Chapter 138#

The Frail and Sickly Powerful Minister#

Lin Xiaodong’s visit to the palace this time truly wasn’t for Jing Ji.

As mentioned before, Empress Dowager Changfeng had a son and a daughter, but only Jing Ji was her biological child. When the Late Emperor was alive, she could ruthlessly use even her own biological son to compete for favor, let alone an adopted daughter who wasn’t her own flesh and blood.

When the Late Emperor was alive, Empress Dowager Changfeng would occasionally care about her adopted daughter’s life for the sake of competing for favor. As soon as the Late Emperor died, she completely abandoned the useless adopted daughter and devoted herself to the grand cause of competing for power and profit with Lin Dongqing.

Therefore, a grand princess of a nation had a living standard that couldn’t even compare to that of a legitimate daughter of a minor wealthy family.

Lin Xiaodong intentionally didn’t have anyone announce his arrival. Upon entering the palace, he saw the princess, who was over a year old, wearing a thin garment. The cotton-padded jacket she wore over it was already filthy. She was crawling clumsily on the cold floor tiles and even trying to stuff a spider of unknown species into her mouth.

The few palace maids and wet nurses serving nearby sat around a charcoal brazier, chatting and knitting wool on their own, with no one caring about what the child on the ground was doing.

The youth’s gaze turned dark, and he shouted coldly, “What are you doing?”

The people in the hall only then noticed Lin Xiaodong’s arrival. Although they didn’t know which official had come, everyone recognized the black official robe Lin Xiaodong wore. Several people were instantly scared out of their wits and hurriedly fell to their knees.

“Lord, spare our lives!”

Lin Xiaodong walked to the princess’s side with a cold face, bent down, and picked up the child.

Although he hadn’t raised a child, just looking at the young girl’s face and nose, which were red from the cold, and her weight, which was as light as a kitten, he knew that these audacious fellows had never even thought about taking good care of the child.

No matter how much Empress Dowager Changfeng abandoned this child, the basic monthly allowance wouldn’t be missing.

After all, she was a princess of a nation.

But looking at the dust-covered displays in this palace, the broken stone floor, and the princess’s obviously ill-fitting clothes, where had these allowances gone?

The answer was self-evident.

Lin Xiaodong took the handkerchief handed to him by a servant and slowly and gently wiped the dirt off the princess’s face. The young girl, suddenly picked up, wasn’t afraid. She just looked at the youth above with two large eyes like black grapes, suddenly giggled, and reached out her hands in a gesture wanting a hug.

“pa…papa.”

Someone took a sharp breath, but Lin Xiaodong ignored it.

“You have such audacity,” he lifted his eyelids and swept a glance at them. “To neglect the princess like this, do you no longer want your heads?”

“Lo-Lord, we—” The wet nurse suddenly looked up, her eyes red, wanting to beg for mercy. But Lin Xiaodong deeply felt a surge of annoyance. He didn’t like using power to suppress people, but after coming to this world, he was always forced to use these means again and again.

Let’s just end it quickly, he thought coldly.

“Deal with them according to palace laws,” he dropped a sentence non-committally.

But the palace maids and the wet nurse instantly collapsed on the ground in despair. Everyone knew that this was a matter of losing one’s head!

For a moment, shrill cries and wails rose throughout the palace.

An incense stick of time later, the impatient Jing Ji finally received news from the eunuch again.

He stood by the desk with a stiff face, his movement of holding the brush to write a title paused. For a long time, he just pursed his lips with a pale small face and murmured to himself in an almost imperceptible voice.

“Lin Dongqing, what exactly does he want to do?”

He had just placed the Empress Mother under house arrest, and it wasn’t enough that he was being jointly impeached by dozens of court officials. Now he had entered the palace without a decree and had overstepped his authority to deal with the servants in the Princess’s palace?

Preposterous!

Although Jing Ji was equally full of rage upon learning that those audacious servants dared to treat the Princess like that, Lin Dongqing’s action still made him fumes with anger. The boy tightly gripped the brush handle until it made a creaking sound, which frightened the eunuch in the study.

But after a moment, the boy suddenly relaxed and revealed a bright smile.

“Good,” he put down the brush and said loudly, with an excited expression flashing on his face. “Someone, come. I want to reward Teacher heavily!”

The eunuch thought his ears had misheard. “Your Majesty, you said just now… you want to reward Lord Lin?”

Shouldn’t he be flying into a rage? Reward what?

“Yes,” Jing Ji laughed. “It’s my oversight. Xiao Youzi, go and invite Teacher to the study for a chat first. I want to thank him properly!” Pausing, he added, “Oh, and when Teacher comes, go to my private treasury and take out that white fox fur muffler, understand?”

Xiao Youzi carefully observed His Majesty’s expression and found that the boy indeed had a completely grateful look on his face. Only then did he lower his head and respond thoughtfully.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

And when he conveyed Jing Ji’s words to Lin Xiaodong, Xiao Youzi found that on the youth’s cheek, which appeared bloodless in the cold wind, his features unexpectedly relaxed, and a trace of a smile appeared.

This smile was like a spring breeze suddenly arriving overnight, almost dazing Xiao Youzi.

Lord Lin… is truly good-looking.

Fortunately, before being noticed, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to take another look.

Lin Xiaodong was indeed in a good mood. Therefore, although he noticed the slight offense in the little eunuch’s gaze, he didn’t say anything, but just said, “Just as well, I also have something to discuss with His Majesty. Then I’ll trouble the eunuch to lead the way.”

Xiao Youzi was overwhelmed by the favor.

But in most cases, Lin Xiaodong appeared very approachable. From transmigrating until now, he had always maintained a restrained attitude, following the principle of not offending others unless offended. It would be best if he could smoothly transition through this period.

Unfortunately, it seemed he was being looked down upon.

Upon arriving at the study, before even entering, Jing Ji hurriedly ran out from inside.

The boy wore a bright yellow dragon robe and a red cashmere scarf from Persia around his neck. He looked up at him, his eyes full of admiration. “Teacher, you’ve finally come!”

Different from his previous restrained appearance, this time, Jing Ji completely expressed his longing for Lin Dongqing in his words, as if the matter with Empress Dowager Changfeng hadn’t affected him in the slightest.

The boy even affectionately pulled Lin Xiaodong’s wrist, pressed him onto a seat in the study, and personally brewed a cup of hot tea for him.

“Since Teacher has a weak body, don’t come in person in the middle of winter next time.” Jing Ji watched Lin Xiaodong take a sip of tea after thanking him, the smile on his face deepening. “I heard you’ve taken in an adopted son? You can entirely have him enter the palace on your behalf, and he can enter at any time; I allow it.”

But in reality, Lin Dongqing didn’t have the authority to enter the palace privately. Yet, with a casual sentence, Jing Ji gave him the highest trust as a subject and a unique, transcendent status.

Lin Xiaodong gave a low laugh, put down the tea cup, raised his head, and examined him meticulously.

Jing Ji could maintain a smile at first, but soon, his smile appeared slightly stiff under this silent gaze.

“…Teacher?”

The boy’s disguise was still slightly immature, but Lin Xiaodong wouldn’t misjudge; this was a cold blade that had already begun to show its edge. He looked at Jing Ji’s young and handsome face, his thin frame, his height that seemed to change every few days, and those eyes that had become calmer and deeper after repeated setbacks, with a look of appreciation.

Once he grew up, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that aura of ruling the world.

“Your Majesty has grown up,” he said with gratification, his tone carrying a bit of meaningfulness.

Jing Ji froze, his mind racing, wondering if Lin Dongqing had discovered something. But on the surface, he smiled with no sign of abnormality. “Teacher’s observation is meticulous. The imperial physician also said recently that my height has been growing a bit fast, and now my knees ache slightly every night.”

“Is that so?” It was just a casual remark from Jing Ji, but he didn’t expect the youth to reveal a serious expression, even slightly frowning. “Does it hurt a lot?”

Jing Ji’s eyes widened slightly, a faint, indefinable feeling rising in his heart.

“It’s alright.” He lowered his eyes, unwilling to discuss this issue further, and asked instead, “Doesn’t Teacher have something to discuss with me? What exactly is it?”

Lin Xiaodong let out an “ah,” not noticing the little Emperor’s abnormality, but just said flatly, “This matter is neither big nor small. It’s about the northern border; their old Shanyu fell from his horse while hunting, and he probably doesn’t have much time left.”

Jing Ji immediately frowned. For the Jing Dynasty, the northern border was a thorn in the flesh. If not pulled out, it would hurt every moment. But if it were truly pulled out, with the Jing Dynasty’s current national strength, it would surely cause major damage.

When the Late Emperor was alive, he was busy quelling internal unrest and had no time to manage the northern border. After winning a battle, the court ordered the army, which was almost attacking the royal tent at the time, to withdraw immediately due to food and military expenditure issues… Thinking of this, Jing Ji quickly glanced at Lin Xiaodong’s face, because the person who served as a counselor in the army at that time was exactly the current Minister of Personnel and Minister of Works, Lin Dongqing.

Failing to capture the Shanyu alive was a lifelong regret of his.

“Then,” Jing Ji carefully weighed his words, “what plans does Teacher have?”

Lin Xiaodong looked at him calmly.

“Fight,” he said.

“Once the Shanyu dies, the northern border will surely fall into internal unrest. Although his second son isn’t the successor designated by the Shanyu, his prestige in the hearts of the northern border people is greater than that of the eldest son. To seize the position of Shanyu, he will surely secretly send someone to the capital to contact Your Majesty, hoping to get the support of the Jing Dynasty.”

Lin Xiaodong analyzed the current world situation for him in detail. “Barbarians are mostly untrustworthy. Your Majesty must be clear about their wild ambitions. If we don’t take this opportunity to severely crush most of their forces, I’m afraid that in less than ten years, the new Shanyu will reclaim his subordinate forces and make a comeback at the border.”

Jing Ji pursed his lips tightly. Before this, he hadn’t heard any news about the Shanyu’s health. Even when the matter of the northern border was mentioned in court before, some ministers vowed that the old Shanyu was strong and could live at least another twenty years.

This proved that Lin Xiaodong’s intelligence network at the border far surpassed anyone else in the Jing Dynasty. And the fact that the other party put so much effort into cultivating these talents, perhaps… was to one day realize his long-cherished wish.

“Teacher is right,” he said. “This is indeed a rare and excellent opportunity. But on the Jing Dynasty’s side…”

Fortunately, the Late Emperor only had one son, so Jing Ji could sit on this dragon throne without dispute. But even so, with a minor Emperor ascending the throne, many people were secretly restless. If they were to set out for the northern border at this time, wouldn’t it be adding fuel to the fire?

Lin Xiaodong saw Jing Ji’s hesitation and comforted him, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. Even if we really have to fight, it won’t be right now. The Shanyu hasn’t died yet, and he has a total of eight sons. It will surely be some time before the northern border truly becomes chaotic.”

“Eight?” Jing Ji’s mouth twitched. “He really can produce.”

“Yes,” Lin Xiaodong sighed. “I’m afraid the Shanyu didn’t expect that the territory he worked half his life to conquer would soon be split apart again.”

Although tragic, as people of the Jing Dynasty, Jing Ji and Lin Xiaodong exchanged a glance and saw a sense of schadenfreude in each other’s eyes.

The atmosphere in the study momentarily relaxed, and a trace of a sincere smile involuntarily appeared on the corner of Jing Ji’s mouth.

He coughed, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xiao Youzi coming in with a white fox fur muffler. Suddenly, as if possessed, he stood up, walked before Lin Xiaodong, and reached out to cover the youth’s eyes.

“Teacher,” he laughed, “regarding the matter of the Royal Sister, I have to thank you. Guess what reward I’ve prepared for you this time?”

In the darkness, Lin Xiaodong blinked.

“Jewelry and accessories?”

“No.”

“Gold and curios?”

“No either.”

With this exchange of questions and answers, Jing Ji’s body was also gradually stiffening. He felt the sensation of the youth’s long eyelashes lightly brushing against the palm of his hand and only felt that he had probably been struck by some madness earlier. Otherwise, how could he have made such… such an intimate gesture?

This was Lin Dongqing!

“Your Majesty?” Noticing the boy’s silence, the youth’s gentle voice rang in his ear.

Jing Ji suddenly snapped back to his senses, retracted his hand somewhat awkwardly, and pointed to the white fox fur muffler Xiao Youzi had placed on the tray. “It’s this. I wonder if Teacher likes it?”

Lin Xiaodong quietly looked at the white fox fur muffler for a moment, suddenly reached out, and picked it up from the tray, but for some reason, he didn’t put it on.

Jing Ji raised an eyebrow. “It seems Teacher doesn’t like it.”

“Not really, it’s just that I already have a white fox fur cloak at home,” Lin Xiaodong said cheerfully. “And I privately think this white fox fur muffler is more suitable for Your Majesty.”

Jing Ji was speechless.

He looked down at the cashmere scarf around his own neck, very readily took it off, and handed it to Lin Xiaodong. “Since Teacher prefers this one, I’ll give it to you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Lin Xiaodong put on the scarf that still carried the boy’s warmth, stood up naturally, and put the white fox fur muffler around Jing Ji’s neck.

Feeling the suddenly approaching chest, Jing Ji’s eyes widened sharply. He stood on the spot like a wooden stake, letting Lin Xiaodong move.

Darn it.

What is with this person?

He’s too audacious! I am the Emperor!

But when the youth’s shallow breathing accompanied his gentle voice in his ear, Jing Ji’s head immediately burned into a mush. He stood there dizzily, feeling Lin Xiaodong’s cold fingertips brush past his neck, letting the other party straighten his collar for him. His whole person felt like he was floating in the clouds.

Lin Xiaodong called him several times but got no response.

Lin Xiaodong: “…………”

I thought this kid had made some progress, but now it seems, forget it.