Chapter 901: The Young Empress (38)

“Your Majesty cares so much about Su Qing… is it because of Yun Chuan?”

At that moment, Su Qing finally became certain. Whenever the Empress looked at him, it was as though she was looking through him at someone else.

He shouldn't have cared who the Empress liked, but the feeling of being treated as a substitute made him deeply uncomfortable.

The moment the words left his mouth, regret flooded his heart. Asking such a foolish question in front of the Empress was truly inappropriate.

If he angered her, all of his previous efforts would be wasted.

“Your Majesty, please forgive me. Su Qing should not have asked such things.”

Tang Guo came back to herself and asked, “You think that when I look at you, I'm looking at Yun Chuan instead?”

“Isn't that the case?” Su Qing asked instinctively again.

Tang Guo shook her head. “When I'm with you, it is indeed easy for me to think of Yun Chuan, but I distinguish the two of you very clearly. Your personalities are different as well. Yun Chuan is lively and energetic. He loves to laugh and enjoys telling amusing stories to make me happy. Whenever he's around, my mood stays pleasant all day. No matter how many troubles I face, hearing his voice makes them all melt away.”

She wasn't lying. That had truly been the original host's feelings toward Nan Yunchuan.

Ascending the throne at ten years old, becoming the Empress while constantly navigating schemes and intrigues in court—even with a mature mind, she had still been an underage girl.

After years of living under constant tension, someone like Nan Yunchuan had suddenly appeared. How could she not have liked him?

She had liked Nan Yunchuan, though not in the romantic sense between a man and a woman. It was simply that Nan Yunchuan always knew how to make her feel better. The frustrations she suffered in court would disappear after seeing him.

Because of him, she had even learned to smile occasionally, though only faintly.

Even if she could never reveal too many of her inner thoughts to him, she still enjoyed being with him.

In the original host's memories, one sentence perfectly described her impression of Nan Yunchuan—a pair of bright eyes and a lazy voice tinged with laughter, something that always sounded easy and comforting.

Su Qing was stunned by Tang Guo's words. So this was how Nan Yunchuan appeared in the Empress's heart.

He suddenly became curious. In her eyes, what kind of impression had he left behind?

“And you, Su Qing,” Tang Guo continued, “always seem immersed in your own world. You are different from Yun Chuan. He brings me laughter, while you bring me tranquility. Listening to your zither makes me feel peaceful. It is a rare kind of peace.”

Those were also the original host's feelings, faithfully repeated by Tang Guo. There had always been reasons why she had treated the two of them so well.

Perhaps it was because they had both tried so hard, or perhaps the Empress herself had simply been too exhausted.

With two such different people suddenly appearing in her life, naturally they had left a deep impression on her.

And in front of them, she had inevitably let down her guard.

“Every day, I face countless problems. Even though I am the Empress, seated high above the court with tens of thousands bowing before me, not everyone is truly loyal to me. In Western Saint Kingdom, whether men or women, many people covet my position.”

“Many men hope that Western Saint Kingdom will be overthrown, bringing an end to this society where women are honored and men are inferior. And many women dream of replacing me, standing where I stand and ruling Western Saint Kingdom themselves.”

Su Qing's heart skipped a beat when Tang Guo spoke those words. Fortunately, after hearing the latter half of her sentence, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had already begun to regret it. Why had he insisted on dwelling on such a question?

“It is Su Qing's fault for making Your Majesty think of these troublesome matters. How about… Su Qing plays a piece for Your Majesty?”

He hurriedly spoke, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.