"Uh, you don't want to?"
Qin Zhen looked into Zhou Youwei's eyes with a faint smile. There was no shyness in his eyes, nor did he dodge.
Zhou Youwei could not understand his slightly roguish smile.
What was going on? Was this still the introverted and quiet Qin Zhen?
During the reign of Qin Zhen's father, Emperor Longchang, Zhou Youwei's father, Zhou Yahui, was the Prime Minister for three consecutive terms and had been the Prime Minister for twelve years. He was Qin Ming's most loyal confidant and also a good friend.
Therefore, Zhou Youwei and Qin Ming's only son, Qin Zhen, were childhood friends. They knew each other's temperaments very well.
Qin Zhen had been extremely obedient since he was young. He was introverted and kind, liked a quiet environment, and loved reading and painting.
Zhou Youwei had a lively personality. She was gentle and quiet in front of outsiders, and there was nothing unusual about her.
However, she was just pretending. After all, she was born into a scholarly family and had been educated from a young age to be well-educated, dignified, and elegant.
Only in front of Qin Zhen, her best friend, did she dare to let herself go. Because Qin Zhen would not complain and could tolerate her little temper.
However, after five years, Qin Zhen seemed to have changed into a different person. He was completely different from the Qin Zhen from five years ago. Even his personality and temperament had become completely different.
Kind and introverted?
Look at his evil smile and eyes. How is he introverted and kind? He's like a little hooligan.
Zhou Youwei rolled her eyes and asked in confusion,"Brother Zhen, what have you experienced in the past five years? Why did it change so much?"
"People will grow up, and they must grow up. It's impossible for them to live as carefree as when they were young.”
"When ordinary people grow up and get married and have children, they have to bear the responsibility of earning money to support their families and show filial piety to their parents.”
"It's the same for women. After getting married and starting a family, being filial to their in-laws and raising their children are all responsibilities that must be fulfilled.”
"I am Great Qin's Emperor, the ruler of 15 million people, so I have to bear even heavier responsibilities.”
After saying that, a hint of worry appeared on Qin Zhen's face.
"The current Great Qin is facing internal and external problems. The western powers are pressing in step by step, and I, the Emperor, can be said to be treading on thin ice.”
"With so much pressure on me, do you think I can still be naive?”
After listening to Qin Zhen's calm narration, Zhou Youwei felt a lump in her throat and her eyes turned slightly red.
Only then did she realize that the tall and handsome Emperor of Great Qin was only 20 years old this year. He had not even been 18 when he ascended the throne.
The previous Emperor had passed away, leaving behind a Great Qin that was riddled with holes and on the verge of collapse.
Overnight, he lost his father as an underage. Under the expectations of the civil and military officials and millions of citizens, he was crowned as the emperor with a mountain-like pressure.
At that time, Great Qin had yet to pay off the war reparations for its defeat in the European War, and after three years of plagues, its population had decreased by 10 million people. Its economy and social order had almost collapsed, and Great Britain and the other western countries had taken advantage of the situation to attack Great Qin. They had once again joined forces to destroy Great Qin.
What the ancestors blessed was that the year Qin Zhen ascended the throne, an economic crisis swept through the western countries, and the western allied forces had no choice but to stop their military operations.
However, the economic blockade and resource blockade continued, and it became even more intense as it attempted to lock down Great Qin and destroy it without fighting.
One could imagine how much pressure Qin Zhen, as the emperor, was under!
Zhou Youwei didn't dare to imagine it and comforted her with heartache,""Brother Zhen, everything will slowly get better.”
"You have done very well. In the past two years, the new policies have been implemented one after another. The social order and economy are gradually recovering. This morning, I heard that you bought a large number of food supplies from the Milky Way Trading Company.”
"I believe that under your leadership, Great Qin will rise again!”
After saying that, Zhou Youwei seemed to have thought of something, and a hint of redness appeared on her fair face.
" Well, the empress dowager went to my house last night to discuss the engagement. My father has already agreed…"
"What's the use of Uncle agreeing?" Qin Zhen was surprised. Great Qin did not have the tradition of parents arranging marriages, so it was up to them whether they agreed or not!”
？？？
Looking at the one-track-minded Qin Zhen, Zhou Youwei was stunned. Was she not obvious enough?
"Brother Zhen, since we were young, the late emperor has said more than once or twice that he wants to make me the crown prince consort. It's always been a tacit agreement, okay?!"
"Three years ago, if my mother hadn't passed away, we would have been engaged.”
Uh, that seemed to be the case.
Qin Zhen smiled awkwardly.
"Are you really willing to be the Empress? Think about it before you answer. According to the constitution, the Empress cannot join the army or enter politics. Once we get engaged, you must resign from the Ministry of Works.”
Zhou Youwei nodded without hesitation.
"I don't need you to remind me. I've already thought it through.”
Although Zhou Youwei's answer was very straightforward, in fact, after Empress Dowager Li Ying left the Zhou residence last night, she did not sleep all night and had been thinking about whether she should agree to marry Qin Zhen.
In terms of her relationship with Qin Zhen, she had liked Qin Zhen since she was young.
The happiest thing when he was young was to bully the introverted and shy Qin Zhen in various ways.
However, things did not go as he wished. His only brother died in the war thirteen years ago, leaving no son behind. His mother fell ill from grief and passed away three years ago.
The Zhou family, which had been glorious for hundreds of years, could not die. She had no choice but to enter politics and shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing the family.
However, the Empress Dowager had personally come to discuss the engagement, and it was Qin Zhen who had taken the initiative to request it. Could the Zhou family refuse?
No!
After Qin Zhen ascended the throne, he successively replaced the military and political officials with his confidants, firmly grasping the military and political power in his hands. He even revised the constitution and concentrated power.
The consequences of offending Qin Zhen were unimaginable!
After a night of weighing the pros and cons and discussing with her father for a long time this morning, Zhou Youwei finally decided to agree to marry Qin Zhen.
As for the task of revitalizing the Zhou family, it could only be handed over to his fifteen-year-old niece.
"Did I make things difficult for you?"
Qin Zhen keenly noticed that Zhou Youwei had dark circles under her eyes. After thinking for a while, he roughly understood why.
"It's not difficult. Brother Zhen, it's not like you don't know that I've been the crown prince consort tacitly approved by all the civil and military officials since I was young. Being able to marry Brother Zhen can be considered to have fulfilled my wish, hahaha.”
“……”
Zhou Youwei's greatest advantage was that she was straightforward and never hid anything. She dared to love and hate.
"Don't blame me. The Empress Dowager gave me a stack of photos and picked out ten candidates, forcing me to choose one.”
"Great Qin's crisis doesn't just come from the outside world, but also from within. In the face of life and death, the noble families and financial groups have long forgotten what a country is and what national justice is. They're probably plotting how to betray the country.”
"And the candidates that the Empress Dowager gave are all daughters of big families and financial groups. Do you think I would choose them?”
"Besides, I've long since determined that you're my future wife. Now that the time is ripe, let's get engaged!”
Facing Qin Zhen's sincere gaze, Zhou Youwei nodded in agreement.
"Okay, you arrange it!"
"By the way, do those aristocratic consortiums really have disloyal intentions?”
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