Chapter 405: Chapter 392: Living Off a Woman
Xie Xun’s longsword thrust forward, piercing through the wind and snow, aiming straight for Xiaoqi’s face. Xiaoqi sidestepped nimbly, his movements agile and quick. Xie Xun’s gaze turned slightly cold as the two exchanged blows amidst the storm. He purposely tested Xiaoqi’s skills, and as he had expected, the boy was extremely lively and quick, yet lacked formal swordsmanship. His style was unconventional—shrewd and unpredictable, more like a set of scrappy techniques honed from evading people in the streets.
Sheathing his sword, Xie Xun frowned at him. Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow provocatively and asked, "Prince, you’re not fighting anymore?"
"If it were a real fight, you wouldn’t last ten moves under my blade. Starting today, you will follow me. Fengyu no longer needs you to serve her. If you’re unwilling, then leave the State Mansion. No one will stop you." Xie Xun was not in the mood for pleasantries with Xiaoqi. After speaking, he strode out of the courtyard. Xiaoqi squinted, letting out a cold chuckle before following after him. Fine, he thought, he’d serve him personally. Who was afraid of whom?
Xie Xun’s routine in the State Mansion was fairly straightforward. Administrative duties were handled by Xie Jue and Fengyu. After breakfast, he would head off to study with his staff members. Following him closely were Nuanyang and Feiying, both of whom had been specifically instructed by Xie Xun to keep an eye on Xiaoqi, never leaving his side. Xiaoqi didn’t seem to mind, calling them "brother" with a syrupy sweetness as if his mouth were coated with honey. Since he was of similar age to Nuanyang and they shared certain hobbies, their conversations went quite smoothly.
Xie Xun didn’t interfere in their interactions. When Nuanyang had free time, he would spar with Xiaoqi—partly to test him further, partly to build camaraderie. The real motive, however, was to extract information and uncover Xiaoqi’s true background.
Xiaoqi was lively and exceedingly sweet-talking to everyone, except that he thoroughly enjoyed provoking Xie Xun.
For instance, when the staff were giving lectures, Xiaoqi would quip, "Prince, you’re so grown-up and still attending lessons. Didn’t you study properly as a child?"
When Xie Xun finished his morning lessons and practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard,
Xiaoqi would remark, "Prince, Elder Sister is so busy. She has to manage all the household provisions and take people out of the city to check if the commoners are starving or freezing. And yet here you are, studying and practicing your sword. Truly a leisurely life."
Once, when General Xu Zhou came by to discuss military payroll, Xiaoqi folded his arms and mockingly said, "I heard the soldiers’ salaries rely entirely on Elder Sister’s money. Prince, are you a live-in son-in-law? Eating so much—aren’t you ashamed?"
Xie Xun curved his lips into a sly smile, a trace of mischief in his expression. "I rely on my own abilities to live off others. Jealous?"
Xiaoqi scoffed, "The Prince is truly impressive—a role model for us all."
Nuanyang, sweating in the bitter winter cold, feared that Xie Xun would lose his temper and kill Xiaoqi on the spot. Hastily, he dragged Xiaoqi away while the latter glanced back and taunted, "So why does the live-in son-in-law think he can pick on his brother-in-law?"
Nuanyang hurriedly covered his mouth. "Why do you keep provoking the master? Are you out of your mind?"
"Because I enjoy it!" Xiaoqi replied, looking thoroughly fearless. "I don’t depend on him for food or money. Why should I fear him?"
"If the master really does drive you out, the young lady might not necessarily side with you."
"Is that so?" Xiaoqi let out a soft laugh, his smile somewhat innocent and endearing under the swirling snow. He then cheerfully called out past Nuanyang, "Sister..."
Fengyu, dressed in a thick fox fur coat—a white pelt with red pomegranate blossoms embroidered onto the satin—stood out like a vibrant flower blooming amidst the snowy landscape. She smiled as she saw Xiaoqi run toward her. Tears seemed to well up at the corners of her eyes as she pretended to complain, "Sister, Nuanyang said that the Prince wants to drive me away, and that even you won’t be able to stop him. Will you really abandon me?"
Nuanyang, "??"
A huge blame was suddenly cast upon him, leaving Nuanyang stunned. Flustered and furious, he pointed at Xiaoqi and stammered, "You... you’re spouting nonsense! I didn’t say anything like that, and the master isn’t driving you away. Young lady, don’t listen to his rubbish... He’s the one causing trouble and playing the victim!"
Xiaoqi made no effort to hide his disdain for Xie Xun, which Fengyu appeared to have already anticipated. "Nuanyang, Xiaoqi is just being impish. Don’t take it to heart."
Nuanyang wasn’t truly angry with Xiaoqi—he was just upset on Xie Xun’s behalf. Feiying, on the other hand, was ready to beat Xiaoqi up.
Xie Xun, however, had grown much more composed, his emotions no longer betraying him. No matter how much Xiaoqi mocked him with veiled barbs, Xie Xun never showed a hint of anger.
"Young lady, you’re too kind. I’m not holding a grudge, but Xiaoqi constantly provokes the master without knowing his place. Please guide him properly," Nuanyang said in defense of Xie Xun.
Xiaoqi was annoyed. "He specifically wanted me to stay by his side. Isn’t this his own fault?"
"Xiaoqi!" Fengyu frowned. "No more nonsense."
"Sister..." In the face of Fengyu, Xiaoqi immediately softened, wearing an innocent expression. "He started it."
Fengyu was exasperated but couldn’t think of a proper solution.
Like needle against awl, the two clashed, both finding the other insufferable to behold.
Fengyu had initially wanted to check on Xie Xun. Ever since he’d taken Xiaoqi with him, he had stopped coming to see her. For reasons she couldn’t discern, it didn’t seem as though he was angry, yet she couldn’t make sense of his thoughts. Helpless, she chose to seek him out instead.
She had just returned from the clinic. The epidemic had been largely brought under control, and aside from a shortage of food, Jiaozhou City remained relatively calm. No new information had come from either the Capital City or Jiangnan. The uneasy calm before a famine loomed, heavy and oppressive. Though the epidemic had subsided, over three thousand refugees from Zhongzhou had gathered outside the gates of the city. Due to the harsh weather, a child had frozen to death outside the previous night. Xie Jue was pondering countermeasures.
Jiaozhou had already allocated most of its winter supplies to the refugees outside the city, yet it was insufficient to keep the cold at bay. Allowing them into the city was not an option. The last time refugees had been admitted, it was only after they had undergone a quarantine period outside the city to reduce the risk of contagion. As of now, Jiaozhou City had only a dozen patients left in the infirmary. Xie Jue’s policy required refugees to spend at least five days outside before gradually being admitted into the city. After the lessons learned from Yangzhou, no local government dared gamble with the lives of the entire city’s population.
Though the policy seemed ruthless, it had not sparked any unrest. Firstly, the people inside the city feared the spread of disease. Secondly, the scale of refugees outside Jiaozhou was incomparable to the crisis Yangzhou had faced.
The epidemic was now a secondary concern. The surge of refugees had further depleted Jiaozhou’s already scarce grain stores. Food supplies in the city were nearly exhausted, and Xie Jue planned to tap into military rations as a last resort.
Xie Xun understood this was a desperate measure. The military had already reduced itself from two meals a day to one. Everyone would have to endure hunger throughout the winter. The army’s provisions were Xie Jue’s final reserve.
Fengyu had already procured all the grain she could from Jinzhou and the West Continent.
Just when Jiaozhou seemed to have reached the end of its rope, something unexpected happened—five ships laden with grain arrived from Jiangnan, explicitly designated for Xie Xun.