Chapter 25 Zhang's Dilemma (Part Two) Heaven's Sorrow and Resentment Anger the Unruly...

Zhang Yuanhan glanced silently at Xiao Shan, who was at a disadvantage, his expression calm, no longer displaying his foolish behavior.

He tilted his head, seemingly considering whether or not to keep his promise to him.

Finally, Zhang Yuanhan said coldly, "Lord Xiao, what are you saying?"

He was so calm and composed, as if Zhang Yuanqian and Xiao Shan's relationship had nothing to do with him, as if Xiao Shan's threats and coercion today were not directed at his family.

He could even calmly watch the hatred between his elder brother and Xiao Shan, observing like an outsider.

Xi Bingyi, who had been standing by and watching, felt a strong sense of unease. She looked at the indifferent Zhang Yuanhan in disbelief, not understanding why Xiao Shan would choose to ask Zhang Yuanhan for help at such a critical moment.

Her unease became a reality. In the end, Zhang Yuanhan waved his hand, summoning two of the nurses who had ganged up on Xiao Shan to his side.

He smiled coldly, not sparing Zhang Yuanqian even a glance.

"Lord Xiao, if you can't handle five people, surely you can handle three?"

The two guards, having received Zhang Yuanhan's orders, ceased their pursuit of Xiao Shan. Xiao Shan felt a sudden relief; his embroidered spring knife whistled through the air, and he was on the verge of breaking through the encirclement. He almost burst out laughing.

"Zhang Yuanqian, look at your good younger brother!"

Zhang Yuanqian remained expressionless, as if he had anticipated this situation. He didn't even glance at Zhang Yuanhan, but focused intently on the trapped Xiao Shan, remaining silent.

The simple-minded Xi Bingyi was completely confused. She couldn't understand why it didn't look like the two brothers were working together to deal with Xiao Shan, but rather like Zhang Yuanhan and Xiao Shan were working together to deal with Young Master Zhang.

Xi Bingyi recalled Zhang Yuanhan saying that it was her older brother who was chasing him, that her older brother was greedy for power...

She trembled all over, and even though she could hardly believe it or imagine it, she still understood everything perfectly—

Zhang Yuanhan betrayed his elder brother by colluding with Xiao Shan, abandoning the Zhang family and his own family.

But why? With the Zhang family destroyed, what good could possibly come of him?

Even though she saw through Zhang Yuanhan's stance and actions, she didn't understand his motives.

Huo Qin, however, saw things more clearly. He said in a deep voice:

You're wrong.

"What's happening on the field isn't a confrontation between the two sides."

"Instead, it's a three-way check and balance."

The conversation between the two caught Zhang Yuanhan's attention, and his cold gaze swept over Huo Xi and the other man.

A struggle flashed in his eyes, but it was ultimately overshadowed by a greater ambition.

"Take Miss Mei and Mr. Huo to rest."

He said coldly.

Huo Qin looked intently at Zhang Zihan. He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was burning with rage.

He recalled the day of the first snowfall, the blood on the deck, the disheveled Zhou Ziheng, and the injured Xi Bingyi.

Xi Bingyi drew her whip and lashed it fiercely, stopping the servants from advancing.

Her eyes were bloodshot, but she remained resolute and shouted, "Let's see who dares to touch me!"

"I'd like to see just how desirable your Zhang family is!"

Amidst the howling wind and the frigid winter day, a plum tree stands proudly, yet utterly alone and forlorn.

My gaze passed through the branches of the plum blossoms and over the dome of the glazed pavilion; the Zhang family was in complete chaos.

Five guards might be able to overpower Xiao Shan with their numerical advantage, but three guards could only manage a draw against him. Chen Bo stood behind Zhang Yuanqian, looking at Zhang Yuanhan with heartache, while the latter, accompanied by two defecting guards, calmly and indifferently watched the four-man fight in the center.

The two brothers had identical indifferent expressions. Everyone used to think that the two brothers had very different personalities, but now they seemed to have arrived at the same destination by different paths.

Xi Bingyi had a headache. She wanted to intervene and was confident that she could quickly suppress and clean up the mess with her own abilities.

But neither she nor Huo Qin made a move.

—Because hidden in the shadows is the Plum Blossom Manor, where a fleeting glimpse of beauty can be seen!

Everyone thought they were the one reaping the benefits, but no one knew that someone else was lurking in the shadows. Xi Bingyi understood that, no matter what, she couldn't make a move at this moment.

The situation became quite strange. Xiao Shan was caught in the attack of three guards, but the people on the sidelines were all calm and unhurried, as if they were just watching a theatrical performance. Everyone was exceptionally composed.

Xiao Shan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He cursed the Zhang brothers a thousand times in his heart. One of them was audacious enough to betray the imperial court, and the other was an utter villain who pretended to be friendly with him but never offered any help!

Just wait for the Imperial Guards to arrive—

Xiao Shan roared, his embroidered spring knife sending several people flying. His eyes shone with unusual rage, his clothes were disheveled and his hair was flying, but a cold smile played on his lips: "Zhang Yuanqian, it seems I have won."

Just then, a loud crash came from outside the Zhang family's gate, and the heavy, simple gate was forcibly smashed open! It was none other than the well-dressed and highly trained Imperial Guards!

The fifty Imperial Guards all wore fierce expressions and carried gleaming embroidered spring knives, resembling the guillotines of executioners.

"No matter what the state of your navy is, today, I will slaughter the Zhang family!!" Xiao Shan's eyes were bloodshot with rage, the humiliation of being made a fool of burned fiercely in his heart. "Imperial Guards, arrest the traitors!!"

Zhang Yuanhan frowned. He looked at Zhang Yuanqian, who remained calm and composed, unable to tell whether he had given up resisting or was keeping a backup plan.

He twitched his fingers, about to pull out his trump card, when he saw Zhang Yuanqian cast a glance at him.

The look in his eyes was comforting, just like the countless times Zhang Yuanqian had soothed and doted on him, making him feel at ease.

With just one glance, Zhang Yuanhan understood his brother's plan.

Zhang Yuanhan gritted his teeth, a surge of emotion welling up in his eyes, which unknowingly reddened.

The instant Xiao Shan ordered the Imperial Guards to act, a massive net descended from the sky, perfectly enveloping Xiao Shan and his group. Looking up, it became clear that countless people had been lying in ambush on the open rooftop, waiting to wipe out the Imperial Guards in one fell swoop!

Just as Zhang Yuanhan went to Xiheqin by sea for this net, Zhang Yuanqian sent Xu Yi out to sea many times for the same reason!

The giant net is woven from special materials and swirls down from above. As soon as it touches an object, it contracts rapidly and tightly binds the prey. The more the prey struggles, the smaller the net becomes.

The Zhang family's residence has a unique layout. After passing through a flower field and pushing open the gate, one walks along a winding corridor and finds that the main body of the residence is shaped like the Chinese character "口" (kou).

At the very center is a glazed pavilion piled high with countless riches. To showcase the pavilion's magnificence to the fullest, its "口"-shaped structure is open to the elements, making it convenient for a giant net to descend from the sky.

The net was made of an extra-hard material; Xiao Shan tried to twist it with a knife for a long time without breaking it. Instead, it tightened the net, trapping more than fifty people inside.

Zhang Yuanqian, with his strategic vision, saw Xiao Shan fall into the trap and immediately ordered other naval forces to approach with swords drawn.

Xiao Shan was right. Zhang's navy consisted of ordinary people, naturally inferior to the well-trained and well-equipped Imperial Guards. However, they possessed unparalleled geographical advantages, and with a little planning, they managed to outmaneuver Xiao Shan.

But……

Zhang Yuanqian sighed inwardly, and sure enough, he heard Xiao Shan and Zhang Yuanhan's back-and-forth banter:

"Second Young Master, if you don't make a move soon, your elder brother will win a great victory!"

"Spare Xiao Shan's life; the fate of the others is irrelevant!"

Two voices rang out simultaneously. Zhang Yuanhan finally revealed his trump card, brandishing his sword at Zhang Yuanqian and joining the melee.

Many hidden assassins appeared behind him. Their martial arts skills might not be as good as the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but they were definitely not something the navy could resist. In an instant, screams filled the air, blood spurted out, and the situation was completely out of control!

Xi Bingyi's face turned pale and her lips trembled. Only Huo Qin held her down with both hands, forcing her to watch helplessly as Zhang Yuanhan slaughtered his own people!

Amidst the chaos, the screams of the sailors, Xiao Shan's maniacal laughter, and Uncle Chen's furious roars filled the air, creating a cacophony of sounds that resembled hell. Only the two Zhang brothers stood facing each other from afar.

“Brother…” Zhang Yuanhan murmured, suppressing the tears in his eyes. His gaze regained its clarity and determination. He was ambitious. “Zhang Yuanqian, it’s time to change the person in charge of the Zhang family!”

"Yuanhan, are you confused! Hasn't your brother spoiled you enough all these years?! You—"

Zhang Yuanqian raised his hand to stop Uncle Chen's angry outburst. His tone was calm, as if he had expected this day to come: "Yuanhan, no matter what the outcome, I only hope that you can treat Xu Yi kindly."

It would be fine if Xu Yi wasn't mentioned, but as soon as Xu Yi was mentioned, Zhang Yuanhan immediately got angry.

Amidst the chaos of battle, his icy words were crystal clear: "Xu Yi? My brother's dog, why should I treat him kindly?"

"I am clearly your own brother, and my childhood was just as tragic as Xu Yi's. Why does your brother always favor him?"

"He suffered torment since childhood, didn't I? Wasn't I tormented by Zhang Daolin?"

"Is it because his family was destroyed that my brother favored him over me?!"

"Zhang Yuanhan, what nonsense are you spouting! We agreed that I would help you seize power and you would submit to the court. Don't break your promise!" Xiao Shan gritted his teeth, trapped in the net. He really didn't want to put all his hopes on Zhang Yuanhan, but the situation was unpredictable, and he had no other choice but to keep reminding and shouting.

Before long, the situation completely turned in Zhang Yuanhan's favor.

The navy was almost completely wiped out, and Zhang Yuanqian's trump card was exposed. Xiao Shan was still trapped in the giant net, looking for a way to escape. If Zhang Yuanhan wanted to, he could catch him like a turtle in a jar at any time.

The open conflict ended too quickly. Xi Bingyi witnessed the whole thing and almost suspected that Zhang Yuanqian deliberately arrested Xiao Shan first and then let Zhang Yuanhan launch a "coup." In this way, Zhang Yuanhan would not have to worry about the watchful Jinyiwei and could easily vent his ambitions.

Meanwhile, Huo Qin's thoughts were racing, starting from his encounter with Zhang Yuanhan, trying to piece together the truth of the incident by piecing together subtle clues from his memories.

When Zhang Yuanhan met them, he said that Zhang Yuanqian had hired someone to kill someone, but now it seems that was just empty talk.

Those assassins were clearly targeting Zhang Yuanhan, but they ignored him completely when they entered the mountain. Instead, they fought Zhou Ziheng and Xi Bingyi to a standstill. It's likely that he himself was the one who actually "hired someone to kill".

What was his purpose in doing this? Was it to create a negative first impression of Zhang Yuanqian in them?

On the cargo ship, Zhang Yuanhan had already revealed his ambition; he hoped that Zhou Ziheng would become the tool in his hands to seize power, but he was rejected.

With things as they are, there's no use dwelling on it. The central crisis has come to an end. The assassins slaughtered the navy and turned their weapons to charge straight at the Imperial Guards. The Imperial Guards, caught in the web of intrigue, had limited options and could only be slaughtered at their mercy.

After another round of massacres, only Xiao Shan, who was being held and forced to kneel on the ground, and the Zhang brothers, who were facing each other in silence, remained in the very center.

"Zhang Yuanhan, you'd better not betray me after I've served my purpose!" Xiao Shan roared, restlessly reaching for his embroidered spring knife, but was discovered by the assassin and kicked hard, his arm snapped in two!

Xiao Shan bit his tongue, swallowing a violent cry of pain. His eyes were bloodshot, and blood kept spilling from his mouth: "Didn't you say that you would join forces with me to kill Zhang Yuanqian, and then submit to the court once you took control of the Zhang family?!"

"You have no other choice! Now, in front of everyone, they all know that you, Zhang Yuanhan, are a treacherous man who killed your brother to seize power. You have no choice!"

Zhang Yuanhan sneered: "I didn't expect Lord Xiao, as the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to be so naive. Merchants naturally put profit first. If you spend your days hunting geese, you should be careful not to get pecked in the eye by one. Even if I want to kill Zhang Yuanqian, how can you not die?"

"Once you're dead, I'll naturally go and kill Zhang Yuanqian!"

"Zhang Yuanhan, you despicable man, I curse you to never be sincere for the rest of your life—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yuanhan snatched the sword from Zhang Yuanqian's hand. In the complicated exchange of glances between the two brothers, Zhang Yuanhan did not hesitate to cut off Xiao Shan's head!

Hot blood gushed out, and Xiao Shan's expression remained frozen in anger and hatred, forever frozen in that moment before he completely lost his life.

The world fell silent. The cold wind dispersed the thick stench of blood, and Zhang Yuanhan swayed, unable to grip the heavy sword. With a clang, the sword shattered into a pool of blood.

The knife gleamed red in the pool of blood, much like a withered plum blossom.

After a long while, Zhang Yuanhan picked up his sword again and gently placed it on Zhang Yuanqian's shoulder.

The two brothers stared at each other, separated by a bloodstained knife and a mountain that obscured human nature.

Zhang Yuanqian understood his younger brother all too well; he understood his unease, as well as his ambition and hatred.

At this very moment, just like at that very moment, in that dimly lit room, Zhang Yuanhan wept and trembled in his arms, whispering to him, "Brother, why can't I...?"

Zhang Yuanqian did not tell him the answer at the time, nor did he find the answer to the question.

He hoped Zhang Yuanhan would be an eagle soaring freely on the sea, a carefree cloud, but he forgot that Zhang Yuanhan never wanted to be an eagle or a cloud; the one who always wanted freedom was himself.

Xi Bingyi watched silently, her eyes blurry with tears, almost suffocating.

"Why?" she asked in a low voice.

No one answered her; the soft murmur, along with a slight sob, slowly dissipated in the wind.

Has this absurd upheaval truly come to an end?

Suddenly, a round of applause broke the silent stillness!

She's here—Hochin's eyes lit up as he stared intently at the woman emerging from the shadows.

"That was fantastic!" the woman exclaimed, clapping as she walked to the center of Zhang's house, to Xiao Shan's corpse. She kicked aside Xiao Shan's cold, stiff body and laughed.

"The two young masters of the Zhang family are truly remarkable. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the Imperial Guards were just pigs you two had set up to kill. What a clever pig-slaughtering scheme."

She smiled, but everyone present was tense.

"I just don't know, have you two really become enemies? Can you two answer this for me?"

Xi Bingyi stared at the woman's beautiful profile, her slender willow-leaf eyebrows, and her smiling eyes. She blinked blankly, then pinched herself hard. The pain jolted her out of her daze. She couldn't believe it: "Aunt Yu...?"

She had wondered if someone had stolen the "Stunning Shadow" technique from Plum Blossom Manor, and she had also thought that perhaps her mother had passed it on to someone else, but she never expected that the person who came would be her closest aunt, Aunt Yu!

Yu Xijun pretended not to see Xi Bingyi. She raised her hand, and a commotion erupted from the rooftop. The naval forces remaining on the rooftop were all wiped out at the same time. She raised her hand again, and countless archers took the place of the naval forces, drawing their bows and aiming their arrows menacingly at everyone.

"I am also very interested in the Zhang family. I wonder if you could let me join them?"

Yu Xijun blinked and said playfully.

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, and then another oriole after that, the visible forces faded, and the shadowy figures emerged. In this game of chess, everyone was both a player and a pawn.

The plum blossoms danced in the wind, and a single petal fell, a trace of crimson, like a drop of blood from a heart.