The palace is like a fortress on the inside as well, with no expense spared. All the floors are made from a glistening white marble, offset by a deep scarlet carpet that runs through all the hallways and corridors, opening up to each and every room.
Torches are lit at regular intervals, all burning with a mysterious white flame that brings the power of daylight into the palace, diminishing shadows and exposing all the spotless corners. On the walls, pictures of the Wen ancestors have been framed in gold and hung up everywhere, the wood of the frames carved into a likeness of licking flames tipped with red.
The Lan contingent is led through many floors, with the disciples in front gushing about how great Wen Ruohan is, and how lucky they are to be part of the Wen Sect.
Lan Qiren offers up polite noises that could be taken in either answer, or neither, not exactly agreeing with the tone of the conversation nor disputing it. They are fully inside Wen territory now, and it would be mindful to remember that. He's still bothered by the absence of the Wen Sect leader himself; at an occasion of such magnitude, him not being there to greet his guests, many of whom have travelled far and wide to make it here on time, is an insult to them, still a slight whether intended or not.
But he's glad to have met Wen Tang Changpu again.
They met for the first time ever when his friend, Wen Ruohan, had escorted his sister to Cloud Recesses for the guest lectures, way back when.
Aptly named the Sword Lily, Lan Qiren had taken her under his wing after the sword master in Cloud Recesses had suggested he give her private lessons. Right from the get-go, Lan Qiren could see she held a great mastery over her weapon, and he'd questioned why their sword master thought otherwise. Pu-mei had laughed and shyly admitted to feigning ignorance and pretending to fumble her sword techniques because she liked him in a romantic way, but since her interests were more towards healing than combat, she didn't see the point of pursuing her skills with the sword.
Lan Qiren remembers feeling flattered, but not much else, and told her that he did not feel the same way. They had parted amicably, meeting now and then, and exchanging letters infrequently.
The last time he had seen her was when the Lan Clan had been invited to her wedding, and they'd met briefly when Pu-mei had introduced him to her husband. That had been a long nine years ago.
After attending their marriage, Wen Tang Changpu seemed to step back from public life, choosing not to attend the Sect conferences, or go on night hunts. Lan Qiren is unsure of the particulars, but he had assumed she had followed through on her dream of exploring the medical side of Cultivation. He still often met with Wen Ruohan, whenever one of the sects had a problem or they held such an event, but their relationship had become strained of late. If asked, Lan Qiren couldn't say exactly what had changed, but Wen Ruohan was definitely keeping his distance from his old friend.
Perhaps that could change at this conference. If Lan Qiren found a way to organise some time where they could chat over a cup of tea, that might clear the air of whatever dust bunnies had accumulated in their friendship, and they could return to the old camaraderie of the past.
The Lans have been generously given a whole floor in the East wing to themselves.
The disciples point out little golden bells hanging off a hook outside each room, and they explain that if anything is needed, the person should ring this bell and assistance would arrive as soon as possible. They are urged to ring the bell again once they have freshened up and gotten ready for the banquet to be held in a few hours.
“This is your room, Acting Sect Leader Lan,” the disciple bows and opens the door. “We thought, since many meetings go on into the night, that the children could sleep undisturbed here,” he leads them to another door inside the lavish room, where two beds are joined together. There are white sheets covered in a sumptuous red velvet throw that could double as a blanket.
