Wei Wuxian had been back in the past for the last several days.
After waking up in his familiar makeshift tent and spending a few hours panicking and unsure how he had even ended up back here- he decided that he needed to make some changes, fast. The most important of which was sealing off the Tiger Seal and creating a fake tiger seal with enough power to fool the major sect leaders to replace it and have to percent to them and possibly destroy in front of them. The real Tiger Seal itself was too powerful to destroy safely just yet but he also did not want to spend the next year dodging Jin Guangshan's overtures.
On the first day of the now Former War Council meetings he had pushed to have Yunmeng Jiang to have oversight of the Dafan Wen Branch and other likely prisoners, sighting Yunmeng Jiang's need for laborers and their debt to the Dafan Wen. It was partly successful and had split the division of the prisoners more evenly among the great sects, the bulk of which were still taken by the Jin.
He had not attended before- in fact- if he went by how the meeting started he is pretty sure it was delayed until after Jin Guangshan arrived but this time Wei Wuxian was unwilling to wait for that worthless pile of trash to make himself available and made sure to encourage Jiang Wanyin to be more assertive.
This time it will be the Nie with the help of Jin Guangyao (at the time of the agreement still Meng Yao) who would process them since they had the most hands-on knowledge of who would have participated in the war. Still, the Dafan Wen had not fallen into the category they had used to define as prisoners, labeled civilians, and left in supervised encampments in the Qishan area the Jin would supervise until Yunmeng could start taking them in. As civilian contributors to the Sun Shot Campaign, under Yunmeng Jiang they will be given slightly better land to farm and have better chances to live on, or so Wei Wuxian hopes. He still does not trust those other encampments made by the Jin, it all seemed too similar to the past.
He had thought about it for a long time, thinking about what he might do differently this time if things should go as badly as they had before. How he could prepare some money he could use this time for the encampment in the burial mounds. How he would not be so afraid to show their faces to the world at large and the cultivation sects this time to prove that the people he has with him were not soldiers. How he could raid Qiongqi Path without having the Jin know it was him. But he still came back with several problems.
He is sure his actions would still be found out eventually. Sooner or later the events will be blamed on him, with or without proof. He knows he will be blamed for it. With his mind clearer than it has been in a while, he can see how big and easy a target he has made of himself.
He knows he can not hide both his lack of core from Jiang Wanyin and the whole of the Jiang Sect. He would need to break ties with them eventually and leave his adoptive brother without his support again. His continued use of resentful energy is too dangerous, he had always known it but he had never feared hurting those around him before. He could not risk Shijie as he did before.
So when Lan Wangji had asked Wei Wuxian to go back to Gusu with him at that disastrous banquet where Jin Guanshan was again trying to bully Shijie into marrying the peacock, Wei Wuxian had snapped a little and replied “All formal requests for betrothals and alliance should go through my sect leader Lan Zhan”
To Wei Wuxian’s surprise, it was Lan Xichen who had replied, apparently, he had been nearby and heard their whole interaction. “You are right young master Wei, It would be best to formalize this request and have it done with”
“Brother”
Wei Wuxian could not help but stare, Lan Xichen’s sudden appearance and uncharacteristic sevier attitude jarring next to Lan Zhan’s slight reprove. “Ah Zewu-jun, that’s …” Wei Wuxian trailed off, having felt the frosty presence in contrast to the usual affability the first jade was radiating.
Lan Xichen continued as if his brother had not spoken, his words encouraging even as his eyes grew flinty. “It is a fine idea, Young Master Wei. Yunmeng Jiang has made it stance on such subjects known, it would be remiss of Gusu Lan to ignore it. Come Wangji, there are a few things I need your help with”
With that Zewu-jun had walked away. Lan Zan apologized before excusing himself to follow his brother.
Wei Wuxian was left there, staring after them more than a little confused.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The next day Jiang Wanyin had cornered him after the midday meal- demanding to know what kind of joke Wei Wuxian had been playing with Hanguang-jun, did he not understand how much Yunmeng Jiang needed alliances and could not afford to insult the other great sects, as he practically shoved a letter into his hands. It was a formal request for a marriage alliance between Gusu Lan and Yunmeng Jiang, specifically for Wei Wuxian to marry into Gusu Lan as Lan Wangji’s spouse signed by both Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. Lan Xichen’s words from the night before suddenly made more sense but then all of Lan Wangji's actions from before were so much more confusing because this could not be right.
He looks at Jiang Wanyin, eyes wide in disbelief. “This is serious?”
“I received it this morning from an official messenger. All seals are authentic”
“This is serious.” He tells himself and Jiang Wanyin, because he can think of no time Lan Xichen would ever joke about this, but more than that he can’t come up with any reason as to why?
“Wei Wuxian, what is this about?”
“I- I just didn’t think, I mean. I guess I misunderstood- last night Zewu-jun said he would formalize things. I thought it was… “ and Wei Wuxian stops because what had he thought? That Gusu Lan would demand Wei Wuxian handed over as some prisoner along with the seal- he is not dealing with The Lanling Jin or even the Qinghe Nie. No, the Lan just wanted him to stop actively cultivating the ghost path now that the war was over but surely they would not sacrifice their 2nd jade just for that. Lan Wangji could not be so … no, Lan Wangji was never like that, had never forced anything, never tried to even bring his sect into it. It had been Wei Wuxian who had pushed again and it was Lan Xichen who had answered back this time, and Wei Wuxian now understood that Lan Xichen must have been furious.
“It would be best to formalize this request and have it done with”
Be done with you, is what Lan Xichen meant. Because after Wei Wuxian officially refuses Lan Wangji’s proposal Lan Wangji’s continued overtures would stop, they would have to. It would be unseemly to continue to pursue someone who has already rejected you. Especially in the way Wei Wuxian has been rejecting Lan Wangji. Moving forward, they could not spend any time alone, Lan Wangji having already shown interest in Wei Wuxian- it would not be proper. It would be inexcusable. He wouldn’t ever really be able to seek him out. After this rejection, would Lan Zhan even want him to? Wei Wuxian would be expected to avoid Lan Wangji as well, after all why would he search out a suitor he has already rejected? It would be scandalous-
“Wei Wuxian, what am I supposed to do with this?”
“Accept” Wei Wuxian replies without thinking.
“What?”
“Accept- I mean tentatively accept? I need to think some things over, and well you also said you needed an alliance and now you will have one.”
“Wei Wuxian, I’m not just going to sell my brother for an alliance. I did not do that to A-jie, why would you think I’d do that to you!”
“The difference is A-jie doesn’t want to marry the peacock right now. I might want to! Not the peacock of course! I mean- I need to decide soon, who knows if the Lan might change their Minds- This is Lan Zhan after all! Their precious 2nd Jade... damn- I just want to think about it for a little, alright!” Wei Wuxian rambles on as he paces the room, letter still clutched in his hand.
“What?! WEI W-”
“I mean it Jiang Cheng. Tell them I’m seriously considering it. I just, I need to think about it and talk to Lan Zhan”
“Are you seriously telling me you want to marry that jade statue and live on that mountain of thousands of disciplines to orthodoxy? You, the grand master of demonic cultivation?” Jiang Wanyin asks, eyes wide in incomprehension.
“Ah Lan Zhan isn’t like that, and don't call me that. It makes me sound old and I’m only what. 20 now?” Wei Wuxian deflects, even as he runs the number in his head, honestly having forgotten just how old he should be at this current time and place.
“Wei Wuxian, this isn’t a joke. I know you like to play with Lan Wangji but this isn-”
“Stop” Wei Wuxian is surprised by just how sinister his voice comes out, dark and full of promise. It must stun Jiang Wanyin just as much because he stops immediately.
“I’m serious Jiang Cheng. I would never play with Lan Zhan.”
Jiang Wanyin’s jaw twitches, like he has something he would like to say about that.
“It is not the same Jiang Cheng. That was harmless teasing, This is serious.”
“Harmless teasing? It was obviously shameless flirting! Now we have a marriage proposal from Gusu LAN! Are you even a cut-sleeve?”
Wei Wuxian can feel his face heat, unsure of how to reply, even as his mind runs through certain yellow book's images only with his and Lan Zhan's faces. As if his mind had just been waiting for him to turn his thoughts in that direction “I’m- I wasn't. I mean I am..maybe? But it didn’t- I wasn't... Jiang Cheng! I’m going to need some time. I really need to think about this. I have to go, let Lan Xichen know I’m honestly considering this.” He stuffs the letter back into his brother's hands. "I'm sure, I just need to clear my mind. I should go"
Jiang Wanyin looks after his brother in complete bafflement, wondering if his ridiculous brother had really been flirting with the second Jade of Lan this whole time?
Extra:
LXC: WWX, is truly considering my brother’s proposal? (Surprised)
JWY: Yes… he is thinking on the matter… carefully. (gritting his teeth)
LXC: Is there something the matter?
JWY: He was surprised by the… speed of the proposed marriage. He has only asked for time and that he might speak to LWJ privately.
LXC: Very well...