Chapter 88 So sleepy, so sleepy, so sleepy...
On the fourth day of the third lunar month, when it was still as dark as the bottom of a pot, Lin Yan was dragged out of his warm bed by his father, Lin Chengji.
Yesterday, on the Shangsi Festival, Lin Yan walked too much with Xiao Che and was so exhausted that she couldn't get up or even open her eyes.
Lin Yan felt like a lump of mud, all soft and limp. He washed himself up by instinct, put on his official robes, and was finally stuffed into a carriage by his own father.
The carriage wheels rolled over the quiet street, Lin Yan's head bobbed up and down, Chun Chun tucked her official hat into her arms as a pillow.
"Wake up, we're almost there." Lin Chengji couldn't stand it anymore and gave him a push.
Lin Yan groggily pulled back the curtain of the carriage. It was still pitch black outside, with only a few dim yellow lanterns, like fireflies in a wilderness.
"Father, why do humans always have to hold court..." Lin Yan asked, his voice muffled, "The rooster hasn't even crowed yet..."
Lin Chengji was used to Lin Yan's personality—he was like a dead fish when he went to court in the morning, but very reliable when he got down to business—and he couldn't be bothered with Lin Yan's daily complaints.
It was another tedious process. Standing in the queue, Lin Yan felt like a emotionless wooden doll.
I'm so sleepy, so sleepy, so sleepy. I'm really sleepy.
After finally enduring the court session, feeling completely drained, the father and son rushed off to the Six Ministries.
Lin Yan plunged headfirst into the mountain of documents at the Ministry of Revenue, the abacus beads clicking loudly, trying to dispel sleepiness with work.
When the sun was high in the sky, the Lin family finally welcomed Li Defu, who was carrying an imperial edict.
Several fine horses escorted a rather impressive carriage to a stop in front of the Lin residence, attracting the attention of passersby.
Seeing this scene, and then looking at the man's official attire and demeanor, Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, felt his legs tremble slightly. He hurriedly went to greet him: "Esteemed gentleman, may I ask..."
Li Defu wore a perfectly measured smile, neither overly friendly nor aloof: "My master, Li Defu, has come by order of His Majesty to deliver the decree. Please inform Madam Wen."
"His Majesty has issued an edict?" Old Zhang hurriedly sent someone in to announce the decree, while he himself respectfully invited Li Defu and his entourage into the front hall to wait.
Wen Yun was looking at the account books in the room when she heard that His Majesty had sent someone to deliver the imperial decree. She didn't think much of it. His Majesty would send rewards to Lin Yan every few days, so it was common for their family to receive imperial decrees.
She quickly straightened her clothes and, along with a bewildered Lin Mo and Wen Ke who had come out of the study upon hearing the news, hurried to the front hall.
However, when Wen Yun arrived at the front hall, she noticed that the ceremony for announcing the imperial edict was quite different from usual. Li Defu stood there holding a bright yellow scroll, followed by several eunuchs.
Wen Yun was unsure.
As she knelt down with her two children, Wen Yun felt a little uneasy.
Li Defu unfolded the imperial edict, cleared his throat, and began to read it aloud.
The imperial edict was written in a formal, literary style, but its core meaning was clear: praise.
First, he praised Lin Chengji, saying he was a pillar of the nation, diligent and conscientious. Then he praised Lin Yan for his youth and talent, sharing the emperor's burdens.
Finally, she praised Wen Yun herself, saying things like "gentle and virtuous in nature, and prudent in conduct," and "skilled in raising children, gentle and virtuous." In short, she used almost every good word to describe an outstanding woman.
In conclusion: In view of the outstanding contributions of Lin Chengji and Lin Yan, and the noble character of Wen Yun herself, Wen Yun is hereby conferred the title of "Lady Renshou" as a sign of grace.
Wen Yun knelt there, listening to the long string of praises and the final investiture, completely stunned, her mind a jumble of mush.
Lady of the County?
she?
Lin Mo blinked her big eyes. Her mother had been granted the title of Princess?
Wen Yun hadn't reacted yet, but Wen Ke, who was next to her, showed a look of shock mixed with happiness for his aunt.
After reading the imperial edict, Li Defu smiled and looked at Wen Yun, who was still kneeling, saying, "Princess Renshou, quickly accept the decree and express your gratitude."
Wen Yun then seemed to wake from a dream and quickly led the children to kowtow: "Your Majesty, we thank you for your great kindness. Long live the Emperor!"
She took the heavy imperial edict, feeling as if she were holding a golden nugget in her hands.
After getting up, Wen Yun could no longer contain her surprise and confusion, and cautiously asked Li Defu, "Eunuch Li, why did His Majesty suddenly bestow upon me the title of Lady of the County?"
Li Defu's smile remained unchanged, his tone gentle yet impeccable: "Your Highness need not worry. The imperial edict clearly states that His Majesty, mindful of the hard work and merits of Lord Lin and Elder Lin, and grateful for your skillful management of the household, has bestowed this special favor upon you. You should accept it with peace of mind; that would be an immense blessing."
He added meaningfully, "His Majesty's words are golden and his rewards and punishments are clear. It is only because you, Princess, deserve this honor that you have received it."
Wen Yun wasn't stupid; she could read between the lines and immediately understood that this matter shouldn't be investigated further.
She quickly had her maid bring a bulging, exquisite purse filled with silver melon seeds, and stuffed it into Li Defu's hand: "Thank you for making this trip, sir. This is a small token of my appreciation. Please have a cup of tea with us."
Li Defu did not refuse and accepted it naturally: "Then I thank you for the reward, Princess. Congratulations, Princess. I have to return to the palace to report to His Majesty, so I won't bother you any longer."
After seeing Li Defu and his party off, Wen Yun stood in the hall holding the imperial edict, still feeling that it was all unreal.
So she's become a Lady of the County? Lady of Renshou County?
She looked down at the imperial edict, then looked up at her equally bewildered daughter and nephew.
"Mother, is a county princess considered an official?" Lin Mo asked curiously, touching the smooth satin surface of the imperial edict.
Wen Yun was amused by her and tapped her forehead: "Silly child, this is not an official position, but an imperial title, a respectable honor bestowed by His Majesty."
Even so, the unease in her heart lingered for a long time.
This grace came too suddenly.
After leaving the Lin residence, Li Defu's smile faded slightly. He mounted his horse and gave instructions for the next destination.
The carriage arrived at another residence.
This house's gate is much more imposing than the Lin family's.
Li Defu sent someone to knock on the door, and his attitude in reporting the news was much more subdued than when he was at the Lin family's house.
After waiting for quite a while, the Lady of Rongyang slowly came out to receive the imperial decree.
She still looked somewhat unwilling, clearly not fully recovered from yesterday's conflict and the subsequent fear.
Li Defu unfolded another imperial edict, his voice flat and emotionless, even carrying a hint of coldness and officialdom, as he read out the decree stripping her of her title of Princess.
Upon hearing this, the Princess of Rongyang turned deathly pale and screamed, "Impossible! How could His Majesty... I must see His Majesty! It must be that brat Lin Yan who has slandered me!"
Li Defu looked at her expressionlessly: "Your Highness, oh no, you no longer have a title, should I call you Madam? His Majesty's decree has been issued, it is a golden word, how can it be questioned? To see His Majesty? You are no longer qualified to request an audience with the Emperor at any time."
"As for Vice Minister Lin," Li Defu scoffed, "His Majesty makes decisions unilaterally; how can a subject easily sway him? You should reflect on your past words and actions."
These words are extremely hurtful.
The Lady of Rongyang was so choked up that she couldn't catch her breath. She pointed at Li Defu and kept saying "you" for a long time before finally collapsing to the ground and bursting into tears, no longer caring about dignity or honor.
Her royal status and dignity were taken away by Xiao Che with a single imperial edict.
In her opinion, the late emperor shouldn't have let Xiao Che ascend the throne. Xiao Che was clearly at odds with the late emperor in many ways, so why did the late emperor still make this son emperor? The late emperor had many sons, why didn't he choose someone else?
Li Defu watched her act with cold indifference, feeling nothing at all, and even a little amused.
If only I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have done it in the first place.
Too lazy to say anything more, he finished his task and turned to leave with his men, leaving behind a scene of wailing and chaos.
As evening fell, Lin Yan and Lin Chengji dragged their tired bodies home from get off work.
As soon as she entered the gate, Lin Mo rushed over like a cheerful little sparrow, chattering away as she recounted how Li Defu had come to announce the imperial decree that day, and how her mother had been granted the title of Lady Renshou.
Lin Chengji was stunned and looked at Lin Yan in astonishment, completely unaware of this matter.
Lin Yan knew perfectly well that this was a combination of Xiao Che's efforts to save face for his mother and to please his mother-in-law.
But can he say that?
That's not possible.
Lin Yan remained calm and said to his father in a relaxed tone, "Father, this is His Majesty's grace. Let's accept it without worry."
He even made a promise: "Maybe when I get a higher official rank, I can get my mother a title of Lady of the County."
Lin Chengji looked at his son, thought about his wife's hardships over the years, and pondered the emperor's recent unusual "favor" towards the Lin family. Although he felt that this favor came a bit too suddenly, it was ultimately a good thing, so he nodded and said gently to Wen Yun, "Since it is His Majesty's favor, you should accept it with peace of mind. This is your dignity and also our family's honor."
When Wen Yun heard her husband and son say this, she finally felt relieved and a genuine smile appeared on her face.
The family sat together for dinner in the evening, creating a particularly warm atmosphere.
Looking at his family, Lin Chengji suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, tomorrow is the day the results of the imperial examinations will be announced. His Majesty has set the announcement time at sunrise to bring good luck. Yan'er and I have to go to court, so I'm afraid we won't be able to accompany Ke'er to see the results."
As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes turned to Wen Ke.
Wen Ke's hand holding the chopsticks tightened immediately, and he became visibly tense.
Wen Yun quickly said, "It's alright, I'll go with Ke'er, and Mo'er will come too, to cheer on your cousin."
Lin Mo nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, cousin will definitely pass the high school entrance exam!"
Lin Yan swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled to comfort Wen Ke: "Cousin, relax. You have a solid foundation. As long as you perform normally, there will definitely be no problem. Don't be nervous, just wait for good news."
He raised his glass: "Come, let's drink tea instead of wine, and wish my cousin success in his exams!"
Lin Chengji chimed in, "Yan'er is right, Ke'er, just take it easy."
Looking at everyone's encouraging eyes, Wen Ke took a deep breath, forced a smile, and nodded, but his nervousness had not completely faded.
After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms.
In the stillness of the night, Lin Yan lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep.
He thought about the results being released tomorrow, and couldn't help but recall his own feelings when he took the imperial examinations and waited for the results.
That feeling of immense anticipation mixed with deep unease, and the anxiety of fearing to disappoint my family, remains vivid in my memory to this day.
He endured a lot of hardship for the scientific expedition, studying with the same intensity he had in his final year of high school since childhood.
Unfortunately, the late emperor disliked his overly sharp writing style and even more so his "restless" nature. In the end, his ranking was only mediocre. If Xiao Che hadn't ascended the throne later and pulled him out of the quagmire of the Ministry of Rites, he probably would have worked himself to the bone without seeing a way out.
Thinking of this, Lin Yan sighed softly.
Thankfully, it's all in the past, and things have taken a turn for the better.
-----------------------
The author says: When I go out for lunch with my colleagues and I get really hungry, I sing, "I'm so hungry, so hungry, so hungry, I'm really so hungry" [laughing and crying emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com