Jiang Gunian Made A Change

Part 4

If she was going to remove her brothers from Lotus Pier and hide them from being indoctrinated by the Wen Sect, she could have no better co-conspirator than Wei WuXian. Also, given that the fortune teller had stated said co-conspirator was going to lose everything (everyone) important in his life, she decided it would probably be just as easy for him to hide all his friends away, too. And Jin ZiXuan, seeing as how she still wanted to marry him. The Jin heir was... infuriating, but she was... enamored.

Wei WuXian embraced the role, immediately sending letters to his friends inviting them to a forbidden nighthunt. As expected, Nie HuaiSang and his minder, Meng Yao, were the first to arrive at the rendezvous point, sabers conspicuously absent, mischievous smiles on the younger's face. Jin ZiXuan and his retinue were a close second, angrily strutting around the inn even before seeing Jiang YanLi standing behind her brothers. Surprisingly, two Wens showed up the following morning: Wen QiongLin and his elder sister, Wen Qing. "You didn't see the way he was treated by Wen RuoHan and his sons, ShiJie! If we're avoiding being indoctrinated, we need to include all our allies," was Wei WuXian's defense for inviting the pair. The twin jades arrived last, furious that anyone would plan a nighthunt when doing so would invite Wen RuoHan's wrath down upon them. No, it wasn't right, but they needed to keep the peace, right?

"We're not going nighthunting," Wei WuXian grinned at their stonier than normal faces. "ShiJie received... information. QishanWen is going to attempt to become overlords of all the Sects. Wen RuoHan wants to proclaim himself Emperor. They're going to attack Cloud Recesses and do their best to burn it to the ground. With that victory, they're going to send notices to every largish clan or sect that the heirs and strong junior disciples are required to attend indoctrination at the Nightless City. Our sect leaders will send us because they don't want to become next. But it won't work. QishanWen will still attack Lotus Pier. Then the Unclean Realm. The clans will ally against Wen RuoHan, and eventually they will win the war. But at the loss of thousands of lives and hundreds of the smaller sects completely wiped out."

"So why are we here?" Jin ZiXuan snarled. "Shouldn't we be home preparing to resist?"

"If you resist, Koi Tower will be attacked and destroyed, too," Jiang YanLi spoke up, doing her best to sound competent, not scared. "Any clan that resists will be destroyed."

Jin ZiXuan started turning a brilliant scarlet. "How do you know this? I want to verify it! Tell us who your informant is!"

"And potentially have that informant executed by my uncle?" Wen Qing crossed her arms, looking murderous. "What Jiang Guniang says is consistent with what I've overheard. My odious younger cousin is already setting up for that indoctrination while my older cousin is salivating over how he will handle the clans that disobey." She turned to Wei WuXian. "My brother and I thank you for the invitation, but... I think it's best that we return to the Nightless City."

Jiang YanLi shook her head. "Wen Guniang... my informant tells me everyone in this room will be affected by the upcoming war and only a few of us will survive it. Jiang Cheng will. Wei WuXian, Jin ZiXuan," here she guessed that eventually she would marry the Jin heir, "and I will not. I'm not sure about anyone else, but.... If you uncle finds out you were here? You won't survive that, I'm sure."

"Go or don't go. It's your choice," Jiang Cheng interjected, angry at hearing for the first time that his siblings were destined to die in that war. "I have no intention of being anywhere near where my parents or the Wen can find me when the invitation arrives."

"If you decide to join us," Wei WuXian handed out talismans. "You can activate this. It will make you imperceptible to every spiritual tracker I know how to avoid. Tell your family you're going on a long walk or something. Don't say anything about what we're going to do, please, either way. Once this talisman is active, it will tell you how to get to us. You can bring people you trust; there are plenty of talismans."

Lan XiChen hesitantly reached out for a talisman. "What happens next? How do we prevent Cloud Recesses from burning? Or Lotus Pier?"

"We don't," Jiang YanLi shook her head. "When we get back, I'll ask my parents to increase the protections around there. And then we leave with a few disciples. Ones that we think absolutely must be saved should the worse happen."

"That's cold," Jin ZiXuan shot a furious look at her. "Why not stay and fight?"

"Stay and die or leave and hope to survive? Do you really think dying is the better choice?"