Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 MengXiang:

I have read many times that lots of XL stuff was removed due to censorship reasons. CX crazy arc was also removed due to censorship etc BTW I absolutely love the crazy CX parts especially when XY shot at him in full view of everyone.

My question is, what exactly are the censorship guidelines? I have seen lots of bad characters do bad things or people cheating in cdrama so I don't really understand why things have to be removed. Apologies I don't live in China so this is pretty new to me.

I would like to have a better idea too. My husband and I frequently say things like, “Wasn’t that supposed to be censored?” and “Why was that censored?” But, not much bothers us one way or the other. (The last time I was really bothered was the Zhang Han situation. It made me think, “casting-couch creep.” How did his inappropriate, uncalled-for behavior onscreen not get censored?)

Sometimes, I think Chinese censors are like a U. S. government agency that isn’t well managed. Not everyone understands the rules and guidelines well, and not everyone implements them consistently. There are people who even avoid doing work, let alone people who don’t really care whether they are doing their work right or not. If they get caught by a co-worker or boss, some of them still don’t care, because it can be almost impossible to fire a government employee.

Maybe the CX crazy arc can be censored because CX is the ML and is supposed to be a role model of sorts? I have no idea. XL is considered a main role too.

 Kokuto:

I disagree, because I don't think it was always and immutably XL's intention to die.

My sense is that XL always planned to die with Gong Gong and his comrades. He fought with them for centuries and knew that they all wanted to die on the battlefield. IMO, the only way for XL and the rest of them to survive would be if they miraculously managed to defeat Xuan Yuan and restore Sheng Nong. At certain points in the novel the chances of that happening are very slim. At other points the chances are basically "none". 

I feel like, in some ways, it's even more settled in the drama than in the novel, as they moved XL's line about dying on the battlefield being the best death from the second half of the story (in the novel) to the first half (in the drama), when XL hadn't found out about XY's true identity yet. 

 Kokuto:

He wouldn't have accepted the PLB, if that was the case.

I don't see why not. There was no sign that the Sheng Nong remnant army's fight would end any time soon. He had already fought with them for 300 years, and after XL met XY they lasted for another ~120 years. The equation changed when ZX was able to quickly take control of Gao Xing, cutting off the Sheng Nong remnant army's supplies and other support while simultaneously expanding Xuan Yuan's forces. ZX also married Xing Yue and moved the kingdom's capital to Sheng Nong Mountain. Both of those moves solidified the status quo (where Sheng Nong was subsumed by Xuan Yuan). 

Although the time for the final battle might have come earlier than expected, XL still did what I believe he always planned to do: he broke the connection between himself and XY at the last minute to ensure that she would not die when he lost his final life. Losing his other lives didn't seem to have any affect on XY, so there was a pretty substantial safety net. 

 Kokuto:

Eventually, it did come to that, but XY was the one who could have saved XL from that fate, by admitting she loved him and wanted to spend her life with him.

XL pretty much gets this answer in chapter 32, and XY makes a few other bids throughout the second half of the story. But XL doesn't accept any of them. I'm not convinced that XL would have chosen a different ending even if XY had been more explicit with her bids (e.g., by coming right out and saying that she loved him and wanted to run away with him). 

 Kokuto:

Once she chooses to save CX, she's choosing to let XL die at his hands / orders.  This is the main obstacle to their romance -- he's the enemy that means harm to her family and vice versa.

I can see why you're saying this, but I think that's oversimplifying it a bit. I don't see XY choosing to protect CX as necessarily choosing to let XL die. XL was fighting Xuan Yuan since CX was a child. If XY had let CX die, XL would still go on fighting Xuan Yuan long afterwards. He'd most likely still end up dying the same way. Especially if CX had been killed before becoming the Black Emperor. 

XY protects CX, but she also protects XL, to the extent that she can. She does what she can to try and make sure that neither of them die. Even at the very end she still tries to convince both CX and XL to make choices that will allow XL to live. It was all futile not because XY didn't try hard enough, but because XL had made his choice and refused to change it.

 Kokuto:

But she didn't help XL kill CX, either, once she knew who he was.

And he never asks her to, because it would be a pretty insane thing to ask after becoming aware of XY's relationship with CX. It would be like XY asking XL to help kill Gong Gong.

CX also never asks XY to help kill XL either. Even though XY is loyal to CX and CX is somewhat aware that XY is close with XL, there is never even a question that she might help CX take XL down. It's always the other way around. Through the second half of the novel so many people try to get XL to switch sides. Although I'm sure that's not entirely because of XY, the novel makes it clear that XY is a major factor behind how frequently and thoroughly they try. 

 Kokuto:

She asked CX, but there was no way he was letting that happen.  He even told her, he'd lost too many men to XL and he was too dangerous.

When XY begs CX to spare XL's life in chapter 50, he agrees that if XL stopped, he would let XL go. That promise doesn't mean much, because XL was never going to stop, but it shows that XY fought to give him an out until the very end. 

Based on what liddi said about the leaked S2 script, the drama will be even more explicit. XL will be offered a way out during the final battle. And he will refuse it. 

 blabla100:

Jing, who had always put her first.

Except that TSJ didn't always put XY first. He could've broken off his engagement with FFYY at any time, but it would've required going against his grandmother and the head of his clan, harming FFYY's reputation, insulting the Fang Feng family, and harming the Tushan Clan. He wasn't prepared to do that. He has his reasons, and XY understands them. She even likes the parts of TSJ (his kindness and soft-heartedness) that make it impossible for him to take that action. 

But it's still TSJ choosing something else over XY, and for decades that choice means that TSJ can't be with XY. Potentially forever. Just like XL's choice means that he can't be with XY. Frankly, TSJ ends up being very lucky that he was able to get proof that Tushan Zhen was not his son, and that FFYY's choices resulted in her faking her death (leaving him free to remarry in a way that XY would accept) and then dying for real. 

 blabla100:

He did accept the PLB, but he did not ask for the PLB, he just accepted it, but IMO for different reasons than you think.

XL was the one who suggested that XY transfer the bug from CX to him. I'd say he did more than just accept it. But I agree that his offer doesn't necessarily mean he was convinced that he could have a long, peaceful life and a happy ending with WXL.

 blabla100:

Again, IMO she did try to tell him that, with the crystal ball. Hence, even before that, after their 37 years underwater, it was XL who pushed her away, not giving her a chance to even say something to him, she was obviously sad and not eager to go back.

I agree with this.

@HeadInTheClouds

"It doesn't really makes sense to me to have the Lover's Bugs planted, tying their lives together if he knows that he is definitely going to die." 

The whole lover's bugs part is quite confusing and to be honest no matter how you look at things it still doesn't provide a valid answer. As I said, IMO XL, even though he knows for sure he is going down with the army, I belive he was confident enough that he is going to be able to choose on his own terms the moment when that is going to happen. I don't belive he thought CX has more chances to survive death, than he had, with his 9 lifes, thus having 8 more chances to protect XY than CX. Also, through out the novel CX was more at risk of losing his life, XL not quite, for instance that one time when XY ended up protecting him. Hence, he almost got himself killed when FengL died, XL's target was actually him and only by chance he survived. 

 MTH123:

Thanks again for explaining! Yes, right after I wrote the previous post, I thought the sentence was more for the reader. Although XY had overheard the raging argument, she didn't think about why ZX was raging at his grandfather for the first time ever. Why was he being so emotional? It couldn't possibly be because he had romantic feelings for her. XY's mind wouldn't consider the possibility on its own. Also, ZX had been really good at acting like he was only a loving brother, such as his outward reactions to XY marrying Feng Long and dating TSJ.

You're welcome. ^^ And yep, exactly. 

 HeadInTheClouds:

I've seen comments on line that stated that they though XY/XL was the end game because of that kiss and because he was her first kiss as these things are typically reserved for the official/accepted couple.

I clearly remember reading this on Viki when I was at episode 3 or 4 and I was so excited. What a sweet summer child, so full of hope haha.

 HeadInTheClouds:

My thoughts are at that point, so little was known about how to remove the Lover's Bugs except that it's exceptionally hard. If it's already tricky to remove from CX who wasn't willing, how much more difficult would it be when it's deeply planted? XL didn't really know much about it until later

In the novel, XL seemed to know everything he needed to know about the bugs before he suggested transferring the bug from CX to himself. I don't think there was any suggestion in the novel that he figured out how to break the connection much later.

In the drama, they've only shown that he knows what the old man told him, which didn't really give any info that would be helpful in terms of severing the connection after the bug has been in the host for a long time and fully stabilized. But if they showed XL learning how to break the bug connection that early in the show, that would be a pretty big big spoiler. The audience (and XY) not knowing that XL could've broken the connection much earlier (meaning that he wouldn't have to feel XY's pain and heartbreak, and that all his talk about only caring about XY not dying because of the bug connection was total bunk) is an important element of the narrative. The audience is supposed to worry, along with XY and TSJ, about what will happen to the other if XY or XL dies. And it makes what happens in chapter 48 a surprise. 

So XL might already know how to break the connection in the drama too. The writers would have a good reason not show that happening on screen yet.

Leaked script Ep19 scene 25-26   (Vol 3 Ch15 / Chapter 48)
Xiang Liu severs the lovers bug connection between them


At dusk, the lake at Jade Mountain rippled blue-green waves, while the plum forest bloomed as it had for thousands of years. Xiang Liu, all dressed in white, stood alone by the lake. His eyes were peaceful as he silently waited.
A Nian came up behind him.

AN: Xiang Liu, I have brought Older Sister to Jade Mountain as you requested.

Xiang Liu's eyes immediately chilled before he turned to face her.

XL: Your Majesty is true to your word after all.
AN: What exactly are you planning to do?

Ah Nian stared at him, suspicious and uncomprehending.

********

Night had fallen, the moon pale with sparsely scattered stars in the sky.

A pale Xiao Yao laid unconscious in the seashell floating on the lake. Xiang Liu stood on the surface of the water beside her, looking down upon her. His expression was calm but his eyes were filled with yearning and reluctance.

With a wave of the hand, the xingxing mirror hidden in Xiao Yao's bosom flew into Xiang Liu's hand. As his hand brushed over it, images of himself appeared in the mirror. While his eyes were filled with tenderness and reluctance, he continued to channel his powers and the images gradually vanished.

At last, he returned the mirror to Xiao Yao with another wave of the hand. Sitting cross-legged in the seashell, he activated the poisonous bug and its glow emitted from his chest like a beating heart. A similar glow appeared on Xiao Yao's chest, shining together in response to Xiang Liu's.

Xiang Liu gazed at Xiao Yao as he spoke softly with a tenderness that he never had.

XL: Silly girl, to even dare to recklessly plant the lovers bug that connects hearts and lives! "The sycamore trees on the ground will grow old intertwined, the mythical jian bird in the sky will not fly alone, the mandarin ducks in the water will die together." The lovers bug connects our hearts and lives, and is impossible to remove. Back then, I was able to remove the bug from Cang Xuan only because he did not willingly accept the bug, so you never properly plant the bug in him in the first place. I however, was wholeheartedly willing, and allowed you to properly plant it in me. You kept asking me to remove the bug and I kept telling you it was not possible. You never believed me, but I was not lying. I really cannot remove it.

Using his finger as a knife, Xiang Liu slashed two cuts on Xiao Yao and his own palms.

XL: I may not be able to remove the bug, but I can kill it (sly smile) Don't blame me for deceiving you. Who told you to only ask me whether I could remove the bug, but never asked whether I could kill it.

With a smile, Xiang Liu held Xiao Yao's two hands in his. Their palms were joined, blood and flesh intermingling and Xiang Liu began to chant the bug spell. As he chanted, glowing lights emerged from their bodies like countless fireflies flying around them. There were fireflies all over the night sky and the lake surface. The lights on the surface of the water, and the reflection beneath complemented each other perfectly, what was real mixed with what was not. It seemed that lights covered the sky and the depths of the water, as mesmerising as a dream.

From behind Xiang Liu emerged the reflection of the nine-headed demon's true form, except there were only eight heads left, one life having been sacrificed to save Xiao Yao years ago. A razor sharp dagger made of ice appeared in Xiang Liu's hand. Ruthlessly, he stabbed the dagger into his own heart, and one of his heads disappeared in agony. Xiang Liu pulled out the dagger and blood gushed forth from the wound, spilling on to the seashell and Xiao Yao's body. His seven-headed form was visibly weakened.

The glowing lights surrounding him were like bloodsucking insects, rushing into his chest and slowly vanishing inside, as if they had burrowed into his body. In the midst of it all, another of Xiang Liu's heads started fading away. By the time all the lights disappeared, that head too was gone.

His face deathly pale, Xiang Liu covered his chest wound with one hand while the other took out a pill the size of a longan - the same healing pill made from Xiao Yao's blood. Instead of using it to heal himself, he fed it to Xiao Yao, and the wounds on her palms healed quickly, her face restored to a rosy hue.
Xiang Liu gazed at Xiao Yao, as the form with the remaining 6 heads vanished behind him.

XL: Your bug has been removed! From here on, there is no more connection between us!