My Vow To My Liege: Chapter 10
Dec. 28th, 2021 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Turns out this is the final chapter of the common route. I've since started the GouJian route and it's going ok though the transition from friendship to romance was a bit sudden.
Content notes: Violence, slavery
YiGuang and FuChai perform an animal sacrifice and pray to the Yellow Emperor, then wish each other well in their respective challenges. They get into an argument about who should have the amulet and ShaoJiang says she can defend YiGuang with her dagger.
FuChai leaves Wu ZiXu in charge as she goes to lead the troops by boat, with ChenFeng at her side. She talks about how he as Sun Tsu's disciple he could be a general or minister, but he says he just wants to be by her side. He says "Ah-Yu" with some pretty intense yearning and it totally goes over her head.
Sorry buddy! I feel for you, but I have the first GouJian choice in several chapters and I am taking it!
FuChai looks at GouJian in his kingly finery and thinks it suits him. She wonders: if the war hadn't happened, would he have been as loveable and affectionate as the Ah-Jui she met by the stream?
When she says she should call him "The Kind of Yue" now he laughs and says he doesn't mind "Ah-Jiu".
FuChai: There is no way I can do that. I can only hope that the King of Ng and the King of Yue will put the past behind us, and be good to one another for a hundred years.
He doubts her people will agree to that, but she says they can lead by example like sworn brothers, and he pauses for a moment, his emotions unfathomable, before laughing and clapping their hands together, swearing that Ng and Yue will share the same fate.
There's been a bunch of discussion of like...supply logistics and names of ships and ports and I really hope I can get away with not paying close attention.
The Qi take advantage of plans only known by a few Ng generals and GouJian.
FuChai plans to put herself in harm's way as a distraction and ChenFeng goes quietly unhinged. I'm getting increasing "put her in a dog cage for her own good" vibes which I would really not have predicted from the first 8 chapters but I can roll with it.
She literally stands on the bow shouting COME AT THE KING IF YOU DARE which definitely works as a distraction. Ha but she has the home ground advantage and gets the Qi boats to run aground on hidden shallows.
SUDDEN EVIL RAIN STORM
THE LIGHTNING TURNS INTO THE GIANT GOAT MONSTER TAOTIE???
Qi troops: :D
Ng troops: D:
FuChai: The people of Ng are strong! Did we not overpower the northern kingdoms? Why should we fear the playthings of those filthy people of Qi??
Even though she'd ordered him to help one of the generals, ChenFeng shows up all NOONE WILL HURT YOU EVER AGAIN and hacks any Qi soldier who comes close to pieces. When she shouts at him to stop he makes an expression of pain, then shoots her a look of pure hatred and then grabs her and jumps into the water??
She wakes to see ChenFeng's face far too close, a cold black fire burning in his eyes. I'm still not sure if he's possessed or just ~crazy.
ChenFeng: You're safe now, Ah-Yu.
FuChai: Let us go!
ChenFeng: "Us"?? HeLu, when will you ghost let Ah-Yu go?
FuChai: If you disobey our orders we will have you killed as the law stipulates!
ChenFeng: Ahahaha! You risk your life for the kingdom, for everyone else, but for me there has only ever been Ah-Yu! I will never let you die, you are mine!
FuChai: If you are going mad, we will go mad with you!
She puts her sword to his throat, but he is the superior swordsman and cuts off her armour before going to knock her out. And she cannot bring herself to kill him.
When all seems lost, FuChai is saved....BY BEST GIRL SHAOJIANG :D :D :D
She says she and YiGuang realised they were being followed by someone from Qi, which gave them enough of a sense that something was wrong to come back, and then she followed the aura of the Dragon God here.
She checks the now unconscious ChenFeng and says a curse has slowly been working on the weakest parts of his mind to create a demon in his heart. FuChai was surprised to find out how much he's motivated by personal loyalty to her, but doesn't seem to think of it as romantic. She wonders how much pain she must have obliviously been putting him through for all these years.
This is the point where I went "How many chapters does this game even HAVE". I feel like the individual plot elements aren't bad but they don't merge together into a nicely structured narrative as well as they could.
Haa the game described YiGuang's outfit as "green" when to me he is very clearly wearing blue. Colour is a cultural construct!
He's fighting the TaoTie, which is now attacking Qi boats as well as Ng, consuming the dying and dead Qi soldiers to heal.
He asks ShaoJiang to keep fighting the TaoTie while he finds whatever mage is summoning it. FuChai persuades YiGuang to let her help by using her blood to summon the white tiger.
All the Ng soldiers run from the giant tiger, leaving the two women alone on the deck. Even ShaoJiang is a little nervous but then it licks her.
ShaoJiang reminds FuChai that YiGuang said not to use so much of her blood that she risks her life, telling her to stay safe before joining the battle on her phoenix.
Of course FuChai overdoes it and collapses from blood loss just as the TaoTie is defeated. She wakes to a concerned ShaoJiang after the battle has been lost but both sides have retreated to deal with their heavy casualties. YiGuang has been healing the injured and ShaoJiang awkwardly admits that she asked him to heal the Qi soldiers they found as well, because they are still her people.
To her surprise, FuChai is not angry and says this is only natural, and that the Dragon God likely manipulated Qi into this war, with no concern for the common people.
ShaoJiang bursts into tears and says that FuChai is a true king. FuChai strokes her head and says "If you're going to praise someone, at least do it with a smile. After all, we cannot pretend to be a real man in front of you."
ShaoJiang quietly says that she saw the seal while changing FuChai's blood-soaked clothes, and three of the petals have now turned black.
FuChai: Do not cry, we are not dead yet.
FuChai explains how her ancestors were tricked into making a deal with the Dragon God, and now it must be defeated or not only FuChai but all of Ng will suffer. ShaoJiang realises that Qi is similarly doomed now, and vows to do her best for the sake of Qi and FuChai.
When FuChai finds out that Goujian was injured she insists on seeing him despite ShaoJiang telling her to rest, quietly wishing ChenFeng was here to help.
Goujian's Yue bodyguard is politely reluctant to let FuChai in but Goujian tells him to stop being rude.
Goujian: This sinner greets your Majesty.
FuChai: We are both kings, you should change how you greet me. And sit, you should be resting.
Goujian: The King of Ng is no better than me :P
He gets increasingly angry about her prevaricating about whether she suspects him of being the mole (she does a little, but is choosing to trust him), and it slowly becomes clear that he thinks she did something to him and is now pretending they're friends again. Before FuChai has a chance to realise this, a voice shouts that a messenger from Ng has been murdered!
Turns out this is the final chapter of the common route. I've since started the GouJian route and it's going ok though the transition from friendship to romance was a bit sudden.
Content notes: Violence, slavery
YiGuang and FuChai perform an animal sacrifice and pray to the Yellow Emperor, then wish each other well in their respective challenges. They get into an argument about who should have the amulet and ShaoJiang says she can defend YiGuang with her dagger.
FuChai leaves Wu ZiXu in charge as she goes to lead the troops by boat, with ChenFeng at her side. She talks about how he as Sun Tsu's disciple he could be a general or minister, but he says he just wants to be by her side. He says "Ah-Yu" with some pretty intense yearning and it totally goes over her head.
Sorry buddy! I feel for you, but I have the first GouJian choice in several chapters and I am taking it!
FuChai looks at GouJian in his kingly finery and thinks it suits him. She wonders: if the war hadn't happened, would he have been as loveable and affectionate as the Ah-Jui she met by the stream?
When she says she should call him "The Kind of Yue" now he laughs and says he doesn't mind "Ah-Jiu".
FuChai: There is no way I can do that. I can only hope that the King of Ng and the King of Yue will put the past behind us, and be good to one another for a hundred years.
He doubts her people will agree to that, but she says they can lead by example like sworn brothers, and he pauses for a moment, his emotions unfathomable, before laughing and clapping their hands together, swearing that Ng and Yue will share the same fate.
There's been a bunch of discussion of like...supply logistics and names of ships and ports and I really hope I can get away with not paying close attention.
The Qi take advantage of plans only known by a few Ng generals and GouJian.
FuChai plans to put herself in harm's way as a distraction and ChenFeng goes quietly unhinged. I'm getting increasing "put her in a dog cage for her own good" vibes which I would really not have predicted from the first 8 chapters but I can roll with it.
She literally stands on the bow shouting COME AT THE KING IF YOU DARE which definitely works as a distraction. Ha but she has the home ground advantage and gets the Qi boats to run aground on hidden shallows.
SUDDEN EVIL RAIN STORM
THE LIGHTNING TURNS INTO THE GIANT GOAT MONSTER TAOTIE???
Qi troops: :D
Ng troops: D:
FuChai: The people of Ng are strong! Did we not overpower the northern kingdoms? Why should we fear the playthings of those filthy people of Qi??
Even though she'd ordered him to help one of the generals, ChenFeng shows up all NOONE WILL HURT YOU EVER AGAIN and hacks any Qi soldier who comes close to pieces. When she shouts at him to stop he makes an expression of pain, then shoots her a look of pure hatred and then grabs her and jumps into the water??
She wakes to see ChenFeng's face far too close, a cold black fire burning in his eyes. I'm still not sure if he's possessed or just ~crazy.
ChenFeng: You're safe now, Ah-Yu.
FuChai: Let us go!
ChenFeng: "Us"?? HeLu, when will you ghost let Ah-Yu go?
FuChai: If you disobey our orders we will have you killed as the law stipulates!
ChenFeng: Ahahaha! You risk your life for the kingdom, for everyone else, but for me there has only ever been Ah-Yu! I will never let you die, you are mine!
FuChai: If you are going mad, we will go mad with you!
She puts her sword to his throat, but he is the superior swordsman and cuts off her armour before going to knock her out. And she cannot bring herself to kill him.
When all seems lost, FuChai is saved....BY BEST GIRL SHAOJIANG :D :D :D
She says she and YiGuang realised they were being followed by someone from Qi, which gave them enough of a sense that something was wrong to come back, and then she followed the aura of the Dragon God here.
She checks the now unconscious ChenFeng and says a curse has slowly been working on the weakest parts of his mind to create a demon in his heart. FuChai was surprised to find out how much he's motivated by personal loyalty to her, but doesn't seem to think of it as romantic. She wonders how much pain she must have obliviously been putting him through for all these years.
This is the point where I went "How many chapters does this game even HAVE". I feel like the individual plot elements aren't bad but they don't merge together into a nicely structured narrative as well as they could.
Haa the game described YiGuang's outfit as "green" when to me he is very clearly wearing blue. Colour is a cultural construct!
He's fighting the TaoTie, which is now attacking Qi boats as well as Ng, consuming the dying and dead Qi soldiers to heal.
He asks ShaoJiang to keep fighting the TaoTie while he finds whatever mage is summoning it. FuChai persuades YiGuang to let her help by using her blood to summon the white tiger.
All the Ng soldiers run from the giant tiger, leaving the two women alone on the deck. Even ShaoJiang is a little nervous but then it licks her.
ShaoJiang reminds FuChai that YiGuang said not to use so much of her blood that she risks her life, telling her to stay safe before joining the battle on her phoenix.
Of course FuChai overdoes it and collapses from blood loss just as the TaoTie is defeated. She wakes to a concerned ShaoJiang after the battle has been lost but both sides have retreated to deal with their heavy casualties. YiGuang has been healing the injured and ShaoJiang awkwardly admits that she asked him to heal the Qi soldiers they found as well, because they are still her people.
To her surprise, FuChai is not angry and says this is only natural, and that the Dragon God likely manipulated Qi into this war, with no concern for the common people.
ShaoJiang bursts into tears and says that FuChai is a true king. FuChai strokes her head and says "If you're going to praise someone, at least do it with a smile. After all, we cannot pretend to be a real man in front of you."
ShaoJiang quietly says that she saw the seal while changing FuChai's blood-soaked clothes, and three of the petals have now turned black.
FuChai: Do not cry, we are not dead yet.
FuChai explains how her ancestors were tricked into making a deal with the Dragon God, and now it must be defeated or not only FuChai but all of Ng will suffer. ShaoJiang realises that Qi is similarly doomed now, and vows to do her best for the sake of Qi and FuChai.
When FuChai finds out that Goujian was injured she insists on seeing him despite ShaoJiang telling her to rest, quietly wishing ChenFeng was here to help.
Goujian's Yue bodyguard is politely reluctant to let FuChai in but Goujian tells him to stop being rude.
Goujian: This sinner greets your Majesty.
FuChai: We are both kings, you should change how you greet me. And sit, you should be resting.
Goujian: The King of Ng is no better than me :P
He gets increasingly angry about her prevaricating about whether she suspects him of being the mole (she does a little, but is choosing to trust him), and it slowly becomes clear that he thinks she did something to him and is now pretending they're friends again. Before FuChai has a chance to realise this, a voice shouts that a messenger from Ng has been murdered!
