newbobooks Chapter 256
Chapter 256
Nalan Jingwen didn't understand Nalan Yin's sudden change of heart, but since he had said so, she didn't dwell on it and repeated the question she had just asked.
Do you know Nangong Yu'an?
Nalan Yin propped his head up with one hand, his posture like a lazy kitten. From the slight upturn of his lips, it was clear that he was in a good mood.
"I know. The current ruler of Qi Lin is a princess who appeared out of nowhere."
"This Nangong Yu'an might really be the late emperor's daughter."
He paused, hooked Nalan Jingwen's little finger, and continued, "Back then, the late Emperor Qi Lin did indeed go north, supposedly to visit incognito and observe the people's conditions, but in reality, she went to visit an old friend."
"To say they are old friends is not entirely true. They are too conservative. They are just the white moonlight that I longed for but could not have in my youth."
As he said this, he suddenly looked up at Nalan Jingwen and said, "Speaking of which, does Your Highness also have a white moonlight in your heart? But that one is currently in Your Highness's residence, so you are much luckier than Qi Lin."
As Nalan Yin spoke, he suddenly leaned forward, and the two were so close that Nalan Jingwen could even see the fine hairs on his smooth skin.
"If Yin'er and the woman from the Imperial Sister's residence both fell into the river, who would the Imperial Sister save first?"
His eyebrows curved into a smile, as if he were just asking casually, but a serious glint shone in his eyes.
Nalan Jingwen frowned, really not wanting to answer such an old and meaningless question, and pushed him away a little, "Now is not the time to talk about these things."
Nalan Yin shrugged and sat back down in his seat. This time he was much more well-behaved and didn't make any other moves.
"He is said to be the white moonlight, but he is actually the son of a disgraced official, named Xiao Li."
The surname is Xiao? Nalan Jingwen thought carefully. There are no officials in Qilin with the surname Xiao nowadays. However, about thirty years ago, there was a prime minister named Xiao, who was a veteran of three reigns and held great power. He was truly second only to the emperor and above all others. However, in the end, he was executed along with his entire family for treason.
Seeing Nalan Jingwen looking over, Nalan Yin nodded.
"Back when she was still a princess, she fell in love with Xiao Li at first sight. However, Xiao Li was already engaged to the eldest princess. Given the status of the Xiao family at that time, if any princess married Xiao Li, the situation would be basically settled and there would be no possibility of change."
"It's just a pity that the Xiao family ended up like this."
Nalan Jingwen remained silent for a moment, then said, "So the Xiao clan didn't all die out back then, and Xiao Li survived because he was saved by the late emperor?"
Although it is a question, it is basically certain that only the late emperor had the ability to take people away without anyone noticing, and he hid them for so many years after ascending the throne.
Nalan Yin did not answer, but instead inserted her hand between Nalan Jingwen's fingers, interlocking them tightly, a look of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.
"Why don't you guess, Your Highness, the Xiao family had already reached that position, and they could have controlled the entire Qilin as soon as Xiao Li married the eldest princess? So why were they found to be traitors at that time? And who orchestrated this scheme?"
Nalan Jingwen glanced at him, then placed his other hand on the back of Nalan's hand, using his own body heat to warm Nalan's cold hand.
"The Xiao family did nothing wrong. Their only mistake was that they had too much power. And who was most afraid of that? Naturally, it was the person above them. At that time, the late emperor was just a little princess. Naturally, she could not have had the power to overthrow a century-old family."
"The eldest princess was born to Consort Xiao, who was a son of a collateral branch of the Xiao family. After entering the palace, she received continuous favor and soon became pregnant with the eldest princess. After Xiao Li was born, she entered into a marriage contract with the eldest princess, which strengthened their kinship and added to their power."
What emperors fear most is power not being in their own hands, having their achievements overshadow their own, or having their maternal relatives seize power. The Xiao family had it all.
The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. The one who most wants to get rid of the Xiao family is none other than the one above them.
At that time, the late emperor was an inconspicuous little princess. No one paid much attention to her. Everyone assumed that she was not destined for that position. As long as she kept a low profile, it would not be easy for her to be discovered. She also fell in love with Xiao Li at first sight, so she was the most suitable person to cooperate with him.
Back then, the Fourth Princess and the First Princess were the most at odds, and the blame naturally fell on the Fourth Princess. However, in the end, the siblings turned against each other, and the Fourth Princess lost and did not sit on that throne. No one expected that the most inconspicuous princess would become the final winner.
With the Xiao family gone, the eldest princess's wish was naturally dashed. Getting rid of the eldest princess would make it much easier to bring down the others.
"Some say that the late emperor got the throne by chance, while others say that he bided his time and single-handedly brought down the Xiao family and all his competitors. But they overlooked the fact that without the help of the person behind him, the Xiao family would have been too powerful to have achieved such a feat with the late emperor's abilities alone."
Regardless of the circumstances, the downfall of the Xiao family is a fact, and the late emperor's ascension to that position is also a fact.
The blame for the Xiao family's actions was pinned on the fourth princess. The late emperor naturally won the heart of the beauty and kept her hidden for so long. Without anyone knowing, she even had a daughter and left the imperial seal to the daughter of the son of a disgraced official.
If that person finds out, they'll probably jump out of their tomb.
Upon realizing something, Nalan Jing asked again, "Where is Xiao Li now?"
If we can find Xiao Li, we might be able to use her to blackmail Nangong Yu'an.
Nalan Yin's attention was mostly focused on her hands. When she heard Nalan Jingwen's question, she guessed what Nalan Jingwen was thinking and said indifferently, "It's too late."
Nalan Jingwen frowned. "What do you mean?"
Xiao Li is dead.
Nalan Jingwen's heart skipped a beat, his face darkened, and he looked at him without saying a word.
This was something she had not expected.
"Upon receiving news of the internal strife in Qilin, Yin'er immediately sent people to investigate Nangong Yu'an's background. Following the clues, they found Xiao Li's residence, but upon arriving there, they only found Xiao Li's corpse."
"As for who killed him, it hasn't been found yet. The perpetrator left no clues; it's very mysterious."
What Nalan Yin didn't say was that their investigations always ended halfway through, just like when they investigated the traitors in the building. They still haven't found out the truth. The Red Passion Pavilion's influence extends across the four kingdoms, and all the dirty deals within those kingdoms are conducted right under their noses. There's nothing they don't know, but this is the first time they've encountered such a situation.
Nalan Jingwen stared at him with a deep gaze, without saying a word.
Nalan Yin didn't hear her voice, so he looked up and met her dark eyes. He was stunned for a moment, and the nonchalant expression on his face disappeared.
"Could it be that my elder sister suspects that Yin'er is lying?"