Nirvana in Fire, eps 45-48

[extrapenguin]

Yu's conversation with the Emperor could have been more idtastic for me, but hey, I'm happy enough. Yu looks very pretty when he's dirtied and disheveled! I am mildly unclear about whether Yu's birth mom was actually Princess Linglong or whether she just wrote a very generic-yet-inflammatory letter for Qin Banruo to use later. Yu gets stuffed in prison and wants for his father to sentence him to death so he can regret it for the rest of his life, so very dramatic. And then he gives up his plan for a chance that his future kid could live, which is touching. MCS's plan to get the wife and kid out was nice, and I agree that growing up a commoner in the countryside >> growing up as the traitor Prince's son in the city. (A sequel has been announced. I think Yu Jr will turn up.)

The beast from way earlier is Nie Feng! Very good setup, show. (Also, no wonder the beast was at the mountain when Xia Dong went to pay her respects to her husband's grave.) The Poison of Bitter Flame is very wtf, but well, this is at least some variety of fantasy. Xia Dong and Nie Feng getting some together time was sweet of Gong Yu. And man are the deals for the cure bad deals. Both options.

Lin Chen has captured a woman from Xia Jiang's household. Fourth Sister? Qin Banruo is still free. Xia Jiang/the Hong Zu have agents out there still. Using Yue was a good move – she's a good enough manipulator to deliver the datum to the Emperor. Even if MCS is now chillaxing on doctor's orders, I do think he'll fail and dig himself in deeper. (Of course, Jing may figure out that MCS = Lin Shu, now that even Xia Dong knows and he's skating on the thin ice of the identity anyway. Please let the confession NOT come on his deathbed.) The bit about "raising hell" should they lose is probably what will happen in the next episodes. I wonder what Qin Banruo is doing.

The bits we were told about how the Emperor came to power do explain a lot of things. I am left wondering whether the Hong Zu suffered like the Chiyan – was their surrender-defection actually a surrender-defection, or did the Emperor wipe out a potential thorn in his newly Imperial side?

Jing's getting married! His fiancée seems to be calm, if a bit shy at the moment, but she'll probably open up a bit. Perhaps she'll be like Jingmom, eventually? Jing's coronation was surprisingly solemn, and I do wonder whether the Emperor's illness and retirement was engineered by someone. Continuing the theme of "Jing, do the thing you're already doing", he got asked to reopen the Chiyan case! The news of Xie Yu's death should eventually come to the capital, hopefully at a convenient time.

The reveal that Prince Ji saved Tingsheng's life was interesting, but did fit Ji's character as someone who wants to believe everything negative is a colossal misunderstanding. The hinting that a f!Yujin would've been betrothed to Lin Shu or equivalent was also intriguing; I wonder what the show'll do with that.

6 eps left. I am not ready, please prepare all the fic.

Comments

[schneefink]

I forgot all about Yu's kid! Yes, he'll almost definitely turn up. (Hopefully not as a villain, but it's not unlikely... I hate the "child of a villain becomes a villain to avenge their parent" trope.)

As much as I like the idea of Nie Feng showing up and all, at times I found it very hard to take the yeti seriously ;)

There is excellent fic :) When you're finished tell me the degree of heartbreak you want and I'll point you toward my favorites. ...not that there is a lot without heartbreak. This fandom loves its angst.

[extrapenguin]

I'm hoping for some sort of "I am but a humble commoner, but I never knew who my father was! I shall join The Heroes on their quest and maybe receive clues about my dead father's identity. OOPS HE'S THE TRAITOR PRINCE" deal. I've no idea what the "appropriate" fallout from that would be in wuxia/Chinese drama conventions – hopefully not suicide – but it would lead to a lot of angst! Also my favorite take on the Secretly Royalty trope (perhaps the only take I actually like).

Yeah, the white-haired yeti was hard to take seriously. I'd have hoped even the less-thorough cure would get rid of (most of) the hair; the yeti-ism is alternately gross and lol-inducing.

Thanks! I am sure that I will be wanting pre-canon/during-canon Xia Dong Investigates fic, and probably MCS/Jingyan shippy feels. I shall inform you of how hard I want my heart broken.

[schneefink]

Oh yes, I would like that.

Not a lot of Xia Dong fic, unfortunately :( Plenty of MCS/Jingyan though.

[extrapenguin]

Well, at least I know what I'll be requesting next Yuletide. And perhaps earlier, should a suitable exchange present itself. Xia Dong casefic!

[schneefink]

I look forward to it! Last year I got a great Jingrui futurefic for Yuletide. This year there should be many NiF fics for Yuletide again, and there is a NiF winter exchange too so there will be a lot of new stuff to read.