Li Lin, however, seemed oblivious to the astonishment in Li Mu's eyes, and proceeded to pour him tea: "Eunuch Li Mu, please sit down. We don't have anything special to offer you, but His Majesty recently bestowed some new tea upon me; please try it."
The delicate aroma of tea wafted into Li Mu's nostrils. He picked up the teacup and inhaled deeply: "Indeed, it's excellent tea, a top-grade Snow Top Green."
Upon hearing this, Li Lin burst into laughter, saying, "Lord Li Mu is truly knowledgeable; he can identify the tea even before tasting it. His skills are as sharp as ever!"
Li Mu showed no joy, and asked while sipping his tea, "Just say what you have to say. We have things to do at home, and we don't have time to listen to your useless talk."
Li Mu's words were very blunt, and Li Lin didn't keep him in suspense any longer. After all, Li Mu had considerable influence in the palace, and the reason the Emperor hadn't removed him was because he wanted to find someone to protect Consort Rong.
Although the Empress is currently safe under the Emperor's protection, the Emperor has only recently ascended the throne and is not yet fully aware of the situation in the palace. If something goes wrong due to a moment of carelessness, she will regret it for the rest of her life.
Li Lin: "Brother, isn't this all because of Consort Rong's matter?"
Li Lin was saying this to be frank. The people in the palace weren't fools, especially the chief eunuch who served the late emperor. He was the late emperor's confidant, and if he wanted him to work for Consort Rong, he couldn't afford to offend him first.
Li Mu sipped his tea slowly and deliberately, without saying a word, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Li Lin paused, then continued, "To be honest, Consort Rong has had a truly unfortunate fate. She had just gained the late Emperor's favor, but then she encountered all this trouble. Fortunately, the little prince in her womb is alright. Don't you agree, brother?"
Li Mu understood the meaning behind his words: he wanted Li Mu to protect Consort Rong. Li Mu was not in a difficult position at all, after all, the late emperor had instructed him to protect her with his own life.
However, Li Mu looked at Li Lin, that old fox with a sly grin, and wanted to make things difficult for him, not wanting him to know his plans.
Li Mu: "I see that your master is quite fond of Consort Rong, so he probably won't need my services."
Li Mu spoke in a sarcastic tone, clearly harboring some resentment towards the new emperor. He made no attempt to hide his attitude. If it were anyone else, Li Lin would have dealt with him long ago, but he knew Li Mu was all bark and no bite.
Li Lin wasn't angry at all, displaying his good temper: "What are you saying, brother? How can we comment on the Emperor's affairs? We should just do our job and not concern ourselves with other matters."
Li Mu sneered, "In that case, go back and tell your master that you have entrusted Consort Rong to his care. I will now retire and return to my hometown."
Li Lin didn't expect that old man Li Mu would react so strongly to this matter. After all, similar things had happened in the previous dynasty, with sons succeeding fathers and brothers succeeding brothers. Besides, the Empress was younger than the Emperor. If it weren't for fate, the two should have been a couple long ago.
Li Lin's heart had long been inclined towards his master, and he didn't think he was being unreasonable at all. He was determined to help his master take away Li Mu's power in the palace.
Thinking of this, Li Lin's gaze hardened, and his expression changed from its previous ease to a serious one. He said solemnly, "No matter how much I say, nothing is more important than seeing Her Majesty's safety with my own eyes. The new emperor has just ascended the throne, and the court is unstable. It's difficult to guard against both open and covert attacks. We need Lord Li Mu to protect Her Majesty's safety!"
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