Chapter 705 - 703
The Emperor had been sizing her up above the teacup, finding the constant changes in her expression rather amusing. Suddenly, when he saw her looking up at him, he quickly lowered his eyelids and sipped his tea.
After swallowing a mouthful of tea, he leisurely said, "Do you have objections to my proposal?" His tone was rather unfriendly.
"Not at all, how could I? Your Majesty’s wisdom is unmatched, and your proposal is undoubtedly the most reasonable and magnanimous in all the land. It’s like this, sir, your humble wife simply wishes to inquire what exactly Your Majesty wishes her to do. Could you please reveal a bit, so if it is beyond my capability, I can inform you in advance and prevent any misunderstandings about disobeying your orders."
The Emperor looked at her askance, truly worthy of being Duke An’s granddaughter; a little fox taught by an old fox, she was clearly securing her own escape route.
He had previously met the son of Duke An, who indeed had little to commend him. It was unexpected that such a father would have such a clever and astute daughter.
Gazing down at the girl dressed as a boy standing below him, with eyes full of slyness and hope, the Emperor felt a twinge of melancholy. Ordinary families’ children must be like this towards their elders, he thought, not like the grandchildren of the royal family, who always approached him, their elder, with a natural reverence and distance. They were nothing like the direct and candid girl from the Ye Family.
The Emperor found it amusing and said, "Enough, stop with your little schemes. You are a subject of the Great Xia Dynasty, and contributing to the court is only right. As the ruler of a nation, I naturally will not ask you to do the impossible."
Ye Xinyan immediately seized the opportunity to flatter him, "Thank you, Your Majesty. You are truly wise. Well then, since you’ve said it, you must keep your word. In the future, if the court has any use for your humble wife, it must be within my capacity. Also, one woman’s strength is ultimately limited; if the court assigns tasks, I will still need some knowledgeable people to brainstorm and work together."