Xia Zhiyuan waved his hand. “My lady is mistaken. I said I hope to cooperate with you.”
“Cooperate? How?” I let out a cold laugh. “Even if I’m truly that princess, what can I do?”
Xia Zhiyuan stared at me for a while, with a strange light in his eyes.
After a long moment, he spoke: “According to the information I’ve obtained, Hongdi greatly valued etiquette and filial piety. Do you know why he wanted to make the Proclamation Emperor’s child the Grand Princess?”
I shook my head.
He smiled mysteriously. “He once said in front of several senior officials that once the Grand Princess is found, he would return the throne to the Proclamation Emperor’s bloodline. This means this Grand Princess would become the new empress of Southern Rui.”
I opened my mouth, staring at him blankly.
Empress?
Xia Zhiyuan thoughtfully poured me a cup of tea, handed it to me, and patted my shoulder. “Now, my lady should understand?”
As long as you agree to cooperate with me and jointly resist Xiliang, I can naturally ensure you can safely reach Southern Rui, recognize your ancestors, and inherit the position of empress.”
“You’re actually joking, right?” My hand was shaking so hard I almost spilled half the tea. Yesterday I was just an ordinary lady, and today I’ve become the future empress of Southern Rui?
If his words are true, if I am not my parents’ biological child, if I am truly the daughter of the unfortunate Emperor Xuan and the ruthless empress—
Various shocks came simultaneously, but I became more clear-headed. With An Jin not by my side, I could only rely on myself to rationally analyze and make judgments. I finally understood why An Jin had made me participate more in the secret department’s affairs during the time before his departure, gradually reducing my dependence on him.
Whether I am a biological daughter or not is actually not important. They have been my parents for a lifetime. But precisely because of this, I cannot let them suffer any harm. The Eastern Palace and Qi Emperor are using their safety to threaten me, precisely targeting this psychological weakness.
Although An Jin’s whereabouts are unknown, he must have his own plans, just not yet able to let me know for some reason.
