Chapter 475: Chapter 459: Beacon Fire
"No way!" Xie Jue replied truthfully. If it hadn’t been for Fang Chuning, he would have snatched the Jade Seal himself.
"You won’t even bother to lie to me," Xie Xun roared, kicking a stool away in fury, his anger boiling over. Xie Jue, knowing he was upset, spoke calmly, "If it weren’t for me, Fang Chuning wouldn’t be taking the blame for Han Ziqi’s murder. Zhixu, consider it repaying him a favor."
"Do you believe those words yourself?"
"Do you want me to tell you the truth?"
"I’m going to practice my swordsmanship!"
Xie Jue knew Xie Xun would be angry, and, in truth, he had no excuse. On the territory of the Twelve States, Fang Chuning had taken Xiaoqi and the Jade Seal and left, which truly shouldn’t have happened. The Grand Marshal sending anyone else would have failed, except Fang Chuning. If Xie Jue hadn’t known about the Jade Seal, it would’ve been fine, but knowing and still letting Fang Chuning leave? No wonder Xie Xun was furious.
If he were the elder brother and not the younger one!
Xie Xun would have fought Fang Chuning for the Jade Seal, with no regard for decorum.
Had it not been for Fang Chuning, even if Xiaoqi refused to hand over the Jade Seal, it would have been left to rot in some hidden corner, never seeing light again. Under no circumstance would it have fallen into Yuwen Jing’s hands.
With the Jade Seal, Zhixu would have legitimacy in his campaign, rallying the world under a claim of rightful authority. He could even falsify divinations to assert that the Yuwen Family was no longer Heaven’s chosen. The disarray in public sentiment would inevitably stir the winds of chaos. Xie Jue had plenty of reasons to seize the Jade Seal.
He had not a single reason to let Xiaoqi go.
But he understood Fang Chuning. It wasn’t until Xiaoqi’s identity was revealed that Xie Jue realized that Fang Chuning’s true goal in West State was Xiaoqi and the Jade Seal, not Han Ziqi. The Grand Marshal must have issued a strict order for Fang Chuning to bring both Xiaoqi and the Jade Seal back. Given his personality, if Zhixu tried to seize them, Fang Chuning would intervene, and this wouldn’t be like their courtyard brawl where restraint was shown. In that moment, it would truly be a battlefield, life and death determined by fate. If one day Xie Xun leads troops to attack Zhongzhou, with Fang Chuning defending the city, two armies clashing, Fang Chuning wouldn’t interfere with a single one of Xie Xun’s orders—he would aid him in capturing Zhongzhou quickly with minimal loss.
But for a piece of jade to fight to the death? Xie Jue found it unworthy.
That Jade Seal was important!
But not that important.
With the Jade Seal, the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry wouldn’t suddenly become invincible and sharp; without it, they wouldn’t crumble, either. The morale of the soldiers didn’t hinge on some lifeless object.
Of course, the deepest reason was that his bond with Fang Chuning outweighed the importance of that Jade Seal.
Fengyu shared the same perspective as Xie Jue. It wasn’t worthwhile to wage a life-and-death struggle in West State over one Jade Seal. If Fang Chuning resolved to protect the Seal to the bitter end, he’d be either dead or gravely injured, which would bring them no benefit.
She, too, shared a faint regret, wishing Fang Chuning hadn’t come for the Jade Seal. The Grand Marshal likely foresaw this outcome, which was why Fang Chuning had been sent.
Had it not been a pressing matter, how could Zhongzhou’s chief commander leave his own post?
Even Ruyi sensed his uncle’s anger, looking at him with big, round, clear, and innocent eyes. No matter how furious Xie Xun was, a smile from Ruyi made him feel happy. Originally planning to give his Second Brother the cold shoulder, by dinnertime, his temper had already dissipated. He even gave himself an excuse, knowing his Second Brother’s eye injury hadn’t yet healed, and he couldn’t push him into further distress.
"I’ve decided not to be mad at you anymore," Xie Xun announced.
Xie Jue watched him feast heartily, his face expressionless. "..."
Fengyu laughed softly. She knew Xie Xun couldn’t hold his anger for long and would find a way to let it go. After declaring his forgiveness, Xie Xun couldn’t resist asking Fengyu, "When you were wandering with him back then, Xiaoqi was still small—did he never reveal a single detail about his identity?"
"Truly no, Xiaoqi was exceptionally cautious as a child, never breathing a word of his identity. I was too young then to notice anything about his noble standing." At the time of their encounter, both of them were in dire straits, resembling street urchins.
Xie Xun said, "He has quite the endurance. Even after being reunited, he told you nothing. And then he wanted to join the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry? As a legitimate descendant of the Yuwen Family, does he have no desire for the throne at all?"
"Xiaoqi avoids the Capital City like the plague. He probably just wants a quiet life. His identity being exposed does him no good. With Yuwen Jing now sitting on the throne, Xiaoqi’s exposure would leave Yuwen Jing unable to tolerate him." Fengyu was more curious about one thing. "The Grand Marshal is so loyal—if he gets his hands on the Jade Seal, will he keep it secret or return it to the royal family?"
"What you should be wondering is whether Fang Chuning will even give it to him," Xie Jue responded coolly.
"Could he dare disobey orders?"
Xie Xun snorted coldly. "It wouldn’t be the first time. He’s defied military orders before in the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry."
The snowstorm lessened, though the ice atop the moat remained thick. Once Xie Xun had mostly healed, he began preparing to return to Ningzhou. Xie Jue and Ruyi were set to accompany him on the journey. These rare reunions were precious; each meeting held particular significance, and Fengyu couldn’t help but feel an aching reluctance as she began packing for them.
But calamity strikes in an instant.
During a nighttime patrol, Xie Xun saw Zhang Meng galloping toward him on horseback, shouting urgently, "Prince! Prince! Something’s gone terribly wrong—wolf smoke is rising in the northwest!"
To Xie Xun’s ears, the words hit like a thunderclap overhead. He swiftly ran to the city gates, where all the soldiers were already staring into the distance. In the northwest direction, wolf smoke billowed heavily, its glaring flames undeterred by the dark night or the falling snow.
Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin had discovered, while repairing roads along Liangma Road, that its terrain was flat and open, stretching endlessly without any natural cover. They suggested Xie Xun build signal towers. The Twelve Cities of Ningzhou hadn’t originally been equipped with signal towers, and military forces weren’t stationed deep in the heartland of the Twelve States. Considering the layout of the Twelve States as a whole, Xie Xun approved Lin Xiao’s proposal for constructing the towers.
Lin Xiao, Zhang Boxin, and Zhou Liyu completed the signal towers while working on the roads—altogether, 1,500 towers stretching from Ningzhou to Jinzhou. Since their construction, no wolf smoke had ever risen within the Twelve States’ borders. The civilians remained blissfully unaware, but the castle guards were already drenched in cold sweat.
The Beiman Army had launched their assault on Ningzhou!