Chapter 13

When Lin Ling saw the mountain of rare treasures, he immediately let out a "Wow."

Shi Changyuan followed behind Lin Ling, looking at his back. "Pick a few."

Hearing that, Lin Ling looked at the treasures again. They were beautiful, but he did not want to own any of them.

"No need~"

"I'm just here to look."

As Lin Ling spoke, he passed the gemstones and jade, looked over the jewelry and ornaments, and his expression did not change in the slightest.

Shunde observed from the side and praised him, "Young Master Lin truly is... unmoved by wealth and honor, unruffled by favor or disgrace."

Lin Ling blushed slightly from the praise and said in a small voice, "I just don't need them..."

Upon hearing this, Shi Changyuan's eyes darkened.

That was true.

Why would a spirit need gold, silver, or jewels?

But...

He did know what Mushroom liked.

Shi Changyuan took another small jar from a wooden box nearby and placed it before Lin Ling, deliberately asking, "Don't you need this either?"

Lin Ling followed Shi Changyuan's hand with his gaze, then looked closely. "Dried fruit?"

Just as Shi Changyuan had expected, it immediately caught Lin Ling's interest.

Northern Frontier dried fruit was famous. Lin Ling had only heard Old Turtle mention it before, never expecting that he would one day get to taste it.

"Can I try some?" Lin Ling looked at Shi Changyuan with shining eyes, clasping his hands together, his face full of anticipation.

Shi Changyuan curved his lips and placed the jar in Lin Ling's arms, like a fisherman casting out bait.

"Of course."

When Lin Ling returned to his side hall carrying a jar of dried fruit, he saw the young eunuch sweeping the courtyard and held the jar out to him. "Qiu Fu, come, try some."

The young eunuch was flattered and hurriedly waved his hands. "N-No, this was bestowed upon you by His Majesty."

Qiu Fu said, "I heard that dried fruit from the Northern Frontier is produced in extremely limited quantities. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to see some at a state banquet. Even first-rank officials only received three or five pieces."

Lin Ling understood. "You mean Shi Changyuan only had this little, and he gave it all to me?"

Qiu Fu nodded. "More or less."

Lin Ling was a little shocked and lowered his head to look at the jar in his arms.

He understood now. Growing up in the imperial palace was not necessarily a good thing.

Growing up by Shi Changyuan's side was what brought benefits.

Chapter 13

Shi Changyuan's favor was simply too great. Little Mushroom felt that he hardly deserved it.

So he decided to seek out the generals who had returned from the Northern Frontier and secretly learn the method of drying fruit.

The general's residence was outside the palace, but the other party seemed to have matters to discuss with the emperor and had not yet left the palace. That gave Little Mushroom an opening.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Lin Ling stood before the overly quiet side hall, hesitantly peering inside, but no one came out.

Going in like that seemed rather impolite, so Mushroom decided to climb in through the back courtyard and see what was going on.

Lin Ling had just climbed onto the back courtyard wall when he heard two people arguing.

"This is the most beautiful dancer in the Western Regions! How dare he be so ungrateful, so blind to beauty!" A bold female voice rang out from the courtyard, sharp and uninhibited like the wind over the grasslands.

"Oh, General, please say less." The vice general stood helplessly at the side, doing his utmost to soothe her. "Haven't the dancers we offered in tribute over the years all been sent back by His Majesty?"

"That was a peerless beauty I personally selected! Wasn't his remark that she was unbearable to look at a challenge to my taste? Did I fight through the Western Regions for those two raisins? I'd like to see what beauty he has inside or outside his palace that could compare to one I picked myself—"

Before she could finish, the woman met Lin Ling's eyes beneath the wall, and her indignant voice abruptly stopped.

Lin Ling shrank back a little in fear, but remembering why he had come, he still forced himself to greet her.

"Hello, there was no one at the main gate, so I..."

Before Lin Ling could finish speaking, he heard the woman let out an exclamation that was far from gentle, though she was clearly trying to soften her voice. "Heavens, whose little beauty is this?"

Lin Ling had just wanted to climb down from the wall when a thunderous shout came from the other side. "Stay right there!"

Mushroom froze, completely at a loss.

The dashing female general climbed up the wall herself and personally brought Lin Ling down, never taking her eyes off him the entire time, as though he would run away the moment she let go.

Standing before the general, Lin Ling felt inexplicably nervous. He stammered out the reason for his visit.

Upon hearing him, the general placed both hands on Lin Ling's shoulders and stared at him for a long time. Her expression shifted from amazement and delight to jealousy and indignation. "Just as I thought. Compared to you, they all pale into insignificance. That brat is lucky."

"You said you wanted to learn how to dry fruit, right—" The other party drew out the last word, and Lin Ling hurriedly nodded.

"I don't know how either."

Mushroom, being scammed by a human for the first time: ???

"I'm a general. Why would I need to dry fruit myself? All this stuff was seized from the Western Regions... no, traded back." The woman waved a hand. "My name is Shi Liuwan. I'm more or less related to the current emperor, so perhaps you can call me Little Aunt."

After Shi Liuwan said that, she still did not seem reassured and tempted him, "Call me Little Aunt, and I'll bring you more dried fruit next year."

Mushroom did not understand, but Mushroom complied. "Little Aunt."

"You mean you want to give the emperor a gift in return?" Shi Liuwan led Lin Ling to sit in the pavilion beside the rockery.

Perhaps because of the title "Little Aunt," Lin Ling suddenly felt as though he were facing an elder. He abruptly felt pressured and placed both hands on his knees, looking very obedient.

"Yes."

"If you ask me, dried fruit won't reach his heart." Shi Liuwan seemed to have something in mind. "You'd be better off giving him something else."

Lin Ling only half understood and hurriedly asked for guidance. "Then what should I give him?"