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Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Twenty-One

Events:

Gong Yu tells the rest of her story. Apparently her father was quite happy to kill one baby, but balked at killing the second. The family went on the run and the father was killed 3 years later by Xie Yu's people.

Liyang watched over Jingrui 24/7 for the first few years to prevent Xie Yu killing him. After that the Zhuo family became so useful that he was safe.

Xie Yu has called out the Capital Patrol, who are under his command, but they can't enter the manor for legal reasons. They can block Prince Yu though.

Xie Bi threatens suicide to attempt to talk his father out of killing the Zhuo family. Xie Yu calls his bluff.

The Zhuo family fight the guards. Jingrui joins them. Niannian joins in but the prince doesn't, because he'd earlier (last episode) promised Xie Yu not to interfere. Yujin joins in to protect Gong Yu. Yue Niuze joins in. Meng Zhi holds back at first, then can't help himself.

Xia Dong sets off a flare that gives Prince Yu an excuse to act.

MCS leads everyone through a special door that leads to the family shrine. They go out onto a lakehouse. Meng Zhi and Yue Niuze guard the bridge as a chokepoint. More archers are sent for.

Prince Yu can't talk his way past the Capital Patrol, but Yan Que (Yujin's father) shows up. That gets Xie Yu out there to deal with them personally.

Gong Yu offers herself up for the Zhuo's vengeance, since her father killed their son. Zhuo-furen declines.

Archers start shooting at the lakehouse.

Liyang interrupts the stand-off outside and threatens suicide if Xie Yu doesn't let people in. Unlike with his son, Xie Yu takes this seriously. The shooting stops and it's all over.

Liyang extracts a promise from Prince Yu (at knifepoint!) that he will never harm the Zhuo family.

Names and titles:

Zhuo-furen calls her husband fujun, which at first I mistook for fuqin.

Xie Yu refers to his daughter as daxiaojie.

Xia Dong calls MCS dacai (great talent) in an unfriendly way.

Master Zhuo calls MCS Mei-zongzhu.

Prince Yu calls Liyang gumu, and she calls him Jinghuan (his given name, Yu is his title).

Characters:

MCS shows a very unpleasant side of himself tonight. He's almost vicious when talking with Xie Yu. No one present can doubt that he's a very dangerous man. Xia Dong certainly doesn't; she's disgusted, but they agree not to interfere with each other.

Xie Yu calls Xie Bi, his son and heir, weak for not being instantly willing to see the Zhuo family dead.

Prince Yu was getting nowhere trying to talk his way into the manor. Then Yan Que turned up and everything changed. Prince Yu was no longer in charge and didn't even notice, he was just pleased he was suddenly winning.

All Prince Yu could do was wave his army about. Yan Que just walked up some steps and it was more threatening than anything Prince Yu did.

Liyang hates Prince Yu, but she believes he'll be the next Emperor.

Meng Zhi is shocked and horrified that Xie Yu would dare use the Capital Patrols for his own private business.

Gong Yu is about four months younger than Jingrui.

Gong Yu's father was in an assassins' guild.

The chief of the Capital Patrol is called Ouyang Chi.

MCS was scared when the shooting started.

Misc:

Archers are the real danger. High level martial artists can catch or deflect arrows to a certain extent, but they're scared of archers more than hundreds of armed and armoured soldiers.

How did MCS know about the special door leading to the family shrine?

#nirvana in fire #nif #lyb #langya bang

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Twenty

It's the birthday party episode.

Events:

MCS has given Jingrui a bottle of valuable heart protection pills as a birthday present.

Xia Dong and Meng Zhi want to make Master Zhuo display his martial arts so they can prove he was involved in the New Year murders. Xia Dong spars with him at the banquet, but he fights poorly and avoids displaying the signature sword through the neck technique.

Gong Yu plays a sad song.

Yue Niuze, the Southern Chu martial arts master, turns up uninvited, accompanied by the Chu prince and princess. He says he simply wants to challenge Master Zhuo to a fight under jianghu rules. Xie Yu doesn't want Master Zhuo to fight in front of witnesses, but he's overruled.

Master Zhuo throws the fight to avoid displaying his sword technique, and injures his sword hand. MCS very portentously tells Jingrui to give him a heart protection pill.

The Southern Chu prince and princess confront Jingrui and Liyang, revealing the secret relationship.

MCS gives Gong Yu the signal, and she reveals Xie Yu hired her father to kill the illegitimate child, and murdered him when he failed. Xie Yu attacks her and Zhuo-furen stops him. Xie Yu fills the courtyard with heavily armed men and seems willing to kill the Zhuo family if they defend Gong Yu.

MCS reveals Fei Liu has broken into the armory and cut all the bowstrings. Also that Prince Yu has his own army stationed outside waiting. MCS basically admits to orchestrating all this.

Names and titles:

Yue Niuze and Master Zhuo call each other Surname-xiong.

The Chu prince calls Yue Niuze Yue-shu.

Characters:

Zhuo-furen makes overly fancy clothes the boys don't like.

Meng Zhi and Master Zhuo have never met before.

Xia Dong isn't wealthy, she only has her salary.

There's a resemblance between Jingrui and his half-sister Niannian.

The Chu prince and princess aren't siblings, they're cousins.

Yujin is very protective this episode - he tells the Chu princess to stop talking, and is standing guard over Gong Yu when she's threatened.

The Chu prince and princess greet Liyang formally and bow to her, but I don't think they really give a shit about her. Their actions are both cruel and dangerous for her.

Weapons and costumes:

Jingrui's 'overly fancy' blue and gold is nice. Yujin, meanwhile, is wearing PURPLE ZEBRA PRINT.

Feiliu has a dagger for cutting bowstrings, which he continues to wear when he turns up later. He also plays with a sword in the armory.

Prince Yu's red leather armor would barely turn away a sword, let alone an arrow. Put him in proper lamellar!

Misc:

A first rank marquis is entitled to keep 800 soldiers. Are they all living in the manor grounds?

Is Gong Yu's music supposed to sound... good? Or is it just that I can't appreciate it?

There's a very weird thing that happens three times this episode, where Xie Yu goes on about Xia Dong's status as a woman. Has he done it before?

#nif #nirvana in fire #lyb #langya bang

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Nineteen

Events:

Meng Zhi visits Jingyan, gives him a fright by casually opening the secret passage, and pledges his support in the battle for the throne. He does not outright state that he's working with MCS but he hints it very strongly. They discuss the Chiyan case.

The Emperor stays overnight with Jing-pin and they talk about Jingyan and about Prince Yu. In the morning she gets promoted to fei.

Nihuang is sent back to Yunnan for military reasons. Mu Qing is kept in the capital as a hostage. MCS and Nihuang get upset over parting.

Gong Yu makes an attack on Xie Yu, gets wounded, and takes refuge with Banruo. This is all according to plan.

Yuwen Xuan, Prince Ling of Southern Chu, picks a fight with Mu Qing as everyone's saying goodbye to Nihaung.

Banruo and Prince Yu discuss Liyang's affair with the Chu prince. The Empress told Prince Yu she doesn't know why Liyang married Xie Yu.

Yuwen Nian, the Chu princess, spars with Jingrui. It is very portentous.

Names and titles:

Jingyan calls him 'Meng Zhi' instead of 'Meng-da-tongling' while they discuss the Chiyan case.

MCS refers to Mu Qing as xiao-Qing while talking to Nihuang in private.

The Chu princess is called Niannian by her brother, in public.

Characters:

Our first look at how Consort Jing deals with the Emperor.

Banruo and Prince Yu both dismiss Consort Jing's promotion as unimportant.

The excuse for keeping Mu Qing as a hostage is that the Grand Dowager can't bear to part with him, so she must have a grandmotherly relationship to him as well.

Mu Qing's presence in Yunnan is not militarily significant, Nihuang's is. The Chu prince teases him about that - it must be a common occurrence.

MCS tells Nihuang he wishes he was just Lin Shu again.

MCS asks after Gong Yu's injury with some concern.

Meng Zhi claps MCS on the shoulder, and Fei Liu takes offence and they nearly fight over it. This isn't significant, but it's hilarious.

Yue Niuze was number 6 on the Langya list. He recently defeated number five. He has twice fought Master Zhuo, who's number 4, and is thought to be gunning for him again.

Time:

Nihuang has been in the capital about half a year, maybe a bit more. That's regarded as a long visit.

Misc:

There's a tiny moment when the eunuch who's delivering an edict to Prince Yu angles for his favour.

The Southern Chu party doesn't travel or arrive in Jinling with nearly enough pomp - budget issues I guess.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Eighteen

Events:

Xia Chun finds the music scroll. Banruo finds a secret room and Fei Liu's toys. No one finds the secret passage to Jingyan's manor.

MCS begs Meng Zhi and Nihuang to be careful not to let Jingyan suspect who he is.

Prince Yu scolds Banruo for searching. She flatters him and he patronises her. It's icky. She tells him a Southern Chu merchant has been talking about Liyang's relationship with a Southern Chu hostage prince.

Jing-ping and Hui-fei discuss a possible marriage alliance with Southern Chu.

Jingyan visits MCS in the night to tell him he's been sent on military business. He asks him why he's helping him and if he knew Prince Qi. MCS deflects.

Mu Qing tells his sister about the decision in the latest ministerial corruption cases. (This is a very cute way to deliver exposition.) Minster He of Personnel is demoted and sent to a province. Minster Qi of Justice is sentenced to exile.

Jingyan helps the Emperor decide on Cai Quan for Minister of Justice.

The Emperor decides to visit Jing-pin.

Names and titles:

Yujin calls Li Gang 'Li Gang-dage'.

Prince Yu refers to 'Liyang-gugu'.

Characters:

Mu Qing isn't as stupid as he looks; he's worked out there's a pattern with events lately, where Prince Yu and the CP keep losing power.

MCS is genuinely worried about the future of the country if the next emperor isn't strong.

The Emperor is frustrated that the faction fighting has cost him two ministers. My dude you brought this on yourself.

The Emperor is angry everyone gets scared whenever he mentions Chen-guifei or Prince Qi. My dude you brought that on yourself.

One of the Emperor's criteria for succession is 'which of them is most like me?'

MCS - see below

Time:

It's mid-spring.

When did Meng Zhi and Nihuang discover the other knew MCS was Lin Shu? Did I already note that?

Misc:

There's no imperial princess of age to be married.

The Chu take divination seriously.

MCS's reasons for not telling Jingyan:

Jingyan can proceed without emotional distraction.

Jingyan doesn't have to think of Mei Changsu's feelings.

Jingyan wouldn't like Lin Shu doing underhanded things.

JIngyan would try to protect Lin Shu as his first priority.

Also, it makes it emotionally easier for me (MCS).

It stops us arguing with each other.

I am poison and Jingyan is pure.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Seventeen

Events:

At the end of last episode, MCS told Prince Yu to help Shen Zhui get the CP over the illegal fireworks factory. After he's left, Banruo suggests taking it a step further.

Jingrui confronts his father over his activites. He gets slapped down.

The fireworks factory goes boom. Jingyan stops rioting (not shown) and arranges humanitarian relief.

There's no proof the CP was directly involved in the fireworks factory. The Emperor is pissed and exiles the CP to another palace.

Jingyan used some military supplies for the victims. MCS tells him not to report this as he should. The CP's people try to make a fuss, which draws attention to Jingyan's good deeds.

MCS hosts a party to show off his home renovations. Prince Yu brings Banruo. MCS invites everyone to search for a music scroll.

Names and titles:

MCS refers to 'Jingyan' while talking to Li Gang

Nihuang calls him 'Xiao Jingyan' when she's pissed at him.

Everyone at the party is calling him Su-xiansheng even though they're also openly acknowledging he's Mei Changsu.

Characters:

Nihuang absolutely goes off at Jingyan when he accuses MCS of having something to do with the explosion. She forces him to apologise twice. Shortly afterwards, Jingyan obeys MCS without question when told not to report the use of army supplies. He's rewarded by a full explanation of MCS's reasoning. The dynamics between the three of them in this scene are fascinating.

Xia Chun is very fond of music.

The CP says that when he's emperor, he's going to kill everyone who's crossed him.

Costumes:

At the party, Jingrui is suddenly wearing his hair jianghu style with the back down. It looks wispy and awful.

Misc:

121 people died in the explosion and subsequent fire. It's notable that everyone immediately goes 'is there a riot? is there going to be a riot?' A riot is a genuine threat and taken very seriously.

The way the game is played: anything is acceptable as long as it is seen as part of the factional fighting between the princes. The Emperor will take no drastic action to punish because he wants to keep the balance between them.

Thus, when the CP's in trouble, Yue-guifei (the brains of the operation) tells him to use double agents to make it look like Prince Yu is calling for him to be demoted.

Prince Yu, meanwhile, says he knows nothing about that and would Father please have mercy on the CP. He's not fooling anyone, but he doesn't have to. The Emperor knows exactly what's going on. It's all a play they're acting out for him.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

Will you maybe continue your NiF rewatch notes series? I have a friend that I recommended the series to, but he's never watched cdramas before and he gets lost... I send him your blogs after each episode and they really help. I also love that you notice so many things that I never payed attention to, like how people address each other or the clothes things and all... Just curious if you plan to continue

Ack, my first ask, I'm panicking!

I do intend to continue it, I just got distracted by another cdrama (Blood of Youth, starts very silly, plot gets better).

The Rewatch notes are also quite time-consuming and I only have a couple of days a week when I get the chance to sit down and do it.

My process for looking up details in the dialogue is probably hilarious: 1) Turn subtitles from English to Chinese. 2) Listen over until I can identify the character that corresponds to the sound. 3) Copy the character onto paper. 4) Use the mouse to draw the character in https://www.qhanzi.com/ 5) Copy the character the program spits out, if it manages to identify it. 6) Paste it into an online dictionary.

Thank god high school Japanese gave me some idea about stroke order.

Anyway, I'm so glad you and your friend have been finding it useful!

These are the resources I used when I was watching for the first time:

#nif #nirvana in fire #lyb #langya bang

[fandomside]

I wonder what was Wwx's plan after the core transfer if he wasnt caught by Wen Chao. When he met up with JC was he gonna say "You got your core back, cool dude!! Haha because of some mysterious illness i lost my core at the same time you got yours :D I cant do cultivation anymore but you go on"

#Jiang Cheng found a note #it said #“gone to hunt Wens catch up with you later” #Jiang Cheng never saw WWX again

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[fandomside]

This isn't really new or anything but the more I reread random passages the more convinced I am that there's something very unique about the way Jiang Cheng reacts to Wen Ning and it's just so interesting!

I'm convinced it's more than just being angry. It's more than just hating him, or blaming him for Jin Zixuan's death or his sister's life. It's more than being a Wen, and it comes long before so many of those tragedies unfold anyway.

There's a sort of urgent, visceral reaction to Wen Ning's presence that just has this different feeling to it than how he reacts to any of the other characters. Even characters he has strong emotional responses to, it's never with the same panic or recklessness. It's not the same as the whole "vengeful wrath, fathomless hatred, or raving ecstasy" situation he's got going on with Wei Wuxian (sexy as that might be).

When it's Wei Wuxian, it's all "...well, well. So you're back?" and "Haven't you got anything to say to me?" Even when he's not being very nice, even when he's throwing teacups and furious at Wei Wuxian, there's still an edge of calmness in the way he lashes out. He's fucking mad but he's had more than a decade to think about this and he's got things to say and he's trying so hard to get a reaction from Wei Wuxian that he just won't give him.

But he can't tolerate having Wen Ning anywhere near him. Much of the time he instantly lashes out, physically, in ways to create space between them. He's mean to Wen Ning, but he doesn't really have much to say to him; he just wants to get away from him.

It really stuck out to me how instinctive and instantaneous and emotional that reaction is when I was reading this passage from chapter 81 (ExR translation since I've got it on hand in digital text form), when Jin Ling returns Zidian and rushes back into the fray during the Second Siege:

When Jiang Cheng was unaware, he stuffed Zidian's ring back into his hand and sprinted toward the crowd, all the way up to the most dangerous area before the mouth of the cave. Jiang Cheng was about to chase after him when he managed to slice a few corpses, staggering. He felt that Sandu was no lighter than hundreds of pounds. Two female corpses threw themselves at him from both directions.

Jiang Cheng cursed. As he lifted his sword again, another pair of hands tore the two corpses into pieces, "Sect Leader..."

Jiang Cheng lost his temper as soon as he heard the voice. He kicked Wen Ning away and cursed, "Get the fuck away from me!"

Obviously that is not very nice and poor Wen Ning didn't deserve a kick for being legitimately helpful there, but the point is that not only does he lash out - the reaction happens even when he's clearly got higher priorities going on in a chaotic situation. Throughout that entire event he reacts in a somewhat more even-keeled way to almost everything except Wen Ning being in his vicinity.

And it's not just after Wen Ning's death, not just after he became Wei Wuxian's greatest weapon, not just after he was forced to kill Jin Zixuan - it's specifically a pattern established from the moment he woke up in the Supervisory Office without a core:

Before he could say anything, those sun robes reflected against Jiang Cheng's eyes. His pupils suddenly shrunk.

Jiang Cheng kicked Wen Ning, toppling over the bowl of medicine. The black liquid all spilled onto Wen Ning. Wei WuXian wanted to take the bowl of medicine. He pulled up Wen Ning as well, who had been shocked speechless. Jiang Cheng roared at him, "What's wrong with you?!"

At this point he doesn't even know how he was rescued, since he was unconscious for all of that, and thinks they're in a Wen trap and likely going to die (or worse). But there's so many echoes of that interaction again, and again, and again between them.

And combined with Wen Ning's remarks during the scene just before this, where he tells Wei Wuxian about the discipline whip injuries and how Jiang Cheng 'should have other injuries as well', the way the narrative is so deliberately ambiguous on what exactly occurred, it all makes me want to crawl up the walls and gnaw on the light fixtures wailing WHAT DID YOU SEE, WEN NING?! WHAT DID YOU SEE?

At a minimum, Jiang Cheng knows that Wen Ning was there at Lotus Pier prior to his capture by the Wen guards, because they'd both seen Wen Ning examining Jiang corpses on the training field before they fled for Meishan.

But everything after that is only implication and subtext and suppositions and speculation, not directly stated in the text. But based on his reaction, you can pry my headcanon from my cold dead hands that that Wen Ning probably witnessed all or much of what happened to Jiang Cheng after he was captured, and Jiang Cheng knows it.

I've also posted before how I think there's an at least nonzero chance that Jiang Cheng was never directly told that Wen Ning wasn't actually there with Wen Chao when they saw him early on, but came later to try to help (because when Wen Ning gives Wei Wuxian that information Jiang Cheng isn't conscious, and nobody tells Jiang Cheng anything. I don't think that headcanon changes much either way, but there is a slight difference, at least emotionally, between 'I helped you while I was there to slaughter your clan and destroy your life' and 'I came when I heard my crazy cousin was slaughtering your clan and tried to help you' and I think it's a juicy thing to add to the pile of misunderstandings they each have of the other's motivations and actions).

Which, if I go with these two ideas together, really drives home what a bespoke and specific nightmare the way the Golden Core reveal played out - not only the substance of the reveal, but the fact it was Wen Ning who revealed it.

He was already furious that they were even there at Lotus Pier, particularly Wen Ning. But the way it all happens it feels like it's not just echoes of the amplified emotions of the confrontation with Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian in the Ancestral Hall, it's not just Wen Ning being a Wen, or even Jin Zixuan's death, the way the narration calls out. It feels like there are deeper layers to it.

I also feel a bit stupid for not noticing before this probably extremely obvious to literally everyone else who isn't a dumbass like me parallel of Wen Ning getting a gruesome scorching whip mark across his chest at Lotus Pier in the course of saving Wei Wuxian (more or less, sort of - we know as readers Jiang Cheng was intentionally trying not to hurt them with Zidian, but I don't think Wen Ning knew that when he jumped in).

Jiang Cheng looked to find that the uninvited guest was Wen Ning. Immediately, he raged, "Who let you inside Lotus Pier?! How dare you!"

He could manage to tolerate others, but definitely not Wen Ning, the Wen-dog who put his hand through Jin ZiXuan's heart and ended both his sister's happiness and her life. Just a look, and he felt the urge to kill him right there. How dare he step foot on the earth of Lotus Pier—he really was looking for his death!

Because of the two lives and many other reasons, Wen Ning had always felt guilty, and so he'd always been somewhat scared of Jiang Cheng, consciously avoiding him all the time. Right now, however, he blocked Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi as he faced him, taking the hard lash. A gruesome scorch climbed across his chest, but still he didn't flinch.

I don't know that it actually means anything but it's making me FEEL THINGS incoherently at this specific moment, so. Also I find it legitimately sad that Wen Ning has to live with guilt over things that happened when he was controlled by someone else, though the scene before the Ancestral Hall when Jin Ling starts crying on the boat is probably a better example of that. Anyway.

It's just there's so, so many layers to how uniquely horrible it is for Jiang Cheng that he not only finds out about the Golden Core transfer this way, but also that Wen Ning, specifically, directly witnessed this life-shatteringly huge deception and sacrifice too - while Jiang Cheng was unconscious, no less.

And, well, we know how everything got capped off in that scene...

Obviously the shock of the information was going to get a huge reaction no matter what, no matter who or how he found out. Even without the Wen Ning element, it already hits every one of his deepest weaknesses and insecurities and fears.

But to come from the guy who'd witnessed his family being slaughtered, who'd witnessed who-knows-what humiliations heaped on him (who also happens to be the same fucking guy that Wei Wuxian thought it was worth leaving Yunmeng Jiang for, breaking his promise for...), the guy he blames for his sister's tragic fate (whether that blame is misplaced or not), the guy he exhibits a panic response towards even decades later, and goddamn.

There are just so many layers to this perfect little nightmare reveal on so many different levels aren't there?

There's just SO much meaty stuff for these two to dig into post-canon and all we get is an extra with a 'oh yeah sometimes Jiang Cheng yells on night hunts and Wen Ning is there' about it?!

I should probably just shut up and go read some Jiang Cheng and Wen Ning focused fics or something (whether romantic or platonic that's probably an area I really haven't explored enough vs. the amount of sheer interesting hints and material the novel gives to work with! If by some miracle anyone made it to the end of this beast feel free to drop any recs that explore them, especially that 'what did Wen Ning see?!' aspect of the whole situation because that is the current little brain worm haunting me right now).

#mdzs #cql #the untamed

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Sixteen

Events:

Zhen Ping is introduced. He beats up all Tianquan's men under jianghu rules.

Xia Dong goes to her husband's grave. MCS 'happens to be there' and asks to pay his respects, which impresses her. They see the yeti.

Jingrui follows brother Zhuo as he sets up an ambush for Shen Zhui. Jingrui interferes and foils the attempt.

The Zhuo don't tell Xie Yu Jingrui was there; Master Zhuo tells him off.

It's the night of the Lantern Festival. MCS visits Miaoyin Court with Jingrui and Yujin to hear Gong Yu play. Gong Yu gets a brithday party invitation.

The Zhuo make an attempt on Shen Zhui's manor. Zhen Ping and Lie Zhanying are waiting with a troop of crossbowmen. Brother Zhuo is injured.

Names and titles:

MCS calls Xia Dong Nie-furen when discussing her husband. Later she's back to Xia-daren.

Xia Chun is Xia Dong's da-shixiong.

Xie Qi calls her husband Qing-ge.

Costumes:

At the gravesite MCS is wearing a brass hair ornament with a bit of ribbon. ?

Characters:

Zhen Ping beat up 9 guys in one day.

Shen Zhui's bodyguard is pretty hot stuff, going toe to toe with brother Zhuo.

Xia Chun seems to rely on Xia Dong to do the thinking.

Gong Yu is known to not attend parties.

Misc:

Why is General Nie's grave on a random mountainside?

Where is the Nie family? Xia Dong should be part of their household.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Fifteen

Events:

The Emperor tells Xia Dong and Xia Chun to look into the eunuch murder. They conclude the culprit was an elite jianghu swordmaster, and Xia Dong suspects Xie Yu is behind it.

Banruo advises Prince Yu to curry favour with Meng Zhi by begging leniency from the Emperor on his behalf. MCS, and Xie Yu, point out that this is a bad idea because the Emperor will not welcome an alliance between Prince Yu and Meng Zhi. Banruo is pissed.

A pigeon comes from Lin Chen to say he's succeeded in Southern Chu.

Jingrui catches his Zhuo brother out late at night and is suspicious.

Shen Zhui visits Jingyan, who tells him to be careful of his personal safety; at the same time, Xie Yu is telling the Zhuo to target Shen Zhui.

A fire is set in the Palace; the Empress gets told off for carelessness and later has a bunch of servants flogged to death for minor offences.

Gong Yu tries to visit MCS again.

Jingrui shows off his sword moves to MCS and Yujin. MCS gets a birthday party invitation.

Names and titles:

MCS and Li Gang discuss Lin Chen referring to him as Lin-da-gongzi.

Consort Yue is a guifei again.

Jingrui and brother Zhuo both refer to Liyang as muqin.

Characters:

Banruo has enough status in Prince Yu's household to receive guests.

MCS ignores Banruo deliberately to put her back up.

When Xia Dong and Xia Chun are summoned before the Emperor, Xia Chun does the talking.

Meng Zhi is not stoic about injuries.

Xie Yu lies to the Zhuo to make Shen Zhui look like a legitimate target.

Shisan-xiansheng is a musician.

FL watches Jingrui's sword practice and isn't impressed, though he was memorising the moves.

Yujin's birthday is the Double Seven festival.

Gong Yu is supposed to be clever but she makes a completely fool of herself. Are we supposed to find her sentiment admirable, or is she just pathetic?

Costumes:

In bed, Meng Zhi's topknot is wound with a leather thong; the Emperor's with gold string.

When got up in the middle of the night, the court ladies dress in splendid robes but very simple hairstyles.

For his sword practice Jingrui takes off his sleeveless overrobe.

Time and place:

The Empress was married when she was 16.

It's less than ten days travel to Fenzuo where the Zhuo live. Usually they stay in the capital from New Year to mid-4th month. This year they're staying longer because Xie Qi is due to give birth in the 5th month.

Jingrui's birthday is the 12th day of the 4th month, and he will turn 25. That makes him about 5 or 6 years younger than MCS.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

WujiWatch: CQL Rewatch Episode 6

The big question in this episode is: exactly how bad is the mind-control talisman bit? Morally, I mean. It would help, for answering this question, if we knew what the talisman is intended to do.

If it’s not actually intended to overtake someone’s will, for example, that’s a better look for Wei Wuxian. But I think it’s pretty clear that that’s exactly what the talisman is supposed to do: Wei Wuxian has such a confident little smirk when he sticks that thing to Lan Wangji’s shoulder, and once he confirms that Lan Wangji is in a trance, he very confidently orders him to drink, clearly expecting he’ll be obeyed.

In Wei Wuxian’s favor, though, I think it’s also pretty clear that the talisman is meant to have a limited effect, and that any suggestibility that follows Lan Wangji’s drinking (calling Wei Wuxian “Wei-gege,” for example) is caused by the alcohol, not the talisman. You can see this in, e.g., the way Lan Wangji resists Wei Wuxian later in the scene, including by preventing him from touching Lan Wangji’s ribbon, but also—especially—in a bit of mirrored gesture business. Right after Wei Wuxian sticks the talisman onto Lan Wangji, he waves his hand in front of Lan Wangji’s face. Seeing that he doesn’t respond, Wei Wuxian smirks, satisfied: this is clearly the result he was going for. But after Lan Wangji drinks, Wei Wuxian does the exact same gesture, waving his hand in front of Lan Wangji’s face… and this time, when Lan Wangji doesn’t react, the look on Wei Wuxian’s face is pure consternation. This is not the result he was expecting and he is not happy about it.

I think the most plausible inference is that the talisman is a one-and-done: Wei Wuxian can give one order, but then the talisman wears off. (It could also be time-limited.) Additional arguments in favor: first, if Wei Wuxian had a long-lasting mind-control talisman, the plot of the drama would be very different (although there is the mind-reading spell that he and Lan Wangji use once and then never again, so bad worldbuilding is an equally plausible explanation); and second, I think that when Lan Wangji pitches forward on the table, we can see that the talisman is gone from his back, as if it fell off once its power wore off.

If it is a one-and-done, that is still not an okay thing for Wei Wuxian to have done, no question – but it’s less pernicious than it first appears. Wei Wuxian probably expected that, after he made Lan Wangji drink (i.e., after his one order was given and his talisman wore off), Lan Wangji would immediately return to his usual self, be outraged at Wei Wuxian, and try to fight him—which is Wei Wuxian’s idea of a good time. Instead, for the first time, he’s exposed to the idea of Lan Wangji as a real, vulnerable human being – someone capable of being hurt, sad, or lonely; someone who needs something from him. Their relationship will never be the same.

#mdzs

[fandomside]

any other Regency romance author from the latter part of the 20th century

Heyer was born in 1902 and died in 1974. She's firmly mid-century, at best. Which ties into my next point -

she’s only Regency romance writer I’ve read ... who’s fully willing to commit to the social mores of the setting, without overtly tipping her hand to whether she thinks they’re silly or worse. I have tried so hard to find any other Regency romance author from the latter part of the 20th century with an ounce of skill who who can resist the temptation to give their protagonists hilariously anachronistic progressive attitudes towards their servants (and towards the very concept of class and 1800s British aristocracy) and I have failed.

Heyer did, in fact, insert her own social beliefs into her books. They're all there. That's what she thought.

I love Heyer. I've read some of my favourites dozens of times. But the anti-semitism isn't an aberration. She genuinely believed in the inherent excellence of the gentry, and the inherent and proper servility of the lower classes.

Indulging myself in historical romance novels and coming to the conclusion nobody out there does it like Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen or the Brontes. Georgette Heyer my beloved *chefkiss* I thought of you because I remember you loving her stuff too. Gonna hunt down the ones I haven't read yet As A Treat

Georgette Heyer ruined me for Regency romance novels written by almost any other modern author. Not just because she’s brilliant (although she is) or because she did All The Research (although she did), or even because she was hysterically funny (although she was). But also because she’s only Regency romance writer I’ve read (Austen does NOT count, as she was not writing Regency romances, but rather was a Regency-era author writing contemporary romances) who’s fully willing to commit to the social mores of the setting, without overtly tipping her hand to whether she thinks they’re silly or worse. I have tried so hard to find any other Regency romance author from the latter part of the 20th century with an ounce of skill who who can resist the temptation to give their protagonists hilariously anachronistic progressive attitudes towards their servants (and towards the very concept of class and 1800s British aristocracy) and I have failed. I’d call it Downton Abbey Syndrome, except that I know that Downton Abbey was a victim of this rather than the architect of it.

Anyway, Heyer in particular is an absolute master of the ridiculousness of Regency England society and the marriage mart (a very specific slice of very local history that’s been mythologized and fetishized into a whole fantasy world, in 20th and 21st century English speaking society, in great part due to Heyer’s work, and not just the enduring popularity of Jane Austen). Heyer basically invented the Regency romance as historical playground, based on a lot of meticulously researched real-life nonsense, and then made a solid living writing in it for decades, while quietly being pissed that no one was reading her also meticulously-researched but much less fun historical novels. She is hands down one of my favorite writers of all time, and every time I crack open a Heyer I haven’t read in a while, I feel like I’m learning new things about the craft of writing. Love her love her LOVE HER.

#georgette heyer

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Fourteen

Events:

MCS and Yan Que finish their talk.

Banruo's suggestion to swap out the prisoners to free Minister He's son is put into action. It's carried out by the Minster of Justice Qi Min. Once Minister He is back at work, MCS figures out what's happened and leaks it to Xie Yu. Minister He, Minister Qi MIn and He Wenxin are all arrested.

Yujin works out MCS isn't really working for Prince Yu.

New Years banquets, children bowing to parents. Jingyan gets an extra gift and Mu Qing gets an extra dish from the palace.

The Zhuo murder the guards and eunuch carrying one of the gifted dishes from the palace. Meng Zhi is flogged 20 times and given 30 days to find out who did it.

Yujin visits MCS to thank him for talking his father out of regicide, and they have a lovely moment together.

MCS and Fei Liu visit Mu Manor. MCS and NIhuang, and Xie Yu and Zhuo, discuss what happens next re Meng Zhi losing imperial favor.

Names and titles

Nihuang is calling MCS xiongzhang now.

Jingrui's parents are 'fuqin, muqin, die, niang', with his noble parents getting the formal titles and his jianghu parents getting the familiar.

Jingrui calls his jianghu brother 'Qingyao-xiongzhang'

Xie Bi calls the Zhuos 'Zhuo-bobo, Zhuo-bomu'.

Characters:

Prince Yu is very much like his father as a young man. This explains why Xiao Xuan was seen as a good choice for Emperor, and why Yan Que and Lin Xie liked him. Prince Yu is likeable. He's also petulant, easily manipulated, faithless and unprincipled, just like his father.

Yan Que has been following events at court closely despite not involving himself.

Kudos to Yan Que for telling Yujin everything. This means Yujin now has an adult understanding of the Chiyan case.

Minister He is overjoyed to learn an innocent man will be executed in his son's place.

7 princes: three we know, Prince Ning is disabled, one 'has no ambition', one is 'too young'. That leaves one unknown. We can see at New Year that one's a child - if he's the 'too young' there's still one unknown.

Yan-daifu is living in MCS's household, not just visiting.

Time

Half a year ago, Xie Yu told Tianquan to recruit more martial artists from the jianghu. That would be back in summer, before the first episode.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

So why doesn't MCS send Meng Zhi directly to rescue Nihuang? Why involve Jingyan? There are two possibilities. The first is that on the spur of the moment, MCS calculates this is an opportunity for Jingyan to gain favour with Yunnan. The second is that the only person Lin Shu trusts to rescue Nihuang when he can't do it himself is Jingyan.

Having watched the scene again -

It's unclear whether his illness was real or faked, but he had a clear emotional reaction when he realised Nihuang was in danger. He's crouched on the ground. The first thing he tells Meng Zhi to do is to tell Jingyan. He doesn't think about, he doesn't hesitate. His first thought is Jingyan.

His second thought is let's get him some backup, so he tells Meng Zhi to alert the Empress.

His third thought is shit, there are so many ways this could go wrong, so he tells Meng Zhi to send some guards.

In reality, it was the Empress who saved Nihuang, not Jingyan. All Jingyan managed to do was get in a hostage stand-off. I love Jingyan dearly, but he was not the right person for the job.

It wasn't Mei Changsu crouched on the ground ordering Meng Zhi about; it was Lin Shu.

Mei Changsu's Plots: Nihuang's Rescue

Warning for discussion of attempted rape

Episodes: 5-6

The rescue of Nihuang was unusual in that we know MCS came up with it on the spur of the moment. When the Empress publically invited Nihuang to lunch, both she and MCS thought that was the threat and all she had to do now was avoid being drugged. MCS is walking through the Palace with Jingrui and Yujin when he learns that the Empress's marriage candidate is otherwise engaged that day...

Goal: Save Nihuang from being a) drugged b) raped c) married to Sima Lei.

Parameters: Not just anyone can walk into Yue-guifei's manor and very few people have legitimate business there. If the CP is present, there may be armed guards. Also, his high rank will present an obstacle to any rescuer. Nihuang may be in a vulnerable state, potentially freshly raped, probably unable to help in her own rescue.

Resources: Jingrui and Yujin. They are young, untested, and have no authority. MCS has very specific plans for JIngrui and his family that would be disrupted if he got himself arrested. These are shitty resources.

But wait! Meng Zhi appears.

Resources: Meng Zhi. This is much better. He has authority within the Palace and answers directly to the Emperor. Armed guards will not be a problem for him.

So why doesn't MCS send Meng Zhi directly to rescue Nihuang? Why involve Jingyan?

There are two possibilities. The first is that on the spur of the moment, MCS calculates this is an opportunity for Jingyan to gain favour with Yunnan.

The second is that the only person Lin Shu trusts to rescue Nihuang when he can't do it himself is Jingyan.

Potential failure points: oh boy are there a lot of these. MCS has no idea of the timing here. It might already be too late. Or it might not be today at all. [Frankly I think this is a big plothole. Also, why is Nihuang in more danger now MCS knows it's Yue-guifei, than when he thought it was the Empress? Nihuang is not stupid enough to discount Yue-guifei as a threat.] But the biggest complication is the CP, who is negligible as a person but has tremendous social power. And Jingyan, bless him, is not good at negotiating. If there's a confrontation, it's almost guaranteed that Jingyan will do something to get himself into trouble.

Goal: Get Jingyan out of trouble. (Lin Shu has lots of practice at this.)

Parameters: MCS doesn't know what sort of trouble, but it will probably end up with the Emperor. MCS does not want to reveal his own role, and he certainly doesn't want to reveal the roles of the chain of women who got the warning to him, if only to prevent ructions in Xie Yu's household if Liyang's role is revealed. MCS has plans for that family.

Resources: Let's see, someone opposed to Yue-guifei and the CP, who has no particular beef with Jingyan, the favour of the Emperor, and will listen to MCS... honestly, you have to pity Prince Yu. He thinks he's the big man, and MCS is using him as a handy tool.

Side-benefit: Prince Yu is grateful to MCS for giving him an opportunity to benefit himself. In fact, this incident solidifies their alliance and cements Prince Yu's trust.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

Nirvana in Fire Rewatch Episode Thirteen

Events:

The Ministry of Personnel is being neglected because Minister He is ill after the arrest of his son.

Yujin visits MCS and brings mandarins.

Jingyan visits MCS (he says he managed to do it secretly) and tells him Shen Zhui has discovered the gunpowder smuggling.

Jingyan calls out MCS on Lin Shu's fabric-fiddling tell. Immediately afterwards, MCS starts a debate on ethics that he knows will piss Jingyan off.

MCS figures out Yan Que's gunpowder plot. Yan-daifu tries to stop him going out to visit the Marquis.

MCS tells Yujin about his father's early accomplishments.

MCS starts talking Yan Que out of the plot.

Meng Zhi (sent by MCS) finds the fuses at the altar.

Names and titles

The priest working with Yan Que is called Wen-tianshi.

Jingrui refers to Yujin's father as Yan-bobo when speaking with Yujin.

Yan Que refers to Lin Xie as dage.

Characters

Yujin asks if Fei Liu is old enough for brothels!

Consort Xu, the most senior of the Emperor's consorts, has an adult daughter.

Yan-daifu made a bet with Lin Chen when he agreed to take MCS as a patient.

Yan Que made his reputation 37 years ago, when he was 20. He walked into the army camp of an alliance between Da Yu, Northern Yan and 'the East Sea' and sowed dissension between them.

Yan Que is the eldest son of the old Imperial tutor from Xiao Xuan's boyhood. They all but grew up together.

Yan Que hates Xiao Xuan. It started when he took Lin Yueyao, who Yan Que loved, as concubine (Chen-fei) a year after ascending the throne.

Yan Que was on a daoist retreat when the Chiyan case happened.

Why has Yan Que been twiddling his thumbs for 12 years? Did it just take him that long to work up the courage for regicide?

Yujin's mother died after his birth. Is he an only child? Why does no one but the Emperor have concubines?

Costumes

The sports uniforms Yujin and Jingrui are wearing are neat, but they don't look very warm. Everyone's breath steams, even indoors, it must be so cold.

#nirvana in fire #nif #langya bang #lyb

[fandomside]

I don't usually reblog gifsets but this is too cute.

The Adventures of Paperman