the Eighth Master, and I guess he doesn’t want to hear from me.”

Tenth frowned and said nothing, while Fourteenth lowered his head and sighed. I picked up my pen and wrote:

From joy arrises sorrow, from joy arises fear; without joy there is no sorrow, where is there fear? From love comes sorrow, from love comes fear; without love there is no sorrow, where is fear? Therefore do not cling, for love and separation are suffering. If there is no love and no hate, there is no bondage.

After finishing, I gave it to Fourteenth. “Give this to my sister.”

Fourteenth took it and placed it in his pocket. Standing up he said, “Let’s go, Tenth!”

Tenth stood about to leave when I said, “No matter what Eighth’s condition is, can you send me a message in time?”

They both nodded in agreement. As the two walked out, I called to Fourteenth. He stopped and turned to look at me. Tenth glanced at us a moment and then walked out the door, closing it carefully.

“Don’t tell Tenth.” I said, walking up to him.

Fourteenth said, “I don’t need to. We’ve experienced so many ups and downs these last three or so years. Tenth is no longer the reckless man he was before. He is a man of great wisdom. Even if he understands, he won’t tell Tenth sister in law. Who would have the heart to hurt Eighth sister in law?”

Yes! How could Tenth be so considerate when faced with such a situation? We were silent and our minds instantly flew back to the scenes many years ago, glaring at Tenth as if it were yesterday.

After a while he said, “I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.”

I nodded and he turned, opened the door and left with Tenth.

I was in suspense for five days before I received word that Eighth was out of danger. I was not happy, but sad. It’s easier said than done. I told my sister I had stopped worrying, but I couldn’t fool myself. Although I was far away from them, I couldn’t let go.

Along with the message came two bits of news- good and bad. The bad was Eighth Fujin had become ill due to over work and was bedridden, while Eighth’s illness was improving. The good news was that Kangxi had ordered that the salary, which had been suspended for a year and ten months, be paid to Eighth according to his rank as a Bei’le.

The money was secondary, but it reflected Kangxi’s attitude. The news spread quickly in the palace and the people in the laundry department treated me with a bit more of a smile. I couldn’t help but sigh that the emperor’s words affected every corner of the Forbidden City, and that I still benefited from Eighth.

Where ever there are people, there are intrigues and disputes, and the laundry department was no exception. But after being by Kangxi’s side for more than ten years, what scenes haven’t I seen? Even if Zhang Qianying is shrewd, he has only honed his tricks in the laundry department after all. In my eyes, I just laughed it off. Even if the others are scheming, they are only hoping for more benefits. I don’t take the ridicule and sarcasm of outsiders to heart. Since I don’t mind, their viciousness is just in vain.

In the eyes of others, I was suffering unusually, doing menial jobs every day and having to deal with swords and guns: both open and covertly. But my heart was as calm as an ancient well, without any waves. I truly understood what the Buddhist scriptures said from the narrowest level. “From love comes worry, from love comes fear; without love there is no worry, where is the fear?” Since I didn’t care about them at all, everything they did was meaningless to me. Only the people you love can hurt you!

In December of the 56th year of Kangxi’s reign, the empress dowager died. Although this Borjigit woman from the prairie was once the empress, she was never loved by Shunzhi [Kangxi’s name prior to ascension?] Perhaps the only thing she could be thankful for was Kangxi’s filial piety to her. He wasn’t her biological son, but he treated her like his own mother and let her live out her life.

Kangxi wore white mourning clothes and cut off his braids to show his grief. We also wore white and there was white cloth on the ground and roofs, ordered by the emperor. Together with the snow, there wasn’t a single bright color in the Forbidden City.

In February of the 57th year of Kangxi’s reign, the northwest was in danger. Lazang Khan was killed and Lhasa fell, the Junggar tribe controlled the entire Tibet. News spread through the palace and everyone was talking about the war thousands of miles away. Because it was related to the integrity of the Qing Dynasty’s territory and the success of the Manchu-Mongolian alliance, which was the crucial basis of the Qing Dynasty rule.

If the Junggar tribe controlled Tibet, it would be possible to incite the Mongolian tribes to break away from the Qing Dynasty rule by using religion. So Emperor Kangxi responded quickly and ordered Seleng to lead the army to recapture Tibet. Xi’an General Elunte and minister of the interior Gong Tsewang Norbu followed to help.

Kangxi was full of confidence. With each level of influence, everyone felt that victory was just around the corner. The topic of conversation among the palace maids and eunuchs around them quickly turned to guessing when the victorious army would return to court. I shook my head and sighed. How could it be so impossibly easy?

Although I can’t remember exactly what happened in this war, and I didn’t know when it started or ended, I knew Fourteenth stood out in this war. His title of “Great General King” came from this. If Seleng and Elunte had won, wouldn’t Fourteenth have no chance to play?

Sure enough, bad news came again. Seleng went to Tibet alone in May and Elunte who lost contact with him, quickly pursued him. They only met up in Karausu in northern Tibet in July. The army of Tsewang Norbu, which was supposed to go to support, hesitated in moving forward. In addition the Mongolian princes in Qinghai broke their promise and refused to send troops to meet them. Finally, the army of Seleng and Elute were surrounded and annihilated.

The whole army was annihilated! The whole country was shocked. Not only was there fear of war in the Qing court, but some Mongolian princes in Qinghai were also frightened and unwilling to fight again. The Qing Dynasty faced the most sever situation since Galdan invaded Ulan Butong in the 29th year of Kangxi’s reign. This battle also became the most serious mistake in the history of Kangxi’s rule.

Under this urgent situation of internal and external troubles, on October 12, in the 57th year of Kangxi’s reign, Kangxi appointed Fourteenth, Prince Yinzhen, as the general of Fuyuan and granted him the title of prince by Gushan Beizichao. Dispatching troops from various routes as appropriate to annihilate Tsewang Arabtan and pacify the boarder. This was called appointment, which meant that he was responsible for the arduous task of marching into Lhasa, recovering Tibet, attacking Yili directly, and solving the Dzungar issue.

In December, Kangxi held a military ceremony for Fourteenth, which was the most grand military ceremony since the founding of the Qing Dynasty. The system of the yellow banner and the prince were used, and he was called the general king.

Beizi, Gong, and the other officials below all wore military uniforms and gathered in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The kings, Bei’le, Beizi, Gong, and ministers above second rank, who were not going to war, wore python robes and gathered outside the Meridian Gate.

General Yinzhen knelt to receive the imperial seal, thanked the grace and saluted. Then he followed the imperial seal out of the Meridian Gate, rode out of Tiananmen, and went to Deshengmen. The kings, Bei’le, Beizi, Gong, and ministers above the second rank were all sent to the soldiers. General Yinzhen kowtowed and saluted and marched in a solemn manner.

At that time, everyone in court unanimously agreed that Fourteenth was the most likely successor to the throne in Kangxi’s mind and the most gloriously chapter in Fourteenth’s political life began.

When the situation in the court was favorable to Fourteenth, Ninth chose to strongly support him. The eagle killing incident may have been done by Fourteenth or not, but after weighing the pros and cons, Fourteenth must have been the more favorable choice for the original Eighth Prince Party, compared to Third and Fourth.

Ninth strongly supported Fourteenth, giving him advice in court and keeping him informed. Ninth even publicly declared for him as “extremely intelligent, talented and virtuous, and none of my brothers could compare to him”.

Kangxi also sometimes said in front of his ministers that he liked people who were honest, straightforward, and affectionate. He said, “In doing things, it is important to be honest. If you are honest, the people will obey you. If you are deceitful, who will trust you?” He believed that the nobles should open their hearts to others, why be mean? He also pointed out, “I like people who are honest, straightforward, and sincere. If I am angry, I will not let anyone know. I only value honesty.” He also boasted, “Fourteenth is the most like me!”

Fourteenth was not only supported by his brothers, but also valued by Kangxi, becoming the first among brothers. No one could match him.

Eighth returned to court and faced the fact that the former “Eighth Prince Party” had completely become the “Fourteenth Prince Party”, the lord didn’t know what his mood was [Eighth being conflicted]. At least on the surface, although he wasn’t as active as Ninth, he too supported Fourteenth. Compared to Fourth, after all, he would rather have Fourteenth on the throne.

Fourth, out of filial piety, tried his best to share Kangxi’s worries about political affairs when he was in a state of panic and his options limited, and when he wasn’t overly enthusiastic. He once again participated in the decision making of court affairs without leaving any trace.

Xiao Shunzi came to see me early in the morning and said Fourth wanted to see me. I was puzzled. I cleaned up, changed into a neat set of clothes, and went to meet him. He was standing alone in a secluded corner, his figure was solemn in the cold wind.

I walked behind him and stood quietly. He turned his head and looked me over carefully from head to toe once as if to see how I was doing.

“Do you regret it?” He asked calmly.

I turned my head and smiled at him.

He asked again, “Do you regret it?”

I stoped smiling. It was in his nature to ask such a question, and he repeated it. In this current situation, his torment must be extraordinary. He was scheming hard, but he saw the throne slipping away. And the throne wasn’t just the throne, but also Thirteenth’s fate and mine weighed heavily on his heart.

I shook my head, “No regrets!”

He pursued his lips and stared at the ground. I watched him greedily. We may not have seen each other for a year now, and every time we see each other, I always feel that he is getting thinner. There were a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but his eyes were still sharp. His thin lips still tightly pursed, as if all the pain and repression could be hidden deep in this way.

I subconsciously reached out to touch his lips and whispered, “You will definitely win!” I immediately came to my senses as soon as I said this. What am I doing?! I quickly tried to withdraw my hand, but he already held it, tightly.

I stared at his dark and obscure eyes in his pale face. My heart ached and everything seemed unimportant for a moment. I shook his hand tightly.

He felt the callouses on my hands and held them both, studying them for a while. “What happened today? Do you have severe knee pain this year?”

“Fortunately the plaster that you asked Xiao Shunzi to send is very useful.” I said.

“How are you doing?” He asked.

“Very good.” I replied.

He said, “Think positively about everything and don’t overthink.”

“I know. I recite the words you gave me a few times every day. ‘Walk to the end of the water, sit and watch the clouds rise.’” I said.

“I can only give you empty words.” He said, smiling bitterly.

I held his hand and said, “And your heart!”

We both looked at each other for a while. I smiled and slowly withdrew my hand.

“Lu Wu gave birth to a daughter for Thirteenth.” He said with a smile.

“What? Really?!” I cried in surprise.

He laughed, “Can you still use this to deceive people? I’ll find a chance for you to see her later. She’s already eight months old.”

I laughed shaking my head and sighed all at once. “How can you let me see her? What’s her name?” I quickly asked.

“It’s too hard in there. The adults can bear it, but how can a child? I petitioned the emperor to let me raise her and he has agreed. She is in my house now and hasn’t been named yet. The person who brought her back said that Thirteenth and Lu Wu wanted you to name her. The emperor had already drafted a name, but on hearing this, he actually said that you can choose and report it to him. He will then give it to her in the name of the emperor.” He said.

I laughed for a long while. “No wonder you sent someone to find me! I’ll give you a name, but what do you think? What name did the emperor propose? Do you know?”

He shook his head.

I paced around and he watched me.

“Ruoxi, the emperor still cares about you, if you change your mind…”

I stopped and looked at him. “How is Bing Xin?”

“Okay. ‘A heart as pure as a jade pot’.” He said. A metaphor for Thirteenth.

“How about Yunying?” I shook my head.

He was about to nod, but I quickly rejected it.

“Now I have it! I’ll call her Cheng Huan!”

He pondered for a while and said, “If she wants to be Cheng Huan’s aunt, use this. I will definitely let Cheng Huan be your niece in the future!”

I said gently, “Yes, she will definitely be my niece and let Thirteenth enjoy the happiness of family life.”

We smiled at each other, but the smiles slowly faded. It was hard to meet and hard to leave. I quietly bowed to him and walked past him quickly. When will we meet again? Next year? The year after? I turned around to watch him. I didn’t know he had turned around to watch me. We stared at each other for a while in silence. I turned back and quickly ran away.

In September of the 59th year of Kangxi’s reign, Fourteenth- Prince Yinzhen ordered Yanxin to escort the newly appointed Dalai Lama to Tibet, where a solemn enthronement ceremony was held in Lhasa. Thus, the Tibetan rebellion, instigated by Tsewang Arabtan was completely quelled.

Emperor Kangxi ordered the erection of a monument to commemorate the event. He ordered Alanbu, a member of the imperial clan and Duke of Fuguo, to draft the imperial inscription.

After two years of fighting, Yinzhen won the full support of the Mongolian tribes in Qinghai with his outstanding diplomatic talent and practical benefits. He strictly enforced military discipline, strictly prohibited the army from disturbing the people and defrauding local officials along the way. He required soldiers to cherish livestock and save food and grass, and required officers to cherish soldiers. He dismissed Hu Xitu, a first rank official who violated military discipline and investigated him. The series of measures taken by Fourteenth, combined with his kindness and power, made him famous in Qinghai, Tibet, Gansu, and other northwestern regions.

His war stories spread back to the Forbidden City from the northwest. After a day’s work, the greatest pleasure for the girls in the laundry department was to talk about every incredible thing that had happened to Fourteenth.

The general who stood proudly in armor in front of thousands of enemy troops, the hero who’s oars and oars were wiped out in smoke while taking and laughing, the uninhibited prodigal who drank with the soldiers and talked about his thoughts in detail when he was gentle, the three sided drum with his hands when he was bold.

The handsome man who shocked all the Mongolian tribes in Qinghai became the most perfect dream, deep in the hearts of these girls. Their enthusiasm had not been swallowed up by the court, and they still had the innocence and pink reveries in their hearts.

Yanping and Chuntao had been released from the palace. Now I live in the same room with new two girls, one is 14 named Qianqian, and the other, 15 named Lingdang.

Qianqian stood on the kang and told the group of girls sitting around her a story she had repeated countless times “… …. …Then the Mongolian princes asked the beautiful and enthusiastic Mongolian girls to come out and dance, and each of them was as beautiful as a fairy. They sang and danced endlessly, drank and had fun, but never mentioned sending troops to help. Fourteenth Master drank a large bowl of wine, walked to the reviewing platform and with a drunken feeling picked up the large drum sticks with both hands… … …”

Qianqian gestured with both hands. “Raised his hands and beat the drums. Fourteenth Master beat three large drums with his hands, beating and dancing. At that time the singing, dancing, and laughter immediately quieted down in the whole place. On the Qinghai Plateau only the drums of Fourteenth Master could be heard, resounding like thunder across the earth. Sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, sometimes high, sometimes low, but every sound passionate and heroic. At that time, tens of thousands of Qing soldiers who were sitting on the ground stood- one by one, shouting the military bugle along with the drums of Fourteenth Master. The sound spread from ground to sky, and from sky to sky, upending back to the ground. Later the Mongolian men couldn’t help but stand up one by one and shouting along with the drumbeats.”

Qianqian imagined the scene thousands of miles away with a fascinated look on her face.

“What happened next? What happened next?” The girls urged.

Qianqian sighed softly, “Later, after the song was over, for the last three hits, Fourteenth Master used both hands to break all three cowhide drums. Fourteenth Master laughed and threw away the drum sticks. He looked at the Manchu and Mongolian soldiers standing in the dark on the grassland below the stage and laughed ‘This is the song that a good man should listen to!’ He then asked the Mongolian nobles in a stern voice ‘You are the descendants of Genghis Khan, the proud and invincible Khan! Are you willing to keep your promise and abide by the agreement of our ancestors, so that your descendants will continue to graze and sing on this grassland? Or will you betray your faith and hide here, waiting to surrender to Tsewang Arabtan and hand over the grassland given to us by our ancestors?’” Qianqian stopped suddenly like a storyteller.

“What then?” A little girl gasped.

Qianqian continued, “Later, before the Mongolian princes and nobles could say anything, the soldiers around them had already burst into a huge roar: ‘We are the descendants of Genghis Khan, the Heavenly Khan! We will never admit defeat to the enemy!’ They shouted over and over again. The Mongolian dignitaries could no longer stand still. The leader of the Qinghai Eleuths, the Lobsang Danjin, picked up two bowls of wine and walked up to the platform and handed a bowl to Fourteenth Master. Facing the Manchu and Mongolian people below the stage he shouted loudly ‘We will definitely drive away the jackals!’ After that, the two swore an oath in blood, clinked their bloody bowls and drank in one gulp. They threw away wine bowls and laughed, hugging each other.”

After Qianqian finished speaking there was a long silence that stretched between the surrounding girls. They were in a daze digesting the story.

I smiled turning over and pulling the quilt tighter. I closed my eyes to sleep. Everything about Fourteenth became particularly touching after being described countless times. I would smile and listen, feeling stunned. Is this the Fourteenth I knew?

Seemingly bold and unrestrained, but full of just the right strategy: a drum beat and a few words cleverly avoided the princes and nobles who feared fighting, and pointing the spearhead directly at the entire Mongolian tribe. The oath in front of millions left the Mongolian nobles with no way out.

Fourteenth in this war was a stranger to me. Fourteenth in this legend is someone I don’t know. The images of him in my memory and the ones I had heard about are intertwined. Sometimes I even look forward to his return. I want to know what is he like now. Is the great General King, whose reputation spread all over the northwest, still the person I know?

Directly benefiting from Fourteenth’s growing influence in court, Zhang Qianying has become much more respectful towards me and has used fewer tricks. Sometimes I find it funny myself.

People inside and outside of the laundry bureau secretly laugh at ‘Ruoxi alone who supports everyone in the laundry bureau’. I don’t know how much benefit Zhang Qianying and his friends have gained from Tenth and Fourteenth.

Anyway, the small change that Fourth has given me to manage everyone is quite a lot. The women in the laundry bureau who have been released in recent years have no worries about food or clothes for the rest of their lives because of me.

Some of the money was necessary, and some was spent out of sympathy. After several years of accumulation, there wasn’t much left. It’s difficult to get rewards on weekdays. From time to time I have to pay a little to the palace maids and eunuchs above. After years of hardship in the palace, I am old when I leave the palace. It is difficult to get married. My family is poor and I can only rely on the little money I have. Since I have money, why don’t I let these poor women have a stable life?

In the 60th year of Kangxi’s reign, Fourteenth moved his army to Ganzhou, intending on taking advantage of the victory to attack Tsewang Arabtan’s lair, Yili. Due to the long distance, transportation difficulties, and difficulty in supplying food and grass, however, there was no progress for a while. In October, Fourteenth was ordered back to Beijing to report on his work.

The news that Fourteenth was coming back spread throughout the palace. The civil and military officials in court were excited, secretly wondering whether the greatest reward Kangxi would give to Fourteenth was the dragon throne.

The palace maids were also excited and everyone hoped to have the honor of seeing the hero who had only appeared in their dreams at midnight.

In November, Fourteenth returned to the Forbidden City in full honor after an absence of three years.

All the princes, civil and military officials came out of the city to welcome him. I imagined the glory of Fourteenth when he returned and a smile appeared on my face. But when I thought of Fourth standing among the crowd and witnessing the dazzlingly light, my smile turned bitter. Was he afraid? Was he afraid that the glory of this moment would overshadow him forever?

As soon as Zhang Qianying came in, the girls who were chatting and talking together dispersed and squatted down to wash clothes.

Zhang Qianying scolded, “A bunch of bastards! You are lazy when you have time!”

Everyone was silent and let him scold. He scolded for a long time before he stopped talking and walked by my side, wanting to say something. I ignored him. He stood there in silence for a long time and turned away.

On the second day, several maids rubbed clothes listlessly and one said, “We thought we would be able to see Fourteenth Master after his return to Beijing. Now we know that it depends on whether we are lucky enough to bump into him occasionally.”

The maid who spoke was quite decent looking. The little sister next to her joked, “If Fourteenth Master sees you, he might fall in love with you.”

She was so angry she used water to tease the person who made the joke.

As we were talking and laughing, Zhang Qianying walked into the courtyard. We greeted him, but he ignored us and just stood to the side respectfully. We all looked at each other in confusion. My heart suddenly skipped a beat and I was nervous for a moment.

“Tell them to go down first.” A strange voice said indifferently. As he spoke, Fourteenth dressed in casual clothes, walked lazily into the yard. His eyes and brow were full of the vicissitudes of life, but it not only did it not detract from his handsomeness, but added a bit of bewitching. His lips were tightly closed and his casual gaze at me showed a hint of inquiry and confusion.

Zhang Qianying whispered to everyone, “Why don’t you pay your respects to Fourteenth Master and leave?”

The little girls in the courtyard stared with no reaction. I lowered my head and smiled, saying, “Fourteenth Master is auspicious.”

That woke everyone up and they quickly greeted. Fourteenth ignored me, staring. I became uneasy and watched his face carefully. There was no trace of joy or anger. I suddenly realized that he was not the Fourteenth of the past!

Zhang Qianying shouted in a low voice, “Everyone, step back!”

He the left the yard first.

Fourteenth looked around lost in thought for a moment. He stared at the basin in front of me and asked slowly, “You’ve been in the laundry bureau for more than six years and I’ve proposed to the emperor three times. Once in the fifty-fifth year and fifty-sixth year. But the emperor didn’t agree. Today I am proposing to him again, asking him to treat it as a reward to me, asking him to forgive you for your many years of service. No matter how big the mistake, the suffering you endured over the years is enough. Guess what the emperor told me?”

I was shocked. He actually proposed for me? At that time, I had no idea why I angered Kangxi.

He smiled and asked, “Why? Do you dislike me so much, you’d rather wash clothes for the eunuchs here than follow me?”

I was speechless. No! It had nothing to do with you! It wasn’t a question of whether you were good or bad.

He walked up to me and raised his hand to lift my chin. “You don’t have to not talk or change the subject today. I have enough patience to wait for the answer.”

I turned my head away from his calloused and rough hand, remaining silent. I didn’t know where to start. He smiled indifferently and withdrew his hand. Walking to the side, he picked up a small stool at random. Straightening his robes he sat down, resting his arms on his knees and tilted his head back to quietly watch me.

I thought for a while before walking over to Fourteenth and squatting down. “It’s not your problem. You are very, very good! This is my own problem.”

He raised his eyebrows and motioned for me to continue. I shook my head and said, “I really don’t know what to say.”

“Then I’ll ask and you answer.” He said. I nodded helplessly.

“Do you have someone in your heart?” He asked. I hesitated to tell him. Would it be bad for Fourth?

He waited a while and smiled, “Don’t be embarrassed. You’ve already given me the answer. Is it Eighth or Fourth?”

I sighed and stood up. “Is it interesting to explore these?”

Fourteenth said, “It seems to be Fourth.” He propped his head up grinning silently. After a bit he stood up and asked, “He is living a rich idle life in a mansion while you are suffering here. Is it worth it for you to entrust your heart to him?”

I looked at him and asked, “Is it worth it for you to treat me like this?”

He narrowed his eyes and looked outside the high wall. His thoughts flew beyond the high wall of his sight and to places I couldn’t guess.

“When you risked your life to race for me that day, I decided to treat you like Thirteenth in the future. I regarded you as a friend, treated you sincerely, and did my best to protect you. Now I’ve done my best, I at least have no regrets.”

I felt much more relaxed. So that is how it was. I said, “You don’t have to do this. I did this for myself that day. You owe me nothing.”

He said, “If it weren’t for me, how could you have come to this point? If you really only care about yourself, you can just push all responsibility to me. Why take the risk of horse racing?” He retracted his gaze and stared at my face. Sighing softly he said, “You look much more haggard!”

I smiled and said, “You’ve become much more handsome.”

He stared at me a long time before asking, “Are you still unwilling to marry me?” I nodded slightly. He smiled and continued, “It’s up to you, but if you don’t want to stay here, you can always find me.”

“Thank you.” I said.

He nodded slightly and turned to leave.

“Fourteenth Master!” I called out. He stopped and stared at me. I asked, “Is there anyone guarding outside?”

“If you have to say something, just say it.” He said.

I hesitated and then approached him, “Don’t go back to the northwest.”

“It depends on the emperor’s opinion.” He said.

“Now that the Junggar tribe is doomed, you don’t necessarily have to fight again. Besides, the emperor is very kind to you now. If you are firm and you make your intentions clear, the emperor will probably listen.”

“Let’s wait and see. Marching in war is not what you think. Changing the commander in chief is even more complicated. Although the Junggar tribe suffered a heavy setback, it’s too early to say the situation is over. In the past, my father led the army to attack the Junggar twice and it took six years to defeat the Junggar. The Khan, Galdan committed suicide by poison, but less than twenty years later Galdan’s nephew, Tsewang Arabtan led his troops again and made the Qing Dynasty suffer an unprecedented humiliation of annihilation! It is not an exaggeration to say that they are the biggest threat to the Qing Dynasty. The sooner they are eliminated, the less trouble there will be in the future.” He said.

I didn’t know what to say. After a moment’s pause I said, “But the emperor is old, you…”

“The emperor and I know what is going on.” He said.

I have said all I can. After a moment of silence I said, “I have finished what I want to say.”

Fourteenth shook his head. “You spend all day thinking about these things? Don’t forget what Doctor Li advised, worry less. Avoid being anxious and fearful.”

“I remember it.” I quickly put on a big smile.

“It’s not enough to just “remember”, but to truly let go. They will worry about it, the most important thing for you is to take care of yourself.” He said solemnly. I nodded and he said helplessly, “Why don’t you learn from more from him? I meditate, chant sutras, and chat with the emperor.” I bowed my head and said nothing. He sighed and turned away.

[ibuyteas]

How Much Do You Know About Gaiwan Tea Set?

Gaiwan is a kind of Han Chinese tea set with a lid on top, a tray on the bottom and a bowl in the middle. It is also called "Sancai bowl" or "Sancai cup". The lid represents the sky, the tray represents the earth and the bowl represents man, implying the harmony between heaven, earth and man.

Gaiwan Tea Set consists of a tea lid, a tea tray and a tea bowl. In a mysterious way, the tea lid on top is the sky, the tea tray on the bottom is the earth, and the tea bowl in the middle is man. Such a small tea set represents a small world, a small universe, and also contains the truth of "the sky covers it, the earth carries it, and man nurtures it" as said by ancient philosophers.

During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, gaiwan was popular. The prototype of gaiwan appeared in the Tang Dynasty and was not finalized until the Qing Dynasty. It took hundreds of years for the small gaiwan to have the trinity of today - a lamp, a lid, and a plate.

Tea lovers have different styles in using tea-drinking utensils. Some like to use gaiwan teapots, but some like to use purple clay teapots.

Tea lovers who drink tea with a Chinese gaiwan tea set will see their friends using a Purple clay teapot to brew tea and can't help but suggest them to use a gaiwan teapot to brew tea. It's not that the Purple clay teapot is not good for brewing tea, but they think that using a suitable gaiwan to brew tea will make the taste of the tea better.

Gaiwan Tea Set is called "universal tea set" by tea lovers. All kinds of tea can be brewed with Gaiwan.

The only disadvantage may be that using Gaiwan to brew tea will burn your hands, and it may spill if you don't control it well.

If you find that tea lovers around you don't like to use Gaiwan to brew tea, it may be because of this!

To make Gaiwan tea, you need to rinse the bowl with boiling water, then put the tea leaves in and cover it. The soaking time depends on the amount and type of tea leaves, which is about 20 seconds to 3 minutes.

Some tea lovers just can't control the Gaiwan. In fact, it is not difficult to control the Gaiwan, but the premise is that tea lovers need to choose the right Gaiwan.

Then put the tea leaves into the Gaiwan Tea Set, and add water as long as the water covers the tea leaves.

This is very important. There should not be too much water. Some people like to fill the Gaiwan with water when adding water. It would be strange if it is not hot. Moreover, if too much water is added, the brewed tea will be light and the taste will be affected.

The most important thing is the technique of holding the Gaiwan Tea Set. Technique is very important. If you hold the Gaiwan incorrectly, it is normal to get burned. Therefore, technique is crucial to use Gaiwan well.

The comparison of the two techniques in the above picture shows that.

The left picture shows the hand holding the gaiwan cup straight, and the tea flows out along the fairness cup. It can be clearly seen that the tea does not touch the hand.

The right picture shows the gaiwan cup being held sideways, so the tea will flow along the tilted position, which is extremely easy to get burned.

Everyone knows that stopping while pouring tea can easily affect the taste of the tea.

Liking tea and understanding tea are two different things. Liking tea does not necessarily mean understanding it. If you love drinking tea, then you should also know how to choose and buy tea correctly, and how to brew and drink tea correctly.

Drinking teais not a blind preference. If you understand tea, tea will naturally understand you.

Article source: https://ibuyteas.com

[window-view-orion]

From the Kayla X "Legendary Spirits" blind box figure collection:

Her name is Bleeding.

This one is interesting! Her description names her little birds as being rakshasa, which is a type of Hindu malevolent spirit. But! In Chinese Buddhism the name was translated into luosha, or luosha-gui according to a Cambridge University Press article that I am not paying $100 to fully access.

But "luosha" is the key to finding who she is! There's an anthology of folktales and stories from the Qing Dynasty called the Zibuyu, or "What the Master (Confucius) would not discuss" collected by the poet Yuan Mei! The only copies I could find for sale (even digital copies) are several hundred dollars, but there are scraps available. Multiple blogs and podcasts reference a story about a luosha bird disguising itself as a bride, citing the anthology as a source, and by searching for "bird" in the Zibuyu on Google Books, I wasn't able to read full pages, but line excerpts confirm that story exists on page 255 to 256. I did request access to a PDF on ResearchGate by the English translators, Paolo Santangelo and Yan Beiwen, so if that goes anywhere I'll update this post.

Anyway, the story itself! Here's the best summary I could find, from weirdtales.me

And here are the scraps I could get from Google Books, to confirm it as the source this and others use:

So there we go, my best guess as to who and what Bleeding is meant to be. The red spots under her eyes seem to represent her eyes bleeding, she's wearing her red wedding dress and veil, and the gray and white birds with her are luosha, which are related to the Hindu rakshasa. Is she meant to be the luosha bride herself, or is she the human bride who got her eyes pecked out? There's no way to know, which I love.

I really want to read that book now, and am hoping I get a response from my PDF request. Searching out the identities of these blind box girls has been super fun!

Sources:

[shangyangjunzhu]

make me choose (6/10): nian shilan or wei yanwan

i remember when i married into the family, i was titled ce fujin and became his most favored woman. there were many women in his estate. everyone was afraid of him, except for me. he often took me horseback riding and hunting. he said he was only fond of me. but how numerous were the women in his estate! so numerous that it enraged me. he would stay with a concubine one night and with a secondary consort the other. i would wait and wait till the sky was lit. he still didn’t come to me.

have you ever tasted the bitterness of waiting for someone from dusk to dawn?

[nobleconsort]

huan will always relate to people who’ve lost their children, or who’s children are not close to them either by force or by literal distance

[palaceoftears]

Zhen Huan + Kosem Sultan × Quote

Despite the visibly difference between the Ottoman & Chinese harems in how in the first the concubines were slaves taken from their families and in the second the concubines were girls called for an election, the reason for Anastasia and Zhen Huan to be picked have the same origin: idealization, Ahmet found peace in a potrait and Yongzheng only found happiness with his wife, and when the same girl from the potrait & a girl with a very similar face to the late empress were separated from their families to reluctlantly serve them, they kept depriving them of their own identities to treat them as those fantasies, peaceful and perfect versions of them they had built in their minds, and those young girls went from being themselves to become the purely good and obedient persons they needed to be to feel loved by those men, to find security and be cherished, manipulated enough to think everything they did was truly for the good of the people, blind to the monstrous egos that were ruinning everyone that disobeyed them, so deeply brainwashed untill reality hitted them, with Zhen Huan it's clearly the trap of the late empress' clothes, together with her family's poor situation and the care she was getting only for her pregnancy that makes her realize why is she truly so favoured, the lie she's been living in, while to Kosem the unlearning comes from an slow yet violent process after Ahmet's death, when she has to fight for her family after Ahmet didn't leave the laws to do it, when she has to realize the fantasy of pureness he had showed her, the idealization of her role in the throne, is no more than a lie that kept her unprepared for the changes and wars to come. In both cases, they gain awareness of the system and use their skills for more than helping their monarchs, they form their own separated goals and outlive them for many time, the way they chose to end with this idealization it's very different, for Zhen Huan it's a planned & very direct revenge, while Kosem's revenge it's a little bit more symbolic: after all, the person who was kept in only a potrait & an idealization everyone made of him was Ahmet, yet the complex and strong ruler who carried the weight of the empire for the rest of her life was no one else more than her.

[dilfsisko]

Are there any other things that you feel like passionately info dumping about this evening?

The Step Empress, or Empress Nara, was the second empress consort of the Qianlong Emperor.

There is some debate as to her surname, as some sources have it as Ulanara and others have it as Hoifanara. ‘Nara’ could simply refer to a region also so it’s a bit tricky. Anyway she was a Manchu noblewoman and married into the house of the Qianlong Emperor( The yongzheng emperor’s fourth son, hongli), then Prince Bao, as his secondary consort. When Prince Bao ascended the thrown she was given the title of ‘Consort Xian’.

Now the Qianlong Emperor really loved his first wife, Empress Fucha. Like he wrote poems for her years after her death about how much he missed her. When she died, he was loathe to appoint a new Empress but his mother (another fav of mine) had already decided that Lady Nara would take the position.

Despite giving birth to three of his children and being highly favored by both his mother and the Emperor himself, Empress Nara would quickly lose that favor by cutting her hair.

Generally speaking, cutting your hair was a HUGE cultural taboo in China. Manchu customs at the time dictated that they could only cut their hair when they were in deep mourning. Her cutting her hair was seen as a curse on the Emperor or the Empress Dowager.

Although her title was never officially removed, she quickly lost her authority and the Emperor decreased her provisions significantly.

When she died in 1768, the Emperor ordered that her funeral arrangements be that of an Imperial Noble Consort rather than an Empress, however they were scaled down even more so. She was even buried next to Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui rather than being entombed near the emperor’s future resting place

[drwcn]

Hi! I hope you are doing okay with all the discourse going around. Im white and raised in a very white society so i will never have a say in it, but i was wondering, is there any way i can educate myself more in asian/chinese culture? Im aware i consume content thru western lens and because of that i dont really get all the nuances of the shows, but i would like to have at least some backround. Im guessing just watching the shows doesnt give enough of that, can you maybe reccommend some blogs or books to check out? (If you dont thats totally fine and im sorry if i said anything offensive)

Hey friend! Not offensive at all, no worries. Honestly, I’m not too sure. I think just keeping an open mind about things is a really good start. I’m not really sure which blogs to recommend but if I could recommend some dramas? Since it’s probably easier to watch a show then read a book?

《The Story of Minglan》 is a good one to sort of parse out the intricacy of historical Chinese society in the Song Dynasty, keeping in mind that different dynasties have different practices, so even amongst different time periods there were differences. 《The Story of Yanxi Palace》 is another good one for Qing Dynasty (circa 1740s) if you wanna get into imperial harem stuff. (Or you can watch 《甄嬛传》 or 《如懿传》 for harem stuff. I just think The Story of Yanxi Palace is the most palatable, most aesthetic, and most fun out of the three. The other two are kinda tragic?) There are other dramas but I feel they’re not as... accessible?

Chinese historical dramas come in 3 flavours: serious dramas, idol dramas, and those that ride the fence. What I mean by idol drama is...everyone in it is young and hot and the writing is eh and the acting is eh. More often then not there’s a lot of modern elements to it. The Untamed is so popular because it’s idol drama done really well.  (xianxia and wuxia genre used to be more quality when I was a kid, but now they’re kind of ehhhh.) I would say Minglan and Yanxi are both successful because they ride the fence. 

On the other hand, serious historical drama has A LOT of politics and can be quite dry especially if you’re watching it through half-assed subtitles. The actors typically are more seasoned, older. People jokingly say that idol drama is what mom watches and serious drama is what dad watches, and honestly given my parents’ tv habits...it’s pretty accurate 😂.

Some really well known ones from the past 20 years are: 

The 《铁齿铜牙纪晓岚》 series 1-4. I would only recommend part 1-2, 3-4 are not as great. This one has quite a bit of humour but it might fly over your head a bit because of the language barrier. The story surrounds a well known government official and scholar named Ji Xiaolan  纪晓岚, his frenemy and colleague the (EXTREMELY corrupt) prime minister He Shen, and the Emperor Qianlong. For better or worse these three are depicted as both liege and subjects as well as friends. Trying to see Ji Xiaolan and He Shen one up each other while Qianlong tries to balance his court and rule the country is quite interesting. I won’t pretend this is an easy series to follow, but it’s actually quite fun. 

《汉武大帝》 - is about Hanwu Emperor of the Han Dynasty circa 150 BC? He’s one of the most famous emperors of distant history. It’s basically about the course of his life and the many people that featured in it. 

《大明王朝 》- my memories of this one is very vague, but it is about the Ming Dynasty (the dynasty before the Qing Dynasty c. 1500,1600.) 

《The Advisors Alliance 军事联盟》-  2017 two-part television series based on the life of Sima Yi, a government official and military general who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. circa 150 AD. 

As a side note, a lot of serious dramas for a while now have been focused on the Qing Dynasty, just because it’s the last imperial dynasty before Imperial China fell into decline, WWI and WWII ravaged the country and communism happened. Even a lot of idol drama are about the Qing Dynasty (I feel like I should do a post about this, just to string things together haha). 

So for the Qing Dynasty, because they are Manchurian, their last name is Aisin Gioro or in Chinese Aixin Jueluo 爱新觉罗. Their earlier emperors are much more well known than their later ones and have been the focus of MANY dramas. (You’ll notice their names in the beginning spell very different than the Chinese names you’re used to, but once they take over China, the emperors’ names start to become more and more mainland Chinese and less and less Manchurian.) 

Nu’er Hachi 努尔哈赤/ Nurhaci - The granddaddy of Qing Dynasty, but was never officially Emperor of China during his life time. 

Huang Taiji 皇太极 - Nurhaci’s oldest son. He led the campaign against the Ming Dynasty but died before the campaign was over 

Fulin 福林, Emperor Shunzhi 顺治 - Huang Taiji’s 9th son. He is the real first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. His uncle Duo’Ergun 多尔衮/ Dorgon was his regent as well as his commander-in-chief. Dorgon was the one who won the war against the Ming Dynasty and instated his nephew as the Emperor. Fulin was 6 years old when this happened, and now you may wonder why the fuck is that? It’s because Fulin’s mother, Huang Taijii’s widowed concubine Consort Zhuang (name: pu’erji-jite bumubutai  (pinyin) 博爾濟吉特 布木布泰/ Bumbutai Borjigit, Da-Yu’er 大玉儿) remarried her brother-in-law Dorgon. Whether Bumbutai and Dorgon were actually in love is....contestable. Certainly one of my favourite serious dramas that depict this part of history is《大青风云》. 

Xuanye 玄燁, Emperor Kangxi 康熙 - Fulin’s third son. Very famous. Very long reign. Serious drama associated 《康熙微服私访记》， 《康熙王朝》

Yinzhen 胤禛, Emperor Yongzheng 雍正 - Xuanye's 4th son. His reign was highly contested because some ppl believed he forged the succession document. It’s probably not true. He was an efficient emperor but very austere, very severe. Not well liked. The best serious drama about him is probably 《雍正王朝》and the aforementioned《甄嬛传》. The former is 100% politics and a fictional re-telling of historical events whereas the latter is 100% harem drama and 100% made up. 《步步惊心》is an idol drama about a girl who transmigrated back to this time and fell in love with Yinzhen. Lol. 

Hongli 弘历, Emperor Qianlong 乾隆 - Yinzhen’s 4th son. I think he’s the longest living/reigning emperor of Chinese history. SOOOOO many dramas were made about him or set in his reign. Of the serious drama category:  《铁齿铜牙纪晓岚》 that I mentioned earlier is really good. There are others but I won’t name them here.  《如懿传》 is a serious drama about his harem, but really terrible? I really didn’t like it (just my personal view). Incidentally it was released around the same time as《The Story of Yanxi Palace 延禧攻略》which is also about his harem and MUCH better in my opinion, because the actor for Hongli in Yanxi is much better skills-wise. 《还珠格格》was the OG idol drama about Hongli’s children. I gave a brief synopsis about it here. It was made in the 90s but damn...so nostalgic. 

There’s many more emperors after him, but they’re not as important. 

Okay yeah, so I’m not sure if any of this is really helpful, but definitely watching serious drama gives you much better context and understanding of Chinese culture than idol drama. I mean when the drama has flying and magic...the historical relevance sort of falls to the side. 🤣

ADDENDUM: I made a typo earlier. Fulin is Huang Taiji’s 9th son, not Nurhaci’s son. Also Abahai is Huang Taijii’s mother’s name (wikipedia lied to me on this one XD). 

[mscoyditch]

D'Artagnan.

Chinese robes from the St Louis Museum of Art. My favourite is #1 ❤❤❤

What amazes me apart from the beautiful embroidery and details is how these silks have been so well preserved considering their age ; particulalry #2 #3

#1 Red woman's jacket Qing dynasty, 1644–1911 late 19th century

Silk damask, applied embroidered satin borders, satin stitch, French knot, gold foil wrapped thread embroidery.© St Louis Museum Art

#2 Chinese Qing dynasty, 1644–1911 Yongzheng period, 1722–1735 early 18th century

Embroidered and brocaded silk with silk and metallic threads

This bright yellow satin robe is meticulously worked on the front and back with eight five-clawed dragons (long) pursuing flaming pearls, with a ninth dragon hidden on the front underflap. Auspicious bats fly over rolling waves and mountains.

The stylized stripes of deep water at the hem are finely embroidered in shades of green, blue, and white, with intervening gold threads. The undulating waves above them are satin-stitched with two or three colors mixed in any given band, producing a spectacular effect of shading. The slightly flared deep blue satin "horse-hoof" cuffs are decorated with dragons and multicoloured clouds above waves, as is the neck band. The garment's slits on front, back, and sides indicate an imperial rank of the highest order.

54 15/16 x 75 1/16 in. (139.5 x 190.7 cm)© St Louis Art Museum

#3 Chinese woman’s informal court robe Qing dynasty, 1644–1911

Qianlong period, 1736–1795

mid- to late 18th century

Silk tapestry (kesi) with metallic threads and pigments

length: 58 1/2 in. (148.6 cm)

This full-length robe has a front overflap fastened with four gilt metal ball-and-loop toggle buttons. The straight sleeves end in deep, slightly flared cuffs. The eight multicolored lobed floral medallions each contain a peony surrounded by other peonies, chrysanthemums, and butterflies. Scattered against the red silk ground are sprays of seasonal flowers. The turbulent waves at the bottom of the robe are rendered in the so-called "hurricane style." Rising from either side of the central mountain are traditional symbols of long life, indicating that the robe was worn to celebrate a significant birthday. The "Eight Precious Things" floating on the waves and the bats in flight are additional auspicious elements.© St Louis Museum Art

#4 Chinese Manchu blue robe

Qing dynasty, 1644–1911 Guangxu period, 1875–1908 late 19th century

Embroidered silk with silk and metallic threads

neck to hem: 53 9/16 in. (136 cm)

arm span: 88 3/16 in. (224 cm)

The body and upper sleeves of this court robe are decorated with nine five-clawed dragons, clouds, mountains, waves, all in gold against a blue ground. In the scattered scheme are the eight Buddhist emblems of good fortune, cloud scrolls, swastikas, and character medallions reading shou ("longevity"). The stylized "standing water" pattern is completely linear; the thin bands are characteristic of late-19th-century style. The tapered sleeves, in black twill with yellow ribbed pattern, end with flared "horse-hoof" cuffs. The neck band and cuffs have imperial imagery of dragons, waves with the "Eight Treasures," cloud scrolls, and bats against a black ground.© St Louis Museum Art

#5 and #6 details #4

#7 and #8 details #1

#9 Detail of #3

#10 Back of #1

Love D'Artagnan xxx".

[youghvaudough]

Random things from the Shadow of Kyoshi that just make sense (or not)

... as a mandarin speaker 

ft. my Cantonese speaking friend

& my measly one semester of JAPN 1001

(spoiler warning)

rambling after the division

Loongkau, the name of the ghetto Miss Kyoshi raids are the start of the book, is in fact, Cantonese for 壟溝 “gutter/ditch”. these intimidating lookin lil suckers r in the traditional script, & the simplified version is 垄沟 (lóng gōu). no funny business here; p accurate name

extremely random, but, when Kyoshi punched the wood table in her mid-ring apartment, it was mentioned that the joinery cracked. traditional Chinese wood constructs are not held together by nails, but rather carved pieces at the ends that join together like puzzle pieces and provides fixture. they r called 榫卯 (sǔn mǎo)

what rly impresses me abt them is that these fixtures are used to hold together wood structures under whole tiled ceilings; oh yes, no glue, no nails, just expertly carved wood. I’m not gonna do it justice here u can search it up to learn more if ur interested ;)

Erhu !!! Ugh I love this one. 二胡 (èr hú) is a traditional Chinese string instrument that looks like a hammer with an elongated handle and two strings wow a horrible description; the notes it plays sound v sorrowful to me and i think it has something to do with the notes being in the minor scale ??? (I can’t music theory AT ALL don’t take my word for anything)

but yeah I have emotional attachment to that instrument bc my mother & my late grandpa both love it. one of my mother’s favorite pieces (also one of the most famous erhu pieces) is a piece called 赛马 (sài mǎ) “horse racing” and it’s a perfectly thrilling and passionate piece that I am also a huge sucker for ok this is getting off topic

oh I love the use of Aiyaa 哎呀 (āi yā, not only limited to the one tone tho — pronouncing it is like singing in this case: depends on the context) it’s just a very common expression for a multitude of emotions it’s so Chinese i love it sm

Jinpa’s bison Yingyong, I am kinda unsure about bc for some reason my first instinct was 阴阳 (yīn yáng) which I believe everyone knows at this point; I think it should be 英勇 (yīng yǒng) “heroic and brave”

...but what’s interesting & a piece of useless info is that mandarin for apps (applications) is 应用 (yìng yòng); same sound, different tones funny kinda?

now this one is absolutely useless but there’s a Chinese soccer player with the name Yangchen, 杨晨 (Yáng Chén)

the closest irl approx. of “kill two spidersnakes with one stone” is probably the idiom “kill two birds with one stone”, which actually has a very close match (both literally and figuratively) in mandarin four-character idiom (四字成语 sì zì chéng yǔ or just 成语 chéng yǔ) — 一箭双雕 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) “one arrow (shoots down) two eagle”

Koulin, aka the girl who rightfully got decked in the face by Rangi, my guess at the Chinese characters for her name would be 寇林 or 寇琳 (both Kòu Lín; the second choice’s character for Lín is conventionally used for female names). I chose 寇 bc it originally means “bandits/invaders” or just “enemies” in general, and using it in the name of a character usually indicates villainous status.

also technically the Chinese translation of Zuko’s name also has this character (祖寇, zǔ kòu)

Peony and Camellia, oof eek dunno how I feel abt talking abt this. So, peonies, 牡丹 (mǔ dān), are the closest thing to a national flower for China. Camellia, or 山茶花 (mandarin, shān chá huā) / 藪椿 (Japanese, ヤブツバキ yabutsubaki) / Camellia japonica (binomial/scientific name), obviously carries a lot of meaning and history for Japan (even though a little overshadowed by the cherry blossoms) as it has been ever present in a lot of poetry & has some almost religious reverence tied with it.

Now a conflict btw two clans with these flowers as symbols just feels a lil too poignant to miss; like it honestly just may be a passing mention and what happened in the books plot wise has no relation with anything real world but Sino-Japanese Wars flash backs go brrrrrr

zo/so, the character that almost prompted a civil war, is the kanji 祖 (in pinyin it is zǔ), and as mentioned in the text it means “ancestor/forefather”.

the name Huazo, if we’re going by zo = 祖, could be 府阿祖 (ふあぞ), which can mean at least according to this translator I’m using founder of a prefecture (a district under the government apparently) which is kinda fitting for her tbh

the way I didn’t even know what a prefecture was

Joonho, 준호, Korean given name

the ceramic gaiwan, as a drinking vessel used by the woman at the tea shop in the chapter Home Again, is 盖碗 (gài wǎn) “lidded bowl”, a tea serving set popular during the Qing dynasty (Yongzheng times). it is always a set of three: 上有盖, 下有托, 中有碗 “lid on top, supporting dish at the bottom, bowl in middle”

茶托 “tea supporting dish” also was referred to as 茶船 “tea boat” & i just think that is cute & neat

hey this is actually kinda a short one but thank u for reading this far!

[besanii]

I've just started getting into period c-dramas and I see you reblogging about a few of them. And I was wondering if you had some recs? Thanks, I love SM and DH. it's okay if you don't answers this I know this may not be the purpose of your blog.

Hi nonny!

Period cdramas are my jam!!! I love period cdramas (and fantasy/wuxia/xianxia), although I used to watch primarily HK ones and only in recent years started to watch mainland ones. I’m going to assume you’ve watched The Untamed (陈情令) since you came to me and my blog is like...90% CQL lol, so I’ll leave that off this list XD

I’ll be providing YouTube links where I can, but please note that the subs on YouTube are not...the greatest. I don’t usually watch cdramas with subs, so I’m not sure which places to recommend. Sorry in advance!

Nirvana In Fire (琅琊榜)

I think everyone recs this at some point, but it’s just THAT GOOD. It’s set around the Northern and Southern Dynasties era and is primarily a political drama, but also has elements of wuxia (martial arts) mixed in. My favourite part of this drama was the intricate plot and also the wealth of interesting side characters that give the whole drama extra depth. There’s not much romance, but the individual characters and the plot is gripping enough without it.

(I tried to watch the sequel Nirvana in Fire II: The Wind Blows in Changlin (琅琊榜之风起长林), but I never really got into it? I should really try again, but at that point I was still really attached to the first one and wasn’t ready to let go lol. I’ve heard it’s good too!)

Legend of Ruyi (如懿传)

Okay I just finished watching this the other day and I really enjoyed it. It’s set in the Qing dynasty, during the rule of the Qianlong Emperor, and is about the life of Ulanara the Step Empress. I loved the strong female friendships in this (it’s rare in a Palace drama), and the complex dynamics between concubines of different ranks. The progression of Ruyi and Qianlong’s relationship feels very organic and (if you’re familiar with the history) is like a reverse-slowburn where you’re just really rooting for her to get out and when she finally stands up for herself it’s like \o/

(also cameo by everyone’s favourite shijie, Xuan Lu!)

The Story of Yanxi Palace ( 延禧攻略)

This is also set in the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, but the story is completely different. It’s about the Imperial Noble Consort Weigiya and her rise from a palace maid to the Emperor’s favourite consort. It’s funnier and more light-hearted than Ruyi, but it still has its fair share of dramas. The main character is a ‘non-traditional’ woman in that she’s outspoken, brazen and can be quite cruel when dealing with her opponents, but she’s still fundamentally a good person so you really root for her throughout the show.

I personally wouldn’t recommend watching this and Ruyi together or back-to-back because you’ll probably get whiplash from how different the characters are portrayed and how differently the history is interpreted, but it really highlights how much we don’t know about the palace women throughout Chinese history.

The Story of Ming Lan (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦)

NOT a palace drama this time! But it still explores the very complex family dynamics in China between wives and concubines and their respective children, about marriage and social hierarchy and how an unfavoured, illegitimate daughter of a low-ranking imperial official rises to become the wife of a powerful Marquis in the Song Dynasty. I’m a massive fan of Zhao Liying, the main actress, and her husband on the show is her husband IRL and they are the CUTEST HECKING COUPLE I swear to god. Their chemistry is OFF THE CHARTS.

Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (三生三世十里桃花)

Xianxia (fantasy/martial arts) drama about an immortal Fox Spirit and her love story with the Crown Prince of the Nine Heavens that spans over three “lives”. There’s magic, sword fighting, questionable CGI and a lot of typical romance drama stuff like pining, misunderstandings, miscommunication and jealousy etc. I found this drama more compelling than its sequel Three Lives, Three Worlds, The Pillow Book (三生三世枕上书) because the characters were better fleshed out (although a lot of the same characters appear in both), and it was easier to get emotionally invested in them. Also I find Bai Qian a lot less...annoying than Fengjiu (who is so cute, but oh my god can be quite irritating sometimes).

Love and Destiny (三生三世宸汐缘)

Apparently this is meant to be set in a similar universe to Peach Blossoms, but it’s quite different. This is the love story between a young bird spirit and the God of War, which also spans over three lives. I found it a lot darker than Peach Blossoms, and a lot more tragic, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I had expected to when I first heard about it. I really liked the main character (Lingxi) here (she’s a good mix of Bai Qian and Fengjiu), and although I wasn’t quite sold on the development of her relationship with Jiu Chen at first, they won me over with some really heart-wrenching story lines.

(I don’t know if the playlist above is Eng subbed though, sorry!)

Other dramas that I liked are:

Empresses in the Palace (甄嬛传) - it got really messy in the end, but I really like Li Sun so I kept watching. It’s meant to be a prequel to Legend of Ruyi (above), set in the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (Qianlong Emperor’s father). Don’t watch it on Netflix though, they really messed it up by trying to condense the story and it doesn’t work.

Legend of Fuyao (扶摇) - xianxia drama about a slave girl who was cursed as a child and sets off to collect magical artifacts to lift it. I got up to about Episode 20 and then life got in the way, so I didn’t finish it, but I’ve been meaning to get back to it one of these days. It stars Yang Mi, who plays Bai Qian in Peach Blossoms.

Princess Agents (特工皇妃楚乔传) - I really liked this drama, but it gets really dark and touches on some darker themes like rape, murder and torture, and the story gets quite messy and it ends on a cliffhanger (there was talk of a sequel a couple of years ago, but nothing’s come of it). Stars Zhao Liying (from Story of Ming Lan), who is so badass in action roles.

Noble Aspirations: The Legend of Chusen (青云志) - another xianxia drama about an orphan boy Zhang Xiaofan who joins the Qingyun Sect after the massacre of his village and falls in love with the daughter of the leader of the Ghost King (an enemy of the “righteous” sects). It starts off quite slow, took me about 5 eps to really get into it, but I enjoyed it for the most part. There’s a season 2 that kind of ends on a cliffhanger, and there’s been rumours of season 3 for years but nothing has ever come of it so it was quite disappointing. Stars Zhao Liying (again, I’m a massive fan haha), and is based on the same novel as Xiao Zhan’s movie Jade Dynasty (which I haven’t watched yet).