Chapter 356: Chapter 346: Truth
Fang Chuning changed into clean clothes but couldn’t sleep well. Xie Jue seemed to have no intention of talking to him either, sitting by the window reading a book. Fang Chuning felt vexed but couldn’t vent his frustration—is this him ignoring me now? Fang Chuning scratched his head in irritation. He’s still angry, and Ting Feng is just going to ignore me? Or perhaps Fang Chuning’s restless tossing and turning had become too obvious.
Xie Jue asked, "Want some water?"
"Yes!" Fang Chuning’s throat was sore and hoarse as he knocked on the bed frame. Xie Jue had already prepared warm water in advance. Fang Chuning used the dim light to look at Xie Jue and noticed his expression didn’t seem great either. Was it just a hallucination, or was it real? He felt that Ting Feng’s gaze toward him carried a hint of gloom.
Fang Chuning, "..."
After drinking some water, Xie Jue went back to reading his book. Fang Chuning frowned, perplexed. Why? How could this be? Sharing a room and there’s nothing to talk about?
The rain was pouring outside. Xie Xun’s swift march would surely be hindered, and his arrival in Zhongzhou would likely be delayed by a day. Once Xie Xun arrived, Fang Chuning would have to leave. Who knew when they’d meet again?
"Lin Helin went to Jiaozhou to see Xie Xun. What do you think they talked about?" Fang Chuning asked.
"Your throat is uncomfortable. Don’t talk—just sleep." Xie Jue heard his raspy voice and felt uneasy in his heart.
Fang Chuning, with his rebellious streak, said, "I can’t sleep. So let’s talk."
"I don’t know."
"You’re lying to me again." Fang Chuning’s anger surged. "Xie Tingfeng, why do you always lie to me? If you truly didn’t know, why did you come to Zhongzhou? Supplies aren’t that crucial to require your personal presence, and I’m not that important for you to risk your life alone."
Xie Jue hesitated. They really knew each other too well.
And yet, in certain aspects, they seemed to know each other not well enough.
"Grandmaster Zhang came to Ningzhou and proposed that Xie Xun and I be enfeoffed as kings under a different surname, stationed in Ningzhou for life, never permitted to return to Capital City. Yuwen Jing issued a self-reproach edict, admitting to the crimes committed against the Marquis Mansion. The court wants us to reconcile with the royal family," Xie Jue said. "I didn’t agree. Grandmaster Zhang tried to negotiate several times but was refused. Helpless, he returned to Capital City, and then my cousin went to Jiaozhou to meet Xie Xun. Jiaozhou, being a crucial territory contested by the court and the Twelve States, tipped the scales in their favor in negotiations." Xie Jue concealed matters regarding his lineage.
This topic was too sensitive, potentially connected to the Grand Marshal, and had yet to be verified. Telling Fang Chuning would only worsen his relationship with the Grand Marshal. Xie Jue didn’t want Fang Chuning to lose his composure over something unfounded.
"..." Fang Chuning frowned. Even if Zhongzhou and Jiangnan sent their entire forces out, they might not match the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. But the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry didn’t want to fight either—they lacked the resources for war. Winter was fast approaching; who’d want to start an internal conflict now? The Cabinet, these civil officials, could only take their time, aiming to dissolve hatred and feuds with time.
But they all overlooked one issue.
Beiman!
If Beiman invaded, then what?
With Xie Jue and Xie Xun stationed in Ningzhou, every decision they made had to consider Beiman. A significant portion of the troops would always be tied down on the frontlines of Ningzhou. If Beiman pushed them to the edge...
Besieged on all sides, Fang Chuning dared not envision how disastrous the war could become.
Yuwen Jing had single-handedly brought ruin to Yanyang Kingdom’s fate. How unfortunate to have such a monarch.
"No, that’s not right!" Fang Chuning frowned again. "Lin Helin wouldn’t risk entering Jiaozhou recklessly unless he had a significant bargaining chip. If he dared meet Xie Xun, he must hold something crucial in his hands."
Xie Jue chuckled lightly. Indeed, Fang Chuning had always been clever. When he was in the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, he was inconspicuous because of his elder brother. They all kept a low profile, sticking to their roles as responsible generals. But having grown up in the Imperial Palace and noble clans, Fang Chuning had developed a keen perceptiveness—it was impossible to hide things from him.
"This matter... remains uncertain," Xie Jue said.
"Will you meet Lin Helin?"
"No!" Xie Jue said firmly. "There’s nothing to discuss. What needs saying, Zhixu should’ve already mentioned to him."
Fang Chuning felt a growing unease deep in his chest.
Would everything erupt in chaos just to push Lin Helin out of the Twelve States? Fang Chuning thought of Xie Jue’s reckless tendencies, how he always gambled with his life completely indifferent to his own safety, and his heart became heavy.
"You should get some sleep!" Xie Jue said. "If you’re ill, don’t worry too much."
"Who wants to worry? If you didn’t deliberately keep things from me, would I need to overthink?" Fang Chuning’s already-aching throat grew worse as his frustration caused his voice to crack. "When will you tell me at least one heartfelt truth?"
"I’d dare say it," hinted Xie Jue ambiguously. "But would you dare listen?"
"Go ahead, give it a try. Is there anything I wouldn’t dare listen to?"
Xie Jue gazed out the window at the torrential rain and said quietly, "I hate the Yuwen Family—every single one of them. After leaving Capital City, I once thought of opening Ningzhou’s North City gates, dragging everyone down with me in death."
Fang Chuning felt like a deep, jagged hole had split open in his chest, bitter sorrow flooding through.
He, too, was a member of the Yuwen Family!
Fang Chuning’s eyes reddened, his voice soft as he spoke. "That’s not your true feelings. You wouldn’t let the Beiman cross Ningzhou’s frontline."
"Anning!" Xie Jue glanced at him through the screen divider, a faint smile on his face. "I’m not as compassionate as you, nor am I less cruel and cunning than you imagine."
Xie Jue thought bitterly to himself: if you truly believed I wouldn’t let the Beiman cross Ningzhou’s frontline, then why, on the night you left Capital City, did you say only one thing to me?
Don’t let the Beiman cross Ningzhou’s frontline!