Chi Yan was now certain that she was indeed very angry, and seemed to be quite angry at that.
His lips were slightly pursed, his eyebrows drooped, and he glanced at her face out of the corner of his eye: "So, is there anything you want to say?"
Shen Tangning's lips curled into a cold smile: "You told me to trust you, but what about you? Do you even consider me your wife? You didn't even discuss such a big matter with me beforehand?"
Chi Yan's expression tightened, and he quickly explained, "I originally planned to be honest with you today, but I didn't expect things to change."
She seemed to laugh in exasperation: "So you're going to act first and report later?"
Chi Yan's heart skipped a beat: Oh no, she was saying all his lines.
"Ah Ning, calm down. Let's discuss this rationally. You know His Majesty has long wanted to curb the dominance of powerful families, so this day was bound to come sooner or later!"
Shen Tangning gradually calmed down.
Chi Yan stared intently at her, his brows furrowing involuntarily. "Moreover, the dominance of powerful families is not a good thing for either the court or the people. You are not in the court, so perhaps you don't have a clear understanding yet, but the power dynamics in the court are complex and intertwined, and without exception, they are all firmly monopolized by powerful families!"
"They only care about their own interests, secretly scheming against and eliminating dissidents. Over time, this has led to deep-seated problems, just like termites attached to a big tree. In places that cannot be seen, the trunk has long been hollowed out."
Seeing that she didn't react violently, he figured she had taken his words to heart, and his tone softened. "Outdated things will eventually be replaced by new things. Since that's the case, why don't we go with the flow? It's better for the Xie family to back down now than to offend the king and face utter ruin in the future."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tangning suddenly stood up, instinctively taking a step back and looking at her with some confusion.
A mocking smile played on her lips, but her expression remained calm: "Chi Yan, you seem so high and mighty!"
These words left Chi Yan completely bewildered. So high and mighty? What was this all about?
He tentatively lowered himself to her eye level: "Is this... still tall?"
Shen Tangning ignored his banter, took two steps and turned her back to him, her eyes clear and her tone calm: "Do you know that I have been supported and raised by a noble family since childhood, and all my honor and disgrace are tied to that rotten and filthy place you speak of?"
Chi Yan opened his mouth, then subconsciously explained, "I didn't mean to belittle you."
She turned her head slightly. "As a beneficiary, I have no right to criticize it, let alone turn around and deal with it after reaping all the benefits."
Chi Yan was taken aback.
Shen Tangning turned around, her eyelashes casting a shadow on her eyelids. Her eyes were calm and rational, yet contained a myriad of complex emotions: "As for what you said, that the Xie family took the initiative to back down, do you know what happens to a beast that has lost its claws?"
His gaze flickered as he watched her utter those words, "at the mercy of others."
“If the Xie family really backs down, then their life or death will be in that person’s hands. My maternal grandfather was not unaware of the principle that great merit can overshadow the master, but he was responsible for the entire Xie family. He dared not back down, and I dared not gamble.”
Shen Tangning gently turned her face away: "You can go out now. I've already had Xueqing tidy up the study."
...
Chi Yan stood under the corridor, stunned for a long time.
He suddenly understood why Shen Tangning said he was high and mighty.
He came from another era and could not understand the interconnectedness of family interests. Even though he was born into a noble family, he did not have a strong sense of shared prosperity and shared loss.
Similarly, he sympathizes with the plight of women in this era, but he cannot truly empathize with them. He is used to looking down on them, which is another form of condescension.
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