Chapter Text
The ascension that threw down a quarter of the palaces in Heaven was heralded by laughter.
There was an understandable joy in many a new god or goddess upon surviving their Heavenly Tribulation once they achieved the peak of their respective cultivation or finished some great act that proved meritorious enough for ascension. Most, wishing to make a good impression on their new colleagues though knew to maintain their dignity upon reaching such lofty height. None had before witnessed a goddess ascend and upon the fading glowing divine light burst into bright laughter.
Her joy was apparently so overwhelming the new goddess then proceeded to whoop joyfully chanting “I did it! I did it! I did it!” while spinning in an impromptu dance that was surprisingly graceful for all its astounding lack of decorum.
Only someone very familiar with the long fallen Kingdom of Xianle would have recognized the deft footwork as some strange mixture of both their courtly dance and marital traditions. But sadly, or fortunately perhaps, the four beings in the heavens with such familiarity were absent from this moment.
It was only once the goddess finished her dance that the crowd managed to get a good look at her.
She was young with round golden eyes, a delicate jade like beauty to her snow pale face and thin brows, dark hair tied away from her face in two loop braids with white ribbons with the rest hanging loose. She was dressed in a ruqun with a plain white skirt and pale pink colored short sleeved jacket and long white sleeved under shirt. The materials were not high quality, ruling out wealth or high status, but it has been carefully mended and decorated with surprisingly fine embroidery of butterflies and flowers.
She was a beauty unmistakably in the flush of her youth but instead of appreciation there was an instinctual unease at the sound of her laugh though no one could figure out why it inspired dread.
In sharp contrast to her humble appearance there was a sword that was sheathed at her waist tied by rough spun rope over the white silk tied around her waist. The item was strange enough, the fine quality of the handle almost offensively contrasted with the rope carelessly looped to hold but, but upon closer inspection it only provided a strange image. The sword was tied closed with red string at the hilt and wrapped with layers of talismans.
Closer inspection revealed something familiar with the shape of her elegant nose and the softness of her smile.
It was only when the laughter stopped and the girl took in the crowd watching her, smile turning sheepish that the resemblance to a certain twice banished crown prince was made.
For a moment there was shock and a long standing familiarity with the Wind Master made many suspect this was the Crown Prince of Xianle until closer inspection showed the sharp differences that did not account for just a form change. A descendent was surely impossible given the deaths of Prince Anle and ending of the line. There had to be some sort of explanation, a potentially very scandalous or interesting one, for the resemblance though.
“Hello,” the girl said in the tense lingering silence, offering a small wave that made some officials choke.
Seeming to realize the casualness of this was inappropriate she then offered a polite bow to the stunned officials, her tone becoming much more polite though not quite as humble as one would expect. Her voice was clear and confident made sweet with how she couldn’t stop smiling. “Thanking my seniors for welcoming me. This one's name is Xie Minghui. Looking forward to working with you!”
Chaos of course erupted at this greeting and was only stopped when Ling Wen arrived to spirit the unbearably happy goddess away through the destruction her ascension had wrought.
“Thank you for the tea,” Xie Minghui said with careful politeness, trying to keep her face serious to match the goddess across from her.
Her A-Die had made sure she knew her manners and she would show that! Xie Minghui had no intention of making a bad impression, especially on someone important like Ling Wen-zhenjun, who’d so far seemed the calmest and most helpful of the people she met, not that she'd really met anyone else, leading her away from the crowd that had started shouting and settling her into a quiet part of her own palace to explain things.
The highest rank Civil Goddess was truly ranked first for a reason!
A-Die hadn’t really liked talking about his time as a god and the parts he did share left out quite a bit of the details! There was paperwork! And quite a bit of it.
Forms about where to build her palace--and wasn’t that a strange thought, a palace (!) for her (!)--and the design preferences for it, forms detailing her actual ascension, forms about what kind of goddess she was, forms about how to collect merits and check accounts, forms for appointing Junior Officials, and more.
It was enough to make her head spin if Ling Wen hadn’t explained it in her calm, serious voice, showing her what was needed and supplying tea and snacks.
Xie Minghui nodded along respectfully the entire time, trying to take note of everything as she accepted stack after stack and answered what questions she could. While Xie Minghui realized the paperwork alone was going to make her stay longer than she initially suspected and she felt a pang of guilt but pushed past it.
A-Die knew where she was.
It was fine.
( Around her waist Ruoye tightened in a quick comforting hug that let her breath more easily at the reminder she’d be able to find her A-Die. He wasn’t lost. )
She noticed that Ling Wen seemed amusingly overwhelmed by some of her answers as Xie Minghui was with the paperwork.
The conversation at least provided some distraction.
No, it was not a coincidence. She was from that Xie family.
Yes, directly from the Crown Prince of Xianle, Flower Crowned Martial God, Xie Lian--Xie Minghui delighted in saying her A-Die’s full title proudly without the risk of being shushed by him.
He was her father actually.
( Ling Wen took a long deep drink from her own tea and Xie Minghui poured her another cup, not smiling in amusement. )
Yes. Her father.
Really.
Cultivation? Oh, he’d taught her to cultivate actually. A-Die had studied as a guest of a cultivation clan in the mountains after they’d encountered the clan leader and his wife on a night hunt and became fast friends.
Had they been with them the whole time? They’d stayed long enough for A-Die to learn and get some texts before leaving. She’d been four at the time.
( She did not mention they’d left in a hurry after A-Die’s luck had finally outran hers and a fire had burned down quite a bit of the housing and half of a very prized library. Leaving had been the most diplomatic option at that point. )
How had she ascended? It had been a long three days. There’d also been a bit of trouble with a curse and a lake monster abducting people and then some lightning.
( Xie Minghui wondered if not a little of her joy was due to how rich in spiritual energy Heaven was. She felt like she was bursting with it just being here and in turn all her aches and pains and injuries had seemed to vanish leaving her dizzy with the painless freshness of her body’s newborn divinity. )
Oh, her sword? This old thing? Not related.
( Xin Teng trembled slightly and Xie Minghui petted it gently, absentminded until it calmed again. )
Finally, when the conversation was winding down--and the tea had all been drunk--Ling Wen seemed satisfied with both Xie Minghui’s understanding of the situation and that she’d collected what information she needed.
“Your Highness may stay in a guest room in my palace while accommodations are arranged. I recommend taking time to finish up your paperwork and settle into your new role privately. My Junior Officials are busy but I shall assign one to check in and assist you as you acclimate. The library and reference room are free to use as needed. We will speak again soon once the damage assessments from your ascension have been calculated,” Ling Wen said, rising with a careful dignity that Xie Minghui admired.
Civil Gods really were very good at saying things nicely. It was a fine way of saying Xie Minghui should hide out until things cooldown avoiding the rest of the Heavens and that it was such a fuss outside that Ling Wen felt she needed someone watching her to prevent anything disastrous and make more work for Ling Wen's palace.
“Thank you for your assistance,” Xie Minghui said with a smile and meant it. “And for the food.”
When she’d been settled into the room with her stack of paperwork, she fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes before leaping immediately back up in surprise at the sudden warmth that went through her and the sound of a familiar voice seeming to whisper right in her head.
To Her Highness, Xie Minghui. Everyone is safe and they even offered me a place to stay for the evening! With food!
Do not worry about this old man. Take as long as you need. I know how busy getting settled can be!
I will wait for you. Keep Ruoye close.
I am so proud, my dearest treasure.
I love you.
( If Xie Minghui cried at her first prayer then only a silk cloth was there to see it, gently wiping her face in a loving caress. )
Once she’d settled Xie Minghui smiled and pushed herself up to focus on her paperwork. She couldn’t be idle after achieving the first part of her dream, even if she hadn’t expected it to be so soon if ever. She’d get that out of the way as soon as possible and focus on looking through the Palace of Ling Wen’s records.
Her A-Die’s freedom would always come first.
And then.
His happiness.