Keep your voice down. Are you trying to look glamorous dressed as a forced lover?

These past two days have been unusual for Song Qinian, who has been told that he is not suitable for the prince's harem.

He gets jealous and possessive, and even had some crazy thoughts and ideas before.

Everyone says he is the most suitable husband for the princess, even the most suitable husband for the emperor. If he was indeed suitable before, but he has fallen in love and has selfish motives, then his suitability is greatly diminished.

It's normal for a concubine to be jealous, but it's considered problematic for the emperor's wife, or even the crown princess's wife and the emperor's husband, to be jealous.

Although he could control his jealousy, after much thought, he concluded that leaving the palace was still the best option for him.

He was doing this today simply because he thought that if he were to eventually leave the palace, he would cherish the last moments they had together while she still needed him and before he left the palace.

Even if I pay more attention to my makeup than usual, it's just to leave a good impression on her.

He thought to himself that he had no intention of seducing her or outshining others.

"Your Highness, I just know I was wrong."

Li Qingyan listened, half believing and half doubting, and then fell silent.

The Li Kingdom established the Central Secretariat, the Privy Council, and the Censorate to respectively manage the three powers of politics, military affairs, and supervision. Locally, it implemented the provincial system, pioneering the provincial system.

The Secretariat was the administrative center, with a Left Chancellor and a Right Chancellor in charge of all officials.

In Lebanon, the left is considered superior. To prevent men from making a comeback, the founding emperor stipulated from the outset that the ratio of men to women among officials should be at least one to one.

There was a strict rule that women should hold the left-hand positions and men should hold the right-hand positions. For example, in the Ministry of Personnel, the left and right vice ministers were appointed as follows: the woman was appointed as the left vice minister, holding the second rank; and the man was appointed as the right vice minister, holding the third rank.

Given the same opportunity, she would be more inclined to give the opportunity to the woman.

The Song Chancellor, who commanded the Left Ministries of Personnel, Revenue, and Rites, held greater power than the Right Chancellor, who governed the Right Ministries of War, Justice, and Works.

Although the emperor had been in a coma and had not held morning court for a long time, Li Qingyan was able to experience a small court assembly on this day.

At the small assembly, men and women stood in separate rows, clearly separated.

The factions were quite distinct: the female officials supported her, while most of the male officials supported the virtuous prince.

"The gender antagonism also exists in the Li Kingdom," Li Qingyan thought to himself.

The officials from the south received orders from the Prince Xian and presented him with one difficult problem after another, but Li Qingyan solved them all.

The wise prince in the side hall was waiting to see her make a fool of herself, but because of her perfect performance, people discovered the second princess's shining qualities.

He was feeling very down, and Qiu Nanxing, wanting to cheer him up, thoughtfully offered to prepare some ice cream.

She followed the wise prince disguised as a eunuch, and because she was unfamiliar with the terrain, she accidentally bumped into someone.

This man was none other than Prince Tang, the only male king in the Li Kingdom. He was a close friend of the Prince Xian since childhood. He had come to the palace to visit the Prince Xian, but unexpectedly bumped into the lover he had been longing for and had not found for a long time.

"It's you."

He grabbed Qiu Nanxing's hand: "Got you!"

Ignoring Qiu Nanxing's cries, he hoisted her onto his shoulder and headed towards a side hall. After exchanging only a few words, they kissed.

The kiss quickly escalated, and soon, intimate sounds filled the side hall.

Qiu Nanxing was pressed against the window, her heart pounding in her chest. This place was inappropriate; she should have refused, but Prince Tang didn't listen.

The sound she made attracted those who were destined to hear it.

The person destined to meet him was none other than the scion of a noble family who also admired Qiu Nanxing and even broke off his engagement with his childhood sweetheart for her sake. Because he had always been inferior to Song Qinian, he had secretly resented him for a long time. Now that Song Qinian had entered the palace, he had taken over Song Qinian's position as the Minister of Revenue. He was checking and verifying the account books next door when he overheard the commotion by chance.

Through the half-open window, I saw Qiu Nanxing next door, her face beaming with joy.

Qiu Nanxing was startled, but seeing the infatuation in his eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief. That made sense.

Whether married or unmarried, no one can resist her. But after Sannoye, she also met the disabled General Ji, who was indifferent to her.

She thought her constitution had changed, but now it seems it hasn't.

A pleading look appeared in her eyes, begging him to be quiet and to leave.

The official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue also saw that it was the Prince of Tang. His face darkened, but he could only endure it.

However, he didn't avoid it either. As he watched, he became tempted and finally couldn't resist joining in remotely to... relax.

Qiu Nanxing couldn't believe it; this was too... too...

-

Having passed the first test, Li Qingyan was finishing up when she suddenly felt a familiar drowsiness, which came on so suddenly that she almost fell asleep instantly.

"What happened? I just hugged Song Qinian, and not an hour has passed yet."

Li Qingyan hurriedly looked away from her desk and pinched herself hard twice: "Huai Xu, quickly go and invite Consort Song, enter through the side door."

Because she was afraid of suddenly feeling sleepy, and also afraid of some kind of trap waiting for her, after all, she still knew too little about Dali. She really didn't want to see Song Qinian just now, but she still let Song Qinian come along.

However, the women of the inner palace were not allowed to interfere in politics, so Song Qinian changed into the clothes of a eunuch and followed her discreetly.

Seeing that Song Qinian had changed into his eunuch's clothes, she felt a little better and gave him another hug.

At this moment, he waited in the temporary duty room, like a servant.

Not long after Huai Xu left, he brought back a eunuch version of Song Qinian, who was carrying tea.

The ordinary, simple eunuch's uniform was somehow given a unique flair by Song Qinian. The moment he raised his head after keeping his head down, Li Qingyan, who was almost unable to hold on, brightened up and immediately became more alert.

The place where Li Qingyan was located was the office that the Prince Xian had set up in the Secretariat, which had taken him a lot of effort, and now Li Qingyan had legitimately taken over it.

The place wasn't big; it was just a small cubicle, and outside were busy ministers.

Under such circumstances, one cannot hug, much less openly hold hands, so Song Qinian stepped forward to grind ink.

She gently leaned against Li Qingyan.

This touch seemed to rouse Li Qingyan even more.

After grinding the ink, Song Qinian slowly lowered his hand and grasped Li Qingyan's hand.

For a moment, the atmosphere was just like secretly holding hands in class.

He instantly became incredibly clear-headed.

She hurried to get the stamp ready, and everything would be settled.

The seal slipped from his hand, and Li Qingyan immediately slumped onto the table and fell asleep, or rather, fainted.

Before everything went black, Li Qingyan's last thought was, "Has Qiu Nanxing gotten to eat meat again?!" The protagonist's halo has returned!

"Your Highness?"

Song Qinian watched helplessly as she collapsed, unable to even wake her up.

He whispered twice, shook him, and even pinched Li Qingyan's philtrum at the end.

Li Qingyan had a crescent-shaped mark on his philtrum, but he still hadn't woken up.

If Song Qinian's pulse and respiration hadn't been normal, he would have immediately summoned the imperial physician.

"Is that force that's been suppressing her back again?"

He had sensed that power before, but he never expected it to be so strong this time.

Is it because this is a crucial time for Your Highness to change your image?

Li Qingyan has worked so hard to get to where she is today, and even prepared disaster relief funds. We can't let all her efforts go to waste like this.

Song Qinian glanced at the ministers outside, pursed his lips, took Li Qingyan's hand, and even intertwined their fingers.

But it's no use.

Finally, Song Qinian knelt on one knee beside the chair and gently pulled her into his arms.

They were very close, but it was no use.

Looking at Li Qingyan's beautiful lips, Song Qinian wondered if he was going to...

His expression quickly hardened; he was acting for the greater good, not out of selfish motives to take the opportunity to get close to her.

It was just lips touching lips, nothing more.

And it wasn't the first time, nor was he the only one; she had kissed Sannoh before him.

Thinking this, Song Qinian pursed his lips, driven by the bittersweet feeling welling up in his heart. Instead of getting up, he gently cupped her face, knelt on one knee, and tilted his head back to kiss her.

Devout, focused, and trembling.

Like performing a sacrifice.

It wasn't as intense as last night, nor was it retaliatory, or even involved biting and drawing blood.

It was a gentle, real kiss.

Song Qinian's heart pounded faster and faster. He suppressed the urge to go deeper and released her.

Then, he met the gaze of Sannoh, who had jumped through the window.

Song Qinian's hand tightened, and just as he was about to speak, he heard the door close.

He turned his head sharply and saw Wen Sheng standing at the door, seemingly out of nowhere.

The three people's eyes met, and the air almost froze.