Second Time Around

16. Keep Wei Ying Alive: Steps 1 and 2

Lan WangJi at sixteen was the exemplar of what a GusuLan disciple should strive to be.

Lan WangJi after meeting Wei WuXian was not noticeably less so.

The Lan WangJi who had just watched his uncle ignore every rule of proper behavior in favor of appeasing his morbid curiosity, was done being held up as an example. If the elders of his Sect refused to hold themselves to the spirit of the Rules (be a good person), why should a mere disciple?

He arrived in Cloud Recessess just before curfew, and began his punishment at the wall of Rules, at dawn the following morning. Three days of kneeling before the wall, contemplating his misdeeds. If Lan QiRen had seen it, he would have been very satisfied.

Unfortunately for Lan QiRen, Lan WangJi was also the friend, sort of, of a man who defied almost every 'do not' rule on the rock wall. In honor of his friend's abuse at his uncle's hands, Lan WangJi dressed very carefully during those three mornings. Under his pristine white trousers were heavily padded leggings. Kneeling upright for hours was more than slightly painful on his back and thigh muscles, but at least his knees and shins were protected.

On the fourth day, Lan WangJi carefully wrote out the rules he broke. Or rather, rule, singular. He was well aware that his uncle had at least twenty infractions listed in his head. Lan WangJi would only admit to one: defend the innocent. He kept his calligraphy perfect as he copied that one rule one thousand times.

Seclusion was supposed to be a time for introspection and self improvement. Lan WangJi felt no need for introspection; he did not see that he was the one who did anything wrong. Self improvement, however, was always necessary.

In this case, self improvement came in the form of cooking lessons. Every morning and evening a cook would stop by with his food and give a small lesson. He learned how to chop vegetables properly. And then how to make simple stews, soups, stir frys, rice, and congee. And then came the hardest part of all: learning how to make food that someone from outside of Cloud Recesses would eat. Adding chillies until his eyes fell out of his head was easy. Making food flavorful was not; spices, especially salt, needed to be in the perfect ratios or the dish was practically inedible.

At the end of the year, Lan WangJi was satisfied that he could keep himself, and more importantly, Wei WuXian, properly fed at least. He had a couple dozen recipes memorized, from the very simple to the complex, none of which contained radishes. He would need to learn how to cook various meats eventually; perhaps he could apprentice himself to an inn for a while to learn.

Step one of 'keep Wei Ying alive' was done.

Step two required a partner.

Nie HuaiSang sprawled onto a seating mat in a private room at an inn in Qishan. "You certainly picked an out of the way meeting spot," the younger man mused. "I hope the wine is adequate."

"It is plentiful," Lan WangJi allowed. "I would like access to your spies in Lanling."

Nie HuaiSang choked on his wine. "Lan Xiong! You're not supposed to just say such things! You're supposed to discuss inanities for a while, and then ask without asking."

Lan WangJi nodded. "We may not have time for pleasantries. Wei WuXian is being targeted by the Jin. I also believe Jin ZiXuan has a target on his back. I suspect I know who wants them eliminated, but I need certainty before I make accusations."

Nie HuaiSang took a sip of his wine, and calmly flicked open his ever present fan. "We both know who wants Jin ZiXuan dead. Why do you care about Jin ZiXuan all of a sudden?" He fanned himself slowly. "Or is it Jiang YanLi you're trying to protect?"

Lan WangJi nodded and then shook his head. "Wei WuXian had a vision a few years ago after we were rescued from the Tortoise of Slaughter's cave. In it, Jiang YanLi was married to Jin ZiXuan and bore him a son named Jin Ling. I understand Jiang YanLi is pregnant?"