Her hair was cloud-like and beautiful! She opened her eyes and found herself back in the third year

Chapter 155 Impossible, Don't Even Think About It

When she returned to the inner courtyard, Qin Yizhen was still thinking about a better way to make paper.

She didn't know if this had happened in her previous life, but later Fang Shixin's study opened and the prices seemed reasonable, so perhaps it really had happened.

The real challenge is figuring out how to get Fang Shixin to talk.

If she were to ask, Fang Shixin would likely refuse to answer, and might even use it as leverage.

If Cheng Yan were to ask, given how much Fang Shixin cares about Cheng Yan, he would likely answer without reservation.

However, Qin Yi was unwilling to let Fang Shixin covet Cheng Yan and push him to her side. Moreover, she knew that Cheng Yan would be angry if she used him in this way.

But just then, Lü Qiao returned from outside and told her something that shocked her so much that she was completely stunned.

"What did you say?"

"Fang Shixin got into a fight with someone at Wanshi Tower." Lü Qiao gloated, laughing like a cat that had stolen some food.

"Why did they start fighting?" Qin Yizhen was also curious. She knew that Fang Shixin was a noble lady from an official family, so why would she be so inconsiderate of the occasion and start fighting with someone?

However, after careful consideration, Qin Yizhen realized that if Fang Shixin offended her, it wasn't impossible for him to suddenly go crazy.

"I heard that there was discussion in Wanshi Tower about Aunt Wang returning to the Wang family. She overheard it and, for some reason, went up to question them. Then she was harassed, and in a fit of anger, she slapped the other person. In a fit of anger, the other person slapped her back, and then the two of them started fighting."

Qin Yizhen was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Being harassed is something one cannot tolerate silently, otherwise, how can one save face? However, fighting with someone in public would be extremely rude and make one a laughingstock.

"And what about the people around her?"

"She doesn't have anyone by her side. She used to have two maids, one of whom took the blame for her at a palace banquet. Now she only has Yun'er. She has always loved freedom and doesn't like guards when she goes out."

"What then?"

"Later, it was Manager Wan of Wanshi Tower who intervened and detained the person, informing both families to come and take him back. He really lost face, and now everyone is talking about it."

Qin Yizhen was momentarily speechless.

When Cheng Yan returned and the two ate together, Qin Yizhen was still thinking about how to get the papermaking technique from Fang Shixin. She was absent-minded and kept getting distracted.

Cheng Yan served her a bowl of soup. Seeing her take a sip and stare blankly for a long time, he frowned and put down his chopsticks. "What are you thinking about? Is it that the food today doesn't suit your taste?"

"Huh?" Qin Yizhen snapped out of her daze and looked at him. "What did you just say?"

"Is the food not to your liking?"

"No." Qin Yizhen shook her head vigorously. "I was thinking about something?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Qin Yizhen thought for a moment, then told him the gist of her conversation with Mr. Deng, and finally asked him, "Tell me, if I asked you to ask her, would you agree?"

"Should I ask her?" Cheng Yan's face darkened, and he immediately refused, "Impossible, don't even think about it."

Cheng Yan felt he needed to say some things upfront and make everything clear: "Why do you think I work so hard? Isn't it so that my family can live a better life, and I can live a better life myself?"

His hard work and ambition were all for himself and for the people he cared about from the very beginning.

If he were to compromise and wrong himself and his family for the sake of some so-called world, it would be contrary to his original intention.

Most importantly, he especially disliked Qin Yizhen's behavior of pushing him out for the sake of the bigger picture or for the sake of others.

Who is Fang Shixin? She's someone who covets him. How could she let him meet her like that? Isn't she afraid he'll really be seduced by someone else?

She was so indifferent to him.

Seeing that he was angry, Qin Yizhen quickly explained, "I didn't mean for you to go, I was just asking casually."

"Asking won't work, no, thinking about it won't work either."

Well, thinking about it won't work either.

Qin Yizhen immediately apologized: "I was wrong..."

Actually, she knew in her heart that she shouldn't have brought this up in the first place, because he would definitely be unhappy if she did. But since he asked, she couldn't control herself from talking.

Thinking about this, Qin Yizhen reflected on herself. Although husband and wife should talk, they shouldn't keep all their unhappiness and dissatisfaction to themselves. They should say what needs to be said, and once they've talked it out, they'll feel better.

But you can't say just anything.

Cheng Yan still felt unsatisfied, so he reached out and pinched her ear.

Qin Yizhen was getting annoyed with him: "Stop touching me. Give me some advice on how to get Fang Shixin to talk."

Cheng Yan thought for a moment and said, "That's easy. Go and find the Empress Dowager. If there really is a better papermaking technique, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty will definitely pay attention to it. At that time, how the Empress Dowager and His Majesty find out from Fang Shixin will be none of your business."

Qin Yizhen's eyes lit up, and she seemed to have suddenly gained insight, her slightly furrowed brows relaxing: "What you said makes sense."

If she reports the matter to Empress Dowager Cheng and lets her handle it, then it will be none of her business. When the new papermaking technique is implemented, she can use it when she wants to open a study.

However, she glanced cautiously at Cheng Yan and whispered, "But...but wouldn't it be unfilial of us to push this onto Mother?"

“What’s wrong with it?” Cheng Yan said matter-of-factly, “She’s the Empress Dowager. This is a matter of national importance concerning the people’s livelihood. Naturally, she should be the one to handle it, right?”

Cheng Yan felt that Qin Yizhen had made rapid progress these days by Empress Dowager Cheng's side, but she seemed to have developed a greater sense of responsibility.

That's not good either.

Thinking of this, Cheng Yan's eyes flashed, and she felt that she should go to the Imperial Study less often. With Empress Dowager Cheng and Emperor Jing'an there, she, as a princess, could just happily be a princess.

He agreed to let her go to the study only to correct her temperament, although he hoped she could be stronger and cope with the hardships of life, so that she wouldn't feel pain and torment over trivial matters.

However, at the same time, I don't want her to bear too much burden.

"What you say makes sense." Upon hearing this, Qin Yizhen immediately felt no guilt and decided to pass the matter on to Empress Dowager Cheng. "I will talk to Mother about it tomorrow."

"How have you been doing at the Imperial Study lately?" Cheng Yan asked casually. "If you're tired of it and don't want to go anymore, I'll just go and talk to them, and then I won't go anymore."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yizhen immediately shook her head: "No, I still have to go."

Whether she was tired of it or not, she had spent some time in the Imperial Study and learned a lot. Occasionally, Empress Dowager Cheng would ask her about her political views and analyze the pros and cons with her. In just a few days, she felt as if she had been reborn.

This is the kind of growth she wanted.

"You don't need to worry about me, I feel fine now."