You aren't expecting to see him again so soon. Yes, it's only natural for him to appear at Lanling, hovering at Jiang Cheng's side like a shorter shadow, but it still takes you by surprise.
He greets you while Jiang Cheng is still distracted by Jin Guangyao, and even though you can feel Jiang Cheng's glare, he can't very well contradict his second-in-command calling you Mo Xuanyu. Instead, Jiang Cheng gives you a Look, Lan Wangji the barest minimum of greetings, and an actually appropriate response to Lan Xichen.
You glance at Lan Zhan, but he simply shakes his head. "Sect Leader Jiang and I do not get along," he says, which, yeah, you've noticed. "Our usual arrangement with the Jiang is that Yan Xingqi and I speak, so that the Sect Leader and I do not."
Ah, that makes more sense.
Yan Xingqi, who must have the thickest face in the entire cultivation world, says, "In exchange, Jiang Wanyin deals with Lan Qiren, so that I do not start a clan war."
Now your eyebrows are shooting up. Lan Zhan simply says, "The ideal of justice that the Jiang follow has become very different from that of the Lan."
"Perhaps this afternoon, you could come to our quarters for tea," Yan Xingqi offers. "Jiang Wanyin will be negotiating the next year of Jin Ling's life for most of the day."
"I think that would be good," Lan Xichen says, cutting into your conversation. "I am glad to see that Wangji has friends who will look out for him so."
You'd been planning to take the afternoon to investigate things, but you can't help but be curious now. Not in the least because the Yan Xingqi you are seeing here, playing at being the 'face' of the Jiang, is very different from the one you met in Yi City.
The movements of the arriving crowds, of course, result in your group of Lans being separated from the Jiang group all too soon. Jin Guangyao greets you in turn, watching you like he already knows, but you know better now that to people who knew Mo Xuanyu, you're obviously not the real article, so it's not that surprising.
Once you are tucked away to freshen up, you whisper to Lan Xichen - hoping that he'll be more effective at sharing details than Lan Zhan - "Is Yan Xingqi really not allowed to speak to Teacher Lan?"
Lan Xichen's lips tighten in that slightly tense way he has where he knows that he shouldn't smile, and says, "Sect Leader Jiang taught him to write our language using a copy of the Lan Sect rules. The Lan thought this was well and good, until the next discussion conference, when Yan Xingqi first showed the nature of his character to the cultivation world. He marched directly up to Uncle and asked what pain was supposed to teach a child about justice."
You're flabbergast. "He did that? How thick-faced is he?"
"Very. The year before, he arm-wrestled Nie Mingjue." That, at least, gives you an idea how long Yan Xingqi has been around, if he was able to meet Chifeng-zun. Lan Xichen's face is somber. "Uncle was not happy. Wangji was still recovering in seclusion at the time, and he told me later that he thought that that had been a targeted attack by the Jiang to draw attention to that fact - but as it happens, that is simply how Yan Xingqi thinks, with his whole heart."
"The Jiang no longer strike disciples as punishment," Lan Zhan says. "Yan Xingqi will not permit it."
You back aches, with heavy memories of a whip. You remember Jiang Cheng crying out at his mother to stop.
You do not think he needed much convincing from Yan Xingqi to enforce that policy.
Neither of the Lans could know that, of course. What happened in the Jiang hall that day is between you, Jiang Cheng, and the dead. But you know that your smile must be tight when you say, "Surely he did not just say that to Teacher Lan and not expect a response?"
"He did not," Lan Xichen says. "It would have been easier to smooth over the incident if he had. As it is, he had several arguments prepared, which Uncle was unable to answer except to condemn their form, as Yan Xingqi still did not have mastery over our language then."
"He couldn't speak this language?" you ask. "I feel as though I'm the last to know anything about him. Not being able to write is one thing - there's lots of commoners like that - but..."
Lan Xichen smiles faintly. "You would have no idea to listen to him now, no? But it took him close to two years to be able to speak well enough that everyone could understand him, and another three to become eloquent enough that cultivation society can find no fault in his speech. Though, by preference, he still argues for justice like a commoner."
"If common men cannot understand the law, how are they supposed to follow it?" Lan Zhan says, clearly a quote, because you cannot imagine him ever speaking like that himself.
Lan Xichen's smile is slightly pained, then. "As you can see," he says quietly, "he and Wangji get along surprisingly well."
You consider that, and then nod. "I think I can see it," you agree. And then, because the atmosphere is too heavy, "Lan Zhan, you aren't going to abandon me for a foreigner, are you?"
"Never," Lan Zhan says, and it relaxes you a little.
"Even one with fantastic hair and good morals?"
"Never," Lan Wangji repeats, and all is right with the world.
no subject
He greets you while Jiang Cheng is still distracted by Jin Guangyao, and even though you can feel Jiang Cheng's glare, he can't very well contradict his second-in-command calling you Mo Xuanyu. Instead, Jiang Cheng gives you a Look, Lan Wangji the barest minimum of greetings, and an actually appropriate response to Lan Xichen.
You glance at Lan Zhan, but he simply shakes his head. "Sect Leader Jiang and I do not get along," he says, which, yeah, you've noticed. "Our usual arrangement with the Jiang is that Yan Xingqi and I speak, so that the Sect Leader and I do not."
Ah, that makes more sense.
Yan Xingqi, who must have the thickest face in the entire cultivation world, says, "In exchange, Jiang Wanyin deals with Lan Qiren, so that I do not start a clan war."
Now your eyebrows are shooting up. Lan Zhan simply says, "The ideal of justice that the Jiang follow has become very different from that of the Lan."
"Perhaps this afternoon, you could come to our quarters for tea," Yan Xingqi offers. "Jiang Wanyin will be negotiating the next year of Jin Ling's life for most of the day."
"I think that would be good," Lan Xichen says, cutting into your conversation. "I am glad to see that Wangji has friends who will look out for him so."
You'd been planning to take the afternoon to investigate things, but you can't help but be curious now. Not in the least because the Yan Xingqi you are seeing here, playing at being the 'face' of the Jiang, is very different from the one you met in Yi City.
The movements of the arriving crowds, of course, result in your group of Lans being separated from the Jiang group all too soon. Jin Guangyao greets you in turn, watching you like he already knows, but you know better now that to people who knew Mo Xuanyu, you're obviously not the real article, so it's not that surprising.
Once you are tucked away to freshen up, you whisper to Lan Xichen - hoping that he'll be more effective at sharing details than Lan Zhan - "Is Yan Xingqi really not allowed to speak to Teacher Lan?"
Lan Xichen's lips tighten in that slightly tense way he has where he knows that he shouldn't smile, and says, "Sect Leader Jiang taught him to write our language using a copy of the Lan Sect rules. The Lan thought this was well and good, until the next discussion conference, when Yan Xingqi first showed the nature of his character to the cultivation world. He marched directly up to Uncle and asked what pain was supposed to teach a child about justice."
You're flabbergast. "He did that? How thick-faced is he?"
"Very. The year before, he arm-wrestled Nie Mingjue." That, at least, gives you an idea how long Yan Xingqi has been around, if he was able to meet Chifeng-zun. Lan Xichen's face is somber. "Uncle was not happy. Wangji was still recovering in seclusion at the time, and he told me later that he thought that that had been a targeted attack by the Jiang to draw attention to that fact - but as it happens, that is simply how Yan Xingqi thinks, with his whole heart."
"The Jiang no longer strike disciples as punishment," Lan Zhan says. "Yan Xingqi will not permit it."
You back aches, with heavy memories of a whip. You remember Jiang Cheng crying out at his mother to stop.
You do not think he needed much convincing from Yan Xingqi to enforce that policy.
Neither of the Lans could know that, of course. What happened in the Jiang hall that day is between you, Jiang Cheng, and the dead. But you know that your smile must be tight when you say, "Surely he did not just say that to Teacher Lan and not expect a response?"
"He did not," Lan Xichen says. "It would have been easier to smooth over the incident if he had. As it is, he had several arguments prepared, which Uncle was unable to answer except to condemn their form, as Yan Xingqi still did not have mastery over our language then."
"He couldn't speak this language?" you ask. "I feel as though I'm the last to know anything about him. Not being able to write is one thing - there's lots of commoners like that - but..."
Lan Xichen smiles faintly. "You would have no idea to listen to him now, no? But it took him close to two years to be able to speak well enough that everyone could understand him, and another three to become eloquent enough that cultivation society can find no fault in his speech. Though, by preference, he still argues for justice like a commoner."
"If common men cannot understand the law, how are they supposed to follow it?" Lan Zhan says, clearly a quote, because you cannot imagine him ever speaking like that himself.
Lan Xichen's smile is slightly pained, then. "As you can see," he says quietly, "he and Wangji get along surprisingly well."
You consider that, and then nod. "I think I can see it," you agree. And then, because the atmosphere is too heavy, "Lan Zhan, you aren't going to abandon me for a foreigner, are you?"
"Never," Lan Zhan says, and it relaxes you a little.
"Even one with fantastic hair and good morals?"
"Never," Lan Wangji repeats, and all is right with the world.