Chapter 399 Waiting
The Imperial Study.
Lin Anyuan was talking to Lin Mingqian and Murong Yuanzhou.
"Aren't you afraid when you're killing people?" Lin Anyuan asked the Crown Prince.
“I’m not afraid,” Murong Yuanzhou shook his head, then couldn’t help but nod, “I’m still a little afraid.”
Being just a child, it was the first time I'd ever seen a knife cut into a neck and blood splatter so high.
Wenxi may not have committed a capital offense, but he insulted the Crown Prince, and Lin Mingqian wanted to establish the Crown Prince's authority.
Lin Anyuan asked the two of them to sit down and talk.
By this time, all the palace servants had been sent away.
The three of them sat on the steps without any regard for appearances. Lin Anyuan sat on either side of two little kids and gave each of them one of his few dates.
Children shouldn't eat too many dates; one is enough.
“I was scared when I killed someone for the first time. I was less than five years old then, about your age.”
Lin Anyuan recalled the past, "But there was no other way. If I didn't kill him, he would kill me."
He was an old bachelor in the village. Seeing that he was good-looking, he harbored filthy thoughts and even wanted to bully his mother. He pushed the man into the cesspool and drowned him.
"Once you do it the first time, you do it a second time, a third time, and countless times... Later you get used to it and you're not so afraid anymore. Those who die are the ones who deserve to die."
Lin Anyuan laughed as he spoke.
He's quite good at finding high-sounding reasons for himself; those people deserve to die.
Lin Mingqian said, "Dad, you have a great attitude."
He was upset before, and it seems he'll have to learn from his father.
"It's good that you're not afraid. We'll rest tomorrow, and I'll take you to see the farm."
Lin Anyuan thought the two children had a good attitude, as long as they weren't scared. As for Wenxi, the mess he uncovered only deserved to die.
Ye Wan started a farm and planned to raise a lot of pigs so that all the people could have meat to eat.
She always dares to think and act.
Lin Anyuan patted his son and younger brother, "You brats, I wonder when you'll grow up. Then I'll pass the throne to the Crown Prince, and your mother and I can go traveling and enjoy ourselves."
Lin Mingqian swayed as he was patted. "Father, don't even think about it. You'll have to work hard on the throne for at least another ten years."
Moreover, he felt that his father was just saying it for show.
His father was an ambitious man.
"You little rascal." Lin Anyuan patted his son's head, then patted Murong Yuanzhou's head.
While the three were chatting, Ye Wan's men delivered news of Da Ya and the matter of the suppressed memorial from Ping'an County.
Lin Anyuan acted swiftly and decisively, while Chu Rouxuan's man was dealt with even faster, sent directly to a labor camp.
The prisoners in jail now are no longer like before, eating and doing nothing. Anyone who goes to jail, unless they are on death row, must participate in labor reform.
The work was quite varied and there was a lot of work to do, but at least I was able to eat my fill. Anyway, I was exhausted, like a donkey.
As for the memorial, Lin Anyuan handled it even more simply.
From now on, requests for peace and blessings are no longer allowed to be submitted. All memorials submitted must contain factual information.
Of course, you don't have to write it, but if it gets caught, you'll be in trouble, and your official career will be over.
When these two imperial edicts were issued, many people felt a chill run down their spines.
What a mess! Being an official is getting harder and harder.
Even if you commit a crime and go to jail, your life won't be easy.
Lin Anyuan has gone mad; he really doesn't spare anyone.
Ye Wan smiled when she heard Lin Anyuan's imperial edict.
This person asked her about it last night, and it's already being implemented today. The efficiency is really fast.
The prisoners in the jail are just idling around anyway, and keeping them locked up is a waste of rice and food. It would be better to take them all to build a farm and clean the pigsties. They're readily available labor, and we can't let them go to waste.
"The owner of Fanlou is actually a member of the Yun family." Ye Wan was surprised.
The family of three ate together, plus Murong Yuanzhou, making a total of four.
Ye Wan and Lin Anyuan were talking, and the two children were listening.
When family members are present, there is never a rule about not speaking while eating or sleeping at the dinner table.
Sometimes, teaching children through conversation is much more effective.
"I saw Yun Qin from the Yun family on the road before, but I haven't heard from him since."
Since Emperor Jing ascended the throne, the Yun family seems to have kept a low profile.
"As expected of a family that has been wealthy for generations, Fanlou is so extravagant that they even have the Emperor as their backer." Ye Wan couldn't help but sigh. "The Yun family certainly knows how to find another way out."
Lin Anyuan changed the subject.
"Wanwan, being an emperor is not good at all."
"Did you just get hit by a pie falling from the sky?" Ye Wan took a bite of her food. "When I joined you in the rebellion, I thought I'd only ever be a general's wife. I never imagined I'd become an empress."
"You actually think being an emperor is bad, but deep down you're probably thrilled."
Lin Anyuan couldn't help but laugh, "I also find it unbelievable."
It seemed as if God was very kind to him. If he hadn't passed through that market that day and hadn't met Ye Wan, his life might have been completely different.
"Empress, the court officials will be discussing the selection of concubines tomorrow. Will you be attending?" Lin Anyuan suddenly asked.
Ye Wan had finished eating. She picked up her chopsticks and wiped her mouth. "I won't join in the fun. If you really can't refuse, just find someone willing to enter the palace to be my helper."
Lin Anyuan did not respond.
After he left, Huigu couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, if you say that, and the Emperor really brings in a few helpers for you, then even if you don't receive his favor, you won't be the only one in the harem in terms of status."
"What's the use of a good reputation? You should seek tangible benefits."
That's what Ye Wan thought.
However, she underestimated Lin Anyuan's determination. Even if it was just for show, he was unwilling to let her give in the slightest.
The court officials had no choice but to put the matter aside for the time being, thinking that the emperor might change his mind after a year or two.
After all, many emperors were diligent and caring for their people when they first ascended the throne, but after a few years they began to hold large-scale imperial concubine selections and gradually changed.
Power is too easily corrupting, and they are waiting for the day when Lin Anyuan will be tainted by extravagance and debauchery.
No one expected that this wait would last for many years.
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