"You and Xie Jue actually believe you can change everything?" Lin Helin asked with a faint smile. "For twenty years, Grandfather couldn’t achieve it. Instead, he focused more on maintaining balance between the imperial family and the Marquis Mansion, unwilling to disrupt the stability of the tripartite forces. But now, it no longer matters. Zhixu, whether you and Ting Feng want to stay in Ningzhou as foreign-nad kings or live in anonymity, it’s up to you. Let’s make a ten-year pact. If, after ten years, Yanyang cannot achieve peace and stability, with tranquil seas and serene rivers, treat it as your elder cousin breaking his promise. By then, you may do whatever you wish."
"Elder Cousin, you may be astute, but you’re treating others like fools. I’m no three-year-old child to fall for your deceptions. The people suffer enormously right now, and the Marquis Mansion has been loyal yet t with annihilation—that makes this the ideal ti for revolt. Ten years from now, ti would have dulled the hatred, the borders between Beiman and Yanyang would be stable, Ningzhou Iron Cavalry would have undergone a complete generational change, and the troops at the border would already be reduced. If not for ceaseless war, why would Ningzhou need to maintain an elite force of hundreds of thousands? Elder Cousin, your plan is elegant: allowing ti to dissipate all grievances and erode Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s combat strength. Ten years later, both the hatred and military strength will have significantly waned. Who would then dare to raise arms in rebellion?"
"You recognize it’s rebellion, so if peace can be negotiated, why initiate civil war?"
"Peace is impossible!" Xie Xun said flatly. "Elder Cousin, let also propose a deal to you. Bring Yuwen Jing’s head, place it at my parents’ graves, and we’ll have sothing to discuss."
"Even if Yuwen Jing dies, Aunt and Uncle will not co back to life!" Lin Helin felt a pang in his heart. Did he not hate Yuwen Jing? Of course, he did!
"Then there’s no resolution!" Xie Xun said indifferently. "We share no common ground, Elder Cousin. Our conversation ends here. I am in Jiaozhou City—you may kill or punish as you see fit."
"Zhixu, I never intended to kill you, Cousin."
"The mont you used Second Brother’s identity to threaten us, you had already prepared for the worst." Xie Xun coldly pierced through Lin Helin’s façade.
Each person carries a scale in their heart, weighing what matters more or less.
In Xie Xun’s mind, Xie Jue outweighed the Lin Family.
In Lin Helin’s heart, the Lin Family outweighed Xie Jue and Xie Xun.
Since neither was the other’s most cherished, it was only natural there would be sacrifices and hard choices.
Xue Yu and the state mansion staff were also caught in a dilemma. The confrontation between Lin Helin and Xie Xun shaped their future paths. Xue Yu understood that Jiaozhou’s choices diverged from Jinzhou’s. Jinzhou could cozy up to the West Continent and remain vague in its stance, but Jiaozhou had no such luxury.
Xie Xun and Lin Helin’s negotiations were at an impasse. Xie Xun refused to send any letters to Ningzhou. These cousins proved far more obstinate than anticipated, unwilling to yield even an inch—no, not even a hollow pretense of retreat. Perhaps, precisely because they were closely related, there were no lies. Ironically, this only made the situation more dire.
Xue Yu spoke cautiously, "My lord, Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s sixty thousand troops are camped just outside the city. If conflict erupts, all of Jiaozhou will suffer. Please consider carefully."
When he first arrived in Jiaozhou, Lin Helin had yet to arrive. Had he known things would grow so precarious, Xue Yu wouldn’t have ddled in this ss, avoiding catastrophe. Now, even Jinzhou found itself in a difficult position.
Fortunately, with such alarming developnts in Jiaozhou, Lin Helin had no ti to discuss Jinzhou’s matters with him.
"Mr. Xue, do not worry. Zhixu knows what he’s doing. He sends signals to the forces outside the city every day. Ningzhou Iron Cavalry will not launch a large-scale assault on Jiaozhou."
"But keeping the city gates shut is not a solution either. rchants within the city are already murmuring complaints. The grain delivered via Bei River needs to be accounted for and stored. If Ningzhou Iron Cavalry continues the siege for a few more days, public morale is bound to waver." Xue Yu was concerned that Jiaozhou’s rchants might grow disloyal, and, furthermore, how long did Lin Helin plan to detain Xie Xun?
"Open the South City Gate for routine comrce, but leave the North City Gate untouched," Lin Helin decided. He knew full well this was his and the Xie brothers’ final chance.
Squander this opportunity, and reconciliation would be forever out of reach.
"My lord, should we request Zhongzhou to send troops as a deterrent? It might prove effective. Besides, Zhongzhou is closer." Xue Yu had long hoped for Zhongzhou to dispatch troops to ease the Jiaozhou predicant. Xie Xun wasn’t eager for an all-out war; if Zhongzhou mobilized, he would likely withdraw.
"If Zhongzhou sends troops, it will only escalate tensions," Lin Helin said calmly. "Zhixu’s march to Jiaozhou is already alarming enough for the court—a signal ant to intimidate all twelve states, a ssage surely reaching Ningzhou."
This was a deadlock.
Seemingly insoluble, Lin Helin was deeply troubled. This thorny matter, involving blood ties, inevitably tied his hands. Had it been soone else, he would’ve already exposed Xie Jue’s identity to disrupt the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Under such pressure, Xie Xun could only retreat to Ningzhou.
Now, Xie Xun was gambling, testing whether he’d truly dare to act.
And so, Xie Xun remained unyielding. But what if Lin Helin issued an ultimatum?
Did Xie Xun genuinely not care whether Xie Jue’s identity was revealed?
Xie Xun was indeed wagering—whether Lin Helin had the ruthlessness to expose the truth. He also wanted to know how Lin Helin had co by this knowledge.
As he mulled this over, Xie Xun pondered how to break the deadlock. Aunt Mudan was already dead, gone with her secrets. Who could prove she was the Sannan Princess?
Even if so portrait survived—people could resemble one another. Who could assert that a likeness ant she was definitively the Sannan Princess?
Ningzhou.
Xie Jue received an urgent ssage from Feiying, delivered on horseback at top speed, changing mounts six tis en route. One horse nearly died. Ningzhou’s generals cherished their steeds, and it gave Xie Jue relief to finally take the letter in hand.
After reading the letter, Xie Jue blurted out, "Absurd!"
How could this possibly be?
His mother was the Sannan Princess? Where did that co from? Neither his father nor his mother—not even his wet nurse—had ever ntioned such a thing. All he knew was that his wet nurse was from Sannan. As soone with half Sannan blood and raised in the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, he had faced much criticism. Yet he and his older brother, Xie Xun, strongly resembled the Marquis.
The three brothers were unmistakably family!
Xie Jue’s mind was in turmoil, though he quickly steadied himself. Feiying then recounted Xie Xun’s words verbatim. The letter had passed through no hands and was temporarily secure.
Sitting in his study, Xie Jue’s thoughts grew heavy. What was going on?
Back in the day, when his mother had selected concubines, how exactly had it been done? He didn’t know much; the matter was shrouded in secrecy. He and Xie Zhang only knew this much: if not for the Marchioness’s health failing, with no hope of bearing more children per the Imperial Physician, she would never have chosen concubines for the Marquis. If she had to, why pick one from Sannan?
One incident did surface in his mory. When he was six years old, soone at Imperial College taunted him for his half-Sannan bloodline. A rock struck his forehead, leaving him bleeding profusely. His wet nurse, eyes reddened with fury, held him in her arms, choking out between sobs, "If we were in Sannan, no one would dare humiliate you like this."
At the ti, he hadn’t understood. Now, thinking back, everything seed to carry traces of the truth.
His older brother had been raised by their father, systematically trained in military arts. Every male in the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion served on the battlefield. Yet he alone had been grood for a civil post. Their father hadn’t intended for him to hold military power. Back then, Xie Xun was too young, and the entire future of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion rested on Xie Zhang’s shoulders. Xie Jue had often wondered why his father insisted on his civil ambitions while denying him a military role.
Granted, his health had been poor during his formative years, and while that had briefly set him back, he worked exceptionally hard afterwards. Surely, catching up wasn’t impossible. The Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had never produced a civil official; all its n pursued military paths. Xie Jue was the sole exception.
Could his father have known his identity all along, avoiding a situation where Sannan’s royal heir—the first in line to the throne—wielded power in Ningzhou Iron Cavalry? The implications would have been catastrophic.
All his past confusion now held clarity. So, this was the truth!
The revelation was staggering!
But his father, mother, and wet nurse had never spoken of it. His father’s training for the three brothers varied, imbuing each with different expectations. Yet his paternal love never wavered. Whether his mother was from Sannan or not, he treated Xie Jue as his son—Marquis Zhenbei’s son.
Retracing the past no longer mattered. Xie Jue quickly composed himself. How had Elder Cousin discovered this?
How many people were in the know?
Did his father reveal this to anyone else?
Idle rumors couldn’t determine his identity. With no evidence, only reckless speculation, he could vehently deny it outright. The Xie brothers’ resemblance made it difficult for anyone to contest their lineage to the Marquis.
Unless... Elder Cousin had irrefutable proof.
His wet nurse was dead—what other proof could exist?
"One, Two, Three—co in!" Xie Jue called coldly. His Shadow Guards entered swiftly, their movents precise and silent. Under the moonlight, Xie Jue’s expression appeared as frigid and glacial as frost.
He was sending n to Sannan to uncover the truth.
Elder Cousin could not remain in Jiaozhou!
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