Chapter 1665 – Take Down Nan Sheng, Eliminate An Huan (Seventy-three)
“Is this poison meant for An?”
Xichang Princess had always known that Hua Yuan had ambition, but she never expected him to be so decisive and slick, actually planning to poison An!
Despite An being a bad character, his trust and reliance on Hua Yuan had never faltered, even favoring him over Lü Zheng. Now, for reasons unknown, Hua Yuan wanted to take An’s life, and just thinking about it gave Xichang Princess the creeps.
But, upon reflection, Hua Yuan had forced her to do more disgusting things. His ambition to assassinate his lord didn’t seem too outrageous after all.
Hua Yuan glanced at Xichang Princess from the corner of his eye, a faint smile curling on his thin lips, while golden sunlight illuminated his face, casting a faint glow that made him look ethereal. The complexity of Xichang Princess’s feelings grew; heaven had bestowed upon Hua Yuan an extraordinary appearance, graceful demeanor, and exceptional intelligence, yet beneath that beautiful exterior lurked filth and decay, making one involuntarily sigh.
Lost in her thoughts, she heard Hua Yuan’s calm retort.
“Why would Side Lady think I would poison my own lord? The lord has treated me well; I believe in repaying kindness with great gratitude.”
Xichang Princess was momentarily taken aback, her face twisting in disbelief.
Repayment with great gratitude?
Was his ‘great gratitude’ a hidden way of offering a patch of green grass for his lord’s head?
Not only was he offering grass, but he was also covertly exploiting An’s trust to meddle with grain supplies.
Indeed, the “grains” that Li Da had secured with great effort were actually sent by Hua Yuan himself.
Only one-tenth of this batch was real; the other ninety percent was fake.
Hua Yuan secretly leaked information to lure enemies to seize supplies. Jiang Ji took the bait and dispatched troops to ambush the grain convoy. In a calculated maneuver, “two hundred thousand shí” of provisions was easily plundered by the enemies. Through this tactic, Hua Yuan shamelessly pocketed the bulk of the grains.
The cunningness of it all left Xichang Princess and the prince feeling uneasy.
With such ruthless and slick means, could they truly gain even the slightest advantage from this man?
Xichang Princess struggled to suppress her fears, worries, and dread, forcing a stiff, shallow smile. Hua Yuan’s secretive embezzlement of massive grain amounts, disregarding the lives of soldiers at the front line—if he didn’t harbor thoughts of rebellion, not even a three-year-old would buy that.
“What you said, how could I not believe, Mr.? I only misunderstood earlier.” Xichang Princess said outwardly, but her inner thoughts were a mystery. “I am foolish and hope for your guidance, so I may understand.”
“You see, the lord is eagerly looking forward to the child in your belly.”
Hua Yuan reached out, lightly stroking Xichang Princess’s slightly protruding belly with his fingertip, causing her to stiffen and freeze in terror, cold sweat pouring from her forehead, her slender body trembling as if it was not a finger but a sword threatening her.
Finally, realizing that Hua Yuan meant her no harm, she let out a long, relieved breath, feeling as if she had narrowly escaped death.
“But Mr… you know this child is not…”
Hua Yuan retracted his hand, elegantly pulling out a napkin to wipe his fingers, as if they were sullied with dirt.
“The lord doesn’t know, does he?” he said indifferently. “He doesn’t know that the child you bear is his own flesh and blood.”
Xichang Princess fell silent, for she realized the killing intent flickering in Hua Yuan’s eyes.
One more word from her, and she had no doubt that the poison in Hua Yuan’s hand would find its way into her mouth.
Almost as an unintentional murmur, Hua Yuan mused, “If only this child is a son, then the lord will have an heir.”
Xichang Princess forced a smile, “Even if it’s a son, he will only be a bastard. Young Master still has a legitimate heir.”
Due to An’s physical ailments, he could no longer father children. To appease his loyal followers, he adopted a cousin from a side branch as his son. Over the years, this Young Master had already been acknowledged by all and was regarded as An’s successor.
Even if Xichang Princess gave birth to An’s “own son,” he would still be a bastard, unable to compete with the legally adopted eldest son. By the time her child grew up, who knew if An would even still be alive… After all, with Hua Yuan, this scheming man, and Jiang Ji, her fierce opponent, An was sandwiched between them like a doomed cookie.
Even if Jiang Ji didn’t kill An, after many years, that Young Master would grow up, and he wouldn’t be someone a mere child could contend with.
Unless… Xichang Princess’s mind raced, an audacious thought coming to her—could it be…
Her eyes widened in shock, retreating half a step in fear.
If the poison Hua Yuan held wasn’t for An, then it must be for the Young Master!
If the Young Master died, An stuck at the front lines and grasped by Hua Yuan’s hold on grain supplies—whether he lived or died rested in Hua Yuan’s hands!
As long as both of these men were gone, only then would the child in her womb have a chance of becoming a pawn for Hua Yuan to seize power.
Sure enough, Hua Yuan said, “Young Master? Side Lady, the lord values the child in your belly even more; he has had thoughts of replacement for quite some time.”
“Replacement?”
“Yes, that is indeed the lord’s intention. Currently, this Young Master is just a stumbling block for the child in Side Lady’s belly.”
A stumbling block must be kicked away.
A chill ran down Xichang Princess’s spine. She had no doubt about An’s ruthlessness; his thoughts of replacement were probably real, but whether the idea to poison the Young Master was An’s directive or Hua Yuan’s own audacity remained in question. An was shameless, but not without intelligence.
He favored his “own son,” but he wouldn’t prematurely discard his backup son before his “own son” had matured.
A child not yet born—who could tell what his potential might be, or if he could grow up safely…
All things considered, it was most likely Hua Yuan’s own idea.
“As for these matters, what would a woman like me understand? Everything is up to you, Mr…”
Hua Yuan smiled, “That won’t do; this matter still requires the Side Lady’s small assistance.”
Xichang Princess’s eyelids twitched violently.
“What assistance?”
Hua Yuan leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear, causing her to shiver lightly, her eyes filled with shock and fear.
“Mr… this matter…”
She trembled, trying to refuse, but looking into Hua Yuan’s inscrutable gaze that harbored a hint of killing intent, she helplessly surrendered.
“Everything… I will let you arrange everything, Mr.”
With one hand on her belly, Xichang Princess lowered her head, a tide of resentment and unwillingness washing over her.
This state of being at the mercy of others was truly unbearable and humiliating!
A conspiracy quietly took shape.
Two days later, a spring rain came, the mountains cloaked in varying shades of mist, the air filled with the aroma of dirt and spring rain.
In the distance, the sound of hooves approached.
Upon closer inspection, it was a handsome young boy dressed in a smart outfit, his features still retaining a hint of youthful innocence.
