Chapter 442: Chapter 426: The Situation of the Battle
The body-swapping incident between him and Fengyu was extremely subtle—a little secret between them. Although he shared everything with Xie Jue, this was the one matter he didn’t want to tell anyone.
Xie Jue understood immediately that it was a secret. "Don’t trouble yourself over it."
"Second Brother, I’ll tell you about this later."
"Alright!"
Xie Jue didn’t press him further. Xie Xun breathed a sigh of relief. Ruyi, unable to sit still in Xie Xun’s arms, struggled to get down and ran off to play in the snow again.
In the front hall, the New Year’s Eve feast was already prepared and set.
The table showcased a sumptuous spread of chicken, duck, fish, seafood—everything one could wish for. Since they were residents of the Capital City, the dishes primarily featured local cuisine: refined, refreshing, and artfully prepared. Only a few plates carried flavors of the West State. Each member of the household had very different tastes: Xie Jue preferred lighter foods, Xie Xun enjoyed meat, Fengyu loved vegetarian dishes, while Xiaoqi craved sweets. Thus, the family feast consisted of nearly twelve dishes.
Due to the cold weather, the centerpiece of the table was a steaming hot lamb and scorpion bone stew.
Outside, other tables had been arranged for Nuanyang, Feiying, and the others. The manor was alive with bustling cheer and festive spirit. Wearing red attire and a tiger hat, Ruyi clutched a rib and gnawed on it contentedly, her face and hands glistening with oil. Xie Jue, slightly disgusted, held a handkerchief to wipe her mouth each time she took a bite. Xie Xun couldn’t stand it any longer. "Second Brother, why don’t you let her finish first and then wipe all at once?"
Xie Jue ended up using eleven handkerchiefs just to clean Ruyi’s mouth.
Ruyi nodded frequently in satisfaction.
Fengyu placed a piece of sweet-and-sour rib on Xiaoqi’s plate. He returned a smile to her, while Xie Xun produced two red envelopes—one for Ruyi, and one for Xiaoqi.
Surprised, Xiaoqi asked, "I get one too?"
"Anyone under eighteen gets one!"
This was Xie Xun’s first time spending the New Year with Xiaoqi. The previous year, Xie Xun had been in Salt City for business and missed the holiday altogether. He had worked tirelessly until the Lantern Festival before returning directly to Ningzhou, never setting foot in the West State.
Fengyu hadn’t anticipated such a tradition and thus forgot all about the red envelopes. She certainly didn’t expect Xie Xun to have prepared one for Xiaoqi, given his longstanding dislike for him.
Xiaoqi didn’t like Xie Xun either.
The air between them was perpetually charged, but Fengyu didn’t force harmony. Relationships between people rarely came down to instant rapport or shared interests—they were simply built through genuine exchanges and time.
Given enough time, feelings would inevitably grow. This marked a promising beginning.
With his head lowered, Xiaoqi stared at the red envelope, lost in thought. Suddenly, he said, "I’ve never received a red envelope before."
"No one gave you one as a child?"
"No," Xiaoqi replied, keeping his gaze down, hiding his expression.
Fengyu felt a pang of sympathy and smiled softly. "In the future, your elder sister will prepare one for you every year."
"Alright!" Xiaoqi looked up and smiled. "Sister, don’t forget."
"Of course!" Fengyu spoke with some regret for not having prepared one for Xiaoqi last year. It hadn’t been intentional. "Back home, I was always the one receiving red envelopes—I never gave them out, so I overlooked this. I’ll make sure to remember from now on."
Xie Jue glanced at Xiaoqi imperceptibly. This kid was shrewd—his possessiveness toward Fengyu was undeniable. Even though he often clashed with Xie Xun, his intentions were never malicious. Xie Jue, who regarded Fengyu as family, reluctantly accepted Xiaoqi and seldom interacted with him. Xiaoqi generally avoided him, except during mealtimes when they crossed paths.
As long as Xiaoqi harbored no ill will toward Fengyu or Xie Xun, Xie Jue wouldn’t interfere.
"I’m under eighteen too—so why don’t I get one?" Fengyu teased Xie Xun casually.
Xie Xun replied with nerve, "The money I use comes from you. I’m not about to borrow flowers to offer to Buddha."
Fengyu: "..."
After finishing the rib, Ruyi ran to the courtyard where someone was setting off fireworks and firecrackers, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Xiaoqi noticed immediately. "Come, I’ll take you to watch!"
Xie Xun clicked his tongue. "You’re mixing up the generation gap."
"None of your business!" Xiaoqi replied coolly, stuffing the red envelope into his pocket before leading Ruyi out to play.
After Xiaoqi took Ruyi outside, Xie Jue asked, "Is Xiaoqi going to military training?"
Xie Xun nodded. "The West State isn’t short on people—it wouldn’t make sense to let him idle away his days in the manor. He’s old enough not to cling to Ayu all the time. After the New Year, Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, and Zhou Liyu will be re-assigned, leaving some spots open, which will give Xiaoqi a chance to train."
"You’re having him work on road construction?" Fengyu asked in surprise. Xie Xun had mentioned taking Xiaoqi away, but he hadn’t disclosed the specifics. She hadn’t anticipated road work.
"Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin were pampered in the Capital City, living in luxury and untouched by manual labor—more delicate than him. Military generals and civilian officials are different; without hard-earned achievements, it’s tough to stand firmly in the military ranks. Lin Xiao and the others have spent almost three years on construction. If Xiaoqi wants to go far, he needs to endure hardship." Xie Xun wasn’t setting out to make things difficult; he viewed this as a necessary form of training.
Currently, there were no surplus positions in the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry for Xiaoqi. As Fengyu’s younger brother, he needed to be handled cautiously. Assigning him to replace Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin was the most appropriate choice.
"Have you discussed this with him?" Fengyu asked.
"I have. He’s still considering it," Xie Xun replied. "The twelve-state main road and the Liangma Road have been completed. Zhang Boxin and Zhou Liyu are surveying the primary roads north of the twelve states and have already mapped two inter-county routes. Construction will begin when spring arrives. Currently, our forces are scattered across cities in the twelve states. By the north, we’ll build three new routes leading directly to Ningzhou to facilitate troop movements."
"Hold on..." Xie Jue, slightly stunned, said, "You plan to rotate troops across the counties of the twelve states?"
"Yes!"
Xie Jue, deep in thought, asked gravely, "Why?"
"Ningzhou currently has only twenty thousand stationed troops who undergo intensive training year-round. However, local troops in the counties don’t necessarily train at that level. The Beiman remains our greatest adversary. Although the peace agreement is in place, there’s no telling how long it will last. I aim to ensure that every unit of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry maintains wartime readiness through consistent training. Rotation ensures cohesion in overall combat ability."
"I see!"
The twelve-state ring-shaped official road primarily served commercial purposes rather than military needs. While the main northern troops were stationed near the border, troop rotation would necessitate building specialized roads to minimize travel time for soldiers.
Still, troop rotation had its downsides.
The deployment of forces couldn’t merely be for training, Xie Jue realized. With a faint smile, Xie Xun added, "Second Brother, once the rotation begins, I also plan to conduct joint military exercises with Zhongzhou."
"I had a feeling!" Xie Jue remarked. "Fang Chuning knows you well; it’s best to limit interactions."
"I know him well too!" Xie Xun replied flatly. "Second Brother, I need to try."
"Do as you wish!"
Two years ago, Fang Chuning had been ostracized in Zhongzhou’s official circles, struggling at every turn. Even the most crucial military reports were withheld from him. But now, Fang Chuning had overthrown General Chen Ming.
In just two years, Fang Chuning had taken over the Chen Family and gained command of Zhongzhou.
With Jiangnan and Zhongzhou now fully connected, they had become a formidable barrier against the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s advance toward the Capital City. Moreover, Fang Chuning had an intimate understanding of the cavalry’s tactics.
Intelligence reports indicated that Fang Chuning’s current formations were highly effective against the cavalry’s strategies. Combined with the terrain and city defenses, Zhongzhou’s chances of defeating the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry had risen substantially.
When Lin Helin initially placed Fang Chuning in Zhongzhou, he had foreseen this exact scenario.