Willingly Used by the Empress

No.

Qin Anlan had no intention of sowing discord.

The First Prince's faction was already established and had gained significant momentum.

This was an undeniable fact.

Upon hearing this, the Empress showed no outward reaction, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, you. You always knew how to make me happy since you were little."

"Regardless, you and the First Prince are cousins. It wouldn't hurt for you to visit his estate."

Though she spoke these words, the Empress's eyes betrayed no hint of joy or laughter.

Instead, a never-before-seen glint flashed within them.

The light flickered and vanished, but Qin Anlan keenly caught it.

Clearly, the Empress had developed murderous intent towards the First Prince.

As the former Saintess of the Star Sect and the Empress of the Heavenly Flame Empire, she was well aware of the prestige of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

The Qin clan, being one of the ancient divine clans, possessed a foundation even more terrifying than the Star Sect.

Even the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan only dared to court them, never daring to make a move against them.

This alone demonstrated the fearsome nature of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

For years, the Empress had continuously courted the Grand Princess and befriended Qin Anlan.

What was the purpose of all this?

It was to bring the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate into her own camp.

To have the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate fully support her son and help the Second Prince ascend to the throne.

For the First Prince to dare to curry favor with Qin Anlan at this time, what was he trying to do?

He was undoubtedly trying to poach her supporters, the Empress's.

This had touched the Empress's bottom line, making it unbearable for her.

Sensing the Empress's displeasure and the faint, almost imperceptible killing intent in her eyes, Qin Anlan nodded with satisfaction.

The Empress had a deep foundation, controlled numerous factions, and had the entire Star Sect as her backing.

If she made a move, she would certainly give the First Prince a hard time, throwing him into disarray.

Of course, Qin Anlan understood even more clearly.

These tactics would at most cause trouble for the First Prince and annoy him.

It was impossible to bring down the First Prince with these methods.

Besides his own status and the vast forces behind him, the First Prince had a major supporter.

The Left Prime Minister, who controlled the court and commanded all officials.

The Left Prime Minister had assisted Emperor Xuanyuan in governing the empire for hundreds of years.

His disciples and former subordinates were spread throughout the land.

His foundation was so deep that it was difficult to shake in a short time.

Therefore, Qin Anlan had no intention of immediately ousting the First Prince.

His aim was merely to cause trouble for the First Prince, allowing Qin Anlan to calmly make his plans to deal with the Child of Destiny, Ye Qingyun.

Ye Qingyun, as the top disciple of the Heavenly Firmament Academy, possessed exceptional talent and limitless future potential.

He was deeply trusted by the First Prince and the Left Prime Minister.

Furthermore, he had a master who was a beautiful and powerful expert, known as the foremost female expert in the Heavenly Firmament Academy.

He also had a certain foundation within the Heavenly Firmament Academy.

If Qin Anlan were to directly attack Ye Qingyun, it would send a signal to outsiders.

That the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate intended to use this as an excuse to attack the First Prince and the Left Prime Minister.

Ye Qingyun and that Child of Destiny, if they were to stir up trouble, might even join forces with the First Prince.

These two Children of Destiny, if they were to join forces, would be a significant nuisance.

This was not something Qin Anlan wished to see.

Before Qin Anlan could say anything, the Empress suddenly thought of something and looked at Qin Anlan, asking, "I heard you annihilated the Liu family a few days ago. What's the story behind that?"

"It's like this..."

Qin Anlan didn't hide anything. He recounted how Liu Ruyan had come to break off their engagement, which was an insult to the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, and how he had then extracted Liu Ruyan's bloodline and innate qualities before destroying the entire Liu family.

He even mentioned how Chou Yin had tried to stop him.

"The Left Prime Minister is truly neglectful, being so busy with state affairs and the Heavenly Firmament Academy," the Empress said impassively.

"This has led to people from the Heavenly Firmament Academy acting recklessly under his name."

"Now, they even dare to obstruct you, the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate. It's outrageous."

The Empress did not directly point out that Chou Yin's actions were at the behest of the Left Prime Minister and the First Prince, who were intentionally trying to cause trouble for Qin Anlan.

Qin Anlan was not foolish.

If the Empress were too obvious, it would seem forced and deliberately provocative.

Her words, however, were perfectly placed.

She subtly sowed discord between Qin Anlan and the First Prince and the Left Prime Minister.

Qin Anlan pretended to be unaware and echoed the Empress's words, "I suppose the people from the Heavenly Firmament Academy are acting recklessly under the names of the Left Prime Minister and the First Prince. This is absolutely not what the Left Prime Minister and the First Prince intended."

As he spoke, Qin Anlan continued, "Although the Liu family has been destroyed, Liu Ruyan's sister, Liu Ruxue, is still at the Heavenly Firmament Academy."

"I plan to visit the Left Prime Minister and have him give Liu Ruxue to me as a maid to warm my bed."

"I had already heard about Liu Ruyan and the Liu family's affairs," the Empress nodded calmly. As if thinking of something, she spoke again, "The Left Prime Minister is swamped with work and has many important state matters to handle."

"A mere Liu Ruxue is not worth troubling the Left Prime Minister over."

"Your meaning, Your Highness, is..."

"I shall issue an imperial decree to bestow Liu Ruxue upon you as a maid. What do you say?"

"In that case, I shall trouble the Empress."

Qin Anlan smiled calmly, a satisfied expression on his face.

Was this not exactly what he needed?

Did he think the Empress was so foolish as to willingly be a pawn for him, Qin Anlan?

As the Queen of a nation, the Empress's mind was incredibly astute.

He had no fear of offending the Left Prime Minister and the First Prince.

Even if he offended them directly, what of it?

He could use this opportunity to declare war on the First Prince and suppress his arrogance.

He could also let the First Prince and his allies know that he had already formed an alliance with the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

This would have a significant deterrent effect on the First Prince and the Left Prime Minister.

The two were merely getting what they needed from each other, using one another.

Qin Anlan was naturally happy to oblige and willing to be used by the Empress this once.