flstandardbreds Chapter 202 1 Thoughts of the Pass 5
Chapter 202 1 Thoughts of the Pass 5
"The previous dynasty collapsed due to misrule, and the Central Plains have been plunged into chaos for a century. Today, nine kingdoms stand side by side, each ruling its own territory, while the northern barbarian tribes of Beipan are eyeing us covetously. Has this chaotic world lasted so long, waiting for my arrival?"
Yang Ying stared at the still-burning candle on the table, a near-fanatical light flashing in her eyes, and a faint crimson mark appearing on her forehead.
The next moment, the candle flame suddenly surged, bursting into a huge spark before abruptly going out, leaving only a wisp of smoke rising slowly and dissipating into the air.
As the candle went out, the room fell into darkness, with only the faint moonlight filtering in from the window barely illuminating a corner of the room.
The crimson mark on Yang Ying's forehead stood out even more in the darkness. He slowly walked to the window, gazing at the distant mountains shrouded in night, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
A night breeze blew in through the half-open window, bringing a chill.
Yang Ying reached out and touched the mark on her forehead. A strange feeling spread from her fingertips, as if she had resonated with the mark in some way.
"Then I will submit to fate and end all this conflict."
From her initial despair and suicide attempt to her current ambition to conquer the Central Plains, Yang Ying adjusted her mindset in just half an hour and began to study how to conquer the world.
Having endured so many trials and tribulations in the world, she has become adept at using the skill of "quickly making herself feel better."
The secret to this skill lies in this: What can relieve worries? Only the power over the world!
……
The next day, after Yang Ying had breakfast, Du Changshi couldn't wait to come and see him.
He came to give Yang Ying a lecture, mainly about the grudges and entanglements between Wu and An, as well as the resumes of An's ministers of the third rank and above.
Ever since the original owner heard from Chief Secretary Du that they might encounter assassins on this trip, she had been filled with fear and worry.
Therefore, the original owner would often decline Du Changshi's lessons, citing physical discomfort as an excuse.
Although Du Changshi felt helpless about this, he could not force the original owner to study like a normal student due to the difference in rank. Therefore, he could only give up and worry in his heart.
However, the death of Lady Ming made Chief Secretary Du realize that Princess Ying was not as weak as she appeared on the surface.
After all, she dared to kill someone in full view of everyone yesterday, and showed no fear on her face afterward.
Seated upright on the vehicle frame, his imposing presence commanded respect, making him appear every inch the superior.
Princess Ying's sudden and drastic change was due to her unbearable oppression by Lady Ming, which led to her outburst of anger.
Or is it that she has been pretending all along, and now that she is free from the constraints of Wudu, she can finally take off her disguise and show her true self?
If it's the latter, then that would be so... exciting!
He was certainly not happy about the death of Lady Ming, but rather felt that the possibility of Yang Ying's identity being exposed in Anguo would be much smaller now, which would greatly increase the chances of successfully welcoming back His Majesty.
Thinking of this, Du Changshi had no time to think about anything else. He hurried to Yang Ying's residence, intending to further test Yang Ying by giving her a lesson.
As for Yang Ying, the original owner of this body had always lived in seclusion in the palace and knew very little about the outside world. Now that Chief Secretary Du could tell her about this information about Anguo, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
Yang Ying then gladly accepted Du Changshi's "test".
For the entire morning, Chief Secretary Du diligently recounted various information about Anguo, while also intentionally or unintentionally observing Yang Ying's reactions.
Seeing that she had suddenly heard so much information, yet showed no sign of difficulty or confusion on her face, and that her answers to his occasional questions were always just right, even when he subtly increased the difficulty, Yang Ying still handled it with ease and composure.
At this moment, Yang Ying showed none of the shyness and bashfulness he had before. Instead, he displayed the demeanor befitting a prince. His bearing, demeanor, and etiquette all revealed the upbringing befitting a nobleman.
If he hadn't known beforehand, even he himself probably wouldn't have been able to recognize that the person in front of him was actually a princess.
With the answer in mind, Chief Secretary Du thought to himself: Sure enough, Princess Ying had been pretending all along!
However, it makes sense when you think about it. As an unfavored princess with a mother of low status, if she hadn't kept a low profile, she might have become a thorn in the side of others long ago and probably wouldn't have survived to this day.
Just as Du Changshi was feeling a sense of unease, he suddenly realized that the booklet in his hand had been turned to the last page.
In order to test Yang Ying, he unknowingly finished recounting all the information he had gathered about Anguo.
According to the original plan, it would have been considered fast to arrive in Anguo, but unexpectedly, it only took two hours to learn everything.
Your Highness's talent is truly extraordinary!
Du Changshi was stunned.
Seeing him standing there silently for a long time, Yang Ying frowned slightly. The eunuch beside her noticed this and quickly whispered to Chief Secretary Du, "Chief Secretary Du? Chief Secretary Du?"
"Huh?" Chief Secretary Du responded blankly.
"His Highness is waiting for your lesson!"
"Ah!" Du Changshi snapped out of his daze and quickly bowed to Yang Ying: "Your Highness, my lesson is finished!"
"Is that all? But the sir only gave a general overview of the Anguo royal family and Anguo officials of the third rank and above. What about the rest?"
"Your Highness refers to?"
Yang Ying, who was studying, was very good-natured: "For example, what are their temperaments and ways of doing things? How many forces are there in the Anguo court now? Have the three princes started fighting for the throne? How have the civil and military officials chosen sides? How does Emperor An balance the court? And the Zhu Yiwei, who are famous throughout the world for their beautiful female intermediaries, have not been mentioned yet."
"Uh! This..." Chief Secretary Du looked embarrassed.
Where did he prepare so much?
His original plan was simply to teach the prince some basic things, just enough to make it look presentable.
In any case, it is normal for His Highness Prince Li to be completely ignorant of politics since childhood, as he was frail and sickly from a young age and often recuperated outside the palace. He could only be included in the imperial register when he came of age. If he were too shrewd, it would backfire and arouse suspicion from Anguo.
But to his utter surprise, Yang Ying was able to digest and absorb all the content he had prepared in just half a day, which made the atmosphere in the room somewhat awkward.
Seeing that Chief Secretary Du remained silent for a long time, Yang Ying slowly suppressed her smile and looked at Chief Secretary Du expressionlessly: "And what about the Marquis of Changqing who captured my brother alive? Why have you never mentioned him? This person is extremely important!"