Work Text:
Jiang Cheng is standing outside of Lotus Pier, overlooking the city. He can still see places that need rebuilding but for the most part the city is done. At first he tried to stay as close to the original as possible but he soon realized that recreating his former home was not the way to go.
It took too long, since there weren’t many people to remember how it looked and he simply couldn’t be everywhere. So Jiang Cheng chose to sacrifice the exact same look in favour of being done sooner and it payed off.
His people now have rooves over their heads and in case there should be another attack they are well protected.
Jiang Cheng personally made sure of that by carving protective spells into the entire outer wall of Lotus Pier.
It looks more like a stronghold now than a simple city at the lake, but Jiang Cheng can’t be bothered about that.
As long as it keeps everyone safe it can look however it wants.
“Zongzhu?” one of his disciples carefully says as he walks up to Jiang Cheng.
“What is it now?” Jiang Cheng sighs out because it’s always something.
“Nie-zongzhu is here,” the disciple tells him, bowing low and that makes Jiang Cheng freeze.
“What does he want?”
“He didn’t say, but he only came with two people. It doesn’t seem to be an official visit.”
“Is Nie Huaisang here as well?” Jiang Cheng asks because if he’s being honest, he misses his friend. He would like to see him again, but his new position as Sect Leader does not allow him to travel simply for social visits.
At least not yet.
“He is not,” the disciple tells him and Jiang Cheng heaves out another sigh.
“Did Nie-zongzhu give any indication to what brings him here?”
He didn’t announce his visit so Jiang Cheng’s curiosity is piqued.
“He did not.”
“Of course not,” Jiang Cheng mutters and takes another moment to look over the city.
Nie Mingjue only came with two people so it’s unlikely he’s here to attack them and take Yunmeng for himself. Not that Jiang Cheng would really expect him to do so anyway, because as far as he got to know Nie Mingjue during the war he’s way too honourable to do something like that.
That would be a move for Jin Guangshan, and he’s already trying that, at least politically.
“I’ll meet him outside,” Jiang Cheng still decides because ever since Lotus Pier has burned down and he lost everything he ever knew he has become increasingly protective.
And letting another Sect Leader into the city that just has been rebuild sits wrong with him, no matter who it is.
“We thought so,” is the reply he gets and Jiang Cheng has to smile at that.
He found himself some good people, that much is clear.
Nie Mingjue is patiently waiting just outside the city gates when Jiang Cheng arrives and even though it took Jiang Cheng a while to get to him he doesn’t seem annoyed or impatient.
It’s a point in his favour if Jiang Cheng is being honest, because he knows that not all Sect Leaders would react like that.
Jin Guangshan would already have had a minor fit over this.
“Nie-zongzhu,” Jiang Cheng greets him once he made his way over to him.
“Jiang-zongzhu,” Nie Mingjue gives back and bows just as low as Jiang Cheng did.
It sits wrong with Jiang Cheng to see him do that but seeing as they are both Sect Leaders it’s only right. Even if Jiang Cheng doesn’t feel like he’s on the same level as Nie Mingjue.
“What brings you here?” Jiang Cheng asks and then winces. “Also I apology for letting you stay outside but the rebuilding effort is still going on.”
“That’s more than fine, especially since I didn’t announce my visit beforehand,” Nie Mingjue waves him off. “I was actually hoping to talk to you in private? If that would be okay with you, of course. It doesn’t even have to be inside if you are not comfortable with that, we can take a walk too, if you would prefer that.”
Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes at him because the rambling seems very unlike Nie Mingjue who usually states what he wants clearly and precisely.
He can’t deny that he doesn’t feel comfortable inviting Nie Mingjue inside yet, so he gives him a pained smile.
“I have to patrol around the outer wall,” Jiang Cheng tells him. “If you would join me for that?”
“Sure,” Nie Mingjue immediately gives back and motions at his own disciples to stay here.
Just on queue some of Jiang Cheng’s disciples come out to offer up tea and snacks and Jiang Cheng bristles when Nie Mingjue’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
“We are capable of being polite,” Jiang Cheng almost hisses at him and Nie Mingjue raises his hands in apology.
“It would be in your right to not offer us up anything, seeing as we are still outside the city,” he explains. “So we thank you for it.”
Jiang Cheng makes a conscious effort to let go of his anger and then simply marches off, trusting Nie Mingjue to follow him along.
“Why are you here?” Jiang Cheng asks, forgoing all the pleasantries and Nie Mingjue doesn’t seem to mind that much.
“I’m here to see if you would be amenable for a courtship between us,” he says and Jiang Cheng freezes mid step.
“I thought it would be impolite to ambush you with a formal offer through a letter. I wanted to test the waters first,” Nie Mingjue goes on, clearly not noticing that Jiang Cheng has frozen in place and it takes him another three steps before he notices Jiang Cheng’s absence at his side.
“Jiang-zongzhu?” Nie Mingjue unsurely asks and that is enough to shake Jiang Cheng out of his shock.
“Stop that,” he chides him. “My name is Jiang Wanyin.”
It still feels wrong to be called by his title; zongzhu used to be his father after all.
“Nie Mingjue then,” Nie Mingjue immediately offers in return and smiles when Jiang Cheng joins him again.
“You can’t be serious,” Jiang Cheng says after a while but Nie Mingjue only shrugs.
“I am,” he sincerely says and it’s a bit much for Jiang Cheng so he busies himself with checking one of the talismans in the outer wall.
“You fortified your city well,” Nie Mingjue observes and Jiang Cheng can’t help it, his hackles immediately rise.
“So what?” he bites out and Nie Mingjue shakes his head.
“I just mean that it’s a smart move. We did the same at home. If you want, I can send you a copy of all the talismans we used.”
At that Jiang Cheng stares incredulously at Nie Mingjue.
“You would simply hand that information over? Is this how you bribe me into accepting a courtship?”
“I would never,” Nie Mingjue says with emphasis. “I just thought it would be useful information to have for you. There are no strings attached, I promise you that.”
Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes at him.
“I do not understand you at all. What do you even want from me?”
“I want to court you,” Nie Mingjue easily says and it’s just as confusing as it was the first time.
“But why? I have nothing to offer you.”
“It’s not about that. I decided long ago that I wouldn’t marry because of politics or benefits. You might not believe it but we Nies are closeted romantics. If I marry it has to be out of love and nothing else.”
“You can’t be serious,” Jiang Cheng mutters, even though he can feel a faint blush on his cheeks. “Do you not listen to the gossip? I succumbed to grief and turned insane. I would be a bad match.”
“I do not tend to listen to gossip, that’s Huaisang’s past time. And you did not succumb to your grief. I know how that looks; my father was merely a shell of himself when Huaisang’s mother died. It took him almost a year to be a functioning human being again. You are nothing like that. You are grieving, yes, but you don’t let your grief overpower everything else. My father barely remembered he had sons, let alone a Sect to lead. You are different.”
“I am heartless,” Jiang Cheng mutters and Nie Mingjue immediately shakes his head.
“You are strong. And everyone grieves differently. But you don’t let it dictate your life, so what everyone else says is wrong.”
“Just like they are wrong when they say you succumbed to your anger,” Jiang Cheng mutters and now it’s Nie Mingjue’s turn to look at him in surprise.
“I do get fits of rage, though,” he finally says with a self-conscious smile. “I suffer from qi-deviations quite regularly, you know.”
At that Jiang Cheng frowns.
“Qi-deviations happen because your body and qi can’t handle the influence of an outside source. They are not inherently due to rage or anger issues. Do your healers not know anything?”
Nie Mingjue blinks at him.
“It seems they don’t,” he finally mutters, though there’s an undertone to his voice that Jiang Cheng can’t place.
“Fine,” Jiang Cheng says when it becomes clear that Nie Mingjue is not going to say anything else. “Let’s just agree that the gossip about both of us is wrong. It still doesn’t explain why you would want to court me.”
“I like you,” is Nie Mingjue’s immediate answer. “Shouldn’t that be reason enough?”
“No one has ever liked me,” Jiang Cheng mutters and Nie Mingjue puffs himself up.
“I take offense on behalf of my brother. He very much likes you and whines into my ear every day about visiting you.”
“Oh,” Jiang Cheng breathes out, because he didn’t think Nie Huaisang would care enough. “Why isn’t he here then?” he then asks because if that was true, surely Nie Huaisang would have found his way here.
“I wanted to get the courtship talk over with first. Having him here might influence you, he can be a bit of a manipulative little pest,” Nie Mingjue fondly says. “I wanted your honest opinion first. His puppy eyes have swayed more than one person already.”
“Is that how he passed the lessons this time?” Jiang Cheng asks and Nie Mingjue sighs.
“Do not even mention that to me, I can’t believe he had to cheat his way through the third time he attended them.”
It startles a laugh out of Jiang Cheng and he can feel himself flush again when Nie Mingjue’s gaze softens.
“So what do you say? About the courtship.”
“Between you and me,” Jiang Cheng says for clarification and Nie Mingjue nods. “It would be detrimental to your reputation.”
“It wouldn’t be and even if it was, I don’t care. Any other objections? I mean—provided you even like me enough to consider it.”
“Yeah, right, who doesn’t like you,” Jiang Cheng mutters in embarrassment but Nie Mingjue’s expression stays serious.
“Many people. But I don’t care about them. What matters to me right now is your opinion.”
Jiang Cheng feels as if he’s going to combust with embarrassment at Nie Mingjue’s words and the fact that he clearly has to say it out loud for Nie Mingjue to understand is not helping at all.
But then Jiang Cheng remembers the way Nie Mingjue simply said it first, and Jiang Cheng thinks he can imitate him, if nothing else.
“I like you,” he gets out, his words a garbled mess in his rush but going by the wide smile he gets in return Nie Mingjue understood him perfectly well.
“Do you like me enough to agree to a courtship?”
“I guess so,” Jiang Cheng grumbles and Nie Mingjue outright laughs at him but he also softens it by reaching out for Jiang Cheng’s hand.
“Alright. Then I’ll draft up an official courtship offer once I’m back home.”
“Why not simply do it like this?” Jiang Cheng wants to know because now that a courtship is on the table it seems unbearable to him to wait a day longer.
“Because I’m going to do right by you,” Nie Mingjue simply answers him and it takes all the wind out of Jiang Cheng’s sails.
What do you even say in face of sincerity like that?
“Fine,” Jiang Cheng heaves out and is rewarded by a fleeting kiss to his forehead.
It’s not enough by a long shot but Jiang Cheng guesses this is something he can look forward to now.