You Will Regret It

"As for the Grand Eunuch in the palace..." Alexander Hayes turned to look at Xiao Yun, who was dressed in eunuch robes, and snorted coldly. "He was dealt with by me in secret long ago. If the entire imperial palace wasn't firmly under my control, how could I possibly let Lily go to the harem alone?"

Emperor Leonard and Lord Huainan turned pale upon hearing Alexander Hayes's words.

Lord Huainan tried to steady himself, but his body refused to cooperate, sinking lower and lower, forcing him to grip the armrest tightly just to remain seated.

Emperor Leonard, meanwhile, stood there with a pale face, panic written all over his features.

But the old Lord Huainan was unwilling to concede defeat. He lifted his head, his aging eyes still sharp as ever, and stared at Alexander Hayes. "Alexander Hayes, don't forget that your mortal enemy Gregory Gu Jr. has now become Prime Minister of Chu. He has quelled the internal strife in Chu, and now it's a united nation, not the scattered mess it once was! Gregory Gu Jr. sees Jin as an enemy, and he hates you, Alexander Hayes, most of all. Now that Howie Li has only recently ascended the throne and the imperial seat is unstable, all factions are eyeing it greedily. Jin faces threats inside and out. If you dare kill Howie Li, it will surely incite rebellion among the clans and regional lords. All those Li family princes and local rulers—they all share the same surname and ambition for the throne! When war breaks out across Jin, even if you have three thousand elite troops and two hundred thousand Hayes Grand Army, what then? The Jin army will be lost to infighting, and Gregory Gu Jr. will be waiting to reap the rewards. By then, the capital will be gone, and under the ruins, no one will be spared. Alexander Hayes, Princess Lily Hayes, all of you will become slaves of a fallen nation!"

Lord Huainan took a deep breath, his eyes bloodshot. "Alexander Hayes, you can't kill Howie Li. If you do, the imperial power will be thrown into chaos again, and the whole realm will be plunged into turmoil! This land belongs to your father, Emperor William Jin—you can't abandon the people!"

Alexander Hayes looked at Lord Huainan with contempt. "Just now, the old lord said that for the throne, the deaths of commoners were insignificant, their lives worthless. But now, suddenly you're all about the greater good and protecting the people? Tsk. The fate of the people changes with whatever you say, doesn't it?"

Faced with Alexander Hayes's mockery, Lord Huainan was fuming but dared not retaliate—his life was in Alexander Hayes's hands. He could only try to persuade him: "Alexander Hayes, I admit I'm trying to save myself, but what I said is true. You're wise and talented, surely you see the crux of the matter. If you really kill us, the world will descend into chaos. Everyone here has family and friends—if the realm falls into disorder, no one will be spared."

Lord Huainan paused, then suddenly grew fierce. "Alexander Hayes, I'm not someone who survived all these years for nothing! You have your plans, but do you really think mine are foolproof? If you dare harm Howie Li and me, you'll regret it!"

"Oh? And how exactly would I regret it?" Alexander Hayes asked coldly, his eyes fixed on Lord Huainan.

Lord Huainan gave a sinister smile. "Alexander Hayes, others may not know your secrets, but Howie Li does—he knows all about you and your wife. Princess Lily Hayes has her uncle’s family, her cousin just got married, and there’s a daughter from a previous marriage staying with her fourth uncle. That fourth uncle is surnamed Yuan, his wife is Chen from Jiangnan, and they have two sons and a daughter. Princess Lily Hayes also has a third uncle, who with his wife, Madam Sun, has a son and a daughter..."