High-class Spring Joy

The Emperor of Song, who was drinking tea, raised an eyebrow, as if he had not expected Qinghe to give such an answer.

To be honest, the Emperor of Song has been on the throne for twenty years. Whether it was leading the army to resist foreign enemies in the past few years, or constantly expanding the territory, or recuperating and developing the country and improving people's livelihood in recent years, there is one very important link in all of these: the use and selection of people.

Whether it's selecting generals for warfare or choosing oranges for governing a country, both require a strong ability to judge character.

Of course, besides selecting and employing people, the most important thing is rewarding them. Rewards are an indispensable part. Soldiers under your command who win battles and are brave and unparalleled should naturally be rewarded, and officials under your command who do their jobs well should also be rewarded.

Rewarding people was something the Emperor of Song Kingdom did frequently and quite easily. When rewarding someone, he would first consider what that person wanted.

Of course, when giving a reward, one should first ask, or rather, figure out what the person wants and what they are asking for. Only then can the reward achieve its intended purpose and maximize the recipient's gratitude and loyalty.

Therefore, when you give a reward, you must give one that touches the heart.

Otherwise, the reward would be worse than no reward at all. In this world, whether it is soldiers or officials, when they are rewarded, they will mostly say some flattering words, saying that they are willing to go through fire and water for the country, the people, and the emperor, and that they have no personal requests.

Of course, this is just something to fool people with; it's just polite talk.

Fortunately, most people in this world either crave gold and silver or power and status. In short, even if they offer empty flattery, the Emperor of Song can easily discern their desires through his ability to judge character, thereby rewarding them and gaining their gratitude and loyalty.

When the Emperor of Song heard Qinghe's words today, it wasn't because he was surprised that Qinghe wanted money.

After all, how many people in this world can guarantee that they will not be swayed by money and power?

This is just the most normal and reasonable thing. People want money to live a good life, they want power, they want status. These are all normal things.

After all, people live in this mortal world, surrounded by all sorts of mundane things—firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—aren't they all commonplace? Since people live in this world, why force them to escape it? Isn't that too harsh on human nature?

Moreover, without money, how can one establish oneself? This is a perfectly normal thing. For many ordinary people in this world, they work at sunrise and rest at sunset.

After a lifetime of hard work, all one desires is a few coins to make a living.

The Emperor of Song Kingdom was surprised that the young girl in front of him could speak so directly, without the slightest hesitation or concealment.

He had thought the little girl would say something like she was trying to coax a three-year-old, trying to flatter him.

Who would have thought that this young girl would be so honest about this matter?

"You didn't hesitate at all."

The Emperor of Song chuckled, surprised by Qinghe's frankness and straightforwardness, yet finding it quite rare.

Openly admitting one's thoughts and feelings is something that many people in this world cannot do. Furthermore, asking for money is not something that should be hidden.

The Emperor of Song Kingdom did not immediately agree, saying, "I thought you might be asking for something else? Perhaps power and status? For me, it's just a matter of a word. If you had power and status, you wouldn't have to worry too much about money. Besides, at your age, you're in the prime of your life. Don't all women think about finding a good marriage for themselves? Why don't you ask me to find you an excellent husband and bestow upon you a fine marriage? That way, your later years will be secure. This isn't the first time I've heard your name; my mother often prays to Buddha..." "Whenever I see that embroidered portrait, I mention you to me. I say you have a special affinity for Buddhism, and that you are extremely sincere and dedicated in embroidering Buddha images. Later, not long after Jing'an met you, the frequency with which she mentioned your name to me increased dramatically. I was originally curious about what kind of girl you were, and I discovered that you were once engaged to the fifth son of the Marquis of Zhenguo. Although the engagement wasn't formal, regardless, if you wish to marry the fifth son and if you want to continue that engagement, I will grant your wish."

Upon hearing the name "Fifth Young Master," Qinghe's eyes hardened. "Your Majesty," she said, "this humble woman seeks neither power nor status, nor a good marriage or a good husband. I also do not wish to continue my agreement with the Fifth Young Master. What is my status? I am self-aware and fully aware that I am unworthy of the Fifth Young Master. Even if I were to enter the Marquis's mansion with Your Majesty's decree of marriage, so what? The difference in status cannot be easily eliminated. Perhaps the Fifth Young Master will accept me, but who can guarantee what will happen in the future? This principle also applies to marriage. Your Majesty's words are true; indeed, for women in our dynasty, the best livelihood and most important thing in life seems to be choosing a good husband, a good family, and a good, at least equal, marriage. Most people believe that as long as they choose a good husband and have a good marriage, their later years are secure. But this humble woman dares to say that I do not think so."

Choosing a good marriage and a good husband is undoubtedly a great blessing, but it cannot guarantee a woman's future, nor can it guarantee the future of any woman. If a woman comes from a high-ranking family, her maternal family is her greatest support. But if she doesn't come from a high-ranking family, she can neither rely on her maternal family nor her husband's family. The only reliable way is to rely on herself. Perhaps Your Majesty is unaware of the common saying: "Mountains crumble, rivers run away." Only relying on oneself is truly dependable. There may be countless difficulties, but at least one will not betray oneself. Is it not too risky, too bold, to stake a woman's entire future, decades of her life, and even the future of her children and grandchildren, on a single man? The beautiful woman believed in sincerity, but sincerity is fickle. Perhaps in these past few years, there has truly been sincerity, but who knows when it might change? She's not afraid of being laughed at by the emperor. Sometimes she craves Sichuan-style chicken, sometimes beggar's chicken, sometimes something spicy, but sometimes she doesn't even want to touch spicy food. Even her tastes are so changeable; who can guarantee that sincerity will remain constant?

As Qinghe spoke, she realized she had said too much, and the person in front of her wasn't the Third Young Master, but the current Emperor. Her words just now…

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. It was the beautiful lady who spoke without thinking and said something reckless. I hope Your Majesty will calm down."

Before she could finish speaking, the Emperor of Song, who was drinking tea in front of her, raised his hand to stop her hastily: "Don't stop, let me continue listening. As the emperor, I naturally have to consider the thoughts and feelings of the common people. Regardless of your background or other merits, at the very least, you are also a citizen of my Song Kingdom, and I naturally want to hear your thoughts. So continue with what you just said about men and women, about marriage."

Qinghe's argument was quite novel and intriguing to the Emperor of Song.

Having heard the Emperor's words, Qinghe had no choice but to continue, "I simply believe that finding a good husband is naturally wonderful, but the probability is extremely low. If we can't find a good husband, and if we can't find a good marriage, does that mean no one should live? Have I, a beautiful woman, grown up and eaten so much, only to spend my days searching for a good marriage? I just feel that although I don't have any other great skills, perhaps I can do other things, at least things that are more meaningful than searching for a husband and constantly thinking about where to marry. For example, I'm decent at embroidery and would like to mend clothes for the soldiers in the army, and I could also embroider Buddha images for the Empress Dowager. I'm also a good cook; if I were to meet..." In the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, when people are displaced, one can use one's own hands to try to save as many victims as possible. Isn't this more meaningful than spending all one's time thinking about which rich man to marry? I want money because there are so many things money can do in this world. I need money to protect myself and to live a good life. I also want to be able to generously lend a helping hand to others in need, without worrying about my own poverty. Although I am not well-educated, my sister once taught me a saying: "When poor, cultivate your own virtue; when prosperous, benefit all under heaven." I can now cultivate my own virtue. If I had enough money, I could try to benefit all under heaven. Perhaps I won't reach the level of benefiting all under heaven, but at least I can do my part and shine a light for those in need.

So money is truly a wonderful thing; everyone likes it, and beautiful women are no exception. But if one places all their focus and energy on marriage, then once married, they are trapped in the inner courtyard of the house, living a life revolving around a man—the so-called "supporting husband and raising children," managing the household. Perhaps they will only see so many things in their lives, and can help very few people. Perhaps many girls would like this kind of life. But this beautiful woman is a common person, and not very clever. She cannot manage the various affairs of the inner courtyard perfectly, nor can she ensure her husband's lifelong devotion to her alone. Therefore, she will not do it.

After Qinghe finished speaking, she took two deep breaths, firstly to calm her racing heart, and secondly to nervously observe the expression of the Emperor of Song Kingdom in front of her.

After saying such a long and unorthodox statement, which might seem unconventional to most people, these were words that Qinghe had kept hidden deep in her heart for a long time and dared not say. Now that she had said them, Qinghe felt a sense of relief.

"You have a clear goal; you know exactly what you want, and that's the best part."

The Emperor of Song Kingdom quickly understood the meaning behind Qinghe's words, and his eyes showed more appreciation for the delicate young girl in front of him. He understood even more why Sanlang was so fond of her.

They are worldly-wise yet not cynical, unique in their own way, and while they may sometimes flatter, they remain remarkably stable internally. They know exactly what they want and dare to pursue it openly and directly.

This cheerful and straightforward yet not reckless personality actually brought a smile to the Emperor of Song's face.

Seeing that the Emperor of Song had said this but hadn't mentioned any rewards, Qinghe couldn't contain herself and felt a little itchy: "Then Your Majesty..."

Qinghe had only uttered those three words when the Emperor of Song laughed and said, "How come you just said I'm a wise and trustworthy emperor, and now you're worried I won't keep my word?"

Qinghe was somewhat embarrassed: "This humble woman dares not."

"Oh."

The Emperor of Song Kingdom chuckled, clearly not believing Qinghe's words at all. Did she dare not?

"After you return to Bianjing City from the Devil City, you will receive the reward you deserve."

With that sentence, Qinghe felt that she had to grin when she went to sleep at night, and her dreams were all kinds of things, making her smile so much that she could hardly close her teeth.

Qinghe suspected that she had been holding onto mountains of gold and silver in her dreams all night and refused to let go.

After paying her respects to the Emperor of Song, Qinghe had just come out of the North Garden when she bumped into several travel-worn eunuchs hurrying along.

At this moment, the Third Young Master was still beside Qinghe, and the two chatted casually.

But then she bumped into a young eunuch. Seeing that Qinghe was about to fall, the Third Young Master quickly reached out and caught Qinghe's slender waist, pulling her into his arms.

Chu Jingxian shielded Qinghe with his body, looking at the young eunuch before him, his tone becoming increasingly stern: "What brings you in such a hurry in the middle of the night?"

The young eunuch looked unfamiliar, so we had to be careful, but his clothes and appearance didn't seem to be those of a eunuch in the Song Kingdom's palace.

The young eunuch looked up and saw Chu Jingxian before him, then knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Young master, I took the wrong road. I was looking for a young lady named Qinghe. Do you know her? My master said that we must ask Qinghe to return within one incense stick's time, or else we will be held accountable. I was too frightened, so I panicked. I hope you will forgive me."

Upon hearing the young eunuch's words, Qinghe and Chu Jingxian exchanged a bewildered glance.

In other words, after meeting the Third Young Master that night, she was summoned to meet Fei Sheng, and then summoned to meet the Emperor. Who was she going to see now?

She's been so busy all night, hasn't she?

Is it possible that I should just use it to sleep at night?