Fic cover art by Linderosse
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. Gold Poisons is a fanfiction by Linderosse based on Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi. After Lan Xichen collapses at a discussion conference of an apparent qi-deviation, it quickly becomes clear that it was artificially induced, and all signs point to his sworn brother Jin Guangyao. However, things are not as they seem. It quickly falls on Nie Mingjue to both work with Jin Guangyao to try and save Xichen and figure out what really happened.
It can be read on Archive of Our Own here.
Gold Poisons features the following tropes:
- Adaptational Job Change: Mo Xuanyu’s mother is a servant instead of a minor noblewoman.
- After-Action Healing Drama: Immediately after the trial, Jin Guangyao is stabbed with a poisoned blade by a vengeful Jin Guangshan, kicking off one of these as those around him try to save him.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Jin Guangyao’s survival at the end can be traced to the good he has done amidst his bad deeds: his saving of Mo Xuanyu from his abusive household gets the real culprit to come forward, clearing his name. His saving of Wen Yuan during the war means Wen Qing owes him. Finally, his giving Nie Mingjue both an antidote and a copy of the symbols to get the antidote to work as a gesture of trust allows Wen Qing to save him.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue in the first half of the fic. The latter does not want to be attracted to the former, but is despite himself. Jin Guangyao, meanwhile, is mostly just trying to egg Nie Mingjue on.
- Blessed with Suck: Jin Guangyao’s perfect memory means he remembers all of his bad deeds perfectly.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Mingjue goes “I don’t know, and I don’t know” at one point to respond to some questions, borrowing Huaisang’s famous catchphrase.
- Captain Obvious: Jiang Cheng slips into this when he helpfully states that “I think he just admitted to it” when Jin Guangshan blurts out wanting Nie Mingjue dead near the end of the trial.
- Chekhov's Gun: Jin Guangyao makes extra antidote to the gold poison. Useful, given he needs some later.
- Crocodile Tears: By A-Yuan to get Wen Qing past a flirtatious Jin guard.
- Death Faked for You: Jin Guangyao faked A-Yuan’s death at the end of the Sunshot Campaign and smuggled him out of Nightless City, as in this A-Yuan was Wen Xu’s son and thus part of Wen Ruohan’s family. He likely would've been killed when the Wens were defeated if he hadn't been smuggled out.
- Delirious Misidentification: While struggling with the poison, Xichen mistakes Wangji for their father. Justified, as the Twin Jades resemble their father closely.
- Dramatic Irony: Yanli suggests A-Yuan call her “Aunt Yanli" while looking after him. She has no idea that A-Yuan is being raised by her brother, meaning she really is his aunt.
- Easily Forgiven: Zigzagged. While Mo Xiulan still goes to prison for some time after poisoning Lan Xichen, he immediately forgives her for nearly killing him. It's justified, as she was acting under duress and Xichen is very forgiving.
- Extremely Short Timespan: Takes place over three days.
- Fix Fic: Not a complete one, as the author’s last note says. However, with Jin Guangshan out of the picture and Jin Guangyao tentatively working towards redemption, it's at least likely that more characters will make it out of the canon events alive.
- For Want Of A Nail: That one of these is in effect does not become clear until chapter 18. Instead of attempting to have Jin Guangyao murder Nie Mingjue, Jin Guangshan decides to remove Lan Xichen from the picture first.
- Frame-Up: Jin Guangyao is blamed for Xichen’s poisoning by his father. Unfortunately, he’s a very convenient suspect, due to his suspicious past and the fact that he owns a vial of the exact type of poison used on Xichen.
- Has a Type: Jin Guangshan, though what that type is isn’t entirely clear. It’s stated that Mo Xiulan resembles Meng Shi, but not how.
- Hurt/Comfort Fic: The portion centered on Xichen, who spends much of the fic on death's door, then recovering from a poisoning that nearly destroyed his golden core.
- Hypocrite: Discussed in-universe when Wei Wuxian, the only known golden core donor, begs Wen Qing not to let Lan Wangji donate his core to save Xichen’s if it comes to that.
- Imaginary Love Triangle: Nie Mingjue thinks Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao are attracted to each other, and thus is unwilling to get involved with either one. Guangyao is attracted to Xichen (and probably Mingjue, though even by the end of the fic he's not 100% certain), but believes them to be interested in one another, and does not want to get involved. Xichen is attracted to both Mingjue and Guangyao (and has even had sex with the former), but does not think he’s reciprocated, and therefore does not want to get involved.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: Jin Guangshan explodes at Nie Mingjue when he asks him to be reasonable, telling Mingjue that he was the intended target of the murder plot. Which he had no reason to know about.
- Insatiable Newlyweds: A variation for Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, who appear to be insatiable newly-engaged and have slept together at least twice. It leads to their wedding date needing to be moved up; see below.
- Lap Pillow: Mingjue briefly rests a very sick Xichen’s head in his lap while he’s teetering on the edge of consciousness.
- Lets Wait Awhile: Due to his traumas around sex, Guangyao would like to wait a bit before moving beyond kissing. Mingjue and Xichen are fine with this.
- Look Behind You: Nie Huaisang yells that he sees the Yiling Patriarch to distract Jin Zixun. It works.
- Loophole Abuse: Xichen is reminded of Rule 586: Gossip is Forbidden in the cloud recesses. He replies that he’s not there at the moment.
- Love at First Sight: Xichen fell in love with Guangyao like this, though he only realized this later.
- Love Confession: A very public one by Xichen about loving Jin Guangyao and, more subtly, Nie Mingjue at Jin Guangyao’s trial. Jin Guangyao then follows it up with one of his own, which is very similar to the canon one Wei Wuxian makes to Lan Wangji. Nie Mingjue doesn't have any of these, but says that they’ll discuss this later.
- Love Epiphany: Nie Mingjue realizes he still cares about Jin Guangyao as the latter, believing Lan Xichen is dead, begs for Mingjue to kill him.
- Xichen realized he was in love with Jin Guangyao when he got a letter saying he was about to take a serious risk which he may not survive, and it made him realize how badly he wanted to see him again.
- Mercy Kill: Despite being known as Wen Ruohan's torturer, Jin Guangyao killed people quickly to spare them the torture and then maimed the bodies to make it look like he’d been torturing them whenever he could.
- Named by the Adaptation: Mo Xuanyu’s mother, Mo Xiulan
- Nice to the Waiter: Jin Guangyao is nice to the servants in Koi Tower. In turn, at least one is willing to assist him.
- Not Me This Time: Guangyao has killed a lot of people during his time working for the Wens and then as the Jins, but has nothing to do with Xichen’s poisoning. Too bad he’s being set up as the fall guy.
- Offing the Offspring: Attempted by Jin Guangshan.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Nie Huaisang locating Mo Xuanyu for Nie Mingjue, allowing Jin Guangyao to be cleared.
- Only Mostly Dead: Xichen is this close to actually being dead after the antidote appears to not work. Thankfully, he’s still barely alive, enough so that they can give him qi and save his life.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Xichen, normally unflappable, showing pain is enough to show how bad the Qi-deviation really is.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Spoken to Xichen by Mingjue.
- Polyamory: The Venerated Triad. Lan Xichen is unambiguously with Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue by the end, while Guangyao and Mingjue still have some issues to work out but are in love.
- Rape as Drama: Jin Guangyao has clearly been the victim of sexual assault. Including when he was underage in the brothel."[T]he next time it happens, Aunt Sisi is not there to open the door."
- Red String of Fate: While this is not mentioned in the fic, the cover-art drawn by the author features these from both of Xichen's wrists to one each of Guangyao's and Mingjue's.
- Related in the Adaptation: Wen Yuan is Wen Xu’s son and Wen Ruohan’s grandson; in the original canon, whatever familial relationship they had was unclear.
- Sex for Solace: Xichen and Mingjue had an encounter like this during the Sunshot Campaign. It was Jin Guangyao’s fault, as he’d written a letter warning Xichen he was in danger and Xichen has a hard time processing it.
- Script Fic: The last chapter is written like this, and is in the form of a conversation between the Venerated Triad.
- Shotgun Wedding: Zixuan and Yanli are going to need one, as she is pregnant.
- Sympathetic Murderer: Well, attempted murder. Poor Mo Xiulan, who only does what she does under orders from Jin Guangshan.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: A poison which attacks the golden core is poured into Lan Xichen's tea at a discussion conference.
- Unbroken Vigil: Xichen is not left alone after passing out, with Nie Mingjue and Lan Wangji doing most of the watching, but Jiang Cheng also taking shifts when they have to otherwise help Xichen.
- Victorious Childhood Friend: Xichen, who has been in love with Mingjue forever, ends up with him at the end.
- Villainous Breakdown: Once he is revealed, Jin Guangshan starts screaming and yelling.
- War Is Hell: Jin Guangyao has a few flashbacks to the Sunshot Campaign, and it's made clear that none of the remaining participants particularly enjoy what happened.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Jin Guangyao.Jin Guangyao(internally after he's framed by his father): All I wanted was a scrap of your affection.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Despite being very young, A-Yuan already has an understanding of death. This is played tragically as a result of his difficult life.
