"Thank you, Your Majesty. But Your Majesty, you see, according to seniority, aren't you my uncle?"
Li Xiaochen finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that the Emperor had agreed, and then tentatively spoke again.
What are you trying to say?
The Emperor looked at Li Xiaochen warily and asked.
"What I mean is, since you are now my uncle, shouldn't an uncle show some appreciation for his nephew's marriage? Besides, my fiancée went to Jibei City and handled the affairs there so perfectly for you. You should reward her, or it would discourage those meritorious officials!"
Li Xiaochen rattled off a long string of words, which struck the Emperor squarely in the heart, causing a sharp pain in his chest. Was this what a backstab felt like?
"Well, so you little rascal, you were waiting for me here all along."
He wondered why the brat had suddenly come back. He figured choosing a wedding date was just a pretense; his real purpose was to get a reward for his unruly fiancée.
“Your Majesty, what are you saying? It is only right to reward Pingning. She made such a great contribution to the drought relief efforts. Not only did she handle the situation in the northern city very well, but she also helped to thwart the conspiracy in the northern border and captured the spies in the capital. Shouldn’t she be rewarded for such merits?”
Li Xiaochen argued forcefully, making it clear that he wouldn't leave until he helped Lin Yuxin get the reward.
"You brat, alright, I know. I didn't say I wouldn't give it to you, is it really that big of a deal!"
The Emperor was somewhat speechless. Why did this couple always seem to want him to take something from his palace?
As far as he knew, Lin Yuxin had picked up countless treasures of gold and silver. Dan Dao had mentioned that the prefect of Beicheng had found a considerable amount of gold and silver during a search.
Even if the restoration of Beicheng requires money, he doesn't believe that Lin Yuxin, with her greedy nature, wouldn't leave some for herself.
Besides, that brat took a 10% cut of the profits from Jinshan as a reward, and now that she's back, she wants even more? That's outrageous!
Unfortunately, the matter of Jinshan couldn't be publicized, so it had to be kept secret, and he still had to suffer the loss!
but…!
The Emperor suddenly smiled and said to Li Xiaochen:
"Alright, you may go back now. I understand. Pingning has worked so hard and performed such meritorious deeds, benefiting the people. He certainly deserves a reward. Go back and wait. I will write the imperial edict and then have Eunuch Liu deliver it."
The Emperor immediately started kicking people out. He not only had a headache from seeing Lin Yuxin, but also from seeing that brat Li Xiaochen.
Seeing that the Emperor had agreed, Li Xiaochen knew he couldn't push him too far. He was content with just receiving a reward and would ask for more later.
So he bowed respectfully and withdrew.
However, before leaving, he asked the Emperor for two days' leave! He ostensibly to accompany the Princess!
The emperor pointed this out in a memorial.
You're a princess, and you're already calling yourself a princess before the wedding is even finalized? Have you no shame?
Li Xiaochen didn't care what the Emperor thought; getting leave was the only thing that mattered.
They left the palace quickly, without stopping at all.
...
Lin Yuxin was hungry, so after leaving the palace she went straight to Fumanlou, which she had been longing to eat crystal buns and roast duck!
"Waiter, bring me a roast duck and a serving of crystal buns, and quickly!"
Lin Yuxin couldn't wait to order food as soon as she arrived.
"Alright! This way, please, sir!"
The waiter warmly led Lin Yuxin to a table by the window.
Lin Yuxin entered the palace in such a hurry that she did not bring any maids with her, and after leaving the palace, she did not go straight home, nor did she have anyone to serve her.
Sitting alone in a corner of the lobby now seems rather out of place.
The main thing is Lin Yuxin's clothes, appearance, and temperament. She looks like a daughter of an official, but she goes out alone without a maid, which makes some outsiders look at her again and again.
Before long, the dishes Lin Yuxin ordered were served. Lin Yuxin didn't care what others thought, picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a crystal bun, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Mmm! Delicious!
Lin Yuxin squinted her eyes contentedly and ate very quickly, one bite at a time. When she burned herself, she would stick out her tongue and breathe on it to relieve the heat.
Some observant people around her frequently turned to look at her.
A man was sitting at a table not far from her. He had been watching Lin Yuxin for a long time, and now he chuckled as he watched her eat.
This woman is indeed interesting!
Lin Yuxin didn't actually have a big appetite; she was just too hungry. She hadn't expected that going to the palace would take so long, and the Emperor was even stingy with the food.
Lin Yuxin ate half a crystal bun and half a roast duck, and was already quite full, so she slowed down her eating.
After finishing her meal and paying, Lin Yuxin left Fumanlou and prepared to go home.
The men at the table not far away also paid their money and then walked out.
After walking for a while, Lin Yuxin heard someone calling for help.
Lin Yuxin paused in her tracks. How could someone be so audacious in broad daylight?
Should she go see the spectacle or not?
Lin Yuxin hesitated for a moment, then turned around and headed toward the sound of shouting.
Only a fool wouldn't watch such a spectacle!
When Lin Yuxin got closer, she saw that it was actually the entrance of a casino, where several burly men were beating a man who was begging for mercy.
"Ouch, this kid's gambling again, serves him right for getting beaten up!"
"That's right, I've seen him several times."
"I heard he even gambled away his wife's money. How utterly despicable!"
"People like that should be beaten to death!"
Since this is a bustling area, and it's broad daylight, there are quite a few people gathered around to watch.
Lin Yuxin listened to the surrounding people's discussions, looked at the beaten man, and raised an eyebrow.
So it turns out the gambler lost too much money and owed debts, which is why he was beaten!
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