Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play

Chapter 772 - 751: On a Mission

Fengyu never expected Xie Xun to concern himself so deeply with Dugu Jing’s marriage, even going as far as teaching him how to let go of his pride and apologize. After all, when she spoke to Dugu Jing, he was still unwilling and pridefully declared that others needed to recognize him as a one-of-a-kind spear. Unexpectedly, with Xie Xun’s intervention, Dugu Jing listened.

Fengyu couldn’t help but remark with a hint of irony, "Dugu Jing really listens to you."

"One has to bow their head under another’s roof," Xie Xun said with a smile. "This isn’t like when he was in Beiman, where his royal brother made all the decisions—whatever he wanted, he could obtain with a mere gesture. Naturally, he now has to work for it."

Fengyu found his reasoning agreeable. She, too, hoped for the best for both of them. Whether or not it worked out in the end, at least Dugu Jing was willing to interact with Junjun. He was exactly the type Junjun would like: brave, tall, capable of anything, and exceptionally handsome. Today at the academy, she saw Dugu Jing dressed as a Beining man, adorned in fine robes and jade accessories. Although he appeared a bit uncomfortable, everyone else thought him remarkably striking.

Back when the Fang Family and Li Family discussed a marriage alliance, despite Li Si’s talents and character, Junjun agreed to the match for the sake of her family, naively thinking that mutual respect after marriage would suffice. Comparing Dugu Jing to Li Si now was like comparing heaven to earth. Apart from his scholarly accomplishments, Li Si couldn’t hold a candle to Dugu Jing.

Xie Xun was very enthusiastic about matchmaking for Dugu Jing and was particularly focused on Fang Lingjun. Both Fang Chuning and the Marshal could sense his intentions. No emperor had ever taken to matchmaking with such warmth—clearly, he thought highly of Junjun and Dugu Jing. Regardless of the underlying reasons, Xie Xun could have simply issued an imperial edict to secure the match, and the Fang Family would have accepted it. Yet he refrained, showing great respect. The Marshal, too, appreciated this kindness.

Since it was the emperor’s will, and there had been hints of it within the Jinluan Palace, both the Marshal and Fang Chuning understood that the marriage was likely to happen. With the Prince Jingbei and his wife showing such enthusiasm, and Dugu Jing uncharacteristically cooperative, it largely depended on Junjun’s attitude. As a result, the Marshal began encouraging Fang Chuning to invite Dugu Jing to their home more frequently. Initially, these interactions were limited to the ladies, but now even the Marshal wanted to observe Dugu Jing in person and evaluate his character!

Fang Lingjun’s previous disrupted engagement had always been a thorn in the Marshal’s heart. He had been dissatisfied with the Li Si match from the start, but it had come together due to unforeseen circumstances. The messy aftermath further soured things. After more than twenty years of bad blood between his family and the Li Family, it was time to sever these ties for good. He refused to let feelings of guilt jeopardize his children’s future marriages. If something went awry again, and another scandal broke out, Junjun’s entire life would be ruined.

Thus, the Marshal approached this marriage with the utmost care.

After confirming Xie Xun’s intentions, Fengyu dedicated herself even more earnestly to the matter. While at the academy, she deliberately took the opportunity to meet privately with the Princess Consort Jingbei and several other Commandery Princesses—Dugu Jing’s sisters-in-law.

"Princess Consort, the customs in Beining are not the same as those in Beiman. I’ve heard that in Fox City, Prince Jingbei has six princess consorts, all of you treated as equals, with no distinction between primary and secondary wives. His Majesty only granted you the title of Princess Consort Jingbei. Even when Prince Jingbei expressed the desire to have all six of you titled as princess consorts, His Majesty refused. According to protocol, a prince is allowed two secondary wives, yet your household seems to have retained the equal and united arrangements from your time in Fox City. This is admirable and enviable. The camaraderie among the Prince Jingbei’s children and the Commandery Princesses is also well-known and commendable. However, there is one matter I wish to discuss with you all in advance."

"Your Majesty, whatever your instructions, we will comply without question!" the Princess Consort Jingbei replied with dignified composure, though she had a fair guess as to what Fengyu wanted to address.

"The Duke Wu’an is of noble standing and was raised in Fox City since childhood, so his views on marriage are deeply ingrained and differ from ours in Beining. In Beining, there is a strict distinction between wives and concubines, as well as legitimate and illegitimate offspring. The lady of the household, as mistress of the inner court, can only be the main wife. Only children born of the main wife can inherit titles."

The Princess Consort Jingbei chuckled lightly. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. The prince recently spoke with Xiao Jiu. Should he marry Miss Fang, the entirety of the household’s management will be handed over to her. Without her approval, Xiao Jiu will absolutely not take in any concubines, nor will he allow any other woman to stand on equal footing with her. Should Xiao Jiu fail to uphold this, the prince himself will discipline him, and should Xiao Jiu betray Miss Fang, even the Empress will not let him off lightly."

Fengyu enjoyed speaking with clever individuals—it made conversations so much easier. She had barely mentioned legitimacy and wives’ roles before the Princess Consort Jingbei understood her meaning. Fengyu knew she might seem meddlesome about matters that, as the Empress, she had no business involving herself in, especially regarding whether Dugu Jing might take concubines in the future. After all, she had no authority to dictate whether a minister’s family would allow such things. Overstepping boundaries often invited annoyance.

But this was Junjun!

The person she regarded as her own sister. She wanted to ensure Junjun a serene and happy future.

The customs in Beiman and Beining were indeed worlds apart. Mrs. Fang was unlikely to directly address such matters with Dugu Jing. As her maternal family, even if they broached the subject, it would be done subtly—and whether Dugu Jing listened or not was another matter entirely.

She also couldn’t confront Dugu Jing directly about this without seeming tactless. The best approach was to let the princess consorts understand. The princes of Beiman were exceedingly united, as those with discordant hearts had long fallen during their power struggles. The remaining brothers were tightly bound as one. The princess consorts genuinely cared for Dugu Jing, so naturally, they would concern themselves with his affairs.

"With your reassurance, Princess Consort, I feel relieved," Fengyu replied with a smile, bestowing gifts of this year’s tribute silks to the princess consorts. This brought the matter to a close.

Whether Dugu Jing and Junjun could ultimately come together, Fengyu decided not to interfere further.

Fang Chuning found it amusing—Xie Xun and Fengyu acted like dual-layered parental figures confidently securing the match. This marriage seemed almost destined, especially since the Marshal had little liking for scholarly sons-in-law. Being a military general himself, he much preferred martial prospects. Aside from some minor reservations about Dugu Jing’s Beiman heritage, he was quite satisfied with the man personally.

This union was halfway secured already.

The details of Xie Jue and Fang Chuning’s diplomatic mission had also been mostly finalized, including their itinerary and personnel. Xie Jue would lead the mission, while Fang Chuning would accompany him as a guard. Three thousand Ningzhou Iron Cavalrymen would also join them. Other military generals in the delegation included Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin.

Though Dugu Jing and Fang Lingjun’s marriage hadn’t been officially confirmed, the Marshal still hoped to observe Dugu Jing further in the capital. However, with the diplomatic mission’s departure, the Jiangnan commander needed to remain stationed. The Marshal and his entourage would join the mission as well, the plan already approved in consultation with the cabinet. The thought of his second brother traveling to Sannan alone filled Xie Xun with anxiety, even with Fang Chuning by his side. He almost wished he could grant a Regent King’s authority to someone else and personally join the mission as a guard.

"Second Brother spent time in Beiman as an undercover agent; he’s very familiar with things there. With Fang Chuning by his side, what are you so worried about?"

"Precisely because of him, I’m worried," Xie Xun replied with an inexplicable look directed at Fengyu. He felt that perhaps Fengyu wasn’t aware of the situation between Fang Chuning and Xie Jue. Every time he wanted to share this incredible gossip with her, he held back, afraid of shocking her—after all, it concerned his second brother’s privacy. Suppressing the urge was a constant struggle. "If I weren’t the emperor, he wouldn’t have gotten this chance in a million years."

Fengyu: "..."