Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 solarlunareclipse:

Excellent analysis, liddi. The findings also make my heart ache for Xiao Yao.

Thank you. 

 solarlunareclipse:

I agree she probably first realized that XL might have loved her here. But, I don't know if she could be sure. Even if she didn't doubt at this point that XL loved her, his later actions to distance himself from her would make her would have made doubt creep back in her mind. This is why after she spoke with the Voodoo King and found out the exact nature of the bugs, she desperately wanted him to confess that he loved her. 

Even though it gave her a sliver of hope, I don't believe she was ever sure in the early days when she first learnt the name of the bug from Shé Mei Er, because every single overture she made to Xiang Liu always met with a closed door. Which is why I ached so much for her, the amount of courage it must have taken her to bare her soul and appeal to him to take her hand, without any certainty at all that he loved her, allowing herself to be vulnerable, she who fiercely guarded her heart and kept it encased within a hard shell for fear of being hurt.

She only knew for certain when she learnt the true nature of the Lovers Bug from the Shaman King, but she was aware by then that Xiang Liu would still push her away. Her staying one night by the ocean was a testament to the yearning she could not fight, for him and the ocean that was their home. And their hearts were one in the intimate moments they shared after, listening to the song of the merpeople, a song they heard before, except this time it was different, because this time, she knew he loved her too.

The merpeople’s song reached her from the ends of the ocean. Xiao Yao's heart stirred, and she stood at the bow of the ship, gazing out into the distance. Under the silver moonlight, she saw a person with white robes and white hair treading the shimmering waves towards her.

He said nothing and Xiao Yao did not speak as well. Both of them, one on the ship, the other beside it, listened to the song of the merpeople together. The song was like heavenly music, dispersing across the vast ocean, ethereal and pure, stirring the soul, like a call of profound love in the dark, like a sigh of ecstasy that melted the bones, overwhelming the soul with the song.

When the song ended, Xiao Yao said softly, “So beautiful!”

Xiang Liu quietly concurred.

The merpeople’s song was like celestial music but very few people in the world could hear it. In that moment, Xiao Yao felt that her heart was infinitely close to Xiang Liu’s, as if there was nothing they could not share with each other. 

-- Vol 3 Ch4  (Chapter 37)

Another point that was paramount on her mind was their linked lives. Knowing now that their lives too were intertwined, she was afraid for him - as the daughter of Chi Chen, with inferior spiritual powers, she was the weak link, and she needed to know whether his safety would be compromised in any way if she was killed. Hence her wish to remove the bug - because she did not want to endanger him even more, she who had repeatedly feared for his safety each time she saw him. As such, his deliberate insouciance, pointing out that she should be concerned instead about whether she stood a chance of surviving if anything happened to him, had her hopping up and down in frustration.

“The Shaman King said the Lovers' Bug means ‘the jian birds in the sky will not fly alone, the mandarin ducks in the water will die together.’ If I die, will you be able to live?”

“Why don’t you ask the question in reverse – if I die, then will you be able to live?”

In a calm, reasonable tone, Xiao Yao said, “I don’t know who dies and who lives, which is why I’m asking you. Please tell me!”

Xiang Liu’s smile was sly as he said in apparent helplessness, “How could I possibly know? At least you have studied poisonous magic before. I am playing with poisonous bugs for the first time. But there is no rush. When one of us dies, won’t we know the answer by then?”

Xiao Yao was so frustrated to the point of almost hopping up and down in anger. “You could remove the bug from Cang Xuan, so you must know how to remove it. Don’t you wish to remove the poisonous bug?”

Xiang Liu grinned, “I don’t want to!”

Xiao Yao asked helplessly, “What exactly do you want then?”

Xiang Liu’s body gradually sank into the ocean. “Apart from waiting for an opportune time to maximise its returns, what else do you think I can do?”

“Hey! Don’t go!”

Xiao Yao flipped over the railing ready to dive into the water and chase after Xiang Liu but a pair of hands grabbed her and forcefully pulled her back.

-- Vol 3 Ch4  (Chapter 37)

However, her instinctive reaction to dive into the water after him, could only have been driven by panic and a yearning she could not contain, knowing that despite loving her, he was leaving her again, which she masked with yet another cock-and-bull tale to Jing after that.

 HeadInTheClouds:

So you recall the scene after Jing's grandmother's servant (sorry, I can't remember her name) told her about the name of the bugs. Her reaction of look towards Qingshui town. Her conversation with CX afterwards as well when she lamented about not being able to control life and death. What did you make of that conversation?

Earlier today, I posted a long analysis about Xiao Yao's frame of mind leading up to the creation of the crystal globe here. In my opinion, when she first learnt the name from Shé Mei Er, she began to wonder whether this meant Xiang Liu loved her too. At the time, she had no idea what the full nature of the bugs was. That would have given her the stirrings of hope that perhaps he did love her, but along with that hope was despair, because she could not change her bloodline, and had no control over the death that awaited him due to his loyalty to the Shen Nong resistance army. 

 HeadInTheClouds:

What does she hope for? To see him? And then what?

My thinking is that she yearned to see him this time, knowing that he did love her too. Was she hoping he would say something? Perhaps. However, the intimacy they shared as they listened to the love song of the merpeople made words unnecessary, because in that moment, their hearts were one. Knowing that their lives were linked, she was afraid that his life would be in greater danger because of her and her inferior spiritual powers, and her identity as the hated Chi Chen's daughter. Hence her repeatedly asking him about removing the poisonous bug, which he swept aside much to her frustration. 

In the years that followed, the failure and her lack of urgency to remove the bug was probably because it was the one link she had with him, a tangible testament of their love that she kept inside her heart. Could it be too, that with Xiang Liu having nine (actually eight by then) lives, she might have reasoned that even if she died, it would only affect one of his lives, similar to when he confirmed that he only felt 1/10th of any pain she experienced, so he would still be safe.

 HeadInTheClouds:

How long has it been since they've seen each other at this point? And yet, she instinctively recognized him and instinctively chased after him.

They returned to Shen Nong mountain in the fall. The war on Gao Xin started the following summer. She saw Xiang Liu again at the gambling den eight years later, during which time Jing had proposed to her and the Shaman King had tried to find a way to remove the bug to no avail.

And yes, she still instinctively recognised him despite his disguise, even without any mention of her sensing the lovers bug.

 HeadInTheClouds:

I feel like she didn't care very much if she died with him.

That was definitely never her concern. Her only worry was whether he would be affected if she died, which was the likelier of the two scenarios.

 HeadInTheClouds:

You are putting images in my head liddi :-).

If only the novel or drama had immortalised such images too!

 HeadInTheClouds:

This is a fresh and interesting interpretation of this scene. It's certainly a possibility (everything is a possibility with this novel, it seems :-)). XY is still quite heavily avoidance, which is also very in character for her. She could admit to her feelings for him and wanting to be with him, but is she really ready to deal with his death and their eventual separation? It appeared that she might not be. Do you think this is one reason why XL refused? Because he was afraid that she couldn't bear the ending and would follow him in death the way that CX's mother followed CX's father?

It is a possibility. However, I think ultimately, it is because he knew that he could not accompany her for her lifetime, and he did not want her to have to be alone once more. She was willing to face that future as long as she could be with him, but he only wanted what he believe was best for her, ensuring her safety and well-being for the rest of her life, when he himself could no longer watch over her.

About XY and XL discussion on the sea, I think someone pointed out how XY's choice of words changed from " the voodoo king told me that the bugs live and die together, your life and mine are connected" to "the voodoo king said ‘the doves don’t fly alone in the sky, the pair of mandarin ducks in the water die together" after she realised that XL knew all along what kind of bugs they share.  That kinda makes me belive she was still insecure about XL's feelings, especially giving the fact that XL did manage to get the bug out of CX in the past. However, once she found out XL always knew the specifics, "your life and my life" suddenly changed to "the doves and the pair of mandarin ducks", which is a lot more personal, so I for one agree with H19279's interpretation.  I read XY's question as 

XY: Is it true that If I die, you will die too? Because if you will, than it means that you do love me according to what the voodoo king said. 

Which is in line with H19279's interpretation. 

Re-reading liddi's interpretation, that take makes sense too, even thought I never thought about it like that. However

"when either you or I die then we’ll know what happens, right?”

Kinda implies XL's refusal to confirm XY's assumption. Like" we will know if what voodoo king said is true when one of us dies, until then I don't want to know / confirm anything. He dodged the question basically. 

IMO XY's emotions were always ready to take over her reasonings, she could think straight when XL was away, but whenever she met him, her reactions were guided by her emotions, not by her mind. That night on the sea she fought with herself not to jump into water, but when XL apperead, she struggled with jing to dive into it and chase XL. I still am more inclined to believe that what kept XY away from XL apart from XL, was her uncertainty about his feelings towards her. 

Finally got around to translating the additional epilogue for Once Promised from the 2019 revised edition, which took place in the years when Xiao Yao went missing from Jade Mountain. It is a fascinating tale that moved me to tears as it gives us a glimpse of just how desperately the Gao Xin king and Xuan Yuan king, not to mention Cang Xuan, searched for Xiao Yao during those years, the implication of the rewards offered for her safe return, the suffering of the Shen Nong remnants who were persecuted for crimes real and imagined, and an underlying plot to remove the scourge of their existence, and replace it with someone who would fight to make their lives better. More than ever, I need to find time to read Once Promised properly.

Once Promised: Side Story Part 1

Suddenly, a group of children of the same age arrived, and Bai Zhi* was very excited. She boiled water, fetched towels, and took care of the girls who had just arrived as if she were their elder sister.

After the group of girls had washed up and changed their clothes, Bai Zhi took them to pay their respects and express their gratitude to Luo Jia.

Luo Jia** was in Wan Qing’s room. Wan Qing sat under the small pavilion window, looking up, while Luo Jia stood in front of her, bending down to apply a floral forehead ornament (花钿 huadian).

The handsome young man and the pretty young woman were both charming in their every move, leaving the seven little girls standing stupidly at the door, gawking.

“Done.” Luo Jia smiled and let go of Wan Qing.

Wan Qing looked over to Bai Zhi and the others. Mouth half-opened, Bai Zhi enviously said, “Sister Wan Qing, you’re so beautiful!” The child’s praise was unpolished but sincere, not to mention it was expressed in front of Luo Jia, so Wan Qing was overjoyed.

She looked at the seven little girls standing side by side, all of similar height with similar hairstyles, like a row of porcelain dolls, incredibly adorable. She pointed to the peach blossom ornament between her eyebrows and asked with a smile, “Would you like me to help you apply the floral ornament too?”

“Really?” Bai Zhi nodded eagerly in surprise. Although the other girls were shy, a woman’s love for beauty was innate. They all looked at Wan Qing and Bai Zhi expectantly. Even the stubborn Hua Lian Mao (花脸猫 striped-faced cat) could not resist Wan Qing’s invitation and stared unceasingly at her.

Wan Qing opened the makeup box and carefully took out the floral ornaments. “These floral ornaments are made from the wings of the dragonflies from Shen Nong Mountain. After being dyed, they are made into the shape of peach blossoms. When applied, they look like a peach blossom that naturally grew between the eyebrows.” As she spoke, she applied one to Bai Zhi’s forehead.

Bai Zhi looked at herself in the mirror excitedly and asked Luo Jia, “My Lord, does it look pretty?”

“Pretty.” Luo Jia leaned against the couch, not looking at Bai Zhi, but instead gazing at Wan Qing with a smile. Wan Qing felt a tenderness in his gaze that she had never seen before, and her heart seemed to melt. Wan Qing became even gentler, smiling at the other girls and asking, “Who’s next?”

Several girls glanced at each other, eager yet hesitant. Hua Lian Mao stepped forward, saying with a straight face, “I want it.”

However, Wan Qing did not mind at all, deliberately being gentle and meticulous, showing Luo Jia her best side.

After Hua Lian Mao was done, the other girls became bolder and asked Wan Qing to apply floral ornaments for them too.

When all the children were done, Wan Qing looked at the girls surrounding her, and was in a good mood. “It’s not often that there are so many people, let’s go out and play together.”

Bai Zhi asked, “What shall we play? Sitting on the swing, shuttlecock kicking?”

Luo Jia smiled and said, “With a big beauty leading a group of little beauties, why don’t you play blindman’s bluff in the courtyard. I’ll be the judge.”

A few rounds of Palm up, Palm Down games later, Bai Zhi’s eyes were blindfolded with a piece of black cloth. Luo Jia sat in the corridor, counting the time, “One, two, three, four...”

Wan Qing and the other six children laughed and ran around amidst the flowers like dancing butterflies.

“I’m here, I’m here.”

“Come catch me...”

Jiang Li*** stood on the other side of the corridor, staring at them. No matter how hard she tried, she could not figure out what Luo Jia was up to.

She could not help but look at Luo Jia. The scene of him applying floral ornaments at the window was so tender that even she felt that Luo Jia truly liked Wan Qing. It was not until she saw the entire group of girls with floral ornaments that she realised Luo Jia was just using Wan Qing to accomplish something. He left no hint, and the person being used was still full of joy. Was there any sincerity at all behind this man’s gentleness?

Luo Jia sensed her gaze and looked at her. For the first time, Jiang Li did not show a submissive and humble demeanour but met his gaze directly.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the two of them scrutinised each other across the courtyard. There were about twenty birdcages hanging in the corridor, and the birds chirped incessantly. The garden was filled with a riot of colours, a lively vibrant display of various blooms. The crisp laughter of little girls in colourful skirts could be heard from time to time. It was a beautiful scene in late spring, and they were both physically present but their hearts were elsewhere.

Luo Jia leaned back against the pillar, one hand behind his head, one leg resting on the railing, squinting as he smiled at Jiang Li, his eyes deep and penetrating, with the golden shadow of the setting sun dancing on his eyebrows and corners of his eyes, utterly captivating.

Jiang Li could not help but turn her head to avoid his gaze, pretending to play with the birds in the cage, softly murmuring, “In what way is this like a deity? This is clearly the behaviour of a demon.”

* * *

In the morning, when Jiang Li and Shen'nong Yi**** entered the drawing room together, Wan Qing was excitedly discussing something with Han Xiang.

Upon seeing Jiang Li, Wan Qing immediately gave her a piercing look, as if saying, “Come and ask me, come and ask me!”. Jiang Li smiled and asked, “What happened?”

Wan Qing immediately said, “The Gao Xin princess is missing. The Gao Xin king has issued a decree to the world to search for the princess. He says that whoever helps find the princess will have one request granted.”

Jiang Li was only listening for fun, but Yi asked hoarsely, “Any request? The Gao Xin king’s promise?”

Wan Qing exclaimed excitedly, “Yes. The whole Great Wilderness is going crazy right now. Oh that’s right, that’s right. The Royal Mother of Jade Mountain has also promised that if a human finds the princess, she will grant them a lifespan of hundred years. For a demon or deity, she will permit one woman to practise cultivation on Jade Mountain for a hundred years.”

Han Xiang said, “The Royal Mother’s promise is one thing, but the Gao Xin king’s promise is an emperor’s promise. If someone finds the princess and asks him to lend his army, will he also have to agree? It’s too rash! I wonder what our Xuan Yuan will do.”

Although Jiang Li was intelligent, she was far from court after all, so she did not fully understand the weight of the Gao Xin king’s promise. It was no wonder Yi was so shocked. She could not help but ask, “What is the relationship between the Gao Xin princess and Xuan Yuan? Does the Gao Xin king want Xuan Yuan’s help?”

Wan Qing was drinking silver fish soup and hurriedly swallowed it. “Let me explain. It’s like this. His Majesty the Xuan Yuan king once had a daughter, who was our Xuan Yuan’s only princess. She married the Gao Xin king as his consort. However, many years ago, for some reason, Her Highness had a falling out with the Gao Xin king, and the two separated. The Gao Xin princess is the daughter of our Xuan Yuan princess, the granddaughter of the Xuan Yuan king on his daughter’s side. Later, the great demon Chi Chen rebelled, intending to become king, which caused the people of the world to live in misery. In order to quell the war, the Xuan Yuan princess led the army to fight against Chi Chen. Although Chi Chen was defeated, the Xuan Yuan princess herself also died in battle.” Wan Qing’s voice gradually lowered. “After our princess died in battle, the Gao Xin king continued to leave his daughter in the care of Jade Mountain to learn from the Royal Mother.” Wan Qing snorted disapprovingly. “At first, the deities thought the Gao Xin king sent his daughter to Jade Mountain because he hated our Xuan Yuan princess and by extension her daughter, so they badmouthed him behind his back. Now they should be dumbfounded. They didn’t expect the Gao Xin king to value his daughter so much and issue a decree to search for her.”

Han Xiang laughed. “She’s not your daughter, why are you so indignant?”

“I just can’t stand them bullying a little girl like this.” Wan Qing frowned. “But it’s really strange. How could the Gao Xin princess suddenly disappear from Jade Mountain? Could it be that Royal Mother saw that neither the Xuan Yuan king nor the Gao Xin king took her home and thought that the princess was no longer wanted, so she secretly abused her, accidentally caused her death and claimed that the princess was missing?”

Han Xiang choked on the soup she was drinking, coughing. Luo Jia happened to walk in when he heard her words and did not know whether to laugh or cry. After wiping away the traces of soup from her mouth, Han Xiang tapped Wan Qing with her handkerchief. “Be careful of what you say. The Royal Mother of Jade Mountain is not someone we can gossip about behind her back.”

Wan Qing looked to Luo Jia for help, who gently said, “This time, you have to listen to Han Xiang. If these words get out, even I won’t be able to protect you.”

Wan Qing sat aside, muttering softly, “Not allowed to go out, and now not even allowed to speak. Do you want to suffocate me to death? If I had known, I would have stayed in Xuan Yuan City.”

Han Xiang asked Luo Jia, “Since the Gao Xin princess is His Majesty’s granddaughter, and we happen to be in the Central Plains, shouldn’t we also help find her?”

“The official document from His Majesty has arrived. We are supposed to help.” Luo Jia handed the document to Han Xiang, but Wan Qing’s hand had already reached out, so Luo Jia gave it to her.

After reading, Wan Qing passed it to Jiang Li, saying, “His Majesty says that whoever finds the Gao Xin princess will be rewarded with a mansion and a jade scroll that ensures the well-being of their family for their entire lives.” She wanted to say that this was too little compared to what the Gao Xin king offered, but she did not have the courage to criticise the Xuan Yuan king.

Jiang Li quickly read through it and was about to return it to Wan Qing when she changed her mind and passed it to Yi, who carefully read it before handing it back to Luo Jia.

Luo Jia looked at Yi, who remained silent. Jiang Li knew Yi must be very concerned about this matter but did not want to inquire about it from Luo Jia, so she thought for a moment and asked, “Sister Wan Qing’s reasoning makes some sense. This matter is indeed a bit strange. Legend has it that Jade Mountain is ten thousand fathoms high and strictly guarded, so should be very safe. How could the Gao Xin princess suddenly disappear?”

Yi listened attentively. Luo Jia looked at Jiang Li appreciatively, then glanced at Wan Qing. “What I’m about to say is a secret from Gao Xin.”

“I promise to forget it after hearing it and never say a word,” Wan Qing replied smoothly.

Luo Jia smiled and said, “It is said that the Gao Xin princess insisted on returning to Gao Xin to see her Royal Father, so the Gao Xin king sent two maids to visit her at Jade Mountain bringing a pile of gifts, but refused to let her return, and ordered her to cultivate properly on Jade Mountain. The Gao Xin princess pretended to obey but secretly hid under the maids’ carriage and left Jade Mountain with them. When the Royal Mother found out, she quickly notified the Gao Xin king, but he never saw the Gao Xin princess again.”

“Did someone hijack the carriage? Who would dare?”

“Nothing happened along the way, and the two maids returned safely to Gao Xin. The Gao Xin king was furious and personally interrogated the maids. Only then did the maids confess that they had said some things they shouldn’t have while in the carriage, and the Gao Xin princess, who was hiding underneath, must have heard them. From then on, the Gao Xin princess disappeared. Because the princess’ status was special, the Gao Xin king immediately wrote to His Majesty, asking for his assistance to find the princess. However, despite searching the entire Gao Xin and Xuan Yuan, there was no trace of her. The Gao Xin king had no choice but to suspect that the princess had escaped to the Central Plains, so he issued the decree to the world. Out of guilt and remorse, the Royal Mother also made a heavy promise. While His Majesty’s reward seems unsubstantial, it is not unsubstantial for the former citizens of Shen Nong.” Wan Qing was about to curl her lips, but Luo Jia said to her, “You’re still young and do not understand the importance of a family’s well-being for a lifetime. It may seem ordinary, but it’s the most important thing.”

Wan Qing’s eyes flickered. “Is His Majesty worried that the Gao Xin princess has fallen into the hands of the Shen Nong rebels?”

Luo Jia looked at Yi, who remained silent. Jiang Li could only guess at Yi’s thoughts and continued to ask, “What exactly did those maids say that would make the Gao Xin princess, who was eager to return home to see her father, slip away secretly? Even if she was angry with the Gao Xin king, there was still her maternal grandfather in Xuan Yuan. What could they have said to make a princess prefer to be adrift and endure hardships in the mortal realm rather than return to Gao Xin and Xuan Yuan?” Jiang Li herself had experienced the pain of being displaced, so she deeply understood that without great provocation, a pampered young girl would never be able to endure the hardships of homelessness.

Luo Jia said, “That is impossible to find out. The only people who know are probably the Gao Xin king and the two maids.”

Han Xiang hesitated for a moment, but said nothing. However, Wan Qing quickly spoke up, “Because no one cared that the Gao Xin princess was left on Jade Mountain, there were rumours that she was not the daughter of the Gao Xin king. Although the Gao Xin king did not kill her, he also did not want to see her. Could those two maids have been gossiping in the carriage about the Gao Xin princess being an illegitimate child, and the Gao Xin princess overheard them?”

Luo Jia glanced at Wan Qing and said evenly, “It is said that the Gao Xin king hated those two maids who talked nonsense so much that he refused to even grant them death. Instead, he ordered them to be imprisoned in an earth burial formation, where they would experience the pain of being buried alive and suffocated every day. As long as the princess is not found, there would be no relief for them.”

Wan Qing shuddered and fell silent, while Han Xiang, having been a maid herself, understood their suffering, and had no more desire to speak. Just then, Bai Zhi and two other girls carrying birdcages came over to play with Wan Qing, so Han Xiang and Wan Qing took them and left.

Luo Jia asked Yi, “Is the Gao Xin princess in your people’s hands?”

Yi pondered for a moment before replying, “She probably isn’t. If she were, they would have gone to negotiate with the Gao Xin king long ago.”

Luo Jia breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good that she isn’t. I hope she’s safe.”

Yi sneered. “You are hoping to find her and ingratiate yourself with the Xuan Yuan King, aren’t you?”

Luo Jia fell silent for a moment before saying, “When we were studying together as children, all of you always bullied me. Once when you all were hitting me, I didn’t dare to fight back. I crouched on the ground, crying with my head buried in my arms. A girl in green happened to see us and she beat you all up. When you ran to the Shen Nong king to complain, His Majesty suppressed the matter and forbade you from mentioning it again. But that girl’s elder brother punished her by making her hold a stone slab over her head all night long.”

Yi furrowed his brows, as if recalling, while Jiang Li looked at Luo Jia with uncertainty, then at Yi. No matter how hard she tried, she could not imagine Luo Jia being bullied to the point of crying.

Luo Jia said, “The girl in green who helped me was the Xuan Yuan princess. You shouldn’t have forgotten her. After all, when you were a child, everyone treated you with respect and gave way to you. No one dared to beat you up like that.”

Yi stared at Luo Jia with a complicated expression and softened his tone. “So it is her daughter. She must be formidable as well and not easily bullied.”

Luo Jia sighed. “But she’s still young after all and has been on Jade Mountain all this while. How could she understand the dangers of the mortal realm? However, as long as she did not fall into the hands of your people, it’s fine. Because of this, Xuan Ting***** has temporarily put aside the search for the remnants of Shen Nong. Let’s see what he can do.”

“So many days have passed, and Xuan Ting is still living very well. I’m also waiting to see what you can do.”

With no intention of taking any more notice of Luo Jia, Yi got up to leave the room. Jiang Li followed him out, and after ensuring no one was around, she asked, “Eldest Brother, what does the Gao Xin princess look like?”

Yi said, “How could I have ever seen her? Deity children grow slowly. Judging from her age, she should look like a seven or eight year old human child.”

Yi followed the two guards who were watching him back to his own house.

Jiang Li stood there in a daze.

Luo Jia called out from the doorway, “Jiang Li, I want to hear you play the qin (琴 zither).”

Jiang Li hurried to fetch the qin. As she tuned it, she asked with feigned nonchalance, “Isn’t Xuan Ting very good at finding people? Does he have any news about the Gao Xin princess?”

“Although everyone says that the Gao Xin princess has come to the Central Plains, the Central Plains is so vast, and she’s deliberately hiding. How could it be so easy to find her?”

“Does the Gao Xin princess have any distinctive features? If she does, it would make it much easier to search for her.”

Luo Jia looked out the window and said, “She has a birthmark that easily identifies her, but it’s not mentioned in the documents of the Xuan Yuan king or the Gao Xin king. They probably did not mention it for her safety. Otherwise, if she falls into the hands of their enemies, it would mean certain death. Except, by doing it this way, I do not know how many girls her age would have to die tragically.”

Jiang Li remembered a group of children with peach blossom makeup and could not help but shudder. What exactly did Luo Jia want to do? She really hoped the Gao Xin princess’ birthmark was not a peach blossom between her eyebrows.

* * *

-----------------

* 白芷 Bai Zhi would ultimately succeed as Royal Mother following Xiao Yao's interrupted ceremony

** 珞迦 Luo Jia (originally 后土 Hou Tu), one of Shen Nong's four great generals, was the first lead his armies and surrender to the Xuan Yuan king (Yellow Emperor).

*** 江蓠 Jiang Li, Luo Jia's follower. She was also mentioned in the excerpt for the planned LYF prequel 千方相 Thousands of Directions, but not in Once Promised, at least not that I have seen

**** 神农熠 Shen'nong Yi, also known as 小炎灷  Little Yan Zhuan (originally 小祝融  Little Zhu Rong). Feng Long and Xin Yue's father. He would take over as lord of Zhi Yi City after Xuan Ting.

***** 玄庭 Xuan Ting. Yu Jiang's older brother, the lord of Zhi Yi City

OMG.  Thank you, liddi!  Going to read it now.

 Kokuto:

This was a lovely revisit to the world of LYF, and a much better insight into CX, as well as what motivated Gong Gong and his men.  I always felt that the situation was something like this, else why would the army continue to exist and gain recruits over the centuries?  Why would some in the Central Plains still support and supply the resistance army?  They aren't useless and pitiful as XY accuses and XL agrees.  I hope that gets shown in season 2, and the invisible Gong Gong appears and reveals WHY he's got such a hold on XL.

You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.

What we learn of Cang Xuan is eye-opening. It is telling when he dealt with Xuan Ting, he was, in all appearances, only a boy of roughly 10 years old, though it had been 70 years since he last saw Xiao Yao. Xiao Yao seemed to still be pretty much a child in behaviour at the time - she was born roughly 6 months after Cang Xuan, though in reality, she was conceived before Cang Xuan but A Heng stopped the child from being born to keep up the illusion that she was Shao Hao's daughter. Certainly, Cang Xuan is far far more mature than her by then - learning to live by his wits, fending for himself as he navigates a political landscape that seeks to take his life at every turn. 

I find it fascinating how Luo Jia took down the man who terrorised his Shen Nong fellow men, and ensured that Shen'nong Yi took over, who would go on to fight for the well-being of the people of the Central Plains:

It was said that Little Yan Zhuan never shied away from his identity as a descendant of Shen Nong, and spared no effort to fight for the interests of the people of the Central Plains. He never concealed his intentions before the Xuan Yuan king, stating that his governance over the Central Plains aimed to bring prosperity and abundance to the region, and allow the people of the Central Plains who have suffered through wars, to lead a good life. For this reason, Little Yan Zhuan suffered a lot of slander and pressure. Gradually, the clans of the Central Plains not only stopped being suspicious of Little Yan Zhuan but also greatly respected him. Yan Zhuan’s death represented the imperial integrity of the royal family's heart for their homeland, so how was Little Yan Zhuan’s survival not an alternate manifestation of the same imperial integrity?

-- Vol 1 Ch11

I know that Luo Jia was the first of the Shen Nong generals to surrender to the Xuan Yuan king. I am not sure what prompted the switch in allegiances. Was it because he could already tell that the Shen Nong kingdom would fall, and he chose to surrender to ensure he would be in a position to help his fellow men when the time came, similar to Shen'nong Yi? Certainly the epilogue indicated that he promised Shen'nong Yi that Xuan Ting would pay for what he did to their people. Did he already decide by then that he would manipulate it so that the governance of the Central Plains returned to them after all? 

Certainly, the epilogue hinted too that Shen'nong Yi at least remained in contact with the resistance army, even if Hong Jiang disapproved of his choices. The leaked script indicated that Hong Jiang continued to fight to ensure that those who pledged their allegiance to Xuan Yuan would be doubly valued and rewarded for their loyalty. Hopefully when S2 comes, this is explained in greater clarity. Luo Jia was prominently featured in Once Promised, and he too was the one who saved the badly injured Lie Yang towards the end. Another reason to find time to read the novel.

You make a good point about the demon core and how it links to Xiang Liu. It's true that we never get any mention of what happened to his demon core, which seems to give some credence, however slight, that it was supposed to be explained either in the rumoured 2nd LYF epilogue, or perhaps in the 4th book that never saw the light of day.

 AH :

Chapter 6 from this video has some interesting analysis of the song Europapa. It's deeper than it appears at first glance.

Also, for those who ended up watching that Europapa analysis video, Joost sampled about ten seconds of it in the new music video he just released! 

https://youtu.be/ApfNFdZZtjE?si=D1pE_i6vWtZZ37he&t=121

 liddi:

You make a good point about the demon core and how it links to Xiang Liu. It's true that we never get any mention of what happened to his demon core, which seems to give some credence, however slight, that it was supposed to be explained either in the rumoured 2nd LYF epilogue, or perhaps in the 4th book that never saw the light of day.

 AH :

It had me picturing a whole new canon-compliant, post-canon, YaoLiu fix-it ending.

I think Tong Hua strongly hinted at XL's resurrection in various ways. The poster from the old version of LYF shows XL holding hands with XY while admiring the moon. However, in the novel, XL only holds hands with WXL to watch the moon rise from the surface of the ocean.

In an illustration from the new version of the book, a white haired XL is shooting arrows with XY. However, in the novel, only FFB shoots arrows with XY.

Moreover, there's Tong Hua's cryptic Weibo posts that insinuate the story has not concluded:

26度-晴: 虽然这里谈的是长相思，可是我还是忍不住要问，孟钰是真的死了吗？云中歌看了好多遍，真的好希望陵哥哥是假死或者孟钰只是掉进了河里，这样的话云歌就不是一个人了。
Reader: Although we are discussing “Lost You Forever” here, I can't help but ask: Did Meng Yu really die? I've read “Song in the Clouds” many times and truly hope that Brother Ling is only pretending to be dead or that Meng Yu just fell into the river. That way, Yun Ge wouldn't be alone.

桐华tonghua: 我不知道…我也希望他活着，能多年后，江湖再见。
Tong Hua: I don't know... I also hope that he is alive, and that they can meet again in the world years later.

 一朵西柚精: 前两部有很多伏笔, 在第三部里也没有解释, 这, 是什么节奏??
Reader: The first two parts had many foreshadowings, which were not explained in the third part. What kind of rhythm is this??

桐华tonghua: 这是......要长期奋斗的节奏!
Tong Hua: This is... the rhythm of long-term struggle!

桐华tonghua: 用这个问题作为开场吧, 其实, 每个故事的结束都并不是那些人物的真正的结局, 在这个问题上, 我是个很不切实际的 人, 我总觉得故事只是他们生命的一个段落, 即使我的故事结束了, 他们的生活依旧在另外一个空间继续, 所以, 每个故事都不可能有真正的结局的。
Tong Hua: Let's start with this question. In fact, the conclusion of every story is not the real ending for those characters. On this matter, I am quite unrealistic. I always feel that the story is just a chapter in their lives. Even though my story has ended, their lives continue in another space, so, it’s not possible for every story to have a true ending.

Let's take a look at some foreshadowing in the novel that hint at XL's resurrection.

At Xin Yue and FL’s birthday party, in Vol 2 Ch 1 (Chapter 18), FFB performed a magic trick of turning XY’s dress different colors using flower petals. XY’s original dress was gardenia yellow (栀黄). FFB then proceed to turn the dress the following colors:

1. White (白色) using a white hosta flower (白色的玉簪花)
2. Violet (紫罗兰色) using two purple-blue violet flowers (紫蓝色的紫罗兰花)
3. Green (绿色) using a green green-calyx plum flower (绿色的绿萼花)
4. Red (红色) using a red hollyhock flower (红色的蜀葵花)

The order of the colors is the exact opposite of the order used to describe the ice crystal wind chimes at Jing’s Qing Shui Town residence in Vol 1 Ch 6 (Chapter 6) and Vol 3 Ch 13 (Chapter 46).

1. Scarlet red (赤红色) - The first character is the same as XY’s father’s name Chi Chen (赤宸)
2. Bamboo green (竹青色)
3. Purple indigo (紫靛蓝色)
4. Moonlight white lotus (月下荷白色)

Because the description of the wind chimes comes right after Xiang Liu’s first assassination attempt on Cang Xuan (Chapter 6) and right before Xiang Liu assassinated Feng Long (Chapter 46), I think the colors have to do with the order of near deaths and deaths in the novel. The first to almost die is Xiao Yao, who is represented by the scarlet red color since she is Chi Chen’s daughter. The next to almost die is Jing, who is represented by the bamboo green color. The purple indigo is Feng Long. The moonlight white lotus if Xiang Liu.

Jing is describes as looking like tall bamboo in numerous places in the book. I’ve been too lazy to track down how violet/purple indigo is associated with Feng Long, but I’m associating it with him due to process of elimination to fit the analogy.

Now let’s revisit the colors the FFB turned XY’s dresses, which is the reverse order of the wind chimes, so we have Xiang Liu, Feng Long, Jing, Xiao Yao. The first three colors correspond to XY’s first three marriages: she “married” Xiang Liu when they planted the Lovers’ Gu, then came Feng Long, then Jing. However, if we interpret the last color, red, to represent XY, this breaks the wedding analogy. But what if we interpret the red to represent FFB instead of XY? The wind chime/death analogy still works because XL is often compared with Chi Chen. Moreover, FFB was the first to "die."

In the dress color/wedding analogy, XL used a red hollyhock flower to turn XY’s dress red. The flower language of hollyhock is “dream.” Dream is also the name of the fragrance that XY concocted while visiting the flower demon shop with FFB. This could foreshadow XL getting resurrected as FFB and eventually marrying XL, giving more credence to the rumored second epilogue. Other clues to FFB/XL’s revival include FFB telling XY to remember him, the nine stalks soul reversing grass gifted by the Gui Fang clan at CX’s first wedding, and the snake demon story ending with the snake demon (XL) chasing after Xiao Yao.

P.S. I think yellow also represents FFB. XY was wearing a yellow dress when she first saw FFB at the dance hall. The flower that FFB shot to demonstrate his skill with the bow and arrow was yellow. Her original dress color that FFB performed the magic trick on was yellow. Also, after FFB ended their archery lessons and FFYY’s pregnancy was announced, XY wore a light yellow dress as A Nian conjured lotus flowers in a basin. Perhaps the last scene hints that the end of XY’s archery relationship with FFB having a larger impact on causing her subsequent depression than losing Jing due to FFYY’s pregnancy.