If this is your first foray into cultural meta, you may find my analysis jarring
All translations are by me!
Ok so! This scene doesn’t happen in the novel, but there are some notable points here made by Wei Wuxian about Jiang Cheng’s ideals of a perfect wife. Let’s examine them in detail.
But first, to fully grasp the nuances in the dialogue and the cultural relevance of these ideals, it’s important to consider the famous phrase 窈窕淑女 君子好逑. This is from the poem Guan Ju 关雎, which was anonymously written during the Zhou Dynasty.
Loosely, 窈窕淑女 君子好逑 means “a virtuous and graceful lady is the perfect match for a gentleman”. It describes the ideal woman from a man’s perspective, and has been used throughout Chinese history as a standard of what “a woman should aspire to be”.
This is an oft-quoted phrase, even in modern times. It’s understandable that Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian (and by extension, the rest of society relevant to that time in history) would also have been influenced by this ideal.
Just as they aspired to be 君子, which is the Confucian standard used to measure a man’s values and behavior, so should the women they would eventually marry embody the qualities of 淑女, to ensure a balanced and harmonious match.
A harmonious marriage (usually described by the ideal 琴瑟和鸣, or “a zither playing in harmony”) was generally one in which the couple treated each other with courtesy and respect, as they would accord to an honored guest 相敬如宾.
Now, on to each of the ideals, one by one.
天生美女
This means, “a natural beauty”.
温柔贤惠 勤俭持家
温柔贤惠 refers to a person who is gentle, caring, thoughtful of others (温柔), kind, virtuous, upright, amiable, educated (贤惠).
The ideal 温柔贤惠 is referenced in many poems and writings in history. Princess Guangde, daughter of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, is also described as such in Sun Qi’s 孙棨 journal 《北里志》: 颇有贤淑之誉 “a rather virtuous reputation”.
勤俭持家 means “diligent and thrifty in managing the home”.
Diligence and thrift were considered important values not just for women, but men as well. Diligence without thrift meant that economic resources would be wasted in the pursuit of outcomes. Conversely, thrift without diligence indicated miserliness and laziness, which meant that the family would inevitably starve.
家世清白
This means “from a reputable family”.
This was especially important, considering the high status of the Jiang clan at that point in the story. A bride from a good family would cement the Jiang clan’s reputation, and further elevate Jiang Cheng’s status in the cultivation jianghu.
说话不能太多/嗓门不能太大
This means “doesn’t speak too much/doesn’t speak too loudly”.
This has roots in Confucian ideals, which placed men as the heads of their households. In order to preserve marital harmony, wives were usually expected to obey their husbands. Generally speaking, in olden times, women who spoke loudly or too much were considered ill-bred 没家教, because it was believed that they would challenge their husbands’ authority.
Even in modern times, it is tremendously insulting to accuse a woman (or anyone, really) of 没家教. This is because it implies that she is from a family of ill repute, and that she will go on to ruin the harmony in her marital home, and by extension, her husband’s good reputation as well.
This means, “not too high a level of cultivation”.
This is an interesting one, and it has clear implications on Jiang Cheng’s future position as the head of the Jiang household.
As clan leader, Jiang Cheng would be expected to hold a formidable presence at the helm of Yunmeng Jiang. No one, especially his wife, should be capable of outshining him — it would undermine his authority, and invite mockery or attacks from other clans.
花钱不能太狠:
This refers to someone who doesn’t spend money indiscriminately.
This one goes well with the 勤俭持家 ideal mentioned above.
In summary
While these ideals may seem overly generic, they were widely regarded as important and relevant, especially in a collectivist society.
It was common for children in ancient China (and even in some modern circles) to be educated from an early age about these virtues, and to hold these as ideals for themselves and potential spouses, ahead of any personal preferences or individual inclinations.
It’s also true that at this point, we don’t know if these ideals completely reflect Jiang Cheng’s true desires, or if Wei Wuxian is just teasing him. Personally, I suspect it’s a bit of both!
But when we put these ideals together, here are some conclusions that we can draw.
Jiang Cheng’s own terms and considerations
Assuming it’s mostly the former, it means that Jiang Cheng, as a young 君子 himself, has set some high (but not wholly unattainable) standards for his future bride. Given his good family name and high rank in the cultivation world, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable of him to do so.
As the heir, Jiang Cheng would have set these standards with the comfort and well-being of his ageing parents in mind, ahead of his own preferences and desires.
Per familial tradition, Jiang Cheng’s future wife would be required to submit not just to Jiang Cheng’s authority, but to his mother’s as well. From this perspective, filial piety was an important virtue — as a daughter-in-law, she would need to venerate Yu Ziyuan as she would her own mother, and not attempt to outshine her or undermine her authority. She would need to learn the basics of household management (and later, take advice on her children’s education and upbringing) from Yu Ziyuan.
Someone measuring up to the above criteria — thrifty, diligent, educated, graceful — would be a good fit for the Jiang family (or any reputable family, really); easy to instruct and quick to learn.
As a filial son, Jiang Cheng would have recognized this, and he would have been prepared to choose a bride who would treat his mother with the respect that her position and accomplishments deserved.
So if we assume that these standards were set by Jiang Cheng himself, then they were possibly influenced by Yu Ziyuan!
Note that I don’t mention Jiang Fengmian here, though the concept of being on the receiving end of filial piety would apply to him as well. This is because men traditionally oversaw outer 外 matters, such as war and politics. Women were supposed to oversee inner 内 matters, such as household management.
Post-marriage, Jiang Cheng’s wife would likely spend the bulk of her time with Yu Ziyuan or other female relatives and members of the household, instead of with her husband or father-in-law.
Additionally, note that Jiang Cheng’s wife would not become the lady of the house (or expect to have much authority of her own) until after Yu Ziyuan’s death.
Note that while these ideals were considered important during the time period, none of them discuss or reference personal preferences or romantic love.
Romantic love and attraction
Romantic love was considered secondary to many other responsibilities in a person’s life. These duties (which in Jiang Cheng’s case, included being a clan leader; and in Wei Wuxian’s, being the head disciple) were usually deeply ingrained in childhood teachings.
Assuming that Jiang Cheng set these standards himself, he would have used his parents’ marriage as a measure.
While the Jiangs may not have had a perfect marriage, it would still have seemed harmonious and beneficial in Jiang Cheng’s eyes. The Jiang clan was relatively prosperous; it enjoyed high status in the era of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan’s marriage. As the future heir, Jiang Cheng would have been aware of his own status and privilege from a young age.
On using his mother as a standard: Jiang Cheng would have seen the way his mother tirelessly devoted herself to the upkeep of the Jiang family name, despite the rumors swirling about Wei Wuxian’s parentage and the disparaging remarks made about her behind her back. Also, given his upbringing and personality, Jiang Cheng would also have noticed and appreciated how his mother took pains to instruct him and his sister in order to make them into the best versions of themselves.
And so, given the full cultural context and what was considered ideal for the time, Jiang Cheng (and maybe Wei Wuxian, at this point in the story) probably considered duty and harmony to be more important than romantic love.
It’s likely that he examined the aspects of his mother’s and sister’s personalities that had the most to do with these virtues, and set them as standards for his future wife to uphold.
Wei Wuxian’s terms and considerations
Now, assuming Wei Wuxian is mostly teasing: this says a lot about shuangjie, which is mostly that Wei Wuxian is also influenced by the cultural ideal of a “good wife”. With this in mind, we may consider that Wei Wuxian is probably thinking along these lines:
Once Jiang Yanli marries out, the Yunmeng trio would be one short. In Wei Wuxian’s ideal scenario, Jiang Cheng’s future wife would probably fill the void left by her absence. By naming qualities similar to those that Jiang Yanli possesses, he’s imagining a similar dynamic between the future Yunmeng trio and the existing one, which is a little sweet and wishful on his part.
This is, to some extent, some humorous self-deprecation. Wei Wuxian is the closest person to Jiang Cheng, and he’s deliberately picking qualities that run contrary to his own personality and behavior, mostly out of jest. It’s almost a running joke between them at this point — the notion of “if you get sick of me, at least you’ll still have your wife!”
Wei Wuxian recognizes these as desirable ideals in the context of the setting and time period, and on a deeper level, he simply wants and wishes for Jiang Cheng to have the best. Though he appears to be teasing Jiang Cheng here, it’s his way of expressing that he does, in his deepest of hearts, consider Jiang Cheng to be worthy of a perfect match.
So, there you have it! What these ideals meant to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, and their broader potential implications for the future of the Jiang family.
Jiang Cheng has had the weight of all these responsibilities thrust upon him since his birth. As the heir, he has been raised to always put the clan first.
He had grown up knowing that he was different from his sister, who would eventually “marry out” 外嫁. After marrying Jin Zixuan, she then “belonged” to the Jin family, and in doing so, renounced most of her obligations to the Jiang clan.
He is also aware that he is different from Wei Wuxian, who, as the lead disciple, is only responsible for instructing the other disciples and attending to various administrative jobs for the Jiang family.
As the heir, Jiang Cheng is expected to put the well-being of the clan ahead of his own selfish needs and desires, and ahead of his relationship with Wei Wuxian.
What’s central to Jiang Cheng’s being is a very simple commandment — family and duty come first. And this is precisely why he acts in the way that he does throughout the story.
Now, with this context in mind, let’s look at the criticisms leveled at him, one by one.
1. Cowardly
Jiang Cheng’s unwillingness to defend the Wens alongside Wei Wuxian didn’t mean that he was being cowardly — in fact, it was exactly the opposite.
Imagine a world in which Jiang Cheng had spoken up at the Phoenix Mountain hunt to protest the use of the Wens as human targets.
Imagine a world in which he had gone with Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing to Qiongqi to retrieve Wen Ning’s remains.
Now, think of the position of the Jiang clan, post-Sunshot. Jiang Cheng was the youngest of the new clan leaders, and the only one from the Sunshot alliance who was not sworn into the brotherhood with the Nie, Lan, and Jin clan leaders.
The Jiang clan had the weakest position of the four large clans. One misstep, and it would have easily been annihilated by any of the other three. Jiang Cheng could not afford to offend anyone, not when he needed to establish himself, rebuild his home, and recruit more disciples to strengthen his position.
He had come into power at an inopportune time. He was inexperienced, alone, and bereft of the political capital his parents enjoyed when they ruled the clan. His family home was in ruins, and many of his disciples were dead. Wei Wuxian’s presence by his side was another volatile factor — the other clans saw him as belligerent and unstable, and at the time, no one was sure if he really strengthened Jiang Cheng’s position, or weakened it.
For Jiang Cheng to have ridden off to Qiongqi or to have run his mouth during the Jin hunt in defense of the Wens would have effectively resulted in the demise of his clan.
Even if the other clans chose not to overwhelm him with their military might, they would have publicly condemned his clan, making it virtually impossible for him to establish critical alliances and relationships.
As much as Jiang Cheng may have loved Wei Wuxian and agreed with him in principle, it was wise of him to show restraint, remain silent on the matter, and act with diplomatic haste to remedy the solution — all for the good of his clan.
Don’t forget: Wei Wuxian understood all of this too. That was why he never asked Jiang Cheng to back him at the victory banquet, when he was confronting Jin Zixun. That was why he suggested they stage their fight, because he wanted to give Jiang Cheng an acceptable excuse to sever ties with him. That was why he never once forced contact with Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli after he was disowned. And finally, that was why he understood the tremendous risk Jiang Cheng took when he brought Jiang Yanli to visit him in Yiling.
Why was Wei Wuxian able to do all of these things, though?
Unlike Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian’s parents were independent cultivators. At the time of his birth, they had no formal ties to any major clans, nor were they heads of a clan.
Wei Wuxian had no such obligations as Jiang Cheng did. He had nothing to lose. He had no dynastic considerations, ancestors to honor, or a family name to protect. He had only a martial bond to the Jiang clan, and not a blood one. And he rightly severed that tie to free Jiang Cheng from the repercussions of his actions.
2. Harsh
Perhaps it was unfair for Jiang Cheng to say that Wei Wuxian’s rescue of Lan Wangji from the xuanwu effectively caused the Jiang family’s demise. But, is there any truth in it?
To answer that question, let’s look at Wei Wuxian’s behavior during their captivity in Qishan.
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian had very different attitudes while being held hostage by the Wens. Wei Wuxian was fueled by a righteous anger at the tyranny of the Wens. Throughout their time in Qishan, he was constantly looking for opportunities to help other people outside of the Jiang clan, to unite his fellow captives against their oppressors, and to take control of the situation.
To Wei Wuxian, the immediate destruction of the Wen clan would have been a favorable outcome. Like a typical wuxia hero, he was driven by his innate sense of justice and fairness 侠肝义胆.
What about Jiang Cheng? As we know, Jiang Cheng’s values and motivations were very different. Jiang Cheng’s focus was solely on preservation. Not just his own self-preservation, but the ultimate survival of his clan.
He needed to protect his parents and sister, and ancestral home, which were vulnerable targets despite being far away from Qishan. Even before formally assuming the mantle of a clan leader, he was already thinking and acting like one.
Chinese kids always hear this phrase growing up: 不要出风头. It’s a unique phrase that has a special place in collectivistic cultures. The essence of it means “don’t attract unnecessary attention; don’t make waves for no good reason (because actions have consequences, and other people will be affected by them, not just yourself)”.
Part of being a good leader is being able to perceive the interconnectedness and the natural consequences of things. Jiang Cheng knew that the Wens would definitely retaliate. That was why he was so incensed that Wei Wuxian incurred the Wen clan’s ire by rescuing Lan Wangji and killing the xuanwu.
Wei Wuxian may have acted like a hero, driven by his courage and innate sense of fairness, but ultimately, his actions catalyzed the Jiang clan’s destruction. Unlike Jiang Cheng, he likely did not consider the impact it would have on the Jiang clan.
Jiang Cheng was partly right — if Wei Wuxian had perhaps acted less honorably, Wang Lingjiao and the rest of the Wens would perhaps have had to dig deeper for an excuse to visit Yunmeng, which would have given the Jiangs more time to prepare for the attack.
It may not have prevented the battle entirely, but those few days’ grace may have meant the difference between life and death for Jiang Cheng’s parents, and the survival of hundreds of Jiang disciples.
I’d argue that Jiang Cheng’s priorities are not selfish, just different. He does value human life — but he chose to prioritize his own family over outsiders like Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with that! In fact, it was a perfectly rational way for Jiang Cheng to behave.
3. Weak
Okay, this one really made me raise an eyebrow. Jiang Cheng, weak for not arguing back when his parents scolded him?
If you consider what I wrote earlier on filial piety, this argument doesn’t have much of a place in the overall context of Jiang Cheng’s upbringing.
There are very few universes in which it’s acceptable for a Chinese kid to talk back to their parents (even when their parents are obviously wrong). It especially wasn’t acceptable during the time period in which Jiang Cheng was raised.
So what was Jiang Cheng supposed to do, stand there and take it?
Yes!
Think about why Yu Ziyuan scolded Jiang Cheng for his panicked reaction when Wang Lingjiao kidnapped one of their disciples. Think about why Jiang Fengmian criticized him for grumbling about Wei Wuxian’s heroic deeds in Muxi. In both cases, he was not acting like a clan leader.
Jiang Cheng, by all accounts, had a comfortable and loving childhood. Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian showed their love for him the way many Chinese parents do — by being deliberately harsh on him to push him to do better, so he would come into his role as a future clan leader.
In Yu Ziyuan’s eyes, Jiang Cheng was too soft, too excitable. Instead of calmly assessing the situation and options available to him, he panicked when Wang Lingjiao showed up. Worse; he lost his cool in front of his own subordinates, the Jiang disciples — the very people that he would eventually lead and protect.
In that moment, he fully deserved that particular admonishment. His behavior didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his subordinates. It also reflected badly on Yu Ziyuan as both a mother and a prominent clan leader’s wife. It would have been a tremendous loss of face for her child to be seen as incapable or lacking.
What about Jiang Fengmian? In principle, Jiang Cheng’s assessment of the situation was, in fact, correct. Wei Wuxian should indeed have acted with more deliberation in the xuanwu cave. But, perhaps as accurate as Jiang Cheng’s opinion was, it was very ungracious. As a future clan leader, it would have been unbecoming to say it out loud.
Though he had disagreed, Jiang Cheng should have commended Wei Wuxian for his actions and acknowledged his deeds. Not doing so made him seem jealous and petty — and it’s something his father was quick to point out and correct him for on the spot.
Wei Wuxian really hit the nail on the head with this one — “你是江叔叔的亲生儿子，未来的江家家主。江叔叔对你自然是要更严厉的。可我就不一样，我是别人家的儿子，爹妈都是江叔叔的好朋友，他对我当然要客气一些。”
“You’re Uncle Jiang’s own son, and the future leader of the Jiang Clan. Naturally, Uncle Jiang would be hard on you. But I’m different. I’m someone else’s son, and my parents were good friends with Uncle Jiang. Of course he’ll be more courteous towards me.” (translation by me)
Which Chinese kid hasn’t experienced this? Watching their parents regard their peers with more leniency than what’s usually accorded to them for similar behavior at home?
Generally, Chinese parents are responsible for their children’s behavior and upbringing, even when they are nearly adults (as Jiang Cheng was). We have a controversial saying which I’ve heard a thousand times growing up — 打是疼 骂是爱, or “hitting or scolding your child is an act of love”.
It may sound fucked up in a modern context where there are diluted standards of what’s acceptable and what’s not, but then again, it’s relevant to a lot of Chinese people’s experiences.
Jiang Cheng may appear to have been the scapegoat, the least favorite child, but in fact the opposite was true. He was the heir. He was the youngest, and therefore he would have been the most spoiled. He had the entire future of the clan resting on his shoulders. He was not by any stretch a disappointment to his parents. He was a diamond in the rough. Had they not loved or cared about him, they would not have bothered admonishing him even once. Jiang Fengmian would have found a way to produce another heir and raise him to Jiang Cheng’s position.
So that’s why Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan were so hard on him. And that’s why Jiang Cheng was supposed to accept their criticisms with grace, and understand that in doing so, that he was deeply, irreplaceably, and unconditionally loved.
4. Envy of Wei Wuxian
Can you really blame Jiang Cheng for this? He was so young during the pre-Sunshot arc, and he was constantly and objectively overshadowed by Wei Wuxian in almost every aspect of his life.
Jiang Fengmian’s constant praise of Wei Wuxian was a sore point throughout Jiang Cheng’s formative years, in particular regarding his embodiment of the Jiang family motto 明之不可为而为之/有所不为方有可为.
I don’t wish to defend Jiang Fengmian’s actions too much, but again, this is a common thing that Chinese parents like to do — point at someone who is performing better than their own child and compare the two, in hopes of motivating their child to work harder. This is the 别人家的孩子 effect, which I’ve previously written about here.
And the point of that is, none of it is Jiang Cheng’s fault (or Wei Wuxian’s, really). He was a victim of these constant comparisons throughout his childhood. While Jiang Fengmian’s methods may be seen as harmful in a modern or non-Chinese context, he definitely meant well. He wanted the best for Jiang Cheng.
It’s very subtle, but he was certainly not favoring Wei Wuxian by doing this! By using Wei Wuxian as an example, he was expressing his hopes for Jiang Cheng to surpass Wei Wuxian, or at the very least, be on par with him.
At worst, his praises for Wei Wuxian were indulgent words; a gracious acknowledgement of his best friends’ child’s abilities and work ethic.
And at best, they were meant to motivate Wei Wuxian to continue being an example for the younger disciples. He did not place any other expectations on Wei Wuxian. Had Wei Wuxian failed in his duties as a head disciple, there would have been little to no impact on the Jiang clan. They would have simply replaced him with the next best candidate.
Jiang Fengmian certainly never saw Wei Wuxian as a potential successor to the Jiang clan. If he had, he would have given up on Jiang Cheng entirely.
And Wei Wuxian understood this, and he understood his own place in the clan, both in the present moment and for the future.
In the scene after Wei Wuxian wakes up from his injuries post-Muxi, he says to Jiang Cheng “将来你做家主，我就做你的下属，像你父亲和我父亲一样。”
“When you become the leader in future, I’ll be your right-hand man, just like how our fathers were.” (translation by me)
Ok, moving on. How does the core transfer factor into this? A lot of people like to gleefully refer to the core transfer reveal as an “aha!” moment for Jiang Cheng to realize the error of his ways, but I personally find this viewpoint very painful.
Wen Ning’s reveal hurt Jiang Cheng more deeply than he could ever have imagined. No matter how much it was presented as a sacrifice, the deception was there.
Jiang Cheng had been lied to and tricked by Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing. He had to suffer the indignity of Wei Wuxian (rightfully or otherwise) assuming that he would be unable to accept the truth.
He was forced to look back at his past treatment of Wen Qing and Wen Ning with horror and regret, and to realize that very few of his current spiritual abilities were due to his own effort or talent.
How would it have felt for him, then? Knowing that even after everything had been done and dusted, that he was still inferior to Wei Wuxian in many ways?
I can’t imagine it must have been pleasant at all, and I’m perhaps one of the few who thinks that it would have driven a deeper wedge between the two.
The only thing that would possibly put Jiang Cheng on equal footing would be if he revealed the circumstances surrounding his capture by Wen Chao to Wei Wuxian, but that would be horribly ungracious of him. And, knowing Jiang Cheng, he would not.
5. Abusive behavior towards Jin Ling and people he suspected of being Wei Wuxian
To really explain this part in detail, we have to consider the events at Qiongqi that led to Jin Zixuan’s death. And we should also consider what happened later: Wei Wuxian’s actions at Buyetian, which resulted in Jiang Yanli’s.
It’s no secret that Jiang Cheng carried a chip on his shoulder following these two events. Everyone he had ever loved and cared about was dead.
His parents, his beloved sister, his brother-in-law, and Wei Wuxian. The only person he had left after the events of Buyetian was Jin Ling, who was just an infant at the time.
At the time, Jiang Cheng didn’t (and couldn’t) trust anyone to look after Jin Ling properly. He barely knew Jin Guangyao and Jin Guangshan, who were Jin Ling’s closest relatives, on a personal level.
It was not really Jiang Cheng’s place to take charge of Jin Ling’s care. In a patriarchal context, Jin Ling technically had a closer association with his father’s blood relatives (even Jin Guangyao, who wasn’t nobly born). There was no good reason for Jiang Cheng to be so involved — Jin Ling would not be able to pass on the Jiang family name.
And yet, Jiang Cheng did it anyway.
While he could probably have trusted Jin Guangshan to hand the reins to Jin Ling once he came of age, seeing that Jin Ling was Jin Guangshan’s precious true-blooded grandson, he couldn’t have taken a similar risk with Jin Guangyao.
Jin Guangshan’s sudden passing would have upset Jiang Cheng’s plans, and thrown Jin Ling’s future into uncertainty.
Jin Guangyao (the natural successor to Jin Guangshan and Jin Zixuan) was soon to be married, which meant that he would eventually have a family of his own. Jiang Cheng likely understood that any of Jin Guangyao’s future children would pose a direct threat to Jin Ling’s future claim to the title of clan leader. He had to take charge of the situation.
And this is precisely why he raised Jin Ling with such tough love. He was doing what his own parents did to him — attempting to whip Jin Ling into shape to make him into the best version of himself.
Beneath Jiang Cheng’s verbal admonishments, there was always an undercurrent of fear.
Fear that Jin Ling would look weak and unbecoming in public and thus show that he is unworthy of the role of clan leader.
Fear that someone would seize the opportunity to kill Jin Ling and remove him as an obstacle.
Fear that Jin Ling would turn to demonic cultivation and meet the same end as Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng wanted Jin Ling to succeed. He hated it when Jin Ling looked incompetent, because he knew it would sully people’s impressions of Jin Ling. For that reason, he was constantly teaching Jin Ling to keep his guard up.
In case it isn’t clear, Jiang Cheng loved Jin Ling because he was the only family he had left, and he was terrified of losing him.
It doesn’t justify his constant threats to break Jin Ling’s legs, but it explains a lot. Jiang Cheng was willing to go to any lengths to protect and instruct Jin Ling, even if it made him look cruel and mean.
This is a common refrain in Chinese parenting; the attitude of “I know what’s best for you, and I don’t care if you hate me for it”.
Now, let’s talk about him arresting and torturing people he suspected of being Wei Wuxian.
At the time of the events of Qiongqi and Buyetian, most of the cultivation world saw Jin Zixuan’s and Jiang Yanli’s deaths as Wei Wuxian’s fault. It’s no secret that Jiang Cheng definitely thought so too. Had Wei Wuxian survived the battle at Buyetian, he would have been held accountable for his actions, and Jiang Cheng would not have been expected to defend him. Since Wei Wuxian died after the battle, the other clans likely decided it was the end of the matter. There was no need for any punishment to be meted out.
But in Jiang Cheng’s eyes, Wei Wuxian had committed worse crimes than those the cultivation world had accused him of. He had wounded and betrayed Jiang Cheng in the most fundamental of ways.
He had reneged on all of his promises. His promise to serve Jiang Cheng as a loyal right-hand man. His promise to keep the Yunmeng trio together. His promise to preserve Jiang Yanli’s happiness. And most critically, his promise to keep his demonic cultivation under control.
Therefore, it’s easy to understand why Jiang Cheng continued to pick at this particular scab. The impact of Wei Wuxian’s actions affected him more than anybody in the cultivation world (except, perhaps Lan Wangji). But I’m not excusing the fact that Jiang Cheng most definitely went off the rails in his pursuit of answers.
It was inhumane, but interrogating innocent people provided an outlet for Jiang Cheng’s anger and hurt. He needed answers, and most importantly, closure. It does not absolve him from these accusations, but it explains the motivation behind his actions.
6. Uncaring towards Wen Qing and Wen Ning
Okay, let’s look at a common trope in wuxia and xianxia — the concept of 报仇血恨. There’s no direct equivalent in English that’s as fraught with meaning. Google Translate would give its meaning as “seeking revenge”, but the true definition leans more towards “seeking to avenge”.
In the context of wuxia, characters usually set out on the path of 报仇 when their families or martial sects have been murdered. 报仇 does not just carry an emotional component, but a ethical one as well. Simple revenge wouldn’t bring back the dead, but exacting vengeance on the people who hurt your family would ensure that your loved ones rest in peace.
That’s why many mass murderers tended to kill every member of a family or sect 斩草除根 “destroying the grass down to the roots”, and not just one or two people.
First, this would ensure that no one would be left to avenge the dead.
Second, it was a cruelly thorough way of destroying an enemy. In a society that placed importance on venerating one’s ancestors and passing glory and teachings to future generations, eliminating everyone in the bloodline (including innocents) would ensure that nothing of their name would survive.
Back to Jiang Cheng. Simply destroying Lianhuawu wasn’t enough for the Wens. They had to hunt down Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian as well, for these very reasons. Jiang Cheng’s hatred of the Wen clan thus became the forefront of his motivation.
Wen Chao and co wanted to extinguish Jiang Cheng’s entire bloodline. It was only fair that Jiang Cheng wanted to extinguish everyone in his family in return — and that included everyone surnamed Wen.
It didn’t matter that the Wen siblings were risking their own lives to help him (and in Wen Qing’s case, performing a complicated surgical procedure that would leave him forever in her debt).
报仇 is an obligation that runs deep, and it seldom takes deeds of redemption into account — only family ties. Wen Qing and Wen Ning were doomed to be the enemies of the Jiang clan forever, simply because they shared Wen Ruohan’s blood.
Bythe unwritten laws of the jianghu, Jiang Cheng was expected to harbor a lifetime’s hatred for the Wens, and to kill every single one of them for what they did to his home and family.
If he had brought his men to Burial Mounds and attacked everyone in sight, including the elderly people and the children, he would have been fully justified in the eyes of all the cultivation clans.
Again, looking at everything in context, that’s not Jiang Cheng’s fault. If we’re going by novel canon (and not cql canon), he barely knew them. He had no reason to trust them. They were easy targets for his hatred.
And yet, the remarkable thing is — each time, he held himself back. He refrained from attacking Wen Ning both times he visited Wei Wuxian (once during their staged fight, and the second time when escorting Jiang Yanli to Lanling), and again during the second siege of Burial Mounds. In all three instances, he had legitimate reasons to do so.
The reveal of the core transfer procedure only served to muddle Jiang Cheng’s feelings of hatred. Suddenly, his lifetime 仇恨 vengeful grievance had turned into 恩怨 (literally, “obligation and resentment interlaced”). And he recognized this. Given the very mechanic of 报仇, it would be unrealistic to expect Jiang Cheng to ever apologize to Wen Ning, or for them to ever become friends.
I’d say Wen Ning got off very lightly indeed where Jiang Cheng was concerned.
7. Rudeness towards Wangxian at the Jiang ancestral shrine
I’d like to talk about one simple, irrefutable fact. Wei Wuxian had been formally disowned. He was, at the time of the visit to the ancestral shrine, no longer a member of the Jiang clan.
It didn’t matter that the fight between him and Jiang Cheng many years ago was staged, or that he had earlier rescued everyone (including Jin Ling) at Burial Mounds. None of that mattered.
Wei Wuxian was a guest at Lianhuawu, there by the grace of Jiang Cheng and his hospitality. He no longer lived there. Yunmeng may have once been his home, but in that moment, it was not.
What Wei Wuxian did (walking around Lianhuawu unsupervised) was extremely rude, a shocking breach of formal etiquette. The other guests abided by the unspoken courtesy by sitting in the entrance hall where they had been confined, but Wei Wuxian did not.
He left his host’s side to enter a private compound without permission. He knowingly entered one of the most sacred and personal of areas in someone’s home — the ancestral shrine — because he wanted, selfishly, to pay respects to those he no longer had any right to claim ties to.
When I read this scene in the novel and watched it in cql, I was appalled. Wei Wuxian’s behavior was so far out of line, I was surprised that Jiang Cheng wasted time standing there and arguing with them instead of chasing them out immediately.
I’m not excusing Jiang Cheng’s loss of temper, his insults, or his attempts to physically assault Wei Wuxian, but it’s understandable why he felt the way he did. Of course, the appropriate thing for Jiang Cheng to have done would have been to politely suggest that perhaps Wangxian had gotten lost, and personally escort them back to the entrance hall. There, he should then have reminded them that their needs would be met so they wouldn’t have to wander around on their own.
8. Bonus: the sacrifices he made for Wei Wuxian
Many critics like to focus on how Wei Wuxian was often wronged and mistreated by Jiang Cheng. Here are some canon examples of how Jiang Cheng never stopped caring for Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng went without food, rest, or weapons for days on end to get help for Wei Wuxian when he was trapped with the xuanwu
And after all that, Jiang Cheng carried him back home and looked after him
Jiang Cheng tried to prevent his mother from beating Wei Wuxian
Jiang Cheng surrendered himself for capture to protect Wei Wuxian when they were running from the Wens
When Wei Wuxian disappeared for three months, Jiang Cheng kept his sword safe, and never stopped looking for him
When Jiang Cheng rose to the position of clan leader, he gave Wei Wuxian more freedom than he deserved
Jiang Cheng didn’t scold Wei Wuxian in public for not carrying his sword, or for behaving arrogantly during meetings and banquets, though it was his prerogative to do so
Jiang Cheng tried to talk Wei Wuxian out of protecting the Wens, because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to protect him
Jiang Cheng agreed to a staged fight instead of an actual fight at Burial Mounds, because he didn’t want to hurt Wei Wuxian
Jiang Cheng went out of his way to bring Jiang Yanli for a visit to Yiling
Jiang Cheng suggested Wei Wuxian name Jin Ling. This was a tremendous honor, and his offering of peace to Wei Wuxian. It was also a way of mending the relationship between the Yunmeng trio. He could have simply named Jin Ling himself, or let someone else from the Jin clan do it
Jiang Cheng kept Chenqing after Wei Wuxian’s death, and carried it around with him wherever he went. Not as a war trophy, but as a symbol of remembrance
Jiang Cheng returned it to Wei Wuxian in the end, accepting Wei Wuxian’s help to use his demonic abilities to protect Jin Ling
Final thoughts
Many of us would certainly like to believe that we are like Wei Wuxian — unconventional, carefree, unflinching in the face of injustice, deserving of a happy ending.
But in reality, a lot of us are more like Jiang Cheng — bound by familial and societal obligations, torn between love and duty, and often plagued by hatred, uncertainty, and fear.
Despite having the best of intentions, Jiang Cheng’s struggles are very real, and he does not always make good decisions.
Jiang Cheng is by no means a perfect character. He has his flaws, which admittedly make him unappealing to some people.
If you already dislike Jiang Cheng, I’m not sure I can or should change your mind, but I hope that this piece at the very least provides some additional context to aid in understanding his behavior, and perhaps, to explain why I related to him as much as I did.
Otra vez inspirada por esa sesión de fotos de wangzhuocheng. Cuéntenme si les gusta alguna versión Reference Inspired again by that photoshoot. Let me know if you like any.
That, back then, I wasn’t caught by the Wen Sect because I wanted to go back to Lotus Pier to retrieve my parents’ corpses. That, at the town we passed on our way, when you were buying food, a group of Wen Sect cultivators caught up. That, I discovered them early and left where I sat, hiding at the corner of the street and didn’t get caught, but they were patrolling the streets and would soon run into you outside.
That this was why I ran out and distracted them.
But just like how the past Wei Wuxian couldn’t tell him the truth of giving him his golden core, the current Jiang Cheng wasn’t able to say anything either”
*insert butterfly meme* Is this an excuse to draw buff dudes with flowy hair and not bothering with legs?
It sure is! And apparently, that’s what my brain currently wants to do. So here we are with another mermay picture even though may is so far away. It’ll come around. Eventually.
![cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be](https://64.media.tumblr.com/686392f3b4d099fd031b609d0fa56780/3cb1e55382e2912b-e5/s1280x1920/e56ab33b9712fa6800b97a82bf8d92e92d35199c.png "cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be")
![cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be](https://64.media.tumblr.com/182cc441437daa60447d5435b8c30d86/3cb1e55382e2912b-b2/s640x960/ab52d83602a047fbf415bb9718011f2942df1a4c.png "cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be")
![cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be](https://64.media.tumblr.com/5a15c71afbdf4923ce398e9f37d5f701/3cb1e55382e2912b-80/s640x960/3c9708e04ff4f40bf0798bfd7909471270ccf85e.png "cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be")
![cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be](https://64.media.tumblr.com/01d86a7dd62e24d4515a3414a6693b9c/3cb1e55382e2912b-02/s640x960/303168d5f5f6ebbe44760ce797342d40474c4805.png "cyandemise: insp: a case of chronic rejection by @hqfeels: the baby [qilin] wobbling determinedly be")
![tianme:[Sāndú Shèngshou]commission for @jiangswanyin](https://64.media.tumblr.com/62056daa5a1d31a87a208391f046707f/65ce5d92d25df7f0-3d/s1280x1920/68a55c640e620d93320000730560ff1bdb68210e.jpg "tianme:[Sāndú Shèngshou]commission for @jiangswanyin")
