"Nirvana in Fire"/"Lang Ya Bang" Group Read: Discussion Post for Chapters 50 - 53

[x_los]

Week 13 of the "Lang Ya Bang" book club, chapters 50 - 53. This discussion will draw to a close, and the next session will open, on August 1st.

I'll be doing a weekly post with thoughts on this community. Feel free to join in/discuss. If you'd like to join the Discord, contact superborb for an invite.

Chinese text: https://sj.uukanshu.com/book.aspx?id=17338
English translation: https://merelhyn.tumblr.com/post/641747965727358976/the-langya-list-epubpdf

SPOILER POLICY: I personally don't give a fuck or even like to give unearned credence to the concept, so since I'm writing the post, anything's fair game.

(If anyone is interested in dankodes running further poetry content during or after NiF, please let me know what you'd be keen to discuss. I'm happy to work with you on that. I'll probably ask this again once NiF draws to a close.)

Comments

Chapter 50

[x_los]

It’s interesting that we have a lot of moments of sympathy of thought between Changsu and Prince Jing in this chapter and the last, contrasted with Changsu’s more conscious calculation when speaking to Prince Yu. Changsu reaches to touch the bow in a moment of forgetfulness, which also wouldn’t have occurred when Changsu was speaking to Prince Yu.

‘Moved in perfect chemistry’ girl, what?

‘Course shout’ Do they mean coarse?

Damn, that is a harsh punishment.

Chapter 51

[x_los]

They print the decrees on yellow silk? Jesus Christ that’s expensive!

Who is this royal concubine? We never meet her, I don’t think.

This mention of Xie Yu feels very abrupt.

Chapter 52

[x_los]

‘ALL men appreciate beautiful women’ in this danmei economy??

This guy is a senior historian for Prince Ji. Interesting that such things exist, and that Prince Ji keeps one.

Is there any instance where sexual desire in this novel isn’t characterised as foolish or evil? Pretty much any time someone wants someone, and that’s palpable, it’s a Problem of varying degrees in the moral world of NiF.

‘Aroused’ is a weird word to use here.

Mate, ‘terrible luck’ is NOT this rich boy’s problem.

Chapter 53

[x_los]

Prince Yu is shedding pieces left and right here, and his current allies must be coming to the conclusion that he’ll do fuck all for them in a crisis. This is more important for his position than it might be for Prince Jing’s, because no one aligned with Prince Jing would expect ridiculous preferment running counter to morality or the national interest.

What does it mean that ‘even reserve officials are allowed to move about openly at this time’? Are their movements normally restricted, somehow?

Can’t *believe* the Emperor gets talked around via this Confucian-Chiyan argument: what a load of bullshit. The Emperor sucks in such a believable way.

Re: Chapter 50

[superborb]

They moved coordinated-ly?

Re: Chapter 51

[superborb]

She's mentioned a few times, but always off-page, I think?

Re: Chapter 52

[superborb]

I guess it's not so when it's Yujin or Prince Ji's appreciation of Gong Yu, but that's often characterized more as for her musical abilities than sexual... But they go to brothels often, and that can't be all platonic, though it has been so on-page.

'Excited' is better than aroused, I think.

Re: Chapter 53

[superborb]

I think the Emperor wants to do it anyway, because Consort Yu is his favoooooorite

Re: Chapter 52

[x_los]

See I also think Yujin and Prince Ji's interest in Gong Yu and others in her line of work is characterised as like, a foible. Mildly foolish, but they're endearing scamps, etc.