Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 Kokuto:

  I listened to G.E.M. song, thanks!

But it turns out that Peach Blossom Blood is actually sang in A Life Time Love!  In a very risque scene.  Like, censors cover my eyes!  lol

https://x.com/Toastmybuns1/status/1808830558241501261

No, these are two different songs by two different composers, but same lyrics because the lyrics are Tong Hua's, from the book itself.

This scene takes place in A Life Time Love Ep25 when Chi Chen (Chi Yun in the drama) and A Heng (A Mo in the drama) became lovers for the first time before all hell breaks loose. 

The title of this song in A Life Time Love is 山歌 Mountain Song, composed by 陈超 Chen Chao, and sung as a duet by 小吉 Xiao Ji and 刘芳 Liu Fang. The lyrics include Chi Chen's song to A Heng, and A Heng's response. It was released in 2017.

The new song is called 桃花血 Peach Blossom Blood, composed by 董冬冬 Dong Dongdong, to be released 9 Jul 2024. The lyrics should just be Chi Chen's song, without A Heng's response.

 AH :

Thanks for sharing!

Am I reading into it way too much, or might XL have chosen his QS town fake name (Bǎo zhù) because it rhymes with Xiǎo Liù?

I would say it is more about the meaning. The name means "precious pillar" in Vietnamese i.e. he was the pillar for WYL's human family. He took care of them after XY left. It might be the name that they gave him. There were no details in the novel. Liddi will need to confirm according to Mandarin text.

 HeadInTheClouds:

He took care of them after XY left.

Based on chapter 33, I thought TSJ did that? Or you're thinking that XL would have looked out for them too even though he didn't take credit for doing so in the novel?

 AH :

Based on chapter 33, I thought TSJ did that? Or you're thinking that XL would have looked out for them too even though he didn't take credit for doing so in the novel?

Yes. I never read it as TSJ looking after them. He checks in from time to time - he visited when Lao Mu died I believe. But XL is the one that would have looked after them consistently. His house is right next to the clinic. Jing was too busy being Tushan Master or sleeping (sorry, I got to get that in there :-)). Funny that XY is the one that never visited or thought to check in all those years. *shaking my head*.

This is my inference of course. XL.never takes credit for anything, the silly 9 heads demon 

 HeadInTheClouds:

I never read it as TSJ looking after them. He checks in from time to time.

From what he said in chapter 33, I figured he probably visited occcasionally (including going to see Lao Mu on his death bed), had Yu Jiang inform him of any important updates (... like Lao Mu being on his death bed), and hopefully either sold the land to them or made sure their rent remained reasonable and there was never any further threats of the land being taken back by the Tushan clan.

 HeadInTheClouds:

But XL is the one that would have looked after them consistently. His house is right next to the clinic.

Hmm. I sort of feel like XL wasn't all that interested in Lao Mu or XY's temporary mortal companions and I'm not sure what kind of looking after they would have needed that he would have provided. But I don't think it's impossible that he would have provided some kind of assitance to them over the years for her sake.

If the name was given to him rather than chosen by him, I wonder if it might be based on his appearance rather than due to him providing great aid? Perhaps his disguised form was still handsome enough to warrant being described as precious / a treasure? And perhaps "pillar" would allude to him having a stoic, stiff, and upright demeanor? 

 H19279:

It is different "Bao" which does not mean precious.

Is it?

The novel used 宝柱 / Bǎo Zhù, which does seem to translate to precious/treasure pillar based on a quick search?

-----

老婆婆对小夭招手：“小姑娘，到太阳下来坐着。”

小夭走了过去，坐在向阳的墙根下，十分暖和，有一种春日的舒服感。

老婆婆说：“以前没见过你，你是宝柱的……”

小夭不知道宝柱是谁，也许是相柳幻化的某个人，也许是相柳的下属幻化的某个人，反正应该是这位老婆婆的邻居，小夭随口道：“亲戚，我最近刚来。”

老婆婆说：“是不是被孩子给吵到了？你还没生孩子吧？”

小夭叹了口气，说道：“谁知道这辈子有没有福气有孩子。”她悔了赤水族长的婚，跟着个野男人跑掉了，这辈子只怕再没男人敢娶她。

老婆婆道：“有没有福气，是你自己说了算。”

听这话倒不像是一般的山野村妪，，小夭不禁细看了一眼老婆婆，又看了看四周，只觉有点眼熟。如果把那一排茂密的灌木丛扒掉，让路直通向河边，如果老婆婆的屋子变得小一些、旧一些，小夭迟疑地问：“这是回春堂吗？”

老婆婆说：“是啊！”

小夭愣住，呆看着老婆婆：“甜儿？”

老婆婆愣了一愣，眼中闪过黯然，说道：“自从我家串子过世后，很久没听到人叫我这个名字了。你怎么知道我叫桑甜儿？”

 AH :

Looks like the thread is repeating itself. ^^

It happens when you have over 600 pages.

But string post of a musical instrument and treasure or precious pillar seem to be the same concept.  The neck of a string instrument, upon which the strings rest, is the foundation of the string instrument.  It's the pillar that holds the music making treasure of strings.

Unless there's some other significance to this part of the instrument, like a horse head fiddle head.

 AH :

Ooh you're so close to the end! I'd love to read any thoughts or insights you have that you're up for sharing after you finish. ^^

I would love to discuss it when I finish reading. It's a slow process (I always read a lot slower in Chinese than English) but such a fascinating read so far, keeping me utterly invested in the world-building, politics, vividly drawn characters with their different, shifting loyalties. More than the romance, I love the bonds between siblings, bosom friends, comrades, even opposing sides - be it heartwarming, poignant, or chilling, and there are various scenes that remain vividly in my mind still. The battles are a breathtaking read - one of my favourite is when Shen Nong's Ze Province was under threat of being flooded by Yi Peng, and for once, all the Shen Nong great generals worked together to divert the waters back to the three rivers, while General Yin Long, himself from Xuan Yuan, blocked the waters in his true dragon form for as long as he could, despite the fact that he was protecting the enemy city and its people. That scene moved me to tears, to see how they worked like clockwork when their people's lives were at risk, so I was doubly sad to see them revert back to their splintered positions once the threat was averted.

 AH :

To be fair, I suppose he didn't specify that that peace and tranquility had been totally uninterrupted.

True. It certainly was not totally peaceful, but I think he discounted the skirmishes between lesser factions, and there was no significant war between the two main powers.

 AH :

The vague references and general lack of details about his death always made me curious.

Qing Yang thought that Third Prince Hui was responsible for Yun Ze's death if I remember correctly? And then Consort Tong Yu and Ninth Prince Yi Peng thought that Qing Yang killed Third Prince Hui? And Yi Peng contributed to Qing Yang's death, but didn't find out that he had succeeded until Ah Heng killed him?

Did Third Prince Hui try to kill Qing Yang (because he was the Crown Prince) and accidentally end up killing Yun Ze instead?

No. From what I see, Third Prince Hui plotted to kill Yun Ze from the start during the Dian tribe uprising. Qing Yang was not there to begin with. As for why, it has to do with the poison his mother Consort Tongyu indoctrinated in him and his brother Yi Peng from their childhood, placing them squarely in enmity against Xie Zu's children. 

Hui was the first prince born after the Yellow Emperor became king, so that, and the fact that his mother was Consort Tongyu meant he was particularly favoured. When Xuan Yuan were at war with the Dian Tribe in the southwest, Hui tagged along with Yun Ze, and later claimed that Yun Ze accidentally fell into a volcano, which Qing Yang did not believe.

"Xuan Yuan and the Dian tribe from the southwest were at war. Your Royal Father, originally intended to send Qing Yang for the expedition. Yun Ze knew Qing Yang detested such matters. so he volunteered instead. Your Royal Father had Yun Ze bring Xuanyuan Hui along in order to train Xuanyuan Hui. Yun Ze won a great victory on the battlefield, and the Dian king surrendered. However, during the surrender, the Dian tribe suddenly went back on their word and chaos broke out. There were many volcanos in Dian territory and Xuanyuan Hui claimed that Yun Ze accidentally fell into a crater while leading his troops to break through. Qing Yang refused to believe it and when he found Yun Ze's remains, he accused Xuanyuan Hui of causing Yun Ze's death and asked the Yellow Emperor to conduct a thorough investigation. The Yellow Emperor deployed heavy troops to guard Zhi Yue Palace and forbade Qing Yang from approaching Xuanyuan Hui. Qing Yang then forced his way into Zhi Yue Palace and injured Xuanyuan Hui, after which the Yellow Emperor ordered Qing Yang to be imprisoned in the waterless quicksand for half a year until Qing Yang admitted his mistake. When Qing Yang was released, he was so emaciated he was only skin and bones, barely recognisable in human form."

-- Once Promised Vol2 Ch4  (originally Chapter 7), Xie Zu's recollection of the past to A Heng

Over a thousand years later, the eighth Flame Emperor Yu Xiang demanded that Xuan Yuan returned the lands that they occupied from Shen Nong. With the Yellow Emperor's refusal, war was declared and Yan Zhuan (Zhu Rong) was sent to take back the lands. The very first battle was decisive in determining to the morale of the kingdom, but instead of sending Qing Yang whose ice and snow powers would be able to counter Yan Zhuan's fire formation, the Yellow Emperor sent Hui instead, because he could not allow Qing Yang to become too powerful politically. Yan Zhuan attacked the western border of Xuan Yuan and surrounded Tong Er Pass, a location which was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Initially Hui continued to defend the city, refusing to engage in offensive warfare, but in the end, due to provocations from the opposing army, resentment from within his own ranks, and his own eagerness to win, he chose to go on the offensive with the encouragement of two of his men, and chase the supposedly fleeing Shen Nong army. As a result, he was trapped within the fire formation Yan Zhuan set up in the open grasslands and was burnt alive, while his army was wiped out, and Tong Er Pass fell to the Shen Nong army.

I have not read any clear confirmation that Qing Yang plotted Hui's death. However, the fact that Consort Tongyu could openly accuse Qing Yang in the presence of the Yellow Emperor, it implied that even the Yellow Emperor himself suspected this to be the case. I am not sure though how he could have orchestrated Hui's death in those circumstances (unless the two men who encouraged Hui were his own men), but I find it hard to believe Qing Yang would have sacrificed the entire Xuan Yuan army just to kill Hui. 

What I do remember is that when news of Hui's death arrived and Consort Tong Yu babbled in grief "Hui'er will be fine", Qing Yang was reminded of a similar scene over a thousand years ago with regards to Yun Ze's death, and his reaction could either be taken to be chilling satisfaction that vengeance had been exacted, with Hui dying the same way Yun Ze did; or cold mockery that the karma was served.

As they were talking, Third Consort Tongyu jumped down from the luan carriage, her hair dishevelled, her shoes of different colours. It was obvious that upon hearing the news, she did not even bother to groom herself but rushed over to verify it.

She ran up shouting, "Your Majesty, they're spreading false information, they're spreading false information..." When she saw Qing Yang, her eyes immediately narrowed with blazing fury. "You, it must be you! Is this your plot? I knew long ago that you would definitely want to kill them. You want to avenge Yun Ze, it was you who killed Hui'er..." She cried and screamed, rushing over to hit Qing Yang, but was quickly restrained by her attendants.

Zhu Yu turned pale with shock, but Qing Yang acted as if nothing happened, bowed respectfully to Consort Tongyu before leaving gracefully.

Behind him, Consort Tongyu's shrill cries remained, "Hui'er will be fine, Hu'ier will be fine..."

How familiar those words were--

Over a thousand years ago, Mother stood before him with a deathly pale face, murmuring repeatedly, "Yun Ze will be fine, Yun Ze will be fine..."

Mother clutched his hand desperately, as if begging him to tell her "Yun Ze will be fine."

How he wished he could tell Mother that "Yun Ze is fine," but he could not say anything. He could only kneel before her in silence, repeatedly, heavily kowtowing.

Mother's body weakly slid down as if bonelessly, and she collapsed to the ground, sitting slumped.

He placed the last fragment of Yun Ze's skull in front of Mother.

Mother cradled the skull in her arms, not crying or moving, just gently stroking it with her hands, lips moving. Upon listening carefully, Mother was actually humming a lullaby. "Little bunny hops, little horse runs, Mother's little treasure doesn't hurt..."

He remembered how Yun Ze was extremely afraid of pain as a child, crying loudly whenever he bumped or knocked into something. Mother always held him, softly singing this lullaby. But Yun Ze, who was so afraid of pain, ended up being burnt alive.

Qing Yang's eyes grew increasingly cold, the corner of his lips tightening.

The news that the entire Xuan Yuan army was annihilated and a prince died in battle reached Gao Xin, throwing the entire court into chaos.

-- Once Promised Vol1 Ch13