Xiao Che's heavy and weary question—"Wanwan, do you know how difficult it is to achieve all this?"—was like a boulder thrown into the lake in the Imperial Study, which had just been illuminated by the light of ideals, stirring up cold ripples of reality.
Is it difficult?
Of course it's difficult.
Lin Wanwan knew better than anyone else that every concept she proposed was groundbreaking and unconventional for this era.
"Paying taxes uniformly" was a declaration of war against the entire gentry class. Would those aristocratic families who had enjoyed privileges for centuries, those scholars who regarded "all other professions are inferior, only studying is superior" as their guiding principle, easily give up their inherent sense of superiority and vested interests? They would use every literary trick and political maneuver to portray her as a bewitching empress who shook the foundations of the country and seduced the emperor.
"Mercantilism" challenges the traditional values that have been rooted in this land for thousands of years. When the class distinction of "scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants" is deeply ingrained, and merchants are regarded as the lowest class and the pursuit of profit as a despicable act, how many conservative ministers will criticize and condemn any attempt to legitimize merchants and raise their tax status?
The plan behind that "macroeconomic control" to support royal merchants was essentially a scheme to snatch food from the mouth of the Regent, that hungry wolf. It was nothing short of a bloodless war, where every step could lead to utter ruin.
Any one of these three mountains would be enough to crush a diligent and ambitious emperor, leaving him exhausted and ultimately causing him to fail in the face of numerous obstacles.
The atmosphere in the imperial study grew heavy again with Xiao Che's question. The light in his eyes seemed to dim little by little as he thought of these insurmountable obstacles. He looked at Lin Wanwan, his complex gaze containing admiration for her talent, but also deep worry for the impending storm.
He was practically waiting for her to back down, or at least for a moment to hesitate.
However, Lin Wanwan smiled.
Faced with the immense pressure of reality, she showed no sign of retreat or fear; instead, she smiled exceptionally brightly, a smile that seemed to dispel all the gloom in the world.
Meeting his deep gaze, she didn't back down an inch, and spoke clearly and firmly:
"No matter how difficult it is, it's still easier than watching the country be hollowed out by parasites."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resonant; every word seemed to strike metal or stone, filled with unshakeable power.
Xiao Che's body jolted, and his pupils reflected her beautiful face, which was filled with conviction.
Lin Wanwan slowly walked up to him, looking directly into his eyes. Her bright almond-shaped eyes reflected his slightly tired figure, as well as a tenderness and determination that made his heart tremble.
“Your Majesty,” she said softly, her voice more solemn than any oath, “you are not alone.”
You are not alone.
These six simple words, like a warm current containing boundless power, instantly washed away the last trace of doubt and defense in Xiao Che's heart.
yes.
He has always been alone.
In a cold palace, a person disguises himself as sickly and weak, fighting alone against malice from all sides.
A man navigates the turbulent court, dealing with the all-powerful imperial uncle with extreme caution, treading on thin ice at every turn.
Alone in the desolate and empty treasure vault, he faces the empire's riddled truth, burdened by heavy shackles that could crush anyone.
He thought this path was destined to be lonely.
Until this moment.
He looked at the woman before him, at the resolute "I am with you" in her eyes, and he knew he had finally found her.
He found the one and only soulmate who could see through all his pretenses, understand all his predicaments, and was willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with him and shoulder the heavy burden of this country together.
All suspicion and all testing vanished in that moment.
An unprecedented impulse surged within him, an urge to hold her tightly in his arms and feel each other's heartbeats.
But he didn't.
He walked up to her and stopped. The distance between them was only a step. He didn't hug her, nor kiss her, nor even say a single tender word.
He simply did something that shocked Lin Wanwan and the entire history of the world.
He slowly turned around and walked towards the sandalwood dragon table that symbolized the supreme power of the empire.
At the very center of the dragon throne, a seal carved from the finest Hetian white jade rests quietly. Upon it, dragons and tigers coil, exuding an imposing majesty. That is the Imperial Seal of the State, representing the emperor's supreme power, capable of commanding the entire realm and deciding the life and death of all people!
Xiao Che reached out and, with gentle yet solemn movements, held the heavy jade seal in his palm.
Then, he turned around again and walked back to Lin Wanwan step by step.
His expression was as solemn as if he were performing the most sacred ritual.
Under Lin Wanwan's utterly shocked gaze, he gently and solemnly placed the jade seal, representing supreme imperial power, into her palm.
"!!!!!"
The jade seal felt cold and heavy in my hand.
The weight seemed not to come from the jade itself, but from the vast land and hundreds of millions of people that it carried!
Lin Wanwan's hand trembled violently, almost dropping the token that could change the world. She looked up at Xiao Che in disbelief, her mind blank.
What...what is he doing?
Did he know what he was handing over to her?
This is imperial power! It is destiny! It is the highest authority a man can possess in this era! And he, just like that... just like that, so easily handed it over to her?
Xiao Che looked at her speechless expression of shock, but a gentle and satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He reached out his hand and gently covered her slightly trembling hand that held the jade seal. His palm was warm and dry, transmitting the coolness of the jade, along with the warmth of his palm, to her.
His voice, at this moment, became low and hoarse, carrying an almost vow-like solemnity and piety.
"From now on, we shall discuss all matters of state together."
He held her hand, letting her feel the weight of the jade seal, and also his complete trust. His gaze was fixed deeply on her eyes, as if trying to imprint his soul into them.
"Half of my empire belongs to you."
When those last words were spoken, Lin Wanwan felt her heart being completely overwhelmed by a huge and scalding torrent of emotions.
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She subconsciously looked up at the familiar emoji area above his head.
There, all the charts, all the theories, all the shock and ecstasy had vanished.
Instead, a heartwarming yet incredibly domineering scene unfolded.
A chibi-style little emperor, dressed in a dragon robe, is lovingly placing the other half of the crown, symbolizing supreme power, on the head of his chibi-style little empress, dressed in a phoenix robe.
That crown was exactly the same as the one on his own head, equally dazzling.
Below the design, a line of text shimmering with golden light slowly emerged, radiating unparalleled affection and pride—
【My Queen.jpg】
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