#Zhou Yu going insane

[mylilsoysauce]

"He's gone..."

"Yet I still cling."

[asclepyus]

This has all probably been talked about before but I’m F/SR brainrotted and desperately need to yell about these guys and compile my thoughts, the way they were both forced to relive trauma at the end of their story together, and the really mean parallels between the main game and their ending in DLC 1 so here we go long rant under the cut this’ll have to be two or three parts so I can fit all the images in

Spoilers for main game including NG+ and DLC 1, TW for sui mention and discussion

Part 1. Zhou Yu, Zheng Chenggong and reliving trauma at the end of Zhou Yu’s life as a heroic spirit

So I’ve been thinking a lot about the very specific way in which Zhou Yu is stripped of his autonomy which culminates in his death in the main storyline in both spirit and body and how it majorly parallels with one of his greatest regrets and despairs in life.

Fatal illness is another great thief of autonomy, and the sense of helplessness that comes with it so strongly parallels the mind control spell that he and the other servants were placed under, and both resulted in a death that left Zhou Yu in despair and unable to fulfill the promises he had made or the life he wishes he could’ve lived during his time as a heroic spirit. He constantly states that as a servant all he wants is to lead Zheng to victory in a way he was unable to in life under Sun Quan, that the only wish he truly needs fulfilled is that one. As long as he can do that he needs nothing else and would be able to move on peacefully knowing he’d helped Zheng fulfill his own wish.

But of course, it wasn’t meant to be. Zhou Yu succumbs to the mind control spell just as he did to illness in life, with just as much fatality in his future. He’s forced to become a prisoner of his own body, fully conscious but completely helpless, knowing that all of his wishes and ambitions had been struck down for a second time and that he’d been robbed of his autonomy just as he had in life. And what’s even worse is the fact that he came so close to ending the life of the one he’d devoted his afterlife to, fighting with every ounce of strength left in him to spare Zheng because he’s the one person that Zhou Yu couldn’t bear striking down. He’d lost Sun Ce in life, and he’d be damned if he lost another person so beloved to him especially at his own hands.

And so Zhou Yu is helpless to watch himself massacre Zheng’s soldiers, Zheng’s people, the very ones that he had wanted to help lead to victory under Zheng. He’s helpless to watch himself burn the city along with innocent people. They curse him, call him a traitor, and there’s not a thing he can do to stop himself despite his anguish. The one thing that may have saved him from the darkest depths of despair in this moment is Zheng returning for him and addressing him with the same tone and smile he always had despite the corpse of one of his soldiers at Zhou Yu’s feet, freshly dead and slaughtered by him. Because Zheng isn’t above seeing people as numbers, him and Zhou Yu are the same kind of wretched in the way only a master to a servant summoned without a catalyst could be. Zheng only has eyes for Zhou Yu in this moment and there was never a second that Zheng blamed Zhou Yu for his actions under the spell or thought any worse of him, because they’re both terrible under everything. The corpse at Zhou Yu’s feet is just another number in Zheng’s eyes and - despite how terrible it is - brings Zhou Yu relief, because they’re the same kind of wretched.

In the end Zhou Yu is rendered unable to fight or move any longer, sparing him from committing any further acts of atrocity. He knows, he knows deep down that there is nothing that can be done to save him, there is no salvation for him even if they could find a miracle to break the spell he was under. There’s a single way forward for him at this point now that his spirit core had been broken down to this point and he knows that, and he’s not taking a single chance with Zheng’s life.

Now this segues into Zheng’s trauma that he is forced to relive. His lays on a much simpler principle, but just as gut wrenching and completely unfair. Zheng is a very blunt and honest person, but almost never allows himself to be vulnerable. The first time we ever see him let down his walls and his carefree facade is with Zhou Yu, and this was where the topic of conversation led them.

It’s barely touched upon in the game but it’s clear as day that his mother meant a great deal to him, and any form of death is extremely hard to deal with and process especially when it comes to parents but suicide brings so many more complex emotions to the table and can make moving on that much harder. It comes with guilt and inadequacy and so many “what ifs” because there must have been some way to avoid that sort of death, right? Zheng clearly still deals with some heavy feelings regarding her death and the circumstances, 5 years is not much time to process that sort of thing especially when you’re in the middle of a war, which makes what Zhou Yu does next to keep Zheng safe from him feel so much worse.

The absolute horror and despair that crosses Zheng’s face when he realizes what Zhou Yu is about to do and is about to put him through for the second time in his life. One of the only people he couldn’t betray, that he could never see as just a number, would take their own life, again. It’s more guilt, more feelings of inadequacy, more “what ifs” and trying to come up with something, anything, to salvage the situation in the mere seconds they have left. And Zhou Yu has to have known, they’ve known each other’s depths and there are no secrets lost between them, and he would still choose this ending for himself a thousand times if it meant Zheng’s life was no longer in danger. Because Zheng’s life is so much more important to him than anything, and he knows Zheng is tenacious, he’s seen it time and time again. He chooses the less of two evils despite knowing it came at the cost of re-traumatizing Zheng. Zhou Yu tries to soften the situation as much as he’s able to at the end, to provide as much comfort in his death as he’s able to, but none of that changes that it’s still a horrible thing to witness for anyone, regardless of experience, let alone someone who cared so deeply.

Zheng weeps again for the first time since his mother’s death, his mother who died in such a similar fashion.

It’s such a divinely tragic and unfair ending for the two of them, seemed tailored specifically to push into the darkest parts of the two of them, into their biggest regrets. Zhou Yu’s final words become something like a curse to Zheng, pushing him to cross lines he may not have previously. Or maybe he would’ve in any case, just not as soon as he did.

But what a beautiful thing to have cared so much that they both felt every emotion so intensely at the end of it all, that they both did everything they possibly could for the other in such a hopeless situation. Neither was a general at this moment, not a soldier or a killer. Just two people who cared very deeply for each other trying to save the other, despite the inevitable despair on the horizon.

[mengyan]

zhou yue + calling her wife “阿鱼” <3

fu jing as zhou yue & wu jiayi as shen yu | gu yi the letter from the cloud 云中谁寄锦书来 (2022)

[zhoudadudugongjin]

[popfishjr]

AU in which Zhou Gongjin Gets Over It™️

TWO MONTHS

Zhou Gongjin spent too much of his time thinking about that egotistical asshole strategist.

His close confidant, Lu Su, panicked when Zhou Yu revealed his intentions of killing the bastard.

"Gongjin, pray tell, why would you do such a thing in such times of need?"

Gongjin raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" He said, as if the reason was obvious. "A scheming traitor like him can't possibly be left alive, Zijing."

"How... how is Kongming a traitor in your eyes?"

Gongjin smiled, eyes narrowed. "Consider this, if our battle against the Cao army is victorious, Kongming would occupy Jing Province. Vice versa, if we are defeated, he would take the opportunity to seize our very own Jiangdong."

Gongjin turned to face Zijing, challenging him to say that he's wrong. Zijing said nothing, only sighed in disbelief. Good enough.

THREE MONTHS

It was getting ridiculous. Whenever Zhuge Liang was in the room, Zhou Yu would be looking at him with what his fellow generals would call ‘The Glare™️’ . Zhuge Kongming wasn’t fazed, though. Not even after multiple well-disguised assassination attempts from the Grand Commander himself.

Gongjin wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug, knowing look off the strategist's face. Perhaps he’ll even frame his annoying feather fan on his wall when he finally gets him to die under his hand.

FOUR MONTHS

“Grand Commander, Zhuge Liang has successfully brought back 100,000 arrows.”

Zhou Yu wanted to smash his head against a wooden pillar. This was insanity. He had been so sure he could humiliate and then execute the strategist for failing the task he swore to accomplish. He had given him a ten day limit, but Zhuge Liang shot that down immediately.

“Just give me three days and no more,” he had said, ever calmly fanning his feather fan. Zhou Yu could’ve sworn he saw a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Now, Gongjin was pacing around his room in frustration and disbelief. This Zhuge Liang was smarter than he had anticipated. Zhou Yu just couldn’t allow that.

If this continues, everyone’s going to run to the fan-waving tactician instead of their own Grand Commander, tumbling head-over-heels to beg for his wit and schemes. Gongjin winced at the thought. That would be humiliation beyond measure.

"Gongjin," Lu Su stood awkwardly in a corner. "I heavily advise you to fix your relationship with Kongming."

"I'm not in the mood for this conversation."

"Gongjin!" Lu Su snapped. "Kongming is able to serve as a valuable asset to defeat Cao Cao's attack!"

"You doubt my ability to defeat Cao Cao?" Zhou Yu shot a glare at Lu Su. "I can manage without Zhuge Liang perfectly fine."

Lu Su was silent for a moment. "Gongjin, may I ask a question?"

"Go on."

"Promise me you won't be angered."

Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes. "...Proceed with your question."

"Is the future of Jiangdong the genuine cause of your desire to kill Kongming, or is it because you're jealous of his intelligence?"

Zhou Yu froze. "How dare-" he took in a deep breath and pictured Xiao Qiao playing a piece, and exhaled.

"Out," he pointed to the exit. "Now."

SIX MONTHS

Gongjin had been drinking tea and chatting with Zhuge Liang lately and he hates him more than ever.

“Know yourself and the enemy,” Sun Tzu had whispered in Gongjin’s ear in his dreams. Oh, how well Gongjin was going to know him. It was inevitable to him that he would find a weakness sooner or later. And when he did, he wasn’t planning on holding back.

Within three weeks, Gongjin had invited Zhuge Liang for a chat approximately ten times. He had every one of the strategist's mannerisms and body language memorised. He was surprisingly easy to read, once Gongjin figured out the fun fact that he tended to subconciously channel his emotions into his fan-fanning.

He was also surprised to learn something new each time he spent time with Zhuge Liang. The strategist broke the boundaries of Gongjin’s area of observable knowledge, gifting and expanding his mind with unexplored areas of wisdom, waiting to be comprehended.

Zhuge Liang was always corteous and kind once Gongjin got to know him. Some part of that angered Gongjin. Did Zhuge Liang look down on him so much that he wasn’t worth insulting and getting angry over? Or was Gongjin overthinking? Zhuge Liang was a well of knowledge and wisdom, and he was offering Gongjin the bucket. By god was he thirsty.

SEVEN MONTHS

“Grand Commander.”

“Grand Commander.”

Zhou Yu inhaled sharply, abruptly sitting up and wiping the drool off his face. He turned to see Lü Meng kneeling by his bedside.

“What is it?”

“It is already two in the afternoon.”

“What?” Gongjin got up from his bed, only to hear a clatter as “Mastering the Art of War” fell from his lap to the floor.

Lü Meng stood up and sighed. “Grand Commander, I strongly urge you to burn the book, as you usually do. I’m certain you can already recite its contents without hesistancy.”

Gongjin shook his head. “Such an eye-opening book should be spared from flames.”

Lü Meng frowned. “What makes this one so special? Isn’t the author your rival and sworn enemy?”

Gongjin clenched his jaw and stared out the window. “I suppose so, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy his works.”

Lü Meng narrowed his eyes.

EIGHT MONTHS

Zhou Gongjin spent too much of his time thinking about Zhuge Liang. How could anyone be so gracefully smart? Gongjin often caught himself wishing he knew Kongming as children. He could’ve easily asked for his knowledge as friends then. But, wouldn’t that be too shameful now? Asking for his knowledge would be equivalent to admitting defeat, and General Zhou never admits defeat.

NINE MONTHS

Lü Meng wrapped a bandage around Gongjin’s wound as he lay, torso bare, on his bed.

“All done,” Lü Meng stood up. “All you need is rest from now on.”

Gongjin shook his head. “I have some business I need to see to.” He attempted to sit up, grunting with effort as he strained his muscles to push himself upright. Lü Meng wanted to slap some sense into him.

“W- Well, at least put some clothes on first."

Right after Lü Meng finished his sentence, he heard Kongming’s voice come from beyond the entrance. He was talking to one of Gongjin’s assistants outside.

“May you please inform Grand Commander Zhou that I’m here to s-” Kongming’s eyes met Gongjin’s from outside the entrance. He froze, pupils darting from Gongjin to Lü Meng, who was also looking at him. No one spoke for a moment, and Kongming’s face abruptly turned bright red.

“Ah, I see, I-” he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Grand Commander, I’ll return at a more appropriate time.”

Kongming bowed quickly bowed and left.

Zhou Yu frowned. “He could’ve come talk to me, why did he leave?”

Lü Meng paused, but then let out a small chuckle and shook his head. “Kongming probably wanted you to rest as well.”

TEN MONTHS

Zhou Gongjin spent too much of his time thinking about Kongming.

That night, they shared drinks and got terribly drunk over their past regrets and sorrows that even geniuses like them couldn’t fix. He had noticed Kongming’s clenched fist, his eyes glistening with tears. Setting down his ninth cup of wine, Gongjin reached over and held his fist in his own two hands. Kongming’s hand was cold against his warm ones.

“Your hands are cold as the Yangtze River on a winters night.” Gongjin unfurled his fingers and carressed his palm.

Kongming shook his head in despair. “My blood isn’t enough for my body like my services aren’t enough for the world.”

“You’re more than enough for me,” Gongjin quickly chimed in. “Besides, a bright person like you shouldn’t say such negative words about yourself.”

The strategist looked for all the world like a white rabbit vulnerable to an arrow.

“I’m confused.”

“Hm?” Gongjin stopped tracing circles on Kongming’s hand. The strategist that pissed him half to death with his genius? Confused?

“Don’t you see me as a rival to your wit, General? Or an enemy, as others might say.” Kongming said, staring down at the general holding his hand. “Why are you suddenly treating me so well?”

Gongjin shifted awkwardly, choosing to down his tenth cup of wine. Why did ‘others’ matter?

“Your wit is as sharp as 100, 000 arrows, do you really not know why?”

“Do I?”

Gongjin wanted to laugh. He was certainly drunk enough to do so, but he felt like he was going to have a heart palpitation, so he didn’t. Fuck, the strategist’s game never stops, does it? He knew Kongming wanted him to say it.

“You’re far cleverer than me. I had grown jealous of the way your mind works. I can’t seem to figure you out.”

“I knew that.”

Gongjin tightened his grip on Kongming’s hand. “Don't make this worse, strategist."

Kongming's eyes were still damp from tears, but he gave a small smile at that.

"It's been ten months, Kongming. I've learned that jealousy doesn't serve me,"

"Oh?" Kongming raised an amused eyebrow.

"Besides, you're not a mighty general like me anyways."

That finally did it. Kongming shook Gongjin's hands off in mock offense, his laughter seemed to change his tears into happy ones.

Kongming stopped only when Gongjin quickly took hold of his hand again, as if he were afraid that he'd lose him.

Kongming paused. "There's something else you want to tell me." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Gongjin was staring at the ground in-between him and the strategist. His eyes darted around anxiously. He had to admit, sometimes he had to remind himself that Zhuge Liang couldn't actually read his mind. Gongjin wondered what would happen if he could. Would he laugh, humiliating him for his shameful thoughts? He couldn't even figure out how Kong ming would react after ten months of knowing him. A strike of panic stabbed the General when Kongming removed his hand, only to wrap both his hands over Gongjin's

"A general's hands shouldn't be shaky, Gongjin." Kongming gave his trembling hands a squeeze. "It isn't recomendable in combat."

Gongjin let out an uncertain breath.

"As... As I've said, I've known you for ten months, and... I had looked down on you, and I know I treated you poorly and I sincerely apologise," his words became rushed. "I'm very thankful that you have managed to put all that in the past, very thankful, and uh, you know, we've been spending more time together as friends lately, and I've gotten to know you so much better these past few weeks, and- and my view on you has changed drastically and I really admire you as a person-"

The torrent of words gushed out of Gongjin's mouth. All the alcohol he drank had broke the dam down.

"And if I'm being completely honest with you, Kongming, think I may be really really drunk and that's probably the only reason I'm able to get these words out but I've really come to like you more than rivals usually do, I think? And- and more than friends do as well, perhaps. Wait actually what if I'm just being weird and regular friends actually all feel like this towar-"

All the questions were blown from Gongjin's head when Kongming tugged him by his lapels and their lips met, like spark meeting the explosive. Kongming's lips were softer than he'd ever imagined, which was funny, considering the words that escaped it could be as sharp as knives if Kongming wanted them to be. Gongjin's breath caught in his throat when he ran a hand through his hair. Good to know all that combing and rice water baths were worth it. He returned the kiss, and revelled in the way it felt like returning home. The silent words of "more than friends" could be heard in the way the strategist leaned into his body, like they were puzzle pieces meant to be.

TEN MONTHS, ONE DAY

"Grand Commander."

"Grand Commander."

Zhou Yu groaned as he sat up, kicking the blankets off. His head throbbed as he turned to see Lü Meng standing by his bedside once again.

"What, is it two in the afternoon again?" Gongjin rubbed his aching temples, chuckling at the recollection.

The general bit his lip. "It's three."

"Huh?" Gongjin scrambled to get off the bed, but Lü Meng immediately stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

The general looked past Gongjin's shoulder, and he turned to follow his gaze.

"Oh god," his eyes widened at the sight of the famed strategist Zhuge Kongming sleeping soundly right beside him. His hair was loose in places, falling over his face. Wrinkles covered his clothes, and there was a pile of blanket on his legs that Gongjin had kicked off earlier.

“What happened last night?”

“You invited him over, Grand Commander.”

“I- I did… I-” Gongjin groaned and shook his head, which hammered with pain whenever he tried to recollect his memories. “I shouldn’t have drank so much.”

Kongming stirred in his sleep, snuggling closer to Gongjin, who stood up immediately.

“Uh,” He gave Lü Meng an embarrassed look. “I’ll have a change of clothes. Wait for me outside.”

TEN MONTHS, TWO WEEKS

Zhou Yu couldn’t put his finger on why, but his chats with the strategist felt different than usual, lately. Was it because the regular glint of mischief was no longer present in his eyes? Or that it was replaced with a barely detectable glint of sadness and confusion instead? And why was Gongjin afraid of asking “why”?

Every meeting with Kongming felt as if he expected him to say or do something, but what did he want him to do? He wished Kongming would just say it. But who knew, during their next chat over Gongjin’s tea, he actually did.

“Gongjin,” Kongming’s hand balled into a loose fist around the handle of his fan.

“You’re anxious.”

Kongming gave a wry smile. “You know me well.”

“What is it you wish to say?”

“I was wondering if you… if you remember what happened that night.”

Gongjin frowned. “What night?”

“Two weeks ago?” The way Kongming said it like he was pleading hurt Gongjin’s heart. “We were in your room, both of us drunk. That is probably the reason you don’t remember it too well…”

Kongming rambled on, trying desperately to jog his memory. Gongjin had to stop himself from chuckling— Kongming didn’t even mention to him the highlight of that night. That’s alright. He could add that part in himself.

He leaned in for a small kiss, which successfully stemmed the strategist’s flow of words. His face reddened. “Ah.”

“Oh? Who knew one day the general would finally catch the mighty strategist off-guar-” but Gongjin’s words were cut off with an annoyed look from Kongming, who then pressed his lips onto his defiantly, perhaps with a bit too much force as they tumbled over each other again.

[liobi]

Welcome new 3k followers! Just so you know what you're getting into, I post fic snippets mostly of Arknights, my tagging system is "[topic] tag" or the work title, and I'm VERY into GL/Baihe/Yuri, but BL is cool too as evidenced by... everything @trisshawkeye and i have watched together (and unfortunately I am a fan of random old man yaoi which is a problem outside of my control).

My absolute most unhinged 3k ships are Lady Huang/Lady Sun, Actual Living Knife Diaochan/there's a practical problem and I'm gonna kill myself about it Lady Mi, and Zhuge Liang/Caocao spade/blackrom style. Do i have a justification for any of these? No i just want to put them on opposite ends of a train track and send them at each other full throttle. Triss im sorry you had to find out about any of these this way.

oh right my dream fight mashup would be fictional characters Zhou Fei from Bandits/Legend of Fei and the mostly fictional Novel version of Guan Yu. i probably have more insane landmines laying around somewhere but i haven't found them yet. It's 3am. I'm going to bed now

[nemainofthewater]

Halfway through and currently Lan Wangji and Xie Yun (Wang Yibo) ar ein the lead with 20.3%, followed by Xu Xie and Shen Wei (Zhu Yilong) with 19.8%, then in third Yun Weishan and Xiao Lanhua (Esther Yu) with 9.6%.

It's been a close race so far - this worning there was only a 0.5% difference between the two frontrunners! There had also been some excellent (non-tag) propaganda and I highly recommend checking it out in the notes. There has also been anti-propaganda where people are positing that the switch would actually make things better, and I love to see it!

Tag propaganda under the cut:

Shen Wei and Wu Xie

by @unforth

by @thelaithlyworm

#hooooboy shen wei and wu xie#the entire graverobbing industry would be sooooo fucked#guardian#dmbj by @fixaidea

#look wu xie is a chaos gremlin#while shen wei is a sweet professor#who moonlights as an enforcer#the sheer chaos wu xie would do if he is mistaken as shen wei#would be chef kiss by @1ebilcat

Yun Weishan and Xiao Lanhua

#the yu shuxin one#honestly most of her characters if they switched with weishan in mjty it would be a mess#i love that she usually plays silly carefree characters she does it so well#also interesting bc weishan is a twin by @baek1nho

Lan Wangji and Xie Yun

#I don't recognize enough of these names...#but both Mei Changsu and Lan Wangji would absolutely wreck havoc trying to get back home#They're too driven and have made promises to live by by @okionlywanttoreadforever

Ye Baiyi and Xiao Zijin

#ye baiyi and xiao zijin switching is sooooo funny like#yby in the mlc world is absolutely hilarious but the idea of xzj having to deal with wenzhou..... delightful by @nutcasewithaknife

Wu Xun and Hao Chen

#I'm picking wu xin and the other guy#whom i don't know but i think is evil?#because that would be chaos in both directions#with lots of deaths in blood of youth i guess#bc evil guy would side with what's his name pathetic evil half brother prince#xiao se wouldn't live long enough to get healed#ruoyi would...#and it would be chaos all over that country#meanwhile wu xin would wreak a bit more wholesome havoc in the other world by @fire-burning-brighter

Mei Changsu and Ming Tai

#ming tai is getting mei changsu dead whilst ming lou is getting mei changsu dead in a whole other way*#I would love to see wu xie shen wei swap tho ngl. their surface personalities seem so different but actually they're both entirely insane#the untamed#mdzs#nif#dmbj#lost tomb reboot#the disguiser#yby-xzj swap would be amusing but ultimately both characters would spend their time being annoying/ed to different degrees#mlc#woh#*mcs may be a schemer like ming lou but that's based on him having cards to shuffle. if he got swapped into the disguiser he'd have none#and he'd also have a very suspicuous brother. hence ming lou -> mei changsu = 💀 by @muninnhuginn

Other

by @lacommunarde, @merinnan, and @thelaithlyworm

#i've seen this one on lofter quite a bit:#teng she and xiao ruofeng (bai shu)#teng she being the one to cause chaos obviously#(i think xrf would make a good shenjun) by @rose-tinted-vision

#ye bingchang and wen xiao (chen duling)#if hyx and shui long yin were out I would have said Chu Wanning and Tang Lici (Luo Yunxi) by @travalerray

#dawg imagine kongming js coming back to Liu Bei and being like huh your hair is different.. heYY OH GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING-#or meeting up with 'zhou yu' again and 1. no mustache 2. really flamboyant clothes??? 3. WHY DOES HE REFER TO HIMSELF AS A PRINCE?? by @popfishjr

#Jin Xuan and Happy Ghost switching places is the definition of chaos#the sheer difference in personalities#the power levels involved#and their potential team-ups#yang chaoran#the blood of youth#word of honor#poll by @feng-huli

#I'm gonna have to go with Xie Wei from Story of Kunning Palace and Changheng from LBFAD actually#Zhang Linghe#cdrama by @circumference-pie

It's really fun pointing at the screen and going 'hey it's that actor!'

(Or at least it is if you can tell the actors apart when they have a different hairstyle, which i can't. In that case a trusted friend helps)

But have you ever considered.

What if the two characters changed places?

[bamioayam]

A part of him hated Taotie, he truly did. Yet he understood that it wasn't the entire story. The two of them had been so entangled with each other it almost didn't matter what emotions had spurred it at the start; they hated and made love in equal measure, one leading to the other. And after so many years, Xu Lin had bitterly understood that even to himself, memories of his ge were inextricably linked to that of Taotie: it was Taotie's dogged attempts to replace him that made Xu Lin so nostalgic for those old days. The three of them… probably could never be freed.

There was no point in trying.

Throwing this together into one post because most of them don’t warrant separate posts, but anyway, my taobai #2 (also known as tao2bai, for a reason that will become apparent), or the one with conspiracy-theory-levels of background information that makes me look a bit insane trying to explain it...

With this pair, I’m going with extremely specific lore extrapolated from a random observation by 神梦居士 on zhihu regarding the similarities between Baizetu (Diagrams of Bai Ze) and Yu the Great’s nine dings, as well as Sarah Allan’s interpretation of the role of Taotie (motif) in Shang dynasty religion (which is detailed in her book The Shape of the Turtle).

In short, this Bai Ze, Xu Lin, was originally a spirit born from the nine dings, specifically its “protects the commonfolk by letting them know the appearances of malicious creatures” aspect. Another ding spirit existed alongside him, namely his gege. His ge is the aspect of the ding related to its ritual use in sacrifices, especially during the Shang-Zhou dynasties. However, his “real name” is lost, and the only name Xu Lin can “call” him is “taotie”, which is a term from later dynasties.

This also sparked a lot of conflict with the actual Taotie, Zhang Shenyuan (Huang Jie during late Tang dynasty). For a reason now long-forgotten, he and Xu Lin have had an ongoing sexual relationship. However, they keep coming into clash with each other due to the fact that Zhang Shenyuan wants to fully replace “taotie-gege” for Xu Lin, an attempt repeatedly met with fury.

This complicated relationship has been ongoing for over 2,000 years, and it doesn’t seem like it would be resolved anytime soon.

The series in general deals with how the changing myths and beliefs would affect mythical and religious beings should they exist, especially as later dynasties might seek to rewrite history or cast it in certain lights, hence the series name.

[janedrewfinally]

Well, if I’m engaging in this whole….string-covered wall-of-crazy calculation, I might as well post it.

Given how much of “Word of Honor” is a Glazed Armor quest/shell-game, it seemed useful to note exactly where the fool pieces start out and what happens to them. I’ve split up the “Glazed Armor pieces” and the “Armory Key,” because the Key doesn’t come up until later in the story and follows a different trajectory.

As we know, twenty years ago, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked Rong Xuan, the runaway disciple of Changming Mountain Immortal Ye Baiyi, gathered a group of martial artists from different sects, plus the Longyuan Cabinet, and together they created the World’s Armory, using an abandoned stronghold/library from an ancient kingdom, filling it with texts from the various sects. Their idealistic plan to combine all of that knowledge failed; Rong Xuan was poisoned; his wife, a member of the Miracle Healer Valley, saved him using forbidden techniques that caused him to go insane, whereupon he was defeated in a massive battle outside of Ghost Valley.

The Magical Wuxia McGuffin Glazed Armor, the key to the World’s Armory, was divided between the five young men who would become the leaders of the sects that make up the Five Lakes Alliance. They did not share the Glazed Armor or the Armory with the rest of the martial arts world- at least partly because, without the key, the doors won’t actually open. “Word of Honor” opens with an Armory/Rong Xuan-related flashback, setting up the extent to which the pieces of the Glazed Armor (and later the Armory key) will shape the plot.

The Glazed Armor Pieces:

Imaginary Glazed Armor: “Hanging Ghost stole my Glazed Armor!” Wen Kexing declares, in full murder make-up mode having a) just killed Hanging Ghost and b) never had a piece of the Glazed Armor. However, this imaginary Ghost Valley piece of Glazed Armor is the justification for sending out all of the Ghosts into the human world to supposedly try to track down Hanging Ghost, but really to start Phase One of Wen Kexing's complicated revenge plot. The idea that Ghost Valley has at least one piece of Glazed Armor also causes complications later.

Glazed Armor Piece 1 (round exterior bit): In the possession of Gao Chong, leader of the Yue Yang Sect and the leader of the Five Lakes Alliance. He hands it over to Mo Huaiyang, leader of the Gentle Wind Sect (Qing Feng Sect), before the Hero’s Conference. Later, Xie Wang (Scorpion King/leader of the assassin's group Venemous Scorpions, just wants his adoptive father Zhao Jing to love him and be proud of him) takes it off of Mo Huaiyang’s corpse, sadly without stabbing him some more.

Glazed Armor Piece 2 (round exterior bit): In the possession of Shen Shen, leader of the Da Gu Shan Sect, part of the Five Lakes Alliance. He gives it to Gao Chong when Gao Chong asks for it, and Gao Chong hands it over to Mo Huaiyang before the Hero’s Conference. Later, Xie Wang takes it.

Glazed Armor Piece 3 (small connecting bit): In the possession of Zhang Yusen, leader of the Jing Hu Sword Sect (Mirror Lake- and why I am having trouble finding the other sect names in English I could not say). When Mirror Lake is attacked by a group from Ghost Valley, Zhang Yusen makes a cut in the stomach of his youngest son, Zhang Chengling, and hides the Glazed Armor piece in the wound. Since everybody assumes (correctly) that Zhang Chengling is carrying his father’s piece of the Glazed Armor, Zhang Chengling becomes a target for kidnapping by the Begger’s Guild and the Scorpions and for very loud lectures from Shen Shen and Gao Cheng. After telling Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing about the Glazed Armor, Zhang Chengling tries to give the piece to them, but Zhou Zishu, who is extremely disinterested in it, tells him to give it to Gao Chong so that he’s no longer a target. Back in the Yue Yang sect, Zhang Chengling dramatically removes the piece in front of Gao Chong and hands it over. This is the third piece that Gao Chong collects and hands over to Mo Huaiyang before the Hero’s Conference, all of which are then taken by Xie Wang.

Glazed Armor Piece Four (the third round exterior bit): This piece originally belonged to Lu Taichong, leader of the Dan Yang Sect, who gets killed offscreen, along with almost all of the members of his sect. Before he dies, he entrusts his two remaining disciples and his piece of the Glazed Amor to Ao Laizi, leader of the Tai Shan Sect (which is part of the Wu Yue Sword Alliance). Ao Laizi fends off both Lv Liu Weng and Tao Hong Po when they come after the Glazed Armor, and then also manages to use the arrival of Zhao Jing and co. to fend off Shen Shen. Then he gets killed by Happy Ghost (it’s implied), and Long-Tongued Ghost puts the Glazed Armor piece into the bottom of his box of soul-winding thread, heading off to the ancestral hall (“Coffin House”) of the Zhao family to wait for Xie Wang to show up for the hand-off. Exceeept Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing manage to defeat the various traps, and Wen Kexing kills Long-Tongued Ghost and takes the box. When Zhou Zishou opens the box and discovers the Glazed Armor, he tosses it over to Wen Kexing, who a) is shocked that Zhou Zishu really was serious about not wanting the Glazed Amor and b) immediately starts trying to figure out how he can leverage this to cause maximum chaos. Wen Kexing later gives this piece to Xie Wang as part of their deal.

Glazed Armor Piece Five (the spiked circle in the center): In the possession of Zhao Jing, leader of the Tai Hu Sect. Zhao Jing takes advantage of the banquet welcoming Zhang Chengling and the murder of Ao Laizi to have his godson Song Huiren, who is one of the favored disciples of the Yue Yang sect, “steal” his piece from its hiding place and “escape” with it, killing Yu Tianjie when Yu Tianjie pursues the “thief.” Unfortunately for Song Huairen, Xie Wang is NOT here for their yifu having other sons he might like better, so Xie Wang kills him, takes the Glazed Armor, and tells Zhao Jing that Song Huairen had been a traitor. Xie Wang keeps this piece on a chain around his neck, as a statement of his loyalty, but also inadvertently kind of sort of as a future creepy trophy for Worst Yifu Zhao Jing.

Fake Glazed Armor One: When Wen Kexing gets Glazed Armor Piece Four, he cheerfully visits a glass maker and demands thirty copies, which he proceeds to scatter around in advance of the Hero’s Conference in the hopes of creating chaos (oops). In addition to interrupting a lovely moonlit date and causing his first quarrel with Zhou Zishu, the Fake Glazed Armor leads to the tragic deaths of the Four Sages of Anji… and, much later, to the tragic death of Han Ying. However, it also seems to have given Gao Chong a useful idea….

Fake Glazed Armor Two-Four: Gao Chong, having handed the real Glazed Armor pieces to Mo Huaiyang, comes to the Hero’s Conference prepared with three fake pieces, which he then very publicly smashes. Sadly, this does not fool people for long, and the Gentle Wind Sect becomes a target. Even more sadly, Mo Huaiyang does not get stabbed at this time.

The Armory Key

Yue Feng’er, senior disciple of Miracle Healer’s Valley and wife of Rong Xuan, gives the key to Gu Miaomiao and Wen Ruyu (the "Divine Hands" of Miracle Healer Valley) to take to Ye Baiyi at Changming Mountain. Unfortunately, this goes… poorly.

Imaginary Amory Key: In a vain attempt to take the target off of Gu Miaomiao and Wen Ruyu’s backs, Longyuan Cabinet leader Long Que spreads a rumor that Longyuan Cabinet has the Armory Key and then relocates the Cabinet to a more secure, secret location.

Fake Armory Key One: Wen Kexing holds up this fake key when he’s carrying out his fake death plan as a way to rile up his opponents (who, frankly, don't need any more riling).

Fake Armory Key Two: As part of their deal, Wen Kexing hands this fake key over to Xie Wang, who for some reason is shocked- SHOCKED- that it then doesn’t work.

Actual Armory Key: Gu Miaomiao and Wen Ruyu hide the Armory key by putting it in their son’s hair; he keeps it, and wears it frequently. Later, of course, he gives it to Zhou Zishu because they are very very married… and then uses it to open the Armory.

[dangermousie]

In so many ways, and in all ways that matter, Asule in ep1 is Asule in ep 56. He acquires maturity and fighting ability and a crown, but the core of him, that amazing core of gentleness mixed with utter lack of give and a complete sense of self/right or wrong whatever outside world tries to tell him, remain.

This is who Asule always is. This boy in episode 1, who watches his whole tribe murdered and is told he’s actually the crown prince/son of the conqueror and there is no fear in him or excitement or anything but a burning sense of what is right and wrong, of his belief. When he declares to the Emperor’s face that he is the son of the rebel leader. When he picks up a sword despite never knowing how to even hold it and attacks the freaking emperor surrounded by his generals, let alone his father, in order to protect the slaves that are the members of his adopted tribe.

He’s held down after a regicide attempt and look at his face - there is no hesitation, no fear, just drive.

The theme of people, even people who know him well, mistaking his gentleness, his disgust for blood-shedding, for weakness continues through the whole drama. His father, his brothers, both his grandfathers, the King of Lower Tang, the previous head of Eagle Flag, the Emperor of the Plains etc. All of them operate from one concept of masculinity and power - a man is only a real man, a powerful man if he is both good at fighting (and Asule gets quite skilled) and RELISHES it. The more a man is an equivalent of unsheathed blade, the more they respect him. Asule just does not fit into the norms of their world. To them a man who shies away from battle, who learns to fight to protect only (and keeps to that insane pledge throughout the whole drama) is wholly outside of their experience. Asule is equivalent to a nuke in terms of power if properly unleashed but in a way, in a very different context he reminds me of Vash from Trigun - the unleashing is not a triumph but a tragedy. The one time we see him really go all out, become the force of destruction capable of leveling a city, it’s a horrifying thing, the worst thing that happens to him - it happens because he’s been brutally murdered and resurrected using some horrifying magic. It is not triumphant when he cuts his way single-handed through the Imperial Army. It is not satisfying when he murders the Emperor. It is his nadir, it negates everything he is - reasoned, gentle, calm, in control.

I remember a lot of people complained about Asule’s arc because they wanted him to basically just start slaughtering his enemies and not to always try to avoid it and to be devastated when he kills and to me those people utterly missed the point of his character. He will kill to protect or avenge but it is never easy for him. He is the only person who should have the power his blood has because anyone else would drown the world in blood. This “weak” person kills the leader of the evil sorcerers without the cheat of his magic blood - he is not a weakling. But what he is, is gentle and I love it. His strongest qualities have always been goodness and ability to understand even un-understandable.

I find it so interesting that the only people who really GET him, get how strong he actually is, are people outside the traditional power structure - whether is Xiao Zhou, a woman of dubious blood in the imperial court, who is only treated as princess due to Emperor loving her as a sister. It’s sunny Yu Ran, who takes people as they are and is a princess without a home whose only use to her aunt and the King of Lower Tang is as a marriage chip. It’s Ji Ye, who himself is very much a traditional ideal of what a man should be like in some ways (ability and need for battle) but not in most other ways - being an abused and neglected child of his family whose father refuses to even teach him anything and who has the whole power structure of the place treat him as a dog.

Anyway, Asule is AMAZING and I love him so much.

[translations-by-aiimee]

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 23

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 23 - Child Ghost

Twenty minutes later, each of the three hooligans sat on the bench in the hospital corridor in a daze, each clutching a bottle of fresh orange juice. The nurse had just scolded them for disturbing the rest of the patients in the surrounding rooms, and they all looked a little bit ashamed. A-Yan's face had some colour brought back. After drinking a few sips of the drink, he calmly said: "I c-can't exorcise it completely. I can only figure out the source of this thing. Maybe it's a good thing that it's harder to expel."

Lin Yan asked what he meant, and the little Daoist priest explained: “As the saying goes, 'He who never wrongs others does not fear the knock in the night*.' Although this girl is weak from her illness, there must be other reasons why, out of so many other patients, this thing chose her. If we can find the reason, then maybe it will leave by itself."

*(T/N: 不做亏心事，不怕鬼敲门 - means if you've done nothing wrong, you don't have to worry about any retributions.)

"It-It keeps repeating 'Why haven't you come yet?' It may be a wandering spirit who hasn't fulfilled his dying wish. His Yin energy is very weak. He probably died not that long ago."

Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly thought of Xiao Yu, and couldn't help but reveal his recent doubts to the little Daoist priest. After a long while, he turned his head and looked at the ghost next to him, and whispered: "Last time, I was only concerned about getting rid of him. I never asked him anything."

A-Yan sat curled up in the chair and listened to Lin Yan while gnawing on the cap of the orange juice bottle. He looked like a kitten. He jolted up and said: "Ghosts are divided into different categories. Today, the one here can only manifest by attaching itself to a living person and it will disappear once that person dies. However, the one that follows you is very, very strong."

A-Yan continued: "A ghost has no form at first, but if the soul is resentful and the body is buried in a place where the atmosphere has heavy negative energy, it's very likely to turn into a powerful ghost. A ghost will cultivate for a hundred years with a phantom body and, after a long time, it will develop a real body. When they have a real body, they don’t have to resort to 'bump around' like today, and they can even move around in the daytime without fear of Yang energy. They aren't so much ghosts as they are demons or animals." A-Yan clenched his fingers: " The most difficult evil spirit to deal with is known as the true body of the ten thousand clans. It requires special formations, plus needs to be done at the right time and place, so there's not much room for error. Once a part of the process goes wrong, the exorcist is likely to be drowned by the energy, go insane and instead be harmed by the evil spirit."

"L-Last time the formation was set up, Master made a fake one to fool the ghost, and he found the gap in time he needed. Otherwise, if you wanted to eliminate him, I'm afraid that you would have to gather more than fifteen boys in a Mandarin Duck Formation to have any hope." A-Yan suddenly gave Lin Yan a strange smile: "That was because he had just re-entered the world and was still confused when we tricked him. Now, I'm afraid. . . Brother Lin Yan, at this point, he should have already remembered something, right?"

Lin Yan thought back on all the things that happened at the lecture and the ghost's increasingly human-like behaviour. He was secretly surprised; was this ghost really recovering his memory? He nodded and replied, "He told me lots of things the day of the lecture. He can talk, just not very much."

A-Yan smiled nervously: "Y-Your four-pillar pure Yin is the most suitable alignment to feed ghosts. The longer he follows you, the more physical he'll become, and the more he'll remember."

"But. . ." A-Yan looked into the distance with a glaze in his eyes, his fingers tightly squeezed the drink bottle. He turned back and grinned at Lin Yan: "Be very careful."

"All I can say is that every action has a reaction, and I can't help you with anything at that point."

He didn’t know why, but Lin Yan felt that the way the little Daoist priest spoke seemed to imply something. Feeding ghosts. . . Lin Yan harshly inhaled the hospital’s air mixed with the smell of disinfectant and frowned. “Let's not talk about it. We have to save A-Zhou's cousin first and figure out the reason for the possession. Do you have to find out who the deceased is first?"

A-Yan nodded. Yin Zhou held his glasses, a little confused: "We don't have much time left. Dozens of people die in hospitals every month. We don't have time to go through each of them individually."

Lin Yan sighed: "That's no other option. Go and pull up the records of everyone who's died recently in the hospital. Maybe there's a clue somewhere."

After all, there were several people now that were exhausted from the attempted exorcism, paralyzed on the bench and not wanting to move. Lin Yan discreetly adjusted his position. Xiao Yu suddenly walked over to him, squatted down and grabbed his knees with both hands.

Lin Yan turned his face and snorted. "Weren't you ignoring me?"

Xiao Yu didn't answer. He gently lowered his head and put the side of his face on Lin Yan's knees, long hair cascading behind him like a waterfall. Lin Yan instinctively wanted to reach out his hand to touch his head, then he thought that he was probably still angry, so he put on an indifferent air and cold expression, not acknowledging him.

After a while, Xiao Yu raised his head. He pressed his hands firmly against Lin Yan's legs, stood up, turned and walked further down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" Lin Yan asked in a low voice. Seeing that he didn't answer, he had to follow a few steps behind. Xiao Yu quietly returned to the door of Xiao Yang's room and went straight through the door panel. Lin Yan was full of doubts. Peeking carefully through the door glass, he saw that Xiao Yang's mother was tired from crying and was sitting on the side of the bed, dozing off with her arms propping up her forehead. The girl, on the other hand, waited by the window again in the same manner as when Lin Yan had first arrived.

Xiao Yu walked to the girl's back and patted her shoulder lightly. What happened next left Lin Yan dumbfounded. The girl with her rolled-back eyes turned around and quietly "looked" at Xiao Yu, showing a normal human on her face for the first time. The corners of her mouth were pulled downward, a look of aggravation painted clearly on her face. Xiao Yu was tall, so he simply squatted in front of the girl and stroked her hair very softly. They were talking, and Lin Yan's eyes widened. Although he could not hear them, their expressions and slightly moving lips convinced him that they were indeed communicating in a language he didn't understand.

The little Daoist priest and Yin Zhou also followed at this time. They curiously holding the windowpane and looking in. They couldn't help but be shocked by the girl's appearance now.

"She's talking to herself?" Yin Zhou was surprised: "What's she saying?"

"Mortuary language." The little Daoist said in a deep voice. "The language used in ancient rituals to communicate with the dead."

Lin Yan looked at the harmonious picture in the room, unconsciously picking at the crack of the door. He grit his teeth and indignantly thought you're Xiao Yu. At home, you're fierce and want to kill me, yet you go talk to a young girl with such a tender look. You just look at such a pretty young girl that I don’t want to let it go. Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianist teachings have really gone to the dogs. It’s useless for you to think about it. I decided ages ago. When she's a few years older, I'll take her to watch movies and visit the amusement park. Let's see what you can do. . .

"Hey? Are you going to follow him inside?" Yin Zhou patted Lin Yan on his shoulder. Lin Yan had been distracted internally cursing Xiao Yu, and he was so frightened that the hairs on his neck stood on end.

"Holy shit, when did you get here? Were you trying to scare me to death by keeping quiet?!" Lin Yan grumbled, clutching his heart.

"Did you really not hear me talking so loudly before?!" Yin Zhou said in surprise: ". . . Why are you blushing?"

A-Yan smiled and gave Lin Yan a deep look, not making a sound.

The conversation in the room seemed to be over. Xiao Yu stood up. He leaned over and rubbed the top of the girl's head and walked out. Xiao Yang reluctantly turned and stood by the window again. Lin Yan gritted his teeth and waited outside. He internally decided he wouldn't fall for any more of his tricks considering he seemed to do them with anyone. . .

Xiao Yu had already returned to stand in front of him while he was distracted. Lin Yan turned his face away from him in anger, but Xiao Yu didn't care. He took out the memo and the soft-tip fountain pen Lin Yan had bought from his pocket and began to write.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Yin Zhou looked at the pen and paper hanging in the air and stared in shock.

Xiao Yu shoved the note into Lin Yan's hand, then retreated to stand behind him. Lin Yan looked down. The light green note had two lines written on it. The first line was a series of capitalized numbers: "Three-Five-One-Zero-Zero-Four." The second line was a sentence: "He's waiting for his father."

"Father?" Yin Zhou looked at the words on the note and suddenly clapped his hands: "Hey, I got it, no wonder it came to Xiao Yang. Xiao Yang's mother is a single parent. My uncle passed away last year. I came to the hospital to watch her overnight last week and heard her say she missed her dad and it felt like he was still there with her. . . Then what does that row of numbers mean?"

Lin Yan was also puzzled holding the note. When he asked Xiao Yu, he shook his head and didn't speak. Lin Yan couldn't help muttering, "What the hell? You touched her head and smiled for a long time without asking anything. . . It’s not because the little girl looks good..."

"A g-ghost's memories are incomplete. They can only remember what they want. It would be nice if they can remember the numbers." A-Yan suddenly opened his mouth, his eyes sharply focused towards Lin Yan. Lin Yan's face grew hot, and he hurriedly lowered his head to cover it up. He explained to him that he was searching for people, why did his mind take such a strange turn. . .

That being said, why did he always get distracted by a dead person? This isn't going to work, no. Lin Yan secretly squeezed his fist.

Yin Zhou saw that the two of them were acting strangely. He crossed his hands behind his head and looked around in the corridor. When he saw the computer in front of the nurse on duty at the staircase, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he whistled frivolously: "Look, dude. Time for some fun."

With Lin Yan's girl-pleasing good looks and Yin Zhou's series of honeyed compliments, the three stooges quickly got their hands on the nurse's sister's computer. Yin Zhou stared at the screen intently. His fingers flew across the keyboard and the mouse clicked rapidly. After 15 minutes, the corners of his mouth stretched upward. His whole body suddenly leaned back in the swivel chair. He squinted his eyes and exclaimed: "Done. Turns out the info comes from this hospital. Makes it much more convenient not having to check other systems."

Lin Yan leaned in front of the computer, and the homepage showed: "351004, Zhou Jintian, male, 11 years old, died on May 11. Cause of death: internal organ rupture causing extensive abdominal hemorrhaging." A scanned copy of the body claim form was attached below. In the lower right corner where the family members signed, the family name was written in two large characters: "Zhou Mo" with a small red seal next to it.

"From the deceased's information from the database, this line of numbers is the bed number from the morgue." Yin Zhou touched his head: "This ghost is a child. No wonder he's standing by the window all the time, waiting for his father to pick him up from school."

Lin Yan took a picture of the page with his phone. He smiled and pushed the back of Yin Zhou's head: "Good job."

At the spicy and sour noodle shop across from the hospital.

Lin Yan always disliked eating near hospitals. He always feels that there were grieving patients’ families and infectious bacteria floating everywhere, but these spicy and sour noodles were particularly famous. Lin Yan drove the car for a while, and after a lengthy internal struggle, he turned back. Lin Yan scooped a spoonful of spicy soup and was satisfied that a delicious dinner was definitely worth it.

The little Daoist priest left for a shift in the restaurant where he worked. Yin Zhou stayed in the hospital to see the patient and verify the information. Lin Yan sat alone at the snack bar, a greasy orange plastic table with two bowls of spicy and sour noodles in front of him. One was placed in front of him, and the other was pushed to the opposite side. The "person" only he could see was sitting in the opposite chair with his face turned sideways in a daze. It seems that the ghost really didn't need to eat. Lin Yan sighed and asked in a low voice: "You don't eat or sleep, you follow me every day, aren't you tired?"

Xiao Yu ignored him. His slender fingers propped up his chin, and the outline of his side face looked very beautiful in the dimming daylight. The table was near the window, and the warm yellow halo of the street lamp brushed over the bridge of his nose. His skin looked as fine as porcelain. It felt like porcelain too, icy cold.

Things were still awkward.

"Excuse me, can I borrow the chair? We don't have enough." A childish male voice sounded and Lin Yan raised his head. A boy dressed as a high school student was holding the back of Xiao Yu's chair. He saw Lin Yan looked confused and pointed to the boys and girls chatting at a large table next door. The girls were wearing heavy makeup, the boys wearing ear studs, their school uniforms covered in black and blue pen doodles. There were so many people in the store that they were missing several chairs.

"Someone's using it." Lin Yan replied quietly.

"I know you've been sitting here for a while, no one's there." The boy was unyielding.

"If I say someone's there, someone's there, and if they aren't there now, they will be later." Lin Yan was a little impatient.

"Nutjob, it's just a chair, why so angry?" The boy muttered. Before leaving, he rolled his eyes at Lin Yan.

"Sorry." Lin Yan mumbled to the boy's back. He wasn't sure why. No one could see Xiao Yu, which always made him a little anxious. Lin Yan hesitated and for the first time took the initiative to reach out and touch Xiao Yu's statue-like fingers and whispered, "It's lonely, isn't it? Of all the people in the world, I'm the only one who can see you and I treat you badly."

[sifeng]

Love Triangles

I was thinking the other day, about what determines the second male/female and what determines the main male/female lead. And then I was thinking about which romantic dramas don’t involve love triangles and I... couldn’t think of any. So today I will analyze one, love triangle tropes, and two why dramas always include love triangles.

The love triangle in A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好)

Types of Love Triangles

There are three main types of love triangles:

A - when the male/female lead has loved both persons in the love triangle

B - when both members of the love triangle have their moments with the male/female lead

C - when its obvious that one member of the love triangle is seen only as a “friend” or “sister” or “brother” (aka has no chance)

Some dramas feature love triangle B and love triangle C at the same time, here are some examples:

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜)

Love triangle B: Xu Feng (旭凤) - Jin Mi (锦觅) - Run Yu (润玉）

Love triangle C: Sui He (穗禾) - Xu Feng (旭凤) - Jin Mi (锦觅)

Blossom in Heart (海棠经雨胭脂透)

Love triangle B: Lang Yuexuan (朗月轩) - Gu Haitang (顾海棠) - Lang Yueming (朗月明)

Love triangle C: Long Mohua (龙莫婳) - Lang Yuexuan (朗月轩) - Gu Haitang (顾海棠)

Legend of Yunxi (芸汐传)

Love triangle B: Long Feiye (龙非夜) - Han Yunxi (韩芸汐) - Gu Qishao (顾七少)

Love triangle C: Baili Mingxiang (百里茗香) - Long Feiye (龙非夜) - Han Yunxi (韩芸汐)

Some feature both love triangle A and love triangle C as well:

Put Your Head on My Shoulder (致我们暖暖的小时光)

Love triangle A: Gu Weiyi (顾未易) - Situ Mo (司徒末) - Fu Pei (傅沛)

Love triangle C: Xie Yuyin (谢雨吟) - Gu Weiyi (顾未易) - Situ Mo (司徒末)

Princess Agents (楚乔传)

Love triangle A: Yuwen Yue (宇文玥) - Chu Qiao (楚乔) - Yan Xun (燕洵)

Love triangle C: Yuan Chun (元淳) - Yan Xun (燕洵) - Chu Qiao (楚乔)

The Story of Yanxi Palace (延禧攻略)

Love triangle A: Qian Long (乾隆) - Wei Yingluo (魏璎珞) - Fucha Fuheng (富察傅恒)

Love triangle C: Chun Fei (纯妃) - Fucha Fuheng (富察傅恒) - Wei Yingluo (魏璎珞)

Rookie Agent Rouge (胭脂)

Love triangle A: Zhou Yuhao (周宇浩) - Lan Yanzhi (蓝胭脂) - Song Mian (宋勉)

Love triangle C: Feng Manna (冯曼娜) - Zhou Yuhao (周宇浩) - Lan Yanzhi (蓝胭脂)

As you can see through these seven shows, commonly the main love triangle is composed of two guys one girl, while the secondary “love triangle C” is composed of two girls and one guy. 

The love triangle in Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre (倚天屠龙记) and one of the few love triangles not to follow the two guys fighting for one girl triangle. 

Characteristics of Love Triangles

Almost always, the two members vying for the affection in the triangle are foils to each other. Examples:

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好)

Jiang Chen (江辰) - mature, cold and extremely smart

Wu Bosong (吴柏松) - careless, kind and bad grades

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜)

Xu Feng (旭凤) - arrogant and proud

Run Yu (润玉) - quiet and calm

Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre (倚天屠龙记)

Zhao Min (赵敏) - clever, manipulative

Zhou Zhiruo (周芷若) - “innocent, selfless” (I mean she technically is worse than Zhao Min, but that’s not the mask she puts on)

In school dramas you typically have the smart guy and the dumb girl pairing that eventually wins out:

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好)

Jiang Chen (江辰) and Chen Xiaoxi (陈晓希)

When We Were Young (人不彪悍枉少年)

Hua Biao (花彪) and Yang Xi (杨夕)

With You (最好的我们)

Yu Huai (余淮) and Geng Geng (耿耿)

Le Coup de Foudre (我只喜欢你)

Yan Mo (言默) and Zhao Qiaoyi (赵乔一)

The love triangle in Meteor Garden 2019 (流星花园) - can you guess (if you’ve never watched this show) who the winning couple is?

You may also have the celebrity/popular/rich kid with a poor/hardworking person pairing:

Meteor Garden (流星花园) - Daoming Si (道明寺) and Shan Cai (杉菜)

Accidentally in Love (惹上冷殿下) - Situ Feng (司徒枫) and Chen Qingqing (陈青青)

My Little Princess (亲爱的, 公主病) - Lin Xingchen (林星辰) and Jiang Nianyu (江念雨)

Boss and Me (杉杉来了) - Feng Teng (封腾) and Xue Shanshan (薛杉杉)

Blossom in Heart (海棠经雨胭脂透) - Lang Yuexuan (朗月轩) and Gu Haitang (顾海棠)

In most dramas you also have the “cold” second/main male lead:

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好) - Jiang Chen (江辰)

Princess Agents (楚乔传) - Yuwen Yue (宇文玥）

Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - Gu Jian (顾剑)

Often there’s also the “childhood friend” aspect, and while that particular trope usually looses out there are some exceptions:

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好) - Jiang Chen (江辰) - main lead

When We Were Young (人不彪悍枉少年) - Li Yu (李漁) - second lead

Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龙记) - Zhou Zhiruo (周芷若） - second lead

Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - Gu Jian (顾剑) - second lead

Put Your Head on My Shoulder (致我们暖暖的小时光) - Fu Pei (傅沛) - second lead

In some dramas, almost any male character that appears is in love with the female lead:

Princess Agents (楚乔传) - female lead gets the love of:

Yuwen Yue (宇文玥)

Yan Xun (燕洵)

Yuan Song (元嵩)

Xiao Ce (萧策)

Journey of Flower (花千骨) - female lead gets the love of:

Bai Zihua (白子画)

Dongfang Yuqing (东方彧卿)

Meng Xuanlang (孟玄朗)

Startling With Each Step (步步惊心)

Yin Zhen (胤禛)

Yin Si (胤禩)

Yin Ti (胤禵)

Yin E (胤䄉)

The male leads in Startling With Each Step/Scarlet Heart were lucky! They all got something with the female lead:

Male lead: Yin Zhen (胤禛) - is the true love/soulmate

Second male lead: Yin Si (胤禩) - gets her love in the first half

Third male lead: Yin Ti (胤禵) - gets to marry her

So What Differentiates the First and Second Male Leads?

The love triangle in Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - can you guess (if you’ve never watched this show) who the winning couple is?

Typically the female lead just likes one of them and you can’t really give a reason for why the first male lead is better than the second one. However, some dramas do a good job of creating a jerk second male lead that makes the decision sufficiently easier for our female lead:

Princess Agents (楚乔传)

Second male lead Yan Xun (燕洵) kind of goes insane after his entire family is slaughtered and becomes obsessed over revenge. He looses all the qualities our female lead fell in love with him for.

Put Your Head on My Shoulder (致我们暖暖的小时光)

Second male lead Fu Pei (傅沛) is a literal jerk. He takes our female lead’s love for granted and constantly abandons her when she needs help.

Bloody Romance (媚者无疆)

Second male lead Gong Zi (公子) treats people like chess pieces instead of real humans, and is willing to kill or manipulate anyone. Our female lead, being kind and unwilling to kill anyone, obviously would never fall for him.

My Little Princess (亲爱的，公主病)

Second male lead Zheng Chuyao (郑楚曜) is childish and immature. He is unwilling to confess his love for the female lead and constantly embarrasses her instead. 

However, in most other cases, there is never a clear difference between who wins out in a love triangle. One similarity most share is that the first one to speak with the female lead wins out:

Bloody Romance (媚者无疆)

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好)

Accidentally in Love (惹上冷殿下)

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜)

Blossom in Heart (海棠经雨胭脂透）

My Little Princess (亲爱的，公主病)

Love O2O (微微一笑很倾城）

The Princess Weiyoung (锦绣未央)

The Story of Minglan (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦)

Lucky’s First Love (世界欠我一个初恋)

The love triangle in Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜) - can you guess (if you’ve never watched this show) who the winning couple is?

Usually, the second male lead is the type of person who will forever watch over the female lead, caring for them are a subtle way. They are kinder, calmer, and perhaps more down to earth and human:

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好) - Wu Bosong (吴柏松)

Meteor Garden (流星花园) - Hua Zelei (花泽类)

Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - Gu Jian (顾剑)

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜) - Run Yu (润玉)

Accidentally in Love (惹上冷殿下) - Gu Nanxi (顾南锡)

When We Were Young (人不彪悍枉少年) - Li Yu (李漁)

Legend of Yunxi (芸汐传) - Gu Qishao (顾七少)

In cases of the above, the male lead is usually more cold or immature:

A Love So Beautiful (致我们单纯的小美好) - Jiang Chen (江辰)

Meteor Garden (流星花园) - Daoming Si (道明寺)

Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - Li Chengyin (李承鄞)

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜) 

Accidentally in Love (惹上冷殿下) - Situ Feng (司徒枫)

When We Were Young (人不彪悍枉少年) 

Legend of Yunxi (芸汐传) - Long Feiye (龙非夜)

With second female leads, the similarities are rather obvious. They think they “deserve” the love of the male lead because they either grew up together or they have the same social standing:

Goodbye My Princess (东宫) - Zhao Sese (赵瑟瑟）

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜) - Sui He (穗禾)

Legend of Yunxi (芸汐传) - Baili Mingxiang (百里茗香)

Love O2O (微微一笑很倾城) - Meng Yiran (孟逸然)

Blossom in Heart (海棠经雨胭脂透) - Long Mohua (龙莫婳)

Boss and Me (杉杉来了) - Yuan Lishu (元丽抒)

While the male lead often sees his excess admirers as “sisters” the female lead simply friend zones them. 

Often, the male lead is also somewhat of a foil to the female lead:

Boss and Me (杉杉来了)

Xue Shanshan (薛杉杉) is innocent, a little stupid and cute

Feng Teng (封腾) is mature, intelligent and cold

Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜)

Jin Mi (锦觅) is unaware of love and a little stupid

Xu Feng (旭凤) is fully aware of his feelings and smarter

Goodbye My Princess (东宫)

Qu Xiaofeng (曲小枫) is innocent, kind and longs to go home

Li Chengyin (李承鄞) is cold, cruel and willing to do anything to keep Xiaofeng by his side

If you really just want to tell who’s the male lead, I’ll tell you an easy way to find out: he’s going to be played by the guy who’s more famous. 

The love triangle in Startling With Each Step (步步惊心) - can you guess who’s the first, second, and third male leads are?

So Why do Dramas Love Love Triangles?

Not to say TV shows have lazy writing or anything, but I feel like love triangles are an easy way to make both male and female leads realize their feelings. For instance, in Boss and Me, when our female lead (Shan Shan), sees our male lead (Feng Teng) dancing with another girl, she gets jealous. That makes her realize her feelings. Love triangles can also stretch out a TV show longer. A show that might only have 24 episodes can probably be stretched to more than 30 just due to love triangles. 

On a level of characterization, when a character has many admirers, we, as watchers, can infer various things about them. Either they are one, amazingly beautiful or successful, or two, amazingly unique. For example, Chu Qiao in Princess Agents is strong and intelligent and for that reason, almost every guy she comes in contact with falls head over heels for her. This can show you that she is one of a kind in this world. Very few women in Princess Agents are as straightforward of their power, and so she really is unique. Xiaofeng in Goodbye My Princess has admirers because she is kind, innocent and selfless. Her bright and cheerful personality contrasts heavily with the political and dark atmosphere of the palace. So, when a character is entangled in many love triangles, you can infer there’s something special about them, and use that hypothesis to further infer something about the world in which the television show takes place. 

Love triangles can also lead to more character development. In trying to get girl (or very rarely guy), the admirers must rise to become a better version of themselves. For example, in Meteor Garden, Daoming Si goes from being bratty and immature to being (relatively more) mature and understanding. In A Love So Beautiful, Jiang Chen goes from being a guy that’s cold and pushes people away to a guy who is more open about his feelings and love. 

So, while in some shows, love triangles exist purely to elongate the show, in other shows we can use love triangles as a way to investigate the society we are plunged into at the start of the show. 

Notes:

Would you say Go Go Squid (亲爱的, 热爱的) has a love triangle. That weird press lady likes the male lead, but she has like four scenes in total. 

Here’s another thought I had about love: the ability of a character to admit their feelings often reflects upon how they’ve lived up til that point. Characters that do not understand their feelings could either have grown up isolated, never been in a relationship or have been fed a pill by their mother that takes away their ability to love. Characters who confess more easily were probably raised with loving parents in a loving household with loving friends surrounding them. Characters that understand their feelings at once know themselves well, and they can understand love. They either were raised in a loving family, or have been in love before. Love is a strange concept, sometimes we can’t handle it, and a lot of times we can’t understand it. TV shows feature humans (or at least things that look like humans) and so they deal with that aforementioned problem too. 

[dangermousie]

Oh my God, when he almost starts bawling and clenches his jaw, when talking about Xiao Zhou having dimples FUCK IT MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE I AM SLEEP-DEPRIVED BUT I AM BAWLING JUST POSTING THE CAPS. FUUUUUUUUUUCK

(And once again, there is nobody there, he is just imagining the shaman, so nobody is asking, he just wants to talk about her.)

And then this took my cut heart and put it into an industrial shredder:

Because when he is breaking down, trying so hard not to cry at the thought of not seeing her again OMG and I did not realize that he really hoped to be able to come find her again after this insanity except even though he will survive this siege/war, he is now the last Pasuer son standing so he’s the emperor and can’t easily leave/grasslands won’t be settled for a long time/even if he went he’d find out she had to marry the Lower Tang kid, etc. But he really was hoping to be able to leave and come find her!!!!!!!!! When he left her in that heartbreaking farewell, he didn’t want to bring her along because of the danger and didn’t ask her to wait because it would have been unfair but he didn’t necessarily believe it would be forever...he had hope LIKE SHRED MY HEART SHRED SHRED SHRED. (In my fix it world, since at the end, he’s the fucking emperor of the Northlands and she’s the fucking empress of Eastland, if they want to pay state visits to each other, who is going to say boo?!?!)

Also, I love how every OTP makes sense - Yu Ran and Ji Ye are not really opposites attract but they are very much of their strengths and flaws and personalities compliment each other - they fill those lacunas in each other. But with Asule and Xiao Zhou, they are like mirrors of each other - they are kindred souls who are so, so similar.

You know, I kind of love what the drama has to say about love, even if it’s depressing. Because it says the grace of this world is in having loved even if you cannot be with that person (like with my two OTPs) or even if the other person didn’t love you back (Psycho Princess is better off for having loved Ji Ye, it is clear.)

Also this....

I did not need my heart, thank you.

PS I love LHR’s real voice (he dubbed himself here.) I don’t see why more dramas don’t do that. I mean, it’s one thing with actors who do not have appropriate accents but he obviously does since he dubs himself occasionally.

[dangermousie]

So, I got to the conclusion of the Yu Ran storyline and I...don’t hate it?

I mean, I hate that this ends my huge OTP (though thank you for making canon they will always love each other even if they can’t be together because Yu Ran is now married to Jesu...moon goddess of chicken people) but it makes so much character and narrative sense (and also I think it’s not permanent about which more below.)

Yu Ran’s reaction to renounce everything and become vestal virgin with wings is part “I am responsible for these people” but in large part shock and trauma (she herself appears to understand that this is not a solid reasoned decision - she tells Asule she won’t wait for Ji Ye to wake up from his wounds because if she saw him, she won’t be able to leave.)

I mean think about it - Asule and Ji Ye have both been put through seven kinds of hell but until now nothing particularly traumatic happened to Yu Ran ever. The drama OPENS with Asule having to watch his whole tribe, people he’s known and loved from infancy, be exterminated in front of his eyes except for the pitiful few who are enslaved. And he goes supernova also unconsciously killing someone he loves and learns he is the crown prince in short order. It’s no wonder he repressed to such degree he literally made himself believe the girl he always liked was Suma (who then also died in his arms.) And all of it is before he is brutally murdered and then resurrected as a sorcerer’s puppet and is traumatized to such a degree that he’s a non-verbal violently PTSD suffering wreck who cannot even feed himself.

And Ji Ye? His whole life has been awful seeing that he was literally tortured in a torture dungeon for god knows how long as a child and had to watch his mother be murdered, and then treated as trash by his family, and that’s before the arc in late teens-twenties eps where he’s tortured, dehumanized, sent to the mines, tortured and dehumanized some more, AND then tortured and mentally fucked with to such a degree by Psycho Princess that he literally becomes a killing machine who tries to shut down every feeling and disown any person he’s ever cared for. I mean, I had to step away from the drama at one point during that arc because the angst got too much for me, and when does that ever happen?

But Yu Ran had a sheltered childhood at the Lower Tang court. She only had her awful aunt but she doesn’t even remember her parents and her aunt is an awful person in general but was a decent enough caretaker for her. Then she made friends with two weird boys (and fell in love with one of them.) The closest she came to angst before this arc was when she had to give up Ji Ye and marry Asule but even there she believed Ji Ye was serving comfortably at the border and Asule plain text told her on their wedding night that he loved her but knew she wasn’t interested so they are going to remain friends and no more and kept his word. And then in the capital, yes she grieved for Asule’s supposed death and Ji Ye’s descent into human killing robot but not at the same time (she had Asule during the JY thing and JY during the Asule thing) and she got them both back.

So honestly, this is her first huge adversity - her homeland is a humanitarian disaster and she is literally the sole way out for it, she is made to feel guilt for people who died when Chicken Herod was looking for her, and to top it off, her aunt - the sole parental figure she’s ever had - tries to kill her and Yu Ran kills her in self defense. And that’s after weeks of being kidnapped and all that insanity. Asule became a feral zombie due to his trauma and Ji Ye went masked gladiator for his. Locking herself in a temple to dance for the heavens and deny herself any human warmth and happiness is Yu Ran’s reaction to hers. And that’s why I think once the trauma slowly wears off, so might her decision (especially if the kingdom is back to prosperous at that point.)

I am not sure she would have even gone in, in the first place, if she had space to think or someone to talk her out of it. Alas, if she needs to be talked out of rash decision she made, I cannot imagine two worse people than Asule and Ji Ye. Asule is king emperor of abnegation and never interfering with a person’s choice even if that choice hurts him - he told her to think long and hard but once she responded she made up her mind, he would never push. And Ji Ye will always put what Yu Ran wants for herself over what he wants for her; I think there is also the fact that he has a constant sense that he will have for the rest of his life no matter what else happens, thanks to his awful childhood, that it’s normal for him not to have what he wants and not to get happiness - his loving her and not having her is how he always expected it to turn out - the real improbability for him was the time when they both thought they could live together forever. Even when he went looking for her through half the world not knowing she was alive or dead, it really mainly was to make sure she is safe and OK and to rescue her if needed, not as much for “and then I will take her away and make her my wife.” Honestly, I think from that moment he returned to the village where they dreamed of staying their whole lives as happy nobodies and found her gone, from the moment he dug out his armor and spear and put his killer guise back on, he accepted this was never ever going to work out for them.

But anyway, my theory is after year or two, Yu Ran kind of heals from her trauma (the way the boys have) and finds a way to get a new priestess, new rules, or just leave because things are now peaceful enough. And then she can travel the steppes with her boys. (Xiao Zhou’s unfortunate husband meets with unfortunate early demise and she comes and joins them and my OTPs work out. It’s fun in my lalaland.)