#Madam Yu

[theballadofmars]

I need a fic where the war never happened because I like to imagine that when wangxian starts dating (but only jc, yanli and lxc knows and the rest of the cultivation world think they hate esch other), wwx jokes that if lwj wants to marry him he has to ask first to jiang fengmian and madam yu.

But lwj, bless his heart, actually does it. Also this is the time when yanli and jzx broke their engagement so when people start to talk about the lan clan going to yunmeng with the intention to marry a jiang, everyone thinks that it's yanli and jzx starts to panic.

So, lwj gets to yunmeng, madam yu is looking at him like she's about to kill him if he does something wrong, jfm is at his wife's side but we all know she's the one who takes the decisions.

Madam yu: so, you want my daughter's hand in marriage. Well, you're not jzx, but the second jade of lan is not...

Lwj: sorry, but I'm here to ask for Wei Ying's hand.

Wwx can't take it anymore and starts laughing.

Wwx: LAN ZHAN! I wasn't being serious!! I can't believe you actually did it!!!

Jfm and madam yu are confused, yanli feels sorry for them but at the same time this is too funny, and jc wants to die.

Because holy shit??? What do you mean that lwj, the amazing lwj, wants to marry wwx????? Madam yu and jfm are in shock. They obviously accept but they're like. So confused. Didn't they hate each other???

It gets worse, because a few days later jzx arrives to yunmeng and suddenly yells: "PLEASE LET ME MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER I REALLY LOVE HER PLEASE DON'T MARRY LAN WANGJI" or something like that.

It's pathetic. Jzx is there with only jgy and its obvious that he spent the last days flying as fast as he could to yunmeng, because he looks like shit.

But yanli finds it adorable, and jgy convinces madam yu to accept jzx terrible proposal.

#mdzs #wangxian #the untamed #wei wuxian #lan wangji #madam yu #jiang cheng #jiang yanli

[hannigramislife]

When people tell me Jiang Cheng turned out abusive like Madam Yu, I laugh.

Because Jiang Cheng was terrified of her.

If you think Jin Ling is not yelling at Jiang Cheng about three times a week over stupid stuff, then you are wrong.

If you think Jiang Cheng would have been able to stay strong through Jin Ling on his knees, begging and crying for Jiang Cheng to stop someone's punishment, then you are wrong.

And if you think Jiang Cheng felt even a little bit as comfortable crying in front of Madam Yu as Jin Ling feels comfortable crying in front of Jiang Cheng-

You. Are. Wrong.

#the untamed #mdzs #jiang cheng #jin ling #madam yu

[noinobonoto]

I think the saddest part about Wei Wuxian's abuse by Madam Yu isn't the whipping or the kneeling or the belittlement... but the way she treated his parents.

Wei Wuxian's parents are dead. He is an orphan. He also lived under the same roof as the man who knew and was friends with his parents, especially his father who used to be his servant.

And yet he knows almost nothing about them, he knows as much as a bystander about who Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze were. The only things he has is a foggy memory or two and other people's gossip. All because of Madam Yu.

He can't mention them, he can't talk about them at all or ask about them because he will get punished, because Madam Yu hates their (mainly his mother's) mere existence and makes it everyone's problem. And it's so funny too, that she is always the one mentioning them in the first place, always to insult them. Wei Wuxian grew up in a place where his parents were badmouthed all the time, where he couldn't mention them or learn anything about them from Jiang Fengmian because Madam Yu made it impossible.

It's just so sad.

#mdzs #wei wuxian #madam yu #jiang fengmian #cangse sanren #wei changze #now that i think about it... is it the same or different changse in their names?? #should i write them the same way? #i have no clue and it's almost 5am #you may think wwx isn't too phased he barely mentions his parents at all so he can't feel too badly #but imo it's precisely because of madam yu's treatment that he acts like that #every so often i remember how wwx felt warm inside when he heard xxc mention the story of cssr and cry a little #he would've inhaled any information if he had the chance to #mo dao zu shi #grandmaster of demonic cultivation

[sepia-mahogany]

Wei Wuxian: *kills a legendary beast and gets all the heirs safely back from Wens Hostage/Murder attempt*

Jiang Fengmian: Good Job-

Madam Yu:

#Madam Yu #i had to #mdzs #Wei Wuxian #Jiang Fengmian

[writeitinsharpie]

ever think about the great sect madams of the generation before?

about madam yu, the violet spider, one of few in her generation to earn a title (even her husband was only ever sect leader. even wen ruohan was never regarded by a title other than sect leader wen). about yu ziyuan, about what she was like before years of jealousy and envy twisted her to only her most bitter parts? about the girl who was the third daughter of a sect leader, and then the wife of another, and yet all of her immense martial power meant nothing to the society around her.

about madam jin, known only by her title and never given a name or a natal sect, who was still somehow the closest friend to yu ziyuan. the mother of the sect heir and yet a wife who can do nothing but stand by as her husband dishonors their marriage over and over again.

about madam lan, the murderess locked up for her crimes, never seeing a trial and dying alone, only allowed to see her children once a month. who was she before she was the wife of the lan sect leader? was there a reason she killed the lan elder? did she want that marriage to qingheng-jun? did she even want the children she was kept from?

about the madams nie and wen, who only exist by implication, by the knowledge that their children exist and therefore so must they. about how so little is even implied about them?

#sharpie says shit #ma dao zu shi #mdzs #cql #madam yu #yu ziyuan #madam lan #madam jin #madam nie #madam wen #idk i just find the women of the generation before Very Interesting #mostly because we get barely anything about them compared to their husbands #madam lan is the exception but only kinda because there are still SO MANY QUESTIONS #this isn't madam yu apology btw i just think looking at her character is Neat #she is obviously a woman of great physical power #but due to the state of Being Female all of her social power is basically dependent on jfm #and i think years of being powerless while Wanting More takes their psychological toll #also how did she and madam jin even become friends? were they sisters? sect sisters? sworn sisters? #we're never told

[bnnywngs]

good jiang parents au where lan wangji finally went to visit wei wuxian in lotus pier and they have a romantic/sexual tension moment in wei wuxian's room, they're almost kissing when jiang cheng suddenly arrives and opens the door sharply and loudly, startling the boys inside.

jiang cheng stares at them and wei wuxian stares back, lan wangji panicking in silence in the back. and then jiang cheng smirks and turns around, making wei wuxian scramble up and run after him yelling "jiang cheng NO! COME BACK HERE"

they run for a moment, servants and discuples stepping back to avoid collision, until jiang cheng finally arrives at his parents favorite pavilion where he knows they're having afternoon tea together and yells: "MOM WEI WUXIAN WAS KISSING LAN WANGJI IN HIS BEDROOM!"

wei wuxian, "SHUT UP!"

madam yu, almost choking on her tea, "what"

jiang fengmian, breaking his brush in the middle of letter writing, "WHAT"

#poor lwj just left behind still teen gay panicking #mdzs #wei wuxian #wei ying #lan wangji #lan zhan #jiang wanyin #jiang cheng #jiang fengmian #madam yu #yu ziyuan #mdzs headcanons #mdzs imagine #teen wangxian #after cloud recesses arc #yunmeng prides #imagine jiang yanli suddenly trolling lan wangji with spicy food lol #wangxian #lxc somewhere in lotus pier: what the heck is going on why everyone's screaming #their shidis just laughing at them #yunmeng jiang seniors: *pause in the middle of talking to look* *keeps talking as if nothing's going on* #jiang fengmian @ wwx: YOU'RE A TEENAGER YOU CAN'T GET MARRIED #my writing #bnnywngs writing #peak sibling energy

[add1ctedt0you]

The corners of her lips lay between a frown and a smile- she was a natural at sneering, just like Jiang Cheng.

#madam yu #jiang cheng #His mother has left him with sexy feud with the wens #mdzs donghua #my horrible gif

[lilapplesheadcannons]

The proposal

"How do you get married?" Wei Ying asked as he scooped porridge to his mouth.

Jiang Fengmian choked on his scalding hot coffee and started to cough. Yanli, bless her, pushed a napkin towards him. Yu ZiYuan frowned at Wei Ying from where she was feeding baby Jiang Cheng.

"You don't. You don't get married for another twenty years. Not under my roof."

"But Lan Zhan said we should get married so I can go live with him."

Jiang Fengmian dabbed the tears off his eyes.

"Don't you think you should wait for your mama and papa to come back before you get married? Marriage is a big decision, and you are, if you don't mind me saying so, kinda small."

"I am this many big." Wei Ying showed three fingers.

"No, add one more finger." Yu ZiYuan showed him. "You can add another one from next week after your birthday."

After much confusion between his thumb and pinky, Wei Wuxian held up the correct number of fingers.

"This many, auntie?"

"Yes. But you need to be able to show all your fingers and all your toes too before you can get married."

"Why?"

"That's the law."

"What's the law?"

Before Yu ZiYuan put a foot into the trap, Jiang Fengmian intervened. They'd spend the entire day at the breakfast table if they got into a circle of questions and answers with Wei Ying. Even two adults combined were not enough to answer all the whats and whys of an almost five years old.

"Hurry up and finish your porridge, A-Ying. You don't want to be late for school, do you?"

Wei Ying considered his options. On one hand, as soon as A-Cheng was finished with his bottle, he could be enticed into an exciting game of catching Wei Ying's fingers. On the other hand, Lan Zhan had pretty-pleased him to come to school early so they could talk some more. He could play with A-Cheng later. Wei Ying made up his mind and started to shovel porridge into his mouth. The rest of the breakfast was uneventful. Yu ZiYuan burped A-Cheng as she kissed her husband goodbye. Jiang Fengmian herded the children out of the door before they could go back for another goodbye kiss for the baby.

In the evening, once Wei Ying was done telling his parents all about his new friend and they were done patiently explaining to him how come it was still morning where they were even though it was late evening where A-Ying was, Yu ZiYuan took the phone.

"Your son," she looked specifically at Cangse Sanren, "is planning to get married."

As expected, Cangse Sanren burst into a fit of laughter. Her husband was less amused.

"I hope he's not bothering any poor girl in his new school."

"It's a boy. And from what I could gather, the proposal came from him."

Cangse Sanren wiped her eyes.

"Ah, puppy love. Remember how Fengmian was so besotted with you? So cute."

Jiang Fengmian felt warmth rising in his cheeks. There were some obvious disadvantages with having childhood friends who were witnesses to his early childhood transgressions.

"We were in middle school!" He hissed. "And I didn't ask her to marry me until uni."

Yu ZiYuan patted her husband's cheek to comfort his delicate sensibilities. Missy Jiang still had the same thin face as always. She tried to divert the conversation.

"But good for the kid, though. I was worried A-Ying would have a hard time making friends."

Cangse Sanren turned her head to look at her husband.

"Remind me to buy something for the kid before we return. After all, it's our son-in-law."

She broke into a fresh bout of cackles. Wei ChangZe smiled helplessly before bidding goodbye.

Jiang Fengmian found Wei Ying and Jiang Yanli taking turns to blow raspberries on a giggling Jiang Cheng's soft tummy. Soon, A-Cheng managed to grasp a pudgy fistful of Yanli's hair, and Fengmian had to extricate Yanli from a protesting baby.

"Come on baobao, bedtime." Yu ZiYuan picked him up. Jiang Cheng had a half an hour window after his dinner when if he fell asleep, he would sleep through the night until morning. A minute past that he'd get overstimulated and cranky. Yu ZiYuan carried him to his bedroom. Wei Ying followed her with his eyes.

Jiang Fengmian cleared his throat.

"Do you miss your mama too, A-Ying? She'll be back soon."

"No, no. I am not a baby." Wei Ying made a face. "Lan Zhan says I am going to be the mama for his rabbits. I don't know how to, though. I don't think I can carry a rabbit like the way auntie carries A-Cheng. Or give them baths," He confided.

Jiang Fengmian struggled to find answers.

"That's why you need to wait until you are a grown-up," Yanli chirped in unexpectedly. "You can carry two rabbits when you are old."

Jiang Fengmian smiled gratefully at his daughter.

"Twooo?" Obviously, the amazing feat of carrying two rabbits simultaneously blew Wei Ying's mind away.

"Even three, if you start working out and become strong." Jiang Yanli said sagely.

Wei Ying remained awestruck at the idea of carrying so many rabbits in his arms throughout bathtime. Jiang Fengmian switched the overhead light off and sat down on a chair between Wei Ying and Jiang Yanli's beds with the storybook in his hand, ready to pick up from where he had left it off. Wei Ying squirmed under his blanket as five-year-olds often did before bedtime. Jiang Yanli kept yawning but forced herself to stay awake for the ending.

The next day, when Yu ZiYuan picked up Wei Ying from school, he fished out a folded piece of paper from his pocket excitedly.

"Sit still, A-Ying. I am trying to buckle you in."

But A-Ying wasn't paying attention.

"Look at this! Lan Zhan drew this for me!"

Yu ZiYuan clicked the buckle into place and squinted at the paper. It was a red and black rounded blob.

"Er, that's a lovely- , um, ladybug?"

"Nooo," Wei Ying giggled at her ignorance. "That's me."

"Mnnn, an artist, eh? A bohemian? A debonair rogue? Is that how he lured my poor, innocent darling?" Cangse Sanren pretended to faint over videocall that evening.

"I doubt a five years old is indulging in cigars and absinthe wearing a dressing gown in a studio, my love."

"What an old-fashioned idea you have about artists, ChangZe!" A postgraduate in art history, Yu ZiYuan couldn't let the comment slide. But Wei ChangZe only smiled.

Jiang Fengmian interrupted.

"We are taking the kids to the beach tomorrow."

"Enjoy. I wish we could take some time off on weekends as well." Cangse Sanren sighed.

"That's not fair. You deserve some time off. You're working too hard."

"Well, it's a critical moment in the research. We are almost there. Anyway, we are travelling to attend Xingchen and Song Lan's wedding in California next month. That is something to look forward to."

The next day, Yu ZiYuan was woken up by soft hands patting her arm before the crack of dawn. She grabbed the squirming, squealing mass and spoke in a stage whisper,

"Fengmian, I caught a mouse!"

The squirming mass in her embrace giggled.

"I am not a mouse. I am Wei Ying."

"No, you are a mouse. Wei Ying is still sleeping in his bed because he's a good boy."

Wei Ying continued giggling. Jiang Fengmian spoke in a sleepy voice,

"Just feed the mouse to the cat, my lady, then go back to sleep."

"No, no. Don't feed me to a cat!"

Yu ZiYuan hid her smile in Wei Ying's curls. They didn't have any cats. The only pet in the house was a shy betafish in a small aquarium.

Wei Ying calmed down.

"When are we going to the beach? Lan Zhan will be waiting for me."

"Let's sleep a bit more, darling, ok? It's still dark. And we can't wake up A-Cheng too early or he'll cry."

Wei Ying nodded and then closed his eyes. Soon enough, his eyes were closed and his breathing became regular.

They all overslept that morning. As a result, they were quite late when they finally reached their destination.

Jiang Fengmian started to carry everything to the beach. But he almost tripped when an excited Wei Ying got in his way.

"Come on, A-Ying. Let's go buy ice cream."

"Yay! I want a chocolate one."

"Strawberry, please." Jiang Yanli started to dig at the sand with her toy spade. Jiang Fengmian spread the beach towel and put a bottle of water on each corner to stop it from blowing away in the wind. A woman slightly older than him walked towards them, carrying a picnic basket in one hand and holding a child's hand in the other. The child was about Wei Ying's age, cute with chubby cheeks in a blue t-shirt. They both had light honey golden eyes.

"Perfect," Jiang Fengmian thought to himself. A potential friend for A-Ying. He smiled up to the woman.

"Nice day, isn't it? I was worried it might get cloudy."

Jiang Cheng, who had drifted off in his sling, shifted and let out a small cry of protest. The other child moved closer to his mother.

"A shy one! Pity!" Jiang Fengmian thought to himself.

The woman put a reassuring arm around her son's shoulder.

"This is Lan Zhan."

Bingo! Jiang Fengmian observed his nephew's potential suitor with a new interest. It was hard to believe that the shy child hiding his face against his mother's midsection was actually forward enough to propose to Wei Ying in recess.

"Hello, A-Zhan. This is A-Li, and A-Cheng." Jiang Fengmian pointed at his children. "My wife has taken our nephew for ice-cream."

However, it seemed Lan Zhan had already spotted said nephew because with a sharp cry, he sprinted off like an arrow to where Wei Ying and Yu ZiYuan were walking back carrying icecreams.

Wei Ying must have noticed him too because he dropped his icecream and ran towards him. Yu ZiYuan made a split second decision to follow them.

She caught them by their arms and dragged both of them towards Jiang Fengmian and Lan Zhan's mother.

"A-Zhan, why did you run off like that?" Mrs Lan admonished.

"A-Ying, that's dangerous. Don't run..." Jiang Fengmian started as well.

"Look what you kids make me do! The icecreams..." Yu ZiYuan lamented.

But everyone came to a halt when Lan Zhan grabbed Wei Ying's hand and spoke with pride and admiration,

"This is XianXian."

Jiang Fengmian caught Yu ZiYuan's eye and nodded. She understood.

"Oh my, you must be A-Ying's A-Zhan. He has been talking about you for weeks now."

Lan Zhan nodded solemnly. It was absurdly adorable to see a child his age act with so much gravity.

Yu ZiYuan turned to his mom.

"We don't know how to thank your little boy. You see, poor A-Ying had to move in with us because his parents are on a research trip. We were so worried he'd have a bad time getting along with his new classmates. But, it seems like A-Zhan here was a perfect angel."

Mrs Lan asked a pertinent question at this point.

"Why does he call him XianXian?"

Jiang Fengmian extended his arm to ruffle through Wei Ying's curls.

"His courtesy name is Wei Wuxian. A-Ying is more of a nickname."

Wei Ying made a noise of dissatisfaction and jerked his head away. But he didn't let go of Lan Zhan's hand. Soon, the boys were in their own world.

Jiang Yanli was the first to remember.

"Mom, the icecreams?"

Yu ZiYuan sighed.

"Those brats! I'll go get some more. Would you like some as well?" She asked Mrs Lan.

Mrs Lan shook her head,

"Thanks, but my brother-in-law is bringing along my eldest child and his friends. Maybe I should wait."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll grab a few extra." Yu ZiYuan started walking towards the icecream van. But she stopped midway. Lan Zhan was staring at the adults defiantly,

"XianXian and I are getting married today."

"Oh no, you aren't! You two are collectively not even ten yet. No one is getting married until they are at least twenty-one." Yu ZiYuan put her hands on her hips.

Little Lan Zhan looked at his mom imploringly for support. But Mrs Lan looked like she was too shocked to speak.

Jiang Fengmian spoke in a soothing tone,

"Why don't we talk about it later? I mean, you still have to meet A-Ying's mama and papa and ask them for permission."

Lan Zhan slowly nodded while maintaining eye contact with Jiang Fengmian. What a curious little boy! Soon, a man leading three other children joined them. One of the kids looked like an older and smiley-er version of Lan Zhan. Jiang Fengmian knew the other two. They belonged to the Nie family. HuaiSang was at Wei Ying's age. The moment Lan Zhan spotted him, he put himself in front of Wei Ying.

"Saozi, what happened?" The frowning man asked.

"We met A-Zhan's XianXian."

"Oh, hello." The boy who was most definitely Lan Zhan's older brother waved. "I am Lan Xichen."

Wei Ying waved back. There was another round of introductions.

"So you are really real? Uncle kept saying you are just Lan Zhan's imagination." Lan Xichen sounded curious.

"Xichen!" Both his mom and his uncle exclaimed. Both the uncle and the youngest nephew were exhibiting matching pairs of reddened ears.

Jiang Fengmian laughed.

"No, he's real alright. Very much so. You can touch him to be sure if you want."

"NOOO!" Lan Zhan was standing in front of Wei Ying with his arms outstretched in a protective stance. " Xiongzhang, don't touch my Wei Ying."

"Okay, didi." Lan Xichen spoke in a soothing voice.

Jiang Fengmian sighed. This will certainly be an interesting summer.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mdzs crack #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #lan xichen #jiang fengmian #yu ziyuan #cangse sanren #wei changze #madam yu #lan qiren #alternate POV to the imaginary boyfriend

[incorrectly-quoting-mxtx]

#poll #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mo dao zu shi #tgcf #heaven official's blessing #svsss #scum villian self saving system #qin su #Wei Wuxian #madam yu #madam Jin #cangse sanren #baoshan sanren #jian Lan #su xiyan #jiang yanli #mianmian #luo qingyang #qi qingqi

[wangxian-the-zhijis]

I watched a portion of Lu Jianmin’s (Jiang Fengmian’s actor) interview and he said, “We (he and wyb) worked together in CQL. I was Xiao Zhan’s (Wei Wuxian’s actor) father…”

I imagine the Jiang family reaction be like…

Wei Wuxian: “Jiang-shushu said I was his son 🥹”

Jiang Yanli: “that’s right. Our Xianxian is part of the family after all 🥰”

Jiang Cheng: “you’re Wei Wuxian’s father? That’s it??? AND ME?!”

Madame Yu: “What in the name of f*ck, Jiang Fengmia—“

Link to the interview

#the interview was for the ongoing drama War of Faith which stars wyb and liqin #the untamed #cql #wei wuxian #wei ying #jiang yanli #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #jiang fengmian #yu ziyuan #madam yu #jiang family #attempt at making humor

[kimboo-york]

Know your Jiang family tags!

Jiang family bashing: no one gets a pass, not JFM, not Madam Yu, not Jiang Cheng, not even Jiang Yanli. Everyone is complicit and deserves to be hated!

Jiang A+ parenting: JFM and Madam Yu are terrible, horrible, no-good people! Jiang Cheng probably isn't great either. Jiang Yanli gets a pass.

Not Madam Yu friendly: Everyone gets a pass EXCEPT Madam Yu.

Not Jiang Fengmian friendly: Everyone gets a pass EXCEPT Jiang Fengmian (although Madam Yu is probably dead or OOC).

Not Jiang Cheng friendly: Everyone gets a pass EXCEPT Jiang Cheng.

Not Jiang Yanli friendly: trick question, this does not exist.

Canon Jiang Cheng: WILDCARD! Could be the worst character bashing you've ever seen in your whole entire life; could be an ode to his cheekbones. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#Jiang family #fanfic tags #MDZS #CQL #Jiang Cheng #Jiang Yanli #Madam Yu #Jiang Fengmian

[lancabbage]

Some idiots claiming YZYs abusive actions were justified because of the historical and cultural setting of MDZS... Because I used this very argument against one of their little friends and their claims WWX's revenge and JGYs are similar, and if WWX could be "excused" so could JGYs.

Firstly, there's a fine line between discipline and unnecessary cruelty. What YZY does crosses that line unequivocally. She does this not only physically, but mentally. She wears him down with lashing of both vicious tongue and cracking whip. Yes, discipline is very much part of that era, but singling out one child specifically and beating them for reasons that are far from punishable is abuse no matter what. Let's not forget WWXs back was covered in scares, both new and old. These are marks from a high-class spiritual weapon! This is not an official method used for disciplinary purposes.

And the major thing here is, it's not JUST the setting that shows us how the MDZS universe works, but MXTXs worldbuilding and the examples of what is expected culturally in her fiction. The Yi City arc shows us how revenge works in her universe - similar to the era. She also shows us what is acceptable punishment and how such things are carried out in the Cloud Recesses arc - again, somewhat similar to the era. These are shown to the reader so we understand the clear boundaries world and the rules MXTX has set in place in her fic.

It really is all there in black and white if you'd just actually read 🤣

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #madam yu #mdzs novel #learn to read #yzy is an abuser #no matter what cultural setting mdzs is in #i can't actually believe people are saying it was justified that yzy whipped wwx because he didn't have a top on while on the training field #on the hottest day of the year 🤣 #when everyone else including her son were all in the same state #yet he was the only one to get punished #yeah... perfectly acceptable 🤣🤣🤣 #these people need help

[navarice]

my dearest fellow mdzs stans, i really don't want to spoil anyone's fun but sometimes some things must be said. please do NOT mistake fanon characteristics for canon characteristics because by GOD is it frustrating to dissect a character when all anyone wants to do is blindly turn away from the very vivid and metastasizing flaws.

jiang cheng is an extremely complicated character, and that's why we love him. but by god, he is a jealous, self-victimizing asshole with a massive inferiority complex who likes to torture (probably) innocent look-a-likes of his (as far as he knew) dead adjacent family member. jesus christ this isn't some simple case of miscommunication (well it is but, you know no amount of communication will ever mend the giant chasm that developed between them. especially not with asians raised within the most classical case of asian parenting, i mean come on now) but a matter of deep and intense self-loathing developed since early childhood projecting violently outwards. let me be clear. he hates wei wuxian. he loathes him. he wants to kill him with his own hands again and again so some part of his convoluted sense of justice and superiority will be fulfilled. he's a classist, a bully, and abusive to everyone around him. ong at the end of mdzs, i was nearly crying tears of joy when jin guangyao flayed him flat on his ass bc that man needed to hear it. he needed to feel it. he needed to stop blaming others and blame himself.

and!! he's homophobic!! the entire cultivation world is, yes, but he's the only one we see give wei ying and lan zhan active shit for it!!

point is...his complexity makes him interesting. as a child, he was pretty alright tbh. he was understandably upset when three of his dogs got taken away and he saw his dad give a completely random kid such a gentle hug when jiang cheng never received one so far. he was a kid, and it was sad and helped the readers get a glimpse at the already dysfunctional family dynamics before wei ying came into the picture. as an adolescent/teen, yes he had a lot of unresolved rage and inferiority issues building up when he was constantly being compared to wei wuxian by his mother and not given enough reassurance from his father (once again, all present before wei ying...everyone just likes to dump the shit on him bc it's easier to point fingers at others than at yourself). perhaps he could have turned out differently if literally either of his parents stepped up and took accountability. however, after the burning of lotus pier? after the golden core transfer? after wei ying stuck around as his subordinate just as he promised, and protected jiang cheng like he promised, and defected just to save the yunmeng clan's reputation so jiang cheng doesn't have to put up with the other clan's shit, still continuing to keep his promise? after wei ying's death? idk abt y'all, but all bets are off bro.

mxtx makes it a point to make him so irredeemable. he's an exploration of what can go wrong if you let your traumas, self-hatred, and revenge fantasies blind you. he has the worst traits of his parents for a reason, directly contrasting with the other sibling, who is a perfect picture of eldest daughters born into a dysfunctional family. jiang yanli has the best traits of her parents (in terms of compassion and standing up for her family), but the family dynamics also made her the way she was. the responsible, the mediator, the occasional mother, stepping in where madam yu cannot.

there's just so much potential to hold him accountable buried under the pretense of misunderstandings and kinnie moments. he just had so many chances, more than any other character, to make a different choice. to actually look past his misgivings and unlearn the bad habits he used to protect himself as a child. i'm not saying he has to magically heal from all his traumas, but at the very least know not to be like his parents. but he wasn't written that way. because that is what happens when you give into your insecurities and generational trauma.

bottom line: jiang cheng is a fantastic archetype that needs to be explored in all his authenticity, including his moments of loyalty and cruelty.

#jiang fengmian is literally yue qingyuan #embarassing af #as a mu qing apologist this was hard to write #but it needed to be said #jiang cheng choose an issue to cope with challenge #mission impossible #i'm not coming for anyone really i just needed to vent out everything bc he fr pissed me off in the novel haha #character study #jiang cheng #mdzs #mao dao zu shi #wei wuxian #wei ying #the untamed #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #he just gives me a glutton for punishment vibes and i will not let him hide behind jc stans #the founder of diabolism #madam yu #jiang fengmian #jiang yanli #dysfunctional family relationships go brrr

[br-disaster]

I wanted to take a little break from the Nie greys and greens and asked for suggestions of MDZS characters to draw, so here they are!

full individual drawings bellow the cut!

#i loved doing this despite it taking me some time #the only one i had drawn before was song lan #i went with mostly cql designs because i like them better; but for the first 3 i mixed some bits of the donghua designs #mdzs fanart #cql fanart #qin su #madam yu #yu ziyuan #jiang yanli #ouyang zizhen #luo qingyang #mian mian #song lan #now i'll go back to the nies #i miss them already

[sepia-mahogany]

So I was reading and this line came up “There’s suspecting your family has never loved you, and there’s knowing it.” And I just thought how before having his Lan family, before finding a home with Wen Remnants, when Wei Wuxian was with the Jiangs and even when he was treated horribly, that was closest to a family he had. Even when Madam Yu used to whip him so much that he had scars, had him kneeling for hours in ancestral halls, even when after bringing him back Jiang Fengmian didn’t even care enough to give him a room/or even give him clothing that actually fit him and put his safety always second to his own children. Wei Wuxian only thought of them positively, and yea sure it must have been one thing to consider they don’t love him as family, but it must have been another when Madam Yu’s last words to him were literally “I hate you, you damn brat.” When the two people (MY and JFM) who were closest to being his legal guardians both told him, “Use your own life and protect our actual children.”  And he just bows his head in agreement, it hurts, it hurts so bad. And yet he follows through with it until the end. Wei Wuxian deserved better, he deserved so much better than what life gave him.

#mdzs #he deserved better than the jiangs #wei wuxian #jiang fengmian #madam yu #wei wuxian deserved so much better #he deserved to actually grow up in a loving home #not where he sacrificed everything but they would never consider him family

[dilfyjilfy]

I wonder how hard it was for Jiang Cheng to grow up having a mom that he just knew at least 70% of the ymj disciples would sleep with if she asked. Same thing with Jin Ling. I like to imagine that every time Jin Ling hears someone say 'gosh, I wish Sandu Shengshou would whip ME with Zidian', he gets a little closer to just straight up ending it all.

#jiang cheng #jin ling #madam yu #mo dao zu shi #the untamed