#su sanniang

[city-of-ladies]

Women warriors in Chinese history - Part 2

(Part 1)

"However, court confessions, unofficial histories, and local gazetteers do reveal a host of women warriors during the Qing dynasty when patriarchal structures were supposedly most influential. Women in marginal groups were apparently not as observant of mainstream societal gender rules. Daughters and wives of “peasant rebels,” that is, autonomous or bandit stockades, were frequently skilled warriors. Miss Cai 蔡†(Ts’ai) of the Nian (Nien) “army,” for example, “fought better than a man, and she was especially fine on horseback. She was always at the front line, fighting fearlessly despite the large number of government troops.” According to a folktale, she managed to rout an invading government force of several thousand with a hundred men and one cannonball after her husband led most of the Nian off to forage for food.

Related to the female bandits were the women pirates among whom Zheng I Sao 鄭一嫂†(literally, Wife of Zheng I; 1775–1844) is the best researched. “A former prostitute … Cheng [Zheng] I Sao could truly be called the real ‘Dragon Lady’ of the South China Sea.” Consolidating her authority swiftly after the death of her husband, “she was able to win so much support that the pirates openly acclaimed her as the one person capable of holding the confederation together. As its leader she demonstrated her ability to take command by issuing orders, planning military campaigns, and proving that there were profits to be made in piracy. When the time came to dismantle the confederation, it was her negotiating skills above all that allowed her followers to cross the bridge from outlawry to officialdom.”

We know slightly more about some of the women warriors involved in sectarian revolts. Folk stories passed down orally are one of the sources. Tales that proliferated in northern Sichuan on the battle exploits of cult rebels of the White Lotus Religion uprising in Sichuan, Hunan, and Shaanxi beginning in the late eighteenth century glorify several women warriors. The tall and beautiful Big Feet Lan (Lan Dazhu 籃大足) and the smart and skillful Big Feet Xie (Xie Dazhu 謝大足) vanquished a stockade together; the young and attractive Woman He 何氏 could kill within a hundred feet by throwing daggers from horseback. The absence of bound feet in Big Feet Lan and Big Feet Xie suggests their backgrounds were either very poor, unconventional, or non-Han.

Sectarian groups accepted female membership readily, and many of these women trained in the martial arts. Qiu Ersao 邱二嫂†(ca. 1822–53), leader of a Heaven and Earth Society (Tiandihui 天地會) uprising in Guangxi, joined the sect because of poverty and perfected herself in the martial arts. Some women came to the sects with skills. Su Sanniang 蘇三娘, rebel leader of another sect of the Heaven and Earth Society, was the daughter of a martial arts instructor.  Such sectarian rebel bands are frequently regarded as bandit groups. A history of the Taiping Revolutionary Movement refers to these two cult leaders as female bandit chiefs before they joined the Taipings.

Male leaders of religious rebellions frequently married women from families skilled in acrobatic, martial, and magic arts. These women tended to be both beautiful and charismatic. Wang Lun 王倫, who rebelled in 1774 in Shandong, had an “adopted daughter in name, mistress in fact,” by the name of Wu Sanniang 烏三娘 who was one of Wang’s most powerful warriors. Originally an itinerant performer highly skilled in boxing, tightrope walking, and acrobatics, she terrified the enemy with spellbinding magic. She brought a dozen associates from her old life to the sect, and they all became fearsome warriors known as “female immortals” (xiannü 仙女); three of them, including Wu Sanniang, lived with Wang Lun as “adopted wives” (ifu 義婦). A tall, white-haired woman at least sixty years old, possibly the mother of one of these acrobat-turned women warriors, wielded one sword with ease and two almost as effortlessly. Dressed in yellow astride a horse, hair loose and flying, she was feared as much for her sorcery as for her military skills. Her presence indicates that some of the women came from female-dominated itinerant performing families. Woman Zhang 張氏and Woman Zhao 趙氏, wives of Lin Zhe 林哲, another leader of the cult, were also known for being able to brandish a pair of broadswords on horseback.

Hong Xuanjiao 洪宣嬌†(mid nineteenth century), also known as Queen Xiao (xiaohou 蕭后), wife of the West King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (taiping tianguo 太平天國), was so stunningly beautiful and impressive in swordsmanship that she mesmerized the entire army during battles. The link between early immortality beliefs and shamanism also suggests that these women warrior “immortals” of sectarian cults may represent surviving relics of the female shamans who occupied high positions during high antiquity.

During the White Lotus Religion rebellion in Sichuan, Hunan, and Shaanxi beginning in 1796, five of the generals were at once leaders and wives of other leaders of the cult. They were Woman Qi née Wang (Qiwangshi 齊王氏; Wang Cong’er 王聰兒), Woman Zhang née Wang (Zhangwangshi 張王氏), Woman Xu née Li (Xulishi 徐李氏), Woman Fan née Zhang (Fanzhangshi 范張氏), and Woman Wang 王†née Li 李 (Wanglishi 王李氏). In the Heavenly Principle Religion (tianlijiao 天理教) rebellion that began in Beijing during 1713, the wife of its leader, Li Wencheng 李文成, led three invasions into the city. There was even a “Female Army” (niangzijun 娘子軍) within the Eight Trigrams (baguajiao 八卦教) uprising in Shandong during the Daoguang 道光† reign (1821–51). The female generals, Cheng Sijie 程四姐†and Yang Wujie 楊五姐, were particularly impressive when they wove among enemy forces in the style of “butterflies flitting among flowers,” wielding broadswords on horseback, their hairpins glittering in the light.

A number of female rebel leaders used religion and magic to buttress their power. Many claimed to be celestials and were leaders of sectarian cults (...). Chen Shuozhen 陳碩貞†(?–653) mobilized a peasants’ uprising by declaring that she had ascended to heaven and become an immortal. Tang Sai’er (ca.1403–20), a head of the White Lotus Religion (bailianjiao 白蓮教), designated herself as a “Buddhist Mother” (fuomu 佛母). The spellbinding old woman warrior in Wang Lun’s Clear Water Religion (qingshuijiao 清水教) sect was known to the rebel community as a reincarnation of the highest White Lotus deity, the Eternal Venerable Mother (wusheng laomu 無生老母). Wang Lun relied on her for performing magic and the rituals for calling on their supreme deity. Woman Wang née Liu (wangliushi 王劉氏), one of the numerous female leaders of the White Lotus Religion revolt, also titled herself the Eternal Venerable Mother. Wang Cong’er (1777–98), originally an itinerant entertainer, became the commander in chief of the rebel army she launched with her husband, a master in the White Lotus Religion.

Indeed, itinerant performers such as Wu Sanniang mentioned above were frequently trained in the martial arts since childhood and must have been skilled at performing magic tricks as well. Lin Hei’er 林黑兒†(?–1900), leader of Red Lanterns (hongdengzhao 紅燈照), the young women’s branch of the Boxer’s Movement (yihetuan 義和團), was also originally an itinerant entertainer (her husband was a boatman). Designating herself the Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus (huanglian shengmu 黃蓮聖母), she taught her followers the skills of wielding swords and waving fans as well as magic to defeat their enemies.  Wang Nangxian 王囊仙†(literally, Goddess Nang, 1778–97), an ethnic minority of the Miao tribe, was worshipped as a goddess by her tribesmen before she led them in revolt against the Chinese government."

Chinese shadow theatre: history, popular religion, and women warriors, Fan Pen Li Chen

[ryin-silverfish]

Could you tell us more about fox spirits? or what you know about them? Since the Kitsune is the fox spirit that people popularize the most, information on the Huli Jing is difficult to search for.

*Deep Breath*

Man, oh man. On one hand, I am fascinated by fox spirits, on the other hand, entire books have been written on them (in Chinese), and there are a staggering amount of Qing dynasty fox tales in Yuewei Caotang Biji (阅微草堂笔记) and Liaozhai Zhiyi,(聊斋志异) it's hard to know where to start.

[Previous ask about nine-tailed foxes, the duality of auspicious and demonic, and Su Daji]

Fox spirits, like any other yaoguais, is an animal that has lived long enough and absorbed enough Qi to gain sentience. Through cultivation, they can eventually gain a human form.

According to Tang folklore, they need to wear a human skull on their head while bowing to the Dipper stars/moon, without the skull falling off, in order to transform into a human.

However, foxes are also talented shapeshifters and tricksters who have this reputation for seducing humans, male and female alike.

In earlier legends, that's just their nature, but Ming and Qing tales expanded on that, stating foxes have sex with human to drain their Qi or life force, because they need those to form an Inner Core——an orb of solidified Qi that contains all of their cultivation and life force.

(Usually, it's female foxes seducing human men, because they need some of that sweet, sweet Yang force to compliment their Yin.)

(But some Ming folklore collection said that male foxes also go after guys in the guise of women, while in others, male foxes are just seducers of women.)

(Oh, and there are actual lesbian foxes in Qing legends. Like Feng Sanniang from Liaozhai Zhiyi.)

But one must keep in mind that foxes, like all yaoguais, are not inherently good or evil. For every sexual predator and Daji-like temptress, there exists a graceful scholar, a chill friend, or a lovestruck girl (Liaozhai is full of human-fox romances).

Like, there is a tale in Yuewei Caotang Biji that's just a guy chatting with his 50-60 looking fox associate about how foxes cultivate. When asked why he's so candid about this stuff, he really sums up it best:

"There are good and bad ones among our kind, just like humans. If you humans don't shy away from speaking of human evil, why should I?"

He then proceeds to talk about how legit fox cultivators collect the essence of sun and moon like any regular Daoists, while the ones that seduce human and suck away their life forces are taking a shortcut and inviting heavenly retribution in the form of thunderbolts.

Other Qing legends introduce the hilarious concept that all aspiring foxes must pass an exam organized by the Lady of Mt. Tai, to, well, earn their cultivation permit. Not even foxes are free from the clutches of imperial examinations, it seems!

Still, their old auspicious association does give rise to the archetype of "cultivator/sorcerer foxes", as well as a higher chance of recruitment into the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Which might explain why foxes were so frequently venerated in popular religion. Like, northern China has this thing called the "Five Great Immortals" (五大仙), five species of cultivated animals that people worship:

Hu (胡), Foxes

Huang (黄), Weasels

Bai (白), Hedgehogs

Liu (柳), Snakes

Hui (灰), Rats

When I travelled to the city of Pingyao, Shanxi last summer, one of the sites I visited had a Yuan dynasty building, and its second level is a shrine dedicated to the "Fox Immortal", guardian of the imperial official's seal.

Fun fact: fox spirits have a habit of impersonating Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in Tang dynasty legends. Manjusri and Maitreya seems to be the most popular choice, and in 三遂平妖传, a Ming dynasty novel, "Sagely Old Lady"(圣姑姑) the heavenly fox also impersonates Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.

So imagine my surprise when I actually encountered some foxes next to a highway during the same trip, while visiting Mt. Wutai, Manjusri's sacred mountain!

[warriorsofhan]

salvaged ic tags!

#曹魏 - ic: 蔡琰 ( cai yan ) #曹魏 - ic: 王異 ( wang yi ) #曹魏 - ic: 荀彧 ( xun yu ) #曹魏 - ic: 夏侯淵 ( xiahou yuan ) #曹魏 - ic: 典韋 ( dian wei ) #孫呉 - ic: 步練師 ( bu lianshi ) #孫呉 - ic: 韓當 ( han dang ) #孫呉 - ic: 孫尚香 ( sun shangxiang ) #孫呉 - ic: 呂蒙 ( lü meng ) #孫呉 - ic: 小喬 ( xiaoqiao ) #孫呉 - ic: 甘寧 ( gan ning ) #蜀漢 - ic: 黃月英 ( huang yueying ) #蜀漢 - ic: 關索 ( guan suo ) #蜀漢 - ic: 關銀屏 ( guan yinping ) #蜀漢 - ic: 魏延 ( wei yan ) #蜀漢 - ic: 張飛 ( zhang fei ) #蜀漢 - ic: 鮑三娘 ( bao sanniang ) #蜀漢 - ic: 馬超 ( ma chao ) #蜀漢 - ic: 関平 ( guan ping ) #西晋 - ic: 司馬昭 ( sima zhao ) #西晋 - ic: 張春華 ( zhang chunhua ) #西晋 - ic: 文鴦 ( wen yang ) #西晋 - ic: 夏侯覇 ( xiahou ba ) #西晋 - ic: 諸葛誕 ( zhuge dan ) #西晋 - ic: 王元姬 ( wang yuanji )

#他 - ic: 董卓 ( dong zhuo ) #他 - ic: 呂玲綺 ( lü lingqi ) #他 - ic: 張角 ( zhang jue ) #他 - ic: 袁紹 ( yuan shao ) #他 - ic: 黎霞 ( lixia ) #他 - ic: 苏妲己 ( su daji ) #他 - ic: 孟獲 ( meng huo ) #他 - ic: 祝融夫人 ( zhurong )

#曹魏 - ic: 曹仁 ( cao ren ) #曹魏 - ic: 龐德 ( pang de )

[oceanos-en-peligro]

Inteligencia artificial para preservar delfines en particular y fauna marina en general

La inteligencia artificial emerge como la aliada inesperada de los guardianes del océano.

Con su capacidad para procesar datos a escalas inimaginables, estas avanzadas herramientas están revolucionando los esfuerzos para proteger a los delfines y a toda la riqueza de vida que alberga el mar. La ciencia y la tecnología se unen para alcanzar nuevas dimensiones de trazabilidad de los datos.

Los datos son clave: el caso del iDolphin

Además de facilitar el crowdsourcing, iDolphin también pretende derribar las barreras de los datos. Existen problemas con los datos disponibles sobre el delfín blanco: las metodologías de seguimiento no están estandarizadas, los datos no están unidos en todas las regiones y los datos gubernamentales no son accesibles.

Por ejemplo, cuando se estudia la población, algunos investigadores identifican a los individuos a partir de fotografías, mientras que otros realizan un estudio de transectos.

¿Qué es un transecto?

El año pasado, un experto afirmó que la población de delfines blancos chinos en el golfo de Beibu, donde se encuentra la población de la bahía de Sanniang, había aumentado de menos de 100 ejemplares en 2004 a 300 en 2022.

Atribuyendo el mérito a la cooperación entre institutos de investigación, ONG y el gobierno, el experto afirmaba que el 70% del grupo tenía un tamaño viable para la reproducción, lo que le daba una estructura por edades saludable. Sin embargo, los estudios fotográficos de

El investigador Zheng y su equipo llegaron a una conclusión diferente. Descubrieron que la población se había reducido de 156 a 102 entre 2015 y 2019.

Los datos inexactos o inaccesibles conducen a políticas equivocadas. Esto, a su vez, reduce la eficacia de los esfuerzos de conservación y significa que se pierden las mejores oportunidades.

El investigador trabaja en la cooperación en materia de datos con otros organismos de investigación para derribar barreras y ayudar tanto al gobierno como a los institutos de investigación.

No es fácil, dice. En su opinión, los datos sobre especies deberían ser públicos, pero algunos se han convertido en «propiedad privada» de investigadores u organizaciones.

«Si la recopilación de datos se ha financiado con fondos públicos o de organizaciones benéficas, debería ser lo más abierta posible. Al fin y al cabo, eso es fácil con las actuales protecciones de derechos de autor y medidas de protección de datos», afirma Zheng.

La difícil situación de las pequeñas poblaciones

China ha creado siete reservas naturales para proteger al delfín blanco chino y su hábitat: cuatro reservas a nivel de condado y ciudad, una reserva provincial y dos reservas nacionales en Xiamen y el estuario del río Perla.

Cuando comenzó la construcción del puente Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau en 2009, se tomaron una serie de medidas para proteger a los delfines blancos del estuario del río Perla.

Por ejemplo, el equipo de construcción construyó arrecifes artificiales para permitir que prosperaran las gambas y los peces pequeños, proporcionando a los delfines una fuente más rica de alimento.

Además, el equipo de construcción no puede realizar trabajos de excavación a gran escala de abril a agosto, la temporada alta de cría de los delfines blancos.

Li Songhai es investigador del Instituto de Ciencia e Ingeniería de las Profundidades Marinas de la Academia China de Ciencias. En 2022, Songhai declaró a los medios de comunicación que, aunque la Lista Roja de la UICN clasifica al delfín blanco como especie vulnerable, algunas poblaciones están de hecho en peligro, algunas en estado crítico.

Esto tiene que ver con la costumbre de los delfines blancos de vivir en grupos, en lugares relativamente fijos.

Suelen encontrarse en aguas poco profundas, donde los grandes ríos de agua dulce se encuentran con el agua salada del mar. En ocasiones, nadan río arriba.

Históricamente, una gran población se extendía por una amplia zona de las aguas chinas. Pero los actuales proyectos de recuperación de tierras y construcción costera han provocado la reducción y fragmentación de los hábitats y la disminución de las poblaciones.

Zheng describe los grupos que viven en la bahía de Sanniang, en aguas de Xiamen y la isla de Jinmen, y frente a Shantou, como especialmente pequeños.

El aislamiento de los hábitats y la disminución de las poblaciones hacen que no haya pruebas de que los delfines se desplacen entre las poblaciones de Xiamen, Shantou y el río de las Perlas. Esa falta de interacción pone a los grupos más pequeños de delfines en un riesgo aún mayor de extinción local.

En 2012, un trabajo de investigación estimó que la población de delfines en la desembocadura del río de las Perlas disminuye un 2,46% al año.

Mientras tanto, Zheng dice que el pequeño grupo frente a la costa de Shantou se ha reducido en un 38% en la última década, y un documento de 2022 del que es coautor encontró que el grupo de la Bahía de Sanniang era un 35% más pequeño en 2015 que en 2019.

Delfín blanco saltando fuera del agua

Zheng cree que la pérdida completa de los 13 delfines de Shantou es inevitable. En 2018, nació una cría en el grupo, pero murió a la semana.

En la última década solo ha habido tres nacimientos en el grupo y ninguno ha sobrevivido. Cuando una población de mamíferos alcanza este tamaño, normalmente solo hay un resultado: la extinción local.

Si no podemos salvar a los 13 delfines de Shantou, ¿serán los 50 de Xiamen los siguientes? ¿Y luego los 100 de Qinzhou y, por último, la mayor población de la desembocadura del río Perla?

A menudo pensamos que los objetos más raros son más valiosos, pero en conservación no es así», dice Zheng.

Dice que es un problema de números: las poblaciones pequeñas tienden a ser ignoradas cuando hay otras más grandes y viables de la misma especie.

Por tanto, a medida que una población disminuye, se reduce la financiación, los investigadores pierden interés y el público deja de prestarle atención. Finalmente, los esfuerzos de conservación decaen y esa población corre un riesgo aún mayor.

Mientras trabaja para salvar poblaciones pequeñas, Zheng se ha dado cuenta de que algunos organismos de conservación se centran sólo en las cifras globales, no en el riesgo de que desaparezcan poblaciones separadas.

A menudo le preguntan por la lógica de proteger estas poblaciones aparentemente condenadas, a lo que él responde: «Si no podemos salvar a los 13 delfines de Shantou, ¿serán los 50 de Xiamen los siguientes? ¿Y luego los 100 de Qinzhou y, en última instancia, la mayor población de la desembocadura del río de las Perlas?».

Investigar las causas de la pérdida de pequeñas poblaciones y adquirir experiencia en conservación -en particular soluciones para la transparencia de datos y la conservación mediante crowdsourcing- puede ayudar a crear mejores políticas y enfoques para poblaciones mayores de la misma especie, y para otras especies menos vulnerables.

Los intentos de conservar poblaciones más pequeñas del delfín blanco chino también pueden ofrecer una alternativa a la actual narrativa del «éxito» y animar a más gente a ayudar a proteger la especie.

Todo el mundo quiere oír que se salvan animales. Pero tenemos que afrontar el hecho de que algunas poblaciones se están perdiendo.

Como especie «emblemática», la salud de las poblaciones del delfín blanco chino refleja la salud de sus ecosistemas costeros; conservar pequeñas poblaciones del delfín mejorará el medio ambiente costero y beneficiará a las comunidades locales.

Si el delfín blanco chino prospera, entonces los humanos también pueden prosperar.

Originally published at https://oceanosenpeligro.com/ August 07, 2023.

[the-archlich]

Shu deserves better

Honestly what I really want is a couple decent Shu characters. This franchise has never been good to its favorite faction.

DW3 gave them Pang Tong and Wei Yan. And as much fun as Pang Tong is, that’s kind of a questionable choice in the overall scheme of things, even with the more limited scope that the story took at the time.

DW4 gave they must Huang Yueying. She’s had a few good incarnations, don’t get me wrong, but again: even within the limited span that game is interested in covering there are a lot of Shu officers being neglected.

DW5 gave them Guan Ping and Zhang Xingcai. And again, while these characters theoretically have some merit there are so many people with real accomplishments getting ignored in favor of what are largely imaginary characters.

Then some characters got cut in DW6. shrugemoji

DW7 was pretty good for other groups. But Shu got Bao Sanniang, Guan Suo, Liu Shan, and Ma Dai. And then Xu Shu for bonus. There are some arguments to be made here, sure. But try to internalize this. Of all the characters added to Shu since DW3, Ma Dai is the only one who ever verifiable fought in a single battle. I don’t want to minize the importance of figures like Liu Shan or Empress Zhang, but...really. Really look at that.

DW8 added Guan Xing, Guan Yinping, and Zhang Bao. Fa Zheng was later sold separately.

There’s only so many hoops you can jump through justifying these names before you just have to admit this faction has been done dirty. Even where these adds had potential, that potential was never fulfilled or turned into something worthwhile. Some of them turned out to be decent characters but at what cost?

These poll results are boring but honestly I’d be happy with boring additions to Shu. Give me Liao Hua and Zhang Yi. Give me Chen Dao and Ma Su. I don’t really care anymore. Just give me anyone who actually contributed anything.

[isangstyfluffathing]

Character Analysis: Lü Meng

Koei seems to be making an effort to make him a little less bland. I commend them for that.

Okay, so I know Lü Meng has always been boring in the games.  I know.  But I love historical Lü Meng so much I couldn’t help but want to play his story.

Appearance:

The perfect mix of strategist and warrior, with armored and robe pieces.  Whoever made the decision to let his hair down in 6 is my hero.  There’s nothing to say, except I would sell my soul for Lü Meng. He’s beautiful.

Weapon:

Lü Meng is one of those lucky guys with a consistent weapon since pretty much the beginning.  It’s a simple, but effective weapon.  Lü Meng isn’t one for sparkles and flair, it’s much easier to stab someone and move on, he’s got better things to do.  But he also has a really cool spin/juggling move in 9 that he shares with Huang Yueying. 

It’s nothing special or fancy, but it doesn’t have to be.  A guy in armor rushing at you with a large sharp blade is scary enough.

Also he killed Guan Yu (In the Wu route, Xiahou Dun kills Guan Yu in the Wei route) and that was cool looking.  Even if you like Guan Yu, you have to admit Lü Meng was cool.

Personality:

I had some trouble discerning his personality, in actuality.  I genuinely enjoyed every bit of Lü Meng in his story, and yet, by the end of it, I couldn’t pick out any defining traits.  Is this a bad thing?  Well, let’s look at some examples.

Huang Zhong has a very defining, singular trait of old.  It’s not well written and it’s really boring.  On the other hand, Dian Wei has the defining traits of loyalty, strength, and bravery.  He’s a simple, but good character.

Defining traits aren’t necessary for characters, but every single person has some sort of personality of some sort, and I had trouble identifying Lü Meng.  But I shall try.

Lü Meng is definitely a bit of a stickler for rules/orders.  Not as nuts as Yu Jin about it (But no one is as nuts as Yu Jin about rules) but Lu Meng’s introduction involves him yelling at the Wu recruits for not bowing to Sun Quan when he arrived.  He doesn’t threaten to execute them though, so that’s a good step.

He doesn’t hesitate to follow through with plans and expects his subordinates to follow his instructions, but is also open for criticism.  He’s not very good at dealing with chaos, such as when Qiao Xiao decides to follow Zhou Yu onto the battlefield and Lü Meng has to chase after her, or most of Ling Tong and Gan Ning’s bickering. 

Still,  Lü Meng is a level-headed, intelligent man with good intentions and methods. He works to keep peace between his own fellow warriors (see: Gan Ning and Ling Tong) and is working to build peace in the land with the help of Lu Su and Lu Xun.  I wouldn’t call Lü Meng entertaining or particularly interesting, but he doesn’t have to be.  He’s still a solid, likable character.

Also Koei has been putting him in leadership positions that give him spotlight (Especially at Fan Castle and the like, of course), and I am quite happy. 

Interactions with other characters:

Lü Meng has a wide variety of interactions, which pleases me.  The majority of his dialogue falls to Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Lu Su, Lu Xun, and Sun Quan.

Gan Ning and Ling Tong are pretty much never seen without each other, because for some reason their character arcs revolve solely around each other (And Lü Meng I guess).  As a result, when Lü Meng talks to one, he’s talking to the other.  He spends most of his time with them as a neutral party, trying to keep peace between their constant hostility to each other and being pleased when they can work together. They also have a habit of calling him “old man”. Lü Meng is not pleased by this.  Because he is not old.  It brings a bit of amusement in his interactions, if that’s what you’re looking for. And despite their teasing and badgering of each other and Lü Meng, it’s kind of sweet to see how they get so concerned when Lü Meng is giving them a final speech as he’s dying.  They’ve gotten attached to him- And I could see it as an amusing father-sons dynamic.

Lu Su, Lu Xun, and Lü Meng share a common goal: Bringing peace to the land by serving Sun Quan.  Their talks are mostly serious (Though to be fair, they are serious people), and there’s no fun per se in them, but there’s a nice teacher-student dynamic.  Lu Su has Lü Meng as an underling,  Lü Meng has Lu Xun as an underling.  Just like Lu Su before him,  Lü Meng doesn’t want his student telling anyone he’s sick.  Lu Su and Lü Meng are quite alike.  I really like the whole parallel thing between the three of them.

To my surprise,  Lü Meng’s final cutscene didn’t feature Gan Ning and Ling Tong like I expected, but Sun Quan.  Now, Sun Quan And Lu Meng do talk, quite a bit, but it’s a simple leader-subordinate relationship.  I never really thought of them to be friends, but I was just an oblivious nut.  Lü Meng is pushing himself too hard to help Sun Quan succeed, to unite the land and bring peace.  Sun Quan just wants Lu Meng to succeed, but to not overdo it and be careful.  I get the feeling that Sun Quan would like to be closer friends with Lü Meng but is unable because they’re both so busy.  Despite this, Sun Quan seems to genuinely care for Lü Meng and it’s clear that in his ending, Lü Meng doesn’t want to die, he wants to help Sun Quan achieve his dreams.  

How this character could be improved:

Actually, I’m kind of at a loss here.

Lü Meng is not a perfect character.  I can’t just say “nope, he’s cool” like I did for Zhang Chunhua and Liu Shan.  But I don’t have a laundry list of improvements like for Bao Sanniang and Cai Yan.  

Lü Meng is just... average.  He’s good, but not great.  The thing is, I can’t quite place why.  Maybe it’s the fact that his friendships are harder to see?  Maybe it’s his more subdued personality with less defining traits?  His design is awesome, his weapon is great, but there’s just something... missing.

I guess it’s because we don’t know much about him in the game. What are his dreams, besides bringing peace?  Who does he care for or love?  Why did he choose to serve Sun Quan?  He’s a badass and I love that, but who is he?

Hmmm. 

Oh yeah, and his whole “I decided to pick up studying while fighting and become a double badass” thing is mentioned like, once.

[simayithewolf]

DW Countdown 11/16/17

Here is the remaining list of characters yet to be revealed:

Wei:

Pang De 💙

Li Dian

Yue Jin

Wu:

Lianshi

Lu Su

Han Dang

Possible 3rd add

Shu:

Fa Zheng 💙

Huang Zhong

Guan Xing

Guan Suo

Bao Sanniang

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Jin:

Zhang Chunhua 💙

Zhong Hui

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Other:

Zhurong 💙

Meng Huo

Possible 1st add

Possible 2nd add

[xelethaine]

So I thought I’d share some DW9 weapon theories? This is basically about what weapons might be changed and what might not be changed. The only weapons I have to work with are the ones that have already been revealed, so this is basically a list of possible clones and not clones. I will also be operating under the assumption that no more than 3 characters will have the same weapon. SHU Huang Zhong - Dao Blade. It’s the weapon he used to have after all, and since bow weapons are being removed, I doubt he’ll be getting his bow back. Wei Yan -  Double-Bladed Voulge. Since Cheng Pu has this weapon and even a couple of Wei Yan’s attacks, it’s safe to assume this will be his weapon as well. Pang Tong - Staff. Not a Bo Staff, but Zhang Jiao’s staff. Now I know they’re veering away from more outlandish weapons but since I can’t imagine Zhang Jiao without a magic staff, I feel like he’ll still have it and since Pang Tong used to also have a magic staff, he might also have this weapon in place of his weird flyswatter thing. Liu Shan - Rapier. Pretty easy guess, since that was his weapon up until DW8 Empires. No way is he getting that stupid bench back lol Guan Suo - Nunchaku. Again, pretty much a no-brainer. Had them up until Empires, and I can’t imagine the sabatons will be returning, honestly. Bao Sanniang - Chakrams. There’s absolutely no chance her yoyo is coming back and since the Chakrams are visually the closest to that, it seems like a sensible choice. Xu Shu - Fencing Sword. At least that’s how his sword is listed. I always thought rapiers were fencing swords. Anyway, I can see his sword coming back, just without the hook. It’s a elegant and fluid fighting style, which fits right in with the gameplay we’ve seen. Guan Xing - Short Pike. I think it could fit him pretty well, at least better than the wingblades. And it’d be somewhat reminiscent of Guan Yu. Fa Zheng - Whip Sword. Seems like it would fit his character really well, being of a more sinister demeanor than the rest of Shu. And it is vaguely similar to his cloth. WEI Xu Huang - Battle Axe. Obviously. Deng Ai’s revealed more or less confirmed that. Cao Ren - Flail. It’s what he used to have in DW7 and it’s still in the game as evidenced by Dong Zhuo’s reveal. I just don’t think his shield will really fit with the overall theme that they’re going for with the weapons this time around. Pang De - Wolf Teeth Mace. Again, this is basically confirmed since Guan Yinping has this weapon and it was the weapon he was most recently given. CaI Wenji - Twin Fans. Since Zhenji’s flute was removed, I doubt Wenji’s harp will be sticking around. This was a tough one, but out of all the revealed weapons I’d say this suits her the most. Provided that the move set itself isn’t too childish due to the Qiaos having it and is overall more elegant. Jia Xiu - Chain and Sickle. He’s had it since his debut and Gan Ning was confirmed to have it so this is a definite. Yue Jin - Hook Swords. A fairly reasonable weapon and I can’t think of any reason they’d remove it tbh. Li Dian - Greatsword. No real reason for this. I just know the wheeled halberd is definitely gone and will probably be replaced by another large weapon like the greatsword. WU Taishi Ci - Twin Rods. Another weapon confirmed by a previous character reveal. Lu Meng - Pike. Been his weapon forever and since Yueying has it, it’s for sure coming back. Ding Feng - Gauntlets. I’m not totally sure about this one, but I recall the devs saying something about taking inspiration from real-world martial arts and so I think the gauntlets could be a chance to incorporate more hand to hand martial arts in the game. Lianshi - Sword and Shield. I think this weapon would do a lot more to sell the protector aspect of her character than the Mandarin duck hooks and oviously since bows are back for everyone, she’s not getting her crossbow back. Here’s hoping the sword and shield get a fun overhaul so it’s a more enjoyable move set to play with. Lu Su - Crescent Blade. Can;t imagine the rake coming back and think Guan Yu’s moveset would fit Lu Su pretty well. Han Dang - Short Pike. I mean, since I gave it to Guan Xing, it’d be kinda silly not to give it to Han Dang. JIN Zhong Hui - Fan Sword.The most visually similar weapon to his flying swords, in my opinion, and I think it’d still suit him pretty well. I can just picture his smug self just arrogantly fanning himself. Zhang Chunhua - Chain Whip. Not a weapon I personally want her to have, but it’s the most likely tbh OTHER Zhang Jiao - Staff. Since I gave Pang Tong this weapon, makes sense that Zhang Jiao would get it too. I just honestly can;t imagine him with anything else. Meng Huo - Gauntlets. Same reason as above. Plus, the stone pillar is just absurd. Zhurong - Twin Axes. 100% just wishful thinking on my part, but I’d loooove to see her with some kind of intense aggressive weapon like this. Zuo Ci - Fan Sword. Since the feather fans are all taken, the next best thing would be the fan sword, which could be a fitting weapon for him, maybe? Chen Gong - Whip Sword. For the same reason as Fa Zheng, I think it fits his sinister nature pretty well. Well, that’s my list. lemme know what you think!

[threekingdomsstuff]

New Dynasty Warriors popularity poll results have been revealed: 

1. Guo Jia 2. Zhao Yun 3. Lu Xun 4. Xu Shu 5. Cao Pi 6. Guan Yinping 7. Xiahou Dun 8. Lu Lingqi 9. Wang Yuanji 10. Zhong Hui

11-83 are under the cut:

11. Jia Chong 12. Ma Chao 13. Fa Zheng 14. Da Qiao 15. Cao Cao 16. Xun Yu 17. Zhang Liao 18. Wang Yi 19. Cai Wenji 20. Zhuge Liang 21. Xiahou Yuan 22. Yu Jin 23. Sima Yi 24. Jiang Wei 25. Ling Tong 26. Ma Dai 27. Huang Gai 28. Diaochan 29. Chen Gong 30. Zhou Yu 31. Xiahou Ba 32. Yue Jin 33. Lu Bu 34. Zhenji 35. Xingcai 36. Zhang Fei 37. Wen Yang 38. Zhang Bao 39. Jia Xu 40. Sun Shangxiang 41. Sima Zhao 42. Gan Ning 43. Liu Bei 44. Sun Ce 45. Lu Meng 46. Sima Shi 47. Zhu Ran 48. Bu Lianshi 49. Guan Ping 50. Zhang He 51. Guan Yu 52. Guan Xing 53. Zhou Tai 54. Liu Shan 55. Xiao Qiao 56. Li Dian 57. Lu Su 58. Zhuge Dan 59. Zhang Chunhua 60. Bao Sanniang 61. Pang Tong 62. Yueying 63. Yuan Shao 64. Pang De 65. Xu Huang 66. Sun Quan 67. Sun Jian 68. Deng Ai 69. Guo Huai 70. Guan Suo 71. Zhurong 72. Wei Yan 73. Dian Wei 74. Han Dang 75. Cao Ren 76. Dong Zhuo 77. Huang Zhong 78. Taishi Ci 79. Ding Feng 80. Zuo Ci 81. Xu Chu 82. Menghuo 83. Zhang Jiao

[city-of-ladies]

Zhou Xiuying - “Ms. Broadsword Xiu”

Zhou Xiuying (? - 1855) was born in Hangdou, present-day Shanghai, China. She was a contemporary of rebel female generals Qiu Ersao, Su Sanniang and Hong Xuanjiao.

Xiuying was born to a peasant family and her father, Zhou Lichun, was the chief of the local branch of the Tiandihui (society of heaven and earth). She learned martial arts alongside her adopted sister, Zhou Feixia. Xiuying preferred the broadsword while Feixia specialized in the spear.

In 1852, the local magistrate pressured the peasants to pay a grain tax they had been exempted from. Xiuying and her father decided to revolt and she placed herself at the rebel’s head. The peasants, armed only with iron-toothed rakes, defeated the soldiers. This exploit was celebrated in a folk song: “Songjiang soldiers with shields were no equal to folks with rakes”.

Xiuying knew that the government would retaliate. She had the peasants make weapons and prepare themselves to fight. In autumn, more than a thousand soldiers were sent to quell the rebellion. Xiuying led once again the peasants in battle and defeated the enemy. From now on, she was known as “Dadao Xiuguniang” (Ms. Broadsword Xiu). A folk song praising her courage in battle still circulates today: “True heroine Zhou Xiuying/clad in red trousers and fitted top/carries a big sword of 120 jin (60 kgs)/fighting over the Tangwan bridge with her “kai simen””.

In 1853, her father led another revolt and, with the help of other societies, occupied the county seat. Xiuying fought valiantly. The Qing government sent more troops and outnumbered the rebels. Zhou Lichun and Zhou Feixia were killed in the ensuing fight. Xiuying retreated with a part of the army to Shanghai county where she allied with the Shanghai Small sword society. She kept distinguishing herself in battle and became a renowned female general. 

Xiuying encouraged the women of Shanghai to fight in the defense. Some of them answered her call and, each leading fifty men, went out of the city to engage and destroy the enemy forces. In 1854, Xiuying had iron barbs placed on the city’s walls. The enemy was lured into her trap and she led 200 rebels in a surprise attack.

Since the French had a concession in Shanghai and sent troops to support the Qing army,  Xiuying and her female soldiers fought against the foreigners. Eyewitnesses said that she “kept a thousand soldiers at bay”. Foreign journalists wrote about those female fighters that they were “truly comparable to the Amazons of ancient Greece in their valor and resolution”.

When the rebel army experienced a food shortage, Xiuying and her women resolved to die rather than surrender. They collected grassroots, the bark of trees and captured mice and birds. On February 17,1855 the rebels ran out of food and retreated. The enemy followed them and a battle ensued. Xiuying fought on horseback, but her mount stumbled and she was killed.

Bibliography:

Ma Honglin, “Zhou Xiuying”, in: Lee Lily Xiao Hong, Lau Clara, Stefanowska A. D. (dir.),  Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: The Qing Period, 1644-1911

[allcheatscodes]

dynasty warriors 8 ps3

http://allcheatscodes.com/dynasty-warriors-8-ps3/

dynasty warriors 8 ps3

Dynasty Warriors 8 cheats & more for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

Cheats

Unlockables

Hints

Easter Eggs

Glitches

Guides

Trophies

Get the updated and latest Dynasty Warriors 8 cheats, unlockables, codes, hints, Easter eggs, glitches, tricks, tips, hacks, downloads, trophies, guides, FAQs, walkthroughs, and more for PlayStation 3 (PS3). AllCheatsCodes.com has all the codes you need to win every game you play!

Use the links above or scroll down to see all the PlayStation 3 cheats we have available for Dynasty Warriors 8.

Check Xbox 360 cheats for this game

Genre: Strategy, Action Strategy Developer: Omega Force Publisher: Tecmo ESRB Rating: Teen Release Date: July 16, 2013

Hints

Currently we have no tips for Dynasty Warriors 8 yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Cheats

Currently we have no cheats or codes for Dynasty Warriors 8 yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Unlockables

Wu Unlocks

Daqiao : Complete Stage 3(x) – Battle against Yu Ji Ding Feng : Complete Stage 10 – Battle of Yiling Gan Ning : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Jingzhou Huang Gai : Complete Stage 1 – Assault of Liu Biao Lianshi : Complete Stage 8 – Battle of Ru Xu Kou Ling Tong : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Jingzhou Lu Meng : Complete Stage 7 – Battle of He Fei Lu Su : Complete Stage 3 – Battle of Xu Chang Lu Xun : Complete Stage 8 – Battle of Ru Xu Kou Sun Jian : Complete Stage 1(x) – Battle of Liang Province Taishi Ci : Complete Stage 7 – Battle of He Fei Xiaoqiao : Complete Stage 9(IF)(x) – Battle of Xinye Zhou Tai : Complete Stage 2 – Conquest of Wu Zhou Yu : Complete Stage 1 – Assault of Liu Biao

Wei Unlocks

Cai Wenji : Complete Stage 11(IF) – Invasion of Jianye Cao Pi : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Wan Castle Cao Ren : Complete Stage 4 – Battle of Xu Province Dian Wei : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Wan Castle Guo Jia : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Wan Castle Jia Xu : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Wan Castle Li Dian : Complete Stage 1 – Dong Zhuo’s Assassination Pang De : Complete Stage 13(IF) – Chase at Nanjun Wang Yi : Complete Stage 11 – Battle of Tong Gate Xu Huang : Complete Stage 4 – Battle of Xu Province Xu Zhu : Complete Stage 3 – Battle of Yan Province Yue Jin : Complete Stage 1 – Dong Zhuo’s Assassination Zhang He : Complete Stage 12 – Battle of He Fei Zhang Liao : Complete Stage 6A – Battle of Xia Pi Zhenji : Complete Stage 12(IF) – Defense of Xu Chang

Character Unlocks

Diaochan : Complete Stage 1 and 2 for Wei, then complete her story mode Dong Zhuo : Complete Stage 1 and 2 for Wei, then complete his story mode Lu Bu : Complete Stage 6(x) for Wei, then complete his story mode Meng Huo : Complete all kingdoms What If stories, then complete his storymode Yuan Shao : Complete Stage 7 for Wei and Stage 3(x) for Shu, then complete hisstory mode Zhang Jiao : Complete Stage 1 for Shu, then complete his story mode Zhu Rong : Complete Stage 11(IF)(x) for Shu, then complete her story mode Zuo Ci : Complete Wu’s What If path, then complete his story mode

Shu Unlocks

Bao Sanniang : Complete Stage 11(IF)(x) – Supression of Nanzhong Guan Ping : Complete Stage 11(IF)(x) – Supression of Nanzhong Guan Suo : Complete Stage 8 – Battle of Mt Dingjun Guan Xing : Complete Stage 8 – Battle of Mt Dingjun Guan Yinping : Complete Stage 8 – Battle of Mt Dingjun Huang Zhong : Complete Stage 7 – Battle of Chengdu Jiang Wei : Complete Stage 11 – Battle of Tianshui Liu Shan : Complete Stage 10 – Battle of Yinling Ma Chao : Complete Stage 7 – Battle of Chengdu Ma Dai : Complete Stage 7 – Battle of Chengdu Pang Tong : Complete Stage 7 – Battle of Chengdu Wei Yan : Complete Stage 6 – Battle of Chibi Xingcai : Complete Stage 10 – Battle of Yinling Xu Shu : Stage 6 – Battle of Chibi – Ensure the fire attack succeeds, thenfind him Yueying : Complete Stage 11 – Battle of Tianshui Zhang Bao : Complete Stage 9 – Battle of Fan Castle Zhao Yun : Complete Stage 1 – Yellow Turban Rebellion Zhuge Liang : Complete Stage 4 – Battle of Xinye

Jin Unlocks

Deng Ai : Complete Stage 5 – Battle of Dongxing Guo Huai : Complete Stage 4(x) – Battle of Han Zhong or Stage 5(x) – Battle ofHe Fei Castle Jia Chong : Complete Stage 5 – Battle of Dongxing Wang Yuanji : Complete Stage 1 – Battle of Wu Zhang Plains Wen Yang : Complete Stage 11 – Battle of Jinge Xiahou Ba : Complete Stage 4(x) – Battle of Han Zhong or Stage 5 – Battle ofDongxing Zhong Hui : Complete Stage 5 – Battle of Dongxing Zhuge Dan : Complete Stage 4 – Battle of Coup de’Defeat

Easter eggs

Currently we have no easter eggs for Dynasty Warriors 8 yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Glitches

Currently we have no glitches for Dynasty Warriors 8 yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Guides

Currently we have no guides or FAQs for Dynasty Warriors 8 yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Trophies

Trophy List

A Collector of Rarities – Obtained all of the Camp Symbols. – Silver

A Majestic Manner – Reached the maximum Fame level in Ambition Mode. – Silver

A Shout of Triumph – Finished all of the stages within Story Mode and Free Mode with the exception of the tutorial. – Silver

An Intricate Tale – Completed all of the stages in Story Mode. – Silver

Animal Collector – Obtained all of the animals within the game. – Bronze

Battle-hardened Veteran – Won 100 battles with the same officer. – Silver

Comeback Kid – Defeated 3 enemy officers with a Switch Counter in a single battle. – Bronze

Death from Above – Defeated an enemy after juggling them in the air for at least 10 seconds. – Bronze

Event Collector – Unlocked all of the event scenes within the game. – Bronze

Facility Construction – Had a new facility built in Ambition Mode. – Bronze

Facility Expansion – Had a facility expanded in Ambition Mode. – Bronze

Friends to the End – Formed a bond at the maximum level with another officer. – Silver

Graduation Day – Completed the tutorials for all of the kingdoms. – Bronze

Heaven and Earth – Built a Tongquetai and welcomed the Emperor to your town. – Silver

In an Instant – Defeated 3 enemy officers with a Storm Rush in a single battle. – Bronze

King of the Combos – Achieved a 1,000 hit combo. – Bronze

Legend of Jin (secret) – Viewed the ending (Historical & Hypothetical) for the Jin story. – Silver

Legend of Shu (secret) – Viewed the ending (Historical & Hypothetical) for the Shu story. – Silver

Legend of Wei (secret) – Viewed the ending (Historical & Hypothetical) for the Wei story. – Silver

Legend of Wu (secret) – Viewed the ending (Historical & Hypothetical) for the Wu story. – Silver

Like a Shadow – Finished any stage of the game, except for the tutorial, without taking any damage. – Bronze

Master of Chaos – Completed all of the stages on the “Chaos” difficulty level. – Gold

Mounted Terror – Defeated 1,000 enemies while mounted on a riding-type animal. – Bronze

Movie Collector – Unlocked all of the movies within the game. – Bronze

One Warrior vs. a Thousand – Defeated 1,000 enemies in a single battle. – Bronze

Revelation – Upgraded all skills to Level 10 or higher. – Silver

The Beastmaster Awakens – Defeated 100 enemies with a companion-type animal. – Bronze

The Birth of a Leader – Fought 5 straight battles in Ambition Mode. – Bronze

The Destroyer – Destroyed a total of 1,000 siege weapons. – Silver

The Height of Prosperity – Obtained all of the facilities in Ambition Mode. – Silver

The Land of Plenty – Obtained more than 1,000 materials for weapons and facilities in Ambition Mode. – Silver

The Path of Ambition – Fought 20 straight battles in Ambition Mode. – Silver

The Ties that Bind Us – Became allies with all of the officers in Ambition Mode. – Silver

True Rage – Used a True Rage Attack. – Bronze

True Warrior of the 3 Kingdoms – Obtained all trophies. – Platinum

Unstoppable Might (secret) – Defeated a total of more than 100,000 enemies. – Silver

Untold Legends (secret) – Completed all of the stages for the Other story. – Silver

Unwavering Ambition – Fought 50 straight battles in Ambition Mode. – Gold

Vocal Enthusiast – Listened to all of the voice lines within the Gallery. – Bronze

Wallpaper Collector – Unlocked all of the wallpapers within the game. – Bronze

Weapon Collector – Obtained all of the weapons in the game. – Silver

[city-of-ladies]

Women of the Taiping Rebellion: Qiu Ersao

This is the third article of my series about the women who fought during the Taiping Rebellion in China. For more information about the general context, the Taiping’s female soldiers and prominent female generals, you can check my articles on Hong Xuanjiao and Su Sanniang.

Qiu Ersao (c. 1822-1853), born in Guangxi Province, was the leader of an important anti-Qing rebel force. 

She came from a poor family and was married as a child. Her husband became addicted to opium and she was the family’s sole breadwinner, surviving by selling sweets on the market. Qiu Ersao grew more and more indignant at the corruption of the Qing officials who made the peasants suffer. She thus decided to join a religious secret society, the Tiandihui, where she learned martial arts.

In autumn 1849, several anti-Qing uprisings broke in the province. Qiu Ersao seized the opportunity and asked the Tiandihui members to revolt. Almost a thousand of them joined her. She learnt of the Taiping Rebellion during November 1850 and led her troops to join the rebels. She was received by their leader Hong Xiuquan and was put in charge of the outer defense line in Dongxiangxu. However, the Taiping religious doctrine conflicted with the Tiandihui one. This prompted Qiu Ersao to leave the rebellion.

On June 4 1851, Qin Ersao joined forces with another Tiandihui army. They crossed the Yu river and defeated the Qing army at Tantangxu. Qiu Ersao knew how to inspire her followers. She was dressed in the garb of an archer, her hair adorned with red silk pompons, and wore a longsword. She was also an extremely gifted orator. People forgot that she was an illiterate woman when they listened to her. In Tantangxu, she executed the corrupt officials, opened the government’s warehouse and gave distributed its content to the poor. She recruited new troops who marched under her motto: “Overthrow the Qing government and save the people”.

In Autumn 1853, Qiu Ersao and her 3000 soldiers attacked Wupingli where they were defeated. Qiu Ersao went to Shilong, but was defeated again due to the local militia’s cannons. She fell from her horse and died during the fighting.

Bibliography:

Mao Jiaqi, “Qiu Ersao”, in: Lee Lily Xiao Hong, Lau Clara, Stefanowska A. D. (dir.),  Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: The Qing Period, 1644-1911

[simayithewolf]

DW Countdown (10/31/17)

In light of Xin Xianying's reveal for Jin and the other characters, this is who has yet to be revealed:

Wei:

Pang De 💙

Cai Wenji

Yue Jin

Li Dian

Wu:

Ding Feng 💙

Lianshi

Lu Su

Han Dang

Possible 3rd add

Shu:

Fa Zheng 💙

Huang Zhong 💙

Guan Xing

Wei Yan

Guan Suo

Bao Sanniang

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Jin:

Zhang Chunhua 💙

Zhong Hui

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Other:

Zhurong 💙

Meng Huo

Zuo Ci

Zhang Jiao

Possible 1st add

Possible 2nd add

[simayithewolf]

Countdown 10/17/17

Here is an updated list of the characters who have yet to be revealed as of 10/17/17! (Please forgive the formatting. I'm doing this on my phone.)

Wei:

Pang De 💙

Xu Huang 💙

Yue Jin

Li Dian

Cai Wenji

Wu:

Lu Su

Lianshi

Ding Feng 💙

Taishi Ci

Han Dang

Possible 3rd add

Shu:

Fa Zheng 💙

Huang Zhong

Guan Xing

Pang Tong

Wei Yan

Liu Shan

Bao Sanniang

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Jin:

Zhang Chunhua 💙

Zhong Hui

Possible 1st add

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Other:

Chen Gong

Zhurong

Meng Huo

Zuo Ci

Zhang Jiao

Possible 1st add

Possible 2nd add

[the-archlich]

Anons on 4chan, especially /eagg/, thinks that you have massive irrational hatred for Shu

No one gives a fuck what anyone on 4chan thinks.

For the not 4chan crowd who might think the same thing: not so.

It’s true that I don’t like most of the DW Shu characters. They’re not good characters. Guan Yu, Liu Bei, Zhao Yun, and Zhuge Liang are badly written and extremely irritating. Huang Zhong is one-note and bland. The liberties taken with Ma Chao, Zhang Fei, and Wei Yan deeply bother me (Wei Yan’s for different reasons than the other two). Bao Sanniang, Guan Ping, Guan Su, Guan Xing, Xu Shu, Zhang Bao, and Zhou Cang have no reason to exist in these games at all.

Irrational implies I don’t have a reason for disliking these people. That’s simply not the case. I can give you clear reasons why I dislike all of the above. And I’m always happy to explain how I think such characters could be improved. But those complaints don’t just apply to the Shu cast.

Cao Pi, Xu Huang, Zhen Ji, Lu Meng, Taishi Ci, Zhu Ran, Wang Yuanji, Zhuge Dan, and Yuan Shao,  are more bland, one-note characters like Huang Zhong. Xu Chu’s depiction is as insulting as Wei Yan’s. Sun Quan, Xiahou Ba, Wen Yang, and Chen Gong are irritating at BEST. Gan Ning’s depiction is downright offensive, given the actions of his historical counterpart. The Qiao sisters, Zhang Jue, and Zuo Ci just shouldn’t be. And these are just the complaints that come off the top of my head.

It’s absolutely true that I don’t like the vast majority of the Shu characters. But them being part of the Shu faction has nothing to do with it. I think the reason so many of them are in the same group is that the Shu plotline, in particular, sticks very close to the traditional fiction - and I don’t like the traditional story. The other factions get much farther away from that version of events.

And for the historical kingdom of Shu, I have just as much respect for them as I do for Wei, Wu, and Jin. There were many virtuous and talented people who served Shu.

Lady Gan, Liu Xuan, Zhuge Zhan, Dong Jue, Huang Zhong, Fa Zheng, Pang Tong, Xu Jing, Jian Yong, Dong He, Ma Liang, Liu Ba, Dong Yun, Chen Zhi, Liu Feng, Li Yan, Wei Yan, Huo Jun, Huo Yi, Luo Xian, Xiang Lang, Huang Quan, Li Hui, Wang Ping, Ma Zhong, Zhang Ni, Liao Hua, Zhang Ni, Jiang Wan, and Fei Yi are all people I can list off the top of my head. And I’d say that I’m probably more fond of Ma Su than most Shu fans.

But how many of those people are in these games? Perhaps three or four. That’s the problem. The people who deserve the credit and praise don’t receive it. Instead, worship is heaped upon far less worthy people while Shu’s true heroes are ignored.

[simayithewolf]

Countdown

Even though we don't get DW9 until early next year, the reveals have been great. Here is who is left as of today, 9/26:

Wei:

Jia Xu 💙

Pang De 💙

Xu Huang 💙

Cao Ren

Cai Wenji

Li Dian

Wu:

Lu Meng 💙

Lu Su

Lianshi

Ding Feng

Taishi Ci

Han Dang

Possible 3rd add

Shu:

Fa Zheng 💙

Guan Xing

Huang Zhong

Xu Shu

Guan Suo

Liu Shan

Pang Tong

Wei Yan

Bao Sanniang

Possible 2nd add (hopefully Liao Hua)

Possible 3rd add

Jin:

Zhang Chunhua 💙

Zhong Hui

Possible 1st add

Possible 2nd add

Possible 3rd add

Other:

Zhurong 💙

Meng Huo

Chen Gong

Zuo Ci

Zhang Jiao 😒

Possible add? Maybe Gao Shun