Chapter 32 Her Dream Was Right

There were only three people in the study. The air was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. There was not even a servant outside.

The man standing in front of the folding screen turned around slowly, his brows calm, with a hint of interest in his eyes. He was a favored child of heaven, graceful as jade, gentle and noble.

Xie Suzhou's expression changed slightly, and he lifted a corner of his robe. "I, Xie Suzhou, pay my respects to His Majesty."

But before he could kneel down and kowtow, someone held his arm.

Xie Suzhou's heart sank. He raised his head slightly and saw Yan Ci with a warm smile on his face.

"Wang Lin is right." Yan Ci looked him over, then lifted him up, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. "He has a flawless face and a handsome appearance, but I wonder if his mind is as clear as he says."

"I am just a farmer in the countryside. It is thanks to your kindness and appreciation that I have the opportunity to show my face in front of the prince." Xie Suzhou lowered his head slightly and said sincerely, "In my heart, Lord Wang is my mentor. Whatever the teacher thinks, the student thinks too."

Yan Ci stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Wang Lin, you really have a knack for judging people, to have found such a talented person from this remote place."

Wang Lin laughed heartily, a hint of pride on his face. "Your Majesty, this achievement should go to Suzhou, not me. If he were mediocre and incompetent, I wouldn't have met him."

Yan Ci pondered for a moment, then reached out and patted Xie Suzhou's shoulder, saying gently, "Come with me, are you willing?"

Xie Suzhou turned his eyes to look at Wang Lin who was standing beside him. The latter smiled and nodded at him.

"Being loyal to a wise ruler and choosing a good master is the dream of every official. Although I haven't entered the court yet, I yearn for it." Xie Suzhou bowed, his voice neither humble nor arrogant. "If the prince truly appreciates me, I am willing to follow him until death, and remain loyal to him forever."

"What a phrase about unwavering loyalty." Yan Ci raised the corner of his lips, a faint smile on his face. "In three months, if you take first place in the provincial examination in Beijing and third place in the palace examination, I will arrange for you to enter the Hanlin Academy."

Xie Suzhou was stunned, a look of surprise and doubt flashing in his eyes, "Such an honor, with my limited experience, how can I possibly match it?"

"I believe in Wang Lin's judgment, and you shouldn't doubt your own abilities." Yan Ci smiled and raised his hand to brush away the dust on his shoulders. "When you win the third place, you will be given a valuable position."

"This is a jade pendant I've worn for over ten years. Take it. Once you enter the capital, go to the Yuanlai Restaurant in the west of the city. With this jade pendant, the people there will take care of you."

A jade pendant with a cloud pattern of excellent quality fell into his palm. Xie Suzhou frowned even more tightly, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"We each take what we need. No need to be polite." Yan Ci's face was gentle, but his eyes flickered with a desire for fame and power. "Suzhou, don't let me down."

"……yes."

As the night deepened, a light drizzle began to fall. Yan Ci was picked up by a gray-roofed carriage. The carriage wobbled and turned into the corner of the street, looking inconspicuous.

Xie Suzhou stood under the eaves, looking at the falling raindrops, and whispered, "Why did you introduce me to Prince Ruyang?"

"You're very perceptive. Why don't you take a guess?" Wang Lin said with a smile, "The one above me has only four sons. Why would I bring you to Prince Ruyang instead of choosing one of the princes still in the capital?"

"Rumor has it that Prince Ruyang has been confined to Dingbei year-round, forbidden to return to the capital without a summons. Gan Ping isn't close to Dingbei, and it would take over a month for a carriage to leave. Could it be that the confinement is just a false order, and the Emperor doesn't dislike this son as the rumors say?" Xie Suzhou pondered carefully, then spoke hesitantly, "Or... is it that the Prince has now become able to disregard these restrictions?"

"The confinement is just superficial. Yan Ci was neither the eldest nor the legitimate heir, but he was crowned king first. This was a favor. He was confined to his fiefdom on false charges for some trivial matters, away from the cannibalistic capital. This was the protection a father gave his son." Wang Lin stood with his hands behind his back, and he could only sigh softly when he recalled the past.

"Yan Ci's biological mother was Concubine Ru. She was highly favored since entering the palace, but unfortunately, she was short-lived. After Concubine Ru's death, all the male members of her maternal family died in battle. Yan Ci was left without support. How long could he survive relying solely on his father's love? The Emperor found a pretext to confine him to his own fiefdom, tacitly allowing him to cultivate his own power."

Wang Lin turned to look at him, his face solemn, "Before leaving, the emperor entrusted Yan Ci to Dou Mingwei."

"Dou Mingwei..." Xie Suzhou was stunned for a moment and muttered, "General Dou who has achieved seven military exploits in three years?"

Wang Lin smiled and nodded, "That's right. You can figure out the meaning yourself."

Xie Suzhou felt a chill run down his spine, staring blankly at the puddle on the ground. "Her dream... was right..."

Wang Lin didn't hear his words clearly, and asked in a low voice, "What?"

"Ah, nothing." Xie Suzhou came back to his senses, pulled the corner of his mouth a little guiltily, knelt down, and kowtowed to him, "My Lord, I will never forget your kindness."

"What are you doing? Get up!" Wang Lin bent down to help him up, frowning and scolding, "Don't be polite in front of me from now on. I don't have any sons, and since we get along well, I can't help but feel close to you and help you."

Xie Suzhou lowered his head, his face sincere, "I owe you a favor that I will never be able to repay in my lifetime. If you need anything in the future, please feel free to ask."

"Fool." Wang Lin glanced at him, the smile on his face unable to hide his kindness. "When you become successful and famous in the future, your promise will be worth a thousand gold, yet you just promised me this plain and simple life?"

Xie Suzhou pursed his lips and his smile deepened.

"Suzhou."

A female voice was heard from afar. The two people under the eaves looked over and saw a beautiful woman walking towards them with an umbrella in her hand, holding up her skirt, and not forgetting to avoid the puddles on the road.

Wang Lin frowned, "Is it that little Su?"

Su Cheng was born with a stunning beauty that was unforgettable. But he didn't know if it was his illusion, but the face under the umbrella seemed even more beautiful than when he first saw her.

It is rare for such a beauty to grow up in a small village next to the mountains.

Just when he was feeling regretful, the man next to him had already rushed out. The rain fell on his azure clothes, splashing water droplets.

"Hey! Suzhou..." Wang Lin was shocked and stared blankly at the man's back in the rain.

"Why are you here?" Raindrops slid down her forehead, soaking the corners of her eyes. Xie Suzhou blinked several times before he could see her clearly. "You just woke up not long ago, and it's raining heavily. Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

"Cuicui said you were in town, so I knew you were here. It was cloudy and I didn't see you go home, so I just took my umbrella and came to find you." Su Cheng turned sideways and saw Wang Lin standing under the eaves. He knelt and saluted, smiling politely, "Are you done with the discussion?"

Xie Suzhou hummed softly and took the umbrella from her hand, "Go home."

Seeing the two of them about to go back, Wang Lin immediately called out, "Suzhou, I have a carriage at my house."

"Sir, there's no need to bother." Xie Suzhou looked back at him with a hearty smile on his lips, "We're fine."

The Wang family only had one carriage, and the rain was heavy. If he used the carriage, it would cause a lot of inconvenience to the Wang family.

Wang Lin was stunned and couldn't recover from his smile for a while.

In his memory, Suzhou had always been a lukewarm person. Even when encountering great joyful events, he would just smile with pursed lips. Just now, his eyes were narrowed into slits due to smiling.

Steward Chen trotted out with a blanket in his hand and whispered, "Master, the rain is getting heavier. Let's go back."

Wang Lin half-closed his eyes, looking at the obviously tilted umbrella and Xie Suzhou's shoulders that were mostly wet, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. "Something's wrong. It's absolutely wrong."