Chapter 628: Chapter 628

Ruyi kept complaining without end, saying that his father hit his palm and punished him by making him practice calligraphy. Ruyi didn’t know how to write a single character, but now he was practicing writing his name every day. Fengyu had never heard of anyone practicing calligraphy by starting with their name. Ruyi had been practicing for a few days, but he couldn’t sit still. At his age, he was extremely restless and couldn’t focus. Practicing calligraphy was a torment for him, and he still hadn’t learned how to write his own name.

Ruyi was also a picky eater, but after Xie Jue returned, he wasn’t allowed to be picky anymore. Though Xie Jue never forced him to eat food he disliked, whatever the kitchen prepared was what he had to eat—he was only allowed to order one dish.

Rules were being set for him in every aspect of life—food, clothing, housing, and travel. Fengyu listened to Ruyi’s complaints and grumbles, her heart aching for him, but she teased him nonetheless, saying, "How about Ruyi doesn’t want Father anymore and goes to live with Great-Grandmother instead?"

Ruyi was passionately airing his grievances about Xie Jue’s mistreatment of him, but at the mention of Great-Grandmother, he paused for a moment and hesitantly asked, "If I go to Great-Grandmother’s house, won’t I be able to stay with Father?"

"Then forget it!" Though Ruyi proclaimed that he was being mistreated, he still liked being with his father. His memories of Xie Jue had grown somewhat vague, but over recent days, he was becoming familiar with him again, inexplicably feeling a sense of closeness.

Fengyu couldn’t help but laugh despite herself. As the sun gradually set and the sky dimmed, the kitchen in Changshou Palace bustled with preparations for dinner. Fengyu knew that Ruyi must have been feeling mistreated lately, so she asked the Imperial Kitchen to prepare several of his favorite desserts. When she brought Ruyi back to the palace, Xie Xun and Xie Jue were still in the front hall discussing matters.

Lin Helin, Zhang Boju, and others hadn’t left yet. Fengyu fed Ruyi a bowl of sweet pudding, and, with time to spare, began teaching him to write numbers from one to ten.

One to ten was very simple—easy to remember and understand for Ruyi. Since Xie Jue hadn’t yet hired a tutor for Ruyi, he might wait until Ruyi turned three to start teaching him reading and writing. That meant Ruyi still had half a year to play to his heart’s content.

By the time Xie Xun and Xie Jue arrived together from the front hall, Ruyi had already learned to write one to ten. Unable to contain his excitement, he showed off his progress to Xie Jue, eager for his father’s praise. Xie Jue didn’t hold back his compliments, praising him for writing so well, though Xie Xun, upon seeing the crooked and wobbly handwriting, couldn’t figure out what was particularly praiseworthy about it.

Ruyi felt both happy and proud, suddenly realizing that practicing calligraphy wasn’t all that difficult after all.

The four of them dining together was something that hadn’t happened for a very long time—so long ago, in fact, that they hadn’t had a reunion meal since returning to the Capital City. In Xie Jue’s heart, Fengyu had long been considered part of the Xie Family. Had he not been staying at the estate for some peace and quiet or Fengyu recovering from illness, this meal would’ve happened much earlier.

The palace maids and eunuchs were not required to stay and serve in the dining hall. Even now that Xie Xun had become emperor, his personal habits remained simple, unpretentious—he didn’t enjoy being the center of attention or surrounded by flattery. He took pleasure in personally caring for Fengyu and Ruyi, often serving them food, ladling soup, or even feeding Ruyi himself. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

This mood lasted until Xie Jue mentioned that he planned to station himself at Beiman; the room instantly grew cold.

Fengyu sensed the tension and chuckled softly, saying, "Second Brother, Zhixu, Ruyi hasn’t finished eating yet. Let’s discuss this later."

Xie Xun and Xie Jue glanced at Ruyi, who was still too young to perceive the undercurrent in the room. He was happily enjoying his meal, oblivious to the gravity of the topic at hand. The matter of Xie Jue’s deployment to Beiman had likely been deliberated between him and Xie Xun but hadn’t been agreed upon. Both feared it would alarm Ruyi, so they glossed over the subject lightly.

Fengyu shifted the conversation. "Marshal Fang and Han Ziqi’s troops—will they be arriving in the Capital City the day after tomorrow?"

Xie Xun nodded. "If the journey is smooth, they could arrive by tomorrow night. If delayed slightly, they should be here by noon the day after."

"Do you think the Marshal will retire from his duties and live a peaceful life in the countryside?" Fengyu probed, wanting to test Xie Xun and Xie Jue’s thoughts on the matter—something Fang Lingjun also wanted to know. Fengyu figured Second Brother would approach matters concerning the Fang Family with greater caution.

"Uncertain," Xie Xun said, not entirely sure of Marshal Fang’s stance. Fang Chuning had mentioned that the Marshal’s letters to his wife contained not a single word about the new dynasty.

"What are your thoughts?"

Xie Jue had remained silent the whole time as his position was clear—he prioritized Xie Xun’s interests above all else. Any force opposed to Xie Xun, irrespective of who they were—even Fang Chuning’s father—would unequivocally be his adversary. The key was finding an appropriate approach.

Xie Xun picked up a wine cup, poured a drink for himself and Xie Jue, and said, "If he refuses to comply, he’ll have to retire to the countryside. The Jiangnan garrisons will be handed over to Fang Chuning. I absolutely cannot allow him to return to Jiangnan to lead troops—it’s too great a risk. However, if he truly does retire, the situation in Jiangnan will need to be restructured, and he certainly won’t let Fang Chuning take charge. With Zhongzhou recently stabilized, I also can’t send generals from the previous dynasty to command there. I’d need to assign generals from Ningzhou’s faction, and it could take two to three years to stabilize the Jiangnan situation."

Fengyu furrowed her brow. If it truly escalated to that extent, the new dynasty and Marshal Fang’s faction would end up clashing bitterly.

"The best outcome," Xie Jue interjected, "is for the Marshal to willingly and wholeheartedly submit to the new dynasty and continue leading Jiangnan’s troops. That way, everyone benefits."

They still didn’t know the Marshal’s attitude and could only wait until he returned to the Capital City to take things step by step.

Having finished half a bowl of bone porridge, Ruyi’s little belly was full to the brim. "Father, I want to go play outside."

"Go ahead, but don’t run around too much after eating."

Even if Xie Jue hadn’t reminded him, Dongxue and Xia Zhu would keep an eye on Ruyi. There were also experienced old nannies in the palace skilled at childcare. So Xie Jue wasn’t overly worried. Read complete versıon only at Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

Ruyi hopped off his round stool and bounced out of the room. Once he left, Xie Jue and Xie Xun began discussing freely without reservation. "The Marshal is bringing Han Ziqi along for negotiations. Sannan is a defeated nation; whether to continue fighting or to pursue peace must be decisively handled promptly. The cabinet and the military generals hold differing views, and you need to make a decision quickly."

Xie Xun, along with the cabinet officials, had been deliberating this issue until late recently. The generals from Ningzhou favored warfare—Sannan had already been defeated, and they wanted to press the advantage. Historically, Sannan had been territory carved out from the homeland, and with its weakened state, it was an opportune moment for unification.

The cabinet, on the other hand, believed that if Sannan paid annual tributes and acknowledged Beining’s supremacy, war could be avoided. If negotiations failed and military action ensued, Sannan would close its borders.

Sannan and Beining’s borders had remained open for years. Closing them would have far-reaching repercussions, driving many into displacement, while businesses in Jiangnan would suffer heavy losses.

The Su Family owned assets in Sannan, and Xie Xun harbored aspirations to press forward and complete the unification—a lifelong ambition of his father, the late Marquis Zhenbei.

But Beining’s current circumstances meant prolonged conflict with Sannan would also be costly. Thus, Xie Xun and Xie Jue continued debating the matter. Xie Jue refrained from voicing an opinion due to his unique position, a sensitivity that Lin Helin was also mindful of, resulting in his efforts to avoid conflict where possible.

"Ayu, what do you think?" Xie Jue suddenly asked, "Do you think Sannan and Beining should wage war or make peace?"