Ji Nianqin was surprised that Cao Hanhui had such a tacit understanding with her. "I was just about to look for you. Where's my hairpin? Give it to me."
"Nianqin, what did you say? I didn't take it."
"Don't lie, it's obviously with you."
"Really not."
"You won't tell me, right? Cao Hanhui, do you think that by always visiting my mother, you're being nice to her? What did you say to her? And the villagers, have you bribed them all?"
"Nianqin, why do you say that to me?" Cao Hanhui felt wronged, and began to cry as she spoke.
"Cao Hanhui, you've changed. You used to be timid, but now you're very selfish. I understand your brother must have taught you a lot. Even if he didn't, you would still go to the academy where the teacher would teach you personally. Otherwise, why would any prince from another country want to marry you? Usually, princesses are more likely to be a good match, but you know that losing the support of the people is a very scary thing."
"Nianqin, didn't you say before that girls shouldn't be dependent on men and children? I just learned some statecraft and was ready to help my brother. Is that wrong?"
"Haha, there's an old saying that goes, 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, but if he loses the hearts of the people, he will lose the world too.' The most frightening thing about anything is taking it too seriously. The more you think about it, the more confused you become. What is the will of the people? How do you measure it? How do you tell if you have won or lost their hearts? There are millions of people, so who can truly represent their will? In the absence of any measurable tools, whoever has the voice commands the will of the people. So, you're taking advantage of this."
"Nianqin, you know my brain isn't as sharp as yours, so I don't quite understand a lot of what you say, but I understand that you must be angry with me. Is it wrong for me to help you look after your mother? You left without saying a word, I..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down, Cao Hanhui. Since you can say that I'm a maid in the palace, then let's just continue the act. Didn't you say I'm the Crown Princess? Then I might as well be one for once. Anyway, my mother can't see anything, so she won't know whether it's true or not."
"Nianqin, you're lying yourself, so why don't you tell me? I just want to be as smart as you. What's wrong with me?"
"Cao Hanhui, I advise you to stop interfering in the palace affairs. Your brother used to teach us knowledge, so he must be more educated. And with your big brain, you really can't figure it out. Just go to sleep."
"Nianqin, I learned in a book that the real people have become dispensable because they have lost their voice. From this perspective, the people's will is Emperor Xian of Han. Whoever controls this Emperor Xian of Han has the power to hold the emperor hostage and control the princes."
"I never thought you had such lofty ambitions, Cao Hanhui. You wouldn't want to stab the emperor, would you?"
"Of course not. After you left, Nianqin, I've been looking for you. I could only make ends meet by studying. You know you're my only good friend. When I arrived at the palace, I realized the intrigues and scheming you go through. You can't even imagine it. Take the emperor's concubines, for example. A single rank lower would result in a significant reduction in salary. Even just to have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear, they would do everything in their power to win favor."
"How boring! You must have never been to the modern world, right? It's a woman's paradise. Being the emperor's concubine only earns 10,000 or 20,000 yuan a year, which is really not much. Most women can earn it with their own hands, so why do they have to rely on men?"
As soon as Ji Nianqin finished speaking, she was arrested for openly swimming in the Holy Mother River and wearing indecent clothes...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
