Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

Bad attitude ahead :-)

 Kokuto:

Well, it wasn't as awful as I thought it was going to be from that script. I'm glad he didn't pitch a hissy fit, even though it must have been ... unpleasant

 blabla100:

Lol, I was about to post the same. It wasn't that bad, to be honest. XL didn't look that angry to me, he gave me more of a bitersweet feeling, don't know how to explain it exactly.

How lightly you ladies described it. Unpleasant! Not that bad! And there I was thinking that just the thought of the person I love being intimate with someone would have resulted in lots of pain and possible puking; to actually experience it!!! I'll be grabbing a knife to do some damage. XL is made of some stern stuff. I guess those hundred years as a slave in the death match arena have taught him how to deal with pain - physical, emotional and mental. And that was what we saw (kudos to TJC for his acting in this scene. It was pitch-perfect). He'd learned to deal with and manage the pain. Maybe because he's so good at dealing with bullshit, so it's easy to overlook and dismiss just how he much actually suffered in this relationship. Just as it's easy for XY to dismiss everything that he did for her under the tag of "transaction". The few moments that he let go and stopped suppressing his Bugs and let XY feel the magnitude of what he was feeling - she was crawling on the ground. If he was as vindictive as I am (still working on enlightenment) he should just let the Bugs lose for 24 hours and see how well XY will cope. 

 Kokuto:

And it wasn't worth getting angry about, like the script seemed to imply. Here it was just another stick of pain, stacked on his back, that is the price of his love and his desire to see her happy.

It's not that it isn't worth getting angry about, but that he'd learned to manage the pain that would have been underneath the anger. This scene makes clear just how unhealthy this relationship is for XL. Like you said, all these burdens that he bears for XY's sake. This romance is "beautiful" because XL is beautiful in his ability to love and willingness to sacrifice for the people that he loves, but overall, it isn't a healthy relationship when one person is carrying the load and making the sacrifices while the other is doing whatever the heck that she is. Take away the romantic gloss and it really isn't good at all.

I can't read this novel through the romance filter anymore. To me, it's a story about people with unresolved trauma and their sick relationships. The YaoLiu’s relationship is an allegory of what it’s like to be in a relationship with someone with unresolved trauma.

 liddi:

@HeadintheClouds

The official figurines and dolls are now available for pre-order on AliExpress:

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OMG! My wallet is weeping as I type. I'm glad that they have a mini XL. My Grumpy Pants doen't travel so well. Hmm! The figurine is on pre-order. But everything else is available.

You know how you wanted an electrocute/troll FFB? Well.... ?

 AH :

I meant it on a more meta level. Basically: readers of Once Promised would be aware of the pattern that played out for the main female characters in that book and might anticipate that XY, as the main female character of LYF, might follow the same path as those characters for the same reasons in LYF if XL had acted differently.

Ah okay - thank you for clarifying. I agree that Once Promised serves as a cautionary tale if Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao had ended up together after all, something the drama reinforces with the scene when Xiang Liu learnt about Xiao Yao's parentage from the Lirong old donkey meat seller.

 AH :

In-universe, Shao Hao or Sir Bi's concerns might not have been influenced by the pattern from Once Promised. They might have only arisen out of a desire for XY to not experience the pain of loving someone who was her family's enemy, which seemed to be the Yellow Emperor's only concern. But they both mentioned Ah Heng rather than CX (whereas the Yellow Emperor was more focused on CX), which I think might act as a reminder to readers of the choice that Ah Heng nearly made?

I think they mentioned A Heng because they saw what it cost her, to have loved someone who was standing squarely as the enemy of Xuan Yuan. Both A Heng and Chi Chen tried time and again to be together, but fate conspired against them in the cruelest possible way every single time. When at last there was nothing to stop her from leaving with Chi Chen after her mother and Fourth Brother died, the Yellow Emperor understood this and manipulated events so that she ended up unable to leave because of her concern for him. He would later manipulate her into leading the Xuan Yuan army against Chi Chen's onslaught using the suffering of the Xuan Yuan people, and the reminder of the 100 Shen Nong deity soldiers who died at Xun mountain in their attempt to weaken the fire formation (they wrote blood letters to their respective families, care of A Heng before they went on their final mission). Honestly, the Yellow Emperor is such an unlikeable character in Once Promised, that it is hard to reconcile this manipulative man who was not above using his own children, with the grandfather that doted on Xiao Yao and tried his utmost to get Xiang Liu to surrender so that history need not repeat itself.

 AH :

Did he consult Nuo Nai first? Or did he just act on his own without informing Nuo Nai?

No. It was all Shao Hao's doing. Nuo Nai was kept in the dark all along.

 AH :

It feels like one of the themes of these novels is a question that comes up again and again, in different contexts, about... is it ever right to compromise on one's principles? If, at any point or for any reason, you would be willing to compromise on your principles, does that mean you never really had integrity to begin with and that you are actually an unprincipled and dishonourable person? Or is there a point where sticking to your principles no matter what doesn't make you honourable, but instead just makes you a senseless person... and in some cases a person who has caused unnecessary harm to themselves and perhaps even to others due to their obstinance?

That is a good point. When Yan Zhuan set up the fire formation at Xun Mountain, none of his men knew that they would face impending death. When they realised it, those who were afraid and wanted to run away were beheaded by him, and he gave the rest an impossible ultimatum - either die a glorious death in battle, or be killed as a deserter by him. 

That being said, his words to A Heng about their bloodline being their only root, something that cannot ever be compromised on or sold, does resonate with me. And his sacrifice in turn rallied the Shen Nong remnants to rise up and resist again.

Since Yu Xiang was slain on the battlefield, Shen Nong's morale plummeted, the people dispersed, and they suffered continuous defeats. However, the brutal death of Yan Zhuan shook the spirits of all Shen Nong survivors, as if they heard a passionate clarion call in a desperate situation.

Yan Zhuan not only ignited a volcano with his own body but also ignited the hearts of countless Shen Nong men to rise up and resist. Although the Shen Nong kingdom had been broken, the people remained. Countless individuals gathered from all directions, raising the banner of resistance, using their blood and lives to fight against the Yellow Emperor.

Perhaps even Yan Zhuan himself did not anticipate that his death would actually reverse the situation of the entire Great Wilderness. The conflict between Shen Nong and Xuan Yuan would last for hundreds of years, with countless men heroically sacrificing themselves, writing the most tragic and beautiful chapter in the history of the deity clans. So much so that after Cang Xuan ascended to the throne as the Emperor of Heaven and ordered the separation of heaven and earth and the obliteration of ancient records, the stories of the Great War between the deities continued to circulate among the people.

The Yellow Emperor had anticipated the current situation, which was why he always dared not fail, and chose the more manageable Yan Zhuan. However, man proposes, the Heavens disposes. Yan Zhuan ignited a earth-shattering fire that set the entire Shen Nong ablaze. Now, Shen Nong was like a gurgling stream gradually swelling into a raging river. Rather than waiting for their morale to solidify and erupt, it was better to attack before they were fully gathered, seizing the initiative.

-- Once Promised Vol 2 Ch12  (originally Chapter 15)

On the other hand, those like Luo Jia (Hou Tu) and Little Yan Zhuan used their positions to protect and better the lives of others like them who now lived as a conquered people in spite of being despised as traitors by those who resolutely refused to surrender. Did they compromise their principles too, or could their decision be seen as adapting and protecting their people in a different way? 

 AH :

So Yun Sang's political marriage did nothing for Shengnong? Everything about her story is so tragic!

 AH :

Ah, so her marriage did still have an impact, maybe? But since she was delayed she wasn't able to save Zhu Rong or his army? And whatever impact it had, it didn't stop the war from proceeding?

What were the terms of her marriage? It seems that the eigth Flame Emperor had been killed by that point and he didn't have an heir. So was Yun Sang agreeing to marry Qing Yang basically her agreeing on behalf of a leader-less Shengong to surrender to Xuan Yuan, but most of the Shengnong army that remained (led by Gong Gong and Chi You?) refused to accept that surrender and kept on fighting, as they had vowed to never surrender?

Yes. The marriage alliance was in effect, Yun Sang leading a Shen Nong with no king, to surrender to Xuan Yuan. Yun Sang had no other choice since Chi Chen's whereabouts were unknown after the siege of Ze Province and there was no unity among the generals and vassal lords in Shen Nong. As such, she agreed to the marriage alliance, but bought time for Chi Chen by citing a mourning period as a reason.  Actually the Yellow Emperor was considering the marriage alliance with Mu Jin rather than Yun Sang because he wanted someone he could control easily, but ultimately chose Yun Sang as Mu Jin was only an adopted daughter. She was heavily spied upon and often kept to herself but kept herself abreast of the ongoing war between Xuan Yuan and the Shen Nong remnants and communicated with Chi Chen when she could, through Luo Jia. She only found out about Yan Zhuan's decision to surrender and was asking Luo Jia about it when they came upon Lie Yang being attacked by Yi Peng's people after attempting to ask for reinforcements from the Yellow Emperor. 

The Yellow Emperor sighed lightly and said, “I called you here to discuss something with you. You should have heard about the recent battles.”

Zhong Yi replied, “There have been continuous reports of victory.”

The Yellow Emperor said, “This is just the surface. Although the Shen Nong kingdom has been torn apart, the people still hold a deep attachment to their homeland and are not easily willing to surrender. Only a small part has surrendered, and the rest pose the greatest threat. Right now, they are terrified and dare not resist openly, but if we fail even once, it will incite the stubborn resistance of those troublesome people. At that point, a single spark could start a prairie fire. Therefore, our current strategy involves two aspects: On one hand, on the battlefield, we must be relentless against any resistance—those who need to be killed should be killed, and those who need to be beheaded should be beheaded. On the other hand, we must treat the former Shen Nong subjects well, making sure they understand that although the country’s name has changed, they can still live and work in peace and contentment.”

Ah Heng praised, “Royal Father, you are wise to use both kindness and force.”

The Yellow Emperor said, “For the feudal lords of Shen Nong, all promises are just empty words. The best approach is to show them that the Xuan Yuan clan and the Shen Nong clan are closely intertwined and interdependent.”

Zhong Yi asked, “Does Father want an alliance through marriage between Xuan Yuan and Shen Nong? Which of my younger brothers do you want to propose?”

The Yellow Emperor sighed heavily, “It’s not just an ordinary marriage alliance; this marriage is closely tied to the throne.”

Zhong Yi and Ah Heng exchanged a glance and asked, “Why?”

“We want all the land and people of Shen Nong. To show our sincerity, the prince who proposes marriage must be the future heir to the throne. Otherwise, why would Shen Nong submit to us? Another reason is that we are compelled by the situation to do this. The Shen Nong people make up nearly half the population of the Great Wilderness, and the Shen Nong clan is the largest deity clan within it. Furthermore, with the deity clans that have intermarried with Shen Nong over generations, anyone who marries a Shen Nong princess will gain the full support of these people and the deity clans. After surrendering, whether out of guilt or to save their lives, the Shen Nong remnants will certainly try to push the Xuan Yuan prince who is married to them onto the throne. Only in this way will a child with Shen Nong blood inherit the throne in the future and secure the interests of the Shen Nong clan for a long time.”

Ah Heng asked in a low voice, “Royal Father, are you truly willing to have a child with Shen Nong blood ascend the throne in the future?”

The Yellow Emperor smiled bitterly, “What can I do if I am unwilling? Military conquest is always only a temporary solution. Even if I wanted to be a tyrant, could I kill off all the Shen Nong people? I fear that before I could kill them all, Xuan Yuan would already be destroyed. If this is the only way for the bloodlines of the two clans to merge and for Xuan Yuan to securely rule the world, then I must accept it! Of course, this is only a stopgap measure. Qing Yang will not have only one consort. If Shen Nong does nothing in the future, then they will naturally have no place in this world!”

Ah Heng felt both fear and respect for her father. His vision was not limited to the immediate victory; his outlook had already extended to a thousand years into the future.

-- Once Promised Vol 2 Ch5  (originally Chapter 8)

 AH :

Such moral complexity mixed with tragedy. He definitely feels like a Tong Hua character.

With this context, his choices seem quite similar to Little Zhu Rong's choices.

It feels like Hou Tu in Once Promised mirrors Little Zhu Rong in LYF a bit (the ones who surrendered in part to keep their people alive and protect their well-being and in part out of love... if Little Zhu Rong did love his cousin / the Chishui clan leader's daughter before he surrendered?)... and Zhu Rong in Once Promised mirrors Gong Gong in LYF a bit (the ones who refused to surrender and fought until death). 

Yes I believe so too. Though he and Little Yan Zhuan (Shen'nong Yi) were not on good terms as we can see from the Once Promised side story, but he would be instrumental in recommending Little Yan Zhuan to be the next city lord of Zhi Yi when Cang Xuan asked for potential candidates to replace Xuan Ting (Yu Jiang's older brother).

 AH :

Would this be the same volcano as the one much earlier in Once Promised, where Zhu Rong was causing havoc and Ah Heng went to stop him (accompanied by Chi You), and Chi You ended up quelling the volcano after Ah Heng passed out, but pretended that she had done it?

No it's a different mountain. The one where Yan Zhuan was cultivating his fire powers was in Bofu Mountain. The volcano Yan Zhuan erupted was at Xun Mountain.

 AH :

I am so curious about her! Finding out that she was Hou Tu's childhood playmate is the first detail I've learned about her. 

There aren't that many details about her. I can't remember whether we were told what her origins were, but she was an orphan adopted by the Seventh Flame Emperor, and brought up along with Yun Sang and Yu Xiang. She was fiercely loyal to Yun Sang, furious when Nuo Nai avoided Yun Sang after the cancelled wedding, and when the vassal lords kept trying to pressure Yun Sang to agree to the marriage alliance. She was in love with Chi Chen, and when Chi Chen was due to face the Yellow Emperor at Ban Quan, fearing that he would die, she begged Chi Chen to sleep with her just once, promising that if he won and returned, she would pretend nothing ever happened, but if he lost, she would always remember that night with no regrets. When she found out who Chi Chen's lover was, she wanted to tell the Shen Nong army, but Yun Sang, who had secretly come to meet Chi Chen before the battle, stopped Mu Jin and convinced her to return to Shen Nong mountain. The novel does not mention her after this scene, so we do not know what became of her when everyone died - Yun Sang, Chi Chen, the entire Shen Nong army.

So are we really not getting any new episodes till monday? I see people talking about the express package or something. 

 Kokuto:

Not going to lie, and call me sadistic, but I'm severely disappointed that there was no tail chopping.  

Omg yeah I was expecting that, why does everything feel so rushed. T_______T they had max 40 eps they could’ve used

 blabla100:

So are we really not getting any new episodes till monday? I see people talking about the express package or something. 

I haven't seen anything about a fast track or express package.  There are 5 episodes left, 4 if you bought the one day in advance deal.  I kind of doubt they'll do one, but that's just me guessing.

 blabla100:

Yang Zi's acting was amazing, but her reaction felt a bit OTT compared to the novel. Dare to say a bit too mental, but I am not sure if that's the right word. The dead eyes she had were more în line to the reaction she had în the novel when she found out about CX's betrayal. Nevertheless, great acting.

I thought she was far more unhinged in the drama than I remember from the novel, especially about the wedding.

That said, Yang Zi did a great job at unhinged.  Like a whole episode of unhinged.  I just can't get over the pancake stuffing.  It just was heart wrenching to me.

AH is going to hate it for being so over the top.  ;p

 Kokuto:

I thought she was far more unhinged in the drama than I remember from the novel, especially about the wedding.

That said, Yang Zi did a great job at unhinged.  Like a whole episode of unhinged.  I just can't get over the pancake stuffing.  It just was heart wrenching to me.

AH is going to hate it for being so over the top.  ;p

Yang Zi is really one of the best actresses out there. I personally do enjoy this OTT type of reactions, but in this case I couldn' t emphatize with her, because I felt it was a bit too much for this early stage. I would have  understood her reaction if it happened after losing everything, not only jing, but after XL cut ties with her and after she found out about CX's betrayal too, but after losing just the first out of the 3 men in her life, her madness just didn't feel legitimate enough. I blame the script yet again.