novelraw Chapter 789 - 767: Night Talk
Chapter 789 - 767: Night Talk
After parting unhappily with Xie Jue, the General quarreled with Fang Chuning as well. Xiaoqi squatted outside the tent counting ants, feeling utterly helpless. If only Father and Brother could talk peacefully, he was willing to forgo eating meat for three days. He had despised Xie Xun back then but had never thrown such tantrums with him; why couldn’t they, as father and son, speak kindly to each other? Xiaoqi simply couldn’t understand—it was clear that Father was very patient with him and Sister, yet he lacked that patience with Brother.
He overheard Brother saying clearly, "Ting Feng won’t harm me, but Father isn’t necessarily trustworthy."
Xiaoqi suddenly forgot about counting ants when he heard Father shout angrily for Brother to get out. Soon after, he saw Fang Chuning whistling as he came out. Judging by his expression, he seemed genuinely disappointed that he hadn’t managed to infuriate the General to death.
Xiaoqi: "..."
This must be a grudge from a past life, paid in this one!
"What are you doing?"
"Sunbathing!" Xiaoqi replied. "Brother, why did you argue with Father like that?"
"I just told the truth. He’s narrow-minded and insists on being angry. What can I do?" Fang Chuning shrugged. "Father likes you; go soothe him. Otherwise, he’ll stay mad and might end up dying suddenly."
Xiaoqi: "..."
Are you deliberately speaking loudly for Father to hear?
The General was perhaps too furious to respond. Fang Chuning strutted away casually. He didn’t even bother asking Xie Jue about his reasons for heading to Zhongzhou; it wasn’t urgent. If Xie Jue didn’t wish to go to Zhongzhou, no one could force him.
The delegation and the Jiangnan Army quickly reached Yangzhou. After arriving, they parted ways. Although Fang Chuning had little communication with the General during the journey and often provoked him, he still made sure to remind Xiaoqi to take good care of the General’s health before his departure—ensuring he ate three meals on time every day. The Jiangnan military affairs weren’t particularly urgent, so they had some leeway for watchful caregiving.
Previously, the General had guarded Jiangnan alone without family around. Now, he finally had Xiaoqi by his side, which gave Fang Chuning some peace of mind.
Before leaving the Capital City, Fang Chuning had tried persuading Mrs. Fang to settle in Jiangnan permanently. Their mother constantly missed their maternal grandmother, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. Now that their grandmother was growing older, each meeting became one less opportunity to see her. Mrs. Fang likely wanted to live in Jiangnan. However, for some unknown reason, she chose not to come—probably because of the General. Fang Chuning didn’t know why and, being a junior, couldn’t press too hard. All he could do was wait until he returned from his diplomatic mission to reassess.
Xie Jue spent the night in lengthy discussions with the Yangzhou Prefect before leading troops onto a ship heading south toward the Sannan Border the following day.
Just three hours after the ship set sail, many soldiers from the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry began experiencing seasickness. Vomiting and general discomfort plagued them. Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin fared no better, retching until they saw stars and regretting their decision. Both cursed themselves—they never should have opted for the water route; they should’ve traveled by land. Traveling by sea for three days would leave them drained.
Most of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry came from northern regions, unfamiliar with water travel and unaccustomed to the sea. They were thoroughly miserable, and even Xie Jue wasn’t immune. Though he managed a stoic endurance, the larger waves inevitably made him nauseous. Used to suppressing discomfort, Xie Jue could still grit his teeth and endure, maintaining dignity amidst the chaos.
Fang Chuning, however, navigated the situation like a fish swimming through water. Having trained in Jiangnan before, he was entirely accustomed—even amidst severe boat rocking, he felt little trouble. Thus, he took over command from Xie Jue.
Too ill to eat, Xie Jue retreated below deck to rest. Fang Chuning saw his pallid complexion and couldn’t help teasing him, saying with a grin, "I warned you not to travel by water; well, you ignored me. Feeling miserable now, aren’t you?"
Xie Jue’s stomach churned mercilessly, and bile filled his mouth. Too exhausted to retort, even speaking felt like tremendous effort. Fang Chuning added, "If it’s truly unbearable, we can change routes—arriving a few days later wouldn’t be a big issue. Otherwise, will you be able to endure all the way to the Sannan Border?"
"How are the others faring?"
"Most of them are still alright. But since it’s only been a few hours on board, we can’t fully tell yet. If we keep rocking like this for another day, things might become unpredictable," Fang Chuning admitted. "Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin seem much worse off—they’re entirely unused to the rough waves. Compared to the calm waters they’ve seen in the Capital when boating, even those gentle lake ripples feel peaceful now."
"If everyone’s holding on, we’ll stick to the water route. We’ll rest upon reaching the Sannan Border." Xie Jue spoke calmly, suppressing his physical discomfort. "Gradually, they’ll adapt."
Fang Chuning shrugged—it wasn’t his place to interfere once Xie Jue made his decision.
To be fair, Xie Jue wasn’t wrong; enduring the rocking soon led to some adaptation. Their fleet contained five ships in a staggered formation, navigating the seas efficiently. Fang Chuning knew Xie Jue was unwell, so he stayed on deck overnight to monitor conditions. The General, mindful of their inexperience with maritime weather and waves, had arranged for seasoned sailors familiar with Jiangnan’s climate and the sea’s temperament to accompany them. Fortunately, the recent days had been calm, with no major disturbances. However, the sailors mentioned frequent pirate activity on these waters—merchant ships were often plundered, so vigilance was necessary to avoid ambushes. Though pirates were numerous, they refrained from provoking the Jiangnan Navy’s vessels. Ordinary merchant ships, however, became easy prey. Consequently, their fleet flew flags of the Jiangnan Army to deter any short-sighted bandits.
"Are the pirates Beining People or Sannan People?" Fang Chuning asked.
"Both. While the border region is relatively stable, the coastal areas remain chaotic. With maritime trade bustling, the thieves target merchant ships. If they stumble upon a fully loaded merchant vessel, they can feast off their spoils for three years. As a result, our Jiangnan Navy occasionally escorts trading convoys."
Of course, only the wealthiest merchants could afford naval escorts.
Most merchant ships traveling between Beining and Sannan belonged to major trading companies, and smaller ones rarely risked water routes. The big ones essentially monopolized maritime trade.
Even in the event of an attack, the Navy often couldn’t interfere in disputes—they had to consider themselves unfortunate.
"Rest assured, now that we’re flying the Jiangnan Navy’s flags, those pirates wouldn’t dare raid us. The largest pirate group in Jiangnan numbers about five thousand members, and they wouldn’t dare risk everything for a robbery. You can relax and get some rest; we’ll stay vigilant at night, keeping watch."
The sailors, seasoned and capable, inspired trust. After standing vigil until midnight, Fang Chuning descended to the cabin. Xie Jue, naturally unable to sleep due to his discomfort, couldn’t even pick up a book. Lying there miserably, he overheard the conversation between the Shadow Guard and Fang Chuning, then closed his eyes pretending to nap—only to have Fang Chuning rudely disturb him.
"Pretending to sleep?"
Xie Jue was tempted to play dead out of exasperation, his irritation bubbling over. "Why haven’t you gone to rest yet?"
"Since you can’t sleep anyway, why don’t we have a chat?" Fang Chuning dragged a chair over, unscrewing the cap of his wine flask. "How about some wine? If you get drunk, you might manage to fall asleep."
"No." Xie Jue sat up straight. Fang Chuning leisurely took two sips, filling the cabin with a dense scent of alcohol. Despite the poor ventilation, Xie Jue didn’t find the aroma unpleasant. "Do you want to ask about Zhongzhou affairs?"
Fang Chuning nodded. "Your sudden discussion with my father puzzled me. You knew very well he wouldn’t agree."
"Whether he agrees doesn’t matter—it’s an imperial decree."