"What?"
Zhao Shuning looked at Mo Yan.
Mo Yan's deep voice rang out.
"If you're not Luo Qiu, then why haven't you said so all these years? And why have you done so many things for my people of Loulan?"
"In my eyes, whether they are the people of Ruoqiang or the people of Loulan, they are all living beings and equally worthy of respect. As for why I didn't tell you that I'm not the real Luo Qiu, Lord Mo Yan, I've told you and mentioned it before, but did you believe me?"
Mo Yan didn't say a word.
Zhao Shuning continued, "I stayed because I wanted to save more people of Loulan. Lord Mo Yan, every time there's a war with Ruoqiang, it's always the common people who suffer the most. Why, why can't we all live in peace?"
"Live in peace? That's so easy to say. Do you know that in the early years, Ruoqiang was powerful and good at horsemanship? Did they ever think about living in peace with us when they were at war with us? If constant tolerance and retreat were useful, then our Loulan would probably have become part of Ruoqiang's territory by now."
Zhao Shuning knew.
She knew Mo Yan's feelings for Loulan.
He would never allow his country to be invaded by other countries, not even an inch of it.
"Over the years, there have been many frictions on the border between Ruoqiang and Loulan. However, it's not all Ruoqiang's fault. Many times, it's because the people of Loulan, being strong, forcibly abducted the women of Ruoqiang, which led to frequent conflicts."
Mo Yan suddenly stood up.
There was anger in his eyes.
"What's wrong with that? In our Loulan, if a man meets a woman he likes, he should abduct her and take her home. It's because the men in Ruoqiang are too weak. How can such weak men protect those women? What's wrong with our Loulan men?"
Zhao Shuning couldn't understand this logic.
So she said again, "But there's another rule in Loulan, and this rule is extremely unreasonable. You said that the Loulan men abduct the women to give them a better life. Then let me ask you, if a woman really falls in love with that man, does she have to marry him and have children with him for the rest of her life?"
Mo Yan didn't say a word.
Because he knew what Zhao Shuning was going to say next.
He couldn't refute this point.
"In Loulan, if a woman marries a man and the man is healthy, they can live in harmony. But what if the man suddenly dies? According to your custom here, this woman has to marry the man's father or brother. Lord Mo Yan, I can't comment on the rules you've inherited, but I just want to ask you a question."
"If one day, you meet a woman you like and you get her. Then, if you're gone, would you be willing to offer your wife to other men?"
The customs in Loulan were a bit strange.
Over the years, Zhao Shuning had been focusing on changing these unwritten feudal rules.
Mo Yan didn't say a word.
Actually, Zhao Shuning could guess his answer.
Mo Yan was extremely possessive and jealous. If something belonged to him, not to mention a woman, even a small item, he would never allow others to touch it.
"It wouldn't be allowed if it were you."
Mo Yan spoke.
Zhao Shuning asked, "What do you mean?"
"If my wife is you in the future, then I'll have this rule abolished. But if it's not you, then it doesn't matter if this rule continues to exist."
Zhao Shuning quickly said, "The problem I'm discussing with you is not this. What I mean is that the reason why there have been continuous conflicts between Ruoqiang and Loulan for hundreds of years is that the customs of the two sides are different, so there are many frictions."
Mo Yan asked, "So?"
"So what?"
"So you're telling me all this because you hope I'll hand over Loulan to Ruoqiang, to your real parents in Ruoqiang, right?"
"I've never said such a thing."
"But your words imply this meaning."
Zhao Shuning stepped back.
Mo Yan stepped forward aggressively.
"Mo Yan, I'm not Luo Qiu. I don't belong to your Loulan. Even if it were the real Luo Qiu, she should have the right to choose."
"I say you are, and you are."
In Mo Yan's paranoid eyes, Zhao Shuning vaguely saw a sense of familiarity.
There was someone who was very similar to Mo Yan.
Mo Bai, yes, it was Mo Bai!
Zhao Shuning quickly dodged.
"Mo Yan, you're crazy."
"I am crazy. You've driven me crazy. Qiuqiu, do you know that when I brought you back to Loulan, you were only a little bigger than my palm. Do you know that at first, I only regarded you as the predestined daughter of our Loulan."
Zhao Shuning stepped back.
Mo Yan's expression became a bit terrifying at this moment.
"But you've grown up and become more and more outstanding."
"You're smart, studious, and beautiful. You'll smile at me. You'll tell me jokes when I'm bored. You'll also let the servants boil hot water for me in advance when I'm tired, and let the kitchen prepare my favorite dishes before I come back. Qiuqiu, it's you. It's you who walked into my heart step by step. You moved in without my permission, and now you want to leave alone, right?"
Zhao Shuning was a bit scared looking at Mo Yan's almost distorted face.
"Mo Yan, I only regard you as a friend."
"But I don't."
"Do you know that in order to wait for you to grow up, I went to the Eastern Marshy Wilderness to find a ninth - rank alchemist. I asked her to develop a longevity and beauty - preserving pill. I took it so that my appearance will remain the same for another hundred years, and I can have you forever."
Zhao Shuning stepped back and tripped over the chair behind her.
"You're crazy, Mo Yan. You're crazy."
"Qiuqiu, you came back, which means you also have feelings for me in your heart, right?"
Zhao Shuning retreated to the door.
Mo Yan was stimulated at the moment and was extremely unstable.
At this time, no matter what Zhao Shuning said, it wouldn't have a soothing effect. On the contrary, it would stimulate Mo Yan.
"I'll go out first. You calm down by yourself. I'll come to you when you can listen to what I say."
Zhao Shuning reached out to open the door behind her.
But Mo Yan saw through her thoughts at this moment and suddenly appeared in front of her.
Then his hand slammed shut the door that was already slightly ajar.
Under the pressure, Zhao Shuning's body was only a finger's width away from Mo Yan.
Mo Yan's eyes stared straight at Zhao Shuning's red lips.
"Over the years, I've been waiting for you to grow up. I've tried my best to restrain myself and was reluctant to touch you. I've never even touched your lips, but you let that man touch them."
Master didn't even want to touch her. It was she who stole a kiss from him when he was asleep.
"Luo Qiu, you're forcing me. You've repeatedly challenged the limit of my patience with you."