Chapter 579: Chapter 579

Xie Jue found Fang Chuning on the city wall at the South City Gate of Lanzhou City. The moonlight was like water. The South City Gate was not the main battlefield, and due to its terrain, it did not need guarding. The Sannan army was unlikely to bypass the waterways to attack the South City Gate, so only sentries were left there. Fang Chuning was sitting at the highest point of the wall, perched on the edge. Three wine flasks had rolled onto the ground, and he was still holding one in his hand. As Xie Jue approached, he caught the scent of alcohol carried by the night wind.

Xie Jue knew that Fang Chuning had gone to meet Marshal Fang. After the Ningzhou generals held a boisterous celebration, Xie Jue stayed to have a few more drinks with them before going out to search for Fang Chuning. Zhou Buyan mentioned that Fang Chuning and Marshal Fang had parted ways in bitterness, but no one knew where Fang Chuning had run off to. He even forbade Zhou Buyan from following him. Zhou Buyan hadn’t followed Fang Chuning to Ningzhou; instead, he’d come directly from Zhongzhou and had been staying by Fang Chuning’s side ever since. It was rare for Fang Chuning to deny him his constant companionship. Follow current novᴇls on novelFɪre.net

The main battlefield was at the North City Gate. Fang Chuning had come to the South City Gate alone on horseback, and Xie Jue had to expend quite an effort to locate him. From below the city wall, he saw Fang Chuning perched high on the edge, drinking alone, his solitary figure stark against the night. In his own joy, Xie Jue had forgotten about Fang Chuning’s pain. He must have met yet another dead end with Marshal Fang.

Though they were in the midst of war, all the generals wore full armor. Fang Chuning was no exception. Wine had soaked into his armor, glinting coldly under the moonlight, which only added to his chilly demeanor, utterly devoid of warmth. Even the arch of his brows as he glanced over carried a frosty chill, like moonlight itself. Xie Jue’s heart ached faintly, and he stood silently beside him.

"Zhixu going to Shangjing was arranged by me. It wasn’t for seizing power. It was purely for personal reasons; I had no idea he would succeed in taking the throne." Xie Jue couldn’t help but explain himself to Fang Chuning. He didn’t want Fang Chuning to misunderstand. Though he had been secretly supporting Jiangnan while concealing the move from them and seizing Capital City, the fact that Xie Xun ascended to the throne was indeed unexpected for him.

"It doesn’t matter," Fang Chuning said, his voice tinged with hoarseness. He lifted the wine flask in his hand slightly, making a toasting gesture. "Ting Feng, congratulations on achieving your desires."

Xie Jue had no desire to hear such words from Fang Chuning. He also knew Fang Chuning wasn’t sincere. The aloof coldness in Fang Chuning’s eyes left him feeling at a loss.

Fang Chuning did not respond to the call. Instead, he tilted his head back, drinking his wine. Under the moonlight, he gazed at the night sky with an air of desolate tranquility, as if his heart were entirely dead. Xie Jue’s fingers clenched slightly at his side, his chest aching as though stung by some unseen venom.

Xie Jue turned to descend the city wall. But when he was halfway down, he sat on the steps, not straying far. The matter of Xie Xun becoming emperor brought joy to some and pain to others. No matter what he said, it would only twist the knife in Fang Chuning’s heart. Despite Fang Chuning’s lack of action, the fragile father-son relationship between him and Marshal Fang would undoubtedly grow even more strained and irreparable because of this.

No words could comfort Fang Chuning; any attempt would only seem devoid of sincerity. Xie Jue had no idea how to resolve the tension between them.

And now, this conflict had clearly begun to affect his relationship with Fang Chuning as well. Xie Jue was utterly helpless in the face of it.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before he heard the shattering sound of a wine flask falling to the ground. Alarmed, Xie Jue hurriedly stood up and climbed the wall again. Even for someone with a high alcohol tolerance, heavy drinking in such despondency was dangerous. The city tower was so high, and Xie Jue dreaded the potential for an accident. When he reached the top of the wall, he saw Fang Chuning swaying unsteadily. Standing on the edge of the wall with shards of the broken wine flask scattered around him, he resembled a night hawk poised to take flight, ready to either soar into the darkness or plummet.

Xie Jue’s heart lurched violently. "Anning, come down!"