Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

News that Qin Siyao had adopted Qin Lan’er as her daughter spread throughout the Imperial Court.

To the ministers, it was an excellent development that Your Majesty chose to adopt a member of the Royal Family and Relatives.

Although she was not of Your Majesty’s blood,

at least the Qin Kingdom now had a Crown Prince.

And in truth, they no longer expected Your Majesty to produce an heir of her own blood.

In the eyes of many,

when the Frost King passed away, Your Majesty’s heart had died with him.

Moreover, the girl Your Majesty adopted was from a collateral branch of the Qin Kingdom’s Royal Family, and with both her parents deceased, there would be far fewer complications in the future.

The problem, however, was that this Crown Prince was still a girl.

It wasn’t as if a woman couldn’t bear the great responsibility—after all, Your Majesty was a woman herself. Over the years, all the world had witnessed what Your Majesty had accomplished.

In the eyes of most, even the wisest and most virtuous emperors in history could not have done better.

But could this little girl truly achieve what Her Majesty had in the future?

And so, a number of ministers once again submitted memorials, imploring Your Majesty to choose a prince to adopt instead.

Qin Siyao ignored the ministers’ remonstrations.

Having made her decision, Qin Siyao would not be swayed.

She personally taught Qin Lan’er to read and write.

Qin Lan’er was gifted and intelligent, and she learned everything quickly.

Furthermore, Qin Lan’er’s aptitude for cultivation was also considerable.

’In Qin Siyao’s opinion, Qin Lan’er’s talent for cultivation was in no way inferior to her own.’

With the aid of various Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, Qin Lan’er was destined to become an Immortal Realm cultivator at the very least.

If Qin Lan’er were to encounter the right opportunities, it wouldn’t be impossible for her to reach the Ascension Realm.

Even if she never became an Ascension Realm cultivator,

it would be no problem at all for Qin Lan’er to live for several thousand, or even ten thousand, years.

The realm, at least, could look forward to a long era of peace.

And Qin Lan’er, for her part, could feel the expectations Her Majesty had for her.

Qin Lan’er studied and cultivated with great diligence.

Though she was too young to fully grasp the significance of one day becoming the Emperor of the Qin Kingdom,

she was very fond of her ’sister,’ the Empress, and didn’t want to let her down...

However, Qin Lan’er noticed that her ’sister,’ the Empress, often seemed to be lost in thought.

Whenever she had free time, the Empress would leave the Imperial Palace and go to a particular mansion, where she would sit for the better part of a day.

Qin Lan’er didn’t know what was so special about the mansion, but when she went to its gates and looked up, she could see the three large words carved above: ’Prince Shuang’s Mansion’...

Time passed, day by day.

Before she knew it, another ten years had passed.

For a mortal, a lifetime doesn’t hold many decades.

For a cultivator, ten years was merely the length of a short seclusion.

But for Qin Siyao, these ten years had seemed longer than a century.

Qin Lan’er, once a little girl of six, had blossomed into a graceful young woman of sixteen.

She had not disappointed Qin Siyao. In those ten years, Qin Lan’er had reached the Early-stage Cave Mansion Realm.

In matters of state, although Qin Lan’er still showed a certain immaturity, she had developed her own perspective. Qin Siyao was particularly pleased with her philosophy of ”governing with benevolence, ruling by law.”

Furthermore, even without Qin Siyao’s prompting, Qin Lan’er would take the initiative to study books on agriculture and water management. She also frequently went out among the common people to observe their lives, which gratified Qin Siyao even more.

As for Qin Lan’er’s marriage, Qin Siyao was in no hurry and did not press the matter.

After all, Qin Lan’er was no mortal; she had a long life ahead of her.

However, it seemed that Qin Lan’er had a rather good relationship with one of the young men from the Xiao Family.

The Xiao Family was not the same as it had been decades ago.

The Xiao Family of today no longer had a ”Prince Zhenbei,” nor did it command the ”Northern Wilderness Army.”

Now, the Xiao Family was just an ordinary family of princely rank.

However, as long as the scions of the Xiao Family did nothing to break the law or oppress the people, Qin Siyao would naturally continue to show them favor.

And the Xiao Family had indeed proven worthy.

After Xiao Mo passed away, Xiao Gui became the head of the Xiao Family, with Xiao Yang assisting.

From a young age, the children of the Xiao Family were required to study both literature and martial arts, with neither being dispensable.

The character of the Xiao Family had been defined by the personal examples set by their ancestors, including Xiao Shi and Xiao Mo. After Xiao Gui became the family head, he placed even greater emphasis on having the children learn the stories of these three forefathers.

As a result, every child of the Xiao Family was determined to serve the nation.

The family’s scions had even produced both a Civil Imperial Scholar and a Military Imperial Scholar.

Although the Xiao Mansion no longer held the same power, no one dared to underestimate the Xiao Family.

The young man from the Xiao Family whom Qin Lan’er was on good terms with was named Xiao Jing.

This scholar’s mastery of Confucian studies was indeed profound; at the tender age of twenty, he had passed the examinations to become the Imperial Scholar.

As for his character, it was also decent.

Therefore, Qin Siyao turned a blind eye to Qin Lan’er’s association with him.

Another three years passed.

One day, Lian Li came to the Imperial Study to see Qin Siyao and requested to resign from her official post.

”Miss Lian, you’re leaving?” Qin Siyao asked.

”Yes.”

Lian Li nodded.

”The Qin Kingdom is now stable, and all lands under heaven belong to Qin. Its people are the Emperor’s subjects. The common folk live and work in peace, and the realm has long been free of war. There is no longer any use for me to remain in the Qin Kingdom.

Here in the Imperial Court, my presence or absence makes little difference, and I find the courtly etiquette too restrictive.

Rather than stay here, I would prefer to wander the world and live a carefree life.”

”I see... Very well...” A flicker of disappointment crossed Qin Siyao’s eyes. ”If you ever wish to return for a visit, Miss Lian, you are always welcome.”

”Of course,” Lian Li nodded, giving Qin Siyao a look of complex emotion. ”Actually, compared to me, Your Majesty is the one who should ’get out’ more.”