Chapter 63 A subject lives for his lord, and dies for his lord…
Prime Minister?
Qingqing was stunned and held her breath.
...How long has it been since I last saw him?
She leaned down to look at the boy in her arms; his reddened eyes were unusually serene.
They seemed completely unsurprised by Lin Xiang's arrival, and even seemed nonchalant, as if they had expected it.
Yan Dibai slightly moved his head, and Qingqing understood his intention, so she gently helped him up.
The boy's withered body swayed a few times in the wind and rain before slowly settling into her embrace.
Yan Dibai looked at the elderly man before him, his face, which had been gloomy and lifeless for days, forcing a haughty smile:
"I am safe and sound, but Prime Minister Lin, it has only been a few months since we last met, how come you have aged so much that I can hardly recognize you?"
-
That night, there was singing and dancing.
Behind the Xianning Palace, a pair of emperor and his minister whispered secrets.
"The Northwest has long harbored rebellious intentions, and the South is rife with uprisings and rebellions. Does Your Majesty truly intend to act arbitrarily? Countless traitors are eyeing the land with predatory intent; are you really going to let them run rampant?"
Under the red and white candlelight, the richly dressed young man, who was playing with beans, stared intently at the five-colored beans in his hand without turning his head: "Lin Xiangbai has been eating for over sixty years, yet he can ask such a question?"
"...This old minister is worried."
Tick-tock. The last red bean in her hand was thrown out, flying far into the couch and disappearing without a trace. Yan Dibai, feeling bored, finally turned her head to look at the old man with a worried face.
The boy's bright red lips curled into a wide, upturned shape.
"The situation is destined to be this way. Unless divine intervention arrives, no one can save this crumbling edifice. Without destruction, there can be no construction; trying to repair a corner with paper and vainly hoping to defy fate is nothing but trapping oneself. Isn't this what my teacher taught me before?"
The old man stared at the beans that seemed out of place in the Xianning Palace for a long time, his usually powerful voice now showing signs of weakness.
"With this defeat, the Yan and Jin dynasties may be gone forever."
Yan Dibai didn't take it to heart: "There will be Later Jin and Later Yan in the future. When has the world ever lacked emperors?"
Lin Xiangyu was speechless for a moment.
Yan Dibai raised an eyebrow with a mocking smile: "Does this imperial power still mean it can command the world?"
Lin Xiang's body instantly hunched over several inches: "Your Majesty's mind is as clear as a mirror. But this old minister... how can I allow Your Majesty to suffer?"
"The princess's desires are far too great. Although she can see the apparent discord between His Majesty and this old minister, she doesn't truly trust him. This old minister fears she will harm His Majesty..."
She wants the wind, she wants the rain, she wants the world.
More...
The purpose was obvious, yet he deliberately ignored it. Lin Xiang felt a deep bitterness in his heart and remained silent for a long time. He stared intently at the indifferent young emperor before him, his voice hoarse.
"Your Majesty, please stop being so willful and playful."
The flickering candlelight in the hall illuminated the white beard of the elderly man.
He rambled on, his former rigid and old-fashioned demeanor drooping along with his back.
The burden of the entire nation rests on his shoulders. Lin Furu has grown old, so old that he can no longer muster any authority in front of the child he has carefully raised. Perhaps unable to bear his nagging, Yan Dibai scratched his hair in annoyance.
The ends of his hair were slightly rough, and half of it had fallen to the ground.
"Let's make a bet." He raised his beautiful face high.
"I'm betting that I won't die, I'm betting that I can win people's hearts."
-
That strange yet spirited face was exactly the same as the young man before her, who was about to die.
Arrogant and conceited.
He looked at his body, which he couldn't bear to look at closely, and sighed repeatedly in his heart.
Qingqing didn't know what unspoken understanding existed between the two. However, based on their conversation, she could deduce that Lin Xiang, whom she hadn't seen for days, hadn't truly given up on Yan Dibai.
Qingqing instinctively knelt up straight, enduring the tingling and itching in her buttocks as she looked earnestly at the old man.
That commoner girl is still there!
Lin Furu's attention was entirely focused on Yan Dibai, but when he saw the girl peeking out from behind, his long eyebrows immediately furrowed.
"you--"
Yan Dibai suddenly interrupted, panting heavily: "Prime Minister Lin actually has time to come to this deep palace to see me? Aren't you afraid of causing trouble?"
Lin Furu paused, then said solemnly, "There are some changes happening in the palace right now. This old minister has just returned to court from his seclusion in the temple. I wandered here to avoid trouble."
He can't stay long.
Qingqing held Yan Dibai tightly, her fingers unconsciously tightening. So, Prime Minister Lin had hidden in the temple earlier?
She has a bad tooth root.
Lin Furu looked back at the distant palace and suddenly lowered his voice: "Xiao Yuanjing has returned with his bandits. The new emperor deliberately allowed the Li family army to fight them, hoping for a draw."
"Yi Fu has been on standby outside at all times, following His Majesty's orders. The final step in His Majesty's wager is to negotiate with the new emperor."
When the topic of Feng'an was mentioned, Prime Minister Lin's expression became extremely solemn:
"It was an underestimation of his abilities. I thought Xiao Yuanjing was the most capable of stirring up trouble, and I was constantly on guard against him. But the new emperor has the ability to see through people's hearts. He is no ordinary threat."
Qingqing frowned.
Is it a proper burial?
The mastermind behind the scenes, whom no one, including Yan Dibai, had anticipated.
She looked at Yan Dibai.
Yan Dibai's face turned slightly pale, and her body was hotter than before.
Qingqing pursed her lips.
Clearly, Feng An was a troublesome figure for Yan Dibai. He disrupted some of Yan Dibai's plans and even made an old minister feel extremely anxious.
Smoke rose in the distance, and a deathly silence fell for a moment. Then, Prime Minister Lin tossed out a brocade pouch. Qingqing instinctively reached out to catch it, only to hear him tap his cane on the floor and coldly snort at her:
"This medicine should be given to His Majesty in three doses to alleviate the pain caused by the poison in his heart."
I finally got to talk to her.
Qingqing clutched the brocade pouch, about to speak, when Prime Minister Lin suddenly turned his back, his voice soft and gentle, inexplicably tinged with a complex tenderness:
"You silly girl, since you're able to stay with His Majesty now, you must never leave him in the future."
Qingqing's eyes widened: "Prime Minister Lin?"
Yan Dibai's expression changed.
“Women and palace servants often take advantage of the palace gates to escape, so you can use this opportunity to blend in.” The old man, carrying them on his back, straightened his already hunched back with an unusual straightness. He threw down his cane with a clatter and trudged forward.
"I live for my lord, and I will die for my lord."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-05-09 22:27:29 and 2024-08-19 17:27:55!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Yuesheng (89 bottles); Coffee Coffee (10 bottles); Xie Ning (9 bottles); Yangyang Loves Water (3 bottles); and Huanmuji (1 bottle);
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