coobybook Chapter 111 (Interesting)
Chapter 111 (Interesting)
Chapter 111 is interesting.
With her neck being choked, Ye Yingrou couldn't breathe properly. Her vision blurred as she suffocated, and she could barely see Chunyu Jing's face. She even had the illusion that her neck would be broken by him at any moment.
No, this can't go on any longer; she can't stop here!
"I...no...I just...want to...participate in the scientific expedition..." she said with difficulty, trying to suppress the dizziness in her head.
The pressure in her throat suddenly disappeared, and fresh air rushed into Ye Yingrou's mouth and nose like a flood. Her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. The pain in her throat as she breathed brought tears to her eyes.
"Participating in a scientific expedition?" Looking at her lying on the ground, barely breathing, Chunyu Jing scoffed, "You?"
The contempt in his tone deeply stung Ye Yingrou's pride as a transmigrator. She steeled herself and, with a determined air, gritted her teeth and said:
"That's right! Why should only men be able to rise above others in this world, while women are expected to be well-behaved ladies who never leave their homes? That's fine, but you men also expect your wives to be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Ha! If I had such talents, why would I want to be a woman who spends her days devoted to her husband and children, waiting alone in a secluded mansion for her husband's favor? There are female imperial physicians in the palace, so why can't there be female ministers, female generals, and female prime ministers?"
Ye Yingrou grew increasingly agitated as she spoke. Yes, this was the path a transmigrator should take! She had transmigrated to this world with a drug-making system; how could she be like women in ancient times, her fate controlled by others, forced to marry someone she'd never even met, and end her lonely life? The women in the novels she'd read about were all incredibly powerful after transmigrating, so she too would make a name for herself in this world! Standing at the very top of this world, receiving the worship and adoration of all, that was her destiny!
"Oh?" Her words truly surprised Chunyu Jing, and at the same time, he sensed her uniqueness. He had concubines and mistresses in his household, all from prominent families, but as she said, although beautiful, their personalities seemed to be molded from the same mold, lacking spirit and charm. He had never seen a woman like Ye Yingrou before. It seemed that neither of Marquis Anshi's two daughters were ordinary characters.
"I never expected Miss Ye to have such lofty ambitions." Chunyu Jing smiled, "However..."
His fingers gently traced the fingerprints on Ye Yingrou's neck as he said, "If that's all the reason, it's not enough to convince me to let you go. Your crime of disguising yourself and sneaking into the examination hall cannot be forgiven!"
Although he had developed an interest in Ye Yingrou, he was determined not to let her remain in the examination hall. The imperial examination was the only way to select officials, and it was administered by the Ministry of Rites, which he controlled. If anything went wrong, that good-for-nothing Crown Prince and those old fogies, his three tutors, would definitely use it as an excuse to put pressure on him in court.
Ye Yingrou had long anticipated that it wouldn't be so easy to persuade Chunyu Jing. She didn't back down at all, but stubbornly looked directly into Chunyu Jing's eyes and said, "Does Your Highness dare to make a bet with me?"
Doesn't she want to give up yet? Interesting.
Chunyu Jing raised his eyebrows: "Oh? What do you want to bet?"
"I know what Your Highness is worried about. You're probably just afraid I'll break the rules and be punished by His Majesty, right?" Ye Yingrou's face, covered by a human skin mask, blossomed into a strange smile. "Your Highness, please rest assured, I won't set up a bet that would put you in a difficult position. Since I'm already here at the examination hall, how about Your Highness give me a chance to sit down and take the exam with the other candidates outside? If my answers stand out in this exam and I rank among the top three, Your Highness will no longer pursue the crime of disguising myself to enter the examination hall, and I will leave it at that point and never appear in the examination hall again to trouble Your Highness. But if I don't do well, that's my fate. At that time, Your Highness can do whatever you want with me, whether it's killing or dismemberment, I won't utter a single complaint!"
“Young lady, you’re quite bold, even though you have nothing. You dare to negotiate with me,” Chunyu Jing said, narrowing his eyes. “This bet sounds interesting, but it won’t benefit me at all. That’s not how business is done.”
Ye Yingrou gritted her teeth, already starting to get impatient: "Then what does Your Highness think is the best way to make the bet?"
“It’s impossible to take the exam,” Chunyu Jing said.
Disappointment filled Ye Yingrou's eyes, but he then said, "However, I can give you a test. If you can answer the test to my satisfaction, I will spare your life. But you will be spared death, but you will not be spared punishment. From now on, you must follow me as my maid and let me see what makes you so bold as to say those words."
Become a maid? Ye Yingrou was stunned for a moment, then a surge of joy welled up inside her. It seemed she had made the right gamble. To deal with someone like Chunyu Jing, she couldn't act like a typical delicate and timid young lady. As long as she showed him her uniqueness, he would definitely become interested in her!
Chunyu Jing is in charge of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Crown Prince who is in charge of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel. He might even have a chance to become emperor in the future! Becoming Chunyu Jing's maid would allow her to get close to him. How could she let such a good opportunity slip by?
Thinking of this, Ye Yingrou became even more determined to win over Chunyu Jing.
"If your answer does not satisfy me, then don't blame me for not showing you any mercy," Chunyu Jing said coldly, his gaze turning icy.
Ye Yingrou smiled confidently and replied, "Then please wait and see, Your Highness!"
Meanwhile, the examination hall was unaffected by Ye Yingrou's presence. The candidates were herded back to their cells by the guards and awaited the start of the first exam. Ye Yanxun, preoccupied with worry for Ye Yingrou's safety, couldn't calm down. He didn't even notice when the bronze bell rang or how the exam questions were presented to him. Finally, a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted into his nostrils, jolting him back to his senses.
Well, there's no use in him worrying here. The most important thing is to do well on the exam and win a spot in the provincial examination. Rou'er has so many kinds of poisons and she has guards by her side. There's no need for him to worry about her. If there really is a life-threatening situation, she should be able to find a way to escape.
Smelling the fragrance wafting from somewhere, Ye Yanxun concentrated and began to answer the exam questions seriously.
While turmoil was brewing at the examination hall, Ye Pianran's journey home was also far from peaceful. She and Gongsun Yuan were traveling in a carriage towards the Marquis's residence, urged on by the driver, when, for some unknown reason, the carriage bumped into something as it passed through a market, and then came to an abrupt stop without warning!