zhaohuis-lost-walnut

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

It’s from ch 162 🤭

Volume 5 Preview 🗣

You can read the first 3 chapters of Ballad of Sword and Wine Volume 5 on this website! Though I went just to peep the full colored illustration at the beginning 🙈 I’m so excited to have it in my hands😭

If you want to see the illustration now, hit the more button✨

I know exactly what scene this is. The way my heart swooned 🥹

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Volume 5 Preview 🗣

You can read the first 3 chapters of Ballad of Sword and Wine Volume 5 on this website! Though I went just to peep the full colored illustration at the beginning 🙈 I’m so excited to have it in my hands😭

If you want to see the illustration now, hit the more button✨

I know exactly what scene this is. The way my heart swooned 🥹

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

mentorship and rivalry

[an amateur meta piece on qi huilian, hai liangyi, shen zechuan, yao wenyu, and xue xiuzhuo. spoilers for all of qjj.]

i had this thought while thinking about the old rivalry between qi huilian and hai liangyi, and how it influenced their personal stances and teachings towards their pupils - some who even go on to take in pupils themselves.

qi huilian and hai liangyi's rivalry backstory is mostly in ch88, which sums up how they used to compete in academics. qi huilian excelled at the imperial examinations, meanwhile hai liangyi was unremarkable, but qi huilian is later demoted from the capital, and hai liangyi started to rise through the ranks. still, the former crown prince chose qi huilian as his teacher.

"Hai Liangyi came second to me his entire life. But he is a gentleman. When the Eastern Palace fell, the crown prince was condemned by all. Only Hai Liangyi believed there was still hope in him—that he wasn't beyond redemption. On the basis of this alone, I cannot compare to him. Between us, there is no superiority or inferiority, only mutual appreciation. But alas, heaven is blind. Though we share the same path, we cannot walk it together." [qi huilian, ch88]

"Only Hai Liangyi believed there was still hope in him—that he wasn't beyond redemption." this statement also gives reason as to why hai liangyi decides to also become a mentor for li jianheng. he was the only one, during li jianheng's early ascension, who believed that he could become a good emperor.

The loyal ministers of the court, led by Hai Liangyi, all watched Li Jianheng. In their eyes, he was perhaps a hopeless case. But Hai Liangyi had raised both hands to prop Li Jianheng up with that aging frame, urging him to hang on, to turn over a new lead, to be an emperor who would leave a glorious legacy. [ch33]

more on this later. now let's turn to each their pupils. qi huilian has only ever taken two pupils: the former crown prince, and shen zechuan. there is emphasis on the fact that the former crown prince chose qi huilian to be the grand mentor despite him already being demoted at that time, and shen zechuan, in the temple of guilt, similarly chose qi huilian, stating: "if xiansheng will be my scroll, i will be his sword." [ch7]

and, i want to specifically point out this part:

"In this lifetime, I've taught only two students. Both times I imparted to them all the knowledge I learned over the whole course of my life. The first time, I thought too highly of myself and was unwilling to compromise, and it was precisely through this pride that I caused my student such great harm." [qi huilian, ch88]

"I thought too highly of myself and was unwilling to compromise, and it was precisely through this pride that I caused my student such great harm." this statement actually very closely describes someone—xue xiuzhuo. he came from a humble background and had a late education, which is why he and yao wenyu had the opportunity to be classmates despite yao wenyu being younger. though the two could be considered childhood friends, they were opposites in every way.

yao wenyu was favored by hai liangyi due to his family, and this sparked resentment in xue xiuzhuo due to him being just a bastard son of the xue clan. he asked to be hai liangyi's pupil 3 times, but was rejected all times. hai liangyi took yao wenyu as his pupil, but he kept him away from the court.

Unlike Hua Siqian, he kept no apprentices, and had only one student—Yao Wenyu. Yet because Hai Liangyi wished to avoid a conflict of interest, Yao Wenyu had stayed away from court politics despite his extraordinary talent. [ch33]

xue xiuzhuo dedicated himself to politics, establishing himself as a capable official. this was around the time hai liangyi acknowledged his abilities too. but, despite all his efforts, he was mistreated again and again by hua siqian and his cohort. as a result he grew disillusioned by the state of the court and started to grow ambitions to dismantle the system.

but what makes xue xiuzhuo and yao wenyu so different? let's look at it from the officials' perspective:

Jiang Qingshan did not hold Yao Wenyu in high esteem, or even read Yao Wenyu's essays, because they were the practical doers rather than the idealistic talkers. To officials like them, Yao Wenyu was not as important as Xue Xiuzhuo was, even if Yao Wenyu was truly a genius. [ch148]

although hai liangyi kept yao wenyu away from politics to avoid a conflict of interest, yao wenyu still got judgment from the officials because he was perceived as an idealist who did not want to do anything for the nation. what's important here is that yao wenyu staying away from court is indeed a choice, and one that he does have a right to, but qudu is so obsessed with politics that if you're a genius and you don't want to engage with politics, you suck.

so! what does yao wenyu aspire to, if not politics? he actually takes after his teacher. although hai liangyi is the secretariat elder, he is first and foremost a gentleman who cares about the masses, doesn't discriminate against those of common birth, and always has hope for the imperial bloodline to reign in a rightful and just way, which is why he mentored li jianheng after his ascension. no one taught him how to be emperor, and the officials thought he was hopeless, but hai liangyi went on to instruct him in the classics.

despite being the "unofficial pupil" of hai liangyi, having received promotions from him time and time again, xue xiuzhuo looks down on hai liangyi for being too rigid in his thinking. he thinks that this teacher of his is too orthodox to share his mind that the empire must be overturned.

yao wenyu is much like hai liangyi. he is also a gentleman who cares for the masses, but xue xiuzhuo thinks him as orthodox as his teacher, as such, both were obstacles to his goal.

there is something interesting. xue xiuzhuo is remarked to have qi huilian's shadow in him [ch148] and i fully agree. since yao wenyu fully takes after hai liangyi's traits, xue xiuzhuo is much more like qi huilian, who is ruthless enough to treat people as pawns and show partiality to those he deems worthy/shared his ideals. he is equally ruthless towards himself, giving everything into the pursuit of his so-called practical ideas to remove the emperor and put his own heir on the throne. they had this conversation, after hai liangyi committed suicide:

"One day, I will die." Xue Xiuzhuo said in a raspy voice. "Regardless of whether I will be forsaken and deserted by all, or bring ruin and infamy upon myself, I will walk along this path to the very end. "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." [ch148]

"It's a draw today. The victor has yet to be determined." Xue Xiuzhuo stopped in his tracks. He did not look back. "But since there's Xue Yanqing in the world, what need is there to keep a Yao Yuanzhuo around? You and I do not share the same path. After tonight, there is no need for us to see each other again." [ch148]

"Since there's Xue Yanqing in the world, what need is there to keep a Yao Yuanzhuo around?" this sounds incredibly conceited coming from the man himself, but that is truly how the officials saw it. if yao wenyu did not have the intention to enter the court, then he is lesser than the scholars who dared to enter the court, and practically useless with xue xiuzhuo among their ranks.

i also want to draw a parallel between "You and I do not share the same path," spoken by xue xiuzhuo to yao wenyu, and "Though we share the same path, we cannot walk it together," spoken by qi huilian about hai liangyi. although qi huilian and hai liangyi were academic rivals, they had mutual appreciation for each other. it was just that they cannot walk the path together due to hai liangyi being a secretariat of the court, and qi huilian had long lost his flame.

recall that xue xiuzhuo asked qi huilian to teach li jianting, initially. i think that xue xiuzhuo is placing himself as qi huilian's "pupil" here, in the sense that qi huilian is the one he is taking after, against yao wenyu who takes after hai liangyi. the enmity between yao wenyu and xue xiuzhuo is taken to an extreme due to xue xiuzhuo's own radical thinking that mirrored qi huilian. it was just that he lacked empathy, foresight, and trust in others which i'll get into shortly.

xue xiuzhuo's mentality is thus: those who had to be killed, will be killed. to him, it's a dog eat dog world, because he had experienced the hardship of climbing to the top of power with nothing but drive alone, and was beaten back down again and again. li jianheng was no good as emperor, so he must be killed. hai liangyi was an orthodox man who didn't want to replace the emperor, so he must die. yao wenyu would not act in any way of help to him, so he must be killed. but xue xiuzhuo was fair and treated everyone as pawns—he himself is a pawn. in other words, those who can take him down will become the winner.

ironically, it's because he has this mentality that his efforts fail to amount to anything in the end. something that i found interesting is how teacher-disciple relationships in qjj are often highlighted as being like a father-son relationship, if not just as close. the most direct example is actually ji gang who, as shen zechuan's shifu, is as good as a father. yao wenyu also said thus: "serving one's teacher is akin to serving one's father." [ch83]

xue xiuzhuo taught li jianting from a young age in order to shape her into becoming a great sovereign of dazhou, one that fits his expectations. but although she called him "teacher", he did not consider her a pupil or daughter, and it's all due to his belief that "there is no place in the court for teacher and pupil, only the sovereign and his ministers." [ch22]

so, in the end, when xue xiuzhuo surrendered to shen zechuan for li jianting's sake, he did so as a subject and not as her teacher. the thing to be noted is that he did essentially what qi huilian did in ch96 by giving up his life and honor for the sake of his pupil—so, once again, he is embodying qi huilian—and yet he failed to be a teacher in li jianting's life: a guardian to look up to, an idol to embody. he was just someone who guided her and taught her how to be an emperor. she did not receive any sort of "fatherly love" that qi huilian gave to shen zechuan and hai liangyi gave to yao wenyu, and in return, they showed filial piety to their xiansheng.

even li jianheng acknowledged hai liangyi like a father, just that he felt like he was still too foolish— "just a few days ago i was memorizing classics. ... i really did want to call him my second father." [ch96]

even though neither li jianting nor xue xiuzhuo felt like they needed this kind of bond, it is what ultimately made them fall - that they lacked a genuine familial relationship to sustain them on a deeper, emotional level.

She and Xue Xiuzhuo mutually complemented each other, but they did not have even a smidgen of teacher-pupil bond. Xue Xiuzhuo had no need for it, and so did Li Jianting. Even to this moment, Xue Xiuzhuo was still doing what he was as a "subject." [ch280]

there's also something else: trust. xue xiuzhuo micromanaged and scrutinized every step of li jianting's ascension to the throne because he's paranoid like that, and he has such a fixation on everything going right the way he thinks of it. the fact that he could not trust in his own heir indicated that he had not been even the best teacher. although xue xiuzhuo took on qi huilian's traits of ruthlessness in using people as pawns, ultimately sacrificing themselves for li jianting and shen zechuan individually, xue xiuzhuo could not let li jianting go to achieve what she really wanted, which is the power to liberate herself—an ambition VERY much like shen zechuan's.

Qi Huilian dared to do anything, and the driving force behind his insane actions was his trust in Shen Zechuan. Lanzhou was not his pawn. And it was precisely because of this that Qi Huilian left nothing behind for Lanzhou. Shen Zechuan did not need restraints. [ch280]

xue xiuzhuo still used li jianting as a pawn, but lanzhou was not qi huilian's pawn. he was his pupil, the only living person to receive all of his teachings to go and overturn the empire. he was his heir apparent. in the end, it was shen zechuan who came out of his shell to become someone truly worthy of the throne, to take control of his life and fate—something that li jianting failed to do even as emperor because she had stayed under xue xiuzhuo's finger and was also constricted by her own doubts and fears. but shen zechuan dared to pave his own way to the top, overturning dazhou for good and starting a new regime for peace and prosperity.

xue xiuzhuo is not the only pupil who had his own pupil. yao wenyu started to teach xiao xun when shen zechuan's ascension to the throne was imminent, because he has the foresight to know that shen zechuan needed an heir if he were to land this goal of overtaking qudu.

"I know he is not the man to be an emperor, but I still wanted to assist him, because he is a natural-born overlord. Your father knew Zhongbo was on a rapid rise to power and prominence. He granted Shen Zechuan's entry into Libei, because Xiao Xun is Shen Zechuan's one and only option." "Since Lanzhou dares to head towards that position," Xiao Chiye enunciated each word, "it's his." "It's his," Yao Wenyu said, "but only if he has Xiao Xun." [ch237]

yao wenyu is meaning to do what xue xiuzhuo already did: raise a kid and teach them properly into becoming the future emperor. if they did not have xiao xun, shen zechuan wouldn't have legitimacy of power due to his lack of successors and shen name—he is not of the li clan. but it's exactly this radical thinking that helps them succeed. xue xiuzhuo criticizes hai liangyi for being rigid, but he himself is rigid in wanting to preserve the li clan as the rightful heirs to the throne, which is why he painstakingly went to find emperor guangcheng's bastard daughter and make her his heir apparent. this is how, once again, yao wenyu and xue xiuzhuo are at a draw. they are both intelligent men with foresight, but although xue xiuzhuo had qi huilian's radical thinking, he was still confined by his mindset that the imperial clan was the only clan that could rule. yao wenyu understood that shen zechuan was the only one who could actually rule by this point, and supported him to the top, teaching xiao xun to be his successor.

at the very end, once xue xiuzhuo has landed himself in prison and shen zechuan has been deemed the victor, yao wenyu was losing his life. xue xiuzhuo was also about to die, so the two met up one last time, in which xue xiuzhuo boldly declares that he does not change his mind about anything.

"Even until today," Xue Xiuzhuo raised his eyes, "I still do not approve of Teacher's path. No one can convince me in this game, and you can't either, Yuanzhuo." Yao Wenyu turned his wheelchair around and made his way out of the cell. Xue Xiuzhuo said as he looked at Yao Wenyu's back, "Heaven beget me, Xue Xiuzhuo, so take my life, call me what you will. Between you and me, who has won? I was merely defeated. My master was born at the wrong time and lost to Shen Zechuan. It was her timing that was wrong, not her fate." [ch282]

"Between you and me, who has won?" is a good question, because xue xiuzhuo and yao wenyu had spent their whole life as diametrically opposites, rivals where one stood in court and the other traveled the land. i think, in the end, they were still at a draw. neither won, for they both fought valiantly in this game of chess and lost their lives for it. xue xiuzhuo declared his surrender to shen zechuan, he did not surrender to yao wenyu. and so, shen zechuan is the winner, but the one behind the winner, the master of the pupil, was the true driving force.

Qi Huilian was the teacher of the emperor; he would only teach someone heading into that position. He reached out to Shen Zechuan not only because he was forced into a dead end but also because this was the most insane of the Grand Mentor's schemes. Qi Huilian molded Shen Lanzhou into being, and he pushed a sharp Shen Zechuan back into his sheath with the aim of obliterating all the self-resentments that sustained Shen Zechuan and kept him hanging onto life. He wanted to set Shen Zechuan's path right, so that Shen Zechuan could see himself for who he truly was. Xue Xiuzhuo did not make the wrong move; he had simply been a tad too late. Qi Huilian had long already possessed his own Heir Apparent. [ch234]

everything happened the way it did and the reason lanzhou went on the path he did, was all thanks to qi huilian's insane scheming that went over even xue xiuzhuo's head. this is why qi huilian, long after his death, is the ultimate winner of qjj.

review:

qi huilian > former crown prince

qi huilian > shen zechuan

hai liangyi > yao wenyu > xiao xun

hai liangyi > li jianheng

hai liangyi > xue xiuzhuo (with influences of qi huilian) > li jianting

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Old man yaoi got an illustration 🥺 (pretty sure they’re canonically only in their 40s but let me be delusional lmao)

Chapter 141 😦

Truly worse than anything I could have imagined. Those last few paragraphs literally had me tearing up. That’s so sick and twisted. How could they do this to me?

Maybe I’ll collect myself and properly articulate my thoughts but WOW.

That “why didn’t you marry?” felt like I was left to bleed out on the side of the road after being hit by a truck. Luo Mu truly has some audacity.

I love this mean book that hurts my feelings. Anyways, I’m gonna listen to Katy Perry and hallucinate about Kong Ling and Luo Mu being happy students :(

(I like to think Shen Zechuan was holding back on Luo Mu at the banquet because SZC knows he’s special to Kong Ling *is delusional*)

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

hello!!! @cez-hou here from main blog!! i adore your takes on qjj gosh, have read a few by now! reading the novel, i could feel and understand everything that was happening yet articulating it into words got so difficult for me (as if the emotion was whole in it's entirety yet my expression for it felt off), a lot of your takes helped me get a clearer idea on paper, genuinely grateful for that! always ready for qjj discourse anytime if you want<3

This makes me so happy to hear because I often feel like I make no sense whatsoever, haha! I really struggled articulating myself growing up and frequently relied on finding people with similar views to help me put words to my feelings. To think I could do that for others makes me feel all warm and fuzzy~

I too have many thoughts on this series and I'm sure I could yap about it for days on end. I'm not too good at reaching out, but my DMs and asks are always open if there's anything in particular you'd like to discuss 😊

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

I imagine modern Ding Tao like, making journaling videos and accidentally revealing everyone's business in the process

Oh, definitely! Xiao Chiye would be livid, Shen Zechuan would find the whole thing amusing, and Gu Jin would hire himself as Ding Tao's editor to censor him. Unintentional tea channel Ding Tao is so real

(gonna pretend this hasn't been sitting in my box for months haha—)

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

I really love SZC’s side quest of low-key trying to prove Shen Wei’s innocence. Not because SZC cares about his sperm donor, oh no. It’s because “Why tf would Shen Wei do that?!? It makes no sense!!” along other reasons lol.

I love the various theories the characters come up with over the narrative and honestly, even I wasn’t sure where I stood on the matter for most of the story 😭 (though any sympathy I had for Shen Wei is overwritten by him being the pettiest bastard to SZC possible. You’re beefing with a 5 year old 💀 Get a grip)

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Right?!?! And they exchange gifts, ride in the same carriage when traveling, worry about each other, beg each other not to die, threaten each other’s enemies, hold hands ☺️ Besties of the millennium!

There’s also that time Qiao Tianya insisted that he possesses a heavenly pillar and Shen Zechuan said he’s “happy for Yuanzhuo” ajdbjdbd?!?!?

i think it’s actually suuuuper important to me that shen lanzhou and yao wenyu are bsfs who do bsf stuff like go shopping, gossip, make out, play chess, maybe paint but yeah just bsf stuff !!!!

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

I think Li Jianheng and Xiao Chiye should have kissed at least once.

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

QJJ Analysis Master List

Decided to make one of these for my formal-ish analyses/essays. I will add to it as I (hopefully) post more~

Hasen: Two Sides of the Same Coin The Twelve Tribes of Biansha and Dazhou Parallels and Perspectives

Suffering in QJJ How QJJ depicts sensitive topics

Lanzhou and Control

Zechuan vs Lanzhou: What's in a Name?

Fengquan

Two Pretty Best Friends Yao Wenyu & Shen Zechuan

Shen Zechuan's Softness

More Lanzhou Rambles Xiao Chiye & Shen Zechuan's homicidal tendencies

ASK: Exploring Great Zhou's Regional Values/Culture

Women in QJJ

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Early Morning Realization: Third Lady Hua

[spoilers for all qjj]

(Founds this in my notes app dated November 28, 2024 1:50am… not sure why I never posted it so here ya go!)

I’m planning on making a general post for the women in QJJ but I REALLY needed to get this out of my system because this realization hit me like a brick while ogling my queen, Hua Xiangyi on one of the Thai covers:

Hua Xiangyi is the reason Shen Zechuan won.

Of course there were many hands at play in the events of the story, but his victory started and ended with her.

She’s the one that stopped Shen Zechuan’s flogging. She, along with Zhaoyue, saved Yao Wenyu who later joins Shen Zechuan. And the one that ultimately stopped Qi Zhuyin from going to war with Zhongbo, securing victory for the “rebels”.

I hope to delve into idea further in a future post, but I truly love how influential the various women we meet in the narrative are. Their bold moves and how they shake the world they live in.

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Women in QJJ

[Spoilers for all of QJJ]

One of my favorite tiktokers that posts about QJJ, Leigh, made a video briefly talking about how well women are written in QJJ. I’ve wanted to make a post of my own for a loooooong time, especially after finishing the final chapters, and I guess today is finally that day!

The women of QJJ play an instrumental role in propelling the narrative forward. And I don’t mean by giving male characters motivation via “I will avenge her” or “to get the girl”. The women of QJJ make game changing plays that drastically shift the status quo and are oftentimes the real mastermind behind the “powerful men” we meet throughout the story. 

Even with their limited agency given the time period, many of the women make use of their situation and scarce resources available to them for their own grand schemes or self interest at heart. I am not exaggerating when I say the sole most important decision in the entire series is given a woman. 

I think it’s important to lay down that when I (and many others) say we want “strong female characters”, we don’t mean literal brute strength, but rather that their character, story, and role actually carry weight. If they were to be removed, the story wouldn’t be the same. QJJ has no shortage of women taking the reins and guiding the story down its course, and this couldn’t have been demonstrated more than when Shen Zechuan was almost flogged to death. 

The only reason Shen Zechuan is alive to slay his way to the top is because The Empress Dowager—a woman—had the foresight to see his usefulness as a pawn and saved him to embed a sense of gratitude and loyalty into the scared teen. Her interference didn’t end there: The Empress Dowager not only continued to manipulate politics, but has been doing so for the long haul. 

Switching over to our deuteragonist, Xiao Chiye was given his iconic weapon, Wolfsfang, by one of the Four Great Generals: Qi Zhuyin. While she is named a few times before her formal appearance, bestowing the blade Xiao Chiye is how Qi Zhuyin enters the scene to readers. Unlike the Empress Dowager, Qi Zhuyin has few appearances for the first third or so of the series; pretty much only popping up to tell da boys to chill out and the threat of her forces being sicked on people getting them to fall in line. Even without knowing much about her on a personal level, she clearly has a commanding presence and strikes fear into all who oppose her. A literal strong female character. But her true strength isn’t shown off until later into the series.

From the get go, several prominent women are established within the story. The Empress Dowager, Qi Zhuyin, Hua Xiangyi, Lu Yizhi, Hua Pingting, Mu Ru, as well as a brief mention of Shen Zechuan’s biological mother being a dancer. While you don’t know the full extent of these ladies’ influence from their debut or first mention, a notable attention is given to their existence.

Take for example, Mu Ru, who’s first mentioned as the woman Prince Chu fancies. However, she later becomes the center of a conflict that subsequently kicks off the events leading to Shen Lanzhou’s release from the Temple of Guilt. While being the “cause” of this conflict wasn’t Mu Ru’s choice, her part in the story doesn’t end after playing Helen of Troy. After all, this all happened before she uttered a single line of her own on a page! We know of her, but not her. And her history takes us wild places. 

In looking at the overall story, we see many women in various positions, and not only ones with seats of authority. We meet and hear about entrepreneurs, common mothers, those who have been victimized, sisters, dancers, revolutionaries, avengers, and so on. While not all of them are named, we get so many individual stories that deeply impact characters and the communities around them. Characters who are forever moved by them, named or otherwise. Their stories are shared in reverence, or even as cautionary tales. But these acknowledgments send a clear message: Women are integral to the world of QJJ. They are not just seen or talked about, they directly interact and influence the narrative at large. The story doesn’t treat them like a commodity or diversity points: They are treated as people.

While it's epic reading about Qi Zhuyin swinging her executioner blade around murdering people, her physical feats aren’t where her character begins and ends. She has an actual personality, depth, objectives, relationships with other characters, and is deeply ingrained in the moving parts of the overarching conflict. While we don’t see it until pretty far into the books, Qi Zhuyin is still in tune with her femininity, taking an interest in make-up and dressing up when she’s at home. Not once has she expressed hatred towards being born female. In fact, she has blatantly stated that she has always felt right being a girl. She just wants to punch people on the side. I will forever be appreciative of those who understand that you can depict women who enjoy traditionally masculine activities without feeling the need to simultaneously denounce the traditionally feminine. 

However, that’s not to say characters can’t resent being a woman. There are quite a few in QJJ that vocally do. The Empress Dowager and Li Jianting being the first to come to mind. Having a female hate being female isn’t inherently bad writing or problematic; it depends on the situation that is being depicted. The Empress Dowager doesn’t hate being a woman because “women suck, ew”. The Empress Dowager hated being oppressed her entire life because of her sex. Being secluded indoors, ignored by the man that was supposed to grant her true happiness through marriage, and having to be a puppet master because the men who are supposed to run the country are embarrassingly incompetent. On a slightly different note, Li Jianting feels disconnected from their body. Li Jianting has expressed wishing to have been born a boy and how much better their life would be if they had. In their perspective, their body has only caused suffering, rejection, and repulsion. Their attitudes towards their own womanhood is deeply personal, and unfortunately relatable to many people throughout history and even now. While I personally read Li Jianting as being trans, I can also see how people could interpret their disgust with their body as a response to the trauma they endured (though I personally feel like with the information we’re given, it’s very much both, but tbh I’m not gonna argue with y’all over it lmao). The bottom line is Li Jianting doesn’t just hate being a woman, but hates being perceived as one. 

Qi Zhuyin was born into a family with the perfect circumstances for her to rise to military power and be supported in her ambitions, but those around her still see her life as a tragedy. Lamenting that she’ll “never get married” because no man would want to be with someone stronger than them. The Empress Dowager holds immense political power, but is trapped in a life she never wanted for herself—only acting because if the Eight Great Clans fall, so does she. Even after Li Jianting has diligently acquired the skills to be a great leader through proper education, to the point that even the secretariat acknowledge and respect them, many don’t accept them as “Emperor” because “she’s not a boy”. 

Within the context of the world QJJ presents us, each of these characters, in my opinion, have more than enough reason to have the worst case of internalized misogyny known to man. And yet, none of them really do. They each have beef with other women, but it’s not because they’re women, it’s because they get in the way of their goals (or are just annoying). While QJJ explores the many ways the world is unfair to women, it doesn’t stop there, but shows how they make the best of their situations… or become evil and make things worse for other people—and honestly, that eats. #WomenInMaleDominatedFields

We don’t only get a wide array of situations these characters are brought up in, but varying alignments of morality and worldviews as well. Women aren’t solely resigned to being nurturing entities—which is an epic and cool thing to be, mind you. Some of the worst people in this story are women. Not one, but two whole human traffickers…

Their contributions aren’t performative or one note. Their characterizations are complex, continuous, and they are deeply involved in multiple pivotal events. 

It was Hua Pingting who insisted on taking Shen Zechuan in. It was Princess Zhaoyue who saved Yao Wenyu from the assassins. It was Lu Yizhi who successfully smuggled her father out of Qidong. It was Yan Heru’s mother who established her family’s wealth and business. It was Hairigu’s mother who never stopped trying to protect her son even after her family abandoned her in her darkest hour. It was Wuya who took her fate into her own hands and tried to kill Xiao Chiye while denouncing her own father’s cowardice. It was Duo’erlan who rode into battle to avenge her husband. It was Bai Cha who dedicated her life to fighting the slave trade, and created a safe haven for it’s victims.

And it was Hua Xiangyi who convinced Qi Zhuyin to side with Shen Zechuan in the end; solidifying Qudu’s defeat and Shen Zechuan’s ascension to the throne. 

Outside of these brief examples, these women—and more—shaped the story we know and love today. They’re handled with so much intention and care. Their motives can be simple, complex, selfish, misguided, and/or a mishmash of all or some of those things!

I love the writing of QJJ in general, but I was especially happy with how important the women are to the story. It was so seamless that I didn’t really acknowledge it until I finished the story and sat with it for a while. Nothing felt forced or hamfisted. I definitely clocked girl bosses but that’s because their actions highlighted their girlboss qualities, not because the narrative paused to try to convince me of such. 

One day I’ll get better at conclusions, but until then, Bai Cha has my heart. Adios!

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Yao Wenyu: What have I done with these pathetic 25 years of life?

Xiao Chiye: Lanzhou is 22 now… *throws self onto bed* AAAAAAAAA! HE’S SO YOUNG! 😭😭😭

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

ok i just saw this while going thru the tags and i need to yap with someone about it but. opinions on [HEADCANON] different ethnic groups strewn throughout Zhou, but mostly Libei and Bianjun and potentially some of the characters being from different ethnic backgrounds than most people in Qudu might be.

I made a post abt it and I'm only in book 2, I don't mind spoilers related to this topic I just want to talk about this headcanon and its possibilities. canon universe but not related to plot-ish?

Anyways I'd like to hear your thoughts!!

This is such a fun topic! I will say that I am unfortunately unfamiliar with specific ethnic groups to draw one-to-one or inspirational correlations, but I am a fan of the idea that each prefecture/region has different sub cultures. Though I feel it's impossible not to have diversity when you're dealing with an empire as large as Dazhou/Great Zhou.

Much like real life, the land the prefectures and cities reside on greatly affects the society of the people who live there. I love the world building in general. When it's mentioned that some characters hide their dialects after moving to Qudu for official positions, it serves as a reminder for how big the nation really is.

I will try not to be too spoilery, but to make up for my ignorance, I would like to go into some of the silly things I remember from each region of Dazhou/ Great Zhou~

Libei is hands down my favorite. The residents are badass, but on top of that, Libei is known for it's grasslands and mountains. So naturally (light pun intended), the people that grew up/choose to live there are very in tune with nature and care for animals. They do not play when it comes to their horses. They're also know for their skilled craftsmen and they take great pride in their work. I love to see it. I could honestly make an entire brainrot post on Libei and their values, but I really want you to read and experience it for yourself. It's really interesting and sweet in my opinion~

Next is Qudu: I hate these people. I could go on about these weirdos forever, but it is truly so jarring going from three volumes with Qudu as the main setting, to all the other places. Obviously, bad things tend to happen where the elite congregate, but jeez. If you're not rich, it sucks to be in Qudu. Even the well meaning imperial officials are serving cult. It's honestly humorous how much people outside of Qudu could not care less about who the emperor is. To give them a little grace, I suppose Qudu is considered the center of education. Qudu is home the Imperial College, which is a place quite a few side characters mention trying to get into. ...But the students there are INSANE, so I can't take them seriously. Qudu scares me. Moving on.

Juexi is known for it's port , merchants, and it's granaries. Very straight forward. I'm honestly a little sad we didn't get to learn more about it. I feel like if I were to live anywhere in this empire, it would be in Juexi. The Biansha ain't gonna get me, plenty of job opportunities, and life just seems pretty chill. Except when they have natural disasters, but that's okay. The characters we meet from Juexi are pretty normal, which also affects my overall positive opinion of it. Cool place.

Qidong is mostly desert...I think? We eventually go to a Qi Clan estate and I was genuinely shocked to realize people actually lived there lmao. A lot like Libei, the people that live there are mostly military families. If you aren't joining the Qidong Garrison Troops, why are you here? I don't remember too too much about Qidong, but from the few things I do, I got the vibe that the men are very macho and really value their legacy. One of the main conflicts surrounding Qi Zhuyin is the fact that she can't get an official title, and the reason that's important is because all of her military achievements won't be recorded in history without one. And while every region values legacy to an extent, the way each one differs in the intensity of that importance makes a huge difference in my opinion. I feel like the people in Qidong are much more individualistic compared to the other prefectures, but the topic is nuance I think.

Finally, we have Zhongbo! Now, Zhongbo is interesting because we get to read the prefecture go through many manifestations. We get to see it after the massacre. We hear what life was like before the tragedy. We see it slowly change for the better and what the characters hope for it to become. Before Juexi took over as the "nations granary" after Zhongbo's fall, Zhongbo provided most of the military provisions to Qidong and Libei. We learn a lot about Zhongbo over the course of the story. And once again, I don't want to spoil much, but I will say the people from there tend to really value their family. Obviously everyone cares about their family in the story...well... most of them... anyhoo. But there's something about the way family and relationships are discussed by those in Zhongbo that really resonates with me. I feel like the reason family is an especially sacred topic in Zhongbo is because so many people lost theirs in the Biansha attack. And that grief over the years transformed into really holding onto those they have left. I don't know how to articulate it, but I think it's very beautiful how a lot of my favorite romantic moments happen in the various cities Zhongbo~ Residents in Zhongbo tend to be really resilient. A lot of terrible stuff happens there, and as a woman, I would never willingly go there. But the people who care about their fam care about them HARD! It's really nice. But seriously, it's still a nightmare there.

And because I can't help myself, mini bonus: The Twelve Tribes of Biansha!!! Okay, I won't actually go into every single tribe, but I adore the detail the author put into them! While, overall, they share some values, each tribe has their own thing going on and intertwined history. I love how they weren't just a "mindless evil enemy", but another group of humans with their own wants and needs. Their reasons for fighting are just as valid as Great Zhous! And both sides have done evil crap to "win" so I'm even less inclined to "pick a side". The world building in this story is just too good man. I'd love to one day read a spin off if the author ever felt like it njsduegfi

I don't know if this quite what you meant, but I sure did yap a lot ToT

Thank you for the ask. I went to read your original post and thought it was really fun! Other readers of this post, you can find it here!!!

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

More Lanzhou Rambles

[light spoilers up to chapter 226]

So I’ve been thinking about Shen Zechuan quite a bit (shocker) and something I’ve thought about a lot is the fact that SZC doesn’t really get angry for himself. He can get frustrated in situations, but as far as I recall he has never taken murderous action in response to someone wronging him specifically, but rather a proxy. The scene that initially made me more aware of this is after he finally kills Yan Heru. While SZC does mentally mention that “he will not be coerced”, SZC’s main reason for offing the guy is because SZC knew how upset Venerable Master Yideng’s death would make Xiao Chiye. SZC killed Yan Heru not for disrespecting SZC and attempting to play him like a fool, but for making Xiao Chiye sad.

Another thing I think is interesting is how the narrative often has characters describe Shen Zechuan as “vindictive”. He even considers himself as such. But as my brain cells were rubbing together, I thought to myself “Xiao Chiye would have definitely killed Shen Zechuan, but Shen Zechuan would have never killed Xiao Chiye”. The idea shocked even myself for a moment, but as I dwelled on it further, I only agreed more.

See, Xiao Chiye canonically tried to kill Shen Zechuan… TWICE! I don’t see many people talk about the second attempt, but right before cezhou smash for the first time, you know, when Xiao Chiye is looming over Lanzhou? Xiao Chiye considered killing Shen Zechuan in that moment 😮 Of course he then has his iconic inner monologue, but he still thought about it.

I promise I have a point here! I personally see Xiao Chiye as more murderous than Shen Zechuan. While SZC’s killings are horrific, Xiao Chiye is much quicker to go nuclear. If someone is even potentially a problem he immediately brings up murder. And while he doesn’t often follow through, that’s typically because those around him say “no!”.

Meanwhile, Shen Zechuan only kills as the situation calls for it or someone harmed/threatens someone he cares for. While he does hold grudges, SZC is particular about what he preserves as an injustice. In chapter 72, Shen Zechuan says: “Since vindictiveness has become the tenet I live by, then a kindness given is a kindness given, and a wrong done is a wrong done”

Shen Zechuan knows that when people see him as Shen Wei’s son, they aren’t actually mad at him, so he doesn’t take their resentment to heart. It’s seen with him not holding a grudge against Xiao Jiming for bringing him to the capital: Xiao Jiming was just doing his job. SZC doesn’t hate Tantai Hu for threatening to kill him at the training thingy. He won’t even let Chen Yang apologize for being a bystander in the incident. Heck, I’d wadger Shen Zechuan didn’t even have real beef with Xiao Chiye til bro wouldn’t leave him tf alone 😭 He didnt even kill Ji Lei for torturing him, but rather for what Ji Lei did to Hua Pingting. While Shen Zechuan doesn’t like those situations and surely finds them annoying, he also doesn’t automatically put those people on his shit list.

I’m not gonna lie, I think writing this post made me finally understand what Shen Zechuan means when he says he “lives off hatred”. He clearly has survivor’s guilt and he struggles to comprehend how Ji Gang can still love him after everything they went through with the Zhongbo massacre. He believes he should be hated. So when people are resultful towards him, while he knows it’s illogical, he also feels it makes sense. Part of him thinks he deserves to be treated that way.

Luckily, pookie comes and shifts his views a bit, along with the friends SZC makes while making the world a better place.

I just felt like yapping. I don’t know if this makes sense.

Posting anyway :P

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Imagining most of the qjj characters in a modern setting is nightmare inducing because they would be insufferable. Cezhou with cell phones?! Yao Wenyu quoting tweets and tumblr posts every three seconds. Ding Tao with a tiktok page and unrestricted internet access could become a national incident. And don’t even get me started on imagining their modern equivalent occupations (after much deliberation, I’ve only been able to headcanon Shen Zechuan manipulating the stock market, but even that’s a stretch since he doesn’t actually like calculating money but the vibe just feels right 💀).

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

One cezhou thing I think about a lot is that Xiao Chiye came from a very loving family and so he has no qualms being open and honest when it comes to affection. Meanwhile Shen Zechuan had to age regress to say "I love you" back for the first time... baby steps (pun intended)