The Zhang Family Had a Grandmaster

On the fourth day after Zhang Yu was imprisoned, in Lotus Peak City on the Northern Frontier.

Marquis Yong'an, Zhang Jiuling, had been stationed here with his troops for years, defending against invasions from the Zhao Kingdom in the north.

Nearly the entire Zhang Family lived here, including Old Marquis Zhang Yuanfeng and several of the Zhang Clan's elders.

This was the true foundation of Marquis Yong'an's Estate and the Zhang Family. Qin Xuehua and the others were instead more like hostages left behind in the capital.

Over the years, the royal family had grown wary of Marquis Yong'an's Estate, which commanded a large army. Moreover, the Zhang Family had indeed been cultivating bandits to strengthen their own position.

So the royal family had deliberately begun withholding military funds and suppressing them, leaving Lotus Peak City short on resources. It was only thanks to Zhang Yu's steady daily deliveries of supplies that they had managed to scrape by.

Marquis Yong'an, Zhang Jiuling, sat upright in the seat of honor. Below him, the military supplies officer knelt on the ground, trembling.

"Why haven't this month's supplies and provisions arrived yet?

How has Zhang Yu been handling things?"

Zhang Jiuling's voice boomed like muffled thunder, edged with undisguised anger and an air of absolute reproach.

Beside him, his younger brother Zhang Jiuming was also displeased. He gave a cold snort and said:

"Eldest Brother, I think that boy Zhang Yu is getting more and more out of line.

He even dares to delay supplies for the Northern Frontier army. What incredible nerve.

He isn't one of the Zhangs, so of course he can't be trusted."

At that, Zhang Jiuling's expression darkened further.

Zhang Jiuming realized he had misspoken and hurried to backtrack. "Eldest Brother, don't misunderstand. That's not what I meant."

Zhang Jiuling lifted his teacup and slammed it down on the table, splashing tea everywhere.

"Hmph, that bastard.

I've said it all along: he's not right in the head, timid and obsequious, and will never amount to anything.

If it weren't for the fact that he's managed the Estate's routine affairs diligently enough all these years, and still sends money and supplies on time every month, I would have long since..."

He didn't finish, but the disdain and impatience in his eyes were plain to see.

In his heart, Zhang Yu, that bastard, had always been a nobody who "couldn't hold his head up in respectable company."

A martial arts failure, weak-willed, and only ever trying to curry favor with Qin Xuehua and his family.

Even in front of his father, he cowered and trembled, with none of the bearing of a young master from a great clan.

If Zhang Yu hadn't somehow managed to keep scraping together money to support the Northern Frontier's military needs all these years, he would have long since cast that "good-for-nothing" aside completely.

"Marquis, Second Master, n-no... that's not it..."

The military supplies officer stammered in his defense. "It's the capital... Something major seems to have happened there. Young Master... he..."

"What major thing could have happened to him?"

Zhang Jiuming impatiently cut him off.

"Either that Jiang Luohan has him completely lovestruck again, or Qin Xuehua and Zhang Heng bullied him and he didn't dare speak up.

He can't even handle such a small matter. What a waste."

His prejudice against Zhang Yu ran deep. Whatever went wrong, his first thought was that Zhang Yu was useless and cowardly.

Zhang Jiuling nodded in full agreement, his tone full of disappointment and disdain.

"Exactly. That's about all he's good for. For the sake of a woman, for the sake of pleasing his mother and younger brother, he can even neglect important business."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, feeling that Zhang Yu had failed to live up to his "expectations."

His so-called expectations amounted to wanting Zhang Yu to act like a cash machine, constantly funneling money to the Northern Frontier without complaint or a single mistake.

Just then, the military supplies officer trembled and spoke again:

"It's the capital... News came from the capital that Young Master... has been sentenced to fifty years in the Ministry of Justice Heavenly Prison.

So the supplies... have been cut off completely."

"What?"

Zhang Jiuling shot to his feet, taken aback.

"That good-for-nothing, that failure who can't get anything done and only ruins everything!"

He cursed furiously, his voice shaking dust loose from the tent roof.

He wasn't concerned with why Zhang Yu had been imprisoned, or what he might suffer in jail. He only cared that the supplies had stopped.

"He actually got himself thrown into the Heavenly Prison?

Does he have any idea what he's doing?

That fool, that waste!"

Zhang Jiuming's face changed as well. He said gravely:

"Eldest Brother, there's something strange about this.

Zhang Yu may be useless, but he isn't so muddleheaded that he'd do something like this.

The timing of his imprisonment is too much of a coincidence. Could it be... that the royal family has noticed something?

Could they be deliberately targeting us, using Zhang Yu's case to sever our lifeline of supplies?"

At that, Zhang Jiuling's heart tightened. His anger abated somewhat, replaced by a chill.

He had been building up his forces for years, and there was indeed a suspicion that he was cultivating bandits to strengthen his own position. The royal family had long been displeased and had repeatedly withheld military funds.

Zhang Yu's secret supplies were his greatest support in maintaining the army's strength.

Now that support was gone...

"Impossible..."

Zhang Jiuling forced himself to calm down and shook his head. "We kept this matter hidden. The royal family shouldn't be able to trace it back to Zhang Yu. That rebellious son must have brought this trouble on himself and dragged the Northern Frontier down with him."

He paced restlessly around the tent, his loathing for Zhang Yu reaching its peak.

"No. The Northern Frontier's military situation is urgent, and the Zhao Kingdom is watching us like a tiger eyeing its prey. Without supplies, the army won't last long."

Zhang Jiuling stopped abruptly, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes.

"I'm going back to the capital myself. I want to see what exactly that rebellious son is up to.

If he dares to jeopardize the Estate's affairs, I won't let him get away with it."

"Eldest Brother, you can't."

Zhang Jiuming was alarmed and hurried to stop him.

"You're the commander guarding the frontier. Returning to the capital without an imperial order is a grave crime of treason.

What if this is a trap set by the royal family to lure you back and detain you? What would you do then?"