Li Yunshu's steps faltered as if rooted to the spot, her emotions a mixture of complexity and confusion. She kept thinking—was she wrong?

The young emperor is at most somewhat dependent on his elder sister. Even if we take a step back, his elder sister knows what she can and cannot do in this situation.

Besides, in the eyes of others, my elder sister is now a man. The emperor should not set his sights on her, as she is his tutor!

The scene she had just witnessed lingered in her mind. Even though Li Yunshu had come up with various reasons to convince herself, it was still difficult for her to truly ignore it completely.

She felt numb and lost until Yun Qing discovered her.

Yun Qing was completely unaware of what Xie Rang had just done; she simply gave him a warning look, telling him to stay away from her.

Xie Rang lowered his hand and sat down opposite her.

When Yun Qing saw Yun Shu, her expression softened immediately: "Yun Shu, come here."

Shunfeng had already retreated at some point. When Li Yunshu heard her elder sister's voice, she walked over almost instinctively, completely unaware of her own thoughts.

She shook her head, trying to stop herself from thinking about it, and looked at Yun Qing. She walked over somewhat reservedly and first bowed to the Emperor: "Greetings, Your Majesty."

As if what she had just seen from a distance was an illusion, the Emperor's expression returned to normal. He bowed to her and simply nodded slightly: "You and the Grand Tutor can talk. I won't disturb you any longer."

After Xie Rang finished speaking, he politely stood up and returned to the hall, no longer disturbing the two of them as they reminisced.

Yun Qing looked at Li Yun Shu, speechless for a moment, but finally asked, "Tell me, what did you see just now?"

Li Yunshu's expression was strange.

Yun Qing could tell at a glance that Xie Rang had quietly walked up to her side just now, and it was impossible that he hadn't done anything. Li Yun Shu must have seen him.

"Brother..."

Li Yunshu glanced around meaningfully, and the flamboyant and passionate girl had also learned how to be wary.

"It's alright, speak."

Yun Qing closed the book in her hand, placed it on the table, and slowly smoothed it out.

Since her elder sister had already said so, Li Yunshu was too lazy to hold back anymore and told her everything she had just seen. Finally, she asked with concern, "...Is there some hidden reason behind His Majesty's actions?"

Yun Qing gave a forced smile.

What could be the inside story? It's nothing more than Xie Rang knowing that this matter cannot be spread, but he is extremely unwilling to let it go, so he tries every means to make his presence known to her relatives.

"Brother, my dear brother." Seeing that she had been silent for a long time, Li Yunshu's childlike nature emerged, and she pleaded with Yunqing, "Are you really planning to do something about this?"

Li Yunshu had never eaten pork, but she had at least seen pigs run. In addition, her parents were always showing affection in front of her. She just felt that the little emperor's eyes were unusual. In any case, it was definitely not something that should appear between teachers and students!

There's a lot of trouble in the capital, and she was really afraid something would happen to her older sister.

Yun Qing looked at her and smiled: "Don't worry, I have plans. Leaving the manor isn't something to be taken lightly."

"Alright." Li Yunshu immediately deflated, not wanting to continue discussing the matter. She changed to a lighter tone, "Now, brother, you can come back to the manor with me, right?"

Yun Qing had basically finished her business. Upon hearing this, she stood up, her posture relaxed: "Let's go."

Li Yunshu's face immediately lit up with a smile, and she walked alongside her.

-

There is currently no war on the border, and with the Emperor's permission, Li Yunshu does not need to rush back after completing her duties, and can peacefully enjoy a good New Year in the capital.

With some time left before the end of the year, Yun Qing took Li Yun Shu to have some new clothes made. They used fabrics that had been bestowed upon them, which were of excellent quality. The colors were not very suitable for men, but they suited the girls very well.

Having spent a long time at the border, Li Yunshu had become less concerned about these things, but upon suddenly encountering them again, one could still see the joy overflowing from her eyes.

"If you like them, then take them with you when you leave the capital. You can make a few outfits for your mother when you get there."

The main reason is that there's no use for her if she keeps her around. Although Yun Qing agreed to some of the little tyrant's requests, she won't easily reveal the fact that she's dressed as a woman.

Li Yunshu happily agreed: "Okay!"

Because they were at home, there were not many restrictions. After saying this, Li Yunshu reached out and tugged at Yun Qing's sleeve, her eyes shining brightly. She exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, what kind of material is this dress made of? It looks so comfortable."

Girls who grow up on the frontier don't have much knowledge about fabrics; they can only use such words to describe their feelings.

Yun Qing didn't care. She gently shook her head and said, "I don't know either. It was cut by the palace."

Li Yunshu clicked her tongue. She had been more cautious when she was in the palace, but now that she didn't need to, she spoke boldly, her tone somewhat sarcastic.

"Is the young emperor doing this out of respect for his teacher, or does he have ulterior motives?" Li Yunshu lowered her voice and looked at her seriously. "Sister, don't tell me you don't know anything about it."

On the battlefield, one relies not only on brute force but also on intelligence. Li Yunshu, a young girl, is bold yet meticulous, inheriting the intelligence of her family. When she is carefree, she is more impulsive than anyone else, but when she is patient and meticulous, she is truly difficult to deal with.

Yun Qing rubbed her temples: "I know."

"I really don't understand how he developed feelings for you. Is he just naturally gay, or is it because you've been around him for too long and been influenced by him?"

Essentially, Li Yunshu and Yun Qing had similar initial ideas.

Li Yunshu had no doubt about her elder sister's charm. In addition, her elder sister was indeed very beautiful, and even when disguised as a man, she was not bad at all. If the young emperor were to be attracted to her beauty, it would not be impossible to understand.

But how long can this joy last?

Throughout history, it has been difficult to fathom the minds of emperors, let alone the young emperor of today.

Li Yunshu felt that this matter was very necessary to discuss properly.

"None of them should be."

Since the matter concerned the royal family, Li Yunshu's question was inevitably a bit sharp, but in the end, it was well-intentioned and mainly for Yun Qing's sake, so Yun Qing could only answer politely.

“This matter is very complicated and cannot be explained in a short time. I have watched His Majesty grow up, and I will always believe in him no matter what the circumstances.”

Yun Qing felt that trust was a difficult thing to define. Since the little tyrant was willing to entrust his military power to her, she should at least give him the same level of trust.

Seeing her sister's resolute expression, Li Yunshu finally wavered, though with a hint of reluctance: "What if you ultimately can't escape?"

Yun Qing smiled gently: "That was my own choice."