Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 170: Father and Son

Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Father and Son

When Fengyu’s soul transmigrated into Xie Xun, Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Zhang, Xie Jue, and Xie Xun were in the study, tension thick in the air. Marquis Zhenbei kicked Xie Xun hard, and though Fengyu inhabited Xie Xun’s body, she couldn’t control it as he would. The force sent her flying three meters, crashing into the threshold, stars flashing before her eyes, pain surging so fiercely that tears streamed instantly.

Does the Marquis strike his rebellious son this harshly?

Xie Zhang and Xie Jue, seeing Xie Xun cry, were both shocked. Even Xie Jue, usually as immovable as a mountain, stared wide-eyed in disbelief—almost more stunned than seeing Xie Xun knocked so far away.

Even Marquis Zhenbei himself seemed oblivious to the strength of his kick, standing enraged, his fury evident as he pointed and berated Xie Xun, "To speak such treasonous words without restraint—you’re truly shameless! My Marquis Zhenbei Mansion has guarded the frontier for five generations, defending Yanyang relentlessly. Now that peace talks with the Beiman require only a few years, spring is flourishing, suitable for farming and raising livestock, for peaceful livelihoods. And you want to ignite the flames of war? Sannan gathers its forces, the Beiman eye us greedily—how many more years must Yanyang endure conflict? You’ve been away from the border for two years, and have you forgotten the bones scattered on the banks of the Shaling River?"

Fengyu clutched her sore waist and stomach, staring at Marquis Zhenbei’s red-rimmed eyes, clueless as to what outrageous statement Xie Xun had uttered.

Pointing at him, Marquis Zhenbei barked, "Speak up! What now, struck dumb? Weren’t you so eloquent before?"

Fengyu wasn’t Xie Xun—she didn’t know what he’d said to enrage the Marquis. All she knew was the excruciating pain in her waist and abdomen. The Marquis growled, "’Replace the Emperor,’ you had the audacity to say. Why don’t you lead an uprising yourself? Sit on the throne while you’re at it! You think no one else is competent—only you are? Step outside and shout—how many would pledge their lives to you? The Iron Cavalry swears loyalty to the Marquis Mansion, to the Yuwen Royal Family? Neither! Their loyalty is to the people of Yanyang. Anyone who incites war is their enemy."

Fengyu’s heart pounded wildly, piecing together the young Marquis’s presumptive rebellion from Marquis Zhenbei’s furious tirade. Xie Xun was never one to forget his roots or commit blasphemous acts of betrayal. He had shown his loyalty and care for the people during the snow disaster. What could have caused Xie Xun to misspeak and provoke such wrath from the Marquis?

"Xie Xun, what’s wrong with you? Drenched in indulgence, living in debauchery—can’t even stand properly?" At last, the Marquis noticed that his rebellious son was still lying on the ground, his rage surging anew. "Get up!"

Marquis Zhenbei, fiery-tempered by nature, and the young Marquis, hot-blooded and headstrong, often clashed over military affairs. Kicking Xie Xun was practically routine; the Marquis controlled his strength well, ensuring the lad felt pain but wouldn’t truly be injured. However, he had never sent him flying three meters before.

Fengyu wished to defend the young Marquis with a few words, but as she opened her mouth, a sudden vertigo hit—Xie Xun’s true soul had returned. Pain seeped into his body, lying horizontally on the ground. Xie Xun’s expression shifted slightly; the Third Miss had taken a kick on his behalf—it must have hurt tremendously.

Xie Zhang and Xie Jue had merely watched the young Marquis get kicked, first too stunned to act. When they saw Xie Xun shed tears, their disbelief deepened. Too shocked to intervene, they simply stood by.

And now, seeing Xie Xun’s confused, aggrieved look, Xie Zhang and Xie Jue both wondered if exhaustion tonight was making them hallucinate—until Xie Xun struggled to his feet, gritting his teeth.

Exchanging glances, Xie Zhang and Xie Jue understood the mutual meaning in each other’s eyes.

Finally, back to normal!

"I misspoke in the heat of the moment—is it impossible for you to just talk it through rather than resort to violence?" Xie Xun thought to himself; in such a brief period, the Third Miss, clever as she was, surely hadn’t made any reckless remarks.

Xie Zhang stepped forward to block Marquis Zhenbei, who seemed ready to strike again. "Father, Zhixu truly misspoke unintentionally—please don’t dwell on it. However, Ting Feng’s warnings are not baseless. We must make comprehensive preparations."

He approached the study’s sand table, pointing at Guli City and Gaoping County, located south of the Capital City. Xie Zhang said, "Guli City holds sixty thousand stationed troops, Gaoping County thirty thousand—the Kyoto Capital Guard. With swift riders, they could reinforce the Capital in an hour. Within the city, there are twenty thousand Forbidden Army, twenty thousand Imperial Army, and ten thousand Capital Guard troops. The Iron Cavalry is stationed ten miles outside the city. If Ting Feng’s words hold true, and the Emperor intends to strip military power over wine, the thirty thousand Iron Cavalry would be vulnerable to attacks from both inside and outside—not a favorable position. My suggestion is to relocate the thirty thousand Iron Cavalry into the city. Should any changes occur, we’ll at least have strategies in place."

"If the Iron Cavalry moves into the city, would the Emperor sleep peacefully?" Marquis Zhenbei countered. "Nor do the Iron Cavalry have any grounds to relocate there. Are you brothers overthinking this? The Emperor is pressured by the noble families and has accomplished little in governance. Though suspicious and calculating, he would never commit such a drastic act as ’slaughter the heroes after their work is done.’ Even with those Forbidden and Imperial troops within the city—they’re no match for the Iron Cavalry; they know this well."

Xie Jue pursed his lips, displeasure flickering in his gaze. Xie Zhang chuckled in response, "Father, you’ve angered Ting Feng."

Marquis Zhenbei glanced at Xie Jue, clearing his throat and maintaining his fatherly authority, but chose to remain silent.

Xie Xun furrowed his brow, replying, "How many generals renowned for their merit have met good ends? You want to reorganize the noble families, but if you fail to hand over military power in time, we need to prepare diligently—a failure to see the bigger picture. Unless you submit a petition to relinquish command, then indeed, all parties would rejoice, and the land would be at peace."

Marquis Zhenbei, a veteran of countless battlefields, held firmly to his family’s creed: loyalty to the emperor and love for the nation, his heart beating with unyielding patriotism. He yearned for peace across the land, harmony between ruler and ministers. Yet his untamed nature, coupled with explosive temper, openly revealed his ambition to fix the noble family structure—a course Emperor Jianming was willing to wait for him to undertake.

But the noble families—

Would they accept it willingly?

None could forget how the former emperor met his end.

Marquis Zhenbei’s expression darkened. "What do you propose?"

Xie Jue suggested, "Deploy the Iron Cavalry into the city, place surveillance on Gaoping and Guli, and relay the message to the border. Have General Cui lead twenty thousand Iron Cavalry to sweep through Twelve Prefectures and eliminate the bandits, fortifying consecutive two towns. Before father and eldest brother leave the Capital, no movement should be underestimated."

"That’s an enormous mobilization!" Marquis Zhenbei exclaimed, stunned. "You... Ting Feng... are you preparing for the Emperor to wipe out our entire family?"

Xie Zhang hadn’t anticipated Xie Jue’s large-scale plans either and furrowed his brows in mild surprise.

Xie Xun was equally shocked. Even if the Emperor were to strip military authority over wine, he would never target a single person within the Marquis Mansion.

Seeing his father, elder brother, and younger brother all wearing expressions of astonishment, Xie Jue calmly explained, "Defense is for the worst-case scenario."

The room fell silent...

"No," Marquis Zhenbei shook his head resolutely. "I’ll find a way to have the Iron Cavalry stationed in the city, but everything else stays as is. Surveillance on Gaoping and Guli should be done covertly. Relocating twenty thousand Iron Cavalry from the border can’t be done in secrecy—it would be a glaring signal to the world that we’re hoarding arms. That would lead to accusations of treasonable conduct. Whatever issues exist between our Marquis Mansion and the Royal Family, they won’t escalate to such extremes."

Xie Xun added, "The Jinyi Guard has ears and eyes across the land. Moving twenty thousand Iron Cavalry from the border wouldn’t escape the Emperor’s notice; it would only deepen the fractures between the Marquis Mansion and the Royal Family. Though the Emperor is suspicious and overthinking, he’s not an oppressive tyrant. Father, there’s an opportunity for dialogue—your concerns about the noble families align with his goals. We have a shared vision."