Since I am for peace in families, I tried to reconcile even partially Lan Zhan and "uncle Qi Ren". It was not won!

So "family" explanations 7 years after the chapter "The Council".

When we arrived at Uncle Qi Ren's workroom, he was with Brother. They were studying a leaflet.

We came forward and greeted them. Uncle motioned for us to sit around the table. Wei Ying sat next to me opposite Uncle. Brother was on our left and A-Yuan sat opposite him. There was silence. Uncle had summoned us, so it was his turn to start talking.

"Wangji, there are a number of things we need to discuss. Whether they are present or past... When you came the other morning to talk to Xichen and me about your relationship with Wei Wuxian, you said some terrible things. But it made me think and I owe you an explanation."

I don't want an explanation, I want an apology for both of us!

"16 years ago, when I saw you defending Wei Wuxian in Qishan, I was furious! I wanted to ask you for an explanation but you disappeared without saying anything! I didn't know you were in Yiling until a few hours later. Jin GuangYao told me that you were preventing the men he sent from entering the Yiling Patriarch's house. My anger only grew stronger. But it reached its peak when you refused to enter and turned your sword against us! At that time, I never thought it possible, but you defeated us all and disappeared.

"Uncle..." Uncle raised his hand to stop me.

"Let me finish! I was angry that you disobeyed me but I was humiliated that my student beat me! I must admit that at the time, I didn't listen to you. You had always been so obedient, the perfect disciple. You represented the purity of our teaching and personified the perfection of our learning. Then Wei Wuxian came into your life and I saw flaws in you and you refused to let me help you correct them. In Qishan these flaws became a chasm, a chasm similar to the one the Patriarch of Yiling had fallen into. That day, we each stood on opposite sides of the chasm with no hope of reaching each other.

I looked at him, I understood what he was saying. I always knew. He was a father to me. An authoritarian and demanding father. But I had grown up and discovered the outside world and I still resented him!

"I didn't think you would come back. When we decided on your punishment, I should have withdrawn from the decision, because I was judge and jury. I proposed that you be locked up in the cold cave for three years because I wanted you to come to your senses, but also to remove you from the rest of the world and escape their wrath. But there were also the people you had hurt, the 15 elders. You know as well as I do the punishment for a wounded fight with a clan member: 20 lashes of discipline. It was only when I saw the total number that I realized that we were probably going to kill you. But it was too late! In the absence of your brother, the Elders who were responsible for order within the clan, ordered the sentence to be carried out as soon as we found you. We only learned of your return when we found you lifeless at the foot of the fireplace in the kitchen. You had a bloody mark on your chest and one of the irons we had confiscated from the Wen was glowing beside you. You smelled of alcohol. I drove you back to the Jingshi and cleaned your burn."

Now I knew how that mark got on my chest. Wei Ying looked at me in amazement. I think I was going to hear about that drunken night! A-Yuan did not show anything. But he discovered a part of our history. Did he understand that the fight in front of the Yiling Patriarch's lair was to protect him? Even if he hadn't recovered all his memories, he was intelligent and knew how to put the information he gathered together!

"When your brother came home, I let him take care of you and I took the opportunity to find out about the rumors about you. That's how I found out that several minor clans wanted to have you tried for treason! Because you had fought with the Patriarch of Yiling and wounded several farmers during the battle of Qishan. When your brother and I left for the meeting in Lanling, I ordered that you be transferred to the cold cave because you would be safe there since only Clan members could enter."

"Wangji, you have the right to be angry with me, I made mistakes towards you, but when I realized it I tried to protect you as best I could! And then somehow you got your revenge 8 years ago, with your ultimatum!".

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?

"Would you have listened to me? I don't think so! Your anger towards me was too strong. As strong as mine was at Yiling! That day, I didn't want to hear that promise you made to him.

"Lan Qi Ren, Lan Zan, I didn't make any promise to myself!" intervened Wei Ying.

"Then what promise were you talking about Wangji?"

I turned my head towards my love.

"Protect the weak and innocent. And live without regret while doing so!" I smiled at him and he too remembered.

"I made this promise to the heavens at the lantern ceremony in my 16th year.

"I don't understand," said Uncle.

A-Yuan frowned and his eyes widened. He understood.

"Father, was it to protect me? Was it the day you found me in the cave?

"Mnn, I couldn't let any clan find out about you and harm you. Wei Ying wouldn't have forgiven me. My son's smile became gentle, but I could see sadness in his eyes as he realized what I had gone through for him. Tears came to the corners of his eyes.

"Wangji, isn't this child yours?" asked Uncle.

"A-Yuan was Wei Ying's son before he was mine! Now he is ours and we are a family. He is the last living member of Wen Clan.

"I understand," said Uncle, staring at A-Yuan. Brother intervened.

"Now that the past is cleared up, let's deal with the present. Wangji, although your union is legitimate, it took place without witnesses and no documents attest to it. If you want to live in the open and Wei Wuxian to be safe, you'll have to do something about it. Uncle and I have discussed it, we propose you to proceed to a solemn union in private committee. This will legalize your union. As Patriarch you will then be able to appear in his company. The acceptance by the other Clans of your choice of culture partner will be another story that you will have to settle with them. Your union will also solve another problem. As you know, our lineage dies out with us. I have no children and do not intend to marry. Your marriage will legitimize A-Yuan as your son and make him the future leader of the Clan."

"Brother, you are still young, you can find a suitable cultivation partner with whom you could start a family."

"Wangji, I don't think I could ever trust you that much again..." Brother bowed his head. I could see the pain in his eyes. Jin GuangYao's betrayal and Nie MingJue's death had destroyed him. He might never fully recover.

Uncle spoke up again.

"Wangji, Wuxian, A-Yuan did you understand? In 3 months, the Clan Summit will be held here in YunShen Buzhi, and I propose that you make your first official appearance on this occasion. This means that we must proceed with your union before that date. A month from now would be perfect. This would give you time, if you wish, to notify your family, Wei Wuxian."

My love seemed to hesitate. If Jin Ling had reconnected with his uncle, things were more delicate with Jiang Cheng, and for me too! Come to think of it, I too had a person to invite. A person who had always been there for me during these 16 years, Baochen!

"Father, if you want, I'll take the invitations to my cousin and my uncle!

It's true that our son was expanding his family circle through our union.

"Perfect, let it be so, in one month to the day, we will proceed to your union" Brother had spoken. In one month we would be married in the eyes of all!

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