"Lin Yun, the second daughter of the Lin family, is virtuous and talented, and her loyalty is beyond question. Effective immediately, she is hereby granted the title of Imperial Merchant, and is granted a mansion in the capital, with the right to procure goods from the Imperial Household Department. The government must fully cooperate with her in all matters concerning her trade routes. Anyone who obstructs her will be punished for defying the imperial decree!" Yongzheng's voice was deep, but every word was as firm as iron.
Su Peisheng's heart skipped a beat. The position of Imperial Merchant was no small matter, especially with the addition of a mansion and special privileges—this was an immense favor. He dared not delay and quickly replied, "This servant will go and draft the decree immediately!"
The imperial decree caused an uproar throughout the courtyard.
The secret guards and bodyguards exchanged glances, all understanding—from now on, Miss Lin was the Emperor's chosen person, and no one would dare to touch her in the slightest.
Xiao Tao burst into tears of joy and knelt by the bedside, whispering, "Miss, did you hear that? The Emperor has appointed you as a royal merchant!"
Lin Yun's lips curled up slightly, a faint smile appearing on her pale face. Although she felt weak all over, her mind was still clear.
Being a royal merchant meant greater autonomy and a wider horizon. Her self-sacrifice was truly worthwhile.
When Yongzheng returned to the room, he saw that Lin Yun's expression was gentle, and his cold and stern face softened slightly. He bent down to tuck the blanket around her and said in a low voice, "Now that you are a royal merchant, you no longer need to be hindered by petty people. I will personally support your business."
As for the future, let's take it one step at a time. He's the emperor, he's the most powerful.
Before the words were finished, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. A guard knelt down and reported, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince's residence has submitted a memorial claiming that this matter has nothing to do with them and begs Your Majesty to investigate!"
Yongzheng sneered, his eyes flashing with sharpness: "Tell them that my patience is limited. If they dare to cause trouble again, don't blame me for disregarding brotherly affection!"
After the guards withdrew, he looked at Lin Yun again, his tone softening: "Take good care of your injuries. Once you can get up, I will personally take you to see the new residence."
Lin Yun's fingertips twitched slightly, as if in response.
The sunlight outside the window grew stronger, illuminating the room filled with the aroma of herbs and revealing a rare tenderness in his eyes.
He stared at Lin Yun's face for a while, then got up and went out to handle some business.
In the afternoon, Lin Yun slowly opened her eyes. The room was softly lit and filled with the faint scent of medicine. She blinked, her vision gradually clearing, and the pain in the back of her head had subsided considerably.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she quietly took out a small porcelain bottle from under her pillow and sipped some spiritual spring water. The cool liquid slid down her throat, and a warm current quickly spread to her limbs and bones, and her fatigue and pain receded like the tide.
She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to move her wrist; she had regained about 70-80% of her strength.
"Miss! You're awake!" Xiao Tao pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bowl of medicine. When she saw Lin Yun open her eyes, she burst into tears of joy, almost dropping the bowl of medicine on the ground.
She rushed to the bedside, her voice trembling, "You're finally awake! I'll go get the doctor right away!"
Lin Yun smiled slightly, her voice still a little hoarse: "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Xiao Tao had already turned and rushed out the door, shouting loudly, "Uncle Wang! Doctor! Miss is awake!"
A moment later, the room was packed with people.
The old doctor took Lin Yun's pulse, his brows gradually relaxing as he exclaimed in amazement, "Young lady, your pulse is steady and strong, and the blood stasis has dissipated so quickly. You are truly blessed! After a few more days of rest, you will be fully recovered."
Wang Defa rubbed his hands together, his eyes reddening: "Thank God, Miss is blessed with good fortune!"
Just as everyone was rejoicing, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the door.
Su Peisheng's shrill voice rang out: "The Emperor has arrived!"
The room fell silent instantly, and everyone knelt down in unison. Lin Yun's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively gripped the corner of the blanket tightly.
Yongzheng strode in, his black robes accentuating his tall and straight figure.
His gaze swept across the room, landing directly on Lin Yun's face. Seeing that her complexion had improved, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly concealed by his authoritative demeanor. He waved his hand: "All of you, step back."
No one dared to say anything more, and they bowed their heads and left, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Lin Yun took a deep breath, threw off the covers, and was about to get out of bed to greet him.
Yongzheng frowned, stepped forward and pressed down on her shoulder: "What are you moving around for? Lie down."
Lin Yun looked up at him, and their eyes met.
She suddenly felt a little dazed. Before, she had pretended to be stupid, but now that her identity was clear, she could no longer act as casually as before.
She lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "This commoner greets Your Majesty and thanks Your Majesty for saving my life."
In that brief moment when their eyes met, Yongzheng seemed to be struck by lightning.
The electric current traveled through my limbs and bones, a tingling, itchy sensation vibrating through every inch of my skin, finally exploding in my chest.
He suddenly clutched his chest, feeling somewhat lost; he had never felt this way since he was old enough to understand.
He quickly snapped out of his daze, staring at her lowered head, and suddenly found it amusing. This little fox, so she knows the rules now?
He raised the corners of his lips slightly, but his tone remained indifferent: "Now you know fear? Weren't you quite the tough guy before?"
Lin Yun's ears burned, and she secretly glanced at him, only to meet his ambiguous smile. She hurriedly lowered her head again, saying, "This humble woman knows her mistake."
Yongzheng gave a light snort, flicked his sleeve, and sat down on the edge of the bed: "Where did I go wrong?"
"The mistake was..." Lin Yun bit her lip and whispered, "...that she shouldn't have been disrespectful to the Emperor."
Yongzheng raised an eyebrow: "Anything else?"
Lin Yun was taken aback, looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion.
Yongzheng suddenly reached out and flicked her forehead with his finger: "Your mistake was that you were reckless and dared to take such a dangerous path alone!"
Lin Yun clutched her forehead, hissing in pain, but dared not argue, only muttering softly, "This humble woman knows she was wrong..."
Seeing her like this, Yongzheng felt inexplicably pleased. He was now thirty-seven, and counting his previous life, he was already an old man in his eighties or nineties.
Looking at this little girl, she's like my own little wife, truly "raised from childhood."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
