#yunmeng brothers

[nutcasewithaknife]

The real reason we don't get to see Wei Wuxian find out about Jiang Cheng’s sacrifice is because it would literally make him implode. It was all his fault! He couldn't look after his brother and sister, which was the whole point! He was loved just as much as he loved them, and it was more important than repaying a life debt!! He made Jiang Cheng's sacrifice pointless with his own because Wei Wuxian apparently mattered more than his life!! How dare Jiang Cheng decide he matters more than his own life!! So many of the assumptions he makes about himself and those he loves, and all the decisions he's made based on these assumptions, utterly shattered. We saw Jiang Cheng’s meltdown at the golden core reveal but Wei Wuxian's would be a 1000 times worse, character development takes a setback that would need a whole other fifty episodes to recover from.

#yunmeng brothers #twin heroes of yunmeng #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #jc #wwx #the untamed #cql #cheng qing ling #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #golden core reveal

[pastelcheckereddreams]

我做梦都想回去... Even in my dreams, I want to go back… The Untamed locations: Lotus Pier 莲花坞/Liánhuā Wù

It’s finally here! The third installment in my ongoing Chén Qíng Lìng drafting saga, Lotus Pier! As the residence of the Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect, Lotus Pier (莲花坞/Liánhuā Wù) is arguably one of the most important locations in the narrative of Mó Dào Zǔ Shī. Built among sprawling lotus ponds in the lazy shallows of a vast, meandering river, Lotus Pier shapes the halcyon days of the Jiāng siblings’ youth. It is a warm and lively place, its people welcoming and carefree. 

The complete diagram:

(Full set details/meta below.)

Part 1: The Jingshi Part 2: The Hanshi

Prints now available at ✨ INPRNT! ✨ You can also support me on Ko-fi ☕

Honestly, the few gifs I have used do not come close to showing you the huge scale, or the level of detail and care that has evidently been put into this set by the CQL production team.

Before I attempt to describe the place that shaped much of our main characters’ lives, let me first share with you the set layout with reference to some aspects of traditional Chinese architecture (and please bear in mind, I’m not an authority on the subject. Links to sources/appropriate references are provided).

Understanding the set layout:

The main compound of Lotus Pier is set out loosely following the typical, traditional layout for residences containing a courtyard.* Rooms are placed at the four cardinal points, creating a central axis and a secondary horizontal axis. With the courtyard facing south, the most important buildings are placed to the rear (north), such as the parents and grandparents’ bedrooms and the ancestral hall, while the siderooms (typically for the sons’ families) are placed to the east and west according to auspicious philosophies (like fēng shuǐ) and social hierarchy:

* At least, in the northern regions of China. Although Héngdiàn World Studios, where most historical and xiānxiá dramas are filmed, is located in Zhèjiāng, it seems a lot of the sets at Hengdian are based on northern designs.

In true “courtyard houses” (sìhéyuàn or sānhéyuàn, depending on whether the courtyard is fully enclosed), this quadrangle layout would then repeat along the central (N-S) axis if the residence contains one or more ‘inner courtyards’ (Fig.3 below):

However, I would not call Lotus Pier a true “courtyard house” as it is freer and more spacious in form than, say, the Hanshi’s courtyard design** and both sets are part of a larger compound anyway, rather than a standalone residence for a single family - so the comparison may be redundant. For instance, Lotus Pier’s stilt foundation and large, sloping roofs also bear an interesting resemblence to the wooden storied houses of Yúnnán, which is a completely different type of vernacular architecture.

** That being said, there is a wealth of research on the different variations in this type of vernacular architecture [x] [x], which does include differences in siheyuan design based on climate (wherein the buildings are quite generously spaced apart, and the courtyard much larger, to deal with the warmer climate in southern regions of China). 

Nevertheless, we can see the cultural and cosmic philosophies which influence these courtyard homes used at times in the design of Lotus Pier.

For instance, we see in episodes 14 and 18 that first Jiāng Chéng, and then Wèi Wúxiàn lived in the eastern room - both seperately and together - in their childhoods. (We can assume that Yànlí would have lived in a room nearer her parents, located in the back of the residence so as to lessen her appearance in public as an unwed daughter.)

(Although the two rooms have been dressed differently, the raised platform, reused props, and WWX’s running shot from the inside to the outside in episode 14 show that it is the same building. Additionally, you can head here for some ramblings on the interior of WWX’s room and some analysis on camera angles.)

You may also be able to see from these gifs that these siderooms are divided into three sections, which relates to the construction of traditional buildings in three or five ‘bay’ structures:

A ‘bay’ is the space between columns of a building. An even number of bays, or jiān/間, was thought to be unlucky, therefore the three bay structure was the basic layout of a commoner’s home, with additional bays added based on the need for space or the wealth of a family.

Interestingly, the room on the west side of the courtyard is shown to be Jiāng Fēngmián’s study, rather than another bedroom as I originally assumed - one that may have been for an older Jiang Cheng, although as the son and heir of the Jiang famly, his room would traditionally remain on the eastern side of the house (where WWX’s is). Then again, the main courtyard is an odd place for a bedroom in the first place, so perhaps we might be looking at a conflation of public and private spaces due to constraints on the set designers.

As a sidenote, JFM’s study appears to back onto a private lake, seen through the rear viewing window. I think this must be CGI, however, as I can find no angle of the set that shows this exists as part of the structure.

With all this said, let’s not forget that this is a xiānxiá drama: historical accuracy is not the goal. Instead, the producers took their time finding a ‘cultural location’ for each Sect, through which they could develop a more artistic aesthetic by drawing on the atmosphere and charm of their desired location. This brings us to the set’s design, and what it may represent about the people of MDZS’s Yunmeng.

The set’s design:

For the Yunmeng Jiang, producer Yáng Xià states in the link above that the showrunners drew inspiration from Húběi province, particularly the Jiānghàn plain that now lies in the heart of Wǔhàn. It is here the Hàn river joins the vast flow of the Yangtze as it meanders its way through the eastern provinces of Central China.

Just as Wuhan has been a major port city since the earliest dynasties of Imperial China, it’s fair to assume that the river that flows through MDZS’s Yunmeng has likewise influenced those living on its banks:

One of our first, and repeated, impressions of Lotus Pier and Yunmeng is how lively and welcoming this busy harbor and its people are. A major transport hub in its own right, with links to Lánlíng, Yumeng people are at home on the water.

The Jiang are unrestrained and easy-going, open-minded and generous. To reflect this, Lotus Pier was likewise built to be “broad and open”, the easy curves of the roofs and the wide, open walkways creating a sense of transparency and openness; the fluttering gauze curtains soften and compliment what otherwise might be an imposingly broad structure of warm-coloured wood:

The marketplace that sprawls from the main landing likewise tells us that Lotus Pier and the wider Yunmeng area is a place of trade and craftsmanship.

We see lotus seeds and pods harvested frequently, and as strong swimmers and talented fishermen, we might assume that the Yunmeng people are also skilled at weaving fishing nets and other such tools from the abundance of natural materials the fertile floodplains afford them.

As an aside, I do wonder why JFM decided to decorate his seat of power with rolls of reed matting/blinds.

I like to think they’re wares from the market, to display his peoples’ craftsmanship. You have to admit, the effect is impressive, immitating an unfurling lotus:

The one area that intrigues me the most in this main courtyard, however, is the kitchen. The private dock in the kitchen really exemplifies how the river has had such a huge influence on the design of Lotus Pier, by virtue of the waterborne livelihood it has curated among the Yunmeng people: 

I like to imagine that fresh produce from the market would arrive by boat early in the morning, and Yanli would be there to help unload the goods while she prepares breakfast for her family...

What struck me most, though, during the course of this whole study was the dreamy, almost fantastical quality to the set. As I said above, the xianxia genre allows much more creative license with the aesthetic of the Sects and their domains, as the genre does not need to replicate a time or place with rigid historical accuracy. As such, much care and ingenuinty has been taken by the show’s designers to merge the Pier with the river, giving the impression that, like the lotus flowers that give it its name, the Pier also floats on the water itself.

To that end, let’s lastly think about the lotus imagery we see around the set, and how it applies to the role of Lotus Pier as a place in the narrative.

The symbolism of the lotus

Revered for its beauty and much loved for its versitility in Asian cuisine and traditional Chinese medicine, the lotus holds significance in Chinese culture for many reasons. As one of the 'Flowers of the Four Seaons' (四季名花, Sìjì Mínghuā), the lotus flower represents summer, blooming through the season in the shallows of slow-moving rivers and river deltas. 

「出淤泥而不染 / chū yūní ér bù rǎn」, an idiom meaning “growing out of mud, but remaining untainted”, is often attributed to a poem by controversial Confucian and Neo-Confucian scholar Zhōu Dūnyí called 'On the Love of the Lotus' ( 爱莲说, Ài Lián Shuō). Zhou calls the lotus flower a "gentleman among flowers" (not to be confused with the Four Gentlemen) as, rising dignified from the mud, it exemplifies the cosmic and spiritual harmony all humans should aspire to achieve. As such, it represents a moral ideal of dignity and integrity for a Confucian gentleman. As Zhou writes, “I love only the lotus, for rising from the mud yet remaining unstained; bathed by pure currents and yet not seductive.”

We cannot wholly attribute this idiom to Zhou, however, as this metaphor of the lotus flower, symbollic of purity of mind and body as it rises out of the muddy waters of worldly affairs, actually has its roots in the religious teachings of Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra. In it, the sacred lotus symbolises spiritual enlightenment and self-actualisation, where one is able to detach themselves from worldly affairs and overcome personal sufferings.

N.B. 18/04/2023 Edits have been made to reflect more accurate context regarding the prevailance of Buddhist thought in China since its introduction in the Han dynasty, and how Zhou’s ‘On the Love of the Lotus’ drew upon its teachings. See here for the original text and a review of its inaccuracies, as well as further resources.

How can we relate this back to the setting, Lotus Pier, and the Yunmeng Jiang? I think the most obvious parallel has to be the burning of Lotus Pier.

The event is the catalyst for a number of tragedies that occur throughout the narrative, and the Jiang siblings' attempts to reconcile the many layers of guilt, blame and grief they each feel with the enormity of losing their entire Sect, their home, their bonds with each other - the lotus emblem of their Sect is perhaps a reminder that there is no happiness without hardship.

Of course, more important than its cosmic symbolism, for these siblings lotus ponds represent home, and are a way the three siblings can remain connected as they travel seperate paths in life, forming new families after the tragedy of their own:

In the scene pictured above - where WWX, after many months in self-imposed exile, succeeds in cultivating his lotus pond in the Burial Mounds - the pond represents his longing for Lotus Pier while also bringing him some comfort and connection to what he has lost. Just as Jīn Zixuān seeks to bring comfort to Yanli by planting a lotus pond for her, too:

(Bonus gif of a different type of "gentlemen rising from the mud”):

But as an aside, it's also interesting to note that WWX tells A-Yuan in that above scene, that the lotus seeds are not to be eaten because they are grown in the soil of the Burial Mounds. Instead, they are 'the perfect thing to protect from evil spirits'. This may be a simple child’s tale for WWX to discourage A-Yuan from eating the tainted seeds, or it may refer to the spiritual purity the lotus symbolises. But as an interesting coincidence, lotus plants actually have the potential to filter nitrogen, phosphorous, and heavy metals from watersources, so it’s possible they taste bad because they are literally cleansing the soil of the Burial Mounds.

It seems appropriate, then, that WWX is tied closely to this lotus motif, perhaps even moreso than Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. This is especially poignant when we consider that the lotus is also symbollic of resurrection and rebirth: the blooms, closing and opening with the sun in a daily cycle, can be compared to the cycle of reincarnation.

A great deal of the narrative focuses upon WWX’s decision to forge his own path through life, a ‘single-log bridge’ that sweeps him away from convention and propriety that governs the rest of the cultivation world as he struggles to maintain his own integrity and compassion. He suffers for this choice, especially once he gives up his golden core and is thought to be actively choosing an ‘evil’ path. Yanli even dreams of him floating away from Lotus Pier, carried on the rapid current of the river:

After his resurrection, however, it seems WWX has been able to finally rise above the Sects’ biases and political machinations. Once the Yin Iron has finally been sealed away, and the mystery of the Fierce Corpse solved, he no longer has any obligation to stay in those muddy waters of the cultivation world. He is free to wander, as his parents did - the single log bride widening to encompass the whole world.

Although still tied to the world by his love for his family and friends, we could say that WWX is close to that enlightenment the lotus represents. He has risen from the mud and, despite all his suffering, has remained untainted.  

Bonus details!

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! This got... so long... But of course, I had to do Lotus Pier justice as such a beautiful and thematic set. As a final point, here are some small details you may have missed or that I couldn’t fit in the main analysis!

Here is a cute interior shot of WWX’s room, and a view of the rear courtyard that shows the moon gate entrance, which presumably provides access for boats to dock in the kitchen:

Also join me in appreciating how detailed the design on the door panels is! So much so that I couldn’t do the finer details justice in my sketch:

Special mention to the fish doorhandles on the main hall, as well. As a Pisces, this brings me joy.

And finally, some reference shots for the gate:

As always, thank you everyone for your continued support and encouragement - and your patience! Lotus Pier was a massive project, that has taken me over a year to complete. I am so proud to finally present it to you, and bring you the news that I have finally opened a print shop! As always, you can also buy me a coffee on kofi to show you support.

#nikkidraws #lotus pier #set design saga #cql set design #the untamed set design #lianhua wu #yunmeng jiang sect #yunmeng jiang #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #wei wuxian #yunmeng siblings #yunmeng brothers #twin prides #twin prides of yunmeng #set design #cql fanart #cql fan art #the untamed fanart #the untamed fan art #cql meta #the untamed meta #set analysis #character analysis #wwx analysis #cql wwx #chinese architecture #fantasy architecture #fantasy map #fantasy set design

[evakant]

thirty-one days of jiujiu(ly)  —  day six  + with bonus brother !  + requested by @davinciae

#theuntamededit #mdzsedit #mxtxnet #dailyuntamed #the untamed #mdzs #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #sandu shengshou #yiling laozu #fdstuff #fragifs #jiujiuly #yunmeng shuangjie #wang zhuocheng #xiao zhan #requests. #rs: in our next lives #yunmeng brothers #twin prides of yunmeng

[sandupommelfrog]

uve heard of ‘a Lan only loves once’ but let me raise you this, ‘once a Jiang loves you, they love you forever’

#i hv mixed feelings ab the lan one but not getting into it rn #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng shuangjie #yunmeng siblings #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #cql #jiang cheng #jiang yanli

[mayusz]

—Wei Wuxian was a rebel and a traitor, and you know it.

—He was my brother.

#art #digital art #jiang cheng #<:( #illustration #the untamed #mdzs #yunmeng brothers #the quote is a rewrite of antigone

[guzhufuren]

my brother is learning to play flute. i suddenly understand jiang cheng's regular murderous rage

#someone hold me down or there will be a fight #mine #the untamed #yunmeng brothers

[sthexian]

Part 4/?

"E aquele pavão arrogante teve a audácia de fazer shijie chorar! E o Lan Zhan ainda me repreendeu por so-.."

Eles estão em marcha para conquistar outro território Wen, mas Jc teve que lidar com as questões amorosas de seus irmãos o caminho todo😂

******

English Version:

Part 4/?

"And that arrogant peacock had the audacity to make shijie cry! And Lan Zhan even scolded me for so-.."

They are on the march to conquer other Wen territory, but Jc had to deal with his brothers' love issues the whole way 😂

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #wei wuxian #the untamed #wei ying #desenho tradicional #fanart #魔道祖师 #jiang yanli #jiang cheng #twin prides of yunmeng #twin heroes of yunmeng #yunmeng bros #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng jiang #jin zixuan #lan wangji #mdzs au #wangxian au

[ghostysword]

These passages from the extras shed so much light on WWX’s thoughts about Jiang Cheng, and his regrets about the past!

WWX isn’t mad at Jin Ling for not calling on JC to help. Protecting loved ones at your own expense runs in the family, after all! But he is furious at Jin Ling for *lying about why he’s doing it.* WWX knows how quickly JC takes this kind of protection as rejection, and how much a dismissive comment can hurt him. I suspect WWX didn’t realize *exactly* how deeply JC felt this kind of hurt until his second life, when he saw the way the thorns from WWX’s perceived rejection had dug themselves into JC over 13 years of separation.

WWX never regretted giving JC his core. This passage suggests that now, after he has had time to reflect on the things they said in Guanyin Temple, he has a different regret: that he could have replaced his flippant remarks with sincerity. That he could have explained to his brother that the choices that so baffled JC either came from his love for JC or his commitment to justice. That he never wanted to leave, or to hurt him.

That lack of explanation left such a rift between them, one that might never be healed. (Ty fanfic writers for exploring so many ways they might manage it!) But WWX is going to make damn sure that Jin Ling doesn’t make the same mistake.

And hey: maybe WWX is learning how to say what he means, too.

#mdzs #mdzs meta #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #yunmeng brothers #Jin Ling #yunmeng brothers reconciliation

[lanjiangs]

jc and wwx have a LOT to talk about, things to shout about, be angry, be sad, be guilty about, so many hopes and dire predictions to protect their hearts. but it all comes down to, do you want to start again? do you want me in your life, our pasts and those we have lost as well? can we take what we had and use it to build a new foundation? will the ghost of our sister stand between us or help us reach out? what is left of us ? what is left, that we actually want to keep?

#is our past the thing that holds us together or the thing that holds us back #yunmeng brothers #jiang cheng #wei wuxian

[rubbleinrainbows]

Jiang Cheng and Antigone: on old familial ties and invisible sacrifices

The Untamed (2019) / Lynchpin, Shanastoryteller, 1 & 7/ Antigone, 2 & 4 & 6/ Christa Wolf/ Exit, Pursued, Dalton Day

#web weaving #poetry #writing #literature #antigone #jiang cheng #cql #the untamed #mdzs #parallels #yunmeng brothers

[lhaewielsfanmixes]

And finally, after procrastinating A LOT, I present to you my Yunmeng Shuangjie fanmix!

I do truly hope you enjoy! And as in ye olden days, I will include under cut the lyrics that reminded me of them! But in the meantime you can listen to the playlist here:

TRACKLIST:

1 - Regina Spektor - Call them brothers

That's it, it's split - it won't recover Just frame the halves and call them brothers Find your fathers and your mothers If you remember who they are

2 - Kodaline - Brother

If I was dying on my knees You would be the one to rescue me And if you were drowned at sea I'd give you my lungs so you could breathe

3 - Imagine Dragons - I bet my life

Now remember when I told you That's the last you'll see of me? Remember when I broke you down to tears? (Woo-oooo-ooh, I bet, I bet my life) I know I took the path That you would never want for me I gave you hell through all the years

4 - Alkaline Trio - I found a way

I found away over the fear and through the flames I'm diving in, don't follow me Stay right here, I'll be back for you someday I found away, it'd be best if you just stayed It's not safe, don't follow me I found away, I found away

5 - Spineshank - Beginning of the end

The irritation we're pretending not to show Has replaced the motivation that I had not long ago […] Interrogation has replaced the trust we had Your misguided accusations helping me to turn my back

6 - P!nk - So what

What if this song's on the radio? Then somebody's gonna die I'm gonna get in trouble My ex'll start a fight Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, he's gonna start a fight (Huh) Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, we're all gonna get in a fight

7 - Of monsters and men - Hunger

And for the longest time I knew, there was nothing left for us to do But I tried, oh, I try And in this quiet company, there is nothing staring back at me I'm in need of a sound

8 - Linea 77 - The sharp sound of blades

The sharp sound of blades The deep wounds of hate My fingers tap on the wall The silent mess of your thoughts How long can it take ? How long before we break The fragile truce that will bring This bleeding love to the dawn?

9 - Tiromancino - Due destini

Perché siamo due destini che si uniscono Stretti in un istante solo Che segnano un percorso profondissimo dentro di loro Superando quegli ostacoli Se la vita ci confonde Solo per cercare di essere migliori Per guardare ancora fuori Per non sentirci soli Translation: Because we are two destinies that unite together Closed in a single moment That marks a path deep within them Overcoming these obstacles Whether life confuses us Just to try to be better To still look outside To not feel alone

10 - Subsonica - Nuvole Rapide

Su tutto ciò che ora parla di noi: Rabbia, illusioni e speranze che so Detonazioni di un attimo che Passerà E rimarrà forse il vuoto di noi A disarmare I rimpianti che so Per ricordarci in un attimo che Passerà Translation: On everything that now talks about us Anger, illusions and hopes I am aware of Detonations of a moment that It will pass And perhaps the void of us will remain To disarm the regrets I am aware of To remember us in a moment that It will pass

11 - Gotye ft. Kimbra - Somebody that I used to know

But you didn't have to cut me off; Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing And I don't even need your love But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough

12 - Tiromancino - Amore impossibile

È amore impossibile quello che mi chiedi Sentire ciò che tu sola senti e vedere ciò che vedi Chiudere la realtà dentro la tua isola Ma non perdere la voglia di volare Perché l'amore è amore impossibile Quando non riesce a inseguire, è irraggiungibile Senso di libertà, oltre le stelle e il cielo Che è nascosto sul fondo dell'anima Translation: it's an impossible love what you're asking for, to hear what you alone can hear, and see what only you see Shutting reality in your island and yet not losing the will to fly because this love is an impossible love when it can't chase it is unreachable A sense of freedom, beyond the stars and the sky, that is hidden at the bottom of the soul

13 - AFI - Bleed black

(If you listen) Listen, listen (Listen close) Beat by beat (You can hear when the heart stops) I saved the pieces (When it broke) And ground them all to dust I know what died that night, it can never be brought back to life Once again, I know

14 - Noir Désir - Le vent nous portera

Ce parfum de nos années mortes Ceux qui peuvent frapper à ta porte Infinité de destins On en pose un, qu'est-ce qu'on en retient? Le vent l'emportera Translation: This scent of our dead years Those that can knock on your door Infinity of destinies We put one down, what do we hold on to? The wind will carry it away

15 - Green Day - 21 guns

Do you know what's worth fightin' for When it's not worth dyin' for? Does it take your breath away And you feel yourself suffocatin'? Does the pain weigh out the pride And you look for a place to hide? Did someone break your heart inside? You're in ruins

#fanmade soundtrack #fanmix #the untamed 陈情令 #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #chen qing ling #mdzs #cql #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #yunmeng shuangjie #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng siblings #wei wuxian and jiang cheng #Spotify

[nutcasewithaknife]

I've been obsessed with Jiang Cheng since halfway through my first watch of cql, and here's why. He always keeps doing better than I expect him to.

(wow, this got long. rest is under the cut!)

He's introduced as the brother-killer, the ruthless sect leader with a reputation for being merciless. Then cut to the flashback, a Jiang Cheng who is fifteen, surrounded by his sister and brother and happy about it, occasionally doing stupid teenager things, trying so very hard to be Ideal Heir, while Wei Wuxian is the prodigy that keeps stealing his thunder effortlessly. And you go, "oh, I know this story. It's a tragedy, because these brothers loved each other once, but one's ambition will eventually breed jealousy which will fester into hate and end, tragically, in the death of the better half." It's Cain and Abel! You've seen how it ends, it's the first scene you see, of course that's where it's going!

And then you see how the three siblings help each other survive a frankly horrible and abusive household. They try to do for each other what their parents couldn't; Yanli tries to be their mother, Jiang Cheng doesn't believe the rumours about Wei Wuxian being jfm's illegitimate son or hold it against him as he very easily could've learnt to from his mother, and Wei Wuxian does his darned best to get jfm to acknowledge and love his son as he does for Wei Wuxian.

You keep waiting for the other shoe to drop!! Yunmeng burns, Jiang Cheng chokes his brother in the rain, and you think this is it, this is where it finally breaks. But he sticks with his brother and sister, he makes some stupid decisions in his grief and pays dearly for it. When he wakes up without a core he is broken, his 'ambition' is destroyed, and you remember him choke his brother and think this is it, and then... it isn't. Other than the one grieving rant in the rain, he never blames his brother for their loss, never demands that he fix it all. When Wei Wuxian does come with a solution, Jiang Cheng doesn't act like it's something he was owed. It's his brother, his brilliant genius brother, who miraculously fixed this impossible thing! He's the most Jiang of them all, of course he achieved the impossible!

And then he's the young sect leader in a bloody war, needing to win, needing to prove his worth and his sect's worth at every turn. This is where he becomes the ruthless, powerful man we meet in the first few episodes! Only.... he finds Wen Qing, who is the enemy in the eyes of the Jianghu, and offers to protect her (only her because he knows his limits, he can't protect all her people and his own, and his duty to his sect is first). He goes looking for his brother, months on end, haggard to the bone.

Then Wei Wuxian shows up wielding a power that's the worst taboo in their world, a power frighteningly similar to the power-drunk villain that they war is being waged against! He's doing unspeakable things, terrible torture in the name of revenge! Ah, so this is what it finally is! The moment they finally fall out for good, where Jiang Cheng cannot abide to tarnish his sect's reputation with Wei Wuxian's, and their love turns to hate.

But.... Jiang Cheng sees what he's done, and the first thing he does is to hug him tight. He asks about Wei Wuxian not carrying his sword, but even after the diplomatic nightmare of a war council, Jiang Cheng is just worrying. It's the most open, the most honest we've seen him so far, and he is concerned for his brother. He shuts it down when Jin Zixun tries to pick a fight. He takes responsibility for the person everyone's wary of, because that's his brother and he trusts him! He's hiding things, yes, but one day he will be ready to talk and Jiang Cheng will wait till then.

Then the war's won (by Wei Wuxian, of course!) and he has a sect to rebuild. And his brother is not at his side. First he's slacking off and drinking around town, then he runs away with the Wens to the Burial Mounds. It's terrible for the sect's and Jiang Cheng's own precarious position in Jianghu. Surely, this is the last thread of Jiang Cheng's love for his brother, the beginning of the man we were introduced to? But it's fucking not! Yes, he's frustrated. Yes, he's mad. And yet, he doesn't force his sister into a diplomatically advantageous marriage (which I strongly believe is the bare minimum of being a decent human being, but is something that wouldn't have been a questionable or dishonourable thing for him to do in the culture and world this story is set in) because she is not a pawn and he respects her choice above the politics! He tries to defend his First Disciple, his brother, and is overshadowed by much more powerful leaders who are bigoted and/or afraid of his power. And when it all goes to shit, they fight! This is the end of it, surely? But no! It's all fake! They fight, make up a lie about how the Yunmeng Jiang has supressed Wei Wuxian and his Wens in the Burial Mounds so they can live without being under attack for however long, and then have shady meetups to discuss their nephew's name!!

In the carnage of Nightless City, their sister dies at his hands, and the horrible realisation dawns that this is what pushes them over the brink, literally. And then!! AND THEN!!!!! EVEN THEN IT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR HIM TO KILL HIS BROTHER!!! The first scene was a lie, WEI WUXIAN HAD TO THROW HIMSELF OFF!!!!!! And when he's finally back, what does Jiang Cheng do? Kill him? ban him from ever returning to their home? No! He wants to drag him back home and make him apologise, explain himself!!

A lot of this is very focused on the brothers, but even outside of that, Jiang Cheng keeps subverting the expectations that the story builds for him right in the beginning. For all the talks of 'disciplining' his nephew (which could unquestionably entail some form of corporal punishment, as we see in other parts of the story) and the childhood Jiang Cheng himself had, the idea of his Jiujiu raising his hand against him is unthinkable to the point of incredulity for Jin Ling. When Jin Ling has his breakdown over Suihua on the Lotus Pier docks, I was full bracing myself for Jiang Cheng to yell at him for crying in public without any shame or dignity, but what does he do? Calls his nephew to his side and demands to know who made him cry, so he can fucking wreck them for daring to do that! He has a mere day to process the Golden Core reveal, and after all the yelling, he actually apologises to his brother!!

Then, in the mother of all sucker-punch moments, we find out that the one grief-riddled, frustrating moment of apparent stupidity whose domino effect this entire thing has been, was in fact Jiang Cheng willingly sacrificing himself, sect be damned, to save his brother and sister. And like!! How do you have such a character who simultaneously is and is not what he seems to be!!!

I (and a lot of the audience) immediately played into the simple brotherhood-destroyed-by-jealousy plot that it seems to be at first, but that's the intention! The entire story keeps showing how misleading, how vicious rumours can be and how horribly it can affect who someone is in the eyes of society. We see this happen in the story, of course, but the narrative also relies on the audience to make the same mistake, to take the tropes that seem obviously implied at the start, and then unravels the true complexity of the story as it moves forward. We got played by the narrative and it was so worth it!! Wei Wuxian is the prime example, of course, but cql (and mdzs from what I gather, though I haven't read the books) does it with such nuance and brilliance for Jiang Cheng, how do you not immediately lose your entire mind about it for the rest of forever!!!!!

#this wasn't supposed to be so long but the brainworms commanded it #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #wei wuxian #wei ying #Jin Ling #jiang yanli #wen qing #meta #cql #the untamed #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng siblings #jin ling and jiujiu

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Okay but we never think about Suibian!!! We never think about how the sword is meant to embody the principle by which one lives. Swords are named and used and died upon.

Jiang Yanli is a sword. Wen Qing is a sword. But this is not their narrative.

Swords are passed down through generations.

Suibian seals itself off instead of risk being passed to a new generation because no one is worthy of drawing it.

Xue Yang was not worthy of drawing it. But maybe Mo Xuanyu was. Maybe Nie Huaisang saw that. But as always - they were too late.

Suibian waits. It waits for its master - and its master bequeaths it to his shidi. Wei Wuxian gives his core - his sword and his self - to his shidi.

When Jiang Cheng unsheathes Suibian - that is the moment he finally understands his shixiong's desires. His burden.

Wei Wuxian is also, ultimately, a sword. He bequeaths himself to Jiang Wangyin thirteen years before he is ready. And thirteen years too late.

But - Jiang Cheng sacrifices himself first.

Suibian is a desire: break free. Suibian is a sword: I'm here. Suibian is a hope a plee: Anything.

#nikkiwrites #cql meta #the untamed meta #it's been an Untamed day #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng siblings #yunmeng shuangjie #mxtx meta #mdzs meta

[wei-meddling-wuxian]

Jiang Cheng: I keep a picture of you in my wallet. Whenever I face difficulties, I take it out and stare at it.

Wei Wuxian: Awwww-

Jiang Cheng: And I tell myself “if I can deal with this idiot, I can deal with anything”.

Wei Wuxian: Oh.

#The untamed #chengxian #chengxian incorrect quotes #yunmeng shuangjie #yunmeng brothers #twin heroes of yunmeng #twin prides of yunmeng #mine #cql #mdzs

[avisisisis]

Modern AU where Jiang Cheng has heart problems

It's not that much of a huge deal. His life isn't in danger, and he can do stuff like sports and everything. So, it's not too important. But he does have them, even if it's easy to ignore it

Everything was fine, until Wen Chao poisons him as some sort of terrible prank, so now he is in danger of death. He's going to die, and he's going to die soon. He only has about, what, five years left? He's devastated. Stops eating, drinking water, never gets out of bed and barely interacts with people

The only way to do that would be by someone giving him their own heart. But the price is too much, and with his parents dead and not much money from them left, they can't afford to get it

Wei Wuxian knows a lot of people, so it's no surprise that he's friends with a doctor. He tells Jiang Cheng that his grandmother (Baoshan Sanren duh) knows how to fix his heart without needing a donor. He tells Jiang Cheng to pretend he's him, to say that she owes him a favor and to demand to get his heart back, all while blindfolded. The woman tells him to lie down and to sleep. She gives him anesthesia, and he passes out. When he wakes up, his heart is healed

Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian convinces Wen Qing to perform a surgery, even if it was illegally. He gives up his heart, and gets a pretty shitty one in return. He promises to never let Jiang Cheng know about it, even if now he was going to be the one to die

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wei wuxian #wei ying #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng siblings #twin prides of yunmeng #then wwx gets accused of some terrible stuff and everyone hates him or something like that #it doesn't matter what happened but everyone hates him #almost everyone #so when he gets into an accident and falls into a coma no one mourns him #he's there for 13. only lan zhan visits him #then one day a teenage boy wearing makeup arrives #he says he's going to give him his heart #he wasn't sure if that would help him but he should at least try right? #“attempt the impossible” and blablabla #so he gives wwx his heart. wwx wakes up #yes the boy is mo xuanyu #innacurate medical stuff #idk how all that shit works #so it's probably really inaccurate #inaccurate #* #haha #baoshan sanren #avis talks

[mdzs-sinkhole]

Does anyone have fic recs where WWX finds out about JC letting himself get caught by the Wen which led to him losing his golden core?

Jiang Cheng friendly fics only, please. Thank you!

#jiang cheng #wei wuixan #mdzs #fic rec #wwx #jc #mdzs fic #mdzs fic rec #fic reccomendations #mdzs fic reccomendations #yunmeng siblings #yunmeng brothers #yunmeng brothers reconciliation #golden core reveal #golden core transfer