Tang Jiuqing

将进酒 [Qiāng Jìn Jiǔ] Please Drink Up!

Shen Zechuan broke out into sobs. Even his shoulders were trembling. He was so grief-stricken as he cried, as though he was venting all these years of anguish in this one night. But he was dumb; he did not know where he was hurting. He clearly could no longer endure this kind of pain anymore. He disconsolately let Xiao Chiye wipe his cheeks. Tears brimmed in his eyes. There was nothing left of all those machinations that spoke of a maturity far beyond his age, only naked pain.

“It won’t hurt anymore. I promise. Lanzhou will never hurt again.”

➺ 
  5/5 🌟


This novel might be the same length as TGCF, or maybe a bit longer, that's why it took me more than a week to finish reading this. I thought it would be such a stretch to have 282 chapters of historical politics and war but no, I realized that even though this is long, the length is just right because of how intricate the plot is. 

If you're planning on picking this novel up because you're looking for a fluffy romance, or you're expecting this to focus on the romance, or you've heard that the main couple here might be one of the best pairs in all of danmei but you're not a plot-driven reader, please, this is your chance to turn around and walk away. The plot might not be the same without the romance, but I can say that this novel can be considered as having the romance as a subplot, not the main plot. This is more about the politics and war, and if you're not into that kind of topic in your story, this might not be for you. 

Both the MC (Shen Lanzhou) and the ML (Xiao Ce'an) are deserving to have their own fandom. Their characters shine so much in this. They're very well written, with their own flaws and shortcomings but also realistic. They have so much charisma that no matter how flawed they are, you couldn't help but still love them and root for them. 

Shen Lanzhou is a son of a traitor and was implicated in the rebellion. He was condemned and tortured to the point where he almost died a couple of times, and one of them was because of a fatal blow by Xiao Ce'an himself. On the other hand, Xiao Ce'an is the second son of a retired general and the brother of the current general of the Libei Armored Cavalry that guards the northern border against the Baisha tribes. Because of the successive win of the army against the Baisha, Xiao Ce'an was sent to the capital as an 'assurance of loyalty' to the emperor if we're going by euphemism, 'hostage' if we're being blunt, to control the army. Both Lanzhou and Ce'an are prisoners of their own fate and in that moment of their lives, they got to meet each other. But not in a pleasant way. 

This might be one of the best enemies to lovers that I've read. A fatal kick as a greeting in their first meeting is such a memorable way to introduce them with each other. Their own circumstances made them loath each other. They not just bicker and pit the other person, they literally tried to kill each other. But after their mutual hate comes the mutual attraction, which makes them hate each other even more. Having the same fate of being in a 'cage', they gradually become reluctant allies that turns into something deeper that even they didn't want to get out of. The way their romance progressed is so smooth that you wouldn't even tell when it starts, but it still feels natural. 

Lanzhou and Ce'an are capable characters, both as a couple and as individuals. They even have this period when they have to do their own things and have to be apart, and that shows their development as an individual. And I loved it! They can be the power couple, but they can also prove themselves separately. 

This novel also has a lot of great side characters and the antagonists are no brainless cannon fodder. The author made it so easy to get attached to them. There is no black and white, good and bad, in this story. They all have their own principle and no one can define who is right and who is wrong. It all depends on the perspective or where you stand.

The story of overthrowing a century old dynasty is not something easy to convey. There are a lot of things to consider, whether the internal and external conflicts, the politics and war. They are so intricate and written so well, and the author didn't try to skip things to move forward. The characters have their own part to do. It's all there and that's what makes this so good. The only historical Chinese novel that comes to mind with this kind of intricate, detailed plot with full of great characters is Nirvana in Fire. The only thing is that NiF was focused on the internal conflicts and the struggle to change the ruler but QJJ doesn't only change the ruler but the dynasty itself and also touches the issue of war and all the things that comes with it, with also some intense battle scenes. 

The author also wasn't afraid to kill off characters. Dying in this sort of setting isn't unusual and it makes more realistic to have death in this story, but because the characters are so easy to get attached to, it was difficult to accept. The overall goal might have been achieved in the end, but not everyone got their own happy ending, even the characters from the protagonists' side and that's worthy of the tears I've spent. No matter who they are (because I won't spoil it), my heart ached for them. That's why even if the ending is satisfactory, it left a tiny hole in my heart. 

Overall, this is a new favorite danmei for me, and also a new favorite couple! I would have loved to recommend this to anyone, but I know this is not a cup of tea for everyone because of the heavy plot. But I swear, if we're talking about the plot and the characters, this is definitely a masterpiece!

将进酒 [Qiāng Jìn Jiǔ] Please Drink Up!

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