Chapter Text
Lan Wangji is fighting a very rare urge to fidget where he sits on a cushion on the floor, next to his brother in the banquet hall in Koi Tower. Xiongzhang had insisted that he join him for Jin Ling’s one month ceremony, and they arrived last night. He had tried avoiding the crowds all morning, but with all the preparations there had been nowhere to escape. As such, he is already nursing a minor headache, and the ceremony has not even officially begun.
Apparently, Jin Zixuan had some business to attend to before he and Jiang Yanli could greet their guests, and he has not been seen since. One brief glance around the banquet hall shows Lan Wangji that the other guests are all fidgeting and muttering amongst themselves. He will not join them. His gaze lingers on the Jiang delegation, near the front of the room. It consists only of Jiang Wanyin and a few disciples. There is no sight of Wei Ying yet.
Lan Wangji knows that Wei Ying got his invitation, that Jiang Yanli had insisted on it. Everyone else in the hall also knows this, and there is a nervous energy in the air. Lan Wangji tries his best to ignore it, but it is difficult to do when he worries about the reception Wei Ying might get. If he even shows up. Lan Wangji would like to believe that he is coming. Wei Ying loves his sister more than anyone in the world, and he will want to be here. But the political situation is fraught, and the lives of the Wen remnants depend on his continued ability to protect them. He might decide coming here is too much of a risk. Lan Wangji will not blame him if he does, but he still selfishly wishes for it to be Wei Ying whenever someone new enters the hall. He wants to see for himself that Wei Ying is still doing well. If Wei Ying does not show up, maybe he will ask Xiongzhang to allow him to visit Yiling on the way home…
The hall suddenly quiets down at the sound of several footsteps coming closer at a steady pace. Lan Wangji watches the entrance, and tries to ignore the tremble of his heart when his eyes see Wei Ying walking into the hall. Whatever excitement he feels, however, is quickly squashed as he takes in the expression of absolute fury on his beloved’s face. Wei Ying is carrying a quiet, but obviously upset, a-Yuan on his hip, and Wen Ning is following closely behind. At the sight of the Yiling Patriarch and his Ghost General the tension in the room increases tenfold, despite the toddler in their company. A few steps behind, Jin Zixuan is grim-faced and pushing a furious Jin Zixun in front of him. Lan Wangji is sure his minor headache will turn major before whatever spectacle is about to happen is over.
“Sect Leader Jin, please excuse our abrupt arrival, but I was hoping you could shed some light on why exactly your nephew and three hundred men ambushed us on our way to my nephew’s one month celebration?” Wei Ying addresses Jin Guangshan as soon as he reaches the middle of the hall. The rage in his voice is so thinly veiled that the Jin guards all start to reach for their swords. Lan Wangji turns his head to glare at Jin Zixun. How dare he! The man in question is trying to break free from Jin Zixuan’s grip, most likely trying to attack Wei Ying again. If he does, it will be the last thing he does . Lan Wangji moves his hand to rest on Bichen’s hilt.
“Wei Wuxian! Who are you to come here and make such accusations toward my blood?” Jin Guangshan shouts, already going red in the face. The tension in the room is so pressing it feels suffocating, and Lan Wangji vaguely registers that Jiang Yanli is moving away from her father in law, going to join the Jiangs. Good . Meanwhile, Wei Ying’s eyes flash red as he stares the Jin sect leader down.
“I think the better question is who does he think he is, attacking the Yiling Patriarch, who is coming here by invitation from your son’s wife?” Wei Ying asks, and Lan Wangji is sure he would be twirling Chenqing if he was not currently holding a-Yuan. Somehow, Wei Ying is even more intimidating without his weapon.
“That has nothing to do with this! You cursed me!” Jin Zixun shouts, and there is a collective gasp going through the room. Everyone turns to stare at Wei Ying, who just scoffs.
“I don’t even know who you are. If I want someone dead I’m much more direct about it, I promise,” he says, and grins devilishly at Jin Zixun, who briefly turns white, before his face grows red again. Such intense blood fluctuations cannot be good for his health, but Lan Wangji cannot help but hope he will burst his meridians. He is sure Wei Ying is in the right. His beloved is many things, but he is not back-handed enough to kill people through secret curses.
“What curse?” sect leader Yao, ever the loudest person in the room, shouts, and the other sect leaders join in. Lan Wangji briefly glances at the sect leaders of the main sects. His brother is looking neutral as always, but there is a tension around his eyes, and he is looking at Jin Guangyao pleadingly. Jiang Wanyin seems to be trying to glare at both Wei Ying and Jin Zixun at the same time. Nie Mingjue, like Xichen, is watching Jin Guangyao, but with a far more assessing expression. Next to his brother, Nie Huaisang is watching the events unfold with interest, and there is a glint in his eyes that Lan Wangji does not want to consider the meaning of.
“The Hundred Holes Curse!” Jin Zixun yells, and pulls his robes open to show his chest. The crowd gasps again at the horrifying sight, and Lan Wangji turns his gaze to Wei Ying instead. Jin Zixun’s torso is full of holes and sores, most of which are leaking some disgusting substance. Lan Wangji wishes he had not seen it at all. A few seconds later, when people have recovered, some sect leaders are shouting for Jin Guangshan to capture Wei Ying and put him to justice. Lan Wangji resists the urge to roll his eyes. Wei Ying would not curse someone with something so easily tracked back to himself.
“Well, there’s a fairly easy way to check if Wei Wuxian is guilty, is there not?” Nie Mingjue suggests, his voice carrying throughout the large hall despite him not shouting. Nie Mingjue has always been Lan Wangji’s favorite among the sect leaders.
“You’re asking me to strip in public, sect leader Nie?” Wei Ying asks, raising an eyebrow. Nie Mingjue’s mouth twitches in amusement.
“If you would,” he says, making a gesture for Wei Ying to go ahead. Wei Ying hands a-Yuan over to Wen Ning, loosens the belt wrapped around his waist, and then pushes his robes down over his shoulders, showing a bare and perfectly smooth chest. Lan Wangji forces himself to avert his eyes, and instead watches Jin Zixun’s face as it starts going purple. Nie Mingjue turns to Jin Guangshan.
“There we go, Wei Wuxian didn’t curse your nephew. Maybe you could get some of your guards to investigate who actually did, and we can continue the celebrations,” Nie Mingjue concludes, leaning back and challenging Jin Guangshan with a raised eyebrow.
“He obviously made someone else cast the curse!” Jin Zixun protests, and Lan Wangji glares at sect leader Yao, who nods along. Wei Ying looks incredibly unimpressed with the current turn of events, and Lan Wangji is inclined to agree.
“And who would I be able to convince to cast a curse on my behalf? Wen Ning, who’s dead? Or maybe sect leader Jiang? Little a-Yuan here? Hanguang-jun ?” Wei Ying questions, his words dripping with sarcasm. A look around the room tells Lan Wangji that most people in the crowd agree with Wei Ying on this. No one else would cast the curse on his behalf, and he is free of the backlash from it. He is obviously innocent.
“You’ll excuse me for being suspicious, but how do we know the Ghost General cannot cast curses? He is a rather… special case,” sect leader Jin says, and Lan Wangji cannot help but twitch his mouth slightly in annoyance. No one but Xiongzhang and Wei Ying will notice anyway. Looking at the people gathered toward the front of the room, he notices that Jin Guangyao is suddenly looking more nervous than usual. It doesn’t necessarily mean something, but for someone who is usually so calm and collected it is highly suspicious. Lan Wangji will keep an eye on him.
“Wen Ning, would you mind proving our innocence?” Wei Ying asks of the man standing next to him. Wen Ning hands a-Yuan back to Wei Ying, and the boy immediately hides his face against Wei Ying’s neck. Lan Wangji frowns. This must be extremely distressing for the child. They should not let this go on for much longer.
Wen Ning proceeds to pull his robes apart, revealing a chest marred by black lines like the ones on his neck, but free of the curse backlash. Lan Wangji watches with interest as Jin Zixun’s face turns white again. A brief glance toward Jin Guangshan shows that he seems to be clueless as to how to resolve the situation now that he cannot blame it on Wei Ying. Typical.
“It has to be him! No one else would use such an awful curse!” Jin Zixun continues to protest, and Lan Wangji has to use all of his very substantial self control to not cast the silencing spell on him.
“Oh I’m sure there are many people who want to curse you,” Nie Mingjue remarks, and he continues before Jin Zixun has a chance to respond. “If you really want to know, I’m sure the person you’re looking for is in this hall. It takes a lot of spiritual energy to cast such a curse, and all prominent cultivators are here,” he says, and with a quick nod of his head, Nie guards are blocking every exit.
“Nie Mingjue! How dare you take such rash actions in my halls!” Jin Guangshan yells, furious. Nie Mingjue levels him with a blank stare.
“Because you’re not lifting a finger to do something about it, and I’d rather get this over with. Don’t let anyone leave this hall until everyone has been searched,” he adds the last sentence to his guards, who nod and reach for the people closest to them.
“Ah, Da-ge, surely there’s no need to interrupt today’s celebrations for this. I’m sure we can start searching for the person who cast the curse after the festivities,” Jin Guangyao steps in, obviously trying to save his father some face. There is a slightly manic look in his eyes Lan Wangji has never seen before, and suddenly he’s very sure they need to find the guilty party now, or their tracks will be covered up.
“Forgive me, a-Yao, but I would rather find the caster as soon as possible, so no one else will falsely accuse my brother,” Jiang Yanli speaks up from her place slightly behind Jiang Wanyin. The words are polite, but there is steel behind them. She will not let this go. She always was Lan Wangji’s favorite of the two Jiang siblings.
“Of course, sister-in-law, but surely we can have Jin guards tend to the investigation discreetly, and not interrupt such an important occasion for your son,” Jin Guangyao suggests, apparently very adamant that all other sects stay out of this. It is highly suspicious. Enough so, that Lan Wangji even sees a look of doubt cross his brother’s face. Xichen has always trusted Jin Guangyao blindly, much to Lan Wangji’s frustration. He really must be slipping, if even Xiongzhang notices that he is behaving suspiciously.
“I’m sure we’re all very interested in seeing who the culprit is. If we do this now, nothing will distract us from Jin Zixuan’s son once it’s done,” Nie Mingjue concludes, and no one dares challenge him, not even the Jins. Lan Wangji is very aware that his brother sees the smug look on his face, but as long as no one else can see it, it is not inappropriate. It is not against the rules to be pleased when justice is practiced.
If the atmosphere was tense before, it is nothing compared to the tension as people wait for everyone to be searched. Jiang Wanyin orders a majority of his guards to help Nie Mingjue’s, while a few stay to guard Jiang Yanli and her son. There is only the sound of muffled conversation in the banquet hall, everyone gossiping in hushed voices. Suspicious glances are cast back and forth between nearly every person in the room. Lan Wangji finally makes eye contact with his beloved, and casts a questioning look on the child in his arms. Wei Ying gives him a sheepish smile, and mouths “later!”. Lan Wangji tries to convey a message with his eyes, and ask if Wei Ying wants him to hold a-Yuan for the rest of the ordeal, to get him away from the center of it. Wei Ying seems to understand, and thinks for a moment before he whispers something to the child. A-Yuan nods, and Wei Ying bends down to set him down on the floor. He points towards Lan Wangji, and a-Yuan nods and toddles over. Lan Wangji determinedly ignores his brother’s shocked expression as the child sits down on Lan Wangji’s lap without hesitation, and he wraps his arms around him to hold him steady.
“Rich-gege,” a-Yuan mumbles, snuggling closer to Lan Wangji’s chest for comfort.
“Hello, a-Yuan,” he says softly, absentmindedly monitoring the situation in the crowd.
“Why are the scary men angry at Xian-gege?” a-Yuan asks quietly, and Lan Wangji’s heart breaks for him. It must be very scary and confusing when so many people are yelling and trying to hurt his guardian, and seeing him be angry in return.
“They thought he did something bad. They were wrong, and now they want to find who did it,” he tries to explain, and the boy quickly turns to look at him with a shocked face.
“But Xian-gege is not bad! Jiejie only yells at him when he doesn’t sleep!” a-Yuan defends his Xian-gege, and Lan Wangji gives him a soft smile. He doesn't have the heart to tell the boy that Wei Ying has actually done many bad things. He will find out when he is older.
“I know, and soon the scary men will know,” he tries to comfort the child, and a-Yuan seems to accept that. It seems his brother has gotten over the shock of seeing him with a child on his lap, because he leans down to introduce himself to a-Yuan.
“Hello, a-Yuan. I’m Wangji’s gege,” he says, but a-Yuan only looks confused.
“Who is Wangji?” he asked with a cute frown on his face. Lan Xichen chuckles at the response, and looks at Lan Wangji with mirth in his eyes.
“Ah, of course. Your Xian-gege never calls him ‘Wangji’. I’m Lan Zhan’s gege,” he says, and a-Yuan’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Rich-gege has a gege, too?” he whispers excitedly, and Xiongzhang smiles brightly at him.
“He sure does! You can call me Huan-gege if you want,” he says, and proceeds to shake a-Yuan’s little hand in greeting. Lan Wangji is suddenly doubly grateful that Wei Ying let him take the boy, as Xiongzhang seems to be distracted enough to briefly let go of his worry about Jin Guangyao.
“Found him!” a Nie guard suddenly shouts, and silence immediately falls over the banquet hall as people look up to see the person who is to blame for this entire situation. Lan Wangji has to be careful not to squish a-Yuan too hard when his entire body tenses with rage when he sees who cast the curse. Su She .
The guard pushes him into the middle of the hall, his robes still loose enough that everyone can easily see the holes from the curse backlash on his chest. He is sweating, looking pale and absolutely manic as he is put on display in front of the sects.
“You dare curse my nephew? Explain yourself!” Jin Guangshan bellows, and Su She falls to his knees.
“They are in on it!” he shouts, pointing at the Jin sect leader and Jin Guangyao. The entire hall freezes. There is not a single sound, and no one moves for a brief moment. Lan Wangji watches Jin Guangyao closely, and sees the terrifying rage in his eyes as he looks at Su She. A cold feeling settles in his stomach.
“You dare accuse a sect leader of such ugly business!” Jin Guangshan yells, now an alarming shade of purple.
“It was you who wanted to ambush Wei Wuxian on his way here! And Yao-ge who planned it!” Su She yells back, and Lan Wangji tightens his left arm around a-Yuan, so he can use his right one to grab Bichen’s hilt. He refuses to look at Lan Xichen. He does not want to see the expression on his brother’s face right now. Jin Guangshan tries to stand up, presumably to strangle Su She. Before he can get anywhere, Nie Mingjue’s guards intercept him and raise their swords.
“What is the meaning of this, sect leader Nie?” Jin Guangshan asks, voice suddenly going dangerously low. The Jin guards have all pulled their swords out, ready to strike at anyone who tries something. A-Yuan moves on his lap, and burrows his face into Lan Wangji’s chest. He puts his hand on the child’s head, stroking his hair in a hopefully reassuring way. If a fight breaks out he’ll make a Lan disciple take the boy to his room in the guest wing.
“If you are innocent of the crime he’s accusing you of, there’s no harm in letting him tell his story, right? And if you’re guilty…” Nie Mingjue threatens. Sect leader Jin takes a deep breath, but surprisingly nods for Su She to continue. Either Su She is spouting lies, or the Jins are sure they can get away with this, and Lan Wangji does not know which option is worse. Looking at Jiang Wanyin, and the way Zidian sparks on his finger, Lan Wangji worries that a-Yuan might be about to witness several murders.
“Thank you, sect leader Nie,” Su She says shakily from where he is still on the floor, and then he continues uninterrupted. “Sect leader Jin wants Wei Wuxian dead, so he can take the Stygian Tiger Seal for himself. Yao-ge came up with the plan to curse Jin Zixun, and trick him into blaming and killing Wei Wuxian! He hired me because he knows I need funds for the Moling Su sect. He made me work with the rogue cultivator Xue Yang to place the curse on Jin Zixun! Then all he had to do was plant the idea of Wei Wuxian in his head!” Su She accounts, and Lan Wangji can feel how tense Xiongzhang is. This situation has gone completely out of control.
“What ridiculous accusations…” Jin Guangshan begins, but is interrupted by Su She.
“Yao-ge has also hired Xue Yang to study demonic cultivation on behalf of sect leader Jin! To help him when he gets Wei Wuxian’s Seal! Xue Yang is in the dungeons beneath Koi Tower, if you want proof!” Su She shouts, and Jin Guangshan pales as Jiang Wanyin sends a few disciples to search for this Xue Yang. Jin Guangshan starts protesting wildly, but Lan Wangji has finally had enough and puts the silencing spell on him.
“Wangji!” Xiongzhang exclaims in horror from next to him, as the Jin sect leader stares at him with eyes filled with rage. He could not care less.
“Until the Jiang disciples get back and can confirm if Su She speaks truthfully, sect leader Jin will not defend himself. If Su She is lying, I will accept whatever punishment is deemed fit,” Lan Wangji says, and then refuses to say anything more. He silences Jin Guangyao as well, for good measure. The man has a serpent’s tongue, and will speak himself out of this situation if allowed to. He sends a glare in Lan Wangji’s direction, but otherwise has no reaction.
“Thank you, Wangji,” Nie Mingue says, and no one dares dispute him. The accused Jins are thus kept silent, and the rest of the crowd is silent with them. While they wait, Lan Wangji takes the time to watch the crowd.
Jiang Yanli has moved into a corner, rocking her son in her arms slowly. Lan Wangji cannot get a good look at her face. Jiang Wanyin is frowning even more than usual, glaring down Jin Guangshan, Jin Guangyao, Su She, and Jin Zixun in turns. Zidian keeps sending out purple sparks. Nie Mingjue is keeping a close eye on the entire crowd to make sure no one tries to leave. Nie Huaisang has most of his face hidden behind one of his fans, but he has been watching the event unfold with rapt attention. Jin Zixun has been completely silent ever since Su She was dragged in front of the crowd, and the look of betrayal on his face makes Lan Wangji’s heart twinge with sympathy despite himself. Jin Zixuan looks as if he is trying to block everything that has happened out completely as he holds his cousin still. He keeps a close eye on his wife and son, though. Wen Ning looks tense, but has had no major reaction. Every now and then he looks over at a-Yuan to make sure the boy is alright. Wei Ying has been watching everything intensely, with a slight frown. The rage is gone from his eyes, though, so Lan Wangji is not worried about him getting involved.
And finally, he dares look at his brother. Xiongzhang is looking at Jin Guangyao with a pleading look on his face. Lan Wangji has not seen him this close to tears since their mother died. There is also resignation there, in the set of his mouth. So his brother has also noticed how Jin Guangyao acted more frazzled than an innocent man would. How this would be a logical explanation. He remembers his own feelings when Wei Ying went against all the sects to help the Wen remnants. The helplessness and frustration. He wishes he could do something to ease his brother’s pain. At least he could comfort himself with the fact that Wei Ying had good reasons. He sincerely doubts Jin Guangyao has a good explanation for his actions. No matter what happens here, he will not let this man get close to his brother ever again. He has hurt Xiongzhang more than enough.
He has to refresh the silencing spells once before the Jiang disciples return, but when they do they are leading a young man between them and Lan Wangji can be sure he did the right thing. Su She has been truthful, and the culprits have been kept from trying to talk themselves out of their guilt.
Something about Xue Yang’s demeanor sends a chill down Lan Wangji’s spine. Something about him reminds him of Wei Ying at his worst during the Sunshot Campaign, but where Wei Ying had made himself miserable trying to fight the resentful energy, it seems like Xue Yang has embraced it. He looks… pleased. In the most deranged way possible. As if he does not care about his own fate, so long as he has contributed to the chaos. Lan Wangji shivers. This man is dangerous . He is absolutely sure they cannot let him leave this place alive. He exchanges a glance with Wei Ying, and it seems his beloved has come to the same conclusion.
“Ah, is this what has caused such ruckus? They didn’t manage to kill you?” he asks Wei Ying. Wei Ying does not answer, just quirks the corner of his mouth up briefly. Xue Yang instead turns to Su She, and tuts at him before smirking sharply.
“Su She told us Jin Guangyao hired you to study demonic cultivation. Is this true?” Nie Mingjue asks. No, not just studying. He’s already using it. The absolutely manic smile on Xue Yang’s face confirms his thoughts. He watches as the sect leaders and heirs of the major sects come to the same conclusion he has. They had been lucky Wei Ying has a strong moral compass. That he is good . Xue Yang is what they would have gotten otherwise, and Lan Wangji is very afraid of what he is capable of doing.
Lan Wangji tunes out the conversation for a moment, trusting Nie Mingjue to have the situation under control. He makes sure he has a good grip on a-Yuan, and makes eye contact with a female disciple before pointedly looking at the little boy on his lap. She nods in understanding. Good . If things come to a violent head she will take him out of harm’s way. Once sure he has a-Yuan’s safety covered, he grips Bichen even harder. He makes eye contact with Wei Wuxian, who gives a-Yuan a worried look. Lan Wangji looks from Wei Ying, to a-Yuan, to the female disciple and back. Wei Ying nods subtly and returns his attention to the interrogation happening, hand resting on Chenqing and prepared to take it out if the situation got worse.
When Lan Wangji tunes back in, Nie Mingjue has once again turned to Jin Guangshan.
“And what exactly were you planning on doing with the Stygian Tiger Seal when you got it?” he questioned, and sect leader Jin scoffed.
“Keep it safe of course!” he exclaims, face completely red. Nie Mingjue actually snorts .
“Yeah right. Because you need to hire a rogue cultivator to study how to use demonic cultivation to keep the Seal safe. Admit it. You saw the power Wen Rouhan wielded, and now you want it for yourself,” he accuses, and somehow that is what makes Jin Guangshan snap.
“And what if I did? Someone needs to take responsibility when most of the major sects are ruled by children!” he shouts, and Nie Mingjue stands up and walks closer until he’s towering over the man.
“Who are you calling a child?” he thunders, and Jin Guangshan pales. “Take him to the dungeons until we decide what to do with him,” he orders, and some Nie guards move forward to do his bidding. They are, however, intercepted by Jin guards.
“Let Nie Mingjue’s guards through!” Jin Zixuan speaks up for the first time since he entered the hall behind Wei Ying. The guards look in surprise at their sect heir.
“But, young master Jin, your father…” one speaks up, but cannot finish before Jin Zixuan interrupts.
“My father planned treason. You take your orders from me until a decision regarding him has been made,” he says, sounding far more assertive than Lan Wangji has ever heard him. Jin Guangshan starts yelling at his son as the Nie guards grab hold of his arms, and Lan Wangji silences him again. Jin Zixuan nods at him in thanks.
“Now that this unpleasantness is over with…” Jin Guangyao says, clapping his hands together. But he doesn’t get further before Nie Mingjue interrupts him.
“Don’t think we have forgotten your part in this,” he says, and Lan Wangji can feel his brother preparing to speak up.
“Da-ge, I’m sure A-Yao only did what his father wished of him…” he begins, but then Su She speaks up again.
“Yao-ge was planning on having Zixuan killed!” he shouts, and the entire hall falls into complete silence. Lan Wangji sees Jin Zixuan’s expression crack, and then how Jin Guangyao turns pale as a corpse. He finds himself sympathizing with Jin Zixuan. He has been trying to make his half brother feel at home, and to find out he has been trying to take your life…
A brief look to his side and Lan Wangji sees his brother looking as if someone has stabbed him through the stomach.
“A-Yao, surely…” he whispers, but Su She does not let him finish.
“It was Yao-ge’s plan to sacrifice Jin Zixun. He then made plans to tell Zixuan to head to Qiongqi Path to prevent the confrontation. But he deliberately told him too late, so that the fight would have already started, in hopes that Wei Wuxian would kill him along with everyone else!” he continues, and Lan Wangji feels as if someone just pushed him into the Cold Pond back home. If the plan had succeeded, if Wei Ying had been provoked into a fight, if he had killed Jin Zixuan… He looks to Wei Ying, and he must have come to the same conclusion, because he looks vaguely sick.
“Yao-ge then planned to take the Seal for himself, and use it to kill sect leader Jin! So that he could be the sole heir to the sect until Zixuan’s son came of age! And then he probably would have gotten rid of him as well,” Su She finishes, and before anyone can react, Jin Guangyao launches himself at him.
“You little…” he hisses, his entire face contorted with rage. He does not quite reach Su She before Zidian is wrapped around his throat, pulling him to the ground.
“I think we have seen enough. Put him in the dungeons,” Jiang Wanyin says, and Lan Wangji has never seen him this angry before. Jiang Wanyin is known for his temper. In the entire time they have known each other, he has been irritated and snappy at best . But his anger is always loud. Lan Wangji has never seen him provoked to quietness.
“Hanguang-jun, if you would,” Jiang Wanyin says as his disciples are taking Jin Guangyao away, and Lan Wangji nods and places yet another silence spell. If he could, he would much rather cut the man’s tongue out so he could never speak again. But his brother would be very upset if he did, so he does not.
“Jin Zixun, you still attacked Wei Wuxian without proof that he was the one who cast the curse. With three hundred men, no less. And Su She, you knowingly participated in this plot. You will both be put in the dungeons as well until we decide what to do with you,” Nie Mingjue asserts, and surprisingly they both go without complaint. Or maybe not so surprisingly. It had been a long day so far, and if Lan Wangji were them he would want to get away from the prying eyes of the sects.
Once everyone going to the dungeons has been led away, Jin Zixuan steps up onto the raised floor at the front of the room.
“I’m sure you will agree with me that we have had enough excitement for one day. Unfortunately we will have to postpone my son’s one month celebration until the current situation has been dealt with. We will of course keep you informed, and Lanling Jin will ensure you have accommodations for the next few days,” he announces to the room, and gets a weak applause in return. The shock has not yet completely settled, and it is very apparent.
Slowly, people start to trickle out of the banquet hall. Lan Wangji stands up to go hand a-Yuan, who has been startingly quiet and still for a long time, back to Wei Ying. He accepts the child with a tight lipped smile.
“We will speak later,” Lan Wangji says, and then turns to go back to his brother. Lan Xichen is staring into thin air, not having moved a muscle since Jin Guangyao was apprehended. Lan Wangji softly nudges his brother until he stands up, and then slowly leads him back to his chambers.
Lan Xichen is quiet the entire walk there, and once they get into his rooms, he lays down on his bed, with his back facing the door. Lan Wangji does not want to simply leave his brother like this, but he does not know what to say. Words were never his strong suit.
“I am sorry, Xiongzhang,” is what he settles on, and then leaves the room to give Lan Xichen space to process. He meets a Lan disciple outside.
“Sect leader Nie has requested your presence in his rooms,” the disciple announces with a formal bow.
“Mm. Please make sure Xiongzhang gets dinner delivered to his room when it is time,” he responds, and once the disciple nods he starts making his way to Nie Mingjue’s rooms. He is let inside by the guards immediately, and is greeted by the sight of Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang, Jiang Wanyin, Wei Ying, and Jin Zixuan all sitting on the floor around a table together.
“Sect leader Nie,” he says in greeting, and Nie Mingjue sighs.
“After the day we’ve had, I think you can drop the formalities, Wangji. It’s just gonna be us,” he says, and motions for Lan Wangji to sit down. He nods in acknowledgement, and sits down next to Wei Ying.
“A-Yuan?” he asks, noticing the boy’s absence. And the lack of Wen Ning’s presence.
“With his auntie Yanli and uncle Ning in Shijie’s rooms,” Wei Ying says with a slightly strained smile. Lan Wangji nods.
“How do we deal with this shitstorm?” Nie Mingjue says, a very blunt beginning to their meeting. Jin Zixuan’s jaw clenches, and he stares resolutely at the wall on the other side of the room. Jiang Wanyin is equally tense. Nie Huaisang looks everywhere but the other men in the room, hiding behind his fan.
“Are you sure you want me here for this? I’m innocent in this situation, but I’m still not very liked,” Wei Ying says, and Lan Wangji frowns minutely. Wei Ying is by har the most fair person present, he should definitely have a say.
“They may not like you, but they know better than to argue with you. And you’re the only hurt party not currently locked away in the dungeons,” Nie Mingjue says, and Wei Ying accepts his reasoning with a nod. He looks over at Jin Zixuan with a complicated look in his eyes.
“Permission to speak freely about current sect leader Jin…” he hesitates, and Jin Zixuan scoffs.
“I do not particularly care for my father or cousin at this moment. Speak as freely as you want. Not that you ever don’t,” Jin Zixuan says, and Wei Ying nods.
“Sure. We cannot let Jin Guangshan remain in power. Even if he hadn’t planned to use the Seal to rule the entire cultivation world, hiring that Xue Yang to help him… he would have doomed us all,” Wei Ying says, and Lan Wangji nods in agreement. Even Jiang Wanyin seems to agree.
“Agreed. All in favor of putting Jin Zixuan in charge of the Jin sect?” Nie Mingjue says, raising a hand. As everyone but Jin Zixuan raises their hands, Lan Wangji hesitates. He’s the heir to the Lan sect, but it is his brother who is sect leader and should be voting in decisions such as these.
“Wangji, I brought you here to vote in Xichen’s stead. He is in no shape to make political decisions at the moment, and these matters are too urgent to wait for him. And I suspect he might be… biased in regards to certain persons. And we need a Lan to participate. Please, feel free to vote and give your opinions,” Nie Mingjue says, and Lan Wangji gives him a nod, and then raises his hand.
He will take over this role for his brother until he recuperates. He will not vote in favor of decisions his brother would disapprove of. But he is sure his brother will agree that Jin Guangshan cannot be allowed to continue ruling.
“Very well. Congratulations, new sect leader Jin,” Nie Mingjue says, and Jin Zixuan nods shortly.
“Now, the matter of Jin Zixun…” he continues, and looks at Wei Ying.
“He was only a pawn. I would gladly kill him for putting a-Yuan in danger, but I suppose we should show some mercy to avoid a riot,” Wei Ying sighs, and leans back to rest on his elbows. Jiang Wanyin scoffs.
“He’s a fucking idiot is what he is. He may not have been aware of the plan, but I’m sure it didn’t take a lot to convince him to attack you. He probably jumped at the chance,”. Nie Mingjue snorts.
“He’s not the sharpest, I’ll admit. But I think Wei Wuxian is right. If we sentence him to death for something he was tricked into doing, when he is already dying, the other sects will be upset. All in favor of leaving him in the dungeons until the curse has run its course?” he suggests, and once again they all raise their hands, including Jin Zixuan this time.
“What about Su She? He was fully aware of what he was doing,” Jin Zixuan says, and the room falls silent as they think.
“I’m sure we can argue for him to be executed. He did cast the Hundred Holes Curse on someone, and conspired against the highest ranking members of the Jin sect,” Jiang Wanyin suggests, Zidian sparking again as he inspects it. The rest of the men in the room nod along, and Lan Wangji has to take a moment to think.
He had found Su She irritating when he was still a member of Gusu Lan. He had been insufferable ever since defecting to form his own sect. Lan Wangji would not mind if he was executed. But Lan Xichen would. Gusu Lan did not practice death sentences, and his brother especially holds a dislike for them. And Su She had grown up as a member of the Lan sect.
“Mn,” he protests. “Seclusion. Lifetime,” he says and is met with frowns. Thankfully, Nie Huaisang seems to have caught on.
“Ah, he was a member of the Lan sect before, right? I’m sure Xichen-ge would not agree to sentence him to death,” he comments, before once again hiding behind his fan. Lan Wangji gives him an assessing glance. Maybe he should not have been so quick to write him off as a lost cause. Nie Mingjue’s frown turns into a considering expression. He looks at Lan Wangji.
“So, dissolve his new sect, send him back to Gusu, and let him live out his days in seclusion?” he clarifies, and Lan Wangji nods.
“Mm,” he confirms, and raises his hand to see if the others will agree. He is pleased when everyone raises their hand. Good, another decision Xiongzhang will be pleased with.
“Let’s leave the elephant in the room for last. What are we doing about this Xue Yang? Technically, he has not done anything,” Nie Mingjue sighs and closes his eyes, seemingly fighting a headache. Lan Wangji can sympathize.
“Hasn’t done anything yet . You all saw his eyes. We absolutely cannot let him have his freedom. Jin Guangyao is arguably the smartest within a several li radius, and he kept this guy locked up despite being allied with him. If you let him go, I will kill him myself,” Wei Ying says, and there is a hardness in his gaze that dares anyone to challenge him. Lan Wangji will not. Wei Ying is right, Xue Yang is too dangerous for them to let him go.
“What would you have us do, then? We can’t just kill him!” Jiang Wanyin disagrees, rather loudly. Lan Wangji glares at him.
“I think we should trust Wei Wuxian’s assessment. He seemed… deranged,” Jin Zixuan argues, to everyone’s surprise. Wei Ying has a pleased grin on his face.
“Thanks, Peacock!” he says, and Jin Zixuan puts his face in his hands, seemingly regretting ever opening his mouth.
“Don’t get used to it,” he says with a glare in Wei Ying’s direction. Wei Ying grins even wider.
“I can keep him imprisoned and under watch in Qinghe,” Nie Mingjue says, getting them back on track. “Everyone knows I don’t like demonic cultivators. I couldn’t imprison Wei Wuxian after the help he gave us during the Sunshot Campaign, but Xue Yang has no such perks. People won’t argue with me,” he says, and Wei Ying gives him a sharp smile.
“Much appreciated, sect leader Nie,” he says cheerfully and raises his hand in favor of the suggestion. Lan Wangji joins him. It is a good compromise. He trusts Nie Mingjue to not be swayed by words, or hesitate if Xue Yang tries to escape. Once everyone has agreed, the room falls silent for a long moment. No one wants to bring up the final judgment they have to make.
“Jin Guangyao,” Nie Mingjue says, and the room stays quiet for another brief second.
“What is there to discuss? He tried to have Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun killed, and he wanted to use my brother to do it! Just so he could steal his power for himself and kill former sect leader Jin! I vote for his execution,” Jiang Wanyin states firmly. Wei Ying looks at him with something like wonder in his eyes, and Lan Wangji distantly wonders how long it has been since Jiang Wanyin addressed him so familiarly.
For once, he completely agrees with Jiang Wanyin. He would have already run Bichen through Jin Guangyao if he could get away with it. But he does not want to vote in favor of killing the man his brother loves. He cannot.
Nie Mingjue gives him a look, and Lan Wangji realizes the only reason why he has not agreed to Jiang Wanyin’s suggestion is out of respect for Lan Xichen’s feelings. He is waiting for Lan Wangji to either agree or give a different suggestion.
“Not under Gusu Lan jurisdiction,” he finally says, distancing himself from the decision. It is true. The Jin sect should be in charge of deciding Jin Guangyao’s fate, both as a member of the sect and a threat to its members. It is what Xichen would have done if it were anyone else they were sentencing to death. Nie Mingjue nods, then turns to Jin Zixuan.
“Sect leader Jin?” he asks, and Jin Zixuan gives a brief nod.
“He is behind all of this. We cannot show lenience,” he concludes, sounding regretful, and there are nods of agreement around the room. Lan Wangji closes his eyes for a moment. He cannot imagine the grief his brother will feel at the news. He sincerely hopes he is not the one who has to inform him.
When he opens his eyes again, they catch on Wei Ying. If Jin Guangyao’s plans had succeeded, Wei Ying would have been killed. There is no doubt about it in his mind. Wei Ying would have been manipulated into killing, and then he would have been killed in return. Selfishly, Lan Wangji feels a sense of relief beneath his feeling of guilt.
At least Wei Ying will get to live. At least Lan Wangji will still have his beloved.
Eventually, they all stand up to leave. As Lan Wangji walks through the door, someone grabs his arm from behind.
“I need to fetch a-Yuan. And I should thank the Peacock for his help,” he says, looking vaguely sick at the idea of thanking his brother-in-law. “But I’ll come by your rooms after, okay? So don’t go to sleep yet,” he says with a soft smile, and Lan Wangji nods in acknowledgement. It will be nice to get a private moment with Wei Ying after today. He can ignore the Lan bedtime this one time. He is not in the Cloud Recesses, after all.
Wei Ying gives him a brighter smile, and then runs off to follow Jin Zixuan, who left immediately to return to his wife and son. Lan Wangji starts walking to his rooms, but only gets a few steps further before another, much heavier, hand lands on his shoulder. He turns to face Nie Mingjue.
“You did well, Wangji. I know politics are not your thing, but Xichen will be proud of you once he feels better. I’ll inform him of the decisions made. Go rest,” he says, and Lan Wangji nods. He feels guilty at the amount of relief he feels at not having to break the news. However, he knows he can trust Nie Mingjue with his brother’s feelings.
“Mm. Thank you,” he says, and continues to walk toward his rooms. They are quite far from his brother’s, as Lan Xichen was put in a fancier suite due to his close friendship with Jin Guangyao. Another stab of guilt. He suspects Xionzhang has already made assumptions about their decisions. His brother is well aware of which punishment is fit for Jin Guangyao’s crimes. Maybe he will even feel relief at not having been present when the decision was made. Lan Wangji hopes he will. It will be the only relief his brother will feel for a long time.
As he enters his chambers, Lan Wangji makes a decision. He will fight Shufu and the elders for as long as he has to to ensure Xiongzhang gets the time he needs to grieve. He may not have been very fond of Jin Guangyao himself, but his brother was and deserves as much time as he needs. It is what he would have wanted Xiongzhang to do for him if Wei Ying had been the one to die.
He notices a servant has left dinner and tea on the table, and sits down. He is not very hungry, but he is aware he needs food. He will eat a little bit, and when Wei Ying shows up he can have the rest. Lan Wangji doubts he will have eaten anything.
It is not long until a guard asks if he should allow the Yiling Patriarch to enter, and upon Lan Wangji’s hum of agreement, Wei Ying enters with a tired a-Yuan on his hip.
“Ah, Lan Zhan! I’m so tired! And they kept me from Shijie and a-Ling for so long!” Wei Ying exclaims dramatically as he sits down on the other side of the table. A-Yuan grumbles and looks up at Wei Ying with a frown.
“Sorry, Radish. This Xian-gege of yours will try to be quiet so you can nap, hm?” Wei Ying whispers, and a-Yuan nods sleepily before snuggling into Wei Ying’s chest. Wei Ying looks fondly at the child for a moment, before looking up and noticing the food on the table.
“Imagine the banquet we would be feasting on if it weren’t for those schemers,” he sighs wistfully, and Lan Wangji pushes the dishes over to his side of the table.
“Lan Zhan, I can’t eat your dinner!” Wei Ying whisper-shouts in protest.
“Mn, not hungry,” Lan Wangji says. He will make sure that Wei Ying eats properly, he has grown far too thin during his months in the Burial Mounds with the Wen remnants.
“Ah, I can’t argue with you when you frown at me like that,” Wei Ying says and gives in, stuffing some noodles in his mouth with one hand, the other busy holding the child on his lap. Lan Wangji is sure his face only showed the slightest sign of a frown, but Wei Ying had always been good at reading him.
“Wei Ying, what happened?” he asks once Wei Ying has eaten a few bites. He thinks for a moment as he chews.
“Well, I originally was not planning on bringing a-Yuan, but he refused to let my leg go and cried. And let me tell you, it is impossible to say no when he’s looking at you with tears all over his face, so he came with us. And then we got to Qiongqi path, and Wen Ning intercepted an arrow someone shot at us. Then Jin Zixun revealed himself and started shouting accusations. A-Yuan was terrified and I tried not to escalate the situation. I’m not gonna kill people with children present! And it seemed his men also hesitated when they noticed him, so nothing really happened, until Peacock showed up and told his idiot cousin it would be better to bring me here for a proper trial. Let me tell you, it was a tense walk the rest of the way!” Wei Ying tells him, and Lan Wangji frowns properly. Wei Ying nods.
“Yeah. It is lucky I brought my little radish with me, or I probably would have attacked them all, and all of Meng Yao’s scheming would have gone to plan. I bet he’s fuming down in the dungeons right now,” Wei Ying continues, and takes a sip of tea.
“Mm. Deserves it,” Lan Wangji grumbles, and Wei Ying laughs.
“Lan Zhan! No one realizes how petty you are! Are you not breaking several rules by saying that?” Wei Ying teases, and Lan Wangji shakes his head.
“Mn. ‘Be ethical’, ‘uphold the value of justice’, ‘morality is the priority’,” he quotes, and Wei Ying laughs again.
“I seem to remember there is also a rule that says ‘do not slander others’,” he says, grinning.
“Mm. Not slander,” he explains, and Wei Ying giggles.
“Ah, I see. It’s not slander because it’s the truth?” he asks, and Lan Wangji nods. Wei Ying smiles brightly at him, and hugs a-Yuan tighter. It is quiet for a while as Wei Ying eats more, and Lan Wangji watches him. It is good to see him eat.
“At least I got to see Shijie and a-Ling before leaving. I made him a protective charm and I’m very glad I got to give it to him,” Wei Ying says with a sigh as he leans back after finishing the food.
“Wei Ying is not staying?” Lan Wangji asks with a frown. Wei Ying shakes his head with a disappointed face.
“I can’t. I will stay the night, so I can be present for the announcements of the judgements tomorrow. And I wouldn’t want to return to Yiling when a-Yuan needs to sleep. But then I have to return. The Wens are very vulnerable without me and Wen Ning present, and it will be extra dangerous after this. I’m sure all of Jin Guangshan’s buddies will want revenge, and the remaining Wens are the easiest target,” he sighs, finally getting serious. Lan Wangji frowns even deeper.
“Winter will be here soon,” he says, and Wei Ying nods despondently. They both know the Wens do not have proper shelter or clothes, nor the money to afford it.
“I know. I will talk to Wen Qing about it, we need a good plan. Hopefully me being innocent of the crimes today will buy us some time,” he says, and Lan Wangji nods.
“If you need help…” he says, hesitating, and Wei Ying smiles softly and holds up three fingers by his temple.
“This Wei Ying promises he’ll tell you if he needs Hanguang-jun to come to the rescue,” he says brightly, and Lan Wangji nods once in approval.
Wei Ying uses the rest of their time together to gush about his sister and nephew. Apparently, Jin Ling is the fattest baby he has ever seen and he loves him very much. He is also determined to not let Jiang Wanyin steal the title of “favorite uncle”. Lan Wangji enjoys listening to Wei Ying, but eventually he gets tired, and Wei Ying must notice.
“Ah, I kept Hanguang-jun awake far too long. I think we’ll be heading back to our chambers and let you rest. It has been a very eventful day,” he says, and stands up to leave. Apparently the movement wakes little a-Yuan up, and his eyes blink open.
“Ah, sorry little radish. We’ll go to our own room now and sleep. Say goodbye to Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying says, and a-Yuan turns his head to look at Lan Wangji.
“Night, Rich-gege,” he mumbles sleepily, waving his little hand in Lan Wangji’s direction.
“Good night, a-Yuan. Wei Ying,” he says, and nods in goodbye.
***
The following day Lan Wangji sits alone with the Lan delegation as the announcements are made, his brother not wanting to leave his bed. Lan Wangji understands. At least he does not have to speak in front of the sect. Jin Zixuan handles the announcements, with some help from Nie Mingjue when needed. Sect leader Nie looks very tired, and Lan Wangji suspects he spent a long time with Lan Xichen last night.
It seems the minor sects find their judgements acceptable. There are some protests from sect leaders Yao and Ouyang when Jin Zixuan announces that his father will be removed from his position, and that he will take over as sect leader. They are quickly silenced, however, by Nie Mingjue.
Wei Ying, a-Yuan and Wen Ning are all sitting further to the side with Jiang Yanli and Jin Ling. He suspects Wei Ying will leave as soon as the formalities of the day are over, and is proven right when he manages to have a short conversation with Jiang Yanli. He congratulates her on her son - who is indeed very fat - and then returns to his rooms to meditate. The celebrations will pick up in two days, and he would prefer to not have to socialize until then. Especially as he suspects he will be there as the lone representative of Gusu Lan.