#jade's probably Qing.

[sunderwight]

Trying my hand at this one:

Shen Yuan transmigrates into a worm.

It's just a normal garden variety (heh) earthworm, not a special magical worm (yet), so initially he thinks this is gonna be a really short transmigration adventure indeed. But of course that would be boring, so he also manages to end up in the body of a worm who lives under one of those magical immortal fruit-bearing trees.

One of the fruit drops, Worm Yuan chows down, and he significantly upgrades his physical abilities, and senses, and gains a cultivation boost! Hooray!

Unfortunately it's not enough to fix that he's still a worm, but it's enough so that he has less to fear from getting hit by a random shovel or such. In the process of eating the fruit, he sees some disciples (come to gather the fruits, slacking somewhat since they even allowed a few to hit the dirt) and overhears enough of a conversation to figure out that he's transmigrated into a worm that lives in the PIDW setting. Specifically, on Qian Cao Peak!

Wow! How random and wild! Why a worm??? What god did he piss off in his past life for this?

Well anyway, it is what it is, and Shen Yuan decides that if he's gonna live a probably short and uneventful life as a worm, at least he wants to see his favorite character. So he inches his way in what he hopes is the general direction of Qing Jing Peak, course-correcting whenever he gathers that he's guessed wrong, hitching a ride on the occasional shoe or once even gripping the internal part of a wheel from an An Ding Peak carriage, until finally, he's leveled up his meager worm cultivation even more and has reached Qing Jing Peak!

As Worm Yuan continues to inch his way across the peak, he keeps just-barely missing Luo Binghe, until finally he comes across... not Binghe, but a recognizable item: a fake jade pendant!

Though lost initially on a tree branch, it must have fallen at some point, down to the ground where Worm Yuan stumbled upon it.

Mustering his strength, Worm Yuan manages to get the broken string of the fake jade around his little worm body, and then makes the herculean trek to the wood shed. Dodging bird attacks, hiding from other QJP disciples, and further upgrading his Worm Skills such as digging, inching, and oozing, until finally he reaches his destination and squeezes under the door.

Leading to the situation of an incredulous disciple Luo Binghe -- who had previously been tending to his bruises -- watching as a little worm climbs into the shed (normal, usually it's spiders but sometimes other bugs get inside) while dragging his long-lost most treasured item in what can only be described as a deliberate fashion (very not normal).

After ascertaining that Worm Yuan is not some cultivator's tool or shapeshifted creature, Luo Binghe decides to approach this situation in the only reasonable way, and offers the worm some scraps from his leftovers. Worm Yuan happily shares a meal with his favorite character, and things take off from there.

Somehow Luo Binghe finds himself learning more about cultivation by watching Worm Yuan than he has in all his attempts to figure out his manual or listen to his shixiongs on Qing Jing Peak so far. He watches Worm Yuan work up the spiritual energy to crack rocks and scale the wood shed walls, and deduces some methods for applying his own spiritual energy in similar ways. He finds it heartening to think that if even a little worm can learn to cultivate through what seems to be pure determination, then surely Binghe can make his situation work, too. He scrounges around and manages to gather up enough materials for a makeshift terrarium, so Worm Yuan can be safe and cozy by his side at night.

Of course, trials and tribulations never stop. At some point Ming Fan and his cronies find the terrarium and smash it. Binghe is inconsolable until he realizes that Worm Yuan got away (extra durable, after all!) and is wriggling back towards him in a reassuring fashion.

Worm Yuan's hero schedule is quite full, too! At some point he digs his way into a tunnel to the Lingxi caves and saves Liu Qingge, and in the midst of the demon invasion he manages to help Binghe at a vital moment by hardening his body and tripping his opponent. He rides in Binghe's pocket when Binghe goes to claim Zheng Yang, too, developing his cultivation throughout it all.

Unfortunately, kind of, Worm Yuan is also in Luo Binghe's pocket when he gets thrown into the Endless Abyss. Through the hardships of the Abyss, Worm Yuan consumes some unsavory things (the less said about the quality of worm food in the Abyss, the better) but manages to unlock rare worm cultivation upgrades, until finally he achieves his first transformation -- a gigantic Dune-esque mega worm!

The less said about the symbolism of a stallion protagonist accompanied constantly by a literal monster worm, the better, probably. But having the ability to tunnel through basically anything does make a lot of things easier, at least in terms of travel, and cuts years off of the Abyss trip. Binghe and Worm Yuan almost have fun, even, just tearing through the terrain and any foes stupid enough to get in Worm Yuan's path until they retrieve Xin Mo and bust out.

Then they get into the demon realms and that actually is just straight up mostly a good time. Worms like Shen Yuan are not common so at first he nearly always surprises Binghe's foes when he shows up to help with fights, and a lot of the time the demons involved don't even seem to realize, at first, that he's with Luo Binghe and isn't just some hellish calamity that's coincidentally also shown up! But word gets around pretty quick that the new Heavenly Demon on the scene has a giant worm companion (probably leading to some misconceptions of people who think it's Tianlang Jun returned and that someone's mistaken Zhuzhi Lang's snake form for a worm).

Once that happens, unfortunately, some demons start taking precautions. After the first time Worm Yuan gets poisoned and nearly perishes (saved by Binghe's blood in the nick of time), Luo Binghe stops letting him participate in fights. Which is just rude! Worm Yuan's not going to make the same mistake twice, duh! But Binghe just keeps holding him in reserve again and again until the fight with Mobei Jun, and then when Worm Yuan intervenes anyway (is it just him or does Mobei Jun seem to know a lot more about potential heavenly demon weaknesses than he did in PIDW...?) and gets partly frozen, Binghe goes berserk. For a while there Shen Yuan is worried he won't actually LET Mobei Jun surrender!

Thankfully though he does, and then Binghe settles into his properties and starts... building a giant-scale worm garden? What about the harem, Binghe? Like obviously it's nice and all, but shouldn't you be focused on housing for, y'know, your future wives?

Other factions in the demon realms clearly are wondering about the same thing, as the marriage alliance offers naturally start pouring in. The most vocal of these being Sha Hualing. Worm Yuan supposed that his Binghe is probably waiting to officially take his wives so that he can marry Ning Yingying first or something, but still, a little planning wouldn't go amiss. Though eventually Luo Binghe seems to get -- if anything -- fed up enough with the questions about his marriage prospects that he does start setting up for a wedding.

Worm Yuan is surprised and touched when he finds himself being fitted for a monster-worm sized amount of wedding regalia. So he can be included in Binghe's wedding procession? That's so sweet! He's not sure he understands the inclusion of a veil, though...?

Anyway. Yes. Binghe marries the worm.

[sapphicjackal]

Bingyuan Soulmate au 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Shen Yuan told himself he would wait until the next day to read the web novel he found, Proud Immortal Demon Way. The web novel had only been uploaded for 20 days now, making it fairly new and unknown. It was probably only because Shen Yuan had searched with keywords that the exact webpage came up. So far it only had 4 chapters, each one being a reasonably sizable length.

Normally, this was the kind of story that Shen Yuan would truly enjoy.

It seemed intriguing and held great promise. The bits of world building that had already been sprinkled in were captivating and promising. Shen Yuan could see the makings of a great premise.

However-

The protagonist is named Luo Binghe, and this is a story of his suffering. 

The first chapter starts with a baby, one abandoned to float down the freezing Luochun river during the coldest night of winter. Named Luo Binghe, the unwanted orphan lived on the streets. How he survived infancy was left vague, but he was eventually taken in by a poor washerwoman who had little to provide other than the love in her heart.

Luo Binghe wanted for nothing, even while having so little. He was spat on and bullied by the masters that his adoptive mother worked for, but he was content purely because he had his mother. She taught him to cook and she brushed his hair while telling him stories of peerless immortal cultivators. 

She worked tirelessly to provide for him, all without a single complaint and wearing a warm smile. She saved meticulously for a long while to be able to afford a jade Guanyin pendant for her son, only to find out that the jade was fake. The heartbreak of it all took its toll, especially when there was no extra money for food and her health began to take a turn for the worse.

Luo Binghe had to beg for food to give her, and work to get her medicine. On the day she died, he went out to beg in order to get her a bowl of watery congee. He was beaten for the right to have a cold bowl of food, and by the time he returned, she was already dead.

From there, he lived another two and a half years on the streets until he turned 10, the minimum age requirement to take the test for the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. Renowned as the top cultivation sect in the world, it was also the only sect open for anyone to join so long as they had potential and were chosen by a Peak Lord. 

Luo Binghe traveled up the countless stairs and threw all of his effort into digging a hole, wishing with all his heart to be chosen. He was overjoyed when a peerless immortal cultivator stopped before him, one who looked distinguished and elegant, dressed in greens and white. Luo Binghe was the only one chosen for the second highest ranked peak, Qing Jing Peak.

This should have marked the turning point for Luo Binghe’s miserable luck, the beginnings of something good.

The first chapter ends with Luo Binghe’s tea ceremony, with his new Master dumping hot tea over his head with a cold look of disdain. Luo Binghe’s tears mixed with the dripping tea while his Shizun scoffed at him, proclaiming him a worthless Beast. Shen Qingqiu tossed him his manual, telling him with a sneer to learn it well before kicking him out.

Things don’t get better.

The next day, Luo Binghe received his materials from the Head Disciple, Ming Fan. He was only given the worst of what they could offer, and he was barred from being allowed inside of the Disciple Dormitory. Luo Binghe was forced to find shelter in the woodshed which became his home.

It marked the start of the relentless bullying from Ming Fan and the other disciples. Shen Qingqiu had clearly marked the boy as a pariah, meaning the whole Peak left him to fend for himself. He was kicked out of lessons with some Hallmasters, and given endless chores that kept him from attending the classes he was allowed in. The only person who treated him kindly was Ning Yingying, but this only drew further ire from Ming Fan who had a crush on her.

Life was miserable, but Luo Binghe did his best to rise above it. He did his work, and he learned what he could. It took months for him to even be able to read his manual, but once he could, Luo Binghe threw himself into studying cultivation. Only. He didn’t know that the manual was a fake. One made to look genuine, but would waste the years of greatest potential for a cultivator, and could even lead to death.

The fourth chapter left off on Luo Binghe being whipped for hours because Ming Fan blamed him for messing something up. Luo Binghe was left bleeding in the dirt while his scum Shizun walked away.

Shen Yuan finished reading with a foul taste in his mouth, staring blankly at his phone screen long enough that it turned off automatically. Normally, this kind of narrative was one that Shen Yuan enjoyed. One where a protagonist starts from nothing and climbs their way to the top, then slaps their faces and takes revenge on everyone who had pushed them into the dirt when they were at their lowest. Shen Yuan liked YY stories, it was easily his favorite genre to read.

Maybe once this could have been the start of Shen Yuan’s favorite story.

Instead he felt nothing but sick.

His soulmate had told him pieces of this information, accompanied by all of the feelings that went along with it. Binghe had told him that his mother died close to three years ago, and how much he missed her. 

Maybe if he found the story first, he would have seen Binghe as a protagonist first. Maybe he would have found it cool to be soulmates with a fictional character. It wasn’t even that hard for Shen Yuan to wrap his head around. He knows tropes very well, and a modern guy finding out he’s soulmates with a fictional character is a popular genre.

But-

Shen Yuan has spent hours writing to his soulmate for the past few days, in those snatches of time that Binghe manages to steal. He’s spent a few days getting to know his Bing-er in all of his earnest and sweet glory. Binghe was a true white lotus, born in the muck yet managing to remain pure despite it all.

Shen Yuan has spent 15 years loving his soulmate. 

Ever since he knew of the concept from his parents. He’s been writing to his soulmate since he could hold a pen, first it was nothing but the sloppy scrawls and doodles of a child, but he learned quickly to write. Literacy had extreme importance in society, and children were taught to read and write as soon as possible so they could communicate with their soulmate, especially among those with wealth.

Binghe has been at the end of every message. 

Even if they’ve only known each other for a short time, Shen Yuan has cared for his soulmate his entire life.

Binghe is more than a protagonist. 

Shen Yuan didn’t manage to sleep a wink. The first half of his night was spent reading, and the second half spent waiting for Binghe to wake up. He knew Binghe rose with the sun, and so he only had a few more hours to kill while waiting. He flipped through tabs on his phone, opening and closing apps restlessly. 

Shen Yuan doesn’t think about his soulmate being abandoned at birth. He doesn’t think about years of getting tormented by those around him. He doesn’t think about a confession laced with pain. This one likes Qing Jing Peak. Qing Jing Peak does not like this Binghe.

No.

Shen Yuan doesn’t think about it at all.

He lost track of time, flinching in surprise when he finally felt the tingling swipe of a brush on skin. Shen Yuan sat up in bed and turned on his lamp, fumbling for his marker. He couldn’t help his smile at Binghe’s words even if he tried. All of the suffocating heaviness was lifted all at once, leaving him feeling light and unburdened.

“Wishing Yuan-ge a happy day!” Binghe had written, his brushstrokes precise and careful, words filled with happiness. 

“Good morning Bing-er.” Shen Yuan responded, returning the sweet greeting of his little white lotus of a soulmate. 

Shen Yuan bit his lip, staring down at his arm. He had thought about what to say for hours now, so he pushed back his strange hesitation and began to write. “You told me you had trouble cultivating, I thought about it last night. The most important part of learning is cross referencing. Is there any way you could look at someone else’s manual?”

“Yuan-ge?” Binghe wrote, shining with innocent curiosity.

“Make sure your material is real. People could be trying to hurt Bing-er with fake material.” Shen Yuan asked, full of worry and suspicion. 

“This one will check.” Binghe responded, he felt faintly skeptical, but completely truthful. It took a heavy weight off of Shen Yuan that he didn’t even realize he was carrying.

“Thank you, Bing-er. I hope I’m wrong.” Shen Yuan wrote, feeling utterly relieved though it was threaded with an underlying anxiety. 

Shen Yuan went through the rest of his day with Binghe’s situation lingering in his mind. He ate breakfast the chef made with his mother and meimei, both his father and his older brothers already left for work. He went back to his room and did his schoolwork.

Technically, Shen Yuan attends the best private academy in Beijing. However, he doesn’t actually go onto the campus because of his health concerns. His parents worked it out so that all of his work is sent to the house and his tests are administered by teachers who come to him instead. 

Shen Yuan used to resent it when he was younger, wishing that he could go to class with other kids and make friends, but now he’s glad he does have to spend most of his day surrounded by other teenagers.

In addition to his standard curriculum, his mother also has him tutored in the four arts. It was something that Shen Yuan actually enjoyed though his siblings found it to be tedious. Now he would have to take it even more seriously and learn more outside of his lessons so that he could teach it to his soulmate. 

Hours earlier than he expected, Shen Yuan feels a brush on his skin. He can immediately tell something is wrong, the feelings are overwhelming, upset, and heartbroken. Shen Yuan excused himself from dinner and went to his room, checking his wrist.

“You were right, Yuan-ge. It was fake.” Binghe wrote, full of helpless anger, bitterness, and pain.

Shen Yuan swallowed heavily, feeling furious for Binghe. The confirmation that his soulmate's life is at the very least connected to the web novel was something that Shen Yuan would need to think about later. For now, he needs to comfort his soulmate.

“I’m so sorry, Bing-er. You deserve better.” Shen Yuan wrote, wishing that he could do more for Binghe to keep him safe. If everything is true in that web novel, then right now his soulmate was living in a woodshed. A fucking woodshed. He was being hurt by everyone around him and doesn’t have a single good thing to his name. 

Binghe deserves nothing but the best and now Shen Yuan is all too aware that Luo Binghe has been forsaken by those around him. Shen Yuan wants to find the author and thrash them until they answer why Luo Binghe has to suffer. Why did they do this the the sweetest person that Shen Yuan has ever met? How can they stand to hurt Luo Binghe who has never done anything wrong but had the whole world against him from the start?

“Yuan-ge.” Binghe wrote, his brushstrokes shaky and filled with desperation, longing, loneliness, and pain.

Shen Yuan choked on secondhand pain, feeling his heart break for the overwhelming betrayal that Binghe has suffered. Shen Yuan wishes nothing more than to be there for his soulmate, but all he can do is write. 

Shen Yuan concentrates on sending comfort and love, writing messages one after another to his Binghe.

“My Bing-er, I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

“We’ll figure this out, Bing-er, I’ll help you.”

“I’m so sorry Bing-er, you deserve better than this.”

“Bing-er deserves the world, I would give it to you if I could.”

“I’m here, Binghe.”

Shen Yuan runs out of space on their left arm, so he leans over to begin writing on his leg. He choses one sentence, the most important truth he wants to impart onto his soulmate. He writes small, repeating the line uniformly spaced out one on top of the other until it fills the skin from his ankle to his knee. 

When Binghe still hasn’t responded, Shen Yuan starts writing a symmetrical series of lines on his other leg.

“Binghe is precious.”

He had nearly finished on his second leg when he finally received a reply from Binghe, right above their knee.

“I wish Yuan-ge was here.” Binghe wrote, his words containing fathomless amounts of yearning.

Shen Yuan grit his teeth, wishing he could fulfill Binghe’s wish. He wanted nothing more than to give Binghe everything. Everything he deserves, all the love he should receive. Shen Yuan feels useless, but he pushes that away.

All he can do is try his best to help Binghe in any way he can.

That day, Shen Yuan subscribes to Proud Immortal Demon Way, and he never misses reading an update as soon as it is uploaded. He leaves comments criticizing the author for making Luo Binghe’s life so needlessly miserable. He hopes the author will listen and lessen Binghe’s suffering.

[least-carpet]

jiang cheng ships by whether they're about wei wuxian or not

our boy wwx's protagonist halo is more like a gravitational field in his effect on jc's emotional development. he probably didn't, like, invent jiang cheng's abandonment issues, but he certainly made them worse! so here are jiang cheng ships grouped by whether or not they're actually about wei wuxian. the ones in the middle could go either way.

definitely about wei wuxian:

chengxian: obvious. wei wuxian is literally there.

zhancheng: obvious. they're both obsessed with wei wuxian.

ningcheng: obvious. they're both wei wuxian's horrible/beloved science experiments/little brothers and neither of them are normal about it. to be fair, wei wuxian is also not normal about it, thus the science experiments.

definitely not about wei wuxian:

mingcheng: I think this is more about theoretical temperamental compatibility and letting jiang cheng date a hot male authority figure who at least kind of approves of him.

sangcheng: I think this is in some ways often about giving jiang cheng a human who is *not* obsessed with wei wuxian. like, give jiang cheng his own bf who can be into him on his own merits.

chengyao: they're coworkers! they're inadvertent coparents! they're both wildly competent and also incredibly bitchy if the situation calls for it! if anything this is about jin ling instead.

chengyi: I don't know what this is about other than getting jiang cheng a boytoy. I don't rightly know that he would want one of those but why not! get down with your bad selves!

could go either way, Schrödinger's wei wuxian:

chengqing: this one I wasn't sure about because actually a lot of writers are pretty careful to make chengqing actually about them but wei wuxian got up in there with great determination and made that threesome happen (wen qing's hands, wei wuxian and jiang cheng's holes... surgical holes... I regret this already). hard to totally extract him from the dynamic after that. the wei wuxian must be contended with. depends on when in the timeline it happens and what canon you're working from, since cql made it canon pre-surgery.

xicheng: this is less likely to explicitly be about wei wuxian and more likely to be structurally about wei wuxian. not only does it make them match (twin prides dating the twin jades) but the brothers-dating-brothers situation ties them tightly to wangxian from multiple directions. in other words, if it's about wei wuxian it's because it sort of re-joins them as family through a different method. if he's not your "real" brother, becoming an in-law is fine?

disclaimer: I acknowledge it is possible to, for example, write a zhancheng fic which is not about wei wuxian, I'm not saying you can't! through the power of AU all things are possible, etc. but you have to actively remove him from the dynamic, because canon embeds him there very deeply, vs. something like chengyao, where they have a totally separate relationship (via jin ling- and their working relationship).

[dandylions101]

Poly Xianle Quartet Dynamics Headcanons/Thoughts

Okay so first we have our main big ships: Hualian and Fengqing

Xie Lian x Hua Cheng: our star-crossed lovers duo. Constant heart eyes. We know them. We love them. It’s very important to me that they both love each other the same intense amount tho.

Feng Xin x Mu Qing: Rivals to lovers type. I think they both definitely had a crush on each other when they were younger, a bit of a “fuck this guy but also he’s kinda pretty wait what-“. I think post-canon they finally try and do get over their general angst and bad communication and become a duo that really make a fantastic team when they can. Like. Not kill each other enough to actually listen. The Martial Gods of the South. They’ve been at each other’s side (and at each other’s throats) almost always since they’ve met, and I think that fact really is the foundation of their dynamic.

Alright, now the more fun stuff.

Xie Lian x Feng Xin: ‘Body Guard x Royal’ dynamic my beloved. I think they’re very much childhood friends to lovers too. Like saw each other in diapers type. I think Feng Xin was born to a noble family (with a strong martial background) that was mostly dead by the time the kingdom fell, and therefore was one of the few people deemed high ranked enough to be friends with the Crown Prince. Which makes him like. The person Xie Lian knew the longest. Intensely loyal, especially post-canon once they get over their angst. Honestly I think they may be a little bit codependent for a bit, but they ease out once they’ve settled into their relationship again. There’s definitely more to say here but I’ll leave it at that for now.

Xie Lian x Mu Qing: Ah yes, it’s the Unrequited Love complex they both nurtured for me. I read It’s In Your Warmth, I Feel The Coldest, by PeacefulDiscord on ao3 (it’s great you should check it out). And they wrote a line which really pinned down their relationship for me; “I always thought of you as my beauty,” Xie Lian says. His gaze is firm even as his hand gentles where he’s still holding Mu Qing. “My jade. My love for you drove me mad, it made me too harsh when I believed you to have discarded me so easily.” And that right there has to be the crux of their relationship. I think they both crushed on each other when they were younger, and they found each other’s differences fascinating. But that difference in class made it so difficult for them to actually understand each other. I think post-canon, once they both have lived closer to the contexts of each other’s childhoods, they both have a much better understanding of the other person. They both had strong insecurities when it came to each other, a balancing act when they never knew what the other might take the wrong way. And the power imbalance that Mu Qing was always intensely aware of and that Xie Lian never even considered. Which made them lash out the minute they felt unsure. Assumptions galore. I think after a long chat post-canon, they settle into a sweet and close relationship again, and I think their experiences after they parted lent them a new understanding of each other they bask in now. The intense admiration (and love) they have for each other goes unshadowed now.

Alright, now probably the most juicy dynamics (at least in my opinion):

Hua Cheng x Mu Qing: I headcanon that they knew each other, when they were kids. Same impoverished neighbourhood type. I’m not sure how close that relationship was, but I think they definitely had one, even if it was just Mu Qing lying about Hong Hong’er’s whereabouts when his family or some other kids try to hurt him. They have lots of animosity to get through, especially regarding the whole Xie Lian stuff. And I think because their childhoods were similar, it made Hua Cheng even less inclined to forgive Mu Qing for what he viewed as his abandoning Xie Lian (especially cause I wouldn’t have done that, he thinks to himself). I think Hu Cheng also envies him the relationship he had with Xie Lian when they were younger, thinking him undeserving. I think any headway they make happens after an explosive verbal fight, which is probably how their other two lovers learned they knew each other when they were young. Once they actually talk out the resentment, I think their relationship eases a bit. The spark of admiration they had for each other when young erupts into a whole forest fire pretty quickly after that. (Mu Qing was definitely Hua Cheng’s gay awakening when they were younger, and Xie Lian was Feng Xin’s. Mu Qing’s was Feng Xin, to his eternal despair and Feng Xin’s eternal smugness. And Xie Lian’s was obviously his San Lang, it was almost Feng Xin tho, but he was too oblivious). They turn that lingering animosity into gossiping and judging people together, it’s their favourite bonding activity. I think their shared background eventually makes Hua Cheng the person that can read Mu Qing the easiest, and Mu Qing the person that catches Hua Cheng’s insecurities the easiest too. Their relationship is surprisingly soft. Theres is a slow burn.

Hua Cheng x Feng Xin: These two bitches might actually be enemies to lovers. Hate at first sight. Hate for a long while after. They have no basis for a relationship outside of their assumptions about each other, and the early post-canon years consist of snide remarks and actual fist fights sometimes. Their own unique relationship with Xie Lian means they have no qualms about throwing him at each other’s face, and it wasn’t until they almost made him cry doing that they finally calmed down a little. Still. Lots of animosity that doesn’t get solved until some sort of mission together forces them to actually exist around each other enough to not try to explode each other with their brains. They realise, after a fraught silence, that they’re both quite similar. Especially with loved ones. Especially when it’s loyalty. And they both, respectfully, hate this new understanding of each other. “What do you mean I can’t get mad at him for doing the most for someone he believes and is loyal to?!” “What do you mean I can’t hate him for leaving our shared lover because he proved more loyal when being asked to leave?!”. Unfortunately for them, this does prove to be the ice breaker for their relationship. They end up bonding over their shared drive to keep their loved ones safe, and they understand each other’s intense more than anyone else. It’s a slow surprise to both of them when that starts to include each other as well. But they find it’s nice to be the object of someone’s intense for once too.

Alright that’s all for now. I clearly had more thoughts than I assumed.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy birthday! Hope its great! The Untamed please? Its one of my favorite fandoms you've gotten me into 🥰

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Mo Xuanyu is married to the Second Jade of Lan.

Song Lan had known she’d married into the Lan – it was obvious – but he’d thought it was some not so bright cultivator that had been bewitched by her pretty face, or possibly literally bewitched, which he’d already decided wasn’t any of his damn business. If some stupid Lan wants a terrifying and amoral demonic cultivator for a wife, then good luck to them. Except they obviously don’t know she’s a demonic cultivator, considering their clan’s history with the original. But again, not his business, not his problem. His first priority is Xiao Xingchen and if Mo Xuanyu is going help him, then he really doesn’t care about who she’s terrorizing in her spare time.

Except it appears he’d underestimated her.

Because she’s apparently Jin Xuanyu now, legitimized and married off to the second most eligible bachelor in the cultivation world, superseded only by his brother who’s been unofficially off the market for over a decade.

Hanguang Jun had lived as a widower and Song Lan had been convinced he was going to die as one. Uncharitably, he wonders if maybe Lan Wangji just has a type, then feels bad about it in the next moment.

She orders Sect Leader Lan around and he lets her. She glares Hanguang Jun down.

To say absolutely nothing of the way she’d taken down Xue Yang. And then given him that dubious honor of taking credit for the kill, likely because she didn’t want to try and explain to her family how she’d managed it.

She had been clever and dangerous as a teenager. She’s managed to vault herself from disgraced bastard daughter to wife of the heir to the Lan and the legal mother to the third in line who will likely be the one actually succeeding Lan Xichen.

Jin Xuan – Xuanyu is a friend. She has very firmly shown herself to be a friend, helping him and protecting Xiao Xingchen and showing what certainly looks like genuine kindness to the girl who’d helped them, A-Qing.

Possibly she’s done all this to ensure their silence over what she used to be, what she is, but if so then it’s been successful. Betrayal would be a poor repayment for everything she’s done. The Lan hadn’t helped him or Xiao Xingchen. She had. The Lan can take care of themselves and if they can’t withstand the machinations of one woman, they deserve what they get.

Xiao Xingchen hasn’t said much, and Song Lan owes him so many apologies, but not here in front of everyone. He at least agrees to fly with him without much fuss. It will be difficult for him to fly with all three of them for any significant distance, but A-Qing asks Xuanyu to fly with her and she agrees with a smile.

Lan Sizhui doesn’t seem particularly thrilled, but he apparently is far too respectful of his step mother to disagree with her.

They’re flying back the inn when Xiao Xingchen presses himself back against his chest and tilts his head back to say, “Song Lan.”

It’s been so long since he’s heard Xiao Xingchen say his name. He has to swallow before he says, “Yes?”

“That’s,” he starts, then stops. “Who was that?”

“Who?” he asks. “We’re traveling with the Lans.”

“The woman,” he says.

His lips tug down into a frown but he tries not to panic. He’s been under charms to confuse and dull his senses for months. “That was Mo Xuanyu.”

If he’s already confused, getting into her legitimization probably won’t help anything.

Xiao Xingchen is silent for a few more moment. Then he asks, “Are you sure?”

What on earth. “Who else would she be?”

“She moves like – and sounds – but. It can’t. She’s – different,” he says.

As wonderful as it is to hear him speaking, Song Lan wishes he were saying less worrying things. “It’s been a long time since we saw her last. She’s grown up and married. Of course she’s different.” He squeezes his arms around Xiao Xingchen’s waist, hoping it’s not too presumptuous when they haven’t discussed anything yet. “It’s okay, after everything that’s happened this all must feel very sudden. Xuanyu is the one that found you. We can trust her.”

He thinks they can trust her. They can trust her more than any other sect cultivator, which granted isn’t saying much.

Xiao Xingchen relaxes against him. “Alright. If you say so.”

[mars-syndrome]

sooo if ur somehow stumbling across this randomly nothing about this post will make sense unless youve read this fic https://archiveofourown.org/works/57909193

but hey, that promised bingge pov post! (full disclosure i am writing this before ive written the sqh scene so some info may be repeated!)

binghe was aware of sy’s nature from the very beginning. he knew it was demonic, but meng mo was the one who let him know about the concept of demon dolls and how theyre created. when he chose sy for qing jing, he was fully convinced it was actually a demon doll with sqq’s exact soul/copy and wanted to get ahead of whatever revenge he and/or yqy may be planning.

meng mo also told him that since sqq’s been dead yqy had probably used his own soul to help ‘create’ sy so both of them were hesitant to use their dream manipulation incase it let yqy know something was up since they could be spiritually linked and lbh’s half demon status was unknown plus he’d be the first person yqy would want to blame. while he wouldnt use dream manipulation since it was spiritual based, he would use the blood parasites as insurance since it was fully physical.

upon meeting sy, he began to have doubts about whether it was sqq’s soul. hence the fungi mission. he used that mission to judge just how human or demonic sy’s body is and also gauge his reaction to not being affected by the spores if his body was demonic to tell how “in the know” he was. when sy was genuinely confused and just accepted whatever explanation lbh gave him, he concluded sy knew absolutely nothing at all and shifted his focus to actually making sy care for him.

his confrontation with yqy after the fungi mission was basically yqy and lbh trying to psych each other out about how much the other knew. it ended with lbh implying he knew what was up, that he could reveal yqy for colluding with demonic cultivators and/or demons, and that he wouldnt let sy get found out unless yqy does some shit bc hey, thats his disciple. so up until now (chapter whatever this is linked on) they’ve operated under a strained truce that yqy stays away from sy and lbh wont reveal them.

for lbh getting close with sy was just a fun little side project. after all, a little sqq who adored him more than anything in the world? sqq would be seething and rolling in his grave. it doesnt hurt that sy was so earnest and cute either and him being on the peak made nyy happy so he was fine with getting some revenge like that.

in the fic’s og pidw, this grows into lbh desperately craving affection and validation from the kid who looks so much like his shizun who withheld it. he’ll grow codependent with sy, but the relationship stays very much master/disciple. on some level he’s aware that though sy does genuinely care for and admire him, hes playing out a role to receive lbh’s protection.

but in the fic our sy, earnest and naive, found the jade pendent.

this is bingge, two decades removed from the abuse he suffered. he’s had two decades to get stronger, to realize the world bends to his whims. to realize no matter where he goes he’ll have women falling over themselves to get into his bed but none of them will ever truly love him and what they give him is shallow. to realize he’ll have men envying him and wishing him harm just for being better. this bingge doesn’t have mobei-jun or any wives to share even the illusion of closeness or companionship with. he has nyy yet she’s been relishing in her role as da-shijie and hes happy for her truly, but he’s been alone in the bamboo house for 20 years.

when bingge meets sy!sqq in svsss who shows him just two days worth of normal domestic kindness, he immediately wants to leave with him. so how would our bingge feel with our sy, who he’s had unrestricted access to for 2 years, who holds genuine affection for him with no ulterior motive, who admires him openly and unashamedly, when he returns the very symbol of his happiness and the last bit of true love hes ever felt?

“precious fake jade indeed” he said

this fake sqq, this flawed copy of the man who tormented him, gave him back this fake pendant that he held most dear, that he lost hope of ever getting back again.

was that not symbolic? did that not make shen yuan his as well? did that not make shen yuan another symbol of love for him? did shen yuan not hand himself over to binghe when he handed over the pendant?

he begins objectifying sy almost. this was his person. obviously if sy was defective for yqy’s purposes, then wouldnt it make sense for sy to have been made just for lbh? after all, who else could cherish and protect sy like he could? yqy let him out of his sight long enough for him to becomes lbh’s so he wasnt fit. sy cant look after himself. only luo binghe could.

the mission he took just after sy’s 16th birthday was to track down the demon clan responsible for sy’s creation and learn more about it to see if he could sever and/or work around yqy’s connection. as soon as he learned everything, he returned and used dream manipulation (after he figured out it was safe) to walk through sy’s memories like svsss bingge did to sqq. he realizes sy’s memories are gone, he and meng mo conclude it was probably an error in the connection to body and soul bc of the nature of demon puppets. but hey, a wins a win. sy has no affection for yqy and the fact sy is loyal to only lbh remains unchanged.

speaking of, he should probably make sy his head disciple officially so yqy cant make any accusations about lbh’s inappropriate closeness to his disciple, no matter how true they are.

[renewedmotionforjudgment]

A Definitive (See: Extremely Subjective) Ranking of (Not All) Yu Zheng Dramas

With the Double airing, it has occurred to me that despite all of my critiques of Yu Zheng, I have watched quite a number of Yu Zheng dramas. Two reasons: (1) I do love a palace makjang, and Yu Zheng wrote a lot of them before harem dramas got banned, and (2) Yu Zheng is a prolific producer.

Disclaimer: despite everything, I have not seen Female Prime Minister.

So a definitively, extremely subjective, rank of Yu Zheng dramas.

Gong 1 aka Jade Palace Lock Heart. A plot that is banned these days. Modern girl time travels back to Qing dynasty, specifically during the Kangxi era, and gets mixed up in the dynastic battle between the 4th prince and the 8th prince. Starring Yang Mi and Feng Shao Feng. Copious plagiarism from Hana Yori Dango/Meteor Shower, FL advises a Kangxi concubine to rollerblade her way into seduction, and the start of Yu Zeng's neon era. Does it have the cerebral gut punch that Bu Bu Jin Xin gave? Nope. But it remains an extremely fun watch. Only 35 episodes.

Scheme of Beauty/Beauties Rival in the Palace (the first one, I have not seen subsequent ones). An extremely fictional story about Empress Dou of Han, played by Ruby Lin, also featuring Yang Mi, Feng Shao Feng, and Luo Jin, back when he was still playing the second ML. There is some plagiarism scandal attached to it, but I will say that plot wise it's probably the most tightly written of all Yu Zheng works.

Yanxi Palace. I admit, I am a Legend of Ruyi girl through and through, but upon re-watch, honestly Yanxi Palace is so fun. It is a later era Yu Zheng, when he's no longer as restrained by thing like "put less plot armor on your main characters," but it is probably the drama that plays best into Yu Zheng's strength, aka a fun makjang.

Gong 2. Was Yu Zheng trying to rip off Zhen Huan? Yes. BUT it's a fun watch with albeit VERY NEON outfits.

Legend of Haolan. The story about Qin Shi Huang's mother. Wu Jinyan playing a very Wei Yingluo character, so enjoyable watch, but also it felt very ... Yu Zheng madlibs.

Ban Shu Legend. The costumes were fugly. But I actually enjoyed the chemistry between Zhang Zhehan and Jing Tian. The plot is a mess though, I can't even describe it.

Untouchable Lovers. It was a mess! but! it's like a whose who of Yu Zheng's current talent roster.

Swordsman. Yes, I'm putting it below Untouchable Lovers because that drama was at least aesthestically pleasing. Swordsman was Yu Zheng's peak neon era and if there is one thing Yu Zheng should have no business touching, it is a classic wuxia.

[syaal]

Celestial names

I wondered what characters celestial dragons might have for names - Tien Lungs must be 天龍, Jade dragons 玉龍 and so forth but I didn't find meanings for individual dragons in the books, except Lung Tien Ning. Ning meaning tranquility, her name should be written as 龍天寧.

Lung Tien Xiang. For Xiang anything from direction(向) to image(像) could be possible but I think 想 would be a good name for him. To think, to want, to believe. So 龍天想 for Temeraire.

For Lien, though, I can't be confident in my choice. At first I kept reading her name in my mind as Lotus(she would be a perfectly elegant white lotus) because the pronunciation of the character is similar in Korean, and because of course she's the lotus princess. But a character meaning flower wouldn't be quite elegant as to be the name of a Celestial(or a princess in that manner-I think nobles name people after phrases in the Four books and the Five classics like the Analects although I'm not really sure about the Qing dynasty), more of a pretty peasant or a daughter of a lowly government official. And after researching I found that 蓮 is actually pronounced in Chinese as lian? Although that might be similar enough? I DON'T KNOW

So after some consideration I picked out 連 and 練, connection and exercise/learning/white silk respectively, and also 戀 because yearning/love is her gimmick although that wouldn't have been in their minds when they chose her name. Any of these-or none-might work, I'm not from 19th century Qing so sorry in advance?

But Lien always will be the White Lotus Princess in my mind. I love her so much, I hope she writes lots of poems in her exile and someone manages to publish them in the modern age. I bet they would frequent college admission exams and Chinese students would hate her just for that.

(PS I know the characters are bit different from Chinese ones but in Korea these characters aren't simplified bc they aren't used that often anyway, also since Temeraire is set before the simplification of Chinese characters at the 20th century they wouldn't have been written the way they're written nowadays)

Edit: I read Novik's post of QnAs at LJ, and Temeraire's name is canonically 祥 - meaning auspicious. I suppose he really is auspicious to his friends and fellows, and the name creates a neat balance to Lien's inauspiciousness. I'll probably think of him as 想 only in the quiet recess of my mind where Lien resides as my elegant White Lotus princess⋯⋯.

Also, Chuan being 全 makes sense in a poetic tragedy kind of way. To have flawlessness, perfection as a name! No wonder he had to die. The will of Qing couldn't really have perfection as a partner, for perfection does not need outside influence.

And Mei as 'beauty'⋯⋯. Welp. Qin would probably be 欽, so her full name is 龍欽美.

[feng-huli]

Hello! From what I see in your blog, you're very knowledgeable about the Eunuchs in TBOY and Dashing Youth. I'm having problem to identify who's who so I'm just wondering if you have a guide of their names, position, motives, appearance and short backstory? An appearance guide with DY and TBOY actors comparison will be very helpful. At first I thought Zhuoqing of DY is the same guy in the TBOY who also has white hair that keep helping the red prince but I'm afraid they are different people. I hope this is not too much to ask because I genuinely want to know about them but I always ended up confusing myself more. Have a nice day.

Hello, thanks for the ask! 😺 It always makes me happy to see people being curious about the Five Eunuchs! If you want to know more about them, you’ve definitely come to the right place! I’ll probably make a more comprehensive guide at some point, but I can offer a good bit of information here.

The Blood of Youth Eunuch Tree

To start with, here’s a guide to the Blood of Youth eunuchs and how they’re related. I explain more about it in this post: https://www.tumblr.com/feng-huli/753083060426293248/blood-of-youth-eunuch-tree

Now, for Dashing Youth, I’m afraid that I have less to offer, as not all of the eunuchs have appeared yet. Still, I can show the ones who have.

Zhuo Qing

First, we have Grand Eunuch Zhuo Qing. He is the shifu of the Blood of Youth’s Five Eunuchs (except for Jin Yan, who was taught by Zhuo Xin). He serves Emperor Tai’an and is fated to guard the Imperial Mausoleum when he dies. Needless to say, Zhuo Qing is far from pleased by such prospects and is fighting to change the future that has been written for him.

Jin Xuan

Next is Jin Xuan, who succeeds his role as Director of the Five Eunuchs. Growing up, he was the study partner of Xiao Ruojin (also known as Prince Jingyu, Emperor Mingde), and now serves as his most trusted companion and bodyguard, among other roles.

Jin Xian (Jade Deity, Shen Jingzhou)

Jin Xian is known as the Eunuch of Incense in Tianqi and Shen Jingzhou of the Blizzard Sword outside it.

Other

There’s also Eunuch Li (pictured left) and Eunuch Cheng (pictured right). Less is currently known about them, as they aren’t in The Blood of Youth.

The Blood of Youth Loyalties

Finally, for now, there is the matter of loyalties. The eunuchs are honestly some of the most complex characters in the Blood of Youth, and this chart merely touches on the alliances between the eunuchs and the royals. Jin Wei has assisted all of the princes, but I believe his devotion is to his shifu above all else. Meanwhile, Jin Xuan is… ambiguous. Even if his greatest affection is for his emperor, he is reluctant to put his whole heart into one person or cause.

I hope this was helpful!

[pwlanier]

Pair of Landscape Models, no. 15998, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722).

Porcelain decorated in famille verte enamels on the biscuit.

Landscape models are examples of the sophistication and intricacy achieved with ‘enamel on biscuit’ porcelains. The exact purpose for which these objects were made is not clear, although it is thought they were most likely used as ornaments in interior settings. Interestingly, the making of similar examples are portrayed in an early 19th century gouache painting, one of a series illustrating the process of porcelain production.

Mountains and mountain landscapes have been of great importance in Chinese culture since the Zhou dynasty (1050-221 BC). Mountains were considered to be the manifestation of qi, or the ‘life force of the universe’. The home of the spirits and gods, they were the focus of religious activities. Mountains and rocks were also traditional symbols of longevity and reliability. It is for these reasons that Chinese gardens quite often incorporated a large rockery, which was sometimes big enough for humans to walk through. Representing a rockery or mountain landscape, this model may have reflected such symbolic meaning in miniature. Authors have suggested that landscape models such as the present example served as garden ornaments.

This mountain landscape may also have been used for interior decoration, perhaps to invoke the idea of an outside garden within the confines of an indoor setting. Interesting and peculiarly shaped rocks were frequently used for indoor ornamentation in China; they were valued for their symbolic associations and used as an object of contemplation within the scholar’s studio. This was so popular that the form of a rock was frequently imitated in jade and glass. Such objects were often mounted on a finely made stand, to further increase their importance. Thus the present landscape model may have been intended for a similar interior ornamental purpose.

Landscape models were also exported to Europe, most probably as curiosities. The sale of porcelain from a Dutch estate in 1744 included ‘A rock full of figures’. Comparable porcelain examples painted with famille verte enamels on the biscuit are in museums and private collections. A tall pyramidal rock on a round base with various pagodas and buildings, as well as platforms, stairways and several figures, is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. A large landscape model, which is labelled as a brush washer, is in the Musée Guimet in Paris. The Copeland Collection has three comparable miniature landscape models. Several landscape models of varying sizes belonged to the former George Eumorfopoulos Collection. A pair of miniature rockery models, with lotus flowers and cranes, was in the former Anthony de Rothschild Collection.

Courtesy Alain Truong

[wiz-writes]

The OoTY update was everything I wanted thank you for the food 🙏🏼 I love how you gave every RO a moment to shine in, after this I really want to make 4 separate MCs for each of them. And the cliffhanger at the end... you sure do love to torture us, uh?

My current MC is going for Wei Qing and 🥲 thinking about baby Shiyi and Shiqi breaks my heart. Selecting certain dialogues + Wei Qing's unconscious reactions towards the MC made sure to imprint in my mind that their relationship used to be very close before the Elders drove a wedge between them, so playing a MC who was haunted by his 'death' and will get to start all over again with him is going to be interesting, to say the least.

Also, I love the double standards that the MC can keep regarding everyone vs. Wei Qing:

MC: *tries to keep their intentions and identify hidden from their protege, the heiress of the manor, their weapons teacher, etc.*

WQ: Why are you here?

MC: *immediately tells the truth*

LMAO.

Hmm, final thoughts I've had from reading the demo again:

1. I've got the feeling that Master Hua already suspected that the Yinshan Society/someone else (most probably the person who commissioned the society to steal Wujin) would try to do something funny in light of the rumors about his supposed illness. I even doubt he's really ill— I wouldn't be surprised if he spread the rumors intentionally to make his target take the bait, after all.

2.

You touch the piece of broken green jade, running your thumb across its polished surface. You don't know why you agreed to take it back then [...] Maybe it was the shock, or you simply couldn't refuse a dying man's last wish.

Oooh, more mysterious MC backstory that definitely will not cast suspicion/backfire on them later on. No sir, it's just an innocuous piece of jade, nothing more. 🙄

Aaaah, Anon, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you like all the ROs!

The cliffhanger originally wasn't supposed to be there, but I felt that the ending was kind of meh, so I decided to move it to the next chapter.

A bit of background info about MC and Wei Qing, which I'm not sure will ever come up in the story, and also a little bit of insight into what Wei Qing's thinking, so SPOILERS ahead:

.

.

There were altogether seven people in your "group" at Yinshan, with Shiyi being the oldest and the MC being the youngest. Out of these seven disciples, Shiyi and MC were definitely the closest until their Mentors intervened. While you got the MC's side of what happened afterwards and how they moved on, Wei Qing is kind of still stuck in the past, because he never experienced what the MC did. So when his little Shiqi appeared in front of him again, it was like he had gone back to the time when everything was okay. Except, you're not really his little Shiqi anymore.

Man, I think I might write a side story with his POV.

.

.

END OF SPOILERS

As to your final thoughts:

That's a great theory! And Master Hua is certainly capable of coming up with this sort of plan!

Tsk, what did the piece of jade do to you, Anon? It's just a little piece of jewelry, nothing strange about it, no no, absolutely nothing! 😂

This got long, sorry! Anyway, thank you so much for the ask, Anon ❤️

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #Feathersday: Some selections from the Kingfisher Headdresses from China exhibition at Art Institute of Chicago showcasing tian-tsui, the traditional Chinese fine art of using the highly prized iridescent blue feathers of regional Kingfisher species (Alcedinidae).

Lots more pieces (including smaller hairpins & earrings) on display at the exhibition, open through May 2023.

It is also important to note that the demand for feathers for tian-tsui nearly drove kingfishers to extinction in China in the early 20th centry, with the last feather factory closing in 1933. But there are now some contemporary artists reviving the craft who make a point of using ethically sourced feathers (collected from molt etc).

1 Cap (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 18th-19th century Gold wire, kingfisher feathers, amber, coral, jadeite, ivory, glass, silk Exceptional workmanship and the brilliant color of the kingfisher feathers make this an outstanding example of a woman's headdress. At the center, a phoenix with a peacock-like tail is flanked by a pair of dragons. Stacked above the phoenix are a large bat studded with a jadeite gem and another executed in fine filigree. Gourds, symbolizing the wish for multiple offspring, appear on the sides and suggest that this cap may have been worn by a young woman.

2 Headdress (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Silk-covered lattice, kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, jadeite, coral, amethyst, rose quartz, and carnelian The central roundel on this headdress features a butterfly with jadeite wings and a coral body while those on either side contain rose-quartz flowers and narrow-waisted bottle gourds, symbols of fertility. Below the butterfly, two bat-like creatures with long antennae and quartz bodies are flanked by gourds. Jade-petal flowers and other plant motifs fill the top register.

3 Headdress (清朝 点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, pearls, garnets. rose quartz, jadeite, and glass, applied to a silk-wrapped wickerwork trellis The numerous stylized creatures that adorn this headdress are bats. They represent a motif favored in Chinese art because the Chinese word for "bat" (fu) sounds similar to that for good fortune. The wings of the large bats are fashioned with seed pearls, and red agate cameos indicate the eyes and bodies of the smaller ones. Their long antennae end in pearls, which would quiver with the slightest movement when the headdress was worn. The strings of pearls hanging from the lower rim form a veil.

4 Tiara (清朝 点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on silver gilt, jadeite, carnelian, coral, and ivory In Chinese culture dragons are powerful but benevolent creatures, and the ones that decorate the top of this tiara chase a central flaming pearl- a combination that probably expresses the hopes for a happy marriage. Around the perimeter, stylized characters for longevity (show) and small figures of immortals symbolize a further wish for long life. On the inner rim, the eight phoenixes facing downward are also talismans for good fortune.

5 Tiara (清朝 点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on gold and gilt bronze, agate, and lapis lazuli At the top of this tiara, a pair of dragons chase a flaming pearl, a motif expressing hopes for a happy marriage. Below them a pavilion probably represents a paradise of immortals, and still farther down are two goldfish, symbolizing offspring and good fortune. The bottom is composed of a row of birds facing downwards, each holding in its beak a string of pearls suspending L-shaped musical chimes. The Chinese word for chime, qing, is similar to that for celebration.

6 Opera Costume Headdress (民国 点翠头饰） China, first half of 20th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, faux pearls, and glass This headdress teems with symbols of good fortune. The design centers on a large tree peony and below it, a pair of guardian lions flank a flaming pearl. The next row down features red-headed phoenixes and a dragon. A pair of leaping fish--symbolizing a successful career and abundant offspring- appear above the peony. At the top is a pavilion, perhaps representing a paradise of immortals. More details appear amidst the primary designs: bats and butterflies fluttering their wings and Chinese characters with meanings such as "wealth," "longevity," "nobility," and "glory," collectively imbuing the headdress with an air of celebration.

7 Opera Costume Headdress (民国 点翠头饰) China, Possibly Guangxi province, early 20th century Gilt bronze, kingfisher feathers, pearls, coral, silk thread, and glass Together with phoenixes, mandarin ducks, and bats, four large clamshells decorate this headdress. Each clamshell contains a pearl that is visible only from the side or the top. Contemporary audiences would likely have noticed many pearls dotting the headdress, though, and associated them with the clamshells' contents. In addition to wealth, the pearls probably symbolize a wish for a happy marriage and many offspring. 

[all descriptions above from the gallery labels]

***

The only book I know about (in English) about tian-tsui feather art is this one:

Kingfisher Blue: Treasures of an Ancient Chinese Art by Beverley Jackson (2001)

PS - kingfisher feathers aren't really blue - and in fact no bird feathers are known to have "true blue" pigmentation! It's all structural color, just a trick of the light fooling our eyes. :) (Try taking a single "blue" feather and backlighting it sometime to see for yourself!)

Learn more here:

[liberty-or-death]

Wei Wuxian's Spell - "Her shy charming eyes" (Beauty of Nanyuan 南苑逢美人”written by He Sicheng 何思澄)

Let’s talk about the first spell that Wei Wuxian uses in the Yi City. 

In Chapter 36, he choses to animate two female effigies.   The two female effigies seemed like identical twins - they had the same clothes, appearance and makeup.  The effigies appeared to be smiling and one could almost hear their laughter.  The doll’s hair was tied in a shuanghuan updo, wore red pearl earrings, a gold bracelet and embroidery shoes.  Wei Wuxian also thinks they look like servants of a rich household.

(Shuanghuan was a double bun updo favoured by unmarried ladies.  They were popular in the Warring States and are commonly described in Tang poetry.)

This poem has also appeared in both the donghua and CQL!

The spell’s from the poem “Beauty of Nanyuan 南苑逢美人” written by He Sicheng 何思澄 (502-557) in the Southern Dynasty.  南苑 Nanyuan is located just south of Beijing. It was an imperial hunting ground during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The current Beijing Nanyuan Airport is named after this and it’s the oldest airport in China.

洛浦疑回雪 巫山似旦云

Just like the Luo Shen (The Goddess of the River Luo) with skin as white as snow, and like the goddess of Mount Wu with skin as clear as the clouds. 

倾城今始见, 倾国昔曾闻

Her smile today destroys a city, and I heard it can even destroy a country. 

T/N: 倾城 and 倾国 are used in poetry to describe someone who’s incredibly beautiful

媚眼随羞合 丹唇逐笑分

her shy charming eyes, and her red lips are parted lightly

(This is the line used in the spell)

风卷蒲萄带 日照石榴裙

The wind blows the belt adorned with grapes, and the sun shies on the pomegranate skirt

T/N: 蒲萄带 is directly translated as belt with grapes, but it’s believed that the “grapes” refer to green jade and from a distance they look like shining ‘grapes.’   This is the pomegranate skirt.

自有狂夫在 空持劳使君

As long as the crazy husband’s around, emptiness awaits the gentleman.

T/N: There is a similar theme in another text 陌上桑 The Mulberry Tree field road, whereby a woman rejects the emperor’s advances because she’s already married.  The same idea applies here, that this beautiful woman is someone that the author cannot get. 

Personally, I think this is a very common poem used to describe a woman's beauty. I even find soft porn sites tagged with this line lol. 😂 So hmm, I don't think MXTX would have intended to mean too much?

Let’s talk about the second part.  This is split into the phrase “do not question goodness or evil,  (I) draw your eyes and summon thee.” So let’s break it down.

“不问善与恶 do not question goodness or evil” - There is a concept of goodness and evil 善与恶 in Buddhism. It's a complicated doctrine and I won't be going into it so y'all can read about it in the link.

"点睛召将来 (I) draw your eyes and summon thee" - This phrase comes from the the idiom “drawing a dragon and adding the eyes 画龙点睛”.  There is a famous story behind this idiom.  Zhang Shenhao was a famous painter during the Liang Dynasty.  He was known for his vivid drawing.  One day, he painted four dragons on the walls of a temple in Jinling and someone asked him why he didn’t paint the eyes.  He then remarked, “The eyes are the essence of the dragon.  If I paint the eyes, they’ll fly away.”  Everyone laughed at him when he said that.  Zhang Shenhao then added the eyes to two dragons and unexpectedly, they came to life and flew away.  Hence, this term was used to describe a situation whereby one’s finishing touch would bring a piece of art to come to life.  MXTX probably used it in this case as well, Wei Wuxian did draw the eyes of the dolls and made them come alive lol.

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 4

If she was going to remove her brothers from Lotus Pier and hide them from being indoctrinated by the Wen Sect, she could have no better co-conspirator than Wei WuXian. Also, given that the fortune teller had stated said co-conspirator was going to lose everything (everyone) important in his life, she decided it would probably be just as easy for him to hide all his friends away, too. And Jin ZiXuan, seeing as how she still wanted to marry him. The Jin heir was... infuriating, but she was... enamored. 

Wei WuXian embraced the role, immediately sending letters to his friends inviting them to a forbidden nighthunt. As expected, Nie HuaiSang and his minder, Meng Yao, were the first to arrive at the rendezvous point, sabers conspicuously absent, mischievous smiles on the younger’s face. Jin ZiXuan and his retinue were a close second, angrily strutting around the inn even before seeing Jiang YanLi standing behind her brothers. Surprisingly, two Wens showed up the following morning: Wen QiongLin and his elder sister, Wen Qing. “You didn’t see the way he was treated by Wen RuoHan and his sons, ShiJie! If we’re avoiding being indoctrinated, we need to include all our allies,” was Wei WuXian’s defense for inviting the pair. The twin jades arrived last, furious that anyone would plan a nighthunt when doing so would invite Wen RuoHan’s wrath down upon them. No, it wasn’t right, but they needed to keep the peace, right?

“We’re not going nighthunting,” Wei WuXian grinned at their stonier than normal faces. “ShiJie received... information. QishanWen is going to attempt to become overlords of all the Sects. Wen RuoHan wants to proclaim himself Emperor. They’re going to attack Cloud Recesses and do their best to burn it to the ground. With that victory, they’re going to send notices to every largish clan or sect that the heirs and strong junior disciples are required to attend indoctrination at the Nightless City. Our sect leaders will send us because they don’t want to become next. But it won’t work. QishanWen will still attack Lotus Pier. Then the Unclean Realm. The clans will ally against Wen RuoHan, and eventually they will win the war. But at the loss of thousands of lives and hundreds of the smaller sects completely wiped out.”

“So why are we here?” Jin ZiXuan snarled. “Shouldn’t we be home preparing to resist?”

“If you resist, Koi Tower will be attacked and destroyed, too,” Jiang YanLi spoke up, doing her best to sound competent, not scared. “Any clan that resists will be destroyed.”

Jin ZiXuan started turning a brilliant scarlet. “How do you know this? I want to verify it! Tell us who your informant is!”

“And potentially have that informant executed by my uncle?” Wen Qing crossed her arms, looking murderous. “What Jiang Guniang says is consistent with what I’ve overheard. My odious younger cousin is already setting up for that indoctrination while my older cousin is salivating over how he will handle the clans that disobey.” She turned to Wei WuXian. “My brother and I thank you for the invitation, but... I think it’s best that we return to the Nightless City.”

Jiang YanLi shook her head. “Wen Guniang... my informant tells me everyone in this room will be affected by the upcoming war and only a few of us will survive it. Jiang Cheng will. Wei WuXian, Jin ZiXuan,” here she guessed that eventually she would marry the Jin heir, “and I will not. I’m not sure about anyone else, but.... If you uncle finds out you were here? You won’t survive that, I’m sure.”

“Go or don’t go. It’s your choice,” Jiang Cheng interjected, angry at hearing for the first time that his siblings were destined to die in that war. “I have no intention of being anywhere near where my parents or the Wen can find me when the invitation arrives.”

“If you decide to join us,” Wei WuXian handed out talismans. “You can activate this. It will make you imperceptible to every spiritual tracker I know how to avoid. Tell your family you’re going on a long walk or something. Don’t say anything about what we’re going to do, please, either way. Once this talisman is active, it will tell you how to get to us. You can bring people you trust; there are plenty of talismans.”

Lan XiChen hesitantly reached out for a talisman. “What happens next? How do we prevent Cloud Recesses from burning? Or Lotus Pier?”

“We don’t,” Jiang YanLi shook her head. “When we get back, I’ll ask my parents to increase the protections around there. And then we leave with a few disciples. Ones that we think absolutely must be saved should the worse happen.”

“That’s cold,” Jin ZiXuan shot a furious look at her. “Why not stay and fight?”

“Stay and die or leave and hope to survive? Do you really think dying is the better choice?”

[nobios1]

Golden Thousand-Armed Kannon statue

（黄金の千手観音像）

Of course, it is not pure gold, but gilt. I got this Senju Kannon a long time ago.

At the time I got it, it didn't stand up on its own (it probably came with a special stand and Zushi-cabinet, but it was missing), so I lost interest in it and put it away.

Recently, I took it out, I was once again impressed by the intricate and exquisite carving or casting.

I wonder how it was made. I wonder if each arm was made by molding and carving, and then fitted into each arm one by one.

Or was the whole thing made in one mold and then add detailed carvings later?

The face of the Kannon, made of jade, is also well carved with half-open eyes.

Furthermore, the metal covering around the face must have required a high level of skill.

I don't know the exact year, but I suspect it is from the Qing dynasty.

Unfortunately, the front two arms are missing. But they're only two of the thousand arms. lol

The thousand-armed Kannon saves people with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes.

May the compassion of the Buddha gently surround you.

[ao3feed-fengqing]

Something's changing

by nuo "Those scumbags apologized to Qi Rong for lying. They've probably got beaten up by their parents now" "Apologized to Qi Rong?" Mu Qing asked, his voice is low. Feng Xin hummed. Mu Qing snickered. The dim light of the room illuminating his jade like face and blazing charcoal black eyes, for a moment Feng Xin thought Mu Qing had fallen into a madness. "What about me then? I deserve an apology too" He said. His expression is scary but at the same time it's broken. Words: 3111, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Cartoon), 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Webcomic), 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Feng Xin (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Mu Qing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Xie Lian (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Qi Rong (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Relationships: Feng Xin/Mu Qing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Feng Xin & Mu Qing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Angst, Bullying, Xianle Trio (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Xianle Era (Tian Guan Ci Fu), POV Feng Xin (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Soft Feng Xin/Mu Qing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Idiots in Love, No Beta via https://ift.tt/Ih6Bl8D