Archive of Our Own

There was a Wen in Lotus Pier. Yu ZiYuan scowled, not even noticing that the servant had quickly made herself scarce as she strode with purpose towards the main audience chamber. Jinzhu and Yinzhu followed as they always did, silent but deadly shadows. 

“Jiang FengMian!”

Her husband looked up. Yu ZiYuan’s frown deepened at the brief flash of embarrassment that scuttled across his features. Yes. He should be embarrassed. How dare he be so...so polite with this...this Wen when their son was suffering heaven knows what misfortunes in QiShan?

“What is the meaning of this?!” She demanded. 

“San niang…” his voice sounded like he was trying to placate her but she wouldn’t have any of it.

She glared at him and his mouth snapped shut.

“Well?!” She knew she was an intimidating woman, she knew what people said about her treatment of her husband, but she would not curb her temper when her son could be in danger, likely was in danger. Especially in the company of Wei WuXian.

“Madam Yu.”

It was a distinctively feminine voice. Her gaze finally slid to their...guest. A Wen . The pure audacity! She may be wearing a cloak over her clothing but that shade of red could not be easily hidden. 

“I was not speaking to you !” She said with as much acidity as she could fit into such a brief phrase. 

The young lady visibly stiffened.

Good. She should be intimidated. She was lucky Yu ZiYuan didn’t throw her out right this second.

She turned back towards her husband as she bit out curtly, “explain! What is a Wen doing here?! At such a time?!”

But once again, it was the girl who spoke. “Madam Yu. Jiang gongzi and Wei WuXian are in danger. Lotus Pier itself is in danger.”

“I do not remember giving you permission to speak.” 

But the young woman just tilted her chin in a stubborn way that should not have reminded Yu ZiYuan so much of herself. “Wei WuXian has not only saved my brother’s life but also the lives of my relatives. I do not like to owe debts.”

“San niang,” Jiang FengMian said in that infuriatingly mild way of his, “Wen guniang has risked her own safety to bring us the news. I was just about to send disciples to Muxi Mountain right away to bring A-Cheng and A-Xian home. Then, we need to prepare.”

“Prepare? Prepare for what?” 

“War.” The girl said, sounding much older than her appearance would suggest. 

“War.” Yu ZiYuan repeated in disbelief. 

The girl looked deadly serious. “Chief Cultivator wants to take over the world. He has plans to set up a series of supervisory offices. I am on my way to Yiling now, to lead the one there.”

To lead? She was so...young. 

“Yiling already belongs to Qishan Wen,” but her voice was so steady and her bearing still so straight, “Lotus Pier and YunMeng, however, do not.”

Not yet. The words were unspoken but definitely implied.

“And with how Wei WuXian had offended Wen Chao yet again…” her voice trailed off before she added, “the strike will come hard and fast. They will leave no prisoners.”

Yu ZiYuan resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course it would be Wei WuXian. Of course it would be that...that…

From the way her husband was eyeing Zidian warily, she knew her temper was showing again. Hmmph. He will insist on shielding that good for nothing orphan! 

Yu ZiYuan did not like it. She liked what this slip of a girl was implying even less. She narrowed her eyes, “why are you warning us?”

The girl met her gaze unflinchingly and Yu ZiYuan found herself grudgingly admitting that maybe this Wen had some spine to her after all, “I do not like to owe debts.”

Yu ZiYuan was still frowning, but for a different reason now, “you said you have a brother.”

Something soft flickered in the girl’s expression, chased away quickly by...what was it? Fear? Worry? What in the world has been happening in Qishan that one of their own should have cause to look so apprehensive? “And I’ve left him alone for too long already. But he was the one who persuaded me to come deliver this warning. A-Ning is...so honorable.”

There was unmistakable pride and fondness in her voice. 

“If you have a brother, why are you responsible for Yiling?”

“A-Ning is...not well. He’s never quite been...healthy, not since…” But the girl pressed her lips together, as though she had said too much. Instead, she turned towards Jiang FengMian, “Sect Leader Jiang, I must go. My presence here...no one can know. I...I have my own people to protect.”

Jiang FengMian nodded, “Of course. I understand. Thank you, Wen guniang. We will prepare as much as we are able.”

She nodded, “I do not know if…” 

She suddenly sounded hesitant in a way that did nothing to dispel Yu ZiYuan’s apprehension. 

The girl seemed to reach a decision of sorts as she straightened her posture again. Her voice, when she spoke again, was clear and even. “Chief Cultivator has ambitions that do not bode well for the world. Worse than that, he has the means to accomplish his goals. He will not let much stand in his way. I cannot...I cannot say more.”

“You mean the Yin Irons.” Jiang FengMian’s voice was still kind. 

The girl blinked.

“Master Lan had summoned me to Cloud Recesses not just for the matter of my ward’s decision to punch the heir of LanLing Jin.”

Yu ZiYuan scoffed, a sound her husband ignored. 

“Then you know what is at stake.” 

Jiang FengMian nodded.

The girl nodded back solemnly as though...as though she was an equal to a Sect Leader of a Great Sect. 

The sheer audacity! And yet...Yu ZiYuan could admit that she had often wished her own children could carry themselves with such dignity and strength.

“I must go,” the girl said again. And suddenly, she reminded Yu ZiYuan of A-Li when she was particularly worried about some scrape or other A-Cheng and Wei WuXian would find themselves in. 

Just who was she? 

“Wen guniang. I do not know what the future holds, but...Lotus Pier will always think of you as a friend and ally. Should you and your relatives need a place of shelter in the storms ahead, our doors will be open to you.” 

The girl’s eyes widened a little, as though she wasn’t used to such kindness. “Even though…”

“I am not in the habit of judging people by their last names alone.” Jiang FengMian offered gently. “And your decision to warn us now...not many in your position would make such a choice.” 

The girl blinked and Yu ZiYuan was reminded of her youth again. “I…”

But then she took a deep breath and straightened, “Sect Leader Jiang, on behalf of Dafan Wen, thank you.” 

Yu ZiYuan did not need to speak for Jinzhu and Yinzhu to quietly slip away and follow the girl, to make sure she wasn’t a spy or worse. 

She crossed her arms, “Jiang FengMian. Explain.”

Her husband sighed and suddenly looked so very tired. “Wen Chao took away their swords. Had A-Xian locked up overnight in the dungeon with a beast of a dog. Then made them go on a nighthunt in Muxi Mountain without any weapons. Didn’t even provide them with talisman papers. There was a monster in a cave. Their main way of escape was blocked. Wen guniang is not sure if any of them are still alive.”

Yu ZiYuan was not a woman who felt fear easily. But her husband’s last words…

“A-Cheng…”

“Hence time is of the essence.”

“Of course.”

Jiang FengMian rubbed at his temples, “San niang. These are grave times. Grave times indeed.”

“So you believe her?”

“I do.”

“She’s a Wen,” Yu ZiYuan felt obliged to remind him.

“From Mount Dafan.”

“The healers.”

Jiang FengMian nodded. “After her parents’ deaths, she and her brother became wards of Wen Ruohan.”

Wards of…

So not just a Wen but a high ranking Wen. Trusted, if she has been sent to Yiling to head the Supervisory Office there. Capable? Though their encounter had been brief, Yu ZiYuan suspected yes. 

“Very well then.”

“San niang?” 

Yu ZiYuan looked back at him grimly, “Lotus Pier will not fall into the hands of the Wens.”

“War has not yet been declared.”

Yu ZiYuan looked at him incredulously, “even now you would deny...Jiang FengMian! They’ve already attacked and burned Cloud Recesses! Have already struck inside the Unclean Realm. And now, all the heirs and Head Disciples...our son ! These are clearly acts of aggression. I don’t care if you men wish to waste time on debating the semantics! War is already upon us whether you wish to call it that or not!”

Jiang FengMian had the nerve to smile at her.

“What?!” She snapped. 

“With you to defend Lotus Pier, the Wens don’t stand a chance.”

She scowled, even as her traitorous heart pulsed before softening. “This is not the time for empty words.”

He stood, his bearing determined, and looked briefly like the man she had always wished he could be. “You’re right. We must prepare. It is time to take a stand.”

She scoffed and muttered beneath her breath, “about damn time.”

From the sideways look he gave her and the amused quirk to his lips, she knew he heard.

Well. What of it? He knew well what she thought of him. She also suffered no illusions that he loved her. But she knew he respected her, trusted in her abilities. Gave her free reign to train and mold the disciples to her exacting standards whenever she was actually in Lotus Pier. Love was a luxury she did not need. Love was a distraction that was unnecessary when it came to their joined drive to defend their home. 

Her name was Wen Qing. Originally from Mount Dafan. The leader of that branch of the family even. Had been since before she was even ten years old. 

No wonder. 

Yu ZiYuan listened as Jinzhu and Yinzhu continued their report. 

A healer. The best healer in Qishan if rumors were to be believed. The main reason Wen Ruohan had not completely descended into madness. Though Yu ZiYuan did not think such a skill should be celebrated. 

There were Wen soldiers and guards stationed in Yiling. Always had been actually. The Burial Mounds may have been sealed off, but no one, not even the Wens, was foolish enough to leave it unattended.

But inside the Supervisory Office itself, it was just her and her brother. She had a library of all things. Her brother had also started breaking ground himself for an herb garden. Her first acts as Supervisory Chief were not to stockpile weapons or bolster her defenses but rather to gather and purchase supplies for making medicines and splints and bandages. Yu ZiYuan did not know much about medicine, but some of the ingredients stood out. Ones for replenishing blood, for soothing burns, for strengthening broken bones. 

She was setting up a...a hospital. For whom? For the Wens?

Well of course for the Wens. She was a Wen. 

But Yin Ju had also seen her slip a bottle of liquid to an old beggar. 

“Ye-ye, for your cough,” she had murmured, “one cap a day. It should last you for the next month.”

A beggar. Really. Just giving such things away. 

“And her brother?”

Her companions looked at each other.

“Wen Ning. Somewhat delicate looking,” Jinzhu observed, “has a sword, doesn’t carry it much. Even though physically he seems fit enough.”

Not carry his sword? Well that was just plain foolish. 

“Threat?”

They shook their heads simultaneously.

Hmm. 

“Thoughts on Lotus Pier’s defenses?”

They looked at each other again.

Yu ZiYuan fought the urge to snort. Quite. Lotus Pier had too open a lay-out. They weren’t even segregated from the civilians. The disciples mixed freely with fishermen and shopkeepers and farmers on a regular basis. No distinction for class at all. Jiang FengMian took pride in it though. Of course he did. He had even offered shelter to a Wen . 

Even if she was...not quite what Yu ZiYuan would have expected.

Not a threat though. And thus of little consequence in context of the more pressing matter at hand. 

Her husband had gone off to fetch their son and his...ward. That left her the task of planning for a battle. Well. Jiang FengMian knew she had always been better at such things. 

“First task.” Yu ZiYuan announced, “evacuation.”

Her maids nodded. 

Yu ZiYuan rolled out a map of the estate. She had despised Lotus Pier when she had arrived as a new bride. Saw it as nothing but a big swamp. Over the years, she had learned to see the beauty in the rivers and lakes. And yes, even those blasted flowers from which the place derived its name. Grew to understand how the people could be so relaxed and confoundedly cheerful all the time. 

There actually were swamps though. And the water could be dangerous for those who were unfamiliar. 

She gestured at the markings she had made on the map. “Next. Barriers. Baricades. Illusions. Wards. Talismans.” Ways to redirect their enemies into the murkiest, deepest swamps and the most turbulent and dangerous eddies. Restricting the path to Lotus Pier itself. 

A bottleneck. Unless they flew. But YunMeng Jiang disciples were well trained in archery. A skill only secondary to swimming. Even more emphasized than their sword style. 

“Supplies. Weapons. Even the youngest disciples can fling rocks.” The slingshot was also a popular toy. 

“Drills.” She had been gone for a month. Who knows what bad habits the disciples have picked up in her absence? 

She straightened, “Let’s get to work.”

She tried to send A-Li to Meishan. 

“No.”

No? 

“Mother. Please. A-Cheng and A-Xian aren’t even back yet. I can’t leave now.”

“A-Li. You can’t even fight.”

Her daughter looked crestfallen. Yu ZiYuan might have felt guilty about pointing out A-Li’s shortcoming, but she just wanted her to be safe. 

“Still. I’m staying. I’ll...I can still draw talismans. I can...I can cook. You’ve sent most of the servants away. I...I know my way around the kitchen. I know ways to make the supplies last should we come under siege. The shidis will need regular meals, especially if they’re to fight effectively. And the little ones...the little ones will need to be comforted.”

Something Yu ZiYuan was most definitely not good at.

“They’re YunMeng Jiang disciples.” They should be above such things. They have a duty to defend their home regardless. 

“They’re children .” 

Ah yes. A-Li had always had such a strong maternal instinct in her. Where she got it, Yu ZiYuan didn’t know.

“A-Li…”

“I’m staying.” 

It was so rare for A-Li to look and sound so determined. 

“Lotus Pier is my home too.”

Yu ZiYuan pressed her lips together before saying, “Go fetch your sword. You will never be without it from now on. We’re going to run through some simple drills. I hope you won’t have to use it, but I cannot afford for you to be a liability.”

A-Li nodded. “Yes, Mother.”

Yu ZiYuan watched her go. Oh A-Li. She had shown such promise when she had been younger. How pleased she had been when baby A-Li had gravitated towards Zidian when it came time to choose the items before her. Yu ZiYuan had had such high hopes. But then the illness had struck and A-Li had never been the same. While A-Li adjusted to her new limits with patience and grace, Yu ZiYuan could never quite get over the bitterness of seeing her daughter grow short of breath after even the simplest of forms. Even if it was already a miracle that A-Li had even lived. 

And so, she hadn’t commented when A-Li stopped coming to the training yards altogether. And as the years passed, when it became obvious that A-Li was too soft and tender hearted anyways...Yu ZiYuan placed all her hopes in her son instead. 

Maybe it wasn’t fair to A-Cheng. Maybe she did set the bar too high. But she saw so much of herself in him. And she had always appreciated a challenge. 

A-Cheng. Weaponless. A monster in a cave. The exit blocked. 

What would Jiang FengMian find? What if…

No. Wei WuXian was with A-Cheng. As much as she hated to admit it, Wei WuXian’s mind worked in such strangely brilliant ways. If she could choose anyone to be with A-Cheng under such circumstances...whatever her personal feelings about the boy, she knew who she would choose. Wei WuXian really was A-Cheng’s best chance at survival. 

Wei WuXian. Didn’t he like to invent? Hadn’t he caused explosions to rock Lotus Pier before exiting his workroom in a puff of smoke and with a sooty complexion? Multiple times even. It no longer even caused a panic. She had always ignored his activities, ignored him as much as she could. But maybe…

Wei WuXian had a duty too. Even more than the regular disciple.

What had the girl said? Ah yes. Wei WuXian had offended Wen Chao. Again.

So it was his fault. Of course it was. 

Deep down, Yu ZiYuan knew she was being unfair, that she had always been unfair, but she had become much too practiced at being baseline resentful and angry towards the boy. 

Zidian sparkled on her hand. Oh yes. Wei WuXian will be punished for bringing calamity to Lotus Pier. She’ll make sure of it. 

For now though, she had other disciples to whip into shape.  

Wei WuXian’s fever had broken but he remained unconscious. Even so, he refused to let go of the old relic of a sword in his grasp. 

Yu ZiYuan eyed it warily. Something wasn’t quite right about it. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was, but it made the hair on her neck rise and the pit of her stomach drop in dread. An inanimate object should not have such an effect. 

A-Li hovered anxiously, her fingers trembling as she wiped at Wei WuXian’s forehead with a damp towel. If she worried at her lip anymore, it will bleed. 

“Enough,” Yu ZiYuan told her daughter. “He’ll wake when he wakes. I need you to oversee your youngest shidis to finish the talismans for the northern border.”

“Yes, Mother.” But A-Li had not stirred from her spot. 

“Now, A-Li.”

A-Li nodded and stood obediently. 

Yu ZiYuan decided not to comment as her daughter surreptitiously wiped at her eyes. 

They passed A-Cheng in the main courtyard, a practice sword in his hand, as he sparred against Jinzhu and Yinzhu. 

She noted absentmindedly that he was favoring his dominant hand too much. He should be able to fight equally well with both hands. 

Yinzhu must have noticed too, because she struck out and hit his right elbow, causing his hand to open reflexively. To his credit, A-Cheng just grunted before quickly twisting to avoid Jinzhu’s attack. She was mildly impressed when he managed to catch his falling blade with his left hand as he did. He may not be as nimble or creative as Wei WuXian, but A-Cheng was not unskilled. 

He could always be better though. 

Jinzhu and Yinzhu respectfully backed away when she let Zidian fly.

A-Cheng’s eyes widened in surprise and, she noted with grim satisfaction, some fear, as he was forced to flip through the air to avoid being hit. 

She yelled out comments as she put him through his paces. 

A-Cheng was panting heavily when she finally called for a halt. 

“Haven’t I always said? The sword should be an extension of your arm, a part of you. You control it, it does not control you.”

“It’s not Sandu.”

She lifted an eyebrow at such a pitiful excuse.

He lowered his head, “Yes, Mother.”

She nodded at Jinzhu, “Again. But exclusively using your left hand this time.”

“Yes, Mother.”

She left to complete her rounds. The disciples were all training in one way or another. There was no laughing or joking, the atmosphere was decidedly martial. Grim. And for once, it wasn’t just because they knew she was watching. 

Many of them had seen their da shixiong’s form be carted into his room, after all. As much as Yu ZiYuan hated to admit it, the disciples all looked up to Wei WuXian. To see that even he was not infallible must have been quite the shock. Never mind that he had reportedly managed to defeat the XuanWu Monster, something straight from legend. 

It hadn’t stopped Jiang FengMian from looking absurdly proud, even if he hid it beneath open concern about Wei WuXian’s health. 

Yu ZiYuan snorted. And not one word of acknowledgement to his own son for finding the tunnel, hidden beneath the water, that actually allowed the others to escape. Of course not. 

The very thought that A-Cheng had been in the water, virtually defenseless, with that monster so close at hand was chilling. 

Oh, but even A-Cheng had been more preoccupied with worrying about the servant’s son. He had let A-Li cling to him as she shed tears of relief, but his eyes had definitely been tracking the other disciples who were carrying Wei WuXian.

“Careful!” He had parted from A-Li and scolded the one who had stumbled slightly before taking up the side of the stretcher himself in an impatient manner, “here, just let me do it.”

A-Li had smiled softly at the scene but Yu ZiYuan…

Oh she knew that A-Li had always insisted that A-Cheng and Wei WuXian think of each other as brothers. A-Li was sweet and kind like that. Yu ZiYuan though, was decidedly not in possession of a gentle soul, nor a forgiving one. 

“A-Cheng,” she had called sternly, “come here. We need to discuss the defenses.”

Her son had looked torn. 

“A-Cheng.”

His brows furrowed.

“Let the boy rest,” Jiang FengMian had said, “he’s been through a harrowing experience.”

“He looks fine to me,” she had retorted, “and we don’t have the luxury of coddling him, not now.”

“San niang…”

“It’s alright.” A-Cheng had interrupted as he let go of the stretcher. “I...I’m really fine. Put me to work, Mother. I...I want to do my part.”

Yu ZiYuan had turned on her heels, knowing that her son would follow. 

The Yaos had been attacked. There were barely a handful of disciples who had managed to escape with their Sect Leader. So, the storm was coming closer. 

Jiang FengMian went away to Carp Tower, to join the discussion conference there. He had asked A-Li to go with him, but she had declined. 

“My place is here, Father.”

“A-Li, you’d be safe.”

She had shaken her head, “I’d worry every day, every moment. At least here, I am of use. There is nothing for me there.”

There was enough bitterness in her voice that Yu ZiYuan had frowned. 

Then A-Li had smiled, even if it was tinged with much sadness, “I am a Jiang. Jiangs rise and fall with Lotus Pier. Always have. How can I abandon it in its hour of need?”

And oh, Yu ZiYuan had felt so proud. Her mild-mannered daughter had managed to retain that spark of determination from her youth after all. 

A-Li, though she had paled and gasped in horror when she saw the wounds of the Yao disciples, had nonetheless rolled up her sleeves and learned to dress them alongside Lotus Pier’s healer. 

“Brewing medicines isn’t so different from cooking,” Yu ZiYuan heard her tell A-Cheng. 

“The end results just taste very different,” Wei WuXian had pointed out.

A-Li had chuckled. “I’m just glad I can help.”

At her command, Wei WuXian did provide talismans that would explode spectacularly when triggered. He also made ones which they buried in the shores of the lake that would make a wall of electricity when activated. Their enemies would find even retreat difficult. 

The trap had been set. Now, they just had to wait. 

There was a girl, flanked by Wen guards, arrogantly walking through the front gates. 

“Wang Lingjiao,” Wei WuXian muttered, distaste obvious in his voice.

Ah yes. Wen Chao’s… 

A-Cheng coughed. It sounded suspiciously like he had muttered “whore.”

Any other time, Yu ZiYuan would have scolded him for his uncouthness. Now though…

She turned her best glare on their visitor and was gratified when the chit actually took a step backwards.

“What is your business in Lotus Pier?” Yu ZiYuan asked, as arrogantly as she could. 

Wang Lingjiao pointed a finger at Wei WuXian, “Him. He disfigured me.”

Yu ZiYuan lifted an eyebrow, “Oh?”

Wang Lingjiao pointed that same finger at her cheek, “right here.”

“Ah. I see. And you’re concerned that Wen gongzi will set you aside like used goods?”

Wang Lingjiao’s eyes narrowed, “how dare you…”

“How dare you .” Yu ZiYuan snapped. “ You are nothing but a servant who climbed her way into her master’s bed. Not even a cultivator, are you?”

Wang Lingjiao lifted her chin nonetheless, “I demand satisfaction.”

“Demand? Who are you to demand anything of me ?”

“I am here representing Qishan Wen.”

“Has Qishan Wen fallen so low as to have a common maid represent it?”

“You dare …”

Yu ZiYuan stepped forward and slapped the girl, “yes. Yes, I do.”

Wang Lingjiao held her stinging cheek, her eyes widening in disbelief, “you…”

Yu ZiYuan flicked her wrist and Zidian licked across the other cheek, “there. Now your master really won’t want you anymore, will he?”

“You…” Wang Lingjiao’s expression held pure fury now. 

“ I am your better. You would do well to remember your place.”

“You will regret this!” 

“Oh? And are you going to make me?”

Wang Lingjiao let out a wordless screech before attacking with her nails pointed.

Yu ZiYuan wasted no time in wrapping Zidian around her throat and pulling tightly. 

There were thuds as the guards each fell. Ah yes. Jinzhu and Yinzhu were so very good at what they do. 

Yu ZiYuan smiled nastily down at the struggling Wang Lingjiao, “Little girl, you’ve made a terrible mistake coming here today.”

“You...will...regret...this…” Wang Lingjiao pulled something from a pocket and flung it into the air. A sigil for QiShan Wen lit up, red as blood.

Yu ZiYuan twisted her wrist sharply, causing Wang Lingjiao’s neck to snap. “You know, I don’t think I will.”

The front gates closed again with a loud thump, but not before a figure in black slipped through.

Wen Zhuliu. Zhao Zhuliu once upon a time. Once the heir to a proud and noble house. Not quite as old as Meishan Yu, of course, but still well respected. Before the last Sect Leader gambled away all his wealth, forcing even his wife and child into servitude. 

He looked from the fallen figure of Wang Lingjiao to her, his features carefully expressionless. 

“Core Crusher.”

“Purple Spider.”

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, such titles would have been ridiculous. 

“Have you come to collect the trash?”

“Wen gongzi will not be happy.”

“I’m sure he’ll find himself a replacement soon enough.”

“I cannot allow this insult to go unaddressed.”

“Insult?” She laughed, “Insult to whom? Have you forgotten? You didn’t always use to be a Wen.”

“He saved me. Allowed me to cultivate.”

“Ah, but why did you need saving in the first place?”

He was quiet again. 

“I must warn you,” she said, “no Wen will leave Lotus Pier alive today.”

He settled into a fighting stance, “So be it.”

She activated Zidian again as she repeated, “So be it.”

She became dimly aware of the sound of explosions, the clash of swords, the whistle of arrows. So, reinforcements had arrived and some had managed to escape the traps and breach the walls. Lotus Pier was more than prepared though.

She trusted the disciples. Trusted that they would stand their ground. Trusted that Jinzhu and Yinzhu would watch her back so that she could focus. 

It had been so long since they’ve fought like this. So long since…

They had both been different people back then. Fought differently too. But some things were still the same. He did not even flinch as Zidian bit through the clothing and skin of his forearm. 

“First blood.” She told him solemnly. 

A flash and his sword was directed straight at her throat. She met it with her own. 

It had been so long since she’d been so challenged. 

For a moment, she could pretend that…

But no. She was Madam Yu of Lotus Pier now. 

“Father!”

She looked. When had Jiang FengMian arrived? 

“Madam Yu!”

Wei WuXian. Standing between her and Wen Zhuliu, intercepting the infamous Core Crusher’s palm. Wei WuXian who gasped in surprise, wavered on his feet, and then fell.

She reacted on reflex. 

Wen Zhuliu staggered. His gaze flickering down to the dagger pierced through his heart then back up at her. “You kept it.”

“I did.”

He placed his hand on the handle, but, instead of pulling it out, pushed and twisted.

Her eyes widened.

“Last blood.” The faintest of smiles and then his eyes closed and he, too, fell.

Strangely, it was then that the world came rushing back into her awareness. The fighting had not ended. The Wens had thought they would have the advantage of numbers. By the looks of things, they assumed wrong. Yu ZiYuan did not take the time to feel satisfied that their preparations had paid off, though, but once more dove into the fray. Each remaining opponent she faced now was woefully inept compared to him.  

“Father!”

Same word, but completely different intonation. 

She whirled around, Jiang FengMian was falling too. Wen Chao’s eyes shined with triumphant glee.

No.

She was too far away to do anything but watch as cold fury settled over A-Cheng, could only watch as her son, her little boy, became a soldier, a warrior, in the blink of an eye. He grabbed his father’s sword and attacked with a ferocity and brutality that Yu ZiYuan knew he must have inherited from her. When had he learned to fight with two swords? He was the personification of vengeance as he battered at Wen Chao’s defenses. The swords flashed with ease as though they really were extensions of his body. So, he had paid attention to her instructions. 

Almost absentmindedly, she batted away the grunts who stood in her path. 

By the time she arrived, however, Wen Chao was staring up at the sky with lifeless eyes. 

Someone called for a retreat. Well of course. They had come to conquer, only to lose both their leader and their mightiest fighter in the same day. 

A-Cheng, his shidis at his heels, gave chase. Pushed the remaining Wen forces towards the waterline. Forced them to step into the lake. 

Yu ZiYuan watched with detached fascination as Wei WuXian’s invention was activated. Water did conduct electricity so very well. 

She had said, hadn’t she? No Wen would leave Lotus Pier alive that day. 

Silence fell. 

A-Cheng was panting. He had a scratch on one cheek and his clothing was spattered with blood. Hopefully most of it not his own. He was also staring at the bodies that now floated, drifted, on the water. A truly gruesome sight. 

"A-Cheng.” 

He turned towards her, “Mother.”

And then immediately threw up. 

She looked at the other disciples. Most of them also looked pale. None of them could be called innocent anymore, could they?

They’re children . A-Li had said. 

Not anymore. 

“San niang…”

“Stop talking,” she told Jiang FengMian sharply as she pressed on the gaping wound on his chest. Ironically, also over his heart. 

He shook his head, “it’s no use.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” she bit out as she let her spiritual energy flow through her fingertips.

His eyes were so soft as he looked at her, “you’ll finally get what you want. You’ll finally get to whip Lotus Pier into shape without the inconvenience of considering me and my position.”

“Is that what you think I’ve wanted all this time?”

“Isn’t it?”

“Don’t be an idiot.” She repeated. 

“Ah. I know well that I could never hope to match you. That you lowered yourself to marry me...I’m glad A-Cheng will have you to guide him.”

“Save your breath.”

“Save your energy.” He said, his hand lifted to lay on top of hers. “Just promise me...promise me you’ll be good to A-Xian.”

Normally, Yu ZiYuan would be furious. Even at a time like this! But she could not forget that the boy had…

“If he lives.”

“He will. He’s...too stubborn not to. The two of you are similar like that.”

She did not respond. 

He sighed. “He’s really not mine.”

“I know.” She admitted. She’d always known. But her pride, her damned pride...

He smiled softly, wistfully. “Ah San Niang…”

“Father!”

He turned his head slightly.

“Father…”

“A-Cheng...A-Li...take care of your mother, yes?”

“Father…”

“My son...you’ll be a great leader. Definitely a better one than your old man.”

“Father…”

“I’ve been blessed…” 

“Father!”

Even without Jiang FengMian’s arm dropping like dead weight to his side, even without feeling the heart beneath her hands stop beating...Yu ZiYuan knew. 

A-Li wailed. A-Cheng also cried openly.

And Yu ZiYuan? 

Yu ZiYuan wanted to laugh. Not because it was funny, not because there was any shred of humor to be found in the situation, but because…

She reached and cupped his cheek, fully aware that her hands were covered in his blood. “Jiang FengMian...you foolish, foolish man. All this time...you never understood what I really wanted.”

Why would he though? When she had never told him? When she had never explained, never given him a chance to explain? 

They really weren’t so mismatched after all. 

They had to readjust their defenses. This battle had been won, but the war was only beginning. 

They weighed the bodies down with stone. The fish will feast well. 

Other bodies sank into the mire of the swamps. 

Still others they burned. Wen Chao’s body among them. His head they sent to QiShan, to Nightless City. Wen Ruohan should know. Jiangs bow to no one.

As for Wen Zhuliu... Yu ZiXuan had wanted to bury him properly. They had been...childhood companions, sparring partners, competitors. Always trying to outdo one another, to find a way to breach the other’s defenses. When his family collapsed...that dagger had been the only thing he managed to sneak out that the creditors hadn’t found. He had given it to her for safekeeping before he too was taken away. 

She found out, years later, that it was the Wens who had ruined his family. His father did have a gambling problem, yes, but it was the Wens who manipulated the odds so that he never won. 

By then though, it was already too late. He was no longer a Zhao. Even if the Core Melting technique was a perversion of a Zhao family secret that had once been meant to be used for resetting and purifying corrupted or diseased Cores. The same secret his father had refused to sell no matter what. 

She never got the chance to tell him. Though, from his mannerisms and the choice he had made in the end, he had probably discovered the truth on his own.

His sense of honor had become so twisted. 

She did collect his ashes. Did bury the jar beneath a willow tree, along with the dagger. 

She did not consider herself a sentimental person, but she couldn’t escape the feeling that he had deserved better. 

Their own, they buried with honor. Not as many as she had feared there would be. 

So many wounded, though. Wei WuXian arguably the worst among them. 

He had woken, had seemed to handle the news of his now destroyed Core rather well. 

“Guess I’ll just have to focus on creating more talismans instead. I’ve such creative ideas! And it’s not like I still can’t use the bow. Ha, Jiang Cheng, I bet even without spiritual energy I can still shoot straighter and higher than you!”

Yu ZiYuan looked at him suspiciously. Something felt off about his grin and his cheery tone of voice. A-Li must have thought so too, because she kept trying to feed him.

“Shijie, stop! Please! I’m going to get fat!”

A-Li frowned, “you don’t like it?”

“Oh I do! I like anything and everything Shijie makes! But really, Shijie, even my metabolism can’t keep up!”

“A-Xian…”

He ate the biscuit. “But no more, really. Please?”

A-Li nodded, but still watched him like a hawk.

Yu ZiYuan found that she wasn’t quite sure how to treat Wei WuXian. What in the world possessed the boy to…

It must have been impulsivity. It had to be. It was his forte.

He still trained. Hand to hand combat. Archery. Even swordplay. 

He may not have powers anymore, but he was still strong, still skilled.

The old relic, even though it had seemed to serve him well during the battle, still gave Yu ZiYuan the creeps. And the way Wei WuXian would sometimes look at it, like it was a particularly interesting puzzle, like it might hold the answers to the universe…

Something was not quite right. 

The disciples who had gone with Jiang FengMian shared the news.

The Sunshot Campaign they called it.

Men. Such need for grandiose names when something should have been done long ago to check Wen Ruohan. Before the world had a chance to devolve into such a state. 

Yu ZiYuan sent Jinzhu with A-Cheng when he went back to Carp Tower to meet with ChiFengZun, the general who would lead the war. Whose own father had also been killed by the Wens, even if they had made it look like an accident. 

A-Cheng, whose grief she also saw be channeled into anger, into a drive for vengeance. A-Cheng, who had looked so seriously at Wei WuXian as he declared, “as long as your hands can hold a weapon, you’re still Head Disciple.”

Wei WuXian’s eyes had shined in a suspicious manner before he just nodded determinedly, “yes, Sect Leader.”

A-Li, who made no effort to hide her own tears, had smiled nonetheless.

Yu ZiYuan had not stayed to watch for longer. 

Her children were growing up, had grown up. It must be A-Li’s influence that her son was so…

It certainly wasn’t her own. 

She had not been a good wife, nor a good mother. Had not really wanted to be. 

Jiang FengMian had accepted her flaws, much as he had placidly accepted most things life saw fit to throw at him. It had equal parts infuriated and fascinated her. She had always learned to thrive on challenge, to want to be challenged. To have her own name be recognized because of her skills rather than her association with someone else. She had kept her surname. He had let her. Hadn’t even looked surprised when she told him she would. She had thought at first that it was because he didn’t care. That he wouldn’t have wanted her to become Madam Jiang when he had always envisioned someone else in that position. She came to understand though, that it was just him being kind. As always. So frustratingly, annoyingly, kind.

Neither of them had really wanted the marriage, but he had made the best of it, as much as he could. And she? She had thought she’d try. The politics were sound. MeiShan Yu’s reputation soared. But she really wasn’t made to sit still looking pretty with her embroidery.

It was a pity, her tutors had told her parents, that the young lady of the household had not been born a boy. She could have been someone great.

And hadn’t such words always made her gnash her teeth? 

Even before he brought a dirty little street urchin back, she had made it plain that she much preferred to train the disciples and go on night hunts than any of the more traditional responsibilities the Mistress of the estate should have undertaken. 

He had always given her the space, the freedom to do as she wished. 

Again. Not because he didn’t care, but because…

He hadn’t tried to restrict or restrain her either. Nor her son. 

It wasn’t in his nature.

There was once again a Wen in Lotus Pier. Alive. Despite her kill on sight order. The Wrath of the Purple Spider they called it. Ridiculous.

Just as ridiculous for a Wen to be kneeling on his knees, begging, the same words being said, plaintively, desperately, over and over. 

“Wen Ning.” Yinzhu informed Yu ZiYuan as she strode into the audience chamber.

Yes. Yu ZiYuan could see the family resemblance. It was in the eyes.

Unlike his sister, however, Wen Ning’s posture spoke quite clearly of fear.

“Please...jiejie...Wen Xu…Yiling...please help…”

“Is he mad?”

Yin Ju shook her head, “exhausted. Slightly feverish. But he wouldn’t take anything until he’s seen Wei WuXian.”

Wei WuXian?

“Wen Ning?”

“Wei gongzi!” A Wen should not be so relieved at seeing someone who should be their enemy. “Please! Please help! They have jiejie...Wen Xu...he said...he said he knew it was her. That it was her fault that Wen Chao had died, that...that she was the traitor...oh but it’s not! It’s not Jiejie’s fault! I begged her to warn you! It should be me...it should be me they’re hurting!”

“Wen Ning. Where is she?”

“Yiling still. I hope. I...I was coming back from hunting some wild pheasants. It will be jiejie’s birthday soon and...and I wanted to make her something special...the gates...they were open. I recognized the guards they had posted. I hid. I waited until it was night...I saw...I saw how they had her chained to a post. They were whipping her. They drenched her in salt water...they…”

He was crying, great, ugly sobs, “please help her. Wei gongzi...please…”

“Of course Wen Ning. Of course.”

“I’m so useless. I was going to drug them. I was going to...I was going to put something in the wine. But I...I tripped and...they saw me and...I...I ran. I shouldn’t have left her. They’ll...they’ll be even more harsh, even more cruel…they might even…”

Wei WuXian wrapped an arm around the shaking boy. “I’ll bring her back. Safe. Alive. I promise you, Wen Ning.”

“It’s all my fault…”

Wei WuXian shook his head, “no Wen Ning. You did the right thing. You probably saved my life, saved all our lives.”

“Please. Wei gongzi...I can’t...I can’t lose jiejie…”

“I promise.”

Yu ZiYuan should put a stop to such nonsense. Wei WuXian was not at liberty to make such a promise. Nor did he have the means to keep such a promise. Not anymore. Not really. Oh, he wasn’t defenseless, but…

“Wen gongzi?”

A-Li. 

Her daughter took in the scene and immediately snapped into protective mode.

“Wen gongzi. Come. You need to rest.”

Wen Ning sniffled as he let Wei WuXian help him to his feet. He wavered a little on his feet but still he bowed, “Jiang guniang.”

So courteous. So polite.

“Come now. There’s some soup, if you’re hungry.”

Wen Ning’s lips quivered, “I...I can’t eat…not when jiejie…”

“It’s precisely for your jiejie that you must take good care of yourself. Once A-Xian brings her back, she’ll want to see that you’re well, won’t she? She’ll need to see that you’re well.”

“I…”

Smoothly, A-Li took Wei WuXian’s place, her arm now wrapped around the heartbroken boy. It looked...awkward. For all his delicate appearing features, Wen Ning was rather tall.

A-Li and Wei WuXian exchanged slight nods as she gently guided Wen Ning towards the kitchens.

“Besides archery, what else do you like, Wen Ning?” Yu ZiYuan heard her ask quietly, soothingly.

“I like to cook.” The boy admitted shyly.

“Really? Me too! What do you like to make?”

The soft murmurs of their voices faded away.

“Madam Yu…”

“So you do still remember that I’m in command while A-Cheng’s away.” She hadn’t meant to speak so harshly. But it really was a force of habit.

“Please, Madam Yu. She’s the reason we were able to prepare. The reason that…”

“And you’re the reason we needed such a warning in the first place!”

Wei WuXian stared at his feet, “I know.”

He looked up, “she did the right thing. The honorable thing. She should not be punished for it.”

“She betrayed her own Sect.”

“Madam Yu...please…”

“We do not have the manpower to spare.”

“Then just let me go. Just me.”

“ You ?” She didn’t mean to sound so disparaging either. 

His grip tightened around the hilt of the sword. “I...I’ll ask Wen Ning for whatever he was going to slip into their wine. I’ll be stealthy. I’ll…”

“You would risk your life for…for a Wen ?!”

“I owe her. We owe her. Besides, she is more than her last name.”

Yu ZiYuan felt like she had been slapped. Hadn’t Jiang FengMian said something similar? No wonder. No wonder so many people speculated that Wei WuXian was his child. 

But Wei WiXian had also just unknowingly given Yu ZiYuan an explanation for another question. One she would never ask.

He wasn’t the ungrateful brat she had always assumed him to be. 

Well. She had always known he wasn’t. Had just pushed that knowledge away as surely, as cruelly, as she had pushed her husband away. 

“Fine. But just you. I am not wasting valuable lives or resources on a Wen , even if she had warned us.”

Wei WuXian’s shoulders slumped. 

Ah. She hadn’t meant to imply that he wasn’t valuable in her eyes. Even if it was his own fault for inferring such meaning from her words. A part of her knew though, that she had never given him cause to assume anything else. 

“Thank you, Madam Yu.”

“You’d better come back.” 

His eyes snapped to hers, looking so...confused, vulnerable. 

The foolish boy. 

She glared at him, “with or without her. I don’t care. But I will not be the one to tell A-Cheng that I’ve somehow lost his Head Disciple.”

He blinked. “Yes, Madam Yu.”

She scoffed before turning on her heels. She had better things to do than indulging the boy in his heroics.

Even if a part of her understood that she was running away from the tentative hope she had seen in his eyes.

She was not kind. Nor forgiving. She was not generous as Jiang FengMian had been.

She just needed all the fighters she could get. That was all.

“Burns. From fire and from whips. Fractured femur. Most of her fingers too. Three broken ribs. A punctured lung. Liver laceration…” A-Li continued to list Wen guniang’s injuries to a frowning A-Cheng. Her voice trembled slightly, but her tone was professional. Clinical. Such words, such terminology...her daughter had grown much too familiar with them. 

Her hands remained soft. Gentle. But they have now touched blood as well. 

War had wrought many changes. Would likely bring more. 

“Has she woken?”

A-Li shook her head. “Healer Li thought it best to keep her asleep for now. She said...she said that it’s a blessing she had already lost consciousness. That...that the pain alone would be...would be enough to break her mind had she remained aware. As it is…”

A-Cheng’s frown deepened, “prognosis?”

“Healer Li said...her will to live must be very strong.”

A-Cheng looked at the figure in the bed. Wrapped up in bandages as Wen guniang was...she was just a vaguely human-shaped blob. “Wen Ning?”

“Helping make medicines. Healer Li says he’s been taught very well. He even knows some variations that will hasten Wen guniang’s recovery. Healer Li seemed delighted when she asked him about them.”

“She taught him, didn’t she?”

“Most likely.

A-Cheng just continued to stare.

“A-Cheng.” A-Li held his hand gently.

“She should not have had to pay such a price for...for helping us.” His voice sounded odd.

“Wen guniang is strong. She’ll survive.”

“I want her to do more than survive.”

“Oh, A-Cheng.” She wrapped him up into her arms. 

Her son took a deep breath. “A-jie. Look after her...please?”

“Of course.”

He stepped out of her embrace. “ChiFengZun has given me the task of holding YunMeng and subduing Yiling. I...I need to go discuss the matter with Wei WuXian. The terrain there is...challenging.”

“Of course.” A-Li repeated. 

He nodded, though his eyes remained trained on the bed.

“Any change, you’ll be notified.”

He took another deep breath. “Thank you.”

Yu ZiYuan waited until he was gone before making her presence known.

“A-Li.”

Her daughter looked up from straightening the tray of different salves and medicines. “Mother.”

“They were at Cloud Recesses too, weren’t they?”

A-Li nodded. “Wen guniang had helped me with a dizziness spell. They had also gone on the nighthunt at Biling Lake. A-Xian prevented Wen Ning from being sucked into the whirlpool that the Waterborne Abyss had made. Wen guniang helped treat A-Cheng’s leg wound.”

Ah. 

“Her injuries…”

“She...she was not...was not violated.”

Yu ZiYuan nodded. Good. 

“A-Xian said...they were going to dump her body in the Burial Mounds. He...he tracked them, followed them...he had feared that...that he’d break his promise to Wen Ning. Fortunately, they left her just within the borders; even they did not dare venture further. As it was...he worried that he’d just make her injuries worse. But he also said...her pulse had been so faint, he couldn’t be sure he hadn’t imagined it, and so made his way back with all haste.”

“What do you know of her?”

“She’s brave. Strong.” A-Li answered readily, “Dedicated to her brother. Smart. Skilled. Confident.”

All valuable attributes. She was also...pretty enough.

But still....a Wen . 

“Wen Ning said...she had always taught him...they’re healers, from a long line of healers. Whatever the actions of the main branch, Dafan Wen was different.”

“Your father had offered them shelter.”

“A-Cheng will do the same.”

Yes. He will. And not just to honor his father. 

“She should not wear red anymore. Neither of them should. Leastwise, not while the war is ongoing.” 

“Mother?”

“You’ll see to it?”

A-Li blinked, then looked thoughtful before nodding. “Yes.”

Yu ZiYuan could hear them arguing even across the courtyard. Ah yes, A-Cheng did have her temper, didn’t he? And with how Wen guniang was...of course it would be even more volatile now.

She still wasn’t completely sure she quite...approved. But, well, Wen guniang had left an impression. And her brother, as shy and awkward as he tended to be, and so obviously, satisfyingly, intimidated by Yu ZiYuan...he was proving to be an useful addition to Lotus Pier. Not just in his capacity as another healer and cook but also because, as long as he didn’t let his nerves get the better of him, he really was a remarkable marksman. She wondered how he would feel if she asked him to kill other Wens though. The poor boy looked like he’d never harmed even a fly in his entire life. 

“No.”

“Jiang Cheng. Listen to me. We don’t have the manpower to hold YunMeng and attack Yiling. But if you let me…”

“No!”

“Jiang Cheng!”

“Don’t you remember how Master Lan reacted when you had even suggested the idea?! It’s...it’s the crooked path. It’s the path Wen Ruohan has walked. It’s the reason we’re fighting this damned war!”

“It’d be different!”

“How?!”

“I’m not doing it to conquer the world! I’m doing it so that things can go back to how they used to be!”

“Things will never go back to how they used to be. Father is dead .”

Silence.

Then. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“Shut up.”

A sigh. “Jiang Cheng…”

“You don’t even know for sure that…”

“I have to try. What else have I got to lose?”

“Your mind.”

“Ah. You’ve always thought I was crazy anyways.”

Yu ZiYuan stepped through the doorway, “Wei WuXian! What idiotic plan have you come up with now?!”

They both turned and looked at her.

“Well?” She demanded.

They traded a look. 

“He wants to harness resentful energy.” A-Cheng stated, his voice tight.

Harness…

“When I found Wen Qing...when I stepped into the Burial Mounds...I could...I could feel the power there. I could...I could hear the voices. They...they wanted to teach me.”

“What nonsense are you…”

Wei WuXian put the sword on the desk, on top of the map of Yiling. “This sword. It’s not just a sword. I think...I think it’s the last piece.”

“Last piece of what?” Even as she asked, however, Yu ZiYuan had a sneaking suspicion she already knew the answer.

“The last piece of Yin Iron,” Wei WuXian stated anyways.

They all stared at it.

“It’s been...it’s been talking to me too.” Wei WuXian’s voice was quiet, subdued. “Back in the XuanWu Cave...I could just hear screams. In Lotus Pier, even during the battle, it had stayed quiet. But afterwards...I really did think I was going crazy. That the loss of my Core had also caused me to lose my mind. But...but I really think that…”

“Why haven’t you said anything?” A-Cheng sounded equal parts horrified and fascinated. 

“ I didn’t even believe they were real. Not until…” 

“The Burial Mounds.” A-Cheng said, his voice just as quiet. 

“Yes. It was brief, I knew I had to get her back here as fast as I could, but…I don’t know how to explain it, but I just know it’s real.”

“You can’t.”

Oh A-Cheng. He should know better. Wei WuXian had never liked being told he couldn’t do something. 

“It would help accomplish the task ChiFengZun gave you. More than that, if I succeed, it could end the war.”

“You don’t know that.” A-Cheng sounded snappish again.

“Well, have you got any better ideas?!”

More silence. Then. “And if you fail?”

“Why must you be so negative?”

“Wei WuXian…” A-Cheng looked angry, but his voice just held wariness now. 

“I have to do something . I’m...I’m not use for much else. Otherwise.”

“Self pity does not become you.” Yu ZiYuan said sharply.

They both looked at her again, as though they had forgotten she was present.

“Wipe that look off your face,” she scolded, “you are Head Disciple of YunMeng Jiang. We have succeeded where others have failed. Even the Nies and Lans have had to abandon their homes. We are still here. Will remain here. Where is your pride in belonging to such a Sect?”

There was that same confused, vulnerable, and hopeful look in his eyes. She did not have the patience for it.

“Sit down. Both of you.” She waited until they had both joined her at the table. “Now. Wei WuXian. Explain. This matter is too serious for you to treat it like another of your half formed ideas or harebrained plots. What do you plan to do and how do you plan to do it?”

“Mother, you can’t seriously be considering…” A-Cheng started to protest.

“I don’t know what I’m considering.” She interrupted him. “Not until he explains . Properly.”

Wei WuXian took a deep breath. Then he did. 

It was obvious that he had been thinking on the matter for quite a while. It also revealed, once more, that his mind truly worked in strangely brilliant ways. Everything he said was...unorthodox. Dangerous. Unprecedented. But also...innovative. Creative. Daring. 

“And what safeguards would there be?” She asked. 

“Safeguards?”

“What’s to keep you from losing control and destroying us all?” What’s to keep him from destroying himself? Because Yu ZiYuan thought she was finally beginning to understand this annoyingly self-sacrificial boy. No. This annoying self-sacrificial young man. 

“Um…”

She fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. So young and naive still. “Think on it. When you can give me a proper answer, we’ll discuss it again.”

Even if she already had an idea of what, or rather, who, could help. 

“When?” Wei WuXian looked surprised that she wasn’t dismissing him altogether.

She stood and smoothed her skirts, “When.”

“Mother…”

She looked at her son, “we have a war to win. I am willing to use any reasonable measure to do it.”

“Reasonable...Mother…”

“Of course,” she added, “ you are Sect Leader now. The final decision will have to be yours.”

“Jiang Cheng…” Wei WuXian looked so hopeful.

Jiang Cheng looked between them and scowled, “I never thought I’d say this, but...I don’t like it when the two of your actually agree on something.”

She did not bother to hide her scoff. Such nonsense.

“Safeguards.” Jiang Cheng said to Wei WuXian. “Think of safeguards. And if I don’t like them, if I don’t think they’d be enough…”

Wei WuXian’s eyes gleamed and he seemed almost...gleeful...to be faced with such a challenge. “Yes. Sect Leader.”

“Mother, how did you know she’d agree?”

Yu ZiYuan turned away from the sight of Wen guniang placing another needle into Wei WuXian’s meridians to answer her daughter’s question. “She does not like to owe debts.”

There was a stubborn pride in the girl that Yu ZiYuan found herself liking. 

“And she is a safeguard A-Cheng would find difficult to fault with.”

“Quite.”

A-Li smiled, her eyes radiating warmth and merriment. An expression that had become much too infrequent since the start of this nasty war.

Well, if Yu ZiYuan was truly honest with herself...A-Li had not looked so openly content in her company since…

No. She had most definitely not been a good mother. 

“Her own healing?”

“Steady.” A-Li answered. “She’s getting restless from inactivity; Healer Li still won’t let her walk about for more than two hours a day. So it’s been very helpful for her to research more ways to help A-Xian.”

Yu ZiYuan nodded. Being useful was probably what had allowed her to survive in Nightless City for so long. 

“I leave him in capable hands then.”

A-Li smiled again.

“How are our supplies holding?”

“Well. The rice harvest has not been too badly affected. Wen Ning’s vegetable garden is also flourishing. The littlest shidis are great helpers. And he’s so very good with them.”

“It keeps them out of trouble.” A compromise she had made with A-Li, to spare the youngest ones. They had enough nightmares already from the attack on Lotus Pier. 

“He says they remind him of his little cousin, A-Yuan.”

“A-Cheng is keeping an eye out for her relatives. I understand he’s also been in contact with Nie HuaiSang.”

A-Li nodded. “The three of them had been almost inseparable back in Cloud Recesses. And Nie gongzi had also been in Mount Dafan for that particular adventure, so he’s also actually seen what her relatives look like.” 

“You did well to remind him. The Nies can be valuable allies.”

“They were friends .” A-Li emphasized. 

Oh A-Li.

“I hear Jin ZiXuan has acquitted himself well in battle thus far.”

A-Li’s smile dissipated. “Jin gongzi...Jin gongzi...he...he has not been...has never been...kind.”

She looked so heartbroken, so disillusioned, so…

No man should ever hold such power over her daughter. 

“Then it is well for you to be rid of him.”

“Mother?” A-Li looked so confused.

Oh A-Li. 

“You are a Jiang. And a Yu. Proud lineages on both sides. You have no business tolerating insult or belittlement.” And with a father like that …

Her best friend could be trusted to raise a better son, but…

“Your father had never really approved.”

Jiang FengMian had wanted their children to find love , to be happy . 

Yu ZiYuan was far more practical. Still...her daughter deserved...kindness. Respect. Yes. As Jiang FengMian had been kind to her. 

A-Li hugged her. 

“You silly child…you are Maiden Jiang of Lotus Pier. You should not settle for any but the very best.”

Wei WuXian was late. He’d get to spend time in the Burial Mounds, but only a week at a time. That was the arrangement. A-Li packed him a knapsack of supplies and provisions each time before he left, Wen Qing assessed and treated him each time he returned. Anytime either of them noticed something amiss, he’d stop. 

He had yet to miss the scheduled meetup. Until now. 

The sun was about to set. And still, no sign of the boy. 

“Where is he?” A-Li fretted, hands wringing. 

Wen Qing’s lips were pressed into thin lines. Yu ZiYuan did not have to look to know she was rubbing her silver needles between her fingers. 

And then…

“There!” Wen Ning pointed. 

Yu ZiYuan squinted. Yes. A dark blob making its way carefully but steadily towards shore. The lake looked placid but it hid such nasty surprises for anyone not in the know. Wei WuXian, who had devised most of the obstacles, was most familiar with them.

Wei WuXian stepped onto shore. “A breakthrough!”

He lifted something into the air. “Finally!’

They all looked. It was…

“A dizi.” Yu ZiYuan said in disbelief. The boy had them all so worried for a dizi of all things?!

“Not just a dizi,” Wei WuXian’s eyes sparkled with triumph. “ChenQing. It’s the perfect channel, it can…Ow!”

Wen Qing ignored him and just punched him in the middle of his back a second time.

Wei WuXian coughed and dark looking blood spattered onto the dock. “Wen Qing! Are you trying to kill me?!”

She glared at him even as she felt his pulse again, “You don’t need me to do that. You’re doing a perfectly good job of it on your own already.”

Oh yes, Yu ZiYuan decided, she could grow to like this girl.

“A-Xian…” 

Wei WuXian looked ashamed, “Shijie...I’m sorry. I know I’m late but…”

“Move.” Yu ZiYuan interrupted him, “I need to double check the wards.”

Wei WuXian actually obeyed.

“There’s soup,” A-Li said.

“I’ll go warm it up.”

“Thank you, A-Ning.”

“Move.” Wen Qing also said, “I need to assess you properly.”

Yu ZiYuan listened as their footsteps faded. It really didn’t take that long to check the wards, keyed as they were to the YunMeng Jiang bells, but she knew her presence was unnecessary. Wei WuXian really was in excellent hands. 

She spent a moment looking across the water. The setting sun made it glow like molten gold. 

The boat bobbed on the current. She scoffed. The foolish boy. He hadn’t even tied the rope properly in his excitement.

She secured the knot. 

Her gaze caught on the small patch of blood. Making such a mess. As always. The stupid boy.

She lifted her hand and, with a push of her spiritual energy, the water rose briefly to wash over the dock. 

There. Much better.

A breakthrough, huh? She’ll have to see what he actually means. 

They called Wei WuXian the Yiling Patriarch. A ghost who played a haunting melody, who attacked in the dead of the night and left a trail of blood in his wake. The stuff of nightmares. A vigilante who punished any who had ever committed a crime. 

No one knew who he really was. Just knew that it was not good for one’s health to be a Wen in Yiling. 

Was he good? Was he evil? Who could say?

Besides, what was good and what was evil? Especially in a time of war? 

Yiling was subdued. It didn’t even need any Jiang disciples to fight to keep it. The fear of the Yiling Patriarch’s wrath was enough. 

There were more Wens in Lotus Pier. Alive ones again.

“Gugu!”

Wen Qing actually dropped the bandages she had been holding as a blur streaked across the courtyard, “A-Yuan!”’

“Gugu!”

Yu ZiYuan paused in giving instructions to a disciple about restocking their arrows. 

Wen Qing was looking at the child in her arms like she was dreaming. 

“Qing guniang.” An elderly looking lady greeted her. 

“A-Qing.” A middle aged gentleman added.

Wen Qing looked at them. She looked like she would cry. “Popo. Uncle Four.”

“I’m sorry.”

She looked at A-Cheng. “Sorry?”

“The others…”

“Wen Xu found us,” the gentleman, Uncle Four, explained sadly, “he…he told us he was bringing us to you. Instead…”

Wen Qing closed her eyes, her expression so full of despair and guilt.

“The Nies had just launched an offensive nearby though,” A-Cheng continued, his voice gentle in a way that Yu ZiYuan had not known he was capable of, “and so Wen Xu was interrupted. ChiFengZun saw that there was a child and so took them back to camp. Nie HuaiSang must have told his da ge that I’ve been looking for them.”

She opened her eyes, “Jiang gongzi…”’

“You don’t like to owe debts. I know. Don’t...don’t think that way. There is no debt. Consider it...consider it a belated birthday present.”

“My birthday was almost three months ago.”

“Yes. And you spent it in a coma . Simply because you...simply because you wanted to do the right thing.”

She shook her head, “If I had wanted to do the right thing, I would have...I should have stopped Wen Chao somehow.”

“You couldn’t have known…”

“A-Ning would have.” She said with conviction. “A-Ning would have joined you, fought alongside you.”

“You…” A-Cheng seemed to be gathering his courage, “you’re here now, aren’t you?”

She looked at the last three surviving members of her family and then back at him, “Jiang gongzi...thank you. It’s...it’s the best birthday present I have ever received.”

A-Cheng was most definitely blushing, “good...I mean…”

She smiled at him, causing him to look even more flustered. 

Hmmm.

Yu ZiYuan turned back to the disciple, “got it?”

He startled. “Madam Yu?”

She just gave him a look. 

“Yes. Madam Yu.” He then quickly scurried off to do her bidding.

When she looked over at her son again, he was watching as A-Li led Wen Qing and her family towards quarters that had been prepared for them. Wen Qing was still holding A-Yuan in her arms. And the expression on her son’s face…the longing, the affection, written on there was clear as day.

He may be like her in so many ways, but A-Cheng was also his father’s son. 

She walked towards him. “A-Cheng.”

He startled too. “Mother.”

“I believe I’ve taught you better.”

“Mother?”

“You should be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Mother.” 

“Such a slip could have led to your death had we been in a battle.”

“I know.” He repeated. “I won’t make the mistake again.”

“See that you don’t.”

He nodded.

“Now. What news of the war on other fronts?”

The next day, Wei WuXian returned from what would be his last trip to the Burial Mounds. He no longer had the old sword at his hip. ChenQing, its tassel red as blood, had that honor now.

Instead, he showed them something else.

The Stygian Tiger Seal. 

Yu ZiYuan could feel the Yin energy radiating from it. Because she knew that was what it was now. She had felt it from the sword, but now...now it seemed much more concentrated. 

Wen Qing looked at it warily. “You shouldn’t carry it with you too much. It’s…” She seemed to struggle for the right word before finally deciding on, “greedy.”

Greedy?

“That’s why it’s in two halves,” Wei WuXian explained. “To decrease the effects somewhat.”

“What effects?” A-Cheng looked at Wei WuXian with narrowed eyes.

“Oh. You’ve been practicing. But I must tell you, that look is still more intimidating on Madam Yu.”

Yu ZiYuan glared at him. “Get on with it.”

“Ah. Jiang Cheng, I hope you’re paying attention. Now that is a proper glare.”

Yu ZiYuan made Zidian sparkle. A silent warning. 

Wei WuXian immediately grew serious again. “Right. Effects. It...it tends to soak up ambient resentful energy when it’s whole. And when it can’t find much...it…”

“Like the dancing statue,” Wen Qing said, her voice tired. 

Wei WuXian blinked. “Huh?”

Wen Ning backed away from the table, his stool falling to the floor with a clatter. “I can feel it.”

“A-Ning?” Wen Qing immediately moved so as to stand between the Seal and her brother. 

“It’s...jiejie’s right.” He was trembling like a leaf, “It’s...greedy. It wants...it wants...it just wants.”

And that was when it was in two halves? What in the world would it be like when it was whole?

“A-Ning…”

“Jiejie…” Wen Ning’s eyes were so wide, terrified.

“A-Ning.” A-Li had stood from her seat as well, “why don’t we go see to supper?”

Wen Ning nodded. “Yes…” He cast one last look at the Seal. Swallowed. “That might be best.”

The door closed softly behind them.

“Wen Qing...I’ve never asked, but...just what happened to Wen Ning?”

Wen Qing sat down again, looking world weary, “That statue...it’s where Wen Ruohan got the first Yin Iron fragment. We hadn’t known why he had gathered all of us there. We thought he wanted to pay honor to it. It was a holy site, after all. Had been, for as long as there had been Wens in Mount Dafan. Instead...when he took it, the statue...it got...angry. Hungry. It...it began to grab at living people. I had six uncles and as many aunts. And so many cousins. They all...Uncle Four had been in the next village over, to help set someone’s fractured leg, it was the only reason he hadn’t been there. And popo had been helping deliver a child on the other side of the mountain. Father...father gave his life so that...so that I could grab A-Ning. But not before the statue...it was almost as though A-Ning stood frozen. As though...as though his soul wasn’t his own. I’ve...I’ve been trying to find a cure ever since. I have yet to succeed.”

Silence fell. 

What had A-Li said of Wen Qing? Brave. Strong. Dedicated to her brother. How very true. 

“Wen Ruohan managed to subdue it. But not before…” Her hands fisted, “he told me I owed him a debt. That without him...without him, all of us would have perished. Even then...even then I knew what he really meant. It was...it was a warning. A threat. If I didn’t...if I didn’t obey, if I didn’t keep my silence…”

No wonder. No wonder her aversion to debts. And...in the end, Wen Ruohan had followed through, hadn’t he? 

A-Cheng was frowning. He must have come to the same conclusion.

Wen Qing let out a breath, stared right at Wei WuXian, “what you’ve made…”

“It’s necessary.”

Her mouth twisted unhappily. 

“Promise me,” she said, eyes desperate in a way Yu ZiYuan had seen once before in her brother, “promise me that once this war ends, you’ll destroy it. Otherwise...otherwise it won’t just destroy you but...but everything and everyone you care about.”

Wei WuXian looked at his creation, then back at her, “I promise.”

A-Cheng and Wei WuXian, along with a large number of Jiang disciples, would depart for the Unclean Realm in the morning. The final assault on QiShan was near at hand. 

Wen Qing was going with them. Mostly to keep an eye on Wei WuXian. She took her role as his healer very seriously. Yu ZiYuan would stay in Lotus Pier. The world had been reclaimed, but there could still be Wen soldiers and forces in hiding who were just waiting for them to let down their guard. 

For tonight though, after she had settled her brother, who had retired early, Wen Qing spent as much time with her family as possible. Reading a bedtime story to little A-Yuan, who was such a happy child despite all the sorrows and horrors of his youth, playing chess with her Uncle Four, who was likewise of a jovial nature despite all the traumas of his life, and just sitting and chatting with her popo, whose weathered cheeks belied a gentle soul. 

Yu ZiYuan watched her. First impressions may not always be accurate, but this young lady, who had also suffered so much and somehow survived with her dignity and her spirit intact...this young lady definitely was at least an equal to the Sect Leader of YunMeng Jiang. 

It would also be politically sound. With the primary heirs of QiShan Wen both now dead…

There would be a shift of power once the dust settled. She would ensure that it swung in favor of Lotus Pier. 

“Wen guniang.”

Wen Qing set down the book she had been reading and stood respectfully, “Madam Yu.”

“Please. Sit.”

There was a slightest of creases between Wen Qing’s brows. 

Ah yes. Yu ZiYuan was usually much more direct.

“Would you care for some tea, Madam Yu?” Wen Qing broke the silence first. Polite. As she had taught her brother to be. 

“No.”

Wen Qing’s hands settled on the table, one on top of the other. Primly. But also...to show that she wasn’t a threat.

Clever girl.

Yu ZiYuan made a subtle gesture with her own hand. Jinzhu entered, bearing a tray with a folded gown on it. Yinzhu stood next to her, a similar tray in her hand, this one bearing jewelry.

Wen Qing looked at them and then back at Yu ZiYuan. “Madam Yu…”

“They are too fine to be worn into a warzone, that is true. But there will no doubt be a banquet to celebrate the victory at the end. And it will end in victory. Just not for QiShan Wen.”

And yet, the gown was red. 

“What are your plans, Wen guniang? For after the war?”

“Mount Dafan is still my homeland. I still have a duty to continue the legacy of my forebears.”

“To be a healer?”

“Yes.”

“Must you do that in Mount Dafan?”

“I cannot take further advantage of YunMeng Jiang’s generosity.”

“Advantage?”

“I...I have not a single penny to my name. This room, this book, the very clothing on my body…”

“You do not like to owe debts.”

Wen Qing’s expression was carefully blank. 

“I recall my son saying that you ought not to think of it as such.”

To her credit, Wen Qing’s composure did not crack.

“I do not think he meant it just with regards to your relatives.”

Wen Qing’s lips parted a little, but Yu ZiYuan did not give her an opportunity to speak.

“You’re right. You do not currently have a single penny to your name. Your own Sect sees you as a traitor. Your position is so very tenuous.”

Wen Qing did not flinch, just held herself so very still.

“As Wen Qing of Mount Dafan, you have nothing.”

Still, Wen Qing continued to hold her gaze.

“But as Wen Qing of Qishan, of Nightless City...the once favored niece of Wen Ruohan, the one he entrusted to represent his Sect in Cloud Recesses, in the company of other young heirs...the only high ranking Wen to survive this war…”

Wen Qing blinked. 

“You could have enough wealth and resources to own the world should you wish it.”

“I don’t.”

Yu ZiYuan lifted an eyebrow, “oh?”

“The means by which such wealth has been amassed…we of Mount Dafan are taught to help, never to harm.”

“Foolish girl. Such wealth could give you much power. Just look at LanLing Jin.”

Wen Qing blinked again. “You think that…”

Oh yes. Smart indeed. How delightful. 

“Am I wrong?”

The crease between her brows was more obvious now.

“QiShan Wen will fall. LanLing Jin could rise in its place. Or…”

“Or…” The crease smoothed. “the advantage to MeiShan Yu would be great.”

Yu ZiYuan smiled, making sure to show teeth, “indeed.”

“Is Jiang gongzi aware?”

“No. Not yet.”

Wen Qing sighed a little, “Madam Yu, with all due respect, I...Jiang gongzi has been most kind. I would wish that...I would wish for him to know true, simple happiness. The burdens I have borne, the baggage that I carry…”

“He is not indifferent to you.”

Wen Qing finally broke her gaze.

“Nor are you indifferent to him.”

Wen Qing’s fingers curled, almost unnoticeably. 

“More importantly, he respects you, values your skills. There are worse foundations on which to build a marriage.”

“I…”

Yu ZiYuan could call on her to repay her debt. And Wen Qing would do it. But…

“Besides...do you not also deserve happiness?”

Wen Qing looked up, her surprise obvious.

Yu ZiYuan stood. Her maids set their trays on the table. 

“Wen guniang. I hope you have a safe trip. Keep my son and Wei WuXian out of trouble. Such as you are able. A-Li and I shall see you at the victory banquet.”

Yu ZiYuan swept through the halls of Nightless City, uncaring of the looks sent her way. Jinzhu would take care of any threats anyways. 

She pushed open the door impatiently. 

“Mother.”

“A-Cheng.”

Her eyes looked him over, checking for signs of injury. There was a bandage around his arm.

“Wen Qing fixed it. No fracture, but it bruised nastily.”

Wen Qing. Not Wen guniang. Hmm.

“The disciples?”

“We lost two. There were balls of fire falling from the sky. They...they were turned into puppets.”

“Puppets.”

“The fire not only burned but also...a curse.”

“I see.”

“Wei WuXian was able to take control relatively quickly though. He made all of them collapse. It enabled us to sweep into the city itself. There were still guards we had to fight. But with the puppets taken out, they were drastically outnumbered. We arrived in the main entrance just in time to see the Yin Iron pieces shatter.”

“Shatter?”

A-Cheng nodded. “ChiFengZun had been captured. They were torturing him. But the distraction allowed him to overpower one of the guards, steal his sword, and deal the killing blow to Wen Ruohan.”

“I see.” Yu ZiYuan repeated.

“He killed the guards too. Despite ZeWuJun’s protests. He seemed a bit...crazed…”

Why would Lan XiChen protest? 

“Wen Qing assessed him, said his qi was a bit tenuous. She told Nie HuaiSang to make sure that Baxia was kept in a separate room.”

“It’s over then?”

A-Cheng nodded, “Yes, Mother. Wei WuXian had destroyed the Seal. Somehow, its destruction also led to the other pieces shattering.”

“Where is he?”

A-Cheng turned.

Yu ZiYuan mirrored him. 

She had also made a rookie mistake and had not been completely aware of her environment.

There was a young man sitting behind a guqin. A Lan from the looks of things. Watching her solemnly, carefully, cautiously. 

A-Cheng nodded at him. So they were acquainted. 

“The resulting power backlash caused him to collapse. He had been on the roof. HanGuangJun caught him. Otherwise...Wen Qing said he would have fractured his neck at the very least.”

HanGuangJun. Lan Wangji. Second Young Master Lan. 

“Madam Yu.” His bow was impeccable, even if his eyes appeared guarded.

Why? 

Yu ZiYuan did not acknowledge him but rather stepped closer to the bed. Wei WuXian looked much too pale. 

“He’s really made it a habit to end up as an invalid after each adventure, hasn’t he?” Yu ZiYuan commented dryly.

“Wen Qing says there’s still lingering resentment. But it is fading. HanGuangJun has been playing Songs of Clarity to help.”

“Where is she?”

“Examining ChiFengZun. Nie HuaiSang says he doesn’t trust anyone else. And that she’s the best healer there is anyways.” 

He sounded so proud. 

“Particularly in matters related to resentful energy.” He added, eyes trained on Wei WuXian.

Footsteps and then… “A-Cheng.”

A-Cheng turned, “A-jie.”

A-Li hugged her brother, “Oh A-Cheng! I know A-Qing would make sure you stayed well, but...I still worried!”

A-Cheng hugged his sister back, his posture relaxing a little at last, “A-jie…”

They parted. A-Li turned, “A-Xian?”

“Should wake soon. Maybe even as early as tomorrow.”

They turned. 

“A-Qing.” A-Li hugged her friend as well.

Wen Qing looked tired, but she inclined her head at Yu ZiYuan respectfully still. “Madam Yu.”

“Tomorrow, you say?”

Wen Qing sat on the side of the bed and briskly assessed her patient. “Maybe even this evening. He’s always been a bit of an overachiever.”

Yu ZiYuan snorted.

Wen Qing smiled. 

The sound of a guqin filled the room once more. 

Yu ZiYuan turned towards the Lan boy. Hmm.

“A-Li?”

“Yes, Mother?”

“Are Lan Wangji and Wei WuXian also...friends?” The word felt very strange to say.

“Ah.”

“A-Li?”

“I don’t know if friend is quite the right term.”

“Oh?”

A-Li looked distinctively amused. “A-Xian broke a lot of rules while we were in Cloud Recesses. Master Lan had Lan er gongzi oversee most of his punishments. A-Xian seemed to delight in provoking Lan er gongzi.”

“Really?”

“But they seemed to have sorted out their differences now.”

Yu ZiYuan thought of how even after Wei WuXian woke, Lan Wangji has continued to visit daily to play the Songs of Clarity. And miraculously, Wei WuXian actually sat quietly to listen, even meditated. 

“The Lans can be valuable allies too.” Her daughter said softly. 

Yu ZiYuan felt her eyebrows rise. 

A-Li just turned towards her and grinned widely. Warmly. Happily. 

“I see.” 

Lan QiRen, the stuffy old goat, was absolutely going to hate it. It was almost enough to make Yu ZiYuan smile.

The door in front of them opened. 

Wen Qing was a vision in red. It really was her color. The golden hairpins in her hair, however, were in the shape of nine-petalled lotus blossoms rather than flames. 

There was a choking noise from behind them. 

A-Cheng didn’t seem to notice that she and A-Li were even present.

Wei WuXian actually gave a long whistle. 

“Acceptable for the banquet then?” Wen Qing asked calmly.

“More than acceptable.” A-Li reassured her.

Yu ZiYuan really did smile this time. 

Wen Qing saw and inclined her head in acknowledgement.

A-Cheng seemed to have regained control of himself at last and offered his arm gallantly, “Wen guniang, if I may have the honor…”

“Sect Leader Jiang, you may.”

There was one more battle to fight. 

LanLing Jin was nominally the host for this banquet. Yu ZiYuan made sure to keep tight reins on her temper. Even though the temptation was great to whip that smarmy smile off of Jin GuangShan’s face. Appearances still had to be kept. For now anyways. 

“Ah, Sect Leader Jiang! And who is this lovely creature?”

Oh yes, the temptation was great indeed.

“Lady Wen, the last remaining heir to QiShan Wen.” A-Cheng told him with a frostiness that made Yu ZiYuan so very proud, “and my betrothed.”

“Is that so?”

Before A-Cheng could answer, the Nies arrived. Followed closely by the Lans. 

“Jiang xiong! Congratulations! But really, shouldn’t the bride and groom match on their auspicious day?”

A-Cheng turned towards his friend gravely, “HuaiSang, that happy day is still a month away and you know it.”

Nie HuaiSang just opened his fan to hide his grin, even if his eyes sparkled like mad as he peered over the top, “counting down the days, huh?”

A-Cheng did not dignify the question with a reply. Instead, he bowed to his commanding officers with far more respect than he had shown Jin GuangShan. “ChiFengZun. ZeWuJun.”

Lan XiChen nodded at him, a mild smile on his face. 

The Nie Sect Leader still looked a little pale, but he nodded back with great gravity. “Sect Leader Jiang.”

He then turned and, startling probably most of the room, bowed towards Wen Qing, “Lady Wen. If I may show you to your proper seat?”

Wen Qing looked at A-Cheng, who released her arm and bowed himself towards her.

She gave him a nod before folding her hands in front of herself. Primly. Deceptively nonthreatening. 

She turned towards Nie Mingjue, “Do you refer to my Uncle’s throne, ChiFengZun?”

“As the current leader of QiShan Wen, is that not where you should sit?” His voice was carrying.

If people weren’t watching before, they certainly would be now. 

“A war has been fought. You are the leader for the victorious party. I should be ceding the seat to you.”

“A war has been fought, yes. But unlike your predecessor, Lady Wen, you have proven yourself to be most honorable. Qinghe Nie would more than welcome a conversation with you regarding a treaty that would benefit both our Sects.”

“As would Gusu Lan,” ZeWuJun added, still with that mild smile. 

“I am to be married soon,” Wen Qing reminded both of them. 

“Then we must, of course, include your future husband in such conversations as well.” ZeWuJun commented lightly. 

Wen Qing inclined her head, “For tonight, though, the seat really should be yours, ChiFengZun. I insist.”

“No. Lady Wen. I insist.”

“We seem to find ourselves at an impasse,” Wen Qing commented dryly. She looked at the throne before straightening her shoulders. “I believe I can think of a solution.”

She walked across the chamber, likely fully aware of the eyes on her, and stuck a piece of yellow talisman paper on the back of the seat. 

As she calmly walked back towards them, the paper seemed to dissolve before the throne truly glowed red. It pulsed ominously for a bit and then...it exploded in a rather spectacular manner. 

“I may be the current leader of QiShan Wen,” Wen Qing said, her own voice carrying in the silence that followed, “but I have no wish to sit in the seat of a tyrant.”

And now, no one would, because no one could . 

Yu ZiYuan, seeing the sour look on Jin GuangShan’s face, allowed herself a small smirk. 

Go back to your wines and whores, she thought vindictively. It’s all you’re fit for. 

The idiot still tried to reinstate the engagement between his son and her daughter.

“Jiang guniang, it was your father’s dearest wish that…”

“It most certainly was not.” Yu ZiYuan interrupted him as she stood regally. “My husband wanted a partner for our daughter who would treat her with nothing but respect. A task at which your son has failed spectacularly. Once I explain that he was at fault for the broken engagement in the first place, your wife will surely agree that any attempts to revive it would not only be foolish but also offensive. The fact that my daughter has not insisted on a public apology is a testament to her good manners. She may be forgiving, but YunMeng Jiang will assuredly not forget the insults that have been made.”

“Madam Yu…”

Yu ZiYuan glared at him. How dare he try to placate her. “ We know about honor and commitment. Things about which LanLing Jin has shown precious little knowledge.” 

“Sect Leader Jin,” A-Cheng’s tone was far more polite than hers had been, but there was still an undercurrent of steel, “Father would have given A-jie the power of choice. It is a wish I will honor in his memory. I only pray that one day she will find someone who is truly worthy of her.”

“Yes. Your father had always been most indulgent to all his children.” Jin GuangShan replied nastily.

Yu ZiYuan really, really wanted to hit him. “My husband had always been most generous. To all children, not just his own. Indeed, he considered all his disciples to be his children. Which is far more than you can claim, isn’t it? Tell me, do you even know where all your children are ? Or even how many of them there are?”

Jin GuangShan’s eyes narrowed.

Yu ZiYuan just glared, fully aware that Zidian was lit up, ready to attack with a thought. How her best friend had refrained from ending his life all these years she didn’t know. Not that his younger brother would have been any better should he have inherited. Just look at Jin ZiXun! No better than Wen Chao and with far less skill. 

“Madam Yu. Sect Leader Jiang.”

Yu ZiYuan turned her glare on the Jin heir. He visibly swallowed. Good. He was most definitely not deserving of her precious daughter.

“I...I do apologize. I...I have been discourteous. LanLing Jin and YunMeng Jiang have always been allies. I would not wish for my poor behavior to ruin such a longstanding friendship.”

Friendship. Ha! 

“It’s not really either of them who you have personally offended.” Wei WuXian commented, in an almost sing-songy voice.

“A-Xian.” Yu ZiYuan heard A-Li scold him quietly. But she also saw Wen Qing give him a sideways look of approval. Oh yes. She was going to be a most excellent addition to YunMeng Jiang. 

“Maiden Jiang.” 

A-Li stilled at being addressed so directly.

Jin ZiXuan bowed deeply, “I...I’m sorry. I...I really am.”

A-Li stood, as graceful as the willows on the river banks of Lotus Pier. “Jin gongzi. I forgave you a long time ago.” Her voice was as gentle as the calmest waters in YunMeng, her smile as mild as the morning mist that caressed the Lotus Lake, “But as Mother says, what is forgiven is not always forgotten.”

Jin ZiXuan actually looked crestfallen. 

Oh? 

Such a foolish, foolish boy. She really ought to speak to her best friend. A coup would have been political suicide while the child had been young, but now...Jin ZiXuan had actually fought in this war and had acquitted himself rather well. He would also not be completely untrainable. Particularly when given the proper motivation. And Jin GuangShan was sure to have plenty of skeletons in his closet that would pave the way for his own downfall. Oh yes. She really must speak to her best friend. 

A-Li looked away from him to address the whole room, “Today is meant to be an occasion of celebration. But we should also not forget all those who have fallen to make such a day possible. My father among them.” She paused, her lingering grief obvious. Nonetheless, she lifted her glass and it did not shake, “may their sacrifice not be in vain.”

Yu ZiYuan had always been a proud woman. Proud of her lineage, her powers, her abilities. In that moment, though, she was proud for an even better reason. Her children were not without their own dignity and strength after all. 

There were Wens in Lotus Pier. Will always be Wens in Lotus Pier. Indeed, her own grandchildren will be part Wen. 

But just as the sun was eternal, so the Wen bloodline was probably always meant to survive. 

They were an old Sect, indeed, the oldest Sect in the world. Despite the decay of later generations, the roots remained deep and strong. And, under Wen Qing’s guidance, the rotten branches will be appropriately pruned. She was a healer and thus no stranger to necessary amputations. In time, even QiShan Wen will once more stand in the light and shine again with nobility and brilliance. 

Yu ZiYuan was not a Wen, even if she could be just as prideful, as arrogant, as ruthless. A comparison no one, not even Wei WuXian, would ever dare actually voice. But Yu ZiYuan had enough self-awareness to know that the thought was not without merit. 

Was she not also feared? Made others think twice about crossing the Purple Spider?

She was not kind, nor generous, nor forgiving. 

Her words will always have the same sting and bite as a lash from Zidian. 

And yet...

As she took the cup of tea that her new daughter-in-law was serving her, as she heard the sound of her daughter’s happy laughter from a teasing comment from Wei WuXian, as she saw the soft way her son was looking at his bride, there was the feeling of... 

Had she been a boy, she could have been great, her tutors had said.

She had not been born a boy. But greatness had been within her reach nonetheless.