An Jin had no choice but to have these agents adopt more covert methods. At the same time, he worked to sow discord between the Crown Prince and the Qi Emperor. The three of them thought it would take more time for their plan to succeed. However, with the birth of the Xiliang Crown Prince and Xia Zhiyuan’s trip to Xiliang, he suddenly changed his usually cautious approach upon returning and began preparing for the coup, catching them by surprise and prompting them to prepare for the real counterattack.
I listened, my teeth clenched tightly.
An Jin paused his narration and gave me another meaningful look, reaching out to ruffle my hair. “What exactly did Xia Zhiyuan encounter in Xiliang that changed his mind?”
I suddenly recalled my encounter with Xia Zhiyuan in Xiliang. I had spoken to him sarcastically, and he had suddenly reached out to embrace me, saying a cryptic phrase: “It’s a deal.”
Indeed, I had been trying to provoke his conflict with the Qi Emperor. However, I hadn’t expected my intentions to align with An Jin’s plan. But what of it? I had done this without expecting much effect. Given our mutual wariness, would he really change his decision because of my words?
It couldn’t be because of me… could it? The Crown Prince wasn’t a child, and we had deep-seated grievances. Would he really listen to me?!
I stared at An Jin, my emotions complex.
An Jin sighed, pulling me into his embrace. “Even the most intelligent person has moments of foolishness. Xia Zhiyuan is no exception.”
“But…” I murmured, “Xia Zhiyuan would act foolishly?”
“I’d rather he hadn’t,” An Jin said, frowning, his lips pressed tight. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Especially if it’s for you.”
“Impossible…” I instinctively denied. “No…”
“A Yao,” he smiled helplessly. “Although I don’t want to admit it, this is the truth. Now do you understand? Why he would come to us on his own.”
Thinking carefully, my conversations with him probably gave him some inappropriate hints.
Perhaps he thought I had truly agreed to give him a chance, with the condition that he ascend to the throne of Qi. If Xia Zhiyuan indeed acted rashly because of this, ultimately being thwarted by Xia Zhichun and Yan Or and forced to flee in disgrace, he would now understand he had been set up and might believe I was in league with them, with the sole purpose of luring him in. If so, I would be the person he hates most.
And precisely because of this, he would certainly try every means to find me in Nanrui. Whether for revenge or other purposes, he would not let it go.
It was difficult to express my current state of mind in a few words. The Crown Prince could be a beautiful yet venomous snake, a fox skilled in disguise, a mysterious and weird black widow – but not this foolish person who fell for a momentary confusion.
Just thinking about it was hard to accept. I had already begun to anxiously guess when he would arrive in Nanrui and how he would appear before me. However, everything remained calm, at least on the surface.
She smiled bitterly. “Indeed, I have gained something, and not a small amount.”
“If that’s the case, why do you seem so troubled recently?” I asked caringly. “Have you encountered some other troubles?”
She avoided my gaze and shook her head. “It’s nothing serious. By the way, I heard that General Shen proposed to the Xiao family recently?”
“That’s right, and thanks to your hint at the time,” I said with a smile.
“The wedding is set after the Mid-Autumn Festival. You must come and have a celebratory drink then.” The last difficult younger sister in my family had finally found a good husband, and the whole family was jubilant, especially my mother, who was overjoyed and currently helping my sister prepare her wedding dress.
“Of course,” she smiled slightly. “I never thought General Shen would finally come to his senses. He is indeed a good man, and Xiao Ya will certainly not suffer by marrying him.”
“I think so too. This sister has been my biggest worry, and now I can finally relax.” I leaned back in the chair. “Would you like to listen to another play?”
“No need,” she said, “I heard a new qin player has arrived here and plays quite well. Why don’t we invite him to perform in our private room?”
I readily agreed and sent someone to invite the new qin player. Shortly after, my elder brother brought the qin player to our room along with several fresh and unique small dishes.
“Forgive our poor hospitality,” my elder brother said with a laugh. “Second Princess, please bear with us.”
“Not at all,” Jiang Yunqiao smiled. “The wine is good, the food is good, and the performance is good. I’m quite satisfied.”
My elder brother introduced the qin player to us. The player was tall and thin, wearing a white-gray robe that hung loosely on him, giving him an ethereal appearance.
He was wearing a veil that completely covered his face.
“This is the newly hired qin player, Bai Chen,” my elder brother introduced.
Bai Chen bowed to us, neither servile nor overbearing.
I was somewhat puzzled. My elder brother first had him sit at a nearby qin table, then whispered to us, “This qin player cannot speak, and it’s said that he is extremely ugly, which is why he covers his face. But his qin skills are indeed excellent, so please don’t take offense.”
Before I could say anything, Jiang Yunqiao spoke first: “It’s fine. We’re just here to listen to music.”
My elder brother nodded and left. Bai Chen placed the qin on the table and positioned his fingers on the strings but did not move. It seemed he was waiting for us to choose a piece.
I glanced at Jiang Yunqiao, who sat up straight and said to Bai Chen, “Master Bai, please play ‘Chang Xiang Si’.”
The veil on Bai Chen’s head moved slightly, as if nodding in agreement. He then began to play, and a melodious, slightly melancholic tune filled the room. Jiang Yunqiao closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, saying nothing. Only when the piece ended did she slowly open her eyes, still looking as if her mind was elsewhere.
Seeing her like this, I praised Bai Chen’s skills and placed a small gold gourd on his qin. He slowly picked it up and put it in his sleeve, bowed to us, and silently withdrew.
After he left, Jiang Yunqiao suddenly spoke. “A Yao, sometimes I truly envy you.”
“Envy me?
“Envy me for dragging my whole family into exile?”
She looked at me, yet seemed to be looking through me. “No, I envy you having a husband who would do anything for you.”
“Meeting An Jin is indeed my blessing. But don’t you also have a good husband who is willing to be your helper?”
She stared into the distance: “It’s different…”
I grew worried and waved my hand in front of her eyes. “Still can’t forget that person?”
She paused. “How could it be so easy?”
“This can’t go on,” I frowned. “In this state, Consort Yin must have noticed something. If you truly can’t let go, why not go find him? Meet him once, and consider it a final closure.”
She lowered her head and whispered, “…impossible.”
“Why impossible?”
She suddenly looked up, her gaze burning, and grabbed my hand. “A Yao, is it right to do anything, without limits, for the person you love?”
“This—” I was at a loss. How could I answer such a question?
“You’ll understand, right?” she looked at me eagerly. “Because An Jin is such a person, so you must understand.”
“I can indeed understand. However—”
She seemed to have suddenly solved a long-standing problem and relaxed. “A Yao, I’ve decided.”
“Decided what?” I was stunned.
“I’ve decided to compete with you for the position of heir. Sorry, I went back on my word, but I must do this. A Yao, from today, we’ll each use our own means.”
Chapter Sixty-Eight: Revenge and Hatred
“She really said that?”
An Jin furrowed his brow, turning to pace in the room.
