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

[Tao Jingyang]: So, has it come to the point where we are powerless, miserable, passing away, feeling sorry for ourselves, sighing, crying, and giving up on ourselves?

Should I have a good cry?

......

We've already "put on" these clothes, how can you expect us to stay here like this?

The bullshit "laws" of this era only bully ordinary people who have no power or influence.

Living here, regardless of gender or age, everyone suffers the same pain.

(?·_·) [Building up rage]

We'll kill those bastards sooner or later!!!

(?·_·)︻╦╤─ ? - -●-●-●-●-●

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Okay, back to the topic.

Continued from last time:

If this old man, Emperor Qing, really wants to disgust people, Tao Jingyang seems to have some ability. He might just give you an obedience test (a complete wedding gift package).

In the end, people will still praise you for being "lucky".

(The following is a short skit)

"Even though she's not the official wife, she'll still be a member of the royal family in the future~"

"No~ I don't want to~"

"What?! You dare say you're unwilling? Heh, you're truly ungrateful! Guards, execute him!"

......

In this deplorable world, the young men and women here can only pray for divine "favor".

They also need to pray to God to "bless" them with good luck so that the person they are betrothed to can treat them with respect and grow old together.

Honestly, in this messed-up world, let whoever wants to live live.

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After thinking about all this, Tao Jingyang collected his thoughts and returned his attention to the room.

If the three people in the room had never met, Lin Wan'er and Ye Ling'er would never have cared about Tao Jingyang's future.

Perhaps it's because we've met now and gotten along so well that I always feel a bit... regretful.

Or perhaps it's a feeling of shared sorrow, like "the rabbit mourns the fox's death."

Tao Jingyang looked at the two of them, both of whom had even more worried faces than she did, and couldn't help but find it amusing:

"Alright, I understand what you mean. I also know that Wan'er, Ling'er, you are doing this for my own good."

She thought for a moment and decided to "comfort" them:

"No one knows about what happened between the two of us."

If there's really something wrong, I have legs for nothing; I can just run away.

"Run?" Ye and Lin both looked on in disbelief. Lin Wan'er asked, "Where could we run to?"

This wasn't just empty talk from Lin Wan'er; she genuinely had never considered this answer before.

She didn't quite understand, but Ye Ling'er next to her brightened up, her face full of surprise, anticipating Tao Jingyang's next words.

"The sea is wide enough for fish to leap, the sky is high enough for birds to fly. The world is vast, where can't we go? Why put up with this humiliation..."

As soon as Tao Jingyang finished speaking, Ye Ling'er exclaimed excitedly, "Well said!!! Miss Jingyang, I never expected you to have such an idea!"

If one were to look into Ye Ling'er's eyes at this moment, one might only see a longing.

A yearning for freedom.

Lin Wan'er's reaction wasn't as outgoing as Ye Ling'er's, but she quietly reached out her hand to soothe her heart, which had also been fluttering a little.

Tao Jingyang's humorous remarks eased the tension between the two men, who burst into laughter.

After her thoughts returned from the vague notion of "freedom" to reality, Lin Wan'er remembered what Ling'er had told her before.

“In our capital, there is a wealthy man named Meng. He and his wife are not of good character and they treat their concubines very harshly.”

I've heard that many women have died in his mansion." Lin Wan'er's eyes were lowered, and her eyelashes trembled slightly as she spoke of this.

"Is Kyoto just going to tolerate him killing people so casually?"

Ye Ling'er's voice was deep as she forcefully placed the teacup on the table: "Every time, it's just a matter of paying money to settle things. Everyone in the capital knows that."

Lin Wan'er, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head, looked at Tao Jingyang, and said very sincerely:

"Miss Jingyang, if possible, please do not become someone's concubine."

If she could become the mistress of the house, she should... treat the concubines in the household better.

It's unclear who she was addressing with that last sentence, but she murmured softly, "It's not easy for anyone..."

Yes, she grew up in the deep palace, how could she not know these sordid things?

If a person stays in this environment for a long time, their thinking will unconsciously become fixed.

People with so-called "advanced ideas" should not pour their "nectar" onto a "new tree" that is rotten from the roots.

If you want to change something, the most important thing is to dig out the rotten and insect-infested "roots".

But we can't dig too fast.

If it goes too fast, the ball will really be dead.

"I understand, Miss Wan'er."

Tao Jingyang silently thought to himself: [No wonder Wan'er still considered other people's feelings after learning about Haitang Duoduo's existence.]

He worried that making Haitang Duoduo a concubine would be unfair to her.

What a kind and good girl she is... How could she possibly fall for Fan Xian? / (Ye Ling'er's same question)

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside a "secret room" behind the reception room.

On the table sat a pot of tea that had gone cold sometime during the night.

In the blink of an eye, a tall, slender figure quietly disappeared, as if no one had noticed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Perhaps it was a telepathic connection, but Tao Jingyang tilted his head towards the secret chamber and twitched his ears, as if he had heard something.

Her eyes flickered, then she took a sip of the tea on the table as usual.

After a moment of silence, Ye Ling'er remembered something else.

She asked Lin Wan'er, "Wan'er, what did you mean when you said you came on behalf of Fan Xian?"

Lin Wan'er was momentarily speechless. After struggling with her thoughts for a while, she made a decision and said:

"Fan Xian said he felt something was amiss and was worried about you because you were tricked by my second cousin."

Before Tao Jingyang could react, Ye Ling'er frowned, unusually joining forces with Fan Xian:

"Fan Xian's words... may have some merit. However, what is suspicious?"

At this moment, Tao Jingyang also turned his attention to Lin Wan'er.

The latter pondered and said:

"Fan Xian didn't explain this to me in detail. So I'm not entirely sure what this 'strange' thing is."