For a moment, Qin Li could not tell whether the lord before him was speaking the truth or using the truth to tell a lie. The thought had only just surfaced when he crushed it himself. He ought to trust her. Come to think of it, it was truly unbelievable: in the two or three decades that she and he had spent as ruler and subject, they had never once argued in a fit of emotion. The bloody examples recorded in history, as well as his unpleasant past with Wu Xian, seemed almost like a dream.
Qin Li said, "Yes. This subject spoke out of turn."
Shen Tang poked her head out of the cabin. "Row toward Lotus Lake."
The boatwoman, who had been admiring the scenery of the Five Seas while mechanically rowing, came to her senses and flashed her a hearty smile. "Woman, that area around Lotus Lake has been sealed off. Sightseers aren't allowed in."
Strictly speaking, Lotus Lake was merely part of the Five Seas.
It had once been open to sightseers. But after hearing that the ruler wanted to eat fried lotus-root sandwiches, she had personally cordoned off an area there to plant a vast stretch of lotus flowers, all so they could harvest a pile of lotus roots during the harvest season. Sightseers could not row in, though they could admire it from outside.
She had also heard that students from the Imperial Academy had planted some experimental lotuses there, supposedly to conduct experiments on lotus roots. It was probably for the sake of eating them, too.
Shen Tang smiled. "It's fine. I have a pass."
Upon hearing this, the boatwoman briskly left the usual sightseeing route.
"Woman, do you hold a high position at court?"
"Mm."
The boatwoman asked again, "Are you an