Chapter Text
Lan Wangji’s earliest memory was sitting on his mother’s lap watching a Mating Match. Unlike most children, Lan Wangji did not squirm and was mesmerised by the sight of the Lan omega sparring with her potential suitors. She effortlessly deflected and redirected all the alpha’s attempts to pin her down, the long sleeves and ribbons of her robes trailing behind her. One alpha tried to trip her, only for her to leap over and use his back as a stepping stone to kick the next alpha. She landed and used the long pink ribbon to tie two alphas together, effectively disqualifying them. The omega continued her flurry of attacks, tripping and cartwheeling all over.
It felt like an acrobatics routine, and Lan Wangji knew he wanted to be someone strong. Like Lan Yi, the most powerful omega Empress in history. She was known to be wise, beautiful, graceful, elegant and yet strong enough to defeat all her enemies. In the end, the match did not end with any alpha winning the Lan omega’s hand. The omega panted as she proudly raised her two hands and bowed. The audience applauded and Lan Wangji found himself doing the same.
“It seems A-Zhan enjoyed the Mating Match.” His mother said, and the young omega found himself looking forward to attending more of these ‘Mating Matches’.
In the days following the match, the servants were greeted by the sight of a young boy trying to cartwheel several times. He imitated the movements of the omega, learning to kick and jump high. When he was not doing this, he searched for the omega within the palace. He later learned that this omega was one of his distant aunts who worked in the palace as one of the imperial seamstresses.
The child found himself admiring the omega from afar, and attempted to meet with her. Unfortunately, he got caught by his mother who said that he was too young to enter the seamstress’ working areas.
“I know you love Auntie Lianyi, but you should be a little older before you can go and meet her. She would get in trouble if you get injured at her workplace. Mother will happily arrange a time for you to meet with her.” His mother chastised as she hugged him.
The maidservants giggled at the sights of the prince trying to wriggle out of their Empress’ arms. Many saw his hyperactive and stubborn traits to be endearing, which he inherited from both parents. The current Lan emperor, Qingheng-jun, had persistently courted Empress Lan, then young mistress of the Ning family over several Mating Matches. Ning Ruizhen had been an omega who was demure but had mastered martial arts. She hid her talents under a silent smile and would overpower alphas who tried to take her by force. But that was a story Lan Wangji would learn for another time.
The prince eventually got his wish of meeting the amazing omega who impressed him.
“I’m so sorry for taking up your free time. A-Zhan wanted to meet you so bad. He really enjoyed the last Mating Match.” Empress Lan said, somewhat embarrassed.
“It is alright, Your Majesty.” Lan Lianyi turned to Lan Wangji with a smile. “Aren’t you such a cutie?”
“Auntie was so cool…” Lan Wangji said in awe.
“It seems he will grow to become a feisty omega like me if he finds me impressive.” Lan Lianyi commented as she chuckled.
“Certainly. He was copying your moves the other day!”
“He might be as strong as you were back in our younger days, Your Majesty. Perhaps he can start classes soon.”
“Stop teasing me. Those days are long in the past. I just want my dear son to grow up healthy and happy.” Ning Ruizhen hugged her son.
Lan Wangji then wriggled out of her hold and walked over to Lan Lianyi. “Can you teach me how to do that?”
“I can. In exchange for me teaching you acrobatics, you will have to learn sewing.”
“So you don’t jump and kick all the time?” He tilted his head to the left, confused.
Both his mother and Lan Lianyi burst into laughter at this.
“Oh, silly child. I’m not a performer, but a seamstress! Just because I sew does not mean I can’t be good at kicking and jumping! You’ll soon understand.”
For the next few years of his childhood, Lan Wangji continued to attend the remaining Mating Matches Lan Lianyi hosted. At first, the child wondered why her Mating Match had fighting when she was a seamstress. Would she not want her alpha to sew something nice for her? Then, he attended the other Mating Matches and finally understood the purpose of a Mating Match. Firstly, while it was meant to test the alpha in theory, only the omega knew what they were looking for in an alpha. The ‘performance’ Lan Lianyi set was actually meant to get herself a mate, and it did not always involve fighting. She had included fighting because she desired an alpha to be her equal.
Secondly, while a Mating Match was a tradition with defined rules, he learnt people did not necessarily follow set patterns or rules all the time.
“Mother, it’s been so long since Aunt Lianyi started doing these Mating Matches. What would she do if she never gets an alpha?” The boy asked.
“Well, that means she’s not fortunate enough to get an alpha in her lifetime. There’s nothing wrong with being alone.” His mother answered, patting his head.
“But isn’t the purpose of a Mating Match to find the right alpha?”
“No, not really. It’s true that biologically, alphas and omegas are most compatible. However, love can transcend our physical bodies. There are actually some omegas who forgo Mating Matches because they love betas or other omegas. The best thing about Mating Matches is that it allows alphas a chance to find love and show their capabilities to others. The host is obligated to give the alphas a chance, but they are not obligated to accept. You don’t have to win the Mating Match to be a winner.”
“You don’t?” Lan Wangji looked at his mother, still confused.
“I think you’ll understand when you get older.” His mother hugged him tight. “A-Zhan, know that you are blessed to be born here. Others may try to define happiness for you. As an omega, only you yourself know what you want in life, be it another alpha, omega, beta, or being alone.”
“Then do the alphas always have to have omegas?”
“In our Empire, not really. But in other places, they strongly believe that alphas and omegas must be together. They also feel that they must act in a particular way too. Had your father and I been born in those countries, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have had the happy lives we have now,” his mother sighed.
He tilted his head to the side, still confused and expecting further explanation. Ning Ruizhen just smiled and patted his head. Only later in his adolescence did he truly understand what she meant.
Alphas, betas and omegas. Male, and female. The concept of genders and sex had been foreign to him as a child when he looked at the adults and children in his life. While adult men and women looked different, boys and girls did not differ much in appearance. Lan Wangji had almost thought they were all the same. He knew he was male, and that as an omega, he had the ability to birth children. Beta and alpha men did not do that. Yet, the people around him never treated him differently from his alpha brother, Lan Xichen. He may be second in line to the throne and would marry out of the family if he chose to, but high expectations weighed heavily on both of them. They were expected to attend classes ranging from martial arts and calligraphy to flower arrangements and cooking. It was only after the foreign princes and princesses from far away lands came to visit that he realised how different their worlds were.
Every two years, the Lan Empire would open its doors to foreign royalty who were keen on exchanging knowledge and trade with them. Due to the large number of guests, the Imperial Family would send invitations to the noble families to partake in this cultural exchange event. This opportunity extended to the nobles living at the borders of the empire and allowed for martial alliances to be formed should sparks fly. The exchange would last up to a month, as some royals could afford to stay longer than necessary. There were no limits placed on the number, but the Lan Empire would increase security to protect all parties involved. The activities planned were a mixture of indoor and outdoor sporting events including swordplay, archery, cuju , flying kites, archery and horse riding. The cultural exchange would end with a fine banquet and with some of the Imperial rules relaxed to entertain the foreign diplomats.
Initially, Lan Wangji liked meeting new people through the exchange, but eventually grew to hate the event. Firstly, he had to help host the foreign dignitaries. Being introverted by nature, activities like the banquets or outdoor activities planned meant a disruption to his quiet routine. Secondly, as much as he liked the sports activities, Lan Wangji found he stuck out like a sore thumb among the foreign omegas. All of Lan Wangji’s servants were of different secondary genders, yet the foreign beta and omega princesses as well as omega princes were only accompanied by female beta and omega servants. The alpha and beta princes had male servants, and some were eunuchs.
Then, the only activities the foreign noble omegas would do were exchanging fashion trends or flying kites. This bored not only Lan Wangji but the other local omegas. At least horseback riding was acceptable, and even then—
“Is there a reason why horse riding is the only sport you let omegas do in your country?” Lan Wangji asked one of the alpha diplomats.
“Well, it helps build their stamina in bed.” The alpha shrugged.
Lan Wangji had never wished more than anything in the world but to beat up all the alphas and betas in the retinue, and the cultural exchange definitely tested his tolerance. He kept a blank expression throughout, reciting the Lan rules to keep calm and praying for lunchtime to come sooner. Later, both his mother and Lan Xichen pulled him aside out of concern.
“A-Zhan, what’s the matter?” Lan Xichen asked. “You’ve been fuming this entire morning. Have the diplomats offended you in some way or another?”
“Xiongzhang, I don’t understand why they choose to be obtuse to what omegas can do. I don’t like how the foreign dignitaries are always so rude and disrespectful to our culture. At the same time, their culture is infuriating. They don’t treat their omegas well and seem to think genders are only capable of very specific things.” Lan Wangji folded his arms, glaring at the insufferable foreign dignitaries. “Then for the activities that I do have interest in, I have to play with the beta and alpha princes, who don’t even see me as an equal and treat me like I’m some exotic object to gawk at. Isn’t this supposed to be a cultural exchange?”
Often, the older foreign officials would goad Lan Wangji to challenge the beta princes, as though expecting him to lose to them. Then, when he won, it never felt worth the hassle because they would diminish his accomplishments by stating the beta or alpha princes were sick the day before. He could not understand why they were so unhappy about losing a match. After ‘beating’ the beta princes, the foreign dignitaries chose to avoid Lan Wangji at all costs. Yet, when his alpha brother did the same thing, they chose to praise and respect him.
“Unfortunately, the world is not fair.” His brother sighed. “You are just as capable as any alpha and beta, this is true. However, they have limiting beliefs because they don’t want to open up their perspectives.”
“I know this is hard for you, but there is a reason why we have to do this exchange. It’s to remind ourselves why we have to maintain our Empire’s culture and to understand their world.” His mother sat in front of Lan Wangji. “We’re a unique country. For the rest of the world, omegas are supposed to be weak and protected by their alphas. They find omegas like us strange because they never teach their omegas to be strong like we are.”
“Why are we doing this when they don’t want to learn from us? Does this exchange really serve the purpose it is supposed to do?”
“You may not see it, but it does work. On one hand, we get trade and knowledge through the exchange, like seeing whether they have changed their attitudes towards the genders or potential threats to our country. The other countries do benefit in some way if they see how we govern ourselves. It’s not fruitless; there was an alpha emperor further up north who chose to marry one of our empire’s omegas. We hear that their country is improving omega rights after she got married to him.” His mother explained.
Lan Wangji paused, remembering that he had not been the only omega hosting the dignitaries. There’s the Su family, Shen family and Li family omegas present. I think there was some Su Minshan who bragged about his aunt getting married to the emperor up north.
“Was the omega who married to the emperor in the north from the Su family?”
“Ah, that would be Miss Su Xiyan from the Su family. I think she is not able to attend the exchange this year because she just gave birth to a second child. Her eldest alpha son, Crown Prince Luo Binghe, will likely attend the next foreign banquet.”
“I hope he’s not as mean as the other alpha princes.”
“Knowing her, she would never allow him to mistreat omegas. Although, I heard he is quite the crybaby, but I guess he is being doted on, just like you are!” Empress Lan immediately hugged her son by surprise, who gave a light gasp and pouted. “I know this is not what you wanted to do, Wangji. However, there are still times where we need to know the other countries’ attitudes towards us in times of peace and war.”
“I hope we don’t get into a war. War is bad.” Lan Wangji frowned.
“Our alliances with the north and east are going smoothly, so we just have to worry about the other places.” His mother hugged him. “Remember, your worth is determined by you alone. No one can take that away from you.”
“A-Zhan, know that you’re not alone in finding this experience draining. I find it disgusting that the alphas and betas treat their omegas poorly. Yet I have to grind my anger into a smile and respectfully redirect the topic in a clever manner.” Lan Xichen held his brother’s hands with a solemn expression. “I find it helps to think that our cultural exchange gives a brief period of freedom to these omegas. The life of an omega is difficult and at the very least, these omegas were loved enough to experience our way of life for a short while.”
He turned to face the pavilion where their foreign guests were being entertained by the local omega nobility. The foreign omegas were cheerfully chatting, but he wondered how they actually felt about the exchange. Different countries would come to join the exchange, depending on their availability. While the exchange was held every two years, it did not mean the same omegas would visit them again. He mentally rewound the memories in his head, reevaluating the comments he received from the other omegas. Some reacted in alarm when they saw him spar with the alphas and betas while others were in awe.
“Wow, you’re so strong! I wish I was more like you!”
Comments like those made him feel annoyed because they sounded like the elders who kept calling him the second coming of Lan Yi. However, Lan Wangji could not bring himself to stop these omegas’ comments, realising that they were genuine. They found his ability to fight fascinating and wished to be as strong as him. Lan Wangji offered to teach them to fight, but they shook their heads, stating that their families would never allow it. Lan Wangji silently hoped they were able to find some way to be strong and resilient. He made efforts to be penpals with these omegas, but their correspondence would end the moment the omega royals said they were to be married away, leaving Lan Wangji feeling lonely.
Honestly, what irked him more were the comments from omegas reacting just like the nasty beta and alphas.
“As expected of a royal Lan omega, so uncouth to be getting down and dirty with the alphas. Has he no shame?”
“What kind of alpha would want him?”
That last comment stung. All this time, I have been trying to work so hard to become the best person I want to be. What alpha would not want the best version of their omega? It finally dawned on Lan Wangji that the world around them had taught the omegas to react that way. I thought they were judging me, but turns out I was judging them too… He made a reminder to go copy the rules once the cultural exchange was over.
“I understand. I apologise for worrying you all. It just feels so meaningless to try to befriend the foreign dignitaries at the exchange.”
“Of course. Perhaps someday, you’ll get the chance to explore the world beyond the borders of our great empire.”
A certain person came to mind. The only omega prince that he continued corresponding with was Crown Prince of Xianle, to the far east. Crown Prince Xie Lian was a joy to fight with and shared a love of helping the common people. Even then, he was privileged to learn martial arts because the ruling couple allowed it, rather than due to Xianle’s acceptance of strong omegas. He recalled that Crown Prince Xie Lian had been in awe of the Lan Empire’s culture.
“The Lan Empire boasts the best gender equity in the entire world, which meant that a citizen of the Lan Empire could rise up in society regardless of their secondary gender and status. I like that,” Xie Lian said with a smile.
“I hope your citizens get that too.”
However, since the distance between their countries was far, letters were sparse. Nonetheless, Lan Wangji hoped that he would one day be able to visit Xianle and to see the world beyond the empire, as well as help the needy.
The Imperial Lan clan always woke up at maoshi , and the children were not exempted. Lan Wangji had no difficulty adapting to this rule. Lan An may have left the monastery, but he brought along the practices he had been raised with when he founded the Lan Empire. The Lans studiously followed 3,500 rules that governed their life. Unlike previous dynasties, the number of servants the royals could have were limited. Lan Yi believed that having the ability to be self-reliant and independent was vital to the survival for all Lan royals, and decreed it as part of their compulsory education. These included skills like cooking and being able to dress oneself.
The bells chimed, signalling the start of a new day. Seven-year-old Lan Wangji got up to wash his face and brush his teeth before walking over to his wardrobe. Imperial attire consisted of shades of blue and white, to match their forehead ribbon, and sewn with cloud and dragon symbols which could only be worn by the imperial family. Children had more leeway, so Lan Wangji’s wardrobe had a splash of other colours. He reached out for a set of clothes in navy blue and light blue. While not as cooling as the silks he wore, the texture felt smooth to the touch and not a single thread was out of place. Furthermore, it lacked the distinctive patterns only Lan royalty could wear. He folded his sleep wear and placed it in the laundry basket for the maidservants to pick up later.
He stood in front of the bronze mirror to admire his new clothes, moving his arms and legs to see the robes billow after him. Then, he saw the servant out of the corner of his eye.
“Good morning Your Highness, you seem excited!” A servant greeted him upon entering the room.
“Weiguo, help me with the last two layers.”
Lan Weiguo nodded and got to work. An omega attendant, the young man had served Lan Wangji since childhood. He usually helped Lan Wangji with his personal grooming and maintaining the cleanliness of the jingshi.
“Since today is your first day of attending the Imperial Academy, would you like a hair pin?”
“Yes please!” The servant chuckled and began combing his hair.
Most of the hairpins Lan Wangji had were gifted to him by his mother. Lan Weiguo used a hairpin with a gentian design to pin up Lan Wangji’s hair. The only thing Lan Weiguo could not touch was the prince's forehead ribbon, a white ribbon adorned with cloud patterns. Today, he would be wearing a simple dark blue forehead ribbon to blend in with the commoners and nobles. The young boy stood in front of the mirror, twirling slightly to see the billowing of his robes, pleased with his appearance. Only the back had the symbol of the Imperial Academy stitched. The final touch was a backpack containing the schoolbooks he had to use as a student of the Imperial Academy.
Lan Wangji had looked forward to going to the Imperial Academy, which was founded by Lan An. He believed in sharing knowledge with all his subjects and opened it to any citizen who had a desire to learn, regardless of secondary gender and status. It welcomed students starting from aged eight all the way to twenty. When it opened, not every noble and royal family member attended the academy however, preferring to receive tutors in the comfort of their own homes. Lan Yi later implemented a law that education was compulsory for all nobles at the age of ten. Officials who preferred to homeschool their children had to apply for a permit to do so, with inspections from the Ministry of Family conducted on an irregular basis to detect child abuse or neglect. Eventually, the academy became a location for those of nobility to socialise. For royal Lan members, they had to attend under a different identity to prevent them from abusing their position over other nobles.
To prevent class disparity, the academy had imposed a uniform dress code. All students must be dressed in practical clothing that did not obstruct movement, with no superfluous accessories allowed and they must have the outer robe have the symbol of the academy sewn into it. The colours of the academy had shades of blue and white and the inner robes were plain. This was to ensure that the uniform did not cost an arm and a leg, but allowed the richer students to customise their inner robes so long as the colours remained the same. Lan Wangji had always pouted whenever he saw Lan Xichen in these robes, because it meant that his brother was going to school without him. It took his mother an hour before he would calm down from his tantrum.
“A-Zhan, you’ll get to go to school soon. Look, even Auntie Lianyi is sewing the uniform for you!” Words of his mother’s comfort echoed in his mind.
When he learned he would be going to the academy, he kept dropping by the Imperial Seamstress Department to watch the process of his uniform being made. Lan Lianyi had presented the uniform to him the day before and he had been ecstatic about wearing it. Aside from the Lunar New Year, there were little to no opportunities for the Lan royals to wear other types of clothing. Sure, his current daily clothes had some splash of colour, but when he saw his father and uncle’s wardrobe, he frowned at the thought of being stuck with blue and white forever. New clothes also meant newer life experiences to look forward to. Today was also the day he could leave the palace without many escorts for the first time!
The thought of it made Lan Wangji walk briskly towards his mother’s palace. Upon arrival, he saw his mother and brother sitting in the dining room. Empress Lan was dressed in a purple top and dark blue skirt, decorated in phoenixes and clouds. Gentian flowers adorned her long silky hair, pinned in a braid. Lan Xichen was dressed in the same uniform Lan Wangji wore.
“Good morning, Niang and Xiongzhang .” Lan Wangji greeted with a bow before running over to hug his mother.
“A-Zhan, are you excited for school?” The boy released the hug to nod excitedly. “I’m glad you are excited to go to school. Just know that you can always drop out if you don’t like it.” The younger boy shook his head.
After breakfast, he would hold hands with his brother and head to the academy on foot. He clutched his bag tightly, for it had been a present from his father, who had to be absent today. While he knew how important the job of an emperor was, Lan Wangji tried to hold back his disappointment. At least he came to celebrate my birthday.
“Are you sad that your father wasn’t here?” Empress Lan asked, and Lan Wangji nodded. “Well, you’ll still see him and uncle later.”
The imperial family usually dined together for dinner, so it made the boy feel a little better. Although they do not speak during meal times, Lan Wangji looked forward to learning the qin from his father and reading books with his uncle after dinner.
“What is Uncle doing?”
“He needed to discuss some things with the teachers and went to the academy ahead of us.” Lan Xichen answered.
Known as the Imperial Tutor, Lan Qiren forfeited his right to the throne. A beta, he had a love for knowledge and wanted to study. Hence, he studied history and all of the related subjects. A strict disciplinarian and teacher, he taught imperial Lan etiquette and royal history. Although stern, Lan Wangji knew that his uncle loved his nephews greatly.
“Will we see Uncle at the academy?”
“He occasionally teaches there, so he’ll fetch us back from school later.” Lan Xichen answered.
“Yay!” The boy threw his arms in the air, before immediately shoving it down out of fear of being seen by the others. “I’ll copy the rules later…” His brother only chuckled in response.
Today was also the day he would meet his assigned playmate. All royal Lan members would get assigned a childhood playmate of a similar age. These playmates were selected from nobility, and they always came over to spend time with the royal family members either during classes or free time. In a way, this helped them form connections outside of the palace. Some became sworn brothers while others got married later in life. Lan Wangji had seen Lan Xichen with his childhood friend Nie Mingjue whenever he came to find his brother. An alpha with a broad build, Nie Mingjue belonged to the Nie family which has produced generals for generations. Dressed in muted greens and yellows, his clothes contrasted the white and blues of the royal Lans. The two alphas often went hunting and horse riding together.
“Mother, do you know who might be my playmate?”
“Well, it’s probably Mingjue’s didi .” Lan Xichen folded his arms. “He’s an omega and a year older than you.”
“Is he as buff as Mingjue-gege?” Lan Wangji asked, curious.
Nie Mingjue always had strong muscles and exercised regularly. Every time the prince saw him, he was always badgering his older brother to go do physical exercises or sports. Furthermore, both Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen looked alike, so much so that they were called the twin jades by the ministers and officials. He had also seen some of the servants’ siblings, and they all looked similar in stature and build. Hence by this logic, that meant that Nie Mingjue’s brother must look just like him. He had an expectant look that he was correct, but both Lan Xichen and his mother laughed instead.
“A-Zhan, unfortunately, he is not blessed with the muscles that Mingjue has.” The crown prince chuckled. “In fact, he’s the farthest from buff. But I hope you two get along.”
They waited a while before the Nie brothers arrived.
“Greetings, your Highnesses!” The princes turned to see another pair of brothers dressed in olive green hanfu enter the room.
Both of them saluted and bowed. Nie Mingjue was as tall as Lan Xichen, so Lan Wangji immediately looked at the shorter of the pair. The boy had a hairpin in his hair and looked somewhat meek compared to his stronger, tougher brother. Oh, so that’s what Xiongzhang meant. He’s more similar to me in stature. Is he a shy person? Lan Wangji walked over, curious. However, the boy confidently stepped out to stand in front of him.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Nie Huaisang.” He smiled.
“A-Zhan, you can only reveal your name to people you trust, and when attending the academy, make sure that you do not use your real name.” Lan Qiren’s harsh voice echoed in his head.
He had to be incognito today, so he can’t use his own name today.
“My name is Yi Zhan.” Lan Wangji greeted.
“Nice to meet you, young master Yi. I feel we are going to be good friends.” Nie Huaisang smiled, seemingly aware of the rules and responded in kind.
Lan Xichen heaved a sigh of relief, while Nie Mingjue nodded in approval. Empress Lan watched them get into the carriage to go to school.
“Have a good day at school!” She waved at them as the carriage left.
Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue sat in a separate carriage, most likely to discuss other things, while the two younger boys sat in the carriage together. Lan Wangji thought that Nie Huaisang felt awkward, but the boy started up a conversation with ease.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I’ll call you Your Highness in private when we are outside.” Lan Wangji nodded. “I heard that you’re a quiet person, so I’m okay to just chat. Let’s talk about hobbies. We should at least know a little about each other. What do you like?” The boy spoke confidently.
“I like to play the qin, do martial arts and acrobatics.” Lan Wangji answered.
“I like poetry, art and birds! What animals do you like?”
“I like rabbits.”
“Rabbits are so cute! When you have time, come over to my place. I’ll be happy to show you all the birds!” Nie Huaisang said excitedly. “And maybe, I could get you some rabbits? I heard that keeping animals is banned in the Cloud Recesses.”
“I’ll see if I can convince my uncle.” Lan Wangji began thinking of what he could say to convince his uncle to let him have some.
“Just a warning though, they multiply crazily.” His new friend pointed. “The Imperial Tutor is a very scary person. I hope I never get into one of his classes, ever.” Nie Huaisang shook his head.
“I did not know that. Classes with Uncle have been pleasant.” He then looked up to see his friend with the most flabbergasted expression. “Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
What discomfort Nie Huaisang had ebbed away the moment they arrived at the Imperial Academy. Both their brothers walked them to their class before heading off to their own classes. Throughout the day, Nie Huaisang took the chance to show Lan Wangji around the school. The academy was almost as large as the palace. It split itself into different sections depending on one’s educational level and age cohort. It boasted state-of-the-art facilities, ranging from kitchens to laboratories for experiments, to libraries filled with the research of the empire’s most erudite scholars. Many scholars would conduct research on their expertise. So long as the content did not include harming people or the environment, many scholars gathered at the Imperial Academy to collect and expand on their knowledge.
The Imperial Academy had areas of recreation within the school. When the academics wanted to rest, they would take walks in the gardens. Besides research on the sciences, the Imperial Academy had a school focused on the arts, with pavilions for people to exchange poetry, to stages where dancers and singers could perform. The students could choose to take one of the subjects out of interest after hitting the age of fourteen. The academy also boasted one of the best architecture the empire had. Lan Wangji could tell a lot of love and labour went into the design of the school, from the arches, to the design of the eaves and its structural integrity. It tempted him to take up a class in carpentry just to try crafting his own projects.
There were many buildings and the campus was almost as large as the palace. It felt like it was its own city within a city. The Imperial Academy also hosted students from other parts of the empire and international students, and they stayed in the dormitories. Although Lan Wangji knew he would never get the chance to stay in one (at least, not any time soon), it fascinated him to see people crammed into buildings smaller than his own palace. The Cloud Recesses, although big, did not have this density of people in it, partially due to Lan Yi’s decree on the imperial clan to be independent and less reliant on servants. He then followed Nie Huaisang to a hall with a sea of children. He had never seen so many children his age in such a cramped space before.
For now, young Lan Wangji only needed to attend classes specific to his secondary gender. The lessons he could attend varied from omega etiquette, sex education to geography and mathematics. Classes for young children only lasted from morning to early afternoon. The first class Lan Wangji attended was language and poetry. The class was held outdoors, and the class sat around the benches. Their tutor mostly taught vocabulary and concepts that his uncle had already taught him. He looked at the other children, who were also fidgeting. It seems abiding by ten rules is hard for most people.
Nie Huaisang tried to strike up a conversation during the lesson but Lan Wangji remained quiet. Once the lesson ended, he immediately started talking.
“Young master Yi, were you ignoring me during class?”
“No, I was paying attention in class. Plus, no talking while the instructor is talking.”
“I get that you have a lot of rules in the palace, but you’re going to stick out a little if you use imperial etiquette here.” Nie Huaisang reminded him.
“That is true. Thank you for reminding me.”
“You really… can stay still for a good while and still pay attention huh?”
“Uncle is a strict tutor. It would not reflect well on me if I misbehaved.” The prince bluntly stated.
“You really need to let loose a little.” The other boy sighed.
At mealtimes, the students would either gather in the cafeteria or leave the main buildings to get street food. Most nobles had their lunches prepared by their servants. Today, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue joined their younger brothers for lunch and ate at a simple eatery. Xiongzhang seemed so carefree here. Maybe Huaisang is right that I needed to relax a little to blend in. Lan Xichen freely shared his food with not only Nie Mingjue but also the servants. While the Nie brothers ordered more meat, the princes ordered mostly vegetables to go with the white rice. Nie Huaisang ordered some chicken and even ordered extras for his servants. He’s surprisingly generous. Lan Wangji observed, and did the same.
“How is school so far for you?” Lan Xichen asked.
“It’s really fun. I like it here.” Lan Wangji answered honestly.
“Has Huaisang been a bother to you?”
“ Da-ge! ” The younger Nie protested, almost slamming the table, “I’ve been on my best behaviour! I would at least have the decency to not drag him into trouble on the first day!”
The omega prince blinked, confused. Trouble? Would anyone dare to make the prince do something bad? He looked at his older brother, who only smiled.
“Which means you intend to, at some point. We can’t have you lead him down the wrong path of indulgence and laziness.” Nie Mingjue joked as he laughed.
“Do you have that little faith in him, Eldest Young Master Yi?” The younger Nie pouted. “Young Master Yi is very obedient and studious. I can’t even get him to talk to me in class!”
“I see. Well, you might never know.” Lan Xichen looked at his brother with a smile.
Xiongzhang looks relaxed and very unlike the prim and proper Crown Prince…
“Xiongzhang… Huaisang has not done anything.” Lan Xichen just patted him on the head.
“It’s okay to try and do things that we don’t do for the experience, provided that you don’t hurt people.”
“Young Master Yi, just remember, we are not always paragons of virtue.” Nie Mingjue grinned and folded his arms. “Remember that time we tried to scale the castle wall just to queue for the dim sum stall before they got sold out and one of the teachers—”
“Eldest Young Master Nie, shush!” Lan Xichen immediately reached out to block Nie Mingjue’s mouth to keep his best friend quiet. “Not in front of my brother!”
Lan Wangji then tried to imagine his brother ungracefully scaling the wall and laughed. I can’t wait to do commoner things. They then changed the topics on their academic pursuits. Lan Xichen had fewer classes to take compared to Nie Mingjue, who had begun preparing to graduate after studying the Art of War and head for the borders soon. All students of the Imperial Academy could customise their curriculum to suit their talents. Nie Huaisang took up painting with Lan Xichen, so Lan Wangji had begun reading up on what he might want to study since some subjects required him to be of a certain age. When he got older, only then would he study more advanced subjects, as well as learn how to prepare for heats and marital life. He would eventually learn about how other secondary genders worked as it was a mandatory subject for all students of the Imperial Academy.
The teaching staff were all graduates of the academy, and there was an even representation of all secondary genders. Han Yingting was one of the omega teachers who became Lan Wangji’s favourite teacher. She was a female omega who became a scholar after taking the imperial examinations. The Imperial Academy offered scholarships to commoners who had an aptitude for learning. The royal family would send out scouts to discover these talents and bring them to the capital. Han Yingting was scouted, and attended the academy as a child and graduated with the highest honours. She then chose to work at the academy as a teacher and became a researcher on omega studies.
“Welcome to Omega Etiquette and Sex Education. You’ll learn about how your bodies will grow and what to do in the event that you do marry.” Han Yingting spoke. “You’ll also learn a bit about how other countries view omega etiquette, in the event that you do travel outside of our great Empire. Today, we’ll talk about scenting. You will soon start developing your own scent and you will need to know what to do to prevent misunderstandings. Scents determine who you are related to and who you associate with.”
She then passed out worksheets and hung a painting for everyone to see. The first painting had two people and a smaller child.
“When we are born, we all carry the scent of our biological parents. Although alphas and omegas tend to have stronger scents, betas have a scent as well. They just have a milder scent.” She spoke, using the pointer stick to emphasise the connection between the diagrams she displayed. “However, all alphas and omegas have a stronger sense of smell. This allows them to even tell which pup belongs to a beta. Unfortunately, betas cannot tell if their child is biologically theirs.”
“Teacher, then how will the betas know if the baby is theirs?” Another omega surnamed Luo raised her hand.
“Well, the betas have to go to the temple. There are alphas and omegas who have trained their sense of smell to be very good. Even if the lost child is an adult and has even developed their own scent, the scent of their biological parents never entirely disappears. These alphas and omegas are able to tell the difference between your biological scent and personal scent.” Han Yingting explained.
Indeed, the temples offered such services such that they can reunite lost children with their kin. Furthermore, they were located in isolated areas, which made it easier for alphas and omegas to train their sense of smell to the extreme. Their teacher walked over to the painting where the words ‘Alpha’, ‘Omega’ and ‘Beta’ was written.
“This is why all secondary genders must live in harmony. All of us have a role to play.” She used her baton to circle the words.
Then, she pulled out another paper which roughly depicted a human person.
“Well, enough about that. Let’s talk about you today. Your scenting organs are your wrists, neck and the area near your crotch. It is important that you clean them properly. Don’t overuse soap or other scents there, it can irritate your skin. Most of the time, you’ll use your wrists and neck more with your friends and family. By the way, your crotch is reserved for your partner.” The class giggled at this. “Don’t laugh, you’ll learn a little bit more later on why this is so.”
“Scents can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used to send messages indirectly and express one’s emotions. Most importantly, it warns you when you are able to go into heat. We give off sweet scents to attract compatible alphas. However, we can still send angry signals if the alpha is being inappropriate. This requires a lot of practice, so I recommend practising with your family members.”
“Then, do alphas actually have a scent when they go into rut?” One of the omegas asked.
“You are indeed correct. For every action, there will be a scent. Alphas usually tend to have intense, stronger scents while omegas have sweeter scents. Genetics and environments can affect how your scent develops. In a war torn environment or stressful environment, we stop emitting scents to conserve energy. In fact, it’s possible for heats and ruts to be stopped from starvation.”
“Is there a way to hide our scents?” Lan Wangji asked.
“There are herbs and suppressant teas you can consume. Ideally, the best way is to control your scent directly. Through meditation, you can hone in on your senses and manipulate it. In some faraway land, people even use this to attack or defend themselves.” Han Yingting explained.
“Then why are omegas still considered the weaker gender in our neighbouring countries?”
“Because they fear what we are capable of and what they have to lose if we are to become strong.” Han Yingting spoke seriously, before clasping her hands together. “Well, enough about that. Let’s start practising!”
They then learned how to scent certain items using their wrists. Han Yingting patiently taught them to do it in a safe environment and not to rub the items too hard against them.
When Lan Wangji got home, he scented a blanket each, one for every member in his family. He smiled when he got a pat on the head. His parents added his blanket to their nest and allowed him to cuddle with them for two hours. In return, they scented one object in exchange. His father scented a calligraphy pen while his mother scented a flower pin. Lan Qiren scented a bookmark and Lan Xichen scented a rabbit soft toy. Lan Wangji blushed, insisting he was too old for such things. He opted to hide it from sight, in a box reserved for his greatest treasures. Young Lan Wangji did not know then, but he later learned from the cultural exchange of how his life was drastically different from typical noble omegas, and it made him appreciate his family even more.
The Imperial Academy was also a place where nobles could mingle with commoners as commoners could apply to attend one of the classes. There were classes taught by commoners as well, which were cooking and sewing lessons. Lan Wangji enjoyed these lessons because he could meet commoners and understand their way of life. This is more fun than those foreign exchanges where nothing is gained. School life meant he could forget everything about being a royal. He understood why his brother looked forward to school now.
Although no one could find out about him being a prince and his shadow guards had to accompany him at all times, the advantage was having lesser rules to worry about. He could eat street food without having someone to eat it ahead of him and be with other people without having them bow to him every time. He could wear other colours and play games outside. Being a normal person for a brief period felt freeing.
“If you wonder why our lives as royals are difficult, it is to ensure that everyone else gets to live a peaceful life.” Lan Xichen explained as he ate the tanghulu he bought for himself. “Being in power is not for everyone. Some people forget why they have more privileges than others, or become too blind to the needs of those not in their shoes. This is why I am willing to take on the burden to rule, so that you too can live freely.”
“Xiongzhang… You don’t have to do it alone.”
“Thank you. If you want to support me, try to learn more about your talents before deciding to support me the way Uncle does for Father.”
When he turned thirteen, Lan Wangji unexpectedly found cooking classes to be his favourite subject. Initially, he had disdained the idea of cooking because things could get dirty, and Lan Wangji could not stand his fingers feeling too oily and dirty for too long. However, he soon grew to like the class more than he expected.
“So, you are the type to cook for your alpha, aren’t you?” Nie Huaisang teased. “What kind of food do you think your alpha might like?”
“It would be good if they can eat the same food as me.” Lan Wangji said.
“Wouldn’t that be boring? I think it’d be good if they ate different food.” Nie Huaisang tilted his head to the side.
“Aren’t you the arrogant one?” They turned to see another omega named Su Minshan. “Young Master Yi, aren’t you too demanding of your alpha?”
“Is it not normal for us to want an alpha who works well with us, Young Master Su?” Luo Qingyang asked. “It would save money if we could eat the same type of food.”
Despite this, Lan Wangji found out that there were people he could never get along with. Su Minshan had been one of his classmates who disdained him. The prince did not understand. He never flaunted his wealth, position and talent. Yet, Su Minshan treated him like his greatest rival ever.
“Yes. But I think Young Master Yi might find it hard to find a decent alpha who matches his expectations.” Su Minshan folded his arms.
“I only said it would be good if they can eat the same food as I do. I never said I would force them to eat it.”
“With the way all the alphas are looking at you, you might as well be. Don’t you think it’s cruel to force them to change their taste buds just to appeal to you?”
“Hey, stop it.”
“Well, thank you Young Master Su for being so concerned about Young Master Yi’s marriageability. It is true that both omegas and alphas should hone their talents and work hard. But I would like to remind you that hard work does not necessarily mean it will pay off. Did it not take your aunt, Miss Su Xiyan, at least ten Mating Matches before she got married to Tianlang-jun, one of the most remarkable bachelors of her generation?”
“Why… yes.”
“Then it goes to say that we all just need to be patient and the alpha who recognises our worth will come in due time. It’s normal to feel competitive, but we’re all just young omegas here. There will be an alpha for an omega, or you don’t need to have one. Besides, I’m sure Hanguang-jun would have a hard time finding an alpha too.”
“How would I ever relate to the ever perfect Hanguang-jun?!” Su Minshan sarcastically remarked.
Before they could continue, the bell rang, signalling the end of their lesson. The class dispersed after picking up their dishes, and Su Minshan glowered at Lan Wangji one last time.
“Young Master Yi, don’t think too hard about what he said.” Luo Qingyang comforted him.
“I’m alright. I just don’t get why he dislikes me.”
“He’s just too jealous of you.” Nie Huaisang sighed.
Nie Huaisang was… different from Nie Mingjue, not in terms of gender. He liked to collect birds, play weiqi , collect fans and appreciated paintings. He exuded less of the strong, fierce demeanour Nie Mingjue had. If Nie Mingjue fought with his sabre, Nie Huaisang fought with his wit and a mere brush.
“I thought he would understand how it feels to have to be the best omega all the time.” Lan Wangji curled his hands into fists.
“Perhaps he does. He is only taking the stress out on you in a bad way.” Nie Huaisang shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s his own inner battle to deal with.”
One of the lessons Lan Wangji did not take in school was history. Lan Qiren had insisted on teaching their family’s history and being responsible for his nephews’ early education. The previous Imperial Tutor inspired Lan Qiren to take up a career as an educator. He gave the two boys education befitting an emperor even though Lan Xichen was the de facto crown prince. The Lan Empire was founded on the basis of equity between secondary genders. Lan An had left the monastery he had been raised in to free the land from chaos. He then met his mate in the mountains that would later become the Cloud Recesses, and fought seven days before they exchanged mating bites. He eventually won against eleven other warlords to unite the land with his allies. Some of these allies were omegas, and when he founded the nation, he gave these omegas the positions they deserved.
Thus, the Lan Empire differed from their neighbours where alphas reigned supreme and omegas deemed as the weaker gender. Typically, Royal families and nobles bartered their omega children to make connections. Lan Wangji was glad he never had to marry foreign royalty. He had to thank his ancestor Lan Yi for that. Earlier in the Lan Dynasty, there was still a preference for alphas over omegas despite Lan An decreeing omega rights to inherit property and work. He may have established an empire, but his hands were tied by other powerful nobility in court who had other agendas.
Lan Yi had been schemed against by such nobility. As the eldest granddaughter of Lan An, Lan Yi had been a strong contender for the throne. A master of the six arts, especially the qin where she invented Chord Assassination, many nobility saw her as a threat and plotted to prevent her from claiming the throne. Citing filial duty to her father and to protect her younger siblings from being married off, Lan Yi willingly packed her bags and abandoned her weapons. The whites and blues of the Lan imperial attire exchanged for red and golden robes for marriage. Most courtiers were shocked since they expected the omega to protest the decree. Just like the migratory birds, she headed to the tribes of the north, avoiding assassinations along the way. Her political rivals only relented once news of her consummation with the foreign alpha prince was confirmed. Little did they know that the trip to the north was not a one-way trip.
Upon arrival in the foreign land, Lan Yi acclimatised to their culture and learned ‘proper omega etiquette’ befitting her position as a bride. Omegas were expected to be submissive to their husbands and everyone believed Lan Yi belonged to the lowest of the pecking order since she married the weakest prince in the royal clan. The kingdom respected strength above all. Lan Yi endured the humiliation while carefully biding her time. Underneath all the demure smiles and precious silks, were the hidden blades aimed at their throats. Every single alpha who tried to lay their hands on her would be found slaughtered in the nation’s martial arts styles which she had quickly mastered, allowing her to pit all the rival factions against each other. The omega spouses of the alphas who tried to hurt Lan Yi too, would find themselves in a predicament, faced with an omega who did not hesitate to retaliate violently. When the court was in disarray from the political alliances falling apart from her murders, Lan Yi revolted and slaughtered her way through, creating a bloodbath that would put her husband on the throne.
Lan Yi had been a charismatic and strong leader. She had entrusted other subordinates she trained in the Lan Empire to keep an eye on her enemies, especially her shadow guards. They remained loyal to her, believing her to be the rightful heir. Thus, she waltzed back into the Lan Empire with piles of evidence to indict her political enemies for treason. Reports stated that her enemies were terrified of bridal robes, for the princess came back with bloodstains on her bridal robes. The Lan royal courts received a rude awakening the day she came into court, and demanded the throne from her imperial father.
Both Lan An and his spouse were impressed by Lan Yi’s actions. While Lan Yi’s father had been pleased she expanded the territories of the empire in a decade, he knew that if he denied her the throne, she might continue to do more outrageous things to get it. Out of concern for the safety of their retainers and the stability of the empire, Lan Yi was thus made heir apparent. The foreign kingdom was absorbed into the Lan Empire, but not without including its cultural practices, traditions and knowledge Lan Yi brought back. She ascended the throne with her husband, leading the Lan Empire to prosperous times. This meant that in the eyes of the royal family, any alpha, beta and omega had the potential to sit on the throne. For the omegas, Lan Yi turned her downfall into opportunity. Several other Lan omegas proceeded to follow in her footsteps by marrying into foreign kingdoms to conquer them for the empire. Some succeeded, but others would never return to their homeland.
This eventually stopped the royal family from ever marrying their omegas out of the country. None of the other kingdoms or empires wanted an omega raised in the Lan Empire, specifically imperial omegas. Why would they want to risk their kingdoms being taken over by an omega? However, this meant the alternative was to send an alpha over to make connections. They baulked at the idea of having to send their alphas for marital alliances and even resented the Lan Empire for their ‘reversed’ gender roles. Many omegas saw the Lan Empire as a safe haven for them, and would risk their lives to migrate over to the empire. A tyrant emperor in the far west invaded the Lan Empire for the omega spouse that ran away.
The official response from the royal family was to defend themselves. One of the imperial Lan omegas, Lan Qingyi, found the runaway spouse and brought them to the tyrant. It was reported the tyrant thought the spouse would be surrendered to him, but what Lan Qingyi said made him do a spit take.
“You may have your spouse back, only if you apologise and pay reparations for invading us.” Lan Qingyi folded his arms.
“Cut the crap. My spouse wouldn’t have come here if it weren't for your stupid omega rights.”
“Well, it pains me that I have to say this, but clearly you didn’t treat them well enough, so of course they ran. Either you improve your country’s omega rights or maybe be a better spouse. You alphas from other countries clearly don’t appreciate omegas enough. Listen carefully, alpha scum. The problem is you, not us. I also don’t like that we got dragged into your marital spat. This will be the first and last time the Lan Empire will intervene in someone’s marital matters. So cut your losses now while we’re being nice here.”
The tyrant knew he would have a tough time battling the Lan Empire because the Lan army actually recruited their soldiers through all secondary genders, making their numbers higher than those of his army. He only poked the hornet’s nest because he wanted his spouse back. He agreed to the negotiations.
“Good. At least you have some brains.” Lan Qingyi smiled, pleased.
As much as the Lan Empire wanted to expand omega rights to other countries, it was not easy. If every runaway omega spouse led to more invasions, it would lead to conflicts with other countries. They could not possibly keep fighting to protect one omega. Even within the Lan Empire, the battle for omega rights is a never ending cycle. After the conflict with the tyrant, who later conquered other parts of the continent to avoid the Lan Empire, most other countries kept a wary eye within the empire, waiting for opportunities to destabilise the Lan Empire when internal conflict occurred.
The peace we have is not something to be taken for granted. Lan Wangji pondered, staring at the book in front of him.