the promise of brotherhood (джен)

“Thirty-three whips to his back,” says Lan Xichen. “Three years of forced seclusion.”
A murmur of approval courses around the room. Jiang Cheng’s fists clench. 
The punishment is cruel, yes, but not entirely so. Three years of seclusion means time alone, undisturbed. Time to grieve without being forced into the disturbingly brutal realm of sect politics. It’s nothing compared to the punishment Jiang Cheng is subjected to—that is, living the rest of his life as Yunmeng Jiang’s leader without his family.
(Or, Jiang Cheng’s grief, thirteen years and beyond.)