WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 54: Proof

There is a simple catch on the sturdy wooden trunk, and there's a collective gasp behind Wei Ying when he draws back the lid and lets it fall back with a thunk.

He hasn't seen such a collection of coins before, altogether in one place except for inside the Lan Clan treasury, where Lan Zhan's room was. (It contains significantly more than this, but that's by the by.)

But Wei Ying is far more interested in the sheaf of papers haphazardly thrown inside among the coins as if the person putting them inside had no time or thought to be able to arrange them properly.

"Are these real?" It's a question tossed out for Porta Daven.

"No." They pluck out a single coin from the top of the heap and snap it in half. "Painted clay. It's taken the General just over three months to find this much, but the rot has spread." Porta Daven frowns. "I wish we could have helped the General somehow. It feels like good people get punishment these days, and the bad ones thrive. It's not right."

Their words strike a chord in Wei Ying's heart. His mind goes back to that promise said in another body a lifetime ago. On a hilltop surrounded by their peers and standing next to each other.

"I, Wei WuXian, wish I can always stand with justice, and live with no regrets."

Those words were echoed by the expression on Lan Zhan's face when he'd spoken them, and right then, Wei Ying had known that this was his person. A mirror of his own heart's desires, a connection that rose high above like and love, a togetherness which was separate from the connections and relationships of bodies. A spiritual awareness of a joint wish.

Even before he's aware of what he's doing, Wei Ying stands up with the letters. He grabs a fistful of coins from the trunk and puts them carefully inside a qiankun pouch and then he pauses, looking right at Lan Zhan. What he sees reflected back at him gives him the reassurance he needs that they're doing the right thing. So he holds out his hand for his soulmate, a person who has always understood the complexities of his heart, sometimes better than himself.

Lan Zhan nods, and takes it.

Wei Ying's face breaks out into a huge grin, a happiness that flows out from deep inside. There is no need for any words.

He turns and deposits the letters into Hao Bai's hands.

"Popo, look through these and see what you can find. We're going to fetch the General. Porta Daven, here." Wei Ying reaches into Lan Zhan's robes for his purse and gives the whole thing to them.

They give it right back.

"If you're asking us to do what we think you are, then this trip is on the house." They wink lasciviously.

Wei Ying's face drops and he turns to his husband. "It's okay, we can probably get back by ourselves. We only need them to get there."

"Mn." How Lan Zhan feels about that is abundantly clear in his wonderful golden eyes, but apart from that, his stoic face remains unchanged.

"When will you get back?" Hao Bai demands, a frown of worry on her face.

"Dunno, but don't tell anyone. We don't want to worry anyone unnecessarily." Wei Ying waves before he takes Porta Daven's outstretched hand, and then they're gone.

"Well, I'll say one thing, you can't be bored when he's around." Hao Bai says, coming back to the table.

"Let's get started on these." Huaisang says eagerly, reaching for a few of the letters.

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Porta Daven makes them appear on a hillside overlooking an open stretch of ground filled with fighters. The soldiers of Emperor Han's army are easy to define - they're all wearing black robes under darkened steel armour, facing off against a sea of brown, green and grey robes, the militia made up of ordinary folks taking up arms with no formal training, but guided by their natural affinity to swing a sword.