Chapter 145 After Marrying the Crippled Prince, 25 Last Will and Testament
His scheme was exactly what Yun Chiyi had guessed.
From that moment on, the two of them knew the truth.
The investiture ceremony for the Fifth Prince will be held soon.
His arrogance exceeded Yun Chiyi's imagination. He frequently abducted women, openly insulted scions of prominent families, and openly formed cliques to suppress dissent.
The common people were filled with sorrow, and in the imperial court, the senior officials looked down on his actions.
In the days leading up to the ceremony, Yun Chiyi and Lin Jinyuan stayed home and played cards.
One day I woke up in what was clearly summer, but crows were flying overhead in flocks, and dark clouds covered the sun as if a famine was imminent.
Around noon, the crows dispersed, and Yun Chi and Zhenzhen went out to sample the pastries that had just come out of the restaurant, but their carriage was blocked on the street by a large crowd.
Yun Chiyi gently lifted the curtain: "Go and see what's going on."
Zhenzhen lifted her skirt as she got off the bus, and it took her a lot of effort to squeeze into the crowd.
Yun Chiyi saw her figure disappear into the distance, and it took her a long time to return. Her previously rosy complexion turned deathly pale.
"Your Highness, the Fifth Prince has been assassinated."
Upon hearing this news, Yun Chiyi's brow furrowed slightly.
Zhenzhen continued, "In order to entertain his relatives and friends, the Fifth Prince had this restaurant booked yesterday. However, when he arrived just now, there were still people inside. He got into a conflict with one of them. That person had been drinking and immediately became reckless, grabbing a small knife from the mutton and stabbing it directly into the Fifth Prince's neck."
Thinking of this tragic scene, Yun Chiyi looked up and gazed into the distance.
The crowd was dense and crowded together, blocking her view.
Soldiers and imperial guards had already driven away the people and sealed off the restaurant; anyone who craned their neck to look out out of curiosity would be whipped.
The people then slowly dispersed.
Yun Chiyi lowered the carriage curtain: "Let's go, we won't be able to eat these pastries today."
Zhenzhen crouched down and got into the carriage, lowering her voice to the lowest level: "The Fifth Prince's life is so unlucky. He was about to become the Crown Prince."
Yun Chiyi: "Perhaps that position is unlucky for him, who knows?"
Zhenzhen said, "The man who stabbed the Fifth Prince was depressed because of the Fifth Prince. He heard from others that the Fifth Prince had taken away his hunting grounds and his wife. The man reported it to the authorities but did not get a proper response, so he went to a tavern to drown his sorrows."
Each and every one of these incidents was a death knell for the Fifth Prince. Yun Chiyi said calmly, "How could an ordinary commoner have the ability to kill someone out of anger? He must have seen the Fifth Prince as someone from his dream, which is why he had the courage to assassinate him."
Zhenzhen sighed, "He's dragged his entire family down with him. They really have to drink so many jars of wine."
I returned home and had just entered the house.
Lin Shulang, dressed in a crimson robe, ran over in a flash. Just then, Yun Chiyi was almost inside the study, so he pulled her in with him.
Lin Jinyuan was making tea when he saw this scene, and his gaze gently fell on the teacup.
"Why did you come back with Shulang, Madam?"
Yun Chiyi shook off Lin Shulang's hand.
Lin Shulang didn't care about her attitude. With a look of great joy, he leaned over and told Lin Jinyuan, "Uncle, guess what? Fifth Uncle died on the street today. I just came back from there. The person who killed him was a true hero. You didn't see it. My uncle's head was almost cut off. There was bright red blood all over the ground."
It's not as exaggerated as he described; at most, it's just a bloody hole.
Lin Jinyuan's expression didn't change at all upon hearing this; he had received the news even earlier than Yun Chiyi, who was present at the scene.
He was also shocked, never expecting that the Fifth Prince would have such good fortune but no life to enjoy it, and would be taken away on the spot.
The investiture ceremony was a waste of time; if he had died a few days earlier, the royal family could have saved some money.
At this moment, Lin Shulang, beaming with joy, poured himself a cup of tea: "Although he is an elder, I have long disliked him. You know, I have told you about my uncle. I was only eleven or twelve years old at the time. He forced me to make a bet with him. After I lost, he forced me to crawl through his anus."
Not only these trivial matters, but also some bloody grudges that he did not bring up.
Lin Shulang's most vivid memory was the humiliation of being forced to crawl between someone's legs. He clapped his hands and clenched his fists without a care in the world: "At that time, I saw through his true colors and knew that he would not have a good ending in the future."
He picked up the teacup on the table and raised it to the sky in a toast: "Thank you, Heaven, for your mercy."
Lin Jinyuan and Yun Chiyi reacted extremely coldly, silently standing aside watching him dart around.
Lin Shulang, his mouth dry, drank two cups of tea in succession: "After all these years, I've come to see clearly that the position of the supreme ruler is not something that an ordinary destiny can bear."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jinyuan calmly interjected, "Now that Father has lost three princes, Shulang, in your opinion, who will win Father's favor next?"
Without thinking, Lin Shulang blurted out, "You, Imperial Uncle."
Lin Jinyuan chuckled softly.
Lin Shulang continued, “Although you are not as talented in literature and martial arts or as imposing as other imperial uncles, I think your character is the most suitable to be emperor. Isn’t an emperor supposed to love his people like his own children, be conscientious and hardworking and have no temper?”
He spoke his mind without any hesitation, and even belittled Lin Jinyuan.
Lin Jinyuan was indeed patient and gently reprimanded him: "It's fine if you stay in the Prince Cheng's residence, but you must keep your mouth shut when you go out. If these words reach Father Emperor's ears, neither of us will escape responsibility. At best, we will be demoted to the frontier; at worst, our lives will be in danger."
"Words can be dangerous," Yun Chiyi agreed, silently nodding her chin.
Lin Shulang said "I understand" several times. His ecstatic mood gradually subsided, and he calmed his agitated heart and sat down.
"Traveling to southern and northern Xinjiang is fine, but I don't want to be demoted and never be able to come back."
Lin Jinyuan teased, "It's rare to find something in this city that you still cherish and are reluctant to part with."
Lin Shulang said, "There are too many to give up, fine wine and beautiful women, which one can be easily given up?"
"On the other hand, if I were to become emperor, I would have countless beauties in my harem. If I wanted to be emperor, that would probably be the only reason."
Lin Jinyuan smiled faintly, a cool glint in his eyes.
They were saying something like a chicken had died that morning, and the emperor was so worried that he spat out a mouthful of black blood the next day when he went to court.
What followed was a severe drought that lasted for more than a year.
The people were destitute, and cries of sorrow filled the land.
The Fifth Prince's life was insignificant among the countless starving corpses.
Major and minor illnesses piled up on the emperor, and even the mighty dragon's body would one day collapse.
With no one else available, only mediocre individuals, he distributed power among his princes, hoping to find someone capable of achieving something.
The Emperor gradually realized that Lin Jinyuan's skills were becoming stronger every day. When he finally understood that the person who stood in the hearts of the people was Lin Jinyuan, and he was just a shadow, the Emperor suddenly realized that he had underestimated Lin Jinyuan for too many years.
The emperor grew increasingly thin, and finally that night, he summoned Lin Jinyuan to the palace.
When the person arrived, he only asked one question.
When did your leg heal?
Lin Jinyuan cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I recovered in six months after falling from my horse."
The Emperor gave a dry laugh: "To be able to endure what ordinary people cannot, Lin Jinyuan, you are wearing a very large and carefully crafted mask."
Lin Jinyuan replied calmly, "Father, at first, I only wanted to survive."
Unable to resist before, and facing numerous struggles, Lin Jinyuan chose to avoid direct confrontation.
After that night, Lin Jinyuan never entered the palace again.
Half a month later, news of the emperor's terminal illness leaked out, and rebellions broke out everywhere. Lin Jinyuan left his residence to quell the rebellion with General Zhao, thus extinguishing the princes' and grandsons' hopes of seizing power.
At the end of the year, devastating news came from the palace: the Emperor had passed away.
The princes and ministers rushed to the palace overnight, with countless eyes fixed on the late emperor's edict. Only Lin Shulang secretly looked up at his silent grandfather on the dragon bed.
The eunuch Wang, who had served the emperor for life, took out the imperial edict and handed it to Lin Jinyuan: "Prince Cheng, the emperor's decree is for you to read it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he bent down and helped Lin Jinyuan up from the ground.
Having served the late emperor since childhood, Eunuch Wang was adept at discerning the emperor's intentions. Upon seeing his obsequious attitude, everyone immediately guessed the contents of the edict.
Lin Jinyuan slowly opened the imperial edict, his indifferent eyes sweeping over it.
Eunuch Wang chuckled obsequiously, "Has Prince Cheng seen clearly? Shall this old servant go and fetch a lamp?"
Lin Jinyuan's tone softened: "No need, thank you, Eunuch Wang."
The moon above the palace roof tonight is cold and desolate, and everyone is waiting for Lin Jinyuan's words.
A moment later, the room erupted in uproar.
"How could it be him..."
Lin Shulang muttered to himself, "How could it be me?"
According to Lin Jinyuan's account, in accordance with the late emperor's will, Lin Shulang was to succeed to the throne. Because the eldest grandson of the emperor was still inexperienced, the Prince of Cheng would jointly manage the government until the new emperor was able to make decisions independently, at which point the government would return to full power.
Eunuch Wang was terrified. Looking into Lin Jinyuan's dark, jade-like eyes, he knelt down first when Lin Jinyuan looked at him.
"Long live the Emperor!"
Immediately afterwards, countless voices spread out.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Lin Jinyuan lifted his robe and bent his knees, but Lin Shulang was instantly terrified and grabbed him, saying, "Absolutely not, Imperial Uncle, you don't need to kneel before me."
Unbeknownst to him, his casual remark tonight never resulted in Lin Jinyuan performing the proper court etiquette.
At midnight, Lin Jinyuan drafted three imperial edicts.
Firstly, the new emperor granted a general amnesty upon his ascension to the throne; secondly, officials and commoners helped rebuild the disaster-stricken fields; and thirdly, a secret edict with ulterior motives ordered Xu Yunlan to return to the capital and live out her remaining years at Prince Cheng's residence.
After completing these tasks, Lin Jinyuan returned to his residence.
It was still that unassuming carriage. He lifted the heavy curtain and found Yun Chiyi fast asleep, clutching a hand warmer.
His long, slender fingers, with their smooth, defined lines, gently pinched her snow-white cheek: "Wake up, madam, it's time to go home."
With sleepy eyes, Yun Chiyi asked, "Well, you've become the emperor?"
Lin Jinyuan pulled her into his arms, and her skin, chilled by the cold wind, instantly felt alive again: "No, even if the will was for me, I wouldn't accept it. I promised my wife that I would stay with you forever."
"Furthermore, it's strange. You won't believe it, and even I find it absurd. I've never believed in fate, yet I see them all bowing down before it, as if it's warning me that if I want to follow in their footsteps, I should come forward."
"I also discovered that Lin Shulang was blessed by heaven and had great fortune, so I thought that this was not a perfect plan."
"Lin Jinyuan, when you become the male lead one day, you'll know what that 'luck' really is," the system interjected, munching on cyber-themed melon seeds.
Yun Chiyi's sleepiness gradually disappeared from her face. She understood his words and was shocked by his insight.
She smiled and said, "Yes, you've caught the flaw in the secret."
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Author's Note: The Princess Consort arc is finished. Next up is the Little CEO arc! [kiss][kiss]
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