Huang's plan
Receiving no response from Madam Huang, Xie Sili continued, "Mother, do you dare swear to heaven that you did not plot against my mother?"
Seeing Huang's guilty conscience, Xie Sili pressed on, "Mother, you sent me back to Chang'an to marry Prince Yan in place of my sixth sister. Why are you doing this now? Do you think I've become a pawn to be discarded?"
"Li'er, I am your mother!" Madam Huang's voice was clear and cold as she composed herself. "How can you treat me like this? I have worked so hard for the Prime Minister's mansion all these years..."
"Mother has toiled for the Prime Minister's mansion all these years, but has she ever worried about me?" Xie Sili smiled casually. "Mother always considers Sixth Sister's needs, but has she ever considered mine?"
"Sister Li, isn't it a blessing that you've accumulated eight lifetimes of good karma to marry Prince Yan? Although Prince Yan is a playboy, he is, after all, the only prince in the court. If you marry him, you'll be the principal wife, and you'll enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future."
"Wealth and glory?" Xie Sili laughed as she spoke. "Does Mother think I'm still alive to enjoy that wealth and glory?" Her smile deepened. "Thank you for your kind words, Mother. I will definitely live well."
Xie Sili stood in front of Huang and took in the emotions on her face.
Her eyes seemed to be surprised at why she had become like this. Of course, no one knew that the original Xie Sili had died at the age of five from a cold. What survived was the soul of another world that occupied this body.
As Huang turned to leave, his gaze remained fixed on her, as if scrutinizing and probing.
After watching Huang leave, Xie Sili turned back to Liju, but unexpectedly saw Jun Qiyu on the wall. He was leaning there lazily with a blade of grass in his mouth, the daytime sunlight shining on him.
“Oh, beauty.” Jun Qiyu said as he landed in front of him. “Where did you go, beauty? Why didn’t you inform me so I could take you with me?” His words were frivolous and unrestrained, but his eyes revealed true feelings and focus.
"Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Yan." Xie Sili bowed respectfully to Jun Qiyu. "May I ask what brings Your Highness here?"
"I am captivated by this beauty; a day without her feels like three autumns." Jun Qiyu, still lacking in manners, continued, "If you would do me the honor, how about accompanying me on a tour of Chang'an?"
Although she didn't know what Jun Qiyu's mindset was, judging from his appearance, she could guess a little. The main thing was that he couldn't let down his title of "Number One Playboy".
Xie Sili bowed to Jun Qiyu and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
Xie Sili went back to his room to change his clothes, and then took Luo Mei with him before heading back to find Jun Qiyu.
When she saw Jun Qiyu, she saw him chatting with Xie Zhun, and Huang Shi was standing next to Xie Zhun.
Xie Zhun's face was filled with undisguised joy and delight, as if she already believed that she would definitely marry Jun Qiyu.
"Father, Mother," Xie Sili bowed to them.
“Ah Li, your mother and I discussed that you are the daughter of the Prime Minister’s family. Although you grew up in Yuzhou City and are not considered respectable, you should still be able to read and write a few words so that you can become a virtuous helper to His Highness the Prince of Yan in the future.” Xie Chun said with a smile on his face, but his words were full of disdain for her.
Xie Sili nodded to Xie Zhun, not taking his affectionate address to heart. "What does Father plan to do? Does he also want me to attend Longmen Academy?" She glanced at Xie Zhun and coughed a few times. "Father also said that I don't know many characters, and if I go to the academy, I'm afraid I'll only bring shame to the Prime Minister's mansion..."
“How could that be?” Madam Huang stood to the side and said with a smile, “Listen to me, the teachers at Longmen Academy are all very good. They will understand your situation and will do their best to teach you.” Her face was full of smiles, but her eyes revealed calculation and shrewdness. “Don’t you agree, sir?”
Xie Sili quickly realized that this was probably a tactic Huang Shi used to deal with her. Ostensibly, it was for her own good, to make her Jun Qiyuxian's wife, but in reality, she wanted her to become the target of public criticism and ridicule.
“Ah Li, your mother is right. I will recommend you to Longmen Academy.” Xie Zhun took her hand and patted it, seemingly trying to create a scene of fatherly love and filial piety.
Xie Sili looked at Xie Zhun, glancing at Madam Huang standing beside him out of the corner of his eye, and nodded to her, "Alright, I'll trouble Father to make the arrangements."
Xie Sili glanced at Jun Qiyu beside her. Upon receiving her gaze, Jun Qiyu spoke up, "Prime Minister Xie, if there's nothing else, I'll take the beauty shopping."
"It's alright, it's alright." Xie Zhun smiled ingratiatingly, then looked at him and instructed, "Ah Li, take good care of His Highness the Prince of Yan..."
"What are you saying, Prime Minister Xie? It should be me taking good care of the beauty." Jun Qiyu interrupted Xie Zhun with a smile, "Don't worry, Prime Minister Xie, I guarantee that the beauty will be sent back safely."
Jun Qiyu walked in front of her. She bowed to Xie Zhun and then followed with Luo Mei. Even after they had walked far away, she could still feel Xie Zhun and Huang Shi's gazes on her.
As soon as she boarded the carriage, Jun Qiyu made her tea. "You knew perfectly well what they were up to, yet you still went to them?" His words were no longer flippant, but filled with worry.
“I know.” She nodded with a smile. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” She leaned back on the cushions and looked at Jun Qiyu sitting opposite her. “I told you before, as long as I haven’t agreed to marry you, they won’t hurt me.”
“In their eyes, I am now just a fish on a chopping board, at their mercy.” Xie Sili picked up the cup in front of her and took a small sip with a cheerful mood.
“You don’t know the situation at Longmen Academy.” Jun Qiyu said, rubbing his temples. “Although everyone can enroll at Longmen Academy in Yuzhou City, the factions within Longmen Academy in Chang’an City are particularly serious. Xie Sinan is one faction, along with all sorts of other backstabbing and infighting. On the women’s side, Xie Siyao is the leader, and many illegitimate sons and daughters cannot get ahead, let alone noble sons from poor families.”
“The atmosphere at Longmen Academy is terrible. If it weren’t for his insistence on keeping the academy alive, it would probably have been divided up by the major clans long ago.” Jun Qiyu analyzed the academy’s situation. “The major clans once tried to bribe Dean Murong and Vice Dean Shangguan, but for some reason, they never dared to mention it again. They felt a deep sense of unease about it.”
“If you enroll in Longmen Academy, you will definitely be isolated by them if you don’t join a faction. I don’t really recommend you go to that place.” Jun Qiyu said as he poured her some tea. “That place is even more terrifying than the Prime Minister’s residence.”
Xie Sili leaned back against the cushion and glanced at Jun Qiyu. "Jun Qiyu, do you know the origin of Longmen Academy?"
Sensing his gaze, Xie Sili continued, "Longmen Academy is named after the phrase 'fish leaping over the dragon gate,' hoping that talented children from humble backgrounds can forge a brighter future. Although it is currently controlled by powerful clans, these clans are gradually declining. Now, at this time of transition, there are certain things that someone has to do."
"As you know, the world is divided into nine kingdoms. If our dynasty continues to stagnate, it will eventually be replaced by others." Xie Sili said, picking up the cup in front of him and taking a small sip.
"At the end of the previous dynasty, the country was in turmoil, and the people were suffering. People with courage and determination rose up in rebellion and ascended the throne to become emperors. Although we are living in peace now, who can guarantee that things will continue to develop so steadily in ten or twenty years?"
“We are but a drop in the ocean.” Xie Sili said, lifting the curtain to look at the dazzling and bustling Chang’an outside the window. “I have traveled to various countries, and I have had the privilege of visiting Jinling in Zhao and Lin’an in Luo. Compared to the decadence and extravagance there, I feel that Chang’an’s seclusion in a corner of the world is not a problem.”
"But if that day really comes, the people will suffer. As the saying goes, 'When the country prospers, the people suffer; when the country falls, the people suffer.' I have traveled to various places to experience the people's lives. It is not as good as we imagine. In remote areas, it is common for people to eat their own children and sell their daughters."
"If one person cannot accomplish something, but a group of people, the whole world, are willing to dedicate themselves to it and work hard for it, then hope will eventually be seen." Xie Sili smiled slightly as she looked at Jun Qiyu.
a long time.
She heard Jun Qiyu's voice, "You're right. If I succeed one day, I will definitely implement your ideas."
"How do you know so much?"
Jun Qiyu's words made Xie Sili turn to look at him. She stared at him for a long time without saying a word.
A short while later.
"The master leads you through the door, but the cultivation depends on yourself," Xie Sili said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
“My master has experienced all things under heaven, knows the past and knows the future. I have only learned a little bit of the basics.” Xie Sili chuckled softly.
“I had a senior sister who was an expert in divination, but unfortunately she was killed because of a prophecy.” Xie Sili’s words were laced with mockery. “Everyone wants to know the past and the future, and they use divination and stargazing to predict good and bad fortune. But if they actually reach that point, they can’t accept it and say that it’s a cult that should be punished.”
"My poor senior sister was so devoted, but in the end, she gave her heart to the wrong person."
As Xie Sili spoke these words, her gaze remained fixed on Jun Qiyu, and she did not miss a single expression on his face.
His expression told her that he didn't seem too affected.
"Jun Qiyu, if you succeed one day, will you also feel the loneliness at the top and want to kill those people who follow you?" Xie Sili met Jun Qiyu's gaze and spoke word by word.
"Of course not, I would never do such a heartless thing." Jun Qiyu answered without hesitation, "If I were to rule the world one day, I would certainly treat the people around me well."
Jun Qiyu's words made Xie Sili laugh. She admired Jun Qiyu's frankness and seriousness, as well as his courage and boldness.
It's no wonder that such a person could become an emperor who reigns over the world.
She glanced at Jun Qiyu, her smile deepening. "Jun Qiyu, I hope one day I can see you reign supreme."
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