please don’t fade away even if i do / it’s all blue and you

降灾

don’t leave the room until i come back from the dead for you.

a forgotten concept

sketch

contain your grief.

the sun will soon rise

dreamy

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”.

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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)?”

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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?”

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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:

1. Not standing at Lan Wangji’s side during the first siege of Burial Mounds, and taking 33 elders with him to “confront” his brother
2. 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

• 持平
• 包青天
• 三字经
• Enjing (novel raws)

Meta on Shuoyue and Liebing

Original post on Twitter

“The ideal wife” according to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian

I explain the “standards” listed by Wei Wuxian through a cultural lens, and examine the future implications for Jiang Cheng and his family

This takes place in CQL episode 6

Let’s go!

Some disclaimers before we begin:

• This post is a companion post to my previous meta on Jiang Cheng
• 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.

I write a little about 家教 in the context of Jin Zixuan’s insult to Jiang Yanli in my critique of CQL episode 22 (para 235).

修为不能太高

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.

References

• 关雎
• 琴瑟和鸣
• 相敬如宾
• 温柔贤惠/淑
• 勤俭持家

Original post on Twitter

The 36 Stratagems in mdzs

I describe individual scenes in MDZS where each of the 36 Stratagems plays out

Note that while this post mainly references novel canon, it may wander into CQL territory at times

I won’t include the detailed history of each of the Stratagems in this meta as they may be too long, but I will include a resource at the end that you can refer to for further reading

Spoilers ahead!

Let’s go!

Ok so! The 36 Stratagems (三十六计) is an essay on the use of cunning ruses and deceptive tactics on the battlefield, in politics, and in civil matters. It has been attributed to various authors throughout popular history, and references various famous military scenarios in the Warring States era (战国时代) and Three Kingdoms period (三国时代).

The 36 Stratagems are split into six discrete sections, each describing six techniques:

1. 胜战计: victory stratagems
2. 敌战计: enemy fighting stratagems
3. 攻战计: attack stratagems
4. 混战计: chaos stratagems
5. 并战计: proximate (parallel) stratagems
6. 败战计: desperate stratagems

胜战计 Victory stratagems

1. 瞒天过海: crossing the sea without alerting the heavens; i.e. setting a fake objective to mislead others, while concealing progress for the true objective.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian taking a blindfolded Jiang Cheng to “visit Baoshan Sanren” to “get his core repaired”. This was a ruse to conceal the true objective — a core transfer.

2. 围魏救赵: besieging Wei to rescue Zhao (Wei and Zhao were states in the Warring States period); i.e. attacking something precious to the enemy to avoid a head-on battle and forcing them to retreat.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao placing a qin string around Wei Wuxian’s neck to force Lan Wangji to stand down at the Guanyin temple.

Bonus: Jin Guangyao is literally “besieging Wei/围魏” here! The word 围, other than “to besiege”, also means “to encircle” or “to surround”.

3. 借刀杀人: killing with a borrowed blade; i.e. outsourcing a difficult or incriminating task to someone else.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Nie Huaisang instigating Lan Xichen to stab Jin Guangyao in the Guanyin temple. Quite literally, he “borrows” Lan Xichen’s sword to do the deed.

4. 以逸待劳: letting others exhaust themselves, and swooping in at the right moment to claim victory or deal the final blow.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wen Chao instructing the hostages from the various clans to wear the Xuanwu down, with the intention of coming in at the last minute to claim the kill.

5. 趁火打劫: looting a burning house; i.e. taking advantage of a desperate situation to raid a weakened enemy.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Qishan Wen taking advantage of Jiang Fengmian’s absence to launch an attack on Lotus Pier.

6. 声东击西: making a sound in the east to misdirect the enemy, while striking in the west.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao instigating the second siege of the Burial Mounds to divert everyone’s attention, whilst simultaneously making preparations for his escape to Dongying.

敌战计 Enemy fighting stratagems

7. 无中生有: creating something out of nothing; i.e. creating an illusion or lie to fool people into believing something exists.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Nie Huaisang perpetuating the rumor that his family’s ancestral tomb is actually a man-eating fortress, to prevent grave robbers from entering it.

8. 暗渡陈仓: sneaking through the passage of Chencang while repairing the main roads; i.e. distracting the enemy while taking a shortcut to launch an attack.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Su She devising a similar-sounding qin score to that of Gusu Lan. The discordant notes distracted the Lan disciples, concealing the score’s true purpose — weakening people’s spiritual abilities.

9. 隔岸观火: watching the fire from the opposite bank; i.e. delaying entering a battle until the enemy has been weakened, then moving in at full strength.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Xue Yang slowly chipping away at Xiao Xingchen’s virtue by making him kill innocent people, then revealing the truth at the end to break him.

10. 笑里藏刀: hiding a knife behind a smile: i.e. putting up a friendly appearance to conceal one’s true intentions.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao’s political maneuvering to make himself seem genial and unassuming, while concealing the truth about his roles in Nie Mingjue’s and Jin Guangshan’s deaths.

11. 李代桃僵: sacrificing the plum tree for the peach tree; i.e. sacrificing some short-term aims for a greater, long-term good.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian accepting the eventuality of Wang Lingjiao chopping off his hand, and later, sacrificing his own core to restore Jiang Cheng and preserve the Jiang clan in the long run.

12. 顺手牵羊: taking a opportunity to steal a goat; i.e. making use of available resources as they present themselves.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian leading Lil Apple from the Mo household!

攻战计 Attack stratagems

13. 打草惊蛇: hitting the grass to startle the snake; i.e. making over-the-top gestures to taunt or disrupt the enemy.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian taunting Wen Chao in the Xuanwu cave for his lack of knowledge of Wen Mao’s writings, to lure Wen Chao away from Wen Zhuliu’s protection.

14. 借尸还魂: borrowing a corpse to resurrect a soul; i.e. fixing up something useless to give it a fresh purpose.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Mo Xuanyu’s body literally being used as a vessel to resurrect Wei Wuxian!

Bonus:here’s a short explanation I previously wrote as part of the cql subs critique for Episode 1 on the poem Chu Ci 楚辞. It’s in para 4.

15. 调虎离山: enticing the tiger to leave the mountain; i.e. luring a strong enemy away from their base of protection to attack them in the open.

Where this plays out in MDZS: the invitation to Jin Ling’s party as a means to lure Wei Wuxian from Burial Mounds and into a set-up.

16. 欲擒故纵: loosening the hold slightly to ensure capture; i.e. allowing an enemy to believe they have a chance to escape, thus getting them to lower their defenses, then crushing their morale.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian taunting Wen Chao at various intervals instead of killing him outright — letting Wen Chao run a little, then catching up with him to slice pieces off of his body.

17. 抛砖引玉: tossing pieces of brick to get gems; i.e. throwing out pieces of useless information to tempt the enemy into revealing something important.

Where this plays out in MDZS: A-Qing deliberately misinterpreting the term “night-hunt 夜猎” to trick Xue Yang into revealing that he is also a cultivator.

18. 擒贼擒王: defeating the enemy by first defeating their leader.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Nie Mingjue infiltrating Nightless City during the Sunshot Campaign to attack Wen Ruohan, as a means of quickly securing victory.

混战计 Chaos stratagems

19. 釜底抽薪: removing the firewood from the underside of the pot; i.e. cutting off an enemy’s resources or means of attack.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao making everyone seal their spiritual powers in Guanyin temple, so they would not be able to attack him.

20. 浑水摸鱼: disturbing the water to catch the fish; i.e creating confusion to mask one’s true purpose.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Su She trying to incite mass panic during the second siege of Burial Mounds to get everyone to be suspicious of Wei Wuxian.

21. 金蝉脱壳: the golden cicada shedding its shell; i.e. leaving riches or identifying marks behind to go undercover or escape.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao, knowing that he has incurred the ire of the clans, preparing to leave his position behind and escape to Dongying.

22. 关门捉贼: shutting the door to catch a thief; i.e. cutting off all escape routes for an enemy.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Xue Yang trapping the juniors in Yi City and turning them around in circles, in order to get close to Wei Wuxian.

23. 远交近攻: allying with people further away while attacking those closest, for a strategic advantage.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao swearing brotherhood with the two most powerful people outside the Jin clan, whilst simultaneously planning his takeover of the Jin household.

Bonus: here’s another meta I wrote on Jin Guangyao’s personal reasons for joining the sworn brotherhood, in which I also touch on 远交近攻.

24. 假途伐虢: getting safe passage to besiege Guo (a state during the Zhou dynasty); i.e. borrowing an ally’s resources to attack an enemy, then turning on that same ally with those resources.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Xue Yang borrowing the abilities of Shuanghua to kill innocent people, then instigating Xiao Xingchen to turn those same abilities on Song Lan, thus destroying their bond.

并战计 Proximate stratagems

25. 偷梁换柱: replacing the beams with rotting timbers; i.e. disrupting the enemy’s operations by replacing certain supports with inferior varieties.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao swapping the notes of Cleansing 洗华 with those from the Collection of Turmoil 乱魄抄.

Bonus:here’s a quick explanation on the name 乱魄抄 in my critique of CQL episode 42, para 441.

26. 指桑骂槐: pointing at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree; i.e. deliberately misdirecting one’s anger to avoid having to make the first move.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao forcing Wei Wuxian to reveal himself in the treasure room by addressing him as Mo Xuanyu, accusing him of slander and of causing Qin Su’s death.

Bonus: it’s possible that Nie Huaisang’s name was derived from this particular stratagem — except that instead of the locust tree 槐, he uses the character 怀, which loosely means “to harbor (in one’s heart)”. Both words use the same tone and are similarly pronounced.

27. 假痴不颠: feigning ignorance to lure the enemy into complacency.

Where this plays out in MDZS: this is the crux of Nie Huaisang’s nickname, 一问三不知 “Mr I Don’t Know”!

Bonus: here’s a brief explanation I wrote about 一问三不知 for my critique of CQL episode 34, para 351.

28. 上屋抽梯: removing the ladder when the enemy has reached the roof; i.e. severing an enemy’s recourse or supply lines.

Where this plays out in MDZS: the plot for Su She to finish everyone off at the second siege of Burial Mounds, through the cutting off of everyone’s spiritual abilities and means of escape.

29. 树上开花: tying blossoms on a dead tree; i.e. making something of low value appear useful and beautiful through artifice.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangshan accepting Jin Guangyao into the family and bestowing his own generational name on him as a public honor, while continuing to undermine and ill-treat him.

30. 反客为主: forcing the host and guest to change places; i.e. usurping authority by turning the tables.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian seizing Wen Chao and holding him hostage in the Xuanwu cave.

败战计 Desperate stratagems

31. 美人计: the beauty trap; i.e. sending a beautiful woman to distract the enemy and incite unrest in their camp.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Jin Guangyao literally ensnaring his own father in such a fashion to bring about his death.

32. 空城计: the empty city; i.e. appearing calm despite being at a disadvantage, to fool the enemy into thinking that there is an ambush waiting for them.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian remaining at ease when confronting Xue Yang in Yi City, despite knowing he would not be able to physically overpower him.

33. 反间计: sowing discord between an enemy and their allies.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Nie Huaisang instigating Bi Cao to write a letter to Qin Su, with the intent of turning her against Jin Guangyao.

34. 苦肉计: inflicting injury on oneself to earn the enemy’s trust and sympathy.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Xue Yang masquerading as an injured Xiao Xingchen to gain entry to the house that Wei Wuxian and the juniors were hiding in.

35. 连环计: chain stratagems; i.e. carrying out different plans as part of a linked, continuous scheme.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Nie Huaisang methodically laying the trail of body parts and clues for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to follow.

36. 走为上: if all else fails, flee, and regroup to fight another day.

Where this plays out in MDZS: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji running from the Xuanwu after their escape had been sealed off.

Bonus: there’s a saying 三十六计 走为上计 which means “of all the 36 Stratagems, fleeing is the best”!

References

• Translations largely referenced from Military Wikia
• Details of each of the Stratagems

Original post on Twitter

Some 3zun 三尊 meta

I analyze 3zun’s oath of fraternity and compare it against Liu/Guan/Zhang’s in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

I explain the public and personal reasons for their alliance

Some notes before we begin:

• I previously covered the brotherhood oath ceremony in the CQL subs critique, but now I’m back with an Actual Essay™️ because I find the whole thing endlessly fascinating
• I’ll be referencing both CQL and novel canon. Note that the full dialogue from the sworn brotherhood ceremony only appears in CQL and not the novel
• I’ll only be covering the conception of the sworn brotherhood, and not the events that followed their oath
• I reference Luo Guanzhong’s 罗贯中 Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Ro3K) 三国演义 a little, but you don’t need to know much about it to read the post
• All translations will be by me, unless stated otherwise
• The text from the oath that I’ll be translating is in 文言文 (Classical Chinese), so most expressions are not used in modern speech/writing
• This post will contain spoilers

Ok so! I was fascinated by the brotherhood oath ceremony when I saw it in Episode 23 of CQL. The dialogue and symbolism in that particular scene immediately reminded me of the famous oath between Liu Bei 刘备, Guan Yu 关羽, and Zhang Fei 张飞 in Ro3K.

A little bit of background on Ro3K

• Ro3K is one of the 4 great classic novels of Chinese literature
• It details the battles and political intrigue between rival warlords from three feuding states, Shu Han 蜀汉, Cao Wei 曹魏, and Dong Wu 东吴
• Ro3K’s Liu Bei swore an oath of fraternity with two of his closest generals, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Later in the story, he would rise to become the ruler of Shu Han
• Liu/Guan/Zhang became sworn brothers to protect their people from the Yellow Turban Rebellion and restore the glory of the Han dynasty
• Liu Bei and his sworn brothers loved each other deeply

So how exactly did 3zun’s ceremony compare to that of the Ro3K trio?

Let’s take a look at their vows, which were a sacred covenant sworn before the heavens. For this reason, they had to be taken as seriously and as literally as possible.

3zun’s vows in CQL went as follows:

上报仙门，下安黎庶，天地同证，如有异心，千夫所指，天人共怒

And the vows of the Ro3K trio went as follows:

虽然异姓，既结为兄弟，则同心协力，救国扶危；上报国家，下安黎庶；不求同年同月同日生，只愿同年同月同日死；皇天后土，实鉴此心，背义忘恩，天人共戮

The vows are largely the same, but there are a few key differences. Let’s break them down!

虽然异姓，既结为兄弟，则同心协力，救国扶危

The Ro3K trio have an extra line at the beginning:

虽然异姓，既结为兄弟，则同心协力，救国扶危

“Even though we have different family names, we unite as brothers, and align our hearts towards the common goal of protecting our country from threats”.

This was an acknowledgement of the different family origins of each member of the Ro3K trio. None of them were nobly born. Liu Bei, though distantly related to an emperor, was reportedly a shoemaker by trade. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were a door guard and butcher respectively.

However, they all had a common interest in suppressing the rebellion. The act of setting their differences aside to unite in brotherhood was thus an apt expression of their chivalry, honor, and loyalty.

Though 3zun expressed similar sentiments at their own oath-taking post-Sunshot, this line was conspicuously missing from their pledge.

异姓 in the context of the Ro3K trio’s vows means “different family origins”. However, 异 can also be taken to mean “abnormal” or “odd”.

For 3zun, this line would only have drawn unwanted attention to their differences in terms of status. Though Jin Guangyao had just been publicly acknowledged by his father, it was still common knowledge that he was illegitimate. Had 3zun spoken this line, it would have been seen as a veiled criticism of Jin Guangyao’s low birth. It would have sullied his newly-minted glory, and further undermined 3zun’s union as a whole.

Second, moving on to the phrase 则同心协力 / “aligning our hearts to a common purpose”.

Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen were already clan leaders at the time of the oath, and they had to put the well-being of their respective clans first. At some point, these personal obligations would likely have gotten in the way of their commitment to a common cause.

Also, unlike the Ro3K trio, each member of 3zun had their own personal reasons for taking the oath (more on this later)!

上报国家，下安黎庶 / 上报仙门，下安黎庶

The Ro3K trio swore to 上报国家，下安黎庶, while 3zun swore to 上报仙门，下安黎庶. The only difference here is 国家 (“country”) vs 仙门 (loosely, “cultivation society”).

This line means “we serve and are accountable to our country/cultivation society, and we take care of the bustling masses (i.e. the common people)”.

不求同年同月同日生，只愿同年同月同日死

The Ro3K trio had this iconic couplet in their vows:

不求同年同月同日生，只愿同年同月同日死

“We do not have to be born on the same year, month, or day, as long as we die on the same year, month, and day”.

It’s a beautiful line, and it aptly illustrates the deep respect and regard between Liu Bei and his sworn brothers. The subtext is “let not any one of us live without the others”. It’s so obviously missing from 3zun’s vows, and here’s why.

First, 3zun’s oath had started out on a rocky note. The Sunshot Campaign was over, and Jin Guangyao had been hailed as a war hero for his deeds in Buyetian. But the three men had just been involved in an ugly altercation in Wen Ruohan’s abandoned throne room. Lan Xichen had barely managed to stop Nie Mingjue from killing Jin Guangyao for his murder of the Nie disciples.

With the shadow of animosity so fresh on their minds, it’s unthinkable that 3zun would have truly wanted to share the honor of dying on the same day. Theirs was not a brotherhood born out of reciprocal love and common interests, but political necessity and personal ambition.

Second, as I’ve mentioned above, they each had their duties to their respective clans. Such a promise was impractical, and would have been immensely difficult to fulfill.

Third, given the three’s high standing in cultivation society, the upheaval to the political landscape would have been enormous if they had truly died on the same day.

// cw: blood, bodily fluids consumption

Fun fact: a lot of modern-day triads and secret societies use this line in their loyalty ceremonies to bind their members to the gangs for life. In TV dramas, it’s common to see rituals where each recruit sheds a drop of blood into a common bowl, which would then be passed around the circle for everyone to imbibe. Psychologically, this ensures the gang members’ commitment, which in turn prevents them from betraying each other to rival organizations or law enforcement.

皇天后土，实鉴此心，背义忘恩，天人共戮 / 天地同证，如有异心，千夫所指，天人共怒

The Ro3K trio ended their pledge with this line:

皇天后土，实鉴此心，背义忘恩，天人共戮

In contrast, 3zun ended theirs with

天地同证，如有异心，千夫所指，天人共怒

On a superficial level the general meaning is largely similar, but there are some subtle differences in tone and interpretation.

Here’s a (loose and fast) phrase-by-phrase translation:

Ro3K trio

• 皇天后土: as witnessed by heaven and earth
• 实鉴此心: and honest reflection of our hearts
• 背义忘恩: if we betray each other or show ingratitude
• 天人共戮: may we be smited by both heaven and the people

3zun

• 天地同证: let heaven and earth bear witness
• 如有异心: if one of us came to harbor different intentions
• 千夫所指: may he be condemned by everyone (in the cultivation world)
• 天人共怒: and suffer the anger of both heaven and the people

The first important difference is the emphasis on the basis of condemnation. For the Ro3K trio, it was 背义忘恩 (betrayal and ingratitude).

An act of betrayal would have gone against the Confucian standard of gentlemanly conduct. Even if it hadn’t been explicitly stated in their vows, it would still have been universally understood that such behavior was undesirable and deserving of punishment.

On the other hand, for 3zun, the basis for condemnation was 异心 (differing intentions). Though 异心 had a negative connotation, it was still considered a gray area in the context of the pledge. Realistically speaking, there was nothing wrong with each member of 3zun acting in their own clan’s interests.

But Nie Mingjue was already suspicious of Jin Guangyao because of their history. And Lan Xichen was intent on preserving harmony between the other two, as a consequence.

The result? A pledge to keep each other in line; an assurance that no one of them would take advantage of the other two in pursuit of their private ambitions.

Second, the inclusion of the phrase 千夫所指 in 3zun’s vows is also telling — it implies “may (the offender’s) deeds be known to all (so he may be universally condemned)”. This line expressed the need to make any infractions publicly known, for the sake of vindication and justice.

This was in line with Nie Mingjue’s personal philosophy and upright morals, and his reputation as a 江湖好汉 (righteous warrior). As evident from his condemnation of the Wen stragglers, he strongly believed in a singular good-evil dichotomy, and in the need for wrongdoing to be met with appropriate and absolute punishment.

Such a phrase would not have been necessary for the Ro3K trio. As the leaders of Shu Han, they needed to present a united front to their troops by endeavoring to resolve their quarrels in private. The public exposure of any misdeeds, even for the sake of justice, would have exposed their weaknesses. This was especially pertinent because of the twin threats of Cao Wei and Dong Wu on the horizon.

The third difference lay in the degree of the collectivistic nature of the consequences. The Ro3K trio’s pledge was all-encompassing. Each person was responsible for the conduct of the other two. The failure of one would be taken as the failure of all. In other words, they would all suffer the same punishment 天人共戮, regardless of which one of them broke the faith.

3zun’s pledge reads slightly differently. 如有异心 and the subsequent lines imply that only the person who diverged from the others would suffer the consequences. It was an interesting balance, and one that signaled an unequal distribution of power from the outset.

Bonus: the setting of the oath-taking

The Ro3K trio famously took their oath in a peach garden 桃园三结义. The symbolism here is heavy: peaches represented paradise, immortality, and prosperity. The peach garden was thus an auspicious location for a pledge. It helped set the stage for the longevity of the brotherhood, and for the success of Liu Bei’s military and political campaign.

In contrast, 3zun took their vows on the bones of Qishan, on a hilltop overlooking Buyetian. Standing above Wen Ruohan’s former seat of power represented their desire to rebuild and rise above his negative influence. However, Qishan provided a tainted foundation to the beginning of 3zun’s relationship, signaling their struggles ahead to rebuild and live in harmony with each other.

So, why did 3zun swear the oath? It seems unthinkable that they would have wanted to become sworn brothers, considering the deception and animosity that had plagued their relationship from the beginning.

Let’s take a look at both their public reasons and individual motivations.

Public reasons

We’ll start with the public reasons.

• First, the union was a celebration of the finest warriors of the Sunshot campaign.
• Second, it promised close diplomatic relations between the three clans, and signaled to everyone that there would be a powerful alliance in place to protect them from future despots.
• Third, it provided assurance to the rest of the cultivation world that the three strongest clans (Qinghe Nie, Gusu Lan, and Lanling Jin) would effectively be on equal footing with each other. They would have the political and moral grounds for keeping each other in check, which would vastly reduce the possibility of one of them seizing too much power.

The sworn brotherhood was supposed to be a signal of unity between the strongest clans in the Sunshot alliance. Yet, there were some important people who had been excluded from it. Let’s take a look at the reasons.

Excluded: Jiang Cheng

I’ve covered this briefly in the Jiang Cheng meta post, and I’ll go over it again. It was never explicitly mentioned in canon, but the exclusion of Jiang Cheng was very likely due to his close relationship with Wei Wuxian.

Though Wei Wuxian had catalyzed the alliance’s victory against Qishan Wen, his unorthodox methods were widely regarded with fear and suspicion. And instead of condemning his behavior to allay the concerns of the other clans, Jiang Cheng continued to indulge and celebrate him.

The advent of 3zun would have provided the cultivation world with a concerted means of placing pressure on Jiang Cheng to keep Wei Wuxian in check. If Wei Wuxian chose to unleash his unnatural abilities against everyone, Yunmeng Jiang would have had to confront the combined might of the other three clans.

Excluded: Jin Zixuan

It seems unthinkable that they excluded Jin Zixuan from the union, seeing that he was the only legitimate heir to Lanling Jin, and that he was on equal footing with Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen. And yet, it made perfect sense.

For Jin Zixuan, joining Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen in brotherhood (in place of Jin Guangyao) would have been politically detrimental to his career as the future clan leader of Lanling Jin.

At the time of the oath, Jin Zixuan was the son of the incumbent Chief Cultivator, Jin Guangshan. Joining the sworn brotherhood would have placed him in an overly deferential position to Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen, who were both his elders. He would have had to address them as 大哥 “da-ge” and 二哥 “er-ge”, and respectfully accept their judgement and advice, even if he disagreed.

At some point, he would have been inevitably torn between his duty to his sworn brothers, and his filial obligations to his father and clan. Joining 3zun would therefore have been a lose-lose situation for him.

Next, let’s look at each of 3zun’s personal reasons for swearing the oath.

Nie Mingjue’s personal reasons

I’m guessing that Nie Mingjue would have needed very little convincing to enter the sworn brotherhood arrangement.

His relationship with Lan Xichen was straightforward — they were already friends to begin with.

On the other hand, we can’t say the same for Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. Jin Guangyao was rising too rapidly through the ranks of the cultivation world for Nie Mingjue’s comfort. Plus, he was doing so by forming questionable alliances (e.g. with Xue Yang) and by constantly latching on to people who were more powerful than him (e.g. Lan Xichen, Wen Ruohan, and his own father, Jin Guangshan).

Nie Mingjue had always admired Jin Guangyao’s talent, up until the moment in which he had witnessed him using Qishan Wen sword techniques. That had been the turning point in their otherwise mutually respectful relationship.

On the other hand, Jin Guangyao had also risked blowing his cover to keep Nie Mingjue alive during his failed infiltration of Buyetian.

However, let’s not forget that Nie Mingjue had not wanted to be spared. He thought it dishonorable; a coward’s way out.

Jin Guangyao had a good grasp of Nie Mingjue’s values. He needed the higher moral ground. As such, he was keenly aware that Nie Mingjue would feel reluctantly indebted to him for his mercy, as unwanted as it was.

As a result, Nie Mingjue harbored a conflicting mix of mistrust, resentment, and grudging gratitude towards Jin Guangyao. Joining the sworn brotherhood thus served a dual purpose for Nie Mingjue. One, it provided him with a convenient means to keep an eye on Jin Guangyao. Two, it was a means for him to publicly acknowledge Jin Guangyao for sparing his life.

Furthermore, Nie Mingjue likely felt protective towards Lan Xichen. As evident from the heated exchange in Wen Ruohan’s throne room, Nie Mingjue was thoroughly convinced that Lan Xichen was being manipulated by Jin Guangyao. Swearing the oath thus provided Nie Mingjue with the opportunity to remain close to Lan Xichen, so that he would be better able to protect him.

As Wei Wuxian rightly speculated in chapter 49:

算起来，过往他那些战役中，多少都借助了孟瑶通过蓝曦臣传递来的情报。他依然觉得金光瑶是不可多得的人才，有心引他走回正途。而金光瑶已不是他的下属，结拜之后，才有身份和立场督促他，就像督促管教他的弟弟聂怀桑。

“In the midst of the war, (Nie Mingjue) had been heavily reliant on the secret reports that Meng Yao had been sending to Lan Xichen. He still thought that Jin Guangyao was a rare talent, and he intended to put him on the correct path. Furthermore, Jin Guangyao was no longer his subordinate. After taking the oath, he would regain the authority to keep an eye on him, just like how he kept a close eye on his younger brother, Nie Huaisang.”

Jin Guangyao’s personal reasons

First; it was a strategic move. If we know Jin Guangyao, we know that he was very good at big-picture thinking and forward planning. He had a clear, detailed plan for advancing to the topmost ranks of cultivation society. Joining Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen in brotherhood was just the first step for him.

One of the 36 Stratagems is 远交近攻 (keeping allies at a distance and enemies close), which Jin Guangyao deployed to maximum effect.

Jin Guangyao had already laid plans on how he would proceed after Jin Guangshan’s passing. He was well aware that Jin Zixuan would succeed Jin Guangshan as clan leader. To him, both these men presented potential obstacles to his success. Jin Guangyao knew that he would always be left on the sidelines under Jin Zixuan’s reign, and that Jin Zixuan’s future children would take precedence over him in all aspects of courtly life.

The 3zun brotherhood provided Jin Guangyao with the opportunity to build his reputation and gain a foothold in society, outside the confines of his lowly position in the Jin family.

In the cultivation world, Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen were widely regarded as shining examples of virtue and courage. Jin Guangyao knew that publicly aligning himself with them would raise his pedigree by a significant amount.

Should his future in Lanling Jin become unstable, or should he fall out of favor with Jin Guangshan or Jin Zixuan, he would be able to count on support from his sworn brothers, who made for powerful external allies.

Second; on diplomacy. Jin Guangyao also foresaw the possibility of Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen moving against him.

Naturally, he couldn’t allow that. Joining them in their oath was therefore a defensive move; a way of strengthening his diplomatic relations with two of the other strongest clans. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a common real-world political strategy — the act of using diplomacy in bilateral (in this case, trilateral) relations as a form of deterrence.

Third; on power and influence. Jin Guangyao knew that Nie Mingjue was suspicious of him, and he needed to win him to his side for his support. However, such an endeavor would have been impossible without Lan Xichen to maintain the peace. By keeping both of them close and cementing his place as a valued member of the trio, Jin Guangyao would be able to play to their respective needs. In doing so, he would make himself indispensable to both of them.

Broadly speaking, Jin Guangyao was also envisioning his future as the Chief Cultivator, or minimally, as the clan leader of Lanling Jin. In order to sway future political decisions in his favor, he needed to be able to influence Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen on a personal level. To Jin Guangyao, the intimacy of the sworn brotherhood provided the perfect solution to this difficulty.

And fourth, the prospect of the sworn brotherhood probably allowed Jin Guangyao to experience familial belonging for the first time in his life. Where he had once been shunned and insulted, he was now intentionally included, recognized, and viewed as an equal. It was as good a reason to join as any.

Lan Xichen’s personal reasons

Of the three, Lan Xichen probably stood to benefit the least from the sworn brotherhood, at least on an individual level.

He was already close to both Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. His reputation in the cultivation world was solid, and he did not need the intervention of the other two to strengthen it. Other than some help to rebuild his family home, which had been destroyed in the war, he also did not necessarily need any financial resources or military support.

Why, then, did he do it?

Lan Xichen had witnessed firsthand how strife and disharmony had torn his own family apart — first in the wedge between his parents, and later between his father and the rest of the clan.

As such, he prided himself on being a peacemaker and mediator. He saw it as his responsibility to mend relationships and bring people together. Case in point: after Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had both been beaten for scuffling past curfew, he went out of his way to encourage their friendship by allowing Wei Wuxian to visit the cold pond.

Lan Xichen loved both Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. It pained him to see them in opposition with each other. He didn’t understand why Nie Mingjue was suspicious of Jin Guangyao, who had always appeared to be hard-working, intelligent, and self-sacrificing. Likewise, he couldn’t comprehend why Jin Guangyao always seemed to draw Nie Mingjue’s ire, seeing that Nie Mingjue tended to treat people fairly, and was quick to appreciate competent behavior.

On a broader level, Lan Xichen also needed them to set their differences aside so that the sworn brotherhood could serve its intended purposes. These included establishing closer relations between their clans for economic and military benefits, and maintaining a strong overseeing unit to ensure peace in the cultivation world at large.

The sworn brotherhood thus provided Lan Xichen with the moral authority to act as mediator for his sworn brothers. By virtue of their newly-established relationship, his personal interests naturally became theirs as well.

When Jin Guangyao appeared to be earnest about learning the qin scores to ease Nie Mingjue’s condition, Lan Xichen considered it a significant victory. It both reinforced the harmony that the cultivation world so desperately needed in the aftermath of war, and it also eased the doubt in his heart.

Final thoughts

The lines in 3zun’s pledge did not necessarily foreshadow the failure of their sworn brotherhood. Taken on their own, the vows could have provided a strong foundation for 3zun to embrace their differences and come to a position of mutual respect. It’s only when we contrast their relationship with that of the Ro3K trio do we see their shortcomings.

This is perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I believe that each member of 3zun had an equal part to play in the deterioration of the brotherhood.

• Nie Mingjue could have taken a more empathetic position with Jin Guangyao, and tried harder to understand why certain concepts such as achievement and status meant so much to him.
• Lan Xichen could have taken a step back instead of forward, and critically evaluated his individual relationships with the other two men.
• And finally, Jin Guangyao could have kept better faith in his sworn brothers, and refrained from taking advantage of them in his quest for recognition and belonging.

It’s worth mentioning that the Ro3K trio had their fair share of disagreements while alive. Also, in a tragic twist of fate, they did not eventually die on the same year, month, or day, as they had sworn. Guan Yu died defending one of Liu Bei’s territories. Shortly after, Zhang Fei was killed by his own men. Later, Liu Bei himself died of illness and heartbreak.

Resources

• 桃园三结义
• Video of 3zun oath from CQL Official
• Enjing (novel raws)

Other analyses by me:

• Sworn brotherhood oath mural outside Jinlintai (cql ep 40, para 416)
• Brotherhood oath for the CQL subs critique (initial analysis, cql ep 23, para 241)

Original post on Twitter

Jiang Cheng: family, responsibility, and love

⚡️ Jiang Cheng doesn’t deserve the amount of hatred that he gets

⚡️ He’s actually one of the most sensible and relatable characters in MDZS

⚡️ I’m just Very Tired™️ of seeing him getting bashed ok

Some things to note before I begin:

• I’ll be analyzing and explaining Jiang Cheng’s thoughts and actions against a cultural backdrop
• I’ll be referencing both novel and cql canon
• If this is your first foray into cultural meta, some of my personal opinions may be a little jarring
• I’ll try to be as balanced as possible within the confines of cultural exposition
• This post will be Extremely Long™️
• This post will not be spoiler-free

Ok so! This post is in response to some people ragging on Jiang Cheng in a couple of servers I’m in. Essentially, they wrote that Jiang Cheng is:

• Cowardly: for not supporting Wei Wuxian’s defense of the Wens, and not standing by him at Buyetian/Jinlintai
• Harsh: for blaming the collapse of his family home on Wei Wuxian’s rescue of Lan Wangji from the xuanwu
• Weak: for allowing his parents to push him around
• Envious and covetous: for being sore about being constantly outshone by Wei Wuxian
• Abusive and cruel: from his behavior towards Jin Ling and his torture of other people he suspects of being Wei Wuxian
• Uncaring: for turning his back on the Wen siblings after they helped him, and for whipping Wen Ning
• Rude: for verbally (and physically) assaulting Wangxian when they visited the Jiang ancestral shrine

There’s a lot to unpack here.

But before we can even address these points, we have to consider (a) Jiang Cheng’s position in his family, (b) his relationships with his loved ones, and ultimately, © the culture in which he was raised.

Jiang Cheng’s upbringing is a Confucian one. That much is clear, and it’s why I immediately related to his character when he was introduced. At the core of a Confucian upbringing is filial piety — a deep obligation and connection to one’s family of origin. In Jiang Cheng’s case, this includes respecting and honoring not just the parents who raised him, but (a) the sister who looked after him, (b) the physical ancestral home, © the family history and motto, and (d) his responsibilities as a clan leader.

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.

References

• Enjing: novel raws

I’ve written a little bit about what the title 三毒圣手 “Sandu Shengshou” means in my critique of cql episode 36, para 379.

Original post on twitter

What “Shuoyue” and “Liebing” mean

The names represent ideals that Lan Xichen embodied as an outstanding cultivator in the jianghu

I’ve covered these in the cql subs critique, but here’s a slightly more detailed explanation

This was originally posted on Oct 8 as a birthday gift to Zewu-jun!

Ok so! The cql subs translate Shuoyue 朔月 as “Crescent” and Liebing 裂冰 as “Ice Crevice”. Also, they refer to both as swords — this is incorrect. Shuoyue is Lan Xichen’s sword, and Liebing is his flute, or xiao 箫.

Shuoyue 朔月

Let’s start with Shuoyue, which literally translates to “new moon”. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the new moon marks the first day of each month.

As Ming Dynasty poet Feng Menglong 冯梦龙 wrote in the Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms 《东周列国志》：

明日乃朔日，父王必然视朝

“Tomorrow will be the new month; the father (the emperor) will inevitably see the dawn (new dynasty)”

(translation by me)

As the eldest son and heir to the Lan clan, Lan Xichen is the embodiment of the “new dynasty”. He is responsible for leading the clan into a better future, and his sword’s name accordingly represents the forging of a new era and legacy.

His courtesy name Xichen 曦臣 also holds a similar meaning — 曦 means “morning sunlight”, and 臣 refers to “service” or “subordinate”, which reflects how the Lan family views the mantle of clan leadership. There is an element of hope in this; a wish for Lan Xichen to light the way forward, and in doing so prevent the tragedy and mistakes of the previous generation from repeating and plaguing the future of the clan.

Back to the symbolism behind the “new moon”.

• First, the new moon is generally invisible to the eye. This is an ideal embodied by Lan Xichen as a reflection of his clan’s ancestral values. Namely, the principles of restraint 规束自我, modesty 端庄大方, and humility 谦逊低调; and refraining from using status and power to browbeat or bully others.
• Second, in astronomical terms, the new moon generally stands in between the sun and the earth — all three are aligned. This signifies balance 平衡 and fairness 持平, which are generally important qualities for a clan leader to possess. These are Lan Xichen’s personal values as well. We see him easily stepping into a intervening and peacemaking role many times in the story: first between his uncle and brother, and later on, between his sworn brothers.

Liebing 裂冰

Moving on to Liebing, which literally translates to “cracking ice”. This refers to Liebing’s melody — a benevolent force warm and pure enough to melt the harsh forces of nature.

The imagery of melting ice also represents the end of winter and the coming of spring, which parallels the “new dynasty” symbolism associated with Lan Xichen’s courtesy name.

References

• 朔日

You may also refer to the original explanation I wrote as part of the cql subs critique (Episode 47, para 498).

Lan Xichen and fairness, justice, and love

Original post on twitter

What Lan Sizhui’s name means

I explain the meanings behind his birth and courtesy names

I’ve briefly covered this in my CQL subs critique, but here’s the full version with some extra analysis

There will be spoilers

Let’s go!

Ok so! We know that Sizhui was once Wen Yuan 温苑, or affectionately, A-Yuan 阿苑. Following his induction into the Gusu Lan clan, he was renamed Lan Yuan 蓝愿. And much later, he was given the courtesy name Lan Sizhui 蓝思追.

Birth name

Let’s start with his birth name first, Wen Yuan. Yuan 苑 loosely means “garden” or “park”. What’s interesting here is his new name, Lan Yuan 蓝愿. The characters 苑 and 愿 are pronounced exactly the same.

However, the meanings are quite different. 愿 means “wish” or “desire”, and in the case of the term 愿意, “willingness”. There’s a heavily wistful connotation to it.

So, why did Lan Wangji rename him as such? Here are some of my theories.

• When he took Wen Yuan back to Gusu following the collapse of Burial Mounds, he anticipated a lot of questions and eyebrow-raising. Though Qishan had long fallen, the Wen survivors were still largely regarded with distrust and hatred. Changing Wen Yuan’s name to Lan Yuan was a protective measure to dispel rumors and preserve the child’s safety. If he was assumed to be a long-lost member of the Lan family, people would be more likely to leave him alone.
• Lan Wangji chose a character similar in pronunciation as a form of poetic reverence. It was his way of honoring Wen Yuan’s heritage and connection to his birth family, in the allowing of him to hold on to this particular piece of his childhood. What about the character Yuan 愿, in itself?
• It was clear that Lan Wangji was grieving at the time of the renaming. 愿 was the expression of his wish to preserve some connection to Wei Wuxian, through this young boy. It represented his willingness to honor Wei Wuxian’s legacy and values, through his determination to raise Wen Yuan to be an outstanding person in his class. And finally, it described his deepest desires — that things could have turned out differently, that he could have convinced Wei Wuxian to trust him and accept his help, and finally, that he could have stood by Wei Wuxian’s side at the end.

I previously wrote a short explanation of his birth name in my critique of CQL Episode 27 (para 286).

Courtesy name

Moving on to Lan Sizhui 蓝思追, his courtesy name. The name Sizhui 思追 loosely means “chasing memories”, with an implication of deep yearning for something in the past.

Here, it represents Lan Wangji’s remembrance of Wei Wuxian.

This name also represents something specific and intensely personal to Sizhui himself — namely, his hidden identity and his lost ties. To begin with, it served as a starting point for him to realize that he was different from the other Lan disciples. It provided the impetus for him to look into his past memories, and in doing so, to discover and embrace who he once used to be.

Lan Wangji did not erase Sizhui’s heritage by renaming him. In fact, through his choice of characters, he made a deliberate yet subtle move to strengthen Sizhui’s connection to the past, and to the long-dead people of the Wen clan who had once loved and protected him.

I also have a short explanation of his courtesy name in my critique of CQL Episode 45 (para 474).

As a point of interest, there is a fanmade poem that makes use of Sizhui’s courtesy name. It reads:

思君不可追，念君何时归？问灵十三载，等一不归人。

“I think of you, but I cannot follow. I miss you, when will you return? I’ve inquired of the spirits for thirteen years. I wait for a person who will never return.” (tl by me)

In this case, 君 is an archaic and classical way of referring to a beloved “you” or “other”. We see this reflected in other famous poems. An example is Li Ziyi’s 李子仪 poem 《卜算子》，只愿君心似我心 “I only wish for your heart to be like mine.”

References

• Fanmade poem (first couplet)
• Fanmade poem (second couplet)
• On 君

Original post on Twitter

What Nie Huaisang was really saying in the flower petal scene in CQL

You know, the scene in episode 8, when the petals start falling

That’s the one that made Wei Wuxian look at Lan Wangji a little differently

Let’s go!

Ok so! In this scene, Nie Huaisang looks at Lan Wangji, and exclaims “这蓝二公子可真是风华绝世，好一个翩翩公子啊。”

Here’s what the English subs say (3 images).

The subtitles are not wrong per se, but I’d like to give the dialogue a bit more flavor, since this is one of my favorite scenes in the show.

On 风华绝世

Let’s start with 风华绝世, which the subs translate as “unparalleled”.

The term 风华 has a broad meaning that is derived from the slightly longer phrase 风采才华.

• 风采 loosely means “style”, but in this context, it refers to a person’s (traditionally a young man’s) elegant and refined bearing. 才华 refers to a person’s talent and skill, particularly in scholarly endeavors (e.g. poetry, literature, art).
• Now, on to 绝世. This is derived from the longer term 绝世无双, which means “peerless”.

Put together, Nie Huaisang’s use of the term 风华绝世 is indeed accurate in describing Lan Wangji — an elegant, talented young man who is top of his class.

On 翩翩公子

What about the term 翩翩公子? The subs translate this as “gorgeous and elegant gentleman”.

• 翩翩 is quite an interesting one. It’s a term usually used to refer to birds flying, or to a person dancing 翩翩起舞. The underlying implication is one of grace, beauty, and balance, which is definitely appropriate here.
• On the other hand, when used to describe a boy or a young man, 翩翩 also means “carefree and laid-back”. This is quite a humorous interpretation, considering that the young Lan Wangji doesn’t particularly fit this description.

If we go by this explanation, I’d like to imagine that Nie Huaisang meant to describe Lan Wangji’s bearing as effortless and natural, similar to that of a bird or butterfly in motion.

Nie Huaisang is certainly the sort of person to appreciate and acknowledge beauty when he sees it. In sum, he’s heaped some pretty high praise on Lan Wangji!

In the novel

Lan Wangji is also described similarly in the novel, from a slightly more omniscient perspective.

Ch 12: “Lan Wangji became famous as a youth. He was highly-regarded among the major cultivation clans, and was a point of pride for Gusu Lan, as one of the two jades. His words and actions were held up as positive examples for the disciples of the major clans, by their elders.”

Ch 13: “The leader of Gusu Lan had two sons, Lan Huan and Lan Zhan, who bore the illustrious title of the Two Jades. After they had reached the ages of fourteen, the elders of other clans used them as examples against which to compare their own disciples. They were very prominent among their peers, and considered household names.”

Ch 15: “Wei Wuxian said, ‘Lan Zhan, indeed, everyone says you are an unparalleled gentleman with impeccable manners, illustrious as a pearl, but ah, that’s all it is…”

(all translations by me)

I’ve also previously written a meta on 公子, which is reflected in Nie Huaisang’s description of Lan Wangji, and which also describes social standing and conventions.

Resources

• 风华绝世（代）
• 翩翩
• Mengruan (novel raws)

Original post on Twitter

The meaning of 青山不改 绿水长流 后会有期

⛰ It’s a common saying in wuxia that was also included in one of CQL’s ending sequences

⛰ Long story short, the English subs didn’t handle this particularly well

Let’s go!

Ok so! This was translated in the English subs to mean “as long as the sea is bound to wash up on the sand, and stars are above you, we will meet again.”

Yeah, this is not what it means at all.

Let’s take a step back and look at the literal meaning behind this phrase.

• 青山不改: the green/blue mountains do not change
• 绿水长流: the green water flows forever
• 后会有期: there will be a time where we will meet again

In the context of wuxia, this is usually said as a parting phrase from one person to another. The relationship between the two parties is usually one that carries a heavy degree of affection and mutual respect.

This phrase can be used between parents and children, between disciples and masters, between blood, sworn, or martial siblings, between strangers, or between friends.

Generally, the relationship between both parties would contain a degree of equality. If used between master and disciple, it’s usally in the context of an established disciple leaving their martial sect to enter the jianghu. There’s a wistful, melancholy connotation to it, and it usually isn’t to be said or taken lightly.

Usually, it’s said when one or both parties know they will probably never cross paths (or blades) again in their lifetimes.

On 青山不改 绿水长流

This is where 青山不改 绿水长流 comes in. There are several possible connotations to this phrase, which are set against the harsh and unforgiving backdrop of the jianghu, and that are all relevant in the context of a farewell:

1️⃣ People and events are ephemeral, but the mountains and rivers will remain constant.

In other words, it implies that people have little control over the passage of time and the forces of nature, and it will be very fortunate if they would ever be able to meet again.

This is best highlighted in the poem 《临江仙·滚滚长江东逝水》by Ming dynasty poet Yang Shen 杨慎. There is a line in the poem that reads 青山依旧在 几度夕阳红, which loosely means “the mountains will remain, and so will the red sunsets”.

2️⃣ Even though time may pass, I hope that we will both remain the same.

Just like the mountains that remain, and the rivers that keep flowing, values and ideals should remain strong and constant, unswayed by outside, negative influences.

3️⃣ Our (martial or coincidental) relationship was beneficial while it lasted, and while we were fortunate to have our paths cross, it’s now time to part ways for practical reasons.

On 后会有期

后会有期 carries a certain degree of hope that the parting will not be an absolute one; and that fate would bring both parties together for one final meeting.

So, unlike what’s been translated in the CQL subs, this phrase doesn’t necessarily contain a romantic connotation at all! It’s part of standard (albeit loaded) jianghu courtesy.

And there certainly are no references to the sea or to the stars!

The Bai Juyi attribution and origins of the phrase

One last thing, which has been confusing for many wuxia and xianxia fans (including me!)

If you search for the phrase 青山不改 绿水长流, you’re likely to come across references to a poem 《离别》, which was supposedly written by Tang poet Bai Juyi 白居易.

In truth, Bai Juyi had never written such a poem! It was written by someone else in modern times and attributed to him. You can read more about this “Bai Juyi poem” and its story here.

So, where did this phrase originally come from? It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume it was derived from the Yang Shen poem referenced above. Alternatively, it could have been adapted from the poem 《林则徐全集》 by Qing dynasty scholar Lin Zexu 林则徐.

Lin Zexu’s poem opens with 青山不墨千秋画 绿水无弦万古琴, which is a patriotic statement that loosely means “even without ink, the mountains are as fine as a thousand-year painting; even without strings, the rivers are as melodic as ten thousand guqin”.

References

• Yang Shen poem
• Lin Zexu poem
• A post by someone trying to track down 《离别》
• More sleuthing

Special thanks to @/fwoopersongs and @/ruiconteur for their suggestions and detective work in finding the “lost Bai Juyi poem”!

I have another post on jianghu, which may help to place this phrase in the broader context of the wuxia genre.

You can read my original critique of this scene in CQL Episode 50 (para 537) here.

Original post on Twitter

Wei Wuxian’s heart and temperament 心性 (translation notes)

“I know best whether it affects my body, and to what extent. As for my temperament — I am the master of my own heart, and I know myself best. Back to the matter of my temperament: what would an outsider like you know? And what does it have to do with you?” (translation and calligraphy by me)

Here’s a clip of me reading the quote aloud.

Some notes:

I’ve loosely translated 心性 as both “heart” and “temperament”. 心 refers specifically to the heart, while 性 refers to one’s nature or personality.

Put together, the heart 心 is the source of goodness and righteousness, and the nature 性 is the expression of it. These are tied to several different Buddhist perspectives, but at a very basic level, this is what it means.

This is why Lan Wangji was so worried about the effects that demonic cultivation would have on Wei Wuxian. Not only did it have the potential to adversely affect Wei Wuxian’s body, it would also alter and twist his mind, outlook on life, his intrinsic principles and values, and by extension, his behavior and actions as well.

I’ve touched on the implications a little in my critique of CQL episode 20 (para 214). I also explain why it was such a shockingly arrogant thing for Wei Wuxian to say.

Inpara 216 of the same critique, I also elaborate on why it was particularly painful for Lan Wangji to hear.

References

• Baidu
• Baidu Zhidao
• Enjing (novel raws)

Original post on Twitter

The differences between 弟子 and 门生

I’ve seen both generally translated to mean “disciple”

But in the period era, these are discrete terms that denote different levels of status

This applies to non-wuxia/xianxia settings too

Let’s go!

So, what’s the difference?

Let’s look at the similarities first. Loosely, both 弟子 (dizi) and 门生 (mensheng) refer to the students of a martial arts or religious sect, a trade, or a philosophy.

The teachings of the sect/trade/philosophy would have been highly prized, and the knowledge stored in the hands of one or a few accomplished masters for handing down to a small group of carefully-chosen successors. Of all the followers, only the most outstanding ones would be permitted to learn from the masters directly.

These were 弟子, and they occupied the highest rank in their sect’s following. As 弟子, they needed to take these teachings to heart. This is because they were expected to instruct the less gifted followers in turn.

This group of people who received instruction through secondary means were known as 门生.

In contrast to the word 门生, which literally refers to a student of a specific trade or technique, the word 弟子 is more intimate and familial, implying a lineal relationship between a master and a disciple, and the expectation of successorship.

On the other hand, the term 子弟, which is more used in mdzs/cql, is different from 弟子 and also worth mentioning. Unlike 弟子, it implies an obvious and direct familial relationship between master and disciple — perhaps they are related by blood, or share a clan name. The familial connection aspect is more apparent in mdzs/cql because the great families are structured along clan (氏) instead of sect (门派) lines, unlike in other wuxia/xianxia stories.

There is another layer of relational distinction between 子弟 and 弟子 in conversation in a martial context:

• 子弟: refers to fellow disciples from the same generation/batch 同辈
• 弟子: refers to fellow disciples from the next generation/batch 晚辈

Examples from novel and cql canon

The first distinction between 子弟 and 门生 in mdzs is explained in ch 3, with reference to the Gusu Lan clan. This is the scene in which a resurrected Wei Wuxian first lays eyes on Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi in the Mo house.

Here, EXR translates 子弟 to “younger generations of blood-relationship to the (Lan) family” and 门生 as “cultivators who came from other families”. This is an accurate and factual translation.

In cql, the 弟子 are referred to as 内门弟子 “inner disciples” and the 门生 are referred to as 外门弟子 “outer disciples”. The term 门生 does not appear in cql at all, which is why Su She, who is a 门生 in the book, calls himself “弟子” in cql ep 5.

This is slightly less accurate, though it’s easier to understand, because it places a clear distinction between the two in terms of status.

I’ve written a little about this in my critique of cql Episode 5 (see para 61).

In ch 10, Mo Xuanyu is referred to as a 外姓门生 of Lanling Jin, which is translated as “foreign disciple”. More literally, 外姓门生 means “disciple who does not bear the (Jin) family name”.

If Mo Xuanyu had been formally recognized as a member of the Jin family, he would have had the status of 子弟, and he would have been permitted to receive cultivation techniques directly from the Jin clan elders.

Moving on, Mianmian is also considered a 门生 (unknown clan in mdzs, but Lanling Jin in cql). This is in ch 52. Here the distinction is made clear in the Chinese text, but in the translation, 门生 is simply presented as “disciple”.

In summary, here are the notable 门生 in mdzs:

• Su She (Gusu Lan)
• Mianmian (unknown clan in mdzs, Lanling Jin in cql)
• Mo Xuanyu (Lanling Jin)

What about 客卿 (keqing)?

At one point, Xue Yang was a 客卿 of the Lanling Jin clan. This is explained in a conversation between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in ch 30. EXR has translated 客卿 to mean “guest disciple”, which is again accurate.

A 客卿 would be held in high regard due to their status as a guest, on par with the host’s 弟子. They were usually highly skilled to ensure that they would not embarass their home clan/sect.

Due to Xue Yang’s reputation as a hooligan, it would have been surprising to a lot of people in the cultivation world that he had been accepted as a guest disciple, and into one of the most powerful clans, no less.

I explain a little about 客卿 in my critique of cql episode 35 (see para 370).

References

• iask
• Lunwenwang
• Baidu Zhidao
• EXR (unofficial English translation)
• Mengruan/Kunnu (novel raws)

Original post on Twitter

The differences between gongzi 公子 and shaoye 少爷

Both can be translated to mean “young master”

But they are used in different contexts, and mean different things

Aight so in both the novel and CQL, the address 公子 gongzi comes up a lot, specifically in reference to young men from prominent cultivation households. In Wei Wuxian’s case, he is not a sect heir, but he is still similarly accorded this term of address.

On the other hand, we see Mo Ziyuan (Mo Xuanyu’s cousin) addressed as both 公子 gongzi and 少爷 shaoye in the opening scenes.

So, what’s the difference?

Let’s start with 公子 gongzi!

Gongzi is a respectful olden-day term that was used to refer to men from distinguished family lines. While it’s generally understood to be a term of address for a younger man, any man of good social standing could be addressed as gongzi, regardless of his age.

Depending on the dynasty in question, this term was also used to address nobles 臣, officials 官, scholars 卿, etc. However, people born into the ruling family generally used different terms of address to denote their superior status.

Likewise, commonfolk tended not to use the term to refer to themselves, as it was usually associated with people who were educated.

Gongzi was considered a genteel term — it would have been out of place on a battlefield, for example, or in a pugilistic setting.

As a general rule, it was considered polite to address a man of good social standing as gongzi — anyone could do that, regardless of their own birth.

In CQL, Lan Xichen addresses Meng Yao as “gongzi” when they first meet, as a gesture of acceptance and respect. Why did this mean so much to Meng Yao? I answer this question in a short explanation I wrote in my critique of Episode 4.

Because gongzi is an old-timey term, it doesn’t really have much use in a modern context! In a fic about the Cloud Recesses arc in a modern AU, for example, the characters would probably be addressed as 同学 “classmate” (e.g. 聂同学 “Classmate Nie”) or just their names.

What about 少爷 shaoye?

Shaoye was used in a domestic context to refer to the sons of the head of a wealthy or prominent household. The eldest son would be 大少爷, the second son 二少爷 etc. In this context, the translation “young master” is also an appropriate one.

Shaoye was usually used within the household, by servants who wished to address the young master. Friends of the young master’s parents or guests might also refer to him as shaoye, to acknowledge his standing in the household.

Unlike gongzi, one didn’t have to be especially educated to genteel to be a shaoye — one just needed to have a certain level of wealth and inheritance, and/or servants at their disposal.

In some modern Chinese-speaking circles, shaoye has a slightly negative connotation, referring to a spoilt young man who expects other people to serve him. This manifests in 少爷脾气 “young master’s temper”, and is related to the “little emperor phenomenon” that is a by-product of China’s one-child policy.

Also, in some parts of China, male service staff at KTV lounges are also referred to as shaoye! They are usually dressed very snazzily, and are responsible for serving food and drinks to the patrons in the various private rooms.

So there you have it, the differences between 公子 and 少爷!

References

• Gongzi 公子
• Shaoye 少爷

Original post on Twitter