Chapter 432: Chapter 416 Taboo
Fengyu never could have imagined that Xie Xun’s reasoning would be so peculiar. But upon deeper reflection, it actually didn’t seem all that implausible. What if Second Brother didn’t know it was Fang Chuning in disguise? Tall and strong—wasn’t that exactly how a Beiman woman should be? For a moment, Fengyu was entirely at a loss on how to judge this matter, her curiosity ablaze.
"Impossible! Yanyang has fought against the Beiman for so many years. Even if a Beiman woman saved Second Brother’s life, looked stunningly beautiful like a fairy, and possessed noble virtues, Second Brother still wouldn’t fall for her!"
Just like him, the men of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion who bore the surname Xie—there was absolutely no way they’d lose their minds and fall for a Beiman woman.
Fengyu was even more at a loss!
Would it be easier for her to accept if Second Brother liked a Beiman woman? Or would she feel more at ease if Second Brother liked... a certain someone else?
"Matters of the heart are guided by emotion. Didn’t we once bear grudges against each other too?" Fengyu said with a light smile. "If everyone were so rational, the world would have no lovelorn men or heartbroken women. Even Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo weren’t born into families with deep-seated feuds, yet they still fell in love."
"And that’s why they turned into butterflies in the end!"
Fengyu: "..."
"You’re right. This won’t do..." Xie Xun moved as if to climb out of bed, but Fengyu, quick on her feet and sharp-eyed, grabbed hold of him. "What are you going to do?"
"I’m going to tell Second Brother. If his personality is such that he likes someone, it’s definitely a lifelong matter—how could he let some Beiman woman make him suffer lovesickness for a lifetime?" Xie Xun couldn’t bear to see it. He was still hoping Second Brother would marry, have children, and spend his life with a soulmate who truly understood and loved him.
"But... if you reveal the truth to him, do you think that’s appropriate?"
"What’s inappropriate about it?"
Fengyu fell silent for a moment, carefully choosing her words. "I think... if you tell Second Brother the truth and he finds out the woman he fancies is Fang Chuning, that might not be ideal. They’ve been inseparable since childhood, and if your meddling somehow misfires, and Second Brother thinks it doesn’t matter to go along with things—this... this... would you be able to accept it?"
"Absolutely impossible!" A dark expression spread over Xie Xun’s face as he finally understood what Fengyu was implying. His shout was so loud it sent the accumulated snow on the barren branches in the courtyard tumbling down in showers.
As Fengyu had expected, Xie Xun was not going to accept this.
"When the Marquis didn’t tell Second Brother that Fang Chuning also went to Beiman back then, I’m sure he had his reasons, so you’d better not overstep." Fengyu was full of curiosity. "Did he really dress up as a woman and never get suspected? Are there women in Beiman that tall? I mean, even the Beiman Princess doesn’t seem particularly tall."
Xie Xun frowned, recalling those female generals of the Beiman, his mood souring. Yet Fengyu had a knack for poking at sore spots. "With his looks, if he dressed as a woman, he would undoubtedly be stunningly beautiful."
"?" Xie Xun turned his head to glare at Fengyu with a dark expression. Was she complimenting Fang Chuning’s appearance?
Fengyu wasn’t the least bit intimidated by his jealous glare. "It’s the truth. If he dressed as a woman, he’d certainly look stunning."
Fang Chuning, despite being a general renowned across all three armies, possessed a face exuding charm and allure. His features leaned toward softer, delicate lines, and even as a young teen, he had been so impossibly attractive that it was hard to distinguish his gender. Junjun had once recounted how, during his early campaigns at age fourteen or fifteen, he had even been teased by Beiman soldiers on the battlefield, who had mistaken the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry for having nurtured an extraordinary female general. Over the following years, he resorted to wearing a mask while fighting, and as his prowess on the battlefield only grew stronger, even those Beiman generals who had once teased him dared no longer take him lightly. Among the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, none of the other generals underestimated him either—his strength forced their admiration and silenced anyone’s opinions on his appearance.
"I would also look great dressed as a woman," Xie Xun declared, almost instinctively, perhaps due to a lifetime of rivalry with Fang Chuning.
Fengyu’s eyes lit up, and she goaded him playfully, "Really? I don’t believe you!"
In an instant, Xie Xun broke into a mischievous grin, pinching her waist as he began to tickle her. Fengyu giggled as she tried to evade him, but he pinned her down on the luohan bed, making trouble while she laughed uncontrollably, her laughter delicate and lilting like flowers beyond restraint. "You little fox, trying to provoke me!"
"I was wrong, I was wrong..." Fengyu was laughing so hard she was gasping for air, raising her hands in surrender. Xie Xun, hands braced against the bed near her pillow, loomed over her with long hair cascading down into her field of vision. In the dim and hazy lamplight, his face was breathtakingly captivating. Upon first meeting Xie Xun, Fengyu had been struck by how stunning he was—it was the kind of beauty that made an impression. Back then, the young marquis in silver saddle and white horse, clad in fiery red robes, had galloped down the long street. Even three-year-old children couldn’t look away. Who wouldn’t be awestruck?
Her fingertips brushed over his brows and features as she laughed lightly. "You’re breathtaking even when not dressed as a woman."
Xie Xun chuckled, leaning down to kiss her. Their shadows overlapped, cast in the soft light against the gauzy window. Outside, wind and snow swept through, while Qiuxiang, keeping the night watch, had long since retreated into her room to stay warm.
Little Ru Yi, full of youthful energy, was always bright-eyed and alert, waking up early each day and playing quietly with her toys before dawn. Xie Xun and Xie Jue would both rise early to practice their swordsmanship, resting for an hour before breakfast. Fengyu had a habit as steady as a drum, sleeping until she naturally woke up, often missing breakfast entirely. Qiuxiang frequently had to drag her out of bed, coaxing her to drink a bowl of bird’s nest soup before letting her nap again.
This morning, breakfast consisted solely of the Xie brothers and Ru Yi.
Ru Yi wasn’t yet able to feed herself and needed someone to spoon-feed her. When Xie Jue had time, he always personally took care of her meals, never entrusting the task to others. He would eat while helping Ru Yi sip her porridge, a cup of sheep’s milk warming by his side. Xie Xun, however, frequently kept glancing in Xie Jue’s direction.
At first, Xie Jue ignored him, but finally, Xie Xun asked, "Second Brother, during your time in Beiman, did you meet a woman you admired?"
"Have you lost your mind, or have I?" Xie Jue’s tone was slightly cold.
For years, Beiman and Yanyang had fought each other in a sea of enmity. As a General of Yanyang, how deranged would he have to be to fall for a Beiman woman?
"You’ve never spoken about your time in Beiman. I’m just curious."
"I wrote a thirty-thousand-word report on the Beiman and my experience there," Xie Jue replied with a cold laugh. "You’re just like Father—didn’t read a single word."
Only their eldest brother had read it through from start to finish.
"Every little detail is documented?"
Xie Jue paused, lowering his eyes as he fed Ru Yi another spoonful of porridge. His two years in Beiman—if every detail were truly documented—it wouldn’t amount to thirty thousand words. Who would commit their private affairs to writing?
Xie Xun, watching his reaction, immediately knew Second Brother hadn’t written everything. "With all the criteria you’ve mentioned, I’ve thought it over—aside from Beiman women, there aren’t any women in Yanyang who meet your standards."
Xie Jue laughed suddenly, the sight of it briefly dazzling Xie Xun. No wonder Ayu said Second Brother could captivate people with just a smile. "What are you laughing at?"
"You..." Bemused by Xie Xun, Xie Jue’s laughter turned wicked. "Zhixu, have you ever considered this? If you stop focusing solely on women, you might realize you actually meet all the criteria yourself."
Xie Xun: "?"