Shan You Mu Xi

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

“There are trees in the mountains and there are branches on the trees,

I adore you, oh! You do not know.”

~From Song of the Yue Boatman

Hundreds of rivers converge, the thousand-mile rise of Taishan’s bluffs, and a myriad of waves surge in the Eastern Sea.

All beneath the heavens, is the extent of the ruler’s land. All within the territory of a state, are each the ruler’s subjects.

Beacons light up all over the Divine Land, danger lurks in every corner of the State of Yong.

After reuniting with Geng Shu, Jiang Heng begins to put all his effort into assisting the ruler of Yong State’s plans, but he unexpectedly falls into perilous situations time and time again. Geng Shu, who always accompanied Jiang Heng by his side, is acutely aware that the various mishaps all appear to be closely related to Jiang Heng’s past—was Jiang Heng really his own blood-related younger brother?

These two extraordinary young men wander throughout the country from state to state, experiencing trials, however, the truth obtained uncovered a cruel and unexpected past that couldn’t be erased. The lingering heroic spirits each possess their own unfulfilled long-cherished wishes. With the great Divine Land finally unified, how would they confront their own choices of the future?

The seven stars of the Northern Sky bore witness to the end of a stormy period of history; until the ruins once again transform into the richly ornamented tall towers of a manor.

When the blazing city lights languidly flicker, those people and events worth engraving into memory, will forever be preserved within every stroke of ink in a painting of this vast expanse of rivers and mountains.

Associated Names
One entry per line
O, the Mountains Have Trees
SYMX
Sơn hữu mộc hề
山有木兮
Related Series
Yingnu (Shared Universe)
Joyful Reunion (Shared Universe)
Let Go of that Shou (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
Joyful Reunion (2)
To Rule in a Turbulent World (1)
Nothing to Lose (1)
Sha Po Lang (1)
Yingnu (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Danmei TBR List
  2. Political Danmei
  3. Novels in 2024 and 2025
  4. Want to read
  5. Xianxia/Wuxia/Xuanhuan danmei

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/16/23 Chicken Gege c39
03/09/23 Chicken Gege c38
03/02/23 Chicken Gege c37
02/23/23 Chicken Gege c36
02/16/23 Chicken Gege c35
02/09/23 Chicken Gege c34
02/02/23 Chicken Gege c33
01/26/23 Chicken Gege c32
01/19/23 Chicken Gege c31
01/12/23 Chicken Gege c30
01/05/23 Chicken Gege c29
12/15/22 Chicken Gege c28
12/08/22 Chicken Gege c27
12/01/22 Chicken Gege c26
11/24/22 Chicken Gege c25
Go to Page...
Go to Page...
Write a Review
3 Reviews sorted by


wetheril
wetheril rated it
September 2, 2022
Status: Completed
Translator's review: It's been difficult to write a review without delving into spoilers, but I will try my best to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.

Warning tags: Bro-con (pseudo-in*est)

Shan You Mu Xi is essentially a story that follows two brothers (the MC and the ML) who are not at all blood-related (although they believe they are at the start of the story). They eventually journey across an ancient China that has been divided into several states, each of which are vying for power, largely inspired by Warring States period.... more>> It's set in the same Starverse Universe as Yingnu, Let Go of That Shou, and Joyful Reunion, and although this novel was written after all the others, it's set the earliest in that universe.

The story starts (in Chapter 3 after the events in the Prologue) with our MC, Jiang Heng, a scholarly child prodigy who's always been curious about the world outside but has been shut inside his house with only his mother and an elderly nanny his whole life, until our ML, Geng Shu, shows up at the door.

Jiang Heng is the brains of the duo, fairly easy-going and charismatic. Although he starts off naive, sheltered, and far-removed from the world, events especially in the latter part of the first story arc and early parts of the second story arc shape him into a stronger person and broaden his views, but he never truly loses his belief to do what he believes to be right.
Spoiler

A good deal of his character arc later in the story has to do with carrying on the legacy and fulfilling the dreams of certain people in the past, especially as he begins to uncover more about the truth of his past.

[collapse]

Geng Shu on the other hand, is much more like a lone wolf cub who lost his family before meeting Jiang Heng. Geng Shu is naturally gifted when it comes to martial arts, but tends to keep to himself. Jiang Heng is essentially the only person he opens his heart to.
Spoiler

However, it's great to see Geng Shu, who's normally so closed off, grow and develop as a character especially in the latter parts of the novel.

[collapse]

As a Feitian novel, there's a lot of similarities between SYMX and a lot of his other historical novels including complex, well-fleshed out side characters, detailed portrayals of war and political intrigue between the different states, inclusion of non-Han cultures, and events largely inspired by real events from history.

Things I really liked about this novel that make it among one of my favorites:

  • There's quite a number of strong and interesting women, which seems to stand out among Feitian's historical novels.
  • Lots of travelling! Especially from the latter half of the second story arc to nearly the final arc, it felt like going on a journey to various states, being part of a travelogue. We get to see the life of people, commoners, what society is like in different states, and among different non-Han ethnic groups. There's a lot the novel portrays about governance and society, as well as the fact that "dystopias" can take on different forms.
  • A sense of mystery regarding the shadows of the past lurking throughout the story, living on in people's memories,
    Spoiler

    especially related to Geng Yuan and those he served

    [collapse]
    . The ghosts of the past never really go away, and they serve as a backdrop throughout a great deal of the story. There's too many tragic characters from the past I want to ship.
  • The assassin F5. They are all fun and interesting characters who are more than they seem.
    Spoiler

    It was also quite a surprise to find out the identity of the fifth assassin.

    [collapse]
  • Watching Jiang Heng and Geng Shu's relationship evolve from brothers to lovers. Their relationship in general is incredibly sweet and heart-warming, but not without its obstacles, as the fact that they grew up as brothers does factor into how they each see their relationship and reconcile with their feelings as it evolves.
  • The story as a whole also delves more into the nature of sibling relationships: not only about different kinds of love among siblings, but also about political strife that turns siblings, especially brothers, upon each other.
My only complaint regarding this novel is no smut, but hopefully that will change when the traditional physical copies from Memob are available. <<less
13 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Mint Mint
Mint Mint rated it
August 20, 2022
Status: c1
I really appreciate the reading feeling this novel provides. It's a mixture of cuteness and apprehension, typical of the author's works.

At the moment I am writing the review there are only seven chapters translated, but it is already so exciting that it makes me think that I should wait for the translation to be completed and the next day buy a train ticket and read carefully as I pass through beautiful landscapes of nature and I hide my tears so the other passengers won't see that I'm crying over a... more>> book.

Writing: The author's writing is pure and descriptive, so you can very clearly imagine the scenario in which everything is developed.

Characters:

🎐SPOILER🎐

The protagonists are like pieces that complement each other.
On the one hand, we have Jiang Heng, an intelligent boy with a sense of protection, but who is prevented from going out and playing like other children. As he cannot leave his house, he is naturally curious about the outside world and this becomes even more stimulated when our second protagonist enters the scene.
So, while Jiang Heng is a little ignorant about the world outside her courtyard, Geng Shu is the exact opposite (which is why I say they complement each other). The Geng Shu of our family seems to have seen a lot on the outside and so far I feel he's a little "mature" for his age. Unlike Jiang Heng, who can't even stand to steal bird eggs to feed himself because he has his own ideals, Geng Shu already seems to understand the evil in the world better, so for him some behaviors considered inappropriate are not a big deal.

But..........

this is still their childhood stage. We still don't know what the future holds for these two, but I really just want these cute kids to grow up and be happy.

Translation: I am immensely grateful to CyrreneTL for having decided to continue the translation of this novel. This really looks like a really well done translation, so thanks for your hard work. I know it's 200 chapters, but please don't give up. (≧∇≦*) <<less
4 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
antnata
antnata rated it
January 31, 2024
Status: c1
This is a damn amazing piece of work, real literature. I came here for a portion of fried bl but in the end I read 200 chapters of palace coups and intrigues and could not put it down!

The only thing I need after this epic novel is to go and read a short smut story. And then go back and read this platonically love epic a second time!
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Leave a Review (Guidelines)
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.