Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 194: Hooligan

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Hooligan

Xie Zhang was slightly startled, "He’s daydreaming."

The original name of the Northern Iron Cavalry was the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, and many years ago they still obeyed the orders of the Yuwen Royal Family. Later, the cavalry had four generations of leaders from the Marquis Zhenbei’s house, and their loyalty shifted from the Yuwen Royal Family to the Marquis Mansion. Officials often criticized the cavalry as being private soldiers of the Marquis Mansion, which was not untrue. Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Zhang, Xie Jue, and Xie Xun all knew this to be a fact, yet no one dared to speak it aloud.

This was an army loyal to the Marquis Mansion, not the royal family.

If something were to happen to the Marquis Zhenbei’s entire family in the Capital City, the cavalry stationed in Ningzhou would surely rebel. The Crown Prince’s desire to kill the Marquis Mansion and seize control of the army was wishful thinking; he could only slowly divide the cavalry’s loyalties after Marquis Zhenbei relinquished military power, gradually weakening the Marquis Mansion’s prestige.

This was not something achievable overnight but required decades of effort—just like the loyalty of the cavalry to the Marquis Mansion, built over three generations of accumulated reputation, not something established in a day.

Hence, the Marquis had led his army in a prolonged war against Beiman near the border, never worrying about the safety of the Marchioness in the Capital City or fearing that his eldest daughter, Consort Xie, would be mistreated in the palace.

When Xie Jue proposed mobilizing troops to provide reinforcements, the Marquis’s first reaction was rejection.

The Yuwen Royal Family did not dare to move against the Marquis Mansion.

Xie Zhang said, "What gives him the right?"

Xie Jue thought the same—indeed, what right? Was he ready to give up his kingdom? Even if he had planned flawlessly, he clearly hadn’t foreseen the Crown Prince’s schemes. How foolish!

"I don’t believe the Crown Prince could calculate that the cavalry would be able to station near the hunting ground," Xie Zhang said. "He might have secretly made some deal with Dugu Jing to target your life. The traps in the Southern Hunting Ground are aimed at you. If the Crown Prince were truly such a cunning strategist, the situation wouldn’t have reached this point. Has Father sent anyone to protect him as he entered the hunting ground today?"

Xie Jue nodded. His Shadow Guards One, Two, and Three were following Marquis Zhenbei.

Hundreds of thousands of cavalry were stationed in Ningzhou; if Marquis Zhenbei were assassinated in the Capital City, it would certainly cause an uproar. If they weren’t out of their minds, they wouldn’t dare to commit such reckless acts. While Xie Jue didn’t trust the Yuwen Royal Family, he still dispatched Shadow Guards to follow, fearing they might use the pretense of hunting to orchestrate an impeccable plot.

Xie Zhang’s heart sank slightly. He had guarded the borders for ten years and had never felt the Capital City to be as treacherous as it was now, nor had he ever sensed killing intent from the Yuwen Royal Family.

This time alone, however, Beiman was discussing peace.

Once exploited, they would kill the donkey after the grinding was done.

But they were far too hasty—it wasn’t the Emperor’s usual style either.

"Big Brother, I want to mobilize troops from the border," Xie Jue said in a grave tone. This was the second time he had brought up troop mobilization. "I am uneasy."

"Father won’t agree to it," Xie Zhang’s face turned slightly cold. "If the royal family does dare to target the Marquis Mansion, it would mean they are willing to risk the collapse of their kingdom. How could they possibly dare?"

"Big Brother, I want to mobilize troops!" Xie Jue insisted again.

"I can’t persuade Father myself," Xie Zhang said, troubled. Mobilizing troops would only confirm the Marquis Mansion’s self-serving ambitions, intensifying the conflict between the Marquis Mansion and the royal family—a scenario Marquis Zhenbei was most unwilling to see.

"I don’t want to bet the lives of a dozen people in the Marquis Mansion on whether the Yuwen Royal Family dares or not," Xie Jue said calmly. "The human heart is the least predictable. If he truly goes mad, no one will be able to stop him."

No sane individual can predict the thoughts of a madman.

Xie Zhang pressed his lips together and nodded slightly, "Let me think it over; I’ll find an opportunity to speak with Father."

Fengyu gradually woke up closer to noon. Her head throbbed; the snake venom coursing through her body left Fengyu dazed and plagued by nightmares, granting her only fleeting moments of peace upon waking.

"Ayu..." Feng Shu gasped in delight as she watched Fengyu regain consciousness. Zhang Lingzheng had increased the dosage of medicine, causing Fengyu to sweat through the latter half of the night, soaking the brocade quilt. The marks from the snake bite had begun to lighten, and the venom was gradually being purged. Struggling through her dizziness, Fengyu was finally able to make out Feng Shu’s and Su Yuejiao’s faces.

"Elder Sister, Mother..." The two had been by her side for an entire day and night. Exhausted, they were now overjoyed. Su Yuejiao lovingly stroked her face, "Ayu has suffered so much. Are you feeling unwell?"

Fengyu fought against her swoon, "What about Junjun?"

"She’s alright..." Feng Shu reassured her. "Junjun’s still sleeping; don’t worry."

Fengyu was about to fall asleep again but noticed the morning light. She suddenly recalled Chen Mo’s arrangement of traps and seized Feng Shu’s hand tightly, "Elder Sister, I saw Chen Mo setting up a poisoned arrow formation in the forest."

"Chen Mo of the Jinyi Guard?" Feng Shu froze.

Fengyu nodded emphatically, but she couldn’t resist the dizziness and slipped back into unconsciousness. Feng Shu summoned Zhang Lingzheng to check Fengyu’s injuries, then pulled Fang Lingjun aside and woke her up, lowering her voice to ask, "Junjun, did you tell Fang Chuning about Chen Mo’s arrangement of the poisoned arrows?"

Fang Lingjun was a bit groggy; her concern for Fengyu had made her forget this matter. Feng Shu’s face turned grim as she dragged Fang Lingjun out of the tent to find Xie Zhang. Xie Jue was still discussing matters with Xie Zhang in his tent.

Feng Shu said, "Ayu claims she saw Chen Mo ordering people to set up poisoned arrows in Xiyanshan."

Chen Mo, being the confidant of Emperor Jianming, would only act under imperial orders. Fang Lingjun was somewhat frightened, "I forgot to tell Big Brother."

"Poisoned?" Xie Zhang’s brow twitched fiercely.

Xie Jue grabbed the map and spread it out on the table, "Mark the location!"

Fang Lingjun, who usually found the taciturn Second Young Master intimidating, fumbled several times before being unable to pinpoint the exact position. Xie Jue’s face turned increasingly cold, and Fang Lingjun, gritting her teeth, drew a large circle extending from the incident point at the Northern Hunting Ground outward.

"I can’t remember it clearly!" Fang Lingjun, under the piercing gaze of the Second Young Master, was on the verge of crying.

The entirety of Xiyanshan was open, with prey darting through the mountains, scattered far and wide. The royal hunting ground was vast and filled with many animals, accommodating crowds of thousands for the hunt.

Dugu Jing and the Beiman Generals, totaling over twenty people, participated in the hunt. The military generals had been tasked with shadowing them individually to prevent them from setting traps in the forest.

Fang Chuning shadowed Dugu Jing every step of the way, not letting him leave her view for even a moment, sparring over prey with him at every opportunity.

Dugu Jing snapped irritably, "Fang Chuning, is this Yanyang’s version of hospitality?"

Fang Chuning twirled her longbow in an elegant gesture, slinging it over her shoulder with an amused fox-like grin, "Ninth Prince, don’t misunderstand. It’s just a personal hobby—not something so grand to fuss over. How frightening."

As a prey darted past them, Fang Chuning drew her bowstring and shifted slightly, her tall and poised figure emitting an air of commanding strength. The arrow zipped past Dugu Jing’s shoulder and struck a rabbit. "Ting Feng loves roasted rabbit—it’s his lucky day."

That shot was an undeniable provocation, with the wind from the arrow brushing against his hair, almost slicing into flesh. Dugu Jing glared angrily at her, while Fang Chuning maintained a cordial smile.

"Fine then. Let’s see how many prey you can snatch out of my hands."

"Much obliged to accept your challenge," Fang Chuning replied cheerfully, not seeming to interpret his fury as anything other than an invitation. Her enthusiasm only grew. The Beiman Generals were all livid; she was downright insufferable!

Among the young generals of Yanyang, no one was more difficult to deal with or roguish than Junior General Fang.

Fang Chuning, single-handedly, kept a relentless watch on Dugu Jing, never letting him out of her sight. Meanwhile, Xie Xun pursued Ling Cheng and Chen Mo further into the forest.