Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 869 - 845: Tactfulness

Xie Xun and Xie Jue had a fight; both sat down to eat together with a temper. Mingzhu and Ruyi both noticed the unusual atmosphere, but the family hadn’t gathered together for a meal in a long time. Despite the unpleasantness, Xie Xun and Xie Jue didn’t dampen the children’s spirits. Ruyi, being less sensitive than Mingzhu, still excitedly picked meat for Xie Jue. At his age, the boy couldn’t quite grasp adult preferences and chose his favorite braised pork for Xie Jue, which was something Xie Jue disliked the most.

Xie Xun said sharply from the side, "Ruyi, you only pick food for your dad and not for your little uncle?"

Ruyi blinked and obediently picked a rib for him, "Okay, okay, here’s for little uncle too!"

"Little rascal with no conscience!" Xie Xun snorted coldly. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

When Xie Jue wasn’t home, Ruyi would somewhat cling to Xie Xun, but if he was home, Ruyi would stick closely to Xie Jue, wanting to share all good things with him. Xie Xun didn’t feel jealous, but today he was quite unhappy. Ruyi was so young, still in the Capital City, needing companionship, while he, as the emperor, was busy with state affairs, leaving Ruyi’s upbringing to his second brother. Now that he was about to leave, Ruyi would miss him. Wasn’t Ruyi as important as Fang Chuning? Where was he going, and when would he return? With nothing said, Xie Xun felt extremely frustrated!

Ruyi asked, "Little uncle, why are you so fierce? Did I do something wrong?"

Fengyu said, "Ruyi, be good and don’t mind him. Just enjoy your meal."

Ruyi nodded obediently and looked helplessly at Mingzhu. Mingzhu could only offer sympathetic glances. Seeing this, Xie Jue, with a calm tone, said, "I’ll return to the Capital City before the year-end; don’t keep a dark face and scare the child."

Xie Xun’s eyes lit up, "Really, return before the year-end?"

Xie Jue nodded. It was already midsummer, so returning before the year-end meant he’d be away for at most five or six months. Xie Xun felt slightly relieved as long as his second brother wasn’t doing anything foolish.

"You should have said so earlier, deliberately scaring me." Xie Xun thought, our fight was in vain. "So, where are you going?"

Xie Jue seemed not to hear, while Fengyu shot him a glare. Xie Xun took that as a sign to stop, "Fine, if you won’t say, you won’t say. Then I’ll just send a few more people to accompany you!"

"Suit yourself!" Xie Jue rubbed his brow, looking somewhat weary.

Fengyu softly said, "Second Brother, are your eyes hurting again? Has your eye condition relapsed recently? After dinner, have Doctor Zhang come and check on you."

"Yes, yes, yes, Zhang Lingzheng has developed a new medicine, just waiting for you to come back and try it."

At night, Xie Jue had some night vision problems. Even with a lamp, things were a bit unclear. He had tried to reduce reading and discussing matters at night. During his time in Sannan, he applied medicine each night, which eased the condition. However, returning from Sannan meant there was no one to supervise his medication, worsening the night vision problem. Xie Jue knew well his eyes could hardly ever heal, only that the condition could be alleviated. But if the people he wanted to see couldn’t be seen ever again, the world’s sceneries to him would be like the night, indistinguishable.

"I understand!" Xie Jue didn’t refuse Fengyu’s kindness. They tacitly avoided mentioning Sannan. However, Fengyu needed to gently discuss Fang Chuning’s funeral matters with him, so she was a bit anxious. She couldn’t let Xie Xun speak for fear he might say something inappropriate and hurt his second brother.

Xie Jue asked Fengyu, "Is the marriage between Dugu Jing and Fang Lingjun about to be finalized?"

Fengyu nodded, "Mrs. Fang originally wanted to wait for Dugu Jing to return from Sannan before finalizing it. Now... there shouldn’t be much change. Princess Consort Jingbei has visited frequently lately, and neither family intends to call off the engagement. It should be settled soon."

Xie Jue nodded. He knew that rumors about him and Fang Chuning might affect Fang Lingjun’s prospects. Luckily, Fang Lingjun’s suitor was Dugu Jing. If it were a clan from Beining, the marriage might face obstacles. The Beiman wouldn’t mind such rumors, and both Prince Jingbei and Duke Wu’an needed the Fang Family’s footing in Beining. Fang Lingjun marrying Dugu Jing wouldn’t have a bad life, and if Fang Chuning were still here, he’d worry about his matters affecting his sister’s marriage.

"That’s good!" Xie Jue felt relieved.

Xie Xun felt a bit uneasy. Mingzhu and Ruyi just finished their meal, and the palace maids came to take them for a walk. Fengyu also signaled the maids to leave, leaving only the three of them in the dining hall. Fengyu cautiously said, "Second Brother, Junjun said that tomorrow the Fang Family will hold a funeral for Brother Fang."

Xie Jue’s expression paused as he just got the news, looking up at Fengyu, "Funeral?"

Fengyu’s throat tightened, nodding heavily. The Fang Family’s funeral only invited relatives, so no invitations were sent, and most people weren’t aware. The clans at odds with the Fang Family were gloating. Marshal Fang couldn’t bear to let his wife endure the rumors alone, so he returned to the Capital City to accompany her through this tough time.

Fang Chuning was originally the Fang Family’s only male heir. In many’s eyes, although Xiaoqi was registered under Mrs. Fang’s name, they knew he was at most a concubine’s child, the marshal’s son from outside, not Mrs. Fang’s biological child. Fang Chuning was groomed as the marshal’s heir from young, and now with the Fang Family losing an arm, clans friendly with the Fang Family naturally took delight in the drama.

Fang Chuning’s funeral was also kept low-key due to various reasons.

Xie Jue asked, "Without a body, why hold a funeral? Who says he’s dead?"

Alive, not seen; dead, no body. Why hold a funeral? In Beining’s traditions, it’s considered taboo. If someone is alive but a funeral is held, it’s considered inauspicious, akin to a curse. For someone like Fang Chuning, with neither sight nor body, no funeral would be held. Holding a funeral declares his death.

Xie Jue felt as though his heart was pierced, an overwhelming sense of helplessness overwhelming him, weighing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. Fengyu softly said, "Second Brother, this is ultimately the Fang Family’s matter. Outsiders have no right to intervene. For tomorrow’s funeral, Zhixu wanted to attend in person out of respect, but Junjun said... to keep it as low-key as possible, so outsiders shouldn’t go."

Xie Jue’s heart was clear as a mirror. What Fengyu meant was that Xie Xun shouldn’t go, essentially telling him the Fang Family wouldn’t welcome him. With a calm expression, Xie Jue said, "Don’t worry, I won’t go!"

He absolutely couldn’t attend Fang Chuning’s funeral!

Fengyu breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt deeply guilty. Just how heartbroken must her second brother be? But they had no other way. If they didn’t discreetly warn him, if he attended and was driven away by the marshal, his heart would hurt even more.

Xie Xun wanted to ask if the marshal had spoken to him upon returning to the city. These rumors spread widely, known across the land. A person as strict as the marshal wouldn’t give his second brother a kind face.

But he didn’t dare ask. Even if the marshal made it difficult for Xie Jue, what could he do about it?