krait: a sea snake (krait) swimming (Default)
Krait ([personal profile] krait) wrote2019-05-05 10:01 pm

Nirvana in Fire rewatch: Episode Eleven

More machinations! Also two of my favourite moments. Okay, I have one or two favourite moments in practically every episode, but I defy anyone to watch this show and not feel the same.


It's Consort Yue's turn to be in the center of the plotting again, with her son trying to overturn her demotion and Prince Yu, Nihuang, and Mei Changsu all having cause to object. The Marquis of Ning puts pressure on Minister of Rites Chen Yuanzhi to bring up Yue's status on a ceremonial pretext; the Minister's son has been accepting bribes, and all the Marquis wants is for Minister Chen to petition the Emperor about a question of protocol for the upcoming Year End ritual. The Marquis arrives "coincidentally" while the Emperor is considering his answer, and puts in his own cautious approval.

He rather neatly turns the Emperor's intial reluctance to offend Nihuang and the Southern army by overturning Yue's punishment for drugging her into concern that inflicting too much punishment on Yue might give Nihuang ideas above her station and place too much power in her hands.

Interestingly to me, the Emperor does not appear to know that the Marquis of Ning is affiliated with the Crown Prince! He's usually astute and quite well-informed about his sons' various allies, so it caught my attention when the Emperor refers to him as an uninvolved party.

Xia Dong, Nihuang and Qing have a three-way conference when they get the news! Nihuang listens to them, and then says, "Do you think I'm not angry? It's just that I've given up." She recognises the strategic principles at play: her troops have pacified the border, so they've lost their leverage and the politicians want to control them. I love that Qing's solution to his sister's resignation and his own lack of options is, "I'll go get Sir Su. He has many ideas, let him help you get back at them." A vengeful child! ♥

Okay so like look, I am as much in favour of Jingyan and Lin Shu pining at each other as anybody, okay, but this is one of those episodes that makes me really wish for more fic with Mei Changsu & Meng Zhi, or Mei Changsu/Meng Zhi, in it. The teasing! The banter. Meng Zhi calling him "xiao-Shu"! The cynical bitter truths Mei Changsu spits out. Meng managing to surprise him with information and having to explain things to him. (Fic seems sadly devoid of that last thing in particular, alas. Sometimes Meng has access to information that Mei Changsu doesn't!)

Mei Changsu and Prince Yu plan how to foil Yue's bid for power. The end result: the Emperor is railroaded into allowing a scholarly debate to decide the issue of placement in the Year End ceremony. Both sides amass scholars to argue in their favour, but the numbers and skills are evenly matched beween them. Mei Changsu sends Qing on an errand to fetch "old Master Zhou," whose opinion will be the most respected; Zhou is a recluse who avoids Court matters, but Mei Changsu draws him out.

The whole debate is beautifully filmed, with the shifts in perspective and the wonderful expressions. I'm no film critic and a lot of times this sort of thing passes me by, but I really noticed how masterfully done it was here. There are so many ways that "long, desperate legal debate" could become boring or convoluted, but we neatly avoid all that by staying focused on the tension of the main players. (Mu Qing is the most adorable! He bounces around Master Zhou like a puppy trying to play with an old warhorse! He's about three seconds from putting his hands on the old man's shoulders and pushing him across the floor like a potted plant.) :D

And then we wind down with two incredibly powerful scenes: Mei Changsu half-laughing, half-weeping at what he's lost ("You know, this pair of hands used to bend bows and tame horses, but now they can only hide in the dark and stir the pot.") and Jingyan solemnly informing his mother that he's entering the fight for the crown - on his own side, not in support of either of his brothers.
extrapenguin: two women descending a staircase together (teamwork)

[personal profile] extrapenguin 2019-05-06 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
I really love Xia Dong and Mu Nihuang's friendship in the early episodes, and how no-one in this show is stupid. Good catch on the Emperor not knowing the Marquis's faction! Wasn't Xie Bi working for Prince Yu in some capacity? So the Emperor would guess that the father would, if anything, support Prince Yu.
skygiants: Nice from Baccano! in post-explosion ecstasy (maybe too excited . . .?)

[personal profile] skygiants 2019-05-06 12:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Mu Qing is the BEST vengeful child, I love how he's just like 'sis isn't your new boyfriend good at vengeance, LET HIM VENGE'
lynndyre: (shen wei- clouded)

[personal profile] lynndyre 2019-05-07 02:45 am (UTC)(link)
Consort Yue drove me so nuts sometimes, every time she went into her 'poor delicate me' routine, augh. But she was super good at sneaky machinations.

I really love Nihuang and Mu Qing! He's such a friendly puppy of a brother.

NGL, I would be totally up for more Meng Zhi slash - with MCS, with other characters, I love Meng Zhi. He should have nice things. And I love it when MCS' allies know more than he does (it keeps him from being as omniscient as he wants to think he is).
zdenka: Mei Changsu playing the flute. (NIF)

[personal profile] zdenka 2019-05-07 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I always want more Xia Dong and Nihuang friendship and more Meng Zhi and Mei Changsu friendship! (Or shippiness, I could go for that too in either case.) And I don't believe I didn't notice Meng Zhi calling MCS xiao-Shu the first time through! I didn't catch on that MCS was Lin Shu until Nihuang outright said it in ep. 12.

Mu Qing is the most adorable!

I love Concubine Jing's expression and manner when Jingyan tells her. They're like two soldiers preparing to enter battle together. And knowing everything that she's about to set in motion, she's about to enter the metaphorical battle as much as he is. I love it when characters who seem mild and harmless are actually dangerous and competent, and Consort Jing is an excellent example. And I just love how much they trust each other and also how much they trust each other's competence and ability to handle it.

Also, that moment when Mei Changsu tips the "Ministry of Rites" tile into the fire is so great.
zdenka: Mei Changsu playing the flute. (NIF)

[personal profile] zdenka 2019-05-08 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
I thought MCS wrote to Meng Zhi to let him know he'd be coming to the capital? Though to me that makes it even better. MCS doesn't reveal himself to Nihuang, he doesn't reveal himself to Jingyan -- he does everything he can to divert their suspicions. But he does let Meng Zhi know and brings him into all his plans, and that's such a high level of trust even if MZ is ex-Chiyan Army. It makes me want to read or watch the backstory for them.