A Game of Thrones: Ming Dynasty Edition
Or, Hamliet received a recommendation for Qiang Jin Jiu (thanks @khunsimpâ)  saw the premise of enemies-to-lovers, disgraced sons, and sins of the father themes, was like âthatâs my jam,â and read 164 chapters in a single weekend. (Thereâs still like. ~120 to go that arenât yet translated #fun).Â
It is indeed my jam and is essentially the love story of Mulanâs Shang and 2haâs Shi Mei. Iâm kidding, the leads are their own characters (very much so!) but thatâs whom I kept comparing them to in my mind.Â
Shen Zechuan is a particularly compelling character. Heâs introduced as a somewhat pathetic figure, a PTSD-stricken teenager whoâs lost everyone he ever loved, was never really treated as a son by his father, and yet is being tortured and sentenced to die for the sheer fact that he is his fatherâs only surviving son. His father supposedly committed treason, for which Shen Zechuan pays the price. But then the story switches, and you see Shen Zechuanâs cunning nature, which is in many senses just as pitiful but dangerous. I mean the guyâs skinning people alive by chapter 30 so.Â
Xiao Chiye at first was, to me, likely to be less interesting as a character because Iâm not usually into the physically driven charactersâbut I was wrong. Heâs equally as well-developed and complex as Shen Zechuan, and his continual struggles with duty, his love for his family, and his internal struggles are compelling. His relationships with his family is particularly heartwarming. The scene where he tells his father heâs fallen in love with a man, essentially coming out to him, was deeply touching and wholesomeâwhich stands out all the more because of the storyâs extremely dark tone (which Iâll talk about later).
The plot is highly complex. Itâs also very political, which I enjoy, although I will admit that not having the conclusions yet definitely means some parts feel fragmented at this stageâbut they probably wonât feel this way by the end. Iâm highly intrigued by the mysteries surrounding Bai Cha, Shen Zechuanâs mother, and by the premise of Qi Zhuyin and Hua Xiangyiâs relationship (also, canon lesbian couple! Who are complex characters! Itâs like the characters from Female General and Eldest Princess ended up in a good story!)Â
The storyâs tone is quite darkâI literally have no expectations for any character besides, Iâm told, the main pairing and the lesbians to get a happy ending. Itâs very tragic and violent, dark and exploring the worst of humanity more so than the best. Hence, why I compare it tonally to A Song of Ice and Fire. However, that doesnât mean the story is nihilisticâfor the most part, itâs really not. That dark tone is its strength as much as it is also my largest critique.Â
For the latter element, there are chapters where the story can almost feel as if it is wallowing in that darknessâIâm not sure, for example, I needed the scene of a pregnant concubine being drowned, nor the told-to-us backstory of Mu Ru if she was never going to be properly explored before dying. Nor Li Jianhengâs tragic childhood, which was almost too much to bear especially with the ending he got. A lot of the unnecessary elements also seem to concern violence against women, and while it does have really nice female characters with arcs, this wasâĻ a lot.Â
However, as hinted above, the darkness does make the beautiful, loving, heartwarming, and yes, funny (the novel has a great sense of humor) moments shine more brightly. The way Xiao Chiye is clearly light to Shen Zechuan, and his own redemption might pave the way for Shen Zechuanâs growth. The story hinted early on that Shen Zechuan might have to choose between his hatred and his will to live, and recently picked up those threads again with Xiao Chiyeâs fatherâs wariness of Shen Zechuanâs demeanor. I think this is a worthy theme and really hope itâs further developed through his character.
But this ideaâthat hatred helps him liveâties into two other strong themes of the novel: wanting to live no matter what it costs, and the cost of victory/defeat. Whether on a physical battlefield or a political chess game, trade negotiations, torturing a prisoner, a marriage, the story is constantly asking the characters what the cost of victory is, and when it is worth it and when it is notâwhen a defeat can truly be a victory in some sense. Iâm very interested to see how these ideas continue to develop.Â
Anyways, I quite enjoy this novel, especially the main characters, and am interested to see where it goes! Personally, the writing is less my taste than MXTXâs works (which are very, very character driven in a personal way, and have a distinct kindness to their tone), but it is extremely well written and the two leads are excellent characters. The themes are worthy questions, and itâs truly moving and enjoyable. I definitely recommend it!Â