Ch 40
Oh yes perfect! He thought to himself, as Wen Chao strode down the centre of the hall, hostility radiating off of him as he glanced over at Wei Ying sat in his seat. The perfect distraction for him to get Lan XiChen away from Wen RoHan! Not that the man wasn't perfectly capable of getting himself away from Wen RoHan if he so chose, but that secret wasn't anything any of them wanted to share yet.
As Wen Chao continued down the hall towards his father, glaring over at Wei Ying and Lan Zhan in the process, Wen RoHan had obviously picked up on the change of atmosphere in the hall and risen from his seat to address his son.
'Is this the way we greet guests?' he said sternly, looking towards where Wei Ying sat.
If he had aimed to remind his son about the importance of this specific guest, or maybe that he was here in his father's hall, the reminder fell on deaf ears.
'What kind of guest sits in his hosts chair!' Wen Chao asked, with a fair attempt at keeping his voice civil.
Wen Chao again glared over to Wei Ying with open hostility, the later pointedly choosing not to stand up as he spoke in an overly polite voice, designed to drive the other a bit closer to the edge.
'Nice to meet you again Wen Chao. I thought it was just your father and I involved in this talk today and didn't know I was sat in your chair. If you like I will stand and wait for another, and you can have your seat back.'
'Yes, you will', Came Wen Chao's response, just at the same time Wen RoHan's deep voice echoed.
'That will not be necessary'
Wen Chao glared at his father, who looked back with those eyes that dared anyone to defy them. Bingo…Wei Ying thought to himself as he glanced quickly to Lan XiChen and then to Lan Zhan with a look that simply said, 'play along'. Both Lan's nodded slightly, and Wei Ying made his features resume their emotionless state before stepping forwards towards the pair of Wen's, indicating for Lan Zhan to follow.
'I thank you Leader Wen, but we do not need this argument over something as small as a seat, we can just have an extra one delivered.'
'As I said that will not be necessary' Wen RoHan echoed
'If you insist' Wei Ying said with a small shrug 'But at least I can offer Young Master Chao a drink…XiChen…...'
As soon as Lan XiChen moved to get the wine jug Wen RoHan raised his hand to Wei Ying.
'No, he doesn't have to.' He said gruffly. 'Wen Chao is old enough to get his own drinks'
'Father!' Wen Chao's voice was a mixture of anger and a childlike whine in his disbelief.
As Wei Ying had thought, offering Lan XiChen's service to Wen Chao would make Wen RoHan intervene, and by doing so set the father against the son. The Wen's were so easy to manipulate by using their own egos and sense of self entitlement against them, there was no way that after, seemingly, taking such a prize as Lan XiChen away from Wei Ying so easily, the elder Wen would ever share him even with his own son.
'Enough!' Wen RoHan almost roared 'If you want a drink go get yourself one, stop acting like a spoiled child!'
Wen Chao stomped over to the main table, doing a pretty good impression of a 'spoiled child' as he went. Wei Ying had to pinch himself to stop from laughing as he sat down, receiving another cup of wine, and a hidden glare, from Lan Zhan. On the main dais Wen RoHan had also re-seated himself and even allowed his fingers to run over the back of Lan XiChen's hand, in a way you would a pet, as he also served the second cup of wine. Lan XiChen to his credit, gave no outward sign of the disgust he must have been feeling internally.
'Where were we before my son rudely interrupted?' Wen RoHan spoke, pointedly looking at his son who had been forced to choose between standing, like the Lan's, or sitting on the floor, he had chosen the later.
Wen Chao pretended not to hear his father speak, but his obvious hatred towards Wei Ying was at a tipping point, Wei Ying just needed to give him that slight prod.
'We were speaking about the sensitivity of the conversation and that's why you had no servants attending you' Wei Ying offered helpfully, again his face and voice carefully blank of emotion.
'Ahhh yes, we were. Then you nicely offered me one of yours to serve me instead which was polite of you' Wen RoHan spoke carefully as he stroked the back of XiChen's hand again.
On the floor Wen Chao let out a snort which was effectively cut short when his father threw an empty goblet at his head. That seemed to be the final straw and Wen Chao rose to his feet, eyes blazing with anger, empty goblet in hand as if he couldn't figure out who to throw it at first, Wei Ying or his father!
'Don't try and deceive us Wei Ying, I know you aren't to be trusted!' Wen Chao almost spat. 'And the fact that my father is even entertaining the idea of believing what you might say shows more about his stupidity than your abilities to be persuasive!'
Wen Chao had been so furious he seemed to have forgotten his father was still in the room!
Wen RoHan was currently going blue trying to rein in his temper, unwilling to let it loose at the moment with Wei Ying still around. Wei Ying himself was trying hard not to do a little, premature, victory dance in the centre of the hall. Instead, he once again kept his voice even as he stood and spoke, each word hitting home as he placed all his focus on Wen Chao.
'I can't be trusted! Last time, when I invited you to YiLing, you obviously had your eye on Lan Zhan, I am not blind or stupid. You came to my home and tried to take what was mine!' As if to make his point Wei Ying once again wound his arm around Lan Zhan's waist like he had done in YiLing, a gesture Wen Chao had seen before, which just served to annoy him even more. 'This time I get invited to Nightless City and your father obviously has his eyes on Lan XiChen! Am I supposed to believe that this is purely coincidence? I respect Sect Leader Wen and if he wished to keep XiChen for the evening I would have no problem with that request, but YOU just have to come in here and tell me how untrustworthy I AM after what you tried to do? Was I really invited here to talk about your core or was I invited here so that you could take both of them from me? Tell me Wen Chao, if you can't even be trusted this much why should I remove the seal on your core?'
As if on cue Wen Chao's last thread of self-control snapped as he lunged forwards to strike at Wei Ying, his sword completely unsheathed and ready for blood. Unfortunately for Wen Chao though, even without his core Lan Zhan was just as quick and Bichen was made of the finest materials, so the clang of metal upon metal soon echoed in the room as Wen Chao hit the unbending wall that was Lan Zhan.
'Call your dog off and fight me like a man you coward!' Wen Chao almost screamed through gritted teeth.
'You perform a sneak attack on an unarmed man, and you call me a coward!' Wei Ying scoffed.
Before Wei Ying could say anything else though Wen Chao seemed to disappear from right in front of them. Lan Zhan lowered Bichen but didn't completely sheathe the weapon, and Wei Ying took a few seconds to glance around the room. Wen Chao was laid sprawled on the floor at the opposite side of the room to where he had been a few seconds ago, the reason for the move was obvious as the man loomed over the top of him. Wen RoHan. The Wen Leader seemed to have no problem physically punishing his son in front of visitors when it suited him, and right now Wen Chao could only cover his head in protection from the blows.
'You ungrateful bastard!' Wen RoHan was saying loud enough for it to echo off the walls. 'I sent you to YiLing to get his help and you tried to steal from him! Not only that, but he held up his side of the agreement and kept out of the war, did nothing to stop you using your core, and you still come into MY hall and cause trouble!'
After swinging his fist once more Wen RoHan stood up and faced his, rather stunned audience, Wen Chao still curled up in a ball on the floor behind him.
'I apologise Wei WuXian for my son's behaviour, he represents me and should know better. I of course will return XiChen to you with a promise that neither of us will try to steal what you have obviously spent a lot of time training. If you wish to punish my son further, I will send him to your room later. For now, though'…. he gestured to the door… 'your room should be ready'
Wei Ying silently nodded as if he understood what wasn't being said by the Wen Leader and accepting all the apologies. Turning towards the door to leave he looked towards both Lan's as he echoed the command he had used before 'come' and they both followed him towards the exit of the hall and the relative safety of their allocated room.
I never knew you were such a diplomat!' Lan XiChen said once the room had been checked for listening talismans and Lan Zhan was kneeling outside 'as punishment' for attacking Wen Chao, while actually keeping watch.
'I'm not, but I do know how to annoy people, and with the Wen's god like belief in themselves they are easy to annoy.' Wei Ying grinned.
Lan XiChen just smiled and shook his head before speaking.
'If Wen Chao hated you before he will hate you even more now and I highly doubt his father will allow him into the room while you meet just in case he does something else and you refuse to release his core'
'That was the whole point' Wei Ying replied quietly. 'Although I didn't know Wen RoHan was going to get so focused on you. Sorry you had to deal with that XiChen, and sorry about saying what I did about letting Wen RoHan keep you for the evening, but its the only thing i could think of that would send Wen Chao over the edge and get you back safely, without tipping off his father.'
'It worked well...Wen RoHan was so angry at losing the chance to humiliate me that he wasn't thinking correctly' Xichen agreed.
'Still...I'm sorry.' Wei Ying mumbled.
'Nothing I didn't agree to before we arrived here' The elder jade said with a smile. 'It's much better me than Wanji, I am glad you made sure no one touched him.'
'Lan Zhan would have torn the arm off any Wen who tried, I know that' Wei Ying grinned 'I'm just sorry either of you had to deal with it, not to mention all this servant stuff'
'We both agreed to it Wei WuXian, both for our uncle and to get rid of the Wen, think nothing more of it please.' Lan XiChen said quietly with the reassuring tone of an older brother.
Wei Ying sighed.
'Sometimes you remind me of my sister, she always had that kind of tone when she wanted to reassure either me or Jiang Cheng. It must be an older sibling thing.'
'You and Wanji are together now, so I am also your elder brother as well as his' Lan XiChen responded.
Wei Ying wanted to smile and lean into the strong arms of the elder jade, feel the strength and warmth that could only come from an elder sibling, even an adopted one. But now wasn't the time he reminded himself. He had managed to get the two Wen's at each other's throats, now he needed to get the talisman that would control access to core onto Wen RoHan's chest.
Simple right!
