Even though XY thinks of Jing telling her to not die (I can't even remember when he said that?AH :
It's mistake by Kaola. XY recalled CX's exhausted face when he carried the search for her in the sea in chapter 43.
小夭的眼前浮现出颛顼蓬头垢面的样子，心里默念，不能放弃，决不能死！她咬破了舌尖，用疼痛缓解在空中翻来滚去的恶心晕沉，她必须要庆幸地思考！
Zhuanxu's unkempt appearance appeared in front of Xiaoyao's eyes, and she thought silently in her heart, she can't give up and she must not die! (Chapter 44)
. but then FFYY was able to turn around and take the entirety of TSH's super effective death squad out all by herself? Even if she was perfectly healthy (in the novel she was close to death), that seems like quite a stretch, doesn't it?
No, I don't think she could do so. Those death squad probably followed TSH's instruction and they knew FFYY and TSH were the same team. Maybe the squad was ordered to solve Jing's body guards but let TSH killed Jing directly which is within his ability. FFYY could just go out of the house and take the pegasus to the river side where the battle. In the novel, it is just said the death squad was outside the room to ensure the situation.
TSJ would've become aware of some of the details in chapter 8, and might have deduced additional details or discussed the additional details with WXL "off screen".
It's a good point. Jing was smart. he could guess. If the assumption of his spying in the casino hall does not stand, the text in chapter 8 was the strongest supporting information in the novel for the reason he awared of XY's debt to XL.
If Xiao Yao had extremely poor judgment and chose a man who would give the rest of her life a whole lot of grief, would Xiang Liu really have made him available, he who wanted her to have a lifetime of carefree happiness?liddi:
Well, I think Xiao Yao showed pissed-poor judgment in ending up with Jing, and Xiang Liu supported that :-). I guess we can ask what was it that Xiang Liu wanted to do. Is it about helping Xiao Yao achieve what she thinks she wants or is it about Xiang Liu's giving Xiao Yao what he thinks is best for her?
I don't agree that his reason for stopping the wedding was because Feng Long won't give up everything for Xiao Yao. I am still of the opinion that he knew that Xiao Yao herself did not wish to marry him deep down, which meant that this marriage won't give her the kind of happiness he hoped she would have.
Feng Long not giving everything up for Xiao Yao means that Xiao Yao was not getting that one thing that she has been harping on about wanting in a companion. Which essentially means that she would have been miserable in this marriage. The other important thing was that Xiao Yao was not truly committed to this decision - the crystal ball was an indicator that she longed for something else. His interference in the marriage was more about preventing her from making a decision that she wasn't truly happy about which would cause her grief once she snapped out of whatever funk she was in. If she had been fully committed to being married to Feng Long and finding whatever happiness she could get from it, I think Xiang Liu would have let her be. It's the same thing with her decision to become the Heavenly Mother. That was an act of desperation
Similarly, if Xiao Yao thinks that she would be happy with and is committed to being with someone that Xiang Liu believes would cause her grief, he would try to have that option available to her. That is all it is, an option.
I believe Jing's love to the point of death, was a very strong deciding factor for him too.
I don't think anyone here, no matter how much they dislike Jing would argue that Jing doesn't loves Xiao Yao. He is willing to give up everything for her for her afterall, thus fulfilling that one requirement thing that we talked about. How healthy this love is is another story. And if Xiang Liu looked at Jing's actions surrounding the Plum Forest Assassination as a good thing or as some indicator that Jing was capable of protecting Xiao Yao then he needs to get all nine of his heads examined.
Cang Xuan, despite other reasons, was not wrong about Jing being incapable of protecting Xiao Yao. There are reasons why Left-Ear was there at the end when they left the safety of Royal Life because Jing by himself isn't gonna cut it when real danger shows up. Particularly once he lost 7 of his tails. He will be happy to wait for death with her, that's something I supposed. Whether or not he will actually go through with death is another story.
It feels a little unlike Xiang Liu to be willing to go with Jing as Xiao Yao's lifelong companion as long as Xiao Yao thinks he meets her requirements, without considering other aspects of the man.
Do we have a more suitable candidate? Beggars can't be choosers and all that jazz. Cang Xuan and Feng Long are out. If not Jing then who? Xiao Yao can be by herself of course, but we know that due to her "psychological shortcomings" that isn't something that Xiao Yao is capable of happily, so Jing is the only viable option left. Here are some of the available options:
1) Becoming the next Heavenly Mother and staying on Jade Mountain. One word: Loneliness. See how quickly she runs off when Jing showed up - she was not at all committed to this action.
2) Being by herself. Extensive therapy needed. Author have decided that this wasn't going to happen :-)
3) Being with Jing even if he's a hot mess and will cause her grief.
Look, Xiao Yao is so afraid of loneliness that she would talk to a monkey; being with Jing even if he has zero redeeming qualities and gives her grief is probably preferable to Xiao Yao :-)
All I'm saying is that Jing's worthiness or lack thereof may not be a deal breaker given the other options are so awful from Xiao Yao's point of view. When you are dying of thirst, you will drink dirty water. So instead of concluding that Jing must have some redeeming qualities because Xiao Yao picked him and Xiang Liu didn't "object", why don't we just judge Jing based on his actions and behaviour - that is the true measure of a person is it not?
You summarized Jing's actions and behaviour, so what is your overall opinion of him? Would Jing be someone that you would be happy for a friend to end up with? For me, I would be worried if a friend of mine ended up with someone who showed the behaviour and character that Jing did.
Last, I find TH let XLbe capable of rescueing Jing and waking him up just on time to stop XY being Royal Mother a kind of manufactory story which just to make the ending not tragic (as the prequel - Once Promised)H19279:
I always get the feeling that Tong Hua lost interest and just did whatever to end the story. She promised a non-tragic ending + this was a "romance" afterall so Xiao Yao can't end up by herself. Xiang Liu was fated to die so Jing was it. I think we talked about Tong Hua lack of interest in the Jing character before. I still think that the choices that she made in writing him was "interesting". She gave Xiang Liu all the characteristics/qualities of a male lead and Jing ended up like that.
Oddly enough, Jing was the one who gave her the most grief. Knowing Tong Hua's penchant for dramatics, I'd say that having XY end up with Jing is the ultimate punishment.nathsketch:
Hah. There are no rules that say an author have to like all of the characters that they write and have to give them "happy endings". She said it was "not a tragedy", she didn't say that it was happy :-). That in itself is very telling, don't you think?
Chapter 5 - XL took WXL to TSJ to ask him to procure medicine for the remnant army. Later, TSJ asked XL for help with rescuing WXL from CX, and YSQ brought WXL to the hunter's lodge near the remnant army's military base (basically XL's territory). TSJ doesn't try to keep WXL and XL apart.
Jing asked XL to rescue and hide WXL since he knew that CX could not find WXL if XL brought him into Shen-nong camp.
Xiao Liu continued “A few days ago I was mulling over why you were so free with your time lately and actually spending every day with me. Then I realized you weren’t taking care of me, you were waiting for Xuan. Jing wanted me to hide in the mountains because he knew that you guys had been battling with the Xuan Yuan army for hundreds of years and they still couldn’t track you down. If you wanted, there was no way Xuan could have found me. But you guessed his real identity, and you knew he wouldn’t let me live, so you used me to set a trap with the intention to kill him.
I don't think we have any differences in our interpretation here? Unless you're suggesting that XL was the one that brought WXL to the hunter's lodge? I'm pretty sure it was YSQ because YSQ was the one who took WXL out of the torture chamber (while XL was attacking CX and his men), and he was with WXL when she woke up in the lodge. I acknowledge that XL was also nearby (eavesdropping in the tree outside) when WXL woke up.
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Chapter 5:
“His expression….is different than any I’ve seen before.” “He’s very unique.”
The two jailers opened the box and untied him. Once they started tending to his hand, Xiao Liu moaned in pain, and in his consciousness he appeared to hear Shi Qi’s voice. That snapped the taut string in his mind and he fainted dead away.
When Xiao Liu opened his eyes, it was still dark but he was wearing clean clothes and laying on a soft pallet. Someone sat next to him but he didn’t believe his eyes. “Shi Qi? Jing?”
“It’s me.”
“Window”
Shi Qi immediately got up and opened the window. The mountain breeze came in and Xiao Liu took a deep breath. Jing lit a lamp and helped Xiao Liu up. Xiao Liu looked at his hands which were wrapped like two balls, indicating the injuries were severe but with the medicine applied there wasn’t much pain. Jing brought a bowl of soup over and Xiao Liu was starving but forced himself to drink slowly. After eating, Jing took out a pill and told Xiao Liu to suck on it. Xiao Liu sucked on the pill and looked around. It was a simple wooden hut with some rugs on the ground and seemed familiar.
“We’re at the Sheng Nong army base?”
“I went to find General Xiang Liu to help save you. Xiang Liu took men to attack Xuan while I went to the cellar prison to rescue you.” From contacting Xiang Liu to planning the rescue, Jing explained it in a few scant words.
Xiao Liu said “Actually, you didn’t need to come save me.”
Jing said, “I’m going back to Qing Shui Town so give me the antidote for Ah Nian.”
Chapter 6 - When TSJ finally tracks injured WXL down, XL leaves the cave first to avoid meeting him. TSJ doesn't actively try to do anything to keep XL and WXL apart.
Jing brought WXL back to Yu's masion. Anyway, XL didn't have th demand to see WXL often
Jing brought WXL back to the residence that was owned by the Tushan Clan where TSJ lived after his identity was revealed in chapter 4 but before he went to Gao Xing with WXL.
Yu Shin was the Tushan clan's representative in QS town and he had lots of influence, but I don't think he ever lived in the Tushan clan residence. He described himself as a servant of the family, he bowed to Jing Ye (TSJ's maid) when she arrived in QS town, and in chapter 33 he didn't have enough authority to even request an audience with TSJ. He could only request an audience with Jing Ye. I think Yu Shin lived above his jewelry shop, and that's also where Jing Ye stayed when she visited QS town to handle Tushan clan business before TSJ's identity was discovered.
When WXL goes to speak to Yu Shin about ownership of the clinic / rent for the clinic in chapter 4 (when Jing Ye recognizes that YSQ is TSJ), I'm pretty sure WXL went to see him at his jewelry shop, not at the Tushan clan residence. The novel mentioned that Lao Mu went to the jewelry shop once a year to pay rent.
Wherever TSJ took her, WXL slept there for ten days and left pretty much as soon as she woke up.
I don't think that changes the analysis of "TSJ didn't actively do anything to keep XL and WXL apart" for chapter 6.
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Chapter 4:
A richly decked out carriage rumbled past and the wind blew the curtains up to show a gorgeous lady inside. Xiao Liu gasped at the beauty and his eyes followed the carriage. The carriage stopped outside the jewelry store run by owner Yu Shin who got out and greeted the lady. Yu Shin was a well known personage in Qing Shui Town not because his jewelry store was all that profitable, but because he owned all the shops on this street. Once a year Lao Mu needed to go to the jewelry shop to pay the rent on the clinic.
Qing Shui Town may be like a pan of loose sand but it wasn’t completely a mess thanks to Yu Shin. He wasn’t a government official but worked hard to maintain rules and order here. As one would see it, Yu Shin was like half the authority in Qing Shui Town. So when he was bowing to someone else it caused the entire street to be stunned. Everyone wanted to discuss it but was too scared to discuss it. Wanted to look but didn’t dare look. In a second the entire mood changed on the street.
...
Xiao Liu liked water and didn’t want to leave here so decided to go see the authority Yu Shin. Shi Qi could see Xiao Liu cleaning up to head out so he followed behind. Xiao Liu was welcomed back to the lavishly decorated courtyard to see Yu Shin.
...
Yu Shin added, “You’ve lived here for twenty years so I’ll be candid with you. I’m just a servant and my master’s family is beyond wealthy. Forget one shop, they can afford to let the entire Qing Shui Town sit useless and empty just because they feel like it.” Yu Shin finished and sent them away.
...
“Stop!” A woman’s voice came from above. Xiao Liu halted and raised his head to see the beautiful lady from the carriage. Shi Qi didn’t stop and kept walking while the girl was so anxious she jumped down from the second floor and ran to embrace Shi Qi with tears streaming down her face. “My lord, my lord………..”
Shi Qi was standing ramrod straight and didn’t turn around. The woman collapsed at his feet in tears, “They all said my lord was dead…..but none of us believed it! Nine years! Nine years!……The Heavens heard us, to let your servant find you.”
Hearing the woman crying, Yu Shin rushed out and when he saw the woman kneeling by Shi Qi’s feet, he immediately knelt down, too. The woman tearfully asked, “My lord, why are you not talking? It’s your servant Jing Ye. Did you forget? And Lan Xiang, too. You used to tease us about our names…..Yu Shin, hurry up and send message to the Grand Madam that we found our second lord. My lord, have you forgotten the Grand Madam as well?”
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Chapter 8:
Shi Qi said, “I don’t want to go back because my brother is very capable and much more ruthless than me. He’s actually a more suitable leader of the clan than me. If he’s there, the family will be fine. As long as there is no Tu Shan Jing, then Tu Shan Hou will be the best. But that day I went with you to the jewelry store without knowing it belonged to the family. Jing Ye recognized me and the entire store saw me, word would soon get back to my brother that I was alive. I don’t want revenge, and I want even less to be Tu Shan Jing, but once my brother knows he will hunt me down no matter where I go. I was afraid he would hurt you and Lao Mu and them so I had to go back to being Tu Shan Jing. If I am in the open, then my brother will know where his target is and not aim wildly.”
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Chapter 32 and 33:
Qing Shui Town had to have a place where Zhuan Xu collected information. Xiao Yao didn’t know where it was and it was even harder for her to know where the Grand Emperor had his secret spies. It was easiest for her to find a Tu Shan clan business and she went into the nearest jewelry store and asked to see Yu Shin.
...
Xiao Yao arrived at Qing Qiu two days later.
Yu Shin told her, “My position cannot ask to see the clan leader directly. Luckily I have a connection with his maid Jing Ye so we can ask to see her first.”
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Chapter 46:
The entire Qing Shui Town was turned into an army base and Feng Long resided in the largest residence that was owned by the Tu Shan clan. Jing once lived there and now it was harried Feng Long who rushed out to greet them.
Zhuan Xu didn’t ask about the war so Feng Long instead joked, “This is the best residence in town and if I don’t live here no one else will dare use it. How did Your Majesty know to find me here?”
...
Feng Long walked them inside, and while Zhuan Xu knew Jing used to live here back then he never visited so had no reaction. Xiao Yao walked into the courtyard that she was very familiar with, the one Jing lived in.
During the hottest days of summer an ice crystal wind chime would hang on the corridor, multicolored and in various floral shapes.
...
Xiao Yao looked around and saw all the same blooming flowers just like it was before, bringing the sensation that a refined gentleman would walk through the door at any moment smiling at her.
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Chapter 6:
Jing felt for his pulse and immediately picked him up, carrying him out of the cave in quick steps while calling for his winged ride.
Ten days later, Xiao Liu woke up in an elegantly decorated room. It was hot Summer out but cool inside, and through the window there was a courtyard filled with blooming flowers of every type. A wind chime hung on the window sill made from crystal from the North Pole and in various colors carved into different flower shapes.
...
The bright warm sun, the vibrant flowers, and a gentleman. Like a painting, it was so utterly beautiful. Xiao Liu walked up to Jing and he reached out to touch his face as if to confirm he was real.
...
Xiao Liu thanked Jing. “Lao Mu is waiting for me so I’ll be off.”
Xiao Liu turned and left. Jing reached out his hand but slowly pulled it back, only watching Xiao Liu’s form disappear down the corridor.
Long series of text penance / tax.
Link to the original gifset. All credit to the Gif Queen, Elise (ladynamie).
Please take this outstretched hand and follow me to the next series of long text posts. ^^
Chapter 8 - TSJ asks WXL not to leave QS town, but that has nothing to do with XL and he doesn't do anything to try to physically stop WXL from leaving. However, later in the same chapter, TSJ asks WXL to make a palm promise. WXL promises not to let another man into her heart for 15 years. TSJ promises to break off his engagement and return YSQ to her in 15 years.
Maybe you missed the posts related to Jing helped WXL leaving and told him that he was TSJ so CX could not do any harm to him but later he accepted to be YSQ in front of CX so that CX could kill him easily. WXL had to return because of his safety. TSJ didn't want WXL to escape successfully. Because he knew once WXL disappeared, he could not find her back since he had never seen her true face and WXL could change his face without any traces. There are many discussion about the 15 year promise already
I know some have interpreted chapter 8 this way. I personally do not agree with that interpretation at all.
TSJ told WXL that he could not beat even one of the two very powerful gods amongst CX and the group of his men that surrounded the inn, but TSJ said he could stall them. That was true.
He also told WXL not to worry, CX wouldn't dare kill him because he was TSJ. That was also true. CX may have threatened to kill TSJ on the basis that he was YSQ at the time in order to force WXL to come back, but it was just a bluff. CX wasn't stupid. He used his knowledge of TSJ/YSQ's dual identity and his relationship with WXL to manipulate WXL, and it worked. It was clear from how CX ordered the jailers to treat TSJ compared to WXL when they two of them were thrown into the dragon bone prison that he didn't want to risk insulting the Tushan Clan. He would not have killed TSJ, even if WXL did not come back.
YSQ also asked to see WXL's true face before she left. She denied his request and YSQ's eyes were filled with sorrow. He believed she was going to leave and change her face and he was never going to be able to find her again. WXL told him that she would rather die than meet the Grand Emperor. In the dragon bone prison, TSJ thought that there was a real risk that the Grand Emperor would kill WXL. I abosultely do not think he conspired to make her stay with him. I believe that he fought as hard as he could to give her time to escape, with no intention of using himself as a hostage to force her to come back. That was all CX.
To help WXL escape, TSJ use his transformation ability to disguise himself as WXL and then fought all of CX's men by himself. He was not powerful enough to last long (as he told WXL), and when his power was depleted and he fell unconscious he was no longer able to maintain his transformation as WXL, so his form reverted from WXL to TSJ.
TSJ choosing to be addressed as YSQ rather than TSJ occurred much later in chapter 8, long after both TSJ and WXL had been captured. That was after the two of them made their 15 year promises. The jailers attitude towards WXL had also changed by that point, which I believe was based on instructions from the Grand Emperor. When TSJ told CX that he wanted to be treated as YSQ, it was right after he had promised to return YSQ to WXL. When given the option, of course he chose to be treated as YSQ. To choose differently would have been a betrayal of the spirit of the promise he just made to WXL.
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Chapter 8:
In the middle of the night Xiao Liu heard a commotion and immediately sat up. He saw Shi Qi pour all the water in the room on the ground around them before saying, “The Godly army has surrounded the inn, and there are two very powerful Gods in the mix. I can’t even beat one of them.”
Xiao Liu chuckled. “If we successfully escaped then I would be disappointed in Zhuan Xu. He is pretty capable.”
Shi Qi said, “I let you down.”
“No you didn’t! Zhuan Xu used the power of two Kingdoms to chase us. You helped me all on your own. It’s a miracle we escaped this far.”
Shi Qi asked, “How much do you not want to see the Grand Emperor?”
Xiao Liu thought. “I would rather die than see him.”
Shi Qi put a fox shaped satchel in Xiao Liu’s hand. “I can’t beat them but I can stall them. My winged ride is due Northeast. You run in that direction then raise the satchel and call like a fox. It will come pick you up.”
Xiao Liu grabbed Shi Qi’s hand. “Will they kill you?”
“I am Tu Shan Jing, even if the Grand Emperor was here he would have to consider before killing me. Mere generals won’t even dare.”
Xiao Liu laughed. “Then I’m going to abandon you and run.”
Shi Qi grabbed his shoulder with his voice slightly shaking. “Let me see your true face.”
Xiao Liu smiled and shook his head. “No.”
Shi Qi stared at Xiao Liu with unspeakable sorrow in his eyes. Once he walked out of here, Xiao Liu can become anyone else. Once Xiao Liu stopped being Xiao Liu, then Shi Qi would never be able to find him again.
Xiao Liu stared at him. “Are you still willing to risk incurring the wrath of the Grand Emperor and help me escape?”
Shi Qi nodded.
Zhuan Xu’s booming voice reached them. “Wen Xiao Liu, get your sorry behind out here! If you run again, I’ll break both your scrawny legs!”
“Change into one of their soldiers and run away,” Shi Qi told him.
Shi Qi transformed the water into smoke and it became a mist surrounding him. He transformed into Wen Xiao Liu and walked to the window and opened it. Zhuan Xu said, “Now you obediently come out here and I’ll consider not making you suffer as much.”
The mist gradually expanded from the room and floated outside and became so dense and thick it formed a maze. Zhuan Xu was furious and ordered the mist maze stopped immediately.
Xiao Liu could see in the maze thanks to the fox satchel Shi Qi gave him. He transformed into one of Zhuan Xu’s servants and silently slipped out of the inn.
Xiao Liu ran due Northeast and he raised the fox satchel high and a large crane descended. Xiao Liu climbed on the back of the crane and it took off continuing Northeast. Xiao Liu looked back and didn’t feel at ease.
Zhuan Xu’s angry thunderous voice reached him. “Wen Xiao Liu, the person with you right now is Ye Shi Qi. I don’t have a problem with killing one Ye Shi Qi.”
Xiao Liu sighed – he really was able to be cold and heartless at the blink of an eye, thorough and unyielding. No wonder the Yellow Emperor liked Zhuan Xu.
Xiao Liu transformed back into being Wen Xiao Liu and turned back. After some time, he saw Zhuan Xu flying towards him and behind him Shi Qi was trussed up in a cage.
A servant came forward and Xiao Liu allowed himself to be captured. Zhuan Xu stared coldly at Xiao Liu and ordered “Break both his legs.” The servant kicked both of Xiao Liu’s legs and both snapped. Xiao Liu collapsed on the ground.
“Throw him in the cage.”
Xiao Liu was thrown in the cage and he crawled towards Shi Qi “Shi Qi….Shi Qi…..”
Shi Qi’s eyes were tightly shut and he was unconscious. Xiao Liu examined him and relaxed, Shi Qi had used all his powers as one to fight with many so he depleted all his energy and was passed out. He had no internal injuries and was in no life threatening danger.
...
The jailers were very rough with Xiao Liu and purposely kicked his broken legs. But they were very careful with the still unconscious Shi Qi and gently place him in the cell.
Looks like Zhuan Xu was also very pissed Shi Qi helped Xiao Liu escape, so wanted to make him suffer a bit so he learned not to defy the imperial authority that is the Xuan Yuan Prince. But he was still wary of his Tu Shan last name so he only locked him up and didn’t add any further insult.
...
Shi Qi asked, “You don’t want to see the Grand Emperor, is it because he will kill you if he sees you?”
Xiao Liu understood that Shi Qi was not trying to probe but needed to know what the Grand Emperor would do to Xiao Liu so that he could think about the right plan for now that would ensure Xiao Liu’s safety. Xiao Liu was silent for a moment then said, “He won’t kill me.”
...
Shi Qi didn’t feel at ease. “This world boils down to gain at the end, which is really just a business transaction. Even if it’s the Yellow Emperor or the Grand Emperor, I can make a deal with them.”
Xiao Liu laughed “I don’t want to see the Grand Emperor for a different reason. Shi Qi, don’t worry about me, I stake my life on it that the Grand Emperor won’t kill me!”
Shi Qi could tell Xiao Liu was being serious so relaxed.
...
Xiao Liu said, “A reborn phoenix must first be incinerated. But you cannot ever escape your past as Tu Shan Jing.”
...
“Xiao Liu, I don’t want revenge, I just want to be Ye Shi Qi.”
Xiao Liu lowered her head.
Shi Qi said, “I don’t want to go back because my brother is very capable and much more ruthless than me. He’s actually a more suitable leader of the clan than me. If he’s there, the family will be fine. As long as there is no Tu Shan Jing, then Tu Shan Hou will be the best. But that day I went with you to the jewelry store without knowing it belonged to the family. Jing Ye recognized me and the entire store saw me, word would soon get back to my brother that I was alive. I don’t want revenge, and I want even less to be Tu Shan Jing, but once my brother knows he will hunt me down no matter where I go. I was afraid he would hurt you and Lao Mu and them so I had to go back to being Tu Shan Jing. If I am in the open, then my brother will know where his target is and not aim wildly.”
...
“Xiao Liu….I……I know I am engaged and have no right to say this to you…..and I never dared to….but…….I will call off the engagement, I will call off the engagement! You wait for me for twenty years….no…..no, fifteen years. You give Tu Shan Jing fifteen years, and after fifteen years I’ll give you back a Ye Shi Qi.”
...
The jailers politely welcomed them out with a changed attitude, and even brought a stretcher to carry Xiao Liu gently. Shi Qi didn’t want them to touch Xiao Liu so picked her up and carried her out of the jail cell. It was midday outside and the sun was so bright it hurt Xiao Liu’s eyes and she quickly closed it.
Xiao Liu heard Zhuan Xu ask Shi Qi, “How do you want me to treat you here? Ye Shi Qi or…?”
Shi Qi’s answer was direct. “Ye Shi Qi.”
Zhuan Xu said, “Follow me.”
The reason she turns around and goes back to TSJ is that she remembers the promise she made to CX.
Chapter 16, Jing felt that he did not have right to ask XY about her relationship with other. Keep in mind that he went to CX's house many day. After the meeting with CX, FL, Xing yue, he didn't leave but went to XY's room and stayed there the whole night. He drew the scenery of the rock by the sea to remind her the promise in the Dragon Bone Prison. Actually he had sent her plum wine to remind her but then had to stop because there was spy in his house
I don't disagree with gist of what you said (I'll address some minor points of clarification below). I mentioned TSJ visiting CX and XY's residence several days in a row in my original comment.
But my comment was focused on responding to liddi's observation that "He clings desperately to Xiao Yao, especially when he senses she is drawn to Xiang Liu, pulling her back for fear he would lose her." to analyze how often TSJ actively did things like physically pulling XY back from XL, compared to how often he acted more passively and either did nothing to keep them apart or did something to try to influence XY without physically forcing her or getting her to make a promise. My point was that, most of the time, TSJ was pretty passive. He did a lot of sad watching and eavesdropping and rarely took more direct action to interfere with XL and XY.
I agree that many of the instances where TSJ secretly watched XY, followed her, eavesdropped on her, etc. and instances where he did other things to pressure her (like visiting her residence often and sending his astral fox to her) are problematic and sometimes even creepy. I mentioned that in my original comment. But I was intentionally differentiating passive things like that from active things like asking XY to make the 15 year promise to not let another man into her heart in chapter 8 and physically pulling XY back in chapter 37.
Actually he had sent her plum wine to remind her
Maybe I've missed something, but I don't think the box of nine bottles of plum wine was intended to remind XY of her 15 year promise. Are you perhaps mixing up the wine he sent in chapter 16 (not intended to remind XY of her 15 year promise, since she had complained to TSJ about him reminding her of the promise in chapter 14) with the wine he sent in chapter 18 (which he sent every 15 days because it very much was intended to remind XY of her promise, since XY made it clear in chapter 16 that she wanted him to send her those kind of reminders, despite her earlier "complaints")?
but then had to stop because there was spy in his house
TSJ didn't send more plum wine or any other gifts or messages to XY in chapter 16 after the first box with nine bottles of plum wine for three reasons. The spy was the first of those reasons.
The second reason was that his grandmother chastised him for sending a present to CX, since she was strict about enforcing the Tushan clan's image of neutrality in the fight for the Xuan Yuan throne.
The third reason was that XY had complained about TSJ reminding of her promise in chapter 14, so he did not want to pressure her by sending her gifts or messages regularly. He thought he was controlling himself in order to not cause her more stress.
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Chapter 14:
Xiao Yao smiled. “You have fifteen years, Jing. What are you planning to do?”
“I don’t know, but I know I will come back to you. I’ve promised to listen to you for the rest of my life…..” Jing’s forehead rested on Xiao Yao’s forehead and he prayed “Please keep your heart for me.”
Xiao Yao’s hands sank into his hair and she grabbed it. “I can tell you’re a sneaky one. Even if I want to forget it, you’ll find ways to keep reminding. You say you don’t dare hope, but then you don’t let go either.”
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Chapter 16:
From their Ying Province island parting until now, it had gone from Winter to Summer and half a year had passed. Jing only contacted Xiao Yao once, to thank Zhuan Xu for his hospitality and in the thank you gift package there were nine bottles of green plum wine. Zhuan Xu might not know what was meant for Xiao Yao in the gift package but he guessed it wasn’t all meant for him. He got the present and called Xiao Yao over. “I don’t understand your secret language. You go pick it out.”
Xiao Yao picked out the nine bottles of plum wine all in white jade bottles with a row of red plum blossoms. They were very ordinary bottles but Xiao Yao felt a warmth surrounding her.
Those nine bottles accompanied Xiao Yao from Five Gods Mountain to Cao Yun Court in Xuan Yuan Mountain.
...
She waited half a year and never heard again from Jing.
...
Jing's heart skipped a beat and he explained, “Feng Long asked me to wait for him but I couldn’t wait any longer and came first….”
“This is called coming first? I’ve been in Xuan Yuan Castle for twenty months now.”
Jing tried to think through what Xiao Yao said and he felt she meant he came too late. But he couldn’t quite believe she would mean that, so he had to think through each word and really wished she would say it again so he could hear her tone of voice.
Xiao Yao was silent and then sighed, standing up to walk away.
Jing grabbed her and stammered, “Xiao Yao, you…you…you want to see me?”
Xiao Yao stared at him and he said with uncertainty “I know I’m rather dense at some stuff, if I made a wrong assumption, don’t be angry.”
Xiao Yao felt like she was looking at Shi Qi again and her heart softened. “Do you want to see me?”
Jing nodded very solemnly. Because he missed her to the core, he thought of an idea and convinced Feng Long and then dragged Feng Long and Xing Yue thousands of miles to come to Xuan Yuan Castle to convince Zhuan Xu.
Xiao Yao was angry. “Why didn’t you come?”
“Some things I needed to do.”
Xiao Yao sighed. “How can you be so certain I won’t let another man into my heart?”
Jing shook his head, he was so uncertain.
Xiao Yao was so exasperated. “You….are so stupid!”
...
Xiao Yao lowered her head. “You sent me nine bottles of plum wine.”
“Yes.”
“Then I heard nothing from you.”
Jing thought carefully about what she said and then asked, “Are you asking why I didn’t contact you again?”
“Yes.”
Jing thought about it and said, “First, Feng Long gave me something that was rifled through and I suspected someone close to me was not trustworthy. Before I find out who it is, I have to be careful. Second, both my identity and Zhuan Xu’s identity are very special and it’s not suitable to communicate often. Tu Shan clan has our clan rules. My grandmother already chastised me for sending a present to Zhuan Xu. Thirdly, the last time I saw you, you complained that I was trying to remind you of your promise so I controlled myself not to cause you any more stress.”
The first and second reasons were totally acceptable, but the third reason…..Xiao Yao was so infuriated she flopped on the pallet and buried her head in her arms.
“Xiao Yao….”
“Don’t talk to me! I don’t want to talk to you right now!”
Jing really stopped talking, and Xiao Yao was such a talker she couldn’t take it anymore. “When you are leaving tomorrow?”
“First thing in the morning.”
“Play with me tonight!”
...
Xiao Yao closed her eyes. “Whatever you do, just don’t make me wait too long.”
-----
Chapter 18:
Two months later, Zhuan Xu successfully detoxed from the addiction.
...
A few boxes were placed before Xiao Yao and Zhuan Xu said, “That Tu Shan Jing has gone crazy!”
He opened the boxes and inside contained one hundred and five bottles of wine. From when she and Zhuan Xu arrived in the Middle Plains, it had been exactly one hundred and five days.
The first day they arrived, Jing asked to see her. But Xiao Yao needed to help Zhuan Xu detox so she declined until she had time to see him.
Jing was very obedient and never asked to see her again. Only every fifteen days, he would send a box of plum wine exactly in the amount of the days that passed.
In the past, Xiao Yao could drink all this wine. But she was helping Zhuan Xu detox so she didn’t dare drink. She put it all away and now the wine cellar had hundreds of bottles.
Zhuan Xu took out a bottle. “What kind of promise involves fifteen between you two? I notice Jing likes to play with fifteen as if reminding you of something.”
Xiao Yao opened a bottle and gulped it. “A few months of no wine, I sure miss it.”
Zhuan Xu played with the bottle in his hand and casually said, “Missing wine is fine, don’t miss the person.”
Xiao Yao made a face at him. “Send word for me that I can see him now.”
He drew the scenery of the rock by the sea to remind her the promise in the Dragon Bone Prison.
He drew the beach in front of the dragon bone prison among several other images that reminded him of XY. The narrator tells us that TSJ drew what was in his heart without thinking. Reminding XY of her promise in that instance was unintentional.
After the meeting with CX, FL, Xing yue, he didn't leave but went to XY's room and stayed there the whole night.
This sounds accusatory, as if TSJ did something wrong. But XY asked him to play with her that night, and when she laid down sleepily (shortly before actually falling asleep) she told him she wanted to keep playing with his hair. TSJ was following XY's lead.
-----
Chapter 16:
Xiao Yao lowered her head. “You sent me nine bottles of plum wine.”
“Yes.”
“Then I heard nothing from you.”
Jing thought carefully about what she said and then asked, “Are you asking why I didn’t contact you again?”
“Yes.”
Jing thought about it and said, “First, Feng Long gave me something that was rifled through and I suspected someone close to me was not trustworthy. Before I find out who it is, I have to be careful. Second, both my identity and Zhuan Xu’s identity are very special and it’s not suitable to communicate often. Tu Shan clan has our clan rules. My grandmother already chastised me for sending a present to Zhuan Xu. Thirdly, the last time I saw you, you complained that I was trying to remind you of your promise so I controlled myself not to cause you any more stress.”
The first and second reasons were totally acceptable, but the third reason…..Xiao Yao was so infuriated she flopped on the pallet and buried her head in her arms.
“Xiao Yao….”
“Don’t talk to me! I don’t want to talk to you right now!”
Jing really stopped talking, and Xiao Yao was such a talker she couldn’t take it anymore. “When you are leaving tomorrow?”
“First thing in the morning.”
“Play with me tonight!”
Jing’s face lit up with unbridled joy and he nodded.
...
Xiao Yao opened the door and saw no one, and then quickly led Jing to her own room.
Once inside with the door closed, they relaxed.
...
Jing picked up the brush and drew a cliffside jagged beach scene and the other he drew peach blossoms without any green leaves or stems so it looked like Xiao Yao’s birthmark was all over the handkerchief.
Xiao Yao blushed. “There you go again, as if people will forget!”
Jing wasn’t thinking anything and simply drew what was in his heart. Hearing what Xiao Yao said, he was embarrassed and nervous so his brush dropped and ink splattered on his hand. “I…I didn’t mean that.”
Xiao Yao lowered her head and her voice was whisper-soft. “I….I didn’t say you couldn’t mean that.”
...
Xiao Yao yawned and Jing sat up. “Xiao Yao, you’re tired. Go sleep.”
Xiao Yao felt her arms were empty and Jing pushed her down. “Be good.”
Xiao Yao really was tired so she laid down on the pallet and pulled him. “You lay down, I want to keep touching your hair.”
Jing laid down and Xiao Yao’s hands played with his hair. “Will you be gone when I wake up tomorrow?”
“When you arrive in the Middle Plains, I’ll come get you.”
Xiao Yao closed her eyes “Whatever you do, just don’t make me wait too long.”
“Okay.”
(Chapter 18)
It's really creepy and spying action, not like he was exposing himself like in the drama.
He kept sending plum wine to XY again: 15 bottle every 15 days (to remind the 15 year promise). He reminded XY to clean the hair with hibiscus leave which XY told him during the meeting in Xuan Yuan.
I don't think we have any disagreement here.
But again, the point of my post was to differentiate passive things like reminders from active things like eliciting a promise or physically pulling XY back.
indeed, because none could stop that astral fox. And he himself could not force her to meet him but the astral fox represented him and he used it to make pressure on her. It kept following and staring at XY the whole time.
Same comment.
At some point, TSJ started following them, but he didn't interrupt them. After XY said that she wished that she could have been the one to save XL from the death match arena so he could always be FFB, XL changed his behaviour so TSJ would step forward and XL scared XY backwards into TSJ's embrace.
Do you think that he just came across and saw them at some point? He either did it by himself or by his network servants and friends. He followed them.
By "at some point" I meant that the novel doesn't tell us exactly when TSJ started following them. He obviously was at his own clan leader ascension ceremony earlier. And then "at some point" he started following XY and FFB. But we don't know exactly when the following began. That phrase was not intended to suggest that TSJ encountering FFB and XY was accidental.
XL awared his presence thus he changed his attitude to push XY away from him into Jing.
This seems to be exactly what I said? ("XL changed his behaviour so TSJ would step forward and XL scared XY backwards into TSJ's embrace.")
Chapter 35 - TSJ doesn't interrupt XL and XY (even when XL kisses XY's forehead). TSJ thanks XL for helping XY and even creates a path for XL to escape safely.
He stayed ouside thus he could not see XL's flash kiss (in a dark room).
TSJ seems like a master of watching from the shadows (to put it politely), and he was a nine tailed fox "born with the spiritual eye". I don't know if he saw XL kiss XY's forehead, but if he was looking into the room I don't think the darkness would have prevented him from seeing the kiss. IMO, he either gave them some semblance of privacy (by listening but not watching) or he was watching and saw the forehead kiss but still chose not to interrupt.
He heard the conversation and he learnt from XL how to comfort XY. XL said XY knew her mom and should trust her and her choice. Thus later, before the war between Xuan Yuan and Gao xin broke out (he could predicted that) he brought XY to meet White Emperor in chapter 37.
That's a very interesting observation. I always thought it was very insightful of TSJ to realize that XY needed to speak with the Grand Emperor at that point in the story since he could tell her the truth about her parents. It's possible that TSJ might have come to that realization partly because of XL's comment in chapter 35 about XY knowing her mom and trusting her taste / choice.
But I think the more obvious reason he came to that conclusion was that XY had tried to find the donkey-meat selling, one-armed veteran so he could tell her about Chi You, and cried when she found out he was dead and she was too late to get that information from him. XL told XY to trust what she already knew of her mother, and that provided XY with some comfort. But she needed more in order to get closure, and TSJ helped her get it. To do that, TSJ deduced that the Grand Emperor was one of the last people left alive who really knew Ah Heng and Chi You, and he took it upon himself to make sure that the Grand Emperor told XY the truth about her parents.
He also simply got very lucky, in that the Grand Emperor also happened to be the only person who suspected that Ah Heng was still alive, and was able to bring TSJ and XY to her.
-----
Chapter 37:
Jing said, “These recent months I’ve done all I can to search for information about Your majesty and Qi Yo. Whether it was Your majesty or Qi Yo, both are incisively smart and overly cautious and wary people. If Xiao Yao’s mother wanted to fool the world it wasn’t hard. But to fool either or both of you, it would be impossible. Unless someone helped her, that is. My guess is when Xiao Yao was born, Your majesty knew that she was Qi Yo’s daughter. Because Your majesty helped to place the Face Forming Flower in Xiao Yao, that is why she resembled you so much when she was small.”
The Grand Emperor still had no expression but he coolly said, “Your conclusion is correct, it was Ah Heng and I who sealed the Face Forming Flower in Xiao Yao’s body.”
...
Jing sat down and continued “After Xiao Yao learned that she is Qi Yo’s daughter, she was devastated. Now she appears to be accepting it, but it’s just her masking her inner pain. Your majesty knows Xiao Yao’s personality. She doesn’t care whether her dad is an emperor or a demon bastard. She’s upset because both her mom and her dad abandoned her and left her only lies. She is also sad because of Qi Yo, because all she knows about him was what the entire world thinks of him as a vicious bloodthirsty demon who killed indiscriminately. In this world, only Your majesty knows information about Xiao Yao’s parents. So I beg of you to tell her about the past.”
The Grand Emperor’s right hand unconsciously stroked the white bone ring on his left hand and his eyes stared at a point in the distance beyond Jing. His expressionless expression didn’t change but there was slight confusion in his eyes mixed with desolation. He murmured, “Does Ah Heng really want Xiao Yao to know? I always thought Ah Heng wanted Xiao Yao to live free without a care.”
“Since Xiao Yao was born her life has determined that she can’t grow up like Ah Nian. Now that she’s grown up, no matter how painful and cruel the truth is, please tell Xiao Yao everything because only the truth can open her heart so that one day she can live carefree.”
-----
The irony of that last line ("no matter how painful and cruel the truth is, please tell Xiao Yao everything because only the truth can open her heart so that one day she can live carefree") juxtaposed with XL hiding the cruel truth of his love and sacrifices from XY is not lost on me.
I wrote a whole fic about XY finally learning the truth about XL's sacrifices so I could get closure after all. ^^
The other chapters, I think you (@AH) listed well
Thanks for engaging in discussion :)
Even though XY thinks of Jing telling her to not die (I can't even remember when he said that?
It's mistake by Kaola. XY recalled CX's exhausted face when he carried the search for her in the sea in chapter 43.
小夭的眼前浮现出颛顼蓬头垢面的样子，心里默念，不能放弃，决不能死！她咬破了舌尖，用疼痛缓解在空中翻来滚去的恶心晕沉，她必须要庆幸地思考！
Zhuanxu's unkempt appearance appeared in front of Xiaoyao's eyes, and she thought silently in her heart, she can't give up and she must not die! (Chapter 44)
That makes WAY more sense. Thanks for clarifying / providing the translation!
but then FFYY was able to turn around and take the entirety of TSH's super effective death squad out all by herself? Even if she was perfectly healthy (in the novel she was close to death), that seems like quite a stretch, doesn't it?
No, I don't think she could do so. Those death squad probably followed TSH's instruction and they knew FFYY and TSH were the same team. Maybe the squad was ordered to solve Jing's body guards but let TSH killed Jing directly which is within his ability. FFYY could just go out of the house and take the pegasus to the river side where the battle. In the novel, it is just said the death squad was outside the room to ensure the situation.
I agree that FFYY should not have been able to kill TSH's men. But the script translation says that she told TSJ that she did.
"Violently, he yanked out the arrow only to realise that it was Fangfeng Yi Ying's. With cold eyes, she shot him once more in the chest with the arrow he designed for her. She demanded that he let Tushan Jing go. From the start, the person she wanted to kill was her lover who betrayed her, from whom she wanted to exact payment many times over. She told Tushan Jing that she had killed all Hou's men, Xiao Yao would awaken in 6 hours' time, and she had left a letter to her son explaining the wrongs his parents did, in hopes he would repay all that she owed Tushan Jing when he grew up."
Which is just... so mind boggling.
XL's whole defense-of-TSJ speech in chapter 46 centered around TSJ being very prepared and taking very careful measures (including having 30+ of some of the best guards in the world with him for protection) against TSH, that were only foiled because of CX's unexpected intervention with the power that he commanded as the Black Emperor.
But if TSH's men (i.e., the men sent by Xing Yue in the drama) could take all of TSJ's guards out and then FFYY could turn around and kill all of TSH's men... how could we possibly conclude that TSJ prepared well and took strong measures to protect against TSH's plots?
Please read my note on this https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?page=351
The drama supported the part which is not covered in the novel
Episode 13 portrays things very, very differently from the novel. I definitely do not interpret it as the drama revealing something that happened "off screen" in the novel. They changed so much. Even fundamental things.
Tbh, I thought they did a terrible job of adapting that scene in the drama. IMO, TSJ came across much worse in this part of the drama than in the corresponding parts of the novel.
- The fox jade (fox satchel in the novel) didn't allow WXL to see through the mist TSJ created, it instead showed WXL a path like a beacon. I felt like they just didn't have the budget to create an effect that would be true to the novel dynamic, where both TSJ's satchel and the mist came across as very effective. In the novel, even with CX's men trying to break through the mist-maze, transformed WXL was able to slip out quickly with no problems.
- They didn't show WXL transforming into one of CX's men (per TSJ's suggestion) to escape.
- WXL didn't make it to Li Li (TSJ's crane) and didn't fly away (all of the steps in TSJ's plan worked / were fulfilled in the novel, until WXL fell for CX's bluff).
- CX and his men just stand around uselessly in TSJ's mist (not trying to do anything about it) while not-transformed WXL escapes?? And then when CX finally orders his men to clear the mist, it's cleared in two seconds.
- In the novel, CX orders his men to clear the mist-maze as soon as it's formed. Before WXL escapes. And it still in place when WXL escapes.
- TSJ did not transform into WXL.
- The fundamental component of the scene - and they got rid of it!
- TSJ didn't even try to stop CX's men from entering the inn, which allowed them to confirm that WXL had escaped almost immediately. No wonder WXL didn't have time to make it to Li Li.
- TSJ did not fight multiple gods and deplete all his energy. He was taken down with a single blow.
- Whereas, in the novel, WXL examined TSJ and confirmed that he "had used all his powers as one to fight with many so he depleted all his energy and was passed out." According to Feng Long, TSJ in the novel is supposed to fight like a maniac when it's for someone he deeply cares about (i.e., TSH when he was younger, and XY later in life). In the novel, he was unconscious for a day and a night and didn't wake up until after he was put in the dragon bone prison. And WXL didn't decide that she needed to give him any of her blood.
- In addition to not fighting at all, he didn't even say anything to try and stall CX and his men.
- They totally changed the timing and the dynamics of the TSJ / YSQ choice.
- And they didn't include TSJ's concern, in the dragon bone prison, that the King of Haoling might kill WXL.
- They even had WXL in the drama give TSJ her blood even though TSJ didn't have any serious injuries (she examined him and confirmed it out loud). Even after he wakes up and is clearly fine, she offers him more blood for no reason. I guess the writers wanted to convey that she felt guilty for almost abandoning him / him getting hurt because of her? But the total lack of effort that TSJ put into fighting / defending himself just made that dynamic very off-putting. It really didn't feel like he done something to deserve it.
I guess one way to look at all those changes is to say that this version of TSJ must be very sly and must've acted that way intentionally in order to trap WXL with him. I can see how you could reach that conclusion, but I just don't read the scenes that way.
To me, the drama version of TSJ just comes across as significantly less intelligent, more inept, and just... disappointing compared to the novel. It felt like the novel version of TSJ made an effort and was able to deliver on his parts of the plan. The drama version of TSJ, not so much.
One positive thing I will say about the drama: the cut from TSJ saying to WXL in the dragon bone prison, "You... you don't fall in love with another man." to XL bursting out of the ocean to break through the defences of Five Gods Mountain was inspired.
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