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Cezhou

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I think a lot about Yang Cheng’s confession on what actually happened behind the massacre of Zhongbo. I’ve reread this story many times and I still feel like these were the scariest paragraphs of the book. I remember getting chills the first time I read it, because at the same time that I couldn’t comprehend the inhumanity of such an act, I also felt like I should have seen this coming because it wasn’t farfetched at all.

"That year, Juexi faced a locust plague, and not a single grain was reaped from the thirteen cities. […] The state treasury was empty at that time, and Juexi had faced a calamity. Libei and Bianjun Commandery still had to deal with the Biansha Cavalry. The harvest of Hezhou further down was dismal too. People from the various areas were already starving to death at the beginning of the year. The Ministry of Revenue was forced into a corner, but they had no way to provide aid reliefs to the various areas because the state treasury had already been emptied out. […] It was at this juncture that the Biansha Cavalry suddenly launched an assault at Chashi River. Duanzhou's garrison troops suffered a crushing defeat, and Shen Wei withdrew and holed himself up like a tortoise, leading to Zhongbo's defeat one after another. […] Although the homeland was reclaimed, the massacred cities had already turned into deserted ones. And Juexi's subsequent resupply of relief grains were precisely the grains of the Six Prefectures of Zhongbo.”

Who could have dared to think of doing such a thing? That was more than a hundred thousand people dead in the blink of an eye. And it does not stop there. In the following years, people live in extreme poverty and the increase in bandits further exacerbates the suffering of the common people. People sold their own children for food. Women were abducted from their families to be sold and raped. So many lives were sacrificed just so the noble clans can continue living in luxury. And the punchline in the horror story was that this crime did not involve only one or two people. Such a monstrous act requires the tacit cooperation of multiple parties, with all of them being aware that they were doing a horrible sin and still committed to it regardless. Hua Siqian could not be corrupt and embezzle funds for years alone. But until Yang Cheng, did anyone feel terrified enough to come clean?

Was Wei Huaigu feeling guilty after Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan talked to him in the Imperial Prison? Did he feel any shame for greedily appropriating military provisions? Or did he feel like it was only natural, he simply took the opportunity that was presented to him? He thought the Xiao clan was just like him anyway; Xiao Fangxu came from humble backgrounds, and yet after he gained his title, the Xiao clan began monopolizing military power in Libei. Wei Huaigu’s mindset is that there was no such thing as a clean person in this world; given the chance, all of them would have held onto power the same way he did. This was how he justified his own crime. After all, they are only humans, so who could guarantee that they themselves wouldn’t become corrupt once they’ve tasted power?

On the other hand, there was also Yang Cheng. He came from a humble background and worked hard to become an official. He was surrounded by corrupt officials and had to come up with bribe money. He knew what he did was wrong, but he simply had no other choice. This was how Yang Cheng’s crime becomes justified as well. Everyone else was doing the same thing too anyway. It’s simply human nature to save oneself in desperate situations.

Who wants to be like Jiang Qingshan? What kind of person would be willing to sacrifice themselves to save the lives of countless people? The act of upholding justice becomes abnormal while the act of selfishly plundering others for one’s own gain becomes the human thing to do. The antithesis of people like Wei Huaigu and Yang Cheng are Jiang Qingshan, but Jiang Qingshan himself has become an anomaly amongst normal people.

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When they said “I love you” but Xiao Chiye said:

“I thought my father and eldest brother would never feel pain and would never fall. They would shed blood and never tears. But on the day my eldest brother got married, he drank himself drunk. Such a steady person like that gingerly took my eldest sister-in-law's hands and got all teary-eyed at her. It was as if he had already anticipated the future. He saw her as his precious treasure. He would feel fear too.

There is nothing about me that is better than my eldest brother. If I had to say, then it'd be that I've totally inherited this fine physique from my father.

I never really understood in the past why he had to get all teary-eyed at my eldest sister-in-law. But now, I do.”

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I can’t help but feel like Shen Zechuan’s vindictiveness is only further proof of his gentleness and deep empathy. For a very long time, Shen Zechuan lived with self-loathing and hung onto this desire for revenge to live. But this wasn’t a desire to commit revenge for himself—Chen Yang and Fengquan mistakenly thought Shen Zechuan skinned Ji Lei out of revenge for torturing him, but they had no idea what Ji Lei had done to Hua Pingting. (All things considered, I think everyone agrees Ji Lei deserved even worse—if only that was humanly possible.) Even when he deeply hated Xi Hongxuan and Han Cheng, it was only due to what happened with Qi Huilian.

Fei Sheng found Huo Lingyun to be similar with Shen Zechuan, because they are both men who could be ruthless towards themselves. For the sake of avenging their family, they would even shed their human skin and become a scourge or a devil. But it is impossible for a person without empathy to be so deeply affected by the fate of another person—to be able to kill(sacrifice) themselves just so their loved ones can have justice.

Shen Zechuan is a person who does not waver nor hesitate to sacrifice his limbs or his life for the sake of bringing his opponent down—even Ce’an had to threaten to get himself flogged by shifu in order to get Lanzhou to be more careful—he may loathe himself, but he fights for the people he loves with all he has!! It is his gentleness and empathy that cause him to be unable to accept such grievances happening to the people he loves.

Bonus quote: (the only time Shen Zechuan was “vindictive” for his own “grievance”)

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The biggest mystery in QJJ is actually Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye’s height difference because ??? These did not look like their height difference is only 15cm ???

Shen Zechuan looked at Xiao Chiye's shoulder, which was even taller than his own self, then looked at him again. He smiled and said, "I can stand on tiptoe to hold up the umbrella too."

Shen Zechuan stood on tiptoe slightly, then dropped back down. The more calm his expression was, the more intense the scarlet grew. The potency of the wine made him sweat. "Give me a kiss." Xiao Chiye said in a deep voice. "I did as you said today and did not bully them the slightest." Shen Zechuan clenched Xiao Chiye's clothes until it was all wrinkled. He endured it for a moment, then said, "I can't reach you."

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The gossip circles in Qudu must have been crazy like:

Have you heard about the beef between the second young master of Libei with the last remnant of Shen clan? I heard he tried to kill him! Oh… the bad blood between the Imperial Army Viceroy and Shen the Eighth is so bad, they don’t even greet each other when they’re working on cases together.…

Have you heard? The Marquis of Dingdu colluded with the Imperial Bodyguards Vice-commander to assassinate the Emperor??? They escaped the capital together?? But they don’t get along well, it seems like there were internal strifes… what do you mean Shen Zechuan has taken over the Zhongbo prefectures with the assistance of Xiao Chiye?

Shen Zechuan is going to be conferred Emperor? He is married to Xiao Chiye!?

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I understand why Xiao Chiye’s family, relatives, and aides were all worried about who he might fall in love with because wdym he got framed for a regicide attempt and he finds it HOT? He wants to KISS THE MAN WHO FRAMED HIM?? This was canonically the moment when he ACTUALLY FALLS IN LOVE with Shen Zechuan!?!

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Xiao Chiye when Xiao Jiming asks him if he is dating someone: Nope! There is no one! Absolutely none. I am not dating anyone. (Blinks nervously) There is no one I want to date and I am absolutely not pining after anybody. I am so single right now. I am also never getting married, why do you ask?

Xiao Chiye when Xiao Fangxu asks him if he is dating someone: Yeah Dad, I am a homosexual. I am so in love and he is the most beautiful man to ever live. (Runs to avoid horse dung) We’ve been having premarital affair for a very long time and I am going to take him home immediately to see Mom since we will obviously have our wedding as soon as possible.

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I think what makes Qiang Jin Jiu so great as a historical court politics danmei is that it’s not just about the power struggles in the Imperial Court, it portrays real issues that are still prevalent even in modern times such as corruption, poverty, misogyny, female oppression, etc.

The working class suffers due to increasing wealth inequality and corrupt officials who are too busy deepening their own pockets. People die of starvation and the government simply chooses to close its eyes. Women are still discriminated against in the workplace and their achievements are often questioned and undervalued. Majority of rape cases are not even investigated, the perpetrators get away scot-free while the victims are shamed instead. It’s very easy to compare the fictional story with the real life predicaments in today’s news.

Additionally, even the corrupt clans and the Biansha tribes are not portrayed in a black-or-white manner—they are not just two-dimensional evil characters; there are multiple characters from the eight great clans who are still good at heart and struggled to do the right thing such as Hua Xiangyi and Pan Lin, and through Hasen and Duo’erlan we were shown that the Biansha tribes are also human beings—they have families, and they are struggling to survive in the desert. The war is a brutality that causes casualties in both sides, but there are parties that benefit from it just as other parties suffer deeply from it.

Qiang Jin Jiu is a multifaceted story—it has excellent romance, but it’s not just mainly about the romance. The author went through great lengths to establish such a complex world-building then executes the plot and climax beautifully, in a way that’s consistent with every character’s personality, background, motivations, and relationships. This not only makes the story development compelling and believable, but also allows the author to bring forth complex issues that can become food for thought for the readers who empathized with the characters. This is why Qiang Jin Jiu is such a masterpiece.

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Fake enemies-to-lovers fans will complain about the lack of romance in QJJ as if cezhou didn’t spend the first 60 chapters flirting/bickering

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Going feral over how Xiao Chiye went to look for Shen Zechuan when he was upset, and Shen Zechuan also knew that Xiao Chiye was there to look for him. They were still at that bickering stage where they’re both enemies and allies, yet Shen Zechuan was the only person who understood him—and Xiao Chiye probably went to look for him because he also knows that Shen Zechuan is the only person who can understand how he feels.

And yes, Xiao Chiye denied that he was waiting on Donglong street to look for Shen Zechuan—even Zhao Hui and Chen Yang thought he only went drinking because he was upset—but when he woke up in the morning after, he unconsciously admitted that he was looking for someone:

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He had done nothing. But he was guilty, and his sin went by the name Shen Zechuan.

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I think one of the most underrated characters in Qiang Jin Jiu is Bai Cha. She started out with nothing; it was already very difficult for women to survive in times of war, and she could have simply chosen to save herself—she could have married a rich businessman, or a powerful official, and lived a very comfortable life.

But instead, she held compassion for all the women who became victims of the wars started by men. She did all she could to save those women and the children borne out of rape. She gave them a home and a chance to continue living, even if their very existence was rejected by everyone else on earth.

"Do you know what kind of people had the highest number of deaths on the banks of the Chashi River at that time?" Hairigu waited for a moment, but no one responded to him, so he answered his own question. "It's the women."

They were better off dead than alive. If they were by any chance pregnant, then they were guilty of the most heinous crimes. Not only would they be beaten up upon returning to their hometowns, but they would also even be burned to death.

“[…] Bai Cha was the guardian spirit of the banks of the Chashi River. Cuiging's continuous expansion of the establishment buildings was, in fact, Bai Cha's idea. Having gained the power to supplant Cuiqing, she set up a sufficiently strong network in Duanzhou to take in these women and children.”

Bai Cha was the immovable force that stood in Amu'er's way in Gedale.

Bai Cha was always described as an unparalleled beauty, as if that was all she could ever amount to. She fought the bandits and the Biansha cavalry in the only way that was available to her, and saved countless lives in a war that makes no sound. The lives she saved were all lowly, and in the end she even died for these people, leaving only a Shen Zechuan behind.

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QJJ Women: Prince of Donglie, Windstorm of the Scorching Plains, Qi Zhuyin

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Thinking about how Xiao Chiye went from trying to kill Shen Zechuan at their first meeting— to loving him so much that he would feel pain if even as much as Shen Zechuan’s fingertips is hurt, and Shen Zechuan went from seeing Xiao Chiye as another enemy he needs to guard against— to only being able to be completely at ease and unguarded when Xiao Chiye is nearby.

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I think Hua Xiangyi’s conversation with Qi Zhuyin before her deployment to Dengzhou explained it best why the winner of the throne can only be Shen Zechuan. The moment Li Jianting chose to deploy Qidong to attack Dengzhou while Libei was heading to fight Amu-er, she already lost to Shen Zechuan.

Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye made the choice for Libei and Lu Guangbai to go on the expedition against the Biansha tribes knowing it was the best momentum right after Hasen’s death to end Amu-er’s reign. If they missed this timing, Amu-er would recruit new generals and launch attacks on Dazhou using the Scorpions, who have already infiltrated Qudu and the imperial palace.

Xiao Jiming could have backed up Shen Zechuan on the fight against Qudu, but it was still extremely risky. Going by the number of troops alone, Shen Zechuan most likely would have been defeated by Qidong, and subsequently without his support, Libei would lose to the Biansha Cavalry.

“Shen Zechuan's withdrawal of troops when you attack Dengzhou is a minor matter, but Xiao Chiye's military defeat is a major issue. A military expedition afar is arduous. Without Shen Zechuan, the 90,000-strong Armored Cavalry will undoubtedly be defeated. Should the Biansha Cavalry stage a comeback at the time, the common people in the three regions to the east would still have to face this menace. Your loyalty today is to make the expectant common people in the three regions suffer again.”

Li Jianting was driven to a corner as her origins were starting to be questioned and she also couldn’t keep letting the rebel forces continue to get stronger. She already lost the war of words; as Shen Wei’s infamy couldn’t tarnish the Prefectural Lord’s reputation. Furthermore, once Xiao Chiye returns victorious from the expedition, he and subsequently Shen Zechuan would have risen to prominence amongst the common people. At that time, it remains to be seen whether her claim to the throne would still be accepted as legitimate by the people. Her best opportunity was, both politically and militarily, when Libei was away at the expedition.

It was the best time for Li Jianting to launch her attack, but it was also the worst time for Dazhou to have her launch the attack. In the end, it was as Hua Xiangyi said:

“The opportunity Commander-in-chief Qi speaks of is not an opportunity for Dazhou or the common people in the world, but merely for the emperor.”

Now, personally, I love Li Jianting. She is an intelligent, dignified, and talented woman. But this is where they differ: Shen Zechuan chose to risk himself for the people, while Li Jianting chose to risk the people for her victory. I’m not saying that Li Jianting is a power-hungry ruler who was willing to sacrifice people’s lives for herself, but she was willing to take risks for the sake of the bigger picture. This brand of ruthlessness shows that she is truly the student of Xue Xiuzhuo; the mastermind who killed Li Jianheng, forced Hai Liangyi to his death, and tried to kill Xiao Chiye and Yao Wenyu.

"You stop at nothing to kill others and yourself." Yao Wenyu released his grip on the chess piece. "You won't be able to save all of the so-called masses in the world."

Yet at the same time that Li Jianting was betting on Qi Zhuyin’s deployment for her victory, she failed to understand Qi Zhuyin’s character and motivations. Qi Zhuyin did not waver because of a noble title, but because she understood the real stakes. Otherwise, Hua Xiangyi could not have possibly moved her no matter what she said. Shen Zechuan won because he and Qi Zhuyin naturally shared the same cause: to save the common people.

“Shen Zechuan improves the lives of the people so that they thrive. He has just cause, and he has the respect and support of the people—he is the hope of all in the world." She slowly raised her eyes to gaze at Qi Zhuyin, as if she was gazing at the stabilizing force that would determine the rise and fall of the empire. Her gaze held both admiration and heartache. "And now, the lives and deaths of the people all lie in this one decision of yours."

Qi Huilian dared to bet on Fengquan, and Shen Zechuan dared to bet on Qi Zhuyin. True to how they were taught by Xue Xiuzhuo and Qi Huilian respectively, Li Jianting regarded people as pawns, while Shen Zechuan regarded pawns as people.