mend the fold after the sheep have been lost
Di Shaoze was still patient with Lin Huaien's delicious meat. Di Shaoze controlled his emotions and stretched out his arm towards Lin Huaien, signaling him to come over actively and obediently. This was a second chance.
Lin Huai'en took a step back and asked, "Your Majesty also kissed Fox Princess like this, right?"
"Are you obsessed with mysophobia?" Di Shaoze's face turned a bit strange, and he withdrew his hand. "The red history that the female official presents to you every day should have recorded that I stay in Zhenghe Hall every day. I am a man of young blood, and I would never hug a beautiful woman just to chat."
There was not much guilt in Di Shaoze's tone, as if he was just chatting about something as trivial as eating and drinking. This tone hurt Lin Huaien even more.
Lin Huai'en bit his trembling lower lip, "Your Majesty, since you know that I have to check the history every day, you still... still have fun every night..."
Lin Huai'en was very meticulous in his work and would not neglect any of the harem's internal affairs, including checking the history books. Emperor Shaoze knew this and would go to Zhenghe Hall every time to burn Lin Huai'en's eyes.
Perhaps it was because Lin Huai'en's eyes were too desolate at the moment, but Di Shaoze felt a little uneasy in his heart and frowned. "Lord Lin, are you trying to use Fox Concubine's background to pressure me again? I only have two beauties in my harem. One can stab a knife into my heart, and the other can use her body to block a beast for me. It goes without saying who I should love."
"If Lord Lin can be half as good as Fox Lady, I will also go to the Moon Worship Palace on a few days."
Hearing Di Shaoze's words, Lin Huai'en's mouth drooped miserably...
No matter how busy he was with official duties every day, he would still take care of the harem affairs one by one, trying hard to maintain a virtuous image in front of Emperor Shaoze, and slowly win back Emperor Shaoze's heart. But to Emperor Shaoze, he was full of flaws and was not even half as good as Fox Ji.
Lin Huai'en suppressed the sob in his throat and said in a deep voice, "I understand."
After saying that, Lin Huai'en turned around with a cold expression and walked out. He didn't want to stay in this place any longer. However, Di Shaoze grabbed his hand with quick eyes and hands and pulled him into his cage-like arms.
Lin Huai'en struggled hard twice but couldn't break free. Knowing that there was a huge gap in physical strength between the two of them, he just turned his face away and said nothing.
Di Shaoze wrapped Lin Huai'en's body with his chest, grabbed Lin Huai'en's slender left leg with one hand, and looked at the red marks left by the shackles.
Compared with Lin Huai'en's stubborn and unyielding character, this mark actually made Di Shaoze love him more.
Click... the chain clatters...
Di Shaoze's eyes were solemn. Based on his almost arbitrary aesthetic sense, he untied the shackles on his left foot and replaced them with half a silver handcuff. He then used his big hands to casually turn Lin Huai'en's feet over, stroking them for a long time as if playing with them, and then replaced them with another silver handcuff.
The weight on Lin Huai'en's ankle was reduced a little.
Di Shaoze whispered in Lin Huai'en's ear, revealing a rare intimacy. "Since you knew to come to me, you've made some progress. These silver handcuffs are cleverly crafted, and unlike clumsy shackles, they don't make any noise. As long as you don't run or jump, no one will notice."
This is nothing, a slap in the face followed by a sweet treat. Lin Huai'en couldn't feel the slightest bit of joy in his heart. Instead, he felt an uncontrollable sense of humiliation at Di Shaoze's way of treating him like a little thing that he could rub and play with.
Lin Huai'en broke free, thanked Long En perfunctorily, and, ignoring Di Shaoze's gloomy expression, turned back to the Moon Worship Hall. On the way back to the hall, the heavy weight on his feet was indeed much lighter, and the chain made no sound when dragging on the ground, so he could indeed walk normally.
The next day.
Lin Huai'en sent a message to his mother that morning, and after finishing his duties, he took a carriage back to the Prime Minister's residence. He saw his mother waiting at the door, pounding her numb legs repeatedly. He guessed she must have been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Lin Huai'en get off the carriage alone, Madam Lin asked in confusion, "Where's His Majesty? Didn't he come back with you?"
Normally, newlyweds go home together.
Lin Huai'en's eyes flickered, and he immediately changed the subject, "Where's Yiyi?"
Mrs. Lin continued warmly, "Yiyi was waiting for you to come back, eagerly waiting for more than half a month. Later, my eldest aunt sent a letter urging us to come back, saying that the autumn harvest had begun in the village and we wouldn't be able to harvest the corn in time, so she urged us to go back."
Lin Huai'en was surprised and asked, "Auntie can write letters home?"
"Hahaha." Mrs. Lin laughed heartily. "There wasn't anything written in the letter. It just showed a picture of a rotting cornfield and a woman with a raging forehead. Yiyi knew what it meant the moment she saw it. Before her aunt got angry, she was so scared that she packed up her belongings and went back home."
Lin Huai'en smiled, and his mind seemed to recall the fierce look of his aunt who rolled up her sleeves, picked up a broom, stood at the entrance of the village and cursed at the neighbors.
Inside the Prime Minister's residence, the servants arranged everything as usual. Zhuqing Courtyard had long been tidy, with not a speck of dust on the table or floor. Lin Huai'en's eyes welled up as he looked at the familiar home, and he turned around and hugged Madam Lin.
The sudden hug frightened Mrs. Lin so much that she instinctively called out the name she had used to coax Lin Huai'en when he was a child, "Oh my, my dear, what happened?"
Lin Huai'en said sadly: "I miss my mother and home."
Mrs. Lin's heart softened immediately after hearing this. She patted her son's back gently and said, "You're already grown up, yet you're still so attached to home. Come back when you miss home. The palace and the prime minister's residence are only twenty miles away."
Madam Lin continued, "You never came home after your marriage. At first, I was waiting for you, but then I thought, you two must be still in love and can't get away. It makes me happy to think about it."
It's said that raising children is a lifelong debt. No matter how far apart, a mother's longing for her children will reach them across mountains and seas.
After dinner, Mrs. Lin came to Lin Huai'en's room and personally arranged his pillows and quilt. She also nagged several times, criticizing Lin Huai'en's dressing habits, "The weather is getting cold and you are still wearing such thin clothes", "Why don't you wear a fox fur coat?" and so on...
As she spoke, Mrs. Lin also mentioned Xue Dingchu's recent situation. "Oh, right, when you come back this time, you must take some time to go and see the Xue family's son. The Xue family's son encountered thieves on the way to exile and almost lost his life. He was rescued and taken back to the capital and has been recuperating for almost two months. The last time I went to see him, his injuries had healed, but he didn't say a word and didn't even leave the house. It seems that he has been traumatized."
Lin Huai'en's eyes were complicated, and he said, "Mom, I will."
In that forest massacre, Xue Dingchu was the most innocent, yet he suffered the greatest harm for nothing. Di Shaoze personally dragged Xue Dingchu into the mire and then personally destroyed half of his life, his methods were nothing short of cruel.
"But fortunately, His Majesty showed some mercy and rescinded Xue Wazi's transfer order, allowing him to return to his original post. I guess His Majesty did this for your sake."
Lin Huai'en's eyes trembled slightly, filled with extremely complicated emotions. Was Di Shaoze trying to make up for his loss by doing this?
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