Chapter Text
Breaking News!
With the unexpected deaths of our beloved king and queen, the fate of the Great Qishan Kingdom remains undecided. The late King left behind two sons, Prince Wen Xu and Prince Wen Chao, born by the late Queen Wen Huang, and Prince Wen Wuxian, born by the concubine, Changse Sanren. However, since none of the princes had been crowned as Qishan's crown prince, the position of the next king was vacant for now.
While enormous support has been given for the firstborn Prince Wen Xu to ascend the throne from many discussion forums, offline or online, a surprising and unexpected announcement comes from the most respectable Qishan Minister.
The Minister of Education, Grandmaster Lan Qiren, has declared his support for the third Prince Wen Wuxian to be the next King of the Great Qishan Kingdom. Qishan Law clearly states that the next king should be the official child of the king, children who are born by the Queen. By supporting Prince Wen Wuxian, Grandmaster Lan Qiren is acting against the law.
"For Qishan's future? Yes." He said.
What happens to the strict Grandmaster who always follows the laws and once described Prince Wen Wuxian as 'unteachable walking chaos'?
Can the son of a concubine truly be a king?
Written by Ling Wen (@ling_wen)
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Official Statement from the Royal Council of the Great Qishan Kingdom
Responding to a statement of Qishan's Minister of Education, Grandmaster Lan Qiren of the House of Cloud Recesses, the Royal Council of Qishan assures all people of Qishan that the statement is purely Grandmaster Lan Qiren's personal view and not related to the Council.
The Royal Council of Qishan will remain true to the Qishan Law, which clearly states that the vacant position of the King will immediately be filled by the rightful heir to the throne.
According to Qishan Constitutional Act II, point 672 about Emergency Action XVI, "The throne must never be empty, and no one is more rightful to it than the son of the King." and,
Emergency Action XVX "The Royal Council of Qishan is responsible for nominating, appointing, or removing the position of King or Regent in a dire situation that needs immediate action."
Based on this law, the next ruler of our Great Kingdom will be discussed by the Royal Council of Qishan through weighty discussions with total transparency for the people of Qishan.
Until the Royal Council of Qishan decides between two princes to be the next king of Qishan, the Great Qishan Kingdom will be ruled by Regent Jin Guangshang of the House of Lanling, First Royal Advisor.
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House of Lotus Pier, Jiang Family Estate
"You're playing with fire, Grandmaster Qiren." The Minister of Trade, Jiang Fengmian, commented as he poured them a cup of Gusu's most famous jasmine tea. The fragrant smell filled the small room immediately, easing the tense atmosphere between the two. Jiang Fengmian of the House of Lotus Pier could only sigh when his oldest friend didn't even bother to say anything. Instead, the younger of the two was staring at the headline of Qishan News with an obvious satisfaction on his face. The Minister of Trade glanced at the squirming young people who had been called by the Grandmaster. "People will think you're doing an act of coup de etat, you know?"
Lan Qiren of Claud Recesses House looked up from the newspaper and took his cup. He closed his eyes, and the smell hit his nose. He took a gentle sip. "Maybe I am."
"Why?"
"Ruohan loved this kingdom so much." The Grandmaster smiled sadly; his finger played with the rim of his cup. He took a deep breath and looked at the large lotus garden on his left. "He had done everything to rebuild this kingdom from the disaster his father created. I will not let those two princes destroy what Ruohan has done."
Jiang Fengmian nodded in understanding. Everyone who cared about Qishan didn't want the two princes to take over the throne for many reasons. However, those who had their own agenda backed one of them, unfortunately. "And your answer is Wen Wuxian? Are you sure about that?"
"I have no choice." Lan Qiren's response caused the older man to let out a gleeful chuckle, which prompted the Grandmaster to smile as well. "He's a good young man, that Wen Wuxian. His head is just missing some screws. He has the potential to be a good king like his father; he just needs good people around him to guide him to the right path."
"I thought you said he was unteachable walking chaos?"
"Unteachable, yes. Unguided? No." Lan Qiren averted his gaze from the garden back to the head of the Jiang family. His dark brown eyes looked directly into the other man's eyes. "Wen Wuxian needs people to guide him in continuing his father's legacy. And I'm not talking about his age or inexperience in politics. Wen Wuxian is young—the youngest of the three princes—but he isn't stupid. He is inexperienced when it comes to being a leader, but he excels in diplomacy. Have you ever wondered why Ruohan never sent his older sons when we had a diplomatic meeting with the purpose of strengthening or renewing a treaty?"
"Oh, I know why. I was there when we renewed our trade agreements with Indonesia and Singapore, and the King brought Wen Chao with him. That immature prince offended both countries' representatives so badly that we almost lost them."
"I heard about that. Ruohan told me." Lan Qiren sighed, remembering the red-faced King storming into the throne room, followed by the embarrassed second prince. It took a while to calm down the king and prevent him from hurting his son, both verbally and physically. Jiang Fengmian looked at the younger man with understanding in his eyes.
"You said Prince Wen Wuxian needs people to guide him." Jiang Fengmian said this, pouring himself another cup of tea.
"Prince Wen Wuxian needs good people to guide him in ruling this country. I'm not talking about incompetency, Lord Fengmiang, but I'm talking about being a king in general. A good king needs to be surrounded by good people so he can make good decisions and create good policies for the people. When Ruohan was in charge, some people were too afraid to do anything. He knew so much—too much. Now, he's gone. These people will try to push either Wen Chao or Wen Xu to satisfy their greed."
The Minister of Trade frowned. "Because they're easy to manipulate?"
"Yes. Because they have the same greed as them, they'll be easily fooled. It doesn't matter who becomes the King of Qishan; he will be under their thumbs. These Great Council meetings will be entertainment for them." Lan Qiren said, putting an invitation to the said meeting to Jiang Fengmian. The older man carefully opened the invitation, his long finger tracing his name. The Great Council meetings are a pack of meetings to determine an action regarding an unexpected circumstance, and the parliament is invited, although they didn't exactly contribute to it. They were there just to watch and accept the final decision. The Royal Council consisted of Qishan's influential elders. They put their traditions above anything else, even if they were causing trouble for Qishan's improvement.
"Are you sure you want to come? They'll eat you alive." Jiang Fengmian looked at Lan Qiren with wide eyes. The man just smiled at him, answering his question without saying anything. The head of the Jiang family gave him a dry look as if he regretted asking that question. "So, what's your plan?"
"The Great Council meetings need about four months to determine who will be suitable for the next king. During that time, we need people to reinvent Prince Wen Wuxian's image for the public. One weakness of the council is that a good image is everything. We need to show that Prince Wen Wuxian is a much better leader than his brothers."
"And?"
"And during that time, we will get rid of these corrupt people."
"Four months is too short to get rid of these corrupt people, Grandmaster. They have power."
"We'll see." The Grandmaster sipped his tea, closing his eyes to enjoy the delicious taste on his tongue. No one spoke a word until a servant bowed in front of the door.
"Grandmaster Lan, Lord Fengmian, the young masters and lady have arrived."
"Send them in." Jiang Fengmian looked at Lan Qiren with a gleeful expression. "So this is why you want me to call them? Interesting."
Three young people appeared in front of the two important men. The tallest among them was smiling gently and bowing so deeply to show his respect. His face was as flawless as jade, with dark brown eyes and a well-structured jaw that many men would die for. His mannerism was perfect, and he sat down gracefully. On his right was a beautiful woman around his age with sharp features and huge black eyes that made her look like a living doll. Her blood-rep lips stretched to a small, polite smile as she folded her legs. On the man's left was the youngest, with a handsome, youthful face and a well-toned body. His eyes, however, stared at the two men suspiciously, as if he could sense that whatever they were called for, it wasn't a good thing.
"Hello, First Young Master Lan, Young Lady Wen, and A-Cheng." Jiang Fengmias greeted the youngsters. He grinned widely when he saw his youngest child frown at him. "A-Cheng, what's with the sour faces?"
"Father, it's bad news, isn't it?"
"Why are you being so negative, A-Cheng?" Jiang Fengmisan was tasked disapprovingly, but the twinkles in his eyes betrayed all of the seriousness. "No, there's no bad news, but Grandmaster Lan Qiren has a very important job for you."
"Uncle, is it because of your announcement?" The first young master of Cloud Recesses House, Lan Xichen, asked carefully. Lan Qiren took the newspaper and gave it to Young Lady Wen, who was the closest to his seat. The young woman silently took the newspaper, frowning at the headlines.
"Very smart as always, A-Huan." Lan Qiren praised him, smiling at his nephew. The nephew, however, didn't seem to be as amused as him, even though the smile on his face was still there.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about it?" Wen Qing murmured, glancing at the taller man beside her. "I know how Wen Wuxian is, and I don't think I'm going to like where this conversation is going."
Lan Qiren nodded, pleased with how well the three young people sensed a danger in the room. That was a nice skill to have in the future. "Hm, Lady Wen Qing is as sharp as usual. This job is very important, and yes, this is related to my announcement. First, please tell me who wants Wen Chao or Wen Xu to be your next king."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"No one? Very good. So, we only have one choice here: Prince Wen Wuxian. Just like what Lady Wen Qing has said, we all know how the third prince is, so we have no choice but to mould him into something much better." Lan Qiren's tone was smooth and final, and the trio immediately looked at him in horror. "Xichen, Young Lady Wen, Young Master Jiang Wanyin, the responsibility to establish Wen Wuxian's new image falls on your shoulders. Do whatever it takes."
The two young masters and a lady closed their eyes and groaned. Lan Xichen closed his eyes, a signature gesture when Lan was in distress. Wen Qing was gripping the newspaper in her hand tightly, her eyes narrowing at the Grandmaster without fear, and the youngest among them, Jiang Cheng, was covering his face with his palms. Just like Grandmaster Lan Qiren had said, they didn't have a choice because only one person could save their kingdom from a possible terrible future.
"Good luck, you three. Tell us if you need anything." Jiang Fengmian chuckled, his eyes crinkling and his grin wide as he looked at his son's miserable face.
As they mourned their unlucky fate, Jiang Wanying, or Jiang Cheng, as people liked to call him, glanced at two older people who came with him. He knew them and had talked to them several times, but they weren't close at all. He felt out of place as he walked behind the two geniuses, who had begun discussing their jobs.
The Lan family of Cloud Recesses House was known to be a house full of academics. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise when the Lan family dominated the Kingdom's education-related professions in Qishan. Lan Qiren was probably the only Lan in history with the highest profession as the Minister of Education. His older brothers and the Head of the Lan Family, Qingheng-Jun, prefer to dedicate themselves to Lan's prestigious academies and exclusive scholarship around the Qishan. The First Young Master Lan Huan, courtesy name Lan Xichen, was no different. He was an exceptional academic, with several degrees from prestigious universities. He was famous for his activism for equal education and had attended countless education-related events. There was a rumour that he was groomed to replace his uncle once the grandmaster decided to retire from his job. A rumour that was welcomed by the people.
Lady Wen Qing came from the Qishan Royal Family line but was so distant that her family didn't live as luxuriously as the main family. She was from the Dafan Wen House, which mostly dealt with health and environment and not politics or government, an interest that made them too different from other Wen families. Lady Wen, though, was somewhat of an exception. She caught the attention of the late King Wen Ruohan when he visited his cousin and discovered that he had a very smart niece. He brought her and the entire family, as per her request, and enrolled her in Qishan's medical school. Wen Qing was a very brilliant medic and expected to take over Qishan Medical Laboratory, a distinguished lab where only selected medical professionals and scientists work to find cures for dangerous illnesses.
Jiang Cheng was a nobody. Sure, he was from Lotus Pier House and the son of a minister, but he wasn't an accomplished individual like Lan Xichen or Wen Qing. He was just a Master's Degree business student who was preparing himself to replace his mother as the CEO of Meishan Enterprises, a giant fashion company. But he was, unfortunately, Prince Wen Wuxian's best friend. He knew he should have run away when that crazy man approached him at one of the parties and decided that he wanted to adopt him into his circle. By circle, he meant him and his other three friends.
"Jiang Wanyin, you're Wen Wuxian's best friend, right?" Wen Qing's voice snapped the young man to reality. Jiang Cheng stared into the almond-eyed woman for a moment and nodded. "A-Ning told me that your circle usually gathers at your sister's restaurant once a week."
A-Ning? Ah, Wen Ning. "Yes." He answered, glancing at Lan Xichen, who looked at her curiously as well.
"Besides A-Ning, who else is in your circle?" Wen Qing pulled out her phone and typed something into it. Maybe a note?
"Nie Huaisang and Luo Qingyang. Why?"
"Bring them-"
Ding!
A notification from Jiang Cheng's phone averted their attention. The Young Master of Lotus Pier House opened his social media application and sighed after he saw what it was about. His reaction attracted Lan Xichen's and Wen Qing's attention, of course, and Jiang Cheng lifted his phone for the two to see. Lan Xichen took the phone from him and chuckled when he saw it was a post from the one and only Prince Wen Wuxian. Beside him, Wen Qing snorted.
Wen Wuxian✓ @wy_was_here
So, does the red mean the fish is still raw? should I cook it more?
Nie Huaisang✓ @the_cute_one
@wy_was_here Wuxian-Xiong, who are you trying to kill with that fish?
Wen Wuxian✓ @wy_was_here
@the_cute_one That's rude, Nie-Xiong! It's my lunch. I tried a recipe from the lovely Jiang Yanli
Wen Ning✓ @thelittlebrother
@wy_was_here Wuxian-Ge, is your kitchen okay?
Mianmian✓ @luoqingyang
@wy_was_here @the_cute_one what the hell? Jiang Yanli will cry if she sees this fish
WWX's fanclub @fanclubofficial
Prince @wy_was_here please, stay away from the kitchen until you have enough cooking skills LOL
sandra_yeoung @queennotpricess
@wy_was_here THIS is supposed to be our next KING? What the fuck?
i_am_not_you @hahahaha
@queennotprincess Calm down, drama queen. Do you think cooking is a requirement for a KING?
Guo Xing @drguoxing
I can't determine whether prince @wy_was_here is serious or not with this post.
Lan Xichen returned the phone to its owner, still chuckling at the post and its engagement. "Our job is that tough, but look, someone actually defends him. That's a good sign, right? We have four months to do it."
"We cannot transform Prince Wen Wuxian into a perfect replica of Lan Xichen here in four months. What we can do is show the people the side Prince Wen Wuxian never showed to the public while at the same time guiding him to be a better decision-maker and limiting his chaotic tendency." Wen Qing said, typing fast on her phone while keeping her gaze on the two men in front of her. "Let's meet again tomorrow. I need to write many things down. Jiang Wanyin, bring Nie Huaisang and Luo Qingyang tomorrow."
"Okay. Let's meet at my sister's restaurant for a meeting tomorrow. Bring your plan or whatever you write regarding this suicide mission."
"Jiang Wanyin, do not call it a suicide mission, please." Lan Xichen patted the shorter man's shoulder. "We'll probably lose a little of our sanity while doing this mission, but I think it won't be that extreme."
"You know that what you said isn't that better, right, Young Master Xichen?" Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes. Lan Xichen gave him an amused smile as he reached for his hand to take his coat from the coat hanger.
"It's the most correct description for this. Lying is forbidden."
"Please don't quote Lan's rules here." Jiang Cheng grabbed his jacket and put it on as fast as possible. He almost choked himself when he accidentally zipped his jacket too high. Wen Qing quickly saved him and pulled it down. "Thanks, Lady Wen. Speaking of Lan, of all people, I never expected it would be Grandmaster Lan Qiren who has faith in Wen Wuxian. If this is my father or Lord Nie, I won't be surprised at all."
"My granduncle is unexpected sometimes." Was Lan Xichen's last sentence before bowing to Jiang Cheng and walking out of the house.
"Let's go, Jiang Cheng. You need to send me home before the traffic is too bad." Wen Qing said, taking the man's hand and dragging him to the garage.
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Wen Wuxian✓ @wy_was_here
Umm... why am I trending?
Jiang Cheng✓ @jiangwanyin
-sigh- check the news, Wen Ying!
Nie Huaisang✓ @the_cute_one
@wy_was_here Wuxian-Xiong, check the news! Check the news!
Wen Ning✓ @thelittlebrother
@wy_was_here I support you 100%, Xian-Ge
Mianmian✓ @luoqingyang
@wy_was_here OMG! I can't believe this! asdfghjkl Grandmaster Lan Qiren, are you sure?
WWX's fanclub @fanclubofficial
Prince @wy_was_here please check the news. We will always support you.
sandra_yeoung @queennotpricess
I cannot believe you're not aware of this announcement, @wy_was_here You are definitely not fit to be our king.
i_am_not_you @hahahaha
@queennotprincess shut the hell up! He'll make a good king if you pay attention to his works.
xiao peng @xpmachoman
@hahaha what works? parties? fights? drugs?
i_am_not_you @hahaha
@xpmachoman what the hell are you talking about? Mention your source that Prince WWX is a drug consumer
lily_yeun @etherealflower
@hahaha @xpmachoman yeas, prince wuxian loves parties/alcohol and fights but never involved in drugs
xiao peng @xpmachoman
@etherealflower can you even digest your own words? Since when is someone who *loves* alcohol, parties and fights not involved in drugs as well?
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Qishan Today✓ @qishantoday
Why Grandmaster Lan Qiren's support for Prince Wen Wuxian is dangerous? Read the reasons here http://bit.ly/GrandmasterLanSupport
Lanling News✓ @lanlingnews
King Wen Wuxian: a bright future or an impending disaster? Read: http://bit.ly/PrinceWWXDisaster
Gusu News✓ @gusunews
Grandmaster Lan announces his support for Prince Wen Wuxian. Find out why our Pride of Gusu is right: http://bit.ly/QishanNewKing
Voice of Qinghe✓ @voiceofqinghe
Who is Prince Wen Wuxian and why Grandmaster Lan Qiren is on his side? Read here: http://bit.ly/WhoIsWWX?
Yungmeng Daily✓ @yunmengdaily
What does Minister Jiang Fengmian think about this? What does Lady Yu Ziyuan think about this? Find here: http://bit.ly/LadyYu
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TRENDING
Wen Xu
Wen Chao
Wen Wuxian
Qishan's downfall
Grandmaster Lan Qiren
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