Shen Qingqing and the Queen exchanged glances and suddenly smiled.
"Did you hear our conversation while you were unconscious and thus guessed it?"
"Miss Shen is indeed clever."
The Queen praised her wholeheartedly.
Shen Qingqing, on the other hand, felt a little uneasy, perhaps because the Queen was too gentle, like a soft breeze that made one feel comfortable and at ease.
She looked at Pei Lie, "The Queen understands you; she would naturally guess your plan."
Pei Lie looked at the Queen, his eyes filled with surprise, "Really? Mother?"
"Mm."
The Queen affirmed.
Pei Lie was overjoyed, unable to suppress the smile on his face. He loved being close to his mother the most, but as he grew older, his father told him that as the eldest, he had to be composed, so he gradually learned to put on a facade.
As if this made him a mature adult, and he couldn't act childishly.
For example, being close to his mother.
Although he couldn't do it anymore, deep down in his heart, his greatest admiration had never been for his father, but for his mother.
His mother was like water, able to easily dissolve everything.
Including the impulsive and willful father.
The Queen smiled, "Good child, although I don't know what your plan is, I know that you brought Miss Shen here, which means you trust her."
Everyone said this son of hers was brave but foolish, all show and no substance.
But only she knew that her son was smart, perhaps the most intelligent of the three brothers, but he had learned to hide his strengths from a young age, only using stratagems behind the scenes.
Pei Lie held her hand, his eyes filled with complex and deep emotions, "Mother..."
"Wait, what are you guys talking about?!"
Pei Ji, standing by, was completely bewildered.
He had no idea his elder brother had any plans with Shen Qingqing!
When did these two conspire?
No, that word seems a bit strange...
The simple-minded third prince almost got tangled up in his own words over a single idiom.
Pei Lie cast a sympathetic glance at him and patted his head, "Third brother, in the future, eat more walnuts to nourish your brain."
Pei Ji jumped, "Are you saying my brain isn't working well?"
Pei Lie remained silent.
But judging by his look, that was precisely the meaning!
Pei Ji was so angry that smoke seemed to be coming from his head, "Big brother, if you say that to me, do you still have brotherly affection? Miss Shen was introduced to you by me, and then you two got together and tossed me aside, not including me in your fun?"
Pei Lie sighed, "How can I include you? This is dangerous, not a fun game. I don't want to bring you along."
The anger on Pei Ji's face suddenly vanished, replaced by helplessness, his voice a little muffled.
"Big brother, you're always like this, always thinking of protecting me, but you forget that I want to protect you too! Although I don't have much ability, I have the heart, and I'm not stupid. Tell me what you want to do, and I can help you!"
Pei Lie shook his head and said earnestly, "Third brother, remember this, don't easily trust anyone in the world, including me."
Pei Ji's hairs stood on end at his words.
"Big brother, what do you mean by that?"
If even his own flesh and blood brothers couldn't be trusted, then who else in this world could he trust? Wouldn't he be alone?
No!
Alone...
"Big brother, you're not thinking of making me..." sit on that position, are you?
His mother had sighed countless times, saying that his father's position was indeed a lonely one, because while he possessed supreme power, he couldn't afford to be approachable.
Pei Lie looked at him with deep eyes, not denying it.
Pei Ji immediately panicked. He glanced at Shen Qingqing; she was expressionless. He then looked at his mother; her expression was also calm.
It seemed that no one was surprised by Pei Lie's decision.
"I can't! I can't do it, big brother!" Pei Ji was about to go mad. He had never imagined himself sitting on that throne. He loved to eat, drink, play, and enjoy freedom, but he was naturally averse to restraint.
"I don't want it, I absolutely don't want it!"
He waved his hands and retreated repeatedly, as if facing some monstrous beast.
Pei Lie grabbed his wrist and frowned, "You can do it, you have to believe in yourself!"
Pei Ji yanked his hand away, put it behind his back, and even took a step back, distancing himself from Pei Lie, "Big brother, I am unwilling. You know, I advocate for freedom, and I hate being bound by responsibility and heavy duties the most!"
That was why, over the years, his elder brother had built his own influence, and his second brother had his own city.
But only he, had nothing.
He wanted nothing but to be free and unfettered.
"Big brother, you are much more capable than me. You are so powerful. I have no idea what you are plotting behind the scenes, and I don't want to know," Pei Ji said in a flustered panic, not knowing what he was saying, wanting only to quickly offload this hot potato of responsibility.
"That position, I'll leave it to you!"
Pei Lie was speechless and asked impatiently, "Then what you said about protecting me just now was all fake?"
"Of course not!" Pei Ji immediately retorted.
"Then if you don't take that position, how will you protect me?" Pei Lie wanted to smack his brother's head!
Was this guy an idiot?
That supreme position that everyone in the world coveted, he treated it like a monstrous beast, looking as if he wanted to escape to the ends of the earth.
Pei Ji also retorted righteously, "I can protect you now too, it's not necessary to sit on that position. I'm not suited for it, big brother, mother, I beg you, don't torture me, this is killing me!"
Pei Lie was about to be angered to death, "You useless thing!"
Shen Qingqing, however, couldn't help but chuckle.
Pei Lie glared at her, "You're still laughing!"
The Queen also looked over, her eyes filled with a smile, her voice clear and gentle, "Why not listen to Miss Shen's wise opinion?"
Shen Qingqing coughed softly, suppressing her laughter, "Since he's unwilling, then forget it."
"Forget what?" Pei Lie was losing his patience. Were they all spoiling Pei Ji so much? When would he ever grow up?
"If he doesn't do it, will you take the position?"
"You're speaking without thinking." Shen Qingqing retorted unceremoniously, "What does your family's throne have to do with me?"
Pei Lie's face turned pale from her retort, "Then you were just speaking up for him!"
Shen Qingqing glanced at Fu Jingshu, who immediately understood, pulled over a chair, and made her sit down comfortably, speaking slowly.
"To put it bluntly, forcing something that doesn't come naturally won't be sweet. If he's unwilling, it means his heart isn't in it. You can force him for a day, a year, even ten years, but a lifetime is too difficult."
Especially for someone like Pei Ji who advocated freedom, he wouldn't be able to handle it.
To keep him in this royal palace for the rest of his life, never to leave, to handle all these trivial political affairs...
It would be better to kill him.