Continuing on with my Yunmeng Trio Role Swap Au idea, I'll just write down the major changes to each character. This post will be about our beloved hero-complex Shixiong!
Wei Wuxian in this AU takes over Jiang Yanli's role as the family mediator, often serving as the middle ground for every family argument while also trying to make sure the family stays together. He remains quiet and reserved, only showing in extremely private moments to his trusted few his true burning personality.
In Canon MDZS! Wei Wuxian after being rescued from the streets is at first timid and shy, before graining confidence in himself due to Jiang Yanli's influence.
However, in this Swap AU! due to Jiang Yanli's stronger core, Madam Yu pours more attention and pressure onto her, causing Jiang Yanli to not have as much time to care for him, and also being more tired herself.
Wei Wuxian seeing Jiang Yanli's state , realises that Madam Yu increases the Jiang Sibling's training whenever he misbehaves or worsens her anger, so in order to taken some burden off of Jiang Yanli Wei Wuxian becomes quiet and more reserved, hiding away his true personality as he slowly resigns himself himself acting as a "Calm and respectful servant's son that obeys the noble family that took him in" despite protests from Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli who try to stop him.
Of course, he shows his true personality when he's alone with the Jiang Siblings, which leads to many who are not disciples at YunmengJiang to wrongly assume that Wei Wuxian is a mature and calm head disciple.
After Jiang Yanli gets an engagement with Jin Zixuan (That Jiang Cheng loudly detests with Wei Wuxian silently agreeing with him), Jiang Fengmian decides to try and broker a closer relationship with the GusuLan.
Since the Lan don't do Arranged Marriages in respect to their Sect's origin, they decide to try and get Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian to become friends (after Jiang Cheng loudly protested he would never be friends with someone so boring, at least Wei Wuxian is secretly funny behind his quiet facade!)
Even if this arrangement caused Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian to argue yet again for nights ("What? Is my son so much of an embarrassment you have to use that brat as a replacement!?" "San-niang, that's not what's happening–" "THEN WHAT IS HAPPENING!?"), eventually a meet up between the two was set up.
When the two meet, it's immediately clear that the two's (outward) personalities were near identical, which is the only reason Lan Qiren even allows the two boys to hang out alone while he and Jiang Fengmian discuss other import details.
After the two were left alone to hang out, Wei Wuxian felt only awkwardness as while he usually is quiet, usually Jiang Cheng or the other disciples were the ones talking and bantering, with Wei Wuxian being able to add in his perspective here and there (and be allowed to be himself because he was in the safety of people he trusted)
Lan Wangji was not like that.
Unlike Wei Wuxian who forced himself to stop fiddling with his sleeves and resist the urge to kick the stones that litter the paths of the paths, Lan Wangji merely looked off in the distance, every once in a while stopping to glare at nearby misbehaving disciples who immediately apologised and ran in fear of him.
Wei Wuxian wonders if this is some sort of secret test from the Lans. Perhaps he has to survive the battle of acting like a statue and not to saying a single word.
After an eternity (only 5 minutes) Wei Wuxian sighed loudly, indicating his acceptance of his loss to the quiet Jade boy beside him whose only indication he noticed Wei Wuxian's existence was the short nod when they introduced to each other by their respective elders.
"So Uh... Nice weather?"
"Mhm."
"My name's Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian." Wei Wuxian curses at himself thinking that Jiang Fengmian already introduced him earlier.
"Mhm."
"So... do you have a favourite colour?"
"No."
Despite attempts at various topics, but Lan Wangji just seemed to get more and more silent.
Wei Wuxian internally is screaming.
'What the– DID I ACCIDENTALLY OFFEND HIM? I JUST BREATHED!? DAMN IT DID I JUST RUIN UNCLE JIANG'S ATTEMPTS AT A FRIENDSHIP WITH THE LANS!?'
Wei Wuxian eventually gives up as Jiang Fengmian and Lan Qiren finally return, the two engrossed in what appears to be a deep conversation about tea of all things.
As Wei Wuxian bows and he and Jiang Fengmian prepare to make their leave, Wei Wuxian can't help but take another glance at the other boy.
As he stares back, he is only met with a bitter, ice cold gaze.
...
When Wei Wuxian returns back to Lotus Pier, he immediately rants about his entire visit to Jiang Yanli, who is more overprotective of Wei Wuxian and thus only tells him to tell her if he ever feels uncommon with Lan Wangji, and Jiang Cheng, who seemingly only grew more and more annoyed at this 'ungrateful' Lan Brat.
Jiang Cheng was annoyed because Jiang Fengmian said that Wei Wuxian wouldn't be able to attend as many classes with Jiang Cheng as before, now instead having to regularly visit the Lan Clan in order to further better relations. Jiang Cheng very much doesn't enjoy this.
"Why does that Lan Statue get to keep Wei Wuxian all to himself!?" Jiang Cheng complained loudly.
Wei Wuxian sighed, "Jiang Cheng, you can't say that about Lan—"
"I DON'T CARE! AREN'T YOU MY SHIXIONG!? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SPEND TIME WITH THAT PIECE OF STONE—"
"Jiang Cheng, please stop yelling," Jiang Yanli groans, rubbing her head from the pain of hearing his screeching.
Wei Wuxian sighs in relief, "Thank you Shijie. Now can you tell him that he can't say those things about Lan–"
"Oh no. I agree with him."
Wei Wuxian felt his hope for this family die.
Jiang Cheng puffed his chest, seemingly proud seeing even Jiang Yanli agreed with him.
"SEE! EVEN A-JIE AGREES THAT STUPID UGLY STONE FACE–"
"I did not say that."
"–SHOULDN'T GET TO HOG ALL YOUR TIME! HE NOT EVEN FROM HERE AND YET HE INSISTS ON STEALING OUR HEAD DISCIPLE!?"
The door slammed open.
"JIANG CHENG! WHY ARE YOU YELLING!?"
"A-Niang!"
"Madam Yu!"
As Jiang Cheng was promptly pulled by the ear to be scolded by Madam Yu, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smile happily at being called Shixiong with Jiang Yanli laughing at him too before also being dragged off by Madam Yu.
...
Eventually, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were sent to the GusuLan for the lectures.
While Jiang Cheng was busy preparing himself to present himself as a dignified heir, Wei Wuxian was silently excited to try and improve his friendship with Lan Wangji.
Yes, he had visited the boy a few times over the years, but many of their conversations would just end with Wei Wuxian talking to himself for an uncomfortable amount of time while Lan Wangji would just nod and 'Mhm' occasionally.
It was okay, Wei Wuxian would gladly continue this routine if it meant that the Jiangs and the Lans would maintain good relations, but he would prefer to actually be friends with the second Jade.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes.
"I don't know why you keep trying to talk to him... He clearly isn't worth yours, or anyone’s efforts."
Wei Wuxian just sighed.
"Jiang Cheng, please remember you can't say that when we're so close to the Gusu. What if an elder hears you and reports you to Madam Yu?"
Jiang Cheng flinched.
"Yeah yeah, but still," Jiang Cheng said. "Every time you try to talk to him, it makes me feel like punching him. He doesn't even greet you! The audacity!"
Wei Wuxian tried to stop him, but Jiang Cheng continued.
"First he steals you from helping me train! Then he forces you to come ALL the way to the Gusu every week to talk to him!? Who does he think he is!?"
Wei Wuxian shook his head, "Jiang Cheng, it doesn't matter that muc–"
"But it does!" Jiang Cheng yelled back. "You keep letting people walk all over you! Why don't you at least try to defend yourself!?"
"Jiang Cheng, please..." Wei Wuxian placed his hand on Jiang Cheng's shoulder. "It's not that bad. I can take whatever they say. I don't care about what they say about me."
Wei Wuxian tightened his grip on Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
"So please... Let me try and talk to Lan Wangji. I'm sure he doesn't mean anything bad! Maybe he's just shy?"
"Shy? Of you?"
"Jiang Cheng."
"Alright! Alright!" Jiang Cheng relented. "I wont insult him to his face! But that doesn't mean I have to like him!"
Wei Wuxian let out a sigh of relief, taking this as a rare win for himself.
"Good. Oh, and would you look at that? We're at our destination!"
Jiang Cheng turned and saw he was correct. Their ship was drawing near the ports of the Gusu, a quiet, yet large crowd of merchants and villagers doing their business on the docks.
This is so sweet and mischievous. Like yes, canon wangxian totally would
wwx: oh, i'm just a frail maiden kidnapped by-
kidnapper: you're a man
yllz, very darkly, very powerful: say one more thing and i'm going to make you eat your own guts
kidnapper, scared: ...yes, sir
wwx: oh, i'm just a frail maiden kidnapped by evil men, how i wish i could be saved by a beautiful strong gentleman,!
wwx: *open one eye waiting*
lwj: *arriving in his full lan glory while his husband claps excitedly*
Aftercare
A little something inspired by my brainrotting with @curbstompthestars ♥️
Wei Wuxian: -anyways, and now we turn to this area, which is nothing suspicious-
Jin Zixuan: *was convinced to bring Yanli to check out the Burial Mounds by the most annoying set of Yunmeng siblings to ever exist* Why does that hut have a sign that says ‘Corpse Storage’?
Wei Wuxian: :) that’s Wen Ning’s hut :)
Jiang Yanli: Aww, that’s cute.
Jiang Cheng: lmaoooo
Jin Zixuan: *is wondering how Yanli hid her gremlin side from the world so much, these siblings are so annoying he’s gonna throw rocks at them* That… nice…
wwx saying lwj’s title during his qiongqi dao monologue. not his bosom birth name, lan zhan, or the more formal and distant "lan-er-gongzi" that’s grown more familiar on his mouth during these many months. but the noble and dignified and righteous hanguang-jun. "if am doomed to death, may it be by hanguang-jun’s hand. that would be worth it."
wwx using a name lwj got during the throes of war as he fought and murdered hundreds of wen ruohan’s soldiers and turning it on its head to say, "if you are as good and moral as they all say you are, don’t doom these wens to the same fate." and that’s the thing, wwx does deem lwj as good and moral, more so than all the other gentries he’s met. as his self assigned zhiji, he sees lwj for who he is at the fundamental basis of his being, and indeed that is the bearer of light. wwx, with so many words, is saying, "you are worthy of your title, more than the whole of the jianghu is aware." and for that reason hinges his life and those of some few dozen refugees on his steadfast and unfailing belief of the other’s morality. with a single word, he assigns lwj the role of his judge, jury, and need be, the bringer of his demise. "if you really feel that my defense of the wen remnants is wrong, that i am wrong, draw your sword on me, hanguang-jun. go on, i’ll allow it, i’ll gladly agree to it—if it’s you, for no reason other than it’s your hand that i would meet my end by."
and the weight of that with it being one of only two times that he refers to lwj by his title during his first life. the first that he did so was during a bitter reunion, and laden with animosity. "hanguang-jun" said not with awe and admiration but to deride his standing as if the mere idea of him as a genuine moral authority is a foolish one. but the moment lwj also begins to doubt his role as a marshal of the law—as someone who is able to differentiate between right and wrong—there is a man who is willing to bet his life on his worthiness of fulfilling it.
(don’t mind me i’m fleshing out musings from my burial mounds au)
Between Xiao Zhan's cute face and the fact that mxy!wwx is a cute lil twink of a character, I often kind of forget that it was this guy☝️, The Yilling Laozu who told LWJ that he'd birthed A' Yuan himself. This guy.
I am in love with the idea of Hua Cheng being intrinsically connected to Ghost City in such a way that he can subconsciously manipulate it.
Ghost City’s streets are winding and confusing, but when Hua Chengzhu walks through his territory, the streets straighten themselves out, creating a clear path for him. Strangely enough, Hua Cheng doesn’t realize this until Yin Yu meekly asks for directions to a certain location in Ghost City, still settling into his new position as a servant to a Ghost King. Hua Cheng, annoyed, snappishly tells him that it’s literally down the street and four buildings down, and that if Yin Yu couldn’t find it, then he was too blind to manage the administrative areas of his city. Yin Yu, confused and intimidated, shakily tells Hua Cheng that there are no roads or buildings in the vicinity of Paradise Manor, and that when the street does start, it winds in three different directions. Hua Cheng gives him an incredulous look and tells him to just do as he’s ordered. Yin Yu walks away defeated.
Hua Cheng secluding himself when the isolation of searching for a forgotten god creeps up on him. Ghost City, used to their lord disappearing in irregular intervals, doesn’t find it strange when no one has seen Hua Chengzhu for several days. Panic starts to set in, however, when dark clouds gather above the city and a torrent of blood rain falls from the sky like a bad omen. The ghosts become frantic, believing it to be an ominous sign that they had displeased their lord. Hua Cheng, who had locked himself in his room in Paradise Manor, weeps his despair and desperation into silky, crimson pillows to the sound of rain for three days straight. He never realized that he nearly caused a flood of blood in his own city. In fact, Yin Yu, who had taken up the responsibility of cleaning up the city, wisely chooses to say nothing on the matter when Hua Cheng eyes his blood soaked robes with a questioning glance. This happens rarely over the course of the next eight centuries, but it occurs often enough for the denizens of Ghost City to stop panicking when it happens. They call it ‘the crimson torment’ and have learned to be especially nice to their lord in the following days. Miraculously, the blood rain stops after Xie Lian shows up, and Ghost City is eternally grateful. Xie Lian learns about ‘the crimson torment’ before Hua Cheng does, hearing about it from a group of gossiping ghosts. But when Xie Lian asks Hua Cheng about it, concerned for his husband, Hua Cheng tells him that he was never aware that such a thing even happened.
Hua Cheng mindlessly sending out an attack towards a trouble making ghost in Ghost City. The attack is restrained and certainly not as powerful as it could be, but it sends the ghost flying into a wall anyways. Normally, that would be that, but Hua Cheng was particularly frustrated that day. The echoes of the ghost’s wailing pierces his mind and worsens an already bad headache. Xie Lian, who’s standing off to the side, hurriedly walks toward Hua Cheng and gently guides him away. Hua Cheng goes willingly and complacently, as he always will for his beloved husband. That doesn’t stop the murderous thoughts brewing in his head, though, and before he knows it, there is a slight rumble beneath his feet. His thoughts spiral out of control and he doesn’t notice the Earth quaking beneath him until the buildings and stalls around him collapse. It’s the first time that Hua Cheng is forced to acknowledge the subconscious control that he holds over Ghost City and that moment secretly mortifies him.
The tags✨
'mine'
okay I harp on about the differences between mdzs the novel and the untamed but isn’t it more impactful that wen qing didn’t know wei wuxian and jiang cheng before she chose to help them? all she fucking knew about wwx was that he was nice to her brother. and jc was actively insane with grief for the three seconds he was conscious in her presence. but she helped them anyway. not because she knew them or really cared about them on a personal level, but because she was a good person who didn’t want anyone to suffer if she had the ability to do something about it. because she was a doctor through and through. that’s why it’s so unfair when nie mingjue criticizes her for not stopping the wens (something he knew she wasn’t realistically capable of). without jiang cheng, his sect, and wei wuxian they never would’ve won the sunshot campaign. by helping jc and wwx, she won them that war and they killed her anyway and called it justice.
Nie Mingjue: *in a tiff* And where were YOU when Huaisang wasn’t in saber practice today?
Meng Yao: *annoyed with Huaisang and Mingjue having the same argument for the 18th time this week and doesn’t wanna get put in the middle* Getting scolded by sword captain for being ‘too pretty to be seen outside your chambers’.
Huaisang: It’s true, Da-Ge, he was being gross again!
Mingjue: You saw it?
Huaisang: Yes.
Mingjue: And you did NOTHING?
Huaisang: Well, I was hiding from saber master, who had A-Yao and Sword Captain in his eyesight at the moment. I couldn’t leave the alcove. I was trapped!
Mingjue: You are both little bastards that need to speak up more often. Both of you go get ready for bed, I’ll be in there to tuck you in soon.
Meng Yao: I’m sleeping in A-Sang’s room?
Huaisang: Yes. Until Da-Ge kills sword captain, at least.
Meng Yao: …what? *didn’t think Mingjue would actually do anything about the man being an ass to him* …what?!?
Huaisang: Yeah. It’s okay, you can come with me to saber practice tomorrow. I’ll comb your hair and you can wear my sleep robes tonight. *pulls him out of the room with their hands together*
Meng Yao: *rewriting his 20 year plan to take over the world to instead be a kept didi by nice Nie brothers* hmm :/