Having many handsome men means no worries; pampering them all keeps me in good spirits.

Heart disease? Could His Majesty mean palpitations? Lin Zhijie quickly shook his head and explained, "Your Majesty, I have no palpitations. I am in perfect health..."

"Shh... Lin Aiqing, are you trying to seduce me into kissing you with those little mouths you're opening and closing?" Jiang Qingyan curled her lips slightly.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhijie immediately shut his mouth. His heart pounded even faster, and his body began to burn; his cheeks felt like they were on fire…

He had long heard about the emperor's philandering in the harem, but he never imagined that the emperor was actually a homosexual...

Suddenly, Jiang Qingyan reached out and pinched Lin Zhijie's chin, slowly bringing her face closer until their lips were almost touching...

Lin Zhijie was so nervous that he dared not breathe, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his throat.

Just then, Jiang Qingyan suddenly laughed and let go of her hand.

"It's rare to find someone as adorable as Lin Aiqing." Her tone was slightly teasing. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore."

Jiang Qingyan touched Lin Zhijie's thin lips with her fingertip, then got up and leaned back on the couch.

Lin Zhijie hurriedly got up and stood in front of the bed again. His clothes were also slightly wrinkled by Jiang Qingyan, making him look embarrassed as if he had just done something bad.

Jiang Qingyan chuckled and patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Lin Zhijie to sit down.

Lin Zhijie remained standing there motionless with his head down, like a primary school student being punished for making a mistake.

Jiang Qingyan took a sip of tea and teased, "What? Didn't you get enough of hugging me just now? Do you want me to pull you over and hug you again for a while?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhijie immediately sat down obediently, looking completely innocent, just like a well-behaved golden retriever.

Jiang Qingyan patted his head; she loved obedient little puppies like him. Then she handed him an orange and said softly:

"Minister Lin, what do you think of me?"

"Your Majesty is naturally excellent; your appearance is the most stunning in the entire Great An Kingdom, and indeed, the whole world!" Lin Zhijie blurted out...

That's what I was thinking, why did I say it out loud...? Lin Zhijie lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly and carefully peeled the orange in his hand.

This answer naturally pleased Jiang Qingyan greatly, after all... she really was the most beautiful woman in the world! However, it seems that Lin Zhijie was indeed interested in her appearance, but that wasn't what Jiang Qingyan wanted to ask.

"I'm asking, as the emperor, what do you think of me?" Jiang Qingyan raised an eyebrow.

Lin Zhijie paused in peeling the orange, surprised that the Emperor would ask such a question. He then thought about it seriously for a moment…

As for the emperors of the past... in fact, he didn't have much contact with them, only seeing them once a day during the morning court session...

His impression was that... his mind was blank; during court sessions, he would constantly say, "The Regent is right, we will all listen to the Regent," and occasionally... he would even doze off...

On his way back to the Ministry of Rites after court, he could still hear palace maids and eunuchs whispering among themselves, "Did you hear that? Last night, the Emperor stayed up all night again, indulging in the company of a beauty! That beauty was begging for mercy..."

Thinking about these things, Lin Zhijie unconsciously frowned. He really didn't have a good impression of her... To put it bluntly, he felt that Jiang Qingyan was just a pretty face, a cowardly and lecherous good-for-nothing!

But after interacting with him today... I feel that the Emperor is different from before. Not only does he know how to share the burden of national affairs, but he also... is worried about him... But after all, it's only been one day...

"His Majesty is certainly a good ruler..." Lin Zhijie murmured, his voice extremely low, clearly not speaking his true feelings...

Seeing Lin Zhijie's troubled expression, Jiang Qingyan understood the general idea. After all, given the original owner's previous behavior, it was impossible to change people's opinions so easily.

"Very well, then I will be a good ruler from now on and will never let Minister Lin down!" Jiang Qingyan stared at Lin Zhijie, her tone firm and her eyes full of seriousness.

Lin Zhijie looked up into Jiang Qingyan's bright eyes, and his feelings unconsciously changed...

The previous emperor always made him feel that he was unworthy of his position and not even close to being a regent. But the emperor at this moment... actually made him feel a strange sense of trust.

Lin Zhijie handed the peeled orange to Jiang Qingyan, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I trust you."

Jiang Qingyan patted his shoulder, nodded, then bent down, picked up her court boots, and laboriously put them on.

Upon seeing this, Lin Zhijie quickly squatted down, took the court boots from Jiang Qingyan's hands, and gently helped her put them on.

Jiang Qingyan smiled with satisfaction, her goodwill towards Lin Zhijie increasing even more.

This young man has good judgment! He has potential!

After leaving the Ministry of Rites, Jiang Qingyan called out to the air, "Ling Feng, come out."

Suddenly, a tall, slender figure landed beside Jiang Qingyan and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, are you returning to Chaoyang Palace?"

Wow! Ling Feng can even teleport!

Jiang Qingyan pondered for a moment, her mind drifting back to the handsome, spirited young man she had seen during the morning court session…

He then said softly, "No, I'm going to the General's Mansion!"

"Yes, I will go and prepare the sedan chair immediately." Ling Feng cupped his hands in greeting.

Fearing that Ling Feng would disappear again in a flash, Jiang Qingyan quickly instructed, "An ordinary carriage will suffice; I wish to travel incognito!"

Actually, putting aside his identity as the regent's informant...

Ling Feng was extremely skilled and obedient. Whenever Jiang Qingyan was discussing matters, he would consciously retreat and remain hidden nearby, never disturbing her.

Most importantly! He's incredibly handsome, and every time Jiang Qingyan sees him, she can't help but feel refreshed and happy...

As their carriage passed through the market, it suddenly braked hard, and Jiang Qingyan almost fell flat on her face. She straightened her clothes, angrily lifted the curtain, and asked Ling Feng what had happened.

Ling Feng stepped forward to check and replied, "Young master, it's a waiter from the restaurant catching a thief."

Good heavens! They caught a thief right under my carriage?

Jiang Qingyan peeked out and saw four or five burly men punching and kicking a child in front of the carriage.

The child looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. He was filthy and had several bruises on his face, making him look quite pitiful.

Jiang Qingyan pursed her lips. She really didn't want to meddle in other people's business when she was out and about! But... what could she do? She was beautiful and kind-hearted.

"Stop!" Jiang Qingyan stepped out of the sedan chair, and everyone looked toward the source of the voice, only to be immediately stunned by her stunning beauty.

She bent down to help the boy up and asked softly, "Why did you steal from him?"

The boy sobbed uncontrollably, looked up at Jiang Qingyan, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes, and said in a choked voice, "My mother is sick, and we have no money to buy medicine. I have no choice but to... beg you, young master, to save my life!"

Jiang Qingyan's heart trembled. She remembered that when she was in the orphanage, the director told her that her parents had sent her to the orphanage before they died because they couldn't afford the medical bills due to a serious illness...

Jiang Qingyan took a deep breath, glanced at the men who had attacked her, and said coldly, "Alright, he's been beaten, and he's been punished enough. After all, there was a reason for it, so let's be lenient. How much money did he steal from you? I'll pay for it."

Having said that, he took out a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it on the ground. "Is that enough?"

The men quickly picked up the silver from the ground, chuckling, "That's enough! Thank you, young master!" Then they exchanged glances and left.

Jiang Qingyan looked at the boy with a bruised and swollen face on the ground, stepped forward to help him up, took out another silver ingot from her bosom, handed it to him, and said softly, "Take this to your mother for treatment."

The boy was moved to tears and bowed repeatedly in thanks. Jiang Qingyan smiled and waved her hand, signaling him to leave quickly, then turned and got into the carriage.

Meanwhile, in a nearby teahouse, a man in black sipped his tea, taking in everything before him, and a slight smile played on his lips…