The elders, having been thoroughly exhausted trying to convince Jin Rulan not to reinstate Luo Qingyang, and failing, decided to pause their discussion on who would take over as regent for Jin Rulan and reconvene after lunch. They could have probably chosen someone that very morning (they couldn't, they were all too power hungry to settle it that soon) if they didn't get sidetracked by Jin Rulan's ridiculous notions of filial piety. Couldn't he uphold his grandfather's wishes instead? He was raised partially by the man after all; Jin Zixuan had been dead before he was a year old, shouldn't he give his grandfather more consideration? Pah!

—-

"Jiujiu!" was all he heard before he had an armful of teenager.

He'd have scolded Jin Ling for behaving improperly (the Jin sect had eyes and mouths everywhere) but they were in a private room and so he let it go and just let his nephew whine and bury further into his embrace. Jin Ling had been acting more mature lately and had grown up alot (too fast unfortunately… he wished it wasn't like this but alas…). The fact that he was behaving like this now meant… well he was clinging so hard he was actually shaking a bit and Jiang Cheng was worried.

"What happened, A-Ling? Did they force you to reject Lady Luo's admission? Did they already choose a regent?"

Ouyang Zizhen had told them all about how Lady Luo showed up to 'visit' the day before, upon hearing of Jin Ling being sect leader, as an old friend of his fathers, to check up on him and bring him anecdotes etc. They of course had her saying all of this publicly at dinner so others heard tales of Jin Zixuan as a boy and were receptive to her (the younger ones at least who didn't know who she was).

Jin Ling, having been briefed already on their plan, pretended to be surprised when she showed him the letter Jin Zixuan sent her after she left the sect. She wanted him to have it so he could have another personal piece of his father with him but upon seeing the letter and hearing of Jin Zixuan's wishes and her refusal, he begged her to rethink her decision and join the Jin again, as his father wanted.

This way even though the elders objected vehemently in private that morning and tried to convince him to not reinstate her, it was public news that Sect Leader Jin and the former sect heir Jin Zixuan himself, invited Luo Qingyang to be part of the sect once more and that she refused them both, but after being coaxed by Jin Rulan, finally relented. Nobody could say that she begged them or came crawling back (though there were those who would still say she manipulated him into it).

It didn't stop the elders from trying every angle they could to prevent her being a Jin disciple once more, now one given a favoured position too as she had been close to the sect leader's father. Jin Ling had left her in a suite of rooms meant for those of high rank to let her settle in, and had personally ensured only those that he knew were loyal to him would help her reintegrate into the motions of the sect. She might not have joined them yet, still settling in as she was, but she was there to stay.

So Jin Ling shook his head when his jiujiu asked if the elders had gotten their way, but still didn't say anything.

Jiang Cheng sighed and let him be, petting his head soothingly (unconsciously just like he did with Jiunyan).

The other two in the room felt a bit awkward but Ouyang Zizhen stayed silent and Wei Wuxian busied himself eating snacks that had been prepared for them before lunch was served (they were all waiting on Jin Ling.)

Eventually Jin Ling, feeling calmer after having his jiujiu's attention, separated himself and told them all what had happened and how much the elders fought him on his decision.

"Those old coots dared to try and make you choose between Jin Zixuan and Jin Guangshan?!"

Jiang Cheng was pissed.

No matter who said what, Jin Zixuan was the boy's father, and Jin Guangshan may have lasted longer but he didn't pay any real attention to Jin Ling and died a few short years later himself anyway.

Of course Jin Ling's real obligation would be to accede to the concrete wishes of his father (as contained in the letter he wrote Luo Qingyang) as opposed to the vague assurances by the elders that his grandfather surely wouldn't agree with his decision. In the end, those assurances were mere speculation and should not be given the same weight as the evidence in the letter. It was just that the elders were using it as a bludgeon to try and make Jin Ling do what they wanted.

The elders were there for advice, at the end of the day the sect leader still had final say. It might be different in the mortal world but in the cultivation world elders were not just part of the family but they were a council. They existed in martial sects and as such functioned as advisors. A sect wasn't just made up of family, it was an institution. Their word couldn't be the final law because that would cause too much conflict, that was the purpose of having a sect leader in the first place.

The sect leader should of course be open to advice from his elders, but they did not have the power to go over the sect leader's head in matters pertaining to the sect itself. They had more sway upon the clan, that is, their actual family members, for personal matters.

Except the Jin sect was a den of foxes and each of them wanted things for their own gain, and Jin Ling was young enough that they could try to have their own way and disregard what he said despite this being an overreach.

They also all had their own supporters and lackeys and so Jin Ling would be at a major disadvantage, had he not had the Jiang Sect behind him. It was the only reason they hadn't tried to get rid of him 'officially' until now, but lately they had been getting bolder, knowing that the Jiang Sect couldn't interfere too much without being called meddlesome.

Jin Ling knew this and had tried not to rely on his uncle so much, but this time… this time it was too much for him to handle on his own. They were plotting to oust him in front of his face with no regard as to what he had to say. It was just *luck* that they were so power hungry and had their own factions that they couldn't decide on a replacement for him immediately and had been 'squabbling' amongst themselves which gave Jiang Cheng time to come up with a plan.

If they had been more united they would have declared someone 'acting' sect leader at the very meeting they discussed his youth and inexperience at and there would have been nothing Jin Ling could do to stop it.

"Jiujiu…"

Jin Ling's uncertain voice broke Jiang Cheng out of his angry tirade of cursing out the elders.

"Jiujiu, what if it doesn't work and they… what if I can't be sect leader anymore?" he said in a small voice.

The elders fought him so vehemently when he only wanted to admit a disciple to the sect, what would happen when he wanted to instate someone they definitely wouldn't approve of as acting sect leader? They might fight him until they got their way and then he would be thoroughly ousted from his rightful position.

Did Jin Ling want to be a sect leader at this age and in charge of the flaming pile of garbage that was the Jin sect with its current reputation?

No!

But this was his birthright. He felt like he would be letting his father down if he lost the position. And a larger yet quieter part of him felt like he would be letting down his jiujiu who had lost everything and everyone and had to build back the Jiang sect on his own and who managed to bring it back to the status of a great sect, something no other sect managed to do in all these years since the war caused a power gap when not one but two of the great sects had fallen.

Nobody else was strong enough to elevate their sects (which had not been nearly as affected as the Jiang) to this status… but his jiujiu had done it. How could he then fail when he had everything still intact except their reputation?

"Stop right there."
"You won't be losing anything!"

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian both said, simultaneously.

Wei Wuxian sounded particularly fierce. "I will make sure you don't lose your position. We have it planned out. It will work. Don't worry so much. Your elders might fight you down, but they can't truly say that Jin Guangshan's direct progeny, who has already been legitimised, is ineligible to be acting sect leader. If push comes to shove and they start to act up, instead of being content with being a regent I'll give them a show and say I don't want to be acting sect leader, but sect leader entirely! Let's see if they'll deign to take me in a fight. They wouldn't dare. I will scare them into this if I have to. Either they let me act as regent until Jin Zixuan's son is old enough to handle the position which they think he can't because of his age, or I take the sect from them entirely. I'll…well Jin Xuanyu, will be well within his rights."

Jin Ling was a bit touched that Wei Wuxian was willing to go this far for him. Though he'd interacted politely with him on occasion after the Guanyin Temple and he no longer felt hostility towards him, they hadn't gotten very close either. He knew this was probably Wei Wuxian's way to atone for, you know, inadvertently killing his father and putting him in this position in the first place, but he was still touched by the support. He wasn't afraid that Wei Wuxian would covet his position for real and genuinely take over the sect. Wei Wuxian was a free spirit who would hate to be tied down in sect politics like this, that much he'd come to realise.

Later on he would come to find out it wasn't just guilt about Jin Zixuan, but love for Jiang Yanli, that had Wei Wuxian becoming one of his staunchest defenders.

Jin Ling was glad that Wei Wuxian was willing to help, but he was still worried.

"Everyone knows about… everyone knows that the Yiling Patriarch is back," he almost whispered, "If they tried to spread rumours to the other sects won't they think you're trying to seize power and want to cause trouble again?"

"They might not find that support is as easy to gain as they think," Wei Wuxian said. For one, of the four great sects that remained, when excluding the Jin, the others Wei Wuxian were almost certain would, if not support the decision to let him remain regent for Jin Ling, then they'd ignore it and not get involved.

With the lack of support from any of the major sects, the minor sects under their banners would think twice about stirring up trouble, especially if they believed they'd have the wrath of the Yiling Patriarch turned against them. Better to leave the Jin sect to their own mess given that they all now hated the former sect leader after all.

"Either way," Jiang Cheng broke in, "If things really aren't working out and they really do manage to push you out, you can just renounce them entirely and come back to Lotus Pier with me. Liwei's been nagging me about training a sect heir anyway, you'll be the best fit for the job."

Jin Ling was a Jin, and the Jin sect should by all rights go to his leadership, so he might be disappointed if the elders managed to snatch it right out from under him. But rather than waste his life on revenge (he never wanted that kind of life for his nephew) or trying to get back into the snake pit where he'd always have to be watching his back, Jiang Cheng would prefer if he just came home with him.

"Jiujiu…" Jin Ling said, a bit speechless.

"Don't look at me like that. What did you think I was going to let you stay here to rot if that happens? If you can't be the Jin sect leader then you can say to hell with them all and come be the next Jiang sect leader. What are you worried about? I'm still here, aren't I? If things don't go to plan you have a way out." You're not alone, was the unspoken message. You have me.

Jin Ling's eyes were watery.

"Jiujiu," he cried, and he flung himself at his uncle again. He had been so stressed and his emotions were all over the place ever since the events at Guanyin Temple and even more so in the past two days. The reassurance that his uncle was there for him (even though he already knew it, sometimes things had to be said) and that even if things didn't work out he was going to be okay anyway was enough to finally break the dam of all he'd been holding back, trying to be brave and strong and to act like an adult so they would take him seriously.

Jiang Cheng let him cry and just held him, talking through it so he wouldn't feel too embarrassed later for his breakdown.

"The Jin sect will fall into chaos if you get shafted anyway because they'll all be fighting amongst themselves and the sect's reputation is shit."

"You're young and new and as a result of being hurt by Jin Guangyao's actions people will sympathise with you and you have a chance to help the sect escape the shadow of him, but the elders were there in his council and also giving him advice. They can be considered complicit whether they claim to know anything further about his deeds or not."

"They will not find it easy to garner support as they might think. The Jin sect has money which will buy them some yes, but I'd like to see how they function without the support of the other three great sects. The Jiang sect will be cutting ties with them if they replace you as leader and I don't think Nie Huaisang would do nothing either, though he might be more sneaky about it. The Lans, well I can't speak for them 100% but I don't think they're going to support another scheming bastard on the Jin throne."

"I have a plan though, as to what we can do to try and get ahead of them. That would hopefully make it more difficult for them to openly give you trouble about the regent we've chosen. We'll send someone to call Luo Qingyang and let's have lunch together with the sect. Summon everyone to the banquet hall and have lunch brought in there. You have an announcement to make after all."

He let Jin Ling cry, but had him send a butterfly message to his staff anyway. Orders sent out he proceeded to explain his idea while Jin Ling, who was still clinging to him and seemed reluctant to be far from him at the moment, tried to collect himself. Wei Wuxian was a bit surprised but a big grin spread across his face, "You're a genius Jiang Cheng."

Ouyang Zizhen didn't have much to contribute to the discussion, he was there as a sidekick after all, and as a friendly face for Jin Ling, but he was in awe of how these two people thought. He'd already gotten a taste of what Wei Wuxian was like. But now… well…

Sect Leader Jiang was… SO cool! And he didn't even use Zidian on anyone yet.

Of course Zizhen was training to lead his own sect one day in the future, but he would take any knowledge he could get from Sect Leader Jiang. He was slowly realising that leadership didn't just require strength and force, but wits as well.

Everyone knew that you could offend anyone but not Jiang Wanyin. Ouyang Zizhen, like many others, had once taken it as a warning yes, but also as an indication of the kind of person Sect Leader Jiang was. It was only now seeing him in action, not hunting demonic cultivators or various yao, but scheming old farts instead, that he realised how truly dangerous Sect Leader Jiang was.

Anyone could work hard enough to become a strong cultivator, though some were obviously luckier than some, and Sect Leader Jiang was undoubtedly one of the strongest cultivators of their time, but not everyone could navigate all of these social and political traps the way he was doing.

There was a reason the Jiang sect flourished under his lead; no amount of brute force would ever be enough to keep a sect at the top, you needed to be strategic and intelligent too, which people seem to conveniently ignore when speaking of Sandu Shengshou. No, Sandu Shengshou might have a reputation for violence, but regardless of this, he was a leader through and through. And Zizhen was now seeing that in action for himself.

Of course how could he know the pain and trials it took for Jiang Cheng to become as adept as he was? Long before any war in the cultivation world, there was a war in the Jiang household, and he'd been learning to navigate it all along. Of course his mother was also the Violet Spider who was very much aware of all the things he would need to know to survive in society and drilled propriety and leadership and societal expectations into his head. From a young age he was already very aware of his society and what it was like.

And he was also aware of just how much his father expected and how he didn't meet any of those expectations. He'd had to work hard for very little reward. At the end of the day he'd not met the expectations of either of his parents. But they were long gone and he'd do what he had to for the Jiang sect now, regardless of whether they'd be pleased with the way he ran it or not.

If they were alive he'd long have been married with kids, for one.

But they weren't, and he wasn't.

And he didn't plan to either.

He would choose his heir from amongst his disciples.

And if their plan didn't work out, then A-Ling would be guaranteed the position.

They couldn't complain about their grandson inheriting the sect no matter how disappointed they were with him.

—-

Ding Ding Ding

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," Jin Ling said, tapping his spoon against his glass to capture their attention.

He'd called for everyone to have lunch together in the banquet hall, just like they'd planned.

The elders had shown up looking wary, but figured it was because Sect Leader Jiang had arrived and the boy wanted to show off for his uncle.

He had his uncle sitting in a seat of prominence of course, afforded to all visiting sect leaders according to standing. But surprisingly enough, it wasn't the most prominent position in the room (well, save the sect leader's himself). No, that position was strangely empty.

The elders had a bad premonition, especially because in the next second the sect leader looked at them and smiled, raising his glass towards them.

"Our esteemed elders have brought something to my attention. While you all know that I reinstated Lady Luo according to my late father's wishes, the elders wished for me to honour my late grandfather as well. I am happy to announce that I have found the perfect way to do so, and to also kill two birds with one stone so to speak as aside from filial piety to my grandfather, the elders have also been concerned about my age. They think that the other sects will want to take advantage of our Jin sect because I am too young. It worries them to have a sect leader such as myself. As such," he paused dramatically.

The tension in the room was thick.

"I wanted to let the sect know first that my replacement–"

"Jin-zongzhu–" interrupted Elder Shan, "This is inappropriate!"

"Inappropriate how?" Jin Ling asked, raising an eyebrow casually.

"Rulan," Elder Chen said with a condescendingly 'paternal' tone, "This is best discussed in private. When something has not yet been decided it is not appropriate to announce it to the sect and cause a fuss."

It wasn't appropriate to speak to your sect leader like this either, but he didn't point it out. Of course these blasted snakes would do anything to undermine Jin Ling in front of the sect, to make him seem immature and incompetent.

"I was under the impression that the elders had, in fact, already decided that a change in leadership was necessary," Jin Ling said coldly.

They wanted to berate Jin Rulan some more for the audacity of going above the elders (even though by all rights he didn't need to report to them) and giving away their plans just like that, but the words of the young Sect Leader Jin had them almost paralysed with fear. He'd clearly said it in front of everyone for them to be witnesses, including the jiujiu who would burn the world for him if he asked, and who hadn't known what they were going to do.

Sect Leader Jiang was sitting there and his flinty eyes made the elders tread carefully and they held their tongues. The man obviously picked up on what was happening with the elders 'concern' and he was looking pissed. Zidian was sparking and his eyes had fallen on them with a look that made them shiver.

This could go south very quickly.

For them.

Even if he couldn't outright interfere in the Jin sect without censure, politics wouldn't save them if he whipped the hide off of them first! And Sandu Shengshou was known for being volatile.

"Elders," Jiang Cheng hissed, "Am I to understand that you are trying to replace the rightful Sect Leader Jin with someone of your choosing because you think he's too young? I thought I'd made myself clear when I visited, after the former Sect Leader Jin's… fall from grace.. that the Jiang sect would not sit still if anyone interfered with the rightful heir's succession?"

A brave (or foolish) elder piped up, "The Jiang sect has no say in Jin sect matters! Sect Leader Jiang, you overstep!"

"How is he overstepping?" Luo Qingyang cut in, "Jin Zixuan's son is the rightful heir; how bold of you to suggest anyone taking his place. Everyone is here today, does anyone disagree?" She addressed this to the various Jin sect members eating lunch (with a show).

Murmurs broke out within the room. While some agreed with the elders that Jin Rulan was very young… he was in fact the successor. It was his birthright. And the elders were there to advise him so what was the problem? The other sects couldn't take advantage unless the elders didn't advise the sect leader properly! So then were the elders declaring themselves incompetent?!

Elder Jin Huizhong didn't help matters when he opened his mouth and soundly washed his hands of responsibility.
"Rest assured, we're not all in agreement with this plan of action suggested by Elder Jin Shan."

Jin Yong, not a clan elder but still important enough to the sect to have been in the room, nodded emphatically in solidarity.

Elder Shan turned bone white because it was indeed his suggestion, but didn't most of them agree?! It wasn't just his fault! But the bullseye was now on him!

Even though it was clear the intent of some of the elders was in fact to replace Jin Rulan, they hadn't couched it in such terms in the meeting room; it was simply implied. It was just that they underestimated Jin Rulan's ability to understand what they meant, and even worse, to do something about it. It was smart of him to expose it to the general sect, and of course even smarter to do it in front of Sect Leader Jiang.

The various mutterings from the rest of the sect, and Sect Leader Jiang's murderous aura, had another elder hastily rushing to do damage control

"Sect Leader Jiang is right, Jin Rulan is the rightful heir. But he is also young. He misunderstood what we were discussing I'm afraid," Elder Jin Guozhi said swiftly, "We did not plan to replace him, rather, we wanted to elect a regent in his stead, that could help him rule and be the face of the sect until he comes of age. At that point Jin Rulan will, of course, take back the title of Sect Leader."

This caused a stir.

This wasn't something that had been done before, it was practically unheard of. Even if the sect leader was young, the elders were there to advise them etc. But to propose to place the power of the sect leader into someone else's hands, even 'temporarily'… wasn't this just asking for trouble? What if the 'regent' got used to the power and didn't want to relinquish it? Then wouldn't they have an internal schism on their hands?!

"So you're saying you want him to step down until he is of age?"

"That's right."

"And who is to replace him, pray tell?"

"We have been deliberating very carefully upon the matter, no doubt we shall have an answer to that soon enough!"

The declaration did not burst the tension and Ouyang Zizhen, who had been reeling a bit by the interruption of the elders ('dang, Sect Leader Jiang sure knows how to roll with the punches though, and the young mistress even took the chance to throw the elders under the bus') tried to get the topic back on track.

"Ah Sect Leader Jin, weren't you about to announce something?"

"That's right," supported Luo Qingyang, "Please, do continue, Sect Leader."

"Yes. As I was about to say before being interrupted," he smiled a bit sharply at the elders. Elder Shan's face twitched nastily.

"I had asked my esteemed uncle, Sect Leader Jiang, to help me find someone. As some of you would have noticed when they arrived this morning together, he finally was able to track him down. My late grandfather brought him into the sect, no doubt to keep his family close as the loss of my father was a huge blow to my grandparents. However, after my grandfather's death, he was cruelly framed for something he did not do, and ousted from the sect by my uncle, Jin Guangyao. After that day at the Guanyin Temple when I learned of the misdeeds of former Sect Leader Jin, I resolved to right this wrong. But there was too much to be done here at the Jin sect, and I could not go looking for him myself, so I asked for assistance. The timing really works out well as the elders thought I should do something to honour my late grandfather, and I think we can all agree that bringing back his beloved son, who had been so cruelly mistreated after his death, would make him happy. I have long since added his name back to the family register, properly this time, just waiting for him to be found. And now he's here. Everyone–"

"I'm back!" came the cheerful voice of a person who dramatically entered the banquet hall before the sect leader could finish his speech, "Did you all miss me?!"

Ignoring the shocked, gawking looks he received for his theatrics, he swanned over to Jin Ling and fawned over him, "My little A-Ling, look how big you've gotten." He reached over to pinch Jin Ling's cheek.

He got swatted away for his efforts.

Jin Ling grunted but introduced him, "Everyone, welcome my uncle, Jin Xuanyu, back to the sect."

Elder Shan choked on his wine.

"Jin who?!"