#jinruo

[carmelide]

Wang Lin and Tywin Lannister

the parallels between wang lin and tywin lannister genuinely need to be studied. they're such similar characters, on the surface, but if you delve deeper into their characters you'll find a huge dissimilarity between them.

wang lin, despite all his glaring faults, genuinely loves his family. when a'wu came to visit him and left upon realising su'er and jinruo weren't there, he was very clearly devestated. when he and wang su were in the prison, he swore that they would have vengeance (and even though the union between huan mi and wang su was a catastrophic mistake, wang lin wed them together because he wanted wang su to be with a woman of his choice; something WL had been deprived of.) and, when jinruo died, anyone with working eyes could see the man was devestated (and even before that, he does genuinely love her. romantically, i still don't know, but his care for her was undeniable. that night where she demands the truth from him before his ancestors and he, knowing he cannot lie to her, admits he poisoned the emperor and even waits for her to kill him...he deffo feels something towards her.)

the thing that i have taken away from wang lin's character is this; it is evident that he loves his family, but he simply loves power more. he, like tywin, puts so much value on legacy- but unlike tywin (or maybe still alike depending on how you view the latter), WL believes that he is protecting his family by making all of these chess moves (which, to an extent, i understand. the emperor means to supress the wangs and of course wang lin, despite being his brother in law, cannot possibly stand by and watch that happen.)

another difference between tywin and wang lin is that whereas i feel confident calling WL a morally grey antagonist, tywin is a cold, calculating, loveless hardass™️ antagonist and graduated from Big Bad Guy University. that man only truly cared for joanna and i doubt he cared for anyone else. one could argue for his affections towards his children, but tywin didn't love or care for them at all in my opinion.

in regards to jaime, i think tywin loves what jaime represents and what he represents his the heir to casterly rock. his golden child. his future; his legacy. he loves what jaime could accomplish, what jaime could achieve; he loves what jaime could be (the future lord of casterly rock and warden of the west) but not what he is (an infatuated, impulsive kingsguard who has no desire to play the game). i think tywin's "favourite" child is most definitely cersei as she's the most accomplished out of all his children; the most powerful woman (and at times, most powerful person) in the seven kingdoms, mother to the future king and a lioness through and through. she definitely inherited tywin's traits the most, but her downfall is her madness (probably due to inbreeding or maybe she was bonked as a child idk) and, again, her recklessness and impulsivity are what disappoint tywin; cersei believes she can play the game, but she cannot. also, misogyny.

then there's tyrion. good god, where to begin. even though tywin is an intelligent man, he blames the death of his wife on tyrion who was an infant when his mother passed. he blames tyrion not because it was his fault (after all, it is logistically impossible for a newborn infant to kill a grown woman), but because he needs something to blame. for the most part, tywin is a logical man and only behaves illogically when he's emotional. his hatred of tyrion is a purely emotional one (though the man doesn't make himself any better by drinking and whoring so i'll give tywin some leeway there) and i think, to tywin, that tyrion is the antithesis of everything a lannister should be.

tywin only cares for his children when it suits him. he tries to get tyrion back from catelyn because if he doesn't, he will appear incompetent. he does the same with jaime for the same reasons (and because he needs his heir). he cares for cersei because it is in his best interest to do so, as she is the queen. if tywin truly loved his children, he would have clocked onto jaime/cersei's ways sooner. he would have found a way to quell cersei's madness and cruelty (or at least help her mask it better). hell, he would have remarried! tywin was only in his thirties when joanna died and i am positive of the fact that hundreds of lords and noblemen would have jumped at the chance for their daughters, sisters, nieces etc. to wed the lord paramount of the westerlands. if he truly wished to further his legacy, he should have just had more kids!

sorry, this has kinda devolved into me criticising tywin as an antagonist rather than comparing him to wang lin so compare i shall! tywin, firstly, is a terrible judge of character; the best example of this is him misjudging tyrion and thinking that the man wouldn't kill him for whatever fucking reason. in contrast, wang lin makes the astute observation (though it is moreso a jab at wang su than a compliment to his daughter) that she has a curiousity that could rival any man, or something along those lines. for the most part, wang lin is on the money for many characters in the story. the only person he misjudges is xiao qi, which he later admits.

a similarity between WL and TL is the fact that they both believe themselves to be acting in the best interests of their families (though i feel WL is a little bit more sincere, at least initially.) the reality of this, however, is that their goals are selfish and the only thing they seek to further/elevate is themselves. this, coupled with their hubris and the under-estimating of their enemies (who, arguably, needn't have been enemies in the first place), is what leads to their downfalls.

honestly, this was very disorganised and muddled and had no clear direction but i just needed to rant about how alike their characters are and for somebody - ANYBODY - to agree with/discuss this with me!

[orsuliya]

Your answers give me life. Wang family indeed has the greatest appreciation and thirst when it comes to XQ lol Magnificent in armor even without the army, Awu always tells him he is invincible and even in her dream he is in that magnificent armor lol Her mother loved him. Even Turnip was smitten while saying how incredible XQ is in this whole arm cutting thing in order to stay sober, and in the end he admits Daddy did the best thing by marrying Awu to him, that great hero) And of course, Alpha wolf from Empress. And her dreamy face every time. Those guys lol

Let us not forget about Mr. You-Are-My-Best-Friend-Even-If-Sometimes-I-Want-To-Kill-You. Who is at least half-Wang. And who shamelessly exercises his imperial privilege in order to summon Xiao Qi into his private rooms in the middle of the night. You know, I do wonder... Potato’s murderous thoughts really look like a prime example of sexual sublimation!

As for Uncle Wang Xu the Headless Wonder, he does act curiously defensive about this whole Xiao Qi issue. Bitterness I could excuse quite easily... but what is up with that weird head-tilt accompanied by a surreptitious glance to the side? He does it every bloody time Xiao Qi’s name is brought up. The general doth protest too much, methinks!

Xiao Qi is Wang catnip, he really is, while Song Huaien makes for a cheap, yet still somewhat serviceable substitute. One full of harmful additives, which unfortunately gets revealed only later on.

[utterlyhooked]

Among all the villains, I actually understood Wang Lin.

The Wang’s have been serving each emperor and perhaps, the quality of leadership would have declined at each succeeding emperor. Emperor Ma Yao was probably a decent enough ruler but at the same time, he loathed the Wang Clan.      

Wang Lin was very much aware of how capable he is. ... and then here comes Zilong, a muppet of a man. No achievements attached to his name apart from just being the emperors first born son, The Crown Prince. This imbicile is going to be the next ruler of the world. How frustrating and infurating that would be, how tragic!   

Of course Wang Lin’s enlightenment of sorts came much, much earlier when Lady Han was made drink the poisoned wine.

“Our family has always been working diligently, but even so, when each  emperor ascend to the throne, the first thing they would do is trying their best to supress our family. Since Concubine Han and her unborn baby were imperially ordered to be killed, I made up my mind. I, Wang Lin swore, in my hands, cannot allow our offspring to be subordinated to others. ”

Among the nobility, in my opinion, he was not classist, I think he valued talent and intelligence more than a persons social standing. He would use it though and would seem classist. He used it on Song Huai’en, because it mattered and was a sore spot for Song Huai’en. I’d say, Wang Lin would use anything and anyone to further his cause.

I honestly think that he loved Jinruo, and he loved his children.  I just think that he was expecting absolute loyalty from them. The same way he was brought up and perhaps how his family has always been. But then, it cannot be, he is married to an Imperial Princess, and his daughter was brought up in the palace, strong willed and defiant. Su’er might have been pliable but in the end, he is also his mothers son, duty bound and protected the heirarchy of the imperial succession.

-------------------------------------------------

*limiting my screen time so I might as well try and post stuff in my drafts. It’s not finished but it’s been sitting here for the last 4.5 months. Posting it now as it will sit there forever.

[thegreymoon]

Monarch Industry

OH, GOD, JINRUO, WHAT THE FUCK

I THOUGHT SHE WAS DIVORCING HIM AND WAS HAPPY FOR HER!!

JINRUO, WHY?????

***

Oh, God, this is how he finds out she was pregnant 😭😭

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No 😢😢

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The fuck is wrong with this witch 🤬🤬

I take back what I said in my last post and wish that the Emperor had succeeded in strangling her instead!

***

Hell episode.

With that said, ZZY is fantastic! 

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I truly did not think Wang Lin would not slither out of this too 😕

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Oh, Xiao Qi, bless your kind heart, but he tried to set off a bomb and murder her along with the rest of you.

Personally, I would not visit him. Maybe grieve in private for having such a father but I would not even visit his grave. 

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I can’t believe this fool. Just look at his stupid moustache, like his potato head was not ridiculous enough. 

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Smh, the moustache potatoes are reproducing.

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God, I hate her 😡

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Why do I feel like the Empress is going to make Wanru miscarry so that the Xie family doesn’t gain a foothold. 

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Imbecile.

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Oh, baby 😢

Let’s see how long it takes before he makes you regret this.

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Awu, sweetheart, I’m so sorry you are related to him 😢

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Yes, Xiao Qi, comfort your wife.

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Soooo... is Xiao Qi about to secretly feed contraceptives to Awu to make sure she does not fall pregnant again? Fun.

***

Anyway, this place is beautiful. 

***

Yikes.

Is this what prompts his grand speech on monogamy that I keep hearing about?

[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”

[elderflowergin]

Wait what on earthly shenanigans was Daddy Wang's grand plan in keeping Zilong captive? There isn't a more biddable alternative; Xiao Qi is in any case unlikely to let that happen unchallenged. I don't see a way for Daddy Wang to take it for himself. I am confused.

Also MAMA JINRUO. GRAND ELDER PRINCESS WHY.

(I will say, I did not expect to enjoy Daddy Wang slapping the everliving shit out of Wang Su. And then throwing him into the pond! Twice!!)

[utterlyhooked]

the Ma’s, the Xie’s, and the Wang’s

The Ma - Emperor Ma Yao - Well, they got there first didn’t they? They were the most powerful when they started the dynasty. Despite that, since the founding of the dynasty, they still needed the support of the Wang’s, hence the 12 consecutive Wang empresses (this is how I understood it in the drama, let me know if it is otherwise). In the drama, it is implied that it’s only a hundred years which is not that believable unless several of the emperor’s reigns were short lived like Zilong who only reigned for 2 years. In the book, it is 300 years since the founding, which makes a lot more sense.

Assuming that each succeeding emperor is the first born son from the Wang Empress, technically the Ma blood would have been so watered down they are practically Wangs!

The problem with being the first family of the empire is that every prince, fathered by the emperor (that he believes is his, hello Zilu!) will almost always squabble to be the succeeding ruler. Which also means that every generation will always have fractured relationships.

The Xie’s - Xie Yuan, Xie Clan Patriarch - Powerful and favoured by the emperor but only second to the Wangs. Their goal (as far as I understood from the drama) is to surpass the Wang Clan. Just like their rivals, they had their own militia, they have spies everywhere and are obscenely wealthy. They were successful but unlike the Wang who strived to acheive a common goal, the key family members prioritized their own happiness. Nothing wrong with that but it is not great for the advancement of their clan. An example is Imperial Concubine Xie, she loved the emperor and was content with her lot. Her wish for her son Zitan is to live quietly as a vassal prince in one of the provinces.

The Wang’s - Wang Lin, Wang Clan Patriarch - Powerful and sometimes, perhaps more powerful than the Ma. Why, well, by tradition, the emperor cannot leave the capital. The emperor might have far reaching arms but the Wangs can go anywhere and are free to influence and consolidate power. Also, it must have been annoying for each succeeding Ma emperor to always rely on the support of the Wang’s to hold on to the throne. The clan operated much like how a country/state works. Technically, each clan more likely did. The Wangs were just more successful at it. They had their own militia, they had ears and eyes everywhere, they were obscenely wealthy and had a very large income which means they had a vast amount of land and with that also comes influence. I’m sure there are more that was not shown in the drama.

The success of the Wang Clan was because they operated as one. They had a common goal and they dedicated their lives to it. This goal was so ingrained that every member, from the patriarch to the servants, the lowest ranking member adhered to it and fealty for all was probably absolute. The decipline was also something else, what with that daily early morning worship and reciting the teachings of the Langya Wang Clan. They had this blind loyalty, we can see it on how Wang Xu always deffered to his older brother and never batted an eye even when they were going to steal the throne from their nephew, betraying their sister. Why would they betray her?

The moment their empress sister had a child, the heir to the throne, her allegiance shifted to her own son. She is no longer for the Wang’s although she believes she still is, after all when her son becomes emperor, it was for her, an achievement and honour of the Wang Clan. That was how it has always been. But despite having a Wang mother, Zilong will always operate primarily as a Ma, watered down bloodline or not.

Unfortunately for Wang Lin, this kind of allegiance and absolute loyalty, no matter how much he tried was not in his wife and children. Jinruo’s loyalty was first and foremost to the Ma. She is an imperial princess, and she is allowed her liberties. His children, were in a way loyal, but were very much influenced by their mother and Awu grew up in the palace, growing up with the princes, and with the influence of her Imperial Grandmother and her Emperor Uncle.

[orsuliya]

I feel like of everyone in the cast, Xie Wanru was dealt the worst deck. I honestly understood her bitchiness. She was used, abused, tormented, betrayed, and ultimately sacrificed. Thoughts?

What’s most tragic about Wanru is that from the very start nobody's fighting in her corner. She's utterly alone; the person that comes closest to being a bonafide ally is Awu... and at that point Awu understands nothing about Wanru's true plight and in fact exacerbates it by the fact of her very existence. See, there is not a single moment when Awu doesn't have somebody on her side. If I was Wanru, I'd be bitchy as well!

Let's look at what kind of support Wanru starts out with. There's her father, sure. Who presents her marriage as a done deal, not even bothering to dress it up in terms of noble sacrifice or sacred duty or anything that could help Wanru go to the altar with her head held high. Oh, and he hits her when she begs him to reconsider, tears in her eyes. Father of the year... he is not.

There's also every reason to suspect that he might have been less than helpful after Wanru's rape. His conversation with Daddy Emperor about this matter tells it all. He doesn't mention his daughter's pain and we know from Zitan that she tried to kill herself, so clearly she wasn't doing well, was she now. No, what bothers Papa Xie the most is that HE is feeling humiliated. Bully for you, you old bastard. What really pisses me off, however, is that he's more than ready to write Wanru off completely. He's not even demanding an imperial marriage as recompense! That was all Daddy Wang's idea; Papa Xie isn't very interested, despite it being the easiest way to restore Wanru's reputation. In fact, he proposes demoting Potato and installing Zitan as Crown Prince. Which tells us all about his priorities: Wanru and her future position are inconsequential in comparison to Xie domination. Now, Daddy Wang may use his children for power-grabbing, but there is no doubt whatsoever that he cares about his daughter. As for Jinruo... Since she could hardly tell anybody the true reason for retreating to Ci'an Temple, for any outsider, Wanru included, it looks like she separated from her husband solely in protest over marrying Awu off to Xiao Qi.

Compare that to Xie Guifei, Wanru's aunt for whom she will grieve and whom she will try to avenge. Wanru is very much not her priority. So much so that when Wanru betrays her intention of asking Xie Guifei to intercede with the Emperor about her future marriage to Xiao Qi, she is told that her aunt already knows, she consulted with the Emperor on the subject and it's all fine. Sure it is; Zitan is the one who matters and the only one on whose behalf Xie Guifei will use her influence. After the rape she consoles Wanru and takes her side... but. But she chooses her words very unfortunately, making it more about the Xie-Wang rivalry and less about Wanru herself.

Zitan? Right. He's so very concerned about his cousin's rape that he does more damage to Potato in Awu's name than in hers and then spends the night under Awu's windows. Wanru might not know about the latter, but she'd be bound to hear about the former sooner or later. And in a way both he and Awu seem to benefit from Wanru's rape, since Potato is no longer a bachelor and thus not an option for Princess Shangyang. For a time only, until Daddy Wang gets there with his poison, and it's not like they do it intentionally, but still, it must smart a lot. Not to mention that Zitan does technically try to run away with Awu, no matter how late he gets off his ass. A successful elopement would mean leaving Wanru - with her clan in shambles and in a very precarious position - utterly alone. In fact, guess who would be an excellent target for any ambitious family with daughters to pin the blame on, should Zitan actually manage to run away?

Awu tries, but she doesn't get it. She can't. She never will. And her childish naivety doesn't help, not when Wanru is forced to watch jealously as Awu gets what she herself wants/needs/lacks time after time, be it care, loyalty, protection and even a choice in regards to marrying Xiao Qi. Sure, it's not a great choice, but buying Zitan's life in exchange for three bows is a mutually beneficial deal, even if one made under duress. It's still more that Wanru got either time!

And that's only the start. From there on Wanru gets more and more reasons to feel bitter every day. Awu marries an unwanted husband? He kindly fucks off to the frontier, while Wanru is forced to live with her rapist day and night. Awu gets kidnapped? Zitan starts running around like a headless chicken and goes as far as to kneel before the Emperor's door... as if he had completely forgotten that Wangs are the enemy. And then Awu commits the worst offense of them all as it turns out she really lucked out on that husband whom Wanru had scorned. There is a reason why Wanru feels the need to lord her imperial status and proven fertility over Awu and to an extent I might even undestand why she feels the need to do so.

She may be an Empress, but she really has nobody in her corner except a weathervane of a husband who might turn any moment and the oh so faithful Nanny Sus. Zitan is not in her corner, he's never been. It's Wanru who has always been in his. Even her Xie relatives serve their own interests more than hers, instead of forming a united front, such as it may be.

Even Wanru's triumphs aren't triumphs at all. She gets pregnant? Instead of enjoying her newly-found status as putative mother to the heir, she gets whacked on the head with a power struggle courtesy of her mother-in-law. Miracle Baby is born? Her position theoretically strenghtens and yet greatly weakens at the same time, as Potato's leash starts slipping through her fingers. And that leash, that power she held over Crown Prince and then Emperor Potato was the only thing that made this marriage bearable in the first place.

And let us not speak of the senselessness of Wanru's death. Oh, it might have all been worth it... if only Potato didn't spit over her still warm body by announcing that it doesn't matter if Miracle Baby becomes the Emperor or not. Wasn't ensuring her son's succession the reason why Wanru had to die in the first place...?

Once upon a time I couldn't understand Wanru's fixation on Awu as opposed to, say, Daddy Wang or Turnip. These days I've become much more astute. Bitterness is a truly powerful motivator. And where bitterness hasn't yet started to form, fresh grief over one's father - no matter how shitty he might have been - will do the trick.

[orsuliya]

Alright! Time for part 3 of married!Awu/XQ headcanons. This time? It’s all about the children!

There is nothing unplanned about Awu’s second pregnancy. The subject of children comes up again not long after Awu reunites with Xiao Qi after the so-called death of the latter. Their days in Ningshuo may be filled with the hustle and bustle of preparing for the upcoming march on the capital, but evenings and nights? Those are for holding each other close in search of comfort and reassurance. If not for that, Awu would scarcely have the strength to let Xiao Qi out of her eyesight during those first days and weeks.

During one of those quiet Ningshuo evenings Awu finally breaks. She has had to be strong for so long, all the while half-believing she would never be allowed the luxury of being weak in her husband’s arms again, that even now it takes time for her to let go and simply cry. When tears finally do come out, so do all of Awu’s past fears, leaving her one by one in an unstoppable torrent. Fear for those reliant on her, for the orphaned country and for her own fate; all of those are carefully listened to and soothed with words, silent affection and sense of complete togetherness.

One of those fears? Had you died, had you truly left me alone, what would I have of you for all the years to come? she asks, her voice muffled, her face pressed into her husband’s neck. There is a good reason why she was prepared to die after exacting her revenge. Far too many sleepless nights in Hulan had been spent imagining the long, dreary years of her widowhood. Ten, twenty, thirty years of loneliness, seeing her nephews and nieces being born and then growing up, with nothing, not even her husband’s sword to put in that bloody chapel; would that have been her fate?

She hits him – not too hard, but hard enough for it to be more than a playful tap – when he says that, in time, she would remarry and find happiness again. Would you?! she demands angrily, then softens, once she reads the answer in his eyes. A man should take responsibility from the beginning to the end. Not even a bloody sword to be mounted on the family altar, she laughs tiredly. You owe me, my Prince Yuzhang, you owe me and I shall be your most merciless creditor. Give me a child with your smile, one with your hands and eyes, she demands, pressing insistent kisses to that smile, to those hands and eyes, and then and only then will I consider myself satisfied.

He would, you know, he would have given her a dozen children if that were only possible, but surely she must know that it is not, it can never be in this lifetime. Awu can have anything else for the payment of his debt; he knows he owes her and will give her all that she may wish for that she does not already own. She wants children? Fine, she may have all the orphans in Ningshuo for the raising, if that will bring her joy. But he doesn’t, can never regret putting her health above all else and would give her five more miracle flowers if he had to…

Yes, Awu finally shuts her husband up, unable to take any more of this lethal sincerity. How? Well, the exact method I shall leave to your imagination, but the gist of it is as follows: Xiao Qi is not getting off that easily. They can and will have that child. How? Well, Awu might have plotted with Doctor Shen towards that goal and it will work this time. Maybe not now, maybe it will take another few months or years of fiery needles, but it’s not like they are in hurry. There is no way Awu will agree to have a child in the middle of a civil war, so her husband should really get on with restoring peace in all Cheng. Not right now! In the morning should be soon enough.

____________________________________

It does take some time, first to restore peace and then for Awu to actually get pregnant. In the meantime, she does take all the orphans in Ningshuo as an advance on that debt, not to mention their first son and daughter, Xiaohe and Qinzhi.

Doctor Shen, who – struck with a sudden premonition – had moved to Ningshuo among much grumbling and trembling over the contents of his priceless apothecary, is rewarded with the dubious honour of playing witness to Xiao Qi’s complete meltdown. The first thing our brave general does upon hearing of his wife’s pregnancy is to hug her and refuse to let go for a good while, not that she protests. The second thing? He panics like he’s never panicked before. Doctor Shen comes upon his noble patron, well, not hyperventilating, we’re talking about Xiao Qi here, remember. But certainly in throes of a good old anxiety attack. It’s… an experience for the good doctor, that’s for sure.

Thankfully Doctor Shen manages to talk Xiao Qi out of his wildest ideas. Like, for example, shutting Awu in her rooms in the middle of Ningshuo Fortress and standing guard over her until the baby is born. Yeah, that was not Xiao Qi’s proudest moment. Doctor Shen promises not to tell anyone of this sudden bout of unreasonable behaviour and keeps his word… for about three days, when he gladly throws Xiao Qi under the bus in order to ensure Awu’s full compliance with his own, medically justified safety measures.

Mind you, even Doctor Shen cannot work miracles, which he comes to bitterly regret in those next few months. Panicked Xiao Qi and worried Turnip Wang make for a truly hellish duo and Ningshuo soon experiences a steady trickle of accomplished doctors from the capital. Some of them have clearly been dragged out of their comfortable practices under duress, for others it’s quite an adventure. The latter soon find themselves put to work; no use in simply standing around and deliberating over a stunningly healthy woman when there are actual patients in need to be seen to!

____________________________________

Awu considers Xiao Qi’s debt fully repaid the moment she sees her son smile for the first time. Xiao Qi, an overachiever that he is, doesn’t quite agree… and a few years later they try for another child; this time it’s a daughter. One - as Xiao Qi likes to brag - as beautiful as her mother and isn’t it lucky that he has an army fit to guard the greatest treasures in all Cheng? Awu thinks that it would serve him right should Treasure the Younger marry an officer of that very army in the future. She doesn’t, by the way, but that is an entirely different story.

The children are named Yunshuo and Yunning, which is a reason of much good-natured teasing. Even among the children themselves. Yunning, once she grows to an age when she starts to assert her dominance, insists that really, her brother should listen to her in all things. He may be older in years, that much is true, but Ning always comes before Shuo, everybody knows that!

Jinruo’s words come true after all: Xiao Yunning is Awu’s tiny copy, only, according to Awu herself, twice as bossy and confident. Xiao Qi never questions this claim, at least not out loud, but Uncle Asu has no such qualms and immediately provides a good half-dozen stories to that effect. Now, Yunning has every chance to grow up spoiled with a mother who applauds her strong character, a father who might seem strict, yet folds like wet paper at the first sight of a trembling lip and a whole bunch of playmates only too easily coaxed into following her commands. And she very well might have... if not for one Hu Yao (who is alive and you won’t convince me otherwise, ha!). The younger Hu, a true Ningshuo legend, enjoys great authority among recruits and veterans both; she proves a match for a head-strong girl like Yunning, although only barely. No, Hu Yao’s pupil doesn’t become a general in her own right, choosing another path instead… but she keeps up with her training in the years to come.

Xiao Yunshuo, affectionately called Xiao Xiao, is no warrior in the making, being of a rather gentle disposition, something that he never grows out of, for all that this gentle disposition later turns out to hide a character of pure steel. Oh, make no mistake, Yunshuo is perfectly competent with weapons and on horseback, but it is not something that comes naturally to him, nor does he find much joy in fighting. This becomes blatantly obvious once he starts advanced training. Every child under Awu’s care is taught enough to be able to defend themselves or know when to run away, but nobody is forced to persist with military training, should they not wish to. Yunshuo persists all the same, making continuous progress. It’s only natural that he does: he’s rather frighteningly smart, that boy, and he works hard.

A bit too hard, as it turns out. Xiao Qi becomes suspicious of his son’s behaviour and makes sure to ‘accidentally’ come upon one of Yunshuo’s solitary and completely unsanctioned training sessions. Why, he asks and becomes rather angry once the truth starts coming out. No, not with Yunshuo. With himself, for not preventing this whole issue from existing in the first place. See, Yunshuo thinks it shameful that he, the firstborn and only son of Prince Yuzhang, the greatest general and warrior Cheng has had for generations, will never be able to become a worthy successor to his famous father. No, nobody has said anything, but Yunshuo is not stupid, he knows what he is and is not capable of!

Xiao Qi takes a minute to consider his next words carefully. In the end, he tells the truth: when he was a bit older that Yunshuo is now, he had no valuable skills, no education, no family and no real hope for the future. Signing up for an army was pretty much the easiest choice to make for somebody who didn’t really have all that much to live for. Killing people? Is not that difficult. All it takes is a good sharpened sword and some basic training. Learning to protect people, well, that was a bit harder; took Xiao Qi some years and a lot grief and pain to master that. Everything else – building a true home, making peace for yourself and everybody else, and creating a lasting, better future? That’s Awu’s forte and her work. There is no shame in having different skills, explains Xiao Qi. Find what you do best and make sure that it is of use to somebody. That’s it. Whatever Yunshuo’s skills, as long as at the end of the day he is be ready to use them to protect what is dear to him, he will be a warrior in his father’s eyes.

Xiao Yunshuo takes his father’s words to heart and, when the time comes, relays them to his own children. He never becomes a one man army, for all that he takes care not to let his skill with weapons go to rust. He does, however, become a great lord and statesman, and a startlingly brilliant strategist to boot; his advice is greatly appreciated by his older brother, the brave General Xiao Xiaohe… as well as by his brother-in-law, the Emperor of Cheng himself.

In Ningshuo, despite all his merits and great dignity, Xiao Yunshuo stays Xiao Xiao long, long after becoming a father himself.

____________________________________

Xiao Yunning is widely held by the ministers of Cheng to be the cause for at least a quarter of their grey hair. And all because of one rather tiny, if rather infamous deed. Okay, maybe not that tiny… But it is not Yunning’s fault that Xiao Qi had made such an impression on a bunch of delicate noblemen over twenty years earlier!

Once His Imperial Majesty, one Ma Jing, successfully negotiates puberty, it becomes a matter of national importance to supply him with a wife of appropriate station, character, beauty and fertility, the first and the last being the most important, of course. The true war over who will become the Empress of Cheng does not start until His Imperial Majesty becomes a fully-grown man; that is not until the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter comes of age. Having another Wang Empress is seen as inevitable by many; others are rather eager to see the streak of Wang Empresses die a final death. The idea of courting a foreign princess gets briefly thrown around and then soundly rejected. It’s a pity that all of His Majesty’s marriageable cousins with even a drop of Ma blood have the same family name, says somebody who sounds suspiciously like a true Classist Wei. For a moment there is complete silence as the thoughts of everyone present turn to the one cousin who is neither a Ma or a Wang.

See, Xiao Qi and Awu could easily make their daughter an Empress… if they thought that it would make her happy. They have nothing against Jing’er, why, he’s a beloved nephew to them both and they have taken a good measure of his character during the time he spent in Ningshuo, which amounts to a good couple of years. If they were to be honest, Yunning could use a husband this good-natured and conciliatory, and Jing’er would do well with an Empress of Yunning’s strength of character. There is also the matter of a rather touching childhood crush… but since Yunning herself has nothing but derogatory words for this whole imperial marriage mart mess, there is nothing to be done. Nothing to be done at all, as Xiao Qi quite readily assures his brother-in-law, adding that being an Empress is not an easy fate and one that he would not wish on anybody. Asu, long-used to not truly understanding Xiao Qi’s ambitions or rather the lack thereof, takes this assurance on its merits and goes back to planning his own daughter’s imperial wedding.

Rather surprisingly it’s Jing’er who becomes the greatest obstacle to Asu’s dynastic plans. Somehow he never really says no… but no mercenary father can ever pin him long enough to force him to say yes to any of the myriad of candidates. This stand-off lasts for some time, to Xiao Qi’s quiet amusement and Turnip’s frustration. Awu, on the other hand, becomes rather pensive, although she refuses to share her suspicions with anybody. It’s not like she has any proof…

...until her daughter provides her with all the proof she could have ever wished for.

The day another group of potential candidates is to be presented at court, Xiao Yunning pulls a Xiao Qi, causing many a minister to relieve their old trauma. Yes, she marches into the throne room accompanied by six of her companions, most of which do rather poorly at concealing weapons under their dresses. Yes, she climbs the stairs without as much as a by-your-leave. Yes, she does all of that while wearing clothing in a colour appropriate for the occasion. In this case? Wedding red. The main difference is that Ma Jing is a much wiser Emperor than Ma Zitan and grants Yunning’s petition immediately and with good grace.

The reason why Yunning did what she did, leaving Jing’er with no choice but to accept her suit? Well, that childhood crush might have been rather more than a crush. Really, Yunning would have had it in the bag the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, were His Imperial Majesty not such a noble bore. I cannot condemn you to carry this burden with me before you really know what you want, he said, every word disgustingly noble and self-sacrificial. You are not somebody who can be caged, so go and spread your wings and I shall wait for you for as long as it takes, he offered in a rather suspiciously bland tone of voice. Really, one could almost believe that Jing’er actually bought into that silly rumour that Xiao Qi requires every prospective son-in-law to fight him with live steel. Which, by the way, is not true. He only ever fought two rather persistent young lordlings who couldn’t understand that Qinzhi’s no means no.

Everything ends rather well for all interested parties, although Turnip keeps grumbling about having an unfairly deceitful brother-in-law. Awu quickly shuts him down, if only to get in her own portion of shameless teasing. See, if Xiao Qi wanted to avoid such situations, then he should have given his children a better example. This quickly devolves into a round of Yuzhang-style teasing, which prompts a stark realization from Xiao Yunning. She might be the Empress-to-be now, but even being thrice an Empress would still give her no power to stop her parents from being a pair of embarrassing old people in love. Jing’er, ever the conciliator, shows his diplomatic skill by proposing that she might have her revenge… by being one half of a pair of embarrassing young people in love.

The Wang Princess of that generation, a rather lovely and wise young woman by the name of Wang Xu, is not all that sad about losing a chance at the throne. Why, her tastes were always rather specific and in general ran more to generals than delicate young nobles. Now, this Xiao Xiaohe looks like an interesting specimen and certainly worthy of taking a closer look, should one be in-market for a pet general of one’s own...

[orsuliya]

Who are you, Miss A-Yue?

It turns out I might be a clown of the greatest calibre! Or... am I?

The thing is, you see, that for some unfathomable reason I became convinced A-Yue was a ninja maid. Which... may not be, in fact, entirely correct, as @girllovescomic​ had promptly pointed out. Alright, I said. And immediately went to investigate where this possible misunderstanding could be coming from. The results are not entirely conclusive, yet very interesting nonetheless. There are lots and lots of tiny details, which make little sense... unless one assumes that A-Yue is supposed to be Awu’s bodyguard.

The thing is that A-Yue is not among Awu’s original Wang maids. She’s nowhere to be seen in Wang Manor and I cannot spot her in that flock of maids attending Awu during the original wedding. Unless I am more eyesight-impaired than I thought myself to be, this means she appears only later on. But when?

Not during the siege of Huizhou, I can tell you that much. Not during Awu’s visit to Wang Manor after her return to the capital nor upon her entrance to Yuzhang Manor... Why, it seems like the first time we see A-Yue is in the aftermath of Yuxiu’s brave defense of Awu and her subsequent wounding. Awu comes back home, is accosted by Zitan, speaks to a noticeably worried Song Huaien and the next thing we know, she’s being served by A-Yue. This doesn’t have to mean anything, but it looks rather suspicious for an obviously important maid, one clad in an outfit practically identical to Yuxiu’s, to simply appear out of nowhere.

And then A-Yue proceeds to escort Awu back into danger zone, that is, to the Imperial Palace. About five minutes after an unexpected assassination attempt. What’s really interesting is that she keeps very, almost unnaturally close to Awu on this occasion, following just a step behind her at all times. It could mean nothing, of course. And yet, isn’t it remarkable that this relative newcomer is the one accompanying Awu and not Su Jin’er?

It could also be completely coincidental that she is present while Song Huaien thanks Yuxiu for covering her mistress with her own body. Or... is it? You did what I could not, he says, while A-Yue listens attentively from behind Yuxiu’s shoulder.

Another thing: A-Yue makes something of a habit out of physically supporting other people, be it Yuxiu or Awu.  And now that I think about it, it does look like she is always prepared to steady or even catch her charge, as needed.

The next thing we know, a very rude eunuch turns up at Yuzhang Manor with an armed escort. If you watch closely, it’s obvious that A-Yue walks one step closer behind Awu than Su Jin’er. And Su Jin’er has the highest possible status of all female attendants barring Auntie Xu. Once things become tense and men start aggresively posturing, Su Jin’er keeps staring ahead, while A-Yue rather noticeably casts her gaze around. Hmmm, could she be assessing possible dangers to her mistress? Who knows...

And again, when Awu walks down the stairs to the provided carriage, A-Yue is the first to follow.

She is then forbidden from accompanying Awu any further, but it’s a rather curious detail all the same.

Next, Su Jin’er is the one who goes with Awu to see Zitan on his deathbed bedrest, which is something that Xiao Qi very much does not approve of. True, Su Jin’er is Zitan’s acquitance, while A-Yue is not... but if that was the only reason, then why doesn’t she go with Awu to visit Jinruo? Instead, A-Yue and Nanny Xu are the ones that do that. Also, guess who runs to Xiao Qi when Awu drinks herself into unconsciousness? No born and bred Wang maid would do that, not as her first resort. And you know what? Xiao Qi allows himself to show some actual exasperation while in her presence.

During Daddy Wang’s coup A-Yue is nowhere to be seen; this time Awu chooses to take Pang Gui with her. Which is understandable, since he’s bound to be better in an outright fight. After the coup... guess which maid gets asked about whether there are any news from Xiao Qi when he’s nowhere to be found late into the night. And which one accompanies Awu and Xiao Qi to Yuzhang Manor when they go to greet the Screechers. Xiao Qi could have very well been the one to choose A-Yue for this outing as Awu would have needed to dress and get ready after her morning lie-in. Also, it would make sense, since I suspect Su Jin’er or Nanny Xu would be Awu’s natural choices for any visits to her childhood home.

Song Huaien is a man on a mission... and he chooses his allies wisely. He, ah, covertly calls A-Yue away from her daily tasks and asks her to play messenger...

...which she teases him for rather shamelessly. But not like a maid with little to none previous acquitance with Song Huaien would do. She’s mean in a very sisterly way, not giggling about his awkward courtship as Yuxiu’s friend might have done, but instead directly making fun of Song Huaien himself. I wouldn’t have expected our general Song to give flowers to a woman, she says, which makes me wonder how would she even know what a total mess he is with such things. Unless she was a Ningshuo girl, that is.

A-Yue’s involvement in the medicine caper is also very interesting. She is the one who makes Awu’s contraceptive tea and reminds her that she should take it. Moreover, her reaction to Auntie Xu taking it away is telling.

She doesn’t protest when Auntie Xu says that the tea might have been steeped for too long. She just turns, observing very closely and even worriedly as the tray is carried away, while at the same time listening to Auntie Xu’s somewhat incoherent muttering. Yet A-Yue catches all of it, why, she even smiles - somewhat condescendingly - at Auntie Xu’s claim of having an excellent nose. And she is so focused on that tray that Awu needs to call her back to reality. But why? I think somebody here might be in cahoots with Xiao Qi, don’t you? It only becomes more plausible as A-Yue turns out to be the one responsible for keeping custody of medicinal herbs.

I also don’t buy her reaction to Auntie Xu’s outright panic in the kitchen. It’s obvious that something is very much not okay, yet A-Yue shows no serious worry. Oh, she asks the right questions and puts on a mask of concern, yet at the same time doesn’t seem eager to investigate further and shuts up when Auntie Xu tells her not to ask any questions. Hello, A-Yue is no cowed housemaid. She makes faces at Auntie Xu and Screecher both, she teases Song Huaien, she acts like an older sister to Yuxiu and doesn’t keep proper distance from her mistress. And now she just shuts up? Yeah, no.

Her behaviour around those herbs is also pretty sus. She’s a bit too helpful in fact, rushing to unwrap them even as Nanny Xu already does the same and she announces herself in a very rehearsed way when she brings back the remaining supply. Here I am, Auntie Xu! Really? What’s more, she doesn’t make a peep when asked to sneak out and discreetly summon an unfamiliar doctor. She simply nods, as if making some calculations in her mind and rushes away. Methinks somebody went to inform Dawang before summoning that doctor. Why? Well, Xiao Qi stops in place once Nanny Xu touches upon the subject of Awu’s medicine. Could be guilt. Could be that he already knows she’s onto him.

Enough about the herbs. Instead, let us look at other outings. Awu wants to keep her first meeting with Helan Zhen secret... and so Su Jin’er is the one to accompany her. Then Su Jin’er falls sick, but she’s healthy again by the time Awu goes to dance for Screecher’s freedom. Coincidentally, by then there is no need to keep secrets any more; Xiao Qi already knows what’s what. And look at what happens when Awu and Helan Zhen go for a walk.

I’m not saying that A-Yue could take out Helan Tattoo. I’m also not saying she couldn’t. Awu knows that she could be walking into danger, so why not take Pang Gui instead? Ah, we’re trying to appear friendly and accommodating? Then A-Yue is a much better choice. If she is a bodyguard in the first place, that is.

Next suspicious thing, although that could be a matter of translation: when A-Yue speaks of Awu going with Xiao Qi to Ningshuo, she refers to it as returning there. Hey, A-Yue, your Ningshuo cred is showing!

Then, when Awu in on the run, she’s very sure that Miracle Baby will be safe traveling alone with only Nanny Xu and A-Yue to protect him and get him to Turnip. Let’s face it, Nanny Xu is not somebody who should be entrusted with what amounts to a covert mission. And yet Pang Gui goes with Awu and Su Jin’er, while A-Yue takes charge of Miracle Baby and Auntie Xu. Miracle Baby is much more vulnerable than Princess Yuzhang, so how come Awu divides the group this way? Unless she absolutely doesn’t trust Pang Gui to behave in a discreet manner... or A-Yue is indeed a secret operative. Or both.

Let’s skip to Awu’s confrontation with Turnip over Auntie Xu’s grave. Pang Gui is the one to invite Turnip to come... and yet it’s A-Yue who remains present during the actual conversation. Could it be that Pang Gui taking her place would be too much of an overt threat? Yeah, okay, that one is a bit of a stretch. And so is this picture:

Very symbolic, don’t you think? It looks as if Ningshuo soldiers are standing guard over Awu. Okay, back to actual proof!

A-Yue, who had never really taken part in dressing Awu or putting up her hair, suddenly does just that as Awu gets ready to play her part in Xiao Qi’s fake coup. Battle music and all. It could be that she’s the last close attendant to be left standing. Which she is, now that I think about it. But it’s also pretty neat that she’s the one to dress Awu for war.  And then...

How many ninjas can you see on this picture? Because I see six, five in black, one is salmon. Why would Awu take a maid with her to the palace in the middle of the Yuzhang Acting Company performance? That doesn’t make sense, they’re practically going into battle.

And again, look what happens once Xiao Qi is supposedly gone and Awu is expecting an attack any moment. She doesn’t take Hu Yao with her. Not even a dressed up Hu Yao! She takes A-Yue.

How would a maid - and not even a palace maid at that! - help in evacuating Zitan?

And yet she does. The moment they hear enemy troops moving through the secret tunnel, two people rush to pull Awu back. One has a very respectable reaction time. And it’s not Pang Gui the Inept Ninja.

One bodyguard rushes the client to safety, looking back from time to time just in case, while the other covers their retreat.

Pang Gui is in the know! He must be, since he stays behind to stop Song Huaien’s Mooks, letting Awu charge into unknown danger with only Zitan (oh so useless), his two attendants (also useless) and A-Yue (potentially immeasurably useful) for company. The whole time they’re running through the palace? A-Yue sticks to Awu like a burr, steading her every time she falters. This girl is a bodyguard and a well-trained one to boot!

And oh look, somebody keeps turning to stand face to face with danger, even as Zitan’s attendants huddle behind her.

Once cavalry arrives, A-Yue sprints for Awu and pulls her out of the way, just as Tang Jing commands his people to protect their Princess. Then, perfectly in accord with Tang Jing’s next command, A-Yue gets Awu to safety.

Have I mentioned that A-Yue keeps looking around in a very cold, professional way? This is no brave maid, this is a skilled operative searching for potential threats to her VIP. Neither Tang Jing nor any Ningshuo soldier tries to help Awu and A-Yue, they just cover them. Could it be that they know Awu is in good hands?

And that’s it. Now, coincidences happen. But what’s more probable? That A-Yue is a normal, if very brave and dependable maid... or that she is Xiao Qi’s agent, carefully handpicked to protect Awu and seamlessly integrate into her entourage at the same time? Those two ninja maids Xiao Qi presents to his wife in Huizhou are good fighters, but they don’t exactly make the best maids. Let’s say, though, that they were all he had at hand in Huizhou. But what would stop him from sending for another guard? One who would wait for Awu’s arrival in the capital, rapidly learning all there is to know about being a personal attendant.

So... am I a clown or not?

[orsuliya]

I think many of us were wondering why Daddy Wang seemed so very eager to be rid of Auntie Xu, weren't we? It turns out that the answer was right there in the open this entire time. The only catch? You have to use any subs but Chinazone's.

After Awu's (un)fortunate fall in episode 4 she falls unconscious; Princess Jinmin keeps watch over her daughter. At one point Auntie Xu informs her mistress that Daddy Wang came by not that long ago while Jinruo herself was asleep. Going by Chinazone subs this short exchange is not at all memorable and for good reason. Let's see...

Auntie Xu: Princess, the Lord has just been here.

Jinruo: After all these years, you still call him the Lord. He doesn't like to be called as the royal position. Do not call him the Lord.

Auntie Xu: Yes. I remember.

How perfectly innocent, don't you think? Surely this 'Lord' title cannot be that bad. If it were otherwise, would Princess Jinmin dole out only the mildest of rebukes, even as Auntie Xu's sheepish smile tells us it's far from the first time this issue has been brought up? Auntie Xu did nothing wrong; Daddy Wang's dislike of this mode of address must be one of his many peccadilloes and nothing but.

Meanwhile, Viki subs give us this lovely conversation:

Auntie Xu: Princess, the Prince Consort came just now.

Jinruo: It's been so many years now, yet you still call him "Prince Consort". He dislikes being addressed by these titles of the royal family. Don't call him "Prince Consort" anymore.

Auntie Xu: Yes, I shall remember.

"Prince Consort", huh? That's strange and somewhat passive-aggressive. Could it be that for more than twenty years Auntie Xu has only ever acknowledged Daddy Wang as Jinruo's husband? Her Princess' Consort -> Prince Consort. Yikes! But fair enough; she became Jinruo's attendant well before her marriage to Daddy Wang, so if that's the way she wants to differentiate herself from other Wang servants, more power to her. Still awkward, but it's hardly an offense worthy of capital punishment, right?

Well, Fireflame subs say something very different:

Auntie Xu: Принцесса, только что приходил зять Императора.

Jinruo: Столько лет прошло, а ты все еще зовешь его зятем Императора. Он очень не любит, когда его называют, отталкиваясь от императорского имени. Не зови его так.

Auntie Xu: Хорошо, я запомнила.

...which roughly translates into...

Auntie Xu: Princess, the Emperor's brother-in-law came by a moment ago.

Jinruo: So many years have passed and you still call him the Emperor's brother-in-law. He really doesn't like being titled using the Emperor's name. Don't call him that.

Auntie Xu: Very well, I will remember.

Mind you, Imperial Brother-in-Law is a legitimate title and a very lofty one at that. Seeing as that's the case I strongly suspect that FSG Fireflame - as always - got the closest to the original. Technically speaking, Auntie Xu is not doing anything wrong... or is she? Daddy Wang has good reason for having issues with his place in the imperial family; I'd think Auntie Xu should know everything there is to know about Concubine Han's death and if not, then isn't Jinruo supposed to feel all contrite about that tragic event to this very day?

Great job baiting Daddy Wang by reminding him of the price he had to pay for his lofty title! Moreover, had Concubine Han never existed in the first place, Wang Lin would still have more that enough reason to abhor this particular mode of address. It's not like he hasn't proven his worth outside of his role as Jinruo's husband. Imperial Brother-In-Law probably trumps a mere Duke, but does it trump Prime Minister (Minister of the Right, Grand Chancellor, whatever you choose name his position)? I'm not that sure. Even if it does, it would still jar to hear daily that one's status depends solely on one's relationship to the Emperor... when the Emperor in question got the throne only thanks to Daddy (or Granddaddy?) Wang's considerable assistance.

Our lovely Auntie Xu kept calling him by a title he actively dislikes. For. More. Than. Twenty. Years. Perhaps not all the time, but don't tell me it didn't slip out on a regular basis. And on purpose, going by that placating smile of hers. And now imagine... If this is the level of respect she accorded him while living under his roof, what other little acts of spiteful bitchiness might she have come up with?

P.S. If anyone can tell us more about how this conversation comes over in Chinese, well, that would be just swell!

P.P.S. Thank you for providing such an excellent explanation in the comments below, @krispyllamasweets!

[orsuliya]

Do you think XQ would really kill anyone (as he said) that was responsible for the death of his soldiers? Remember how Awu asked him: what if it's my brother? I am sure he would not touch the brother. Although I guess their marriage and relationship would suffer greatly. XQ kept repeating through the series: no matter what, they are your parents and so on. I am glad it was Zitan lol XQ scared him so good, I'm sure that after, he was not able to sleep peacefully for months)

Oh, I bet Zitan had trouble sleeping for much longer than that! The Imperial Mausoleum had hardly been seen as acceptable accommodations for his imperial posterior even before it got buried under a rockslide and it's rather doubtful that this unfortunate event increased its level of comfort any. Not to mention the possibility of a ghostly visitation by Xie Wanru and/or Hu Guanglie. Ouch! I'd pity Zitan... if he wasn't, you know, Zitan.

That said, Xiao Qi is neither as unreasonable or as hellbent on brutally murderizing the guilty party as one might expect. In fact, we (well, I) have already established that he's not all that good at this whole roaring rampage of revenge thing. Enacting bloody vengeance ranks surpringly low among his post-Hunt of Doom priorities and certainly lower than his beloved wife's health and heart. And there's already been two close calls too many after Jinruo's suicide and Daddy Wang's official death.

I'm not saying he wouldn't have touched Turnip, but he probably would have refrained from outright murder. Bringing him to justice might have been enough, especially as revealing the truth, had Turnip truly been guilty, would have permanently blackened him in Awu's eyes. Losing his sister, combined with public disgrace and any other non-lethal consequence Xiao Qi could heap upon him, ought to be enough to satisfy most avengers. Turnip's measly life wouldn't have been worth breaking Awu's heart. No matter his sins, Awu wouldn't have wished her brother dead. Punished, yes, in exile, possibly, but dead? Nah.

Anybody else, though? Hard to say, really. If it wouldn't have done any harm to what Xiao Qi holds dear, then sure, he would have probably gone a-killing with little regret. And what he holds dear after episode 50 is Awu, his living men (and women) together with their reputation and freedom of choice, his duty to Cheng and its people, truth and justice, Song Huaien and revenge. Yes, in this particular order.

[orsuliya]

Hi) Do you think Awu would be happy with Zitan? I think the best thing Daddy Wang did was to force het to marry XQ. I mean he knows his daughter well. I think all those men (Zitan, Helan Zhen, Huaien) who were in love with her, would eventually dissapoint her. Which happened pretty early with Zitan lol I think they all lived in a fantasy, without really realizing what kind of a woman she is. I think they happen to be compatiable with XQ on all the levels. And he is the only one that matches her spirit. And the one she truly admires and looks up to) Potato is the only one who got over his affection towards her and managed to treat her as a sister or a friend) Who knew)

Ah, I knew I couldn’t keep escaping this question forever. This is absolutely not a slight against you, Reasonably Potato-Friendly Nonnie, not at all. It’s... complicated.

Now, let us consider how could such a marriage even take place. Of course there is always the elopement, although in order for that to succeed Zitan would need to be much less... Zitan. But is there any possibility of getting Awu and Zitan hitched even earlier for the purpose of this exercise? Well, yes, there is.

I am not going to consider a pre-series betrothal if only due to Awu’s age. Besides, such a betrothal would be akin to putting a cat among pigeons, which is something that Daddy Wang might absolutely do... but not without a guarantee of proportionate gratification. Letting such an agreement stand for long - with no possibility of sealing the deal early - is a no go, not when every other party would try to tear it asunder, use it for their own purposes or strike preemptively just in case.

Yes, I know that Daddy Wang had no intention of giving Awu’s hand to any of the Ma princes. And certainly he wouldn’t be able to marry her off to Zitan, should Zilong still be free, not without alienating his sister completely by building up a rival claimant with his own two hands.

Of course Zilu works his magic and Wanru becomes Zilong’s Crown Princess; this opens new, exciting possibilities. Potato is off the table completely: surely Awu could never become a second wife and neither would the Xies agree to see Wanru degraded so. This makes the rather stubborn Empress Dowager malleable; now what?

Well, let’s say that Xiao Qi pulls a runner much, much earlier, about five minutes after catching and putting Awu down. Even then Daddy Wang wouldn’t be all that keen on having Zitan as his son-in-law... unless one of two impossible things happened:

Impossible Thing number 1. Daddy Wang decides that Potato is an evolutionary dead end and decides to change horses halfway through the race. No, I do not mean that he goes for an earlier coup. He simply elects to switch his prospective puppets; I have no idea why would he do that, but he totally could, you know. Potato gets mashed in mysterious circumstances, Zitan gets Awu... for about nine months or however long it takes them to produce an heir... and then chokes on his own flute the minute a son is born unto him. Or rather unto Daddy Wang, who snatches this shiny Platinum Ticket up immediately. Awu gets a sweet gig as an Empress Mother, should Daddy Emperor expire prematurely. And they all get killed by the wondrous duo of Zilu&Jianning. Or maybe not, since the governor of Huizhou would probably stay loyal in this scenario, giving Xiao Qi enough time to save everyone and their dog. As always. In this scenario there is every possibility that Awu wouldn’t become disappointed with Zitan... because he wouldn’t live long enough for that in any case. And even if there was enough time for that to happen, Daddy Wang would make sure there were no dark clouds to throw shade on their marriage… for as long as it actually lasted. Why am I so sure that Zitan would have to die in this scenario? Well, how else could Daddy Wang install his Platinum Ticket on the throne? The way I see it, in this case Daddy Wang might not even go for the throne himself; a grandchild is, after all, a wholly different thing from a grand-nephew.

Impossible Thing number 2. Daddy Wang gets hit with a low-flying brick and gets a truly genius idea of making peace with the Xies. Wanru is married to Potato, so if Awu gets married to Zitan, there is simply no way that either side could step out on this status quo by, let’s say, marrying a daughter off to Xiao Qi and his big bad army. The only problem is that nobody would take such an entente lying down. The Empress Dowager wouldn’t, since it basically halves her own power as a prospective Empress Mother. Zilu&Jianning wouldn’t, since a Wang-Xie alliance could force them to wave their own chances goodbye. And the Emperor certainly wouldn’t, not when much of his power derives from serving as a mediator between warring factions! Even for the Xies and the Wangs it makes little sense: why take half a pie when you can have it whole? Without an external factor forcing their cooperation, there’s just no way they would go for that, unless as a way to shore up their positions. But that is a strategy good for the currently weaker Xies, not for Daddy Wang! Damn, that would have to be one heavy brick! Anyway, this scenario requires both couples to take part in an elaborate court dance of precedence, power games and daily balancing between two factions. Otherwise it all comes toppling down. This dance is certainly something that Awu can do… but Zitan absolutely cannot, not with his tendency to act like an offended kindergartener every time his ego gets hurt. Potato is much more likely to swallow an insult or ten than Mr. Flute and Awu would quickly see her husband for the child he is. No long-lasting happiness to be found there, sorry.

In both these cases court life would quickly reveal Zitan’s true face. Oh, I doubt he would go full-blown villain in either scenario, regardless of his probable life expectancy. The problem is that Awu knows and loves Zitan as this happy, carefree prince. What concern is Cheng’s governance to Zitan? He’s the Emperor’s youngest, most beloved and most spoiled son, the one with a greatly favoured mother; in this family even the presumptive heir gets little to no actual preparation for ruling and neither does the most talented prince!

Marriage to Awu automatically catapults Zitan into the very centre of Cheng’s political scene. What is permissible and even cute in a favoured youngest princeling is catastrophic in a pillar of the Empire. And Awu? Awu would be there with him all the way; infinitely more capable and yet comparatively powerless. Because riddle me this: what happens once Zitan’s beloved wife starts to show him up? As she inevitably must, knowing them both. Somehow I don’t think he would glow with pride or boast about her accomplishments. We saw how Zitan treats most women in his life, how he treated Wanru when she was his best ally and even Su Jin’er while she served as his spy. Women are allowed to have their own agendas and interests… as long as their agenda is to make Zitan great (again), regardless of any actual pay-off for them and theirs.

Love… love would last for a while. But you see, Zitan exhibits another worrying tendency, which would show its ugly face sooner or later. Starting from the Huizhou arc, he no longer sees Awu as she is and stubbornly tries to make her fit the mold he constructed in his head. And that mold is designed in such a way as to make him, Zitan, shine. He came late to their elopement? He didn’t come late at all, she just didn’t wait! He’s the faithful lover here. That mold is also very, very stiff and not very big to begin with. Surely what Awu wants most is to be an Empress. She’s a Wang daughter and Wang daughters become Empresses, who cares what Awu actually thinks or feels. Oh, sorry, that’s the second mold he constructs, the first was Zitan’s little wife, completely satisfied with living somewhere far from the capital and listening to his dreadful poetry all day long. Yeah, that romantic fantasy? It could have never happened; while believing in it might be forgivable in a fifteen-year-old Princess, it’s rather less so in a Prince who may become a target at any moment due to the Xie-Wang rivalry.

Okay, I have no idea where this whole thing is going and it shows. Let’s look at the third impossible thing, namely what would happen should that bloody elopement end in a success.

Impossible Thing number 3. Awu and Zitan run away and for some reason Daddy Wang doesn’t track them down. Which would take him a week at most, since neither Awu nor Zitan are all that inconspicuous, unmarked golden leaf or not. Golden leaf of presumably imperial grade is hella suspicious even without any markings, so kudos to Jinruo. But then how could she know any better…? But let’s say Daddy Wang gives up. And so do the remaining Xies, who just lost their potential claimant. And so does Zilu, who would totally set a potential rival loose. And the Empress Not-Yet-Dowager, paranoid that Zitan could be plotting with provincial magnates. And the Emperor, once he wakes up! Not like he wanted to put Zitan on the throne, right? And so does every single other interested party who could use a nifty imperial figurehead of their own. So Awu and Zitan settle down in a small house somewhere in… somewhere. What then?

Well, that small house… While Awu might be able to live and even thrive in such circumstances, Zitan is made out of different clay. Who was it that complained about the Imperial Mausoleum, which was basically a palace; and who had her wedding night under the stars dealt splendidly in Ningshuo after the first cultural shock? Okay, let’s say he sees this new servant-less and palace-less life as his Glorious and Noble Sacrifice, which is the only way I can imagine him being more or less happy with it. He woud drive Awu mad in a month. Either she gets a husband who is visibly unhappy – even if he doesn’t actually say so – or one that keeps indirectly blaming her for their new circumstances.

Also, I don’t think Jinruo’s stash would last all that long, not if they wanted to keep some standard of living, not without replenishing it in some way. Surprisingly, they both have some rather marketable skills; Awu is good with budgeting, for example, and Zitan would make a credible music master or calligraphy teacher. They could be… reasonably happy with that? Although seeing as Zitan is perfectly content with sitting a whole year out in his room, doing… nothing, I can’t see him being all that eager to make an honest living.

Then children would come and with children usually come problems, pulling them both further into the daily grind. Now, Awu would probably be okay with that, but Zitan with his lofty ideals? Zitan, who wasn’t able to imagine how Awu could possibly love or do anything more than tolerate a mere soldier? Somehow I can’t see him being anything but deeply unhappy with this rather prosaic existence. And unhappy with being unhappy, because he should be ecstatic, right? He married his love, he fulfilled his dream! How can he feel so... so mopey about it?!

He would be unhappy and unhappy with being unhappy, and sooner or later he would start searching for somebody to blame. And Awu would take that blame, at least in the beginning. Not because she’s a doormat, no. Because without her loftly titles, without her family and her position, she would probably feel much more vulnerable. We know how she felt about being a traitor’s daughter and Xiao Qi did everything in his power to shore up her position, even as he assured her that it mattered not at all. Would Zitan be half as observant and supportive? Yeah, I don’t think so. Besides, there would be a grain of truth in Zitan’s accusations: while it wasn’t Awu who came up with this whole idea, it was her mother who organized the elopement. Zitan was the victim, a poor unknowing lamb led to the slaughter the boat.

And you know what? Even if no blame was being thrown around, even if they both found acceptable equilibrium in their daily lives, even if they both were more of less satisfied with their new existence… it would still be a bloody tragedy.

And no, I am not talking about their differing levels of maturity or the fact that I rather doubt that a man like Zitan would be able to keep a woman like Awu permanently satisfied in every aspect of their lives.

My main beef with the elopement scenario is the fact that Awu was born to move empires, not wither in some backwater. She’s designed to operate on an entirely different scale! For all that she may dream of having a pretty little house somewhere in Ningshuo, those dreams take on an entirely different flavour knowing that the man living with her in that pretty little house would be Xiao Qi. You don’t exactly need to decide the fate of empires yourself when you have a man who could easily do just that eating out of your hand. The level of satisfaction is more or less the same, I guess.  Note that even at the end Xiao Qi and Awu don’t give up power. They may choose to live quietly in their beloved Ningshuo, but the moment something goes really wrong? They will be back in the saddle in five minutes flat. That big bad army isn’t going anywhere either and that neat final voiceover? Gives us a pretty good idea as to their plans for the future:

grasslands + grateful and thus loyal manpower + big bad army = economical and military powerhouse + all benefits of being a vassal state + de facto independence

That’s no withering in obscurity, let me tell you! Not like living with Zitan under an assumed name would be.

ETA: Oh, I know what the question was! Do I think that Awu would be happy with Zitan? NOPE.

[orsuliya]

Meanwhile, in Daddy Wang’s evil lair...

Song Huaien’s hundredth or so brainwashing session continues. Really, Wangs, his brain is washed and his skull scrubbed clean from the inside, you can stop now.

But no, Daddy Wang needs his little pleasures and making an absolute idiot out of his Ken doll Song Huaien is one of them, right next to talking to his Minion-in-Chief, dealing mental damage to Turnip and drinking tea.

There is a plan, Song Huaien, listen closely. If Xiao Qi relieves Zitan of his useless (but pretty) head, we will scream at every corner that this is an act of war and get armies from Jiangnan to march on the capital. Were you at that audience where everybody heard loud and clear that princes from Jiangnan are not that keen on challenging Xiao Qi? Oh, you were? Well, pretend you were sick or something.

Oh, and we also need to find Potato’s last will and put Miracle Baby on the throne. You haven’t heard about that will, Song Huaien? But... how? Then how do you think Wanru died? Of overdose? Okay, no, don’t even try to think, you’ll hurt yourself. Just look at Daddy Wang, believe in Daddy Wang and be in awe of Daddy Wang’s omniscence.

Just as Song Huaien loses his last braincells, Nanny Xu enters Daddy Wang’s evil lair and finds Wang An holding Miracle Baby. She’s understandably puzzled. And only a step away from discovering Not-Dead Daddy Wang over his tea and snacks.

Now, Daddy Wang can still resolve this situation peacefully. If Wang An plays the fool and Turnip serves up a pretty lie or three, which he’s quite keen to do, this could all end more or less well.

But no. Daddy Wang has other plans. Lure her in, Wang An. And you, Song Huaien, better have a weapon at the ready. Wouldn’t want anybody to know that you’re plotting with us, right? Certainly not Awu’s husband. I kid you not, that’s what he calls Xiao Qi. Awu’s husband. Does Daddy Wang know about Song Huaien’s crush...? Otherwise why would he use such an unwieldy name in a high-stress situation? High-stress for Song Huaien, that is.

Nanny Xu ends up running straight into Song Huaien’s blade. Now, Daddy Wang will later claim that she had to die in order to irrevocably bind Song Huaien to the cause. I don’t think that’s the whole truth, though.

My guess? If Nanny Xu acted even remotely like she does in Yuzhang Manor when she served Jinruo... Daddy Wang must have had a million different reasons to want her dead. Xiao Qi is a veritable saint to let her meddling go; I bet Daddy Wang was dreaming of wringing Nanny Xu’s neck for years.

Finally he got an opportunity to bring those dreams to life. And you know what? I really don’t blame him for taking it.

[orsuliya]

How can Awu and XQ even have a fun time while there's like 100 people around all the time. What is worse, there's Aunt Xu :/ These two must be very creative lol

And now we know why Daddy Wang totally had it out for Auntie Xu! She must have interrupted him and Jinruo one too many times. There, that’s the final version and I shall consider no other.

But seriously, if one takes some things into account, this resumed lack of privacy stops being such an issue. Now, I don’t know all that much about the concept of privacy specifically in Ancient China, but I sure can extrapolate some things. The main one being that privacy as we know it is a relatively modern invention.

Communal ways of living mean that privacy is a no go due to technicalities alone. Xiao Qi is supposed to have been raised in a rural, pastoral community and not a very wealthy one, from what I can tell; that means lots of shared spaces and you’re lucky if you only have share with humans and not animals, especially during the winter. Big families + shared spaces = different mentality. And then he spent the rest of his formative years in the army. Which doesn’t lend itself to privacy, but well enough to such fun things as close-quarters cohabitation, communal bathing and the like.

Okay, but what about Awu? She certainly didn’t encounter either of those issues! Well, yes and no. Due to her station there is a high possibility that she was raised with attendants present 24/7. It could get more extreme than that only if she grew up in the Imperial Palace. Which, oh wait, she totally did! There is no way to prevent your attendants from knowing your intimate business, sorry. For one, somebody has to do your laundry. And wouldn’t you know, we do get a glimpse into this mentality; have you noticed that Potato and Xie Wanru start on that memorable princess, ah, lift with Wanru’s attendants still present? It bothers them none! And I assure you, there are at least two attendants keeping watch all night long right outside the door every time the Emperor visits his wife’s bed. If he was sleeping alone, they might be keeping watch inside his chambers instead, although not necessarily.

Also, it’s not a secret nor any great shame that Dawang and Wangfei love each other very much. It’s just a fact of life. A-Yue is not bothered at all! Okay, she is, but only because she’s in charge of reheating their breakfast. If anything, Awu’s handmaids should be tracking religiously when and for how long Xiao Qi visits her at night, especially if she wasn’t his only woman. Although that is obviously not an issue in their case. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager knows when her son visits his concubines, which is not that hard, since she was probably the one to create the schedule in the first place. They do employ one as Wanru points out that Potato’s visit is unexpected since it’s not one of her days. I believe she only gets two days a month for the duration of her pregnancy; makes sense, after all she cannot get any more pregnant than she already is. But Murder Mom knows much more: why, she knows for sure whether her son slept or slept with his new concubine. I don’t remember how she knows that, but I can come up with at least three different ways to get that knowledge with minimal effort on her part. It’s all par for the course.

So in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Yuzhang it’s simply a matter of closing the door and going about their business as usual. I daresay that it takes a very brave soul to open any door that Prince Yuzhang wants to stay closed. Unless it’s Auntie Xu, that is, although even she wouldn’t do that on purpose. I think. As for any perceived privacy... Our couple makes very unambiguous propositions to one another while sitting ten paces away from the Emperor. They don’t even lower their voices! Isn’t that convenient for any prospects of less than private intimacy?

[orsuliya]

"He doesn't need to look to locate his sword, true. But when it comes to putting a hand on Awu's pregnant belly, careful observation is the key! There is no doubt that one of those actions is infinitely more important than the other." me crying as i imagine the two of them standing on the walls of ningshuo or lying in bed together or having a meal together, his hand on her belly (as a'wu pingpongs between liking it and being annoyed)

Oh dear. A piece of advice to you all from yours truly: beware of leaving comments, you never know when they might come back to haunt you! Literally. Not that I mind!

At first there is little reason for Awu to feel annoyed. In those first few months there is just the right amount of touching and it's not at all excessive, especially in public. And well, there is something truly precious about how apprehensive Xiao Qi seems to be when confronted with the unmistakable, physical proof of her gravid state. Oh, he tries to project this aura of confidence - and she must admit that being paterfamilias truly suits him - but Jinruo raised no fool. Awu can tell read the truth in the way he approaches her belly; touching and caressing, yes, but only ever so lightly at the beginning, as if she was going to shatter if touched too firmly. Only after one or two delicate, careful strokes does he ever dare to actually press his hand against her skin. She makes sure to correct this habit any time she gets him alone... but it still lingers.

Until it doesn't. As long as there was no movement from the child or at least no movement that Xiao Qi could detect, this strange apprehension stayed somewhere in the back of his mind, their child seen as a separate entity and given an appropriate amount of attention, but not yet quite real and as such much too ephemeral to risk in any way. However, once that strange incomprehensible being can be felt and even communicated with in a fashion, it's as if somebody flipped a switch in Xiao Qi's mind.

Suddenly that child becomes only too real to its father. There is truly no end to Xiao Qi's fascination with its movements. Sure, at first it's sweet, but there are times when Awu feels entirely superfluous to this whole enterprise. Not often, but when Xiao Qi turns his full, very considerable focus to the child, one can get a bit jealous. It's silly and she knows that it doesn't make sense to feel that way, but. She's pregnant and tired, she's allowed to be unreasonable if she wants to! And sometimes she wants to, because there should be limits. Also, she really would like to go around her business without having her husband firmly attached to her, thank you. For about half a day, that's the perfect amount of time to start missing each other, don't you think?