Chapter 506 - 488: 2nd Brother and Ayu
Fengyu washed herself thoroughly from head to toe, even washing her hair several times, finally feeling completely refreshed. Feiying even brought in brand-new bed sheets and covers. Fengyu’s hair was still damp when Xie Jue arrived. Xie Jue and Fang Chuning were always inseparably close, living together, eating together. Except when Fang Chuning was out on the battlefield and Xie Jue was guarding the rear, Fengyu truly came to understand Xie Xun’s joke about them being like conjoined twins—they were indeed always together.
When Xie Jue entered, Fengyu was sitting in the tent drying her hair. Her clothes were neatly worn, yet her unkempt, loose hair appeared utterly improper in Xie Jue’s eyes. But Fengyu didn’t care—after all, this was Xie Xun’s face, and it had nothing to do with her.
"Second Brother, is something wrong?" Fengyu asked with a hint of nervousness. Due to her injuries still not fully healed, her face was deathly pale, making her look somewhat pitiable.
Xie Jue stared at her intently. Truth be told, this wasn’t the first time he had noticed something unusual about Xie Xun. Years ago, when the four of them—father and sons—were discussing family matters in the study, Xie Xun had been kicked over by their father and had actually cried. That incident left a deep impression on Xie Jue. Later, there were several other instances where Xie Xun seemed like an entirely different person, but Xie Jue never thought too deeply about it, simply attributing it to Xie Xun’s youth and occasional tenderness. Over time, as such moments repeated themselves, he got used to it. Moreover, after they defected from the Capital City, Xie Xun had exhibited a restrained protective and possessive nature toward him, which led Xie Jue to suppress his doubts. However, this time, something was definitely off.
In recent days, the numerous battles, big and small, with Beiman had consumed all of Xie Jue’s attention, leaving him no time to speak with Xie Xun. Today, he had come with Fang Chuning intending to probe Xie Xun—but he hadn’t expected to witness such a scene.
Xie Jue tentatively asked, "Ayu, is it really you?"
Fengyu: "..."
Fengyu remained expressionless, unperturbed on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil. How did Second Brother figure it out? They hadn’t even interacted much in recent days—why?
Should she admit it?
"Second Brother, what are you talking about?"
"You can’t act as Zhixu anymore—it’s not convincing in the slightest," Xie Jue said coolly, his voice calm but with a reassuring undertone to soothe Fengyu’s nerves. "Don’t worry. I won’t say anything."
Fengyu might have been able to impersonate the young marquis from three years ago, but she could never convincingly play today’s Prince Qin.
Fengyu nervously clenched the fabric of her robe, nearly bunching it into a crumpled mess on her lap. Xie Jue’s gaze lingered on her hands. Perhaps Fengyu herself didn’t even realize it, but when she was anxious, she unconsciously grabbed at the cloth and kneaded it furiously. This small gesture only solidified Xie Jue’s suspicions. When had it all started?
That year, Zhixu had fallen from his horse and been trampled by Dugu Jing’s mount, shattering his leg. He had uncharacteristically scolded Fengyu in the tent for an entire day and night. If Fengyu had been in front of him then, he might have taken up a blade to cut off her head. He had even dared to defy their superiors and argue back.
So, was it because of this bizarre soul-swap between him and Ayu that led to his fall from the horse and the trampling by Dugu Jing’s mount?
Xie Jue still found it all too surreal. Even with all the mysterious techniques of Beiman, he had never heard of spirits being able to switch bodies.
"Second Brother... how did you figure it out?" Fengyu knew she couldn’t continue hiding it, and she felt intensely nervous. "Zhixu and I can occasionally swap bodies, but this time, for some reason, we can’t switch back."
"Explain in detail!" Xie Jue frowned deeply, but perhaps he had already prepared himself mentally, as he wasn’t as shocked as one might expect.
Fengyu recounted everything, from her first body swap with Xie Xun to several significant incidents involving their exchanges and shared intelligence. This time, when she encountered danger in the West State, she said, "News of my death spread across the land. I was afraid that Zhixu would become distracted on the battlefield due to worry, so I swapped with him to relay the message. But I don’t know why—he hasn’t returned yet. I’m very anxious."
Xie Jue’s heart pounded like a drum. No wonder Han Ziqi’s surprise attack on the West State had been met with such a swift response from Zhixu. No wonder... there had been several moments when Zhixu’s behavior seemed peculiar.
All the mysteries were finally unraveled. To have hidden this for so many years was no small feat.
Xie Jue said, "Zhixu is gravely injured. Perhaps he believes it’s safer for you to recover in Ningzhou, which is why he hasn’t put on the Soul Suppressing Pearl yet. He should have gone to the Capital City."
Fengyu worried about another possibility. "The Ningzhou battlefront hasn’t stabilized yet. What if... what if Zhixu didn’t do it on purpose, but even with the Soul Suppressing Pearl, he can’t return? What then?"
"Has this happened before?"
Fengyu shook her head. "But in recent exchanges, I’ve had a feeling something wasn’t quite right. I can’t explain it, but it’s unsettling."
If they couldn’t switch back—what could they do?
She wasn’t fit to lead the army as a battlefield commander, nor could she charge into the heart of the fray as a general.
Xie Jue thought to himself, if Zhixu were in the Capital City, he would have mobilized his Shadow Guards by now. He decided to send a message to the Capital to inquire. This matter was indeed troublesome, but he tried to reassure Fengyu. "While the Ningzhou battlefront isn’t entirely stable, Dugu Jing has suffered heavy losses in the last two major campaigns. Even if they regroup, their combat strength is far weaker than at the start of the war. Though Ningzhou Iron Cavalry has also taken some losses, with Fang Chuning and me here, defending Ningzhou is not an issue. Focus on recovering from your injuries while I send word to the Capital."
If anyone other than Fengyu had ended up in Xie Xun’s body, Xie Jue would never have permitted them to wander freely in the military camp or recover peacefully. However, since it was Fengyu, Xie Jue wasn’t too worried. Zhixu, being in the Capital, should be prudent in his actions. If they couldn’t switch back, it was indeed a vexing problem. But as long as they were both safe, Xie Jue felt that maintaining the current state was acceptable for now. He simply didn’t have the time or energy to solve the problem at the moment; nor was it within his capability.
For now, the more pressing issues were the Beiman battlefront and the Jiangnan campaign.
On the Jiangnan battlefield, Sannan’s poison formations were exceptionally vicious. Xu Zhou and Cui Lansong had already led the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry to Lanzhou to reinforce the Jiangnan garrison and jointly resist the enemy.
Cui Lansong had sent a letter a few days prior, reporting that the situation was not optimistic. If Sannan’s army were to engage in direct combat, they would be no match for Yanyang. However, the poison formations were far too ruthless.
Recently, Xie Jue, Fang Chuning, General Xiao Zhou, and General Cui had been considering employing this poison on the Ningzhou Battlefield for a quick end to the conflict. Xie Jue had no intention of negotiating with Dugu Jing again. The consequences of their last negotiation were still fresh in his memory, and he vowed never to repeat his mistakes.
He would neither accept Beiman’s peace offerings nor their pleas. He would accept only their surrender—or their annihilation!
In the midst of such chaotic battlefronts, the matter of Fengyu and Xie Xun being unable to switch back seemed relatively insignificant. As long as they were safe, Xie Jue could accept it.
Xie Xun was severely injured; Ayu only needed to focus on healing—there was no need for her to fight.
Before Xie Jue and Fengyu’s conversation concluded, General Xiao Zhou arrived, bringing news that Dugu Jing wanted to negotiate with Xie Xun.
Fengyu secretly mused, "Beiman’s surrender came this quickly?"
"Another negotiation?" Xie Jue sneered coldly. "He’s truly bold. There’s no room for negotiation. Tell Dugu Jing, if he wants to discuss peace, he can start by hanging his head on Ningzhou City’s walls for three days as a public display—then I might consider it!"