#chinese eunuch

[eunuchboy]

a peking opera concept of kyu *_*

might do a more historically accurate ming counterpart later

[psitrend]

38 rare pictures of eunuchs during the Qing Dynasty

New Post has been published on https://china-underground.com/2012/10/22/38-rare-pictures-of-eunuchs-during-qing-dinasty/

38 rare pictures of eunuchs during the Qing Dynasty

A eunuch (太監, Taijian) is a man who has been castrated in his early life for this change to have major hormonal consequences.

Related articles: how to make a eunuch in ancient China, Amazing old restored photos of China, images of the Boxer prisoners, pictures of the Xinhai Revolution, the first Sino-Japanese war prints

They have performed a wide variety of functions in many cultures: treble singers, courtiers, domestics, religious specialists, government officials, and harem servants.

Records of eunuchs in China date to the Shang dynasty, when the Shang kings castrated prisoners of war.

In China, castration included the removal of the penis as well as the testicles.

Both organs were cut off with a knife at the same time.

From ancient times until the Sui Dynasty, castration was both a traditional punishment and a means of gaining employment in the Imperial service

Men sentenced to castration were turned into eunuch slaves of the Qin dynasty state to perform forced labor for projects such as the Terracotta Army.

From ancient times until the Sui Dynasty, castration was both a traditional punishment (one of the Five Punishments) and a means of gaining employment in the Imperial service.

In China, castration included the removal of the penis as well as the testicles. Both organs were cut off with a knife at the same time.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were about 70,000 eunuchs employed by the emperor, with some serving inside the Imperial Palace.

Certain eunuchs gained immense power that occasionally superseded that of even the Grand Secretaries, like Zheng He, who lived during the Ming Dynasty.

When the Ming army finally captured Yunnan from Mongols in 1382, thousands of prisoners were killed and, according to the custom in times of war, their young sons – including Zheng He – were castrated. (Wikipedia)

Certain eunuchs gained immense power that occasionally superseded that of even the Grand Secretaries, like Zheng He, who lived during the Ming Dynasty.

Images of Chinese eunuchs

Sources

via Eunuchi

http://www.getty.edu/research/exhibitions_events/exhibitions/brush_shutter/essential_china.html http://www.usrf.org/news/010308-eunuchs_china.html http://gb.cri.cn/15884/2007/02/01/ http://taijian.baike.com/article-80849.html http://ilishi.blog.sohu.com/118388051.html Wikipedia

Topic: eunuch pics, eunuch photos, castration eunuch, castration pictures, castration photo, castration pics, Chinese eunuchs, what does a eunuch look like

#AmazingHistoricalPhotos, #ChineseCastration, #ChineseEunuch, #ChineseEunuchs, #ChineseEunuchsCastration, #Eunuchs, #FivePunishments, #HistoricalPhotos, #Images, #MingDynasty, #OldHistoricalPhotos, #OldPictures, #QingDinasty, #RestoringOldPhotographs, #SuiDynasty, #ZhengHe

[pequodyaoi]

eunuch button collection

edit: I need to make this abundantly clear this is about HISTORICAL CHINESE COURT EUNUCHS and NOT castration fetishes

edit again: nsfw blogs fuck off do not touch

[roysristi]

Raven of Inner Palace- Jusetsu / Liu Shouxue

[ghoul-haunted]

love it when the eunuchs in a ming dynasty setting achieve their maximum conspiracy potential in the conspiracy economy

[indigostudies]

very silly post but i wanted to unwind a bit so i thought i would rate chinese endearments!

宝贝：classic, casual endearment. i call my cats this, has a similar feel to "babe" for me. 4/5, one point deducted because it's pretty basic.

宝宝：like a cutesier version of 宝贝, i would never call a romantic partner this, but it's great for pets and children. 3.5/5, points deducted because it can sound kind of trite or cringey.

亲爱的：much more formal, has a similar feel to "beloved" or "darling" to me. arguably my favourite endearment because it literally means "[one] who is an intimate love". 5/5 if an s/o called me this i would melt.

老[姓名]：this can come off as overtly lovey-dovey at times but it's also really common among married or long-term couples. it doesn't really have an english comparison but personally i think it's very sweet. it can also be used teasingly which i enjoy. 4.5/5 with 0.5 points taken off because it can sound kind of old-fashioned.

老婆/老公：an even more married version of the above; this feels much more teasing to me, though. 4/5 with one point deducted because unfortunately 老公 can also mean eunuch (oops).

(老)狐狸(精)：i've only ever heard this in dramas as a reference to a man, but it's meant to call someone sly or cunning. can be admonishing, but can also be an affectionate reproval. can also be used for women, but then to me it comes off as a bit more judgemental, so 4/5.

小哥：technically a descriptor of a young man, but i'm personally attached to this as a term of endearment, and if someone called me this i would be smitten. i think it has been gaining some popularity among chinese sapphics, especially butch lesbians/T's? but unfortunately i don't.............really use social media so i can't confirm this.

姐姐/哥哥：these are technically originally terms for older brothers/sisters, but they're also used for people of the same generation who are older than you, and can be used in a flirty way. 4/5 only because non-chinese english speakers can get kind of weird about them.

阿-/小-：personally i prefer the 阿- suffix over 小- because 小- sounds like you're talking to a child to me, but i'm aware this is very regional. not overly romantic, but can be very sweet, so i'm giving it a 3.5/5.

those are all the ones i can think of off the top of my head, but if you have any others you can think of, let me know!

[rongzhi]

English added by me :)

Further Details:

In 2014, while digging ground to construct the Number 7 line for the Chengdu metro, a 2300 square meter tomb with 13 graves was dug up near Mohechi (摩诃池), the former back gardens of the Prince's mansion in Sichuan (蜀王府). Of the 13 chambers in the tomb, most were single graves, and some had been plundered or were difficult to get to. Chamber #8 was found to have its seal still closed and in decent condition, with archeologists speculating that the area had been subject to earthquakes in the past, and robbers skipped over the chamber because they were afraid of the walls collapsing if the heavy stone door was moved. Chamber #8 was also discovered to contain two rooms and the engraving of a dragon and phoenix, indicating that whoever the tomb belonged to were of relatively high status.

While the royal mausoleum of the prince of Sichuan had long been unearthed, the new joint grave was originally thought to be the tomb of an aristocratic husband and wife, as the type of tomb was typical of a husband and wife pair. The area where the new tomb had been discovered was also known long ago as 公公坟 (the eunuch graves). Other tombs of court eunuchs buried around Chengdu had been discovered in 1953, 1955, 1956, 2003, 2005, and 2008.

At the same time, experts noticed that the porcelain relics buried in the Chamber #8 all shared an unusual characteristic: the male figurines had no facial hair. This led to the realisation that the figurines depicted eunuchs. Additionally, two stone tablets were eventually located which turned out to be the epitaphs for the graves, and which allowed the archeologists to confirm that the tomb did indeed belong to two imperial eunuchs from the Ming dynasty. Moreover, the tablets revealed that the eunuchs were named Wei Yu (魏玉, b.1470) and Ruan Ying (阮英, b. 1472). Both were born from poor farming families in Tongzhou (潼州; present day northern Sichuan province).

In the fourteenth year of Chenghua, there was a huge drought in the nation, so both children were sent by their families to become eunuchs in the palace as a means to survive. Being from the same area and around the same age, they would grow to become very close.

In the Ming dynasty, imperial eunuchs had great power, such that they were in charge of many government and even military affairs. Due to this, Wei Yu and Ruan Ying did not stay in Beijing to serve the emperor but instead eventually ended up as chief eunuchs in Shuwangfu, the center of government in Sichuan. Based on the epitaph and historical materials, historians concluded that Wei Yu and Ruan Ying did not necessarily overstep their power as is often the depiction of court eunuchs of the era, and in fact, they cooperated very well with the Zhu Chun, the prince of Sichuan and Hongwu Emperor's 11th son, assisting him to repair infrastructure and bringing prosperity to the people of Chengdu.

Wei Yu was favored by the prince for being clever and witty, and was bestowed the surname Shuang, so is also referred to in records as Shuang Yu (双玉). As Wei Yu's status grew, Ruan Ying's did as well.

In the 10th year of Zhengde (1515), having experienced some rough times, Wei Yu and Ruan Ying decided they wanted to be buried together and and obtained royal permission for it to be so. As they had no children, they were able to accumulate all their earnings (imperial servants were paid) and buy a plot of land. One year later, Ruan Ying passed away and Wei Yu had a tomb built with two rooms so that they could be buried together. Ten years later, when he passed away also, Wei Yu was buried with Ruan Ying, fulfilling their desire to be entombed together.

--

Additional sources:

https://www.sohu.com/a/413776430_120795605

https://m.thepaper.cn/yidian_promDetail.jsp?contid=3744568&from=yidian

https://www.toutiao.com/article/6706734279713358350/?wid=1705638571420

video (in Chinese)

video (in Chinese)

[idyllcy]

the second - jinshi x reader (bonus to so i don't know how to love)

Jinshi has been more quiet lately.

Maomao first takes note of it on the second week, and on the third, the poor eunuch looks like he's aged to fifty-six. She blinks at the eunuch, and it seemed another annoying request would be arriving at her doorstep soon. She would have preferred that it stay quiet. But of course, something had to happen. Something always does.

"Maomao." Jinshi groans from the desk.

His usual smirk is replaced by his hair, and his forehead rests on the desk, his head spinning as his soul practically slips past his lips. He's much older, now that she looks at him. Perhaps the worrying over his missing wife had taken a toll— but he had looked much much younger when he had picked her up from the spring residence a year ago.

Maomao smiles to the best of her ability. "Yes?"

"Can you prescribe some chinese medicine that is good for a healthy baby." 

Maomao blinks. "Are one of the consorts pregnant already?"

"No." He moves his face to rest on his cheek. "My wife is pregnant with our second."

Maomao blinks incredulously, slowly, utterly confusedly. "She let you sleep with you after—" She shuts herself up, forcing a smile on her face instead. Too many questions would get her nowhere. After all, the madam had just returned. She was not about to make her regret her decision. Though, it seemed the poor guy had been using her day and night for his sexual needs. She feels bad. That poor woman.

Jingui peers from the door at his father, blinking.

"Is niang alright?" Jinshi opens his arms for his son to give him a hug. 

Maomao shudders at the affection.

"Niang just woke up." Jingui hums. "I am visiting before my shared class with the princess."

"Very well." He sends him on his way with a kiss on his forehead.

Maomao blinks at Jinshi. "Medicine for the madam?"

"For her pregnancy."

"Isn't she too old to be having children?"

"Aren't you too old to be single?"

"Hey, don't bully the child." You click your tongue disdainfully at the door, and Maomao nods at you as you pass her and stop. "Hand."

Her eyes light up when you drop her some poisonous flowers from your handkerchief.

"That should be enough, right?"

Maomao nods, lips curled into a smile. "You're so much better than he is."

You laugh, smile radiant, and Maomao waves goodbye as she rushes off for the herbs.

"You don't need to bully me for each time I say something out of pocket to her, you know?" Jinshi pouts, looking to the side.

"Have you stopped to consider that she's not married because she doesn't want it?" You roll your eyes. "I heard stress is bad for the baby. You better not go around stressing me out."

Jinshi makes a face of betrayal at you, mouth open and frustrated. 

"Niang! The princess wants to see you fight!" Jingui calls from outside, and you hum. 

"It's bad for the baby!" Jinshi yells back.

"It's fine." You hum. "Unless you want to pose as me?"

Jinshi grimaces. "I am coming with."

"Fine with me!" You hum. "Niang's coming!"

Maomao stops on her way back to the study with the medicine, staring as you show the princess how to use the sword, holding back a laugh at the way Jinshi looks like he's about to throw up. Well, this isn't the worst thing.

"Madam! Your medicine." Maomao motions at the pot, and you grimace.

Jinshi catches you before you can run away, and your son takes the pot from her with a nod. 

Maybe this isn't half as bad.

[seniaasaysstuff]

hopelessly devoted; ryomen sukuna (og form) x fem! reader.

not culturally accurate; will have aspects from both chinese culture and japanese culture tho it is based in heian era where sukuna was at the height of his power.

smut next chapter🤭

Ryomen sukuna, the king of curses. This name was known all around and was reasonably feared. People worshiped the man as if he was the second coming of Jesus. Those who were trying to curry favor with the man sent him beautiful women, including many of their daughters as concubines for sukuna.

Sukuna gladly accepted them and frequently visited the beauties. The beauties were all focused on pleasing sukuna and wished to birth him a son and elevate their status to a consort. Sukuna was like a deity to them and they believed pleasing him would bring their family luck and glory.

Now on the day, your parents were about to send you off to emperor sukuna’s palace as a concubine, your vicious sister born from concubine fed you poison in the guise of a nourishing soup.

Your concubine birthed sister thought if you were killed she would take your place and become emperor sukuna’s concubine. She didn’t anticipate that you would wake up and act like nothing happened.

In the modern world, You were drunk and ran out of the club. You didn’t expect to run onto the road in your drunken stupor and get hit by a truck.

When you woke up, you were assaulted with memories of the body you were inhibiting. You felt enraged at the way that low-birth sister and that wretched concubine pei treated you.

Since you were from the principal line, the rest of your concubine-born siblings were envious of you. You received love from your parents, and grandparents and it made them filled with jealousy.

You hated the way the body you were inhibiting was so naive. She treated the siblings like they were all birthed by the same mother. She gave away her clothes, her hairpins, and everything they wanted. You made up your mind that you were about to make these ugly bastards suffer.

You were about to enter the palace as a concubine today and you made up your mind you were going to grab the emperor’s golden thigh and make all that made the previous owner of the body suffer face a fate worse than death.

First, you had to see what kind of golden fingers you had. Since you were a gen z kid who read ancient-era novels and watched anime and Asian dramas you knew you could stir some shit up and wreak havoc.

When you heard from your parents that the man you were being gifted to as a concubine was sukuna who had quite a monstrous appearance it felt like you had hit a jackpot.

Ryomen sukuna was someone you were quite familiar with. Considering the simping you had done when the original designs of his body were released, you were very excited to see the man in the flesh.

Night time was approaching and it was time for you to be sent off in a carriage to your new home with your entire family seeing you off. Your parents and grandmother had tears in their eyes while your grandfather looked sad.

You could tell all of them didn’t want to part with you but this was something that had to be done and you understood that. The carriage reached the palace and you were ushered off to your tiny estate. You brought five dowry maids along with you. You were bestowed with two eunuchs and a maidservant.

You were given a rosewater bath and the maids dressed you up in a sexy negligee and put a huge ass wedding dress on top of that. A huge veil was placed, making you unable to see anything. The maids then left you alone in the room.

The room was dark and the only glimmer of light was from the candles.

You were squirming in excitement. You were about to meet one of your favorite anime characters even though his fraudulent behavior was questionable at times you loved him.

You yawned, feeling bored out of your mind.“When is sukuna coming? Like this is so boring. Been waiting for that guy for so long for fuck sake,” You grumbled loudly. You weren’t aware of your surroundings and failed to listen to the footsteps of someone approaching.

A deep chuckle was heard. “Did I just hear someone calling out for me?” The voice crooned, making you squeak.

“Aww is my concubine shy?” Sukuna spoke in a low voice. You shyly nodded.

“Words love.” He softly said. “M’not shy,” you replied, your face covered in a red hue.

Sukuna removed the veil from your face and gently caressed your cheek. “Your father didn’t lie when he said you were beautiful.” He whispered as he softly tilted your chin upwards.

You gasped, “You think I’m beautiful?” Hearing one of your favorite characters say that you’re beautiful was just sending butterflies down your stomach.

You huffed, “Look at you. You're hotter than anyone on this planet well… except Toji but he doesn’t exist right now.”

You added as a second thought, “Well if you have two dicks and we can count that stomach mouth of yours then you are the best man alive.”

Sukuna let out a deep chuckle. “And pray tell how do you know about my body anatomy?”

You cursed, you should stop babbling. “I have dreamed about you a lot actually.” “Well, shall we make your dreams a reality?” Sukuna teasingly spoke. You nodded your head.

Sukuna wrapped his hand around the back of your neck and pulled your face close to his. He rubbed his thumb on your lower lip. You were feeling a bit mischievous so you stuck your tongue out and licked his thumb.

“Sweetheart just say the word I can give you another thing to lick,” He smirked. “Oh I’d love that,” You winked at him.

“You minx,” He growled. He picked you up and sat you down on his lap, so now you were facing his humongous chest.

His stomach mouth decided to be cheeky and licked your hand, making you jump. “Pfft-” Sukuna chuckled. “Hey! It wasn’t funny!” You whined, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

Sukuna kept looking at you with that enamored look in his eyes, it made you feel shy and it made you want to run for the hills. It felt like the man was slowly getting obsessed, and if that obsession grew even deeper? You wouldn’t be able to escape, not that you wanted to.

You caressed his cheek. “You’re a beautiful being sukuna ryomen and being able to meet you was a pleasure,” you whispered.

“C’mere you sweet sweet vixen,” he spoke as he grasped your chin, tilting your head upwards so that you could look at him. His one pair of hands gently ran all over your body. You ground your body against his thigh, a feeling of bliss washing over you.

You gasped as his hand brushed over your waist, slowly and steadily making his way towards the inner of your thighs. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against your lips. His tongue brushed yours, he tasted like sweet sake.

“My sweet girl, you are a treasure,” Sukuna breathed out as he broke away from the kiss, a smile etched on his face as he glanced at you.

[nashaalya]

was doing research on eunuch endocrinology for a story abt ghouls i'm writing. and then. the topic of chinese eunuchs came up..

[its-not-a-pen]

—Terracotta—

Ok so I visited xi'an during my trip back to china (3 months ago?), and this idea popped into my head during the 9h train ride back to shangdong. I am of course 100% projecting my own love of the terracotta army onto Qin Shi Huang, in reality he did not care for this pit of mud statues depicting lowly commoners. In fact, no one ever bothered to write about it and they were lost to history until 1974 when some farmers digging a well stumbled upon them. But it's exactly the reason I'm so fascinated by them. QSH's tomb has not been excavated, and although I have a running joke about cracking it open--mercury vapors be damned--none of the riches inside will ever enchant me as much as the chance to see the face of a person who lived during this time.

Notes under the cut:

#1

the title Qin Shi Huangdi means "First Emperor of Qin" and was given to QSH by later historians. He actually called himself the Shi Huangdi, "First Emperor", and that is the title I've gone with here.

in English the other kingdoms are translated as "states" (i guess to avoid confusion?) but in chinese they are very much kingdoms.

The terracotta warriors used thousands of craftsmen, many of whom were slaves from conquered kingdoms. From a storytelling perspective I thought it would be more streamlined if there were two main artisans who reported directly to QSH.

QSH's clothes are based on the overly complicated courtly regalia. which has 12 symbols that only the emperor is allowed to wear

Notice how this hat is ROUND at the front??? Well I CERTAINLY DIDN'T. HAD TO REDRAW IT!!!!!

the stripped shirt is based on this Chu woman figurine. Clothes were fairly unisex during this time and I thought it was a nice fit.

#2

Paperwork: writing was done on books made of bamboo slips. Anecdotally, QSH had an impressive work ethic and would read 100 bills every night.

Bronze Goose lamp: ok this is actually a Han dynasty lamp pls forgive me. I saw this bad boy at the xi'an history museum and it's bewitched me body and soul. The goose neck is hollow and connects to a reservoir of water in the belly, which minimizes smoke and cools the lamp.

QSH is remembered as a brutal tyrant and brilliant statesman, but I wanted to present a more human version of him here. Bored, tired and drowning in work he refuses to delegate. His new empire is balanced as precariously as everything else on his desk.

#3

The attendants standing behind him are holding little wood tablets called hu for taking notes. Their brushes are tucked into their hats/hair, inspired by Han dynasty custom. (You'll see me using Han stuff a lot. Their cultures were very similar to Qin, since it was only a few hundred years apart).

So I had a slight breakdown trying to find the correct hats for the eunuchs, and ended up redrawing everything the night I was due to publish. Closest thing I could come up with was a reference to a round-style Han Dynasty hat which evolved into this square Jin hat. Yes, this is a cry for help .

#4

the wheeled platform is 100% made up, I tried to come up with a plausible way of getting a bunch of figurines into the palace.

#5 & #6

Painted terracotta soldier

How were the terracotta warriors made

The General: Fun fact, I got to see this guy in person!

#7

The Epic Wide Shot was inspired by some Tang Dynasty terracotta figures I saw at the xi'an museum!

#8

THIS KNEELING ARCHER. ARGGGGG. He use to be my favourite guy. I even went into the pit and drew him IN PERSON. the archers inexplicably have their hair buns on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HEAD. So because of him, I DREW ALL THE HAIR BUNS WRONG!!!! REDRAW!!!! PAIN AND SUFFERING!!!!

#10

Qin was famous for it's very long, thin swords. They were more useful as status symbols than actual weapons, as QSH knows from personal experience…

#11

QSH'S Tomb hasn't been excavated yet, but high levels of mercury have been detected in the soil, making the historical accounts of quite plausible.

[eunuchboy]

quick one

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 成化十四年/The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

(The) Sleuth of (the) Ming Dynasty (it's hard to get an agreement on how many definite articles should go where) is a beautiful, high-budget 2020 drama about a weenie genius detective, his long-suffering and deeply traumatized sugar daddy, and the eunuch with the most difficult job in the Great Ming: keeping these two dumbasses from getting their fool selves imperially executed.

Depending on how you like it, it's either an OT3 or an OTP with an intense, underage third wheel, and either way, it's delightful. I wouldn't call it a comedy, but it has very many funny elements that keep the drama fun and engaging. The first half is full of shorter mysteries that are clever and thoughtfully plotted, and the second half goes in on the longer mystery that ties them all together.

I've already done my quick guide to the early-episode characters, if you want a taste of just how many people are running around and how wonderful they all are. But in case you want to know a little bit more before you commit yourself to a 48-episode series, here's five reasons I think you should watch it!

1. The whole thing smacks of gender

Yeah, this was originally going to be selling point #2, but I know what the people want.

This is not a show about gender. But boy it is a show that has a lot to say about gender, and not just by way of critiquing premodern Chinese gender roles (though it does do that!). Many of the cis characters are either a) somewhat gender nonconforming, b) canny enough to weaponize binary gender expectations, or c) both. Sui Zhou's entire third-act storyline is about how expectations of masculinity exacerbate PTSD in veterans. Three different AFAB characters either dress or live as men. The part where one of the male characters goes undercover in drag is played for laughs, but the joke isn't 'ha ha, a boy in a dress,' it's 'ha ha, this particular boy in a particular dress, and also he's terrible at it.'

And that's even before we get to the eunuchs.

There are several professionally dickless, permanently unmanned characters running around. One-third of the OT3 canonically had his external genitalia nonconsensually removed when he was five years old, and because of this, he has been given unimaginable authority. He's basically the second most powerful man in the entire empire, and he only gets that way by being unquestionably, ostentatiously, and genuinely submissive to the first most powerful man.

I have seen other Chinese media where eunuchs are treated like sinister clowns, good only to be the bad guys and the butts of jokes. Sleuth's main eunuchs are real and complex characters, and because of this, the show gets to explore what it is to live in this weird third-gender category of incredible power and powerlessness.

Now, don't go into this expecting woke gender treatises. Wang Zhi's never going to sit down and go, "You know, my friend and fellow eunuch Ding Rong, because of my lack of a penis, I understand my relationship to masculinity differently than other men do." But the show understands that even if he doesn't say it, it's true. And that makes a lot of the characters and their relationships just so much more interesting.

2. Uncle Jackie Money

Sleuth was the was the fourth c-drama I dove into, following the Untamed, Word of Honor, and Guardian -- or, Some Money BL, Less Money BL, and No Money BL. So imagine my absolute wall-eyed shock to find this was All The Money BL, courtesy of its executive producer, Jackie Chan (seen here with some of his handsome boys):

Sleuth looks good. The costumes are amazing. The sets are stunning. The cinematography is beautiful. Everything is so detailed, and while I can't speak to the absolute historical accuracy of all those details (see point 3), they're still gorgeous. In fact, you know what? I'm going to shut up and show you some of the promotional images.

(For actual screenshots, I'm just going to point you at @rongzhi's tsomd photoset tag, as they have done a tremendous service to the fan community -- though do beware of spoilers.)

Uncle Jackie's influence doesn't end with the money, though. Even though things get a bit goofy and wirework-y near the end, most of the drama's fights are shows of real martial arts skill. You can see his fingerprints on a lot of the choreography -- I'm thinking particularly of the time Tang Fan tries (and fails!) to stab Sui Zhou three times, which is pure Jackie Chan high-speed dexterity.

Add this one to the category of shows your Average American Television Enjoyer Who Can Handle Subtitles would like. In fact, I have shown the first episode to my normie father-in-law, who was impressed. Show it to your dad! See if he picks up on the gay!

3. I am from ... HISTORY!

The Chinese title translates to "The 14th Year of Chenghua," which works out to the year 1478. There are some clear anachronisms, but they tend to be played for comedy, so it's hard to hold that against them. On the whole, though, the show is trying real hard to evoke a very specific moment, and I feel it does so beautifully.

This does, however, mean that several of the characters are real people. I don't even have a good sense of how many of them are based on historical figures, that's how many. Hilariously, Wang Zhi's tag on AO3 used to read "Wang Zhi (?-1487 CE)."

Moreover, these are characters I've seen pop up in other media, played very differently! In particular, Noble Consort (up there in blue) tends to be written as an uncomplicated villain elsewhere, whereas Sleuth gives her a chance to add some goodness to her badness, until, damn, you can't but root for the bitch. (It also downplays the cradle-robbing, which, honestly, is for the best.)

You may have guessed from the eunuch section earlier, but it bears repeating: Wang Zhi is straight-up the best character in the show. He's smart as hell, and he has to be, because the second he's stupid, he's dead. I actually consider it helpful to know ahead of time that he's never going to do a heel turn -- I feel like on my first watchthrough, I was holding my breath for the first two-thirds of the show, waiting for his sudden but inevitable betrayal. It does not come. Wang Zhi is one of the heroes.

He's also, like, evil. He orders people flogged, tortured, and executed. The very first thing you see him doing is sinister as hell. And the show clearly doesn't think this is good, but it also doesn't judge him for it. He's a traumatized seventeen-year-old who has not had a normal moment of his entire life. He's working thanklessly for a boss who could kill him on a whim -- and he's doing it because he literally, physically was made for his job. He's mildly freaking out because he has no emotional grounding to help him understand that these weirdos want to be his friends.

Was the real Wang Zhi like this? That's beside the point. The point is, you get to see how someone in that position could wind up as the war-crimes-committing platonic ideal of a little meow meow.

4. oh my god the food

Warning: This show will make you hungry.

Again, beware of spoilers, but @peppersandcreamsicle and @qinzai have put together an entire cook-along Google Doc so you don't just have to drool -- you can do something about it! Or you can just read it and learn about Chinese cuisine, which is a little more my speed.

But it's not just about how good the food looks. Food is a vital emotional part of the series. People bond over it. They make and share it as a sign of love and care. It indicates status, ethnicity, interest, personality. The show's message about the healing power of cooking for the people you love will bring you to tears.

And yes, Sui Zhou is the main one doing the cooking, so get ready to drool over both the dishes and the handsome man preparing them.

Oh, and as though that weren't enough, Fu Meng Po can actually cook in real life. He's so dreamy. Absolute unreal handsome man with a devastatingly sexy voice. (I know my opinion might be different if I could hear his Taiwanese accent, but I can't so it's not!)

5. An Unsunk Ship

So like I said, my intros to c-drama couples had been WangXian, WenZhou, and WeiLan. That meant I'd basically come to terms with the idea that you can't have a main couple in a BL-but-not-really drama without splitting them up at least a little in the end, for no-homo plausible deniability reasons.

Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are still definitvely, unequivocally together when the story ends, as the iconic pentultimate scene of the series confirms with beauty and simplicity. I refuse to give any more details than that, but that ship's afloat.

(These shirtless pictures aren't from the end, but I wanted to include them, and I didn't have a better place to do it. ...Also, you know, ships and water? Yeah?)

And I think their winding up together reflects Sleuth's entire attitude. Tang Fan is made of sunshine, and the series loves him for it. There is tragedy aplenty in this show, but there's no misery. It is ultimately a hopeful show that believes in the power of second chances, if you're willing to take them. Time and again, the moral of the story is that you are only ever as good as the people who have your back -- but you have to be willing to let them have your back. Let people help you. Let people cook for you. Let people give you a reason to keep living. And then keep living.

Also, Sui Zhou gets two good kabedons off on that little twink, which means they're legally married now. I don't make the rules.

Bonus: Banger opening theme

This is one you will watch all 48 times.

Bonus #2: The Halo Video

This is the video that made me go, huh, these Sleuth boys seem like other boys I've enjoyed! Perhaps I shall enjoy them as well! And then I did. So if that might be convincing to you too, well, have at it. Even if it isn't, it's a fascinating three-minute study of shared those-boys-are-in-love visual language across these shows.

Fair warning that it contains shots from right up to the end, so if you'd rather go in completely blank, give this one a pass until later. (Excuse me while I now go watch it for the 10000th time.)

Have I convinced you to watch it yet?

It originally ran on iQiyi, though Viki's got it as well, and Viki's is free if you're willing to put up with some ads about it.

...I just noticed iQiyi's description of the series reads, "When the two handsome leading actors Darren Wang and Fu Meng-Po work together, what will happen? A lovely prefectural judge and an arrogant embroiered [sic] uniform guard join hands to crack unusual cases! Are you going to choose a new idol?" And you know what? Yes. The details are a little off, but that is the correct spirit. Thank you, thirsty blurb.

[chinesehanfu]

【Historical Reference Artifacts】:

China Ming Dynasty Hanfu Relics<大红色四兽朝麒麟纹妆花纱女袍>,Collection of Shandong Museum,China

Ming Dynasty Emperor Wanli bestowed Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi's robe(赐服)<赤地云龙纹斗牛袍>

China Ming Dynasty Hanfu Relics<大紅雲肩通袖麒麟圓領>

China Ming Dynasty Hanfu Relics：<红色妆花纱云肩通袖膝襕蟒袍>,Confucius Museum,China

China Ming Dynasty Portrait of Kong Hongxu/孔弘绪, the 61st generation of Yansheng Gong (descendant of Confucius)

[Hanfu・漢服]Chinese Ming Dynasty(1368-1644 AD)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Photoshoot

亦男亦女 ​​​

【About 赐服/Cì fú in Ming Dynasty】

<赐服/Cì fú> is a kind of clothing system. The imperial court rewarded meritorious men or woman with crowns and clothes to show their favor. Its system is complicated and diverse, there are “four-season clothes/四時衣", five-season clothes/五時衣” or Gesha/葛纱 and mink according to the seasons; there are Gongfu/公服 and flowers according to the seasons; etc. The clothes bestowed are usually higher than the rank of the recipient.

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Five-season clothes/五時衣：Attire of five different colors worn in five seasons in ancient times.

Four-season clothes/四時衣:Different Attire worn in four different seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter

Gesha/葛纱:Gauze woven from kudzu fiber.

Gongfu/公服:one of the official attire

----

Clothing is a daily need, but because it is the emperor's reward that endows the meaning of class, it has become a symbol of the imperial class and the emperor's favor. Use highly recognizable patterns on the clothing to show status and class, making clothing a channel for "showing off wealth". Anyone who can wears <赐服/Cì fú>is a courtier who is valued by the emperor.

The <赐服/Cì fú> of the Ming Dynasty are divided into four levels：Qilin robe(麒麟服),DouNiu robe(斗牛服), Feiyu robe(飛魚服), python robe(蟒服)

The Fourth-Class is Qilin robe(麒麟服):

The qilin (Chinese: 麒麟) is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler.Qilin are a specific type of the lin mythological family of one-horned beasts. The qilin also appears in the mythologies of other Chinese-influenced cultures.

Because the Qilin is a beast of benevolence and righteousness in the legend, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty regarded the Qilin robe as a gift and rewarded meritorious officials of the fourth and fifth ranks. Although Embroidered Uniform Guard(錦衣衛)on-duty guards are not high-ranking officials, they are also allowed to wear Qilin robe(麒麟服) because of their special positions.

The Third-Class is DouNiu robe(斗牛服):

DouNiu(斗牛) is not an ordinary bull(公牛), but a legendary horned dragon(虬龙). The DouNiu(斗牛) is like a dragon with sharp horns, a python-shaped fish tail, and two horns bent like ox horns.Those who can be awarded DouNiu robe(斗牛服) include officials of the third rank and above, generals who have made meritorious service in guarding the frontier, and people who have received special rewards. There are also examples of officials or celebrity families being rewarded with DouNiu robe(斗牛服), but these are exceptional and rare. DouNiu(斗牛) was originally a star in the sky, so the recipient thinks that he has received great glory.

The Second-Class is Feiyu robe(飛魚服):

The prototype of the Feiyu(飛魚/Flying fish) is the 文鳐鱼(a legendary fish with wings) in the "山海经/Classic of Mountains and Seas", which evolved into a python-shaped flying fish in the late Ming Dynasty. ↓文鳐鱼(a legendary fish with wings) in the"山海经/Classic of Mountains and Seas"

The image of the flying fish in the Ming Dynasty has two horns on the dragon's head and no wings on the fins, retaining the characteristic of the rolled tail.

Feiyu(飛魚/Flying fish) robe are generally rewarded to meritorious officials of the second rank or above,High-ranking eunuchs lead, and Embroidered Uniform Guard(錦衣衛). However, not all Embroidered Uniform Guard(錦衣衛) are eligible to wear flying fish robe, only the commanders of Embroidered Uniform Guard(錦衣衛), the emperor's personal school lieutenant and the guard of honor accompanying the emperor, these powerful confidantes of the emperor are eligible to wear them.

The Highest-Class is Python robe(蟒服):

The highest level of <赐服/Cì fú>in the Ming Dynasty was python robe(蟒服), second only to the dragon robe worn by the emperor. The python pattern is very similar to the dragon pattern, the only difference is that the dragon has five claws and the python has four claws. Python robe(蟒服) are generally only awarded to 司礼监's eunuchs, ministers of the cabinet(内阁辅政大臣), ministers and counselors of the Ministry of War(兵部尚书参赞), and princes and heads of foreign vassals. Adding a Python robe(蟒服) represents prosperity and wealth. A jade belt is required to wear the python robe(蟒服), and there are two types: sitting python(坐蟒) and moving python(行蟒). In terms of dignity, sitting pythons are higher rank than walking pythons.

※司礼监:is an eunuch in charge of the emperor's documents, seals, palace etiquette, etc.

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📷Photo：@realyn

💄Stylist：@仰望的花鼻子

👗Hanfu：@青山有幸 ​​​

🔗Weibo：https://weibo.com/5541803701/N77vXcOBE

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[vintagegeekculture]

50 Years of Kung Fu Movies

There’s an overlooked anniversary that hasn’t been widely reported much yet: as of March 2023, it’s been 50 years of Kung Fu movies in the United States. 

Bruce Lee was not the first big international Kung Fu movie star. Rather, the first English-dubbed breakout Chinese martial arts movie to become a hit in the greater US (apart from Hawaii) was “5 Fingers of Death” (also called “King Boxer”) in 1973 starring Lo Lieh, six months before Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” and posthumous fame, making Lo Lieh the first true international Kung Fu star. There were lines halfway around the block at Times Square to see “5 Fingers of Death,” thanks to a radio giveaway in the New York area, and to those who first saw the movie, they remember the very first scene when the 63 year old Kung Fu master started backflipping and kicking out of nowhere and everyone watching this started losing their minds. “Five Fingers of Death” was like “Star Wars” in that it was a movie people saw over and over, minds blown, never having seen a film like this before. 

Because Kung Fu movies were shown in less expensive grindhouse cinemas in urban areas, like seedy, pre-gentrification Times Square in New York, the audience for these films was disproportionately black, and to this day, the black community has a strong connection to 70s Kung Fu movies. Every middle aged black dad today loves this stuff. It isn’t just due to them being shown in inner city theaters, however, or on UHF stations where they were replayed cheaply on Saturdays. Rather, the success of Kung Fu movies in the black community is based on the themes of the movies. Most Kung Fu movies are about poor dishwashing working class underdogs in an unjust system, usually either Japanese Imperial Occupied China, or during the Manchu Dynasty, where China was ruled by despotic foreign conquerors. The heroes bow in humiliation at first, but who secretly take the power back through intensive personal training, blood and sweat and a montage, that lets them stand up to oppressors. As RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan explained: “when we saw these movies about opposing the Manchu Dynasty, it made us think we weren’t the only people in world history that ever went through this.”

When it comes to introducing the genre, “Five Fingers of Death” is a great “first movie,” a pure, emblematic example of what these movies look like. In the very first scene, in Japanese occupied China, an old Kung Fu Master who is our hero’s teacher is pursued by Japanese karate killers, enforcers of the occupation. His student, Lo Lieh, has to learn the iron palm technique in a brutal, bloody, visceral series of training montages to harden his palms to iron, which involve him excruciatingly breaking every finger in them. The themes of vengeance, pursuing justice under occupation, training montages that are as important as the action, and the theme of failing brutally over and over until it “clicks” and you have a miraculous “Eureka!” moment that every teacher recognizes and lives for. It helped it started with the Kung Fu right away....imagine seeing flips and flying kicks for the first time when you’re used to western bar brawls. 

It’s worth noting that, despite being a hugely important moment in pop culture, 5 Fingers of Death was not a hit in Hong Kong, and was not even in the top 10 highest grossing movies of the year. It reminds me of Voltron, which is absolutely unknown and completely obscure in Japan, when elsewhere, it is THE giant robot show. The fact 5 Fingers was a big hit in the US absolutely baffled the Shaw Brothers, who were convinced to part with the rights for their movies for cheap, leading to a flood of Kung Fu movies. Notably, Lo Lieh, though he was the first Kung Fu movie star and a reliable martial arts leading man, did not have much of a career after this in lead roles. His character skills were best served playing villains in Shaw Films, notably as the evil Kung Fu eunuch supervillain, Pai Mei, in “Executioners from Shaolin” and “Clan of the White Lotus.” Tarantino wanted Lo Lieh to reprise his role of Pai Mei in Kill Bill Part 2, only to discover that he died just before filming. 

[kimdokja-real]

Why Yoo Joonghyuk bottom is canon in ORV

- He’s the one who transforms into a girl, and is reluctant (shy) to let Kim Dokja know. While he doesn’t care if others and even Yoo Sangah (who was the woman suspected to be Kim Dokja’s love interest) know

- Joonghyuk transforms into a woman in front of Yoo Sangah, and she’s surprised. Like the author is saying Joonghyuk beats the beautiful Yoo Sangah as a woman. (To fight but yeah there’s that implication, like Joonghyuk is the ‘female lead’ instead of Yoo Sangah.) - Kim Dokja does this masculine thing of enhancing his body physically until his stats exceed 200, including his physique is 200+, and he says his muscles grew bigger and his bone density changed and likely became larger too, anyway Kim Dokja does this manly thing of getting a stronger, more muscular body to go save Yoo Joonghyuk from Surya and if we see it this way, it's especially manly since Yoo Joonghyuk is in the form of a woman then, so it's like Kim Dokja the main character enhanced his body physically to go save his 'woman'.

- Persephone transforms into Yoo Joonghyuk, and Kim Dokja says this

It’s fortunate there is no Chinese dress (Kim Dokja is the one with a kink too)

- Then Persephone transforms into Joonghyuk’s female form wearing a Chinese dress and garter belt and the usually composed Kim Dokja flushes and gets really embarrassed like an embarrassed man with perverted thoughts.

- Asmodeus, clearly known as the Demon King of Lust faces Joonghyuk and calls him pretty (a term usually reserved for bottoms in bl or yaoi) and Kim Dokja is protective over him like a top

- Kim Dokja is the one proud of Yoo Joonghyuk and believing in Yoo Joonghyuk, and betting everything (1 million coins) on Yoo Joonghyuk. And Yoo Joonghyuk wins the battle after transforming into his female form, which Kim Dokja doesn’t see. And he gets called beauty (a feminine term).

- Uriel who ships them thinks Joonghyuk is bottom. Although she’s fine with them switching and Kim Dokja being bottom, that’s literally from the loss of Dokja’s cock if he were to become a eunuch and she knows Kim Dokja would find a way to get back his cock anyway considering his character, and dominate Yoo Joonghyuk again.

- Kim Dokja is the one in control of Yoo Joonghyuk, not the other way around. He makes Yoo Joonghyuk eat soil, and then has control over Yoo Joonghyuk and makes Joonghyuk sit obediently. And acts like it’s all natural. Even though it’s to save Joonghyuk. If that’s not dominant behavior I don’t know what is.

- Nirvana wants Yoo Joonghyuk, along with Asmodeus, Yoo Joonghyuk is the one wanted sexually, like a bottom in yaoi or BL, not Kim Dokja, who is wanted platonically.

- Kim Dokja even transforms into a squid with tentacles, tentacles is a yaoi porn thing.

- Yoo Joonghyuk is the one spanked on the ass (by his master) and saying he’s going to kill Kim Dokja for it (he even let out a pathetic sound)

- Kim Dokja is the one always protecting Yoo Joonghyuk, he is the omniscient, all powerful one, not the other way around. Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t know what the fuck is going on except that Kim Dokja seems to know everything. And that makes Yoo Joonghyuk emotionally vulnerable, like a bottom.

- Asmodeus shows lust for Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja gets protective over him like a top for his bottom. Asmodeus: *smiles at Yoo Joonghyuk’s face* Indeed, I can bend my taste if it is this beautiful body. Kim Dokja: At this point, it was clear that a normal conversation was impossible. I spoke roughly.

- After intervening between Asmodeus and Yoo Joonghyuk and claiming Yoo Joonghyuk as his incarnation protectively, Kim Dokja forces the struggling Yoo Joonghyuk to sleep: ‘I nodded with Yoo Jonghyuk’s head. I felt Yoo Jonghyuk’s soul struggling in one corner of the ego but I forced him to fall asleep. Yoo Jonghyuk couldn’t pop out at this time.’ He takes charge of the situation like the top he is and protects his bottom, even if he has to do it somewhat roughly.

- When Yoo Joonghyuk is alone on stage, Kim Dokja jumps up and holds his hand for emotional reassurance, which is top behavior. He even raises their hands high into the air proudly like a confident top.

- Kim Dokja is the one disappearing and going all over the universe like a cool unbeatable top, while Yoo Joonghyuk is the one left behind waiting for him like a faithful, but also cool bottom. Or if we go by cliches, Kim Dokja is like the man disappearing and traveling all over the universe for the woman he loves, and Yoo Joonghyuk is his woman left behind and waiting for him faithfully to come back.

- Joonghyuk’s constellation name Secretive Plotter seems like a name more suited for a bottom and Dokja’s Demon King of Salvation seems more like a name more suited for a top

- Kim Dokja is the one giving gifts to Yoo Joonghyuk like the Black Demon Sword, and it’s so cute. ‘Please calm down. I did it because of you’. And of course the watch to make him stay in the world of the 3rd regression.

- Kdj panicks when he realizes he couldn’t protect Yoo Joonghyuk: ‘Dozens of thoughts crossed my head. Let’s ask the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven for help. If not, let’s call Hermes. I hated it but I might be able to get a favour using the shares of the story. I just had to get to Gilobat right away. It wasn’t too late yet. Go right now―’

- Yoo Joonghyuk is the one put in vulnerable positions, like with the theatre master, being poisoned by Lee seolhwa then facing asmodeus who's a Demon of lust btw then in the 1863th turn where he's basically blank and gone and is obedient to Kim Dokja, with Kim Dokja saving him everytime.

- Kim Dokja wonders why Yoo Joonghyuk’s name is in front of his for the industrial complex and says he’ll change it later.

- Kdj has a dick/cock described as ‘black flame dragon’ implying he’s really big.

- Kim Dokja smirks after Yoo Joonghyuk’s touching speech before the Last Scenario, like a top watching his bottom proudly.

- Kim Dokja is the distant one, not Yoo Joonghyk. After 484 chapters, he’s described by his companions as ‘as distant as ever’. Yoo Joonghyuk is the one trying to get close. - Kim Dokja's muscles grew bigger and his bones grew larger, his stats all exceeded 200 including for his physique when he enhanced his body to save Yoo Joonghyuk from Surya. 'It felt like my muscles were tearing and growing bigger. There was the feeling of my bone density changing'. So he could have become as muscular as Yoo Joonghyuk (to save Yoo Joonghyuk!) or even more muscular than Yoo Joonghyuk. - Kim Dokja also used 3 million coins to enhance his body physically to save Yoo Joonghyuk. "I will invest three million coins into my strength, physique, agility and magic power." This is so romantic of him as a top, not only to save Yoo Joonghyuk but...because Yoo Joonghyuk helped him win those 3 million coins by winning while Kim Dokja had bet 1 million coins on him, believing in his bottom fully, believing in him fully.

- Kim Dokja eventually grows from 176cm to 184cm, Yoo Joonghyuk’s height, like saying he’s actually the top. (check wiki and chp 363)