frightfiction Chapter 104 "Ouch—it hurts! My pride hurts—"
Chapter 104 "Ouch—it hurts! My pride hurts—"
Emperor Longyun told them to leave, and they naturally dared not linger any longer. They had no choice but to let the matter rest for the time being and deal with it at court the next day.
The group slowly took their leave. Before leaving, Grand Secretary Yue paused and looked back at the study inside.
Emperor Longyun was in a great mood for some unknown reason. He was leisurely holding a teacup, watching with satisfaction as Lu Yuxi stamped the jade seal on something. Then he let Lin Shiming curiously pick up the jade seal and play with it happily.
"Grand Secretary Yue?"
Li An spoke up to remind him, and Yue Linghan suddenly came back to his senses.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me, Eunuch Li. I was thinking about other things and lost my mind for a moment."
"How could I possibly accept your thanks, sir?" Li An cupped his hands in thanks. "Lord Yue's dedication to the affairs of the state is truly admirable. How about I personally escort you out of the palace?"
"No, no!" Yue Linghan repeatedly declined. "Chief Steward Li still has to serve His Majesty, how could I trouble him? I can manage on my own, Chief Steward Li, please stay."
Li An was just being polite and didn't intend to see him off, so he naturally accepted the offer.
"Then this old servant will not insist, sir, please."
Yue Linghan nodded in acknowledgment, subconsciously glanced at Lin Shiming who was still playing with the imperial seal like a toy, and then turned and left Xuanzheng Hall.
Today's events have confirmed his doubts.
It seems that the facts are indeed as he suspected.
The morning sun was shining brightly, its warmth bathing Yue Linghan, yet it inexplicably sent a shiver down his spine.
*
After Prince An's complete downfall, Grand Secretary Yue had already vaguely sensed something was wrong, and he even had a conversation with Shen Wanyi's father, Shen Lin.
Even if Lin Shiming had extraordinary abilities, it would be impossible for him to completely uproot a prince who was a favorite to seize the throne in just two months, leaving him powerless to fight back, as cleanly as autumn leaves being swept away by the wind.
This is most likely due to the support and instruction of Emperor Longyun.
But this discovery was even more chilling than simply that Lin Shiming was highly capable. He would rather it were the latter; at least Lin Shiming was just the Crown Princess, and if things went too far, His Majesty would intervene.
That's why he made a special trip to the palace today, to test Emperor Longyun's attitude toward Lin Shiming.
As expected, despite their repeated questioning, His Majesty remained unconcerned and engaged in witty banter with them, subtly hinting at his willingness to follow Lin Shiming's lead.
It's all too obvious that His Majesty is behind all of this. And judging from today's events, His Majesty is determined to put the Crown Prince on the throne.
No way! He didn't marry his granddaughter to Prince Ping just for the simple position of a princess!
Yue Linghan's mind was gradually making up, but he showed no sign of it on his face.
Their desire for Prince Ping to ascend the throne suggests they are bound to disagree with His Majesty. Shen Lin was right a few days ago; no matter how impoverished the Empress Dowager may be, she is still the Emperor's legal mother according to propriety, holding a secure and revered position. The principle of filial piety has been upheld for millennia, and with such a strong emphasis on filial duty, His Majesty cannot disregard it.
If Prince Ping's faction wanted to achieve their goal, they had to find someone who could suppress the Crown Princess. Seeing that no one could match the Crown Princess's family background and status, they had no choice but to join forces with the Empress Dowager.
At least the Empress Dowager is the only one who is at odds with His Majesty and the Crown Prince, and who also has the upper hand in terms of etiquette.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend.
Yue Linghan made up his mind, quickly walked out of the palace gate and got into the carriage.
Princess Ping, the granddaughter, is more than seven months pregnant and the pregnancy is stable. It is time for her to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
*
While Grand Secretary Yue was determined to seduce the Empress Dowager according to Emperor Longyun's plan, Lin Shiming was happily returning to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion accompanied by Lu Yuxi.
When the two arrived, Lin Shihe had just returned from the camp in the suburbs.
These past few days, with the small military exercises, Lin Shihe has been working day and night, and hasn't been home or attended court for a long time. He didn't sleep at all last night, and is now forcing himself to stay awake as he enters the house, eager to go back and have a sweet dream with his wife.
But Lin Shiming, that blind man, clearly lacked any sense of propriety, and deliberately chose to come when people were in a hurry to go to sleep.
"elder brother!"
He leaped from the carriage to his brother's side in a flash, his gleaming eyes striking the weary Lin Shihe in the face, instantly tensing him and invigorating him.
The guards at the door were not surprised and bowed respectfully to Lu Yuxi, who was getting out of the car behind them.
Lin Shihe, startled by the familiar gaze as he entered, was speechless.
What are you up to now?!
Lin Shihe felt a tickle in his teeth, as if some bad luck was gradually creeping over him.
But when he turned and glanced at Lu Yuxi, who strode in behind him, he decided to give his younger brother some face. He suppressed the urge to give Lin Shiming a beating with a ruler, "Why are you back today? Weren't you in charge of the palace examination?"
"Oh dear, there are hundreds of those exam papers, how am I supposed to look at them all? We'll talk about it tomorrow at the mini-exam!" Lin Shiming waved his arms and legs in front of Lin Shihe, backing away as Lin Shihe walked in, smugly saying, "I'm here today to talk to you about serious business!"
Lin Shihe nodded perfunctorily, his eyelids almost closing. "Okay, let's get down to business."
After you finish speaking, tell me to go to sleep quickly; I don't want to die young.
"No! There are too many people here, we can't talk here. Let's go to the study!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Shiming grabbed his brother's arm and, ignoring Lin Shihe's eye-rolling, dragged him toward the study.
And while he was dragging the cart, he kept chattering, "Brother, why do you look so weak today... Wow, you can't be suffering from kidney deficiency, can you?"
As he spoke, he sneakily leaned close to Lin Shihe's ear and said in a low voice but actually a loud shout, "If you're not good enough, don't drag my sister-in-law down with you. How about I call a royal physician for you? Let's get treatment as soon as possible!"
The surrounding guards and servants all gasped in shock, wishing they could flee on the spot.
Lu Yuxi, who was following behind, also stopped in her tracks, her pupils dilating in shock.
Lin Shihe: "... ..."
Lin Shihe: "Shifeng! Bring me my ruler!"
As expected, Shi Feng descended from the sky and instantly pulled out a familiar black ruler from his waist and shoved it into Lin Shihe's hand.
They're all old-timers in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion; everyone knows that whenever the Second Young Master's eyes light up, it means the time when the Heir Apparent will lose his temper and beat someone isn't far off.
He bowed respectfully to Lin Shiming, who was still in disbelief, and then turned around to give the guards and servants around him a "secrecy lesson," while also preparing ointment to reduce swelling and bruising.
Turning around again, Lin Shihe was already standing at the door of the study, politely smiling and raising his hand to welcome the guest.
"Your Highness, please."
Didn't you come here specifically to see me? Let's see where you can run to today!
Lin Shihe's smile became even gentler, making Lu Yuxi, who was behind him, feel uneasy.
"This is it, I'm doomed," Lin Shiming forced a smile, wishing he could slap himself.
What do you get out of being so sarcastic?
*
Two months after her marriage, the "lively and cheerful" General Lin once again experienced the long-lost taste of the ruler because of her sharp tongue.
The strength of this ruler is completely different from Lu Yuxi's slaps; it's almost like a map scale in comparison. Not to mention that today happens to be a perfect day for Lin Shihe to explode, as he's been sleep-deprived for several days.
The blows continued, causing Lin Shiming to wail in pain, as if Lin Yunyue had been in trouble. This made Lu Yuxi feel heartbroken and helpless, wishing she could take his place.
Fortunately, Lin Shihe didn't intend to punish him for long. When Lu Yuxi finally couldn't help but plead for mercy a second time, he stopped, showing him some consideration. Actually, if this person hadn't insisted on barging in, being so foul-mouthed and loudly proclaiming it, he wouldn't have wanted to argue too much with his younger brother who hadn't been home for a long time.
"Alright." Lin Shihe casually tossed the ruler onto the table. "For His Highness the Crown Prince's sake, I'll let you off this time."
Lin Shiming, who had been lying on the tatami mat, was finally freed. He sat up with a grimacing expression, then leaned against Lu Yuxi's chest, looking aggrieved. "Ouch—it hurts!"
"Oh, isn't that General Lin, who, just to gain fame, endured a hundred lashes one day and dared to step into the arena to compete for the title of best in the entire army the next day?"
Lin Shiming paused for a long time.
He glanced up at Lu Yuxi, who was too shocked to speak, for a few seconds, then buried his head in Lu Yuxi's arms, who was still in a daze.
"Ouch—it hurts! My pride hurts—"
Lu Yuxi: "... ..."
Lin Shihe: "... ..."