Chapter 26: Fated Union

"Fine, it would be best for the Jing'an Earl's Mansion to draw a clear line between us and the General's Mansion, so as to avoid you suffering for our sake in the future."

Upon hearing Yun Zhaozhao's words, Xiang Lian'er, who had been watching from the sidelines, grew anxious.

"Xiang Zhu'er, you idiot, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

Xiang Zhu'er, still unconvinced and wanting to retort, was pinched hard by Xiang Lian'er, who then turned to Yun Zhaozhao: "Sister Zhaozhao, thank you for coming to our rescue just now. Xiang Zhu'er has always had a sharp tongue; please don't mind her."

"I don't need your thanks, but I do hope you can use your brains and think carefully about why they chose to frame you instead of anyone else today. And think further—had the General's Mansion not been backing you, what would you be facing right now?"

With that, Yun Zhaozhao ignored the terrified Xiang sisters and turned to Yun Chuchu: "Let's go, I'll see you home."

"No need, sister. You've had a tiring day, I can manage on my own. You and brother-in-law should just head back to the Duke of Sheng's Mansion."

"Absolutely not. It's too late, I wouldn't be at ease." Yun Zhaozhao insisted.

Although the little girl knew a few moves, compared to real martial artists, her skills were merely superficial. Moreover, she had deeply offended both Kong Yuling and Bai Wan'er today. If those two families sent people to take action, they might not be able to touch her, but they would likely target Chuchu.

Unable to dissuade her, Yun Chuchu got into the carriage as instructed.

"Sister, you don't really need to worry so much. Both Yaqin and I know some martial arts, and Uncle Jiang is a veteran of many battles; ordinary people can't touch him."

Yun Zhaozhao then remembered that while the General's Mansion didn't have many servants, most of them were retired veterans from the battlefield or their families. However, the reason the General's Mansion had been able to remain peaceful in the past was because the imperial power was stable. Now that the struggle for the throne had begun, the General's Mansion had become a coveted prize; it was unlikely to remain as peaceful as before. Furthermore, given her own short-tempered nature, she would only continue to offend more people. There is no such thing as a thousand-day defense against thieves.

"Speaking of Uncle Jiang, I've noticed the General's Mansion has very few servants. We should increase our manpower; the capital will not be peaceful for a long time to come," Yun Zhaozhao suggested.

Yun Chuchu looked troubled. "Sister, it's not that we don't want to, it's... the General's Mansion can't afford to support that many people. You know that our foundation is shallow. Father has many soldiers from the Yun Army who lived and died with him, and our mansion has been subsidizing those disabled and retired veterans, so..."

Yun Zhaozhao patted her forehead. She had forgotten about this because her former self hadn't been very sharp. The General's Mansion had a weak foundation and a heavy burden, and it had been largely drained by her marriage expenses. And her sister, though capable in many things, was not skilled in business.

But she was! Throughout her days as an orphan in the modern world, she had only cared about one thing—making money! Whether it was high-end investments or street food stalls, she had researched it all.

"Don't worry about money. Tomorrow I'll come to the General's Mansion to see you; bring everyone in the house who is good at arithmetic and management."

"Alright." Yun Chuchu didn't ask why; she followed her sister's lead blindly now.

"By the way, when you saw the Fourth Prince today, did you recall if you had met him before?"

This matter bothered Yun Zhaozhao slightly. Even though she had disrupted the circumstances of their meeting and prevented the scene with the scent sachet, their paths had inevitably crossed. She had seen that when Chuchu bowed in apology to the Fourth Prince, the Fourth Prince's figure had paused slightly.

Yun Chuchu shook her head. "I haven't met him. However, the Fourth Prince... he is indeed just as the rumors suggest; his life must not be easy."

Alarm bells rang in Yun Zhaozhao's heart. "Sister, remember one thing: pitying a man will lead to a lifetime of misfortune!"

Yun Chuchu’s face turned bright red. "Sister, what are you saying!"

Yun Zhaozhao inwardly cursed herself, wishing she could slap her own mouth. Chuchu was still young and definitely didn't have those kinds of thoughts. If she kept talking, wouldn't she be shooting herself in the foot by sparking Chuchu's curiosity about the Fourth Prince?

"Ah... anyway, was the poem Kong Yuling recited today the same as the one you wrote?"

"Sister, how did you know?" Yun Chuchu was extremely surprised. "Actually, I only wrote that poem yesterday. I didn't expect her to recite the exact same one today; it's too much of a coincidence."

"It's not a coincidence."

"That's impossible, I didn't write it down, and no one else knew about it."

"Have you heard of precognitive dreams?"

"Precognitive dreams?"

"Yes, it means learning about future events through dreams."

"Is there really such a magical thing in the world?" Yun Chuchu was full of disbelief, but she quickly calmed down. "But thinking about it, you returned after your soul merged with this body, so it’s normal for others to have strange encounters."

Now it was Yun Zhaozhao's turn to be surprised. "How did you know?"

"Master Liaoran said so. The Master said that after you turned eighteen and married, your soul would merge and return, and you would become the clever sister you used to be."

"So, Father, Mother, and you all knew?" No wonder they didn't react when she changed so drastically.

Yun Chuchu nodded. "Yes, it was because Master Liaoran said your destined marriage would come after eighteen that Father took you to the border, and we just let those bad rumors outside persist."

Destined marriage? With Sheng Xingye? Yun Zhaozhao scoffed. An ill-fated connection, more like!

When she returned to the Kuang Garden, she saw her "ill-fated connection" leaning back on a chair, legs crossed, chatting leisurely with an unfamiliar servant.

"Sixth... Sixth Madam, you're back!" Chang Sheng exclaimed. Sheng Xingye immediately jumped up from the chair in a panic and turned to leave.

Yun Zhaozhao took a step forward, blocking his path. "Running away? Could it be that you've done something you feel guilty about?"

"Who's running? I... I was lying down and got tired, I'm just going to my room to rest, is that a crime?" Sheng Xingye said, neck stiff.

"Is that so?" Yun Zhaozhao eyed his chest with a half-smile.

Sheng Xingye panicked, pulled a stack of silver banknotes from his chest, and shoved them into Chang Ying's chest: "Keep this safe for me!" Then, he looked at Yun Zhaozhao provocatively, betting she wouldn't dare grab things from a servant's chest.

Childish! Yun Zhaozhao scoffed. "Jin Chui, go spar with him."

"Right away!" Jin Chui cupped his fists, and his entire demeanor changed instantly. Chang Ying looked at him with a sharp gaze. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged several moves. Jin Chui relied on brute strength, while Chang Ying was agile with sharp techniques; for a moment, the winner was hard to determine.

"Jin Chui, use an uppercut."
"Chop-palm."
"Sweep the legs."
"Block horizontally."

Under Yun Zhaozhao's guidance, Jin Chui gradually gained the upper hand. Sheng Xingye grew anxious. "Yun Zhaozhao, they are sparring; it's unfair for you as their master to keep chirping on the sidelines!"

Yun Zhaozhao rolled her eyes at him. "You want fairness? You, as a master, can guide him too!"

Sheng Xingye: "..." If I knew how, would I need him to do it?

"Well, that can't be helped. It's just that his master is too useless."