soTreeD

I don't think that he is a villain but its true he did many things to hurt Xiaoyao as much as he did good things for her. For every good thing, Xiangliu marred it somehow, with intention or he just had no choice.
If I have to compare, I would say Cangxuan is the real villain in LYF lool

Actually that was totally blown out of proportion. This cutout was not brought up stage by the guys like the S1 promotion, but an awkward 'surprise' that tencent staff prepped and the staff carried it on.
After the hosts prompted or joked they should carry her down, they immediately said staff would carry it down... so the guys left and TJC remained to promote his next drama.

Honestly I felt this would not have been so awkward if her fandom did not say all the horrible comments about all the male leads and how each of their actions is to 'steal her heat' or 'market CP' with yang zi.
I am very worried about them recording Hi6 variety show next week.
Who knows what kind of negative marketing will be able to be achieved by one wrong look or one wrong handhold?

Its true a century is nothing to high level deities but low level deities don't have long lives... by the time towards the story ended Lao Mu had passed on. I think many Chenrong soldiers might also have died of old age before the final battle.

Anyway I am not asking for people to pass judgement on them, just wondering how audience view them?
War is never good, and Tong Hua showed the different types of people who have survived war. Uncle Lirong had retired and was not fighting in the war anymore even though he was still friends with Xiangliu.
Lao Mu was a deserter. Was he a coward to want to live out the rest of his life in relative peace? I don't think we should fault him for his choice either. I just wonder how many in the army really didn't want to leave Hong Jiang or they stayed out of this pressure or loyalty?

Nobody wants to live in war is what I feel.
I just feel sorry for the Chenrong soldiers led by Hongjiang and I wonder what was Xiangliu's frame of mind to decide to follow him into certain death. If Hong Jiang ever changed his mind, I think Xiangliu would have not insisted on fighting also, since the Chenrong war is not his war to begin with.

I respect your view and I am sorry to hear about war in your country, but I am not talking about a fresh invasion.
The Dahuang war has gone on for centuries.
The Chenrong army is no longer defending its people. In fact it is harming its own people by being a constant existence to create instability in the region.

Incidentally I also hated Cangxuan for invading Haoling. That was so unnecessary to me. I don't like his vision of 'unification'.

But anyway I am asking about Chenrong army, so please don't mix it up with real wars in the world right now.

There was some brief fandom scuffle on weibo yesterday which thrown this topic up - whether Xiangliu's 大义 was valid.
I am not interested in mud-slinging or fandom fights but this has been a running theme in LYF.
In S1 we see small scuffles by the rebel army, which hardly makes one think of great battles... Now in S2, the topic of invasion and war will really come to the forefront. So I am wondering what do people really think about Xiangliu's 大义？This word translate into "Righteousness"?

This term has been mainly used to define Xiangliu.
However, it has appeared a few more times too in the novel for others.

In a part that was written out of S1, about the Central Plain's Autumn Games... it was mentioned that Chishui Fenglong's father's 大义 was that he conceded the war to surrender to the King of Xiyan for the peace and stability of the Central Plains. They were the royalty of Chenrong but they gave up fighting and even fought against 'their own' who refused to stop fighting, generals like Chichen, Hong Jiang etc

Cangxuan gets mocked sometimes because his 大义 to unite the world was mainly through 'peaceful' marriage alliances. He build up his empire through all these balance of power between all the different clans. And Cangxuan was not a bad leader, in fact the novel emphasized his rule was very good for Dahuang.

Xiaoliu hated the idea of war since she and Cangxuan were both war orphans, she lived with a war deserter and also raised war orphans. She knew how bad war was. But it would seem after visiting the rebel army camp she seemed quickly moved by the rebels just because they were dying of illness and some men sang some touching war songs in deep manly voices ( haha). But for me, I was not so quickly moved.

I noticed that some Xiangliu fans definitely embraces this passionate fighting spirit of the rebel army that seemed destined to fail. Maybe its like Sparta's 300?

I had to wonder if I really empathized with the rebel army. They are not defending a city or people from invasion. They are actually more like a small faction of soldiers who refused to concede defeat.
They were just hiding in the forests or mountains of Chenrong. What were they really defending?
Its like they are stuck in this purgatory of no return. They cannot imagine returning to normal peace times, and they want to follow their fellow soldiers into glorious death.

Honestly I felt that before Cangxuan took over Xiyan throne, maybe they may have a shot to destabilize the rule after his uncles come into power instead. But when is the point to concede they lost? In short, to me this was a group of men who are driving themselves over the cliff, but they want to drag as many people, including innocent civilians, over with them as they could.

Xiangliu himself acknowledged that Hong Jiang was a fool, leading a bunch of fools.
So their 大义 is not really Xiangliu's or is it? Did he ever believe in their fight?
All I can see is Xiangliu's loyalty to his foster father, which some people have suggested its a blind loyalty. Perhaps to Xiangliu, all his lives belonged to Hong jiang since he saved him, even though Hong Jiang never demanded it.

Other characters in the novel talk about the 大义 of the Chenrong army. Tong Hua definitely tries to paint them in a good light. The leads also (have to?) support this since its the story they are bringing to life.

However I feel like I am just not convinced by this 'spirit'. I know obviously every different side thinks they are in the right, but when is enough fighting enough? Should the rebel army have called it quits?

Any thoughts on this?

There was some brief fandom scuffle on weibo yesterday which thrown this topic up - whether Xiangliu's 大义 was valid.
I am not interested in mud-slinging or fandom fights but this has been a running theme in LYF.
In S1 we see small scuffles by the rebel army, which hardly makes one think of great battles... Now in S2, the topic of invasion and war will really come to the forefront. So I am wondering what do people really think about Xiangliu's 大义？This word translate into "Righteousness"?

This term has been mainly used to define Xiangliu.
However, it has appeared a few more times too in the novel for others.

In a part that was written out of S1, about the Central Plain's Autumn Games... it was mentioned that Chishui Fenglong's father's 大义 was that he conceded the war to surrender to the King of Xiyan for the peace and stability of the Central Plains. They were the royalty of Chenrong but they gave up fighting and even fought against 'their own' who refused to stop fighting, generals like Chichen, Hong Jiang etc

Cangxuan gets mocked sometimes because his 大义 to unite the world was mainly through 'peaceful' marriage alliances. He build up his empire through all these balance of power between all the different clans. And Cangxuan was not a bad leader, in fact the novel emphasized his rule was very good for Dahuang.

Xiaoliu hated the idea of war since she and Cangxuan were both war orphans, she lived with a war deserter and also raised war orphans. She knew how bad war was. But it would seem after visiting the rebel army camp she seemed quickly moved by the rebels just because they were dying of illness and some men sang some touching war songs in deep manly voices ( haha). But for me, I was not so quickly moved.

I noticed that some Xiangliu fans definitely embraces this passionate fighting spirit of the rebel army that seemed destined to fail. Maybe its like Sparta's 300?

I had to wonder if I really empathized with the rebel army. They are not defending a city or people from invasion. They are actually more like a small faction of soldiers who refused to concede defeat.
They were just hiding in the forests or mountains of Chenrong. What were they really defending?
Its like they are stuck in this purgatory of no return. They cannot imagine returning to normal peace times, and they want to follow their fellow soldiers into glorious death.

Honestly I felt that before Cangxuan took over Xiyan throne, maybe they may have a shot to destabilize the rule after his uncles come into power instead. But when is the point to concede they lost? In short, to me this was a group of men who are driving themselves over the cliff, but they want to drag as many people, including innocent civilians, over with them as they could.

Xiangliu himself acknowledged that Hong Jiang was a fool, leading a bunch of fools.
So their 大义 is not really Xiangliu's or is it? Did he ever believe in their fight?
All I can see is Xiangliu's loyalty to his foster father, which some people have suggested its a blind loyalty. Perhaps to Xiangliu, all his lives belonged to Hong jiang since he saved him, even though Hong Jiang never demanded it.

Other characters in the novel talk about the 大义 of the Chenrong army. Tong Hua definitely tries to paint them in a good light. The leads also (have to?) support this since its the story they are bringing to life.

However I feel like I am just not convinced by this 'spirit'. I know obviously every different side thinks they are in the right, but when is enough fighting enough? Should the rebel army have called it quits?

Any thoughts on this?

I have always thought that Xiangliu had always been tempted to be an option for Xiaoyao but he never could take the first step and put himself into the ring, because he thought he would lose. This proud guy seemed to me that he has a mindset that he wants her love, not only her companionship? He was not going to settle to be only friends.

I think the time he spent with her was not only because he was fond of her, but he really was hoping if she might choose him. It just never got to the point where he would even consider leaving his foster father, because it never came close enough for him to think he would be an option.

The couple bug connection he had with Xiaoyao was actually to his disadvantage, because he could clearly feel her heartache and pining for another man, so how was he supposed to fight that. Otherwise he might have had the confidence to at least give it a shot.

Xiangliu was also just a guy who was learning how to love, same as Xiaoyao and Tushan Jing. I want to include Cangxuan too but somehow I didn't get a feeling he was learning how to love, more like he was imposing his love on Xiaoyao. But that is another topic.

I have noticed that after watching the trailer, many people have been quoting that she chose Tushan Jing but that is not quite true?

Since this part is already in the trailer, I won't mark it as spoiler since my points are from season 1.

In the novel and drama, there has always been a distinction between these two names.
Ye Shiqi was free to roam the world, he doesn't have the weight of a clan's responsibility on his shoulders and accountable for the livelihoods of countless of people. Tushan Jing was groomed to take over as the head of a conglomerate that runs throughout Dahuang. Its not some small business.

Its about the same world of difference as Fangfeng Bei and Xiangliu. Fangfeng Bei's persona was an 'idle womaniser' but Xiangliu was the feared general and enemy of Xiyan.

Ye Shiqi was the simple sweet guy with nothing from Qingshui town, who Xiaoyao always missed. In the novel, when she is back later ( I won't go into more details, but 'she looked over and expected to see Ye Shiqi' ).

Wen Xiaoliu was fine with Ye Shiqi being from a noble family - she even gave him a medicine pouch which was such a 'girly' confession move, but she kept pushing him away once she found out he was Tushan Jing, since it was out of the question for someone like him to end up with a man- at the time she had no idea she can change back or would reclaim her princess status that could match him?

Tushan Jing also knew the difference, that's why his 15 year promise was not to marry Xiaoyao but to return her Ye Shiqi. He didn't say after 15 years Tushan Jing will be with you. He promised her Ye Shiqi will be with her.

When Xiaoyao was in a coma she thought about Jing and wondered if he already took over his clan, and she said " How could the leader of the Tushan family be Ye Shiqi?"

Xiangliu asking her the question using Ye Shiqi was odd, because why didn't he ask if she will marry Tushan Jing? It would seem Xiangliu thought her headache was caused because she wanted to say TSJ but she couldn't, since TSJ was already married and 'unavailable to her'. To say that out loud would be wrong and she won't allow herself to want that. I thought Tan Jianci injected a good sense of desperation into the second time he asked the question, because he was maybe hoping for another answer.

Its interesting that Tonghua retained this controversial point in the drama as well, or would it be too boring if she made Xiangliu ask the third question as "Are you willing to marry Tushan Jing?" hehe

So far parts of the trailer matches the leaked script so I won't hold my breath for a great S2. Its already a bad sign that its so short. They took away soo much in the drama adaptation I wonder if its because of a lack of funding. I just need closure to their story.

Yes you are right they took Xiaoyao's line and made Jing say it...
Although this could show they are 'alike in thinking' or attuned to each other, I would still have preferred Xiaoyao to say that since its her own line... they did make up something else for her though which was apparently controversial lol

I didn't make it until the back... in the novel its entirely about the princess and her true love... their beautiful tragic love story TT and its narrated by the guy ... so I was anticipating the drama so much but in the end the focus was about her parents' misunderstood relationship sigh...

I really don't think you should be worried about that because it obvious in S1 and 2 that all the epic big action budget and CG budget scenes went to Xiangliu hahaha

Since its next week its possible to be later part of the week? Yangzi is the main lead its impossible for her not t be on the variety for promotion?

I don't think we were arguing this is healthy discussion! I love to see different viewpoints. Not many Cdramas can be meaty enough for this kind of study, most are just so... like you watch it and forget it... there is nothing much to think about?

In the drama he goes to start the bow in ep13, right before Xiaoliu was summoned to Haoling. You can check it out. That was why it confused me.

According to leaked script he appears but I have no idea who is cast.
At least the novel timeline made more sense.

Yeah in the novel time really passed in decades so quickly.
I actually wondered if Tonghua gave them such a long time so Tushan Tian had time to 'grow up' a little more. This was to prepare for when she removed the 'parents' to go their own merry way, people can't say they abandoned a young child lol
Then there was alot of war and fighting. Yaojing also went on a pre-wedding honeymoon... which finally healed Xiaoyao's emotional baggage. Xiaoyao was also doing some massive 'international' book revising project? Guess Tonghua wanted her to at least have an 'accomplishment' in her career before she got married and became too busy.
Alot of things happened, so I won't say Xiaoyao was sitting around being unwilling to marry Tushan Jing unlike when she was engaged to Fenglong and was just passing her time being heartbroken and wallowing over Jing.

As for the wedding night which Tonghua skipped writing, they have thousands of years ahead, what is one night?
Jing also said " I am not in a rush, are you?"
To me, why Tonghua didn't write their wedding night was a conscious choice because she was not comfortable to show Xiaoyao's very private moments. If she was too explicit, it changes the tone of her book. If she writes some candle-zooming one-liner moment, that would be so lame! Yaojing is all hands with each other in the novel and drama, so its much better to be left to imagination lol !

In the entire LYF novel, there was only one short sex scene and that belonged to the male lead and it was for plot advancement. So yeah not too bothered with the wedding night thing for me.

Can't wait for Season 2!

Yes that was my question.
In the drama, Xiangliu went to forge the bow in ep13, right before Xiaoliu was being summoned to Haoling which was why he was late to reach Qingshui town.
I always wondered why did they do this for? The timing wasn't right.

I read the novel first and the focus of the drama changed so much from the younger couple to her parents instead, and was soooo slow burn that I gave up... but I loved the OSTs

Ah i see! Thanks for that, I only got back into Cdramas recently so I thought it was some recent rule being implemented.
I agree that poster looked really awful, like Xiaoyao was being boxed in. And what is Fenglong doing happily under there, *face palms*