#hu guanglie

[utterlyhooked]

The Hu siblings!

“Loyal to a fault, loyal till the end.”

Hu Guanglie - Lieutenant General of Ningshuo Army - Scout / Tracker

Passionate, boisterous and larger than life.

Hu Yao - Lieutenant General of Ningshuo Army - Scout / Tracker

Badass lady general!

[kassylin]

I am not even horny anymore. I’ve almot passed out at some point lol

That is such a powerful moment, so important. What we get to see later is just a tamed, controlled, carefully maintained picture. This is the real Xiao Qi. God of war, damn it. And I LOVE it.

Also Yao’ers face when she sees Dawang with the head in his hand: XD While everyone else is like: O_O *cackles*

All the blame goes to @utterlyhooked who is an evil person and deserves all the love XD

[shangyangjunzhu]

the rebel princess + character archetypes (insp)

[orsuliya]

Hu Guanglie could have lived, why did he have to sacrifice himself ? After all as long he kept the sword in him, he might be able to avoid haemorrhage until they get help. Hu Yao could just deface another dead soldier’s face and stage it as XQ

Don’t we all wish! But no, I am afraid he really couldn’t have. And yes, you made me go back to episode 50, thank you very much for that, you Nonnie Sans Merci, you. 

Now, I am not going to get into medical details for two reasons. Firstly, that sword moves a lot between takes. Not as much as that teleporting arrow from episode 68, but still, it goes from looking as if it could have nicked a vital artery to being relatively harmless. It’s all in the angle. Secondly, cdrama biology is cdrama biology and also, I have learned my lesson after it turned out that LoGH’s Oskar von Reuenthal must be in possession of a wholly inhuman cardiovascular system.

Besides, you don’t really need to know the anatomic details courtesy of a very interesting reaction shot. See, it’s not the first time that somebody got hit hard in episode 50. Xiao Qi gets two spears to the back, Hu Yao was stabbed in the gut and I even think that Hu Guanglie took some damage to the side after the Horsie Heroics. And yet no real reaction to any of those other than anger. Ah, no, sorry, there is a smile on Hu Guanglie’s face when Xiao Qi turns out to be more or less okay. Remember, those guys are supposed to be seasoned warriors; they can tell if a wound is a potentially debilitating one. And they can sure tell if somebody just became a dead man walking.

Once I saw Hu Guanglie’s reaction I knew he was done for. Xiao Qi knew it, that’s for sure. And Hu Yao knew it; she might have talked about getting her brother to a doctor, but that was the first stage of grief setting in already. Pure, undiluted denial, that was.

Was there a chance of saving Hu Guanglie by getting him to a doctor in time? Yeah, not really, not with that level of medicine. But sure, let’s say that there was a tiny chance. The problem is, you still need to get him there. Only you have a long way to go with all those Imperial Mooks on your trail and you need to go now since right now you are all sitting ducks. Ah, but first you need to get Hu Guanglie on a horse without jarring that sword too much or that artery could get completely severed. Or, at best, that sword could come free of it, starting a massive haemorrhage. How. Xiao Qi is easy in comparison; his wounds are at his back, just throw him belly-down and hope for the best. Hu Guanglie would have to go in the saddle, which means you need to get him walking. Right. There is one small additional problem. Hu Yao is not in great shape either. As we get told much, much later, she lost consciousness once she got herself and Xiao Qi a safe distance away from the battlefield. So pretty much once the adrenaline faded.

Hu Guanglie knows he is dying and even if there is a miniscule chance of living through this kind of wound, there is also an even greater chance of bleeding out as a direct result of Hu Yao trying to get him onto that horse. So what’s better for his little sister: knowing that her Big Bro made his own decision or forever wondering if she could have saved him, had she but moved a bit slower? I think the answer is pretty obvious.

That face-destroying thing was brutal. And bloody hell, Hu Guanglie, you sure don’t ask much from your sister! But I can understand why he would choose to use his own body in such a way. See, there is rhyme and reason to the methods of death offered to Concubine Xie and later Xie Wanru. White silk times two, poison and a small knife, presumably to open a vein. Keeping your body as intact as it can be is a Thing. Intact body equals clean death, which is why offering white silk is seen as a kindness. So defacing a comrade without their explicit permission would be Bad. Not that they wouldn’t, should there be no other choice. But there was a choice. One that could reasonably fit in Xiao Qi’s armour and have it look more or less fine.

I... survived this post. I can add it to my list of episode 50 iterations that I managed to overcome, I guess. 

[consortmadness]

Historical Chinese Drama Imagine OC #3 (The Rebel Princess)

Name: Wang Huan (Yanay) (Princess Meixiang)

Face Claim: Zhou Xun (plays Ula Nara Ruyi in Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace)

Birthday: N/A

Relatives: Awu (Princess Shangyang) (big sister), Wang Huanxi (Empress) (aunt), Wang Lin (Duke of Jing; Prime Minister) (father), Ma Jinruo (Princess Jinmin) (mother), Wang Su (Heir of Dukedom of Jing) (big brother), Xiao Qi (General of Ningshuo Army) (brother-in-law), Late Empress Dowager Xiaomu (Grandmother)

Allies: Awu, Xie Wanru (not for long), Wang Su, Ma Jinruo, Princess Huan Mi, Wang Qian (not for long), Su Jin’er (not for long), Xiao Yuxiu, Hu Yao, Hu Guanglie, Song Huai’en (not for long), Tang Jing, Xiao Qi

Nickname for Allies: Awu Jiějiě , Su Dàgē, Mǔqīn, Huan Mi Jiějiě, Yímā, Jin’er Jiějiě (not for long), Yuxiu Mèimei, Hu Yao Jiějiě, Yao Jiějiě, Guanglie Zhōngwèi, Huai’en Zhōngwèi (not for long), Jing Zhōngwèi, Qi Jiěfū

Yanay (Wang Huan) is the little sister of Awu and Wang Su and the niece of Wang Huanxi (Empress). After the wedding of her idol and big sister Awu and after argument with her father she goes to live in Yuzhang Mansion with Awu and Xiao Qi. Her Aunt decides to marry her to Ma Zetian as his Wangfei (Princess Consort).

Wang Huan is 3 years younger than Awu

Imagines will be after episode 18

Wang Huan’s nickname is Yanay which mean “she who loves”

[tomorrowsdrama]

So the costumes in rebel princess are obviously beautiful and incredibly detailed.  But I love that the costuming also informs us about a character’s social standing and for some characters, their state of mind as well.  Or in Song Huaien’s case, how far into the dark side he’s gone.  He’s really the inspiration for this post.  As I was re-watching some of the early episodes while waiting for the new subs (shhh, I know I’m unhealthily obsessed with this drama), I noticed not only how drastically his costuming/hair has changed, but also that he’s pretty much a mirror of whoever he chooses to follow at the moment.  Cheng’s very own Single White Female without the obsessive craziness, if you will.  Delusional?  Sure.  But not quite crazy.

But first, let’s talk about the clothing of the noble class.  I’m sorry for this thesis that I’m going to inflict on everyone that no one asked for.  I’ve joked about the long trains on Awu/the nobles’ clothing before, but it’s clear that they are a sign of high status and wealth.  The higher ranked/wealthier you are, the longer your train is it seems.  Also, just in general, the nobles’ outfits usually include an abundance/overflowing of luxe silky and billowy material.  See:

And the nobles can afford to have such styles of clothing not just monetarily, but also lifestyle wise.  To put it bluntly, the nobles don’t have to do shit in their lives so they can afford to drag long trains of expensive fabric back and forth in their huge manors/the palace.  These clothes aren’t for functionality, but for beauty/showing off your wealth (whether intentionally or not).  If they need to go anywhere, they have comfy carriages to travel in instead of walking long distances.  If they need something?  That’s what servants are for.  I mean, just imagine how cumbersome it is to move around with such huge billowy sleeves and six feet of cloth dragging behind your ass.  You don’t have to imagine, just look at this scene where Daddy Wang visits Prime Minister Wen in prison (oh, how I regret taking this time for granted and condemning Daddy Wang for imprisoning that old fool):

Look at how his train drags over the threshold of the prison door.  Daddy Wang literally has to lift his train and throw it over a bench in order to sit down.  

The higher your status, the less physical activity you have to partake in a.k.a. the more useless you are, so it should come as no surprise that the longest train I’ve seen so far in the drama belongs to none other than our Useless Mopey Teenager Zitan:

The clothing choices are pretty deliberate, because whenever a character needs to do something more than just sit around enjoying tea (or wine if you’re Awu), they are given clothes that are more practical for moving around. Like the outfit Awu wore when she chased after her dad:

It’s much shorter than her usual garb and she’s wearing simple black pants underneath which makes horse riding and chasing after a traitorous father much more manageable.

What’s interesting is seeing the opposite happen with Hu Yao.  Hu Yao is usually in very practical and simple clothing since unlike the rest of the nobles in the capital, she has to fight against invaders and protect Cheng.  But when she goes to meet our Emo Emperor Zitan, of course she has to be dressed up in a big frou frou dress that makes it hard to walk:

It highlights just how impractical this type of extravagant clothing is for any kind of life other than a noble’s.  Hu Yao can barely walk without tripping over her own dress, let alone fight.  Also what the hell is that giant bow?

Now let’s talk about Daddy Wang’s clothes.  So before he gets exiled for attempting a coup, Daddy Wang was arguably the most powerful man in court.  He was the head of the Wangs, the most influential noble family in Cheng.  The past 10 empresses of the empire were daughters of the Wang clan, and his sister, the current empress, listened to whatever he said (for the most part).  Also his nephew wass the crown prince and easily manipulated.  He’s also wealthy AF so his status and wealth was apparent in his clothing.

Look at the sheen on that fabric and all that intricate embroidery work!  But then of course, he gets exiled and understandably has to put on some more humble clothing:

Simple, unembellished clothing made of coarse fabric that can withstand moving through the fields and rough terrain while you covertly make your way towards your disappointment of a son.  What really sticks out to me though, is his wardrobe choice after he reunites with the turnip.  Instead of going back to the lavish and ornate clothing he used to wear, he opts for an understated gray and black outfit with no long train in sight:

Turnip obviously can afford to put his dad in fancier clothing.  I mean look at the gaudy over-embroidered monstrosity that he’s wearing.  But it makes sense that Daddy Wang has now opted for something a bit more subdued and modest.  He’s been defeated once and is no longer the powerful prime minister he used to be.  Also, the Wangs do not hold as much clout as they used to because 1) empress has gone mad; 2) potato emperor is dead; and 3) the official head of the Wangs is now...Turnip.  

But make no mistake, his clothes may be simpler than before, but they’re still made out of very nice materials. He is after all, still Daddy Wang.  And Wang will rise again if he can help it! 

Next we have the seagull.  Ugh, yuck, gross, I hate her.  Anyway, now that I’ve gotten the bad taste out of my mouth...So for the majority of the drama we see her in light pastel colored clothing with little to no make up as if to imply that she’s a sweet, innocent thing:

She’s also usually pretty covered up.  But then she becomes Concubine Su (ugh) and all of a sudden she’s in bold colors, wearing red lipstick, and most noticeably, gotten very breast-y

Man, did Seagull make a wrong turn and accidentally stumble onto the set of The Empress of China?  She’s definitely got the tackiness to fit in with them.  This drastic shift in styling is clearly to signal to the audience that Seagull is now a seductress ready to do whatever it takes to hold onto that magical flute and never let go.  Also, whereas before she was a snake hiding in the grass, now it’s all out in the open (at least to the Wangs) just like her bosom.

Look, she even gets her own long train to reflect just how useless she is.

And finally, we have Song Huaien, Cheng’s very own Single White Female who molds himself to whoever he happens to follow and takes on their personality and principals (or lack thereof).

In the beginning, he is stuck to Xiao Qi’s side like a shadow, dresses similar to him, and even wears his hair like him.  He’s like the kid brother who copies everything his cooler older brother does because he looks up to him. 

Notably, he’s the only one in the Ningshuo crew who wears his hair down with a half bun, just like Xiao Qi.  Hu Guanglie (RIP best bro) is XQ’s oldest friend and literally devoted his life to him, but he’s also his own man and did not need to copy XQ.  He never wanted to be him, he only wanted to serve him. 

If you didn’t pay attention, you wouldn’t be able to tell who’s who.

When you follow a brave, honorable general who’s sex on legs, you too will be a brave, honorable and sexy general.  Song Huaien never looked better than when he tried to emulate Xiao Qi.

Interestingly, when Song Huaien goes off with Awu and starts to fall for her, he also starts to incorporate some color into his previously all-black wardrobe.  I guess spring arrived in his heart even though it was the cold winter:

Hm, now I’m starting to wonder if a part of his crush on Awu wasn’t influenced by his desire to be like XQ a little bit.  And then, sigh, he starts to get tempted by the riches of the capital city and the internal shift in his character is materialized externally through how he wears his hair in his first appearance in court:

This is the first time we’ve seen him wear his hair in any style other than the usual loose half bun.  And of course, his top knot conforms and fits in with how the rest of the ministers wear their hair.  Now contrast that with Xiao Qi who only wore his hair in a top knot once:

and then promptly went back to his usual hair style:

Sure, he looked good with the top knot (when does he never look good), but it wasn’t him.  Unlike Song Huaien, XQ is secure in himself and knows who he is.  He is not easily swayed or corrupted.  That is why he is able to remain just like how he always has been, internally and externally.

The next change we see in Song’s appearance is his armor.  Now that he is Count Suyi, his armor is noticeably more ornate.  Unlike XQ’s armor, which remains pretty much the same barebones armor we’ve seen since the beginning, Song’s gets fancier and fancier as he gets more lured in by the nicer things in life.

At this point, his hair is still down like before.  But then the next time we see him after his wedding, his hair style is changed into a high ponytail:

Which is a very good look, don’t get me wrong, but it is again another physical representation of the change happening in Song internally.  It’s kind of a weird limbo he’s in because it’s not completely a top knot, but it’s definitely neater and closer to a top knot than his previous hairstyle.  At this stage, Song hasn’t completely crossed over to the dark side quite yet.  He’s still kind of wavering and going back and forth.  So a high ponytail that is a shift from his prior hairstyle but not quite the same as the nobles’ hairstyle makes sense.  He keeps this look for a while and even momentarily goes back to his less fancy self while dealing with the floods away from the capital.  That is, until he joins hands (or is it roots?) with Turnip and it’s all downhill from there, character-wise and also appearance-wise.

First, we have this very ill-advised mustache and goatee which mimics the same facial hair Turnip all of sudden started sporting:

Matching facial hair to commemorate their entry onto the shit list, perhaps?  Anyway, turns out facial hair isn’t for everyone, including Song Huaien.  But this isn’t even the worst of it.  As Song Huaien continues his descent into being a greedy, spineless, puppet for Turnip (HIM of all people! or should I say, of all root vegetables?), he gets uglier and uglier.  I mean:

He looks downright haggard and as if he aged 20 years overnight.  Notably though, he looks exactly like the rest of the useless ministers in court.  He has definitely lost the sheen, vigor, and hotness that he once had when he was following XQ.  It’s as if the ugly inside is reflected on the outside as well.

I guess when you follow a weaselly coward like Turnip, you too will turn into a weaselly coward.  Oh Song Huaien, Song Huaien.  What a disappointment you turned out to be, you dumb, greedy bastard.   

[dangermousie]

Oh, when Xiao Qi said “Huaien is like a brother to me.” My heart!!!! But then, Awu thought Jin’er was like a sister to her, too. Both of them judge people around them by their own quality and morals and...

Anyway, that confrontation was amazing!

Xiao Qi was downright terrifying (and when he raised his voice OMG. He almost never does but his dead soldiers and dead HGL is something that is a seeping wound. They died for no glorious cause but due to court plots and he cannot stand it, that they died for him.)

Because SHE is all, if you go to the capital, you will only be known as a rebel and he orders him (orders him, good luck!) to obey the order. He adds that only death awaits Xiao Qi if he persists, and XQ says there are many people in the capital that want his death, who will fulfill their desires and point blank asks SHE if it’s him (SHE says he doesn’t dare. God, remember the beginning of that relationship and now and weep.)

One of my favorite bits is when SHE refers to him as Prince Yuzhang and XQ pounces because if he’s a regicide traitor, than his title of Prince Yuzhang is no longer valid and how the ministers could even think there is any point in trying to treat with him, but if the ministers still refer to him as such and think he’s someone they can come to an agreement with, then why was he hunted down in the valley and his men killed without them trying to figure out what the truth is?

When later, Xiao Qi asks if SHE wants to stop him, SHE is all “I am faithful to the Empire” and then XQ really loses it “Was Hu Guanglie not faithful to the Empire? Were Ningshuo soldiers not faithful to the Empire?” And SHE has no answer of course, but that is why Xiao Qi cannot stop - what drives him is not grievances to himself, but grievances and deaths of his men, of his oldest friend.

When he tells SHE to leave because he said and did what he had to and to tell the ministers, “I, Xiao Qi, am back,” SHE throws the order down and the army rides over it, I love it so. Xiao Qi is very laid back about a lot of things, the way only truly secure, confident, and comfortable in themselves people can be. But with the things he decides and the things he cares about nothing can move him. He is genuinely terrifying in this scene at times and I love it so!

[utterlyhooked]

Guanglie’s sacrifice

Hu Guanglie - Lieutenant General of Ningshuo Army, passionate, boisterous and larger than life.

Dutifully firm and unwavering,  Guanglie’s loyalty was absolute! A good thing that his loyalty was to a man that deserved it.

Loyal to a fault, loyal till the end.

[kassylin]

My guys... I don’t even know what to say.

It is not my fault. All this is sweet @utterlyhooked Please blame her T_T (We adore you, TRP detective lol)

Just you wait, there’s more T_T

[kassylin]

Will I calm down?

Eventually lol

That is not even a human language. That is what an alpha beast does. Your leader is dead. Run.

lol

“Huaiena, when we want to scare an enemy, do we scare them with expensive things?”

No, we release Dawang out of gates lol I love him so much T_T

[kassylin]

Same, Huaiena, same T_T

I don’t think that ever again they’re so beautiful together. So one in mind and in heart. Huaien is so in love. Xiao Qi is looking at him for so long. It’s like they’re saying goodbye. 

Also if there is a more pleasant view... Nope, there isn’t T_T The most beautiful scene and so heartbreaking.

[kassylin]

I adore every single look XQ gives Zitan. His Mona Lisa’s smile that not once touched his eyes. Him being relaxed and tense at the same time. The contrast between black and white. Between drunk and sober. Between joy, warm and happiness with XQ. And absolute silence and coldness when Zitan comes in.

Also Guanglie has no chill. He literally grabbed Prince’s hand. Love him T_T

[utterlyhooked]

Extended battle scene - Ep 01

About a month ago (I know that long ago), my “research” (I use that term loosely) paid off, it doesn’t always. For those who have not seen it yet, I found a video of the extended battle scene in episode 01!  As far as I can tell, it was released around March 28. The footage is not edited, stunts and props still have their wires and rigs, there are still background noise from wind machines, etc., and you can also see the crew that operates the drones for aerial shots. It lasts for 11 minutes and 40 seconds. I think they only used about half of that in the final episode.

We can see here why he sent the Hu siblings to find Awu, they are scouts/trackers.

It also shows why Xiao Qi ended up surrounded by Hulan troops. Sorry, I can’t seem to make GIF’s from this video. I’m also new to making them.

He got stabbed by the way.

That is Helan Zhens sword, and he not only got stabbed, he got skewered! Xiao Qis sword went through his body.

Remember, Awus conversation with Zitan on the Lantern Festival? Xiao Qi sent the King of Hulans head to the court.

I soo hope they would eventually release all the other episodes. *fingers crossed*

[kassylin]

Xiao Qi with children.

I am not crying, you’re crying.

Ok. Byeeeeeeee

[kassylin]

One more important moon moment that I’ve missed. Those BFFs

Also those famous in all the Cheng gatherings before the battle. Ningshuo generals are insulting and threatening each other, while their fearless leader stands in the background pretending to be a beautiful part of decorum lol

And Dawang’s face when Don Huan tells him Awu will be fine even if it’s chaos in the capital lol I would grab my stuff and run. XQ is so done with people telling him his wife will be fine because she’s not an ordinary woman *sighs* 

[kassylin]

Bonus lol

This man and his gorgeous expressive face lol 

*cackles*