But because of this trend, some bold women also dared to discuss their appearances in private, just like men, which is what is known as 'good reputation'.
In the eyes of some women who want to open a household, there is nothing wrong with marrying a man with a good reputation and having a harmonious marriage.
But both men and women clearly prefer to become famous through their abilities, especially men in this era. If they had a choice, why would they choose to become famous through their looks?
The Crown Princess was a very good-tempered person. She really thought about it seriously before saying, "Perhaps you have a point," she continued, "but isn't the initial attraction between two people based on their first impressions of each other?"
“But there is a difference between people’s imagination and reality,” Qiu Lanxi said. “You don’t understand it deeply enough. What will you do if one day it doesn’t match your imagination?”
The Crown Princess calmly replied, "I am the Crown Princess."
Because she is the crown princess, most people will choose to cater to her preferences. Why should she consider what she should do in that situation? That's something for the other party to consider.
Qiu Lanxi blinked, somewhat satisfied with her answer. She didn't really care whether the Crown Princess wanted a lifelong monogamous relationship or a harem of three thousand, as long as she wasn't love-struck.
“However, you are right, I will reconsider this matter.” The Crown Princess added with a smile, then asked curiously, “Did Mother and Empress Dowager ever argue about the marriage?”
After the Crown Princess was confirmed, she was adopted by Yan Qingli, so she could also call Qiu Lanxi her mother.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Lanxi guessed that the Crown Princess and that person had probably had a disagreement about married life. She asked, "What did they disagree about?"
"It's just..." The Crown Princess thought for a moment, biting her pen, before saying, "It's about making you give up your rights and go home to be a wife and mother."
Many female officials gradually face this dilemma after entering the court. Not everyone is averse to marriage and childlessness, so the choice of marriage is especially important, since in this era, continuing the family line is of paramount importance.
“Everyone has things they are unwilling to give up,” Qiu Lanxi said. “For me, my career is more important.”
“But what’s the point if what you’re unwilling to give up is readily available to someone else?” the Crown Princess said subconsciously. “I am the future emperor of Da Ning. What difference does it make whether he gets one more or one less of what he wants?”
The Crown Princess seemed confused: "Not everyone is like you, Mother. Losing you would be a loss for Da Ning."
“It is already a rare and precious thing for a person to have something they are unwilling to give up,” Yan Qingli walked in from somewhere. “Different ideas do not need to be forced to merge, as long as one can take on the corresponding responsibilities.”
"Mother Empress." The Crown Princess bowed to her before sitting down again. "But your son has the ability to forcefully merge with her."
“Then you can go.” Yan Qingli did not insist that the crown prince must share her views, “but I hope you will not take the other’s sacrifices for granted.”
"Hmm?" The Crown Princess was a little confused. The powerful and wealthy were high above and took everything for granted. She was smart enough, but she had long been used to enjoying the sacrifices of others.
She pondered for a moment before nodding and saying, "That's how it should be. If we don't show compassion, it will easily lead to disloyalty and alienation."
She took Yan Qingli's words and extended them to the political arena, thinking that Yan Qingli was teaching her the way of being a ruler. Yan Qingli didn't care how she interpreted it, and went over to support Qiu Lanxi's waist: "Are you tired?"
Qiu Lanxi moved her hand up a little: "It's sore here."
Yan Qingli massaged it as instructed.
The Crown Princess glanced at Qiu Lanxi, who had been burdened with most of the official duties and was idly reading a storybook, and ruthlessly interrupted them: "Did Mother also sacrifice herself for the Empress back then?"
In Daning, their story can be considered a love myth; the Crown Princess had never seen couples who got along like them.
“No,” Qiu Lanxi said. “Every decision I make is based on various considerations; there is no question of sacrifice.”
Yan Qingli, however, said, "She sacrificed a great deal."
The princess looked around, unsure of whom to believe.
Yan Qingli held Qiu Lanxi's hand: "I don't care about arranged marriages. Who you want to find is your own business. Just tell me the result. There's no need to think about whether you want to follow my example. I'm different from you."
She frankly said, "It's not that Qingqing needs me, it's that I can't live without her. I'm willing to go to her, not the other way around. Can you do that?"
Yan Qingli knew that many people in the capital had suddenly become devoted lovers because of her, but objectively speaking, this was very difficult to do. Everyone is an independent individual, and it is better to respect one's own preferences than to imitate others.
After all, if you can't hold it in and end up contradicting yourself, it's better to be open and honest from the start.
The Crown Princess, like her father, was clearly not a devoted lover. Prince Fu was willing to die for the County Magistrate of Danxiang, but after only a year, he was willing to die for another person. His devotion to one person could only last for two or three years.
The Crown Princess was not her biological daughter, so even though she appeared confident to the outside world, she would still consider Yan Qingli's thoughts in every step she took. Historically, there were crown princes who were deposed because "this child is not good enough for me".
The Crown Princess didn't know if she could do this, but she knew she definitely wouldn't want to. The Minister's son was handsome, the General's eldest son was beautiful, and even the concubine's son she now favored was equally handsome. However, Yan Qingli had no outsiders around her, so it was hard for the Crown Princess not to care about what the other party thought.
"Your subject understands, thank you for your guidance, Mother Empress." The Crown Princess knelt down respectfully and kowtowed. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so cautious. The heir chosen from among dozens of imperial relatives must be hard to find a second like her.
The sun shone brightly outside. The Crown Princess paused, turning back to look into the palace. True love was rare indeed; she had longed for it, she had envied it, but ultimately, she possessed too much, and the temptations of the world were too numerous. She couldn't bear to give up just one, so she was destined never to become someone like her mother, the Empress.
But if such a thing were not rare in the world, it would not be worthy of praise.
She is the noble crown prince of Da Ning, and the crown princess favored by the Empress Dowager. Why should she ask for everything to be perfect?
Even the moon has its phases.
Inside the room, Qiu Lanxi was a little confused by what he was being said: "Can't you live without me?"
Yan Qingli felt a little embarrassed.
Qiu Lanxi pressed for details: "How indispensable are you?"
Even when she had to confide in the Crown Princess, Qiu Lanxi thought she would never speak again, but then she heard her softly say, "Better than yesterday, but slightly lacking for tomorrow."
She couldn't help but smile, her eyes narrowing slightly: "Your Highness's sweet words are still so lovely."
Yan Qingli just smiled.
She silently corrected herself in her mind: it wasn't sweet talk, it was the truth.
Chapter 65 Extra Five
"thump--"
The loud splash seemed to instantly pull her soul back from its reverie. Qiu Lanxi regained her senses and easily retrieved the scene from her memory, as clear as if it were yesterday.
Suicide attempts to jump off the Dongsheng Bridge are common. In the early morning, there are few people, but the fog is thick. Qiu Lanxi lay on the edge of the bridge, knowing that her mother would soon drown while trying to save someone, and that she could do nothing to change anything. If she jumped, the only outcome would be another person drowning here.
She was still somewhat dazed. It was already an accident for a person to have a second life, but she never expected that there would be a third.
Although she was quite dissatisfied with her environment and situation after she traveled back in time, she eventually integrated into it and died without any resentment. Now that she has suddenly returned, what should she do for the rest of her life?
Qiu Lanxi didn't think much of it. She shouted for help and took out her phone to make a call. This was something she had done in her past life, but in reality, it couldn't save anything.
She stared at the misty water, and unexpectedly, two overlapping figures struggled to reach the shore.
Qiu Lanxi instinctively jumped in.
With parents who were in the military, Qiu Lanxi had excellent athletic ability from a young age. However, there is a big difference between the bodies of minors and adults, and she knew this at the time, so she did not overestimate her abilities and do anything.
She seems to have been very calm since she was a child.
But she hasn't changed anything, so what caused all of this?
What was the name of the child my mother saved in my past life?
It seems... his surname is Yan?
Qiu Lanxi didn't remember. Her body's instinctive protective measures made her refuse to pay attention to anything about that person. She hadn't seen him since the funeral. Her heart was pounding more violently than ever before, and an uncontrollable expectation was growing in her heart.
As if sensing her urgency, the girl suddenly turned around, her wet hair dripping water droplets. With a furrowed brow and raised eyes, she found her home in her deep, expressive eyes.
Qiu Lanxi reached out and hugged her, but Yan Qingli hesitated and pushed her away, saying, "You'll catch a cold."
Outsider Qiu's mother: "...?"
...
…………
Qiu Lanxi had never actually talked to Yan Qingli about the world she once lived in, but Yan Qingli had a vague idea of it.
After all, the things she brought out were too incredible. It wasn't that Qiu Lanxi couldn't do them, but many of them clearly required a lot of manual labor to produce a finished product, yet she seemed to have seen the outcome from the very beginning.
It's impossible to achieve this level of knowledge unless one is born with it.
But Yan Qingli never asked, as it was pointless and would only evoke painful memories. However, Yan Qingli had indeed been saddened by it.
It wasn't that she cared that Qiu Lanxi didn't tell her, but rather the gap between them.
In Yan Qingli's time, this situation was usually explained by the reincarnation of immortals undergoing tribulations. Yan Qingli naturally couldn't escape this way of thinking. Qiu Lanxi thought that she was uneasy because she was getting old, but she was actually just afraid that many years later, when she was old and she passed away, she would no longer remember that there was such a person as herself in her long life.
It was not in her style to be sentimental about something so baseless, so Yan Qingli never told anyone. Now that she had suddenly entered the other person's world, she suddenly understood why she always felt that Qiu Lanxi was out of place in the world.
Many things here are beyond Yan Qingli's imagination. She has fantasized about what the world will be like thousands of years from now, but even her imagination seems inadequate compared to this place.
Fortunately, Yan Qingli is a very adaptable person. Although everything around her was unfamiliar, she gradually adapted.
Qiu Lanxi was also very concerned about her mental state. It's hard to leave one's homeland, and suddenly being moved to a completely unfamiliar environment can cause problems, even for a mentally strong person.
Yan Qingli did initially show a very strong dependence on her. This is something that is hard to avoid when you only have one familiar person in the whole world. However, she is a very rational and independent person and was not troubled by this state for long.
The only regret is that there is no internal energy in Qiu Lanxi's world. No matter how Yan Qingli cultivates, she cannot change this fundamental law. This allows them to embrace each other without any worries, and also allows Qiu Lanxi to develop more interesting ways to play.
But Yan Qingli was always tolerant; she never seemed to be able to be cruel to her.
...
As an undeniable genius, Yan Qingli's learning ability goes without saying. In this world, she is five years older than Qiu Lanxi, so she took the college entrance examination early. Qiu Lanxi was not nervous about her college entrance examination; she was just curious: "What do you want to do in the future?"
Yan Qingli already had an idea, and without hesitation, she said, "Let's design an aircraft and take it to the sky."
Humans seem to have had an inexplicable desire to conquer the sky since ancient times. There are many things in this world that Yan Qingli wants to explore, but what she desires most is the world beyond.
Qiu Lanxi was a little surprised when she heard this: "I thought you would want to go into politics."
After all, this was something she was used to doing and didn't find it tedious.
Yan Qingli spoke frankly: "Because there is no need for reform here."
Or rather, there's no shortage of her here. Although there are still many conflicts, it's already quite good. On the fourth day after Yan Qingli came to this world, she used Qiu Lanxi's New Year's money to buy several books on laws and regulations. The rules made her feel good about this world from the very beginning.
Although... she never imagined that one day the emperor would disappear.
Qiu Lanxi hummed in response, not dwelling on the issue for long, since the other person wasn't irrational. She quickly shifted her focus to another question: "If you get involved in some important project, will we never see you again?"
Yan Qingli was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. In ancient times, when craftsmen were designing something, they would even kill the craftsmen after the product was made in order to keep it a secret. Although it is not the case in modern times, it is clear that in order to keep secrets, they would also prevent the other party from contacting the outside world.
She lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "There are also letters."
She paused for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry."
Qiu Lanxi said helplessly, "I didn't say anything."
No one dictates that loving someone means sacrificing your own dreams; that would be too unfair to the other person. She loves her, but she won't give up herself for her; it's only natural that she'll feel reluctant to part with her.
She rested her chin on her hand and looked at her: "Just do whatever you want, after all, I have things I want to do too."
Qiu Lanxi had no intention of repeating her past path. It wasn't that she was bored; objectively speaking, she had been quite successful in her previous life. However, many patients were difficult to cure even after taking medication, often leaving her feeling exhausted. Most of the patients Qiu Lanxi treated had physiological causes rather than pathological ones. Even so, she often felt breathless and needed to travel to relax and relieve the symptoms.