Daughter of the Moon Goddess

“‘This belonged to your father.’ Her eyes were as dark as a moonless night. ‘Don’t tell anyone who you are. But never forget either.’”

While Xingyin never meets her father, she still values her heritage. She takes Chang’e’s words seriously, reflecting her sense of Familial Duty. She keeps her identity a secret to protect both Chang’e and herself, and freeing her mother is consistently her highest priority. Houyi’s pendant protects Xingyin from the Celestial Emperor’s wrath, reflecting the lengths Xingyin’s family will go to save her, as well.

“Everyone has their own troubles; some lay them bare while others hide them better. For myself, I do what I can to stretch the boundaries which chafe, even if it’s just a little each time. Who knows when the slightest shift might make a difference?”

Liwei has an astute perception of people, and society in general. As a result, he resists social mores to become his own person. This quote reflects one of the key differences between him and Xingyin: He tells her everything, because he can afford to do so; she, meanwhile, keeps her family and feelings for him a secret, even to herself. Though they both push boundaries and take opportunities when presented with them, Liwei is more direct with his rebellion, while Xingyin must be pushed to do so.

“‘What we do is not a reflection of who we are.’ Prince Liwei echoed my earlier words, his gaze steely beyond his years. ‘Sponsor them both or none at all.’”

Liwei’s use of Xingyin’s words—in her defense, no less—foreshadows the many ways in which he will support Xingyin throughout the book. Though Xingyin only intended to reject the idea that servants are inferior to nobility—which is how Liwei uses it here—this idea can also be applied to other characteristics as well. Liwei’s acceptance of his betrothal to Princess Fengmei does not reflect his feelings. Similarly, Wenzhi’s attempts to incite a war stem from his desire to protect his loved ones, rather than an innate thirst for power. This quote is a reminder to examine circumstances fully, rather than focusing only on one small part.

“The sun and the moon. A matched pair[.]”

The sun and moon are motifs that appear frequently in the novel. One connection is mythological—Houyi and Chang’e, who represent the sun and moon, respectively. Another is philosophical: The sun, which represents masculine yang energy, and moon, which represents feminine yin energy, balance each other elementally. Liwei’s energy turns the Sky Drop Tassel gold while Xingyin’s becomes silver, hinting at the romance between the two. Like the sun and moon, they constantly circle each other over the course of the story, and can never be truly pulled apart, signifying the strength of their love.

“Bending down, he whispered in my ear, ‘When the battle lines are drawn, advance with a clear mind.’”

Wenzhi offers practical advice through this quote: Be decisive, with clear goals and no regrets. He often follows this mentality to the point of coldness, threatening to torture the merfolk for answers, killing Governor Renyu for overstepping his bounds, and even abducting Xingyin for the dragon pearls despite his feelings for her. Xingyin, on the other hand, acts impulsively when her loved ones are in danger, complicating her circumstances by putting her values before logic.

“I was more than this ill-fated love; I would not let it define me.”

Hurt by Liwei’s acceptance of his betrothal, Xingyin uses the army as a way to distance herself from him and attempts to quash her lingering feelings. Though she struggles with this, she remembers her mother pining for Houyi on the moon, and resolves to be more than just the rejected lover. In this way, Xingyin rejects the trope of the passive female love interest, instead choosing to become her own person and fulfill her own goals. This adds depth to the theme of The Influence of Romantic Love.

“But this is not the life I wanted, among the crowds of the Jade Palace. I want to be home with my family and friends. Maybe fall in love. Yet the higher I rise, the more I am bound. The more we have to lose.”

Reflecting quote #4, Shuxiao’s position as a capable career soldier is not who she is. Like Mulan, a historical warrior from a different legend, Shuxiao joined the military to protect her family, not because of a desire for greatness. This quote also points out the stakes of success: The more she succeeds, the greater the risks and repercussions of failure. This foreshadows Xingyin’s own rise, when her request upon receiving the Crimson Lion Talisman nearly destroys everything she had worked for up to that point.

“If I had learned anything over these years, it was that no one won in a war, not even those who thought they did.”

Now a seasoned soldier, Xingyin understands that a victory after bloodshed is a hollow one. Many people might suffer or die for a cause that is ultimately inconsequential. While the dragons’ pacifism is not fully explained, this empathy for casualties of war hints at possible reasons why they (and the Jade Dragon Bow) accept Xingyin as their master, trusting that she won’t abuse her power. This reflects the theme of Honor.

“A wiser course would have been to feign interest in her offer and gain her trust, to have a hope of escaping. But this had always been my weakness, my inability to think clearly when my heart was clouded.”

In direct opposition to Wenzhi’s earlier advice, Xingyin once again lashes out without thinking, rejecting Lady Hualing’s offer of a position in the Demon Realm. Xingyin’s habit is often to her immediate detriment but subsequent benefit. Here, had she remained logical, she might have avoided a fight to the death with Liwei during her rescue mission. However, her passion and strong emotions lead her to the realization—and confession—of her lingering love for him, influencing their relationship later in the story. In contrast, Wenzhi’s decision to ensure success through military logic leads him to prioritize politics over his love for Xingyin, and he nearly destroys their relationship in the process.

“No, I would not choose as they had done. I would not yearn after what had been lost, impossible to regain. I would look to the days ahead, to the happiness which awaited me there… if only I were brave and steadfast enough to reach for it.”

Though this quote appears similar to quote #7, it actually marks Xingyin’s character growth. Having witnessed two versions of rejected lovers—her mother and Lady Hualing—Xingyin not only vows to prioritize herself, but also learns that it is possible to love another without letting Romantic Love destroy her. Rather than merely surviving, as she had been, she is choosing to fully live again.

“Only now did I understand that there was no satisfactory answer. At least none to avoid offending the Celestial Emperor.”

Once, young Xingyin asked her mother why the emperor punished the dragons for gifting rain to mortals, but Chang’e never gave her a concrete answer. Now, tasked with obtaining the dragons’ pearls, Xingyin realizes that politics is a tricky specialty, especially when the one in power has a closed mind. Offending the emperor, who is ruthless, calculating, and power-hungry, can be a death sentence: Xingyin herself receives several bolts of Sky-fire when she gives the emperor powerless pearls. In a high-stakes conflict, sometimes there is no right answer, especially if one or more parties refuse to listen.

“It dawned on me, then, that I had been duped by the emperor. He had asked for the pearls, without mentioning the dragons’ essence. This was not what I had agreed to… yet this was the bargain I had struck. How could I do this? How could I make the dragons give up their freedom in exchange for my mother’s?

Yet, how could I not?”

Xingyin’s bargain with the Celestial Emperor—which is meant to be impossible for her to fulfill—introduces a moral quandary about Freedom: How does someone in power decide who benefits and who sacrifices? This moment of reflection contrasts with Xingyin’s reaction to Liwei’s betrothal. Liwei was torn between a political, loveless marriage to solidify an alliance versus a brokenhearted lover with disadvantaged political standing, and now, Xingyin must choose between Familial Duty and honoring the dragons’ freedom. While the stakes in the emperor’s bargain are much higher than a broken heart, Xingyin’s thoughts indicate that though she is still impulsive, she is slowly learning to “advance with a clear mind” (158).

“‘Our magic can heal ailments of the minds, soothe misery, uncover lies, detect ill intent. It can be used in despicable ways—just as Water, Fire, Earth, and Air have been channeled into grotesque acts of death and destruction. […]’

‘To control someone’s mind, to take their will away, is a vile thing.’

His face darkened. ‘This magic was rarely exercised before the war, not tolerated even among us—until we were forced to use it to defend ourselves. Don’t blame the instrument, but the one who directs its tune. Perhaps this was the emperor’s intent to solidify his power in the Immortal Realm. There is no greater unity than a common danger. […] And in a war, the lines between right and wrong are blurred.’”

Once more, Wenzhi stresses that one must understand a situation from multiple perspectives. The Celestial Kingdom views Cloud Wall immortals—particularly Mind Talents—with prejudice and suspicion due to long-standing enmity and a lack of understanding of how Mind Talent works. Wenzhi, an expert, views Mind Talent just like any other tool and believes that the problems lie with the wielder, not the neutral tool itself. Xingyin has only experienced negative aspects of Mind Talent, and so stands with the Celestial perspective. Wenzhi attempts to defend his (negative) actions by stating the inequalities his people have suffered, but that raises yet another moral quandary: Does the end justify the means?

“She did not appear anything like the Demons I had expected from Ping’er’s tales—none of them did. Though I hated to admit it, the word ‘demon’ had altered my perceptions, making me think the worst of them when they were no different from the rest of us.”

Like the Mind Talent, Cloud Wall citizens have been vilified by the Celestial Kingdom, who call them ‘Demons’ and refer to their home as the ‘Demon Realm.’ Until Xingyin discovers Wenzhi’s true identity, she too holds these prejudices and preconceptions, despite being told that Demons were actually immortals just like her (98). She must face this reality during her abduction, where, although she desires to escape, she also begins to acknowledge their humanity.

“We were not out of danger, but it struck me that I was free. With sudden clarity, I realized how precious such a feeling was. How easily it might be taken away. And how much their captivity had cost my mother and the dragons.”

Despite prioritizing her Familial Duty, Xingyin never truly understands her mother’s experience until she undergoes imprisonment herself. With this, she can empathize, rather than sympathize, with her mother’s plight. This strengthens Xingyin’s determination to accomplish her goal and calibrates her moral compass to avoid inflicting this trauma on others, like the dragons.

“The gold sculptures on the rooftop of the Jade Palace, the embroidery on the imperial robes… was the rumor true or were these merely symbols to perpetuate a powerful myth? Had the emperor coveted the might of the dragons, all this time? Had their punishment been rooted in their refusal to bow to him?”

As Xingyin grows and matures over the course of the novel, she begins to question rules and social mores that she had once accepted as law. While dragons are culturally and historically associated with emperors in Chinese culture—the Celestial Emperor is no exception—after meeting the dragons in person and understanding their perspective, Xingyin begins to wonder how to separate propaganda from truth. Her thoughts reflect the themes of honor and honesty as she questions all she once knew about the emperor and his legacy.

“‘I want to thank you for showing me what needed to be done, of what would happen if the pearls fell into the wrong hands. I could not let that happen again.’ I tipped the pearls back into my pouch. ‘Now we have nothing you want, let us pass.’”

Xingyin had justified taking the dragons’ pearls—and thus their power—with the idea that their potential enslavement would result in her mother’s freedom, a negative balancing a positive. However, Wenzhi’s actions reinforce for her the idea that two wrongs don’t make a right. In addition, her own experience with captivity leads her to conclude that a third path—returning the dragons’ power to them—is necessary to right the wrongs she’s witnessed. Even though she was not the only perpetrator, she is the only one to choose to change, validating the dragons’ trust in her.

“‘I know what my brother said to you. He offered you your freedom, and my death. You refused. Why?’

[…] ‘[N]ot because of you,’ I said fiercely. ‘I couldn’t let him, because not even my worst enemy deserved to be killed that way. It would not have been… honorable.’”

Though his abduction of her has damaged their relationship, Xingyin still shows Wenzhi mercy. Her refusal to kill him while he was vulnerable stemmed partly from lingering remnants of their former friendship, but it is mainly due to Xingyin’s values. Ever since her servant days at the Golden Lotus Mansion, she has valued pride and honor highly, and prefers direct confrontation to underhanded deceit—one of many reasons why she chooses Liwei over Wenzhi as a love interest.

“I was not loyal to the Celestial Kingdom. But I was loyal to my friends; those I had fought with, those I had bled with. As I straightened, my eyes met Shuxiao’s. I lifted my hand to her in greeting. I suspected I had much to be grateful to her for. Who else would have informed General Jianyun and brought the army here?”

As a resident of the moon and daughter of a longtime prisoner, Xingyin feels little to no loyalty to the Celestial Kingdom, particularly as she learns more about it firsthand. In this way, she is similar to Wenzhi. On the other hand, Xingyin values her friends highly; she fights for those she has developed rapport with, and those truly loyal to her, like Shuxiao, will do the same. Her friendship with Shuxiao is particularly notable in that Shuxiao always looks to her needs, taking care of her and ensuring Xingyin is safe and comfortable, especially around her love interests. While Shuxiao is not politically powerful in the same way that Liwei and Wenzhi are, she uses the invisibility of her status to her advantage, and uses her own, more everyman, connections when needed. Their relationship strongly reflects the theme of Loyalty and Interpersonal Relationships.

“Some might think me a coward, but I felt no shame in admitting it. I was not one of those valiant heroes who plunged into danger so fearlessly. I had been terrified of getting hurt, of failure, and most of all—of death. To never see my mother again, or my loved ones. To regret all the things left unsaid or undone. To leave my life… unlived. I had been lauded for my bravery, yet I knew the truth—that I had done these things despite my fear. Because not doing them frightened me more.”

Xingyin rushes into conflict when she is emotional, but she is not fearless. She is a flawed heroine, which makes her a dynamic character. This quote reinforces her mentality of rising above, but in a more evolved sense. Rather than refusing to be controlled by only Romantic Love, Xingyin expands this mentality to all of her fears and conflicts. As her victories lifted her higher, so too did her stakes increase, but Xingyin faces her social restraints and is not afraid to break them if morality indicates she should.

“And there was bitterness, too, that he had shaken my trust in myself. That he had brought me low, to the depths of his own deceit—when I feigned my affection to drug him to escape. I was not ashamed of what I had done, but neither did I take pride in it.”

Xingyin dislikes deceit, as she feels it is underhanded and dishonorable. However, she learns that the world is not as black and white as she originally viewed it to be, as evidenced by the underhanded tactics she used to escape Wenzhi. Unlike Wenzhi, deceit and manipulation are not her first choice; however, she slowly learns to recognize its necessity in certain circumstances. This allows her to be determined but not ruthless, and merciful rather than cruel.

“‘As I ascended to the skies, I turned around once to see him by the window—his hand outstretched, such anguish upon his face. He had returned too late. Some nights I torment myself, wondering how he felt as he watched me fly away. Did he understand why I did it? Did he feel betrayed? Did he… hate me? Those nights, I hate myself, too.’

‘[…] I will never be free of my sorrow. And yet, I would do it again, even knowing all which came after. Because it meant I had you.’”

Chang’e has also experienced moral conundrums in love, as she explains to Xingyin here. Tan’s retelling justifies Chang’e drinking the elixir of immortality as a desperate measure—not to stop a thief, but to save her child. Though she is punished and doomed to never be reunited with her beloved, she raises Xingyin with love, fully embracing motherhood and instilling a strong sense of Familial Duty in Xingyin. Though her circumstances are more tragic, like Xingyin, Chang’e does not regret her choices; despite losing one love, she gained another.

“‘On the rooftop, before the dragon carried you away—would you have shot me?’

I had asked myself that countless times before. And now, I finally knew the answer. ‘No.’ His honesty deserved no less than mine.”

As Xingyin discovers, it is possible to be betrayed and merciful at the same time. Though she could have easily wounded or killed Wenzhi during her escape, she refused, partly because of honor and partly out of remembrance of their past camaraderie. She also dislikes deceit and has no reason to lie, particularly when he is not lying to her—here, they emulate the theme of Honesty and Interpersonal Relationships. Though their relationship may never recover, and though she doesn’t agree with his choices, she still acknowledges Wenzhi’s humanity.