She sat. She stood.
She looked up. She looked down.
Yan Xixi possessed only one talent: the ability to read people's expressions and gauge their moods.
Liu Daqing had no intention of letting her sit down. Yan Xixi understood this was a form of psychological intimidation. A person forced to stand is always nervous and might even ramble, making them seem inferior. It was akin to ancient courtroom scenes where the accused was made to kneel or stand, never permitted to sit calmly. Conversely, presiding officials would sit high and lofty, exuding authority. At this sight, the faint-hearted would immediately falter, not daring to resist.
In this strictly hierarchical nation, Empress Dowager Liu was clearly well-versed in this tactic—or perhaps, this was simply how she normally lived.
Yan Xixi understood this perfectly, so she decided to just stand upright.
Liu Daqing stared intently at the bandage on Yan Xixi's forehead. Slowly, word by word, she asked, "What happened to your head?"
