Chapter 1607 – Capture Nan Sheng, Kill An Huan (Part Twenty-One)
Li Yun wasn’t blind to the subtle hints between his lord and Wei Ci, but their relationship resembled that of typical ruler and subject, lacking in any blatant romantic gestures. His suspicions remained mere guesses without solid proof. It was like the entertainment gossip from the idle folks in the dried fish realm—full of whispers and unfounded rumors, but the official sources remained tight-lipped.
Given Li Yun’s temperament, he refused to speculate without concrete evidence or an admissions from the two; he didn’t want to tarnish their reputations.
So, when Jiang Pengji exclaimed, “You and I are quite the match,” Li Yun automatically translated that into “Xichang Princess.” Oh dear, his lord actually liked women! Official confirmation, right there—Li Yun was understandably flustered.
After hitting a wall with Jiang Pengji, who wouldn’t heed his advice, he could only frown deeply, his mind entangled in worry, as he withdrew.
“This matter would be better discussed with the military advisers…”
He muttered to himself before turning to find Yang Si and the others.
By chance, Yang Si, Feng Zhen, and Wei Ci were gathered in the water pavilion, deep in conversation. Li Yun strode over, calling out, “Military Advisers!”
All three could be addressed as military advisers and turned to look at him in unison.
“Li Yun, what’s with the hurry?” Wei Ci asked.
Wei Ci poured Li Yun a cup of tea, and after a bow, he took a seat on the empty mat, a thin sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead.
“Today… about that Xichang Princess and our lord… aren’t you three worried?”
The trio exchanged looks; Wei Ci opted for silence, while Li Yun was oblivious to the strange atmosphere within the pavilion.
He was in a rush, launching into a barrage of chatter, his anxious demeanor genuine, which only added to the trio’s odd expressions.
He continued, “Our lord’s of an age without an heir, and I’ve been worried for a long time. Without an heir to carry on, who will inherit this world? The Xichang Princess, as dignified as she may sound, is merely a stray dog at best! What qualifications does she have to aspire to our lord? Not to mention she could hinder our lord’s ambitions! I’d rather turn to dust than let an evil woman confuse her!”
Li Yun spoke forcefully, and had it not been for his good composure, Bai Ning would have likely slammed the teatable to pieces.
It wasn’t that Li Yun was obsessed with bloodlines; it depended heavily on the subject in question.
Was his lord just an ordinary person?
No way!
She had the potential to be the future sovereign of the realm, a true ruler!
Her offspring represented not just the continuity of her bloodline but also the perpetuation of peace throughout the realm!
Without an heir, it meant no one would carry on his lord’s ideals of peace, rendering their hard-won tranquility fleeting—a thought that made Li Yun furious! If the fruits of their victories were harvested by some irrelevant person, he’d be spitting blood!
Yang Si struggled to suppress a laugh, casting a knowing glance at Wei Ci while asking Li Yun, “So, what’s your plan, Li Yun?”
“If our lord truly fancies that Xichang Princess as a mere plaything, that’s one thing, but if she truly falls for her, then I might have to take some measures,” Li Yun squinted, then stated something shocking to the three: “If our lord were to pursue this, I’d take my life in apology!”
Li Yun’s seriousness wiped away his earlier frivolity, and his eyes carried a hint of unexpected gravity.
Wei Ci found an excuse to leave, not wanting to add to the awkwardness of the conversation.
Feng Zhen, seeing Wei Ci go, finally revealed something to Li Yun.
“Li Yun, listen… tsk tsk…” Feng Zhen laughed, “Think a little harder about our lord’s earlier conversation with that Xichang Prince.”
“That Xichang Prince said the princess suited Zixiao, while our lord said they didn’t match and that in fact, she matched with our lord…” Li Yun mused, looking puzzled, sighing, “If the historians write this down, I can’t imagine how they’ll spin it.”
Feng Zhen and Yang Si exhaled in resignation; it seemed Li Yun wasn’t alone in this line of thinking.
Yang Si added, “What our lord said was, ‘Not a match, not a match, but I’m quite suited to her.’ Who does that reference?”
Li Yun naturally replied, “The Xichang Princess!”
Yang Si couldn’t help but facepalm, and Li Yun suddenly realized he might have misunderstood something. With the context given, one could interpret that comment as “the Xichang Princess suits me,” but it could also mean “Zixiao suits me”…
Li Yun instinctively saw his lord as a strong ruler and not just a “female strong ruler” or “female king.”
Thus, when he heard what she said, he preferred believing his lord had peculiar tastes instead of contemplating another interpretation.
Remembering Wei Ci had just left, Li Yun abruptly covered his face with his hand.
No wonder… No wonder Wei Ci wanted to find an excuse to leave; he probably didn’t want things to get too awkward.
“I’m so ashamed…”
Li Yun thought his lord’s taste for having a military adviser was much more acceptable than any rumors about her secretly liking women.
Yang Si remarked, “Nothing to be ashamed of; you’re not the only one thinking that. Those two from Xichang think the same way.”
His lord was quite an oddball; as a woman, everyone presumed her chances of liking other women were higher than liking men.
Li Yun asked, “You both know? Does our lord…”
Yang Si waved his hand, “Our lord hasn’t admitted it openly. You and I keep this to ourselves; knowing it’s enough. This isn’t covering things up; it’s just how our lord is… sigh, she’s hell-bent on protecting Zixiao and hiding this is beneficial, creating fewer enemies.”
As long as a few ministers understood, it would limit the schemes and plots directed at Wei Ci.
Nothing in this world is universally liked; even gold and silver have their detractors who sniff at their metallic stench.
Wei Ci’s allure paled in comparison; if he took a straightforward approach, it would put him in grave danger.
Li Yun questioned, “If she’s protecting Zixiao, why did our lord say that?”
Yang Si countered, “Didn’t you just misunderstand? If even you misinterpreted, what about the outsiders?”
It sounded like an admission of feelings, yet wasn’t that really just a confession aimed at Wei Ci?
Tsk, so sweet it’s sticky.
Li Yun grew worried again, “Sigh, if this gets recorded in history, who knows how many will misunderstand our lord?”
Yang Si flaunted his newfound jargon learned from Jiang Pengji, “Sweetly murmuring sweet nothings under the public’s gaze, that’s the scent of love’s rot.”
After combing through everything, Yang Si was convinced that their lord and that princess were the sweetest pairing ever—enough to give someone diabetes.
“Well then… how to deal with those two from Xichang?”
“Our lord is generous with everything but this matter… her mind is narrower than a needle’s eye, those two from Xichang better fend for themselves.”
“Like how?”
Feng Zhen stroked his chin, “Like tricking them into Nan Sheng?”
