Chapter 117: Meng Xuechen Cried?
Meng Xuechen casually flipped through the booklet in his hands.
"If I can figure all this out, why can’t you? If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already arranged for people to start working, haven’t you? Prince Jing is obsessed with the Mo Family’s Mechanical Techniques. Transferring him to the Ministry of Industry must have been for more than just building fortifications."
If he was the only one who had mastered these things, it would indeed be an overwhelming advantage, a surefire weapon for victory.
But the Empress was a transmigrator too.
When he died, Xiao Yang was only fifteen. Even then, she was an excellent shot. Her favorite thing was target practice, and she could disassemble and reassemble firearms with ease.
She had lived many more years than he did, so she knew and saw more.
If he were to become her enemy, he wouldn’t necessarily have a chance of winning.
He had money and weapons, but she could acquire those too. Moreover, she had the Civil and Military Ministers, the blood of the Imperial Family, and countless soldiers.
Whether he could win was one thing, but more importantly, he could never point a weapon at her.
He had lived in this other world for over twenty years. He’d had memories and wisdom far beyond his years since he was a child. But extreme intelligence can be a burden; being too perceptive and smart had made him emotionally detached.
In that time, he had experienced countless upheavals and seen through all sorts of human nature.
To this day, he felt somewhat numb to it all.
He reached out, took Xiao Yang’s hand, and placed it over his heart. "I’ve been in this world for so long that my memories of those first ten-odd years have grown blurry. But I’ve always remembered you. I remember everything about you."
"I’m so happy... so happy to have met you again."
DRIP.
A teardrop landed on Xiao Yang’s hand, its heat making her hand tremble slightly.
’Meng Xuechen was crying?’
’The cool, ethereal Senior Meng, who only ever showed a hint of emotion about anything, the low-key and detached Senior Meng... was crying?’
Xiao Yang actually had a bit of a mean streak; she rather enjoyed teasing people until they cried. But Meng Xuechen’s tears made her panic. She fumbled, wanting to wipe his tears away and comfort him.
"Hey, don’t cry, it’s alright..."
"I didn’t even do anything."
In her panic, Xiao Yang cupped Meng Xuechen’s face. There were no tear tracks on his cheeks, but his eyes were brimming with unshed tears. As if ashamed of crying, he turned away in distress, and the tears splashed onto her hand, carrying a sense of grievance and heartbreak.
Xiao Yang was truly at a loss.
She knew how to coax men, but she had no idea how to coax Meng Xuechen.
"Alright, alright, my fault. I shouldn’t have doubted you or questioned you. Don’t cry."
Meng Xuechen miserably wiped away his tears, his damp eyes fixed on her. "You did nothing wrong. I just lost control of my emotions for a moment."
Xiao Yang returned a broad smile. "I’m happy, too. Meeting you again is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me."
Meng Xuechen’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at her. He suddenly realized her hands were still cupping his face. Blood rushed through his body, and his entire face turned bright red.
He quickly took two steps back. "You... you..."
He tried to say something, but his mouth just opened and closed. "...So, will you accept my gift?"
Xiao Yang chuckled. "I’d be overjoyed to. Thank you, Senior Meng."
’If I don’t accept it now and he starts crying again, I really won’t know how to handle it.’
’After all these years, Senior Meng seems much more... alive than he used to be.’
Meng Xuechen was rather embarrassed, the heat on his face refusing to subside. He thought about how he had just acted and felt annoyed at his own lack of composure.
Seeing Xiao Yang reach for the box, Meng Xuechen suddenly pressed his hand down on hers.
Xiao Yang looked up. "Regretting it?"
Meng Xuechen cleared his throat. "No regrets. But I want a gift in return."
Xiao Yang: "What do you want in return?"
Meng Xuechen looked up, gave her a deep look, and removed his hand. "Your Majesty knows what I want."
Xiao Yang: "?"
’What am I supposed to know?’
Meng Xuechen left, leaving behind one last sentence: "With me in the Ministry of Revenue, Your Majesty will never be short of money. You can do whatever you wish."
Xiao Yang was grateful for his loyalty and dedication, but he still hadn’t said what he wanted in return.
She could tell that Meng Xuechen liked her, but he wasn’t some casual lover she could just buy a little something for and be done with.
Besides, what he had given her was the fruit of his years of hard work; she couldn’t give him a half-hearted gift.
After much thought, she concluded that since he already had money, he must want power.
His direct appointment as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue had already been an exception. If he were promoted now, it would be to Minister of Revenue.
’That’s a bit fast.’
’But he has the ability to command respect, and he can make money. He deserves the position.’
’If anyone were to question it, I have the power to shut them down.’
The more Xiao Yang thought about it, the more right it seemed. She skipped sleep to write the imperial edict and even picked out a large mansion for him.
The next morning, upon receiving his "gifts," Meng Xuechen was speechless. "..."
’Where exactly did things go wrong? Was my hint not obvious enough?’
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"System, didn’t you say it was the Animal Realm? I want to be reborn into the Animal Realm right now! Where’s the Meng Po Soup? I want to drink the Meng Po Soup!!"
In the dead of night, a distraught Xie Liuzheng was climbing over the wall of the Prince Jing Mansion.
She had really had enough!
Everyone must die, but not from social death.
She had thrown all caution to the wind and gone wild because she thought she was about to be reborn as an animal. But why, after her wild night, was she still alive in this world?
This was even more despairing than running out of money while still being alive.
Right now, she just wanted to be reincarnated. A cat, a dog, she wasn’t picky. Just let her be reincarnated already.
System: "...I was just a little late with the review. How was I to know I’d be blocked before I could even finish speaking..."
It was bad enough that the conquest target turned out to be a woman, but now she had gone and devoured the Empress’s cousin! How could a person get into this much trouble?
Xie Liuzheng also wanted to know how she had gotten into so much trouble.
Although Xiao Lv was handsome, had eight-pack abs—*GULP*—and his stamina was amazing...
In looks, family background, physique, and ability, he was miles better than that scumbag ex-boyfriend of hers.
A truly rare and good man.
’I finally got a taste of the good stuff, waahhh, no, the more I think about it, the more I’m craving it.’
But her mission was to conquer the Empress! Her heart belonged to Her Majesty!
Xie Liuzheng didn’t know any martial arts. The System could only help her avoid people; getting out was up to her.
After finally struggling onto the top of the wall, she looked down and wanted to cry even more.
It was so high. A fall from here would leave her maimed, if not dead.
But she had no way back. Steeling her heart and closing her eyes, she jumped!
Before she hit the ground, she was caught in a pair of arms. She opened her eyes to see a handsome young man—who else could it be but Xiao Lv?
Since she was the one who had taken advantage of him first, Xie Liuzheng was overcome with guilt. "Princely Heir... why are you back at this hour?"
’System, didn’t you say they were all at the palace?’
System: ’They were at the palace. But you dawdled, so of course they came back.’
Right now, Xie Liuzheng wanted to strangle that fish! It was worse than useless, always causing trouble.
Xiao Lv gently set her on the ground. "Where were you trying to go?"
Xie Liuzheng touched her own burning-hot cheeks. "I... I should go home..."
Xiao Lv hesitated for a moment, then scooped her up princess-style again and turned toward the carriage.
The two sat in the carriage. Xiao Lv was silent, and Xie Liuzheng was too awkward to speak.
The stiff atmosphere lasted until the carriage stopped in front of the Xie family’s gate.
Xiao Lv spoke up. "This morning, I already informed your parents that Your Majesty had summoned you to the palace. You can go home without worry."
He had arranged everything perfectly, saving her the trouble of an explanation.
Even though she didn’t want to get any more entangled with him, Xie Liuzheng suddenly felt a knot of resentment in her heart.
"Am I supposed to thank you for considering my reputation?"
Seeing her glare at him in anger, Xiao Lv’s lips curved into a smile. He reached out and patted her head. "It is inappropriate to discuss marriage during the Empress Dowager’s mourning period. You can use this time to think it over. As long as you’re willing to marry me, after three months, I will propose with all the proper rites and ceremonies, and make you my lawfully wedded wife."
Xie Liuzheng turned and fled. ’It’s over, it’s over... I can’t resist hiiiiim!’