Chapter 27- The Disdained Concubine’s Son of the Marquis’s Family(11)

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Chapter 27

“When the Princess of Prince Qin was younger, she lived in the capital for several years and had ties with the Marquis Yongxin’s household. She discovered that your birth mother was Prince Qin’s cousin, whom he had once admired in his youth, and out of jealousy, she secretly sent people to poison your birth mother to death. To put it bluntly, she could be considered your mother’s killer. Otherwise, why would she plot against you, someone she had never met?”

Back in the military camp, Yue Xiangyang’s rough, deep voice still echoed in Yan Su’s mind.

No wonder.

From the moment they first met at the family banquet in Prince Qin’s household, after Kuai Heyu introduced his identity, Guo Shi had shown obvious disdain toward him.

At that time, Yan Su hadn’t planned to stay in Prince Qin’s household and had thus ignored Guo Shi’s strange behavior.

From what Yan Su knew, Guo Shi and Kuai Hongwen didn’t hold a strong position in the household. Guo Shi was aging and no longer favored by Kuai Heyu as she once was. Her prideful nature further distanced her from him. Kuai Hongwen, despite being the eldest legitimate son, had accomplished nothing in the military, and while the three main generals under Prince Qin showed him outward respect, each had their own hidden agendas.

With the experience Yan Su had gained from several smaller worlds, he had developed a keen sense for reading people. It wasn’t hard for him to deduce that Kuai Heyu was supporting him to pave the way for one of his sons.

That son might not necessarily be Kuai Hongwen—it could be one of his other sons born to concubines.

Under such circumstances, it would have made more sense for Guo Shi to try to win his favor. Why would she seek to kill him?

But if what Yue Xiangyang said was true—that Guo Shi had secretly poisoned Zhuang Jin years ago in the capital—then seeing him now would surely make her anxious. She’d fear that if the truth were ever exposed, it would bring a powerful enemy upon her and Kuai Hongwen.

Thus, she had acted preemptively.

But what about Kuai Heyu? Did he know that Guo Shi had carefully plotted to kill his beloved cousin from his youth?

A month later, Yan Su got his answer.

Kuai Heyu’s attitude toward him had noticeably cooled. The warmth and support of the past had faded, and there was even a subtle intention to suppress him in the military.

After all, with Guo Shi’s murder of Zhuang Jin, there was now a deep-seated enmity. Kuai Heyu could no longer fully trust Yan Su.

“Young General Wen, have you thought over the matter of our cooperation?” Yue Xiangyang once again secretly arranged a meeting with Yan Su. His expression was triumphant, clearly confident in his ability to win Yan Su over.

In Yin City, Kuai Heyu’s every move was like a wind vane, guiding the actions of countless people who were watching closely. If he wanted to elevate Yan Su, Yan Su would quickly become the rising star of the military, achieving the most merit and rising through the ranks faster than anyone else. But if he intended to suppress him, no matter how much military merit Yan Su earned, it would be erased.

“I agree.” Yan Su nodded calmly. “But can I ask why? After all, General Yue has earned great merits under Prince Qin and is highly regarded in Yin City, respected by the people. What compels you to go against Prince Qin now?”

Yan Su’s pointed question made Yue Xiangyang’s face darken. His bronzed face turned pale and green like a mix of colors on a palette. He tilted his head back and gulped down two large bowls of strong liquor. The undisguised ambition in his eyes startled Yan Su.

“My greatest dream in life has always been to become a marquis and general. When I was young, I admired Prince Qin as a true man, thinking it would be easy for him to storm the capital and seize the throne from that dog of an emperor. Who would have thought he’d turn out to be a coward? All these years, he’s been content to stay in Yin City, enjoying a peaceful life and completely forgetting the grand ambitions we had when we first rebelled. I’m not even forty yet. I want to take my chance while I still have the strength to fight. Twenty years ago, I misjudged Prince Qin. I hope today I haven’t misjudged you—”

In the capital, a distant cousin of the Zou family named Zou Hua, now known as Kuai Ninghua, had quietly moved into the Marquis Yongxin’s household.

Kuai Ninghua couldn’t believe how smoothly her plan to get close to Wen Gaozhe had unfolded since her rebirth.

She had prepared herself for how she would gradually win Wen Gaozhe’s favor after getting to know him and marry him before Feng Zixuan had the chance.

But on the second day after meeting him, Wen Gaozhe had already arranged for her to move into the Marquis Yongxin’s household.

What a stroke of luck!

Since changing her identity, Kuai Ninghua had been spending her days by the side of Zou Shi, relieving her boredom and chatting with her as a distant younger relative. Zou Shi appeared kind and gentle, entrusting the household affairs to her stewards while spending her mornings and evenings devoted to prayer in the small Buddhist hall, with the scent of incense clinging to her clothes.

After copying a few Buddhist scriptures alongside Zou Shi, Kuai Ninghua was full of admiration.

Such a devout woman—it was no wonder she had raised such an outstanding grandson like Wen Gaozhe.

This reminded her of her own mother, Guo Shi, who, despite her age, was still embroiled in vicious battles with the concubines in the back courtyard, lacking the dignity and grace expected of the Princess of Prince Qin.

In her previous life, in her efforts to help her brother ascend to the throne, Kuai Ninghua had even instigated the poisoning of her own father, Kuai Heyu.

Her ruthlessness was unmatched by most women in the world.

Kuai Ninghua, deeply immersed in the beautiful illusion created by Zou Shi and Wen Gaozhe, overlooked one crucial point. In her past life, if jealousy and ambition had not clouded her judgment, leading her to constantly urge Kuai Heyu to attack the capital, and if she had not been humiliated by her father’s refusal and mocked by her half-sisters—thus angrily suggesting to Guo Shi to poison her father—the downfall of the forces in Yin City might not have happened so quickly.

With Kuai Heyu as the main pillar, the Prince Qin’s household could have likely stood strong for at least another twenty years.

“Hua’er, has your stay in the household been comfortable? If you feel unwell due to the water or climate, make sure to tell either your aunt or Nanny Song. If you’re uncomfortable speaking directly, you can always mention it privately to Gaozhe.”

On a scorching summer day, Kuai Ninghua, wearing a new dress specially tailored for her by Zou Shi, had just stepped into the small Buddhist hall when she heard Zou Shi’s teasing voice.

Her cheeks flushed red as she instinctively touched the blood-red amber earrings that hung from her ears.

She recalled how the man with handsome brows had personally put them on her the previous night, his thin lips moving slightly as he murmured softly, filling her heart with sweet memories.

The man who, in her previous life, had looked down on the world as if everyone was beneath him, was now hers.

The more Kuai Ninghua thought about it, the more excited she became. She handed the bird’s nest soup she had prepared herself to Zou Shi, her eyes radiating the joy of someone nourished by love. “Aunt, please don’t tease Hua’er. From now on, Hua’er wishes to serve you every day, praying to Buddha for both you and the marquis.”

Zou Shi smiled, though the warmth didn’t quite reach her eyes. She took the bird’s nest but didn’t taste it, continuing to tease her, “Praying only for your aunt and the marquis?”

Kuai Ninghua bit her lower lip, her cheeks glowing so red it seemed as if they were about to drip blood. She gently nudged Zou Shi, playfully whining, “Aunt, you’re bullying me—”

That evening, when Wen Gaozhe returned from the palace, still wearing his court attire from attending to the emperor, Zou Shi had him summoned.

“How long do you intend to string that girl along? Gaozhe, your grandmother is tired and doesn’t have the energy to play this charade of motherly affection anymore.”

Wen Gaozhe stood expressionless before Zou Shi, catching the scent of incense wafting from the inner room. The same smell had filled his grandmother’s chambers since he was a child. It was said to be for praying for his father, Wen Xu, to ward off disasters. Despite smelling it for over ten years, he still hadn’t gotten used to it and often felt nauseous.

He knew his grandmother wasn’t truly too weary to continue the facade with Kuai Ninghua—she simply wanted to know when he would marry Feng Zixuan.

After all, he wasn’t getting any younger, and it was about time he took a wife of noble birth and fathered a legitimate heir.

“Grandmother, rest assured, I’ve arranged everything. Miss Feng has a favorable impression of me. If things go well, we should be married by the end of the year. As for that other one—” He paused, a flash of disgust crossing his face. “You can keep playing along with her for now and see if we can get any useful information.”

From the day Kuai Ninghua entered the marquis’ household, Zou Shi had hoped to extract some critical intelligence about Prince Qin’s household to help her grandson.

However, since Kuai Ninghua had only recently been reborn, her memories of this time regarding Prince Qin’s household were vague and disorganized, and she often spoke incoherently.

All she knew was that a new young master named Wen Kai had arrived at Prince Qin’s household and was highly favored. Wen Kai was actually an illegitimate son of their own Marquis Yongxin’s household.

Zou Shi could never have imagined that Wen Kai and Prince Qin were distantly related.

She simply thought this illegitimate son must have great connections, able to travel such a long distance to seek refuge with Prince Qin in Yin City. Clearly, he was formidable.

He had to be eliminated.

There was no need to consult Wen Gaozhe about matters of the inner courtyard, so Zou Shi immediately sent marquis household guards to Yin City, hoping to take that illegitimate child’s life.

Aside from Wen Kai, Zou Shi’s main focus was Wen Gaozhe’s marriage. She knew her grandson was calculating. If he said he could marry Feng Zixuan by the end of the year, there would be no problem.

Her face relaxed into a relieved smile as she clasped her hands together and bowed in prayer. “Once you marry and have children, I will have fulfilled my duty to your father.”

Wen Gaozhe’s father, Wen Xu, was the only legitimate son of Zou Shi and Marquis Yongxin after years of marriage, a person she had cherished. She had invested so much effort into him.

Wen Xu’s death had dealt a heavy blow to Zou Shi. For more than a decade, she had continuously spoken in Wen Gaozhe’s ear about how his father was “this and that,” to the point where Wen Gaozhe’s ears had grown calloused, and he had developed a sense of aversion to the father he had never met.

But he never showed it.

“Grandmother, I have important documents to review. I’ll head to the study now.”

Since cooperating with Yue Xiangyang, Yan Su had received many benefits from him. The general, who held significant power in the military, had even sent specially trained death warriors to protect Yan Su.

At night, Yan Su was a light sleeper, and almost immediately after someone broke into the tent, he was aware.

“Who sent you to kill me?”

With a long sword at the assassin’s throat, Yan Su, lazily draped in a dark cyan robe, appeared to be a mismatch between his young face and his skilled handling of the assassin. However, the calmness in his eyes revealed that he was far from ordinary.

Yan Su believed he had kept a low profile since arriving in this world, never actively making enemies. But the truth was, quite a few people wanted him dead, and many of them held significant status.

Zou Shi, Guo Shi…

It was even possible that Kuai Heyu had joined the list by now.

Guo Shi was currently confined in Prince Qin’s household to recuperate from her injuries, so Kuai Heyu wouldn’t resort to such crude methods. By process of elimination, Yan Su deduced that the mastermind behind the assassin must be Zou Shi.

“The Marquis of Yongxin’s wife…”

As soon as he uttered those words, the assassin’s previously lifeless eyes widened in shock.

That was all he needed—no more doubts, it was Zou Shi.