Chapter 15 Does the Marquis of Northern Pacification Have Someone in His Heart?

Chapter 15: Is the Marquis of Dingbei's Heart Taken?

The Nightless Pavilion.

Yan Weichu entered the theater, once again finding Xie Xiao in his usual private box, still alone.

He paused below, watching for a moment, then ascended the stairs.

"Cousin."

The young man's lighthearted voice reached his ears, pulling Xie Xiao from his reverie. He turned his head to look.

Yan Weichu stepped forward, smiling as he asked, "May I sit here?"

Xie Xiao nodded. "Please do."

Yan Weichu settled comfortably beside him. Fresh tea and snacks were brought over. He picked up a teacup, moistened his lips, and casually asked Xie Xiao, "Do you often come here to listen to opera?"

Xie Xiao's gaze flickered inadvertently to Yan Weichu's damp lips before he looked away, saying, "I come when I have nothing else to do."

He knew there were always Jinyiwei spies around his residence. Even staying indoors wouldn't shield him from the emperor's suspicions, so he chose to pass the time here daily, hoping that with prolonged exposure, the emperor might eventually lose interest in monitoring him.

Yan Weichu asked again, "Is the opera good?"

Xie Xiao replied indifferently, "Not bad."

For instance, the current performance—a tale of intrigue between the emperor and his ministers, leading to the wrongful execution of a virtuous official—was quite lamentable.

Yan Weichu glanced at it. An old, familiar story.

"Do you think the emperor in this opera was wrong, Cousin?"

Xie Xiao said calmly, "An emperor has his own dilemmas. Those loyal to the ruler may not be loyal to the realm, and vice versa. From the emperor's perspective, whether he chooses to employ or discard such individuals is understandable."

Yan Weichu blinked. "I don't follow."

Xie Xiao's gaze settled on him. "You truly don't understand?"

Yan Weichu laughed. "So, which are you, Cousin—the former or the latter?"

Xie Xiao didn't answer. "What do you think?"

"How would I know?" Yan Weichu pouted. "This is boring. I'd like to invite you for a drink. We didn't fully enjoy ourselves that day at Zhanyun Garden. Shall we go somewhere else?"

Xie Xiao felt that this young man, perhaps due to his youth and being pampered at home, often spoke in a somewhat petulant tone, completely oblivious to it.

Just as a refusal was about to leave his lips, he inexplicably changed his mind. "Alright, let's go."

Leaving the theater, they walked together along a western path. This stretch was rarely frequented, and under the moonlight, the distant decadent music faded, leaving an unusually serene atmosphere.

Their attendants followed at a distance, leaving just the two of them walking side by side.

Lanterns hung everywhere. Yan Weichu stepped on his own shadow under the light, like a child with an unspent playfulness.

He suddenly looked up at Xie Xiao beside him. "Cousin, are you feeling better now?"

Xie Xiao nodded slightly. "Yes."

"That's good," Yan Weichu said earnestly. "I had intended to visit your residence that day to inquire about your health, but since you had already declined visitors, I thought it might be too presumptuous to intrude, so I didn't dare go."

"It was nothing serious. No need to worry," Xie Xiao said dismissively.

But Yan Weichu leaned closer, staring intently at his face.

Such behavior was not just forward—it bordered on impolite. Yet Xie Xiao didn't take offense and merely asked, "What are you looking at?"

Yan Weichu, half a head shorter, looked up into Xie Xiao's deep, fathomless eyes. "You seem to be in good spirits, Cousin. That puts my mind at ease."

Xie Xiao replied calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master."

"You can call me A Li," Yan Weichu reminded him, a smile in his eyes.

Xie Xiao said, "A Li, you are being overly mischievous."

"Alright, alright, I know I was wrong," Yan Weichu stepped back, readily admitting his fault.

Xie Xiao turned away, no longer paying him mind, and walked forward.

At the end of the path was a waterside pavilion where a banquet had been set. Yan Weichu stepped forward and gestured for Xie Xiao to take a seat.

The wine was excellent—Snow Stream Spring, a tribute wine delivered just yesterday from the south. When it had arrived earlier, Zheng Shize had shamelessly begged Yan Weichu for some, but Yan Weichu had only given him one jar.

Yan Weichu handed a filled cup to Xie Xiao. "Try this wine. What do you think?"

Xie Xiao took it and brought it to his lips. The aroma was rich.

He took a small sip and offered an honest assessment. "The color is clear, the taste is crisp, and the fragrance is smooth and lingering. Quite different from the harsh frontier liquors of the borderlands."

Yan Weichu explained, "This is Snow Stream Spring from Yunling, brewed from mountain spring water in early spring after the snow melts. It's quite unique."

Xie Xiao was surprised. "A southern wine?"

"Yes," Yan Weichu topped up his cup. "Many families in Yunling brew this type of wine. My hometown is in Yunling."

The finest batches were naturally sent as tribute to the palace. The Nightless Pavilion also sold Snow Stream Spring, but it paled in comparison to the jars Yan Weichu had brought.

Xie Xiao's gaze swept over his face. "You don't look like someone from Jiangnan."

Yan Weichu didn't flinch. What he said wasn't entirely false—the Zheng family's ancestral roots were indeed in Yunling. "How so?"

"You don't have much of an accent, and," Xie Xiao paused before continuing, "your temperament is different."

Yan Weichu laughed. "Cousin, are you trying to say I don't look like those delicate scholars? That's because I don't enjoy studying—I just can't get into it. My ancestors were founding heroes who followed Emperor Taizu in establishing the dynasty. Although I'm just a cadet branch of the family, I've been fortunate enough to be formally adopted by my father. I want to be a general, like my father and like you, Cousin."

Xie Xiao hadn't expected such ambition from him and said amusedly, "Generals don't let others bully them without fighting back, nor do they burst into tears."

"Cousin—"

Yan Weichu drew out the word, whining, "I told you not to bring that up again. Have mercy on me, please."

Xie Xiao was now certain—this young man really did speak this way, unconsciously acting coy.

Yet he was far from a clueless fool; instead, he was quick-witted and cunning. The nickname "A Li" suited him well.

Xie Xiao tactfully avoided mentioning his embarrassing incident and said instead, "You're quite good at polo and have excellent horsemanship, but being a general requires more than just that."

"I know," Yan Weichu said teasingly. "Someone like you, Cousin—reciting military strategies at three, drawing a heavy bow at five, and hitting targets a hundred paces away on horseback at ten—I admit I don't have that kind of talent."

Xie Xiao clarified helplessly, "I did read many military books when I was young and started practicing archery and horsemanship from an early age, but it wasn't as legendary as the rumors outside make it out to be."

"Still, it's almost the same," Yan Weichu maintained, his gaze burning as he looked at Xie Xiao. "Didn't you lead troops to breach the Wuerhun royal capital at sixteen and personally behead the Wuerhun Khan? I've admired you ever since then and always wanted to get your advice in person. Only now do I have the chance."

"Cousin, tell me about what it was like on the battlefield."

Xie Xiao had never boasted about his achievements in front of others, nor did he feel the need to repeatedly bring up past acts of bravery. But under Yan Weichu's intense gaze, he felt unusually touched.

"Really want to hear?"

Yan Weichu nodded. "Yes."

Xie Xiao began to speak casually, but what he shared wasn't the tactics or surprise attack strategies Yan Weichu had expected.

"At that time, the Wuerhun people invaded on a large scale. I followed my grandfather on a campaign by imperial order. Initially, it didn't go well—there was a traitor among the high-ranking generals who was working with the enemy. Our main force was ambushed and surrounded in the Eagle Gorge area. After a bloody battle, we suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat. The Wuerhun cavalry pursued us relentlessly. If they caught up to us, the entire army could be annihilated."

Yan Weichu tightened his grip on his wine cup. "What happened next?"

Xie Xiao took a sip of wine and continued in a low voice, "The enemy's cavalry was less than thirty *li* away from us. The main force, carrying the wounded, was retreating too slowly. Without a rear guard, we would surely be overtaken. My grandfather found a narrow pass called Luoma Slope on the map—it was the only route back to Wulong Pass and the ideal spot for a choke point. So, he decided to send an eight-hundred-man team to hold that position, delaying the pursuers to buy enough time for the main force to retreat."

"But serving as the rear guard meant certain death—a one-way trip."

Yan Weichu noticed a faint glimmer in Xie Xiao's eyes and realized something, refraining from interrupting.

Xie Xiao went on, "I was young and impulsive back then. I thought those eight hundred lives shouldn't be sent to their deaths just like that, so I argued with my grandfather. But he told me that if I couldn't make such a decision as a general, I should never step onto the battlefield again and instead go back to studying."

"In the end, it was one of my paternal uncles who led those eight hundred men to Luoma Slope. He volunteered and died there."

"The main force successfully returned to Wulong Pass, and the Wuerhun people were ultimately blocked outside the pass. Otherwise, if the main force had been wiped out and the barbarians broken through, the casualties would have been tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, endangering the capital. The consequences would have been unimaginable."

Yan Weichu lowered his eyes, staring at the wine swaying in his cup under the candlelight. After a moment of silence, he said, "Your grandfather made the right choice."

About that battle, he only knew that Dajing had won. How it was won and the details were scarce to him, as he had been under house arrest in the Western Garden at the time.

"Yes, he was right," Xie Xiao affirmed. "It was after that battle that I truly understood what it means to lead an army. So, Young Master, do you still want to be a general?"

Yan Weichu shook his head, drained his cup in one go, and poured himself another. "Yes, even more so after what you said. Being a general isn't just about wisdom, strategy, or bravery—it's about the courage to make decisive choices. I really should learn more. How about it, Cousin? Take me as your disciple, be my master?"

Yan Weichu's words lightened the previously heavy atmosphere. Xie Xiao, witnessing the young lord's skill at seizing opportunities, directly refused, "No, I can't teach you. If you're truly intent on learning, your father, the Earl of Anding, will teach you himself."

Yan Weichu thought to himself, *Not a chance*. His so-called "father" had long been lost in the arms of beauties, indulging and intoxicated—it was questionable whether he could even wield a sword or spear now.

Yan Weichu grumbled a few times but let it go. He had long realized that his cousin was hard to approach and highly guarded.

Truly winning him over would be a long road ahead.

Yan Weichu raised his cup. "Cousin, I forgot to congratulate you last time on successfully retrieving the Green Frost Sword. I toast to you with this cup."

Xie Xiao's gaze met his smiling eyes and lingered for a moment, inexplicably recalling the events of that night at Fumeng Cottage. After a pause, he also raised his wine cup.

After a few drinks, a blush gradually spread across Yan Weichu's face. Though the wine wasn't strong, it had quite a kick. Propping his chin with his hand, he tilted his head to study Xie Xiao, and suddenly asked, "I heard others say His Majesty recently gifted you several beauties, Cousin. Do you like them?"

Xie Xiao, having drunk some wine, seemed more relaxed, his demeanor casual as he lightly swirled his cup, his eyes fixed on Yan Weichu. "Are you envious?"

Yan Weichu chuckled. "Who wouldn't be envious of beauties gifted by the emperor? People outside all say you're quite the lucky man, Cousin."

"No fortune to enjoy them."

Xie Xiao shook his head. "Accepting beauties bestowed by His Majesty today might mean selling your life to him tomorrow. Nothing comes that cheap. Isn't that why your father has withdrawn from the court these years, staying secluded in his residence? He understands this well."

Yan Weichu disagreed. "My father is different from you. He keeps a beauty for himself without asking for anything else. But you're not like that, Cousin. Unless you already have someone in your heart, that's why you refuse His Majesty's kindness."

Xie Xiao replied, "How do you know I don't?"

Yan Weichu was taken aback.

Xie Xiao set down his cup, too lazy to explain, and finally said, "It's getting late. Thank you for tonight's invitation, Young Master. I'll take my leave."

He stood up to leave.

Yan Weichu, snapping out of his daze, called out to him again.

Xie Xiao turned back.

Yan Weichu looked at him and said softly, "Cousin, until next time."

Xie Xiao's gaze paused for a moment. He nodded slightly, then turned and left.

As his figure faded into the distance, Yan Weichu sat up straight, the drunkenness and smile on his face vanishing completely.

Zheng Shize approached, seeing Yan Weichu's displeased expression, and was somewhat confused.

Yan Weichu asked him, "Do you think the Marquis of Dingbei has someone in his heart? Who could it be?"

Zheng Shize opened his mouth.

How was he supposed to answer that?

Yan Weichu quickly changed his question. "Forget it, don't answer."

Zheng Shize breathed a sigh of relief. "Young Master, since you're here, I've prepared something special for you. Want it?"

Yan Weichu eyed him suspiciously. "What special thing?"

Zheng Shize grinned. "A beauty."

He clapped his hands, and someone was brought forward.

A man, around twenty, elegant and handsome, bearing a six- or seven-out-of-ten resemblance to Xie Xiao but with a completely different demeanor.

As they say, a slight difference can make a world of difference.

Yan Weichu scanned him up and down, utterly unimpressed.

Zheng Shize, completely unaware, leaned in cheekily and asked, "Young Master, does this beauty catch your eye? Want me to gift him to warm your bed?"

Yan Weichu's face darkened. "Are you sick? Get lost."

Zheng Shize: "..."

What? He's angry about this too?