"Unharmed... good! Excellent!" A meaningful smile curled Xu Jiujiu's lips. "Brother, this might not be a bad thing for our imperial family at all. On the contrary, it could be wonderful news!"
"Oh? How so?" Xu Jiawei asked in bewilderment.
Xu Jiujiu analyzed the situation calmly. "Dai Hao has four sons. His legitimate sons, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, now have bleak prospects. Both are practically half-crippled and can no longer shoulder great responsibilities. His concubine-born son Dai Luoli is still young, and his talent is said to be the worst among all the brothers. He is also naive and timid, hardly worth cultivating. That leaves only one person qualified and capable enough to inherit the title of White Tiger Duke and command of the Western Army Group."
She paused, then slowly uttered the name. "Dai Youheng."
A sharp gleam flashed through Xu Jiawei's eyes as he immediately understood his sister's meaning.
Xu Jiujiu continued, her tone carrying a trace of confidence that everything was within her grasp. "Everyone knows Dai Youheng is utterly infatuated with me, to the point of being willing to die for me. I previously dismissed him because a mere concubine-born son could offer nothing to our grand undertaking. But if he can become the next White Tiger Duke, his value will be entirely different."
Her smile turned cold and pragmatic. "I don't need love anyway. What I need is a marriage that will give us complete control over the Dai Family and ease your burdens, Brother. Having Dai Youheng, who is obsessed with me and easy to control, take the duke's seat would be far better than either Dai Yueheng or Dai Huabin, those two legitimate sons who harbor resentment toward our imperial family! When that happens, through Dai Youheng, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion