"Nirvana in Fire"/"Lang Ya Bang" Group Read: Discussion Post for Chapters 154 - 161

[x_los]

Weeks 38 and 39 of the "Lang Ya Bang" book club, chapters 154 - 161 (inclusive). This discussion will draw to a close, and the next session will open, on January 30th.

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 160

[x_los]

- 'whether or not we can evidence of’ Something’s gone wrong, there. Find evidence?
- I’m befuddled by the strict nature of the national mourning. Again, who invokes one of these Super Mourning periods? It can't be any member of the imperial family, or they'd never have time to reproduce. Even her great grandson (who may only have a nominal relationship to the Dowager Empress, rather than a blood tie) cannot consummate a new marriage for three years after the Dowager Empress's death. Or does that mean that even a couple in an established union with that degree of blood relationship to the deceased must also give up sex for the duration?

Re: Chapter 160

[superborb]

It's only for emperors, empresses, and former ones, so I suppose it's not going to happen that often?

At least in some dynasties, you're not supposed to have babies during that time. However, the actual length of the mourning period and who is supposed to hold the strictest of the mourning changed through history.