In a time like this, a hedonistic and unscholarly Son of the Prime Minister would actually help stabilize the current situation in Great Xia.
The Royal Family was somewhat at ease, and the Prime Minister, for his part, had not tried to have another son, nor had he pressured the Royal Family.
Both sides did their best to maintain a tacit understanding, preserving the current state of affairs in Great Xia.
The reason Su Qinghan was so certain wasn't just because she had personally witnessed Jiang Lan's scheme against Lin Fan earlier today.
A large part of it was also seeing Jiang Lan act with what seemed like a "germaphobe's" disgust for her.
He was clearly no lecher, yet he insisted on putting on such a front.
After doing that for so long, it would be impossible not to develop some actual fastidiousness.
"Miss Su, you truly are exceptionally perceptive and intelligent. But don't you think you're overthinking things a bit?"
"First of all, I am no gentleman. Second, I am no good man. Lechery is in my nature, and I've done more than my fair share of wicked deeds growing up."
"For you to try and whitewash my reputation like this... it's hard for me not to suspect you're after something."
Hearing Su Qinghan's logical and well-reasoned analysis, Jiang Lan couldn't help but want to give her a thumbs-up.
Although he had given her the "answer," the process she had imagined to arrive at it was far too detailed.
Jiang Lan hadn't expected her to extrapolate so much.
On the surface, however, he simply frowned slightly, feigning a look of surprise.
"Young Master Jiang, please rest assured."
"Regarding the events of today, and your own personal matters, Young Master Jiang, I will swear on my Dao Heart to remain silent. I will not tell another soul."
Su Qinghan lowered her gaze, reaching up to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her delicate ear.
Naturally, she did not believe his flat denial.
'For him to have come this far, it must mean he stopped caring about his reputation long ago, casting it aside like a worn-out shoe.'
'Why would he suddenly admit it just because of a few words from me?'
Deep down, she actually felt a great deal of admiration for this.
No matter where or when, people value their reputation just as a bird treasures its feathers.
But Jiang Lan had deliberately destroyed his own image, completely ignoring the curses, scorn, and slander from the outside world.
'A person like that must have an unusually strong heart, and their ambitions must be even greater.'
"Miss Su, haven't you heard that those who are too clever often die young?"
"While I'm pleased that you're trying to whitewash my reputation, if I truly am the person you describe, wouldn't that be all the more reason for me not to let you go?" Jiang Lan said with a faint smile.
"This..."
Su Qinghan froze, then stood there, stunned.
She had taken a gamble by voicing her speculation.
'But I forgot... if this is his secret, and I've just exposed it, why would he ever let me go?'
'In a situation like this, what good is swearing on my Dao Heart? Killing me to silence me would be far more direct and effective.'
'By saying all this, haven't I just given him more reason not to spare me?'
Seeing the vexed and conflicted look on Su Qinghan's face, Jiang Lan knew his goal for the night was essentially accomplished.
'If I want to win this heroine's loyalty, brute force won't work. She's drawn to strength, so I have to show her something she can admire and respect...'
'Use the wrong method, and no matter what, the outcome will be the complete opposite of what I want.'
And right now, Jiang Lan needed a large amount of fortune to nurture his Destiny Dao Fruit.
Currently, the only effective source of fortune was Su Qinghan. Securing her loyalty and dependence would naturally bring him a great deal of it.
In fact, earlier that day in the Snow Moon Pavilion, the very moment Su Qinghan told Lin Fan that there was nothing between them...
...Jiang Lan could clearly sense a massive, dense surge of fortune flowing from the Void into his Mud Ball Palace.
The Destiny Dao Fruit hanging from the end of that mysterious, verdant vine, nurtured by the influx of fortune, had clearly grown a size larger. It was now almost the size of a baby's fist, appearing even more lush and mysterious.
The branches and leaves had also become a vibrant, dripping green, as if cast from flawless jade—crystal clear and exuding an incomparably profound aura.
This also made Jiang Lan understand that the key to the Destiny Dao Fruit's maturation lay in the density of the fortune he plundered.
As for how to obtain this fortune, the method was actually quite simple: suppress and sabotage the destiny of the Child of Fortune.
This destiny came from the people, objects, and fortuitous opportunities connected to him.
The Master's Order that Lin Fan was supposed to obtain from Zhao Tianhe in the original plot was now in his hands. At that time, Jiang Lan had felt a surge of fortune from the unseen world.
When Zhao Tianhe moved against Lin Fan and severed their relationship, Jiang Lan could also clearly feel fortune flowing his way.
This was part of Lin Fan's grand destiny. Because Jiang Lan's actions had shattered it, he naturally obtained the fortune that should have belonged to Lin Fan.
The female lead, Su Qinghan, also possessed great fortune. In the original plot, she was no mere decorative "vase." She was powerful in her own right and had never relied on the protagonist, Lin Fan.
Although Lin Fan was the reincarnation of a Great Power, there was no shortage of characters with even grander origins and more outrageous "cheats" than him.
In comparison, being the reincarnation of a Great Power even seemed a little lackluster...
The one who left the deepest impression on Jiang Lan was his unbelievably fierce, morally ambiguous sister, Jiang Ruxian—or, to be precise, his adoptive sister.
From beginning to end, she had suppressed the protagonist Lin Fan so completely that he couldn't even catch his breath. Every encounter ended with him fleeing in disgrace, only to hide away and recuperate from his grave injuries. He would lie low for a time before daring to cautiously show his face again, as terrified as a stray dog.
Her popularity throughout the entire story was the highest, far surpassing even the Eunuch Sword Master, Lin Fan.
'What a pity...'
'She's the ultimate powerful backer, but I can't rely on her. The reason she wanted to kill Lin Fan herself was because I died at his hands. In this world, only she is allowed to kill me. Lin Fan got in her way, so Lin Fan had to die...'
'In order to kill me with her own hands, she even planned to resurrect my dead body, only to personally torture me to death all over again...'
Jiang Lan clutched his chest. As the thoughts surfaced, he could even feel a faint ache from within.
His inability to cultivate and his incredibly weak constitution to this day were all thanks to this matter.
Compared to this hatred, what did his feud with Lin Fan even matter?
"HSSS..."
He was fine as long as he didn't think about it, but the moment he did, Jiang Lan was struck by a boundless pain. It felt as if his very marrow was being sucked from his bones, the agony spreading from every inch of his skin, emanating from his organs and skeleton. All the essence, qi, and blood in his body reversed course, surging violently toward his chest.
It was as if his entire body was being drained, about to be reduced to a withered husk.
'Dammit, this illness is acting up again...'
Jiang Lan's handsome face twisted in an instant, turning so deathly pale it was barely human. With a THUD, he collapsed to the ground. Across his limbs, it was as if countless tiny snakes were slithering beneath his skin.
It was the manifestation of his body's own essence, qi, and blood.
"Young Master Jiang...!"
Su Qinghan's cry of alarm rang out. Her beautiful face was etched with horror and disbelief, and her voice trembled.