Chapter 1694 – Hua Yuan’s End (Part 3)
The Lord has passed, and the Young Master is gone.
All of An Huan’s other relatives perished in the calamity of the Nan Sheng.
Facing this situation, everyone had thousands of curses they wished to shout.
Whether during their lifetimes or after, who didn’t secretly mock Jiang Pengji as someone destined to be wiped out?
Some even maliciously speculated that if Jiang Pengji were to die halfway, all her grand achievements would merely serve as a wedding dress for someone else. Would she be so furious if she saw that in the underworld that she came back to life? This was, after all, evidence that supported the argument of female lords being disadvantageous and once again reinforced that the existence of female lords was unreasonable.
Years passed, yet Jiang Pengji, who had yet to bear a child, remained lively, strong, and ever cheerful.
And what of An Huan?
An Huan has passed; the heir approaching adulthood is gone, the bloodline is severed, and all his grand ambitions are set to turn to ashes.
Oh, wait!
The Xichang Princess is still pregnant with An Huan’s posthumous child, so the bloodline isn’t technically extinguished… yet.
But really, what could a baby that hasn’t even been born, its gender unknown, possibly do?
Are we really going to rally together to fend off external threats until the child grows up and then crown him as the lord?
From the time of the child’s birth until it reaches adulthood, that’s a full twenty years! And we still don’t know how talented this kid will be!
The late Lord An Huan passed so suddenly, without having the chance to designate a regent.
At this point, some might ask in frustration:
Wasn’t An Huan most fond of Hua Yuan during his lifetime? And didn’t he also heavily rely on Lü Zheng? If he were to choose a regent, these two would surely be the top choices!
True, but since An Huan didn’t specify it himself, who would truly accept it?
Even fools understand that whoever becomes the regent can briefly wield power on behalf of the Lord; it’s not merely like being a lord but even surpassing one.
If the regent has greater ambitions, there’s a possibility they might seize power and usurp the inheritance of the late Lord.
Even if An Huan’s empire has already begun to crumble, it can’t stop the greed in people’s hearts.
When faced with enough temptation, some will gladly abandon common sense and instead use their… you know.
With external threats and internal troubles rising, the Xichang Princess, who thought she was in a safe position, started to panic.
When news of An Huan’s death broke, the previously attentive vassals and their wives stopped visiting, as if they had some unspoken agreement.
To make matters worse, even the servants who had been close to her began to slack off, no longer as cautious as before, giving the Xichang Princess an unsettling feeling. With her pregnant belly, she sought advice from Hua Yuan late at night, only to find her brother there instead.
After the Xichang Princess’s successful pregnancy, the sibling pair had reduced their private interactions.
Despite the royal family’s usual sordid affairs, it didn’t mean they could completely overlook being siblings.
The Xichang Princess found this idea quite disturbing. Were it not for survival and future considerations, she wouldn’t easily compromise with Hua Yuan.
Months had passed since their last meeting, and the atmosphere between the siblings felt somewhat awkward.
However, even the most awkward tension couldn’t compare to her life being at stake, so the Xichang Princess hurriedly inquired of her brother.
The Xichang Prince appeared much sturdier than last time, yet he hadn’t been resting well lately, looking rather haggard.
“I fear we might have fallen into Hua Yuan’s trap.”
The Xichang Prince gazed at his sister with sorrowful eyes, heavy with exhaustion.
The Xichang Princess felt a tightening in her chest. “A trap? Why?”
She focused intently on her brother’s lips, scared he would utter some despairing words.
“We were too naive and underestimated human malice, and thus fell for Hua Yuan’s sweet words.” The Xichang Prince spoke wearily. “With An Huan dead and the Young Master gone, aside from the child in your belly, An Huan’s lineage seems completely severed. Logically, everyone should honor this bloodline and let Hua Yuan become the regent. Hua Yuan could then rightfully seize power through you and the child…”
Even though doing so meant being a puppet, at least their basic needs would be met. Once the child grew up, the Xichang Princess could leverage her maternal bond to draw the child closer, strategically undermine Hua Yuan, and achieve a powerful comeback.
The Xichang Princess was stunned, forcing herself to appear composed.
“Th-that’s not how it is, right?”
“This plan, though seemingly smooth, actually relies on three prerequisites, none of which can be absent.”
“What prerequisites?”
“First, An Huan’s remaining influence must be strong enough to last until that child matures.”
The Xichang Princess fell silent.
With An Huan’s death, his influence was crumbling, and enemies would not miss the chance to kick a person when they’re down.
Even she, cocooned in the inner courtyard, recognized how precarious this situation was.
Forget twenty years—if things continued as they were, even two years would be uncertain.
“Second, An Huan must have explicitly chosen Hua Yuan as the regent, making everything clear.”
The Xichang Princess gritted her teeth. “But that man is already dead, and left nothing behind!”
An Huan died too decisively; not only did he take tens of thousands of soldiers with him, but he also left no arrangements for succession just before he passed.
“Wait, I still have this.”
The Princess placed her hand on her belly as if clutching onto the last straw.
The Prince responded, “Who says that An Huan’s bloodline can necessarily inherit his legacy?”
The Princess was momentarily at a loss for words.
“You mean someone would usurp?”
The Prince sighed. “Throughout history, there have been many magnanimous lords who, for the greater good, entrusted their empires to their ministers. That’s how history often records them, facilitating a beautiful tale of lord and minister. But there are also shameless ones who use the banner of ‘fulfilling the late Lord’s unfinished business’ to openly usurp power… We were both too naive previously, and now it’s too late to realize.”
While the astute strategist could easily see these details, the siblings lacked that foresight and tragically fell into Hua Yuan’s scheme.
The Princess’s face turned pale.
“What about the third?”
“The third is that An Huan’s old ministers must be loyal enough not to endanger you and your child for their personal gain.”
That’s the tricky part. These old ministers were already restless; though they hadn’t displayed their greed openly, hints of it did show through.
The Xichang Prince thought the first to lose patience would be Hua Yuan, but it turned out to be An Huan’s other ministers instead.
These old ministers usually had low visibility but were deeply rooted and part of the hidden elite.
In contrast, Hua Yuan—
That guy was actually quiet, which was totally against the norm.
Currently, the greatest danger facing the Xichang Princess and her child wasn’t from Hua Yuan but from the old ministers coveting An Huan’s legacy.
The siblings thought about everything far too simplistically, and when the situation laid itself bare before them, they both stared in disbelief.
After hearing all this, the Princess trembled, her voice thick with emotion.
“Brother, what are we to do?”
The Prince, equally despairing, said, “For now, the only protection we have is Hua Yuan, but he…”
The Princess hastily asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Ever since his student died, his mind hasn’t been right; he often spouts nonsense and threatens with violence…”
The Princess gasped in shock. “How could it be? That Young Master was personally schemed against by him.”
Where was his sanity long before now?
The Prince shook his head. “That’s beyond my knowledge.”
Suddenly, a logical conclusion popped into the Princess’s mind.
