This villain has become a ghost

Yue Liuyun: “…”

She never expected to hear such a thing, and her heart suddenly felt as dead as a strong wind.

She tried to pour out the yellow waste in her mind, and then calmly and objectively figure out the message in Hui Fei's words, but found that she couldn't do it at all.

The corners of Yue Liuyun's mouth twitched unconsciously, and his thoughts were in a complicated process.

It should... not be what she thought. Although Liu Mang sounds like a gangster, she believes he is a decent person.

...Well, how could someone who could transform his own palace into this be a decent person?

But Luo Tong is a serious and well-behaved girl, she shouldn't... right?

Nangong Mingzhu uttered a "tsk" sound, seemingly distracted, with an ambiguous look in his eyes, as if he found it extremely amusing. He raised his lips and smiled, saying leisurely, "I really didn't expect it... You're quite playful."

Yue Liuyun: “…”

You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually understood it immediately.

However, Qiu Shuangwan was a man at heart, and she couldn't find a single trace of dissatisfaction or jealousy on Nangong Mingzhu's face. He even looked quite pleased. This convinced her that Nangong Mingzhu really didn't have that kind of intention towards Luo Tong.

"Everyone, get up. You guys continue. I'll leave first." Yue Liuyun set his eyes on Ye Zhaoxi again, trying to slow down his tone so as not to scare her, and said, "I wish my mother to have a great time."

Ye Zhaoxi nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

It seems that he really wants the emperor to leave as soon as possible.

Yue Liuyun guessed that Qiu Shuangwan and Luo Tong must have gone to the side hall. She wanted to see what was going on between these two people.

At the door of the side hall, two palace maids were standing there serving. They were frightened by the sudden arrival of the emperor. The voices of two women could be faintly heard in the hall.

Yue Liuyun slowly entered the side hall, gently breaking the stillness within. Though her steps were light, they carried an undeniable authority. The two palace maids hurriedly knelt, their heads bowed so low they almost touched the ground, not daring to breathe.

The sounds within the hall gradually became clearer; they were the whispers of Qiu Shuangwan and Luo Tong. They seemed to be discussing some secret, their tones tinged with nervousness and excitement.

She pushed open the door and walked into the side hall. Qiu Shuangwan and Luo Tong immediately stopped talking and looked at Yue Liuyun with surprised expressions on their faces.

Yue Liuyun was stunned for a moment by the situation before him.

The two of them sat at the desk, next to which was a pile of papers covered with dense handwriting. Qiu Shuangwan held a charcoal pencil in her hand, while Luo Tong held a brush, with a little ink splashed on their fair faces.

"Your Majesty, why are you here?" Qiu Shuangwan spoke first, with a hint of uneasiness in his voice. He didn't know whether the emperor in front of him was Nangong Mingzhu or Yue Liuyun.

Luo Tong reacted very quickly and hurriedly pulled Qiu Shuangwan to salute: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be well and safe."

Yue Liuyun curiously picked up a piece of paper covered with handwriting. When he looked closely, he saw a large four-character title "Trigonometric Functions" written on it, followed by densely packed knowledge points and images, as well as many questions.

Yue Liuyun: “…”

Ah this.

A thought suddenly popped up in her mind, and she said quietly, "So... you are... doing the test?"

Qiu Shuangwan's eyes suddenly lit up.

The only person who could realize so quickly after seeing the draft paper that they were doing the test questions was Yue Liuyun.

So, she has switched back with the tyrant, oh yeah!

Qiu Shuangwan's fear was immediately gone, and she excitedly said, "Your Majesty, you may not know that after accidentally seeing my manuscript, Concubine Shu has developed a strong interest in mathematics. I have been teaching her these past few days. I must say that Concubine Shu is extremely talented. In just a few days, she has mastered functions, solid geometry, trigonometric functions, and probability theory..."

That is indeed a genius.

Yue Liuyun coughed lightly and asked, "So, the thing you mentioned... that's incredibly stimulating, that makes your blood boil, that's hard to forget and makes you think about it day and night, could it be..."

"...Of course it's the latest advanced math problem I came up with!" Qiu Shuangwan said excitedly, "Your Majesty, I never realized before that I actually have a talent for coming up with questions..."

This is so.

It turned out that she was thinking the wrong thing.

Luo Tong's figure was still weak, looking like a willow swaying in the wind, but the worry between her brows and eyes had eased a lot. Her almond-shaped eyes gleamed with joy and satisfaction. She said softly, "I didn't know before that there were such interesting things in this world. They really make people intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves."

I really didn't expect that Luo Tong would be so obsessed with mathematics.

It’s incredible, he’s actually a natural science genius!

Qiu Shuangwan was full of praise for Luo Tong and kept praising her.

Yue Liuyun smiled slightly after hearing this and sat down on a chair. She looked at the two of them and said slowly, "I am very pleased to see that you are so eager to learn. I have already sent the compiled textbook to the Ministry of Rites. The Ministry of Works will assist in the printing of large quantities. When the time comes, the task of teaching will fall on you two."

Qiu Shuangwan already knew that this task would fall on her, so she wasn't too surprised.

But Luo Tong was different. Surprise and trepidation coexisted in her eyes. She asked in disbelief, "Is it possible for me...to do this too?"

"Of course," Yue Liuyun said seriously, "Since you have such talent, you should learn from Concubine Xian. Then... you can build your own career. If you can contribute to Daying, you will be remembered in history and carve out a niche for yourself."

Logically speaking, the emperor was wary of the Qiu family and should not have granted her any real power. However, he not only gave her the Phoenix Seal, but also handed the teaching task into her hands without any hesitation.

There was a complex and moving light in Luo Tong's eyes.

She thought she would be trapped in the palace all her life, like a caged bird, with even death being a luxury.

Unexpectedly, she still had the opportunity to build her own career, no longer be a pawn, no longer be depressed all day long, no longer be helpless, no longer live for others... but live as herself, as Luo Tong, live with dignity.

"I will definitely live up to your majesty's expectations!" Luo Tong knelt down and bowed, emphasizing each word with a firm expression.

Nangong Mingzhu looked at the scene in front of him, raised his eyebrows thoughtfully and chuckled.

Looking at this situation... Yue Liuyun seems to have really won Luo Tong's loyalty and gratitude. The grace of recognition and appreciation can often allow people struggling in the darkness to see light and hope again.

But how could he not see that Yue Liuyun also had other considerations and thoughts.

The first are the Qiu, Zhang, and Wei families, who have maintained a superficial balance for so long and have not made any moves since the autumn banquet. We need to add fuel to the fire to make them slowly reveal their true colors.

Secondly, Yue Liuyun really values talents and makes the best use of them. She lets Luo Tong and Qiu Shuangwan participate in the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. Gradually, the two of them will truly have power. At that time, let's see whether Luo Tong, who has power, will escape the control of the Qiu family.

Of course, the worst case scenario is that the Qiu family is the one colluding with Zhang Jing behind the scenes, and Luo Tong happens to be loyal to the Qiu family and acts as a pawn in the harem.

This situation actually... doesn't matter, because Yue Liuyun will grant the power he granted to Luo Tong to Qiu Shuangwan at the same time, which not only can be used to check and balance, but can also be taken back.

Nangong Mingzhu looked at Yue Liuyun with ambiguous eyes and a hint of smile.

What a cunning girl.

-

At the entrance stood a heavy iron door, also covered in sharp spikes. Beside the door stood armored guards, holding spears, their expressions serious, always on guard.

Qiu Shuangwan swallowed her saliva and felt a little nervous. Although she didn't understand why Yue Liuyun brought her to see the eldest princess, she still followed him obediently.