Work Text:
War council is a messy thing.
“I trust Wei Ying to do what is necessary,” Emperor Lan Wangji intones.
Murmurs spring up throughout the hall. The emperor sits, back ramrod straight, white robes draped over the glistening gold throne. At the bottom of the pedestal, on the last step, sits Wei Wuxian. Dressed in simple black robes and a plain red ribbon, from afar, he looks like a smudge of ink on an otherwise lavish sight. He fiddles with his flute, twirling it around his fingers. His gaze is lowered but he knows the other courtiers are giving him a wide berth.
They compare him to a dog. A rabid, untamed one where only the emperor holds his leash. Wei Wuxian scoffs. They’ll talk, oh how they’ll talk, but at the end of the day, they need him to do the work no one else has the guts to do.
“Not to insinuate anything,” Jin Zixun says snidely, fully intent on insinuating something, “But can we really trust Wei Wuxian to do this out there on his own?”
“I trust Wei Ying to do what is necessary,” Lan Wangji repeats, an invisible frown penetrating his features.
“Your majesty, I do not understand your trust in him–”
“Do you understand, Jin Zixun,” Wei Wuxian begins, tongue as sharp as daggers, “that if I do not go, no one else will? Unless,” he pretends to ponder, “you would like to go in my place?”
And to that, Jin Zixun had no answer–of course he did not want to go.
The meeting is soon adjourned–with all the back and forth arguing, they were getting nowhere, and Lan Wangji’s headache was growing.
Whispers follow the pair as they leave the room together. Wei Wuxian scowls. They were really going to go and discuss the war in private, and have a much more productive session away from the incessant bickering of the others, but courtiers will be courtiers–desperate for any crumb of gossip they can get.
Upon reaching the Emperor’s quarters, they find Nie Huaisang in the waiting room, fluttering his fan anxiously.
“Nie-gongzi,” Lan Wangji murmurs. “What brings you here?”
Nie Huaisang looks about hesitantly, then at Wei Wuxian, who nods.
“Let’s speak inside.”
They step through to the sitting room and Wei Wuxian triple checks the wards before turning to Nie Huaisang.
“What’s up, Nie-xiong?” he asks.
Nie Huaisang flutters his fan anxiously. “Is it true?”
Wei Wuxian frowns. “Is what true?”
“That you’re leaving.”
Wei Wuxian slumps down in his armchair.
“Someone has to do the dirty work,” he sighs. “I don’t trust anyone else to go and come back alive.”
“But… what about here?” Nie Huaisang asks.
“What do you mean?”
“What if something happens here once you’re gone? What will you do?”
Wei Wuxian looks his friend in the eye and thinks long and hard.
“I see what you mean.”
Nie Huaisang nods. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
He pats Mo Xuanyu on the shoulder, the teen looking up at him with wide, uncertain eyes.
“I know I’m trusting you with a lot,” he says. “But I would only do so if I knew I could. So don’t doubt yourself, alright?” He lets his shoulder go. “You’re my protégé, Xuanyu. You’re the only person who could.”
Mo Xuanyu takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay. Come back safe.”
Wei Wuxian grins cheekily. “Of course! Do you really have so little faith in your master?”
Mo Xuanyu stammers and blushes. It’s so cute, Wei Wuxian reaches out to ruffle his hair.
“Trust me! We’ll be fine.”
Lan Wangji is waiting for him at the gates.
“Oh my. Is the Emperor seeing me off personally?”
Lan Wangji bows his head.
“Be safe, Wei Ying.”
Wei Wuxian laughs. “When have you ever known me to be anything but safe? I only ever do the safest things!”
Lan Wangji looks at him intently.
“Come back to me.”
“Of course!” Wei Wuxian chirps. “Promise.”
Lan Wangji nods and steps back. And with that, Wei Wuxian sets off, flute in hand and supplies on his back.
His mission was actually very simple. They had located a band of Wens trying to to occupy a small village and, more importantly, the trading route that went through that village. The village was small, but the route was an important one, one they didn’t want to fall into Wen hands.
So–the task was simple. Drive them out of the village. It wasn’t even a large group of Wens, so why did no one want to take up the task?
The reason soon entered Wei Wuxian’s field of view. Perched on the rooftops, he spied down at the group holding a meeting below him. Wen Chao’s familiar face made him wrinkle his brow in distaste, but even the most confident warrior would falter at the sight of Wen Zhuliu, the Core-Melting Hand.
This was more than just a one-man mission. It was a one-man assassination.
They didn’t have the manpower to station a force here. It would be a waste–average troops would stand no chance against the Core-Melting Hand, and sending them there would be tantamount to sending them to the gallows. But sending an elite force to protect a small village just wasn’t worth it either.
The solution?
Kill Wen Zhuliu.
Easier said than done.
Getting into the inn was easy–the innkeeper was easily charmed. Wen Chao’s snoring could be heard from the hallway. Wen Zhuliu was in the room next to his. Wei Wuxian entered silently, careful not to disturb his sleep, then sprinkled a handful of sleeping powder on the man so he really wouldn’t wake up.
He tied the man to the bed, before going next door and doing the same to Wen Chao. He was going to put the two men through an interrogation before taking them out.
He’d come this far. Might as well make the most of it.
Wen Zhuliu had admirable loyalty to the clan that had taken him in, but Wen Chao was nothing if not pathetic. Unfortunately, the other Wens seemed to recognise this as he did not know much. But any information he did know spilled easily from his lips. Locations, strategies, plans, people. A planned attack on Gusu. Another on Yunmeng. A spy in the palace. A plot on the Emperor’s life. Hearing this, Wei Wuxian grimaced–he’d been warned, but he’d hoped it would turn out to not be true.
Once he had milked every scrap of information from the pair of them, he drew his sword and in one clean stroke beheaded them both.
He looked upon his work in satisfaction. Killing brought him no joy, but for his Emperor, and to protect the empire they were building–
He would do anything. Cross any line. Anything .
He hurries to his own room, located in a different inn, and makes sure his protective wards and arrays are set up before entering the paperman he’d left with Mo Xuanyu.
“Wei-laoshi?” the boy asks quietly. He should be asleep, Wei Wuxian thinks. He should scold him when he gets back. But for now, he’s glad his student is awake and able to help.
“Take me to Lan Zhan,” he tries to say, forgetting the paperman is incapable of speech. He frowns. Something to improve for next time, he thinks, then starts tapping his forehead, trying to signal Lan Wangji’s forehead ribbon.
Mo Xuanyu frowns. “Do you want to find the Emperor?”
Yes!
Wei Wuxian nods frantically.
“Okay,” Mo Xuanyu says, “I’ll take you to him.”
They pad through the halls quietly, the paperman perched on Mo Xuanyu’s shoulder. Wei Wuxian leads them to Lan Wangji’s chambers.
Mo Xuanyu pauses. “Wei-laoshi, I don’t think I’m allowed to be here.”
The paperman nods erratically, trying to tell him the General is allowing him to be there. Mo Xuanyu is hesitant, but enters the room.
“Jin Zixun!”
There, with his hand on the doorknob, eyes wide as saucers, looking like a deer in headlights, was Jin Zixun.
“Eh? The cutsleeve? What are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same of you!” Mo Xuanyu cries. “Why are you trying to sneak into the Emperor’s rooms in the middle of the night?”
The door swings open and Lan Wangji emerges from inside. He takes in the situation with Jin Zixun, Mo Xuanyu and…
The paperman.
“Wei Ying?”
The paperman nods, and Jin Zixun’s eyes go wide. “What is the meaning of this?!”
The paperman points to Jin Zixun, then to Lan Wangji, then motions its hand across its throat.
Lan Wangji understands immediately. “Ah. Is this what you and Nie Huaisang were talking about?”
The paperman nods vehemently.
Lan Wangji glares derisively at Jin Zixun.
“I understand. I will deal with this. Thank you for bringing him here, Mo-gongzi. Wei Ying, are you alright?” Lan Wangji asks
The paperman nods, before swaying slightly. Then it shakes its head.
Lan Wangji sighs. “Have you left?”
The paperman shakes its head.
“I understand. Wait there. I will come to you.”
But all life had escaped the paperman, leaving only a soulless piece of paper behind.
Jin Zixun is escorted away to the dungeons. Cries of “What are you doing!” and “Let me go!” pierced the silent night until Lan Wangji couldn’t stand it anymore and silenced the pathetic man.
Lan Wangji hastes to Wei Wuxian’s location, royal guard in tow. Wen forces swarm the area, but Lan Wangji cuts through them like butter. He makes a beeline for the inn.
Wei Wuxian is still passed out on the bed. The wards, though weak, are still active, keeping their meagre protections and proving the man within them was still alive. Lan Wangji gathers his beloved in his arms and flies as fast as he can back to the palace.
Lan Xichen watches them go, sighs, and assumes command of the situation.
For all their sakes, he hopes Wei Wuxian is alright.
It turns out Wei Wuxian is alright. Exhausted, depleted, and should probably not leave his bed for a few days, but otherwise alright. It’s lucky Lan Wangji got to him as soon as he did, the doctor comments. Lan Wangji thinks it’s true the other way round, too. He’s not happy that Wei Wuxian was risking his life to save his own, but he’s also grateful that he did. Mo Xuanyu might be slightly traumatised, but didn’t seem too worse for wear.
Jin Zixun’s crimes are aired out for everyone to hear. Attempted regicide, treason, conspiring with the enemy–many call for his death. Lan Wangji keeps him locked up under maximum security while he decides what to do with the man.
With such a vocal dissident exposed for such heinous crimes, the number of people who oppose drops significantly, and those who remain are much quieter about it. The tale of Wei Wuxian taking down the Core-Melting Hand while simultaneously protecting the emperor from a would-be assassin makes waves. What an extremely capable and loyal man, they say. It’s good that the emperor has someone so dependable by his side.
As for the Wens, they’ve retreated back to their lands for now. No one doubts they’ll be back, but they take advantage of this lull to plot, to scheme, and in Wei Wuxian’s case, to invent. The empire is more unified than it’s ever been. Of course, the War Council squabbles, and the courtiers gossip, but after such a clear demonstration of their abilities, no one is willing to seriously oppose the Emperor and his General.
The day Wei Wuxian is released from the medical wing, he officially moves in to Lan Wangji’s rooms, their positions finally secure enough that it doesn’t matter how people talk.
“Lan Zhan, are you happy?”
Lan Wangji gazes at him evenly. “I am relieved that you are alright.”
“Aw, Lan Zhan! Were you worried about me?”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji replies. “Don’t do it again.”
Lan Wangji pulls him close until their foreheads brush.
“I can’t promise that,” Wei Wuxian replies. “You know I’ll do anything and everything I need to, to protect what we have. But you know I’ll always come back to you.”
“Always,” Lan Wangji insists.
Wei Wuxian smiles.
“Always.
They seal it with a kiss.