#qudus

[nofatclips-home]

Strange World by La Luz, live on KEXP

[save-the-earthworms]

Danmei Reread: QJJ

One of my favorite things Lu Guangbai does in QJJ volume 1: Scold his brother-in-law's brother for him.

[munchy-k]

making my 6794838th attempt to read qjj because I refuse to accept that my pea brain cannot comprehend the plot

[friedwizardwhispers]

Qiang Jin Jiu (the ballad of sword and wine) would be such a great as story to adapt to a drama.

It has some Nirvana in fire vibes...

[iloveyoufor800years]

lanzhou im your biggest fan

[spilladabalia]

La Luz - Strange World

[abla-soso]

This tweet encapsulates the general attitude of Palestinians who don't support Hamas ideologically but still fight besides them.

Here's a translation:

(Anyone who knows me and my family know that we've never supported Hamas. We've disputed with them on several occasions and even cursed them. But during these tough times, we stand behind them, and we support them, and we won't say a bad word about them. We won't say a bad word against these glorious martyrs chosen by God. So here's a picture I took with some Hamas members in 2021 after the "Saif Al Qudus" operation).

Hamas is the ONLY liberation movement that is powerful enough to be a real threat to Israel. The ONLY liberation memvement that Israel couldn't destroy. Asking the Palestinians: "Do you condemn Hamas?" is fucking moronic because even if all of them dislike Hamas they would still prefer them and the hope for liberation over being peaceful slaves to Israel.

[city-of-ladies]

Sent to a foreign country as a tribute, Lady Ki (c.1320- after 1369) carved a place for herself and became a powerful empress, the last of the Yuan dynasty.

From maid to imperial consort 

Lady Ki, also known as Öljei Khuduq, was born in Xingzhou, Gaoli (present-day Korea). The Korean state used to send a tribute of women to its neighbor, the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, who controlled most of modern-day China and its surrounding areas such as present-day Mongolia. 

Lady Ki entered the palace and was assigned to Toghon Temür's service. Described as beautiful and clever, she quickly caught the young emperor’s attention and was elevated to the rank of consort.

The empress Danishiri was hostile to Lady Ki but was executed in 1335 or 1337 for having tried to protect her brother who was involved in a rebellion.

Toghon Temür then tried to name Lady Ki empress, but his decision was met with extreme hostility. Indeed, no Korean woman had held the dignity so far. Most empresses came from the Mongol Khongirad clan. He ultimately relented and chose a Mongol empress: Bayan Khuduq. 

A powerful favorite 

Lady Ki’s position was strengthened when she gave birth to a son, Ayushiridara (future emperor Zhaozong of Northern Yuan, r.1370-1378). Bayan Khuduq's son died young. Having a frugal and effaced personality, the empress was furthermore no match for Lady Ki. Ayushiridara was thus made heir apparent in 1355.

Empress Ki was influential and involved herself in political and military affairs. She for instance protected the high-ranking official Toqto'a but withdrew her support when he opposed the installation of her son as heir apparent. 

She liked to read the Women’s Book of Filial Piety and sought examples of past empresses she could emulate. When a famine struck in 1359, she showed her generosity by having the officials distribute porridge to the hungry, using her own funds to have thousands of corpses buried and hiring monks to perform funeral services. 

Lady Ki used her influence to promote her family’s interests. Her kinsmen in Korea were granted official ranks and titles. They repeatedly abused their power, which led the Korean king to execute Lady Ki’s entire clan. 

When she learned about it, she asked her son to avenge her family and raise a force of 10,000 soldiers. The military campaign was a complete failure and the entire force was routed. 

Empress before the fall

Bayan Khuduq died in 1365. No obstacles stood in Lady Ki’s way and she received the empress’s seal. It seems that she tried to make up for the mistakes of a poorly-performing emperor. Later historians indeed wrote that Toghon Temür preferred focusing on wine and women, though this could be an exaggeration to justify the fall of the Yuan Dynasty. 

The government’s structure was disintegrating. Empress Ki conspired to force the emperor to abdicate and put her son on the throne but failed. She faced little consequences and was simply put under house arrest for 100 days. Her agressive defense of her son’s interests was in keeping with Mongolian political culture, which recognized the influence of strong women. 

The Yuan dynasty fell in 1368 when the armies of the future Ming Emperor Hongwu entered the capital. Empress Ki fled to the north with Toghon Temür. What happened to her afterward is unclear, but she likely died the following year.

Her life was the inspiration for a 2013  Korean television drama, Empress Ki.

Feel free to check out my Ko-Fi if you like what I do! Your support would be much appreciated.

Further reading 

Buell Paul D., Fiaschetti Francesca, Historical Dictionary of the Mongol World Empire

McMahon Keith, Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing

Robinson David M., Empire's Twilight: Northeast Asia Under the Mongols

Xu Shindan, “Öljei Qudu”, in: Hong Lee Lily Xiao, Wiles Sue (ed.), Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 - 1644

[bisexualmikisayaka]

get back to me when your booktok faves' first night together is described like this

cezhou really are the gold standard for enemies to lovers

[haitang-blossoms]

On Differential Methods, Politics, & Intimacy for Early Novel!Cezhou (haitang-blossoms' Qiang Jin Jiu meta)

Note: This analysis goes up to Chapter 42 which is where I had read up to before Lianyin's fantranslation was taken down due to official English licensing by Seven Seas. This is also the source of my quoted screenshots of the novel.

The way both Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye weaponise perceived incompetence (through fabricated images of "grateful helplessness" and "devil-may-care hedonism" respectively) is so compelling and really serves to flesh out the realities of the environment they are forced to navigate.

It is a recurring narrative motif that both Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye are "beasts" trapped and restrained by the political system of Qudu. However, the difference in social position and status between them is key to why they choose the masks that they do.

Shen Zechuan, both as a by-proxy-traitor to the nation and as the son of a dancer, has always had to keep his head down and not act beyond his station. Thus, it is perfectly natural that he operates within this expected framework: both to survive in the hostile political landscape as well as to conceal his own intentions and moves within the shadows.

Xiao Chiye, on the other hand, was born into relative power. While the Xiao Clan of Libei was never in the favour of the Empress Dowager, they are nonetheless a reputable cavalry with a hereditary title. Xiao Chiye, as the second son, has both less direct political influence as well as responsibility than his father (the prince) or his elder brother (the next-in-line). This is how he is so easily made a "bargaining chip" and assigned to what seems to be a hopelessly dead-end job in order to keep a metaphorical "leash" on any rebellious intent that Libei may harbour. Given his wealth and inevitable position of being constantly in the public eye, the easiest way to cover up the target on Xiao Chiye's back is to present himself as a frivolous hedonist who is too busy chasing after liquor and bed-partners to pose a real threat to the established power dynamics of the capital.

The difference between their methods can also be observed in the way that their preferences are perceived by others:

Xiao Chiye presents himself as genial: he loves to drink, he is sociable enough to go out with friends frequently etc. However, as seen in the quote above, Xiao Chiye's "friendliness" is actually quite distant in that even the people who think they know him well are unaware of his true preferences. Yet he conducts himself in such a manner that they would not even think to ponder such things. It is a very effective approach for gathering intel: make the other party assume you are giving away much more about yourself than you are, opening the door for them to carelessly overshare from a sense of fabricated comradery.

Shen Zechuan is the opposite: going along with how he is forced to constantly humble himself and downplay his abilities, his preferences have to be presented as equally accommodating to the will of others. There are many instances where he seemingly goes along with others, secretly gritting his teeth the whole way, in order to "soften" them up to be played into his hand later.

And this goes into my next point:

Even though Shen Zechuan has an image of seductiveness, his entire method revolves around NOT having openly expressed desires because that would only serve as a vulnerability. Xiao Chiye, by contrast, predicates his mask around devil-may-care hedonism.

In this way, desire is both much more familiar to Xiao Chiye as well as easier to integrate into his established reputation than for Shen Zechuan. 

This is key to why Xiao Chiye is the first to accept his feelings and why he is much more comfortable with unabashedly expressing them. Thus, I think the differences in how Cezhou present themselves and the contrasting methods they use to stay ahead in their environment have bearing not only on the political games of their world but also on their relationship and how they relate themselves to each other.

[langliblade]

lanzhou's earring and the many things it symbolizes (mutual possession, control of one's own fate, and a love that will last)

the ch 75 scene of cean putting an earring on lanzhou's ear signifies many things. first of all is their acceptance of each other. cean wants lanzhou to be his jade, and lanzhou wants to be cean's. it's a symbol of possession for both of them. cean likes to tame wild horses and falcons, to make them HIS legs and HIS wings. he wanted to tame his desire, and now he's done that. shen lanzhou is HIS.

lanzhou wanted to forget, wanted to feel and think nothing else but the scent of the sun. he welcomes the overwhelming feeling of cean. for 5 years people have told him who he was. he's the traitor's son, he's the duanzhou beauty's son, he's the devil, he's a pawn. but this time, he's only xiao cean's.

recently i found out that the earring is actually a clip-on (another confirmation here too) and it's assumed that after leaving qudu, at some point lanzhou's ears was pierced (And i will fact-check this in 2027 once we have all 8 volumes LOL)

i'm going to talk about li jianting and fengquan too, because i think the significance of earrings for them is an important juxtaposition to what it means for lanzhou aside from his acceptance of his own feeling as well as cean's.

li jianting's ear was pierced in xiangyun villa, because she was being used as a commodity. she was being treated as an object, and the earring reminds her that she was never in control of her fate.

fengquan had a similar situation, his ear was pierced to mimic a nobleman during a time when he was being abused. he was also treated as an object, and time and time again he's reminded that his life will never be his own.

i don't think it's a coincidence that the 2 other characters aside from lanzhou to have a significant connection with earrings are characters who had wanted to control their own fate, too. the sad sad difference is that only lanzhou was able to do that.

the fact that the earring was a clip-on, something temporary that he could remove if he wanted to, highlights lanzhou's ability to decide what to do with it. unlike li jianting or fengquan, he has control over his fate.

at the end of book 3, lanzhou says this to fei sheng

"do you know why i agreed to wear an earring?" now the tl might change, and this point might not hold up if the wording is actually different hagkhgh, but for now i'll say lanzhou agreeing to wear an earring also points to him being in control of his fate. he CHOSE to wear an earring. and why did he do that?

"because I know someone would leave, and those who disappear amidst the heavy snow would never, ever come back again… except for cean."

another layer of meaning to the earring: lanzhou who had been afraid of once again loving only to lose that love, had committed to cean because he believed he would be different. he'll never experience the pain of losing love again with cean.

and if he really had his ear pierced eventually, i think it's just further proof of lanzhou's commitment, trust, and love for cean.

[marlin-blue]

god xiao jiming is such a character. he's one of the four great generals, he's gentle and calm, he commands a heavy armored cavalry that he changed to be flexible and faster, he's fierce in battle and his name carries so much weight that even when he's injured, nobody touches libei. he's shorter than his younger brother, he takes after his mother, he cried at his wedding because he loves his wife so much, he doesn't hesitate to intimidate the emperor when xiao chiye is in danger, he would've led his troops to qudu for xiao chiye even while being grievously injured if his father hadn't overruled him. he sees himself as a sanctuary for his family. i'm so obsessed with him, if he doesn't end up happy i will be on the news.

[lenateliier]

Qudu era Shen Lanzhou design 😚🫶💗

[zhaohuis-lost-walnut]

Lanzhou vs Lanzhou: What’s in a Name?

[vague spoilers up to chapter 181 I think? idk, it's not even a big deal probably]

One aspect of the story that has always intrigued me is how Shen Zechuan seems to compartmentalize "Shen Zechuan" and "Shen Lanzhou". I honestly wanted to make a post about that specifically, but I had a hard time finding the words to describe what I wanted to say ToT

But in my attempt to make that post, I realized something that I only really thought about while rereading my notes and various chapters: The way Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye use "Lanzhou" is very different. And it has been driving me insane!

So I guess I'm making the post I wanted to from the very beginning after all, and then some!

First, I shall establish how I believe Shen Zechuan sees "Zechuan" vs "Lanzhou". The short of it is "Lanzhou" is Shen Zechuan's carefully curated persona. But it isn't simply a mask; there are many scenes, especially in the later parts of the book, where Shen Zechuan goes into heavy detail about "Shen Lanzhou". Shen Zechuan describes "Lanzhou" as the only part of himself untouched by Shen Wei, fully belonging to himself. "Lanzhou" is like a symbol that keeps Shen Zechuan grounded. While Lanzhou can still be ruthless, it's a very calculated ruthlessness. Shen Lanzhou isn't striving to be a good person, but he's a least a lot more palatable than "Shen Zechuan".

"Shen Zechuan" has been "killed off", leaving an empty shell where only vindictiveness remains. In chapter 68, it's mentioned that "Shen Zechuan" has "a pure heart with few desires". But it is later established that that "purity" did not mean "sanctity", but rather, the idea that "a kindness given is a kindness given, and a wrong done is a wrong done" as said in chapter 72. "Shen Zechuan" is driven by revenge. In later chapters the story introduces the motif of "Shen Zechuan" needing to be sheathed and it's so beautifully well done. But it's not solely about controlling his anger and murderous impulses.

Shen Zechuan carries a lot of shame. And as much as he wants to act like none of his humanly desires remain, they do. He has people he cares about: at the beginning of the story, its only Qi Huilian and Ji Gang. But as the story progresses, his circle of those he's fond of grows. Even before he leaves Qudu he finds himself genuinely moved by Cen Yu's praise in chapter 75.

"Shen Zechuan" isn't just the angry remnants of a person wronged. "Shen Zechuan" is everything he represses. The bad and the good. In the first half of the story, Shen Zechuan is very detached from his actions. But in the latter half, especially as he gets closer with Xiao Chiye, he starts to not only criticize himself more, increasing his shame, but also confronts his feelings.

After meeting with Xiao Fangxu in chapter 163, Shen Zechuan worries that he won't be accepted because "Shen Zechuan" makes him untrustworthy. Thinking to himself: “Many of what he did in the past had their roots in impure motives. As long as he got his hands on it, he would fully exploit it. He called all of those “hypocrisies”, and they were even more atrocious before Xiao Chiye had come into the picture. That was why he could not—dared not tell anyone.”

Man, I hate it when my political strategies mess up my chances with the in-laws.

On a serious note, Shen Zechuan has had moments previous to this where he self deprecates, but I feel that after he had to confront himself in this way, (aka, his moves affecting his personal relationships) it got worse :D He continues to unpack this throughout the story with ups and downs and I simply love the way it's handled in the narrative.

Now, Xiao Chiye.

While I haven't made several notes and google docs marking down Xiao Chiye's use of "Lanzhou" like I did for Shen Zechuan, I will simply trust my brain to not lie to me for this post <3

I'm mostly focusing on them as a couple because that's what's been rotting my brain, but I find it interesting that Shen Zechuan refers to Xiao Chiye with many names interchangeably, while Xiao Chiye's sole term of endearment for Shen Zechuan is simply his courtesy name: Lanzhou.

Shen Zechuan goes by many names in his head, and he has different feelings about all of them. He's Shen Wei's Son. He's Bai Cha's son. He's Shen Zechuan. He's Shen Lanzhou. He's a pupil of the Ji Clan. Grand Mentor Qi's student. And so much more.

Shen Zechuan doesn't like every part of himself. He "accepts" that he can't get rid of them, and while he doesn't let them define him, he still wishes he could scrub such connections from himself. On the other hand, he loves everything about Xiao Chiye, and I feel like that affection is mirrored in his use of all his names: Xiao Chiye, Ce'an, A-ye, Er-gongzhi, Er-lang~

But Xiao Chiye doesn't box himself into different personas. He put on an a general act in Qudu, yes, but I don't think he necessarily labeled them the way Shen Zechuan did his own.

Xiao Chiye doesn't love "Lanzhou" while fearing or chaining down "Shen Zechuan". He doesn't resent the son of Shen Wei, nor revere the son on Bai Cha. The Lanzhou in Xiao Chiye's head is different from the "Lanzhou" in Shen Zechuan's head.

To Xiao Chiye, Shen Zechuan is Lanzhou.

There's no difference. Xiao Chiye loves him. All of him. Lanzhou encapsulates all that Shen Zechuan is in a singular word. He doesn't separate the "good" from the "bad"; they're all a part of you. Xiao Chiye is all of his many titles, but at the end of the day, those fancy words don't change how he sees himself and who he is at his core. And I think this reflects in Lanzhou simply being Lanzhou to him.

Of course, Xiao Chiye can tell when Shen Zechuan is putting on a front, and he specifically wants Shen Zechuan to feel safe enough to not have to keep up his mask with him. But he also finds Shen Zechuan's "Lanzhou" hot. We know this.

There are so many scenes where the love Xiao Chiye feels towards Lanzhou truly radiates off the page. And part of me regrets not marking down every single quote that made my heart swoon (though I did save some hehe).

I really hope this made sense ToT This has been brewing in my head for a minute and I'm happy was able to articulate it at least a little bit! Thanks for reading. Until me next bout of unwellness 🫡

[taylor-on-your-dash]

Anthology Credits

THE BLACK DOG

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs Of Universal, Inc. (BMI) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Laura Sisk and Oli Jacobs at Electric Lady Studios (New York, NY) and Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA) / Assistant Engineered by Jon Sher and Jack Manning / Sean Hutchinson’s performance recorded by Sean Hutchinson and Michael Riddleberger at Hutchinson Sound (Brooklyn, NY) / Bobby Hawk's performance recorded by Jack Manning at Electric Lady Studios (New York, NY) / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Drums, Bass, Juno, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Programming, Piano, M1, Polysix, Mellotron, Cello, Rhodes, Vocoder by Jack Antonoff / Drums by Sean Hutchinson / Strings by Bobby Hawk / Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Piano by Taylor Swift

IMGONNAGETYOUBACK

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs Of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Ducky Donath Music (BMI) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Laura Sisk and Oli Jacobs at Electric Lady Studios (New York, NY) / Assistant Engineered by Jack Manning, Joey Miller and Jozef Caldwell // Percussion, Drums, Programming, Juno 60, Prophet 5, M1 Keyboard, Piano, Acoustic Guitars by Jack Antonoff / Piano by Jack Manning / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

THE ALBATROSS

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Arrangements by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Benjamin Lanz’s performance recorded by Benjamin Lanz (Paris, FR) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar, High Strung by Aaron Dessner / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Drum Machine Programming by James McAlister / Modular Synth by Benjamin Lanz / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: … // Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

CHLOE OR SAM OR SOPHIA OR MARCUS

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Orchestration by Rob Moose at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Taylor Swift's performance recorded by Christopher Rowe at Prime Recording (Nashville, TN) / Assistant Engineered by Derek Garten / Aaaron Dessner's performance recorded by Maryam Qudus at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / Benjamin Lanz’s performance recorded by Benjamin Lanz (Paris, FR) // Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar, Keyboard, Mandolin, Piano and Synthesizer by Aaron Dessner / Drums by JT Bates / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Modular Synth and Trombone by Benjamin Lanz / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

HOW DID IT END?

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Orchestration by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Bass, Synth, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizers by Aaron Dessner / Bass Drum, Keyboards, Omnichord and Synthesizers by James McAlister / Drums by JT Bates / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizers by Thomas Bartlett / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: Violin I / Galya Bisengalieva (Leader) / Eloisa-Fleur Thom / Sophie Mather / Marianne Haynes / Alicia Berendse / Agata Daraskaite / Anna De Bruin / Akiko Ishikawa / Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue // Violin II / Emily Holland / Kirsty Mangan / Clara Laskaris / Ronald Long / Dan Oates / Iona Allan // Viola / Nicholas Bootiman / Matthew Kettle / Elisa Bergersen / Morgan Goff // Cello / Brian O'Kane / Reinoud Ford / Max Ruisi / Abi Hyde-Smith // Double Bass / Dave Brown / Chris Kelly / Sophie Roper // French Horn / David McQueen// Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

SO HIGH SCHOOL

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / James McAlister's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) and James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / Benjamin Lanz’s performance recorded by Benjamin Lanz (Paris, FR) / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Bass Guitar, Bass Synth, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano and Synthesizers by Aaron Dessner / Drums, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar and Synthesizers by James McAlister / Modular Synth and Synthesizer by Benjamin Lanz / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

I HATE IT HERE

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Orchestration by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / Aaron Dessner's Banjo, Mandolin and Synthesizer recorded by Maryam Qudus at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Benjamin Lanz’s performance recorded by Benjamin Lanz (Paris, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Bass Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar, High Strung Guitar, Mandolin, Percussion, Piano and Synthesizer by Aaron Dessner / Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Bass Synth, Percussion and Synthesizer by James McAlister / Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizers by Thomas Bartlett / Modular Synth by Benjamin Lanz / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

THANK YOU AIMEE

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) and by Laura Sisk and Oli Jacobs at Sharp Sonic Studios (Los Angeles, CA) /Assistant Engineered by Jozef Caldwell / Orchestration by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / Aaron Dessner's Banjo and Mandolin recorded by Maryam Qudus at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Bass Synth, Drum Machine Programming, Keyboard, Mandolin, Percussion and Synthesizer by Aaron Dessner / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizers by Thomas Bartlett / Programming, Cello, Percussion, Drums, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals by Jack Antonoff / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: Violin I / Galya Bisengalieva (Soloist & Leader) / Eloisa-Fleur Thom/ Sophie Mather / Marianne Haynes / Alicia Berendse / Anna De Bruin / Akiko Ishikawa / Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue // Violin II / Emily Holland / Kirsty Mangan / Clara Laskaris / Ronald Long / Dan Oates / Iona Allan // Viola / Nicholas Bootiman/ Matthew Kettle / Elisa Bergersen / Morgan Goff // Cello / Brian O'Kane / Reinoud Ford / Max Ruisi / Abi Hyde-Smith // Double Bass / Dave Brown / Chris Kelly / Sophie Roper // French Horn / David McQueen / Paul Cott / Jonathan Farey // Percussion // George Barton // Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

I LOOK IN PEOPLE'S WINDOWS

© 2023 Taylor Swift Music (BMI) administer by Songs Of Universal, Inc. / Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Ducky Donath Music (BMI) / Indiscipline AB (STIM), administered by Kobalt Music / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Jack Antonoff, Patrick Berger and Taylor Swift | Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer for Mix - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Laura Sisk and Jack Antonoff at Electric Lady Studios (New York, NY) and Conway Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA) / Assistant Engineer Jon Sher and Jack Manning // Acoustic Guitars, Juno, Cello, Programming by Jack Antonoff / Acoustic Guitar by Patrick Berger Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

THE PROPHECY

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Orchestration by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Acoustic Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Programming and Electric Guitar by Aaron Dessner / Autoharp, Drum Machine Programming, Omnichord, Percussion and Synthesizer by James McAlister / Piano and Synthesizers by Thomas Bartlett / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Drums by JT Bates / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: Violin I / Galya Bisengalieva (Soloist & Leader) / Eloisa-Fleur Thom/ Sophie Mather / Agata Daraskaite / Anna De Bruin / Akiko Ishikawa / Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue / Julian Azkoul // Violin II / Emily Holland / Kirsty Mangan / Clara Laskaris / Ronald Long / Dan Oates / Iona Allan // Viola / Nicholas Bootiman / Matthew Kettle / Amy Swain / Elisa Bergersen / Morgan Goff // Cello / Brian O'Kane / Reinoud Ford / Max Ruisi / Abi Hyde-Smith // Double Bass / Dave Brown / Chris Kelly / Sophie Roper // Bass Clarinet / Max Welford // Percussion // George Barton // Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

CASSANDRA

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Orchestration by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Bass Synth, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano and Synthesizer by Aaron Dessner / Drum Machine Programming, Keyboards, Modular Synth, Percussion and Synthesizers by James McAlister / Modular Synth and Trombone by Benjamin Lanz / Snare Drums and Vibraphones by Glenn Kotche / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: Violin I / Eloisa-Fleur Thom (Leader) / Sophie Mather / Marianne Haynes / Agata Daraskaite / Anna De Bruin / Akiko Ishikawa / Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue / Julian Azkoul // Violin II / Emily Holland / Kirsty Mangan / Clara Laskaris / Ronald Long / Dan Oates / Iona Allan // Viola / Nicholas Bootiman / Matthew Kettle / Amy Swain / Elisa Bergersen / Morgan Goff // Cello / Brian O'Kane / Reinoud Ford / Max Ruisi / Abi Hyde-Smith // Double Bass / Dave Brown / Chris Kelly / Sophie Roper // French Horn / David McQueen / Paul Cott / Jonathan Farey // Percussion // George Barton // Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

PETER

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs Of Universal, Inc. (BMI) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Bass Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizers by Aaron Dessner / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

THE BOLTER

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Arrangements by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Electric Guitar, High Strung, Percussion, Piano and Synthesizers by Aaron Dessner / Omnichord, Percussion and Synthesizers by James McAlister / Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizer by Thomas Bartlett / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Violin and Viola by Rob Moose / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift

ROBIN

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Orchestration by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / Aaron Dessner's Drums and Synthesizer recorded by Maryam Qudus at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Benjamin Lanz’s performance recorded by Benjamin Lanz (Paris, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) and James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / Glenn Kotche's performance recorded by Bella Blasko at Narwhal Studios (Chicago, IL) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Bass Guitar, Drum Machine Programming, Drums, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Pianos and Synthesizer by Aaron Dessner / Buchla, Clava, Percussion and Synthesizer by James McAlister / Keyboards, Piano and Synthesizers by Thomas Bartlett / Modular Synth and Synthsizer by Benjamin Lanz / Drums and Percussion by Glenn Kotche / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: Violin I / Galya Bisengalieva (Co-Leader) / Eloisa-Fleur Thom (Co-Leader) / Sophie Mather / Marianne Haynes / Agata Daraskaite / Anna De Bruin / Akiko Ishikawa / Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue / Julian Azkoul // Violin II / Emily Holland / Kirsty Mangan / Clara Laskaris / Ronald Long / Dan Oates / Iona Allan // Viola / Nicholas Bootiman / Matthew Kettle / Amy Swain / Elisa Bergersen / Morgan Goff // Cello / Brian O'Kane / Reinoud Ford / Max Ruisi / Abi Hyde-Smith // Double Bass / Dave Brown / Chris Kelly / Sophie Roper // French Horn / David McQueen / Paul Cott / Jonathan Farey // Percussion & Timpani // George Barton // Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

THE MANUSCRIPT

© 2023 TASRM Publishing, administered by Songs of Universal, Inc. (BMI), Ingrid Stella Music, administered by SonyATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) / All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission. // Produced by Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift / Mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, VA) / Engineer - Bryce Bordone / Recorded by Jonathan Low and Bella Blasko at Long Pond (Hudson Valley, NY) / Arrangements by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / Bryce Dessner's performance recorded by Bryce Dessner (Biarritz, FR) / James McAlister's performance recorded by James McAlister (Los Angeles, CA) / Thomas Bartlett's performance recorded by Thomas Bartlett at The Dwelling (New York, NY) / London Contemporary Orchestra's performance recorded by Jeremy Murphy at Air Studios (London, UK). Assistant Engineering by Laura Beck / Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, NJ) // Bass Synth, Piano and Synthesizers by Aaron Dessner / Drum Machine Programming, Filtered Brass and Winds, Piano and Synthesizer by Bryce Dessner / Drum Machine Programming and Synthesizers by James McAlister / Synthesizer by Thomas Bartlett / Lead Vocals by Taylor Swift // London Contemporary Orchestra: Violin I / Eloisa-Fleur Thom (Leader) / Sophie Mather / Marianne Haynes / Anna De Bruin / Akiko Ishikawa / Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue / Natasha Humpries // Violin II / Emily Holland / Kirsty Mangan / Clara Laskaris / Ronald Long / Dan Oates / Iona Allan // Viola / Nicholas Bootiman / Matthew Kettle / Meghan Cassidy / Elisa Bergersen / Morgan Goff // Cello / Brian O'Kane / Reinoud Ford / Max Ruisi / Abi Hyde-Smith // Double Bass / Dave Brown / Chris Kelly / Sophie Roper // French Horn / David McQueen / Paul Cott / Jonathan Farey // Percussion // George Barton // Conductor Robert Ames // Digital Recordist / Gianluca Massimo // Copyist / Tristan Noon // LCO Recording Projects Manager / Meg Monteith // LCO Orchestra Manager / Amy-Elisabeth Hinds

[xueyuverse]

Summary chapters 35-41 of Qiang Jin Jiu

Ah yes, Lanzhou killed Ji Lei.

"Or let's not... Being a homosexual cannot be considered a major problem, but it's not a minor problem either. It would be difficult to explain to both sides if we say it wrong. Second Young Master will get a beating."

These two having to watch Ce’an and Lanzhou 24/7 was one of the best things that happened in this novel. I think I can call them voyeurs now lol

Ce’an wants to know what Lanzhou’s internal martial art is for whatever reason. Lanzhou is weaker than him, so I don't know why he's so desperate. He is very suspicious akakak

There is someone Ji Gang asked Lanzhou to meet. Who? I have no idea 😃

Like a ghost, the man hid in the shadows and tried to escape.

And there's this other person too argh

“Although he didn't carry a sword with him, he is probably from the Imperial Bodyguards.”

Someone from the Imperial Bodyguards using foreign product that is exceptional in stealth. I can only think of someone like Ji Gang, but I don't think it's him.

“Ji Lei made a full confession about his intention to rebel in the Nanlin Hunting Ground.”

This bastard only confessed because he was literally on his last breath. Lanzhou terrified him akkakak

"It's truly abominable of the Hua Clan to conspire with the eunuchs and Imperial Bodyguards to plan a rebellion!"

And yet the Empress Dowager continues to emerge from this situation unscathed. I wanted to know why she, who did so much shit, doesn't receive a single unit of punishment.

Ding Tao said: "But wasn't Shen Wei the culprit? What does this have to do with Shen Zechuan?!"

It's simply for convenience. Shen Wei died, so they have no one to take out their anger on, all that's left is Lanzhou who bears the surname of someone he's never seen in his life because he was expelled from his clan. Lanzhou lost two people he loved because of Shen Wei, he knows very well what happened to the soldiers in the Chashi sinkhole because he was there, but everyone sees Lanzhou just as an extension of his father to be kicked and humiliated, as if his surname did not allow him to be a complete and individual human being.

Xiao Chiye needed an opportunity to shake some sense into the Imperial Army. And Tantai Hu today was that.

What I said before about these soldiers being very annoying to deal with.

“Tantai Hu came from Zhongbo. You know it. But you still switched him to yesterday's list so he could vent his anger and resentment.”

This right here made me suspicious of Chen Yang. Since he esteems Ce’an so much, then why do this? Is it just because of Lanzhou?

Xiao Chiye grabbed his hands and pinned them to the headboard. Smelling his perfume in the darkness, he said, "You sleep in my bed. You know very well what I think every night. You said I'm impressive. Shen Lanzhou, the impressive thing is you."

"I want to do this." Xiao Chiye lowered his head to face him. “I want to fuck you.”

And it is from here that we have a long sex scene between two people who hate each other. Enemies that are so enemies that it doesn't fit in your head and you need to have and shove hate up your ass.

Great Mentor Qi said, "The Imperial Bodyguards' deployment order is about to be issued soon, right? Where do you want to go?"

Shen Zechuan replied: "The Imperial Carriage Office. Near the Emperor."

And of course Ce’an is suspicious of his choice arrrgghhh someone make Ce’an stop for the love of God.

Xiao Chiye, originally Viceroy of the Imperial Army, also assumed the position of Commander of the Eight Great Training Divisions, thus legitimizing his authority over Qudu's patrols.

And so Li Jianheng withdraws the position that Emperor Xiande asked for because he is another fearful easily terrorized by the Xiao clan arrrgghhh 😭

The Ji clan dominates the Imperial Bodyguards, who are currently without a master, and Lanzhou has the protection of Ji Gang. I think Ce’an suspects (as always) that Lanzhou wants to be the master of the Imperial Bodyguards, which really makes sense.