2022 Yuletide Reveals

[llonkrebboj]

 

I heard it was traditional to have a Yuletide reveals post, so here is mine! :D

A black crow in a mulberry 

written for linyilings

(the opportunity to ramble is also appreciated, heehee)

This prompt was interesting to me because not much is known about Ying Fusu 嬴扶苏, eldest son of the First Emperor of China, Ying Zheng. Plus I knew nothing at all about either of them before starting to write this, which made the research process more fun! 

The most popular theory about Fusu besides the truth behind his death, was the connection of his name with the Book of Songs: Airs of Zheng song 《国风·郑风·山有扶苏》 quoted in the beginning notes on ao3. I thought it might be fun to play with that! It’s such a cute and playful poem too.

国风·郑风·山有扶苏 - Airs of the State of Zheng, Mountains Have Leaning Shrubs 

(a casual translation)

山有扶苏，隰有荷华。

In the mountains, lush leaning shrubs; in the wetlands, lotus blooms.

不见子都，乃见狂且。

No sight of any fair man, yet spotted, a frivolous fellow.

山有桥松，隰有游龙。

In the mountains, towering curved pines; in the wetlands, knotweeds.

不见子充，乃见狡童。

No sight of any comely man, yet spotted, a devious fellow.

// What a beautiful day with lovely plants and flowers everywhere. A beautiful day should be matched with a beautiful man. But I don’t 👀 one. I only see a cheeky boy. A beautiful place should be matched with a sexy man. But I don't see one. I only see a crafty boy. 

(where frivolous fellow and devious fellow are interpreted as playful scolding xD)

Because of the structure of the lines 山有扶苏 and 山有桥松 (On the mountain is the mulberry tree & on the mountain is the lofty pine), I was naturally reminded of the very famous, very wistful line from Song of the Yue Boatman《越人歌》: 山有木兮木有枝 心说君兮君不知 (On the mountain are the trees oh! on the trees are the branches. I adore you, oh! you do not know.) which originates from the State of Chu.

The States of Qin, Zheng and Chu were regional states of the Zhou dynasty and existed through the Warring States period, which is the background for this fic. 

Fusu’s age, estimated very very roughly:

212 BCE: Voices protest against his father’s decision to execute alchemists via mass live burial and is kicked out to guard the frontier

221 BCE: Establishment of Qin Dynasty

246 BCE: Future Qin Shihuang, named Zhao Zheng (Ying Zheng) / Fusu’s father inherits the throne of Qin at age 13

So Fusu was old enough to be voicing his opinion on political decisions by 212 BCE. And since at this time, only nine years had passed since the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, he must have been born pre-unification i.e. during the warring states era. 

The word 扶苏 has been interpreted in many ways throughout time. It might be undergrowth, shrubs, little trees or even specifically, the mulberry tree. No one knows for sure, but all versions agree that it should be described as luxuriant. This sparked the idea for particularly verdant plant growth on the day of Fusu’s birth.

The idea for throwing a bit of prophecy and magic in came about when I stumbled across the ‘扶桑’ (fú sāng) trees. Combining descriptions from the Classic of Mountains and Seas and Ten Islands in the Inner Seas, Fu Sang are a pair of great mulberry trees growing, entwined, from the same set of roots to the East of Penglai island. Birds lived on this tree. Among them, Queen Mother of the West’s messengers, three Blue Birds (青鸟), and the three-legged golden crow/jinwu (金乌) which represents the sun. 

I had some vague and messy thoughts around puns on the coming of a son | the sun, the golden crows eating grasses of immortality being A Thing vs. Qin Shihuang’s fascination with immortality, plus lots of scholars throughout time having theories that the three qingniao and three-legged golden crow are actually the same thing, just distorted by history. (Yes, mythology is as usual - confusing and messy. Fun, but also very frustrating.)

This is the background for the imagery of twin trees and the black bird appearing in Ying Zheng’s prophetic dream. ‘Many colours’ because the golden crow has been depicted on artefacts as black, described in texts as being red and may or may not also be the 青鸟, where the word 青 could be green, blue or black. Prophetic dreams taken seriously also seemed to have been A Thing back then, so why not chuck it in as well?

A foretold son welcomed by luxuriant growth of nature must OF COURSE have powers right??? In part, this was also inspired also a little by the idea of innate resonance between Heaven and Man (天人感应), the Han Dynasty theory for explaining the legitimacy of a monarch, taken not-so-seriously… He can hear and communicate with the natural world, mainly plants!

That revelation at the end of the fic brought me so much delight. That he likes the quiet because it is when all is quiet that the little voices of his friends aren't drowned out, and no one knows why except maybe his father, but everyone is aware of and respects his preference anyway. (Ok they have to xD it's their job. But still!)

Fusu’s mother is from the State of Chu in this story because I prefer the theory of Ying Zheng having taken a consort from his mother’s side of the family. Since the State of Chu was powerful, and naturally would have an interest in backing him, it's quite practical. Though knowing nothing about Chu, but not having enough time to research anymore, I borrowed the surname of Mi from Legend of Miyue. (The orchids were slipped in because I thought of Qu Yuan and Chu and wanted to make a little subtle reference.)

I had no prior opinion of Qin Shihuang, but after all this casual reading, my impression of Ying Zheng is this very Legalist, pragmatic person with no patience for romance. So I wondered why Fusu’s name sounded like it was chosen with more care relative to his younger brother Huhai, supposedly named very casually for his mother’s state of origin (Hu) and the time of his birth (hai). 

It was very amusing to create that scene of all the plants in Fusu’s mother’s palace doing their best to welcome him, and Ying Zheng witnessing that supernatural display, yet all he thinks about later is what a headache it will be to cover up this nonsense. That he’s SO very unromantic and busy with work, even his consort is sure he’s not spared a thought for the name of their child was also quite funny. Also the contrast of his trusted physician’s attitude toward him and his tendency for the dramatic, and the midwives, unfamiliar and thus fearful because of his reputation xD

So while the reason for ‘Fusu’ in Ying Zheng’s mind is the explosive growth of the plants in the now luxuriant garden outside, and while he is full of thoughts on coverup and puzzling out what manner of ‘blessing’ this is supposed to be, Consort Mi is there thinking her Lord husband has finally accessed his romantic side at last. She naturally associates the name with the first line of that popular romantic folk song (because that is what Airs from the Book of Songs are), and responds with a reference in her teasing of Ying Zheng for it.

I can imagine him freezing for a brief moment when he catches that reference and smoothly going with it - like yeah that's totally why - while telling himself to never let her find out the real reason. Meanwhile here we are over two thousand years later, making the same assumption Consort Mi did :P

Descriptions of Xianyang Palace were based on the Baidu page for it (咸阳宫). Though I enjoyed imagining how this place might have looked very much, I also eventually gave up trying to figure out where the princes might have stayed. It's implied in the fic that Fusu was built a palace just beside his mother’s at a very young age (historical accuracy? is that edible? xD). I guess when you are born inexplicably knowing things, and having ears (~fwens~) everywhere, you’d tend to grow up very fast. Plus a dad who believes it's good for a child to learn independence as early as possible - especially when they are capable of it, yet just cannot seem to let go. xD

I love these little Easter eggs and had a good time sneaking them into the story. Hopefully someone, someday, may notice and be just as delighted.