Тысячи Осеней

by Meng Xi Shi, Мэн Сиши

В Поднебесной неспокойно: Северная Чжоу, Северная Ци и Южная Чэнь спорят за право объединить страну, которая уже почти двести лет пребывает в раздробленности. Тюрки осаждают Центральную равнину, последователи буддизма, конфуцианства и даосизма спорят меж собой, не находя согласия, а прославленные мастера боевых искусств охотятся за сочинением великого алхимика Тао Хунцзина, которое позволит достичь прежде невиданных высот.

В это смутное время из затвора выходит Янь Уши, прославленный мастер неправедного пути, глава школы Чистой Луны, и он готов потрясти своими деяниями Небо и Землю. Волею случая он находит низвергнутого Шэнь Цяо, нового настоятеля горы Сюаньду и праведника, каких поискать. Проявив милость к раненому, Янь Уши задумывает использовать Шэнь Цяо в своих политических играх или хотя бы вырастить из него достойного соперника, дабы еще больше укрепить свое могущество. Сам Шэнь Цяо утратил не только память, но и всяческую опору в жизни — он слеп, предан соратниками и больше не может положиться на свои силы просветленного. И отвергнуть помощь Янь Уши тоже не может…

Genres: Fantasy, China, Romance, Historical, LGBT, Queer, Historical Fiction

800 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Associated Names:
* Meng Xi Shi (English)
* 梦溪石 (Chinese)
* เมิ่งซีสือ (Thai)

Reviews

[mrmrmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5★
Man tries very hard to be Switzerland, universe decides he's Poland.

[Nel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read about some shameless characters in the past, but Yan Wushi is one of a kind. What a magnificent bastard.
I hope this gets picked up for an official English translation some day.

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written novel with political intrigue to keep you hooked on. It will not be a completely easy read as there is more political agenda happening but the Wuxia genre kept me hooked on. I would highly recommend this to the lovers of Priest’s novels which have a strong background happening that lays foundation for the bigger story. I will definitely dive to the second novel as I really want to know how far Shen Qiao can hold on to his morals.

[N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

edit 2 (04/24/2020): i would just like to say that this novel has completely ruined my life

edit: upon finishing, most of my emotions are the same.
i feel like the extras were a little disappointing (they sort of two-dimensionalize shen qiao and yan wushi's relationship) and preferred leaving off at the end of the novel rather than at the end of the extras. some of the extras were really good though--there was a short passage of yan wushi's thoughts during chapter 45 that made me so angry i almost cried (lol) and two others where shen qiao is briefly reunited with his shizun. the others were all right. i'm not incredibly on board with the two of them as a romantic couple but as a weird, twisted soulmate thing...

original review:
i am currently on chapter 93 of this work and have a lot of things to say. first thing is that this rating is closer to a 4.5 than a 4 but i decided to round down because idk. i felt like it. things will inevitably change i think but i have a strong feeling that these emotions i'm putting down right now won't.

there aren't any huge plot spoilers so don't worry.

this is the first novel i've ever really powered through in Chinese (with my dictionary + baidu ha ha ha...). i read the translations that were available up to ch. 43 and though they were quite good and informational, the original beauty of the writing style was almost completely lost...i'd say maybe 20% of it showed through in english translations. and it's not the fault of the translator, it's just a really hard novel to translate.

as background, i've made attempts to read other danmeis, but i really disliked the style of writing + the tastelessness that specific genre often takes on. more on that later.

more and more do i realize that 千秋 has a lot of aspects about it that don't necessarily make it a very typical danmei (aka--makes it significantly better lol)...the writing style is one of the most telling qualities, as well as the rich historical background that lends another dimension to the pugilistic world depicted in this novel. the whole work has this melancholic tone that you can attribute to these two things.

it is one of the most turbulent periods of Chinese history, and meng xishi doesn't shy away from reminding readers. the common people are suffering, while their leaders are more concerned with their own politics to care. in between this is the pugilistic world, divided into numerous sects that support various leaders to further their own interests and only occasionally pay attention to commoners. our main character, shen qiao, comes from this world, as well as most of the cast.

shen qiao is a great mc, and incredibly likable. he is kind, gentle, charitable. his foil is yan wushi, who is the opposite--selfish, cruel, arrogant. 千秋 is a character-driven novel, so their interactions are especially interesting. i enjoy their banter most. shen qiao is straightforward and polite in his speech, while yan wushi is such a smartass lol...i've highlighted many of his lines just because they're so funny.

the novel is often summarized as shen qiao, who believes in human nature as being kind and good, challenging yan wushi's strong belief that human nature is evil and selfish. it sounds so kitschy at first, it does! but i'm often surprised by meng xishi's handling of what could easily be a hard-to-read cliche. for one she often reiterates that neither of them are right, but also that both characters continue to (at this point in the work and i assume to the end from what i have heard) retain their beliefs and only refine them somewhat with the introduction of the other party. yan wushi doesn't really let up on thinking that all people are evil and selfish, while shen qiao does not let the evil he experiences in the novel to change him. however, the two of them do learn from the other, and what they learn adds a new dimension to their life and their decisions, which is both rewarding and very realistic.

additionally neither of them are exactly...the epitome of goodness/evil. shen qiao is kind, but he is assertive and just; he isn't kind out of pity. yan wushi is selfish and doesn't care for others' well-being, but he isn't a sadist. he can be cruel (ch. 45 is where he is at his worst), though not for the sake of cruelty. this complexity makes 千秋 more interesting to read because sometimes it becomes more a character study than a novel, and i think that is great fun... meng xishi is consistent in her portrayal of both characters and even with a romantic subtext between them, neither characters' essence is lost. they both feel very real.

one other central theme of this work that i notice few people touch upon is the question of "fate", and how many of the characters--especially shen qiao--make sense of the tragedies they experience as a part of a whole. i know stories that encourage battling fate and destiny are quite popular. i can't help but feel that 千秋 is not necessarily one of them. instead, the novel seems to focus on what we gain in our losses, who we become as a result of our mistakes and misfortunes, and the significance of these tragedies in shaping ourselves...that is not to say that tragedy is necessary, but, in madeleine thien's general words, if we could draw a straight line from a point in our past to our present location, it would be dishonest, because it would ignore all of the turns and detours that we took. i really love this theme and find that it resonates with me.

i can't help but emphasize the literary quality of the (raw) edition of this novel as well. many reviews on douban also reinforce this, often saying this comes close to "real" writing (lots to unpack there lol). there are many references to medieval poetry of that period, many passages with powerful diction + vivid imagery with very few words. lots and lots of 成語, lots of rhythm. it's very fun and educational to read. it is quite plot-heavy though, and deals quite a lot with martial arts. though as someone who knows very little, i found it accessible and not a significant drawback, though some reviewers say it's a bit of a drag, which i can understand.

of course there are drawbacks, and many of them are a result of the danmei genre/audience. was the forceful kiss between yan wushi and shen qiao necessary? why are there so many passages that describe various characters' desires (mutipo, sang jingxing, and to a lesser extent yan wushi) to "ruin" and "dirty" shen qiao, the latter who is often described as pure? these moments are uncommon and incredibly sparse, but when they appear it sort of takes you out of the entire experience. i am interested in this genre (danmei) because i want to read more historical Chinese works with lgbt relationships, but since many are written by straight women who often fetishize these relationships, they come up quite short in a variety of ways and to see 千秋 fall into this same pit--though significantly less so--is very sad, and would be the only reason why i do not rank this novel a 5/5.

in any case, i love this work very much, and i'm excited to see what my thoughts are upon finishing it.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yanshen ueueueueeueeueue (that's me crying)

[Rebecca]

this book is a book concerned about living in accordance to Taoist principles in a corrupt power-based society. Shen Qiao, the main character, embodies Taoist principles. he is thrown into many horrible situations and it is in his response to these situations and people that his strength of character shines. this is actually very similar to tgcf's core message, but this novel goes much deeper into it. also attica's review on novelupdates sums up the strengths of this novel really well.

i loved the first half -- it was a deep exploration of taoism and the values that taoism espouses. there were a lot of emotionally charged and moving scenes, and i really felt for Shen Qiao. i loved the way he responded to things and he really shows that strength is more than just strength or being cold and hard. the second half of the book was really just lots of politics, the 'brain-injury-causing-split-personality' trope, fake deaths... i just can't... i started to skim

this was written in older Chinese and while the writing is beautiful, it is quite difficult to understand! i had to read with a dictionary. there were phrases and descriptions taken directly from the Tao Te Ching and it piqued my interest in Taoism.

[... · Rating 5 out of 5]

#YanWushiSupremacy

[Dancce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure what the hype is about. This novel is seriously boring! The scenes are repetitive, there is no plot, the romance is rather unbelievable and random. While I quite liked the protagonist, his love interest had no logical character arc and his character potential got rather wasted. The novel switches from genre to genre randomly - the first 40 chapters almost read like a Jackie Chen film with strings of random martial artists challenging each other for no obvious reason. Then we get a dungeon crawl. Then a psych ward thriller. Then political drama? (I mean, this is a novel about martial artists, how the hell does a coup go with that? How do these people even know the emperor? And why? Is Yan Wushi not busy enough leading a sect, or what?) Then a little bit of random romance, then a revenge story, and then we're back to the duelly beginning. It has a little bit of everything, but in the end, it feels like nothing.

SLIGHT SPOILERS

My biggest pet peeve is probably Yan Wushi's totally abrupt chanhe of heart half-way through. I still don't get what made him suddenly fall for Shen Qiao from one minute to another. Another thing that really annoyed me was Shen Qiao's passivity and constant denial whenever Yan Wushi made a move on him. I mean, if your lover has to hold you down and hit your acupoints to even kiss you every single time, that just sounds like you're really not interested? How much no is really no? I had this same problem with Scum Villain - Shen Qiao and Scum Villain's shizun both seem to care about their man, but do they feel any physical attraction? Is it sexual? Sure doesn't seem so in the slightest, both of these characters read really asexual, which just makes me feel sorry for everyone involved, where it's almost painful to watch the male leads chase after the protagonists practically salivating with their eyes shining with devotion, only to get a passive-aggressive 'tolerant' reaction, which practically amounts to 'only' a slap instead of a knife in the back, I guess - which means it's love?
When I compare it to Dumb Husky (ErHa), where BOTH protagonists were clearly so much into each other they couldn't even breathe, even though one of them was exactly this archetype of a cold, pure, reserved character, the other novels just seem nonsensical to me in this respect.

SPOILER END

CONCLUSION

I don't know. Thousand Autumns = meh. It had its moments, but they were just that - moments.

I read Peerless by the same author, and it was rather brilliant. It worked with similar themes and a similar character concept for one protagonist much better, and the plot was amazingly exciting, fast-paced, and the romance was definitely not too sweet, while still feeling very real and satisfying. Go read that one, it's much better.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

128 chapters and Yan Wushi is a troll until the very end! But I'm also in love with the author's choice to leave things unsaid and undeclared, because they don't need to be.

If MXTX had me ruminating on the themes of individual vs society, I think MXS made me think deeply about human nature, about all our individual choices, large and small, about whether it is possible to exhibit kindness and sincerity even when the world betrays you over and over again. What's admirable is that MXS is able to portray such diametrically opposing worldviews, yet in the end do so without judgment - that we still admire Yan Wushi for living an unrestrained, free life in which he is answerable to no one but himself, even if he carves out the one special exception for Shen Qiao. But we can also still admire Shen Qiao for staying true to himself and to his values, for never giving up or giving in despite his suffering, for his endless patience and, perhaps most importantly, his ability to forgive. There is a bone deep humility to his character that is hard to find in any other characters, whether in English or Chinese novels, because the hero's journey usually does not begin with a fall (literally!) to nothing. Shen Qiao's ability to endure the complete loss of identity, of prestige, of his lofty position, of the skills he had spent a lifetime acquiring, is a lesson in and of itself. Most readers love Xie Lian from MXTX's TGCF for having a similar humility, but Shen Qiao is truly in a different category when it comes to exhibiting grace under pressure.

千秋 is a fantasy novel, a cultivation novel, but it's also so much more than that. It's a novel that sometimes also reads like a political treatise, and sometimes reads almost like the history of an era.

I guess it's strange to feel that so much of our current world is reflected in the world of Qian Qiu, set thousands of years ago and where the turmoil and suffering of the time is encapsulated in the rise and fall of dynasties. But at the heart of it, it's a world in which might makes right and great injustice is sometimes just something to be suffered, not something that will lead to some kind of karmic revenge. I think most of all, that's what makes the novel feel so relevant and real, in a way that I haven't really felt from other fantasy novels - and I have read so, so very many. The author doesn't shy away from showing that judgments of good and evil are more often hypocritical than not.

In the current state of the world, where it feels like people are desperate to see everything in black and white, it's almost a little shocking to be immersed in a world where there is so much gray. That's not to say that there aren't the usual heroic actions and moments in this book, but there's always this undercurrent of grim reality throughout that makes it so different from your usual fantasy novel.

[Jocelynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a while, I had my doubt about this one. Yan Wushi is so evil, so cruel. How was the author going to make his redemption believable? But that's just the thing. Yan Wushi changes for no one. It just turns out that his heart softens just enough for one man - Shen Qiao. Great story.

[Helia BR · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, 3.75 Stars
Thousand Autumns or Qian Qiu, a web novel by Meng Xi Shi, published October 17, 2019
2000 pages ...
But it was worth it😂
It wasn’t as good as MDZS or TCGF or 2HA but i actually enjoyed it although i wish it was shorter.
Loved Yan Wushi he was so fun but i liked Shen Qiao more he was sooo good tempered that i just wanted to hug him and be his friend.
This is a web novel translated from Chinese it’s 128 chapters + 13 Extras (The translation is good until ch 69 but from then on the only translation that is available is not good but it’s understandable)
This book was 3rd person

[ThatReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7

I won't lie, I really loved this novel. The characters were my favourite part, I did find this to be very character driven, instead of heavy on the plot. There's a bit of politics - very much religious politics, at that, with all the strife between different philosophies vying to become the one tightly woven to state affairs, and the internal struggles within each sect - but it's not heavy nor didi I find it jarring and hard to comprehend, perhaps because I've done a bit more digging into China's history, while reading Sha Po Lang. I enjoyed the bits that offered me insight on the political state of the nation and the different sects, mainly because it didn't overwhelm me for lack of understanding.
But it's the characters that did it for me. Yan WuShi and Shen Qiao are just so good together. The sarcastic, provocative teasing YWS uses on SQ, who often affects offence but rarely scolds YWS on his trespasses is just so funny. I found them to be complex, well-managed characters, and although I would have enjoyed if the author had taken a bit more time exploring YWS's internal dialogue (as well as offering readers a deeper view into his past, because I believe it's the reason why he's become the man he is, always needing to be the best) if only to have my point proven and feel vindicated by the assumptions I made of him. He was definetely my favourite character, and his development along the story was a delight to read. Does he really change? I'm not so sure. He's very pragmatic from the start, a cunning, clever, clear-headed man who perhaps understands the world and its politics better than the rest. He's said to be ruthless and evil, I didn't quite see him that way, and all in all, just like SQ, he did have an interest on having a peaceful, thriving nation. They just go about things differently, but SQ did support the same people YWS did, because they saw eye to eye on this. The fact one believes people are intrinsically good and the other believes the exact opposite just comes to prove they complement each other well. YWS's opinions on that subject don't change much - he views SQ as being an exception to the norm, and that is why he's so into him - while SQ does learn that because he is someone who believes in the good of the human soul, doesn't mean everyone else does. He learns and grows through knowing both the world and YWS, becomes less trusting and more guarded, realising people often have hidden agendas. In fact, he goes from being deceived and betrayed because he trusts easily, to expecting the worst from certain individuals (Yu Ai, Chen Gong) and admittedly claiming not to trust them, without letting it annoy or depress him, In fact, the only person he repeatedly trusts, and sees that trust broken once or twice, is YWS. The fact YWS's betrayals are the only ones that hurt and disappoint SQ says a lot about his feelings for him, I think. The way I see it, SQ falls in love with YWS quite early on, and when he gives him to Sang JIngXing, SQ's heart breaks completely - though he doesn't quite forget him.
As for YWS, this man is terrified of emotions. The answer lies in his past, surely, for we're given hints of it, but never complete disclosure. The way I saw it, he starts developing feelings for SQ that go a little beyond the physical attraction, and once he realises there's more to his emotions, that's the moment he decides to sell SQ to SJX. This will either break the bond he's started forming with him, or prove SQ worthy of him - I do think YWS may have hoped SQ would be able to heal fully, in order to survive SJX and what he had planned for him, which in fact he did. And when he learns YWS's life is in danger, he goes after him, and does all he can to save him.
Something else I liked about YWS is that while everyone else is 'in love' with SQ because of his beauty - they all have the hots for him - YWS's feelings go way beyond that, and his internal dialogue often shows it. Yes, he finds him beautiful and attractive, but that's not even what fascinates him about that man - his personality is. While he's the first to cave in and allow himself the 'weakness' of really loving someone else, SQ, who was the first to really feel something deeper, takes a long time admitting and owning his feelings, because he's terrified of having his heart and his trust broken again. But when he loses YWS, then he's the one who breaks down and acts desperate. I loved the extras because of that - seeing the novel stops at a point where the development of their relationship is left to our imagination, the extras offer us an insight into how SQ is forced to come down from his seat of pride - where YWS is arrogant, SQ is proud - and do something that shows the other man without shadow of a doubt just how in love SQ also is with him. It's on those extras that we're given a chance to see how YWS actually knows SQ well enough to realise he has to let him believe he's about to lose YWS once and for all so that he's forced to act. It also shows us just how much YWS respects and values SQ's input where it comes to the political tapestry of the nation and what the future may hold, the way he's willing and eager to discuss matters of state with SQ for his input is really endearing. So all in all, yes, I loved this novel mostly because it's light and deals with lighter issues in a lighter manner than Erha or MDZS, but does a really good character study of human nature.

[orpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply could not wait for books #4 and #5 to come out so I had to scrounge around for whatever translated versions I could find online (that's not to say I won't be supporting the author, I've already preordered!) but oh my god that was such a rollercoaster ride of emotions. (Spoilers ahead!!)

I think this novel makes great commentary about good VS evil and the inherent nature of mankind, and to be able to see the world through the eyes of Shen Qiao was both enlightening and heartbreaking. As I found myself sympathizing with characters that have done terrible acts, I began to really question what it means for someone to be bad. Is Yu Ai a villain for what he did to Shen Qiao while lying about their brotherhood? Does his guilt and eventual sacrifice make up for his crimes and deserving of Shen Qiao's forgiveness? Specifically in that final scene with Yu Ai, the line, "So now I return a life- a life to you. Don't hate me okay, A-Qiao?" made me really question who drew the line between good and evil and how humans are just millions of shades of grey. (Also that scene literally broke my heart)

Actually, the further I got into the novel I was able to truly understand how Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi are extremely similar, except on opposite ends of the spectrum. They both quite literally took each other to the brink of death then nursed each other back to health before doing it again and again. They're both firm and stubborn in their beliefs and ideologies, however the only person they bend anything for seems to be each other. Shen Qiao with his 'goodness' and purity and Yan Wushi with the freeness in which he lives, and the way he seeks thrills. They are each other's exceptions, and brought both the best and worst out of each other. And yet, because the chance encounter of them meeting, they are a million times better than they were before they met.

I've seen quite a few people comment on the romance of Thousand Autumns and call it unnecessary or forced, but to me, it's just the right amount at the right pace. Since I did read fan translations, I was able to see some author's notes and Meng Xi Shi mentioned that neither are the type of character to acknowledge their relationship and this is more fitting for them, and I definitely agree. Their feelings for each other are seen solely through their actions, but also the scene of them before the fight with Hulugu makes it pretty clear of their feelings (to me at least). Yan Wushi's emotions changing never felt that sudden or random, rather it was just that he took so long to admit it to himself and put a name to the twinge in his chest. I feel like every time he had a bit of pause regarding Shen Qiao since book 1, was inching him closer to the final realization.

One of my favourite scenes is Shen Qiao's final fight with Sang Jingxing... I'm not sure why this one particularly felt more epic than the rest-it could possibly be the fact that Obsession by Shinee was playing in the back but I feel like this was truly where I could see Shen Qiao for who he became. And yes, there's a LOT of fighting in this novel but this scene is where Shen Qiao is at his PEAK and it's fucking epic and beautiful and what everything thus far has been building up towards. And not to keep going on and on about how much I love Shen Qiao as a MC, but I don't think I've ever met a character with as much humility and grace as he has.

A favourite quote of mine happens during the heart to heart Yanshen had prior to the Hulugu match. Yan Wushi says, "As I see it, those flowers have already bloomed past their peak. If they go on, they will only wither with each passing day. If I send them on their way, leaving their most beautiful snapshot in your heart, isn't it better this way?" While this is referring to Yan Wushi's insatiable need to "live ferociously", I like to think some part of it is a nod to how he and Shen Qiao enjoy a beautiful, peaceful night together before Yan Wushi seals Shen Qiao's sleep acupoint while he's drunk before leaving. It's most likely just delusional, wishful thinking on my behalf but I would like to believe he wanted Shen Qiao to remember that night and keep it as his last memory of them, knowing well Yan Wushi was probably going to die. I'm just a huge romantic I fear.

This is a mess it's 1am and I'm struggling to have coherent thoughts. I love this novel dearly and it's definitely going to stay a favourite. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to delve into a world thick with fantastical politics and a huge cast of characters.

[caro (in uni hell) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Foolish A-Qiao. When have I ever been good to you?”

Guess who finally had the mind to write an actual review!!

Rereading this novel through the physical releases has made it quite a lot more enjoyable for me. When I first read this novel I had a very difficult time getting invested in it, maybe because I had trouble completely comprehending the plot, or maybe because the characters didn’t really capture me at first, but either way I’ve come to enjoy this novel quite a bit now!!

I really enjoy the focus on martial arts and the relationship between rivals/opponents in this one, and especially after reading “Peerless” by the same author I can appreciate her different approaches to this rivalry concept even more.

She focuses on wanting to create this rival in someone, using their nativity to push them to be who you want, so that they can be the opponent you want them to be… But in the end the true meaning of this opponent is found through the process of realising that the most unlikely people, people you might’ve thought were lesser than yourself, can still rattle your world view in a way no one else has ever done!! It’s all set in the slight changes, but also the refusal to change!! There’s also a focus on proving yourself to the other person, showing that you are worthy to be their opponent, while still maintaining your own principles. It shows that people opposite of each other, who see the world in such different lights, still can complete and understand each other!!

Even though the romance isn’t the main plot point, it’s still quite well developed!! The buildup is slow and there’s a lot of tension between Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao, especially after the second betrayal Shen Qiao experiences.

There’s a lot to be said about their individual character development too, they both had such an influence on each other’s character throughout the novel!! With Shen Qiao, a man who always believed in the kindness of the world, still unrelentingly maintaining his benevolence towards the world after experiencing immense hardships is quite admirable. But it’s not like he didn’t change at all, while at the beginning of the novel his kindness came out of a place of naivety and throughout he learned to be more vigilant, analyse people and predict their schemes, he still always kept seeing the good in people.

Yan Wushi’s development also was quite interesting, through the different facets of his character we see (thanks to injuries he sustained) how he has always been quite distrustful of people, maintained his distance. But you can also notice how facets of him have quite the soft spot for Shen Qiao and he himself didn’t want to acknowledge this for a good while. Shen Qiao always managed to surpass his expectations, was practically the prove to him that genuine kindness does exist and thanks to this he slowly learns to trust him and care for him. Shen Qiao managed to create a softness in Yan Wushi that the man himself probably never expected to exist!!

I’ve always been a character oriented reader, but the world building also did not disappoint. Especially being able to watch the slow improvement of Shen Qiao’s martial abilities, after being defeated, and comprehending how this whole process works through conflict with others and his own realisations was quite satisfying.

[Parnita Tolia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's enemies to lover but I was so ready to throw hands with Yan Wushi, (even tho I agreed with his mentality) for messing up with the sweetest kindest compassionate Shen Qiao.


Loved the political drama, slow burn, and flashy martial arts fight!!!

[Kristalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final rating: 4.5/5

Up to ch 79! review can be found on novel updates

If you are looking for very unique type of character dynamic, that is very different from usual relationships - not to mention the very VERY slow burn romance, then you are in for a ride of your life.
This is a book about betrayals and of how much a person can withstand those betrayals and threats without backing down and staying strong, but also remaining human. Shen Qiao suffered a lot of unfortunate circumstances, and while he recovers, he also has very strong mentality, high morality and huge amount of belief that everyone possess a certain kind of kindness and that that kindness will be repaid.
But Yan Wushi is different. He trusts no one, he believes in no one, he considers emotions and human relationships inferior things, while also striving for uniqueness and searching for interesting things and people who catch his attention. One of those people is Shen Qiao.
In other words, Yan Wushi is type that will test SQ's limits, while also testing himself.
In other words, Shen Qiao is not an easy person that relents or surrenders under pressure.
Both of them, in the end, strive for their own morality and beliefs.
And after many trials and tribulations, many tricky situations and many many chapters later, after realizing - after properly meeting each other... only then will they realize that the other has something the former lacks.
I feel sad that only YWS sometimes went overboard, and in the end broke Shen Qiao's complete belief and trust in people, as he no longer expects his kindness to be returned, but that doesn't stop him from being kind, considerate and very reliable person.
Side characters are good, but not as good as Wushuang's. Expect Rong Bai is amazing and she is the only one worth mentioning since she's just... so interesting. Everytime she appears, I love her more.
There are some triggering things to consider while reading this book, but mostly nothing major happens, but may cause discomfort, such as:r*pe threats and actual behind the scenes r*pe of side characters or unimportant characters.

In the end, what this book comes to is Shen Qiao trying to make Yan Wushi understand that there is selfless kindness in the world, while Yan Wushi tries to make Shen Qiao understand that not everyone in this world is kind, and that his kindness will amount to nothing when the party he's helping has other motives.

Both are right, but also, both are wrong. In the end, it all comes up that world is not a black-white, but rather gray.

Overall, this is highly fascinating book, please consider reading it!

[Long Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

English title: THOUSAND AUTUMNS

There are many things that I love about this book, from its witty dialogue (full of quotable lines), superb character building (i used to hate nice & kind MCs in mm books, because they are often boring, but now I know better), to its gripping, unputdownable plot.

Only one complaint: there should be more romance. Political intrigues overshadowed romance, and just when we saw a glimpse of happily-ever-after, the book ended abruptly. I could have deducted a star because of the ending, but kept it on second thought. Meng Xi Shi’s writing is pitch perfect, and I’m going to seek out her other books to read very soon.

[feux d'artifice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was like drugs to me LOL

It's as if captive prince met wuxia in a comedy, i enjoyed every bit of it, YanShen supremacy!!!!!!!

[Zeena🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do i even say?

I loved Shen Qiao’s character, his story was absolutely wonderful and I won’t forget him

[Andrea (Marauders version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mannnnnn that slow burn was slowww af
But their cuteness was pouring out of the pages so that made up for it 😂💖

[Maria Drago · Rating 2 out of 5]

The translation isn't complete. I've only read up chapter 69 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
And I will not be continuing farther than that!

Here are my thoughts, written as I went along:
- I love how everyone agrees that Shen Qiao is hot. Yu Shengyan fighting off fanboy thoughts is stellar.
- hen Qiao's purity is just too cute sometimes.
- The whole thing gets real boring with some confusing politics and a whole slew of unimportant and forgettable characters being randomly introduced too quickly.
- Chen Gong is a bit more likeable (well, more bearable) in the novel than he was in the donghua. The donghua version of his character was a snivelling weirdo whose actions go unexplained. Novel him makes a bit more sense and seems, at times, cuter.
- I love to see Shen Qiao being a bad bitch and taking down those rotten assaulters.
- This is one of those stories where you gotta check several times if it is, in fact, a romance. I'm like 20 chapters in and still quite dubious (this feeling persisted until about chapter 60, R.I.P). The romance just falls randomly out of the sky. What the heck kind of 180 did Yan Wushi experience?? Literally out of nowhere he just became extremely flirtatious. And that was before he hit his head.
- There's an annoying amount of times where the focus shifts to other, completely unimportant, characters?? Like, constantly, actually. What even is the plot? It's like it tries to do what TGCF did, with the main character getting involved in different people's issues and helping them, but here it's always completely uninteresting; there isn't half as much drama, or even a connection to the main characters!
- Oh, but I really am weak for a fainting, weakened love interest. We love to see the other person's consequent protective side.
- Yan Wushi comes on way too strong out of the blue. This irritates me.
- TOO. MANY. CHARACTERS. NOT. ENOUGH. PLOT.
- I realized that the protagonist really has no personality. He's just nice. That's it. A special little snowflake that can do no wrong. Bleh.
- Yan Wushi's kind of a piece of shit. You can understand it in the beginning, but 45 chapters later and the bitch hasn't changed. People really will ship anything.
- It's kinda cool that Shen Qiao has a demonic core now. But also what does it mean lmao. (Apparently it doesn't mean anything, because nothing came of it.)
- There's this wholesome period of time where Shen Qiao just adopts some kid and starts teaching him martial arts.
- Everything is so boring and tedious. And then out of nowhere Shen Qiao is feeding Yan Wushi MOUTH TO MOUTH. I really was like chotto matte.
- I felt like they were trying to create Wei Wuxian and Jian Cheng's dramatic enmity (childhood friends to rivals) with Shen Qiao and Yu Ai.
- I was definitely rolling my eyes at having to dress Yan Wushi up as a woman for "plot reasons," but had to laugh at the scene with the merchant asking Shen Qiao if this is his wife, Shen Qiao says, "my little sister" but then Yan Wushi is like, "Wife" and everyone's like, "..."

[bea ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really liked this novel but it didn't struck me as much as i would have loved.

I found the world building very interesting, based on a real period of china's history, and the author even included characters that existed in real life!!!! that was very cool to read ngl
I had to read 4 different translations to read the whole thing and, even that way, it was noticeable that the author put so much effort into the writing. The references to poetry and some beautiful passages added a lot to the reading of this novel.

Like i said before, it's based on a real period of China's history and no other than one of the most turbulent times: the nothern and southern dynasties. The author does a great job showing the unfortunate state of the world, with injustices and corruption. Also, the politics are strong in this one, but they are not that difficult to follow (they are not as intense as the politics in Sha Po Lang). And there are a lot of different characters, but you can find some good character's guides out there and i really recommend reading this novel with a guide to keep track of all the different names and places!!

So yeah, this is a very plot centric novel, with intense fights, political intrigues and lectures about Taoist principles, but what i loved the most about it was the main character's journey through the story and the way he grows. He faces a lot of difficult circumstances and he learns from them, but he doesn't let those circumstances change who he is and stays loyal to what he believes. When you are at the end of the novel and look back at where he started, you notice how much he has grown but he has never changed who he is.

Also, it was very interesting to read the main couple dynamics. They are SOOOOO different from each other and their moments together were always so captivating to read, but being honest, i wasn't really into the romance aspect here(???? like yeah, i loved their interactions (when yws wasn't making me want to bang my head against a wall) and it was very cool seeing how they are each other's life-companion, but i was more focused on other aspects of the novel maybe(??? idkidk the romance doesn't really play a big role in the story till the very end and idk if they grew to me at that point(?? idk what i'm saying. the thing is that i wasn't rotting for them at the end and that makes me sad😔 i thought the extras would change my mind about them, but i feel like they didn't really add anything to their story

(even tho the extra about Shen Qiao and Qi Fengge made me so sad goddamit)

Another point, i would have loved to know more about the ML. I just wanted to know MORE about him, about his past, about why he believes what he believes and treats people the way he does, but.. they never really tell(??? idk maybe the author thought that it wasn't that important to know about his past but... i wanted to know more about this evil dilf😔

i don't know what I'm writing anymore qkdkflwsm overall, the novel was good. There are some things that i didn't like that much but it was a cool read.

[Sue✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very exciting story without any dull moments. The plot is amazing and very interesting, the author is very smart and is a skilled storyteller. I loved Shen Qiao the most, he's without a doubt the most adorable & strong mc I've ever had the pleasure to read about. I didn't like Yan Wushi that much, he doesn't deserve Shen Qiao's love imo. Tbh, I was disappointed with their relationship and untill now I can't shake off the feeling that they shouldn't have ended up together. I started this story for the romance but I actually ended up more interested in the plot and Shen Qiao's journey.
4.5 stars

[Paula (lovebookscl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahora entiendo porque le dicen viejo sabroso a Yan Wushi jajajaja

Básicamente la historia de como Yan Wushi persigue Shen Qiao a todos lados, niega que siente algo por él pero de todas formas se lo quiere llevar a la cama jajaja Y Shen Qiao por su parte, no le cree nada (y con razón. Estáfame una vez shame on you, estáfame dos veces, shame on me).

Muy divertido todo esto; también amé el tema más político de las sectas.

[Deem · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.75/5 stars]
yep I went back and finish it just because I saw fanarts on twitter... they got me😔

[Eris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their romance development was different from the other stories I've read before . Yan Wushi didn't fall in love immediately after seeing Shen Qiao's beauty or kindness , nor after proving that : even in my darkest days , I won't fill my heart with loath and wickedness , I'll always choose kindness and forgiveness because that's who I am .

Both of them didn't need confession or even saying : I love you(though I read 128 chapters and 8 extras , waiting patiently for their papapa scene , and our dearest Author described it in one sentence: After that, the red candle warming the red brocade tent rolled into red waves . Am I a joke to you !!!!!!).

It contains wholesome moments , especially when Yan Wushi had like split personality.

Briefly, I enjoyed reading it and all the released extras . Worth reading 👌🏻 .

[juuree · Rating 4 out of 5]

my only regret with this book is that i started it too early, when it was nowhere near being done for translations. okay, not my only regret. the 2nd regret is that i didn’t read it back to back with the author’s other novel, peerless 无双, since that one is a sequel of this one.

shen qiao is way too lovable, and yan wushi is just absolutely shameless, and i do adore my shameless characters very much.

i also wished that i had made a character list as i read since by the time i came back to the book later, i forgot so many people that it does get a bit frustrating.

definitely recommend this, and also would recommend you to read peerless right after this one!

[WrittenbySahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

بعد از این همه دانمی خوندن، حالا میدونم که هر کدومشون برای یه حس خاص ساخته شدن.
هزاران پاییز، حس خودت باش و بخاطرش خجالت نکش، خود سانسوری نکن، خودت خیلی تواناست، خودت میتونه مهربون باشه، خودت یعنی ارزشمند بودنه.
با اینکه با اون قضیه ی ابراز عشق شون به صورت غیر مستقیم حال نکردم و نویسنده هم تاکید کرده بود که توی داستانش این مدل غیر مستقیم رو برای شخصیت هاش انتخاب کرده، اما اون تغییر نرم و تدریجی یان شن واقعا شیرین بود.

[Szasza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been dilf baited by yan wushi into reading this. no regrets.

[Rose ✧⁎⁺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆

Initially, I decided to give this 4 stars bc of yanshen, but I didn’t enjoy the novel that much sooo..a 3.5 will do. maybe if the plot was more interesting