“Why not use the Seventh Princess?” I had been puzzled for a long time.
“Why didn’t His Majesty bestow the Seventh Princess to you?”
“His Majesty is unwilling to let the princess marry because he doesn’t want attachments with the An family,” he sneered. “And sacrificing a Xue Miaoyin is inconsequential.”
“Dealing with the An family?” My heart sank.
“Every generation of emperors has aimed to confront the An family,” he said, leading me away from the stone chamber. “Whether they succeed is another matter.”
“I don’t understand. If that’s the case, then the cup of sterility wine…”
“That cup was prepared for you. Since you cannot bear children, I would eventually remarry, and he would always have a way to constrain me.”
I suddenly realized. His Majesty the Emperor of Qi likely didn’t expect An Jin to drink it himself. An Jin remained childless, and after drinking, wouldn’t the An family’s control over the secret department be severed? What would become of the An family’s bloodline, which had continued for hundreds of years?
I was anxious. A change was approaching, and An Jin stood before me, blocking the cold wind of an impending storm.
The weight of this cup of sterility wine far exceeded my imagination.
No wonder my mother-in-law’s expression was so sad – An Jin shouldn’t have become an official, shouldn’t have pursued me, and perhaps shouldn’t have met me at all. Indeed, one wrong step leads to another.
He referred to Old Li, who takes care of the horses, the kitchen staff, maids, and even the sedan chair bearers. So they were all secret agents with martial arts skills? An Jin added, “Including Que’er as well.” I was stunned. What kind of household was this?
Chapter Forty: Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers
This was an era where everyone was secretly embedded, with ears and eyes everywhere. Since realizing this, my understanding of the world deepened. Little Zhu, the kitchen hand, was skilled at listening and identifying locations. Old Li, the stableman, was adept at disguise, while Aunt Li, who did needlework in the grandmother’s room, was a master of hidden weapons, specializing in embroidery needles.
