#the untamed 陈情令
Lwjtyingwwx with his forehead ribbon
CQL subs critique: references and footnotes
What started out as a throwaway comment and a small project to amuse myself (and in the process, hopefully improve my own understanding and appreciation of Chinese history) became much bigger than expected.
Before this, my command of Mandarin was mostly conversational and business-related. I speak it for my job, and of course to my parents, but it never has never gone any deeper than that. With my partner and friends, English has always been our go-to language.
I did some research here and there while doing this project, and I’m happy to have learned and discovered many new things. I’m happy to have fallen in love with this language once again. And I’m particularly happy to share it with you in this way!
There are a few groups of people I’d like to thank:
- Friends from the R/MDZS Discord server who read, commented, and encouraged me to continue this when I started losing steam. You know who you are
- Friends from the Danmei Diaspora Discord server @dmdiaspora who helped bounce some of the ideas and hype my work
- Everyone who has read, liked, shared, commented, and bought me coffees — I appreciate all of it, thank you so much! ☕️
References:
jing out!
CQL subs critique: Episode 50.2
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533. Ep50, Lan Sizhui: “温叔叔可以作证”
Sizhui calls Wen Ning 温叔叔 (Uncle Wen)! It’s not clear exactly how they are related, but in this case, 叔叔 can be used as a generic address for “uncle”
534. Ep50, Wei Wuxian: “多大你还玩这个”
Ack, I can hear my mother saying this about me and videogames. In this case, this literally means “how old are you already? Why are you still playing like this (i.e. hugging my leg)?”
535. Ep50, Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji: “你不愧是含光君/你也不愧是魏婴”
This hit me hard, and in a really good way.
Okay, we have Wei Wuxian first — he says 你不愧是含光君, which, as the subs state, means “you are indeed (deserving of the title of) Hanguang-Jun”. Wei Wuxian meant this in an admiring, adoring sort of way: he’s expressing his deep appreciation for Lan Wangji’s skills, bearing, and everything he has done for him. He’s in awe of the title Hanguang-Jun, as he sees it as an appropriate and natural consequence of the man that Lan Wangji is.
But look at Lan Wangji’s response — 你也不愧是魏婴 — or, “and you are, of course (and most truly), Wei Ying”. Lan Wangji’s line hits different. He’s not looking at Wei Wuxian’s skills, past deeds, current state, old titles, achievements, anything. He’s looking at WEI YING.
He’s seeing Wei Ying in every aspect of their time together — the carefree boy who laughed in the library, who fought a murder tortoise on his own, who protected the Wens, and who rose from the dead to find justice for Nie Mingjue.
to Lan Wangji, there is no Yiling Laozu, no Wei Wuxian — there is just Wei Ying, every incarnation of him, as he’s always known him, from past to present and to the future.
And bam, that’s why this line cut me (in a good way)!
536. Ep50, Wei Wuxian: “我走了”
我走了is the exact phrase Lan Wangji uttered to Wei Wuxian when they parted ways at Qinghe before the war. Once again, it’s the signaling of the end of an arc. In its informality, it’s also an expression of tenderness.
I’ve previously written about Lan Wangji’s utterance of this line in my critique of Episode 10.
537. Ep50, Wei Wuxian: “青山不改，绿水长流，后会有期”
I’ve heard this farewell phrase in wuxia so often that it didn’t initially cross my mind to translate this. But I’m glad I did — very quickly, here’s what it means!
Literally, the lines 青山不改 绿水长流 mean “the mountains do not change, and the rivers keep running”. The last line 后会有期 is an absolute statement that means “we will meet again”. Put together, the phrase conveys that the forces of nature are constant, and that things will remain the same, providing a sliver of hope that both parties will find their way to each other again in the future.
It’s a common farewell line in jianghu novels and films, and it’s usually uttered from one respected protagonist to another.
I have a more detailed explanation of this line here.
CQL subs critique: Episode 50.1
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527. Ep50, Jin Guangyao: “你可真是不错啊”
He’s saying this to Nie Huaisang after discovering the truth, and it’s sarcastic and bitter. This means “not bad at all”.
528. Ep50, Jin Guangyao: “好一个一问三不知”
This means, “Mr ‘I-Don’t-Know’, indeed!”
529. Ep50, Jin Guangyao: “何时向你邀过恩?”
He’s saying to Lan Xichen, “(after all that I’ve done for you), when did I expect you to show me gratitude, or to reciprocate?”
530. Ep50, Jin Guangyao: “一条生路都不给我”
生路 is more abstract than the subs make it out to be. It means “a chance” or “a way out”.
531. Ep50, Jin Guangyao: “你以为老子怕你吗?”
老子 technically means “I”, same as 我, but let’s look at the implications!
Depending on the context, it’s either an arrogant or joking way to refer to oneself. In this case, it’s the former. Jin Guangyao has nothing left to lose; he’s angry and desperate, and no longer afraid. He’s been polite and people-pleasing for most of his adult life, and here he is, shedding the last vestiges of decorum in his final moments.
532. Ep50, Lan Sizhui: “自称手艺精绝，做出来的东西却辣眼睛还辣肚子”
The subs do an okay job, but let’s do better! He’s saying, “this person boasted that he was skilled in the kitchen, but the food he made caused people’s eyes and stomachs to burn”!
CQL subs critique: Episode 49.2
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522. Ep49, Jin Guangyao: “趋之若鹜”
He’s talking about Jin Zixuan here. 趋之若鹜 means “flocking (around someone or something) like ducks/geese”, implying that Jin Zixuan was popular and magnetic despite his arrogance.
523. Ep49, Jin Guangshan: “尤其是读过书的女人”
读过书 in this context means “literate”, not “read a few books”, even though that’s what it literally means. Can we just cancel this goddamn man already?
524. Ep49, Jin Guangyao: “就值得四个字：‘啊，不提了’”
Okay so there’s nothing wrong with the sub; it did the best it could. But Jin Guangyao is referring to four words “啊，不提了”, not three!
啊，不提了 means “ah, let’s not bring this up (for discussion) anymore”.
525. Ep49, Jin Guangyao: “大路朝天 各走一边”
Ah, what an interesting phrase. Literally, it means “the wide road faces the sky, we’ll each walk on one side” meaning that the road is wide enough for everyone to go their own way. A couple of things here:
- One, this exact phrase was uttered by Mao Zedong in one of his speeches. I’m not fully certain if this was the first time in history that someone mentioned this, but if so, then Jin Guangyao was really ahead of his time!
- Two, this phrase reminds me of a familiar quote: 你走你的阳关道，我走我的独木桥: “you can walk your sunlit path, but I’ll walk on my lone plank bridge”.
Irreconcilable differences and a parting of the ways — that’s what this phrase alludes to.
I’ve previously covered the phrase about the sunlit path and the lone plank bridge in my critique of Episode 29.
526. Ep49, Lan Xichen: “我会不留情面地取你性命”
Oh — the subs missed out something very important here. He’s saying, “I will spare no mercy in taking your life”.
CQL subs critique: Episode 49.1
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518. Ep49, Lan Xichen: “金宗主”
Poor Lan Xichen. He’s addressing Jin Guangyao as “Sect Leader Jin” here — it’s not “A-Yao” any longer. Also, it’s not “my friend”… that’s not what he’s saying…
519. Ep49, Lan Xichen: “我就曾今说过，‘二哥’不必再叫了”
This whole sentence was awkwardly translated — the subs frame it as a question, but it’s not. He’s saying, “I told you before — you don’t need to call me Er-ge (second brother) ever again”.
520. Ep49, Jin Guangyao: “可真的是我说一声不娶就能不娶的吗?”
Again, this is awkwardly translated. He’s saying, “did you really think I could avoid marrying her, just by saying that I didn’t want to?”
521. Ep49, Lan Xichen: “你为什么还要和她…”
Yeah, Lan Xichen isn’t the most direct person when it comes to such stuff. He’s far too well- raised for that! He’s hinting here, “why did you and her…?” (you know…)
CQL subs critique: Episode 48.2
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511. Ep48, Jiang Cheng: “扫清了所有障碍”
The subs missed this out — he’s saying, “you swept all obstacles aside (to assume the role of Chief Cultivator”).
512. Ep48, Wei Wuxian: “我对你无冤无仇”
This can be more literally translated to mean “I had no quarrel with you”.
513. Ep48, Su She: “高高在上的态度”
This doesn’t really mean “condescending”, though it’s close. It means “high-and-mighty” or “holier-than-thou”!
514. Ep48, Jin Guangyao: “因为你这个人就是这样”
Oh god… this is just wrong. He’s saying “because you’re just that kind of person”, not “you’re a kind person”!
515. Ep48: 怕鬼
Okay so, this scene really made me sit up. Why is Jin Guangyao so scared of ghosts, and scared of retribution? I have a couple of theories.
- The first has to do with his upbringing. As you know, Jin Guangyao wasn’t raised in a rich cultivation clan. He was raised as a commoner. As we learn from Wei Wuxian during the Yi City arc, the common folk tend to be more superstitious than the cultivators, sticking to their “backward” traditions (such as burning paper money). Assuming Jin Guangyao’s mother also believed in these practices, it’s not difficult to imagine that she passed on the same fears to her son.
- My second theory has to do with Jin Guangyao’s levels of cultivation. He’s not a strong cultivator; he only came into the cultivation lifestyle as a teenager, instead of starting as a child. It’s natural that he would feel incapable of dealing with high-level entities.
- My third theory has to do with his personal values. As we know, Jin Guangyao is a firm believer in gratitude and retribution 恩怨. He spares those who have shown him kindness and mercy (seen in his release of Sisi, and his reverence towards Lan Xichen). Likewise, he fears retribution, and the sudden dawning that the spirit of Nie Mingjue and the women he murdered may come back to seek revenge. He has never been outwardly afraid because he knows how impossible it is for the dead to return, yet Wei Wuxian opens the door to that possibility here.
516. Ep48, Jin Guangyao: “百思不得其解”
Subs are correct, but to explain this phrase further — it means “thinking about it a hundred times, but unable to discern the meaning”.
517. Ep48, Jin Guangyao: “二哥”
Ah god how many times do I have to see the subs doing this he’s addressing Lan Xichen here as “second brother” 二哥, not “my friend”!
I’ve previously talked about the terms of address between 3zun in my critiques of Episode 23andEpisode 27.
CQL subs critique: Episode 48.1
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505. Ep48, Jiang Cheng: “天资”
“Gift” is accurate, but 天资 more accurately means “natural talent”. Poor Jiang Cheng…
506. Ep48, Lan Wangji: “江宗主，注意分寸”
Oof, to be publicly reprimanded by Hanguang-Jun. 注意分寸 is a warning — loosely, it means “take care not to go overboard”, or in other words, “watch your words”.
507. Ep48, Jiang Cheng: “你却护着外人”
外人 means “outsiders”.
508. Ep48, Jiang Cheng: “凭什么现在我反而好像对不起你”
对不起你 has a very subtle meaning that doesn’t translate to English well. It doesn’t really mean “feel sorry for you”; it more accurately means “I’ve wronged you (and need to apologize to you)”
This, in my opinion, is one of the saddest lines in CQL.
509. Ep48, Jiang Cheng: “我怕蓝二吗”
Aha, Jiang Cheng is not referring to Lan Wangji as “Lan Zhan” here! They’re not that close!
He’s referring to him as (very loosely) “second Lan” 蓝二. It’s not a particularly polite way of referring to someone — it’s on par with 姓蓝的 (“the one whose last name is Lan”). But I think we can cut Jiang Cheng some slack here, since he’s clearly dealing with some tough shit!
I’ve previously covered 姓蓝的 in my critique of Episode 2.
510. Ep48, Lan Xichen: “你到底要做什么”
This more accurately means “what on earth are you trying to do?”
CQL subs critique: Episode 47.2
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499. Ep47, Lan Wangji: “理应如此”
This is very very subtle. 理应如此 loosely means “as it should be”. It’s an absolute statement, which Lan Wangji states as fact, and it’s not as subjective as “it’s what I should do”.
This is very Romantic™️. He’s saying his sacrifice of his spiritual energy to save Wei Wuxian is based on an irrefutable universal principle — “as it should be”. Look at the depths of his devotion!
500. Ep47, Wei Wuxian: “冷冰冰的脸”
冷冰冰 more accurately means “cold and aloof”. Literally, it means “cold as ice”.
501. Ep47, Wei Wuxian: “蓝湛可真是太冤啊”
Yeah ok, I sort of get what they were trying to say. This means “this is unfair to Lan Zhan”.
502. Ep47, Su She: “那我就成全你”
Su She is saying this in response to Wei Wuxian saying that he isn’t afraid of death, doesn’t want to die. The sub is wrong — he’s saying, “(since you’re not afraid to die) I shall fulfill you!”
503. Ep47, Jin Guangyao: “甘拜下风”
The implication behind this is “I know I’ve lost or am the weaker person, and I’m in awe of your skills”. Of course, Jin Guangyao is saying this to Jiang Cheng in a patronizing sort of way.
504. Ep47, Jin Guangyao: “大闹一场”
大闹一场 loosely means “to cause a ruckus” or in the case of small children, “to throw a tantrum”. It doesn’t really mean “to make a mess”.
CQL subs critique: Episode 47.1
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494. Ep47, Wei Wuxian: “不那么古板”
This does mean “flexible”, but more specifically and figuratively, it means “not close-minded” or “not old-fashioned”.
I’ve previously covered the term 古板 in my critique of Episode 3.
495. Ep47, Lan Wangji: “干什么?”
He’s asking Wei Wuxian why he’s inquiring about female cultivators. The translation is correct, but this line made me sit up because of how out of character it is for Lan Wangji!
干什么 is rough, and can sound pretty aggressive if said with the right tone of voice! It seems like he was annoyed at Wei Wuxian for asking… and it’s not difficult to guess why…
496. Ep47, Jin Guangyao: “轻举妄动”
轻举妄动 means “to act impulsively”.
497. Ep47, Lan Xichen: “受人蒙骗”
This more means “I was tricked” than “I was cheated”.
498. Ep47, Lan Xichen: “朔月/裂冰”
I’ve explained some of the names behind the swords and other instruments, so let’s get to this!
- 朔月 (Shuoyue) is Lan Xichen’s sword. The name of the sword literally means “new moon”. Now according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the new moon marks the first day of each month. There is a saying from the Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms 《东周列国志》 by Feng Menglong 冯梦龙 which reads 明日乃朔日，父王必然视朝, or “as the dawn of the new month approaches, the father (the emperor) sees a new dynasty unfold”. As the eldest son, Lan Xichen is responsible for carrying the Lan sect forward, and his sword’s name accordingly represents the coming of a new era and the forging of a way. If you look at his courtesy name 曦臣, there’s a similar meaning reflected there. 曦 means “morning light” and 臣 refers to “service” or “subordinate”, which is how the Lan family views the mantle of leadership for the sect. Perhaps, it also represents hope — the hope that he, as the new sect leader, would prevent old mistakes from being repeated in the future.
- Now on to the flute, Liebing 裂冰. Its name literally means “cracked ice”, referring to a melody so pure and warm that it can diffuse the forces of nature and bring about positive change. Unlike Wei Wuxian’s dizi 笛子, which is held horizontally, Liebing is a xiao 箫, and is played vertically!
CQL subs critique: Episode 46.2
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489. Ep46, Wen Ning: “平息、平静、平庸， 直到变成一潭死水，再也兴不起任何波澜”
There’s a lot of nuance here that the subs missed out. Let’s break it down.
- 平息 means “to settle” or “to become restful”.
- 平静 means “calm”, or “to enter a state of calm”.
- 平庸 means “to become ordinary”.
The subs conflated these three terms as “die down”, which I don’t really blame the translators for; the differences are subtle.
- 直到变成一潭死水 means “until it becomes like a pool of stagnant water”.
- 再也兴不起任何波澜 means “and no ripples will ever appear on the surface again”.
It’s a remarkable line, and I love that Wen Ning was the one to explain it so beautifully, with his knowledge and medical heritage at the forefront!
490. Ep46, Wen Ning: “不上不下的普通人”
Yes, mediocre is the essence of it, but this more accurately translates to “an ordinary person who is neither here nor there”.
491. Ep46, Wei Wuxian: “江澄说的那些话 你千万不要放在心上”
Wei Wuxian is being really sweet here, and the subs did him dirty. This means “about the stuff Jiang Cheng said, please don’t take it to heart”.
492. Ep46, Wei Wuxian: “口不择言”
口不择言 means “no filter”.
493. Ep46, Lan Wangji: “下不为例”
I like this one — it’s so subtle. It literally means “don’t take this as a precedent”, so figuratively “just this once”! It’s very soft.
CQL subs critique: Episode 46.1
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482. Ep46, Yao dude: “光明正大地讨伐反对他的家族”
He’s talking about Jin Guangyao here. 光明正大 means “to act openly”. Usually, it has a positive connotation (i.e. being upright or righteous) but in this context it means “brazenly”.
483. Ep46, Yao guy: “一箭双雕”
This is the Chinese equivalent of “killing two birds with one stone”. It literally means “shooting two eagles (condor) with one arrow”.
This phrase originates from a story about a Beizhou general, Chang Sun Sheng 长孙晟, who had superior archery skills. When out hunting with another general from a different territory, he spied two eagles tussling for a piece of meat in the sky, and speared them both with a single arrow!
484. Ep46, Bi Cao: “讨回公道”
This is wrong! It doesn’t mean “to bring comfort”. It means “to claim justice”. Bi Cao wants Jin Guangyao’s deeds known, to gain justice for Qin Su and the rest of the Qin family.
485. Ep46, Ouyang guy: “金某人”
He calls Jin Guangyao 金某人 which means “Jin somebody”. It’s a particularly mocking and derogatory way of referring to Jin Guangyao, who is still the chief cultivator as of this moment.
486. Ep46, Yao man: “魏先生”
Oh how the turntables… this is meant to be *polite*. He’s saying (and this is the modern translation) “Mr Wei”. Dude… weren’t you ready to stab Wei Wuxian through the heart just a minute ago?
487. Ep46, Jiang Cheng: “乱七八糟的人”
Ooh. 乱七八糟 means “messy or disorganized”. Put together, this phrase more accurately means “riff-raff” or “trash”.
Look at how Wei Wuxian just gives up without a fight when Jiang Cheng is insulting him. He thinks he deserves to be scolded, to have Jiang Cheng resent him. But insult Lan Wangji, or anyone else? That makes his hackles rise. He’s willing to put Lan Wangji’s comfort and honor above his own, as he’s demonstrated many times earlier. Jiang Cheng has realized this as well, which is why he insults Lan Wangji first, to get a rise out of Wei Wuxian.
Next, and again, it’s an unpopular opinion. There’s a part of me that agrees with Jiang Cheng that it really was a little rude for Wei Wuxian to wander around Lotus Pier unsupervised. All of the guests were confined in the entrance hall, yet none of them saw fit to walk about, even to the common areas like the training grounds or the lake. To be fair. Wei Wuxian, probably wasn’t thinking about that! He didn’t intend to be rude; he just wanted to pay his respects to the people who had raised him. And if you consider the other things that happened before this: Wei Wuxian getting disowned, Jiang Cheng’s bitterness about his family’s deaths and his resentment towards Lan Wangji — it’s just a sad and complicated situation all around.
488. Ep46, Jiang Cheng: “刮目相看”
刮目相看 means “to look at (someone else) in a different light”, not “deep impression”.
CQL subs critique: Episode 45
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472. Ep45, Su She: “争权称霸”
“Strive for the throne” is not the best translation, so here’s some more flavor. 争权 means “to tussle with others for power”, and 称霸 means “to declare oneself as a leader/overlord”. The word 霸 has a despotic connotation.
473. Ep45, Jiang Cheng: “你试试看”
This literally means “you try it”, but let’s look at the context. He’s lending Zidian to Jin Ling and saying, “Don’t lose it! Just you try”.
It’s very nuanced — on the surface, it sounds like a threat from an uncle to a careless nephew, but there’s a deeper undercurrent of concern here. “Don’t lose it, because I want to see it again (and you as well, so take care of yourself)”
474. Ep45, Wen Ning: “思追”
“Sizhui” 思追 is Lan Yuan’s courtesy name. Let’s look at what it means.
The fanmade couplet 思君不可追 念君何时归 explains the depths of Lan Wangji’s devotion to Wei Wuxian over the long years of waiting for and mourning him.
思君不可追 means “I think of you, but I cannot follow you” and 念君何时归 means “I miss you, when will you return?” (Both translations are by me, and very figurative).
In this case, the word 君 is a rather archaic and classical way of referring to a beloved or respected “you” or “another”, and it was mostly used in the context of a man referring to another man.
The name “Sizhui” 思追 is derived from the first half of the couplet, and put together, it also loosely means “chasing memories” with an implication of longing for something in the past.
Another theory I have that is specific to Sizhui himself is that his name is perhaps a starting point for him to realize that he’s different from the other Lan disciples, and to provide the impetus for him to look into his past identity and memories, and in doing so remember who he once was.
In any case, it’s a weighted and rather scandalous name, and probably one that came as a shock when announced to the elders of the Lan clan.
I discuss the meaning of Lan Yuan 蓝愿 and compare it against his childhood name A-Yuan 阿苑 in my critique of Episode 27.
475. Ep45, Wen Ning: “送给你”
This is perhaps a little pedantic, but anyway. 送给你 means “I’m giving it to you”!
476. Ep45, Zizhen’s dad: “你今天出的风头还不够吗”
Chinese parenting again, hands up if you relate! This sub is wrong. It means, “haven’t you stood in the spotlight for long enough today”? with the implication “can’t you just shut up and obey me for once?”
477. Ep45, Jiang Cheng’s guests: “江宗主客气”
The subs make them sound sarcastic, but it isn’t meant that way! This literally means “Clan Leader Jiang is polite”, but they’re saying it as a formal gesture of appreciation from guests to a host. The implication behind it is “we’re grateful for Clan Leader Jiang’s courtesy and consideration”.
478. Ep45, Sisi: “皮肉生意”
Nothing wrong with the subs here, but to explain a little more: 皮肉生意 literally means “flesh trade”. On the other hand, the term 娼妓 (which some of the other characters use to refer to Jin Guangyao’s mother) literally means “prostitute”.
479. Ep45: Sisi’s outfit
Let’s look at Sisi’s outfit! It makes her trade very clear. The low neckline and backline of the dress was designed to show the skin of her neck and shoulders, which was particularly scandalous at the time. Women who were not sex workers usually kept those areas covered (you can contrast it with Bi Cao’s outfit, on the right). Sisi’s fancy hair ornaments, bright fabrics, and billowing sleeves also serve as a means of attraction!
480. Ep45, Sisi: “一手遮天”
Sisi uses this phrase to describe the extent of Jin Guangyao’s power. Literally, it means “covering the sky with one hand”.
481. Ep45, Sisi: “姐妹”
Sisi refers to the women who worked with her as 姐妹, which literally means “sisters”.
CQL subs critique: Episode 44.2
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466. Ep44, Ouyang’s dad: “你不知道这是什么场合吗?”
He’s saying to his son, “don’t you understand what the situation is right now?” Loosely meaning, “can’t you read the room?”
467. Ep44, Su She: “你不必搬弄是非”
Sub is correct, but more specifically, he’s saying “you don’t need to distort the truth”.
468. Ep44, Lan Sizhui: “传得沸沸扬扬腥风血雨”
This is a dramatic phrase from Sizhui, but it’s pretty perceptive. 沸沸扬扬 means “to cause an uproar/turbulence” and 腥风血雨 means “a rain of blood and the smell of carrion on the wind”.
I’ve previously covered 血雨腥风 in my critique of Episode 7.
469. Ep44, Su She: “在场的诸位要有谁叫一声，就不算是好汉”
The translation is okay, but this is such a dumb thing to say. He’s saying, “whoever dares to scream (while Wei Wuxian is killing them) would not be considered a hero”!
470. Ep44, Wei Wuxian: “破障音”
破障 literally means “to remove obstacles”. On the other hand, a popular fan translation has the name of this score as “The Sound of Vanquish”, which I personally like better than “Evil Destroyer Music”.
471. Ep44, Su She: “含沙射影”
The meaning of 含沙射影 originates from a mythical creature that caused people to fall ill by spitting sand at their shadows.
Literally, this phrase means “to carry sand in your mouth and spit at shadows”, and figuratively, it means to attack someone in secret, to undermine them by spreading nasty rumors behind their backs, or making malicious insinuations.
CQL subs critique: Episode 44.1
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459. Ep44, Wei Wuxian: “大绵绵和小绵绵!”
He’s saying, “Big Mianmian and little Mianmian!”
460. Ep44, Wei Wuxian: “压祟钱”
压祟钱 (known as 压岁钱 in more modern terms) literally means “evil-subduing money”.
It’s lucky money given to children by adults on Lunar New Year, as it’s believed to be able to drive away evil spirits that attack children in their sleep. Some families used to put the money in red envelopes, which they would then put beside the child’s pillow as a warding talisman of sorts. Some fun facts:
- The custom of giving red envelopes to younger unmarried people and children around the Lunar New Year is still in practice today, although most people view it as a perpetuation of good karma (i.e. in giving, you receive) rather than for banishing spirits
- 祟 and 岁are homophones
- In some regions, you have to be married to be able to give out red envelopes to people from the younger generation (e.g. if you are from an older generation but unmarried, you can’t participate in the exchange at all, unfair as the practice is!) so, with that in mind, think what you will of Wangxian in this moment!
461. Ep44, Jin Chan: “有娘生没娘养”
The insult Jin Ling has been hearing all his life — “your mother gave birth to you, yet you still weren’t raised properly”. The translation is inaccurate.
You can read more about this phrase in my critique of Episode 2.
462. Ep44, Wei Wuxian: “连思追都会打架了”
This means, “so even Sizhui has learned to fight!” He’s proud of Sizhui here!
463. Ep44, Wei Wuxian: “叠罗汉”
Okay so. 叠罗汉 is a traditional sport/performance art from China which involves a group of people physically forming a human pyramid or structure — it’s a test of acrobatics, strength, and teamwork.
It’s a very strange phrase in this context. I think he’s trying to say “you’re surrounding him like a human pyramid”. Anyway, this phrase also appears in the book, so there you have it!
464. Ep44, Jin Ling: “舅舅”
Jin Ling calls Jiang Cheng “jiujiu” 舅舅, meaning “uncle on my mother’s side of the family”. He doesn’t call him “Grand Master”……..
465. Ep44, Su She: “生怕天下人不知”
The meaning isn’t really lost, but he’s saying “you were so afraid no one realized that you’d returned to the world, so you started making puppets”.
CQL subs critique: Episode 43.3
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453. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “人生得一知己 足矣”
Aiii not this “one true friend” thing again…
He’s saying “in a lifetime, having one zhiji (知己, also translated in previous episodes as “soulmate”) is more than enough”.
You can read about the term 知己 in my critiques of Episode 7andEpisode 25.
454. Ep43, Lan Wangji: “无它 问心无愧而已”
This sub is accurate, but again, to draw some literary parallels — remember the lantern scene, and the pledge 无愧于心 (no regrets)?
Lan Wangji is reflecting on this too. 问心无愧 loosely means “no regrets in the heart”. He doesn’t regret a single one of his actions he’s taken since the battle at Buyetian — defending Burial Mounds, the whipping, Jinlintai, everything.
You can read more about 无愧 in the lantern pledge scene in my critique of Episode 7.
455. Ep43, Jin Guangyao: “还于二哥”
The subs really have something against Jin Guangyao — they’re mistranslating the stuff he’s saying! This means “I’m returning it to Second Brother (i.e. you, i.e. Lan Xichen)!
456. Ep43, Jin Guangyao: “况且他还没有做到不可挽回之事”
He’s talking about Lan Wangji here. This means, “he hasn’t yet done anything that has caused irreparable damage/cannot be remedied”.
457. Ep43, Jin Guangyao: “呼风唤雨”
He’s talking about Wei Wuxian, and the subs missed this out. 呼风唤雨 literally means “to control the wind and rain”, and figuratively implies someone being powerful enough to bend others to their will for example, you could use it to describe a king, or a spoilt child. In Wei Wuxian’s case, it refers to the feared Yiling Laozu’s boundless power.
The phrase comes from the Song dynasty poem Yan Xi Xing 《罨溪行》 by Kong Di 孔觌. A line from the poem reads 罨画溪头鸟鸟乐，呼风唤雨不能休, which describes an idyllic scene of birds calling out to each other near a river, as if they controlled the elements themselves!
458. Ep43, Jin Guangyao: “你想去看看大哥吗”
Ok I’ve had it with these subs. He’s saying “do you want to go see Da-ge (Nie Mingjue)?”
CQL subs critique: Episode 43.2
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448. Ep43, Lan Wangji: “敢问叔父 孰正孰邪 孰黑孰白”
We’re back to this again. I’ve nothing more to point out regarding the translation and literary parallels, but just some additional notes about this scene.
First, it’s very uncharacteristic of Lan Wangji to verbally defy his uncle like this. For one with a Confucian upbringing, this is especially shocking — you probably wouldn’t dare to say such things to your parental figures while they’re punishing you.
Second, and this is probably an unpopular opinion — I’m honestly surprised that Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen didn’t have Lan Wangji executed for his actions. In their eyes, he went against the rules of the clan, and threw away filial reverence and respect for the sake of romantic devotion, a particularly selfish sort of love. It’s a common practice in martial/pugilistic settings to execute without exceptions for such extreme rule-breaking, and Lan Qiren (bless him) went against the grain here.
This is evidence of how deeply Lan Qiren loves Lan Wangji. Despite seeing his own brother’s actions and mistakes repeated in the next generation, Lan Qiren still continued to hope that he could change and fix things. In a highly unorthodox move, he too put his own love ahead of the clan rules, ahead of tradition.
You can read more about my analysis of the phrase 孰正孰邪 孰黑孰白 in my critiques of Episode 21,Episode 23, and Episode 27.
449. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “年少多情”
He’s talking about the Lan brothers’ parents here. This can be loosely translated to mean “ah, young love”!
450. Ep43, Lan Xichen: “也许世上人心 终是横看成火 侧看成冰”
I love this phrase so much and I’m lowkey mad at this awkward translation. But it’s a difficult phrase to explain, so let’s get to it!
- 也许世上人心 means “perhaps people’s hearts…”
- 终是横看成火 侧看成冰 literally means “at the end, if we look at it horizontally, it resembles fire; if we see it vertically, it looks like ice”.
Put together, it loosely means “perhaps in the end, people’s hearts just look different from different perspectives”. Lan Xichen really has some of the best lines in CQL — the things he says are so underrated sometimes!
451. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “肉麻”
肉麻 literally implies “causing goosepimples to rise on the skin”. It’s often used to describe the feeling of saying something overly mushy to another person!
452. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “打击”
Eh.. this is inaccurate. He’s saying, “your brother just received quite a big shock” (regarding the accusations about Jin Guangyao).
CQL subs critique: Episode 43.1
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443. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “慢性毒药”
慢性毒药 means “slow-acting poison”, not “catalyst”.
444. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “无法查清这旋律的来源”
This is wrong! He’s saying “(since Jin Guangyao removed the page), it’d be impossible to find the source of the music score”.
445. Ep43: 清心音
Okay, this is interesting. In the novel, 清心音 is translated as “song of clarity”, and 洗华 is translated as “cleansing” in a popular fan translation. In the novel, Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao both play 洗华 (Cleansing) for Nie Mingjue; however, in the show, they play 清心音 (Song of Clarity). I’m not sure why the directors made this choice — perhaps they felt these two scores were too similar?
446. Ep43, Wei Wuxian: “你们蓝家的藏书阁禁书室真的不算什么”
He’s saying, “(compared to Wen Ruohan’s secret room), your Library Pavilion’s forbidden chamber is nothing”. Meaning is still there, though!
447. Ep43, Lan Xichen: “忍辱负重、心系众生、敬上怜下”
He’s talking about Jin Guangyao here. Let’s break it down.
- 忍辱负重: enduring suffering and humiliation with grace and gravity
- 心系众生: means caring for and treasuring all lives
- 敬上怜下: means showing respect to those of higher standing, while showing kindness to those of lower standing
These phrases are practically values, and show the depths of Lan Xichen’s devotion to Jin Guangyao.
CQL subs critique: Episode 42
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435. Ep42, Jin Guangyao: “死后分尸”
This sub is accurate, but I wanted to point out that Jin Guangyao uses a different phrase in the novel to refer to dismemberment, 五马分尸. In ancient times, this was a particularly brutal method of execution.
Five horses would be tied to a person’s body, one to each limb and one to the neck, and be made to run in five separate directions.
(Please note that is not actually what happened to Nie Mingjue; the phrase was just used in the novel figuratively!)
436. Ep42, Su She: “莫逆”
Su She accuses Lan Wangji and “Mo Xuanyu” of 莫逆之交, which doesn’t just mean “close friends”, but “association between intimates”.
437. Ep42, Jin Guangyao: “还不将你的面具摘下来?”
He’s saying, “why don’t you take off your mask?”
438. Ep42: 静室
Okay I’ve explained Jingshi before; it was previously translated as “Silence Room” in one of the earlier episodes. But this? Cultivation chamber? I guess it’s fine, especially since a lot of *dual cultivation* happens there anyway
439. Ep42, Wei Wuxian: “知道金光瑶不少见不得人的事情”
This more accurately translates to “this person seems to know a lot of unsavory secrets about Jin Guangyao”.
440. Ep42, Lan Wangji: “天衣无缝”
Sub is correct, but just to explain 天衣无缝. It’s a rather poetic phrase that references the clothing of immortals — beautiful and perfect.
441. Ep42: 乱魄抄
“The Collection of Turmoil” is a good translation, but just to give it a bit more flavor. 乱魄 refers to a restlessness or confusion of the spirit. The name could also have been derived from the phrase 失魂落魄, which implies a state of mind that is worried, anxious, unsettled, and unnatural.
442. Ep42, Lan Xichen: “来自东瀛”
Dongying 东瀛 was the old term for Japan. It literally means, “sea to the east”.
A fun fact: before the Qing Dynasty, “Dongying” was also used to refer to other islands to the east of the mainland too.
CQL subs critique: Episode 41.2
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432. Ep41, Jin Guangyao: “敢问，您是如何判定一个人是否罪有应得”
So many characters in this series have said variants of this phrase before — “how do we judge whether someone is guilty, and therefore, whether they deserve punishment?”
If you compare this to the final conversation between Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen, there are many parallels here. Xue Yang has his own internal principles which drive his actions; he believes the loss of his finger is equivalent to the slaughter of an entire sect.
Jin Guangyao’s perspective is slightly similar; he too feels that he had good reasons to kill. However, his motivations are much more complicated — unlike Xue Yang, who doesn’t really need to justify the specifics of each individual murder for the sake his own conscience, Jin Guangyao has an explanation for everything, and he can pinpoint each exact moment where he realizes that he has a grievance against someone.
You can read more about Xue Yang’s statement in my critique of Episode 39.
433. Ep41, Nie Mingjue: “混帐”
Even though Jin Guangyao is, in fact, a bastard (objective), this is not literally what Nie Mingjue is saying! 混帐 more accurately translates to “asshole” or “scum”, or “bastard” (derogatory)!
434. Ep41, Wei Wuxian: “请问你有什么资格说姑苏蓝氏啊”
This was said to Su She, and is more savage than the subs make it out to be. He’s saying, “what right have you to criticize the Lan sect?”
Lan Xichen: fairness, justice, and love
⚖️ Lan Xichen made so many sacrifices and concessions for Lan Wangji because he loved him unconditionally and above all else
⚖️ This is a Huge Deal™️, and here’s why
⚖️ Spoilers ahead!
Some disclaimers before we begin:
- I’ll be analyzing and explaining Lan Xichen’s actions against a socio-cultural backdrop
- I’ll be referencing both novel and CQL canon in this analysis
- Again, if this is your first foray into cultural meta, you may find my opinions jarring
- This is a companion meta to my previous one on Shuoyue and Liebing
Ok so! I was recently talking to some friends about Lan Xichen, and about how he struggled to temper his love for Lan Wangji with his filial duty to his clan.
While Lan Xichen largely remains an immensely popular character in fandom, I’ve seen him labeled as “weak” and “spineless”, namely for:
- Not standing at Lan Wangji’s side during the first siege of Burial Mounds, and taking 33 elders with him to “confront” his brother
- Passively allowing Lan Wangji to endure 33 strokes of the discipline whip
If we strip this arc of its cultural context and situational relevance, and look at it solely from a modern, individualistic perspective, it would be easy for us to arrive at such conclusions.
However, just like any other story or media we consume, we would do well to consider it against the backdrop of:
- Lan Xichen’s position as a clan leader, and his corresponding duty to his family and people
- Lan Xichen’s position as a elder brother, and his own personal values
- The collectivistic norms of martial/pugilistic environments, which largely drove how (a) misdeeds are traditionally defined, (b) punishments are usually meted out, and © love between family members is typically expressed
Lan Xichen the clan leader
As clan leader, Lan Xichen’s filial duty is first and foremost to his uncle, who is an elder, and by extension, to the clan and disciples under his care. The clan represents his ancestral heritage: it is his father’s legacy, passed on to him as the oldest son and heir. It is Lan Xichen’s lifeblood, and his duty. If he fails, the rest of the clan fails along with him.
Let’s examine Lan Xichen’s relationship to the concept of chiping 持平, in the context of being a clan leader.
What is 持平? I’d loosely translate it to “fairness” and “impartiality”, which are important values for a clan leader to have. I’ve written a little about 持平 here, in my analysis of Shuoyue and Liebing.
Lan Xichen embodies 持平 throughout the story. At many points, we find him stepping into a mediating role, attempting to find the middle ground and maintain the balance between the various agents and events in his life:
- He frequently mediated between his brother and uncle, and served as a confidante for both
- He acted as a go-between for his sworn brothers, and did his best to ease the friction between them
To many people who already know the full story of mdzs, 持平 may look a lot like passivity and weakness, especially in hindsight. However, given Lan Xichen’s position as a prominent clan leader in a guzhuang context, I’d argue it’s actually a strength, a mark of wisdom. It’s an imperative to stay moderate and reserve judgement based on personal feelings, in order to ensure the best possible outcome for family, clan, and society.
Why 持平?
For the broader context, let’s look at the example of Justice Bao 包青天. Justice Bao was a magistrate during the Song Dynasty who was famous for his embodiment of fairness and honesty. He did not show favoritism to close associates and family. He disdained corruption, even sentencing his own uncle and people from many powerful families in the name of justice.
Many Chinese people who are leaders, ancient and modern alike, strive to the ideal of Justice Bao. Lan Xichen was no exception. In his capacity as a clan leader, he had always intended to be fair to everyone, in taking his time to investigate carefully, and ultimately, judging with impartiality.
I cover this a little in my speech patterns meta, where he discusses the allegations against Jin Guangyao with Lan Wangji (refer to the section on Lan Xichen).
Also, on a deeply personal level, Lan Xichen had witnessed firsthand the effects of his own father’s selfish individualism against the wider collective. His father had neglected his duties as a leader and single-handedly ruined a host of lives and relationships. If not for Lan Qiren’s steady guiding presence at the helm, Gusu Lan would have fallen to ruin in the years following Lan Xichen’s birth.
I elaborate about this in my 3zun meta (see section on Lan Xichen’s personal reasons for wanting to join in brotherhood with Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao), in the context of him playing the role of peacemaker for his sworn brothers.
This is precisely why 持平 was so important to Lan Xichen — it was his calling to help his clan avoid the mistakes of the past by keeping things in orderly balance. He saw it as instrumental in preserving the longevity, stability, and good reputation of the clan.
Lan Xichen the elder sibling
Now, let’s look at Lan Xichen as a brother.
By right, Lan Xichen should never have let his love or partiality towards his brother affect any decisions related to the clan. Hierarchically speaking, Lan Wangji’s position was much less important than Lan Xichen’s. As a filial younger sibling and a loyal subordinate, it was expected of Lan Wangji to wholeheartedly serve his brother in his governance.
As we know, Lan Xichen’s personal values included giving his loved ones the benefit of the doubt, and weighing current actions against what he knew of their past intentions.
Did he take it too far with Lan Wangji, and also much later, with Jin Guangyao?
Objectively speaking, he most definitely did.
Here’s where Lan Xichen had one of his greatest struggles with 持平. Even given the severity of Lan Wangji’s crimes at Burial Mounds, Lan Xichen still tried his best to be fair. He looked at Lan Wangji and judged him based on what he knew of him in the twenty or so years they had been siblings. In doing so, he allowed his personal feelings to interfere with the course of justice.
At this point, Lan Xichen’s values as a clan leader came into conflict with his personal values, and 持平 devolved into maodun 矛盾.
矛盾, very loosely speaking, represents a spear 矛 striking against a shield 盾: an impasse, a clash of ideals, neither element overpowering the other and giving way for a clear victory. More abstractly speaking, it refers to a contradiction of the heart and mind, and a convergence of conflicting intentions. 矛盾 generally has a negative connotation — it implies an inner struggle at the most fundamental level.
For reference, let’s recap this exchange in CQL episode 21 (paras 227 and 228).
And again, in CQL episode 43 (para 450).
We see him readily acknowledge in the conversations above that there are nuances between good and bad, and that it’s not often easy to make a good decision, judgement-wise.
In the face of 矛盾, Lan Xichen ended up compromising on both his clan’s values and his personal ones, in particular where the discipline whip was concerned. More on this later!
The norms of the cultivation jianghu
Let’s now go into what was typical in the cultivation jianghu given the setting of the story and the time period.
How misdeeds are traditionally defined
The fabric of jianghu society was largely a collectivistic one. The needs of the many would usually always outweigh the needs of the one. People, places, and events existed in a delicate, harmonious balance, upheld only by a fragile latticework of unwritten moral codes.
I’ve previously written a little about crime and punishment in the jianghu here.
Family units and cultivation/martial sects/clans were therefore the building blocks of duty and loyalty. Anyone found to be breaking the rules of their cultivation clan or martial sect would be seen as disrupting the norm, and creating a ripple effect on the rest of society. In a collective sense, all it means that actions have repercussions, and this reflects not only on the failings of the individual, but also on the elders of the clan and the family name. To this end, fundamental rule-breaking was regarded as unfilial, an ultimate act of ingratitude and betrayal.
Lan Wangji’s actions at Burial Mounds (and by association, Wei Wuxian’s) ran parallel to all societal and familial expectations. As fans of the story, we know that Wei Wuxian had a very good reason for taking up demonic cultivation, and that Lan Wangji, correspondingly, had very good reasons for staying at his side.
But the upshot of it is this — to Lan Xichen (and to Lan Qiren, and to almost everyone else), Lan Wangji was acting with extreme callousness and disdain for his clan’s values and teachings. To them, it appeared that he was placing only romantic love, which was considered a particularly selfish and individualistic sort of love, above his reverence and filial duty to Gusu Lan.
In a Confucian context, this is a particularly serious transgression. It is the very embodiment of 忘恩负义, or, loosely, “ingratitude”, i.e. turning one’s back on all morality or teachings.
How punishments are usually meted out
Traditionally, for a crime as severe as Lan Wangji’s (betrayal in wounding his elders and refusing to stand with his clan against Wei Wuxian), the punishment had to be commensurate with the misdeed. In an wuxia context, it would definitely have involved one or both of the following:
- Banishment or disownment: if meted out to Lan Wangji, this would have been devastating in the extreme. The stripping of titles and family name would have effectively severed his ancestral ties to the clan, forcing him to lead the rest of his life as an outcast and a nobody. Being cast out of the collective is a terrifying prospect for many Chinese people, even in modern times. It represents the threat of losing one’s identity, legacy, and connection to history.
- Removal of spiritual/martial abilities: in wuxia, this normally involves the sealing of meridians by a senior master to prevent the culprit from causing harm to others ever again. With one stroke, they would lose all abilities and become an ordinary person. In the context of xianxia, and especially in the world of mdzs, I’d imagine it as equivalent to a golden core removal, or a permanent sealing of spiritual energy. Had Lan Wangji received this punishment, he would never have been able to fight, ride on his sword, or perform musical cultivation ever again.
Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren loved Lan Wangji far too much to subject him to either of these two punishments. As such, they compromised, by settling on the discipline whip instead.
So, why the discipline whip 戒鞭?
First, let’s look at what the discipline whip represents. 戒 is a term that has its roots in Buddhism. It refers to “rules” or, more abstractly, moral commandments. Every clan has its own rules, and the discipline whip serves the purpose of punishing the disciples who break them 破戒. Wounds from a discipline whip can last a lifetime.
I’ve previously written a little about 戒鞭 in my critique of CQL episode 17 (para 178).
Each stroke of the discipline whip represents failure, and a reflection of it. In Lan Wangji’s case, it represented his failure to learn and thoroughly internalize his clan’s rules and values.
In Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren’s case, it represented their failure, as his elders, to instruct him. There is a saying in the 三字经 “Three Character Classic” which many Chinese children learn in school:
养不教，父之过。教不严，师之惰。
“To raise without teaching is the father’s oversight. To teach without strictness is the master’s laziness.”
(translation by me)
From Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren’s perspective, they had done Lan Wangji a great disservice by failing to instill proper values in him. Against the natural order of things, they had selfishly let their love for him take precedence over the necessary — severity and discipline.
And even then! Even against tradition, and knowing the hand they had to play in this, they still chose their own love for Lan Wangji above all else. This is the compromise I spoke of earlier: the breaking of their own family rules and the subverting of jianghu norms, all to keep Lan Wangji whole and close to the family.
Lan Wangji’s whipping was also an opportunity for Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren to reflect on their own mistakes and shortcomings. Each blow that landed on Lan Wangji’s body was equivalent to a blow on their own — they shared his pain, all while understanding that it was absolutely necessary for all three of them.
In other words, whipping Lan Wangji hurt their hearts as much as it hurt him. After all, he was their own flesh and blood.
One other advantage of using the discipline whip was the extent of the scars it would eventually leave behind. The scars represented transgressions and the burden of memory. Lan Xichen would always look at his brother’s scars as a cautionary tale; a reminder of his own failure as a brother and as an elder. In a similar vein, because he loved Lan Wangji, he also hoped that he would look to them as a lesson to carry forward into the future.
Finally, there is an added layer here, of punishment in the context of love. The choice of the discipline whip over disownment or disablement meant that Lan Wangji was not completely irredeemable in Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren’s eyes. The prospect of condemning him as a lost cause was absolutely abhorrent to them. This was the extent of their love — that no matter what he had done, they still accepted him, and absolutely wanted to continue believing in him.
How love is typically expressed between family members
Compared to some of the other sibling pairs in the story, Lan Xichen’s love for Lan Wangji is expressed very differently. We don’t see him rushing to take a blade for Lan Wangji in combat (even though we all know he absolutely would), or ditching the trappings of his lofty position to physically stand by Lan Wangji’s side at Burial Mounds. However, this doesn’t mean that he loves Lan Wangji any less.
Lan Xichen made concession after concession for Lan Wangji. He broke the central ideal of 持平 and let his personal feelings dominate when making decisions about his brother. He put his reputation on the line for Lan Wangji many times in the story.
Some might argue that reputation and personal values are intangible, and that their sacrifice pales in comparison to grandiose gestures such as the golden core transplant.
But, as explained earlier, the magnitude of Lan Xichen’s sacrifices for Lan Wangji had the potential to negatively impact both Gusu Lan and the wider society at large, owing to his position.
What do I mean by this? Here are some examples.
- Instead of leading a general charge to Burial Mounds to apprehend Lan Wangji, as would be expected of someone in a high-ranking, impartial position, Lan Xichen went against the grain and personally handpicked 33 elders who held Lan Wangji in high regard. He was hoping for a personal conversation and a peaceful negotiation between respected equals, and not bloodshed. Note that had he indeed intended to forcefully subdue Lan Wangji, he would not have bothered to handpick anyone. Lan Wangji was already wounded and low on spiritual energy, and a large contingent comprising the best cultivators across all clans would have been adequate to overpower him. Lan Xichen feared the impact on Lan Wangji’s reputation, more so than even his own. That was why he chose only people from his own clan, and invited no one else. It was a risky operation — if anyone from outside the Lan clan had discovered that Lan Xichen had acted with such partiality, it would have been disastrous for the name of Gusu Lan. Lan Xichen would have been harshly judged for his favoritism. He would have been branded a war criminal and a traitor alongside his brother and Wei Wuxian, and the name of Gusu Lan would have been irreparably sullied for generations to come.
- Even after Lan Wangji wounded the elders, Lan Xichen still opted for the discipline whip punishment. This allowed him to contain the matter within his household and handle it as domestically and as privately as possible. If someone like Nie Mingjue, for example, had happened to find out the truth, that person would probably have made it a collective problem by publicly demanding Lan Wangji’s disownment or execution, for aiding and abetting Wei Wuxian. This was yet another sacrifice Lan Xichen made for Lan Wangji: in a symbolic sense, he stood in a defensive position between Lan Wangji and the rest of the cultivation world.
- Post-Jinlintai, in a highly unorthodox move, Lan Xichen allowed Wei Wuxian to remain at Cloud Recesses. Despite Lan Wangji’s past actions at Buyetian and his distrust of Jin Guangyao following the events in the Jins’ treasure room, Lan Xichen still respected his brother’s judgement and kept him in high regard. This was how Lan Xichen expressed one of the highest forms of love — in his gracefulness and openness towards Lan Wangji, and in his willingness to keep faith in him, even in the trickiest and most confusing of circumstances. Once again, he was putting his own reputation on the line. Everyone in Jinlintai had been baying for Wei Wuxian’s blood, and had Lan Xichen been discovered to be harboring Wei Wuxian at his ancestral home, Gusu Lan would have had to contend with severe backlash from the rest of the cultivation world.
Final thoughts
While Lan Xichen certainly had his flaws and errors in judgement in the story, it’s not an altogether straightforward matter to declare him as “weak” and “spineless”. Like many of the other older siblings in the story, Lan Xichen loved his brother and was equally, if not more, prepared to face backlash on his behalf. However, he appears to have had an easier time of it, and that’s only because he was fortunate that his cover-ups were not discovered by anyone outside of his immediate family.
孰正孰邪 孰黑孰白 (“who is good and who is evil / who is black and who is white”), as expressed in CQL, is an important and critical question to ponder when evaluating a character’s motivation — not just for mdzs, but for any literature or media we consume. We would always do well to consider the broader picture behind the dichotomy of right and wrong, and account for nuances and what is known to each character at the time.
And, for Lan Xichen in particular, the best way to do him justice is to judge his actions fully within his socio-cultural context, and be wary of using an overly modern or individualistic lens.
References
