Although the Secret Department had been purged by the Qi Emperor, many hidden agents in Yanfeng remained undetected. Some of these agents were positioned around Xia Zhiyuan, including the graceful dancing girl, Feiwu.
An Jin secretly ordered them to provoke Xia Zhiyuan into staging a coup. However, Xia Zhiyuan was suspicious and cunning. Although he harbored thoughts of seizing the throne, he had been quietly restraining himself, waiting for the right moment. No matter how the agents acted, he remained inactive and grew suspicious of their intentions.
An Jin then directed the agents to adopt more covert methods while also sowing discord between the Crown Prince and the Qi Emperor. The three of them initially thought their plan would take more time. However, with the birth of the Xiliang Crown Prince and Xia Zhiyuan’s trip to Xiliang, Xia Zhiyuan unexpectedly changed his cautious approach upon returning and began preparing for the coup, surprising the three of them in Xiliang and prompting them to prepare for a real counterattack.
I listened, my teeth clenched tightly.
An Jin paused and gave me a meaningful look, reaching out to ruffle my hair. “What exactly did Xia Zhiyuan encounter in Xiliang that changed his mind?”
I recalled my encounter with Xia Zhiyuan in Xiliang, where I had spoken to him sarcastically. He unexpectedly embraced me and said, “It’s a deal.” My intentions had been to provoke conflict with the Qi Emperor, but I hadn’t expected my plans to align with An Jin’s. Given our history of mutual wariness, would he really change his decisions based on my words?
I was confused, staring at An Jin, who sighed and pulled me into his embrace. “Even the most intelligent and meticulous person has moments of foolishness. Xia Zhiyuan is no exception.”
“But…” I murmured, questioning if he would truly act foolishly.
“I’d rather he hadn’t,” An Jin replied, his hand trembling slightly in mine. I held it firmly.
He took a deep breath. “Especially if it’s for you.”
“Impossible…” I instinctively denied. “No…”
“A Yao,” he said with a helpless smile. “This is the truth. Now do you understand why he would come to us?”
Reflecting on it, my conversations with him likely gave him inappropriate hints, representing a kind of promise.
