novelraw Chapter 728 - 708: Open Conspiracy
Chapter 728 - 708: Open Conspiracy
The matter of not being able to produce a betrothal gift, naturally, cannot be publicized or disclosed to the intended bride. This touches on a man’s pride—no matter how bright and decisive Xie Jue is, he would rather people not know. So, Xie Jue secretly prepared the betrothal gifts. But deciding what gifts to prepare was a challenge for him; anything too valuable would be difficult to obtain. He certainly couldn’t ask the Second Prince for money. The Second Prince, under the Princess’s thoughtful guidance, rewarded Xie Jue with considerable silver coins and gold for his merits. Using these funds for the betrothal gifts should suffice. Additionally, Xie Jue had his own business ventures with Du Fang and others, so silver was not an issue. As for the wedding preparations, they were taken on by the Prince Manor, as the Princess would never want her younger sister to suffer even the slightest grievance.
The Second Prince teased him for being overly concerned with formality. Xie Jue replied earnestly, "I don’t want him to feel wronged."
"That girl is so eager to marry you; she doesn’t care about feeling wronged or not. She surely doesn’t feel wronged at all."
Though these words were spoken, Xie Jue still wanted to prepare properly. However, spring was fast approaching, and the Beiman King had appointed the Second Prince to accompany him to the battlefield. The Second Prince needed an opportunity to establish meritorious deeds on the battlefield. Even if the Beiman King did not require his company, the Second Prince would still insist on joining. The Eldest Prince’s leg had yet to recover fully, making this the Second Prince’s best chance to shine. Dugu Jing was also going to the frontlines with the Beiman King. Although the marriage between Xie Jue and Lan Ningzhen was settled, it would still have to wait until the Second Prince returned from the battlefield.
Thus, there was plenty of time for Xie Jue to prepare for the wedding. Meanwhile, once the Second Prince was at the battlefield, the true crisis for the Second Prince Manor was bound to arrive. Xie Jue had to ensure that the Second Prince returned safely from the battlefield, while also safeguarding the Second Prince Manor’s influence against encroachment by the Eldest Prince. To assist in these efforts, beyond the Princess, he could also turn to the Lan Family.
With Lan Ningzhen’s connection, Xie Jue was no ordinary strategist. Executing his plans became more convenient, as his status surpassed the manor’s regular strategists. In recent days, apart from visiting Lan Ningzhen, Xie Jue and the Second Prince were often locked away in a room with the manor’s strategists, discussing affairs for the summer. The Second Prince had recently secured supplies for transportation, which the Eldest Prince was sure to seize back. Finding ways to protect them would inevitably require coordination with General Lan.
But determining how to handle this without drawing undue attention? That would test the strategists in the manor.
By mid-March, the Beiman King’s army set out, crossing the Sha Ling Tian Mountain to the frontlines. The Second Prince and Dugu Jing were among those heading to the battlefield.
After being punished that day, Dugu Jing came looking for Lan Ningzhen once, but regrettably, Lan Ningzhen refused to meet him. Dugu Jing, although a proud young man, did not persist in pestering her, nor did he seek trouble with Xie Jue. As a result, Xie Jue enjoyed a brief period of tranquility. However, after the troops departed for the battlefield, Xie Jue found himself taking on many of the manor’s responsibilities. The Sixth Prince sent someone to invite him for a conversation at the Sixth Prince Manor.
Xie Jue had been expecting this, so after informing the Princess, he went to the Sixth Prince Manor for the appointment.
By mid-March, the winter snow in Fox City had melted, and spring vibrancy filled its streets. Everywhere was suffused with the brightness of the season. The young folks roamed the streets, and shops began to open their doors one after another, creating a lively atmosphere. This was easily the busiest season for Fox City, as every year, the arrival of spring saw people emerging after an entire winter. Even Xie Jue found the long, house-bound winter months exceptionally stifling.
To his surprise, the Sixth Prince personally came to the gate to welcome him. Xie Jue was quite taken aback, as he had never seen the Sixth Prince treat anyone else—not even his brothers—with such courtesy. He made a display of being humbly flattered.
Though spring had arrived, Fox City was still cold. The Sixth Prince wore a thick fur robe, coughing lightly a few times. Xie Jue promptly remarked, "Prince, if your body is unwell, it would be better to wait in the study. If you catch a chill standing in the wind, it would be my fault."
The Sixth Prince waved his hand repeatedly, "Helian, you’re too serious. This is an old affliction; every winter and spring, I suffer from it for a while. It’s no big deal. Helian, you haven’t been to the Prince Manor for a long time, have you? Come, come, inside please."
Exchanging a few polite words with him, Xie Jue followed him to the study. The servants who used to serve with him in the study were still stationed outside, waiting. Upon seeing Xie Jue, their gazes briefly lingered before quickly dipping downward, avoiding his eyes.
Back when they had worked together in the study, their situations were completely different—inevitably giving rise to feelings of contrast. There were envy and jealousy: why hadn’t they been blessed with such fortune and intelligence?
Xie Jue was familiar with the Sixth Prince’s study; he had swept its floors and entered it countless times before. The moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by a strong medicinal aroma. It was the scent of the Sixth Prince’s long-term medication, blended faintly with the smell of tinctures for injuries. Since he had visited Lan Ningzhen several times, Xie Jue could identify these scents effortlessly. Without any visible reaction, he glanced toward the screen at the back.
On the eastern side of the study was an exquisitely crafted screen. Behind the screen was a small warm bed, where the Sixth Prince often rested during moments of fatigue while handling official affairs. Many of the Sixth Prince’s important documents were also stored on the bookshelves behind the screen—a place Xie Jue had never been permitted to enter while he served in the study.
"Helian, please sit!" The Sixth Prince offered him a seat, and Xie Jue, feeling no need for excessive formality, sat to his left. Shortly after, someone arrived with tea. Beiman favored wine over tea, but the Sixth Prince, being weak in health, maintained a dry household, and tea was reserved for hosting guests. This was a rare occurrence, but it suited Xie Jue perfectly.
After the servant delivered the tea, they quietly exited. Xie Jue took a sip of tea and came straight to the point, "Sixth Prince, you invited me over—what task might it be? If Helian can manage it, I will certainly serve you to the best of my ability."
"Helian, you’re now Second Brother’s esteemed guest. How could I trouble you with anything? Today, I invited you over to discuss the logistics for the frontlines’ supplies." The Sixth Prince’s demeanor was gentle, and his smile conveyed the air of a scholar. Perhaps owing to his frail constitution, he did not exude the same intensity as his brothers. "Before Second Brother departed, he entrusted management of all the manor’s affairs to you. Military provisions have always been overseen by Eldest Brother, but this year, military equipment was left to Second Brother. I wanted to consult with you first and then consolidate everything to report to Eldest Brother."
"The army has just left, isn’t preparing for summer’s military equipment a little premature?" Xie Jue remarked, perplexed. In matters of military equipment, Beiman held considerable advantages thanks to their red sand mines, the very foundation of Beiman’s armaments. The Second Prince had always maintained a firm grip over them, and although the Eldest Prince once seized part of the mines, it was reclaimed through Xie Jue’s strategic maneuvers. Xie Jue greatly coveted Beiman’s red sand mines; having visited them himself, he often fantasized about moving the entire mine to Ningzhou through sheer force.
If there was one thing Xie Jue envied most about Beiman, it wasn’t the legions of exceptional generals they had produced. It was the red sand mines—a rare treasure bestowed exclusively upon Beiman by nature itself.
"Helian, you may not know this, but last year Second Brother spent the entire year in Fox City personally handling logistics from rations to military equipment, leaving us nothing to worry about. Now that he’s gone to the battlefield, the tasks of rations and military equipment have been split for management, making unified oversight more challenging. I can only inquire early and make preparations to avoid any errors. If Helian feels this burden is too great or the matter of logistics too significant, it can be entrusted to Eldest Brother instead, so that I won’t need to bother you with frequent discussions."