Christian. Mid-20s. Tar Heel alumna. Of the Motherland & Turtle Island. Social justice advocate. Falante de Português Brasileiro. Flutist. Basketball. Soccer. Unabashed weekday vegan.
Heaven Official’s Blessing (天官赐福) Audio Drama Season 2 Theme Song - “Guilt” 《辜/Gu》 (Hanzi/Pinyin/English) Lyrics & English Translation
✲ Heaven Official’s Blessing (天官赐福/Tian Guan Ci Fu) Audio Drama Season 2 Theme Song
✲ Singer: Wumian Xiaosheng (无面小生)
✲ Scream: Yaozi Tongxue (腰子同学)
Youtube Music Lyric Video: here
•Original work: Heaven Official’s Blessing《天官赐福/Tian Guan Ci Fu》by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (墨香铜臭)
♫Production Group♫
📌Original Production Team ℗ 2024 猫耳FM:
•Planning: Gua Hao Jun (括号君)
•Composition/Arrangement: Li Dabai (李大白)
•Lyrics: Ming Huang (冥凰)
•Singer: Wumian Xiaosheng (无面小生)
•Backing Vocal: ciyo/王韩伊淋
•Fales cord（嘶吼）：Yaozi Tongxue (腰子同学)
•Suona (唢呐)：Piao Sanye (瓢三爷)
•Guitar: Da Niu (大牛)
•华阴老腔：国家级非物质文化遗产华阴老腔传承人张喜民
•Mixing: San Xing Dui Gongzuoshi (三星堆工作室)
✲ Released on: 2024-08-27
——————————————
Lyrics:
Verse 1:
幽幽夜沉沉
yōuyōu yè chénchén
语悄悄
yǔ qiāoqiāo
听 何人行踽踽
tīng hérén xíng jǔ jǔ
登初宵
dēng chū xiāo
游魂野客喧嚣
yóu hún yě kè xuānxiāo
高门重府烛摇
gāo mén zhòng fǔ zhú yáo
问旦福夕祸 世间知多少
wèn dàn fú xì huò shìjiān zhī duōshǎo
Pre-chorus 1:
忽而风起 似谁笑 良辰吉时到
hū'ér fēng qǐ sì shéi xiào liángchén jí shí dào
几家烹欢宴 肉骨喂邪妖 不足饱
jǐ jiā pēng huān yàn ròu gǔ wèi xié yāo bùzú bǎo
他神色木然 既悲又喜 耳畔道
tā shén shǎi mùrán jì bēi yòu xǐ ěr pàn dào
回头 却是恶言生寒 入髓窍
huítóu què shì è yán shēng hán rù suǐ qiào
Verse 2:
迷迷雾漫漫
mí míwù mànmàn
哭渺渺
kū miǎomiǎo
提 昏灯过长街
tí hūn dēngguò zhǎng jiē
天不晓
tiān bù xiǎo
花腔滚板未消
huāqiāng gǔn bǎn wèi xiāo
恶鬼怨伥又告
è guǐ yuàn chāng yòu gào
问天公愚聩 善恶何以报
wèn tiāngōng yú kuì shàn è héyǐ bào
Pre-chorus 2:
社鼓阵阵 金铙厉 良辰吉时到
shè gǔ zhèn zhèn jīn náo lì liángchén jí shí dào
造化如命数 欢恨谁借着
zàohuà rú mìngshù huān hèn shéi jièzhe
不相饶
bù xiāng ráo
他神色木然 似悟非悟 举斧刀
tā shén shǎi mùrán sì wù fēi wù jǔ fǔ dāo
回头 却是青衣扶摇 登仙道
huítóu què shì qīngyī fúyáo dēngxiān dào
Scream:
休将奸狡昧神祗，
xiū jiāng jiān jiǎo mèi shén zhī,
祸福如同逐影随
huò fú rútóng zhú yǐng suí
善有善报，
shàn yǒu shàn bào,
恶有恶报
è yǒu è bào
不是不报，
bùshì bù bào,
时辰未到
shíchén wèi dào
Bridge:
断足折颅 摧魄裂魂
duàn zú zhé lú cuī pò liè hún
手起刀落 血飞肉滚
shǒu qǐ dāo luò xuè fēi ròu gǔn
剜心剔骨 解我悲忿
wān xīn tī gǔ jiě wǒ bēi fèn
易除厄罚 难偿苦恨
yì chú è fá nán cháng kǔ hèn
断足折颅 摧魄裂魂
duàn zú zhé lú cuī pò liè hún
有命还命 以待三更
yǒu mìng hái mìng yǐ dài sān gēng
诸罪来受戮 见鬼神
zhū zuì lái shòu lù jiàn guǐshén
Last Chorus:
有头者超，
yǒu tóu zhě chāo,
无头者升
wú tóu zhě shēng
鬼魅一切，
guǐmèi yīqiè,
四生沾恩
sì shēng zhān ēn
太上敕令，
tài shàng chìlìng,
超汝孤魂
chāo rǔ gū hún
脱离苦海，
tuōlí kǔhǎi,
转世往生
zhuǎnshì wǎngshēng
——————————————
English Translation:
Verse 1:
The voices whispered in the dark night,
Listen; who is walking alone, ascending in the early night?
Wandering wild ghosts and guests are boisterous, candles are flickering in the high houses
Inquire about the blessings of the morning and the disasters of the evening,
How many people in the world are aware?
Pre-chorus 1:
Abruptly the wind rises, as if a person is laughing as the auspicious time has arrived
Several families prepare a feast, meat and bones are fed to the evil spirits, yet they are still still not satisfied
He looked wooden, sad and happy at the same time, while whispering in the ear
Looking back, it was the evil words that made the person feel cold, penetrating through the bones and marrows.
Verse 2:
The foggy mist is thick, yet the crying voice is faint
The lights of the lanterns are dim, passing through the long street while the sky is still dark
The florid music is not yet over, with the hideous ghosts complaining
Ask the God of Heaven, how are good and evil rewarded?
Pre-chorus 2:
The drums are beating, the golden cymbals are loud, signing the auspicious time has come
Fate is like destiny, who unforgivably can mercilessly borrow joy and hate?
He looked wooden, he seemed to understand, yet not understand at the same time; as he raised the axe
Looking back, it was the blue-clothed man who is waving the road to immortality
Scream:
Do not be cunning and ignorant of gods, misfortune and fortune follow you back like a shadow
Good will be rewarded with virtue, evil will be punished with vice [1]
It is not that there will be no retribution; it is just that the time has not yet arrived!
Bridge:
Broken feet and skull, shattered soul and torn spirit
The knife slashed, blood flew and flesh rolled
Heart and bones removed to relieve the sorrow and animosity
It is easy to remove the heinous punishment, but it is hard to repay the bitter hatred
Broken feet and skull, shattered soul and torn spirit
Return back the life if you have it, and wait for the third hour!
All sins will be punished, take a look at the ghosts and gods
Last Chorus:
Those with heads will be saved, those without heads will ascend
All ghosts and spirits, all four lives will be blessed
Supreme Command, your lonely soul will be saved
Escape from this sea of suffering, and reincarnate
——————————————
Notes:
[1]: What goes around comes around
——————————————
Don't forget to check the Youtube Music Lyric video: here.
Thank you for reading. Have a good day! ✨
Please feel free to tell me if you have any questions, or if you notice any mistakes-- whether they be the vocabulary, grammar or something else.
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✤ Tian Guan Ci Fu (TGCF) Audio Drama Season 2 Theme Song: Unenlightened
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✤ For more discussions and perspectives, here.
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⚖️ Lan Xichen made so many sacrifices and concessions for Lan Wangji because he loved him unconditionally and above all else
⚖️ This is a Huge Deal™️, and here’s why
⚖️ Spoilers ahead!
Some disclaimers before we begin:
I’ll be analyzing and explaining Lan Xichen’s actions against a socio-cultural backdrop
I’ll be referencing both novel and CQL canon in this analysis
Again, if this is your first foray into cultural meta, you may find my opinions jarring
This is a companion meta to my previous one on Shuoyue and Liebing
Ok so! I was recently talking to some friends about Lan Xichen, and about how he struggled to temper his love for Lan Wangji with his filial duty to his clan.
While Lan Xichen largely remains an immensely popular character in fandom, I’ve seen him labeled as “weak” and “spineless”, namely for:
Not standing at Lan Wangji’s side during the first siege of Burial Mounds, and taking 33 elders with him to “confront” his brother
Passively allowing Lan Wangji to endure 33 strokes of the discipline whip
If we strip this arc of its cultural context and situational relevance, and look at it solely from a modern, individualistic perspective, it would be easy for us to arrive at such conclusions.
However, just like any other story or media we consume, we would do well to consider it against the backdrop of:
Lan Xichen’s position as a clan leader, and his corresponding duty to his family and people
Lan Xichen’s position as a elder brother, and his own personal values
The collectivistic norms of martial/pugilistic environments, which largely drove how (a) misdeeds are traditionally defined, (b) punishments are usually meted out, and (c) love between family members is typically expressed
Lan Xichen the clan leader
As clan leader, Lan Xichen’s filial duty is first and foremost to his uncle, who is an elder, and by extension, to the clan and disciples under his care. The clan represents his ancestral heritage: it is his father’s legacy, passed on to him as the oldest son and heir. It is Lan Xichen’s lifeblood, and his duty. If he fails, the rest of the clan fails along with him.
Let’s examine Lan Xichen’s relationship to the concept of chiping 持平, in the context of being a clan leader.
What is 持平? I’d loosely translate it to “fairness” and “impartiality”, which are important values for a clan leader to have. I’ve written a little about 持平 here, in my analysis of Shuoyue and Liebing.
Lan Xichen embodies 持平 throughout the story. At many points, we find him stepping into a mediating role, attempting to find the middle ground and maintain the balance between the various agents and events in his life:
He frequently mediated between his brother and uncle, and served as a confidante for both
He acted as a go-between for his sworn brothers, and did his best to ease the friction between them
To many people who already know the full story of mdzs, 持平 may look a lot like passivity and weakness, especially in hindsight. However, given Lan Xichen’s position as a prominent clan leader in a guzhuang context, I’d argue it’s actually a strength, a mark of wisdom. It’s an imperative to stay moderate and reserve judgement based on personal feelings, in order to ensure the best possible outcome for family, clan, and society.
Why 持平?
For the broader context, let’s look at the example of Justice Bao 包青天. Justice Bao was a magistrate during the Song Dynasty who was famous for his embodiment of fairness and honesty. He did not show favoritism to close associates and family. He disdained corruption, even sentencing his own uncle and people from many powerful families in the name of justice.
Many Chinese people who are leaders, ancient and modern alike, strive to the ideal of Justice Bao. Lan Xichen was no exception. In his capacity as a clan leader, he had always intended to be fair to everyone, in taking his time to investigate carefully, and ultimately, judging with impartiality.
I cover this a little in my speech patterns meta, where he discusses the allegations against Jin Guangyao with Lan Wangji (refer to the section on Lan Xichen).
Also, on a deeply personal level, Lan Xichen had witnessed firsthand the effects of his own father’s selfish individualism against the wider collective. His father had neglected his duties as a leader and single-handedly ruined a host of lives and relationships. If not for Lan Qiren’s steady guiding presence at the helm, Gusu Lan would have fallen to ruin in the years following Lan Xichen’s birth.
I elaborate about this in my 3zun meta (see section on Lan Xichen’s personal reasons for wanting to join in brotherhood with Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao), in the context of him playing the role of peacemaker for his sworn brothers.
This is precisely why 持平 was so important to Lan Xichen — it was his calling to help his clan avoid the mistakes of the past by keeping things in orderly balance. He saw it as instrumental in preserving the longevity, stability, and good reputation of the clan.
Lan Xichen the elder sibling
Now, let’s look at Lan Xichen as a brother.
By right, Lan Xichen should never have let his love or partiality towards his brother affect any decisions related to the clan. Hierarchically speaking, Lan Wangji’s position was much less important than Lan Xichen’s. As a filial younger sibling and a loyal subordinate, it was expected of Lan Wangji to wholeheartedly serve his brother in his governance.
As we know, Lan Xichen’s personal values included giving his loved ones the benefit of the doubt, and weighing current actions against what he knew of their past intentions.
Did he take it too far with Lan Wangji, and also much later, with Jin Guangyao?
Objectively speaking, he most definitely did.
Here’s where Lan Xichen had one of his greatest struggles with 持平. Even given the severity of Lan Wangji’s crimes at Burial Mounds, Lan Xichen still tried his best to be fair. He looked at Lan Wangji and judged him based on what he knew of him in the twenty or so years they had been siblings. In doing so, he allowed his personal feelings to interfere with the course of justice.
At this point, Lan Xichen’s values as a clan leader came into conflict with his personal values, and 持平 devolved into maodun 矛盾.
矛盾, very loosely speaking, represents a spear 矛 striking against a shield 盾: an impasse, a clash of ideals, neither element overpowering the other and giving way for a clear victory. More abstractly speaking, it refers to a contradiction of the heart and mind, and a convergence of conflicting intentions. 矛盾 generally has a negative connotation — it implies an inner struggle at the most fundamental level.
For reference, let’s recap this exchange in CQL episode 21 (paras 227 and 228).
And again, in CQL episode 43 (para 450).
We see him readily acknowledge in the conversations above that there are nuances between good and bad, and that it’s not often easy to make a good decision, judgement-wise.
In the face of 矛盾, Lan Xichen ended up compromising on both his clan’s values and his personal ones, in particular where the discipline whip was concerned. More on this later!
The norms of the cultivation jianghu
Let’s now go into what was typical in the cultivation jianghu given the setting of the story and the time period.
How misdeeds are traditionally defined
The fabric of jianghu society was largely a collectivistic one. The needs of the many would usually always outweigh the needs of the one. People, places, and events existed in a delicate, harmonious balance, upheld only by a fragile latticework of unwritten moral codes.
I’ve previously written a little about crime and punishment in the jianghu here.
Family units and cultivation/martial sects/clans were therefore the building blocks of duty and loyalty. Anyone found to be breaking the rules of their cultivation clan or martial sect would be seen as disrupting the norm, and creating a ripple effect on the rest of society. In a collective sense, all it means that actions have repercussions, and this reflects not only on the failings of the individual, but also on the elders of the clan and the family name. To this end, fundamental rule-breaking was regarded as unfilial, an ultimate act of ingratitude and betrayal.
Lan Wangji’s actions at Burial Mounds (and by association, Wei Wuxian’s) ran parallel to all societal and familial expectations. As fans of the story, we know that Wei Wuxian had a very good reason for taking up demonic cultivation, and that Lan Wangji, correspondingly, had very good reasons for staying at his side.
But the upshot of it is this — to Lan Xichen (and to Lan Qiren, and to almost everyone else), Lan Wangji was acting with extreme callousness and disdain for his clan’s values and teachings. To them, it appeared that he was placing only romantic love, which was considered a particularly selfish and individualistic sort of love, above his reverence and filial duty to Gusu Lan.
In a Confucian context, this is a particularly serious transgression. It is the very embodiment of 忘恩负义, or, loosely, “ingratitude”, i.e. turning one’s back on all morality or teachings.
How punishments are usually meted out
Traditionally, for a crime as severe as Lan Wangji’s (betrayal in wounding his elders and refusing to stand with his clan against Wei Wuxian), the punishment had to be commensurate with the misdeed. In an wuxia context, it would definitely have involved one or both of the following:
Banishment or disownment: if meted out to Lan Wangji, this would have been devastating in the extreme. The stripping of titles and family name would have effectively severed his ancestral ties to the clan, forcing him to lead the rest of his life as an outcast and a nobody. Being cast out of the collective is a terrifying prospect for many Chinese people, even in modern times. It represents the threat of losing one’s identity, legacy, and connection to history.
Removal of spiritual/martial abilities: in wuxia, this normally involves the sealing of meridians by a senior master to prevent the culprit from causing harm to others ever again. With one stroke, they would lose all abilities and become an ordinary person. In the context of xianxia, and especially in the world of mdzs, I’d imagine it as equivalent to a golden core removal, or a permanent sealing of spiritual energy. Had Lan Wangji received this punishment, he would never have been able to fight, ride on his sword, or perform musical cultivation ever again.
Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren loved Lan Wangji far too much to subject him to either of these two punishments. As such, they compromised, by settling on the discipline whip instead.
So, why the discipline whip 戒鞭?
First, let’s look at what the discipline whip represents. 戒 is a term that has its roots in Buddhism. It refers to “rules” or, more abstractly, moral commandments. Every clan has its own rules, and the discipline whip serves the purpose of punishing the disciples who break them 破戒. Wounds from a discipline whip can last a lifetime.
I’ve previously written a little about 戒鞭 in my critique of CQL episode 17 (para 178).
Each stroke of the discipline whip represents failure, and a reflection of it. In Lan Wangji’s case, it represented his failure to learn and thoroughly internalize his clan’s rules and values.
In Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren’s case, it represented their failure, as his elders, to instruct him. There is a saying in the 三字经 “Three Character Classic” which many Chinese children learn in school:
养不教，父之过。教不严，师之惰。
“To raise without teaching is the father’s oversight. To teach without strictness is the master’s laziness.”
(translation by me)
From Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren’s perspective, they had done Lan Wangji a great disservice by failing to instill proper values in him. Against the natural order of things, they had selfishly let their love for him take precedence over the necessary — severity and discipline.
And even then! Even against tradition, and knowing the hand they had to play in this, they still chose their own love for Lan Wangji above all else. This is the compromise I spoke of earlier: the breaking of their own family rules and the subverting of jianghu norms, all to keep Lan Wangji whole and close to the family.
Lan Wangji’s whipping was also an opportunity for Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren to reflect on their own mistakes and shortcomings. Each blow that landed on Lan Wangji’s body was equivalent to a blow on their own — they shared his pain, all while understanding that it was absolutely necessary for all three of them.
In other words, whipping Lan Wangji hurt their hearts as much as it hurt him. After all, he was their own flesh and blood.
One other advantage of using the discipline whip was the extent of the scars it would eventually leave behind. The scars represented transgressions and the burden of memory. Lan Xichen would always look at his brother’s scars as a cautionary tale; a reminder of his own failure as a brother and as an elder. In a similar vein, because he loved Lan Wangji, he also hoped that he would look to them as a lesson to carry forward into the future.
Finally, there is an added layer here, of punishment in the context of love. The choice of the discipline whip over disownment or disablement meant that Lan Wangji was not completely irredeemable in Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren’s eyes. The prospect of condemning him as a lost cause was absolutely abhorrent to them. This was the extent of their love — that no matter what he had done, they still accepted him, and absolutely wanted to continue believing in him.
How love is typically expressed between family members
Compared to some of the other sibling pairs in the story, Lan Xichen’s love for Lan Wangji is expressed very differently. We don’t see him rushing to take a blade for Lan Wangji in combat (even though we all know he absolutely would), or ditching the trappings of his lofty position to physically stand by Lan Wangji’s side at Burial Mounds. However, this doesn’t mean that he loves Lan Wangji any less.
Lan Xichen made concession after concession for Lan Wangji. He broke the central ideal of 持平 and let his personal feelings dominate when making decisions about his brother. He put his reputation on the line for Lan Wangji many times in the story.
Some might argue that reputation and personal values are intangible, and that their sacrifice pales in comparison to grandiose gestures such as the golden core transplant.
But, as explained earlier, the magnitude of Lan Xichen’s sacrifices for Lan Wangji had the potential to negatively impact both Gusu Lan and the wider society at large, owing to his position.
What do I mean by this? Here are some examples.
Instead of leading a general charge to Burial Mounds to apprehend Lan Wangji, as would be expected of someone in a high-ranking, impartial position, Lan Xichen went against the grain and personally handpicked 33 elders who held Lan Wangji in high regard. He was hoping for a personal conversation and a peaceful negotiation between respected equals, and not bloodshed. Note that had he indeed intended to forcefully subdue Lan Wangji, he would not have bothered to handpick anyone. Lan Wangji was already wounded and low on spiritual energy, and a large contingent comprising the best cultivators across all clans would have been adequate to overpower him. Lan Xichen feared the impact on Lan Wangji’s reputation, more so than even his own. That was why he chose only people from his own clan, and invited no one else. It was a risky operation — if anyone from outside the Lan clan had discovered that Lan Xichen had acted with such partiality, it would have been disastrous for the name of Gusu Lan. Lan Xichen would have been harshly judged for his favoritism. He would have been branded a war criminal and a traitor alongside his brother and Wei Wuxian, and the name of Gusu Lan would have been irreparably sullied for generations to come.
Even after Lan Wangji wounded the elders, Lan Xichen still opted for the discipline whip punishment. This allowed him to contain the matter within his household and handle it as domestically and as privately as possible. If someone like Nie Mingjue, for example, had happened to find out the truth, that person would probably have made it a collective problem by publicly demanding Lan Wangji’s disownment or execution, for aiding and abetting Wei Wuxian. This was yet another sacrifice Lan Xichen made for Lan Wangji: in a symbolic sense, he stood in a defensive position between Lan Wangji and the rest of the cultivation world.
Post-Jinlintai, in a highly unorthodox move, Lan Xichen allowed Wei Wuxian to remain at Cloud Recesses. Despite Lan Wangji’s past actions at Buyetian and his distrust of Jin Guangyao following the events in the Jins’ treasure room, Lan Xichen still respected his brother’s judgement and kept him in high regard. This was how Lan Xichen expressed one of the highest forms of love — in his gracefulness and openness towards Lan Wangji, and in his willingness to keep faith in him, even in the trickiest and most confusing of circumstances. Once again, he was putting his own reputation on the line. Everyone in Jinlintai had been baying for Wei Wuxian’s blood, and had Lan Xichen been discovered to be harboring Wei Wuxian at his ancestral home, Gusu Lan would have had to contend with severe backlash from the rest of the cultivation world.
Final thoughts
While Lan Xichen certainly had his flaws and errors in judgement in the story, it’s not an altogether straightforward matter to declare him as “weak” and “spineless”. Like many of the other older siblings in the story, Lan Xichen loved his brother and was equally, if not more, prepared to face backlash on his behalf. However, he appears to have had an easier time of it, and that’s only because he was fortunate that his cover-ups were not discovered by anyone outside of his immediate family.
孰正孰邪 孰黑孰白 (“who is good and who is evil / who is black and who is white”), as expressed in CQL, is an important and critical question to ponder when evaluating a character’s motivation — not just for mdzs, but for any literature or media we consume. We would always do well to consider the broader picture behind the dichotomy of right and wrong, and account for nuances and what is known to each character at the time.
And, for Lan Xichen in particular, the best way to do him justice is to judge his actions fully within his socio-cultural context, and be wary of using an overly modern or individualistic lens.
This one shared a universe with Thousand Autumns and can be considered its sequel. I really like this story, probably my best read so far after Mo Du and Sha Po Lang. <3
Note(s):
(Very) long post ahead
Contains spoiler
This is my personal review and does not represent the entire audience
Summary:
First released in 2018, “Peerless (无双 Wú Shuāng)” is a danmei novel written by Meng Xi Shi (梦溪石) as a sequel to her previous novel “Thousand Autumns (千秋 Qiān Qiū)” which was published by Jinjiang Literature City (晋江文学城, Jìn Jiāng Wén Xué Chéng). It is a mystery novel riddled with political issues and battle for power, taking place in the beginning of the Tang Dynasty.
Feng Xiao, a prodigy whose martial prowess nearly equalled the top grandmasters in the jianghu, a highly intelligent young man blessed with unparalleled beauty and grace, loved and adored by all since his childhood.
Cui Buqu, a man born with poor constitution, plagued by a chronic illness since birth to the point that all physicians deemed him unable to live long, yet possessed an extremely brilliant mind and steel determination that had carried him to survive, fighting against the will of fate.
Two people as different as heaven and earth, one whose life was smooth-sailing and another who had been tortured by hardships since a young age, each wielding their own pride as balancing powers for the ruling dynasty.
Having scuffled through bitter rivalry for as long as one could remember, they were brought together to solve the murder case of a neighboring country’s ambassador, including the disappearance of a legendary jade among the offerings brought by the assassinated envoy. Unexpectedly, the investigation led them into a battle with a mysterious organization who aimed to overthrow the entire nation.
———
“Is it necessary to read Thousand Autumns first before reading this?”
Not really, but you may feel that some characters lack explanation/background story because their parts have been covered in Thousand Autumns.
As a massive lover of the series, I very much enjoyed reading this. So detailed and frank! Looking forward to carving out the time for a much deserved re-read!
I am a princess. All girls are! Even if they live in tiny old attics, even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young, they’re still princesses - all of us!
A LITTLE PRINCESS (1995) dir. Alfonso Cuaron
The way this one Peerless hater is committed to stalking the fanbase and moaning about the narrative across platforms - Tumblr, Reddit and Twitter at least - is truly giving the epitome of smooth brained/the height of unemployment. And that we all know it's the same person is soooo 😏😏😭😩🤣
Imagine reading a danmei and getting triggered that the author didn't write the same tale twice. FengCui's witty banter and style of romance hurt their little fee fees! God forbid the faces of the Jiejian and Zuoyue Bureaus have a lil' fun plotting on each other while keeping the empire afloat and evading certain death.
Meng Xi Shi is a brilliant author and Peerless is a brilliant story. If it wasn't, this troll would not spend its days posting angry pseudo-essays. 💀
Millions of people love Fengcui in addition to Yanshen and the Chenghua/Estranged couples. Why limit ourselves to favor one pairing and one pairing only? Cry more! Round us all up, if you can!
I am never going to recover from how beautifully Meng Xi Shi manages to illustrate just how unfathomably deep Cui Buqu’s trust in Feng Xiao has become since the start of the story.
All it takes is two lines: “There are only two paths to choose: To die or to live.” Cui Buqu closed his eyes and calmly said, “To place my life in your hands, even if my end is death, it is something I’ll never regret.”
Cui Buqu is a man who has spent his entire 30 years of living with one foot in the grave. The world has been working against him from the very day he was born. He lives with the burden of knowing that on any given day, there is a very real chance he wouldn’t live to see the next.
And yet when faced with choice of to live or to die, he chooses to live. He looked at the cards fate had dealt him steadfastly refused to accept. He looks death in the eye every single day and tells it with gritted teeth. ‘No. I am going to live’
Cui Buqu. ‘Bu qu’, meaning ‘won’t go’. As in ‘I won’t go to my death’ He chose this name for himself to serve as a reminder that against all odds, he has stubbornly refused to die. Every breath he takes is one he has fought tooth and nail for.
For 30 years he has refused to let anyone else decide whether he would live or die. There is not a single thing more important to him. This has been made clear to us readers time and time again.
Beacause this, Cui Buqu’s line “To place my life in your hands, even if my end is death, it is something I’ll never regret,” hits like a freight train. The impact is utterly impossible to miss.
The level of trust you have to have to in someone be willing to offer yourself up so utterly completely is astronomically high. It makes for a moving sentiment in any dynamic.
For Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu, however, it’s not just a sweet moving sentiment. It. Means. Everything. Cui Buqu does not want to die. When faced with the question to live or to die, he will absolutely, resolutely choose to live every single time.
Cui Buqu is a difficult character and often exposes himself as an unreliable narrator. While Feng Xiao’s affections are quite clear, it can be difficult to discern if Cui Buqu even cares at all, let alone returns those affections.
That he not only willingly placed that choice in Feng Xiao’s hands, but also looked him in the eye, said ‘even if the choice you make is death, I won’t regret it’, and meant it communicates Cui Buqu doesn’t just care about Feng Xiao. It shows that the amount of love and trust he holds in his heart for this man is so vast that it’s near impossible to manage.
No other words or actions would be able to communicate to Feng Xiao (and us readers) the true magnitude of these feelings. Never in my life have I read such a beautiful clever nor devastatingly heartbreaking
🌅 The names represent ideals that Lan Xichen embodied as an outstanding cultivator in the jianghu
🌅 I’ve covered these in the cql subs critique, but here’s a slightly more detailed explanation
🌅 This was originally posted on Oct 8 as a birthday gift to Zewu-jun! 🎉
Ok so! The cql subs translate Shuoyue 朔月 as “Crescent” and Liebing 裂冰 as “Ice Crevice”. Also, they refer to both as swords — this is incorrect. Shuoyue is Lan Xichen’s sword, and Liebing is his flute, or xiao 箫.
Shuoyue 朔月
Let’s start with Shuoyue, which literally translates to “new moon”. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the new moon marks the first day of each month.
As Ming Dynasty poet Feng Menglong 冯梦龙 wrote in the Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms 《东周列国志》：
明日乃朔日，父王必然视朝
“Tomorrow will be the new month; the father (the emperor) will inevitably see the dawn (new dynasty)”
(translation by me)
As the eldest son and heir to the Lan clan, Lan Xichen is the embodiment of the “new dynasty”. He is responsible for leading the clan into a better future, and his sword’s name accordingly represents the forging of a new era and legacy.
His courtesy name Xichen 曦臣 also holds a similar meaning — 曦 means “morning sunlight”, and 臣 refers to “service” or “subordinate”, which reflects how the Lan family views the mantle of clan leadership. There is an element of hope in this; a wish for Lan Xichen to light the way forward, and in doing so prevent the tragedy and mistakes of the previous generation from repeating and plaguing the future of the clan.
Back to the symbolism behind the “new moon”.
First, the new moon is generally invisible to the eye. This is an ideal embodied by Lan Xichen as a reflection of his clan’s ancestral values. Namely, the principles of restraint 规束自我, modesty 端庄大方, and humility 谦逊低调; and refraining from using status and power to browbeat or bully others.
Second, in astronomical terms, the new moon generally stands in between the sun and the earth — all three are aligned. This signifies balance 平衡 and fairness 持平, which are generally important qualities for a clan leader to possess. These are Lan Xichen’s personal values as well. We see him easily stepping into a intervening and peacemaking role many times in the story: first between his uncle and brother, and later on, between his sworn brothers.
Liebing 裂冰
Moving on to Liebing, which literally translates to “cracking ice”. This refers to Liebing’s melody — a benevolent force warm and pure enough to melt the harsh forces of nature.
The imagery of melting ice also represents the end of winter and the coming of spring, which parallels the “new dynasty” symbolism associated with Lan Xichen’s courtesy name.
References
朔日
You may also refer to the original explanation I wrote as part of the cql subs critique (Episode 47, para 498).
The idea that anyone who read this and actually paid attention to its content could come away from MDZS and only care about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji is frying me. NO, I WILL NOT be indifferent towards Jiang Cheng's trauma, Lan Xichen's pain nor the sympathetic villain Jin Guangyao. MDZS is one of the best novel series of any genre, thanks in no small part to its ensemble cast. But, hey, what am I saying? My loving the totality of the tragedy of the narrative and not only its interwoven romance is what makes me an MDZS fan vs. a person who's only here for Wangxian. I mean....I've actually seen people crashing out online (never ever irl and these half baked, wholly assed takes absolving the leads for their mistakes but laying it on thick for the supporting cast seems to be an online-only disease too, thank God!) when people name a character on the side as their favorite and/or don't have Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji in their top 5 lmao. So what? That's PREFERENCE. Please go touch grass.
