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"----I never should have taken you in! You're lucky you have a face like hers. At least you could have some value." The words Jiang Yanli heard as she passed through the corridors were equally alarming to the sharp slap of skin she knew too well from her own childhood. She rounded the corner to see Jin Guangyao with a purpling face and her father-in-law standing over him, fist still clenched in his son's outer robes.
She saw red.
"A-Yao!" she called firmly, striding forward with all the confidence of a woman who'd survived the Wen Massacre to become future clan leader, "There you are. I've been looking all over for you! You were supposed to meet me half an hour ago." She strategically placed herself between the two men and bowed, just slightly, using her swelling stomach as an excuse to look her father-in-law dead in the eyes when she said," This daughter apologizes for interrupting, father."
"Nonsense."he waved dismissively,"I was just speaking with Guangyao. Would you like me to arrange for someone more suited to assist you, dear?"
"Brother is capable. He is the only one I will allow to help me with this matter. Which is rather urgent, I'm afraid." She bowed slightly again to excuse herself, "A-Yao, come with me." she swept away, only pausing long enough for the man behind her to bow deeply to his father.
When they were far enough away, she turned and straightened his hat and clothes, "There, now," she said gently, "We will have to get you looked at. I can't believe he did that! And the things he was saying! Oh, if I were my mother, I could have sent him flying!"
Jiang Yanli watched genuine shock cross over his face before he composed it, "Young Madam Jin?" he asked, "What do you mean?"
"A-Yao," she said seriously, cupping the uninjured side of his face gently, "I can not forgive anyone who would harm my adorable little brothers. Any of them. Now come on. We need to get you looked at. And then I'm going to cook for you. It's been too long since I've been in a kitchen. Tell me, do you prefer pork rib and lotus soup, or mapo tofu? If its something else entirely, let me know and I will learn to make it for you."
Jin Guangyao's eyes and lips widen again." I couldn't possibly trouble you to----"
"It's no trouble at all." she says. "Older sisters love to dote on their brothers, don't you know that?"
He followed her cautiously, and as they talk, Yanli realizes this was probably his first time experiencing being cared for by someone other than his mother. She would have to make more of an effort in the future. It was never any trouble looking after A-Cheng and A-Xian, and A-Yao seemed to have his head firmly on his shoulders.
No, he certainly wouldn't give her any trouble at all.
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It was A-Yao's voice that caught her ear. "Father wanted--"
"You're nothing but the son of a whore. What makes you think you're qualified to tell me how to do anything?" Jin Zixuns words reflected his truly hideous personality. "I'll bet that Wen dog only took you in because he knew you'd sucked Mingjue's---"
"Cousin," Yanli cuts in sharply, "I believe we settled this on pheonix mountain. You are unqualified to speak to me or any of my brothers until you have apologized for your own behavior, which will not be tolerated. Am I clear?" he opens his mouth and her hand comes up,"No, you may not speak. Simply nod or shake your head."
He glares at her.
"Oh dear," she sighs, "It seems you weren't listening at all. I will make myself clearer. Unless they are apologies, I do not want to hear words from your mouth."
"I don't have to--" he screams.
"Actually, you do." Jin Zixuan says, stepping behind Yanli, "If my wife, the future matriarch of our clan, gives you an order, you follow it. Or do you no longer wish to call yourself a Jin?"
Yanli didn't so much grin as preen, raising a single eyebrow in the way her mother used to when she had just won an argument with someone beneath her and was waiting for them to realize they had lost. Jin Zixun tried to save face by huffing" Sect heir", giving a sloppy attempt at a bow, and walking away.
After he was gone, Yanli turned and winked at her newest brother. "A-Zuan, I believe there was some ambiguity over who your new advisor should be?"
"A-Li?" he asked.
"I think that Jin Zixun is particularly unsuited to the position. He is closed minded, impulsive, and speaks before he thinks. If you put him in a position of authority, the Jin sect is more likely to be dragged into disputes than avoid it." she says.
"You're right, A-Li. If only Luo QingYang..." he trails off
"If I may, you should put A-Yao in the position." she says.
"What?" and "Excuse me?" both men say turning to her.
"It only makes sense. He is sworn brothers with the heads of the Lan and Nie clans. His ability to gain the trust of Wen Ruohan combined with previous experience as Nie Mingjues right hand proves him to be in possession of a sharp mind with keen political insight.
"And we would never have been able to placate evryone at our wedding without him. Who talked A-Cheng out of harassing the florists, only to talk them into what A-Cheng wanted done? A-Yao is truly gifted when it comes to working with people. He would be nothing but a valuable asset to you and to our clan." She states her case plainly.
Jin Guangyao's ears turn red just under his hat and his jaw hangs like it hasn't closed since the first time she intervened on his behalf. A-Zuan has the most considerate look on his face. He pulls Yanli to himself and kisses the crown of her head, "I regret not having realized this myself. How was I blessed with such a brilliant wife?"
"You nearly weren't." she teases not unkindly.
He sighs, "I have you to point out when I'm being a fool. We'll do as you say. That is. If A-Yao would want to take on such a role?" he asks, turning to his brother.
A-Yao's eyes widen imperceptibly then he resets his face into a demure smile and bows deeply." It would be my honor, sect heir. Thank you for the opportunity. " he says before turning to Yanli, "Thank you, young Madam Jin." he says as he begins to bow.
"Oh none of that, now." She lightly scolds and pushes his shoulders back up to stand, "You should call me A-jie." she says.
"Thank you, A-Jie" he inclines his head and tests her name.
She beams at her brother whose own smile turns warmer and out of the corner of her eye Yanli sees her husband realize what a wonderful family he's been given.
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It took a little while to recieve word back from cloud Recesses. Lan wangji arrives within the fortnight. He seems confused at the invitation, even more so while they have tea. He seems so out of place in Carp Tower, let alone in a nearly private meeting with the pregnant wife of the clan heir. Yanli does her best to put him at ease, but that face of his makes it difficult to see if it's working.
"Theres one thing I must burden you with." she says as she walks him into the kitchen, "I'd like you to bring soup to A-Xian. It's been too long since I've seen him. I'm worried.
" With the state I'm in now, I'm afraid I cannot make the journey myself."
"Mn." he agrees.
"Theres no one else I would trust with this. I can only give this soup to someone he trusts. Someone I know won't harm him because they love him as much as I do." She continues. She watches his ears burn red but he does not deny the way he feels about her brother. "Now hand me that pan over there and bring me that slab of ribs. I'll have to rely on you for all of the heavy lifting."
"Mn". He says with an incline of his head.
"If it isn't too much trouble, there is one other favor I must ask of you, as well." she says
"Name it, lady Jiang." he says. She smiles a little deviously and explains as he goes to fetch the large slab of ribs and a pot to boil.
Slowly but surely she teaches him how to prepare A-Xian's favorite dish. She teaches him how to spice it properly and even how to make her brother's favorite chili oil from the small herb garden kept beside the kitchen. She writes everything down carefully for him to replicate and he watches the pot simmer. She is sitting just to the corner to take pressure off her swollen feet and aching back, content to wait in their established silence and shared stories of A-Xian, and is not fully visible when Jin Zixun and his retinue walk in.
"Ha! The great Hanguang Jun reduced to cooking like a servant. Looks like you've finally learned your place." his laughter is abruptly cut off, replaced by indignant mumbles and vaguely threatening hand gestures as his lips refuse to open.
"How dare you punish the second child of the Jin sect! The Lan sect goes too far!" One of the men shouts.
"He didn't. I did." Yanli says calmly, waddling her way between Lan Wangji and her husband's unruly relatives. "Oh, Cousin. I believe we have already had this discussion. You are not allowed to speak to any of my younger brothers.
"I may be better at cooking than cultivation, but I think I can manage Lan Wangji's spell just fine." she smiles, "Please learn to hold your tongue or I will make sure you lose use of it."
Jin Zixun looks furious. He raises an arm and in an instant Lan Wangji is between her and her husband's cousin, Bichen raised to block him. She hadn't even felt him move; she was impressed he'd managed without knocking her and the baby over.
"I will not hesitate to remove your arm should you think to touch Young Madam Jin." he says simply.
The Jin cultivators backed out of the kitchen and ran.
"Thank you, A-Zhan." she smiles, placing a hand lightly on her stomach.
"Thank you as well, A-Jie." he bows, and she smothers her laugh with her free hand at seeing his ears burn red. A-Xian was lucky to have such a fine husband waiting for him.
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Afrer Wangji left, it became a well known taboo to speak I'll of The Young Madam's Brothers. Servants and sect members certain in the safety of their secluded gossip found themselves suddenly silenced and out of favor with their sect heir at the mention of The Yiling Patriarch or Jin Guangyao's parentage. Jiang Cheng was less than pleased to learn of his sister's new talent when he himself was silenced for ten minites at a family dinner, and Jin Zixun was silenced for an extra hour before Jiang Yanli took pity on him. Jin Zixuan hid his laughter in a coughing fit to avoid the same fate.
She really did love all of her brothers.
"Young Madam, you realy shouldn't go through all of the trouble." he tells her as he helps her to sit down. Extended use of a spell even one as simple as this, was more than her body could take even when she wasn't eight months into term.
"I know you are more than capable of dealing with them by yourself."she tells him, "You are far more patient with them than I am, A-Yao. It's why I worry so much. You're too kind. I hate seeing them treat you like this. I will stop if you feel it's causing you more trouble, but..."
"Young Madam---"
"A-Jie." she corrects him gently.
"A-Jie." he allows, "Why do you bother? You know of my status." "I do." She says. You are my brother through my husband. And you are sworn brothers with two sect leaders."
"A-Yao. If I cared about what others think, I wouldn't have any family left but A-Cheng." she shakes her head, "I care about who you are. And you are my precious little brother." she smiles at him, "I wish everyone could see the good that we see in yoh. You know, A-Zuan told me he can't believe how he ever got along without the two of us correcting him, that he'd be afraid of running things into the ground without you here." she giggles. "I'm really glad we have you, A-Yao. And I'm proud to be your sister."
"A-Jie." he says. It's the same confounded look on his face a month later as she demands he stand next to her so she can hand him her child. The same look he got the first time she pressed a warm bowl of soup into his hands and said "eat."
"A-Li, let me hold him, he isn't--" Jin Guangshan cuts in, trying to block his son's path.
"Father," Yanli says, "I trust my brother with my life. I know he will look out for A-Ling and always do what's best for him." She places her infant in her, "A-Ling. This is your Shushu, A-Yao. You must remember to listen to him and always learn to be a good person from him. He has much to teach you."
Her heart melts as she watches her brother lean his face against A-Ling and coo quietly at him. She doesn't doubt that he would promise him the universe, like A-Cheng had only hours prior. He was still rubbing furiously at his eyes between arranging a small mountain of toys and flowers he'd managed to cram into the birthing chamber. She only wished A-Xian and A-Zhan were here to meet their nephew.
Zixuan must have seen it on her face, "We should invite Wei Wuxian," he murmers into her hairline. "to meet Jin Rulan."
"And second master Lan." she promises, smiling ip at her husband and savoring evrry moment with her family and newborn son. "All of my precious little brothers should meet their nephew."