Qi Nuan was led by her maid through the palace gate, across the garden, and along the long corridor.

Only then did they arrive at Ye Sheng's palace.

The bedroom was not luxurious, but it was arranged very appropriately. As soon as she reached the door, she felt a wave of heat coming towards her face.

As soon as she entered, she saw Ye Sheng sitting on the soft couch, tidying up the baby's clothes, his face filled with expectation and affection.

The maid took off her cloak.

Upon seeing Qi Nuan, Ye Sheng smiled and said, "You've arrived. Please have a seat."

Qi Nuan went over and sat down next to her.

"How many months has it been?"

Ye Sheng placed her hand on her lower abdomen, looked down and smiled, "It's been five months already."

Qi Nuan looked at her. She was now radiating the gentle light of a loving mother, but there was a hint of melancholy between her brows, which seemed very different from before.

Qi Nuan sat down, looking at her, unsure of what to say.

Ye Sheng didn't need her to say anything more.

He said to himself, "In the blink of an eye, I have been here for twenty years. You are sixteen years old now. I still remember when you were born, you were thin and small. You couldn't cry. You would only make soft humming sounds when you wanted to do something, but you were very cute and extremely lovable."

Qi Nuan remembered that although she had just been born, she already carried the memories of her previous life.

She was extremely curious about everything around her, but she knew she was not expected to be there, and soon she lost interest in the world.

She was often hungry, but sometimes Ye Sheng would secretly give her some food.

Until she was abandoned.

“After you were abandoned, I searched for you for a very long time, but I could never find you. I tried to persuade them and promised that I could take care of you, but you were still quietly abandoned.”

It was at that time that she completely lost hope in the world and her family.

Later, she met Gu Yucheng, and at first she didn't want to go with him.

But later, when her so-called relatives wanted to give her away for a little food, she left with them without hesitation.

However, what Qi Nuan didn't know was that she was actually behind the village's disappearance.

It's likely that nobody knows, not even Gu Yucheng.

She lowered her eyes and gently touched her belly; she didn't actually want much.

All she wanted was for him to live a good life.

"He must be just as adorable as you were back then. This time, I promise I won't fail to protect you like I did back then. I will protect him well, for a lifetime."

Qi Nuan was somewhat moved. "He will be fine, grow up safely, and live a long and healthy life."

"Oh dear, he moved! How naughty of him!"

"Come here, feel it."

Ye Sheng exclaimed in surprise, a smile on her face, and pulled Qi Nuan's hand to her stomach.

A warm sensation traveled from Qi Nuan's hands to her heart; she could feel the tiny life throbbing beneath her belly—a truly magical feeling.

Seeing the surprise on Qi Nuan's face, Ye Sheng's smile gradually faded.

"Ah Nuan, you'll help me, right?"

Qi Nuan looked up at her, wondering what she meant by those words.

“We come from the same world. You know this world is unfair to women. Why should our fate be decided by men?”

"Why were you abandoned back then? Why was I given away? Why should we women be questioned when we join the military or politics? Why should we women be expected to follow the three obediences and four virtues, while men can have multiple wives and concubines? You know all of this is unfair."

Ye Sheng became increasingly agitated as she spoke, gripping Qi Nuan's hand and staring intently into her eyes.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Qi Nuan looked directly into her eyes and asked calmly.

"I want your help."

Qi Nuan looked into her eyes and roughly knew what Ye Sheng wanted her to do for her.

"What about Gu Yucheng?"

"Are you with him or with all the women in the world?"

"Do you think you can control his men, withstand the attack from Shu Han, and defeat Shangjun?"

"What makes you think you can make me leave Jiang Yu and choose you?"

"Can you guarantee that you can work for the well-being of all people without any selfish motives or gender bias?"

Qi Nuan remained calm. She knew she was ordinary. Although she had some extraordinary experiences, it didn't mean they were omnipotent. The world was so vast, and not everything could be changed based on their imagination.

The world is never changed overnight; it evolves gradually, not in a single moment.

Many things cannot be achieved simply by wishful thinking.

Ambition must be matched with ability to be called ambition; otherwise, it is just wishful thinking.

Moreover, she knew that neither Gu Yucheng nor Jiang Yu were prejudiced against women, nor were they the kind of people who followed the rules.

She was willing to help her, but not just because of her enthusiasm.

If she is rational, and the world is already in her grasp, then Qi Nuan will help her.

However, the situation is still uncertain, and it is unknown who will emerge victorious. Moreover, Langya is currently controlled by Gu Yucheng, not Ye Sheng.

Her words made Qi Nuan wonder if she had suffered some kind of shock.

Ye Sheng's face turned deathly pale under her questioning.

Yes, she had ulterior motives.

But she was also confident that she was no worse than them.

As for what Qi Nuan said, she would handle it all, and she could only choose to help her.

She's not in a hurry.

Ye Sheng looked at Qi Nuan.

She quickly calmed down and said gently, "I know you don't believe me right now, but that's okay, we're not in a hurry."

“We are not gods, and no one can be completely selfless, but I will show you my abilities and do my best to make you believe in me.”

The wind and snow were howling outside, but it did not affect their conversation at all.

Qi Nuan looked at her, curious about what had made her have these thoughts.

At least in their first few meetings, Ye Sheng had deep feelings for Gu Yucheng, and she was not an ambitious person.

What sparked her latent ambition?

But clearly Ye Sheng had no intention of discussing these things with her.

The two only talked about the past, about their world, and about the baby in Ye Sheng's womb.

After Qi Nuan repeatedly suggested leaving, Ye Sheng stopped her with a few words each time.

Even if Qi Nuan was naive, she would know that Ye Sheng had ulterior motives for keeping her here.

"Go away, I don't want to hurt you."

Qi Nuan looked at Ye Sheng in front of her and said coldly.

Ye Sheng laughed, "Anuan, what are you worried about? Jiang Yu? What do you think we can do? Besides, if we really have to do something, it doesn't matter whether you're here or not."

She looked at Qi Nuan's indifferent expression and turned to say, "Since you're worried, I'll go with you."

Ye Sheng looked at Qi Nuan and said, "You know, I only have one family member in this world, and I would never hurt you no matter what."

Qi Nuan didn't speak; she didn't believe Ye Sheng's words.

As they walked out, the two heard a loud noise as soon as they stepped out of the palace gate.

It was the sound of gunpowder exploding.