Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花 - Episode 52 (Recap)

kakashi: We learn a valuable lesson in this episode: Do not piss off fate. A bit of the badass that Fengjiu could (or should) have been makes an appearance, but it just makes me sad that she wasn't always a fate-denying crazy little fighter. 
JoAnne: I'm nodding my head in agreement, not that you can see it. Take my word for it, and I bet you will also agree that we're lucky she's so charming in general because it bought her a little grace from us during her most embarrassing moments. Plus, we know that she still has a chance to grow up and be a bad ass Queen, too, right?

Episode 52

Little mortal Ye Hua is waiting for his goddess to return, but alas, another someone from the Heavens is sneaking around: Su Jin. *hissssssss* Seeing him at that age brings back memories and desires - and she addresses him in the courtyard. After brusquely asking "Who are you?" he walks away without much further ado. This will be good. Haha.
In any lifetime and in every world, Ye Hua has no use for Su Jin. I find this supremely satisfying.
She changes her appearance to a little girl and stays in the manor next to little Ye Hua as his older cousin Su Jin for a few days. He barely acknowledges her. He is just not into you, Su Jin. In whatever form and in whatever life. Hahahahaaaaa.
She's been rejected so many times at this point that I'm guessing she's dried up like an old leathery sour pickle left out in the sun.
Bai Qian knows nothing of this, she is cleaning the wine cellar at Kunlun. Is she nesting? Shifu comes. He comments on how much the lazy Seventeenth has changed in the 70'000 years he's been away. She looks so delighted to see him ... awwww, the knife twists. He says it looks very clean ... and then kinda strokes her cheek..... ahhhhhhh. No, there was no dirt there.
We're on to you, Shifu. But go ahead, enjoy your small pleasures while you still can. We don't begrudge you, poor thing. By the way, don't those nipples dig into you when you sit down or lean back on anything?
She asks him whether he remembers the big fuss he made when she broke up with Li Jing. I bet you he does. And he knew you were a girl, since the moment you stepped into the Grand Hall of Kunlun Mountain. She is surprised he took her in, knowing this, since it's against the rules and he asks the same question back: Why does she think he took her in?
He is so close to confessing. He's begging for the chance. Shifu, just TAKE it. I mean, we know it won't matter but YOU don't, right?
She is of the opinion it must have been because of Zhe Yan, who would have pestered Mo Yuan otherwise. I don't think that's it, Bai Qian. She then wants to thank her Shifu for taking her trial, she thinks she has never properly thanked him. He stops her from bowing. He knows what she did for him while his soul was gone. They're even.
But go ahead and hug her anyway, Shifu. Come on, be brave. Don't misunderstand me, universe - I don't want to change the story, but I want him to stop being on the verge of everything and just do it, so he can move on. I'm interested in healing!
Shifu then asks whether she would still be here at the school if he had not sacrificed his soul to seal the Bell - definitely, is her answer. She wanted to stay in this school forever. She wanted to keep him company and stay forever carefree while learning Taoism. Hell. What a nice fantasy. Mo Yuan knows it's only that, because her parents would have sooner or later made her get married. She immediately mentions Ye Hua and how everything changed with him.
Ouch. Double ouch, really - because doing the Bell thing is what you took you away, and who knows what would have happened? But you did the Bell thing, and Ye Hua happened.
Mo Yuan seems in a somewhat daring mood. He asks whether she knows why he worked unceasingly for 70'000 years to repair his spirit? Of course she does! He promised them, all the disciples, to return and he never disappoints the people he cares about. That is true, he agrees. He did it for the one he cares about.*sobs*
You can't just wiggle the tooth forever, Shifu. You've got to yank it.
Miss "I don't get anything unless you jump me" beams at him and says "I know Shifu cares about all of us". He smiles once more and then pulls her into a hug. She hesitates very briefly before hugging him back. You should have worn something else, Shifu. Those nipples don't look comfortable.
Let's hope they're actually nipples and not life-size replicas of other anatomical curiosities.
It is him that breaks the hug and it is Sixteenth that disturbs them (and thinks nothing of them standing so close, it's why I love all the Kunlun boys so much, they never were jealous at all) because a guest has arrived for Bai Qian. It is Riceball! He was supposed to come with Dong Hua, but since he's without powers for the moment, he couldn't come.
So the little munchkin just came on his own? A-hahahahaha, those Kunlun boys really took to him, too. But then again, who wouldn't?
He runs towards Bai Qian screaming "Mother" and we've never seen Mo Yuan so flabbergasted. Engaged to get married he could deal with, but a child already?! A-Li grows very quiet when he kneels down to greet Mo Yuan. I guess he's pretty imposing, especially when you're that little.
Well, there's also his face.
But how to deal with the fact that Mo Yuan is both his uncle and one of the eldest and most venerated gods in the realm?
Figure it's all good among family?
I think this is the absolute end of that tiny little bit of hope Mo Yuan might still have had. The disciples find it quite amusing that Bai Qian isn't even married yet but already has a child that size and I guess they're a little impressed. She's the first among them! Die Feng, whom Second teases in particular, adds "Shifu is also still single" as his excuse. This drama is MEAN.
Hilariously so, at least.
Down in the mortal realm, little Su Jin continues to harass little mortal Ye Hua. She claims she is going to marry him! Ha, never! He will marry somebody else. There is a huge drama when she tries to take the beads from him and she learns in the process that he got them from someone related to Qing Qiu. Yes, Bai Qian got there first, heheheeee. Su Jin retreats back to heaven and starts carving a wooden figurine after a picture of Su Su. 
Maybe she'll slip and bleed to death.
Mi Gu is awesome but what's new. He manages to cheer up Fengjiu by pointing out that Dong Hua Dijun can live wherever he wants, which means he could live with the Queen of Qing Qiu in the Fox Den as well. Plus, if she's the Queen, she has far more reason to go to the Heavens in the first place. Fengjiu starts preparing for becoming the Queen immediately.
Mi Gu, lovie, this isn't really helping.
Everything was going really well when Si Ming pops up - he has a "present" for her. He discovered an ancient record and it contains detailed records of Dong Hua Dijun when he was still God of Heaven and Earth. Fengjiu now learns that to become invincible, Dijun removed his name from the Rock of Three Incarnations - which is something like irreversible love-castration. Nothing but ill-fated romances will come his way.
I'm starting to think that the use of a pillar-shaped rock is deliberately phallic.
Fengjiu also learns that Dijun went up against destiny when he arranged for her and him to fall in love in the mortal realm. Okay, now I also understand why he lost his powers. Fate is pissed. And Fengjiu is now ten times sadder then she was before. Yes, it's hard: he actually likes her but he cannot.
Yes, yes, yes, it's tragically sad and all that but for the love of all the gods in heaven, woman, do him a favor and leave him ALONE.
She goes straight to the Nine Heavens. Dijun is quizzing Tian Shu on Ye Hua's orders re the Bell and concludes that there must be trouble. I'm so glad he is so good at connecting the dots *snort*. Anyway, he becomes aware of Fengjiu at his doorstep. Her beautiful eyes swim in tears, but he can't. He tells her he doesn't want to see her again and starts closing the door. She transforms into a fox and jumps at him. It's too much for the weak Dijun.
I'm about ready to punt her foxy little ass over the Zhuxian Terrace, honestly, but I guess it's part of growing up - having to learn that there are some things you just can't beat.
He is quite angry when he hears who told her about the Rock - but it's what it is, nobody will ever be in a relationship with him. But Fengjiu doesn't believe it. It's not permanent! And she cuts off one of her tails. O_________o Fox tails can transform into any kind of magical artifact and she uses hers to conjure up a magical dagger. 
*gets out the popcorn*
Promising to put Dijun's name back on the Rock, she runs in the direction of Zhuxian terrace (I'm not surprised the Rock is standing there). And yet we never, ever saw it.  All those times.  Not once. At the rock, she flicks the names (it reminds me of my aunt's old jukebox, somehow), but there is no Dijun. Her name is there though, with a Lord Wen Chang. Ye Hua is there too, with Bai Qian. Aww.
When do we get to meet this Wen Chang? He's going to need big ones to tackle this kid.
Tightening her grip on the knife, she tries to carve Dijun's name next to hers - in vain. She tries again and again until her strength leaves her and she collapses. Dijun, who watched her from a short distance, comes running and stares at the Rock with tears in his eyes.
You make him sound much more emotional than I remember feeling like he looked.
He has Si Ming (who will get punished for taking ancient records out of the Heavens) bring her to Qing Qiu right away after carrying her to his mansion. The pain of losing a tail is unbearable for a fox. Mi Gu takes her to Zhe Yan straight away, but they are not at Peach Blossom St., they're all at Kunlun! Well, Zhe Yan has a remedy elixir and Fengjiu will survive this.
I have one of those donut pillows, she should get one. They help.
Outside, Bai Qian comes face to face with Dijun and basically tells him he's an old shit for letting this go this far. He never should have let her fall in love if the Heavens won't allow a relationship. She is fierce and awesome and I thought she'd attack him, but Mo Yuan calms her down. She lets Dijun see Fengjiu - and the other way round, but she thinks she's dreaming. When the others leave them alone, Dijun tenderly touches Fengjiu's cheek. Still thinking this is a dream, she flings herself into his arms.
Bai Qian has a point. Dijun could have nipped this in the bud. But then again, who expects a nutcase like Fengjiu?

Comments

I need a bit of help here. This Rock-business, what exactly did Dijun do? Was it a bargain with fate? Hey, you make me invincible in these horrid wars and in return, I will forsake all romantic happiness for all eternity? Did he go to the mortal realm knowing he would be punished for it? If yes, I like him quite a bit more now. What a shitty situation to be in. You love a woman but loving her will only bring her and yourself great pain.
The way I understood it, in order to be taken seriously as an impartial leader by all the realms during a particularly fractious time, he forsook all emotional ties to other beings. As for the mortal realm punishment, I don't think that's fair. For everyone else it seems the first rule of human trials is 'we were on a BREAK' - why for him alone does what happens in the mortal realm have to have consequences in the heavens?

I also really like Fengjiu in this episode. Sure, she only wanted to become Queen because she thought she could see Dijun much more this way, but she still acted like an adult (for a short time). Learning the reason behind Dijun's behavior must have been damn hard. It's different if you think you have a chance, you just need to warm the rock's stony heart. If fate is involved like this, it's game over. And yet, she did not want to accept it. She went full out, cutting off her own tail. It's crazy, but I liked it. Futile in the end, but she tried.
You have to give her credit for commitment, it's true. But then, you probably should also commit her.

Speaking of pain ... this episode was once again brutal to Mo Yuan. Whenever I thought "now is enough", they added something. Confessions, hugs, A-Li... he needs Zhe Yan's wines, our Shifu, to forget.
Why are the The Stones signing Time is on My Side in my head? It shouldn't be...