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Peace and Prosperity

Fandom: 镇魂 (Guardian) Ship: Shen Wei vs. Zhao Xinci, the Regent vs. Zhao Xinci Words: 1.9k Tags: post-canon everyone lives AU, Dixing-Haixing Politics, Black-Cloaked Envoy!Shen Wei

Summary: In the aftermath of Dixing’s invasion, officials on both sides meet to renegotiate the Treaty

A/N: for @bird-armadda :D after our chat about the drama's politics (or lack thereof), I was itching to write something I could actually post (without needing 20k of set-up lol), and then this happened. I hope you enjoy!

Read here on Ao3.

***

There were many things requiring Heipaoshi’s attention in the aftermath of Ye Zun’s failed coup. Once Ye Zun was secured, the clean-up in Dixing alone had kept him busy for weeks, during which he barely saw Zhao Yunlan. Shen Wei was exhausted, but there was one more urgent matter he couldn’t put off.

The Xingdu Bureau had tried summoning him multiple times, before finally settling for sending a letter to the palace. They demanded explanations, reparations, and most importantly: a meeting to renegotiate the treaty. Shen Wei felt more trepidation than hope for the latter. In his experience the Haixing ministers were reluctant to agree to any compromise which might give Dixing even the smallest of rights. He had bashed his head against that particular wall too often in the past.

Still, it was inevitable and necessary, if they wanted peace to prevail.

And thus Heipaoshi led the Dixing envoy, consisting of the Lord Dijun, the Lord Justiciar, and himself into the appointed meeting room, leaving their guards outside with the nervous Haixing soldiers posted there. Inside, Director Zhao, Minister Guo, and Vice-Minister Gao were waiting for them. Here, too, everyone was on edge, a bad sign for things to come. Shen Wei could already feel the headache looming behind his temples.

“By invading Haixing, Dixing broke the treaty,” Zhao Xinci announced the moment the door closed behind them, not even offering them a seat or a pretense at formalities. His sharp eyes took in the regent and the king behind Shen Wei, then promptly honed in on Heipaoshi. “Or do you deny this infraction as well?”

“There is nothing to deny when all here are aware of the truth,” Shen Wei said evenly, folding his hands inside his long, flowing sleeves. “Trust has been broken on both sides and needs to be rebuilt.”

“On both sides?” Gao Jingfeng scoffed, crossing his arms. Shen Wei turned his head slowly, pinning the former minister with a sharp look. “I do not see how you can lay blame for what happened at Haixing’s feet.”

“Do you not?” the regent piped up, and Shen Wei stiffened at his solicitous tone. At least this once, he wasn’t the target of the old fox’s machinations. It should put Shen Wei at ease. It did not. “After all, Haixing broke the treaty first, and many times over.”

Gao Jingfeng bristled, sitting up ramrod straight. “We did not!”

“Indeed?” The regent scratched at his hair, pretending to think hard. He turned to look at Shen Wei, who mentally braced himself to not let anything slip past his mask. “Heipao-daren, please correct me if my memory serves me wrong. You did find the Hallows on Haixing soil, did you not?”

“I did,” Shen Wei agreed. He wondered where the regent was going with this.

“Then, am I mistaken in that the treaty specifies that the Hallows shall remain within Dixing?” the regent asked, hissing as if in pain and knocking his knuckles against his head. “Apologies, I am getting quite old.”

“You are not mistaken,” Shen Wei answered, wishing the regent had deigned to inform him of his role in this play before springing it on him. He did not enjoy the feeling of being moved around like a pawn. “The Hallows were given to Dixing as a sign of goodwill and to secure prosperity and security for all races.”

“Aiya, aiya,” the regent winced, shooting a quick look at the Haixing delegation before dropping his gaze. “Quite unfortunate, then, that they were taken from Dixing about, hm, a bit over a century ago?”

“Luckily, they turned back up,” An Bai agreed dryly, seeming to decide they should present a united front. He turned to the ministers and arched an eyebrow. “Fascinating that they all just happened to end up in Haixing.”

"What, exactly, are you insinuating?" Zhao Xinci demanded coldly.

"I'm certain it's just a coincidence," the regent offered in a soothing tone, smiling at the ministers. "After all, we wouldn't want to hold the actions of a few against the entirety of Haixing, hm?"

Shen Wei noted Zhao Xinci's lack of response, his expression gone sour as if he'd bitten into a lemon. The regent had deftly manoeuvred the director into a corner: if he wanted to use Ye Zun's actions and that of his subordinates against them, he opened himself up to an equally bad infraction of the treaty, one that predated Ye Zun's and could be argued to have led to the invasion in the first place. But if he dropped the matter, Haixing didn't have nearly as much leverage to gain advantageous terms in the new treaty.

Moreover, the regent had handed Shen Wei a weapon for their future arguments, should a Dixingren cause trouble in Haixing again. Which was likely a consideration, and the regent wouldn't hesitate to call in that favour soon.

Already, the headache started pounding behind Shen Wei's mask.

The silence turned awkward the longer it lasted, until finally Guo Ying cleared his throat. Guo Changcheng came by his bravery honestly, Shen Wei mused.

"You spoke of multiple infractions." Guo Ying nodded respectfully at the regent, who hid his face behind his hand with a fake cough. "Please, let us lay old grievances out today, so we may move forward with lighter hearts tomorrow."

"If we're doing that, then what about all those Dixing troublemakers!?" Gao Jingfeng brought up nasally, crossing his arms with a harrumph. "We would not need a special subunit to deal with your lot in the first place, if only you kept better track of your own people!"

This set An Bai's temper off. "Do you execute anyone who wishes for a better life?" he demanded, eyes flashing. "With the Hallows missing, what were our people to do? With no legal ways to immigrate, how were they supposed to integrate in Haixing's society, obey Haixing's law? It is the treaty who forced them into petty crime in the first place!"

"Many of them went too far!" Gao Jingfeng objected. "They got what they deserved!"

“Ah, that, yes." The regent coughed. "In the past, Haixing has proven a troubling tendency to execute Dixingren on their territory,” he pointed out, wincing a little as everyone’s gazes returned to him. He bowed, once, twice. “Forgive me, but I believe the treaty states that Haixing has no such authority?” He straightened, folding his hands behind his back. Shen Wei noted the unholy gleam in his eyes. “Ah, is that not why Heipao-daren is exempt from the border crossing clause? It is his duty to return the fugitives to Dixing for appropriate punishment, is it not?”

“It is entirely unreasonable to demand from our officers to refrain from using lethal force when the other side is under no such restriction,” Zhao Xinci said, tone mild but eyes flinty.

“Ah, of course.” The regent bowed, hiding the cunning look on his face as he prepared to deliver his blow. “I was unaware how Haixing dealt with their own criminals. A cultural misunderstanding, forgive me.”

“That- That’s not-” Gao Jingfeng sputtered, his expression equal measures shocked and offended.

“That’s different,” Zhao Xinci interjected, keeping his face politely blank. “Dixingren are, by nature, always armed and dangerous. There are risks to both sides when the Dixingren refuse to comply with our officers.” His hand slashed across his chest, as if to cut through the topic. “Besides, all past cases have been ruled self-defense.”

“Your son seems to manage well without,” Shen Wei said, his tone deceptively light. “The number of Dixingren dying on Haixing soil have drastically reduced since he took charge of the SID.”

Zhao Xinci turned to face him slowly, his eyes narrowing. “Zhao Yunlan has other advantages,” he stated curtly.

“Such as?” Shen Wei challenged. The disgusted look Zhao Xinci threw him let him know exactly how he considered Zhao Yunlan's and his relationship, but refused to bring up personal matters in a state meeting.

“Technology has advanced much since I’ve headed the SID,” he offered instead. “And is this not why you sent Chu Shuzhi to work with them?”

Shen Wei inclined his head because it was true enough. It had been one of many considerations in Chu Shuzhi’s placement.

“Ah?” The regent perked up, and Shen Wei tensed, bracing himself for whatever the cunning old fox had in store for them next. “That’s a great idea, Director Zhao! Yes, certainly, it would make things much easier for both sides if the SID team were a combination of Haixing and Dixing officers, hm?”

"Unacceptable," Zhao Xinci snapped, his glare fit to cut through concrete. "Under no circumstances will more Dixingren join the SID and live on Haixing soil, flaunting their defiance of the treaty!"

"I thought we were here to renegotiate the terms of said treaty," An Bai commented mildly. He remained unruffled by the director's glare.

"We are indeed," Guo Ying agreed, folding his hands on the desk. "Please, have a seat. I for one would like to hear more of this proposal."

"You cannot possibly suggest-" Zhao Xinci cut himself off. He grimaced, struggling but trying to hide it. It gave Shen Wei an idea.

"Do you truly believe Dixing-Haixing cooperation is that impossible?" he asked quietly. Zhao Xinci glared at him, his clenched fists pressed to his knees. "That seems rather… hypocritical."

"Don't you dare," Zhao Xinci hissed. Shen Wei arched his brow, aware of the regent's sharp gaze on his back, and everyone else's curious looks.

"The current roster of the SID includes a combination of beings," he continued softly, holding Zhao Xinci's dark gaze. "Two Haixingren, two Yashou, two ghosts. Two Dixingren." He paused for effect, including Guo Ying and Gao Jingfeng with a turn of his head. "They have the highest success rate of solved cases since the founding of the SID."

"As well as the highest rate of insubordination," Zhao Xinci snapped back. "They are unruly and undisciplined."

"Ah, but you're rather biased, aren't you?" the regent chimed in with a quick glance at Shen Wei's masked face. "Isn't the current Lord Guardian your son?"

Zhao Xinci's face resembled a thundercloud. Shen Wei tilted his head and pulled the trump card out of his sleeve.

"Zhang Shi," he commanded quietly. Zhao Xinci's face distorted in rage and panic as he struggled to subdue the entity living in his head - and failed, eyes flashing gold. An Bai startled at his side, while the regent managed to hide his surprise. "Do you agree with Director Zhao's assessment?"

"No," Zhang Shi said softly, ducking his head. Guo Ying and Gao Jingfeng whirled around to gape at him. "I do not."

"Do you agree with him that lethal force is necessary?"

Zhang Shi pressed his lips together, lifting his gaze to meet Heipaoshi's. "He's not always had a choice, you realize."

"'Not always'," the regent echoed into the stony silence, "means that sometimes he had - and still chose not to show mercy."

Zhang Shi bowed his head in shame - and Zhao Xinci snapped it back up. "There. Are you happy?" he snarled.

Shen Wei pursed his lips. "No." He glanced around the table, and finally took a seat. "But now all cards are on the table." He nodded to Minister Guo's, who took a shaky breath.

"Then let us discuss how we can move forward from here," he suggested, avoiding looking in Zhao Xinci's direction, "and how our two people can, perhaps, help each other."

Shen Wei leaned back and let the others haggle, exhaustion dogging at his heels. But for once, he felt a glimmer of hope.

Not just for himself and Zhao Yunlan, but for his people, both their people to live in a true, peaceful union.

***

fluffy Weilan sequel