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pod-together · 9 months

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Pod-Together Day 7 Reveals 2023

The Context that History Is (The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells)

written by lunaTactics, performed by GodOfLaundryBaskets

Summary:

In my imagination, they're playing your documentary again in Makeba Hall, like they do every year with the other historicals, and I’m looking up into the big holo display projected high over my head, larger than life in the self-same theater you used to attend with your favorite humans. At intermission the screen is empty, and dark in the space between stories. Did you ever guess how important yours would still be, a million hours after you lived it?

You made history. All I can do is try to live up to it.

Years after the Machine Intelligence Liberation Movement sweeps through the galaxy and changes everything for the constructs who fought for it, an art history student contemplates Murderbot's legacy, and tries to figure out what it means to live in the context of its history.

Making a House a Home (僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga))

written by vamprav, performed by sunkitten_shash

Summary: When Hawks shows up in Shiguraki Tomura's bar Dabi was not expecting to encounter his soulmate, he was even less prepared for the arrival of his youngest sibling.

Mandatory Entertainment (Welcome to Night Vale)

written by Koschei_B, performed by pass_the_salt

Summary: After two decades, the ban on Eurovision is finally lifted.

Of Driftwood and Stowaways Washed Ashore [text, audio] (One Piece (Anime & Manga))

written by Aibhilin, performed by stereden

Summary: Buggy ambles alongside a beach when he finds something that's drifted ashore.

It's a particular beach, close to a town where a certain Celestial Dragon was rumoured to visit.

Surely, those two events are not connected?

Pas de Triad (陈情令 | The Untamed (TV))

written by Gavilan, performed by jennisaisquoi

Summary:

GusuLan Ballet Company is pleased to announce its final ballet of the season: the world premiere of Venerated Triad. This epic tale of love and betrayal is based on the lives and legends of sworn brothers Zewu-jun, Chifeng-zun, and Lianfang-zun. It is choreographed by Nie Huisang, whose groundbreaking style blends the classic and contemporary to create works of stunning emotionality. The ballet features principal dancers Lan Xichen as Zewu-jun and Nie Mingjue as Chifeng-zun, with newcomer Meng Yao as the cunning Lianfang-zun.

- GusuLan Ballet Company press release

what’s in a name [text, audio, filk] (The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells)

written by xianvar, performed by wilfriede0815

Summary: ART acquires a new friend

the kids are alright (The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller, The Iliad - Homer)

written by GwenChan, performed by Hazilla

Summary: Chiron and Peleus exchange letters about Achilles and Patroclus while these latter train on Mt Pelion

From the Same River's Waters (琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV))

written by bladedweaponsandswishycoats, performed by deepestbluesky

Summary: There's no response. It's not the first time, but the silence now is different in a way Jingyan can't describe. It makes him realize that normally, even when they aren't communicating, the bond itself has a presence. Now, even that feels different and he can't help the fear growing in him. Aside from the silence, there is the last thing he did hear from Xiao Shu's side: "Jingyan, be careful—"

What is he supposed to be careful of? Lin Shu and the Chiyan Army are—as far as he knows—many days' travel from the Donghai military camp where he's posted.

Which Mere Modernity Cannot [text, audio] (Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992))

written by lilolilyrae, performed by artax_risen

Summary:‘unsent message’ - Texts from Jonathan Harker on his highly irregular work trip to Transylvania. One-shots of a modern Dracula retelling - no previous knowledge necessary.

Sing Me to the Sea (Young Royals (TV 2021))

written by lc2l, performed by Robin_Fai

Summary: There are legends of a hidden world of mermaids deep under the ocean, mystical creatures who can only come to the surface by falling in love with a human, or trading something precious away to the devil.

Simon hums, he whistles, he claps. He doesn't speak.

Uh Check, Check (My Chemical Romance, Bandom)

written by ermengarde, performed by dapatty

Summary: Mikey's so fucking lucky, but also his life is very hard and if the world could see to it that Ray does not get any more naked on stage that would be delightful, thank you.

Stones of the Soil: Building-Stones of Fire (Granite and Basalt) (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, A Stitch in Time - Andrew J. Robinson)

created by BardicRaven and RisalSoran

Summary: Elim Garak has returned at last to Kardassi'ya - but it is not the Kardassi'ya he knew and loved.

It's different.

Damaged.

But it hasn't been destroyed.

Not completely.

It will recover, someday.

And someday, he'll have something to offer Julian.

#podfic #fanfic #the murderbot diaries #boku no hero academia #welcome to night vale #one piece #the untamed #the song of achilles #nirvana in fire #dracula #young royals #bandom #my chemical romance #star trek deep space nine

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stellahibernis · 10 months

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Today I woke up thinking of a Nirvana in Fire AU in which there is a princess Jingyan instead, and what would come of that.

This got long, so I put it behind the cut, but there are thoughts on what it would mean for getting justice for the wronged and for the country in short term, what Lin Shu might do, and what kind of a life it would be for Princess Jingyan.

Realistically, I think it would mean getting justice for Prince Qi, the Lins and the Chiyan army would be practically impossible. First, it would have to be done during the reign of the current emperor, allowed by him so that it would be clear and without doubt. As it is mentioned, if the clearing of the names happened due to a different emperor, there would always be doubts and people thinking it might just be politics to raise them up again. Especially if the new emperor gained power by a coup instead of normal succession.

What was needed was someone in a position that is powerful enough to challenge the emperor, so basically a crown prince because then there is only one person in the ranks above him. He'll also have to have solidified his influence within court, both among the officials and the soldiers (so that the emperor can't just order anyone bringing in the grievance to be silenced, as he tried). And if there is no prince Jing, who would seek this position and then use it to clear the names of those wronged? Certainly not princes Xian and Yu, who both benefited from the affair. Princes Ning and Huang, who we see very little in the drama, are both too timid that you really can't see them going up against the emperor. The ninth prince is so young he was probably born after the conspiracy went down, and so would be a bad bet. Someone from outside is even less likely to be able to gain a position to achieve this, even if we went with killing all the sons and having someone else step up in succession.

For the country, I suspect it would be a massively less stable situation. As we can see at the end of the drama, there is a serious lack of competent generals outside of Nihuang (in the book there is also a General Zhang (I thing that was his name) in the western font, but it's still obviously not enough). Everyone else that steps up to resolve the problems in the end comes from the former Chiyan army. Based on the remarks made in drama, most of the top military got their positions due to connections instead of merit, and it was Jingyan who was out there to keep the borders safe. Take him out and what is left? Maybe someone/several someones would have stepped up, or maybe the country would have been a mess. I suspect the latter. The whole kingdom might just collapse in pieces within a decade, parts of it would be eaten by neighbors, Yunnan would probably become independent as the emperor suspects in the drama, and so on.

What would Lin Shu then do, presuming his father still gave him the instruction to live on? Would he live as a furry man somewhere around the Langya hall? Would he still decide to be reborn as Mei Changsu and if so, what then? Would he set up a Jianghu sect and help everyone he could? Would he set out to cause chaos and destabilize the country since it's going to hell anyway? Would he set up a coup, either for himself (unlikely if he's going to die in a few years, that would still leave a chaos behind) or for someone else (list of candidates for the someone else is probably very short, though). All possibilities that would lead to interesting directions, but I don't know what would be the most likely one.

Then we get to the life of Xiao Jingyan born a girl, otherwise similar in character etc. I think she would have had to go through the process of learning to control his temper and play some politics that he does in the drama earlier if born a girl, simply because the expectations for a princess would be so different. Also I think she would definitely be at least somewhat rebellious (as is tradition in the family, look at the women of previous generation) and find it very confining, when all that's expected of her (and based on his remarks about women in drama, all the emperor would think her capable of) is to be married of to someone to strengthen connections of the court, be it in Da-Liang of one of the neighbor countries.

Since she would have been nineteen at the time of the conspiracy, she would have probably already been married, but from an AU point of view it would be more interesting if she were not. Maybe some close relative died and they're in mourning and she couldn't marry when of age, that sort of thing. I think one could come up with a scenario where there would be enough turmoil in the country that an arranged marriage between an imperial princess and a jianghu chief who had in some way distinguished himself would be at least somewhat plausible. Of course people would wonder why this Chief Mei would agree to a marriage that would likely just limit his freedom. And of course they wouldn't be allowed to meet before the wedding so she is going in blind. I'm kind of starting to itch to actually write one like this, but better not expect too much since I haven't written anything in over a year. Still 🤔

#nirvana in fire #musings of an au scenario

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psqqa · 3 years

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Nirvana in Fire Character Reference Sheet Roughly in the Order Those Characters Are Introduced

For @howdydowdy, as promised, and for anyone else who, like me, is terrible at names and needs some kind of “Who?? Ohhh right. That guy.” reminder.

Basically, my Nirvana in Fire Journey started with me watching half the first episode, being wildly confused, realizing I was in over my head re: names and thus deciding to go back to the beginning and watch it again But Taking Notes This Time. I watched the whole show with a notebook and pen at my side. I figured I may as well spare you all the labour by typing it up.

As more information was revealed, I often added it to a character’s initial note, but by and large I’m leaving those extra notes out so you can experience the joy and confusion and anguish of New Information yourself. The exception to this is generally a person’s name, title, and position. E.g. Duke Qing’s name, Bai Ye, isn’t mentioned until a number of episodes after he’s first mentioned, if I recall correctly, but knowing that the person named “Bai Ye” is the same person called “Duke Qing” is exactly why I took these notes for myself in the first place.

Basically this isn’t intended to be a character guide that lays out exactly who a person is, their relationships to the other characters, and their place in the story, but rather something you can look at whenever someone mentions a name that jogs your memory just enough for you to be able to place to person. Which is why the notes tend to be either the context in which the person was introduced or the relationship through which they’re introduced.

Some names and notes are inherently spoilers, but hopefully by virtue of the fact that this is broadly in the order a character is first mentioned/introduced, you can avoid spoilers simply by not scrolling down too far. For those persons where their name or an alter ego comes in significantly after their initial introduction and is a spoiler, they are listed a second time starting with the “new information” and with the note in italics indicating their original entry (there aren’t a lot of these, don’t worry).

I will readily admit that some of my handwritten notes are just a name and then a blank space because apparently I just never actually added a note for them. I haven’t bothered adding those people here. Yes it’s because I’ve forgotten entirely who they are, but I’m pretty sure that means you’ll be okay if you immediately forget who they are too. (That being said, I get the sense there are actually relevant people missing from this list. As the show carried on and introductions became less frequent, remembering them became less difficult.)

The List

Lin Xie –> Commander of the Chiyan Army

Lin Shu –> “Xiao-Shu” –> Lin Xie’s son –> Mei Changsu --> Chief of the Jiangzuo Alliance --> Su Zhe

Lin Chen –> Young Master of Langya Hall –> NOTE: The “Lin” of Lin Chen and the “Lin” of Lin Xie & Lin Shu are both written and pronounced differently. These people are not related.

Northern Yan’s 6th Prince –> Now Northern Yan’s Crown Prince

Minister Xu –> Da Liang’s envoy to Northern Yan

Prince Yu –> Xiao Jinghuan –> 5th Prince of Da Liang

Xiao Xuan –> Emperor of Da Liang

Empress Yan --> Prince Yu’s adoptive mother

Consort Yue --> Crown Prince’s mother

Grand Empress (Dowager) --> Emperor’s grandmother

Xiao Jingxuan --> Crown Prince of Da Liang --> metonym is “Eastern Palace”

Zhuo Dingfeng --> Master of Tianquan Manor

Zhuo Qingyao --> Eldest son of Zhuo Dingfeng --> guy on the horse and later the guy helping the old couple on the boat and later also the guy who calls Xie Yu “father-in-law” (I am telling you this specifically because I am not bad at faces but this guy added so much confusion to my life that was cleared up the moment I realized these people were the same person. And also because my mother is terrible at faces and for like 15 episodes every time he showed up in another random place I would say “that’s horse and boat guy” and she would say “wait what? really???” So I’m assuming at least one other person will share in this struggle)

Xie Yu --> Marquis of Ning

Qin Banruo --> Prince Yu’s strategist

Duke Qing --> Prime Minister --> Bai Ye

Ji Ying --> member of Double Sword Sect

Li Gang --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance

Fei Liu --> Mei Changsu’s bodyguard

Yan Yujin --> Son of Empress Yan’s brother

Xiao Jingrui --> Eldest son of Xie Yu

Mu Nihuang --> Commander of the army in Yunnan --> Princess of Yunnan’s House of Mu

Xie Bi --> Second son of Xie Yu & Xiao Jingrui’s younger brother

Mu Qing --> Mu Nihuang’s younger brother

Xia Dong --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Nie Feng --> Xia Dong’s late husband --> Vanguard General of the Chiyan Army under Lin Xie

Meng Zhi --> Commander of the Imperial Guards

Xuan Bu --> From Da Yu --> stronger than Meng Zhi

Gao Zhan --> Emperor’s chief eunuch

Fei Changshi --> Prince Yu’s guy out looking for Mei Changsu

Prince Jing --> Xiao Jingyan --> 7th Prince of Da Liang

Concubine Jing --> Mother of Prince Jing

“Xiao-Xin” --> Attendant to Concubine Jing

Grand Princess Liyang --> Xie Yu’s wife & Emperor’s sister

Eunuch Zheng --> Eunuch who is mean to Tingsheng

Prince Qi --> late Crown Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingyu

Tingsheng --> servant boy caught reading

“Lao-Wei” --> Mu Qing’s subordinate of some kind

Wei Zheng --> member of Chiyan Army at Battle of Meiling (and survived)

Sima Lei --> member of Royal Guard --> Consort Yue’s preferred suitor for Mu Nihuang

Liao Tingjie --> Son of the Marquis of Zhongsu --> Empress Yan’s preferred suitor Mu Nihuang

Baili Qi --> Mu Nihuang suitor from Northern Yan --> A favourite of the 4th Prince of Northern Yan

Lady/Madam Zhuo --> Zhuo Dingfeng’s wife

Xie Qi --> Zhuo Qingyao’s wife & Xie Yu’s daughter & Jingrui’s sister

Consort Hui --> bullied by the Empress

Young Lady Zhen (I think is what my handwriting says) --> servant being sneaky at late dowager empress’s palace

“Wu-momo” --> older servant with the Bad Wine

Consort Chen --> now dead --> son was a rebel

3rd Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingting --> Prince Ning --> disabled

6th Prince of Da Liang --> no ambition

9th Prince of Da Liang --> too young to fight for throne

Former Crown Princess --> late Prince Qi’s late wife

“Qi-momo” --> Grand Princess Liyang’s senior attendant

Gong Yu --> window lady who works with Mr. Shisan --> a musician

Mr. Shisan --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance --> connection to Lin family

Minister Lou --> Lou Zhijing --> Minister of Trade/Finance/Revenue/other words that mean “money” --> Knows about the corpse well --> Crown Prince’s faction

Zhang Jing --> Owner of corpse well house (Lan Mansion) at the time the corpses ended up in the well

Shi Jun --> Servant at corpse well house at relevant time --> has record book

Magistrate Gao --> Gao Sheng --> The Capital Magistrate

Princess Xuanji --> ruler of a previous dynasty --> founded the “Hong Court”

Minister Qi --> Qi Min--> Minister of Justice --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister He --> He Jingzhong --> Minister of Personnel --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister of Public Works --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister Chen --> Chen Yuanzhi --> Minister of Rites --> Crown Prince’s faction

Minister of Defence --> Li Lin --> Crown Prince’s faction

Bai Xun --> Duke Qing’s brother

Lie Zhanying --> Staff Officer under Prince Jing

Qi Meng --> One of Prince Jing’s men --> fights Fei Liu and commits Great Offence

“General Bian” --> One of Prince Jing’s men

Shen Zhui --> Acting Minister of Finance

Princess Qing He --> Shen Zhui’s mother

Cai Quan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> Did well-received report on the Bing case

Han Zhiyi --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Zhang Jianzhen --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Wei Yuan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Yuan Shiying --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Qin Yue --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Tong Lu --> Vegetable cart guy --> brother of one of the corpse well girls

Qiu Zhe --> Son of Count (Duke?) Wen Yuan

He Wenxin --> Son of Minister He --> dislikes Qiu Zhe

Grand Prince Ji --> Emperor’s youngest brother --> Owns hot springs

Yang Liuxin --> A dancer

Hong Xinzhao --> Has “understanding girls”

Xinliu & Xinyang --> Brothel sisters --> their younger brother was murdered by Qiu Zhe

Princess Consort --> Lanjin --> Prince Yu’s wife

Zhou Xuanqing --> renowned scholar

Li Chong --> former Imperial Tutor --> former teacher to Lin Shu

“Brother Zhao” --> Canal transport guy --> Jiangzuo Alliance

Lin Xiangru --> famous literary envoy

Marquis Yan --> Yan Que --> Yan Yujin’s father & Empress Yan’s brother

Lin Yueyao --> Prince Qi’s mother --> Consort Chen

Zhen Ping --> Jiangzuo Alliance --> sword challenger

Xia Qiu --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Xia Chun --> The most senior of the officers of the Xuanjing Bureau

Prince Jingli --> Consort Hui’s son

Yuwen Xuan --> Prince Ling --> A prince of Southern Chu

Yuwen Nian --> “Niannian” --> A princess of Southern Chu --> student of Yue Xiuze

Yuwen Lin --> King of Southern Chu --> Yuwen Nian’s father

Ouyang Chi - Head of CApital Patrols

Xia Jiang --> Head of the Xuanjing Bureau

Li Chongxin --> Schoolteacher assassinated by Zhuo Dingfeng

Jun Niang --> former member of “Hong Court” under Princess Xuanji

“Miss Liu” --> Granddaughter of former Chief Secretariat Liu Cheng

Wei Qi --> The general at Jiaxing Pass --> was Xie Yu’s lieutenant for years

Su Tianshu --> Chief of Yaowang Valley --> 7th on the Langya Rich List

Su Xuan --> Su Tianshu’s adopted son --> Wei Zheng

Yun Piaomiao --> Su Xuan’s wife

Concubine Xiang --> Prince Yu’s birth mother

Zhu Yue --> Head of the Review Court --> Prince Yu’s brother-in-law

Cheng Zhiji --> Elder Master of Feng Hall --> 75 years old

Princess Linglong --> A princess of the Hua Kingdom --> Princess Xuanji’s sister --> Concubine Xiang

Grand Princess Jinyang --> Lin Shu’s mother & Lin Xie’s wife --> Emperor’s sister

Yao Zhu --> Official Fan’s servant who knows The Secret

Official Fan --> Harbouring Xia Jiang

#nirvana in fire #it's an imperfect tool basically #but hopefully it's useful anyway #if there are any spelling errors #blame it on my handwriting #you don't want to know how much time i spent looking at these notes asking myself if something was a 'u' or an 'n'

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acesgroupchat · 3 years

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They march shoulder to shoulder, more than seventy thousand strong. Their feet beat perfect silent time on the polished stone floors. In death as in life their marshal leads them.

Father and son march side by side at the head of the column. Behind them, an army stretches in steadfast order, as far as the eye can see. Beside them, princesses, consorts, and ministers walk together, upright, proud, and certain. Together they come to the banks of the river. Together they go into the water, heads held high and steps in steady rhythm.

Lin Shu lets the water flow over his legs, swell against his chest, close over his head, and feels his soul washed clean. Beneath the water, his mother reaches out to take his hand.

The bright fields of the afterlife welcome them, and the makeshift camp of Chiyan’s dead becomes a bustling city. Her residents settle in and find themselves beginning to heal. Names, now restored, are hung with pride in doorways. The prayers of the living wind among them, bearing the faint perfume of incense in their wake. Older family members come to greet them and welcome them home. They are barely out of the river when Lin Shu raises his head and finds Tai Nai Nai standing before him, arms held out in welcome. She looks as frail as she had when he last saw her living, but her embrace is firm and certain.

It is all that was promised and more. Lin Shu watches as his parents settle into a new rhythm of social calls and easy activity. Aunt Yueyao is a frequent visitor, and Prince Qi joins her often, his wife and children tagging along. They are all eager for news of Tingsheng, and Lin Shu tells story after story, everything he knows of the last fourteen years, of Jingyan’s careful work and Tingsheng’s cautious joy. It is not the life that they had any of them expected or wished for, for Tingsheng or for themselves, but it is reason enough to hope, and for that they are all grateful. It is enough. It is perfect.

Even so, he finds himself walking often, to the edges of their little city, deep into the fields and along the riverbanks. His home is bright and full of easy conversation, a place of comfortable welcome. Beside the rushing waters is the only time he cannot hear the joyful laughter, which echoes in his ears everywhere he goes. He skips rocks through the current. Once, he thinks he sees one make it across to the black stone of the other bank.

He is on his way there when he turns a corner and finds himself somewhere else entirely. The faint scent of rot fills his mouth, and plum trees stretch before him as far as his eyes can see, full of a first delicate bloom. For a moment, it brings him to a stumbling halt. Not far from him, half sheltered under the branches of a tree, a figure in white turns toward him.

Lin Chen snorts, eyes sweeping over him. “It figures that you would be here. Grown bored again already?”

Mei Changsu takes one step towards him, then another and another. It is not far to walk, and Lin Chen meets him halfway.

It is easier, after that. His family home is open to him always, and he is there often, but just as often he finds himself wandering through the gardens, and through the various chambers and halls that are Lin Chen’s own, but which nevertheless open to him at the first thought, sometimes before he realizes exactly where his feet are carrying him. This is a source of endless amusement for Lin Chen, who has left off even feigning annoyance in favor of mocking Mei Changsu mercilessly for not realizing something that should, apparently, have been obvious.

“Really Changsu, when I said that the garden was closed to mortals what did you think I meant?”

“Fei Liu comes and goes as he pleases.”

Lin Chen snorts. “Fei Liu is the son of a nymph whose mother drowned herself in the river. He wouldn’t know mortality if it bit him.”

Fei Liu, who had been lounging on a branch above them, chooses this moment to throw most of an orange peel at Lin Chen’s head. Lin Chen grabs at his ankle, but Fei Liu springs up out of the branches, soaring away over the treetops and out of sight. Lin Chen watches him leave before settling back against the tree trunk in a lazy sprawl. Mei Changsu lets their shoulders press together, stares up into the crowding leaves above them. He finds, though, after a moment, that he is not quite finished with this conversation.

“I cannot be the only mortal you have ever brought here.”

He should not be able to feel Lin Chen roll his eyes, and yet he does. “First of all, I have never brought you anywhere. I cannot be held responsible for your trespassing. Second of all, just who do you imagine I would have brought here? This is my private garden, where I come to retreat from the burdens of mortal suffering. Letting mortals in here entirely defeats the point.”

Mei Changsu pauses. He is not particularly inclined to let Lin Chen accuse him of jealousy, but the question has been nagging at him for some time. “What of the others who have shared your bed? You have brought none of them here?”

Lin Chen, as expected, bursts out laughing. The trees around them shake, raining down leaves and petals on them both, and Mei Changsu feels himself shaking where Lin Chen’s shoulder is pressed to his. Lin Chen laughs for an unreasonably long time, slowly tipping sideways with the force of his mirth until he is sprawled across Mei Changsu’s lap, grinning up at him. Mei Changsu waits very patiently as Lin Chen collects himself, though he does not stop giggling even as he even as he dries his eyes on his sleeve.

“What others? Changsu, I didn’t even have a bed until you decided I needed one in order to nurse you properly.”

“You didn’t have a bed?”

“Why would I? You know I don’t sleep, Changsu, we’ve been over this.”

Mei Changsu purses his lips rather than answer, but Lin Chen, predictably, reads the answer on his face anyway and succumbs once again to gales of laughter, swamping them both in drifts of flower petals. Mei Changsu decides that perhaps he will pay his parents a visit after all.

And it’s better, like this. Dividing his time between his family home and Lin Chen’s ever-changing halls and gardens. It is a paradise. It is more than anyone could ask or wish for. It is almost perfect.

“You miss him,” says Lin Chen. It breaks the lazy stillness of the garden, and Mei Changsu is forced to open an eye. When no further elaboration appears forthcoming, he hums an inquiry.

Lin Chen waves a hand, a broad, expansive gesture that sets the plum blossoms rustling. “Your prince. You have been pining for him, just as he pines for you.”

“I don’t pine,” he protests. Lin Chen gives him a flat look.

“He sends prayers to me as well, you know. It’s a habit he picked up during the many, many years you were so judiciously refraining from telling him where you were. I rather thought he would stop once this matter was resolved, but instead he has taken to pestering me after your wellbeing. Every day sending along his hopes that you are well cared for, and not being made to pay some absurd toll for his good fortune, and that you have everything that you might wish here in the afterlife. He has left you a staggering number of offerings, as I know you are keenly aware.”

Mei Changsu opens his mouth, and finds he has no words to answer. He closes it again. It is true that Jingyan’s prayers have become something of a constant companion. They are a treasured part of his existence, a devotion he does not deserve but clings to anyway. It is also true that he is beginning to worry for Jingyan. He does not know how much time has passed for Jingyan since his second death, but the grief that laces his prayers has only grown, shows no sign of abating. It is painful, to think of Jingyan in pain, and here in the underworld there is absolutely nothing that he can do to console him.

“You miss him, Changsu. Is it such a terrible thing to admit?”

He shuts his eyes. “There is nothing I can do for him now.”

Lin Chen chuckles. “Look at you, so aware of your condition. How you’ve grown.” When Mei Changsu swats at him, he catches his hand, twines their fingers together. For a moment, there is quiet. Then,

“What if there were a way for you to return?”

The words go through him like lightning, and he sits up. It jostles Lin Chen, who glares at him. His posture is still relaxed, but there is a weight to his gaze.

“You said it was impossible.”

Lin Chen doesn’t answer. An orange falls from the tree, into Lin Chen’s outstretched hand, and he begins to peel it, the soft skin parting easily beneath his long fingers, forming a long coil.

“Lin Chen. You said that it couldn’t be done. What do you mean?”

“I said that I would not, not that I could not.” Lin Chen sighs, and sits up. “It is a difficult thing, for a mortal to return to life once they have left it. Almost impossible, but not completely, as you yourself have experienced. For those who are not mortal, the matter is somewhat simpler.” His eyes meet Mei Changsu’s and his gaze is very sharp. “You have not been strictly mortal for some time now, Changsu.”

He swallows. “And you would let me go, just like that, if I asked?”

Lin Chen’s free hand catches the back of his head, and tugs him into a kiss. His mouth is firm and certain, and Mei Changsu finds himself melting into it when, just as suddenly as it began, the kiss ends, and Lin Chen pulls back. His smile is gentle, but there is heat in his eyes. “I know you will come back.”

Mei Changsu clears his throat. “And you would not mind if…”

Lin Chen laughs softly. “I have known your heart since well before you first stumbled into this garden. If I had minded, we would never have begun. He seems like a sensible person, far more sensible than you, in any case.” The last of the orange peel comes free, and Lin Chen sets it down carefully by his hip. “Jealousy is not in my nature, Changsu. You miss him. He misses you as well, clearly. If you wish to return to him, you can.”

His hands are shaking, he realizes. He closes his fingers in his own sleeve and tries to collect his thoughts. For all that it seems impossible, there can be no question of his answer. “How do I get there?”

With an easy, graceful motion, Lin Chen splits the orange in his hand, six segments coming off into his palm. “These will allow you to walk among the living without pain.” He presses five of the segments into Mei Changsu’s hand, the last held between his fingertips. “When they run out, it will be winter. Return to me then.”

He presses the final segment to Mei Changsu’s lips, fingertips dragging across his mouth as the fruit slides inside. The delicate skin breaks against his teeth and juice floods his mouth, bright and sweet, tasting only of sunlight. As the garden fades around him, Lin Chen’s voice echoes in his ear.

“I will be waiting, Mei Changsu.”

#Nirvana in Fire #langya bang #mei changsu #lin shu #lin chen #lin yueyao #lin xie #grand princess jinyang #prince qi #xiao jingyu #it's new chapter sundaaaaaayyy

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presumenothing · 4 years

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wherefore // 几生轮回

unfinished nirvana in fire fic for @goodintentionswipfest

(aka the kimi no na wa au that i posted the first part of in 2018 before being once again reminded that i am physically incapable of plot. sections i-iii are complete, rough outline follows afterwards)

When Jingyan wakes up in another body, his first reaction is to be altogether grateful that he’s spent much more time at the borders and generally out of the capital than your average nobility. The slightest breath of unusually chilly morning air is enough to confirm that this is all the way to the border – of Liang and Da Yu, Jingyan suspects, much further north than even he’s ever gone.

(…well actually his first reaction is a flat startled “what”, right before he’d pinched himself to check if he’s still dreaming, but Jingyan figures anyone would’ve done the same anyway.)

The first bell of morning rings outside, and out of long habit Jingyan swings his feet off the bed and makes to rise before he can entirely realise what a terribly bad idea that is.

At least he manages to catch himself with a hasty hand on the bedframe. He’s even less coordinated than he was right after his growth spurt, when Jingyu-gege had kept a very straight face and not laughed at him at all.

That’s when Jingyan sees it: the ring of a silver bracelet around his ar– well, not his arm, but currently-his arm. Whatever.

He runs a light finger over the cool metal surface, over the deep grooves of an emblem that curls like flames and the shallower etch of a name. Lin Shu, it says.

Jingyan stands, properly this time, and goes to peer out the window, wondering if this Lin Shu can afford to take a day off. Whoever he is.

As it turns out, the answer to that is a resounding no, because Lin-Shu-whoever-he-is turns out to be the young marshal of this border army, as Jingyan swiftly finds out as he makes his way to morning drills.

Something he probably should’ve noticed right off, really, given the room he’d woken up in. Not large, certainly not by Jinling’s standards, but the noticeable lack of sharing made it a rare luxury in the barracks.

By the time he arrives at the training grounds, navigating purely on long-honed familiarity with army facilities, Jingyan’s already learnt to answer almost automatically to the many cheerful hails of “Young Marshal!” coming from the general outflow of people from the mess hall – many many more people than he’d been expecting, to be honest.

He doesn’t remember the actual numbers like Prince Qi probably does, but from personal experience Jingyan does know Da Liang’s border armies to be fairly impressive on the whole. Yet he’s never even heard of one this large, save perhaps Duke Mu’s army to the south.

It’s unmistakeably Liang’s colours they’re flying, though, alongside the same fiery emblem engraved on his bracelet, so Jingyan decides not to worry about it too much.

Either way it puts paid to his vague ideas of begging illness and staying firmly on the sidelines, though Jingyan finds to his pleasant surprise that this young marshal has trained some fairly competent lieutenants clearly capable of running the drills themselves.

It’s almost reminiscent of mornings in Jing Manor, honestly.

(And it could be worse, Jingyan thinks. “Young Marshal” is just a title, like “Your Highness” is, and after a whole life of answering to one it’s hardly a suffering to be addressed by the other – almost freeing, actually, even if he has to err on the side of caution by being much more taciturn than usual and hoping that the edge of exhaustion from sheer shock shows just enough to excuse him for it.

All said and done, though, Jingyan rather believes he’s done quite the good job of things.

Certainly better than whoever’s now in Jinling has probably managed, but as long as he hasn’t accidentally offended the Emperor or anything.

…Jingyan can only hope.)

–

ii.

This, as Jingyu-gege often says, is why Jingyan should never, ever jump to conclusions about things.

Admittedly this doesn’t backfire so much as it goes completely off the rails of his expectations, trundling like a particularly enthusiastic horse in the opposite direction.

Nothing terrible awaits when he wakes up back in his room the next morning, and a quick inquiry to Zhanying confirms that he definitely hadn’t entered the palace yesterday.

Jingyan breathes a deep if silent sigh of relief.

(A quick check of the outer walls turns up a scuff mark matching his shoe on the roof, so faint as to suggest that it’d only been left because someone obviously hadn’t entirely adjusted to his new height yet.

Fair enough, Jingyan thinks. He’d have done the same last night if he hadn’t been too tired from the sudden cold to sneak out and explore anywhere.

Maybe next time, he catches himself thinking, and pulls a face, because no, none of that.

That jinxes it right away, of course, as he promptly realises the morning after.

Jingyan stifles a shiver in the wintry sun, even colder now after a day in Jinling’s warmth, and thinks – really, Jingyu-gege would have a field day with this.)

Possibly the oddest thing about this, thinks Jingyan on the eighth day he wakes up at the border instead of Jinling, is that neither of them have ever thought to question, even once, whether this is really happening.

Or at least Jingyan hasn’t, and if Lin Shu’s wondered about it he hasn’t mentioned it either, at least not in the increasingly copious notes they’re leaving for each other.

They end up making a routine of things without much discussion about it, even though the setup in each of their rooms almost mirrors the other. Jingyan begins to stock more scrolls of paper and sticks of ink at his desk, keeps their correspondence in a hidden drawer within easy reach of his chair.

But Lin Shu apparently fears the cold as little as his relatively thin wardrobe would suggest, because his stationery inevitably is set up at the low table with only a cushion to sit on – admittedly quite a comfortable one, yes, but still unseasonably chilly for the stone floor.

Either way, what had started out as a simple way to update each other on the day’s events devolves into something else altogether, and Jingyan can even pinpoint the moment it happened: when Lin Shu had added also stop wearing my hair down you’re making me look like an idiot as an afterthought on the third entry, followed by oh and don’t eat hazelnuts squashed into too few inches of space.

Jingyan’s learnt enough of medicine from his mother not to take the second part lightly, but the first almost tempts him into putting a flower in Lin Shu’s hair just because.

But only almost.

Then you stop tying my hair all up like that first, he adds to his next summary, it’s giving me a headache.

The palace would give anyone a headache, he finds written almost musingly in the reply margin.

Jingyan rubs at his temple, and finds that he can’t even argue with that, really. So instead he pulls up a fresh sheet of paper and quickly outlines the basics of court etiquette, because the Emperor’s probably going to end up summoning Jingyan while he literally isn’t himself one of these days, if this is going to continue.

He has a feeling it will.

It takes Jingyan a whole month of alternating days to admit, not quite grudgingly, that he is rather impressed by the fact that Lin Shu is already the young marshal of such a large army at this age.

In his defense, he’d rather naturally assumed the worst when he first found out that Lin Shu was the son of the commander himself, but that was before seeing the genuine respect rather than mere tolerance he got from every last man in the army, even those thrice either his or Lin Shu’s age.

(It’s the Chiyan Army, Lin Shu writes back, the very turn of each stroke arrow-sharp with irritation. Chiyan! Army! Will you get it right, it’s not just any army!

And I’m literally a prince, Jingyan snipes back in his most practiced handwriting. Also, if you’re insulting my men…

Hardly. Zhanying deserves a pay raise and a better boss, Lin Shu answers, then adds, pointedly, Your Highness.

Probably just so he could use up the last bit of paper.

Jingyan scowls at that last scrawl before pulling out yet another fresh sheet and dipping his brush in ink.

As if he’s going to let anyone have the last word over him quite so easily.)

–

iii.

“I didn’t know you liked archery, Prince Jing-gege,” says Nihuang one afternoon when they’re resting in his manor’s study after an impressive practice bout. The young duchess Mu had gotten quite formidable enough to attract the rapt attention of the entire training field – or she would have, if Zhanying hadn’t promptly barked at all of them to get back to their drills right then.

(It’d almost tempted Jingyan into asking, really, whether Zhanying had noticed anything different about his fighting style on the days when it’d been Lin Shu instead.

Not that Zhanying necessarily knew anything, per se – but from the subtly helpful way in which his general had volunteered information that Lin Shu’s writings occasionally failed to convey, between the carelessly precise updates and snarky comments in the margins… Jingyan rather thought he did suspect something, at least.

Wei Zheng was the same, up north at the border, which was just as well.

Lin Shu doesn’t know how good he has it, really, that the Jing army has closer to seven hundred men than seventy thousand – all of whom apparently assume that their young marshal will recognise them. Which says something fairly impressive about Lin Shu, of course, but still. How fortunate for him.)

Both their fathers have been closed up in Yangju Hall all day long – all the palace servants had been dismissed, and he’d heard that even Xia Jiang and Xie Yu had been summoned in.

Whatever it is they’re discussing must be important indeed, he knows. It’s hardly unusual, for both the Marquis of Ning and the Xuanjing Bureau’s head officer to meet the Emperor, but Jingyan doesn’t think he’s ever seen the Duke of Yunnan even half as stern as when he’d arrived this time, both his children firmly in tow.

Mu Qing had been unabashedly cheerful as always, and easy enough to handle – Aunt Liyang had been more than happy to help. It wasn’t like two more kids running around the house would trouble her much further, anyway, what with Yan Yujin already practically living there half the time.

But Nihuang had declined her offer politely before asking to see the Jing manor’s grounds, which is how she’d ended up here, hands clasped behind her back as she considers the red bow in pride of place on his weapons rack.

At least the sparring earlier had worn away most of the tension in her features, though Jingyan can still see the trace of it in the graceful stiffness of her posture, and wonders silently if she too feels the same thing he does, the slight wrongness in the air.

He shrugs anyway, trying for relaxed. “I got back into practicing it over the past couple months. It’s quite a bit more enjoyable now that I actually have enough strength to draw the string back fully.”

Which is completely true, even if he’d only had reason to discover it because Lin Shu’s weapon of choice is bow and arrow, as Jingyan had found to his utter surprise.

Nothing like muscle memory when the muscles weren’t even yours to begin with – though he supposes that it’s a fair trade, since Lin Shu’s also had to up his own proficiency with swords and spears to match Jingyan’s.

Neither does he mention that he’d only bought this bow on a whim because it reminded him of the one Lin Shu used. A resemblance that the young marshal had swiftly noticed, from the way he’d filled entire swathes of paper with gleeful gloating, only punctuated by a brief note on how he’d restrung it and adjusted the tension to match.

(Jingyan had kindly reminded Lin Shu about the fact that he’d gone and taken one whole day off to go diving for pearls that time the Jing army had been at Donghai, apparently having completely forgotten that he wouldn’t be able to bring the pearl back with him anyway.

The answering blankness had somehow conveyed a very mulish silence nevertheless.

Jingyan had rolled his eyes before writing if you really want it back I can always ask a courier to bring it over, it’ll just take time to reach the border.

And money, came the reply, or do you think I’ve no idea how much it costs to send something from Jinling? Nah, just keep it and go spend that money on food instead, you’re like a stick.

You’re just jealous because I’m taller, Jingyan does not answer, because he can be the better person here, so instead he writes Tried my mother’s hazelnut pastries yet?)

Nihuang gives him an inscrutably knowing look, even though Jingyan’s plenty sure he hasn’t shown any signs of his thoughts. “Maybe you should teach Qing-er then,” she muses as she comes back down to sit at the table. “The way he’d always playing around, I don’t know if he realised that he’s going to take over Father’s position someda– huh.”

Jingyan glances up from where he’s pouring out another glass of cold water, and finds her attention apparently caught by the documents he’d left out on the desk. “What is it?”

At his nod of permission Nihuang lifts a half-familiar paper from the stack, and there’s a brief moment of alarm when he spots Lin Shu’s handwriting, though it fades when he realises it’s not one of their written conversations.

Luckily Nihuang doesn’t notice either way, too intent on reading. “This naval strategy…” she finally says, “it’s just like the one we received some time ago, when Yunnan was under attack by river.”

Jingyan doesn’t need to feign his surprise. “Really?”

Nihuang nods, smiling faintly. “It saved all of our lives.”

“Oh,” Jingyan answers a little dumbly, his mind spinning. All of this is quite real, obviously, everything has convinced him of that, but for some reason it hadn’t struck him how Lin Shu too existed in this same world as him, more than just another body he sometimes woke up in. Rather slow of him, he thinks wryly, Lin Shu would have a laughing fit if he found out.

The specifics of this paper escape him now – it’d been part of some grand point Lin Shu had been trying to make, he thinks, as if they didn’t both know he was just cribbing the strategy from Nie Duo – but Jingyan doesn’t even need to look at the paper to see that familiar handwriting half his own. “Do you know who sent it?”

Nihuang shakes her head, her expression clouding over. “Father refused to tell me who’d sent it, forbade me from even mentioning it to Qing-er.”

And as if everything’s just been waiting for this last piece to fall into place, Jingyan feels the thing niggling at the edge of his consciousness, just out of realisation.

“Jingyan-gege…” Nihuang says, slow and terribly hesitant, “what do you know about the northern b–”

“Your Highness!” comes Qi Meng’s harried shout from outside, and Jingyan has never been more infuriated with any of his men in his life. “Duke Mu is here, he says the Duchess is to go with him immediately!”

Jingyan looks across the table to find his own frown reflected fiercely back at him.

Nihuang rises, looking suddenly older than she is, and says, quietly, “Be careful, Jingyan-gege. I don’t know what’s going on but I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I,” Jingyan says honestly, and doesn’t press her for whatever it was she had been about to ask earlier. He stands to see her out. “You be careful, too.”

Nihuang nods firmly, then she turns and is gone.

(Spoke with Nihuang today, Jingyan writes before going to bed that night. I don’t think you’ve met her yet, she’s the daughter of the Duke of Yunnan.

You know, he finds written beneath it the next time he wakes up in his own room, it’s been a whole year and that’s the first I’ve heard you talk about any lady. And don’t say Xia Dong, she’s just terror manifest.

The raised eyebrow is clearly audible, even via text.

Jingyan snorts, grabbing the brush that sits ready and waiting, as always. Nonsense, he starts, then pauses for a moment before adding I think you’d like her.

He’s looking oddly forward to the reply, whatever it is: which one, and don’t say Xia Dong or even well certainly she’ll like me, all the girls do – though the last of that is nonsense, seeing as there aren’t really any more ladies hanging around the border pass than in Jing Manor.

But he never hears from Lin Shu again.)

–

iv.

Jingyan still finds himself in his room when he wakes up the next day.

And the next, and the next after that.

(On the eighteenth morning in a row he remains stubbornly stuck in Jinling’s oppressive warmth Jingyan punches the wall so hard it almost cracks cleanly in half – or maybe that’s just him.

Zhanying hurries up, voice tinged with ill-concealed worry. “Your Highness?” he says tentatively, except the words themselves feel like a shackle now.

Jingyan leans just slightly against the cool smoothness of the wood, and tells himself to breathe.

“Zhanying,” he says, finally, “what do you know about the northern border army?”

It’s the Chiyan Army, not just any old military! echoes Lin Shu’s voice in his head.

“…not much,” hedges Zhanying, and it clearly isn’t a lie but his eyes are also very wide.

The wrongness from before congeals into an ugly mess, settles decidedly in his heart. It’s the only thing he can be sure of not imagining.

Jingyan suddenly feels very tired indeed. “It’s nothing.”)

–

And then he finds out in the worst way possible: far too late, and all at once.

would have been: jingyan finding out the truth about what’s been happening, which is fairly true to kimi no na wa canon except that it’s everything at meiling instead of a meteor extinction event. in jingyan’s present time he finds the lin manor in absolute disrepair, asks questions of his mother that make both of them sad, and eventually forces a bodyswap to save lin shu and the chiyan army by… using the pearl somehow? and how would he stop this single-handedly anyway? never quite managed to figure either part out. though on his side lin xie is shown to also have realised Something was going on with lin shu (like zhanying realised about jingyan) and even if he doesn’t buy the “hey i’m from the future” shtick, he at least would be willing to hear out someone with a good idea of what’s currently happening in the capital, which helps.

anyway there would’ve been one section where we finally get lin shu’s pov which is when he realises what This Bloody Idiot xiao jingyan is trying to do and curses up a blue streak. from there this could’ve had one of two endings:

a HE where jingyan succeeds, lin shu and the chiyan army survives, and they forget but eventually find each other again (after remembering when jingyan sees lin shu doing archery or vice versa).

or a BE where jingyan doesn’t succeed and we end up right back in the canon timeline, dammit guys. optional extra being that changsu remembers for some reason even though jingyan doesn’t… but sometimes, jingyan can’t help thinking that changsu reminds him of someone. a person he’d forgotten? angst ensues. the end.

#nirvana in fire #nif #fanfiction #mine #WIP CLEARANCE 2K20

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cerinamroths · 4 years

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I finished Nirvana in Fire! I hustled through 54 episodes the last 11 days. I really enjoyed the genius of Lin Shu/Mei Changsu in his mission of revenge & to prove his family’s innocence. However in a future drama, I’m going to need more of a love story and/or more fighting, as well as one revolving around a badass female lead character. Since I finished Nirvana in Fire, I will continue on to Nirvana in Fire 2 (I know it’s a separate and new story & not a continuation). Also please let me know if you have any other c-drama recommendations.

Jingrui is the ideal man to marry - he has that carefree personality yet is very responsible. He has morals & will defend them. He is gifted in fighting and is very caring. I’m so glad that the events that transpired have not embittered his heart. He matures but still carries the same love and pure heartedness that he had before.

Hopefully it did happen - but I really hoped Jingrui & Yujin found out that Mei Changsu IS Lin Shu - the person who spent time with them & taught them things when they were young.

On that same note, I need a one-shot of Marquis Yan reacquainting himself with Lin Shu. I know his idea was terrible of wanting to bomb the emperor during a ceremony but damn, to be that ballsy in your convictions is commendable.

Even though it gave me such anxiety, seeing Mei Changsu face off against Xia Jiang was epic af! Especially when Mei Changsu is in cocky mode because he knows he is the winner. To have such composure and confidence!!!

Although it had to happen, forever FACEPALM @ Prince Jing getting so close to figuring out who Mei Changsu is but never getting there even when Commander Meng or his mom almost gives it away. Though it was hella sad when he cried to his mother on how everyone knew but him, and as his best friend, he should have been able to recognize him! I really wished we could have had more of a reaction!conversation between them about Mei Changsu being Lin Shu. But I guess that’s what Ao3 is for.

Also KUDOS TO EUNUCH GAO ZHAN. For being able to calm his majesty & support Prince Jing. So happy that he is still there at the end! There should be a drama about eunuchs behind the scene bitching about the Emperor & the Court lol.

It was pretty epic to see Nihuang charge in & kill the general to save the Emperor & help defeat Prince Yu’s rebellion. But in the future, I’m going to need a drama with a fucking badass female main character. I empathize with her, but unfortunately she didn’t have enough screen time to make me feel for her as much as I should have?

Which brings me to the point that I didn’t get as emotional with this drama in comparison to The Untamed. I definitely cried most of the last episode but for the majority of the show, I wasn’t as emotional. Maybe it’s because I adopted Mei Changsu’s mindset in focusing on the revenge unfolding rather than emotions? Or I may have forced myself in watching so many episodes each day that I was too tired that I couldn’t get into my emotions? Idk.

That entire scene where Grand Princess Liyang summarized the sins of Xie Yu & Xia Jiang and everyone asking for a retrial was epic as hell! The music was so good. Also the talk between Lin Shu & the Emperor - saddens my heart especially at the end with the Emperor reminiscing his time with a young Lin Shu.

Even though we don’t get much of him, I really enjoyed Lin Chen! It just makes me want flashback episodes on their friendship and also I want to see flashbacks of how his relationship with Fei Liu developed. It could totally be a sitcom at Langya Hall.

I was more sad over Jingyan not having enough time to reconnect and enjoy time with his best friend than Nihuang having only limited time to spend with her love.

My heart broke in the last episode when they trick you into thinking Lin Shu can live peacefully for a short time after his quest has been completed to only have war break out on all borders. I mean the only justification is that he could end with being Lin Shu - military extraordinaire - but it hurts so much. It was great to see him in armor though! Having it end with seeing the egg again & then Jingyan naming the new army - Changlin 😭 😭 😭

Anyways, here is my favorite screenshot. I REALLY NEEDED AT LEAST ONE LONG BRO-HUG BETWEEN THEM ):

#nirvana in fire #text post #you best believe i'm doing a reblog spam of this soon #i cleared out my queue & it is ready for some nirvana in fire posts #time to go look for some nirvana in fire fic #will probably start nirvana in fire 2 sometime this weekend or next week at the latest

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semirahrose · 5 years

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Nirvana in Fire (for the hopelessly confused)™.

Or, “How to survive the first few episodes.”

Nirvana in Fire takes in medias res to a new level, then throws in an ensemble cast in the middle of political machinations to top it all off. It may be one of the best shows you’ll ever watch, but only if you can survive the beginning.

Unless you've read the novel it’s based on, the Confusion is Real. Some viewers may be reliant on subtitles in their native language and have less time to commit faces to memory. The first episodes are central, but very hard to digest. Here’s something for folks who want to give the show a shot but also want to live.

(Nothing on these graphics or in the accompanying text includes info beyond the first two episodes and the beginning of the third.)

Lin Shu (A.K.A Mei Changsu, Su Zhe): Man on a mission. One-stop-shop for all your hurt/comfort needs. Prodigy, was once a skilled fighter. “Died” in Meiling at 19 years old. Has been plotting and dealing with an as-yet unspecified illness in the 12 years since the massacre of the Chiyan army. Goal: get justice, root out corruption in the court, put his friend ▼ on the throne. Method: get invited to capital by his pal Jingrui and get cracking.

Xiao Jingyan: Very hotheaded if you know which buttons to push. (Everyone knows which buttons to push.) Traits of note: Loyalty, rock-solid moral backbone, occasional leaps before looking, eviscerating snark and a give-no-f***s attitude. Still mourning Lin Shu (and many others). Won't show up until episode 2. (Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it...) Hates strategists, which is too bad for our main character ▲, but also good for him, because while Prince Jing is busy hating him—and MCS purposely makes it easy for Prince Jing to do just that—he won’t find it easy to question his strategist’s motives and uncover his true identity.

And now for a rousing round of...

On first watch, it’s really hard to parse allegiances. Too many shifty folks Doing Secret Stuff. Below are some simple charts to demystify the first two episodes.

The charts have simple information. Consult them if you just want a quick primer. If you need more in-depth information, see the bullet-pointed lists below.

Xie Yu, father of Jingrui and husband of the Emperor’s sister Liyang, plays at being neutral but is actually supporting the crown prince, all while knowing that his younger son by blood, Xie Bi, is supporting Prince Yu. Because of the custody arrangement due to Jingrui’s uncertain birth status, he is close friends with the Zhuo family, who are masters of a sect of martial arts outside the capital. He uses them regularly to do his dirty work.

The Zhuo family (above: father Dingfeng and son Qingyao) is a martial arts family. In this episode, they attempt to assassinate prince Yu while he is outside the capital. (Jingrui has no freaking idea any of this is going on. Completely clueless.)

When that doesn’t work, Qingyao moves to help an elderly couple (pictured above), get to safety from some of Prince Yu’s supporters (ish) in big boats, who would really like to kill them. Mei Changsu slides in like a true drama queen, playing the flute, and the couple does, indeed, get to safety. This couple, as revealed at the end of the episode, has dirt on Duke Qing, an influential minister under Prince Yu’s control. Duke Qing and his people have been appropriating property and killing folks, among other things. It is to the Crown Prince’s advantage that Duke Qing is put on trial, so Xie Yu asks the Zhuos to ensure the couple’s safe passage.

Basically, this whole episode is about the two highest ranked princes (jerks, the both of them), trying to one-up, smear, and/or kill one another.

Turns out that, while Prince Yu went in person to Langya Hall to ask how to become Emperor, the Crown Prince sent some of his supporters to ask for the very same information. They both receive it in episode 1.

At the end of the first episode, you see Nihuang and the Emperor speak with Xia Dong, an investigative officer. The Emperor has successfully received the elderly couple’s report. He sends Xia Dong to investigate its veracity.

Xiao Jinghuan, Prince Yu: Xiao is his surname, and the name his father emperor and all his brothers share. The “Jing” in his given name is, you might notice, a bit of a theme. All the children of the emperor have this character in their names. (Xiao Jinghuan, Xiao Jingxuan, Xiao Jingyan.) Though Xiao Jingrui, son of the Xie and Zhuo families, has that whole imperial name thing going, he is not related to the emperor. The reason will be explained mid episode 3, actually!

Qin Banruo is very smart and has a network of spies she puts to use for Prince Yu’s benefit.

Duke Qing has been stealing land and murdering people. Things like this are not too terribly out of the usual for the supporters of the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, or the princes themselves.

Xie Bi wholeheartedly supports Prince Yu because he’s swallowed Prince Yu’s facade of wisdom and kindness hook, line, and sinker. Has absolutely no idea that his father, Xie Yu, is supporting the Crown Prince in order to play both sides. Xie Yu, however, is aware of his son’s allegiances.

We are now done with the primary princes and their supporters. Here are a lot of cool folks who show up in the first episodes and very short descriptions of their roles/relationships. None are affiliated with/supporting the Crown Prince/Prince Yu.

Commander General Meng Zhi: The only person Lin Shu/Mei Changsu informed of his plans before arriving in the capital. He was worried for Lin Shu and strongly advised him never to return. Knew Lin Shu when he was a boy, and once fought with the Chiyan Army. Now is in charge of the Imperial Guard. Will not act to harm the Emperor directly, but supports Mei Changsu’s bid for justice.

Li Gang shows up in the first episode giving a report to Mei Changsu/Lin Shu. Nice guy, member of Jiangzuo Alliance. Mother hen of MCS.

Xia Dong and Nihuang would have been close friends, but their respective positions in the massacre put them at odds. Xia Dong lost her husband, and believes the Lin family murdered him to keep him from reporting the “rebellion.” Mu Nihuang lost Lin Shu, to whom she was once engaged, and believes in the Lin family’s innocence. Xia Dong is about ready for Nihuang to marry so Nihuang’s connection to the Lins is no longer hanging between them. She hates Prince Jing because he has actively defended the Lin family in the past. The emperor mostly wants to tie Nihuang to a husband in order to control her.

Yan Yujin and Xiao Jingrui: Very close friends. Jingrui spent some time with his Other Dad outside the capital, exploring. He goes to pick up his friend Mei Changsu, since he has received news that Mei Changsu is suffering from a serious illness. He and Yujin go to invite MCS to the capital to recover at Jingrui’s family’s manor. (All according to Mei Changsu’s plan.)

Grand Princess Liyang: Soft-spoken. Unbreakable. Core of steel. Does not deserve to be married to Xie Yu, honestly. :(

Grand Empress: AKA that nice old lady who will make you cry in ep 2.

Mu Qing: Nihuang’s brother. Very, very invested in her suitor tournament and is angry that any of those fools would dare to seek his sister’s hand. Nosy, sweet, best intentions. Will fight everyone.

Tingsheng: I can’t spoil you, but keep an eye on him. Good fella, wants to learn how to read.

Lin Chen, friend of Mei Changsu and inveterate troll. Young master of Langya Hall. Exhausted doctor to Mei Changsu. 1000% done with everything. Also a troll. He gave both princes the exact same information when they came to ask after the throne: If they wanted to become Emperor, they’d need none other than Mei Changsu himself.

#nirvana in fire #lang ya bang #琅琊榜 #mei changsu #xiao jingyan #my stuff #*mynif #*nif #a primer for the first few eps #feel free to use or share or whatever #<333 #and feel free to yell with me if you watch

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acesgroupchat · 4 years

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Three days later Prince Qi arrives, his household and his children trailing behind him. The camp rings with the shocked cries of ministers, with his mother’s screams. Lin Shu watches his family draw close, a tight knot of misery at the army’s heart. Consort Chen clutches at her son and grandchildren, and his own parents press close. They are all of them slumped, defeated. Despair crowds the camp, hangs in the air, and falls heaviest here in the miserable center. Lin Shu feels his fingernails cut into his palms. His hands shake. He turns from his family and walks out of camp, head high and shoulders back.

The black hallways yield before him, long and straight beneath his feet. He does not hurry. He feels the weight of his purpose with every silent step. He raises his head as the walls fall away but it is not the garden that greets him. No soft black earth beneath his feet, no swaying plum blossoms before his eyes. There is only polished stone, and at the end of this wider hall a throne. The lord of death sits there. Against the black of the hall his white robes seem to glow. His face is still as stone, his gaze as heavy.

His strides are even, loose. His arms hang ready at his sides. His jaw is tight. Lin Shu keeps his eyes up as he draws to the foot of the throne, and the lord of death meets them. He arches a single brow.

“Send him back.”

Lin Chen’s mouth quirks in obviously stifled laughter. “Absolutely not.”

“The country needs him.”

“You know, most of your tent city believes you to be the brightest light of your generation. How is it that after so much time you still don’t know where you are?”

“You can make an exception. These are your lands and subject to your laws—”

“And yet I still have an army camp squatting in my foyer.”

“You must have some way.”

“Little marshal, the laws of my realm are not yours to command, no matter how certain you may be. I must have nothing. Your prince took the poison when it was offered. Everyone but you knows that this matter is ended.” Lin Chen surveys him and his gaze is not unkind but it holds no sympathy. He flicks his fan out, the gesture somehow both knife sharp and indifferent. “Run back to your camp, mayfly. My new guest is waiting for you.”

He can feel the muscles jump in his jaw, and the shift of his teeth as he grits them. He clenches his fists against his shaking hands and feels his nails dig into his palms. His tongue is dead in his mouth. He flees the throne room and does not look back.

Prince Qi is indeed waiting for him at camp, as are his parents and his aunt. Despair still hangs thick over the army, but it is a quieter thing now. The sounds of crying have died out and his father’s tears have dried, though his parents hands are still clutched at each other, tight enough to show bone under the skin. The atmosphere is choking, stagnant, even in this breathless place.

His cousin catches his eye as he returns, and rises to meet him. Lin Shu follows him out of camp, and into the endless black hallways that stretch away and along the river. They walk in silence, time passing unmarked, and the sounds of camp fade behind them. They could be walking through the palace halls now, as they have so many times before, if not for the endless, featureless black stone, if not for the shadows in his cousin’s eyes.

“My father sent me poison.” The words are stark, ugly things, falling from the prince’s lips to shatter on the stone floor. “He sent it with Jinghuan, and I took it.”

“Xie Yu ambushed us. We had just turned away the armies of Da Yu. We thought they were reinforcements, and they slaughtered us like animals.”

His cousin closes his eyes, nods once. “He told the emperor that you had conspired with me to rebel. I do not know why my father believed him, but he did.”

“There was a forged letter. Xia Jiang gave Xie Yu samples of Nie Feng Da-ge’s handwriting.”

Jingyu looks at him sharply, surprised. It lasts but a moment before he nods, head heavy with unspoken weariness. “Xia Jiang then. We were outmaneuvered. But how do you know this?”

“I’ve had some time here. I’ve been looking for answers. The scholar who made the forgery died not long ago.”

Jingyu accepts the explanation, and Lin Shu momentarily wonders why he has not mentioned the garden, or the god who dwells there. It is not like him to keep things from his cousin, but some instinct ties his tongue.

“This is death then? This camp? These hallways?” He shakes his head. “There are fields beyond the river. The camp is only our own people, the army, some ministers, your household and mine. It is all our people though, I think. We are waiting for our honor to be restored.”

Jingyu hesitates, uncharacteristic uncertainty clouding his brow. “The princess consort is not there.”

Lin Shu feels ice bloom under his ribs like winter plum blossoms. His cousin’s children had followed their father in a pale and ragged line, each one frightened and lost. They had clung to him and to each other, but it is true that their mother was not with them. “You don’t think she found some way to survive.”

His cousin’s mouth is a hard line. His eyes stare forward unseeing. “She is two months pregnant. We had told almost no one. If she lives—”

Hope is a knife at his throat. It is almost too cruel a thing to wish for, for this child, for its mother. “Who knows?”

“Not even all of the servants know. Only Qingshan’s closest personal staff. It is early yet.”

“The imperial physicians?”

Jingyu shakes his head. “Aunt Jing examined Qingshan and found her to be in good health. We had not wished to trouble the imperial physicians so early when there was no real need. My mother knew as well of course.” His steps falter, just barely. “I suppose there’s no hurry knowing, now.” His eyes are terribly empty.

“This matter isn’t ended.” The words leave him in a rush. “Jingyan is still alive, there are allies still, in court. We will see our names cleared before we cross the river. Do not despair, cousin. I will see it done.”

Jingyu does stop at that, and turns to meet his eyes. His smile is impossibly gentle and endlessly sad. “Alright, Xiao-shu.”

“Make a bet with me.” The words fly from his lips and he tastes blood in their passing. Lin Chen’s eyebrows rise slowly.

“What?”

“Make a bet with me.” His voice does not shake. “You say that this is the end of the matter, but I say that Jingyan will not betray his brother, anymore than he would believe my father a traitor. I say he will not let this stand. If Jingyan should betray us, you have your victory. If he should not, if he keeps faith, I have mine.”

“And you will send your prince back to claim his rightful throne?”

He thinks of Jingyu, shoulders slumped in defeat, of the shadow of despair in his eyes. He thinks of seventy thousand souls on the riverbank, of his father’s broken silence, and a court like a basket of vipers in the world above. He thinks of the Emperor on his throne, his narrowed suspicious eyes and the anger that never seems to leave his voice. He thinks of a child waiting to be born.

“No.” Even as it leaves his throat the word surprises him. It certainly surprises Lin Chen, who cocks his head in unmistakable curiosity.

“Send me back.” The smirk that breaks over Lin Chen’s face now is unmistakably derisive. “Not to be Emperor. Send me back and I will find some way to prove our innocence. I can clear our names and restore our honor. See justice done. I will lay our souls to rest.”

“You’re very confident.”

“I know some of what was done to send us here, more perhaps than anyone who did not have a hand in its doing. It is a small advantage. And I am dedicated. With everything that was taken from me I have nothing to lose.” He feels the straight line of his back, unbowed even now. War has not finished him, betrayal has not broken him. He has borne up under the scrutiny of death itself, and stood his ground. He meets that black gaze now with all of the certainty of his soul.

Lin Chen’s eyes narrow. “And if you lose?”

There is iron in his soul. He is as strong and unmoving as the cliffs of Meiling. His voice does not shake. “If I am wrong I will lead us over the river myself. We will move on and I will never trouble your garden or your entry hall again.”

Every trace of humor has left Lin Chen’s face. His face is as still and severe as if he were carved from the stone of the halls. His eyes are ancient, fathomless. They rest on Lin Shu’s face as heavy as time itself, freighted with the fullness of uncounted lives, uncounted griefs. He is caught by them, cannot look away.

Finally, the god speaks. “Do you swear to the terms?”

The blood on his tongue is bright as copper. “I swear by my honor and the honor of the Chiyan army.”

Lin Chen snorts. “Not worth much is it, that vow, considering? Still, it will have to do. You have your wager mayfly.”

His mouth falls open at the insult, but all that comes out is an embarrassing squeak of outrage. Lin Chen’s eyes dance with mirth. He looks almost human now, but for the power rolling off of him in palpable waves.

#nirvana in fire #langya bang #lin shu #prince qi #xiao jingyu #lin chen #aceswrites #the long awaited arrival of prince qi!#please enjoy #happy Sunday everyone

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acesgroupchat · 4 years

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A week passes, then another. The Chiyan army camp grows. Fei Liu gets close enough to touch an orange before the tree rejects him. Consort Chen arrives, and falls weeping into his mother’s arms. His father has stopped speaking. Lin Shu finds himself in the garden almost every day. He keeps the words ‘tactical retreat’ in his mind, and does not look too close, lest he find ‘coward’ written underneath. Fei Liu will sit under the branches with him now, for all he still has not spoken a word.

It is nearly three weeks when he walks into the garden, and finds Lin Chen lounging against the base of the orange tree. He does not get up, but waves an arm in lazy welcome. Lin Shu sits beside him, lets the tree hold him up.

The oranges hang above them, bright, tempting, and just out of reach. The lord of death barely seems to notice him, contemplating patterns in the leaves above. Every sprawled line of him radiates power, but what was leashed has gone lazy in the shelter of the tree. This is the stillness of the hottest days of summer, and just as sweet.

“I have a question.”

“Mmmm?” Lin Chen cocks his head slightly.

“You knew who I was.”

“It would be a terribly rude host, who would not know his guests.”

“A polite host would have come to greet his guests when they arrived.”

“A polite guest wouldn’t wander into his host’s private garden.”

“You don’t seem to make much use of it.”

“I’ve been busy. I have an army camped in my foyer, conspicuously failing to move on to the fields and meadows that have been so nicely set aside for them. One wonders if rudeness is contagious, or merely the hallmark of a certain military fellowship.”

There is a tightness on the back of his tongue. “Perhaps this army has greater need of news than of comfort. Is it not always so, in such exceptional times?”

“What news? What exception? Times are as they have always been, and recent events no more than commonplace. The wheel turns, power changes hands, the living forget and the dead move on.”

“You cannot know that.”

“I have seen more of these petty squabbles than your mind could comprehend. I know their shape. In a month it will be ended. In a year it will no longer be spoken of. Those who value their skins will hold their tongues, and in a decade this will be as any other unpleasant dream, un-thought of and quickly fading from memory.”

“It will not! This is a catastrophic miscarriage of justice, and a crisis for the nation. The very foundations of the court are threatened. The country will bear the scars of this for generations and—”

“And what does that matter here? It is not your country now.” The lord of death shakes his head. “So much fire in you. Has no one told you where you are? The affairs of the living are no longer yours to concern yourself with, any more than they may concern themselves with you.”

His throat aches with the force of his words. He swallows. “They will not forget.”

Lin Chen snorts, but does not reply.

“Jingyan will not forget.”

“The seventh prince? In all of this the princes are the ones who most stand to gain. He may remember but he will choose his own survival.”

“Jingyan is loyal. He will never accept these lies. He would not—” His tongue is thick in his mouth, clumsy and caught. The taste of blood wells in the back of his throat. Jingyan would not believe me a traitor.

Lin Chen watches him, face impassive. Finally, he shakes his head. “Well you’ll have your answer soon enough, I suppose.”

Terror goes through him like an electric shock. He lurches to his feet. “He’s here?”

He takes one stumbling step away from the tree before ice cold fingers catch his wrist. They tug him back and he collapses among the roots again, pinned beyond even an attempt to struggle, though the grip on him is lighter than a butterfly’s wing. “I said soon, not now mayfly. Are you always in this much of a hurry?”

“When will he be here? What do you know?” Lin Chen’s gaze is sidelong and flat.

“I know that he is coming here, as all the living are. The future is not my area, but the precise date of his arrival is of little consequence. It’s not as though you have any reason to rush. He will come here in due time, and you will have your answer.”

“There is no one more loyal. He will not believe these lies, and he would never betray Prince Qi. When he arrives, I will find you here, and you can tell me you were wrong.”

“He will be arriving very soon then, unless his mother is particularly clever on his behalf. He can join all those ministers of yours just as soon as he returns from Donghai. Will you cross the river then?”

Lin Shu shuts his eyes against the image. “We will cross the river with honor, with our names restored and our deaths avenged.”

“And if you cannot? If all who knew you die, and your names remain unspoken, will you camp in my foyer forever? Eventually you will get bored, little marshal.”

“You don’t know me.”

The god beside him snorts, and their shoulders brush. “I know the moment you came out of your mother, the sound of your first squalling cry. I know the first time you opened your eyes for your father, your first steps, your first kiss. I know every pastry you stole from gracious Concubine Jing, and exactly how many times you fell before you climbed your garden wall successfully. But even an idiot would know you will get bored. You are bored now.”

He feels the tendons in his wrist shifting against those cold fingers even as his nails dig into his palms, sharp and sudden. “I don’t care. I will wait on the riverbank until the blood of Da Liang is exhausted, until every other soul has crossed. I will search forever, and when I have found my answers I will find some way to see justice done.”

“I’m sure you will make a lovely vengeful spirit. The poets will sing beautifully of you in Elysium. Has it not occurred to you that perhaps the riverbank is not the best place to find your answers?”

“There are none who will not find their way here eventually.”

“But there are many who will not bother with you or your camp. The executioner’s blade is far from the only one in your capital.”

Lin Shu feels ice run down his spine. Lin Chen meets his eyes with the same languorous gaze, and his posture retains the same sprawled grace, but something is somehow different. When he does not reply, the god of death quirks an eyebrow.

“You know something,” says Lin Shu

The second eyebrow joins the first in a brief look of extreme impatience. Lin Shu stares back, and refuses to blush. The glare transforms into a smirk. “I know everything my guests know, and have since the beginning of mortal time. I do, indeed, know something. It would not be too bold to say I know many things.” Cold fingers leave his wrist, and Lin Chen tucks his hands deep into his sleeves, settling against the tree and closing his eyes.

Lin Shu bites down on his own impatience. “The ministers have been honest with me, and my own men would not hide anything from me. Xie Yu’s men knew nothing but what they were told. Who else must I speak with?”

The god of death sighs. “Not long ago, a man entered my realm. A school teacher from Xian. This is not in itself uncommon, of course, but it is a rare school teacher who finds himself in my lands on the edge of an assassin’s blade.” Lin Chen opens his eyes, and turns his head to Lin Shu. “He crossed the river, but I am sure he would be happy to tell you his tale, should you like to bring your army across to meet him.”

His eyes dance, and Lin Shu finds himself once again biting his tongue. “You said yourself that your guests’ knowledge is your own. You could tell me his story now.”

“Mmm I could. But what does it benefit me to assist rude interlopers in my own private gardens? What could you offer me, save the fruit of my own trees?”

His words are ash on his tongue. Lin Shu swallows against them, searching for his voice. His eyes fall to the roots between them, to the white robes spilling carelessly across the ground. He is rising to his knees when Lin Chen speaks again.

“His name is Li Chongxin. Some months ago he received a number of letters from one Xia Jiang. These letters belonged to Xia Dong, and were written by her husband, Nie Feng. Li Chonxin was an exceptional calligrapher, and from these letters, he was able to create a forgery of Nie Feng’s handwriting, so flawless as to be indistinguishable even to the man’s own wife. He forged one letter, in which he said that Commander Lin Xie of the Chiyan army intended to rebel, and that he had been sent on a suicide mission for his discovery of those intentions.

"Your ministers have spoken of a denouncement letter, which was brought back by Xie Yu with Nie Feng’s remains. Neither the letter nor the remains are genuine. Shortly after Xie Yu’s return to the capital, an assassin came to Li Chonxin’s home and slit his throat.”

He is dimly aware that he is shaking, fingers digging deep into the soft earth beneath his knees. The sounds of battle and death ring loud in his ears, and he is burning, burning again. “Xia Jiang,” he gasps, and suddenly he cannot bear to be still. He stumbles to his feet, catching the tree for support as his feet find their way among the roots. Jingyan used to make fun of him for pacing like this. “This was Xia Jiang’s plan all along, with Xie Yu to help him. He did this.”

“It would appear so.” Lin Chen shifts to rest one wrist against his knee. His eyes follow Lin Shu.

“He turned the Emperor against us.”

“He did.”

“ Why”

“This is human nature, is it not? To scrabble for power and devour the more vulnerable?”

He turns so quickly that he stumbles against a tree root. Lin Chen does not move, even as Lin Shu sways over him, and surveys him with dispassionate eyes. “Humanity is more than this. There is nobility also, and mercy, and loyalty. It’s just the court these last few years. When Prince Qi is emperor, he and Jingyan will—”

His own words choke him. He closes his eyes against the slow rise of Lin Chen’s eyebrows. The picture turns in his mind, events shifting and connecting. A net forms and he sees it draw tight. He can feel fire licking at his bones. “Prince Qi would have disbanded the Xuanjing bureau. We were only ever collateral damage.”

Lin Chen nods once. “It is neatly done. Prince Qi is crown prince no longer, and his supporters join your camp in greater numbers each day. He is alone and imprisoned, and Xia Jiang claims credit for thwarting a rebellion before it could touch the palace grounds.”

“He has Jingyan still. Jingyan will never turn against him. Perhaps, in time—”

“He will be months still in Donghai, will he not? By the time he returns this matter will most likely be settled. That loyalty that you love so much will be useless, and even one far stupider than he would know to keep his mouth shut.”

“Jingyan will not betray Prince Qi.”

“That will not matter, when Prince Qi will be long dead by that point.”

“You can’t know that!” He does fall now, and his fingers close in the collar of those white robes.

The god of death does not flinch at his weight. His robes are as cool under Lin Shu’s fingers as his hand had been on his wrist. His eyes are fathomless dark, and not quite gentle. “Can’t I? Everything that you know is known to me also.”

“There is still hope. While he lives there is hope.”

“What need is there for hope in this place? A trap was laid for you, for him, and it has claimed you both. Does it matter that you can see its threads now? What will you do now that you know?”

The garden is silent and breathlessly still. Those dark eyes are steady, endless. He shuts his own eyes, but there is nothing to shut his ears, nor his mind to the words that echo there. He tears himself away, stumbles to standing. “I will take my leave first. I must speak of this to my father. We will need to—There is—” He does not manage to bow as he runs from the garden. The stone hallways twist before him, endless and indistinguishable. His boots make no sound on the polished floors. His legs churn tirelessly beneath him against the maelstrom of his thoughts.

He stumbles, finally, into the army camp. His parents are sitting with Consort Chen, as they often are now. His mother is the first to see him, and when he cannot meet her gaze she rises to take his arm. There is no warmth in her palm through his sleeve, but the pressure is a comfort that he cannot bear. He collapses against her, and feels his father and aunt draw close.

They draw the story from him slowly through his sobs. It is difficult to speak, but there is little enough to tell. He can see the moment comprehension takes them. It comes first to Consort Chen, who knew her son’s plans best of all of them, and who has marked as the Emperor’s affection withered these many years in the face of his suspicion. His mother and father follow close in their understanding. They clutch at each other, all four of them. His mother’s hands are hard in his robe, and tears roll unchecked down his father’s face.

“Father, what will we do now?” Lin Shu hates the sound of his own voice, so timid and young. This is not the voice that will command armies, and this moment demands no less than his most capable. He reaches for something stronger, but his father is silent. When Lin Shu raises eyes to him, his father shakes his head. There is nothing in his face but despair.

#nirvana in fire #lin shu #lin chen #lin xie #langya bang #aceswrites #new chapter sunday!#oh god this chapter #it fully took two months to write #and every word was like pulling teeth #but now its here!#Enjoy!

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presumenothing · 6 years

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知否【番外 • 朝歌】

excerpt translated from original post @ lofter

(apropos of nothing, a translation of my favourite scene of this fic because why not, really?)

(context notes: from that fic where Changsu survives the final battle but gets amnesia, emperor Jingyan goes to meet him disguised a commoner, lots of court shenanigans and plot things ensue, very good 10/10 would rec – this scene specifically is from a bonus chapter post-ending, after Changsu has been Minister of War for a couple years, and is surprise-visiting the Capitol Patrol with incognito!Jingyan, because Jingyan.)

Changzhi Alley was not far from the Capitol Patrol, and they arrived in a blink. Mei Changsu and Xiao Jingyan descended one after the other, identified themselves to the soldier standing guard at the door, who stammered hesitantly for several moments: “This… our Commander Lie isn’t here right now, Minister... do you want to come another time?”

“I’m not here to see Sir Lie.” Lie Zhanying was out of the city on business. Mei Changsu had intentionally sent him out, and so naturally knew this, “I’m only here to look around, is that a problem?”

“No, of course not,” that soldier hurriedly stepped aside and said, “Please come in.”

Mei Changsu moved forward to enter, and Xiao Jingyan quickly caught up a few steps behind, said softly: “Army men have their own rules. Be careful, don’t get yourself hurt.”

“I know.” Mei Changsu answered shortly, heading straight for the drill grounds.

Xiao Jingyan shook his head helplessly; as if this looked like he knew it at all. He had no choice but to follow closer. Further behind them both, Li Gang was already thinking about whether he should call Fei Liu over.

This person before them was Chief Mei, was Minister Mei, was Sir Su, and none of these identities would let him charge by himself into the middle of a crowd of army men. Yet there was still Young Marshal Lin, the only one you couldn’t stop even if you wanted to.

On arriving at the drill grounds, they saw a large group of Capital Patrol soldiers practicing horseback archery. Having commanded the soldiers of Jing Manor for more than a decade, Lie Zhanying really did have a way with leading men. Even though he was absent today, this daily practice of the Capitol Patrol was still not chaotic in the slightest, only giving the impression of thorough and meticulous order. Mei Changsu had led men himself to start with, and in these few years as the Minister of War, the number of armies big or small that he’d seen was far from few. And he truly hadn’t seen any with such organised training among those either; not too different from the Chiyan army, even.

“Not too different”, meaning that there was still a difference.

But Qi Meng was with the Capital Patrols today. He was an old hand from Jing Manor, and there’d already been some old offences and exchanges between them when Mei Changsu had been Su Zhe. Now, seeing Minister Mei having come alongside His Majesty, he immediately put down his bow and arrow, ran over and asked brashly: “Minister Mei, how are you free to come over today?”

He’d grown some brain in these few years, at any rate, and didn’t blurt “Sir Su” once he spoke, nor did he directly mention the identity of Xiao Jingyan, who stood behind Mei Changsu in a commoner’s clothes. His Majesty the Emperor was immeasurably relieved by this.

But Xiao Jingyan could no longer feel relief, very soon after.

Mei Changsu nodded, smiling: “The year is ending soon, I thought I’d come give the men my new year’s greetings a little earlier.”

“Oh, oh.” Qi Meng agreed, then did an idiotic thing in the next moment. He turned his head and cried loudly, “Over here, brothers, Minister Mei came to wish everyone an early new year!”

In a hubbub of sound, the previously crowded drill grounds suddenly emptied of people, all having rushed in front of Mei Changsu, fists in front of their chests as they called: “Greetings, Minister.”

Qi Meng immediately found his enthusiasm: “Come, brothers, let’s put on some good shows for the Minister!”

Xiao Jingyan’s expression turned severe on hearing this.

Possibly in Qi Meng’s mind, “a good show” was just to show off and flaunt. But he’d been messing around in the army since young, had lived together with those soldiers who ranked lowest in the army, and he naturally knew that these few shows here and there were very likely to turn into provocation.

Mei Changsu looked Qi Meng up and down briefly, said: “As you please.”

“Changsu!” Xiao Jingyan warned lowly, hardly caring about his identity any longer.

Mei Changsu only answered with a smile, turned, asked those gathered: “Which of you will start first?”

Before his voice could fade, one thin and tall soldier, apparently with the rank of centurion, had already stepped forward and said: “We’re running horseback archery manoeuvres today, so let’s start with archery. Any objections from everyone?”

“Good!” chorused the men of the Capitol Patrol.

“Then allow me to start this with my inadequate attempt.” That person bowed cupped hands at Mei Changsu, and immediately someone moved forward to hand him a longbow and quiver of arrows. Taking these, that person raised the bow and nocked an arrow, the tip pointed straight at bullseye.

Qi Meng, entirely unaware of what was about to happen, still felt quite self-satisfied as he said: “This here is the sharpshooter of we the Capital Patrol, capable of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces. Just you wait and see, Minister.”

Mei Changsu only hid his hands in his sleeves, stance rather composed despite the situation.

A metallic ting, followed by the whistle of wind right after. That person laid the bow down, bowstring still quivering lightly, but that arrow had already nailed bullseye.

The drill grounds were quiet for a moment, then a round of cheers followed. That person turned and bowed again: “There is my inadequate attempt. Please advise me, Minister.”

Mei Changsu lowered his head, lightly toying with the tassel of the warmer in his hands: “Not bad.”

“Please advise me, Minister.” That person only stared at Mei Changsu, and insisted.

He had his own ideas of the situation. Although that arrow had hit home, his actions had not been to standard, with a flaw that was neither big nor small. If Mei Changsu could not see it, he naturally wouldn’t burst out now, but having a good laugh after the matter was only necessary.

He dared bet that Mei Changsu couldn’t tell. This dynasty had always viewed restraint to be in good taste, and practising martial arts as vulgar; which high official still knew how to draw a bow, how to shoot an arrow? And moreover, this Minister of War looked both thin and weak, as if he was lacking from some illness, and not at all like he knew any martial art.

Of course, Mei Changsu did not practice martial arts, but he was not only Mei Changsu.

This was a true case of falling victim to one’s own cleverness, of essentially showing off before a true master. That person didn’t look much older than twenty at most; who even knew what he had been doing back in those years when Lin Shu had been drawing bows on the battlefield, when he had taken the rank of command over millions of army men.

“Your archery skill is very good.” Mei Changsu said slowly, “Save that when you were drawing the arrow back earlier, you only pulled it back to your nose and not to your chin. On the battlefield such a small error counts for nothing, since being able to hit the target is what matters, but when practising on the drill grounds, those rigorous standards should still matter above all.”

“Thank you for the advice, sir.” But that person did not give up: “Please demonstrate, sir.”

The entire field fell quiet at these words. Qi Meng finally understood how major an error he’d made, and hurriedly attempted to mediate: “This… this… Minister Mei is a scholar, how would he know archery? All of you back to practice, back to practice!”

This attempt was worse than nothing at all.

But that person didn’t leave, only held his hand with the bow and arrow out to Mei Changsu. There was not even the slightest emotion in his eyes, but it was more provoking than even provocation itself.

Mei Changsu sighed softly, and said to Li Gang: “Get the Vaindraw bow.”

“Yes,” answered Li Gang simply, and was about to step back when he heard that archer interrupt and say, “What manner of thing is the Vaindraw? Sir Mei, a common child’s plaything is different from a bow worthy of entering the battlefield, how can you treat them the same?”

“Sir is of high status, how can he compete with you.” Xiao Jingyan stepped forward, blocking Mei Changsu behind him, and said coldly, “If you truly want a competition of archery skill, I’ll do it with you.”

The deeply-settled power of a decade as the Emperor slowly spread, and those gathered could not help but lower their heads, not daring to meet it head-on. Even that sharpshooter was no exception. But matters having reached this point, if he backed down now, the one being laughed at would be none other than him. So he could only say, stubbornly: “I didn’t say anything about competing with Sir, merely seeking advice. And Sir does not need to hit the target either, just run through the motions as a demonstration for us.”

Mei Changsu had only been silent. On hearing this, he grasped that tassel lightly, and said calmly: “Only a demonstration, you say?”

“Yes.” That person answered hurriedly.

“Very well then.” Mei Changsu said, “Hand me the bow and arrow.”

“Xiao…” Xiao Jingyan still wanted to persuade, but in the split second when he said this name he understood completely. Yes, he was Lin Shu, Lin Shu of the silver armour and long spear, going back and forth on the battlefield with the whistle of wind. Yet on this day he had been forced into a corner by such insistent provocation over a competition of archery. How could he stop himself?

The words that had reached his lips were swallowed whole, changed into: “You be careful.”

Mei Changsu only patted his shoulder, indicating him to move aside, and answered with a look that told him to rest assured.

Without the Poison of the Bitter Flame impeding his body in these recent years, Mei Changsu’s physical condition was much improved. Though he still feared the cold, still fell ill more often, most of it was non-life threatening. This bow was not a long-distance strong bow either; drawing it back was still an easy task.

The reason Mei Changsu had not dared to lightly agree earlier was his worry that the bow would be too strong, one that needed a little inner strength to draw back. But now he saw it to be only a soft bow for practice, and no longer worried. These hands had not held a bow in almost two decades; on touching a bow and arrow once again, the sensation was still familiar as if it had been only yesterday.

He’d really only wanted to see the others demonstrate, perhaps vicariously relive those days when he’d put on those grand displays in such occasions. But unexpectedly the reliving had become reality, without allowing for him to hesitate or retreat. He could actually make excuses to refuse, but he was unwilling. Who cared that it was only for one moment, that he might lose face; even if he could only become Lin Shu again in this moment when he drew back the bow fully, it would already be good fortune from Heaven. He could not ask for more.

After all, the loss of face was Mei Changsu’s to bear.

Lin Shu thought this rather irresponsibly, I only need to do what I should, and do it well.

Bow raised, arrow nocked, tip pointing right at that bright red dot on the target.

Let one hand go, fletched feathers catching the wind as the arrow flew. As Mei Changsu had expected, it hit bullseye dead centre.

The drill grounds were very quiet, so quiet that even the hissing sound of Mei Changsu taking out a second arrow could be clearly heard.

Drawing the bowstring fully back again, Mei Changsu smiled faintly, and the arrow tip deviated slightly.

Let go again, only to see that arrow go straight through the one shot by that sharpshooter earlier, splitting it into two before hitting bullseye once more.

The third time taking arrows, and this time Mei Changsu withdrew three.

This bow was too soft, Lin Shu frowned, who knew if it could spur three arrows.

So Mei Changsu leisurely tightened the bowstring slightly, and again nocked three arrows on it.

This motion was only most familiar to Xiao Jingyan. Xiao Shu was best at archery, able to fire up to three arrows at once, and all three arrows could split or stay together. Split, they could hit three horizontally-placed targets; together, they could all hit the same one. He himself could only manage three arrows on one target, at most, yet he had not seen someone split arrows to hit three targets for a very long time now.

He was likely the only one who could understand the expression in Mei Changsu’s eyes at this moment. Brimming with brightness, high of spirit.

That was the gleam and brilliance that Jinling had been missing for years, that was the person he had awaited for so long, now returned.

The bowstring shivered, and three arrows flew in three arcs.

Bullseye, on all three targets.

The entire field was silent for an instant. “Good!” someone called out first, and so echoing cries surged up like the tide. Mei Changsu paid it no attention, only stared blankly at the bow in his hands, stood blankly in a daze.

Xiao Jingyan moved forward, put the cloak around him, and said: “Let’s go.”

The bow Changsu asks Li Gang for or tries to, anyway is the one he uses in chapter 45 of the novel during the sneak attack at night, described per langyascribe’s glossary (though I altered the name):

Draw-in-Vain [畫不成] – the mighty crossbow made by the Ban family, currently in Mei Changsu’s possession; its name comes from the Chinese idiom, “there are many painters in this world, but they draw in vain a grieving heart”

#nirvana in fire #nif fic translation #nif #mei changsu #xiao jingyan #listen...... badass changsu is fav #also for the life of me i can't figure out how to translate 献丑 naturally lmao #today on: things i did because i felt like it #also instead of sTUDYING FOR MY FINALS #LISTEN I JUST REALLY LOVE THIS SCENE OKAY #ninja edit fixed some language effups

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