If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

Just as Zhang Yu was about to deliver the final verdict against Qin Xuehua and the others.

"Hold your hand before you act."

A shout, filled with urgency and unquestionable authority, suddenly rang out from the entrance of the prison.

Everyone turned around in astonishment, only to see a figure in bright yellow, surrounded by a group of guards with imposing auras, striding in.

The newcomer was about forty years old, with a square face and an air of authority that came with long-held power. He was none other than Xiao Zhengfeng, the current emperor of Wei.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Prince Jing, Prince Qi, and others were the first to react and quickly bowed in respect.

Du Jun, Hu Qingxuan, and others also bowed slightly, showing basic respect.

Their faces showed undisguised surprise, unable to understand why His Majesty would personally visit this dark and gloomy prison.

Xiao Zhengfeng simply waved his hand hastily at everyone's greetings.

His gaze was like lightning, instantly sweeping across the messy hall, passing over the ashen-faced Qin Xuehua, Zhang Heng and others, before finally settling on the calm-looking Zhang Yu.

"Mr. Zhang...Mr. Zhang Xian, please wait."

Xiao Zhengfeng spoke, his tone carrying an unusual deliberation, and the way he addressed Zhang Yu made the shrewd people present jump.

"Sir" is no ordinary honorific, especially when used by the supreme ruler.

Zhang Yu looked at the emperor who had suddenly arrived, his expression remaining largely unchanged. He merely bowed slightly and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty's personal presence begs the question: What brings you here? And why are you preventing me from disciplining these individuals?"

His tone was calm, even carrying a hint of questioning, as if he were not facing a king, but someone who had come to interrupt him.

Xiao Zhengfeng was not offended by Zhang Yu's attitude; on the contrary, he became even more serious.

He said in a deep voice:

"Sir, there is a reason for this."

"Your father—no… Marquis Yong'an—set off from Lianfeng City in the northern frontier a few days ago and is leading his troops straight to the capital."

He paused deliberately, omitting the title "father" and addressing him directly by his noble title, clearly aware that Zhang Yu was not Zhang Jiuling's biological son and that their relationship was strained.

"What? The Marquis has returned to the capital?"

Qin Xuehua was the first to react, exclaiming in shock, her eyes instantly blazing with wild joy, as if she had grasped the last straw.

Zhang Heng and Zhang Wanning were also invigorated, their ashen faces regaining color, and they had only one thought in their minds—there was hope.

However, this ecstasy lasted only a few breaths.

Qin Xuehua suddenly remembered something, and her face quickly darkened again, looking even more miserable than before.

Yes, Zhang Jiuling has returned, bringing with him the forces and confidants of the Northern Frontier, but so what?

Because the Zhang family has no grandmasters.

Faced with the behemoth of imperial power, and the Wei royal family determined to protect Zhang Yu, what can a marquis's mansion, no matter how powerful, do without the support of top-tier military strength?

It's like an ant trying to shake a tree; it's just courting its own destruction.

Once she understood this, the light in Qin Xuehua's eyes completely died out, leaving only deeper despair and resentment towards Zhang Jiuling's reckless actions.

This isn't a rescue mission; it's a suicide mission.

Upon hearing this, the King of Qi's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "Leading troops into the capital without an imperial edict is a heinous crime of treason."

He was already dissatisfied with the Zhang family, and now that he had found a pretext, his tone was menacing.

The gentle, harmless expression on Prince Jing's face vanished instantly, replaced by the decisiveness and ruthlessness befitting a prince.

He continued:

"Indeed, entering the capital without an imperial edict is tantamount to treason."

This is a perfect opportunity to take him down in one fell swoop and uphold the law.

He looked at Zhang Yu with a conciliatory look in his eyes, "Such a traitor is just right to be dealt with by Mr. Zhang to vent your anger."

The other members of the royal family, such as Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Sheng, also nodded in agreement, their eyes gleaming.

In their view, this was a golden opportunity.

This would both eliminate the restless and powerful Marquis of Yong'an and conveniently curry favor with Zhang Yu, achieving two goals at once.

For a time, the royal family was united in their hatred of the enemy, as if Zhang Jiuling were already fish on a chopping board.

Even Qin Xuehua, Zhang Heng, and others felt a sense of absurd sorrow, thinking that Zhang Jiuling's actions were extremely foolish, as if he had walked right into a trap and was doomed.

However, just as this "consensus" was about to be reached, and everyone was eager to deal with Zhang Jiuling, who had "come to their doorstep".

Emperor Xiao Zhengfeng frowned, slowly shook his head, and uttered a heavy sentence:

"Things aren't that simple."

He glanced around at everyone, his gaze finally settling on Zhang Yu's face, and said, word by word:

"According to top-secret information just transmitted from the Northern Frontier secret line, the old Marquis of Yong'an Mansion, Zhang Yuanfeng... successfully broke through his cultivation several days ago, and... he has broken through to the Grandmaster realm."

boom--.

The word "Grandmaster" strikes like a thunderclap from the heavens or a heavy hammer, crashing into the hearts of everyone.

The fierce look on Prince Jing's face froze instantly, turning into astonishment and a hint of horror.

The cold light in King Qi's eyes vanished abruptly, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Prince Rui gasped, his footing slightly unsteady.

Xiao Fenghua, Xiao Sheng, and the others were dumbfounded and their hearts trembled.

As members of the royal elite, they understood all too well the significance of a grandmaster!

Over the years, the reason why the royal family has been able to maintain its rule and suppress the powerful nobles and magnates is because of the stabilizing force of its ancestor, Xiao Xuan, who is a master-level figure.

Grandmasters are no ordinary martial artists; their strength can rival that of a thousand soldiers, and their power can influence the fate of a nation. They are truly strategic figures.

There are very few publicly recognized masters in the entire Wei Kingdom, and each of them holds a transcendent status.

Now, the Zhang family has produced a grandmaster.

This means that with a Grandmaster at the helm and commanding 100,000 elite border troops in the northern frontier, the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion already possesses the formidable resources to rival the imperial Xiao family!

This is no longer a simple case of a subject's disobedience, but a massive upheaval that could shake the very foundations of the nation.

On the contrary, after a brief moment of astonishment, Qin Xuehua, Zhang Heng, and Zhang Wanning were overwhelmed with indescribable joy.

They also understood the weight of a master.

This was truly a miraculous escape from a desperate situation.

With Zhang Yuanfeng's breakthrough, the Zhang family gained the confidence to engage in dialogue with the royal family, and could even stand on equal footing.

Not only are they saved, but they might also... be able to regain everything they've lost?

Their immense hope erupted like a volcano, making them tremble with excitement; had they not been restrained, they would have almost wept with joy.

Meanwhile, Jiang Luohan, sitting in the corner, was in a state of utter confusion and lost in thought.

The Zhang family... actually produced a grandmaster?

She had just completely broken ties with Zhang Heng and Qin Xuehua in an effort to distance herself from them.

But in the blink of an eye, the situation reversed.

No matter how much potential Zhang Yu has, he is still not a grandmaster.

After what happened today, how could the Zhang family, which now possesses a Grandmaster and is even more powerful than before, tolerate Zhang Yu, this major threat, living in the world?

Faced with the personal suppression of a grandmaster, Zhang Yu had almost no chance of winning and was certain to die.

Even the royal family would never make an enemy of a grandmaster for the sake of Zhang Yu.

Even if Zhang Yu has connections with grandmasters, it won't work.

Because below the level of a grandmaster, all are mere ants, and a grandmaster would never wage war against another grandmaster for the sake of an ant.

Thinking about what she had just done and the anger she was about to face from the newly promoted master family, Jiang Luohan felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

At that moment, she was filled with deep regret, regretting why she hadn't waited a little longer and regretting that she had broken ties with the Zhang family so quickly.

The name of the Grandmaster shocked the entire audience, and everyone was deeply moved.

Of the people present, only three remained calm.

Du Jun and Hu Qingxuan were only slightly taken aback, but they didn't take it to heart. In their circle, grandmasters were not unusual.

Especially Hu Qingxuan.

In the Valley of Healers, even a grandmaster who wants to pay her respects has to depend on her mood.

As for Zhang Yu, even without the help of the formation, he has no fear of a Grandmaster.