The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort

Chapter 88 : Collapse

In the General fu.

Zhao Guang stared intently at the letter before him. Zhao Yuan Jia and his two siblings, along with Zhao Yi, stood on either side, with identical serious expressions.

After quite a while, Zhao Guang heaved a long sigh and said, "Let's just do what's written in the letter."

"Zufu," Zhao Yi said in surprise. "Even if what Biaomei said previously is correct, if she should be wrong this time, the Zhao family will not be able to bear the consequences and accusations of sending out troops due to a private message."

"I believe that child." Ever since Jiang Lisa visited the General fu and disclosed the inside story of Zhao Mei's mistreatment, Zhao Guang seemed to have aged by a decade. This General, who was normally in robust spirits, now bore an expression which hinted at hidden hardship.

"Don't worry," Zhao Yuan Ping said unexpectedly, with a laugh. "Not only does this situation concern us, she has even called upon Eldest Nephew into the action, so she would never put her dage in a compromising situation. Our Zhao family is a family of high-ranking military officials; there is nothing amiss if a situation should suddenly arise which requires us to call a small section of our troops to duty. If nothing actually transpires, we can plead that we were misled by an anonymous and maliciously sent letter; if something does happen, then we would have rescued a large group of citizens. Whatever the case, our gain will be more than any possible loss."

Zhao Yuan Ping, as the most astute Zhao family male, had the custom of scrutinising the pros and cons of every situation. It made him seem like a shrewd businessman, but no one had ever doubted his way of looking at things. Since he and Zhao Guang had spoken in this manner, no one else expressed an opinion on the matter. A decision was thus made.

"If you send troops to Bo Chang Reservoir tonight, by daybreak tomorrow, Eighth Prince will also have sent men to defend it. Don't confront them in open conflict, just kill them all in the shortest possible time," Zhao Guang said to Zhao Yuan Jia.

"Won't that bring us into direct conflict with Eighth Prince?" Zhao Yuan Jia frowned as he continued, "I'm afraid that incurring hatred in this direct way bodes ill for the future. Until now, the General fu has maintained a neutral position in the imperial court by not seeking favour, but also by not rejecting it when bestowed, either. However, after tonight, we will be in conflict with Xuan Li. Henceforth, when we meet, the atmosphere between us will be hostile[1], and who knows how many casualties there will be."

[1] Dao guang jian ying (刀光剑影 ) - lit. the glint and flash of cold steel; heated combat.

"So, if we yield, he will simply let the General fu go?" Zhao Guang asked in response. "Go on, just do what the letter says."

Zhao Yuan Jia and the others exchanged glances, following which, they seemed to come to an agreement and exited the study. Once alone, Zhao Guang once again dropped his gaze to the letter before him. In her letter, Jiang Lisa had asked them to dispose of all of Eighth Prince's men quickly and efficiently. No one was to be spared, and they were not to be given the opportunity to seek external aid. Naturally, he understood Jiang Lisa 's reason for making this request. If Xuan Li's subordinates were given the opportunity to call in other people, Xuan Li would undoubtedly not allow the Zhao family to move the citizens from the lower reaches of the reservoir to another location.

As for quietly dispatching all of Eighth Prince's men, if the reservoir really did collapse on the second day, there was the great chance of saying that all the bodies had been swept away. Since dead men tell no tales, Xuan Li would only be able to keep his suspicions and grievances to himself, and suffer in silence. Zhao Guang sighed deeply. He admired Jiang Lisa 's ingenious mind, and was also astonished at the decisiveness with which she ordered a kill. However, she was still so young. When Zhao Yu Long and Zhao Fei Zhou were her age, they had been innocent and naïve youngsters who had never even tasted anxiety.