Brothel meme continued

[lastjinstanding]

Continued from here

Jin Ling had really hoped he'd have A-Yuan at his side for this, but he didn't blame the sweet man for being ill one bit. In fact, he really enjoyed holding him as they finished traveling up to Lotus Pier. He sends servants off the boat to arrange a discreet delivery of his ill and subdued guest to private chambers following Ling's disembark. He instructed only Fu Geming to carry A-Yuan with Liling.

Sadly, after that, he had to leave his pets in his servants care. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped onto the pier. He bowed humbly to all of his relatives and gave them each a proper greeting- or in Wei Wuxian's case, a cheeky one.

He was brought into the main hall and given the seat next to Jiang Cheng's throne. Wei Wuxian was seated beside him with Lan Wangji at the next seat. And yes, Wangji had been offered the throne but had chosen to stay at Wuxian's side. It was Jiang Cheng's wedding, after all.

Jin Ling is happy sitting to a nice cup of tea and some wine after a long day of travel with promise of dinner coming.

~~~

"Jin-Guniang, is the young master Zheng in this room?" A young, unfamiliar male voice asks. "I have some medicine I wish to offer if you'd announce me."

"Of course. Let me ask for you," Liling says in a warm tone. She knocks on Yuan's door and peeks in. She smiles when she sees him awake. She comes in and shuts the door behind her. "Zheng-gongzi? How are you feeling? A friend of Jin-zongzhu from the Lan Clan is here to offer you some medicine. Would you feel up to seeing him?"

Comments

[notaturnip]

Huaisang inclines his head in agreement - he's happy to wait for Jiang Cheng to return to oversee things, partly because he knows it'll make Jin Ling more comfortable, partly because he has nothing to hide - and maybe, just a little, partly so that his beloved can see how much effort he's putting in to look out for his favoured nephew.

The mention of the tournament, and including more cultural competition, brings both approval and light to his eyes and he agrees readily to be involved - he's more than happy to be in charge of judging it himself, he likes the prestige of that kind of position, and it's not like he needs to prove that he's skilled in those areas. Being able to support them being considered worthy areas to be skilled in is enough.

They discuss matters a little longer, and Huaisang leaves the meeting feeling quite positive, and he heads back to his rooms to work on a first draft of the treaty - and to liaise with his spies about training Jin Ling's.

By the time he leaves Lanling, there are a number of things in place to help cement Ling's powerbase and keep him safe until he's completely ready to stand on his own two feet as clan leader (moreso than he had already been doing) - the tournament is really going to be the thing that brings it all together, and that means a few months of trips to Lanling and Lotus Pier for planning purposes. All in all, he's quite pleased with how things have turned out.

~~~

Zizhen is pleased too, things seem much more positive by the time his father calls him home - the pleasure is (slightly) shortlived when his father insists upon no detours, and he has to write a letter to Jingyi regretfully explaining that he can't visit, but he'll hopefully be able to soon.

When his father gets over being terribly worried about how the world is out to get him. Trust his father to make an attempt on Jin Ling's life about him.

(Truthfully, the protectiveness would be sweet if it wasn't keeping him away from Jingyi)

He does manage to raise the subject of marriage with his father, at least, but frustratingly the man refuses to properly consider it until he can meet Jingyi's parents, and equally refuses to travel anywhere to visit them until he's sure the danger has passed.

At least he can still help plan the tournament, even if it is only via letter.

~~~

Yuan finds himself drifting off quickly again once he's safely tucked up in bed in the Jingshi. He isn't exactly sure how much time passes before he's really, properly awake, and he only remembers snippets of that time. The weakness from the poison makes him susceptible to infection, which only delays his recovery even more. Despite how scary and unpleasant it is, it has the effect of rapidly cementing his bond with both his parents and with Jingyi, and by the time he's fully recovering he feels even more like he belongs, despite having missed yet more time training as a disciple.

He hasn't, however, heard from Jin Ling, and his heart breaks just a little for it. He knows he represents a potential weakness, and he knows that the young clan leader has so much on his plate - and that, perhaps, he is simply trying to give Yuan the space he needs to be with his family.... or perhaps his love was simply an infatuation that he has gotten over. He doesn't know which and he doesn't dare ask.

Despite the uncertainty, he can't bring himself to stop wearing the ring - although, in apparent deference to Lan rules, he does stop wearing it on his hand, instead keeping it close to himself on a chain around his neck, tucked under his robes to hang beside his heart. He uses the comb Ling gave him every day, unless somebody else is brushing his hair, and wonders if the other young man thinks of him as often too.

When he's fully recovered, he and Jingyi swear an oath of brotherhood to one another with friends and family watching on, and as he returns to his studies with his parents watching on and his sworn brother at his side, he feels a lingering guilt that he has such a life, better than he ever could have dreamed, and he still wants more.

So when he hears about the tournament in Lanling, hears about the chance to present himself to the cultivation world, to show how far he had come - and to see his beloved Ling again, he practically begs to be allowed to go (as though his parents would have stopped him), and he trains day and night to be ready for it.

[young_mistress]

The rest of the spring and entirety of the summer is a challenge for the young sect leader, though it's improved greatly by the inclusion of his allies both new and old. He finds the best healers in the realm to work with him to rebuild his strength. It's exhausting and painful as he keeps pushing his capabilities to regain what had been taken from him.

He misses his friends, though Yuan is high above any other. He's yet to hear anything from the young man and he's been too afraid to contact him himself. It seems the most honorable thing to leave Yuan alone to focus on his new life and forget all he left behind from his past one- including Jin Ling. No matter how they look at it, Jin Ling was still a client and he's slowly convinced himself that he treated the long lost Lan as a prostitute and nothing more. It's a little easier to deal with his heartbreak if he blames it on that somehow.

Either way, he writes to Zizhen on occasion but for the most part his attention is on his recovery, working with Huaisang's spies to learn everything he can about how to protect himself and his sect, and planning the tournament.

~~~

Jiang Cheng has quietly continued his affair with the Nie sect leader. There are a few more gifts here and there, but after the amount he had to spend on cleaning up his nephew's mistakes he keeps them modest. They usually include poems he's written or found or a bird one of his people caught that is rare and particularly beautiful.

When he isn't helping his nephew or his 'planning meetings' with Huaisang, he keeps rebuilding and strengthening his sect. His damaged reputation was going to take a while to mend, but as he has conducted himself with honor since the ruined wedding it's starting to heal. People are now starting to rationalize that his boorish behavior had been born of some kind of heartbreak- something that is, perhaps, understandable. Ouyang Anju is a lovely maiden, after all. Who wouldn't be disappointed not to marry her? Though just why Jiang Cheng ended the engagement is still a mystery.

~~~

Wangji has never been happier. He is a quiet but constant support for Yuan as his son repeatedly proves how worthy he is among the clan. There are other night hunts that are successful and build the boy's reputation. The novelty of Hanguang Jun's bastard son (a story the Chief Cultivator has made no attempt to correct) has waned among the clan members and they've accepted Yuan for the most part. It was hard not to with him being as likeable as he is! Even Lan Qiren has softened considerably, though he's always the first to remind Yuan when his behavior is less than impeccable.

Xichen took his mantel of leadership back and conducted the execution of Madam Mo. The beheading was public, swift, and carried out by his own blade as a symbol to all of the Lan clan's might, justice, and unity. As he's slowly taken back more and more of his responsibilities, one of his first tasks was officially deem Yuan as the heir of the Lan clan of Gusu. He's quietly told the elders to make no more requests of him to marry or they'll be dismissed from his counsel.

Between that and the head disciple swearing brotherhood with Yuan, no one with any connections to the clan would dare speak or take action against the Chief Cultivator's son, however he came to be.

[Story continues here]