ng Qingzhou served a plate of dessert and said, "I don't know, don't care, no comnt."
Occasionally discussing national affairs was fine, but in remote towns where news flow was blocked, it wouldn't attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. At most, he'd be labeled a braggart by the neighbors.
But to idle away every day predicting future trends was like dancing on the edge of a pit of fire.
Dongfang Liuli seed to notice ng Qingzhou's concerns and chuckled softly, "Don't worry, it's just idle chatter. I won't say a word to anyone."
ng Qingzhou picked up a piece of honey osmanthus cake, held it near his mouth for a long ti, then put it down and said, "Fine, considering how well you've treated , I don't mind sharing a bit with you."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Liuli and Su Qingqiu imdiately sat up straight, the latter even secretly taking out paper and pen, ready to take notes at any mont.
ng Qingzhou looked up, recalling the plot of the novel.
***
In the original story, Zhao Gou, the heir apparent of the King of Shu, was the sole male protagonist. To help King Zhao Yuhuan rebel, he made a grand entrance to the capital, secretly followed by a hundred assassins.
On the surface, Zhao Gou attended various banquets, but behind the scenes, a group of highly skilled assassins infiltrated the residence of Pri Minister Jiang Canghai and nearly assassinated him. However, Jiang Canghai fell gravely ill as a result.
Without Jiang Canghai's assistance, the Empress struggled to handle state affairs.
Subsequently, Zhao Gou won over court officials and used the lack of an Empress' Husband as a reason to have the Empress appoint one.
Then, he had the Shu army, disguised as refugees and bandits, ignite war across the Great Jin.
Under this triple pressure, Empress Qin Liuli couldn't hold on, and internal chaos began to erge in the Great Jin.
In just half a year, the Great Jin's territory split in two, and the court divided into two factions: one supporting Empress Qin Liuli and the other supporting King Zhao Yuhuan.
In the end, Empress Qin Liuli lost to Zhao Gou's protagonist aura, and the Great Jin changed rulers, with the surna Zhao taking over.
Zhao Gou beca the Crown Prince.
Qin Liuli, with her unparalleled cultivation, fought her way out of the encirclent and later beca an evil villainess, bent on seeking revenge against Zhao Gou.
However, Zhao Gou, being the overpowered protagonist, was not her match, and she ultimately lost to the later-grown Zhao Gou.
Zhao Gou wanted to take her into his harem, but Qin Liuli, being steadfast and virtuous, chose to commit suicide by sword rather than submit, disintegrating her body and soul.
In short, Empress Qin Liuli was the villain in the novel, while Zhao Gou was the overpowered male protagonist, and the Empress was destined to lose.
***
Thinking of this, ng Qingzhou sighed slightly and said, "The Great Jin's fortune is flourishing. Perhaps in the future, it can conquer the Nine Provinces and unify the world."
Dongfang Liuli's brows relaxed, and she smiled, "Isn't that a good thing? Why the sigh?"
ng Qingzhou said, "I'm not sighing for the Great Jin, but for the current Empress Qin Liuli. Coincidentally, you are also called Liuli, and so is the Empress."
Dongfang Liuli ignored the latter half of the sentence, feeling a vague sense of unease, and asked, "What about the Empress?"
Even Su Qingqiu beca nervous.
Could it be that in the eyes of the Sage, the Empress is destined for a tragic end?
ng Qingzhou said, "The Empress is a great ruler with unparalleled cultivation, but she is too impatient. Little does she know, the real threat has always been lurking by her side!
The Great Jin's fortune is as bright as fire, but if they don't pay attention to the wolves lying in wait, the future unification of the world might be under the Great Jin, but not necessarily under the surna Qin!"
ng Qingzhou stood up, using his cane as a sword, pointing northwest, and said loudly, "Zhao Yuhuan's ambition is as clear as day, and he is highly capable. The Shu region's standing army is only fifty thousand, but there are secretly one hundred and fifty thousand elite soldiers hidden!
Not only that, Zhao Yuhuan has been winning over court officials for years. He is smart, never targeting officials above the third rank, only focusing on those below the fourth rank, such as county magistrates and inspectors. Once civil war breaks out, more than half of the cities, except the capital, will instantly turn sides!"
ng Qingzhou 'looked' at Dongfang Liuli and asked, "If you were the Empress, how would you defend against this?"
His words left Dongfang Liuli stunned and Su Qingqiu speechless with shock.
They never expected that ng Qingzhou, who seed so ordinary apart from his good looks and otherworldly aura, knew so many secrets.
Dongfang Liuli had always doubted the claim that ng Qingzhou was a Sage, but now she was shaken.
The secrets ng Qingzhou spoke of could be verified within three days if Dongfang Liuli was willing to invest the manpower and resources.
Could it be that the person she randomly chose was the legendary Sage?
Dongfang Liuli frowned slightly, pondered for a mont, and said, "Issue an imperial edict, ordering the border troops to enter the capital to protect the Emperor. Then have General Qin Fenghuo lead fifty thousand troops to attack the Shu region, forcing Zhao Yuhuan into chaos."
ng Qingzhou nodded in approval, "Smart! A perfect answer! If I didn't know better, I'd suspect you were the current Empress."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Liuli felt a strange sensation, while Su Qingqiu couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
ng Qingzhou changed his tone and asked again, "What if Zhao Gou, the heir apparent, caused trouble within the capital, abolished one of the Empress' main supporters, Pri Minister Jiang Canghai, and then used the lack of an Empress' Husband to pressure her? What would you do then?"
"Pfft..." Su Qingqiu finally couldn't hold back her laughter.
"The Empress already has a good match, she's not without a partner. As for Pri Minister Jiang Canghai... he's very safe. It's said he discovered the hidden assassins." Dongfang Liuli coughed, feeling quite embarrassed.
ng Qingzhou opened his mouth but didn't speak for a long ti.
What was going on!?
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go. How could the Empress have a husband? She was supposed to be a lonely villainess.
And Jiang Canghai couldn't possibly have discovered the assassins in advance. Otherwise, how could the protagonist Zhao Gou carry out his plan?
"You're not joking, are you?" ng Qingzhou asked seriously.
"No, you can ask anyone and they'll tell you the sa. Why would I lie to you?" Dongfang Liuli said.
ng Qingzhou was confused, rubbing his temples, "Don't talk, let sort out my thoughts."
Dongfang Liuli didn't disturb him, resting her chin on her hands, quietly watching ng Qingzhou, her amber-red eyes flickering with different emotions.
For the first ti in her life, she felt a sense of security relying on soone else.
If it weren't for ng Qingzhou's predictions, Dongfang Liuli couldn't even imagine it.
A million troops stationed in the Shu region, with more than half of the counties in the Great Jin secretly siding with the King of Shu.
Combined with Zhao Gou's actions to abolish Pri Minister Jiang Canghai and force the Empress to appoint an Empress' Husband.
With Zhao Gou and Zhao Yuhuan working together, both internally and externally, Dongfang Liuli felt suffocated just thinking about it.
Pushing the scenario further.
She felt that if nothing unexpected happened, she could only hold on for three years at most before the Great Jin's throne would change to the surna Zhao!
"Thank you," Dongfang Liuli said softly.
ng Qingzhou shook off his chaotic thoughts and smiled, "What's there to thank? I just satisfied your curiosity."
Dongfang Liuli felt a sudden impulse and asked, "What do you think of the Empress as a person?"
She wanted to know what kind of evaluation she could get in ng Qingzhou's heart.
"In terms of cultivation talent, few in the world can match her. At just twenty-one years old, she has reached the Moon Shine Realm, which is rare throughout history," ng Qingzhou said.
Of course, no matter how impressive the Empress' talent was, it couldn't compare to his. ng Qingzhou had only been cultivating for three years and was already at the early stage of the Mountain Moving Realm.
ng Qingzhou continued, "In terms of strategy, the Empress led an army of fifty thousand at the age of thirteen and defeated the Loulan Kingdom's three hundred thousand troops. In terms of talent, she excels in poetry, song, and dance. In terms of appearance, she is a peerless beauty.
Without a doubt, the Empress is a perfect woman."
ng Qingzhou spoke to himself, all these descriptions coming from the novel's narration.
When he first read the novel, half of his interest was in the Empress, only to find out later that she was the main villain and not part of the protagonist's harem.
"Aren't you blind? How do you know the Empress is beautiful?" Su Qingqiu asked, puzzled.
"I'm still a man. Just hearing about the Empress' legends is enough to imagine her peerless beauty," ng Qingzhou said without a hint of embarrassnt.
Dongfang Liuli almost wanted to laugh.
Even if you are a Sage, don't you know that the perfect Empress you speak of is sitting right in front of you, and is also your apparent wife?
"How about I give you a chance to join the Empress' harem?" Dongfang Liuli said calmly.
Upon hearing this, ng Qingzhou shook his head like a rattle, "No, no, no, I'd rather not."
The reason was simple: he valued his life.
Following an evil villainess Empress would an going against the overpowered protagonist Zhao Gou. ng Qingzhou still wanted to live a few more years.
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