Seeing the man who had suddenly appeared before her, An Ning couldn't help but be stunned for a mont. She quickly followed with a slight bow:
"I wonder what important matter Lord Jingguo has in stopping this young lady?"
As she spoke, the group of servants who had been on the small path monts before quickly vanished. Noticing this, An Ning couldn't help but frown, her expression puzzled as she looked at the newcor.
Without excessive pleasantries, after a mont of silence, the man before her soon spoke:
"Ahem... It is my fault for disturbing you so abruptly, young lady. But... Fifth Young Lady, are you aware of the true condition of that Heir of the Duke of Wei?"
Before An Ning could answer, he continued eagerly:
"Miss Zhou, just a few days ago, I specifically inquired with Physician Zhang, who often visits the Duke's household. Young Master Wei has been frail since childhood; not only does it affect his lifespan, but Physician Zhang explicitly stated that he will face considerable difficulties in having children in the future..."
Towards the end, as if finding it sowhat difficult to speak, or perhaps due to other reasons, a trace of sothing obscure flickered in this young master's eyes.
An Ning: "..."
Well, yes, that is indeed the truth, but hearing these words from *his* mouth feels so... inexplicably strange?
Seriously, with *your* own physical condition, is it really appropriate to co here and gossip about others? What is this, the pot calling the kettle black?
Gazing directly at the seemingly quite sincere look in the other's eyes, An Ning's mouth twitched imperceptibly. Yet, her expression remained unchanged. She took a slight step back before speaking calmly:
"Thank you for the reminder, Young Master Xie!"
Xie Huai, the only son of the Grand Princess and the previous Lord Jingguo. Due to the layer of relationship with her 'cheap father,' invitations from the Grand Princess's Residence would occasionally be sent to them. Therefore, An Ning wasn't entirely unfamiliar with the person before her.
Of course, in her view, he was rely a male consort. The Grand Princess herself probably didn't pay him much special attention; it was likely just a gesture of propriety and thoroughness by her subordinates.
However, to have been noticed by the Grand Princess and married into her family, the previous Lord Jingguo's appearance must have been quite remarkable. This could be seen to so extent in the striking, beautiful features of the current Young Master Xie, features that even a pallor of three parts couldn't conceal.
Staring at his face, which clearly showed nervousness.
An Ning wasn't a fool. If she didn't understand his aning by now, she would have wasted all these years. She wasn't particularly flustered either, instead quietly waiting for him to speak.
Sure enough, the next mont, she heard him say anxiously:
"Given Young Master Wei's condition, Fifth Young Lady, if you are unwilling... I... I will naturally help diate. You also need not worry about the Changping Earl's Manor..."
Did he think she had reluctantly agreed because of her family? Not bad, this one is quite good at making assumptions.
What a pity...
"And how does Young Master Xie know this young lady is unwilling?"
Casually picking up a flower petal that had fallen on her shoulder, An Ning's tone was noticeably light and casual.
Upon hearing this, the person opposite was clearly taken aback for a mont:
"Fifth Young Lady... doesn't mind?"
Mind what? His frail health? His potentially shortened lifespan? Or the difficulty in having children?
eting his stunned gaze, after a mont, An Ning couldn't help but laugh. It was like a red lotus blooming, misty and fragrant:
"Young Master Xie, to this young lady, what in this world is perfect? If such perfection truly existed, it certainly wouldn't fall to soone like , would it?"
Sumr had passed. In the courtyard, crabapple leaves rustled down from ti to ti. The originally lush branches had long beco bare and empty.
Yet, this scene, which should have carried a sense of desolation, now felt inexplicably bright and vivid, as if withered plants had been instantly infused with life anew.
Long after that figure had completely disappeared from sight, Xie Huai remained standing there in a daze.
"Young Master? Young Master? Her Highness the Princess has ordered this servant to summon you."
***
After leaving the waterside pavilion and returning to her seat, An Ning's expression remained as usual. To her Third Sister's inquiries beside her, she only said she had felt slightly unwell, which was why she had been delayed.
Inside her spiritual sea, however, the system was clearly anxious:
"Ahhh, host, aren't you worried? A troublemaker suddenly appeared! Won't your beautifully laid-back retirent plan be ruined?"
"What's there to fear? You said it yourself, it's retirent. Is there a difference where I do it?" Besides, this one is even more handso!
Casually swirling the clear tea in her hand, An Ning was clearly unconcerned. What truly caught her attention was another matter:
"System, if I didn't see wrong just now, Young Master Xie's weakness doesn't seem congenital. It looks more like the aftereffects of so kind of poison, doesn't it?"
It was only autumn now, and midday at that, yet he was already wearing a thick fox-fur cloak.
Recalling the system's habit of sneaking around eavesdropping on gossip, after a mont of thought, An Ning soon spoke to confirm:
"Cold poison?" And a rather potent kind at that.
The system imdiately nodded, then soon said mysteriously, "Hehe, you guessed right, host! And host, do you know who administered this poison?"
The system wore an expression of 'I know everything, this is a shocking secret, host, co ask !' It seed convinced she could never guess this person.
Unfortunately, the next second, it heard its host say:
"It was the Late Emperor, wasn't it?"
The system: "..."
The system: "!!!"
"You... how did you know?"
"So it was indeed him."
Glancing at it with amusent, An Ning continued to play with the teacup in her hand:
"Do I even need to guess? To successfully bypass the Grand Princess's hand and target her only son, and having the motive... the candidates are limited to those few sitting on the dragon throne."
"Given that the current Emperor is still alive and well, the candidate could only be the Late Emperor, without a doubt."
"Then... then don't you find that utterly shaless?"
A proper emperor, poisoning his own grandson, and with such vicious, ruthless thods! Isn't that terrifying?
Why isn't my host the least bit surprised!
Holding its own dog-like head, the system was uncharacteristically frantic.
"Shaless? Yes, it is indeed extrely shaless. But one has to admit, this move... was indeed very effective, wasn't it?"
Savoring the slightly astringent tea in her mouth, An Ning's tone turned cool.
The Grand Princess, the first child to survive after several consecutive infant deaths for the Late Emperor.
Only two years older than the current Emperor, yet her political acun and physical constitution far surpassed his by several tis. Most importantly, as the key figure who successfully turned the tide when the border situation was critically precarious, she held considerable military authority. Not to ntion her prestige in the army, the number of generals who owed her favors was countless.
She also had no shortage of private soldiers.
Such an iron-willed political figure, bearing royal blood and natural nobility—was it that she didn't want to ascend the throne?
The answer is she couldn't.
Apart from her gender, the crucial point was actually the lack of a successor. As long as she couldn't ensure the throne's inheritance for another generation, she could never truly put her followers' minds at ease.
Forget about adopting from the Imperial Clan after ascending the throne.
In this era that emphasizes bloodline, one's own child represents not just emotional attachnt and legitimacy, but also the genuine, effective transition of political resources.
To put it bluntly, even if one's own child ascends, there's a possibility of large-scale purges of old ministers and overturning various policies from the previous reign. How much more so for an adopted heir with their own biological parents, especially following an ard seizure of power and a woman claiming the throne?
One could say the problematic factors were stacked to the maximum.
In such a situation, how many would be willing to take the risk? Wouldn't they fear the successor later performing a 'correction of errors'?
Even the Grand Princess herself had to consider the fate of her son and these followers after her death, should she truly take the risk and ascend.
One could say that if her descendants were healthy and sound, even if it were a sowhat intelligent daughter, given the decisive and ruthless nature the Grand Princess displayed on the battlefield, she would never have retreated this step.
"So, although the Late Emperor was sowhat incompetent, he actually wasn't stupid either, was he?"
Rubbing the teacup in her hand, An Ning couldn't help but laugh.
"In this situation, even if the Grand Princess truly disregarded everything and seized power to ascend the throne, the ultimate ownership of that throne would still remain within the 'Shangguan family,' among his own descendants."
Royal families... sigh!
The system couldn't help but let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
An Ning: "..."
After so many lifetis, the system still hasn't gotten used to how royal families, or those in power in general, typically are!
This mory of yours, tsk!
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