Chapter 51 The fatal attraction of a gentleman lies not in…
Fu Yun looked up at the Empress with some surprise. She hadn't expected that the Empress would pay so much attention to her physical condition. The purpose of the gym she had mentioned to her earlier now had a better explanation.
"I haven't been taking any supplements or tonics lately. I've just added a targeted exercise to my daily routine to strengthen my body."
The Empress's interest was piqued: "What kind of targeted exercise?"
Fu Yun asked, "Are your regular sports archery, horseback riding, Cuju (ancient Chinese football), wrestling, martial arts, pitch-pot, etc."
The Empress nodded: "That's right."
Fu Yun said, "Your regular sports training is too intense and only suitable for people with good physical fitness. It's not suitable for people with poor physical condition. Those who are weak need to use a gradual exercise method to slowly improve their physical condition. After the body's functions have improved, the intensity of exercise can be gradually increased. In other words, everyone will have a set of exercise methods that suit them. Adjustments can be made based on the fitness results, and the goal of strengthening the body will be achieved more effectively."
My current condition is the best example. As long as I keep exercising, I will become stronger and stronger, and I might even be able to join soldier training and become a brave soldier. However, achieving this result will not be possible in a short time; the initial physical conditioning phase may require more than a year.
He paused, then added, "Of course, that's also why I want to open a gym. I had a brief conversation with General Qian before, and I discovered a problem: only women serve in the military in our country, which is equivalent to reducing the army by half. This doesn't even include the elderly and young children, which reduces the number by another third. Just think, if we can improve the physical fitness of men, will we still have to worry about the army's strength?"
The Empress's expression darkened slightly, and her tone turned noticeably colder: "Have I spoiled you too much? How dare you utter such treasonous words in front of me? Do you really think I won't chop off your head?"
Fu Yun was slightly taken aback, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. His high spirits cooled down instantly. Only then did he realize that he had made a low-level mistake. He had been chatting too smoothly with the Empress and had forgotten that no matter how gentle Zhi Lan's attitude was towards him, she was still the monarch.
The most taboo thing to do before a monarch is to overstep one's bounds and presume to influence the monarch's thoughts, especially in a matriarchal society where men are superior to women, and he is merely a commoner. To speak ill of current policies in front of the monarch is tantamount to a blatant challenge to the monarch's authority. Even if the initial intention is good, it will appear to harbor malicious intent, which is why he had previously thought of having General Qian report to the Empress in detail.
"I'm sorry." Fu Yun lowered her eyes, placed the chopsticks on the table, and looked out the window at the setting sun. She stated calmly, "I was impetuous with my words. If my remarks made you uncomfortable, I apologize. It was my way of expressing myself that caused you to misunderstand. I have no right to judge national policies, nor do I intend to criticize current policies. I simply hope that under your rule, this country can become more prosperous and stronger, a force that other countries dare not provoke. Only when the country is prosperous can the people live in peace, so that I can do business in peace and make my beloved career bigger and stronger."
Seeing the man who had been so spirited suddenly become calm and reserved, the Empress felt a strange sense of melancholy. Perhaps she had spoken too harshly, but she still asked in a cold tone, "Do you know that men are not allowed to participate in politics?"
Fu Yun had calmed down by now. He met the Empress's gaze, his eyes deep and composed, his expression serious and solemn, devoid of the relaxed and friendly air he had shown earlier. "A gentleman's power does not lie in force; when force is exhausted, power vanishes. I know you may not believe what I'm saying now, but I still want to make it clear to you that I am only interested in business, not in vying for power, nor do I have any intention of coveting military power, much less forming factions or disrupting the court. What I want to do is rely on my own abilities to live uprightly in this country and achieve the goals I must achieve. I will not participate in anything else."
His original intention was to complete the task given to him by Xiao Ba, and at the same time prove his value in this country where women are superior to men.
He had been careless just now. He knew that the Empress, as a ruler, possessed ruthless methods and was a decisive and ambitious monarch, yet he forgot that there was a world of difference in status and position between a monarch and a commoner. How could he treat her as a friend? This would probably be an insult to a monarch of such noble status!
Just as Zhilan said, we shouldn't be too friendly to him, which led him to have the illusion that the Empress would approve of him and treat him as a friend worth getting to know better.
This is not modern times, where outstanding ability and strength can bring flowers, applause, recognition, and admiration. This is ancient times with a strict hierarchical system, dividing people into different classes to distinguish their social status. Therefore, maintaining a clear mind at all times becomes especially important.
Well then, the Empress and I are not suited for the kind of gentlemanly friendship that is as light as water. From now on, let's prioritize the mission objective!
True friends are not easy to find. I will treat the Empress as a business partner. As for how deep our friendship will become in the future, that is unknown. Let nature take its course!
If the gym project cannot be implemented, he cannot force it. After all, in a matriarchal society, taking an unconventional approach is not novel or unique, but a challenge to the absolute authority of women. Therefore, it is not enough to just have an idea; the consent of those in power must also be obtained.
The Empress fell silent. At this moment, she could clearly feel that the person in front of her was completely different from the person she had met during this period of time. If he was intelligent and wise before, he was also very frank and direct. He would say what he wanted to say and would not hide anything. He had the characteristics of a young man's enthusiasm and sincerity.
At this moment, Su Fuyun exuded a composure and restraint beyond his years, along with a detached indifference and detachment. Even though he was sitting right in front of you, there was a sense that he did not belong to this space, giving you an inexplicable feeling that he was hard to fathom and impossible to control.
Why would he say that he only wants to live uprightly in this country, accomplish the goals that must be accomplished, and will not participate in anything else?
Did he always feel that the Kingdom of Nü did not belong to him?
Or perhaps it's for some other reason?
Most of his ideas and remarks are quite novel and unique. Although he looks no different from ordinary people, he is also different from ordinary people.
The Empress's doubts grew, until a strange curiosity arose in her towards the person sitting in front of her.
This feeling of being unfathomable yet full of mystery and contradiction brings a strange and fatal attraction to people.
At this moment, she was more curious than ever about what secrets Su Fuyun held.
Fu Jun had no idea what the Empress was thinking during her silence. He only noticed that she seemed to have lost the desire to talk and was no longer enjoying the food on the table, so he knew that she probably wouldn't touch her chopsticks anymore.
In other words, it's time for this meeting to end.
So he took the initiative and said, "It's getting late, and the project progress report is almost done. Shouldn't we be going?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress instantly snapped out of her reverie, clearly sensing that Su Fuyun's attitude towards her had become much more polite and distant.
Perhaps his words had intimidated him, causing him to restrain his tendency to express his emotions openly.
Although this way of getting along was not her original intention, if some things are not made clear in advance, there will inevitably be endless troubles in the future.
She didn't want to see Su Fuyun become estranged from her and turn into an enemy who would kill her because of power struggles.
For some reason, she always felt an urge to get to know Su Fuyun better and protect him.
Perhaps it was because when the two of them entered the bandit's academy together, Su Fuyun was able to treat her with honesty and sincerity even without knowing her true identity, and always did his best to protect her and prevent strangers from touching her, which greatly reduced her discomfort at the time.
At that time, she found this person to be really interesting, and she felt very comfortable when she was with him, a kind of relaxation she had never experienced before.
There is no need to maintain a monarchical demeanor and dignity in front of him, nor to bear the heavy responsibility of the country at all times, nor to be wary of whether the people around you might assassinate you.
She could be allowed to temporarily shed the shackles of being a monarch and live as an ordinary person, doing as she pleased.
She knew very well that no one else, except Su Fuyun, could give her such a comfortable and relaxed feeling.
After a moment's consideration, she looked at Fu Jun with a deep gaze: "You don't need to be afraid of me. As long as your words and actions are consistent and you don't pose a threat to the court, I will not punish you."
Fu Yun nodded, showing no emotional fluctuation: "I understand. I will come to report to you again in seven days."
He understood that the Empress was explaining her harsh words from earlier.
Although her words were not tactful enough, as the ruler of a country, she had probably already made the greatest concession, and naturally she could not truly bow her head to him to express her apology.
Since that's the case, there's no need for him to make a big deal out of it; he can just back down gracefully.
He got carried away with his own words and forgot to be careful with his speech. The reason he made such a basic mistake was that he was misled by the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere between the two of them and forgot that the person in front of him was Zhilan, who was also the ruler of a country, not a close friend with whom he could talk about anything.
The Empress could tell that Su Fuyun's attitude hadn't softened much, but she didn't know what else to say, so she could only stand up and say, "Then let's go!"
The two walked out of the private room one after the other. As they went downstairs, the waiter spotted them immediately and quickly bent down, raising his forearm slightly to guide them, saying, "Please, esteemed guests, proceed to this counter to settle your bill."
The Empress walked over and spoke to the shopkeeper with her back to Fu Yun.
Just then, Fu Yun caught a glimpse of a flash of silver light on her right, and then saw someone sneaking up on Zhi Lan from behind.
Fu Yun was startled and instinctively shouted, "Zhilan, be careful!"
As he spoke, his body reacted even faster than his voice, and he rushed over in one stride.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com