novelraw Chapter 710 - 690 Think Tank
Chapter 710 - 690 Think Tank
"Anning was raised on Heavenly God Mountain from a young age, unfamiliar with the rules of life in the city. She acts recklessly, with no regard for status or hierarchy. As a Goddess, she takes whatever she wants without restraint or limits. Helian, you are different—you are not a Goddess. You are a strategist in my manor. Leaving the city with her in secret and staying out for several days, even missing such an important occasion as New Year’s Eve—you tell me, how should I punish you?"
Xie Jue knelt on the ground, kowtowing and taking full responsibility without shifting blame onto Lan Ningzhen. While the Second Prince was brash yet straightforward, he admired this quality in Xie Jue. Xie Jue had always been someone who dared to act and dared to take responsibility. This trait earned the Second Prince’s grudging appreciation. He ordered Xie Jue to kneel in the snow beneath the corridor, punishing him with an hour of kneeling.
This punishment was far harsher than being struck twenty lashes. A thin layer of ice had formed on the corridor, and kneeling on it inflicted tremendous damage to the knees and the body. After barely half an hour, Xie Jue’s limbs were already numb. The other strategists knew that Xie Jue’s punishment was also an explanation for Xiao Jinghong’s death—a cost that Xie Jue had to bear.
Du Fang felt that Xie Jue’s punishment was justified. If it hadn’t been for being taken out of the city, the one who would have died on New Year’s Eve would’ve been him.
One strategist said, "Helian being taken out of the city by Lan Ningzhen wasn’t something he could have refused. It can only be said that he was lucky to have dodged disaster. That day, anyone who entered the Imperial Court would have died; Lan Ningzhen actually saved his life."
When Lan Ningzhen returned to the manor and learned that a strategist from the Second Prince Manor had died, she realized trouble was brewing. Xie Jue would undoubtedly face punishment. She initially thought of going to the manor immediately but hesitated. If her visit resulted in the punishment being waived, how would the other strategists in the manor perceive it? One way or another, this punishment could not be avoided.
Fortunately, she had taken Xie Jue out of the city.
Otherwise, if Xie Jue had gone to the Imperial Court on New Year’s Eve, it would have been a death sentence!
Still, Lan Ningzhen couldn’t bear to watch Xie Jue suffer. She sent a box of gifts to the Second Prince Manor, officially addressed to the Princess. Knowing the Second Prince’s fondness for weapons, she even selected a jewel-encrusted dagger.
When the Second Prince heard the servants report the gifts’ arrival, Xie Jue had already been kneeling for over half an hour. The Second Prince decided to ease up, ordering Xie Jue to return and rest. Xie Jue had to be carried away—his legs were nearly frostbitten and completely numb. Any longer, and his legs might have been permanently damaged. The strategists, who lived in the same courtyard, were supportive of one another. Moreover, Xiao Jinghong’s death served as a collective warning: as strategists, they were in the same boat—united in rise and fall. Du Fang, being on particularly good terms with Xie Jue, had preemptively ordered hot water to be prepared. When Xie Jue returned, Du Fang immediately tucked him into a warm bed and used a hot towel to help thaw his legs.
Gradually, Xie Jue’s frostbitten legs regained sensation and showed no serious damage. Du Fang asked, "How is it? Can you move?"
"Much better, thank you, Brother Du."
"Helian, no need to be so polite. We should look out for one another. The Prince is still holding onto his anger. He’s been wanting to vent ever since you returned but couldn’t find you then, so naturally, he’s upset now," Du Fang said, steering the conversation toward the issue at hand. "Tell me, how do you plan to help the Prince ease this anger?"
When Xie Jue was kneeling in the snow, he had been pondering how to satisfy the Prince’s desire for retribution. The best course of action was to remain passive for now. The Beiman King demanded brotherly harmony, so the Prince had to maintain an outward appearance of brotherly harmony.
But the Second Prince’s temperament could never tolerate such forced restraint.
To help the Second Prince vent this anger, Xie Jue needed the Great Prince and Sixth Prince to provide a solid misstep—something tangible to seize upon.
After two days of recovery, Xie Jue was able to move around again. As expected, the Second Prince summoned him and questioned how to best resolve this matter. Xiao Jinghong’s death couldn’t be in vain. Xie Jue understood that the Second Prince wasn’t particularly grieving Xiao Jinghong’s life; rather, he cared about the fact that, in front of the Beiman King, he was less favored than the Great Prince.
The Great Prince, as the eldest son and a seasoned warrior, was naturally favored by the Beiman King, who deeply admired courage and valor. The Beiman King’s preference for his eldest son was unshakable. "The Great Prince is the King’s eldest son. With military achievements and the King’s trust, any attempt to turn the tables would require precision, a single strike that lands perfectly. My Prince, you recently punished your strategist, and as a result, all the other manors are behaving cautiously, afraid to act recklessly. This is precisely when you need to remain calm and focused. You cannot let anger dictate your actions. While you aim to turn the tide, they aim to eliminate you entirely. Your best move now is to await the right opportunity."
"So, in the end, I can only wait?"
"Not at all. I have a way to make them expose their own weaknesses. My Prince, please be patient." Xie Jue remained composed but resolute. "A gentleman’s revenge may take ten years."
"Very well, I’ll trust you this time!"
Xie Jue sighed in relief. His greatest fear was the Second Prince losing control in a fit of rage, disrupting all of his plans.
The familial power of the Second Prince’s wife was substantial, supported by the Lan Family and the Chanyu Family—both major clans in Beiman. However, aside from the Lan Family, other clans also had daughters married into rival princes’ households. Not all these powers were loyal to the Second Prince. Beiman, constantly at war on the front lines, relied on military supplies managed exclusively by the Beiman King, the Great Queen, and the Great Prince—resources vital to Beiman’s survival. These were untouchable. No matter how fiercely the princes fought for power, none would dare meddle with food or supplies.
Unlike Yanyang’s veiled battles of intrigue—where noble families manipulated armies, embezzled supplies, and tampered with military equipment—Beiman operated under the strict oversight of its Priest. However, the red sand mines were a key bargaining chip shared by the Second and Third Princes, thus igniting fierce competition between them and the Great Prince. They all sought the Beiman King’s throne.
Since becoming the strategist for the Second Prince Manor, Xie Jue had been maneuvering amidst Fox City’s factional infighting. Xiao Jinghong’s death presented him the perfect opening to advance his plans.
Xiao Jinghong wasn’t some common youth from Qianling Town. His father served under the Chanyu Family, and Xiao Jinghong’s death naturally incited their ire. Thus, once Xie Jue recovered from his leg injury, he began navigating the intricate dynamics within the Chanyu Family—under the guise of helping the Second Prince offer condolences—while secretly sowing discord between Xiao Jinghong’s brother and the Great Prince.
The Great Prince, reputed for his impulsive and overbearing nature, lacked effective leadership over his subordinates. Xie Jue had long heard rumors of the Great Prince’s harsh and punitive military code. During last year’s campaign, the Great Prince had publicly berated Xiao Jinghong’s elder brother, Xiao Jingtian, who already harbored resentment. Now, with Xiao Jinghong’s death seemingly tied to the Great Prince, Xiao Jingtian covertly aligned himself with the Second Prince.
The Second Prince, unaware of Xie Jue’s motives, was puzzled. Xie Jue asked indifferently, "My Prince, now that you have vented some of your anger, to what extent are you willing to act?"
"What extent do *you* think I should act?"
"What if the Great Prince were to die?" Xie Jue asked calmly. "He is your elder brother but also your competitor for the throne. Do you merely wish to vent your anger—or do you want him dead?"
Xie Jue’s chilling question left the Second Prince both startled and unsettled.
"I merely wish to see him crippled! I’ve never thought about killing him!"
Xie Jue couldn’t help but marvel at the Second Prince’s naivety. They had already reached such a treacherous point in this power struggle, and yet he only wished to see his brother disabled, not dead. In the world of kingship, there was no room for familial sentiment—let alone between brothers.
This Second Prince ought to spend some time in Yanyang to witness the brutal reality of its royal power struggles.
Patricide, filicide, fratricide—these were all commonplace!
The Xie family, on the other hand, never fought among brothers for power. They were a genuine model of fraternal loyalty. But if ambition toward kingship arose, it would inevitably lead to a life-or-death endgame.
To show mercy to one’s enemy is to be cruel to oneself.
"My Prince, if he doesn’t die, how will you ascend the throne? In the King’s eyes, there is only his brave warrior of an eldest son. When will he see you?" Xie Jue’s voice was cold and unyielding. "Between you and him, only one can survive. Don’t be naïve."