Swordtember Day 1: Wings

swordtember day 1: wings

Do you believe Jin Guangyao killed Jin Rusong? And I don't mean "is he ultimately responsible" or "how much of the guilt should he carry," although those are interesting questions too; I mead do you think he actively with his own two hands murdered his son? Because I did not get that impression at all, but I seem to be alone in that.

I haven’t answered a textual ask in a while, but I’ll give it my best shot, and I very much appreciate you separating out those questions, because I think it’s an important part of looking at this issue. You're certainly not alone, even if this company is smaller than I wish were.

Short answer: No, I don’t think JGY killed JRS.

Longer answer: In a range of scenarios that I consider to be consistent with canon, there’s definitely an argument to be made for some of them having JGY involved in JRS’ death to some degree or other. That said, given the information we have, JGY actually killing him seems unlikely. Here’s a brief rundown:

From everything we’re told, the official story of how JRS died is extremely plausible, and makes a lot of sense given what we know about cultivation society, JGY, and the watchtower project.

The main “evidence” for JGY killing JRS is brought up in a discussion that is pretty clearly presented as one of the text’s many examples of rumour-mongering; JGY is not present to defend himself, and we see the snowball effect of how people are willing to believe anything, no matter how outlandish, which is a major theme of the narrative.

When JGY is present to defend himself, what he has to say about the matter is strangely inconclusive, especially in light of what he does expand on in the temple; JGY explains a number of things in the temple sequence, including not denying anything about his father, but he does not address JRS’ death.

He’s also vague about it in his conversation with QS, and I don’t want to rely too much on phrasing since most people on here are interacting with a translation, but, even so, nothing he says is an actual admission of killing JRS.

Yes, JRS is included on the list of people JGY has “killed” at the end, but this list cannot be taken literally, since it also includes people we know JGY did not kill, as QS killed herself and WWX killed JZX.

As to the last point, I think it’s pretty clear that this list is supposed to function as a kind of sweeping “fine, I did every bad thing, but I still would never, etc,” but at most it can be read as a list of “deaths JGY feels responsible for,” which, as you so rightly point out, is a separate issue. Any responsibility JGY may or may not bear for JRS’ death is certainly interesting to speculate about, but it can only be speculation because of the limited information we have to go on, including almost nothing from JGY himself, which is not the case with many of the other matters in question.

At the very least, one cannot use the text to prove JGY did kill JRS, but while one also cannot use the text to prove he didn't, I think the text, taken as a whole, points to JGY not killing JRS as the most probable conclusion.

The tags by @shen-jiu-domestication-club

Now I'm imagining Shen Jiu going around Cang Qiong or on a hunt, with his sleeves - or wherever they used to store stuff - completely overflowing with Yue Qingyuan's gifts

I know I'm probably overthinking it now after thinking about it but the fact that there are writers who have Yue Qingyuan and Shen Jiu have luxurious things is so spot on for people who grew up poor, who grew up with nothing. From my experience.

And this is me painting it with my brush of projection, of seeing a situation similar(worse) than mine, and while I haven't been as low as they have been, I have been there. I've watched my mother weigh needs over wants--I experienced it myself as I got older and I came out of it in the sense of, having materialistic things isn't necessary but if I had the money for it, of course I'd consider buying it. Not because I actually want it or need it, but because I was a young girl forced to see what a lack of money makes people do or what they give up just to live. Because having money just to survive is such a worry that rich people will never understand why it's a worry. And that expensive, overpriced, luxurious item isn't something that is even a need but a simple want to show that I can have it because I worked for it.

Now, as a grown-up, I can understand the image of Yue Qingyuan giving such guady gifts to Shen Jiu because that's what I do for the people in my life. I see this sparkling piece of jewelry or this pretty shawl or beautiful dress or something that is obviously showy and expensive, and I offer it up to whoever it made me think of because I want them to have nice things. Because I'm in a place to give it to them after living day after day, only allowing myself longing looks and resentful tears of how cruel life can be.

The symbolism of Yue Qingyuan giving Shen Jiu these clearly expensive and probably guady gifts shows that he cares, and it stems from remembering how they had nothing. How it was only a dream that they thought they'd never see come to fruition. But he's suffered, he's worked hard and he's now in a position to give everything they probably talked about to or things he dreamed about giving, to the one person who was there by his side. And it's a terribly messy gift filled with so many memories and feelings that even though he knows it's useless, or knows that it's ugly but he doesn't care because this thing just reminded him of Shen Jiu and it represents absolutely everything and yet nothing at the same time.

It's him saying I remember. It's him saying we had nothing, but now that I'm in this position, everything I own is yours.

And Shen Jiu accepting it is his silent agreement of I remember too.

whats the difference between outlaws and inlaws

I can't stop thinking of JC and WWX as that astronaut meme like WWX: wait you mean my heroic acts of sacrifice have consequences for the people who love me?? JC, holding a gun: always have

Some of my favourite moments in the series come when other people sacrifice themselves for Wei Wuxian (Wen Qing paralyzing him with the needles before going to die with Wen Ning, Jiang Cheng giving himself up to them Wen (he doesn’t even know why Jiang Cheng is in danger but he’s still very unhappy about it) and of course Yanli pushing him out of the way of that sword), and he just hates it! It makes him so deeply miserable and distraught! All of the most self destructive shit he pulls (giving up his core in a dangerous experimental procedure, crashing his own cancellation party to start shit with 3000 of his closest enemies, throwing himself off of a cliff), he pulls in the immediate aftermath of the people he loves getting hurt or dying on his behalf.

It’s a big part of why I love the moment Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian run down the stairs together so much. Wei Wuxian is trying to sacrifice himself for someone he loves, again, and Lan Wangji doesn’t answer that sacrifice in kind. He shows him he’ll walk into trouble with him. They don’t have to take turns suffering alone for each other! They can face what comes next together, as a team. And for Wei Wuxian, deciding to accept that offer and trust not just in Lan Wangji’s love but his judgement, his right to make that choice for himself- he’s come so far! He’s grown so much! I love them.

three little meow meow and one big meow meow