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dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd · 8 months

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Baba Anujka

Anujka made a laboratory in one wing of her house after her husband died, and she earned a reputation as a healer and herbalist in the late 19th century. She was popular with wives of farmers who sought her help for health problems, and she earned a respectable income which enabled her to live comfortably. She produced medicines and mixtures which would make soldiers ill enough to escape military service, and she also sold poisonous mixtures which she branded “magic water" or “love potions”. She sold the so-called “magic water” mostly to women with abusive husbands; they would give the concoction to their husbands, who would usually die after about eight days.

Anujka’s “love potion” contained arsenic in small quantities and certain plant toxins that were difficult to detect. When told about a marriage problem, Anujka would ask her client, “How heavy is that problem?”, which meant, “What is the body mass of the victim?” She was then able to calculate the dose needed. Anujka’s victims were usually men, typically young and healthy. Her clients claimed at her trial that they did not know that her “magic water” contained poison, but that they believed that she had some kind of supernatural powers to kill people using magic. Anujka’s potions killed between 50 and 150 people.

In the 1920s, Anujka had her own “sales agent”, a woman named Ljubina Milankov, whose job was to find potential clients and take them to Anujka’s house. The price of Anujka’s “magic water” fluctuated between 2,000 and 10,000 Yugoslav dinars.

Anujka sold her “magic water” to Stana Momirov in January 1924 for 2,300 dinars. Stana was a previous client and Anujka had provided her with herbal medicines on other occasions. Stana gave the mixture to her husband Lazar Ludoški, and he fell ill and died after a few days. Stana later married another man from the same village. A rich uncle of her second husband died under similar circumstances within a few months. The police questioned Stana, and she incriminated Anujka.

Anujka then sold her magic water in December 1926 to Sima Momirov and his wife Sofija, who intended to kill Sima’s 70-year-old father, Nikola Momirov. Their motive involved a family quarrel. According to their claim, Nikola was an alcoholic and abusive towards his children and grandchildren. Sofija heard about Anujka from a woman named Danica Stojić (or Stajić), and they contacted Anujka who sold them her magic water for 5,000 dinars. Sofija gave it to 16-year-old Olga Sturza, Nikola’s granddaughter, and ordered her to ensure that Nikola drank it. Nikola drank the potion, fell ill, and died after 15 days.

Anujka’s first trial was in June 1914 in Bela Crkva for providing poison for murders, but she was acquitted. She was arrested again on 15 May 1928 at age 90. Stana, Sofija, and Sima Momirov, Ljubina Milankov, Danica Stojić and Olga Sturza were arrested as well and charged with the murders of Nikola Momirov and Lazar Ludoški.

Sofija and Sima Momirov defended themselves at the trial. They claimed that they did not know that the “magic water” contained poison; they believed that it was just water and the death came as a result of Anujka’s supernatural powers. Stana Momirov claimed that she only wanted the magic water to heal her husband from alcoholism and that she was not aware that it would kill him. During the trial, Anujka constantly denied charges, claiming that she never sold any magic water and that the whole case against her was fabricated by Ljubina Milankov, who wanted to blame Anujka for her own crimes. Sturza defended herself, claiming that she was still a child at the time of the murder and that she was not aware that the water would kill her grandfather; but Sofija testified that Sturza was well aware of the whole plot. Dr. Branko Vurdelja testified that traces of arsenic were found in the bodies of both victims.

The verdict was delivered on 6 July 1929. Anujka was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the role of accomplice in both murders. Stana and Sofija Momirov were sentenced to life in prison as the main perpetrators. Sima Momirov was sentenced to 15 years, and Ljubina Milankov to 8 years. Olga Sturza and Danica Stojić were acquitted.

Anujka was released at age 98 after eight years in prison due to old age. She died two years later in her house in Vladimirovac at age 100.

#Baba Anujka #witch #witchcraft #murder #killer #crime

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xionghyouka · 10 months

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Impressions on 代號鳶 so far (with spoilers)

Or, Ashes of the Kingdom as some may know it. Spoilers ahead up to chapter 8, turn back if you haven't gone so far.

As far as the bachelors and playable characters go, I like them, but the devs seriously needs to do something about their game balance because every boss battle past chapter 6 is a major cockblock that a goldfish like me has to invest a few weeks of trying to raise who I THINK is the right character to overcome the boss. (Based on my estimations, I think even dolphins would have a hard time because resources are so scarce and capped even when the player spends money to get more. LMAO)

That being said, I do like the game so far. The bachelors, well, everyone started out quite equal for me, but post chapter 6, everyone's been assigned a clear ranking.

Liu Bian

Bottom of the ranking, despite being the first to appear. His looks were quite nice (we don't get wavy-haired dudes everyday, yanno?), though I'm not into the whole childhood friends thing. After the shock of his 'death', he reappeared in Ch 6......and did nothing but cause trouble, throw tantrums and gaslight the MC. You reappear as a CULT LEADER whose members have done nothing but cause trouble and harm the MC, and you have the balls to blame her for feeling suspicious about you?? "If it were me, I would embrace you and believe you even if the whole world is against you." But she is NOT you, she has the nation and common people in her eyes, and in the meanwhile, you've been lying and concealing matters.

Even if you both are childhood friends of many years, MC is not obliged to blindly trust you. You both are descendants of the imperial clan; it should be ingrained in your bones that you cannot easily trust anyone, and Liu Bian, you fucked up real good. While there may be some leeway in understanding his character because being raised by another cult leader in his youth has probably caused a LOT of TRAUMA, it does not excuse the gaslighting. Dude has attachment issues and needs therapy, not a girlfriend. I also ranked him lowest because he has the weakest link to the MC at this point, he has nothing going for him other than the fact that he's her childhood friend.

Fu Rong

Guy who appeared next, and ranked third for me, quite close to second. On looks alone, he ranks second, not to mention he has risked his life to protect MC time and again. He was dangerously close to first; what's not to like? Her right-hand man, handsome, skilled, can tame birds and dogs, maybe he's super poor and cheapskate but it's okay, she holds his purse strings (his salary). And then the in-game missions and rumours had to drop lore that pretty much 80% points out Fu Rong is very likely the young master of Li Ba Hua, a nemesis organisation, and that he infiltrated Xiuyilou. His real identity is possibly Sima Yi, which in the political scheme of things, is another can of worms.

This means Fu Rong cannot be 100% trusted, but flirting with this danger is an attractive idea. Not sure where the game intends to go with him, so he gets 3rd place for now. Looking forward to the day MC discovers his identity! Though in some missions of rumour investigation, it seems like she already has a faint suspicion of Fu Rong's true identity...?

Yuan Ji

Warring States history has taught us not to believe those surnamed Yuan Jokes aside, he REALLY cannot be trusted. Ranked 4th not because I dislike him, we just don't vibe. A gentleman's friendship is fine and all between a minister and a member of the imperial clan, but there is no lows Yuan Ji will not go to in his political or military schemes (The way he tried to act innocent in Ch 8 LMAO ALMOST had me convinced IF I DIDN'T HAVE XU YOU). There has been no direct indication that he is involved, if at all, in the power struggle. But the Yuans are big on nepotism (we saw how that turned out in history LMAO); with Yuan Ji being the eldest son, and hints from Yuan Shu's or Xu You's conversations, it is more than enough to deduce that he contributes the most brains to the clan. But who doesn't like a schemer? I do, it's just unfortunate that he acts like such a green tea (he's been rumoured in-game to LITERALLY bath in tea for the nice scent, my god), I can't take him seriously 😂 I'm reminded of those scheming 2nd female leads you see in manhuas/manhwas whenever I see him, I just can't stop laughing.

I can't feel any romantic vibes hence his 4th place, but I did feel a masochistic vibe coming from him in Ch 8 ASDFGHJKL (gouging his eyeballs out? Ooh MC, I really like the sound of that 😈). Being offered the position of his wife so that MC can step aside as an obstacle and enjoy unrivalled glory as the future mistress of the Yuan Clan however? (Although this is just very likely Yuan Ji testing MC's resolve and trying to sound her out to see if she's someone he can scheme with) 🙄 Please, my gurl has GOALS and she doesn't need to marry to achieve them.

Zuo Ci

2nd place, believe in shifu and you shall be saved. I have surprisingly nothing much to comment on MC's shifu, other than the fact that I am weak for white-haired beauties and shifu's always got MC's back, and would never betray her, although he is also a hermit, so he would never get involved in the affairs of the mundane world, unless it involves their nemesis organisation Li Ba Hua. But shifu also dotes on MC and assists Xiuyilou as Xiuyilou has the same roots with Yinyuan Pavilion, the sect that Zuo Ci leads, so he considers it a branch of Yinyuan Pavilion and would pay attention to it.

Sun Ce

The immovable number 1 despite appearing last in the main story. I'm typically not into short-haired guys in ancient China settings (one of the reasons I like this era is because almost every guy out there has long hair, okay? XD), but somehow, he wriggled into my heart. His first appearance is super cute, dumbstruck in love at first sight, who could resist such cuteness after he looked so fierce? XD He's known as the 'Little Tyrant' but when he's faced with the MC (initially in disguise as Da Qiao), he turns all soft and silly. A guy so lovestruck and not afraid of showing it? He's a keeper. Earlier in the game, fans were guarded against him despite his frank personality because jealous little brother (jealous of who, I shall not comment😌) mentioned in his character story that Sun Ce can step over MC's dead body if she gets in his way no matter how much he likes her. In Ch 8 however, Sun Quan is forced to wear his 🤡 wig because after Sun Ce discovered that MC was actually Da Qiao, despite the fact that MC did deceive him (since she went undercover around his residence as Da Qiao), Sun Ce does not question her intentions, instead instantly deciding to side with her instead.

Some may think he's brainless or a fool in love for deciding without consulting his strategists, but let's not forget Sun Ce is known as the Little Tyrant. If he can choose to leave his liege behind and ally with MC instead, that means he has confidence in his ability to tide over the impending difficulties entailing his decision (not to mention it is canon that Sun Ce eventually leaves his lord, though not for the reasons he does in this game XD). In a world where friends today become tomorrow's enemies, Sun Ce's blinding sincerity is a rare gem to see. Personally, I also like how amongst the 5 men, Sun Ce's gallery is the only one we see with group chibis of his friends, subordinates and family as well (Though this is because every other guy is literally without family except Yuan Ji but we don't talk about going into a nest of snakes ASDFGHJKL), which makes me, as a player, feel like Sun Ce lets MC into his world unabashedly. In other characters' stories, you can also see how MC and Sun Ce complements each other's wits and cruelty, being good allies as they scheme together, and it's great to see Sun Ce helping take command of MC's army in one of his mini-events. Now this is a guy I can see MC standing shoulder-to-shoulder with, fighting together to stabilise the nation! (And, if I have Zhou Yu's character story accurately interpreted, this should be the canonical ingame history)

TLDR World hard and cold, Sun Ce's bazookas soft and warm

#代號鳶 #spoiler warning

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shatterpoints-and-fractures · 2 years

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Canon: Cal Kestis is a caucasian human played by Cameron Monaghan

SDTCI: Cal Kestis is a Mirialan transmasc portrayed by Sima Liu

Legends: Ben Skywalker is a shorter than average redhead wielding one Lightsaber.

SDTCI: Obi-Wan “Ben” Jade-Skywalker is portrayed by Cameron Monaghan, taller than both his parents, and fights with the same detachable saberstaff that Cal has.

Mara nearly pulled her hair out when she saw his lightsaber.

She blamed Cal, who was as much Ben’s master as Ahsoka was.

She may have been right, and that might be because Ben’s namesake called his own saberstaff “a monstrosity”

#Star Wars #Star Wars AU #Star Wars Fallen Order #Cal Kestis #Ben Skywalker #Something Done To Change It #Mara Jade #Obi-Wan Kenobi

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neixins · 2 years

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定海浮生录 dinghai fusheng records, fei tian ye xiang (tl)

[ID: a series of images of black text on a white background (bolded text indicates lines that are highlighted light red), reading as follows:

1. “Xiang Shu will come and save me.” Chen Xing devoured the biscuit and tore off some jerky to eat because he was absolutely starving. He decided that “a wise man submits to circumstances”; since there was no use in him resisting, he would rack his brains to think of ways to slow down Sima Wei. When Sima Wei was travelling, he wouldn't respond to anything Chen Xing said. This time, he replied in a low voice, “He won't. He'll just think you left by yourself.”

2. A few crows were perched atop a tree. Chen Xing tried to activate his Heart Lamp a few times, but he didn't sense Xiang Shu. Maybe he was too far away, or maybe... he could only accept this helpless reality -- Xiang Shu wasn't coming to save him.

3. Both of them were thoroughly drenched. Chen Xing was overwhelmed with joy from the bottom of his heart; you finally came! I just knew you'd come! When he grabbed Xiang Shu's hand, all of his worries vanished without a trace, and he just ran with him in the rain.

4. “How did you know I was captured? I thought you wouldn't come!” “You're going to be the death of me!” Xiang Shu wiped off the water on his face and roared angrily at Chen Xing. Thunder clapped with a loud “boom”. Chen Xing didn't hear what he just said and smiled as he asked Xiang Shu, ”What? What did you say?” Xiang Shu, “My throat hurts! I'm not talking to you!”

5. Chen Xing asked Xiang Shu expectantly, “How did you know I was captured?” Xiang Shu casually said, “I didn't know you were captured.” Chen Xing, “Then why did you...” Xiang Shu, ”I thought you had run off by yourself again, so I gave chase to hit you!” Chen Xing, “...”

6. “Thank you.” Chen Xing said with a smile, “Although I don't know what you think of me, I thought you wouldn't come find me anymore.” “Why?” Xiang Shu asked instead. “Is that how you see me?” Chen Xing rushed to explain, “You're the Great Chanyu ah, you have your responsibilities, so you can't be blamed for going back... Xiang Shu, what I want to say is, if you don't mind..”

/end ID.]

#they....they're making me insaneee!!!!!!!#yes i spent an abysmal amount of time making this bc i didn't like how the screenshots i'd taken while reading looked compiled together #(instead of doing any of the many things i should be doing including an overdue assignment djshfbjsd)#this is me pspsps'ing at all of u to read dinghai fusheng records btw <3 #dfr #comp

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a-modern-major-general · 15 days

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Xiang Yu's young concubine, the Lady Yu (born Yu Miaoyi), who always travelled with him on campaign, was captured during one of these skirmishes and Han Xin quickly conveyed her to Gaixia. He positioned his captive, and the bulk of his troops, deep in the canyon but situated other groups of warriors along the route. Xiang Yu, knowing he was walking into a trap, mobilized his forces to save the woman he loved. He sent most of his army on toward his capital at Pengcheng and, with 100,000 warriors, marched for Gaixia.

Once Xiang Yu's forces had fully entered the canyon, Han Xin deployed his troops in the “ambush from ten sides” and destroyed the army. Xiang Yu and his remaining forces fought on until nightfall, finally rescuing Lady Yu. In the darkness then, Liu Bang and Han Xin ordered their men and the captured enemy soldiers to sing the native songs of Chu. These songs reminded the remaining Chu forces of their homes and their families and further demoralized the army. Men began deserting in the darkness and headed for their homes.

Xiang Yu rose to stop the deserters by force but, at the request of Lady Yu, relented and those who wished to were allowed to leave. He then sat drinking with Lady Yu and is said to have composed the lament The Song of Gaixia (which is still sung today). Listening to the songs of his native land sung by the enemy throughout the night, Xiang Yu believed that Western Chu must have fallen to the Han and his cause was lost. With Lady Yu, he sang his lament and, according to the historian Sima Qian (145-86 BCE), alternated verses with her which is how the song is often sung in the modern day.

Lady Yu performed the sword dance as she sang her verses and then, blaming herself for the Chu defeat, and wishing to save Xiang Yu from further disaster through his love for her, she killed herself with his sword. Though surrounded by enemy forces, with his troops steadily deserting him, Xiang Yu ignored the pleas of his counselors to move on and buried Lady Yu, erecting a large mound over her grave to prevent desecration.

By morning, Xiang Yu had fewer than 800 men under his command but, with these smaller numbers, he was able to maneuver more easily and fought his way back out of the canyon of Gaixia. He headed directly for Pengcheng, the Han forces following quickly at his heels, and reached the Wu River where they caught up with him. A fierce battle ensued in which most of the Chu forces were slaughtered. Xiang Yu fought to the end and, when he understood he would soon be captured, committed suicide by slitting his own throat with his sword. He was 30 years old.

#studyblr #history #military history #music #music history #chu-han contention #battle of gaixia #han dynasty #china #state of chu #xiang yu #lu miaoyi #han xin #emperor gaozu of han #sima qian #song of gaixia #suicide tw

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fiirstnephalem · 9 months

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rubiesintherough asked: ❛ you did everything you could. ❜ ( aedus )

SHE COULD HAVE DONE MORE, that is what she forever told herself ~ what she forever thought. Especially when it came to keeping her baby sister safe from all of the evils of the world. She'd forever blame herself for what Phenex had endured under the hands of Solomon. She was not quick enough to prevent her summoning and the consequence of that was Phenex being trapped for several decades; enslaved and being treated like some prize-winning animal for Solomon to show off, until he had no use for her anymore and she'd become expendable.

" I should have found her sooner... Found them all sooner. " It was one of the many reasons that Sima now did as much as she could in order to help Phen with things, like bathing and helping whenever she got too overwhelmed and regressed. She was glad that now, Phen had Aedus to help her more. She knew how much her sister loved the other firebird and she was certain that he reciprocated such feelings so she was happy that her sister was happy. " She has you to help her now though... And you can probably understand her fears and feelings toward certain things far better than I can. "

@rubiesintherough EMPATHETIC SENTENCE STARTERS / ACCEPTING.

#RUBIESINTHEROUGH #INTERACTION: AEDUS #this is my confessional please will you redeem my soul ( answered )

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craftercat · 1 year

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what do you think about the poison attempt on Li Shimin? I’ve seen people claim it was fabricated to justify the Incident

It's in both the OBT and the ZZTJ. Honestly the main reason people think it's fabricated is 'Li Shimin changed history' and I tend to just scoff at arguments based around this when there's no contradictions to believe.

However this incident has separate versions in the OBT and ZZTJ. In OBT it's done after the Yang Wen'gan incident in 624/5, and I think that makes sense. At that point the Li Jiancheng faction was at its most vulnerable and the Li Shimin faction at its strongest. As well, Li Yuan had promised to make Li Shimin the crown prince at this time. So Li Jiancheng definitely had a strong motive.

On the other hand, despite the attempt he somehow still retained his father's favour. And there's a time he prevented Li Yuanji's assassination attempt on Li Shimin, although he was in a different position, and perhaps he simply thought it then to be too risky and that he could wait until his ascension.

Perhaps the incident was done by Li Yuanji or a crony and blamed on Li Jiancheng, or Li Shimin just got food poisoning and blamed Li Jiancheng because he was already sure Li Jiancheng was out to get him. Like what I said with Wu Zetian and her baby daughter, people often blame those they don't like for bad things that happen to them. We'll never really know. But I personally don't really doubt the OBT account. There was an attempt in ZZTJ, and Sima Qian was stringent with the sources, and wasn't out to beautify Li Shimin, and was well aware of Li Shimin changed history arguments, so I find an attempt on Li Shimin's life plausible.

I'll discuss this incident in more depth in my Xuanwu Gate Incident articles, and I'll need a separate article to discuss the Li Shimin changed history claims.

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asianhappinesss · 2 years

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Is Hua Jin Xiu Evil In The Twin Flower Legend?

The Twin Flower Legend (长相守) is a costume drama with a few main characters. But different people seem to relate to these characters very differently. Of particular interest is the Hua Jin Xiu character which some viewers deem as evil while others find her pitiful. In fact, they would have loved her to have a happy ending after what she had been through. Her elder twin sister, Hua Mu Jin, is equally controversial. It is indeed rare to have a drama with a few debatable characters such as these where viewers cannot seem to agree if they should fall under the good or bad category.

Hua Jin Xiu – Evil Or Pitiful?

Jin Xiu started off as a happy and innocent young lady. But she was raped and continuously harassed by her mistress’ trusted aide. Jin Xiu tried to ask her twin sister to leave their employer but was turned down. Her mistake was she didn’t tell Mu Jin exactly what happened while Mu Jin was blissfully ignorant of Jin Xiu’s plight. To make matters worse, she fell in love with a man whom she thought was the 3rd master of the Yuan family, Yuan Fei Bai. But the man was actually Fei Bai’s identical twin brother who was barred from revealing his existence and hence, was always assuming Fei Bai’s identity.

After some twists and turns, she ended up marrying Fei Bai’s father, Duke Yuan. In a way, it was a self-survival decision because she thought she could avoid being harassed and bullied by being the duke’s woman. But the duke’s true love was his late concubine and Jin Xiu was merely a substitute. Fei Bai and Mu Jin also fell in love which compounded Jin Xiu’s pain. Then, Mu Jin faked her death because she was hunted by Duke Yuan and disappeared for 3 years. Jin Xiu thought her beloved sister had died and grieved for her. She even injured Fei Bai because she thought he was the killer and got punished as a result. Finally, Jin Xiu found out that the man she loved was not Fei Bai but his twin brother.

Tragic Life

Towards the end of the drama, Jin Xiu herself felt that her life was one big tragedy. Not only she was raped but she was also misled by the man she loved. This pushed her to marry a man old enough to be her father. Jin Xiu also felt abandoned by the person closest to her which is her sister. You can say Jin Xiu had the worst luck among the 5 sworn siblings. Even Song Ming Lei’s luck wasn’t as bad although he had to witness his family being wiped out in one night. At least, he had Yuan Fei Yan’s undying love for him.

Therefore, Jin Xiu gradually turned evil. She got sucked into the game just to survive initially and then it was all about attaining power and revenge. I also think Jin Xiu is a pitiful character and it is perfectly understandable why she turned out that way. She felt betrayed, abandoned, and had her dignity trampled upon.

However, I think she also has to shoulder part of the blame because she made the decision to marry Duke Yuan. The man had offered her freedom but she chose to stay with him. Mu Jin had also asked her to leave together at one stage and again, she made the choice to remain. So, in a way, she has to be responsible for her own decisions rather than blaming others entirely for her fate. If she had been contented with what she had, she could have led a pretty good life as Duke Yuan’s concubine.

Jin Xiu’s Ending

Perhaps having her killed would be a little too cruel given her bitter experiences. So, I guess sending her back to the temple is the most ideal ending for Jin Xiu. Some would like to have her end up with Sima Ju. But I think that would be awkward. She was his father’s concubine and had a son with him. Furthermore, it would be more realistic if she continues to hate him because what he had done was close to unforgivable.

Personally, I think Jin Xiu is evil and I don’t like some of her actions. For instance, she didn’t need to kill Qi Fang. But I can’t bring myself to hate her either when I watched The Twin Flower Legend because the pathway leading to her evilness was paved with a lot of cruelty and bitterness.

Hua Mu Jin – A Good Or Bad Sister?

Mu Jin is another controversial character in The Twin Flower Legend. Some people argue that she should have reached out to her sister more rather than indulging in her own happy life. But I tend to disagree with this argument simply because no one can be a mind reader. Jin Xiu asked Mu Jin to leave the place after she got raped but she never told her sister the reason. Yes, maybe Mu Jin could have probed deeper and paid more attention to her. But they are both adults and Jin Xiu should know better that her sister wouldn’t neglect her if she had just told the truth.

To me, if Jin Xiu needed help, the onus is on her to find a good opportunity to tell her sister her problem. If she had found it hard to talk about her ordeal, it is also unfair to blame Mu Jin for not having a clue. At most, Mu Jin can only be faulted for being imperceptive to me.

Faking Her Death

Now, when it comes to Mu Jin faking her own death, then it becomes a little more controversial to me. It is common sense that Jin Xiu would feel aggrieved once she finds out that Mu Jin has died. So, it is cruel to Jin Xiu to keep her in the dark. However, nobody would have predicted that she would be so impulsive as to hurt Fei Bai which resulted in her being sent to the temple as punishment. Fei Bai was equally guilty for keeping quiet.

However, if we look at it from another angle, it can also be argued that Mu Jin and Fei Bai needed to keep her existence a secret. Duke Yuan wanted Mu Jin dead. If he were to discover Jin Xiu is in the know, her life could also be in danger as Mu Jin is her sister. Thus, I guess it makes sense why the secret is a necessity at that stage.

Not A Simple Good Or Bad

Overall, I don’t think of Mu Jin as a bad or selfish sister. She left Fei Bai once because of Jin Xiu. By the time, Mu Jin got back together with Fei Bai, Jin Xiu had long married Duke Yuan. In actual fact, I think of Mu Jin as someone who is at a loss of what to do with her sister. She can’t indulge Jin Xiu who obviously was going down the wrong path. But neither can she sit back and do nothing as Jin Xiu was trying to pull down Fei Bai. Basically, the whole story is a mess as these characters have been boxed into a common predicament of damn if you do and damn if you don’t.

The drama tries to project Mu Jin as someone pure-hearted with a brain. While she is righteous, she also had her own personal agenda at times. This is especially true when it comes to Fei Bai. For instance, she asked Duan Yue Rong and Duke Zhang Zhi Yan to engage in a battle just to save the love of her life at one time. The consolation is she was upfront about it. But Mu Jin is certainly not a totally selfless heroine in The Twin Flower Legend either.

Duan Yue Rong Is The Most Sincere

If I have to choose, I would pick Yue Rong as my favorite character. Jin Xiue has a streak of evilness in her which wouldn’t fit a typical heroine. Mu Jin tries too hard to appear pure. Fei Bai played a role in misleading the twin sisters. He never bothered to even give a hint that he has a twin. They found it out themselves.

But Yue Rong is different. He has always been sincere towards Mu Jin. He has never tried to act like he is a good guy. In fact, he is pretty sneaky especially when it comes to keeping Fei Bai away from Mu Jin. But what you see is what you get best describes Yue Rong’s character to me. Yes, he can be annoying. He stuck to Mu Jin like a leech and doesn’t seem to understand that no means no.

However, Yue Rong’s loyalty is also hard to match. He just wants the best for Mu Jin. In the end, he even wrote Fei Bai a letter to vouch for Mu Jin’s innocence when he knew that they were getting married. So, to me, I like Yue Rong best despite his annoying persistence towards Mu Jin. I can stomach that in return for his straightforward character. There are no mind games and secrets in his affections towards Mu Jin.

I know different people will have a different perspective on the various characters in The Twin Flower Legend. So, which one would be your favorite?

#random facts

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dailyunsolvedmysteries · 3 years

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Baba Anujka

Anujka made a laboratory in one wing of her house after her husband died, and she earned a reputation as a healer and herbalist in the late 19th century. She was popular with wives of farmers who sought her help for health problems, and she earned a respectable income which enabled her to live comfortably. She produced medicines and mixtures which would make soldiers ill enough to escape military service, and she also sold poisonous mixtures which she branded "magic water" or "love potions". She sold the so-called "magic water" mostly to women with abusive husbands; they would give the concoction to their husbands, who would usually die after about eight days.

Anujka's "love potion" contained arsenic in small quantities and certain plant toxins that were difficult to detect. When told about a marriage problem, Anujka would ask her client, "How heavy is that problem?", which meant, "What is the body mass of the victim?" She was then able to calculate the dose needed. Anujka's victims were usually men, typically young and healthy. Her clients claimed at her trial that they did not know that her "magic water" contained poison, but that they believed that she had some kind of supernatural powers to kill people using magic. Anujka's potions killed between 50 and 150 people.

In the 1920s, Anujka had her own "sales agent", a woman named Ljubina Milankov, whose job was to find potential clients and take them to Anujka's house. The price of Anujka's "magic water" fluctuated between 2,000 and 10,000 Yugoslav dinars.

Anujka sold her "magic water" to Stana Momirov in January 1924 for 2,300 dinars. Stana was a previous client and Anujka had provided her with herbal medicines on other occasions. Stana gave the mixture to her husband Lazar Ludoški, and he fell ill and died after a few days. Stana later married another man from the same village. A rich uncle of her second husband died under similar circumstances within a few months. The police questioned Stana, and she incriminated Anujka.

Anujka then sold her magic water in December 1926 to Sima Momirov and his wife Sofija, who intended to kill Sima's 70-year-old father, Nikola Momirov. Their motive involved a family quarrel. According to their claim, Nikola was an alcoholic and abusive towards his children and grandchildren. Sofija heard about Anujka from a woman named Danica Stojić (or Stajić), and they contacted Anujka who sold them her magic water for 5,000 dinars. Sofija gave it to 16-year-old Olga Sturza, Nikola's granddaughter, and ordered her to ensure that Nikola drank it. Nikola drank the potion, fell ill, and died after 15 days.

Anujka's first trial was in June 1914 in Bela Crkva for providing poison for murders, but she was acquitted. She was arrested again on 15 May 1928 at age 90. Stana, Sofija, and Sima Momirov, Ljubina Milankov, Danica Stojić and Olga Sturza were arrested as well and charged with the murders of Nikola Momirov and Lazar Ludoški.

Sofija and Sima Momirov defended themselves at the trial. They claimed that they did not know that the "magic water" contained poison; they believed that it was just water and the death came as a result of Anujka's supernatural powers. Stana Momirov claimed that she only wanted the magic water to heal her husband from alcoholism and that she was not aware that it would kill him. During the trial, Anujka constantly denied charges, claiming that she never sold any magic water and that the whole case against her was fabricated by Ljubina Milankov, who wanted to blame Anujka for her own crimes. Sturza defended herself, claiming that she was still a child at the time of the murder and that she was not aware that the water would kill her grandfather; but Sofija testified that Sturza was well aware of the whole plot. Dr. Branko Vurdelja testified that traces of arsenic were found in the bodies of both victims.

Anujka was released at age 98 after eight years in prison due to old age. She died two years later in her house in Vladimirovac at age 100.

#Baba Anujka #serial killers #true crime #witch #crime

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ofcarth · 2 years

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“ there’s things i wanna say to you, but i’ll just let you live “ / @mcdeforyou

that sounds vaguely like a threat , and perhaps from any other lips lilith would take it as such. but this mortal girl is nowhere near as powerful as to mean it in that way. and worse , she is frustrated ; the intricacies of hell escape her , as does the meaning behind what she finds herself trapped in. her mind is so SMALL , through no fault of her own. she has simply not lived long enough , not experienced enough , to understand the weight of what surrounds her , to understand the depth of respect owed to the queen of hell.

soon enough , this will tire lilith. but for now , she tolerates the impertinence. there is an uncomfortable adjustment period. much of humanity has disregarded the stories of their creation as a mythology , or something they worship in word only but do not truly believe. and lilith blames them little ; the proof yahweh leaves behind is nebulous at best. he wants worship for worship's sake. he does not want to prove himself. and time works so very differently. though the eons stretch on , there are moments of life that happened merely yesterday. they cannot be bothered to prove themselves every year , or every century.

she understands. she will give the girl time , and she will give the girl answers.

lilith stands from her throne and smooths her gown. “ i suppose i must make time for an audience , ” she says. who best to answer her questions than she who was there in the beginning ? her train follows as he walks , a silent rustle of fabric --- lilith expects chloe to follow.

her meetings are finished for the day. soon , she must check on her children ; sima is weighed with guilt , healing goes slow for an impatient phen , uri grows stressed as the untrusted flood their kingdom , admon sits in his room more often than not for fear of the freshly fallen. so very many of her children have need of her , and there is so much to be done. but lilith is queen as well as mother , and whether the girl likes it or not , she currently falls under hell's jurisdiction --- at least for now. until she finds herself on earth again and the lord uses her without her consent , without so much as explaining his plans or desires. should chloe ever come face to face with the lord , she may begin to understand the TREPEDATION and hatred with which everyone speaks of him.

yet the goal is for chloe to never experience that.

humans truly do not understand how INSIGNIFICANT they are compared to real power. with luck , chloe will develop that respect slowly through interaction rather than instantly through trauma.

only when the ordinate door of lilith's office closes behind her does she bother to check whether the girl has followed. “ i imagine you have a list of questions , then. ”

norman fucking rockwell.

#mcdeforyou #🔥 NO APOLOGIES ACCEPTED. ╱ verse six.#v: no apologies accepted #🔥 SHE SPEAKS AND HELL OBEYS. ╱ answered.

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baoshan-sanren · 3 years

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NiF semi-live blog eps 2-6

I’ve watched the first episode like 3 times over the course of six months so idk what I can even say about it like

I think it’s only after the third watch that I finally understood what’s happening and definitely remember everyone’s name and/or title

also i’ve had prince jing for 5 seconds and I would commit mass murder for him

did anyone else have to pause the scene where mei changsu meets prince yu and the crown prince just from the overwhelming second-hand embarrassment?

mei changsu, sweetie, i’m so sorry these bitches are like this, oh my god

and they just don’t stop

ah yes, bicker with each other instead, that makes it less mortifying

GRAND EMPRESS

OH MY GOD SHE RECOGNIZES MEI CHANGSU WHEN SHE RECOGNIZES NO ONE ELSE

bitch, no one told me i’d be crying in 2nd episode of this damn drama wtf

like i knew this was a serious drama but this train of emotion in the first hour and a half? not okay

i assume the princess has to know who he is, right? no?

I guess not

I have to know if prince jing is as blunt as he sounds. i’m learning slowly, and i still suck, but i’m def getting an impression that the dude doesn’t waste words

ahhh general meng definitely recognizes our boy, and we’re only now finding out that mei changsu looks different than he used to so I guess it makes sense no one else recognized him

and immediately general meng is like “you’re in danger, move in with me” 😂

“who has the time to help you? who would help you knowing it’s a crime?” dude, you… literally just offered to do that

i love how the princess is all like “this man is a mystery” and then the camera pans to mei changsu sleeping in a chair with all the graces of an old arthritic cat

i would die for him

“You didn’t even tell me you were coming. how am I supposed to help you?” aww meng dage, you’re just a big ol’ softie

I can’t believe I waited all this time to have english subtitles on viki just to acutely feel the lack of mandarin subtitles

watch my stupid ass hop from russian to turkish subtitles just in case I’m missing something in english

HE CALLS HIM XIAO-SHU

dude, this is really kind of cruel, they basically want mei changsu to decide who his ex fiancee is going to marry? like, I get that no one knows who he is, but still

can I just say that baili qi is my kind of man. good for you sweetie, you’re doing great

two ladies going into labor at the same time? more likely than you’d think

this whole story is bizarre, they just… mixed up babies like that? so jingrui might be a prince, but he might not be a prince?

“we’ll just share him” the emperor says, and no one bats an eyelid

i have a feeling that this will become less confusing at a later point in the drama (i hope)

the main theme song fucking slaps, I’m already getting a dopamine rush every time i hear it

so jingrui about to have his ass handed to him by baili qi

and my boy mei changsu is over here just calmly peeling a fucking orange like it’s got nothing to do with him 😂

I KNEW I RECOGNIZED THE DUDE WHO PLAYS BAILI QI he was in both and the winner is love and the wolf

if he lands one good punch, jingrui is gonna be out for the count

meanwhile mei changsu

*munch, munch, spits out a seed*

have I mentioned that I would die for him?

this shit doesn’t seem fair tho, like i get that baili qi is um… a bit larger and stronger than anyone expected but still

you shouldn’t just get to whip out a sword bc you can’t beat him

THE PEOPLE SLOW MOTION SCRAMBLING OUT OF THE WAY AS JINGRUI COMES FLYING AT THEIR TABLE jghfdghdjhfks I know it’s not supposed to funny but I’m shrieking

it’s been three episodes

i’m fucking hooked

choosing to throw your support behind the unloved, frequently overshadowed prince, is something that can actually be so romantic

seriously tho, if someone could just go ahead and give prince jing a break that would be great

I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT STUPID TWAT ACTUALLY DRUGGED THE PRINCESS

oh dude, I am so disturbed by this whole thing

there should be a rule where you get to slap the imperial noble consort if she does something that fucked up

is that supposed to be translated as the grand empress? not empress dowager? PLS GIVE ME MANDARIN SUBTITLES

fhjgdksdhfdkslaljsdh when the emperor finds out how sima lei got his legs broken

“that seems fair”

oh come ON just get off prince jing’s dick for like 5 minutes would it fucking kill you

fuck

of course prince yu would swoop in and take the credit for saving the princess (I assume mei changsu planned it that way)

but I bet you money that prince jing misunderstands and feels betrayed

oh sweetie

THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL BL PAIRING WASN’T IT

WASN’T IT

my romance radar is tingling all over the place on this one

yes he’s angry but it’s not his fault pls be nice to him

I DON’T WANT YOU TO USE THEM AS STONES IN MY PATH

OUCH DUDE

how about you try and be a little nicer to mei changsu too???

“pls be direct” does prince jing know how to be any other way?

we’re negotiating boundaries this is good

this is a whole ass fanfic just waiting to happen I caNNOT have another obsession right now stop it with the goddamn tension

oh my god so prince jing is upset because these methods are exactly how mei changsu (MY FRIEND HE SAYS) and his own brother were framed and “killed” MY HEART

pls I want to wrap him in a blanket and feed him soup for a year

THIS FUCKING CONVERSATION

THE SWELLING MUSIC

GOOD GOD

yup crying again

I blame @wangxianbunnydoodles @hunxi-guilai and @merelhyn in that exact order

you guys suck I don’t need this

awww jingrui is just a giant puppy isn’t he?

okay you know what? when prince yu absolutely loses his shit he’s actually kind of funny? and likeable? I can’t believe i’m looking forward to him getting frustrated/pissed off in the future

oh my god I’ve binged 6 episodes what is happening

#瑯琊榜 #lang ya bang #nif #nirvana in fire #i haven't slept a wink in 24 hours #but on the bright side #i haven't thought about the vaccine either

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the-archlich · 3 years

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Any thoughts on Cao Zhen? I remember he was the one who defended Wei by being the frontline General (I remember Sima Yi is the coordinator from the capital). How do you think Cao Zhen can be implemented in the game?

Every adaptation always does Cao Zhen dirty. Let’s clarify a few things real quick:

Cao Zhen was one of Cao Cao’s foster sons. He and Cao Xiu were raised with Cao Pi, often sharing the same quarters, so the three of them were extremely close. When Cao Zhen was old enough, he was made an officer in the elite cavalry corps commanded by Cao Chun (Cao Ren’s brother). This unit played a key role in Cao Cao’s conquest of the north, especially at Nanpi, Mount Bailang, and in capturing Jiangling during his campaign in the south (they were the ones who scattered Liu Bei’s army at Changban).

The unit was dissolved after Cao Chun’s death in 210 and Cao Zhen held independent command for a time. It isn’t entirely clear what he was doing for the next several years, but he played a key role in the withdraw from Hanzhong. After Cao Pi took the throne he made Cao Zhen one of his most trusted commanders. He led 1/3rd of Wei’s army during the Great River Campaign and oversaw the suppression of revolts in Liang province.

Around 227, Cao Rui gave Cao Zhen full command over the northwest. In this capacity he fended off Zhuge Liang’s first 3 invasions. He also led an invasion of Shu with Sima Yi, but they had to withdraw after some brief skirmishes due to a month of rain washing out the roads. He passed away not long after this.

Throughout his life, Cao Zhen was known for his excellent conduct. He was intelligent and brave and once killed a tiger while hunting. He was also noted as one of the rare officers who did menial labor along with his soldiers (like Xiahou Dun). He was generous and gave freely from his own wealth to reward his soldiers and care for the families of deceased friends. He was, by all accounts, an excellent man and a skilled general.

Arguably, there is one black mark on his record. His sister was married to Xiahou Shang, but Xiahou Shang fell deeply in love with one of his concubines. Cao Zhen thought this was embarrassing so he appealed to Cao Pi for help. In typical Cao Pi fashion, his solution was to kill the concubine. Xiahou Shang became extremely depressed and died not long after that. It is unclear if Cao Zhen requested that the concubine be killed, so it’s up to you whether you blame him for it or not. It’s somewhat at odds with the rest of his recorded conduct but people do get weird when family is involved.

The various adaptations of the period tend to treat him very poorly. They give his accomplishments in the west to Sima Yi, or pretend that they didn’t happen at all and that Zhuge Liang was somehow victorious. They often ignore his courage and generosity, making him weak and cowardly instead. I have yet to see a depiction of the man that isn’t insulting.

As a post scrip, Cao Shuang was his son. He was noted as a dedicated and hard working man and was one of Cao Rui’s closest friends. Another son was Cao Xi, a noted scholar who also had the wisdom to pen warnings to his brother when he feared that his political actions were putting the family in danger. Sadly his advice went unheeded.

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extraordinarilyextreme · 3 years

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Crown Prince Li Kaiqing, Chen Ji, and Fushui

MAJOR spoilers for 《骊歌行》 Court Lady (2021)!!! This is just me blabbing about my feelings.

so we all knew that Crown Prince (CP) and Chen Ji (CJ) were gonna be BE cuz they have historical prototypes. after Chengxin was executed, Li Chengqian grieved for a long time, refusing to attend court and also building a shrine for him in the palaces.

well, even with that knowledge, i still cried like a little baby at the end of the drama. there’s not a single un-sad 感情线 in this entire show, but i really do think that the mess of these three is tragic.

before we dive into the mess that i’ve become, a huge round of applause to Li Zefeng for his amazing portrayal of the Crown Prince—the good-intentioned, sort of foolish boy that we first meet and then later the wide-eyed, paranoid, remorseless man. and of course similar props to Wang Yizhe’s two roles of sweet Chen Ji and scheming Fushui (and Sun Langlang for voicing them! Wang Zhi’s VA!).

so as i’ve already said, CP is really a whole different person after CJ dies. and the contrast between CJ and Fushui (FS) is very plainly evident: CJ dressed in pale white-blue, FS mostly in grey-black; CJ kept his hair loose, FS wears a bun (or hat, when he rises thru the ranks); CJ is a lowly palace entertainer, FS is well-trained in combat and medicine (and ends up as Senior Imperial Physician, somehow); CJ was terrible at weiqi, FS is good at weiqi but pretends to be bad at it. CJ was targeted and subjected to rumors, but no one dared question CP’s relationship with FS—because CP was in so much grief after CJ died, how could anyone bear to do that to CP again? even though FS was absolutely the one that everyone should have removed from CP’s side immediately…

when CP and CJ first meet in episode 7, CP is kind of a typical princely character: he’s kinda entitled, the world is his, his future is bright… and i firmly believe he 一见钟情 because while CJ still treated him with courtesy and respect, it’s obvious that CJ didn’t expect or want anything from him. and this continues in episode 9, when CP is trying to clear his thoughts by the riverside and runs into CJ who is fishing: CP brattishly orders CJ to stay and keep him company, and CJ is honestly more confused than anything as to why the freaking Crown Prince of the country wants to spend the whole goddamn day here. of course, it’s because CJ represents a freedom for CP: here, the Emperor won’t compare him to Prince Zhou or Prince Han; here, the Empress won’t admonish him over and over again; here, there’s no scheming advisors who try to curry favor with him. here, as CP tells CJ to use, it’s just “you and I” without care for rank or formalities.

(but also the death flag in episode 9 was atrociously obvious LOL with CP promising “I will make you a grave” to CJ’s absolute terror. on-the-nose. still made me sad later on, so that’s that i guess. in any case, the episode ends with a 定情信物 whereupon CP gives a jade from his belt to CJ.)

CP watches CJ perform (as he is an entertainer from Prince Han’s mansion) for the first time in episode 10, and we see it again in episode 12, episode 16, and episode 17. based off 《三国演义》Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the lyrics are as follows:

大丈夫只患功名不立 A great man should only worry about not gaining fame and honor/

何患无妻 Why worry over not having a wife/

舍生忘死报恩住 Leaving behind life and death to repay my Lord/

忠肝义胆待友朋 Treat my friends with righteous loyalty/

我要做有血性的英雄 I want to be a hot-blooded hero/

为义而生 To live for righteousness (loyalty)/

为义而死 To die for righteousness (loyalty)

CJ plays the main role of Zhao Zilong (Zhao Yun), and he helpfully compares the story to a game of weiqi in episode 16.

“A gambit [sacrificing insignificant pieces to protect the significant ones] is what Zhao Zilong did in the Battle of Changban. In order for Zhao Zilong to save A Dou, he couldn’t save Madam Gan. So, Madam Gan committed suicide. Isn’t Madam Gan a gambit?”

to which CP responds: “Thank goodness you are Zhao Zilong, and not Madam Gan.”

CJ: “The Crown Prince regards me as his soulmate [知己]. Even if in the future, the Crown Prince were to sacrifice me as a gambit, I would be willing.”

CP: “What are you saying? You and I are friends. No matter what happens in the future, I will never treat you as a sacrificial gambit.”

(so, like, death flags everywhere! 知己-mention! and, c’mon, i think for CP’s consort to be jealous/insecure is a little bit justified considering the amount of times CP has CJ perform this piece with a line like “Why worry over not having a wife”.)

backing up for just a moment before everything goes to shit, other notable events are CP finding out his wife is pregnant in episode 13 (but he spends the day fishing and then cooking the fish with CJ at the riverside, and they walk off with arms draped around each other’s shoulders), CJ hurting his leg after climbing a cliffside to pick red flowers after CP mentioned his wife loves the color red most in episode 14, and finally CP leading a blindfolded CJ to a new house just for him to tick off another romance-y trope in episode 15.

CP: “Didn’t you say you didn’t have a home? So I bought you this little estate. When you fall in love someday, have children, and have a great career, this will be your home.”

(the point is they’re both still kind of in a honeymoon phase right now, tho it ends quickly in episode 16 when our FL Fu Rou warns CJ against being so close to CP—but CP is a little bit too idealistic right now, a little bit too stuck in his blissful fantasy, a little bit foolish. foolish, and incompetent, and unable to protect the people he loves bc he unwittingly endangered them to begin with.)

of course, things come to a head in episode 17 when CP’s wife tells her sister about CJ, leading to the Emperor eventually finding out. but while that’s happening, CP goes to see CJ at the estate he bought for him.

CP: In the future, I won’t come here anymore. Therefore, let’s put aside differences for today and be friends like we used to. We will never have those kinds of days again.

CJ confesses he’s going to leave Chang’an: I want to learn swordsmanship well, and become a wandering hero, feeling at home wherever I am. When the Crown Prince becomes Emperor in the future, I can help you take care of bad guys along my journey out there. This will be my way of helping the Crown Prince to keep the empire stable.

CP gives his dagger to CJ: This is not a reward, but a gift for my friend who is about to leave. In the future, whenever you look at it, it will be like looking at me.

CJ: A gift from my soulmate. Chen Ji will definitely take good care of it.

(for ppl who’ve watched Qing Ya Ji, the parallel to Zhongxing and Fangyue here killed me. but there’s also a parallel within the show itself near the end when Fu Rou gives the Emperor a collection of scrolls and explains that the late Empress hoped that he would treat her writings like he were seeing her—one of Court Lady’s many confirmations that CP and CJ should be read as a romantically by paralleling it to visible, het relationships. ALSO, CP has CJ perform Zhao Zilong again right after this conversation, like a last nail in the coffin.)

so the Emperor finds out in episode 18 and angrily orders CP to kill CJ himself, lest he be stripped of rank. Fu Rou warns CJ, but he refuses to escape.

If I run away, the Crown Prince will not be able to fulfill the Emperor’s order—what would happen to the Crown Prince? […] Life and death are not the most important things; the most important thing is to stay true to yourself.

and so CJ unsheathes the dagger CP gave him.

The Crown Prince regards Chen Ji as his soulmate, Chen Ji also regards the Crown Prince as his soulmate. ‘A man of service dies for the one who knows him.’ (An upright man can die for his soulmate.)

CJ quotes “士为知己者死” from Sima Qian’s 《史記·刺客列傳》Records of the Grand Historian, tho if you’ve watched Winter Begonia, it should probably also look familiar.

CP pushes aside the soldiers who’ve accompanied him on the journey to CJ’s home, but it’s too late: CJ took his own life, using the weapon CP gave him, in order to protect CP.

the chorus of Lu Hu’s 《万里》 Ten Thousand Li plays as CP staggers toward CJ’s lifeless body.

呼吸，想着你, When I breathe, I think of you

在梦里，在心里, In my dreams, in my heart

怪完相遇，怪自己, After I’ve finished blaming that we encountered each other, I blame myself

别离，痛彻心扉！Farewell, my heart is broken

(this is a song from the OST we hear multiple times with the other couples in the drama—and we also see many couples by the same river that CP and CJ would fish together by. i think, like, all the couples associated with this song except our main one have a BE…)

in CP’s immense grief, he has the weiqi pieces from his last game with CJ glued to the board, never to be moved again, and he has the flowerbed outside flattened. we get our callback to episode 9: “Chen Ji has no family. I promised him that if he died, I would make him a grave.”

CP doesn’t meet FS until episode 37, but what the Emperor says in episode 19 about Chen Ji is what really makes the whole thing a tragedy.

You must be cautious when choosing friends. He would only have misguided you.

and that’s the thing, the Emperor isn’t wrong!!! it ultimately truly is the Crown Prince’s love for Chen Ji that destroys him. his love for Chen Ji ruins him, ruins the imperial family and threatens the dynasty as a whole. because when Fushui shows up, a man who shares Chen Ji’s face, the Crown Prince trusts him unconditionally—it’s the Crown Prince’s desperation to see any small part of Chen Ji again that leaves him vulnerable to FS’s manipulation: CP forgets who he truly is. because how could a man who looks like Chen Ji ever betray him?

CP is thrown from his horse in episode 37, striking his head upon a rock.

he wonders: Chen Ji, have I also died? Did you come here just to pick me up?

(but of course it’s FS, who was actually going to kill him but the soldiers arrived too quickly.) they meet officially in episode 38.

CP: I thought I was going to die. Dimly, I felt someone approach me—he wanted to save me. I originally thought it was Chen Ji who couldn’t bear for me to die, so his spirit appeared. I didn’t expect that it was you.

FS remarks that CP has brought up “Chen Ji” several times already; immediately, he understands that this is a weakness to exploit.

CP basically throws a temper tantrum in episode 39 when he discovers he will have a permanent limp from now on. (idk if it was an intentional parallel, but CJ also had a limp after falling from the cliffside in episode 14.) FS is the only person that CP allows to approach him, and FS gets him to eat grilled fish (which is apparently CP’s favorite food—how much of the people we love do we carry with us?)

FS acts innocent: I really am bad at lying; as soon as I lie, you see right through me.

it’s everything CP wants to hear.

CP tells him: When I fell off my horse, and was on my last breath, you came to my side and encouraged me to continue living. I’m now crippled and in despair, but you talked sense into me to eat grilled fish. Everything that has happened—if it were Chen Ji, he would also have talked sense into me, encouraged me. Sometimes, I feel that you are Chen Ji, just with a different face.

(obviously it’s the same face for us tho cuz he’s played by the same guy. but anyway, when FS comes clean about everything in episode 51, he mimics the words CP says here.

I am not Chen Ji. I, Yang Fushui, came to your side to find an opportunity to take revenge.)

back to episode 39, FS says he doesn’t want to be “another Chen Ji” because he doesn’t want to die so young—he’s afraid of death.

CP: I guarantee you that I won’t let anyone harm you. What happened to Chen Ji will never happen to you.

(and it’s true! FS gets away with so much goddamn shit because CP’s wife doesn’t dare criticize FS, and even the Emperor doesn’t after knowing what it’s like to see his son in such heavy grief. CP’s wife thinks this is her chance at making amends; she felt real remorse after CJ died, and honestly that line from It’s Quiet Uptown sums it up best: “If I could trade his life for mine/He'd be standing here right now/And you would smile and that would be enough.” a shame, of course, that CP was FS’s freaking main target. nobody wants to repeat the tragedy of Chen Ji, so no one questions Fushui.)

but, like, FS isn’t truly even that subtle—it’s just that CP is so blinded by his love for CJ. from episode 46:

CP: I have taught you for so long, but you’re still terrible at playing.

FS: I am doing it on purpose. Only if I play poorly, will the Crown Prince be willing to continue teaching me.”

CP: Even you put on an act before me? […] You are the person I trust the most. Don’t lie to me.

(太子，你醒醒吧!)

so FS successfully sows discord between CP and his brother Prince Han; the Empress passes away (always sickly, but her illness was very much exacerbated upon seeing her beloved sons turn on each other); CP’s wife kills her own sister in what she believes is a beneficial political move for CP; Prince Han’s wife is wrongfully executed; Sheng Chujun is killed and silenced too after he discovers FS’s plans. CP stages a coup against Prince Han. (the man who looks like Chen Ji must only want the best for him, right?) FS gets away with everything and goes to visit CP in prison in episode 51.

AND HERE! HERE! FS is supposed to kill CP; that’s been his goal from the very beginning. CP hasn’t eaten for days in the prison, but FS shows up with a grilled fish and CP eats without a second thought that it could be poisoned.

but. FS has been at CP’s side for so long now. he’s orchestrated CP to lose everything. there is nothing left that CP could give to him but the mere fact that he’s still breathing.

in episode 49, FS poisons Lian Yan’er and Yan Zifang is obviously upset on behalf of blissfully ignorant, head-over-heels Ma Haihu.

FS: I will kill whoever gets in my way.

YZF: What about someone you love? If it was someone you loved, you would be just as ruthless, right?

FS: It is human nature to be greedy and selfish. Where does love come into play? This question—you’ve asked the wrong person.

(but FS’s expression changes. someone he loves? he’s startled, he looks afraid.)

FS ruined CP’s life; and at the same time, gave CP reason to live again. CP started playing weiqi again, his relationship with his wife improved; he started smiling again. there was a passionate fire to him that he never had before (this was his second chance to do everything right, to protect the people he loves!)... the kindling, unfortunately, was his trust in Prince Han and his parents. from episode 39, FS comes in and sits down next to CP after CP trashes his room during his tantrum.

CP: Do you know why I treat you differently from other people?

FS: Because I remind Your Highness of your friend who already passed away—Chen Ji?

CP never stopped loving CJ; he loved Fushui, because he never stopped treating him as Chen Ji. after the failed coup against Prince Han, CP smiles in prison in episode 51 when FS visits him.

CP: It was fate who made us each other's soulmate [知己]. [...] If you can continue living well, I wish that you live your life to the fullest, with both smiles and tears.

how can Fushui bear to take the Crown Prince’s life when he’s received nothing but unwavering trust from him? when he explains who he truly is, when he calls CP foolish for trusting the wrong person, FS is on the brink of tears. his mouth trembles, his breaths shake. when the poison begins to take effect, and CP agonizingly reaches for him, FS takes his hand—just as CP gripped CJ’s lifeless hand so long ago, just as CP reached out to the person he thought was CJ when he fell from his horse. FS takes his hand, sobs, and gives him the antidote.

(Consort Yan’s eunuch is, of course, outraged.

Yu He: If you can’t bear to kill him, then I will!

Fushui: I forbid you. [...] He has nothing left to lose. I forbid you from killing him.)

so, we have the Crown Prince, ruined by his love for Chen Ji—and Fushui, who both took and freely gave the Crown Prince’s life back to him. it’s a love story; it has always been a love story.

and finally, FS gets Ma Haihu killed in episode 53. he picks up the comb MHH carved for Lian Yan’er (a 定情信物!), and when he speaks, ends up telling the story of CP and CJ as well.

There was a woman who sacrificed her life for your bright future. You only needed to enjoy it, yet you took the road of self-destruction.

and then he remembers what CP said to him in the prison in episode 51.

CP: If, in this world, fate truly exists, then so do the hearts of men.

FS remarks now: If you have a heart, you will be easily hurt, or even lose your life.

heartless Fushui, who kills without batting an eye, who nearly upturned the entire Tang dynasty, who doesn’t know of love. in the end, he couldn’t bear to end the Crown Prince’s life.

so, yeah. these three broke my heart. i really wonder what Chen Ji would say to the Crown Prince when they see each other again at last in the afterlife. what the Crown Prince would say to Chen Ji. how violent love can be. what it means to live in someone’s memory. or maybe they would return to the river and spend a long day fishing together again.

#court lady #骊歌行 #cdrama ramblings

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firebirby · 2 years

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crimsonandivory asked: 'MISTLETOE' accidental ( Engel )

DESPITE THEIR HOME BEING FILLED WITH FESTIVE THINGS FROM TREES to tinsel wrapped around bannisters, mistletoe was usually the one thing she forewent ~ after all, they far from needed it with how much they showed their affections to one another. So, to be caught under one of their archways in a usual embrace, only to glance up and see the little sprig dangling down above them? Well, it brought about a small laugh from the firebird’s lips. Judging from Engel’s expression, he far from knew about it either but, that was not about to stop the tiny squirrel from wrapping her arms around her tree’s neck and pulling him down, just so that she could kiss him underneath it. “ I’m going to blame Sima... she’s one to plant it all over... ”

@crimsonandivory MISTLETOE / ACCEPTING.

#CRIMSONANDIVORY #feeling the catastrophe but she knows she can fly away ( answered )#INTERACTION: ENGEL

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join-the-joywrite · 4 years

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Hamish & Vera soulmate au headcannons

Part three of the first words au suggested by my girl, Sima, as anonymously demanded in an ask politely requested in the notes sjsjjs.

Will I cry? Maybe. Will YOU cry? Hopefully Probably. They'll be happy tears tho. I think. I hope.

(Wtf does Hamish even study, guys) Hamish always feels like there's something missing. The apartment doesn't feel like home. It feels strange and alien. He doesn't know what he's missing. Or maybe it's a who? Late in the night, Hamish will check his wrist and he'll wonder when he'll hear the words. He wonders what sort of situation they're going to be in. The days feel monotonous and like they drag on for years. Something is missing.

Vera doesn't go home for anything other than sleep. The past few years, drifting away from Hamish, wasn't so bad. She still went home, albeit very late, and she still didn't have much of a problem delaying leaving. It felt nice to be at home and remember the days when she had enough free time to lounge around with Hamis. Now, going home brought guilt with it. Everywhere she looked, he was there and she couldn't face knowing she had done it to him. Part of her hoped he'd never get hid memories back. She hoped she could live with Hamish having no idea who she was, but she knew she could never live with Hamish hating her. Vera often sits alone in the reliquary, staring at her wrist. Remembering the day she watched the words write themselves. For weeks, Vera didn't look at her wrist because she knew soulmates changed and she knew that Hamish might find someone else without all his memories. She sits behind the desk and fiddles with a ring handing from a chain around her neck.

The day Hamish gets his memory back, he doesn't know what to feel. Jack is very vocal about how pissed he is at Vera and Alyssa, more than the Order as a whole. Lilith just shrugs it off. She never expected anything different from them.

Randall waits until Jack and Lilith have left the den, probably to hunt down their knives that they'd both had at one point. "Hamish --"

"Don't, Randall."

"We don't know if she really wanted--"

"She's the Grand Magus. She holds the highest authority. Don't make excuses for her."

Randall leaves quietly. He knows how stubborn Hamish can get.

"We're going to make them pay," Jack tells the knights after they've been inducted. "All of them."

Hamish glances back to see Alyssa walk by. Yes, he thinks of Vera, all of them.

They need the necklace. They need to get a copy of it.

"Let me," Jack says, "I'll--" "No, I'll do it."

Randall is rightfully Concerned™. "Dude, are you sure? It could get--" "Ugly? Painful? For her, I certainly hope so."

Lilith, as Hamish leaves: So, um, is now a good time to ask about what happened during the ambush last year or . . .

Randall: you know what, I think you should talk to Hamish about this one......

I am a strong woman, Vera thinks to herself when Hamish walks in with a drink. I will not break, I will not break, I will not break.

Ultimately, she gives in anyway a few days later. Not to say that she's blameless. Hamish, despite all his burning hatred, still loves Vera like before. He's intrigued at how he can love and hate her at the same time. Is this what people mean when they say, "it's complicated"?

"Bring me something in a tall glass," she says, absently clicking the heel of her shoe against the floor twice. I want your attention.

"What happened to you?" "NOTHING. What-- what happened to you?"

Randall's still wary of the demon summoning, but he's noticed the look on Hamish's face. He hasn't seen that look in years. Big gasp from Randall. Big glare from Hamish.

Later, once the excitement is slowly dying down for Hamish and he settles down to watch his young friends thoroughly enjoy entertaining themselves, Randall scoots up to Hamish. "You are so weak for V." "Am not." "You've got her lipstick on your face." "Shit, really? Did Jack and Lilith notice?" "HA!" "Fuck you, Randall ..... don't tell them anything." "My silence costs twenty bucks." ".......fuck u"

"Let me dispel the rumours. We are all going to die." Hamish's amused snort is quickly silenced by the withering glare Vera gives him.

When Vera comes to and notices Hamish taking care of her, she's almost relieved. Then she remembers the threat, Alyssa, Kepler and most importantly, no getting close to Hamish until everyhting is all sorted.

"So . . . what's all this talk about wolves?"

Honestly, at this point, Vera thinks she's going to glare hard enough that her eyeballs pop. "You fucking IDIOTS! You lying fuck, you actually got me thinking you genuinely cared. And you, you little shit . . . . you -- you -- you -- fuck you. Where is my inventory?"

"It was stolen from us." :|

"Oh, so you lost it. No surprise there."

"That's a little harsh, V." "I told you not to call me that, Randall." "Sorry. Look, we'll get the sickles back. We won't--"

"Too late."

Losing Lilith only makes Hamish worse. He wants to blame Vera and the Order, he really does. But he can't. He knows Vera and he knows she's not selfish enough to do this for her own benefit. Fuck feelings, they just make everything so damn complicated.

Vera is pissed at Hamish for being so petty. Hamish is pissed at Vera for the blatant betrayal. Vera is pissed with herself for allowing everything to come to this. Hamish is pissed at himself for being unable to resist Vera. They're both pissed and not talking to each other and frankly, it's starting to weigh on Randall, the only one who really knows what's going on behind closed doors.

"You know, you really should talk to Vera." Gabrielle appears out of nowhere. "About what?" Hamish and Randall: terrified screaming for about half a second until they finally spot the tiny Acolyte.

"Nothing." "You two are up to something. I wanna know what it is." "Are you blackmailing us . . . to spend time with us?" "No. What d'you need to talk to the Grand Magus about?" "Getting you some heels so we can see you when you're approaching." "Very funny, Randall."

When Vera attacks the Prometheans (and Jack) with her emotional amplifier, it's not just the desperate cries of a baby ringing in everyone's ears. Among it all is Vera's own voice, her always doubting that she'd done the right thing in erasing the Knights' memories, her thinking about how much Hamish was going to hate her and that was a price she was willing to pay to keep him safe for as long as possible.

Among it all are nights where a very young Vera would cry alone, wiping at her eyes with a bare wrist. And then a much older Vera, hiding away in a vault, refusing to cry as she looks at the words on her wrist.

"I don't need your pity, Mr Morton," Vera says, hoping and praying that Jack doesn't care enough to put all the pieces together. "I'm sorry about your daughter." Vera doesn't turn back to face him. She's okay. She really is. And then a very quiet, very whispered, "and Hamish." Vera leaves before Jack can see her strength fail.

"Are either of you going to tell me why you're all on first name basis with the Grand Magus?" "It's a Knight secret, Gabby, sorry." "Fuck you."

Hamish is still being Petty and Pissed, so when Vera gives them the contract and Randall gets super upset, Jack's the one to tell him to lay off a bit. "I think you're overreacting." "And I think you're protecting Hamish's girlfriend."

Hamish, low warning tone and Vera, high yell: "Randall!"

"Am I wrong?"

"About which part?" Jack mutters, glad the joke makes Randall laugh. He can deal with one angry werewolf. Two is way too much a burden.

"Have you seen or heard from Hamish this morning?" "Why would you ask me that?" Jack gives her a deadpan look. Big sigh. "No, I haven't."

Hamish being missing shifts Vera's entire outlook. She's wasting all this time being mad and angry when she could have been using it to try and mend her relationship with Hamish.

"Is everyone okay?" Hamish grins because he knows that as pissed as they are with each other, she worries for him just as much as he worries for her. Vera would have to hit a very high bar if she really wanted to break off every tie she had to Hamish and Hamish is sure Vera doesn't want to even touch that bar.

Vera is completely stunned when Hamish literally throws Angus out of the room. In all honesty, she shouldn't have been, but still. She expected a little more restraint, given Hamish was still visibly pissed with her. On the outside, anyway.

"I'm sorry, Vera. I saw Angus and I just reacted. I almost died yesterday and now it seems like I might die anyway. Part of me wishes we never got our memories back. I could just go back to being . . . happy."

Vera doesn't turn back. "Would you really? Be happy, I mean. You have all the answers now. You know all the right questions. Would you really be happy?"

"Ignorance is bliss." "Not always."

And then the tartarus eruptions begin.

Jack runs into Alyssa at a Praxis location and the Knights recover a third of the Order's inventory.

"Tell me about these puppies." Obviously, Vera wants information about what Praxis is up to, but Randall deadass adopted the puppies so now Vera is subject to being lectured about the puppies. Okay, not lectured, she's somewhat invested in her new grandchildren. Hamish has a small smile on his face because Vera's still his Vera. Strangely fond of Randall despite all his annoying flaws -- just like Hamish himself.

Vera makes the three of them Magistratuses on the spot and Hamish looks like he's beaming at the promotion but really he's just so thrilled to see Stubborn and Petty Vera go up against Kepler.

"I'll order some wine." "Champagne, please. We're at war with Praxis, not good taste." And she's apparently retained what he taught her about drinks!

No matter what she does or what she acts like, the very core of who Vera is, her innermost self, will never change. And Hamish is glad for it, because that's who he loves. And the words mark her forever, so she'll never forget it.

"It's all right to let someone care about you." Vera shakes her head, because she's done horrible, horrible things and some would even call her irredeemable. She wants to argue and fight with Hamish because away from her is the only place he'll be safe. "V. . ."

Hamish is better at saying things when he doesn't talk. So he takes hold of her hand and gives it two small squeezes. I love you. He tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and trails his hand down to her chin before lifting her head, guiding her to look at him. His fingers tap on her neck. One, two, three times. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you.

And when everything dies down, Hamish swears to protect Vera. He and the rest of the Knights will protect her secret with their lives. Even if she weren't their Grand Magus, she's Hamish's soulmate and given how important Hamish is to them, it's no surprise Vera automatically is, too.

Besides, Randall kinda likes the Mom Vibes he gets from Vera. Gabrielle is jealous.

Vera finds Hamish taking a nap under the tree. He squints at her. "Don't make me look like an idiot. Get down here."

Vera smiles and joins Hamish on the grass. "I love you," she says softly, finally, finally finding the peace and joy she had before she and Hamish started drifting. She looks at the words on his hand, then the words on her own.

Soulmates. Someone who is always going to be there for her, no matter what. It's nice to have one, even though for most of her life, she thought she would never find one.

But the special thing about Hamish is that they had something really special long before they discovered they were soulmates. Vera smiled in the knowledge that Hamish wouldn't have done a damn thing different even if she still had s blank wrist. He loves her, she loves him, and frankly, nothing else matters.

FINALLY COMPLETE!!!!!! I trust this is satisfactory, my loves??

See other soulmate AUs that make me cry

#vera x hamish #hamish x vera #hamish duke #vera stone #the order #netflix #the hermetic order of the blue rose #the knights of st christopher #the knights of the blue rose #the knights of saint christopher #soulmates #soulmates au #please just give me the soulmate au i want #soulmate #soulmate au

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