starting ep 1 now~ can anyone spoil me which one is the ml for xiao yao? i hope it is not her brother, i want…
@ o_reo123 In S1 of the drama, XY ends up engaged to another man (not CX). XY and CX have a very strong bond... but on CX's side his feelings are not just platonic sibling feelings. After XY regains her true female form, his feelings are very much romantic. Whereas XY only views him as a brother.
If S2 follows the novel, XY ultimately ends up with TSJ. CX hides his romantic feelings for XY for a long time but does eventually confess. It goes very badly, and they have to go through a few things before they can repair most (but not all) of the damage.
"But in life this is reality how many people can truly give up eveyrthing....we have responsibliities not only…
As much as I love all of XY and FFB's excursions and all the time they spend together, I'd point out that XY chooses to be with FFB as his archery student and close-but-temporary companion. Which is quite different from choosing to be with him as a romantic partner, fiancee or wife.
"But in life this is reality how many people can truly give up eveyrthing....we have responsibliities not only…
Since nathsketch asked, I'll give my take on that specific point. For the record, there are a few other points in some of the posts above that don't align with my own interpretation of the story, but I don't want to unpack all of them. This comment is too long already ^^"
Okay, specifically on the question of "And and what makes you think if XL has confessed XY would be dilemma between TJ and XL?" ... Winny Aye I think you are right to mention timing.
For most of the story XY is pretty good about sticking to her guns. She's found a guy who loves her, she loves him, and he says he's committed to being the kind of life partner she wants. Someone who is warm-hearted (not cold-hearted like herself, per her own words) and devoted and who can't let her go, even for her own good. And someone who wants to have a peaceful life and a family. The family part was a bit surprising to me, but it was really emphasized in the chapters where XY becomes depressed over her breakup with TSJ after CX takes the throne. For most of the story she's either committed to him or at least willing to give him a chance (and not entertain alternative romantic candidates during that time). Whereas XL is her family's mortal enemy three times over. He's a ruthless soldier who's dedicated to his men and their cause. Despite their connection, she recognizes that a romance with him would be doomed from the start.
If XL had confessed his feelings to XY and tried to pursue a romantic relationship with her (which, IMO, would require fundamentally change some key parts of his character) at a point in the story where things were going well between TSJ and XY, I don't think XY would have chosen XL. We see evidence of that immediately after TSJ confesses his feelings and XY makes the 15 year promise. That's when XY refuses to "kiss" XL for air underwater and gives her "you're not someone who is suitable to enter a young girl's dreams" explanation.
When things are going well for TSJ and XY later in the story... XL had already decided to keep a certain distance between himself and XY and to push her and TSJ together... So it's hard to know what those parts of the story would've been like if XL had pursued XY for himself and not helped TSJ. Including by saving his life.
That said, unfortunately for TSJ and XY, there are long periods of the story where things are not going well for them. I'd say their lowest point (genuinely a lower point for them than when TSJ was dead, since XY considered herself to be TSJ's wife while he was dead) was when TSJ was married to FFYY and TSZ was born, but neither TSJ nor XY had realized that TSZ was not TSJ's son yet.
That not-so-coincidentally happens to be the point in the story where XY plans to marry Feng Long. But she doesn't love Feng Long and she doesn't really want to marry Feng Long. TSJ is not an option at that point, and she's actively trying to get over him. That's when she sends her meticulously crafted ice crystal ball to XL. IMO, the underlying message is pretty clear. She was extending her hand to him. More specifically, she was asking XL/FFB to go to her and give her a reason to not marry Feng Long.
XL chooses to not go to XY at that point for a reason (or many reasons). But if the circumstances had been a little different, or possibly if he had just chosen differently... if he had gone to her at that point and asked her to run away with him, I think there's a decent chance she would've chosen to be with him. Would that have worked out in the long term, given all the circumstances? Probably not... which, IMO, is one of the reasons XL doesn't choose that course of action. But I do think XY was open to that possibility in her heart at that point in the story.
Lol, I mainly took it as her not feeling ready to leave ZX and not being keen about taking on the role of clan leader's wife, but there certainly could've been other factors.
I can't believe that Jing would not meet up with before leaving. I mean, that sounds like the most un-Jing thing…
XL definitely does leave a lot of things to the last minute. ^^
If there would be one change from the novel that I would be okay with, it would be something to give us assurance that TSZ won't be traumatized and maybe some sign that he has people in his life other than Hu Mao, Jing Ye and Hu Zhen who care about him.
I can't believe that Jing would not meet up with before leaving. I mean, that sounds like the most un-Jing thing…
"Speaking of ... I think there's something there about who Jing can free himself of ... or maybe it's just active vs passive characters. But it does seem to take death to make him prioritize, poor guy."
Idk if I'm right to do so, but I partly credit XL for TSJ being able to free himself from his clan. XL waits as long as he can to bring TSJ back. TSJ comes back just in the knick of time to save XY from becoming the Royal Mother and not a moment earlier (very reminiscent of FFB's dramatic entrance at XY's wedding). The longer XL waited, the easier it would be for TSJ to free himself from his previous life.
"I don't know. TSZ would be a turn of the cycle and I'm not sure Tong Hua wants to visit it again."
The irony is that TSJ wanted to protect TSZ from continuing the tragedy of the previous generation. In chapter 34 he says:
“My mother’s actions have shown me that hate will never end. So killing you is a punishment to release anger, but I don’t want us to incur another cycle of vengeance and let Zhen Er become the next Hou.”
I can't believe that Jing would not meet up with before leaving. I mean, that sounds like the most un-Jing thing…
It's not that long for them in the scheme of their long lives. But it was long enough for CX to help ensure that Tushan Zhen became the next clan leader at XY's request.
His situation made me think of CX losing his father, mother, grandmother and aunt in quick succession, sort of losing Xiao Yao, and having his grandfather send him away as a hostage + always being targeted by his uncles.
I can't believe that Jing would not meet up with before leaving. I mean, that sounds like the most un-Jing thing…
In the novel, TSJ was dead for 7 years, and TSZ and the Tushan clan were forced to figure out how to live without him. TSJ doesn't meet with TSZ or the clan elders when he returns from the dead. Instead, he gives Hu Zhen two jade cannisters (likely containing letters). One for TSZ and one for the clan elders. I'm not sure if the letters would reveal that TSJ was alive... my inclination is that they would not. FFYY left a letter for TSZ before her death. My guess is that TSJ wrote these letters in the same style - as if they were meant to be read after his death.
I think TSJ decided not to meet TSZ because he didn't want to disturb the new status quo. If TSZ and the Tushan clan knew he was alive and where he was, they might try to get him to be clan leader again (TSZ was still a child at that point), might try to stop him and XY from leaving, and might pull them both back into a world that they didn't want to be part of.
Even if he met up with just TSZ and asked him to keep the fact that he was alive a secret, that would mean that when he left TSZ would know that he was willingly abandoning TSZ (rather than abandoning him through death, which was outside of his control). And if TSZ encountered hardship in the future, he might've tried to find TSJ to ask for his help, and IMO TSJ is trying to avoid that possibility. He wants to be like YSQ with no status and no family obligations that could put him in the position of hurting XY again.
But leaving TSZ couldn't have been easy. He raised his nephew like his own son for TSZ's whole life - something like 70 years. So when we talk about TSJ giving up everything for XY when they leave together, that includes leaving TSZ behind and letting TSZ continue to believe that he is dead.
Hu Mao is the servant who has been by TSZ's side since his birth. He is loyal to TSZ. Jing Ye and Hu Zhen also stay with the clan and agree to protect and serve TSZ until he is grown up.
----
Chapter 50 (after TSJ's return but before TSJ and XY's wedding):
Jing asked Hu Zhen “How is Zhen Er?”
“Good, very good!” Hu Zhen recounted all that happened to make Tu Shan Zhen the new clan leader and finished, “The new Clan leader may be the son of Tu Shan Hou and Fang Feng Yi Yang, but he was raised by you so has your bearing, I believe he will be a great clan leader.”
Jing Ye added “We decided to tell him the truth because of all the rumors being circulated and he was bound to hear it. We handed him the letter from Fang Feng Yi Yang early and after learning his birth secret he was so devastated for some time. But he composed himself and accepted that his birth parents were in the wrong and still calls you dad and refers to Hou as his uncle.”
Jing said “Death ends everything so when you guys have time, tell him stories of my brother when we were young and how close we were. Let him understand that my brother had his own reason for doing what he did, and that it was his grandmother who was wrong in the first.”
Jing Ye hated Hou so much but now that Jing was back she was able to start letting go. “I will do so.”
Hu Zhen saw through the underlying request “Why not have you tell him? Are you planning to leave Qing Qiu?”
Jing smiled. “Tonight I came to say my farewells.”
Jing Ye started crying again as Hu Zhen asked “Where are you going?”
Jing glanced at Xiao Yao. “I go wherever Xiao Yao goes.”
Hu Zhen held back saying more, now the Tu Shan clan was stable and the road that Jing and Xiao Yao took was so long and arduous.
Jing handed two jade cannisters to Hu Zhen “One is for Zhen Er and the other to the clan elders.”
Hu Zhen took it carefully “Don’t worry, we will protect and serve the clan leader until he is all grown up.”
Novel readers, I'm thinking about the tragedy of Tushan Zhen today. I used to think CX had the toughest ending, but now I'm thinking about TSZ and I feel like his lot was actually the toughest out of all the characters that survived, and he didn't bring any of it upon himself.
He has no siblings or living grandparents or great-grandparents on the Tushan side. When he was young, his grandfather on the Fang Feng side renounced his mother and agreed with the Tushan clan to send her away for reasons unknown to TSZ. Later his mother fakes her death and escapes to QS town, but she is horribly injured and will not live long. TSJ sends TSZ to spend a few months with her every spring and summer to prevent her from committing suicide.
Shortly before his father is set to remarry, TSZ is poisoned and his mother, father and uncle all die at once, leaving him with no one except his servant Hu Mao. Then he finds out that his "father" (TSJ) was actually his biological uncle, and his mother used her pregnancy with him (TSZ) to trick / force his biological uncle (TSJ) into marrying her. And his biological father (TSH), who he previously thought was his uncle, was okay with it because he was planning to kill his biological uncle (TSJ) and then use him (TSZ) to indirectly rule the clan. In fact, his father (TSH) was the one who poisoned him (TSZ) in order to lure TSJ to his death. Jing Ye said he was devastated when he learned the truth.
I'm not sure exactly how old he was at that point (somewhere between 40 and 100 years old - I'd estimate about 70) but he was definitely still a kid by deity standards. Younger than XY was when she was imprisoned by the nine-tailed fox. XY calls him a child. And yet she still asks CX to ensure that he becomes clan leader. So he ends up getting the role of Tushan Clan leader foisted onto his shoulders at that age with no immediate family to support him. Just callous clan elders who all know about his birth situation and don't fully support him because of it. He would've had to deal with so much political plotting, and marrying for love in the future will be difficult.
Even after TSJ returns from the dead, he doesn't meet up with TSZ before leaving again... I really hope TSZ had some good friends.
Xiao Liu used his haphazard medical and poison skills to deduce that Xiang Liu was a very unique being and his power came from using poison to train. All the poison that Xiao Liu produced was likely consumed by him.
After he figured it out, Xiao Liu breathed a sigh of relief, and then proceeded to make the most horrible tasting poison ever.
3 
1 
1 
If S2 follows the novel, XY ultimately ends up with TSJ. CX hides his romantic feelings for XY for a long time but does eventually confess. It goes very badly, and they have to go through a few things before they can repair most (but not all) of the damage.
Okay, specifically on the question of "And and what makes you think if XL has confessed XY would be dilemma between TJ and XL?" ... Winny Aye I think you are right to mention timing.
For most of the story XY is pretty good about sticking to her guns. She's found a guy who loves her, she loves him, and he says he's committed to being the kind of life partner she wants. Someone who is warm-hearted (not cold-hearted like herself, per her own words) and devoted and who can't let her go, even for her own good. And someone who wants to have a peaceful life and a family. The family part was a bit surprising to me, but it was really emphasized in the chapters where XY becomes depressed over her breakup with TSJ after CX takes the throne. For most of the story she's either committed to him or at least willing to give him a chance (and not entertain alternative romantic candidates during that time). Whereas XL is her family's mortal enemy three times over. He's a ruthless soldier who's dedicated to his men and their cause. Despite their connection, she recognizes that a romance with him would be doomed from the start.
If XL had confessed his feelings to XY and tried to pursue a romantic relationship with her (which, IMO, would require fundamentally change some key parts of his character) at a point in the story where things were going well between TSJ and XY, I don't think XY would have chosen XL. We see evidence of that immediately after TSJ confesses his feelings and XY makes the 15 year promise. That's when XY refuses to "kiss" XL for air underwater and gives her "you're not someone who is suitable to enter a young girl's dreams" explanation.
When things are going well for TSJ and XY later in the story... XL had already decided to keep a certain distance between himself and XY and to push her and TSJ together... So it's hard to know what those parts of the story would've been like if XL had pursued XY for himself and not helped TSJ. Including by saving his life.
That said, unfortunately for TSJ and XY, there are long periods of the story where things are not going well for them. I'd say their lowest point (genuinely a lower point for them than when TSJ was dead, since XY considered herself to be TSJ's wife while he was dead) was when TSJ was married to FFYY and TSZ was born, but neither TSJ nor XY had realized that TSZ was not TSJ's son yet.
That not-so-coincidentally happens to be the point in the story where XY plans to marry Feng Long. But she doesn't love Feng Long and she doesn't really want to marry Feng Long. TSJ is not an option at that point, and she's actively trying to get over him. That's when she sends her meticulously crafted ice crystal ball to XL. IMO, the underlying message is pretty clear. She was extending her hand to him. More specifically, she was asking XL/FFB to go to her and give her a reason to not marry Feng Long.
XL chooses to not go to XY at that point for a reason (or many reasons). But if the circumstances had been a little different, or possibly if he had just chosen differently... if he had gone to her at that point and asked her to run away with him, I think there's a decent chance she would've chosen to be with him. Would that have worked out in the long term, given all the circumstances? Probably not... which, IMO, is one of the reasons XL doesn't choose that course of action. But I do think XY was open to that possibility in her heart at that point in the story.
If there would be one change from the novel that I would be okay with, it would be something to give us assurance that TSZ won't be traumatized and maybe some sign that he has people in his life other than Hu Mao, Jing Ye and Hu Zhen who care about him.
Idk if I'm right to do so, but I partly credit XL for TSJ being able to free himself from his clan. XL waits as long as he can to bring TSJ back. TSJ comes back just in the knick of time to save XY from becoming the Royal Mother and not a moment earlier (very reminiscent of FFB's dramatic entrance at XY's wedding). The longer XL waited, the easier it would be for TSJ to free himself from his previous life.
"I don't know. TSZ would be a turn of the cycle and I'm not sure Tong Hua wants to visit it again."
The irony is that TSJ wanted to protect TSZ from continuing the tragedy of the previous generation. In chapter 34 he says:
“My mother’s actions have shown me that hate will never end. So killing you is a punishment to release anger, but I don’t want us to incur another cycle of vengeance and let Zhen Er become the next Hou.”
At least in this case TSJ isn't actually dead. Maybe TSZ will get to meet him again someday, like XY got to meet her mother.
His situation made me think of CX losing his father, mother, grandmother and aunt in quick succession, sort of losing Xiao Yao, and having his grandfather send him away as a hostage + always being targeted by his uncles.
https://youtu.be/p1idMYod9QI?si=cUh5xQsKIu9KWoC4&t=133
I think TSJ decided not to meet TSZ because he didn't want to disturb the new status quo. If TSZ and the Tushan clan knew he was alive and where he was, they might try to get him to be clan leader again (TSZ was still a child at that point), might try to stop him and XY from leaving, and might pull them both back into a world that they didn't want to be part of.
Even if he met up with just TSZ and asked him to keep the fact that he was alive a secret, that would mean that when he left TSZ would know that he was willingly abandoning TSZ (rather than abandoning him through death, which was outside of his control). And if TSZ encountered hardship in the future, he might've tried to find TSJ to ask for his help, and IMO TSJ is trying to avoid that possibility. He wants to be like YSQ with no status and no family obligations that could put him in the position of hurting XY again.
But leaving TSZ couldn't have been easy. He raised his nephew like his own son for TSZ's whole life - something like 70 years. So when we talk about TSJ giving up everything for XY when they leave together, that includes leaving TSZ behind and letting TSZ continue to believe that he is dead.
Hu Mao is the servant who has been by TSZ's side since his birth. He is loyal to TSZ. Jing Ye and Hu Zhen also stay with the clan and agree to protect and serve TSZ until he is grown up.
----
Chapter 50 (after TSJ's return but before TSJ and XY's wedding):
Jing asked Hu Zhen “How is Zhen Er?”
“Good, very good!” Hu Zhen recounted all that happened to make Tu Shan Zhen the new clan leader and finished, “The new Clan leader may be the son of Tu Shan Hou and Fang Feng Yi Yang, but he was raised by you so has your bearing, I believe he will be a great clan leader.”
Jing Ye added “We decided to tell him the truth because of all the rumors being circulated and he was bound to hear it. We handed him the letter from Fang Feng Yi Yang early and after learning his birth secret he was so devastated for some time. But he composed himself and accepted that his birth parents were in the wrong and still calls you dad and refers to Hou as his uncle.”
Jing said “Death ends everything so when you guys have time, tell him stories of my brother when we were young and how close we were. Let him understand that my brother had his own reason for doing what he did, and that it was his grandmother who was wrong in the first.”
Jing Ye hated Hou so much but now that Jing was back she was able to start letting go. “I will do so.”
Hu Zhen saw through the underlying request “Why not have you tell him? Are you planning to leave Qing Qiu?”
Jing smiled. “Tonight I came to say my farewells.”
Jing Ye started crying again as Hu Zhen asked “Where are you going?”
Jing glanced at Xiao Yao. “I go wherever Xiao Yao goes.”
Hu Zhen held back saying more, now the Tu Shan clan was stable and the road that Jing and Xiao Yao took was so long and arduous.
Jing handed two jade cannisters to Hu Zhen “One is for Zhen Er and the other to the clan elders.”
Hu Zhen took it carefully “Don’t worry, we will protect and serve the clan leader until he is all grown up.”
He has no siblings or living grandparents or great-grandparents on the Tushan side. When he was young, his grandfather on the Fang Feng side renounced his mother and agreed with the Tushan clan to send her away for reasons unknown to TSZ. Later his mother fakes her death and escapes to QS town, but she is horribly injured and will not live long. TSJ sends TSZ to spend a few months with her every spring and summer to prevent her from committing suicide.
Shortly before his father is set to remarry, TSZ is poisoned and his mother, father and uncle all die at once, leaving him with no one except his servant Hu Mao. Then he finds out that his "father" (TSJ) was actually his biological uncle, and his mother used her pregnancy with him (TSZ) to trick / force his biological uncle (TSJ) into marrying her. And his biological father (TSH), who he previously thought was his uncle, was okay with it because he was planning to kill his biological uncle (TSJ) and then use him (TSZ) to indirectly rule the clan. In fact, his father (TSH) was the one who poisoned him (TSZ) in order to lure TSJ to his death. Jing Ye said he was devastated when he learned the truth.
I'm not sure exactly how old he was at that point (somewhere between 40 and 100 years old - I'd estimate about 70) but he was definitely still a kid by deity standards. Younger than XY was when she was imprisoned by the nine-tailed fox. XY calls him a child. And yet she still asks CX to ensure that he becomes clan leader. So he ends up getting the role of Tushan Clan leader foisted onto his shoulders at that age with no immediate family to support him. Just callous clan elders who all know about his birth situation and don't fully support him because of it. He would've had to deal with so much political plotting, and marrying for love in the future will be difficult.
Even after TSJ returns from the dead, he doesn't meet up with TSZ before leaving again... I really hope TSZ had some good friends.
From chapter 2 of the novel:
Xiao Liu used his haphazard medical and poison skills to deduce that Xiang Liu was a very unique being and his power came from using poison to train. All the poison that Xiao Liu produced was likely consumed by him.
After he figured it out, Xiao Liu breathed a sigh of relief, and then proceeded to make the most horrible tasting poison ever.