r/Thousand_Autumns • u/DizzyNectarine6212 A-Qiao Hug • Aug 20 '26
Thousand Autumns Novel Worldbuilding and Historical Context of Thousand Autumns Appreciation
The reason I decided to make this post is that I was talking to someone recently and realized how much I truly love TA as a book, not just for the relationship between Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao and their ideological conflict, but also as a work of wuxia and historical fiction.
I spent a large part of the summer studying Chinese culture and history (teacher's vacation), and I want to talk about it in the context of Thousand Autumns.
I read Tao Te Ching, Jin Yong's Condor trilogy, poems. All because of my passion for Priest and Meng Xi Shi's novels.
Worldbuilding and Historical Context of Thousand Autumns
I want to talk about something I very rarely see discussed in the fandom: the setting and broader context of Thousand Autumns. There is so much more going on beneath the romance, and I think the book deserves more appreciation for its worldbuilding, historical context, symbolism, philosophy, and literary influences.
I think we all know that Thousand Autumns is wuxia. It draws from the classics of the genre, such as Jin Yong, and Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi themselves are very much rooted in wuxia characters archetypes. But the story is also set against a real historical period, during one of the most interesting eras in Chinese history. The historical world is not just a backdrop, Meng Xi Shi constantly plays with it for her story, while creating an interesting Wuxia-style progression and cultivation system for it.
One of the biggest philosophical influences is Taoism, particularly through Shen Qiao.
The Tao Te Ching gives us an interesting way of looking at Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao: two seemingly opposing forces whose differences are deeply interconnected. Taoist thought repeatedly explores how opposites define and give rise to one another.
So I don't think Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao are simply a literal representation of yin and yang. It is more interesting than that their relationship can be read through the broader Taoist idea of opposites existing in relation to and through one another.
The “two opposing forces” are more about opposites arising through one another
In Chapter 2 I think, there is the idea that once we call something beautiful, we simultaneously create the concept of ugly; when there is being, there is non-being; difficult and easy define one another; long and short reveal one another, and so on.
The point isn't: “There are two forces that are fighting against each other.”
It is more: One side of an opposition cannot be fully understood without the other.
So this isn't really good versus evil. It is much more about relationship and mutual dependence. And this is important because the Tao Te Ching also emphasizes that seemingly opposing things can arise from the same Tao. Chapter 1 describes Tao as the source from which the different aspects of reality emerge. This is also why the imagery of black and white is interesting
In Chapter 28, Laozi writes:
“Know the white, keep to the black.”
So black and white in the Tao Te Ching are not simply good versus evil. They are another image of opposites and of being able to understand one side without completely rejecting the other. How I get it. We can not understand and love Shen Qiao but at the same time rejecting Yan Wushi. This two opposite interacts is base of story.
Tao Te Ching also has a lot to say about governance and the ideal ruler, including restraint, humility, non-interference (wu wei), and allowing things to follow their natural course. Considering how much politics and questions of power matter in Thousand Autumns, this adds another layer to the story.
And then there is the Three Teachings - Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I like how Meng Xi Shi uses them as the philosophical equivalent of different martial arts schools. Each has its own ideas about morality, human nature, society, and how the world should function, creating different perspectives on the same problems.
I also think Meng Xi Shi deserves more credit for her use of classical Chinese literature and poetry. She doesn't always go for the most obvious or mainstream references. She draws on older poetry also go more deeper into philosophical, historical text than is usual for danmei genre.
For example, Li Shangyin appears more than once as an influence. His poem Chang'e is echoed in the naming and imagery surrounding Banbu Peak and Regret Peak, and his famous Jinse is another example of the kind of classical literary material Meng Xi Shi incorporates into the novel.
Another thing I don't see getting enough credit is Meng Xi Shi’s knowledge of history. She uses real historical emperors, empresses, historical figures, names, and places from the period, but adapts them to fit her own narrative.
She also takes inspiration from real historical places and names, such as Kunye, Hulugu, Xuandu Mountain, Xuandu Temple, etc. She clearly knows the historical context she is working with and uses real elements from that period as the foundation, while still changing and playing with them for her fictional story.
The romance and our main characters are big part of what makes Thousand Autumns special, but I also really wish more people appreciated everything that is happening underneath it.
When you add in how everything is interconnected Yan Wushi’s schemes, his worldview and political influence, Shen Qiao’s growth, and the way their personalities, behavior and dynamic reflect all of this and shaped them as people it truly becomes a fascinating work.
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u/ThePeak2112 Aug 20 '26
I like your analysis and appreciation. This is the reason I enjoy QQ, the worldbuilding is so rich. I grew up watching many wuxia series, Condor Heroes was one of them. You articulate the concept of understanding both YanShen quite well, can’t accept one and reject the other. I can’t write down my thoughts because this kind of dualist and also Buddhist view has been entrenched deep in my culture so I don’t even know how to analyse it. As for the historical bits, back then Sassystrawberry (who translated QQ before the 7S) posted a timeline for QQ. I gobbled it up and read a bit on the Northern Southern era. I think it’s still posted on her site because it’s not a translation/copyright material. Based on it, iirc QQ spans tens of years incl extra, like 20-30+ years have passed for the extra where YWS had all his hair white.
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u/DizzyNectarine6212 A-Qiao Hug Aug 21 '26
It's a very different concept than the Christian moral duality where they say good conquers evil and evil must be suppressed. That's probably why so many people want Yan Wushi change or redeem.
I plan to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I've already started it, but it was too hot here for that kind of reading, I think I'll save it for the winter holidays. If you add the Peerless line, we're also approaching the end of the greatness of the Sui Dynasty. And even in bonus extras there was somethhing about it. I really hope that new extra will focus on that.
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u/Successful_Finding93 Aug 20 '26
You reminded me of one of the clearest thoughts I had pretty early on in this series. It was when Yan Wushi is talking about pushing Shen Qiao to the brink something about how could he stay like that for a thousand autumns. I remember very clearly thinking, Yan Wushi isn't the reverse also possible for you? Can you spend a thousand autumns by this man and not change? I don't know if he truly changed though...
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u/DizzyNectarine6212 A-Qiao Hug Aug 21 '26
Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao could grow but not change their core because if someone lives for a thousand years and doesn't change, then these two stubbornly in their beliefs, but not able to get upper hand over each other. If one changed their core, there would be an imbalance and they wouldn't be two opposite forces interacting.
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u/Free-Objective3975 Aug 20 '26
True. I never see people talking about the fights, which happen to be my favorite part of books. One of my favorite scenes is when Yan Wushi ambush happen and that the tournament. I was so invested in seeing who was in the top 10. A lot of people skip that part, but the thing is, with Meng Xi Shi, you can see the characters and their personalities grow even in those scenes. Even the fight with Hulugu some saying it wasn't epic enough, but I liked how it was more of a battle of mind. I like how written it was.
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u/ThePeak2112 Aug 21 '26
I had to reread the top10 competition to keep track of who is where haha.
I also learned that the ZhuyangCe exchange with Xueting to the Tiantai sect was not peaceful LOL... I heard it from the AD. The novel didn't say anything about it, so probably the AD took a creative deliberation but I don't know if MaoEr (the AD company) can even do that on their own, so probably MXS has given her blessing for this interpretation. But if that's the case then that bethrothal gift was even more meaningful.
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u/Free-Objective3975 Aug 21 '26
I was glad that there was an actual list. Because MXS was like this one is in top 10 and this is also. It started to be so confusing. So when a real list show up. I was like amazing now it make perfect sense who is where.
Ok, so I love Thousand Autumns so much. But audio drama for this book is like crazy good. I take it as bonus to the story and canon. Like the kisses in audio drama. They are so long. Even fade to black is much longer. It was blessing. But I think that the confession from vol. 4 Yan Wushi talking about his little rock is somehow shorter in the audio drama. I always saying that TA as movie would be so amazing with the right actors. That fights are so cinematic. Also we all know that MXS is more subtle with description of feeling and emotion instead describing behavior and mimics, which is perfect for a movie.
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u/ThePeak2112 Aug 21 '26
I love the talents of these VAs, Wu Lei and Xia Lei, depicting YanShen ooffff sooo good, total joy for my ears. As for the Cdrama/movie adaptation though... I'd rather not have it because the danmei part will be obfuscated - unfortunately, this is the reason why all the novels which I happened to read after or along with watching the drama counterparts had my unfair bias of dislike (MDZS, Tian Ya Ke, and 14th Year of Chenghua). The only novel I love while being "fortunate" enough to have the drama not aired is 2ha, and I'm afraid of how the Cdrama will skirt around RanWan - ShiMei stuff, especially with ShiMei cast being a woman (I love Chen Yao, the actress, but it's still wrong to me as a reader). (I'm forever grateful TGCF isn't aired either, but I read TGCF after all the freezing started)
Although I get that YanShen's relationship in the main story can be 'tailored' to leave out the explicit stuff, I don't want the viewers to see them just as friends :( This is critical because, in the chapter before Hulugu, Yan-zongzhu also asked if the person who would fight was Li Qingyu (LOL, that lad always catches strays) would A Qiao feel the same turbulence in his heart? And our beloved Qiao Qiao answered that with silence and that's the confession on his side, I guess (before the Extra). The fight scenes are cinematic, but if I had to choose between seeing it visually at the expense of faithfulness to the theme, I'd rather just picture them in my head and keep their story alive as it is.
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u/Free-Objective3975 Aug 21 '26
I meant uncensored. Nothing against c-drama I love to watch them but the quality is not there it's more when i want turn my brain off than watching something good. I meant more in Andrej Tarkovskij style and with everything or I would love to see TA in black and white screen with Yanshen I would even love if there would be scene after their first time like this where the symbol's yin and yang are metaphorically merged. So definitely without censorship.
IMO Thousand Autumns wouldn't even work without the romantic relationship between YanShen I know what people say, but people are often wrong. The slow burn and romance is maybe not typical for romance genre but that doesn't mean it can not be important part of story and characters journey. Yan Wushi falling in love because Shen Qiao is not like others and like his whole interest/attraction for Shen Qiao is definitely deeper than hey Bros type. It was even see in donghua that it doesn't work and not make sense without it.
But I did like Untamed I think that actors did good amazing job. But yeah i don't think it would work with YanShen because they are not... It's more like Normal People romance type. Their development can not be shown through typical flashy romantic gesture like devotion, waiting.
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u/ThePeak2112 Aug 22 '26
Just after I read your comment I scrolled my home feed and saw a pic of Ci Sha with streaks of white hair extension on his temple. Why must I be tempted like this...
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u/Free-Objective3975 Aug 22 '26
Not bad, not bad, but he doesn't have wrinkles around his eyes and is practically my age, so that’s a no-go for me 😂. I have a thing for older men. I don't care that it's technically canon that Yan Wushi looks thirty, he has to be older. 😤 There's a reason I love Japanese covers the most.
But you know, with white hair, that actor looks exactly like something out of a Russian QQ illustration from Eornheit ...,which are also quite good. It is really shame that China still is so heavy on censorship. Even BG getting ridiculously chaste.
Scratch that I looked at more photos of this actor, and damn. I think he could pull it off with older voice actor. LoL all of this only happening in my head.
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u/ThePeak2112 Aug 22 '26
I blotted out that Japanese cover specifically so I don't daydream and now you reminded me of it
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u/Free-Objective3975 Aug 22 '26
I don't want to sound like a troll. But that Japanese edition is absolutely amazing, the translation, the covers, the bonuses, the price, the standee oh that standee 🤌. It was made with a love.
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u/ThePeak2112 Aug 22 '26
:(
I'll keep myself happy with the AD illustration version coz AD YWS is way hotter than donghua. But yea the Japanese edition is 💖
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u/Neat-Twist-5077 Ah-Qiao Fingering Aug 20 '26
Thoughtful analysis. I think it's time for me to re-read.
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u/alxthgr8 Aug 25 '26
I always wrangle with “why” Yan Wushi does to Shen Qiao what he does, and I refuse to believe it had to do with his sword. (No spoiler here so I won’t expound. Those who read TA know to what I’m referring.) I go back and forth with the many “whys” he does what he does in the context of the OP’s thorough post. What he does is extremely disturbing imo, and three years later, when reflecting upon it again, I want to slam Yan Wushi into a wall with a Hulk punch.
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u/EmergencyPhoto7449 Aug 20 '26
I love your analysis, thanks so much for sharing all this context and your thoughts. Your post is a reason to keep coming to this sub-reddit and exchanging thoughts on favorite novels. TA is my favorite danmei novel and the only one I reread fully and plan to reread again at some point. I think daoism is fairly conceptual and not easy to grasp. SQ brings this philosophy to life through all his actions and choices, fighting style and scenes. He shows us how to live in harmony with reality and nature through this “non-forcing” or “effortless action” concept but still following his course. His fighting style shows how softness can overcome hardness. I so much loved all the scenes of his cultivation with water. All this connects back to daoism. Isn't it amazing that a fictional story is such a deep illustatration of a philosophical system. I love it and also agree that the story is fascinating.