Chapter Text
Wei Wuxian was not sure anymore what had led him to infiltrate the imperial gardens… Maybe, something Nie Huaisang had said to him? Maybe, his own curiosity? Who knows? Not him! All he knows is that the man currently walking through them in his night robes is the most beautiful man he has ever seen. Probably some kind of noble official or diplomat… Well… Since he was here he might as well!
“Good evening gongzi! How are you finding the night?”
Lan Wangji needed some time to breath in the beauty of the Moon after the nightmare of a council —if you could call it that— he had to sit in the whole day. Though he appreciates a more reasonable bedtime usually, the fresh night air was always soothing, the light of the Moon calming in the ways the Sun couldn’t be.
A cheerful voice breaks the silence and Lan Wangji’s brows furrow minutely. No one should be here. Those gardens were for his private use only, even the guards were all positioned outside of it. He had it build next to his chambers specifically to house his bunnies. So who was here.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Is all Lan Wangji says.
“Aiyo!” The stranger answers, stepping into the moonlight. “I shouldn’t be or do a lot of things gongzi! I can promise you I mean no harm! It would be a shame to make a mess of something as beautiful as your garden! Will the gongzi indulge this one a little? I promise to disappear soon enough!”
Lan Wangji raises a brow in doubt. He also cannot help finding this man intriguing and attractive. He promises himself to keep his guard up but he can’t help nodding at the request. He makes his way to the tea pavilion at the centre of the garden, offering the beautiful stranger a seat in front of him.
Soon enough, he is drinking the man’s words like he is starved for them despite having spent a day listening to people talk. Maybe the difference is that the man —A-Ying, he called himself while imitating someone scolding him— is speaking of real things and not simply to hear his own voice or to attempt to curry favour with Lan Wangji. In fact, Lan Wangji has a hunch that A-Ying has no idea he is talking to the Emperor right now.
A-Ying is the liveliest person Lan Wangji has met since his mother passed away. He also doesn’t hold his opinions, nor his personality, back which Lan Wangji appreciates greatly. It is rare that people speak honestly to their Emperor. Either in fear to offend or in fear to be judged. Lan Wangji makes mental notes of several issues A-Ying mentioned that seem to have been downplayed by his ministers. He will look into them tomorrow.
Too soon, he starts drooping and A-Ying notices immediately. The man prompt to make his goodbyes after making him promise to head to bed.
The next morning, Lan Wangji awaken with the feeling of having lost something. He remembers the beautiful man —A-Ying, supplies his half-asleep brain— but it almost feels like he dreamed his existence. The whole thing seems to be pulled from some kind of folk tale.
A beauty sneaking into the Emperor’s private garden and speaking to him of the world beyond the palace walls, seducing him with clever words and a bright and joyful soul shining through his smiles.
Lan Wangji goes through his usual morning preparations before touring his garden, looking for something out of place. Something that would prove he hadn’t merely dreamt the beautiful man. It doesn’t take him long to find a jade pendant on a red string. An elaborate array of protection carved into the gem, one the likes of which he had never seen before. Maybe…
Lan Wangji clenched his fist around the jade. The cultivation world wasn’t as separate from imperial authority now than in the past but even if he himself had mastered cultivation he wasn’t really able to use it as much as he wished. Being Emperor unfortunately came with many limitations… He would have to consult his brother on the best way to manoeuvre.
The meeting with Lan Xichen was productive. Lan Wangji now had a clear idea on how to start his search for A-Ying. It started with the creation of a new court position: Imperial Arrays and Talismans Expert. It took some convincing for the Ministers to approve. All of them were from the secular world and had a healthy amount of fear and respect toward cultivators. What ended up swaying them was going through the national security angle. As well as the idea of reinforcing the power of the imperial court on the Jianghu.
To fill that position, they would set up a contest. Any cultivators whether rogue or from a sect will be able to take part and their knowledge and ability will be tested. A hundred testing centres will be set up across the country and then the best of those will access to the second round in the imperial city.
Was this putting a lot of hope on the unknown man entering the contest? Probably. But this was the most discrete way to go about it for now. And in case of failure he would have a whole array and talisman master to help Lan Wangji on his search. Failing any of that, he would simply leave the palace to hunt for A-Ying himself and hope that the man will not be scared off.
It took months for everything to be set up and the first round of testing to be done. Now was finally the moment Lan Wangji had waited for: the candidates eligible for the second and last round of testing would enter the imperial palace. He had arranged to pass himself off as the official in charge of the event so he would be able to meet every candidate and compare them to his memory of the man named A-Ying.
Lan Wangji had painted a portrait of the man based on his memory of their meeting. He could have used it to have a nation wide search, even if he wasn’t as good at painting as his brother, he was still decent enough to paint a good portrait. Lan Wangji simply couldn’t bear the thought of so many other men looking at A-Ying’s face and knowing his worth to him… It could be dangerous for A-Ying after all to be known as the man who had the Emperor’s attention but not his protection.
Finally, it was time to enter the examination room.
Wei Wuxian was squirming in place. Still wondering if his presence here was even a good idea. He did need the money from placing in the top one hundred but also the meeting with the Emperor that had been promised to the five people who would obtain the highest score regardless of if they accepted or were offered the position in the end. That was what he was aiming for.
The only reason he had been able to protect his group of Wen civilians so far was thanks to Nie Huaisang providing them with an abandoned village to live in under false identities. Initially, he started to help them as thanks for their own help. When he was thrown out of the Jiang sect by an angry Madam Yu, his core sealed and back scarred by Zidian, the Wens had been the one who helped him heal.
He had been found by one of the few cultivators from their settlement: Wen Ning, who brought him to his sister. Wen Qing was a very talented healer and also one of the scariest women Wei Wuxian knows. She had whipped him back into shape and then somehow he had become a part of the little community. It was almost as if he had always been part of the family. As a cultivator, it had been easy to find a place with the people there. There was only about ten cultivators living here, one more was a boon.
He was also free to go on night hunts as he wished as long as he came back safe enough to be chewed out by Wen Qing. He had taken to bringing her back some important parts of yaos or rare medicinal plants he would find on the way. Everything had been fine for a few years… Until, Wen Ruohan had been proven guilty of many crimes and convicted to the death penalty. And, although not all his family had been convicted with him, they were now social pariahs, no one wanted to trade with or offer a job to anyone named Wen. Local authorities turned a blind eye to violence on the innocent Wens and some even encouraged it.
The small Wen community, Wei Wuxian had found a home in, had been forced out of their original village after a raid. They had not only seen their village destroyed but, also the loss of a few cultivators and a dozen of civilians. After this he had reached for help through Nie Huaisang but it wasn’t really a perennial situation.
This, was why Wei Wuxian needed the prize money and to meet the Emperor. The money would offer them funds to settle without owing someone and he might be able to ask the Emperor for help finding a way to protect his new family. So far this young Emperor has seemed to care for his people, so Wei Wuxian was pretty hopeful that approaching him for help would be worth it. (And, maybe, he’ll get to see the mysterious beautiful man again…)