Yu Jingchen was not surprised by the question. He held Nan Zhiyun on his lap, as if holding a young girl, and lifted her up a bit.
"Does Yun'er want to hear the truth?" Yu Jingchen asked.
Hearing Yu Jingchen's words, Nan Zhiyun's heart instantly tensed.
"Mmm," Nan Zhiyun nodded nervously.
"At first... I didn't know." Yu Jingchen did not lie to her, and Nan Zhiyun's heart tightened.
"Yun'er, the Empress Dowager treats you very well, but it's only towards you. In terms of methods and capabilities, very few people can compare to her," Yu Jingchen said with a hint of earnestness.
"But..." Nan Zhiyun wanted to retort, but she found herself unable to say anything.
"It was the Empress Dowager who actively contacted Yu Jing'an, saying she would help him seize the throne, with your safety, the Nan family's power, and her own status as conditions," Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Zhiyun felt it couldn't be true, but Yu Jingchen had no reason to fabricate this to deceive her.
"The Empress Dowager has her own forces. While the entire palace is filled with my people, only Ci'an Palace is heavily guarded, and perhaps occasional information can be gleaned. However, rather than them discovering it, it's more like the Empress Dowager was willing, or even intentionally, to let me know," Yu Jingchen said meaningfully, but Nan Zhiyun became more and more confused.
"What I'm saying is, if the Empress Dowager didn't want me to know about this, then I wouldn't know. But the fact is that I do know, so do you understand what that means?" Yu Jingchen asked her.
Nan Zhiyun began to understand, so...
"Did the Empress Dowager intentionally let you know? So... the Empress Dowager didn't intend to hide it from His Majesty, she was helping His Majesty, wasn't she?" Nan Zhiyun asked.
Yu Jingchen smiled and shook his head, making Nan Zhiyun confused again.
"I don't know what the Empress Dowager was thinking at first, I can only say that her final choice was to stand on your side." Yu Jingchen's wording was very clever, using "you" instead of "me."
The Empress Dowager would always stand from Nan Zhiyun's perspective, leaning towards her side, not towards herself, nor towards him, Yu Jingchen.
"I don't want to lie to you. I don't trust the Empress Dowager, nor your father. I cannot completely entrust all of this to them. Therefore... I have arranged people inside and outside the palace today. If any other changes occur... I will not be merciful," Yu Jingchen stated clearly.
If it weren't for Commander Chen and the others changing sides today, there would have been more casualties, not fewer. Yu Jingchen had already had the Dragon Guards prepare. In fact, outside Zichen Palace, hidden figures were already holding bows and arrows. Had they chosen the wrong path today, then... they would have been shot on the spot.
Nan Zhiyun listened with a shudder. "Then what about the Empress Dowager? And my father?" Nan Zhiyun couldn't help but ask.
"Leaving them alive is the greatest mercy... Yun'er, in this world, especially in my position, the most unforgivable thing is soft-heartedness. Just like the two infants Yun'er saved today with the golden token, they haven't done anything, but they are threats. You can't guarantee whether they will not care about the annihilation of their clan when they grow up." Even though in his eyes they deserved it, it was still their blood relatives, so... could they truly not care? Yu Jingchen certainly didn't believe so.
Nan Zhiyun fell silent.
Yu Jingchen was slowly guiding her, but whether Nan Zhiyun could understand or accept it was another matter entirely.