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drwcn · 2 days ago

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《WITHOUT ENVY》 STORYBOARD 18

[storyboard 1] [storyboard 2] [storyboard 3] [storyboard 4] [storyboard 5] [storyboard 6] [storyboard 7] [storyboard 8] [storyboard 9] [storyboard 10] [storyboard 11] [storyboard 12] [storyboard 13] [storyboard 14] [storyboard 15] [storyboard 16] [storyboard 17]

tw: it's war, ppl be killing and dying

The Siege of Nevernight:

After A-Qing's death, Wei Wuxian was temporarily without contact to Meng Yao's spy network. However, the agent upstream of A-Qing, and an ex-con named Nie Zonghui who owed his freedom/second chance to Nie Huaisang (and as such repaid him by taking on his last name and becoming his servant) soon made contact with Wei Wuxian. By then the trajectory of the war was clear to all of them: Wen Ruohan was set to lose. The court had been maneuvered in such a way that would support Wen Qing's father as ruler once Wen Ruohan was forced to abdicate. Gusu's forces were merely leagues away. As soon as Wen Qing's father was in power, an armistice could be drawn.

"So…what am I do to now?"

Nie Zonghui smiled warily. "Nothing. I am leaving for Gusu tonight. This will be our last communication, Wei Wuxian. Orders from up high: Chenqing's debt is paid; he is free to go. I do not know what arrangements you have made with Lianfang-jun or Nie-gongzi - rest his soul - but I assume you understand what this means for you."

Of course Wei Wuxian knew. From the beginning, he had been waiting for this day. He had successfully survived the war, and the red on his ledger… hopefully the gods would see it in their way to forgive some of it now that he's helped to bring the bloodshed to an end. He was never going to be publicly exonerated, that wasn't the deal. Meng Yao had been very clear about that. Gusu would never admit to employing him as their spy, and would never admit to the unethical crimes Wei Wuxian had to commit - people he had to sacrifice - in order to maintain his cover and reap greater rewards and intel for Gusu's long term gain.

And Wen Qing, brokering this alliance, would never admit that her branch of the royal family had used outside forces to overthrow Wen Ruohan at the expense of Qishan's military loss. She would never admit to abetting Wei Wuxian in any capacity, because her primary goal would always be to protect her father, her brother, and Qishan's interests at large. Her father would be a fair and just ruler, kind to his subjects and his people, much more suited to the throne than his cousin Wen Ruohan, but his path to the throne was paved with the blood of Qishan's own men, and this was a damning secret that Wei Wuxian knew Wen Qing would never let see the light of day.

And so, Nie Zonghui's message, was the notice he'd been waiting for. He was free to leave Qishan and Gusu and never to return, go North into the prairies or south into the valleys, or out east into the sea. Gusu would not pursue him. Qishan would not pursue. It would be as though he never existed at all. "Wei Wuxian" would be announced to have taken his own life when it was clear that Wen Ruohan's reign was neigh, and that would be that.

"Before Gusu's forces surround Nevernight, you must leave the city. Staying would mean your death." Nie Zonghui peered ernestly into his face. "Do you understand?"

He would never see Lan Zhan again.

Perhaps some day Meng Yao and Nie Mingjue will tell their brother-in-law that the wretch who betrayed his heart was not a complete rat bastard and actually did some good in the war...but even so, Lan Zhan's last memory of Wei Wuxian would always be him stabbing poor Mo Xuanyu through the chest.

"I understand."

He handed one final slip of intel to Nie Zonghui. "This is the where the remainder of the Iron Cavalry is currently located. After the successive losses, Marshall Yin has lost the trust of his men, I'm sure Gusu will do what is needed to deal him with one final blow."

Of course, nothing quite goes as planned. Wen Ruohan, it seemed, was the type of man to pour accelerant on himself, his house, just to burn everything and everyone down with him.

No later than a week after Wei Wuxian delivered his last intel did the news of Iron Cavalry's defeat at the hands of Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin arrive at Nevernight.

Wen Ruohan did not attend court, instead locked himself in his study.

As instructed, Wei Wuxian packed what little belongings he had: a few changes of clothes, some private funds he had squirreled away for himself (none of the riches Wen Ruohan gave him, no, he couldn't take any of that without feeling indescribably dirty), and his sword Suibian. As he was packing, he found the little twine bunny that Lan Wangji had purchased at the night market for him that one warm evening. [see: storyboard 12]

Since husband wants it, then I will buy it. Lan Wangji had merely been teasing, in love and oblivious.

But Wei Wuxian meant what he said then. I can never be your husband, dianxia.

Wei Wuxian tucked all of this away into a small sac and left in the middle of the night, after the sedating additives he placed in the incense burner fixed Wen Ruohan into a deep sleep. He got out of Nevernight, and by dawn he had made it to the next town over. He had made up his mind to head south, but still, something nagged him in the back of his mind. It was something Wen Ruohan had said to him in the throes of their rough coupling just the night before. The man was clearly becoming increasingly unhinged, fraying around the edge in every sense. Wei Wuxian's head may have been spinning and fuzzy, but he remembered Wen Ruohan's words.

I may lose, but they will never win. From the ashes the phoenix will rise.

His mind made, Wei Wuxian purchased the fastest horse he could find and rode back to Nevernight. What timing too. The city was in chaos. Apparently Wen Ruohan had summoned the entire imperial court - every last nobleman, gentry, officers of the ministries - for one important assembly, which nearly everyone had assumed was for the purpose his abdication.

Except it was not.

Wen Ruohan sequestered everyone in the palace. The Imperial Guards, which unlike Nevernight's Capital Defence, was still staunchly loyal to Wen Ruohan, blocked every exit and sealed the palace gates. It was only by luck that Wei Wuxian was able to steal into the palace through one of the smallest, most remote secret passage way that the Imperials Guards had yet to seal.

All around the palace there were vats of oil lining the halls and pavilions, tethered together and set to ignite at a moment's notice.

Outside, Gusu's forces arrived at the city gates, lead by Lan Wangji. A quick exchange with the Commander of Capital Defence - who had long since sworn fealty to Wen Qing's family as did his men - notified them of the crisis within the palace.

When he stepped through the threshold of Wen Ruohan's study, sword drawn, Wen Ruohan turned to him and began to laugh.

"I should have known."

But Wei Wuxian did not intend to kill Wen Ruohan. He pleaded with the man to set aside his ambitions and to come with him.

For a moment, it almost seemed Wen Ruohan would agree, but he did not. In the end, Wei Wuxian was forced to put a stop to Wen Ruohan and slit his throat in one clean stroke.

Wen Ruohan bled dry in a matter of seconds. Wei Wuxian held him as he died, a man who he saw neither as master nor as lover. A maker of sorts perhaps. There was a twisted kind of respect there, an ugly and wretched importance which Wen Ruohan held in his life, if not his heart.

Wei Wuxian did not realize that he had began to sob until his tears splattered against Wen Ruohan's greying face, diluting the blood stains that were already beginning to dry. He wept for the lives he had so unwillingly taken, cried for the utter mess he had made of his own, for the chance at freedom he knew he would never have, and for the absolutions that would never come.

Then suddenly, the study's door burst upon once again. Wei Wuxian looked up, only to see Lan Wangji.

There was smoke in the air. Somewhere, the the fire had started, but if Lan Wangji and his men were in the palace, were standing well and alive and full of righteous rage, then surely it meant they had overwhelmed Wen Ruohan's Imperial Guards and thwarted his plot to burn everyone alive.

Flanked by his generals and lieutenants, Lan Wangji was a vision in silver and white armour. He met Wei Wuxian's eyes steadily, not a hint of doubt or sorrow. If there was ever heartbreak, perhaps it was all in the past….

Better this way, lamented Wei Wuxian internally, rising to his feet.

Lan Wangji surveyed the scene and drew his own conclusion.

A second later, the illustrious and venerated Hanguang-wang was turning away, the flutter of his cape carrying a certain decisive finality, like curtains drawing close at the end of a long, unfortunate play.

Lan Zhan...

Wei Wuxian almost - almost - gave in. But he didn't.

"Arrest him."

The Aftermath

While Lan Wangji went to deal with Wen Ruohan, Qishan's Capital Defence, who had become under Wen Qing's control and agreed to the armistice that Lan Wangji proposed, secured the rest of the palace from the hands of the reminent Imperial Guards. A fire did start, but thankfully, the Capital Defence acted quickly and the fire did not reach the main assembly hall where the nobles and officials were being held hostage.

Upon Wen Ruohan's death, the noblemen urged Wen Qing's father's, the most respected and senior of the royal family, to take the throne and restore peace. The war may be over, but there was still negotiations to be done.

Wen Qing learned from her father that Lan Wangji had captured Wei Wuxian, who was found crying over Wen Ruohan's body. Wei Wuxian refused to speak since his incarceration, and so it was assumed that Wen Ruohan took his own life.

Wen Qing immediately went to see Wei Wuxian in prison.

Wei Wuxian sat against the back wall of the dark and damp prison cell. He was in a bad shape. Given his infamous and nefarious reputation, all of his supposed war crimes committed on Wen Ruohan's behalf, Gusu soldiers must've done a number on him.

Wen Qing knelt before him, moving aside his unbound hair to see his bloodied chest covered in whip marks and burns. "Lan Wangji did this to you?"

Wei Wuxian tried to laugh, but it ended up becoming a wrecked cough which sounded dangerously wet. He shook his head.

"His men then. You -"

"Zhang-gongzhu." Wei Wuxian raised his gaze to stare at her with feverish eyes. She laid a concerned palm against his forehead to find that he was burning up. (Zhang-gongzhu: grand princess.)

"Wei Wuxian, you're still so fucking stupid." She left her tone lowered, for no one should hear such vulgar language out of the lips of a honoured princess. "You were supposed to leave! Why did you not leave -"

Then it dawned on her. "You killed Wen Ruohan. You realized he was going to burn all of us alive and you came to stop him. "

Wei Wuxian's silence confirmed everything she needed to know.

"You - you -" Wen Qing clenched her fist and could not bite back a frustrated scowl. "You know this mean, don't you?! You know I cannot speak for you!! I told you this from the beginning: my father's rule cannot be tainted by a reputation of collusion and usurpation!! I'm going to speak with Lan Wangji -"

She made to stand.

"Wen Qing!" Finally, since the day of his arrest, Wei Wuxian spoke. "Please. Spare him."

"Spare him? You're the one who's going to die -"

"And how many people have died because of me? A-Qing is dead. Xue Yang is dead. Nie Huaisang is dead. I killed Wen Ruohan. I even killed Mo Xuanyu, who was an innocent. Thousands of soldiers on both sides lost their lives because of me. Yiling is a wasteland. Besides, you know what they're all saying about me and... what I was to Wen Ruohan. Why tell Lan Zhan the truth, when it changes nothing and would only cause him pain? Please, Wen Qing, you have see that it is pointless. I knew what would happen when I came back; I've made my peace with it."

Wen Qing was a silent for a long moment, and then, finally, she gave a great heaving sigh. "Alright. Technically, you are still Lan Wangji's mianshou. Now that Wen Ruohan is dead, Gusu wants to extradite you and try you in their courts, which will most likely lead to your public execution. My father has already agreed."

Wei Wuxian nodded. Unsurprised.

"Is there anything more I can do for you?"

The man cracked a grin. "Yes. I'd like to have a drink. Emperor's Smile, if you'd be so kind."

#cql #the untamed #wangxian #without envy #corie fics #cql ficlet #okay i lied there's probably 1 or 2 more storyboards

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