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least-carpet · 11 months

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jiang cheng ships by whether they're about wei wuxian or not

our boy wwx's protagonist halo is more like a gravitational field in his effect on jc's emotional development. he probably didn't, like, invent jiang cheng's abandonment issues, but he certainly made them worse! so here are jiang cheng ships grouped by whether or not they're actually about wei wuxian. the ones in the middle could go either way.

definitely about wei wuxian:

chengxian: obvious. wei wuxian is literally there.

zhancheng: obvious. they're both obsessed with wei wuxian.

ningcheng: obvious. they're both wei wuxian's horrible/beloved science experiments/little brothers and neither of them are normal about it. to be fair, wei wuxian is also not normal about it, thus the science experiments.

definitely not about wei wuxian:

mingcheng: I think this is more about theoretical temperamental compatibility and letting jiang cheng date a hot male authority figure who at least kind of approves of him.

sangcheng: I think this is in some ways often about giving jiang cheng a human who is *not* obsessed with wei wuxian. like, give jiang cheng his own bf who can be into him on his own merits.

chengyao: they're coworkers! they're inadvertent coparents! they're both wildly competent and also incredibly bitchy if the situation calls for it! if anything this is about jin ling instead.

chengyi: I don't know what this is about other than getting jiang cheng a boytoy. I don't rightly know that he would want one of those but why not! get down with your bad selves!

could go either way, Schrödinger's wei wuxian:

chengqing: this one I wasn't sure about because actually a lot of writers are pretty careful to make chengqing actually about them but wei wuxian got up in there with great determination and made that threesome happen (wen qing's hands, wei wuxian and jiang cheng's holes... surgical holes... I regret this already). hard to totally extract him from the dynamic after that. the wei wuxian must be contended with. depends on when in the timeline it happens and what canon you're working from, since cql made it canon pre-surgery.

xicheng: this is less likely to explicitly be about wei wuxian and more likely to be structurally about wei wuxian. not only does it make them match (twin prides dating the twin jades) but the brothers-dating-brothers situation ties them tightly to wangxian from multiple directions. in other words, if it's about wei wuxian it's because it sort of re-joins them as family through a different method. if he's not your "real" brother, becoming an in-law is fine?

disclaimer: I acknowledge it is possible to, for example, write a zhancheng fic which is not about wei wuxian, I'm not saying you can't! through the power of AU all things are possible, etc. but you have to actively remove him from the dynamic, because canon embeds him there very deeply, vs. something like chengyao, where they have a totally separate relationship (via jin ling- and their working relationship).

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shanastoryteller · 11 months

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Happy birthday! Hope its great! The Untamed please? Its one of my favorite fandoms you've gotten me into 🥰

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Mo Xuanyu is married to the Second Jade of Lan.

Song Lan had known she’d married into the Lan – it was obvious – but he’d thought it was some not so bright cultivator that had been bewitched by her pretty face, or possibly literally bewitched, which he’d already decided wasn’t any of his damn business. If some stupid Lan wants a terrifying and amoral demonic cultivator for a wife, then good luck to them. Except they obviously don’t know she’s a demonic cultivator, considering their clan’s history with the original. But again, not his business, not his problem. His first priority is Xiao Xingchen and if Mo Xuanyu is going help him, then he really doesn’t care about who she’s terrorizing in her spare time.

Except it appears he’d underestimated her.

Because she’s apparently Jin Xuanyu now, legitimized and married off to the second most eligible bachelor in the cultivation world, superseded only by his brother who’s been unofficially off the market for over a decade.

Hanguang Jun had lived as a widower and Song Lan had been convinced he was going to die as one. Uncharitably, he wonders if maybe Lan Wangji just has a type, then feels bad about it in the next moment.

She orders Sect Leader Lan around and he lets her. She glares Hanguang Jun down.

To say absolutely nothing of the way she’d taken down Xue Yang. And then given him that dubious honor of taking credit for the kill, likely because she didn’t want to try and explain to her family how she’d managed it.

She had been clever and dangerous as a teenager. She’s managed to vault herself from disgraced bastard daughter to wife of the heir to the Lan and the legal mother to the third in line who will likely be the one actually succeeding Lan Xichen.

Jin Xuan – Xuanyu is a friend. She has very firmly shown herself to be a friend, helping him and protecting Xiao Xingchen and showing what certainly looks like genuine kindness to the girl who’d helped them, A-Qing.

Possibly she’s done all this to ensure their silence over what she used to be, what she is, but if so then it’s been successful. Betrayal would be a poor repayment for everything she’s done. The Lan hadn’t helped him or Xiao Xingchen. She had. The Lan can take care of themselves and if they can’t withstand the machinations of one woman, they deserve what they get.

Xiao Xingchen hasn’t said much, and Song Lan owes him so many apologies, but not here in front of everyone. He at least agrees to fly with him without much fuss. It will be difficult for him to fly with all three of them for any significant distance, but A-Qing asks Xuanyu to fly with her and she agrees with a smile.

Lan Sizhui doesn’t seem particularly thrilled, but he apparently is far too respectful of his step mother to disagree with her.

They’re flying back the inn when Xiao Xingchen presses himself back against his chest and tilts his head back to say, “Song Lan.”

It’s been so long since he’s heard Xiao Xingchen say his name. He has to swallow before he says, “Yes?”

“That’s,” he starts, then stops. “Who was that?”

“Who?” he asks. “We’re traveling with the Lans.”

“The woman,” he says.

His lips tug down into a frown but he tries not to panic. He’s been under charms to confuse and dull his senses for months. “That was Mo Xuanyu.”

If he’s already confused, getting into her legitimization probably won’t help anything.

Xiao Xingchen is silent for a few more moment. Then he asks, “Are you sure?”

What on earth. “Who else would she be?”

“She moves like – and sounds – but. It can’t. She’s – different,” he says.

As wonderful as it is to hear him speaking, Song Lan wishes he were saying less worrying things. “It’s been a long time since we saw her last. She’s grown up and married. Of course she’s different.” He squeezes his arms around Xiao Xingchen’s waist, hoping it’s not too presumptuous when they haven’t discussed anything yet. “It’s okay, after everything that’s happened this all must feel very sudden. Xuanyu is the one that found you. We can trust her.”

He thinks they can trust her. They can trust her more than any other sect cultivator, which granted isn’t saying much.

Xiao Xingchen relaxes against him. “Alright. If you say so.”

#song lan has been very busy looking for xxc and so missed all the gossip around the arranged marriage #and he only has his knowledge of the real mxy to base all his conclusions on #asks #sailor-lady #untamed #prompt answers #prompts are closed

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syaal · 6 months

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Celestial names

I wondered what characters celestial dragons might have for names - Tien Lungs must be 天龍, Jade dragons 玉龍 and so forth but I didn't find meanings for individual dragons in the books, except Lung Tien Ning. Ning meaning tranquility, her name should be written as 龍天寧.

Lung Tien Xiang. For Xiang anything from direction(向) to image(像) could be possible but I think 想 would be a good name for him. To think, to want, to believe. So 龍天想 for Temeraire.

For Lien, though, I can't be confident in my choice. At first I kept reading her name in my mind as Lotus(she would be a perfectly elegant white lotus) because the pronunciation of the character is similar in Korean, and because of course she's the lotus princess. But a character meaning flower wouldn't be quite elegant as to be the name of a Celestial(or a princess in that manner-I think nobles name people after phrases in the Four books and the Five classics like the Analects although I'm not really sure about the Qing dynasty), more of a pretty peasant or a daughter of a lowly government official. And after researching I found that 蓮 is actually pronounced in Chinese as lian? Although that might be similar enough? I DON'T KNOW

So after some consideration I picked out 連 and 練, connection and exercise/learning/white silk respectively, and also 戀 because yearning/love is her gimmick although that wouldn't have been in their minds when they chose her name. Any of these-or none-might work, I'm not from 19th century Qing so sorry in advance?

But Lien always will be the White Lotus Princess in my mind. I love her so much, I hope she writes lots of poems in her exile and someone manages to publish them in the modern age. I bet they would frequent college admission exams and Chinese students would hate her just for that.

(PS I know the characters are bit different from Chinese ones but in Korea these characters aren't simplified bc they aren't used that often anyway, also since Temeraire is set before the simplification of Chinese characters at the 20th century they wouldn't have been written the way they're written nowadays)

Edit: I read Novik's post of QnAs at LJ, and Temeraire's name is canonically 祥 - meaning auspicious. I suppose he really is auspicious to his friends and fellows, and the name creates a neat balance to Lien's inauspiciousness. I'll probably think of him as 想 only in the quiet recess of my mind where Lien resides as my elegant White Lotus princess⋯⋯.

Also, Chuan being 全 makes sense in a poetic tragedy kind of way. To have flawlessness, perfection as a name! No wonder he had to die. The will of Qing couldn't really have perfection as a partner, for perfection does not need outside influence.

And Mei as 'beauty'⋯⋯. Welp. Qin would probably be 欽, so her full name is 龍欽美.

#Temeraire #lien

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pwlanier · 3 months

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Pair of Landscape Models, no. 15998, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722).

Porcelain decorated in famille verte enamels on the biscuit.

Landscape models are examples of the sophistication and intricacy achieved with ‘enamel on biscuit’ porcelains. The exact purpose for which these objects were made is not clear, although it is thought they were most likely used as ornaments in interior settings. Interestingly, the making of similar examples are portrayed in an early 19th century gouache painting, one of a series illustrating the process of porcelain production.

Mountains and mountain landscapes have been of great importance in Chinese culture since the Zhou dynasty (1050-221 BC). Mountains were considered to be the manifestation of qi, or the ‘life force of the universe’. The home of the spirits and gods, they were the focus of religious activities. Mountains and rocks were also traditional symbols of longevity and reliability. It is for these reasons that Chinese gardens quite often incorporated a large rockery, which was sometimes big enough for humans to walk through. Representing a rockery or mountain landscape, this model may have reflected such symbolic meaning in miniature. Authors have suggested that landscape models such as the present example served as garden ornaments.

This mountain landscape may also have been used for interior decoration, perhaps to invoke the idea of an outside garden within the confines of an indoor setting. Interesting and peculiarly shaped rocks were frequently used for indoor ornamentation in China; they were valued for their symbolic associations and used as an object of contemplation within the scholar’s studio. This was so popular that the form of a rock was frequently imitated in jade and glass. Such objects were often mounted on a finely made stand, to further increase their importance. Thus the present landscape model may have been intended for a similar interior ornamental purpose.

Landscape models were also exported to Europe, most probably as curiosities. The sale of porcelain from a Dutch estate in 1744 included ‘A rock full of figures’. Comparable porcelain examples painted with famille verte enamels on the biscuit are in museums and private collections. A tall pyramidal rock on a round base with various pagodas and buildings, as well as platforms, stairways and several figures, is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. A large landscape model, which is labelled as a brush washer, is in the Musée Guimet in Paris. The Copeland Collection has three comparable miniature landscape models. Several landscape models of varying sizes belonged to the former George Eumorfopoulos Collection. A pair of miniature rockery models, with lotus flowers and cranes, was in the former Anthony de Rothschild Collection.

Courtesy Alain Truong

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wiz-writes · 4 days

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The OoTY update was everything I wanted thank you for the food 🙏🏼 I love how you gave every RO a moment to shine in, after this I really want to make 4 separate MCs for each of them. And the cliffhanger at the end... you sure do love to torture us, uh?

My current MC is going for Wei Qing and 🥲 thinking about baby Shiyi and Shiqi breaks my heart. Selecting certain dialogues + Wei Qing's unconscious reactions towards the MC made sure to imprint in my mind that their relationship used to be very close before the Elders drove a wedge between them, so playing a MC who was haunted by his 'death' and will get to start all over again with him is going to be interesting, to say the least.

Also, I love the double standards that the MC can keep regarding everyone vs. Wei Qing:

MC: *tries to keep their intentions and identify hidden from their protege, the heiress of the manor, their weapons teacher, etc.*

WQ: Why are you here?

MC: *immediately tells the truth*

LMAO.

Hmm, final thoughts I've had from reading the demo again:

1. I've got the feeling that Master Hua already suspected that the Yinshan Society/someone else (most probably the person who commissioned the society to steal Wujin) would try to do something funny in light of the rumors about his supposed illness. I even doubt he's really ill— I wouldn't be surprised if he spread the rumors intentionally to make his target take the bait, after all.

2.

You touch the piece of broken green jade, running your thumb across its polished surface. You don't know why you agreed to take it back then [...] Maybe it was the shock, or you simply couldn't refuse a dying man's last wish.

Oooh, more mysterious MC backstory that definitely will not cast suspicion/backfire on them later on. No sir, it's just an innocuous piece of jade, nothing more. 🙄

Aaaah, Anon, you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you like all the ROs!

The cliffhanger originally wasn't supposed to be there, but I felt that the ending was kind of meh, so I decided to move it to the next chapter.

A bit of background info about MC and Wei Qing, which I'm not sure will ever come up in the story, and also a little bit of insight into what Wei Qing's thinking, so SPOILERS ahead:

.

There were altogether seven people in your "group" at Yinshan, with Shiyi being the oldest and the MC being the youngest. Out of these seven disciples, Shiyi and MC were definitely the closest until their Mentors intervened. While you got the MC's side of what happened afterwards and how they moved on, Wei Qing is kind of still stuck in the past, because he never experienced what the MC did. So when his little Shiqi appeared in front of him again, it was like he had gone back to the time when everything was okay. Except, you're not really his little Shiqi anymore.

Man, I think I might write a side story with his POV.

.

END OF SPOILERS

As to your final thoughts:

That's a great theory! And Master Hua is certainly capable of coming up with this sort of plan!

Tsk, what did the piece of jade do to you, Anon? It's just a little piece of jewelry, nothing strange about it, no no, absolutely nothing! 😂

This got long, sorry! Anyway, thank you so much for the ask, Anon ❤️

#out of the yinshan #yinshan asks #anonymous #wei qing

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feng-huli · 3 months

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The Blood of Youth x Pokémon Ideas

Sikong Qianluo: unintentionally leans towards using bug types and flying types, but really just cares about how stabby they are. Beedrill, Escavalier, and Fearow could all suit her style. Moltres could represent her role as the Vermillion Bird.

Tang Lian: poison type specialist. Despite this, his ace is a Meowscarada who also uses a flower trick to take down foes. Ariados can lay traps with webs and Nidorino uses its needles to poison opponents. He has an Accelgor from when he helped Qianluo evolve her Escavalier. Torterra, Terrapagos, or Drednaw could represent his role as the Black Tortoise.

Jin Xian (Jade Deity): experienced with fighting, steel, and ice type Pokémon. Cobalion and Gallade suit him well aesthetically, conceptually, and personality-wise. Articuno could go well with his Blizzard Sword. He could probably have a Lucario, too. (Was thinking about Alolan Ninetales at one point, but that may be more suitable for Li Hanyi. Honestly, Jin Xian and Li Hanyi do have quite a few similarities, especially with them both connected to Kunlun Mountain.)

Jin Yan: ghost and dark specialist. Sableye and Gengar bring the chaos and the fun. Tyranitar could be nice for him, but it might be too heavy of a hitter for him to handle. Other possibilities include Liepard (which would be a great match aesthetically) and maybe Grimmsnarl.

Jin Xuan: probably favors psychic types, but has no obvious specialization. He uses a formidable Gardevoir and Dusknoir to protect the Emperor. His secret ace is the legendary ice dragon Kyurem, cold and empty as the Art of Detachment he practices. All his Pokémon would probably be shiny.

Jin Yu: favors bug types and normal types, but doesn’t appear to be interested in battling. He has a connection with butterflies in the novel that’s subtly referenced in the show and his palm technique is warm, so Volcarona could be a good ace for him. An Icy Snow Pattern Vivillon as a gift from Jin Xian could be a sweet way to represent their friendship. Indeedee could be a great match for him in terms of abilities and temperament. I also like the idea of him having an Absol that was abused/neglected by his late master, because Zhuo Qing doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would treat his Pokémon well, and the foreshadowing nature of Absol would almost be poetic.

Jin Wei: specializes in ghost and steel types. His sword is a bit more exciting in other mediums and is very ghostly, so Aegislash would be an amazing fit. He could also have an Alolan Marowak that he raised since it was a Cubone, and possibly a Spiritomb. As more of a ceremonial sword, Zacian could be under Jin Wei’s watch.

Lei Wujie: fire type specialist. Personality-wise, Growlithe would be a great fit and he could probably start out on his journey with it. Darmanitan could suit him well, since it also fights with fire and fists. Mega Charizard X could represent the Azure Dragon role that he has. Feucoco is no thoughts, head empty, cute and on fire.

Li Hanyi: ice specialist. Has a terrifyingly strong Chien-Pao, as well as a Glaceon and Alolan Ninetails who help keep out unwanted guests to their mountain.

#feel free to take inspiration or add ideas!#pokémon #shao nian ge xing #少年歌行 #the blood of youth #ideas #lei wujie #tang lian #sikong qianluo #li hanyi #purple sweet potato essence

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arthistoryanimalia · 1 year

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For #Feathersday: Some selections from the Kingfisher Headdresses from China exhibition at Art Institute of Chicago showcasing tian-tsui, the traditional Chinese fine art of using the highly prized iridescent blue feathers of regional Kingfisher species (Alcedinidae).

Lots more pieces (including smaller hairpins & earrings) on display at the exhibition, open through May 2023.

It is also important to note that the demand for feathers for tian-tsui nearly drove kingfishers to extinction in China in the early 20th centry, with the last feather factory closing in 1933. But there are now some contemporary artists reviving the craft who make a point of using ethically sourced feathers (collected from molt etc).

1 Cap (清朝点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 18th-19th century Gold wire, kingfisher feathers, amber, coral, jadeite, ivory, glass, silk Exceptional workmanship and the brilliant color of the kingfisher feathers make this an outstanding example of a woman's headdress. At the center, a phoenix with a peacock-like tail is flanked by a pair of dragons. Stacked above the phoenix are a large bat studded with a jadeite gem and another executed in fine filigree. Gourds, symbolizing the wish for multiple offspring, appear on the sides and suggest that this cap may have been worn by a young woman.

2 Headdress (清朝点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Silk-covered lattice, kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, jadeite, coral, amethyst, rose quartz, and carnelian The central roundel on this headdress features a butterfly with jadeite wings and a coral body while those on either side contain rose-quartz flowers and narrow-waisted bottle gourds, symbols of fertility. Below the butterfly, two bat-like creatures with long antennae and quartz bodies are flanked by gourds. Jade-petal flowers and other plant motifs fill the top register.

3 Headdress (清朝点翠头饰） China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, pearls, garnets. rose quartz, jadeite, and glass, applied to a silk-wrapped wickerwork trellis The numerous stylized creatures that adorn this headdress are bats. They represent a motif favored in Chinese art because the Chinese word for "bat" (fu) sounds similar to that for good fortune. The wings of the large bats are fashioned with seed pearls, and red agate cameos indicate the eyes and bodies of the smaller ones. Their long antennae end in pearls, which would quiver with the slightest movement when the headdress was worn. The strings of pearls hanging from the lower rim form a veil.

4 Tiara (清朝点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on silver gilt, jadeite, carnelian, coral, and ivory In Chinese culture dragons are powerful but benevolent creatures, and the ones that decorate the top of this tiara chase a central flaming pearl- a combination that probably expresses the hopes for a happy marriage. Around the perimeter, stylized characters for longevity (show) and small figures of immortals symbolize a further wish for long life. On the inner rim, the eight phoenixes facing downward are also talismans for good fortune.

5 Tiara (清朝点翠头饰) China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 19th century Kingfisher feathers on gold and gilt bronze, agate, and lapis lazuli At the top of this tiara, a pair of dragons chase a flaming pearl, a motif expressing hopes for a happy marriage. Below them a pavilion probably represents a paradise of immortals, and still farther down are two goldfish, symbolizing offspring and good fortune. The bottom is composed of a row of birds facing downwards, each holding in its beak a string of pearls suspending L-shaped musical chimes. The Chinese word for chime, qing, is similar to that for celebration.

6 Opera Costume Headdress (民国点翠头饰） China, first half of 20th century Kingfisher feathers, gilt bronze, faux pearls, and glass This headdress teems with symbols of good fortune. The design centers on a large tree peony and below it, a pair of guardian lions flank a flaming pearl. The next row down features red-headed phoenixes and a dragon. A pair of leaping fish--symbolizing a successful career and abundant offspring- appear above the peony. At the top is a pavilion, perhaps representing a paradise of immortals. More details appear amidst the primary designs: bats and butterflies fluttering their wings and Chinese characters with meanings such as "wealth," "longevity," "nobility," and "glory," collectively imbuing the headdress with an air of celebration.

7 Opera Costume Headdress (民国点翠头饰) China, Possibly Guangxi province, early 20th century Gilt bronze, kingfisher feathers, pearls, coral, silk thread, and glass Together with phoenixes, mandarin ducks, and bats, four large clamshells decorate this headdress. Each clamshell contains a pearl that is visible only from the side or the top. Contemporary audiences would likely have noticed many pearls dotting the headdress, though, and associated them with the clamshells' contents. In addition to wealth, the pearls probably symbolize a wish for a happy marriage and many offspring.

[all descriptions above from the gallery labels]

***

The only book I know about (in English) about tian-tsui feather art is this one:

Kingfisher Blue: Treasures of an Ancient Chinese Art by Beverley Jackson (2001)

PS - kingfisher feathers aren't really blue - and in fact no bird feathers are known to have "true blue" pigmentation! It's all structural color, just a trick of the light fooling our eyes. :) (Try taking a single "blue" feather and backlighting it sometime to see for yourself!)

Learn more here:

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liberty-or-death · 1 year

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Wei Wuxian's Spell - "Her shy charming eyes" (Beauty of Nanyuan 南苑逢美人”written by He Sicheng 何思澄)

Let’s talk about the first spell that Wei Wuxian uses in the Yi City.

In Chapter 36, he choses to animate two female effigies. The two female effigies seemed like identical twins - they had the same clothes, appearance and makeup. The effigies appeared to be smiling and one could almost hear their laughter. The doll’s hair was tied in a shuanghuan updo, wore red pearl earrings, a gold bracelet and embroidery shoes. Wei Wuxian also thinks they look like servants of a rich household.

(Shuanghuan was a double bun updo favoured by unmarried ladies. They were popular in the Warring States and are commonly described in Tang poetry.)

This poem has also appeared in both the donghua and CQL!

The spell’s from the poem “Beauty of Nanyuan 南苑逢美人” written by He Sicheng 何思澄 (502-557) in the Southern Dynasty. 南苑 Nanyuan is located just south of Beijing. It was an imperial hunting ground during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The current Beijing Nanyuan Airport is named after this and it’s the oldest airport in China.

洛浦疑回雪巫山似旦云

Just like the Luo Shen (The Goddess of the River Luo) with skin as white as snow, and like the goddess of Mount Wu with skin as clear as the clouds.

倾城今始见, 倾国昔曾闻

Her smile today destroys a city, and I heard it can even destroy a country.

T/N: 倾城 and 倾国 are used in poetry to describe someone who’s incredibly beautiful

媚眼随羞合丹唇逐笑分

her shy charming eyes, and her red lips are parted lightly

(This is the line used in the spell)

风卷蒲萄带日照石榴裙

The wind blows the belt adorned with grapes, and the sun shies on the pomegranate skirt

T/N: 蒲萄带 is directly translated as belt with grapes, but it’s believed that the “grapes” refer to green jade and from a distance they look like shining ‘grapes.’ This is the pomegranate skirt.

自有狂夫在空持劳使君

As long as the crazy husband’s around, emptiness awaits the gentleman.

T/N: There is a similar theme in another text 陌上桑 The Mulberry Tree field road, whereby a woman rejects the emperor’s advances because she’s already married. The same idea applies here, that this beautiful woman is someone that the author cannot get.

Personally, I think this is a very common poem used to describe a woman's beauty. I even find soft porn sites tagged with this line lol. 😂 So hmm, I don't think MXTX would have intended to mean too much?

Let’s talk about the second part. This is split into the phrase “do not question goodness or evil, (I) draw your eyes and summon thee.” So let’s break it down.

“不问善与恶 do not question goodness or evil” - There is a concept of goodness and evil 善与恶 in Buddhism. It's a complicated doctrine and I won't be going into it so y'all can read about it in the link.

"点睛召将来 (I) draw your eyes and summon thee" - This phrase comes from the the idiom “drawing a dragon and adding the eyes 画龙点睛”. There is a famous story behind this idiom. Zhang Shenhao was a famous painter during the Liang Dynasty. He was known for his vivid drawing. One day, he painted four dragons on the walls of a temple in Jinling and someone asked him why he didn’t paint the eyes. He then remarked, “The eyes are the essence of the dragon. If I paint the eyes, they’ll fly away.” Everyone laughed at him when he said that. Zhang Shenhao then added the eyes to two dragons and unexpectedly, they came to life and flew away. Hence, this term was used to describe a situation whereby one’s finishing touch would bring a piece of art to come to life. MXTX probably used it in this case as well, Wei Wuxian did draw the eyes of the dolls and made them come alive lol.

#poetry #mdzs #mdzs meta #cql #cql meta

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aitchnkay · 11 months

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 4

If she was going to remove her brothers from Lotus Pier and hide them from being indoctrinated by the Wen Sect, she could have no better co-conspirator than Wei WuXian. Also, given that the fortune teller had stated said co-conspirator was going to lose everything (everyone) important in his life, she decided it would probably be just as easy for him to hide all his friends away, too. And Jin ZiXuan, seeing as how she still wanted to marry him. The Jin heir was... infuriating, but she was... enamored.

Wei WuXian embraced the role, immediately sending letters to his friends inviting them to a forbidden nighthunt. As expected, Nie HuaiSang and his minder, Meng Yao, were the first to arrive at the rendezvous point, sabers conspicuously absent, mischievous smiles on the younger’s face. Jin ZiXuan and his retinue were a close second, angrily strutting around the inn even before seeing Jiang YanLi standing behind her brothers. Surprisingly, two Wens showed up the following morning: Wen QiongLin and his elder sister, Wen Qing. “You didn’t see the way he was treated by Wen RuoHan and his sons, ShiJie! If we’re avoiding being indoctrinated, we need to include all our allies,” was Wei WuXian’s defense for inviting the pair. The twin jades arrived last, furious that anyone would plan a nighthunt when doing so would invite Wen RuoHan’s wrath down upon them. No, it wasn’t right, but they needed to keep the peace, right?

“We’re not going nighthunting,” Wei WuXian grinned at their stonier than normal faces. “ShiJie received... information. QishanWen is going to attempt to become overlords of all the Sects. Wen RuoHan wants to proclaim himself Emperor. They’re going to attack Cloud Recesses and do their best to burn it to the ground. With that victory, they’re going to send notices to every largish clan or sect that the heirs and strong junior disciples are required to attend indoctrination at the Nightless City. Our sect leaders will send us because they don’t want to become next. But it won’t work. QishanWen will still attack Lotus Pier. Then the Unclean Realm. The clans will ally against Wen RuoHan, and eventually they will win the war. But at the loss of thousands of lives and hundreds of the smaller sects completely wiped out.”

“So why are we here?” Jin ZiXuan snarled. “Shouldn’t we be home preparing to resist?”

“If you resist, Koi Tower will be attacked and destroyed, too,” Jiang YanLi spoke up, doing her best to sound competent, not scared. “Any clan that resists will be destroyed.”

Jin ZiXuan started turning a brilliant scarlet. “How do you know this? I want to verify it! Tell us who your informant is!”

“And potentially have that informant executed by my uncle?” Wen Qing crossed her arms, looking murderous. “What Jiang Guniang says is consistent with what I’ve overheard. My odious younger cousin is already setting up for that indoctrination while my older cousin is salivating over how he will handle the clans that disobey.” She turned to Wei WuXian. “My brother and I thank you for the invitation, but... I think it’s best that we return to the Nightless City.”

Jiang YanLi shook her head. “Wen Guniang... my informant tells me everyone in this room will be affected by the upcoming war and only a few of us will survive it. Jiang Cheng will. Wei WuXian, Jin ZiXuan,” here she guessed that eventually she would marry the Jin heir, “and I will not. I’m not sure about anyone else, but.... If you uncle finds out you were here? You won’t survive that, I’m sure.”

“Go or don’t go. It’s your choice,” Jiang Cheng interjected, angry at hearing for the first time that his siblings were destined to die in that war. “I have no intention of being anywhere near where my parents or the Wen can find me when the invitation arrives.”

“If you decide to join us,” Wei WuXian handed out talismans. “You can activate this. It will make you imperceptible to every spiritual tracker I know how to avoid. Tell your family you’re going on a long walk or something. Don’t say anything about what we’re going to do, please, either way. Once this talisman is active, it will tell you how to get to us. You can bring people you trust; there are plenty of talismans.”

Lan XiChen hesitantly reached out for a talisman. “What happens next? How do we prevent Cloud Recesses from burning? Or Lotus Pier?”

“We don’t,” Jiang YanLi shook her head. “When we get back, I’ll ask my parents to increase the protections around there. And then we leave with a few disciples. Ones that we think absolutely must be saved should the worse happen.”

“That’s cold,” Jin ZiXuan shot a furious look at her. “Why not stay and fight?”

“Stay and die or leave and hope to survive? Do you really think dying is the better choice?”

#wangxian #jiang yanli #wei wuxian #wei ying #lan wangji #lan zhan #chen qing ling #cql #the untamed #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #lan xichen #jiang cheng #jin zixuan #nie huaisang

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nobios1 · 4 months

Text

Golden Thousand-Armed Kannon statue

（黄金の千手観音像）

Of course, it is not pure gold, but gilt. I got this Senju Kannon a long time ago.

At the time I got it, it didn't stand up on its own (it probably came with a special stand and Zushi-cabinet, but it was missing), so I lost interest in it and put it away.

Recently, I took it out, I was once again impressed by the intricate and exquisite carving or casting.

I wonder how it was made. I wonder if each arm was made by molding and carving, and then fitted into each arm one by one.

Or was the whole thing made in one mold and then add detailed carvings later?

The face of the Kannon, made of jade, is also well carved with half-open eyes.

Furthermore, the metal covering around the face must have required a high level of skill.

I don't know the exact year, but I suspect it is from the Qing dynasty.

Unfortunately, the front two arms are missing. But they're only two of the thousand arms. lol

The thousand-armed Kannon saves people with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes.

May the compassion of the Buddha gently surround you.

#kannon #avalokitesvara #bodhisattva #thousandarmedkannon #senjukannon #1000hands #jade #千手観音 #岫玉 #鍍金 #厨子

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lansplaining · 1 year

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with all the hunger game polls going on atm w some obvious strong contenders going out all ready (lxc..) who do u think would actually win the games, if everyone got dropped into a hunger games setting

(either w minimal cultivation - so no inedia or flying on swords etc - or any cultivation at all?)

okay so

if we're running this like the ACTUAL hunger games, instead of just a free-for-all with everyone, here is how it breaks down for me:

Jiang Tributes: Yanli and Wei Wuxian (Jiang Cheng got picked and he volunteered, of course, though I was deeply tempted to do it the other way around, but that's my pro-JC bias showing)

Jin Tributes: Mianmian and Jin Guangyao (forced to volunteer for Zixuan by his dad)

Lan Tributes: Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji (because there are no named Lan girls jdfljsdkf and I think it would be a point of pride that they not ask anyone to take their place. desperately tempted to send Su Minshan in place of one of them, though)

Nie Tributes: Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue (i mean there's literally no other Nies so :|)

Wen Tributes: Wen Qing and Wen Ning (sent by their uncle to make an example of them)

Wei Wuxian, Wen Qing, and Lan Xichen, and Nie Mingjue's priorities are to protect their (sect) siblings, which puts them at an immediate disadvantage because they are not prioritizing personal survival. Honestly the best case scenario for WWX is if Yanli dies early, but he's also skilled enough to not let that happen.

People will argue that Huaisang is less of a burden to Nie Mingjue than he tries to seem, but I think improvising in the wilderness in a realm where he can't stir up an angry mob is going to neuter him of his strongest skill.

In contrast to both, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji are going to be operating as a pretty seamless unit, except for the part where they both keep trying to die for the other one.

Ironically, Wen Qing is probably the one holding Wen Ning back-- by trying to protect him, she's not really letting him get in the mix and show off his skills, to both of their detriment.

This leaves us with Team Jin. Future rogue cultivator Mianmian and spy and assassin Jin Guangyao are a very compelling pair, and they have the skills to take advantage of the fact that they're the only ones not held back by family ties.

uh sorry this got long

If Yanli dies early enough, Wei Wuxian obviously has what it takes; the question is whether that happens. I think with two canny manipulators in Nie Huaisang and Jin Guangyao, who are both content to use people's loved ones against them when needed, Yanli stays alive to keep Wei Wuxian distracted (and obviously the Lans and the Wens aren't going to kill her).

However, I don't think Nie Huaisang lasts long. Nie Mingjue wants to push him to fight for himself, and he'd end up in over his head. This would just push Nie Mingjue over the edge in terms of rage and grief, and he'd lose a fight he probably should have won because he's just coming undone, and/or maybe just qi deviates.

Though Mianmian becomes a rogue cultivator, she isn't one yet, and in canon as a teenager she's a bit of a crybaby. She puts up a good fight but she can't compare. Ditto Wen Ning and Wen Qing, though Wen Qing probably gets at least one murder assist by incapacitating someone who someone else comes along and kills later.

Lan Xichen kills himself rather than forcing either Lan Wangji or Jin Guangyao to kill him. The question is only whether this is a Twin Jade pact or if Lan Wangji is left to face down Jin Guangyao in the final two. I honestly thing a direct fight between them is a toss-up, but I think Jin Guangyao has a longer history of channeling his grief into murder rather than incapacitating sadness and self-destruction, and that gives him the edge to win.

#ask answered

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sxbaist · 7 months

Text

Character Sheet

basics.

full name. Lovisa Göta Sjögren

nicknames / aliases. Vega, Commander

age. Verse dependent, appears late twenties to early thirties

zodiac. Libra

spoken languages. Swedish, English, Icelandic, Chinese, Klingon, Vulcan

physical characteristics.

hair colour. Soft black

eye colour. Green, a jade hue

skin tone. Pale complexion, smooth, scarred and inked, but taken care of

body type. Toned, wiry, willowy, muscular

dominant hand. Left

posture. Decent, though she does slouch at times

scars. None due to an enhanced healing factor. (In modern verses: under her jaw and on her rib cage)

tattoos. Vegvisir on her right thigh, a personal rendition of hurðstoðva below the navel, and a small møðiríkr on the left wrist.

birthmarks. A few moles scattered across her body, starburst shaped birthmark below the clavicle on her left side

most noticeable features. Cheekbones of the gods, striking eyes

childhood.

place of birth. Vaxholm, Sweden, Earth

siblings. Levi Ludvig Sjögren, fraternal twin brother

parents. Albina Signe Sjögren and an unknown male donor

adult life.

occupation. Verse dependent but either: Commander (main) / Painter / Hitwoman / Unemployed

residence(s). Verse dependent but either: The SS Botany Bay or on a ship she probably stole (main) / The Enterprise (temporarily/undercover most likely) / Trondheim, Norway / Manhattan, New York

close friends. Verse dependent-- she's usually a loner and there are very few she considers friends. Her brother might count, though he is a fair-weather friend. (Fox / @vuulpecula has seen her at her worst and still stays by her side, Rick / @rickgrimesdoingrickthings somehow puts up with her nonsense, Khan / @respondedinkind has been through hell and back with her, and we're only just beginning. :') )

relationship status. Single by default, though in some verses she is committed (@respondedinkind cause whoops she's falling just as hard as the first time we wrote / @vuulpecula always of course / @rickgrimesdoingrickthings they are so cute together i'm gonna die)

Notable mentions: Nebula who ties into her GotG Verse, and Makaria.

financial status. N/A

driver’s license. No

criminal record. Murder, arson, grand larceny, just being an asshole

vices. Addiction (modern verses), probably too much chocolate sometimes does that count

sex & romance.

sexual orientation. Pansexual (leaning heavily toward women)

preferred sexual role. Dominant-- then having her dominance wrestled away

libido. Fairly high

turn-ons. Confidence, neck biting, scratching, hair pulling, silk, lingerie, stockings.

turn-offs. Selfishness, not being direct enough, possessiveness (sometimes), jealousy (sometimes and she is a hypocrite).

love language. Quality time and physical touch are the two biggest ones. The first happens much quicker-- she'll begin to stay in the same areas as her beloved, usually quietly, sometimes offering to go with on errands, unconsciously finding a way to stay near them. The latter is much slower, typically, considering that she flinches from most physical contact. Though when she does cross that threshold, she's not opposed to holding hands, resting her head on their shoulders, and even cuddling.

relationship tendencies. Surprisingly affectionate, easy-going, slightly flirtatious, and a lot more open to conversation. More willing to show her paintings, too.

miscellaneous.

hobbies to pass time. Painting, playing the drums, sudoku, stargazing/astronomy, working out, embroidery

mental illnesses. CPTSD, Schizophrenia (misdiagnosed/verse dependent)

self-confidence level. Depends. Usually it's fairly high, unless it's a dreaded social situation.

Tagged by: @respondedinkind thank yooouuu<3

Tagging: @vuulpecula @rickgrimesdoingrickthings @lastsurvivor @dreamsofalife @fasciinating @juramentum (mu qing pls) / @vacantwar and YOU!

#x: sabaism (about.)#headcanon tag.

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ryin-silverfish · 7 days

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Are there stories about Bixia Yuanjun? Like, I'd say I know her more for, in other words, having jurisdiction over fox spirits. But are there stories or tales that involve her?

Also, is it a positive relationship or is it a relationship that could be considered "strictly professional"?

Yes indeed!

Bixia Yuanjun is also called Lady of Mt. Tai; as you can see, she is an important part of the East Mount worship. But whereas the Lord of Mt. Tai is more heavily associated with the Underworld and the dead, Bixia Yuanjun is both a mountain goddess, the guardian of women, and protector + giver of children.

To use an analogy: she is like the Mazu of northern China——a regional goddess who became vastly popular over time.

The earliest written record of Bixia Yuanjun was from the Song-Yuan era. The Yuan dynasty 文献通考 mentioned the "Pool of the Jade Maiden of Mt. Tai", and the Ming dynasty 玉女传 expanded further on this "Jade Maiden" variant of her tale.

Here, her name was Yuye, born of two mortals, she was a worshipper of QMoW, and at age 14-17, she ascended and became the Jade Maiden of Mt. Tai.

Another Ming dynasty folklore compendium, 枣林杂俎, said that her worship started in the Song dynasty: basically, there were two Han dynasty statues of the "Golden Boy and Jade Maiden" that had sunken into the Jade Maiden's pool.

When the maiden's statue resurfaced during Zhenzong's reign, she was granted the title "Bixia Yuanjun" and became an officially sanctioned goddess.

Though she had a lot of origin stories——some said that she was the Heavenly Emperor's daughter, others said she was one of the Yellow Emperor's seven daughters, the most popular origin story puts her as the daughter of the Lord of Mt. Tai.

Because of her role as the guardian of children, she was also believed to have control over smallpox——a common childhood disease.

Which might be why FSYY gave the "Bixia Yuanjun" title to Yu Hualong, who, alongside his five sons, could unleash AOE pox spells...even though the "Yuanjun" title is goddess-exclusive.

As influential as FSYY is on folk religions, this original twist is not a popular one and has been mostly ignored by worshippers.

(Though it'll be prime dark humor material if you use FSYY's pantheon, and say that Bixia Yuanjun is Huang Feihu's daughter. Like, her mom and aunt all died horribly thanks to Daji, and then someone in the Celestial Realm/she herself went "You know what, putting the East Mount in charge of fox cultivation exams is a great idea.")

As for her relationship to the foxes? Dunno. The Qing legends never go into details. However, because of her jurisdiction over foxes, there were mentions of fox immortals that have done bad things being punished by her.

For example, in Vol. 5 of 子不语, a male fox charmed a human woman and sired four sons, who looked human but had fox tails. Because of that, he was punished by the Lady of Mt. Tai to work on road construction, and was never allowed to set foot outside of her turf again.

HC-wise, I feel like her relationship with foxes is probably more "professional" than personal, because of the authority she had over them. More PhD supervisor than fox mom, to use an analogy.

#investiture of the gods #chinese folklore #chinese folk religion #chinese religion #bixia yuanjun #fox spirit #fengshen yanyi #huli jing

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delicateshounen-artjudge · 2 years

Text

I remember reading some tweet about how all mxtx couples having not touched each other's 'real' selves.

Cuz Binghe has never touched Shen Yuan as Shen Yuan but only as Shen Qingqiu. Lan Wangji only has Wei Wuxian in Mo Xuanyu's body because of the sacrifice. And Xie Lian has never touched Hua Cheng when he was still human.

But truly Lan-er-ge and Hua-chengzu have touched their partners ONCE in their original forms. Lan Wangji when he pinned Wei Wuxian to the tree and kissed him and Hua Cheng during the succubus thing had touched Xie Lian.

Which brings me to the topic of the day:

That Binghe is the only one who hasn't touched or known Shen Yuan as Shen Yuan but only as Shen Qingqiu: his cruel master who poured hot tea on his head during the welcoming ceremony, his shizun who'd never call him by his name only with cruel names- "beast" "bastard" "wretch", his shizun who made him do gruelling chores and gave him a wrong cultivation manual.

But Shen Yuan was the one who: gave him medicine to treat his injuries, recovered the jade Guanyin pendant his mother had given him, gave him the correct cultivation manual, jumped into harms way and got poisoned by 'no cure' even though he knew that Binghe COULDN'T die, personally taught him things, gave him the trust to start cultivating demonically also, made a sword grave for him, self destructed for him, wrecked himself to care for Binghe in holy Mausoleum, who married him.

And all of this for Binghe is the same person. Shen Yuan can't mention transmigration. Shen Yuan is now Shen Qingqiu, still deceiving Luo Binghe. I shudder at the thought of him finding out. Why? Because it will be supremely easy for Binghe to brand him an imposter, denounce him from his status etc etc. Shen Yuan is dead. Shen Jiu is also probably dead. Can you imagine the amount of pain that would be brought to Cang Qiong mountain if they find out that the time Shen Qingqiu supposedly had a qi deviation, was the time his body was possessed by another soul. Can you imagine how heartbroken Yue Qingyuan would be? Xiao Jiu doesn't exist anymore.

Shen yuan was young and waiting around for death. And he did die because of food related incidents. So he legit has nowhere to go to.

His only hope for survival is pretending to be Qing Jing peak lord Shen Qingqiu for the rest of his days. Tell me that that isn't infinitely sadder.

Fr MXTX did not hold back on her first novel. And 'proud immortal demon way' is so twisted on its own. Like Luo Binghe was clearly obsessed with his shizun: turning him into a human stick, using his legs as a bait to draw out Yue Qingyuan to his death, and still keeping Shen Jiu conscious and breathing in his palace even after having extracted all his revenge. Ning Ying Ying seemingly cared for her shizun even though he had apparently 'laid his hands on her' (which I seriously think was a twisted interpretation by Binghe). Binghe was, by nature, obsessed with Shen Qingqiu. So that same Binghe in SVSSS world was allowed to show his obsession in an affectionate way. And because his affections were mutual, it became justified. But that same Binghe finding out that his shizun was replaced by someone kinder, who believed that he deserved love and joy, who showed him affection and did all these things for him.

He'd be super conflicted at the very least. If he truly is that obsessed with Shen Qingqiu then he probably would be able to discard Shen Yuan easily. And again Shen Yuan had no one. Unlike airplane he was not born into the identity of Shen Qingqiu (Shang Qinghua had been there since infancy). Nor does he have the option of returning like airplane, he's dead for good. Meaning- he's totally at Luo Binghe's mercy.

I am honestly horrified at the prospect.

PS: I mentioned about sy being ill before transmigration but turns out I had misunderstood and he was not sick at all. He was just a neet. And thus that part was edited 👍

#scum villain #scum villian self saving system #shen yuan #shen qingqiu #luo binghe #today in MXTX couples #mo xiang tong xiu #scumbag system #stupid pen writes stupid words.#writing #thoughts #rambles #ramblings

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veliseraptor · 1 year

Note

In the case of SongXiaoXue going perfectly fix it style (XY meets the other two early, has a life-changing field trip and so manages to just pull himself back from massacring all the Chang Clan, decreases his canon atrocities and joins them in a polycule and becomes A-Qing's annoying uncle), how would JGY interact with them?

Like, thanks to them Chingmei isn't causing too much of a hassle, they'd be supportive of the Watchtower programme, he broadly likes their sect ideas etc, so I guess he'd like them, and it would add another base of support for him.

putting aside that I think convincing Xue Yang to not kill the Chang is...not impossible but pretty damn hard to do, which is why I don't think I've ever written him just straight up not doing it--

(working with novel timeline here, for the most part, because it just makes more sense)

man, that changes a lot of things, though. like, how does that interact with Xue Yang being a Jin disciple at the time (which he would be, if this is pre-Chang massacre, or even if it was afterwards), and specifically while Jin Guangshan is the sect leader? Because while I can see Jin Guangyao being willing to let Xue Yang fuck off and have quality independent daoshi time, I do not think Jin Guangshan would be so inclined; if anything, the second Xue Yang had a remotely positive relationship with Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan, Jin Guangshan wants to use that to draw the pair of them into association with the Jin Sect, which Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan are vehemently going to be not in favor of. That's going to be a hard and probably somewhat insulting nope!

(I mean, I'm picturing Song Lan giving a slightly more diplomatic refusal and Xiao Xingchen is just straight up like "no thank you, I don't want to participate in the corrupt and self-serving sect system :)" which. great move on his part for sure! not going to make him any powerful enemies! one of my favorite things about Xiao Xingchen is his complete indifference to social norms and refusal to be politic about anything, ever. It makes Song Lan's life harder even if he agrees with him most of the time; Xue Yang thinks it's great.)

and while Xue Yang would be happy to ignore Jin Guangshan and fuck off without permission, but that's going to, uh, not go over well and end up with everyone involved in a whole lot of trouble, and as we know, Jin Guangshan is very good at making problems for people when he doesn't like them.

so...that's a problem, and it's not really up to Jin Guangyao.

If they did figure out a way to make it work, and it comes up down the line with Jin Guangyao in trouble...unfortunately, even if they were to get involved (and I think Xue Yang's instinct, friendship or not, would be to go "nope! not getting in that, sorry a-Yao," and Song Lan would be equally disinclined to get into the political morass that's...everything there. Xiao Xingchen might be a little more inclined toward intervention, but I don't think enough to overrule the other two. I do think they'd approve of the watchtowers, you're right! but ultimately there's probably a general sort of distrust of everyone in that whole system (while Xiao Xingchen in this universe might actually still have more faith in the existing systems because he hasn't witnessed via Xue Yang's exculpation how corrupt it is, Song Lan is more jaded, and Xue Yang is the most jaded.). And they definitely wouldn't approve of Jin Guangyao's killing Nie Mingjue or Jin Guangshan, just on principle. So that's going to outweigh any casual existing goodwill from the daoshi, and Xue Yang has too much of a sense of self-preservation to not look at that whole situation and go "yeah that's a lost cause."

and even if they did go to bat for Jin Guangyao, in the face of everyone else turning on him...their word is not going to carry a lot of weight, and by that I mean their word is going to carry no weight at all. I think the most likely outcome there would be Xue Yang getting tarred by association (regardless of what he's actually done, as we know that's not really relevant when the accusations start flying in the cultivation world) and the daoshi getting labeled as poor naive fools taken in by the sinister wiles of Jin Guangyao, etc. etc. It would be very condescending "you don't know what you're talking about."

so...yeah, regardless of how they felt about it, I don't think it would ultimately matter. which is the general tragedy of the Yi City characters, actually (or one of them) - their sheer unimportance and insignificance. nobody, in the larger sense, cares what happens to them! Xiao Xingchen's pleas for justice are ignored. A-Qing's attempts to get people to listen to her before Xue Yang kills her are ignored. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen both disappear without a trace and, once he falls out of the Jin orbit, so does Xue Yang. I know people don't like the Yi City Arc because they feel it's "pointless" or "sidetracks the plot" and to that I say yes absolutely it sidetracks the plot and it is pointless (in the sense of it all already being over by the time anybody else arrives) and that's part of what makes it so good and so painful because nobody! cares!!! and that makes me so miserable.

anyway that's kind of a sidetrack from the content of your ask, but, well. ask me a question and get a rambling five paragraph essay, as always

#conversating #anonymous #i don't know that i can qualify this as 'meta'#ah whatever. it's analysis-y enough #lise does meta #the sad queer cultivators show #(though it's really more about the novel)#xue yang #xiao xingchen #song lan #jin guangyao

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shiningdesignersreflections · 4 months

Text

Chapter 4: Unexpected Incident

Narrated by Qing Yumo.

Narrator: None of us can believe it.

Narrator: Xitong didn't win. Neither did I.

Narrator: Not a single critic predicted the result correctly.

Narrator: I pick up the newspaper and read the name of the winner out loud.

Qing Yumo: Chi Xiaoyu...? Who's Chi Xiaoyu?

Colleague B: You... you okay?

Qing Yumo: Chi Xiaoyu? Who's that? I've never heard of this name.

Colleague A: Oh, no, she's shocked...

Colleague B: Ahem... Chi Xiaoyu is a student from the design academy.

Qing Yumo: A student? What did her design look like?

Colleague B: You know, the T-shirt and skirt. See? Here's a photo.

Narrator: The corner of my eye twitches as I stare at my colleague's screen.

Qing Yumo: No way...

Qing Yumo: How did this happen?

Colleague B: Read the article. Perhaps we forgot the most important factor since the very beginning...

Content: As an organizer of this event, we did a large-scale survey on voters who selected this design. The reason they chose it was...

Content: Because the other outfits looked too heavy for the hot weather.

Content: In Cloudcrest, the temperature outdoors is often above 35 degrees Celsius in summer. All the other outfits had long sleeves and looked hot.

Content: Other reasons include: "It's easy to move in," "the designer's cute," "I dislike the other choices," etc.

Content: As you can see, our voters care less about outfit style and more about comfort.

Narrator: I take a deep breath after finishing the article.

Narrator: Stay calm...

Narrator: I can't get mad... I must keep my composure...

Narrator: That's right. I'm not mad. Not mad at all...

Narrator: Still...

Qing Yumo: What ridiculous reason is that???

Narrator: It's the first time the ladies in the office are seeing me fly off the handle like this. They all look petrified.

Colleague A: Uh, the Director just came by to ask if you're alright... and if you'd like to take the day off.

Narrator: I take deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself down, then flash them a reassuring smile.

Qing Yumo: I. Don't. Need. That. Thanks.

Narrator: According to what they tell me afterward, my "reassuring" smile was actually the creepiest sight they'd ever seen.

Narrator: Be very honest with me. If you were to vote, what would you choose?

Choose either "Pick the prettiest" or "Pick the coolest..."

If "prettiest," ...

You: The most beautiful outfit, of course.

Narrator: That's comforting. There's still hope in this world.

If "coolest," ...

You: I'd probably choose the one that looks the least hot, too...

Narrator: I guess this world isn't what I thought it to be.

--

Narrator: Still, I bet Xitong is raging over the results, too.

Narrator: Tomorrow, she'll probably publish an article to rip the voters apart.

Narrator: Surprisingly enough, Xitong didn't even write a new article. She must be too crushed to even react.

Narrator: I heard that, after what happened, she decided to hold a weekly seminar in the museum, perhaps to educate the public.

Narrator: Anyway, the outfit theme is finally settled.

Narrator: The summer festival begins. The setting I designed looks utterly ethereal and romantic, transforming the city into a wonderland.

Narrator: But everywhere on the streets are girls in T-shirts and skirts.

Narrator: I can no longer find it in myself to get mad after seeing so many of them.

Narrator: We've almost finished all the tea in the office. I head out to buy some more and run into Xitong there.

Jiang Xitong: Oh, it's you. You're getting jade dew? That's way too fragrant for me.

Qing Yumo: And you? That old-fashioned ink-pin tea again?

Narrator: We exchange looks and heave a sigh at the exact same moment.

Jiang Xitong: I guess your design isn't that bad after all.

Qing Yumo: I could say the same to you.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

#qing yumo #shining nikki #transcript #chapter 4 #cloud empire #unexpected incident #festival #summer #truce #beauty #comfort

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