Nirvana in SNOW

[marycrawford]

Okay, so I know I said that I understood everyone (who is related to the Emperor) in Nirvana in Fire is called Xiao, and it's not a diminutive but a family name?

Yes, well.

When Mei Changsu is yelling after Prince Jing and calling him "Xiao Jingyan" not once but twice, in the most emotionally charged way possible, IN THE SNOW, I may forget about these things.

I know, I know, it makes sense that he's not actually calling him by an affectionate diminutive in this scene, because it would blow his cover to kingdom come, but still! I have been TRAINED (by Shen Wei) to respond to people being called 'xiao' in emotionally charged moments!

Also:

the cutting of the bell rope, OMG ;__; So beautiful, so sad, the angst, the pain!

This episode (ep 33) was entirely made of knives. And yes, also duck soup for poor prince Jing, but it was all beak and no meat.*

*because of the knives. I'm sure Consort Jing's actual soup was lovely, because that lady can do no wrong.

Comments

[xparrot]

Hah I had the same problem with the Xiao Jingyan! XD

Aaah that whole arc is amazing, Yu Wang's scheme falling together so perfectly and Mei Changsu trying to tell himself he's not completely and utterly devastated and Jingyan is not even trying to convince himself he's not. And the snow is so gorgeously dramatic...

[marycrawford]

Yu Wang's scheme falling together so perfectly and Mei Changsu trying to tell himself he's not completely and utterly devastated and Jingyan is not even trying to convince himself he's not

Yes! This was so emotionally devastating, and the bellrope cutting scene reminded me of the Kitchen Scene in Guardian - not because of the literal knife (or sword) but because of the horrible breakup feeling.
I absolutely love how this show uses the snow for atmosphere, and I shiver every time I see the actors' breath plume indoors.

[yantantether]

That moment in the snow is SUCH a good scene. And my interpretation of it is that, even though he isn't using the diminutive Xiao, his cover is still massively at risk in that moment of high emotion, because someone in his position would *never* call the prince by his actual name rather than Dianxia or some other title.

[marycrawford]

someone in his position would *never* call the prince by his actual name rather than Dianxia or some other title.

That's so true! It is still breathlessly intimate, even if I feel the tone changes from what I initially thought - the "Xiao Yingyan!" now feels more like exasperation, where MCS comes close to calling him a water buffalo for being so stubborn. And you're so right, that is not a feeling he can permit himself to express with such candor, using a name and no title at all, when he is only a humble counselor to a prince.