novelraw Chapter 720 - 700: Underachiever
Chapter 720 - 700: Underachiever
General Lan suffered severe leg injuries on the battlefield. Now, with the biting cold, his old condition has flared up again, causing him to walk with a limp. A few years ago, he was a spirited and formidable man, but now his vitality has faded, leaving him visibly aged. Although he is younger than the Beiman King, he appears older than him.
The Beiman King holds warriors in high esteem. Those who earned merit on the battlefield, despite being unable to fight due to injuries, are treated with great respect in Fox City. Before General Lan could kneel in salute, the Beiman King instructed him to rise, expressing concern for his leg injury and bestowing him with medicine. His words were full of care and kindness. General Lan, maintaining proper decorum, knelt to offer his thanks and then led Lan Ningzhen to the seats behind the Second Prince’s banquet.
Lan Ningzhen deliberately winked at Xie Jue, as if afraid others wouldn’t notice the connection between them, infuriating Dugu Jing. He gritted his teeth, unable to comprehend why someone as worthless as Xie Jue could win Lan Ningzhen’s affection.
At the banquet, Xie Jue sought to remain inconspicuous. He paid no attention to Lan Ningzhen’s antics despite being fully aware that no amount of low-key behavior could prevent the Beiman King from targeting him eventually. It was only a matter of time. Xie Jue pondered how the Beiman King might make his move. He had only seen the Beiman King from a distance on the battlefield and hadn’t entered the Imperial Court after arriving in Fox City. Instead, Xie Jue relied on various sources of information to deduce the Beiman King’s character, though judgment based on actions can sometimes be biased. The Second Prince was different; before visiting the Prince Manor, rumors painted him as unruly, arrogant, and unapproachable. Yet, upon witnessing him firsthand, Xie Jue realized the truth diverged from the hearsay.
The rumors were accurate—to a degree—but they failed to capture the entirety of his nature, which wasn’t as cold-blooded and heartless as described.
In terms of governance, Xie Jue thought, if he were the Beiman King, he wouldn’t choose the Second Prince as his heir unless granted an extraordinarily competent Prime Minister who was also loyal. Otherwise, the outcome would be catastrophic.
Lan Ningzhen, however, purposefully approached Xie Jue’s seats. The two children of the Second Prince’s family teased her, knowing their aunt favored Xie Jue. Lan Ningzhen pinched the face of the little Commandery Princess, saying, "When you grow up, you’ll understand your aunt better."
"When I grow up, whoever I fancy, I’ll just snatch them away. No need for all this trouble," the young Commandery Princess replied with startling determination and a surprising flair of ambition, deeming Lan Ningzhen’s actions superfluous.
"Wow, such boldness! Who taught you that?"
"Father!"
The Second Prince Consort wore a proud and approving expression, as if the child was well on the right track. Xie Jue found it both amusing and exasperating, thinking to himself, what an endearing family. However, the thought made his heart sink—he was a spy. They were enemies. Emotional attachment could jeopardize his mission. He mused briefly but dismissed the thought, feeling slightly dazed.
"Indeed, don’t follow your aunt’s example. If you have your sights set on Mr. Helian, just snatch him!" The Second Prince’s eldest son chimed in, upholding the family’s characteristic demeanor of straightforwardness.
"Helian, did you hear that?" Lan Ningzhen teased, "They’re advising me to just snatch you!"
Xie Jue remained expressionless, giving no response. Suddenly, he felt a sharp gaze directed his way. Just as he was about to lift his head to see, Lan Ningzhen blocked him, saying, "Don’t look. Look at me instead."
Xie Jue froze for a moment, gazing into Lan Ningzhen’s eyes at close range—a pair of eyes that held an immensely captivating allure, pulling him in as though he could lose himself within them.
How familiar!
His heartbeat thundered like war drums in the heat of pursuit on the battlefield. Xie Jue smiled faintly and responded, "Alright!"
The sharp gaze belonged to the Beiman King. Xie Jue understood that tonight’s encounter at the Imperial Court could very well result in a deadly ordeal. Dugu Jing, however, sneered coldly at him, saying, "Your arrogance won’t last long. Lan Ningzhen, won’t you reconsider and abandon this good-for-nothing?"
"Stop calling people good-for-nothing. If being unskilled in combat makes someone worthless, then I suppose I could call you a brute," Lan Ningzhen retorted irritably. "Ninth Prince, I heard you came dead last in another literary examination. How pitiful. Can you even write your own name yet?"
Dugu Jing’s face turned red with rage. He slammed the table angrily and exclaimed, "I’ve long been able to write my name!"
Though his voice was loud and firm, it only triggered uproarious laughter from the crowd. The Second Prince remarked, "Ah, Ninth Brother, learning to write your name at ten years old isn’t exactly anything to boast about. Don’t shout so loudly; it’s embarrassing."
Lan Ningzhen added mockingly, "Wow, learning to write your own name at ten? Truly impressive!"
Dugu Jing was so furious he nearly choked on his anger. He had always been the quintessential student who despised academia, preferring to sleep during lessons. The Beiman King hadn’t particularly emphasized the education of his younger princes either, focusing instead on grooming the elder sons while indulging Dugu Jing’s extraordinary physical prowess from a young age. Thus, Dugu Jing’s disinterest in studying was allowed to flourish.
It wasn’t until he became the subject of ridicule for being unable to write his own name that he begrudgingly began to catch up on his studies. His inability to write had since become a favored joke among his brothers, something they would regularly use to tease him.