Chapter 15

Jingren Palace

"Your Highness, it's already late. Is there anything wrong?" Concubine Shu dragged her tired body. It was obvious that the white paper given to her by His Majesty personally had dealt her a great blow. In the past, if it was a white paper, Concubine Shu could still comfort herself that His Majesty had no choice, but now she could not deceive herself anymore.

"Didn't I say that I would come to visit you every day until your cough gets better?" Li Yin always referred to himself as "I" in front of the concubine Shu who had taken care of him since he was a child.

"I am so happy to see Your Highness that I don't want my illness to get better!" Concubine Shu said jokingly.

Li Yin looked at the empty bedside box. Concubine Shu said with relief, "I threw it all away long ago. It's been seven years since I started delivering letters when I couldn't see Your Majesty. I should have given up long ago."

"It was also seven years ago that you took me in after I lost my mother."

With tears in her eyes, Concubine Shu stroked Li Yin's temples with her hands: "Your Highness, in the blink of an eye, you have grown up so much."

"Then may I be allowed to repay this favor?"

Hearing this, Concubine Shu could no longer bear the grievance in her heart and cried in Li Yin's arms.

*

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am Eunuch Luo. May I come in?" Luo Sanying was so excited that she forgot the rules of the palace.

"Eunuch Luo, is there anything wrong? I've already rested. There's nothing important. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning!" Concubine Shu was not interested in anything now.

"Your Majesty, this is a very important matter." Luo Sanying emphasized that she was afraid that there were ears on the other side of the wall, so she did not dare to say it openly outside the palace.

Having said that, Concubine Shu signaled the maid beside her to open the door and let Luo Sanrong in.

"What is it?"

"You must get out quickly, His Majesty is waiting for you!" Luo Sanying went straight to the point without taking a breath.

"What do you mean? Explain yourself clearly."

Luo Sanrong took out the letter from his arms, on which the handwriting had been revealed due to the fire, and explained the whole story clearly.

Concubine Shu excitedly took the letter and checked it back and forth.

[Xinyi, I don't know if you can see this letter. I am a cowardly monarch, a timid husband, and an unqualified father. I can only communicate with you in this way. Regardless of whether you can see this letter or not, I will wait for you every night at the place we often go.]

The letter said that Xinyi was Shufei's maiden name. When Shufei saw the letter, she burst into tears.

"Sanrong, quickly help me change my clothes. I want to see His Majesty." Concubine Shu wiped her tears and gave the order anxiously.

"yes."

*

Inside the pavilion of the Imperial Garden

Luo Sanrong and Li Yin looked across the lake at His Majesty and Concubine Shu hugging each other tightly, and both of them sighed unconsciously.

Li Yin saw the monarch sitting in despair on the dragon throne, thinking that he could only rely on such a covert method to send letters and meet his beloved woman. He thought about how he had once blamed his father for not wanting to see his mother, and thought about the monarch who had relied on compromise to save his son's life. Until this moment, Li Yin truly understood his father.

Perhaps this once tall man had also implicitly asked for help from him, but he only gave him a resentful look. At this time, Li Yin was really disappointed with himself.

"I'm really lucky that His Majesty's sincerity can be conveyed to Concubine Shu." Luo Sanrong smiled as he leaned against their hugging backs.

Then, a puzzled look appeared on his face. "Why would you really want to pass it on like this? Your Majesty is the monarch of the world. What on earth is there to be afraid of?"

Li Yin glanced at Luo Sanrong and said nothing.

*

"This is not possible, and that is not possible. What exactly do you want from me?" His Majesty was furious in the court. His repeated denials and disapproval made the forty-year-old emperor in the court like a mad beast.

"I am terrified." The minister said this, but his face showed an indifferent and even mocking expression.

"Do you dislike the resolution I proposed, or do you dislike me as a person? How about letting the Prime Minister you respect take the throne?"

"I am terrified."

"Then let the Minister of Revenue come and sit down!"

"I am terrified."

"Minister of Personnel, huh?"

"I am terrified"

......

His Majesty stepped down from his high seat, looked around, and smiled strangely at these ministers who pretended to obey but secretly disobeyed him. "Aren't you very capable? What? I thought the throne belonged to you?"

He turned around and returned to the dragon throne.

"Since none of you can do it, I still have His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Come, summon His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

His Majesty's unexpected choice made the ministers look up in surprise.

So you're waiting here! Don't you even consider whether the incompetent and irritable Crown Prince is capable of governing a country?" Minister of Revenue Sun Xing snorted and laughed at the ministers around him.

The minister murmured in agreement.

The court was silent for the time it took to stick up an incense stick.

The prince was adjusting his court robes in a careless manner, and the ministers sneered in disdain when they saw him.

"Prince, you've arrived just in time." His Majesty's voice was somewhat incoherent.

"All the ministers know that since I ascended the throne, wars have broken out frequently in various places. I really can't continue. Now I order the crown prince to take charge of government affairs." His Majesty announced.

The court was completely silent. No minister openly expressed support or opposition. The ministers were all waiting for the prime minister to express his opinion, but there was no expression on the prime minister's face at this time.

The prince looked up in surprise at the monarch sitting on the dragon throne.

"What do you think, my Lords?" His Majesty's voice broke the silence, and anyone could see that he was devastated.

Minister of Works Sun Yang objected: "No, Your Majesty. From ancient times to the present, there has never been a precedent for a crown prince to take over the government before the age of 20. Please revoke your order."

Minister of Works Sun Yang and Minister of Revenue Sun Xing are brothers. Logically, brothers cannot serve as third-rank ministers in the court at the same time, but since they were recommended by the prime minister, Your Majesty is powerless to refute.

"Your Majesty, please revoke your order." Almost all the ministers in the court knelt down and agreed with the Minister of Works Sun Yang.

His Majesty ignored them and turned his gaze to Prime Minister Ji Ke: "Prime Minister, what do you think?"

After a moment of silence, the Prime Minister spoke: "As long as the Crown Prince is willing, this old minister has no objection."

The atmosphere began to become tense. The ministers did not expect that the "leader" would give the decision-making power to the prince.

"Prince, what do you think?" His Majesty showed a delighted expression. It was obvious that His Majesty, who had been denied all the time, did not expect that the toughest old bone would suddenly become soft.

"Your son is terrified."

Hearing this, some ministers began to show disdain, as if to say: "It's impossible to support a wall with mud."

Suddenly, the tone changed.

"However, I have reconsidered it. Since Your Majesty has high hopes for me, I must live up to Your Majesty's expectations. I will obey your order." Li Yin's eyes became firm and his expression was resolute.

His Majesty on the throne showed a gratified smile. The father was above, the son was below, the monarch was above, the minister was below, and their eyes met, and they understood each other.

*

Let’s go back to last night.

Li Yin: "Your son has something to say."

Your Majesty was reading the memorials at his seat, but there was actually nothing to read. There was no memorial that required his opinion at all. The ones that required his opinion had already been reviewed by the Prime Minister.

He just wanted to use this action to avoid Li Yin's gaze.

Li Yin stepped forward, stopped His Majesty's feint, and looked directly into His Majesty's eyes.

Li Yin: "I wish to share your Majesty's burden. Please announce that I will take over the government affairs during tomorrow's morning court session."

His Majesty showed a shocked expression. "Weren't you always reluctant before? Why now?"

Li Yin did not answer His Majesty's question and continued, "However, I have something I need."

Your Majesty: "What is it?"

Li Yin: "When I am weak and afraid, I can rely on you, father." Li Yin felt a little awkward when saying the word "father". After the death of his mother and during the seven years when Concubine Shu was ill, he seemed to have never called him "father" again. He only called him "Your Majesty" in a distant manner.

It was obvious that His Majesty was also very excited that the prince called him "father" again.

"Yin'er..." There was relief, emotion and guilt in his tone.

He was relieved that his son had finally started to grow up, touched that his son, who had never recognized him, called him father again, and felt guilty for letting his son bear the burden too early.