#jiang cheng

[yutaan]

The process of making a paper Jiang Cheng! 💜

[ultfreakme]

It pains me to re-read MDZS because every other line out of Jiang Cheng's mouth about Wei Wuxian is a prophecy that comes tru. "playing hero will get you killed wwx" "your reliance on your strength will doom you" "you can't take the world on alone, it'll always end bad"/ He does it for other characters too and like this man has been forseeing 20 years ahead since day one and absolutely no one believes him.

Wei Wuxian: Silly Jiang Cheng! Of course I won't die!

Wei Wuxian, 3 days later, the spirits tearing into him: I-I can't let him know he got that one right

[feyrischan]

Jiang Cheng seeing wangxian in the ancestral hall

[qiu-yan]

assessing select MDZS ships by how many Jin Ling Uncles they add to the existing set

currently, the recognized set of Jin Ling Uncles seems to be as follows: [jiang cheng, jin guangyao, qin su (aunt), mo xuanyu, wei wuxian, lan wangji, lan xichen, nie mingjue, nie huaisang]

in recognizing an individual as a Jin Ling Uncle, the fandom appears to use the following set of rules:

Rule 1: the biological siblings or half-siblings of jin ling's mother and father are Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts).

Rule 2: an individual recognized by jin ling's mother or father as a sibling, regardless of legal status or biological relation, is a Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt).

Rule 3: the spouse of a recognized Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt) is a Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt).

Rule 4: the sworn siblings of a recognized Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt) are Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts).

Rule 5: the biological siblings or half-siblings of a recognized Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt) are Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts).

these 5 rules explain why all of the above listed individuals can be described as Jin Ling Uncles (and aunts):

Rule 1: jiang cheng jin guangyao, mo xuanyu, unknown number of jin guangshan's other bastards

Rule 2: wei wuxian

Rule 3: qin su, lan wangji

Rule 4: lan xichen, nie mingjue

Rule 5: lan wangji, nie huaisang

with these rules in mind, i shall now assess a select number of popular MDZS ships by how many Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts) said ship being consummated adds to the existing set of Jin Ling Uncles. for the sake of argument, let us consider "consummation" as used in the previous sentence to entail legally recognized marriage, on the same level as what wangxian achieves at the end of canon. affairs are not enough to make an individual a Jin Ling Uncle.

wangxian wang and xian are already Jin Ling Uncles, wei wuxian by virtue of being recognized by jiang yanli as a brother, and lan wangji by virtue of being the brother of the sworn brother of jin guangyao, jin zixuan's half-brother. uncles+0

xicheng xi and cheng are already Jin Ling Uncles, jiang cheng by virtue of being jiang yanli's brother, and lan xichen by virtue of being the sworn brother of jin guangyao. uncles+0

sangcheng sang and cheng are already Jin Ling Uncles, nie huaisang by virtue of being the brother of the sworn brother of jin guangyao. uncles+0

chengyao cheng and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles. however, chengyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su, meaning that Rule 3 no longer applies to her. uncles+0, aunts-1

xiyao xi and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles. however, xiyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+0, aunts-1

nieyao nie and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles, nie mingjue by virtue of being jin guangyao's sworn brother. however, nieyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+0, aunts-1

3zun the same reasoning given for xiyao and nieyao also applies here. uncles+0, aunts-1

nielan nie and lan are already Jin Ling Uncles. uncles+0

suyao su minshan is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jin guangyao would make him one by Rule 3. however, suyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+1, aunts-1

susu su minshan is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle. if su minshan and qin su get married, that entails qin su divorcing jin guangyao, meaning that Rule 3 no longer applies to her. uncles+0, aunts-1

sangyao sang and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles. however, sangyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+0, aunts-1

ruoyao wen ruohan is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with meng yao would make him one by Rule 3. however, ruoyao officially getting together entails that meng yao never married qin su. uncles+1, aunts-1

xueyao xue yang is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jin guangyao would make him one by Rule 3. however, xueyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+1, aunts-1

chengning wen ning is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. following wen ning's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, wen ning's sister wen qing becomes a Jin Ling Aunt as well. uncles+1, aunts+1

chengqing wen qing is currently not a Jin Ling Aunt, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make her one by Rule 3. following wen qing's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, wen qing's brother wen ning becomes a Jin Ling Uncle as well. uncles+1, aunts+1

ningxian wen ning is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with wei wuxian would make him one by Rule 3. following wen ning's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, wen qing becomes a Jin Ling Aunt. while ningxian getting together entails wei wuxian divorcing lan wangji, lan wangji is still a Jin Ling Uncle by Rule 5. uncles+1, aunts+1

chengxian cheng and xian are already Jin Ling Uncles. while chengxian getting together entails wei wuxian divorcing lan wangji, lan wangji is still a Jin Ling Uncle by Rule 5. uncles+0

zhanchengxian zhan, cheng, and xian are all already Jin Ling Uncles. uncles+0

rencheng lan qiren is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. following lan qiren's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, lan qiren's brother qingheng-jun posthumously becomes a Jin Ling Uncle as well. following qingheng-jun's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 3, qingheng-jun's wife madam lan posthumously becomes a Jin Ling Aunt as well. uncles+2, aunts+1

chengyi lan jingyi is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. uncles+1

juniors swear brotherhood + subsequent chengyi lan jingyi is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. if the juniors have all sworn brotherhood already, then all of the juniors become Jin Ling Uncles by Rule 4. uncles+4, jin ling becomes his own uncle.

[demonicfarmer69]

joo's gonna lub this! ^.^

[sonik-kun]

Nah, I'm sorry, but Jiang Cheng did NOT consent to receiving Wei Wuxian's golden core. If he did, that scene wouldn't have been as big as a surprise for not only us as the readers but also JC himself.

That scene was a MASSIVE plot twist. It wouldn't have been had JC consented or demanded that WWX hand over his core to him.

Not only that, if it was all completely consensual, WWX and the Wen siblings wouldn't have had to have kept that secret hidden from JC and the rest of the world for all those years. It would have become public knowledge. And who knows, it may have even paved the way for future core transplant surgeries. But it didn't. Because it was kept in secret and it was kept in secret for a reason.

Because Jiang Cheng would have never agreed to it.

Jiang cheng was lead to believe that he would get HIS OWN core back from Boashan Sanren. He was never told it would be a core transplant. He was lead to believe he would be receiving a new core of his own. Especially since this Boashan Sanren was a fabled woman, known for her inhuman abilities.

Why else would WWX mislead JC up the mountain, blindfolded, and told him to pretend that he was WWX? He did so because he knew that JC would never consent to Wen Qing experimenting on him, on top of removing WWX's core and putting it into his own body.

WWX knew that JC would NEVER agree to that, that's why he made the whole thing up.

So whilst WWX and the Wen siblings were acting within JC's best interests, it was still nonconsenual. He didn't agree to that surgery. Your idea of medical consent is completely skewed if you think otherwise.

Patients always have the right to withdraw consent and reject treatment. And they should always be made aware of what treatment and surgeries they will be receiving in order to accept or reject said treatment.

So yes, by modern medical law standards, it was nonconsenual surgery.

For the sake of fiction and it being in an ancient setting, I'll let it slide and not apply such logic here in WWX's case. But if we're really going to go there and argue the ethics behind it, I'll stand here and say that it was completely nonconsenual, and JC had every right to be upset by it. Especially since said surgery cost WWX his life, which JC was more than willing to sacrifice his OWN LIFE for.

[chalkrevelations]

Ugh, I only just made a connection: Of course, Jiang Cheng let Wei Wuxian leave after Guanyin Temple - he also let A-jie leave him to be with the man she loved, whatever his thoughts and feelings about That Fucking Guy or about being left behind and alone.

And now I am unwell.

[liss-art]

Sketching xicheng

[mxtxfanatic]

What finally pushes Wei Wuxian into a qi deviation isn’t the fact that Jiang Cheng showed up to hate-crime him and Lan Wangji, but the fact that Wei Wuxian showed up with the best of intentions—informing his dead guardians of his intentions to marry—just to be goaded into attacking their son in front of their tablets, the highest form of disrespect he could’ve performed in front of them. That Jiang Cheng could drag him down to such a level as to engage in something so disrespectful when Wei Wuxian showed up specifically to pay his respects is why it should not surprise anyone that Wei Wuxian’s last thoughts on Lotus Pier is that he wants to leave and never return:

It was only proper to show respect for the deceased. After all, they were at an ancestral hall.

...

Jiang Cheng was exactly who Wei WuXian had wanted to avoid; the last person he wanted to be seen by. Now that Jiang Cheng had found him, he knew he probably couldn’t escape fast enough without having harsh words flung his way. Wei WuXian didn’t want to start any unnecessary conflict, so he said, “I didn’t bring HanGuang-Jun anywhere that contained the Lotus Pier’s secrets. I’m just here to offer a few incense sticks to Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu. We are just leaving.”

—Chapt. 87: Core (Part 9), boat-full-of-lotus-pods

He turned to Jiang Cheng and said, “Jiang Cheng, listen to yourself. Do you even hear what you’re saying? Don’t forget who you are. You’re the leader of a sect. To insult a fellow cultivator from one of the Four Great Sects in front of Uncle Jiang and everyone’s memorial tablets. Where are your manners?”

...

All three of them had weapons out in front of the ancestral hall now. Jiang Cheng’s eyes were bloodshot as he snarled, “Fine! If you want a fight, then let’s fight! You think I’m afraid of you two?!” But just a few strikes later, Wei WuXian remembered, startled, that they stood before the ancestral hall of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. He had only just knelt and prayed in front of Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu for their protection a few moments ago. And now he was attacking their son with Lan WangJi right under their nose! As if a bucket of cold water had just been dumped over him, suddenly, spots appeared in front of Wei WuXian’s eyes and his vision darkened.

...

Wei WuXian did not answer him. Instead, he said, “Lan Zhan...... Let’s go.” Immediately. And never come back.

—Chapt. 88: Core (Part 10), boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Tellingly enough, Jiang Cheng does not hold the same sense of shame in the fact that he instigated a physical fight in the resting place of his ancestors nor that his intentions weren't to maintain decorum when he followed wangxian into the ancestral hall to begin with. In fact, he is fueled by rage to the point of irrationality before he even steps foot into the ancestral hall, so much so that he cannot even accept wangxian disengaging from the fight and attempting to leave on their own:

All the signs pointed to the same conclusion—there was now something more between Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi. Unable to make himself turn away or step forward to speak to them, Jiang Cheng had concealed himself and followed after them, reinterpreting their every exchange and gesture through a coloured lens. Feelings of disbelief, strangeness, and slight, mild disgust had momentarily been enough to overcome Jiang Cheng’s hatred. It was only when Wei WuXian had brought Lan WangJi into the ancestral hall that Jiang Cheng’s anger reawakened. The repressed, overwhelming rage consumed his rationality and manners.

...

Lan WangJi harbored no more desire to continue the fight with Jiang Cheng. Wordlessly, he pulled Wei WuXian onto his back and turned to leave. Jiang Cheng was plagued by alarm and suspicion. He was alarmed by the terrifying sight of blood suddenly oozing out of Wei WuXian’s qiqiao. Yet he was suspicious of whether the man was faking it for an excuse to run away. After all, it was a prank that Wei WuXian had pulled quite often in the past. At the sight of the two men leaving, Jiang Cheng called, “Stop!”

—Chapt. 88: Core (Part 10), boat-full-of-lotus-pods

[mushroomwriter]

Frank Bidart, from Half-light: Collected Poems; He is Ava Gardner

[ultfreakme]

any time I think "maybe I just forgot all the shit Jiang Cheng did, maybe I'm wrong", I go re-read and remember no wait he's actually reasonable considering the circumstances

(eg: people bring up how JC was adamant about WWX carrying his sword. Initially, he didn't give a shit and told WWX 'yeah dude fuck them over' but he only begins insisting AFTER WWX questions Lanling Jin about the prison camp, specifically after a meeting where JGS was questioning JC's authority and the remaining sect leaders were telling JC to rein WWX in)

[yingandzhan]

Hmm 🤔

JC goes from this...

“If Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan, and the rest die, then so be it! Let them die! What does it matter to us if they die?! What has it got to do with our family?! So why?! Why?!..."

To this...

“Wei Wuxian, you shut up. Jin-gongzi, I’m sorry about this. My elder sister is fine, thank you for your concern. We can discuss this matter next time.”

I wonder what could have possibly changed his tune... From not giving a shit if he's dead to crawling up his ass... Tough one isn't it...

Can't possibly be because he can see an opportunity to strengthen his clan via a marriage connection... Noooo... Can't be that at all. He's just being a social clan leader even though he's frosty as fuck to the actual clan leaders...

He doesn't notice JZXs sudden change of heart and then push him and his heartbroken sister together just because he will gain more political power in the process. Totally ignoring her feelings and the fact she wanted nothing more to do with him after he humiliated her in public twice. Noooo, of course not. He's just the bestest brother ever that's all lmfao.

And WWX is the bad guy for worrying about her own personal thoughts on the whole thing and checking it's what she actually wants... Shocking. How dare WWX be so sweet and loving whilst being genuinely concerned for her wellbeing.

Crazy how warped JC stans make the whole story.

[qiu-yan]

corrected version of this post because i (like im sure jiggy also wants to do) fucking forgot about the incest

assessing select MDZS ships by how many Jin Ling Uncles they add to the existing set

currently, the recognized set of Jin Ling Uncles seems to be as follows: [jiang cheng, jin guangyao, qin su (aunt), mo xuanyu, wei wuxian, lan wangji, lan xichen, nie mingjue, nie huaisang]

in recognizing an individual as a Jin Ling Uncle, the fandom appears to use the following set of rules:

Rule 1: the biological siblings or half-siblings of jin ling's mother and father are Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts).

Rule 2: an individual recognized by jin ling's mother or father as a sibling, regardless of legal status or biological relation, is a Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt).

Rule 3: the spouse of a recognized Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt) is a Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt).

Rule 4: the sworn siblings of a recognized Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt) are Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts).

Rule 5: the biological siblings or half-siblings of a recognized Jin Ling Uncle (or aunt) are Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts).

these 5 rules explain why all of the above listed individuals can be described as Jin Ling Uncles (and aunts):

Rule 1: jiang cheng jin guangyao, mo xuanyu, qin su, unknown number of jin guangshan's other bastards

Rule 2: wei wuxian

Rule 3: lan wangji, qin su legally

Rule 4: lan xichen, nie mingjue

Rule 5: lan wangji, nie huaisang

with these rules in mind, i shall now assess a select number of popular MDZS ships by how many Jin Ling Uncles (or aunts) said ship being consummated adds to the existing set of Jin Ling Uncles. for the sake of argument, let us consider "consummation" as used in the previous sentence to entail legally recognized marriage, on the same level as what wangxian achieves at the end of canon. affairs are not enough to make an individual a Jin Ling Uncle.

wangxian wang and xian are already Jin Ling Uncles, wei wuxian by virtue of being recognized by jiang yanli as a brother, and lan wangji by virtue of being the brother of the sworn brother of jin guangyao, jin zixuan's half-brother. uncles+0

xicheng xi and cheng are already Jin Ling Uncles, jiang cheng by virtue of being jiang yanli's brother, and lan xichen by virtue of being the sworn brother of jin guangyao. uncles+0

sangcheng sang and cheng are already Jin Ling Uncles, nie huaisang by virtue of being the brother of the sworn brother of jin guangyao. uncles+0

chengyao cheng and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles. however, chengyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su, meaning that Rule 3 no longer applies to her; however, qin su is still, unbeknownst to anyone except jin guangyao, jin zixuan's half-sister, so she is still a Jin Ling Aunt by Rule 1. uncles+0, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

xiyao xi and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles. however, xiyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+0, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

nieyao nie and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles, nie mingjue by virtue of being jin guangyao's sworn brother. however, nieyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+0, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

3zun the same reasoning given for xiyao and nieyao also applies here. uncles+0, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

nielan nie and lan are already Jin Ling Uncles. uncles+0

suyao su minshan is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jin guangyao would make him one by Rule 3. however, suyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+1, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

susu su minshan is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle. if su minshan and qin su get married, that entails qin su divorcing jin guangyao. however, since qin su is in reality a Jin Ling Aunt by Rule 1 and not only Rule 3, marrying qin su will also make su minshan a Jin Ling Uncle by Rule 3. official uncles+0, official aunts-1, actual uncles+1, actual aunts+0

sangyao sang and yao are already Jin Ling Uncles. however, sangyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+0, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

ruoyao wen ruohan is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with meng yao would make him one by Rule 3. however, ruoyao officially getting together entails that meng yao never married qin su. uncles+1, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

xueyao xue yang is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jin guangyao would make him one by Rule 3. however, xueyao officially getting together entails jin guangyao divorcing qin su. uncles+1, official aunts-1, actual aunts+0

chengning wen ning is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. following wen ning's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, wen ning's sister wen qing becomes a Jin Ling Aunt as well. uncles+1, aunts+1

chengqing wen qing is currently not a Jin Ling Aunt, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make her one by Rule 3. following wen qing's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, wen qing's brother wen ning becomes a Jin Ling Uncle as well. uncles+1, aunts+1

ningxian wen ning is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with wei wuxian would make him one by Rule 3. following wen ning's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, wen qing becomes a Jin Ling Aunt. while ningxian getting together entails wei wuxian divorcing lan wangji, lan wangji is still a Jin Ling Uncle by Rule 5. uncles+1, aunts+1

chengxian cheng and xian are already Jin Ling Uncles. while chengxian getting together entails wei wuxian divorcing lan wangji, lan wangji is still a Jin Ling Uncle by Rule 5. uncles+0

zhanchengxian zhan, cheng, and xian are all already Jin Ling Uncles. uncles+0

rencheng lan qiren is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. following lan qiren's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 5, lan qiren's brother qingheng-jun posthumously becomes a Jin Ling Uncle as well. following qingheng-jun's admission as a Jin Ling Uncle, by Rule 3, qingheng-jun's wife madam lan posthumously becomes a Jin Ling Aunt as well. uncles+2, aunts+1

chengyi lan jingyi is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. uncles+1

juniors swear brotherhood + subsequent chengyi lan jingyi is currently not a Jin Ling Uncle, but officially getting together with jiang cheng would make him one by Rule 3. if the juniors have all sworn brotherhood already, then all of the juniors become Jin Ling Uncles by Rule 4. uncles+4, jin ling becomes his own uncle.

[sonik-kun]

The way he instantly swoops in to comfort Jin Ling the very moment he sees he is upset and hurting 😭😭

He doesn't tell him to "man up" or "suck it up." Instead, he's instantly rushing in to comfort him, to let him cry and ask who had hurt him.

Jiang Cheng went beyond the expected norms of a leader in an ancient time period. He allowed Jin Ling (the sect heir of a powerful sect) to express a moment of vulnerability and not once shamed him for it.

He allows Jin Ling to be a normal teenager, for that was robbed from him thanks to the actions of adults who were supposed to be making a brighter and happier future for the next generation. Jiang Cheng didn't want to make the same mistakes as his predecessors. He wanted a safe world that was free from war and terror, so his nephew could live a long and fulfilling life. He wanted to raise and nurture a boy his sister would be proud of 🥺

[alcrox]

Did Yu Ziyuan intend to cut off Wei Wuxian's arm?

I have seen this brought up a few times.

There are generally two arguments: yes, she totally intended to do that and only changed her mind when she was told that Lotus Pier would be converted into a "Wen Supervisory Office" AND no, she was just buying time by beating up Wei Wuxian and appeasing Wang Lingjiao.

I think it's a bit of both?

She didn't (and wouldn't) hesitate to beat up Wei Wuxian. This is the first scene we see her physically abuse Wei Wuxian (before this we only hear her verbally abuse... well, everyone) but it is made very clear that Wei Wuxian is quite used to this sort of treatment. Cutting off an arm, however, is very different. It would maim WWX for life. It isn't something that, even WWX with his strong golden core, would be able to just heal from easily. He would have to find a whole new way to get around his disability.

It's not as if YZY would hesitate to cut off WWX's arm from a place of concern or affection. Hell no. She is extremely sharp and intelligent, though. She has seen WWX grow up, she has seen his talents first-hand. She knows just how much of an asset WWX is to the Yunmeng Jiang. And she knew that this day was coming. The day when the Qishan Wen came to her doorstep and tried to take over Lotus Pier. She might blame WWX for it (because she too, like Wen Chao, just needs an excuse to blame WWX, though hers comes from a place of being blinded by hatred rather than planning a seize) but she is well aware that one way or another, this was happening. That much was clear in episode 11 when she is spitting mad that Jiang Cheng has to go to the Wen Indoctrination Camp. She knows what the Wens are doing and she is not surprised when the final showdown finally happens.

So, it's a bit of both. She was buying time, but she was also, maybe, hoping that punishing WWX in front of WLJ would be enough. When WLJ mentions cutting off WWX'S right arm, however, she visibly hesitates. (Or rather, considers.) She knows what cutting off WWX's arm means; it means to rid her Clan of a powerful asset. WWX may still be able to fight with his left arm (as he has clearly made up his mind to do so) but right after his arm is cut off, he would be of no use in a fight. And YZY already knows from that point onwards, there are only two options. One, she and JC and WWX and the Jiang army fight off the Wens and risk losing their lives, including the heir Jiang Cheng. Two, the option which she ends up choosing, she fights to death, defending her home from the Wens while JC escapes with WWX. In both options, WWX's survival and skills are crucial. She knows JC's best chance of making it through all of this is keeping WWX alive and indebted. She cannot cut off his arm yet. Not when WWX, in her eyes, hasn't paid off his debt yet. Not when she knows, despite her hatred, that WWX can be counted on for his courage and loyalty and incredible skills to keep JC safe.

She orders the doors to be shut, which is absolutely meant to be interpreted as acquiescence to cut off WWX's arm. She is clever. She buys them as much time as possible, possibly also gives WWX a while to recover from being whipped so brutally by Zidian. And it also serves the purpose of keeping the Wens inside so that they can't go and alert Wen Chao and bring an even bigger army back to Lotus Pier. She knows shit's about to hit the fan so she doesn't reveal what she plans to do until the last possible moment when does.

And then WLJ utters "Wen Supervisory Office" and YZY knows it's time. That the gig is up.

If the order was to whip WWX with Zidian for a while longer, YZY may have complied. She knows exactly how strong WWX is and how much he can withstand without, like, dying or something. But the price WLJ asked for was too high (and probably calculated on WLJ's part as well; she too must know what a skilled fighter WWX is and how to sever the Yunmeng Jiang from one of its most powerful weapons. She saw WWX in action, after all, in the Xuanwu cave). So YZY stopped complying and began strategizing. How to save her home. How to keep the Clan alive. How to preserve her assets.

She didn't keep WWX alive and safe (well, safe is questionable, she did beat the shit out of him) out of goodwill. She kept him alive and safe out of necessity.

Side note, this shot:

This shot helped reinforce my theory. YZY despises WWX, that much is not a secret. Everyone knows it. Everyone in this very scene knows it. Yet when the Wens, headed by WLJ, first arrive at Lotus Pier, this shot makes a pretty firm statement of they are united against a common enemy. YZY is many things, but she is not stupid. She knows what the real problem here is. And she is standing with her entire Jiang army, including WWX, against said problem.

I despise YZY as a mother but damn if she isn't an interesting character.

[mifeng-xiaojie]

I blocked this person because they’re obviously stirring up shit, but seriously? This take?

Why would JC care if his disciples see him hit JL? He literally does it in front of all the other sects later on in the book. And then asking said disciples what kicked their asses is verbally abusing them?

Maybe I missed something, but to me, it seems like JC recognized that he was in the wrong, that he did say that to JL and so he took the L and moved on!

My mom would’ve slapped my face off for talking back. Yelling at her, I’d be just now today getting up from the floor!

I do think there’s room for a discussion about the line between corporal punishment and abuse, and also whether or not corporal punishment should be considered abuse. However, these people never want these type of discussions. They’d rather leap to the conclusion that JC slaps his nephew around every single day just for breathing, but what they won’t do is acknowledge the times that Wei Wuxian was a witness to this so called abuse and said nothing or the times where he also hit Jin Ling and literally threatened to have LWJ help him beat him up.