Gu Fang Bu Zi Shang · Manga Reviews

Manga/Novel: A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated (孤芳不自赏) – Feng Nong (风弄)

sutekii

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Author/Artist: Feng Nong

Status:

Manga: 2 Volumes, 7 chapters, hiatus

Novel: English Translation Completed

Summary: Bai Ping Ting had never believed in the saying that “ladies without a talent is a virtue.” She is a maid of Jing Anwang, but she lives even better than some wealthy women. What she relies on is not beauty, but instead is her head that is wiser and intelligent than that of a man’s. She does not need others to sympathize with her average appearance. What she wants is another soul of the same level as her, whom she can compete with. So, even if that man is an enemy, both are full of lies and conspiracies. She is not fond of that man. But between a choice of love and loyalty, she will begin to think that she isn’t as meaningful as she once thought she was…

(credits ckmscans + chancy426)

Genre: Drama, Historical, Romance

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 Review

If you haven’t noticed by now I’m a sucker for historical manga’s and smart witty female leads. Gu Fang Bu Zi is such a popular manga with a lot of readers. I read the manga up to the latest update on mangafox and read the completed English Translation . I have been to listening to the audio book to fill in my hungry. If you can read Chinese you can find the Chinese Novel here

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What I love about this novel is that our female heroine, Bai Ping Ting, beauty is describes as quite ordinary (compare to majority of novels, where the female is outstandingly gorgeous). She is smart and well versed in military as well as playing the king. She falls in love with a man from the enemy’s country, Bei Wang, Chu Bei Jie. Chu Bei Jie and Bai Ping Ting are both equally smart military strategist. One could say they are the perfect match. Their love is put through many twists and anguished before ending with a happy ending. Chu Bei Jie gets the Jiang Shan (the country) and the meiren (the beauty) which is quite rare in the fantasy world of c-novels.

36 thoughts on “Manga/Novel: A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated (孤芳不自赏) – Feng Nong (风弄)”

      1. Hi tina,

        Unfortunately I don’t think anyone’s picking up this translation project atm. You’ll just have to wait patiently for ckmscans translation. ^^”

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  2. Love the novel, have no idea about the manga since it was too short…

    I like the main character (both man and woman).

    At first the guy is presented as a cruel man, yet we can see that when he was with our MC, he was truly sweet.

    For the girl, she was truly devoted to her master m, to the extend to betray the guy. I think this sence of “duty” show to some extend the feelings people from ancient china had (not only china). When the duty is done, she can finally free herself from her master, but it’s too late, she had betrayed the one she love.

    I truly want to thank the autor for creating a male MC who won’t hate her to the core solely because she betrayed him once.

    Live the chap when she received his sword. So romantic

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    1. Romantic?
      Yes

      Stragetic? I believe so too.

      He wanted her to never to forget him, to constantly think of him, her to continually guilty love for him

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  3. Hi! I’m a new reader here on your site, Heard about you from decembi, like you I also enjoyed this novel. One question though, I only read up to chapter 20 as I only saw that many chapters posted, how did you find chapters 21 and 22?

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    1. Hi 100kissess!

      Thank you for the pointing this out, it’s actually my mistake! There’s only 20 chapters. I shall edit the post to fix this up. Sorry for getting your hopes up. :S

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  4. Pingback: Novel/Manga: Feng Yu Jiu Tian (凤于九天) – Feng Nong (风弄) | SUTEKI DA NE

      1. it is sad but there is a volume 2 though it has not been translated into English is translated into my language. so i can read it. as for the novel when they decide to continue the spin off series from the original context of the story there will be more.

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  7. Pingback: Chapter 4: Surrender of the army, Part 5 — A mistaken marriage match: A generation of military counselor by Qian Lu (错嫁良缘之一代军师, 浅绿) | clover's nook

  8. I came to your blog and found out their is a novel of Gu fang bu zi shang I am so happy I have checked ckmscans had fininsh till Chapter 27…will they continue to translate it?
    I love this novel soo much thank you for sharing with us.

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  9. Hi there, I was wondering if there was another audio file site I could use? The link you gave doesn’t seem to work anymore. as well, did the audio files cover the entire story?
    thank you!

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  10. I love this novel! Read the manga and the novel and I’m absolutely in love with the leads. They are my absolute favorite couple. I know there are only 2 volumes for the manga but what about the novel? Dose anyone know if the novel ends at chapter 27? It doesn’t make any sense what so ever!!!! Dose anyone know if the author is working on book 2? Or are there more chapters to the novel?

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    1. Well from what I’ve found, the translation for the novel ends at the second volume and the group doing them seemed to have discontinued. There are 7 volumes in total, but I don’t know if the series is completed.
      I’d love to somehow find someone to translate the rest of the series though. I’m dying to know what happens. >_<
      If anyone can read Traditional Chinese, I'd be willing to set up everything for them to translate this series. ;-;

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      1. I heard from another blog that after Volume 2 the series won’t be published since the publisher went out of business.. T_T

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  11. Gu Fang Bu Zi Shang is a great manga, and the latest chapter did break my heart :/
    I’m listening to the novel in Mandarin, but I was wondering if you knew any site that had it in Cantonese?

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  12. Gosh I love your page! Every time I’m finding new stuff out, It keeps bringing me back to your webpage. And you always have it! I just love it! Thanks for your hard work! 😎 I’ll be back. 😆

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  13. THANK YOU FOR THE LINK!!! I’ve been dying to read the rest after intermission TT^TT. This novel is so heart breaking. I hope there’s a happy ending to it.

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  14. Hi sutekii,

    Thank you for your benevolent infos here xD this is the 1st time ive picked up chinese novels & just reading this the 1st time its great! xD however, its sad i can only read in english,, & its sad the translation ive been following (http://www.novelupdates.com/series/a-mistaken-marriage-match-a-generation-of-military-counselor/) ends in chapter 16.. ive just read here that its translated upto chapter 27? where can i read the rest if you may be willing? thanks! 😀

    Yagi

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    1. Its only translated to chapter 16, i’m not sure where you got chapter 27 from… btw this post is about ‘A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated’ not ‘ A Mistaken Marriage Match: A Generation of Military Counselor’

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  15. Thank you so much for your site!

    I love the 2 sites you gave for English translations ( mangafox.me/ & moonbunnycafe.com)— So much easier for me to access than the ckmscans via https://isuu.com/xah-kum-docs-/gu-fang-bu-zi-shang-vol1-ch6— Probably because I do not “know” the technical aspects of handling “docs”!

    I have enjoyed hours & hours today exploring all the sites (totaled them up — 15 sites — WOW! —including YOURS as my primary site — Love it so much.) that I found within your posts and from starting with the 2 sites you named ( seolinlovenow.blogspot.com.au/ & http://www.books.shushengbar.com/). It’s been so much fun and so informative, too!

    Then I stopped! Just enough to be great sources to consult as I begin to dive headlong into dramas, movies, novels & manga from/about China.

    Any suggestions for sites that talk about tropes in Chinese dramas, cultural aspects that we Westerners miss, important meanings/ implications / behaviors that are “lost in translation” to non-Chinese speaking fans, etc.? Thank you for help from anyone reading & posting in the comments!

    COMMENT:…. About the Chinese language and translation/interpretation into English. Over the years I have appreciated those Korean speakers who have been generous in correcting English subs as a drama is “live” on TV. And have also explained the “hidden” meaning of certain behaviors, words, terms of address, & have pointed out the importance of the meaning implied when characters switch from formal to informal language — Is it an endearing advance in a relationship? OR Is it an insult?

    Example of “Chinese Family Tree”, funny & serious!
    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_afW6JuhZiw
    2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTsp7u05Lw
    3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rU-lGtfs8o
    4. How to properly address each family member! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTsp7u05Lw

    NOTE:…My “bottom line” is that I was raised in a time & place where many aspects of my life were more similar to Asian values than NOT. I was surprised!

    I really like behavior that maintains respect within the family, school, the office! I was raised in strict parochial schools and continued into Catholic high school and then 2 years in a Catholic college (1950’s). Just think of the “olden days” when Mass & all the Liturgy was spoked/recited in Latin. Girls wore uniforms identifying each individual school/high school — I “get” the uniform system in the Asian dramas & movies! I lived it and loved it! (My next “uniform” was Nursing “whites”, which rules were “relaxed” & changed over the years, with “scrubs” worn in the OR & in ICUs & Intermediate Care Units!)

    And boy/girl & man/woman contact was very strictly regulated in those days, too.

    And strict rules of behavior were “understood” within the Catholic church & educational systems in the USA —Uniforms and strict regimentation were much like the military. Again, think of the Jesuit “tradition” ( http://americamagazine.org/issue/100/notes-jesuit-education) — they were known as the “Soldiers” of the Church — and they seemed to me like “Marines” (in the USA & most other countries — still an elite “Corps”), acknowledged to have “earned” certain privileges/ honor/ respect!.

    AN ASIDE ( Very OK to Skip):…. I clipped #1 & #4 (very best article I’ve read in many years r/t education, from the early Greeks to the present! Very long!) to my Evernote account — So many new facts to me!
    1. http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/the-new-brand-of-jesuit-universities/384103
    2. http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/the-best-catholic-colleges/
    3. http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/the-new-brand-of-jesuit-universities/384103/
    4. http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/the-new-brand-of-jesuit-universities/384103/

    Thank you for any clarification that may be helpful. Thankfully, the manga(?)/novel(?) includes many helpful references before each Volume — But what help do the dramas & movies provide similar to these “references”? Not that I expect it — But the “reference” do not seem to appear with Kdrama — however, I’ve not yet read any Korean mangas — except I think they are called by a different name(?). So much yet to learn r/t Chinese drama, movies, etc. Looks like lots of interesting things ahead!

    PS: … I will do LOTS more search and will learn how to put “spoilers” into my next posts — I promise sincerely! — Or I will use appropriate restraint when posting comments! — I’m just over-excited today.
    Please be understanding — I promise not to abuse my time in the posts/comments!

    IN PARTING:… 3 AM — i’m exhausted but happy. Good Night to Everyone & Thank You!

    THE END.

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  16. is it possible to buy the manhua version of this? i really love the art which is a major reason i want a physical version of it

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