The candle flames flickered.
The cold wind rushed in through the half - opened door.
The charcoal in the stove beside crackled. Li Wanming listened intently and didn't feel cold at all.
Xiao Jingnan's voice murmured again:
"My three elder brothers died on the battlefield. My own marriage has been unlucky. It seems that the Xiao family is at risk of having no heirs. Although the Empress Dowager pretends to pity us, in fact, she is secretly happy about it."
"If the Xiao clan is exterminated, the Emperor will lose his greatest supporter. For the Empress Dowager, it's a sure - win deal."
"Against this background, and because my father has kept a low profile and stayed away from the court for these years, the Empress Dowager has shifted her attention from our Xiao family and no longer regards us as a serious threat."
"But then, you appeared..." Li Wanming lowered her head.
Xiao Jingnan said, "Yes, you appeared."
"Your appearance meant that I didn't have to spend my life alone, and that there was still hope for the Xiao family to have descendants. Your appearance became the turning point in all this."
"But... I don't understand..."
Li Wanming felt that she seemed to understand a bit, but her mind was still in a fog, and it was as if she understood nothing.
Could a little woman like her have such a great impact?
"Of course, it's not just because of you."
Xiao Jingnan paused, frowned slightly, as if thinking about how to explain it to her. "Do you still remember Lü Songyuan?"
"Yes, I do."
Li Wanming said, "The first time I met her, she tried to intimidate me."
The first time Li Wanming met Lü Songyuan was at Princess Chengping's flower - viewing banquet. At that time, Lü Songyuan inexplicably forced her to play the zither in an attempt to make her look bad.
Xiao Jingnan said, "Her targeting you at that time had nothing to do with the Li family. The former Prefect of the Capital, Cui Yanzhi, was a subordinate of Grand Tutor Lü. Your pounding on the Drum of Grievance was so earth - shattering that they had no choice but to sacrifice a pawn to save the general and remove Cui Yanzhi from his post."
"So that's how it is!" Li Wanming suddenly realized.
But then another thought popped into her mind. "No wonder Father - in - law let me go and pound the Drum of Grievance without hesitation. He must have known that I wouldn't be in danger..."
Xiao Jingnan was a bit taken aback and coughed lightly. "My father was restricted by his status at that time and it was not convenient for him to directly rescue you... He didn't deliberately encourage you..."
"Rescue me?"
Li Wanming looked up at him sideways. "Wasn't it you who was arrested and thrown into the prison by the Capital Prefecture at that time?"
She picked up a cup of tea on the table and gently scraped the rim of the cup with the lid. "You guys made a big mess. One official didn't recognize the other, and in the end, you made me go and pound the Drum of Grievance..."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Xiao Jingnan quickly said, "Fortunately, Miss Li is so righteous, brave, and resourceful that you were able to bring down that corrupt official, Cui Yanzhi, and rescue me."
Saying this, he bowed deeply, almost bending at a ninety - degree angle, showing his utmost sincerity.
Li Wanming snorted and turned her head away.
Xiao Jingnan knew that after hearing these things, it was inevitable that she would recall all the deceptions she had suffered in the past two years and would be angry. It was only right for him to be scolded by her. So he could only smile apologetically and continue.
"Speaking of the Lü and Fang families... Grand Tutor Lü and Prime Minister Fang are both the right - hand men of the Empress Dowager."
"However, they have always had different political views. Over the years, they have often had conflicts in the court. They just pretend to get along well on the surface."
"The Empress Dowager Kang didn't stop this."
"Because for her, only when the court officials check and balance each other can her position be stable. Under the Empress Dowager Kang's imperial strategy, the rift between Grand Tutor Lü and Prime Minister Fang has become deeper and deeper..."
"Ah, I understand!" Li Wanming exclaimed. "So the reason why Fang Zhi and Lü Songyuan always quarrel when they meet is actually because of the conflict between the Fang and Lü families!"
She smacked her lips and said, "No wonder they fight like mortal enemies. I've never seen the elders in their families say a word. It turns out that this is actually默许 by Grand Tutor Lü and Prime Minister Fang..."
Xiao Jingnan smiled. "You're right. The conflict between Fang Zhi and Lü Songyuan is essentially the conflict between the Fang and Lü families. If things had continued like this, Prime Minister Fang and Grand Tutor Lü would have become irreconcilable sooner or later..."
If?
That meant something had changed later.
Li Wanming perked up and unconsciously sat up straight.
She was really interested in the gossip about Fang Zhi and Lü Songyuan!
Xiao Jingnan didn't notice her thoughts. He continued to lower his eyes and follow his own train of thought.
"The Empress Dowager Kang prides herself on being good at power - playing and has the whole court officials under her thumb. But she forgot one thing. No matter how weak the Emperor is, he will eventually grow up, and no matter how powerful the Empress Dowager is, she will eventually grow old."
"As the Emperor grows older day by day, the people in the court will naturally start to have different thoughts. Especially old foxes like Grand Tutor Lü and Prime Minister Fang who have been in the court for many years. They won't put all their eggs in one basket."
"As the Emperor gets older, they also begin to understand that they need to leave a way out for themselves..."
Xiao Jingnan turned his face, his eyes full of meaning. "At this time, your academy emerged out of nowhere and became the best arena for them."
Li Wanming stared wide - eyed and murmured, "No wonder Lü Songyuan and Fang Zhi were so determined to come to my academy as students... It turns out that behind this, Grand Tutor Lü and Prime Minister Fang wanted to use Zhaoyu Academy to test the Empress Dowager..."
"You're right, but not entirely." Xiao Jingnan shook his head. "Speaking of which, General Feng is also involved in this."
General Feng...
General Feng Yuanji, the Protector of the State?
Was he involved in this too?
Li Wanming thought to herself: Sure enough, you noble families are all in one circle!
As he was speaking, Xiao Jingnan suddenly hesitated. "Do you still remember General Feng's banquet?"
Li Wanming nodded.
Of course she remembered!
At that banquet, her father, Li Rusong, was seated in the honored position, and General Liang Xiong of the Cloud - Banner Army even became sworn brothers with her!
Now that she thought about it, it should be because they knew her identity and were giving Prince Ning face.
"Yes... they knew, but not completely..." Xiao Jingnan frowned, thinking about how to explain the relationship to Li Wanming clearly.
"General Feng Yuanji, the Protector of the State... My father and uncle both served under him. Speaking of which, our families are old friends. Sixty percent of the generals and commanders in the Great Sheng Dynasty come from our families."
"So for the military men in the Great Sheng Dynasty, especially the high - ranking generals, I'm one of their own. They all hope that I can get married and have children to continue the Xiao family line."
"But they also know that the current court situation is complex, and the Empress Dowager Kang doesn't want to see the Xiao family have a promising heir."
"So General Feng gave a strict order that no one was allowed to reveal my identity in front of you. Moreover, they must keep our affairs a secret and not let out the slightest hint."