#human reads qiang jin jiu

[mxtxfanatic]

Ok, note of comparison, but I noticed in Qiang Jin Jiu, courtesy names are used to show intimacy with a person, such as friends and (as is the case with the main couple) lovers using it to reveal a closeness and affection, while given names are used formally. But in MDZS, it’s the opposite: given names are used intimately while courtesy names denote respect and distance. Is this an author choice, or is there precedence in Chinese history where different time periods and/or cultures have different ways of using courtesy and given names?

[izartn]

So. Finally finished Qiang Jin Jiu. This was four days, bc it was so large I had to take rests in between hours long reads to absorb everything.

Fantastic read and experience, but very much a novel for enjoyers of a historic political and war drama first and romance enjoyers second. Saw someone on tags of a post describe it as a polical military epic disguising as a danmei, which yeah.

The romance was perfect BTW, I loved both the characters of Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye and their interactions and synergy, but their relationship is very much shaped and sustained by the political too. Which I loved, bc I love a good political intrigue, and they had sizzling chemistry due to their circumstances and personalities in a fun way. The secondary characters were perfect for the story too, villains, allies and antagonists or mere third parties, and I really like how it treated both the few named women and the tribes up north as people which can be easily lost when reading a danmei or a chinese war story. But everyone was very humane and had their good and bad sides which was fantastic for mood setting.

If I start naming characters and what I liked I will stay here awake through the night so I will post it in pieces later but really. Loved it. Completely recced. Just make sure what you want to read is more about government than mushy feels. Although it has those too; the personal affects the political and viceversa for all the characters. Also, I melted everytime our mains read each other's letters when they were apart and when they act for each other on the public sfere... Working in tandem for the army and the kingdom can be so personal....

[huasahyo]

I have read Qiang Jin Jiu and honestly think I'll never recover

(Spoilers ahead!)

Oh god, where to start this? Maybe I should start with the very begging: I didn't understood shit. I just saw a kid being tortured and lots of information. When I felt it was too much, I went after the translated map and OMG that was so helpful! Bless the translators for that. After looking carefully at the map, things started to make sense.

As the story went, before the end of book one I was not very familiar with all the characters. I kept mistaking Hai Liangyi for Hua Siqian lol. But during my reading I started to take some notes and was never confused again. The thing is, this book has A LOT of characters and some of them are introduced early but only become major players later (Yao Wenyu, Hua Xiangyi...)

Even though this huge ensemble would make characters easy to forget, this doesn't happen. The author managed to create likeable and rememberable characters pretty easily??? I fell in love with many of them at first read, even if they didn't show up a lot. And there were characters that got me completely off guard, I wasn't expecting them to be so cool and relevant, BUT THEY WERE (Fei Sheng, Kong Liu)! And the antagonists were also brilliant, I love a good story where everyone has a point and no one is actually evil: People from Biansha had their truths and in a war there are no right sides, Xue Xiuzhuo wanted the best for Dazhou (even though I can't forgive what the did to my baby Yuanzhuo), and Li Jianting??? WHAT A LEGEND! Also, Feng Quan plot twist left me speechless, what an interesting character. Every character was very human (in the good and bad way), everyone had their own goals and beliefs. I actually might do a second post screaming about every character because I have a lot to say about them. (hello hasen my love)

The Plot??? Perfectly done. AND WELL EXPLAINED! I was always a little afraid of reading novels with a lot of politics, but I really dug this one. The problems with grains, provisions, registry, army and BRO THERE WAS EVEN SOME AGRARIAN REFORM SHIT

The way this author write the MOST well written battles I have read, without using any magic... it's just... I never thought I would be so enthusiastic about cannons, rocks and GRAINS.

The conflicts in Zhongbo could be all repetitive, but they weren't at all. Each prefecture that Lanzhou took back had a interesting story.

The war with Biansha was also brilliantly written. The way Amu'er was attacking Dazhou from the inside out and the scorpions with those hammers??? My man was a genius. Sadly, he could never have predicted Bai Cha and her son.

Talking about that, the family relationships are a great point in this. Seeing flashbacks about Lanzhou, Ji Mu, Ji Gang and Hua Pinging made me CRY! They were so happy... And seeing Xiao Chiye with his brother and HIS DAD LIKE... Xiao Fangxu and Ji Gang best daddies. Fei Sheng and Yin Chang too, what a beautiful chapter the one that they talk after Fei Sheng has a fight with Qiao Tianya.

Talking about Qiao Tianya, it was refreshing to see a novel with more LGBT characters. The secondary pairings were great, they didn't steal the spotlight from cezhou, but were very enjoyable (even though THAT happened between Songyu). I just wished we could have seen more Qihua moments and OH GOD KONG LIU AND LUO MU??? That got me truly off guard, wasn't expecting at all. Also, I found really interesting how Lanzhou basically got a LGBT parade following him at the end, that was truly the gayest empire ever. I have so many headcanons here, let me scream them: Xue Xiuzhuo is AroAce, Li Jianting is a non-binary legend and Huo Lingyun a Bi King. Also, Fei Sheng is not straight. Said it.

The little animals in this??? I WAS TERRIFIED WHEN LANG TAO XUE JIN FELL IN THAT HOLE YALL I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA DIE. But luckily he didn't. Meng, Hunu, Feng Shuang Ta Yi were all the cutest, I need more novels with cats.

THE CHILDREN - Ding Tao, Li Xiong, Xiao Xun and Jiran. They served chaos, humor and cuteness. I really liked whenever they showed up.

THE LADIESSS - If you have read my other posts you know I love some powerful women. This story did not disappoint me in that sense. Hua Hewei had some despicable acts, but she really got everyone on her hands despite never leaving the inner palace, good for her. Hua Xiangyi is a way better version of her aunt, my girl was smart and cared for the people, an amazing woman. QI ZHUYINNN owns my life, I really adored the fact that she was a badass and that she never hated the fact she was born a girl, slay. Bai Cha was really out there helping women that were sold and their children, that is some real sorority there. Lu Yizhi was so kind, loved seeing her interactions with Lanzhou. Li Jianting was everything, her story was one of the saddest and yet she was doing her best to become a ruler. Duo Er'lan was amazingly brave, even more than Hasen, mad respect for her.

And last, but definitely not least, there is cezhou. I have no words to explain how much I adored these two. The way both of them got their own development and had their own private goals and went after them, so good. They are so well written that I wanna scream. The chapters that are focused on Lanzhou's feelings are not big in number, even when he is the main character, his feelings are shown in discreet ways (the handkerchief!) and most of the time we don't know what he is plotting or thinking. But when we take a peek at what's going inside of his heart, it's... astonishing. And I love seeing how he actually cared for the side characters, even though he doesn't show a lot.

And Ce'an kind of caught me off guard, I thought he was going to be a totally different character but he went and delivered

Xiao Chiye was a perfect fit for Lanzhou and Lanzhou was a perfect fit for Xiao Chiye: they were both in similar situations where only them could understand each other's suffering, and after they leave Qudu we see how much of a match made in heaven they are (not just romantically, but strategically).

THE SEXUAL TENSION AT THE BEGINNING YALL... They were scheming/fighting and flirting at the same time. Iconic.

Read this, you won't regret it!

By the way, I started reading the story in December and finished by March, but I completely forgot to post this! College has been frying my brain these days.

Hopefully I will resume my Sha Po Lang reading and come back here to tell my opinions on the book. (Not sure when though.)

See ya!

[aworldforastage]

A Totally Subjective List of Favorite Danmei Novels I Read in 2022

Qiang Jin Jiu :: 将进酒 唐酒卿

Silent Reading :: 默读 Priest

Jun You Ji Fou :: 君有疾否 如似我闻

Those Years I Opened a Zoo :: 我开动物园那些年  拉棉花糖的兔子 

Golden Stage :: 黄金台 苍梧宾白

Your Scandals Are Way Cuter Than You :: 你的黑料比本人可爱 毛球球

Professional Body Double :: 职业替身 水千丞

Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms :: 提灯映桃花 淮上 

Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating :: 网恋翻车指南 酱子贝

FOG :: FOG[电竞] 漫漫何其多

Qiang Jin Jiu :: 将进酒 唐酒卿

“你坐明堂上,不要沾风雪。” “Your place is in the great halls, untouched by wind and snow.”

[historical, political intrigue]  – (I wrote a spoiler-free introductory synopsis here.)  Plenty of people have already said lots of good things about this novel, but the highlight for me is its rich cast of three-dimensional characters, who are simultaneously cruel or frustrating but also sympathetic and redeemable. The characters’ actions and decisions are mingled with compromises they must make for their circumstances and values. The world is built with extreme care, with plenty of details that I didn’t catch until my second pass over the novel. I read nearly 70 titles in 2022, but I spent almost a month on QJJ alone to re-read and listen to the audiodrama. Despite the length of the novel, I still wish I can spend more time in this world. 

Silent Reading :: 默读 Priest 

“ 我不是凝视深渊的人，我就是深渊。” “I’m not the one staring into the abyss; I am the abyss.”

[modern, police procedural] – If QJJ is my go-to recommendation for a historical danmei, then Silent Reading aka Modu is my go-to for a modern one. This is basically a police procedural, focusing on five major cases, with the finale weaving together clues scattered throughout the novel. Priest is a masterful writer who introduces new information in a measured pace, so you gradually get to know the characters and immerse into the complex world. The cases takes us face-to-face with some of the the darkest facets of humanity, but the work decidedly leaves you with a sense of hope, that even the deepest wounds can heal, and there are more people than you may ever expected who will want to help you.

Jun You Ji Fou :: 君有疾否 如似我闻 

刹那间上万只蝶忽然振翅飞起，满胸膛的蝶翼扑动，心彻底乱的没有章法。 Suddenly tens of thousands of butterflies spread their wings to take flight. His chest is filled with fluttering motion, and his heart falls fully into disarray. 

[historical, political, romance] – In JYJF, two longtime rivals with opposing political priorities coming to a new understanding of each other and fall in love.  They are both clever, principled, but black-bellied in their own way. This novel has undeniable weaknesses as a political drama, but it has built a reputation as a romance with poetic prose, well-developed characters, and a delicious blend of humour, fluff, and angst. The “light” political plot lines will not bog the reader down, and functions instead as an effective backdrop to showoff how the characters work together, the way their ideologies clash and align, and why they can come love each other. [incomplete translation]

Those Years I Opened a Zoo :: 我开动物园那些年  拉棉花糖的兔子 

“也没有什么诀窍，就是夸他，一个劲夸他，从内夸到外。”  “There isn’t really a trick to it. Just compliment him, keep complimenting him, compliment him from inside out.” 

[comedy, urban fantasy] – This is my go-to feel-better novel when I need a good laugh. The protagonist operates a zoo with the help of a magical app, and some of the most formidable names in Chinese mythology (Su Daji, Bai Suzhen, Sun Wokong etc.) must blend in as “staff animals”. There is no real angst or conflict, and the romance, between the twenty-something zoo owner and a mythological bird who has been “single for tens-of-thousands of years,” is equally light and fun. Even though his boyfriend is one of the most powerful beings in the universe, the human shou is the one who actually sets the pace and tone of the relationship, since he is the one with higher EQ and more “knowledge”.

Golden Stage :: 黄金台 苍梧宾白

“朝廷走狗不残害忠良，怎么对得起天下悠悠众口？”  “If the dog of the imperial court doesn’t scheme against the loyal and the just, what will all the interested citizens gossip about?” 

[historical, arranged marriage,  but really reconciliation] - The emperor arranges a controversial marriage for an injured but popular war hero and his rival, a favored but notorious court official. Instead of shifting the political balance like the emperor has hoped, the couple works out their old grievances and forms a formidable alliance which soon becomes the only hope for the ailing empire against foes within and beyond. A lot of the political themes in this novel are very similar to QJJ, but while QJJ is very hardcore in its depiction of the politics and mechanics of an entire government, Golden Stage is a much shorter and easier read, with its focus on the core characters, and their values and relationships. 

Your Scandals Are Way Cuter Than You :: 你的黑料比本人可爱 毛球球

难得有这么一大波人送上门来吵架，江影兴奋得很，但，他有他的职业道德，自家的粉只能护，不能怼，至于戚逐家的，他只针对戚逐这个人，不针对戚逐家的粉。 It's not often that such a large group of people brings the fight to his door; Jiang Ying is very excited. However, he has his own ethical standards: he needs to help his own fans, not go up against them. As for Qi Zhu's fans, his problem is only with Qi Zhu himself, not the fans.

[comedy, actors/celebrities] –  A hilarious “entertainment circle” novel where the idol actor protagonist loves the industry not for the acting or the singing, but the gossip and cat fights. He is so invested in arguing and fighting with antis online that he nearly misses the fact someone is seriously in love with him. The protagonist’s brother’s story is told in Your Memes are Way Better-looking than You, which takes place before this novel. “Memes” generally has the same funny tone but a slightly more serious plot, but this novel is a pure sugar-fest. 

Professional Body Double :: 职业替身 水千丞

他看到了一个成熟的男人是怎么对待爱情的，又是怎么用那种恰到好处的温柔和宽容去感染、缠缚对方的，他就是那个被周翔紧紧抓住的人。 He saw how a mature man deals with love, using just the perfect amount of warmth and generosity to infect and cling onto his lover; he was the was one who had been tightly held onto by Zhou Xiang. 

 [angst, romance, actors and celebrities] – A gentle introduction to the infamous “188 Club”. Yan Mingxiu’s ranking within the 188 really varies depending on your priorities, but I mostly have a soft spot for him because Zhou Xiang seems to really love him (and also, the extra chapters written from YMX’s POV kinda sorta maybe gave him sympathy points).  Zhou Xiang is caring, smart, and extremely charismatic. I am very moved by the way Zhou Xiang loves and pursues Yan Mingxiu before the accident, the way his confidence and maturity are undercut by his insecurities and loneliness as an orphan and a gay man. In the end, I root for them mostly because I want to believe Zhou Xiang can make it work with the boy he loves so much. 

Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms :: 提灯映桃花 淮上 

“我不是来打仗的，我是来求婚的。” “I didn’t come here to fight, I came to propose."

[romance, urban fantasy, reconciliation ] – This novel probably has my favorite relationship arc, in which love has never been so powerful and so useless at the same time. It’s a love story between gods and demons, and but it’s also about the insecurity of marrying across classes, the damage of emotionally abusive upbringing, the balance between children and spouse, and the sacrifices you make for love and duty. It’s a HE reconciliation story with lots of comedy, but it’s a long and cruel journey to uncover and patch up the mistakes that brought them to this point. One note I must make is that this novel is kind of hard to follow due to POV switches and the character themselves having incomplete information; the full conflict and relevant backstory is not really clear until around 65% into the text. 

Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating :: 网恋翻车指南 酱子贝 

渣男怎么了？ 渣男多好啊？！ 渣男文可为我写诗！武可啪啪三日！上暖绿茶！下暖萝莉！二十四小时温柔在线！七十二小时暖心待机！恋爱不查短信！分手绝不纠缠！经期会冲红糖！睡前会说晚安！ 天啊！渣男就是这个世界上的宝物！我永远爱渣男！！！ What’s wrong with scum boyfriends? Scum boyfriends are great! Scum boyfriends can write love poems with his pen! Can go for three days with his sword! Delivering warmth to green-tea and loli’s alike! He is online for 24 hours a day, on standby for 72! No checking your phone while dating! No pestering you after breaking up! He can make brown sugar drinks during your period! He’ll tell you ‘goodnight’ before bed! By heavens! Scum boyfriends are treasures of the world! I will love scum boyfriends forever!!! 

[online gaming, cat-fishing, mistaken identities, college-setting] – AKA: “fake green tea vs fake scum boyfriend.” Jing Huan poses as a girl in an online game to catfish the Big Name Player who tricked and hurt his cousin. Meanwhile, Xiang Huaizhi notices photos from the girl who keeps flirting with him in an online game can only be sent by someone at his school, specifically, one underclassman. There is plenty of comedy in Jing Huan’s effort to pose as a girl online, and also plenty of hurt when the truth and deception are laid to bare, but overall this is a sweet college romance with just dash (or maybe a spoonful?) of angst and plenty of humour. (PSA: No knowledge of gaming is needed (I don’t have any) to follow the story.) 

FOG :: FOG[电竞] 漫漫何其多

不喜欢的人的心机才是心机。 喜欢的人的心机，那叫撒娇。 Schemes are only schemes if they are coming from people you don’t like . Schemes from people you like, that's flirting to get your attention. 

 [E-sports, (sort-of?) reconciliation] – My first “E-Sports” novel that focuses on professional competitive gaming (but it’s a fictional game so no prior gaming knowledge needed). As a E-Sports novel, FOG does a great job of portraying the camaraderie between teammates and the youthful passion of the players, while also touching on the cynical and exploitative side of the industry. There is an extremely sad and infuriating backstory that explains how the main couple came to be separated for two years (it’s not their fault), but their relationship is otherwise very sweet. However, I have never seen a story with a tournament arc that ends when the main characters win the quarter-finals … (yes, there are extra chapters, but still …)  

[dangermousie]

Hello!

What would you say have been your fav danmei novels this year? I know your favs in general are 2ha, Yuwu and QJJ but if you had to rank only novels you read this year, what would be your top 5? Thanks!

Do you mean published this year or ones I read this year? I am gonna assume the latter since the only two I read that are published this year are Wu Chang Jie and Case File Compendium, both of which I loved but it’s not a enough for a list. That means Yuwu and 2ha are off the list so here is the list, in no particular order:

Case File Compendium - I am sure you can tell that I am obsessed with this novel. It’s not the first modern danmei I read (I read and enjoyed Fight the Landlord before), but I am so utterly in love and emotionally wrapped in Meatbun’s perfect trademark combo of fucked up yet human and fascinating characters and relationship dynamics centered on how do you forgive the unforgivable and find humanity in whatever life throws at you,all wrapped in plot that is twistier than a pretzel. Also, only Meatbun can make me go from loving to loathing back to loving a character with such intensity (He Yu), give me a character that I am irrational over (Xie Qing Cheng) and ship them like a lunatic even though I started with “interesting set up but I don’t really care for these guys too much.”

Mistakenly Saving the Villain - so underrated. A perfect h/c fantasy with the most functional MC and fucked up ML that never puts even a toe wrong with a premise that could go seriously bad so many different ways, instead telling a funny, moving story of love helping you heal.

Qiang Jin Jiu - danmei for history nerd brainiacs but with such a complex enemies-to-lovers OTP that would make your soul sing.

Those Years In Quest of Honor Mine - another really underrated gem, it’s funny and heart-breaking and made me laugh and sniffle within pages of each other. Its two protagonists are both walking wounded but also good people, and watching them find happiness despite all the horrors the world threw at them, watching them take care of each other is so lovely. Also, someone once described the ML as “Lan Wangji gone feral” and that is just A++++

Wu Chang Jie - god, I loved this! It was the first novel I kept up with as it was published. Gonzo in every glorious way, it has a truly bleak worldview, an intense as hell OTP and asks the eternal question of “if the world is designed by cruel and uncaring gods and nothing you do matters in the grand scheme, if everything sets out to destroy and devour you and take you apart, is it still worth it to be a good person?” And MC’s answer is, always, a resounding yes. (And ML’s answer is “Dage!” He is a human nuclear bomb, amoral and single-minded, MC’s greatest torturer and yet one for whom life begins and ends with MC.)

[gravitydefyingtears]

Quan Qiu Gao Kao | 全球高考 | Global Examination

Updated landing page: radishtears.home.blog/global-examination

Global Examination is a danmei novel written by Musuli on JJWXC, complete at 166 chapters, 589+k words (Chinese). For reference, MDZS was around 659k words. There is an audio drama and a manhua adaptation, both ongoing (as of 2021).

“Let us reunite in a world where the gunpowder smoke has dispersed.” —Musuli, QQGK (my translation)

Links

Novel: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3419133

Manhua: https://manga.bilibili.com/detail/mc28455

Audio Drama S1: https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/25032

Audio Drama S2: https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/39622

JJWXC Description (Translated)

Global, large-scale, highly dangerous in nature, standardized examination, shortened to global examination. Real-life questions, pass to survive. Exam parameters refresh every month, occasionally at random.

Main Idea: two badasses flirting with each other.

1v1 (main characters do not have other romantic partners), HE (happy ending), lots of bullshitting.

Approach/Theme: Humans are inherently kind.

Tags: power couple, many themes/topics, 相爱相杀 (lit. “loving each other, hurting each other” aka angst), futuristic au

Main Characters: You Huo 游惑, Qin Jiu 秦究

Side Characters: Yu Wen, Di Li, Shu Xue, Wu Li

Style: light-hearted | POV: shou (bottom aka You Huo)

… … …

Radish’s Description

More Tags: sci-fi, action, mystery, romance, amnesia, enemies to lovers

A global-scale exam system is pulling people randomly into an alternate dimension, forcing them to take exams with varying (read: very high) levels of difficulty and peril. Overseen by the System’s examination officers, the only way to escape seems to be passing your exams with a total score above the qualifying threshold. The System thoughtfully provides rewards for good performance, like extra points or bonus cards for special privileges. However, if you break the System’s rules, you will also be punished accordingly. Not even examiners are exempt.

You Huo finds himself a victim of this ridiculous examination system, along with his alcoholic uncle, Old Yu, and younger cousin, Yu Wen. It’s not been long since he returned from overseas, recovering from surgery and still missing a good chunk of memories. Now, he wakes up in a snowed-in cabin in the middle of nowhere, with a room full of eclectic individuals — elderly, children, hooligans, and pregnant women. And some stupid voice is announcing the rules of an exam? What a headache. He just wants to keep sleeping.

And speaking of headaches, it’s not long before You Huo’s disregard for rules brings the System’s examiners to their door. Leading the party is the main examiner assigned to their exam, Examiner 001…

“Have we…met somewhere before?”

… … …

About the Audio Drama

The first season is complete. However, unfortunately, there was a lot of controversy regarding the quality of the production. So much so that the project switched hands. After a long wait, season 2 has finally dropped! 

I translated the new team’s WB announcement post here: link

Season 2 will have 15 main episodes, airing Fridays starting Aug. 13, 2021. Given the length of this novel, I expect there to be a season 3. We’ll see!

VA Leads

You Huo: Lu Zhixing 路知行

Some other roles: Wei Wuxian (MDZS Audio Drama and The Untamed), Xue Xian (TQKS), Duan Jiayan (ILYP), Ji Xiaoli (Your Master is Stupid Rich)

I really love listening to Zhi Zhi-laoshi play a character who is so cold and aloof! And of course it was Lu-laoshi who attracted me to this story in the first place.

Qin Jiu: Zheng Xi 郑希

Some other roles: Bai Changyi (Your Distance / Ni de Ju Li), Xue Xiuzhuo (Qiang Jin Jiu), Ruan Fenghe (Your Master is Stupid Rich), Tang Suoyan (Liao Yuan), Shen Jue (Du Zhu You Bing)

Delicious voice <3

[danhoemei]

Danmei Masterpost

Novels and dramas with links and resources (main Masterpost)

I fixed the links to tags but let me know if anything doesn’t work as expected.

General tags

#resources (links to translations, info etc.)

#recommendations, #to check out, #fanfics

#meta (or #[series] meta, e.g. #tyk meta)

#them ladies

Please support the authors

Even if you don’t speak Chinese and read a fan translation you can purchase their work which brought you so much joy. English guides to do that:

Danmei Bookstore Masterpost (a great list of where to buy Chinese novels)

jjwxc: the most recent guide, another older guide, guide focused on mxtx

danmei news (mxtx official translation faq)

Official English Publishers

Seven Seas - series list (all mxtx novels, guardian, spl, 2ha, qian qiu, yuwu, bing an ben)

Peach Flower House - store (little mushroom, golden stage/terrace)

Novels

Priest

@priest-novels 

#bestial blade (Bestial Blade - novel)

#can ci pin (Imperfections - carrd / novel)

#guardian (Zhenhun - novel)

#guomen (Through The Strait Gates - novel)

#huai dao (The Way of the Evil - novel)

#you yi (You Yi | Itinerant Doctor - novel)

#jin se (novel)

#lhjc (Lie Huo Jiao Chou | Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire - novel)

#liu yao (Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect - novel)

#modu (Silent Reading - novel)

#shbl (Shan He Biao Li | Of Mountains and Rivers - novel)

#qi ye (Lord Seventh - novel)

#spl (Sha Po Lang - novel)

#tai sui (novel)

#tyk (Tian Ya Ke | Faraway Wanderers - novel / carrd; drama #shl)

#ultimate blue seal (novel)

MXTX

#mdzs (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - novel; drama #cql)

#svsss (Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System - novel)

#tgcf (Heaven Official’s Blessing - novel)

old blog @mxtx-novels-stuff 

Meng Xi Shi

#peerless (Wushuang - novel)

#thousand autumns (Qian Qiu - novel | donghua with subs)

Meatbun

#2ha (The Husky And His White Cat Shizun by Meatbun - novel)

#bing an ben (Case File Compendium by Meatbun - novel)

#yuwu (Yu Wu by Meatbun - novel - related to 2ha)

Other

#the bandit's strategy (novel - related to The emperor’s strategy & Everywhere in jianghu is wonderful)

#chun feng du jian (novel)

#copper coins (novel)

#devil venerable also wants to know (novel)

#dinghai fusheng records (novel)

#dmbj (Daomu Biji - novel; drama #ultimate note)

#dtppf (The Disabled Tyrant’s Pet Palm Fish [Transmigration] - novel)

#the emperor's strategy (novel - related to The bandit’s strategy & Everywhere in jianghu is wonderful)

#everywhere in jianghu is wonderful (novel - related to The bandit’s strategy & The emperor’s strategy)

#fanservice paradox (novel)

#golden stage (novel)

#jianghu name da (the jianghu is boundless)

#mist [unlimited] (novel)

#legend of exorcism (Tianbao Fuyao Lu - novel)

#little mushroom (novel)

#lmw (The Legendary Master’s Wife - novel)

#married thrice to salted fish (三嫁咸鱼 - novel)

#mistakenly saving the villain (novel)

#nan chan (novel)

#of all the transmigrations why am I a prisoner (carrd/novelupdates)

#poison of the human panacea (novel)

#qiang jin jiu (novel)

#qqgk (Quanqiu Gaokao / Global Examination - carrd / novel)

#renshe (novel)

#those years in quest of honour mine (novel)

#to rule in a turbulent world (novel)

#twwtadsl (The Wrong Way to a Demon Sect Leader - novel)

#villains white lotus halo (The Villain’s White Lotus Halo - novel)

#the wife is first (Qi Wei Shang - novel / carrd)

#you yao (Are You Okay - novel)

Webcomics

#saved the public enemy by mistake (bilibili | ?)

Dramas

#a chinese ghost story

#advance bravely (novel)

#bad buddy

#big dragon

#border town prodigal

#cherry magic

#cql (The Untamed; novel #mdzs)

#the devil judge 

#kieta hatsukoi (carrd, dm)

#kingdom 

#kinnporsche

#love between fairy and devil

#miss the dragon

#mriad (My Roommate Is a Detective)

#nirvana in fire 

#not me

#shl (Shang He Ling/Word of Honor - drama / carrd / resources; novel #tyk)

#the blooms at ruyi pavilion 

#the lost tomb

#the yin yang master dream of eternity

#tsomd (drama The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty; novel The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua)

#ultimate note (novel #dmbj)

#vincenzo

#we best love

#why r u

#zettai bl 

Them ladies (wlw)

baihenovels carrd

general tags: #them ladies, #wlw

#couple of mirrors

#fgep (Female General And Eldest Princess - novel)

#fragrance of the first flower 

#jwqs (Clear and Muddy Loss of Love - novel)

#legend of yunqian

#red devil and heroine su

[hamliet]

A Game of Thrones: Ming Dynasty Edition

Or, Hamliet received a recommendation for Qiang Jin Jiu (thanks @khunsimp​)  saw the premise of enemies-to-lovers, disgraced sons, and sins of the father themes, was like “that’s my jam,” and read 164 chapters in a single weekend. (There’s still like. ~120 to go that aren’t yet translated #fun). 

It is indeed my jam and is essentially the love story of Mulan’s Shang and 2ha’s Shi Mei. I’m kidding, the leads are their own characters (very much so!) but that’s whom I kept comparing them to in my mind. 

Shen Zechuan is a particularly compelling character. He’s introduced as a somewhat pathetic figure, a PTSD-stricken teenager who’s lost everyone he ever loved, was never really treated as a son by his father, and yet is being tortured and sentenced to die for the sheer fact that he is his father’s only surviving son. His father supposedly committed treason, for which Shen Zechuan pays the price. But then the story switches, and you see Shen Zechuan’s cunning nature, which is in many senses just as pitiful but dangerous. I mean the guy’s skinning people alive by chapter 30 so. 

Xiao Chiye at first was, to me, likely to be less interesting as a character because I’m not usually into the physically driven characters--but I was wrong. He’s equally as well-developed and complex as Shen Zechuan, and his continual struggles with duty, his love for his family, and his internal struggles are compelling. His relationships with his family is particularly heartwarming. The scene where he tells his father he’s fallen in love with a man, essentially coming out to him, was deeply touching and wholesome--which stands out all the more because of the story’s extremely dark tone (which I’ll talk about later).

The plot is highly complex. It's also very political, which I enjoy, although I will admit that not having the conclusions yet definitely means some parts feel fragmented at this stage--but they probably won’t feel this way by the end. I’m highly intrigued by the mysteries surrounding Bai Cha, Shen Zechuan’s mother, and by the premise of Qi Zhuyin and Hua Xiangyi’s relationship (also, canon lesbian couple! Who are complex characters! It’s like the characters from Female General and Eldest Princess ended up in a good story!) 

The story’s tone is quite dark--I literally have no expectations for any character besides, I’m told, the main pairing and the lesbians to get a happy ending. It’s very tragic and violent, dark and exploring the worst of humanity more so than the best. Hence, why I compare it tonally to A Song of Ice and Fire. However, that doesn’t mean the story is nihilistic--for the most part, it’s really not. That dark tone is its strength as much as it is also my largest critique. 

For the latter element, there are chapters where the story can almost feel as if it is wallowing in that darkness--I’m not sure, for example, I needed the scene of a pregnant concubine being drowned, nor the told-to-us backstory of Mu Ru if she was never going to be properly explored before dying. Nor Li Jianheng’s tragic childhood, which was almost too much to bear especially with the ending he got. A lot of the unnecessary elements also seem to concern violence against women, and while it does have really nice female characters with arcs, this was... a lot. 

However, as hinted above, the darkness does make the beautiful, loving, heartwarming, and yes, funny (the novel has a great sense of humor) moments shine more brightly. The way Xiao Chiye is clearly light to Shen Zechuan, and his own redemption might pave the way for Shen Zechuan’s growth. The story hinted early on that Shen Zechuan might have to choose between his hatred and his will to live, and recently picked up those threads again with Xiao Chiye’s father’s wariness of Shen Zechuan’s demeanor. I think this is a worthy theme and really hope it’s further developed through his character.

But this idea--that hatred helps him live--ties into two other strong themes of the novel: wanting to live no matter what it costs, and the cost of victory/defeat. Whether on a physical battlefield or a political chess game, trade negotiations, torturing a prisoner, a marriage, the story is constantly asking the characters what the cost of victory is, and when it is worth it and when it is not--when a defeat can truly be a victory in some sense. I’m very interested to see how these ideas continue to develop. 

Anyways, I quite enjoy this novel, especially the main characters, and am interested to see where it goes! Personally, the writing is less my taste than MXTX’s works (which are very, very character driven in a personal way, and have a distinct kindness to their tone), but it is extremely well written and the two leads are excellent characters. The themes are worthy questions, and it’s truly moving and enjoyable. I definitely recommend it! 

[miniatureclover]

A series of live readings for a handful of boy’s love novels I have been meaning to read or continue for months...might as well motivate myself with some halfway decent graphics and (attempted) book blurbs!

If you’re interested in LGBT+ Asian-inspired fantasy, I highly recommend delving into the world of Chinese web novels. Many dedicated fans pick these up for translation on the bird app and they are literally everything I always look for in Asian-inspired fantasy but never find, probably due to the publishing industry’s idea of what counts as “marketable”. 

They all are, of course, #OwnVoices and written by authors who are pretty well-versed or do their research on the history, philosophy, and literature their characters consume. As a result, characters never feel like they don’t at least belong in their world - it’s reflected in their speech, mannerisms, values, etc. The natural integration of a common canon of Chinese poetry, philosophy, and values is particularly valuable and difficult to write if you haven’t been raised learning all of that history in school and absorbing it from the culture you live in.

Genre Notes: • Wuxia = martial arts fantasy, no supernatural elements • Xianxia = “cultivation” novels, a mix of fantasy and martial arts wherein characters usually aim to cultivate spiritual energy to reach immortality • Xuanhan = fantasy, may have cultivation, but also encompasses more supernatural elements including the heavens/gods

All of these have m/m romance, some more heavily than others. Warnings are not complete, will be updated as I progress through the stories. None of these are too bad though, except for a certain scene in Invitation to Wine.

Faraway Wanderers / Tianyake / 天涯客

A tired ex-spy wants to live out his remaining days in leisure but ends up involved in a chaotic series of events along with the other lead character, a playboy martial artist, and some ducklings (children) tagging along. Ultimately, a story that questions the possibility for redemption with a heavy amount of gritty realism sprinkled with hope and second chances.

Author: priest Genre: Wuxia, Action/Adventure Warnings: Mild gore

Nan Chan / 南禅

The story of a fish that cultivated to gain a human form and an immortal with amnesia, who committed a serious crime and was cast from the heavens for it. Together, they go on a quest that will take them through the “eight sufferings” (birth, death, old age, sickness, partings with loved ones, encounters with enemies, unfulfilled wishes, and the inability to let go) and uncover a mystery in the heavens.

Author: Tang Jiuqing Genre: Supernatural, Xuanhuan

To Rule in a Turbulent World / Luan Shi Wei Wang / 乱世为王

The spoiled son of a wealthy tea merchant acquires a loyal slave who supports him when he is down on his luck and cast out by his father, having to renovate the old estate his mother left to him. Later, he goes to take the imperial examinations and war breaks out when the “barbarian” tribes from the north attack. Ultimately, a story of growing up in a turbulent era.

Author: Fei Tian Ye Xiang Genre: Historical, Wuxia, Action/Adventure, Slice of Life Warnings: War violence, explicit sex, underage sex

Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fu Yao Sect / 六爻

A boy is taken in by the eccentric master of a rundown cultivation sect comprised of kids. Later, tragedy strikes after leaving their mountain home and they must find their way back – uncovering the secrets of their sect and proving themselves against a world that mocks them.

Author: priest Genre: Xianxia, Adventure, Drama

Invitation to Wine / Qiang Jin Jiu / 将进酒

The main character is a young man whose family was accused of treason and he barely escaped with his life, the second male lead is the man who once kicked him while he was down. A story about the “epic feud” between these two people who never get along whenever they meet.

Author: Tang Jiuqing Genre: Historical, Romance Warnings: Torture, animal abuse

[khunsimp]

Thank you so much for answering my ask, khunsimp.....🌻

I just realized in your blog that there are also quite a lot about danmei....

If you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 favorite couples from all of the danmei novels that you've finished reading (or watched the adaptations)? And why do you like them? (It can be canon couples or non-canon couples....)

Again, sorry if you've answered this ask before....Thank you 😊

Ahh! That is easy! i hardly ship anything that is not canon. I'm ,normally, not a shipper, but there are certain specific couples that I'm in love with!

-Wangxian( lan zhan and wei wuxian) from mo dao zu shi!!!

(You know, normally, at least one of the characters in a danmei is overtly possessive/seems to care about nothing more/anyone besides the love of his life. I don't think this is necessarily bad to read! but, is this so unrealistic for a human being that it's harder for me for a couple like that to become one of my favorites? I think, maybe, because a character looks more complex/like a real person if he is not like that? Wangxian was able to demonstrate unconditional love, and a certain possessiveness of one of them in a more "passive" and normal way (where he feels this, but demonstrates it in a way more healthy, repressed and controlled way. And, the protectiveness is also fully explained, so the "exaggerated" is not exaggerated!. But as I said in the other question, I don't like something for really logical reasons. I just love wangxian, and that's it kkkkk. They are one of the best love story for me;

-Wenzhou( Wen ke xing and zhou zishu) from word of honor/faraway wanderers ( Just love them. Especially in the novel, they are grey moral characters, and I really like characters like that. So, a couple of two people like that? it's perfect kkkkkkkkk. Love wen ke xing personality, he is one of my favorite danmej characters. I love how they think alike and without shame and at the same time behave differently. Anyway, I can't give a better explanation than that, I just love them);

-Cezhou( Shen zechuan and Xiao chiye) from Qiang jin jiu. (I didnt finish it yet, but sorry, i cant do a list like that without them? Especially since this is, maybe, the most complex and well written danmei that i ever read? Also, they are the BEST enemies to lovers. And they relationship is perfect developed. The tension, the passion, and after the unconditional love... Its perfect!!!!!! );

<These 3 👆 are my true favorites, for real>.

- Moshang from self saving system. ( I dont really know why I like them, I just was "catch"by it, you know? Also, they are a secundary pair. I dont like the main pair together in this novel);

- Hualian from Heavens official blessing ( Remember when I said that a couple with someone who just care about his lover normally dont is my type? Well, they are the exception. As I said, my "like" for something isnt really logical).

Well, that is it!

[mxtxfanatic]

Sorry if I'm late in the ask game (hope you don't mind, I ask again). Can I ask for whichever 2 danmei that you have liveblogged from my last ask? Thanks so much....

I liveblogged Qiang Jin Jiu I think in 2022? And I liveblogged Mist in October but only just finished it in March after a hiatus. I’ll tag this ask with the tags I used for the liveblogs!

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

Hey, I started reading Female General Elder Princess because I got the link from your blog and I wanted some lesbian historical romance. I've just begun reading it, but I already love it! ❤️❤️❤️

Btw, do you have any other recs for translated novels/web novels??

Glad you’re enjoying FGEP :3 

I have not read as many webnovels as I’d like to say I have, but I’ve got other recs, definitely. I hope you like these!

Wiegenlied of Green

This novel is part of a larger series by the Japanese song writer and producer mothy, called the Story of Evil. The Story of Evil is part of a larger series called the Evillious Chronicles, also by mothy. I’d actually recommend the EC as a whole, it’s great despite its flaws, but Wiegenlied of Green essentially centers on two of the universe’s characters, Michaela and Clarith. It’s about how they meet and how their (eventually romantic) relationship develops around each other, as they’re both quite different people. Clarith is a kind person but shunned and ostracized for her Netsuma heritage, which was connected in a bad way to another event earlier in the universe’s history. As a result, she has extremely low self-esteem. Michaela on the other hand was originally an immortal forest spirit in the form of a robin, but she takes the form of a human in order to assist a sorceress. Because of her origins and true nature, Michaela lacks understanding about human emotions, both the good and the bad, and as a result finds herself pretty baffled living among humans. So when the two of them meet… 

There’s other elements and plots, as the Evillious Chronicles universe is much wider, but at its core Wiegenlied of Green is Michaela and Clarith’s story. The original is in Japanese (obv), but it’s fully translated to English here. The prose can get a little awkward due to converting between languages, but it’s definitely not incomprehensible. AND MICHAELA MARRY ME. 

(A side note, but mothy actually made two songs about the plot of Wiegenlied of Green as well, even though it cuts out a lot of the novel’s storyline. One is from Clarith’s perspective, called Daughter of White in reference to Clarith’s white hair as a Netsuma, and the other is from Michaela’s perspective, called Maiden of the Tree: Thousand-Year Wiegenlied, in reference to her original status as a spirit of the forest. I wouldn’t watch either of their videos or read any translations of them until after I’ve finished the novel, though, since they both have spoilers.) 

Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun

(I’m gonna go with the English title here, because the Chinese title is pretty long, to the point that most people call it 2ha or Erha.) This is a Chinese danmei novel, by the author Meatbun Doesn’t Eat Meat. Its protagonist is Mo Ran, who became tyrannical emperor after losing his first love, and killed a bunch of people. Eventually, he committed suicide, only to wake up and find that he’s traveled back in time to when he was fifteen years old, before his first love died. This was my first danmei novel, and god. It has some really interesting themes about justice, redemption, atonement, morality, forgiveness, etc. The title may sound childish, but I hurt myself reading it. I think the strength of 2ha is that the author expresses raw emotions so well that I can’t help coming back, and she gets you so invested in all the characters. Massive trigger warning, though, for r/pe, abuse, explicit sex, and gore. Also, Chu Wanning, the main love interest/deuteragonist, is Mo Ran’s shizun, or teacher. Although this is handled carefully by the story, it still might be off-putting.

Here’s a link to translations in various languages; as far as I know, there’s no full human translation into English. The machine translations are understandable, but they also might come across as awkward. I’d say it’s still more than  worth it, though.

Tian Guan Ci Fu

The English title is Heaven’s Official Blessing. This is also Chinese danmei web novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s protagonist, Xie Lian, is the crown prince of the kingdom Xianle, who ascended to the status of a god at age seventeen due to his cultivation but ended up being banished because of, ahem, circumstances. The main love interest and deuteragonist is Hua Cheng, who is… it’s complicated. As for its strengths, Tian Guan Ci Fu is just great all around, honestly. The themes are tight and consistent, the characters are wonderful (I’m extremely in love with Yushi Huang), and the worldbuilding is stellar. Not to mention, the main couple has me screaming into my pillow every moment of every day. 

The story is fully translated to English here. MXTX, the author, has also written other web novels that I haven’t read (yet), but I’ve heard amazing things about all of them. One is Mo Dao Zu Shi (“Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation”), the source material for the TV show The Untamed, which you might have seen stuff about. The other is Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, which is also apparently really good. 

Wiegenlied, 2ha, and TGCF are the only ones I can come up with so far, but I have a huge to-read list of webnovels. Of course I can’t recommend them since I haven’t read them yet, but here they are if you want to read more:

Night Flowers Shirking From the Light of the Sun

Qiang Jin Jiu

Sha Po Lang

Qi Ye

The Noble Consort’s Pet Empress

Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms

Qian Qiu

My Princess Has Been Reborn

[grumfield]

Sorry ur getting so many asks about ur comic on MDZS/CQL! I hope it cools down for you! (It is very funny though though and I love ur expressions throughout!) But since it seems like you've been reading a lot of novels since then any recommendations for me since I just started? (please note I need an english translation)

Yeah it’s a little bit much haha. But hopefully it’ll cool down. AND I WOULD LOVE TO REC YOU NOVELS I LOVE RECCING NOVELS

My absolute favorite is 2ha / Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Do not be fooled by the title like I was! This is not a cute fluffy story—this is a 311 chapter long angst-filled redemption novel with a complicated plot and even more complex characters. It’s honestly such a treat and I would give anything to relive reading it again for the first time. Filled with plot twists, dark content, humor, redemption, and a REALLY really good couple.

The novel begins with the main character killing himself. His name? Mo Ran (aka) Taxian-Jun, evil emperor of the cultivation world who basically went insane after the death of his unrequited crush Shi Mei (who is NOT the love interest) and razed sects to the ground, and killed thousands of people. He truly is absolutely horrible and irredeemable. The only one who ever stood up to him was his Shizun Chu Wanning—the man he hated most and blames for his crush’s death—but eventually, after Taxian-Jun imprisoned chu wanning and took out all his hatred out on him (this is where most of the dark material in the book comes from) he died too. And now, all alone and ruling the world, Taxian-Jun gets sick of it all and commits suicide, and then...is reborn into his 15 year old body, before his unrequited love dies. Mo Ran takes this rebirth as an opportunity to prevent the tragedy to come...but of course, not everything goes as planned. First: someone else has been reborn too, and they have their own agenda, and now the original timeline is getting fucked up. Second: Mo Ran comes to realize that everything he thought about Chu Wanning is completely wrong, and he realizes that Chu Wanning, despite his cold exterior, actually would do anything protect him and his other disciples.

REALLY WELL CRAFTED STORY. Favorite couple. Love the themes of redemption, because the main character really is insufferable at the beginning but comes back from that hard and you end up loving him. Nice smexy scenes. Loving couple, really tender. Uses food as a love language. They are very horny.

I cried very, very hard reading it. Like. Harder than I ever have with media. It has a happy ending though!

BE AWARE THAT THERE IS DARK MATERIAL IN THIS THO, AND READ THE WARNINGS.

Some other ones I liked:

Since you’re new, if you haven’t read the novels by the same author as MDZS, I highly recommend them, as you’ll probably enjoy them.

These are Scum Villain’s Self Saving System (mc gets transmigrated into the body of a villain from a trashy harem book and is intent on not dying so he is nice to the novel’s protagonist...which makes the protagonist fall in love with him.)

The second is Heaven Official’s Blessing, the story of Xie Lian, a god who’s ascended and descended out of godhood many times as he solves problems, and his love interest Hua Cheng, a very powerful demon. Nonlinear story with 800 years of pining.

Little Mushroom

It’s like if No.6 and Annihilation had a baby. It’s a post apocalyptic “organic” sci-fi. The main character is a mushroom who infected a human body, which is classified as “heterogenous”. The love interest is a man called the Judge whose job is to kill heterogenous organisms. It follows their relationship development in a world that tearing apart at the seams, as they learn to trust in humanity. Happy ending!

To Rule in a Turbulent World

Historical novel! Spoiled and rich young master saves the life of a Quanrong slave, and the two of them get mixed up in a variety of political schemes, while also doing things like irrigating crops and stuff. There’s a particularly good spicy scene in the 3rd chapter that I quite like. It’s a fun read, with a happy ending!

Golden Stage

Historical novel! Enemies to lovers Arranged marriage! What’s not to like. The main character is a young war hero left crippled by an ambush, and the ML is a guy who’s basically a court lackey for the emperor. They’re constantly at odds after a falling out in their youth, and are seen as enemies. That has to change though, once the main character is sent back home, for a variety of political reasons that actually make sense, the mc is set to be married to the ML. They’re a really cute doting couple, and are also very strong and intelligent.

Qiang Jin Jiu

Historical novel! Heavy on the politics and plot. Shen Zechuan is the son of the leader of an attempted rebellion, and is set to basically be a prisoner for life. The ML, Xiao Chiye, is a military general (I think) who, upon seeing the mc...immediately kicks him in the stomach and renders the Mc an invalid. It’s a very fun political book with an awesome couple who’s always at each other’s throats.

If you want any more recs let me know! I’d be happy to oblige.

[aworldforastage]

currently reading: 长安少年游 by 明月倾

The title roughly translates to, "Chang'an Youths' Journey".

Synopsis

Yan Junyu is the orphaned heir of a noble family that has lost its influence. At 16, his grandmother sends him to the imperial palace as a 伴读/"study attendant" for the princes, hoping he can make connections that will secure their family's future. He initially studies with the spoiled and bratty Seventh Prince, who often bullies him. The Crown Prince, Xiao Jingyan, runs into two instances of Yan Junyu being bullied, and asks for Yan Junyu to join him at his Eastern Palace instead.

As Yan Junyu settles into in the Eastern Palace, he realizes the seemingly-perfect Crown Prince actually faces serious political challenges. The threat of a war looms as tribes to the North are growing increasingly greedy and aggressive. The Prince's relationship with his Emperor Father is strained as their political views diverge. Yan Junyu falls in love with Xiao Jingyan, but he doesn't know or understand so many parts of his person and history. A brilliant entourage is helping the Crown Prince with his duties and political agenda, but someone very important is obviously missing, and Yan Junyu doesn't know if he meant to replace that missing shadow.

However, Yan Junyu is learning and growing quickly as some of the brightest people in the nation are teaching and helping him. He wants to become the great general his father almost became and help his prince build a prosperous future for their nation...

(Also, the entire novel is FREE on JJWXC!!!)

What I like about the story

Crown Prince Xiao Jingyan. I read a review that called Xiao Jingyan "the fictional Crown Prince who is most like a Crown Prince." He understands the power and responsibilities that come with his position, and has went beyond expectations with talent, hard work, and immense personal sacrifices from both himself and his allies. He barely has any personal time because he is so busy with his duties to the court, with serving his Father Emperor, and with managing his own team of strategists and advisors. He is always in control, calm, dignified, and wise, so perfect in his role as a ruler that Yan Junyu can hardly understand how to love him like a human. Even though he is perpetually calm and at ease on the surface, there is ambition, anger, ruthlessness, and even a healthy dose selfishness hiding underneath. It's obvious that Xiao Jingyan desperately needs companionship in his lonely and stressful life.

Political Intrigue. I think this is one of the best historical political novels I have read. The story is set in an alternate history, some time after the Song dynasty. Externally, there is a threat of war on the Northern Borders. Internally, the Emperor is increasingly unsatisfied and resentful of his heir as his health fails. The Crown Prince needs to balance playing a loyal son and subject while furthering his own political vision as the future ruler. I think the schemes are at Qiang Jin Jiu's level of complexity, and it feels even more complicated at times due to the constant allusion to actual Chinese history, literature, and philosophy. The Prince himself and two advisors study Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism, respectively; their methods differ based on their philosophies and life experiences. The strategists on the other sides are just as clever, and everyone is trying to think three steps ahead. No one is treated like a cartoon villain. Even the people whose main motivations are ambition or self-preservation are shown to be rational with their priorities.

Dynamic characters! The Eastern Palace has an amazing entourage of talented people united by their faith and loyalty to the Crown Prince, but they still have their own emotions and flaws. Rong Hao, a privileged young lord, tends to underestimate the desperation and ambition of those who have to crawl their way up. Yunlan, whose history makes her ruthlessly rational and efficient, fails to recognize the anger and resentment clouding her judgement. Ye Xuanji, the Crown Princess with amazing political acumen, chooses a loveless marriage in exchange for a position of power. Ao Ji, a loyal and kind young man from a military lineage, cannot forgive the Crown Prince or his own father for the compromises they have made to stay in the game of power. They are closest friends from childhood, but also lord and subject, colleagues and allies, trying to build the future of their nation together.

What makes me go a "meh" at times

The protagonist .... Yan Junyu is basically a male ingenue. He is kind, respectful, optimistic, handsome, and extremely talented with military strategy. Xiao Jingyan loves him because he is a breath of fresh air from the political schemes that fill his world, but at times Yan Junyu's "innocence" and "kindness" are a bit much. Everyone else in the novel becomes cautious and jaded, but he remains "pure". He is also better at military strategy than generals with front line experience just by reading and playing strategy games, supposedly because he is a genius in this. It definitely feels like "protagonist halo"

The relationship arc ... Oh, where do I begin...

Despite his attraction to the Prince, Yan Junyu feels so young and inexperienced at 15/16 compared to Xiao Jingyan's 21. It's one of the few times that the power and age difference between the characters really made the relationship feel unfair. The Prince doesn't personally push Yan Junyu into anything, but everyone knows what he has in mind when he asks Yan Junyu to join his palace. Regardless of what has or hasn't happened between them, and before he really understands his feelings or Xiao Jinyan, Yan Junyu is already known as the Crown Prince's favorite and living under his roof ... did he really have a chance after Xiao Jinyan has chosen him?

Perhaps due to the reasons above, the relationship develops very slowly and takes a long time go further than kisses. They have intense feelings and affections for each other, but Xiao Jingyan doesn't share much about himself. To be fair, Xiao Jingyan is extremely busy with his duties and has very little personal time to spend with Yan Junyu, but he still keeps a calm and controlled facade even when they are alone, and it's hard for Yan Junyu to truly understand his feelings with that mask.

This is probably just me, but for once I actually want to sink the main ship ...

Yan Junyu's reputation has become entangled with the Crown Prince the moment he enters the Eastern Palace, but he does so without much choice or understanding of the implications. Ao Ji goes through the trouble of remind him of who he can be, how bright he can shine away from the palace, on the battlefields he longs for. You sort of mourn for the parts of him that may never come to be under the shadow cast by the Eastern Palace, even though he wants to stay there for Xiao Jingyan.

[Mid-novel spoiler alert] I'm on the The Xiao Jingyan/Ye Liangyu ship? I don't know the whole story yet, but at 16 the Crown Prince loved one of his study attendants, the brightest young man of their age who is meant to become the chief strategist of the Eastern Palace, an important ally to one day help him govern the nation. He loved hard enough to fight the Emperor on this, but they still split up. The Eastern Palace still suffers from this young man's departure, as Rong Hao must step up to be the strategist despite not being suited for it, and Ao Ji is angry at Xiao Jingyan's choice of wife in the aftermath. Yan Junyu is loved because his morality and character is untouched by the dirty schemes of imperial politics and their relationship is one of Yan Junyu learning to understand Xiao Jingyan and his world. Ye Liangyu is literally the antithesis of all this, as someone who grew up meant to be an integral part of it, and I just find that so much more compelling. I almost don't want to keep reading because I know this relationship is dead, but I love it so much!

I'm rushing to post this because Ye Liangyu is returning to the Eastern Palace to help with a political crisis, so I may feel very differently soon!

[mxtxfanatic]

You know, maybe the novel that the Jin Guangyao stans want is this? Not to say that Shen Zechuan kills indiscriminately and has no morals in his drive for power (don’t know about any of that yet, I’m only to page 300), but the way he can twist words to the point you don’t know what’s truth from lie when he talks to others? Yeah.

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Alright, another character breakdown! Keep in mind that as long as this list is, this definitely is not all of the major players in the book. Because there are just sooooooo many characters, I’m choosing to highlight the ones I remember and care about the most (SPOILERS AHEAD for character deaths):

Xiao Fangxu: great dad, damn his death hurt me

Xiao Jiming: still cannot believe he guessed his brother had a crush based on his BLINKING PATTERNS LMAOOOOOO

Gu Jin: hope he got that girl he got ratted out about, cause after all this, he deserves the rest

Ding Tao: baby boy 🥺

Chen Yang: glad he got it together and stopped with the petty shit

Tantai Hu: there were a few moments I thought he was gonna fall from grace, but a true testament to the idea that honesty pays

Li Xiong: BABY 🥺🥺🥺

Qi Huilian (Grand Mentor Qi): did not realize how important he would become and when I did, did not realize that he’d be KILLED; honestly, a completely unexpected death for me

Ji Gang: man’s been through so much but STILL is dedicated to fathering all these orphaned sons. Best dad award right here

Fei Sheng: finally got a life and sense of self-worth, but at what cost?

Qiao Tianya: never thought being told you could be a monk could be considered a threat

Yao Wenyu: i hate the emotions he’s made me (and Qiao Tianya) feel, knowing he’s already come to terms with death and ain’t feeling the shit himself

Kong Ling: you worked so hard not to be the personal advisor of a conquerer just to end up the personal advisor of an emperor LOL

Yin Chang: genius af, funny as hell, how you a grown man afraid of baths??? His death hurt

Qi Zhuyin: BIG QUEER ENERGY

Hua Xiangyi (Third Missy/Hua the Third): surprise high femme queen sneak attack!

Lu Guangbai: reminds me of the pets from Homeward Bound, never doubted him for a second

Lei Jingzhe: he really had me there for a second; epic death

Hasen: alright, we get it! The bad guys have families too! They’re also human! Stop beating me with it—! (another painful death even as I knew it was inevitable)

Duo’erlan: ok coming in clutch at the last second to steal a spot as one of the most badass characters! Was praying HARD they didn’t kill her…

Xue Xiuzhuo: good longterm adversary, i wish him a very fuck you, asshole

Fengquan: massive security oversight: man worked under a man who plotted the emperor’s assassination, his “sister” assassinated the succeeding emperor, and y’all bring him back AGAIN to work under the third emperor??? But you’re surprised he’s the hidden assassin????

Ling Ting/Li Jianting: poor girl

Jiran: cute last minute baby addition!

Xiao Chiye: best soldier, best uncle, best brother, best son, best partner, best—

Shen Zechuan: nobody deserves the throne more than him, fucking fight me Xue Xiuzhou

Xiao Chiye x Shen Zechuan: fan-fucking-tastic power couple, round of applause for their resounding success and the fantastic sex!

Overall a great book if you love political intrigue mixed with a little bit of war action. Violence isn’t too gratuitous, and there are trigger warnings for the worst of it. The characters are characters, and there is never a dull moment in this book. I did find it weird, though, that everything was trigger warned for except the two moments of noncon and dubcon between the major couples, but that may have been a translator thing? Either way, I’d watch any drama adaptation of this.