Probably one of the changes between your world and mine. It was his first murder, or at least the first I caught him at, killing his captain and fleeing to avoid the Jin's justice when I saw through his lies.
[ He strips the familiarity from the details, the personal hurts and emotions of the event, leaves out his own shock and disbelief as he watched his once-deputy kill a man in cold blood and smile in satisfaction, his disgust and fear as he considered what all he'd allowed Meng Yao to dig his fingers into, what crimes he might have missed for the sake of trust. The horror that had taken him, as Meng Yao thrust his sword into his own body and offered suicide as an alternative to justice -
the way he had been frozen on his knees in a battle field, as Meng Yao fled, his suicide as much a lie as the words leaving his lips.
His Xichen had offered every excuse when he was told, and had never wanted to consider that he, like Nie Mingjue, did not know Meng Yao. Even if this Xichen was older, more wise to Meng Yao's nature, he saw no reason to disclose that wound when Xichen wanted still to see that snake shed his skin. A person bent on so far. ]
It doesn't matter, while we're here.
[ And that is the unfortunate truth. For all Meng Yao's evils, and for all that Nie Mingjue would never trust him again, they were still prisoners. They still needed to escape. And killing a man for crimes he would eventually commit would be unjust. ]
Huaisang is clever and capable and my Nie Sect will protect him, and so will my Xichen, but he isn't ready, and neither is my treasury so fat it will survive his initial mischief intact.
[ Flat, dry humor, to cover his true fear - his brother trusted Jin Guangyao, who spoiled and indulged him more than Nie Mingjue could, these days, with his death coming faster than he could have planned, and his ability to let his brother do what he wanted restrained.
Jin Guangyao was planning his slow murder, and his brother trusted him. ]
Is that a promise you can keep, when nothing I say would be kind or warm.
no subject
[ He strips the familiarity from the details, the personal hurts and emotions of the event, leaves out his own shock and disbelief as he watched his once-deputy kill a man in cold blood and smile in satisfaction, his disgust and fear as he considered what all he'd allowed Meng Yao to dig his fingers into, what crimes he might have missed for the sake of trust. The horror that had taken him, as Meng Yao thrust his sword into his own body and offered suicide as an alternative to justice -
the way he had been frozen on his knees in a battle field, as Meng Yao fled, his suicide as much a lie as the words leaving his lips.
His Xichen had offered every excuse when he was told, and had never wanted to consider that he, like Nie Mingjue, did not know Meng Yao. Even if this Xichen was older, more wise to Meng Yao's nature, he saw no reason to disclose that wound when Xichen wanted still to see that snake shed his skin. A person bent on so far. ]
It doesn't matter, while we're here.
[ And that is the unfortunate truth. For all Meng Yao's evils, and for all that Nie Mingjue would never trust him again, they were still prisoners. They still needed to escape. And killing a man for crimes he would eventually commit would be unjust. ]
Huaisang is clever and capable and my Nie Sect will protect him, and so will my Xichen, but he isn't ready, and neither is my treasury so fat it will survive his initial mischief intact.
[ Flat, dry humor, to cover his true fear - his brother trusted Jin Guangyao, who spoiled and indulged him more than Nie Mingjue could, these days, with his death coming faster than he could have planned, and his ability to let his brother do what he wanted restrained.
Jin Guangyao was planning his slow murder, and his brother trusted him. ]
Is that a promise you can keep, when nothing I say would be kind or warm.