Jovial Records of the Bamboo Beauty
Type
Genre
Tags[ ]
Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 8 votes)
| 5 | 75% (6 votes) |
| 4 | 0% (0 votes) |
| 3 | 0% (0 votes) |
| 2 | 13% (1 votes) |
| 1 | 13% (1 votes) |
Language
Support Book (#ad)
Author(s)
One entry per lineArtist(s)
One entry per line
N/A
Year
Example: 2012
2005
Status in COO
Status in Country of Origin. One entry per line
33 Chapters + Epilogue (Completed)
Licensed
No
Completely Translated
No
Original Publisher
One entry per lineEnglish Publisher
One entry per line
N/A
Release Frequency
Every 2.9 Day(s)Activity Stats [Graph]
Weekly Rank: #5528Monthly Rank: #2274
All Time Rank: #17562
Reading List [Graph]
On 211 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #11326
All Time Rank: #15781
Description
Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.Liu Xin met Dong Xian through an accidental encounter in a bamboo forest; by a twist of fate, the two became teacher and student.
Just great.
How dare Liu Xin, nephew to the emperor, accept defeat?
Liu Xin tried everything, from studying history [endlessly debating], to respecting social rank [making trouble], to critiquing his work [provoking him], yet he failed to reveal a single of Dong Xian’s flaws…
However, Liu Xin’s heart gradually changed with time.
In a moment of passion, the two men crossed a line and committed a taboo.
Can this play of spy-vs-spy come to such a simple end?
_____________________________
Jovial Records of the Bamboo Beauty by Asuka T陶子 recounts the life of Liu Xin, Emperor Xiao’ai of Han, and his legendary love for Dong Xian, his male favorite.
Liu Xin and Dong Xian coined the idiom, passion of the cut sleeve, that avid danmei readers might’ve come across.
In Chinese culture, the term ‘cut sleeve’ has been a euphemism for homosexuality for over two tousand years; ever since Liu Xin refused to wake the sleeping Dong Xian and cut off his own sleeve to attend court in time.
Associated Names
One entry per lineJRBB
倾世佳人董贤
戏说竹佳人
倾世佳人董贤
戏说竹佳人
Related Series
N/ARecommendations
N/ARecommendation Lists
- Master-disciple(servant), shixiong-shidi, tutor-wa...
- Series to Read
- #2 waiting for the translation to be completed[wux...
Latest Release
| Date | Group | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 04/28/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c8 |
| 04/27/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c7 |
| 04/20/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c6 |
| 04/20/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c5 |
| 04/14/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c4 |
| 04/12/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c3 |
| 04/07/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c2 |
| 04/06/24 | Chrysanthemum Garden | c1 |
An orphaned imperial nephew,
And a beauty that might topple the empire. Jovial Records of the Bamboo Beauty by Asuka T陶子 recounts the life of Liu Xin, Emperor Xiao'ai of Han, and his legendary love for Dong Xian, his male favorite. Summary
It's 12 BCE and the Liu Imperial Family's reign is coming to an end. The current emperor lacks an heir and his nephews are fighting for the throne. Unbenknowst to all, a traitorous official lurks in the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike. Content Warning
This novel contains depictions of cruelty, including physical and s*xual abuse.
Please don't read it, if you aren't comfortable with these topics.
No worries, neither of the main characters forces himself sexually on the other. Characters
Main Characters
Liu Xin is the paternal nephew of the emperor, he lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle in their stead. Because of his imperial lineage, he is inevitably drawn into the fight for the throne. Throughout the novel, he tries to shield the Liu Imperial Family from the ambitous Wang Mang.
Dong Xian, styled Shengqing, is a scholar from Yunyang.
He serves as an aid to the unscrupulous Wang Mang and spies on political opposition upon his order.
Wang Mang's newest mission sees him teaching Liu Xin as his private tutor.
He cares for others and always tries to do the right thing.
As the story progresses, Liu Xin and Dong Xian grow closer and fall in love. However, their respective loyalties, to the ruling family and an ambitous traitor, drive them apart.
I think it's nice that Liu Xin and Dong Xian's love for each other isn't their number one priority. They both have a life outside of their relationship and can't throw caution to the wind.
Side Characters
Wang Mang, styled Jujun, is the nephew of the empress dowager. This familial connection helped him rise to the highest official position in court: the grand marshal. However, he isn't content with the status quo and seeks even greater hights.
Liu Ao is the ruling emperor and Liu Xin's uncle. Lacking an heir to the throne, he is often accompanied by his nephews on outings and in court. Due to his declining health, the time draws near to choose a worthy successor.
Liu Yun is another imperial nephew and Liu Xin's cousin. The two can't see eye-to-eye. He wants to succeed the throne with the help of the empress dowager.
Wang Zhengjun is the emperor's mother and holds the title of empress dowager. She is concerned about her son's lack of children and maintaining her present power and position.
Dong Yulan is Dong Xian's widowed sister-in-law, who raised him from infancy and cares for him like a mother. Wang Mang takes care of her due to her poor health.
Zhiwei is Liu Xin's maid and childhood friend. Though she falls in love with Dong Xian, she supports their relationship and helps them however she can.
The romantic relationship between Liu Xin and Dong Xian is the central focus of the novel. However, the leads don't live in an isolated bubble, they are connected to foes, friends and family alike.
The POV switches between the main characters, sometimes even mid-chapter, which can be jarring to read. Liu Xin's and Dong Xian's POVs are the most prevalent, but occasionally a chapter is told from a side character's perspective. In my opinion, it's nice that the reader isn't restricted to one character's view but can witness the events from different viewpoints. After all, everyone is the hero of their own story. Pace
I think the pacing of the webnovel was alright. The pace speeds up for tense events and slows down for romantic moments.
The novel is only 33 chapters long. It mostly keeps your attention, since there's a frequent change of place and pov. When I first read the webnovel, I skimmed over a few scenes that didn't feature the main characters. In hindsight, these scenes helped flesh out the overarching story. Gong & Shou
Liu Xin and Dong Xian are attracted to each other from the start.
There is some push-and-pull between the two, but they both pursue their relationship. They don't cheat on each other, neither physically nor emotionally.
There is descriptive s*x, short and hot, intersperced throughout the story.
Liu Xin is the gong and Dong Xian the shou.
However, prior to their relationship, Dong Xian topps another man. He is intimate with that character out of obligation, not love.
In my opinion, the author shoud've gone a step further and made Liu Xin and Dong Xian versatile. It would've fit their characters and balanced out the event mentioned above.
The webnovel ends wonderfully. Loose ends are tied up and we get a glimpse into the future. Not just into the main characters' future, but the entire empire's future too.
Liu Xin and Dong Xian live happily ever after, away from court affairs and war. As for the Han Empire... there's a reason it's separated into Western and Eastern Han.
Liu Xin and Dong Xian coined the idiom, passion of the cut sleeve, that avid danmei readers might've come across.
In Chinese culture, the term 'cut sleeve' has been a euphemism for homosexuality for over two tousand years; ever since Liu Xin refused to wake the sleeping Dong Xian and cut off his own sleeve to attend court in time.
Sadly, this defining moment isn't mentioned within the webnovel. Historical Accuracy
Asuka T陶子 mentions the following in her preface: "My writings borrow from history, but not in their entirety. [...] Everyone, this is a work of fiction, don't read it if you expect a historically accurate account." If you're interested in the topic, I recommend listening to the podcast 'The History of China Ep 44: The End of Western Han' about Liu Xin and Dong Xian. Audio Drama
The link to the audio drama can be found at the end of chapter 01.
Episode 01 covers chapters 01 to 03. Qingyin only produced this one pilot, unfortunately. Final Thoughts
Jovial Records of the Bamboo Beauty is a novel I hold dear.
When I first read it, I couldn't put it down and ended up rereading it a few days later.
My first language isn't English or Chinese, so translating can be challenging for me. But I promise to complete this translation project! Please take a look at the first few chapters of Bamboo Beauty.
I think you might like Liu Xin and Dong Xian too.