Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 HeadInTheClouds:

Apparently, the song that plays during the waiting scene where they both wear red is The Waiting That Can't Be Waited For. Quite apt.

That is heartbreaking. This time, she was the one who waited but he never came, though the bleak, self-imposed loneliness is very much his. 

I read that the S1 special edition also replaced the background music when they both watched the moon over Gourd Lake, changing it from "Lament of Love" to "The Wait that cannot be Waited For". I personally prefer Lament of Love in that scene though, which I feel more fitting.

 AH :

I asked the user where she found it. I'll update here if she responds. 

Another user shared a link to this video

The first poster pointed me to the same video, so no further leads.

 AH :

I placed so much of the blame for the great war (and the remnant army's subsequent fight) on the Yellow Emperor, but it sounds like a portion of the blame belongs with Yu Xiang for re-initiating and escalating the hostilities?

The following passage is extremely informative in explaining the political landscape of the Great Wilderness leading up to the start of the Xuan Yuan-Shen Nong war. Although Yu Xiang is partially responsible for initiating the war, it was only a matter of time before Xuan Yuan launched full scale attacks on Shen Nong anyway, in line with the Yellow Emperor's ambition to conquer the world, not to mention the abundant resources of the Central Plains, which Xuan Yuan as a nation lacked. Shen Nong was already at risk because Yu Xiang was a weak ruler whose throne was not secure, so the war against Xuan Yuan would also serve to rally support for him and establish his precarious position:

A Heng immediately sat up straight, pondered seriously, and asked, "Why did Yu Xiang decide so quickly to attack Xuan Yuan? He has only been on the throne for a few months, and his position is not yet secure."

Shao Hao replied, "It's precisely because his throne is insecure that he has to mobilise troops."

A Heng was very surprised and quickly asked humbly, "Please tell me more about it."

"Since the establishment of the Xuan Yuan kingdom, due to barren lands, they have been expanding eastward, occupying a lot of territory belonging to the Shen Nong nation. The royal family of Shen Nong is located in the heartland of the Central Plains, where Xuan Yuan's encroachment does not affect their interests directly. However, the various vassal states of Shen Nong suffered great losses. They hold deep grievances against the Xuan Yuan clan. Suppressed by the previous Flame Emperor's moral authority and revered reputation, they dared not start a war. But with Yu Xiang, they have no such scruples and will surely unite to request military action. Yan Zhuan, Hong Jiang, these generals who truly control military power will definitely fan the flames and add fuel to the fire. If they win, they can win the hearts of the military and gain support from the lords of various vassal states. If they lose, they can blame Yu Xiang for incompetence. Under such pressure from the court officials, Yu Xiang's position on the throne is unstable at this time. His personality lacks decisiveness, so he can only be manipulated by the court officials."

A Heng sighed, "Everyone thinks that emperors can do whatever they want, but they don't realise that emperors are also constrained everywhere. But..." She hesitated.

"But what?"

In order to learn news about Chi Chen, A Heng could only grit her teeth and said with feigned calmness, "But Yu Xiang has Chi Chen assisting him. Chi Chen's temperament would not allow himself to be manipulated or controlled."

Shao Hao remained composed, his tone unchanged from before. "You're right, but it's not his turn to take charge yet."

A Heng felt disheartened. It was true, Chi Chen now only held a title, but actually had no real position, and could not influence the situation in the court at all.

Shao Hao continued, "The current Flame Emperor, Yu Xiang, has only the benevolence of the previous Flame Emperor, but lacks his wisdom and decisiveness. The general opinion in the Great Wilderness is that the previous Flame Emperor appointed Chi Chen as Grand Governor-General to compensate for Yu Xiang's character shortcomings. But I believe the previous Flame Emperor had a deeper intention."

"A deeper intention?"

"Tens of thousands of years ago, Gao Xin's national strength was far superior to that of Shen Nong. The Third Flame Emperor of Shen Nong was a very far-sighted, courageous monarch. He abolished the fiefdom of princes with the same surname and implemented the fiefdom of princes with different surnames. Regardless of whether one was of the Shen Nong royal family or not, whether deity or human, as long as one made contributions to Shen Nong, one could be granted a princedom and enjoy the taxes of the fiefdom. Because of the reforms of the Third Flame Emperor, many heroes emerged from Shen Nong, and the national strength became increasingly powerful, gradually surpassing Gao Xin. However, over time, the drawbacks of a feudal system of princes with different surnames gradually became evident. The various vassal states inherited power for generations, intermarried with each other, and had intricately intertwined power dynamics. They inevitably favoured their own people, making it easy for those of noble birth to become generals and high-ranking officials, while those from humble origins found it difficult to advance. There were often extraordinarily talented individuals among the lowly classes, but due to the outdated system, they not only lacked opportunities to demonstrate their talents but were also frequently bullied by frivolous aristocratic youths. They must have suppressed a lot of potential power in their hearts, and once this power is unleashed, it will be very formidable!"

Hearing this, A Heng gradually understood what Shao Hao was getting at, and she picked up where he left off. "Chi Chen comes from the lowly class. For those talented commoners without established roots, Chi Chen represents their hope of making significant contributions and rising above others. They will naturally gather around Chi Chen, serving not just him, but by extension Yu Xiang as well. With the infusion of these fresh blood, the nation of Shen Nong can be revitalised again. That is the true intention of the Flame Emperor!"

Shao Hao smiled and nodded, though it was not clear whether he was praising A Heng for her quick grasp of the situation, or admiring the Flame Emperor's brilliant stroke of genius. "Chi Chen has an unrestrained character and disregards conventional rules, but he deeply values friendship and loyalty, and is brave and resourceful. He is precisely the wise leader these people have long been waiting for. Sooner or later, they will devote their lives to him. Wherever the sword points, thousands of troops will be mobilised. Only then will Chi Chen be a true Grand Governor-General."

A Heng was moved by what she heard, feeling both joy and worry. "Shen Nong is located in the Central Plains, with fertile land, abundant resources and a large population. If another wise ruler who can make the best use of its resources and talents rose up, no foreign enemy can shake the Shen Nong kingdom."

Shao Hao's expression became solemn. "The population of Gao Xin is not even half of Shen Nong's. Shen Nong has diverse terrain with passes everywhere that are easy to defend and hard to attack. In contrast, Gao Xin is made up of plains stretching thousands of miles, relying only on the protection of rivers as a natural barrier. The day Shen Nong crosses the river will be the day Gao Xin falls."

A Heng was also in a sombre mood. Although Xuan Yuan had complex terrain and changeable climate with many defensible passes, the land was barren and resources were scarce. Despite Father's concerted efforts in governance, repairing river embankments and opening up fertile fields over the years it still could not compare with the Central Plains where crops could be grown twice a year.

Shao Hao sighed softly. "In fact, all of these can be overcome. Gao Xin's greatest crisis lies in a system that has not changed for thousands of years, venerating lineage and family background, prohibiting intermarriage between families of different social classes. Political affairs are firmly controlled by descendants of the royal family, as well as Qing Long, Chang Xi, Xi He and Bai Hu these four tribes, causing how many talented individuals from the deity, demon and human tribes to leave with resentment in their hearts? Your Royal Father's first meritorious minister Zhi Mo is a demon from Gao Xin who was despised in Gao Xin because of his humble origins. Yet he assisted your Royal Father in achieving Xuan Yuan's hegemony, and was bestowed the title of 'Teacher of the Emperor'."

A Heng and Shao Hao's hearts were heavy as they pondered the future fate of the two nations.

A Heng asked, "If Shen Nong officially declares war on Xuan Yuan now, Gao Xin probably would not take part in the war, right?"

Shao Hao replied evenly, "We won't! I would really like to know what kind of strength Xuan Yuan has accumulated over the past few millennia. Now with Shen Nong taking the lead to test them, Gao Xin will of course sit on the sidelines and watch. Even if the Yellow Emperor came to lobby for Royal Father's support, I will strongly advise against it!"

*******************

At the end of the year, Flame Emperor Yu Xiang sent envoys to Xuan Yuan to meet with the Yellow Emperor, asking for the return of lands occupied from Shen Nong. The Yellow Emperor refused the Flame Emperor's request.

At Zi Jin Peak, the Flame Emperor announced to the Shen Nong court that they would wage war against Xuan Yuan to reclaim the lands that were seized through deception and plunder.

The entire court was filled with fervour and excitement. The young men were eager to cleanse their ancestors' shame with their own blood. This desire could not be realised under the Seventh Flame Emperor, but would be fulfilled under the young Eighth Flame Emperor.

Yan Zhuan was appointed as the General of the Western Expedition, commanding five hundred deities, three thousand demons and fifty thousand humans to reclaim the lost lands from Xuan Yuan.

The first battle was crucial for the morale of the entire nation. It was a battle where only victory was allowed, and defeat was not an option. A Heng expected her father to send Eldest Brother Qing Yang to lead the three armies against the enemy forces. To her surprise, the Great General commanding the Xuan Yuan army turned out to be Third Brother Xuanyuan Hui.

-- Once Promised Vol 1 Ch13

 liddi:

I know right? It was quiet, tranquil, with such aching longing... the perfect complement to that scene. 

Yes. Dong Dongdong's music direction has been spot on in S1, and I trust he will continue to weave his magic in S2.

Exactly.  Lament for Love was subtle but stabbed you right in the heart with, as you said, aching longing.  The Wait That Will Not Wait is also emotionally heart rending, but the Moon Over Gourd Lake was the start and needed something without words that worked on a primal level.

Definitely looking forward his music during season 2 and what he does with the new songs.

Haven't commented, but wanted to say I'm loving all the Once Promised discussion and translations (thanks liddi!).  Reading them, I'm stunned that they did that book first.  It's got so much more magic and battles and CGI.  I'm not so sure that the LYF crew could do it now.  They seem like two very different stories.

 HeadInTheClouds:

Iconic? More like notorious. 

I'm surprised that they left it in the drama. 

I'm always surprised that there are people who not only finds nothing wrong with XY and Jing's behaviour here, but think it's something that is positive. 

Man. I really dislike both of these characters. 

I should have placed "iconic" instead. haha that is the title of that clip. Shame on them (the characters)

 H19279:

If you talked about CGI and special effect, it is all possible to interprete those magic stuffs if the production is willing to pay the effort, creactivity and price. One of my favourite is Ancient Love Poetry which was produced in 2021, it still stands on top list of the best CGI .

Honestly, CGI of LYF season 1 was not good. 

Right.  Spend the money, but I don't get the impression that they would go in for that, otherwise we'd have gotten the fighting the whirlpool scene, and the big big battle with XL and CX when his identity was revealed to XY.

The CGI wasn't the greatest, but it was used sparingly, and to good effect for the landscapes, IMO.  I'm okay with it not being used much in LYF and avoiding the overdone stuff in xianxia.

 Kokuto:

Right.  Spend the money, but I don't get the impression that they would go in for that, otherwise we'd have gotten the fighting the whirlpool scene, and the big big battle with XL and CX when his identity was revealed to XY.

No, because they made LYF as a female centric drama. It is not even a xiaxian drama. And althought TH regards Cang Xuan as male lead. the scenes for his political or fighting stuff were very limited and ordinary