Her Power and Favor Span the World

Chapter 51

Yuwen Hao frowned, "Who said a young lady must suffer?"

Yuan Qingling took a deep breath in her prone position and adjusted herself before responding, "Why wouldn't she suffer? This is a society that values men over women. Other than getting married and having children, women have no other path. Serving her husband is a woman's lifelong career, yet even this career has competitors - you men take multiple wives and concubines, are fickle in love, and don't understand true affection.

Yuwen Hao was struck speechless. What kind of nonsense was this? What career? What competitors? And why say he doesn't understand true affection?

"Who said I don't understand?" The scar on Yuwen Hao's eyebrow furrowed in anger.

"Do you understand? If you finally get your wish and marry Chu Mingcui, will you spend your whole life with only her and take no concubines?" Yuan Qingling asked.

Yuwen Hao coldly replied, "Whether or not I take concubines is none of your business. Also, why bring her up?"

"Let's discuss it. Just say if you'd be willing to only have her your whole life and take no concubines."

"She's different from you. She knows her place."

"Yes, she knows her place. She'd even personally bring concubines to you. But I'm asking if you'd be willing to only be faithful to her for life? If not, then you don't truly love her." When facing ancient men, Yuan Qingling could finally pretend to be a love expert.

Although she didn't read silly romantic stories, her assistant Aimi loved to express all kinds of views on love in front of her.

Aimi was a chubby graduate student who had never been in a relationship or even had her first kiss.

But Aimi was very optimistic. She said that one day she would definitely meet that person and devote herself to him wholeheartedly like a harpoon.

After saying this, Yuan Qingling turned her head and continued sleeping.

Yuwen Hao was left speechless.

He felt very disgruntled. Who said that loving someone meant only having them your whole life? Taking concubines was for continuing the family line and had nothing to do with love.

It wasn't that he didn't understand love, but that Yuan Qingling was too overbearing.

Thinking of this, he shuddered with fear. Could Yuan Qingling have said such things in front of His Majesty too?

He wanted to ask more but heard her steady, even breathing as if she had fallen asleep.

Pig, able to sleep in this situation. And not even telling him what His Majesty had said exactly.

Yuan Qingling had only wanted to rest her eyes briefly, but ended up sleeping for two whole hours.

Upon waking, she saw Xu Yi and Tang Yang sitting silently guarding the door.

Glancing over, she saw Yuwen Hao was sleeping, the faint yellow candlelight illuminating his face. The scar didn't look as hideous now that he was sleeping peacefully and the swelling had gone down slightly.

She reached over to feel his forehead. His temperature was a little high but nothing too serious.

She let out a breath in relief. Her mind gradually became clear.

It was truly hard to imagine that just days ago he had hated her so much he wanted her dead, yet now they could lie peacefully in one bed.

Recalling his cold demeanor from before, Yuan Qingling couldn't help but shiver. She knew that they could be peaceful like this only because the palace crisis affected them both. But once this blew over, they would certainly revert to how they were before, swords drawn against each other.

Thinking this, Yuan Qingling could no longer comfortably sleep in the same bed as him. She got out of bed and tiptoed out.

Tang Yang lowered his voice and asked, "Where is Consort Yuwen going?"

Yuan Qingling softly replied, "I'm going out for some air. I'll be right back."

"Then don't go far, Consort Yuwen. Just stay nearby. Palace security is tight and the guards won't recognize you. I'm afraid they may accidentally injure you."

"Got it." Yuan Qingling nodded and headed out, pushing the door open.

Stepping outside, she took a deep breath. The eunuchs keeping night watch saw her come out but didn't try to stop her, only bowed in greeting.

Yuan Qingling asked, "What time is it?"

"Reporting to Consort Yuwen, just past the hour of zi [11pm-1am]."

Yuan Qingling slowly walked on. Lanterns hung along the corridor, bathing the yard in dazzling soft light.

She didn't go far, just sat under a magnolia tree after leaving the yard.

All was silent.

The sounds of insects and frogs drilled into her ears. Yuan Qingling closed her eyes, enjoying nature's gifts.

After a while, she slowly opened her eyes, looking towards the bushes in shock. She could actually understand those insect and frog sounds.

Being able to understand Fu Bao was already astonishing enough. Now even insects and frogs - just what was going on? Was she dead? A lone soul? Did ghosts really exist in this world?

Yuan Qingling suddenly felt an aura of horror approaching from the darkness, making her heart panic. She scrambled up and rushed back to the hall as if ghosts were chasing her.

Tang Yang and Xu Yi were startled by her hurried footsteps. Looking up to see her pale-faced and panting as she dove into bed and pulled the covers over herself, they couldn't help frowning.

Yuwen Hao was woken up by this. Opening his eyes to look at her, he asked with knitted brows, "What's wrong?"

Yuan Qingling sidled closer to him. "Scared!"

"What are you scared of?" Yuwen Hao was taken aback. Her body was trembling - she really was terrified.

With her head buried under the covers, her mind was in chaos. She felt an irrational sense of fear towards the unknown.

A cold hand firmly grasped her shivering hand!

Rough palm, slender fingers, tightly holding on with all his meager strength.

Yuan Qingling felt as if that hand contained endless power, pulling down her heart that was floating midair and pressing it firmly in his palm.

She hadn't expected him to make such a warming gesture at all. She'd thought he would ridicule or look down on her.

Her head slowly emerged from under the covers, her panicked eyes becoming calm and docile. Her entire being seemed weak and well-behaved.

Yuwen Hao's heart inexplicably twisted for a moment, then came a feeling like ants gnawing away, a trace of sour pain.

Their arms touched again. Yuan Qingling indulged herself in relying on this temporary steadiness, desperately inhaling and sucking it in.

"What exactly happened?" Yuwen Hao asked.

Yuan Qingling's voice choked up. "I miss home."

It had just been an excuse at first, but speaking those words brought an immense sadness and homesickness flooding up. Like dense clouds gathering without dispersing, her nose turned sour and she buried her face in his arm as tears spilled out.

Ever since coming here, the constant pain had barely given her a moment's rest. The awful environment meant she could not and dared not weep loudly, as if crying would allow weakness to take root in her heart and swallow her whole.

With no one here she could rely on, she had no right to be weak.

She could only convince herself that from the very beginning as a tadpole, she had been the best, the smartest. Her IQ was 180. There was no situation she couldn't handle.

But in this moment, in front of someone who could still be considered an enemy, she had to permit herself to be weak for once.

Yuwen Hao felt the wetness on his arm, her shaking shoulders. Missing home? Perhaps she did, after all Tang Yang said her family rarely visited after hearing she had fallen from favor.

But she definitely wasn't crying because she missed home. She was afraid.

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