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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 3

He had supposed it would take approximately a week before Yao ZongZhu admitted he wasn't the right person to take over logistics from Jiang Guniang.

It took three days.

The drovers had an arrangement with General Jiang: arrive at camp, the wagons were inventoried against what was ordered, payment given, then the product was unloaded and distributed by her people. Yao ZongZhu didn't have the right people to do any of this. Then he unilaterally decided he would only pay the drovers once a week. They, understandably, did not accept this unilateral decision and decided that their goods could be delivered elsewhere. After all, there was no guarantee that the army would be alive for anyone to pay them at the end of a week.

Soldiers going on half rations because of a sect leader's sense of superiority over a competent woman was not only unnecessary, it was bad for morale.

The punishment of being forced to write a letter to Yu ZiYuan begging to allow her daughter to return to camp was insufficient. And ineffectual. Jiang Furen wrote a scathing letter back scolding men for being idiots and taking advantage of her weak daughter.

Lan XiChen found an injured cultivator who was willing to take up Jiang Gunian's former duties at a fraction of her abilities. He did well enough that they were able to continue the fight against Wen RuoHan's armies.

Of course, logistics wasn't Jiang Gunian's only duty; she was also the point person for the scouts.

They were still reporting to their General. And she dutifully forwarded their consolidated messages to Nie MingJue. A set of runners went back and forth from Lotus Pier to the army several times a day. Even a delay of a few hours could be significant, though.

Lan XiChen begged for her Jin assistant to return to the army. "My place is with my General," was the response.

Lan XiChen folded himself into a ball in the command tent, stretching his back and leg muscles and hiding his frustration. "Am I allowed to hate, Nie MingJue?" He did not whine because sect leaders were too dignified to whine.

"Yu ZiYuan does not care if we win this war," the older man growled and threw the latest scout report at the tent wall. He added a few obscenities. "We need Jiang Gunian back."

Lan XiChen agreed and unwound his body into a proper sitting position. There was only one way he could think of to get Jiang YanLi back where she belonged. It would solve a myriad of other problems, too.... He smoothed out a fresh sheet of paper and curled his brush through ink creating the perfect point. "Nie Xiong... how do you write a preliminary marriage offer?"

"Who's getting married?"

"Me, hopefully. To Jiang Gunian."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #lan huan #lan xichen #nie mingjue

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 31

Lan XiChen left the meeting feeling agitated. "Sometimes I really dislike my fellow sect leaders and heirs," he muttered. "No sense of what's truly important."

Meng Yao, walking just behind him, smiled politely. "Perhaps it's just a differing idea of importance."

Lan XiChen sighed and refrained from rolling his eyes. "Yao ZongZhu will discover that his 'differing idea of importance' is going to cause his people to starve." He sighed again, pressing down his anger. "What are they thinking? Why is Jiang FuRen calling Jiang Guniang home? Why? And those..." he refrained, barely, from openly insulting his fellow sect leaders, "men in there agreeing with her?"

"Whatever that little girl can do any man can do faster and more efficiently," Meng Yao paraphrased Yao ZongZhu.

Lan XiChen stopped himself from sighing again. "Apparently our education is lacking. I can run my sect and direct my people in battle. I have no idea how to feed them when we're in Cloud Recesses. How am I supposed to suddenly know how to feed them when we're on the march in the middle of a war?"

"Your education is not lacking...." Meng Yao hedged. "You learn what is necessary to run the sect and hire people to do what you should not. Feeding, cleaning, and all the other necessary jobs are handled by people specially trained to do that. Delegating work is necessary."

Lan XiChen's smile was strained. "I suppose your training involved logistics of feeding an army?"

"An army on the move?" Meng Yao's smile was honest. "No. I'm sure General Jiang has aides who can pick up most of the slack."

"Aides? But not you?"

"I will follow my General to Lotus Pier," Meng Yao sounded smug.

"Along with all of her scouts?" Lan XiChen stopped himself from swearing when his companion nodded. "I suppose it's necessary to prove that General Jiang is not simply a woman tagging along after an army with an honorary title." His sigh was unstoppable. "When you two marry, you'll slowly but surely take over the jianghe, won't you?"

Meng Yao's face lost all semblance of his normal polite facade. "Me? Marry Jiang YanLi? Why would you suggest such a thing?"

"Aren't you to marry?"

"No!" Meng Yao sounded offended. "Jiang YanLi deserves.... Well, she deserves someone better than me. Someone who's as nice as she is. Someone who will support her as much as she will support him. I would only drag her into the muck." He looked sideways at the Lan sect leader. "I think she should marry someone like you."

"Me?" Lan XiChen's voice rose an octave even as his feet stopped moving. "Marry Jiang YanLi? How can I marry her?" The idea was preposterous. Obviously. He wasn't the right man to marry Jiang FengMian's daughter.

"You need an heir. She needs someone who respects her. And who is respected enough to demand others respect her. It's a good match whether you compare sect alliances or personalities. Your marriage will also support your brother's cut sleeve marriage to Wei WuXian. Think about it.

"I will take my leave; I have a few things to finish before General Jiang and I head out to Lotus Pier."

Lan XiChen blinked a few times at Meng Yao's retreating back. "Me marry Jiang YanLi?" Her detractors cited her plain looks and lack of a strong core as her main faults. They ignored her loyalty to her family, her inner strength, and the leadership skills she had gained over the last few months. "She's not that plain, either," he mused as his feet started moving back to his tent. "She's more of a quiet beauty than an overt one. Cores can be strengthened sometimes. Perhaps the Jiang method is not appropriate to her needs." He tried to picture her in Lan blue and felt a warmth in his stomach. "She'd be really pretty in my colors." An image of Jiang YanLi serving him tea in the Hanshi popped into his head followed by an image of her laying next to him in his bed as he read poetry. "Me marry Jiang YanLi?" The idea of their marriage all of a sudden didn't seem preposterous.

Maybe....

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan huan #lan xichen #meng yao #jin guangyao #yu ziyuan

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 30

It was a blood bath, according to all reports. Wen Xu and his fifty men were as capable as Wei WuXian and his men. The attack began before dawn, when sentries should have been at their sleepiest and least aware. It continued until well after noon.

As promised, Meng Yao was allowed to fight Wen Xu. The older man was much stronger, both physically and with his cultivation. Strength was no match for one raised to fight in the streets of Yunping. They were both a bloody mess when Meng Yao slipped in under Wen Xu's guard and ripped his stomach open. Wen Xu staggered back in shock, and Meng Yao went for the kill.

He would spend the next few days in the infirmary in the Unclean Realm.

Nie MingJue tracked Jiang YanLi down when he found out she had ordered Wei WuXian to allow Meng Yao the kill. "What the Hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of rewarding my advisor," she retorted.

"Reward? Some reward! I'll remind you, Meng Yao will once again be my advisor once this war is over. You almost got him killed."

"It was my decision. If he had died, it would have been my responsibility. Meng Yao knew the risks, and accepted the role. Oh, and he won't be returning to QingheNie after the war. I have bigger plans for him."

Nie MingJue frowned. "What else are you going to give him? Yourself?"

"What? No. What? I've given him Crescent Island In Yunmeng as the base for his clan."

"Are you going to marry him?"

Jiang YanLi paused to think. "Marriage? I... don't think that's appropriate." She paused again and shook her head. "No. Marriage to me is not what he needs. The alliance between YunmengJiang and YunmengMeng would be good for him. But no. Not to me."

"Why not?"

"I am a General and he my advisor. His birth is already held against him. Marrying his superior?" She shook her head. "He needs a wife from a lower clan. Perhaps a concubine's daughter. One who understands his position and will be an asset to the clan."

Nie MingJue's face softened. "You think someone will offer their daughter to a bastard?"

"Of course," Jiang YanLi looked him straight in the eye. "Jin GuangShan is going to acknowledge his son in front of all the sects and clans, and beg him to be known as Jin ZiYao." She smiled a brittle smile. "Meng Yao will thank his father for the honor and say 'no'. He is a hero and will stay a hero with the name his mother gave him."

"You sound sure of that."

"I have worked and planned very hard to make sure this will come to pass, Nie ZongZhu. I will allow nothing to interfere with my plans."

"What about your own marriage? Will you go back to Jin ZiXuan?"

Jiang YanLi gave herself a good long time to think. "He hasn't asked. Or hinted. But... I think.... Not. Not without a compelling reason. My affection for him is... not gone, but... dulled. When the war is over, I will return to Lotus Pier."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #nie mingjue #meng yao #jin guangyao

[aitchnkay]

New story I'm writing on Wattpad and AO3.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 29

Wen Xu was a much better commander than his younger brother had been. The Nie and Lan forces were hard pressed to hold the Unclean Realm. Jiang YanLi's strike teams nipped at Wen Xu's flanks, but were unable to achieve anything significant.

She looked at their map, struggling to put the strategies she'd learned over the last few months into practice. No matter how she ordered her teams, she couldn't see any way to break the siege or give a moralizing victory to her troops or allies.

Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi stepped into the tent. "We've been skulking," her brother smiled. "Wen Xu is here," he moved a token to another spot on the map. "Along with about fifty men. It's a decent sized hill, and the base is surrounded with those fierce corpses he's brought. Perhaps two hundred." Next to her, Meng Yao smiled his happy evil smile. "Exactly," Wei WuXian's grin echoed the strategic advisor. "We've got him."

"I don't understand," Jiang YanLi moved around the table, hoping to see what was causing the others to be so happy.

Meng Yao moved a few tokens to the same spot as Wen Xu's. "Fifty defenders against our best strike teams. We hide behind the talismans; the corpses won't notice us. We take out the living soldiers, and then Wen Xu."

"Ah." It was so easy to picture the battle, now that he'd explained it. "Strike now? Or wait till early morning?"

"It would be easier to get him in the early dawn," Meng Yao mused. "Not as effective, morale-wise. There's plenty of time today for us to get in place."

"Today then," she agreed. "Make it happen." The men bowed and prepared to leave. "Wei WuXian, please stay back." Her brother gave her a look, but did as she asked. Once they were alone in the tent, she arranged her thoughts. "Meng Yao needs to be the one who kills Wen Xu."

Wei WuXian cocked his head. "Why?"

"Just like you knew A'Cheng had to be the one who killed Wen Chao. I know Meng Yao needs to be the one to kill Wen Xu."

"I gave Wen Chao to ChengCheng because he could use the clout more than I will. Are you sure Meng Yao deserves this honor?"

"Do you know what he's capable of?" Her younger brother nodded. "I will give anything to keep you safe, A'Xian." She pointed to Crescent Island. "This will be where he starts his Clan. A clan leader who is a hero of the Sunshot Campaign will be treated with far more respect than the son of a prostitute who tries to set himself up as a clan leader."

"Is respect enough to keep me alive? To keep you alive?"

"The lack of respect was enough to kill you," she reminded her brother. "Besides, I have a much better target for you."

"Oh?"

"You will be the one to kill Wen RuoHan."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #meng yao #jin guangyao

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 28

It was almost ridiculously easy to take Koi Tower from the Wen. She lost only four members of her strike teams. There were a few dozen casualties from the LanlingJin cultivators. Thirty-seven QishanWen survived, out of almost a thousand who were holding the place.

Yu FangSu looked like a queen standing in the Flower Palace, watching servants wipe up blood. Jin ZiXuan wept over the bodies of the fallen, which Jiang YanLi found refreshing. It made him appear more human, more decent. At least until he opened his mouth to remind Meng Yao that Koi Tower was never going to be his.

Jiang YanLi immediately pulled her advisors and strike teams from the city.

"Where are you going?" Jin ZiXuan protested. "We can use your help!"

"Koi Tower is yours to keep, remember?" Jiang YanLi tried, and failed, to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "Deal with the mess yourself. Our Wen Xu spies say he's starting to make preparations to attack the Unclean Realm. I need to discuss with Meng Yao on how to arrange my teams to best support Nie ZongZhu."

"This was once going to be your home, too. You showed no care for Lotus Pier and now no care for Koi Tower. What kind of a woman are you?" Yu FangSu snapped.

"My home is well cared for in my absence," Jiang YanLi retorted. "As for Koi Tower?" She looked around at the opulent setting. "The engagement was dissolved. Jin GongZi has shown no interest in courting me, and I am no longer interested in being courted by him. Koi Tower is not my responsibility now that it's back in Jin control."

Leaving a sputtering Jin Furen behind, Jiang YanLi kept her head high. It was rude, perhaps, to talk back to her mother's friend like that. But what else was she supposed to do? Act as if she was still going to be Jin ZiXuan's wife?

"Meng Yao, report," she ordered once she was halfway down the stairs to the city and saw him open the communication box to QingheNie.

"Wen Xu has attacked the Unclean Realm."

"Find someone who can send a butterfly to our people. Regroup at camp. Then we go to support the Nie."

"Yes, General Jiang."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #meng yao #jin guangyao #jin zixuan

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 27

Over the next few days, Jiang YanLi listened.

Yu FangSu continued to advise a move to Lotus Pier. Letters from Lan XiChen and Nie MingJue advised she support them in their upcoming fight against Wen Xu. Jin ZiXuan arrived and counseled the strike teams attack the Nightless City in an attempt to rescue Jin GuangShan. Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi arrived the day after that to stand at her back, silently supporting her against the loudest speakers. Meng Yao stared at the maps in the command tent and moved pieces around, frowning often, smiling in anger occasionally.

"This is it," he mentioned quietly at lunch one day a full week after Jin ZiXuan had arrived.

Jiang YanLi had learned more than she ever wanted to about troop movements. She looked over the map, identifying the various strike teams, the Lan, Nie, and Wen armies as well as Jiang and Jin. She didn't fully understand why the markers were placed as they were, but she nodded anyway. "I agree."

"Agree with what?" Jin ZiXuan, sitting with his mother, ignored Meng Yao.

"We take back Koi Tower," the strategic advisor smirked. "The bulk of Wen RuoHan's army is here," he pointed to several markers surrounding the Nightless City. "Wen Xu is committed to attack the Unclean Realm. Between the Jiang and strike teams, we have a sufficient force to overwhelm the Wen army in Lanling. Especially with Jin ZiXuan working from the inside, organizing the Jin cultivators. A two pronged attack: from within and without, and the strike teams hiding behind Wei Gongzi's talismans. We take back Koi Tower with a minimum of casualties in two, perhaps three days."

"Koi Tower is mine," Jin ZiXuan spat.

Jiang YanLi glowered. "If you insist. We can leave it under Wen control, then."

"What?" Yu FangSu practically screamed. "You just said you would liberate my home and now you want to leave it under Wen control?"

"Jin Gongzi insists Koi Tower is his to liberate. Who am I to stand in his way?" Jiang YanLi firmed her back as her mother's friend opened her mouth to protest.

"General Jiang," Jin ZiXuan bowed, almost contritely. "My apologies for misstating. LanlingJin appreciates your willingness to liberate Koi Tower."

She nodded, graciously. "Thank you for clarifying the misunderstanding. Meng Yao, please explain what the plan is."

Meng Yao moved troop markers back to the current positions and began explaining how they would liberate Koi Tower. This is your element, she congratulated him. You are so competent. I just hope you understand that I cannot allow you to hold Koi Tower. Ever. her gaze settled on a large island in Yunmeng. There was good farm land, good fishing, the natural protection of the river.

When they broke to start enacting Meng Yao's plan, Jiang YanLi placed a new marker with the picture of a crescent moon on the island. "My friend.... Jin ZiXuan is right. Koi Tower is his."

"I know."

"This," she pressed her index finger on the new marker. "This is Crescent Island. There was a cultivation clan who lived here perhaps fifty or sixty years ago. The founder and his sons were killed on various night hunts. The land has lain uninhabited since. There are many who would like to live there, but are too superstitious. I think... perhaps the YunmengMeng clan leader will not be so superstitious?"

"YunmengMeng Clan?"

"Xia KeXin told me that in her previous prophecy, you were accepted into the Jin Sect as a member of the inner family. However, you were given the courtesy name of GuangYao instead of ZiYao. As your General, it would be remiss of me to allow such an insult to occur. So I offer this alternative."

"Land and a clan of my own or to live in the shadow of my half-brother, under the boot heels of my father?" Meng Yao picked up the marker, running his fingers over the engraving.

"Family is important. And perhaps it will be different this time. Perhaps you will become so highly venerated that Jin GuangShan will be forced to acknowledge you as his son. And as Jin ZiYao, you will have opportunities that surpass being a clan leader on an island in Yunmeng. Just know, this will be here for you, should you want it."

"Why would you do this for me?"

"Loyalty should be rewarded. Good deeds should be rewarded. You are going to be one of the reasons we win this war. Yet the various sect leaders continue to see you only as your mother's son or as subservient to me."

"Am I not subservient? Am I not my mother's son?"

"You are my strategic advisor. Someone I rely on. Someone I trust. Someone your mother would be proud of, Meng ZongZhu."

"Meng Yao thanks General Jiang for her generosity."

She nodded. "No need for thanks, ZongZhu."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #meng yao #jin guangyao #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jin zixuan

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 26

She allowed herself a day to mourn. One day to cry over her father; she would mourn properly once the war was won.

And they would win. There was no alternative that was acceptable. Her brothers would live, and Wen RuoHan and his remaining son would die.

She washed her face of tears, dressed, and reported to her command tent. "Meng Yao, report."

"General," he bowed. "Lotus Pier is firmly in Jiang WanYin's control. Jiang Furen is in the infirmary; her condition is listed as 'stable', but no details of what occurred has been forwarded. Wen Xu's army is approximately five days out from the Unclean Realm. They must have received intel that Wen Chao's army was defeated as they have not moved in the last two days. We suspect that they are waiting for reinforcements from Qishan."

Yu FangSu glared at Meng Yao as he spoke. As soon as he took a breath, she interrupted. "We should move our camp to Lotus Pier. It will be more protection than what we have here, and it will free your brother to assist Nie ZongZhu."

"We are not going to Lotus Pier," Jiang YanLi stated. "We will continue as we have."

"Your esteemed mother needs you!" Yu FangSu spat. "It is your duty as her daughter to be with her in her time of grief."

"My duty?" Jiang YanLi wanted to cry again. Instead she stiffened her back, both physical and mental. "This is war. My duty is to keep my people alive."

"Your people are in Yunmeng. Not here."

Meng Yao smiled his 'I'm going to be polite because I have to' smile. "Jin Furen. Your people are in Lanling. My people are in Qinghe. And yet... we are here. Supporting General Jiang."

"General Jiang?" Jiang YanLi repeated. "Who is that?"

Yu FangSu sighed. "For some reason, the reports that came in starting yesterday, all referred to you as 'General Jiang'. "

"Not for some reason," Meng Yao snapped. "Jiang YanLi is just as much a General in this war as Nie Mingjue and Lan XiChen. She has earned the title."

"A woman General? Next will you petition for her to be Jiang ZongZhu instead of Jiang WangYin?"

"No."

"If she's capable, why not? She is the eldest."

"No," the young woman repeated. "My brother will inherit." Her hand buzzed: the new ring she wore indicating Wei WuXian had sent a letter. "Please excuse me. A'Xian sent me something."

The letter was short. 'ShiJi. Read when alone. Madame Yu's condition is not being disseminated. Even Jiang Cheng can't get the healers to tell him what's wrong. She's been seen walking, and does not have any obvious bandages on. What I do know is that she was injured in a fight with someone called Wen ZhuLiu. She tried to whip him with Zidian. He moved out of the way too quickly and he pushed her down. She screamed and was unable to stand again. His title is Core Melting Hand. Can you discretely find out if the title is because he can destroy someone's Core? He's dead. I killed him right after he hurt Madame Yu, so we can't ask him. The Wen aren't saying anything. Four buildings are fire damaged in the compound. A dozen in the town will need to be rebuilt. Twenty-three townspeople are dead. The rest followed our directions to leave. Initial count is forty-eight dead in the Sect. There are six or seven more who might yet succumb to their injuries.'

"Meng Yao... what do you know about a man called the Core Melting Hand? A'Xian killed him."

"He's dead? Good," he smiled a genuine smile. "Officially, he was Wen Chao's bodyguard. A nobody who worked his way up in the QishanWen ranks. In part it was because of his dog-like loyalty to Wen RuoHan. In part because of his little trick. As his title suggests, he did indeed have the ability to melt Cores."

Jiang YanLi kept her face still as she processed exactly what had happened to her mother. Her Core was melted? No wonder she doesn't want anyone to know what's happened to her. "It's good he's dead then. Just think of the damage he could have caused to our people.

"So." She took a deep breath, and shoved her concerns about her mother into a cabinet in her mind. She set Wei WuXian's letter over a flame and watched it burn. "We will concentrate our strike troops on Wen Xu's army. What news from the Unclean Realm."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #wei wuxian #meng yao #jin guangyao

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 25

War was exhausting. And she was safe at the fringes. Worry overtook her every waking moment. Were her brothers all right? Were her parents all right?

With each report that came in detailing the losses inflicted on Wen Xu's and Wen Chao's armies, she sighed in relief.

With each report that came in detailing her own troop's losses, she wanted to cry. These were her soldiers, fighting under her orders. And they died following her orders.

Meng Yao's assurances that her troops' losses were at an acceptable rate did nothing to ease her pain and sorrow. "These are people, Meng Yao," she'd remind him. "With families and loved ones who need them alive. They followed their sect's or clan's heirs to war and.... I've sent them to their deaths."

"The enemy are also people who probably have families and loved ones. With few exceptions, the Wen cultivators also merely followed their sect's heirs to war. There is little difference between our soldiers and theirs."

"You're a horrible man, Meng Yao," Jiang YanLi pouted. He merely blinked at her in response.

Then came the night Yu FangSu listened to a butterfly message and her face went white. "Lotus Pier is under attack."

Messages flew in and out almost constantly.

The town was burned to the ground by a small advance group in the middle of the night. The civilians had already been relocated elsewhere upstream. Wen Chao's forces were split, approximately half approached Lotus Pier from the ground, and the other half via boats and barges. The Jiang disciples were prepared, and destroyed the vessels before they even reached land. Out of the thousands on the boats, perhaps a quarter survived the initial attack; it was unknown if those who were seen struggling against the river's current were strong enough to swim to safety.

Night became day, and the fighting continued.

A message: Yu ZiYuan is fighting Wen ZhuLiu.

A message: the Jin have attacked the Wen rear guard. The Wen are now fighting on two fronts. Jin ZiXuan leads the attack.

A message: Wen ZhuLiu is defeated. Yu ZiYuan is severely wounded.

A message: Jiang FengMian is severely wounded. He is not expected to live.

Night was falling when the next important message came in: Jiang WanYin, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi have entered Lotus Pier.

A message: Wen Chao is dead. Captured by Wei WuXian. Executed by Jiang WanYin.

A message: Jiang FengMian is dead. Yu ZiYuan's condition is still critical.

As midnight approached: the remaining Wen have surrendered.

Jiang YanLi collapsed, finally allowing her emotions to be felt. "A'Die!" she cried out. "A'Niang!"

Yu FangSu was exhausted from receiving, reporting, and sending out butterflies for more than a day. "Compose yourself," she scolded. "You can grieve when the war is over."

Meng Yao put an arm around his leader's shaking shoulders. "Let her be. Not everyone is as heartless as you."

"Bastard!"

"Bitch!"

"Stop. Please." Jiang YanLi wiped at her face. "Jin Furen is right. There is too much to do. I cannot afford to grieve."

"Jin Furen is wrong," Meng Yao snapped. "Come, Jiang Guniang. I'll help you to your tent. Rest. Cry. Grieve. If there's an emergency, I'll send for you. Otherwise, take the rest of tonight and tomorrow. Grieve now, so you can be strong for what's coming next."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #meng yao #jin guangyao #jin furen #jin zixuan

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Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 24

Maintaining order in the camp was not unlike herding chickens in an unfenced yard. Maintaining order when her subjects were scattered all over the jianghe? Meng Yao was god's blessing; he helped her keep track of all the incoming and outgoing messages, making sure to update the map they'd cobbled together.

The strike teams were ruthlessly effective. Sometimes, they were able to take out only a few Wen soldiers. Sometimes they were able to kill several hundred in a night. They stayed shielded behind Wei WuXian's talismans, allowing them freedom of movement a normal patrol would never have.

The biggest issue, however, was with Jin ZiXuan's mother. Yu FangSu arrived in the middle of the night in a rainstorm, demanding to take the reins of the campaign. As part of that, she demanded Meng Yao's expulsion from Jiang YanLi's side.

"No. My strategy advisor stays with me."

"Don't speak to your elders like that," the older woman snapped.

Jiang YanLi was fighting yawns and shivers; she'd been asleep only a few hours when her mother's friend arrived. "You are here at my convenience. Your job is to send and receive the messenger butterflies. If you can't, or won't, do that? Find me someone who will."

Yu FengSu sniffed, and raised her head, looking so much like her childhood friend. "I will assist you, dearest child. But, as your mother's substitute... I cannot allow you to cavort with such... persons."

Jiang YanLi lost the battle with a yawn. "Madame Yu. If you have an issue with your husband's son, I suggest you take your anger out on the man who abused your trust instead of the one who has done nothing to earn your ire." She was vaguely aware of Meng Yao allowing his frozen facial facade to show shock at her defense. You are my advisor, Meng Yao. I promised to protect you. And I will. Even against the woman I thought to call my mother-in-law. A good leader protects all of her people.

"He's a bastard," Yu FangSu hissed. "And his mother was a prostitute. Such people should be kept far away from decent people."

Jiang YanLi yawned again, not even trying to prevent it. "I fully intend to keep my distance from the man who was unfaithful to your marriage, and who refused to make Meng Shi a concubine after he impregnated her. Jin GuangShan's actions made Meng Yao a bastard. His morality is severely lacking. That you absolve your husband of his responsibility and blame someone who did not choose to be born into that mess, makes me question your morality.

"I bid you goodnight, Madame Yu. If you really cannot behave properly around my advisor, I will find another person to handle the butterflies. I find Meng Yao far more a pleasant companion and advisor than any Jin at this moment."

Meng Yao held her umbrella as she trudged through the rain and mud to her tent. "You did not have to say such things to your mother-in-law."

Jiang YanLi smiled, exhaustion showing through. "I am not marrying Jin ZiXuan anymore. My need to keep my brothers alive through this war is far more important than keeping my mother's friend happy. You, Meng Yao, are far more important to me." She shook her head softly. "I'm not saying it properly, am I? I like to think that we've become friends over the last few weeks. Aside from your abilities as my strategic advisor, you are valuable to me."

"The fortune teller told me that I... did bad things in that other future. Bad things to you and your family."

"Did she? I know what you're capable of, Meng Yao, both good and evil. I still choose to have you as a friend. I choose to trust you. Will you break my trust?"

He didn't answer for a long time. Then... "Jiang Gunian... I swear on my mother that I will never break your trust. I will be loyal to you until the day I die." He handed her the umbrella, knelt in the mud, and bowed his head.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #meng yao #jin guangyao #jin furen

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 23

Xia KeXin nodded to herself and bit her lip upon seeing Meng Yao approaching her. The informal camp was barely a quarter of its original size since the raiding parties were sent out. Meng Yao, of course, remained with Jiang YanLi and a few retainers to protect her, and a few advisors. They, too, would be leaving the seaside in a few days, the better to coordinate with the Jiang and Nie sects as well as the raiding parties.

"Greetings," he bowed slightly. "Do you have a few moments? I would like my fortune read."

"You make your own fortune," she reminded him.

"I would like that to be true." He smiled. Perhaps it was even a genuine smile. "How did we win the war?"

"It doesn't matter now. That future was overwritten. The events that led to Wen RuoHan's defeat are no longer possible to repeat." She tried to sound like a true sage. But inside, she was still barely a teenager. Not wise in the least.

"All events are impossible?" He looked away, angry. "How did we do it? I would like to know anyways."

Xia KeXin gave up. He was going to pester her until she talked, right? "The short version? After Wen Chao burned Lotus Pier, Wei WuXian lost his golden core in a fight." She ignored his gasp of astonishment as she was ignoring that she wasn't entirely telling the truth of that story. "He was then thrown into the Burial Mounds and left for dead."

"I assume he didn't die?"

"No. Instead, he..." Sorry, MXTX, for destroying your creation. It's necessary, you see that right? Meng Yao is too smart to know how the war was won last time. I wouldn't put it past him to find the Core Crushing Hand and make a deal: his life for Wei Ying to have his Core melted and his body thrown into the Burial Mounds. "He developed a brand new method of cultivation using yin energy."

Meng Yao frowned. "Using yin energy instead of yang will kill the body and destroy the soul."

More fudging required. "He found a... device... that tempered the effects on the body while amplifying his use of yin energy. With that device, he was able to help the Allies crush Wen RuoHan's army. Then while Wen RuoHan was trying to kill Wei WuXian at the last battle, you managed to swoop in for the kill."

"So... We get the device and have Wei WuXian recreate cultivating with yin energy."

"It's not possible anymore," she boldly lied. "We've changed too many events. Wei WuXian will never be in the same place as the device. Even if you try to have someone throw him into the Burial Mounds, he'll never find it." Hopefully, that will prevent this bastard from harming my Wei Ying! Lan Zhan's Wei Ying, but still.

"I killed Wen RuoHan?" He narrowed his eyes. "That seems improbable."

"Again. You're in completely different circumstances now. What you did then is vastly different that what you've done now. Then you were a acting as a spy for the Allies. Now you are Jiang YanLi's strategist."

"What was my end goal?"

Xia KeXin snorted. "Do you have any other end goal? You crave respect and power. And you're willing to step over as many dead bodies as necessary to get either." Angered at what he had done in the book, she recklessly continued. "Your father acknowledged you as his child after you ended the war. Then he gave you the courtesy name Jin GuangYao. You fell in love with a woman, and she with you. You weren't careful and got her pregnant. Before the wedding, her mother begged you to stop because you'd be marrying your own sister.

"You gave a few hints here and there. Hired a few assassins. Talked people into believing your lies. All the while pretending you were the aggrieved party, and were only acting in the other's best interests.

"People died because of you. Your two brothers. Your sister. Your father. Your son. Your best friend. Thousands of innocent people. Hundreds of not so innocent people. Wei WuXian and Jiang YanLi were also killed because of you."

"I killed my own son?" he whispered, horrified.

"The child you had with your half-sister? You know what happens sometimes when close relatives breed with each other. their bodies and minds aren't always healthy. Bad traits get amplified, right?" See the Egyptian pharaohs for example. And that French royal family with the really bad jawlines. Oh, and the Russian royals, too. Wasn't that blood clotting disease they had due to inbreeding? Same things happen with purebred dogs. Gotta open up that gene pool a bit. "You didn't want to chance anyone seeing those deformities and making the connection."

Meng Yao was silent for a while. "Jiang YanLi... she knows that information?"

"She knows enough. That you're extremely smart: the smartest person in any room. That you will be loyal to those who protect you. And that you have the capability to backstab anyone who hurts you. It appears she's taken the loyal part seriously, given how she forced Nie HuaiSang to whip those men who insulted you."

"Does she know I'm the one who caused her death?"

"I don't remember telling her that. I told her... you will remove any obstacles in your path. That you will kill your father." She half laughed. "You will do that, won't you?"

"Yes."

Xia KeXin nodded. "I wish you luck. Are you going to kill me?"

"I have no need to kill you at the moment."

"At the moment," she repeated. "Fair enough. I keep your secrets and I keep my life? I can agree to that."

"Agreed."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #meng yao #jin guangyao

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 22

Wei WuXian hadn't slept at all that night. Partly because he wasn't sure exactly what had happened. And partly because he wasn't sure what was going to happen after Lan Zhan woke up. He absentmindedly caressed the ribbon twisting around his wrist. I think this means we're engaged. He snorted, amused. Especially after the things we did last night? Isn't that supposed to be reserved for married people? He wasn't a complete prude, or ignorant about sex between men and women; he knew what went on in pleasure houses even before he found himself hiding in one. (He just hadn't ever been a participant with anything other than his hand.) Or ensconced in one of their rooms and face to face with detailed images of men pleasuring each other. Now that was an interesting lesson to learn. It made sense, given the anatomy, but it looked painful.

Sex, in general, seemed like it must be painful for the one being penetrated.... Fingers must be okay, he mused looking at his pointer and middle finger and mentally comparing their circumference to what he had been exposed to the previous evening. Anything larger? He glanced down into his lap. Regardless of his state, he wasn't as well endowed as Lan Zhan. Or the men on the wall. But even with lubrication to ease the way, how could it not hurt?

"Wei Ying... why am I naked?"

"You're the one who stripped down right in front of me because your robes were wet from spilled wine," Wei Ying replied. "I tried to get you to put sleeping robes on. Don't you remember?"

Lan Zhan clutched his head. "It aches. Why do you drink? I remember pretending to drink. I remember one of your women saying something really baudy. I think I took a sip by accident. I don't remember anything else."

Really? Wei Ying wanted to scoff, but Lan Zhan wasn't a liar.... So.... "You should never drink again, then." He paused to scratch his nose. "You really don't remember reading the spring book to me and refusing to let me see the pictures in case I fell in love with one of the men portrayed in it?"

Lan Zhan's gaze zeroed in on the ribbon wrapped around Wei Ying's wrist. "Did I do that?" His ears turned from pale white to a rosy pink to a deep red in the space of a breath.

Wei Ying held up the arm. "This? Yes, you fiend. You tackled me down to the ground, sat on my waist with my right arm pinned under your leg while you tied this on, and told me that I can never look at another person ever again. And not just a look to notice if someone is pretty or interesting. No. You didn't want me looking at another person for any reason! So unreasonable, Lan Zhan. How am I supposed to talk to people if I have to keep my eyes closed? How am I supposed to buy things?"

"I'm sorry," Lan Zhan whispered.

"Sorry? You should be," Wei Ying hmmphed. "In case you're wondering... we're still virgins. But only because I managed to convince you that certain acts were only for married couples! I had to do a lot of fast talking for a while there."

Lan Zhan winced. "I'm sorry. Very sorry." He took a shaking breath. "Is there anything else I should apologize for?"

Wei Ying cocked his head. "You told me lots of things last night.... I suppose there are things you said that you wouldn't have said sober.... Things you, we, did together that I don't know if you are ready to do sober?"

"What did we do?"

"We kissed. And touched. Everywhere. You told me about those rabbits I gave you.... How they're living in some meadow, and your uncle pretends they're wild animals. You told me how happy you are that I know what your ribbons mean. And that you want me to be the only one who will ever touch your ribbon again."

"What did you say to that?" Lan Zhan's face was buried in between his bare knees.

"I said... I want to be the only one to touch your ribbon. That I want to be the only one you look at, too.... That I love the way your hands feel on my skin. That I love the way your body feels in my hands. I love seeing the faces you make when you can't control yourself anymore."

"What did I say to that?"

"You said you love me." Lan Zhan's head whipped up, face shocked. "I said I love you, too." Wei Ying leaned over to press a light kiss against his love's mouth. "I love you, Lan Zhan."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 21

To say the strategy meeting was not going well was an understatement. Jin ZiXuan's relief upon hearing that his mother was alive and planning on retreating to Lotus Pier was brief. His ire that Meng Yao had a way to communicate with the outside world and declined to share that with everyone was... anything but brief.

The two half brothers were currently in a screaming match about their mothers, with the Jin heir adamant that being able to communicate with his mother was of paramount importance while the bastard insisting that he, too, would like to communicate with his mother... except she was dead.

"That's not my fault!" Jin ZiXuan yelled. "I didn't kill her. I'm not the one who sold herself into that life. I'm not the one who refused to buy out her contract. I didn't even know you existed until the day Father kicked you out!"

"The debts of the father shall be paid for by the son!" Meng Yao snarled back.

"We're brothers!"

"Really? Since when have you treated me as a brother? Do you call me Ge? Can I start calling you Didi? Is my surname Jin? Are my sleeping quarters with the rest of the Jin disciples? Your father impregnating my mother doesn't make us brothers."

Jiang YanLi wanted to roll her eyes; these two had been rehashing the same arguments for over a sichen. "Lan XiChen? Can you..." she asked quietly.

"Yes, Jiang Gunian." The muffled sounds coming from the half brothers as they struggled to open their mouths was blissful. "I disagree with Jin Furen's suggestion to send GusuLan disciples to harass the Wen armies," he continued. "I believe that sending them to assist the Unclean Realm would be better. We are better suited to send out small strike teams." He lifted his Silence spell. "Meng Yao... what do you think?"

Meng Yao sent a withering glare at his sibling, then went to look at the map. "We need more information. Where the Wen are. How many are attacking each sect. Sending the Lan to the Nie and the Jin to the Jiang is a good idea. More defenders should be welcomed.

"This pass here?" He laid a finger on a section of the map. "Twenty good archers can take out a couple hundred. There's no room to maneuver in the pass and plenty of room to hide up top. The question is: will Wen Xu take his army through this pass?"

"So... information? Like... spying?" Jiang YanLi asked.

"I recommend we create teams here with each team containing at least one Jin disciple who can send butterflies. They can spy on the Wen armies, attack scouting parties, and report back troop movements to Jin Gongzi."

"I can't get butterflies sent to me here," the Jin heir reminded them.

"We'll need to break camp here, then," Lan XiChen agreed. "A small group will stay with Jiang Gunian, Jin Gongzi, Nie Gongzi, and Meng Yao to strategize and coordinate. The rest of us will scout."

"You'll leave me behind while the rest of you fight?" Jin ZiXuan argued.

"Teach me the butterfly spell, and you can go off and fight," Jiang YanLi countered. "Or assign someone who knows the spell that I can trust implicitly."

He thought for a moment. "Can you have Wei WuXian send my mother to you instead of her traveling to Lotus Pier?"

Meng Yao laughed. "You think it's a wise decision to send your mother into the care of your father's bastard son? As well as the woman you insulted so thoroughly her father had no choice but to break your betrothal agreement?"

"Wise or not, I would rather her stay with Jiang YanLi, protected, than in Lotus Pier where she will soon be fighting for her life."

Nie HuaiSang fluttered his fan, speaking up for the first time. "I think that's an acceptable compromise. As long as we keep Jin Furen away from Meng Gongzi."

"I need someone to give us butterfly intelligence, not antagonize our chief strategist," Jiang YanLi agreed. "If she is willing to do that, then, fine." She busied herself with writing the request to her younger brother, ignoring the way her former intended was gnashing his teeth at the slight insult to his mother. This fight is larger than any one of us. Petty grievances need to be set aside. Especially grievances caused by people not here. Meng Yao's birth is not his fault. I will not have him treated as less by his father's wife.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #meng yao #lan xichen #lan huan #jin zixuan

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 20

Jiang YanLi read the first letter from her brother three times before folding it in her lap and sending a runner to find the Lan sect leader. "Lan ZongZhu," she sighed. "Would you please put up a silencing talisman? What this letter contains needs to be kept between us for the moment." He complied, and she handed the paper over.

"'Dearest ShiJie,'" Lan XiChen read out loud. "'I hope this letter finds you well and that not too many disciples are in the infirmary from fighting. Please let the peacock know we found his mother.'" Lan XiChen looked up. "They found Jin Furen? Excellent."

"Keep reading," Jiang YanLi admonished.

"'She's safe, as are the rest of the two hundred missing Jin women and disciples. They've been leaving Lanling a few at a time so as to not expose themselves to the Wen guarding the city gates. Most of the cultivators are headed to Lotus Pier while the civilians are supposed to go to the MeishanYu. Jin Furen insists that she will be in the last group heading out, so I think it will be over a month before she's safe in Lotus Pier.'

"'Please don't tell the peacock where I found Jin Furen: a brothel.'" Lan XiChen looked up again, ears and cheeks turning pink. "A brothel? What are our brothers doing in a brothel?"

Her cheeks were gaining color, too. "Keep reading."

"'I know you're going to ask why we're in a brothel. I'll explain later. Jin Furen made arrangements to hide the girls and women of Koi Tower immediately after the peacock took his people to hide with us. Jin ZongZhu thought they would evade any repercussions for the peacock not attending the Indoctrination session because he's an arrogant prick. Jin Furen was positive they would be attacked and subjugated next because of the insult. Jin Furen is much smarter than her husband; I quite like her. She made arrangements with various pleasure houses in Lanling to hide the women and their guards. Every day a group of three or four leave the city, different gates each time. A small family heading home after visiting their parents. Or newlyweds moving to a new home. So far, no one has been stopped. I think either the gate guards are unable to sense spiritual energy, or the Jin purposefully blocked their own spiritual energy to pass.'

"'Living in the brothel gives Jin Furen an incredible amount of information. She and some of the older women hide behind a thick veil and cheap skirts and ply the Wen soldiers with bad wine until they're drunk. Then they dig for information about troop movements. I'll include a map of where we think Wen troops are currently stationed. Wen Chao is leading troops towards Lotus Pier while Wen Xu is leading his troops to the Unclean Realm. Jin Furen thinks both sons are going to attack simultaneously.' If they do," Lan XiChen added, "That will make aiding each other impossible. On both sides."

"The Wen brothers can't leave to support each other's battles means... what? They are confident that they are each capable of overrunning the Jiang and Nie armies?"

"It certainly seems so." Lan XiChen returned to the letter. "Jin Furen hopes to have her people in Lotus Pier before Wen Chao attacks. She recommends that you send support to Nie ZongZhu. Wen RuoHan shouldn't know about us. She thinks he thinks all the heirs are hiding out together, but she thinks that he thinks there are only perhaps a hundred disciples with the heirs.'

"'Lan Zhan says his brother should send a letter to Cloud Recesses requesting their assistance at either Lotus Pier or the Unclean Realm. I advocate for hit-and-run attacks on the main armies or scouting parties.'" Lan XiChen put the letter down. "We should talk with the other heirs about what we should do."

Jiang YanLi nodded. "I'm sure Meng Yao will have suggestions worth listening to."

"Mmm. 'As for how Lan Zhan and I ended up in a brothel? We were in Lanling, and a pair of Wen soldiers looked like they were overly interested in us. The closest public building happened to be a brothel. We took refuge, flirting with the ladies there. Yes, Shijie, I flirted with the ladies; Lan Zhan just smirked and pretended to drink wine. He spilled it down the front of his robes. So, of course, he needed to change, and I wasn't going to let him wander around a pleasure house without me. Not the way he was acting.'

"Which leads me, us, to our current predicament. Not all the wine was wasted. He must have drank a few cups because he fell asleep at the table for a while. When he woke up, he got up and started exploring the place, saying he was dirty and needed to change. I asked the Madame for a room, and she sent us to one.... ShiJie... I have never been so embarrassed in my life.'

"'It was a room designed for men to pleasure each other! Lan Zhan wasn't embarrassed at all! He looked at the pictures on the walls and in the spring books as if they were art, and sniffed every bottle of oil to find one he liked.'" Lan XiChen folded the paper and fanned himself with it. "I should have warned Wei Gongzi that we Lan have almost no tolerance for alcohol. My apologies, Jiang Guniang, for my brother's actions."

She smiled. "No apologies are necessary. Keep reading."

"'He pocketed the oil, which apparently reminded him that he was wet from the spilled wine, and he proceeded to... I suppose I shouldn't tell you everything that he did. Let's just say he was not himself at all. No sense of propriety.'

"'I think we're engaged? At one point, he took his forehead ribbon out and tied it around my wrist. Can you ask Lan XiChen about that? Lan Zhan looked so embarrassed when he woke up this morning and saw my wrist still tied with his ribbon.' Engaged?" Lan XiChen moaned. "My uncle will kill him. There are...." His words trailed off.

"Yes, there are," Jiang YanLi agreed. "I will expect a marriage contract from you soon. I had thought we'd have time after they returned to make arrangements. When has A'Xian ever done anything in a proper manner?" She laughed. "It appears your brother is like that, too. It should make for an interesting start to their marriage."

"You aren't opposed to a cut sleeve marriage?"

"It is obvious that they care deeply for each other, Lan ZongZhu. I find that more important than their gender." She whisked the letter out of the sect leader's hands. "I can expect you to hold confidential matters confidential?" He nodded. "Good. Please end the silence spell, and I'll call for a sect heir meeting to discuss our next steps."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan xichen #lan huan #meng yao

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 19

Wei WuXian was shocked, almost to the point of paralysis, when he heard of the potential future. It wasn't that he was scared of dying.... The thought of his shijie dying? Of his home being destroyed? Of his friends dying?

He wouldn't allow such a future to pass.

Xia KeXin was the first person in his quest to make that future never occur. "I need to know what leads to my death, so I can prevent everyone else's," he demanded.

"Have you gone to the Qishan archery contest yet? Have you met a boy named Wen Ning, courtesy QiongLin?"

"Yes."

"Good." She sighed. "They helped you a great deal."

***

Wei WuXian peeked at his friend as they packed. Were you really my husband? Are you really in love with me? It was weird... made his stomach feel funny. He knew he'd loved his parents and he knew he loved ShiJie. But what was this feeling he had for Lan Zhan? Was it love? It was a need... almost a compulsion... to look, to touch, to want Lan Zhan to look back, to touch back. His fingers itched to pull one of the ends of Lan Zhan's ribbon, just to see what he would do this time. It had been an accident back in Qishan.... Lan Zhan had been so angry.... Angry because he didn't understand what the ribbons represented. He did now. In that other future, he'd been granted the right to touch whenever he felt like it. He'd belonged to Lan Zhan: body and soul. He wasn't exactly sure what marriage between two men looked like.... If it was Lan Zhan? He was willing to find out. Aching to find out. "Lan Zhan… you really will have to change into normal clothing before we leave. If you go out like that, everyone will know you're a Lan disciple."

"Mmm."

"And that means removing your forehead ribbon, too. Do you want me to carry it for you?" He was gratified to see Lan Zhan's ears turning pink with embarrassment. He was startled to hear the monosyllabic non-response sound like a 'yes'.

"Mmm."

Did Lan Zhan want it, too?

Jiang YanLi called out, "Lan Er Gongzi? May I have a moment of your time?" She was talking to the second jade quietly; Wei Ying had excellent hearing, as did all cultivators.

Marrriage? ShiJie would allow us to marry? It didn't occur to him that he should be embarrassed about his martial sister speaking so matter-of-factly about his future. Lan Zhan looked embarrassed to be found out, not embarrassed to feel like that.

There was no time to talk about ribbons and what they meant. Between finishing up packing and getting the communication box from Meng Yao, they were very busy. Once they were on the road, it didn't seem like the right time or place to talk.

The third day out from the camp, it started drizzling. And then the drizzle became rain. Which became a downpour. Drenched and shivering, the two boys happily spied a cottage. Empty of all but vermin and with holes in the roof in one corner, the boys decided it was as good as a castle. Talismans evicted the mice and dried wood. While Lan Zhan started a fire, Wei Ying gathered the rotting remnants of the bedding and threw them outside. "The bed looks sturdy enough," he mused, pressing on it looking for soft spots. "Big enough for the whole family, too, probably. Do you see a broom? I'll sweep a bit or do you think the roof is stable enough for me to get up and see if I can fix some of the holes?"

"There's what used to be a broom over there," Lan Zhan pointed to the rainy corner. "It looks like the mice used most of the straw for their nests."

The broom remnants were sufficient to sweep most of the dirt off the bed frame and remove cobwebs. "What do you think happened to the family?" Wei WuXian asked to pass the time. "I think the husband and wife moved here as newlyweds. They lived happily with their daughters."

"Why daughters?"

"Because a son would expect to inherit the place? Daughters would marry and move out. Maybe there was a son who died before he had a son of his own? Anyways, the couple lived here for decades and died peacefully in their sleep, holding each other's hands."

"That's morbid. If they died here, where are the remains?"

"Of course, the daughters checked up on their parents. And gave them a proper burial." Wei WuXian smiled at his fantasy. It was awfully close to his own dreams. "Lan Zhan? When you get too old to night hunt, are you going to just retire to Cloud Recesses and teach? I think I want something like this. A house and a farm and a river or lake so I can catch fish. Go on night hunts when I want. Come home to my family...."

"You don't want to live at Lotus Pier?"

"I mean after. Jiang Cheng's son will want his own people in charge, won't he?" Wei WuXian looked at his friend, still dripping wet. "We should change into dry clothing. Just because we can't get sick doesn't mean it's healthy to stay in wet clothing." He began fighting with his belt, the leather swollen and unresponsive.

"What are you doing?" Lan Zhan sounded scandalized.

"I'm changing. I'm cold and wet and I want to be warm and dry. Turn your back if you're going to faint like a girl."

Lan Zhan whirled, ears exposed by his wet hair clinging to his scalp brilliantly scarlet. "It's not proper."

"We're both men." The belt finally released and clanged to the floor. "Haven't you changed in front of other disciples before?" The ties holding his robes closed were knotted tightly. "I can't get this!" he whined. "Everything is stuck tight." He huffed sadly at limp bangs. "I'm going to have to try to dry up a bit before the ties will loosen. You can turn around. I'm still dressed."

"No, I don't change in front of other disciples," Lan Zhan retorted. "It's not appropriate."

Wei Ying collapsed in front of the fire fluffing his soggy robes as best as possible. "Lan Zhan? Back at camp, you said you'd give me your ribbon to carry, but you didn't 'cause ShiJie said you can't? What's the deal with the ribbons anyways?" He knew, of course. Xia KeXin had been very insistent that he understand exactly what touching those ribbons meant.

"You should know what they mean," Lan Zhan sounded irritated as he sank gracefully to the floor next to Wei Ying in front of the fire. "You copied the Rules so many times."

"As if I paid attention," Wei Ying laughed. This close, the firelight almost danced, reflected in his friend's eyes. So cute. They were close enough that a small sideways rock would make their shoulders brush together.

"That's what Jiang YanLi said. They represent restraint."

Wei Ying looked at his friend. "Does that mean you're not restrained right now? You can do whatever you want? We can do anything we want?"

Lan Zhan looked back. "Wei Ying," he chastised. "Don't tease." He swallowed once, twice, Adam's apple bobbing.

I want to kiss it. Feel it moving beneath my lips when he does that. The thought was enticing. "What if I'm not teasing?" He swallowed, too, and saw his friend's gaze drop to follow his throat's motion. "What if I remember exactly who can touch your ribbon?" He hadn't meant to make that admission.... Now that it was out, though....

"Don't tease," sounded like a plea for something else.

For a kiss, perhaps. "I'm not teasing, Lan Zhan...." He shifted to his knees and kept his eyes firmly on his friend's as he leaned forward.

Lan Zhan's lips tasted like rain water and smoke. They were soft and damp and thrilling. He could feel the kiss all the way to his toes. "I like you so much, Lan Zhan," he sighed as his eyes fluttered shut.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 18

Character archetypes exist for a reason, Xia KeXin mused, watching Jiang YanLi almost scurrying from the Jin section of the camp to stop to talk with Lan WangJi and then hurry off to the Nie camp. Maybe Miss MXTX read Pride and Prejudice, and maybe she didn't. Either way, everyone knows that the Miss Elizabeth Bennett archetype marries the Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy archetype. And Miss Jane Bennett marries Mr. Charles Bingley. Miss YanLi is obviously more of a Jane Bennett so why did she marry a Darcy figure? Xia KeXin looked down the street to where Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi were packing. MXTX got that pairing right. Wei Ying is such an Elizabeth Bennett to Lan Zhan's Darcy. Colin Firth is the sexiest Mr. Darcy on screen; I'll allow this Lan Zhan or his actor Wang YiBo would give him a run for his money in the wet shirt contest. Why did I have to transmigrate into a forty-seven year old fortune teller instead of into one of their bodies? She looked down at her wrinkled skin on her hands and sighed. I'm not even that old. Back home women in their forties were still getting their groove on. Here? Everything hurts when I wake up. Or try sitting on the mats. Thank God for that carpenter! She had found one of the Wen civilians was a carpenter and commissioned him to make her a rocking chair. It had been a grueling process, as he'd never tried to make the curved runners, and she had no idea how to draw a rocking chair to scale, but the end product was well worth it. Several other women had openly eyed the rocker, thinking how useful it would be to be able to sit comfortably while nursing babies or trying to put them to sleep. Or for just taking an afternoon rest.

But back to Jiang YanLi. Obviously Jane Bennett marries Mr. Bingley. Wealthy, kind to everyone, the part where Mr. Bennett says they'll outspend their income is optional, I suppose. As are his annoying sisters and bland brother-in-law. Jin ZiXuan is wealthy, so.... She frowned at her crochet project. Wealthy, yes. But too damn proud to be Bingley. And definitely not kind enough. He's definitely a Darcy 2.0 more than a Bingley. Yeah, so he ends up completely besotted with YanLi. Big whoop. She deserves someone who doesn't need to be smacked in the proverbial face before he realizes what kind of woman she is. So... wealthy and kind? The only one here that fits that bill is... Lan XiChen? Xia KeXin rocked a bit faster, thinking of how the handsome sect leader looked standing next to Jiang YanLi. They do look good together, don't they.... YanLi looks good in that pale lavender she perfers, so I'm guessing that she'll look good in those pastel blues XiChen wears, too. She can even mix and match, probably... White under robes with lavender as her next layer and her outer layers blue.... Or purple, white, blue? That would probably look best? Or... what's that... ombrage? No. What's it called? Xia KeXin internally rolled her eyes at failing to remember the word. It's right on the fucking tip of my tongue! Ombrange? Katie did it to her hair right before we went on vacation, too. In almost the same colors as I'm trying to see for YanLi. Shit! Blue on top fading into purple at the bottom. Not ombrage! She looked up at the sky and mentally screamed at herself. "Got my tongue stuck between my eyeteeth, so I can't see what I'm saying," she spoke out loud in English.

"Did you say something?" a woman passing by asked.

"Just talking to myself," Xia KeXin smiled. Ombre! That's the word. Or Ballyage. I am such a dumb idiot sometimes. Ombrage. What the Hell, Summer? Don't you dare lose your English. It's all I have to remind myself who I was.

She picked up her crochet project and continued the row, thinking about how to get Jane and Bingley together. It just made more sense than Jane and Darcy 2.0.

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 17

Summer Hanson thought of herself as a stereotypical American college student: wavy, shoulder length dirty blond hair, green eyes, slightly taller than average. She studied hard during the week and played hard on the weekends. She had learned how to not grimace when drinking beer at parties even though she hadn't yet learned how to like the drink. Where she differed, perhaps, from that stereotype was that she had been introduced to Thai BLs by her freshman year roommate, and she had immediately become hooked.

It was natural to progress through the overtly sexual Thai shows to the more restrained Korean and Japanese BLs to the Chinese 'best male friends, soul-mates even, but definitely do not kiss and are never going to be intimate.... ever.' shows.

And then she discovered that some of the shows were originally books, and she became even more addicted to the genre. She read fan translations, machine translations, official translations. And discovered that there was a whole lot of 'we're not just BFFs' going on in the books that didn't make it into the Chinese drama or donghua adaptations.

As a stereotypical college student, she and a group of friends would escape to someplace warm for spring break. In her junior year, she was with them, waiting for a huge train to pass when the cars in front of her started rocking.

Then the car she was in started rocking.

The cars in front tipped, and fell into a hole that hadn't been there a moment ago. Her own car followed.

She vaguely remembered screaming. Pain. Something wet that smelled metallic. Lights strobing, hurting her eyes. Eye. Something was wrong. Why couldn't she see out of the other eye? People talking fast, calmly, rushed, blurred. And then, clearly, "She's coding."

Blackness. Blankness. Absence of... everything. Soothing. Relaxing. Comforting darkness.

When she awoke, it was to a strange room, strange clothing, a strange body. A new name: Xia KeXin, which made her giggle hysterically seeing as how close it sounded to the Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers' Wen KeXing.

Thankfully, she had the previous soul's memories to rely on, as Summer had no idea how to live in this new world, new life, she suddenly found herself in. Cooking? Going to the bathroom? Dressing herself? Making a living? Knowing how much something should cost? Without her host's memories, she would be completely lost instead of mostly. Unlike Cucumber Bro, she didn't have a System to help her out, either. Which could be a good thing? No weird quests to go on? No points added or subtracted for doing something well or poorly?

It didn't take too long to discover that she was living in the town outside Lotus Pier in the days before the Sunshot Campaign. Her job as a fortune teller, didn't earn a significant income, but it was steady and sufficient to live on.

Not quite comfortably to live on, though. Her 'bed' was a mat and a couple of quilts that she folded away every morning. There was no padding. Her 'pillow' was nothing that resembled a twenty-first century pillow.

Once she was sort of used to this new life, she talked to the local blacksmith and asked him to make her a set of crochet hooks. She found someone who sold yarn and bought enough to hopefully make herself a heavier blanket to keep her aching bones (who knew being only in her late forties would be this painful?) warmer at night.

And then Jiang YanLi came in for a consultation. Given the opportunity to change Wei Ying's fate? To stop the jianghe from treating this wonderful man as a pariah? What kind of fujoshi would she be to stand by and let Lan WangJi mourn his love for thirteen years? What kind of person would she be to sit back and allow Jiang YanLi and Wen Qing die for nothing?

Jiang Yanli knelt at the table before Xia KeXin and arranged her skirts into a pleasing configuration. The older woman rolled her eyes, but said nothing until the younger stopped figiting. "I assume you're here to discuss your love life and marriage."

#wangxian #the untamed #chen qing ling #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql #jiang yanli #wei ying #lan zhan #wei wuxian #lan wangji