With a hint of relief in his voice, Fu Xian paused and then continued, "Furthermore, there's only one reason why Xiao Kuang didn't seek help from his own uncle: because the person behind Zheng Ming is..."
Before he could finish speaking, a figure burst into everyone's view.
"So what if it's me?"
With a nonchalant air about him, Shangguan entered the hall. But when he saw Yu Zigui, his eyes lit up, rippling like spring water melting from ice, overflowing with joy.
"Zigui, I've come to pick you up."
Yu Zigui slowly raised her head, her moon-shaped eyes filled with contemplation as she looked at him. Seeing this, he smiled gently. "What? Does Zigui really want to know?"
She looked at him; his dark eyes, though somewhat arrogant, were open and honest, without the slightest hint of evasion.
"That's right, I'm the one who advises the cabinet, and I'm also the one who wants to kill Ji Junze. I don't care about the greater good of the world, but only about my own pleasure. That's my intention, Shangguan Yi, and also your future husband. Zigui, you should understand that."
Taking her hand with an air of unyielding authority, Shangguan Yi looked at her, his eyes fixed on her. Little did he know that his earlier remarks had enraged his future brother-in-law.
"Shangguan Yi, you only care about venting your anger, do you know that this will lead to the Tartars invading the south and the Great Wei will perish?"
He didn't answer when he heard her, but when he saw her frown and think again, Shangguan laughed and said, "Silly girl, what does it matter to you and me whose world it is?"
He took her hand affectionately. “I know you are a person of deep concern, with only your own people on your mind. Now that Ji Junze’s crime has been proven and Shengde is about to die, there is no one left to threaten your sect. How can you be distracted? Come back to Jinling with me tomorrow.”
His eyes were already exceptionally beautiful, and even a hint of resentment made them captivating, softening her heart and making her want to agree.
"The youngest."
At the sound of a call, she snapped back to reality and looked at Fu Xian.
"Tomorrow you will return to Lingnan with the eleventh prince."
"Sixth Brother!" It was Eleventh Brother who was dissatisfied, not her.
"Eleven, didn't you already decide which path you'd take? Do you have a change of heart?"
"without……"
Fu Xian glanced at the seat of honor and, seeing that his master acquiesced, said, "That's good. Tomorrow you will take the youngest son back to Lingnan."
Zigui.
The youngest.
Come with me to Nanjing.
He returned to Lingnan with the eleventh prince.
fool.
obedient.
Their voices filled her ears. Yu Zigui lowered her head, her smooth black hair cascading down, obscuring her expression.
Slowly, she withdrew her hand from Shangguan Yi's grasp. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the stunned expressions on everyone's faces.
Shangguan had a sudden thought and wanted to capture her. But she deftly flicked her sleeve and vanished the moment he thought he had her.
Behind him, no one dared to breathe. It wasn't until Eleven collapsed to the ground that he voiced everyone's unspoken thoughts.
"Oh no, the youngest is angry."
With feet as light as the wind, Yu Zigui leaped into the Shangguan Mansion, three streets away. Without knocking, she climbed through the window and entered.
"Future uncle——"
The word "mother" was still on Xiao Kuang's lips when he was lifted into the air by the newcomer. The speed was terrifying; the chaotic scene before him made him dizzy.
When I came to my senses, I was already at the top of the tallest glazed pagoda in the capital.
"Being obedient is a load of rubbish."
"Huh?" Was it because the wind was too strong, or was he hard of hearing? How could he hear such a vulgar word? Xiao Kuang looked at the person in front of him in disbelief.
Her hair was tied up and flying wildly behind her, her earlobes were adorned with blood-red tourmaline, and Yu Zigui's eyes were clear and bright, with a hint of restrained domineering aura.
"Do you want to save Ji Junze?"
"I do." Xiao Kuang straightened up.
"Then come with me, and take all the trustworthy people with you."
Looking into the distance, one sees the vast, cloud-shrouded mountains of the northern lands.
Chapter Eighteen
Is this the trustworthy person in my future aunt's eyes?
Outside the north gate of the capital, Xiao Kuang was stunned to see Yu Zigui bring two people.
Jiao and Meng are inseparable; he would never mistake the Wei family for their master and servant. Half an hour ago, he and his future aunt split up to search for trustworthy individuals. Without a word, he dragged Cong Luan, who had just arrived in the capital, along. From childhood to adulthood, whenever they got into trouble, they were always together, seamless partners, always ready to go to great lengths for each other—that perfectly described him and A-Luan.
He had thought that his future aunt could entrust her heart to either her senior brother or his own uncle, which made him uneasy for a long time, but he never expected it to be this master and servant.
Could he interpret this as a major crisis in his uncle's love life? After all, Wei Zhuofeng is a legendary, exceptionally good man in the martial arts world.
He stole a glance to his side and saw Yu Zigui and Cong Luan chatting and laughing, their expressions still upright and honest, showing no sign of anything amiss.
"Xiao Kuang, have all your men arrived?"
He paused, then came to his senses. "Everyone's here. Where's my future aunt?"
This title was originally meant as a joke, but he addressed Wei Zhuofeng with certainty, conviction, and without hesitation, after all, he was his uncle and would stand by him to the end.
"I invited Young Master Zhuofeng and Master Gao."
As he spoke, Wei Zhuofeng remained indifferent, merely nodding to him and Cong Luan. Why would this man be willing to get involved in this mess? It wasn't that he was judging a gentleman by his own petty standards, but it was truly a bit strange.
“Although we are still missing one person…” Yu Zigui gazed at the city gate, then smiled, “Let’s set off then.”
"Who's missing? Aren't we waiting?" Cong Luan asked, taking the reins from her.
"No need, he will catch up on his own."
"Future aunt." Looking at the impatiently pacing horse, Xiao Kuang was slightly puzzled. "Weren't we going to rescue someone? What are you doing riding a horse?"
That person is in the Jinyiwei prison. If you want to rescue him, just charge in. Why make such a big fuss?
Yu Zigui smiled slightly and took out a copy of "The Wandering Swordsman" from her bundle. Although the pages of the book were flat, the blue cover was slightly faded, indicating that it had been read many times. She opened the book with ease, pointed to one of the maps, and said, "We need to get here as soon as possible."
"The Central Capital of the Northern Barbarians?" came Cong Luan's surprised voice.
Yu Zigui smiled and nodded: "The book says that every year the Northern Di emperor would travel south to Zhongdu to spend the winter."
"The Emperor of the Northern Barbarians? What does this have to do with the Emperor of the Northern Barbarians?" Xiao Kuang couldn't keep up with her at all.
"Kill one person in ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles, what do you want to do?" Seeing him gaping as if swallowing an egg, Yu Zigui winked and hinted, "Save one life and take another."
I just can't understand it. To save that person, all we had to do was break him out of prison with our own blood. Why go to such lengths to kill the Northern Di emperor? What's the connection between the two? Is he just too stupid, or is his future aunt too impulsive?
Xiao Kuang stood there, completely bewildered, when he heard her sigh and whisper in his ear, "Do you really think a prison break can save Ji Junze?"
He was taken aback.
"With such an dishonorable departure, Ji Junze would have no future. For someone who has been immersed in officialdom for decades, it would be worse than death."
Yes, he understood perfectly well. But even so, he couldn't save the person's heart, but saving their body was enough. Call him selfish or take advantage of their misfortune, but he simply couldn't stand by and watch that person die, he just couldn't.
Seeing his struggle, Yu Zigui forcefully shoved the reins into his hand. "Come with me, and not only will Ji Junze be safe, but he will also be reinstated."
Upon hearing this, a corner of Xiao Kuang's heart softened, and he slowly tightened his grip on the reins.
Although he had thought that if that person couldn't become an official, he might accept him, but... would breaking into the prison implicate his uncle? How disappointed would his uncle be if he knew all this?
He couldn't bear to think about it, nor dared to. Rather than keeping that person by his side and causing harm to himself and others, it would be better to go back to how things were before; that would be the best course of action.
Thinking of this, Xiao Kuang mounted his horse.
The Yan and Yun regions stretch for hundreds of miles, their dense forests seemingly endless; the Hanshan Mountains stand as distant landmarks.
Yu Zigui cracked his whip and laughed. "Giddy up!"
As darkness fell, several grown men in the Rong family mansion's entrance hall were in a state of panic.
"Seventh Senior Brother, have you found it?" Eleventh Senior Brother asked as he stepped forward.
He shook his head slightly, and Rong Ye's expression behind the fan twisted slightly.
"This is it, we're doomed."
"What are you afraid of! The youngest isn't trying to upset us!" Xun Dao picked up the limp Eleventh and glanced at the two men who hadn't spoken for a while.
Although they were both drinking tea, Sixth Brother's slightly lowered eyes betrayed his underlying worry; he was clearly feigning composure. Unlike someone who had touched a tiger's whiskers without realizing it, he truly deserved sympathy. No wonder, who would have thought that the most vengeful among the Five Greats would be that gentle and tender youngest?
When the youngest sister entered the sect, they were merely expressing their affection for her in their own unique way. Using seniority to suppress juniority, having the youngest sister do things—this was a tradition of the Tianlong Sect. Which of the brothers hadn't gone through this? It was commonplace, something they were used to. Who knew she would hold a grudge for six years, until all their pitiful secrets were exposed, revealing her true colors.
A girl! A girl who was invincible throughout the sect at the age of twelve! If he could console himself by saying, "Having such a junior brother is the greatest honor for a senior brother," after being kicked away by the youngest brother, who was eight years younger than him, what could he say when he learned the cruel truth that the youngest brother was a girl?
The burly man was completely overwhelmed by a young girl with blond hair, and he was powerless to fight back, in addition to the secret of the "map" he had in his youth.
Severely "injured," he ran to the back mountain, pounding his chest and roaring in pain for a long time. So long... that he discovered he wasn't the only one secretly venting his frustrations: the seventh brother's lard, the ninth brother's "bird walk," and the tenth brother's menstrual belt.
I understand the pain in your heart. That night was a night of unprecedented harmony among the brothers...
This pain remains fresh and vivid, so much so that every time I face my youngest child, I feel utterly naked, not only disgraced but also hopeless for the rest of my life. How can anyone who hasn't experienced it firsthand understand this pain and this wound?
Now the unlucky ones are these two: the ever-mischievous Sixth Senior Brother and the arrogant Shangguan Yi who makes you want to punch him. Well, well, fortunes change, who's next this year? Heaven is indeed fair! Come on, youngest brother, your Eighth Brother is absolutely rooting for you!
Xun Dao thought to himself, then turned around and saw Rong Qi behind the fan, his smile sinister, all traces of his previous worry gone. Even Lao Jiu's deadpan eyes couldn't hide his excitement, not to mention Lao Shi, who was chuckling to himself against the wall. Everything was understood without words, and the brothers secretly rejoiced.
Just as the group was gloating, a servant from the front yard came to deliver a message that the steward from the Shangguan Mansion had arrived.
Yu Luo curtsied to the hall and then looked at her master. "Young Master, Miss Yu's luggage is missing."
Upon hearing this, the four brothers, An Shuang, all slumped their shoulders, their smiles vanishing from their eyes.
"Gone?" Shangguan asked, glancing at him.
"Yes, after receiving the young master's order, Yu Luo went to the young lady's room, but her luggage was already gone."
Shangguan frowned. "Check if she left anything behind, like that copy of 'The Wandering Swordsman'."
"The Wandering Swordsman"?
“Yes, yes, that copy of ‘The Wandering Swordsman’ is Junior Brother’s treasure. She’ll write a few pages down whenever she has free time, and she never misses a page, no matter where she goes,” Eleven chimed in.