Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 865 - 841: Morning Court
Xie Xun indeed stood guard at the door for half the night. Ying Yi briefly explained the situation of the Shadow Guards to him. Although Ying Liu had regained consciousness, he had a penetrating wound to the chest, which would leave severe aftereffects that would be difficult to fully heal, making it unlikely for him to continue serving as Xie Jue’s Shadow Guard. This group of Shadow Guards had worked hard and achieved much. Xie Jue had already released them from their contracts and helped each of them acquire a house in the Capital. The Prince Manor had some profitable rental properties which provided them dividends, so they did not need to worry about their daily lives. However, the severe casualties among the Shadow Guards left Xie Xun feeling both regretful and deeply saddened. He had known these men since childhood and had once envied his Second Brother for having such excellent protectors.
On this trip to Sannan, Xie Xun had some regrets. If it weren’t for the urgent need to settle the Beiman and stabilize the political situation, there would have been no need to agree to Han Ziqi’s request for peace talks. Even if peace talks were necessary, it should have been King of Sannan and Han Ziqi coming to the Beining Capital, as there were always uncertainties and risks in going to Sannan Mudan City.
Yet now, regret was of no use.
The casualties among the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry were also heavy. Apart from issuing orders to comfort the troops, Xie Xun entrusted Lin Xiao to handle the aftermath, ensuring that each fallen soldier’s family would receive excellent care. The logistics of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry had always been well managed, with special personnel responsible for soldiers retreating from the battlefield. Besides having certain tax reductions, those who lost their ability to work could receive a basic living allowance from the local government office every month to sustain their lives.
No matter how much was done, losing lives in Sannan left Xie Xun uneasy. Once the war subsided, every soldier lost was a loss for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. These soldiers had been carefully selected. Now, the focus had to be on managing and comforting the aftermath. What pained Xie Xun most was Xie Jue. As the mission’s envoy, Xie Jue would naturally be blamed for such incidents. Moreover, prevailing public opinion accused him of causing the Sannan turmoil due to his relationship with Fang Chuning, prompting the High Priest’s rebellion and thus resulting in conflict.
Without reputation and bearing guilt, Xie Jue had to endure listening to gossip and rumors in every town on the way back from Mudan City to the Capital, no matter how unpleasant they were!
Xie Xun looked up at the bright moon in the sky, unable to stop wondering what his elder brother and father would have done if they were still alive.
His elder brother was so clever and attentive; had he discovered anything over the years?
"Your Majesty, you ought to return to the palace now," Zhang Boxi reminded him that delaying further would interfere with the morning court session. Xie Xun had never been negligent since ascending the throne and had never missed a morning court session. As it was the first day the mission had returned, the morning court was of utmost importance.
"Understood." Xie Xun also knew that Xie Jue was weighed down with heavy thoughts and must not have rested well. He called out, "Second Brother, I’m returning to the palace now. Rest well at home for a few days. I’ll leave Ruyi at the manor; he has been constantly asking about you."
The morning court session turned out to be as lively as Xie Xun had anticipated. The Great General also attended the morning court. Initially, the court officials were discussing the matter between Xie Jue and Fang Chuning, but upon seeing the Great General, they fell silent like cicadas in late autumn, not daring to discuss it in front of the Great General. Moreover, since Fang Chuning was deceased, if the Great General were to throw a punch, as long as no one died from it, Xie Xun would not uphold justice, and the person would definitely be beaten.
Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin were also present in the hall. The first matter in the morning court was the Sannan peace negotiation. The Great General said calmly, "There’s no hurry to negotiate. Let’s first have Generals Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin clearly recount the events of the Sannan turmoil since all of us here, myself included, were thousands of miles away and unaware of the unfolding events. Now is the time to listen carefully."
Xie Xun specifically allowed Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin to report at the court to provide a detailed account of the events. Despite his own awareness, the officials remained uninformed, and the widespread notion blamed everything on Xie Jue and Fang Chuning’s alleged dalliance, provoking the High Priest’s retaliatory killing.
Lin Xiao spoke, "Indeed, on that day, General Fang and I led three hundred Iron Cavalry to escort the Prince into the palace for the negotiations. The negotiations proceeded smoothly, with both the High Priest and King of Sannan, along with Han Ziqi, agreeing to negotiate and signing over a dozen peace treaties. The negotiations lasted until the night, and the King of Sannan hosted a banquet in the palace to entertain us. At the banquet, General Fang and I sat together while Han Ziqi accompanied for drinks. After several rounds, the King of Sannan left the banquet. After about two quarters of an hour, a Palace Attendant came seeking the Prince, claiming the King of Sannan summoned him. Considering the greater good of the negotiations, the Prince instructed General Fang and me to stay at the banquet while he went to see the King of Sannan. Once the Prince left, Han Ziqi came to me and General Fang to inquire about the customs of the Capital. From his words, it seemed he wanted to visit and live in the Capital. Just as we were pleasantly conversing, a fire broke out in the Chaoyang Palace. A report came in saying the Prince and King of Sannan were trapped there. General Fang rushed immediately to the Chaoyang Palace and assigned me to leave the palace and seek support with the cavalry. As I rushed to the palace gates, the Sannan Forbidden Army attempted to kill me within the gates. Finding no alternative and being pursued, I had to evade their attacks, then the Shadow Guards released signals for support."
Zhang Boxin continued, "We were originally waiting for the Prince’s return at the posthouse, and upon seeing the signal, we immediately gathered our forces. Just as we left the posthouse, we encountered opposition from the Forbidden Army. I ordered an assault and we charged our way into the Royal Palace. During this, another support signal was released by the Shadow Guards. When I led the troops close to the palace, I encountered the severely injured Prince. General Fang and the three hundred Iron Cavalry used their bodies to shield him from the Sannan Forbidden Army, allowing the Prince a slim chance of survival. Once the Prince met up with us, we immediately headed back to the Chaoyang Palace. However, almost all of General Fang and his three hundred Iron Cavalry were wiped out. This was clearly a trap set up long by the Sannan High Priest. From start to finish, he never intended peace talks and aimed to drag the Sannan Royal Family down with him. We all failed to see through his plot. He had already sent people to spread rumors about the Prince and General Fang in Mudan City before negotiations even began, deliberately staining the reputation of the Prince and the General. There was no affair or illicit pleasure; it was nothing but nonsense! General Fang had been at the banquet the entire time without stepping away. The suggestion of marriage between the Prince and the Tenth Princess was entirely one-sided by the King of Sannan. Before the negotiations started, the Prince had already refused it. The Prince is the son of the Eldest Princess and thus a blood relative of the Tenth Princess. How could there be a marriage? The High Priest intended to drag the Sannan Royal Family and Sannan to their graves, including the Prince. He knew he couldn’t kill the Prince, so he resorted to such dirty means to tarnish his reputation, intending to turn rumors into swords to kill the Prince. Such treacherous intentions of the Sannan High Priest deserve death!"
The court officials fell silent after hearing this. Those who had previously gossiped about Xie Jue and Fang Chuning blushed with embarrassment, realizing it was all a misunderstanding.
Lin Xiao and Zhang Boxin insisted it was a misunderstanding. They maintained a unified stance, as who would admit to such a thing without being caught in the act? As long as they didn’t acknowledge it, it remained a rumor that would eventually die down. They also hoped the Prince would not be slandered or have his name besmirched in such a manner. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
"In that case, why didn’t General Lin and General Zhang explain, allowing the rumors to spread to Beining, tarnishing the names of the Prince and General?" Mr. Li questioned.
Lin Xiao took a deep breath and responded with dignity, "After our counter-attack to retake the Royal Palace, the Prince was critically injured and unconscious. The citizens of Mudan City, incited by the High Priest’s followers, surrounded the Royal Palace, and we were besieged for six days. The rumor had already spread wide. We were trapped in the palace and had no way to stop it."
