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suddenlystolen · 3 years

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What’s in a Name: Xue Chengmei (薛成美）

Following how many names in MDZS have hidden within them entire character arcs, “Chengmei” — the courtesy name given by Jin Guangyao to Xue Yang — is a prism that refracts both the possibilities and limits, the hope and the ruination that was embedded in their relationship right from the start, where ties forged two broken people can either build each other up or break each other further down.

The proverb from which “Chengmei” (meaning Become Beautiful) is drawn captures this:

君子成人之美，不成人之恶。小人反是。 Junzi cheng ren zhi mei, bu cheng ren zhi e a noble man empowers the beauty within others, not that which is malign within them. But for an inferior man, it's the reverse.

Now, I’ve seen this translated in fandom as ‘a gentleman helps others do good deeds’ or even ‘a gentleman helps others attain what they want’ but I don’t think either quite captures the full breadth of what is promised in this proverb, or presents it in its full form. So here I come with this long post LOL.

The Meaning of Cheng Ren Zhi Mei

It’s more commonly used in Chinese as its shortened version cheng ren zhi mei — empower the beauty within others. The idea of “beauty” here is more philosophical — and gets at the idea of reaching one’s fullest potential and living one’s best life. Cheng ren zhi mei is tied to stories of how someone in a privileged position can use their power to uplift another to attain their heartfelt hopes, such as a lord reuniting lovers separated by indentured servitude, or raising an obscure poet’s masterpieces to prominence, or giving wise counsel when it is needed.

Noble Man: Wherefore Art Thou

So since the first half of the proverb goes: “a noble man (junzi) cheng ren zhi mei”, the really interesting question is, who is the junzi in the Jin Guangyao and Xue Yang relationship?

It could be seen as Jin Guangyao who, with his newfound authority in the Jin Sect, has personally recommended Xue Yang to join its ranks, and has thus bequeathed him with a courtesy name. But it could also be Xue Yang. As others call him “Chengmei”, it would be with the hopes that he “becomes beautiful” and grows into the character of a noble man that uses his strengths to uplift others.

Or actually, why not both? This is the Xueyao relationship at its most optimistic — that these two broken people who instinctively understand each because of their shared experiences with the darkness of human nature — can bring out the best in each other in a virtuous cycle — to both become noble men.

That…...Second Half of the Proverb

君子…...不成人之恶。小人反是。 Jun zi…...bu cheng ren zhi e, xiao ren fan shi A noble man empowers....not that which is malign within them. But for an inferior man, it's the reverse.

The e (恶) in this second half of the proverb? It’s the e (恶) used in the name of Chapter 118 of MDZS — 恶友 — Villainous Friends.

You may savour the full irony now. In the MDZS canon, two of them — Xue Yang and Jin Guangyao — enable each others’ worst tendencies. Jin Guangyao, for the first time, as the figure of authority, has the opportunity to shape the life of Xue Yang whom he probably sees himself in. Jin Guangyao can give him the best of what he has — an opportunity to work in the Jin Sect. Unfortunately, this means letting this delinquent who has at most experience with gang violence fully explore his capacity for it — in conducting human experiments and exterminating the Tingshan He Clan......just like how Jin Guangyao fully uncovered the darkest sides of himself while serving as Wen Ruohan’s right hand man. Likewise, Jin Guangyao would not have gotten as far he did in doing shady shit like human experimentation if he didn’t have Xue Yang, and his relationship with Nie Mingjue would not have deteriorated so badly so quickly if Xue Yang hadn’t massacred the Yueyang Chang Clan……

What remains of their relationship after Jin Guangyao casts Xue Yang out of the Jin Sect, dumping him severely injured for dead? Xue Yang still uses the name “Chengmei” for a while when he is living with Xiao Xingchen, and he still refers to Jin Guangyao as his “good friend” while talking about how he is an even better actor than he to Wei Wuxian in the Yi City arc. My own interpretation is that to some extent, what kindness and respect Jin Guangyao showed him lingered with him even after the end of their relationship...It's tragic in the way that there is beauty in how with his dying breath he was still gripping the sweets Xiao Xingchen gave him in his hands, a symbol of how that moment of warmth he received truly touched him...but also such desolation in how those sweets subsequently cool in the hands of a corpse.

The Story of how Xue Yang got his courtesy name

And now a translation of that post that MXTX made on her Weibo on how Xue Yang got his courtesy name. Note that Jin Guangyao here is referred to as Yaomei — where 妹 mei means little girl LOL (as they do in the Chinese fandom).

Sequel: Amidst the noise of construction around, a young lady asked Xue Yang if he had a courtesy name. Mm yes I do. But I didn’t used to have one. Names are usually given by elders to their juniors in their family, Xue Yang doesn’t have any elders. Later he was dragged to Koi Tower to become a guest disciple, and found that while registering you have to use your full courtesy name. Xue Yang said he doesn’t have one, so what now? Yao Mei said you’re making things very hard for me. Xue Yang, very impatiently said just anyhow blindly write something, that will do. So the next day when attendance was being taken, he heard someone calling out: Xue —— Cheng —— Mei! Yaomei: Xue Gongzi when I asked you previously, it was you who said you would let me come up with a name for your registration. To be granted your trust in this there could be no greater honour and so it was with reverent trepidation and deep deliberation, that I finally chose these two words to be bestowed to you, from the proverb jun zi cheng ren zhi mei, what do you think? ^_^ Xue Yang: En. ^_^ Even though he has that courtesy name, most people don’t dare call him that…...

#mdzs meta #mdzs name meta #jin guangyao #xue yang #xue chengmei #xueyao #mdzs #jgy #xy #meng yao #villainous friends #mdzs metas #as i continue to procrastinate studying for my tests

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kdram-chjh · 2 years

Photo

Cdrama: Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty (2022)

Gifs of Ending of cdrama “Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty”

【FULL】高官溺亡黑猫现世天价红茶为何有血腥味？ | 唐朝诡事录 EP01 Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty | 杨旭文杨志刚 | 古代悬疑剧 | 爱奇艺华语剧场

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5V-xnWMBp4

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psqqa · 3 years

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Nirvana in Fire Character Reference Sheet Roughly in the Order Those Characters Are Introduced

For @howdydowdy, as promised, and for anyone else who, like me, is terrible at names and needs some kind of “Who?? Ohhh right. That guy.” reminder.

Basically, my Nirvana in Fire Journey started with me watching half the first episode, being wildly confused, realizing I was in over my head re: names and thus deciding to go back to the beginning and watch it again But Taking Notes This Time. I watched the whole show with a notebook and pen at my side. I figured I may as well spare you all the labour by typing it up.

As more information was revealed, I often added it to a character’s initial note, but by and large I’m leaving those extra notes out so you can experience the joy and confusion and anguish of New Information yourself. The exception to this is generally a person’s name, title, and position. E.g. Duke Qing’s name, Bai Ye, isn’t mentioned until a number of episodes after he’s first mentioned, if I recall correctly, but knowing that the person named “Bai Ye” is the same person called “Duke Qing” is exactly why I took these notes for myself in the first place.

Basically this isn’t intended to be a character guide that lays out exactly who a person is, their relationships to the other characters, and their place in the story, but rather something you can look at whenever someone mentions a name that jogs your memory just enough for you to be able to place to person. Which is why the notes tend to be either the context in which the person was introduced or the relationship through which they’re introduced.

Some names and notes are inherently spoilers, but hopefully by virtue of the fact that this is broadly in the order a character is first mentioned/introduced, you can avoid spoilers simply by not scrolling down too far. For those persons where their name or an alter ego comes in significantly after their initial introduction and is a spoiler, they are listed a second time starting with the “new information” and with the note in italics indicating their original entry (there aren’t a lot of these, don’t worry).

I will readily admit that some of my handwritten notes are just a name and then a blank space because apparently I just never actually added a note for them. I haven’t bothered adding those people here. Yes it’s because I’ve forgotten entirely who they are, but I’m pretty sure that means you’ll be okay if you immediately forget who they are too. (That being said, I get the sense there are actually relevant people missing from this list. As the show carried on and introductions became less frequent, remembering them became less difficult.)

The List

Lin Xie –> Commander of the Chiyan Army

Lin Shu –> “Xiao-Shu” –> Lin Xie’s son –> Mei Changsu --> Chief of the Jiangzuo Alliance --> Su Zhe

Lin Chen –> Young Master of Langya Hall –> NOTE: The “Lin” of Lin Chen and the “Lin” of Lin Xie & Lin Shu are both written and pronounced differently. These people are not related.

Northern Yan’s 6th Prince –> Now Northern Yan’s Crown Prince

Minister Xu –> Da Liang’s envoy to Northern Yan

Prince Yu –> Xiao Jinghuan –> 5th Prince of Da Liang

Xiao Xuan –> Emperor of Da Liang

Empress Yan --> Prince Yu’s adoptive mother

Consort Yue --> Crown Prince’s mother

Grand Empress (Dowager) --> Emperor’s grandmother

Xiao Jingxuan --> Crown Prince of Da Liang --> metonym is “Eastern Palace”

Zhuo Dingfeng --> Master of Tianquan Manor

Zhuo Qingyao --> Eldest son of Zhuo Dingfeng --> guy on the horse and later the guy helping the old couple on the boat and later also the guy who calls Xie Yu “father-in-law” (I am telling you this specifically because I am not bad at faces but this guy added so much confusion to my life that was cleared up the moment I realized these people were the same person. And also because my mother is terrible at faces and for like 15 episodes every time he showed up in another random place I would say “that’s horse and boat guy” and she would say “wait what? really???” So I’m assuming at least one other person will share in this struggle)

Xie Yu --> Marquis of Ning

Qin Banruo --> Prince Yu’s strategist

Duke Qing --> Prime Minister --> Bai Ye

Ji Ying --> member of Double Sword Sect

Li Gang --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance

Fei Liu --> Mei Changsu’s bodyguard

Yan Yujin --> Son of Empress Yan’s brother

Xiao Jingrui --> Eldest son of Xie Yu

Mu Nihuang --> Commander of the army in Yunnan --> Princess of Yunnan’s House of Mu

Xie Bi --> Second son of Xie Yu & Xiao Jingrui’s younger brother

Mu Qing --> Mu Nihuang’s younger brother

Xia Dong --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Nie Feng --> Xia Dong’s late husband --> Vanguard General of the Chiyan Army under Lin Xie

Meng Zhi --> Commander of the Imperial Guards

Xuan Bu --> From Da Yu --> stronger than Meng Zhi

Gao Zhan --> Emperor’s chief eunuch

Fei Changshi --> Prince Yu’s guy out looking for Mei Changsu

Prince Jing --> Xiao Jingyan --> 7th Prince of Da Liang

Concubine Jing --> Mother of Prince Jing

“Xiao-Xin” --> Attendant to Concubine Jing

Grand Princess Liyang --> Xie Yu’s wife & Emperor’s sister

Eunuch Zheng --> Eunuch who is mean to Tingsheng

Prince Qi --> late Crown Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingyu

Tingsheng --> servant boy caught reading

“Lao-Wei” --> Mu Qing’s subordinate of some kind

Wei Zheng --> member of Chiyan Army at Battle of Meiling (and survived)

Sima Lei --> member of Royal Guard --> Consort Yue’s preferred suitor for Mu Nihuang

Liao Tingjie --> Son of the Marquis of Zhongsu --> Empress Yan’s preferred suitor Mu Nihuang

Baili Qi --> Mu Nihuang suitor from Northern Yan --> A favourite of the 4th Prince of Northern Yan

Lady/Madam Zhuo --> Zhuo Dingfeng’s wife

Xie Qi --> Zhuo Qingyao’s wife & Xie Yu’s daughter & Jingrui’s sister

Consort Hui --> bullied by the Empress

Young Lady Zhen (I think is what my handwriting says) --> servant being sneaky at late dowager empress’s palace

“Wu-momo” --> older servant with the Bad Wine

Consort Chen --> now dead --> son was a rebel

3rd Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingting --> Prince Ning --> disabled

6th Prince of Da Liang --> no ambition

9th Prince of Da Liang --> too young to fight for throne

Former Crown Princess --> late Prince Qi’s late wife

“Qi-momo” --> Grand Princess Liyang’s senior attendant

Gong Yu --> window lady who works with Mr. Shisan --> a musician

Mr. Shisan --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance --> connection to Lin family

Minister Lou --> Lou Zhijing --> Minister of Trade/Finance/Revenue/other words that mean “money” --> Knows about the corpse well --> Crown Prince’s faction

Zhang Jing --> Owner of corpse well house (Lan Mansion) at the time the corpses ended up in the well

Shi Jun --> Servant at corpse well house at relevant time --> has record book

Magistrate Gao --> Gao Sheng --> The Capital Magistrate

Princess Xuanji --> ruler of a previous dynasty --> founded the “Hong Court”

Minister Qi --> Qi Min--> Minister of Justice --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister He --> He Jingzhong --> Minister of Personnel --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister of Public Works --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister Chen --> Chen Yuanzhi --> Minister of Rites --> Crown Prince’s faction

Minister of Defence --> Li Lin --> Crown Prince’s faction

Bai Xun --> Duke Qing’s brother

Lie Zhanying --> Staff Officer under Prince Jing

Qi Meng --> One of Prince Jing’s men --> fights Fei Liu and commits Great Offence

“General Bian” --> One of Prince Jing’s men

Shen Zhui --> Acting Minister of Finance

Princess Qing He --> Shen Zhui’s mother

Cai Quan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> Did well-received report on the Bing case

Han Zhiyi --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Zhang Jianzhen --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Wei Yuan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Yuan Shiying --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Qin Yue --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Tong Lu --> Vegetable cart guy --> brother of one of the corpse well girls

Qiu Zhe --> Son of Count (Duke?) Wen Yuan

He Wenxin --> Son of Minister He --> dislikes Qiu Zhe

Grand Prince Ji --> Emperor’s youngest brother --> Owns hot springs

Yang Liuxin --> A dancer

Hong Xinzhao --> Has “understanding girls”

Xinliu & Xinyang --> Brothel sisters --> their younger brother was murdered by Qiu Zhe

Princess Consort --> Lanjin --> Prince Yu’s wife

Zhou Xuanqing --> renowned scholar

Li Chong --> former Imperial Tutor --> former teacher to Lin Shu

“Brother Zhao” --> Canal transport guy --> Jiangzuo Alliance

Lin Xiangru --> famous literary envoy

Marquis Yan --> Yan Que --> Yan Yujin’s father & Empress Yan’s brother

Lin Yueyao --> Prince Qi’s mother --> Consort Chen

Zhen Ping --> Jiangzuo Alliance --> sword challenger

Xia Qiu --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Xia Chun --> The most senior of the officers of the Xuanjing Bureau

Prince Jingli --> Consort Hui’s son

Yuwen Xuan --> Prince Ling --> A prince of Southern Chu

Yuwen Nian --> “Niannian” --> A princess of Southern Chu --> student of Yue Xiuze

Yuwen Lin --> King of Southern Chu --> Yuwen Nian’s father

Ouyang Chi - Head of CApital Patrols

Xia Jiang --> Head of the Xuanjing Bureau

Li Chongxin --> Schoolteacher assassinated by Zhuo Dingfeng

Jun Niang --> former member of “Hong Court” under Princess Xuanji

“Miss Liu” --> Granddaughter of former Chief Secretariat Liu Cheng

Wei Qi --> The general at Jiaxing Pass --> was Xie Yu’s lieutenant for years

Su Tianshu --> Chief of Yaowang Valley --> 7th on the Langya Rich List

Su Xuan --> Su Tianshu’s adopted son --> Wei Zheng

Yun Piaomiao --> Su Xuan’s wife

Concubine Xiang --> Prince Yu’s birth mother

Zhu Yue --> Head of the Review Court --> Prince Yu’s brother-in-law

Cheng Zhiji --> Elder Master of Feng Hall --> 75 years old

Princess Linglong --> A princess of the Hua Kingdom --> Princess Xuanji’s sister --> Concubine Xiang

Grand Princess Jinyang --> Lin Shu’s mother & Lin Xie’s wife --> Emperor’s sister

Yao Zhu --> Official Fan’s servant who knows The Secret

Official Fan --> Harbouring Xia Jiang

#nirvana in fire #it's an imperfect tool basically #but hopefully it's useful anyway #if there are any spelling errors #blame it on my handwriting #you don't want to know how much time i spent looking at these notes asking myself if something was a 'u' or an 'n'

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tamingwangxian · 3 years

Link

As per our earlier poll, we’ve subbed the video explaining the significance of “Ling/灵/Spirit", particularly in the context of Lan Zhan’s 问灵/Wenling/to ask Spirits/Inquiry. (This video is essentially about the history of summoning spirits)

We’ve previously explained the following points in our footnotes

问灵 (to ask spirits) - Chapter 22 Footnote 2

阴/阳 (Yin/Yang) - Chapter 3 Footnote 3

刀 (Single Edged Sword) - Chapter 22 Footnote 1

招魂 (Summoning Spirits) - Chapter 19 Footnote 5

乱葬岗 (Mass Graves/Burial Mounds) - Chapter 29

Enjoy!

Transcript under the cut

start - 0:08 “Wenling” (To ask spirits/Inquiry/Chapter 22) appears frequently through CQL. Lan Zhan in particular, “Wenling for 13 year, waiting for someone who won’t returns”. What exactly is a “Ling?”

0:17 - 0:30 The word “Ling” first appeared in the Bronze inscription of the “Spring & Autumn period” (700-400BC). Let’s look at the way it’s written in traditional chinese. “Rain 雨“ sits on top, and there are there “mouths 口” in the middle, and at the bottom lies a Shaman (巫 Wu). This depicts a chanting Shaman praying for rainfall.

0:31 - 0:45 n the Chu Dynasty, the Shamans who danced and pleaded to the God were called “Ling.” Ancient men divided the spirit into Yin and Yang. Ling was Yin 阴, Shen (神/spirit/God) was Yang 阳. People who died were thought to have a “Ling”, so items in relation to the deceased were called Lingwei (Spirit Tablet), Lingtang (Memorial Hall), Lingjiu (coffin that contained corpses). In CQL, the Nie clan had a “Daoling” (Dao Spirit).

0:46 -0:56 Buddhist and Taoist believed everything had a “Ling”. Not only humans and animals had a “Ling.”, flowers and tress had a “Ling” too. The manifested spirit that could be seen was called “Yang Ling 阳灵”. If it could not be seen, it was called “Yin Ling 阴灵“

0:57 -1:08 Actually “Wenling” was a type of spell that could be used to communicate with spirits. Just like what was written in “Zhaohun” (招魂 - to summon deceased spirits (an essay written by the Ming Dynasty Poet Li Zhi), the Shaman summons through a ritual or spell. In the drama, Lan Zhan’s “Wenling” may be said to be more aesthetic as he uses the 7 string qin (Guqin).

1:09 - End “Wenling” was a unique family secret of the Lan Clan of Gusu. Lan Zhan knew just how powerful “Ling” was, so when Wei Ying returned from Luanzhang Gang while wielding a flute, Lan Zhan saw the “Yin Ling” on Wei Ying’s body. He then worriedly, and perhaps a little rudely, told Wei Ying not to cultivate the unorthodox path. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Wei Ying, but rather he was too concerned. But Wei Ying had misunderstood Lan Zhan’s good intentions and felt that Lan Zhan didn’t understand him. Hence, this resulted in disagreements between both men

#mdzs #cql #mdzs meta #cql meta #lanzhan #weiying #wei wuxian #lan wangji

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smiling-shoe · 2 years

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Song Lan: Xue Yang said that with my lifestyle I have only three days left to live.

Xiao Xingchen: How??

Xue Yang, from the distance: SONG LAN I'M GONNA FUCKING MURDER YOU ON MONDAY

#xue yang #xiao xingchen #song lan #xuexiao #the untamed #mo dao su zhi #yi city crew #xue yang's disaster gang

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angrywolfbouquetlove · 3 years

Video

youtube

倫桑/張曉涵【字正腔圓】Zih Jheng Ciang Yuan 看萬山紅遍跟著我念字正腔圓【動態歌詞 Lyrics】

收聽更多音樂↓↓↓ Listen to more music↓↓↓

YouTube : 想念音樂頻道

【動態歌詞 Lyrics】

倫桑/張曉涵 - 字正腔圓作詞：蘇珂作曲：呂宏斌編曲：塞米七和聲：金天/雨蕁/倫桑古箏：丁雪兒

看萬山紅遍跟著我念字正腔圓平上入去譜意氣少年秦漢唐宋元朗朗書聲灑在窗前誰家的詩篇傳頌了千年 Yo 你為什麼站在一旁吞吐剛剛開場不要著急道謝結束說話要說清楚像我說的一樣清楚跟著我來反复清晰流暢還帶一點口才舉手投足謙卑努力成才別讓發音奇怪別人都太難猜聽你說完還要問你what where why 仰天長嘯壯懷激烈蕭瑟秋風換了人間昨日三十功名塵與土男兒須讀五車書關關雎鳩在河之洲雁字回時月滿西樓這剪不斷的理還亂的是離愁別是一般滋味在心頭看萬山紅遍跟著我念字正腔圓平上入去譜意氣少年秦漢唐宋元朗朗書聲灑在窗前誰家的詩篇傳頌了千年小海豚小海疼普通話要標準花蝴蝶發福蝶聽得我快頭昏大你魚越龍門小腦斧會咬人先生戒尺飛流直下讓我掌心發疼大奶留為什麼沒有guo 大機居到底有幾隻jio 長江是長江黃河不是黃ho 先生怎麼又在發火別再打我仰天長嘯壯懷激烈蕭瑟秋風換了人間昨日三十功名塵與土男兒須讀五車書關關雎鳩在河之洲雁字回時月滿西樓這剪不斷的理還亂的是離愁別是一般滋味在心頭看萬山紅遍跟著我念字正腔圓平上入去譜意氣少年秦漢唐宋元朗朗書聲灑在窗前誰家的詩篇傳頌了千年雁字回時月滿西樓為情生者可以死死可以生不知所起一往而深看萬山紅遍跟著我念字正腔圓平上入去譜意氣少年秦漢唐宋元朗朗書聲灑在窗前誰家的詩篇傳頌了千年看萬山紅遍跟著我念字正腔圓平上入去譜意氣少年秦漢唐宋元朗朗書聲灑在窗前誰家的詩篇傳頌了千年

【Pinyin lyrics】

Lun Sang/Jhang Siao Han【Zih Jheng Ciang Yuan】

Kan Wan Shan Hong Bian Gen Zhe Wo Nian Zi Zheng Qiang Yuan Ping Shang Ru Qu Pu Yi Qi Shao Nian Qin Han Tang Song Yuan Lang Lang Shu Sheng Sa Zai Chuang Qian Shei Jia De Shi Pian Chuan Song Liao Qian Nian Yo Ni Wei Shen Me Zhan Zai Yi Pang Tun Tu Gang Gang Kai Chang Bu Yao Zhao Ji Dao Xie Jie Shu Shuo Hua Yao Shuo Qing Chu Xiang Wo Shuo De Yi Yang Qing Chu Gen Zhe Wo Lai Fan Fu Qing Xi Liu Chang Hai Dai Yi Dian Kou Cai Ju Shou Tou Zu Qian Bei Nu Li Cheng Cai Bie Rang Fa Yin Qi Guai Bie Ren Dou Tai Nan Cai Ting Ni Shuo Wan Hai Yao Wen Ni What Where Why Yang Tian Chang Xiao Zhuang Huai Ji Lie Xiao Se Qiu Feng Huan Le Ren Jian Zuo Ri San Shi Gong Ming Chen Yu Tu Nan Er Xu Du Wu Che Shu Guan Guan Ju Jiu Zai He Zhi Zhou Yan Zi Hui Shi Yue Man Xi Lou Zhe Jian Bu Duan De Li Hai Luan De Shi Li Chou Bie Shi Yi Ban Zi Wei Zai Xin Tou Kan Wan Shan Hong Bian Gen Zhe Wo Nian Zi Zheng Qiang Yuan Ping Shang Ru Qu Pu Yi Qi Shao Nian Qin Han Tang Song Yuan Lang Lang Shu Sheng Sa Zai Chuang Qian Shei Jia De Shi Pian Chuan Song Liao Qian Nian Xiao Hai Tun Xiao Hai Teng Pu Tong Hua Yao Biao Zhun Hua Hu Die Fa Fu Die Ting De Wo Kuai Tou Hun Da Ni Yu Yue Long Men Xiao Nao Fu Hui Yao Ren Xian Sheng Jie Chi Fei Liu Zhi Xia Rang Wo Zhang Xin Fa Teng Da Nai Liu Wei Shen Me Mei You Guo Da Ji Ju Dao Di You Ji Zhi Jio Chang Jiang Shi Chang Jiang Huang He Bu Shi Huang Ho Xian Sheng Zen Me You Zai Fa Huo Bie Zai Da Wo Yang Tian Chang Xiao Zhuang Huai Ji Lie Xiao Se Qiu Feng Huan Le Ren Jian Zuo Ri San Shi Gong Ming Chen Yu Tu Nan Er Xu Du Wu Che Shu Guan Guan Ju Jiu Zai He Zhi Zhou Yan Zi Hui Shi Yue Man Xi Lou Zhe Jian Bu Duan De Li Hai Luan De Shi Li Chou Bie Shi Yi Ban Zi Wei Zai Xin Tou Kan Wan Shan Hong Bian Gen Zhe Wo Nian Zi Zheng Qiang Yuan Ping Shang Ru Qu Pu Yi Qi Shao Nian Qin Han Tang Song Yuan Lang Lang Shu Sheng Sa Zai Chuang Qian Shei Jia De Shi Pian Chuan Song Liao Qian Nian Yan Zi Hui Shi Yue Man Xi Lou Wei Qing Sheng Zhe Ke Yi Si Si Ke Yi Sheng Bu Zhi Suo Qi Yi Wang Er Shen Kan Wan Shan Hong Bian Gen Zhe Wo Nian Zi Zheng Qiang Yuan Ping Shang Ru Qu Pu Yi Qi Shao Nian Qin Han Tang Song Yuan Lang Lang Shu Sheng Sa Zai Chuang Qian Shei Jia De Shi Pian Chuan Song Liao Qian Nian Kan Wan Shan Hong Bian Gen Zhe Wo Nian Zi Zheng Qiang Yuan Ping Shang Ru Qu Pu Yi Qi Shao Nian Qin Han Tang Song Yuan Lang Lang Shu Sheng Sa Zai Chuang Qian Shei Jia De Shi Pian Chuan Song Liao Qian Nian

#倫桑 #張曉涵 #字正腔圓 #Zih Jheng Ciang Yuan #想念音樂頻道 #動態歌詞 Lyrics #Pinyin lyrics

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herenortherenearnorfar · 4 years

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Final graduation ficlet (which got quite long). A-Qing lives (sort of) and channels ghosts while living out her fashionista dreams. Jiang Cheng is identifiable due to his clothing choices. Light violence and zombies.

The best thing about living in Koi Tower is the clothing. Silk that runs like water between her hands, brocade heavy with embroidery, jewelry that chimes and sings as she moves. She doesn’t feel heat or cold, can’t sense gentle changes in pressure or even most pain. There’s still enough perception in her fingers to map out the bamboo grove and song birds stitched on her favorite dress and feel the whorls of gold and inset jade on her new bracelet.

After the first impolite insinuation about their friendship Jin Ling stopped buying her gifts more excessive than those he gave to the rest of his friends. Ouyang Zizhen, who can describe the grandeur of Lanling’s markets so clearly she can see the hawkers and jewel-bright fancies in her mind’s eye, has been thoroughly scolded by his father on her behalf so many times that they’ve regretfully halted their shopping trips.

Wei Wuxian makes up for it. He doesn’t have money of his own, but his husband is rich and lets him do whatever he wants, and what he wants is to spoil A-Qing whenever he’s in town.

He calls her cousin (biao zhi mei, an affection which makes several martial relationships familial and she thinks retroactively enforces at least two adoptions) and takes her places the boys are too scared to go. Good company though they usually are, they’re rich kids to the core. The streets A-Qing grew up on, back alleys and muddy side streets, are too lowly for little princes. They aren’t like Wei-qianbei, who can banter with street walkers and haggle with counterfeiters. His company is a welcome escape from the pompous brats in Koi Tower. Together with Wen Ning they walk the streets, wearing high collars and low hats for disguise. They sniff about the food vendors until oil and salt fill A-Qing’s throat and coat the remnants of her tongue. Wei Wuxian buys her trinkets, little squares of silk and jangling bracelets of gilt and enamel, louder and more delightful than the demure ostentation of the Jin. When she was young and dreamed of being rich she wanted bracelets up to her elbows, not “restraint” or “taste”.

At the end of every outing Wei Wuxian hands her a little parcel. “From your shushu by the water” he says, as if she has any idea who that is. They’re nice gifts through. Scarves and robes in fine cotton and brocade. There’s stitched florals and ribbons. She makes Jin Ling describe them to her and he reluctantly tells her about violet and turquoise geometric patterns, waxed pale into fabric. There’s one overrobe she especially likes— dark blue, Jin Ling says, with a cracking pattern like mud under the sun, like lightning, like the death lines on her own skin. She can feel the stares on her when she wears it.

The old men certainly stare when she slams open the door and begins tapping her way into the conference room, though she can’t tell whether it’s the crackling midnight robe, the green jade pins in her hair, or the fact that she’s here at all that has them so startled. That’ll teach them to try to distract her with poetry and fancies. As soon as the fine cultivator ladies, who normally scorn Koi Tower’s corpse, swept her away, she knew something was wrong.

It’s bold of them to try to ambush Jin Ling in his own home. They’re going to regret it.

“Xiao-guniang,” Jin Ling says, sounding relieved. A servant takes her arm and guides her over to the table, and A-Qing doesn’t snap at them. She’s learned to pick her battles. “I was just about to send for you. These kind elders have quite the suggestion for me and I wanted your input on it.”

“Is this really the place for a young... lady?” come the protestation.

“My shibo thinks highly of her judgement.” Jin Ling says, leaving everyone to put together in their own heads who his shibo is.

That stirs up whispers. It always does. A Sect Leader, almost grown, consulting her? A corpse under the Yiling Patriarch’s protection, a barely civilized street rat. They might have given her Xiao Xingchen’s name (it still hurts to hear it spoken, still scrapes every time someone calls her Xiao Qing, though even Song-daozhang insists he would have wanted her to have it) and a backstory worthy of tears (’she survived Xue Yang!’ Ouyang Zizhen would cry, passionate and sweet, and Jingyi would add a story of her bravery so embroidered it was unrecognizable) but she’s still a parentless urchin. A girl. A dead thing. There are a dozen reasons she shouldn’t be here.

Jin Ling has the full support of the Jiang and the Lan behind him though, and Nie-zongzhu always compliments her accessories. None of the other, weaker sects can do a thing about it. Politics is a lot like living on the street; the big people make the rules and everyone else puts up with it. The old coots make some noises about propriety, forcing chaperones and moderating the affection A-Qing and her friends can show each other in public, but they can’t get rid of her or mitigate her influence on their young ruler.

At best they can insinuate, and since Jin Ling started making eyes at the visiting cultivator from Dali those insinuations have had increasingly little weight.

What are their words? A-Qing signs, even though she knows perfectly well why they’re ganging up on Jin Ling in a side room. She won it out of Duanmu-zongzhu’s wife, who was sent to distract her. It’s amazing what people will say in the presence of a mute girl-- they think she’s deaf too and talk quite freely. You would think they’d be more careful, since she is, by their own accusation, a conniving abomination, but for all their fear they never quite take her seriously.

“They had some suggestions about the salt trade.” Jin Ling is doing an admirable job of playing the mature diplomat. “Surely they can explain it better themselves.”

“We merely wished--” one of them starts stammering, and another one takes over. “We thought to inform Jin-zongzhu of the opportunity to centralize control of the salt market. The Jin, Qin, and Lan together hold most of the salt marshes, and Jin-zongzhu’s great-aunt ruling in Meishan mean he would be able to get the western brine wells to cooperate with a taxation pact. It would be very beneficial to both the sects and the merchants!”

“They want to put limits on who can buy and sell salt, and they’re willing to levy a tax to make it worth our while.” She can practically hear Jin Ling’s posture, arms crossed, defensive. “Xiao-guniang, I don’t suppose you have any thoughts on that?”

I’ve walked in salt villages, A-Qing replied, leaning her cane against the table so her hands can move furiously fast. It’s not a good life. Brine and heat. If they could only sell to a few merchants they would be underpaid. No choices.

(A maid helpfully murmurs a translation of her words to the rest of the room. Few people have bothered to learn the language she now uses, the one she pieced together with the help of her friends.)

Jin Ling hums. “That makes sense.”

“There’s no reason to hesitate on the behalf of some peasants,” a very bold voice complains. “Their state won’t be improved by empty sympathy.”

“They’re just boilers, of no concern to you Jin-zongzhu. We treat them well.”

Oh. Oh.

She was going to hold back, for Jin Ling’s sake, but now she’s angry. Who of you is Hu Anshi? she demands, mouthing out the sounds of the name and punctuating it with the bracketed meaning (beard, safe, stone) over and over until it’s duly translated.

Reluctantly, one of the many voices in front of her says, “I am, xiaojie.”

Even with her ever sharpening sense (honed by cultivation that she came into late and kicking) it’s hard to differentiate him from the rest of the horde of weakly pulsing qi before her. They all have ghosts attached to them, hovering resentment like a cloud about their heads. Rich men attract desperate hatred better than anyone else. But she thinks she can single out one fuzzy figure with a particularly heavy load of sins and a familiar tinged energy over his shoulder,

A-Qing takes up her bamboo cane and strikes it once on the ground. I talked to your ghosts, she signs with her free hand. They had a lot to say.

That silences them.

Jin Ling inhales sharply and moves closer to her side, hand grazing her sleeve in support. When she shakes her head he withdraws, leaving her alone on in the cool air of the Koi Tower, shivering in her fine cotton and silk. Shivering because she’s letting the change come over her, letting the whispering, angry ghosts attached to Hu Anshi’s back have their say.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when she took up this route of cultivation. Mediumship is... frowned upon by the sort of people who bear swords and seek immortality. The common people like it though and before she knew Xiao Xingchen, A-Qing made the acquaintance of a number of temple diviners and spirit writers. Some of them even offered her apprenticeships-- blind girls made for good optics. Spirit specialists willing to take on a pickpocket without the slightest inclination towards ghosts were unfortunately untrustworthy by definition. She never took them up on the offers.

Then she died and, like many of the restless dead, needed a way to communicate. Lan Sizhui played her Inquiry a thousand times in those first weeks, to ask her if she was comfortable, to field questions from the other giggling Lans. Eventually A-Qing memorized the song and began to play it on her own, tapping it out with bamboo against earth and fingers against wood. The spirit language, limited in form and structure, was easy to pick up and didn’t need a tongue or eyes.

When you played Inquiry, ghosts answered. A-Qing didn’t mention the questions at first, just did her clumsy best to give offerings to those whose names she learned, to give justice to those small inequalities her late night listening uncovered.

Wei-qianbei, who had what he called a “vested interest” in her wellbeing, learned about it eventually. He was the one who found her in Caiyi town (hidden from Lan and Jin elders alike while some ridiculous politics happened) fighting off possession by the little girl who’d been murdered two doors down a year ago. He was the one who helped her curse the wrongdoer, soothe the restless soul, and settle back into her own cold skin. After that he taught her Inquiry, and how to use the meditations Xiao Xingchen had happily guided her through to solidify her presence and strengthen her energy output. If she was going to get possessed, he suggested, she should be purposeful about it.

He didn’t teach her how to use her corpse strength to drag evildoers into the light. It came naturally enough and only needed a few suggestions from Wen-qianbei and Song-daozhang.

After that things had sort of... spiralled. By the time she went to join Jin Ling, then Jin-zongzhu, in Lanling a few months later, A-Qing had found herself an avatar of vengeance for any number of unquiet spirits. The living consulted her too, when there was bad luck or poltergeists, hauntings or incomplete burials.

As it happened, the highest halls of cultivation have hungry ghosts in need of justice too.

She lived in the north, in a village with no name. A-Qing says as icy incorporeal fingers close around her neck. They were poor and made money by selling salt, because one woman could bring up enough brine in a day to provide a whole family with salt for a year. And it paid. Until one day the merchants came to town with you at their head.

You have to give Zu’er, the maid who’s translating, credit. Even though the hand language drops lots of in-between words by necessity and requires creative substitutions-- earth for salt, sky for day-- she always picks up on A-Qing’s meaning. And she doesn’t flinch as smoke, hot and roiling, begins to peel off A-Qing, which speaks to her nerve if nothing else.

A-Qing taps her staff again and begins drumming out the song of opening, of offering.

Under your guidance they wouldn’t pay them enough to buy firewood from the inland where trees grew, or rice from the flood plains that weren’t salted beyond survival. Salt worth a fortune sold for scraps.

So they starved. Working, salt crusted, they hungered and hated you.

Footsteps echo on the cold marble floor.

“Bar the door,” Jin Ling says next to her, mild and spiteful. Whatever spirit he channels in clan politics, it’s a vicious one. “I think everyone should hear this.”

So a woman took salt on her back and went to sell it someplace else. And who did she meet on the road but the merchants? Do you remember what you did?

“She’s a witch and a liar,” someone, maybe even Hu Anshi claims. A-Qing is too deep in to care. The ghost, who came to her instantly when she played Inquiry this afternoon, looking for answers about this purported plot to head a monopoly, is particularly insistent and clever. She’s been following Hu Anshi for a long time, too weak to strike, too smart to get caught by protective charms and spirit dispelling talismans.

Now she finally has a chance to speak, in a sense of the word.

There is a complication to channeling without a tongue or eyes. She can get around just fine in this body of hers but spirits are rather less experienced. Without Sizhui or another Lan expert most can’t make their wishes known. So A-Qing has to get creative.

As much as she hates to admit it, she knows who she learned this mean showsmanship from. Three years with Xue Yang teaches you a lot about drama.

Cane held out like a divining sword, she advances, letting the spirit half sunk in her flesh and a faint memory of the room’s layout guide her around the table towards the bundle of quaking men. Like cowards, they scatter before her, not even trying to fight back (just as well; she can’t be killed but a sword in the stomach doesn’t make anyone happy). The ghost over her shoulder knows which target she wants to pick and swings about as frightened bodies swirl around her. Hu Anshi might be able to dodge but he can’t hide, soon she has him cornered.

His friends abandon him quickly, fleeing to the edges of the room as she advances. When her bamboo strikes his shaking legs, she gives in and lets the ghost have its way.

The problem with possession is that you have very little control. Locked away in the cool dark of her own flesh, A-Qing can’t even see what’s happening. Jin Ling is there, though, with his Clarity Bell, so she’s comfortable sitting back.

She gave the ghost pretty clear directions; no permanent damage, show how you died. At worst she’ll choke him for a bit before Jin Ling snaps her out of it.

For the sake of her friend, A-Qing tries to be subtle about her skills. Jin Ling helped her form her sign language, stuck with her even in the earliest days when the other frightened juniors were suggesting they report her to the Chief Cultivator, sent her long letters that Lan Jingyi would sprint down from Gusu to read out loud to her. He brought her here, gave her pretty dresses, listened when she talked about hungry children and towns that cultivators never visit. Listened when she talked about frightened female ghosts, begging for their lives, and murdered servants who have never gotten justice. Even his dog has been kind to her, has guided her through gardens and chased away bullies while Jin Ling sat in stuffy rooms doing grownup work. In deference to his family and responsibilities she doesn’t swear even when people act like bastards, she doesn’t run, she doesn’t summon evil spirits indoors without cause.

Sometimes she wonders how long their friendship (bound by oaths though it is) will last. In the three years they’ve known each other he’s gotten tall and deep-voiced, while she’s stayed the same. By the calendar she’s a decade older than him but she’ll never be fully grown. A-Qing is a creature of boundaries, not a girl and not a woman, not living and not dead. Not a destitute orphan anymore but not made for places like this.

More accurately, places like this aren’t made for her. It’s a shame because they clearly need her badly. Who else will give the ghosts and forgotten people a voice?

When the Clarity Bell finally shakes the ghost out of her body, she’s throttling a man with exquisite delicacy, holding his warm and moving throat like it’s the finest china ware. This is how she died, A-Qing thinks. You strangled her and left her body by the roadside. You took her salt and sold it and her family starved.

There’s a heavy hand on her shoulder. “That’s quite enough, I think.” says Jiang-zongzhu, whose voice she bothers to remember.

A-Qing lets the man fall to the floor, gasping even though she barely choked him.

“I told you all to stop talking about your salt plot,” Jiang-zongzhu is shouting above her. “Now you’ve tried to convince Jin-zongzhu alone to go along with your little price fixing scheme? Pathetic. I’ve heard enough of it. Get out. Don’t ever bring it up again.”

There’s a desperate skittering that A-Qing barely notices in the post-possession fog. She assumes the room clears.

“We’ll send the accusations of foul play to the local authorities?” When faced with his uncle Jin Ling always phrases orders as questions.

“A good idea,” Jiang-zongzhu agrees. “Send some cultivators too-- it’s outside of our wheelhouse but there’s bound to be some resentment built up if a merchant syndicate has been running wild through the marshes. Where did you say they were active, Xiao-guniang?”

He’s always polite to her. At first it was a disgusted sort of politeness, a politeness that suggested that she didn’t belong anywhere near his precious nephew. Over time it’s mellowed into frosty gentility and the occasional hand on her arm when she’s lost.

Qing province? she shrugs. South Bo Sea coast.

Signing proper nouns is like playing charades. For qing she points to herself (the words are close enough in pronounciation) for bo she taps her staff. It must make sense though because Jiang-zongzhu doesn’t even wait for Jin Ling’s swift interpretation. “That’s closest to Laoling. Qin Cangye has had a lot on his plate lately. Best to send a letter and some of your men.”

“I guess I should go do that. And I have to reassure the sect leaders I’m not doing demonic cultivation again.” A-Qing frowns and Jin Ling hastily amends, “You did great though.”

“Great is pushing it,” Jiang-zongzhu snaps. “You’re getting a reputation.”

Jin Ling, whose voice is already by the door, isn’t impressed. “They can get over themselves.”

Then it’s just her and Jiang-zongzhu in the room. One heartbeat, one steady warm core. A-Qing turns to go, only to be caught by the arm.

“Thank you.” Jiang-zongzhu says slowly. “You’ve been a good friend to him.”

A-Qing remembers the courtyard with the lotus pond, where she and Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi swore to be siblings in the eyes of the gods. (Though they love their other friends, they were excluded for practical reasons. Sizhui is already related to all of them and needed no further binding. Zizhen is a little in love with everyone and Jin Ling claims it’s bad form to sleep with sworn siblings, so for them to keep their options open he had to be excepted.) It’s a secret oath; Jin Ling doesn’t need the political complication of open sworn brotherhood. It’s still binding.

I try.

Jiang-zongzhu always smells like thunderstorms when he’s stressed. Right now all she can smell is the cloying Jin incense and a sweetness of lotuses. “Keep trying. And don’t be afraid to send for me again if you hear they’re ganging up on him.”

As he lets go of her her hand brushes his trailing sleeve. In an instant her fingers graze over silk brocade and fine patterned cotton. The texture is familiar and she instinctively grabs the fabric to feel the delicate embroidery and the stiff, thick woven cotton that still smells ever so slightly of wax. She can imagine the patterns inked on, maybe lotuses? Greenery? The colors are definitely shades of purple, blue and green.

A-Qing smiles as Jiang-zongzhu pulls away and stalks out.

The best thing about Koi Tower is the clothing, which sits against her skin and reminds her of the people who have taken her in.

The second best thing is getting to terrorize entitled rich people.

#the untamed #fanfic #graduation ficlets #a-qing #jin ling #jiang cheng

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