...
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When Qiu Lanxi woke up, she found a dark figure beside her. After realizing it was Yan Qingli, she broke out in a cold sweat.
She didn't sleep well last night. She dreamt of some erotic scenes, but they were all in a dark room, involving forced abduction and plunder. Her hands and feet were shackled, and Yan Qingli did whatever he wanted to her.
These dreams were all quite stimulating, but she considered them nightmares. Ultimately, Qiu Lanxi never thought about what she would do with a woman.
She knew that all of this was just a psychological suggestion she was giving herself. She felt a little uncomfortable when she saw the other person, but she couldn't get rid of this psychological shadow in a short period of time.
"When did Your Highness return?"
Seeing her forced smile, Yan Qingli raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing on her face instead: "Just got back."
"I told Father about Qingqing, and Father agreed."
Qiu Lanxi paused in adjusting her collar. Was the emperor of the Ning Dynasty really that open-minded?
Actually, Qiu Lanxi would rather Emperor Qinghe be furious and force the couple apart than this outcome. Knowing Yan Qingli's character, Qiu Lanxi knew he wouldn't let her die like that. She could accept being arranged to become a nun or a Taoist priest. However, she didn't expect that Princess Shaoguang would indeed live up to her reputation as the most favored princess in Ning Dynasty, even surpassing the princes, as Emperor Qinghe could selectively ignore such a matter.
Despite this, she did not show any disappointment. Instead, she tilted her head and looked at her, her eyes as clear as autumn water: "Then... congratulations, Your Highness?"
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Author's Note:
Qiu Lanxi: I thought I was a pillow princess, but I never imagined I'd have to do 1 for love.
Chapter 8
Congratulations!
Yan Qingli uttered those two words without changing his expression, leaving Qiu Lanxi speechless and wanting to ask, "What's the joy about?"
She studied Yan Qingli's expression and guessed that she had probably achieved her goal very well. Even her usually sullen expression relaxed a bit. As a result, the sorrow in Qiu Lanxi's eyes also disappeared, and she seemed to be relaxed and happy because of it.
Even though Yan Qingli knew she was faking it, she couldn't help but feel more at ease watching it.
She reached out and pinched the little fox's nose: "So happy?"
"If Your Highness is happy, I am happy." Qiu Lanxi lied without even blinking.
Yan Qingli raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "How happy are you?"
She seemed to be deliberately picking a fight, but Qiu Lanxi didn't care. Instead, she raised her small face and smiled brightly: "I am as happy as Your Highness is."
Yan Qingli pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "I am not happy."
The outcome was already foreseen, but what I gained after achieving it was not joy, but a reminder to be even more cautious.
"…………" You probably have a serious illness!
Qiu Lanxi smiled broadly, "Then I'll be even happier for Your Highness."
A smile played on her lips, her eyes sincere. Yan Qingli glanced at her sideways, finding it hard to imagine how she had developed such a personality; her delicate, pink face could probably talk a dead person back to life.
Looking at the mouth, she suddenly had an idea and reached out to touch it. Not satisfied, she then ground it up.
It has an excellent feel, soft and light, with a faint sweetness that seems to drift past the nose, making it hard to tell where the sweetness comes from.
Qiu Lanxi responded enthusiastically, letting loose and limp in her arms like she had no bones, her beautiful eyes misty and her face flushed with spring.
Yan Qingli was a restrained person, not indulging in love, nor curious. Apart from the fire-avoidance diagram she had looked at on her wedding day, she had never deliberately learned about these things. Only recently did she learn about them from a storybook. She realized that there was a kind of woman in this world whose body was as soft as water. She would tremble when touched lightly and feel slightly drunk when rubbed.
The fact that Yan Qingli obtained the knowledge through such erroneous channels did not make her doubt that Qiu Lanxi was faking it; in fact, she was genuinely fooled and was momentarily stunned.
After a moment, she hesitated and raised her hand, her fingertips gliding over her lips and tongue. Her fingertips, still stained with lipstick, indeed tasted a fleeting sweetness, making one want to ask for more.
Qiu Lanxi blinked. What's wrong with Princess Shaoguang? How could she manage an indirect kiss under these circumstances? Is that not allowed?
Yan Qingli had no idea what she was thinking. Such behavior was already a breach of the rules for her. She stared blankly at Qiu Lanxi, a dark glint flashing in the depths of her eyes.
"Your Highness?" Qiu Lanxi blinked, a hint of fear showing as if she had been stared at for a long time.
Those glistening tears, like morning dew bursting forth at the first light of day, made one's eyes dazzle. Yan Qingli shifted her gaze; such light appearing on her made one's heart beat inexplicably out of rhythm.
Seeing her avoid her, Qiu Lanxi revealed a faint smile.
Therefore, sometimes, the favor of those who are attracted to good looks is the easiest to gain, because when they are interested in someone, every action of theirs is easily romanticized, and thus no one can compare.
However, in reality, as long as one understands a person's most superficial aesthetic sense, Qiulanxi can create countless examples of such beauty.
...
…………
Less than a day after Yan Qingli was summoned by Emperor Qinghe, all the princes and princesses received an imperial decree that Emperor Qinghe was holding a family banquet and that everyone had to attend.
Although it was called a family banquet, everyone knew that this was Emperor Qinghe setting a precedent for Yan Qingli's matter.
But for a mere imperial son-in-law, there was no need for such elaborate preparations. Only the emperor himself knew the true reason behind it.
However, this matter had nothing to do with Qiu Lanxi, so she didn't think much of it until Yan Qingli asked her to pack as well, at which point she was dumbfounded: "I have to go too?"
Yan Qingli said calmly, "You are a family member, why can't you go?"
Qiu Lanxi thought to herself, "Others are princes with their princesses and princesses with their husbands, what kind of family do I belong to?"
She hesitated, but Yan Qingli was clearly not discussing it with her. As she got into the carriage, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but pray that when Emperor Qinghe saw her, he wouldn't be so impulsive as to cut her down with a single blow.
Yan Qingli arrived early. When Qiu Lanxi followed her into the main hall, there were hardly any people inside. On the contrary, Emperor Qinghe had arrived early and was drinking alone in the main seat.
Emperor Qinghe was not an unpredictable emperor. He did not like to put on airs. His past experiences made him very lenient with his children. Even though he knew who Yan Qingli had brought when she entered the palace, he could still tolerate it and pretend to be nonchalant.
After performing the formalities, Yan Qingli unceremoniously sat down in the first seat below Emperor Qinghe. Emperor Qinghe glanced at her, then withdrew his gaze with restraint.
Qiu Lanxi thought to herself, "Emperor Qinghe is really good-tempered; he can tolerate all this."
Emperor Qinghe had few surviving children. Apart from Prince Fu and Yan Qingli, who were born in his pre-imperial residence, the rest were born after he ascended the throne. He now has only nine sons and three daughters.
This number isn't considered large for the royal family, but once they all arrived, the hall was anything but deserted.
Sitting next to Yan Qingli, Qiu Lanxi was hard to ignore. Her carefully made-up appearance almost overshadowed the other women in the hall, making it difficult for any of them to speak. Only the princes were talking non-stop to amuse Emperor Qinghe.
Yan Qingli wasn't afraid of losing her position, so she calmly sipped her tea, waiting for Emperor Qinghe to speak first.
"Now that your younger siblings have all come, I will ask you one more time: do you really want a divorce?"
Upon hearing this, the previously celebratory atmosphere in the hall vanished instantly. Some people looked surprised, as if they were only now realizing what had happened, while others had solemn expressions or worried looks. Emperor Qinghe took everything in and silently assessed the situation in his mind.
His gaze fell on Yan Qingli, unsure whether she had spoken in anger or truly "seen through the illusions of the world" and become a mirror polisher.
But it's probably the latter, otherwise they wouldn't have brought the person over.
Emperor Qinghe couldn't help but glance at Qiu Lanxi, who was indeed beautiful. At this moment, he was looking at Yan Qingli, who was fragile and beautiful, like a rootless duckweed, clinging tightly to the last straw.
Yan Qingli calmly took her hand. In such a situation, she should be afraid. She looked at Emperor Qinghe and said, "If you are heartless, then I will leave. Why should I think about it any further?"
There was a moment of silence in the main hall. Qiu Lanxi quietly observed Emperor Qinghe's expression, thinking that he was unwilling, but she saw that his gaze occasionally swept over the princes below.
He probably hoped that one of the princes would say something at this moment, but it seemed that everyone was waiting for his reply before considering how to respond.
Finally, it was Princess Ryan who raised her cup: "If you are heartless, then I will leave! Well said! My elder sister, Ryan toasts you!"
Yan Qingli was somewhat surprised by this, but still picked up the cup. Princess Ruian drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, and then stepped out from the table: "Father, I have a request. My husband's heart is no longer with me and our children. I beg you, Father, to grant me a divorce!"
Prince Consort Ruian never expected that the usually taciturn Princess Ruian would make a move at this moment. His face turned pale, and he knelt down deeply before Emperor Qinghe, not even daring to utter a word of defense.
This turn of events truly caught Emperor Qinghe off guard. He looked at the Prince Consort Ruian with a heavy gaze and said, "In that case, I will grant you a divorce. Please have your younger brothers look after you." After speaking, he looked at the princes and asked, "Do you have any objections?"
Princesses of the Ning Dynasty have always been more favored by Emperor Qinghe than unfavored princes. Each of their husbands was carefully selected by Emperor Qinghe. Now that they have all run into trouble, it really makes him unhappy. Doesn't this mean that his judgment is poor?
What annoyed him even more was that after he had said so much and expressed no objection, no one said anything more about it.
Emperor Qinghe clutched his chest, wondering how he could have been born with such a blockhead!
Seeing this, Yan Qingli stood up to share his burden: "Father, our brothers have already started their own families and careers. It's inevitable that there will be things we can't take care of. Why don't you take the trouble to look after us sisters?"
Emperor Qinghe's previously unpleasant expression softened into a slight smile: "You sly fox, haven't I gone to enough trouble for you?"
"Who told me to be greedy?" Yan Qingli said with a smile. "If Father Emperor has some free time, why not summon me to the palace more often to keep you company? As for Ruian, she is an orphan and a widow. Why don't you change my niece and nephew's surnames to their mother's, bestow a title upon them, and summon them to the palace more often to keep you company, so that Father Emperor can enjoy the pleasure of having his grandchildren around him?"
As long as one bears the imperial surname, their status will be vastly different. Given Emperor Qinghe's considerate nature towards his children, he may not have overlooked this point, but he simply did not want to bring it up himself.
Emperor Qinghe glanced at the princes below with disappointment. No one could hold onto such favors. An emperor could be ruthless and heartless, but he shouldn't just watch free benefits slip through his fingers.
He looked at Yan Qingli and said with a smile, "If that's the case, then so be it."
The only person in the world who truly understands him is this daughter, and thankfully, she's a daughter...
Princess Ruian glanced gratefully at Yan Qingli. Qiu Lanxi noticed this look. She remembered that Princess Ruian's mother seemed to be surnamed Tang, and her brother's legitimate son seemed to be the deputy general of the army led by Wang Baiying.
Realizing she might have stumbled upon a remarkable insight, Qiu Lanxi blinked and took a sip of tea.
Looking at it this way, it seems that Emperor Qinghe didn't really favor Yan Qingli that much?
Qiu Lanxi didn't think much of it. She glanced at Yan Qingli, whose expression didn't change at all. He ate and drank very naturally, and from time to time he would say to Emperor Qinghe, "This is good, Father, please try it," or "That is good, Father, please give me some so I can take it back."
But Emperor Qinghe was exactly susceptible to this, and was flattered and smiled broadly.
Noticing Qiu Lanxi's gaze, Yan Qingli's eyebrows twitched slightly. Seeing that the food in front of her was almost the same as when she arrived, she guessed that Qiu Lanxi was probably not used to it and therefore had little appetite in this environment. So she reached out and picked up a piece of rabbit meat for her.
Qiu Lanxi immediately smiled at her, the light in her eyes flickering in the candlelight like stars in the sky.
She paused for a moment, then lowered her head and took a sip of tea.
Qiu Lanxi glanced at it, her smile deepening.
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Author's Note:
Yan Qingli: Forced to be a submissive due to a lack of relevant knowledge.jpg
Chapter 9
Dining with the emperor, even if he is related to everyone present by blood, makes it difficult for anyone to feel comfortable. Emperor Qinghe was aware of this, so he left shortly after the matter was resolved, leaving everyone a chance to connect. However, the remaining princesses and princes clearly did not want to interact with their brothers and sisters, and they also left one after another after staying for a while.
Once back in Yan Qingli's eight-treasure sedan chair, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but review everything that had happened in the hall. They were undoubtedly surprised by her arrival, and a small number of them couldn't even hide their surprise and their expressions changed on the spot. Perhaps in their eyes, Qiu Lanxi sitting in the same position as them was nothing short of an insult.