She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 79: Late Night, Escorting Mr. Yan Home

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Late Night, Escorting Mr. Yan Home

With the Thousand-Year Ginseng at hand, Yan Wanqing felt much more at ease, and the warmth from the room’s stove made her drowsy.

Sun Qinglian then hurried her to rest in a side room.

Yan Wanqing was not stubborn. Being pregnant, she was already exhausted. As soon as she lay down on the bed, she fell asleep at once.

Meanwhile, at the other side, late in the night, Yan An found his way to Prince Seven’s mansion.

When the servants reported his arrival, Xiao Hongshen was still in the dark prison, with a whip in his hand, lashing so fiercely that the flesh on the ground burst open. It was only when the trembling servant called out to him that he reluctantly threw the whip aside and straightened the messy hair at his temples with both hands.

He washed his hands slowly. "Are you saying Yan An has come knocking again?"

"To report to Your Highness, he is still waiting outside the door at this moment."

Xiao Hongshen pondered for a while. A visit in the dead of night must certainly mean that he brought something to curry favor with him.

"Have someone prepare for me to bathe and change."

The servant hesitated. "Won’t you see Mr. Yan?"

Xiao Hongshen curled his lips into a chilling smile. "No hurry, let him wait."

In the freezing cold, Yan An waited outside for a full hour before the tightly closed gates finally opened slightly.

Yan An’s face was numb with cold, incapable of squeezing out even a trace of a smile.

The act of having a high-ranking official wait outside for an hour truly chilled one’s heart, but the events of this evening left him no choice but to abandon the Crown Prince’s side. Prince Seven was his only way out.

With this thought, Yan An forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart and asked, "Does Your Highness have time to see me now?"

The doorman revealed a gentle smile. "You have been kept waiting for a long time, sir. Please come in, His Highness is currently waiting for you in the study."

Hearing that Prince Seven was willing to see him, Yan An quickly checked his appearance and, ensuring everything was in order, followed the doorman inside.

He had thought the study would be slightly warmer, but unexpectedly, Xiao Hongshen’s study was as cold and icy as the outside.

In the dead of winter, the fact that not even a basin of charcoal fire was lit truly made Yan An’s suffering indescribable.

Xiao Hongshen, having just bathed, was quite warm, and as someone accustomed to training, he was naturally more resistant to the cold. So at that moment, he was sitting at his desk, reading a book.

Seeing Yan An stamping his feet in front of him, he slightly furrowed his brows. "What’s the matter, Mr. Yan?"

Yan An gave an embarrassed chuckle. "I left home in a hurry, and after waiting outside for a long time, I’ve gotten somewhat cold."

Xiao Hongshen looked up coldly, then shouted to the servants outside. "Bring in a basin of charcoal fire."

With the charcoal fire brought in, the temperature in the room quickly rose, and Yan An gradually recovered.

Xiao Hongshen was in no hurry and did not even ask what his purpose was, which made Yan An, who wanted to feign ignorance, feel uneasily nervous.

The Crown Prince, Xiao Pingfeng, was not an easy person, and neither was Prince Seven, Xiao Hongshen.

Members of the Imperial Family were always ruthless and prioritized interests; Xiao Hongshen was unlikely to care much about Yan Wanqing.

With that thought, Yan An went straight to telling him everything that had happened that night.

When Xiao Hongshen heard that the Crown Prince had an elite Hidden Guard at his disposal, a dark look flashed in his eyes, but what concerned him most was not that.

"Are you saying that the Crown Prince went to Township Manor tonight because of Yan Wanqing?"

Xiao Hongshen recalled the undercurrents between them back at Southern Mountain, and his heart immediately felt uneasy.

"But isn’t she intending to marry the Young Marquis from the Northern Border?"

Yan An sighed deeply, a look of deep secrecy on his face. "I have something to say, but I’m not sure if I should say it."

"Speak."

"Then, please forgive this official’s innocence first," Yan An said as he bowed.

Xiao Hongshen saw that he was too verbose and lost half his patience, his eyes showing impatience: "Go on."

It was only then that Yan An slowly continued, "This official’s niece has been raised in a military camp since childhood, her personality like that of a boy. Over time, lacking distinction between male and female, she became unaware of the proper distance between men and women. When the Young Marquis from the Northern Border stayed at our residence for a few days, she decided that she would marry no other but him. It’s quite embarrassing to speak of this matter. As for the Crown Prince, he must have been momentarily deceived by her, hence the scene tonight..."

"Shut up!" Xiao Hongshen directly threw the inkstone from the table to the ground.

The inkstone bounced off the ground and struck Yan An’s foot, causing him to gasp in pain.

But he ignored the pain and quickly bowed deeply, not daring to speak anymore.

Xiao Hongshen stared coldly at Yan An, silent for a long time before finally letting out a cold snort.

"What are you to dare slander your master with these accusations?" Xiao Hongshen’s eyes were bloodshot. He rested one foot on the cushion, appearing utterly languid, yet the words that came out were like vines from hell, extending endlessly, thorns reaching straight for Yan An.

He said, "I thought you had some delightful news that would please this palace, but it turned out to be nothing but your conjectures, a complete waste of a cup of tea’s time."

Realizing he was about to be dismissed, Yan An no longer cared about his official title and knelt directly on the ground: "Your Highness! The court today is clearly divided. Your Highness intends to compete for the world, and this official wishes to dedicate his service like that of a loyal dog or horse!"

"You?" Xiao Hongshen sounded as if he had just heard a hilarious joke.

Yan An’s face turned pale, the Seventh Prince was his only reliance now: "As long as Your Highness commands, this official shall spare no effort!"

Xiao Hongshen pondered for a while: "The official position you hold comes from your elder brother, the Marquis of the Township, and his military exploits. You have been an official for so many years, were demoted, and barely managed to return to the Capital City. You are just a fallen household; what qualifies you to speak of serving this palace?"

Thunder roared in Yan An’s mind, his expression tense: "There must be something, anything Your Highness desires, this official can surely accomplish it!"

"Really?" Xiao Hongshen narrowed his eyes, resembling a python lurking in the darkness.

Yan An nervously swallowed: "Truly, as long as Your Highness commands!"

"Then this palace shall think it over well," Xiao Hongshen spoke deliberately, "Currently, Yan Wanqing’s refusal to marry me yet turning to marry the Young Marquis from the Northern Border indeed makes me quite uncomfortable..."

"Your Highness doesn’t wish for Yan Wanqing to marry anyone?"

"Who can stop a woman from marrying? That is not a polite thing to do," Xiao Hongshen smiled, "it’s just that I simply find the Young Marquis from the Northern Border unpleasant."

Yan An’s eyes darted around: "This official understands Your Highness’s meaning."

"Then I shall trouble Lord Yan," Xiao Hongshen waved to the servants outside: "It’s late. Send Lord Yan home."

When Yan An stepped out, the cold wind blew and he realized he was drenched all over.

Xiao Hongshen obviously wanted Yan Wanqing boldly; now, he’s not even sparing the Young Marquis from the Northern Border.

But it makes sense.

A marriage involves two people, the bride and groom. If there’s a problem with one, the marriage is nullified.

It was only normal for Xiao Hongshen to target the Young Marquis from the Northern Border.

What Yan An didn’t understand was why the Seventh Prince didn’t mention the Crown Prince’s appearance tonight at all.

What he didn’t know was that after he had left, Xiao Hongshen called for Mo Shan.

"Go, find out the Ghost Face forces behind him."

Xiao Pingfeng had never revealed this force, and Xiao Hongshen firmly believed it to be his trump card as Crown Prince.

Since he aspired to ascend, he couldn’t miss any opportunity to overthrow Xiao Pingfeng.

Mo Shan quickly accepted the order and left, while Xiao Hongshen blew out the lamp in the study and headed to his bedroom. The candlelight held by the maid flickered, casting shadows brightly and dimly. Dressed all in white with black hair, he had an indescribable air of forlornness about him.