It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

The man's tall shadow loomed over Holly's face. Startled by his close gaze, she stammered, "What... what are you going to do?"

Li Cheng didn't say a word, he just bent down and unzipped his pants.

???

"what!!!!"

After a brief moment of confusion, Holly realized what had happened and let out a high-pitched scream that could pierce eardrums. At the same time, she staggered back several steps until she reached the doorway.

"Don't get so agitated, calm down."

As Li Cheng slowly unbuckled his belt, he said, "Didn't you doubt whether I was a man? I'm a very kind person, so I'll show you proof that I'm a man."

"Who means that? You scoundrel! You pervert!"

After Holly finished scolding him, seeing that Li Cheng was still relentlessly unbuckling his belt, she had no choice but to cover her eyes, turn around, and run out of the room in tears: "You've gone too far! I'm going to tell His Highness—"

Seeing the little maid who had been bullied and run away, Li Cheng felt much better and sat back down.

What? You're asking him why he's in a bad mood?

This all started before.

Upon receiving the invitation, Li Cheng, though puzzled, readily accepted, thinking of the opportunity to spend a few days in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere at the princess's home.

As a result, at the dinner party, he accidentally made a fool of himself due to a breach of etiquette. Holly, meanwhile, was secretly laughing at him.

Seeing this, Veronica first sternly reprimanded Holly, and then asked him in a very, very tactful way if he needed an etiquette teacher to introduce dining etiquette, as she had a professional etiquette teacher who came from the court.

Li Cheng was a little embarrassed, mainly because none of the people around him paid attention to this dining etiquette, so he hadn't taken it to heart either.

However, thinking that he might need it in the future, Li Cheng agreed, since he was idle anyway.

As for that smirking grasshopper spirit, well, old grudges and new ones can be settled at once...

Just as Li Cheng was lost in thought, Holly, who had just been bullied, reappeared at the door of the room.

She glanced cautiously inside to make sure Li Cheng's pants were on before boldly stepping into the room.

?

Li Cheng asked with considerable curiosity, "Why are you here again? What are you thinking? Do you really want to see my proof of male virginity?"

"Humph."

Holly raised her head, quite haughtily ignoring him.

Li Cheng was still wondering where her confidence came from when a black-haired woman dressed in an elaborate court dress slowly appeared at the door.

She had delicate and pretty features, fair and smooth skin, and a well-developed figure—the only pity was that, even though it was night, she was dressed as warmly as if it were daytime.

?

Li Cheng was incredulous at this moment—Holy crap, could it be that the complaint was actually successful?

Chapter Ninety-Three: I Came from Hebei Province

Veronica's purpose in coming here was certainly not for the trivial matter of Holly brewing tea several times; she just happened to run into her outside.

So, Your Highness, you originally planned to break into a man's room alone at night? That's a very dangerous thing to do... Li Cheng thought to himself, his vivid imagination quickly conjuring up several indescribable scenes similar to the Thunderfire Sword.

But he quickly regained his composure and judged that this was probably a signal of goodwill and friendliness from the other party.

Although the speed was somewhat unexpectedly fast, it was also within reason.

Having figured things out, Li Cheng immediately stood up from his seat and greeted, "Good evening, Your Highness."

“Good evening, Mr. Li,” Veronica replied simply.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two sides got down to business.

Calling it a theme isn't quite right; it's actually an extension of the plan discussed during the day. Mainly, Veronica encouraged Li Cheng to work hard, giving him a late-night pep talk. Li Cheng accepted the pep talk, drank it all in one gulp, and then secretly used his internal energy (just kidding) to expel it from his body.

However, the conversation gradually shifted when the topic turned to the loom.

"Actually, there's something I'm very curious about."

Veronica casually asked, "Where are you from? You don't seem like a citizen of Great Britain at all."

Finally, someone asked this question... Li Cheng was stunned, feeling a sense of tension that this day had finally come.

He, Li Cheng, is an unregistered resident.

This is something that can never be avoided, and if it cannot be explained clearly, it will cause great trouble.

On the first day of the journey, Newton never questioned the flawed lie Li Cheng told about coming from France. Perhaps he forgot, or perhaps he simply didn't want to pursue it any further.

But now it's different. Faced with Veronique's questioning, he has to find a plausible identity for himself, an identity that can't be investigated, or is simply impossible to investigate.

Li Cheng chose the latter.

“I come from the East,” he said.

“France?” Veronica didn’t seem too surprised.

"No, it's much, much further away."

Li Cheng made a no gesture: "I will take a ship from the port of London, sail down the Atlantic Ocean, cross the Cape of Good Hope, cross the Indian Ocean, rest briefly on the Indian Peninsula, pass through the Strait of Malacca, and finally arrive at the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. That vast continent is my hometown."

"That place is called Da Yan, but it is currently under the rule of a group of barbarians. They are extremely brutal and ruthless. Because of my father, I, who understand English, decided to come here to try my luck."

"Da Yan?"

Veronica looked at Li Cheng's brilliant red hair, somewhat incredulous: "I heard that the people of the Great Yan all have black hair."

Li Cheng pointed to his eyes and said, "My red hair comes from an irresponsible bastard, but my black eyes and slightly flat facial features are inherited from my mother. God can be my witness."

He felt that his statement was perfectly correct, without a single lie, and at most, it only concealed a small part of the truth.

Well, although that small part is the key, it's not important.

?

Veronica was a little confused.

"I assure my ancestors that everything I'm saying is true."

Seeing this, Li Cheng continued to confidently assure everyone: "I also have a name in the Great Yan Kingdom, Li Cheng. If you don't believe me, I can say a few more words in the Great Yan language, for example—I come from Hebei..."

"No need."

Veronica interrupted, "I believe you."

She had no intention of delving into the matter; she only asked because she learned from the information she had gathered that Earl Anderson also had bright red hair and pure black eyes, and that his daughter Louise bore a striking resemblance to Li Cheng.

It's nothing special, I just wanted to find out if there's any hidden gossip in there...

However, this explanation of the Great Yan Dynasty does indeed help to explain many things.

For example, why is it that Li Cheng, despite being well-educated, is completely ignorant in certain areas?

For example, why did Li Cheng never express reverence for God or disdain for the church?

However, the Great Yan Dynasty...

Veronica suddenly became curious about Li Cheng.

She pondered for a moment, then decided it wasn't a big deal and asked directly, "Could you tell me about your experiences in the Great Yan? I'm very interested."

It's like in the past life there were all sorts of foreign things to brag about, like toilet water, summer camps, freedom and democracy... those are one thing, but the Indian hype is really outrageous, they just keep bragging.

There is also a group of zealots in Europe today.

Especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, the emerging Enlightenment thinkers in Europe tried every means to criticize the system at the time, but they could not be too direct. What could they do?

Let's definitely compare it to the powerful Great Yan Dynasty at that time!

The opening is a feint, using exaggerated claims to pique the audience's interest.

For example, how benevolent and good at listening to the opinions of subordinates the emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty was; how efficient and fair the system of the Great Yan Dynasty was, with all officials being selected through examinations; how hygienic the customs of the Great Yan Dynasty were, with people taking a bath once a day, and even cities having special people responsible for collecting excrement;

Once the audience truly believes the thinkers' words and develops a sense of longing, the thinkers then change their tone and compare the situation to that of Europe.

For example, how terrible the king was to the people, how outdated the system was, and how backward the customs were.

What's wrong with this country? A fundamental question!

After a fierce critique, the Enlightenment thinkers were satisfied with their outburst, the audience was indignant, and the bourgeoisie, who wanted to cause trouble but were too afraid to do so, secretly gave a thumbs up and then began to promote these thinkers, giving them money and fame.

The kings who were criticized weren't easy to find fault with either. Some kings and nobles, perhaps genuinely misled, even began to idolize these thinkers, actively inviting them to give speeches in their countries...

It must be said that there are underlying reasons for the fascination with foreign things in every era...

......

what?

When Veronica asked him a question, Li Cheng's expression froze.

He never expected things to develop this way... How to put it, although it was quite unexpected, it wasn't entirely unexpected either...

But the problem now is—although he is indeed a Great Yan person, he is not a Great Yan person of this era!

Fortunately, although Li Cheng had never personally visited the Great Yan of this era, he had read relevant historical materials and some historical novels, so he was not completely ignorant and was caught red-handed.

Seeing Li Cheng hesitate, Veronica frowned slightly.

Seeing this, Li Cheng explained, "Your Highness, please wait a moment, let me think about where to begin."

Veronica's brows relaxed again, and she even went to find a soft chair to sit down, adopting the posture of a proper listener.

She came late at night with a different purpose in mind; offering motivational advice was just a side effect. But now that she'd come across this interesting topic, she figured she might as well listen.

Li Cheng continued to stand there, lost in thought.

How should I approach this conversation...?

After a moment, he decided to start with some small details about life, such as food and clothing, rather than those major systems, which could easily expose him and arouse the other party's vigilance.

After all, the woman in front of him was a princess. She was using him, but wasn't he also using her?

Do you know a creature called the harlequin shrimp?

They are not ugly; they live in the ocean and feed on starfish. But instead of killing the starfish, they feed them, keeping the starfish alive and able to feed better and for longer.

Of course, Li Cheng wasn't targeting Veronica; he just felt that the feudal system present was rubbish, so he wanted to quietly give the times a push when no one was paying attention.

Chapter Ninety-Four: Deep Anxiety and Helplessness