Yan Qingli felt uncomfortable when she called her own name. For some reason, when she used her original way of addressing her, Yan Qingli's body tensed up even more.
"Your Highness is a good person."
Qiu Lanxi said calmly that this was not a friend-zone gesture; she just felt that she didn't have the self-control to not want to get to know someone like that better.
She definitely broke down.
Yan Qingli was stunned, not understanding why she would say that, and why she stopped talking after saying that.
but……
She looked down at the overlapping shadows of the two people on the ground and smiled faintly.
It should be a good thing, right?
Chapter 46
While sleeping, Qiu Lanxi did nothing with Yan Qingli. She preferred the feeling of things progressing naturally. Sometimes, just embracing each other was enough to bring her an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
The second day was not a day off, so Yan Qingli went to court early.
Qiu Lanxi asked Chun Su to keep an eye on the news.
If she's not mistaken, Yan Qingli will likely face difficulties at court this time, since she has angered an emperor, and emperors rarely refrain from criticizing others when they are in a bad mood.
While Yan Qingli could wait until Emperor Qinghe's anger subsided before returning, that would undoubtedly be the worst approach. Although returning now would be somewhat difficult, Emperor Qinghe would have an outlet for his pent-up frustration, and after a while, he would feel guilty about it.
Because Yan Qingli never contradicted him, Emperor Qinghe would gradually begin to remember her good qualities. At that time, his feelings for Yan Qingli would gradually take over, and his hatred would naturally shift towards Qiu Lanxi.
Qiu Lanxi used to be terrified by the power that Emperor Qinghe represented, but now she doesn't care. She knows that her chances of failure are much higher than Yan Qingli's, but she doesn't care. At least during this period, she wants to help Yan Qingli as much as possible.
Between her and her, one of them should have a more comfortable life.
Qiu Lanxi felt that the complexity of human nature was hard to describe. She never thought of herself as a noble person. She would compromise on some things in order to live a better life, and she would do some things that she did not like.
Therefore, when she discovered Yan Qingli's ambition, her first reaction was not to help her realize this great ideal, but to feel that there was a dangerous vortex around her, and that if she were to be drawn in, she would be unable to escape and would be doomed forever.
However, just when she thought she had resigned herself to her fate, she embarked on a path even riskier than Yan Qingli's, and was even prepared to sacrifice herself for it.
But Qiu Lanxi knew that regardless of her success or failure, she could no longer stand idly by. This was not only because she could no longer look at Yan Qingli from a detached perspective, but also because her soul seemed to have been sublimated after experiencing these things.
She no longer wanted to come and go in obscurity; she wanted to leave something behind.
She doesn't want to accept the filth of this era, but she can try to cleanse it of its filth.
However, in her previous life, Qiu Lanxi was just a top student who was admitted to university through a special recommendation program. Apart from her commendable learning ability, she was nothing special. So she tried to share her views with Yan Qingli. Perhaps they would part ways in this clash, but Qiu Lanxi believed that she had a clear conscience.
As Qiu Lanxi expected, Yan Qingli did indeed make a fool of herself in front of Emperor Qinghe at the morning court session. Emperor Qinghe even took back some of her power, which really surprised the officials of Da Ning.
It should be noted that Yan Qingli has always been a formidable opponent in front of Emperor Qinghe, and no one has ever dared to compete with her in this regard.
Many people feel as if they have sensed a shift in the wind.
However, despite this, when Yan Qingli reappeared in front of Qiu Lanxi, there was no trace of sadness on her face.
But Qiu Lanxi knew very well that she had obtained those rights step by step through painstaking efforts, so how could she not feel heartbroken to give them up?
"Qingli, I've dragged you down."
Qiu Lanxi never thought of herself as a source of trouble. Many people like to blame their problems on another person to lessen their own responsibility, but at this moment, she really did feel like she was a source of trouble.
Yan Qingli glanced at her: "How can you be a burden to me?"
She paused for a moment, then said, "I created this situation myself, and it's exactly what I wanted to see. I do need to lay low for a while."
Emperor Qinghe appointed a crown prince, which was actually the time when the princes fought the most fiercely. This was because Emperor Qinghe was not yet old, and the crown prince would have to remain in that position for at least several years until Emperor Qinghe died before he could possibly succeed to the throne.
During this time, countless people will be watching his faults, and even if he doesn't have any, several princes will find ways to make him have them.
Therefore, both the Crown Prince and the princes would try to win over their forces. Yan Qingli was undoubtedly an important target, because everyone knew that she was favored and had influence in the court. She could help them gain favor with Emperor Qinghe and also provide assistance in the court. This was more effective than the whispers of the empresses and concubines. Who wouldn't want to win her over?
But things are different now. Now that Yan Qingli has fallen out of favor, everyone will think twice before getting close to her. After all, even today, many men do not recognize her talent and only feel that everything she has is due to her being favored. Once she loses Emperor Qinghe's favor, she is nothing.
Moreover, each position in the imperial court is a fixed one, so why wouldn't they want to keep it in their own hands rather than leave it to someone else?
Qiu Lanxi listened to Yan Qingli's explanation but did not think so. She had many ways to temporarily retreat from the confrontation, and the current choice was undoubtedly the worst option, for reasons that were self-evident.
“You don’t need to think so much. The most important thing right now is to focus on preparing for the exam,” Yan Qingli said with a slight smile. “I didn’t suffer any losses either; in fact, I had some unexpected surprises.”
Seeing that she wasn't trying to comfort her, Qiu Lanxi became curious: "What unexpected joy?"
Yan Qingli's expression was somewhat strange: "It seems that the Crown Prince thinks that I went to see the Emperor these past few days because I wanted the Emperor to remove him from his position as Crown Prince."
No one would have thought that Yan Qingli's actions were even more outrageous. She knelt outside Emperor Qinghe's study for a long time without daring to get up. No one thought that Qiu Lanxi was the one who should be doing this. Emperor Qinghe did not immediately grant her request. Considering the major events that had recently occurred, it was easy to associate her with the position of Crown Prince.
After all, Emperor Qinghe did so many outrageous things for Yan Qingli that this kind of claim actually gained traction.
The Crown Prince was also terrified for a while. He knew very well that Emperor Qinghe did not have deep feelings for any of his sons and treated them all equally. Only Prince Fu received some favoritism. Moreover, he did have some conflicts with Yan Qingli. However, in the end, Yan Qingli was the one who was reprimanded. It was hard not to have a wrong perception of one's own position.
The Crown Prince is not the type to become arrogant once he gains power. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will undoubtedly be more cautious in the coming years to avoid jeopardizing his position, given that there have been quite a few deposed crown princes in the history of the Ning Dynasty.
However, human reason is limited. When long-held, deeply ingrained beliefs are suddenly shattered, it is difficult for the Crown Prince to maintain his composure in the short term.
These sons had witnessed firsthand how different Emperor Qinghe treated Yan Qingli since they were young. Under such circumstances, how could they not become arrogant when they discovered that their status was actually higher than hers?
Once a person becomes arrogant, they will offend more people and make more mistakes, and the struggle between the princes and the crown prince will become even more intense.
Such a scene would inevitably deepen Emperor Qinghe's dissatisfaction.
People are always like this: after achieving success in their careers, they want a happy family life. Even if they know in their hearts that it is impossible, they still can't help but fantasize. And naturally, they will not like the person who shatters their fantasy.
As long as Yan Qingli fulfills her duties as a 'daughter' during this period, Emperor Qinghe will naturally feel that she is better.
Having figured this out, Qiu Lanxi couldn't help but say, "That was indeed an unexpected surprise."
From a purely psychological perspective, Qiu Lanxi felt that if she would never get in the way of Emperor Qinghe again, perhaps Emperor Qinghe's favor towards her would not only be restored, but could even go a step further.
Yan Qingli hummed in agreement, hesitated for a moment, and then patted her shoulder: "So you don't need to worry, just focus on preparing for the exam."
Qiu Lanxi smiled and said, "I know what I'm doing."
Seeing that she had buried herself in the exam paper again, Yan Qingli moved slightly to avoid blocking the light and noticed that there were several used papers under the paperweight. She couldn't help but take them out and look at them.
"The Female Imperial Son-in-Law", "Mulan Joins the Army", "The Butterfly Lovers", "The Case of Chen Shimei"...
Yan Qingli: ...?
Each book title is followed by a story synopsis. Nowadays, most vernacular novels are about love or the achievements of court officials. Yan Qingli has a keen sense of smell and immediately realized the impact and wealth that would be generated if these stories were introduced to the public.
Furthermore, although most of these stories begin with love, they often end with both love and career success, which reduces resistance during their promotion but can stimulate some women to think about them.
Even if only a small number of people reflect on the stories, they are still seeds that sprout.
This is also Yan Qingli's blind spot. She only comes into contact with nobles and has indeed changed the thinking of some women, but her influence is limited. The common people are different. Many poor families rely on both men and women to support the family. In fact, many men gamble, are seriously ill, or are lazy and rely entirely on their wives to support the family. Compared to nobles like Yan Qingli, these people are already physically independent. Once they also achieve mental independence, they will become like a gust of wind, blowing everywhere.
Yan Qingli was initially pleasantly surprised, but then couldn't help but frown: "Your most important task right now is to prepare for the exam, these..."
“These won’t take up too much of my energy,” Qiu Lanxi interrupted her, smiling. “Your Highness, rest assured, I have a plan. I will just write out the detailed outline and then give it to Your Highness to have someone else write it out. I won’t put in too much effort.”
Yan Qingli still frowned: "It's fine to write it after your palace examination."
Qiu Lanxi thought that it might be too late. After all, the day of the palace examination might also be her death day. She couldn't be sure if the value she showed would move Emperor Qinghe. If it wasn't enough, she would probably die.
So before that, she had to leave behind as many things as possible to ensure that Yan Qingli could walk more steadily in the future.
She didn't think it would waste much of her energy. After all, she was exposed to so much knowledge in the information age. Only people of this era can write stories that fit the world. She was just providing a plot device.
Qiu Lanxi believed that Yan Qingli's men were capable of generating even more versions from this.
She lures people in with love, then kills them, and finally shatters their romantic illusions. A tragic ending always leaves a deeper impression, and this kind of story can be adapted into many variations with different names but the same underlying theme.
Qiu Lanxi couldn't possibly tell Yan Qingli that she felt she wouldn't live much longer; she only knew what she was doing. Looking into her stubborn gaze, Yan Qingli felt for the first time that she had truly caught her eye.
But she didn't want Qiu Lanxi to distract herself with other things.
However, despite this, Yan Qingli's surging emotions made her selfishly unable to say anything to stop her.
"Your Highness?..."
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Qiu Lanxi was momentarily stunned before she couldn't help but laugh and say, "Wouldn't this count as daytime sexual activity?"
Yan Qingming had only kissed her because he couldn't help it, but it was described as if he had done something unspeakable in the study. He blushed and glared at her without any threat.
Chapter 47
It took Qiu Lanxi two weeks to finally sort out the exam papers that Yan Qingli brought, and then she began to create character sketches of Emperor Qinghe from them.
He possessed the arrogance unique to emperors, but perhaps due to his past experiences, he also had a much broader mind than ordinary people.
In addition, Emperor Qinghe seems to have a bit of an intellectual fetish. He appreciates the extraordinary minds of his officials more than their knowledge and tact. On this basis, even if he is offended, as long as they do not cross his bottom line, he can continue to use them without caring.
The exam papers Yan Qingli gave her contained, if not half, at least a third of the candidates' views were completely different from Emperor Qinghe's. This was an incredible proportion in Qiu Lanxi's eyes, because any politician in power would instinctively try to win over his staunch supporters. Loyalty was more important than talent most of the time, simply because they were pursuing the maximization of their own interests.
Emperor Qinghe was able to tolerate people with ideas and beliefs that were completely opposite to his own in the court. Most importantly, some candidates even directly criticized Emperor Qinghe on their exam papers. Even if the candidates had real talent and learning, such people would have a hard time being selected, let alone thriving in the officialdom.
After all, the officialdom is a place where emotional intelligence is more important than IQ. The reason why there are few incorruptible officials who become famous is that before they become famous, they have already been suppressed by others because of their way of doing things.
However, in the Ning Dynasty, although these people did not hold particularly high official positions, they generally did not have a situation where their talents were not being used. Obviously, this must be because someone was protecting and supporting them.
As far as Qiu Lanxi knew, many of these people did not have a strong network of connections, nor did they have teachers, families, or in-laws who could protect them.
Qiu Lanxi glimpsed a glimmer of hope in this.
If she could avoid dying, Qiu Lanxi naturally wouldn't want to die. After all, times have changed, and she no longer lacks anything to sustain her life.
As a top student, Qiu Lanxi quickly planned her study schedule. She would not put the cart before the horse. In any case, she would definitely not be able to compete with other students in terms of real talent and learning in this era. Therefore, she could only take an unconventional approach and try to guess what kind of questions Emperor Qinghe would ask, placing her bets in advance.
But the technology of today is vastly different from that of her previous life. Being half a step ahead is genius, being a full step ahead is madness, and she has to find the right balance.
During this period, there was another very important task—practicing calligraphy.
Judging a person by their handwriting is still important in modern times, where even the appearance of the exam paper matters. It's even more unthinkable that in ancient times, the judgment was entirely based on the examiner's preferences.
Qiu Lanxi could write calligraphy. She had taken many interest classes in modern times, but she never mastered them. Most of them were abandoned before she could fully understand them. She did not study regular script or cursive script, but rather the thin gold script.
As far as Qiu Lanxi knows, there is no such thing as the Slender Gold style in this world. This style of calligraphy, with its side strokes resembling orchids and bamboo, is very elegant. Some people even say that the Slender Gold style is like a beautiful, slender woman with an ethereal and refined air. At the same time, it has a strong personal style, being slender, strong, and spirited, like bending iron and breaking gold.
People tend to have a better impression of those who can write well. Even if they don't treat others differently, it can still change their original perceptions to some extent. Therefore, Qiu Lanxi had to practice her handwriting before the imperial examination.
Because she had given up calligraphy for a long time in her previous life, Qiu Lanxi's writing was quite terrible at first. Fortunately, she quickly regained her familiar touch. After all, the original owner of this body was not illiterate, so it was not difficult to pick it up again with a foundation.