Thread by @BelladonnaVicky

Another thread of Xiao’s cultural lore: Xiao in relation to the God of Wind in China (飞廉 Feilian)
Tldr: Xiao is the God of Wind in Liyue, the outrider who moves the moon chariot (Wangshu) for Rex Lapis.
#zhongxiao

In ancient Chinese culture, Feilian(飞廉) is an important wind deity with birdy features. He is also called by a name that reminds ppl of his capacity, Fengbo(风伯), the God of Wind.

In Chinese mythology, he had been the subordinate of Chiyou(蚩尤), a tribal leader who was defeated by Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor(黄帝), to whom Feilian vowed his new loyalty. After that he was responsible for moving the royal chariot with the wind, clearing the path

-for his lord, and blowing away dirt and devils. In some relics, he was portrayed as a kite(1); in others, he had the head of a deer or man and the body of a bird (or the opposite). Anyway, Feilian was close to a divine bird.
(1)《禽经》:风禽，鸢类。越人谓之风伯，飞翔则天大风。

As time passed, Feilian’s figure gradually turned from a subordinate deity to a Xianren, translated as the adepti in Genshin Impact. His adeptus image is more human-like, which was often found on tombs or coffins, bc ppl believe he can help blow the soul of the dead to heaven.

These descriptions already sound like Xiao, but more important evidence is one of the most famous Chinese classic poems, Li Sao the Lament (Encountering Sorrow) written by Qu Yuan. The poem includes the following line: (There are many translated versions so I put two of them here

The pale moon’s charioteer I then bade lead, the master of the winds swiftly succeeds. / I sent Wang Shu ahead to ride before me; The Wind God went behind as my outrider. (前望舒使先驱兮，后飞廉使奔属.)

This line connects Wangshu the moon’s chariot to Feilian, the God of Wind, and shows Feilian was considered the outrider/charioteer of Wangshu - especially when moving the royal chariot is his duty.

We all know Wangshu Inn in Genshin Impact. Wangshu refers to the Moon, while originally it means the moon’s chariot or the charioteer goddess herself. It is more interesting that when looking from certain aspects, Wangshu Inn is indeed like a royal chariot.

It is further proved in the geography archives. The Eng archive entry of Wangshu Inn is “Vigilant Guardians’ Vantage Point” (Xiao’s Vantage uwu), while in Chinese, the entry is “远眺高车之所”, which means “the place where you can see the high chariot from afar”.

Btw in this archive, Wangshu Inn is described as “a haven for lovers’ moonlit rendezvous”. I hope you all remember the cutscene in 2.7 updates where two certain gentlemen meet on the inn’s balcony under moonlight uwu.

Back on the topic. A wind Adeptus always appears by the side of Wangshu in the game, who coincidentally has birdy features and loyal oaths to his lord… It is just too obvious. Hello Xiao is that you?

There have been assumptions that Zhongli was from the moon in the Teyvet world. One piece of evidence is the in-game text Stone Tablet Compilations: Vol.1: “In the beginning, Rex Lapis descended”. Ppl suspect he should “descend” from a place above the Teyvet land,

-possibly the moon. Also, Liyue (璃月) has the same pronunciation as “离月”, meaning a departure from the moon.

These are just theories, but it would be rly fascinating if Zhongli does have a moon chariot on his land under the disguise of an inn and he even has Xiao, the God of Wind in Liyue, to be his charioteer. 🥰

Some people might be confused that how Xiao fits in so many cultural origins in his lore, from the golden-winged Alatus (Jinpeng金鹏) to yakshas, etc. I’d say Chinese cultural images often influence one another, as it is believed that

-when Zhuangzi wrote the Bird Peng (鹏) spreads his wings, the strong wind blows and gusts, and the upheaval is so agitating and enraging that
heaven and earth really do shake, he also referred to the myth of Feilian the Wind God.

Another poem by Qu Yuan, The Mountain Spirit (山鬼) is close to Xiao (魈), too. The poem appears to be a love poem narrated from the perspective of a mountain spirit, an aloof and elegant lady, about her unrequited love,

-but its wider interpretation is an allegorical reference to a loyal minister showing his devotion to the king. Typical Qu Yuan style.

Bonus for zx nation: Some researchers believe Feilian is the origin of Feng (凤), the Chinese phoenix seen as the partner of Long (龙), the Chinese dragon. In ancient China, 凤 (phoenix) and 风 (wind) are the same word. Besides, the old pronunciation of 飞廉 is similar to 凤.

-which means Xiao is the phoenix in Liyue!🐉🕊️
Ok that's all for my little ted speech thx for listening. Much extra thanks for my dear @zhongshich who gave me tons of useful suggestions🥰