“But I don’t want to be empress,” I said, lying in his arms, enjoying his fingers gently combing through my hair. “I just want to live well with my family.”
An Jin leaned close and softly said: “You’ve declared war on Jiang Yunqiao. Do you think you can withdraw now? The struggle for succession is filled with schemes and bloodshed. Even if you retreat, she’ll think you have another plan. How could she tolerate you once she ascends the throne?”
“Yunqiao won’t do that,” I insisted, closing my eyes.
An Jin chuckled, pinching my cheek. “Haven’t you suffered enough in the royal family?”
I felt troubled. Though An Jin wasn’t wrong, he seemed different from before. In the past, he would have followed my wishes, planning together how to avoid this conflict.
Now, he was urging me to enter this struggle and grasp power.
The departure of my in-laws, the turmoil in the secret department, fleeing to a foreign land, and changes in identity had a significant impact on An Jin. For the first time, I understood he was not a god, not perfect, and could be hurt, lost, and insecure. Perhaps only by holding power could he feel at peace.
I felt deeply sympathetic to him. As Yunqiao said, giving everything for a loved one is a foolish thing everyone might do. An Jin had meticulously planned for my escape from the three-country situation, and now I was willing to re-enter this game for him.
Yunqiao was a formidable opponent. Since our declaration of war, she had been taking action, frequently contacting people from the Cen Taizai faction. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Personnel under her management had made impressive reforms, gradually increasing support for the Second Princess’s faction.
I chose to get closer to Liu Hua. In her early thirties, she was shrewd and decisive. From a commoner background, Liu Hua had risen to her high position in just ten years through her own talent and wit, without relying on family connections – an extraordinary achievement. Her support for me was not due to high regard, but because Cen Taizai was her political enemy.
If Cen Taizai’s son became empress, Cen’s power would be further consolidated, greatly disadvantaging me.
I didn’t concern myself with her reasons for support; as long as our interests aligned, we could collaborate.
