#i did not know i was so into yin luo and the emperor until my fingers started typing but THAT SCENE YOU GUYS

[bending-sickle]

Tagged by @pepperf <3

Tag 9 people you want to catch up with: no pressure and a thousand apologies in advance but @seschat, @beenworkingonacocktail, @its-sorcery, @thehorseofadifferentcolour, @mannersminded, @notascreepyasyouthink, @cateyedcrow ...look, okay, seven is as many as i can or dare.

6 favorite ships: ...favourite meaning in this case “ships i like that i can remember in this moment”

wei yin luo and emperor qianlong of story of yanxi palace - not currently canon, from where i’m watching, and yes, they both despise each other and don’t want to see each other, but look, listen, they’re so fun together. she gets the best of him and he gets so angry but can’t do shit about it because she’s talked him into a corner and then he seems to respect her for it too.and then the last scene i watched, he opened up to her about Concerns and she insulted his poetry and i just. i am Living. (although not as much as yin luo’s friendship with likeminded yuan chun wang is. they’re so good together. devious little shits, the both of them.)

brienne/jaime of game of thrones and a song of ice and fire. because fight me, that’s why.

.*flips through list of shows i’ve watched lately* ummm

lee dae gil/un nyun of chuno kinda sorta physically hurt because it was All Pining, All the Time, and then they don’t even get together because she’s grown and moved on but he still helps out her new beau and just. *puts on old tumblr hat* MAH FEELS.

lucian/sonja of underworld: rise of the lycans because it hits all of my buttons, even the supernatural ones.i’m talking forbidden love, vampires, werewolves, michael sheen at peak sexy, it’s all there.

bob/linda of bob’s burgers because Goals, honestly. look at them being wholesome and supportive and loving.

clarke/bellamy of the 100 and not even god can tell me different.

Last song I listened to: “three hours of gentle night rain”. oh wait, song. i haven’t listened to one today, but my shuffle playlist is on “i will survive” by gloria gaynor.

Last movie I watched: fahrenheit 451 (2018). i had some thoughts. it’s a good enough movie if you don’t mind being hit over the head with themes and if you don’t have the book engraved in your brain like i do. (so many details i wanted to see that were just gone, stripped, eradicated from the movie. why? why?!? they took the hound out, for crying out loud!)

however i have the king and i (1956) on stand-by because i recently got the most massive craving for yul brynner. (i think because the emperor in the story of yanx palace reminds me of him? kinda?) he was my childhood.

TV show(s) I’m watching: i have a few specials left of goblin: the lonely and great god left, and i’m not even halfway through the story of yanxi palace, and archer and bob’s burgers are weekly commitments that bring me joy,

and then as for future watching, i think grey’s anatomy is back i think this week? and i’ve got shine or go crazy ready to go, and also i think the crown is back soon? and there’s that haunting of bly manor i want to check out, and crimnal: uk has a new season... but mainly i’m all about Sassy and Witty Palace Maid Wins at Court Shenanigans.

[thevindicativevordan]

On Kong Kenan/Super-Man

It should've been him. He should've been the Superman of 5G/Future State/right now not Jon, and he should be the one getting an HBO Max series not Val. Hell he should be getting a movie!

God this dude is literally the best legacy character Superman has ever gotten, wholly his own person with his own lore and status quo while still building on the idea of "Superman". I am so pissed at DC for essentially just dropping him after his ongoing ended, what the hell Lee? You keep trying to make the Wildstorm characters happen, I need you to get my man Yang another Kenan book.

Have to admit I was a bit nervous at first about whether or not Kenan would be a worthwhile character. Yang's New 52 Superman run had been a disappointment to me overall, with only the the arc where Superman has underground wrestling matches against forgotten gods really sticking with me. Now he was introducing a brand new Superman? Didn't feel like he had "earned" that yet. But from the first issue I was hooked on this new character.

Kenan was unlike any other member of the Superfamily. He wasn't kind or sweet, he was an asshole! He was a bully! He was fantastic! Right from the start Kenan was set up to undergo a very different kind of character journey than the other members of the Superfamily. Empathy, humility, respect for people weaker than himself, these are all traits most heroes wearing the S-shield already posses by the time they first don the crest, but not Kenan.

Like all bullies he was even a bit of a coward himself at first, trying to bail on the experiment meant to give him Superman's powers right as it begins. After "saving" Lixin (the kid he bullies and steals lunch from every day) from Blue Condor he demands all the money Lixin has on him as payment. He's not courageous or selfless either at the start, Kenan is as much of an opposite of Superman as you can get short of being Bizarro. Learning the appeal of these traits formed the basis for his growth over the course of his series.

Seeing Yang bring in a lot of recognizable "Superman" elements in the series, but with a twist, was also great. Kenan is the one who bullies "Luo Lixin" rather than the traditional Clark/Lex friendship of Pre-Crisis and Birthright. Initially Kenan develops a crush on intrepid reporter for Primetime Shanghai, Laney Lan, but she dismisses him as too young and Kenan eventually ends up pursuing Avery Ho (Flash) instead. Baxi the Bat-Man of China has a similar relationship with Kenan as the traditional Superman/Batman in terms of being vitriolic best buds, however Baxi is the one who has the most respect for authority while Kenan is the rebel. Kenan is a part of the "Justice League of China" which does not meet with the approval of the already established Chinese superheroes, the Great Ten. That contrasts nicely with the good relationship the Justice Society and Justice League have, as well as seeing Yang lampshade the "Chinese copy" trope and incorporate that into his storytelling.

One of the funniest differences is how Kenan chooses to immediately reveal his identity as Super-Man to the world by taking off the compliance visor he was forced to wear, contrasting with Clark's choice to hide his identity. He was so eager to impress people that he never gave any thought to the danger he could put himself or his family in by revealing his identity until it was too late, something Clark is well aware of and has taken great pains to keep his identity secret. Was a missed opportunity for DC to have Kenan comment on Clark copying him for once when he outed himself under Bendis.

But one of the most poignant differences between Clark and Kenan is the gulf in separation between their relationship with their parents. Clark has a loving relationship with Ma and Pa Kent, trying to live up to their lessons as best he can. In contrast Kenan's mom was believed to have died in an airplane crash when he was just a child, and he never really knew her. His father was distant from him after that and the two weren't really close despite Kenan's attempts to impress him. So Kenan lacks that strong connection while still clearly loving both of them.

Pa Kent's death is one of the most tragic examples of Clark's love for his parents, and I've always been a fan of takes where Clark promises his father to fight for the powerless on Pa's deathbed. Kenan gets a similar scene at the start of his career, his dad "dies" (after being exposed as Flying General Dragon, a pro-democracy "supervillain" from the Chinese authorities perspective) and wants Kenan to promise he'll fight for Truth, Justice, and Democracy. But because Kenan's dad never really bonded with him, Kenan doesn't know what those mean, and can only promise that he never wants to see people die, something his father takes comfort in at least. In classic comic book fashion it's revealed that Dr. Omen, Kenan's "boss" and the one who gave him his powers, saved Kenan's father, because she is Kenan's mother! Kenan's relationship with his parents forms a lot of the crux of his character arc, and seeing how Yang utilizes the classic Superman concept of family kept the storytelling exciting.

Yang's brilliant exploration of the concept of "Superman" through the prism of Chinese culture was a great way to differentiate Kenan as well.

I absolutely freaking love how he tied to the concept of Qi to the S-shield in particular. Connecting the shape of the shield with the way Kenan has acquired his powers along the path of the Bagua (eight trigrams used in Taoism that represent the fundamental principles of reality), with his octagon S-shield outline representing all eight principles together, was mindblowing! So was the idea of restricting Kenan's access to his powers unless he was actually acting in a Superman manner, that tied his character growth to his power growth in an entertaining manner. There were so many characters and concepts that meshed Chinese and DC lore together, like how Emperor Super-Man was Kenan's "Doomsday", they even recreated that iconic dual kill shot! The Chinese Wonder Woman Peng Deilan, being based on the Chinese Legend of the White Snake! There was even some Korean mythology referenced with the Aqua-Man member of the JLC "Dragonson".

Yang also managed to do a Superman Blue/Superman Red story with Super-Man Yin/Super-Man Yang!

Shameful that it took me a while to realize what Gene Yang was doing but once I caught on I was touched. You can tell how much Yang loved Superman and his mythology, and how he was excited to incorporate as much from Clark as he could, while still using it in a way that was solidly Kenan's. And not just Superman's mythology, but the history and lore of the entire DC Universe. I-Ching got to be brought in, fleshed out, and used as Kenan's mentor! The "Yellow Peril" villain from Detective Comics #1, the comic DC gets its name from was brought in and revamped as I-Ching's twin brother All-Yang! Hats off to Yang for taking a racist caricature and attempting to make him into something more.

This series was a beautiful attempt by Gene Yang to build a space for Asian heroes and villains where they could be more than stereotypes, Kenan himself being a defiant mold-breaker in every regard as the complete opposite of most Asian characters in Western media (a jock, a bully, loves his dad but not on great terms with him, a powerhouse as a hero, etc). So much thought and hard work was poured into this by Yang and his team of artist collaborators.

Especially the costumes, man Kenan had so many great looks. From his starting outfit (which is my favorite Superman variant not worn by Clark himself), to the one with the Yin/Yang shield he acquired later on, to his Super-Man Yin & Super-Man Yang outfits, Kenan looked damn cool. Part of me is bummed they didn't go with the Chinese character shield they toyed around with, but I loved how Yang used the "s-shield" as a plot point, so I'm not too broken up over it.

All that great work Yang did to build that space up has been more or less forgotten sadly. It was nice to see Kenan in the DC Asian Month Celebration issue. Avery is going to be in Justice Incarnate at least (unsurprising considering she was created by Williamson). So fucking bummed that Superman Family Adventures cartoon didn't happen, they were going to have Kenan and John Henry Irons in it! Would've been a dream come true for me to see Irons in animation again, and Kenan making the jump to outside media! Maybe that would've encouraged DC to let Yang keep writing New Super-Man, or at least encouraged them to use him elsewhere instead of allowing him fall into Limbo.

Unfortunately I'm not sure what the future holds for Kenan. Jon is being pushed as Clark's replacement in the comics, with DC keeping all the other contenders such as Kon benched. Calvin is leading the Justice Incarnate team likely due to the upcoming Coates reboot that will make Clark black. Val will probably get something once Taylor leaves Jon's book or once they officially announce the HBO Max show is happening. So where does that leave Kenan, my new favorite PoC legacy hero? Currently my only hope is that Yang is working on something for DC involving him. Yang left Batman/Superman, where I was hoping to see a Baxi/Kenan team up, to go work on "exciting other opportunities" per his Twitter. So fingers crossed that there's something in the works for Kenan!

One day I hope he gets his day in the sun again.

[dethdealer12345-blog]

A Complete History of the Three Kingdoms Year 187

187 AD

-In the spring, in the first month on Feb 16th, there was an amnesty for the empire.

-In the second month some bandits of Rongyang killed the Luo Hao, Prefect of Zhongmou, and his Registrar Pan Yin. In the third month He Miao, the Intendant of Henan, attacked the bandits and destroyed them. He Miao was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry.

-He Miao was from Wan County in Nanyang Commandery. He was born a poor man, but when his half-sister became Empress, he, along with He Jin, was sent to the capital.

-Han Sui killed Bian Zhang, Beigong Boyu, and Li Wenhou, took over all their forces to command more than a hundred thousand men, and went forward to besiege the headquarters of Longxi Commandery. Li Xiangru, the Grand Administrator, rebelled against the Han and made an alliance with Han Sui.

-Geng Bi, the Inspector of Liang Province, led the troops of six commanderies to attack Han Sui. Geng Bi had appointed Cheng Qiu as his Attendant Official at Headquarters, but Cheng Qiu was in league with a gang of profiteers and extortioners, and the gentlemen and the common people all hated him.

-Fu Xie, the Grand Administrator of Hanyang, said to Geng Bi:

"Commissioner, you have not had much experience in administration, and the people are not yet accustomed to you. When the rebels hear that your powerful army is approaching, they will all be united against you. Those men from the border country are excellent fighters, and it will be hard to match their attacks. On the other hand our men have only recently been gathered together, and the officers and soldiers are not yet used to one another. If there should be some trouble within our ranks it will be too late for regrets."

"The best thing to do is let the army halt a while and build up morale. Make your rewards clear and your punishments certain. When you take the pressure off the rebels like this, they are sure to say to themselves that we are afraid of them. Such evil men will certainly struggle for power, and they will soon quarrel among themselves. After that, you will be leading people who know what they are fighting for, and bringing them against an enemy who is completely disorganized. You need only sit and wait, and success will come."

Geng Bi would not accept his advice.

-In the summer, in the fourth month, Geng Bi came to Didao, and then his Aide-de-Camp led a mutiny and joined the rebels. First they killed Cheng Qiu and then they killed Geng Bi.

-Then the rebels came forward to besiege Hanyang. In the capital of Hanyang there were few soldiers and no reserves of food, but Fu Xie sill held firm.

-Fu Xie's son, Fu Gan, thirteen years old, said to his father:

"The nation is in confusion and disorder, and that is why you have never received your true deserts from the court. You have too few soldiers now to maintain your defense, and you should accept the invitation of these Qiang and other tribes people and go back to our homeland. Wait until a worthy man appears, and then join him."

-Even before he had finished speaking, Fu Xie sighed miserably and said:

"You know that I must die. A sage is equal to any position, and even a lesser man should not fail his responsibilities. Zhou of Yin was cruel and tyrannical, ye Boyi died for him because he could not eat the millet of the conquering Zhou dynasty. I have met with a time of disorder and I cannot fulfill my true ambition. I have taken his salary, so how can I seek to avoid his time of danger? Where else can I go? I must die hie! You have talent and understanding, I hope you will do your best. Yang Hui, the Master of Records, will act as my Cheng Ying."

-Wang Guo, a man of Didao, sent Huang Yan, the former Grand Administrator of Jiuquan, to say to Fu Xie:

"The empire is gone forever from the government of Han. Magistrate, would you be prepared to become our leader?"

Fu Xie put his hand to his sword and shouted at Huang Yan:

"You, an official with a seal, have become the messenger boy for a gang of rebels!"

Then he led out his soldiers in a charge, and died in the thick of the fray.

-Ma Teng of Youfufeng, who had been Major under Geng Bi, also led his troops to rebel, and he joined forces with Han Sui. The rebels then made Wang Guo their leader and plundered the Three Adjuncts.

-Because the bandits and rebels had not been pacified, the Grand Commandant Zhang Wen left office. The Minister over the Masses, Cui Lie, was made Grand Commandant. In the fifth month the Minister of Works Xu Xiang became Minister over the Masses and the Superintendent of the Imperial Household Ding Gong of Pei kingdom became Minister of Works.

-Ding Gong had been the Inspector of Jiaozhi and Administrator of Cangwu in the 180s.

-

-Before this, Zhang Wen had raise three thousand shock cavalry from Wuhuan of You Province to use them in Liang Province. The former Chancellor of Zhongshan, Zhang Chun of Yuyang, asked to be given the command, but Zhang Wen turned him down and appointed the Prefect of Zhuo, Gongsun Zan of Liaoxi.

-Gongsun Zan, styled Bogui, was a man of Lingzhi in Liaoxi. He became a Scribe Assistant Below the Gate in Lingzhi Commandery. He had an imposing appearance and great voice. Gongsun Zan was also skilled in rhetoric. Whenever he discussed matters he was not superficial, and always made several different points, never forgetting or making a mistake. The Administrator Hou was impressed with his ability, wed his daughter to him, and sent him to visit Lu Zhi of Zhuo-jun to study the classics.

-Later he became a commandery official. When Administrator Liu Ji was in trouble and summoned to visit the Minister of Justice, Gongsun Zan drove the chariot, and personally attended to him. When Liu Ji was exiled to Rinan, Gongsun Zan prepared grain and meat, and north of Ming hill offered sacrifices to his ancestors, raising the libation cup and saying:

"Previously I was a son, but now I am a servant, and will soon to to Rinan. Rinan has unhealthy air, and perhaps I may not return, so I bid farewell to my ancestors."

He again bowed and rose, and at the time of those watching there were none who did not sob. On the road, Liu Ji was pardoned and returned.

-Gongsun Zan was nomitaed Filial and Incorrupt and became a Palace Gentleman, and was sent out as Chief Clerk of Liaodong Dependent State.

-Once he went with several tens of cavalry to patrol Sai, and encountered several hundred Xianbei riders. Gongsun Zan therefore retreated to an empty precinct, and said to his following cavalry:

"Now if we do not charge through them, then we will all be killed."

Gongsun Zan then himself grasped a lance, attacked a blade on both ends, and charged and stabbed through the barbarians, killing and wounding several tens, but also losing half his riders, and so they escaped. The Xianbei were intimidated and afterward did not dare again enter Sai. For his deeds Gongsun Zan was promoted to Magistrate of Zhuo.

-When the army reached Ji territory, the Wuhuan found that none of their supplies had been issued, and many of them mutinied and went back home.

-Zhang Chun, who was annoyed that he had not been given the command, now made an alliance with Zhang Ju, a man from the same commandery, who had once been Grand Administrator of Taishan, and with Qiuliju, a chieftain of the Wuhuan. Together they raided Ji. They killed Gongqi Chou, the Colonel Protector of the Wuhuan, Liu Zheng, the Grand Administrator of Youbeiping, and Yang Zhong, the Grand Administrator of Liaodong.

-Their forces now numbered more than a hundred thousand, they set their base at Feiru, and Zhang Ju was proclaimed Emperor. Zhang Chun took the titles of General Who Governs the Universe and King of Peace and Settlement. They sent a letter to the provinces and commanderies to say that Zhang Ju was destined to succeed the Han, that the Son of Heaven should leave his palace, and that he should send his excellencies and ministers to receive the new ruler.

-Gonsun Zan took command, pursued and attacked Zhang Chun with achievements, and was promoted to Cavalry Commandant. The Dependent State Wuwan King of Tanzhi led his tribe to surrender to Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan was promoted to Palace Gentleman-General and given a fief as Marquis of Duting.

-In the winter, in the tenth month, the bandit Ou Xing of Changsha gave himself the title of General. He commanded an army of more than ten thousand men. An edict appointed the Gentleman-Consultant Sun Jian as Grand Administrator of Changsha. Sun Jing, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Zhu Zhi followed him, with Han Dang serving as a Major with a Separate Command and Zhu Zhi as Major.

-Sun Jian reached the commandery and took personal command of his officers and soldiers, issuing orders saying:

"Treat the good people carefully and mildly and keep the official documents according to regulations. Leave the robbers and killers to me!"

He devised a strategy and within the month had defeated Ou Xing and the rest.

-Zhou Chao and  Guo Shi also led their host to revolt at Lingling and Guiyang in coordination with Ou Xing. Sun Jian subsequently left his own administrative borders to find and subdue them and the three commanderies returned to usual once more.

-Around this time Sun Jian enlisted Huang Gai into his service to help defeat the bandits of the southern commanderies.

-Huang Gai was a man from Quanling in Lingling Commandery, Jing Province. Huang Gai's youth was difficult. He was orphaned when he was very young and had to cut firewood to earn money. But he was ambitious, he would learn to read or discuss military matters in his spare time. As he grew older, Huang Gai took position as a commandery official . He was nominated as Incorrupt and Filially Pious.

-About this time the Chief of Yichun county in Yuzhang Commandery, a nephew of Lu Kang, asked Sun Jian for help when he was attacked by bandits.

-Sun Jian made ready to go, but then one of his clerical officers objected: though Yichun was just over the eastern borders of Changsha, it was not only in a different commandery but also in a different province. Sun Jian replied:

"I have none of the civil graces. Warfare is my work. If I cross the borders to attack some rebels, that is simply giving help to a neighbor. Even if I am committing a crime, why should I feel ashamed?"

-Sun Jian was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wucheng for his successes.

-Sun Jian memorialized Zhu Zhi as Acting Commandant. While Han Dang shared credit with his army assistants and followers, and therefore his rank did not increase.

-In the eleventh month Cui Lie, the Grand Commandant, left office. Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, was made Grand Commandant.

-In the twelfth month the Chuge barbarians, a clan of the Xiongnu, rebelled.

-In this year Marquisates Within the Imperial Domain were sold for the price of five million cash.

-Chen Shi, former Chief of Taiqiu, died. More than thirty thousand men came from every part of the empire to attend his funeral.

-In his own village, Chen Shi would deal with every problem calmly and equitably. If there was some dispute, people would always come to ask his judgement, he would explain who was right and who was wrong, and no one ever went away dissatisfied with his decision. People would sigh and say:

"It is better to be punished by the law than have Master Chen despise you."

-When Yang Ci and Chen Dan were appointed as excellencies and ministers, and all the officials paid them respects, they would sigh that Chen Shi was the man worthy of the highest positions, and they were ashamed to take precedence over him.