After the imperial examination, there was a procession of wearing flowers and colorful decorations, parading from the palace gate to the guild hall to attend a banquet that had been prepared in advance. However, nowadays, going to the guild hall in Qiulanxi is no different from showing off one's power, but parading through the streets is definitely necessary.
Because of Yan Qingli's precedent, Qiu Lanxi didn't have to face the awkward situation of not having a special dress. She parted ways with Yan Qingli and quickly mounted a gentle horse.
These horses are led by people and have undergone professional training, so they will not be frightened even in the bustling city and will not cause a tragedy.
Many of the scholars felt rather awkward around Qiu Lanxi, but her social skills quickly came into play. This wasn't because they were particularly open-minded; rather, scholars who were focused on preparing for the imperial examinations and hoping to rise above their circumstances were generally quite naive and easily fooled.
Furthermore, Qiu Lanxi is beautiful. As long as she doesn't give others a hard time, it's difficult for others to speak ill of her. After all, under the ancient concept, no man would be so rude as to curse a woman, even if he was quite dissatisfied.
However, Qiu Lanxi didn't care. She didn't expect to get along well with these people. It was enough to just keep a polite appearance. In ancient times, people with unattractive appearances didn't even have a chance to become officials. If you could reduce people's dislike just by looking at them, then there was nothing wrong with using them.
Unfortunately, it's difficult for any preference to sway one's interests.
Moreover, it's not hard to guess that Qiu Lanxi will definitely be labeled a femme fatale who brings ruin to the country in the future. Yan Qingli will not take advantage of her, but Emperor Qinghe will not stop trying to pin the blame on her and clear himself of any wrongdoing. The current discussions are already a rare period of peace for her.
She didn't care about being seen as a witch. However, people's appearances are very deceptive. Qiu Lanxi felt that based on her face alone, some people would probably suspect that she was being slandered, because someone with such a face couldn't possibly bear the title of a femme fatale.
After parading through the streets and satisfying the curiosity of the people, Qiu Lanxi returned to her residence. As soon as she got back, she immediately relaxed, since maintaining a smiling face all the time was quite tiring.
After taking off her clothes, she went to the study, intending to thoroughly study the laws and regulations of the Great Ning Dynasty. This way, she would have a legitimate reason to criticize in the future and would not easily fall into the enemy's trap.
Although she believed that Yan Qingli would help her, she was more certain that if she stood upright, the enemy would have no way to attack her.
Yan Qingli did not disturb her. Emperor Qinghe had secretly brought a bombshell to the palace examination without telling everyone, and the subsequent impact needed to be monitored to prevent anyone from using it as a pretext. However, the most embarrassed person was undoubtedly the Crown Prince. Since Qiu Lanxi appeared, the previous rumors had been dispelled. In recent days, the Crown Prince had been subtly claiming that his position in Emperor Qinghe's heart was higher than Yan Qingli's, and had even fooled many people because of this. Naturally, the Crown Prince was inevitably somewhat embarrassed by this.
Because of his recent arrogance, many people are dissatisfied with him, and Yan Qingli can easily guess that he will likely have a difficult time in the future.
She's waiting to see what happens.
Yan Qingli busied herself with this, and only called Qiu Lanxi to have dinner after the sun went down, then silently watched her return to her room.
Logically speaking, they should avoid each other from today onwards. After all, since Qiu Lanxi became the Imperial Censor of Daning, their relationship could begin to be separated to a certain extent to avoid bringing nepotism into the court.
But she didn't say whether this represented a certain degree of tacit agreement.
She couldn't answer that question.
Chapter 52
When Yan Qingli returned to the room, she found Qiu Lanxi still lying on the table writing something. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that several charges were written on the paper.
Fabricated charges, crimes of harboring resentment, crimes of scholars not serving the ruler, crimes of deliberate intent...
She couldn't help but wonder, "What are you writing?"
Qiu Lanxi: "I'm practicing how to be a good femme fatale."
Yan Qingli: "...?"
Seeing that she was still confused, Qiu Lanxi explained the meaning of the crime to her. For example, "莫须有罪" means "there may be," which means "I think you will make a mistake in the future, so I kill you in advance."
Qiu Lanxi knew her place all too well; she was a weapon. However, she didn't intend to follow Emperor Qinghe's wishes because she didn't care how people would criticize her in the future. It was impossible for her to humble herself and endure hardship for the sake of a good reputation.
She's going to play big when she's going to play. Emperor Qinghe and his ilk always have to have a legitimate reason for their actions, so even when facing an opponent they want to bring down, they have to make sure they're on the right side. But she doesn't have to.
For Qiu Lanxi, as long as she can bring down her political enemies, she doesn't care how outrageous the methods are.
The idea that scholars should not serve the emperor was inspired by Qiu Lanxi's deep contemplation. When the half-saint left the court in anger, this practice attracted many scholars to follow suit. Whether they were truly disappointed or unable to survive in the officialdom, they all used this excuse to leave gracefully, and the emperor could not pursue the matter, as there had to be a legitimate reason for their actions.
The crime Qiu Lanxi conceived of, translated, means that having talent but not serving the emperor is also a crime.
It sounds outrageous, but Qiu Lanxi believes that Emperor Qinghe is very likely to adopt it, because this crime can both punish those scholar-officials who are outside the court but have a great reputation and can influence a group of scholars, and forcibly bring a group of envious talents into his fold.
Even though it was obvious to everyone that the charge was approved because it was in line with Emperor Qinghe's wishes, they would not hate the emperor, but would only be dissatisfied with Qiu Lanxi, the proposer.
Bullying the weak and fearing the strong is the instinct of most people; those who dare to defy authority are a minority. Moreover, those who make such suggestions are not innocent themselves.
Yan Qingli frowned disapprovingly: "How can you expect to survive like this?"
The existence of the waterwheel is enough to make people remember her good deeds. With this foundation, as long as she doesn't make any major mistakes, her eventual departure won't be too difficult. However, if her ideas are actually implemented, it's not hard to imagine how many people will hate her. They will wish for her death day and night, and various targeted methods will emerge.
"Why is there no way out?" Qiu Lanxi's smile remained unchanged. "As long as you're the one who ends up in power, surely Qing Li will protect me?"
Those who jump high often meet tragic ends, simply because the people behind them fall from power. But for Qiu Lanxi, she didn't have many options left; Yan Qingli was the only one she could rely on.
She wasn't sure if Yan Qingli would eventually ascend to the throne, because her relationship with Emperor Qinghe was genuine. So Qiu Lanxi was certain that Yan Qingli wouldn't do anything like forcing the emperor to abdicate. Even if she really wanted to, she would probably wait until the new emperor took the throne. But Qiu Lanxi didn't want to wait that long, nor did she want to leave her affairs to others.
She was like dry tinder that had been ignited, a raging fire that was hard to extinguish, and she had long since gone from one extreme to another.
Yan Qingli disagreed with her idea; even she herself couldn't be sure that she would ultimately be victorious.
"Your Highness, please don't frown, it doesn't look good." Qiu Lanxi smiled and gently smoothed her furrowed brows.
Yan Qingli sighed softly, but didn't say anything more, only saying, "As long as you're happy."
These words contain an untold sense of helplessness.
If it were anyone else, Yan Qingli would never have done this. After all, in terms of status, who could be more powerful than her? Everyone is limited by their status, so naturally no one could take the initiative with her.
But Qiu Lanxi is different. Even if Yan Qingli doesn't understand people's hearts, she can tell that Qiu Lanxi is more responsive to gentleness than force. Moreover, even if you don't say anything, it's hard for her not to notice, as if she has seen through you.
"Of course I'm happy." Qiu Lanxi's eyes crinkled into a smile. In this era, she wouldn't feel guilty if anyone was unhappy.
Perhaps in the eyes of people of this era, they never think that there is anything wrong with their own thinking. It is unfair to judge them with modern ideas. But people are exclusive. Since Emperor Qinghe gave her this opportunity, why can't she make good use of it to eliminate dissidents?
Of course, strictly speaking, Qiu Lanxi doesn't really have any political enemies, because she can't possibly like any of the men in the court. But if you're talking about conflicts so great that she wishes the other person dead, that's not true either. She's just a knife, and who she wields it against depends entirely on the wielder's will. But she is also a being with her own thoughts, so she will help Yan Qingli eliminate dissidents without crossing Emperor Qinghe's bottom line.
After all, at least for now, they don't have any differences in their beliefs.
Yan Qingli couldn't stop Qiu Lanxi's actions. She touched Qiu Lanxi's hair and said softly, "Go to sleep. You have to go to court tomorrow morning."
The outcome of the palace examination only slightly affects one's position, and the impact is not significant except for the top few, because everything is already decided during the provincial examination. Due to the previous war, Da Ning abolished the practice of attending court for three days after the palace examination, and people usually had to report for duty on the second day.
Qiu Lanxi blinked: "I'm too excited to sleep."
Despite her apparent excitement, Yan Qingli couldn't detect any trace of it on her face.
Qiu Lanxi smiled and said, "Your Highness, have a drink with me."
Yan Qingli hesitated for a moment, but then thought that she had internal energy, so even if the other party was drunk, it wouldn't be a big deal. Moreover, because of the Qionglin Banquet after the palace examination, there were always students who got drunk and missed the event the next day. Da Ning was not heartless. After all, the three-day rest period was canceled, so the morning court session on the second day was usually changed to a later time.
Thinking of this, she nodded and had someone bring over some wine and water.
Qiu Lanxi doesn't drink much alcohol, and mostly drinks fruit beer. Fortunately, the alcohol content of the beer isn't high either. She tasted it and thought it was alright. After all, it's from the princess's residence, so the taste couldn't be too bad.
She didn't think she was drunk, but Yan Qingli could see clearly that after just a few sips, she was already feeling quite tipsy.
The cool moonlight made her features appear even more exquisite. Qiu Lanxi raised her cup to the distant full moon, wondering if anyone in her faraway hometown would offer her a toast on the anniversary of her death.
Qiu Lanxi, who rejected this era, eventually came to terms with reality and accepted the fact that she had changed from a citizen with the nationality of the People's Republic of China to an ordinary citizen.
She will either change the times or be destroyed by them; she will not accept a third possibility.
"Why are you crying?" Yan Qingli looked at the full moon and vaguely guessed what was going on.
“I miss home,” Qiu Lanxi wiped away her tears, turned around, and looked at her seriously. “I have a question for you.”
Yan Qingli took her wine glass: "Ask away."
"do you like me?"
Love is too heavy. For Qiu Lanxi, liking is enough. Humans are social animals. She needs to open up her heart. Otherwise, being out of step with the times will drive her crazy.
This is not about treating an illness, but rather an attempt to understand the times.
Yan Qingli paused for a moment. Nowadays, people express their feelings quite subtly, often using metaphors or objects. To be more direct, they would bypass the person in question and directly ask a matchmaker to propose marriage. She unconsciously tensed up and said softly, "I like it."
"Then let's date." Qiu Lanxi made the decision immediately. She didn't think it was hasty, after all, there was a foundation of feelings between them that couldn't be denied.
Besides, it's just dating. Isn't this stage all about whether you like someone or not? Only by getting to know each other better on this basis can you possibly prepare to spend your life together. Qiu Lanxi never made any moves before because there was still the hurdle of the imperial examination. She hadn't even established herself yet. Talking about feelings would only make her uncomfortable.
She would often say strange things, and Yan Qingli could roughly understand what she meant, so she couldn't help but smile.
Qiu Lanxi stood up and moved closer to her, placing her hand on her shoulder and gently breathing into her ear: "Two of the three joys of life are here today, Your Highness, why don't we celebrate?"
"You're drunk." Sensing her movement, Yan Qingli tilted her head slightly, the moonlight reflecting on the lake, silently observing everything.
"Shh, Your Highness, don't make a sound. What if we attract attention?"
After she finished speaking, he gave her a light kiss on the corner of her lips, and then they became intimate and passionate.
Yan Qingli didn't think he could wake her up, so he reached out and hugged her. Afraid of encountering servants, he climbed through the window like a thief and went into the house.
Qiu Lanxi grabbed her collar and leaned against the windowsill: "Don't go, it's too dark to see clearly."
Yan Qingli: "…………"
She didn't know what she wanted to see clearly. She silently closed the window. It was obviously irrational to reason with a drunkard. He grabbed her collar and left delicate kisses on her chin and neck.
As she moved, Yan Qingli's eyes grew increasingly deep, and she suddenly raised her hand to press down on her.
Qiu Lanxi tilted her head, pulled off her belt, and ran her fingertips across her snow-white skin: "Kiss here."
Yan Qingli was not a proactive person. Sometimes Qiu Lanxi even had the illusion that she was bullying an innocent girl because she neither laid a hand on her nor made a sound. Most of the time, Qiu Lanxi would strip her naked while still wearing her own clothes. This was exactly what she had said in the carriage, showing her wanton and unrestrained behavior.
But clearly, she wasn't a very open-minded person.
Yan Qingli was speechless. Qiu Lanxi, who was no longer pretending, was almost shameless after letting loose. But she didn't expect that she could be even more unrestrained after getting drunk.
Seemingly impatient, she even complained, "Hurry up!"
Yan Qingli obediently moved closer, but her hands were clenched tightly and placed at her sides with restraint, her tense body curving into a beautiful arc.
Delicate fingers traced the roughness of her back, but soon she grew impatient, her wet eyes widening like a curious student, scrutinizing every detail by moonlight, trying to get to the bottom of things.
She was like a patient teacher, instructing her on how to conquer and expand her territory.
Chapter 53
When Qiu Lanxi woke up the next day, her head still hurt a little. She hadn't expected her body to have such a low alcohol tolerance; she couldn't handle even a small amount of alcohol.
However, I sweated a lot during the evening exercise, so I didn't feel too uncomfortable at the time.
She sat up, a little dazed, her skin exposed to the cool air.
Yan Qingli was a light sleeper. When she realized that she was awake, she couldn't help but reach out and cover her head: "Are you feeling unwell?"
In fact, Yan Qingli had already thought of this problem yesterday, but Qiu Lanxi did not drink the hangover soup that she had prepared, because she thought it tasted bad. In the end, she only drank some water. Yan Qingli thought that since the other party did not drink much, she did not force her. Now she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
Qiu Lanxi shook her head, vaguely remembering what had happened yesterday: she had been with Yan Qingli.