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#if nmj was stubborn and had black and white morality he would have lived
songofclarity · 3 years
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Thinking about Nie MingJue and the three times Meng Yao/Jin GuangYao harmed him always brings to mind Snow White’s stunning monologue from The 10th Kingdom (a highly recommended fairy tale miniseries):
“Twice she came. Once with a corset to crush my ribs and then with a poison comb to drug me. The last time she came, she brought the most beautiful basket of apples that I ever saw.
“And this time she stayed to watch me die. And to be sure, she held me in her arms until I died in front of her, choking on a piece of poison apple.
“And I often think, ‘Why did I let her in? Didn't I know she was bad?'
“I did. Of course I did. But I also knew that I couldn't keep the door closed all my life, just because it was dangerous, just because there was a chance I might get hurt.”
The corset was given at Langya, where Nie MingJue is betrayed for the first time in his life by someone he trusted. He is left frozen on his knees, his chest tight and body unable to move, as Meng Yao leaves him stunned silent on the battlefield.
The poison comb was given at Nightless City, where Meng Yao drags it through Nie MingJue’s trauma and battle-tangled hair, hair grown long to honor his parents, to honor a father whose death was caused by the Sect Leader now watching the display of Nie MingJue’s abuse at Meng Yao’s hands.
The beautiful basket of apples was brought to the Unclean Realm, where Jin GuangYao makes promise to do better and be better if only Nie MingJue will open the door to him again. Sweet, delicious apples Nie MingJue is encouraged to eat until the poison is in his blood and a piece is caught in his throat. He claws at his neck, choking on it, as Jin GuangYao stays to watch him die, as Jin GuangYao is the last thing he sees.
Nie MingJue knew the world was dangerous. That was why he fought in the Sunshot Campaign. That was why he wanted Nie HuaiSang to practice his saber. The world was dangerous, but Nie MingJue tried to make it safe.
Nie MingJue also knew Jin GuangYao was bad or, more accurately, that Jin GuangYao had done bad things. Of course he knew. He had seen those things happen right in front of him. But that didn’t mean Jin GuangYao couldn’t change. Nie MingJue wanted him to do better. He gave him opportunities to do the right thing.
Which is why Nie MingJue opened the door and let him in again.
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drwcn · 4 years
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Do you ever wonder what would've happened if NMJ had stepped up at the end of the war? In CQL verse, when LWJ was given the chance he stepped up and most definitely made things better. NMJ was their leader during the war & afterwards was offered WRH's seat but he didnt take it so JGS did. But what if he had? Would the Wen prisoners be treated better? Maybe not all ofc but at least some of them & they probably wouldn't use live baits either like the Jins did, right?
IM GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS UP 
Because this is one of the reasons why I have such a hard time with NMJ’s character. Because he’s so morally blind and so self-assured and he truly sees things in black and white. That frustrates me so much because he just….
Forgive the language but I really wanted NMJ to “take a piss and use it to take a look at himself” because he gets so fucking worked up over Jin Guangyao when Jin Guangshan and Jin Zixun are literally standing right there and this ‘Mr. Righteous’ does jack about them. 
I don’t have as much respect for NMJ because I think a part of him felt like he could yell and rage at JGY because he did feel like he was JGY’s better, that not only did he have the moral high ground, but he was stronger too, in terms of station and cultivation. Jin Guangshan, in comparison, was an elder, more experienced, and so would’ve presented a challenge, a challenge NMJ clearly didn’t rise to. WWX didn’t care, clearly, he did what his heart told him to do. NMJ, for all his “black and white” stubbornness was smart enough to have some self preservation. While neither LXC and NMJ rose to the occasion, what ultimately differentiates LXC from NMJ for me, aside from the obvious personality difference, is that LXC was willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. 
I think it totally would’ve been different if NMJ tried to fight JGS, because as soon as there was anyone willing to be a neutral third party or be more objective, Jiang Cheng would’ve felt comfortable to be more vocal about his support for his brother. He didn’t think what wwx did was wrong, but he couldn’t understand why wwx prioritized other people’s lives over Yunmeng’s interests. If Jiang Cheng could’ve helped the Wens with less risk to Yunmeng, he would’ve because he knew the Wens were innocent. As well, NMJ’s strong objections would’ve given LXC the incentive to speak up too, if for no one else but his brother LWJ’s sake. 
What should’ve happened at the end of the war is the coalition between the three major sects: Nie, Jiang and Lan. They should’ve banded together and saw the Jins for what they were, opportunistic leeches who did next to no work and tried to claim all the glory. It was so fucking obvious too. 
But I can also understand why they didn’t. Everyone examined the situation in isolation from others. Alone, none of the sects could’ve stood up to the Jins, that would’ve been suicide, as WWX clearly demonstrated, but this is why a coalition of the the 3 sects should’ve happened. The minor sects clearly had no brains or stances of their own, they just chant with whoever is the loudest voice. 
Another problem is that the Nies weren’t objective. NMJ hated the Wens and he should, they killed so many of his people, so he had no incentive to stand up for the remainder of the Wens who were civilians. But if NMJ had been more vocal, at least the he wouldn’t have actively tortured the civilians like JGS did. Also I fully maintain that unless the 3 sects saw through JGS’s bullshit, NMJ wasn’t gonna be alive for much longer even if he did try to be Chief Cultivator. Jin Guangyao killing Nie Mingjue could not have been just for himself, because like… why would he? What was the benefit? I definitely think Jin Guangshan had a hand in that, to get rid of the one sect leader who might’ve been a threat. LXC was no threat and Jiang Cheng without WWX was also no threat.  
They never communicated, and they never thought outside the box. WWX’s only solution was to throw himself in front of the blade for others. The only person who even came close to creative thinking was Jin Guangyao but he only did it to help himself advance.  
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