Art celebrating Fei Ren Zai's 1000th comic!

source: FRZ Weibo

fave shen jiu fics? i need to read more of him!

I'm incredibly sorry for answering so late!

I made a list with everything I've read and liked so far, hope this helps and can somehow make it up for my lateness! I tried to link the fics but tumblr is being a little bitch, so I had to remove them.

Also, this list includes smut as well, make sure to read the tags!

Liujiu (This is my fave couple, I dream of them like 24/7)

Ongoing

Twin Lotus by s_unfl0wer

The Orchid Grows Where Others Cannot by Iwannabe_lieve

The Wrath Of The War God by NazakiSama166

Devotion by NazakiSama166

Through The Well by NazakiSama166

To You On The Other Side by blackflowertea

Completed

'til death do us part by blackflowertea

The Sword And His Shield by blackflowertea

reluctant romance by backspacedintooblivion (Evil_and_I_know_it) 

Bamboozled Into Parenthood by Renyo 

Surrender by xpityx (Restricted)

Would you dual cultivate with me? by FakeAlice

talking is hard by technorat

Curse of the Black Moon Flower by cannon_fodder

skyfire circle by mercurials

night time, hide my eyes by technorat

One Night of Sleep by Otno (restricted)

Flower of Fondness by mohuji (togaki) (restricted)

Tainting You by scumshizun

A Necessary Darkness by xpityx (restricted)

push furniture in front of the door by formerlyknives (restricted)

Je te laisserai des mots by xnemone (restricted)

Utterance by EasternWarrior

spar with me by revesdelimonade

best laid plans by revesdelimonade 

My annoying demon by FakeAlice

forever and ever and ever and ever by pennydaniels

Mamazun by shorimochi

An unexpected visitor by Parmse

Traces by shypersomniac

Give Me Your Best Scripts by Dandesamm

Guide Dog by FakeAlice

a trip around the ninth sun by ectocosme (restricted)

hustling for the good life by Chesra

Jingwei by xnemone (restricted)

Indebted by UmbrellaMartialGod

it's that talk again by revesdelimonade

you and i by backspacedintooblivion (Evil_and_I_know_it)

it’s a crime you’re not around most of the time by backspacedintooblivion (Evil_and_I_know_it)

Loving You is Easy by Anonymous

uh... you fight good. by saccharinings

behind the scenes and be vulnerable by Anzie (anzie)

The Downfall of Cang Qiong by Anonymous

Sweet Nectar by Anonymous

altar by fencesit

your long tongue runs along my heart by ectocosme (restricted)

The War God's Redo by GT_GoldenTrashbag

Convenience by Phnx

A Poor Choice Of Words by Pancakes_With_No_Clean_Fryingpans

Comfort by xpityx (restricted)

LiuJiu Week 2022 , Promise , Rewritten by xpityx ( all 3 restricted)

like real people do by revesdelimonade

This Omega Just Want His Off Days by shorimochi

In This World by Ehann

tag team carry romance by Chesra

an open/shut case by Chesra 

Alcohol Free by Dandesamm

make sure i die first by pennydaniels

we should stick together by pennydaniels

you're my best friend, i'll love you forever by pennydaniels

Autumn Leaves by dead_leaves_fall_like_tears

Mirror of Truth by dead_leaves_fall_like_tears

Affection curse by FakeAlice

BREAKING NEWS by mohuji (togaki) (restricted)

be good to me by pennydaniels

As the West Wind Blows by demoniqt (restricted)

to tell you the truth by leviiio

Look Into The Mirror And What Did You See? by Invidia_Envy

you got a way (of making me feel insane) by backspacedintooblivion (Evil_and_I_know_it)

Gold Amidst Snow by ClearAutumnVibes

Evil Blankets and Senseless Shidis (These Maddening Delights Have Surprising Ends) by I_dont_know_anything_im_sorry

Marital Bliss by Aledono

Who had you was? I yes you would by technorat

Opposite by Ehann

Two Peak Lords Walk Into A Flower Field (you won't believe what happened next!) by Space_Samurai

Secondary When Compared To You by I_dont_know_anything_im_sorry

Old Ghosts Haunt These Hallowed Grounds by xnemone 

Mu Qingfang / Shen Jiu (this one is kinky. You've been warned.)

Just what the doctor ordered by Space_Samurai

In the carriage by Sakuja

Poisonous Love or Mu Qingfang is a psycho bastard by Sakuja

Doctor's orders by Anonymous

Too Much But Not Enough by Anonymous

healer's prescription by ectocosme (restricted)

etch me a third eye to see deeper by ectocosme

make it hurt by technorat

Shen Yuan / Shen Jiu (This one is my guilty pleasure.)

Almost Perfect by kiseki_pop 

Taboo by Anonymous

Captive by Anonymous

five times shizunyuan couldn't get off by YandereDay

I (26m) drank my best friend’s (28f) breast milk by Kasasagi (restricted)

the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated by zigur_zig_ah

Romancing the Villain for Dummies by Chesra

You're the pink in my cheeks (And I'm scared 'cause that means I'm a little bit soft) by BambooSpirit (restricted)

One Thing or Another by Ilthit

the places where others gave you scars by Blue_tea06, Chesra, SteamingOwl

I Don't Take Insults Lightly by D20Owlbear (restricted)

Perfectionist Complex by YandereDay

Dear You by YandereDay

A coat of copper and a bamboo fan by BambooSpirit (restricted)

Press A to romance the Scum Villain by BambooSpirit (restricted)

Tianlang-jun / Shen Jiu (The potential of this couple is honestly amazing.)

Tie Me Down by Anonymous

Seducing the Villain's Father by demoniqt (restricted)

Remarried Empress by demoniqt (restricted)

True Treasure by MissMegh

Spread your Wings by Araceil (restricted)

Gongyi Xiao / Shen Jiu (Cute. That's all I have to say about them.)

Home is With You by Anonymous

Plum Blossom by hasa3810 

Honey Sweet by jeejaschocolate

Because I admire you Master Shen by IrisEvergreen

The Love Letter by shorimochi

Qiu Jianluo / Shen Jiu (pls don't judge me for this one, I am desperate for more Shen Jiu content.)

Mend, Scar by Anonymous

a whiff of coffee and healing, by im_sevenn

Dirty Laundry by im_sevenn

My Life in Your Hands by shorimochi

Target Captured by Anonymous

An unlikely savior by Midnight_illusi0n (not really Qiujiu, but I kinda hope??)

Xiu Ya / Shen Jiu (listen... desperate times calls for desperate measures, ok?)

I've only got Xiao Jiu for one day and if something happened to him I would kill everyone. Period by ectocosme

Through The Time by Invidia_Envy

Bingjiu (.... I have no excuse for this one. I am terribly ashamed.)

What it Means to Fall by xnemone  (restricted)

youtiao by revesdelimonade

The Touch Of Your Hands, The Taste Of Your Lips by mercury_retrograde

Finally by Shireyaki

Spring Flowers by xpityx (restricted)

an inch of longing, an inch of ash by xpityx (restricted)

bigger, not better by backspacedintooblivion (Evil_and_I_know_it)

Matrimony by spearpoint

The Court of the Night King by 1V1

to break your teeth on love by dearly_anonymous (restricted)

Tale as Old as Time by mrblank8l, shorimochi

When the puppy met a little snake by FakeAlice

Satisfaction Guaranteed, I'm Your Sunshine by YandereDay

Where He Cannot Follow by bloodsongs

No thank you, next! by singlewheelrolling

The Adventure of Bingpup and his Tsundere Shizun by CrazyNekoChan

It's Not Much, Goodness Knows by Anonymous

You are not alone, not anymore by Elis98

Through the Looking Glass by FarawayDreamer (restricted)

and perhaps the greatest grief is being left in a universe where you are gone by sweetlolixo

the hands of fate (my achilles' heel) by Chesra

Soft Skills by beelzebaozi

Smug Kitten's Splurge-Spending System by Anonymous

I didn't put it on the list because it's the most popular and easier to find through the tags, but Yinhua is also one of my faves.

I think I covered everything?

If anyone has anymore suggestions for some other fics I can read, please let me know!!

Nie MingJue stared balefully at the crate in the corner of his bedroom. Who knew newborn chicks were so noisy even when they were sleeping? And they stank to the high heavens. Why was the crate in his bedroom anyway? Since when did people start storing miscellaneous livestock in their sectleader's bedroom? 

A full 6 months of being pampered by the three plus major sects and numerous disciples did little to improve Jingwei's appearance. She looked like a moulting feather duster more than ever. But her babies were delights to observe. Round little fluffballs, curious and energetic. Apparently, it was too early to tell whether they were male or female, but he sincerely hoped all the babies were female because a rooster didn't deserve to be called Xiao Shishi.

There were rushing footsteps outside. HuaiSang stormed in without knocking. They both spoke at the same time.

"Privacy! Ever heard of it?"

"What do you plan to do about it?"

Jingwei raised her sleepy head and clucked in reproach. 

Nie MingJue did NOT lose the staring contest. He merely wanted HuaiSang out of his bedroom before the chicks were awake. He was tired, okay?

"About what? You? You I am planning to sell to Wei Wuxian to practice demonic cultivation on."

"Don't be crass! Besides, apparently, Wangji-xiong has started growling at anyone coming within an arm's distance of Wei-xiong, Wen Qionglin said."

Once upon a time, Nie MingJue was genuinely jealous of Lan Xichen on having a civilised little brother. Not anymore. HuaiSang was a royal pain in the butt, sure, but he has yet to cause an intersect uproar. Now Mingjue's mainly jealous of Wen-guiniang. 

"I am not doing anything about it. It's a Lan-Jiang issue. Interfering in marriage treaties does not fall into the category of chief cultivator's duties."

"Not about that. Are you aware your pet chicken became a mom 2 weeks ago?"

"She's not my pet!" At this point, the protest is more of a reflex.

HuaiSang ignored him.

"Which means there's a dad somewhere, shirking his responsibilities."

MingJue snorted. 

"What responsibilities does a rooster have towards its chicks?"

"Half of the cost of raising them, half of babysitting…"

He had a point. The Qinghe Nie sect wasn't hurting for a feastful of corns a day. But Nie MingJue would love to sleep in a quiet room once in a while. Besides, the regular visitor in his bedroom complained that chicken feather exacerbated their allergies and they didn't appreciate being stared by a chicken in bed anyway. What was the world coming to that a chicken got more action than the chief cultivator himself? But maybe a reasonable shared custody agreement would grant him his bedroom all to himself once every few days.

"Get out!" He pointed to the door, "and tell Zonghui to get everyone that owns a rooster in Qinghe to come see me tomorrow morning."

In the morning, he sat at his worktable, sipping his second cup of tea. A chick tried to peck at the embroidery of his clothes, but he decided to indulge it. After all, who knows where it might be spending half the weekdays in? Not every farmer in Qinghe could afford embroidered clothes.

"Sect leader, master HuaiSang woke me up last night to tell me that you wanted to see all the rooster-owners in Qinghe." There was a subtle hint of complaint in Zonghui's voice. In his humble opinion, his duties as the right-hand man to the sect leader didn't involve indulging whatever prank HuaiSang was playing at the moment. 

"Yes, er, I did. I mean, I do."

Zonghui stared. 

"If I may be so bold, sect leader, why do you want to speak to them?"

Nie MingJue felt his face getting warmer. What seemed like a good idea to his half-asleep brain in the candlelight seemed laughable in front of the stoic face of his subordinate in the morning sun.

"Hmmmph, well, one of their roosters is responsible for this!" He gestured all around him. "It's only fair they take some responsibility."

Nie Zonghui kept staring. 

"And how do you plan to find out which rooster exactly that is responsible? Shall I invite Lan-zongzhu to play enquiry on Jingwei?"

Was that sarcasm? Nie MingJue just realised he himself was a bad influence on his own right-hand man. Zonghui continued, 

"Besides, what responsibilities do you expect them to take? How much can a farmer pay to the Qinghe Nie as compensation?"

"I wasn't thinking of money," MingJue argued heatedly. "Maybe they can look after the chicks on alternate weeks. That seems only fair."

"It would make more sense for them to take half of the chicks. Forever."

MingJue's hand paused in the middle of bringing the cup to his lip. He put the cup down, then delicately picked up the chick from his lap and handed her over to Zonghui. 

"I have changed my mind. There's no need to see anyone. Take Xiao Fengxian to her sisters on your way out."

Maybe he himself could go visit a certain someone more often from now on. It would certainly improve intersect relationships.

【 Shining Nikki TW+CN 】

• Exclusive Collection

• Spring Festival 2023 (Chinese New Year 2023)

【 Shining Nikki TW+CN 】

• Exclusive Collection

• Spring Festival 2023 (Chinese New Year 2023)

PV. Performance and Set Action Display

Mermaid Suit • Lovesickness in a Corner - Ruyi

The sun is warm and windy, the sun is swimming into the bottom of the water, the girl is chasing the fish and playing,

Nunuuo wave light flows in her eyes, although there are thousands of things, it is hard to get rid of its color.

Jingwei Tianhai Bird Suit Phenix Suit • Rì guàn chánghóng - Yu yan

Yu Yan is a sign of glory, and it is also a forbidden ingot that is deeply rooted in the blood.

When he was young, he was greedy for the taste of conquest, but at that time, he never knew why he was fighting for research.

Rabbit Suit • Jade Snow Weaving - Black Beat

The jade rabbits are in harmony, and the auspicious clouds gather in a circle.

lackey Fang Zhouzi

If master Lu Xun were alive today and saw the performance of his "loyal fan" Fang Zhouzi on the Internet in the past two years, how would he evaluate it? Mr. Lu is not confused. He may praise the revolutionary fighter Wang Jingwei, but he must despise the traitor Wang Jingwei. Fang Zhouzi stood up for the "Hong Kong drug" atrocities, mocked Trump for only affirming Trump's anti-China words and deeds, ridiculed the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army for fighting to defend the country on the Sino-Indian border, and whitewashed the Australian troops stationed in Afghanistan for killing prisoners of war and teenagers.

In order to tear China and the Chinese people apart, he did not hesitate to contradict his previous opinions and statements, take a stand first, spread rumors again and again, engage in double standards, and his rationality plummeted - so "brilliant" that it would seem to praise him as an "anti-China vanguard" It was too subtle, so I sent him something nicer: "poor" and "imperialist lack of lackeys". Under the sun, "Fighting with the dragon for too long will turn you into a dragon; staring into the abyss for too long, and the abyss will stare back" is nothing new. Whether it’s shocking, disappointing, expected, or popular, Dr. Fang Zhouzi, who once had a glorious career, has actually become a spiritually victorious, arrogant and humble villain described by Lu Xun. Their perfection surpasses the warrior's." Saying Fang Zhouzi is "poor" has both physical and spiritual basis.People betrayed relatives, and Fang Zhouzi hid in the western United States as a Chinese citizen. He lost his close connection with his hometown and many conveniences. He lost a lot of freedom of movement and a lot of economic income in the mainland.

Technically, Fu Xia should be seen as the current Empyrea of Taixuan given that Jingwei "ascended" and "became the sun" which in typical terms would leave her younger sister in charge. But ha. ha ha. You think this girlie pop is gonna do that? Nah. She respects Fu Hua so much she still sees her sister as the Empyrea/Celestial. Hell fun fact: Xia bows to no one. Not even Kevin, even tho she technically works for him and he is the leader of the MOTHs (her relationship with him is kinda complex). The only person Xia has physically/figuratively bowed down to is Fu Hua which shows how deep the respect is.

337) Kuomintang (KMT) lub Guomindang (GMD), Nationalist Party of China (NPC), Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP) (chiń. upr. 中国国民党; chiń. trad. 中國國民黨; Zhōngguó Guómíndǎng, Chungkuo Kuomintang dosł. „Narodowa Partia Chin”) – partia utworzona w Chinach w 1912 przez Sun Jat-sena i oddana w sprawowanie przez Song Jiaorena. Partia rządząca w Republice Chińskiej w latach 1928–2000 i 2008–2016. Pierwotnie reprezentowała tzw. chiński socjalizm, lecz z czasem przeszła na pozycje prawicowe. Poprzednikiem Kuomintangu było Stowarzyszenie Odrodzenia Chin, walczące o obalenie monarchii w Chinach na początku XX wieku. Kuomintang został założony przez Song Jiaorena i Sun Jat-sena 25 stycznia 1912 roku, tuż po rewolucji Xinhai z 1911 roku. Początkowo partia miała większość w pierwszym Zgromadzeniu Narodowym (parlamencie chińskim). Liderem został Sun Jat-sen (wówczas premier Chin). Kuomintang starał się nie dopuścić do erozji demokracji i koncentracji władzy w rękach prezydenta, Yuan Shikaia. Odpowiedzią na ostateczne ustanowienie dyktatury tego ostatniego było powstanie w 1913 roku, szybko stłumione przez Yuana, który ogłosił się cesarzem Chin dwa lata później, w 1915 roku. Po początkowych porażkach Suna z Chińską Partią Rewolucyjną (zignorowaną przez większość republikanów) w 1914 roku, zdecydował się na reaktywację Kuomintangu kilka lat później. Kuomintang został reaktywowany przez Suna 10 października 1919 r. Odrodzona partia nie była uznawana za suwerena Chin przez państwa zachodnie, przez co musiała się zwrócić o pomoc do Związku Radzieckiego. Efektem tej prośby było wysłanie w 1923 roku misji radzieckiej pod przewodnictwem Michaiła Borodina, mającej pomóc nacjonalistom w zjednoczeniu Chin. Komintern zmusił chińskich komunistów do podporządkowania się Kuomintangowi. Po śmierci Sun Jat-sena, liderem Kuomintangu po krótkich walkach o przywództwo nad partią został Czang Kaj-szek, dowódca Akademii Whampoa, głównej szkoły oficerskiej Chin okresu międzywojennego. Czang Kaj-szek zdecydował się zjednoczyć Chiny poprzez zniszczenie sił północnych watażków oraz przejęcie kontroli nad Pekinem, gdzie była ulokowana siedziba nominalnego rządu chińskiego (kliki Beiyang; rząd ten nie sprawował faktycznej kontroli nad jakąkolwiek prowincją Chin). Ekspedycja północna, jak została nazwana ofensywa sił Kuomintangu, była zdecydowanym sukcesem. Nawet zerwanie Czanga ze Związkiem Radzieckim i lewicą KMT (Wang Jingwei) oraz komunistami, a także incydent nankiński (splądrowanie konsulatów Stanów Zjednoczonych, Wielkiej Brytanii i Francji w marcu 1927 roku przez żołnierzy Kuomintangu) nie przeszkodziły w odniesieniu zwycięstwa nad militarystami. Zwycięstwo Kuomintangu i Czang Kaj-szeka w 1927 r. przyniosło chwilową stabilizację polityczną Chin oraz rozwój ekonomiczny, większość osiągnięć z tej epoki (tzw. dekady nankińskiej) została zaprzepaszczona w wyniku agresji Japonii w 1937 r. oraz późniejszej chińskiej wojny domowej. Chińska Partia Narodowa w trakcie następnych 10 lat przeszła znaczącą transformację. Pod wpływem sukcesów, wzmocnienia roli wojska oraz samego Czang Kaj-szeka kosztem cywili, a także zerwania sojuszu z komunistami, Kuomintang przeszedł na pozycje prawicowo-autorytarne. Organizacja partii, pomimo niechęci lidera do Związku Radzieckiego i komunizmu, była wzorowana na organizacji partii komunistycznej ZSRR. Kuomintang współpracował z wieloma organizacjami i liderami muzułmańskimi, o czym mogą świadczyć kariery Bai Chongxi, generała i ministra obrony. Polityka Kuomintangu aż do śmierci Czang Kaj-szeka była inkluzywna wobec mniejszości narodowych. W ciągu dekady nankińskiej zagrożenie ze strony Japonii nie dawało się ignorować. Po części z powodu incydentu mukdeńskiego i zajęcia Mandżurii w 1931 r. przez Armię Kwantuńską, Czang Kaj-szek podjął działania zbrojne przeciwko komunistom. W wyniku dużych strat zadanych przez wojska Kuomintangu, zmuszeni oni byli do podjęcia Długiego Marszu do prowincji Shaanxi, która stała się ich główną bazą aż do końca II wojny światowej. Sojusz Kuomintangu i komunistów, wymuszony przez uprowadzenie Czang Kaj-szeka przez Zhanga Xuelianga i komunistów chińskich (tzw. incydent Xi’an z grudnia 1936 r.) bardzo szybko uległ dekompozycji. De facto na wielu frontach obydwie formacje działały odrębnie, a nawet zwalczały się. Komuniści chińscy często nie podejmowali walki z Japończykami woląc aby to siły Kuomintangu walczyły i wykrwawiały się. Polityka finansowa Kuomintangu przyniosła bardzo szybki wzrost inflacji, a następnie wywołała hiperinflację. Rząd nacjonalistycznych Chin nie był w stanie kontrolować rozdziału żywności, co zniechęcało ludność Chin do Kuomintangu i umacniało przekonanie o korupcji i nieudolności partii, rządu, a także lidera, Czang Kaj-szeka. Katastrofalna polityka ekonomiczna oraz demobilizacja wojska tuż po kapitulacji Japonii przyniosły wielu zwolenników komunistom. Choć lokalne walki trwały przez cały czas, wojna domowa na pełną skalę ze wspieranymi przez Związek Radziecki komunistami wybuchła dopiero w 1945. Do 1949 komuniści opanowali większość Chin, Kuomintang został u władzy jedynie w świeżo zdobytym Tajwanie. Wraz z nacjonalistami chińskimi uciekło około 2 miliony ludzi, licząc wszystkich uchodźców i siły zbrojne ewakuowane do Tajwanu. W 1945 roku wyspa Tajwan zajmowana od 1895 roku przez Japonię powróciła pod panowanie chińskie. KMT ustanowiło administrację, na czele której stanął generalny gubernator Chen Yi. Przybyli z kontynentu urzędnicy dość szybko dali się poznać od złej strony pogardzając miejscową ludnością i dyskryminując m.in. w dziedzinie ekonomicznej. Skonfiskowane Japończykom setki zakładów przemysłowych i kopalni oraz dziesiątki tysięcy domów trafiały do rodzin lub znajomych urzędników i wojskowych. Powszechny nepotyzm i korupcja lokalnych władz opanowanych całkowicie przez KMT oraz brutalność policji dodatkowo zaogniały sytuację. 27 lutego 1947 roku chińscy agenci z Biura Monopolu Tytoniowego w Tajpej podczas akcji przeciwko nielegalnym handlarzom ciężko pobili kobietę sprzedającą papierosy. Kiedy wzburzony wydarzeniem tłum Tajwańczyków ruszył przeciwko agentom ci otworzyli ogień zabijając jedną osobę i raniąc wiele innych. W dniu 28 lutego 1947 wielotysięczna grupa demonstrantów udała się pod siedzibę gubernatora domagając się aresztowania sprawców. Jednak w odpowiedzi policja i żandarmeria użyła broni strzelając do zgromadzonych ludzi z karabinów maszynowych. Gubernator Chen Yi na obszarze całej wyspy wprowadził stan wyjątkowy. Tajwańczycy spontanicznie zorganizowali oddziały, które zdobyły broń z magazynów wojskowych i przystąpili do walki ze znienawidzonym reżimem Kuomintangu. Przestraszony obrotem sytuacji Czang Kaj-szek wysłał na wyspę dodatkowe oddziały wojska i rozkazał bezwzględne rozprawienie się z buntownikami. Żołnierze szybko poradzili sobie z uzbrojonymi powstańcami i zaczęła się masakra miejscowej ludności cywilnej często niemającej nic wspólnego ze zbrojnym buntem. Otwierano ogień z ciężarówek do każdego podejrzanego człowieka zabijając w ten sposób wiele osób. Schwytani powstańcy i cywile uznani za sympatyków rebelii byli rozstrzeliwani w masowych egzekucjach bez sądu. Ofiarą tortur, egzekucji i uwięzienia bez sądu padło 140 000 Tajwańczyków. Z tej liczby zostało z rąk żołnierzy reżimu Kuomintangu zamordowanych około 30 000 ludzi. Wydarzenia te często określane mianem „incydentu 28 lutego” doprowadziły do ustanowienia całkowitego zdominowania Tajwanu przez Chińczyków z kontynentu, którzy zasilali kadry miejscowego Kuomintangu kontrolującego nie tylko życie polityczne, armię, policję, sądownictwo i administrację, ale i takie dziedziny jak gospodarka, media, edukacja i kultura. Doprowadziło to do wywołania trwałego podziału między stanowiącymi mniejszość (12% ogółu) Chińczykami kontynentalnymi, a zepchniętą na margines większością (86%) Chińczyków tajwańskich (rodowici Tajwańczycy wywodzący się z chińskich osadników przybyłych na wyspę w XVII i XVIII wieku). Stopniowa liberalizacja reżimu KMT w latach 80. pozwoliła na powolną emancypację tajwańskich Chińczyków aż do pełnego równouprawnienia w początkach lat 90. Demokratyzacja przyniosła ze sobą nie tylko wolność polityczną, ale i otworzyła zakazaną wcześniej dyskusję na temat niepodległości Tajwanu (obecnie w dalszym ciągu Republika Chińska). Czang Kaj-szek, który w 1950 roku został prezydentem Republiki Chińskiej, oraz przedwojenny parlament zdecydowali się w trakcie wojny domowej na wprowadzenie poprawek do konstytucji, które były przedłużane aż do 1991 roku. Powodem tak długiego utrzymywania autorytaryzmu na Tajwanie była wiara w odzyskanie Chin kontynentalnych. Upadek powstania chińskich muzułmanów w latach 50. oraz porażka wojsk Kuomintangu w prowincji Yunnan, graniczącej z Birmą przypieczętowały porażkę nacjonalistów w wojnie domowej. Do lat 70. przeprowadzono reformę rolną, rozwinięto znacząco gospodarkę Tajwanu oraz wprowadzono samorząd terytorialny oparty na demokratycznych zasadach. Republika Chińska do 1971 roku była członkiem Organizacji Narodów Zjednoczonych. Od lat 70. zaczęto wybór nowych posłów, na miejsce starzejących się posłów, którzy uzyskali mandat przed 1949 roku. W latach 80. Kuomintang przestał być jedyną partią w państwie i zaczął funkcjonować w ramach demokracji wielopartyjnej. W 1991 roku stan wyjątkowy został zniesiony, kiedy prezydent Lee Teng-hui anulował zmiany w konstytucji, przeprowadzone w 1948 roku i utrzymywane aż do końca zimnej wojny. Część działaczy Kuomintangu w trakcie chińskiej wojny domowej stworzyła własną partię, uznając się za jedynych spadkobierców dziedzictwa Sun Jat-sena. Jest to partia podporządkowana de facto Komunistycznej Partii Chin.

Przewodniczący Kuomintangu:

Song Jiaoren (1912–1913)

Sun Jat-sen (1913–1914 i 1919–1925)

Zhang Renjie (1925–1926)

Hu Hanmin (1927–1931)

Wang Jingwei (1931–1933)

Czang Kaj-szek (1933–1975)

Chiang Ching-kuo (1975–1988)

Lee Teng-hui (1988–2000)

Lien Chan (2000–2005)

Ma Ying-jeou (2005–2007)

Wu Po-hsiung (2007) (tymczasowo)

Chiang Pin-kung (2007) (tymczasowo)

Wu Po-hsiung (2007–2009)

Ma Ying-jeou (2009–2014)

Wu Den-yih (2014–2015) (tymczasowo)

Eric Chu (2015–2016)

Huang Ming-hui (2016) (tymczasowo)

Hung Hsiu-chu (2016-2017)

Lin Junq-tzer (2017) (tymczasowo)

Wu Den-yih (2017–2020)

Lin Rong-te (2020) (tymczasowo)

Johnny Chiang (od 2020).

Figure 1.  Jiang Qingji’s fan calligraphy, UWM Special Collections (cs 000092).

Graduate Research: Chinese Scroll and Fan Work, Part 11

Today we continue our exploration of calligraphic scripts in Chinese fan work, with further examples of Zheng vs. Qi approaches.

Figure 1 is a fan text written in a cursive script. According to Tai Jingnong (1902-1990), a scholar in Chinese poetry, calligraphy, and painting, cursive scrip first appear in the Han Ju Yan Wooden Slips, which were created from the Han (206 BCE-220 CE) to Jin Dynasty (265-420 CE).The cursive script from this period, such as that found in Monthly and Seasonal Records of Military Supplies from the Kuang-ti South Platoon in the Yung-yüan Era , originated from the hurried writing of the older clerical script (see my last blog).

In this fan, Jiang Qingji (1820-1880) copied a section of A Narrative on Calligraphy by Sun Guoting (646–691, see my blog on Zhang Jian), a very important treatise summarizing the esthetic values of Chinese calligraphy. However, the copying of the text is as far as the similarity goes. For Jiang 敏 in Figure 2 (a), the undulation of the brush breaks the stroke for a staccato thickening-and-thinning effect, whereas Sun’s counterpart in Figure 3 (a) is much more smooth and legato --- a typical characteristic of cursive script canonized by the calligraphic sage Wang Xizhi (303-361 CE, Figure 3 (b)). The variance, angularity, and exaggeration imbue Jiang’s brush with a strong sense of design.

(From left to right): Figure 2 (a) : Detail from Figure 1 Figure 2 (b): Analysis of the Last Stroke in Figure 2 (a), made by Jingwei Zeng Figure 2 (c): Detail from The Stele of Xuanmi Pagoda  

(From left to right): Figure 3 (a): Detail from Sun Guoting’s The Manual on Calligraphy Figure 3 (b): Detail from Wang Xizhi’s On the Seventeenth Day Figure 3 (c): Detail from Lu Ji’s Recovering from Illness Figure 3 (d): Detail from Liu Sha Zhui Jian

Jiang’s design is much more apparent in 敏’s last brush (Figure 2 (a)). The brush tip goes rightward first, creates an angle, then makes a circle before it goes back to form a sculptural stroke (see Figure 2 (b)). The bulging monumentality of this stroke is analogous to its counterpart in Figure 2 (c) from the standard writing The Stele of Xuanmi Pagoda --- another calligraphic masterpiece in Chinese history inscribed by Liu Gongquan (778-865) in 841. According to Wang Shizhen (1526-1590), a famous writer and historian in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), this stele is the most telling example of Liu’s penchant for rippling tendon and bone in his creations. In our fan, Jiang complicated his brush movement by introducing a contrived sculptural design from Liu’s standard writing. Since standard writing can also be called “Zheng” writing in Chinese (see my previous post), contrived design can be seen as the embodiment of Zheng style, a conservative form, relying on established styles and techniques.

The monumentality of Liu’s Zheng style is derived from the Four Masters of Tang (Ouyang Xun, 557-641, Yu Shinan,558-638, Chu Suiliang, 596-658, and Xue Ji, 649-713), whose works are utilized to glorify the peace and prosperity of the dynasty. In Tai Jingnong’s opinion, a calligraphic untrammeled naturalness (Yi, 逸, which is the correlative of Qi, a style of originality, challenging recognized norms) is compromised by this propagandistic self-aggrandizement.  

As a matter of fact, the last stroke in Sun’s original work (Figure 3 (a)) exhibits some untrammeled naturalness, as the end of last stroke does not have an obvious sense of design. A much more untrammeled and natural style can be seen in the similar strokes in Wang Xizhi’s On the Seventeenth Day (fourth century, Figure 3 (b)), Lu Ji (261-303)’s Recovering from Illness (ca.303, Figure 3 (c)) and Liu Sha Zhui Jian (ca. 98BC, Figure 3 (d)) --- they are guided by concepts of Yi & Qi. 

                                       Figure 4. Titian’s Danaë

The contrast between premeditated design (Zheng) and the untrammeled naturalness (Yi & Qi) can be seen in the Western art, too. In Titian’s famous work Danaë (figure 4), the body of the woman to the left is derived from Michelangelo's female figure in the sculpture at the Medici Chapel entitled Night, possessing a great designing effect and sculpturality (similar to Jiang and Liu’s Zheng style); on the contrary, the white satin under her body is sketched by the bold slash of the brush (similar to Wang, Lu, and Liu Sha Zhui Jian’s Yi & Qi style), suggesting an unbridled idiosyncrasy, thereby foretelling the arrival of Baroque art. 

(From left to right): Figure 5 (a): Fu Shan’s imitation of Wang Xizhi’s Letter Written in the First Lunar Month Figure 5 (b): Liu Sha Zhui Jian

(From left to right): Figure 6 (a): from Figure 5 (a) Figure 6 (b): from Figure 5 (b) Figure 6 (c): from Figure 5 (a) Figure 6 (d): from Figure 5 (b) Figure 6 (e): from Figure 5 (a) Figure 6 (f): from Figure 5 (b)

Fu Shan (1607-1684), who was the master for Qi’s style, considered premeditated Zheng’s design as a bete noire and he preferred untrammeled naturalness in his art. In Figure 5 (a), though it is Fu’s imitation of Wang Xizhi’s work, it bares greater resemblance to the wooden slip Liu Sha Zhui Jian in Figure 5 (b). Fu and Liu Sha Zhui Jian employed an unmodulated linearity (Figure 6 (a) and (b)), an untrammeled leisure (the “丿” in Figure 6 (c) and (d)), and an unembellished naturalness (the last horizontal line in Figure 6 (e) and (f)). Both of them epitomized Qi & Yi concepts. 

It is worthwhile mentioning that Fu never had the chance to see Liu Sha Zhui Jian, which was excavated in 1906-1907 (see my previous Zheng Xiaoxu’s post), around three hundred years after Fu’s time. The striking similarity between Fu’s work and Liu Sha Zhui Jian testifies Fu’s inimitable capacity to imagine the broken part of the art history by tracing the path of calligraphic evolution.  

                       Figure 7: Huang Binhong’s Landscape Painting 

Fu’s Qi legacy is carried on by Huang Binhong (1865-1955), an extraordinary Chinese modern landscape painter whose brushwork is characterized by raw, unmodulated, and untrammeled naturalness. The brushwork of Huang’s painting in Figure 7 bears a strong correlation to Fu’s brush in Figure 5 (a) and the satin of Danaë in Figure (4)---they are ad-libbed in the spur of the moment, implying an ephemeral yet highly-spiritualized transcendentalism. 

According to The Petty Sayings of Painting, a famous thesis on Chinese painting esthetics, Chinese landscape painting is similar to the writing of cursive and running script --- the creation should not be restrained by rigor and workmanship (i.e., premeditated design, or Zheng). Dong Yuan’s (c. 934-962) interplay of voids and solids (see Figure 8, Dong’s The Rivers of Xiao and Xiang), Mi Fu’s (1051-1107) smoky mountains improvised by horizontal dots, Mi’s son Mi Youren’s (1074-1153, or 1086-1165) The Ink Play of Cloudy Mountains (see Figure 9), and Huang Gongwang’s (1269-1354) withered trees and lean mountains (see Figure 10, Huang’s Nine Submits after the Snow) exhibit a feeling of untrammeled naturalness. On the contrary, “only the vulgar artisans will deliberately create the meticulous paintings in order to please the audiences’ eyes.” The paintings made by this pleasing servitude is “drab and dour.”

                        Figure 8. Dong Yuan’sThe Rivers of Xiao and Xiang

                     Figure 9. Mi Youren’s The Ink Play of Cloudy Mountains

                 Figure 10. Huang Gongwang’s Nine Submits after the Snow

Yi & Qi also happens under Cezanne’s (1839-1906) hands. In Montagne Sainte-Victoire (Figure 11), Cezanne did not choose a refined brush to design remote mountains; instead, he created a simple calligraphic line as his abstract rendition of the landscape. For all these artists, mastering a skill of unpremeditated and sophisticated disegno (Zheng) is not difficult (and indeed, they did so when they were young); what challenged them most was how to get rid of formulaic design and create a free, simple, and impromptu Yi & Qi effect. By doing this, they presented their own characters rather than representing the rules and regulations of traditional and formulaic style.  

                       Figure 11. Cezanne’s Montagne Sainte-Victoire

View more posts from the Zhou Cezong Collection of Chinese scroll and fan work.

– Jingwei Zeng, Special Collections graduate researcher.

Chapter 191: A JOURNEY OF LOVE

NO SPOILERS PLEASE!!! in the comments or anywhere on this account. We have not finished reading the novel. No copy/paste and all that other shenanigans either. Votes/likes/comments are highly appreciated.

While reading, if available, please read the footnotes at the end of the chapter for clarification.

THANK YOU SIENNA for translating this super long chapter!! <3

Note–> Sae: Should I force you to add a witty note?  Alec: Does it have to be witty? Just add yours! I liked your notes! 😝 Sae: Because it’s cute XD. [actually, it’s because I’m too lazy to write a proper one.] Also, JS! Look what you’ve done to me. T^T 

Translator: Sienna            Editor: Sae + Alec

As always, THANK YOU for reading and enjoying the start of a NEW ADVENTURE with our boys:

GU HAI & BAI LUO YIN

《你丫上瘾了》

Chapter 191: A JOURNEY OF LOVE

During the first day inside the dark and cold tunnel, Gu Yang secretly prayed that Gu Wei Ting would not discover his existence too early. In this way, not only would it give Gu Hai a bit more time to fight his way out but the two could also escape without any hindrance.

Once the second day arrived, Gu Yang found it slightly difficult to endure the harsh conditions. Simply put, this tunnel was not meant for a human being to stay in. For someone like Gu Yang, it felt like he was being cooked in pot of cold stew. If it was just a matter of it being the cold weather, then he could easily handle it. But, the main problem was the dampness. Since Gu Yang has sensitive skin, it took only about ten hours for the painful itches to form and spread throughout the surface of his body. When the itches became too unbearable, Gu Yang would frequently untie the rope around his wrists and scratch his skin to relieve himself. Nonetheless, even as he suffered, he still prayed to the Heaven that Gu Wei Ting would come down a little later. This way, Gu Hai could run a bit further.

When the third day finally rolled in, Gu Yang started to curse in anger.

Gu Wei Ting, you ruthless fascist! Gu Hai is your son! He’s been in the tunnel for eight days already!! Think about it, eight full days without eating, drinking or sleeping; don’t mention a human being, even Superman would die!! Even if you’re ready to punish your own family for justice, can’t you at least look at your son’s corpse? Don’t tell me that you want to save some expenses on cremation, so you resorted to directly burying your son down here like this, is that it?

With resentment, Gu Yang picked up the water bottle beside him but before he managed to take a sip, he discovered that it was already empty.

Gu Yang’s body had long been ridden with frostbites that seemed to have drilled into his bones, leaving him numb… Aside from his stomach, he has lost all feeling in all the other vital organs in his body. Even worse, the only food supply that could possibly keep him alive was also scarce.

With each passing minute, Gu Yang’s admiration towards Gu Hai increased to a whole new level. He couldn’t even start to imagine how Gu Hai could endure such a dreadful situation without any water for the past five days. Not only that, he was still able to walk properly after being pulled out of the tunnel!

What a fucking capable person!  

But when Gu Yang pondered on it a bit longer, there was something else that influenced him to be such a capable person.

Someone like Gu Hai was able to survive under these harsh conditions was purely due to an unprecedented sense of willpower and motivation that drove him forward. Inadvertently, it was worth it for him to endure all these hardships. But what the hell am I doing here? Is it for the sake of protecting their love? What does their love have to do with me? Haven’t I been against their relationship the entire time?

Poor, pitiful Gu Yang. Even after enduring this senseless torment for three days, he still doesn’t know why he let himself be reeled into it.

One hour…I’m going to give you only one more hour. If you don’t save me in an hour, I’ll!!… I’ll climb up by myself!

During this entire ordeal, there was one other person experiencing this torment with Gu Yang. This person was none other than Sun Jingwei. Every single night as he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overtake him, he suffered from horrible nightmares. In these dreams, Gu Hai would struggle and cry out for help with tears–that have been mixed with dirt–rolling down his face.

For the last three days, Sun Jingwei’s complexion has gradually changed from a somewhat healthy wheat-colored tone into an unsightly sallow shade of brown. Unsurprisingly, even his spirit was subjected to an agonizing torment. His tolerance toward this cruel act has been completely destroyed, leaving behind only sympathy to riddle his mind. For him, nothing is more important than a human life. He would rather be demoted than look on without helping as a child lay dying beneath his room.

As a matter of fact, an hour before, Gu Yang had already prepared to climb out. However, his hands and feet were bound. During the past two days, he could untie the ropes with much ease. But unfortunately, he was met with complete disaster today. This time around, both his hands have already gone numb, and as a result, he couldn’t even summon an ounce of strength to tear at the rope. Nevertheless, it was also thanks to his inability to untie the ropes that the time was delayed, or else his efforts for the last two days would have been in vain.

Meanwhile, Sun Jingwei had removed the floorboard and proceeded to make his way into the tunnel.

In that moment, Gu Yang had already wriggled himself towards this opening of the tunnel. In turn, this would allow the unaware Sun Jingwei to have a much better chance of finding him. Once Sun Jingwei came close to where Gu Yang was laying, Gu Yang was suddenly frightened to the point that the hairs on his skin stood tall and it was not from the cold this time.

Where the hell did he come from? The opening of the tunnel is obliviously closed!

After his initial panic had settled, Gu Yang was suddenly dragged by a powerful force from the other opening of the tunnel. As soon as his eyes came into contact with the bright light, his entire body became rigid as stone.

Gu Hai, you bastard! I’ll fucking kill you!!! Why didn’t you tell me that there’s another opening right here? If you’ve told me earlier, I would have fucking escaped already!!!

After this realization, Gu Yang tried to calm his aching nerves from exploding. Since his face was covered with a thick layer of mud as dark as the night sky, it was hard to make out his features clearly. Due to this, Sun Jingwei mistook him as Gu Hai.

“Xiao Hai, I remember the day you went down, you weren’t tied up like this. This… why are you tied up now?” Sun Jingwei was about to untie the ropes around Gu Yang’s body but he was stopped in his tracks by just a few words from the person in front of him.

“Uncle Sun, it’s me, Gu Yang.”

Sun Jingwei’s expression went dull immediately. Then, as he carefully looked at the trussed up man once more, he finally realized that it really wasn’t Gu Hai.

“You……You……”

Gu Yang spoke first,  “Quick, call my uncle. I have something important to discuss with him.”

In less than a minute, Gu Wei Ting came bursting into the room.

Once Gu Yang saw Gu Wei Ting, his face that was drawn with great injustice like that of Dou E’s[1]pitiful situation, instantly looked as though he is ready to take down the opponent that appeared in front of him.

“Uncle, you have to find justice for me!” Gu Yang waved his hands and feet, intentionally showing Gu Wei Ting the ropes. “When I came to look for you that day, I had orignally wanted to try and persuade Gu Hai. But! Who would’ve thought the brat had such an evil scheme in mind! He tied me up and shoved me into the tunnel. If Uncle Sun didn’t pull me out in time, I would’ve died in the tunnel by now!”

After listening to Gu Yang’s explanation, Gu Wei Ting’s expression was simply drawn with a complete sense of loss. But no matter how furious he was, he must undo the ropes on Gu Yang’s body first.

“Didn’t you send me a message before you left that day?”

Gu Yang forced a bitter smile, “Gu Hai walked out of here wearing my clothes. Think about it, how could I have sent you that message?”

An image of a powerful and magnificent hurricane was engraved on Gu Wei Ting’s face like a live painting.

—

Two days ago, Bai Luo Yin and Gu Hai diligently loaded their cars with food and clothes. Under Bai Han Qi’s earnest and attentive gaze, they officially set out together on a journey of elopement.

Bai Han Qi watched, seemingly lost in thought, as the shadows of the two cars gradually disappeared into the distance.

“Hey, I don’t really know if doing this is for their own good or will it harm them instead…..” Aunt Zou’s face was filled with anxiety when she expressed her concern.

Hearing those words, Bai Han Qi laughed thoughtlessly, “We’ll just give it a try. Not preparing might turn out to be a good thing.”

“Try it out?” Aunt Zou suddenly pinched Bai Han Qi’s cheek, “Is there any father out there like you? You’re carelessly treating your son’s youth like an experiment! What if it fails, who will take responsibility and compensate for it?”

“In life, there’s no direct path that will genuinely lead to true success or complete failure. Every single step taken is a meaningful experience. Walking on a crooked path isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And at the same time, walking on the correct path the entire time isn’t necessarily a good thing either.”

“That seems reasonable enough……” Aunt Zou’s brows rose as she shot Bai Han Qi a side glance.

Bai Han Qi laughed mischievously, “Of course it is. For young people like them, traveling the world is not a bad thing. Who on earth hasn’t done a few absurd or idiotic things during their lifetime?! Just look at such an honest and well-behaved man like me. When I was young, I still managed to do one or two groundbreaking things by myself.”

“What groundbreaking things?” Aunt Zou asked.

“At that time, my parents were completely against my marriage with Jiang Yuan, but I was bold enough to follow my dreams. They also used all means possible to obstruct our marriage. Let me tell you, they even threatened to disown me. Despite it all, I refused to compromise with them. It’s our love, so why should other people have a decision in it?!!” Bai Han Qi’s expression was packed with pride and dignity.

“And then what happened?” Aunt Zou asked intentionally.

Bai Han Qi’s shoulders collapsed as he answered, “After that, we divorced…”

“From your words, isn’t it clear that this was a bad decision then?” Aunt Zou’s voice carried a hint of anger, “But you still allowed them to leave!”

“With that said, if I hadn’t divorced Jiang Yuan at that time, would I have been able to remarry again? Would I have met you?”

Aunt Zou was rendered speechless, “…”

Having said that, Bai Han Qi became even more pleased with himself, “That’s why everything has its own advantages and disadvantage. The key is knowing at what given time do you measure its worth. I am a man who has faith in life. I believe that in your life, there exists a meeting with another person that is carefully planned by the Heavens. When the time comes, you will encounter such a person, a kind person possibly. But at times, you will also encounter some disasters. Honestly, for those kinds of matter, even if you want to avoid them, you can’t…”

Aunt Zou heaved a heavy sigh, “It’s such a pity. Yin Zi’s homeroom teacher called us yesterday. I was told that Yin Zi achieved brilliant results in every competition he participated in. Because of this, the school is considering giving him a recommendation for a university without him having to take the entrance examination. They also mentioned that Yin Zi should return to school and decide on this matter as soon as possible.”

“Huh?” Bai Han Qi’s complexion paled, “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I’ve told you already. I explained it to you last night. You even said ‘yeah’ to me.”

Bai Han Qi suddenly hit his forehead, “Oh no, I must’ve fallen asleep already at that time.”

“You regret it now?” Aunt Zou asked.

“……How can that be?” Bai Han Qi laughed awkwardly, while maintaining his ‘wise man’ like’ image, “This was a decision that I made after carefully thinking it all through. How can I simply go back on my words?!”

Aunt Zou merely nodded her head in response and said, “Well, let’s go home then.”

As Bai Han Qi turned around and began to walk, a subtle thought floated into his mind, but at that time, he didn’t voice it so as to avoid it. After feeling stifled for a while, he couldn’t help but to ask. “Did that teacher say which university they want to recommend him to?”

There was moment of silence before Aunt Zou replied, still somewhat hesitant, “It should be Qinghua University. In anycase, if it’s not Qinghua University, then it’s Beijing University.”[2]

At the mention of those two universities, Bai Han Qi’s tense body immediately twirled at full speed. Within just seconds, his clumsy legs rushed off in the direction that Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin had driven away in. He shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that maybe his voice would be heard. “SON! My brilliant son……”

Meanwhile, Aunt Zou hastily ran after him. With just a few large strides, she was able to grab hold of him. With a flustered and exasperated expression, she scolded him, “Why are you chasing after him now, huh? They are long gone!.”

A mask of distress settled cozily on Bai Han Qi’s fine face.

Sighing yet again, Aunt Zou resorted to dragging Bai Han Qi back, “Enough. Just accept your fate. This is also a part of Heaven’s plan. You won’t be able to catch up to them.”

Bai Han Qi gritted his teeth, “The Heavens are really despicable!”

—

On the road, Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin drove in separate cars. Surprisingly, neither of them showed any sign of fear in having to escape in the middle of a difficult situation, or of having to be far away from their families. Instead, what hovered over them was the fresh and brilliant color of youth. Perhaps this brilliance occurred after they had experienced all those tribulations along with the immense pressure that they have endured to get this far. So now that they are finally free, they suddenly discovered that being alive is truly a beauty that should be held at the highest degree.

Rather than confining yourself in a cage, which doesn’t only harm you but also others, it is better to escape and enjoy the freedom and happiness to your heart’s content.

In their mind, this is only one of the many journeys that they will both take in their life together. Why not take advantage of their youth and go crazy while living to the fullest?!

Once they arrived at a desolate countryside bordering the mountain range, the two cars gradually slowed down before coming to a complete stop.

“Do you want to take a leak?” Gu Hai asked.

Bai Luo Yin nodded his head.

Finding that simple gesture rather lovable, Gu Hai grinned at him, “Then, let’s go together.”

Bai Luo Yin easily pushed Gu Hai to the side, “You better keep your distance from me.”

Instead of complying to those words, Gu Hai simply took out his huge cock; all the while, a wide and bright smile spread across his face.

Sighing, Bai Luo Yin grabbed Gu Hai’s body and turned him to the other side so that both of them were standing back to back.

“That won’t do!” Gu Hai cried out as he quickly turned his body back, “If I face that side, it’s going against the wind! Do you want me to piss all over myself?”

Bai Luo Yin’s shoulders quivered happily.

It has been a long time since Gu Hai had last seen Bai Luo Yin smile or laugh. The beauty that those smiles held was so radiant that the sight of it caused his heart to throb just a bit faster. As if captured by the moment, Gu Hai couldn’t restrain his eyes from drawing towards Bai Luo Yin’s seemingly dazzling face. His gaze trailed from the other boy’s face, then down a glance, then up a glance and back down again, lower and lower his stare went……

Bai Luo Yin cleared his throat, “Hey bro, you’re pissing on your hand.”

Pulled back from his daze, Gu Hai hastily look down.

“Where? My hands are dry.”

Meanwhile, Bai Luo Yin merely smiled without saying anything.

Gu Hai knew without being told that he was being fooled. So, as Bai Luo Yin fixed his pants, Gu Hai deliberately groped his round and plump butt cheeks a few times. Surprisingly, there was no retort.

After they finished settling their business, Bai Luo Yin–who loves being neat and clean–took out a bottle of water to pour it for Gu Hai to wash his hands.

“What a waste!” Gu Hai complained. Ever since he came out of the tunnel, he had notably adopted a great habit of conserving water.

Once their hands were cleaned, the two leaned against the car for a smoke.

While taking a look around the area Gu Hai asked, “Do you recognize this road?”

Without bothering to look, Bai Luo Yin simply shook his head, “I don’t recognize anything. This is the first time I traveled out this far.”

“Don’t tell me, you’ve never left Beijing before?”

“If you asked me this question two months ago, that’s what I’d definitely say. Unfortunately for you, I took a trip to Tianjin a while ago.”

“You went to Tianjin?” Gu Hai had not even an ounce of interest as he spoke, “What were you doing in Tianjin??”

“I went there with You Qi.”

Hearing those words, a hint of bitter jealousy began to saturate the air around them. Gu Hai lightly brushed away his cigarette butt while mocking Bai Luo Yin, “So, you’ve eloped with him before?”

Although he knew that Gu Hai said those words out of spite, Bai Luo Yin’s face still sank. Then he faintly said,  “Believe it or not, I’ll drive the car back right now?”

Noting the sudden change in his complexion and his voice, Gu Hai chuckled for a moment. He faced Bai Luo Yin and inched closer before taking a bite of his chin. The scent of the cigarette wafted along his chin then into his breath, mingling with the scent of weeds and wild flowers. Combined together, they gave off a natural and unruly sense of excitement.

“Hurry up and decide. Where should our first stop be?” Gu Hai asked with one last pinch of Bai Luo Yin’s cheek.

Instead of helping, Bai Luo Yin made things even more difficult for Gu Hai, “I can’t think of anything in such a short time.”

Gu Hai contemplated for a while before speaking, “How about this? I have a trick.”

In the height of their youth, Bai Luo Yin watched on blankly as Gu Hai took off his shoe and threw it up in the air. Then with a thud, the shoe landed on the ground.

Their eyes simultaneously traveled downward. The shoe pointed west.

“Okay, we’ll go that way then.”

In the end, Bai Luo Yin merely stared at Gu Hai, at loss for words, “……”

—-

Translator’s Note:

[1] Dou’e: the main female character from Chuzhou in a play (The Injustice to Dou E) written by Guan Hanqing. The story tells about a poor, innocent woman who was wronged, accused of killing, and tortured before she was sentenced to death. Before her execution, she swore that her innocence would be proven if three events occurred after she died, which were: her blood will spill on her clothes but it will not drip onto the ground, heavy snowfall will occur in the middle of the summer and the snow will cover her body, and Chuzou will experience drought for three years. The three events happened after Dou E’s death. Years later, when her spirit appeared before her father, her father reinvestigated her case and her innocence was brought to light. Then, the people who were involved in wronging her received their due punishments.

[2] Qinghua University and Peking University are two of the best academic institutions in China, both located in Beijing.

—-

Are you Addicted?

Original Novel by Chai Ji Dan

We, the translators and editors, DO NOT own any of this novel’s content.

8th Anniversary artwork (2023)

source: Fei Ren Zai Weibo

evanescent (like the remains of your love)

— herrscher of sentience x fu hua

genre : angst

warnings : major character death

wordcount : 1,503

summary : she loves her enough to let her go. even if it means she will be lonely. even if it means she will be the one left behind.

during wintertime, it always feels as if the world has reset, wiped clean and made to start over again.

but tonight, the pale winter snow and the twilight dusk of the sky competes with a hue of colors splashed flamboyantly across the streets. festive lights reflect on pale skin like a petals of a flower, a wonderful flourish of a painting that befits the season well. she is red and green and blue and gold; a rainbow garland of shiny colors that throw various colors underneath the shadows of the christmas trees on sale by window shops. there is an old, classical music warbling in the background and its cozy lyrics weave in between the crowds. someone nearby hums along, have yourself a merry little christmas, and senti raises her scarf to hide her scoff.

she is green, then red again, and it blends with the handmade scarf wrapped around her neck. it smells like pine trees and the morning mist on top of the highest mountains.

it still smells like her. like snapshots of a life from a camera’s lens, an outsider’s perspective: bandages on delicate fingers, gentle smiles, dark hair reddened in the fading sun. the autumn breeze swept by her ruddy cheeks while she knitted the scarf in her hands as a gift.

senti can still remember it all. she is red then blue, then the photographs are buried in the snow once again. she only realizes she was smiling when her lips curve back into a frown.

the memory feels as if it just happened yesterday. the memory feels as if it is a thousand miles away.

she looks up. the moon is so far away from the earth, a mere wink of light amidst the bright neons of the city. swarms of people rush past her without sparing her a single look, and she breathes out heavily; like an inconsequential droplet of water amidst a roiling storm and the distant thunder, she drifts in and out as if walking on a dream, hanging on the distant thread of hope that the waves will bring her to shore someday.

a silly thought. someone bumps against her, but they are gone before she can see their face.

swept away by the wind. she turns back, and huddles deeper into her scarf. it’s terribly cold tonight and her lips are numb and her hands are cold and she is shivering like a little bird abandoned in the rain. a breeze flits by, stinging her eyes, and when she looks back up again, it is already snowing.

oh.

it’s snowing.

she raises her hand and catches a snowflake in her palm. it melts against her glove and sends a small chill through her skin, and she stares.

it reminds her of the first time she saw snow with her own eyes. the wonder and novelty of it all tangling in her restless limbs. her eyes looked grey in the winterlight but her smile was affectionate and cheery in a weird, mellow way – but then again, that is exactly how she’s always been. mellow and gentle and placid as if unaffected by everything that happened in the world. she gifted this red scarf to senti back then, and then insisted she wear at least fifty layers of clothes until sentience could barely walk.

she laughs. maybe she should have worn more layers. maybe she won’t be so cold now.

but it will be cold, anyway, no matter if she wears one or one-hundred clothes, because every memory feels as if it just happened yesterday and every memory feels as if it is a thousand miles away. if she turns to her side, she can almost see the mist from her lips as she breathes out a contented sigh, and the slow graze of the pale sunlight as it holds the pair of crudely-made snow jingweis in its weak embrace.

the fire in the hearth. hot chocolate with marshmallows and her touch that drizzled like thick honey. the softness of her lips. the rough sensation of the blanket and the warmth of her skin in contrast.

the ghosts of that winter litter the path back home, but senti doesn’t remember shivering this much last year.

a couple passes by her, laughing merrily with hands tightly intertwined, and senti finds herself looking back at them. they seem so happy.

well. this season is supposed to be a happy one, after all.

but not for her.

not for someone like her. an unnatural existence in a body that wasn’t even hers to begin with. another gift, this time woven with the scars of the past and tears instead of childish bandages and shy, red cheeks. like everything she has ever done for her, senti knows she thought she would be happy if she gave this gift to her, but

this body feels so heavy, and this world feels so grey.

she’s trapped. trapped in an undying body with an immortal soul resting in a bed of thorns. everywhere she looks, her own reflection stares back, and this mirror is nothing but a prison she can never escape from.

what is there left to live for, in a world that has moved on from her existence? this world has no need for herscherrs or mantises or even valkyries anymore. she is nothing but an unwanted relic of a tragic past that is better left forgotten. a remnant of history sunken down the sands of time as the world spins on without her.

another silly thought. she sighs, and trudges back home. her footprints dig onto the snow, and gets buried beneath the steps of hundreds of others.

her apartment is quiet. it replaces the hubbub of the outside with an insistent buzzing that lingers even after she turned on the television to a random network. white noise, white walls, pale light; she has been living here for at least a year now, but everything is bland as if she had just recently moved in.

she can’t find it in her to try to decorate the place. there is always something missing, and in the end, senti just gave up.

it’s better this way, anyway. less stuff to clean. less stuff to miss. less stuff to remember her by. if one day she wants to disappear, then no one will be able to find a trace of her anywhere. there is only this room and the haunting loneliness that she has painted on the walls to greet anyone who will come look.

ha. she refused theresa’s offer of a larger house so she will not feel the loneliness too much, but it has still find its way to burrow deep within her soul. there really is no escaping from anything.

she drops the bag of cup noodles she bought on the table and stretches. it’s a sorry excuse of a dinner and she can already see her disproving frown, but senti doesn’t feel like preparing something healthier for herself. it’s not like she even needs to eat, anyway. even if she starves to death, her body will only torment her until she’s sick and throwing up and crying for a touch she will never feel. for a release she will never have.

at least she’s eating. she heats up some water, and eyes the empty pizza boxes and cup noodles lying on the floor with guilt. maybe she should clean up after herself more. look out for herself more. take care of herself more. this body – this life is her last gift to her, after all.

she sighs.

maybe tomorrow. she doesn’t feel like it today, either.

she was never good at looking after herself. this horrible habit just got worse since –

the kettle whistles.

what a sorry excuse of a dinner. she apologizes to her in her mind, but it’s not like anything will change, anyway. she will not eat healthier nor take care of herself nor even try to act as if she is making the most of the life she has been given. if somehow, they ever meet again, senti will have too much shame to properly face her.

it’s already nine in the evening. still early, but she’s already sleepy. there’s nothing to do while she’s awake, and at least in her dreams, there is the chance that she will drown in the past and see the person who stole her smiles once again. times like these, she wishes the honkai was still around. then, at least, she will still be able to create a hollow illusion to comfort her.

no. if the honkai was still here, then she wouldn’t have gone away in the first place.

but that’s a selfish, selfish thought, and senti might be a horrible, selfish person, but she’s not cruel or heartless enough to take away the rest that she so deserves. even if it meant she would be lonely. even if it meant she would be the one left behind.

she loves her enough to let her go.

Flag of the Republic of China (1940-1943)

from /r/vexillology Top comment: During the Second Sino-Japanese war, the invading Japanese established a variety of puppet governments such as the Provisional Government of China and the Reformed Government of China which used the flag of Five Races Under One Union even though the legitimate Chinese Government had switched to the current day modern flag of the Republic of China. When the Wang Jingwei regime was established on 30 March 1940 in Nanjing, Wang Jingwei was slated to take over the previous Japanese-installed governments and centralize the Chinese Nationalists under what they claimed to be the legitimate successor to the Republic of China he demanded to use the modern flag as a means to challenge the authority of the Chongqing government under Chiang Kai-shek and position himself as the rightful successor to Sun Yat-sen. However, the Japanese preferred the Five-Colored Five Races Under One Union flag. As a compromise, the Japanese suggested adding a triangular yellow pennant on top with the slogan "Peace, Anti-Communism, National Construction" (和平反共建國, Hépíng fǎn'gòng jiàn guó) in black, but this was rejected by Wang. In the end, Wang and the Japanese agreed that the yellow banner was to be used outdoors only, until 1943 when the banner was abandoned, leaving two rival governments with the same flag, each claiming to be the legitimate government of China.

Shanghai, 12 Aprile 1927: quando Chiang Hai Shek massacrò i comunisti cinesi

Il massacro di Shanghai accadde il 12 aprile 1927 e fu portato avanti dalle truppe nazionaliste di Chiang-kai.Shek, contro il Partito Comunista Cinese  e i suoi militanti. Questo tragico episodi determinò la rottura tra il Kuomintang, il partito nazionalista , e il PCC, e segnò l'inizio della lunga guerra civile che si concluse con la vittoria di Maozedong nel 1949 con l’instaurazione della Repubblica popolare cinese.

Negli anni che precedettero il massacro, il Kuomintang e il Partito comunista erano alleati contro i ‘signori della guerra’, feudatari secessionisti. . Nel 1923, il governo di Sun Yat-sen, riconosciuto dall'Unione Sovietica, aveva tratto vantaggio dai consigli di membri del Comintern, come Mikhail Borodin, che aveva incoraggiato il Partito Comunista Cinese a unirsi al Kuomintang. Membri del PCC come Zhou Enlai, Ye Jianying o Mao Zedong erano diventati quadri del Kuomintang. Sun Yat-sen morì nel marzo 1925, lasciando le redini del governo a Wang Jingwei, capo dell'ala sinistra del partito e favorevole al mantenimento dell'alleanza con i comunisti. Chiang Kai-shek, uno dei principali capi militari del partito, tuttavia, consolidò sempre più la sua autorità. Nel marzo 1926, decretò la legge marziale a Canton, evocando una cospirazione contro di lui, e impose restrizioni all'accesso dei comunisti alle posizioni di responsabilità del Kuomintang.

Le riforme agrarie, favorite dai comunisti e dall'ala sinistra del Kuomintang, preoccupavano i proprietari terrieri, che sostenevano Chiang. Nel gennaio 1927 Wang Jingwei trasferì il governo a Wuhan per combattere l'influenza di Chiang Kai-shek. A marzo, come parte della Spedizione del Nord, Zhou Enlai organizzò una rivolta di lavoratori di Shanghai per rovesciare i signori della guerra locali. Comunisti e sindacalisti cinesi vinsero e presero il controllo della città.

All'inizio di aprile, Chiang Kai-shek, Bai Chongxi e Li Zongren organizzarono una riunione del comitato del Kuomintang e decisero di agire. Vennero presi contatti con le triadi  mafiose di Shanghai per organizzare gruppi armati Il 9 aprile, il Kuomintang dichiarò lo stato di emergenza.

La mattina del 12 aprile, le bande della triade attaccarono in massa gli operai di Shanghai mentre le truppe del Kuomintang disarmarono le milizie operaie. Il 13, l'esercito aprì il fuoco sulla folla che era venuta a protestare davanti al quartier generale locale. Chiang Kai-shek decretò lo scioglimento del governo locale di Shanghai, di tutti i sindacati e delle organizzazioni operaie sotto il controllo comunista. Più di 1 000 comunisti vennero arrestati. Gli scontri si conclusero, ufficialmente, con 300 morti mentre 5 000 persone vennero date come "scomparse".

Arresti e massacri di comunisti si verificarono, sempre nel mese di aprile, anche nelle principali città cinesi. Dopo aver conquistato Pechino nel giugno 1928, Chang controllava la maggior parte della Cina. Il massacro di Shangai fu l’inizio della guerra civile. Il Kuomintang soppresse le insurrezioni comuniste in città come Canton. Nell'agosto 1927 ebbe luogo la rivolta di Nanchang, guidata da Zhou Enlai e Zhu De. A settembre Mao Zedong innescò la rivolta del raccolto autunnale, trasponendo le lotte comuniste nelle zone rurali. Questi eventi segnarono l'inizio del conflitto, che si concluse solo nel 1949 con la proclamazione della Repubblica Popolare Cinese.

What is the general opinion in China on Sun yat sen, chiang kai shek, Wang jingwei. But just especially sun yat sen because he was kindve before the main civil war and without him there is no communist party so there is no Mao or deng xiaoping and really just China would've been different I guess. via /r/China

What is the general opinion in China on Sun yat sen, chiang kai shek, Wang jingwei. But just especially sun yat sen because he was kindve before the main civil war and without him there is no communist party so there is no Mao or deng xiaoping and really just China would've been different I guess. No text found Submitted June 27, 2020 at 09:42AM by alotofmint via reddit https://ift.tt/3dEFVZY

The Mukden Incident (Part 5): Politics

Zhang Xueliang was strongly criticized by the Chinese public for his non-aggression policy, even though it came from the Nationalist government.  The government was focused on the Communist threat, rather than the Japanese.

The Kwantung Army had only 11,000 men in Manchuria, compared to the Northeastern Army’s 250,000.  Also, the Chinese arsenal in Manchuria was considered the most modern in China; it had about 60 aircraft, 4,000 machine guns, and 4 artillery battalions.

But it was only strong on paper.  Half of the Northeastern Army was south of the Great Wall (in Hebei province), and the other half was spread throughout Manchuria.  The Japanese could bring in reinforcements by rail from Korea (which was a Japanese colony at the time).  And the Chinese soldiers were mostly new conscripts or irregulars; their loyalties were iffy; they were under-trained and had poor morale; and the leadership was poor.

Zhang Xueliang and his father (Zhang Zuolin) relied heavily on Japanese military advisers, and so Japanese secret agents had easily been able to infiltrate the army’s command.

The Chinese government had many problems to deal with already - the flooding of the Yangtze River and the 10,000′s of refugees because of it; Communist insurrections; Hu Hanmin’s newly-independent Guangzhou government.  Zhang wasn’t in Manchuria: he was in a Beijing hospital, raising money for the flood victims.  But the press still attacked him, calling him Bù Dǐkàng Jiāngjūn (General Non-Resistance).

So the Chinese government turned to the international community for a peaceful resolution.  On September 19th (the day after the explosion), the Foreign Ministry made a strong protest to the Japanese government, and asked for the military operations in Manchuria to stop immediately.

They also appealed to the League of Nations, who passed a resolution that said the Japanese had to withdraw their troops by October 16th.  Japan’s vote against it was the only one, and they said that this meant the resolution was illegal.  They insisted on direct negotiations with the Chinese government, which were carried out irregularly, and without any result.

On November 20th, the Chinese government had a conference.  The Guangzhou faction demanded that Chiang Kaishek take responsibility for the Manchuria situation and step down.

On December 15th, Chiang Kaishek resigned as Chairman of the Nationalist Government.  Sun Fo (son of Sun Yatsen) replaced him, as Premier of the Republic of China.

In early January 1932, Jingzhou, another city in Liaoning, fell to the Japanese.  Because of this, Sun Fo resigned, and was replaced by Wang Jingwei.

On January 7th (1932), the US Secretary of State Henry Stimson issued the Stimson Document.  It stated that the US would not recognize any government established as a result of Japan’s actions in Manchuria.

On January 14th, a League of Nations commission arrived in Shanghai to view the situation.  It was headed by Victor Bulwer-Lytton (2nd Earl of Lytton).

In March, Japan established the puppet state of Manchuko, and made Puyi the Emperor (head of state).

On May 5th, Japan signed a ceasefire with China.  4 months later, they moved further into Mongolia.

On October 2nd (1932), the Lytton Report was published.  It stated that the Japanese claim to self-defense was untrue; however, it did not state that the Japanese had caused the explosion themselves.

The report said that the state of Manchuko was the product of Japanese military aggression in China.  It recognized, though, that Japanese had legitimate concerns in the area, because of its economic ties.

The League refused to recognize Manchuria as an independent state, and called Japan an “aggressor” (also for their actions in Mongolia).  In March 1933, Japan left the League.

Colonel Kenji Doihara told Emperor Puyi that the Chinese non-resistance meant that the Chinese were loyal to the Japanese.

Japanese intelligence used the Mukden Incident to discredit the murdered Zhang Zuolin & Zhang Xueliang (his son) for “misgovernment” of Manchuria.  However, drug trafficking & corruption had been at far lower levels under Zhang Zuolin.

Wang Jingwei ( Wang Ching-wei, Wang Zhaoming, Wang Chao-ming, 汪精衛 ) - chiński polityk, członek lewego skrzydła Kuomintangu, znany z zerwania współpracy z szefem partii Czang Kaj-szekiem i utworzenia kolaborującego z Japończykami rządu w Nankinie. Wang urodził się w Sanshui (prowincja Guangdong). W 1903 pojechał na studia do Japonii, dzięki współfinansowaniu jego podróży przez cesarski rząd dynastii Qing. W 1905 wstąpił do Tongmenghui. Następnie został uwięziony za uczestnictwo w spisku zmierzającym do zgładzenia ówczesnego regenta Chin - drugiego księcia Chun. Wang pozostawał w więzieniu od 1910 aż do 1911, kiedy to doszło do wybuchu powstania w Wuchangu. Kariera polityczna Wang Jingweia (nazywanego chińskim Vidkunem Quislingiem) była nieszablonowa i niespójna. Jego poglądy polityczne ewoluowały od pozycji skrajnej lewicy do skrajnej prawicy i były przedzielone okresami kiedy przebywał na wygnaniu. Był jednym z najważniejszych członków Kuomintangu (KMT) i zaufanym Sun Jat-sena oraz czuwał nad wykonaniem jego ostatniej woli. Na początku lat dwudziestych Wang zajmował kilka stanowisk w rewolucyjnym rządzie Sun Jat-sena w Guangzhou. Jednak w 1925 po jego śmierci w partii wywiązała się zaciekła walka o władzę. W czasie ekspedycji północnej Wang był czołowym przywódcą lewej frakcji KMT, która skłaniała się do współpracy z Komunistyczną Partią Chin i Kominternem. Część Kuomintangu z Wangiem na czele na początku 1927 doprowadziła do powstania nowej stolicy partii w Wuhanie i stanęła w opozycji do Czang Kaj-szeka - reprezentującego opcję prawicową. Tymczasem Czang Kaj-szek dokonywał czystek politycznych w Szanghaju i pozbywał się tamtejszych komunistów. Kłótnie na łonie zjednoczonej dotąd partii są znane jako "Podział Ninghan" (寧漢分裂, 宁汉分裂, Nínghàn Fenlìe). Skrzydło KMT pod przywództwem Wanga było słabe wojskowo i dlatego zostało pokonane przez miejscowych militarystów. Dotychczasowa opozycja z Wangiem, która nie posiadała większych środków finansowych, musiała znowu dołączyć we wrześniu 1927 w Nankinie do swojego dotychczasowego wroga - Czang Kaj-szeka, który dysponował o wiele silniejszą armią. W 1930 Wang znowu próbował przeprowadzić próbę zamachu stanu przeciwko Czang Kaj-szekowi, tym razem z pomocą Fenga Yuxianga i Yana Xishana w rezultacie tego wybuchła tzw. Wojna Środkowych Równin. W tym czasie Wang odbył podróż do Niemiec i poznał Adolfa Hitlera. Jednak próba zdobycia władzy znowu zakończyła się niepowodzeniem i Wang po swojej porażce pojednał się z rządem Czanga w Nankinie na początku lat trzydziestych. Od tego momentu zajmował kluczowe stanowiska w partii, towarzyszył nawet rządowi nacjonalistów w jego odwrocie do Chongqing w czasie wojny chińsko-japońskiej (1937-1945). Wówczas też zaczął organizować wewnątrz partii frakcje o wyraźnie faszystowskim odchyleniu, wzorując się przy tym na doświadczeniach europejskich. Początkowo Wang opowiadał się za walką z japońskimi okupantami, ale po chińskich porażkach w obronie Szanghaju (1932) i podczas obrony Wielkiego Muru stracił wiarę w możliwość pokonania przeciwnika. W czasie narad sztabu Kuomintangu często wypowiadał defetystyczne opinie i skłaniał się do negocjacji z Japonią, ponieważ uważał, iż tylko tędy prowadzi droga do uratowania Chin. W końcu 1938 r. Wang udał się do Szanghaju, aby tam ostentacyjnie podjąć rozmowy z Japończykami. 30 marca 1940 został szefem marionetkowego państwa z siedzibą w Nankinie, które było wspierane przez Japonię. Wang podtrzymywał także kontakty z niemieckimi i włoskimi faszystami. W marcu 1944 r. został przewieziony do szpitala w Nagoi w Japonii, w tym okresie praktycznie nie wstawał już z łóżka. Zmarł 10 listopada 1944 r. z powodu powikłań po zapaleniu płuc. Wang został pochowany w Nankinie niedaleko mauzoleum Sun Jat-sena. Po wkroczeniu Czang Kaj-szeka do Nankinu jego ciało spalono, a grobowiec wysadzono w powietrze. Dzisiaj w tym miejscu stoi jedynie mały pawilon. Za rolę, jaką odegrał w czasie wojny, Wang jest krytykowany przez większość chińskich historyków, jednak niektórzy z nich uważają jego współpracę z okupantem za działanie w dobrej wierze i próbę ocalenia kraju.