In the novel "Joy of Life," the protagonist wakes up at Li Chengze's residence.

Three rhythmic thuds sounded. Tao Jingyang remained lying on the bed with his eyes closed, like a dead fish.

She always did this at home, closing her eyes and letting the maids fish her out of her nest.

"Go in..." Tao Jingyang muttered in his dream.

Normally, people outside would come in as soon as they heard the noise, and it was the same today.

She felt her blankets being gently lifted, and a pair of warm, large hands reached in and lifted her up around the waist.

"Hmm?" Even with her eyes closed, she could feel her whole body floating in the air. Not only that, Tao Jingyang also felt that the hands holding her seemed different from usual.

But before she could turn around and see who it was, she was placed on a soft chair.

"It's you?" she exclaimed in surprise.

Li Chengze, dressed neatly, tilted his head and smiled at her, his hands already busy wringing out a towel. "What, are you afraid I won't serve you well?"

The wet handkerchief in his hand was snatched away. He paused for a moment, then slowly withdrew his hand.

Tao Jingyang probably didn't know that Li Chengze had actually gotten quite used to doing this for her.

There's nothing to it, I just simply don't want to delegate this matter to someone else, even though it sounds a bit unethical.

"So you can style your hair too?" She tossed the wet towel onto the table.

The latter moved behind the person, deftly gathered up a strand of hair, and used a single hairpin to hold up half of her hair.

Simplicity and authenticity, fresh and refined.

"Where did you learn that from?" Tao Jingyang tilted his head to look at the shape, which seemed fairly neat.

It was a bit monotonous, so I added some small decorations to the simple bun.

Li Chengze moved a mirror behind her. "There's no need to learn, you're born with it." His eyes were fixed on the person in the mirror.

"Heh." She chuckled softly. "Then Chengze is smart." After thinking for a moment, she added, "He can be smart, but not exceptionally so."

Li Chengze didn't understand and thought he was being told not to be too smart.

With some time before the court session, Tao Jingyang looked at the sky and brought up the topic, saying, "I heard from the people of the Surveillance Bureau that the Princess really wants to see me."

I was too busy a few days ago to visit Li Yunrui on Wan'er's behalf, but now that I have some free time, it's time to go see her.

"She's no longer the eldest princess; she's just Li Yunrui." Li Chengze walked around to her side, pulled up a stool, and sat down opposite her.

“Li Yunrui keeps asking to see you, A Yang, you don’t need to pay attention to her. And the guards who are watching over her have come to say that she is already half-mad.”

The victor is king, the loser is villain. If it were up to Li Yunrui's personality, he would probably have committed suicide in prison long ago.

Now, he would rather live in a semi-mad state than die, presumably because he has an unresolved obsession.

And this obsession is probably Tao Jingyang's.

A few days ago, when she met Lin Wan'er, she talked to her about this matter and expressed her concerns.

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"Wan'er, if you lose your obsession, perhaps you will also lose your will to live."

A person lives on a breath; when that breath dissipates, a person becomes dejected. If even resentment dissipates, then whether one lives or dies becomes unimportant.

After hearing this, Lin Wan'er forced a bitter smile. "If one is to live out the rest of one's life like a walking corpse, clinging to obsessions, it would be better to die before things get too bad."

Her eyes revealed a resolute determination, and her expression changed from her usual delicate demeanor. "Sister Tao'er, if Wan'er is like this, I would rather die than live a life of dishonor."

Her eyes held sorrow but no resentment; they were misty yet resolute. "I am her daughter. If I think this way, then I suppose my mother would think the same way."

Lin Wan'er didn't blink, just stared at her, letting the tears fall.

That day, Tao Jingyang did not wipe away her tears, but instead handed her a handkerchief.

Embroidered in the corner is a sprig of snow plum blossom, blooming proudly in the cold.

She was certain that someone like Lin Wan'er could be given a chance.

They are bound to achieve great things.

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"Actually, her lifelong obsession wasn't with me, but now only I can give her an answer."

Tao Jingyang recalled his conversation with Lin Wan'er that day and felt a pang of melancholy.

Li Chengze picked up a grape grown in a greenhouse, and upon hearing her say this, he seemed to recall something and fell into deep thought.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, "If Ah Yang commits suicide after seeing Li Yunrui, Wan'er might be very sad."

If the eldest princess were to commit suicide because of A-Yang, Li Chengze believed that Wan'er would be heartbroken even if she didn't say anything.

Fan Xian has always treated Wan'er very well. If he were to resent A Yang or develop a grudge against her because of this, wouldn't that be a loss?

“Chengze, we have thought too much about Wan’er. She was just physically weak before, so her temperament seemed weak as well.”

She pictured Lin Wan'er speaking gently yet stubbornly, her tone carrying a hint of admiration.

The voice of Chief Eunuch Su came from outside the hall, "Your Majesty, Imperial Preceptor, the ministers have all entered the hall. Please proceed to the Qianqing Palace."

Li Chengze helped her up and said before leaving the palace, "Since A-Yang has already made up her mind, then let's go."

The two walked side by side, and the guards and palace servants standing guard around them were already used to it. Now almost the whole world knew that our Daqing had produced a female national advisor who was highly favored by the emperor.

same moment.

When the young emperor of Northern Qi received the news, he was also surprised, "You mean, the woman from the previous delegation has now appeared in court as a woman again?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, she has not only entered the court, but also..." The speaker was dressed entirely in black, completely covered up.

When Zhan Doudou saw that the person was stammering, she became a little impatient and said, "Just say what you have to say, why are you stammering?"

“Our spies in Qing Kingdom reported that this Grand Preceptor was sitting on the same couch as the Emperor of Qing Kingdom in the court.”

"What!?" Zhan Doudou was so shocked she almost dropped the book in her hand. "Sit side by side!?"

Is it really that outrageous?

"With such actions, not a single one of the courtiers of the Qing Kingdom dares to refute them?" The young emperor of Northern Qi still couldn't believe it.

Just then, Haitang Duoduo entered the palace after handling her master's funeral arrangements. When she heard their conversation, she added, "Not only that, Tao Jingyang probably also has the skills of a Grandmaster."

When Zhan Doudou saw Haitang arrive, she waved her hand, signaling the man in black to leave first.

When Haitang Duoduo recalled the day Qingguo returned her master's body, a faint resentment still lingered in her heart.

It's unclear whether they hate Tao Jingyang or Daqing.

Zhan Doudou, dressed in men's clothing with her sharp eyebrows furrowed, said, "Yes, I haven't forgotten."

Right now, all the grandmasters on the entire continent are dead, and the Northern Qi is also in a state of weakness.

Haitang Duoduo sat cross-legged in front of the Northern Qi emperor, her expression solemn.

"Tao Jingyang now enjoys extremely high prestige in the Qing Kingdom, and the court officials do not oppose her. This is not only because the Qing Emperor trusts her immensely, but also because she implemented new policies as soon as she entered court."