Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 250 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (150)

Master An's expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but he still seemed uncertain.

"What you're saying. What if..."

"There's no 'what if'!" the man interrupted him sharply.

"We're all in the same boat now, so don't say such discouraging things!"

Seeing that Master An seemed undecided, the man's voice grew even more menacing: "Remember this, if you fail, you won't have a good life either!"

"Don't think you can rely on your blood ties. From the beginning until now, have you ever received a single good thing? Think about it carefully. If the Empress or those two princes knew what you've done, they wouldn't let you off easily!"

Master An nodded in agreement.

I knew it without that person saying it.

"So you'd better get the job done... Behave yourself for the next few days and wait for me to contact you again."

After that person left, Master An felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he slumped into his chair, his mind a jumbled mess, unable to find any peace...

Even if he were completely brainless, he could still sense that he was now a grasshopper tied to someone else's rope!

Those people have something on him, forcing him to comply. If they make him do this today, they'll make him do something else tomorrow...

As long as he dares to resist.

No, he couldn't resist!

Master An lowered his head, covered his face with both hands, and scratched his hair vigorously.

He had no other way out; this was the only option, the only option!

Thinking back over all those years, Ji Shumin, who was the crown prince, almost never even glanced at him.

The current eldest prince, Ji Shuqin, shows no affection for him whatsoever.

Even his own sister...

Thinking of his younger sister, Master An felt a surge of resentment.

He boasted that he had never mistreated his sister, and that the two had a brother-sister relationship before she married into the An family.

How come it's like this now...

Master An believed that it was because the other family had become successful and looked down on their maternal relatives, which was why they acted this way.

Although he harbored resentment, he didn't intend to do anything.

But the man kept bringing it up, deliberately provoking him to feel resentment, which made him momentarily confused and agree to the man's words.

Later, when he finally came to his senses, how could he not understand?

That person is deliberately provoking me!

He deliberately tricked her into falling into his trap. He had approached her beforehand, befriended her, and acted very intimately, all in a premeditated manner, gradually gaining her trust.

And then...

Master An never expected that someone would have already plotted against him so early.

But how did I fall for it?

It's too late to regret now.

Because they were forced time and time again, and dared not admit it or be honest, they did things according to his orders time and time again.

As a result, this leverage accumulated and grew larger and larger.

Now, it's simply impossible for him to extricate himself...

Think back to that day, the pale face and trembling hands of the second master of the An family when he returned.

He lay on the couch for several days, unable to recover his energy and spirit, as if his soul had been ripped away. This showed him just how ruthless the Third Prince was.

Even though he was his elder, he wouldn't show any mercy. Master An knew this in his heart.

So he had no choice but to continue down this path...

"They were the ones who were unrighteous first, so I became unjust!" Master An muttered to himself, trying to calm himself down, but it was no use. He had been living a life of ease and comfort, and had unknowingly lost a lot of weight these days.

"Master, what's wrong? Is something troubling you?" Madam Chen asked cautiously that evening.

These days, even the newly acquired concubines of this year have stopped visiting him. Instead, he obediently returns to his main room to sleep.

He would sigh and groan, and sometimes even in his sleep at night, he would mutter something unintelligible, appearing very frightened.

This frightened Chen quite a bit, who thought he had been attacked by some evil spirit.

"Sir, what's wrong with you... Perhaps we should send someone over to take a look..."

Madam Chen cautiously brought it up, but was angrily rebuked by Master An: "Don't cause trouble here!"

Chen felt wronged: "I'm doing this for your own good. You know, you're not eating or sleeping well all day. If you fall ill, what will happen to the An family?"

"Stop spouting nonsense and jinxing the situation!"

Master An's head was throbbing with pain.

Over the years, Chen's mouth has never been able to say anything nice!

She's always been mean-spirited and speaks without thinking.

She's been so attentive these past few days because she wants to secure a good future for her youngest son.

Ever since he injured someone while riding his horse recklessly in the street, he has been staying at home and has hardly dared to go out.

Chen felt distressed and wanted to ask Master An for a solution.

But Master An has no time to deal with her lately...

No matter how much Chen tried to please him, it had no effect, so she got angry: "You don't care about your son at all!"

"How much more could I possibly worry about? If he hadn't caused trouble, the An family, the An family, would they be where they are now..."

Master An almost let slip what he was about to say, and quickly shut his mouth, refusing to speak further.

"Well, sir, you're still complaining! What, are our sons inferior to the offspring of your women? Don't think I don't know which little hussy is whispering sweet nothings in your ear again!"

Madam Chen's temper flared up: "Remember this, sir, from now on, this An family will belong to our son! If anyone dares to be so blind as to try and take a share, I'll tear them all to shreds!"

“They all belong to our sons…” Master An suddenly repeated.

“What? What is our son’s status? How can those brats compare? It’s perfectly right for the An family to belong to him!” Madam Chen continued to shout.

"That's right—" Master An slapped his thigh suddenly, as if he had just realized something extremely important!

The next moment, a hint of smugness appeared on his face, as if he had found a way to escape death.

"Master, master, what's wrong? Master, don't scare people!"

When Chen saw him suddenly seem to be having a nightmare, she was startled and almost jumped up. She raised her hand and patted his face and shoulders as if to drive away some evil spirit.

Master An was no longer annoyed with her.

Instead, he grabbed Chen's hand: "You're right! How come I didn't think of that..."

"Ha, of course I'm right! Our son..."

Before Madam Chen could finish speaking, Master An suddenly stood up and strode headlong toward the door, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Chen was left standing there, pointing inexplicably at the door that wasn't closed: "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"Sir! You're absolutely right!"

Master An has long since disappeared.

After Madam Gao left, when Lu Liruan and Ji Shumin returned, she didn't know how to start the conversation.

Ji Shumin had a poor appetite today. He drank two sips of soup, pushed the bowl aside, and sighed lightly.

"What's wrong? Can't you eat today?"

“Li Ruan’s worries are weighing me down so much that I can’t eat or drink,” Ji Shumin said slowly, his gaze lingering on Lu Li Ruan.

"Am I so bad at hiding things on my face?" Lu Liruan raised her hand and touched her face.

"It's not that Li Ruan can't keep things to herself, it's that Li Ruan and I are too familiar with each other."

Lu Liruan wanted to reply: What, are you a tapeworm in my stomach?

But feeling that it wasn't very elegant to say that while eating, I swallowed it back and grinned: Fine, who can outwit you?

"Are you hiding something from me?" Ji Shumin rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, looking focused as he waited for Lu Liruan to speak.

"Are you hiding something from me?" Lu Liruan raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm?" Ji Shumin looked puzzled. "When did I do anything that would anger Li Ruan?" What Ji Shumin said today made sense; he really hadn't done anything like that recently...

"In the imperial court, someone is using the Marquis of He'an's mansion as a pretext to deal with you, how come you've never mentioned it?" Lu Liruan moved her chair to sit beside him: "Hmm? How long do you intend to keep this from me?"

Ji Shumin never put his guard up against Lu Liruan. Sometimes, he would tell Lu Liruan about things in the court as if it were a joke, without any reservations.

Lu Liruan didn't believe it; this involved matters concerning the Marquis of He'an's residence, how could he not remember to tell her?

“Oh…” Ji Shumin suddenly realized.

"The Lady of the Marquis came today?" He guessed it immediately.

"what."

"Let me guess, what did Lady Hou say to me: The situation at court is tense, those people are aggressive and relentlessly fighting with me. At this time, they brought up the Marquis of He'an's mansion as evidence that I am protecting someone's weaknesses?"

Lu Liruan blinked: My mother didn't face the kind of perilous situation you described.

"Then the Lady Hou said to you: If it is difficult, you can go along with them and strip the Marquis of He'an of his title of Marquis, so as to appease them and prove that I am not as they say. The Marquis of He'an knows that I have no choice and will not hold a grudge, is that right?" Ji Shumin spoke slowly and deliberately, word by word, and he had learned almost exactly what Lady Gao had said today.

He glanced at Lu Liruan with a playful expression, slightly raised his chin, and curled the corners of his mouth.

That clearly means: So, how was I? Was I right or wrong?

This confident demeanor made Lu Liruan both speechless and amused. She sighed softly, "I remember Xiao Xizi isn't in the manor today either. Who taught you to talk like that?"

“I have the ability to read people’s minds. Just by looking into Li Ruan’s eyes, I can tell…” Ji Shumin’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and a long, thin arc appeared at the corner of his eyes, a smile that was not quite a smile.

To be honest, he really does look like a demon that can read people's minds, and even demons aren't as captivating as him.

"Oh? So that means you know exactly what I'm thinking?" Lu Liruan waved her finger in front of his eyes, drawing out her words.

“Of course.” Ji Shumin leaned forward, letting her fingers touch his forehead.

"Stop fooling around. Since you've already guessed it, what are you going to do..."

Lu Liruan sighed: "What Mother said was not just for show, but from the bottom of her heart. If it can keep the Marquis of He'an's mansion out of the limelight, she would not mind giving up the title. As long as people can be safe and sound."

This was Lu Liruan's honest opinion, without the slightest bit of reluctance.

Nowadays, no one in the Lu family holds an official position. Both of the older brothers are in business, and even his younger sister has started a business.

It can be said that the Lu family has no shortage of money.

Even without the government's salary, the money they earn from doing business is enough to support their family's current lifestyle.

Lu Liruan, perhaps because she came from a different era, didn't care much about the dignity and prestige that these aristocratic families were so desperately pursuing.

It would be truly not worth putting your parents, brothers, and sisters in danger because of this.

It would be better to give up this title and exchange it for real peace and prosperity.

"Hmm?" Ji Shumin snorted lightly, "Hasn't Li Ruan noticed something amiss in what I just said?"

“I yield to them, the Marquis of He’an’s mansion yields to them, and you also retreat because of this matter. What kind of logic is this?” Ji Shumin shook his head:

"If we back down now, wouldn't that tell the world that they were right and made the right mistake? The Marquis of He'an's family relinquished the title out of guilt."

"Not only will I not receive a single good word, but later, I will become what they call evidence of my crimes." Ji Shumin was very familiar with the usual tricks of those who spread rumors and distort the truth.

Lu Liruan understood his meaning, but wouldn't such a contest put the Marquis of He'an's mansion in the middle, turning it into a raft for opposing forces?

“Those stripped of their titles are all those who have made mistakes and violated the law. Those who are honest and law-abiding have not been implicated. Although it is a reform, it cannot change everything without reason. Good and bad should be treated equally. If we do not distinguish between those who have made merits and those who have made mistakes, we will lose the hearts of the people,” Ji Shumin explained.

Lu Liruan was not quite clear about this. This time, too many families and too many disputes were involved, and Lu Liruan could not figure them all out. However, after listening to Ji Shumin's words, her mind calmed down a little.

The Lu family of the Marquis of He'an has never done anything heinous, and it would be difficult to find them guilty of anything wrong. Over the generations, the Lu family has become the most law-abiding and cautious family.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but there’s no need. If I can’t even protect or shoulder this little thing, how dare I burden others…” Ji Shumin said calmly, and his words sounded very credible.

“Li Ruan told Lady Hou that everything should proceed as usual and there was no need to worry in the slightest.”

That night, at some unknown time, there was a knocking sound at the door, starting softly and gradually increasing in volume, followed by footsteps.

Lu Liruan woke up with a start and felt Ji Shumin's hand blocking her way, with candlelight faintly seeping through his fingers.

"It's alright, don't be afraid, it's alright..." Ji Shumin whispered to Lu Liruan to comfort her. He placed his hand on Lu Liruan's neck and could feel the girl's pulse beating rapidly under his fingertips.

Lu Liruan was lost in thought for a few seconds before she came to her senses, her throat dry: "What's wrong?"

Knocking on the door in the middle of the night must mean something urgent, and it's probably not a good thing.

When Lu Liruan was hospitalized before, she would often be woken up in the middle of the night by... a crying sound, which led to her developing night terrors.

"Shh—I'll go see. Li Ruan, don't be afraid. Why did I scare you? I'm right here..."

Seeing Lu Liruan's flustered expression, Ji Shumin gently coaxed her, then got up and dressed.