The Emperor's Intention to Lin Xiao
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Long Yinlian stood in the middle of the main hall of Tianlong Palace with the Emperor seated on his daybed in a relaxed manner. Earlier this morning, he had gone to look for Bai Chenyi, asking if the general was able to help him get an audience with the Emperor. At first, Bai Chenyi was reluctant, but when Long Yinlian said that he needed to see the Emperor because of Lin Xiao’s matter, he relented. By now, everyone close to the Emperor knows that Lin Xiao’s matter must always be treated with care. Thus, Bai Chenyi brought Long Yinlian to the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor is known to be a busy man. But as soon as he heard reports that Bai Chenyi is bringing Long Yinlian over, he had an inkling of a suspicion that it must be related to Lin Xiao. So, he dropped all the unimportant matters and dealt with matters that need his immediate attention in a swift but veracious manner. Once he was done, he immediately went to the throne room, where Long Yinlian and Bai Chenyi were waiting.
At first, they were only supposed to talk in the throne room, but when Long Yinlian began talking about the event of yesterday, Qin Yijun had to stop him. Everyone knows that the palace walls have eyes and ears. Such a delicate matter related to Lin Xiao, Qin Yijun rather not have it discussed in the open.
In the end, they relocated to Tianlong Palace.
“So, what is it about Lin Xiao that you wish to tell Zhen?” Qin Yijun asked, after he dismissed all the servants from the main hall.
“Your Majesty, may this humble subject ask what is the Emperor’s intention to Lin Xiao?” Long Yinlian asked in a straightforward manner.
Usually, people wouldn’t be able to do so when facing the Emperor. After all, if the Emperor was offended, then they would lose their life and even their family could be executed up to the ninth generation. But Long Yinlian has no blood-related family in the Qin Empire for as far as he knows. And the only one whom he treated as families are Lin Xiao and the three tigers.
He knew that the Emperor cared for Lin Xiao enough to openly protect him. As for the three tigers, with Lin Xiao protecting them, he knew that no harm would befall them. As for him, even if he was executed, he did not mind since he was fated to die anyway, because of the poison.
Qin Yijun stared at Long Yinlian carefully. He could see the firm stance and fearlessness. As if, he is the father of a person who has been bullied and now facing the person who bullied their child.
“Zhen’s intention for him… What do you think it is?” Qin Yijun asked back. Since the other is acting like Lin Xiao’s guardian, Qin Yijun suddenly wants to test him. If this man has no ulterior motives, then he would excuse Long Yinlian for his direct honesty.
“This humble subject doesn’t dare to guess the Emperor’s intention. But Lin Xiao is my son. As his father and his master, I cannot sit back when he is bullied.”
“… When has Zhen bullied him…?”
Long Yinlian could clearly hear the shock in the Emperor’s voice and he could feel the slight weight in his heart disappeared. “If not bullying, then for what purpose does His Majesty do such a thing to Lin Xiao? Does the Emperor took a fancy on him?”
Qin Yijun frowned at the question. Clearly it was him who was supposed to test the other, so how did it turn out to be him who was being tested?
“If Zhen says yes, what of it?”
“Then, this humble subject will have to ask… Is it Lin Xiao or is it Li Fangming?”
The moment the question reached Qin Yijun’s ear, he immediately stood up. His body became tense as he glared at Long Yinlian’s figure. “What do you know?” he asked in a low, dangerous tone.
Long Yinlian could sense the atmosphere around the room has changed. But he didn’t back down. Instead, he decided to face the Emperor head on. “Your Majesty, in the past, I have told you about Lin Xiao’s life in the mountain. But have Your Majesty ever think about his feelings back then?” a melancholic smile formed on Long Yinlian’s face as he recalled the first few months after he had saved Lin Xiao.
“After he had recovered from his injuries, he would go down the mountain every day, asking the nearby villagers if anyone ever came to look for a missing family member. And every time, he returned accompanied by sadness.”
“Sometimes, this humble subject would notice that Lin Xiao was not asleep at night. Instead, he would be outside, crying. When asked, he would only reply that he was looking at the moon, saying that the people who had known him might be looking at the same moon at that moment.”
“Your Majesty, do you know how heartbroken he was when he finally decided that he had been abandoned?” Long Yinlian’s mind couldn’t help but go back to the past where Lin Xiao had given up in trying to wait for his family.
He still remembered Lin Xiao’s exact word. And he directly recounted it for the Emperor to hear.
“Since I am unwanted, then let the past stay dead. From now on, Lin Xiao is my name and my only family is Wang Lan, Wang Fan and Wang Zan. Shizun, I will be your faithful disciple so… can I ask you not to abandon me too?”
Back then, Lin Xiao had tried very hard to sound calm, but Long Yinlian could hear the shakiness of his voice. He had known that Lin Xiao had been crying. And since that day, he no longer treated Lin Xiao as a mere disciple but also a son.
“Your Majesty, please forgive this humble subject’s impudence. But, if Your Majesty truly cared for Lin Xiao, please do not compare him to Li Fangming even if that was his true identity. The Lin Xiao right now, will not want to be a replacement to his past self… not after the suffering of waiting that he had to endure…”
Hearing Long Yinlian’s continuous outburst, the anger in Qin Yijun’s chest disappeared and was replaced by guilt. He hadn’t known that Lin Xiao was suffering while waiting for someone to come and bring him home.
“But Zhen had sent people around the area to look for him…” Qin Yijun said in a defeated tone. “There were even reports from Senlin Village but those reports said he wasn’t there,” he added.
Long Yinlian could hear the grief within the Emperor’s voice. And suddenly, a fearful thought crossed his mind.
“But the villagers did not tell us that there are people looking for a missing person. Your Majesty, are you sure you have been looking for him?” he asked in a cautious tone. Two years ago, the Emperor would still be at a young age. His power in the court is probably not stable enough. What if, someone was pulling a wool over the Emperor’s eyes?
‘The palace is indeed messy…’ he thought to himself.
“Zhen has indeed sent people over. And Zhen even sent shadow guards to look for him a year ago—”
Suddenly, Qin Yijun stopped in his track. He suddenly remembered that his shadow guard has reported there was someone who looked similar to Li Fangming near Wujin Senlin. Remembering this, Qin Yijun suddenly let out a helpless laugh.
‘It must be that he had already given up… If I was more persistent, would I have gotten him back earlier?’
“Your Majesty…?” Long Yinlian called out to the Emperor hesitantly. He did not know why the Emperor was suddenly laughing, but from the sound of it, he knew it was not out of happiness.
“Zhen was a fool…” Qin Yijun muttered in a soft voice. By now, even he knew that during the first search, someone must’ve gotten their hands into the matter of the search party and hindered the search for Li Fangming. He admits that he was young back then, but to think someone still dared to play him like this, Qin Yijun was furious.
“Long Yinlian, if Zhen wished to gain Lin Xiao’s trust… what can Zhen do?”
“Your Majesty… actually already have Lin Xiao’s trust,” Long Yinlian replied. “Lin Xiao himself may not know it, but he truly has a trust on Your Majesty. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t dare to tell anything to this humble subject fearing that Your Majesty would harm us.”
“Is that so…” Qin Yijun felt a sense of relief but at the same time, pressured. He was afraid that he would end up breaking Lin Xiao’s trust again in the future and lose him once more. That pain was something he wished that he won’t experience ever again.
“Then, Zhen wished to keep Lin Xiao close and win his heart. Long Yinlian, tell Zhen, what should Zhen do?”