Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 586 - 583: Starting from Scratch_1

Fu Ruoxi’s deputy, covered in blood, cupped his hands to Bai Qingyan, "Princess of Zhen, please beg the Crown Prince for mercy on behalf of our General. He... he must have been coerced!"

"Yes! That person who delivered the message..." The upright commander under Fu Ruoxi pointed at the corpse of the messenger, "must have been sent by someone to coerce our General!"

Bai Qingyan nodded, "General Fu has been guarding the frontier for many years with unwavering loyalty. If he was truly coerced and had no choice, I will personally plead with the Crown Prince and His Majesty. But right now, the priority is to return the Crown Prince to Dadu. As long as we can safely escort the Crown Prince back to Dadu, everyone here will have achievements. At that time, you can plead for General Fu based on your merits."

Hearing this, several generals under Fu Ruoxi nodded, cupping their hands in agreement.

Fu Ruoxi’s deputy, who had previously fought in the Northern Frontier alongside Bai Qingyan, had deep respect for this iron-willed Princess of Zhen.

Moreover, as a descendant of the Bai family and having achieved great victories in both the Southern and Northern Frontiers, Bai Qingyan commanded an added layer of respect from the soldiers of Anping Camp.

Half of Anping Camp’s soldiers were ready to set out. Before departure, Bai Qingyan called Lu Ping, who was to stay at Anping Camp, aside and whispered, "This time, due to Fu Ruoxi’s attempted assassination of the Crown Prince in public, most high-ranking commanders of Anping Camp will be taken away by the Crown Prince. Inform your uncle that he must control the remaining half of Anping Camp’s forces."

Lu Ping nodded, "Do not worry, Eldest Miss!"

·

A gentle rain had just fallen at night, making the blue bricks and green tiles shine brightly.

At the crack of dawn, even the earliest merchants had not yet arisen. The lanterns at the front gates of the wealthy Huang Residence, with its black lacquer and gold nails signboard, were still lit.

A dozen horse hooves thundered along the long street, stopping abruptly at the entrance of the Huang Residence.

Zhang Yan, who had been waiting at the entrance of the Huang Residence, heard the commotion and opened the mansion gate.

Xiao Rongyan, dressed in a moon-white robe and a black cloak, held the reins in one hand and a black gold horsewhip in the other. He dismounted in one leap, covered in dust from his journey.

Zhang Yan hurried to greet him. As he drew near, Xiao Rongyan detected the bitter scent of medicine on Zhang Yan.

Xiao Rongyan threw the black gold horsewhip to Zhang Yan, hurried up the steps, and walked briskly towards the Huang Residence, asking, "How is Xie Xun?"

"The moment Princess Mingcheng’s body was sent off, General Xie fell ill, burning with a fever that won’t go down. He sleeps more than he’s awake," Zhang Yan said, his voice full of concern, "General Xie does take his medicine, but he throws it back up."

Xiao Rongyan bit his back teeth, his sharply defined features taut. "If he throws it up, continue brewing medicine and feeding him until he can keep down a bowl. Take me to him!" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Zhang Yan responded, and quickly led the way through the walls, past the pink walls and red pillars, and into a secluded and elegant courtyard filled with blooming Golden Osmanthus flowers.

The fragrance of the Golden Osmanthus was rich and sweet, scattered by the night rain, covering the blue stone ground, not yet tidied up.

Zhang Yan stepped forward to push open the partition, then stepped aside.

The carved flower partition opened suddenly, bringing a gust of cold, damp wind into the room, dimming the candle flames before they brightened again.

Xiao Rongyan lifted the hem of his robe and entered the room, seeing the thin and pale Xie Xun stiffly turning his head.

Seeing that it was Xiao Rongyan, Xie Xun’s throat tightened. He lifted the quilt and supported himself against the bedside, getting down on one knee to pay his respects. His lips trembled, but whether from guilt or sadness, he could not bring himself to speak.

Zhang Yan, discerning the atmosphere, closed the door and stood guard under the corridor.

Xiao Rongyan’s deep gaze fixed on Xie Xun, who was only wearing his inner garments. He untied his cloak and casually draped it over a nearby chair. Sitting at the black Eight Immortals Table, he stared at Xie Xun with a severe and restrained murderous air. "Mingcheng is gone, and you collapse?"

Xie Xun lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes reddening, and breathing became heavy and urgent. He bit his teeth hard, not making a sound.

The flickering candlelight cast shadows on Xiao Rongyan’s angular profile. He took out the sachet Mingcheng left for Xie Xun from his sleeve and fingered the embroidery on it. "Mingcheng grew up with you, your feelings were deep and sincere. You may grieve, but you must not fall!"

Xiao Rongyan placed the sachet on the Eight Immortals Table. "Mingcheng and you, Xie Xun, both dedicated children of Yan. Xie Xun, tell me, have I misjudged you?"

"Mingcheng died for a cause. Do you not know? Whether living or dead, she has no shame towards her motherland! What about you, Xie Xun? Can you claim to have no shame towards the Yan Kingdom?"

Xiao Rongyan’s voice was firm and forceful, "Back then, the Yan Kingdom was weak, plagued by internal strife and external threats. You knelt before the Emperor, pleading that if he trusted you and gave you soldiers and provisions, you would forge an invincible army in three years. Yan Kingdom was on the brink of collapse, with the Emperor selling ancestral treasures and ordering the Imperial Family to eat only one meal a day to save resources for the new army. From top to bottom, the entire Yan Kingdom, from the Emperor to officials and commoners, donated their possessions, hoping the new army would revitalize the nation. Even during famines and disasters, you never lacked a single grain. Now, you are the only fierce general who can intimidate Beirong, and you hide here, wallowing in self-pity?"

Xie Xun hunched his frail body, tears streaming down his face with his eyes closed.

The difficulties Yan Kingdom faced along the way were not unknown to Xie Xun. Back then, he was young but had a heart devoted to his country. Fearing the Emperor would not trust him, it was the Ninth Prince who advocated for him, bringing him to kneel before Emperor Yan.

For years, he could focus on training the new army because Emperor Yan and the Ninth Prince shielded him from concerns about provisions.

"When our generation inherited Yan Kingdom, it was a mess. The Imperial Family and loyal officials worked together, enduring hardships for over ten years to reach this point. Any mistake, and today’s Yan Kingdom would be reduced to ashes. Yan Kingdom still walks on thin ice!" Xiao Rongyan stood up, supporting himself on the Eight Immortals Table, exhaling a long breath. "Xie Xun, Mingcheng left you to marry for peace because our Yan Kingdom is not strong enough yet! If you truly care for Mingcheng, stand up, take your sword, and return to Beirong! Firmly control Beirong, so they never dare to mention marriage alliances again!"

Xie Xun, pale-faced, looked up at Xiao Rongyan, staring at his cold, hard profile. He choked out, "Prince..."

Xiao Rongyan pointed to the sachet on the Eight Immortals Table, his sharp, deep gaze fixed on Xie Xun, "When our glorious Yan Kingdom dominates or unites the world, we will no longer need Yan’s daughters to secure peace for our motherland through marriage!"