"The child in the Princess Royal's womb is Master Ian Reed's." Zuo An blocked Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan's path and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Ninth Royal Uncle always considered himself someone who could laugh off even the shifting tides of imperial power, but hearing these words, he was genuinely stunned.
"Are you sure?" Ninth Royal Uncle knew Zuo An wouldn't make things up, which only made the shock worse.
Was the Master Ian Reed he met a fake, or had he been played by Ian himself?
"Absolutely certain." Assassins are known for their intelligence-gathering skills, and Zuo An is the best among them. Thanks to his status, he can freely enter and leave the Princess Royal's residence, uncovering secrets outsiders could never reach.
"But neither Master Ian Reed nor the Princess Royal knows. The Princess Royal thinks the child is her general lover's; Master Ian Reed believes she's once again given him a green hat."
Well, if the last piece of news was shocking, this one was downright terrifying. Fortunately, Ninth Royal Uncle had steadied himself by now. He fixed Zuo An with a calm look and said evenly, "I understand."
Given Master Ian Reed's temperament, it's not hard to imagine him being played. But to trick the Princess Royal as well—now that's some skill. Ninth Royal Uncle nodded approvingly, stepped back, and tried to walk past Zuo An.
Zuo An was briefly taken aback. He hadn't expected Ninth Royal Uncle to just let it go, so he blocked the way again: "Don't you want to know who tampered with things?"
"Not interested." Ninth Royal Uncle waved his hand, motioning Zuo An to step aside. "Westlyn's affairs are none of my business."
"I don't want much. All I need is for you to save the child in the Princess Royal's womb and hand him over to me. I promise he won't get involved in any imperial power struggles." A child fighting for the throne would take at least ten years; Zuo An believed that, given ten years, he could teach the boy well—at least he wouldn't end up like himself.
"Brotherly affection? Zuo An, I never thought you had this side to you." In Ninth Royal Uncle's world, there was no such thing as brotherly love—he only knew brother against brother.
A bitter smile flickered in Zuo An's eyes. "It's not about brotherly affection at all. I just hope there's someone in this world who shares my blood. Ninth Royal Uncle, you're not me, so you can't understand my life. I'm not an orphan, but it's worse than being one. I have no family. That child is my brother, the only kin I have left in this world—my blood relative."
"Whether it's out of family loyalty or just wanting someone to accompany me, I want him to live. Because after being alone for so long, you start to wonder why you're even alive. It's easy to go mad." Assassins aren't born heartless—Zuo An was forced by reality to become ruthless.
When he learned the Princess Royal was pregnant, he was genuinely happy. Finally, there was someone in this world who was family. As for the Princess Royal and that Chancellor father of his?
He never acknowledged them. One gave birth to him and abandoned him; the other didn't dare recognize him, pretending he didn't exist. How could such people be worthy of being Zuo An's parents?
"Zuo An, you're a strange one." People called Zuo An a madman assassin, and it was true—normal people couldn't understand his way of thinking.
Clearly an assassin, yet he didn't have a trace of menace about him. He spent his days obsessed with odd research, making himself neither quite human nor ghost.
Still, Ninth Royal Uncle thought he could finally understand Zuo An. It wasn't that Zuo An liked research so much—he was just too lonely, and needed a reason to keep living.
Once, it was all those strange experiments. Now, it was the child.
Someone like this was both easy and hard to control. Zuo An had desires, but they were unusual—he didn't want power or status, which hardly fit the reputation of an assassin.
Someone like Zuo An was impossible to dislike. Ninth Royal Uncle decided to take a risk: "I accept your terms. I'll make sure the Princess Royal gives birth to the child. But you must guarantee that the child never appears in Westlyn and is never used by anyone with an agenda. You should know I have plenty of ways to make sure 'accidents' happen if necessary."
Just a princess's child—if not for the Westlyn Emperor's insistence, he wouldn't even qualify for the throne. Handing the boy to Zuo An was no big deal, as long as the child stayed out of Westlyn and both the Emperor and Princess Royal believed he was dead.
"Don't worry. After my brother is born, you can send him to Feng Manor. With Serena Feng watching over him, you'll have peace of mind." Zuo An wanted a little brother, but he never planned to raise a toddler himself.
He had no intention of raising a child—he'd leave that to Serena. Feng Manor had plenty of servants; he just needed to watch over the boy as he grew up.
He really was clinging to Serena, but that was fine. With Zuo An there, Serena would always be safe. After weighing the risks, Ninth Royal Uncle nodded in agreement. "Fine. Now you can tell me—who wants Master Ian Reed's child on the throne?"
Truthfully, even if Zuo An didn't say it, he could guess. But hearing Zuo An's answer would confirm whether his suspicions were correct.
Zuo An knew Ninth Royal Uncle's word was good. He answered without hesitation: "The Westlyn Empress."
"Just as I thought. Now everything makes sense." Ninth Royal Uncle wasn't surprised at all; after all, Prince Titus's suspicions weren't unfounded.
They'd never been able to confirm before—hurting Prince Titus and targeting him, it was always the Empress behind it. But they couldn't find her motive for harming her own son. Now, clearly, she had one.
A woman's heart is truly the most poisonous—there's no doubt about it.
"You're not surprised?" When Zuo An first uncovered the truth, he was stunned for a long time.
He never imagined a woman could disregard family interests, harm her own son, and force him—all for the sake of a man.