Xu Bainian was furious. “Did the soldiers really say that?”
“Ask Third Brother!”
Xu Wei threw a fit.
Xu Yong quickly cut in, “Father, how would we dare lie to you? If we don’t treat this seriously, military morale could be shaken!”
“It won’t come to that!”
After all, the Ninth Prince’s background was known to everyone. The soldiers in the army would certainly be unhappy to hear that Zhaoyue was going to marry the Ninth Prince, but it would not be enough to shake military morale.
If this marriage had been his decision, he would indeed have taken the soldiers’ feelings into account. He might even have stripped Zhaoyue of her position as Young Commander.
But the key was that this marriage had been granted by His Majesty. In other words, what His Majesty really wanted was not for the Ninth Prince to marry Zhaoyue, but to take over the Flying Flower Army.
Yet this matter could only be understood tacitly and not spoken aloud.
These two sons were decent enough at charging into battle, but when it came to commanding an army and planning strategy, they were far inferior to Zhaoyue.
“Father, the Flying Flower Army is a foundation built by our Xu family over generations. Are you really willing to hand it over to someone else?!”
Seeing Xu Bainian hesitate, Xu Wei suddenly roared in fury.
Xu Bainian was still wavering.
If Zhaoyue remained the commander, then after the marriage, the Flying Flower Army would naturally become the Ninth Prince’s private army.
But if Xu Wei became commander, then it would only be a marriage alliance, and the Flying Flower Army would still belong to the Xu family.
When the marriage alliance was first raised, he had considered appointing Xu Wei as commander. Although his ability was not as strong as Zhaoyue’s, he was not entirely incapable either.
But although His Majesty had not said it plainly, his insistence that the Ninth Prince marry Zhaoyue clearly meant he wanted the Flying Flower Army handed over to the Ninth Prince.
If he appointed Xu Wei as commander again, that would be going against His Majesty.
But even setting that aside, for people like Xu Bainian in their generation, although they had never shown any disloyalty to the dynasty, when military power was involved, who would be willing to let it go so easily?
Military power was the very foundation on which great clans like theirs survived.
Xu Bainian’s once-black hair had turned white and brittle, his face deeply wrinkled, his eye sockets sunken, his fatigue plain for all to see.
Although he had said he was willing to hand over military power, when it really came to this point, he fell into a difficult dilemma.
“Zhaoyue, what do you think?”
Xu Zhaoyue understood everything clearly and said with apparent indifference, “Let Grandfather decide.”
Seeing this, Xu Wei and Xu Yong could barely hide their joy.
They knew the old man had wavered.
“Don’t be too happy too soon!”
Xu Bainian suddenly poured a bucket of cold water over them. “If I hand the Flying Flower Army over, I would be betraying our ancestors. But if I appoint someone utterly unfit as commander, that would betray them even more. Second Son, you can take the position of commander, but you must prove you have what it takes! As long as you can prove yourself to the 200,000 soldiers of the Flying Flower Army, I’ll throw my old bones’ face aside and personally beg His Majesty to appoint you as marshal of the Flying Flower Army!”
Xu Wei froze. “How do I prove it?”
“I won’t favor anyone. The Ministry of Revenue has been withholding two seasons’ worth of military funds from the Flying Flower Army. Whoever of you, you or Zhaoyue, can get it first, I will appoint as commander! Second Son, any problem with that?”
If that was the way to prove it, wasn’t that as good as a sure win?
Xu Wei slammed a fist against his chest arrogantly, sneered at Xu Zhaoyue, and said with complete confidence, “No problem. Give me at most ten days, and I guarantee I will have the military funds in hand.”
“Confidence is a good thing, but don’t just boast.”
Xu Bainian looked at Xu Zhaoyue. “Zhaoyue, what about you?”
Xu Zhaoyue said coolly, “I’ll do my best.”
“Good. It’s settled then. I’m tired. All of you may leave.”
Xu Wei and Xu Yong each had their own residences outside the estate. Since they had achieved their goal, they did not linger and left Duke Xu’s estate immediately. Once they reached an empty alley, Xu Yong could not help laughing loudly. “Second Brother, when you get rich and powerful, don’t forget me!”
Xu Wei looked haughty, his mouth nearly curling up to the heavens. “We are brothers. If I become commander, would I treat you badly? Xu Zhaoyue probably never imagined that King Xuan deliberately withheld the military funds just to pave the way for me! What does a girl like her know about the ways of the world?”
“Haha, Second Brother, I think ten days is still too long. You should have said tomorrow, or at most three days! Ten days gives too much time for something to go wrong!”
Xu Wei shook his head. “No. King Xuan said the earliest is ten days! We’ve waited eight years already. Why care about ten more days? Let’s go. It’s been a long time since we’ve been back in the imperial city. Let’s go to Fragrant Tower for a drink first!”
“Hurry, hurry! I can’t wait any longer!”
Xu Yong rubbed his hands together, consumed by lust.
Only after the two of them left did Xu Zhaoxing stick her furious head out from a corner. “No wonder the military funds haven’t been released. So those two bastards have been conspiring with outsiders and causing trouble!”
Soon after, Xu Zhaoxing returned to the estate and told Xu Zhaoyue what had happened, shouting that she was going to complain to Grandfather.
But Xu Zhaoyue stopped her, shaking her head with a bitter smile. “There is no need to make such a fuss. Grandfather is old, but he is not confused. He understands some things in his heart.”
Xu Zhaoxing widened her eyes. Once she understood the key point, she immediately felt wronged on Xu Zhaoyue’s behalf.
“Sis, do you mean Grandfather clearly guessed that Big Beard and King Xuan are colluding, and he still uses the military funds matter to decide who becomes commander of the Flying Flower Army? Sis, that’s not fair!”
“It’s true that the Flying Flower Army was built by the Xu family. But if Father and you had not led the troops so well, the Flying Flower Army would long ago have been cut out of the dynasty’s Seven Great Armies!”
“Now that you’ve finally managed to restore the Flying Flower Army, Grandfather is tacitly allowing Big Beard to take the credit? On what grounds?!”
“And if the Flying Flower Army flies away like a cooked duck, what kind of good face do you think you’ll get from Chen Chu after marrying him?”
“Sis, in my opinion, you should show the momentum you have on the battlefield and crush them outright! If you just refuse to fight for it, you’ll only end up swallowing a bitter loss!”
Xu Zhaoyue had a look of comfort on her face. No matter what, she always had a younger sister who was devoted to her.
It was just a pity that once she married Chen Chu, she would have to part from this sister.
Xu Zhaoyue smiled meaningfully. “Who said I’m not fighting? I may understand Grandfather, but that doesn’t mean I will really hand the Flying Flower Army over. Since His Majesty has granted me marriage to the Ninth Prince, then I am the one who represents the rise and fall of Duke Xu’s estate!”
“With me in the Xu family, it will never decline!”
Xu Zhaoyue shed her usual gentleness and revealed her domineering side.
“But Big Beard and King Xuan are in collusion. How are you supposed to get the military funds?”
Xu Zhaoyue said matter-of-factly, “Of course I’ll go to my husband. We weren’t married yet, so I didn’t want to trouble him. But if Second Uncle is reaching his claws toward my dowry, then who else is supposed to step in besides him?”
“Second Uncle says I don’t understand the ways of the world. He’s dead wrong. I do understand. I simply won’t work with a tiger to get its hide.”
“Grandfather is conservative. He has always seen the Flying Flower Army as an army belonging to the Xu family, and he cannot bear to let it go. But he doesn’t understand that in times of great upheaval, if you hold a sharp weapon but cannot wield it well, it is better to let it go.”
“His Majesty gave him the best choice, but he kept harboring hope. He was wrong. I will set him straight.”
“Go see the Ninth Prince. Keep it from Grandfather.”
Xu Zhaoxing immediately brightened and answered firmly, “No problem!”
…
The half-set sun reflected on the water, making the river and sky the same color.
Chen Chu stepped onto the small boat and said, “Miss Yueyao, I have come to keep the appointment.”
Yueyao raised the pole and rowed the small boat into the river, where a layer of shimmering golden light spread across the water. Pretending to be jealous, she said, “The Ninth Prince came to keep Miss Liuli’s appointment, not Yueyao’s.”
Chen Chu said, “Then tonight, we won’t go to Heavenly Palace. Wherever Miss Yueyao rows the boat, that’s where we’ll go.”
Yueyao turned her gaze back. The afterglow of the setting sun fell across her delicate, lovely face as she said playfully, “I thought the Ninth Prince was a refined gentleman. Turns out you are just like the other guests, speaking sweet nothings.”