Xiao Yan's words revealed his disdain and disgust almost without any attempt to conceal them.
Shen Qiyin thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "You... seem to really dislike him..."
This is not a question, but a statement of certainty.
Xiao Yan replied, "Dislike? No."
"That……"
"I hate him!" The mere mention of his name revealed an undisguised murderous intent.
For a moment, Shen Qiyin didn't even dare to reply.
Indeed, you can know a person's face but not their heart.
She had thought that Emperor Xuanwu treated Xiao Yan very well, but seeing his behavior now, she knew that his "goodness" was definitely not as pure as she had imagined.
"I have you in my heart, so he arranged for us to get married. To outsiders, this is clearly favoritism, but I'm sure that's what you think in your heart too?"
"...Yes." That was indeed the case before.
"But the truth is, you have no powerful family backing you. He won't feel at ease if I marry you."
"Don't worry?" Shen Qiyin's brow furrowed further. "Is he afraid you'll seize power?"
“It’s not about seizing power.” Xiao Yan suddenly smiled.
His thin lips curved slightly, and his eyes revealed endless coldness.
He said, slowly and deliberately, "It's about seizing the throne."
Shen Qiyin pursed her lips tightly and unconsciously swallowed.
He's not a prince, so how can he claim the throne?
If someone truly wants to rule the world, shouldn't they be accused of "rebellion"?
Thinking of this, Shen Qiyin's heart tightened!
She suddenly looked up at Xiao Yan, only to see him staring at her expressionlessly, his eyes shining darkly.
"You...you, you are..."
"yes."
"Really?!"
"Um."
Others who overheard their conversation would likely be completely baffled, but they could clearly understand each other's intentions.
When Shen Qiyin received a positive answer, she breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she felt conflicted and anxious.
What followed was even more doubt.
If he was a prince, why was he raised in the Duke of Ningguo's mansion? And why did he become the heir apparent of the Duke's mansion?
Moreover, since he was clearly not the son of the Duke of Ningguo, why did he always address the Imperial Concubine as "Aunt" so affectionately, as if she were his own mother?
Knowing that she had many guesses in her heart, Xiao Yan pulled her down to sit down and, while looking after the former Empress Si, told her about a past event.
"Actually, I shouldn't have answered your question so confidently, because even my mother herself doesn't know whose son I am."
This simple sentence left Shen Qiyin speechless.
I'm not sure?
That means...
"That happened a year after my parents got married."
Xiao Yan's mother, named Yin Shuang, was originally a nun who practiced Buddhism while still keeping her hair.
That year, she accidentally saved the seriously injured Duke Ningguo, and afterwards he took her back to the capital. Despite the opposition of his clan, he insisted on marrying her as his principal wife.
Yin Shuang came from a humble background and had been a Buddhist nun. In addition, her marriage into the Ningguo Duke's mansion caused quite a stir, so her reputation in the capital was not very good.
Most of the women from wealthy families disdained to associate with her.
Only the Imperial Concubine, who was not yet married at the time, was close to her and always protected this sister-in-law in public and in private.
Therefore, when this young lady later entered the palace as a concubine, Yin Shuang would often visit her.
Over time, they became acquainted with Empress Si, and the three of them hit it off. To put it presumptuously, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were "as close as sisters."
Gradually, no one dared to underestimate Yin Shuang anymore.
This was originally a good thing.
But who knew—
But then an accident happened!
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