Jiang Gunian Made A Change

Part 21

To say the strategy meeting was not going well was an understatement. Jin ZiXuan's relief upon hearing that his mother was alive and planning on retreating to Lotus Pier was brief. His ire that Meng Yao had a way to communicate with the outside world and declined to share that with everyone was... anything but brief.

The two half brothers were currently in a screaming match about their mothers, with the Jin heir adamant that being able to communicate with his mother was of paramount importance while the bastard insisting that he, too, would like to communicate with his mother... except she was dead.

"That's not my fault!" Jin ZiXuan yelled. "I didn't kill her. I'm not the one who sold herself into that life. I'm not the one who refused to buy out her contract. I didn't even know you existed until the day Father kicked you out!"

"The debts of the father shall be paid for by the son!" Meng Yao snarled back.

"We're brothers!"

"Really? Since when have you treated me as a brother? Do you call me Ge? Can I start calling you Didi? Is my surname Jin? Are my sleeping quarters with the rest of the Jin disciples? Your father impregnating my mother doesn't make us brothers."

Jiang YanLi wanted to roll her eyes; these two had been rehashing the same arguments for over a sichen. "Lan XiChen? Can you..." she asked quietly.

"Yes, Jiang Gunian." The muffled sounds coming from the half brothers as they struggled to open their mouths was blissful. "I disagree with Jin Furen's suggestion to send GusuLan disciples to harass the Wen armies," he continued. "I believe that sending them to assist the Unclean Realm would be better. We are better suited to send out small strike teams." He lifted his Silence spell. "Meng Yao... what do you think?"

Meng Yao sent a withering glare at his sibling, then went to look at the map. "We need more information. Where the Wen are. How many are attacking each sect. Sending the Lan to the Nie and the Jin to the Jiang is a good idea. More defenders should be welcomed.

"This pass here?" He laid a finger on a section of the map. "Twenty good archers can take out a couple hundred. There's no room to maneuver in the pass and plenty of room to hide up top. The question is: will Wen Xu take his army through this pass?"

"So... information? Like... spying?" Jiang YanLi asked.

"I recommend we create teams here with each team containing at least one Jin disciple who can send butterflies. They can spy on the Wen armies, attack scouting parties, and report back troop movements to Jin Gongzi."

"I can't get butterflies sent to me here," the Jin heir reminded them.

"We'll need to break camp here, then," Lan XiChen agreed. "A small group will stay with Jiang Gunian, Jin Gongzi, Nie Gongzi, and Meng Yao to strategize and coordinate. The rest of us will scout."

"You'll leave me behind while the rest of you fight?" Jin ZiXuan argued.

"Teach me the butterfly spell, and you can go off and fight," Jiang YanLi countered. "Or assign someone who knows the spell that I can trust implicitly."

He thought for a moment. "Can you have Wei WuXian send my mother to you instead of her traveling to Lotus Pier?"

Meng Yao laughed. "You think it's a wise decision to send your mother into the care of your father's bastard son? As well as the woman you insulted so thoroughly her father had no choice but to break your betrothal agreement?"

"Wise or not, I would rather her stay with Jiang YanLi, protected, than in Lotus Pier where she will soon be fighting for her life."

Nie HuaiSang fluttered his fan, speaking up for the first time. "I think that's an acceptable compromise. As long as we keep Jin Furen away from Meng Gongzi."

"I need someone to give us butterfly intelligence, not antagonize our chief strategist," Jiang YanLi agreed. "If she is willing to do that, then, fine." She busied herself with writing the request to her younger brother, ignoring the way her former intended was gnashing his teeth at the slight insult to his mother. This fight is larger than any one of us. Petty grievances need to be set aside. Especially grievances caused by people not here. Meng Yao's birth is not his fault. I will not have him treated as less by his father's wife.