Joyful Reunion (Novel) Vol. 5

Joyful Reunion (Novel) #5

by Fei Tian Ye Xiang, Mimi (Translator), Suika (Translator)

DEATH ON ALL SIDES

Duan Ling and Wu Du make a desperate bid to break out of the Mongol siege at Luoyan, escorting Yelü Zongzhen, the emperor of Liao, to safety in Southern Chen. Riding with them is the captured Lang Junxia, whose loyalties remain as unreadable as ever. Is he Duan Ling’s enemy, or is there some hidden purpose behind his betrayal? And if it came to it—could Duan Ling really bring himself to kill him?

Meanwhile, the secret of Duan Ling’s true identity grows harder to keep with each passing day. As he remains stuck in the north, fighting to secure the nation’s precarious border, both Cai Yan and Mu Kuangda are closing in on him from the capital. If Duan Ling is exposed before his plans are set, even Wu Du’s unwavering protection may not be enough to save him.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Historical Fiction

406 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2026

About the author

Associated Names:
* 非天夜翔
* Arise Zhang
* Fei Tian Ye Xiang
* เฟยเทียนเย่เสียง (Thai Profile)

Reviews

[Queens Love Books]

“It was just as his father had said: Some meetings were destined to be transient—one should rejoice in the meeting, but accept the parting. There was also the saying, that life’s partings were like the movements of the stars Shen and Shang, never sharing the same sky.”

Darn! It’s so obvious that Lang Junxia really cares about Duan Ling. It makes me so sad thinking about how he had to try to “kill” him before, when he obviously cared about him so much. And the fight scenes in this volume! I don’t even know what exactly to say about them, but I love them. Batu (Mongols) vs. Yelü Zongzhen (Khitan), with Wu Du’s side fighting too, but at the same time they’re all making sure Duan Ling is safe. The whole sequence was just so good. I love when this series does things like that because there’s so much going on between the characters without everything having to be spelled out. There are also so many scenes where they’re talking, debating, or arguing, and then someone says something so funny in a serious tone that I’m just sitting there feeling secondhand embarrassment. I really love seeing Duan Ling with his childhood friends! I have such mixed feelings about Batu because, honestly, deep in my heart, I want them to reconcile. But then I think about their situation and how complicated it is when you’re talking about survival between kingdoms and nations. It actually made me think about Cai Yan too. If everything had gone differently and Duan Ling had been the one to sit on the throne from the beginning, would their friendship have stayed the same? I don’t know, but I kept thinking about it.

I was also so relieved that Mu Qing was brought up a little because I had been wondering about him before starting this volume. There are so many characters in this series, but somehow I never feel lost. That honestly amazes me because there are so many different people, factions, relationships, and political situations happening at the same time. I really like that the political side doesn’t feel like something that’s just there to move the plot along. People have their own interests, alliances aren’t always based on friendship, and sometimes working together is simply the practical thing to do. I especially love the idea of the four great assassins working on the same side. I don’t know why, but I just really love that. Also, I have to laugh at myself because in my head, Changliu-jun was only a few years older than Duan Ling. Well, joke’s on me! There are so many little moments in this volume that made me happy, though. It isn’t all heavy politics and difficult situations. There are plenty of warm, funny, and genuinely sweet scenes that made me enjoy being with these characters even more.

And then there was that news toward the end. Nope. I had to put the book down. I was in distress. I just sat there thinking, “What am I supposed to do with this now?” I started reading this at midnight on the 6th and finished it in the morning on the 7th because I was way too invested and interested to stop. I absolutely love Joyful Reunion. I love how much I can get caught up in these characters and then suddenly find myself thinking about their relationships and choices even when I’m not reading. The ending of this volume is also so beautiful, and I definitely overworked my imagination for this one because I pictured such a great scene in my head. Now we’re down to the last volume, and I’m excited but also really sad about it. I’m ready to see how everything ends, but I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to this series yet. This was such a joyful ride, and I already want the next volume!

Date Read: 2026.10.07

[readeternaldanmei]

5/5!!

SPOILERS IN MY COMMENT FOR THE LAST VOLUME WILL BE AUTOMATIC BLOCKED

I am too in love with this story! Duan Ling's massive growth, strength, intelligence, and determination have been some of the many things I'm loving about this novel. From where he started at the beginning to now has been amazing to watch. With Wu Du and so many others by his side, he has something to fight for—so much more than just the throne. I can't wait to see what’s to come in Vol. 6!

I love seeing Duan Ling talk politics at such a young age. You can really see how intelligent and cunning he is. He truly is the Crown Prince.

Duan Ling and Wu Du are just so in love, I need more! Wu Du letting his guard down around Duan Ling when he's sleeping is so cute. It really shows how much he fully trusts him. They have truly become home for each other!

I still feel like Lang Junxia is hiding what’s really going on. What deal did he make with that Cai dog? Why did he use Nirvana's Calling on Duan Ling? What is he trying so hard to keep hidden—a secret so big he’d take it to the grave? Even so, I'm still very upset with him!

Batu.... I have no words for you... be better

I want to go deeper into this novel in my review, but I also don't want to spoil anything even with a warning. This review is really just my pure feelings and what I'm loving—I don't want to deep dive into the plot!

[K]

I'm not sure this volume really deserves 5 stars, but I'm as stubborn as the Li family, so I'm going to tip it over anyway.

It's a little hard to not draw comparisons to Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu , which I finished binging recently. It's not exactly fair to compare Duan Ling to Shen Zechuan, who spent years studying intensively under a literal kingmaker, as well as a martial arts master. Their temperaments are wildly different, too - Shen Zechuan's strength comes from his ruthlessness and willingness to manipulate situations while sacrificing himself and nearly everyone else around him, whereas Duan Ling has a heart that's almost too tender.

In this volume in particular, Duan Ling's abilities as a strategist seem...dimmed, in comparison to how well he's handled himself before. I think a little too much space is given to making him Wu Du's spouse and Li Yanqiu's nephew. While he does succeed in bringing his lands back from the brink of disaster, and is able to drive the Mongols away (for three years), most of these actions rely heavily on his relationships with others. QJJ spent something like 3 full volumes describing exactly how Shen Zechuan built up various cities and distributed grain and forged armies, and shows each battle in gritty, bloody detail, whereas Joyful Reunion keeps battles focused on the primary characters and glosses past most of the empire-building as an important but largely background activity. I honestly might not have noticed how flimsy some of it seemed without having QJJ so fresh in my mind.

Yet there's a gentleness to this series that I really like.

Duan Ling is still an incredibly capable ruler, whose most enviable strength lies in his ability to earn the genuine trust, love, and loyalty of those around him, rather than - as Shen Zechuan does - essentially terrifying them into subjection. You could call Duan Ling weak for that, or argue that without all his companions, he would've died or failed long ago - which Duan Ling even says himself, particularly with regards to Wu Du. He's modest and aware of his own shortcomings, but also knows how to leverage the strengths of those around him, rather than fighting every step of the way on his own.

I think Shen Zechuan would actually acknowledge him as a superior emperor, particularly for times of peace, and in fact that's precisely the kind of ruler he planned to pass his own kingdom down to. And various characters say as much in this volume; while there are worrying elements about Duan Ling's willingness to forgive, it's a mark of a good ruler to be able to take advice (picking out the good from the bad) and leave the daily running of things in the hands of others. His role is to oversee the big picture, not to get his hands dirty at every step. And he's been incredibly successful at making nearly everyone he interacts with believe in him so fully that some of them - like Batu or the prime minister - stumble in their own ambitions because they've put so much trust in him.

That's probably what I find so compelling about him. He's won me over, too. He has the Li strength and stubbornness and kingliness, but with a genuine heart for the people that brought fresh life to a family that had been nearing its end. People will follow him into battle not because they fear him or are required to, but because they see his generosity and leadership shining through all the starvation and darkness plaguing the land. And while it might be smarter to eliminate threats - like Lang Junxia, or the entire Mu family, or even Batu - Duan Ling's consistent willingness to give them a second chance has saved his own life and those of his people.

I'm rambling, and could do so for longer, because Joyful Reunion is really less about the plot than it is about all the intricate character dynamics. And while many of them get resolved in some way in this volume, a few are still up in the air. Lang Junxia, for example, who absolutely needs a full breakdown of his thoughts and motivations at some point, and I will probably scream if we don't get that in the final book. I'm also really confused about his relationship with Yao Zheng. Was that meant to be something romantic? I don't love it if so, but I guess I could be convinced.

Mostly, I just desperately need him and Duan Ling to resolve their torn up relationship, because it is so obvious that they still care deeply for each other, and Lang Junxia is just too frustratingly stubborn and closed off to admit that his loyalty has never wavered. Cai Yan knows...I think Wu Du does, too, but is too jealous of his place by Duan Ling's side to clue him in on his suspicions. With the same poison in play now, though, those secrets must come out soon enough.

I spent about half of this volume terrified about Li Yanqiu. And then worried about Lang Junxia. And then upset about Changliu-jun...whose storyline in this volume hasn't entirely convinced me. He kind of feels like a different character suddenly? That's not necessarily a bad thing, but suddenly he's mid-30s with a child Duan Ling's age, when I'd always seen him as one of the younger assassins. It really threw me, which I guess is fair, because Duan Ling was astonished, too.

We do seem to be rushing to the conclusion now, so I'm wondering if there will be a time skip to that confrontation Duan Ling promised Batu, or if we'll just close out with him restoring his name and crown prince status? I just hope no one else important dies - realistically, they probably should in a conflict this important, but I don't want Duan Ling to lose anyone else he cares about.

[Liye]

I read this as a webnovel. The plot has fully revealed itself and we are well on our way to the identity reveal of Duan Ling. I love the assassins in this novel. They are so goofy, except for Lang Junxia who is as frustrating as ever.