Miss Xu

"Mother."

Lin Yunyi came out of the study. The exam was about to Metropolitan Examination. If he passed the provincial exam, there would be the Palace Examination soon.

He simply doesn't have time to deal with his relatives anymore.

However, with few family members, relying solely on the mother would likely be insufficient.

Madam Lin beckoned, "Come quickly and greet your elders."

Lin Yunyi went over to pay his respects to the elders. A group of unmarried young ladies blushed with embarrassment upon seeing such a handsome Provincial Graduate scholar.

Another person knocked over a teacup, scalding someone nearby.

That's really rude.

The girl was so frightened that she lost her composure, her face turning even redder than before.

Lin Yunyi, without glancing to the side, said to Madam Lin, "Mother, quickly have the maids tidy up."

Madam Lin nodded, "Alright, alright." She then instructed her maid to go and help.

A woman dressed simply was quickly helping the maid tidy up and even helped the scalded girl to a side hall.

Lin Yunyi sat for a while, then took his leave.

There are too many women; he can't stay here forever.

Madam Lin said, "Go ahead."

Lin Yunyi turned and went out, just in time to see the woman who had helped him earlier.

She wore only a silver hairpin in her hair, and among the girls who came today, she was practically unadorned.

When the woman saw Lin Yunyi looking at her, she quickly lowered her head and curtsied.

Lin Yunyi noticed a slight redness on the back of her hand, but only glanced at it before heading to the Front Courtyard without daring to look any longer.

The woman had also been scalded by the tea, but she didn't seem to care.

He came out for some fresh air, then went back inside and continued standing next to his stepmother.

Soon someone from the Front Courtyard came to deliver a message to Madam Lin. Upon hearing her son's words, Madam Lin glanced at the woman.

Lin Yunyi's original words were. "The girl in the gray-blue jacket and skirt, with a silver hairpin in her hair, was very quiet and didn't speak. Her hand was burned, and her mother was putting some medicine on it."

After settling the guests in, Madam Lin went to play cards.

She secretly took the girl to get her medicine applied.

"Madam, my surname is Xu."

Miss Xu is very gentle. Although she may not seem particularly remarkable at first glance, she acts with great poise and grace.

Madam Lin laughed and said, "You were standing there the whole time, so I didn't see you clearly. I thought you were... some young wife from some family."

Miss Xu kept her head down, appearing neither competitive nor eager to compete.

She only realized now that she was actually dressed as an unmarried girl.

Miss Xu was quite at ease. "I'm two or three years older than my sisters, so standing for a bit won't hurt."

She was so adorable it broke one's heart. Madam Lin asked her, "Does your hand hurt?"

Miss Xu shook her head. "It's only slightly burned. I just grabbed a handful of snow and applied it as a cold compress. It won't cause blisters or scars. Although it hurts a little, it's bearable."

Madam Lin was quite impressed.

This girl spoke clearly and frankly; she was intelligent, calm, and quite magnanimous.

"Has the girl been engaged yet?"

Madam Lin felt she had been presumptuous and quickly said, "I like you, young lady..."

Miss Xu lowered her head shyly and said, "I was engaged to someone, but I called it off..."

It is an extremely ugly thing for a woman to be jilted at marriage.

Madam Lin didn't press the matter further, and simply smiled, saying, "A girl as good as you won't have trouble finding a husband."

Miss Xu smiled faintly.

After seeing the guests off, Madam Lin said to Lin Yunyi, "I listened to you and delivered the medicine to Miss Xu."

"Your surname is Xu?"

Lin Yunyi, "What kind of relative are they?"

Madam Lin said, "A distant relative, you don't remember."

Lin Yunyi stopped asking and focused on preparing for the imperial Metropolitan Examination.

In the first ten days of the first lunar month, Qi Zaijun was confined to the Imperial Palace, but the children were restless and couldn't stay still.

He ran to Emperor Jingshun and said, "Imperial Grandfather, I want to go out of the palace to play."

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

Qi Zaijun, who was used to living in the Jiangqian wilderness as a child, asked, "Why can't you leave the palace?"

Emperor Jingshun took him to stroll through the Flower Garden, but at that time, the Flower Garden wasn't particularly interesting.

He said, "Because I am the emperor."

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

"It's not that you can't leave the palace, it's that you can't leave the palace at will." Emperor Jingshun carried Qi Zaijun as they walked.

Qi Zaijun leaned on his shoulder and asked, "But you are the Emperor, can't you even leave the Imperial Palace at will?"

Emperor Jingshun smiled, "It is precisely because of my supreme status that I cannot leave the Imperial Palace at will."

Qi Zaijun said listlessly, "Being an emperor is really boring."

Emperor Jingshun laughed loudly, "Jun'er, being an emperor means you're not in control of your own destiny."

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

Emperor Jingshun did not agree. He said, "Later, I will take you out."

"Aren't we not allowed to go out?"

Emperor Jingshun said, "I'll take you to see what it means to be powerless to control one's own destiny."

Qi Zaijun perked up.

In winter, it gets dark early. Emperor Jingshun changed his clothes and took Qi Zaijun to the Crown Prince's Residence.

The Crown Prince Consort was startled and asked the servants in disbelief, "Imperial Father is here?"

"Yes, I brought the Heir Apparent with me."

The Crown Prince Consort hurriedly got up to prepare, saying, "I'll go greet the Emperor right away."

The servant said, "Your Crown Prince Consort, the Emperor said there's no need to receive him; he only came to see the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince Consort changed her clothes and went over.

Qi Zaijun had visited the Crown Prince's Residence. He became agitated as soon as he entered, saying unhappily, "Imperial Grandfather, do you want to see the Crown Prince? Jun'er doesn't want to go."

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

Qi Zaijun remembered that his Imperial Grandfather had said he would make him unable to control his own destiny.

"But..."

"No buts. Come with me."

Emperor Jingshun carried Qi Zaijun directly to see the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince Consort greeted the Emperor outside the Crown Prince's residence. Emperor Jingshun said calmly, "Rise. Take me to see the Crown Prince."

"Yes."

The Crown Prince Consort dismissed the onlookers and allowed Emperor Jingshun and Qi Zaijun to enter together.

The Crown Prince was still unconscious and was extremely thin.

The Crown Prince Consort glanced at it and burst into tears, but she dared not cry loudly in front of the Emperor.

Emperor Jingshun waved his hand, signaling her to leave.

After the Crown Prince Consort left, Emperor Jingshun's eyes reddened slightly, and his voice lowered. "Jun'er, did you see that? This is the Crown Prince Consort's predicament. She felt sorry for her husband, but dared not cry out loud in front of me. Because that would be a great disrespect."

Qi Zaijun looked into Emperor Jingshun's eyes and asked, bewildered, "Imperial Grandfather, are you also caught in a situation beyond your control?"

Emperor Jingshun remained silent and led Qi Zaijun inside.

The Crown Prince awoke, gradually regaining his senses. He couldn't believe who he saw. He reached out to grab it, but it was a thin, weak hand, cold and lifeless. "Imperial Father? Jun'er?"

Am I dreaming...?

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

"No. Yi'er, you're not dreaming."

Qi Ling Yi was stunned, then suddenly smiled, "It's a dream... it must be a dream... Your subject hasn't been Yi'er for so long."

Emperor Jingshun was deeply saddened.

But emperors don't often shed tears. He placed his eldest son's hand inside the warm blankets and asked softly, "Yi'er, is there anything else you want to say to your Imperial Father?"

Qi Ling Yi knew it wasn't a dream.

Only real hands are warm; the hands of the Imperial Father and Empress he dreamed of were cold.

He shook his head and said, "Imperial Father, no, no more."

Emperor Jingshun brought Qi Zaijun over and asked, "Is there anything you want to say to Jun'er? Didn't you want to see him?"

Qi Ling Yi fumbled under his pillow and found the same Jade Thumb Ring.

He handed it out tremblingly, his face as pale as snow. "Jun'er, if you don't want it, give it to your father."

Emperor Jingshun nudged Qi Zaijun and said, "Continue."

Qi Zaijun didn't want to take it, but given the circumstances, it seemed like he had no choice but to.

He took the Jade Thumb Ring back and instinctively thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Crown Prince Highness."

Emperor Jingshun smiled and patted his head, "Our Jun'er is a good child. But... he should call me Uncle."

He patted Qi Zaijun's head hard.

Qi Zaijun winced in pain, then said again, "Jun'er thanks Uncle."

Qi Ling Yi was amused.

Emperor Jingshun and Qi Ling Yi remained silent. The father and son hadn't spoken much for many years and were no longer accustomed to relaxed conversation.

Qi Zaijun couldn't stand it any longer and pleaded with Emperor Jingshun, "Imperial Grandfather, you and my uncle aren't saying anything, I... I'll go out first!"

Qi Ling Yi said, "Imperial Father, I am tired."

Emperor Jingshun nodded and said, "Jun'er and I will come to see you again later."

"Good."

Emperor Jingshun brought Qi Zaijun back to the palace, and on the way, he asked him, "Do you know what it means to be powerless to control your own destiny?"

Qi Zaijun touched his head.

His Imperial Grandfather was ten times more imposing than his father, and he showed no mercy when bullying him.

His head really hurt just now.

"... knew."

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

Emperor Jingshun laughed and said, "That's not up to you."

"True helplessness begins from the moment you are born into this world; what you are meant to do and what you should do are already predetermined."

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

After returning to the palace, Emperor Jingshun went straight to read the memorials.

The nation is beset by internal troubles, more so by external threats, and government affairs are cumbersome and complicated.

There's another Metropolitan Examination this February; every year we see new officials replacing the old...

As long as he is emperor, he will be subject to the whims of others.