Posted in Recap

The Sword and The Brocade Ep 39

Episode 39 – Recap

After praying to the late marquis and Xu Ling’an, Madame Xu laments over Qiao Lianfang and Concubine Wen’s evil actions against the Xu family. Then she talks to Mrs. Du about how Shiyi is too concerned with her career and that’s why she’s not pregnant yet. She’s also not happy with Lingyi supporting Shiyi’s career.

There’s a banquet for the nobles. Xiang Yizhen sees Lin Shixian with the Ou family and she’s shocked that she burned a painting from the Ou family for her husband. At home that night, Madame Xu is reprimanding Shiyi about her association with Lin Shixian. Lingyi defends her. Madame Xu and Xiang Yizhen try to force Shiyi to give up on Xianling Pavilion, but Shiyi begs them to let her continue. The conflict ends with Xiang Yizhen nearly collapsing and Madame Xu grounding Shiyi to her courtyard.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Various people come to visit Shiyi while she’s grounded: Danyang, Concubine Qin, Erniang, and Wuniang. Erniang and Wuniang then go to pay their respects to Madame Xu. Wuniang wants to plead for Shiyi, but she’s not very eloquent so Erniang steps in to help.

Lingyi visits Shiyi to comfort her. He hopes to negotiate with his mother after she’s cooled off.

Danyang talks to her husband and admits that she didn’t like Shiyi before because she was jealous of Shiyi’s ambitions.

After talking to Shiyi’s sisters and  Xiang Yizhen, Madame Xu’s temper towards Shiyi seems to be cooling, but then Concubine Qin cleverly says a few words that sounds like she’s supporting Shiyi to make Madame Xu angry again.

Concubine Qin starts to reel Amber on to her hook. She lets Amber “accidentally” discover that Concubine Tong’s half of the handkerchief is in her [Concubine Qin’s] possession.

Posted in Recap

The Sword and The Brocade Ep 38

Episode 38 – Recap

Concubine Wen is sent away to live in the suburbs as punishment.

Shiyi bids Amber to go check on Lin Shixian. Amber finds him injured and cries as she helps him apply medicine. Ou Lixing comes looking for trouble with Lin Shixian. Amber undresses and pretends to be fooling around with Lin Shixian to drive Ou Lixing away. Lin Shixian tells Amber not to come around anymore. Amber basically confesses her feelings for him, by saying she understands his feelings for Shiyi because she feels the same way for him, which is they just want the person they like to be happy.

Marquis Jingyuan has put Wang Jiubao’s wife and son under house arrest. Wang Jiubao is the most influential leader of the remaining pirates.The imperial court wants to offer him enlistment. So Lingyi wants to go to Nanjing to look for Wang Jiubao’s family and win his trust. Then Wang Jiubao might testify against Marquis Jingyuan.

Erniang finds out that Shiyi has been helping her through Jinlian. Erniang is pissy at first, but gets over it.

Ou Lixing commands Concubine Qin to break up Lingyi and Shiyi by using Lin Shixian.

Lingyi comes back from Nanjing to see Shiyi hugging the fan he gave her.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Fu Linbo gives Dongqing medicine for her burns. Dongqing takes one of Lingyi’s belts (that Shiyi embroidered for him) as reference material to make one for Fu Linbo. Amber sees the belt in Dongqing’s hands and misunderstands that Dongqing likes Lingyi, so she tries to subtly warn Dongqing off, but her words fly over Dongqing’s head.

Amber drops her sister’s handkerchief by accident. Concubine Qin sees it and finds out that Amber is Concubine Tong’s sister, and decides to use this to her advantage.

It is the anniversary of the late marquis and Xu Ling’an. Xiang Yizhen wants to burn a bamboo picture for her husband, but her art skills are lacking. So Concubine Qin points her in the direction of Lin Shixian. Xiang Yizhen goes to request a drawing of bamboo from Lin Shixian.

Posted in Recap

To Be or Not to Be C1-104

Chapters 1 – 104

[Rough Manga Summary]

Xiao Yu’an has been raised to be a tyrant CEO, but he fails the tyrant part. He transmigrates and becomes the Northern Emperor of a novel he was reading. As a villain role doomed to die under the hands of the protagonist, Yan He Qing, he decides to befriend the ML to avoid his fate. MC tells the ML his true identity right from the start, and that he is not the true Northern Emperor. He tries to protect the ML and returns his father’s sword to him. ML ends up falling in love with him.

People misunderstand the MC and ML’s relationship. Childe Qinyu tries to frame ML by using Xiao Feng Yue. MC and ML easily see through the scheme. MC finds out that Xiao Feng Yue and his guard, Yang Liuan, are in mutual love, so he “punishes” them by sending them out of the palace with money and a carriage.

MC forgets to ask who had threatened Xiao Feng Yue, but decides to solve that problem by disbanding the entire harem. He gives 200 gold to everyone and tells them to leave the palace, and that those who were previously officials could return to their post. After hearing this, Childe Qinyu stares at MC’s retreating back and then is the first to stand and leave.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

MC reveals to ML that he can’t sleep alone. He needs to hear someone breathing beside him. He tells ML about his past as Xiao Yu’an. His father had abandoned his mother and him. As a child he was sickly and always slept next to his mother, listening to her breathing. When he was six, he woke up to his mother who had died from overdosing. The next day, his father came to get him, because he had no heir. From there, MC was raised to be a tyrant CEO.

For some time, MC is really happy just being friends with the ML and being a good emperor, but he receives a slap to the face by “fate” or rather the plot of the story. Prince Wu Ning has wanted the throne for a while now, but when MC chooses Li Wu Ding to be the next general commander instead of Fan Tong, Prince Wu Ning’s trusted aide, this makes Prince Wu Ning anxious, so he hastens his plans to kill MC. He colludes with Xue Yan (ML’s uncle), and MC ends up finding the missive in ML’s clothes. This is what shocks MC, and makes him believe that they must be on opposite sides.

MC knocks ML out with a drug and has someone bring him back to the south. Xue Yan tells ML he was poisoned and that his people had to steal him out of the palace. [Until C104, this misunderstanding has yet to be addressed and resolved!] But ML doesn’t seem to care if MC did poison him. He is still willing to protect MC.

The north and south end up going to war. Li Wu Ding dies. Xie Chun Gui manages to hold off the southern army for 2 more months, but the north ultimately loses. MC decides to surrender himself to save the people.

Xue Yan purposely creates the misunderstanding that ML wants to castrate MC. 

Xiao Ping Yang (had fallen in love with Princess Yongning) and came to Northern Yan alone to save her. She happens upon Yang Liuan and Xiao Feng Yue, so the three of them help the MC and his sister escape from the palace. Xue Yan intercepts him and makes MC swear never to return upon pain of death before letting him go. They find Xie Chun Gui, who has gone crazy, along the way.

ML comes to see MC alone. Despite thinking the ML hates him, the MC still wants to give a proper farewell and wish him well. He asks ML to let go (of his hatred) in order to be happy. ML says he will never let go (of his love). MC tries to return the lotus hairpin to ML, but ML would rather shatter it than give it to someone else.

A year later finds the MC in Taoyuan Village studying medicine and helping every injured soldier he finds, regardless of their affiliation. [Xiao Ping Yang and Princess Yongning got married and are living in seclusion in the mountains. MC attended their wedding and met Xiao Ping Yang’s older brother who looks exactly like his pre-transmigrated self.] MC stumbles upon Ling Shen Ling, the 3rd FL, and saves her from prostitution. She works for him as a maid in thanks.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

MC finds the injured ML in the mountains. ML’s sight is temporarily gone due to injury, so MC pretends to be Ling Shen Ling (with the help of a special berry to change his voice) and nurses him. ML recovers his eyesight fairly quickly and finds out that it is MC taking care of him, so he takes advantage of the situation and starts to act a bit more shamelessly. He keeps reopening his wounds, so that he could prolong their time together.

MC eventually brings ML back to the village and they talk out their misunderstandings, so now MC knows that ML wasn’t the one who wanted to castrate him. MC believes the ML and returns to treating him like a friend. ML finds out that MC has repaired the lotus hair pin, and everyone in the village thinks they’re a couple. Ling Shen Ling and Zhang Bai Shu get married.

ML confesses his feelings in a way that cannot be misinterpreted. MC is flustered and starting to realize his feelings for the ML too.

Vice General Chen Ge comes to find the emperor, because the war is still ongoing. Zhang Zhang Song is recruited to be an army doctor. MC goes on his behalf to repay him for his tutelage. So the MC and ML end up going to war together. During this period, MC finally confirms his feelings for ML and wants to have sex, but the timing is not right.

ML gets injured during battle and goes MIA. MC is blamed for being a spy. Chen Ge frees him and they go to find ML. MC uses himself as a decoy to give Chen Ge the chance to run away with the unconscious ML. Bao Yin Xin, along with the other Eastern Wu soldiers that MC had saved before, work together to bring MC out and back to Taoyuan Village.

MC’s legs are crippled by his injuries, so he can’t go to the ML right away. ML thinks he’s dead and goes crazy. He tortures Yang Li Ye before hanging him out to dry. MC eventually gets a message to ML using the lotus hairpin as a token. ML rushes on horseback to come see him. They reunite and eventually do the deed. MC is willing to go back with ML and manage his harem (of one).

ML had moved the capital to the north in remembrance of the MC, so they’re going back to the Northern palace. They manage to be together for a spell (with all the officials being against their relationship). Xue Yan doesn’t trust MC.

Xie Chun Gui regains his memories and stabs ML. He dies fighting against the southern soldiers. MC is blamed for being the mastermind. In despair over the situation, MC kills himself. ML wakes up in time to witness the scene.

ML stayed with MC’s corpse for 3 days. Then he buried MC in wedding robes. He built an altar and courtyard (styled after the one in Taoyuan Village). He becomes a bit tyrannical.

MC wakes up a year later in Prince Xiao Jun’s body. (He is Xiao Ping Yang’s older brother. The one who shares the same name and face as Xiao Yu’an.) After some obstacles, MC finally manages to communicate his true identity to the ML and they reunite. They have plenty of sweet moments and sexy times, and the whole palace is stunned by the emperor’s display.

Huang Yue wants to revolt against the throne. He wants to throw Prince Xiao Jun under the bus, and imprisons him. This angers the ML who wants to kill him then and there, but MC doesn’t want people to think of ML as an unreasonable tyrant, so he wants to help the ML find more evidence first before convicting Huang Yue.

C104 ends with MC approaching Huang Yue as Prince Xiao Jun, and hinting at joining hands against the ML.

Posted in Recap

To Be or Not to Be – Characters

Xiao Yu’an (MC, becomes the Northern Emperor) Zhou Yu (name of the Northern Emperor)

Hong Xiu (MC’s loyal maid)

Yan He Qing (ML, Southern Prince, hostage in the north)

Yuaner (MC’s bed warmer)

Yang Liuan (MC’s personal guard)

Xiao Feng Yue (Southern Yan’s Royal Musician)

Childe Qinyu (red outfit, was the only male concubine that didn’t leave the Northern Emperor’s side when the south invaded, formerly an official)

Princess Yongning (supposedly the love of the ML’s life in the book)

Chief Feng (eunuch that disrespected ML, but punished by MC with snow)

Eunuch Zhao (head of the Inner Court, old man)

Xie Chun Gui (formerly part of the emperor’s harem, wants to join the army)

Li Wu Ding (general, 2nd ML)

Prince Wu Ning (wants to usurp the throne) Fan Tong (his trusted aide)

Xiao Ping Yang (Western Shu general, in love with Yongping)

Nie Er (Northern Yan soldier, hates the south, humiliated ML and broke his arm)

Zhang Zhang Song (Taoyuan Village Clinic doctor)

Zhang Bai Shu (Zhang Zhang Song’s son)

Ling Shen Ling (3rd FL, MC saved her from prostitution, she works as his maid, later married Zhang Bai Shu)

Chen Ge (Vice General, long braid, southern army)

Bai Zhi (another FL, doctor, mentioned but not shown)

Huang Yue (Southern Yan’s general, wants to revolt against ML)

Yang Li Ye (Easter Wu general, ML killed him for “killing” MC)

Bao Yin Xin (Eastern Wu soldier that MC saved)

Xue Yan (general, ML’s uncle)

Prince Xiao Jun (MC’s new identity, Western Shu, Xiao Ping Yang’s older brother)

Tian Xiang (maid, Hong Xiu’s younger sister)

Posted in Recap

To Be or Not to Be

Summary

A company president diagnosed with cancer accidentally transmigrated into a novel, and became the villainous emperor the male lead is going to kill?! On top of that, this male lead is the prince of the enemy kingdom that is being imprisoned by him at this moment… Feels like he just took a step closer to death! No way! In order to live, I must please him, but I never knew that it wasn’t just simply hatred between us…

Based on the novel “How to Survive As a Villain.”

Native Title: 穿越成反派要如何活命
Author: Yi Yi Yi Yi 伊依以翼
Genre: Historical, Transmigration, Yaoi

Characters List

Chapter Recaps

Chapters 1 – 104

Posted in Recap

The Sword and The Brocade Ep 37

Episode 37 – Recap

Shiyi finishes the longevity embroidery piece meant for the emperor’s birthday, but Concubine Wen burns it and the two kids get caught up in the mess. At that moment, an imperial edict arrives, telling Shiyi to present her embroidery work to the emperor. This is the Ou family’s plan to implicate the Xu family by charging them with fraud against the throne. Luckily, Shiyi and Lingyi had planned for this eventuality and they came out unscathed. The emperor expresses his thoughts on the matter by flogging Ou Lixing as a warning to the Ou family, but neither Marquis Jingyuan nor Ou Lixing wants to heed that warning. When Lin Shixian speaks up about it to his father, Marquis Jingyuan has him whipped instead and tells him he must choose a side in this old feud between the Ou and Xu family.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Madame Xu sends Concubine Wen away to the farm when she finds out. She compliments Shiyi for her contributions and again presses her to quit Xianling Pavilion. Lingyi speaks up in her defense.

When Concubine Wen burned the embroidery piece, Dongqing had tried to save it and ended up getting burned on her hand. Fu Linbo tells Dongqing that if she’s afraid she won’t be able to get married due to scarring, then he will marry her.

Posted in Recap

When the Villainess Loves Ch 21-30

Chapters 21-30 Recap

MC wants to reduce the impact that Ariel’s future words will have on the duke by saying her dialogue first, so she finds Cain training at night and tells him to “rest.” Cain misunderstands her actions to mean something deeper than they are, which causes his feelings for her to deepen. Eugene sees this scene and thinks to himself that Cain has completely fallen (for her).

MC gets rid of the princess’ salons because she knows that they will go bankrupt in the future, but her maids misunderstand and think the reason has to do with her illness. MC has not told them the details of her illness, so they think she’s dying from the rumors spreading about her.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

MC goes into town with Eugene and Cain. They go to a bar and overhear someone basically saying good riddance to the rumors of the princess’ death. Eugene gets angry and beats them up. Their trio catches the attention of Herrace and Daniel. Eugene is very agitated on Libertia’s behalf and hugs her. Herrace sends an attack at MC that Cain deflects.

Posted in Recap

The Sword and The Brocade Ep 36

Episode 36 – Recap

On the road back to the Xu manor, Shiyi and Amber come across Lin Shixian, who helps her think of a way to treat Erniang’s illness. At night, Shiyi runs the idea through with Lingyi, who agrees with it. Shiyi then summons Jinlian (Erniang’s dowry maid) to carry out the plan. Erniang gets better and takes back control of the Wang manor.

Lingyi decides to send Xu Yu away to advance his studies, and also to prevent others from using him. But Concubine Wen thinks it’s Shiyi pulling the strings out of jealousy.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Dongqing and Fu Linbo have another cute interaction together, but due to misunderstandings, Amber suspects Dongqing of crushing on Lingyi and is concerned.

Xianling Pavilion has a chance to make embroideries for the emperor’s birthday. Master Jian asks Lin Shixian to draw the embroidery draft because of his calligraphy skills. Shiyi takes the draft home and Lingyi gets jealous when he sees it. Shiyi sees right through him and asks him to teach her archery to hammer home the message that “everyone has their own unique talents,” and therefore he has nothing to be jealous about.

Posted in Recap

When the Villainess Loves Ch 11-20

Chapters 11-20 Recap

Eugene Volton overhears Rox pleading to Cain Eirik for the Trojan plant to help Libertia and finds out that she is afflicted with Raphaelis. He feels sorry for her and opens up to her much quicker after that. He also pledges to protect her while he is in her service. He works with Cain, Rox, and Ripley to find ways to help Libertia.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Exaggerated rumors are spreading about the princess’ imminent death, but MC is unaware of them. She’s just happy fangirling over handsome men. Cain starts to open up to MC and indirectly tells her about his childhood and how the prince manipulated him with friendship and tried to take advantage of him. MC advises the child in the story to run away from such a person, because no real friend would ask such a thing. He is moved by her words. He believes she has better traits to become the next ruler of the empire and detests the prince. Everyone thinks she’s brave for treating her illness with nonchalance and they’re also sad about it.

Posted in Recap

The Sword and The Brocade Ep 35

Episode 35 – Recap

Despite being cut off from her family funds, Concubine Wen spends money to prepare a feast, but during her birthday dinner, Lingyi’s mind is preoccupied with thoughts of Shiyi. Eventually he leaves without eating much to go to Shiyi. Concubine Wen is mad when she finds out and vows to get back at Shiyi. 

Lingyi finds Shiyi in the gardens and carries her back to her room. Shiyi stops him from leaving and tells him her feelings. They finally kiss and make up, and do the deed. 

When Shiyi goes to visit Danyang the next day, she sees Concubine Lan and Xiaodie quarrelling, and surmises that this is Danyang’s intent, so she gives Danyang a few words of advice, which Danyang ignores. Danyang’s relationship with Xu Lingkuan is still sour, although she tries to pretend that everything is all right.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Wuniang and her husband’s dried fruits business went bust and they closed shop. Shiyi consults Lingyi and he comes up with a plan to help that doesn’t involve directly giving them money to help them save face. Turns out the land in Wuniang’s dowry is good for growing melons.

Xiaodie pushes Concubine Lan into the pond and almost kills her. Danyang is so shocked by this that she goes into a difficult labor. Thanks to Shiyi’s intervention, everything turns out okay. Concubine Lan confesses that she tricked everyone into thinking that Xu Lingkuan and she had slept together. Danyang and Xu Lingkuan make up. Danyang tells Shiyi to call her by name and says that they are now friends.

Erniang is in trouble and very ill, but she refuses help from the Luo family. So Shiyi goes and purposely makes Erniang angry to get her fighting spirit up. Amber also chimes in to support Shiyi.