Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 211 Teaching Children

Chapter 211: Chapter 211 Teaching Children

"Besides the noble families... who else would want Ting Feng’s life?" The Marchioness bent down and helped her brother up. "If it wasn’t you, then who could it be?"

"Elder sister, this is a ploy to sow discord among us. If we start suspecting one another, it will only bring pain to our loved ones and pleasure to our enemies," Lin Hongyuan said gravely. "The matter of Ting Feng being harmed—I will investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation."

"Ting Feng’s eyes—are they really beyond recovery?" Lin Hongcheng asked urgently. "We have many precious medicinal herbs at home; I will have someone send them to the Marquis Mansion."

The Marchioness’ eyes grew red. She would seek out every renowned physician to heal Ting Feng’s eyes.

Chen Lin and the others, along with Fang Chuning and Xie Jue, awoke quickly. The trio knelt before Marquis Zhenbei and Xie Zhang to plead for their mistakes. They were Xie Jue’s Shadow Guards, always prepared to die for him. If they survived, yet Xie Jue suffered harm—it was their dereliction of duty. The trio, alongside Chen Lin, barely escaped death. Outnumbered and fortunate enough to live, Marquis Zhenbei could hardly bring himself to blame them.

Xie Zhang sat poised nearby, his long fingers lightly drumming against the table, his expression grim. "What’s the story behind the forest assassins?"

A Shadow Guard explained, "The Jinyi Guard’s swordsmanship—they were masked, so we couldn’t see their faces clearly."

Xie Zhang looked toward Chen Lin. Chen Lin confirmed, "It was the Jinyi Guard!"

Xie Xun erupted in anger, stood, and headed toward the exit. Marquis Zhenbei frowned and barked, "Stop! Where are you going?"

"The Jinyi Guard’s entourage has a name list! I’m going to check who’s missing!" The veins on Xie Xun’s hand visibly pulsed. Again, the Jinyi Guard! After handling governmental affairs, Emperor Jianming had visited the youth to watch their archery and polo games—Chen Mo had not accompanied him.

Marquis Zhenbei said coldly, "If His Majesty had premeditated this, what can you find in the name list? Those people would have been hiding on Xiyanshan long before, never appearing. How could they be included in the entourage lists? They have a hundred ways to refute any accusations. How would you determine whether the royal court intended to kill Ting Feng and frame the noble families—or if the noble families sought to kill Ting Feng to provoke conflict between the Marquis Mansion and the imperial court? If you rush to demand answers, what can you accomplish besides alerting the perpetrators?"

Those rumors and suspicions—Marquis Zhenbei had heard them all.

He had also witnessed Lin Hongyuan and Lin Hongcheng kneeling before the Marchioness, swearing solemn oaths.

Xie Xun ground his teeth. "Are we just going to let this go?"

A Shadow Guard contemplated briefly, then spoke softly, "Master instructed that if he were to die, the Marquis Mansion should not delve into the matter deeply. If he were gravely injured, no rash actions should be taken before he regains consciousness."

Xie Xun’s throat tightened. Had Second Brother even left behind his last words?

Xie Zhang asked softly, "What else did he instruct?"

The Shadow Guard shook his head, not daring to elaborate further. The master had left a letter for the Eldest Young Master—a testament of his will. But now that the master’s eyes were injured and he still clung to life, the Shadow Guards dared not act on their own.

"Father, the Emperor has tested your limits time and again—when something happens, he uses sweet words to deceive you. Do you still... trust him this much?" Xie Xun’s rebellious nature flared; even as Xie Zhang gestured for discretion, he couldn’t help but challenge.

"One, Two, Three, and Chen Lin—leave!" Xie Zhang said calmly.

"Yes!"

The group filed out of the tent, leaving only Marquis Zhenbei and his three sons. Marquis Zhenbei gazed at the still-incensed Xie Xun, feeling a sharp pang of anguish. His youngest son resembled his younger self too closely. Passionate to the point of rebellion—black and white in all things—with an unyielding spirit. In the capital, he dared to raid the noble families’ granaries. Bold and defiant, he traded blows with the Third Prince in the Imperial Garden, making enemies left and right, utterly lacking the demeanor of a proper subject.

The Emperor is the Emperor; the subject, the subject.

Both blessings and calamities are gifts from His Majesty.

Marquis Zhenbei hardly cared about public claims that the Marquis Mansion had grown too powerful. He knew his sole focus was protecting Yanyang’s common people, void of selfish desire. He taught Xie Zhang unwavering loyalty to the sovereign. He also cared little for Emperor Jianming’s apprehension toward the mansion’s dominance. He knew once the new policies were implemented, he would relinquish military authority, downsize the border troops. There would be a day when the ruler and subject reconciled, setting aside past grievances.

As long as he conducted himself uprightly, acted with integrity, the Marquis Mansion could endure, and his children could live in peace.

The way of ruler and subject is not the way of warfare.

In warfare, retreating means yielding ground to the enemy—it’s a matter of national dignity, allowing no compromise.

The way of ruler and subject is different. The Marquis Mansion already holds military power. Even Emperor Jianming’s throne stems from the support of the mansion. Changing rulers at any time is within their power, leaving Emperor Jianming uneasy.

Marquis Zhenbei understood Emperor Jianming’s anxiety, his wariness. Hence the imperial court’s relentless probing paired with his consistent concessions—all for the sake of ending the negotiations peacefully, seeing the new policies come to fruition, and achieving happiness for all parties.

The havoc of the negotiations bore marks of the imperial family’s hands, but also the noble families’ scheming, collectively pushing the Marquis Mansion toward a fiery stake—today, it was Ting Feng’s eyesight.

Tomorrow, whose life will it be?

"Why are you so certain it’s His Majesty’s doing?" Marquis Zhenbei asked slowly. "Where’s the evidence?"

"What One, Two, Three, and Chen Lin have said—does that not count as evidence?"

Xie Zhang remarked softly, "Zhixu, if Father follows your reasoning—allowing One, Two, Three, and Chen Lin to accuse the Jinyi Guard and demand accountability from His Majesty—do you understand the consequences? The fragile peace preserved between Father and the imperial court will be shattered completely. The Marquis Mansion and the imperial court will be irreparably estranged; elder sister will face even greater difficulties in the palace. Pushing His Majesty entirely toward the noble families will hamper the new policies and make handing back military power and reducing troops a mere luxury. After the negotiations with Beiman, if we don’t return military authority or scale down troops, our family will truly become the target of everyone’s ire, condemned by all. No one in the mansion will ever have a moment of peace."

Xie Xun understood clearly: directly confronting Emperor Jianming would drag the Marquis Mansion into a vortex of chaos. His father made concessions step by step solely to secure safety for his children.

Both blessings and calamities are gifts from His Majesty. For the first time, Xie Xun felt deep hatred for this phrase. If the sovereign were an enlightened ruler, it would be bearable. But now, they were discarded after being exploited—and yet they had to tread carefully. Xie Xun felt utterly torn.

For the first time, rebellion stirred in his heart.

Loyalty to the sovereign, loyalty to the sovereign... If the sovereign is unworthy, must loyalty be unwavering?

"Shouyu, Zhixu. If your father were twenty years younger, he would certainly lead the military generals to question the Emperor before the court—even if ruler and subject were to fall into chaos, we could always retreat to Ningzhou and guard its borders for the rest of our lives. But now, Yanyang and Beiman have fought for decades, and the ceasefire has just been reached. Sannan stands ready to strike. We must focus on recuperation and recovery—the common people need a prosperous era. Consider this: of the twelve provinces, three cities lie empty. Even the most prosperous cities have populations less than half of a decade ago. The people struggle with poverty, and desolation lingers everywhere. The new policies must be carried out; the people need stable lives." Marquis Zhenbei spoke with a heart full of anguish. "I too wish I could be a father willing to stand up for his son at all costs. But I am the Commander of three armies—over the decades, countless lives have been lost under my command. They were someone else’s sons, husbands, and fathers. Who will seek justice for them? The only thing I can do is give their descendants a stable life. Our generations in the Marquis Mansion have fought only for the common people to live in peace and prosperity. We cannot bring internal turmoil upon them for our own desires."

Xie Xun felt as though his bones and blood were being mercilessly extracted, then crushed together. He clenched his eyes tightly in agonizing pain, understanding the Marquis Zhenbei’s words. For the sake of Yanyang’s stability, he would sacrifice anything.

Even his own life, and the lives of his sons!