As time went by, Qingyin felt it was time to resign from her job. Let those people fight over the salt commissioner position; she just needed to take good care of her only daughter.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
The current emperor, whose title is Kangxi, is in his forties, strong and healthy, not only tall but also remarkably handsome. (This is based on information from the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, where the emperor is listed as Kangxi. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)
In the palace, Emperor Kangxi received a letter from his trusted confidant Lin Ruhai. His deep-set eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Ruhai, it's been a month, hasn't it?"
As one of His Majesty's confidants, Liang Jiugong knew that His Majesty was referring to Minister Lin Ruhai, who served as the Salt Commissioner. He replied respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty, Minister Lin has been ill for a month."
"Is he feeling better? He wants to see me?" Kangxi pondered, recalling how he had seen Lin Ruhai when he was terminally ill. A hint of joy appeared in his eyes. He truly valued Lin Ruhai; Lin Ruhai was honest and upright, always loyal to him, and always acted with discretion. He felt completely at ease placing him in the position of Salt Commissioner. The only concern was Lin Aiqing's poor health. He hoped Lin Aiqing was well, so that he wouldn't have to appoint someone else.
As a high-ranking emperor, Emperor Kangxi did indeed have feelings for Lin Ruhai, but that was only in terms of using him as a useful tool. As the emperor by birth, his emotions were inherently detached, and he wouldn't care about too many things.
So Kangxi had no idea that Lin Ruhai would give him a big surprise the next day.
At the Lin residence, Qingyin sent a letter to her superior, the Emperor, informing him in advance that she was returning to meet him and that she had made preparations.
The next morning, Qingyin changed into the original owner's court dress. Although she did not need to attend court, she had to wear court dress when entering the palace to see the emperor.
The light blue court robe was a bit loose, which made Qingyin's body look even thinner. When the wind blew, her extremely thin waist was outlined, and when paired with her pale and translucent face, it made her look even more pitiful.
Amid Chun'er's reluctance and worry, Qingyin waved goodbye and boarded the carriage heading to the capital.
The Lin residence was built on West Street, a less populated and remote area of the capital. However, precisely because of its remoteness, the courtyard occupied a large area. Sitting in the simple carriage, Qingyin could clearly feel the carriages gradually increase in number, then move to the imperial city, and then the number of people decrease again.
Two hours later, the carriage stopped at the Donghua Gate of the palace. All the court officials had to get off their carriages at the palace gate before walking to the court or to see the emperor. Qingyin also had to get off her carriage at this time.
She set off early, and just as the sky began to brighten, the morning glow reflected on the azure sky, creating a stunningly beautiful scene.
The guards standing guard around the palace gate were burly and full of energy, staring intently at everyone who might approach or tried to get close, their eyes sharp and serious.
But at this moment, their eyes betrayed their true feelings. Their handsome, dark faces were unreadable, but their ears, partially hidden by their hair, were bright red. The handsome guards who came up to question them had shifty eyes and dared not look closely at the adults who had just alighted from the carriage.
The official dressed in blue court robes was clearly of high rank, yet his unimaginable appearance was completely unknown to the Imperial Guards—it was nothing short of a miracle.
"Please don't be alarmed, sir. We're just verifying your identity."
Qingyin looked at the guard who was stammering, and said, "I'm not nervous, but you are."
Qingyin didn't speak, but simply glanced quietly at the guard who was questioning her.
The guard felt ashamed under Qingyin's gaze, and his face flushed. He was grateful and thankful that the guard training a few days ago had tanned his face; otherwise, the embarrassing things he had done today would have been exposed to this dignified and virtuous adult in front of him.
Qingyin smiled gently, "It's alright. Asking about identities is the proper thing to do. This is my imperial token."
The guard glanced at it briefly, especially the name on it—Lin Ruhai, which he remembered clearly. Watching Qingyin walk away into the distance, he was worried. This person looked so unwell; how could he walk like that?
The eunuch sent to fetch Minister Lin Ruhai thought the same thing. Looking at Minister Lin Ruhai walking in front of him, his face was full of difficulty. He followed Qingyin nervously all the way, afraid that before they even reached His Majesty's Qianqing Palace, the beautiful and fragile Minister Lin Ruhai would collapse.
The first impression the father-in-law had of Lin Ruhai was that he was beautiful yet fragile. Although it is not good to use the word "beautiful" to describe a man, it was the perfect description for this Lin Ruhai. He had delicate eyebrows and eyes, and his complexion was unusually pale. The only color that could complement his face was a touch of pink on his thin lips, but even that was lighter than the color of his body and much paler than normal. He was so pale that he was bloodless, which made people feel sorry for him.
The young eunuch secretly sized up the adult, his cheeks flushed, his eyes filled with curiosity and pity.
Inside the Qianqing Palace, the furnishings were comfortable and tidy, and the various luxurious decorations were not at all understated in their display of their presence. A faint scent of dragon musk wafted through the air, subtly reflecting His Majesty's supreme status.
As soon as Qingyin entered the palace, she smelled this faint, cool fragrance. As expected of His Majesty, who is so wealthy and powerful, he casually uses the most luxurious dragon musk in the Northwest as incense.
"Your humble servant Lin Ruhai greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Qingyin bowed her head and knelt in greeting, keeping her head down and not daring to look at Emperor Kangxi, who sat on the rosewood throne with dragon carvings above.
Emperor Kangxi, in the prime of his life, lowered his eyes and casually glanced over, but the figure below made him show a rare hint of doubt.
Is this Lin Ruhai?
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