Chapter 134#

The Frail and Sickly Powerful Minister#

After Lin Xiaodong dealt with the people around the little Emperor, the other party became noticeably more subdued.

At least, on the surface, he no longer engaged in any petty schemes. During court sessions, the little Emperor deferred primarily to Lin Xiaodong’s opinions. When asked for his thoughts, he would only obediently reply, “I’ll follow Teacher’s lead,” like a puppet doll devoid of independent thought.

This scene was witnessed by the old ministers, who harbored hatred in their hearts. If glares could turn into knives, Lin Xiaodong, standing at the very front, would have long ago been stabbed into a sieve.

In the blink of an eye, the New Year arrived.

According to the customs of the Jing Dynasty, a family banquet is held in the palace on New Year’s Eve. However, the little Emperor was only thirteen years old. Far from having a wife or concubines, he was still a child himself. Those who could spend the New Year with him were likely only the palace maids and eunuchs.

Thus, adhering to a child’s nature, he kept Lin Xiaodong behind alone after a certain court meeting and asked in a tone half-expectant and half-apprehensive: “Teacher, on this New Year’s Eve, could you attend the banquet with me?”

Lin Xiaodong naturally didn’t want to.

The rules in the palace were strict; by the time the elaborate dishes were inspected by subordinates and served, they would have long since gone cold. In his own manor, his word was law; he could even lie in bed and eat without anyone caring. Why on earth would he go to the palace to eat cold food during the New Year?

But seeing the boy’s eager expression behind the imperial tassels, although he knew it was mostly an act, Lin Xiaodong silently swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. He had softened after all.

“Very well,” he said reluctantly, “I shall attend the banquet on time.”

Seeing that Lin Dongqing had actually agreed, the little Emperor was also very surprised.

But he quickly broke into a bright smile. Amidst the gasps of the surrounding eunuchs, he hopped and skipped down from the dragon throne, came before the man, and tugged at his sleeve: “Then it’s a promise, Teacher! What dishes do you like to eat? I’ll order the imperial chefs to learn them right away!”

Lin Xiaodong lowered his eyes and met the boy’s clear gaze.

The little Emperor’s words were full of cheerful emotion, just like a simple, guileless thirteen-year-old boy.

Did Lin Xiaodong believe it?

He’d be a fool if he did.

The youth calmly reached out and straightened the ceremonial crown on the little Emperor’s head. His cold, pale fingertips brushed against the boy’s cheek. Such an intimate and unusual gesture caused a slight stiffness in the boy.

“Your Majesty, you are no longer a child,” the youth said in a low voice, his dark eyes seemingly seeing through the boy’s thoughts. “Fortunately, the court session has ended and only I saw this in the hall, otherwise…”

The little Emperor was puzzled. What did he mean by “only I saw”? Weren’t there so many eunuchs and maids nearby?

But he quickly realized, and his small face turned pale: “Tea-Teacher, if you want to punish someone, punish me. They are all—”

“Innocent?” Lin Xiaodong gave a low laugh. “Your Majesty is indeed still young. As a ruler, how can you say such naive words? And you are the sovereign of a nation; how could I, a mere subject, punish you?”

The implication was that he could only take it out on those eunuchs and maids.

Upon hearing Lin Dongqing’s first sentence, all the eunuchs and maids in the hall had already knelt in a heap. Those with less mental fortitude were already crying in fear but didn’t dare beg for mercy, only covering their mouths and desperately suppressing their terror, trembling on the floor.

Ah, scaring kids is really fun.

Seeing the little Emperor stuttering and unable to speak, Lin Xiaodong finally suppressed his inner mischief. He cast an indifferent glance at the group kneeling on the floor and said flatly: “Since Your Majesty has pleaded for you, I’ll let it go this time.”

Hearing a wave of grateful “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace,” the little Emperor finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But he stole a glance at the youth’s expression and suddenly whispered: “Teacher, you didn’t really want to punish them, did you?”

Lin Xiaodong’s expression remained unchanged: “Why do you say that?”

“Because you weren’t angry,” the little Emperor had lived in the inner palace since childhood. Although he was the Crown Prince, because the Empress was not favored and the Late Emperor was a power-obsessed control freak who was very wary of the consort’s family interfering in politics, he had early on understood the coldness and warmth of human relationships. “You were just using me to warn them, right?”

In fact, the little Emperor didn’t know why he had suddenly said those words. Clearly, Lin Dongqing was meant to be his inevitable enemy, but looking at the youth’s slightly upturned phoenix eyes and thin lips, the little Emperor always felt an involuntary softening in his heart.

Darn it, such a powerful official, how can he look… look so…

The little Emperor couldn’t find a word to describe it for a moment. He only knew that even the famous opera star who had performed in the palace for his father’s birthday wasn’t even half as good-looking as Lin Dongqing.

But this thought must never be known by the other party, he thought silently. How could Lin Dongqing be compared to a mere opera singer?

Lin Xiaodong suddenly began to laugh.

His features were already delicate to begin with. When he wasn’t cold-faced and smiled, it was like spring flowers blooming, making the little Emperor feel dazed for a moment.

“Your Majesty,” Lin Xiaodong looked at this little Emperor who was almost lost in a daze because of him, and said gently, “I think you might have some misunderstanding about me.”

Next, he cheerfully took the boy on a tour of the Heavenly Prison.

The little Emperor: “…………”

Hearing the waves of screams coming from the prison cells, although the boy tried hard to straighten his back so as not to be looked down upon by Lin Dongqing, his frail small frame couldn’t help but become unsteady.

Smelling the heavy scent of blood in the air, he could no longer hold it in and vomited out all of his breakfast with a “ghck” sound.

Now, the foul air was even more pungent. Lin Xiaodong coughed twice and looked indifferently at the little Emperor leaning against the wall and vomiting profusely. One look was enough to silence all the eunuchs and guards who wanted to step forward.

This method of educating a child was certainly not advisable, but Lin Xiaodong never truly regarded the little Emperor as a child who understood nothing. He wouldn’t grow up crooked anyway, so using some shock therapy was naturally harmless.

Besides, he hadn’t come here specifically to bring the child.

“This person is an assassin caught in the palace two days ago,” after the screams subsided and the tortured person fainted, the man’s calm voice echoed in the dark and silent cage. “Your Majesty, I wonder if his face is still familiar to you?”

He ordered someone to grab the prisoner’s hair and turned the blood-stained, hideous face toward the little Emperor.

The little Emperor felt another wave of acid churning in his stomach, but he forced himself to endure it. He stared fixedly at the man’s face for a moment to identify it, and his expression suddenly changed: “He is… someone from Prince An’s manor?”

He remembered this face; he had been a counselor to Prince An, and he had even met him once at a palace banquet.

“Yes,” Lin Xiaodong said, “This person’s identity is not a secret, so he told us immediately after being caught. The one who directed him to assassinate you is precisely Prince An.”

The little Emperor said in panic: “But Father said that Prince An had the best relationship with him and could never betray him. Since I was little, Uncle An has always been very caring toward me…”

“Your Majesty, as a ruler, you cannot be swayed by personal feelings. Think carefully: Prince An was loyal to the Late Emperor, but is he really loyal to you?” Lin Xiaodong guided him patiently.

But the little Emperor still shook his head: “I don’t believe it. Uncle An could not have betrayed me.”

Unexpectedly, the assassin behind them woke up at this moment. Hearing these words, he spat out a mouthful of blood, grinned hideously, and laughed hoarsely: “Ignorant brat! You truly aren’t fit to sit in this position; Prince An is more suitable to be the ruler of the Jing Dynasty!”

The little Emperor shut his mouth abruptly, staring at him with reddened eyes, a flash of irritation from being betrayed appearing on his face.

Still too green.

Lin Xiaodong sighed in his heart, and his left hand naturally rested on the boy’s shoulder. This was naturally highly disrespectful according to etiquette, but the little Emperor suddenly turned his head and looked at the elder beside him.

“Enough,” the youth looked at the assassin who seemed to know his end was near and was still incessantly declaring his loyalty to Prince An, and gave a cold smile. “Prince An is loyal to His Majesty. I already know who the master behind you is. The spies in the capital have doubled recently; do you really think I’m dead?”

The assassin’s voice came to an abrupt halt.

After a breath, he stared at Lin Xiaodong and said with a hideous face: “You’re trying to bluff me, aren’t you?”

“Bluff you?” Lin Xiaodong laughed. “I’m sorry, but as a mere assassin, you aren’t worth me spending that much effort on.”

The little Emperor’s eyes lit up.

He asked impatiently: “Teacher, Uncle An truly didn’t betray me, did he?”

“No,” Lin Xiaodong ignored the assassin’s unwilling roar and led the boy directly out of the cold dungeon. “Your Majesty is only thirteen. A clumsy plot that even you could discover—if I couldn’t figure it out, then I wouldn’t need to be in this position.”

He looked at the Minister of Justice who had rushed over after hearing the news in the distance. He opened his mouth, just about to say something, when he suddenly bent over and coughed violently.

The foul air in the dungeon just now was no less than adding frost to snow for the youth’s already fragile lungs. The little Emperor watched helplessly as a trace of blood slowly flowed between Lin Dongqing’s fingers. His pupils instantly constricted: “Teacher, are you alright?”

He looked at Lin Dongqing coughing heart-wrenchingly beside him, feeling helpless. Clearly he should be happy—Lin Dongqing’s poor health and impending death meant he could reclaim his power as soon as possible… but actually seeing this scene, the little Emperor only felt a dull pain in his chest, as if deep in his heart he was extremely unwilling for this youth to die.

“I’m fine,” Lin Xiaodong composed himself slightly and wiped away the blood with the handkerchief he carried. “It’s just been cold lately, and it’s easy to cough.”

The little Emperor said with concern: “Cold weather shouldn’t cause you to cough blood. How about I have the imperial physicians from the palace come and take a look at you?”

“No need, it’s an old problem.” Lin Xiaodong gave him a somewhat strange look. Only then did the little Emperor react, biting his lower lip in annoyance and blaming himself in his heart for being too talkative.

But Lin Xiaodong still softened his expression, curled the corners of his mouth slightly, and said to the boy:

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Looking at the youth’s smiling face, the little Emperor’s earlier annoyance was immediately cast to the winds.

He broke into a very unpromising smile. This time he didn’t have to play dumb, because in Lin Xiaodong’s eyes, it was as if little flowers were floating around the boy, and from inside to out, he was full of a thick silliness.

Lin Xiaodong: “…………”

Indeed, I still can’t give this silly boy a good face.