What exactly is their true relationship?
Between Qing Qiu’s Fox king and the Nine Heaven’s Tian Jun, who is in charge of who?
Can Tian Jun control the Underworld?
What is the relationship between the current Tian Jun and Dong Hua Di Jun?
Does Bai Zhi need to kneel to Dong Hua Dijun?
Credit: Tencent, Eternal Love of Dream
Today, Mi Gu’s card is the Three Lives Universe’s little encyclopaedia and will be used to introduce the political relationships between Qing Qiu, the Heavenly Clan, Demon race, Ghost race and the Underworld to our fellow sisters.
Firstly, in the Three Lives Universe, there are two important ways of categorising people:
The First Way :
The Second Way:
Translator's note: Please refer to the chart at the bottom of this post for an overview.
God Race & Ghost Race:
Let’s talk about race first.
The war between the two races in the book is traced back to the Ghost rebellion led by Qing Cang. This happened 70,000 years before the story of Peach Blossom, and 20,000 years before the story of Lotus Step, that is, before the end of the Era of Antiquity.
The God of War, Father God’s (Fu Shen) eldest son, Mo Yuan sacrificed his soul to the Dong Huang Bell, ending the rebellion. Qing Cang’s eldest son handed over their written surrender.
This chronicles the Three Lives story into the current era.
Since the Ghost King had already been locked up, his eldest son, the Commanding General in this rebellion led three hundred thousand remaining surviving soldiers in front of the one hundred thousand Heavenly soldiers they had lost the battle to and stood shivering with fear as the Prince quickly handed in their written surrender.
[ Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms ] Chapter Six
It was said that shortly after, a coup happened at Da Zi Ming Palace. The eldest Prince was imprisoned, and the second Prince, Li Jing, adorned in blue robes, ascended as King of the Ghosts.
On the day of ascension, he presented the old Tian Jun with the rarest Cold Moon Lotus (Han Yue Fu Qu) from his gardens as a tribute.
[ Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms ] Chapter Six
From the words “Written Surrender” and “Tribute”, it is clear that since then, from a political standpoint, the Ghost race and their territory had become a vassal under the control of the God race, similar to a defeated country.
Tribute, presented is a meritorious deed. — [ Han Dynasty Dictionary ]
Tribute, to get on top. — [ Words of Explanation ]
Tribute, to dedicate. — [ Chinese Encyclopedia from Wei of the Three Kingdoms ]
A tribute by writ — [ Rites of Zhou. The Great History ]
The meaning of the word ‘Tribute’ is to present a special local product from up to down, from regional to central parts of your annexed territory as a tribute.
After the Ghost race was greatly defeated, they surrendered and presented their special product, the Cold Moon Lotus as a tribute. This signifies that the entire Ghost race was willing to become subordinate to the God race.
So the Ghost race led by Li Jing as the Ghost King exists only as a vassal under the God race in the present era.
Hence we can make the following conclusion: The present God race > Ghost race
So what did the Ghost race of yesteryear look like?
“At that time, Lord Qing Cang had not been sealed and ran the Ghost race as if it was equal to the God race. It was a period of glory for the Ghost race”.
God Race & Demon Race:
Then, what about the relationship between the God race and the Demon race? In the history of Three Lives Three Worlds, their relationship is always in a state of constant flux.
You can see their relationship in this existing text, “During the Era of Great Desolation, at a time when Shao Wan unified the Demon race and ruled the Southern realm, regulating the God race in the Eastern realm and restraining the Ghost race in the Western realm, the Demon race was at the peak of its glory.”
And this quote, “If he (Mo Yuan) wants to fight for it, as you have seen, in just 700 years, he had ended this chaotic era and united the four races. If not for you (Shao Wan), all five races would long be under his control.”
However, when the Era of Great Desolation ended after a lengthy period of confrontation between the God and Demon races, the Demon race of the current era have become a scattered federation of clans and are no longer powerful enough to confront the strong and powerful God race.
The Demon Race is divided into seven clans and at present, the ones that have appeared in the story include, Red Demon Lord, Xu Yang, Green Demon Lord, Yan Chi Wu, Black Demon Lord, Nie Chu Yin, the Yellow Demon Lord and the Vermillion Demon Lord. Between these clans, there are intermarriages and oaths of brotherhood.
They also needed to maintain peace with the God race, so some of the Demon Lords wanted to use intermarriage to maintain a good relationship with the Gods, however, this ultimately ended in failure.
So the question is, how did the Demon clan get from Shao Wan dominating and ruling the Southern realm to the current sorry state of scattered clans? We will have to wait for [ Bodhi Fate ] to uncover the secret.
In summary, with Shao Wan ‘fading’ (羽化), and Qing Cang sealed, “the God race currently has the most extensive and powerful influence among the three races”.
Heavenly Clan & Qing Qiu
Next, let’s continue with the relationship between the Heavenly Clan and Qing Qiu.
We will first clarify the link between race and clan. The Qing Qiu Nine-tailed Fox Clan is part of the God race classification.
Aside from the Qing Qiu Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, the large Heavenly Clan, the reclusive Zhe Yan, master of Ten Miles Peach Forest, earth immortals like the Bi Yi Bird Clan and several others all belong to the God race.
Among the God race, Qing Qiu Nine-tailed Fox Clan is a large influential aristocratic clan that had already existed since the ancient Era of Great Desolation.
Since Pan Gu split Heaven and Earth with his giant hatchet, the races had been constantly at war with each other. After the control of the realms was divided and established, Gods from that era either answered their calamity, faded and disappeared or entered a period of deep sleep.
The Gods from that era still living in this world merely consist of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Lord and his family, High God Zhe Yan of Ten Miles Peach Forest, who lives in seclusion near the Eastern Sea and Qing Qiu Country’s Bai Zhi Di Jun and his family.
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms ] Prologue
As all our fellow sisters already know, Sister Qi’s Three Lives Universe was partly inspired by the Chinese Classic [ Classic of Mountain and Sea ].
Outside the Eastern Sea, within the Realms.
…..
There is Qing Qiu Country, it has foxes, they are nine-tailed.
— [ Classic of Mountain and Sea. Classic of Eastern Realm ]
Qing Qiu Nine-Tailed Fox Clan is exactly like this. The Fox King, Bai Zhi of Qing Qiu Country, a God from the Era of Antiquity is still living, he has four sons and a daughter, and he is safe and healthy.
Qing Qiu has jurisdiction over its five realms. Before Bai Qian got married, four sons and one daughter each managed one realm.
After Bai Qian married and moved to the Nine Heavens, the title of Queen of the Eastern Realm fell to Bai Feng Jiu.
Just like how the Nine-Tailed Arctic Fox Clan rule Qing Qiu Country, the country consists of the Eastern, Southeast, Northeast, Southwest and the Northwest Realms with the Eastern Realm as its leading administration.
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds, Pillow Book ] Volume 1, Chapter 6
So what is the relationship between Qing Qiu’s five realms led by the ancient Qing Qiu Fox Clan and the Heavenly Clan? The answer can be found in the books.
After living to such an old age, my temperament had been polished down to a slower, steadier nature, but in matters of the heart, it is not wise to drag your feet in it.
I continued sincerely, “I will say this for the next thousand years, it is better for you and me to maintain a clean & pure relationship. In fact, it may not be a good thing for a couple to engage in a love life. It may not be convenient should you decide to install a concubine in the future.
It is better to be like this now, you should set your sights a bit further. Um, you may not understand what I am trying to say today, but one day, should you take a fancy to another person and want to marry her and bring her into Si Wu Palace, you will understand the benefit of my words.”
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms ] Chapter 13
The intermarriage between the Heavenly Clan of the Nine Heavens and the Qing Qiu Arctic Fox Clan, after a long-drawn-out deliberation between the heads of both clans and going through two hundred and twenty-three years of arduous and extraordinary negotiation, a date was finally set for the wedding to take place at the beginning of this year.
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds Pillow Book ] Prologue
The keyword to note in the marriage between Bai Qian and Ye Hua is “intermarriage”.
The word intermarriage generally means two equal country or clans combining and expanding their power and social hierarchy. In order to benefit both parties or to establish peace, a political marriage is frequently used as a tool to create an alliance between countries or clans.
In ancient history, there were several untested intermarriage alliances such as the one between the Yellow Emperor and the Xi Ling Clan and Yu the Great and the Mount Tu Clan. Other historical evidence of intermarriages includes the origins of the famous idiom “The good terms of the Qin and the Jin court” (秦晋之好).
The idiom originated from the many intermarriages that cemented the alliance between the Qin and Jin imperial courts.
It was through intermarriage alliances that Duke Mu of Qin and Duke Wen of Jin safeguarded their ranks as part of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period.
The Qing Qiu and the Heavenly Clan relationship is more like an equal partnership of shared benefits. However, as both are powerful God clans since the Era of Antiquity, their first priority is to maintain peace within their own territories and will not easily stir up conflicts between the two clans.
Forty-six years ago, to strengthen the influence of the Heavenly Clan and to restrain both the Demon race and the Ghost race, the Heavenly Lord sent his second son, Sang Ji to Qing Qiu to ask the Nine-tailed Fox King for his only daughter’s hand-in-marriage.
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds ] Chapter 4
*The North Water Lord is a member of Tian Jun's immediate family. He is Sang Ji, the Second Prince of the Heavenly Clan.
Heavenly Clan & the Underworld
Excluding the billions of mortal worlds, the Western Brahma has not been described in detail and will not be touched on for now. Outside of the Four Seas and Eight Realms, there is also an Underworld. So what kind of relationship does it maintain with the Heavenly Clan?
Firstly, the Black and White Lords belong to the God race but are not part of the Heavenly Clan and the Underworld is not under their jurisdiction.
As the Heavenly Clan needs to maintain the positive cyclic flow of a billion mortal worlds (for example, the God, Lord Cang Yi of Mount Zhi Yue controls all the rivers and mountains in all mortal realms), and the reincarnation of mortals must rely on the Underworld, the relationship between the Heavenly clan and the Underworld is "a partnership to manage a large project of one billion mortal worlds.”
This partnership is maintained by periodic major court assemblies presided by the Nine Heavens.
The Third Prince answered indifferently: “The major court assemblies are specially created for the Underworld Lords and the mortal worlds. I manage the 4 seas and have nothing much to do with them. After participating in several thousands of those events, I feel that attendance is not really necessary.”
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds Lotus Step ] Chapter 17
The Black and White Lords of the Underworld regularly head to the Nine Heavens to start the major court assembly and discuss official matters regarding the One Billion Mortal Worlds project.
As a result of the special role the Underworld Lord undertakes, they hold an equal relationship as collaborating partners of the One Billion Mortal Worlds project.
Dong Hua & Tian Jun & Bai Zhi
Now that we have finished talking about the content in the current era, I know that some of our fellow sisters are looking forward to finding out more about Mo Yuan and Dong Hua from the Era of Great Desolation.
Information regarding Mo Yuan will be left to Bodhi Fate. Without revealing the plot as a premise, we can talk a little more about Dong Hua.
Q1: Which Clan does Dong Hua belong to?
A: Before Father God picked him up and brought him back to the Water Marsh (水沼泽), he is neither God nor Demon. After following Father God back to Water Marsh, it is rumoured that he had “abandoned the path of the Demon race and chosen the God race ".
Q2: When Dong Hua became the master of the universe, was he the supreme ruler of the Four Seas and Eight Realms?
A: Yes.
Dong Hua was once the Master of the Universe, so it is only natural for him to be worthy of the royalty within the clan addressing themselves as his subject.
…….
She was a bit distracted. She was well aware of the glory of a great war hero that Dong Hua carried, but he had already retired from affairs of the world when she first got to know him.
His usual routine now consists of mixing incense, pottery making, art and fishing, all his interests made him appear endearing to her. She had never once thought about the time when he was the Master of the Universe and his majestic presence when the six realms worshipped and consecrated him.
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds Pillow Book ] Volume 2, Chapter 5
Hence, during the period when Dong Hua was the master of the universe, anyone regardless of their origins and immortal rank, be it the Four Seas and Eight Realms, the Thirty Six Heavens, the Kings of the Demon, Ghost and Monster races or his subordinates or the clans he had defeated, he is more than worthy of the respect given to him when they kneel and address themselves as his subjects.
However, since he left office and retired to Tai Chen Palace on the Thirteenth Heavens and settled into the Heavenly Clan’s territory, he is regarded as having “dropped into the Heavenly Clan’s account”.
To have the ability to fight and launch an expedition against your enemies during the chaotic Era of Great Desolation and firmly establish yourself as the Master of Heaven and Earth is not an easy feat.
If your methods were seen as weak, the people under your command will become a mess like a pot of porridge, the only way to suppress the enemy is to employ strength and ruthlessness to establish some stability.
Even after he followed the Heavenly Clan and walked in step with them as they became more powerful over the passing years, Dong Hua gradually transferred his authority to the young Tian Jun of the time and moved into Tai Chen Palace to enjoy life.
— [ Three Lives Three Worlds Pillow Book ] Volume 1, Chapter 4
As an immortal who lives with the philosophy of “not being particularly interested in matters related to unifying the world" and just wanting to retire in Tai Chen Palace “in complete peace and quiet”, the previous Master of the Universe retreated and chose Tai Chen Palace in the Heavenly Clan’s “account” to enjoy life.
In the current era where the Heavenly Clan and the Fox Clan are on equal footing with each other, Di Jun naturally won’t accept the formal rite of bowing from the monarchs of both clans (Tian Jun & Fox King, Bai Zhi), but Tian Jun and Bai Zhi will still need to greet him with a simple rite of courtesy whenever they meet the former master.
But as the title of Master of the Universe is too distinguished, smaller clans that belong to the God race such as the Queen of the Bi Yi Niao will still need to bow to Di Jun formally.
Credit: Tang Qi, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SqjaZ2H01By5LQfa276NSQ
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