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Lord Seventh
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Web Novel (CN)
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Rating(4.3 / 5.0, 381 votes)
5    60% (227 votes)
4    24% (92 votes)
3    11% (42 votes)
2    2% (8 votes)
1    3% (12 votes)
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76 Chapters + 3 Extras (Complete)
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Completely Translated
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Weekly Rank: #918
Monthly Rank: #1147
All Time Rank: #1801
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On 6621 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #4211
All Time Rank: #743

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Waking up again in his seventh reincarnation, Prince Jing Beiyuan found himself back in time, when everything had yet to be set in motion. Having been given a second chance, Beiyuan has to survive court and decide whether it was finally time for him to let go of his feelings or not, all while trying to handle the youthful, innocent force of nature that had suddenly barged into his already complicated life.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Qī Yé
Thất Gia
七爷
칠야
Related Series
Faraway Wanderers (Sequel)
Recommendations
Sha Po Lang (8)
Golden Stage (4)
Rebirth: Degenerate S*ave Abuses Tyrant (4)
The Wife is First (2)
Faraway Wanderers (2)
Qiang Jin Jiu (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Shorts
  2. priest's novels I've read
  3. silly chinese novels
  4. Favourites
  5. Been there read that

Latest Release

Date Group Release
12/09/20 Chichi extra 3
12/09/20 Chichi extra 2
12/08/20 Chichi extra 1
12/06/20 Chichi c76
12/02/20 Chichi c75
11/28/20 Chichi c74
11/26/20 Chichi c73
11/24/20 Chichi c72
11/22/20 Chichi c71
11/21/20 Chichi c70
11/17/20 Chichi c69
11/16/20 Chichi c68
11/15/20 Chichi c67
11/10/20 Chichi c66
11/08/20 Chichi c65
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89 Reviews sorted by


Ackery
New Ackery rated it
March 14, 2023
Status: Completed
This is a slow paced, political-heavy book with an indescribably melancholic atmosphere.

Starting with an unforgettable first chapter, the story is very well written till the very end.

It is filled with some multi-faceted, grey characters and moral dilemmas. It is thought provoking and manages to portray realistically the complexity of human beings, dealing with different themes like greed, love, justice, lust, devotion, ethics etc.

Even though the book definitely has some cons, like the romance development that I personally found a bit sudden, it is definitely a rewarding read that deserves a... more>> chance.

P.S. A big thank you to Huang ''Chichi'' Zhifeng for the fantastic fanmade translation that definitely made me enjoy the book to the fullest. <<less
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ferrrrr
New ferrrrr rated it
March 1, 2023
Status: Completed
Finished Qi Ye and Idk it kinda makes me think that maybe this slow burn love, subtle touch between MC and ML is way better than reading smut hshshsh.

I read this straight away after finished TYK and think doesnt matter if you choose which one to read first.
Spoiler

Jing Beiyuan finally redeemed himself in this lifetime when he met Wu Xi but Helian Yi thoughhhh. The heartache, unspeakable truth and feeling even tender gaze couldn’t hide the fond to that beautiful man : (

[collapse]
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yuukine
yuukine rated it
June 23, 2020
Status: c31
Rating: 4.5/5

"It was my fault that your fate became incomplete and full of suffering. There is nothing I can do to make up to you but this; giving up all of my cultivation to trade for one lifetime where you can have black hair again... "

There is so much to unpack about this book, but at the same time story is very simple, when you throw out the politics out of the window.

Jing Beiyuan is a man who lived through many lives, through many forms and was always killed by... more>> the love of his life Helian Yi. No matter how many times he was killed, he never drank meng po soup in order to forget his past lives.

He spent so many years in afterlife that at some point, his hair became completely white.

But the last life he got returned him to the point of time of his first life, when he was still young, still human and able to change things and when his hair was still black.

Jing Beiyuan, also known as Jing Qi, is also a prince with different surname. Helian Yi is, however, a crown prince and his throne is being eyed by his two older brothers Helian Zhao and Helian Qi.

In the past, Jing Beiyuan set a path and cleared the way for Helian Yi to claim the throne, but it all backfired when Helian Yi decided to kill him.

At first he wanted to do nothing and waste away so Helian Yi would not have a reason to kill him in this life, but everything changed when unknown factor - Wu Xi, a hostage prince/young sorcerer from Nanjing - was sent to their capital and changed entire course of history and future that Jing Beiyuan knew.

And so, Jing Beiyuan decides to satisfy his curiousity by becoming friends with Wu Xi, who is surrounded by a lot of poisonous animals, who has magic that is beyond their comprehending and who is after all.... Alone. Alone in Jby's country, with only his people.

Alone, like Jing Beiyuan with his thoughts.

Jing Beiyuan is so clever, so smart and so cunning and ruthless. He's overly protective but he also loves to trick, to mock and have fun.

Wu Xi is restrained, mostly afraid of new environment but still stands proudly and doesn't bend his back. He relents when he has to, but he also has a curious nature, and for now Jing Beiyuan is the only he can trust.

This book is very linear, very satisfying, very clear and comprehensible. The translation is top notch and wonderful and the story flows smoothly.

You won't feel bored in any chapter.

This is slow burn romance and not a love triangle, despite seeming this way.

>OVERALL RATINGS:

◙ Main characters: highly unique, wonderful, they will knife you hard and make you happy and proud.

◙ Side characters: well developed, could be better, but Helian Yi is the only one with biggest focus so far.

◙ Story: clear, linear and smooth. No overall world saving or similar but it is a story of finding someone. To not thread your life alone forever. It's a system of reward to a soul that has almost withered away, and a story of a soul determined to correct the injustice.

◙ Humor AND angst: you will feel sad because Jing Beiyuan didn't lead a happy life. Ever. And yet you will laugh at their shenanigans. <<less
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earlgreyt
earlgreyt rated it
December 11, 2020
Status: Completed
What I found really engaging in this story are the cliche-breakers:

  • MC was "fated" to be with a person, but was deeply betrayed & killed by them before his rebirth etc. The cliche-breaker is a spoiler:
    Spoiler

    After rebirth, he doesn't end up with the same guy who killed him.

    Above sounds so s*upidly obvious when written out, but unfortunately in rebirth/second chance novels, MCs almost ALWAYS end up with the same person who DEEPLY destroyed them in the previous life due to the Law of Virginity. (see next bullet)

    [collapse]

    Spoiler

    Priest writes fantastic complex scheming political characters (like the ex-ML), making you alternatingly feel bad or call them "scum." Much dilemma! Great depth on the unspoken bitterness and regrets.

    I'm frankly impressed how sympathetic a character he turned out to be.

    [collapse]

  • MC isn't some virginal youth who's never had any relationships (he's kind of like 300 years old), and he ends up with someone unexpected.
    Spoiler

    In almost every CN novel, MCs end up with whoever took his/her "first time" (aka, Law of Virginity). Which is why it's shockingly great that MC ends up with someone-not-that in this novel.

    [collapse]

  • MC is a switch.
    Spoiler

    And he's the kind of wonderful "top" who doesn't care who tops or bottoms, but rather sentimentally would willing submit and share both with his loved one.

    [collapse]
Otherwise, an excellent read by Priest yet again.

  • Wonderful multi-dimensional cast
  • Ethical dilemmas galore
  • Everyone is kind of a bit corrupt and a bit "gray" and a bit dirty... except cinnamon-roll ML
  • More focus on plot, fighting for the throne, scheming etc.
  • A bit similar to [Sha Po Lang] in terms of older!MC, fake-facade!MC, self-sacrificial!MC, loyal-to-country!MC (but not as noble or silly as the one in SPL)
  • Overall, a darker tone because of the rebirth element and the pining/past tragedy element
Fantastic translation.
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lorry
lorry
May 16, 2019
Status: c1
Rebirth, unrequited love? Politics? MC already has gone through several reincarnations already but that's not what the story is about. What's important is that this is his seventh reincarnation, and with it he goes back in time, to his very first life.
Spoiler

The MC, Jing Beiyuan, had the worst luck in that the one he was destined to be with for 7 lifetimes instead became his enemy, not his lover. Then he had 5 miserable lifetimes after that trying to get close to him, before essentially giving up and trying to drink from the river of forgetfulness but that didn't work out either. Now the story starts with the seventh and last life, and, he has complicated feelings? He claims all he wants now is a peaceful life, but, it seems he can't escape royal intrigues, and, he's trying to decide whether it's time to let go of his feelings REALLY BIG SPOILER The ML doesn't appear to be the man he was supposedly destined to be with, but someone else

[collapse]

The translation is very, very well done, which is fortunate as there seems to be a lot of references to Chinese mythology that might be confusing if all you've read (as I have) is the MTL. And also lots of political drama, which a good translation is absolutely necessary so you don't get lost (as I have) just by reading the MTL.
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Xixiryn
Xixiryn rated it
March 16, 2021
Status: Completed
I spent the whole day binge-reading and even stayed up until 3 in the morning finishing this story. I loved the concept, but the execution was a bit lacking. It was still a good read. Here's why it got 3 stars from me:

- The MC (Jing Qi/Jing Beiyuan) : This must be the 3rd book I've read by Priest, but I'm starting to notice that she really liked depicting the "Old Rogue" type of MC or ML, where they act all shameless and is making jokes all the time and... more>> doesn't seem to take anything seriously, but really they're supposedly super deep inside and can get things done like nobody's business. Jing Qi was exactly this. Normally, I like these types of characters, but he did it to such an extent that I found myself getting irritated with him more than a few times. I don't dislike Jing Qi, but I don't love him either.

- The ML (Wu Xi) : Compared to Jing Qi, and even the Ex, Wu Xi was more simplistic and less complex, thus making him seem more cardboard cut-out. He was boxed into this child-like character that was too honest for his own good. He had low EQ, supplemented by surprising bouts of keen observations. Yet, there seemed to be no criteria for when he becomes observant except for the fact that the author wants him to be. I still liked him more than the MC, though.

- The Relationship/CP: Sigh. The relationship is the weakest part of this novel. I felt very complicated about this CP. What I dislike is that, in the past, Jing Qi loved the Ex so much that they were entangled for 7 lifetimes, that he was unwilling to drink Meng Po's soup, that he would wait for him for 60-70 years by the River of Forgetfulness per lifetime. So, if his previous feelings toward the Ex was boiling hot, then his current feelings for Wu Xi could be described as lukewarm. Maybe this was Priest's intention. After all, after being burned by boiling water, lukewarm could be considered perfect, and lukewarm was just what Jing Qi needed. And this would be perfectly fine, if Priest had told the development of their relationship differently. But instead, it felt more like Wu Xi loving Jing Qi greatly, and Jing Qi just giving in to Wu Xi, like how one would give in to a child. It seemed unfair to the ML, who seemed so much more invested in the relationship.
Spoiler

If there were any consolations, it was that, once Jing Qi gave in, he was loyal and he was also willing to wait for Wi Xi in the afterlife if he ended up dying first. Even then, he still thought regretfully that, if only in the past life, the Ex wasn't the Emperor and he wasn't the Prince of Nan'Ning. Argh. Why?????? I don't expect Jing Qi to be glad that his Ex turned into a paranoid, ungrateful POS who ended up killing him, but I thought he was way over it already. I mean, the dude literally killed you all of 6 lifetimes.

[collapse]

- The Plot: If the plot was the political drama, then it was boring as heck.

Some people will love it, some people will think it's so-so. Give it a try. <<less
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dramamonster
dramamonster rated it
March 20, 2021
Status: Completed
This is a very slow slice-of-life of a reborn noble caught in the struggle for the throne and trying to avoid his original emotional entanglements and tragic fate. I read translator Chichi's complete epub version. The MC's 7 lifetimes of love with the Crown Prince accidentally became 7 lifetimes of enmity, with the Crown Prince killing the loving MC each time. After the 6th lifetime, the MC simply waits in the Underworld for his beloved Crown Prince.

MAJOR SPOILERS:

Spoiler

EXCEPT, the Crown Prince actually isn't the ML of this novel!

The MC is born again into his first lifetime with all of his memories intact. Even if his body is young, the MC's memories are hundreds of years old and the MC's heart has grown cold. He'll help the Crown Prince to the throne again, but the MC doesn't love the Crown Prince anymore and the MC wants to avoid being killed by a paranoid ruler again.

Rather, the ML of the novel is Wu Xi, the hostage Shaman from a foreign country. The first 90% of the story covers the 10 years when the MC and ML grow up in the Capital, mainly housebound. The MC is careful to appear to be a useless fop while actually scheming nonstop to promote the Crown Prince and protect himself. Wu Xi is seen as a little kid, with high IQ and martial arts, but low EQ. By the time the ML is a tall, strapping man, 90% of the story is passed, and the romance and the final battle begin. It's a happy ending.

[collapse]

The translation is good, but the plot/romance development (over a decade) is super slow, so I'd say 4 stars.

Update: Just realized that super scheming, ruthless mastermind Zhou Zishu from this novel, is actually the MC of Faraway Wanderers novel/Word of Honour drama.
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errantce
errantce rated it
February 13, 2021
Status: Completed
sigh.. I truly don't know just how to put my thoughts down about this novel.

despite the 3 star rating, I actually really enjoyed reading it. to me, Lord Seventh is one of those novels with the purpose to make you think and truthfully, it does just that. usually, I'd read a novel and be able to go "he's the bad guy" and "he's the good guy". but with Lord Seventh, nobody is truly good and nobody is truly evil. and that's the point I think priest was trying to... more>> make and she does it really well.

priest has always been good at delivering characters that feels real, that feels well fleshed and thought out and that is also the case with Lord Seventh. there are really no obvious villains nor are there obvious heroes. practically every single character is morally grey in some way and that's what makes them feel all the more real. they're not perfect, they do things that are morally bad and they do it often and even if it is for the sake of the "greater good" it doesn't mean those things are not bad and the novel does a great job of pointing that out.

however, despite it all I truly do cherish these characters, and I think that's mostly where the 3 stars come from. the characters are wonderfully written. I started the novel thinking I'd hate the crown prince and yet in the end, I could not help sympathise with him. yes, his actions are inexcusable, however, it doesn't mean I cannot see his point of view either.

and the plot too, is great. against the backdrop of a nation and princes vying for the throne and danger at every corner, and yet with his rebirth, our main character is not omnipotent. this isn't a typical "I rebirthed time to face slap" novel and that's precisely why I liked it. from early as the second chapter our MC has pretty much accepted that what happened in the past was a matter of the past and he could only strive forth in the present.

so despite this book having all these characteristics that I truly love and characters I genuinely cherish and wrapped up in a HE bow... I also don't understand where the 3 stars came from. or maybe I do. despite the elements that make up what is genuinely a great story, Lord Seventh, to me just felt like a lot of things happened yet... nothing happened. I would not say I started to get bored, but I also found myself wanting to get to the end and be done with the novel. yet what kept me going was these characters and to see what happened to them in the end.

and it is also for these characters that I will give this novel 3 stars. maybe it's contradictory despite the low rating, but Lord Seventh is truly a really good book, it's just that for me, it was the characters, and just them, that make it so. <<less
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stardustmist
stardustmist rated it
September 4, 2020
Status: Completed
This is one of those novels which is so poignant and melancholic, the very first chapter made my heart so heavy. This novel has me in its grasp, I just loved the theme of this novel, moving on and falling in love again. I'm a sucker for such tropes where the person you are supposedly fated to, isn't the one for you. This takes soulmates just on another level.

I don't usually read novels with love triangles, not my cup of tea. However, this is different, here Jing Qi is moving... more>> on, so I gave it a try. Definitely worth it. The MC, Jing Beiyuan, is such an interesting character, he's calculative, cunning, scheming, but shows an indifferent and lazy attitude. He's funny, lovable and adorable. Most of time, you will be protective of him and be in rage of the things he had to go through. His willpower to last for 6 different lives, is truly admirable yet so pitiful. I'm glad that he decided to let it go.

The ML, oh my, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM.
Spoiler

Wu Xi is so bold and straightforward, he's childish and stubborn, he's blunt and innocent. He decided that he liked Beiyuan and did everything in his power to cherish and make him happy. He's so doting, it's tender love ahhhh. Some people said that they didn't like him much compared to Helian Yi, however, I think Wu Xi is the kind of guy who's suitable for our Lord Seventh!! Beiyuan needs someone who would say what he feels, love and pamper him, treat him extremely well. Wu Xi is the best boy~

He gave Beiyuan the home, love and stability that Beiyuan hadn't even thought of.


He's the exact opposite of Beiyuan, my heart!!!!
[collapse]

CP: 1000000, I can't stress how much I love them!!!!!

I read the MTL version for the last 50 chapters and the extras are so cute, THEY EVEN HAVE A SON ASDFGHJKL. They are so in love, they made my heart flutter and then mush haha.

Spoiler

When the Netherjudge said that Bai Wuchang had been waiting for his destined person and then gave up his whole cultivation for Jing Qi to live his first life again, I was in tears. They were fated from the beginning, but Wu Xi had to wait 300 (?) Years to reborn and fall in love with Jing Beiyuan. This was different from what I had expected.

[collapse]

THEY WERE DESTINED TO BE WITH EACH OTHER SINCE THE BEGINNING *SOBS*

My favorite character would be Liang Jiuxiao, he's just so lovable and quite relatable. And, my boy, Ping An haha. They are the bestest boys~

The translations are wonderful, I highly recommend this novel, it's such a gem. I would reread this again and again for my boys!! <<less
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Ratiboise
Ratiboise rated it
August 14, 2021
Status: Completed
This book grabbed me and never quite let go. Not that it is action packed. Almost the opposite. It's steeped in the delicate melancholy of his slightly-depressed main-point-of-view character. But it’s this deep dive into the inner workings of its oh-so-human characters that makes in so special.

How to describe it? It’s a book about political intrigues, except that power is a meaningless constrain. It’s a book about predestined love, except when it has already passed and cannot grow again. It's a book about duty to the state and the people,... more>> except that it means destroying your own dreams and living in frustration. It’s a book that takes many tropes and gently deconstructs them so that you cannot rest in the comfort of what you already know.

It could be described as a deeply philosophical book: it’s about learning how to live and to love, about power vs humanism, responsibility vs freedom, duty vs desire... But those themes are never expressed in the abstract. They appear between the lines, through the different characters, their thoughts, their actions and their consequences.

It’s a book with many funny moments, sweet moments, tense, horrifying and tragic moments too, but always narrated through the inner thought of the characters. There are little objective facts in this book, only their shadows, how they are experienced, explained and rationalized by the characters.

It’s a book that gives very little definite answers but leaves you with many questions, that never preaches, judges, condemns its characters and never decides for its reader what they should think.

It’s a book like very few others in the webnovel world. I hope it’s a book for you. It certainly was for me.

PS: The translation is great. Also it has a sequel, Faraway Wanderers, which really is more like the other side of the same coin, a thematic contra point with a setting and tonal change. So it’s like you have two great books for the price of one! <<less
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Kim Nara
Kim Nara rated it
February 23, 2021
Status: Completed
Ah, what a heavy story, beautifully written and logical.

I think it doesn't end with a happy ending but with a bittersweet ending. Why? Because this story is really similar to real life. You want to feel completely happy but you can't because there are other memories that are holding your heart from feeling truly happy.

The main character may end up happily, but not with the other characters, with how every other character around them ends. But you also can't blame the author for this. Because deep in your heart you... more>> realize life is like this.

The authors wrote each character beautifully, with their respective backgrounds, and the end of their respective journeys. The plot of their life is actually simple, made complicated by various events around them like intrigue surrounding the kingdom, the throne, and also war.

Each character has their own personality, sometimes you agree with their decisions, but more often than not you think they could have made better decisions. The author explains beautifully why each of the characters does this and not that, so you can't help but try to accept and love them.

The worldbuilding is not very clear because the story revolves around the scheme each character takes and there is rarely a scene strolling around enjoying the scenery or anything like that.

Finally, if you want to read a story that takes you out of real life, this story is not a good choice for you, you will feel depressed, rest assured. But if you want to see and hear the "real" stories of other people's lives, read this novel, for you to feel life is really hard to live. Or maybe you will be grateful your life is not as sad as theirs? <<less
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yooa_12
yooa_12 rated it
March 19, 2021
Status: extra 3
whew.... first of all, my first priest novel I read was spl and I didn't understand what was happening in half of the plot, I was lost most of the time and that really discouraged me to keep reading priest novels. but now with word of honor airing I wanted to read qiye and I got surprised.

so coming with low expectations, the stting of qiye's plot was really interesting, reincarnation and ill fated lovers? count me in. you see the characters grow up, literally from their teen's up till their... more>> late twenties. there's wu xi who is the type of character that I usually like, this kind aloof, cold-faced but actually is yearning for his loved one, that's what I like. so me being a simp for him was no surprise, and he has cute pets uwu so yeah I love wuxi.

beiyuan was not my favorite character... I understand that he wasjust trying to survive this lifetime by keeping his distance from helian yi, and just idle around without care for anything or anyone, like I understand that bc he lived tragedy after tragedy on his past lives, of course he'd be weary, but I didnt connect that much with him

for the main couple, I felt wuxi's feelings the most, the realization, the yearning, the acceptance, even though it felt too fast, like he just woke up one day after a dream with beiyuan, was dumbfounded but that same day he was like oh I like him. which is character, but it still was... fast. and on the other side, there's beiyuan, who apparently is past beyond his love for helian yi but you can see he is somehow nostalgic about it yet, so him loving wu xi is sort of difficult to happen.... and yet he does.... but it doesnt feel like as deep as wu xi

the way I felt when beiyuan reciprocated wuxi I was confused, bc I feel like he still treats wu xi as a child, not as an adult, and yes I know he wouldnt have stopped going to brothels and all that stuff if he had not had feelings for wu xi, but the feeling he conveyed was of an adult trying to placate a child by giving him the candy he desires. and after the war he was willing to die and wait for wu xi by the river but he said it was a debt he had.

it's complicated bc I think priest lacked in developing their relationship, in a deeper level, there were years of pining and the moment it finally starts turning mutual, it ends. xiyuan are a great couple but it still could have been way better

the last complain about the story I have is how priest left many plotholes in the main story, for example bai wuchang

Spoiler

we wouldnt have known bai wuchang and wu xi are the same, if it had not been for the translator including that deleted extra, which I think is ridiculous, how can you leave a detail that is SOOOOOO important out, HOW, WHY. it doesnt make sense. yes it was a great conclusion for the overall novel+extras, but there's people that wont read the extras, you should include something like that plot twist IN the novel

[collapse]

in conclusion, the way priest writes is like she is telling me something, but the moment it starts to get juicy she deems it unnecessary and moves on, and there's no room for questions, bc she kind of assumes you already know those details that you actually dont know. im not saying she is bad because she has great ideas, but im not a fan of the way she develops them and how she forgets to make that connection between the characters so they can appeal to the reader and make them feel invested, make the readers feel part of the story and not just outsiders.

i give it 4 stars bc I had a good time, I loved wu xi but I would have loved if priest had written it differently <<less
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vassal101
vassal101 rated it
December 10, 2020
Status: Completed
To be clear, three stars is not a bad rating for me! I really enjoyed this novel and I recommend it for any historical/political danmei fans! However, priest is such a popular and renowned author that I felt the need to be honest and, dare I say, critical about this work perhaps more than I would about others, so anyone whose already a diehard priest fan looking to read this work next just! Be warned! MC (Jing Beiyuan/Jing Qi) lives six lifetimes in various forms loving/attempting to support the crown... more>> prince of his country in his journey to the throne but is killed by said crown prince in all of them; this story follows his seventh lifetime, second in his original human body, as he supports the crown prince with no more love in his heart and instead (very slowly) falls for the ML (Wu Xi), a hostage from the country of Nanjiang he cares for. This is the first novel by priest I've finally (finally!!) read in its entirety, mostly because A. It's pretty short and manageable, length-wise, for a webnovel and B. It's historical and political with transmigration elements, so yeah I'm gonna read it LOL. There's a lot to unpack in this novel, but I'll start off by saying I really, really liked it; it was well-written (and well translated, bless you chichi!!) and the corruption of the court and bitter reality that faced each character every day was so raw and honest. It wasn't necessarily a fun political drama, because a lot of people suffered, none more so than our dear main characters, but it all tied together and made sense really intelligently. The side characters were fleshed out very well (the trio of hated Helian princes was especially interesting to me - such excellent depictions of archetypal characters) and I really rooted for Jing Qi and Wu Xi. They deserved the happy ending they got so much! So overall, it's a really strong novel in terms of plot and writing, which is why I highly recommend it if you're okay with lots of political/historical terminology, angst, and moral ambiguity. That being said, this is also a novel by priest, and so there were always going to be some things about it that I didn't /love/. Priest tends to have a few trends when it comes to her romances, specifically, that I'm just not a huge fan of. Three are demonstrated here: One-sidedness, age differences, and both characters in the pairing preferring to top (aka they're both naturally inclined gongs). Before I get into my complaints about these tropes, I just want to make clear that I really did like Jing Qi and Wu Xi as characters a lot. They had an amazing dynamic, what with Jing Qi being so jaded and having to do so many untoward tasks for the sake of Helian Yi (aforementioned crown prince) and Wu Xi being so upfront, honest, and genuine till the very end. They really suited each other and belonged together (especially considering Wu Xi's backstory which I won't spoil here). I knew they were going to end up together, I wanted them to be together, and I cannot describe the happiness I felt when they did end up together! XiYuan, XiYuan, XiYuan! But, simultaneously, all three of those tropes were present, and they each make me feel uncomfortable to varying degrees. Wu Xi was definitely the only one pining and when they got together, it felt more like Jing Qi was giving in to his whims as a jaded old man who couldn't refuse such a genuine person rather than an active participant in the relationship (the extra chapters eased my concerns about this aspect a little though). By his seventh incarnation, Jing Qi is mentally very, very old and again, completely over the idea of love, while Wu Xi is basically as youthful and optimistic as you can get, which actually left me feeling a little uncomfortable. I don't normally mind age differences (self-proclaimed vampire lover here) as long as the potential relational imbalance is waived or made into a minor detail somehow, but in Lord Seventh Jing Qi's old age is emphasized time and time again and it just didn't sit right with me. Finally, the two-gongs-but-they-aren't-reversible trope. I don't get it!! I don't! And beyond that I have an issue with the way priest treats bottoming/being an 'enthusiastic' or 'stereotypical' shou, but I won't get into that off-topic tangent here. Suffice it to say that I'd either the pairing have set roles they both enjoy and prefer or they are comfortably and canonically reversible. If one of the characters had some kind of awakening or realized they actually preferred bottoming through the relationship then that would also be totally fine, but it makes me uncomfortable when there's an overarching theme of 'settling' or even force within the relationship. That's a matter of personal preference, but it does affect my enjoyment of every priest novel I read so *shrugs*. At the end of the day, the romance wasn't a core aspect of the book, and you can simply tell! I would've loved to see what could have been done with ~30-40 more chapters in terms of really developing Jing Qi's feelings for Wu Xi and showing their relationship actually blossom beyond the tragedy and hardship of their circumstances, but I'm not very pressed about the issue! Again, I really thought it was well-written, technically speaking, and the plot was jointly excruciating and intelligently crafted. The characters and story were compelling and I genuinely enjoyed the ups as much as the lows hurt. I do recommend - just not for the romance, particularly! <<less
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Littlebluejade
Littlebluejade rated it
August 18, 2021
Status: Completed
Coming from Faraway Wanderers, even though the drama is basically a 10/10, I, like most people didn't have much impression on the novel, nonetheless I went into Qi Ye because my curiosity about Zhou Zishu's past got the best of me.

Where do I even begin?
If there's one word I could use to describe this novel, Melancholic would be it.
I don't even know what or how exactly Melancholy feels like, much like the novel. It gave me that feeling that I have no idea how to put into words... more>> but it's there and I feel it.

Jing Beiyuan is a very sad character. For someone who lives through life and death, have all the memories of his past 6 lives, and was given a chance to relive his most painful lifetime again in order to amend what went wrong in the past, when in fact he was already so over it, This character and the way he looks at life are just sometimes heartbreaking.

This novel tells a story about a group of people, each of them is burden with problems and responsibilities. It gave you a closer look at life and the harsh reality behind it. What is important to me the most about this novel, for the first time ever since I've started getting into Danmei is not the BL love story between the MC and ML.

No one in the core characters group in this novel is a good person, except for Wu Xi. They aren't necessarily bad or horrible, that is if they were given choices, but much like what Zhou Zishu gave us in TYK, there are just too many things that are messed up and sometimes, albeit the incredible power one holds even over heaven and earth, things can't always go the way one wants.

You don't come out of the book agree with everything they did and let's be honest they could have done a lot of things better, much better, but that's the flaw of our characters, and that's the beauty of the book, It's like real life, you made wrong decisions, that you regret, that you know you would regret, but you did it and sometimes the scars, It's going to stay with you forever.

The ending reflects this aspect a lot, in a clear cut way It's a happy ending, MC and ML got together, but there are just too many leftovers tangled stories to the very end of the journey that you know for sure, their heart for the very long time to come will still be entangled with those and moving on isn't an option, but life goes on and they just have to deal with it and accept that no one has control over everything.

The character Wu Xi is so simple. He was written as a naive childlike person, who just like what most of us are when we were at the younger years of age, so innocently passionate about our dream and thinks too simplistic. The way he looks at life is really a complete contrast to Jing Beiyuan's hence Wu Xi to Beiyuan is like a breath of fresh air in the world that to him, is full of conspiracy, twist, and turn.

Helian Yi, his story too is heartbreaking. At an earlier stage of the novel, he was an ex-lover from the past life of Jing Beiyuan but the story ended with him being much more than that. The decision he made and how he ended up especially after reading TYK is truly sad.

Zhou Zishu, everything Zishu went through in this book leads to the things he encounters in the next one. His story from the beginning to the end is full of tragic consequences that he himself for the most part is the one responsible for. In TYk, when Zishu said he's done so many terrible things in his past life and "the 3 years timebomb he put on himself, to be a wanderer in Jiang hu one last time feel more like a wishful thinking, and that he doesn't deserve it" when you read this book, you get it.

Everyone ended this journey with scars that will sit with them for a very long time to come, this novel overall is very heavy to the heart.

But I love it, so much. (Less) <<less
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Zjy
Zjy rated it
January 4, 2021
Status: Completed
I love love love Sha Po Lang, so not surprising I also enjoyed this novel from Priest. That said, I would rate this overall 4.5.

> 5 stars for the political intrigue
> 5 stars for great character development on all the characters, especially the MC
> 4 stars for the romance. I found this story focused on the MC's second chance at life and put the romance with the ML in the background. Not that there's anything wrong with that as the MC is so badass, but it did sometimes... more>> feel like the ML is an afterthought.

I also probably have an unpopular opinion based on the other reviews but...

Spoiler

I think it would've been a more interesting story if the MC (Jing Beiyuan) was able to reconcile with his ex (Helian Yi) rather than end up with the ML (Wu Xi). I think it's sad that even though Jing Beiyuan and Helian Yi loved and understood each other so much in their past life, they still ended tragically because they couldn't learn to trust each other. I think it would be really satisfying if Jing Beiyuan was able to learn why Helian Yi was so paranoid in their past life and they get a second chance at being able to trust each other. That's probably too idealistic considering the pressures Helian Yi would have as emperor and that he doesn't also have memories of previous lives to draw upon. Oh well, I can dream.

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Overall really enjoyable. Would highly recommend! <<less
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eveitis
eveitis
November 15, 2020
Status: --
First, I want to thanks every translator that took on this project. The fact that this novel had so many translator work on it proved how difficult to translate ancient politics novel. I hope this will not be dropped.

This story is truly not your typical BL in my opinion.. It's heavy on political issue and slow pace.. The relationship is slow built since the MC reincarnated and decide not to love the same person anymore thus he cared less about relationships matter plus the MC and ML is also small... more>> boys so very inappropriate to start love at early chapter..

For those who wants lovey dovey love story, I don't suggest this novel.. The romance is sooo far into the novel.

The MC realized he's in love with ML at around ch30++ but he's still of a young age and MC might act like a person who knows it all in the world (coz he'd been through the lifetime) but really dumb when reading people feelings (not in a bad way)..

ML is actually the person who send MC back to his first life because he messed up MC destiny and this is his way of redemption but by doing that MC actually giving up his own life and when ML found out about this, he swore to take care of MC.

The contents is more on power struggle of the palace. It took me long times to even reach ch40 as I can't read it continuously. My brain hurt trying to understand the scheming and all the plot that MC plan for the empire sake..

It might took awhile but I will finish this book because it is not like any others that I've read.. <<less
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SearraLeslie
SearraLeslie rated it
May 31, 2020
Status: Completed
This is a 4.5 star story for me.

The personalities of the main characters glued me to this novel till the end. The ML's personality was a stark contrast compared to MC, which made their relationship very intriguing.

Jing Bei Yuan started off as a quiet and reserved person in the beginning as his previous lives did not end happily. The writing was also rather solemn, yet still beautiful, to portray jby's mood. He later turned more mischievous when he grew up and the narration also had a lighter feel. Helian Yi,... more>> Jby's previous love interest, was the crown prince who had to compete with his two older brothers who had more power and influence than him.

Would hly finally fall in love with jby in his seventh reincarnation? This was the question I had when I began reading this story. This is a rather short novel compared to many other danmei novels which have hundreds of chapters. The arcs are short, related to politics, and are easy to discern. The romance parts are inserted amidst the court intrigues.

I felt that some of the plot points were not believable enough, although they were still enjoyable.

Overall, this is a very, very beautifully-written novel with gripping characters. <<less
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periperi
periperi rated it
July 10, 2019
Status: Completed
4.5 stars!

I liked the set up of the story but my limited Chinese prevented me from truly appreciating the court intrigue (sadly). I did enjoy the flow of the story and the build up.

I really like the relationship between MC and ML. It's a good slow burn that started off as friends. I would appreciate more details about ... more>>
Spoiler

link between "bai wuchang" who appeared in chapter 1 and ML. Or for MC to at least know the truth behind that??

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One might think how do they get that HE being a MM couple in ancient China court setting? Well the author wraps it up very nicely and in a believable manner.

I also liked the side characters and one of them is even the MC of author's other novel. This novel is the prequel and that novel is the sequel. They don't have to be read to understand each other but it's nice to see the link.

Overall an enjoyable read. <<less
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IvaAres
IvaAres rated it
May 18, 2021
Status: Completed
Too much politics for me.

Usually I don't really mind politics in novels even if there is a lot of it but I felt like this whole novel was just politics and politics. Oof.

The beginning was slow and so political. Then in the middle you get some progress when the ML confesses when hes drunk by biting the MCs neck but then another round of politics and politics. Then towards the end the ML and MC finally do the deed but once again you have politics and more politics. I wasn't... more>> prepared for the whole novel just being about politics.

The only major plus side to this is that their were a fair number of cute moments between the ML and MC towards the end and the 2 extras were fulfilling. Also, since this novel was short it was easy to binge it and quickly finish reading it. <<less
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Charmian
Charmian rated it
March 1, 2021
Status: Completed
Beautiful novel.

First, I liked the plot, it wasn't difficult to keep track of it and was understandable to me.

I liked how each character had their personality and I could distinguish them in character and temperament, they felt like people.

Sometimes I was frustrated with decisions the characters made and the conflicts that occured because of that, but later on I got to understand that they all acted upon their own circumstances, things they thought were right or were pressured to do.. Point is, I none of them are neither truly good... more>> or bad (except first and second scions Helian Zhao and Helian Qi, can't stand those guys)

There's character growth, developement, change, conflicts, dilemmas and while reading, it got me thinking about all of those things - what would I have done in such a situation (I just love works that manage to make me think and look for a deeper meaning of things). It reminded me of how hard life can be, not because we're all doomed to be unhappy, but because it's just the way it is and one should learn how to cope with it and accept life as it is -

which brings me to the end of the story which I consider a happy ending even though there are characters whose course of events and endings broke my heart.

I was feeling uneasy the day I finished the novel and wasn't really sure why until I realised I was still sunken in thought about this novel.

I was thinking about how unfair some things were, about some points and arguments some characters made, about the fates of some and so on..

Spoiler

man, Ji Xiang pained me so much, Liang JiuXiao too, Helian Yi, omg that dude.. I get such heartache..

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The romance is, well, slow, but cute. I enjoyed Wu Xi's "discoveries and realisations" and it was really cute how determined that boi about Jing Qi was.

One of my favourite motives is
Spoiler

the ring token Wu Xi gave to Jing Beiyuan which he wore around his neck without even knowing what it symbolised for quite some time

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I truly enjoyed reading the story and the translation is amazing as well, ChiChi is one of my favourite translators out there, thanks for translating ! <<less
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dee_ism
dee_ism rated it
February 7, 2021
Status: --
I have to thanks Chichi for superb translation, just go directly to the site, it has from the 1st chapter..

imo, not Priest best novel. I still love Sha Po Lang and Straight Gates more.

3 stars means the novel is not bad, above average.

... more>> It's mainly about politics, the romance is not that much.
So the romance is not that satisfactory, but the politics also not that interesting for me.

What I like is Beiyuan finally moving on. Helian Yi got his own karma. And WuXi is such a good person who we can trust. <<less
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monozuki
monozuki rated it
January 20, 2021
Status: c78
Old Fox and the Little Toxin *cough* Lord Seventh and the Shaman

Thus far, I think that out of Sha Po Lang, Guardian and Lord Seventh this is my favourite. The court intrigues were not boring and I really, really just simply adore the characters.

There's just something captivating in the MC - Jing Beiyuan - who's already several hundreds years old via multiple reincarnations, went past a tragic love and out the other way. If I had to compare him to anyone, he's got the guts and morality of Wei WuXian... more>> along with life outlook of Xie Lian, adding in some sprinkled rigid nobility of Gu Yun. Really quite perfect. The only thing I really regret in regards to his character as a whole is that the motive of
Spoiler

his previous lives, his knowledge, experiences, relationships and ultimately his trauma

[collapse]
was really not touched upon between him and Wu Xi. Which was a terrible shame as I was looking forward to the possible delicious emotional outcome of such a reveal.

The Little Toxin ah, I mean Wu Xi, on the other hand, was - in my opinion - more of your standard sort of
Spoiler

gong

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, which is a slight shame. He's great and fun to read, don't get me wrong, it's just that once you see him, you kinda know how he will turn out and what follows kinda how the plot will develop (in broad strokes, at least).

I don't quite understand why novels love to insist on having the most compelling characters and then forcing them into the mold of a
Spoiler

shou

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So this, as well as the thing from the first paragraph is why I took away one star, despite the novel soundly landing amongst the few most favourtie danmei novels I've read.

Also, an FYI: is there papapa/smut/physical romance?
Spoiler

Very little physical romance, it's a very slow burn and even then nothing explicit. Nothing on extras either. But the book is REALLY good, you won't regret reading it even knowing this, seriously!

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