#jc reread

[thatswhatsushesaid]

man, but like.... why is there a contingent of jiang cheng stans who are incapable of stanning their special guy (totally justifiably! i support you!!) without shitting on jin guangyao in the process? why are these fans capable of doing deep narrative dives to understand and contextualize jiang cheng's justifiable actions re: wei wuxian and the wen remnants pre-timeskip, who write thoughtful screeds in defence of his feelings of anger and betrayal vis-a-vis the golden core reveal, but lose that capability entirely the second jin guangyao shows up?

is it because jin guangyao is mean to jiang cheng while trying to not get murdered as his whole life collapses around him? jiang cheng is a big boy, jin guangyao's carefully calculated spiel to provoke him during the guanyin temple confrontation doesn't even make the list of top ten most traumatic things to happen to him, he'll be fine.

feral jc stans should be friends with feral jgy stans because nobody else likes us 🥲

[sunforgrace]

all im saying is i deserved to see dean get real weird with it after that last one. two seasons after the widower arc he tells you he loves you and then dies. surely there will be no rammies from this

[grapestones]

Still thinking about Shen Jiu and Jiang Cheng, so what if it's Shen Jiu transmigration into mdzs after reading the novel and he sees aspects of Jiang Cheng and feels them and becomes protective of him. So when he becomes an npc, whether a Jiang disciple from the start or someone else, going from rogue cultivator to a loyal disciple, he becomes insanely protective and even possessive of Jiang Cheng.

Man the possibilities. If he's there before the massacre, Shen Jiu trying to prevent it, and failing that he would guard Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli so much. Hate Wei Wuxian, but being careful with it (he understand what it's like to have a shitty childhood, but he's also jealous because Wei Wuxian did have a better life after being a street rat, not like Shen Jiu, who was abused way more as a slave, and he blames Wei Wuxian a lot. Guy is a hater lmao), and oh, he would adore Jiang Yanli, only the best for her. Yu Ziyuan is a boss and Jiang Fengmian's a rat in his eyes.

And if it's after, during the rebuilding of Lotus Pier, Shen Jiu would support Jiang Cheng so fucking much. My guy might be filled with hate and anger, but he's loyal (at least that's what fandom wiki tells me, I honestly don't remember enough which is such a fucking shame), he's smart, he can rise to be a second in command easily.

He would be there for Jiang Cheng, he would try to save Jiang Yanli, would give a firm talking to Jin Zixuan, threaten Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian, watch for Jin Gungyao and Nie Huaisang and be awkward as hell with Jin Ling.

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

Wang LingJiao used the chance to scramble out. She took out a cylinder of fire-light from her lapels and shook it a few times. A light shot out of the cylinder. Along with a sharp whistle, it rushed out of the wooden window and exploded in the sky outside. Then, she fumbled out a second one, a third one. Hair tangled, she mumbled, “Come… Come… Come here… Everyone, come here!” Through the pain, Wei WuXian pushed Jiang Cheng, “Stop her from sending any more signals!” Jiang Cheng let go of Wei WuXian and lunged in the direction of Wang LingJiao. Yet, at the same time, Wen ZhuLiu was closing in on Madam Yu. He looked as if he was about to knock her down. Jiang Cheng hurried, “Mom!” He immediately gave up on Wang LingJiao and threw himself over. Wen ZhuLiu didn’t even turn his head as he struck, “Not even close!” Jiang Cheng’s shoulder suffered the attack. Blood immediately burst from his mouth. Wang LingJiao had already let out all of the signal fire-lights. Sharp whistles and bright sparks filled the entire grey-blue sky. - Chapter 58, EXR

It's quite interesting how, in this moment, Jiang Cheng does exactly what he's always criticised Wei Wuxian of doing: endangering the Yunmeng Jiang sect by 'playing the hero'. That's not what either of them are doing, of course – it isn't a motivation for Jiang Cheng here, it's not a motivation for Wei Wuxian anytime else, and the motivations they have definitely make sense – but it's exactly the sort of behaviour Jiang Cheng would criticise Wei Wuxian for, with those exact words.

Yet, no character ever criticises him for this – Wei Wuxian doesn't, even when it was his (necessary) advice that was disregarded; Madam Yu doesn't, even when her sect suffered as a consequence. Even when it very likely played a role in Lotus Pier's downfall (at least in getting a lot of Wen sect cultivators to get there very fast), it's never brought up by any character ever again... whereas Wei Wuxian's action of saving Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan and Mianmian in the Xuanwu cave constantly is, even when the Wen sect was pretty certainly going to attack Lotus Pier anyway*. That's not to say Jiang Cheng should be blamed for the fall of Lotus Pier, either – that's on the Wen sect, and regardless of both of their actions, the attack was probably going to be a success. And can we blame someone for making a panicked decision protect his mother? – but one's action is definitely more direct than the other, and it's not the one that's constantly blamed.

The aim, though, isn't to compare the actions so much as the attitudes of the people involved, and this is another little detail that shows the imbalance in Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's dynamic. Again, Wei Wuxian doesn't say anything about this afterwards, and doesn't seem to blame him, even when it's his words that were disregarded, and when the Jiang sect and Lotus Pier were undoubtedly very important to him as well. Which is good! That's a good thing and definitely the healthier option for both of them! If the roles were flipped, and Wei Wuxian saved a(n admittedly non-Yu Ziyuan) person, disregarding Jiang Cheng's orders while leading to more danger falling on Lotus Pier? Jiang Cheng would never stop blaming him or bringing it up. Even after the many years that passed between then and Wei Wuxian's resurrection, he still blames Wei Wuxian for the fall of Lotus Pier due to his actions in the Xuanwu cave** – once again, a much less direct scenario.

--

*Very strategic location (trade hub etc), they attacked the Cloud Recesses already, Jiang Cheng's internal narration literally admits this:

In his heart, Jiang Cheng knew clearly that back in the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter at Dusk-Creek Mountain, even if Wei WuXian hadn’t saved Lan WangJi, the Wen Sect would have found some reason to come over sooner or later. But he had always felt that, if the whole thing with Wei WuXian didn’t happen, maybe it wouldn’t have been so soon, maybe there would’ve been some way to turn things around - Chapter 59, EXR

Yet there was some time between the end of the Wen indoctrination and the Fall of Lotus Pier, and we never even saw attempts at security adjustments!

**As we see in the Ancestral Hall:

Jiang Cheng mocked, “Look how forgetful you are. What does unwelcome people mean? Then let me remind you. It was because you played the hero and saved Second Young Master Lan, who’s standing beside you right now, that the entire Lotus Pier and my parents went down with you." - Chapter 87, EXR

[sandontsengshou]

You're so real for being upset about the mischaracterization of JL.

Why people portray him as looking up to LWJ is beyond me. He's rude to Jiujiu!! Why would JL look up to that!

Even if a heavenly official came down to condemn Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling would tell them to fuck off. I don’t think he’d make an exception for some second jade or whatever lol.

And there’s also the silencing spell. I’d despise any adult that did that to me, “good” reason or not.

[turnedpalefromlackofsun]

[icyolive]

"When day broke, Jiang Cheng was almost lifeless."

Yeah well you're lucky Wei Wuxian wasn't laying there actually lifeless after you fucking strangled him. Strangling is no joke.

[jcs-writing-hell]

What gets to me about my TGCF reread, like almost 3 years after I originally read it, in the middle of my MDZS PTSD that left me numb to a load of it, is just... The severity of XL's depression.

I sat like 3 days on the intro with most of chap 1 that I read and was like.. damn.

It's not the vile, noisy, emo type of depression. It's not the type of depression that's loud and gory. It's the worst kind.

It's the "I've long since shut off", the "nothing gets to me anymore" where even the voices of depression have gone mute. No more death wishes, or nagging yells in your head of self-loathing.

It's the type where everything's long since turned so normal that he just accepts it. Anything bad that happens to him or is directed at him is just legit and rightful with no emotion to it other than that effing deep "i get it, it's true". The amount of shit a person has to go through before they truly don't care the way he does is like.. damn, just damn.

(I'm just gonna leave this on my writing blog 'cause dang it's sad but important for writing him in char)

[rkivees]

I'm rereading the last few chapters and I'd really like to understand why many can only see WWX and JC reconciling and not each going their own way. It's all in the past, Wei Wuxian said it himself and for me that was kind of a boundary being set but what do I know I guess

[dragonji]

this will be my sixth rewatch of cql and dont get me wrong I am joyfully looking forward to it but I do think I should do smth different this time esp if I can't drag any of my irls to watch it with me..... perhaps I shall attempt a concurrent reread as well

[mytardisisparked]

I think maybe rereading Legion by Brandon Sanderson would fix me, actually.

[shijieswife]

just saw a post that was like 'characters who go thru trauma and sitll remain gentle' and someone qrted with 'jgy (ignoring his war crimes)' and 'jc (to an extent)' do i have to even sya anything

[morethanwonderful]

God, Jiang Cheng must have been so pissed when Wei Wuxian showed up to his "I'm defecting" duel with Wen Ning there to fight on his behalf.

Jiang Cheng was furious at the defection because he thought Wei Wuxian was choosing the Wen clan above him and the Jiangs, and he was almost certainly bitter about how Jgs accused Wei Wuxian of not respecting him. And then Wwx pulls this shit? He shows up to their formal duel with a Wen as his number two, and he won't even deign to fight his brother and sect leader sword to sword one on one like he ought to?

Like obviously there is a very good reason why Wwx couldn't fight a proper duel with him, but from Jiang Cheng's point of view? Here Wwx is making a very public demonstration of how he's siding with dead Wens over his brother, and how he refuses to follow proper conduct to the very last. Talk about adding insult to injury.

[grapestones]

I feel like I'm overthinking a lot of things when it's come to my levicheng fic and that's why I make no progress and stop writing it eventually. Only to come back weeks later, try again and fall into the same hole. It's especially a problem because I'm not sure how to overcome it because I do want a lot of things that aren't feasible and I guess I'm impatient since I know I have other fics with them but like. I want some changes in scenarios that are small? Small and big at the same time but in the end it wouldn't change the story that much, yet it would. You know?

For example, Jiang Cheng's age. He's younger, around 17, maybe, so he can join the Warrior program like Zeke did, except that he would end up like Grisha, about to be executed but Krueger giving him the Attack Titan.

But I also can't stop thinking about older Jiang Cheng, of how horrified he would be to see Reiner, Berthold and Annie to come to Paradis Island while they are so young. Because I think, for me, him being older, already riddled by trauma from a young age and wanting to prevent the same from happening for others is who he is.

Like this, it isn't a big change. The story would still go how it should be, but it's not the same, because Jiang Cheng himself is not the same, his reactions would be slightly changed, and that makes an impact for me. So now i wonder if I should rewrite the roughly four chapters worth of story for things like this. Because older Jiang Cheng means a bit of a different person, change I'm his background and feelings

[llycaons]

like the wu ming reveal was all very nice but since this all happened nearly a thousand years before the events of books 1, 3, and 5 its like...okay? everything about their relationship in the flashback I either found creepy or didn't care about 😭 ik some fans like the idea of a character so loyal he's willing to destroy a whole country on the word of his god slash crush but umm I do not! also hc disguising himself as the child who was hanging out with xl was so weird why did he do that. age gap creepiness aside it was just stupid and eliminated a chatacter I was really excited about. and it pissed me off when he kicked qyz off the sedan chair like let him sit!!! his single-minded focus on xl got so so old and his insistence on inserting himself everywhere was intrusive and annoying! to me. got real tired of his 'fuck everyone else I got dianxia' mindset. immature. annoying. and unfair

[rcclouder]

yeah we did the WHOLE thing