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Lang Ya Bang / Nirvana In Fire
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excaliburedpan and I both happen to be reading the same formerly danmei but then hastily rewritten to be plausibly-deniable, while remaining, in all emotional senses, still danmei book at the moment, so I thought I'd throw up a post for any comments if anyone wants to read along now or later, and shove my locked-twitter read-along thoughts somewhere more accessible. I'm going to break it up by blocks of chapters, then do an Overall Thoughts subsection. Assume spoilers.
There are 174 novel chapters.
excaliburedpan and I both happen to be reading the same There are 174 novel chapters.
Book 1: Mr. Mei of East River; Chapters 1-5 (Modified Version)
Book 1: Mr. Mei of East River; Chapters 6-10 (Modified Version)
Book 1: Mr. Mei of East River; Chapters 11-15 (Modified Version)
Chapter 15: Tingsheng
Book 1: Mr. Mei of East River; Chapters 16-21
Chapter 17: Choosing a Master
Chapter 18: Old Friend
Chapter 19: The Faded Past
Chapter 20: Baili Qi
Chapter 21: Guidepost of Mu
Re: Book 1: Mr. Mei of East River; Chapters 1-5 (Modified Version)
- Is Changsu's tutor's death a change from the show canon, or are these different men? I didn't think about it at the time, but the absence of major Confucian scholars from the court is probably a tacit rebuke of the Emperor, isn't it?
- Was it the execution of beloved scholarly Lin Shu and the crown prince that cemented their dissatisfaction, or some other great idea of World's Meh-est Dad's?
- Compared to some of the rough rides out there, this initial translator is fucking gold
- It's interesting that copies of the emperor's calligraphy/handwriting are referred to as his calligraphy: he did not come out here and paint this house. Struggling to think of another visual art where we'd say that of a lay reproduction?
- Jingrui is the product of a poly quartet idk why we're being shy about this let the people know the truth. Their moms play go together, and if Hikaru No Go has taught me anything--
- Here in chapter 2 the emperor made a decent judgment of Solomon (is that a familiar enough coordinate this writer would know it?). Don't get comfortable, he will never make a good decision again.
- Reading this after watching the series has the weird effect of making you feel LIKE Changsu. You know the Marquess of Ning is fucking awful before everyone else in the room, it's v weird.
- YUJIN, MY FAVOURITE SON! Well, one of. I used to just call him Tigger before I properly learned his name.
- was Xie Bi this central in the first ep of NiF? If so, I don't remember it. Duchess Mu apparently pushed to the fore at this juncture for the tv version. Otherwise I guess we've just spent 2 chapters... having some congee, which Fei Liu did not like
- how did people KNOW this novel was where it was AT? the opening gives very few fucks about your interest level
- 'Yan Yujin was the eldest son of the Royal Uncle, the Empress’s nephew' Oh for real, not her brother anymore?
- Yujin needs to stop calling Mei Changsu just 'Su' I have spent too long learning never to abbreviate a Chinese name to anything 1 syllable to let him give me bad habits
- “who we saw outside the little town where we met Su?” [...] “Ah, those envoys sent by the Yu empire to Liang! Weren’t they throwing a fit in the restaurant saying how they lost their letter of credence? They were smashing things and searching people."
CHANGSU.
- you stole their letter for your fake contestant to use while you picked up your hapless cousins?? Mei Changsu's Busy Day over here
- 'Yan Yujin glared at Mei Changsu in resentment. He said bitterly, “Su, even though your intelligence is really something to be admired, this bad habit of correctly guessing everything is really tiresome. It makes people feel very unfulfilled!”' yujin, bb, you have no fucking idea
- '“Sorry, I will reflect on it. I won’t be like this anymore,” chuckled Mei Changsu.'
b i t c h
- “I think so too,” said Yan Yujin smugly. “You all know that the Princess has always liked me best…”
yujin, no one alive ships this. i don't even think you really ship this? like the MOST i could see is one wild hook up, Nihuang just raises an eyebrow&you promise to never tell
- 'Mei Changsu looked at Yan Yujin with great interest and asked, “How are you certain that someone gave them this idea?”'
Changsu never thought stage 18/57,000 of his Plan was so obvious that even *Yujin* could see it, but then the last time he saw Yujin, he HAD been teething--
- 'Mei Changsu laughed in spite of himself. “I’m not a fortune-teller. How could I know?”'
fuck you Changsu
- Changsu is like oh yeah guys i straight up robbed those envoys and everyone's like oh fair fair they were Foreign so--
- '“Oh, you don’t need to worry about it, I’ve already signed him up.” Yan Yujin grinned impishly.
“Oy… You two…”'
and so the fifth great cdrama jewish wank arose, when the precise nature of yujin's 'oy' was called into question-- (I bet that was an 'aiyah')(No, apparently it's a 'wei')
- 'Princess Liyang, the only living sister of the Emperor' *living* doing a lot of work, here
- So what's up with Liyang's manor? Is it just so she can have property in her own right, as status or economic protection device, or does it play a ritual role that enables her to visit her family in the palace and perform religious devotion? The book mentioned it in re Buddha.
- I like this weird little wrinkle of tension between the brothers, where Xie Bi is more assuming and less gracious. Not in a mean way, more, he's the younger brother, he works hard but lacks Jingrui's delicacy
- Rolling my fucking eyes at 'o no somehow I lost the weiqi game' Changsu, bitch I'm sure.
- What no one is saying, bc of how tight the author is keeping the arc plot at this stage&bc the Emperor is a Queen of Hearts model, is that marrying Nihuang has to be a REAL FUCKING WEIRD prospect bc her last fiancé was Lin Shu
Re: Book 1: Mr. Mei of East River; Chapters 6-10 (Modified Version)
- 'the Empress’s nephew Yan Yujin came over finely dressed' oh so he is still a nephew rather than a great nephew, it was just confusingly stated. That makes more sense re ages.
TBC
Book 2: The Wind Begins to Stir; Chapters 22-25
Chapter 23: Challenge
Chapter 24: Provoking the Enemy Envoy with Wit
Chapter 25: Training Children
Book 2: The Wind Begins to Stir; Chapters 26-30
Chapter 27: A Strategy of Swords
Chapter 28: Noble Consort Yue
Chapter 29: Skillful Words and Self-Defense
Chapter 30: Committing Crimes
Book 2: The Wind Begins to Stir; Chapters 31-35
Chapter 32: Troubles
Chapter 33: Xuanjing Officer
Chapter 34: Assassin
Chapter 35: Xia Dong
Book 2: The Wind Begins to Stir; Chapters 36-40
Chapter 37: Wasted Manor
Chapter 38: Qin Banruo
Chapter 39: Spiral Market Street
Chapter 40: He Jingzhong
Book 2: The Wind Begins to Stir; Chapters 41-44
Chapter 42: Mister Shisan
Chapter 43: Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain
Chapter 44: The Northern Yan Master
Book 3: Wind and Rain; Chapters 45-50
Chapter 46: Guests at the New Manor
Chapter 47: Relinquished Pawn
Chapter 48: Fei Liu’s Present
Chapter 49: Confidant
Chapter 50: Dilemma
Book 3: Wind and Rain; Chapters 51-55
Chapter 52: Witness
Chapter 53: Sacrificial Rites
Chapter 54: Loophole
Chapter 55: Deploying the Troops
Book 3: Wind and Rain; Chapters 56-60
Chapter 57: My Longing Heart
Chapter 58: No Scars of the Past
Chapter 59: Gifts of Gratitude
Chapter 60: Tong Lu
Book 3: Wind and Rain; Chapters 61-66
Chapter 62: Doubts and Suspicions in the Palace
Chapter 63: Gunpowder
Chapter 64: Pushing Aside the Fog
Chapter 65: Yan Que
Chapter 66: New Year’s Feast
Book 4: The Calm Before the Storm; Chapters 67-70
Chapter 68: Murder on New Year’s Eve
Chapter 69: Gaining Trust
Chapter 70: Night Visit to Meng Manor
Book 4: The Calm Before the Storm; Chapters 71-75
Chapter 72: Birthday
Chapter 73: Memorial
Chapter 74: Night of the Lantern Festival
Chapter 75: Gong Yu
Book 4: The Calm Before the Storm; Chapters 76-80
Chapter 77: Shen Zhui
Chapter 78: Brothers
Chapter 79: A Situation at the Gallows
Chapter 80: Touring the Manor
Book 4: The Calm Before the Storm; Chapters 81-86
Chapter 82: Secret Chamber
Chapter 83: Concubine Jing
Chapter 84: Envoy from Da Chu
Chapter 85: Nian Nian
Chapter 86: Fei Liu
Book 5: Grudges and Grievances; Chapters 87-90
Chapter 88: A Test of Swords
Chapter 89: A Warrior’s Broken Wrist
Chapter 90: Past Endurance
Book 5: Grudges and Grievances; Chapters 91-95
Chapter 92: Escape from Death’s Door
Chapter 93: Dissident
Chapter 94: Wretched Night
Chapter 95: Deadly Wounds
Book 5: Grudges and Grievances; Chapters 96-100
Chapter 97: Sky Prison (I)
Chapter 98: Sky Prison (II)
Chapter 99: Stunned
Chapter 100: National Mourning
Book 5: Grudges and Grievances; Chapters 101-106
Chapter 102: Exile (II)
Chapter 103: Favour and Generosity (I)
Chapter 104: Favour and Generosity (II)
Chapter 105: Strategy
Chapter 106: Sisters
Book 6: The Shadow of the Sword; Chapters 107-110
Chapter 108: Parting
Chapter 109: The Beginning of Change
Chapter 110: Rising Winds, Coming Storms
Book 6: The Shadow of the Sword; Chapters 111-115
Chapter 112: A Cloud of Suspicion
Chapter 113: Unsheathing of the Sword
Chapter 114: Resentment
Chapter 115: Wind and Snow
Book 6: The Shadow of the Sword; Chapters 116-120
Chapter 117: Crisis
Chapter 118: Receiving News
Chapter 119: Palace Debate
Chapter 120: Hidden Thorns
Book 6: The Shadow of the Sword; Chapters 121-125
Chapter 122: Right and Wrong
Chapter 123: The Beginning
Chapter 124: Hidden Hands
Chapter 125: Old Letter
Book 6: The Shadow of the Sword; Chapters 126-130
Chapter 127: Catastrophe
Chapter 128: Crisis (1)
Chapter 129: Crisis (2)
Chapter 130: Confrontation (1)
Book 6: The Shadow of the Sword; Chapters 131-133
Chapter 132: Confrontation (3)
Chapter 133: Fatal Blow
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 134-140
Chapter 135: The Emperor’s Way
Chapter 136: Worries
Chapter 137: Visitings
Chapter 138: Introductions
Chapter 139: Prison Visit
Chapter 140: Reunion
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 141-145
Chapter 142: Buddha’s Tooth
Chapter 143: Meeting
Chapter 144: Warning
Chapter 145: Reinforcements
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 146-150
Chapter 147: Turbulence
Chapter 148: Beast
Chapter 149: Strange Poison
Chapter 150: Confusing Night
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 151-155
Chapter 152: Return to the Capital
Chapter 153: Encounter
Chapter 154: Lin Chen
Chapter 155: Choices
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 156-160
Chapter 157: Heartache
Chapter 158: Leakage
Chapter 159: Prisoner Return
Chapter 160: Night Conversation
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 161-165
Chapter 162: Congratulatory Visit
Chapter 163: Escape
Chapter 164: Miracle Grass
Chapter 165: Blind Spot
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 166-170
Chapter 167: Request
Chapter 168: Promise
Chapter 169: Identity
Chapter 170: The Beginning
Book 7: Brotherhood Eternal; Chapters 171-174
Chapter 172: Reinvestigation
Chapter 173: Righting Wrongs
Chapter 174 (Part 1): Final Chapter – Rising Winds
Chapter 174 (Part 2): Final Chapter – Rising Winds
GENERAL
Re: Book 2: The Wind Begins to Stir; Chapters 22-25