Bad News Arrives, Lin Yuan Dies of Illness

Time flowed, spring departed and autumn arrived.

Another thirty years slipped quietly through his fingers.

The Great Sui dynasty continued to operate smoothly and at high speed along the trajectory of the Enlightened Prosperity Era.

During this period, the world was at peace, and the nation enjoyed prosperity and stability.

The reforms of the past had long since taken root in the hearts of the people, becoming a matter-of-course daily reality in the eyes of the new generation.

And Lin Hanzhou had already been emperor for eighty years.

For a mortal, eighty years was almost an entire lifetime.

For Lin Hanzhou, who was at the peak of the Opening Pulse Realm, it was also the better part of a life.

At this moment, Lin Hanzhou no longer resembled his former self; he had become an old man with white hair and a white beard.

His gaze had grown increasingly profound, and his aura as a ruler was even more prominent; ordinary people dared not even meet his eyes.

Yet, he was old after all. His vitality was drying up and his meridians were decaying, preventing him from breaking through to the Second-Order Qi Gathering Realm.

Lin Hanzhou knew this was a problem every martial artist encountered in their twilight years.

Before breaking through to the Third-Order Qi Sea Realm, a martial artist's vitality would wither once they passed sixty, making further cultivation difficult.

Only by reaching the Qi Sea Realm and opening a sea of qi to extend one's life by three hundred years could this problem be slightly mitigated.

But he was still a long way from the Third-Order Qi Sea Realm, and he had no choice but to endure the decay of his vitality for now.

Fortunately, all of this was merely a dream world; he could restore his state as long as he returned to reality.

However, an urgent memorial from the Seventh Prince's mansion shattered the calm, ripple-free state of mind he had maintained for decades.

His seventh brother, the Seventh Prince Lin Yuan, was now critically ill and on the verge of death.

The moment he received the news, the hand Lin Hanzhou was using to review memorials paused slightly.

How long had it been since he had heard that name?

Ten years? Fifty years?

The floodgates of memory slowly opened.

He remembered that pitch-black night eighty years ago, the gentle brother in the post station who had been full of worry as he urged him to leave.

That was the first, and only, piece of pure, unadulterated familial affection he had felt after arriving in this dream world.

After ascending the throne, he remembered Lin Yuan's kindness and enfeoffed him as the Prince of the Prince Anle's Mansion.

He had bestowed upon him Xiantian experts as guards and countless riches, allowing him to stay far away from the strife of the imperial court and enjoy a life of luxury.

For eighty years, he had been busy with reforms and cultivation, gradually forgetting this brother.

It was not until this moment, when news of his impending death arrived, that he remembered him.

"Prepare the carriage for Prince Anle's Mansion."

Lin Hanzhou set down his vermilion brush, his voice carrying a hint of complex emotion he had not even noticed himself.

When the imperial carriage arrived at Prince Anle's Mansion for the first time in eighty years, the entire mansion was stirred into a frenzy.

Lin Yuan's descendants knelt in a sea, trembling and at a loss.

Lin Hanzhou ignored them and walked straight into Lin Yuan's bedroom.

The room was filled with the heavy scent of medicine.

Lying on the sickbed was an old man on the verge of death.

His hair was completely white and his face was withered; he no longer resembled the handsome, scholarly man of the past.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Yuan struggled to open his cloudy eyes.

When he saw that familiar yet unfamiliar figure by the bed, a glimmer of light suddenly sparked in his eyes.

"Eleventh... no, it is... it is Your Majesty who has come..."

He struggled, wanting to rise and pay his respects.

"Seventh Brother, there is no need for such formalities."

Lin Hanzhou stepped forward, held him down, and sat on the edge of the bed himself.

He looked at Lin Yuan's aged face and thought back to that scholarly young man, unable to help but sigh at the immense power of time.

This was the first time in his heart that he had such a clear and cruel realization of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

"Your Majesty... you have grown old too... and I am no longer what I once was..."

In Lin Yuan's cloudy eyes, a sense of reminiscence and emotion surfaced.

"Seventh Brother, you have suffered these years."

Lin Hanzhou grasped his hand, which was as withered as a chicken claw, and channeled a wisp of pure spiritual energy into him, temporarily easing his pain.

Lin Yuan's spirit improved significantly, and he parted his lips, revealing an open-minded smile.

"It's not bitter... My life, it was worth it."

"I had endless wealth, innate experts as my bodyguards, and with you backing me, I lived a life of luxury. It was all thanks to your blessing, Your Majesty."

He rambled on, beginning to reminisce about the past.

He recalled the days when they were young, relying on each other for survival within the imperial palace.

He recalled that night thirty years ago, the one he thought would be their final farewell.

He recalled the shock and pride he felt later, when he heard that Lin Hanzhou had ascended the throne, swept away the aristocratic clans, and ushered in a golden age.

"The thing I'm... most proud of in this life, isn't being born a prince, but... having a younger brother like you..."

As he spoke, Lin Yuan's voice grew fainter, and the light in his eyes began to slowly fade.

"Your Majesty... no, Eleventh Brother, I'm going ahead to see Father... you must... take good care of yourself..."

He used his final ounce of strength to tighten his grip on Lin Hanzhou's hand.

Immediately, Lin Yuan's head lolled to the side, and his breathing stopped completely at that very moment.

This Prince Anle, having seen his most cherished brother one last time, passed away peacefully, filled with contentment and relief.

Lin Hanzhou sat quietly by the bedside, holding that hand which had already turned cold, remaining silent for a long time.

As an emperor, he could dictate the life and death of billions, and he could change an entire era through his own will.

Yet, he could not hold onto the life of a mortal brother.

Although he knew all of this was merely happening within a dream world, it all felt far too real.

For eighty years, there were many times he had even forgotten that this was just a dream.

Every person here possessed their own thoughts and emotions, as if this were a truly real world.

Lin Hanzhou shook his head, refusing to dwell on it further; his mindset had undergone a certain shift at this very moment.

He stood up, tucked the quilt around Lin Yuan, and turned to walk out of the bedroom.

"Transmit my decree."

He spoke to the descendants of Lin Yuan kneeling outside the door, as well as the accompanying officials, his voice imbued with supreme majesty.

"Posthumously confer upon Prince Anle, Lin Yuan, the title of Prince He. Grant him a state funeral with the rites of an imperial prince. His title shall be inherited by his eldest legitimate son."

"We... kowtow in gratitude for the Emperor's grace!"

Lin Yuan's descendants kowtowed, moved to tears.

Lin Hanzhou did not spare them another glance and turned to board his carriage.

On his way back to the imperial palace, he lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the bustling, vibrant world outside, a faint stirring in his heart.

Only then did he realize that all these years, he had either been cultivating or handling state affairs within the palace.

Even the only time he had left, it was for that imperial expedition.

Perhaps he really should go and take a good look at this world, a good look at the peaceful and prosperous age he had forged.

Once this thought took root, it spread like a wildfire, impossible to suppress any longer.

Returning to that familiar imperial palace, Lin Hanzhou felt for the first time that this magnificent, golden palace was like a gilded cage.