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the-fair-maiden-of-fandom · 1 year

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more qjj liveposting pt.5

|| there are obviously going to be spoilers ||

“You’ve been poisoned by someone, it’s inadvisable for you to stay out in public. If you don’t mind, you can stay at my home. My teacher and yours are considered colleagues, and you are old friends with Ce’an. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.” any friend of my boyfriend is a friend of mine bajklsfbla

like i know yao wenyu was like. literally poisoned but him being sick is making me nervous,,,,, ive seen the official art and read the spoilers,,, idk how it happens but

SO SEXY OF YOU YAO WENYU TO JUST FIGURE IT OUT LIKE THAT

‘If not for the fact that this person was in such dire straits, even Shen Zechuan himself wanted to kill him, what’s more the others.’ asjdkhfblas????

love that for her

wait so xue xiuzhuo basically fucked over all the other scholars???

i love smart commander vs. smart commander stuff

which,,,, in hindsight,,, is probably why i like cezhou so much

XCY IS THAT STRONG?????

oh thank GOD and xiao fangxu

oh he’s mad mad

yikes

OH SO THATS THE PLAN

aw he’s such a good dad it’s like watching my dad and my lil brother

“I found myself a man!” Sunlight shone on Xiao Chiye’s face, dispelling the dark clouds of yesterday. This brat was truly a little rascal as he shouted provocatively, “The best-looking man in the whole of Da Zhou is my wife!” LOVE OF MY LIFE

he’s so excited to be with szc it’s absolutely adorable

“Xiao Chiye!” Xiao Fangxu let out an earth-shaking roar. He pushed himself off the ground with his hands to chase after him, but he could not catch up. In a fit of anger, he picked up a piece of horse dung and flung it at Xiao Chiye, cussing, “Get your ass back here and make yourself clear!” I LOVE THEM

this is so funny actually. “dad, i’m gay and im bringing my bf home for thanksgiving. also, he’s the most hated guy in the world. love you!”

can you IMAGINE suddenly finding out that your sister-in-law-to-be is just. at your house.

omg he did the roofing just bc that’s how xcy likes it??? they really are in love huh

she likes him!!!!

THREE PAGES IS,,,,, so much,,,,

xcy has such a good family

aw, yao wenyu :((

‘technically, shen zechuan was also on the run. the difference is that xcy beat the hell out of this guy, ruined the plans of this guy, destroyed everything this guy had going,,,,, so xcy was the main target’

when he calls him ce’an <3

GZX WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

unleashing the protective wrath of xcy on szc like that how could you

going to libei to talk to WHO??

i just KNOW they’re about to be so disgustingly cute

omg,,,,,, he’s taming his horse for him (NOT an innuendo) (i want to make a joke but idk what)

why are xcy and his dad the actual cutest thing ever

‘The quality iron had been smashed to the point it was no longer usable, but he still did not have it changed.‘ love. of. my life.

HELL OF A SURPRISE

running huggggg im going to cry my eyes out

Shen Zechuan swung the folding fan between his fingers and said, “That’s something I have to do in passing while I’m at it. My heart is all here.” SOBBING

FUCK THEYRE SO CUTE

they need to stay long distance bc i cant handle it when theyre not

sxc is such a little shit ill never get over it

meeting the parents

Xiao Fangxu was initially sitting with his leg propped up, but on seeing the white figure entering, he suddenly sat straight up. But then, he felt he was really being too unnatural, so he attempted to cover it up by propping his hand on his knee to appear more imposing, only to look all the more conspicuous as he looked at Shen Zechuan without so much a smile. he’s such a cringe dad i just KNOW his hugs are incredible

pleaseeee even xfx agrees he’s drop dead gorgeous

do you HAVE to eyefuck him in front of xfx. must you.

HES FOND OF HIS KISSESSSSS

‘Nothing in this world could be relied on, nothing except Xiao Chiye.’ i cant do this anymore

how do they, two fictional characters, make me feel like im intruding

THEY BOTH SAID IT

the way t97 uses their courtesy names kills me everytime

i had to stop and take a lap

okay why is szc so damn cute when he's not killing people and plotting various downfalls bc this piggyback ride is going to end me

they are. sharing a blanket and watching the sunrise. thats all i want from life

i literally cant function. i cant.

THE FACT THAT FATHER AND SON ARE BOTH GIFTING HIM MILK. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

ik what it means but like honestly im dying. i cant. xiao fangxu do you want to be my second dad because i can definitely handle three parents

poor guy just wanted to become a bandit overlord and got in way over his head

DING TAO AND LI XIONG MY DARLINGS ARE BACK ONSCREEN

MY LOVE HAS ARRIVED TO SAVE THE BOYS

catching the candy is unreal im in love

if szc doesnt kill this man xcy will hunt down his entire family line

YOU ARE WELCOME TO BE OUR GUEST

szc literally one chance that was the sexiest shit ive ever read

im going to print out that scene and sharpie it onto my walls i cant. i cant.

the way he swooped in and saved HIS retinue. love. love. i love him. no one is doing it like him

im reeling rn how am i supposed to continue my life

im halfway into the next chapter and still thinking about it. holy shit.

wait what the fuck does gedale mean

also??? the hurt??? the injuries??? the quiet suffering? good shit

omg wait what

OMG

OMG ITS TIED TO HIS PARENTS??? WHAT??

szc putting his hair into a bun would kill xcy on the spot

wonder what THAT meant

well that was freaky

aw ding tao :( dont be scared my darling he just risked his life for yours a few chapters ago

i feel like this fellow is also someone szc is eventually going to put out to pasture

he seems like he'll get a bit too cocky

okay yes but the fuck does that mean

#qjj #qiang jin ju #cezhou #shen zechuan #shen lanzhou #xiao chiye #i think i ended at ch.172 before i went to sleep last night #so thats where this ends #qjj reading log #its been over a day #i just got back from a formal ceremony #and im STILL thinking about that fight scene

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neixins · 2 years

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“Qudu is your old home,” Shen Zechuan said. “I heard Xi Hongxuan say before that you always return to the capital in spring every year. Next year… or perhaps a few years later, you will be able to take a good look at the springtime scenery.”

Yao Wenyu knew Shen Zechuan was comforting him. He flashed a slight smile and did not answer him

inconsolable sick to my stomach wanna break everything in sight etc etc

#their friendship is everything to me :( :( :( :( :(#tang jiuqing don't u DARE (← knows exactly what's going to happen)#maybe in my version of the text [redacted] doesn't [redacted]....that's possible right? :) (shaking violently) right.....?#qjj

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cinnavalleys · 4 months

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2023 qjj art dump

#将进酒 #qiang jin jiu #qjj #shen zechuan #xiao chiye #yao wenyu

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qqgk · 2 years

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literally LITERALLY LMAOO i cannot picture him having any social media like if there was an official viceroy account, i bet it would be chen yang handling it

LMAOOOO exactly to me he's like the dude who posts a picture once every three years and each time it's a picture of an animal or the outdoors. xcy is NOT a social media guy and it's definitely chen yang running everything... tbh it's hard to see many characters in the book being on social media, although i can easily see qiao tianya as a cat video guy and definitely sharing them with yao wenyu. also i will say it is funny to reinterpret major events of the novel through a social media lens. was shen zechuan unfairly cancelled by the qudu elite after the zhongbo disaster because there was no one to scapegoat after shen wei killed himself. the end of book 1 all still happens but it's just a megathread with drama the likes of which twitter has never before seen

#asks #them fleeing the capital is. them logging off LMAO

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hamliet · 2 years

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Enemies to Lovers: Cezhou's Defeats & Victories

Enemies to lovers. Such a popular trope, and such a well-used one in Qiang Jin Jiu. But, as I said here, the ultimate enemy Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye each face is not each other, nor is it the corrupt dynasty or the Biansha Tribe.

It’s themselves.

Shen Zechuan said leisurely, “I can just admire myself in the mirror; there’s no need for another person.”

“You still don’t know how to have fun.” Xiao Chiye said. “How can self-admiration be as delightful as being admired by me? Both of us have to be reflected in the mirror for it to be aesthetically rousing.”

With glistening eyes rippling with desires, Shen Zechuan asked, “So what’s considered aesthetically rousing?”

“Seeing is believing.” Xiao Chiye checked Shen Zechuan’s temperature. “Try it with me one of these days, and you’ll find out.”

Shen Zechuan is wrong in this passage. He needs to see others around him--especially, of course, Xiao Chiye. Xiao Chiye, too, needs to have Shen Zechuan there to not just be fully alive, but to be fully himself. This begins even before the novel proper begins: Shen Zechuan was saved from the Chashi Sinkhole by his elder martial brother, Ji Mu, and was then immediately captured by Xiao Jiming, the elder brother of his future other-half. What Shen Zechuan lacks, he finds in Xiao Chiye, and vice versa.

What does it mean to lose yourself, and what does it mean to find yourself? Well, let’s look at Cezhou’s losses and victories, shall we? Specifically, their first major military losses operating on their own: to Huo Lingyun and to Hasen, and then their final military victories on their own: over Qudu and over Hasen.

Defeat: Huo Lingyun and Hasen 1.0

Both Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye experience a defeat at their first conflict with Huo Lingyun and Hasen. The difference, of course, is that Xiao Chiye’s defeat is in-person, while Shen Zechuan’s defeat is via his representatives in Fei Sheng and his troops. This fits with Shen Zechuan’s role, as observed by Xiao Fangxu: “Men like this can’t fight battles, yet they can come out on top to stand upon a mountain of corpses amidst a sea of blood.”

Through seeing how Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye interact with these respective foils in Huo Lingyun, Hasen, and Li Jianting (all five of whom claim legacies via seeking revenge for family; in 4/5 cases it’s their fathers specifically), we can see not only the central flaws Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye each respectively overcome, but what the novel is trying to say about what it means to get to know yourself, what it means to create a lover from an enemy, and what victory over an enemy actually is.

Shen Zechuan and Huo Lingyun

How Shen Zechuan finds himself seems pretty clear. Throughout the novel Shen Zechuan slowly gathers allies, who all represent parts of himself:

Ji Gang: desire to live and grief

Xiao Chiye: strength and family

Qiao Tianya: bitterness and loss

Yao Wenyu: physical weakness

Gao Zhongxiong: shame

Fei Sheng: the search for a purpose

Hairigu: his mother’s legacy

Huo Lingyun: trauma

Qi Zhuyin: non-conforming and underestimated

Hua Xiangyi: kindness

This list is by no means exhausted and is simplified, but you get the idea. Not to mention, most of these people have, at some point perhaps with the one exception of Ji Gang, been an enemy or at the very least a rival of Shen Zechuan’s.

Shen Zechuan starts the novel with nothing, with every part of his life seemingly over except for the physical, which is locked up. Of course that’s symbolic too: Shen Zechuan’s primary internal conflict is in locking himself up and hiding his true nature.

Shen Zechuan’s true nature is not fierce either: it’s wounded and empty; submissive, no, but hollow all the same. Yes, he bites back, but because he was first bitten. He has little purpose or drive: yeah, he’s leading a rebellion, but why exactly? He’s not great at answering that question, because to answer that question would mean admitting certain things about himself that he would rather not.

Yet, Xiao Chiye is aware of Shen Zechuan’s true nature from the start. It’s important that Shen Zechuan becomes completely unable to hide it during a physical act (sex) because the physical is Shen Zechuan’s sacrificial mask in other circumstances, but not with Xiao Chiye. Instead, the physical heals with Xiao Chiye.

He could not keep up an ounce of pretense, and what remained of “Shen Zechuan” lay fully exposed before Xiao Chiye. This was a side of him that Shen Zechuan himself could not bring himself to face. All that had to do with hypocrisy, deceit, and hostility was swept up into the tidal waves of desire.

So what is this part of himself Shen Zechuan cannot face? Shen Zechuan has been hurt his entire life. In contrast to Xiao Chiye, he does not need to defeat himself. He needs to embrace and accept every part of himself in order to find his purpose. These hypocrisies, deceits, hostilities, betrayal and loyalty and hatred, are all most blatantly embodied in Huo Lingyun.

Huo Lingyun, like Shen Zechuan, operates from the shadows and masks his true self. He sets up an elaborate plan to get revenge for his father’s death at King Li’s hand, but uses his own body as bait for it (much like Shen Zechuan continually does, to Xiao Chiye’s chagrin: while Huo Lingyun’s bait is sexual and Shen Zechuan’s is violent, they are both still sacrificing their bodies for a cause).

Huo Lingyun is sexually abused by King Li and then by Cuiqing, and then has the woman torn apart by dogs. The woman is the one who raised and sold Shen Zechuan’s mother--even if not as a prostitute, there is certainly a sense of poetry to this woman being finally destroyed by a clear parallel of Shen Zechuan. Huo Lingyun succeeds by acting as if his father meant nothing to him, when in actuality, his father meant everything to him.Shen Zechuan also starts off motivated in part by a father, to prove that “Shen Wei never collaborated with the enemy.” And indeed Shen Wei didn’t, but it was precisely Shen Wei’s intense fear of being seen as collaborating with the enemy that led to him strangling Bai Cha, a woman who was not only Shen Zechuan’s mother but one of the few people who cared for others no matter their heritage.

So, who then is Shen Zechuan really fighting for? Just for himself? He states that this is the case:

“Regardless of who my parents are... I am Shen Zechuan... I am my own nightmare.” ... Shen Wei, Bai Cha. He did not care for them at all.

Surely this is somewhat true, but is this entirely accurate? Shen Zechuan is a highly unreliable narrator, holding the reader at a distance as he holds most people (save Xiao Chiye). It might have been accurate when he spoke it, but it is almost certainly not actually accurate considering he didn’t even know his mother’s story at the time. When he accepts his mother’s true story from Hairigu, he gains new allies in those his mother helped save.

Similarly, when Shen Zechuan accepts Huo Lingyun, he gains another new ally (and invigorate the flagging loyalty of Qiao Tianya). Huo Lingyun is first introduced to Shen Zechuan as a prisoner in shackles too heavy for him, and Xiao Chiye initially dislikes him. (Fei Sheng’s attitude towards Huo Lingyun is a mirror of Xiao Chiye’s attitude towards Shen Zechuan too.) It’s all very much a callback to the first chapters of the novel, and a challenge to Shen Zechuan to acknowledge the parts of himself he would rather not: his weakness, his suffering, and the consequences of his actions.

Everyone mistrusts Huo Lingyun, for good reason, just as they mistrusted Shen Zechuan. Huo Lingyun doesn’t do himself a lot of favors when he insults Xiao Chiye. But, it is then significant that Xiao Chiye stands up to him and helps Huo Lingyun find a place, because this moment reflects how Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan are polishing each other by working together like iron sharpening iron. Shen Zechuan gives Huo Lingyun a chance symbolizes him giving the worst parts of himself a chance to improve, trusting Xiao Chiye to hold them in check.

Xiao Chiye and Hasen

If Shen Zechuan’s motif is finding and specifically gathering, Xiao Chiye’s is in losing. But, he’s a victorious general, obviously, though this by no means comes easily to him. By the time he’s faced his first loss in battle, he’s already lost in other ways:

His home

Tantai Hu (whom he gains back, but the point is that Xiao Chiye has to first lose things to get them back)

His friend, Li Jianheng

Xiao Jiming has been defeated

His own reputation is shot

But how do you tame a wild animal? As is noted by Xiao Chiye himself with Meng, the falcon, through hardships. Torture even, breaking its will, etc. Hence, it makes sense that for Xiao Chiye to tame himself, he has to lose again and again and again.

That said, Xiao Chiye faces no military defeat until he does at Hasen’s hand. And in contrast to Shen Zechuan’s standoffishness creating his own defeat with Huo Lingyun via Fei Sheng, it’s Xiao Chiye’s activeness that creates his defeat:

Xiao Chiye thought he was taking the initiative, but he was, in fact, paralyzing himself. Right from the moment he decided to turn around and head for the Tudalong Banner, he had already fallen into the role of the passive player.

Hasen himself takes note of this:

“His desire to win is too strong... Like my father, he won’t allow himself to cower and retreat. This is his strength, but also his weakness...”

So what saves Xiao Chiye’s life this battle? Well, firstly, Shen Zechuan (even though, as is usual for Shen Zechuan’s battle motif, he’s not physically present):

A loud “THUD” rang out as the blow was blocked by the arm guard Shen Zechuan had gifted him.

And of course, his father riding in to save the day. Xiao Fangxu’s following advice to Xiao Chiye about his defeat is interesting:

“You don’t need seven years to defeat Hasen.” Xiao Fangxu gazed at Xiao Chiye and said, “But you must learn to be tolerant.”

The interesting part of this is that this statement occurs within Xiao Fangxu expressing his insatiable desire to win in warfare. What does tolerance have to do with that?

Because the real battle isn’t physical. It’s inside. I’m not saying it’s a trite “believe in yourself” (on the contrary) but instead it’s about taming yourself for the sake of a broader picture. Taming wild beasts is a motif of Xiao Chiye: he tames Meng the falcon, his wild horse, even Shen Zechuan to an extent, but the one he ultimately needs to tame is himself. He can’t act selfishly. He has to act with the good of others in mind, including his family. He has to act with love, which is not the same as acting with desire (hence why it’s symbolic Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan’s relationship starts with being purely physical and slowly becomes something far more intimate).

Xiao Chiye, much like Shen Zechuan, cannot be motivated by simply wanting to defeat enemies, because often enemies are part of you. He must be motivated by those who love him and whom he loves.

When Xiao Chiye is first brought back to Qudu, he lashes out multiple times at Shen Zechuan because he sees himself in him: an innocent child in prison for the military actions of a father and brother. The only difference is that for Shen Zechuan, it was the Shens’ defeat; for Xiao Chiye, it was Xiao Jiming’s victory. Win or lose; it’s all the same. The children still wind up as prisoners, not just of corrupt kingdoms, but of hatred and warfare and corruption. We see it with Huo Lingyun, with Hasen, with Li Jianheng, Li Jianting, and more.

Xiao Chiye and Hasen 2.0

Xiao Chiye then finds himself engaging in a series of victories over Biansha. Well, victories-ish. Because the motif of losing to be tamed is still there.

Firstly, Xiao Chiye loses his father, but then finds some semblance of himself back when he singlehandedly storms the enemy camp to get Xiao Fangxu’s head back. It’s interesting that he interrupts Hasen as Hasen is pondering the reality of what victory might mean:

To both parties, excessive compassion was tantamount to suicide...

What does strict revenge actually offer? The answer is that it offers nothing.

Hasen had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

“But you don’t look very happy,” Wulihan said.

“Not quite what I expected.” Hasen held up the bowl with both hands and remembered his war trophy. “I grew up listening to legends of him. He’s invincible, coming from my father’s mouth.”

Killing just continues the cycle. Xiao Chiye getting his father back is, on the one hand, an incredibly risky and stupid move. On the other hand, he succeeds thematically because he’s driven by pure love for his father. He will not allow his father’s legacy to be a head mocked by enemies. Victory is not in killing or battling an enemy.

Xiao Chiye’s subsequent confrontation with Hasen warns him of what could happen:

He stared at Hasen and said, one word at a time, “Give my father back to me.”

Hasen brushed back the red hair that was hanging over his eyes and looked at Xiao Chiye as he said in a cold, detached voice, “Then, when will your father give my brother back to me?”

Xiao Chiye had already sprung closer. He had no wish to hear Hasen speak at all...

Hasen twirled out a new piked dagger between his fingers. He slid those fingers along the cold gleam of the blade and said expressionlessly, “I’m merely returning the favor tit for tat.”

Xiao Chiye has no wish to hear Hasen speak, because compassion has little place in the world of Qiang Jin Jiu’s Dazhou. Or does it? Because Bai Cha’s legacy endures because of her compassion, not in spite of it. Xiao Chiye gets his life saved because of Shen Zechuan’s romantic love, not in spite of it. Xiao Fangxu’s head is rescued because of compassion, not in spite of it.

Yet, Xiao Chiye has already learned an important lesson: to defeat an enemy, you have to learn to think like them. Instead of relying on his own strength and prowess, like he did the first time he fought Hasen, he learns to think like his enemy, and that is what gives him a heads-up (i’m sorry) that something is wrong with Xiao Fangxu.

Xiao Chiye... paced back and forth in the same place and rubbed away those haphazardly drawn lines. He gradually stopped tracing Xiao Fangxu’s path and put himself in Hasen’s position.

To overcome himself, he must think like the enemy. To defeat his enemy, he must overcome himself. Xiao Chiye is as much his own enemy as Hasen is, and everyone realizes this. It’s why the Empress Dowager is convinced Xiao Jiming and Xiao Chiye will turn on each other, why Xiao Fangxu scolds him instead of praising him, and why Shen Zechuan nearly ends up dead from a certain kick. But in each of these relationships, love proves to be an elixir healing them, helping Xiao Chiye paradoxically become more himself and also more like those around him. Chief among these is Cezhou.

Xiao Chiye’s relationship with Shen Zechuan can be seen as symbolic of a new way forward, of making family out of enemies.

Of course, the other party has to be willing, and Hasen is not:

“After tonight, my name will overshadow the Libei Armored Cavalry. I’ll make you people pay back double for what you owed me since the battles on the eastern mountain ranges.”

Hasen claims to be repaying Xiao Fangxu “tit for tat” for Xiao Fangxu killing his brother. But an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. This is the same path Shen Zechuan started the novel on, but thanks to his relationship with Xiao Chiye, has been pulled back from.

We see this thematic line continued through Xiao Chiye fighting two more battles against Biansha.

Firstly, he fights A-Chi at the Chashi Sinkhole by tricking A-Chi into falling into the same trap Xiao Chiye once fell into: being too quick to act. Xiao Chiye even changes the field via literally moving the goalposts to trick A-Chai. He’s learning to see the playing field, the bigger picture beyond his wants and needs. Just like Xiao Chiye’s first loss against Hasen, we see Shen Zechuan’s armguard saving Xiao Chiye’s life.

When Xiao Chiye gets buried in the sinkhole with Lang Tao Xue Jin, it’s symbolic of his primitive, immature, animalistic side being buried. He’s symbolically pulled out of the sinkhole by Shen Zechuan, of course, who is terrified. This accomplishes two things: firstly, instead of losing another beloved person to the sinkhole like he lost Ji Mu, Shen Zechuan is able to pull Xiao Chiye out by his hand. Secondly, it forces Xiao Chiye to experience the human crush Shen Zechuan had barely survived back then, even if only for a few moments, forcing him literally into the experience of someone he once considered an enemy. Shen Zechuan, too, goes from being a physical yet object guard to being a physical presence pulling Xiao Chiye from the battlefield, and saving him from the trauma he himself experienced.

It’s only after that experience, that empathy and Shen Zechuan’s saving him, that Xiao Chiye is able to grow up at last. Xiao Chiye is given the chance to grow via learning how to work with his enemies--whether they are Biansha or even from Libei (Guo Weili, who attacked Gu Jin). It’s telling that this is the opportunity Xiao Jiming offers Xiao Chiye to prove he’s really ready to fully grow up and lead in their father’s stead: can you reconcile with your enemies?

And then Xiao Chiye can defeat Hasen at last. This time, Shen Zechuan is not just present in an object, nor does he arrive to save Xiao Chiye after the battle. This time, he’s a physical presence, because the two of them are fully one now.

That Xiao Chiye will defeat Hasen at last at Duanzhou is a fitting conclusion: it happens in the same place where Shen Zechuan’s nightmare, where the sins of Shen Wei, linger , thereby resolving Xiao Chiye’s need for revenge for his father, and also for Shen Zechuan’s torture after Shen Wei’s defeat and for Bai Cha’s abuse and murder. For Shen Zechuan’s part, he cannot do it all by himself. He can only reclaim his legacy through others (Xiao Chiye, Fei Sheng, Huo Lingyun, Qiao Tianya, etc).

Xiao Chiye also can only reclaim his trauma through another (Shen Zechuan). Insofar as the trauma concerning Xiao Fangxu’s death is concerned, the final battle at the Chashi Sinkhole is not about Hasen and Xiao Chiye, or Xiao Fangxu. It’s about Xiao Chiye first and foremost saving what he loves in Shen Zechuan. And it’s Shen Zechuan’s presence that gets Hasen and Xiao Chiye to confront one another. That Hasen almost kills Shen Zechuan and indeed wants to use Shen Zechuan’s death to taunt Xiao Chiye is symbolic of Hasen recognizing that befriending your enemies is a new way forward, and not being particularly enthused about it.

Yet the ultimate end goal is not accomplished with Hasen’s death. Amu’Er continues to want to kill in revenge, even though he himself threatened Hasen to bring results or face his wrath.

Duo’Erlan waffles between wanting to save her child and wanting revenge. She and Amu’Er both demand that Xiao Chiye give her back Hasen, much like Xiao Chiye demanded that Hasen give him back his father, and so on. The end of Xiao Chiye’s arc is less about killing Amu’Er as it is about sparing Duo’Erlan (a vengeful, angry, hurting person who lost their home and the people they love; aka she’s a Shen Zechuan foil, and a Xiao Chiye one). Xiao Chiye kills the mighty legendary warrior he has always been destined to be, but saves the future he has (raising a child) despite Duo’Erlan’s begging him to kill her if she can’t get revenge.

Shen Zechuan, Li Jianting, & the Role of Emperor

Shen Zechuan’s arc is about his identity, which is not found in the Shens, who rejected him and ignored his existence out of paranoia. It is also not found in a throne or in victory, and it is certainly not found in hatred. Instead, it’s found in acknowledging those who loved him: his allies and their trust in him, his mother and the legacy she left, and the legacy Shen Zechuan builds with Xiao Chiye.

His victory comes when he finds that others need him as emperor, and when he accepts that he can be a good one. One cannot truly become their own person without other people. His victory is in accepting his role with Xiao Chiye’s help.

In a tragic sense, Shen Zechuan also foils Li Jianting here. In the end, she chose to identify herself with her heritage. If her heritage burned, then she would burn with it. She could see no other purpose, and it’s tragic.

Conclusion

Xiao Chiye ends up back in Qudu, but this time he is not a prisoner, but the emperor’s husband. It’s not the circumstances that matter but the people. Additionally, Xiao Jiming sends Xun’Er to Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye to raise as heir, a reversal of both Shen Zechuan’s and Xiao Chiye’s circumstances at the beginning. Xiao Xun’s presence is not as a hostage, but instead as an expression of trust in family, of love.

#cezhou #qiang jin jiou #qjj meta #qjj #shen zechuan #xiao chiye #huo lingyun #li jianting #ling ting #hasen #duo'erlan #xiao xun

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hiddenwashington · 5 months

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@masqce said : here to kindly request more characters from qiang jin jiu please! i know it's still a very niche fandom, but !! that means all the more (GOOD) choice! would love to see xiao jiming, li jianheng, yao wenyu, qiao tianya, ji mu, hua xiangyi, tantai hu, lu guangbai, ji gang, li jianting, yan heru, gu jin, chen yang, li xiong, qi huilian, xue xiuzhuo, or like....... literally anyone. please !! ♡

you heard it here! bring us anyone from qiang jin jiu, as we would absolutely love to see them!

#qiang jin jiu rp #qiang jin jiu #multifandom rp #literature rp #danmei rp #masqce #mw #admin ollie

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miyokotranslations · 6 months

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Qiang Jin Jiu - Kapitola 33.

Strýc a synovec

Jakmile Li Jianheng skončil s házením věcí, zakryl si obličej a vzlykal. Xiao Chiye se vyhnul střepům a poklekl. Když se Li Jianheng trochu uklidnil, řekl: „Vstávej! Neni potřeba, abys takhle klečel. Ty a já sme kámoši. Když budeš klečet, akorát se od sebe odcizíme.“

Xiao Chiye vstal a řekl: „Starší sekretariátu je zkrátka přímý muž.“

Li Jianheng byl ve špatné náladě a tak si dlouho zakrýval tvář: „Přicházej sem co tři dny, aby si vyrovnaly účty, což sem povolil. I když peníze tečou jako voda, nikdy sem proti tomu neřek ani slovo. Poslední dny sem jako na trní, až mě úplně přešla chuť k jídlu. Neni to teď pro mě zrovna lehký. To si nemůžu vyžádat pár dní odpočinku, když je teď Hua Siqian mrtvej a Ji Lei má bejt popravenej? Ce'ane, ty ani nevíš, jak sou nespokojený s tim, že tu sedim zrovna já. Kdyby byla na světě jakákoliv jiná možnost, nikdy by si mě nevybrali.“ Byl čím dál smutnější.

„Ale copak sem někdy chtěl bejt císařem? Byli to oni, kdo mě dotlačili k tomu, abych se jím stal. A teď sou to zase oni, kdo mě napomíná! Cenzor hlavního dozorčího úřadu mě každej den sleduje. Dokonce, i když jenom vyjdu ven a opovážim se ocenit zdejší květiny, začnou předkládat memoriály, aby mě napomínali těmi svými erudovanými způsoby! Nevadí mi, že zabil eunucha, ale proč mi Hai Renshi nemůže prokázat náležitou úctu a zachovat mi tvář? Přinejmenšim sem přece císař Da Zhou!“

Čím více Li Jianheng mluvil, tím byl rozzlobenější. Na stole však nezbylo nic dalšího, co by mohl rozbít a tak si jen rozhořčeně bušil do stehna.

„Udělali z Mu Ru opovrženihodnýho člověka, ale sami nejsou tak ušlechtilí a ctnostní! Když sme společně popíjeli na ulici Donglong, kdo z nich se nesnažil tvářit důstojně, jen aby se z něj záhy stal darebák, když si sundal kalhoty?! Mu Ru sem si původně vybral z rodu s čistym rodinym pozadím. Kdyby nebylo toho Xiaofuziho, kterej se mi připlet do cesty, padla by snad do rukou toho zrádce Pana? Srdce mě tak bolí, že snad pukne!“

Xiao Chiye pouze naslouchal a během Li Jianhengova vylévání si srdce neřekl ani slovo. Když Li Jianheng svou triádu konečně skončil, jeho hněv z větší části opadl.

„Kdyby se mnou skutečně zacházeli jako s císařem a respektovali mě, tak bych byl ochotný být ve svých studiích pilný. Můj starší císařský bratr mi svěřil tohle rozsáhlé impérium a i já chci být panovníkem vzkvétající éry.“ Řekl Li Jianheng lítostivě. „...Hai Renshi si toho o mě moc nemyslí.“

Teprve tehdy Xiao Chiye řekl: „Naopak. Právě proto, že do Vašeho Veličenstva vkládá starší sekretariátu velké naděje, se odvážil Vaše Veličenstvo tak přísně napomenout. Vaše Veličenstvo proti němu nesmí chovat zášť. Vaše Veličenstvo musí vědět, že starší sekretariátu Hai je úplně stejně přísný a náročný na "neopracovaný nefrit Yuanzhuho", na Yao Wenyuho."

Li Jianheng se skepticky zeptal: „Vážně?“

Xiao Chiye odpověděl: „Kdyby tomu tak nebylo, proč by dnes starší sekretariátu nechal zabít Shuangluho?“

Li Jianheng o tom chvíli přemýšlel, než řekl: „... To je pravda.“

Kdyby si toho o něm Hai Liangyi moc nemyslel, proč by se ho neustále ptal na jeho názor?

Li Jianheng si vzpomněl na den, kdy akorát nastoupil na trůn. Jen co se Hai Liangyi dozvěděl, že mu císařovna vdova začala posílat občerstvení, v soukromí mu důrazně doporučil, aby všechny své lžíce a hůlky nechal vyměnit za stříbrné.

Hai Liangyi byl neústupným mužem, který byl vážný jak ve své řeči, tak ve svých způsobech. Byl však jiný než Hua Siqian. Neměl žádné učence, jen jediného studenta - Yao Wenyuho. A protože se chtěl vyhnout různým nařčením, Yao Wenyu do dnešního dne nevstoupil do vlády a nestal se úředníkem, přestože byl mimořádně talentovaný.

Hai Liangyi se nikdy ve velkém sekretariátu nepřidal k žádné frakci a zároveň byl jediným, kdo na lovištích Nanlin vsadil vše, co měl, aby zachránil císaře Xiande. Byl jediným ministrem rovnajícím se těm v knihách - obtížný jako strmý sráz a vzpřímený jako vysoký strom bez větví.

Zatímco o tom Li Jianheng přemýšlel, Xiao Chiye přemýšlel také. Jedna věc, kterou Li Jianheng řekl, totiž byla jistá. Kdyby na světě existovala jiná volba, nebyl by tím, kdo dnes seděl na dračím trůnu, Li Jianheng. Ale ani císař Xiande neměl v tomhle ohledu na vybranou, protože Li Jianheng byl zřejmě jediným kandidátem na tomto světě, kterého měli.

A protože se rozhodli ho podpořit, museli ho učit a vést. Da Zhou bylo v současné době národem sužovaným obtížemi. Mohlo se sice zdát, že se vlna problémů v Qudu akorát uklidnila, nová bouře se však začínala akorát probouzet. Všichni mimořádně loajální ministři v čele s Hai Liangyim nyní upíraly zraky na Li Jianhenga. V jejich očích byl Li Jianheng možná beznadějným případem, Hai Liangyi však zvedal obě ruce, aby ho těmi svými starými zády podepřel a vyzdvihl výš v naději, že vydrží, otočí list a stane se z něj císař, který dokáže své jméno zapsat do historie.

Xiao Chiye a civilní úředníci spolu nikdy nevycházeli, protože centrální správa Qudu měla obavy z vojenské moci na hranicích. Všichni tito lidé byli nejen důvodem jeho neviditelné klece, ve které byl uvězněn, ale zároveň to byli muži nezkrotné vůle a morálky, kteří přes všechno, co se v zemi dělo, mohli pokračovat dál.

Vojenští velitelé se nebáli smrti, protože nemohli. Civilní úředníci se nebáli smrti, protože byli svědomití.

Li Jianheng byl až příliš zvyklý na to, že se mu pochlebovalo, proto potřeboval učitele, jako byl Hai Liangyi, který se nebál ostře kritizovat současné nedostatky doby.

„Když se to vezme kolem a kolem, lady Mu Ru nemá žádný status. Jestli je už Vaše Veličenstvo skutečně rozhodnuto, proč si upřímně nepromluví se starším sekretariátu? V téhle době Da Zhou potřebuje nepřetržitou řadu císařských dědiců. Pokud s ním Vaše Veličenstvo promluví čestně a upřímně, starší sekretariátu Vaše Veličenstvo rozhodně odrazovat nebude.“ Nakonec Xiao Chiye řekl: „Slyšel jsem, že Ji Leie a Pan Ruguiho soudní dvůr ještě neodsoudil?“

V tuhle chvíli byl však Li Jianheng zaměstnán myšlenkami nad tím, co všechno bylo na Hai Liangyim dobré. A tak jen nepřítomně přikývnul: „Nesedí jim účty. Budou potřebovat další řízení...“

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Východní perla byla uvnitř dutá. Když z ní Shen Zechuan vytáhl tenký látkový proužek, nápis na něm byl již rozmazaný, tak jej nad plamenem spálil. Všechny Xiao Chiyeho činy se včera v plné parádě odehrály přímo před jeho očima. Možná, že se té perly dotkl, nebylo však možné, aby viděl, co bylo napsáno uvnitř. Nicméně v něm muselo být vzbuzeno podezření. Shen Zechuan odpověděl na jeho otázku na hoře Feng špatně. Xiao Chiye mu dokonce prozradil zdroj účtů císařské armády a to jen proto, že čekal, že mu na oplátku řekne pravdu a odpoví upřímně. On však všechno s naprostou jistotou popřel.

Shen Zechuan si uvařil léčivý odvar a jediným douškem jej vypil. Ústy mu pronikla hořká chuť a tak ji snášel stejně jako muka, ke kterým se vracel každý den a každou noc. Nakonec se posměšně usmál, otřel si pusu a ulehl ke spánku.

Znovu měl sen a v něm stále vyl studený vítr nad závrtem Chashi. Už neležel na dně, ale stál sám na okraji a sledoval těch 40 000 vojáků, kteří jako mravenci bojovali o přežití.

Kavalerie Biansha obklopovala závrt jako černý příliv temné noci až nebyla vidět obloha ani zem. Pohltila šance všech posádkových jednotek Zhongba na přežití a celé místo proměnila na jatka. Mezi rozvířenými vlnami seschlých kostí se natáhla ruka. Ji Mu natáhl svou horní polovinu těla celou pokrytou šípy jako loutka a vzlykal, když volal na Shen Zechuana: „Geho to strašně bolí...“

Shen Zechuan byl jako socha vytesaná do kamene nebo dřeva, nedokázal se hýbat ani křičet. Jeho dech se zrychlil, a když pevně zatnul zuby, polil ho studený pot.

Vůdce kavalerie Biansha měl na hlavě helmu. Jeho vlasy třepotající se ve větru se v Shen Zechuanově noční můře zbarvily do tmavě červené. Zvedl paži a lehce ukázal na závrt a všechny šípy za ním vystřelily jako roj kobylek. Bodaly do těl mužů v hustých shlucích, pronikaly masem a rozstřikovaly všude teplou krev.

Hustý sníh na obloze zčervenal také. Shen Zechuan sledoval, jak Ji Mu padá do krvavého bahna, než ho zcela pohltila červená lepkavá vlna. Jeho ruce byly studené. Krev na nich také.

Shen Zechuan se probudil. Posadil se zády ke světlu okna, jakoby se vlastně nic nestalo. Sklonil hlavu a chvíli mlčel, než vstal a oblékl se.

Stráže čekající na nádvoří sledovaly, jak vyšel z pokoje, aby se najedl, než zamířil do veřejných lázní.

Po hodině se strážný, který z lázní nespustil oči, zamračil a zeptal se muže vedle sebe: „Proč ještě nevyšel?“

Oba muži si vyměnily pohledy a zároveň jim došlo, že tu bylo něco špatně. Když vběhli do lázní, našli jen úhledně složený set oblečení. Shen Zechuan byl dávno pryč.

Xi Hongxuan si zarezervoval tavernu Bu'er, kam pozval své přátele na čaj. Seděl, dokud se neozvalo volání přírody. To pak vstal a zamířil na latrínu. Sotva však vyšel ze dveří, někdo ho zezadu poplácal. Ohlédl se a téměř ustoupil o několik kroků zpět, než řekl: „Jak si... Proč se vždycky zjevíš jako stín?!“

„Poslední dobou se toho hodně stalo,“ nalil si Shen Zechuan studený čaj. „Důvod, proč Ji Lei a Pan Rugui zatím nebyli ve třetím soudním procesu odsouzeni je ten, že Hai Liangyi a Xue Xiuzhuo z jejich úst ještě nevypáčili, co chtěli, nemám pravdu?“

Xi Hongxuan se rozhlédl kolem sebe, než zašpital: „Chceš zabít Ji Leie, ale jak to chceš udělat, když tenhle případ všichni tak bedlivě sledují? Dosah případu frakce Hua je příliš rozsáhlý a hodně lidí se bojí, aby se s těma dvěma nezapletlo. Právě proto, aby Hai Liangyi zabránil tomu, že náhle a nevysvětlitelně zemřou, nechal jejich stráž přijmout přísná opatření. Nebudeš moct udělat nic.“

„Nebudu.“ Usmál se Shen Zechuan posměšně na Xi Hongxuana. „Ale mám způsob, jak Ji Leie přesvědčit, aby mluvil.“

Xi Hongxuan se na něho dlouze podíval. Potom osobně zvedl konvici, nalil mu čaj a zeptal se: „... Jaký způsob?“

Shen Zechuan usrkl čaj a řekl: „Nech mě se s ním setkat.“

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Ji Lei byl několik dní mučen a tak nyní ležel spoutaný v okovech ve své cele s rozcuchanými vlasy a bosýma nohama. Slyšel, jak někdo otevírá dveře věznice, než mu zakryl hlavu a vytáhl ho ven. Pak byl nacpán do kočáru. O chvíli později ho zase vysadili a shodili na zem. Všude kolem bylo ticho až na zvuk kapající vody.

Ji Lei se vyškrábal ze země a zeptal se s černým látkovým pytlem na hlavě: „Kdo je tam?“

Kapka vody šplouchla o zem. Nikdo nereagoval. Ji Lei cítil mrazení v zádech. Zapřel se rukama a zkusmo se dotkl prostoru kolem sebe: „... Starší sekretariátu Hai?“

Ale ani tentokrát nikdo neodpověděl. Ji Leiův ohryzek se zachvěl. Pohnul se dopředu a narazil do mříží. Zašmátral kolem, uklidnil se a vykřikl: „Jestli nejsi starší sekretariátu Hai, tak seš Xue Xiuzhuo! Jak mě plánuješ mučit dneska? Sem s tim!“

„...Řekni něco. Proč nic neřikáš?!“

„Kdo seš? Kdo přesně seš? Co chceš dělat... Myslíš, že mě vyděsíš, když nebudeš mluvit? Nebojim se... Já se nebojim!“

Ji Lei sklonil hlavu mezi paže, aby ze sebe dostal ten pytel. Pohnul očima a uviděl Shen Zechuana, jak sedí na židli přímo před ním.

Shen Zechuan byl celý oblečený v modrobílém, s jednou rukou na loketní opěrce, jak si podpíral hlavu a bez výrazu na Ji Leie zíral.

Ji Leiovi se z hrdla vydral smích. Popadl mříže a vmáčkl mezi ně svoji tvář, než tichým, ale hlubokým hlasem řekl: „Ach, takže to seš ty... toulavej pes ze Zhongba. Co tahle odporná bestie chce od svýho shishu? Pomstít se za Ji Ganga nebo za sebe?“

Shen Zechuan neřekl nic. Z jeho něžných, výrazných očí zmizel veškerý úsměv, dokud nezůstal jen temný, hluboký pohled.

Ji Lei v něm nenašel ani nenávist. Skoro měl pocit, jakoby před ním neseděl muž z masa a kostí, ale vyhladovělé, zbloudilé kuře, které se živilo lidským masem.

Ji Lei sklopil zraky a nenávistně řekl: „Rod Ji nemá žádný potomky a tím, kdo přerušil pokrevní linii Ji Ganga seš ty. Tak co na mě tak koukáš? Byl to tvůj rod Shen, Shen Zechuane, kdo zabil Ji Muho a byl to i tvůj rod, kdo zneuctil Hua Pingting. Jak s tim dokážeš žít tak dlouho? Seš ďáblem pod desítkami tisíc duchů, kteří zemřeli nespravedlivou smrtí. Seš pokračovatelem Shen Weiovi hanebný existence. Zasloužíš si bejt rozsekanej na kusy...“

Ji Lei se začal tiše smát, až působil, že se snad zbláznil. „Myslíš, že se tě budu bát? Bastarda, kterýho nikdo nechce. Myslíš si, že když si stáhneš kalhoty a začneš podlejzat Xiaovi druhýmu, tak se před tebou ukážou lepší dny? Haha!“

Shen Zechuan se také rozesmál.

Ji Leiův smích postupně ustal. Chladně řekl: „Přijde ti to vtipný? Moje dnešní svízelná situace bude v budoucnu tvojí svízelnou situací.“

Shen Zechuan položil nohu na zem a o židli se opřel, jakoby nad něčím přemýšlel. „Ach, už se bojím.“

Jeho slova byla plná sarkasmu, jen co otevřel pusu.

„Ďábel, parchant, toulavý pes, odporná bestie.“ Shen Zechuan vstal a před mřížemi se přikrčil, jen aby se Ji Leiovi začal smát a nepříčetným, avšak zdrženlivým tónem řekl: „Máš pravdu, tím vším jsem. Jsem ďábel, co se vydrápal ze závrtu Chashi, bastard, kterého tu po sobě Shen Wei zanechal, zatímco se sám upálil, toulavý pes bez domova, do kterého by se mohl vrátit, i hnusná bestie, kterou nenávidí masy. Shishu, jak já jsem rád, že mě tak dobře znáš.“

Ji Lei se začal nekontrolovatelně třást.

Shen Zechuan se na něho úkosem podíval. Jeho pohled byl mnohem zlověstnější, než tenkrát, jakoby pod tou vrstvou nádherné kůže zbyla jen mrtvola, ze které se postupně stala bezejmenná bestie.

„Před pěti lety,“ přiblížil se Shen Zechuan k mřížím a zkoumavě si prohlédl Ji Leiův vyděšený výraz, než tiše řekl: „jsem byl tím, kdo tady klečel, já. Pamatuješ, co jsi mi řekl v den, kdys mě vyprovázel do chrámu Zhao Zui?“

Ji Leiovo hrdlo i oči se napjaly. Chtěl odpovědět, ale nedokázal se vyjádřit.

„S vděčností vzpomínám na laskavost vás všech,“ řekl Shen Zechuan zbožně. „Každý den. Každou noc.“

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