"Why have you become so glib just after we haven't seen each other for a while?"
Shi Muyuan's profile instantly flushed red. Set off by the night, she looked even more charming.
"Of course I should thank Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. If you hadn't rejected me again and again, how could I have changed so quickly? But isn't this good? Will Her Majesty the Empress Dowager agree to me sooner if I'm a bit more thick-skinned?"
Hearing this, the young girl lowered her head slightly.
"I've mentioned our statuses more than once. Please don't make things difficult for me. It's impossible for us considering our statuses."
She firmly rejected him again, but this time the man didn't react as he did before.
"The more you reject me, the thicker my skin will be. If you have the guts, just keep rejecting me."
This time, Shi Muyuan really felt a headache because of this man.
"Are you still the same heartless national teacher as before?"
"Why should I be heartless to the one I love?"
"Didn't someone hope that I would die before? Besides, hasn't the national teacher calculated that I have the fate of being alone for a thousand years? Are you going against the will of heaven?"
Hearing this, the man rolled his eyes.
"Does Her Majesty the Empress Dowager look down on me? I know astronomy above and geography below. There's nothing in this world that I can't do. I'll just change this fate."
The young girl's big eyes had never heard anyone say such arrogant words. Was he really going against the will of heaven?
She had thought about it for a long time and considered many things. She always felt that fate must have had a purpose in arranging for her to possess the original owner's body.
She always thought that this purpose was for her to create a prosperous and peaceful era for the Great Liang.
Since this was the arrangement and considering her current status, she surely wouldn't end up well.
Seeing that she seemed to be frowning all the time, the man suddenly remembered something.
"Not long ago, on the day when Her Majesty the Empress Dowager came back from the dead, I divined a hexagram for you. Later, the hexagram changed constantly. After you woke up, your personality changed greatly, and even your way of doing things was completely different from before. Now it seems that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager should give me an explanation."
Shi Muyuan knew that she couldn't hide it from this man sooner or later. Anyway, he had saved her from life and death many times. There should be no harm in telling him.
"Actually, I'm not the real Empress Dowager."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly. He subconsciously tensed up, looked around, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there was no one else.
"Who on earth are you? And where is the original Empress Dowager? I knew that things couldn't be so simple. But don't worry. I definitely won't tell anyone what you've told me today. As long as you hand over the original Empress Dowager, I'll act as if I know nothing and will safely send you away."
Suddenly, Shi Muyuan's eyes welled up with tears.
She didn't expect that this man really had deep feelings for her. After hearing this earth-shattering secret, although he hadn't sorted it out yet, the first thing he thought about was how to protect her.
From his sense of responsibility and the little things they had experienced during this long time, it could be seen that he was definitely a man worthy of entrusting one's life to.
"I didn't mean that. You misunderstood me. Actually, I'm not from your era."
The man was stunned. He carefully recalled, and it seemed that everything was traceable.
"So that day, when you said that everyone was equal, it actually existed, right?"
"Yes. In my original era, not only was everyone equal, but there were also very few brothels. Both women and men had the right to freely decide their own major life events. It was okay even if a woman remarried. It was monogamy. Anyway, it was a very beautiful era."
The man looked melancholy, with a hint of loss between his eyebrows.
"Why did you come here?"
"I don't know the answer to this question either. My soul is in this body. But after being here for so long, I also understand that the four cardinal principles and five constant virtues cannot be violated. I hope you can keep this secret for me. Now that you know this, I hope you won't say those things to me again. There's no future for us."
She thought that after making herself so clear, the man would give up.
Unexpectedly, the man seemed even happier.
"Aren't you just concerned about our statuses? Then I can take you to be a pair of free lovebirds. How about it? If Her Majesty the Empress Dowager doesn't want to live like this, I can also let you continue to sit on the throne as my queen."
Seeing his serious look, Shi Muyuan twitched the corners of her mouth.
"Although the national teacher can indeed change people's fates, aren't you afraid of being backlashed?"
According to the plots Shi Muyuan had read in novels, generally speaking, doing such things would be backlashed because it went against moral ethics and the rules.
However, these words sounded different in the man's ears.
"If Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is really so concerned about me, why not stay by my side all the time? Then if something really happens to me, you'll know in time."
The young girl rolled her eyes. This man was really climbing up the pole.
"The national teacher should face my question seriously. I'm not joking with you. Our statuses are not suitable for us to stay together for a long time, and it's even more impossible for us to have a romantic relationship."
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager doesn't need to keep rejecting me. I can tell that you also have feelings for me. Moreover, I've already made a plan. After the matter of the crown prince is resolved, I'll take you far away. By then, we can be a pair of carefree lovebirds."
After the man finished speaking, he left a letter and disappeared from the room.
Shi Muyuan was stunned. Looking at the place where the man had just stood, her heart was filled with mixed feelings.
She seemed to start longing for what the man had described.
She had lived for several decades and had never been in love. The man had saved her from danger again and again. It was impossible not to be tempted. If she could really go far away with the man, it would be a good thing.
Forget it. She would just let nature take its course. She would wait and see how things developed. For now, she had to figure out how to deal with the head of the He family.
After this incident, it was estimated that the head of the He family would arrive in Yijin City soon.
She was thinking about a well-thought-out plan in the room. After dealing with the head of the He family, maybe she could also solve the problem of Ji Huang's rebellion.
...
The man returned to his residence with worries in his heart. Seeing this, the guard stepped forward and asked.
"Did things not go well when you talked with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager just now?"
"She's still concerned about our statuses. But fortunately, her attitude has softened a bit. By the way, have you done all the things I asked you to do before?"
Hearing this, the guard patted his chest to assure.
"Everything is ready. But my lord, are you sure that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will really go far away with you in the future? What if others discover your identities?"