#xisang

“You are Qinghe Nie’s sect leader,” Lan Qiren sternly replied. “The choices you make for your sect must be obeyed. If there are any in your sect who cannot accept it, then they ought to see if some other sect will be more aligned with their principle, or even try to start their own and see how easy it is to bear the burden of leadership. Do not let others use your youth to disrespect you.”

“I’m not worried about my disciples’ objections,” Nie Mingjue assured him. “Any difficulties I had when I succeeded my father has long been dealt with. Nobody who lives in the Unclean Realm would dare to object. Nobody except the one person who would be most directly concerned with that marriage.”

The disapproval radiating from Lan Qiren’s expression only worsened. 

“Does your brother have any reasons to object to an engagement with my nephew?”

It was a complicated question. Nie Mingjue wished someone a little more diplomatically inclined than himself could answer it. Of course Lan Xichen was a great boy, quickly growing up into a great man, and he was Nie Mingjue’s closest friend, and one of the most talented boys in his generation. All those things, which would have endeared Lan Xichen to a reasonable person, had no appeal to a willful brat like Nie Huaisang, and might even cause him to dislike anyone who dared to be excellent when he had resigned himself to mediocrity.

“I realise they are not well acquainted,” Lan Qiren conceded. “With Xichen in seclusion for most of the time your brother was with us the first time, and then Xichen going away for a few months to deal with those blood sucking flying snakes last year… but I do think the few times they were near each other went decently well. I have certainly not noticed any animosity on my nephew’s side, and I doubt your brother would bother to hide it if he took a dislike to someone.”

Nie Mingjue opened his mouth, ready to explain that his brother was actually quite capable of holding long grudges in secret. He had a long feud against Jin Zixuan, dating back to before their father’s death. Nie Mingjue only recently found out about because he caught Huaisang rejoicing that he’d be given a chance to make Jin Zixuan pay for his crimes, since they’d soon be studying together in the Cloud Recesses.

The crimes in question were unclear. Nie Huaisang had refused to give any details because he didn’t want anyone involved in his affairs. It might be linked to Jin Zixuan calling Huaisang ugly back when they were five, something Huaisang had cried about for hours at the time, but knowing him it might have been some other ridiculous offence as well. Jin Zixuan was not socially gifted, and Huaisang was easily hurt.

“Xichen is a very accomplished boy, and anyone would be lucky to have him as a husband,” Nie Mingjue stated. “I think even Huaisang admires him. He certainly likes Xichen better than Wangji.”

Lan Qiren raised one eyebrow, as if to say that it didn’t mean much when most people shared that preference about his nephews. Wangji was a brilliant kid, but even Nie Mingjue could tell he was rather lacking in diplomacy.

“Then I don’t see where the problem is,” Lan Qiren still said. “People have gotten married over less than that.”

“The problem,” Nie Mingjue sighed, “is that Huaisang hates being told what to do.”

Lan Qiren frowned, and pinched his lips with a tight expression on his face. Most people who had tried to take Huaisang as a student at any point ended up making that face sooner or later, Nie Mingjue had noticed.

“Yes, I see what you mean,” Lan Qiren conceded. “But if you explain to him that it is for the good of your sect, that Xichen and him are sure to get along…”

Nie Mingjue gave him a look. Lan Qiren’s frown deepened.

“Your brother is a very stubborn boy,” he admitted.

“I’m not sure Xichen would be particularly keen on such a match either,” Nie Mingjue pointed out, partly out of honesty, but also to share the shame. “Isn’t he entitled to a love marriage like everyone else in your sect?”

“I don’t think he cares much about that,” Lan Qiren replied with a hint of pride. “He’s a very reasonable boy.”

Once again, Nie Mingjue wished that someone a little more used to saying unpleasant things in a polite manner were here to help him.

“I supposed when he’s around you, he knows it’s the right way to feel,” he settled on. “But I am his friend, and he speaks to me more freely than he does to you. Which is why I can tell you this: do not try to arrange a match for him unless he already likes the person.”

“You think he would refuse?” Lan Qiren asked.

“He’s a good boy. If you order it, he’ll obey you even if it breaks his heart. He’ll get married to please you, and silently resent it for the rest of his life.”

Lan Qiren paled, as if it had never occurred to him that Lan Xichen might hide his true wishes from him. Nie Mingjue felt rather sorry for him, but also envious. If only Huaisang could be a little less loud about his wishes, his life would be easier.

It was a shame, Nie Mingjue thought. A marriage like that would have strengthened their alliance, which was much needed now that the Wen sect had gotten more aggressive toward the rest of the jianghu. It would have given Nie Mingjue and Lan Qiren an excuse to meet more often, under pretenses of being in-laws, and allowed them to exchange news and talk strategy. But with Huaisang’s difficult temper, and Xichen’s tendency to bottle up, it just couldn’t work.

“You know, I have some distant cousins who are of marrying age,” Nie Mingjue offered, already knowing it wouldn’t be nearly as good an option. “Boys as well, and from a very minor branch of the family, but…”

“If our future sect leader is to marry a man, it must be either out of love or great political advantage,” Lan Qiren objected. “I know how far removed from the main line your cousins are, Nie zongzhu.”

“Then we have to give up on the idea,” Nie Mingjue huffed. “Because unless these two decide that they want to marry entirely of their own volition, forcing them to do it can’t end well.”

Lan Qiren stared at him.

“Say that again?”

“I said let’s give up. I like you and I like Xichen, but I’m not putting myself through months of arguing with Huaisang just to throw him into the arms of someone who won’t want him, so…”

Lan Qiren impatiently shook his head.

“No, not that. You think it might work if they decided they wish to marry? Do you mean that?”

Puzzled by that insistence, Nie Mingjue shrugged, and gave it a moment of thought.

As a rule Huaisang was lazy to the point of indolence, but on the rare occasions he decided he wanted something, he stopped at nothing to get it. Concerning Xichen, Nie Mingjue was less sure, because his friend was guarded even in his company. But there had been sighs at the news of love matches here, comments about famous star crossed lovers there, which hinted at a romantic soul.

“Probably,” Nie Mingjue answered at last. “But you’ve said it yourself, they are little better than strangers, and I don’t see how that could change. Xichen doesn’t typically deal much with guests, does he?”

“Hm.”

Lan Qiren slowly stroked his beard. His expression was nearly as severe as usual, and yet Nie Mingjue got an impression of mischievousness from the glint in the older man’s eyes.

“I have been a teacher for many years now,” Lan Qiren remarked. “And I work with others who also teach. It is not an easy job, and there is more to it than merely sharing knowledge. One duty a teacher has is, of course, to stir his charges away from bad acquaintances. It is one of our hardest tasks, I have come to find.”

“I’m sure,” Nie Mingjue said, puzzled by the change of topic.

Lan Qiren nodded, stroking his beard again.

“There are a few ways to keep a child on the right path, and many ways to send him there faster. Do you know what is the very worst thing you can tell a boy to keep him away from someone they ought not to befriend?”

“You’ll have to tell me.”

“The worst thing you can say is ‘this person here is not someone you should associate with, and I refuse to tell you why.’”

Nie Mingjue chuckled at the weak joke, but stopped when he noticed that Lan Qiren looked dead serious.

It seemed like such a silly thing. But the moment he thought about it seriously, Nie Mingjue had to admit that even for him as a grown man, such a statement would be sure to awaken at least some curiosity. So for someone younger, someone of a rebellious age especially…

“Are you suggesting we should arrange a match for Huaisang and Xichen by… trying to avoid it?” Nie Mingjue asked. “Isn’t it a little twisted?”

“A complicated solution for a complicated problem,” Lan Qiren replied. “I will say I cannot be certain it will work well on Xichen. He is a more level headed and reasonable boy than any I’ve ever met.”

Nie Mingjue, who had seen Lan Xichen’s behaviour when away from his uncle, found it polite not to comment on that.

Not that Lan Xichen acted wild when his uncle wasn’t there to control him. He still mostly abided by Lan rules, and he only rushed into things a reasonable amount when he was excited, but still he certainly wasn’t particularly wiser than other teenagers.

“It might work on Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue admitted. “The brat never wants to do anything unless it’s inconvenient to everyone around him.”

That, and his brother’s love of erotica with dramatic plotlines where lovers were often separated by cruel families, gave Nie Mingjue some confidence that such a plan could work. And if it didn’t… well, no harm done. The two boys weren’t friends, so there was nothing to be ruined between them.

“I will talk to Xichen when I return,” Lan Qiren decided. “I will tell him to keep away from your brother. And then I will start planning for the wedding. Huaisang would marry into the Lan sect, I assume?”

“If you assume that, he’ll refuse to do it,” Nie Mingjue pointed out. “But it would be the most convenient option. We’ll figure out something. For now, I’ll have a serious chat with Huaisang, tell him he mustn’t bother Xichen no matter what because he’s too good for him.”

“He’s vain enough it will certainly catch his attention,” Lan Qiren agreed.

Nie Mingjue knew he ought to have found that remark rude, but it was hard to object to the truth. Even if they managed to cause a love match to happen, Nie Huaisang’s true love would always be his own reflection on shiny surfaces.