Yun Qing discovered that Xie Rang was not only fearless but also increasingly audacious.

Unfortunately, I'm terrible at playing dumb, otherwise I could have gotten away with it that night.

Yun Qing sighed deeply in her heart.

Because of her upbringing, she was used to understanding everything around her, so even when facing danger, her curiosity took over. But now, seeing Xie Rang's unbridled attitude, she regretted it a little.

"Stop touching me like that." Yun Qing couldn't hold back any longer and warned him first. She lowered her eyelids and asked, "If it's not serious business, what else does Your Majesty want me to talk to you about?"

This man is no longer the little brat he used to be. He used to have to look up to her, but now he's strong enough to pin her down. Yun Qing couldn't bring herself to do anything to betray his feelings, and besides, she couldn't help but soften her heart when facing him, so she could only slowly deal with him.

But she overlooked one point: by answering Xie Rang's question, she might be heading in the direction he was guiding her towards.

A smug smile appeared on the boy's lips: "Of course, we'll talk about... the Grand Tutor and me."

As he spoke, Xie Rang gently stroked his body, almost touching Yun Qing's ear, but he restrained himself and did not get any closer. He whispered, "I do not expect the Grand Tutor to accept my feelings now. I only hope that the Grand Tutor will not continue to treat me as a child."

"There is an age gap between me and the Grand Tutor. If the Grand Tutor does not believe me because of this, I accept it. I will work hard to grow and prove everything with time."

"As for reputation? Grand Tutor knows that I have never cared about such things. If you do care, then our relationship can remain a secret forever, and I won't mind."

Xie Rang had thought about the issue of official status for a very long time in the quiet of the night.

Given his possessive nature, he would naturally want to mark everything that belongs to him, but the Grand Tutor is different and cannot be generalized.

He clearly saw how much effort the woman, disguised as a man, had put in to truly secure her position, so he was unwilling to conceal her brilliance for his own selfish desires. Instead, he believed that everyone should see her goodness.

Whether it's a harmonious and respectful marriage or a system of shared governance between ruler and subject, it's not really that important.

As long as the person he ends up with is this one, that's enough.

Aside from his relatively miserable childhood, Xie Rang is now living a life of luxury and privilege. Having grown up on the throne of the emperor, yet he repeatedly humbles himself before me, it would be impossible for me not to be moved at all.

Moreover, every word Xie Rang said hit the nail on the head regarding what Yun Qing cared about. She was silent for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "I'm quite capable to make His Majesty not care about being gay."

Xie Rang was taken aback. He said seriously, "It's not because of that. What I care about is the Grand Tutor. It won't be anyone else, regardless of gender."

If Yun Qing were truly a man, this might have been just a joke, but she isn't, so the statement also contained a subtle test.

Xie Rang could distinguish clearly; he wouldn't have that kind of emotion towards others. This kind of situation only happened with Yun Qing.

There is an essential difference.

"We'll see." Yun Qing didn't refute. She raised her hand and brushed Xie Rang's hand off her shoulder. This time, it was easily brushed away. "Your Majesty is right. I should indeed change how I see you."

[She's not the same child anymore.]

Yun Qing appeared calm enough in front of Xie Rang, but in reality, her mind hadn't been at peace these past few days. She hadn't yet figured out how to view Xie Rang's feelings.

Just as Qinglan said, she had many concerns. Even if she trusted Xie Rang, could she really explain everything to him? There were too many things involved, and she couldn't afford to take the risk.

Well... let's not talk about that for now. She's already made up her mind. After returning to Beijing, she'll take care of her own affairs first.

Xie Rang wasn't angry at being brushed aside, especially when he caught a glimpse of Yun Qing's slightly relaxed back. He knew then that he had made the right move.

He said that if he proceeded slowly, the Grand Tutor would eventually soften his heart.

He raised an eyebrow slightly: "The Grand Tutor is the best."

Yun Qing gritted her teeth: "What are you whining about?"

Yun Qing narrowed her eyes, belatedly realizing what was happening.

[I knew I'd been wondering why the little brat's talking sounded a bit odd, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now that I think about it, it's all because of the tea!]

The ostensible criticism was actually a compliment; the little tyrant had figured it out.

Xie Rang smiled and said, "The Grand Tutor has discovered it."

Although he didn't think tea was a good word, he didn't see anything wrong with using face to win over the Grand Tutor's heart.

Anyway, no outsiders will see it.

Yun Qing was speechless and choked with emotion.

"Okay, I'm going back first."

Yun Qing didn't want to stay in the same room with Xie Rang any longer.

Xie Rang did not stop him this time, and obediently stepped aside, saying in a gentle voice, "Alright, Grand Tutor, please rest well."

He could clearly see the weariness in Yun Qing's eyes, how could he bear to let her continue to toil? Xie Rang had just promised not to joke about the country, so naturally he couldn't abandon these matters.

Yun Qing nodded slightly, stood up, and left.

Shunfeng, who had been anxiously waiting outside, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her calm expression when she came out.

In all honesty, it's good that Your Majesty and Lady Li haven't broken up.

Recalling the glances he had inadvertently caught before, Shunfeng was genuinely worried that the Emperor might use some radical methods on the Imperial Tutor, which could result in a lose-lose situation.

In hindsight, he was worrying too much.

How could His Majesty treat Lord Li like that?

-

They began their southern tour in May, but after a long and winding journey, it was already early September when they finally finalized their itinerary and returned to Beijing.

Envoys will arrive in the capital again at the end of the year. Things are different now. Xie Rang is now the emperor with real power. The Great Xi Dynasty is thriving. We must find ways to deter the small countries around us in order to ensure long-term peace on the border.

Moreover, what's special is that the Rouran will also send envoys this time.

The Rouran were an ambitious people who lived on the grasslands for many years. They were terrified by the Lijia people who guarded the border in their early years and lay low for many years, but their ambition never faded. They thought that one day they would conquer the Central Plains.

After Emperor Li came to power, he did not wage war, but he would not be merciful to enemies who came to provoke him. However, there was a lot of internal turmoil in Da Xi at that time. Although he was willing to protect his reserves, he was still taken advantage of, which led to the extremely fierce wars in those years.

Given the current situation, the edifice is on the verge of collapse and cannot be saved by the efforts of one person alone.

The Rouran came here with the intention of testing the strength of the Great Xi, but unfortunately, they were destined to be disappointed.

Boarding the ship again for the return journey, I had a different feeling.

Yun Qing was momentarily stunned when she saw the young man walking towards her with a gentle smile in his eyes.

She suddenly realized that, without realizing it, she had separated Xie Rang from the Emperor Li recorded in history.

Only the person in front of you at this moment is real and alive.