Shang Shaoyan thought for a moment and then expressed the question in more detail: "Do you think I am the kind of person who could enter the palace as a concubine?"
Yan Xuening's eyes widened, as if she understood something. She quickly said, "How could someone as intelligent and beautiful as my cousin become a concubine?!"
After a pause, she spoke boldly: "His Majesty is so old, and not as handsome as your male favorite. Even if you become a concubine in the palace, no matter how noble you are, you'll still be a concubine. You'll have to please him all the time. How can you be as carefree as you are now? Cousin, listen to my advice, whatever you do, don't go to the palace. It's a place that eats people up without spitting out the bones!"
Shang Shaoyan glanced at Yan Xuening with approval and coaxed, "What if she were the Empress? She would be the principal wife and of high status. Wouldn't that be alright?"
Yan Xuening was practically spitting blood: "Cousin, what are you thinking? Yes, the Empress is good, extremely noble, but what's the point of spending your days fighting with a bunch of women for someone as unworthy as His Majesty? I know you have the means and ability, but does that old man deserve him!"
Shang Shaoyan looked at her cousin, who was just like Du Wei, and almost burst out laughing, but she still asked, "Then I'll go into the palace, become the empress, and give birth to a prince. Anyway, His Majesty is getting old, and my days as empress dowager and ruling from behind the curtain are just around the corner. Isn't that good?"
Yan Xuening was so angry with Shang Shaoyan that her mind went blank. She blurted out, "Cousin, if you have so much free time, why don't you start your own rebellion and become an empress? That would be much faster!"
After saying that, she was startled by her own bold statement. She quickly covered her mouth, took a deep breath, and it took her a while to calm down before she said somewhat nervously, "Anyway, cousin, don't do anything rash."
Shang Shaoyan raised an eyebrow at Yan Xuening and teased her on purpose, "I suddenly think you're right."
Yan Xuening breathed a sigh of relief: "It was the right thing not to go to the palace, cousin..."
Shang Shaoyan casually interrupted her: "Raising an army to rebel and become an empress, that makes sense. How come I didn't think of that?"
Yan Xuening: "...!"
She stared at Shang Shaoyan in shock, almost crying: "Cousin, please don't, please don't! Your cousin is counting on living a peaceful life as a Marquis's wife! Oh, right, cousin, and cousin too! My cousin's health is so weak, what will he do if you do that? He'll be scared to death! No, I'll be scared to death first! Cousin, cousin..."
Shang Shaoyan looked at Yan Xuening and chuckled: "Alright, stop crying. I don't plan to enter the palace."
Yan Xuening's eyes were red as she stubbornly looked at Shang Shaoyan: "You need to add one more thing: you don't plan to do that kind of thing!"
Shang Shaoyan teased her on purpose: "What kind of thing? Cousin, please explain it more clearly, I don't understand."
Yan Xuening: "..."
She looked at Shang Shaoyan with despair, unable to even cry anymore: "Rebellion, you are not allowed to rebel."
Shang Shaoyan looked at her with great interest for a while before sighing, patting Yan Xuening's hand, and saying with a focused gaze, "A'ning, sit down and listen to me carefully."
Shang Shaoyan's forceful words and actions temporarily appeased Yan Xuening, who, with red eyes, obediently sat down.
Seeing this, Shang Shaoyan smiled with satisfaction: "Do you know that His Majesty intends to take the lives of my entire Zhenguo Duke's family, nine generations in total?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Xuening was stunned for a moment, her first reaction being disbelief: "Impossible, absolutely impossible! All emperors throughout history have valued the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. His Majesty would never destroy the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, let alone exterminate his entire clan!"
Shang Shaoyan wasn't angry. He simply said, "Do you understand the principle of 'the merits overshadow the master, and the bow is put away after the birds are all gone'? Do you know that my parents died at His Majesty's hands? Because he was afraid of my parents, he actually colluded with foreign enemies and eliminated them. As for your marriage, you and Li Langxuan were plotted against by the Shen family. Behind the Shen family is His Majesty—His Majesty has long wanted to get rid of Consort Zhao's lineage and drag you into it as well. You are already in the vortex."
With just a few words, Shang Shaoyan implicated the Prince of Nan'an and the Crown Prince in their scheme against Emperor Chen. Yan Xuening was quite surprised and uncertain. She looked at Shang Shaoyan and asked, "Cousin, are you saying that I can't live a peaceful life as a Marquis's wife?"
Shang Shaoyan's eyes darkened slightly: "That's right. Before His Majesty makes a move, the world will descend into chaos. Do you know that His Majesty is actually facing a situation where the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? Northern Zhou is restless, they are just waiting for His Majesty to eliminate the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Without the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the Shang army will be leaderless and not a threat; and Southern Chen will become a lamb to the slaughter... A'ning, do you understand? If I don't rebel, not only will the Shang clan be lost, but the entire Southern Chen will also be lost."
Yan Xuening sat blankly in the chair, lost in thought.
Shang Shaoyan glanced at her casually and smiled: "A'ning, do you think I'm telling you this? Your future husband, Marquis Yongle, and his sister, Consort Zhao, both know about this, they just haven't said anything. Sooner or later they'll be with me—we're all fish on the chopping block, fighting to the death for a chance of survival, understand?"
Yan Xuening nodded blankly, then quickly came to her senses and grabbed Shang Shaoyan's sleeve: "Cousin, I want to go to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to prepare for my wedding."
She paused, then gave a forced smile: "As my cousin knows, I'm not clever. I can't hide my emotions. What I'm thinking is written all over my face. I'm afraid of being seen through and causing you unnecessary trouble. It's better to go to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and stay with people who know about these things. I can stay home before I get married and keep it a secret."
Shang Shaoyan chuckled and patted her head: "Even if you hadn't told me, that's what I was planning anyway. First, I know you can't keep secrets, and second..."
She paused deliberately, and then smiled as she spoke under Yan Xuening's urging gaze: "Secondly, I promised you before that you would be married out of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Wouldn't that be glorious?"
Yan Xuening's eyes lit up, and then she let out a small cheer.
Shang Shaoyan said, "If you are ready, pack your things and go out now. Your brother has already sent someone to pick you up at the inn where I stayed last time. It's Yingge, who used to serve you, along with a few skilled guards. If you don't delay, they will take you back as fast as they can, and you can still make it to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion for dinner."
Yan Xuening quickly said, "Then I'll pack my things right away! After all, my mother lives near Lingyin Temple year-round, so I'll just send her a message. The wedding dress is here... the dowry... how do I take the dowry with me?"
Seeing her so busy, Shang Shaoyan chuckled and said, "Don't worry, your brother will send someone to escort your bridal procession for miles. Are you satisfied?"
Yan Xuening nodded, and then happily began to pack her things.
Shang Shaoyan stared intently at Yan Xuening, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes—how could Li Langxuan know that she harbored rebellious intentions? Now that she had told Yan Xuening, who would be getting married in three months, she would surely be unable to keep it a secret. At that time, Li Langxuan would be completely on her pirate ship.
After all, who wouldn't want a strategist with unparalleled talent who hides his abilities, and a clear mind who pretends to be blind?
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