30. Elder

Lan Qiren shuffled into the room like an elderly rooster, his previous physical grace lost to stress and, unfortunately, Ying’er’s confrontation with him earlier.

He took a seat and looked askance at the tea accouterments, which got Yanli busily setting them out and making them tea. She channeled every lesson she had ever received as a girl in serving tea to highly distinguished members of the gentry, going slowly and meticulously through every step of the process under Lan Qiren’s judgmental gaze. Oddly enough, the scrutiny calmed her down, as it reminded her of all the years of lessons at her mother’s side. Being a proper hostess of the gentry was something Yanli could do blindfolded and drunk (as her mother had once made her do as a test).

When she had placed his cup before him, he took it and sipped the tea. She waited patiently, trying to radiate elegance and feminine serenity. He finally put the cup down, and she refilled it.

“I assumed you would be in conference with Sect Leader Nie and Young Master Lan,” she prompted gently.

“They filled me in as I walked over here.” He cleared his throat again. “I realized as I meditated on the situation with Wei Ying that perhaps my judgment was clouded by circumstances.” He did not say he was sorry, or bow in apology, but given his age and status, she did not expect him to. It was an apology nonetheless, and required one in kind.

“I apologize for Wei Ying’s impulsive nature. I assure you, his heart is pure, and he has only the most righteous intentions.” She bowed her head, deciding for the moment not to bring up the issue of Ying’er’s scalded meridians.

“He has his mother’s brand of excitability.” Lan Qiren offered as he picked up his cup again.

“He will be delighted to hear it.”

Lan Qiren snorted but then caught himself and straightened up properly again. They sipped tea in silence for a while until he took a breath, as if steeling himself.

“When news of Madam Yu’s infidelity was delivered here, I admit I was quite certain that you and your brother—ah, your youngest brother, Jiang Cheng—would have been executed along with your mother.”

He said it more forthrightly than anyone else would have dared, but Yanli found comfort in that. It was a relief to not have to tiptoe around the truth, or suffer the pity of strangers.

“Many would condemn you for hiding behind a stranger's name, but I know what it is to try to raise two strong-willed boys against a backdrop of scandal and tragedy.” His gaze went distant, and Yanli did a double take. She had heard that the late Madam Lan had died in seclusion from a long illness, but it seemed there was more to the story. She decided to let it go and bowed in acknowledgement of his words.

“At the time, I thought being thrown out and disowned was the worst fate. I have since learned that there are many worse ways to live, and even more terrible ways to die. I am grateful to the heavens that I have been able to see both of my brothers survive to become strong cultivators in their own right. I hope that you may see them as I do, and not judge them for untamed, youthful pride.”

“I have been accused of becoming intransigent in my old age, but I was thirteen when Lan Xichen was born.” He blinked slowly and picked up his tea again. “I believe the hardened shell of advanced age has yet to calcify around me,” he added drily, one eyebrow raised.

Yanli collected her wits and tried not to stare at the man who was nowhere near as old as she had assumed, tried to imagine having to raise a newborn when she was thirteen. At least the boys had been eleven, and she fifteen, when they had been thrown out. What could she have done if A’Cheng had been an infant? Other than cry? She yanked her thoughts away from that horror back to the moment.

“Indeed it has not, Grandmaster Lan.”

He huffed at her blatant flattery. “Be that as it may, my health has plagued me since childhood. Not enough to keep me from my duties, to my nephews or to this sect, but enough to affect me adversely when stressed. The news of Lan Wangji’s elopement was just such a situation, and Wei Ying did not improve upon it.”

“I sympathize, but again, I must stress that Ying’er’s heart is always righteous. He had no intention of trapping Lan Wangji into a betrothal without his consent.” She bowed formally from where she sat. “Whatever Wei Ying’s intentions or feelings on the matter, however, if Grandmaster Lan wishes to dissolve the betrothal, we will abide by that. We have no desire to offend the Gusu Lan.”

“I do not wish that. In fact, the opposite. I am here to confirm and solidify the betrothal.”

“You have such confidence in the youthful affections of boys?” She tilted her head, not quite mocking, but sincere in her doubts. Surely he, above all others, knew how flighty the fancy of young kids could be.

“Not in general, no,” he admitted with a heavy sigh. “But in regards to my youngest nephew, yes.” He took a moment before setting down his cup again. “His mother died when he was six. Due to her…seclusion, he had not been allowed to see her often. Every visit, he would sit outside her door with a gift for her until the morning bell rang and she would let her sons in to spend the day with her. When she died, he either did not understand what death was, or refused to understand…with him, it is a toss up sometimes. He sat outside her door all day, then ran away from his room after bedtime to sit there all night.” He sighed again, looking into the distance at a faded but well-worn, unhappy memory. “He did that for months. No amount of punishment or explanations or pleading kept him from his self-appointed duty. I’m not sure he even knew why he was doing it or what he was waiting for, as it eventually became obvious she was not going to open the door. Yet, he persisted, long past reason.”

He finally looked at her again. “Even now, Lan Wangji is walking around without his sacred forehead ribbon. I believe he has made his choice.”

They once again lapsed into silence as Yanli considered his words. It suggested that Lan Wangji was tied to Ying’er in a way that would not be easily dismissed, even by the elders of his clan. She ordered her thoughts, considering the events of the past few days in light of Lan Qiren’s revelations about his nephew.

“You are at odds with a faction of the elders council, are you not?”

He blinked at her slowly, and for the first time, she clearly saw the blood ties between him and Lan Wangji.

“You are very observant,” he said noncommittally.

“I am the…I was raised as the eldest child of the leader of a great sect, Grandmaster Lan. While I was never considered a true heir, I was betrothed to one. I was taught to understand the politics around me, including the internal politics.”

His grimace was minute, but it was enough.

“Lan Hao has a faction against you?” She prompted.

“Indeed. He is my first cousin on my father’s side, and his son is a few years older than Xichen.”

A fight for the throne, then…although, as she considered it, she was unaware that the Lan had a throne. They were ostensibly far too egalitarian for that, she supposed.

“Wei Ying is technically a commoner, and even more-so a known sect deserter on top of that. I could have perhaps leaned on his mother’s lineage in a pinch, but then.” He stopped there, shaking his head and frowning. Yanli poured him another cup of tea, then began brewing some more.

“His association with the Burial Mounds adds fuel to Lan Hao’s argument, I suspect,” she said quietly.

He huffed, a small displeased sound. “You could say that. It would be a gross understatement, but you could say that.”

“But Lan Wangji is not the direct heir at this point. I think it would be more of an argument if we were discussing a betrothal to Lan Xichen.”

He glared at his cup for a moment. “There is more to the situation that is not up for discussion. Suffice to say, Lan Wangji’s impetuousness has caused quite a scramble among the elders.”

“With all due respect, Grandmaster Lan, I am unclear on how I could possibly be of assistance in this matter,” she said, folding her hands in her lap. She was genuinely regretful, but also, there really wasn’t much she could do for him.

“Inner Lan sect politics are not your responsibility, for which you should feel grateful. No, I am here for Lan Wangji’s sake.”

She blinked a few times before rallying. “You are? Ah, I mean—”

He waved a hand at her dismissively, and she snapped her mouth shut.

“He will be accompanying you to Qinghe Nie.”

She frowned. “Is that advisable?”

“It is not.” He said the words slowly, as if they were heavy. “But for one thing, Lan Yi charged him along with Wei Ying to retrieve the rest of the Yin iron shards. It would be extremely unfilial for any of the elders to countermand that, and even if they did, Wangji would likely do it anyway. His sense of duty is…acute.”

She nodded hesitantly.

“Were they simply two young boys of the gentry out on a night hunt, there would be no need to question their companionship. However, the issue is that as Wei Ying is betrothed to him, it would be highly inappropriate for them to travel together at all. Even chaperoned.”

“Ah.” She tapped her finger against her chin, thinking. “As such, it is an open door for Lan Hao’s faction to try and disrupt the betrothal, claiming that my brother behaved inappropriately along the way.”

He looked like he had eaten a very sour candy. It probably rankled him to talk about internal politics with her, but she was beginning to see why it was necessary.

“Does the elder council know of our identities?”

“I have left it unconfirmed, but Wei Ying is known by reputation, given his parents and the fact that he was the ward of Jiang Fengmian. It would not take a genius to figure out who his ‘new’ elder sister and younger brother are, even if they hadn’t heard the gossip out of Lotus Pier. I am sure a few recognized you, same as I did.”

“So, officially, the Second Jade of Lan is engaged to a disreputable commoner who was seen practicing unorthodox cultivation and is running off to Qinghe in the company of the Bastards of Yunmeng for unspecified reasons.” It was a pretty damning summation, and she could see clearly the problems it left Lan Qiren holding. Still, she had no idea what he was asking of her. He must have read her expression, as he nodded once and took a deep, steadying breath.

“The edict of Lan Yi has gone a long way with most of the council, but that does not change the facts as you have presented them.” He took another deep breath, and looked her directly in the eyes, which was possibly the most unsettling thing he had done yet.

“I am here to request that you not allow Wei Ying to ever use such evil arts again. Xichen and I can argue for Wangji’s happiness in the current circumstances, although the resistance is strong due to the politics. But if Wei Ying is known to actively court demonic practices through the yin iron, there will be nothing we can do to sway the council. Or, for that matter, general opinion in the gentry.”

“Then you would have to dissolve the betrothal,” she said, nodding in understanding. It was not a good situation, but she could see the forces at play.

“Yes…and no. I could try.” He frowned at the table between them. “I have told you the story of Lan Zhan’s youth, where he waited patiently for months on his knees in the depths of night, through all kinds of weather, for a dead woman to open a door. He would not wait so long if his fated one was simply farming over in Yiling.”

Her first thought was to correct him about the fact they were not farmers. Then the import of his words hit and she gasped, covering her mouth.

He nodded. “I do not believe Wangji would be at peace, leaving his natal sect, but I know he would do so, if pushed into a corner by the council. I have no leverage here, Miss Ji—Miss Wei. I am at your mercy. Please, please ensure through any means necessary that Wei Ying never practices the evil, unorthodox arts again. For his safety, yes, but also for my nephew’s happiness. For the sake of my family.”

He bowed then, obscenely deeply for such an elder to one of such low status as Yanli. She reached across the table to draw him up, but he stubbornly remained in position.

She could not promise such a thing, she knew. The road ahead of them was untested and already filled with too many unknowns. But she thought it was enough to try. She was not Yunmeng Jiang anymore, but “attempt the impossible” was too deeply ingrained in her to ever give up.

“I promise to do my best to ensure the happiness of our family, Grandmaster Lan.”

He straightened up and nodded, then slowly rose to his feet and shuffled out the door with no further words between them. There was nothing left to say.