41. Losers Weepers

Xiao Xingchen bowed to her. Behind him, Song Zichen was going over the cart that Xue Yang was settled in, and checking the harness on their newly-donated mule.

“Please, Song Daoren, it is the least we could do,” she said, bowing in return.

“Take this letter to Lao He, who is a fellow accountant in Yiling. He will arrange with the magistrate to have you listed as the renter of record for our property.” A’Yao handed over a letter wrapped and sealed in a heavy, expensive envelope, marked with a beautifully hand-drawn, stylized oleander flower. She would have to ask A’Yao how much of the Nie ink and paper stock he was “liberating.”

Xiao Xingchen accepted it with somber formality. “We appreciate your assistance.”

They were all hoping that while it was now technically under the rule of Qishan Wen, Yiling was far enough back from the front that the Wen would leave it alone for the most part. Xiao Xingchen had mentioned that he had no idea where they could safely take Xue Yang for his recovery, which would be extended. The boy’s meridians were severely corroded by all the resentful energy he had carried for most of his life, and so the physical damage from Ying’er pulling the yin iron out of him was going to take a very long time to heal. Xue Yang himself had gone non-verbal since he woke up, listless and angry and helpless.

Yanli had discussed with her family the option of letting them stay at their siheyuan and there was unanimous agreement. A’Yao was not going to send his mother that far away, mostly because she probably wouldn’t go anyway; and Yanli assumed with the war starting, none of them would be able to head home safely anytime soon.

“It will take you a few weeks to get there,” A’Yao said. “Here is a map, showing the route I took from Qinghe back to Yiling.” That, he handed to Song Zichen when he walked up.

“It is a kind thing you are doing,” Yanli offered.

Song Zichen huffed a little while Xiao Xingchen sighed heavily. “It is not kindness. I understand and sympathize with Sect Leader Nie’s argument for execution,” he said, and paused for a moment, looking for words. “Yet, I can’t help but blame myself for not realizing immediately that Xue Yang was under the influence of resentful energy. We brought him here for justice without even looking for a cause to his actions, without questioning what was presented to us.” He frowned, which was a truly awful expression on him, angry and heartbreaking and fierce. “It is right that we care for him in his recovery. Perhaps he is forever tainted, which is something we will have to deal with in time. But this is as much for my own penance as it is for his well-being.”

“I hope our home will afford you the space and peace of mind needed for such a task,” Yanli said delicately. Personally, she was unconvinced that Xue Yang would ever recover—even if his body did, how could one come back from having your mind broken that severely? But it was not her task, so she kept her opinion on it to herself while Ying’er and A’Cheng said their own heartfelt goodbyes to their teachers.

“Sect Leader Wei!”

Yanli startled as Liu Peng came running up to her, breathless.

“Sect Leader Wei,” she started, lowering her voice as she bowed and not waiting for any kind of proper response. “Sect Leader Jiang is having an audience with Sect Leader Nie, accusing you of stealing Yunmeng Jiang property!”

Zidian.

She looked over at A’Yao, who gave her a tiny grimace of sympathy. They had talked about what they would do once someone from the Jiang saw Zidian on A’Cheng’s hand, which was bound to happen sooner rather than later. A’Yao claimed that he had several arguments at hand, but they both hoped Jiang Fengmian would just ignore the issue as too politically sensitive to meddle with. She had planned to appraise Nie Mingjue of the situation, but unfortunately, the entire fortress city was akin to an overturned anthill as the sect prepared for war and there had been no time.

No doubt Sect Leader Jiang was accusing Meng Shi of stealing sect property, and while Nie Mingjue was sympathetic to the “Wei Sect” if only because of Ying’er’s connection to the yin iron, it was a serious accusation.

She told Liu Peng to go tell Meng Shi to stay inside their pavilion at all costs. There was no shaking Ying’er and A’Cheng, who had seen Liu Peng run up and were now both bristling like wet cats, so she walked with as much dignity as possible to Saber Hall with A’Yao and the boys trailing behind her.

Everyone turned to look at them as they entered. Jiang Fengmian was wearing his “frustrated with difficult people” expression, which only soured when he caught sight of Yanli, but he was not prone to outbursts like so many other sect leaders (Sect Leader Yao, she thought uncharitably) and simply stood there radiating displeasure as they approached.

Nie Mingjue had an expressive eyebrow raised, probably wondering how she had found out what was going on.

“Are the Honored Daoren on their journey?” He asked after she bowed in greeting.

“Yes, we saw them off just now.”

He nodded. “I suppose you know why Sect Leader Jiang is here?”

“This one was informed of his accusations,” she said with another slight bow.

“Then you understand the severity of the charge.”

She nodded.

Jiang Fengmian stepped forward again. “Jiang Yanli has admitted that she sent the spy into my home, and now it is evident that part of her assignment was to steal a powerful spiritual weapon from us. I demand compensation, the return of the item, and for the spy to be executed.”

A’Yao went stiff as a board, his face going blank. Yanli cleared her throat before stepping forward and speaking.

“Sect Leader Nie, the item in question is an heirloom of Meishan Yu that belonged to my mother. By rights it belongs to me, and I gifted it to my youngest brother, since only a direct blood descendant of Madam Yu could ever wield the weapon.” She held up her hand without turning around, and heard Zidian hissing behind her as A’Cheng brought it to life as proof of his control over it.

“It was a part of her dowry and is Yunmeng Jiang property,” Jiang Fengmian said with a placating smile. “We cannot expect inexperienced children to understand the legalities involved, for which I am inclined to be forgiving. However, the spy herself was fully aware of what she was doing and must be punished.”

“What dowry?” A’Yao said loudly. Everyone turned to him, and Nie Mingjue motioned for him to continue.

“There is no dowry,” he said firmly.

“The marriage ended unpleasantly, but I assure you, all rites and responsibilities were honored at the time of the wedding.”

A’Yao smiled and A’Cheng and Ying’er instinctively shuffled away from him, out of the line of fire. Yanli did not blame them, because as proper and inoffensive as he looked, anyone who knew him well knew the traps his brilliant mind could contrive. She held her breath.

“Meng Shi was our spy. No one disputes that.” He nodded condescendingly at Jiang Fengmian, who bristled. “However, part of her assignment was to fully investigate the legal standing of Madam Yu’s children.”

Yanli did not flinch. A’Cheng did. Jiang Fengmian frowned.

“Just now you referred to Sect Leader Wei as ‘Jiang Yanli.’ Not only was that a terrible breach of etiquette to a fellow sect leader, but along with your entire argument, it is legally incorrect.” He stepped forward and bowed to Nie Mingjue. “What I am about to say can be verified by the Nie sect archivists, I believe. At the time of her execution, Yu Ziyuan’s marriage to Jiang Fengmian was completely annulled. Notices were sent out to all the allied sects of Yunmeng Jiang notifying them of this change in status, along with the date of her punishment. However, while her children were disavowed as Jiang heirs, the notices never denied that they were her issue. She was acknowledged as their mother, even as they were excised from Yunmeng Jiang records.

“Furthermore, there is no official record of Meishan Yu demanding the return of said dowry. To do so would have been to acknowledge the marriage, which they could not do without losing face. Thus, legally, Jiang Fengmian was never married to Yu Ziyuan, therefore there never was and never could be a bridal dowry he can claim rights to. Any property of hers that survives—which is not much, I gather from Madam Meng’s investigations—belong to her acknowledged heirs, Wei Yanli and Wei Cheng, by way of their acknowledged father, Wei Changze. Madam Meng liberated such property from where it was being illegally hoarded by Sect Leader Jiang.” He side-eyed the man in question before smiling pleasantly. “However unintentionally.”

Nie Mingjue settled back in his chair. Behind him, Nie Huaisang was trying very hard to hide his delight behind one of Yanli’s fans.

“Sect Leader Jiang, do you dispute any of this?”

He stood up tall, one hand behind his back. “However it came into the possession of Yunmeng Jiang, it is our property.”

A’Yao tsk’d at him in obviously false sympathy. “Oh, Sect Leader Jiang, I’m afraid that jianghu law around powerful spiritual weapons tied to a specific bloodline is *not ‘*finders keepers, losers weepers’.”

“You!” He turned on A’Yao, hand moving to his sword.

“Sect Leader Jiang,” Nie Mingjue spoke loudly, causing the man in question to stop his advance. “I ask again, and demand an answer: do you dispute any of the facts Seneschal Meng has presented here?”

He looked sour, as he always did when Madam Yu had called him out for his mistakes. “No.”

Nie Mingjue waited for him to say anything further, but after an extended moment of silence, he shrugged. “This sounds like a misunderstanding, and therefore I close the matter as resolved.”

It was a generous and diplomatic way to put it, Yanli thought as she smiled at A’Yao in triumph. He was looking smug and then turned to give Jiang Fengmian an entirely supercilious bow. The man huffily ignored all of them as he walked out of the hall.

Nie Mingjue sighed, bringing Yanli’s attention back to him.

“Since you’re here, I think it is time we talked about the yin iron. Wei Ying, do you have all the pieces in your possession secure?”

Wei Ying looked surprised at being addressed, then nodded, then remembered himself and bowed. “Yes, Sect Leader Nie.”

Nie Mingjue looked at Yanli for confirmation, so she nodded.

“Are they within the boundaries of the Unclean Realm?”

Ying’er stood up and tilted his head as if listening for something. After a moment, he shook his head. “No, sir, not at this moment, but they are still within the limits of Qinghe.”

“And you know this how?”

“The crows let me know,” Ying’er said, and Yanli thought that no one missed how vague he was being about that.

“They aren’t just sitting in some damn crow’s nest somewhere, are they?” Nie Mingjue asked, looking very long-suffering, which Yanli could relate to.

“No! That would be bad for their eggs. The crows who carry it for me trade off with each other, so it is always in motion.”

Nie Huaisang scrunched up his face. “Why?”

“Oh, so Wen Ruohan can’t target them.”

Several Nie cringed at that, but Nie Mingjue just nodded slowly.

Yanli remembered how, weeks before, Ying’er had described Xue Yang’s piece as simply ‘traveling.’ Apparently, being in motion interfered in pinpointing its location. She made a mental note to sit down with Ying’er and A’Yao to get clarification on that, later.

“Nonetheless, I believe Wen Ruohan sent his army here under the belief that the other three pieces are here,” Nie Mingjue said.

“Yeah, that makes sense. I always make sure the crows stay nearby, so it might look like the pieces are all here.” Ying’er thoughtfully looked up at a high window. They all followed his gaze, but nothing was there.

“So, you control the crows?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“What? No, you can’t control crows. You should know that!”

“I do, which is why I asked. I had a crow as a pet for a while, but they are very smart. I think it considered me its pet, actually,” Nie Huaisang said thoughtfully, tapping his chin with his fan.

“That makes sense. No, I don’t control them. We just have, uh, an agreement.” He looked imploringly at Yanli. She turned to Nie Mingjue.

“Would you like us to depart the Unclean Realm with the pieces? It might divert Wen Xu.”

Nie Mingjue chuckled. “Nothing will divert Wen Xu. He’s been salivating for a chance to lay siege here for years. No, I think the best choice would be to increase our advantage, if possible.”

“The Xuanwu of Slaughter’s piece,” A’Yao replied solemnly.

Nie Mingjue looked very grim as he nodded in agreement.