H! GVCP Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Whoever Your Sister Wants to Deal With, You Deal With.

Yu Lingzhao did not intend to stay at Huguo Temple for long; she and Yu Xunyang departed even before the free clinic had concluded.

Initially, Shangguan Bai had been somewhat suspicious of Yu Xunyang’s motives, but seeing them leave so soon, he felt he had been judging them with the heart of a petty man.

Yu Lingzhao, however, couldn't be bothered with what was on Shangguan Bai’s mind; she had no use for him for the time being. 

Her only goal was to seize the initiative and sever Xiao Ning’an’s "intellectual brain."

After boarding the carriage, Yu Lingzhao kept her eyes closed to rest. Yu Xunyang looked at his sister with some hesitation but ultimately did not speak.

The carriage traveled smoothly. Yu Lingzhao’s mind was occupied with the current situation in the capital.

On the surface, Emperor Jianyuan claimed she had come to the capital to select a husband, but in reality, he wanted to test the loyalty of the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion. 

Among those who rule as emperors, there are precious few who are not suspicious. Emperor Jianyuan had trust in the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion, but not much. 

By granting her the special privilege of not having to kneel before anyone except the Son of Heaven, he was placing her on a pedestal and turning her into a target.

The Imperial Censor who had presented a memorial to the throne that day was named Qi Fengdao; he didn't just keep his eyes on the Imperial Family. 

Because of the incident with Princess Qing’an, Yu Lingzhao’s name was now on Qi Fengdao’s radar. 

The moment she caused any stir, Qi Fengdao would not be polite.

Yu Lingzhao had not forgotten that Qi Fengdao was also one of those who advocated for weakening the military power of the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion.

It was true: the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion had illustrious military achievements, and generations of the Yu family had poured their life's blood into guarding the Southern Border. 

The Yu Family Army of the South struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. The Prince of Zhennan himself had exerted great effort during Emperor Jianyuan’s accession, even taking a lethal arrow for the Emperor, surviving a narrow brush with death. 

Because of this, Emperor Jianyuan’s trust in the Prince of Zhennan far exceeded that of other military generals.

However, Yu Lingzhao knew very well that throughout history, few generals whose achievements eclipsed their lords came to a good end.

Take Han Xin and Huo Guang, for example: one was a brilliant strategist who was eventually executed along with three generations of his clan; the other met an even worse fate, with his entire family slaughtered and his clan wiped out.

Did they not have merits in the eyes of their 

monarchs? 

They did, more than enough, in fact.

The book mentioned that Emperor Jianyuan had actually considered moving against the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion. 

The reason he ultimately didn't was simple: he and Xiao Ning’an, who had become the Crown Prince, reached a tacit understanding. Both father and son wanted to destroy the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion.

Emperor Jianyuan didn't act only because Xiao Ning'an had promised him that once Xiao Ning'an ascended the throne, the entire household of the Zhennan Prince's Mansion would surely be sent to the afterlife. 

Emperor Jianyuan even thought Xiao Ning'an was doing well, believing that letting Xiao Ning'an handle the Zhennan Prince's Mansion would help establish the new emperor’s prestige.

It was truly laughable, father and son were each more shameless and treacherous than the other!

Yu Lingzhao snapped her eyes open, the nameless fire in her heart growing stronger. 

She picked up a cup of cold tea and downed it in one gulp before Yu Xunyang could even stop her. 

Only when the icy tea hit her throat did Yu Lingzhao calm down slightly, and the murderous intent in her eyes faded.

Yu Xunyang looked at his sister and finally spoke the words he had been wanting to ask. "Zhaozhao, can you tell Third Brother... what’s wrong with you?"

Yu Xunyang had a small animal's intuition; he felt that Zhaozhao wasn't truly happy, even though she was acting with such swiftness and decisiveness.

Hearing this, Yu Lingzhao turned her head to look at Yu Xunyang, meeting his gaze directly. Her third brother’s eyes were filled with worry. 

Yu Lingzhao felt a warm current brush through her heart, and her nose even began to sting.

Seeing signs that his sister was about to cry, Yu Xunyang grew frantic, clumsily trying to wipe away her tears. 

Looking at her brother’s panicked state, Yu Lingzhao instead burst into laughter. Tears still hung from her lashes, but her mood suddenly improved significantly.

"Third Brother, I'm fine. Thank you for doting on me so much."

Yu Xunyang didn't know whether to laugh or cry; he finally couldn't resist poking Yu Lingzhao’s forehead. 

"You, oh you. What kind of nonsense are you thinking about?"

Yu Lingzhao gave a charming smile. Yu Xunyang was completely helpless against her and gently wiped her face. 

Looking at her third brother, Yu Lingzhao thought of her parents, her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and her second brother. She whispered, "I wonder what Father and Mother are doing right now."

Yu Xunyang didn't speak; he just stroked his sister's hair. He knew his sister was homesick.

Southern Border, Zhennan Prince’s Mansion.

Upon receiving Guan Xiao’s secret letter, the Prince of Zhennan smashed an aged Huanghuali wood table to pieces and summoned his sons and daughter-in-law before him.

When Yu Xiaoyan arrived at the study with his wife and younger brother Yu Qizhi, they saw only shattered wood on the floor. 

Their father’s face was livid with rage, his aura fierce enough to devour a man. 

The only thing that could make their father this angry was news of their siblings in the capital.

Yu Xiaoyan’s heart tightened. "Has something happened to Zhaozhao?"

The Prince of Zhennan waved his large hand and tossed Guan Xiao’s letter to his eldest son. "Look. Decide on a plan."

Yu Xiaoyan unfolded the letter. Yu Qizhi didn't move, but his eyes were fixed on the paper.

The more Yu Xiaoyan read, the more alarmed he became. He gripped the letter tightly, his breathing quickening as he gritted his teeth. 

"The Fifth Princess actually dared to have someone injure Zhaozhao? She was unconscious in the Princess's Mansion for two hours!"

Hearing this, Yu Qizhi couldn't hold back anymore. He snatched the secret letter from his brother's hand and skimmed through it. His expression grew increasingly dark.

"I am going to the capital," Yu Qizhi said, his tone cold as ice. 

"The capital is complicated enough as it is, and Old Third can barely protect himself with that brain of his. Look how Zhaozhao has been wronged."

The Prince of Zhennan said nothing, his expression remaining grim. His gaze shifted to his eldest son, waiting to see Yu Xiaoyan’s stance.

"Someone must go to the capital, but it cannot be Old Second."

As the successor raised by the Prince and Princess of Zhennan, Yu Xiaoyan had a profound understanding of the situation in the capital. 

If Zhaozhao were injured and the second son immediately rushed to the capital, it would make those with ulterior motives perceive the Zhennan Prince's Mansion as defiant and unruly. 

The Mansion was already in a precarious position, like "cooking over a blazing fire", and they could not afford to make Zhaozhao’s situation even more dangerous.

*Cooking over an open camp fire and how you have to be careful to not allow what your cooking to fall into it. [Courtesy to 'Unknown'] 

Yu Qizhi’s features were exquisite, leaning toward a more feminine beauty, but his anger at this moment gave him a fierce edge. 

"If I don't go, are you going, Brother?"

Yu Xiaoyan’s wife, He Xuan, interrupted Yu Qizhi’s anger, speaking briskly, "Naturally, it should be me, her eldest sister-in-law, who goes."

Yu Xiaoyan nodded. He and He Xuan were childhood sweethearts who shared one heart; she treated Zhaozhao like her own biological sister.

Yu Qizhi refused to give up. "I will go with Sister-in-law."

The Prince of Zhennan glanced at his second son. "Tell me, how do you plan to go?"

Hearing this, Yu Qizhi was instantly overjoyed; his father’s words meant he had been granted permission!

"Father, I know what Brother is worried about, nothing more than the pens of those civil officials in the capital. But Zhaozhao is a weak woman; how could the family not worry when she is away from home? Someone smashed her head; the next step will likely be a direct attempt on her life. Old Third is young and ignorant; they need someone from home to back them up."

Yu Xiaoyan wasn't angry at being interrupted by his younger brother. 

"That is why you should stay hidden. It is best for your sister-in-law to go."

Yu Qizhi laughed out of exasperation; his elder brother was sometimes too pedantic. "I will disguise myself as a guard and stay by Sister-in-law’s side. Who will know if I am a guard or the Second Young Master of the Zhennan Prince's Mansion?"

Yu Xiaoyan looked at his father. Seeing that his father’s expression had softened, he understood his father’s stance.

"In that case, be careful in the capital. Whatever grievances Zhaozhao has suffered, you must vent them all on her behalf," Yu Xiaoyan instructed his brother.

The Prince of Zhennan also nodded. "Except for His Majesty, whoever your sister wants to deal with, you deal with."

Yu Qizhi’s smile became more genuine. "I shall not fail the mission."

  

Jade : Sorry for the late update, Uni just resumed for me. 

>>H! GVCP Chapter 12