“I naturally can’t ask what agreement you have with the Emperor, but I know you don’t care about your appearance because you’re sure to find someone who truly appreciates you.”
She spoke with such sincerity and earnestness that anyone could see she was speaking from the heart, “Because the greatest characteristic of a humble and virtuous woman is ‘graceful without being seductive, cool but not aloof.'” “Yuzhen, are you content with this?” Qingqing seemed unwilling to continue this topic and asked abruptly, “What if I’m not content? After all, this is my most ideal refuge.” Yuzhen understood what she was asking, “The new crown prince must pacify the populace, and my family and the Lin family are the best reassurance for this.” Qingqing suddenly turned around and took her hand, “But I genuinely hope you find happiness; will marrying him truly make you happy?” “What is happiness? If only I am happy, but those around me are not, from where would my happiness come?” Happiness, it turns out, does not come from oneself alone. If she didn’t marry Li Qin, the court would be unhappy, the people would be unhappy, her father and the emperor would be even more unhappy; if opportunists took advantage of the situation, the whole nation would be unhappy. But must the happiness of the world come at the cost of one woman’s lifetime? “A woman, marrying the man she likes, who happens to be the most noble man in the world, what more could she ask for?” Sometimes, satisfaction does not equate to happiness. But can marrying the one you love truly bring happiness?
Chapter 96-105
Chapter 96: Qingqing as a Study Companion
