Chapter 263 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

FlamingoBees

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Favoring Concubines and Destroying Wives? I Refuse to be the Mistress of this Marquis' Mansion

Chapter 263:

Miss Xu

"Mother," Lin Yunyi emerged from the study. With exams approaching, he barely had any time to spare for relatives. However, with the family being understaffed, relying solely on his mother might be too much.

Madam Lin beckoned him over, "Come and greet the elders."

Lin Yunyi approached to pay his respects to the elders. The unmarried young ladies, suddenly faced with such a handsome scholar, blushed profusely. One even accidentally knocked over a teacup, scalding someone nearby.

It was quite a breach of etiquette.

The girl was visibly flustered, her face even redder than before.

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Lin Yunyi, unperturbed, said to Madam Lin, "Mother, please have the maid clean up."

Madam Lin nodded, "Very well." She instructed the maids to assist.

A plainly dressed woman quickly joined the maids in cleaning up and helped the scalded girl to a side room.

Lin Yunyi sat for a while before taking his leave. With so many female relatives around, he couldn't linger too long.

Madam Lin said, "Off you go."

Lin Yunyi turned and left, catching sight of the woman who had assisted earlier. She wore only a single silver hairpin, appearing almost entirely unadorned compared to the other young ladies present.

Seeing Lin Yunyi looking at her, the woman quickly lowered her head and greeted him respectfully.

Lin Yunyi noticed a slight red mark on her hand, but he didn't dwell on it and proceeded to the front courtyard.

The woman had been scalded by the tea earlier, but she didn't seem to make much of it herself. After stepping outside for some fresh air, she returned inside and resumed standing beside her stepmother.

Soon, someone from the front courtyard came to relay a message to Madam Lin. Upon hearing her son's words, Madam Lin glanced at the woman.

Lin Yunyi's message had been: "The girl in the gray-blue coat and skirt, with a silver hairpin in her hair. She's quiet and doesn't speak much. Her hand got burned, so Mother give her some medicine."

Madam Lin arranged for the guests to play a game of cards, then discreetly took the young woman aside to tend to her injury.

"I am surnamed Xu," the young woman introduced herself softly. Despite her unassuming appearance, her demeanor was poised and confident.

Madam Lin smiled, "When you were standing earlier, I didn't get a clear look at you. I thought you were..." perhaps a young bride from another family.

Miss Xu remained modest, keeping her head lowered without competing for attention.

Now that Madam Lin had a closer look, she realized Miss Xu was actually an unmarried young woman.

Miss Xu was composed as she explained, "I'm a few years older than my sisters, so standing for a while doesn't bother me."

Seeing Miss Xu's obedient demeanor, Madam Lin couldn't help but feel pity for her. She asked, "Does your hand hurt?"

Miss Xu shook her head, "It's just a minor burn. I grabbed some snow earlier to cool it down. It won't blister or leave a scar. Although it's a little painful, I can bear it."

Madam Lin admired her even more. This girl spoke clearly and was both intelligent and composed, showing considerable maturity.

"Have you been betrothed?" Madam Lin asked, feeling a bit forward, then quickly added, "I admire you..."

Miss Xu blushed shyly and lowered her head, "I was once betrothed, but it was called off..."

Being jilted was a shameful matter for a woman.

Madam Lin didn't want to pry further, so she smiled and said, "With your qualities, you won't have trouble finding a good match."

Miss Xu smiled faintly in response.

After seeing off the guests, Madam Lin told Lin Yunyi, "I followed your instructions and gave Miss Xu her medicine."

"Her surname is Xu?" Lin Yunyi asked, "Is she a relative from our family?"

Madam Lin replied, "A distant relative, you wouldn't remember."

Lin Yunyi didn't inquire further, focusing instead on preparing for his upcoming examination.

In early January, Qi Zaijun had been confined to the palace and couldn't tolerate being cooped up any longer due to the restlessness of being a child.

He went to see Emperor Jingshun, saying, "Grandfather, I want to go out of the palace with you to play."

Emperor Jingshun shook his head, saying, "I cannot leave the palace."

Having grown up in the wilds of Jiangqian, Qi Zaijun was accustomed to freedom, so he asked, "Why can't you leave the palace?"

Emperor Jingshun took him for a stroll in the imperial garden, which, at this time, wasn't particularly impressive.

Emperor Jingshun replied, "Because I am the emperor."

"Can't emperors leave the palace?" Qi Zaijun didn't understand.

"It's not that we can't leave the palace, but we can't leave casually," Emperor Jingshun explained as he walked with Qi Zaijun in his arms.

Qi Zaijun, leaning on his shoulder, asked, "But you're the supreme ruler, can't you leave the palace whenever you want?"

Emperor Jingshun chuckled, "It's precisely because of my supreme status that I can't leave the palace casually."

Qi Zaijun, feeling disinterested, remarked, "Being emperor doesn't sound fun."

Emperor Jingshun laughed heartily, "Jun'er, being emperor means being bound by duty."

Disappointed, Qi Zaijun said, "Grandfather, Jun'er wants to go home."

Emperor Jingshun didn't agree, saying, "Later, I'll take you out."

"But I thought we couldn't go out?"

Emperor Jingshun said, "I'll take you to see what it means to have no control over oneself."

Qi Zaijun became excited.

In winter, the days grew dark early. Emperor Jingshun changed into a different outfit and took Qi Zaijun to the Crown Prince's Residence.

The Crown Princess was startled and incredulously asked the servants, "Has the Emperor arrived?"

"Yes, he came with the Crown Prince," the servant replied.

The Crown Princess hurriedly prepared herself, saying, "I'll go and greet them."

The servant interjected, "Your Highness, His Majesty said there's no need for formalities. He only came to see the Crown Prince."

Nevertheless, the Crown Princess still changed her clothes and went over.

When Qi Zaijun arrived at the Crown Prince's Residence, he felt uneasy as soon as he stepped inside. Annoyed, he said, "Grandfather, you want to visit the Crown Prince? Jun'er doesn't want to go."

Emperor Jingshun asked sternly, "Have you forgotten what I told you?"

Qi Zaijun remembered. His grandfather had said he wanted him to experience being unable to control himself.

"But..."

"No 'buts'. Come with me."

Emperor Jingshun took Qi Ziajun directly to see the Crown Prince.

The Crown Princess was waiting outside the Crown Prince's residence. Emperor Jingshun said lightly, "Come on. Take me to see the Crown Prince."

"Yes."

The Crown Princess dismissed the idle attendants and allowed Emperor Jingshun and Qi Ziajun to enter together.

The Crown Prince was still in a deep slumber, looking emaciated and frail.

Glancing at him, the Crown Princess burst into tears, but she dared not weep loudly in front of the Emperor.

Emperor Jingshun waved his hand, signaling her to step aside.

After the Crown Princess left, Emperor Jingshun's eyes reddened slightly, his voice lowering: "Zaijun, did you see that? This is the helplessness of the Crown Princess. She aches for her husband but dare not openly weep before me, for it would be deemed a grave disrespect."

Looking into Emperor Jingshun's eyes, Qi Ziajun asked naively, "Emperor Grandfather, are you also helpless?"

Emperor Jingshun remained silent, leading Qi Ziajun inside.

As the Crown Prince awakened, gradually regaining his senses, he could hardly believe whom he saw. Reaching out his hand, he grasped the frail, powerless hand before him, feeling the coldness. "Father Emperor? Zaijun?"

"Am I dreaming...?"

Emperor Jingshun held his eldest son's hand, which felt as cold as he had anticipated.

"No, Yier, you're not dreaming," he replied softly.

Qi Lingyi was taken aback, then suddenly chuckled, "It's a dream... It must be a dream... It's been so long since I've been called Yier."

Emperor Jingshun felt a pang of sadness. However, as an emperor, tears were a rarity. He gently tucked his son's hand under the warm blanket and asked in a low voice, "Yier, is there anything else you wish to tell your father?"

Qi Lingyi realized it wasn't a dream. In dreams, hands were cold, unlike the warmth of real ones. Shaking his head, he replied, "Father, there's nothing... nothing at all."

Emperor Jingshun then brought Qi Zaijun closer and inquired, "Is there anything you want to say to your brother? Didn't you want to see him?"

Qi Zaijun searched under the pillow and retrieved the jade thumb ring. Trembling, he extended it, his face as pale as snow. "Yier, if you don't want it, you can give it to your father."

Emperor Jingshun nudged Qi Zaijun, saying, "Take it."

Qi Zaijun hesitated to accept, but in this situation, it seemed he had no choice.

He took back the jade thumb ring and instinctively thanked, "Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Emperor Jingshun smiled and patted his head affectionately. "Our Zaijun is a good child. But... you should call him Uncle."

Then he gave Qi Zaijun's head a firm pat.

Qi Zaijun winced in pain, then corrected himself, "Zaijun thanks Uncle."

Even Qi Lingyi couldn't help but chuckle.

Emperor Jingshun and Qi Lingyi didn't speak much. Father and son hadn't engaged in casual conversation for many years; they were not accustomed to it anymore.

Qi Zaijun couldn't bear it any longer and pleaded with Emperor Jingshun, "Grandfather Emperor, since you and Uncle aren't talking, I... I'll go out first!"

Qi Lingyi added, "Father, I'm tired."

Emperor Jingshun nodded and said, "Your nephew and I will come to see you again."

"Okay."

Emperor Jingshun took Qi Zaijun back to the palace, and on the way, he asked him, "Do you understand what 'not being in control' means now?"

Qi Zaijun touched his head thoughtfully.

The majesty emanating from his grandfather was ten times more imposing than that of his father, and he never hesitated to show it, even when disciplining him. His head was really hurting from the earlier pat.

"...I understand," Qi Zaijun replied.

"I don't want to be an emperor!" Qi Zaijun said stubbornly.

Emperor Jingshun chuckled, "That's not up to you either."

"The true lack of control comes from the moment you enter this world. What you should do and what you will do are already predetermined," Emperor Jingshun explained.

Qi Zaijun leaned against Emperor Jingshun's chest and fell asleep.

After returning to the palace, Emperor Jingshun went directly to review the documents. There were more domestic troubles than foreign threats, and the affairs of state were burdensome.

There was another provincial examination scheduled for February this year, a regular event that saw new officials replace old ones...

For every day he spent as emperor, there was a day of being at the mercy of circumstances.

•••

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Chapter 263 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

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