#I got a whole bunch of JYL prompts all at once and now I'm kind of into it

[robininthelabyrinth]

Prompt: During the Sunshot campaign, Jiang Yanli falls in love with someone new, Nie Mingjue. After the war, she pursues him and they get married. Most disagree with the marriage because they think Jiang Yanli is too gentle, too sickly, too passive, nor a good enough cultivator to be married to someone like Nie Mingjue; but jokes on them because she is THRIVING!

ao3

Untamed verse

Depending on how one looked at it, Nie Mingjue either should have gotten married years ago or didn’t need to marry at all.

From the first perspective, there was the fact that his family tended to die young; the Nie sect elders would have had him married by twenty and a father twice over by twenty-five if he’d let them. But he hadn’t – he refused to act as breeding stock, not when his temper was nearly as bad as his father’s, and with the threat of the Wen sect hanging over their heads a wife wasn’t even worth considering.

From the second perspective, he was now a war hero. He was the general who had fought back the Wen scourge, the eldest and most powerful of the Venerated Triad, well-respected and admired throughout the cultivation world. He could marry any woman he chose, and just about any man with that inclination; politically speaking, though, there was no need for him to marry.

Especially not to Jiang Yanli.

For all that it was a Great Sect, the Jiang sect had been very nearly demolished; Jiang Cheng had done excellent work in rebuilding it, but in the grand scheme of things, they would be the ones asking others for help, not providing it, and that wouldn’t change any time in the near future. Even putting aside their own need to rebuild, the Nie sect was already committed to help the Lan sect rebuild, given Nie Mingjue’s sworn brotherhood with Lan Xichen; it was not yet clear how much aid the Jin sect would offer to either of their sects, if anything, because of Jin Guangyao, with his still-tenuous position.  

And yet – Nie Mingjue would need to marry eventually, and the Jiang sect was a Great Sect. They were also the only ones of the Great Sects currently left out in the cold through no fault of their own, given the whole Venerated Triad business, and that nagged at Nie Mingjue’s sense of fairness.

So when, after the war, she made the suggestion, however circumspectly, he did not refuse immediately, but agreed to consider the matter.

“What do you think of it?” he asked Nie Huaisang, who choked on his tea.

“You’re considering it?”

“Why not?” He shrugged. “It’ll bring the Jiang sect into the fold with the other Great Sects, and they’re as worthwhile an alliance for us to make as any.”

Nie Huaisang arched an eyebrow, knowing as well as Nie Mingjue did that they did not need an alliance. “Do you even like her?”

“I don’t know her,” Nie Mingjue said bluntly. “But I’ve heard that her disposition is pleasant and calm, even gentle, and those are good traits to counterbalance my own faults.”

“The rumors also say she’s sickly, and passive, and a poor cultivator to boot.”

“Strengths to weakness, weakness to strength. None of those are problems I have – nor would I care even if my children did have them.”

I don’t care if you’re sickly, and passive, and a poor cultivator, Huaisang. You know that.

Nie Huaisang smiled a little, hiding the expression behind his ever-present fan. “But would you be happy with someone like that?”

Nie Mingjue considered it. “I don’t think the rumors are correct on that score,” he finally said. “Most female cultivators refuse to even approach me, while Jiang Yanli proposed marriage on her own, without standing behind her brothers – I don’t even know if her brothers are aware that she made the offer. That shows initiative, and speaks of some amount of backbone.”

“Backbone or desperation? You’re a better option, compared to her being harassed into something by the Jin sect,” Nie Huaisang said dryly. “Given the dramatic way her last engagement ended, she might not have many other options now that the Jin sect has so publicly indicated that they consider it back on the table – not that many people are willing to cross them at the moment.”

Nie Mingjue shrugged. “Who cares? She still did it. Backbone is backbone, initiative is initiative.”

“Then go for it,” Nie Huaisang said. “I like Jiang Cheng, and I like Wei Wuxian too, even recently he’s gotten a bit – who even knows what’s happening with him nowadays? Whatever; I’d still be delighted to have them both as brothers-in-law. And anyway, Young Mistress Jiang can’t have escaped too much of the same personality.”

“She’s able to put up with that personality,” Nie Mingjue said, and now it was his voice that was dry. “Patience is another fine quality in which we are lacking.”

The next morning, he went to find Jiang Yanli, who was packing up to leave Qinghe and return to the Lotus Pier now that it had been reclaimed and made safe.

“I cannot offer you love at the start,” he told her, blunt as ever. “But I am willing to try my best for it after our marriage.”

She smiled at him. “I can ask for nothing more,” she said, and seemed to even mean it. “I’ve always believed that both sides being willing to put the effort in is always the most important aspect of any partnership.”

He nodded in agreement. “There is, however, one aspect that I wish for you to consider, as it is non-negotiable.”

She tilted her head to the side.

“The Nie sect practices the saber,” he said. “Without exception.”

Her eyes widened.

“If you have a sword –” He hadn’t seen any hint that she did, but the Jiang sect was a sword sect. “– I am not asking you to put it aside. But I would ask that you take up a saber as well, so that our children may learn it from us both.”

“I…my health has never permitted me to learn the sword,” she blurted out. “That is – my parents – no one ever seemed to think it was worthwhile. I get out of breath easily.”

Nie Mingjue frowned at her. He’d seen the effort she put into caring for the sick, often working long hours without rest; she wasn’t that unhealthy – just weak.

“Then we’ll start slow?” he suggested with a shrug. People who married into the Nie sect didn’t have to be good at saber; that they even made the effort was sufficient to properly honor the Nie sect ancestors. “The only way to build up endurance is to work at it.”

Jiang Yanli was smiling at him. Really smiling, maybe even grinning – her eyes were curved crescents, and her face glowed. There was no trace of ill health there.

“I appreciate your confidence,” she said. “And I will be happy to take up the saber.”

“One will be ready for you by the date of our wedding,” he promised her and held out his hand.

She took it. “I look forward to it.”

“And I,” Nie Mingjue said. A moment later he added, “I also look forward to you telling your brothers about this.”

She burst out laughing.

Yes, Nie Mingjue thought to himself. This would be fine.