Audience
The peaceful days didn't last long. Emperor Liang suddenly summoned He Lin, and Jiang Yi was also summoned along with him.
Since He Lin revealed his identity as Xi Chen to Emperor Liang, he has rarely interfered in the affairs of Yu Ling Pavilion, leaving most of them to Yin Zhaobai and Wu Yuan, showing an attitude of retiring at a young age.
Emperor Liang wanted to see his son but could not, so he had no choice but to issue an edict summoning him to the palace for an audience.
Outside the study, Li Shengquan had been waiting for a long time.
When he saw He Lin being led by a young eunuch and followed slowly by others, he hurriedly went to greet him with a smile on his face.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time. Please go in quickly."
Upon hearing this form of address, He Lin coldly corrected, "Eunuch Li, please just call me He Lin. His Highness the Third Prince passed away when he was five years old."
Emperor Liang has not yet publicly revealed He Lin's true identity. This summons to the palace is a test of his intentions. If He Lin is willing to return to his side, he will immediately issue an edict to announce it to the world and compensate him a thousandfold. If He Lin is unwilling, then that's another matter...
Li Shengquan's lips twitched and his eyelids twitched. He immediately bowed and corrected himself: "Yes, this servant misspoke. Young Master Lin, please come in."
He Lin took the hand of the person beside him and was about to walk up the steps when Jiang Yi was stopped.
“Miss Jiang, I’m so sorry, His Majesty has summoned Young Master Lin. Please wait here for a while.”
He Lin frowned, his eyes filled with displeasure. Jiang Yi quietly tugged at his hand and smiled brightly, "It's alright. In that case, I'll just wait here."
After saying that, she gave He Lin a look, indicating that he could rest assured.
"Wait for me here, don't wander off."
Hearing him speak as if he were instructing a kindergarten child, Jiang Yi couldn't help but smile. She cleared her throat as if to make an excuse and obediently nodded, "Okay, I won't run around."
Even if Jiang Yi didn't go in, she could probably guess what Emperor Liang wanted to say to He Lin. It was nothing more than probing whether he was willing to acknowledge his ancestors and return to the family, to recognize him as his father. It wasn't hard to guess.
He Lin was certainly aware that what he had just said to Li Shengquan had shown his attitude—he was unwilling.
Jiang Yi even knew the reason why Emperor Liang summoned her. He must have felt that she, a mere concubine's daughter, was not good enough for his son and wanted to break off their engagement so that He Lin could find another legitimate daughter from a prestigious family to be his legal wife...
If that's the case, there's nothing we can do but deal with it as it comes and take it one step at a time.
Inside the Imperial Study, as soon as He Lin stepped through the door, Emperor Liang turned around upon hearing the sound, his large hand unconsciously resting on the armrest of the dragon throne, his expression a mixture of joy and complexity.
"Heng'er, you've come."
He Lin glanced at him, pursed his lips, then lifted his robe and knelt on one knee, bowing slightly and clasping his hands in a salute: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Emperor Liang quickly approached and personally helped him up, saying, "Get up quickly, the ground is cold."
He Lin stood up and took a small step back, avoiding his hands.
Emperor Liang was taken aback. He really hadn't expected He Lin to be so distant from him. The father and son had been estranged for more than ten years, and it was indeed not so easy to get close to each other.
He still clearly remembers that He Lin was the closest to him among the three princes. Although he was a bit naughty when he was young, he was clever and quick-witted. He often came to the study to accompany him in handling state affairs. Sometimes when he was bored, he would climb onto the dragon throne and sit in his lap, boldly pulling his beard, unlike the Crown Prince and Qi Junxu who were so reserved when they saw him...
He Lin adopted a businesslike demeanor: "May I ask what brings Your Majesty here today?"
Emperor Liang couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
He actually addressed him as "Your Majesty," instead of "Your Son, Your Majesty"?!
"It's nothing important, I just had some free time today and wanted to chat with you."
He Lin's gaze remained fixed on a certain point on the ground, refusing to look at him.
"Heng'er, does this study look familiar? You used to come here to keep me company when you were little. Among all the princes, you were the most daring. You would often grab my beard and beg me to play with you. Do you remember these things?"
He Lin replied expressionlessly, "Your Majesty, I...do not remember."
He even remembered how Liaolan tricked him into leaving Changle Palace, so how could he not remember such a thing? It was just an excuse he was using to deny it.
Emperor Liang pulled him by the arm and led him to the table. "It doesn't matter if you don't remember those things, they're not important anyway. I know you loved eating the cherry pie, plum blossom pastry, and jade dew dumplings made by the imperial chef when you were little. Try them and see if they taste the same as they did back then?"
He Lin turned his head and glanced at the exquisite pastries on the table. Some of them were still steaming, so they must have just come out of the oven. The fragrant aroma wafted into his nose. He didn't even need to taste them to know that they tasted exactly the same as the ones he ate when he was a child. However, his state of mind was not the same as before. No matter how sweet the food was, it tasted only bitter when it entered his mouth.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but my tastes have changed, and I no longer enjoy sweets."
If it were anyone else deliberately picking a fight, Emperor Liang would have already lost his temper, but he felt guilty towards He Lin, and even his temper was suppressed by guilt and heartache.
It wasn't just because they hadn't protected the mother and son back then, hadn't found the culprit in time, and had been deceived by Shangguan Qingyao for many years; it was more because they were bothered by Ma Zhang's death.
He Lin was unaware that Ma Zhang had rebelled to avenge him and his mother. He even personally apprehended Ma Zhang, as the head of the Yu Ling Pavilion, and sent him to the execution ground. Emperor Liang clearly knew the reasons for Ma Zhang's rebellion, yet he still couldn't spare him. What wrong had Ma Zhang done? He only wanted revenge for his mother. If that was wrong, then what about him, who had failed to find the murderer for so many years? He preferred to believe the fire at Chang Le Palace was an accident rather than a premeditated murder to overturn the verdict against him and his mother…
What's the use of forcing Shangguan Qingyao to her death and beating Liao Lan to death now? His mother and Ma Zhang will never come back.
Belated affection is an act for the world to see; the ruthlessness and heartlessness inherent in an emperor's bones are what flow in his blood and will never change.
Seeing that he really didn't want to talk to him, Emperor Liang nodded and sighed, "Heng'er, how can you forgive your father? If your mother were still alive, how much pain would she feel seeing us, father and son, finally reunited but now so distant!"
He Lin felt an urge to laugh, but he couldn't. The anger simmering inside him was about to burst out of his chest. How could he possibly mention his mother?!
"Could you call me Father Emperor?"
He Lin curled his lips in a mocking smile: "Your Majesty, I am addressed as He Lin, not the Third Prince. I dare not overstep my bounds."
Emperor Liang sighed helplessly, "You grew up in Yu Ling Pavilion, so I know how cruel it is there. You killed the previous pavilion master, Old Ghost, and I imagine you suffered a lot at his hands. I recently looked through the scrolls about him; he's long been all alone in this world, without a single relative. Otherwise, I would have ordered the extermination of his entire clan to vent your anger. Heng'er, don't treat me like this. I'm old, and I don't have much time left. I always want to do something to make it up to you. Can you give your father another chance..."
For the emperor to be so humbled, anyone else would have knelt on the ground in fear and trembling, shouting that they dared not, but he just happened to encounter He Lin, a man with a heart of stone.
"Long live Your Majesty. Besides, Your Majesty owes me nothing, so there is no need for compensation."
Emperor Liang repeatedly met with setbacks from He Lin, and his shoulders slumped unconsciously, losing their usual vigor. He turned and walked toward the desk where the dragon throne was located.
"If Your Majesty has no urgent business, I shall take my leave."
"etc!"
Emperor Liang took an imperial edict from the table, rolled it up, and handed it to him, saying word by word, "This is the edict for my succession to the throne. Keep it safe. After my death, I will entrust the vast land of Liang to you."
He Lin stared wide-eyed, feeling no emotion, but rather his anger grew even stronger.
Does he see the throne as some easy-to-hand-go potato? Can he just give it to whomever he wants? Does he think the entire Liang Dynasty is so casual?
He Lin took a deep breath, knelt down decisively, and said with his head held high, "Your Majesty, I beg you to rescind your decree! I am unworthy of such a heavy responsibility!"
Emperor Liang smiled faintly and sighed, "I know you are capable. Yu Ling Pavilion is well managed in your hands. The Great Liang will surely be unified under your rule and a glorious era will be restored."
He Lin looked up and stared directly into Emperor Liang's eyes, repeating, "Your Majesty, I humbly request that you rescind your decree!"
Emperor Liang lowered his eyes to look at the bright yellow imperial edict and asked, "Why? Don't you want to stand at the pinnacle of power and rule the world?"
He Lin uttered two words: "I don't want to."
He paused, then continued, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people, and has done nothing wrong. I implore Your Majesty to rescind your decree, lest it shake the very foundations of the Great Liang dynasty!"
"Get up, Heng'er." Emperor Liang smiled with satisfaction and helped him up from the ground again. "I haven't stamped this imperial edict yet. I was going to wait for your approval before stamping it, but it seems that I don't need to now. You are so considerate of the overall situation. You are truly my good child."
"Li Shengquan!"
Hearing the noise, the chief eunuch outside the door hurriedly came in: "Your Majesty."
"Bring her in."
Li Shengquan bowed slightly: "Yes."
When Jiang Yi entered, she saw Emperor Liang and He Lin standing one after the other, both looking at her with the same gaze, and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Oh no, are they really going to break her and He Lin up?
"Greetings..." In her nervousness, Jiang Yi almost performed a male salute again, but quickly changed course and placed her hands in front of her hips: "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Li Shengquan, standing to the side, hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. This girl actually performed a regular greeting to His Majesty instead of a grand one, which was truly impolite!
Emperor Liang gestured with his chin for Li Shengquan to leave, then smiled kindly at Jiang Yi and said, "No need for formalities."
"Thank you, Your Majesty... no, thank you!"
Emperor Liang shook his head slightly, turned around and sat down on the dragon throne, putting the previous imperial edict back in its original place.
"You are Jiang Yi, Heng'er's wife?"
Heng'er? You must be referring to He Lin, right?
Jiang Yi nodded, deciding to strike first: "Your Majesty, it is indeed me. It was Your Majesty who bestowed this marriage upon us. Have you forgotten?"
Emperor Liang looked up at her. Although her dark eyes were very similar to He Lin's, her aura was completely different. His cold face was stern and intimidating, making people feel cold and the air pressure around him seemed to drop.
Goodness, anyone who can become emperor is no ordinary person! That aura is simply overwhelming!
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