[Mainland+Chinese+Drama+2016]+Singing+All+Along+秀丽江山之长歌行

[Guest DJG]

From my post above, you can see that I was not enamored by this drama at first. I am glad I kept on watching though, because the drama gets significantly better, once Li Hua is able to break out of the Yin family household. They could have skipped the Ruby playing a teenager part, but still it doesn't detract from her excellent acting in the later episodes.

I agree that Yuan Hong was stellar. He was so regal and he and Ruby had amazing chemistry. Seeing them together felt like a real couple, and if one didn't know, you would think that maybe there was some real sparks there (hey, the filming was almost 3 years before either of them married their current spouses, so...)

@Mangoberrie can you share what was different about the relationship arcs in the novel?

And does anyone know why it took so long for the drama to get a airing date, after filming?

[BellyButton]

I agree the beginning is kind of slow.  This drama gets more interesting after 15 eps.  Good historical drama.  At least now I know the main characters during Emperor Guangwu's reign.

[picadrama]

Finally finished marathoning this drama, so this first impression is quite late! 

I absolutely loved the intricate plot line and most importantly, the deep and well thought out characters.

Both Ruby Lin and Yuan Hong were amazing and brought me to tears through their struggles! 

For more of my thoughts and opinions on the drama, please click here: https://picadrama.wordpress.com/2016/08/25/singing-all-along-rebel-chants/ 

[dancingbee]

How is it that Wu Han does not have to be responsible for killing Nanyang citizens and poor Deng Feng is executed for trying to protect his hometown ???

 

 

[BellyButton]

OK, I couldn't remember and has to rewatch that scene to jolt my memory.  

What Deng Feng did in retaliation from his perspective but according to the 'laws' it is wrong.  By starting a war against Wu Han he is fighting against the same camp since Liu Xiu is the 'emperor'.  It is death by punishment.  Example: A killed B's relatives.  A is murderer.  But B killed A out of revenge.  Although the revenge is understandable, in the eyes of law, the moment B killed A, B became a murderer himself and committed a crime.  This is what happened to Deng Feng.

Why Liu Xiu has to punish Deng Feng.
1) Liu Xiu is now an emperor and has to govern according to the law of the country.  The law states that soldier who fights without the emperor's authority is to be punished by death.  
2) Liu Xiu has not consolidated his power yet.  He is in a very precarious situation.  He is still trying to get the different camps to accept him as their leader. There are many camps who are creating trouble and did not accept Liu Xiu but Liu Xiu has to keep his cool and try to convince them.  He must unite these disparate camps to become the emperor and fight the common enemy.  He is under pressure to go according to the law and as one of his generals pointed out, if Liu Xiu is seen to favour Deng Feng even though he has committed a crime, the rest of the generals and camps will not respect  him and create troubles themselves.  Liu Xiu cannot set such a precedent.   Remember what he said to Li Hua.. "what we tried so hard to build will crumble and disintegrate".  

It was unfortunate and sad that Deng Feng was too rash.  Hope my explanation is clear? 

 

[dancingbee]

@BellyButton,

Thank you very much, for rewatching the episode and sharing your comment.  Sometimes, I feel the sub lacks behind the real conversation and something feels missing due to my inability to understand Chinese.

[Dundee]

According history, Wu Han was a prominent general who contributed a lot to Liu Xiu in consolidating his power. Though in the drama, it made that Liu Xiu was felt regret for his decision making Wu Han lead an army to Deng Feng's hometown. Since he should know and predict Wu Han's cruelty character as his leader, based on how well known Liu Xiu as brilliant strategist.  But i still don't like his judgment to let Wuhan unpunished whether in the history or in the drama.

[BellyButton]

@12blbl  Thanks for the history portion.  That is perhaps why they did not 'kill off' Wuhan in the drama because he was part of history.  I remember Wuhan as someone who did not like Liu Xiu and he was 'helping' Liu Xiu because he has his own agenda.  I cannot remember the exact reason why despite being brutal to the villagers, he was not punished.  I also cannot remember why he attacked Nanyang?  I think the reasons for his doing may have given him enough excuses not to be seen to have gone against the law?

@dancingbee  I do not understand Mandarin too and have to rely on the subs.  

I can understand your frustration and perhaps also Deng Feng's frustration that brutality is not seen to be punished.  But this is only one part of the jigsaw.  Liu Xiu is looking at the whole picture.  He said ... "the last time I returned to Nanyang I found my brother, Liu Yan,  dead.  Now I do not want to go back to Nanyang again".  His words draw parallel to both situations.  Both men were rash and their actions gave ammunition to those who wanted them dead.  Yu Bo wanted Liu Xiu dead and was just waiting for him to make a fatal error.  But Liu Xiu managed to keep his anger and revenge under control and close to his heart waiting to consolidate his power before striking.  

Wu Han if I remember in the drama, is powerful and cruel.  But Liu Xiu needed him to be on his side to consolidate his power.  If Wu Han withdraws from his camp, Liu Xiu's plan to unite the country is likely to fail.  Liu Xiu is indirectly forced to make that heartbreaking decision.  Just like he married his 'first' wife to win that camp's trust and pacify them.  What we can do as an emperor/leader is enormous yet it comes with price and freedom to do what your heart tells you.  When Li Hua pined to Deng Yu that she hopes that Liu Xiu could pardon Deng Feng, Deng Yu gave Li Hua a very sad look and said "he is emperor". 

[kyar7jizhenll]

On December 30, 2016 at 6:39 AM, dancingbee said:

Like Li Hua asks in court, if the same thing had happened with those generals' hometowns, what would they have done differently from what Deng Feng does?
I can't understand the justice system here. How can Wu Nan get away with his crime and Deng Feng can't be imposed with less-than-death sentence.

@dancingbee @BellyButton @12blbl

I'm also not native Chinese speaker and Mandarin is my third language. I've watched this drama while it was airing and it has been more than five months but here it is what I remembered from drama and what I have read from novel and web:

(1) We can't think situations during that fragile period as in our 21st century where we can try to reason with both our mind and emotion.  At that time, raising armies against emperor's army no matter what reason is a treason and all treason can be punishable by 9 generations (actually, Liu Xiu is already kind enough that he did not kill Deng Feng's other family members which would even include his second sister's husband). Plus, Deng Feng colluded with another rebel leader against Han's army.  In actual history, Deng Feng and Deng Yu were distant relatives not uncle and nephew, however, he is cousin of Liu Xiu's brother-in-law. 

(2) I'm not sure whether subtitles mentioned but from what I understood Deng Feng not only defended against Nanyang but he collaborated with another minor warloard who was also raising arms at near by city (will look up name) against Han army after he got rid of Wu Han and stationed at Nanyang. It was not shown but it was mentioned in their conversations. Actual, Li Hua could have been killed for not reporting and preventing Deng Feng's activities and she could have been accused of part of DF's army if it was not LX's love for her and her subordinates respect for LX. 

(3) Wu Han could not be blamed for killing and burning some citizens as they were sort of resisting and he was also known for being harsh on people but lienient on his subordinates. I guess at that time there were many wars among different groups and people just hated soliders in general as well since looting by soliders seems normal at that period as they were not given salary and most people joined armies for living as there were no stable jobs due to wars. Actually, Liu Xiu miscalculated the fact that people might resist even his army due to soliders looting and he should have used a commonder who was Nanyang native, related to him and was more gentle in dealing with war torn people. 

(4) Actually, among people fighting for Liu Xiu except his own and Li Hua's relatives, Wu Han was the most royal and reliable. Not sure which episode but when LX went missing after being attacked by Liu Xuan's soldiers and jumping off from the cliff, it was Wu Han who told the rest not to lose hope and belief in LXiu. He was also the one who led the search for Xiu.

On side note:

In history, he did use Guo Xiaotong's uncle army though drama sounded he only used their army in name only.

I think drama rashed at the end with next generation and did not really explain on adoptive daughter of Yuchi (her guy bodyguard) as they reduced a few characters of the next generation compared to the novel like daughter of her younger brother and her female bodyguard (they got married as his concubine and had a daughter in novel) as well as Deng Yu's sons etc. 

Hope this help clarifies some questions and concerns.

Happy New Year 2017 everyone!!!

Cheers;

L

[BellyButton]

@kyar7jizhenll  Thank you for your explanation and sharing your thoughts.  Very much appreciated.  It helps to have read the novel.  I like Yuchi and was hoping for a good ending but they killed her in the drama right?   And I like Feng Yi  couple very much too but he died soon after he retire?  Was it like that in history?  Feng Yi is one of the keys to Liu Xiu's success.  Maybe there could be a sequel on the next generation?  

This drama has a lot of strategizing between the different camps and I find that bit very interesting paticularly how Liu Xiu consolidate his power.  It is like watching the Art of War.  But of course they have to include the love bits otherwise female audience may find it too boring.    

[dancingbee]

 

@kyar7jizhenll

Thank you so very much for the kind sharing which has made me understand more. Sometimes dramas are hard to comprehend when they are made from history and they don't make senses due to the short explanation. 
All in all, Deng Feng is too young and too immature to take things in a calmer way, the way Liu Xiu does when his eldest brother is killed. ( That is how Liu Xiu can successfully put the country together and to peace )

I love many parts of dramas about War Strategies. They are great wisdoms missing to the world today. I also like Liu Xiu's characters and how he works to completion in the end. Don't remember who but someone says that Liu Xiu's character is like water so gentle and kind yet persistent and he is able to put people of different opinion together.  He can also forgive and forget his enemies. What Liu Xiu is able to do is not ordinary and we need those characters in our leaders whether it is for a small town or a country.

I wish someone can put together the wisdoms and knowledge including those quotes and poems in this drama for people to learn. It will be a great result from this drama.  Happy New Year to you.

 

[BellyButton]

@dancingbee  Many of these historical and classic use beautiful language but unfortunately since I do not understand Mandarin, you and I miss the beauty of the language.  Poetic and full of wisdom.  Nothing beats understanding the language as sometimes it is lost in translation.  The other thing is that we really need to listen to what they say in order to grasp the nuances.  

Yes, it was Deng Yu who said that Liu Xiu is like water.  Adaptable because it takes in all forms and sizes.  Persistent because it is always flowing.  Chinese love to use metaphors.  He could be described as bamboo too.  Flexible yet strong.  Sometimes it is amazing that watching the second the time makes us understand the drama more because the second time round, we can take our time to read the conversation.

[dancingbee]

 

Hi @BellyButton  Thank you for saying my thoughts out. I am particularly interested in those poems and wisdom in this drama. War strategies might turn out to be good models for today's world.
 

[BellyButton]

@dancingbee  I agree.  kyar7jizhenll understand Mandarin so she could 'educate' us a lot better.  The traditional chinese language is not easy to understand.  They use a lot of metaphors eg how Liu Xiu was described to like water.  I used to watch some classical movies when I was very young and was fascinated with the metaphors and poetic language.  They actually sound a lot better in Mandarin/Cantonese.  One example I always remember ...  real gold is not afraid of red hot fire.  In this instance .. it meant, I am telling the truth and I am not afraid..  See the difficulty?  It will not be easy to sub unless one has a indepth knowledge of the both Mandarin and English.