ambition

"What is the relationship between my cousin and the Crown Prince?" Seeing that Chu Chanyin rarely mentioned his family, Zhao Youyi wanted to know more about him, especially his time in the Chu Prince's mansion over the past few years.

Chu Chanyin lowered his head and looked at the folding fan: "My brother and I have a deep friendship. He is a kind person, and my nephew is just like him. He is very likable."

He spoke in a relaxed tone, but Zhao Youyi suddenly sensed something different in his voice.

In Chu Chanyin's heart, he was an unlikable child. Although Chu Chanyin said he didn't care, they were his biological parents after all, so how could he completely let it go?

“You’re quite likable too,” Zhao Youyi said, looking into his eyes with a very serious tone.

Hearing this, Chu Chanyin was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Cousin thinks I'm likable? Then how can I be likable to you?"

Zhao Youyi unconsciously widened her eyes, as if startled by these words. The two looked at each other and remained silent for a moment.

“Cousin, you’re quite the heartthrob in the capital. Countless noble ladies dream of you, so it’s no wonder you’re so charming.” Zhao Youyi reached out and patted his arm, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

Chu Chanyin smiled slightly, not dwelling on the topic, and simply said, "We still need to infiltrate the military camp to investigate the situation tomorrow, so get some rest."

The two men's plan was simple and brutal: to use their kung fu skills to infiltrate the military camp, kidnap Min Guo, and force him to confess. After the news was spread over the past two days, the people in the city were talking about it, and there were also many rumors in the army, which could be said to have demoralized the troops.

Before leaving, Zhao Youyi hesitated for a moment, looked back at him, and unconsciously tightened her grip on the bow and arrow.

"Doesn't your cousin want me to come with her?" Chu Chanyin asked, noticing her hesitation.

“Cousin, I need to establish my authority in the army.” Her words were firm and resolute. If Chu Chanyin were to accompany her this time, even if he remained a bystander, it would still affect her future command of the Zhao family army. Call her cold-blooded or paranoid, but Chu Chanyin was, after all, a powerful and ruthless leader who dominated a region. No matter how indifferent he appeared to be to power, she had to be wary.

To put it simply, it is not easy for a woman to achieve success. Back then, as the sister of a general, it was not easy for her to gain the genuine respect of the soldiers. How much more difficult it would be for her to turn the Zhao family army against the Zhao family now. If the King of Chu were by her side, no matter how well she did, the final result would be greatly reduced.

Upon hearing this, Chu Chanyin was not surprised at all. He picked up his sword and lightly touched it with the sword at her waist. "Waiting for your safe return."

Zhao Youyi looked up, and the two smiled at each other.

“Zheng Peng is almost in Wanzhou. I’ll have to trouble you to meet him, cousin,” Zhao Youyi said, looking at him.

Chu Chanyin naturally agreed. Although Zhao Youyi was highly skilled in martial arts, he couldn't help but worry about this operation. However, he knew that Zhao Youyi didn't want him to get too involved. He understood Zhao Youyi's meaning. He had no intention of getting involved with the Zhao family army. After all, what is honey to one is poison to another.

The sun was high in the sky, and the sounds of soldiers training in the camp could not drown out the angry curses coming from the main tent.

Enraged, Min Guo smashed the imperial vase in his tent and yelled at his men, "What's going on? Why are there so many rumors about Zhao Youli circulating in the city all of a sudden? They can't even find peace in death!"

The subordinate stammered, "General, please calm down. This is not a secret. His Majesty hastily covered it up at the time, and many people did not believe that General Zhao would plot a rebellion."

Min Guo picked up a teacup and smashed it on the soldier's head. "You're one of my men, how come you're siding with Zhao Youli? Is that person really that good?"

The soldier dared not dodge and could only let the blood drip from his forehead.

"General Min!" The man rushed in, furious, and grabbed Min Guo by the collar. He was one of Zhao Youli's deputy generals, who had been left behind to garrison the border. Unexpectedly, Zhao Youli never returned, and rumors of treason spread. He didn't believe it, but now there were rumors in the city that Min Guo had conspired with the emperor to poison Zhao Youli, and he couldn't sit still.

"Is the rumor in the city true? The general was so good to you! How could you conspire with the emperor to poison him?" Zhou Huaiyuan questioned Min Guo with red eyes, staring at him intently.

Min Guo broke free from his restraints and, no longer caring about anything else, declared: "Good? What he gave me was nothing but charity! How is that any different from the raccoon I encountered on the road to rescue people? If he truly cared for me, he should have made me a commander-in-chief like I am now! Instead of being subservient to others!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huaiyuan flew into a rage and punched him squarely in the face. "You heartless wretch! You repay kindness with enmity! You think everything will go smoothly for you now that you're in this position? You don't understand a thing or two about the general's strategies! Once the rabbit is caught, the hound is cooked! General Zhao's fate today is your fate tomorrow!"

"No need to wait for tomorrow!" Just then, a sharp arrow suddenly arrived, hitting Min Guo's right shoulder. The tent was thrown into chaos. The next moment after feeling the pain, Min Guo looked up at the person who came. The girl's high ponytail danced in the wind, her blue clothes were stained with blood, her eyes were cold and her expression was resolute. Holding a bow and arrow, she charged into the heavily guarded military camp alone.

The person who arrived was Zhao Youyi.

When Zhao Youyi went to the battlefield with the army in her early years, Min Guo had not yet been rescued by Zhao Youli. Therefore, he did not know that Zhao Youyi knew martial arts. He thought she was a sickly young lady. After learning that she had left the capital with the Prince of Chu in a hurry, he put the matter out of his mind. He did not expect that Zhao Youyi not only knew martial arts, but also had high martial arts skills. The soldiers could not stop her, a weak woman!

"Young General!" Zhou Huaiyuan naturally recognized her. The moment he saw her, it was as if he saw the spirited Zhao Youli of yesteryear. Indeed, the Zhao family had been brave for generations. He knew that Zhao Youyi would not let Min Guo go.

Zhao Youyi glanced at him, smiled slightly, drew her sword and headed straight for Min Guo. Zhou Huaiyuan was so shocked to see her attack without saying a word that he immediately drew his sword to help.

Min Guo was startled and dodged backward, grabbing a sword from the shelf behind him and engaging Zhao Youyi in combat. At first, he thought Zhao Youyi's swordsmanship was at best on par with Zhao Youli, but he didn't expect Zhao Youyi to be so fast. The sword left afterimages in her hands, so he had to abandon his underestimation of her and go straight for Zhao Youyi's vital points.

Min Guo's talent was naturally not low, otherwise Zhao Youli would not have devoted so much effort to cultivating him. Both of them were people who fought on the battlefield, and their swords were wielded with the posture of knives. Zhou Huaiyuan could not get involved at all in the midst of the flashing swords.

Before he could even catch his breath, the sound of a sword piercing flesh exploded in his ears. Zhao Youyi had plunged his sword into Min Guo's heart, killing him instantly.

The bloodstains on her face resembled the most beautiful spider lilies of the underworld, stunningly beautiful yet like a demon crawling up from hell, making one unable to help but admire her wholeheartedly.

Zhou Huaiyuan knelt down instinctively, as if he were the most loyal subject.

Zhao Youyi drew her sword, and blood splattered onto her dress again. Her expression was unreadable. She had killed her enemy, and she should have felt happy and exhilarated, but she felt a deep sorrow for Zhao Youli. She had heard Min Guo's words clearly, but her heart was no longer capable of expressing any emotion.

Her brother had once told her that once the birds were gone, the bow would be put away, so she should hide her talents and stay in the capital to live a peaceful life. With her brother by her side, she wouldn't have to face the cruel reality. The Zhao family had sacrificed their lives for the country for generations, and almost all of their children had died on the battlefield. He couldn't bear to see his sister suffer the same fate. That was the only selfish wish of the great general who had fought for the country and its people all his life. He hoped that his sister could live a normal life, happy and peaceful. He wanted to protect her innocence and joy forever.

So he rescued Min Guo on the battlefield, intending to groom him as his successor, or rather, to have him take his place. After all, swords have no eyes on the battlefield, and the Zhao family army would only avoid becoming pawns under imperial power if they were in the hands of someone who truly cared for the common people. Unfortunately, people's hearts are unpredictable, and the brother who would make her a swing, buy her candied hawthorns, and take her horseback riding and hunting would never return.

"Young General, I know everything about what happened to you. Min Guo is dead. What should we do next?" Zhou Huaiyuan asked, looking at the cold-faced girl in front of him.

Zhao Youyi blinked, took a deep breath, and said, "Gather the brothers, I have something to announce."

Zhou Huaiyuan didn't miss the fleeting look of confusion on her face. Only now did he belatedly realize that no matter how skilled Zhao Youyi was in martial arts or how hard-hearted she was, she was still just a child who was not yet seventeen years old. In the past six months, the Empress Dowager had forced her to marry in her place, and then her only brother died mysteriously and was accused of treason. At this time, the Emperor was forcing her to enter the palace. She was already exhausted from calmly handling one troublesome matter after another, but she could not relax. She could only break free by getting involved herself.

"Young General, are you...?" Zhao Youyi naturally understood Zhou Huaiyuan's unspoken words. She had entered the military camp alone and killed a court official. This was tantamount to treason. The Zhao family's century-old reputation would be ruined the moment she stepped out of the camp. Even her brother's previous false accusation would be confirmed in the eyes of others. After all, if even his sister dared to rebel, how could Zhao Youli be truly loyal to the emperor?

But Zhao Youyi didn't care about any of that. She had to walk this path, even if it meant facing bloodshed and the scorn of thousands. She didn't want to be Chu Chan's shadow behind the scenes, hiding in the back house waiting for someone else to save her. She wanted to be her own savior, and also the savior of all the people in the world.

She gave a cold laugh, her tone resounding: "If the ruler demands rebellion, the subject has no choice but to rebel."

"I, Zhao Youyi, am by no means a coward who fears death. With blood feuds before me and national and family hatreds behind me, I am determined to bring peace and prosperity to the people of the world with the sword in my hand. I am unwavering in my determination and will spare no effort!" Zhao Youyi stared at the blazing sun in front of him, showing no fear whatsoever.

Zhou Huaiyuan was deeply impressed by her words. Recalling that she had inherited her late father's spirit at such a young age, he naturally bowed in submission: "Your subordinate swears to follow the general to the death!"

Zhao Youyi strode out of the tent into the blazing sun. Without needing to be summoned, a large group of soldiers had already gathered outside. They looked at Zhao Youyi, who was covered in blood, with both vigilance and fear.

This young woman stormed into the military camp single-handedly. Although she didn't kill any soldiers, she did injure those who tried to stop her. She even stormed into the main tent. Judging from her blood-covered appearance, Min Guo is probably in grave danger.

They originally wanted to rush in to rescue him, but when they thought of Min Guo's tyrannical nature and the fact that their military pay hadn't been paid for many days, they hesitated. After all, whose life doesn't matter? Moreover, they were originally soldiers under Zhao Youli, and now that rumors had spread that Min Guo and the emperor had poisoned Zhao Youli, they naturally harbored some prejudice against Min Guo.

Moreover, someone just said that this woman looks five or six parts like General Zhao, so it's no surprise that she is General Zhao's only sister.

After these words were spoken, no one wanted to save Min Guo anymore.

The mere mention of a potential rebellion, or even the possibility of installing a woman as commander-in-chief, caused many to exchange bewildered glances. If the rebellion succeeded, all would be well; but if it failed, they would be branded as traitors and rebellious subjects, forever condemned behind their backs. Although the Zhao family's daughter was highly skilled in martial arts, she was, after all, a woman. Moreover, they all knew that the Zhao family's daughter had been sickly since childhood. To install such a frail man... they feared that his ambitions would be cut short before he could even begin.

“Brothers,” Zhao Youyi said, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the soldiers. Some looked at her with trust, while others lowered their heads to avoid eye contact. “I believe you all know my purpose. My brother and I studied under General Xie Bizheng. I have been well-versed in military strategy since childhood and went to the battlefield at the age of thirteen. If you trust me, then stay and work with us to accomplish great things.”

“If you have other intentions, I won’t force you. I’ll make up the difference out of my own pocket.” Seeing that everyone’s eyes were on her after hearing this, Zhao Youyi changed the subject and said, “But if anyone has a loose tongue, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”