It was a short letter that could be read at a glance, but Xiao Fu read it over and over again many times. Even when the lights were turned off at night, he would sit up and light a lamp to read.
It seemed as if I could feel Lin Zikui was right beside me, saying those words to me.
I look up at the quiet moonlight outside the window, and we all share this moment.
The next morning, Xiao Fu was about to leave the palace and return to Huainan. Before leaving, he sent someone to deliver the memorial and the letter from Prince Zhao to his father reporting his safety to Hanyang.
"Keep an eye on the King of Zhao's every move. If he secretly recruits soldiers and manufactures firearms, use carrier pigeons to send a message to Commander Chen. Raising a tiger will hurt your body, and letting the enemy cause trouble. The King of Zhao is a thorn, and when the time is right, it is time to pull it out."
Just as Xiao Fu was about to leave the palace, he heard voices shouting, "Royal Father! Royal Father!"
In such a childish voice, who else but the Fourth Prince would call him like that?
Xiao Fu looked over and saw Yuwen Yan running towards him with his short legs in the morning light, followed by a eunuch: "Your Highness Prince Kang, Your Highness Prince Kang! Slow down!"
Suddenly seeing Xiao Fu standing at the white marble steps of the palace, the eunuch slid down to his knees from a distance and said, "Your servant greets His Majesty! His Royal Highness Prince Kang wants to see you, and it is difficult for me to stop him."
Xiao Fu ignored the eunuch, bent down, and caught the little boy with his arms. The fourth prince threw himself on him, panting, "Father."
Xiao Fu squatted down and said, "Xun'er, you got up so early. Why are you here with your father instead of going to study or learn martial arts from General Chen?"
"Father, my mother is sick." The Fourth Prince said dejectedly.
Xiao Fu: "Shall I ask Imperial Doctor Zhang to check on your mother?"
"Doctor Zhang has been here. My second brother knew that my mother was ill, so he asked Doctor Zhang to come, but she is still ill. The palace maids wouldn't let me see her!"
"What disease is it?" Xiao Fu raised his head and asked the eunuch.
The young eunuch trembled and said, "My Lord, it is tuberculosis. The palace maid stopped His Royal Highness Prince Kang, it was... it was the order of the Empress Dowager."
Because tuberculosis is contagious, and Prince Kang was only three years old, he was too young and would be dead if he was infected.
Xiao Fu thought, he had just asked the Third Master to go to Huainan, it would not be a good idea to bring him back now to treat the Concubine Dowager. It was unlikely that tuberculosis could be cured.
The Fourth Prince said, "I heard from the palace maids that my mother started coughing after my father left. They said that my father wanted to take her away, so I want to ask my father not to take my mother away and leave her to me." He held Xiao Fu's big hand, his big eyes misty, "I know that my father is going to the imperial mausoleum, can you take me with you?"
Yes, the reason Xiao Fu gave for leaving the palace this time was that he dreamed of the late emperor last night, and the late emperor summoned him to keep vigil over the casket.
Xiao Fu softened his voice and said, "You can't go to the imperial mausoleum. You are young and the negative energy there is strong. You will get sick if you go there."
"I'm sick, but it's good to be sick. Then I'll let my father take me away, and not take my mother with me."
"Xuan'er is so filial. Your Royal Father will ask your father not to take your mother with him. As for whether your father will listen to you or not, your Royal Father doesn't know." Xiao Fu was unwilling to take the Fourth Prince to the Imperial Mausoleum because he would not go there at all and even felt it was unlucky to just pass by there.
His Highness Xiao Si had tears in his eyes. The palace maid said that my mother was sick and would be taken away by my father, and I would never see her again. He vaguely knew what death was.
The emperor's father had something important to do, so he touched his little head and left. The little eunuch pulled him and said, "Your Highness, we should go back to the palace."
In the blink of an eye, it was early May and the pomegranates in the Xue Mansion were in bloom.
At the end of the month, Lin Zikui took two days off, but before Xiao Zhaoling came, he started classes again.
The teacher seemed to know something and said to him, "Your wife is too busy to take care of him. Don't wait any longer. Go to Jinling to take the exam in a while, and you will be able to see him."
Both Mr. Xue and Lin Zikui knew tacitly that their wife was a man, but they never mentioned it.
Lin Zikui hesitated for a long time, but still asked: "Teacher, do you know why he returned to Jinling?"
Xue Xiang: "Of course he went home to visit his parents. He has many household affairs to deal with. You don't even know who he is and you haven't met his parents, so how dare you get married?"
"I don't have parents either. Besides... I don't dare to go to his house and meet his parents and relatives." Lin Zikui was afraid of being beaten.
My good son married me.
From Prime Minister Xue, Lin Zikui did not learn the old-fashioned poetry and books, but the real ideas, methods and approaches of governing a country, the several factions in the court, and how to deal with treacherous officials to protect himself.
“Before you have grown strong enough, you should keep a low profile and even pretend to be submissive.”
Lin Zikui realized this truth at almost the cost of his life.
He now fully understands that showing off one's talents is not a good thing.
"I will remember your teachings, teacher. I will keep a low profile until I am promoted to the third rank. I think it will take at least ten years." A third rank official is already a high-ranking official with a high salary, who is favored and trusted by the emperor.
Brother Tang is a fourth-rank academician who often gave advice to the late emperor, but Lin Zikui has not heard much from him recently.
Xue Xiang glanced at him from behind and said, "It will probably take less than ten years for you to be promoted. It will be very fast."
Lin Zikui was stunned for a moment, and immediately said, "Teacher, please don't help me. I won't do anything in Jinling under the name of a teacher."
"I won't help you. How can I help you with promotion? I have no one in the palace."
"Yes, the student misunderstood!" Lin Zili's cheeks flushed slightly. He guessed that the teacher was secretly praising his knowledge and saying that he would be promoted quickly in the future.
On the fifth day, Xue Xiang's family went to the nearby Iron Buddha Temple, which was very popular, to burn incense. Lin Zikui also went with them. The huge Xue Mansion was almost entirely populated by women, and the men were all married into the family. Two of them also stayed in Nanjing to serve as officials.
As a married man, Lin Zikui only followed at the back, keeping a distance, and did not have much contact with the women in the Xue family.
Xiao Fu's carriage arrived outside the Xue Mansion, and he found out after asking the guard outside the gate.
"Has everyone in the mansion gone to the Iron Buddha Temple to burn incense? Have you all returned after eating vegetarian food?"
"The old lady wants to listen to the sutras and will probably stay for a few days. Are you... Mr. Lin's brother?"
Although Xiao Fu is so beautiful that it is difficult to tell whether he is a man or a woman, it is still easy to tell that he is a man. The guard would never think of the lady that Master Lin always mentioned.
Xiao Fu didn't answer. He thanked him and gave him the reward. Then he asked the coachman to change the way he went: "Let's go to Iron Buddha Temple."
Lin Zikui worshipped Buddha but did not ask for anything.
After all, he had prayed for fame and fortune in Xingzhi Temple. He couldn't ask for it in every Buddhist temple or Taoist temple, right?
etc.
Lin Zikui suddenly remembered that he did have something to ask for.
He knelt before Sakyamuni Buddha, thinking of Zhao Ling: "I don't know when my wife will come back. It would be great if she can recover sooner so that I can go to Jinling to visit her. I hope Buddha will bless me and I can see her sooner."
After he lit the incense, he went to ask for a peace amulet with incense ash inside.
Miss Xue saw him and whispered, "Master Lin is here to ask for a talisman as well?"
Lin Zikui: "Please give my wife one."
Miss Xue: "If you're asking for your wife, I think this pink lotus one is good, and the pomegranate red one is also good."
Lin Zikui smiled slightly: "Pomegranate red, please. Thank you, Miss Xue." He said goodbye politely, and Miss Xue reminded him: "After noon, the dining hall will be closed soon. You and your servants and guards, haven't eaten yet?"
Lin Zikui thanked him and left. Miss Xue looked at his back and said, "My mother always let me choose my own husband, but after so much selection, there are those with good looks but poor talent, those with good talent but poor looks, and those with both good looks and talent and good character. In the end, I have a wife."
Because Lin Zikui talked about his wife every other sentence, everyone in the Xue family knew about it. Mr. Lin, a student of Mr. Xue, is married and still loves his wife very much.
The Tiefu Temple is as popular as the Xingzhi Temple. There are many people burning incense on the fifth day. Xiao Fu had to find someone, which took some effort, so he blew the whistle.
The whistle was not sharp amid the clamor and was drowned out by the sea of people burning incense.
Ordinary people didn't care, except Jinzun who followed Lin Zikui to eat.
Jinzun stopped, pricked up his ears, and looked in a certain direction.
Lin Zikui turned around and called out to him, "Jinzun? Why don't you leave? Don't you want to eat?"
"Mr. Lin..." Jin Zun remembered that the Marquis would not let him leave him even a step, so he reached out and pulled him, "Come with me."
Mo Liu: "Hey! Aren't you going to the dining hall? The young master is hungry."
"You follow me." Jin Zun was very stubborn. Lin Zikui was pulled by him and had no choice but to follow him: "Okay, okay, where are you taking me?"
The Tiefu Temple was bustling with people. Jinzun pointed to the crowd and said, "There."
"What?" Lin Zikui had a single tear on his nose. He looked around and saw a century-old tree in the distance. Camellias were blooming underneath it. There was a person in red clothes, who was particularly eye-catching.
Lin Zikui took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
When he put it on again, he saw Zhao Ling waving at him: "What are you standing there for? Come over here?"
He was wearing men's clothes, and Lin Zikui thought, if he ran over and called her "madam", wouldn't it attract attention?
He walked straight over, taking long, hurried steps.
Mo Liu was about to follow when Jin Zun grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing, sir! Sir!"
Jinzun said nothing and shook his head at him.
Lin Zikui walked through the endless stream of people and came in front of Xiao Fu. She blinked her eyelashes a few times, and her eyes became misty. As they got closer, Xiao Fu took off the ring with both hands, wiped it with his sleeve, and put it on him again. Xiao Fu leaned over slightly and stared at him with his head tilted. This single ring gave Lin Zikui a different temperament.
If there weren't so many people coming and going here, Xiao Fu probably wouldn't have been able to resist kissing him.
But he could only pull Lin Zikui's palm with a very small movement. Lin Zikui was still very nervous, looking around, worried that someone saw him. It was also his first time to be a "homosexual", and he was really guilty.
Seeing that he was nervous, Xiao Fu tickled him a few times and then let go: "Lin Lang, this one suits you very well."
Lin Zikui curled up his fingers in his sleeves, still feeling Zhao Ling's warmth. He nodded: "I think it's suitable too. I can see clearly now. How did you know I was in the Iron Buddha Temple?"
"I asked the guards at Xue's house. I didn't want to sit and wait for you at Xue's house, so you came."
Lin Zikui looked up and asked, "Have you finished your work in Jinling?"
"Not yet. I'll come back when I have time."
Lin Zikui opened his eyes wide: "Then do you still want to leave?"
Xiao Fu didn't say anything, he just asked him: "How is your left eye?"
"It's getting better. Mr. Xie said that we can pick it next month. If we add a pine cone, we can see it clearly."
"Is that so? Well, I have some news. When I was in Nanjing, I heard that the imperial court will soon issue a notice for the imperial examination in August. You can go back with me in a few days."
"Really?" Although Lin Zikui can use only one eye, reading and writing are not a big problem. Hearing the news, he smiled and said, "That's great. I will go to Jinling with you. Then the teacher..."
Xiao Fu: "The teacher is also coming along."
He went to court every day to deal with important affairs of the palace. If Prime Minister Xue did not follow Lin Zikui and teach him knowledge, Lin Zikui would surely have wild thoughts all day long.
Lin Zikui: "But the teacher is old, and the journey to Jinling is long. I'm afraid he can't stand the bumpy ride."
"He can handle it. He's only sixty-five. He said so himself."
"Are you serious..." Lin Zikui was confused.
"Really?" Xiao Fu took his sleeve and led him to a secluded corner. After holding his hand, he asked him casually, "Lin Lang, have you ever felt itchy from the poisonous insects in your body recently?"
It was about the worm that Lin Zikui had eaten. It would itch from time to time and cause unbearable itching.
Lin Zikui nodded truthfully: "It itched once."
"where?"
Lin Zikui hesitated, not knowing whether he should say it or not. He felt a little embarrassed when he said it. Xiao Fu raised his eyebrows and said, "Can't you say it?"
"Yes, it's the back hole. It's looser than before. It will be gone in about two incense sticks."
"The back hole, is it here?" Xiao Fu looked around and saw that there was no one around but birds flying on the treetops, so he reached out and touched him. Lin Zikui was so scared that he almost jumped up and slammed his hand down.
Xiao Fu was hit by him, but he still smiled. He straightened his slipping waist and asked in a low voice: "Is it the front or the back? Does it hurt?" If he had known that Xiao Fu was involved in the rebellion of Prince Zhao, he would have come back earlier and massaged his waist for him.
Whenever Xiao Fuguang thought about it, he felt something special.
"Later..." Lin Zikui frowned and turned away without saying anything. "Mr. Xie said that it won't happen again. It won't be painful."
The author has something to say:
Xiao: It's just a rebellion, how can it be more important than my young master's itchy back hole?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
