Qiu Lanxi nodded in understanding, so now she could act cute while getting things done. In essence, she was still a mascot, but as long as she didn't go too far, Emperor Qinghe could choose to tolerate it.
"Your Highness, you are truly amazing," Qiu Lanxi exclaimed sincerely.
In modern times, Qiu Lanxi is considered successful in her career, running a small clinic. However, she has a typical mindset of being content with a modest life and has never thought about expanding or strengthening her business. If she were in the same position as Yan Qingli, she would be even less willing to risk a bloody defeat.
In a patriarchal society, the risks of what Yan Qingli wanted to do were undoubtedly enormous. Given her current status, even if other princes were to ascend the throne, they would still have to treat her with respect, which would be enough to allow her to live a carefree life. However, she chose to climb a steep mountain peak where one wrong step could lead to utter ruin.
Her tone showed no disapproval of such a shocking event. Yan Qingli's eyebrows twitched slightly, and after a moment of silence, she looked into the distance: "If I were so capable, I should have been made the Crown Princess long ago."
“I don’t think so,” Qiu Lanxi retorted. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Your Highness, being pushed to the top by others is like building a castle in the air. How can that compare to taking one step at a time? To put it bluntly, how many crown princes in this world actually live to ascend the throne?”
“That’s an interesting point.” Yan Qingli chuckled briefly, her brows furrowing slightly. “If I were to ascend to the throne, my beloved father, my loving brothers, my respected teachers… everyone would betray me.”
Qiu Lanxi listened quietly, knowing that the other person didn't actually need comforting.
Yan Qingli gazed into the distance: "Having chosen this path, I will not back down. I'm just thinking, what if I fall..."
Qiu Lanxi took her hand and said, "If Your Highness falls, there will be thousands upon thousands of Your Highnesses who will rise up."
In fact, Qiu Lanxi knew very well that if Yan Qingli failed, the status of women would inevitably be even lower, because men would be afraid of another Yan Qingli appearing, so they would choose to suppress them. But people are like springs, and there will always be a time when they hit rock bottom and bounce back.
People will rebel when they can't make a living, and women will naturally rebel when they can't make a living. The most terrifying thing is not failure, but the absence of hope. As long as the flame of hope is not extinguished, even if Yan Qingli fails, with her as a precedent, ambitious successors will inevitably be more cautious.
Qiu Lanxi didn't know why Yan Qingli was so moved. Perhaps he had heard something, or perhaps the army's takeover was not going smoothly. She turned to look at Yan Qingli: "Is Your Highness going to give up just because you are afraid of the consequences of failure?"
Yan Qingli wasn't afraid of ending up with her head separated from her body; she was only afraid that she would harm all the women in the world because of her.
She raised her hand and pinched Qiu Lanxi's delicate face. The touch was smooth and silky, and she couldn't help but smile faintly: "Qingqing is right. If men can go, so can I."
Qiu Lanxi's cheeks ached from being pinched. Looking at the smile on Yan Qingli's lips, only one thought occupied her mind—
We've fallen for their trap!
Chapter 11
Qiu Lanxi was a little annoyed with her own recklessness.
Come to think of it, how could someone with such lofty aspirations and strategic acumen easily waver in their beliefs and then confide in someone they don't fully trust?
It's just that concern can cloud judgment. There has never been a female emperor in this world, unlike Qiu Lanxi, who had an empress in her previous life. As a pioneer, Yan Qingli naturally admires Qiu Lanxi and does not want her to waver in her will.
So when she saw the other person was discouraged, she immediately wanted to encourage her and help her cheer up.
However, despite this, Qiu Lanxi did not want to get too involved. Being the other party's tool was fine, but it was impossible for her to devote all her efforts to it.
She didn't want to take that risk, because pioneers rarely had a good ending.
Yan Qingli clearly wanted Qiu Lanxi to be "of the same mind" as him. After all, Qiu Lanxi was someone who was out in the open. If she were to become one of his own, it would undoubtedly make things easier for her.
But if that were to happen, Qiulanxi would truly become a 'femme fatale,' and how many of the femme fatales in history had a good end?
Qiu Lanxi never believed in the integrity of ambitious people. Maybe she would bear all the blame and Yan Qingli would kill her as soon as he took power to appease public anger?
The only thing Qiu Lanxi couldn't understand was why Yan Qingli would do this if she didn't need to be "like-minded" with him.
Does she think she looks like a 'revolutionary comrade'?
If Yan Qingli really thought that way, then she would probably be disappointed, because she really was a coward who clung to life.
Qiu Lanxi lowered her eyes and unconsciously withdrew her hand.
Seeing that she had retracted her tentacles, Yan Qingli didn't care, and the smile on her lips deepened.
As Qiu Lanxi thought, Yan Qingli had never wavered. If she didn't have this much awareness, how could she have embarked on this path? She wasn't the kind of person who would rush into things on a whim.
The reason she confided her 'true feelings' to Qiu Lanxi was not because of the filthy thoughts Qiu Lanxi imagined.
Yan Qingli simply wanted to find out what was really going on in the mind of this girl who didn't seem like someone who was raised in seclusion and knew nothing.
The answer wasn't actually important, nor could it shake Yan Qingli's decision, but she was simply curious.
Aside from being extremely cautious in his pursuit of power, Yan Qingli has always been quite willful.
Qiu Lanxi found a comfortable position to lean against her. Yan Qingli waited for a moment, and seeing that she had no interest in speaking, she glanced at the trembling hairpin swaying by her hair, reached out to straighten it, and asked, "Don't you want to go shopping anymore?"
"I still want to," Qiu Lanxi said softly, biting her lip slightly. "I don't have the lofty ambitions of Your Highness. I just want to live a more carefree life. A thatched cottage by the stream, a dreamlike paradise—that's what my heart desires."
As she spoke, her eyes softened, brimming with tears, revealing the longing in her heart.
Yan Qingli knew what she meant, narrowed her eyes slightly, looked away and said calmly, "There are some nice scenic spots in the capital. I'll accompany you for a walk."
Having said that, she turned her horse around and accompanied Qiu Lanxi to visit several places that scholars often went to for sightseeing.
Yan Qingli was not actually a silent person. Her speech might not be considered interesting, but she was well-read and could quote various allusions with ease. Qiu Lanxi listened with great interest and couldn't help but think that if she were just a young girl who had just graduated, even if she was straight, she would probably be moved by someone like her.
Especially as an ancient person, Yan Qingli never cared about the opinions of others. Whether the people around her were commoners or nobles, she could show an intimate attitude without any concern. However, time will tell. Her condescension was too beautiful and dreamlike, which is why it seemed unreal.
Qiu Lanxi didn't mind being used by Yan Qingli at all, since she had no power to resist. But she would rather not wholeheartedly contribute to Yan Qingli's career.
Living is indeed a wonderful thing, but if you make your life so tiring, you might as well be dead.
After wandering around outside, the two returned to the princess's residence by nightfall. Qiu Lanxi's mood improved considerably after looking at the scenery. Yan Qingli led the horse ahead, while Qiu Lanxi sat on the horse and thought that the scenery they had seen outside today was actually not as good as that inside the princess's residence.
After all, most of the good places in the capital had already been acquired by the powerful and wealthy.
Princess Yan Qingli's residence was specially bestowed by Emperor Qinghe, and it was a scenic spot at every turn. There were quite a few places that exceeded the bounds of propriety, but obviously no one cared about these things.
After walking past a beautiful little lake, Yan Qingli reached out to help Qiu Lanxi down, but suddenly a gaunt-looking person appeared out of nowhere and knelt down in front of Yan Qingli with a thud.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, please believe me! I truly did nothing to betray you! Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life!"
Qiu Lanxi glanced at Yan Qingli, whose face remained calm, and then looked down at the maid who was frantically kowtowing as if she felt no pain. Her dirty clothes were made of decent material, and even though she was a maid, she must have lived a better life than some daughters of ordinary families.
It was only then that Qiu Lanxi suddenly realized that Yan Qingli's only maidservants who frequently appeared around her were Chun Su and a nanny. What about the other maidservants?
Seeing the bloodstains on the other person's face, Yan Qingli calmly said, "Alright, there's no need to kowtow anymore."
The maid, her face covered in blood, paused, unsure whether to listen or not. Before she could make up her mind, someone hurried over and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I was careless and she escaped."
Qiu Lanxi looked at the newcomer and immediately remembered that she was the maid who had been with Yan Qingli in Xunyan Alley. The maid's blood-stained broadsword had left a deep impression on her.
"Take him away." Yan Qingli led the horse past the other person. Qiu Lanxi vaguely heard the screams that could only be made after a person's mouth was covered and the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. She resisted the urge to turn around and pretended that she had not experienced this episode.
After letting Qiu Lanxi off the horse, Yan Qingli went into the inner room to change her clothes. Judging from Qiu Lanxi's behavior towards the servants of the princess's residence, she vaguely felt that it was unlikely that the guards would be released due to negligence. However, her shallow understanding of the princess's residence could not represent the truth, so she did not think too much about it.
When Yan Qingli came out, her hair, which had been tied up, was now down, making her look more gentle. She took Qiu Lanxi's hand and went to have a meal together, without mentioning the incident. It wasn't until they were walking in the garden to digest their food that she heard Qiu Lanxi ask, "Qingqing, aren't you curious about who that woman who ran away today was?"
"I'm not curious!" As if realizing she had spoken too hastily, her eyelashes fluttered slightly. "She must have done something to offend His Highness to be locked up. Wrong is wrong. Does it mean she's right just because she has her reasons?"
As for the use of vigilante justice, Qiu Lanxi thought that the more she knew, the faster she would die, so she wasn't curious at all.
However, upon seeing Yan Qingli's gaze, Qiu Lanxi suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
As expected, Qiu Lanxi watched as Yan Qingli uttered a few words: "Qingqing is my beloved. How could I hide such a trivial matter from her? Why don't you come with me?"
Chapter 12
The dimly lit, secret room was like the gaping maw of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey. Apart from the dim candlelight, there was no other light source in the room, and the shadows cast by the candlelight made the people look like monstrous demons from hell.
Qiu Lanxi, her face pale, was led into the room by Yan Qingli. The dirty water on the ground splashed up, staining her pearl-embroidered shoes with unsightly dark stains. She stared at the gloomy environment of the secret room, and the light blue veins under her snow-white skin became more prominent due to her pale face.
Although Yan Qingli asked her if she wanted to come, her eyes and actions clearly indicated that she absolutely had to go. Qiu Lanxi couldn't understand it. She didn't seem to have reached the point where the other party trusted her to such an extent, right? How dare she let her come?
and……
As Qiu Lanxi thought about the potentially explicit scenes that might appear, and the bloodshed she had witnessed on her very first day in this world, her face paled even more.
You have to understand, if she weren't a psychologist who could adjust her mindset, the scene from that day alone would have been enough to break her.
After walking several dozen steps through the spacious passage, the two finally arrived at a not-so-clean room. The floor was covered with a thin layer of sewage, so dark that Qiu Lanxi couldn't tell whether it was sewage or blood.
Across from the doorway, a person was chained up, his feet barely touching the ground, unable to relax. Clumps of hair hung down his cheeks, and bloodstains were visible on the skin beneath his undergarments.
This is not the maid who ran out today.
Yan Qingli led Qiu Lanxi to a table. The solid wood carved table and the exquisite cups on it seemed a bit out of place with the surrounding environment. She leisurely sat there and poured Qiu Lanxi a cup of hot tea. However, while she was pouring the tea, the guards brought someone over and threw them in front of Yan Qingli.
Hearing the clanking of the chains on the other person's body, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but shudder.
Yan Qingli walked over, not caring at all that the sewage had stained her gorgeous outer robe. With her red nail polish on her hand, she grabbed the prisoner's hair, forcing the already powerless prisoner to look up at her. Her tone was regretful: "Qiushi, you missed your last chance to live."
Qiu Shi opened her eyes wide in fear, making futile "ho ho" sounds. Only then did Qiu Lanxi notice that she seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Yet, just a short while ago, she was kneeling in front of Yan Qingli begging for mercy.
Qiu Lanxi suddenly realized that Qiu Shi's "escape" might have been at Yan Qingli's behest, out of consideration for their past relationship. If she revealed the mastermind behind it all, Yan Qingli would give her a way out. After all, begging for mercy in front of her former master might not be so hard for him, but confessing to a servant might not be so easy.
It's also possible that Yan Qingli wanted to see if the other party would risk their life to contact someone else to spread the news of her exposure, so as to eradicate the other party's power completely.
Looking at this terrifying scene, Qiu Lanxi suddenly wondered if she herself, who could calmly analyze the situation, was also terrifying?
Yan Qingli loosened her grip, watching Qiu Shi's head fall back into the sewage. Her sharp eyes remained calm and unwavering. In the blink of an eye, someone emerged from the darkness and dragged Qiu Shi back down.
She straightened up, looked at the maid who was being hung up, and said unhurriedly, "Qiu Shi is a tough nut to crack, so what about you, Xia Chan?"
According to what Qiu Lanxi learned from the maids in the princess's mansion, Yan Qingli dislikes people getting close to her, so she only has four head maids and one nanny. The four head maids are named after the four seasons, but surprisingly, two of them have problems.
The confusion in her heart did not affect Qiu Lanxi's behavior. She silently handed her handkerchief to Yan Qingli, who was frowning as she looked at her hand. However, her hand was not steady, as if this action had exhausted all her strength.
Yan Qingli glanced at her, calmly looked away, and continued, "But what I dislike most are stubborn people. I heard that you have an older brother who works in the palace, and a younger sister who married Butcher Wang from Yong'an Lane?"
She chuckled: "Since you're so stubborn, you'd better stay stubborn forever!"
Xia Chan looked at Yan Qingli in fear, unable to understand how the other party had dug her up when she had never contacted them or spoken a word to them!
Yan Qingli smiled and said, "You all better treat her well, and make sure she doesn't die. What if Father Emperor wants to see her?"
She looked at Qiu Lanxi, raised her eyebrows slightly, and smiled: "Qingqing, let's go."
Qiu Lanxi looked at her awkwardly and said dryly, "Your Highness, my legs are weak."
Although her experiences on the frontier raised Qiu Lanxi's tolerance for bloodshed, it didn't mean she wasn't afraid of such scenes. On the contrary, she was terrified, especially since the person responsible for all of this was not someone else, but her husband.
Yan Qingli chuckled and shook her head, saying, "It seems I didn't consider this carefully."
She walked over and picked up Qiu Lanxi. The other woman, who knew exactly how to take advantage of the situation, immediately wrapped her arms around her, her trembling eyelashes brushing against her neck, causing a slight tickle.
Taking advantage of the fact that Yan Qingli couldn't see her, Qiu Lanxi's tired brows were full of thought.
Yan Qingli couldn't have brought her here for no reason, and it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. She had heard Chun Su say that the maids around the other party had been with her since they were very young, and the fact that they could lay a trap so far in advance didn't seem like something from within the Ning Dynasty. After all, she was just a princess no matter what.
In other words, it was the State of Teng?