Chapter 34: Into a Political Intrigue Novel, Day 12

Chapter 34: Day Twelve into a Political Intrigue Novel

A few days passed. Wang Xian's residence was completely ransacked and emptied, the once-luxurious estate now utterly desolate.

Since Lady Li followed the "advice" of An Yi's men, An Yi also kept his promise.

Lady Li's one son and two daughters were ultimately spared. Although they were exiled far away to a remote, impoverished land, never to set foot in the capital again, they at least escaped this den of intrigue alive.

Though this matter was kept secret, in this arena of power, there are no real secrets.

By keeping his promise and protecting the innocent children, An Yi sensed his men drawing closer to him, while Duan Mingde's methods left a rift in their hearts.

An Yi observed the ripples among his men with unruffled calm, smiling silently.

Deep within the palace, the Old Emperor flew into a rage upon hearing that Wang Xian had died abruptly, the evidence was ironclad, but the Duan faction had blocked further investigation into the mastermind, throwing a massive fit.

He grew even more wary of the Chief Grand Secretary's faction. At court, An Yi also bore the brunt of his wrath.

Fortunately, it didn't matter much. The Old Emperor... wouldn't live more than two years.

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Since parting ways that night outside the Imperial Secretariat, Ge Lian had fallen into an unprecedented state of agitation and confusion.

At court, he still clashed fiercely with Duan Mingde's faction, his words biting and relentless.

Yet whenever his gaze brushed across An Yi's crimson official robe, that tall, refined figure, Ge Lian's thoughts would uncontrollably churn.

At first, he attributed it to wariness and vigilance towards An Yi's deep scheming and ruthless methods.

After all, being able to so precisely use others as a knife to kill, to conjure storms, and even turn him into a pawn on the chessboard—such a man demanded his utmost caution.

However, it seemed to be more than that.

During the morning court, when the Old Emperor again vented his anger on An Yi over trivial matters, lashing out at him harshly in public, Ge Lian found himself subconsciously clenching his fist, an inexplicable rage surging in his chest.

He even almost couldn't stop himself from talking back to the senile old emperor—this was completely contrary to his usual stance of hostility towards An Yi!

What shocked him even more was that when An Yi lowered his eyes and brow, calmly bearing the emperor's wrath, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes, yet his lips still maintaining that impeccable, gentle curve, Ge Lian's heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

In that moment, he did not feel the satisfaction of seeing his rival suffer, but rather... a feeling akin to pity? Like watching a flawless piece of jade being ground down by coarse sand.

Him? Pitying An Yi?

He really had gone mad!

This absurd feeling immediately set off warning bells in his head!

After court, he deliberately avoided the route An Yi might take, but at a corner of the palace wall, he spotted An Yi from a distance, talking quietly with the Vice Minister of Revenue.

Sunlight outlined An Yi's slender profile. He tilted his head slightly, listening intently, a faint but genuine smile on his lips—a stark contrast to the warm yet distant mask he wore at court.

Ge Lian's steps involuntarily stopped, as if rooted to the spot, his gaze avidly capturing that rare, unguarded moment of gentleness.

Until An Yi seemed to sense something, his gaze drifting vaguely in his direction, Ge Lian snapped back to reality. He turned away flustered, almost fleeing.

Back at his residence, Ge Lian locked himself in his study.

He tried to attend to military matters, but An Yi's image kept flashing before his eyes: the calm forbearance at court, the cold detachment outside the Imperial Secretariat, the soft look as he tilted his head listening in the sunlight...

And also, that fleeting glimpse of restrained anger with a blush at the palace gate, and that bewitching phrase: "Could it be that you have a crush on me?"

"Damn it!" Ge Lian irritably hurled his brush heavily onto the desk, ink splattering and staining the pristine white paper, mirroring the turmoil in his heart.

He took a large gulp of cold tea, trying to quench the inexplicable heat in his chest.

To confirm that his "abnormality" was just an illusion, Ge Lian forced himself to think of An Yi's black heart.

He recalled how An Yi had spoken to him without revealing his true thoughts, how he had used a single poison pill to make Wang Xian die in despair, how he had handed over the fatal evidence as a bargaining chip... every instance, every act, demonstrated the depth of his cunning and the harshness of his methods.

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more Ge Lian found that instead of feeling more disgust and vigilance, he instead... developed a more complex, indescribable emotion.

It was a feeling tinged with intense wariness, a grudging admiration, and even... a hint of thrilling, secret excitement?

He actually began to feel that the raging storms churning beneath An Yi's gentle exterior, the intellect and ruthlessness that could toy with opponents at his fingertips, carried a breathtaking, lethal allure!

Ge Lian clutched his head in anguish. He really had gone mad!

Could this black-hearted An Yi be some kind of sorcerer?

Should he go find a master to get himself exorcised?!

Ge Lian suddenly stood up from his chair, pacing anxiously in the study.

His tall figure, illuminated by the sunlight, seemed somewhat wild.

He walked to the bronze mirror, staring intently at his reflection—sharp brows, bright eyes, rugged features—the face of an iron-blooded man forged on the battlefield.

How could he... how was it possible... to feel such an absurd attraction towards that deep-scheming, ruthless man who was also his sworn enemy?!

"A crush on me?"

An Yi's cold, sardonic voice echoed again in his ears.

Ge Lian felt as if struck by lightning. He tried to banish from his mind An Yi's handsome face, his deep eyes, his mocking half-smile.

But the more he resisted, the clearer the image became, along with the faint, cool, ethereal fragrance that seemed to linger around him.

He slammed his fist in frustration onto the thick nanmu desk, making a dull, heavy thud.

He was done for. He had fallen for a man!

He had fallen for that black-hearted An Yi!

If An Yi found out, he would probably devour him without a trace!

Ge Lian slumped back into his chair. He told himself he should bury this feeling deep in his heart, forget it as soon as possible!

But... if he didn't act, An Yi would eventually get married?

He might marry a woman?

He might take a wife and have children.

Especially since An Yi had previously considered marrying Shao Li! He had once said they weren't a good match!

At this thought, Ge Lian couldn't help grinding his teeth, feeling a wave of bitterness spread from his tongue to his chest. An Yi... An Junheng...