Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

@windiaaa

Funny that you mentioned Zu Yu and Qingyang, because when I was reading their diagrams, I instantly thought of XL and XY. Do you happen to know more about their story or at least what happened to zu yu after qingyang died? I see that he was engaged  to someone, but he died on the day he got married. Maybe @H19279 too, please? I am quite curious. 

@windiaaa

Thank you, windiaaa! Do you, by any chance, know in which chapter of once promised does zu yu finds about his death? 

 blabla100:

@windiaaa

Thank you, windiaaa! Do you, by any chance, know in which chapter of once promised does zu yu finds about his death? 

Zhu Yu found out about Qing Yang's death in Vol 2 Ch17  (2011 edition)  / Vol 2 Ch14  (2019 revised edition). The title of the chapter is 山河破碎风飘絮 "Mountains and Rivers Shattered. Snowflakes carried by the Wind".

 liddi:

Zhu Yu found out about Qing Yang's death in Vol 2 Ch17  (2011 edition)  / Vol 2 Ch14  (2019 revised edition). The title of the chapter is 山河破碎风飘絮 "Mountains and Rivers Shattered. Snowflakes carried by the Wind".

Thank you liddi.^^

I really want to read it too

 blabla100:

Do you, by any chance, know in which chapter of once promised does zu yu finds about his death? 

 windiaaa041293:

I really want to read it too

The following is the excerpt from the chapter in Once Promised when Zhu Yu finds out about Qing Yang's death:

A Heng said, "There's something I've never told you. Actually, you can never become my sister-in-law. My eldest brother died in the first Battle of Ban Quan."

Yun Sang stared at A Heng in disbelief, and A Heng breathed a sigh of relief. "I finally told you this secret that has been weighing on my heart."

After a while, Yun Sang accepted this fact. "Does Imperial Mother know?"

"She does. Before she passed away, Imperial Mother specifically instructed me to choose the right time to tell you. Imperial Mother said you would always be her daughter, and she and the Shen Nong king both hope for your happiness."

Yun Sang gazed at the pairs of flying moths silently.

A Heng continued, "My eldest brother is gone, and you can never become the future queen of Xuan Yuan, and interfere with the Xuan Yuan politics. So, don't endure the humiliation and burden anymore to stay in Xuan Yuan anymore. Just leave. While you still can, escape as far away as possible!"

Tears slowly fell from Yun Sang's eyes. "You don't understand. Some things are destined from the moment we were born. No matter where we escape to, we cannot escape our own bloodline."
:
Yun Sang took out a piece of silk handkerchief, smeared the coloured powder on the moth's body on her finger and wrote, "If he causes trouble, then..." Yun Sang's hand trembled uncontrollably, and she could not continue writing for a while, while A Heng stared at her in confusion. After a while, Yun Sang forcefully wrote, "then kill him!" The word "kill" was especially messily written.

Yun Sang handed the silk handkerchief to A Heng. "With just eight words, do you think it can possibly be sent? It does not reveal anything about Xuan Yuan, and is merely a matter concerning our Shen Nong tribe. There is a general who has some connections with me. I'm afraid Chi Chen might be suspicious of me and would not order the kill."

A Heng readily agreed, "Okay, I'll call Zhu Yu and have her quietly deliver it to Chi Chen."

Before she could speak, Zhu Yu walked out from the forest, staring straight at A Heng. Staggering, swaying with each step, she seemed like she might fall at any moment.

A Heng was secretly dismayed. She had thought that with Yun Sang's moths standing guard, anyone who was eavesdropping would be detected, but she had forgotten that in accordance to her eldest brother's orders, Zhu Yu set up a protective plant and tree formation to protect the Imperial Mother on Zhao Yun Peak hundreds of years ago.

"Who is the eldest brother that you are talking about? If His Highness Qing Yang knew you were calling others as eldest brother, he would be angry. Once he returns from Gui Xu, Your Highness will be in trouble."

A Heng's throat constricted, unable to speak, so Yun Sang tried to speak for her. A Heng raised her hand, indicating she wanted to tell Zhu Yu herself. She looked at Zhu Yu and slowly said, "My eldest brother, Qing Yang, is already dead."

Zhu Yu looked stunned. After some time, she then seemed to be talking to herself, "His Highness Qing Yang is dead? But he asked me to guard Zhao Yun Palace and wait for him to return. I'm still waiting for him. How could he not come back? No, you're lying!" As Zhu Yu murmured, she began to tremble, and her entire body slid down. A Heng and Yun Sang supported her from both sides. "Zhu Yu, Zhu Yu..."

"What is wrong with me? Why can't I muster any strength, I can't even stand up." Zhu Yu pressed her chest. "Why does it feel like there's a knife moving in my chest? Am I injured? But I have not fought with anyone..."

A Heng placed her hand on Zhu Yu's wrist, her heart pounding as she stared blankly at Zhu Yu.

Yun Sang saw that Zhu Yu's whole body was shaking with pain yet A Heng remained silent for some time, so she anxiously urged, "What's wrong with Zhu Yu? Is she ill?"

"She is neither ill nor injured. She is just..." A Heng's voice suddenly choked up, her eyes filled with sadness and pity.

"Just what?" Yun Sang asked urgently.

"Just... heartbroken, her heart is in pain."

"Heartbroken? Heart in pain? I... I'm just a piece of rotten wood with a rotten core. How could I be heartbroken or in pain? Both Shao Hao and His Highness Qing Yang said I couldn't understand what heartache feels like. Out of curiosity, I begged His Highness to use magic to let me experience heartache once, but he said he could not do it. He even said that it was good not to be able to feel heartache, as I would never be heartbroken in my life... Both of you are mistaken!" Zhu Yu pushed aside Yun Sang and A Heng, struggled to stand up, then took the handkerchief written by Yun Sang. "Do you want to secretly give this to Chi Chen? I'll go now." As she spoke, she staggered away.

"Zhu Yu, Eldest Brother can never come back anymore. You are free now. If you want to leave Zhao Yun Peak..."

"Shh!" Zhu Yu suddenly whirled around, her index finger on her lips, indicating to A Heng not to speak anymore. "I do not believe what you said. His Highness Qing Yang will come back! Your Highness, although you are his younger sister, you don't understand His Highness. Do you know how furious he was when Yun Ze died? Do you know his sadness when you got married? Do you know how he blamed himself when Her Majesty fell ill from anger?"

A Heng was speechless, and Zhu Yu became angrier as she spoke. "You don't know anything! You don't understand His Highness Qing Yang at all, so how dare you say he will not come back? For thousands of years, he and I have accompanied each other every day. When I was a piece of rotten wood, I hid in his arms and was with him as he traveled the world. After cultivating into a human form, I have been serving him. I know everything he does, his likes and dislikes. At any time, His Highness Qing Yang will fulfil what he says. He has never broken his word. It has only been others who let him down, but he has never let others down. He told me to wait for him to return, so he will definitely return." After Zhu Yu finished speaking, she turned her head angrily and walked off.

"Zhu Yu!" A Heng cried out in sorrow.

"What?" Zhu Yu turned back angrily, her face pale, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, clearly still in pain.

A Heng was silent for a while, then shook her head gently. "Nothing. Take good care of Cang Xuan. When Eldest Brother returns, he will reward you."

Zhu Yu smiled brightly. "Yes, I know!" Nodding vigorously, she floated away.

Yun Sang stared at her retreating figure. "What a foolish girl. It turns out she has feelings for Qing Yang... Not only did we not discern it, she does not even understand it herself. Do you think she understands her feelings for your eldest brother now?"

"Now that Eldest Brother is gone, it no longer matters whether she understands or not." Although A Heng said it did not matter, her tears flowed down her face. Perhaps Eldest Brother did understand. But Eldest Brother who understood always kept Zhu Yu ignorant, just because he had unfinished responsibilities. Perhaps he once thought that one day, when the responsibilities on his shoulders were fulfilled, he would take Zhu Yu to wander the world, just like when they first met. If that day never came, he would rather Zhu Yu never understood, never knew what sadness was. But he did not know that Zhu Yu was finally sad after all.

"Will Zhu Yu really keep on waiting? Them wood demons live longer than even the deities."

"I don't know. I only know that she is very obedient to Eldest Brother. Years ago when she was outside Yu Abyss, she almost got swallowed by the abyss, but since Eldest Brother told her to wait, she continued to wait without moving even a step."

Tens of thousands of years of waiting, treating the ground as a prison, freezing the long stretch of time in the moment when they parted, forever in the time just before that person left, smiling, laughing, earnestly admonishing. It seemed foolish, but was this not a kind of wisdom? Yun Sang sighed softly and silently walked towards the mulberry forest. The flying moths fluttered around her like a blooming flower, gradually disappearing into the lush mulberry forest.

-- Once Promised, Vol 2 Ch14  (2019 revised edition), 山河破碎风飘絮 Mountains and Rivers Shattered. Snowflakes carried by the Wind

 windiaaa041293:

Edit: I ask permission to post this diagram in a thread I created.^^

Just saw this - sure. Thank you for asking.

@liddi

Thank you for your clarification. It's been mind boggling for me when I encounter people who read the translated version of LYF with no requards or interest in putting those words in cultural context. Obviously, you only know what you've been taught, so I can't even be mad about it....you don't know what you don't know, right?

 Meow:

Maybe someone has already discussed this, but I finished reading "Once Promised" only yesterday and noticed many parallels between Chi You and XL. After Xiao Yao met her mom, how did her relationship with XL change? 

Her relationship with XL didn't change, only her anger and resentment towards her parents was subsided. I guess she learned to let go of that part of her trauma, but still fails to grow and be the woman she ought to be.