A Phoenix Rising - An Untamed Story (Book 1 In Series)

Chapter 08

Lan XiChen stood at the back of the Hall of Ancestors with his uncle, Lan QiRen, and surveyed the room. There was a group of about ten juniors including his adopted nephew and Jin Ling. Wen Ning stood near them, physically apart from the group, but nevertheless included in the animated conversation. They didn't seem to expect the Ghost General to actively participate, but no one turned their backs on him, and they frequently looked over at him to make sure he was paying attention. Leaning up against a wall, Jiang WanYin stood alone, apparently lost in his thoughts. And at the front of the Hall stood two men resplendent in red and gold: his younger brother and soon to be brother-in-law. They had eyes only for each other.

They didn't seem to notice or care that the Hall was not decorated for a wedding. For the last wedding held here, young women had hung red silk bunting everywhere and lit candles in red holders and had vases of all sizes filled with fresh cut flowers on every table. The Hall had been filled with people, too, congratulating the happy couple.

Today there were less than twenty guests. No candles. No bunting. No flowers. There had been no exchange of betrothal gifts. No bickering over dowries. No searching for the most auspicious wedding date. There was no elaborate feast planned for later. Other than their clothing, there was nothing to indicate these two men were about to swear their lives to each other. WangJi and Wei WuXian would say that a wedding required three people: the two getting married and a witness. The people important to them were here and he supposed that was all that mattered.

"I thought having one Wei in the family was bad enough," Lan QiRen interrupted Lan XiChen's thoughts. "Now there's two of them!"

Lan XiChen was well aware of his uncle's animosity towards Wei WuXian. Even after twenty years, he wasn't exactly sure what prompted it; it seemed to be more than just the younger man's tendency towards mischief, though. But what did he mean by 'two of them'? "I'm sorry, Uncle. Is there another Wei married into the Lan? I wasn't aware of any...."

"Not married. Adopted." Lan XiChen followed his uncle's gaze to the group of junior disciples.

"Do you mean my nephew?"

"Mmm."

"SiZhui is not a Wei, Uncle."

"Of course he is!" Lan QiRen sputtered. "WangJi only brought the boy home because he's that man's son. Probably a bastard son, too. It's not the boy's fault who his parents are, but blood will out."

Lan XiChen stared at his uncle. "That's what you've been thinking all these years?" Lan QiRen hmphed and raised his chin a bit higher in response. "I took care of SiZhui when WangJi brought him here, do you remember? WangJi was in no condition to care for a small child, especially when they both had such high fevers. They boy cried for his family for weeks. But not once did he ask for his mother or father. Grannie, QingJiejie and XianGege: that's who he called for the most. An extremely sick three year old would definitely cry for his mother and father if they had been in the Burial Mounds. And there is no way Wei WuXian would permit his son to call him Gege instead of Baba..."

"You think his familial loyalty is that great?" Lan QiRen scoffed. "Look at what happened. He abandoned his adopted family in their time of need."

"Uncle, you must know why Wei WuXian had to leave the YunMengJiang Sect."

"No, I don't. If you're going to say it was because of that Core, Wei WuXian could have stayed on as a civilian advisor to his brother."

"I'm sure the Core was a part of the reason, Uncle, but that's not why Wei WuXian had to leave." Lan XiChen rebutted quietly. As his uncle glanced over at him in inquiry, Lan XiChen sighed. He hadn't understood it himself until years after Wei WuXian's suicide. And it had taken a visit to Lotus Pier to open his eyes.