Sang Yan speculated, "The Emperor... does not believe in fate?"
"No."
He Ying shook his head, his demeanor proud and commanding, "What of fate? Predict too much, learn of it beforehand, sail smoothly, would that be interesting? No! I find that completely boring! Life, it's all about the struggle, that's what makes it interesting!"
Sang Yan, "..."
Madman!
But she didn't want to struggle!
She harbored no great ambitions; she only wanted to be like a salted fish, safe and smooth.
"Do not know if the Emperor has heard this saying?"
"What saying?"
"Where thoughts differ, people cannot coexist."
Is this a new way of refusal?
He Ying frowned and asked, "Where are our thoughts different?"
Sang Yan honestly replied, "I am a timid person and dare not take risks."
He Ying had known early on that she was like a timid wild rabbit and smiled, "With me here. As long as you want, I am your greatest support."
Sang Yan dared not rely on an Emperor.
Since ancient times, Emperors are passionate yet heartless; getting close to them only results in misfortune.
"Thank you for the Emperor's deep affection."
She once again tactfully refused, "But I dare not."
Upon hearing this, He Ying unconsciously clenched his fist, his tone becoming heavier, exuding a hint of frustration, "Sang Yan, is it that you dare not, or you do not want to?"
Naturally, Sang Yan did not want to.
But if she said that, the Emperor would definitely become even angrier, and it could very well lead to oppressive power.
Sigh.
Under someone's roof, one has no choice but to bow their head.
In a quick thought, she responded, "Because I do not dare, therefore I do not want."
This answer was very tactful.
He Ying knew Sang Yan was clever, yet she used her cleverness to evade him.
Indeed, he could take by force and act recklessly, trusting that no one would dare confront him, but if he won the person and not the heart, what meaning would it hold?
Moreover, he was forbidden from indulging in the pleasures of women; all he sought was a heart.
"You will dare."
He Ying unclenched his fist; the silk in his palm was tinged with crimson.
In fact, his palm had bled when he struck the table in anger.
Sang Yan also saw it but pretended not to.
Untimely concern could lead to misunderstandings.
Thus now, she continued to pretend not to see.
"Emperor, if there is nothing else, I should return."
She wanted to leave.
He Ying did not permit it.
He summoned Feng Yicheng to come in, ordering him to open the doors for business and resume the normal storytelling session.
Upon hearing this, Feng Yicheng, for some reason, recalled the two sentences Sang Yan had mentioned as she came in—life in the market, the myriad states of humanity, inseparable from people. Mr. He had booked the place, making Qingfeng Inn lose much of its charm.
So, was the Emperor allowing people in now to add charm to the Qingfeng Inn?
Indeed... such favoritism.
"Yes."
He responded and left, going downstairs to open the doors to welcome guests.
Soon, the guests began to crowd in.
Most of them were regulars, finding their usual spots and clapping their hands shouting:
"Mr. Feng, when will you start today?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm still waiting for that rapist to be cut into a thousand pieces!"
"He's really not human! That scum should be castrated and sent to the Imperial Palace to become a eunuch!"
...
They indignantly discussed yesterday's "Debts of Love and Lust: Prime Seducer."
Sang Yan found
Feng Yicheng sat at the long table, opened the book in front of him, and knocked the gavel, quieting everyone present.
"A rapist had recently set his sights on a rich merchant's daughter—"
He sipped some tea to moisten his throat, shook his head, and recounted, "This daughter was as beautiful as a flower, graceful and alluring. Unfortunately, she had fallen mute due to a strange illness. Seeing his daughter at the age of marriage, the merchant was anxious and widely distributed pleas for medical help, hoping to cure his daughter..."
"The rapist then disguised himself as a woman, posing as a female physician to infiltrate their home."
He Ying, seeing Sang Yan interested, stole Feng Yicheng's words and went straight to the spoil, "Unaware of the truth, the merchant, seeing 'her' as a woman, arranged for 'her' to live with his daughter—"
"Hold on—"
Sang Yan disliked spoilers, and her attitude was quite unfriendly, "With you saying that, how can I listen? You have spoiled the most exciting parts of what sounded like a good story."
Listening to her complaint, He Ying was not annoyed but smiled, "This isn't just a story. It's a real fraud/rape case that happened last year in Fu State."
Sang Yan: "..."
God.
This story was actually based on reality.
Fraud/rape?
And in ancient times where women held their chastity dear?
What would happen to those poor girls who lost their chastity?
The thought made Sang Yan furious.
At this point, she no longer cared about spoilers; she just wanted to know how the villain was brought to justice quickly, so she urged, "Keep going. What happened next?"
While asking, she focused on Feng Yicheng's tale but thought the rapist learning medical skills too tedious; better to hear the Emperor's straightforward version.
He Ying, pleased to see her entirely focused on him, was in great spirits, his smile flowing: "The rapist didn't expect to succeed so easily, and with the merchant treating him generously, he wasn't in a hurry, so he stayed under his assumed identity. However, as time went by, the merchant's son took a liking to him, pursued him unsuccessfully, used force, and then his identity was revealed..."
Sang Yan: "..."
God.
What's this?
A case of a villain meeting another villain?
"What happened next? Was there a sentencing? How was he sentenced? Such scum should be physically castrated!"
"Executed by death through dismemberment."
"Um..."
Sang Yan paused and said, "It's still an inadequate death penalty."
Executing by dismemberment seemed a bit too bloody.
The harsh penalties of ancient times lacked the humanitarian spirit of modern judicial systems.
Seeing her expression somewhat strained, suggesting she found it cruel, He Ying softened his smile and solemnly said, "Though this man failed this time, he had previously deceived and raped countless women using the same method of cross-dressing. Upon thorough investigation, there were as many as two hundred and eight victims. Moreover, he had even taken on twelve apprentices."
Sang Yan: "..."
Utterly despicable!
Beast!
She slammed the table in anger, "Damnable! Even dismemberment cannot... redeem his... sins..."
Her voice trailed off.
Sigh.
How foolish of her.
To bang on the table in front of the Emperor, she must have been the first to do so.
"Emperor, forgive me. I have lost my composure."
She hitched up her skirt, about to kneel in apology—
"No need to kneel."
He Ying quickly intervened, his voice gentle, "I like you this way. You may lose your composure more often."
Sang Yan: "..."
The Emperor's love talk, wicked!
Sang Yan's heart skipped a beat but quickly normalized and resumed the previous topic, "What was the aftermath of this case? Especially the victims, how are they doing?"
She had a feeling that the answer was one she wouldn't like.
He Ying said nothing.
The criminal was punished with death, ending the matter, but most victims' lives were completely destroyed, plunging into hell.
"They must be very pitiable."
Sang Yan frowned sympathetically, "It's not their fault, yet they have to bear the world's spitting and unfair treatment."
The status of women was too low.
She still couldn't help but want to do something for the women of this era.
"Emperor, have you ever thought that the male-dominant society under your rule is very unfair to women?"