novelSusiti Chapter 269 Actually, what I like most is to lie flat.
Chapter 269 Actually, what I like most is to lie flat.
"What are you thinking about?"
A lazy voice rang in her ear.
A warm breath brushed against her earlobe.
Zhao Qingxue's body trembled slightly.
She didn't turn around, nor did she move.
I just kept looking out the window, letting the sound echo in my ears.
"It's nothing," she said, her voice soft and slightly husky.
Only now did she realize how terrifying Qin Mu's scheming was.
It's likely that Qin Mu brought her to Liyang for this very reason.
On her bed.
To possess her.
To make her stop resisting from the bottom of her heart and accept it all willingly...
Qin Mu smiled softly.
He didn't ask any further questions.
He simply reached out and gently put his arm around her waist.
He pulled her into his arms.
The movement was very light and natural, as if it had been done countless times before.
Zhao Qingxue let him hold her and leaned against his chest.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the two of them and casting dappled shadows on the floor.
In the distance, the faint chirping of birds could be heard.
Quiet.
Beautiful.
Like the most ordinary morning in the world.
Zhao Qingxue leaned against Qin Mu's chest and remained silent for a moment.
Then she spoke.
The sound was very soft, yet exceptionally clear:
"Will you truly treat the people of the Li Yang Dynasty well?"
She wanted to know the answer.
I want to know if her decision was right or wrong.
I wonder if her choice to marry this man will bring peace to the people of Liyang.
Qin Mu did not answer the question immediately after hearing it.
He just smiled slightly.
He asked in return:
"Do I look like the kind of emperor who enjoys war and killing?"
Zhao Qingxue was slightly taken aback.
Qin Mu continued, each word as gentle as a spring breeze:
"Actually, what I like most is to lie flat."
"If you hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have wanted to leave the palace at all."
"Wouldn't it be nice to play hide-and-seek with my beloved concubines every day, or to play tag blindfolded?"
He spoke very seriously, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact.
After hearing this, Zhao Qingxue's lips twitched slightly.
She suddenly realized—
It seems that this is indeed the case.
In the years since Qin Mu ascended the throne, he has indeed not expanded the territory by even an inch.
There was no requirement for neighboring countries to pay tribute.
It has never started any war.
On the contrary, it was them—
Liyang, Xiliang, Beimang.
Each of them was ambitious, wanting to replace the Qin Dynasty and divide its territory.
Especially her.
Zhao Qingxue.
From a young age, she regarded "unifying the Central Plains" as her mission and her destiny as the emperor of the Li Yang calendar.
She thought it was a matter of course.
They thought that was the ambition an emperor should have.
I thought that—
But thinking about it now...
If it weren't for her ambition, if it weren't for Li Yang's desire for expansion.
She would never be Qin Mu's enemy.
They will not be hijacked at all.
Absolutely not—
That's how we ended up in this situation.
So, it's wrong...
It seems to be her again.
Zhao Qingxue fell silent.
She leaned against Qin Mu's chest, gazing at the familiar scenery outside the window.
My mind was churning with thoughts.
Those things she firmly believed in since childhood, those things she took for granted, those ambitions and aspirations she was so proud of—
At this moment, everything is being questioned little by little.
She thought of the Qin soldiers who died on the border and the innocent civilians affected by the war.
If she didn't have those ambitions, those so-called "destinies".
So, those people don't have to die?
Would those families be spared from breaking apart?
Those ones--
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes.
Take a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, her deep purple phoenix eyes were filled with a complex clarity.
She did not speak.
She simply leaned quietly against Qin Mu's chest, feeling his heartbeat.
Qin Mu sensed her silence and smiled softly.
He didn't ask any further questions.
He simply kissed the top of her head lightly.
The movement was very light, carrying an indescribable tenderness.
"Let's go," he said, his voice tinged with a satisfied laziness, "let's go for a walk."
"I crave the delicacies of Liyang."
"You become my guide and recommend some good food."
Zhao Qingxue was slightly taken aback.
Want to go for a walk?
Now?
She turned her head and looked at him.
Those deep purple phoenix eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Do you think I'm made of iron?" she said irritably, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness that she herself didn't realize.
"Just that one—"
She paused, her face flushing even more:
"How could I possibly get out of bed right now?"
These words were so blunt that they stunned even herself.
But the words had already been spoken and couldn't be taken back.
Qin Mu blinked.
A hint of innocence flashed in those deep eyes.
"It can't be that bad, can it?" he said, with just the right amount of confusion in his tone. "With your constitution, you should be fine."
Zhao Qingxue's face turned even redder.
She glared at him, annoyed.
"How could it not be?" she said, a hint of embarrassment and annoyance in her voice. "Do you even know how capable you are?"
The words had just left his mouth.
Zhao Qingxue was stunned.
Qin Mu was also stunned.
Then--
He smiled.
The laughter was soft, yet it was exceptionally clear in the quiet bedchamber.
He laughed heartily, his laughter was genuine, and his deep eyes were filled with joy.
Zhao Qingxue's face turned completely red.
The blush spread from her cheeks to her ears, then to her neck and chest, making her look like a boiled shrimp.
She wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
That last sentence—
How could she say it?
What does it mean to say "Do you know how amazing you are?"
This...this is simply—
She abruptly turned her head and buried her face in the pillow.
He curled up into a small ball, burying his head like an ostrich.
"Stop laughing!" Her muffled voice came from under the pillow, tinged with a hint of embarrassment and anger.
Qin Mu laughed even harder.
He didn't stop; instead, he reached out and gently patted her head, which was buried in the pillow.
The movement was very gentle, yet it carried an indescribable tenderness.
"Okay, I won't laugh anymore," he said, his voice still carrying a hint of amusement.
But that smile now softened.
Zhao Qingxue kept her head down, refusing to look at him.
Qin Mu didn't care.
He simply lay there quietly, one arm around her waist and the other gently patting her head.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the two of them.
In the distance, the faint chirping of birds could be heard, clear and melodious.
Time seemed to slow down dramatically at that moment.
for a long time.
Zhao Qingxue finally lifted her head from under the pillow.
Her face was still red, but the shame and anger had faded from her deep purple phoenix eyes, leaving only a complex emotion.
She looked at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu was looking at her, his eyes full of gentle smiles.
Eyes facing each other.
Silence spread between the two.
But that silence was no longer the tension and probing of before.
Rather, it was a strange tacit understanding.
A sense of peace that comes after finally being completely honest with each other.
Zhao Qingxue pursed her lips.
Then she spoke.
The sound was very soft, yet exceptionally clear:
"Let's do it tonight then."
"Tonight, I'll take you to eat the best food in Liyang."
Qin Mu looked at her, his smile deepening.
He nodded.
"Okay," he said.
Sunlight fell on the two of them, casting their shadows on the ground, where they intertwined.
In the distance, a few more birdsongs could be heard.
Inside the house, several birdsongs rang out, clear, melodious, and lingering.
......
at the same time.
The Imperial Palace of Liyang, Tianqi Hall.
Zhang Julu sat behind the long table, his face solemn.
Before him lay a pile of memorials, all concerning how to deal with the Qin Dynasty.
But he couldn't concentrate on reading a single letter.
The words from that letter kept echoing in my mind.
"I have decided to marry Emperor Qin Mu of the Great Qin on a chosen date."
"This matter is settled and cannot be changed."
Zhang Julu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The breath he inhaled carried the heavy atmosphere of the hall, yet it could not extinguish the turbulent waves churning within him.
He didn't know how His Majesty was doing now.
I wonder what kind of life she was living by that tyrannical emperor's side.
I wonder if she suffered, if she was tormented, if she—
He dared not think any further.
All I could tell myself was that His Majesty was so intelligent and strong, he would be alright.
for sure.
"Zhang Xiang".
A voice rang in my ears.
Zhang Julu opened his eyes.
Gu Jiantang stood before him, his face ashen, his tiger-like eyes filled with suppressed rage.
"I thought about it all night," he said, his voice hoarse and low. "I'm still not reconciled."
Zhang Julu looked at him without saying a word.
Gu Jiantang continued, emphasizing each word:
"His Majesty is our His Majesty."
"Li Yang is Li Yang."
"Why should I marry that tyrannical emperor?"
"Why should we submit to him?"
His voice grew louder and more excited.
His hand was pressed on the hilt of the sword, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Zhang Julu looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
The voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear:
"Because His Majesty has already made his choice."
"Because this is His Majesty's order."
"because--"
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"We are subjects."
"The duty of a subject is to obey."
Gu Jiantang's body trembled violently.
He looked at Zhang Julu, at that old, tired face.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something.
In the end, however, nothing was said.
He slowly released his hand from the hilt of the sword.
Lower your head.
silence.
Inside the hall, a deathly silence fell once again.
The only sounds were the faint flickering of the candlelight and the occasional whistling of the wind outside the window.
Li Chunfeng stood by the window, gazing at the deep night outside.
His snow-white beard and hair swayed gently in the night breeze.
Those eyes, which were always half-open, were now fully open.
Its brilliance was restrained, like two ancient pools of unfathomable depth.
He gazed into the distance.
Looking in the direction of the Qin Dynasty.
In my heart, I silently said:
His Majesty.
Let's wait a little longer.
The old minister will arrive soon.
soon.