"Why does this even matter? I thought you said it would be easy to ruin his reputation, To isolate him - Now I have the whole of the cultivation world bearing down my throat whenever I say anything against him or otherwise" Jin Guangshan rants angrily from his golden throne.
"It would have been, It was working but it wasn’t Wei Wuxian Jin Zixun attacked, it was Hanguang-jun."
“A-Yao, Father, what do you mean? What were you doing?”
“Don’t be a child, Jin Zixuan. It was a necessary strategy. It would have helped immensely with your wedding negotiations. Would have been a step closer to taking the Tiger Tally from that impudent scoundrel” Jin Guangshan had said to Jin Zixuan when they tried to iron out what to do going forward. The meeting proved fruitless and Jin Guangshan was unforgiving on something he thought to have been Jin Guangyao’s failure- While Jin Zixuan proved to be an example of just how little Jin Guangshan cared for his children- legitimate or otherwise.
After the meeting, Jin Zixuan apologized for being unable to do much against their father- but tellingly he also made no excuses and did not try to apologize on their father’s behalf.
Staying in Koi Tower, under his father’s power is turning into an even more precarious position than it has been, And it has been a terrible position even when his father had been pleased with him. For it to get worse… It is not right.
Who knew the Ghost Flute would react that way and that everyone would just follow his lead? The Jiang are at their weakest in history, That they would behave like this was not something Jin Guangyao would have ever accounted for.
The Lan disciples are no help, the ones who speak are hardly credible sources. The others just shake their heads at him and quote the disciplines against rumors, only acknowledging the strong connection Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have had since their days studying in Cloud Recesses.
The Jiang disciples that had studied alongside them then are either too busy to talk to him, all having major responsibilities managing sect matter - all thrusted on their shoulders much too early because of the decimation of their sect, or are too new to know anything besides the fact that their senior disciple Wei Wuxian was indeed usually preoccupied with tales of Hanguang-jun more often than not.
There is nothing that can be used against the forming of this alliance as fortuitously coincidental as it seemed to be.
All speaks to it having been a known factor.
But Jin Guangyao had not known. Had not found it during his months of work discrediting Wei Wuxian and still…
The Lan and the Jiang even the Nie act as if they all knew.
Yes, as if it were so common there was no need to speak on it.
Yes, the Jiang wear purple, the Lan wear White and Wei Wuxian will tear the whole world down if anything happens to Hanguang-jun- No it doesn’t matter that they are not on the best of terms at the moment- this is just what happens. Did people forget that Hanguang-jun stalled the war efforts with Jiang Wanyin’s help for a similar reason?
The thing is Jin Guangyao did know this happened but it had not meant anything. The story with the Xuanyu of Slaughter was the same. When now, thinking back on it - it should have mattered. These were significant events and yet…
They all knew and didn't speak bout it.
An open secret.
“It's embarrassing, such shameless behavior. Don’t make me think about it” Jiang Wanyin says, a pained look on his face.
“I do not like to interfere with Wangji’s private matters” Lan Xichen replies just as frustratingly tight-lipped.
“A-Xian has always been open about his interest in 2nd Master Lan. I’m sorry, I need to make sure he doesn’t overwork himself, excuse me.“ Maiden Jiang's confused and distracted reply to his questions only confirms things more.
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His half-brother’s useless recounting of the lecture series is bare of anything important. He had not paid anyone but Maiden Jiang any mind. The only thing standing out is Wei Wuxian punching him for having publicly insulted Maiden Jiang- which now is an unsalable mark to Wei Wuxian’s character. Of course, Wei Wuxian would defend Maiden Jiang fiercely, she is his beloved elder sister and his younger brother is the sect Heir, who had been constraint by his position and could not respond as he would want because of the politics involved- It was Wei Wuxian’s place to respond.
The reason no one even blinked an eye at Wei Wuxian and Jiang YanLi’s close relationship? Jin Guangyao knows Madam Jin is uncomfortable with the whole thing but no one in YunMeng Jiang seems to care and the Lan and Nie take it all at face value. Do they know something the Jin don’t? The Jin had all spoken as if the relationship between the two was highly suspect.
but ... could it be, Is it that Wei Wuxian is a cut-sleeve?
“I thought he was a known womanizer.”
“Who? Wei-xiong?” Nie Huaisang laughs lightly and takes a drink from his cup, a look of good humor on his face like Jin Guangyao had just made a silly joke.
When Nie Huaisang sees Jin Guangyao is serious in his questioning, he continues. “Uh, No- never. Wei-xiong scorning women.” Nie Huaisang scoffs like he has never heard of something so ridiculous “Besides, He respects women too much. With the Purple Spider as a ready example who wouldn’t? And I can just see the look on his face should his Shijie ever hear he did something like that- I think he might cry.” Nie Huaisang laughs hard at that.
“Plus, he is a ridiculous romantic.” He tacks on idly as if it were some widely known and accepted fact.
“But where do all the stories come from?”
“Well, he does flirt- a lot. He flirts as he breathes, but no one takes him seriously.” Nie Huaisang shrugs “On one of our trips to Caiyi I saw him profess his deep and undying love to a pot of chili oil and continue to flatter it for half a shichen, Jiang Cheng only rolled his eyes.”
"Your joking"
Nie Huaisang shakes his head. “I've only heard him go on for longer about Wangji-xiong. I think that’s just how he speaks. Super friendly and casual like most Yunmeng Jiang disciples- well, how it was- you know- before. When his adopted parents and sect hadn’t been killed pretty much in front of him. Well it’s not like it's the first time he lost-”
“Enough Huaisang, we get it.” Jin Guangyao straightens up having just been reminded that Nie Mingjue was also with them.
“But don’t Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian hate each other? I understood that they were always arguing and fighting.”
Nie Huaisang shrugs again, unconcerned as he takes another drink from his cup. “Jiang-xiong and Wei- Xiong are always fighting too- have always been that way since the day I met them, but everyone knows they think of each other as brothers. Maybe it’s a Yunmeng Jiang thing?”
Nie Huaisang looks down at his wine cup, staring down at it with an open expression of nostalgia. “Wei-xiong is different from before, I know. A little scary and Grumpier, and He drinks a lot more now too. Wangji-xiong never liked that. They argued about it but they always have. One of their first matches was over a few jars of Emperor's Smile, Wei-xiong wouldn't ever stop teasing Wangji-xiong about it. During the indoctrination, Wei-xiong always did his best to distract Wen Chao from Wangji and his broken Leg, and Wangji always tried to keep Wen Chao from seeing him rely on anyone but Wei-xiong was stubborn and kept trying anyway. Wei-xiong even stayed in that monster-infested cave with Wangji-xiong when they were both injured and then Wangji-xiong searched for him with Jiang Cheng for more than 3 months. Wangji-xiong was always Wei-xiong’s backup for battle during the war too, Right? I read it in the reports.”
“He was” Nie Mingjue confirms, looking just as troubled. “They hardly ever fought separately unless it was necessary”
Jin Guangyao can see all his work on making Nie Mingjue distrust Wei Wuxian just melt away. After all, this is Lan Wangji’s Soul mate who is even as they speak working tirelessly on trying to get him back. Jin Guangyao knows how Nie Mingjue cares for Lan Xichen’s younger brother. Wei Wuxian himself has not left the clearing unless he has been dragged away by his siblings or Lan Xichen for rest. As he looks at it, his plan might have worked but it would have taken more effort and taken longer than he first thought, but it could have worked had he had stepped carefully around the Lan. As things are changing now, the alliance between Yunmeng Jiang and Gusu Lan is pretty cemented with the Nie sure to follow. Jin Guangyao counts himself lucky that the Nie are still even speaking to him. He is sure it is all Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen’s influence, one that does not extend to his half-brother or father.
The Jin are being held at a polite distance by most other sects, some are even outright shunning them for fear of how Nie, Jiang and Lan will react. The power basis Jin Guangyao had been helping his father grow had still been too unstable to hold. It had mostly collapsed in a matter of hours.
Jin Guangyao stares down at his wine cup, sighs and drinks.
Just as Nie Huaisang is about to finish recounting how Wei Wuxian had very publicly removed Lan Wangji’s forehead ribbon during the last discussion conference at Nightless City - bringing to mind how Jin Guangyao had, himself, witnessed Wei Wuxian very publicly alluding to having that right just a few days before during the archery tournament and how Lan Wangji had not actually denied it- a Nie Disciple rushes into the room. The Disciple looks to be highly distressed as there is news that Zewu-Jun and Sandu Shengshou are demanding answers from Jin Guangshan after they returned from a visit to a Wen labor camp. Scandalized reports that the First Jade of Lan had been holding a grubby emaciated child that could be no older than 4 years.
Jin Guangyao pours himself another generous cup.
“San-ge?”
“Those were Jin ZiXun’s camps. I don’t want to know.” Jin Guangyao drinks it down in one gulp.
EXTRA:
NHS: Well, I don’t know… I can’t really say, because I really don’t Know- but there has been a time when he requested very specific Cut-sleeve porn.
JGY: ...
NHS: There was also that time I saw Wei-xiong sweet-talk a magnolia blossom for about an incense stick's time before plucking it and trying to place it in Wangji-Xiong's hair.
JGY: ... (Embarrassing shameless behavior indeed)
NHS: He has gotten better. He doesn't compliment Wangji-xiong nearly as much as he used to anymore.
JGY: I don't understand.
NMJ: Didn't he throw a flower at Lan Wangji during the entrance ceremony?
NHS: Yes, but I heard it was only one. That's an improvement!
JGY & NMJ: …
EXTRA2:
JGY: “Would Wei Wuxian really kill the whole of the Jin Main Line? What about my half-brother? I thought Maiden Jiang cared for him.”
NHS: Shrugs “I imagine he will have the option of marrying out?”
JGY: …
NHS: “Maybe San-ge will also consider doing the same?”
The Next Day…
LXC: “A-Sang, have you seen A-Yao? I can’t find him anywhere”
NHS: “Oh he is sleeping off a hangover in the Nie tents, Da-ge is watching over him. He seemed really down after he heard about the Labor camps. He was very upset about the whole thing and drank himself to sleep.”
LXC: “Oh Poor A-Yao. He must be so disappointed. And after he worked so hard to join the Jin”
NHS: “Er-ge, I’m worried things will get harder for him if he stays in the Jin Sect. He said some worrying things when he was drinking”
LXC: “Oh no, what can we do?”
NHS: “I’ll speak to Da-ge about bringing San-ge back to Qinghe. I know things will be strained between the Lan and Jin for a while, so it might be better for San-ge to stay with the Nie until things are better”