Beicheng Street was packed with people starting in the afternoon.
When the palace carriages arrived, the scene was so crowded and noisy that it was like a bustling market.
Their young emperor, riding in a jade chariot drawn by six Akhal-Teke horses, stood high above them like a celestial being, smiling.
Many people never get to see the emperor in their entire lives.
Only on New Year's Eve can one see the nobles from the palace come out.
Yi Mu stood on a high place, in front of him in a golden bucket containing a hundred pounds of broken silver.
He threw the loose silver coins downwards.
The crowd, like fish being fed bait, rushed forward in a swarm.
Standing below, Bei Menlin looked at the young emperor from this angle and realized that he was neither short nor cowardly.
He was loved by the people, even if all they loved was the money in his hands.
But something is different.
Two years prior, although people had made a fuss, they had no reverence for their high and mighty emperor, only fear.
They were afraid of the tall, burly guards with knives around him.
But now, they looked up at this young emperor with amazement and reverence in their eyes.
Bei Menlin knew that a lot had happened during the time he was away.
Those who were deeply divided within the government were all eliminated.
Those old parasites who had been entrenched in important positions were removed and replaced with new people.
All of this was done by Yimu.
In just a few short months, this young emperor, who was widely considered incompetent, grew rapidly, and his swift and decisive methods surprised Bei Menlin.
From one end of the street to the other, wherever the carriage went, crowds surged forward.
With guards maintaining order, it wasn't too chaotic.
Despite the freezing weather, Yi Mu broke out in a sweat after returning to the palace.
Bei Menlin's gaze softened somewhat compared to half a month ago.
At midnight, fireworks were set off in the palace.
The fireworks, crafted by the nation's most skilled artisans, are diverse in variety and exquisitely beautiful.
Fireworks slowly rose in the most open space of the palace.
The Empress and her female relatives stood on the steps, gazing longingly at the fireworks soaring into the sky.
Yi Mu invited Bei Men Lin to go to the palace to watch the fireworks.
Bei Menlin was very close to him, close enough to see the stars in the boy's eyes.
Looking into those eyes, Bei Menlin couldn't bring himself to refuse.
He and Yi Mu changed into inconspicuous clothes and stood outside the crowd, looking up at the grand fireworks display.
It seems like a long time ago, Yi Mu also watched fireworks with someone at night.
At that time, the place was bustling with noise and chatter. Someone, taking advantage of the boredom of the fireworks, played a game of kissing and embraced, giving him a passionate yet shy kiss.
Looking back now, that was several lifetimes ago.
I can barely remember that person's face.
But Yi Mu still remembers that person's actions to this day.
It was probably during my university years when my class organized a picnic, and we happened to encounter a local fireworks festival.
That was the most innocent age. Even though Yi Mu had begun to learn how to manage a company, he still had the mind of a young boy.
As he recalled the past, a nostalgic expression involuntarily appeared on his face.
Bei Menlin stood beside him, not finding the fireworks particularly interesting; he preferred the young emperor's profile.
He shouldn't have paid so much attention to the young emperor; they were clearly rivals.
But he couldn't help but follow the boy's gaze.
He had a gut feeling that his relationship with the young emperor wasn't one of rivalry.
But every time he thought about it, his head would throb, and a voice would tell him that Beimen Mu was not suitable to sit on the throne and that someone else should sit on it.
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