Jiang Shouzhong finally realized the unpredictable side of this woman, who suddenly got angry out of nowhere, as if she were going through nopause.
"No one likes you like this."
Jiang Shouzhong patted his clothes, stood up, and smiled.
Xiao Lingqiu’s delicate brows slightly raised, her tone carried a hint of annoyance: "I don’t need others to like , nor do I care if they do!"
"As long as you like it."
Jiang Shouzhong didn’t want to argue with the woman, so he poured out the dicine water in the basin, fetched so hot water, poured it into the bathtub, pulled over the screen, took off his clothes, and began to bathe.
Xiao Lingqiu gazed at the shadowy figure behind the screen, slowly slipped her embroidered shoes onto her slender feet, and continued to sketch nas on the paper.
After a mont, she once more lifted her elegant face, her lips moved as if about to speak.
But each ti she was about to voice her thoughts, it seed that the screen kept her words at bay, swallowing her unspoken sentints, as hesitation and struggle flickered in her eyes.
The sound of water splashed noisily...
A single screen seed to divide the two into separate worlds.
The woman gently bit her lower lip, revealing a complex emotion between her brows, ultimately choosing silence and lowered her head to continue writing.
However, her restless heart couldn’t let her focus on her work.
"I... do people really not like ?"
After so ti, a voice filled with confusion and slight grievance rang out.
Xiao Lingqiu’s bright eyes peered through the gap in the screen, trying to catch a glimpse of the person behind it.
Perhaps her voice was too faint, or perhaps the sound of running water during Jiang Shouzhong’s bath drowned out everything, causing no response from the other side for a long ti.
Xiao Lingqiu looked forlorn, just staring blankly into space.
"Sotis you are quite likable."
The man suddenly spoke abruptly, "For instance, today when you were commanding during the battle, you were very charming."
Xiao Lingqiu was taken aback, a faint smile slowly forming on her lips.
"You’ve never t the best of ."
The woman said so.
This was the second ti she uttered this sentence, but her mood was entirely different.
The first ti was with pride.
Because she considered her most charming mont to be when she controlled half of the world as a nation’s empress dowager.
At that ti, she was at her best.
The second ti is filled with anticipation.
She suddenly anticipated the mont when Jiang Shouzhong learned her true identity.
However, despite the fantasy, from a rational perspective, she didn’t want to reveal her true identity to the man. After all, it involved Miaomiao and... that subtle emotion she was unwilling to admit.
Jiang Shouzhong finished his bath and refilled another bucket of hot water for the woman: "Rest early."
"Okay."
Xiao Lingqiu gently folded the list on the table.
Jiang Shouzhong couldn’t help but ask curiously: "What are you doing with those?"
Xiao Lingqiu casually replied: "Here is an entirely new yet chaotic chessboard, and everyone wants to hold more pieces to gain a share. So I want to try and see if I can steal a few pieces to facilitate future tasks for the Empress Dowager."
"You are indeed loyal to the Empress Dowager." Jiang Shouzhong remarked sarcastically.
Xiao Lingqiu tilted her head thoughtfully, then seriously looked at Jiang Shouzhong, speaking word by word: "Because the Empress Dowager is the only enlightened ruler who can bring happiness to the entire populace."
Jiang Shouzhong responded with a smile.
This slight facial response made Xiao Lingqiu very dissatisfied: "Don’t you believe it?"
"No, I believe it." Jiang Shouzhong quickly said.
Afraid that this loyal servant would again get angry for no reason, Jiang Shouzhong said seriously: "Your Empress Dowager is absolutely the greatest enlightened ruler of all ti, unparalleled."
"You simply don’t believe it!"
Xiao Lingqiu said sowhat angrily.
This angry appearance was like an upset little girl not getting the recognition she wants.
The woman was upset again... Jiang Shouzhong felt quite helpless inside, so he straightforwardly said:
"I believe your Empress Dowager can beco an enlightened ruler, but the idea that she can make every citizen happy, I don’t believe. It could be said that no ruler in history has ever achieved that.
Is the happiness you imagine truly the sa happiness they desire? Can you ensure a good life for every single commoner? Can you fairly and justly consider everyone’s interests?"
"I..."
"People all have selfishness."
Jiang Shouzhong stepped in front of the woman, gently brushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead, and sighed,
"I’m not negating your Empress Dowager’s abilities, nor mocking her ideals. It’s just that the reality of change is sothing she knows better than anyone, how difficult and impractical it is."
Xiao Lingqiu’s long, thick eyelashes blinked several tis, slowly lowering, covering the dim light in her eyes.
Indeed, she knew better than anyone.
She tried to transform into an entirely new world, rooting out all the old habits and crafting an ideal Peach Blossom World where everyone could be happy.
But this was rely a fantasy.
Even if she unified the world, nothing would change.
Prosperity brings the people’s suffering. Demise brings the people’s suffering.
There’s no such thing as everyone’s happiness.
Perhaps on a deeper level, what she told Jiang Shouzhong was rely masking her desire for power.
She didn’t want the man to see the Empress Dowager of Yanrong as an ambitious female politician.
Such a woman is not at all likable.
"Alright, go bathe; the water is about to get cold." Jiang Shouzhong patted the woman’s fragrant shoulder, interrupting her chaotic thoughts.
Xiao Lingqiu silently finished her bath, lying on the bed.
Jiang Shouzhong lay down on the bed, mimicking what she had done earlier, lightly tracing his palm on the mattress between them, trying to establish a boundary.
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