Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play

The High Priest looked at Xie Jue, who was completely unfamiliar compared to the Princess, and couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic. He really didn’t resemble his birth mother at all, neither in appearance nor in temperament. He was more like a child of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, without a trace of Sannan lineage, and certainly not a Princess’s image. In his impression, the Princess was gentle, romantic, and innocent, a little girl everyone wanted to protect, while Xie Jue was a man standing tall with a heart as hard as stone.

In his heart, there was only the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, not the Sannan Royal Family.

This was an obvious fact.

Even knowing his origins, knowing where his mother came from, he wouldn’t feel any sense of belonging. Sannan was always a foreign land to him, without a shred of attachment.

"No, you are mistaken. You are very suited to be king." The High Priest said, "A ruler must be clear-headed and ruthless, not swayed by emotions and desires."

"So? The High Priest invites me to worship my birth mother as a front, still wanting to persuade me to succeed Sannan?"

"Yes, everyone in the Priest Court hopes Your Highness can succeed Sannan and rejuvenate the Sannan Royal Family."

"Even if I succeed, I would hand Sannan over to Zhixu." Xie Jue said lightly, "If so, wouldn’t Zhixu and I bear the resentment of Sannan’s millions of people? You’ve calculated well that no one wants to become a ruler of a fallen country, so you push it onto me? Do you really think I’m a three-year-old child, ready to be a puppet for you?"

"You can also choose not to surrender to Beining." The High Priest said, "Is surrendering really that important? Even though Sannan is prosperous, is it truly worth you waging such a large battle? Not necessarily, right? I hear this time the border has Beiman soldiers, the Emperor Beining is truly magnanimous, able to entrust military power to an enemy, letting them command the troops. Such a skill in managing subordinates is unprecedented, requiring trust in the commander and control over military power. Only when both are present can power be delegated. You brothers fought your way to capture the kingdom, naturally, the troops submitted, so all military power was handed over to Dugu Jing. You aren’t afraid of Dugu Jing rebelling. Yet how to manage and tame the Beiman millions living in Beining is a big problem. According to the information I have from the Twelve States, ever since Beiman entered the Twelve States, conflicts and disputes arise daily; local governments suffer immensely, frequently petitioning the court for military aid. At such a critical moment, the Emperor sends Dugu Jing to lead the troops on an expedition; it’s not difficult to see through his intentions—the chaos of Beiman is your immediate concern. Even if Sannan is wealthy, Liuzhou to Jiangnan is also prosperous, there’s no need to rush the surrender of Sannan."

"It isn’t urgent, but it’s inevitable since it is imminent." Xie Jue said lightly, no wonder the High Priest holds such a high position in Sannan; this was the first time he heard a Sannan person reveal their true intentions.

The High Priest laughed at himself, "It seems surrendering is the only choice for Sannan. Beining is so strong; if we don’t surrender, we must go to war, is that right?"

"Yes!" Xie Jue said, "War is the quickest way to stabilize the hearts of the Beiman people; we have no choice."

"Risking the lives of our thousands in Sannan to stabilize the hearts of Beiman people?"

"You can also choose surrender."

The High Priest knew they were at an impasse, no one could convince the other. Beining stood at the peak of strength, utterly unafraid of war with Sannan. The King of Sannan and the priests must either agree to surrender or choose mutual destruction; there’s no way out.

"Fortuity really is hard to fathom; the Yuwen Dynasty fought Beiman for so many years, five generations of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion defended the border, blocking Beiman from advancing south. For a hundred years, Beiman’s climate hasn’t been so harsh; the people still survived. Just when Beining split, Beiman suffered a huge blow in strength, natural disasters and war befell them, forcing them to cease fighting and surrender to Beining. Since then, Beiman became part of Beining’s territory; countless gold and red sand mines flowed into Beining. The Twelve States, vacated due to a century of war, welcomed Beiman people; once the local governments can manage them, strong men farm, women weave, barren land gets cultivated, and trade flourishes once more. Beining’s future prosperity is visibly certain. Once Sannan returns, Beining will have no formidable enemies nearby; whether you go north for battle or southwest, you have no opponents. The Xie family...Indeed is the chosen royal family; even fortuity stands by your side."

Xie Jue didn’t like hearing words about fortuity, "Such words of fortuity merely summarize the sacrifices of five generations of the Xie family; the High Priest speaks too lightly. My Xie family was originally the largest family in Beining, flourishing in numbers; due to wars between two clans, generation after generation sacrificed, leaving only my father’s branch. We brothers nearly all died in the Capital City, ending at the Yuwen Dynasty; just a fleeting thought, and there’d be no Xie family left. Fortuity is something we don’t want; Zhixu and I wish more for family health and peace. If a ruler is wise, knows and uses talents well, as a general wishes to retire to the fields and enjoy family bliss, the High Priest, living high above viewing the masses for long, might have long forgotten the joys of ordinary people."

The High Priest’s brows cooled; Xie Jue showed no fear, "My negotiations with Sannan have reached a deadlock. For the sake of Sannan’s prosperity, I ask the High Priest to decide swiftly; the longer it’s delayed, the more unstable the border gets. Beiman soldiers are waiting eagerly to show loyalty to the new ruler; they are impatiently longing for a battle."

"Is Your Highness threatening me?"

"I’m simply speaking the truth!" Xie Jue chuckled, "I really like Sannan and don’t wish to see Sannan turn into scorched earth, with people displaced. I’m staying in Mudan City and haven’t returned home for long; my younger brother is growing anxious and might come to the border himself to fetch me. If he comes, it won’t be easy to solve matters peacefully. I’m kindly reminding; if you take it as a threat, so be it!"

The High Priest sneered but gave no reply; Xie Jue showed interest in the nine-story pagoda, wanting to explore it. The High Priest refused, and Xie Jue did not insist.

When he left the Priest Court, lunch time had already passed.

The soldiers with him complained a bit about the poor hospitality of the Sannan people, not even offering a meal, to which Xie Jue replied lightly, "No matter."

Down the mountain from the Priest Court was a small inn for resting, not large, tranquil in environment, serving as a stopping and dining place for travelers without many guests today. Xie Jue chose this place for lunch before heading back to the inn.

The Shadow Guard was particularly puzzled about dining outside when it was only an hour’s journey back to the post station; dining out was not entirely safe.

Xie Jue didn’t explain much, so the Shadow Guard went to arrange the meal.

After a poison incident, the Shadow Guard was exceedingly cautious; therefore, Xie Jue’s outdoor meals weren’t handled by others. They gave the shopkeeper a silver ingot, preparing the meal personally for Xie Jue.

Xie Jue sat outside the inn railing, where the environment was pleasing, allowing him to enjoy the view of a lotus pond in the distance, and observe the passing guests. This area had many travelers, and seeing Xie Jue’s setup, people knew better than to provoke him; no one disturbed his tranquility.

Sannan’s customs differed greatly from those in Beining; if in the Twelve States, surely local bandits would consider him a fat sheep to slaughter, provocations inevitable. If in the Capital City, some influential young masters might deem him ostentatious, seizing kitchen space, definitely coming to dispute. In Sannan, they mind their own business, keeping at a distance, avoiding trouble.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves came from afar; a man in black night attire deftly dismounted a chestnut horse and hurried forward, looking up at Xie Jue.

Ying Er stepped forward to intercept him, right hand pressing on the Longsword, a cold glint flashing, "Stop."

Sannan people and Beining people are essentially one family, hard to distinguish from their faces. Xie Jue saw a pair of bright eyes; his attire was simple, a dagger at his waist, looking quite nimble.

"Subordinate Chen Yesheng, requests to see the Prince, has matters to report." Chen Yesheng had inquired early about Xie Jue’s temperament, waiting on Xie Jue’s inevitable path.

Xie Jue showed no expression, "Who are you?"

He asked knowingly, knowing he’s a scout from the marshal, intentionally dining outside, sitting in the conspicuous outdoor position to see if Southern spies encountered obstacles at Fang Chuning.

Will they come to him!

Fang Chuning refuses to speak, so they surely will!