CHAPTER 682: CHAPTER 662 WIFE AND DAUGHTER 2

Xie Xun had been listening to stories all night. By the time court started, he was so exhilarated, as if he had been injected with adrenaline, that he didn’t feel even the slightest bit of drowsiness. While the cabinet discussed the resettlement of the Beiman Royal Family, Xie Xun let the words enter one ear and out the other, his eyes alight with excitement as he stared at his Second Brother. He never imagined Second Brother’s time in Beiman could be so colorful—getting married, even! Why didn’t he write these things clearly in his account of Beiman? Xie Xun had dug out Second Brother’s thirty-thousand-word Beiman summary, read it from start to finish, and spent the entire night sleepless and absorbed. Fengyu had even sent people to deliver food to him, worried that he might exhaust himself working late into the night. Yet, despite combing through all thirty thousand words, Second Brother only mentioned the Lan Family in passing and didn’t even mention the name Lan Ningzhen once. Who could’ve guessed he got married in Beiman!

Xie Jue also noticed Xie Xun’s unusually fiery gaze and couldn’t help but feel baffled. What kind of madness was this?

During morning court, the Emperor sat high above, and due to the rules and rituals, no one would raise their head to stare directly at him. So even if Xie Xun were to doze off, as long as his movements weren’t too overt, no one would likely notice. The matters reported during court were often pre-sorted by the cabinet; Xie Xun only needed to hear them once for minor issues, while major matters required his direct decisions.

The situation concerning the Twelve States had essentially been settled—six states were willing to accept Beiman civilians and could even absorb ten thousand people each. West State City, once the most prosperous city in the Twelve States, could accommodate up to eight hundred thousand civilians. Currently, it only had a population of three hundred thousand, so taking in an additional ten thousand posed no problem. After the Twelve States had reached a ceasefire, several thousand of Ningzhou Iron Cavalry soldiers would also retire and return to their fields.

The State Mansion of West State would still be under Nangong Heng’s jurisdiction. While his personality was somewhat timid, he was fair-minded and virtuous, and with the assistance of the Zhang Brothers, the administration of West State was soundly managed—thanks to Fengyu’s meticulous cultivation of talent. Fengyu was confident in them. It was also under Fengyu’s directive that West State agreed to accept resettled civilians. Though Nangong Heng likely didn’t fully understand the reasons, he followed the command nonetheless.

The State Mansions of Huangzhou, West State, and other key regions of the Twelve States were all willing to accept Beiman people. That area required new civilian settlers to cultivate the land. Moving the Beiman civilians there would allow them to adapt to the climate and develop a sense of belonging. The West State locals were known for their fierce and unyielding manners, making them unlikely targets of bullying. A portion of the Beiman population would also migrate near Capital City to surrounding towns, so their resettlement posed no substantial challenges.

Beining did not isolate the Beiman people nor put all one million of them into a single city—while such an approach would simplify management, it could also lead to chaos. Now, everything was essentially concentrated across the Twelve States.

The Beiman Royal Family—the current Beiman King retained his title as Beiman King and enjoyed treatment equivalent to that of a Commandery Prince in terms of salary. Dugu Jing was titled Commandery Prince, a prince of the Dugu Family. Individuals like Dugu Jing were Commandery Princes without actual power. After discussions in the cabinet, they were given honorary titles like Commandery Duke without real political influence. Beiman’s mineral resources were sufficient to support this powerless yet well-paid noble class. There was no significant issue with ensuring their lives in Beining. They would also be allocated land to help them develop a sense of belonging.

The Beiman Royal Family was exceptionally populous, so granting all of them Commandery Prince titles was unrealistic. Thus, assigning powerless noble ranks seemed perfectly reasonable. On this point, Xie Xun was generous, and the cabinet found no objections. After all, they had surrendered, and proper treatment had to be ensured. As a result, the surrendered Beiman Royal Family received far better treatment than the Yuwen Royal Family. Although it could still be considered a form of containment, they were allowed to freely come and go within their estates; they simply required approval and escort when entering or leaving Capital City—far better than the imprisoned Yuwen Royal Family isolated in Qiushan.

No one raised the topic of Xie Jue’s marriage in Beiman during court. General Cui had written about the matter privately in his family letter, so the cabinet naturally had no knowledge of it. Xie Xun was practically itching with curiosity. The moment court adjourned, he couldn’t wait to drag Xie Jue to Changshou Palace, where he showed him General Cui’s family letter. Xie Jue had long sensed Xie Xun’s unusual behavior. Upon reading the letter, he was visibly shocked—a rare expression for him.

Xie Xun immediately discerned from his expression that there were truths Dugu Jing definitely hadn’t lied about. "Second Brother, did you truly marry in Beiman?"

"Mm." Xie Jue was succinct as he continued reading the letter, visibly perplexed, accidentally responding to Xie Xun without thinking. Instantly, Xie Xun jumped up like a spring-loaded contraption. "You really got married? You married a Beiman woman and even had a daughter? You... you... our father’s coffin lid won’t stay shut!"

To be honest, after their years of conflict with the Beiman, it felt surreal to learn that Second Brother had a child with a Beiman woman. Though Xie Xun himself didn’t mind, if their father were still alive, he would undoubtedly rise from the grave to thrash him. "He’ll probably haunt you in your dreams tonight just to curse you out!"

Xie Jue didn’t have the patience for his nonsensical chatter and replied nonchalantly, "Since they’ve arrived in Shangjing, we should arrange proper accommodations for the Lan Family."

"Wait, aren’t you going to refute me?" Xie Xun was aghast. Could he at least put up a fight? Just like that, he admitted it? "How do you plan to arrange it? Are they supposed to just move into Prince Manor with a daughter in tow?"

Xie Jue’s brows furrowed ever so slightly—a rare display of irritation. Xie Xun immediately recognized that his brother wasn’t in a good mood. Whether it was frustration over his wife and daughter suddenly appearing or something else, he couldn’t say. He just knew his brother was agitated.

Xie Xun silently speculated. This didn’t seem like the reaction of someone just learning they had a daughter. Could it be that he already knew Lan Ningzhen had a daughter when he left Beiman?

"They’ll arrive in Capital City in ten days. By then, I’ll have figured out how to settle them." Xie Jue replied calmly. He intended to discuss the matter with Fang Chuning, as Fang Chuning had negotiated the terms with the Lan Family back then. He wasn’t sure if any unexpected situations would occur.

Xie Xun still wanted to ask about his daughter, but Xie Jue left in a hurry. It was the first time Xie Xun had seen his Second Brother act so hastily. Clearly, General Cui’s letter had thrown him off guard.

Unable to stifle his excitement to share Second Brother’s secret, Xie Xun went to find Fengyu after Xie Jue left and enthusiastically spilled the story about Xie Jue getting married in Beiman and having a daughter.

Fengyu stared in shock, nearly choking on the bird’s nest porridge that Qiuxiang had just brought over. She quickly set the bowl down, wiping the corners of her lips, "Married, with a daughter?"

Marriage, as Dugu Jing had mentioned in passing, was one thing. But having a daughter? What was that about?

And then there was the matter of Fang Chuning—what was the connection there?

"What did Second Brother say?"

"He admitted it!" Xie Xun exclaimed with feeling, "I truly underestimated Second Brother. Never expected he’d do something like this. Being forced into a marriage is one thing; we all understand that sometimes you have to bow your head under the eaves. But to have a daughter and hide it for so many years? When I mentioned Lan Ningzhen’s daughter, he showed no shock—he must’ve already known! For someone so responsible, it’s completely out of character for him to leave his wife and daughter behind. Doesn’t it strike you as illogical?"

Fengyu: "..."

Xie Xun was clearly enjoying the drama and chaos. He had always been incredibly tolerant—unlike the Marquis Zhenbei, who would never accept Xie Jue marrying a Beiman woman, let alone having a child with her. Xie Xun, however, was different. Now that Beiman had surrendered, everyone spoke of unity and kinship—even if most didn’t genuinely believe it. Xie Xun, though, sincerely sought equality, making the situation more palatable for him. He simply couldn’t curb his curiosity to figure out what kind of tangled web his Second Brother had gotten himself into.

A man, a woman, a Beiman identity, a daughter... It was nothing short of absurd!