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Nirvana in Fire rewatch: Episode Nine
AKA, "Everybody has ~Feelings~ and Nobody Was Prepared"
THIS EPISODE, YOU GUYS. It's full of iconic oomph! moments and I was so not ready for this.
When I rewatched Episode 7 I realised I needed a tag for "The Lies of Mei Changsu;" this episode turned in the opposite direction, with a bunch of lines that are even more true than the speaker knows.
Prince Yu: If you want to live according to your own way, no one can stop you.
Mei Changsu's Inner Commentator: Your ability to stop me is about a thousand percent less than your estimate, buddy.
Me: Well, considering the ending of this show, that is like maybe TOO MUCH truth and I'm slightly depressed now.
Yu: You deserve this bow for all you hard work and planning.
Mei Changsu's Inner Commentator: There is a thousand percent more hard work and planning going on here than you realise, but thanks for the recognition!
Other truth bombs that gave me feelings: Mei Changsu tells Meng he plans to remove more than Ministers. Mei Changsu asks Yu if he needs military allies because he's planning to stage a revolt. Tingsheng receives the Golden Silk armour. Mei Changsu making his telltale hand gesture while he's thinking over Prince Yu's request... and telling Yu that he can't afford to oppose the Emperor.
Everyone's feelings get more intense as events unfold! (Mine included!) Sir Su makes his first official visit to Jingyan's palace, and is overwhelmed with flashbacks as he approaches the entrance: Jingyan was given this residence when he was 17, and told the complaining Lin Shu, "What's mine is yours." They're both so adorable, I can hardly bear it, and young!Jingyan is so beautiful with his hair half-down. (It's the same style Jingrui sometimes wears; wonder if that ever hits Lin Shu with badly-timed nostalgia.)
Maybe the familiarity of the surroundings softened him up, because he's unusually open with Jingyan the whole time he's there. Jingyan carefully expresses gratitude for Mei Changsu's destruction of his brother's allies. His slightly plaintive, "Your Highness, why are you not willing to record my merits?" in response suggests he's feeling the sharpness of the contrast between the young Prince who shared everything with him, and the man who won't give him even a word of praise, only grudging thanks for a just outcome.
Despite his reluctant approval, Jingyan does open up to Mei Changsu; when accepting his advice on how to judge the cases and acknowledge Prince Yu's cooperation, he says that he doesn't want to be seen as being on Yu's side. He clarifies this under Mei Changsu's careful prodding: he doesn't want to align himself with either of his brothers, not because he cares about public opinion in the Capitol, but because "the noble souls of the departed are watching," and he won't dishonour himself before them by appearing to support either Prince. Mei Changsu, watching him from across the table, tells him they will know his heart, and has to hide his face from Jingyan after he says it. The ~feelings~ are everywhere!
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. This is the episode with the famous bow scene! This time around what grabbed my attention is Jingyan's phrasing: the same man who who bullied a state minister a day ago and wouldn't praise a strategist an hour ago now tells Mei Changsu, "Please don't take offense," and carefully explains why he spoke so sharply. It's such a sweet little sign of how much his impression of Mei Changsu has changed, and of the new openness between them that he's willing to walk back his first aggressive statement and give his reasons! ♥
THIS EPISODE, YOU GUYS. It's full of iconic oomph! moments and I was so not ready for this.
When I rewatched Episode 7 I realised I needed a tag for "The Lies of Mei Changsu;" this episode turned in the opposite direction, with a bunch of lines that are even more true than the speaker knows.
Prince Yu: If you want to live according to your own way, no one can stop you.
Mei Changsu's Inner Commentator: Your ability to stop me is about a thousand percent less than your estimate, buddy.
Me: Well, considering the ending of this show, that is like maybe TOO MUCH truth and I'm slightly depressed now.
Yu: You deserve this bow for all you hard work and planning.
Mei Changsu's Inner Commentator: There is a thousand percent more hard work and planning going on here than you realise, but thanks for the recognition!
Other truth bombs that gave me feelings: Mei Changsu tells Meng he plans to remove more than Ministers. Mei Changsu asks Yu if he needs military allies because he's planning to stage a revolt. Tingsheng receives the Golden Silk armour. Mei Changsu making his telltale hand gesture while he's thinking over Prince Yu's request... and telling Yu that he can't afford to oppose the Emperor.
Everyone's feelings get more intense as events unfold! (Mine included!) Sir Su makes his first official visit to Jingyan's palace, and is overwhelmed with flashbacks as he approaches the entrance: Jingyan was given this residence when he was 17, and told the complaining Lin Shu, "What's mine is yours." They're both so adorable, I can hardly bear it, and young!Jingyan is so beautiful with his hair half-down. (It's the same style Jingrui sometimes wears; wonder if that ever hits Lin Shu with badly-timed nostalgia.)
Maybe the familiarity of the surroundings softened him up, because he's unusually open with Jingyan the whole time he's there. Jingyan carefully expresses gratitude for Mei Changsu's destruction of his brother's allies. His slightly plaintive, "Your Highness, why are you not willing to record my merits?" in response suggests he's feeling the sharpness of the contrast between the young Prince who shared everything with him, and the man who won't give him even a word of praise, only grudging thanks for a just outcome.
Despite his reluctant approval, Jingyan does open up to Mei Changsu; when accepting his advice on how to judge the cases and acknowledge Prince Yu's cooperation, he says that he doesn't want to be seen as being on Yu's side. He clarifies this under Mei Changsu's careful prodding: he doesn't want to align himself with either of his brothers, not because he cares about public opinion in the Capitol, but because "the noble souls of the departed are watching," and he won't dishonour himself before them by appearing to support either Prince. Mei Changsu, watching him from across the table, tells him they will know his heart, and has to hide his face from Jingyan after he says it. The ~feelings~ are everywhere!
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. This is the episode with the famous bow scene! This time around what grabbed my attention is Jingyan's phrasing: the same man who who bullied a state minister a day ago and wouldn't praise a strategist an hour ago now tells Mei Changsu, "Please don't take offense," and carefully explains why he spoke so sharply. It's such a sweet little sign of how much his impression of Mei Changsu has changed, and of the new openness between them that he's willing to walk back his first aggressive statement and give his reasons! ♥
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Although I might love the bit right before it even more where Jingyan basically tells Lin Shu to his face that he wants to live up to Lin Shu's expectations of him and that no one else's opinion matters.
Okay he probably also meant Prince Qi and some of the Chiyan brass that he would have known and respected, but still.I definitely got a hint from that flashback scene that Jingyan was the one to jolly Lin Shu out of his petty or whining moments; I really would love some ChangsuLives!fic where other people slowly become aware of that dynamic and are stunned and awed that stubborn unreasonable Jingyan is the calm voice of reason that can abate Mei Changsu's temper. :D