Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

Thanks u HeadInTheClouds

Feng Long’s Assassination

When Xiang Liu sensed Xiao Yao’s presence in Qing Shui Town through the Lovers’ Bugs, he knew that Cang Xuan was also present. Xiang Liu lay in wait near Jing’s old residence. At sunset, when Cang Xuan and Feng Long returned to the residence, Xiang Liu attacked and shot two arrows poisoned with his own blood at Cang Xuan. The first arrow was blocked by Feng Long, and the second one hit Cang Xuan’s bodyguard.

The question is: who was Xiang Liu’s true target? Cang Xuan or Feng Long? There are those who believe that Xiang Liu’s true target was Cang Xuan, and Feng Long blocked the fatal shot meant for Cang Xuan. Others believe that Feng Long was Xiang Liu’s true target all along and that Xiang Liu only pretended to attempt to assassinate Cang Xuan. Let’s explore the reasons for and against Xiang Liu targeting each person.

Cang Xuan

Reasons for Cang Xuan Being Xiang Liu’s Target

1. Disrupt Unification: With Cang Xuan dead, the unification of the Great Wilderness would be thrown into disarray, buying the Shen Nong Remnant Army more time.
2. Threat to Jing: Cang Xuan had tried to kill Jing. If Jing were to return, Cang Xuan might have continued his attempts on Jing’s life. Since Jing was the one Xiao Yao had chosen to marry, Cang Xuan's existence poses a threat to Xiang Liu's arrangement for Xiao Yao to have someone to rely on when he himself is gone.

Reasons Against Cang Xuan Being Xiang Liu’s Target

1. War and Devastation: War would break out if Cang Xuan were killed, sweeping countless people into the devastation. This would also make the world a more dangerous place for Xiao Yao.
2. Loss of Protection for Xiao Yao: Xiao Yao would lose Cang Xuan’s protection and would be at greater risk of being targeted by those who hated Chi Chen.
3. Xiao Yao’s Emotional Devastation: Since Cang Xuan was Xiao Yao’s most important person, she would have been devastated if he were killed. This could even cause Xiao Yao’s heart to turn against Xiang Liu, and their Poisonous Lovers’ Bugs to bite back and kill both of them. It was better to give Xiao Yao the clues necessary to figure out Cang Xuan’s betrayal than to kill him before she discovered the truth.
4. Effects of Power Struggle on Xiao Yao: In the inevitable power struggle after Cang Xuan’s death, King Xuan Yuan and King Gao Xin might wrestle for power, again putting Xiao Yao in a position of conflicting loyalties with her loved ones. The pain of having to choose between conflicting loyalties was something that both Cang Xuan and Xiang Liu took pains to shield Xiao Yao from in the past. Cang Xuan delayed his war against Gao Xin until he could sever the father-daughter relationship between King Gao Xin and Xiao Yao. Xiang Liu pushed Xiao Yao away, partially because he didn’t want to put Xiao Yao in a situation of having conflicting loyalties between him and Cang Xuan. It’s doubtful that Xiang Liu would want to risk putting Xiao Yao in the situation of choosing between her loyalty to her father and grandfather.
5. Endangering Xiao Yao: If Feng Long managed to seize power, Xiao Yao would be in danger because Feng Long unconditionally supported Xin Yue, who had a vendetta against Xiao Yao. Xin Yue would have been able to act recklessly in trying to harm Xiao Yao without fear of retribution.

Feng Long

Reasons for Feng Long Being Xiang Liu’s Target

1. Justice for Xiao Yao: Feng Long had helped Xin Yue try to assassinate Xiao Yao. Xiang Liu would have wanted Feng Long brought to justice for attempting to assassinate Xiao Yao. In the case of the plum forest assassination, Cang Xuan ensured that those responsible were brought justice so Xiang Liu didn't have to personally seek vengeance. Cang Xuan also dealt with Xin Yue by making her life miserable after discovering she was responsible for the attempts on Xiao Yao's life. Feng Long was the only one who escaped justice. Since Xiang Liu is not a vindictive person, retribution alone may not have been a good enough reason for him to target Feng Long, but it may have given him a reason not to feel too bad about killing Feng Long to ensure Xiao Yao's safety.
2. Eliminate Xin Yue’s Unconditional Support: Feng Long volunteered to lead the war because he was worried that Xin Yue’s desperation would cause her to make another attempt on Xiao Yao’s life. Knowing both Xin Yue and Feng Long, Xiang Liu must have been aware of this risk. By killing Feng Long, Xin Yue would lose her unconditional support and be forced to act with more caution.
3. Force Cang Xuan to Deescalate Situation with Xin Yue: With Feng Long gone, Cang Xuan would need to rely on Xin Yue's support to maintain the backing of the Central Plains. He would have to start treating her better, thereby de-risking the possibility of Xin Yue trying to assassinate Xiao Yao again.

Reasons Against Feng Long Being Xiang Liu’s Target

1. Timing: Xiang Liu could have assassinated Feng Long at any time. Why did he wait for Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao to come to town before assassinating Feng Long?
2. Acceleration of War: Feng Long’s assassination accelerated the pace of the war. Feng Long’s assassination by one of Hong Jiang’s subordinates severed any remaining ties Hong Jiang had with the families of the Central Plains because the Chi Shui and Shen Nong clans would never forgive Hong Jiang. Moreover, Cang Xuan needed to quickly avenge Feng Long’s death to appease the Central Plains families.

There are compelling reasons for and against targeting either Cang Xuan or Feng Long. So who was Xiang Liu’s true target? To help answer this question, let's consider A Nian’s perspective. We've previously established that A Nian is Xiang Liu’s shadow. Shadow characters are a technique employed in the "grass snake dust line" writing style, where a shadow character subtly hints at a main character's intentions and motivations or foreshadows future events that the main character will encounter. Since A Nian is Xiang Liu’s shadow, we can use A Nian’s experiences and perspective to better understand Xiang Liu.

As Xiang Liu’s shadow, A Nian’s feelings for Cang Xuan mirror Xiang Liu’s feelings for Xiao Yao in many ways. One thing to note is that A Nian didn’t cause trouble for people Cang Xuan didn’t want her to cause trouble for because she didn’t want to make things difficult for him. At the Chi Shui Autumn Tournament, she resisted gloating in front of Xin Yue when Yu Jiang beat Chi Shui Xian in the final match. 

小六看阿念眉眼带笑，显然心情很好。
Xiao Liu saw A Nian with a happy expression, obviously in a good mood.

阿念悄悄地对小六说：“你干吗跑了呢？你都不知道那个馨悦的脸色多精彩，看着真是解气。”
A Nian whispered to Xiao Liu, "Why did you run off? You have no idea how priceless Xin Yue's expression was; it was so satisfying to see."

小六问：“你没和她吵起来吧？”
Xiao Liu asked, "You didn't get into a fight with her, did you?"

“没有，她是哥哥的客人，我不想让哥哥难做。再说她又不知道我是谁，我在心里偷着乐。”
"No, she's Brother's guest. I didn't want to make things difficult for him. Besides, she doesn't even know who I am, so I was just secretly happy.”

小六想起以前在清水镇时，阿念那么憎恶她，可玱玹让阿念别来找她的麻烦，阿念也就真没主动来找过她的麻烦。
Xiao Liu remembered back when they were in Qingshui Town, how much A Nian despised her. But since Cang Xuan had told Ah Nian not to cause trouble for her, Ah Nian really didn’t actively seek to cause her trouble.

— Vol 1 Ch 11 (Chapter 11)

Just like A Nian didn’t cause trouble for people Cang Xuan didn’t want her to cause trouble for, Xiang Liu didn’t hurt people Xiao Yao didn’t want him to hurt. Before accepting the promise to do one thing for him in exchange for him accepting the voodoo bug transfer, Xiao Yao made him promise not to ask her to hurt Cang Xuan, Jing, King Gao Xin, or King Xuan Yuan.

相柳负手而立，眺望着月亮，沉默不语，半晌后，说：“我可以帮你把蛊引到我身上，但你要承诺，日后帮我做一件事情。只要我开口，你就必须做。”
Xiang Liu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing silently at the moon. After a long pause, he said, "I can help transfer the poisonous bug to myself, but you must promise to do something for me in the future. Whatever I ask, you must do it."

小六思来想去，好一会儿后说：“除了要取轩的性命。”
Xiao Liu thought for a while before saying, "Except if it involves taking Xuan's life."

“好。”
"Agreed."

“也不能害涂山璟。”
“It also cannot involve harming Tu Shan Jing."

“好。”
"Agreed."

“不会让我去杀轩辕王或高辛王吧？”
"You won't ask me to kill King Xuan Yuan or King Gao Xin, right?"

相柳没好气地说：“我九个脑袋都注水了才会认为你能杀了轩辕王和高辛王。”
Xiang Liu replied irritably, "My nine-heads would all have to be flooded with water for me to think you could kill King Xuan Yuan or King Gao Xin."

小六毫不生气，坚持地问：“答案是……”
Xiao Liu, undeterred, insisted, "The answer is..."

“不会！”
"No, I won't!"

小六道：“那成交！”
Xiao Liu said, "Then we have a deal!"

— Vol 1 Ch 7 (Chapter 7)

Indeed, Xiang Liu never tried to harm Jing, King Xuan Yuan or King Gao Xin. The first two assassination attempts on Xuan were taken before Xiang Liu discovered Xiao Yao's identity. After regaining her identity, Xiao Yao hinted to Xiang Liu that Cang Xuan being her brother was the main reason she refused to kiss him for air.

“我哥哥，就是玱玹了，有一天晚上我们聊天时，他笑我毕竟还是个会做梦的女孩子。虽然只是、只是……可我怕一不小心，你会走进我梦里，而你……"小夭摇摇头，"绝不适合出现在女孩子的梦里，那只怕真的比死还可怕。”
“My brother is Cang Xuan. One night while we were talking, he teased me, saying that I'm still a girl who dreams. Even though it's just... just... I'm afraid that if I'm not careful, you'll walk into my dreams, and you…” Xiao Yao shook her head, “You're absolutely unsuitable to appear in a girl's dreams; that might be even scarier than death.”

— Vol 1 Ch 13 (Chapter 13)

Knowing Cang Xuan’s importance to Xiao Yao, Xiang Liu did not seriously attempt to assassinate him again. He let Xiao Yao feel his presence but did not intend to kill Cang Xuan after the banquet at Chi Liang’s residence. Despite Xiao Yao blocking Cang Xuan with her body, Xiang Liu could have easily shot around her, as he later demonstrated as Fang Feng Bei.

防风邶问道：“你想我射什么？”
Fang Feng Bei asked, "What do you want me to shoot?"

小夭眯着眼睛看了一会儿，指着对面悬崖上攀附在松树上随风摇摆的菟丝子，“菟丝子夏秋开花，现在应该已有小黄花，就射一朵花吧。”
Xiao Yao squinted for a moment, then pointed at the dodder vine clinging to the pine tree on the opposite cliff, swaying in the wind. "Dodder vine blooms in summer and autumn; there should be small yellow flowers now. Just shoot one of the flowers."

防风邶从天马背上拿下弓箭，弯弓、搭箭、拉弦、射出。
Fang Feng Bei took his bow and arrow from the back of his pegasus, nocked the arrow, drew the string, and shot.

小夭笑起来，“都不知道有没有射中。”
Xiao Yao laughed, “I don't even know if you hit it."

防风邶伸手，箭从对面的悬崖飞回他的手中，防风邶拿给她看，矢锋上有一点点黄色，显然是射中了花。
Fang Feng Bei extended his hand, and the arrow flew back to him from the opposite cliff. He showed it to her, and there was a tiny bit of yellow on the arrowhead, indicating he had hit the flower.

— Vol 1 Ch 16 (Chapter 16)

Xiang Liu chose not to assassinate Cang Xuan in the past because he knew Cang Xuan was Xiao Yao’s most important person. She would be devastated if Cang Xuan were assassinated. This might have caused her heart to turn against Xiang Liu, resulting in both of them dying from their Poisonous Lovers’ Bugs biting back. These considerations further support Cang Xuan not being Xiang Liu’s true target.

In addition to revealing a main character’s intentions, events that happen to a shadow character can sometimes foreshadow events happening to the main character they shadow. During the war between Gao Xin and Xuan Yuan, A Nian broke into the army base. After being captured, she admitted to Cang Xuan that she was planning to assassinate Yu Jiang or Feng Long.

“…我就打算来刺杀禺疆或丰隆。禺疆是我们高辛的叛徒，丰隆是领兵的大将军…”
"...I planned to assassinate Yu Jiang or Feng Long. Yu Jiang is a traitor to Gao Xin, and Feng Long is the commanding general leading the troops..."

— Vol 3 Ch 6 (Chapter 39)

Despite calling Cang Xuan a black-hearted bastard, and having the opportunity to act against him when he came to talk with her, A Nian never even considered assassinating him.

阿念摸着手腕上缠绕的扶桑游丝，这是她请金天氏为她铸造的刺杀兵器，昨日，她距离玱玹那么近，却压根儿没有动念想用它。
A Nian touched the Fu Sang string wrapped around her wrist. This was the assassination weapon she had asked the Jin Tian clan to forge for her. Yesterday, she was so close to Cang Xuan, yet she didn't even consider using it.

— Vol 3 Ch 6 (Chapter 39)

Similar to the scene during A Nian’s failed assassination attempt, Xiao Yao, Cang Xuan, Yu Jiang, and Feng Long were all present during Xiang Liu’s assassination attempt outside Jing’s old residence in Qing Shui Town. The similar setup indicates that A Nian’s assassination attempt was meant to foreshadow Xiang Liu’s assassination attempt. By revealing that A Nian’s intention was to target Yu Jiang and Feng Long, but not Cang Xuan, Tong Hua hinted at Xiang Liu’s true target as well.

With this information in mind, let’s revisit the reasons for Cang Xuan being Xiang Liu’s target for assassination.

1. Disrupt Unification: With Cang Xuan dead, the unification of the Great Wilderness would be thrown into disarray, buying the Shen Nong Remnant Army more time.

Would buying the remnant army more time be worth the cost? The people of Shen Nong had long since accepted their conquerors and moved on with their lives after King Xuan Yuan seized their lands.

虽然的确是轩辕王霸占了神农的疆土，可神农国已经灭亡，百姓们只要安居乐业，并不在乎谁做君王，甚至已经开始称颂轩辕王的雄才伟略、宽厚仁慈。没有人在乎这些坚持不肯投降的士兵的得失是非，千秋万岁后，也根本没有人知道他们的荣辱。
Although it was indeed King Xuan Yuan who seized Shen Nong's lands, the Shen Nong kingdom was already destroyed. The people only wanted to live and work in peace and contentment, and did not care who the king was. They had even started to praise King Xuan Yuan’s brilliance, generosity and compassion. No one cared about the gains and losses, rights and wrongs of those soldiers who resolutely refused to surrender, nor would anyone even know of their honor and disgrace thousands of years later. 

— Vol 1 Ch 5 (Chapter 5)

It's hinted that Xiang Liu believed that the unification of the wilderness was better for the world at large, as he mentioned that if he didn’t have a conscience, he would perhaps help King Xuan Yuan destroy Gao Xin. Nevertheless, he remained staunchly loyal to his adoptive father and comrades, doing everything in his power to help them, even though he knew their mission was futile and he did not personally believe in their cause.

“你有良心？”
“You have a conscience?"

“对神农还是有点的。”
“For Shen Nong, I still have a bit."

“可笑！”
"Ridiculous!"

“是很可笑，以至于我都觉得自己可悲，如果没有这点良心，也许我真就去找轩辕王谈谈，帮他去灭了高辛。”
"It is ridiculous, and even I think I’m pathetic. If I didn’t have this bit of conscience, perhaps I would go talk to King Xuan Yuan and help him destroy Gao Xin."

小六沉默了，看着头顶的月亮，像是被咬了一口的饼子。良久后，他问：“洪江将军究竟是个什么样的人？能让你这么个妖怪长出良心？”
Xiao Liu fell silent, looking at the moon above, which resembled a biscuit with a bite taken out of it. After a long time, he asked, "What kind of person is General Hong Jiang? To make a demon like you grow a conscience?"

“他是个傻子！”相柳沉默了一下，又说，“是个可悲的傻子，领着一群傻子，在做可悲的事。”
"He's a fool!" Xiang Liu paused before continuing, "A pitiful fool leading a group of fools, doing pitiful things."

小六说：“其实最可悲的是你！他们是心甘情愿，并不觉得自己傻，只觉得自己所做上可告祖宗，下可对子孙，死时也壮怀激烈、慷慨激昂！你却是一边不屑，一边又做。”
Xiao Liu said, "Actually, the most pitiful one is you! They perfectly happy to do it, and do not think they are fools. They believe that what they do honors their ancestors and makes their descendants proud, dying with great aspirations and passion! But you, you mock it and yet still do it."

“谁让我有九个头呢？总会比较矛盾复杂一些。”
"Who made me have nine heads? Things are bound to be more contradictory and complicated.”

-- Vol 1 Ch 7 (Chapter 7)

Although Xiang Liu’s loyalty to Shen Nong forced him to officially oppose Cang Xuan, he may have privately convinced the Gui Fang clan to support Cang Xuan’s bid to become king. The nine stalks of soul-returning grass gifted by the Gui Fang clan at Cang Xuan’s first wedding may allude to the covert backing of a certain prophetic and selfless nine-headed demon.

最令大荒氏族震惊的是神秘的鬼方氏，这个不可冒犯，却一直游离在大荒之外的诡秘氏族，对待任何事都带着超然物外的漠然，居然派子弟送来重礼——九株回魂草。当礼物呈上时，所有人都静了一静，九为尊，鬼方氏似乎在向玱玹表达敬意，众人揣测着，鬼方氏好像也选择了支持玱玹。
What shocked the clans of the Great Wilderness the most was the mysterious Gui Fang clan. This mysterious clan that no one dared to offend, which had always remained aloof from the affairs of the Great Wilderness, had unexpectedly sent their juniors to deliver a significant gift—nine stalks of soul-returning grass. When the gift was presented, everyone fell silent. The number nine symbolizes respect, and it seemed the Gui Fang clan was expressing their respect towards Cang Xuan. Everyone speculated that the Gui Fang clan had also chosen to support Cang Xuan.

— Vol 2 Ch 9 (Chapter 26)

Killing Cang Xuan may have bought the Shen Nong Remnant Army more time, but it would have also launched the entire world into disarray, with various warring factions fighting for power. The violent and chaotic power struggle would have undoubtedly claimed countless lives and made the world a more dangerous place for Xiao Yao. Xiang Liu knew Xiao Yao spoke the truth when she confronted him about his assassination attempt. He had no intentions of causing this magnitude of devastation, despite his claims to the contrary.

小夭举起她的银色小弓，引弓对准相柳：“洪江将军心怀故国，坚持不肯投降，的确令人敬重。可是，人力不可与天下大势对抗，如今轩辕、神农、高辛一统，各氏族、各部落和睦相处，你杀了玱玹，大荒必定要分崩离析，陷入战火纷飞中，会有无数百姓流离失所。舍天下大义，成全个人小义，难道这就是洪江将军的忠义吗？”
Xiao Yao raised her small silver bow, drawing it and aiming at Xiang Liu. "General Hong Jiang's loyalty to his homeland and his refusal to surrender are indeed admirable. However, human strength cannot contend with the general trend of the world. Now that Xuanyuan, Shennong, and Gao Xin are united, and all tribes and clans live in harmony, if you kill Cang Xuan, the Great Wilderness will inevitably fall into chaos and war, leaving countless people displaced. Sacrificing the greater good for personal honor, is this the loyalty and righteousness of General Hong Jiang?"

相柳唇角微扬，漫不经心地笑：“如果玱玹被我杀了，只能说明天下大势还不是统一，又何来与大势对抗之说？”
Xiang Liu's lips curved into a nonchalant smile. "If I were to kill Cang Xuan, it would only prove that the general trend of the world is not yet unification, so how could you say we are going against the general trend?"

“我的话是否有理，你心里很清楚！”
"You know in your heart whether what I say is true or not!"

— Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

It’s unlikely that Xiang Liu would have risked destabilizing the world, inciting a power struggle that would have claimed countless lives, and putting Xiao Yao in more danger just to prolong the fight for a lost cause that he personally did not believe in and that even the citizens of Shen Nong no longer cared about.

2. Threat to Jing: Cang Xuan had tried to kill Jing. If Jing were to return, Cang Xuan might have continued his attempts on Jing’s life.

Xiang Liu could mitigate the risk of Cang Xuan attempting to take Jing’s life again by giving Xiao Yao the necessary clues to figure out Cang Xuan’s betrayal. This way, Xiao Yao would confront Cang Xuan and make him aware that she would never forgive him if he ever tried to hurt Jing again.

相柳笑笑，云淡风轻地说：“涂山璟的死，看似是兄弟相争，实际背后另有人要涂山璟死，如果没有此人的安排，涂山篌根本不可能靠近涂山璟。”
Xiang Liu smiled and said casually, "The death of Tu Shan Jing appears to be a brotherly feud, but in fact, someone else behind the scenes wanted Tu Shan Jing dead. Without this person's arrangements, Tu Shan Hou would never have been able to get close to Tu Shan Jing."

— Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

Moreover, Xiang Liu believed in Jing’s own ability to protect himself.

“被涂山氏驱逐的涂山篌无钱无势，怎么可能在涂山璟的严密监控下发展出那么多的高手？如果涂山璟是这么无能的人，那我只能说，几百年来和我打交道的是另一个涂山璟。”
"How is it possible that Tu Shan Hou, banished from the Tu Shan Clan without money or power, could have commanded so many skilled guards under Tu Shan Jing's tight surveillance? If Tu Shan Jing were such an incompetent person, I can only say that the one I’ve been dealing with for hundreds of years must be a different Tu Shan Jing."

— Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

Cang Xuan was able to harm Jing because he caught him off guard, similar to what Hou did. However, it wouldn't be as easy to blindside Jing again. When Jing returned, he diffused the situation with Cang Xuan by taking credit for supporting Cang Xuan's claim to the throne, citing his belief in the world needing a talented and compassionate ruler as the reason for his support. Whether sincere or not, Jing's words were effective in making Cang Xuan realize that he owed Jing and could not, in good conscience, make any further attempts on his life.

“为什么帮我？因为小夭？”
"Why did you help me? Was it because of Xiao Yao?"

“不是。我开始外出，学着做生意时，轩辕王统一中原还没有多久。我跟着商队，足迹遍布大荒，看到了太多人流离失所，深刻地意识到，天下需要一位真正胸怀天下的君王。一国之君，事关天下苍生，千万百姓，我可以为小夭做到恪守族规，不支持苍岩和禹阳，却绝不可能做到不惜违背祖训、打破族规，联合四世家和中原氏族，支持陛下登基。我之所以那么做，只是因为陛下的胸怀和才干让我坚信，我所作所为是正确的。直到今日，我都没有后悔自己的选择，丰隆肯定也没有，我们的选择和坚持全是正确的。”
"No. When I first started out learning to do business, it had not been long since King Xuan Yuan unified the Central Plains. I followed the merchant groups throughout the Great Wilderness, seeing too many people destitute and homeless. I came to the profound realization that the world needed a compassionate ruler. The ruler of a nation affects all the nation’s people, impacting the fate of millions. For Xiao Yao, I could adhere to clan rules and not support Cang Yan and Yu Yang, but I could never betray ancestral teachings and break clan rules to unite the Four Great Clans and the Central Plains clans to support Your Majesty's ascension to the throne. The reason I did so was because Your Majesty's vision and talent convinced me that my actions were right. To this day, I have not regretted my choice, and Feng Long surely hasn’t either. Our choice and persistence in supporting you were entirely correct."

玱玹深深地盯了璟一瞬，一言不发地从小夭身畔走过，在侍卫的保护下，向着山下行去。侍卫环绕着他，可每个侍卫都不敢接近他，恭敬地保持着一段距离，显得玱玹的身影异常孤单。
Cang Xuan stared intently at Jing for a moment, then walked past Xiao Yao without saying a word, and headed down the mountain under the protection of the imperial guards. Although the imperial guards surrounded him, none dared to get too close, respectfully maintaining a distance, which made Cang Xuan's figure appear unusually lonely.

— Vol 3 Ch 16 (Chapter 49)

We can see that the reasons for Cang Xuan being Xiang Liu’s target are not as strong as they initially appear. Now let’s revisit the reasons against Feng Long being Xiang Liu’s target.

1. Timing: Xiang Liu could have assassinated Feng Long at any time. Why did he wait for Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao to come to town before assassinating Feng Long?

Xiang Liu waited for Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan to come to Qing Shui Town because he wanted to make Xiao Yao aware of Cang Xuan’s betrayal. Without this awareness, Xiao Yao would never confront Cang Xuan and stop him from making any further attempts on Jing’s life when Jing returned. Moreover, without this awareness, Xiao Yao would never take the initiative to break free from Cang Xuan’s grasp and take control of her own life. Xiang Liu knew that Xiao Yao longed to escape the political machinations of palace life and live a simple life on her own terms.

2. Acceleration of War: Feng Long’s assassination accelerated the pace of the war.

The acceleration of the war may have actually been a desired outcome for Xiang Liu. The Shen Nong Remnant Army faced shortages because the 37 years' worth of supplies Xiang Liu had previously secured by stopping Xiao Yao from marrying Feng Long had run out. Support from the Central Plains likely dwindled after Cang Xuan solidified his rule by making Xing Yue his empress. Additionally, support from Gao Xin ceased when Cang Xuan took A Nian as his empress, and King Gao Xin abdicated to him. With Xuan Yuan tightening their blockade of supplies, the remnant army would have struggled to last much longer in a war of attrition. Xiang Liu had previously expressed the belief that soldiers should die on the battlefield.

“他们是战士，即使要死，也应该死在轩辕王的军队前。”
"They are soldiers. Even if they must die, they should die in front of King Xuan Yuan’s army."

— Vol 1 Ch 5 (Chapter 5)

Accelerating the pace of the war would give his soldiers a greater chance to die fighting for their cause, rather than from starvation or illness in a slow war of attrition.

Upon review, neither the reasons for Cang Xuan being Xiang Liu’s target nor the reasons against Feng Long being Xiang Liu’s target are as strong as they initially appear. Furthermore, A Nian’s perspective as Xiang Liu’s shadow character hints at Xiang Liu deliberately targeting Feng Long for assassination. Thus, it's reasonable to conclude that to keep Xiao Yao safe, not undermine the peace and stability of the world, and allow his comrades to die according to their wishes—fighting for their cause—Xiang Liu assassinated Feng Long and exposed Cang Xuan’s betrayal to Xiao Yao.

 solarlunareclipse:

Feng Long’s Assassination

Thank you very much for an interesting, compelling argument for Feng Long being the real target of the assassination. Some thoughts...

 solarlunareclipse:

War and Devastation: War would break out if Cang Xuan were killed, sweeping countless people into the devastation. This would also make the world a more dangerous place for Xiao Yao.

If the Great Wilderness splintered with Cang Xuan's death, the aftermath would depend on who ascended the throne. If it was the old Xuan Yuan king, I think the chances of wide-scale devastation are lower because Feng Long who greatly respected the older man, might still have led the Central Plains and continue to pledge their support for Xuan Yuan, unless his father and the Central Plains sees this as an opportunity to fight and reclaim their sovereignty. Under the old Xuan Yuan king, A Nian should still be respected as a former empress, which would also be a reason that Gao Xin would continue to exist peacefully under Xuan Yuan rule. However, if De Yan succeeded the throne, the Central Plains will suffer discrimination again. In which case, it is a high possibility that the Central Plains clans will ally with the Shen Nong resistance army against Xuan Yuan. Gao Xin might not be as willing to accept De Yan as king, in which case there could be uprising to fight for dominance in the Great Wilderness, more likely from one or more of the four tribes. 

That being said, I don't believe the world being more dangerous for Xiao Yao is a compelling reason. Xiao Yao has been surviving without any issues for hundreds of years. Now more than ever, she is fully capable of protecting herself - with her archery skills, her poison making skills, even the Form Retaining Flower which enables her to disguise herself and live incognito. She too has Left Ear who is loyal to the hilt, has been and will continue to protect her. Yes, the world might fall into disarray again because different factions may rise up to fight for the throne. However, that is also pursuant to who ascends the Xuan Yuan throne next. If it were someone like De Yan, perhaps that would be true. If it were the old Xuan Yuan king, perhaps not so much.

 solarlunareclipse:

Loss of Protection for Xiao Yao: Xiao Yao would lose Cang Xuan’s protection and would be at greater risk of being targeted by those who hated Chi Chen.

Same argument that I mentioned before. Was Cang Xuan's protection really paramount in Xiang Liu's mind, that would allow him to leave her with peace of mind when he himself is no longer able to protect her? I don't believe so. While it is true Cang Xuan would definitely protect her, but did Xiang Liu really think that Xiao Yao would have wanted to continue to live under Cang Xuan's protection? He himself is aware that Xiao Yao's fondest wish was to roam the world freely, which meant that she longed to break away from the confines of the palace walls. At that point in time, it was obvious Cang Xuan would not have willingly allowed her to leave - just like how he dragged her back from Ying Province. Hence, Xiang Liu had already prepared for Xiao Yao to be able to protect herself, with or without Cang Xuan's protection.

 solarlunareclipse:

Xiao Yao’s Emotional Devastation: Since Cang Xuan was Xiao Yao’s most important person, she would have been devastated if he were killed. This could even cause Xiao Yao’s heart to turn against Xiang Liu, and their Poisonous Lovers’ Bugs to bite back and kill both of them. It was better to give Xiao Yao the clues necessary to figure out Cang Xuan’s betrayal than to kill him before she discovered the truth.

Xiang Liu himself was working towards ensuring she hated him totally, to ensure she would be spared even more grief when he himself died. Even his cruelty in taking her blood the last time they spoke was him pushing her to the brink. She herself said that if Cang Xuan died, she would go after Hong Jiang. That implied that she did not even consider that the Lovers bug would have retaliated due to Cang Xuan's death and killed them both (or at least her) as a result of him killing Cang Xuan. In retrospect, it reflects the great faith Xiang Liu has in the love they share, that it would never retaliate because their love would remain unchanged. If he had not, the moment their relationship was severed, Xiao Yao would have died due to the retaliation. Another possibility is that knowing Xiao Yao was there, he was ready to sever their bug connection at any time, if there had been any indication at all that it was in danger of retaliation due to Cang Xuan's death.

 solarlunareclipse:

Effects of Power Struggle on Xiao Yao: In the inevitable power struggle after Cang Xuan’s death, King Xuan Yuan and King Gao Xin might wrestle for power, again putting Xiao Yao in a position of conflicting loyalties with her loved ones.

I doubt this would happen. The old Xuan Yuan king and Gao Xin king had been coexisting peacefully for centuries. If Cang Xuan died, their common grief might see them work together to retaliate against the Shen Nong resistance army, or even the Central Plains (if the Central Plains chose to ally with the Shen Nong resistance army). These two kingdoms might only fight against each other for power if it was De Yan who ascended the throne. And if De Yan was king, then there is no conflict of loyalty to speak of anyway.

 solarlunareclipse:

Endangering Xiao Yao: If Feng Long and Xin Yue managed to seize power, Xiao Yao would be in danger because Xin Yue had a vendetta against Xiao Yao.

If Cang Xuan had died, Xin Yue was a childless empress at the time. Hence, any power she might have as dowager empress would be dependent on whether it was the old Xuan Yuan king or De Yan who came into power. The old Xuan Yuan king was well aware of what Xin Yue's past attempts on Xiao Yao's life, and he would have put measures in place to check that possibility. If it were De Yan, Xin Yue herself would be relegated to a position without power, living in indignity. What power would Xin Yue possibly command then?

 solarlunareclipse:

Retribution: Feng Long had helped Xin Yue try to assassinate Xiao Yao. Just like Cang Xuan methodically tracked down and killed those responsible for the plum forest assassination, Xiang Liu could not let Feng Long off the hook for attempting to assassinate Xiao Yao.

If it were retribution, the one he would have targeted would be Xin Yue, not Feng Long. By the same token, so many people were involved in Xiao Yao's assassination at Plum Forest, However, Xiang Liu himself did not wreak vengeance on any one of them. Instead, he focused on saving her and escalated his preparations for her to ensure she would be able to protect herself, and had a place to go. 

 solarlunareclipse:

Eliminate Xin Yue’s Unconditional Support: Feng Long volunteered to lead the war because he was worried that Xin Yue’s desperation would cause her to make another attempt on Xiao Yao’s life. Knowing both Xin Yue and Feng Long, Xiang Liu must have been aware of this risk. By killing Feng Long, Xin Yue would lose her unconditional support and be forced to act with more caution.

Without Cang Xuan and her position as empress, Xin Yue had no standing to command support, and would by extension, be forced to live life even more circumspectly. Also, with Cang Xuan dead, there is nothing for Xin Yue to fight with Xiao Yao over. 

 solarlunareclipse:

Force Cang Xuan to Deescalate Situation with Xin Yue: With Feng Long gone, Cang Xuan would need to rely on Xin Yue's support to maintain the backing of the Central Plains. He would have to start treating her better, thereby de-risking the possibility of Xin Yue trying to assassinate Xiao Yao again.

With Feng Long gone, Cang Xuan would need to treat Xin Yue well to placate and retain the support of the Central Plains, which means that she would enjoy power and respect accorded to a favoured empress. If anything, that would have been an even greater threat for Xiao Yao, had Xin Yue still continued to target her out of jealousy. 

 solarlunareclipse:

Xiang Liu could mitigate the risk of Cang Xuan attempting to take Jing’s life again by giving Xiao Yao the necessary clues to figure out Cang Xuan’s betrayal. This way, Xiao Yao would confront Cang Xuan and make him aware that she would never forgive him if he ever tried to hurt Jing again.

Yes he could, but he didn't until after Feng Long died instead of Cang Xuan. Why? For me, it seems to indicate that he would have spared her pain from knowing the person she loved the most, for whom she chose to even suppress her love for Xiang Liu, was the one who betrayed her and killed the man she had chosen to marry. Xiao Yao's deepest trauma has always been of betrayal and abandonment. I believe Cang Xuan's betrayal would have devastated her far more than his death. It was his betrayal (and knowing that even her grandfather was aware but kept her in the dark), that pushed her to take her own life, even though she could not bring herself to kill him when it came down to it. Would she have killed herself if Cang Xuan had died? I don't think so.

 solarlunareclipse:

Cang Xuan was able to harm Jing because he caught him off guard, similar to what Hou did. However, it wouldn't be as easy to blindside Jing again. When Jing returned, he diffused the situation with Cang Xuan by taking credit for supporting Cang Xuan's claim to the throne, citing his belief in the world needing a talented and compassionate ruler as the reason for his support. Whether sincere or not, Jing's words were effective in making Cang Xuan realize that he owed Jing and could not, in good conscience, make any further attempts on his life.

Yes, Jing would definitely have been on his guard if he had returned with Cang Xuan still alive and in power.  However, Cang Xuan is still the ruler of the Great Wilderness, with every resource at his disposal. If he intended to continue his attempts on Jing's life, Jing was still the one at the disadvantage. 

Also, do you remember whether there was any indication that Xiang Liu was aware of Jing being the real strategist behind Cang Xuan's rise to the throne and unification of the Great Wilderness? He greatly respects Jing's intelligence, but I don't recall that he knew Jing's role in this. Hence, I don't think that we can assume he knew Jing would be able to diffuse the situation in a way that would convince Cang Xuan once and for all to leave him alone.

 liddi:

If the Great Wilderness splintered with Cang Xuan's death, the aftermath would depend on who ascended the throne. If it was the old Xuan Yuan king, I think the chances of wide-scale devastation are lower because Feng Long who greatly respected the older man, might still have led the Central Plains and continue to pledge their support for Xuan Yuan, unless his father and the Central Plains sees this as an opportunity to fight and reclaim their sovereignty.

 liddi:

I doubt this would happen. The old Xuan Yuan king and Gao Xin king had been coexisting peacefully for centuries. If Cang Xuan died, their common grief might see them work together to retaliate against the Shen Nong resistance army, or even the Central Plains (if the Central Plains chose to ally with the Shen Nong resistance army). These two kingdoms might only fight against each other for power if it was De Yan who ascended the throne. And if De Yan was king, then there is no conflict of loyalty to speak of anyway.

Your reasoning on the potential outcomes in the event that CX was assassinated sound reasonable. Agree there are logical potential scenarios where CX's assassination wouldn't cause wide-scale devastation, with King Xuan Yuan and King Gao Xin retaking their thrones and deciding to peacefully coexist as they have for centuries. However, there are also logical potential scenarios where CX's assassination does lead to wide-scale devastation and forces XY to choose her loyalties. As for loyalties, even if King Xuan Yuan and King Gao Xing don't directly retake their thrones, and instead back De Yan and Ru Shou, for example, XY could still be forced to choose whether to side with her grandfather's choice or her father's choice. If the two kingdoms fight each other, it would still be painful to watch her loved ones in conflict.

As for widespread devastation, I strongly believe that XY was speaking using the author's voice in this excerpt:

小夭举起她的银色小弓，引弓对准相柳：“洪江将军心怀故国，坚持不肯投降，的确令人敬重。可是，人力不可与天下大势对抗，如今轩辕、神农、高辛一统，各氏族、各部落和睦相处，你杀了玱玹，大荒必定要分崩离析，陷入战火纷飞中，会有无数百姓流离失所。舍天下大义，成全个人小义，难道这就是洪江将军的忠义吗？”
Xiao Yao raised her small silver bow, drawing it and aiming at Xiang Liu. "General Hong Jiang's loyalty to his homeland and his refusal to surrender are indeed admirable. However, human strength cannot contend with the general trend of the world. Now that Xuanyuan, Shennong, and Gao Xin are united, and all tribes and clans live in harmony, if you kill Cang Xuan, the Great Wilderness will inevitably fall into chaos and war, leaving countless people displaced. Sacrificing the greater good for personal honor, is this the loyalty and righteousness of General Hong Jiang?"

相柳唇角微扬，漫不经心地笑：“如果玱玹被我杀了，只能说明天下大势还不是统一，又何来与大势对抗之说？”
Xiang Liu's lips curved into a nonchalant smile. "If I were to kill Cang Xuan, it would only prove that the general trend of the world is not yet unification, so how could you say we are going against the general trend?"

“我的话是否有理，你心里很清楚！”
"You know in your heart whether what I say is true or not!"

— Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

XL's next line was to ask XY if she was going to shoot him using the archery he taught her. XL dropping the argument after XY said, "You know in your heart whether what I say is true or not!" indicates to me that he did believe what XY said about widespread devastation to be true. I also don't believe XL would sacrifice the lives of countless innocent people for personal honor. 

Also, pay attention to the mention of "天下大势" (the general trend of the world). This comes from the aphorism:

天下大势，分久必合，合久必分
The general trend of the world is that long-term division will eventually lead to unification, and long-term unification will eventually lead to division.

[source]

If from the author's perspective, the general trend of the world is unification, that means if CX dies, more wars would be fought until the Great Wilderness is eventually unified. Thus it doesn't seem like TH is setting it up so that they would just go back to a two-kingdom stalemate if unification were disrupted by the death of CX. Just as TH voiced through XY, CX's death would lead to chaos and a bloody power struggle, which may or may not force XY to choose between loyalties to her loved ones. Even without adding the consideration for XY's possible competing loyalties, I think worldwide chaos and devastation is enough to hold XL back from assassinating CX.

 liddi:

That being said, I don't believe the world being more dangerous for Xiao Yao is a compelling reason. Xiao Yao has been surviving without any issues for hundreds of years.

The arguments you made for XY being able to protect herself now more than ever are reasonable. However, the fact remains that a world at peace would be a better and less dangerous world for XY to live in than a world at war. I think King Gao Xin was speaking using the author's voice when he expressed the following:

The Grand Emperor could not help but smile, when Zhuan Xu discovered and then could not find Xiao Yao, he would undoubtedly be furious. But he would soon realize that Xiao Yao was the world of people and the world of people was Xiao Yao. As long as the entire world was at peace, then their Xiao Yao would be living happily.

-- Vol 3 Ch 18 (Chapter 51)

I don't think XL would want to make the world a worse/less safe place for XY to live in.

 liddi:

If it were retribution, the one he would have targeted would be Xin Yue, not Feng Long. By the same token, so many people were involved in Xiao Yao's assassination at Plum Forest, However, Xiang Liu himself did not wreak vengeance on any one of them. Instead, he focused on saving her and escalated his preparations for her to ensure she would be able to protect herself, and had a place to go. 

I agree that retribution is not the most compelling reason for XL targeting FL since I don't believe him to be a vindictive person. That said, it's only natural for a person to want to seek justice when someone they love is harmed. In the case of the Plum forest assassination, CX dealt with ensuring justice so XL didn't have to personally wreak vengeance. CX also dealt with Xin Yue by making her life miserable after he found out she was responsible for the attempts on XY's life. FL was the only person who escaped justice.

I don't think justice/retribution alone was a good enough reason for XL to target FL, but it may have given him a reason not to feel too bad about killing FL. I think the primary reason for XL killing FL was to keep XY safe. FL had expressed that Xin Yue couldn't deal with CX's harsh treatment much longer, and might end up doing something insane.

During the war with Gao Xing, Feng Long was patient because he knew what he wanted. Even if he lost battles to Ru So he was certain that digging end then he’ll win the eventual victory. But this time his goal wasn’t personal valor or sense of achievement, it was to help his little sister. He could battle for ten to twenty years but Xing Yue couldn’t wait that long!

Before setting off Feng Long went to see Xing Yue to tell her to be patient no matter what. But Xing Yue’s attitude was cold and she even walked out on him, completely dismissing what Feng Long said. He was afraid that she would have a breakdown, or even worse throw all caution to the end and do something totally insane.

-- Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

I believe FL is another one of XL's shadow characters, so I assume that whatever FL knows about Xin Yue, XL also knows. If things stayed as they were, Xin Yue might try to harm XY again. Thus, XL had to do something to prevent this situation. Killing CX would cause world-wide devastation and personal devastation for XY, so killing FL was a more reasonable choice--especially since FL hadn't gotten the justice he deserved yet for trying to harm XY.

 liddi:

If Cang Xuan had died, Xin Yue was a childless empress at the time. Hence, any power she might have as dowager empress would be dependent on whether it was the old Xuan Yuan king or De Yan who came into power. The old Xuan Yuan king was well aware of what Xin Yue's past attempts on Xiao Yao's life, and he would have put measures in place to check that possibility. If it were De Yan, Xin Yue herself would be relegated to a position without power, living in indignity. What power would Xin Yue possibly command then?

 liddi:

Without Cang Xuan and her position as empress, Xin Yue had no standing to command support, and would by extension, be forced to live life even more circumspectly. Also, with Cang Xuan dead, there is nothing for Xin Yue to fight with Xiao Yao over. 

 liddi:

With Feng Long gone, Cang Xuan would need to treat Xin Yue well to placate and retain the support of the Central Plains, which means that she would enjoy power and respect accorded to a favoured empress. If anything, that would have been an even greater threat for Xiao Yao, had Xin Yue still continued to target her out of jealousy.

Perhaps FL would back King Xuan Yuan, perhaps not. I think it's possible that FL would try to seize power if CX died. If FL succeeded in seizing power, he would unconditionally back Xin Yue, which might spell trouble for XY. Xin Yue very much seems like a vindictive person. If Xin Yue had a personal vendetta against XY instead of just pragmatically trying to get rid of XY to prevent XY from taking her position as empress, FL being in power might put XY in danger.

Anyhow, I think XY is safer with CX in power and FL gone than with FL in power and CX gone. Also regardless of if XY decides to continue living under CX's direct protection or not, CX being alive would ensure a peaceful world, and a peaceful world was a better/safer place for XY.

 liddi:

Also, do you remember whether there was any indication that Xiang Liu was aware of Jing being the real strategist behind Cang Xuan's rise to the throne and unification of the Great Wilderness? He greatly respects Jing's intelligence, but I don't recall that he knew Jing's role in this. Hence, I don't think that we can assume he knew Jing would be able to diffuse the situation in a way that would convince Cang Xuan once and for all to leave him alone.

I think XL could guess that Jing had a hand in supporting CX's path to the throne. First of all, XL most likely knew how much FL looked up to Jing. He also might have known that XY would not have given Jing another chance the time she was supposed to do something with FFB if CX had not needed Jing's support. Also, XL was likely in a leadership position within the Gui Fang clan. If what Jing said about uniting the Four Great Clans and the Central Plains clans to support CX is true, then it's likely XL knew about his efforts.

“不是。我开始外出，学着做生意时，轩辕王统一中原还没有多久。我跟着商队，足迹遍布大荒，看到了太多人流离失所，深刻地意识到，天下需要一位真正胸怀天下的君王。一国之君，事关天下苍生，千万百姓，我可以为小夭做到恪守族规，不支持苍岩和禹阳，却绝不可能做到不惜违背祖训、打破族规，联合四世家和中原氏族，支持陛下登基。我之所以那么做，只是因为陛下的胸怀和才干让我坚信，我所作所为是正确的。直到今日，我都没有后悔自己的选择，丰隆肯定也没有，我们的选择和坚持全是正确的。”
"No. When I first started out learning to do business, it had not been long since King Xuan Yuan unified the Central Plains. I followed the merchant groups throughout the Great Wilderness, seeing too many people destitute and homeless. I came to the profound realization that the world needed a compassionate ruler. The ruler of a nation affects all the nation’s people, impacting the fate of millions. For Xiao Yao, I could adhere to clan rules and not support Cang Yan and Yu Yang, but I could never betray ancestral teachings and break clan rules to unite the Four Great Clans and the Central Plains clans to support Your Majesty's ascension to the throne. The reason I did so was because Your Majesty's vision and talent convinced me that my actions were right. To this day, I have not regretted my choice, and Feng Long surely hasn’t either. Our choice and persistence in supporting you were entirely correct."

— Vol 3 Ch 16 (Chapter 49)

 liddi:

Xiao Yao's deepest trauma has always been of betrayal and abandonment. I believe Cang Xuan's betrayal would have devastated her far more than his death.

Perhaps CX's betrayal may have devastated XY more than his death, perhaps not. XL being the one to kill CX would certainly have caused her a large amount of devastation. She would have to not only contend with the devastation of CX's death, but also the devastation of the person she loved with her whole heart betraying her.

As for letting XY know about CX's betrayal. I believe that XL thought this was a necessary evil. XL was never one to coddle XY and ensure she would never go through pain, but he made sure the pain had a purpose. He put her through the pain of cutting off all her hopes of being with him and trying to make her believe he didn't love her in order to ensure her long-term survival.  Of course CX's betrayal would be devastating, but XL was confident he could help her survive the betrayal--which he did when he saved her on Jade Mountain. If he didn't expose the betrayal, XY would not have taken the initiative to let go of CX and decide to live for herself, on her own terms. She may have forever remained trapped in a prison of CX's making. XY not knowing about the betrayal would have also hindered XL from helping Jing to come back safely.

Although one can make reasonable arguments both ways on whether XL intended to assassinate FL or CX, ultimately,  A Nian being Xiang Liu’s shadow is what convinces me that XL was targeting FL. I listed 30 points of commonality between A Nian and XL involving octopuses, grilled fish, three choices, a vow involving "may thunder strike me", Fu Sang God Wood, whipping, and the commonalities in the situations under which WXL met both, which I believe clearly indicates that A Nian is XL's shadow. TH would not have included all these commonalities by accident. Also, I do not believe that TH went through all the trouble of setting up A Nian to be XL's shadow without having it mean anything. Thus, I believe:

1. A Nian not causing trouble for people CX didn't want her to cause trouble for means XL would not harm those closest to XY's heart (CX, Jing, King Gao Xin, King Xuan Yuan).
2. A Nian specifically wanting to assassinate FL or Yu Jiang and never even having considered assassinating CX means XL's target was FL and not CX.

 liddi:

While the saying you quoted is valid, the term 天下大势 itself simply means "the general trend of the world". It does not mean "the general trend of the world is that long term division leads to unification, and long term unification leads to division". 

With the Chapter titles, we have to take into context the entire meaning of the poem, not just the snippet used for the title in order to understand the hidden meanings in the chapter. I believe this is the case here as well. We have to take into consideration the entire aphorism instead of just the part that Xiao Yao referenced and XL repeated for emphasis.

天下大势，分久必合，合久必分
The general trend of the world is that long-term division will eventually lead to unification, and long-term unification will eventually lead to division.

Unification had begun under King Xuan Yuan's watch. Therefore, the general trend was towards unification. CX was able to unify the Great Wilderness with minimal bloodshed, but hadn't been in power very long. Therefore, the tides couldn't have already turned and started back on the path towards division. CX's death would most likely have led to a lot more bloodshed on the path towards unification because there was no clear successor to CX's reign.

 liddi:

Still, if we were to think about it, if Cang Xuan had died, and the Central Plains ended up allying with the Shen Nong resistance army to restore the Shen Nong kingdom, it meant that Xiang Liu would still be alive. Would that world really be a more dangerous one for Xiao Yao, when he was still able to watch over her?

 liddi:

I'm sorry but I am unable to understand this. If Feng Long (or little Yan Zhuan) seized power, why would they need to back Xin Yue?

I don't mean that Xin Yue would be the one in power, but that she'd have the unconditional backing of those in power, much like Xiao Yao had CX's unconditional backing. The fact that she would have this unconditional backing would mean she could act more recklessly because no one would punish her for her actions. 

 liddi:

I guess where you and I differ is that perhaps you see Xiang Liu's actions and motivations through the lens of those you identify as his shadow characters. In that respect, I do not view them as such, so I would interpret them independently.  Regardless of our basis of interpretation, I think there is at least one thing we can agree on. In sparing Cang Xuan all those years ago, Xiang Liu inadvertently set events in motion for his own death at Cang Xuan's hand in the years to come.

Agree that this is the main reason behind our differing interpretations. It seems widely accepted that TH was inspired by A Dream of Red Mansions (红楼梦) to use the shadow writing technique (影写法). The shadow writing technique hints at a protagonist's experience, intentions, and fate through other people's affairs. It is a technique for secondary characters to support the main characters. Additional information on the use of shadow writing technique in A Dream of Red Mansions can be found here.

As such, I believe there is overwhelming evidence that TH set up A Nian to be Xiang Liu's shadow, as I explained in my previous posts. To interpret the novel according to TH's intentions, we can't ignore the clues she provides using this technique. Additionally, TH provides ample hints in the text to support what can be inferred from the shadow character's clues. This forms the basis for my previous post on why I believe FL was XL's assassination target.

If TH had instead made A Nian say, "I came to assassinate that black-hearted bastard, Cang Xuan," I would have combed the text for clues that CX was XL's assassination target and argued for that theory. However, since it was explicitly mentioned that CX was not A Nian's target, I can only conclude that CX was also not XL's target.

In the drama, XiaoYao always says that she fears Xiang Liu,what does she actually mean by this?

 liddi:

My point is "天下大势 " is not a phrase that cannot exist outside of the entire aphorism you quoted. It stands by itself as a valid phrase, and can be used in any context outside of the one you  cited. Hence, to assume that every time it is used, it is meant to mean "unification after a long-term division, and division after a long term unification" is not accurate. The definition of the phrase can be seen here or here among others, which is simply "the overall situation or trend across the world". Xiang Liu's answer to Xiao Yao is a perfect example of how that phrase is used:

I agree that that the phrase "天下大势" can exist outside the aphorism. That said, XL's response specifically mentions how "the general trend of the world is not yet unification." I have a hard time understanding what he could mean here if not for referencing the aphorism ("long term division will eventually lead to unification"), which the characters in this book may see as the inevitable law of civilization, and which XY said human strength could not contend with.

相柳唇角微扬，漫不经心地笑：“如果玱玹被我杀了，只能说明天下大势还不是统一，又何来与大势对抗之说？”
Xiang Liu's lips curved into a nonchalant smile. "If I were to kill Cang Xuan, it would only prove that the general trend of the world is not yet unification, so how could you say we are going against the general trend?"

— Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

XL's response uses the term "统一" to mean unification while the aphorism uses the term "合" to mean unification, but the slight difference in terminology doesn't impact the general meaning for me. XL also does not dispute this as an inevitable law of civilization, he merely disputes whether the world is going towards unification yet. (By "inevitable law of civilization", I mean what the characters in the book view to be an inevitable law of civilization, not that it's an actual law in real life.)

Of course, we can take XL's response at face value and conclude that he really believes that the trend of the world is not yet unification. However, the fact that he said this with a nonchalant smile instead of steadfast conviction and the fact that he had no retort after XY responded with, "You know in your heart whether what I say is true or not!" indicates to me that he did believe what she was saying to be true.

XL also did not directly dispute XY's claim that killing CX would lead to chaos and war, and have devastating consequences:

"Now that Xuanyuan, Shennong, and Gao Xin are united, and all tribes and clans live in harmony, if you kill Cang Xuan, the Great Wilderness will inevitably fall into chaos and war, leaving countless people displaced. Sacrificing the greater good for personal honor, is this the loyalty and righteousness of General Hong Jiang?"

— Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46)

This leads me to believe that XL knows that killing CX would have devastating consequences for the world at large.

 liddi:

Yes. On my part, while I agree that there are hidden lines and hints that are buried, I do not believe that a character's actions are meant to shadow another in every aspect.

Agree that a shadow character's actions cannot shadow a main character in every aspect and it can be tricky to find out exactly when the shadow technique applies.

It's always interesting to see where other people are at in terms of TH's use of the shadow writing technique (影写法) that she borrowed from  A Dream of Red Mansions (红楼梦) and how it could/should be used to infer information about the main characters in the book. In my experience, people usually have one of these perspectives:

1. Have not heard of the shadow writing technique (影写法) or don't really know what it is.
2. Do not think TH used the shadow writing technique in LYF.
3. Disagree on who the shadows are: A Nian = XL's shadow, CX = XY's shadow, Chuan Zi = Jing's shadow, Tian'er = XY's shadow, etc.
4. Do not think it's reliable to infer information about characters using this technique.
5. Think some things can be inferred through shadow characters, but disagree on what things can be inferred using this technique.

Just curious where you are in the spectrum of 1-5.

 liddi:

Thank you for a very interesting discussion! 

Same! It's always interesting to hear different perspectives.

 liddi:

Have you read Once Promised? I'm finally on Vol 2, and can hardly put it down.

I've read some parts that were available digitally online, but have not been able to find the complete text online. My Chinese is not good enough to read the physical Chinese book without the help of translators. I see the title available digitally via Apple Books, but AFIK, Apple Books does not have good translation capabilities. Perhaps I'll tackle Once Promised when my Chinese literacy skills improve :)

I do see Memories Scattered Across the Galaxy (散落星河的记忆) available online, so I may try to tackle that.