Title: The word is 'attempt'

Summary: Jiang Yanli has had enough. Set after the Xuanwu cave.

Disclaimer: I do not own MDZS/CQL. Parts you recognise are from the novel.

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Jiang Yanli loved her younger brothers. That was a fact known to the entirety of Lotus Pier. It didn't matter what trouble those two got up to, at the end of the day she would always be waiting for them with a smile and possibly some soup. Their people loved to see them all together, doting on them whenever they crossed paths with free food and little trinkets. Secretly, they were glad that the siblings were so close. It was an open secret that the adults in their household were...in a volatile relationship to put it mildly. Nobody knew how Jiang Yanli turned out the way she did, but everyone loved her for her mild manners, gentle smile, and the way she would parent both her little brothers, showering them with the love and affection that was sorely lacking from their lives. Wei Wuxian, the little troublemaker, had lost his parents as a small child, and lived on the streets until Sect Leader Jiang found him. Despite this he remained a cheery, playful child and his laughter was often heard after having caused some mischief, followed by the scolding of his martial brother, who endearingly tried to uphold his image as sect heir, but also couldn't help getting caught up in his shixiong's schemes. Their little sect heir tried so hard to be proper and stern, always concerned about his image and the reputation he was giving his sect, but he was still a child. Something the townspeople often thought his parents would do well to remember.

Regardless, the day came when Qishan Wen decided that all the sects needed to send their heirs to indoctrination, and the people of Lotus Pier worried about the fate that awaited the children (really teenagers but to them they would always be kids).

Jiang Yanli worried most of all. So when their sect heir, Jiang Wanyin, returned to Lotus Pier, bedraggled and looking very much worse for the wear without Wei Wuxian, they feared the worst.

Yanli despaired when she heard A-Cheng's story. A-Xian was with Second Young Master Lan in a cave, confined with a legendary beast of nightmares. Her father of course immediately gathered the disciples and had A-Cheng lead them back to the cave. Yanli would have preferred her little brother stay behind; he was exhausted and in terrible shape, but he was needed to lead them back to A-Xian and so she didn't protest. By some miracle, Wei Wuxian and Second Young Master Lan managed to kill the beast, but they were both severely injured and A-Xian was unconscious and feverish. She and A-Cheng took to sitting in his room, both worried about him and discussing the events of the past few weeks. Neither of them would leave A-Xian alone, they decided, through unspoken agreement...always there would be one or the other at his bedside. They had both been so afraid of losing him. She was so proud of both of her brothers, but she would always wish them to be safe and sound rather than heroic. What A-Cheng told her of what happened, on his end at least, was so incredibly dangerous and she just knew A-Xian that would most definitely end up downplaying the danger that he was in.

She was reading a book when she took another peek at the bed, only to see him blink awake and stare at his headboard.

She raised her head with a smile, "A-Xian!"

"Shijie!" he struggled to lift himself up and began shooting rapid fire questions at her, "I'm back? When did I come out of the cave? Did Uncle Jiang take people to rescue me? Where's Lan Zhan? Where's Jiang Cheng?"

"What are you shouting for?" said Jiang Cheng, as if he was summoned. "Sister, the soup that you boiled. I brought it over."

It was telling that he brought only one bowl. This soup was for his shixiong. He didn't intend to eat any himself even though he loved it as well. She smiled internally as she ladled a bowl for A-Xian and ignored their bickering. That was the way they showed they cared. Neither was good at expressing feelings to the other.

She reached over to wipe soup off A-Xian's face as Father entered the room and she took away the bowl, not missing her father's longing glance towards the pot. Too bad though, if A-Cheng could restrain himself, Father would have to as well.

Having left to go to the kitchen she missed the next part of the conversation, but she slipped back into the room just as A-Cheng was asking why A-Xian would let Second Young Master Lan take all the credit when they both killed the beast. Privately she agreed with him that it was unfair; she knew that A-Cheng was showing his concern that his brother wouldn't get the credit he was due. Well in any case, they could give him credit.

"Well done," Father praised.

"Congratulations," said Jiang Cheng, staring at his shixiong with a mix of emotions. Yanli's heart hurt at his tone. She could read her little brothers well. A-Cheng was really proud of A-Xian; he was glad that he was praised for his admittedly impressive deed, but at the same time their father hadn't said a word to him about his part. No 'well done' was ever directed at him. Not even an 'I'm glad you're safe.' True, he hadn't killed a legendary beast, but he had helped evacuate all of the sect heirs from the cave and had struggled without a sword, without food or water for a whole week to get back to Lotus Pier to alert them to what happened. And without any real time to rest and recuperate he had immediately headed out with a delegation to find his shixiong. Wei Ying might have helped kill the beast, but Jiang Cheng was the one who ensured that the rest of the sects even had heirs remaining alive to succeed them, the one that helped search the mountain and then helped to dig through all the stone blocking the cave entrance to save his shixiong (and Lan Wangji.) Nobody could have known that they would kill the beast. But despite thinking that the boys might be dead and that they would have to face the Xuanwu themselves when they finally managed to get into the cave, A-Cheng had gone with their cultivators to rescue them or bring back the bodies. He had gone into the cave not knowing if their brother still breathed, not knowing if there was even a body left to bring back, and not knowing if he'd be able to get out and escape the Xuanwu a second time even if there was.

A-Xian laughed, the kind where he was sure something was wrong and was trying to give the situation some levity, "What a pity that you weren't there as well. Or else, you'd be able to share some of that credit…..Lan Zhan…..boring…." He continued speaking but Yanli wasn't hearing him. She was looking at the play of emotions on A-Cheng's face and she could tell immediately that A-Xian had misunderstood. Wei Ying tried his best to keep things light whenever he sensed that Jiang Cheng was upset, but often enough he didn't know what he was upset about. A-Xian thought that he was feeling left out, but that wasn't it. A-Cheng wasn't simply jealous that he didn't get a chance to kill the Xuanwu, he was upset that his shixiong could have died and he was upset that even after he almost died he was giving Second Young Master Lan all the credit and he was even more upset that their father did not seem to care at all that it was dangerous and was giving praise without concern (it was all Father talked about since they got back, how proud he was). He was also upset on his own behalf of course, but the jealousy he felt had nothing to do with wishing he could have helped kill the Xuanwu of Slaughter and more to do with his father's effusive praise for just Wei Ying.

Instead of being able to say any of those things of course, her little brother just reverted to his usual means of coping with the tumultuous emotions roiling within him. Aka...he got angry and lashed out.

"It would have served you right to be bored to death," he snapped, "You shouldn't have played the hero and you shouldn't have cared for such a hell of a thing. If in the beginning you didn't..."

Suddenly, Jiang Fengmian spoke, "Jiang Cheng."

Jiang Cheng paused, knowing that he had said too much. He was quiet at once. Jiang Fengmian didn't look as if he was blaming him for anything, but his expression had turned from calm to more solemn, "Do you know in which ways what you just said is not appropriate?" A-Cheng's head hung low, "Yes."

Yanli was aching. A-Cheng shouldn't have said it yes but his bigger mistake was saying it in front of Father.

A-Xian, knowing the way he and A-Cheng interacted was just their way, and knowing A-Cheng said things he didn't mean when he was in a temper, tried to defend him, "He's just angry and speaking without care."

Jiang Cheng had a mulish look on his face because of course his father never understood him. He was always only seeing his flaws.

Seeing how Jiang Cheng's mouth and heart were still at odds, to his father he still appeared defiant. Jiang Fengmian shook his head, "A-Cheng, there are some things that can't be said even if you're angry. If you said them, it means that you still don't understand the motto of the Jiang Sect, that you still don 't... "

"Yes, he doesn't understand, but what does it matter, as long as Wei Ying understands?!" like a strike from Zidian, Mother swept inside with stinging words and bringing in with her a cold breeze, "'To attempt at the impossible' is exactly how he is, isn't it? Fooling around even though he knew that it'd bring trouble to his sect?!"

Father sighed, "My lady, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What a joke that I am asked such a thing! Sect Leader Jiang, do you still remember that I'm also the leader of Lotus Pier? Do you still remember that every inch of the earth here is my territory? Do you still remember, between the one lying there and the one standing here, which one is your son?"

Not this again. Yanli's nerves felt frayed. Just why did they need to do this? A-Xian should be resting.

Such questions they had all heard countless times throughout the years and so he was no stranger to them. "Of course I do, " Father answered, sounding tired. Mother laughed bitterly, "You do remember, but there's no use if you simply remember. Wei Ying, he really can't take it unless he stirs up some trouble, can he? If I had known, I would've made him stay in Lotus Pier properly and not go outside. Could Wen Chao really have dared to do anything to the two young masters of the GusuLan Sect and the LanlingJin Sect?" Yanli was growing angry. How could mother blame A-Xian for the arrogance of the Wens? She wondered if mother had somehow forgotten what the Wens did to Cloud Recesses. Sect Leader Lan was dead! What did she mean if they would dare do anything to the young masters? Even sect leaders weren't spared!

Oblivious to her daughter's mounting frustration, Madam Yu continued,"Even if he did, it'd mean that they ran out of luck. Since when was it your turn to play the hero? I'm saying this right now. You can just wait. One day, he'll definitely get our sect into some big trouble! "

Luck! Did mother attribute the loss of life to simple luck? If they could go after Gusu and Lanling's heirs that wouldn't be them getting lucky. And did Mother think that Lotus Pier was so lucky then that if A-Xian didn't go to the indoctrination that Lotus Pier would be spared if even the young masters of Gusu and Lanling ran out of luck? Who's to say A-Cheng wouldn't have been out of luck too? Would she be so blasé about it then if her own son was one of the young masters killed because he was out of luck?

Father stood up, clearly trying to avoid another argument,"Let's talk when we get back." Mother sneered, "Talk about what? Get back to where? I'll be talking about it right here. I have nothing to be ashamed of, anyways! Jiang Cheng, come over here."

A-Cheng looked torn. After a moment of hesitation, he moved to Mother's side. Holding his shoulders, Mother pushed him forward for Father to see and Yanli felt her face going red from the anger of her little brother once again being caught in the middle of their marital disputes.

"Sect Leader Jiang, it seems that some things I have to say. Look carefully—this is your own son, the future head of Lotus Pier. Even if you frown upon him just because I was the one who bore him, his surname is still Jiang! I don't believe for one second that you haven't heard of how the outside people gossip…."

A-Cheng's face shuttered. He was steeling himself once again for the accusations that would inevitably be thrown out by mother and not denied by father.

Mother's tirade continued, "They say that Sect Leader Jiang has still not moved on from a certain Sanren though so many years have passed, regarding the son of his old friend as a son of his own; they're speculating if Wei Ying is your... "

"Yu Ziyuan!" Father shouted, finally losing his temper.

"Jiang Fengmian!" Mother shouted back, "Do you think that anything will change just because you raised your voice?! Do you think that I don't know you?!"

A-Cheng looked like he would cry. That was the last straw for Yanli.

"ENOUGH!"