Observing Ji Wu, who was lost in thought, Hui An lowered her head, gazing at the teacup in her hand. A ripple of light danced in her eyes, stirring up waves on the surface of the water.
Only now did Yu Chengxuan fully grasp the purpose of Hui An's visit.
It was her doing, wasn't it?
The letter from the day before must have contained not only instructions for him, her imperial sister, to lure Nan Yuan'er out and incite riots through the official gazette to depose Nan Yuan'er, but also these subsequent details.
She wanted to tell them that the border conflict between Lin Yuan and Da Li was instigated by Nan Chaoyin?
She truly… hadn't changed at all!
At the mention of Nan Shiying, Yu Chengxuan's expression softened.
Ji Wu's face turned ashen, startled by the thought that flashed through his mind. Reason dictated that as a nation's prime minister, Nan Chaoyin would never do something so heinous. He tried repeatedly to dismiss his absurd speculation, but the more he tried to convince himself, the more he wanted to prove the idea outlandish and impossible, the more the seed of doubt in his heart grew robust. His denial became the watering rain, transforming a small sprout that had just emerged from the soil into a towering ancient tree.
He lowered his head, his pupils trembling, missing the genuine, unselfconscious smile that bloomed on Yu Chengxuan's face.
Although Hui An kept her head down, her slightly lifted eyelids constantly monitored Yu Chengxuan. She saw a flash of light flicker between the brightness and darkness in his eyes, a light that seemed to tear through the darkness and gloom, spilling forth a radiant and gentle halo that melted away the layers of disguise he wore.
Ever since he fell into the water that year, Hui An felt as if a ferocious beast was confined within him. Beneath his refined gentlemanly facade hid madness, obsession, gloom, and an occasional hint of disdain for all things.
This was the first time Hui An had seen such an unadorned, genuine smile on his face.
Hui An's heart quaked. She didn't know what Yu Chengxuan was thinking to elicit such a smile, one he himself hadn't even noticed.
However, a single name echoed and looped in Hui An's mind.
Nan Shiying!
Ji Wu finally raised his head. He seemed to be making a strenuous effort to control his emotions, as the words he was about to speak were somewhat absurd and ridiculous.
"Your Highness, if there had been no riots yesterday, would not Nan Chaoyin and Nan Yuan'er have been the ultimate beneficiaries of the conflict between the two countries?" Hui An was pulled from her thoughts. She deliberately avoided looking at Yu Chengxuan, instead turning her gaze to Ji Wu, her face wearing an expression of disbelief, as if to say, 'What nonsense are you talking about?' but inwardly, she couldn't help but give him a silent commendation.
"You believe that for the sake of a queen's position, Lin Yuan's chancellor would instigate a war between two nations? Setting aside whether it's worth it, do you think Nan Chaoyin alone could accomplish this so flawlessly?" Yu Chengxuan asked, stroking the rib of his fan.
Ji Wu fell silent. He offered a wry smile, "This subject simply cannot fathom it, but Your Highness, this war that erupted on the border between our Da Li and Lin Yuan was inherently strange. This subject..."
Yu Chengxuan raised his hand, cutting off Ji Wu's words.
Hui An had intended to argue, but seeing Yu Chengxuan directly silence Ji Wu, she changed her mind. The words about to escape her lips twisted, and what emerged was: "Imperial Brother, this Princess has a question."
Yu Chengxuan looked at her, signaling her to continue.
"When I lived at the Prince's residence, I once heard something!"
"Most people in the capital know that Nan Shiying's birth mother died in childbirth, but they don't know that her mother did not have a normal labor. It seems that on that day, she stumbled upon something in Nan Chaoyin's study. She left in a panic, and that evening, news suddenly spread that she had died from hemorrhaging." She spoke with a straight face, as if it were a true account. Yu Chengxuan, however, realized for the first time that his imperial sister was quite skilled at storytelling. If he hadn't known some of the circumstances, he might have believed her.
Oh, indeed, someone had believed her.
"Is that truly so?" Ji Wu asked loudly. Upon seeing Hui An nod, he stated resolutely to Yu Chengxuan, "Your Highness, this chancellor of Lin Yuan is definitely suspicious!"
Yu Chengxuan of course knew Nan Chaoyin was suspicious, for he knew better than anyone who Nan Chaoyin truly was!
It was when Da Li and Lin Yuan joined forces to annex Xi Liang. The Emperor of Xi Liang died before the palace gates, while his grandson, under the desperate protection of his retainers, managed to escape. He went into hiding, assimilated into Lin Yuan, and rose from humble origins to become the foremost official.
Nan Chaoyin was not only a remnant of Xi Liang but also the grandson of the Emperor of Xi Liang!
This was why Nan Chaoyin was so determined to make Nan Yuan'er the empress. As long as Nan Yuan'er gave birth to a prince with Xi Liang blood, he could then substitute the beams and pillars, bit by bit devour Lin Yuan, and ultimately overthrow the Lin Yuan dynasty to restore the Xi Liang kingdom.
This scheme had been thirty years in the making.
The only two variables in these thirty years were: first, he had not anticipated that Lin Yuan would produce a Ji Jinmo; second, he had not foreseen that by advancing the course of history, he would create an even more formidable enemy in Nan Shiying!
Yu Chengxuan was lost in his thoughts. Certain memories in his mind were like those piled in a secluded corner, always gathering dust when he revisited them.
He was merely wondering, regarding Nan Chaoyin's true identity, how much had she guessed?
...
Nan Shiying rubbed her somewhat sore waist. The fierce wind and rain outside drowned out the 'fierce wind and rain' within the room.
She inwardly chided herself for teasing this man, who had suddenly discovered his desires, possessed an excessively strong and enduring physique. If not for the torrential rain today, with the clouds obscuring the sun and casting the sky into a gloom as if it were night, she could still console herself that it wasn't daylight when they engaged in such carnal acts! Otherwise, she would be so ashamed that she'd bite someone!
Looking at the sky outside, the windows creaked and rattled under the storm. Nan Shiying stood and walked to the window, pushing it open to gaze into the distance.
The wind and rain seemed to have found an outlet, pouring in with great momentum.
Nan Shiying felt a weight on her shoulders, and a sense of warmth immediately enveloped her. She reached up and clutched the lapels of the outer garment Ji Jinmo had just thrown over her, pulling it closer.
"What are you looking at?" Ji Jinmo held her shoulders, drawing her into his embrace and following her gaze outward. Though the rain was heavy today, it wasn't unusual. Compared to the downpour in Yuzhou half a year ago, it was much less formidable. "The post station, Yuzhou!"
The direction Nan Shiying was looking towards was the post station nearby, and further beyond, it was the direction of Yuzhou.