Chapter 1643 – Taking Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (53)
Sun Lie’s death was due to multiple factors, not just one or two simple reasons.
First of all, that Nie clan offspring acted arrogantly, refusing to let anyone overshadow him. Sun Lie’s article not only knocked him down a peg but struck directly at his sensitive spot, making him mistakenly believe that the article was a personal threat using his misdeeds as leverage. And then there was Nie Yang, fanning the flames, pushing the killing intent from a mere five points to a full ten!!!
Sun Wen was furious, dreaming of disposing of each and every murderer involved one by one.
He dug deep, investigating the events of that year over and over again, ensuring no loose ends remained—those who had harmed his only son had to die!
Even his grandson, Sun Lan, was unaware that despite the years that had passed, Sun Wen still hadn’t moved on from his pain.
Every time he woke from nightmares in the midnight hour, he couldn’t help but recite the information he had gathered word for word, as if he meant to etch the names of everyone mentioned into his bones. To make his revenge flawless, he devised countless hypotheses and plans.
“Is this person also just a piece on the chessboard?”
Qi Guanrang was taken aback, thankful that Sun Wen was an ally; if he were an enemy, he would really be in trouble.
Who knows when Sun Wen started plotting? Even seemingly insignificant people could be picked up by him to be of use; it was truly terrifying. Honestly, this drive was reminiscent of how their leader pressed down hard on people.
Sun Wen knew what Qi Guanrang was “afraid” of and couldn’t help chuckling.
“This old man in front of you is merely a mortal, experiencing the same cycles of life, death, love, and loss as anyone else—he’s no deity and certainly doesn’t possess all-knowing strategies.” If Sun Wen were that powerful, his son Sun Lie wouldn’t have met such a miserable end—this was heartfelt.
In Sun Wen’s view, he just had more time to think, considering things more thoroughly and striving to cover any gaps—he had simply been more meticulous.
Qi Guanrang chuckled, “This is being self-deprecating.”
Sun Wen replied, “Having been in Dongqing for so many years, I don’t know much about the situation in Zhong Zhao, and I don’t have many usable pieces in hand.”
Implying that he could only exploit these limited pieces to achieve infinite value—that wouldn’t be wasting anything.
Furthermore,
“Not teaching is a father’s fault. The Golden Scales Academy’s educational materials speak volumes; in just six short words, they encapsulate a parent’s duties. That scoundrel raised an unashamed daughter who had an affair while married, indirectly causing my son’s death… Hmph, this debt is certainly one to settle with him!” Sun Wen’s logic for shifting blame resonated with Qi Guanrang, their worldviews surprisingly aligned.
Qi Guanrang regarded Sun Wen, the elder generation, as a confidant, which made Sun Wen quite pleased.
But when the elder turned to see his grandson looking all pitiful, it jolted him back to serious matters.
His ultimate goal wasn’t merely to be Qi Guanrang’s old friend but to become his family!
“It’s okay, Lanlan… Grandpa sees that Qi Guanrang seems quite satisfied with you; he’s so clever, he certainly understands the hints.”
Sun Wen said this a bit sheepishly.
Sun Lan asked, “What if Military Adviser Qi is just pretending to be confused while actually knowing everything?”
Sun Wen: “…”
If that were the case, he’d really be out of options.
“Every family’s daughter is sought after by multiple families… If you want to marry a good girl, how can you avoid some setbacks?” Sun Wen comforted his grandson while encouraging him, “Isn’t the academy always teaching that sincerity breaks through even stone? That top girl in someone’s heart won’t be so easy to court!”
Sun Lan’s expression turned melancholic.
Good girls are hard to find, but the difficulty definitely comes in varying degrees.
Clearly, Qi Guanrang was on “hell mode,” and a young man with insufficient grit should steer clear to avoid dire consequences.
Sun Wen sighed, “There’s no father-in-law easy to please in this world. If Lanlan were a girl, I wouldn’t just hand her over easily.”
Does Qi Guanrang not know this?
How is that even possible?
Sun Wen was quite harmonious with him; aside from their aligned worldviews, another reason was that Sun Wen was intentionally warming up to him.
When it came to warped morals, Yang Si, Feng Zhen, and their ilk were barely half as bad—so why didn’t Sun Wen get cozy with them?
Because these guys had no suitable daughters of age, while Sun Wen’s grandson had his eyes locked onto their prize!
He really was pretending to be confused.
His own daughter hadn’t even reached marriageable age, and he had other plans for her future; whether Sun Lan was a worthy husband would require careful observation. Should Sun Lan prove unsuitable, Qi Guanrang wouldn’t budge even at the risk of utterly offending Sun Wen.
They were both high-ranking ministers serving under the leader, each standing equal.
If they genuinely turned against each other, Qi Guanrang might not necessarily lose out.
Of course, if Sun Lan were suitable, their families becoming in-laws would be a strong partnership, beneficial for all.
The two old foxes calculated carefully together.
But the targets of their schemes were not feeling good at all.
When Sun Wen held a grudge against someone, he surely aimed to make them suffer.
The person under Sun Wen’s death stare was a man named Zhou, whose legitimate daughter had married into the respectable An clan after coming of age, becoming a matron.
Both the An clan and Zhou clan were tied to the Nie clan, relying on them for support, being minor families with not many clan members.
Both families had humble beginnings and, after numerous generations of effort, had achieved their current state, knowing all too well the difficulty of development and cherishing their reputation.
What Sun Wen aimed to do was simply expose the fact that the matron had been secretly involved with Nie’s spoiled heir after marriage, leaving the true paternity of her child shrouded in mystery while stoking the fires of ambition and hatred between the two families—naturally drawing the Nie clan into the conflict.
Originally, it was just a power struggle between Zheng Hao and Nie Qing, but with Zhou and An clans now factored in, the chaos intensified.
The An and Zhou clans were well aware of the Nie clan’s inner workings; if they truly switched sides and fought, Nie Qing would be in deep water.
What man can tolerate the humiliation of wearing a green hat?
His rival, relying on his family background, steals his wife and even gifts him a child whose lineage is unknown. Who could bear that?
As it turns out, some could, if it weren’t for the Nie clan being seriously weakened, and if Zheng Hao hadn’t set a precedent—facing a green hat and an illegitimate child, some men would simply put their familial and political interests first, even knowing their wives had been unfaithful.
But here lies the question: does the Nie clan still wield the power to intimidate?
Without that strength, why would the An clan endure the shame of wearing a green hat?
When Sun Wen’s intelligence reached the man under the green hat, he immediately flew into a rage and sought out his wife for confrontation.
His legitimate son was nestled in his wife’s arms, and she looked just as exquisite and graceful as ever; the scene that once brought him warmth now filled him with disgust. He slammed the door open, roughly shoving his sleeping son toward the wet nurse and maid waiting at the side.
