#helian zhao

[mtkay13]

Qi Ye ensemble cast poster, second edition

Yet another one of those LOL Qi Ye just has that power over me. You know the drill; more info below!

I'll go straight to the point: my main reason to draw this was because I wanted to draw the most somber, dark-looking Helian Qi possible with some dark cross-hatching effect. And because I don't want to draw a Helian Qi solo image because who the HELL does that, I had to turn it into an ensemble cast thing again. I just REALLY like to do that for Qi Ye, for some reasons!!! For a general note, first: shading was a PAIN but making a nice composition and thinking about how to make a hierarchy that both works in terms of storytelling and visual composition was fun. I also liked finding out the "color scheme" to use and I do like lineart. So, now, little notes about each character, and the obligatory name poster just so I'm sure we all know whom I'm talking about:

Jing Beiyuan: I've mentioned it before but drawing Beiyuan is like. The easiest for me, I think, out of ALL Qi Ye/TYK characters combined. He happens to have my general goto "pretty face" (which conveniently has peach blossom eyes). I'm happy with how he turned out here! And got to put the sable around his neck which makes for a nice additional touch. Helian Yi: He's easy to draw as well and I'm glad with how the guan turned out. He initally looked sideways, but I liked it better having him wistfully stare into the distance. Helian Zhao: has the exact same face as in the other, coloured poster, and that cracks me up bc that wasn't even intentional. Helian Pei: GDI I find him so hilarious. He looks so done and out of it. Shout out to all his bird as well, which, I find, really complete the look. Helian Qi: I can't possibly say that I love him as an antagonist because there's nothing to love about this literal trash, but I'm still grateful that we got some of the most rancid stuff going on in Qi Ye just because of him and I'm always here for that. He deserves the villain visual treatment, at least. He was VERY fun to draw and I tried to push that nasty grin and shading as much as possible. He turned out exactly how I wanted him to! (the shading on his face and the balance of light and shadow was a bit of a challenge, actually)

Wuxi: Again, a rather easy one, always pleasant to draw! I loved working on his hair (but complained a lot while doing so)--which I think turned out nicely. Bai Wuchang: Finally! Finally I draw him!! He had to be there, since he's like. The base of the whole Qi Ye plot. Lining him was....... a pain, but at least it looks nice.

Su Qingluan: nothing much to say--I think it's always important to have her there in Qi Ye stuff, and I put her next to Helian Zhao because of how he tried using her--but it did make me feel bad for her when I realised that. Song Ping'an: The real star of the show, lowkey, but always alert and present. Feng Xiaoshu: FINALLY. PRINCESS JING'AN. I'm sorry I took so long to draw her. I want to work on a proper design, I swear. To make up for having completely forgotten to include her in the other spread. I'm so sorry. I like how her face turned out! Liang Jiuxiao: I never, ever, EVER get enough of drawing him. Have I mentioned how much I like him? How much of a great surprise he was reading Qi Ye? How many times I've wanted to high five because finally someone is as confused as I am? I love drawing this very specific smile on him, SO satisfying. Also Bichen said he was "THE Qi Ye antagonist" and I live for that LOL Zhou Zishu: do I really need to say anything atp Jiang Xue: I'm so sorry I put Xiao Xue next to ZZS. The cruelty. But she came out really cute didn't she T_T Anyway that's it. I'm still obsessed with Qi Ye and given my current (totally secret) retranslation project I'm nowhere near done going crazy about this book.

[bebemoon]

hard to find

[yeliuxi]

Jing Qi & the sable: Why this little guy has more relevance than just being poisonous and cute

I was talking about Jing Qi & the sable with @geneticcatalyst on this post here and I had some thoughts (and feelings) about them

When Jing Qi is lamenting about human troubles, he says:

这人，要操心的事情太多，譬如父母兄弟，亲朋好友, 妻儿老小, 每日应酬也应酬不过来, 总有千千万万的诱惑叫人陷进去

People have too many things to worry about, like parents and brothers, friends and family, wife, children, elders, and juniors, and social niceties upon social niceties to take care of every day. There are always thousands of temptations for people to fall to.

All the things that Jing Qi lists here are things he has struggled with since the beginning of the story. He has filial obligations to his father, must upkeep his friendship with Helian Yi while keeping him at a distance, and has a lot of pressure on him to take a wife and have sons. He has no brothers who can pass down the position of yixing wang to their children in his place. He must keep up respect and facades for Helian Pei, Helian Zhao, and Great General Feng, as they are his elders. He has recently taken a junior, Liang Jiuxiao, under his wing, and is now, in part, responsible for him.

And the temptations? Napping. I say this unironically.

When Jing Qi wakes up in the 7th life, he wants nothing more than to fool around until his death, just bid his time until his karmic ties can be resolved. It would be very easy to do, considering the favorability that (not) "keeping in his own lane" gets him in the 7th life. Helian Pei dotes on Jing Qi even more than his own sons. He's his 半个儿子, as Helian Zhao puts it. (But also this is the same scene when he's calling himself Jing Qi's da-ge and saying greasy stuff like 北渊，你跟大哥说说 [Beiyuan, tell your da-ge]. Barf.)

But... "keeping in his own lane" also means that, without his interference, the nation will be in danger of falling into the greedy and violent hands of Helian Yi's brothers. Even if Jing Qi lazed around for a decade, he would inevitably have to deal with the much more unpleasant fallout.

It's kind of a no-free-lunch thing. Jing Qi has not earned his right to laze around if he ignores his duties to his nation, and will suffer consequences for it. So, Jing Qi resists temptations, upholds daily social niceties, appeases his elders, and tries to keep Helian Yi as the crown prince. And, in the end, he is rewarded: in making sure Helian Yi ascends to the throne, he now no longer has to worry about negative fallout, and can go with Wuxi to Nanjiang, where he will live a peaceful and happy life.

He slowly divests himself of all these worries by the end of the novel. He still has responsibilities, but suffers less for them. The first to go is his obligation to take a wife and have an heir. This is also, in a way, a direct reward of Jing Qi fulfilling his duties to his nation. But... Jing Qi has always been fond of children, and wanted some of his own. (Now I want to make myself sad. Jiang Xue feelings time.) And he gets a child, eventually. One that calls him Diedie 🥺 Luta is a package deal with his peaceful life in Nanjiang, and is also a "long-term payoff" for his character.

These are Jing Qi's mortal, human troubles and affairs.

Then Jing Qi says:

可畜生不一样，每日操心的不过是活着和吃喝。你养了它, 它平日里看得见的，认得的，也就你一个人。你有外面大千世界三丈红尘，它却只记得你一个人的恩情……

But animals are different; their only worries every day are living, eating, and drinking. If you raise an animal, they will usually only look at and recognize you. There is this great big world of mortal affairs outside, and yet it will remember only your kindness...

(Also, on a tangent, Jing Qi uses 三丈红尘 to refer to the mortal world. Literally means "three zhang of red dust." The "red dust" of the mortal world comes from the poem 《西都赋》 and is talking about dust kicked up from daily life of mortals, from traveling, working, etc. And three zhang because most life is contained within three zhang (like 60 feet) of the ground. Unless you're special and live in the sky, I don't know.)

I imagine Jing Qi is speaking from experience, having been an animal in several of his previous lives. In this context, he is also specifically talking about the sable, as he just asked Ji Xiang if he thinks the sable will still recognize him.

When Jing Qi first meets the sable, the sable's position is very much like his own: holed up in the capital, kept there due to obligation to the nation of Da Qing (poor sable is also a hostage like Wuxi). He immediately terrorizes it, which is very different from Jing Qi promising to burn a fox paper money just after wearing its fur, remembering himself how it felt to be skinned alive in his 5th life. But it doesn't seem that he's too aware of the fact that he is terrorizing it... he claims that all he's done is "love it" and doesn't know why it's afraid of him.

Regardless, the sable is used to being scolded by Wuxi, who is strict with it. So it doesn't bite Jing Qi again, and is very well behaved. When Jing Qi takes it back to his estate, the sabel is far less behaved, and likes to make messes and stress out the household staff... much like Jing Qi himself. But, really, just as Jing Qi said: the sable, though it still loves and misses Wuxi, is now being fed, raised, and cared for by Jing Qi. It has no other concerns, and gets to play and laze about freely.

There's a moment when the sable kills the spy that was placed among Jing Qi's household staff, and Jing Qi is surprised, wondering, "You're really this viscious?" I think there's a case to be made that the sable, much like Jing Qi, can be ruthless, though outwardly does not seem like it. Jing Qi describes the sable as 没良心的 (conscienceless). 良心 (conscience) is also the word that Jing Qi asks Liang Jiuxiao if he knows how to write, and claims that a dog ate his own 良心. Jing Qi and the sable are just 没良心的besties over here.

While Jing Qi spends most of his time in the "mortal world" of Da Qing with too many worries, he eventually comes to be like the sable in other ways: concerned only about living, eating, and drinking, concerned only about one person's kindness. This is also a point in favor of Nanjiang kind of being like the underworld? Jing Qi dies in Da Qing, then lives a peaceful afterlife in Nanjiang, where he is no longer concerned with the great, big 三丈红尘 outside. (+15 Buddhist theme points to Qi Ye.)

Jing Qi fulfills his duties to his nation, dies as a ghost of Da Qing, lets go of his mortal affairs, and is rewarded for it. He gets his peaceful life in Nanjiang, and his worries of humans.

TL;DR, things the sable and post-canon Jing Qi have in common:

Love Wuxi

Loved by Wuxi

Hand fed by Wuxi

Scolded by Wuxi (eat your snake meat, Beiyuan)

No stress about family, friends, elders, juniors

Being ancient (accoording to Liang Jiuxiao)

Disciplined by Wuxi (Luta is traumatized)

没良心的

Get to be carefree and playful and laze about at the end of the novel

Terrorizing servants

[nemainofthewater]

Best character surnamed: Helian

Come and vote for the best characters with the same surname!*

What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!

*note, the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often there will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.

Propaganda is very welcome! If I’ve forgotten anyone, let me know in the notes.

This is part of a larger series of ‘best character with X surname’ polls’. The overview with ongoing polls, winners, and future polls can be found here

[xiao-chuhe]

Slightly more balanced poll compared to my previous schemers one (thanks for all the comments):

*Mei Changsu is once again excluded by virtue of him being able to outmaneuver every single person here

*Nie Huaisang also excluded bc he won by such a wide margin due to fandom popularity so I want to see what the poll would look like without him

[web-novel-polls]

Danmei Character Tournament Bracket Placement

The Danmei Character Tournament will be divided into two brackets: popular and less popular. The following will have polls posted on Friday, June 2nd, 2023, at noon CST to determine their bracket:

Guardian - Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan

Qiang Jin Jiu - Shen Zechuan, Xiao Chiye

Stains of Filth - Gu Mang

Thousand Autumns - Yan Wushi, Shen Qiao

Yan Zhengming from Liu Yao

TYK - Zhou Zishou, Wen Kexing, Gu Xiang

Please let me know if you'd like a poll to determine bracket placement of the following:

Popular

2ha - Chu Wanning, Shi Mei

MDZS - Jing Guangyao, Wen Ning, Xue Yang, Bichen

SVSSS - Liu Qingge, Luo Binghe, Mobei Jun, Shang Qinghua, Shen Jiu / Original Shen Qingqiu, Shen Qingqiu / Shen Yuan, Six Balls, Tianlang Jun, Yue Qingyuan, Zhuzhi-lang, Sha Hualing

TGCF - Hua Cheng, Quan Yizhen, Xie Lian, Mu Qing, Feng Xin

Less Popular

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know - Yin Hanjiang, Wenren È

Disabled Tyrant’s Pet Palm Fish - Li Yu

Fourteenth Year of Chenghua - Wang Zhi

Little Mushroom - An Zhe

Lord Seventh / Qi Ye - Wu Xi, Helian Ye

Mistakenly Saving the Villain - Yue Wuhuan, Song Qingshi

Peerless - Cui Buqu

Vicious Male Counterpart Isn’t Competing Anymore - Yan Hao

[randomleafoflove]

Modern AU (which I still hate), where Wen Kexing was lost in the foster care system after his parents’ deaths. (They left behind a lot of money, and Kexing’s disappearance was mostly a comedy of errors, with the family lawyers just hours late each time. Like everyone knows Kexing is alive and heir to a fortune, therefore he can’t be declared dead and the next in line (Zhao Jing, Gu Miaomiao’s second cousin, or something) to inherit can’t get their hands on the money, but good luck finding him.)

Then when he finally makes it out of the system at eighteen (with the eight-year-old A-Xiang hanging onto him like a limpet), he fucking goes to war against the system, and becomes an activist/politician.

The actual story starts with an election coming up, and Kexing meets the recently resigned former security consultant of Helian Yi, Zhou Zishu.

Zhou Zishu, of course, had his privileged upbringing, but it all went down in literal flames. He’d graduated high school early, and was already in college when it happened, but he still ended up with student loans for his last two years of college. In exchange for his cousin Helian Yi to take care of them (the loans, and Jiuxiao), Zishu pledged his undying loyalty, or what have you. Never mind going to the official army, Helian Yi had him trained by the best (assassins/spies/retired soldiers, etc. Beiyuan was one of them). When he’s ready, Zishu started spying on Helian Yi’s political opponents, and managing smear campaigns. The last nail that broke the camel’s back for Zishu, was when he had to set up Jiuxiao as having been raped by some politician’s daughter (princess Jing’an). He resigned after Jiuxiao screamed at him to never contact him again, moved and changed his phone number. Given that Zishu hasn’t been feeling well lately either, it just made sense to quit, find out if he’s having stress ulcers or dying of cancer (as coughing up blood could mean either) and try to make up with his brother.

Or not make up, if the small but inoperable tumor in his lungs has anything to say about it. Zishu walked out of the hospital after that diagnosis. He could have asked for treatment, but it would be a half-life for the next however many years (and however expensive), or he could walk away, live his next few years trying to be comfortable and leave Jiuxiao enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

This is the Zhou Zishu who meets the young upstart, Wen Kexing, intent on throwing the status quo into chaos.

-

I really just want a modern politician!AU! Nothing wrong with mob!AUs, but politicians would be a better allegory for everything but the literal assassins.

[missfangirll]

Nightly Hauntings

Fandom:  Qi Ye Rating: General Relationship: Wu Xi / Jing Beiyuan Tags: fluff, crack, first kiss, sharing a bed Words: 1389 Summary: Completely exhausted, Jing Beiyuan crawls into bed, ready to forget the day. Only, it isn't his bed.

Read on AO3

- - - - -

This whole thing hinges on two assumptions: 1) the Shamanet estate and the Prince estate are built in exactly the same way, and are very close together, 2) Wu Xi a long time ago told his guards to let Beiyuan in without question, regardless of day (or night) time.

For @luv4rgirl ​, who brainstormed at me and is responsible for this 😂

- - - - -

When his carriage finally comes to a halt, Jing Qi breathes a sigh of relief, sinking back into the cushions. It is late, so late decent people would consider it early, and he hasn’t slept in 26 hours and hasn’t eaten in nine. He is beyond exhausted, having endured a day from hell, which included one of Helian Pei’s misguided parental lectures – this time about conducting gracefully oneself in public, something Jing Qi has perfected in his 300 years of existence and does not need advice on, thank you very much; a bout of equally misguided brotherly affection from Helian Zhao when he came to the eldest brother’s estate to deliver a message, an emergency call to Helian Yi’s palace which turned out to be the Crown Prince being bored and wanting someone to torment. And finally another fatherly lecture, this time concerning matters of the heart, another thing Jing Qi very much doesn’t want Helian Pei to think about, much less talk. So when he finally had the chance to escape the Emperor’s clutches, he took his leave immediately, politely excusing himself with the late hour and bolted for the door.

The carriage door opens without a sound, letting pale moonlight spill in, illuminating the driver from behind. Jing Qi suppresses a yawn, then takes the offered hand and steps out of the carriage. After a heartbeat of silence, the large wooden doors of his estate open with a slight creak. Nobody is in the courtyard, and Jing Qi gives himself a moment to quietly dread the walk to his bedroom. With a huff at himself he turns towards the main building, more shuffling than walking, eyes half closed as he slowly makes his way through the door. Inside he stops for a moment to listen for Ping An’s usual hurried steps, frowning as they fail to appear. Then he remembers the time and huffs again, resuming his walk. 

After only a few steps he trips over something in the dark and only barely catches himself at the wall, cursing quietly at the inattentive servant who left some obstacle in the way. As he feels around, said obstacle purrs and bites his index finger, and Jing Qi recognises Wu Xi’s sable. With a slight frown and a muttered “What are you doing here, missed me that much?” he scoops up the wriggling creature, finally heading towards his bedroom. He carelessly drops his robes on a pile, then crawls into bed with a sigh, the sable tucked under an arm, and sinks into unconsciousness immediately.

When Jing Qi awakes, he discovers three things in short succession: 

1) The sable has spent the night curled against his chest, and now he is very hot under the covers. 

2) The heat is also at his back, and now that he thinks about it, even more prominent there. 

3) That is definitely not his bedroom. Neither is it a guest room or his office in the Prince estate. He stares at the dark wooden bed frame for a minute, a terrible suspicion forming in his mind. He doesn’t even have time to contemplate how exactly he ended up in this position, because suddenly an arm is thrown over his hip, the grip tight. The sable sniffs at the hand now close to its face, then snuggles right back into Jing Qi’s warmth.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no. 

He swallows once, twice, then takes a few deep breaths. It’s not that bad, he tries to reason with himself. It’s not even the most embarrassing state he has woken up in, why the fuss, but something deep inside him is mortified at the idea of... of... 

Behind him, Wu Xi snuggles closer, burying his face in Jing Qi’s hair, then inhales deeply – and stills. His whole body goes rigid against Jing Qi’s, his arm suddenly an unbearable weight. There is only so much Jing Qi can do in the face of Wu Xi’s apparent rising panic, so he turns around under the other’s arm, careful not to dislodge it, and grins widely at him. At his back, the sable huffs indignantly at the loss of pillow, but he ignores the creature for now.

“Good morning, Junior Shaman,” he greets cheerfully, worming his own arm around Wu Xi’s hip in a smooth motion. The other seems to freeze even more, not even able to return the greeting, but Jing Qi isn’t finished. “Now, now,” he says with a tut, as if speaking to a child (or a puppy, his mind supplies unhelpfully in regard to Wu Xi’s eyes that are currently wide as saucers), “Junior Shaman, don’t be shy. There is no reason to be, after...” He trails off, then winks conspiratorially at Wu Xi, watching the other’s brows furrow and his face go through a dozen emotions in short succession, settling on an interesting combination of panic and desire. 

“We didn’t”, he starts, then has to clear his throat, voice hoarse, “we haven’t done anything, Beiyuan. I’d...” He fixes Jing Qi with an unreadable look. “I’d remember if you.. If we... I would remember.”

With a sigh, Jing Qi closes his eyes for a moment, then removes his arm from the other’s waist. He shuffles around on the bed until he is propped up against the headboard, looking down at the other. “You’re right,” he amends. “Nothing happened last night, your honour is untouched.” 

Wu Xi’s face turns crimson at that and he has to suppress a cough, averting his gaze. Jing Qi huffs a laugh. “To be honest, I have no idea how I ended up here either,” he says, shrugging one shoulder, “I was in my carriage, going home from the Palace and then...” He trails off, suddenly remembering something. The way the driver hadn’t talked to him the way he normally did. The fact that he’d had sported a beard when he had been clean shaven the day before. The way he had moved when he had opened the carriage door for Jing Qi, all but shoving him inside the estate...

Groaning, he throws an arm over his face. Zishu. The absolute asshole, who had sworn revenge for the incident with the aphrodisiac in the wine – which totally wasn’t Jing Qi’s fault, by the way, he just happened to leave said wine in Zishu’s field of vision, not his fault when that drunkard couldn’t keep his hands away – and knew Jing Qi’s schedule better than he himself did. That must have been it. 

Turning to face Wu Xi again, he smiles sheepishly. “Junior Shaman,” he says solemnly, “I apologise for the inconvenience. It really was misfortune, no ill intentions on my part. I will take my leave then.” With a nod he tries to untangle himself from sable and sable owner both, when the grip on his waist tightens. Wu Xi’s face has turned an even deeper shade of red, he doesn’t meet Jing Qi’s eyes as he mumbles, “No inconvenience. Stay.”

Jing Qi pauses for a moment, then settles back onto the pillow, smiling at the other. “Ah, Junior Shaman, shouldn’t you protect your honour more fiercely?”

Wu Xi huffs, then moves up slightly, propping himself on an elbow, so close their noses are almost touching. He doesn’t say anything, only breathes deeply, the warm air caressing Jing Qi’s neck. It’s a gentle moment, almost reverent, and Jing Qi feels the urge to say something flippant, but before he can think of anything, Wu Xie closes the distance between them and Jing Qi stops thinking entirely.

Their lips meet, and it’s messy and wet, but then Jing Qi cups Wu Xi’s cheek, angling his head a bit more, and suddenly it’s everything and right and perfect, and Jing Qi discovers another three things: 

1) Letting someone into his heart might not be so bad after all, as long as it is someone with a prickly attitude and long lashes and a soft spot for deadly creatures.

2) The deadly creature currently plastered to his back has decided to express its grief over the recent development by fastening its teeth into his shoulder.

3) He really, really wants to see that expression on Wu Xi’s face again when he pulls away for air, flushed and dishevelled and gorgeous, and so Jing Qi smiles and leans in for another kiss.

 - - - - -

The image of Beiyuan picking up the sable like a plushie and carry him to his bed has been haunting me for weeks, and now it's haunting you too. You're welcome. 😂

[idlebeks]

Fresh batch of fic recs

Fics that have caught my attention and made their way into my good reads pile over the last week or so. Some older, some newer. A mix between Guardian and Word of Honor this time. I've put an asterisk next to my favorites from the batch.

Word of Honor

See It In Your Closed Eyes by Alipeeps, k_lynn

“It’s alright,” Zhou Zishu says, “It’s fine. You’ll be fine.”

Wen Kexing gives a shaky little laugh, “The more you say that the less I believe you, Ah Xu.”

“Be quiet and keep your eyes closed,” Zhou Zishu snaps back.

An attack leaves Wen Kexing temporarily without his sight and dependent on Zhou Zishu's care. Neither of them takes easily to vulnerability. They find a way through.

*Mine by incendir

Rec comments: The summaries for this series are fairly sparse. This is an A/B/O universe where the hyper competent and fed up empress Zhou Zishu uses warlord Wen Kexing to kidnap himself out of a bad situation. Wen Kexing does not mind at all.

slithered here from eden by novembersmith 

Zhou Zishu reluctantly allows life to infect him again.

proceed reluctantly by fmo

What if Word of Honor, but with a slight flavor of Advance Bravely?

Gu Xiang, the barista, needs a decoy boyfriend to prevent her overprotective big brother from discovering and scaring off her actual real boyfriend. Innocent customer Zhou Zishu doesn't get a chance to opt out of this plan.

And then somehow Wen Kexing ends up sticking around, making sure that Zhou Zishu isn't making moves on his sister . . . which involves more stalking and cooking than you might expect.

*dear heaven by foreverstudent

In a darker world where the Combined Six Cultivation Method fails and the snowy mountains become the burial mounds for his shifu and shishu, Chengling trains his martial arts under Ye Baiyi to be able to do only one thing: go back in time and save his found family.

The Arrangement by kestrelsan

“You didn’t tell me you had a marriage arrangement with the Ghost King of Qingya,” Helian Yi said, when Zhou Zishu arrived at the throne room.

*Nurture by TK_DuVeraun

The only way Zhou Zishu is going to properly reestablish Four Seasons Manor is if he has a child of his own. Conveniently, he has no intention of doing either.

A Good Bargain by Neery

The Window of Heaven captures the Ghost Valley's master. Zhou Zishu is put in charge of interrogating him.

But Wen Kexing has a plan of his own…

*you're the trouble that i always find by sundiscus

“Do you know him?” Jin Wang asks.

The ringing in Zhou Zishu's ears gets louder. “No, Wangye,” he says.

At Zhou Zishu’s voice, the prisoner freezes.

Or: Jin Wang tries another way to get Zhou Zishu back.

It's All That I'm Made Of by etymologyplayground

Zhou Zishu clutched his soup and said nothing. There was something he wanted to say, but he figured he should eat first and maybe that would make him less insane, and maybe then he'd think better of it.

He did not think better of it.

Guardian

*redux by synonemous

Stand-alone alternate takes on how Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan could have gotten together in the show.

The Mortifying Ordeal of Telling the Truth by BlackwaterVial

Shen Wei loses the ability to lie. It goes about as well as you'd expect

Turn The Page by leonidskies

Shen Wei was Dixingren. Shen Wei had lied.

The SID are called to extract a book that no Haixingren can touch. A few weeks later, definitely-not-Dixingren Shen Wei picks it up unknowingly.

Trapped between memory and the moment by laireshi 

There's no first in their relationship.

Catnip and Memories by nightwalker 

“Is this the family you had planned for yourself, Xiao Wei?” he’d asked, voice little more than a hushed whisper in the dark. “An eccentric soldier with a candy addiction and a cat that tries his best to eat us out of house and home?”

Soar No Higher by sakana17

Shen Wei trembled a little at the words, expressed so frankly, so openly. His heart was already free, it could soar no higher. He could only bring the taste of those words to his own lips in a long, cherishing kiss.

Set during episode 35, and assumes a passage of time of at least a month during the ancient Haixing scenes.

[mtkay13]

Qi Ye cast poster!!

This had started as a sketch, waaay back as I was still reading Qi Ye. The original is pretty different from this (I considered adding it in the post but I actually don't like it anymore haha), but the plan was already to make this big spread with most of the -more or less- important cast.

I will add here some thoughts about the whole piece, and I guess, Qi Ye itself. My main goal was probably to express my deep and intense feelings for Qi Ye, its grandness, and its awesome cast-- and along with that, flesh out my mental image of each of them, their personality, their style. Here is a table with the names, so we know who is whom, and so I can add some details about my perspective on them and their design.

Jing Beiyuan has always come quite naturally. I just go for the "prettiest face" I ever came with in terms of : my own taste, and the features I find the most delicate. I'd argue he's the easiest character to draw for me across both QY and TYK. On this image, he's probably around 16 or 17. I find his expressions to be very fun to work on in general.

Ping An is also quite an easy character to draw, just for how specific Priest is when describing him.

Wu Xi's design is mainly inspired by a discussion with my friend Hanya, who talked about how, in SHL, Wu Xi more resembled a northern shaman than a southern shaman. It made me want to explore the designs and characteristics a bit more, and come up with more colourful fabrics, patterns, and darker skin color. Same goes for Ashinlae and Nuahar, to have them matching Wu Xi's aesthetic.

Ming Hua was included in this just because of the mess the mention of his name caused in the story. The two jealousy tantrums are just so delightful!!

Su Qingluan was made to resemble Jing Beiyuan, of course. What I wanted to reflect in her face was her frustration, mainly.

Ji Xiang and Hua Yue... Well. Nothing particular about their design either, but they had to be there. Of course, of course they had to be there.

Finally, an opportunity to draw Zishu with his fan and henchmen! Not mad that he kinda looks like a villain, here.

Lu Yu!! I drew him with an Ashinlae mask, since he disguises himself as Ashinlae. I included him because he matters a lot in my headcanons about Siji Manor. (it isn't specified, in Qi Ye, whether or not he's actually part of the manor, but I like to consider that he is for various reason that I may detail if I ever make a Siji Manor post)

I'll skip Jiang Xue and Liang Jiuxiao because their designs are steady for me, now.

I hesitated a lot for Helian Pei's pose, but ended up going for this one (looking bored, out of his depth, lost in the distance with his birds around him). I considered showing him with a bird in his hands, but I guess that's not the main vibe I get from him. And then, well, golden, flashy clothing, suited for an emperor.

Helian Zhao had to be in a showy armor, and I hated making it because it's so much work, haha. I took inspiration from an armor in NiF. I'm quite happy with how he came out in terms of both vibe and showiness.

I tried going full out on Helian Qi. Making him the villain that Qi Ye deserved. Dark, showy, elegant and horrible.

Helian Yi is also pretty solid for me, by now.

About the illustration itself, the main challenge was definitely to make a nice colour palette while still differenciating all the characters. I wanted to go with something intense, eerie, that could also complement the main tones I would go for (= red, purple, blue and green). I'm quite happy with how the golden tones, along with the green and reddish lights, make the whole thing come together. I struggled a little bit with the composition at first, but once I got the flow and the main figures down, it just happened quite easily. Anyway, I'm quite proud of this, and hope it conveys the love and admiration I have for Qi Ye well.

[cranky-otaku]

Done with Joyful Reunion.

I don’t think I’ve felt like this in a long while after finishing a story. If ever? It’s quite novel to still feel devastated after a happy ending …

But overall I think I have to rank this pretty high not just on my list of favorite Feitian novels, but even in my top 10. Though that means I’ll have to bump something off the list then. But which one?

Story wise, I’m reminded a lot of Luan Shi Wei Wang because of the wars and imperial shenanigans. In terms of characters though, I think Joyful Reunion has an edge - LSWW has one of my most beloved MLs in Li Zhifeng, and I loved You Miao for his brilliance. But other than the leads, I didn’t get attached to any of the side characters. (In fact, I wasn’t a fan of Zhao Chao at all.) Now with JR … not just Duan Ling and Wu Du, but Li Jianghong, Li Yanqiu, Mu Qing, Chang Liujun, Batu, Zongzheng, Helian Bo, Xunchun, Ding Zhi, Master Fei, even Sun Ting and Shulu Rui … but most of all LANG JUNXIA. This may be the first time my favorite character from a story was not one of the leads. Without spoiling much, let’s just say that the angst I felt was because of Li Jianghong and Lang Junxia.

[bookofjin]

Biography of Lü Sili (ZS38)

[A civil official who served on the staff of Heba Yue and then Yuwen Tai before being put to death for slander.]

Lü Sili was a native of Shouzhang in Dongping. He was by nature warm and lustrous, and did not not mingle and associate with companions. Aged 14, he studied under Xu Zunming. He excelled at discussions and rebuttals. The various students made a saying about him which said:

When conversing about the Documents or discussing the Changes, his sharpness rebuts the opponent.

At 19, he was recommended as Flowering Talent, and he answered the examination with an excellent grade. He was appointed Army Advisor of the Board of Merit to Xiang province. When Ge Rong besieged Ye, Sili had achievements in the defence. He was bestowed the feudal rank of Earl of Pinglu and appointed Prefect of Luancheng.

Middle of Putai [531 AD], Archer-Servant Sima Ziru endorsed him as Gentleman-at-Centre of Two Thousand Shi to the Masters of Writing. Soon after he was sent out due to his humble background as Combined Broad Scholar of the Sons of State. He therefore sought out to become [Gentleman-at-Centre to the] Great [Acting Tribunal] of Guanxi. He was esteemed by the Acting Tribunal, Heba Yue. He put his sole attention on handling the crucial and confidential, and to great extent obtained the acclaim of the times.

When Yue was murdered by Houmochen Yue¤, and Zhao Gui and others discussed dispathing Helian Da to welcome Taizu, Sili prepared for their plan. When Taizu became Great Chief Controller of Guanxi, he used Sili as Senior Clerk of the Office. Soon after he was appointed Assistant of the Right to the Acting Tribunal.

Due to his merit in welcoming Xiaowu of Wei, he was ennobled Count of Ruyang county with an estate of 400 households. He was promoted to General of the Best of the Army and designated Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gates. When Emperor Wen was enthroned, he acted as Composition Gentleman. He was appointed General who Calms the East and Chief Officer Master of Writing, Combining the Affairs of the Two Seven Troops and Within the Halls Boards. He accompanied on the capture of Dou Tai, and advanced in feudal rank to be a Marquis with an estate of 800 households. 4th Year of Datong [538 AD], due to slandering and ridiculing the imperial court, he was bestowed death.

Sili was fond of studying and had a talent for writing. Though he applied himself to both army and state, his hands did not let go of the scrolls. At daytime he managed government affairs, at night he then read books. He made the grey-green heads [i.e. slaves] hold the torches [or candles?], the torch cinders [during a] night amounted to several sheng. At the victory of Shayuan, he was instructed to make the triumphal proclamation. Within a mealtime, he had right then completed it. Taizu admired his workmanship and furthermore his promptness. The stele eulogy and public lauding which were made have both been transmitted through the generations.

7th Year [541 AD], he was retroactively conferred Great General of Chariots and Cavalry and Inspector of Ding province. His son Dan inherited. End of Daxiang [579 – 580], his rank reached Lower Grandee of the Carriage Section.

At the time there were Cui Teng of Boling and Zhong Shao of Xincai who both at an early age gained fame and acclaim, and through successive posts their purity was evident. Teng became Senior Clerk of the Office to the Chancellor, and Shao became Assistant to the Steering Clerk. Both, due submitting documents with slanderous opinions, were bestowed death.

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

like what im saying is: we do not fucking know. there is not enough evidence. jing qi is fucking right in saying that the painting the emperor has in his bedroom might as well be planted, by none other than helian zhao. the only person who knows if that painting is authentic is the emperor himself! and what if its authentic? that still doesnt prove shit. so the emperor was in love with jing qi’s mom, so what? maybe they never slept with each other. and even if they did: so what? the only person who could tell them about the precise time and context is the emperor! so jing qi has been spoiled and loved by helian pei like a blood son who is not a threat to him all his life, so what? so his own dad, the late prince nan’ning, has seemingly found jing qi’s face very unpleasing to the eye, so what? thats circumstencial evidence, thats not proving anything! it could all be very different, and if we go the way priest likes to subvert genre and tropes and expectations, it truly could be that jing qi isnt the blood brother of helian yi, and the tragedy is that it just looks like it, and helian yi (likely) ends up ordering his death in the first timeline because he thinks thats the way it is, and they dont talk to each other, and nobody talks to anyone!

[danveresque]

fic first lines meme

A meme right up my street, tagged by @owlpockets (thank you! <3)

rules: post the first lines of your last 10 fics posted to ao3. if you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics.

Han Ying always thought he knew how his story would end, based on how his story had begun. He was a young man of humble beginnings working in a violent world. It stood to reason that an orphan child would one day come to a meaningless end. (True Romance, Word of Honour)

“Pack your stuff, we have to go.” Zhou Zishu rushes through the house throwing his shopping bags aside before disappearing up the stairs. (In The Shelter of Each Other, Word of Honour)

Helian Yi watches the security feed from his office as his men bring Zishu in. He can’t stand the state of the once proud leader of Tian Chuang. Zishu is wearing street clothes, a jacket over sweater over shirt, dark jeans and boots. (Fake Love, Word of Honour)

Helian Yi was getting married. Helian Zhao, his older brother, had orchestrated a marriage with the prince of a kingdom that was small but of strategic importance. (Strange Love, Word of Honour)

Zishu kicks the heel of her boot straight into the neck of the nearest thug. The thug in question arches away and Zishu kicks out her attacker’s legs from under her. (Bad Romance, Word of Honour)

Wen Kexing collapsed on his back, breathing hard. He looked a sight, lying there delightfully naked from head to toe, glistening under the soft lighting of the room, his lips shining, his eyes drifting shut. (This Year's Love, Word of Honour)

Zhou Zishu stares at himself in the mirror. Centuries have gone by and yet, not a single sign of his ageing is visible. (If We Are Fated, Word of Honour)

Fingers carded slowly through his hair, stopping with the gentlest tug. Zishu? Zhou Zishu lurched away from the unwanted touch, almost toppling from daybed to floor, a gasp escaping his chest. (Instruments of Darkness and Light, Word of Honour)

Bucky was falling, a black cross against a bright blue sky, his super arm pulling him down super fast. Any asshole who wanted a crack at Captain America inevitably took the fight up high. (Moving Down the Line, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)

Robert’s mind was running around somewhere in the past. A childhood story turned into a song sung in his sister’s young voice. (Eldorado, Emmerdale)

tagging all my writer mutuals <3

[qinyan]

Biography: Scorpion

Birthname: Xiejie Liubo (蝎揭留波) Goes by: Scorpion, Scorpion King, Xiezi, Duxie Ethnicity: Half-Han, Half-Nanman Age: 19 Known Family Members: Former Ghost Valley’s Master (father, deceased, killed by Wen Kexing) Unnamed Princess, Khatun (mother, deceased, died from illnesses after the death of her clan by Han people)

Note

Since Scorpion barely showed up in the novel, the portrayal on this blog would be exclusively from Shan He Ling / Word of Honor. Although I might throw in elements from Lord Seventh and the novel from time to time.

Background

Xiejie Liubo is the son of the Old Ghost Valley’s Master and a Khatun, a Jurchen princess. It started with a chance meeting between the two — until the death of her khanate, to her death, the Khatun still did not know that she was lied to, that the man whose son she carried not was a emperor or even a prince. At least, he wasn’t recognized by the then ruling Helian Empire as royalty. 

While he was born and spent most of his life in the Northeast, Scorpion’s mother died when he was very young, but he matured at a young age. By the age of 4, he could talk to scorpions and by age 8 he has already become well-versed in the art of Sorcery and has become a well-known Shaman among his tribe. Upon the death of his mother from being bedridden with illnesses, she told him to seek for his father, who was a prince, in the western capital Chang’an. Scorpion, however, never found his true biological father, but he eventually discarded the idea of looking for his biological father after he was saved by Zhao Jing and adopted by him at age 11, henceforth dedicating his entire life and purpose to help Zhao Jing achieve his goals. 

The Scorpions (蝎子) in his assassin organization were all people he had brought to the west from what remained of his mother’s khanate. They, just as him, were well-versed in the art of dark sorcery and knew their way around poisons and venoms well. The Scorpions all calls him King of Scorpions (蝎王), recognizing him as his mother’s successor and heir.

[missfangirll]

love by any other name

Fandom: Qi Ye Rating: General Relationship: Wu Xi/Jing Beiyuan Tags: fluff, first kiss, getting together Words: 1188 Summary: Jing Beiyuan has some realisations about the ring Wu Xi gave him.

Read on AO3

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The night after Jing Qi returned from the Guangs, he had fallen into his bed, intending to stay there for at least a week. He had spent the day running from one palace to the next, seeing the Emperor and the Crown Prince, setting a myriad of plans and schemes into motion and had finally crawled back to his own estate and fallen into bed, not even bothering to take off more than his boots and outer robes.

Lying there, his face smashed into the pillows, he contemplated the events of the last months. He had dealt Helian Zhao’s faction a heavy blow, maybe the one that finally would make him fall, had even managed to subtly ensnare the Emperor so he would have no other choice than support their cause in the end, and yet... And yet everything his exhausted mind seemed to be able to focus on was the feeling that had overcome him when he’d seen the Shamanet at the side of the road earlier that day. Wu Xi, the little venom, who had grown so much in the weeks he hadn’t seen him – not just in stature, but how he carried himself, the look in his eyes when he’d seen Jing Qi...

He had fully expected to fall asleep instantly, feeling more exhausted than he had in a long time, and yet... And yet he found himself wide awake, tossing and turning, watching the moon wander over a cloudless sky. Groaning in frustration, he pulled the sheets over his face. As this didn’t help either, he sat up with a sigh, leaning heavily against the headboard. 

Like they were drawn by a magnet, his thoughts returned to the scene on the road: Wu Xi standing in the bright afternoon sun, smiling radiantly at him. His pleased expression when he opened the gift Jing Qi had brought him, his obvious delight when Jing Qi in return accepted the ring... The jadeite ring, which now hung on a red silk thread against his skin, hidden under his robes. He smiled faintly at the memory, eyes closed, as that scene unfolded in his mind. The way Wu Xi’s hand had lingered on his neck, the way his eyes had searched for Jing Qi’s gaze as he... 

Jing Qi’s eyes shot open. He hadn’t paid much attention to Wu Xi’s companions at the time, but now that he thought about it, both Ashinlae’s and Nuahar’s faces had done something interesting when Wu Xi had put the ring on him, mouths agape, their eyes almost bulging out. They’d had similar expressions when Wu Xi for the first time had declared his love for Jing Qi within earshot of them. But they knew about the Shamanet’s infatuation with the prince, that wasn’t something they would be shocked about... Unless...

Jing Qi turned over, throwing the blanket to the side, scrambling to find his discarded shoes. As he made his way towards the small back gate, he waved dismissively as the guards moved to follow him. He wouldn’t go far, and he really didn’t need an audience for what he was about to do.

The Shamanet’s estate was dark, as expected at this hour, but Jing Qi didn’t bother explaining himself, he just slipped inside as soon as the gate opened a fraction. The Nanjiang warrior behind it furrowed his brows at him, but didn’t raise the alarm. Apparently Wu Xi had instructed them to let the prince in at all hours. Jing Qi suppressed a snort at the thought and made his way inside, heading for Wu Xi’s bedroom. In front of the massive wooden door he almost faltered, then caught himself and knocked, not overly loudly, but persistent enough Wu Xi would hear. 

The door opened after a heartbeat, first revealing Wu Xi’s sleep-mussed hair, then his face, a bit bleary eyed, but clear enough to recognise his visitor instantly. His eyebrows shot up in a confused expression, but he took a step back to let Jing Qi in. He motioned wordlessly to a chair, before he plopped down on his unmade bed, looking expectantly at his guest.

Jing Qi swallowed. Suddenly he wasn’t so sure anymore that what he wanted to ask was that urgent, maybe he could have waited until... Before he could change his mind, Wu Xi, in an unusual show of impatience, cleared his throat. 

“How can I help you, Beiyuan?”

Jing Qi swallowed again. “I,” he began, then faltered. Fiddling the ring from his robes to show it to Wu Xi, he tried again. “You gave me this.”

Wu Xi didn’t look impressed. “I did.”

Jing Qi took a deep breath. “What is it?”

Wu Xi frowned, his gaze unreadable. “A ring.” Then, with an almost amused huff, “Beiyuan, you didn’t come here to–”

“What does it mean?”

Wu Xi’s mouth snapped shut, the amusement gone from his expression. Jing Qi tried to hold his gaze, but the other looked away after a moment. “It’s a jade ring,” he said eventually, quietly, “it can mean whatever you want it to mean, Beiyuan.”

“Nonsense.” Wu Xi startled at the blunt interruption, still not meeting Jing Qi’s eyes. With a sigh he stood up, crossing the distance between them in three steps, lowering himself next to Wu Xi. “Nonsense,” he repeated more softly, “I saw how Ashinlae and Nuahar reacted when you gave me the ring.” Carefully he cupped Wu Xi’s cheek, turning his face up to look into his eyes. “Tell me.”

Wu Xi, not able to turn away, closed his eyes. He swallowed heavily, then said, almost inaudibly, “It’s an heirloom. It’s... I’m supposed to give it to the one who has my heart, who will share my life.” When he turned his gaze at Jing Qi, the other noticed tears in his lashes. “It’s a promise,” he said softly, “to the one I love.”

Jing Qi sat very still for a moment, the only sound he could hear the pounding in his ears. It shouldn’t have felt so different from any other time the Shamanet had declared his love for him, but somehow it did. 

“I...,” he began, but Wu Xi shook his head.

“It doesn’t... You don’t have to do or say anything, Beiyuan. I gave you the ring because you are the one I love, the one I will love until the end of days, but you don’t...” He took a shaky breath, averting his eyes. “I know you don’t feel the same, Beiyuan, so I apologise if–”

Jing Qi didn’t let him finish. With a breathy laugh he leaned in, capturing the other’s lips in a soft kiss. Wu Xi fell silent instantly, his eyes closing, a hand cupping Jing Qi’s cheek as he melted against him.

After a while Jing Qi drew back, his gaze fond as he pressed a chaste kiss to Wu Xi’s forehead. Still a bit breathless, Wu Xi began, “Beiyuan,” but Jing Qi interrupted him with a finger to his lips.

“Hush,” he said, “don’t ruin the moment.”

Wu Xi startled, then huffed a laugh. With a grin, Jing Qi leaned in for another kiss.

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