“There's no ‘but’,” Luo Nanchen said with a straight face and a blank expression. His pitch - black eyes stared at Lin Qiao. “You taught me how to survive in the palace. Now that I'm doing it as you taught, do you think I'm heartless?”
Luo Nanchen's eyes were sinister, which didn't match his small body and chubby little face at all. But anyone who saw him would not think it was just a child throwing a tantrum. It was truly a look of cold determination.
Lin Qiao actually felt a bit scared.
If one day Luo Nanchen was still like in the book, the great male protagonist in the cool - style novel who would kill anyone he wanted to satisfy the readers' psychology, what would be her own ending? Could it still not be changed?
Lin Qiao shook her head. “That's not what I meant—”
Luo Nanchen's eyes were firm, his face expressionless. He spoke each word with cold persistence.
“Whether it is or not, once it has started, it won't end.”
“If I want to be the emperor, I must be ruthless enough.”
“Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you.”
...
After Lin Qiao woke up, many things had happened in the palace, each of which was enough to change the history of Yunjin.
First, Luo Siyuan fell ill and invited Lin Qiao to treat him.
The imperial physician reported to Lin Qiao nervously, “Your humble servant thinks that His Majesty may not last more than a month. Your humble servant's medical skills are mediocre. Please, Your Highness, show your miraculous medical skills...”
Lin Qiao smiled innocently and cutely. Her big eyes curved into two watery crescent moons. “Oh? I don't agree with your high opinion, Doctor Liu. How come I feel that His Majesty won't last until tomorrow?”
Doctor Liu became even more nervous. He knelt down with a thud. “Your humble servant doesn't understand what Your Highness means. Please, Your Highness—”
“If Doctor Liu doesn't understand, then think it over here. You'd better figure it out before sunset tomorrow, Doctor Liu.”
Luo Siyuan was lying on the bed, gasping weakly. After hearing Lin Qiao's words, his face turned red with anger, and the veins on his forehead popped out. But he could only weakly pound on the bed, and his voice was so soft that even those standing behind the screen couldn't hear it.
The next day, Luo Siyuan passed away.
The late emperor didn't leave a will, but it didn't matter. All the court officials could see clearly because there was only Luo Nanchen left among the well - behaved princes.
The accumulated court affairs were increasing day by day, and the voices urging Luo Nanchen to ascend the throne were getting louder and louder.
But Luo Nanchen pretended to guard the mourning hall for more than ten days and refused to come out no matter what.
Finally, the grand tutor, Pei Liyu, led the court officials in a grand manner to the mourning hall to invite Luo Nanchen to ascend the throne. Only then did Luo Nanchen wipe away his non - existent tears and sit on the dragon throne.
After that, there were various grand ceremonies, sacrifices to heaven, and the enthronement ceremony. Luo Nanchen was so busy that he hardly had time to rest.
According to the original book, Luo Nanchen ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, but there were still two years to go. No one knew what had changed, and the plot had been completely altered.
But just like in the original book, many people invited Lin Qiao to attend court behind a screen.
During his lifetime, Luo Siyuan was dissipated and only cared about pleasure. He rarely asked about court affairs and even directly handed them over to the eunuchs under him for correction. The eunuchs monopolized power, and many court officials had been dissatisfied for a long time. But since the eunuchs held power, their dissatisfaction was of no avail.
Now that the new emperor had ascended the throne and was still young, and Luo Nanchen had been a bullied person before, the civil and military officials in the court were not very relieved.
But Lin Qiao firmly refused. She only promoted several loyal officials and good generals from the original book and ordered them to assist Luo Nanchen in managing the court affairs, and that was that.
Then she settled down in the Changle Palace to live out her days in peace.
Come on. In the original book, one of the reasons why Luo Nanchen turned Lin Qiao into a human swine was because of her monopoly on power.
How could she make the same mistake again?
After that, except for coming to pay respects on the first and fifteenth days of each month, Luo Nanchen never came to the Changle Palace again.
But every time they met, even though it was only half a month apart, Lin Qiao felt that Luo Nanchen had changed.
He was more calm, more composed, more aloof, and his appearance had become more angular.
Compared with before, he talked much less. They basically sat in silence. Later, Lin Qiao even exempted Luo Nanchen from coming to pay respects.
Her original goal was just to live out her days in the harem. Now that her wish had come true, she should be content.
Why did she feel so uncomfortable in her heart?
Could it be that after being a surrogate mother, she had really become so responsible?
But Lin Qiao was good at adapting to circumstances. After adjusting her mood, she was still the carefree Lin Qiao.
In a flash, five years had passed.
...
“I heard that today, Grand Tutor Pei was punished again. He stood in front of the Zhaoyang Hall for more than two hours.”
“Punished again? How many times is this this month?”
“This time is different. He touched the emperor's reverse scale!”
“Reverse scale? What's the story behind it?”
“Grand Tutor Pei submitted a memorial asking the emperor to hold a beauty - selection draft, but the emperor rejected it!”
“But the emperor is in his prime. How could... how could he not need a woman?”
“Who knows? Maybe he has someone he loves. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so chaste. He doesn't even have a chambermaid yet.”
“True...”
After listening to enough gossip, Lin Qiao strolled out from behind the rockery.
She was dressed in a red dress. Her slender waist was so thin that it seemed one could hold it with one hand. Her figure was extremely charming and graceful.
Her face was as small as a palm, fair and delicate like a peeled egg. Her eyes were filled with a touch of water, and her deep purple pupils were as clear and bright as a pool of water. She was truly like a shining pearl and a glowing jade.
Although her eyes were pure and clear, her facial features were naturally charming. They were just right. One more bit would be too gaudy, and one less bit would be too plain. Every detail was just perfect. She was so beautiful that it was indescribable.
In the past five years, Lin Qiao had been living out her days in the Changle Palace. To outsiders, she seemed to be enjoying great glory, but in fact, she was very bored.
Although Luo Nanchen would send people to deliver the new gadgets presented by other countries to the Changle Palace during festivals; although there would be all kinds of strange people coming to the palace to perform during festivals; although...
But those were all during festivals!
Moreover, even if there were new gadgets, they were new to others. As an advanced person from the 21st century, nothing was new to Lin Qiao...
So, Lin Qiao decided to leave the Changle Palace today to eavesdrop on some new gossip. No, it should be called current political affairs.
As a result, she heard two little maids discussing Luo Nanchen.
As she listened, Lin Qiao, the isolated bumpkin, couldn't help but exclaim.
“Holy crap, Luo Nanchen has someone he loves?”
“Holy crap, is the love line about to start?”
“Holy crap, is the female protagonist about to appear?”
But she remembered that in the original book, Luo Nanchen met the female protagonist, Li Yingmeng, on the Lantern Festival when he was seventeen!
Oh no, that was when they fell in love. When was their first encounter...
Right, by the Inkstone Pond in the imperial garden. At that time, Luo Nanchen was still a poor little guy who was ignored by everyone. Of course, the female protagonist was incredibly kind, which ignited a warm spark in Luo Nanchen's heart.
Ah, young love at first sight. How wonderful.