#nmj critical

[jin-zixun]

Reasons Nie Mingjue tries to kill Jin Guangyao:

JGY saved his life (while being unable to do the same for others)

He didn't think working as a spy to win the war would actually include having to do bad things (unlike the killings NMJ performs which are always 100% justified because NMJ is 100% moral and has the right to make that call)

JGY won't kill himself

JGY won't perform extrajudicial murder of his shidi, favored by his father (which would also get him killed)

JGY won't die

JGY talked back to him and won't just completely agree with his assessment (that JGY should just die)

It's the only way for them to have peace (says the guy who suffers from extensive murderous rages and came back as a corpse to continue killing people against the guy who oversaw the biggest public safety project and expansion we know of and kept the peace for over a decade)

JGY tells their mutual friend/sworn brother that he's concerned about NMJ suffering from said extensive murderous rages

JGY bought nice things for NHS

Reasons Jin Guangyao tries to kill Nie Mingjue

Doesn't want to be killed by Nie Mingjue who keeps trying to kill him

[randomidiocyncrazies]

so far i think the funniest consequence of the fem!NMJ AU in my mind is the possibility of Jiang Yanli trying to pair JC and NMJ up

[duohensheng]

#Not even nmj (in the middle of qi deviation) could come up with some of the things that this fandom believes wholeheartedly

via @random-mdzs-thoughts-dumpster

every so often i'll just be hanging out minding my own business, and then i'll remember the time i read some commentary about cql episode 41 that insisted jgy was using nhs as a human shield against nmj during his qi deviation. then i get mad and stomp around complaining about it to my lovely husband (who does not know/does not care about this nonsense but patiently listens to me anyway). at some point in the recent-ish past i could have sworn i wrote up a thing specifically detailing why nhs-as-crybaby-meat-shield doesn't track, but since i can't find my own post about it, i'm just going to make another, shorter one with some visual references.

here they are. (zanzan stop looking at the camera, you're supposed to be a professional.) i wish i could make gifsets because the stills don't quite show you what's happening. but imo this is a perfectly analogous moment to the 'beguiling boy' section of the novel, where nhs is fully prepared to throw himself onto the burning pyre of all his most treasured personal possessions after nmj has set them on fire. the only reason he doesn't burn more than his hands is because jgy is there to grab him and hold him back.

in this moment, nhs is struggling to get out of jgy's grip because he wants to go to his da-ge--the same da-ge who just finished hallucinating that jgy was pulling a mcu loki maneuver, and was wildly swinging baxia around trying to kill him. if jgy had let go of nhs in this moment, nhs would be badly injured--just like what happens in the novel during nmj's qi deviation--or worse.

[ifellintothestyx]

The funny thing about JC defenders is that they always try to argue that JC refusing to cover the Wens and side with WWX was the correct political move. In the short term, perhaps, but in the long term, that was proven wrong in the books themselves.

(It's even funnier thinking that correct political moves exist in a bullshit political system that blatantly serves only the gentry, is held together by hearsay and rumors, and has no actual system of laws that can serve as a basis to accuse, judge, or punish someone.)

So how was JC's refusal to side with WWX and the Wens considered the "correct political move"? Reasons include that the Jiang sect was still recovering from the war, that going against the Jins would result in another war that would end in major losses on the Jiang sect's side, and that the Wens weren't and shouldn't have been a priority for JC at all.

Let's clear a few things up. The Jiang clan was not the only clan recovering, so were the Nies and the Lans. In the aftermath of the war, it's not explicitly stated how well the other sects were doing, so we couldn't really tell if the Jiangs were worse off than the other three. It could be noted, however, that the Jins retained much of their wealth and influence, so much so that Jin Guangyao was able to take the position of Chief Cultivator with little to no opposition. The main point, though, is that at that moment in the aftermath of the war, we could not easily assume the Jiangs were the worst off, as the other three sects also lost many disciples in the war, and we didn't really know how much the other sects recovered.

For the second reason, if a major war somehow did happen again, this time Jiangs vs everyone else, everyone else would lose. WWX's presence single-handedly helped them win the war against the Wens. A war between the Jiangs and the jianghu would be based on numbers, which reflects the war between the Wens and the jianghu. The Wens had more disciples, and no matter how many LWJs or NMJs you got up your sleeve, numbers make a big difference in war. That's why WWX's skills were a critical part in winning: he is a one-man army of thousands. He could easily make up for the gap in numbers. That's why the Jins kept trying to get rid of him—they were nervous about so much power belonging to only one faction: the Jiangs. JGS couldn't exactly claim his desired role as Chief Cultivator if a younger, smarter, and more powerful individual was still around to keep him in check.

Finally, we get to the part of why I'm making this long-ass post on a caffeine-driven rage. See, the point of trying to stop a powerful faction from committing atrocities is to stop them from thinking they can do it whenever they like. The Jins were given a pass to do whatever the hell they wanted to a small, outcasted faction (the Wens), and they proceeded to take that pass as a pass for everything else. Nobody stopped them from torturing the Wens, so what's stopping them from allowing a mass murderer like XY to run wild in an attempt to create their own WWX? Definitely not NMJ, hahaha, because, y'know, the hypocrites in the gentry have already decided that whatever the Jins do is alright so long as it's not their problem. An exterminated clan isn't their priority. So, what was stopping XY from going out and doing it again to SL's sect? Absolutely nothing! Because the Jins could cover it up and no one could say a word despite how suspicious it was, because hey, remember what happened to the last guy that spoke up against the Jins?

Calling out the Jins on their crimes against the Wens, who were elderly and children save for WQ and WN (who JC owed his damn life and core to), would have created a precedent of not allowing massive crimes to slide under the radar. But because the opposite happened, because nobody fucking realized that apathy and selfishness don't fucking help in the long run, two sects were exterminated because JGS and JGY were basically given an "okay, fine, just keep that bullshit away from us". That's not actual justice. That's not "morally grey". Allowing people in power to trample over others just because it doesn't affect you personally is not sustainable, because what happens when it's you they've decided to trample over? Are you going to complain? Are you going to look to others for help, when you personally couldn't be bothered to offer your hand to those who suffered? When the reason the people trampling over you gained that power is because you allowed it?

The unopposed killing of WWX and the Wens led to the political climate that allowed the massacres of two sects because the Jins were trying to protect and satisfy their pet project. It led to the murder of NMJ because JGS/JGY wanted to keep people from checking their power. If JC couldn't find it in his heart to be sympathetic to the Wens, fine, but at the very least, he should have considered the potential harm in rolling over and giving a political faction too much power.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

June 27th

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1. can you recomend fics in which wwx decides to leave jiang sect? @chellsky

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

Lay my body down by tawaen (M, 48k, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, wangxian, WWX & JYL, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Eventual WangXian, No Golden Core Transfer, Not Cultivation World Friendly, Canon-Typical Violence, Not JC Friendly, What if WWX saw the first siege of the burial mounds and said Nope to the war, OCs, OC point-of-view for one chapter for plot reasons) WWX nopes out of the cultivation world in general, which includes the Jiang

Debts of a Child by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WangXian, dark, YZY Bashing, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Angst and Feels, lots of anger, JC Bashing, not Jiang friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Content warning for icky spiders in later chapters.)

🔒 crying like a fire in the sun by Reverie (cl410) (T, 10k, wangxian, SL/XXC, JC & WWX, BSSR/LY, Runaway WWX, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives AU, rogue cultivator WWX, Angst, Post Cloud Recesses, Not YZY Friendly, Happy Ending, BSSR is WWX’s grandmother instead of grandmaster)

Inchoate by Marinelifeclub (T, 20k, wangxian, Child Abuse, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Protective LQR, Protective LWJ, Rogue Cultivator WWX, YZY Bashing, JC Bashing, No Golden Core Transfer, Dark JFM)

My heart knows (you’re the missing piece) by makexianxianhappytoday (T, 73k, wangxian, WWX & Jiang  family, BSSR & WWX, canon divergence, rogue cultivator WWX, not  Jiang   friendly, protective LWJ, butterfly effect, no golden core  transfer, WIP)

Chronicles of Sect Leader Wei Wuxian by Muggle_Diary (E, 85k, WIP, WangXian, XuanLi, JFM/YZY, CSSR/WCZ, LXC/LQY, NMJ/QS, WQ/OC, OFC/ OFC, JC/ OFC, Sect Leader WWX, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Different First Meeting, Canon Divergence, Minor Character Death, Anal Sex, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Sex Toys, Explicit Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Rough Sex, Child Abuse, Child Death, War Hero WWX, Sunshot Campaign, No Golden Core Transfer, WWX Leaves the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Cultivation Sect Politics, Wen Remnants Live, Abusive YZY, Abusive Jiang Family, Bad Parents JFM and YZY, JC Bashing, JFM and YZY Bashing, Yunmeng Jiang Sect Bashing, JYL and JZX Live, Jiang Family Bashing) feels a bit OOC, but I'm enjoying the world building, WIP

Just go forward like you mean it by tawaen (M, 67k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WWX does not attend the Wen indoctrination, WWX saves Lotus Pier, Inventor WWX, No Golden Core Transfer, Sect Leader JYL, JC Has No Golden Core, Bad Parents JFM and YZY) I love this one, WIP but I think it's close to done

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2. do you know any fics where Madam Yu or Jiang Cheng accidentally hurt Huaisang with Zidian while their target was WWX?

Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending) Not quite the request, but similar enough it may be of interest. JC goes into a rage over WWX in this - though he isn't present - & NHS sustains life-changing injuries as a result - though with JC's sword rather than Zidian

❤️ A Future Family In A Broken Past by Hauntcats (T, 121k, wangxian, time travel, not Jiang friendly, Not Cultivation World Friendly, WWX Needs a Hug, Family Dynamics, What is a good family?, Fear of emotions does not excuse abuse, happy ending of sorts, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, fix-it, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, LXC needs a hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, except JC, He can suffer, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, not YZY friendly) For # 2 we’re NH is endangered there is the story

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3. Hi buddy! Thanks for the last fic recommendations...

Could you give me some fics with general Wei Wuxian? There was one particular story with him being an awesome General who cares more about his soldiers and the lives of the people he's protecting and thus deciding to surrender rather than fight fully knowing that they would not be able to win. I think him and LWJ was on opposite sides yet had respect for each other. There were some madam yu bashing though... @grrumpywoof

🔒 Crossing Paths by Ilona22 (M, 21k, wangxian, shapeshifter au, graphic depictions of violence, war between sects, war crimes, not JC friendly, happy ending)

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4. itmf modern a/b/o long fics? or any self indulgent long fics set in modern au?

Insert Coin Now for Extra Life by TriviasFolly (E, 201k, wangxian, modern, ABO, Intersex Omegas, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, Marriage contract au, Twitch Streamer WWX, fluff and smut, caring for other while sick, Possessive LWJ, Rare Male Omegas, Pack Dynamics, Sugar Baby vibes, Eventual Smut, Brief mention of lwj/others)

🔒I is for Instinct by beeswaxing (E, 71k, wangxian, NMJ/LXC, JYL/JZX, hualian, modern, ABO, college/university au, alpha WWX, omega LWJ, scenting, possessive behavior, getting together, public claiming, good parent LQR & YZY, fluff, romance, slice of life, smut, mpreg)

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5. Hi! I hope y’all are having a wonderful day! Today I’m itmf two improbable scenarios: A) chief cultivator wwx, and B) wen zhuliu melting wrh’s core. Thanks! :3

5A)

The "Patriarch" Was Supposed to be Ironic (or, Wei Wuxian, Chief Cultivator) by groignequi (E, 1k, WangXian, JC & WWX & JYL, JC/NHS/WQ, WIP, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, jiang friendly, Not Everyone Dies, Really Most People Live (Except JGS), Chief Cultivator WWX, Getting Together, Happy Ending) Hi! For 5A on the recent ITMF, I also couldn't remember reading any fic with that premise...so I made some? Only the first chapter is up so far. And the tags can lead to the whole four (4!) other fics under "Chief Cultivator Wei Wuxian" : )

5B)

💖 Love made visible by Moominmammashandbag (M, JYL/ZZL, wangxian, hurt/Comfort, amputation, major character injury, sibling love, angst w happy ending, cooking as cultivation, attempted rape/non-con, sexual assault, minor character death, family angst, dysfunctional family, protective siblings, near drowning, amnesia) wrh core melting is very off screen but it is mentioned later!

❤️ in case of fire, break glass by Jenrose (T, 65k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, unless I hate them, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Genius Inventor WWX, NHS Finds His Calling, No Women Die) also very offscreen but stated that zhao zhuliu killed him, not as central to the plot of this one as the first rec

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6. Why is LQR always portrayed as this really old dude? He is the younger brother of the LWJ’s dad, so he is at most like, 35? 40? Sexy cranky middle aged single-dad (of twin jades) LQR please!!!

Rest and Care Series by meyari (T/G, 62k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, very little hurt lots of comfort, Chronic Illness, Serious Injuries, Self-Medication, Disability, PTSD, Depression, Self-Worth Issues, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, aftermath of war, Aftermath of Violence, Prisoner of War, Identity Issues, Warning: JGS, enslavement (discussion of), abuse (discussion of), actually very fluffy despite the warnings, Fluff and Crack, dubious academic writing, Historical Research, Modern Era, Good YZY, Good Person SS, Reincarnation) LQR being young is a subplot

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7. Hello there, I’m not sure if this is a fic finder or an in the mood for, because I’m looking for a fic and more like that.

So you know how theres this TikTok Sound of someone called Nick who asks for the WLAN Password and its I Love You Nick and Nick is in a lot of denial about being lovers even though their anniversary is coming up?

I found a fic that was basically WY and LZ in a relationship, and WY/LZ (but more likely WY) didn’t realise that they were anything more than friends, and it was very funny.

More comedic than anything else. But I cannot for the life of me find it, and everytime I try and search for it, only the sad version shows up.

Please send help, I need to read this fluff….I crave it. @desperation-is-my-middle-name

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8. Hi! For the ITMF, I'm looking for

A) Protective JC and JYL, especially if JFM and YZY are gone and they can protect WWX openly now without anyone standing in their way and,

B) Protective JC and JYL, but specifically against LWJ because they notice how rough he is with WWX (see Phoenix mountain kiss for example) and all the funny misunderstandings that come from that @hikato-chan

8A)

🔒 between the shadow and the soul by Reverie (cl410) (M, 22k, WangXian, JYL/WQ, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Dark WWX, Feral WWX, Memory Loss, Magic, Magical Realism, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Grief, BAMF WWX, POV Alternating)

spice by antebunny (G, 5k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fluff, small tournament arc, JFM and LQR dissing each other for 2k, yunmeng siblings, people treating WWX with the respect he deserves, Scheming, Fix-It of Sorts, Good Dad JFM, fluffy fluff)

family by antebunny (G, 8k, JC & WWX, WangXian, JYL/JZX, Fix-It, Angst, Fluff, Found Family, actual family, Everybody Lives, JC is a good bro, Epic Tsundere JC, WWX's horde of gremlin children, Canon Divergence)

8B)

Life is Very Long by Vamillepudding (T, 12k, WangXian, JC & WWX, JL & WWX, Post-Canon, Comedy, Protective JC, Protective JL, Misunderstandings, Oblivious WWX, Protective LWJ) has Jiang Cheng & Jin Ling (rather thank Jiang Yanli) trying to protect Wei Wuxian because they think Lan Wangji is abusing him. So, close, but not quite what they were requesting.

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9. itmf some jyl time travel fix-it pls! ty!

from the top, this time with personality by thunderwear (G, 15k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, time travel, JYL stands up for herself, family feels, WIP)

Sail Away Sweet Sister by sami (M, 73k, WangXian, YZY/CSSR/MDM Lan, MingLi, Time Travel, EXTREME Canon Divergence, Wide Focus Narrative, Some People Live/Not Everyone Dies, Most Named/Canon Characters Live, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Families of Choice, Parenthood, this work contains a major tonal shift, Fluff, Angst, Underage Sex, not particularly explicit, but not at all ambiguous, PTSD, Only a tiny bit, Unforeseeable consequences, The butterfly effect, Slightly Dark JYL, Asexual Characters, but that’s not really the focus, Canon-Typical Violence)

🔒 Young Madam Jin by StarClearWaters (Readoutloud) (G, 5k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, Time Travel, Fix-It of Sorts, Canon Divergence, Temporary Character Death)

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10. For the next itmf I wanted something with everyone but wwx time-traveling, I want him so be so confused about why everyone changed the way they act around him, thanks

refrain; a musical phrase repeating in a song or instrumental piece Series by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T/G, 51k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Sort Of, Memory Loss, Canon-typical dismemberment, Post-Series, but also mid-series ya feel, Changing Tenses, Protective LWJ, Everybody Lives, Confused WWX, Crack Treated Seriously)

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11. Hi!! I was hoping you could suggest any wwx never died and has no golden core? The longer the better just no character bashing please 💖💖

🔒 An Ocean Away by aoeros (M, 42k, Inu no Taishou/Izayoi, WWX & LSZ, WWX & Izayoi, WWX & Inu no Taishou, WWX & Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)/WWX, WWX & WN, WIP, InuYasha Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Canon Divergence, Out of Character, Found Family, WWX in WWX's Body, YLLZ WWX, LSZ is still Wēn Yuàn, Inu no Taishou Lives, Inu no Taishou/Sesshoumaru’s Mother is Implied/Referenced, human to hanyou to youkai transformation) WWX flees with A-Yuan and accidentally lands in Japan. Focuses more on their life now than the cultivation world so I think there wasn't any bashing

The Wrong Man by Remma3760 (Not Rated, 60k, WangXian, WIP, Major Character Death, Sect Leader LWJ, Evil JGS, Canon Divergence) WWX was taken prisoner by the Jin so is still alive & coreless

Aftermath by KouriArashi (T, 57k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, LXC/JGY, JZX & JGY, JYL & WXX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everybody Lives, Romance, Developing Relationship, Family, Sibling Bonding, Light Angst, Politics, Attempted Sexual Assault, some murder on occasion, People talking about their feelings, processing their trauma, The good shit)

Blooming in white by luckymoonly (T, 38k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, MM/WQ, NMJ/LXC, NHS/JC, Canon Divergence, Mpreg, Getting Together, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, hidden pregnancy, Mutual Pining, Drama, Misunderstandings, Everyone Lives AU, Miscommunication, WWX and NHS are BFF, matchmaker NHS, Fix-It)

body and soul by TooSel (E, 41k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Marriage Proposal, Everyone Lives AU, Cultivation Sect Politics, Yílíng Wèi Sect AU, Adoption, Smut, Friends to Lovers, Angst with a Happy Ending)

🧡 Discarded by teawater (E, 178k, WIP, WangXian, Lots of Angst, Hurt/Comfort, YLLZ WWX, Golden Core Reveal, Case Fic, Depression, Family Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Multiple, BAMF WWX, dubious morals in the Lan sect, Feels, Pining, Grief, Fix-It, BAMF LWJ)

❤️ Dream a little dream of me by Moominmammashandbag (M, 60k, wangxian, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, mentions of torture, Mention of dismemberment, Coming Out, Plotting and scheming, animate body parts, goose, and supporting avian cast, Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Attacks, goose!NMJ Reincarnation, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Incest, Do not fuck with NHS, Dreamwalking, Angst with a Happy Ending, JZX Lives)

Discordant Rhapsody by nirejseki (T, 49k, LQR & WWX, wangxian, JC & WWX, WQ & WWX & WN, LWJ & LQR & LXC, canon divergence, fix-it, hurt/comfort, trauma, politics, protective LQR, protective LWJ, protective WWX, LQR centric, whump, angst)

Field Trips with Wei Wuxian by antebunny (G, 42k, WangXian, WQ & WWX, NMJ & WWX, JZX & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Found Family, Angst with a Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Miscommunication, protective Jiang siblings, Unreliable Narrator, due to WWX assuming ppl hate him, JYL is gonna dropkick her baby bro into having friends)

Grave dirt by esama (T, 92k, wangxian, canon divergence, necromancy, demonic cultivation, farming, found family, pre-slash, politics, Fix-it of sorts, yilingwei sect au)

Hope Dangling by a String by KouriArashi (M, 70k, wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it, everyone lives, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, psychic bond, telepathy, communication, emotional/psychological abuse, jiang family feels, lan family feels, canon-typical violence, canon-typical politics, improper use of sacred forehead ribbons, gratuitous hair washing)

🔒 Tether by WithBroomBefore (T, 40k, WangXian, SangLi, WWX’s passive suicidality, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, WWX Lives, JYL Lives, Golden Core Reveal, Minor Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV JYL, Grief/Mourning, Sunshot Campaign, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, LWJ makes friends, Fix-It, Happy Ending)

Until It's Dark by suzvoy (M, 120k, WangXIan, LXC/JGY, Canon Divergence, LWJ Finds Out, Pining, Fluff and Angst, First Kiss, First Time, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Hair-pulling, Hair-pulling in chapter 23)

Though one were strong as seven, he too with death shall dwell (For many times and lands) by sjyl_lotus (E, 151k, WIP, WangXian, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Yiling Laozu WWX, LSZ is a Wei, WWX Adopts LSZ, WWX doesn't go to nightless city, WWX runs away with a-yuan and granny Wen, Little bit of angst, WWX Doesn't die, JYL Lives, Wangxian Reunion, Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Panic Attacks, supportive LSZ, Anxiety Attacks, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, MXY Deserves Happiness)

These Things Unseen by bonyenne (T, 34k, wangxian, WWX & XXC, WWX & LY, canon divergence, fluff & angst, accidental baby acquisition, getting together, happy ending, found family, alternating pov, pining, kid fic)

i’ll take a secondhand monster by Stratisphyre (T, 24k, MXY & WWX, MXY & JGY, LWJ & LSZ & MXY, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Bullying, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kid fic, Minor canonical character death, Injured WWX, Earn Your Happy Ending) would probably work; it's another 'wwx is imprisoned by the Jins post siege' fic

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12. Hiii, I have a request for the next ITMF post - please recommend some imperial royalty au👑.

Wangxian can be the leads with lwj as emperor or even lxn as emperor with some background relationships for him.

I have just been craving some well written imperial family drama starring wangxian. Please only complete fics 🙏

我的皇后是農民 | sowing seeds in the cold palace by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Imperial Consort WWX, Farmer WWX, Angst, Romance, Wingman LJY, Wife-chasing-LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Best Boy A-Yuan)

願陛下 | by his majesty's decree by sweetlolixo (E, 40k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Concubine WWX, Harems, Pining LWJ, LWJ is not a dragon in this one but he descended from them :), Childhood Sweethearts (sort of), Romance, minimal angst, Happy Ending, NHS & WWX are concubine BFFs, LWJ has NO EYES for anyone besides WWX don’t worry the harem is only for the plot setting, Fantasy, Pregnant WWX, Possessive LWJ, Fluff)

The Emperor's Portrait by catbrainedschemes (E, 32k, WangXian, Historical, Ancient China, Historically Inaccurate, Meet-Cute, Mistaken Identity, Age Difference, Sexual Tension, Happy Ending, Fluff, EmperorLWJ, artist WWX, who happens to draw porn on the side, LSZ is the best boy, Misunderstandings, Hand Kink, Strength Kink, Smut, gege kink, lots of staring, Dirty Talk, Canon-Typical Bondage)

To Tread Upon Solid Ground by stiltonbasket (G, 6k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, LXC & WWX, Royalty, Emperor LWJ, Growing Up Together, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Mutual Pining, References to Illness, (on lxc's part), Eventual Happy Ending, Bodyguard WWX, Fluff and Humor, Misunderstandings, gratuitous overuse of em dashes, Oblivious WWX, Confused WWX, This boy needs HELP, someone save the king)

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13. heyy admins! i'm running out of fics to ready, what are some of your favs or recs? thanksss!!

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14. Crying rn. INTM for some fics where Jin Rusong lives, like I don't care if he's adopted, faked his death, living with the Jins idc I just want to see him. @thatperson0-0

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained by nirejseki (G, 4k, Canon Divergence, JRS Lives, NHS is a schemer)

Tread Lightly on my Ground by AshayaTReldai (E, 63k, LXC/QS, WangXian, JGY/QS, JGS/QS, JRS & LXC, QS & WWX, LXC & WWX, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, PTSD, Rape, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Not Really Character Death, Happy ending for LXC, Incest, Trauma)

now you’re tearing through the pages and the ink by Stratisphyre (M, 70k, JC/QS, WangXian, QS & WWX, Canon Divergence, Canon Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, JGS Being Gross, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Canonical Accidental Incest, Marriage of Convenience, Friends to Lovers, Child Abuse, Accidental Child Acquisition, Found Family, Not Everyone Dies, (but there is some), canon character death, QS POV, Golden Core Reveal, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Dynamics)

~*~

15. A) Fanfics where wei wuxian is pregnant with lan zhan

B) Marriage arranging between wei wuxian and lan zhan @jikookjiminjungkook91

15A)

🧡 Accidents Will Happen by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 45k WangXian, Post Canon, Mpreg, Fluff, Light angst)

Blooming in white by luckymoonly (T, 38k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, MM/WQ, NMJ/LXC, NHS/JC, Canon Divergence, Mpreg, Getting Together, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, hidden pregnancy, Mutual Pining, Drama, Misunderstandings, Everyone Lives AU, Miscommunication, WWX and NHS are BFF, matchmaker NHS, Fix-It) link in #11

Impermanence, Transience, Permanence by Best Bepsy (BepsyGray) (E, 39k, wangxian, canon divergence, unplanned pregnancy, mpreg, gore, sunshot campaign, assumed miscarriage, medical procedures, childbirth, golden core reveal)

All I Want by Selenay (E, 47k, wangxian, Modern, Mpreg, Post Holiday Romance, Consequences, Reunions, Idiots in Love, wangxian attempt to be sensible adults about it, they are very bad at it, Teacher WWX, Rating earned in later chapters, Handwavey Biology)

🧡 Brilliant Mistake by brooklinegirl (E, 53k, WangXian, Modern AU, Sex Pollen, Mpreg, dubcon, Modern Cultivators, Dubious Medical Science)

Take My Pieces, Make Me Whole by InTheGreySpaces (M, 297k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt WWX, JC & WWX Reconciliation, JC is a good brother, LXC Is A Good Brother, Golden Core Reveal, Mpreg, LSZ really IS WWX's son, and LWJ is his other father, LQR is a good uncle, after he's an ass for a bit, nobody we like dies in this one, cleansing the Burial Mounds, Eventual Happy Ending, WWX Has Memory Issues, resentful energy is almost a character of its own in this one, Nei Clan's resentful saber secret, NMJ is a good brother, Hurt LWJ, Hurt NMJ, Baxia is a misbehaving bitch, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, tiny bit of non-con, chapters will be tagged individually with necessary warnings, sentient Yin Iron)

On The Way Home by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 59k, WangXian, Modern, Mpreg, Non-a/b/o mpreg, Unprotected Sex, Unexpected Pregnancy, Friends With Benefits, Getting Together, Pining while fucking)

A Mother’s Love by FirefliesNLightningBugs (M, 170k, WangXian, XuanLi, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Mostly combo of the Untamed and MoDaoZuShi timelines, Unreliable Narrator, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Family Feels, Found Family, PTSD, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Political Intrigue, Mystery, POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Strong Female Characters, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Good Brother In Law JZX, Genderbent WWX, Intersex WWX, not a/b/o, POV Original Character, Expanded Universe, Unplanned Pregnancy, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Cultivation Sect Politics, Bisexual WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Pining WangXian, Parent-Child Relationship, Getting Together, Protective Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect, MXY Lives) Wwx is intersex (author tried to base it on the real world condition, not omegaverse that uses the term erroneously) & a misunderstanding combined with their own insecurities leads both parties to think they accidentally took advantage of each other (it was consentual), an inefficient mailing system causes things not to be resolved in a timely manner. Also tons of worldbuilding & unrelated political intrigue. Wens live

15B)

a light hidden and singing by occultings (microcomets) (E, 48k, wangxian, arranged marriage, pining, getting together, slow burn, misunderstandings, miscommunication, blood & injury, happy ending, smut)

forever is home (with you) by moonsteps (T, 23k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Intimacy, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers, the inherent romance of the forehead ribbon)

Lead Me On Through by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 54k, wangxian, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Practice Kissing, practice other things, horny boys in love, questionable logic, Questionable Choices, they’re dumb but cute, but dumb, but really cute, slight knives, Happy Ending)

seldom all they seem by Fahye (E, 25k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, or rather Arranged Betrothal, followed by Weapons-Grade Thirst)

sweet chaos by eachandeverydimension (G, 86k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Romance, Light Angst, Falling In Love, Different First Meeting, Qīnghéng-jūn’s A+ Parenting, Night Hunts, Chinese Language, Good Sibling LXC, Good Sibling JYL, POV LWJ, Getting Together, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Chinese Culture, Slow Burn, No Homophobia AU)

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

~*~

16. hello! do you happen to know any fics where someone hurts/smth happens to lan wangji and lan xichen goes apeshit?

~*~

17. Hi! I was wondering if anyone had any recs with modern au's in which the Wens were wwx's foster family before he moved with the Jiangs? Thx <3

Train Rides Change Everything by Seriana (E, 403k, WIP, WangXian, NHS/WX, JC/NMJ, JYL/LXC, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Mpreg, Abusive Jiang Family, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Slut Shaming, Fluff and Angst, Unplanned Pregnancy, Abusive YZY, Bad Parents JFM and YZY, Beta JC, Omega JYL, Modern Era, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Beta NHS, WC Being an Asshole, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Misunderstandings, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Scenting, Scent Marking, Slow Burn, Forced Marriage, First Time, Forced Bitching - Omegaverse, Alpha WX, Minor Character Death, Murder, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, drug overdose, Sexual Tension, Omega JC) Its not a big part of the story but it's there!

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[eiyriny]

Why Does Jiang Cheng Get All the Hate While Nie Mingjue Gets a Pass?

I genuinely don't get why Jiang Cheng is the only one who gets so much blame and hate for not helping the Wen Remnants. After all, the main reason he chose not to help them is out of fear that his newly rebuilt clan couldn’t survive the fallout of offering them protection. Regardless of whether you believe this to be true or not, that's what Jiang Cheng honestly believes.

But you know who did have the power to challenge the Jin Clan, has no compunction in using said power (proven during Xue Yang debacle) and prided himself as being a righteous man, but still pushed for the deaths of everyone associated with the Wen name just bc of his personal hatred? That's Nie Mingjue.

During the emergency clan meeting after Wei Wuxian absconded with the Wen Remnants, two major clan leaders tried to speak on behalf of the Wen Remnants and each time they were instantly shut down by Nie Mingjue.

First, Jiang Cheng:

Jiang Cheng deeply furrowed his brow and rubbed his temple, which never stopped throbbing. He drew a soundless breath. “…My apologies to the Sect Leaders. You see, the Wen cultivator that Wei Wuxian wanted to save was named Wen Ning. He and his sister Wen Qing showed the two of us mercy during the Sunshot Campaign. That is why…”

“Showed mercy how?” Nie Mingjue demanded. “Wasn’t the Wen Clan of Qishan the culprit behind the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng’s annihilation?”

[Side note: Cutting Jiang Cheng off mid-sentence here wasn’t just rude, but it also undermined JC's authority and displayed NMJ's lack of respect towards JC as a fellow clan leader in front of everyone. Plus, the most egregious part here though, was the way NMJ callously threw in the destruction of the Jiang Clan, JC's personal tragedy to his face as a point to shut him down without any real regard to JC himself.]

Next, Lan Xichen:

After some thought, Lan Xichen answered. “I know a little about Wen Qing. There has never been talk of her being involved in any of the massacres associated with the Sunshot Campaign.”

“But she also never stopped any of them,” Nie Mingjue pointed out.

“How could she have done so, when she was one of Wen Ruohan’s trusted aides?” Lan Xichen asked.

Nie Mingjue was indifferent to such logic. “She remained silent and raised no objections while the Wen Clan committed atrocities. That is no different from watching from the sidelines. She can’t presume to enjoy preferential treatment when the Wens were fanning the flames of disorder, then refuse to bear the bitter consequences and pay the price when they were overthrown.”

Lan Xichen fell silent.

So my point is, I think it's unfair that Jiang Cheng gets so much heat and condemnation for not helping the Wen Remnants, while Nie Mingjue, the man who was basically condoning and supporting the Jin Clan's abuse and try to justify it under the guise of righteousness at that, barely faces any level of hate and criticism in this fandom. I think the later is far more despicable and deserving of condemnation than the former.

[thatswhatsushesaid]

i mean it makes sense! still “doomed by the narrative” but he’s been doomed his whole life, it’s all he knows. very metal imo.

Nie Mingjue is the opposite of a man trying to escape the narrative. He's constantly being pushed OUT of the narrative and yet he keeps coming back in. He's a corpse before the story even starts he was a minor blip in the mc's life he should NOT be this deep in the narrative and yet there he is. Jgy literally killed him in his efforts to get out of the narrative himself and then nmj was like Fuck You (haunts you thereby tapping you both in the narrative forever) his brother's need for vengeance for his death is the reason the plot even exists he's so inside of the narrative he basically becomes it.

[a-sky-full-of-ideas]

My favourite jobs of MDZS characters in a modern AUs (that aren’t business men cause that’s too obvious) and why, in no specific order!

WWX

Graphic designer (XZ former job, freelancer)

Gardener (he loved it !!)

Athlete (all rounder)

Photographer, specifically landscape/storms or otherwise on site stuff (free/unbound)

Artist (freelancer and creative)

Flutist

Band member specifically bassist and lyricist

DJ (free)

Influencer (is he not basically that lol)

YouTuber

Journalist (he loves to annoy ppl and find things out that they’d rather not want)

Talk show host/interviewer

Stunt man (he loves the adrenaline)

Crazy scientist/engineer (achieve the impossible)

Basically anything that is full of freedom, where he can travel wherever, whenever he wants! Something unbound to a place and by his own rules.

LWJ

Vet (he loves those bunnies so much)

Classical musician

Music teacher (loves music/good with kids)

Fashion designer (have you seen his wardrobe)

Librarian/archivist (he likes order)

Judge on a music competition show (we know he loves to judge ppl but also bring out the best in them)

Influencer, doesn’t talk in his videos at all, just shows the skill, wether it’s cooking, martial arts or music

Journalist (helps ppl and cares for the uncomfortable truth, no qualms running to the end of the world for it)

Critic (wether it’s restaurants or movies, judgemental but eloquent and fair)

Anything traditional and well regarded but that is supporting one or more of his interests. Then again he can be a judgmental and rebellious.

JC

Architect ( “rebuild the Yunmeng clan to its former glory” or sth. Also fashion for buildings but very logical, precise and pragmatic and mostly a highly regarded job)

Fashion designer (have you seen his wardrobe?!)

Lawyer (dude loves to argue and scare ppl but also cares for the right ppl to be punished aka 2in1 for him)

Meteorologist (who best to read the incoming storm but the storm himself ?)

YouTuber, specifically cooking channel “cooking with juijui” aka for JL

Gym teacher (we see him train his new disciples)

Swimmer (best swimmer of YM or what ? Drowns out his thoughts and focuses on his body which at least he knows)

Librarian/archivist (he likes order and is stuck in the past)

Dog trainer

Vet/animal shelter owner (he loves those dogs so much and if he can’t have them he’ll at least treat them)

For him I love the two extremes of either sth that his parents will highly approve of cause it gets them money and status or sth that is completely just for himself and his interests, be it animals or his nephew

LXC

music teacher ( loves music and good w/kids)

Art teacher ( can draw and good w/kids)

Librarian (quite life he craves )

Professor

Flutist

Classical musician (traditional)

Yoga teacher

Voice actor for self help books and stuff

Judge (fair but steadfast)

Museum director (traditional and honoring the past)

Born a teacher I believe. Patience of a saint, not condescending at all and skilled at everything he does. Doesn’t need the fame of being a pro.

Some obvious ones

Wen Qing = doctor

JYL = Cook (Restaurant or celebrity with talk show)

NHS = fashion designer

NMJ = personal trainer

Feel free to add!

[celestesinsight]

Lan Xichen letting Jin Guangyao play the Song of Clarity to Nie Mingjue is a blatant case of carelessness and breach of trust, even if JGY hadn't altered the song with malicious intent. Imagine, your closest friend is suffering from a life-threatening condition and you’re an expert in treating such ailments. Yet, instead of helping him yourself, you entrust the treatment to someone who’s barely learned the technique from you, solely to improve personal bond between them.

It doesn't matter how much a genius this trainee might be - in such a critical situation, only you are experienced enough to provide the best care. This isn't just LXC naively trusting the wrong person, it’s a betrayal of NMJ's trust as a friend and the failure to fulfill his responsibilities as a healer.

In modern terms, this would be an egregious breach of medical ethics, prioritizing relationships over expertise at the expense of a vulnerable individual.

LXC’s actions, though rooted in misguided compassion, are a failure to prioritize responsibility over personal loyalty, especially when lives are at stake.

[jin-zixun]

I'm sorry but if you, as my friend, introduce me to one of your other friends and then your other friend tries to kill me and ends up killed by me, to avoid me being killed by them... I have not wronged you. If anything you have wronged me by introducing me to someone who tried to kill me.

Especially if you insisted it was a misunderstanding after having to stop them twice and then continued to push for reconciliation, between the two of us in private no less, without even acknowledging the possibility of a third time happening while your other friend is literally screaming about how they will definitely be attempting to do it a third time. Please don't be coming to me years later like "why didn't you say something I could've helped" because like. Seriously? Are you serious?

[labyrynth]

no you’re right wwx just horrifically tortured and murdered his clan’s political enemies on the spot, spent about two seconds killing his (martial) brother in law, actually did a lot of the same things as xue yang himself—and actually succeeded where xue yang largely failed, in creating an undead servant—and animated a bunch of dead girls to act as his accessories (and if they weren’t accessories, i’ll give you one guess what they were for)

jgy died because nhs was willing to throw everything and everyone under the bus to serve his own selfish vengeance scheme. that’s it.

MXTX: so the story starts with the main character's death. Then we unravel his story and how he tried his best but had to resort to fucked up methods in order to create real change and save lives, how society supported him while it benefited them and then turned on him when it was convenient, how his complicated social status of being gentry-adjacent was intrinsically tied into every decision he made AND how he was judged before during and after those decisions, how he experienced abuse and abandonment and support and love, saved lives AND killed people. He sacrificed everything but never compromised his ideals once, and it got him killed.

MXTX: and then we close the story on the death of this other guy, who we're also shown having gone through ALL THAT SAME STUFF, except this guy compromises every single time and that ALSO got him killed.

MXTX: neither of them were killed because it was "right" to, or because they were "evil", but because those with power in society were done with them. Their past actions were used to excuse their executions, and it's kinda fucked up actually, wouldn't you say?

MDZS fandom: 1 billion years of meta on why JGY is an irredeemable villain, and WWX is a pure cinnamon roll

[greenandhazy]

The thing about NieYao for me is that even when they know the worst of each other, they don’t pull away.

After Nie Mingjue witnesses Meng Yao commit murder, after the confrontation at Nightless City—Nie Mingjue still agrees to swear brotherhood with him. And sure, some if it (even most of it) may be Lan Xichen’s persuasion, but not all of it. He still says he wants to keep Jin Guangyao on the right path. He still swears an oath that is mutually binding for both of them.

After Nie Mingjue’s suspicious nature and violent tendencies get worse, after he kicks Jin Guangyao down the stairs and calls him a son of a whore—okay, maybe before, depending on the adaptation—Jin Guangyao chooses to kill him, but he still does it in this very gentle, intimate way that involves him repeatedly going into Nie Mingjue’s home or welcoming Nie Mingjue into his, and after the death he maintains a good relationship with Nie Huaisang (from his POV) and remains enmeshed in Qinghe Nie, keeps Nie Mingjue’s head in his treasure room and feels bound to it, chooses Nie Mingjue as the tool of his ultimate destruction (even as he pushes Lan Xichen away).

It’s the mutual obsession. And I wouldn’t necessarily say that someone seeing the worst in you is the Most Honest way to read someone, but I think for me the reason why NieYao is and will always be the side of 3zun that most fascinates me is the fact that, imo, the worst parts they see in each other are also the parts they most fear.

Meng Yao sees NMJ as rigid, unyielding, incapable of empathizing with others or seeing things from other points of view, unable to be controlled or to control himself—all things that are exploited by and exaggerated by the saber curse, the things that were already driving NMJ to an early grave. Also worth noting that the two main victims we see of his increasing instability are Jin Guangyao and Huaisang, his brother and his heir whom he loves. At times Jin Guangyao is even the one defending Huaisang (the symbol of Qinghe Nie’s future) from NMJ, which I can only imagine he hates more than anything.

As for Meng Yao, there’s a common characterization I see of him that always strikes me as somewhat off, which is one in which he has, basically, low self-esteem and is shocked at being treated well and almost tries to walk it back on behalf of the person being nice to him. I don’t think that’s true. I think Meng Yao does believe that he deserves the position and respect his mother told him was his birthright, and he resents other people for failing to give it to him, because he loves his mother! He thinks SHE is worthy of respect and adoration, and therefore his status as her son shouldn’t be shameful. Appropriately enough, I think that’s what draws him to Nie Mingjue in the first place—the fact that NMJ is the first/among the first people to elevate him based on merit, which SHOULD BE how the world works!

But there is this insidious catch-22, which is that in order to be worthy of the position of respected sect leader’s son, he needs to act like and uphold the values of a respected sect leader’s son… and if he does that, no one will ever raise him to the position. He needs to be a bastard in order to get the job done, which is what Nie Mingjue criticizes him for. He needs to kill, to be sly, to eliminate his enemies, to do his father’s dirty work. And I do think that, over time, his sense of self-respect begins to falter a little, to become intertwined and tainted with disgust at what he’s done, especially when it comes to the people who are closer to him—killing Nie Mingjue, marrying Qin Su and keeping the secret from her, Whatever Happened With Jin Rusong.

So Nie Mingjue’s attitude towards him represents this growing fear: it’s not that Jin Guangyao is unworthy because of his mother, but because of himself. Because his own actions are undeserving of the lofty place his mother imagined for him, the place that she prepared him for and he failed to achieve.

And both of them feel powerless to get off those destructive paths. Nie Mingjue is going to keep cultivating with the saber, because that’s what his family does. Jin Guangyao is going to keep doing whatever he can to get his father’s approval, because that’s what his mother wanted for him. They can see each other’s downfalls so clearly but they’re trapped, and eventually they end up trapped in that coffin together, hand in unlovable fucking hand.

[thatswhatsushesaid]

re: this post about hensheng (aka objectively the coolest sword in the mdzs canon, no further notes on that point necessary) by @xiyao-feels

something that i see brought up frequently in discourse that is critical of jin guangyao is the time he spends undercover with the qishan wen, which is often characterized as a negative indictment of his character and the first substantial proof we get in the novel of his duplicitous nature. which, to be fair to people who hold this opinion, is something that nie mingjue's perspective during the empathy flashback sequence absolutely reinforces, and if you aren't reading those chapters with your critical thinking/reading cap on, it is easy to internalize that viewpoint and consider it objectively true. but nmj isn't the only lens through which we get to view jin guangyao's actions and decisions, and i think what i love most about these excerpts concerning hensheng is how absolutely they contradict that discourse narrative. because yes, jin guangyao was a spy! he was a damn good one, too! i think that what seeing those kids re-enacting the sunshot campaign through innocent play makes clear is the whole cultivation world recognizes that without jin guangyao's deception of wen ruohan and the rest of the qishan wen cultivators, the sunshot campaign could not have succeeded! his success as an undercover agent for the sunshot forces, and ultimately his assassination of wen ruohan, are what propel him from obscurity and secure his place not only within the lanling jin, but within the heroic adventure tales that both the gentry and the common people tell each other, and their children.

tl;dr the spying is a feature, not a bug!

[lgbtlunaverse]

I think one aspect of Nie Mingjue that is critically overlooked in fandom is that he failed.

What I mean is that I think it's strongly implied that a significant part of Nie Mingjue's moral rigidity and his tendency to universally fall back on his principles instead of trying to see the unique context of a new situation is that he is strongly aware that at some point his sense of judgement will be greatly impaired due to the saber curse, and he hopes that a strong rule-based morality system that he sticks to at all times-- ignoring any specfic feelings or doubts that may arise-- will help mitigate the damage when that happens. If he's trained himself to ignore his instincts and stick to the rules, he can continue doing the right thing even after he emotionally can no longer tell what the right thing is!

And it fails! Miserably! He essentially tried to destroy his ancestral curse with Facts and Logic and it didn't work! And he doesn't even realize that it's no longer working because surprise surprise: the curse that severely affects your sense of judgement also ruins your ability to gauge whether you're still standing by those rules you made up for yourself.

And the system was flawed from the get-go, because there is no such thing as a set of moral rules that are so universally applicable you'll never have to make unclear decision in edge-cases or re-evalutate the rules themselves based on new information-- a thing this system won't let him do because What If That's The Curse Talking? (nmj is basically a walking version of the slippery slope fallacy. Any small change is bad because it will lead to eventual catastrophy)-- and also because facts unfortunately do in fact care about your feelings and your attempt to be objective and unclouded by your emotions is still going to be subjective and informed by your own views, which is why Nie Mingjue's moral code has a core tentant that says self-sacrifice is not only Good but Mandatory and wanting to live is Bad, actually.

But even if the rules had somehow been perfect it would still, in the end, have failed. Right as the moment Nie Mingjue made that whole fucking system for arrives, it becomes useless. It's honestly really dark and tragic and deeply fascinating because of that.

Any fix-it that includes Nie Mingjue recovering from late stage saber poisoning should include him being absolutely horrified. Not just in the generic "oh my god I'm so sorry I hurt you" way, but in the sense that the thing he has committed to to the utmost degree since he was a child failed completely and instantly without him even noticing. Dedicated most of his life to it and it didn't matter at all. That's gonna fuck with a guy's head.

[lansplaining]

Hope this doesn't come across as a criticism. Aren't jgy and nhs similar? Both of them killed cruelly someone who trusted them, and both did it for a number of reasons and because they were scared for their lives. - and yes, I am referring to nhs too: he doesn't know why jgy killed nmj, he probably thinks he's next. They are parallels

they're totally similar! but I also think the similarities you lay out don't totally hold up beyond a superficial level, mostly because I absolutely disagree that NHS was scared for his life from JGY-- there's no evidence that he felt that way at all, and if he was that scared, why did he wait 13/16 years? I think you can headcanon it, but it's really not an element I think it's reasonable to bring into an attempt to compare them or discuss the text as it exists.

among other differences, JGY was using the means available to him to kill someone much stronger than he was, and who was actively suspicious of him. for NHS, the cruelty of JGY's public exposure was part of the point and the pleasure.

[pieridae-art]

Special Lan Xichen analysis post

As I’ve previously said, Lan Xichen is a very flawed person and that’s okay! I want to examine him at several parts of the story and pick apart some of the criticism he gets. So let’s talk Lan Xichen!

Siege of the Burial Mounds: I really like this one shot from the donghua where the Sect Leaders of each sect (NMJ, JGS, and JC) are shown at the siege and beside them representing the Lan sect is… Lan Qiren. Not LXC. Setting aside the perfect storm JGS set up for the siege to occur (I don’t care who led it; JGS is the problem post-Sunshot Campaign about 99% of the time), I think this is because LXC stayed back in the Cloud Recesses with LWJ tending to his wounds post-whipping. Not assuming LXC’s absence, however, the siege was led by JC and orchestrated (because separating the twin prides of Yunmeng and artificially creating tension within the jianghu was a deliberate action) by JGS. Not saying LXC’s participation is okay just because he wasn’t the driving force behind it but imagine if the Lan sect stood against the other sect’s wishes. Standing up for WWX would have been the right thing to do but were the Lans in any position to oppose the siege with their sect in the process of rebuilding? Going along with the siege, to me, is an act of cowardice, not malice. Extra note: we see his capability of defending the Wen remnants when JGS is talking shit about them and WWX but he is shut down immediately and does not speak up any further. This is not a matter of hypocrisy; it’s a matter of fearing the consequences.

NMJ’s death: this is rocky territory. It was a bad idea full stop to force proximity between them hoping everything would sort itself out. But you simply cannot blame him for NMJ’s death because he couldn’t have known. One could argue that he endangered JGY by forcing him to be near someone who tried to kill him several times. I think that’s an oversimplification of the situation. To me, this was a gesture of trust. Trust that NMJ will make an attempt to restrain himself/get better and trust that JGY will aid him in doing so. As we know, this trust is misguided. He’s rather naive to think this would work. But he is humored anyway by two people with bad intentions toward each other. LXC is not at fault for this going south when it was at a certain point inevitable. But he did enable it.

That one line about WWX being LWJ’s only mistake: I get so defensive because honestly I’d have said much worse in his position! Think about what he knows about Wangxian’s relationship leading up to it. He saw his brother devastated that the man he loved was being corrupted and harmed by his cultivation, watched as LWJ despaired over him and fought the elders and got whipped for him. He’s only seen his brother suffer due to his love for WWX. Was saying this okay? No. Consider the circumstances surrounding this line, however. Also criticizing him for this is just plain nit-picky to me lol there’s plenty this man has actually done wrong to criticize him for.

And another thing: stop saying he favored JGY over LWJ!! The entire point of his denial surrounding JGY is that there was no solid, tangible proof that was damning enough for him to outright condemn JGY without some level of unfair assumption! He was trying to be fair about the investigation! Might I add: WWX was the only one who saw NMJ’s head in Jinlintai. Had it been LWJ to see it and approach him I think the story would’ve gone differently! But it wasn’t. And he wanted to have faith in his friend from an underprivileged background constantly facing slander and mistreatment despite doing good things for the world against the jianghu’s wishes because isn’t that what LWJ did with WWX? LXC learned his lesson from WWX’s death, he just practiced it on the wrong person.

What have we learned? Lan Xichen was complicit in and enabled a lot of Bad Things if he was not an active participant, most of it willingly and some of it unknowingly. He’s unfair sometimes. He’s weak willed and lacks the strength to actually stand up for anyone in a meaningful way. He’s naive. In my opinion, he was in denial for a large portion of his story about the harmful effects of his actions.

And I adore him! He’s got the capacity for so much good and he fails to live up to it! He wants to be righteous and he doesn’t know how without putting the people he is responsible for at risk! He thinks he can do conflict resolution and he just can’t! By the end of the story, he is painfully aware of all of this and he lives knowing he did the wrong thing over and over and over again. He got the only outcome he could ever have. I don’t think he deserved his ending but I do think he might have earned it.