Chapter 464: Chapter 448 Beauty Trap
Fang Chuning smiled silently, but his mood was incredibly heavy. Both implicitly and explicitly, Han Ziqi implied an alliance with the Beiman. They still did not know how the Sannan Royal Family was connecting with the Beiman. If the Beiman truly attacked, Ningzhou would be paralyzed. Should Sannan rise in rebellion again, the common people would once more suffer unbearably. They had only enjoyed two years of peace and stability.
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry and Yanyang must remain united and work together to resist the enemy.
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry was already Yanyang’s strongest army, but without support for provisions and military supplies across the entire territory, it would be difficult to fight a prolonged war against the Beiman. The foundation of the Beiman hadn’t been damaged, and their resurgence was only a matter of time.
However, the court and Ningzhou Iron Cavalry could never act in unison. The current dilemma required one side, either the Yuwen Royal Family or the Xie brothers, to be destroyed. To Fang Chuning, this was not a question of choice.
And yet... Xie Xun wanted to become emperor.
A task of monumental difficulty!
The new policies being implemented in Ningzhou already threatened the fundamental interests of the clans and would spark an invisible war.
What a struggle it was!
This shattered and riddled court.
"Without overturning the old order, the new order cannot be established," Fang Chuning whispered, "Yanyang indeed needs a fierce and brave ruler like Zhixu. But, Ting Feng, you cannot persuade my father."
His father would not support Xie Zhixu’s claim to the throne for the sake of past camaraderie with the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, nor would he violate his own commitments or allow himself to act disloyally or dishonorably.
"Can we explore a third option?" Fang Chuning suddenly asked.
"I’m listening."
As dusk deepened, Xie Jue lit the oil lamp, veiling the room in a warm glow. His features appeared increasingly tranquil in the radiance of the light.
Fang Chuning hesitated before summoning his courage. "A year ago, Lin Helin came to Jiaozhou to negotiate with you, proposing that Yuwen Jing issue an edict of self-reproach and asking if you were willing to halt the war and acknowledge him. What if today, in addition to the edict, we add his very life to the bargain?"
"Abao is still so young. Would you make me Regent King?" Xie Jue raised an eyebrow, feeling a pang of bitterness. Fang Chuning’s naive hope for reconciliation was almost laughable. How many times had he tried to broach similar ideas with Marshal Fang, only to be reprimanded or even physically punished? Their father-son relationship had already been strained, and his efforts to mediate further compounded it. "Do you think Marshal Fang would agree?"
"Perhaps not an underage ruler ascending the throne," Fang Chuning exhaled deeply.
"Prince Duan, or Prince Kang?"
"No," Fang Chuning shook his head and straightened his posture. "Remember how the Marquis supported Yuwen Jing’s ascension in the past and you harbored dissatisfaction?"
"I remember!"
At that time, Xie Jue was still a young student at the Imperial College. After the failure of the new policies, the late Emperor was burned alive in the palace, and the Crown Prince’s lineage was wiped out. The Marquis had no choice but to support Emperor Jianming’s family. Back then, Emperor Jianming was not the Marquis’s only choice. The sprawling Yuwen Family made the question of who would claim the throne the hottest topic in the Capital City.
As the highest institution of learning, the Imperial College was filled with sons of the Capital’s elite and select scholars from all across the realm. Naturally, discussions couldn’t avoid political matters, and Fang Chuning had little interest in the topic. Yet someone once approached Xie Jue and asked, "Who does your father intend to support for the throne?"
At the time, most of the debate in the Imperial College revolved around the Marquis selecting someone from the royal lineage in the Capital, with King Qi being the top candidate. King Qi was young then, and the Marquis could easily act as Regent King. With the cabinet led by the Marquis’s father-in-law, whoever ascended would be a puppet ruler. King Qi was the most popular choice at that time.
Fang Chuning wasn’t interested in these discussions, but they inevitably affected him. He privately discussed the matter with Xie Jue, and Xie Jue also favored King Qi. The Marquis could directly be Regent King without choosing a fully grown emperor.
But King Qi excelled at indulgence in all vices—food, drink, and pleasure—and was renowned as a wastrel in the Capital’s social circles. The Marquis deemed him unfit for great responsibilities. Emperor Jianming, having governed Ningzhou as a regional ruler for years, had a record of outstanding governance, which convinced the Marquis that he would make a good emperor.
"My father was both loyal and naive. After my grandfather and uncles died in battle, his sole focus was defeating the Beiman. He couldn’t perceive the political turmoil in the Capital, shielded by my maternal grandfather and mother from all overt and covert hazards. Back then, Emperor Jianming’s demeanor in Ningzhou was mild, kind-hearted, and capable in governance. My father foolishly believed that defeating the Beiman would allow for a peaceful transfer of military authority. While Emperor Jianming might harbor distrust toward the Marquis Mansion, so long as he remained loyal, nothing would happen to the Mansion. For five generations, the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had been loyal to the throne and protected the borders. He cared deeply about accusations from the clans that he overshadowed the ruler and undermined royal authority. A fully grown, kind-hearted Emperor Jianming seemed far more suitable as a sage monarch than the useless King Qi. I was young back then, often listening to my maternal grandfather and Grandmaster Zhang discuss state matters. One could easily sense the precarious position of the Mansion. Thus, I didn’t share my father’s naivety. I didn’t agree with his choice in Emperor Jianming. A spineless wastrel is far easier to control—weak and timid, and no threat to our family. If the Mansion were loyal, it should have chosen a puppet ruler. Selecting a sage monarch... Ha! What sage monarch would willingly remain under the thumb of powerful ministers? The inevitable outcome was rivers of blood. Unfortunately, I was just a child back then, with no voice in the matter. Even as an adult, advice given wouldn’t have swayed my father. He would’ve still chosen Emperor Jianming. He genuinely believed Emperor Jianming was a sage monarch who could bring comfort to Yanyang’s people. Deep down, he despised the idleness of the wastrels in the Capital. He knew a sage monarch wouldn’t tolerate the Marquis Mansion, yet he persisted because this was his unwavering principle as a subject and his devotion to Yanyang’s people. He selected the most capable and suitable ruler."
Fang Chuning said, "In truth, the Marquis was correct—Emperor Jianming was a sage monarch. During his eleven-year reign, he followed the Cabinet’s advice in all matters: revitalized imperial examinations, emphasized agriculture and sericulture, avoided extravagance, and refrained from needless violence. Though he sought to balance power between the clans and the Mansion, he never committed grave mistakes. When the Marquis returned triumphant, he genuinely sought to relinquish his military authority and genuinely intended to maintain friendly relations with the Mansion and have it defend Ningzhou."
"I know!" Xie Jue closed his eyes in agony. "He was indeed a good emperor. Ningzhou received continuous support for ten years—grain, soldiers, everything—and he couldn’t change the entrenchment of the clans and the Mansion. Not because he lacked ability, but because Yanyang’s decades-old power structure made it impossible. He feared ending up like the late Emperor, burned alive in the palace. At first, I suspected the wrong person—during the peace talks, the entire conspiracy was his doing. My negligence didn’t consider Yuwen Jing or realize Yuwen Jing would stoop to killing his own father. Clearly, he must have discussed his plans with Emperor Jianming, and when the emperor refused, he became an obstacle to Yuwen Jing and was killed."
Fang Chuning had clearly understood Xie Jue’s meaning.
But Xie Jue still explicitly told him, "My father did not choose the wrong emperor, but he never anticipated the Crown Prince would be someone like Yuwen Jing. Anning, I cannot entrust Zhixu and Ruyi’s lives to an uncertain future. Zhixu must claim the throne and wield great power, or I cannot rest easy. I do not trust the Yuwen Royal Family."
"Understood," Fang Chuning sighed. "It seems there is no one in this world you truly trust anymore."
"There is!"
"Who?"
Xie Jue did not answer but countered, "If your suggestion isn’t Prince Duan or Prince Kang, then who is it?"
"If you do not trust them, there is no need to bring it up."
"I know your nature; you wouldn’t raise this matter without reason."
Fang Chuning knew he couldn’t hide it. "The eldest grandson of Emperor Wen Hui, who vanished during the earlier palace upheaval, has been found by my father."
"Vanished? No, it was the Grand Princess who risked her life to rescue him."
"How do you know this?"
"I guessed." Xie Jue chuckled. "The Grand Princess was raised by the late Empress and had a sibling bond with the Crown Prince. Her saving him comes as no surprise. What led to his disappearance afterward?"
"The old staff of the Crown Prince Mansion had been misled. They deemed him unsafe in the Capital and devised a plan to take him away. Removing him was one thing, but they failed to properly care for him afterward," Fang Chuning frowned. "Anyway... he’s been found now."
"Without a foundation, how will he win approval? Yuwen Jing’s influence is deeply entrenched—don’t involve him in this."
"I don’t want to!" Fang Chuning replied helplessly. "What’s so desirable about becoming emperor? The Imperial City is nothing but a gilded cage. My father merely wishes to resolve grievances, repair relations between the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry and the court, and sent me to negotiate. It’s all his wishful thinking, not mine."
"What about your perspective?"
"Me?" Fang Chuning lowered his gaze, his voice fraught with grievance. "I wish time could turn back—that none of this ever happened, and we could guard Jiangnan together, travel its mountains and rivers. I know that’s impossible in this lifetime. So now, I have no grand plans—just to fulfill my duty, whether defending the city or anything else."
"I don’t believe you." Xie Jue chuckled and leaned across the chessboard, raising Fang Chuning’s chin with a single hand. "Anning, tell me—what is it that you really think?"
The night enveloped them, the oil lamp flickering, and Xie Jue’s features softened in the warm light with an uncharacteristic hint of the serene breezes of spring. His slender, defined fingers hovered nearby, carrying the faint scent of pine.
That restrained firmness and calculated reserve churned like molten lava disrupted by an agitated tide, rendering the dim light of the night pale and insignificant, each heartbeat heavy and viscous.
"Ting Feng..." Fang Chuning’s voice was husky. "Is this a beauty trap?"