Xiao Shao did not stay long, but took away a jar of plum blossoms and a long zither from Lin Su when he left, and called it sharing happiness with the people.
When the house was quiet, Chen Tang paced back and forth several times in the room, then approached Lin Su who was reading and said, "I always feel that the emperor seems to have some interest in you."
"Fallen flowers have feelings, but flowing water is indifferent. He knows what to do. You, my husband, can put your heart at ease." Lin Su tapped his chest and smiled.
He was as calm as before, but Chen Tang was as anxious as fire, thinking that anyone was out to snatch his wife. He was concerned about whether Lin Su ate well and was warmly dressed, and he was very humble. He bought good things for Lin Su from outside every now and then. He gave Lin Su more than a dozen long zithers alone, and he seemed to be spending a lot of money.
Mrs. Shen received a lot of new clothes and hair accessories from Lin Su as a filial gift. Although they were transferred from Mr. Shen, she knew that they were given by Lin Su. With his support for her business and the honor of being an imperial merchant, she was even more satisfied with him. In contrast, she was not so happy with her son who was doing nothing but messing around.
Every time I want to give a gift, my mother has to snatch it away. How can she be a filial and sensible daughter-in-law?
"What has he been doing these days?" Mrs. Shen sent someone over to ask.
Lin Su placed the gift in the room after receiving it, and he looked really well-loved. Although the room was a little crowded, he smiled when asked, "Don't worry, mother. Jingchen was just in a good mood for a while, and he will calm down after a while."
The result was just as Lin Su said. When the room was filled with things and it was difficult to move, Chen Tang felt that he had gone too far. Giving gifts was not as good as giving them every day. "Madam, I was wrong."
Young Master Shen's attitude of admitting his mistakes is now much stronger than that of Old Master Shen.
"That's fine. If it's full, we can just add a few more courtyards." Lin Su said with a smile, "My husband's thoughts are the most important."
Chen Tang was beaming with joy, and this behavior lasted for a while, but he stopped completely when he realized that the emperor had not come again.
When the deep winter was over, it had been three months since the new emperor ascended the throne. When good news came frequently from Jiangnan, Lin Su was summoned into the palace, but the person he met was not the emperor, but Xiao Huang.
When the new emperor ascends the throne, some people can be kept, but some people cannot. Although he can lock Xiao Huang up for life, in order to avoid future troubles, Xiao Shao obviously intends to kill him.
When Lin Su saw the man imprisoned in the Sky Prison, it was difficult for him to connect him with his past self. The difference between the once high-spirited Xiao Huang and the unkempt prisoner in front of him in dirty prison uniform was too great.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to be particular, but this place doesn’t allow for particularity.
The cell door opened, and Lin Su walked in. He borrowed a stool used for interrogation from the guards, sat down, and asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
"Why should I have something to say to you?" Xiao Huang's limbs were all bound with black iron chains, which even Lin Su could not open with his internal energy.
"If you hadn't asked me, His Majesty wouldn't have let me see you." Lin Su said with a smile, "But I thought you wanted to see Yun Hui more."
"I want to see him, but he may not want to see me." Xiao Huang suddenly looked up at Lin Su, his eyes full of resentment. "It's all because of you. Why do you always target me? Have I ever offended you in any way?"
He was very emotional, but Lin Su's expression was calm. "That's a strange question. In a power struggle, it's a life-and-death struggle. Why would you need to ask for reasons?"
"I'm about to die." Xiao Huang sat back down, his tone dead. "When a person dies, there's nothing left. I promised Xiao Shao that I would commit suicide in prison in exchange for his peace of mind and long-lasting reputation. I only want to see you and find out the reason. Otherwise, I will die with regrets."
He should have ascended the throne or become a prince and lived a life of wealth and luxury. Living like this now is probably unbearable even for himself.
Lin Su looked at him for a long moment before saying, "In fact, I just didn't want you to ascend to the throne in the beginning. You seem to be a decent and kind person, respectful and courteous to others, but in fact you are cruel and ruthless, with a cold temperament."
Xiao Huang stared at him intently but didn't say a word.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with your personality. Your environment shaped you into this kind of personality. Otherwise, it would be difficult for you to survive. If it weren't for me, you might have ascended to the throne smoothly and become an emperor, eliminating those who used to mock and insult you, and then eliminating those who were able to support you..." Lin Su paused here, and as expected, he saw Xiao Huang's pupils shrink. "You won't keep Chen Tang after you ascend the throne, am I right?"
This is a fact. Chen Tang's financial resources are too strong. If he can support himself to get to the top, he can also support others. Keeping it will only bring trouble to himself. It's just that he thinks his thoughts are very deep, and even Chen Tang himself doesn't know it.
Everything changed after Lin Su appeared.
"How do you know?" Xiao Huang felt very cold in his heart, and the feeling of being seen through came up again.
"No matter how I know, I know it all." Lin Su smiled, "Like I said at the beginning, I just don't want you to be the emperor. As for whether you will be your prince or something else after that, I didn't intend to interfere, but unfortunately you had other ideas. You made the mistake of sinking the pond, and scheming against Yun Hui led to your current result. Scheming is not a bad thing, but if you scheme too much, you will end up calculating yourself as well."
Xiao Huang scoffed, his face grim. "That's just the face of a winner. You overestimated, so I lost. But can you guarantee that you'll always be able to overestimate?"
"Of course not." Lin Su admitted it very straightforwardly. There are always people who are better than you. Thinking that you are the best is definitely asking for trouble. "But why did I have to calculate so many people?"
The smile on Xiao Huang's face faded for a moment, but he suddenly let out a low laugh, which grew louder and louder. "I lost, I lost... But don't be so complacent. Do you think Shen Tang was willing to marry you? He compromised for our cause. It's ridiculous that your sincerity couldn't withstand his scheming."
Lin Su stood up, walked out of the cell door, locked the shackles naturally, and said, "If that's what you're talking about, Jing Chen told me a long time ago. Goodbye."
Never see you again.
Xiao Huang looked up in surprise, but there was no sign of Lin Su. All the conspiracy in his mind seemed to vanish in an instant. Finally, he curled up on the ground and began to sob. It was not that he did not regret or hate, but what was the use of regret and hatred?
Even the final attempt to sow discord was in vain.
Xiao Huang died by hitting his head against a wall. Xiao Shao buried his body according to the rites for a prince, preserving his final dignity.
Chen Tang was stunned when he heard the news, and fell into silence. He did not show any emotion in front of others until he hugged Lin Su at night, then he sighed: "I thought I could be brothers with him for life."
The friendship between young people and the love between brothers may be deeper than the feelings for Yun Hui that he met later, but the royal struggles, power struggles and human hearts are blinded, and in the end everything becomes calculable.
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