Reaction Shot: Nirvana in Fire Episode 2 (or, *GROSS SOBBING ABOUT GRANDMAS*)

[spindizzy]

OKAY, more Nirvana in Fire time! I think this is the point where I start yelling at the Emperor for bad decisions and crying over the Empress Dowager and just never really stop.

I also found coffeeandink's INFINITELY BETTER PITCH for Nirvana in Fire, so I recommend checking that out! disgracetoscholars talked about this episode, and specifically the politics around Nihuang's marriage! You can watch the episode legally/for free on Viki!

Now: LET THE YELLING BEGIN.

• That is SO MANY PEOPLE who are after Nihuang. Except the people that she has been leading armies against, for obvious reasons.


• Ohhhhh no, the emperor has done the maths and got five again, because he's noticed that one of his armies is loyal to Nihuang and resolves to take it away from her in favour of her younger brother. NOT TRUSTING YOUR GENERALS IS HOW YOU GOT INTO THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.


• MENG. YES, LOVE GENERAL MENG! I HAVE NO IDEA WHY PRINCE YU IS WATCHING HIM SPAR? BUT GENERAL MENG DESERVES ALL OF THE AUDIENCES.


• And the Marquis just standing there like "Hmm. This cannot possibly be a problem.


• I am impressed that they can actually count moves when people are getting their heads kicked in, but go off I guess.


• Awww, General Meng not going easy on people because everyone's coming to fight for Nihuang's hand in marriage. That's respect for Nihuang right there.


• "Princess Nihuang only lost to Commander Meng after a hundred moves." *YELLING ABOUT MY TWO PERFECT FIGHTY SUNSHINES*


• Okay, so Prince Yu is angry about people not being able to beat General Meng, because he wants one of his minions to win the tournament and marry Princess Nihuang so that he gets control of her army. Right. This makes more sense than I expected.


• (Of course the emperor is afraid of her. If anyone is competent and popular, he grows afraid of them.)


• I like how it's just INEVITABLE that the Crown Prince and Prince Yu are going to put a dog into this race. He's talking about it like he never considered NOT doing that.


• (NIHUANG DESERVES BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU AND I'M STILL MAD THAT IN THE BOOKS SHE APPARENTLY GETS IT AND IN THE TV SHOW SHE DOESN'T. ... MAYBE I NEED TO READ THE BOOK?)


• Uh-oh, they lost track of Mei Changsu already. I look forward to them realising that he was under their noses the entire time.


• Prince Yu: Vanished into thin air?
  CUT TO: Mei Changsu in the same city, having tea.


• F-Fei Liu, I think you're breaking some of the roof tiles there. Do you maybe want to – no? Okay.


• Fei Liu telling Su Zhe to go out and play is nice. Bless his heart!


• (Q: Susan, how are you distinguishing between Mei Changsu's eight different identities? A: Mainly by the clothes?)


• (Okay, I lie, it's very much "Mei Changsu as a specific revenge entity, Su Zhe as the kinder or more domestic identity." So uhhhhh I may be switching between them semi-randomly and I apologise now.)


• Fei Liu is sulking at him because Su Zhe won't play with him!


• "Even though our Fei Liu isn't high in wisdom, his temper is good. He'll be fine." THAT IS A LOT OF FAITH YOU'RE HAVING IN HIM. AND MORE TO THE POINT THE PEOPLE IN THE CAPITAL CITY.


• "Do you really think Fei Liu has a good temper?"
  *nods in polite bafflement*
  OH MY BEAUTIFUL DISASTER CHILDREN. OH NO.


• I am sure there are no negative repercussions to Fei Liu being let loose at the same time as the most competent fighter in the empire walks through the door. NONE AT ALL.


• "WHO DARES TO BEHAVE BADLY IN THE MARQUIS' MANOR?" WHAT DID I JUST SAY.


• (General Meng is the most precious and if anyone tells me otherwise I will fight them.)


• Everyone: *immediately drops their tea to go and find out what is happening*
  
• Fei Liu is so offended that anyone can actually keep up with him! Meng is so confused that he's actually putting effort in! Did Fei Liu do a handstand to kick General Meng? Because that's what it looked like.


• Su Zhe: Fei Liu! Stop that!
  Fei Liu: *literally stops IN MIDAIR*


• Everyone is being VERY POLITE about this throwdown, which is probably for the best. But seriously, children, BEHAVE.


• "Let's see today as a learning experience."
  Fei Liu: *translates that to "LET'S GO AGAIN"*


• And look at General Meng finally remembering to ask for introductions!


• The Marquis' face when General Meng is like "I don't think I would have beaten him within a hundred moves." Oh no. Oh this is bad.


• "To have his protection, you must be exceptional yourself." NOPE, NOPE, JUST A REGULAR SCHOLAR HERE, NO EXCEPTIONAL STRATEGISTS HERE AT ALL.


• "I just happened to help Fei Liu when he was in need." I swear in the book Fei Liu's backstory is something like "Someone was experimenting with drugs to produce exceptional murder-children until Mei Changsu stepped in," but I might be wrong on that.


• General Meng: *LOOKS SIGNIFICANTLY AT EVERYONE*


• Seriously, I hope you all enjoyed that, because that's the closest Meng is going to get to subterfuge and being good at talking to people in this entire sixty episode show.


• I wonder how much it must grind Mei Changsu's gears to be polite to the Marquis when he'd rather see him dead.


• "I knew Fei Liu's martial arts were good, but I never thought he would be this good!"
  Mei Changsu: *looks pained*


• Fei Liu: *sulks*


• Oh no, Xie Bi was eavesdropping. Which I assume was the plan, but also... Oh no...


• Just Fei Liu complaining that General Meng is annoying, it entertains me.


• OH NO, Xie Bi is working for Prince Yu and the Marquis is working for the Crown Prince, oh noooooooo.


• BUSTED. MEI CHANGSU IS SO BUSTED.


• "His style and behaviour really is far from normal." THANK YOU, SOMEONE FINALLY NOTICED.


• And Banruo just gets it immediately, because she is in fact the smartest person in any of the palace camps.


• Wait, why is he sending the empress to go and see him first.


• And Xie Yu is just like "Is he smart enough that this was deliberate, or was it accidental?" and just SIR. SIR.


• "He harbours no ill intentions." *SPITS DRINK*


• Ah, their logic is "If we can't have him, no one can." THIS IS GOING TO END BADLY FOR YOU, I'M TELLING YOU NOW. DID YOU NOT SEE FEI LIU.


• XIA DONG IS GOING OFF INTO THE WILDS ALONE, BUT SHE'S MORE WORRIED ABOUT NIHUANG. ;____;


• "I've already lost my female heart." *SQUINTS AT THESE SUBTITLES*


• Oh, that's dramatic, where's the fire? What are you all riding AWAY – JINGYAN! OMG I DIDN'T KNOW YOU SHOWED UP THIS EARLY!


• "You seem like you've been banished." NOTE THAT DOWN IN YOUR COPYBOOKS, IT MAY COME UP LATER.


• Just cheerfully yell that Xia Dong's received imperial orders, I'm sure that's fine.


• OH. They've been holding grudges against each other for TEN YEARS because they're on different sides of the Chiyan treachery case! ;_____;


• Xia Dong realising that Nihuang doesn't believe her either!


• Okay, so Mei Changsu is supposed to be about 29 then? Which I think means that everyone else of his generation is supposed to be around late twenties to early thirties.


• "It's a shame that it ruined your marriage." WOW XIA DONG. WOW.


• So Jingyan has spent the last ten years going from one battlefield to another? Is that what I'm taking from this? GODDAMMIT EMPEROR, WHY ARE YOU SUCH A DICK. OKAY, YES I know the answer is that Jingyan is loyal to the Lin family and doesn't think that the Chiyan army was guilty of treason BUT STILL.


• Wait, Jingyan is one of the princes of this land, but he can't enter the palace without a token from the emperor? WOW. The emperor REALLY thinks a lot of Jingyan.


• And they just... Leave him on the doorstep like it's nothing? To look at calligraphy? But the last time he went home without being acknowledged by the palace, he had to kneel in front of the Imperial Tombs for three months? WOW THIS FAMILY.


• And the fact that Jingyan doesn't complain about this while one of his soldiers does says a lot about the three of them, I think.


• I can never remember the eunuch's name, but he does seem to be the one person that the emperor listens to, which is NOT a safe position to be in. So the fact that he's reminded the Emperor that Jingyan is still there is really kind of him?


• So last time he got punished for going home to freshen up, and today the Crown Prince is complaining because he DIDN'T go home to freshen up? YOU DESERVE TO BE OVERTHROWN FIRST YOU DOUCHE.


• GOD I HATE THE CROWN PRINCE AND THE FACT THAT JINGYAN TAKES IT STOICALLY MAKES ME ANGRIER.


• "Why would you argue with him in front of Father?" is the cattiest fucking defusal of this situation.


• "The job was well done, but why hasn't the temper improved at all?" IS IT BECAUSE THIS FAMILY IS FULL OF DOUCHEBAGS okay, okay, I know filial duty and piety is a thing BUT ALSO FUCK THIS BACKSTABBING BASTARDRY OF A FAMILY


• ... Man, I was not expecting to have this many feelings about people bullying Jingyan, AND YET.


• And the best outcome was the emperor going "I'm too lazy to discipline you." Wow.


• HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT HIS MOTHER. WHAT. HE CAN ONLY VISIT ONCE EVERY MONTH?


• ... OH, the plot-significant hazelnut pastries came up from episode two. OH.


• (Seriously, I wasn't expecting Jungyan for another episode, this has completely thrown me for a loop.)


• ... OH NO THE EMPERESS AND NIHUANG ARE HERE. I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. OH NO.


• I love how Jingrei knows IMMEDIATELY that it was Xie Bi. Like, just from the way he invites Su Zhe to meet them and the fact that their mother is supposed to have mentioned Su Zhe somehow despite never meeting him.


• Jingrei is so protective and sweet, trying to keep Su Zhe out of the political games his brother and his dad are involved in while acknowledging that things have been difficult for his brother. ;_;


• JINGREI DESERVES BETTER AND WE ALL KNOW IT.


• PLUS FOR ALL THAT HE'S BEEN ACTING LIKE HE'S UNAWARE OF THE POLITICAL DRAMA GOING ON, HE ABSOLUTELY GETS IT. LOOK AT THIS SUMMARY HE'S GIVING OF EXACTLY WHY MEI CHANGSU SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO MEET THE EMPRESS.


• "There is nothing moral about needlessly place a friend between a rock and a hard place." Oh. Oh Jingrei. You deserve so much more than you get, especially on this theme.


• OH, Xie Yu is supposed to be NEUTRAL in this conflict! OH. OH THAT'S NOT GOOD. And does in fact raise questions about why he's allowed Xie Bi to work for Prince Yu, by which I mean OH NO POOR XIE BI.


• Pfft, I love Mei Changsu calling out that there's no way Xie Yu is neutral, and poor Jingrei either missing his meaning entirely or choosing to believe that his father genuinely is neutral.


• Nihuang looks so blatantly bored, goodness me.


• OH, the emperess just called Mei Changsu arrogant. SHE'S NOT WRONG.


• "I'm more interested in his bodyguard who was able to hold himself against General Meng." NIHUANG HAS HER PRIORITIES STRAIGHT.


• "They're just people of the Pugilist World. It's fine not to meet them," says Li Yang, knowing full well that this is a problem.


• First round of the tournament! Let's go! This feels very sudden, but let's go anyway!


• Crown Prince, what did you even do.


• Awww, bless them all playing dress-up with Fei Liu.


• "Furthermore, the people fighting on the first day aren't that good." Wow, savage.


• Jingrei is so cute with his hair down.


• And they're keeping Fei Liu distracted by feeding him, cool.


• Some Schmuck: *wraps his own weapon round his neck and knocks himself out*
  Prince Mu: ... Did you seriously not screen these guys?


• Yujin knows EVERYONE and ALL OF THE GOSSIP, which may be relevant later.


• Bless, Prince Mu is so concerned about this tournament.


• The Crown Prince is NOT SUBTLE. AT ALL. MAYBE BE LESS OBVIOUS ABOUT CHECKING OUT MEI CHANGSU YOU DIV.


• (I don't think I realised until around the hunting party that there were other princes still living, but look! Here they are!)


• And Prince Yu can read him like a book, because these guys. THESE GUYS.


• Look, the only summary I can give of these scene where Prince Yu and the Crown Prince meet Mei Changsu together (JUST AS PLANNED) is to bury my face in my hands and whisper "Oh noooooooooo" in mortification.


• And Jingrei is SO WORRIED about this mess, as he should be.


• Yujin trying to field the social questions brings me joy. Jingrei and Yujin are trying their best to be good friends! Look!


• Look at them both trying to outbid each other. This is mortifying. (Although taking the token and immediately giving it to Fei Liu is THE BEST. And really aggravating because Jingyan doesn't get a pass to enter the palace AT ALL, and the Crown Prince is giving them to random people. UGH.)


• LIKE PLEASE APPRECIATE HOW MUCH I'M NOT GOING "AUGH THESE MEN ARE A DISGRACE." And Jingrei is like "I'm ashamed of you both."


• "How can you talk to your brother like this?" YOU ARE BOTH DISGRACES. BOTH OF YOU.


• The Empress Dowager is so sweet and deserves so much better than her terrible grandchildren.


• I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS MEETING BUT OH NO, I'VE JUST REMEMBERED THAT MEI CHANGSU GETS TO VISIT HIS GRANDMOTHER AND THIS IS TERRIBLE. THE WORST. OH NO. (I assume he's there as a guest of Jingrei, because Jingrei is kind enough to not leave him to the jackals?)


• "We will go see an old grandma, if she speaks to you, then answer, if she pulls your arm, you cannot shy away, if she gives you food, then take it." ;_________;


• "She is the most peaceful grandma on earth." *RAIN ON MY FACE*


• And Nihuang's there too!


• Look, everything about his face makes me sad.


• "I'm so handsome, have you forgotten me?" YUJIN.


• Mei Changsu: ABSOLUTELY NO ONE CAN RECOGNISE ME, NOT EVEN MYSELF.
  Nihuang and the Empress Dowager: Is THAT what you thought.


• Imagine having so many great-grandchildren and being so old that you need to check with your family who each of the children are. ... Somewhere, my offline friends who know exactly how many niblings I have are just like "Wait, doesn't your family have this problem?"


• "This is my brother's child, Yujin. He's always been impolite." WOW. CALLED OUT BY THE EMPRESS. DAMN.


• (This scene is really useful for trying to establish who's related to who, because quite frankly sometimes I feel like the only way to understand this is with a pinboard and string.)


• The Empress Dowager asking everyone if they're married yet, and Yujin lying through his teeth that he is. (... Wait, I assume he's lying, I don't know that I have any proof of that though.)


• "What about you? Whose child are you?" *sniffles*


• Fei Liu bowing with the most confused expression on his face is good.


• SHE CALLED HIM XIAO SHU! *gross sobbing*


• And everyone in the room is too awkward to go "It's not him," which I'm led to believe is actually a fine way to treat dementia patients? The logic always seemed to be "There's no point telling them that their relative is dead, because you're just going to upset them and they're not going to remember it anyway, so why put them through that?"


• "Xiao Shu, you've gotten skinnier." GREAT-GRANDMA IS FUSSING OVER HIM! ;_______;


• Nihuang: *STARES IN INTRIGUED*


• LOOK THIS SCENE JUST BREAKS MY HEART, OKAY, I AM ONE PERSON AND I CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO COPE WITH THIS.


• Ah, Consort Yin is willing to be the bad guy here, but the Empress Dowager pays her EXACTLY the right amount of attention, i.e. none. And she remembers Lin Shu's favourite sweets! She has them to hand for him! ;______;


• THE WAY HE HOLDS IT LIKE IT'S A PRECIOUS THING.


• Nihuang looks so flabbergasted!


• "You are both good children! When are you getting married?"


• Everyone continuing to be polite and kind about this "mix-up" is probably the nicest any of these woman are in each other's presence all show.


• HE CAN'T LET GO OF HER HAND. HE CAN MANAGE TO KEEP HIS FACE CALM BUT HE CAN'T LET GO OF HER HAND. *GROSS SOBBING INTENSIFIES*


• "As long as our grandmother is happy, that's most important." Don't you hate it when your nemesis makes a valid point?


• Jingrei hastily reminding Mei Changsu that he has to leave is great.


• The Empress Dowager is still asking for Xiao Shu, this is the woooooorst!


• Yujin cheerfully hoping that the two princes aren't going to bother them when they get back, and being shushed because THEY'RE IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE, YOU GOONS.


• Nihuang! And he's got the face of a man about to go to the gallows!


• YUJIN WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THEM ALONE. I mean, I guess that if he's with Nihuang, second (or third?) greatest warrior in the capital, he doesn't NEED a bodyguard, BUT STILL.


• Fei Liu: *gets ready to fly*
  Su Zhe, not even looking: Walk properly.


• "The pavilion is too boring, it's not suitable for travelling warriors like me." Okay but I would watch/read the heck out of Nihuang's travelling adventures.


• You have been here for literally five minutes and Nihuang already suspects you enough to invite you on a private walk.


• HE WAS CONSIDERING THE EMPRESS DOWAGER'S FEELINGS. OH NOOOOOO.


• "To be honest, I didn't mind." NIHUANG.


• "If it was a normal day, your hand would have been cut off." WOW Nihuang.


• Even Nihuang is calling out the princes. How much have they been chasing after him?!


• "Teaching them some patience is not a bad thing." Spoken like a man who knows this is going to be his life for months.


• Mei Changsu is not subtle in avoiding these questions.


• YOU LEAVE THOSE CHILDREN ALONE YOU DOUCHE.


• Okay, and we're back to the somewhat odd places to end an episode, why am I surprised.


• I still want to overthrow that eunuch in particular though.