Wenqing noticed that Chu Lian was rubbing her hands together and huffing out her breath to warm them, so she quickly stuffed a new handwarmer into her hands. She hesitated before asking, âThird Young Madam, since you were the one who came up with the idea, why didnât you give the blueprints directly to General Qian?â
After Wenqing blurted out the question, she immediately realised that it wasnât appropriate.
She hurriedly tried to make up for it, âThird Young Madam, please donât blame this servant. This servant went over the line. This servant shouldnât have cast doubt on Third Young Madamâs decision.â
Chu Lian looked up just in time to catch the fear that flashed across Wenqingâs face. She reacted with a bright, yet cunning smile. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes curved into upturned crescent moons.
âI have nothing to hide from the two of you. If you want to know, Iâll just tell you. Of course itâs because Iâm lazy!â
There is a saying called âself-preservation is the first law of natureâ. Everyone has moments when theyâre selfish, when their beloved partners are no longer more important their own selves. Isnât it more silly not to put your own survival first?
If you donât even treat yourself well, how can you expect others to treat you well?
There was nothing wrong about Wenqingâs question. If Chu Lian had presented the snowboat to Great General Qian today, then she would definitely have gotten credited for the major contribution.
From their understanding of General Qianâs personality, if the northern border troops managed to overcome this trial, he would likely push for a promotion for Chu Lian. Even if she didnât mention anything to him, she would most likely rise up another rank or even become a Royal Princess.
However, Chu Lian had gone straight to Third Young Master the moment she had arrived in the camp. She had even ordered the men in her party not to reveal that she had been the one to design the snowboat.
Wenqing and Wenlan had been waiting with bated breath to hear what kind of righteous reason Chu Lian had for doing so.
Could it be that Third Young Madamâs heart was filled with Third Young Master and that her goal was to become her husbandâs silent support? Or perhaps she wanted to become a hidden hero...?
Although there were plenty of hot-blooded reasons, those were completely unrelated to Chu Lian.
She had actually revealed without any shame at all that she had just been too lazy!
The flames burning in Wenqing and Wenlanâs eyes were instantly extinguished by a basin of ice cold water and disappeared without even the slightest trace of smoke...
Wenqing and Wenlanâs faces were now stiff. The corners of their lips twitched as they tried to think of a reply for their mistress.
Third Young Madam kept mumbling about Third Young Master being a âlunaticâ, but from their point of view, Third Young Madam wasnât any better.
Just take a look at the other noble madams. They fought for their husbandâs favour all the time. When their Third Young Master wasnât around in the estate, their Third Young Madam lived even more happily than when he was around. Other noble madams cared about their reputation. Their Third Young Madam treated her Honoured Lady title as if it was just for show. Other noble madams loved to dress up. Their Third Young Madam was only occupied with eating...
Wenqing and Wenlan ranted crazily in their hearts.
Chu Lian glanced at her abnormally âsilentâ maidservants and noticed that their expressions were quite blank, so she kindly explained further.
âThink about it. If I were to give the snowboat blueprints directly to General Qian, he would definitely keep me in his tent for questioning. Later on, the rest of the officers would also have to ask me tons of questions...â Following that, it would be having to coordinate the mass production of the snowboats, setting the principles and discussing the usage of the snowboats...
The moment she thought of all that had to be done, Chu Lian felt dizzy. Rather than working herself to the bone, why not hand over the tiring stuff to He Sanlang? He would definitely be willing to do it!
Wenqing and Wenlan: .....
The two of them were a little exasperated by Third Young Madamâs reasoning. âDonât you want everyone to see you in a new light, Third Young Madam?â
If the Emperor ever found out about this, he might even praise their Third Young Madam in front of the whole court. That was an honour that most people couldnât even dream about. With that, every time anyone in the capital mentioned Chu Lian, the first thing they would think about wouldnât be how her fertility had caught House Jingâanâs eye.
Everyone would have to be respectful towards their Third Young Madam so as not to offend the Emperor then. That lady from House Dingyuan, Zou Yuanqin, wouldnât have the guts to frame Third Young Madam any longer!
Chu Lian stared curiously at Wenqing and Wenlan. She hadnât expected her two maidservants to be so competitive. She found it funny and smiled as she said, âWhy do I have to make others see me in a new light? I think that itâs good enough for me to eat well and live well. Why do I need approval from others? Itâs not like Iâm living for other peopleâs attention. Itâs good enough if Iâm happy. I like to be comfortable and I donât like to worry about so many things. Let me tell you girls. If you worry too much, youâll age faster!â
Chu Lian reached out to poke Wenqing and Wenlanâs foreheads, copying the mannerisms of an elder educating her juniors.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Wenqing and Wenlan were shocked stiff by Third Young Madamâs strange worldview. Their jaws dropped in amazement.
Chu Lian smiled, âDoes this mean that you girls think General Sima is impressive?â
Wenqing and Wenlan nodded furiously. Of course! General Sima was quite well-known in the army despite her young age. Even they had heard of General Sima when they had been in the capital. Any woman who knew a bit of martial arts would admire General Sima!
She was the modern âHua Mulanâ!
Even the Empress Dowager, who usually remained a recluse in the palace and never talked about court matters, had personally praised Sima Hui at the national banquet and awarded her with a set of custom-made armour.