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alias_sqbrMasterlist and Guide
This was great!!
This FuChai is bitter, commanding, and badass with a stubborn core of compassion which melts the lonely heart under Wu ZiXu's bitter, commanding, badass, callous exterior. It has a lot of fun with all the complex, sexy power relationships inherent to a romance between an older advisor and the ruler he's known since she was a child. It turns out he only really met her when she was 14, so it's not as quasi-cross-gen-incestuous as it could have been but it's still what it is.
She's very much in charge though. He kneels a lot. It's great.
The route is all about overcoming trauma and has some pretty dark moments.
Also, this isn't an objective flaw, but it messed me about a bit with how it handled gender: the happy ending is about both of them regaining the potential for happiness they had before being consumed with hatred and revenge, which for FuChai means regaining a connection with her younger, princess self. And Wu ZiXu is the most explicitly into her being a woman so far. On the other hand there were some moments that felt pretty gay, and it feels very much like Wu ZiXu would also be into her as a dude, she just happens not to be one.
These writers are GREAT at bittersweet yearning, I am definitely playing the game they wrote about Forbidden Love with a monastery full of celibate monks.
Content notes: suicide, violence, incest, rape (not from LI), violence between love interests
Wow this walkthrough has *counts* TWENTY THREE choices??
While I wait for the game to skip through the stuff I've seen, here's the real historical backstory from the Wu ZiXu Wikipedia page (lookit that sexy statue lol):
King Ping of Chu stole his son's fiance, and to prevent reprisals killed his son's tutor, Wu Zixu's father, as well as Wu Zixu's brother. Wu Zixu escaped to Ng to plot his revenge, and suffered so much stress his hair turned white. He became a trusted advisor to Ng's then king HeLu, and they invaded Chu. Wu ZiXu dug up King Ping and lashed his corpse 300 times.
When FuChai took power he got so pissed off at Wu Zixu's advice to conquer Yue and not trust GouJian that FuChai ordered him to commit suicide.
"Wu Zixu asked King Fuchai to remove his eyes after his death and hang them on the city gate so that he could watch the capture of the Wu capital by the Yue army.
Ten years after Wu Zixu's death, as Wu Zixu had predicted, King Goujian of Yue conquered the state of Wu. Faced with the demise of his state, King Fuchai committed suicide. He lamented that he did not heed the counsel of Wu Zixu and covered his face as he died because he dared not face Wu in the afterlife."
Wu Zixu is worshipped in eastern China as Taoshen, "God of the Waves". He is seen as a Confucian hero: a minister who was killed for giving a king good advice.
OK ON WITH THE GAME
Choosing to search for followers with Wu ZiXu he talks about how in the past, all priests of Ng were Dragon God worshippers, which is obvious in retrospect but I hadn't thought of it that way. But the Shi clan valued the king and kingdom over the god or power, while Mage Xian and his followers did the reverse, and split off when the king decided to break the vow.
They find ShaoJiang in a boat this time.
When Wu ZiXu goes to kill GouJian, this time instead of stopping him FuChai draws her sword to kill him herself!
FuChai: Ah-Yu and the people who once called me that are long gone. What we have been indulging in is but a glimmer of our past existence. We are FuChai and we exist only for our Kingdom of Ng. Since this is an act of revenge that we should have taken three years ago, we shall personally see to it, and kill off that horrible weakness of ours!
Welp. I was disappointed that YiGuang!FuChai wasn't as bloodthirsty...
GouJian: Ah-Yu. are you really willing to kill me? :(
FuChai: We are the King of Ng! We should have done this three years ago!
GouJian: Fine! I am willing to die for a friend. But as the King of Ng, I hope that you will be able to live with your conscience!
The word 'conscience' throws her off, but she tells herself she can't hesitate. And then he tells them about the doctor and the plot continues on.
I love that when Wu ZiXu disagrees with FuChai about going into a magical array, the response that gets points with him is not "persuade him" but "command him".
Ha! He still thinks she's into GouJian.
After the first battle with Qi, FuChai hears that the dragon god attacked GuSu, then gets the message from Wu ZiXu that she missed in the other two routes: he needs the army to come back to GuSu for fear of a coup.
Chapter 11
Flashback:
Aristocrats murderously fight over who gets to marry FuChai and father the next king of Ng.
Everything around FuChai is covered in the red of blood, from her wedding dress to the floor to the corpse staring up at her.
FuChai: Uncle, why did you kill my husband? D:
FuGai: He is not your husband. This babe of the Mei Clan has not even taken off your clothes yet.
Hoo boy.
He tears open her clothes, putting his bloody hand on the seal on her chest.
FuGai: If it wasn't for my elder brother wanting to pass the Sacred Seal onto you...why should a helpless little girl be King of Ng? Should I learn to kill a king like he once did and kill you? Or should I be the father of the next King of Ng?
She calls for ChenFeng but he has already been cut down.
It gets QUITE RAPEY and the screen fills with the words "I WANT TO DIE" but then there is a flash of silver and Wu ZiXu has killed him.
Wu ZiXu tries to cover her up as she sits in a pile of rags and she pushes him away, saying "Please kill me".
D:
The Present:
Fuchai wakes, calling for ChenFeng, then remembers he's locked up. ShaoJiang clumsily helps her bind her chest and put on her undergarments.
ShaoJiang points out that the court is tense and full of more guards than usual. The moment she arrives Bo Pi tries to get Wu ZiXu in trouble for some granaries being burned by the dragon.
Fan Li from Yue arrives, and was apparently the guy in charge while GouJian was in Ng. GouJian has sent provisions, which Wu ZiXu thinks is suspiciously convenient. Bo Pi, who was in GouJian's pocket irl, is all "You would let our people starve because of a personal grudge??"
FuChai accepts the provisions but tells Bo Pi to stop causing division in the middle of a war. When he keeps arguing Wu ZiXu offers to atone by guarding the grave on Tiger Hill for six months.
ShaoJiang worries this discord is all playing into Tian Heng's hands.
Chenfeng wakes up and says she should kill him...for being so weak as to pass out when protecting her.
Fuchai: Is that...all you remember?
Chenfeng: Yes? Why, did I do something else to embarrass My Liege? D:
Fuchai: ...No. Just get some rest.
For the first time in her life, she can't honestly talk to him about her problems. ShaoJiang apologetically says her magic isn't good enough to say if the curse is broken for good.
FuChai does government work, very aware of how much harder it is without Wu ZiXu's help. She hasn't spoken to him in days and wonders if he's angry at her.
He talks about feeling old, and says he's angered the other ministers enough that even FuChai won't be able to save him from their retribution.
FuChai: You should know that we were born stubborn. If Bo Pi had insisted on punishing you further, we would have said you were our husband and the future father of the next king!
Wu ZiXu: Nonsense! You refuse to marry!
She has a traumatic flashback to the wedding three years ago. Now she can't even think of marriage without feeling disgusted and repulsed. (...I guess she got over that off screen on the other two paths due to the power of love)
Wu ZiXu: ...what about Shi YiGuang? He is politically useless but you have feelings for him, right?
FuChai is at first shocked, considering how much Wu Zixu mistrusts Shi YiGuang, and then angry for reasons she doesn't quite understand.
FuChai: YiGuang is our childhood friend and Ng owes him a great debt. Must we sacrifice ourselves to repay him? Prime Minister, do you really want to push me onto someone else?
Wu ZiXu: If you really do not feel that way about Shi YiGuang, then forget I said anything. I know you will not change your mind no matter what I say, so let us just drop the subject.
FuChai: Actually, we are curious about love. Prime Minister, did you have anyone that you loved in Chu?
He smiles and puts his hand on her head. "I was a teenager and the second son. All I did was play and write love letters to girls for fun. But looking back, it feels like a fleeting dream. My heart was filled with anger when I came to Ng. And after my revenge, all that was left was a void."
He tells her not to let her own life be ruled by hatred, and while his only wish in life is to help her break the vow and become a good ruler he's not a good reference for things like romance.
She realises that once she breaks the seal, his life will be meaningless. Even though she's not as old as him, she feels as if the Seal has stolen her youth, and she wonders what she will have left once she fulfils her own goals. They are two people with nothing, discussing the future.
FuChai: If I was still Princess Tengyu, and you were still the young master of the Wu Clan...where would we both be today? Maybe I would travel the world and bump into you in Chu's capital, speeding by in my carriage while you stick your head out of your mansion...
Wu ZiXu: That princess is really impressive!
FuChai: Are you sure it's not a young man?
Wu ZiXu: No man will be so blind as to mistake a gentle and beautiful woman for a young man.
They both laugh.
Wu ZiXu: If that was the case, we would never have met.
FuChai: Where would Lord Ng be without Minister Wu?
But then...the city is on fire!!
Chapter 12
GouJian: How lucky, I just HAPPENED to be visiting the city with more provisions and also all these soldiers, so we can help with this fire you are coincidentally having :)
Even Wu ZiXu just accepts the help. But there's only so much the Yue soldiers can do...
And then a giant green dragon spits water over the city! It's YiGuang!
He says maintaining a dragon uses a lot of magic and asks for some of FuChai's blood. FuChai thinks this feels a little shady but doesn't hesitate.
Wu ZiXu: What are you doing >:( Why not just use the Shi water magic?
YiGuang: Good point! *puts out fire immediately*
(I thought this might be leading to this YiGuang turning out to be fake, but no, it was just kinda lazy writing)
She collapses into Wu ZiXu's arms just as Bo Pi shows up saying that the arsonist claimed to be under orders from Wu ZiXu. And the arsonist...was ChenFeng!!
Flashback:
FuChai: Please, kill me. I don't want to deal with the seal. I don't want to be king.
Wu ZiXu: We have worked so hard for the last two years to hide your identity. If you do not do this, who else can?
He pushes a bloody sword into her hand and points it at her chest. I'm not sure if this is literally the same scene where she got raped D:
Wu ZiXu: Then stab yourself, and die!
She presses the sword into her skin. It hurts.
Wu ZiXu: Why have you stopped? Let me help >:D
Fuchai: Stop! It hurts!
But he just presses harder, and blood spurts out. Overcome, she cries out "Prime Minister, save me!"
Fuchai watches 'the girl that is me' ask why he did it.
Wu ZiXu: I was taking a gamble, to see if the Kingdom of Ng would perish because of an orphan ruler who is too weak to survive, or prosper under a powerful King strong enough to confront death.
Fuchai: You have won.
Wu ZiXu: Since you have stabbed your old self, TengYu, to death, you should let go of the past once and for all. You are now FuChai, and the only King I will serve.
Present:
Fuchai wakes to ShaoJiang sobbing that ChenFeng has been put on death row awaiting FuChai's execution order. BoPi and the other ministers refuse to take the curse into account, and keep proclaiming Wu ZiXu's guilt.
Oh FuChai, no, GouJian is not going to help persuade the ministers to stop suspecting Wu ZiXu.
Also, while Wu ZiXu didn't do all the other things, he probably was the one who ordered GouJian to be shot in the back mid-battle. BUT HE DESERVED IT.
Blech this is all irritating.
Ha! Fuchai KICKS BoPi as he kneels in front of her, badmouthing Wu ZiXu, and calls for her sword.
The other ministers all defend him and GouJian counsels her to be reasonable. So she says she wants to interrogate Wu ZiXu personally "to find out why he failed her" and laughs to herself coldly when the ministers fall over themselves to admire her wisdom.
She kicks in the door to his cell and Wu ZiXu immediately gets onto his knees and asks her to sentence him to death.
...yeah I am enjoying this more than the YiGuang path... >.>
Chapter 13
Fuchai: Do you think we believe those nonsense lies? Did they force you to confess? Say the word and we will kill that old man BoPi!
He says he really did order GouJian's assassination and she slaps him.
Unrepentant, he says he knows hatred, pride, and hunger for power too well, and recognises them in GouJian. It was his one chance to make it look like an accident.
Wu ZiXu: If Ng is safe, you are safe. Even if you end up hating me, I will still do it!
FuChai: We do hate you! But I can't kill you!
Wu ZiXu: You must! If you hesitate the hearts of the people will be affected, and unable to face a strong....WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING
FuChai, angrily stripping: They can't kill you if we're married!
There is an AMAZING CG of FuChai shouting Wu ZiXu and pulling at her clothes, who is trying to hold them closed with a very sad expression. But it looked kinda rapey out of context so I decided not to cap it.
Wu ZiXu: You've gone crazy D:
FuChai: The heavens have gone crazy! You have the courage to kill me but not to lay with me? Is it because I'm half man and half woman?
Wu ZiXu: No, you're my...
He looks at her with intense fondness, and says it's too late. If he can't save Ng, what use is he?
FuChai: Do you really want to leave me alone in this unforgiving world?
Wu ZiXu: If you really want to do something for me, break the sacred vow, and then clear my name, for the sake of my dead family.
FuChai: No! The Kingdom of Ng cannot go on without you! I cannot go on without you!
He looks at her with a soft, sad, expression, eyes falling to the seal on her chest, where four petals of five have gone black. He leans closer, his hot breath on her lips, and sighs "Ah-Yi". As she bursts into tears, he says "If I was still the young master of the Wu clan...I would definitely find the courage to ask the King of Ng to grant me TengYu's hand in marriage."
"Wu ZiXu's words have always been like the most potent cup of wine. It feels like a cut from a knife as you're drinking it down, and makes your whole body burn in a drunken stupor. If we cannot go backwards, then let's just burn in fire like the phoenix and take to the skies to illuminate the long night. This is the last lesson my precious teacher has taught me."
He says "Long have I been a man without a future. So let my death be exchanged for your future and the future of the Kingdom of Ng."
I AM HAVING. A FEELING.
She leaves him, and tells the ministers they have won, and asks for her sword, quieting a distressed ShaoJiang. She runs her finger along the edge.
FuChai: This was the former King's favourite sword. I think it is apt he be stabbed to death by it after his many years of hard work.
She throws the sword at Wu ZiXu's feet and says "stab yourself and end things once and for all". Later, his bloody body is removed. She takes a lock of his hair.
FuChai: Minister Bo, this is the result of your loyalty and protectiveness towards the kingdom. Are you not going to come closer to verify it?
BoPi: D:
Her heart numb, says ChenFeng is to be exiled, then turns and walks away.
Guard: ChenFeng has escaped!
FuChai: Minister Bo, deal with this. We are very tired.
...that was fake, right???
ShaoJiang is sad and worried for FuChai, who has been burying herself in her work. YiGuang admits he's the one who let ChenFeng escape, and sadly says ChenFeng's probably 100% the puppet of the Dragon God now. He's sorry he couldn't help Wu ZiXu.
FuChai: That is the nature of politics. So where have you been?
He explains about her hosting the body of the ding, but needing to sacrifice her soul and pass Mage Yang's test to become it's owner.
ShaoJiang: It wasn't that hard with the phoenix dagger D:
Once again FuChai finds herself facing Mage Yang, and the question: Where does the righteousness of her heart lead her? Her first thought is 'revenge', but she remembers Wu ZiXu (who she refers to as 'her teacher') telling her that a life of revenge has no future, and says she doesn't know.
She finds herself in a swamp, and sees a white haired youth running from soldiers of Chu. Ooh, so she's not living AS a younger WuZiXu but meeting him??
The soldiers discuss raping and torturing 'the boy' for being so much trouble D:
Aww they didn't draw a young Wu ZiXu sprite, it's just a blank screen.
The first choice since the common route! Followed by a BUNCH more in quick succession! And none of these seem obviously wrong, glad I have a walkthrough.
Anyway, FuChai helps out an understandably suspicious Wu ZiXu, who looks painfully young and weak to her eyes (I think he's about 16?), and persuades him she's no threat, and only realises who he is when he politely introduces himself.
He bitterly says she should distance herself from him, even his oldest friends have already turned on him. He asks if this passerby has any advice on how he can achieve his revenge.
Fuchai thinks: If he goes to Ng, he will eventually die at her hand. But if he doesn't, they will never meet. She feels the memory of his hot breath on her lips from their almost-kiss.
Feeling like a selfish bastard, she tells him to go to Ng. He thanks her for her help and staggers into the dark, and before she can say anything more she finds herself on a bright city street.
She bumps into an older Wu ZiXu, now with his adult sprite, still sounding pretty young.
Wu ZiXu: You look exactly the same! Are you an immortal?
He talks about having sought out help from 'the King of Ng'...but unfortunately King Liao is weak, and relies too much on Mage Xian. He can't make a move against Chu when his own kingdom is in dire straights.
She recognises the resolute look in his eyes when he speaks of his desire for revenge, and can't help patting him on the head. He flinches back then his expression softens.
Wu ZiXu: I only escaped by pretending to be an old man with this white hair. Don't I look old?
Fuchai can only shake her head and hold back a sob.
Wu ZiXu: Who are you? After all these years, I have never opened my heart to anyone, yet I want to be honest with you. Stranger, please tell me...who can make my wishes come true?
She tells him to speak to her father, HeLu, knowing this will lead to them taking down King Liao.
Wu ZiXu smiles, saying he's heard good things about HeLu.
Wu ZiXu: Thank you. You've always helped me at critical moments. I hope that if we meet again, you will tell me your true identity. I don't care if you are an immortal or a ghost or even my imagination, I will-
She finds herself facing a furious Wu ZiXu who's just found out the King of Chu is dead. It's been ten years since his family died, and he seems consumed by hatred.
He assumes she's come to tell him not to lose hope, and turns to start writing down ideas for destroying Chu. She puts her hand on his and he turns to her, and she feels tenderness and sadness and realises she's in love with this independent, lonely, wretched man. She's always loved him.
He says he feels like if he hopes for the future, he'll be too happy to seek revenge.
Her tears blurring the words on his scroll, she says he will meet a child who has noone to rely on, and that he will be her only hope.
He cradles her face in his hands and says "What are you? If you are not something conjured up my imagination in my time of madness, then could you...stay beside me?"
FuChai: I will be waiting for you in the future.
Wu ZiXu: ...whatever happens, I will wait for you. If we can meet one more time, I'll-
Note: he has no reason to think she isn't a man. Nicely done again, writers.
She finds herself facing Wu ZiXu as he whips the corpse of the old King of Chu, eyes red with sadness or fury.
Wu ZiXu: HAHAHA! You old fool! Watch me from the nine depths of hell as I, Wu, ZiXu, have laid waste your nation, torn families apart and have left your bones unburied!
And then she has to run to stop him killing himself. Once the hatred leaves his eyes all that's left is emptiness.
Wu ZiXu: Where do I go from here? Where is this child?
She holds him and says "Right here. She is waiting for you to save her."
FuChai sees Wu Zixu meet with 'a pale girl'.
Wu Zixu: So it really was you.
Tengyu: Prime Minister, it's been a while.
Wu Zixu: I hope your Highness is not still grieved by what happened at the Autumn Offering Ceremony.
Tengyu: Father said...I am to inherit the throne with my older brother's identity, FuChai, is that true?
Wu Zixu: From today onwards, you are the Crown Prince, FuChai. I am to be your royal tutor and will cooperate with you for the peace and prosperity of the Kingdom of Ng.
He kneels to TengYu, and though they cannot see her, FuChai hugs Wu ZiXu from behind, crying, and says everything led to this moment.
Mage Yang: *sigh* So that is where your heart wishes to be. It is as the child from the Shi Clan said; she is a sincere, big hearted, but willful girl.
FuChai wakes. YiGuang says she just stared into the glowing eye and he was starting to get worried. She asks Mage Yang if it was real or a dream and he says both, she was drawn into Wu ZiXu's memories by the lock of his hair.
FuChai: Memories are of the past but it didn't feel like I travelled back in time. Did the Prime Minister and I re-experience some of his past events in the dream?
Mage Yang: *nod* Do you understand virtue now?
FuChai: I wish for nothing but to save that one man. I cannot answer your question.
She wakes in the real world, able to use the power of the body of the ding but only at a cost to her soul until she can answer the question and become the owner.
ShaoJiang: Huh? That is too abstruse. So obtaining Emperor Zhou's Sacred Ding is at an Emperor's level of difficulty...
The next day she hears GouJian getting pissy that "a princess of Qi" dares stop him talking to FuChai. He's upset that FuChai sent away his troops, almost like she DOESN'T TRUST HIM, gasp, how dare.
GouJian: You're angry because of the part I played in Wu ZiXu's death. Ah-Yu, look at this injury, he nearly killed me! Do you think I'm lying?!
FuChai: We never said that.
GouJian: But your actions say you trust Wu ZiXu more than me!
FuChai: King of Yue, Ng does not wish to be led by the nose by another Kingdom. Since Ng and Yue are allies, please abide by our wishes.
GouJian: FINE. But I have one last question. You...did you know that Wu ZiXu was going to assassinate me?
FuChai: Ha. Does it matter?
ShaoJiang: Why didn't you explain?
FuChai: He already believes we don't trust him. It would be like pandering to a spoilt child. GouJian is a practical man and will understand after he calms down.
ShaoJiang: Lord Ng, you are too optimistic...what if Prime Minister Wu was right, and the King of Yue has bad intentions?
FuChai: Then it is even better that he leave the city.
She looks out at the city, gutted by fire and the preparations for war, and wonders what Wu ZiXu would think.
BoPi argues that people are already dying of starvation from the war rationing, and they should abandon the city.
BoPi: Ten years is not too long to wait for a gentleman's revenge.
FuChai: My kingdom has overpowered all kingdoms south of the river, and dared to take on all kingdoms north of the river. I did not do these things because I am a gentleman, but pride myself in the philosophy that I would rather die standing than live on my knees!
Younger ministers cheer as she says "Send wine to the city announcers and have them tell the whole city 'If the enemies breech the city's defences, we will sacrifice our blood for the Kingdom of Ng!'"
Guard: The army of Qi is here!
FuChai: Then open the stores! Tonight we feast!
OH LOOK. YUE HAS SIDED WITH QI.
GouJian: Open the city gates and surrender now! Since you allowed me to return to Yue, I'll let you live!
FuChai: Thank you for your sentiments, King of Yue. But we already made a vow to Heaven that we will share the fate of the kingdom. Should it perish, so will we.
She's clenching her fist so tight it bleeds. She buries her vow into her hand with a light kiss and draws her sword. The battle has begun.
There is a thrilling and very viscerally described siege with monsters and a lot of violence.
Aww, YiGuang tells ShaoJiang to believe in herself when she's hesitant about taking on the Qi army's mages. But then the mages summon a black phoenix from her dead brother's dagger :(
Things get bad. A bleeding YiGuang stops FuChai from cutting herself to summon the white tiger, saying she'd be throwing her life away: the monsters will regenerate until he can take down the summoner.
And then lightning crashes and hundreds of dark figures appear against the sky. Most terrifying is the dark figure returned from the underworld for revenge: Prime Minister of Ng, Wu ZiXu.
Chapter 15
Honestly not sure if he faked his death or this is his literal ghost.
The cavalry that attacks the armies of Qi and Yue from behind seems to be flesh and blood. YiGuang takes advantage of this to bring down the monster.
YiGuang: To prepare for the unexpected and attack when they are unprepared. Ah-Yu, you are truly a disciple of Mr Sun Wu.
ShaoJiang: Sir, were you in on Lord Ng's plans?!
YiGuang: I only just figured it out. But if this wasn't planned, she wouldn't have been so calm.
FuChai gives an embarassed laugh and says "Only by fooling those around you can you fool the enemy."
The cavalry consists of men who were sent into exile which I do not remember happening but sure!
Wu ZiXu rides to the front on a black horse and then kneels on one knee to FuChai and earnestly apologises for being late.
Ha, it was all her plan, but she didn't actually explain it to him, relying on him to figure out what "stab yourself and end things once and for all" meant.
BoPi gets on his knees begging FuChai's understanding, saying he only wanted what was best for Ng. FuChai's hand quivers over her sword, remembering that these people nearly caused her to lolose Wu ZiXu and her kingdom.
I can choose to call his faction into question or solve Ng's problems together.
She decides that though BoPi is greedy for money and women, he's not totally useless, and most of his faction were sincere but just didn't trust someone from Chu.
And then BoPi actually comes up with a useful strategy.
ShaoJiang: Phew- here comes the hot water to wash away the smell of blood and mud. This feels so good.
FuChai: No sacrifice is too great to be able to make a beautiful woman smile.
GAME
ShaoJiang: Are you in a good mood because the Prime Minister has returned?
FuChai: Yes :)
YiGuang and Wu ZiXu come in, discussing something with an air of unity, though Wu ZiXu curtly reminds YiGuang to say "My Liege" not "Ah-Yu".
YiGuang says it's clear GouJian is letting the Dragon God use his sacred sword.
FuChai: It is our fault for not noticing he was colluding with the dragon god.
YiGuang: I don't think he was being insincere with you, or you would have noticed.
Wu ZiXu: There's no point wondering about his sincerity now. We need to figure out how to deal with the Dragon God.
When they explain about Mage Yang's question, Wu ZiXu says "Even if you force yourself to answer, it would be a waste of effort if it's not the answer the spirit is looking for. Shi YiGuang, do you have any other method of obtaining it's power?"
YiGuang: We can use it's power, but only at the cost of Ah-Yu's spirit. In her current state it would be suicide.
ShaoJiang: Sir, let's make a plan that doesn't need that power. We're no use leading troops so we'll leave Lord Ng and the Prime Minister to discuss that ;)
Wu ZiXu starts to worry about her health but she puts a finger to his lips and pulls open his clothes to see his wound, which makes him blush.
FuChai: You cut yourself so deep. There was so much blood I didn't know if you were alive or...if you had not appeared today, I don't know what I would have done...
Wu ZiXu: You did very well. You are the bravest lady I've ever seen.
FuChai: Lady...so if I was born a boy then you would not have as many problems as you do.
Wu ZiXu: I have never thought about it that way. Ah-Yu is the one and only Ah-Yu.
There is a passion in his eyes she has never seen before. She kisses the scar on his chest.
FuChai: We have similar wounds, maybe this is a sign of the promise the heavens granted us. Although I'm no longer Tengu, and ZiXu is no longer a youth, could you boldly ask the King of Ng...
Wu ZiXu: I am indeed no longer young, why would you want to be tied down to an old man...
FuChai: I will take no other man as husband in this lifetime.
She looks him in the eye and pulls open his clothes.
FuChai: Tomorrow may be my last day. You and I have gone through a lifetime of adversity together and I want no regrets. ZiXu...will you face the future with me?
He reverently kisses her scar.
He remembers the dream too, and they both see the sorrows of life as having led them to each other. Their night together may be painfully short, but will be remembered as a dream come true.
The next day, standing beside the Qi general are Zheng Dan and ChenFeng, who doesn't so much as blink when he sees FuChai.
The Qi army is decimating Ng and FuChai calls a retreat.
Qi general: The King of Ng not only looks like a girl but has the courage of a girl! Don't let him escape!
Only Zheng Dan realises that FuChai is leading the Qi army into a trap, and he sends his monsters after her. YiGuang saves her with a wall of water and ShaoJiang pulls her onto the phoenix to escape.
The Qi army has been lured to the lakeside, where the Ng army can surround them. The monsters are being held back by a barrier YiGuang set up earlier.
Zheng Dan turns into his dragon form and YiGuang stabs him with water...and the wounds show up on FuChai. YiGuang quickly moves the water to trap the dragon instead, at some personal cost.
Upon seeing her bloody body, Wu ZiXu needs a moment to compose himself before giving his report and asking for orders.
She looks at the terrified, desperate eyes of the soldiers of Qi, trapped by the army of Ng, steeling themselves to fight to the death. What is the difference between them and herself, trapped by the sacred seal, or Wu ZiXu, trapped by his past?
To what end does the righteousness of her heart head her?
She gives the order to back off and give the Qi soldiers space. YiGuang smiles but Wu ZiXu asks if she really wants to lose this oppurtunity make sure the army of Qi can never rise up against them again.
FuChai: If we push them too hard, they will be forced to take desperate measures to survive, and both sides will lose. Haven't we experienced this desperate situation ourselves? Tell the soldiers of Qi that if they surrender and give up the sword, we will treat them kindly, and they can choose to become citizens of Ng or return to Qi.
The soldiers are down for it but GouJian yells "Fuchai! Stop lying! You will kill them the moment they lay down arms!"
This is the first time I can remember him calling her "FuChai".
FuChai: We swear on the heavens that this is no lie.
GouJian: Once a vow is taken it must be done. You and I once took such a vow, and then you turned around and stabbed me in the back!
FuChai: We have never done such a thing. And since we let you return to Yue, our conscience is clear.
When a Qi Soldier argues that FuChai has no motive to kill common soldiers GouJian kills him for swaying the loyalty of the others.
Qi general: King of Yue! You have no right!
When the Qi troops all start defecting to Ng, GouJian commands his troops to kill them all. DUDE.
ShaoJian: But the Qi army is larger than his??
YiGuang: He's using them as a blood sacrifice to make the monsters stronger!
DUDE
YiGuang weakens under the added strain but gets ShaoJiang to help him cast the ritual. It's so reminiscent of the day her brothers died that FuChai takes a step back, into Wu ZiXu's arms. He whispers fiercely "Ah-Yu, do not fear, for I'm here with you!"
The sky erupts in light, and GouJian shouts for ChenFeng to kill Shi YiGuang.
FuChai: ZiXu, when you stabbed me all those years ago, it was to give me a new lease on life. Today I wish to give the Kingdom of Ng a new lease on life. What do you think?
Wu ZiXu: I have always been of one heart and mind with Ah-Yu and only wished to protect the peace and prosperity of Ng with you.
She kisses his hand and says "I'm afraid of death and pain...please hold me." Then she plunges the sword into her chest.
GouJian: Ah-Yu! Stop!
Mage Yang: Why have you stopped the killing?
FuChai: What is the point?
Mage Yang: Why do you want to break the sacred vow?
FuChai: To be over this grudge that started generations ago and be free from my haunted past!
He smiles and says she has reached the pinnacle of good will.
She wakes to see ChenFeng shakily saying her name, as a delighted YiGuang uses her power as the owner of the body of the ding to complete the ritual and destroy the dragon god.
Their allies the army of Lu have arrived, and GouJian is forced to call for a retreat.
Wu ZiXu kisses her wound as she lays in his arms.
Wu ZiXu: Wu ZiXu wishes to brazenly ask the king of Ng...will you share your life with me and allow me to stay by your side forever?
Epilogue
FuChai: This is a big fish! I am definitely going to win!
Little girl: I've hooked ten while mother has only hooked one, so you might not.
FuChai: Who taught you to be disrespectful to your mother?
Little girl: Is it respectful to change the rules halfway into the competition with your daughter?
ChenFeng: ...the fish is getting away...
FuChai falls into the water chasing it and and Wu ZiXu catches her. He frowns at their daughter calling her 'Father' in public, but she and FuChai argue that Tiger Hill counts as 'inside the house'.
She's wearing a pretty feminine dress while Wu ZiXu is in civilian clothes, which I guess is symbolic of them regaining their connection to their happier pre-trauma selves. I GUESS.
FuChai: You better run away, your father is starting to lecture again.
Little girl: Thank you, mother, for saving me!
Wu ZiXu: The Princess is old enough to learn a thing or two.
FuChai: Haven't all the children you've taught become the best kings in the land?
He wishes she could have been relieved from her burdens, but she points out how much they've achieved in ten years, including changing the laws of succession so that their daughter can inherit the throne.
Wu ZiXu: So proud!
FuChai: It was a husband and wife effort ;)
Since their daughter has run off with ChenFeng chasing after her, they steal a kiss.
FuChai: Was it really alright for you to remain the guest of the Princess instead of the Prime Minister?
Wu ZiXu: I thought I would be single for the rest of my life but now I have a wife and daughter. What more could I ask for? And was the magnanimity of BoPi and the others that let us keep our marriage a secret so that I could stay by your side.
FuChai: Now that you're not Prime Minister your words have become much sweeter.
Wu ZiXu, blushing: Of course I need to put on my charms with such a beautiful woman in front of me.
Him being a happy househusband is pretty great.
ShaoJiang is now head priest of Qi, and says some people are now worshipping Wu ZiXu as a water god who died and was resurrected in a wave of water. Wu ZiXu dismisses this as people worshipping anything new and interesting.
YiGuang has returned to his village in Yue, and saw GouJian, still consumed by revenge though his kingdom has fallen.
Wu ZiXu thanks her for making him so happy for ten years, and she says they will have decades more, even when TengYu is an old lady and ZiXu is long past youth.
The End
Awwwww. My transmasc heart is a little sad she wears dresses in private but obviously she would, self, this game isn't actually intended to be about being trans. And I love that she's still happily living as a dude in public, being shippy with her daughter's tutor. I wonder who the mother is supposed to be, FuChai clearly didn't marry ShaoJiang. Maybe she was all "I knocked up some random commoner and she died, so sad, but I am raising the bastard as my heir".
I liked that this Fuchai is blunt and forceful as a match for Wu ZiXu, but also explicitly pushes back against his callously pragmatic approach to morality.
Bad End:
FuChai tells dream!Wu ZiXu not to go to Ng, but he ends up there anyway. Even when she doesn't push him towards HeLu, HeLu approaches him.
FuChai denounces BoPi's faction, thinking that TengYu is dead and this is what FuChai should do. Wu ZiXu persuades her to wait to kill him until after the war.
BoPi says she shouldn't disguise her grudge as justice: this was all GouJian's plan, and is FuChai's fault for trusting him.
Later, FuChai looks at the cornered Qi army, and thinks of the deaths of her ancestors and father. She understands how Wu ZiXu felt having to wait ten years to take revenge for his own family. The only thing keeping her alive is her hatred for the dragon god.
FuChai: Destroy the enemy and get me the Sword of the King of Yue!
The army of Ng starts driving the Qi soldiers into the lake, and so they retaliate with suicidal charges, creating chaos. FuChai feels a sense of satisfaction at seeing the Qi soldiers die, revenge for her years of suffering.
And then the city gates open, allowing the Qi soldiers to escape and scaring off the soldiers of Lu. It was BoPi.
Fuchai starts coughing up blood and freaking out, Wu ZiXu calms her down, wipes the blood from her mouth, and goes to retake the city with his men.
FuChai takes a blow from ChenFeng intended for YiGuang. FuChai realises this is her last chance to use her body as a sacrifice. She smiles at the dragon god and says "Death would be my best revenge against you" before stabbing herself in the chest where Wu ZiXu stabbed her years before.
In the spiritual realm, she laughs at herself for ever fearing death. Hatred is indeed the strongest motivator. She tells Mage Yang righteousness is fulfilling her vow to seek revenge, and does not gain the power of the ding. Thanks to YiGuang, the monsters are defeated and the dragon god becomes a small snake. But GouJian continues the attack.
As everything starts to blur, FuChai feels she has forgotten another vow. In the end, her hatred came to nothing.
Wu ZiXu is fighting desperately to take back the city, but when he sees the ritual is complete he rushes back through a near impenetrable wall of enemies towards FuChai. But a tearful ShaoJiang says he's too late. She has turned into water and flowed into the lake.
He kneels at the altar, blood from his wounds pooling around him before being being swallowed up by the dark water. In a hoarse, sad, soft voice, he tells ShaoJiang and YiGuang they should leave. The king of Ng is dead and the Kingdom of Ng is as good as lost.
He whispers "Ah-Yu", and FuChai's ghost embraces him, saying "ZiXu".
GouJian: Prime Minister Wu.
Wu ZiXu, softly: Where would Prime Minister Wu be without Lord Ng?
There is the sound of a sword strike.
GouJian: Even your decapitated head looks towards Lake Tai... Prime Minister Wu, please use your soul to protect Ah-Yu.
Epilogue
The doctor 'Ah-Lin', ShaoJiang, is taking a boat to visit YiGuang in his village. The boatman notes how many temples there are to Wu ZiXu, saying the King of Yue has been magnanimous in not only building temples to his old enemy but helping rebuild Ng and Gusu after the war.
But the remains of the royal family of Ng still agitate for revenge, as does Chenfeng. When ShaoJiang looks sad, the boatman says it's not anything for commoners to worry about.
Passenger: I will go pray to Wu ZiXu for a smooth journey.
ShaoJiang: It will be a cold day in hell before Wu ZiXu is that amicable.
Passenger: Pardon?
ShaoJiang: Nothing.
As the little white snake crawls around her wrist, she wonders what Wu ZiXu would think of all this, a man who wanted to kill a god now worshipped as one. But all he cared about was his revenge, he probably wouldn't care.
The End
This was great!!
This FuChai is bitter, commanding, and badass with a stubborn core of compassion which melts the lonely heart under Wu ZiXu's bitter, commanding, badass, callous exterior. It has a lot of fun with all the complex, sexy power relationships inherent to a romance between an older advisor and the ruler he's known since she was a child. It turns out he only really met her when she was 14, so it's not as quasi-cross-gen-incestuous as it could have been but it's still what it is.
She's very much in charge though. He kneels a lot. It's great.
The route is all about overcoming trauma and has some pretty dark moments.
Also, this isn't an objective flaw, but it messed me about a bit with how it handled gender: the happy ending is about both of them regaining the potential for happiness they had before being consumed with hatred and revenge, which for FuChai means regaining a connection with her younger, princess self. And Wu ZiXu is the most explicitly into her being a woman so far. On the other hand there were some moments that felt pretty gay, and it feels very much like Wu ZiXu would also be into her as a dude, she just happens not to be one.
These writers are GREAT at bittersweet yearning, I am definitely playing the game they wrote about Forbidden Love with a monastery full of celibate monks.
Content notes: suicide, violence, incest, rape (not from LI), violence between love interests
Wow this walkthrough has *counts* TWENTY THREE choices??
While I wait for the game to skip through the stuff I've seen, here's the real historical backstory from the Wu ZiXu Wikipedia page (lookit that sexy statue lol):
King Ping of Chu stole his son's fiance, and to prevent reprisals killed his son's tutor, Wu Zixu's father, as well as Wu Zixu's brother. Wu Zixu escaped to Ng to plot his revenge, and suffered so much stress his hair turned white. He became a trusted advisor to Ng's then king HeLu, and they invaded Chu. Wu ZiXu dug up King Ping and lashed his corpse 300 times.
When FuChai took power he got so pissed off at Wu Zixu's advice to conquer Yue and not trust GouJian that FuChai ordered him to commit suicide.
"Wu Zixu asked King Fuchai to remove his eyes after his death and hang them on the city gate so that he could watch the capture of the Wu capital by the Yue army.
Ten years after Wu Zixu's death, as Wu Zixu had predicted, King Goujian of Yue conquered the state of Wu. Faced with the demise of his state, King Fuchai committed suicide. He lamented that he did not heed the counsel of Wu Zixu and covered his face as he died because he dared not face Wu in the afterlife."
Wu Zixu is worshipped in eastern China as Taoshen, "God of the Waves". He is seen as a Confucian hero: a minister who was killed for giving a king good advice.
OK ON WITH THE GAME
Choosing to search for followers with Wu ZiXu he talks about how in the past, all priests of Ng were Dragon God worshippers, which is obvious in retrospect but I hadn't thought of it that way. But the Shi clan valued the king and kingdom over the god or power, while Mage Xian and his followers did the reverse, and split off when the king decided to break the vow.
They find ShaoJiang in a boat this time.
When Wu ZiXu goes to kill GouJian, this time instead of stopping him FuChai draws her sword to kill him herself!
FuChai: Ah-Yu and the people who once called me that are long gone. What we have been indulging in is but a glimmer of our past existence. We are FuChai and we exist only for our Kingdom of Ng. Since this is an act of revenge that we should have taken three years ago, we shall personally see to it, and kill off that horrible weakness of ours!
Welp. I was disappointed that YiGuang!FuChai wasn't as bloodthirsty...
GouJian: Ah-Yu. are you really willing to kill me? :(
FuChai: We are the King of Ng! We should have done this three years ago!
GouJian: Fine! I am willing to die for a friend. But as the King of Ng, I hope that you will be able to live with your conscience!
The word 'conscience' throws her off, but she tells herself she can't hesitate. And then he tells them about the doctor and the plot continues on.
I love that when Wu ZiXu disagrees with FuChai about going into a magical array, the response that gets points with him is not "persuade him" but "command him".
Ha! He still thinks she's into GouJian.
After the first battle with Qi, FuChai hears that the dragon god attacked GuSu, then gets the message from Wu ZiXu that she missed in the other two routes: he needs the army to come back to GuSu for fear of a coup.
Chapter 11
Flashback:
Aristocrats murderously fight over who gets to marry FuChai and father the next king of Ng.
Everything around FuChai is covered in the red of blood, from her wedding dress to the floor to the corpse staring up at her.
FuChai: Uncle, why did you kill my husband? D:
FuGai: He is not your husband. This babe of the Mei Clan has not even taken off your clothes yet.
Hoo boy.
He tears open her clothes, putting his bloody hand on the seal on her chest.
FuGai: If it wasn't for my elder brother wanting to pass the Sacred Seal onto you...why should a helpless little girl be King of Ng? Should I learn to kill a king like he once did and kill you? Or should I be the father of the next King of Ng?
She calls for ChenFeng but he has already been cut down.
It gets QUITE RAPEY and the screen fills with the words "I WANT TO DIE" but then there is a flash of silver and Wu ZiXu has killed him.
Wu ZiXu tries to cover her up as she sits in a pile of rags and she pushes him away, saying "Please kill me".
D:
The Present:
Fuchai wakes, calling for ChenFeng, then remembers he's locked up. ShaoJiang clumsily helps her bind her chest and put on her undergarments.
ShaoJiang points out that the court is tense and full of more guards than usual. The moment she arrives Bo Pi tries to get Wu ZiXu in trouble for some granaries being burned by the dragon.
Fan Li from Yue arrives, and was apparently the guy in charge while GouJian was in Ng. GouJian has sent provisions, which Wu ZiXu thinks is suspiciously convenient. Bo Pi, who was in GouJian's pocket irl, is all "You would let our people starve because of a personal grudge??"
FuChai accepts the provisions but tells Bo Pi to stop causing division in the middle of a war. When he keeps arguing Wu ZiXu offers to atone by guarding the grave on Tiger Hill for six months.
ShaoJiang worries this discord is all playing into Tian Heng's hands.
Chenfeng wakes up and says she should kill him...for being so weak as to pass out when protecting her.
Fuchai: Is that...all you remember?
Chenfeng: Yes? Why, did I do something else to embarrass My Liege? D:
Fuchai: ...No. Just get some rest.
For the first time in her life, she can't honestly talk to him about her problems. ShaoJiang apologetically says her magic isn't good enough to say if the curse is broken for good.
FuChai does government work, very aware of how much harder it is without Wu ZiXu's help. She hasn't spoken to him in days and wonders if he's angry at her.
He talks about feeling old, and says he's angered the other ministers enough that even FuChai won't be able to save him from their retribution.
FuChai: You should know that we were born stubborn. If Bo Pi had insisted on punishing you further, we would have said you were our husband and the future father of the next king!
Wu ZiXu: Nonsense! You refuse to marry!
She has a traumatic flashback to the wedding three years ago. Now she can't even think of marriage without feeling disgusted and repulsed. (...I guess she got over that off screen on the other two paths due to the power of love)
Wu ZiXu: ...what about Shi YiGuang? He is politically useless but you have feelings for him, right?
FuChai is at first shocked, considering how much Wu Zixu mistrusts Shi YiGuang, and then angry for reasons she doesn't quite understand.
FuChai: YiGuang is our childhood friend and Ng owes him a great debt. Must we sacrifice ourselves to repay him? Prime Minister, do you really want to push me onto someone else?
Wu ZiXu: If you really do not feel that way about Shi YiGuang, then forget I said anything. I know you will not change your mind no matter what I say, so let us just drop the subject.
FuChai: Actually, we are curious about love. Prime Minister, did you have anyone that you loved in Chu?
He smiles and puts his hand on her head. "I was a teenager and the second son. All I did was play and write love letters to girls for fun. But looking back, it feels like a fleeting dream. My heart was filled with anger when I came to Ng. And after my revenge, all that was left was a void."
He tells her not to let her own life be ruled by hatred, and while his only wish in life is to help her break the vow and become a good ruler he's not a good reference for things like romance.
She realises that once she breaks the seal, his life will be meaningless. Even though she's not as old as him, she feels as if the Seal has stolen her youth, and she wonders what she will have left once she fulfils her own goals. They are two people with nothing, discussing the future.
FuChai: If I was still Princess Tengyu, and you were still the young master of the Wu Clan...where would we both be today? Maybe I would travel the world and bump into you in Chu's capital, speeding by in my carriage while you stick your head out of your mansion...
Wu ZiXu: That princess is really impressive!
FuChai: Are you sure it's not a young man?
Wu ZiXu: No man will be so blind as to mistake a gentle and beautiful woman for a young man.
They both laugh.
Wu ZiXu: If that was the case, we would never have met.
FuChai: Where would Lord Ng be without Minister Wu?
But then...the city is on fire!!
Chapter 12
GouJian: How lucky, I just HAPPENED to be visiting the city with more provisions and also all these soldiers, so we can help with this fire you are coincidentally having :)
Even Wu ZiXu just accepts the help. But there's only so much the Yue soldiers can do...
And then a giant green dragon spits water over the city! It's YiGuang!
He says maintaining a dragon uses a lot of magic and asks for some of FuChai's blood. FuChai thinks this feels a little shady but doesn't hesitate.
Wu ZiXu: What are you doing >:( Why not just use the Shi water magic?
YiGuang: Good point! *puts out fire immediately*
(I thought this might be leading to this YiGuang turning out to be fake, but no, it was just kinda lazy writing)
She collapses into Wu ZiXu's arms just as Bo Pi shows up saying that the arsonist claimed to be under orders from Wu ZiXu. And the arsonist...was ChenFeng!!
Flashback:
FuChai: Please, kill me. I don't want to deal with the seal. I don't want to be king.
Wu ZiXu: We have worked so hard for the last two years to hide your identity. If you do not do this, who else can?
He pushes a bloody sword into her hand and points it at her chest. I'm not sure if this is literally the same scene where she got raped D:
Wu ZiXu: Then stab yourself, and die!
She presses the sword into her skin. It hurts.
Wu ZiXu: Why have you stopped? Let me help >:D
Fuchai: Stop! It hurts!
But he just presses harder, and blood spurts out. Overcome, she cries out "Prime Minister, save me!"
Fuchai watches 'the girl that is me' ask why he did it.
Wu ZiXu: I was taking a gamble, to see if the Kingdom of Ng would perish because of an orphan ruler who is too weak to survive, or prosper under a powerful King strong enough to confront death.
Fuchai: You have won.
Wu ZiXu: Since you have stabbed your old self, TengYu, to death, you should let go of the past once and for all. You are now FuChai, and the only King I will serve.
Present:
Fuchai wakes to ShaoJiang sobbing that ChenFeng has been put on death row awaiting FuChai's execution order. BoPi and the other ministers refuse to take the curse into account, and keep proclaiming Wu ZiXu's guilt.
Oh FuChai, no, GouJian is not going to help persuade the ministers to stop suspecting Wu ZiXu.
Also, while Wu ZiXu didn't do all the other things, he probably was the one who ordered GouJian to be shot in the back mid-battle. BUT HE DESERVED IT.
Blech this is all irritating.
Ha! Fuchai KICKS BoPi as he kneels in front of her, badmouthing Wu ZiXu, and calls for her sword.
The other ministers all defend him and GouJian counsels her to be reasonable. So she says she wants to interrogate Wu ZiXu personally "to find out why he failed her" and laughs to herself coldly when the ministers fall over themselves to admire her wisdom.
She kicks in the door to his cell and Wu ZiXu immediately gets onto his knees and asks her to sentence him to death.
...yeah I am enjoying this more than the YiGuang path... >.>
Chapter 13
Fuchai: Do you think we believe those nonsense lies? Did they force you to confess? Say the word and we will kill that old man BoPi!
He says he really did order GouJian's assassination and she slaps him.
Unrepentant, he says he knows hatred, pride, and hunger for power too well, and recognises them in GouJian. It was his one chance to make it look like an accident.
Wu ZiXu: If Ng is safe, you are safe. Even if you end up hating me, I will still do it!
FuChai: We do hate you! But I can't kill you!
Wu ZiXu: You must! If you hesitate the hearts of the people will be affected, and unable to face a strong....WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING
FuChai, angrily stripping: They can't kill you if we're married!
There is an AMAZING CG of FuChai shouting Wu ZiXu and pulling at her clothes, who is trying to hold them closed with a very sad expression. But it looked kinda rapey out of context so I decided not to cap it.
Wu ZiXu: You've gone crazy D:
FuChai: The heavens have gone crazy! You have the courage to kill me but not to lay with me? Is it because I'm half man and half woman?
Wu ZiXu: No, you're my...
He looks at her with intense fondness, and says it's too late. If he can't save Ng, what use is he?
FuChai: Do you really want to leave me alone in this unforgiving world?
Wu ZiXu: If you really want to do something for me, break the sacred vow, and then clear my name, for the sake of my dead family.
FuChai: No! The Kingdom of Ng cannot go on without you! I cannot go on without you!
He looks at her with a soft, sad, expression, eyes falling to the seal on her chest, where four petals of five have gone black. He leans closer, his hot breath on her lips, and sighs "Ah-Yi". As she bursts into tears, he says "If I was still the young master of the Wu clan...I would definitely find the courage to ask the King of Ng to grant me TengYu's hand in marriage."
"Wu ZiXu's words have always been like the most potent cup of wine. It feels like a cut from a knife as you're drinking it down, and makes your whole body burn in a drunken stupor. If we cannot go backwards, then let's just burn in fire like the phoenix and take to the skies to illuminate the long night. This is the last lesson my precious teacher has taught me."
He says "Long have I been a man without a future. So let my death be exchanged for your future and the future of the Kingdom of Ng."
I AM HAVING. A FEELING.
She leaves him, and tells the ministers they have won, and asks for her sword, quieting a distressed ShaoJiang. She runs her finger along the edge.
FuChai: This was the former King's favourite sword. I think it is apt he be stabbed to death by it after his many years of hard work.
She throws the sword at Wu ZiXu's feet and says "stab yourself and end things once and for all". Later, his bloody body is removed. She takes a lock of his hair.
FuChai: Minister Bo, this is the result of your loyalty and protectiveness towards the kingdom. Are you not going to come closer to verify it?
BoPi: D:
Her heart numb, says ChenFeng is to be exiled, then turns and walks away.
Guard: ChenFeng has escaped!
FuChai: Minister Bo, deal with this. We are very tired.
...that was fake, right???
ShaoJiang is sad and worried for FuChai, who has been burying herself in her work. YiGuang admits he's the one who let ChenFeng escape, and sadly says ChenFeng's probably 100% the puppet of the Dragon God now. He's sorry he couldn't help Wu ZiXu.
FuChai: That is the nature of politics. So where have you been?
He explains about her hosting the body of the ding, but needing to sacrifice her soul and pass Mage Yang's test to become it's owner.
ShaoJiang: It wasn't that hard with the phoenix dagger D:
Once again FuChai finds herself facing Mage Yang, and the question: Where does the righteousness of her heart lead her? Her first thought is 'revenge', but she remembers Wu ZiXu (who she refers to as 'her teacher') telling her that a life of revenge has no future, and says she doesn't know.
She finds herself in a swamp, and sees a white haired youth running from soldiers of Chu. Ooh, so she's not living AS a younger WuZiXu but meeting him??
The soldiers discuss raping and torturing 'the boy' for being so much trouble D:
Aww they didn't draw a young Wu ZiXu sprite, it's just a blank screen.
The first choice since the common route! Followed by a BUNCH more in quick succession! And none of these seem obviously wrong, glad I have a walkthrough.
Anyway, FuChai helps out an understandably suspicious Wu ZiXu, who looks painfully young and weak to her eyes (I think he's about 16?), and persuades him she's no threat, and only realises who he is when he politely introduces himself.
He bitterly says she should distance herself from him, even his oldest friends have already turned on him. He asks if this passerby has any advice on how he can achieve his revenge.
Fuchai thinks: If he goes to Ng, he will eventually die at her hand. But if he doesn't, they will never meet. She feels the memory of his hot breath on her lips from their almost-kiss.
Feeling like a selfish bastard, she tells him to go to Ng. He thanks her for her help and staggers into the dark, and before she can say anything more she finds herself on a bright city street.
She bumps into an older Wu ZiXu, now with his adult sprite, still sounding pretty young.
Wu ZiXu: You look exactly the same! Are you an immortal?
He talks about having sought out help from 'the King of Ng'...but unfortunately King Liao is weak, and relies too much on Mage Xian. He can't make a move against Chu when his own kingdom is in dire straights.
She recognises the resolute look in his eyes when he speaks of his desire for revenge, and can't help patting him on the head. He flinches back then his expression softens.
Wu ZiXu: I only escaped by pretending to be an old man with this white hair. Don't I look old?
Fuchai can only shake her head and hold back a sob.
Wu ZiXu: Who are you? After all these years, I have never opened my heart to anyone, yet I want to be honest with you. Stranger, please tell me...who can make my wishes come true?
She tells him to speak to her father, HeLu, knowing this will lead to them taking down King Liao.
Wu ZiXu smiles, saying he's heard good things about HeLu.
Wu ZiXu: Thank you. You've always helped me at critical moments. I hope that if we meet again, you will tell me your true identity. I don't care if you are an immortal or a ghost or even my imagination, I will-
She finds herself facing a furious Wu ZiXu who's just found out the King of Chu is dead. It's been ten years since his family died, and he seems consumed by hatred.
He assumes she's come to tell him not to lose hope, and turns to start writing down ideas for destroying Chu. She puts her hand on his and he turns to her, and she feels tenderness and sadness and realises she's in love with this independent, lonely, wretched man. She's always loved him.
He says he feels like if he hopes for the future, he'll be too happy to seek revenge.
Her tears blurring the words on his scroll, she says he will meet a child who has noone to rely on, and that he will be her only hope.
He cradles her face in his hands and says "What are you? If you are not something conjured up my imagination in my time of madness, then could you...stay beside me?"
FuChai: I will be waiting for you in the future.
Wu ZiXu: ...whatever happens, I will wait for you. If we can meet one more time, I'll-
Note: he has no reason to think she isn't a man. Nicely done again, writers.
She finds herself facing Wu ZiXu as he whips the corpse of the old King of Chu, eyes red with sadness or fury.
Wu ZiXu: HAHAHA! You old fool! Watch me from the nine depths of hell as I, Wu, ZiXu, have laid waste your nation, torn families apart and have left your bones unburied!
And then she has to run to stop him killing himself. Once the hatred leaves his eyes all that's left is emptiness.
Wu ZiXu: Where do I go from here? Where is this child?
She holds him and says "Right here. She is waiting for you to save her."
FuChai sees Wu Zixu meet with 'a pale girl'.
Wu Zixu: So it really was you.
Tengyu: Prime Minister, it's been a while.
Wu Zixu: I hope your Highness is not still grieved by what happened at the Autumn Offering Ceremony.
Tengyu: Father said...I am to inherit the throne with my older brother's identity, FuChai, is that true?
Wu Zixu: From today onwards, you are the Crown Prince, FuChai. I am to be your royal tutor and will cooperate with you for the peace and prosperity of the Kingdom of Ng.
He kneels to TengYu, and though they cannot see her, FuChai hugs Wu ZiXu from behind, crying, and says everything led to this moment.
Mage Yang: *sigh* So that is where your heart wishes to be. It is as the child from the Shi Clan said; she is a sincere, big hearted, but willful girl.
FuChai wakes. YiGuang says she just stared into the glowing eye and he was starting to get worried. She asks Mage Yang if it was real or a dream and he says both, she was drawn into Wu ZiXu's memories by the lock of his hair.
FuChai: Memories are of the past but it didn't feel like I travelled back in time. Did the Prime Minister and I re-experience some of his past events in the dream?
Mage Yang: *nod* Do you understand virtue now?
FuChai: I wish for nothing but to save that one man. I cannot answer your question.
She wakes in the real world, able to use the power of the body of the ding but only at a cost to her soul until she can answer the question and become the owner.
ShaoJiang: Huh? That is too abstruse. So obtaining Emperor Zhou's Sacred Ding is at an Emperor's level of difficulty...
The next day she hears GouJian getting pissy that "a princess of Qi" dares stop him talking to FuChai. He's upset that FuChai sent away his troops, almost like she DOESN'T TRUST HIM, gasp, how dare.
GouJian: You're angry because of the part I played in Wu ZiXu's death. Ah-Yu, look at this injury, he nearly killed me! Do you think I'm lying?!
FuChai: We never said that.
GouJian: But your actions say you trust Wu ZiXu more than me!
FuChai: King of Yue, Ng does not wish to be led by the nose by another Kingdom. Since Ng and Yue are allies, please abide by our wishes.
GouJian: FINE. But I have one last question. You...did you know that Wu ZiXu was going to assassinate me?
FuChai: Ha. Does it matter?
ShaoJiang: Why didn't you explain?
FuChai: He already believes we don't trust him. It would be like pandering to a spoilt child. GouJian is a practical man and will understand after he calms down.
ShaoJiang: Lord Ng, you are too optimistic...what if Prime Minister Wu was right, and the King of Yue has bad intentions?
FuChai: Then it is even better that he leave the city.
She looks out at the city, gutted by fire and the preparations for war, and wonders what Wu ZiXu would think.
BoPi argues that people are already dying of starvation from the war rationing, and they should abandon the city.
BoPi: Ten years is not too long to wait for a gentleman's revenge.
FuChai: My kingdom has overpowered all kingdoms south of the river, and dared to take on all kingdoms north of the river. I did not do these things because I am a gentleman, but pride myself in the philosophy that I would rather die standing than live on my knees!
Younger ministers cheer as she says "Send wine to the city announcers and have them tell the whole city 'If the enemies breech the city's defences, we will sacrifice our blood for the Kingdom of Ng!'"
Guard: The army of Qi is here!
FuChai: Then open the stores! Tonight we feast!
OH LOOK. YUE HAS SIDED WITH QI.
GouJian: Open the city gates and surrender now! Since you allowed me to return to Yue, I'll let you live!
FuChai: Thank you for your sentiments, King of Yue. But we already made a vow to Heaven that we will share the fate of the kingdom. Should it perish, so will we.
She's clenching her fist so tight it bleeds. She buries her vow into her hand with a light kiss and draws her sword. The battle has begun.
There is a thrilling and very viscerally described siege with monsters and a lot of violence.
Aww, YiGuang tells ShaoJiang to believe in herself when she's hesitant about taking on the Qi army's mages. But then the mages summon a black phoenix from her dead brother's dagger :(
Things get bad. A bleeding YiGuang stops FuChai from cutting herself to summon the white tiger, saying she'd be throwing her life away: the monsters will regenerate until he can take down the summoner.
And then lightning crashes and hundreds of dark figures appear against the sky. Most terrifying is the dark figure returned from the underworld for revenge: Prime Minister of Ng, Wu ZiXu.
Chapter 15
Honestly not sure if he faked his death or this is his literal ghost.
The cavalry that attacks the armies of Qi and Yue from behind seems to be flesh and blood. YiGuang takes advantage of this to bring down the monster.
YiGuang: To prepare for the unexpected and attack when they are unprepared. Ah-Yu, you are truly a disciple of Mr Sun Wu.
ShaoJiang: Sir, were you in on Lord Ng's plans?!
YiGuang: I only just figured it out. But if this wasn't planned, she wouldn't have been so calm.
FuChai gives an embarassed laugh and says "Only by fooling those around you can you fool the enemy."
The cavalry consists of men who were sent into exile which I do not remember happening but sure!
Wu ZiXu rides to the front on a black horse and then kneels on one knee to FuChai and earnestly apologises for being late.
Ha, it was all her plan, but she didn't actually explain it to him, relying on him to figure out what "stab yourself and end things once and for all" meant.
BoPi gets on his knees begging FuChai's understanding, saying he only wanted what was best for Ng. FuChai's hand quivers over her sword, remembering that these people nearly caused her to lolose Wu ZiXu and her kingdom.
I can choose to call his faction into question or solve Ng's problems together.
She decides that though BoPi is greedy for money and women, he's not totally useless, and most of his faction were sincere but just didn't trust someone from Chu.
And then BoPi actually comes up with a useful strategy.
ShaoJiang: Phew- here comes the hot water to wash away the smell of blood and mud. This feels so good.
FuChai: No sacrifice is too great to be able to make a beautiful woman smile.
GAME
ShaoJiang: Are you in a good mood because the Prime Minister has returned?
FuChai: Yes :)
YiGuang and Wu ZiXu come in, discussing something with an air of unity, though Wu ZiXu curtly reminds YiGuang to say "My Liege" not "Ah-Yu".
YiGuang says it's clear GouJian is letting the Dragon God use his sacred sword.
FuChai: It is our fault for not noticing he was colluding with the dragon god.
YiGuang: I don't think he was being insincere with you, or you would have noticed.
Wu ZiXu: There's no point wondering about his sincerity now. We need to figure out how to deal with the Dragon God.
When they explain about Mage Yang's question, Wu ZiXu says "Even if you force yourself to answer, it would be a waste of effort if it's not the answer the spirit is looking for. Shi YiGuang, do you have any other method of obtaining it's power?"
YiGuang: We can use it's power, but only at the cost of Ah-Yu's spirit. In her current state it would be suicide.
ShaoJiang: Sir, let's make a plan that doesn't need that power. We're no use leading troops so we'll leave Lord Ng and the Prime Minister to discuss that ;)
Wu ZiXu starts to worry about her health but she puts a finger to his lips and pulls open his clothes to see his wound, which makes him blush.
FuChai: You cut yourself so deep. There was so much blood I didn't know if you were alive or...if you had not appeared today, I don't know what I would have done...
Wu ZiXu: You did very well. You are the bravest lady I've ever seen.
FuChai: Lady...so if I was born a boy then you would not have as many problems as you do.
Wu ZiXu: I have never thought about it that way. Ah-Yu is the one and only Ah-Yu.
There is a passion in his eyes she has never seen before. She kisses the scar on his chest.
FuChai: We have similar wounds, maybe this is a sign of the promise the heavens granted us. Although I'm no longer Tengu, and ZiXu is no longer a youth, could you boldly ask the King of Ng...
Wu ZiXu: I am indeed no longer young, why would you want to be tied down to an old man...
FuChai: I will take no other man as husband in this lifetime.
She looks him in the eye and pulls open his clothes.
FuChai: Tomorrow may be my last day. You and I have gone through a lifetime of adversity together and I want no regrets. ZiXu...will you face the future with me?
He reverently kisses her scar.
He remembers the dream too, and they both see the sorrows of life as having led them to each other. Their night together may be painfully short, but will be remembered as a dream come true.
The next day, standing beside the Qi general are Zheng Dan and ChenFeng, who doesn't so much as blink when he sees FuChai.
The Qi army is decimating Ng and FuChai calls a retreat.
Qi general: The King of Ng not only looks like a girl but has the courage of a girl! Don't let him escape!
Only Zheng Dan realises that FuChai is leading the Qi army into a trap, and he sends his monsters after her. YiGuang saves her with a wall of water and ShaoJiang pulls her onto the phoenix to escape.
The Qi army has been lured to the lakeside, where the Ng army can surround them. The monsters are being held back by a barrier YiGuang set up earlier.
Zheng Dan turns into his dragon form and YiGuang stabs him with water...and the wounds show up on FuChai. YiGuang quickly moves the water to trap the dragon instead, at some personal cost.
Upon seeing her bloody body, Wu ZiXu needs a moment to compose himself before giving his report and asking for orders.
She looks at the terrified, desperate eyes of the soldiers of Qi, trapped by the army of Ng, steeling themselves to fight to the death. What is the difference between them and herself, trapped by the sacred seal, or Wu ZiXu, trapped by his past?
To what end does the righteousness of her heart head her?
She gives the order to back off and give the Qi soldiers space. YiGuang smiles but Wu ZiXu asks if she really wants to lose this oppurtunity make sure the army of Qi can never rise up against them again.
FuChai: If we push them too hard, they will be forced to take desperate measures to survive, and both sides will lose. Haven't we experienced this desperate situation ourselves? Tell the soldiers of Qi that if they surrender and give up the sword, we will treat them kindly, and they can choose to become citizens of Ng or return to Qi.
The soldiers are down for it but GouJian yells "Fuchai! Stop lying! You will kill them the moment they lay down arms!"
This is the first time I can remember him calling her "FuChai".
FuChai: We swear on the heavens that this is no lie.
GouJian: Once a vow is taken it must be done. You and I once took such a vow, and then you turned around and stabbed me in the back!
FuChai: We have never done such a thing. And since we let you return to Yue, our conscience is clear.
When a Qi Soldier argues that FuChai has no motive to kill common soldiers GouJian kills him for swaying the loyalty of the others.
Qi general: King of Yue! You have no right!
When the Qi troops all start defecting to Ng, GouJian commands his troops to kill them all. DUDE.
ShaoJian: But the Qi army is larger than his??
YiGuang: He's using them as a blood sacrifice to make the monsters stronger!
DUDE
YiGuang weakens under the added strain but gets ShaoJiang to help him cast the ritual. It's so reminiscent of the day her brothers died that FuChai takes a step back, into Wu ZiXu's arms. He whispers fiercely "Ah-Yu, do not fear, for I'm here with you!"
The sky erupts in light, and GouJian shouts for ChenFeng to kill Shi YiGuang.
FuChai: ZiXu, when you stabbed me all those years ago, it was to give me a new lease on life. Today I wish to give the Kingdom of Ng a new lease on life. What do you think?
Wu ZiXu: I have always been of one heart and mind with Ah-Yu and only wished to protect the peace and prosperity of Ng with you.
She kisses his hand and says "I'm afraid of death and pain...please hold me." Then she plunges the sword into her chest.
GouJian: Ah-Yu! Stop!
Mage Yang: Why have you stopped the killing?
FuChai: What is the point?
Mage Yang: Why do you want to break the sacred vow?
FuChai: To be over this grudge that started generations ago and be free from my haunted past!
He smiles and says she has reached the pinnacle of good will.
She wakes to see ChenFeng shakily saying her name, as a delighted YiGuang uses her power as the owner of the body of the ding to complete the ritual and destroy the dragon god.
Their allies the army of Lu have arrived, and GouJian is forced to call for a retreat.
Wu ZiXu kisses her wound as she lays in his arms.
Wu ZiXu: Wu ZiXu wishes to brazenly ask the king of Ng...will you share your life with me and allow me to stay by your side forever?
Epilogue
FuChai: This is a big fish! I am definitely going to win!
Little girl: I've hooked ten while mother has only hooked one, so you might not.
FuChai: Who taught you to be disrespectful to your mother?
Little girl: Is it respectful to change the rules halfway into the competition with your daughter?
ChenFeng: ...the fish is getting away...
FuChai falls into the water chasing it and and Wu ZiXu catches her. He frowns at their daughter calling her 'Father' in public, but she and FuChai argue that Tiger Hill counts as 'inside the house'.
She's wearing a pretty feminine dress while Wu ZiXu is in civilian clothes, which I guess is symbolic of them regaining their connection to their happier pre-trauma selves. I GUESS.
FuChai: You better run away, your father is starting to lecture again.
Little girl: Thank you, mother, for saving me!
Wu ZiXu: The Princess is old enough to learn a thing or two.
FuChai: Haven't all the children you've taught become the best kings in the land?
He wishes she could have been relieved from her burdens, but she points out how much they've achieved in ten years, including changing the laws of succession so that their daughter can inherit the throne.
Wu ZiXu: So proud!
FuChai: It was a husband and wife effort ;)
Since their daughter has run off with ChenFeng chasing after her, they steal a kiss.
FuChai: Was it really alright for you to remain the guest of the Princess instead of the Prime Minister?
Wu ZiXu: I thought I would be single for the rest of my life but now I have a wife and daughter. What more could I ask for? And was the magnanimity of BoPi and the others that let us keep our marriage a secret so that I could stay by your side.
FuChai: Now that you're not Prime Minister your words have become much sweeter.
Wu ZiXu, blushing: Of course I need to put on my charms with such a beautiful woman in front of me.
Him being a happy househusband is pretty great.
ShaoJiang is now head priest of Qi, and says some people are now worshipping Wu ZiXu as a water god who died and was resurrected in a wave of water. Wu ZiXu dismisses this as people worshipping anything new and interesting.
YiGuang has returned to his village in Yue, and saw GouJian, still consumed by revenge though his kingdom has fallen.
Wu ZiXu thanks her for making him so happy for ten years, and she says they will have decades more, even when TengYu is an old lady and ZiXu is long past youth.
The End
Awwwww. My transmasc heart is a little sad she wears dresses in private but obviously she would, self, this game isn't actually intended to be about being trans. And I love that she's still happily living as a dude in public, being shippy with her daughter's tutor. I wonder who the mother is supposed to be, FuChai clearly didn't marry ShaoJiang. Maybe she was all "I knocked up some random commoner and she died, so sad, but I am raising the bastard as my heir".
I liked that this Fuchai is blunt and forceful as a match for Wu ZiXu, but also explicitly pushes back against his callously pragmatic approach to morality.
Bad End:
FuChai tells dream!Wu ZiXu not to go to Ng, but he ends up there anyway. Even when she doesn't push him towards HeLu, HeLu approaches him.
FuChai denounces BoPi's faction, thinking that TengYu is dead and this is what FuChai should do. Wu ZiXu persuades her to wait to kill him until after the war.
BoPi says she shouldn't disguise her grudge as justice: this was all GouJian's plan, and is FuChai's fault for trusting him.
Later, FuChai looks at the cornered Qi army, and thinks of the deaths of her ancestors and father. She understands how Wu ZiXu felt having to wait ten years to take revenge for his own family. The only thing keeping her alive is her hatred for the dragon god.
FuChai: Destroy the enemy and get me the Sword of the King of Yue!
The army of Ng starts driving the Qi soldiers into the lake, and so they retaliate with suicidal charges, creating chaos. FuChai feels a sense of satisfaction at seeing the Qi soldiers die, revenge for her years of suffering.
And then the city gates open, allowing the Qi soldiers to escape and scaring off the soldiers of Lu. It was BoPi.
Fuchai starts coughing up blood and freaking out, Wu ZiXu calms her down, wipes the blood from her mouth, and goes to retake the city with his men.
FuChai takes a blow from ChenFeng intended for YiGuang. FuChai realises this is her last chance to use her body as a sacrifice. She smiles at the dragon god and says "Death would be my best revenge against you" before stabbing herself in the chest where Wu ZiXu stabbed her years before.
In the spiritual realm, she laughs at herself for ever fearing death. Hatred is indeed the strongest motivator. She tells Mage Yang righteousness is fulfilling her vow to seek revenge, and does not gain the power of the ding. Thanks to YiGuang, the monsters are defeated and the dragon god becomes a small snake. But GouJian continues the attack.
As everything starts to blur, FuChai feels she has forgotten another vow. In the end, her hatred came to nothing.
Wu ZiXu is fighting desperately to take back the city, but when he sees the ritual is complete he rushes back through a near impenetrable wall of enemies towards FuChai. But a tearful ShaoJiang says he's too late. She has turned into water and flowed into the lake.
He kneels at the altar, blood from his wounds pooling around him before being being swallowed up by the dark water. In a hoarse, sad, soft voice, he tells ShaoJiang and YiGuang they should leave. The king of Ng is dead and the Kingdom of Ng is as good as lost.
He whispers "Ah-Yu", and FuChai's ghost embraces him, saying "ZiXu".
GouJian: Prime Minister Wu.
Wu ZiXu, softly: Where would Prime Minister Wu be without Lord Ng?
There is the sound of a sword strike.
GouJian: Even your decapitated head looks towards Lake Tai... Prime Minister Wu, please use your soul to protect Ah-Yu.
Epilogue
The doctor 'Ah-Lin', ShaoJiang, is taking a boat to visit YiGuang in his village. The boatman notes how many temples there are to Wu ZiXu, saying the King of Yue has been magnanimous in not only building temples to his old enemy but helping rebuild Ng and Gusu after the war.
But the remains of the royal family of Ng still agitate for revenge, as does Chenfeng. When ShaoJiang looks sad, the boatman says it's not anything for commoners to worry about.
Passenger: I will go pray to Wu ZiXu for a smooth journey.
ShaoJiang: It will be a cold day in hell before Wu ZiXu is that amicable.
Passenger: Pardon?
ShaoJiang: Nothing.
As the little white snake crawls around her wrist, she wonders what Wu ZiXu would think of all this, a man who wanted to kill a god now worshipped as one. But all he cared about was his revenge, he probably wouldn't care.
The End
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Date: 2022-01-12 02:38 am (UTC)[She kicks in the door to his cell and Wu ZiXu immediately gets onto his knees and asks her to sentence him to death.
...yeah I am enjoying this more than the YiGuang path... >.>]
GIANT MOOD
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Date: 2022-01-13 12:46 pm (UTC)Haha yes that was one of a number of points where I thought "Ok, I get what![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pengwern was talking about now"