Yan Shu raised her face and said to the Empress, "I don't care about anything."

Huan Yue asked, "Do you think you're particularly touching? Look, who's moved?"

Yan Shu subconsciously looked back, but there was no one there.

There was a moment of awkwardness.

Yan Shu clenched her fist, determined to prove everyone wrong.

Gong Yun said gently, "We're past the age of fifteen, and perhaps we haven't met someone for whom we'd do anything. If there is one, it's the Empress. But youth is impulsive, and although it's worthless, it's romantic, and everyone has had fantasies. Growth is always accompanied by blood and tears. The princess used to pamper you, so of course she couldn't stop you from growing up; your blood still had to be shed. And how many people, after suffering bloodshed, remember that they never regretted what they once said?"

Ren Zhaoxun chimed in, "When I first arrived at the Eastern Palace, I had all sorts of thoughts about His Highness. Although it was embarrassing, I was also incredibly happy when I hid under the covers. However, I'm the kind of person who only cares about being happy. I don't care if it's His Highness or the Empress."

Fang Tang chimed in, "My ideal is to be the Empress. Among all the women in the world, Empress Huan is second and I am third. However, this cannot be spread, or people will die."

Princess Guanghua laughed and said, "If Her Majesty doesn't care, what about others?"

Yan Shu was truly dumbfounded!

Fang Tang felt no shame whatsoever.

Gong Yun smiled, saying that it was the Empress who encouraged her anyway.

Huan Yue said, "Everyone has ideals and dreams, which is the fairest thing, without any distinction of high or low status. Except for those who are truly despicable. But you have to distinguish between dreams and reality. Few people will dream with someone who treats a beautiful dream as reality."

Yan Shu pursed her lips. She wasn't dreaming, but she wasn't entirely sure either.

The only certainty is that she will face reality.

Huan Yue said, "I'm not saying all this to dissuade you. What if you two happen to be destined for each other? Wouldn't I become a sinner then?"

Princess Guanghua said, "The Empress said all this for her own good, but she doesn't appreciate it. I know that. I am a sinner; it was destined by my parents."

Huan Yue lamented, "There is no fairness between parents and children. No matter how good parents are to their children or how much they give, the children only want more and remember what they didn't get. It's like dividing the property; parents can't have any personal preferences, and no one cares about their feelings. Even if the division is fair, they'll still fight several times."

Princess Guanghua sighed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. So why raise children? Is it something we owed from a past life?"

Huan Yue laughed and said, "People always need to have hope. If one of the three children is filial, it's worth it. Besides, isn't raising them an obligation given by God? And they'll get their comeuppance when they become parents themselves."

Princess Guanghua was both amused and exasperated.

Guo Bing nodded: "Some people know they regret it, while others will never regret it, even if it means death."

Di Baose said, "It's good if there are families with good traditions."

Like her family, her father was tormented by her mother for more than ten years, but things will get better in the future.

It's not too late for Di Baose to regret it. She should now act as a dutiful daughter and not let the Di family lose face because of her.

Yan Shu felt a little uncomfortable.

The Empress said these things because of her mother.

Huan Yue was just making things up: "Whether you can do it or not depends on what the person involved thinks. You think that you're good to the Duke of Qi, and that annoys him to no end. That has nothing to do with me. I only have one request: you were young three years ago, and you're not old now either; marriage is a lifelong matter, and even if you wanted to die now, I wouldn't stop you, at most I'd let you leave with some dignity; so it can only be truly decided three years later."

Princess Guanghua nodded: "Of course."

Huan Yue said to the princess, "I do not support girls getting married too early. They are not mature enough and have not enjoyed their parents' home enough. They cannot think about the future properly now, and it is not good for women to give birth before the age of twenty. So, even if the Duke of Qi is willing to get along with you, if you try to force the issue, I can burn you to ashes."

Princess Guanghua said solemnly, "I will handle it. Your Highness need not make things difficult for me."

The Empress's intervention is not good for her reputation.

With the princess taking action, the mother's actions are perfectly legitimate.

No matter who is shameless, Princess Guanghua will not give them any face, lest they become even more shameful in the future.

Yan Shu's expression was quite interesting.

We have to wait another three years and still can't do anything.

Di Baose interjected, "You're the one who's being schemed against, you're just stupid."

Huan Yue nodded: "To put it bluntly, it's true, you're the one who's throwing yourself at me. If a woman who's throwing herself at me still wants any dignity, this is the last line of defense."

Yan Shu's face turned deathly pale.

Princess Guanghua said coldly, "Aren't you just throwing yourself at someone else? You won't marry anyone but you. You know you're shameless, yet you're afraid of what people will say? The Empress was just stating a fact to your face. Do you know how awful it will sound behind your back? From now on, every step you take will be thorny."

Huan Yue said, "Perhaps the princess has been staying in the mansion all this time, giving you the illusion that you don't need to go out? But have you considered the situation of the Duke of Qi? How will you face people in the future? How will your child face people in the future? I don't object to women pursuing men, but they must be rational, not fools who hold others back!"

Yan Shu's complexion was still very bad.

Huan Yue concluded, “Today you are the apple of your mother’s eye, but tomorrow you will have to face all the storms of the world. You still want to walk with him through the storms, instead of hiding behind him and whining and holding him back. The difficulties are far greater than you think. Three years is for you to prepare and consider. Although everyone can back down, the final decision is yours. If any regrets occur, there are many regrets in this world. Please accept my condolences.”

Huan Yue sent someone to inquire.

The eunuch reported, "The Duke of Qi is in the palace."

Huan Yue said, "Then please ask him to come over here."

Yan Shu was incredibly excited.

No! She can't take it anymore, she's suffocating!

Huan Yue could understand, but he didn't sympathize.

There are many suffocating things about Xie Yu.

The prospect of fans finally meeting their idols might inspire boundless courage.

Princess Guanghua could understand; once she saw the person, the reality might be very different from what she had imagined.

To be honest, her daughter might not marry a particularly good man, but a decent girl can still marry well.

The princess was dissatisfied with Xie Yu's situation, and besides, Yan Shu was of no use to him.

The power of love that Gwang Eom-sook imagined—what a load of rubbish!

By the way, Huan Yue told Yan Shu to calm down, after all, she was fifteen years old and it wasn't about bullying a child: "Feelings are precious, but for many men, women are like clothes. Even without feelings, there are plenty of nice clothes willing to be worn by him. There are plenty of noble ladies who want to make a move on the Duke of Qi, but they lack a bit of courage and a bit of stupidity."

Yan Shuzheng felt she had courage, but then she was dealt another blow.

Di Baose sneered: "What is courage? It's going into battle and killing the enemy, not just talking nonsense like a little girl."

Princess Guanghua added, "It's not like she's brainless or would do something that would get her beheaded."

Doesn't it take a lot of courage to rebel?

Princess Guanghua was afraid that Yan Shu would lead her astray, so she bravely helped Xie Yu plot a rebellion. And she thought it was only right?