Backlash Part 1

Chapter 149: The Mistake of Yangquan

Lan Xichen felt like he couldn't breathe. This was a mistake. It was a mistake and it was going to cost him his best friend. Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue had known each other ever since they were little. Nie Mingjue was only two years older than Lan Xichen, and they had both grown up knowing they would be sect leaders.

Nie Mingjue was blunt. He was not subtle about what he thought or felt. It was something that Lan Xichen had always admired. Growing up in Cloud Recesses, every action and word was carefully aligned within the boundaries of three thousand rules. There was honesty, but that honesty needed to be controlled and polite. There were things people did not talk about, and that made things a bit confusing for a young child who doesn't understand why their mother was imprisoned or why their father refused to speak to them.

Nie Mingjue was startling, but also refreshing. He said exactly what he meant, and he did not bother to try and make his words sound like anything they were not. It was something that was slightly problematic for Nie Mingjue, but Lan Xichen had found it was a quality he admired.

Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen saw each other frequently. Both being introduced to each other, since they were both sect heirs. Both were brought along to meetings and conferences as they grew older. Both were learning to lead their respective sects. Both appreciated being able to talk to someone who was in a similar position to themselves.

Nie Mingjue had become something like a mentor, or an older sibling. He was two years older than Lan Xichen. Both of them had inherited the leadership of their sects at a young age. Nie Mingjue because of his father's early death. Lan Xichen because of his father's voluntary absence. Lan Qiren and Nie Mingjue's father had both encouraged the two boys to spend time together. They had hoped that a strong friendship between them could help secure a strong bond between their sects in the future.

Nie Mingjue had become someone that Lan Xichen felt he could rely on. He was someone Lan Xichen would seek out if he was overwhelmed. Nie Mingjue did not always know what to say, and sometimes the issues Lan Xichen brought to him were problems that were foreign to Nie Mingjue. After all, Nie Mingjue had never struggled with how to deal with multiple minor sect leaders wanting to come meet with Lan Xichen regarding their disciples studies. Nie Mingjue was practically one of those people.

Lan Xichen felt a pang of guilt. Wen Qing was the one who gave him a way to navigate that. A way that both felt appropriate and relieved some of the burden from Lan Xichen's schedule. Ever since taking over the duties of the sect leader Lan Xichen had frequently felt like he was drowning in work. There always seemed to be more he needed to do than could be done, but there seemed like no way to reduce that load without burdening someone else. Nie Mingjue's colorful advice that often included telling Sect Leader Yao to 'deal with his own problems,' or remind inquiring sect leaders that they could 'educate their own disciples and then always know how the disciples were doing in lectures,' was well meaning but not usually all that helpful.

Now Nie Mingjue was gone. Taken prisoner by the QishanWen sect. He was gone, and it was Lan Xichen's fault. All because Lan Xichen didn't listen. Wen Qing had written several messages advising against the attack on Yangquan. She told him that Yangquan was heavily fortified. She told him that she had heard Wen Xu had only recently arrived there with fresh troops.

Lan Xichen hadn't thought she meant any harm, but Wen Qing had recently passed on unchecked information regarding Langya. Information that did result in a major loss in Jiangling. It was possible her current information was also unchecked. Although what Lan Xichen had actually thought was that Wen Qing was nervous following the incident of faulty intelligence. Lan Xichen had felt the anxiety and guilt radiating through him when Wen Qing had written her apology. Lan Xichen had felt likely those were her own emotions bleeding through to him.

Meng Yao had provided detailed information regarding Yangquan, including the number of soldiers and camp layout. With conflicting information Lan Xichen had to pick which one he felt was more reliable. Meng Yao's information seemed detailed. Meng Yao had provided reliable intelligence and was well positioned within Qishan. Lan Xichen felt it was more likely Wen Qing was being too cautious, or had received less reliable information than Meng Yao had.

This was Lan Xichen's mistake, and now his best friend was captured. If he had listened to Wen Qing, this wouldn't have happened. Nie Mingjue had also been leading the Sunshot Campaign, and there was no one here better suited to do so. The allied sects had functionally lost their commander, their general, and Lan Xichen had lost his best friend.

Lan Xichen opened the book, not even certain what he was going to write. Wen Qing's error regarding Langya and Jiangling was nothing compared to the disaster of Yangquan. Lan Xichen turned to the last page and picked up his brush, only to freeze as words began to appear on the page. Lan Xichen set the brush down and waited for Wen Qing to finish writing her message.

Nie Mingjue was in Nightless City. He had been taken into the Flame Palace. Lan Xichen knew that the Flame Palace was where Wen Rouhan tortured prisoners. Nie Mingjue was too valuable for them to not at least attempt to torture information out of him. Lan Xichen did not expect Nie Mingjue to give in, but he did not want to imagine his best friend being tortured to death either. Lan Xichen wanted to march into Nightless City, but they were not ready for an assault on Nightless City. The Sunshot Campaign needed Nie Mingjue.

Lan Xichen was writing out his request before he even properly thought through what he was asking. No prisoners had ever escaped from Nightless City, and Lan Xichen had never even considered asking Wen Qing to try and free anyone before. Lan Xichen didn't know if this was even reasonably possible.

If... If Wen Qing said she couldn't do it, Lan Xichen would accept that answer. Lan Xichen would not have been willing to ask almost anyone for such a request. He wouldn't trust them to say 'no' if it was truly too dangerous. Lan Xichen was almost certain it was too dangerous, which is why he could never have asked Meng Yao. Lan Xichen did not trust Meng Yao would be honest about the risks.

Wen Qing was direct and honest. A bit like Nie Mingjue but more... calm, was perhaps the word Lan Xichen was looking for. She had the strong opinions, the protective anger, the ability to draw decisive lines between what she deemed acceptable and not. Firm and unrelenting, many of the same things Lan Xichen admired in his best friend. Accept Wen Qing was also collected and patient in a way Nie Mingjue was not. This was likely why she was far better at giving Lan Xichen advice he could actually apply.

So Lan Xichen would trust that she would continue to set clear lines if this request was too much. If this was too dangerous he believed she would tell him she couldn't do it. Lan Xichen fully expected that that would be her answer. Still, he needed to ask. He needed to ask not only because Nie Mingjue was the best general they had. He also needed to ask because this war had already claimed so many people, and Lan Xichen did not want to add his best friend to that list.

New characters began to appear on the page in front of Lan Xichen. He held his breath. Waiting until the message was complete before he read it. Wen Qing's clean elegant calligraphy wrote out words that Lan Xichen had not expected to read.

Wait to hear from me. I'll find a way to get him out.

Lan Xichen read those words three times before he dared to believe they were really there.  Wen Qing thought she might be able to do it?