novelraw Chapter 790 - 768: Go With the Flow
Chapter 790 - 768: Go With the Flow
"What if I don’t want to go to Zhongzhou?" Fang Chuning said leisurely as he sipped his wine, his tone indifferent, as though he were discussing a matter of little significance with Xie Jue — certainly not his future path.
"Zhongzhou can command the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry while simultaneously keeping the twelve provinces at bay. It will be Beining’s most crucial military hub in the future. Only you can handle it — I trust no one else." Xie Jue said, "Although I haven’t discussed it with Zhixu, it’s highly likely he will decide to send you to guard it. Even if he prefers me in Zhongzhou, the court officials would not consent."
"And what about you?" Fang Chuning asked, "Will you remain in the Capital City forever?"
"Anning, discussing your matters means discussing only your matters." Xie Jue replied, "If you don’t consider me, if I am merely an outsider, you should think carefully about whether it’s truly better for you to be stationed in Jiangnan or to go to Zhongzhou?"
"But how could I not consider you?" A vague bitterness crossed Fang Chuning’s mind. My life from now on is bound to include you — how could I possibly leave you out of my considerations?
"I’m a prince. Aside from the Capital City, there’s nowhere else I can go," Xie Jue said. "Unless the Crown Prince is established and the political situation stabilizes, I cannot command troops. The best outcome would be for me to become an idle prince or hold some civil position. If Zhixu appoints Ruyi as Crown Prince, I will need to avoid suspicion all the more."
"Why would His Majesty choose Ruyi as Crown Prince?" Fang Chuning frowned. "Ruyi is still young, in the prime of his youth, robust and healthy. In the future, he won’t need to worry about heirs. Ruyi... Is the Empress truly infertile as the rumors suggest?"
"Difficulties with heirs." Xie Jue admitted outright to Fang Chuning, indifferent about whether the Shadow Guards outside might overhear. "He has no plans to fill his harem. If heirs remain a difficulty, establishing Ruyi as Crown Prince becomes the only option. That’s why I hope you go to Zhongzhou. The Beiman are stationed across the twelve provinces and may remain unrestful for ten, perhaps twenty years until peace is restored. If someone else takes over Zhongzhou with indifference, all the effort Ayu has poured into the twelve provinces will be wasted. I hope that by the next generation’s reign, Zhongzhou, Ningzhou, and the twelve provinces will be smooth and tranquil. You’re the only one who can make that happen."
"You think too highly of me." Fang Chuning couldn’t tell whether the emotion he felt was joy or bitterness. If he went to Zhongzhou, wouldn’t it mean a prolonged separation from Xie Jue? "Once, my sole wish was for the Beiman to surrender. If I were to die on the battlefield, it would have been a noble death. Now that the Beiman have surrendered, my wish is fulfilled. His Majesty seeks to reclaim Sannan, and I’m willing to do what I can. If Sannan is reclaimed, then as a mere martial man, I should retire having accomplished my duty. If I’m fortunate enough to remain uninjured and in good health, I’d like to travel the world, living freely. You know this has always been my dream — to roam the world with you when the seas and rivers are calm. I don’t wish to be trapped in Zhongzhou."
"Yes, I, too, wish to roam the world when the seas and rivers are calm. But the ruler of this world is Zhixu. How can I act only for myself?" Xie Jue’s gaze dropped slightly, his fair face half-lit, half-shadowed in the dim glow of the oil lamp. "If you truly don’t wish to go, I won’t force you."
"If I don’t go, you’ll request to go instead. You know the court wouldn’t ever agree to it. You’d be endlessly attacked by civil officials. If your actions in Zhongzhou overstepped even slightly, the censors would impeach you. His Majesty holds deep brotherly affection for you; he wouldn’t doubt you. But ten years, twenty years down the line, as his reign lengthens and his power solidifies, who can say he’ll trust you perpetually?"
"Beyond the two of us, I have no better candidate." Xie Jue raised his eyes to meet Fang Chuning’s gaze. "So, I’m willing to risk offending the Grand Marshal to send you to Zhongzhou."
"Who you’ll offend won’t just be him — it’ll be my entire Fang Family." Fang Chuning said. "You’ll weaken the foundations we’ve laid in Jiangnan for years until they vanish completely. Ting Feng, you need to protect His Majesty’s realm, while I... must shoulder the burdens of my family. Born into an aristocratic lineage, this is our duty — one we cannot shirk. No matter how much I cherish or yearn for someone, I could never abandon my family. Back when you rebelled against the Capital City, if my heart hadn’t belonged to the Fang clan, I would’ve followed you without hesitation."
The feelings of those born into noble families were always subservient to the honor of their clans. This was the upbringing and education they had received since childhood — family above all.
Xie Jue could never abandon everything for him. Understanding his heart, how could he demand Fang Chuning forsake his family? That was the glory that sheltered him and raised him. How could it be so easily relinquished?
"I understand." Xie Jue’s voice was quiet. "I’ve always had the feeling that if something happens in the future, the Grand Marshal will only hold me accountable."
"What you’ve thought through, His Majesty has likely foreseen as well. Actually, you’ve probably known all along. If one of us is destined to go to Zhongzhou, His Majesty will see to it that you’re protected and will issue the decree to me. If I refuse to obey, that would be defiance of imperial command. He is first and foremost ruler of this land — only secondarily your younger brother. Just as when he decreed I accompany you to Sannan this time, he didn’t consider your wishes."
Xie Jue fell silent. A long, drawn-out silence. It was almost an acknowledgment of Fang Chuning’s words.
"I’ll think of a way to balance everything."
"There’s no such thing as perfect balance in this world. It’s merely self-deception." Fang Chuning said with a bitter smile. "No matter how clever you are, some things are fated to remain unchangeable."
Years ago, he had tried desperately to alter the fate of the Marquis Mansion, but in the end, he had achieved nothing. All he could do was watch helplessly as the Marquis Mansion fell.
Now, even as a prince, second only to the emperor, he couldn’t follow his heart to abandon everything and walk away.
Xie Jue lowered his gaze, his brow furrowed deeply. He was already feeling uncomfortable from seasickness; his face was pale as snow. Fang Chuning felt a pang of sorrow as he noticed this and couldn’t help but turn toward him, his fingers brushing across Xie Jue’s brow as though to smooth away his worries. "Ting Feng, as a prince second only to the emperor, are you happy?"
"Does it matter?"
"To me, it matters greatly!" Fang Chuning’s heart ached with bittersweet sorrow. The warmth of Xie Jue’s brow lingered against his fingers — softer than he had imagined. He longed to protect and cherish him. "Since Xie Xun ascended the throne and you were ennobled, I haven’t seen you smile."
"I’ve never been one to smile much."
"But you were very joyful and relaxed in Ningzhou. When we talked about traveling the world, your smile — I’ll remember it for a lifetime. Yet here in the Capital City, you’ve never smiled since."
"Youth brings carefree days, but adulthood bears countless burdens. You and I are no different." Xie Jue couldn’t help jesting, "Perhaps the Capital City is an omen of misfortune."
Indeed, for Xie Jue, it was both his birthplace and a place of ill luck. No matter how long he stayed in the Capital City, he could never find true happiness. Now, the Prince Manor was akin to Marquis Zhenbei Mansion; in the stillness of night, his dreams always took him back to his family.
How could Xie Xun, in that Imperial Palace, feel any joy? He must constantly recall the man occupying the dragon throne — the very man who forced their family to ruin and drove them apart.
So then, what could they do?
If they didn’t walk into the Imperial City, if they didn’t ascend to power, where could they ever find a place to belong?
"This is destiny. I can only accept it calmly. There is no escape, and you are no exception." Xie Jue said, "If there’s no perfect solution in this world, then the two of us..."
"Ting Feng, you think too much." Fang Chuning’s fingertips still held the warmth of his skin. "Your brilliance might hurt you in the end. I feel sorry to see it. Why don’t we simply follow the natural order of things?"