"No need!"
"I will not marry into Da Li!"
Nan Yuan'er's words were firm. Her father had already promised that no matter what, he would never let her leave Lin Yuan to marry into the Da Li imperial family.
She believed him!
Hui'an smiled, "Miss Nan, are you so certain? So certain that you leave yourself no room for retreat?"
"Retreat?"
If she married into Da Li, what retreat would she have?
Hui'an said, "Yes, retreat!"
"If, in the end, Miss Nan truly has to marry into Da Li, have you considered how you will establish yourself in Da Li? How can you stand firm and win the heart of my imperial brother, how can you grasp the reins of the prince's mansion's inner affairs?"
"You haven't thought about it?"
"Are you perhaps placing all your hopes on your father being able to stop all this?"
"Or hoping that His Majesty will change his mind, keep you in Lin Yuan, and marry you as Empress?"
"Miss Nan, are you truly so naive?"
Nan Yuan'er was rendered speechless by Hui'an's questions. She hadn't thought about these things before, nor did she want to or dare to. She was like a tortoise withdrawing into its shell, believing that as long as she didn't think about it, that day would never come.
She firmly believed that her father would keep her in the capital, and she would become the Empress of Lin Yuan.
But Hui'an's words were like a hand tearing everything apart, shattering her shell and forcing her to think and face reality.
But one thing Hui'an said was right: she shouldn't place her hopes on others. If things were beyond her control, then she should properly consider how to transition from being the Empress of Lin Yuan to the Empress of Da Li.
...
Madam Wang heard that Nan Yuan'er and Hui'an had gone out together.
"What is she trying to do?" Madam Wang frowned, not understanding why Hui'an was stepping on Madam Liu while also associating with Nan Yuan'er. She said she was visiting, and now they were traveling together, appearing like close confidantes.
Could it be simply because Nan Yuan'er was about to become her sister-in-law?
Nan Yujin heard that Hui'an had come to the mansion and his mother had said many things. Now, hearing about this matter, he had no other thoughts. Nan Yuan'er was inextricably linked to the scheme that had framed him. That day, Hui'an had wished she could devour him and Nan Yuan'er alive. How could she truly abandon the past and reconcile with her now? Just wait and see, that person would definitely not let her off easily.
...
The carriage drove towards Yunlan Street.
Inside the carriage, Nan Yuan'er looked at Hui'an, "Tell me, how do you want to cooperate?"
Although Nan Yuan'er didn't understand why Hui'an insisted on leaving the Nan mansion to discuss cooperation, she didn't probe further.
Hui'an smiled, thinking to herself how impatient this Nan Yuan'er was. A person like this actually dared to oppose Nan Shiying? It was like the gate of hell opening on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, sleeping during the day and wandering at night – rushing to hell!
However, thinking of the content of the letter, Hui'an hid the cold smile in her eyes and said to her, "You help me establish myself in Lin Yuan, and I will use the people I have left in Da Li to help you secure the position of Prince Consort."
"Why should I believe you?" Nan Yuan'er asked.
"Do you have any other choice?" Hui'an tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes, shimmering with a captivating light, looked at Nan Yuan'er with a half-smile. She had asked another foolish question.
Nan Yuan'er hated Hui'an's calculated demeanor, her arrogant posture, and the contempt and disdain in her words.
It seemed that everything had changed since that damned Nan Shiying had married into the royal mansion in her place.
Thinking of Nan Shiying, an irrepressible hatred flashed in Nan Yuan'er's eyes. She regretted more than once why she hadn't gotten rid of that damned jinx Nan Shiying sooner.
"I want you to do something for me. If you succeed, I will do my utmost to help you control the Nan mansion."
"What is it?"
"Kill Nan Shiying!"
"Huh?"
Hui'an laughed, throwing her head back and laughing until her abdomen cramped and tears streamed from her eyes.
"Not enough!" Hui'an laughed for a long time. Nan Yuan'er's expression grew more and more grim. She stared at Hui'an with eyes as sinister as a venomous snake, her hands clenched into fists beneath her wide sleeves. She didn't loosen them even as her fingernails dug into her palms, drawing blood. Hui'an gradually stopped laughing. Killing Nan Shiying was merely to gain control of the Nan mansion? Not enough. What Nan Yuan'er offered was not enough!
Not enough meant there was room for negotiation. Nan Yuan'er suppressed the anger in her heart and asked with a cold face, "What else do you want?"
"What else can you give me?" Hui'an retorted.
Nan Yuan'er was silent. What else could she give? Apart from the management of the Nan mansion's inner courtyard, she had nothing else to offer.
This Nan Yuan'er was truly a useless person with a heart as high as the heavens and a fate as thin as paper. Hui'an had initially thought that if she could squeeze something out of this situation, it would be good, but who knew that Nan Yuan'er was truly useless. Apart from the Nan mansion, she had no bargaining chip worth mentioning. And the Nan mansion was merely the authority over the inner courtyard's affairs. To speak of controlling the Nan mansion without fear of their tongues being too big for their mouths!
Hui'an shrugged and said, "You see, you can't afford the price, you can't pay the money."
The carriage continued towards the Jinxiang jewelry shop. The wheels rumbled on the ground, and the horses pulled the carriage at a walking pace. The shouts, laughter, and scolding from the street entered the carriage, creating a jumbled noise that was irritating.
Seeing Nan Yuan'er remain silent, Hui'an spoke, "Miss Nan, let's change the request, otherwise, this cooperation is off."
She had come to discuss cooperation, not to court death. The current Emperor harbored deep hatred for the Regent. As the Prince's weakness, Nan Shiying, the Princess Consort, was already considered a thorn in his side. However, despite this, to this day, neither the Emperor nor the court officials dared to harm Nan Shiying a single hair under Ji Jinmo's watch. Nan Yuan'er's request made Hui'an wonder if she truly thought highly of her or was trying to fool an idiot!
Nan Yuan'er's expression changed again and again. She was unwilling to watch Nan Shiying, that piece of trash who should have been trampled under her feet, continue to flaunt her power above her. But now, if she could not become the Empress of Lin Yuan, then every day she remained in Lin Yuan was a humiliation that repeatedly threw her dignity and pride on the ground and ground them with force.
She took a deep breath, calming the hatred and unwillingness that filled her heart. Her expression returned to its usual composure. "I apologize, I lost my composure."
She curtsied lightly to Hui'an. Her pure white dress, paired with a fire-red cloak embroidered with silver thread, brought a touch of seductive charm to her beautiful face. And her slightly lowered gaze as she apologized gave her an indescribable sense of fragility.
Setting aside other things, although Nan Yuan'er loved to put on airs and thought herself too clever, her ability to hold the position of the foremost noble lady in the capital of Lin Yuan for so long was somewhat due to this face.
For some reason, Hui'an thought of Nan Shiying again.
She thought for a long time but couldn't figure out why the people of Lin Yuan believed so much in fortune-telling that they pushed this person onto a pedestal, ignoring Nan Shiying's face that could bring ruin to the nation.
The people of Lin Yuan were all blind!