#zhuling

This is an rant for an story idea that I needed to get out of my head so I can focus on finishing some assignments for school. I don’t know why but, I have this thing where my brain just imagine an whole damn storyline which make me lose focus... And I already have the attention span of a turtle..

Here we go, the base of the story involves the junior trio minus Sizhui (There a reason for that) were sent to the past right when the Wens were about to launch an attack on Lotus Pier. Well, they aren’t exactly juniors since they are much older like in their twenties or mid-twenties but, I’m going to just call them the junior trio.

Okay, back to the story they suddenly show up in the middle of Yumeng and see the Wens army coming that they hurry and head to Lotus Pier to warn the Jiangs. The Jiangs along with the juniors don’t even have time to question anything about each other since they are trying to escape alive. Luckily the junior manage to do some quick thinking and Madam Yu is able to survive. (She and her husband deserve some redemption.) 

Don’t fully have a idea how the juniors were sent to the past but my brain decided that it got to do with some god or goddess using their power or ability to sent them to the past at the cost of the god or goddess getting punished by the heavens. (My brain is weird...) But, in my brain they only find out later in the story plot when the god or goddess shows up. Anyways the reason that the god or goddess sent them to the past was that the history was bound to repeat itself.

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Buckle up, because my brain comes up with weird story plot. 

Okay, so in the future like a couple of years after the truth was found out about Jin Guangyao, it appear peaceful on the outside but on the inside the cultivation world is still unstable. Since LanlingJin clan reputation is stain with the revelation of what happen with the Wens and all the dirty laundry of the previous sect leaders. Like they are still rich and powerful but many small sects find the Jins to be unworthy of being so powerful. (Honestly don’t fully have an idea on sect politics) Basically greedy and selfish cultivators jealous and wanting more power for themselves. (cough Jin Guangshan cough) 

Anyway, the juniors have become adults and are trying to navigate a world full of political intrigue among clans. They also become sworn brothers after a few years of knowing each, unaware of the trouble that was coming their way. As they were growing up they had been trying not to repeat the mistakes of the past generation along with healing from generation trauma... which they don’t exactly achieve... either one... 

Honestly I feel bad my brain decided to give these children their own set of generation trauma. 

Back to the point, Jin Ling had to handle being sect leader at such a young age and has to deal with corrupt officials and not getting the proper respect as sect leader. Also, dealing with the whispers of insults about his family name and all the sins his uncle and grandfather committed. Through all that Jin Ling has been trying to fix all damage his clan has cause. Which isn’t exactly easy since they all associated him to being like his uncle. (The poor boy also experience way to many people trying to murder him in his early years as sect leader, that he’s a little paranoid) Luckily he has his uncles to support him, and my brain decided this needed some Zhuling. So, Jin Ling and Sizhui had developed feelings for a while and are sort of dating but have to keep it as a secret or shit hits the fan. 

Oh funny thing, my brain decide to make the decision of making Jingyi the biological son of Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng. Don’t know how but something along the line of them sharing the same ying and yang that somehow made Jiang Cheng have Jingyi. (Sometime I question my brain decisions...) In my story, they ended sleep together around the time that the sunshot campaign was over or maybe after Wei Wuxian death. I don’t know but, in my story scenarios they had developed feelings for each other but kind got off the wrong start. Consume by alcohol or need for comfort brought them together but due to misunderstanding made them go their separate ways. My brain haven’t fully thought out the whole thing.

Poor Jingyi though, since Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng weren’t exactly perfect parents. When Jiang Cheng found out he was pregnant, he and Xichen decided to let Jingyi grow up in Gusu. And growing up Jingyi barely had any contact with his parents. Only being giving gifts on his birthday and brief visits by the sect leaders on those days. Even Jingyi always had to properly speak to them that he never called them his dads as a child. Not only that but he had to listen to the whispers of calling him a bastard son of two sect leaders who did not love each other. But, growing up he was more outgoing and behave differently that no one associated him with the two sect leaders given the different personality. He also grew distant with them and made excuses when they tried to talk to him. In my storyline, Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen do love their son but don’t really know how to express it unlike how they do with their nephews. (I imagine that their past selves feeling really guilty at seeing Jingyi acting cold towards them.) 

Anyways, Jingyi does feel some envy at Jing ling but bottle those emotions to the side seeing how Jin Ling had suffer through a lot. Jin Ling had confronted Jingyi about being cousins but, Jingyi would say they are but Jiang Cheng basically left him in Gusu so he is just Lan Jingyi, an disciple of Gusu clan. My brain decided that their relationship is sort of like Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. They feel this bond of family but, at the same time Jingyi had to deal with the occasion jabs of Jing ling greatness as sect leader and the attention he gets. While, Jingyi had to listen to subtle insults of the elders on his legitimate right as sect heir and how he was abandon by his fathers as one wallow in grief while the other attend to his nephew. And in a way growing up he becomes really attached to Lan Zhan and Sizhui who are basically like family to him. 

Zizhen also has to deal with the pressure of his father about getting ready to become sect leader in a few more years. He finds out that his father was involve in the encampment of the Wens and the extreme treatment that occur there. He tried to confront his old man, who denied and tried to say that the Wens deserve it. Later on, Zizhen’s mother gets brutally murder as retaliation from far-distant relatives of the murdered Wens that managed to somehow survived or had left the Wen sect before the war. Or from people wanting to avenge the atrocities that Zizhen’s father committed. Since that man was not completely innocent since he support Jin Guangshan. (Oh his past self is going to suffer from so much guilt for causing his son so much pain) Anyways Zizhen’s father basically wallows in guilt over his wife death and Zizhen force to become sect leader. He becomes the second youngest sect leader after Jin Ling. 

So, Zizhen is fill with rage at his mother’s brutal death that he take revenge which ends in a brutal manner. And has to deal with the amount of acts his father committed after the war. Now, Zizhen’s hands are cover in blood that Zizhen basically abandon the one of the things that brought him happiness which was writing. And he feels that he had done nothing but repeat the same actions that his ancestors had done. Oh, and he becomes more cold towards others in order to get them to respect him and can barely stand staying in the same room with his father. 

Sizhui has to deal with learning about his Wen heritage and the heavy burden on being one of the last survivor. I imagine he deals with guilt and has to listen to the whispers related to the Wens. But, still manage to smile through the whole ordeal. (I guess he’s the one who trauma happen mostly in his childhood.) He does have to deal with the expectations of being Lan Zhan’s adopted son and prodigy.

Anyways, the juniors had their own burdens throughout the years but were still sworn brothers until a tragedy occur a few years before they were sent to the past. 

Haven’t fully thought it out but, I imagine that it involve a siege or a coup or maybe like an attempt at war again. Personally I feel like the clans probably never learn since they always fear each other or don’t like when one clan starts to grow more stronger. 

But, during this event Sizhui ends up dying. (I swear I love my child, but it was necessary for my storyline) One of the scenario, is Jin Ling being responsible for the death of Sizhui, like he accidently ends up killing him because he corrupt by resentment energy or something. The potential angst for this since it remind me of what happen to Yanli. (similar parallel between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian..) But, Jin Ling doesn’t died and has to live with the guilt. And Jingyi grows to hate Jin Ling and tries to fight him before he face punishment by the Lan elders for attacking a sect leader. While, the Lan elders are upset over the death of Sizhui, they aren’t willing to ruin relationship with the Jins and cause another fight. 

A scenario of mine, is that Jingyi has to endure the disciple whips like Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan object to the punishment but, Jingyi tells him that it is necessary since the Lan elders would place blame on Wei Wuxian over Sizhui’s death.(The Lan Elders are petty a-holes) Given that resentment energy was involve, Jingyi doesn’t want Wei Wuxian to suffer anymore after losing his son once again. I imagine he kowtow to lan zhan and beg him to let him do this as Lan Zhan, Sizhui, and Wei Wuxian had treated him with kindness. 

He ends up getting like he get fifteen strikes on his back since he fought a sect leader but also refuses to acknowledge his mistake. Further enrage the Lan elders, who wanted a more stronger punishment but Lan Zhan refuses. After the last strike, he ends up in the clinic as he’s getting treated.

Lan Xichen temporarily left seclusion after hearing what happen to his nephew and son. However, Jingyi refuses to acknowledge him as a concern parent and only as sect leader. Xichen would remain from a distance and would leave the clinic to visit his brother and his brother-in-law. 

Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan would visit Jingyi at the clinic, causing Jingyi to hug Wei Wuxian as he beg for forgiveness for Sizhui’s death. 

Even through tears Wei Wuxian comfort Jingyi and tell him it wasn’t his fault. However, scold him for accepting such a punishment. 

Another scenario is Jin Ling grieving over the death of his lover and the guilt that he isolate himself for a few days. That even his uncle was unable to visit him, until Zizhen forcefully manage to enter and see Jin Ling. Even through his grief of losing his sworn brother, Zizhen had to knock some sense into Jin Ling given the political instability among the clans. Jin Ling knowing Zizhen is right, force himself to return back to his position and try to fix the politically instability among the clans. 

Haven’t though more on the storyline but, I imagine the god or goddess decided to sent the juniors back in time with some sort of requirement in hopes that the past generation realized the trauma they past down to the future generation. They would have to deal with the war and at the same time tried to connect with the juniors and bond with them in order for them to heal their souls. While, the juniors deal with changing the past to ensure that no one dies. 

aaaaah hello!! omg THANK YOU SO MUCH, i can’t help but jump in whenever someone mentions jin ling, lan sizhui and lan jingyi, they are my favorite ot3 ever! jin ling deserves the world and your wish for him to be happy and loved is my eternal desire **

when i started reading mdzs, i was all for zhuiling romance and ljy completing the trio as the perfect best friend, so i totally understand it! they just fit and click so well and you can’t help but love them to death.

but then i started noticing how good the three of them are together -how lsz balances both of them and calms them down every time they fight, how jl shakes the two lans up, dragging them away from cloud recesses’ quietness for a bit, how lgy spices things up, openly talks about feelings (something i feel lsz and jl would just be extremely bad at!) and clarifies things clear in everyone’s eyes.

jingyi is my baby boy and i feel like he would be the perfect dr.love until it comes to him falling in love -then he’d be just a shy mess eoifwoejweiop

they are so perfect, i love writing fics about them so much cosjfpwpekw

sorry, this came out more as an ot3 post than anything else xD

by Zhu Ling, Asian Art

Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper

Rogers Fund, 1956 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY