Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

The Poem connecting Chapter 48 (the heart has a thousand knots)

 In this chapter, CX and XY was brought to Wushen Mountain after XY killed themselves by the poison. CX was detoxicated. XY was placed in a blood spelled Shell. Later CX brought her with the shell to Jade Mountain. XL came there to save XY and broke the last connection between them (i.e, he lured and killed the Lovers' bug)

The content of the poem implied (Xiang) Liu [Willow] saved XY (the flower of spring - XY = peach blossom, a symbol of spring). Their love is difficult to break, (but he broke the last connection by killing the bug). The event happened at night and finished by the early morning (night has passed, moon has gone which corresponding to the moment everything was done and he left Jade Mountain in the dawn)

千秋歲  "Thousands of year" by Zhang Xian

數聲鶗鴃                  A few cuckoo chirping
又報芳菲歇。        It's also announced that good season for botany is about to end
惜春更把殘紅折  Chop all fading flower branches to save the spring. 
雨輕風色暴，        Drizzle but strong wind,
梅子青時節。       The plum fruit is still green  
永豐柳，                  Yong Fang Willow
無人盡日飛花雪.  Bloom with flowers like flying snow all day long despite no human support

莫把幺絃撥。         Do not bring out the pipa to play  
怨極絃能說。         The sound of the strings can express the extreme sadness
天不老，                   The sky never gets old  
情難絕。                   Love is also difficult to break    
心似雙絲網，         The heart is like double silk net
中有千千結。          It has a thousand knots 
夜過也，                    The night has passed
東窗未白孤燈滅     The eastern window is not yet bright, the waning moon has gone

Note: Yong Fang Willow implies a stand-alone willow , a lonely person

During the Tang Dynasty, in Yong Fang ward in Luoyang, there was a savage garden. In the southwest corner of the garden there is a lonely willow tree. Bai Yuyi's poem: "永豐西角荒園裏，盡日無人屬阿誰 (In a west corner of the wild garden in Yongfang ward, All day long none came to see). Later, the poet used the word Yongfang willow to refer to the willow in the garden, implying a lonely woman with no support

Reference: Bài thơ: Thiên thu tuế - 千秋歲 (Trương Tiên - 張先) (thivien.net) 

 windiaaa041293:

XL

"Sauvignon Blanc Flowers Like Yi" (Ouyang Xiu) Flowers are like Yi, willows are like Yi, flowers and willows are like Yi, when young people part with flowers and willows, they lower their heads and shed tears.

To the east of the Yangtze River and to the west of the Yangtze River, mandarin ducks fly in two places on both sides of the Yangtze River. You know when they will meet.

@blabla100

There is also the third part of Jing's proposal, "The peach blossoms are falling all over the sky, like the rain in the south of the Yangtze River. Xiaotian seems to have seen his father and mother, looking at her with a smile." Why do peach blossoms look like rain? Isn't the rain also Xiang Liu? Look When you think of your parents, who else can you think of? Isn’t it the big devil? "I do!" Xiaotian shook off Jing's hand and fled into the hut. After agreeing, shouldn't we shake hands or embrace each other? Shake off Jing's hand, because it's not him who agrees in my heart.

The poem whic is used in Vol 3 Ch11 (Chapter 44):Familiar person's heart changes easily

In this chapter, XY returned to Shennong Mountain with clearer thought. She asked CX to arrange the new leader for Tushan clan's business. Later she opened a clinic in Zhjyi and investigated who wanted to kill her. Xin Yue's 2nd attempt to kill XY. The literal meaning of the chapter title refers to the change of Xin Yue's interation to XY. 

纳兰性德 - Song poem of Magnolia by Na Lan Xing De from the Qing dynasty 

人生若只如初見，If life is just like the first time
何事秋風悲畫扇。The autumn wind will not make the fan sad
等閒變卻故人*心，Like idle change refuses the old friend's heart
卻道故人*心易變。But the way is that familiar person's heart changes easily

驪山語罷清宵半，The talk in Lishan is just over at midnight
夜雨霖鈴終不怨。Night rain and the bell never complains
何如薄倖錦衣郎，how about your heartless my darling
比翼連枝當日願。how about the connection vow like wing to wing, branch to branch on that day?

(*): 故人 means old friend. however, the Kaola translation used the term "familiar person" for that. Therefore, this term is used in the phrase containing the chapter title. 

This is an song poem expressing the resentment of woman after breaking up with a man who hasn't seen her again for a long time. 

Jing was missing in the previous chapter. It doesn't mean his heart changed. So this poem does not indicate him. 

We see hints of  "connection vow like wing to wing, branch to branch". Who had such connection with her? It's XL. XL rescued XY from the water vortex in previous chapter (43). Who complained whom for his/her heart's change

Reference: Bài thơ: Mộc lan hoa lệnh - Nghĩ cổ quyết tuyệt từ giản hữu - 木蘭花令－擬古決絕詞柬友 (Nạp Lan Tính Đức - 納蘭性德) (thivien.net) 

@H19279

I am confused, I don't really understand the meaning of this poem (44), I mean I understand the lyrics, but I am not sure what it is that it's trying to express. Is it a love poem? Someone's feelings changed? Is it about XY overcoming Jing's death or maybe that her feelings changed în regards to XL? Or maybe it's about Xin Yue and the way she betrayed XY? 

 H19279:

Literal meaning: It implies Xin Yue's heart changes easily. She used to be XY's friend, treated her well. But after she became queen and discovered CX's secret love to XY, she wanted to eliminate XY. This is the 2nd attempt to kill XY

Beneath meaning: She complained that the relationship with XL has changed. She blamed him to be heartless

Ah I see. It makes sense, thank you for explaining! 

 blabla100:

"XL knows that XY loves him and doesn't doubt her love

XY knows that she loves XL, she is fully aware of being in love with him"

Yes, I totally agree. Also I'd add that XY never actually knew for sure how XL felt about her, I know a lot of people belive that she knew, yet she rejected him, but I honestly don't belive that's the case. She never knew for sure, she was always conflicted about what he feels for her. She couldn't feel him through the bugs connection and XL always gave her mixed signals.

So far, according to the writing techniques used in the novel, the only statements that I dare be positive about are:

• XL knows that XY loves him and doesn't doubt her love
• XY knows that she loves XL, she is fully aware of being in love with him

For now, I am not sure about whether XY knows or doesn't know XL's real feelings or the extent of XL's feelings for her. We had glimpse here and there that both theories hold up well (still according to the hidden "between the lines" story).

But we learn something new every day and make a lot of progress with all the materials at our disposal, be it on MDL (see, we're into poetry at the moment!) or elsewhere.

We haven't identified yet all of the writing techniques and also we haven't even yet put the whole novel through the filter of each known technique.

Xiao Yao picked a white and green robe and the maids did her hair with a bell hair pin so it whistled as she walked. She took a few steps and felt tired but the maids were gasping in joy and clapping “Princess, go see the person now. We promise he will never ever be able to forget you.”

[...]

Xiao Yao wasn’t scared, she had been cliff diving since she was young and she actually quite enjoyed this free fall before entering the ocean.

The wind blew her hair around her and her robe billowed out so she looked like a falling butterfly with green wings flying towards the ocean.

From the novel to the drama, the attention to detail is truly admirable. Cute easter egg: Xiao Yao wears butterflies hairpins.

In the novel, XY/WXL is often compared to a butterfly:

Xiao Liu was like a beautiful butterfly falling into the silver water and disappearing into the depths.

Actually, XY wears a few times butterfly accessories in the drama:

 blabla100:

@blimarch

Yea, I know what you are saying and maybe you are right, but personally I am definetely leaning towards the "XY didn't know for sure how XL felt about her" theory. For one, even though she wasn't able to feel him through the bugs connection, she did try / want to.  There must be a reason for that. I am not doubting XL capacity to stop her from feeling anything that he felt, so her being curious about his feelings makes me belive that she was conflicted and didn't know for sure. Also, she did test him about the bugs on at least two ocassions. In chapter 29, after she found out the name of the bugs and in chapter 37, after she spoke with the Voodoo king. Both discussions I interpret as her testing the waters and not really as her trying to convince XL to get rid of the bugs. 

I understand your points. In this regard, if XY understood the extent of XL's feelings for her, it would spoil a part of his plan as understood by Sir Bi: "I will never ever let Xiao Yao know the truth! I will not ruin all that you’ve done for her and carefully arranged.”" 

It reminds me of something. Many time when XY is "in a daze" it seems to be a kind of "writing without writing" technique. If you search in the novel, there's many of occurrences of XY being in a daze and if you pay close attention, many of these occurencies appears in the context of XL/FFB. 

To confuse the reader (or shall I say, to leave the reader in the fog/daze...), the author doesn't explain what is the subject of XY's thoughts nor does XY give any real answer when someone asks her what she is thinking. She either changes the subject, doesn't explain or lies saying something with her mouth, feeling something else in her heart. The "daze" in question can imply that she's thinking about XL/FFB, it can imply that she's thinking about XL's real intentions/feelings, or that she misses him/yearns for him.

Here are a few examples:

“It needs the blood of the King of the Seas the Nine-headed demon. Plus it needs to be blood from a full moon.” Xing Shen chuckled and felt that this requirement really was ridiculous “The only Nine-headed demon I have ever heard of in the vast wilderness is that Nine-lives Xiang Liu. I heard he’s difficult to deal with but you’re a Princess! You’re dad is the Grand Emperor! You guys can find a way!” Xiao Yao’s eyes were in a daze and she couldn’t speak for the longest time.

> may implies that XY understands/suspects that the bow was commissioned by XL.

“I don’t know what kind of bug it is but I do know its name. It’s called a Lover’s Bug and legend says “Lover’s Bug, Heart to Heart.” It sounds a lot like what Princess described.” Xiao Yao was stunned and in a daze.

> may implies that XY understands/suspects that XL is in love with her.

The mountain breeze was quite strong and she started to get cold but Xiao Yao still didn’t want to move. She stared in a daze as the sun set and the leaves continued to fall. Zhuan Xu walked up behind her and draped his own cloak around her “What are you thinking of? An entire afternoon thinking and you still don’t have an answer?” “I thought too much and couldn’t figure it out, so I stopped thinking. Actually, life is really futile, no matter how strong and powerful, there are two things in life that cannot be controlled.” Zhuan Xu raised his eyebrow “Oh? What two things? Do share!” “Life! Death! We can’t control our birth and can’t control our death. Sometimes I think since we can’t control the biggest two things in our lives, why fight for all the little insignificant things? It feels so pointless!”

> may implies that XY thinks about the fate or her and XL's impossible love: her "blood line has already made the choice" for her and XL is loyal to the death to Sheng Nong.

Xiao Yao couldn’t take another step and stood rooted in place staring at him as the door slowly closed and Xiang Liu disappeared from sight. [...] Xiao Yao smiled and said nothing. The two continued to discuss their new outfits and giggled merrily. Xiao Yao laid on her pallet and felt her mind in a daze – these people were her friend and family, so why did she feel so lonely right now? [...] Xiao Yao stopped practicing archery, likely after Zhuan Xu became Emperor the threat was gone so she stopped pushing herself so hard. She became very lazy and seemed uninterested in anything. [...] The Yellow Emperor asked a few times “Xiao Yao, what are you thinking about?” Xiao Yao replied “Nothing, which is why this is called being in a daze.”

> may implies that XY understands that she feels alone without XL, notably because XL is the only one who understands her. Next: XY is depressed after "breaking up" with FFB and thinks about him often.

Xiao Yao still couldn’t sleep well at night so she rose well past noon. After dining she would go to Qi Qing Garden not to swim but just to sit in a daze staring at the water in the pool. One evening the Grand Emperor walked into Qi Qing Garden and saw Xiao Yao sitting in a daze next to the water. It was already dark out and with Xiao Yao’s low powers she couldn’t be able to see in the dark.

> XY is still depressed and insomniac, or shall I say, feeling lovesick. Water and swimming bring back memories of XL. May implies that XY is thinking about him while trying to refrain herself from swimming (refraining herself from swimming became at one point in the novel a metaphor meaning that XY tries to restrain her overflowing feelings for XL).

Every day Xiao Yao woke up after noon and then flipped through her medical books. Only when making poisons did she perk up slightly. The Yellow Emperor saw her so withdrawn and suggested “That boy from the Fang Feng family, his name is Fang Feng Bei, right? I see you guys get along well, how come he hasn’t come play with you these past few years? You can ask him to hang out together.” It was better the Yellow Emperor not mention that because afterwards Xiao Yao got even more uninterested even in making poisons. She spent every day sitting in a daze in the corridor.

> XY is still depressed/lovesick. By mentionning FFB, the YE worsened XY's condition.

The Yellow Emperor walked off but then turned back to see Xiao Yao sitting beside the window staring into the dark night in a daze. He coughed lightly and Xiao Yao appeared to wake from a trance “Grandfather, you haven’t gone to sleep?” The Yellow Emperor suddenly said “I asked Zhuan Xu to find any way possible to get Nine Lives Xiang Liu to turn his allegiance to us.” Xiao Yao bolted upright and stared at the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor said “All these years, using any method, any persuasion, any means available, he turned it all down.” Xiao Yao looked back out into the dark distance and her face showed no emotion, no joy and no sorrow.

> the YE understands XY well. He knows she is in love with XL. He tries to poach XL in order to reunite the lovebirds, without success.

Because she just cried, Xiao Yao’s eyes were extraordinarily clear and bright. Xiang Liu could clearly see himself reflected in her eyes so he covered her eyes with his hand “I’m off!” Xiao Yao felt a soft coolness brush over her forehead, a brief touch that immediately vanished. Xiao Yao clasped her forehead in shock and opened her eyes to see the room was already empty before her. Mistaken illusion! It was a mistaken illusion! In the cold dark room, Xiao Yao sat there in a daze.

> may implies that XY knows/suspects that XL just kissed her.