I've been bullied and humiliated for thirteen years; when I wake up, I'll be bloodthirsty.

Chapter 939 Unreasonable

The scene of the eldest princess drinking with them back then is still vivid in my mind, but when they reunite, they are separated by a cold tomb.

After Lu Yangyang and Li Duan each toasted the Princess, they clinked glasses and drank the wine in their cups in one gulp.

"The carefree days used to seem endless, but I later realized that waiting is the longest journey."

Li Duan leaned on Lu Yangyang's shoulder. "If my mother knew that my cooking skills are much better now than before, she would be very disappointed that I didn't get to taste even better longevity noodles."

Li Duan sighed, "From now on, I'll have to eat for her."

"What about mine?" Lu Yangyang asked.

Li Duan: "I'll give you mine."

"Can you make me another bowl?" Lu Yangyang asked with a smile.

Li Duan touched her nose: "I was just trying to appease my mother. Actually, I can't eat two bowls of noodles at all."

Both of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Once you finish dealing with the Nalan tribe, you should be able to return for your birthday." The North has just experienced a major war, and those small tribes that used to be affiliated with Northern Yan are bound to make some moves. Dealing with the Nalan tribe first can also reassure those tribes that want to trade. This matter cannot be delayed, so Sheng Junyao cannot return to the capital for the time being.

Lu Yangyang asked Li Duan, "From now on, you can go wherever you want. The title of Duke of Sheng's family is gone. I asked my elder brother, and he said that his achievements in opening the trade market were enough to get a new title, but he didn't plan to do so. A title has caused the family to be torn apart. It's better to do what you can."

Li Duan hesitated for a moment, "Besides these, could it be because of me? I have returned from Northern Yan. If I become the mistress of the Duke's mansion, I am afraid it will attract a lot of gossip."

Lu Yangyang pinched her cheek: "What are you thinking? Fame and fortune are his own choices. Your brother would never measure these things against you. He chose you because he was moved. He thinks you are good enough and he is happy for you. You just need to follow your heart. Even if he betrays you one day, it is his fault. You can punish him."

Li Duan snorted, "Brother Sheng wouldn't do that!"

"That settles it!" Lu Yangyang laughed. "Since you trust him, then bravely pursue your own happiness!"

“I never thought you, such a blockhead, could say something like that one day,” Li Duan looked at Lu Yangyang curiously. “So? Are you and your second cousin on the same page? But after your second cousin ascends the throne, you will be the empress, and you probably won’t have as much freedom in the future.”

“That is indeed a problem.” Lu Yangyang hadn’t thought about this matter yet: “When His Majesty bestowed the marriage, it was for ulterior motives. The marriage was rushed, and I was deposed as the Crown Princess after only two days. My status was illegitimate. At the time, I just thought His Highness was a good person, and I would be willing to marry him.”

"Later, when he gave me the divorce papers, he asked me if I liked him. I actually couldn't answer that. It was at that moment that I first started to think about what liking someone meant."

"The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I might have liked him a long time ago. Even someone as valuing my life as I am had a moment when I thought that if it were to save him, I would not be afraid of death. It was then that I understood that the person I liked was Zong Que, just him. I liked him not to become the Crown Princess or the Empress, but for myself. I wanted to be with him for a long, long time."

"I don't know if all of this will change after he ascends the throne, but at this moment, I believe in him, I like him, I want to be with him, and I'm willing to bear all the consequences."

"Even if in the future, are you unable to bear the consequences?" Ritsu asked.

Lu Yangyang shook her head: "In this world, there are never consequences that cannot be borne, especially in matters of the heart. Aunt Jing once said that if there are, it's because you're idle. There's nothing wrong with loving someone in essence; what's wrong is forgetting the original intention of loving them, that you disregard everything because you want to. When the result is not satisfactory, you must first learn to accept it, accept that you have loved, and also accept that life is unpredictable and people's hearts are fickle."

"We haven't reached that future yet, and emotions can't be overcome by reason, so let's not presuppose the outcome from the beginning."

Lu Yangyang had seen and heard many profound truths, but the essence of emotions is that they are irrational.

Since that's the case, then let it be.

Li Duan nodded as if she understood, "Since the outcome is unpredictable, let's just go with the flow. Yangyang, I think I understand a little."

“I’ll explain that to you slowly over time. Right now, the most important thing is,” Lu Yangyang said leisurely, “I’ve already entrusted Jiaojiao to make the arrangements for opening an academy in the capital. But if we want to truly help women leave their homes, an academy alone is not enough. Aunt Jing is already preparing to open a factory. She’s too busy to handle everything. You’re free right now, so why don’t you go and help her? Judging by the time, Aunt Jing should be arriving in the capital soon.”

"Huh?" Li Duan stared blankly at Lu Yangyang: "You just said I could go wherever I wanted, but I haven't even left the capital yet, and you're already telling me to go work!"

"Time waits for no one, there's so much to do!" Lu Yangyang counted on her fingers for her: "And then there are those female slaves you fought alongside in Yanjing. Many of them, even after leaving Yanjing, are now homeless. That's 80,000 people, not 8,000 or 800. Zhiyi and I discussed it, and we'll first recruit female soldiers through enlistment to truly form a women's army. As for the rest, those who want to return to their hometowns will be sent back, and those who don't will all need to find a way to make a living. This isn't something that can be done in a short time, so after you finish preparing with Aunt Jing for opening a factory near the capital, if it succeeds, there's a long road ahead for you. Think it over carefully."

Li Duan was stunned by what she said, yet also felt a surge of excitement. "And what about you?"

Lu Yangyang replied, "I want to make medicine flourish everywhere in the Great Zhao Dynasty during my lifetime."