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A Gentle Guiding Hand: Chapter 2 [MDZS]
Title: A Gentle Guiding Hand
Fandom: The Untamed | Modao Zushi
Pairing/Characters: Jiang Cheng & Wei Ying & Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng / Lan Huan, Lan Huan & Lan Zhan, background Wei Ying / Lan Zhan, background Jiang Yanli / Jin Zixuan
Rating: NR (probably T?)
Warnings:
Word Count: ~2k | Ch. 2 / 3 | Chapter Directory
Summary: It doesn’t take long for the two boys to understand the solution: if Jiang Yanli were the sect heir, no one would ever try to make her leave.
Notes: A nobody dies / everybody lives pre-canon divergent fix-it fic played on 3x speed.
The whispers followed them up the long line of steps to the gates of the Cloud Recesses.
"Did you hear? That girl is the heir of the Yunmeng Jiang sect!"
It wasn't that shocking for a woman to lead a cultivation sect, though it was rare. What was so unheard of, so gossip-worthy, was the idea that a woman might be chosen above a man, that a young girl might be made heir despite her perfectly strong and healthy younger brother. Jiang Yanli worried about what this might do to Jiang Cheng's reputation, and had pulled Wei Ying aside to discuss it with him, but Wei Ying had simply shaken his head and said, "Don't worry, shijie, I'm already way ahead of you."
She had not bothered to think about her own reputation, or how it would suffer under the cold shoulder her own fiancé publicly bestowed upon her—she did not let herself feel anything about this until she was alone and could spend some time quietly looking within herself and seeing, acknowledging, understanding, accepting.
But she didn't want that cold restraint for her baby brother.
It was difficult to be apart from her brothers for the first time in her life, and the world seemed much quieter without them. She worried over them near constantly, all the mischief they might get up to while she was trapped in the women's section of Cloud Recesses. When Wei Ying came barreling toward her one day, ignoring the scandalised gasps of the female disciples, she felt her heart stop for a moment in the terror that something might be truly, horribly wrong, especially when she didn't see Jiang Cheng following along behind him.
"A-Xian," she said breathlessly, gripping him by the elbows.
"Shijie, it's terrible!" said Wei Ying, confirming her worst fears. "We were worried about the wrong thing—who could have known it would come to this!"
"A-Xian, what's going on?"
"Shijie, back then, when we made you the heir so that you wouldn't have to leave, it never occurred to us—"
"What?" Jiang Yanli couldn't follow Wei Ying's wild trains of thought at the best of times, not like Jiang Cheng could, and while she usually found it charming to wait for him to arrive at his conclusion in his rambling way, for once she wished he'd hurry—if Jiang Cheng were hurt—if he—
"Shijie, we protected you, but now Jiang Cheng is vulnerable! Shijie, it's so horrible, another sect’s heir wants to steal our Jiang Cheng away from us!"
The facts, as far as Jiang Yanli could make them out after a longer, calmer interview, were this:
Jiang Cheng had met with Wei Ying and the second young master Nie to discuss the possibility of going to Caiyi Town—with shijie, obviously—and there they had been intercepted by the second young master Lan—you would not believe what a stick in the mud that guy is, shijie—who had accused them of breaking some random rule—which first of all, they hadn't been, but even if they had been, there's basically no way not to break a rule here, shijie, have you seen how many rules they have, shijie, they carved them all on a big stupid rock—and then Wei Ying had politely disabused the second young master Lan of his dumb assumptions, and then Jiang Cheng had very gracefully tried to defuse the situation, and Wei Ying had very politely agreed with Jiang Cheng, and then second young master Lan had very rudely used the Lan silencing spell on him! The nerve of that guy, really! He seemed to think that just because he was so handsome, and so smart, and had such pretty hair that did that glowy thing when the sun hit it just right—oh, so, then the first young master Lan showed up and made the second young master Lan undo the spell, and he was very apologetic, but shijie, shijie, he kept giving Jiang Cheng the look, you know the one, and they'd better act quickly, shijie, or they might lose their tiny baby brother to this boring, rule-obsessed sect!
Jiang Yanli gently assured Wei Ying that they would begin planning as soon as she was able to gather more information on the situation, and of course they would never permit Jiang Cheng to be taken anywhere he didn't want to go.
Wei Ying returned to the male-designated section of the mountain calmed and reassured, and Jiang Yanli watched him go with an aching heart. She remained rather uncertain that Wei Ying's fears were based on fact rather than fancy, but seeing the way Wei Ying had lit up and flushed when he'd described the second young master Lan had raised a worry that Jiang Yanli might lose a different brother to the Lans.
In the end, they all returned to Yunmeng after their studies ended largely without incident, and certainly without any new courtship vows—though, Jiang Yanli’s own betrothal was nearly in jeopardy when her sweet little brothers overheard Jin Zixuan insult her. If they had reacted the way they wanted to (with their fists, of course), there could have been serious political ramifications, but over time, Jiang Yanli’s firm words and improving martial cultivation skills had managed to convince them that she could fight her own battles. Jin Zixuan remained a sore subject among Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, but when Jiang Yanli had reminded them that when he married into the Yunmeng Jiang, he would be subject to their rules, their attitude had changed to smug anticipation.
Jiang Yanli shook her head over them, smiling. Giving them something to bicker over helped their moods a little. She couldn’t help but notice that they both seemed sad to leave behind their new friends—especially Wei Ying. Perhaps she should speak to her parents about this, if his bouts of pining continued.
At home, she discovered that the political climate among the sects had continued to deteriorate in her absence. Since she had formally become an adult, she had been entrusted with more and more sect duties, and to her own quiet surprise, she seemed to have a special skill when it came to politics. Her skill was so strong that it made her parents, who were never particularly demonstrative, hide tiny smiles behind their sleeves.
They were not smiling now.
“A-Li,” said Jiang Fengmian gently, “the situation with the Qishan Wen is concerning, yes, but it isn’t as dire as all that. Drastic action, such as what you’re proposing, would end in disaster.”
Jiang Yanli’s demeanour was gentle, too, but it was the softness of layers of silk wrapped around steel. “If the Wens keep on advancing as they are, we will face disaster regardless,” she said. “Even just this year, they have forcibly annexed two more minor sects. Soon, they won’t simply be the largest cultivation sect—they will be the only one.”
Jiang Fengmian exchanged an exasperated look with Yu Ziyuan. “If Sect Leader Wen hasn’t taken over the entire jianghu so far, I doubt he intends to.”
“A-die,” said Jiang Yanli, “can you really be so blind?”
Jiang Fengmian recoiled in surprise, and Yu Ziyuan stiffened. “A-Li, you will hold a civil tongue in your mouth when you speak to us.”
“My apologies, Mother, Father,” said Jiang Yanli, not an ounce of surrender in her voice. “But Sect Leader Wen’s takeover is currently in progress, and he’s enacting it openly. Will you truly permit him to do this without any opposition?”
“We are done discussing this, a-Li,” said Jiang Fengmian coldly.
Jiang Yanli saluted her sect leader respectfully, and then said, “But surely you would not protest the addition of some defensive wards to be placed around Lotus Pier? We can present it to my shidi as a training exercise.”
Jiang Fengmian scowled at nothing for a moment, and then he reluctantly gave his acquiescence. “There’s no harm in preparing for an outcome that will never come to pass, I suppose. But you will ensure that the wards are placed quietly.”
“Of course,” said Jiang Yanli, agreeable as she always was when she got her way.
True to her word, no one outside of the sect heard of Yunmeng’s new defensive arrays. In fact, even the sect leader and his wife would have been surprised if they had learned of how extensive and… creative the new defences were.
The conference and tournament held in Qishan was a disaster, though somehow Jiang Yanli seemed to be the only one unsurprised by Wen Ruohan’s response.
“We have no choice but to send me,” she insisted. “The invitation—”
“Names a-Xian and your brother,” said Jiang Fengmian firmly. “You are not mentioned. Indeed, it seems possible that Sect Leader Wen somehow didn’t notice when you were named heir. We will send as few disciples as possible to this training camp.”
“They will need my help—”
But Jiang Fengmian shut her down immediately. “You can help them better from here,” he said, and it was terrible, but Jiang Yanli knew that he was right. Jiang Fengmian sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, and for a moment, he was her father again, just a man rather than a sect leader. “I’m sure you want to say it. I know you’ve been thinking it since we got word of what happened in Gusu—word that we wouldn’t even have had yet if you hadn’t expanded our spy network. So say it. Say ‘I told you so,’ and say it out loud, so that we can move on.”
“As you know it, there’s no need for me to say it,” said Jiang Yanli coldly. With her younger brothers in real, immediate danger, how could he expect her to forgive him so easily?
Jiang Fengmian’s lips turned down. “You sound like my lady.”
“I should, as she is my mother.” Jiang Yanli turned back to the letter. “We cannot send my brothers unprotected. There must be a way to give them an advantage. And the defences around Lotus Pier will need more improvements.”
Their discussion lasted long into the night.
Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng went to Qishan’s training camp. Only Jiang Cheng came back, and his reports of the horrors they’d faced were somehow, incredibly, overwhelmed by the discovery that Wei Ying and the second young master Lan had faced and defeated the Xuanwu of Slaughter before their rescue from the caves. Jiang Fengmian left to rally their allies. The Wens sent their armies to Yunmeng.
And Lotus Pier did not burn.
Their new fortifications, now many months in the making, were enough to give them an edge over the seemingly endless ranks of Wen soldiers, and they even managed to provide protection against the unexpected presence of the Core-Melting Hand, who had accompanied Wen Chao and his armies.
“I suppose you’re still unwilling to say ‘I told you so?’” asked Jiang Fengmian, his arms around his family when the Wen army was finally defeated.
“Maybe when you’ve learned your lesson,” said Jiang Yanli, her voice muffled by her father’s robes, her own arms gripping her brothers tightly.
“Damn straight,” muttered Yu Ziyuan, and Jiang Fengmian laughed into her hair.
The Sunshot Campaign was long and bitter, but Jiang Yanli showed none of her exhaustion as she moved through the camps, delivering supplies and advice with equal measures of gentleness and determination. She was a regular presence in the war meetings, and slowly, slowly, sect leaders other than her parents were starting to take note of her sound strategies.
(When Jin Zixuan looked at her now, he barely seemed to recognise her. She smiled at him and moved on. She had many more things to focus on in those moments than the soft joy that glowed within her when his eyes filled with admiration rather than scorn at the sight of her.)
And then, finally, they won. The Qishan Wen Sect was destroyed in a combined effort from the other sects and some rebel Wens—friends of Wei Ying’s, and Jiang Yanli had a very long conversation with him about withholding information when she caught him sneaking out to meet with them, though she had been quick to enfold them in her plans. The new, fledgling sect that was formed from the ashes that remained of the Qishan Wen had restyled itself as the Dafan Wen. It was agreed that, under the leadership of the renowned doctor Wen Qing—and really, how did Wei Ying meet her again?!—they would be permitted to rebuild their sect, though the list of sanctions and caveats they would be operating under was as tall as the mountain they would build on.
And so, they settled back into a life of peace, and as Jiang Yanli prepared for her own wedding, she waited for the request for another one.
…And waited.
Eventually, it became clear that, despite all of the longing gazes and weighty silences, Lan Wangji had no intention of initiating a courtship with her oldest younger brother.
And Jiang Yanli, heavily pregnant or not, would not be taking this insult sitting down.
Fandom: The Untamed | Modao Zushi
Pairing/Characters: Jiang Cheng & Wei Ying & Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng / Lan Huan, Lan Huan & Lan Zhan, background Wei Ying / Lan Zhan, background Jiang Yanli / Jin Zixuan
Rating: NR (probably T?)
Warnings:
Word Count: ~2k | Ch. 2 / 3 | Chapter Directory
Summary: It doesn’t take long for the two boys to understand the solution: if Jiang Yanli were the sect heir, no one would ever try to make her leave.
Notes: A nobody dies / everybody lives pre-canon divergent fix-it fic played on 3x speed.
The whispers followed them up the long line of steps to the gates of the Cloud Recesses.
"Did you hear? That girl is the heir of the Yunmeng Jiang sect!"
It wasn't that shocking for a woman to lead a cultivation sect, though it was rare. What was so unheard of, so gossip-worthy, was the idea that a woman might be chosen above a man, that a young girl might be made heir despite her perfectly strong and healthy younger brother. Jiang Yanli worried about what this might do to Jiang Cheng's reputation, and had pulled Wei Ying aside to discuss it with him, but Wei Ying had simply shaken his head and said, "Don't worry, shijie, I'm already way ahead of you."
She had not bothered to think about her own reputation, or how it would suffer under the cold shoulder her own fiancé publicly bestowed upon her—she did not let herself feel anything about this until she was alone and could spend some time quietly looking within herself and seeing, acknowledging, understanding, accepting.
But she didn't want that cold restraint for her baby brother.
It was difficult to be apart from her brothers for the first time in her life, and the world seemed much quieter without them. She worried over them near constantly, all the mischief they might get up to while she was trapped in the women's section of Cloud Recesses. When Wei Ying came barreling toward her one day, ignoring the scandalised gasps of the female disciples, she felt her heart stop for a moment in the terror that something might be truly, horribly wrong, especially when she didn't see Jiang Cheng following along behind him.
"A-Xian," she said breathlessly, gripping him by the elbows.
"Shijie, it's terrible!" said Wei Ying, confirming her worst fears. "We were worried about the wrong thing—who could have known it would come to this!"
"A-Xian, what's going on?"
"Shijie, back then, when we made you the heir so that you wouldn't have to leave, it never occurred to us—"
"What?" Jiang Yanli couldn't follow Wei Ying's wild trains of thought at the best of times, not like Jiang Cheng could, and while she usually found it charming to wait for him to arrive at his conclusion in his rambling way, for once she wished he'd hurry—if Jiang Cheng were hurt—if he—
"Shijie, we protected you, but now Jiang Cheng is vulnerable! Shijie, it's so horrible, another sect’s heir wants to steal our Jiang Cheng away from us!"
The facts, as far as Jiang Yanli could make them out after a longer, calmer interview, were this:
Jiang Cheng had met with Wei Ying and the second young master Nie to discuss the possibility of going to Caiyi Town—with shijie, obviously—and there they had been intercepted by the second young master Lan—you would not believe what a stick in the mud that guy is, shijie—who had accused them of breaking some random rule—which first of all, they hadn't been, but even if they had been, there's basically no way not to break a rule here, shijie, have you seen how many rules they have, shijie, they carved them all on a big stupid rock—and then Wei Ying had politely disabused the second young master Lan of his dumb assumptions, and then Jiang Cheng had very gracefully tried to defuse the situation, and Wei Ying had very politely agreed with Jiang Cheng, and then second young master Lan had very rudely used the Lan silencing spell on him! The nerve of that guy, really! He seemed to think that just because he was so handsome, and so smart, and had such pretty hair that did that glowy thing when the sun hit it just right—oh, so, then the first young master Lan showed up and made the second young master Lan undo the spell, and he was very apologetic, but shijie, shijie, he kept giving Jiang Cheng the look, you know the one, and they'd better act quickly, shijie, or they might lose their tiny baby brother to this boring, rule-obsessed sect!
Jiang Yanli gently assured Wei Ying that they would begin planning as soon as she was able to gather more information on the situation, and of course they would never permit Jiang Cheng to be taken anywhere he didn't want to go.
Wei Ying returned to the male-designated section of the mountain calmed and reassured, and Jiang Yanli watched him go with an aching heart. She remained rather uncertain that Wei Ying's fears were based on fact rather than fancy, but seeing the way Wei Ying had lit up and flushed when he'd described the second young master Lan had raised a worry that Jiang Yanli might lose a different brother to the Lans.
In the end, they all returned to Yunmeng after their studies ended largely without incident, and certainly without any new courtship vows—though, Jiang Yanli’s own betrothal was nearly in jeopardy when her sweet little brothers overheard Jin Zixuan insult her. If they had reacted the way they wanted to (with their fists, of course), there could have been serious political ramifications, but over time, Jiang Yanli’s firm words and improving martial cultivation skills had managed to convince them that she could fight her own battles. Jin Zixuan remained a sore subject among Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng, but when Jiang Yanli had reminded them that when he married into the Yunmeng Jiang, he would be subject to their rules, their attitude had changed to smug anticipation.
Jiang Yanli shook her head over them, smiling. Giving them something to bicker over helped their moods a little. She couldn’t help but notice that they both seemed sad to leave behind their new friends—especially Wei Ying. Perhaps she should speak to her parents about this, if his bouts of pining continued.
At home, she discovered that the political climate among the sects had continued to deteriorate in her absence. Since she had formally become an adult, she had been entrusted with more and more sect duties, and to her own quiet surprise, she seemed to have a special skill when it came to politics. Her skill was so strong that it made her parents, who were never particularly demonstrative, hide tiny smiles behind their sleeves.
They were not smiling now.
“A-Li,” said Jiang Fengmian gently, “the situation with the Qishan Wen is concerning, yes, but it isn’t as dire as all that. Drastic action, such as what you’re proposing, would end in disaster.”
Jiang Yanli’s demeanour was gentle, too, but it was the softness of layers of silk wrapped around steel. “If the Wens keep on advancing as they are, we will face disaster regardless,” she said. “Even just this year, they have forcibly annexed two more minor sects. Soon, they won’t simply be the largest cultivation sect—they will be the only one.”
Jiang Fengmian exchanged an exasperated look with Yu Ziyuan. “If Sect Leader Wen hasn’t taken over the entire jianghu so far, I doubt he intends to.”
“A-die,” said Jiang Yanli, “can you really be so blind?”
Jiang Fengmian recoiled in surprise, and Yu Ziyuan stiffened. “A-Li, you will hold a civil tongue in your mouth when you speak to us.”
“My apologies, Mother, Father,” said Jiang Yanli, not an ounce of surrender in her voice. “But Sect Leader Wen’s takeover is currently in progress, and he’s enacting it openly. Will you truly permit him to do this without any opposition?”
“We are done discussing this, a-Li,” said Jiang Fengmian coldly.
Jiang Yanli saluted her sect leader respectfully, and then said, “But surely you would not protest the addition of some defensive wards to be placed around Lotus Pier? We can present it to my shidi as a training exercise.”
Jiang Fengmian scowled at nothing for a moment, and then he reluctantly gave his acquiescence. “There’s no harm in preparing for an outcome that will never come to pass, I suppose. But you will ensure that the wards are placed quietly.”
“Of course,” said Jiang Yanli, agreeable as she always was when she got her way.
True to her word, no one outside of the sect heard of Yunmeng’s new defensive arrays. In fact, even the sect leader and his wife would have been surprised if they had learned of how extensive and… creative the new defences were.
The conference and tournament held in Qishan was a disaster, though somehow Jiang Yanli seemed to be the only one unsurprised by Wen Ruohan’s response.
“We have no choice but to send me,” she insisted. “The invitation—”
“Names a-Xian and your brother,” said Jiang Fengmian firmly. “You are not mentioned. Indeed, it seems possible that Sect Leader Wen somehow didn’t notice when you were named heir. We will send as few disciples as possible to this training camp.”
“They will need my help—”
But Jiang Fengmian shut her down immediately. “You can help them better from here,” he said, and it was terrible, but Jiang Yanli knew that he was right. Jiang Fengmian sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, and for a moment, he was her father again, just a man rather than a sect leader. “I’m sure you want to say it. I know you’ve been thinking it since we got word of what happened in Gusu—word that we wouldn’t even have had yet if you hadn’t expanded our spy network. So say it. Say ‘I told you so,’ and say it out loud, so that we can move on.”
“As you know it, there’s no need for me to say it,” said Jiang Yanli coldly. With her younger brothers in real, immediate danger, how could he expect her to forgive him so easily?
Jiang Fengmian’s lips turned down. “You sound like my lady.”
“I should, as she is my mother.” Jiang Yanli turned back to the letter. “We cannot send my brothers unprotected. There must be a way to give them an advantage. And the defences around Lotus Pier will need more improvements.”
Their discussion lasted long into the night.
Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng went to Qishan’s training camp. Only Jiang Cheng came back, and his reports of the horrors they’d faced were somehow, incredibly, overwhelmed by the discovery that Wei Ying and the second young master Lan had faced and defeated the Xuanwu of Slaughter before their rescue from the caves. Jiang Fengmian left to rally their allies. The Wens sent their armies to Yunmeng.
And Lotus Pier did not burn.
Their new fortifications, now many months in the making, were enough to give them an edge over the seemingly endless ranks of Wen soldiers, and they even managed to provide protection against the unexpected presence of the Core-Melting Hand, who had accompanied Wen Chao and his armies.
“I suppose you’re still unwilling to say ‘I told you so?’” asked Jiang Fengmian, his arms around his family when the Wen army was finally defeated.
“Maybe when you’ve learned your lesson,” said Jiang Yanli, her voice muffled by her father’s robes, her own arms gripping her brothers tightly.
“Damn straight,” muttered Yu Ziyuan, and Jiang Fengmian laughed into her hair.
The Sunshot Campaign was long and bitter, but Jiang Yanli showed none of her exhaustion as she moved through the camps, delivering supplies and advice with equal measures of gentleness and determination. She was a regular presence in the war meetings, and slowly, slowly, sect leaders other than her parents were starting to take note of her sound strategies.
(When Jin Zixuan looked at her now, he barely seemed to recognise her. She smiled at him and moved on. She had many more things to focus on in those moments than the soft joy that glowed within her when his eyes filled with admiration rather than scorn at the sight of her.)
And then, finally, they won. The Qishan Wen Sect was destroyed in a combined effort from the other sects and some rebel Wens—friends of Wei Ying’s, and Jiang Yanli had a very long conversation with him about withholding information when she caught him sneaking out to meet with them, though she had been quick to enfold them in her plans. The new, fledgling sect that was formed from the ashes that remained of the Qishan Wen had restyled itself as the Dafan Wen. It was agreed that, under the leadership of the renowned doctor Wen Qing—and really, how did Wei Ying meet her again?!—they would be permitted to rebuild their sect, though the list of sanctions and caveats they would be operating under was as tall as the mountain they would build on.
And so, they settled back into a life of peace, and as Jiang Yanli prepared for her own wedding, she waited for the request for another one.
…And waited.
Eventually, it became clear that, despite all of the longing gazes and weighty silences, Lan Wangji had no intention of initiating a courtship with her oldest younger brother.
And Jiang Yanli, heavily pregnant or not, would not be taking this insult sitting down.