Yun Qing was stunned for a moment. Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at the young man kneeling in front of her. In fact, many times, she felt that Xie Rang had not changed at all.
His personality may have changed, but when he was in front of her, he kept it all in check and was extremely obedient.
Her heart softened, and after a moment, she raised her hand and gently patted his head: "Qi'an, you are the emperor. There is no need for you to wrong yourself in front of me."
I feel a little guilty for hiding it from him.
However, despite this thought, Yun Qing would not easily tell him her secret in the short term. She would wait until the right time to tell him.
She didn't want to be trapped.
There's a difference between staying willingly and being forced to stay.
Yun Qing came from the modern world and has lived in Da Xi for so many years. In her heart, freedom is still the most important thing.
Xie Rang pondered for a moment. Seeing Yun Qing's actions, he subconsciously stepped forward and nuzzled against her, saying, "I didn't wrong myself."
He secretly retaliated against all the palace servants who bullied him when he was young; his so-called show of weakness was just a tactic he employed.
Even though he faced many difficulties in his youth, Xie Rang never truly suffered any injustice.
What does it matter if he suffers in front of the Grand Tutor? He accepts it willingly.
Yun Qing paused, looking down at the boy with a helpless expression. She didn't really want to argue with him about this, and said, "Get up. Do you still think of yourself as a child?"
In the past, when the little tyrant begged her to stay, he always did this: when he put himself in a lowly position, he would appear pitiful and use these little tricks to gain her pity.
Yun Qing couldn't help but reflect.
Why did I always fall for his tricks when we were kids?
Xie Rang chuckled softly, got up as instructed, and took her hand in his own, lightly touching it to his lips like a feather, almost imperceptible.
If Yun Qing hadn't been looking at him, she wouldn't have noticed this small detail. However, once she did, things became even more complicated. She abruptly pulled her hand back, using the wide sleeves of her clothes to hide the awkwardness that had arisen within her.
Why do they always push their luck?
Yun Qing realized that he was testing her bottom line step by step, and when he found that she was loosening her grip, he would keep pushing forward and let her get used to it.
The most common "boiling frog" tactic, only the target has changed to her.
But undeniably, she is not... averse to it.
Otherwise, Xie Rang would never have had the chance to get to this point.
Xie Rang noticed Yun Qing's subtle actions, but he knew he couldn't rush things and didn't expose her. He leisurely sat back down opposite her.
She took a sip of tea and asked, "You came to see me just because of the rumors circulating outside?"
No one knows the truth of the rumors better than the two of them. In Yun Qing's impression, Xie Rang is not the kind of person who would care about this.
“Not entirely.” Xie Rang took out a piece of paper from somewhere and handed it to her. “A secret letter has arrived with news from Rouran. I brought it to show the Grand Tutor.”
The Rouran are a very xenophobic people. They hardly ever trade with other ethnic groups. It was only in recent years, with the increase of new and exciting things from Da Xi, that some merchants were able to enter. Xie Rang's people were also mixed in with them.
After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
After learning from Yun Qing that Rouran was the greatest threat in the world, Xie Rang had been preparing for this matter.
He would not tolerate the barbarians destroying the achievements he and the Grand Tutor had made.
Yun Qing took the secret letter and read it: "Is the Rouran still in internal strife?"
The people living on the grasslands have a less developed record-keeping habit than those in the Central Plains. Yun Qing is not omniscient, and she only has a general understanding of this people, with only scattered impressions.
Ultimately, the one who emerged victorious in the struggle for the throne was... Lüle? Is that his name?
Yun Qing suddenly realized something: "Who are the envoys that Rouran sent to the capital this time?"
"The fifth prince of the Rouran royal family and his subordinates."
After Xie Rang finished speaking, Yun Qing's expression turned slightly serious.
History has changed.
At this time in history, Emperor Li was still suppressing internal strife, a situation that could be easily ascertained with a little investigation. Therefore, the Rouran casually sent envoys to probe the situation. However, the current state of affairs within the Great Xi Kingdom has prompted the future Rouran king to personally come and investigate, which can be considered quite a grand gesture.
Of course, he is still the fifth prince, not the Rouran king.
Xie Rang understood Yun Qing's concerns, but now that he was a qualified ruler, he had no reason to be afraid. He said, "Grand Tutor, if they cause any trouble on the border later, just fight them back. The strong are respected among the nomadic peoples of the grasslands. If we subdue them, everything will be fine."
The Great Xi was surrounded by countless small states, and only with sufficient strength could one make them submit to its rule. This is a lesson that history has taught future generations.
"We must fight, but before that, we cannot let them find any loopholes. We must be cautious in deploying defenses in the capital."
The underlings who were originally in positions of power and were prone to treason had long been removed by Yun Qing under various pretexts. The replacements could only be temporarily guaranteed to be loyal, and it was hoped that they could see the situation clearly and not be blinded by petty gains.
If that's the case, then we can't keep them.
Yun Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "If Your Majesty trusts me, please allow me to send a contingent of troops from Lijia Army."
The Li Family Army is a private army and is not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict. Yun Qing needs to see Xie Rang's attitude on this matter.
Xie Rang smiled and said, "It's fine as long as the Grand Tutor makes the decision. You know I won't have any objections."
Yun Qing choked.
Indeed, he even trusted the other half of the Tiger Tally to be in his own hands, and could mobilize a million-strong army at will, let alone the small Lijia Army.
That's how the decision was made.
"Some officials who have been dispatched to other regions will soon be returning to Beijing, and these people also need to be properly settled."
The end of the year is usually a busy time, and with envoys arriving in the capital, all the institutions are going to be busy as well.
Yun Qing tapped the table: "Have Commander Lin inspect those in the Cold Palace as well. The palace is too big; we need to prevent anyone from sneaking in."
At this point, Yun Qing sincerely felt that being an emperor was truly exhausting.
No wonder most emperors didn't live long.
"It will be arranged," Xie Rang said. "If he can't handle these matters well, Lin Chen can step down and give way to a more capable person."
Yun Qing was both amused and exasperated.
Both of them had read the contents of the secret letter. She got up, went to the candle beside her, and lit it along the edge until she saw the paper turn to ashes before she was completely relieved.
Xie Rang sometimes felt that it was Yun Qing's constant calmness and composure that made him slowly become fascinated.
It's hard for anyone not to be attracted to Yun Qing like this.
Moreover, during the years they seized power, they almost completely handed their backs to the other side.
It's hard for outsiders to understand.
There's a reason for everything.
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