Chapter 250 Contradiction

Su Qingwan's face darkened slightly, and she sneered, saying, "There are only Nianqing and I left in Huainan now. If Nianqing doesn't inherit the throne, then I will be the King of Huainan. As the regent, you actually want to marry me? Lu Jing, your intentions are obvious to everyone!"

She brushed her sleeves and walked forward without saying anything more. Lu Zhu was furious and took her anger out on Li An. She glared at him fiercely and hurried to catch up with Su Qingwan. Lu Jing's heart sank. He wanted to explain, but he was speechless for a moment. He didn't know where to start and could only fall into silence.

Su Qingwan would neither understand nor comprehend the pressure he was under in Kyoto. After all, she was completely focused on the interests of Huainan and had never considered the complexity of the situation in the capital.

Li An couldn't help but persuade him, "Master, you should just tell the princess the truth. You are under a lot of pressure. Huainan is a hot potato now. Everyone wants it, but they don't like it!"

Lu Jing sighed and said, "Let her calm down for a few days." Su Qingwan must be very angry this time, and she needs some time to calm down. It won't be too late to talk to her again when she calms down.

Lu Jing turned back to the front yard. When he passed by the martial arts training ground, he saw General Xiao Ning practicing martial arts. General Xiao Ning's wedding was approaching, and he was in high spirits recently. Lu Jing knew that he was a general sent from the southwest, and he had a close relationship with Su Qingwan. He was brave and extraordinary at a young age. His fiancée was a mountain bandit, and it was Su Qingwan who tied the knot. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the general of Huainan in the future.

Lu Jing was a little worried about this, but it was not because he doubted General Xiao Ning's loyalty. After all, General Xiao Ning was from the southwest, and Su Qingwan had no one else to use, so she had to use a general from the southwest.

But in fact, this is a huge risk. She urgently needs to build up her own power, especially in terms of military power. Xiao Wu is completely different from the King of Huainan twelve years ago. At that time, the King of Huainan held military power, which was the most important in the fiefdom. He controlled more than 100,000 troops and was a solid defense line in the southwest.

Now that all the troops are stationed in the southwest, the number of guards in Huainan is not large. Lu Jing thought that he must dispatch tens of thousands of troops back to Huainan for garrison. In fact, the border does not need so many garrisons. But these soldiers have been loyal to the southwest for many years, and it is hard to say how loyal they are to Huainan. Su Qingwan is neither the King of Huainan nor has she been on the battlefield. She is also a woman. Whether the soldiers can convince her is really unknown.

When people leave, the tea gets cold. It is unknown whether the majesty of the King of Huainan and the Crown Prince can help her to intimidate the three armies. If the general leans towards the southwest, then the Huainan garrison will actually be of the same mind as the southwest; if there is a different mind, the Huainan garrison will be difficult to mobilize.

General Xiao Ning was so focused on practicing martial arts that he had no time to think about anything else. When he noticed someone, he only caught a glimpse of Lu Jing's clothes, but he didn't take it seriously.

For two days in a row, Su Qingwan was busy negotiating a trade agreement with Xilin Yongxuan, leaving early and returning late, as if she was deliberately avoiding Lu Jing. In fact, this was not the case. She was really busy. In addition to Xilin's affairs, she also had to worry about the farmland. Summer was about to pass, and the autumn harvest was about to come. She attached great importance to Huainan's harvest this year. Although the weather was fine, she still frequently went to the suburbs for inspection.

When she returned to the city, it was almost evening. She was hungry and had been exposed to the wind and sun for a day, so she looked quite miserable. Seeing this, Lu Jing felt a little distressed and said, "Even if you want to avoid me, there is no need to do this. This is the Huainan Palace. If you don't want to see me, I can stay at the inn."

Su Qingwan rolled her eyes at him and said unhappily, "Don't make yourself sound so righteous. If I really ask you to go to the posthouse, you'll be unhappy again!"

She was too lazy to deal with Lu Jing, so after a simple wash, she went to the flower hall. The housekeeper had already prepared the meal.

Su Qingwan quickly finished a bowl of noodles. In the southwest, noodles are the main staple food, such as noodles and flatbreads, which are very filling. She traveled all year round and didn't have to deal with the many things that a lady from a wealthy family should pay attention to. When she was disguised as Xie Zhaolan, she would pay attention to etiquette, but she didn't have to worry about that much in the palace.

Lu Jing was not surprised by this. He and Su Qingwan had lived in the manor for a while and knew her temperament. He felt that her free and easy nature was unique. The two of them ate in silence, truly eating without talking. After dinner, Qingyun brewed tea and served fruits. Lu Jing had no intention of leaving, and it was obvious that he was going to continue talking with Su Qingwan.

Su Qingwan didn't want to drag it on, and wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible so that Lu Jing could return to the capital earlier. So she spoke first, "Why don't you want Nian Qing to succeed the King of Huainan? He is my brother's eldest son, and he has the right to inherit the throne. The princess and my brother are engaged. The last time she came to Huainan, she wanted to save my brother, but after knowing that there was no hope, she married my brother and even had a witness. Nian Qing is of Huainan blood. Although he grew up in the Lu family, the princess never let him get close to the Lu family. The extermination of the Lu family did not affect him much, and he also knew that he was born in Huainan. Although I can't figure out Nian Qing's thoughts, I guess he is willing to recognize his ancestors and return to his roots."

Lu Jing looked solemn, and said slowly: "If you can choose between the eldest princess's son and the declining King of Huainan, which one would you choose? This is a very realistic question. The young master can't return to the capital and can't be the eldest princess's son because the Lu family was destroyed, leaving only him, and his identity is awkward. The eldest princess deliberately exposed his identity. Many generals have seen him and know that he is of Huainan blood, so he must return to Huainan. This is the path that the eldest princess has planned long ago. Have you ever thought that once the young master inherits the throne of Huainan, he will be the elder in the Huainan fiefdom in the future. If the eldest princess wants to mutiny, it will be easy."

"Nian Qing wouldn't do that!" Su Qingwan retorted.

Lu Jing looked calm, but his tone was unquestionable: "They are mother and son, and the young master was raised by the eldest princess. Although you and he are aunt and nephew in name, you don't have much affection, and he won't listen to you. You and I both know the eldest princess's intention to become emperor. If it weren't for the checks and balances of the late emperor during his lifetime and the fact that he didn't have much time left on the throne, she might not have backed down. Now that the emperor is young and unable to rule, he and I share power equally, and there is no conflict for the time being. But as my power becomes more and more stable and the emperor grows up, conflicts will inevitably intensify, and splitting is a matter of time. The eldest princess is already preparing for a rainy day, so the Huainan fiefdom must not fall into the hands of her own son."

Su Qingwan's eyebrows were knitted tightly, still a little bit unconvinced, "You said... the eldest princess would rebel? Is it your imagination, or is it true?"