#wei shu jun

[01432853]

Striding Into the Wind 野馬分鬃 (2020) dir. Wei Shu Jun

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Dawn Is Breaking (2024)

Gifs of Ending of cdrama "Dawn Is Breaking"

MULTISUB 【永夜长明Dawn is Breaking】 EP01 | 天罚 | 何宣林 / 李菲 / 王星玮 / 艾泓辰 | 爱情 古装 | 优酷 YOUKU

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_2fzu19mHQ

[shewholovestoread]

My Journey To You - Thoughts and Impressions Part 1 of 2

I realise that I've been missing these past few months, i've been on a consumption binge but with little to no bandwidth to write about any show/film irrespective of how much I may have loved them. (depression is an ass) But I can, once again, feel thoughts tingling in my brain and I've decided to get back to writing, something that I deeply enjoy. Anyway, enough about me, let's get started.

To keep the post from getting obscenely long, I'm going to split it into two. This post will be about the technical aspects of the show. Part 2 will focus on the characters.

My Journey To You is a 2023 fantasy, Wuxia show (shows/films that are based in ancient China with martial arts warriors being capable of superhuman feats, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). It was highly anticipated owing to the amazing trailer (one of the best I've seen)

Plot: The series tells the story of Yun Wei Shan, a spy longing for freedom, who infiltrates the Gong residence to complete a mission. In the eerie and treacherous Gong residence, she encounters love and friendship, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and finds the determination to move forward. Together with the rebellious nobleman Gong Zi Yu, they grow and mature through their shared experiences. (via mydramalist)

It stars: Yu Shu Xin (Yun Wei Shan), Zhang Ling He(Gong Zi Yu), Ryan Cheng (Gong Shang Jue) and Lu Yu Xiao (Shangguan Qian), Tian Jia Rui (Gong Yuan Zhi), Jolin Jin (Gong Zi Shang) and Sun Chen Jun (Jin Fan)

Written by: Edward Guo.

Series directed by: Edward Guo & Luo Luo

I'll talk about everything I liked before I get into the stuff that I didn't.

Right off the bat, this show has some of the most gorgeous characters you'll come across and this applies to both the men and the women. The costume and make-up departments do an amazing job making already attractive people look ridiculously attractive. They also help the actors really inhabit the world seamlessly. The costumes are especially incredibly detailed and intricate, you can see the care that went into crafting the look for each of these characters. Shout-out to Huang Wei (costume designer) and Shi Hui (Make-up)

One of the best aspects of the show is the cinematography by Wei Hong. This show is aesthetically beautiful, so many absolutely stunning shots. Chinese shows (and Korean shows) love slow-motion shots, and while at times, it can be a bit much, this show makes great use of them, especially during the fight scenes.

The cinematography is helped to a great extent by the excellent production design, courtesy Jiyao Zhang. Like the costumes, the production design too is detailed and intricate. The world feels fully realised and yet also lived in. Each of the different clan mansions, the Front Hill and Back Hill are so incredibly different and distinct that you can immediately tell where you are. An insane amount of hard work went into the show and it shows in every frame.

You can tell that they had a good budget to work with and every bit of it was spent on making the show look as stylized as possible, there is not an ounce of realism to be found here, cue slow-motion beautiful hair flying shots. (Every day I bemoan my inability to make gifs) But the screencaps below illustrate the beauty of the show, it's so gorgeous that you could literally use screencaps as wallpapers.

The fight scenes in the show are some of the best I've seen. They are intense and thrilling and always coherent, you can always tell who's fighting who. The fight scenes are also so aesthetically pleasing, like an exceptionally deadly dance.

Now, we come to the not-so-great stuff.

First off, the marketing. The show was marketed and advertised as an action fantasy show and while there is action and it is excellent, it's not an "action" show. The main focus of the show is on the characters and the internal power struggle of the Gong family. There are also whole scenes, sometimes making up the bulk of an entire episode which are just conversations. I've seen a lot of viewers disappointed and it makes sense. they thought they were coming for action and instead they got verbose conversations.

The pacing also comes to a near-halt in some of these scenes and instead we're treated to lengthy expositions which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it becomes tedious when it happens repetitively.

Now, let's come to the worst thing about the show, it's ending, specifically the last 5 minutes. This end is ridiculously mindbogglingly bad when you consider that there is almost no confirmation on a 2nd season. It's just such a bad idea to end on a cliffhanger like this. If they wanted to leave things open for a potential 2nd season, they could have ended with the Wufeng elders coming together at that character's home, possibly to hold them ransom or something, like literally anything else.

if you're planning on watching this show and I do recommend it, keep in mind that it does get slow and don't watch the last 5 mins of the show. Trust me, you'll like the show a whole lot more if you follow that approach.

Part 2 HERE

[douqi7s]

Top 10+ notable baihe authors currently working today

1. Jun Sola

Jun Sola (君sola)'s claim to fame rests on her tomb-raiding epic Exploring an Empty Tomb (探虚陵), which she began serialising in 2010. It is now approximately 4 million words long and still ongoing. The epic tells of the adventures of sheltered but intelligent cultivator Shi Qingyi and the mysterious Luo Shen across multiple historical periods and into modern times.

A partial (8 out of 300 chapters) fan translation of the novel (historical section) can be found here.

A partial fan translation of the audio drama adaptation for the modern section of the novel can be found here.

2. Ning Yuan

Ning Yuan (宁远), baihe's own multi-genre queen, has been writing steadily since 2008. Her titles range from historical court epic At Her Mercy (我为鱼肉), sci-fi thriller The Creator's Grace (造物的恩宠), VR-themed novel Middle-Aged Love Patch (中年恋爱补丁), and showbiz romance The Show Must Go On (逢场入戏) For 2024, she has promised a historical cyberpunk baihe novel.

3. Ruo Hua Ci Shu

Ruo Hua Ci Shu (若花辞树), who has been writing in the genre since 2012. She is probably best known for her historical novels, of which the most popular is Minister Xie (谢相). Billed (by me) as The Goblin Emperor meets Sha Po Lang, Minister Xie tells the tale of teenage female emperor Liu Zao's indefatigable efforts to turn her (significantly older) prime minister Xie Yi into her wife while trying to get to grips with ruling an empire.

4. Jiu Nuan Chun Shen

Jiu Nuan Chun Shen (酒暖春深) shot to dizzying levels of fame on the strength of the action thriller Miss Forensics (我亲爱的法医小姐). The novel features a push-pull relationship between a forensic pathologist on a one-woman crusade of vengeance and justice with a self-destructive streak a mile wide and a police detective whose stubbornness is a match for hers. Its popularity is such that it even has some degree of mainstream awareness.

A partial (5 out of 144 chapters) fan translation of the novel can be found here.

5. Qi Xiao Huang Shu

Qi Xiao Huang Shu (七小皇叔) had been toiling unnoticed in the word mines for a few years before earning acclaim with her Republican Era tomb-raiding novel Reading the Remnants (问棺). The novel focuses on the adventures of five tomb-raiders: Li Shiyi (a veteran of the trade), Song Shijiu (a creepy fast-growing baby found in a tomb), A-Yin (a tomb-raider turned courtesan), A-Luo (the Overseer of Hell), and Tu Layao (a small-time hustler).

A partial (8 out of 115 chapters) fan translation of the novel can be found here. A second partial (10 out of 115 chapters) fan translation of the novel can be found here.

The author has since released a trio of contemporary romances — Pat Me on the Back (帮我拍拍), Evening Tide (晚潮) and Kissing a Gardenia (都什么年代了啊) — set in audio drama production and acting circles.

6. Min Ran

Min Ran (闵然) specialises in contemporary romances, all of which have been popular enough to attract print publication and audio drama (and sometimes manhua) adaptations. Her two most notable works are the contemporary age gap romance For the Rest of Our Lives (余生为期) and the showbiz novel (with a dash of rebirth) Waiting for You (余情可待).

7. Yu Shuang

Yu Shuang (鱼霜) writes primarily contemporary romances, and is particularly known for her showbiz novels. Notable works include the showbiz novels The Light (微光) and Those Long Divided Must Soon Be United (分久必合)

8. Yi Zhan Ye Deng

Yi Zhan Ye Deng (一盏夜灯) is another specialist in contemporary romances. Her best known work is probably the age gap romance Feelings Speak for Themselves (桃李不言), which has been adapted into both an audio drama and a manhua.

9. Qing Tang Shuan Xiang Cai

Qing Tang Shuan Xiang Cai (清汤涮香菜, literally: Clear Soup with Coriander) is known for her mostly-fluffy, slice of life contemporary romances. Her best known work is Fascinating (入迷).

10. Shi Wei Yue Shang

Shi Wei Yue Shang (时微月上) she came to the attention of the wider baihe audience with her 2021 infinite flow novel Players, Please Be On Standby (玩家请就位), followed by the transmigration xianxia novel Incantation for Subduing a Dragon (降龙诀).

Honourable mention #1: Tai Yang Jun 

Tai Yang Jun (太阳菌) is a favourite among fans of the wuxia subgenre, which is under-represented within baihe. She is probably best known for the two wuxia novels Jianghu Demolition Squad (江湖拆迁队) and Song of Everlasting Regret (长恨歌), as well as the xianxia novel The Dragon (见龙).

Honourable mention #2: Misterande

Your one-stop shop for dark deranged toxic lesbians, Misterande's best-known work is the dark thriller I'm More Dangerous Than You (我比你危险), featuring a cat-and-mouse game between a serial killer and a writer of suspense novels. The manhua adaptation has an official English translation, which can be read here.

Honourable mention #3: Xiao Bao

Xiao Bao (晓暴), known affectionately as 'CEO Bao' to her fans, has written upwards of 20 novels, most of them featuring high levels of explicit sexual content. Her titles include Bait (诱���), an omegaverse novel featuring a mostly consensual poly relationship, and A Young Girl's Fancy is as Lovely as a Poem (少女情怀总是诗), featuring a daughter/mother relationship with (at least initial) noncon/dubcon.

For a fuller version of this post, see the DW entry here.

[yueqingyuan]

Yelling about this again since it's a big pet peeve of mine but please be aware!!! that "kill the wolf" is not!! a valid translation of Sha Po Lang!! it's not even a "literal translation" it's just MTL gibberish trying to make sense of a term with no English translation

pasting the explanation I gave on twt below the cut-

杀破狼/sha po lang corresponds to three different stars 七杀/qi sha ('seven killings'), 破军/po jun ('vanquisher of armies'), and 贪狼/tan lang ('greedy wolf'), which are significant in a system of Chinese astrology called 紫微斗数/zi wei dou shu

when these three stars appear in certain positions in a natal star chart, they compose the 'sha po lang' star formation, which foretells change and revolution, a turbulent fate which could lead to one making a name for oneself in chaotic times, or ending up destitute

famous generals are often born under this star formation as well - as you can see, there are a lot of ties with the themes of the novel itself

but, however, it doesn't really have a proper english translation, hence why i'm in favor of the 'stars of chaos' version of the title

if you want to look at the actual stars (look closer at the vol 1 cover for a little easter egg!)

qi sha = polis/mu sagittarii

po jun = alkaid/eta ursae majoris

tan lang = dubhe/alpha ursae majoris

thank you minirant complete

[moved-to-shijieswife]

omegaxian and alphaji who hate fuck throughout the war. somewhere along the way, omegaxian falls in love, to a man who so clearly loathes him. somewhere along the way, he grows softer, scent milk heavy and sweeter. somewhere along the way, he grows heavy with a child, their child, in a body that was meant to have grown incapable of childbearing. attempt the impossible.

wei ying doesnt tell lan zhan, because then he will take responsibility, as righteous as he is, and wei ying will not tie down the man he loves to someone he does not, nor let himself be tied down in a loveless marriage. because he does not want his child to grow up in a place as cold and strict as gusu, where they will be hated for their conception, where they will grow up without two parents who love each other as much as they love them.

because he still dreams of a laughing omega woman and a quiet beta man, a donkey and a smiling child.

he stops seeing lan wangji. wei wuxian still saves the wen refugees. he is still excommunicated from the cultivation world. lan wangji still stands up for him, even though he doesnt know. wei wuxian gives birth to an girl, who catches the heart of his little radish and the wens.

who catches the heart of lan zhan, wei ying knows, as he watches lan zhan hold his little potato so carefully, across the table, while making sure a-yuan is comfortable in his lap. wei ying who aches to tell him just who a-xing is, but knowing it is not the right time. that it never will be the right time.

wei wuxian still dies from his own corpses. this time, he leaves a note tucked into a yuans robes, and kisses his baobaos, one last time, leaving them crying in the arms of wen popo and si shu.

when he wakes up, 13 years later, the lans who come include an alpha, with his old bodys fox sly smile, broad shoulders that come down to a dramatically thin waist. golden eyes. 'gege,' she calls the calm omega, with the nice smile and lan zhans nose. with wen qings and wen nings big eyes.

who calls hanguang jun 'fuqin!' right along with her gege.

who makes the same expression wei wuxian knows he made when jin zixuan would talk to shijie, when wei wuxian falls into lan zhans stiff arms.

who looks away, along with wei wuxians little radish and the rest of the juniors, as lan zhans arms come firmly around him, as he says, through tears, 'lan zhan you saved our little potato and radish'

nonsense only lan zhan, now, could understand.

and when lan zhan says 'wei ying,' wei wuxian knows lan zhan loves him.

[stiltonbasket]

Could we see some of Sizhui's point of view on the whole "my dad just got 'gifted' a new concubine and now he has to send me to war" thing? He's so sweet, always, and Im wondering what he's feeling + what he sees watch LWJ and WWX interact.

Wen Sizhui wasn't quite sure what to think when he heard that a new concubine would be coming to the Wei-fu.

In fact, he hadn't known what to think when his father took Yu-shushu and Li-yiniang in as concubines some six months earlier. Diedie had never been married, and he was far too virtuous to put one foot over the threshold of a brothel or take one of his servants as a tongfang; but one morning, Yu-shushu and Aunt Li simply appeared, as if his father had woken up at the advanced age of seven and thirty and decided that he must have both a shu wife and husband at once, if he couldn't have a legitimate spouse.

Sizhui couldn't imagine what to make of it. At first, he believed that his father had actually fallen in love, though it hardly seemed reasonable that Fuqin could fall in love with two people at once when he had entertained no suitors or bridal candidates over the past eighteen years—but Yu Zhenhong behaved as if he was Father's lover, and Wen Sizhui did not learn otherwise until his Qing-ayi announced that Li Shuai was with child.

The sounds of Li Shuai being ill in the night began scarcely eight hours after she arrived at the High General's manor; and Sizhui had been taught enough about the care of ladies in their confinement to understand (once he knew why she was sick so often, and why she didn't seem frightened about it) that her child couldn't possibly belong to his father.

Judging by the haggard look on Yu Zhenhong's face whenever Aunt Li had one of her bad days, it was likely that he didn't belong to Diedie, either.

And then, at the turn of the winter, Hanguang-jun arrived. This made some modicum of sense to Sizhui, because Wen-zongzhu was determined to mete out some form of punishment that would make Yu-shushu miserable without physically harming him: and also because Hanguang-jun was difficult to control, whether he had the use of all four of his limbs or not. Before his hasty removal to the High Genera's manor, it was evident that he would be less of a threat under Fuqin's care than the jailers'—so Wen-zongzhu freed Hanguang-jun from the underground dungeon, and warned him to keep his head down lest he provoke a manhunt for his young nephew, Lan Jingyi.

Now, nearly half a year after Father and Hanguang-jun's wedding, Sizhui finds himself wondering if his stepfather's kindness towards him is due to his love for that nephew, whom Hanguang-jun will likely never see again unless Wen Ruohan manages to capture him.

"Is that what you think?" Hanguang-jun asks, when Sizhui visits his courtyard on the day before his regiment's scheduled departure to Langya. "I understand why, of course: but you and Jingyi are wholly different to me."

Sizhui puts his head to one side like a curious bird. "Why?"

"Because you give me thrice the amount of heartache that he does, if not more," his stepfather says drily. "I never had to fear for my nephew's life until the night I was captured, when I saw your father's men fighting their way towards Jing'er on the battlefield. Before that, he was so well-protected by my brother and Nie-zongzhu that he rarely suffered so much as a nosebleed in my presence. To know that you will be going to war—a child like you—"

His voice stutters.

"Father managed to get permission for me to go as a medic." Sizhui says quickly. "If General Dai agrees with Wen-zongzhu, I can stay behind the front lines and keep away from the fighting altogether."

"En. Good," Hanguang-jun nods.

He turns away and wheels himself towards the chest of drawers on the other side of the room; and once there, he opens the bottom drawer to reveal the sandalwood box Diedie gifted to him that New Year's.

"Come here," he says quietly. "Hold out your arm."

Hanguang-jun reaches into the box and withdraws something long and shining from its depths. At first glance, it seems to be a skein of silken thread: but when Wen Sizhui looks closer, he realizes that the object is a fine lock of his stepfather's hair, braided into a smooth, dark rope and reinforced with eight minute silver clasps.

"What is it?" he asks, as Hanguang-jun pulls him closer and loops the lock of hair thrice about his wrist. "Did my Fuqin..."

"Your father had nothing to do with this," Hanguang-jun replies at once, as if he were afraid of being overheard. "The hair is mine, and I have strengthened it with my spiritual energy, so that it will not break or fray—and the silver clasps were made from the cloud ornament on my mo'e.

"This will keep you from coming to harm at the hand of any soldier trained in the Lan school of cultivation, but it is not infallible. No spiritual blade forged in the Cloud Recesses will be able to touch you while the bracelet is on your wrist, but it will have no effect if you are attacked by a Nie cultivator, or a Lan whose cultivation is too poor for anything but a common sword."

He grasps Sizhui's hands and looks up into his eyes: and suddenly, Sizhui remembers the steady gaze of his late grandmother, who passed away just after Father was last elevated in Wen-zongzhu's service.

"Go to Wei Ying," Hanguang-jun says roughly, nearly five minutes later. "You and he will be parted in the morning, and you have not yet said farewell to your yima and Yu Zhenhong."

Wen Sizhui nods and makes his way to the door. He pauses on the threshold and turns back to look at Hanguang-jun, who is still staring bitterly at the spot of red carpet Sizhui was standing two minutes ago.

"I'll be all right," he says, trying to smile. "After all, yifu—even your Jing'er made it back from Hejian, didn't he?"

At the mention of Lan Jingyi, Hanguang-jun looks positively wretched.

"He had his father with him. I was there, too," he murmurs. "And if that arrow had not touched Wei Ying, you would have never had to ride to war without your father at your side."

[web-novel-polls]

Favorite Web Novel Men Tournament

[Last Checked: December 30th, 2024 - Please check the original post for updated information]

Rules:

Must canonically be male or male-adjacent (includes canon trans men!)

Must be from a web novel or WN-adjacent

One character per response

Submit as many responses as you want 

Tournament Tag: #wn men tournament

No Propaganda

Bracket A: Non-Danmei

*Cédric Riester from When the Third Wheel Strikes Back

*Jesse Venetiaan from When the Third Wheel Strikes Back

*Park Moondae (Ryu Gunwoo) from Debut or Die

*Yoo Joonghyuk from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Bracket B: Danmei

Bian Yanmei from Thousand Autumns

A-Tai (Tengla Isai) from Tianbao Fuyao Lu

Bai Sheng from Hui Tian

Chang Geng from Sha Po Lang

Cang Ji from Nan Chan

Chen Xing from Dinghai Fusheng Records

Cheng Qian from Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect

Fei Du from Mo Du / Silent Reading

Cui Buqu from Peerless: Wushuang

Fang Juexia from Fanservice Paradox

Feng Xin from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Feng Xiao from Peerless: Wushuang

Fu Shen from Golden Stage

Gu Yun from Sha Po Lang

Fu Wenduo from The Earth is Online

Gu Jianshen from Want to Ascend? Then Fall in Love

He Xuan from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Jun Wu from Heaven Official’s Blessing 

He Yu from Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben

Jing Lin from Nan Chan

Kong Hongjun from Tianbao Fuyao Lu

Lan Sizhui from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Lan Wangji from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Li Jinglong from Tianbao Fuyao Lu

Lin Jingheng from Can Ci Pin

Lu Bixing from Can Ci Pin

Lu Feng from Little Mushroom

Luo Binghe from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Lu Xu from Tianbao Fuyao Lu

Mo Rigen from Tianbao Fuyao Lu

Mo Xi from Remnants of Filth

Murong Lian from Remnants of Filth

Nie Huaisang from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Original Shen Qingqiu (Shen Jiu) from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Peony from Unlucky Clover

Pei Tingsong from Fanservice Paradox

Qin Jiu from Global Examination

Shen Wei from Guardian: Zhen Hun

Shen Qingxian from Want to Ascend? Then Fall in Love

Shen Zhuo from Hui Tian

Song Qingshi from Mistakenly Saving the Villain 

Shi Qingxuan from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Wei Wuxian from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Tang Mo from The Earth is Online

Xiang Shu from Dinghai Fusheng Records

Wenren È from Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Wu Xingxue from Unseen Immortal of 300 Years

Xue Meng from The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Xiao Fuxuan from Unseen Immortal of 300 Years

Xie Qingcheng from Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben

Yu Shengyan from Thousand Autumns

Yan Zhengming from Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect

Yin Hanjiang from Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

You Huo from Global Examination

Zhao Yunlan from Guardian: Zhen Hun

Zhou Zishu from Faraway Wanderers

^ Spoilers Warning!

*Dealer's Choice (Brackets are not final. I'm just dividing them as Danmei vs. Non-Danmei for right now. It'll probably be divided by popularity later)

[soapy-soartp]

Day 5 of @whumperless-whump-event

Im so sorry Lan Zhan but these prompts just fit you

Day: 5 - STEALING THE BREATH FROM MY LUNGS (GIVE IT BACK)

Prompt: Wheezing / Light-headed / "I'll count, you just breathe."

Fandom: MDZS

Characters: Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, Backround/Mentioned: Lan Sizhui and Wei Wuxian

“Wangji…” Lan Xichen starts, trying to reason with his younger brother.

Who was once again kneeling by a closed door, desperately waiting for it to open once again for the people inside to let him in.

Even all these years it’s still a painful sight to see, and even more painful to remember. Lan Wangji’s grief and desperation, his own grief and sadness, all far too overwhelming for two young children. But no one around could- no, would help them. The only one who was willing and happy to guide them was gone.

“...” As expected he got silence in return, but he can tell now that his brother’s word may fail him, his eyes don’t.

Those eyes are glassy and far away. So he does what he can as he holds over the umbrella he had over them both.

“…Let’s go inside, hm?” He tries to coax, it was raining instead of snowing but that's to be expected in Lotus pier, where the weather was much warmer than that of Gusu.

“Wangji… They’ll be ok…” He tries to reassure but it falls on seemingly deaf ears.

He can't even imagine what's going through his didi’s head right now, not only was his husband hurt, he couldn't even see him and the scene was far too similar to the one from their childhood.

��

It all happened so fast. At least that’s what was reported, Wei Ying and A-Yuan got hurt.

And he wasn’t there to help them.

“Move! get out the way!”

“I'm sorry, Hanguang Jun but you can't enter while the Jiang healers are in there…”

“They’ll be fine. He’s survived worse and you’ve both raised a tough kid.”

The long engraved need to follow the rules, to keep his composure wars with the anxiety, fear, and dread he feels at this moment.

So he kneels, out in the harsh rain of lotus pier, slightly off to the side from the Jiang sect's healing ward. His brother tries to coax him out of the rain, but he can't hear very well, actually he can’t do anything much more than fixate on the fate of those in the medical ward.

It’s getting harder to think, to breathe. He suddenly feels cold and lightheaded… and his vision starts to swim with dark spots.

Then someone’s (his brother?) is in front of him and there’s hands gripping at his shoulders.

“-ngji?...Snap…it- Breathe!” Is being yelled at him.

Breathe…? Isn’t he breathing? He has to be, why wouldn’t he be… Oh.

He isn’t breathing.

He tries but all he can manage is a wheezing breath, he blinks and his sight fogs over with tears.

“G-ge…?” He manages while struggling for breath.

“Wangji, Didi, it’s alright, you’re alright. Just breathe, ok? Just-” Was the frantic response, he feels himself shift and soon he’s leaning against his brother.

“C-can’t…” He gasps for breath but it ends in a choked wheeze.

“Ah, follow my breathing, hm?”

He feels his brother’s chest rise with a steady breath in and fall with one out. He tries to follow through but his attempts end in staggering wheezes. He feels more dark spots dance in his vision and he, embarrassingly slumps and clings to his brother.

“G-ge…g-ge, can’t. W-wei Yi- Shinz- Shu-” A gasps interrupts his desperate and panicked babbling then he continues on again.

He feels the tears fall as he calls out to the people who he cares for the most.

“Shh… A-zhan, A-zhan. Just breathe.” His brother states firmly, taking his wrists in a firm hold and pulling him in closer to the solid embrace, “I’ll count, just breathe.”

“In for One… Two… Three…” His brother starts, and he tries another breath in.

It was still hard but the solid presence helps, the calming voice and the counting helps. Thankfully after a few rounds of the breathing exercise, his own breathe steadies. But that doesn’t do much for the emotional exhaustion and anxiety he still felt, so he allows himself a moment of vulnerability.

He openly weeps in his brother’s arms, concern for his husband and their child too great to bear. Once he’s truly exhausted himself he slumps fully in the solid hold.

Now they were both soaked and kneeling in a Jiang sect courtyard. He lets out a quiet hum, an apology and thanks to his brother.

[unfortunatelycake]

To follow on from the Ladies Version...

MDZS has so many dead guys, so part 2 is coming right up!

Reblog for a bigger sample size and show the love for your chosen blorbo!

[save-the-data]

19th Floor | S01E01

Chinese Drama - 2024, 30 episodes

~~ Adapted from the novel "The Nineteenth Floor of Hell" (地狱的第十九层) by Cai Jun (蔡骏).

Native Title: #19层

Genres: #Mystery

Tags:  #Student Female Lead |  #Adapted from a Novel |  #Virtual World | #Death Game

Cast:   #Miles Wei |  #Bai Shu | #Xiao Kai Zhong

Links: GAGA | Viki | YouTube | iQIYI | WeTV | Youku | Tencent

Catalog: Episode GIF sets | Chinese Drama | ----

[ryin-silverfish]

So I did a brief review of when writers from the Warring States and earlier would place the legend of Yi.

Yellow Emperor's Reign: Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu Bu Wei (吕氏春秋) and Mozi's writings. Yi is listed as inventor of the bow and arrow, alongside other inventors from the Yellow Emperor's period. 吕氏 also mentions ten suns appearing before Yao's reign, but as a good omen. Also quoting from Zhuangzi, 吕氏 has Yao saying that “lighting fires while the ten suns are out" is a waste of effort, because their light cannot make the already bright environment brighter, just like Yao remaining on the throne cannot make the realm a better place when the sage Xu You is already going around helping people.

Xia Dynasty: Shang Shu (尚书), Guo Yu (国语), Zuo Zhuan (左传), Tale of King Mu (穆天子传), Qu Yuan's Tian Wen (天问), Confucius, Zhuangzi, students of Mozi. The three history books, Shang Shu, Guo Yu, and Zuo Zhuan all present Yi as an usurper of the Xia Dynasty who was then betrayed and murdered by his advisor Han Zhuo. Shang Shu also rationalizes Yi's shooting of the suns as a campaign against the Xi and He clans, two noble families charged with calculating the calendar, but who had neglected their duties. The Tale of King Mu also calls Yi the Xia Dynasty ruler of Yoqiong. Confucius and Zhuangzi both cite Yi as a powerful archer, but bad ruler. However, Zhuangzi portrays Yi as a man who understood his own faults and could not take pride in his ability to judge character. Mozi's students related a story about Yi receiving a jade pendant from heaven before his final failure and death, as an allegory of pride going before a fall. Qu Yuan has the most complete summary of Yi's myth, presenting him as a Heaven-sent hero who was meant to save the people of Xia, but usurped the king's throne, stole a river god's wife, abducted the woman Xuan Qi, lost Chang-E when she went to the moon, and finally was punished by Heaven and fell to the schemes of those around him. Other texts also mention Yi, but he's still implied to be a Xia Dynasty figure because there are pre-late Warring States texts setting him in any other time. Guizang, one of the earliest texts to contain Chinese myths, states that Yi shot down the suns and Chang-E stole the elixir of immortality and went to moon. Shan Hai JIng mentions Yi received a bow from the sky god Di Jun to slay monsters. Mencius mentioned Yi being murdered by his jealous student Feng Meng, but stated Yi bore some responsibility for the crime (neglecting mortal education). In contrast, Guan Zhong and Han Fei regarded Yi as a principled man dedicated to his craft, who understood the philosophy and not just the act of shooting an arrow, and who was the protective figure. Yi is often listed alongside his disciple Feng Meng as the example of a good archer.

Yao's Reign: Huainanzi (淮南子) and its oral sources. Yi shooting the suns is set during Yao's reign. Xunzi also mentions Yi as a title that can be given to any good archer. However, he also makes references to Yi and Feng Meng as specific individuals, in which case he's likely referring to Yi from the Xia Dynasty. ("Yi and Feng Meng cannot aim accurately with crooked bows"; "Yi's methods are not lost, but Yi is no longer in this world.") Meanwhile Han Fei makes vague comparisons between Yao and Yi as enforcers of the law, but never specifically calls them contemporary.

Later Han Dynasty commentaries would make the sun-shooting Yi from Yao's era a different individual than the Xia Dynasty Yi, but the myth of a single Yi who both shot the suns (or the individuals responsible for tracking the sun's movements through the year) and usurped the Xia throne came first and was the most popular before the Qin Dynasty.

Wonderful collection!

I only have one small correction: Qu Yuan's Tianwen does not make any connection between Chang'e and Yi.

There are lines about the death and revival of the moon, and the animal in it (夜光何德,死则又育?厥利维何,而顾菟在腹?), as well as the lines asking about why a woman in fine white robes is decorating herself in jewelry, followed by a question about where she gets the "fine pills" and why she cannot hide/keep them. (白蜺婴茀,胡为此堂?安得夫良药,不能固臧?)

It is commonly interpreted as referring to the Chang'e legends, but at least in the poem, it's not connected to the Yi-related lines.

Also, though the version of Guizang quoted in the ask mentions both Yi and Chang'e next to each other, the Qin era bamboo slips excavated from Wangjia Tai only mentions Chang'e stealing the pill of immortality and flying to the moon.

From what I know, though both the Yi and Chang'e mythology were floating around in the late Warring States-Qin era, they weren't yet connected to each other.

The earliest passage that featured the "Yi gets immortality pills from QMoW, Chang'e steals it and fly to the moon" plot is from Huainan Zi , and in the eastern Han annotation of the passage, they became husband and wife.

[circumference-pie]

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[reinaka42]

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) Masterpost

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) is a Vocal synth (Vocaloid and SynthV) music project. It consists of songs themed around different figures throughout Chinese history. The project is a collaboration between different artists and creatives, with music and videos featuring prominent traditional Chinese elements. The project's title translates to "The Records of Magnificence of the Wangchuan" - In Chinese mythology, "Wangchuan" (or River of Forgetting) is a river in the Underworld that can rid one of their past life's memories, similar to the river Lethe.

A mobile game adaptation has also been developed by NetEast. Unfortunately, I haven't played it so I can't give much insight on it. However, I assume that its premise is similar to that of the idea behind the project as a whole: all these historical figures meeting each other in the Underworld after they died. Maybe.

You can find all the songs on Bilibili. The official Weibo can be found here. The game's website, which includes all characters appearing so far in the game, can be found here, and its Weibo can be found here.

(If you prefer YouTube, I've also put together a handy playlist. Please know that most of these videos are reposts though, so please watch the original Bilibili MVs if you can!)

This blog is where I will be posting everything I feel like I need to say about the songs in this project. A lot of it is lifted from my Twitter account but will be in much more detail. Note that I probably won't touch collab songs, or songs that don't focus solely on the project's own characters.

Disclaimer: I do not speak Chinese, nor am I an expert on Chinese history. Therefore, I cannot reliably translate the lyrics to these songs, nor my words should be taken as gospel. I am merely a nerd gushing about my hyperfixation.

Playlist

多情岸 【Duo Qing An】 ➼ B link

洛阳怀 【Luo Yang Huai】 ➼ B link

易水诀 【Yi Shui Jue】 ➼ B link

山河令 【Shan He Ling】 ➼ B link

簪花人间 【Zhan Hua Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

栖凰 【Qi Huang】 ➼ B link

心上秋 【Xin Shang Qiu】 ➼ B link

祖龙吟 【Zu Long Yin】 ➼ B link

如见青山 【Ru Jian Qing Shan】 ➼ B link

竹林间 【Zhu Lin Jian】 ➼ B link

天下局 【Tian Xia Ju】 ➼ B link

青鸟衔风 【Qing Niao Xian Feng】 ➼ B link

木兰行 【Mu Lan Xing】 ➼ B link

好字唯之 【Hao Zi Wei Zhi】 ➼ B link

不可道 【Bu Ke Dao】 ➼ B link

水叙湖风 【Shui Xu Hu Feng】 (collab) ➼ B link

是非 【Shi Fei】 ➼ B link

风起甘露 【Feng Qi Gan Lu】 (collab) ➼ B link

谓剑 【Wei Jian】 ➼ B link

万象霜天 【Wan Xiang Shuang Tian】 (New Year event song) ➼ B link

千秋梦 【Qian Qiu Meng】 ➼ B link

易安难安 【Yi An Nan An】 ➼ B link

惊鹊 【Jing Que】 ➼ B link

高歌破阵 【Gao Ge Po Zhen】 (collab) ➼ B link

不赴 【Bu Fu】 ➼ B link

西行 【Xi Xing】 ➼ B link

大航海家 【Da Hang Hai Jia】 ➼ B link

牡丹乱 【Mu Dan Luan】 (collab) ➼ B link

倾国 【Qing Guo】 (collab) ➼ B link

相虎 【Xiang Hu】 ➼ B link

补天裂 【Bu Tian Lie】 ➼ B link

此期盈期 【Ci Qi Ying Qi】 (1st anniversary song) ➼ B link

破云来 【Po Yun Lai】 ➼ B link

归钓吟 【Gui Diao Yin】 ➼ B link

始见千秋 【Shi Jian Qian Qiu】 ➼ B link

临川浮梦 【Lin Chuan Fu Meng】 ➼ B link

将军行 【Jiang Jun Xing】 ➼ B link

妄语人间 【Wang Yu Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 (2nd anniversary song) ➼ B link

问剑春秋 【Wen Jian Chun Qiu】 ➼ B link

起战令 【Qi Zhan Ling】 ➼ B link

人间应又雪 【Ren Jian Ying You Xue】 ➼ B link

旷古回响 【Kuang Gu Hui Xiang】 ➼ B link

墨隐侠声 【Mo Yin Xia Sheng】 ➼ B link

桃源故人 【Tao Yuan Gu Ren】 (3rd anniversary song) ➼ B link

燕双归 【Yan Shuang Gui】 ➼ B link

拜云台 【Bai Yun Tai】 ➼ B link

思华年 【Si Hua Nian】 ➼ B link

承天 【Cheng Tian】 ➼ B link

*Note: The anniversary songs are probably for the game's anniversaries, as the project itself is more than 5 years old.

Albums

Vol 1: 溯洄 【Su Hui】 Includes character songs from Duo Qing An to Zhu Lin Jian. Features human vocals.

Vol 2: 踏浪 【Ta Lang】 Includes character songs from Tian Xia Ju to Yi An Nan An + Shui Xu Hu Feng.

Vol 3: 数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 Includes character songs from Bu Fu to Yan Shuang Gui, and the two anniversary songs.

Visual character guide:

PRE-QIN | QIN | WESTERN CHU | HAN | THREE KINGDOMS | JIN | NORTH & SOUTHERN DYNASTIES | TANG | FIVE DYNASTIES & TEN KINGDOMS | SONG | YUAN | MING | QING | DREAM

[the-monkey-ruler]

Lotus Lantern (2005) 宝莲灯

Director: Yu Mingsheng Screenwriter: Nine years Starring: Jun Cao / Shu Chang / Enjun / Jiao / Lin Xiangping Yuqiao / Liu Liu Liu Xiaoqing / Yan Danchen / Xie Ning / Wang Weiguo / Chen Chuang / Ding Jian / Xiaofeng Luo Wei / Pu Shiyan Zhang Zhichao / Tian Erxi / Wu Zhou Jie / Guohua You Benchang / Wang Yonggui / Li Baocheng Zhao / Shujun / Li Jianxun Zhu Yaying / Li Liu Jie / Jiayi Ye Yina / Ma Liqing / Yang Si / Wang Wensheng / Ma Jielin / Tian Xuemin / Zhao Qi / Zong Fengyan / Wan Luo Guangyue / Li Dou / Ying / Tang Nien / Liu Shuxing / Shi Liang / Cheng Sudong / Lu Bing / Wang Xiang / Yao Changjiang / Xi Xianfeng / Yuan Han / Shen Jie / Deng Jia / Guo Ye / Wang Jiayu / DuduMore Genre: Drama / Fantasy / Costume Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2005-10-04 (Mainland China) Number of episodes: 35 Single episode length: 46 minutes Also known as: New Lotus Lantern / 新宝莲灯 IMDb: tt4776994 Type: Reimagining

Summary:

Chen Xiang (played by Cao Jun), a young man in a small town, and his father Liu Yanchang (played by Liu Xiaofeng) have been living a peaceful life until one day, Chen Xiang accidentally discovers that he actually contains "magic power" in his body and could pass through walls effortlessly. After his father learned about it, he told Chen Xiang the fact that he had hidden for many years, that is, Chen Xiang's mother was actually the San Sheng Mu (played by Park Meixuan) in heaven. Because she violated the rules of heaven and married herself as a mortal, she was captured by heaven to an unknown destination. Chen Xiang was shocked to learn the truth and decided to overcome all difficulties to rescue his mother. Er Lang Shen (Jiao Enjun), who sees everything in his eyes, is Chen Xiang's uncle and decides to stop Chen Xiang's journey to save his mother. Thus, this difficult trip to save the mother kicked off with the interference of Erlang Shen. During the journey, Chen Xiang met many kind-hearted people and spirits, encountered various resistances, and even wanted to give up. But in the end, it was no match for his determination to save his mother...

Source: https://tv-1.chinesemov.com/tv/2005/Lotus%20Lantern

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL10scWhSJdfGojWzhbiYNBCM9KgZi1sk_

[synthvmadness]

Synth V Madness final results

It's finally over!!! But before I begin, I just want to give a reason why all the Vocal Synth Madness tournaments will only be on Tumblr and not on Twitter. Even though the vocal synth community is more active on Twitter I think Elon Musk is making it very harder to use and even screwing up some functionality of the site. So that's your reasons. But, anyways, it's time to see who won.

50th place - Xuan Yu (1-6)

49th place - Kyomachi Seika (4-3)

48th place - Koharu Rikka (4-3)

47th place - Yun Quan (6-1)

46th place - Ritchy (5-2)

45th place - Hanakuma Chifuyu (6-1)

44th place - Hayden (4-3)

43rd place - Natalie (4-3)

42nd place - Sheena (5-2)

41st place - Cheng Xiao (7-0)

40th place - OSCAR (7-0)

39th place - Tsurumaki Maki (6-1)

38th place - Lin Lai (4-3)

37th place - D-Lin (6-1)

36th place - Ninezero (5-2)

35th place - Wei Shu (5-2)

34th place - Kasane Teto (4-3)

33rd place - Mo Chen (3-4)

32nd place - Eleanor Forte (0-2)

31st place - Kyomachi Seika (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 14-4 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

30th place - Feng Yi (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 7-1 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

29th place - An Xiao (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 11-2 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

28th place - AIKO (0-2)

27th place - Ryo (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 10-3 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

26th place - JUN (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 13-2 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

25th place - Kevin (2-0)

24th place - Yamine Renri (0-2)

23rd place - SAROS (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 13-5 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

22nd place - Weina (1-1) (Tiebreaker: 9-1 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

21st place - Natsuki Karin (Tiebreaker: 14-4 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

20th place - Mai (Tiebreaker: 16-2 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

19th place- ANRI (0-2)

18th place - Yuma (Tiebreaker: 10-2 based on number of comments on SynthV Wiki)

17th place - Qing Su (0-2)

16th place - Koharu Rikka

15th place - Haiyi

14th place - Minus

13th place - Muxin

12th place - ASTERIAN

11th place - Kotonoha Akane & Aoi

10th place - GENBU

9th place - Shian

8th place - Saki (3-0)

7th place - Chiyu (3-0)

6th place - Cangqiong (2-1)

5th place - Eri (2-1)

4th place - XIA YU YAO

3rd place - Tsuina-chan

2nd place - Cong Zheng

1st place - SOLARIA

Well that does it for the tournament. Even though there were ups and downs, this tournament finally has an end, with SOLARIA getting the first W of the annual Synth V Madness Tournament. That does it, and July 7 marks the first round of CeVIO madness, featuring all synths from that program that got released from 2013 to last year. Follow that blog and we'll see you there.