CHAPTER 683: CHAPTER 663 FOX CITY

Xie Jue and Fang Chuning arranged to meet at a horse ranch in the outskirts of the capital. Fang Chuning was very familiar with the ranch; back in the day, when they returned to the capital, Xie Zhang, Xie Jue, and Xie Xun, the three brothers, enjoyed coming to the ranch to race horses and occasionally stayed for a few days. With nothing else to do, Fang Chuning would often accompany them, playing around at the ranch. Deep within the ranch was a bamboo grove, close to Yiling Village, surrounded by beautiful mountains and water. In the winter, snowflakes blanketed the sky, and the mountains exuded a crisp, clear chill. The flowing water murmured softly with the faint fragrance of snow-covered bamboo leaves mingled with the scent of tea, creating an utterly refreshing atmosphere.

Xie Jue, swathed in a white fur coat, stood in the pavilion, gazing at the path from which he had come. The wind swept through the bamboo forest, and snowflakes cascaded down. Fang Chuning approached, stepping through the snow, and Xie Jue couldn’t help but recall the familiar yet captivating face surrounded by the drifting snow, bringing back memories of that year in Beiman.

In the seventh year of Jianming, at the age of seventeen, Xie Jue crossed the Shaling River from Ningzhou’s border and entered Qianling Town, the closest Beiman territory to Ningzhou’s boundary, where he met with Beiman contacts. Ningzhou and Beiman had been at war for many years, with mutual infiltration on both sides. Beiman had planted spies in the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, while Ningzhou had embedded agents in the Beiman Army. Several Ningzhou women had married Beiman men and secretly provided intelligence to Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. The person who met Xie Jue was one such woman, married to a Beiman man for twenty years in Qianling Town, having borne three sons and a daughter. Her youngest son drowned near the Shaling River at the age of five and was never found. Xie Jue assumed the identity of the woman’s long-lost son, taking on the name Helian Feng.

Xie Jue had been interacting with the woman for two months by then, already familiar with life in Qianling Town and her household. Due to his distinct features, Xie Jue learned disguise techniques at the military camp and modified his appearance accordingly. His skin was darkened using a special balm, rendering it significantly darker than his natural complexion. His eyebrows were deliberately drawn thick and black, with indelible freckles added to his right cheek. His hair was styled into the traditional Beiman’s topknot. Even those who had seen Xie Jue on the battlefield wouldn’t recognize him now, as he appeared to be just an ordinary, slightly dusky Beiman youth.

Xie Jue chose this particular time to enter Qianling Town because a selection process for young boys to serve the aristocracy at the Beiman Imperial Court was taking place, and the Helian Family was among those chosen. Using his Helian Feng identity, Xie Jue entered the Beiman Imperial Court from Qianling Town.

He stayed with the Helian Family for half a month, blending in with the town’s residents, mimicking the demeanor of Beiman people, adjusting to their cuisine, and correcting his accent.

After half a month, the Imperial Court indeed sent someone to pick up the selected boys. Qianling Town yielded fifty boys in total, and it was said that those chosen to serve in the Beiman Imperial Court rarely returned to their homeland. Among the boys, cries of despair resounded. Some were as young as ten, and their parents wept and screamed in agony, but this could not alter their fate.

The journey from Qianling Town to the Beiman Imperial Court took two days, marking the first time Xie Jue ventured into the depths of Beiman. Normally, the furthest he could manage was the Sha Ling Tian Mountain, which was heavily fortified by the Beiman Army. Deeper infiltration was impossible. This time, he traversed northeast from Qianling Town, crossing Sha Ling Tian Mountain into the heart of Beiman.

The cold was truly biting!

When Xie Jue first entered Beiman, it was early autumn. Ningzhou was just beginning to cool, while Beiman had already become a frozen, snowy landscape. Waves of snow covered their surroundings. As they hiked through Sha Ling Tian Mountain, all they could see was endless white snow along with winter wildlife like snow wolves and snow leopards. Occasionally, massive eagles soared over snow-capped peaks. Deep in the snow-covered mountains, people mined in sheltered locations. The miners used these wind-shielded caves during heavy snowfalls to escape the icy gusts. The weather fluctuated dramatically here—one moment, blizzards raged; the next, the sun would shine brightly. Yet, the sunlight barely lingered for fifteen minutes before a torrential rain mixed with icy sleet soaked them to the bone, cold enough to pierce their very souls.

Xie Jue had never encountered such fickle conditions before, feeling a touch of unease in his heart. With fiery determination, he entered Beiman despite lacking a detailed plan. Far removed from the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, his survival rested solely on himself. From the moment he stepped into Sha Ling Tian Mountain, his life hung in the balance.

After marching for two days, they finally reached the mountain’s other side. There was only one road leading outward—it’s a military passage, rigorously guarded. Anyone traversing it underwent meticulous scrutiny. Names, identities, tokens—all had to be verified layer by layer. Eventually, they were cleared to enter the Beiman Imperial Court.

The Beiman Imperial Court was located in Fox City, east of Sha Ling Tian Mountain. The entire capital was blanketed in snow. Its walls, constructed from stone and red sandstone, were immensely sturdy. Outside the city were dozens of stone ballistae fashioned from red sandstone. With such fortifications and weaponry, attacking Fox City was nearly impossible. The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry lacked the sufficient equipment to compete against these defenses.

Once the boys were brought into Fox City, they were sent directly to the Imperial City. Ten boys shared a single large dormitory, crammed and overcrowded. Xie Jue realized that the selection of boys to serve in the Beiman Imperial Court specifically targeted those weak and incapable of resistance. The reason for choosing boys from Qianling Town lay in its unique position as a buffer zone on the border, the only town where intermarriage between Beiman and Ningzhou people occurred in earlier years, leading to mixed bloodlines.

In Beiman, the status of Qianling Town’s residents was lower than a warhorse. Very few men from Qianling had ever participated in battles. Beiman people considered themselves the sole descendants of the Heavenly God and a blessed race, while those of mixed Ningzhou lineage were seen as impure and inferior. They were enslaved and designated as servants. Thus, whenever the Imperial Court required attendants, it drew its selection from Qianling Town.

The boys were trained in the Imperial City for a month, learning about the interpersonal dynamics of the Beiman Royal Family, understanding the preferences of the imperial descendants, and acquiring the skills necessary to serve their masters.

Beiman maintained a strict hierarchical system over Qianling Town’s residents, preserving the institution of slavery. Servants were forbidden to resist under threat of brutal punishment. The matrons sternly warned all the boys to suppress their temper and endure submissively. They were told that after five years, they would be granted freedom and allowed to return to Qianling Town. However, as far as Xie Jue knew, among those selected as attendants every three years, few ever returned. Even those who managed to survive and return were often reduced to walking corpses—clear evidence that the Beiman Imperial Court was far from a sanctuary.

Xie Jue had never been one to serve others. Yet, over the course of a month, he patiently familiarized himself with every detail about Beiman. He understood that he was deep inside enemy territory with no way out. As a result, he treaded carefully, kept his true nature hidden, endured hardships without complaint, and remained silent—earning the matrons’ approval.

During this period, the boys were prohibited from wandering around, so Xie Jue hadn’t had the chance to fully explore Fox City. The architecture of Fox City resembled that of Ningzhou City, but it was even more extravagant. Houses were adorned with various gemstones, translucent colored stones, and other glittering wonders, creating a vibrant and mesmerizing display. The clothes of Beiman nobles and royalty were equally opulent. From afar, Xie Jue had glimpsed several young princesses, each decked out in stunning, spirited attire. However, two boys who stared a little too long at the royal figures were beaten severely, their blood soaking the ground.

By the time Xie Jue had spent nearly half a month in Fox City, he finally earned an opportunity to venture out freely for the first time.