Xin He suddenly startled, "Li Junyan is dead?!"
Mu Houchu calmly said, "I asked someone to check. After Duan Lan took Li Junyan from Yu State, she was kept under house arrest. Duan Lan controlled her, but the foolish things Li Junyan did in Yu State were never reported to the Emperor by Duan Lan."
Xin He slightly narrowed her eyes: "He doesn’t want to lose Li Junyan, this foolish chess piece, as a shield."
"Yes, if this matter is reported to the Emperor, when he is filled with wrath, he will surely feel that Li Junyan is completely useless, and turn her into a wasted pawn. For Li Junyan, this is bad luck, but how is it not the same for Duan Lan? The Emperor will not feel at ease with Duan Lan, who holds great power, out of his control. Therefore, he will surely arrange for another chess piece to marry him. Who will come is uncertain, but it will certainly be a woman smarter than Li Junyan, and Duan Lan would have a hard time dealing with her."
Li Junyan is easy to control. Now Duan Lan holds Li Junyan’s life in his hands. As long as Li Junyan does not reveal anomalies to His Majesty, she can cling to life. Duan Lan now controls Li Junyan, confounding the Emperor and easily dealing with Li Junyan, without causing trouble to himself.
Therefore, it was not surprising he spared Li Junyan’s life for now.
But he was always cautious, and this time, the events in Yu State must have been unbearable for Li Junyan. Hence, keeping her under house arrest in secret can be seen as not just revenge, but also a better form of control.
Xin He pondered and said, "So now Li Junyan is under house arrest by Duan Lan..."
She paused for a moment, then said, "You want to kill her and pin the blame on Duan Lan?"
Mu Houchu’s voice was cold, "Indeed, Li Junyan needs to die at the hands of Duan Lan, or at least let the Emperor believe that she died at the hands of Duan Lan. Now is a good time as she is under Duan Lan’s house arrest. If she suddenly dies in the room where he has kept her confined, then Duan Lan will have to take responsibility. Once the Emperor learns that Li Junyan died at the hands of Duan Lan, he will surely conduct a thorough investigation. At that time, as long as we secretly release news about the Jinwei’s attack on Duan Lan in Yu State, the murder plan will be complete."
When talking about killing Li Junyan, there was no sign of hesitation in Mu Houchu eye. Death was too common for him, especially in court quarrels. What did one life count as? They were merely the tiny chess pieces held by those in power.
Xin He pursed her lips, "By taking advantage of this opportunity to create a rift between Duan Lan and the Emperor, the Emperor will undoubtedly hesitate to entrust Duan Lan with important matters, which would solve a significant problem."
The Emperor granting marriage to the Song Family woman into the Royal Mansion was initially one of Duan Lan’s schemes. The principle of dealing with the ringleader before his followers was clearer to Mu Houchu than it was to Ji Xinhe. He knew that if he didn’t deal with Duan Lan, turning the tide on the matter of the arranged marriage would be almost impossible. After all, Duan Lan was far from being a dimwit.
Once Duan Lan was dealt with, he could pressurize the Song Family regarding the matter of marriage. Without Duan Lan backing them, the Song Family would undoubtedly comply, and he could immediately arrange a "marriage" for Song Yalin, even daring to marry her off before the arrival of the Imperial Edict.
On second thought, the whole affair seemed much simpler.
"However..." Mu Houchu continued, "If Li Junyan is dead, perhaps the effect might not be that good."
Xin He’s eyes flashed, "You mean..."
"Even though this woman is foolish, she has a high value. She could be a sharp weapon to trap Duan Lan in a dead end, and the best chess piece to restrain Lady Sun. Therefore, her life must be spared," Mu Houchu coldly said.
Li Junyan is Lady Sun’s daughter, and regardless of circumstances, Lady Sun is Ji Xinhe’s mother by law and the Lady of Le Yuanhou Mansion. Although there have been no major issues so far, Mu Houchu knew that Lady Sun would eventually be a problem. Making preparations in advance was not a bad idea.
Xin He nodded gently, "You handle it."
She lifted her eyes to the man in front of her and suddenly felt that her anxiety over the past half-day was unnecessary. He was a man worthy of trust and reliance; why would she feel insecure? She couldn’t solve all the problems. When she left everything to him, didn’t everything turn out fine?
Mu Houchu raised an eyebrow at Xin He, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you suddenly love me more?"
A second ago, he was cold as frost, the next moment his face changed faster than flipping through a book.
He was utterly shameless!
Xin He glared at him irritably, "Get away from me!"
Mu Houchu smiled, his large hand circling Xin He’s slender waist: "I’m afraid you can’t bear to."
"I can, and I will!" Xin He said, trying to wrench his hand away, to break free from his arms. She felt as if she had been tricked by this man again. If she admitted now that she really relied on him, trusted him, and couldn’t bear to leave him, wouldn’t that be too humiliating?!
However, Mu Houchu held her waist tighter, not giving her a chance to resist. He lowered his voice and said to her, "Xin He, let’s have another child."
Xin He glared at him, "Not a chance in broad daylight!"
What was he talking about having a child? He clearly wanted to sleep with her!
Every time he said these words, it was time for him to transform into a beast. Xin He understood him perfectly.
However, there was no lust in Mu Houchu’s eyes. Instead, his face become serious as he stared at her said, "Let’s have an heir."
Xin He was slightly stunned, not expecting that he was serious this time.
After the birth of Ah Guai five years ago, which caused Xin He great pain, she cried and said she was never going to give birth again, to which Mu Houchu agreed, saying they wouldn’t.
They considered it just a passing conversation, but he indeed never intended to get her pregnant again.
Xin He already had Ah Guai, and spent her days worrying about her child. Whenever she looked at Ah Guai, she felt as if she had obtained the entire world, and hadn’t felt the desire for another child.
Over these five years, the two did not bring the matter up, until today.
Mu Houchu touched Xin He’s small face, "I know, giving birth to Ah Guai was hard on you, and I don’t want to see you suffer again. But Xin He, as long the Prince Pingyang’s Mansion does not have an heir, the outside world will be watching."
Xin He, born in this era, naturally understood the importance of having a son.
Now, the Emperor was granting a marriage with the excuse that the Prince Pingyang’s wife could not produce an heir, so he awarded a side consort to help her.
Funny, right? Yet in a world like this, this cruel rule for women was standard, and even she was no exception.
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