"Master, don't you need me to step in? One strike of lightning, and I guarantee they’ll be smoking!"
"No need. Since they want to use their royal status to pressure us, we’ll just find someone with even greater authority to pressure them back."
"Alright, but it’s so hard for little Pearl to find someone to strike!"
"Don’t worry. In a few days, at the Emperor’s birthday celebration, I’ll find someone for you to strike for fun."
"Really? That’s wonderful!" The round, bouncy orb happily jumped around in the system space.
Just as Yu Chongshan entered with his son and grandson, they overheard his seemingly harmless granddaughter Yue Fuguang casually mentioning striking someone for fun at His Majesty’s birthday celebration.
He nearly slipped on the smooth brick floor but steadied himself. Composing his expression, he lifted the door curtain and stepped inside with a smile. "Fuguang, what are you chatting about with your grandmother that’s got you so excited?"
"Grandfather, Father, I’m just looking at potential future sisters-in-law!" She waved the illustrated album in her hand playfully.
Yu Qingyu’s face flushed at his sister’s words, but inwardly, he sighed in relief. With his sister’s judgment, at least he wouldn’t end up with another Wei Shujun!
Yu Chongshan chuckled and sat beside his granddaughter. "So, has our Fuguang found a suitable sister-in-law yet?"
Yue Fuguang shook her head with a smile. "Not yet. Like Mother, I’m spoiled for choice—they all seem lovely."
"Master, this one won’t do either. Miss Hong has always wanted to marry the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince has already chosen his Crown Princess, so she’s now befriending the future Crown Princess instead."
"She hopes to one day enter the Crown Prince’s inner court as a concubine."
"This girl likes the Crown Prince? Another one with her heart set elsewhere."
"It’s not that she likes the Crown Prince—well, not much, anyway. What she truly likes is the power he represents."
"She and the future Crown Princess have actually grown close—genuine best friends, not the fake kind! No rivalry over men either. Given the Crown Prince’s status, his inner court will naturally have many women."
"The Crown Prince hasn’t even married yet, so he’s still a hot commodity. Just wait—there’ll be quite the spectacle later."
"Little Pearl, you’ve learned to tease! But there’s nothing wrong with this girl striving for power. She knows what she wants and works hard for it—that’s admirable!"
"Too bad our family can’t give her what she seeks."
"She’s quite impressive, actually. In the future, she’ll become a remarkable figure—though her ending is rather tragic. When you have time, Master, you should read about her journey. For a mortal, she’s quite the talent."
Out of respect for the young lady’s privacy, the men—aside from the elder Yu Chongshan—kept their distance.
Noticing his daughter set aside Miss Hong’s profile, Yu Zhongchun deliberately asked, "What’s wrong, Fuguang? Don’t you like this one either?"
Yue Fuguang replied, "This sister is the most beautiful of them all, but she’s not the right match for Eldest Brother."
She flashed Yu Qingyu a mischievous grin. "Eldest Brother, she really is the prettiest. Want to take a look? You might fall for her!"
A capable sister-in-law would be a great help in the future.
System: Are you picking a sister-in-law or recruiting a subordinate?
Yu Qingyu knew his sister was teasing but played along. "I trust your judgment, little sister. If you say she’s not right for me, then she surely isn’t."
Yu Qingcheng and Yu Qingyou chimed in, laughing, "Fuguang, when it’s our turn to find wives, you’ll have to help us vet them too!"
Yue Fuguang’s face instantly soured.
"Master, in the original timeline, your brothers’ marriages were also unhappy. Their wives were… quite troublesome."
"Is that so? Later, give me the details. Even family drama is worth hearing."
The Yu family’s hearts sank. What was wrong with their branch? Three sons, and not one had a successful marriage.
Yu Qingyou and Yu Qingcheng exchanged glances, both relieved.
Thank heavens our family has a celestial little sister. Otherwise, like Eldest Brother, we’d be doomed.
They shuddered imagining what "troublesome" marriages the divine artifact had foreseen—if Eldest Brother’s fate was raising another man’s child, how much worse could theirs be?
As for their sister enjoying their misfortunes… well, minor details!
Yue Fuguang flipped through the remaining profiles, unwilling to give up. Surely, there was one suitable sister-in-law!
"Wait, Little Pearl—there’s a princess here? Prince Qi’s daughter?"
"Master, this one’s no good either. She’s too strong—your brother can’t handle her."
"Why? How strong is she?"
"Well… she’s like Li Ling and Princess Taiping combined. Do you think your brother stands a chance?"
"That ambitious? Does she want to be a princess or an empress?"
"First a princess, then an empress!"
"Now that’s ambition! It’s like saying ‘first the throne, then the empire.’ How does her ability compare to the Crown Prince’s?"
"Why do you ask, Master? Are you considering her?"
"What could I possibly want with her? But if her skills match her ambition, why not support her rise? An empress—how thrilling!"
The Yu family, overhearing, froze in stunned silence, their minds blank and sweat dripping—though outwardly, they remained eerily calm.
Only Yu Chongshan’s trembling teacup betrayed his shock.
Yue Fuguang mused, Good thing I’ve been feeding them my homegrown vegetables. With all these shocks, Grandfather’s old body would’ve given out by now.
Even Yu Zhongchun, whose body hadn’t been strengthened by health pills, only paled slightly—no fainting.
Little did she know, they were all pinching their thighs under the table to stay conscious!
Yue Fuguang lowered her head, focusing on the album, ignoring the twitching elders at the next table.
"Besides, this world is vast—continents upon continents. If she can’t rule Dayan, why not conquer new lands and build her own kingdom?"
"Master, Xie Zhiyao is clever and resourceful, but while Xie Zhiyan employs grand, honorable strategies, Xie Zhiyao relies on underhanded schemes."
"Even with allies, she controls them through their households—wives, concubines, children. Her methods are ruthless, a master of harem intrigue."
"Don’t let her age fool you—at just sixteen, she’s been cultivating spies for years, mostly beautiful women and handsome young men."
