On the eighth day of the eighth month, Xiao Fu used the excuse that the little emperor was ill and did not go to court.
On the ninth day of the eighth month, Xiao Fu used the excuse that the little emperor had not yet recovered from his illness to avoid going to court, and instead spent the night in bed with the young master.
On the tenth day of August, Xiao Fu used the excuse...
August 11th...
As the saying goes, things never happen more than three times. Lin Zikui began to feel that something was wrong: "How can you not attend court for three days? This is already the fourth day."
Xiao Fu said confidently: "The little emperor is sick, I don't want to either."
Xiao Fu had no interest in power, in governing the country, or in attending court and watching civil and military officials kneel down to him to make reports. In order to clean up the fraud case, he hadn't slept in the same bed with Lin Zikui for a long time, let alone been intimate with him.
Now Lin Zikui has a holiday to return home in glory, so he has a lot of free time. By the time he really returns home in glory, we won’t see each other for another month.
Xiao Fu thought that there was nothing serious, so he simply didn't go to court. He first took Lin Zikui to visit his new garden, then dismissed the servants and took Lin Zikui to the Dingbei Marquis Mansion next door, where they admired the flowers and watched the rain in the pavilion. Lin Zikui played the piano, composed poems, and played chess.
At this time, someone suddenly came to whisper: "Your Majesty, His Majesty has left the palace to visit you... He must leave the palace, and I and others cannot stop him. Now he is outside the Marquis's mansion and is about to come in."
Lin Zikui overheard a few words and suddenly stopped playing the piano: "Your Majesty is leaving the palace? Isn't Your Majesty sick?"
"Maybe there is some important military matter..." Xiao Fu stood up, "I'll let Jinzun take you back first."
Lin Zikui couldn't fly over eaves and walls like their martial arts masters, so he could only go out through the main gate wearing a veil. His relationship with Xiao Fu couldn't be made public, and if any of the civil and military officials reported it, he would be killed. Not only himself, but also the Regent will be affected.
He was well aware of the interests involved, so in the past few days, whenever there were people around, he would wear the veil.
Jinzun didn't understand why he was so cautious: "Mr. Lin, even if someone sees it, so what? The Marquis won't let people gossip about it." He would just pull out those people's tongues.
Lin Zikui shook his head and said softly, "Some things need to be hidden. There is no need to reveal them to others."
Jin Zun looked at him and said, "But if you hide, won't you be unhappy?"
Lin Zikui shook his head subconsciously, and then slowly looked back at him: "Yes, but how can we have both in this world? There is no perfect thing in the world. Loving your lover, painting the rivers and mountains together, and witnessing the peace and prosperity of the sea are already perfect. For more, we can only wait for the passage of time and gradually reconcile, or let it break the ground and see the light day by day."
Jinzun didn't quite understand and still looked at him in confusion.
Lin Zikui smiled and said, "You will understand when you grow up."
As they were walking, suddenly, from a distance, Lin Zikui saw through the gauze the little emperor who was leaving the palace in disguise. He was wearing a royal blue brocade robe, and was followed by several eunuchs and three old men carrying medical boxes. The little emperor was walking inside with a frown on his face, and he didn't look sick.
It is normal for a young emperor to have eunuchs with him, but why would he have an imperial physician with him? Lin Zikui guessed something and turned to ask Jin Zun: "Your Majesty, are you here to visit your master?"
This child is not a cunning person. If he has something that should not be said, he usually keeps his mouth shut, but he will never tell lies.
As a result, Jinzun nodded honestly: "Yes."
Lin Zikui understood immediately. He found it unbelievable at first, and then he was so angry that he laughed. This was something Xiao Zhaoling was really capable of! He is so old, but he actually used his child’s illness as an excuse to stay in bed and not go to court!
He stopped for a while, then walked straight out of the mansion gate. No matter what happened tomorrow, Xiao Fu would have to go to court!
Since Xiao Fu had sent a message claiming that he was sick, and had been sick for so many days, he naturally had to pretend to be sick to the end. He lay on the sickbed, pulled down the curtains, and waited for the little emperor to come in and see him.
Xiao Fu coughed a few times, and then he felt Yuwen Xuan kneeling in front of the bed: "Father, I have brought the imperial physician to see you. How are you feeling?"
"We need to...rest for a few more days, cough cough."
Yuwen Xuan: "Shall we let Doctor Zhang take your pulse?"
Xiao Fu continued to cough: "Is there any major event in the court recently?"
"There was a war at sea in Taiwan, but when the report came in, the war had already ended, so it was not a big deal."
Doctor Zhang knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I will take your pulse."
Under the dim tent, Xiao Fu stretched out a piece of his wrist to him and said, "Ahem, Doctor Zhang, the doctor in my palace has diagnosed that I am not feeling well and need to rest for a few more days."
Doctor Zhang had been immersed in the palace for decades and had become very experienced. He understood immediately and pretended to feel the patient's pulse in thought: "Yes, it's time to rest for a few days. I think you have been too busy with government affairs in the past few days. My lord, I will prescribe some medicine for you. You should stay at home and take care of yourself for a few days? In... four or five days, I will come to check your pulse again?"
Xiao Fu responded well.
The young emperor glanced at Doctor Zhang, then looked at his father whose face he could not see clearly: "Your son will stay and accompany you, Father."
"No, no need," Xiao Fu refused, "The emperor is afraid that his illness will be passed on to you, Your Majesty should return to the palace."
After talking for a few words and explaining some state affairs, Xiao Fu sent Yuwen Xuan away.
After leaving the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, Yuwen Xuan looked down at the dust on his palms, wondering if his royal father didn't live in the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. When he went in just now, he saw that his house was desolate and the rooms were covered with dust, which didn't look like it had ever been lived in.
If he doesn't live in Dingbei Marquis' Mansion after leaving the palace, then it must be Changguo Duke's Mansion?
The carriage carried Yuwen Xuan back to the palace. After walking for a while, Yuwen Xuan caught a glimpse of the brand new plaque of "Lin Mansion".
"Stop the car - Lin Mansion, which Lin Mansion?"
The carriage stopped and the eunuch answered, "If you'd like to excuse me, this is the residence of Lin Zikui, the new number one scholar. The regent granted him a leave of absence to return home in glory. I didn't expect that the residence would be renovated and ready for occupancy so quickly."
Yuwen Xuan lifted the curtain of the carriage and his eyes moved back and forth twice.
The residence of the new number one scholar is right next to the residence of Marquis Dingbei.
Eunuch: "Your Majesty, would you like to go in and take a look at the Lin Mansion?"
Yuwen Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "Okay, send someone in to report it, and I will go to see the new champion."
The decree to appoint Lin Zikui as Grand Tutor has not been issued yet, so we have to wait until the holiday of returning home in glory is over before we decide on it. Lin Zikui was indeed the emperor's confidant, and even a house was arranged for him to live next to him.
When Lin Zikui heard the report, he immediately came out and knelt down. He never thought that the young emperor would come to him!
"My dear, please stand up. You don't have to kneel down. I just happened to pass by and saw your new house, so I came down to take a look."
"Your Majesty, please come in—"
Standing in a corner, Mo Liu, who was bowing in fear, raised his eyes and caught a glimpse of the little emperor's appearance, and began to murmur.
Why do I seem to have seen it somewhere...
He scratched his head for a while, and suddenly remembered: "Ah!"
On the Qinhuai boat, that day... one of the four children who shared cakes with him!
Mo Liu had a dazed look on his face.
That child is the emperor?
Lin Zikui welcomed the little emperor inside. Yuwen Xuan noticed that his house was not big, but it was exquisite and unique everywhere. The tea cups on the table were of extraordinary quality, but Lin Zhuangyuan seemed to know nothing about it. I think it’s all a gift from the emperor that he values Lin Zikui so much.
If Yuwen Xuan was bolder and walked in to take a look, he could see the dark black python robe that his royal father wore to court, casually draped on the screen.
Lin Zikui was worried, but fortunately the young emperor only discussed state affairs with him, and then played a few games of chess. He also asked him: "I see that your house is next to the regent. Have you paid a visit to the regent recently?"
Lin Zikui hesitated, raised his eyes and replied calmly: "I went there twice, but the Regent seemed unwell and did not see me."
"The Regent did see me, but not in person. We were separated by a tent. I am very concerned about his health and worried that he is overworked. As a result, I have lost my appetite in recent days." Yuwen Xuan did not tell his father about his concerns, but told Lin Zikui instead.
Lin Zikui had no choice but to comfort him and advise him to take care of his health. When dusk was approaching, the little emperor stayed for dinner, and then Lin Zikui sent the little emperor away.
The emperor was mature despite his young age and had a heavy mind. Although Lin Zikui could handle it, he was not good at it. I just feel that Yuwen Xuan has grown so much since I met him half a year ago.
Only after knowing that Yuwen Xuan was about to return to the palace did Xiao Fu jump off the wall and enter the No. 1 Scholar's Mansion.
The moonlight sprinkled on the lake in the courtyard like water, reflecting the silver light. Lin Zikui sat under the dim candlelight and left some food for Xiao Fu. Xiao Fu asked Lin Zikui: "What did you say?"
Lin Zikui: "We played chess for a while. His moves are very unique and he is also very smart."
Xiao Fu slowly ate the tasteless meal: "Of course he is smart. If he is not smart, how can I let him be the emperor?"
Lin Zikui was worried: "It has only been a short time and your Majesty has already started to doubt."
"I'm not afraid of him knowing. If he finds out something, then let him find out. Does he dare to blame me or embarrass you? The emperor's father is a homosexual, so he should just be happy!"
Xiao Fu picked at the food, which was really tasteless. He sighed and handed him the bowl and spoon, blinking a few times: "Zi Kui, feed me. I'm so hungry, but this tastes so bad. It will only taste good if you feed me."
Lin Zikui thought of him pretending to be sick and became angry: "No, you eat it yourself."
Lin Zikui stood up to light the lamp. Seeing that he was going back to his room, Xiao Fu immediately swallowed his food in two or three gulps.
Lin Zikui was washing up and ignored him.
Xiao Fu probably knew the reason, so he went to fetch water to wash his feet. He stepped on the back of his feet in the silver basin, then sat on a low stool, bent over, and put his face on Lin Zikui's knees and looked at him.
Lin Zikui sat on the edge of the higher bed, unable to escape. She frowned slightly, lowered her head and looked into his dark eyes: "You have to go to court tomorrow."
Xiao Fu admitted his mistake quickly, pinched his soft fingers and shook them: "Okay, I will go to court tomorrow. If Lin Lang is not angry, I will go."
Lin Zikui was unable to utter any accusations. He said that he had deceived himself, lied, was irresponsible, ignored the affairs of state, and was so incompetent... These words were stuck in his heart. Lin Zikui stared at him for a long time, seeing his sincere, innocent and pitiful look, he could only sigh. If Xiao Zhaoling is to change, he will probably have to be constantly urged for the rest of his life.
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