Chapter 389: It’s Over, My Chastity May not Be Preserved!
Lin Beifan is quite annoyed; this enchantress always finds ways to take advantage of him!
And she’s becoming bolder by the day!
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, she even dares to reach out to him! Just as he was about to scold her for it, this enchantress secretly takes out a stack of silver bills and stuffs them into his arms, saying with a sweet voice, “Sir Lin, this is a gift from me. Do you like it?”
Lin Beifan immediately smiles, “Miss Ziyue is very thoughtful!” Since Princess Ziyue distributed gifts to everyone, everyone was in high spirits, and they treated each other warmly. Princess Ziyue responded with equal enthusiasm, and everyone got along very pleasantly.
This situation quickly reached the ears of the Empress in the palace, and she was far from calm.
“Why isn’t this enchantress staying in Dayue peacefully? She actually came back at this time and established good relations with the Lin family. Is she trying to steal my favorite minister?”
She immediately summoned the Little Princess into the palace to inquire about the situation. “Sister Empress, according to her, she came back for the New Year!” said the Little Princess.
The Empress tilted her head and said, “Just for the New Year?”
“It seems so! But she’s indeed been flirting with my man as soon as she returned, being all touchy-feely in front of me. It’s infuriating! I’ve never been so close to him like that!” The Little Princess clenched her fists and said with resentment.
“Why didn’t you take action then? That’s not like you!” the Empress remarked.
“Sigh! She brought so many gifts for me, delicious ones at that!” The Little Princess’s eyes sparkled as she licked her lips.
The Empress was speechless; apparently, a little food was enough to defeat her. “Sister Empress, I’ve always felt that this woman is suspicious,” the Little Princess whispered.
“What’s the issue?” the Empress asked with curiosity.
“This woman is officially a courtesan at the Xiyue Pavilion, but she disappears every few days. That’s not normal. She must be up to something shady in her free time!” The Little Princess offered her insight.
The Empress nodded inwardly; indeed, this enchantress had been up to no good. She had gathered a group of people to work on restoring the Slanted Moon Dynasty, and she was doing it quite visibly. How many women are capable of doing such things? Moreover, she repeatedly tried to seduce my favorite minister!
No restraint, no hesitation to use her charms!
This was simply outrageous!
“Little Yunying, I also think this woman is suspicious. She might have ulterior motives towards Minister Lin, so you must keep a close eye on her!” the Empress said with a serious expression.
The Little Princess nodded earnestly, “Don’t worry, Sister Empress, I’ll definitely keep a close watch on her!”
Watching the Little Princess’s greedy demeanor, the Empress couldn’t help but feel that she wasn’t very reliable. She sighed silently: “Alright, I’ll handle this myself!”
So, a sudden increase in the number of memorials was placed in front of Lin Beifan. Seeing the towering stack of documents, Lin Beifan became extremely frustrated, saying, “Why are there so many tasks? Does His Majesty want to work me to death?”
“Lord Prime Minister, these are all old memorials! Due to the numerous issues to consider, Her Majesty has been unable to make decisions, so he handed them over to you for handling. Please bear with it!” the old eunuch said with a wry smile.
Lin Beifan waved his hand, “Very well, I’ll do my best!” Despite the increased workload, Lin Beifan’s efficiency remained high, and he had completed everything before noon.
He was planning to have lunch with the Empress and then slip out of the palace to relax. However, during the meal, the Empress asked, “Minister, I heard you’ve already reviewed those old memorials?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Although there are many issues, I’ve sorted them out, and many of these matters can proceed. If Your Majesty has any concerns, you can review them!” Lin Beifan replied.
“With you here, I feel very reassured!” The Empress smiled brightly. “It seems like you’ve finished your state affairs for the day. In the afternoon, let’s talk about poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting. You are the top scholar in our Great Wu, after all!”
Lin Beifan was a bit bewildered. “Your Majesty, I still have to go to the Imperial Academy and the Dedian Mansion this afternoon to handle some matters!”
The Empress waved her hand, saying, “No need to go! Under your leadership, these two departments are running smoothly and flourishing. There’s basically nothing urgent. If there are any issues, we can address them later in the evening. Your most important task right now is to accompany me!”
Lin Beifan inwardly lamented; it’s all over now! Previously, his mornings and afternoons were already dedicated to the Empress. Now, even his afternoons were under her scrutiny!
Is the Empress planning something against him?
Lin Beifan felt that his innocence was in jeopardy!
Against his will, Lin Beifan continued to stay in the palace, accompanying the Empress in various leisurely activities until it was time for dinner.
“Lord Lin, why did you arrive so late today?” Princess Ziyue asked with grace. Since she had bribed everyone in the Lin household, Princess Ziyue visited every day. They engaged in casual conversations to deepen their bonds.
Lin Beifan sighed, “Today, there were a lot of state affairs to handle, so I spent some extra time on them. Besides, Your Majesty enjoys poetry and art, so I was asked to stay.”
Princess Ziyue nodded, “I see. Then let’s make the most of our time!”
Lin Beifan was puzzled, “Make the most of our time for what?”
Princess Ziyue leaned closer and whispered in Lin Beifan’s ear, “Strategist, do I need to remind you? Of course, it’s time for us to share our hearts. I have many things I want to tell you!”
Lin Beifan was flustered, “Princess, isn’t that unnecessary? What if the Little Princess finds out? The consequences would be severe!”
Princess Ziyue chuckled softly, “Strategist, don’t worry. She’s already been won over by my culinary skills. Right now, she doesn’t have time to bother us. Let’s go quickly; if we delay any longer, she might discover us!”
So, Lin Beifan was ushered into a study.
When he arrived, he found an extra handkerchief to wipe away the lipstick marks on his face.
Princess Ziyue followed him in, stifling her laughter.
The next few days were like this. During the day, Lin Beifan mostly stayed within the palace, handling state affairs and then indulging in leisure activities with the Empress. When he returned in the evening, he hadn’t even had dinner yet, but he was lured into secretly enjoying Princess Ziyue’s cuisine.
At the same time, he had to be wary of the Little Princess, as she occasionally couldn’t resist indulging herself.
By the time bedtime arrived, his autonomy had been completely taken away, and assignments were already given on whom to accompany. Every time he thought about it, Lin Beifan’s heart was filled with anguish, and he sighed, “I’m truly in a difficult situation!”
Finally, the long-awaited New Year had arrived!
In the new year, there was a fresh start! In the past three months, everyone had just experienced a once-in-a-century ice disaster. Although the losses were severe, they had managed to survive it. So, everyone welcomed the New Year with hope for a happy and prosperous year ahead.
On New Year’s Eve, countless fireworks lit up the sky, carrying people’s good wishes.
Next came the official celebration of the New Year! On New Year’s Day, as per tradition, the court held a grand morning assembly where both the emperor and his ministers enjoyed together.
At this moment, everyone held their gifts and respectfully paid their New Year’s respects to the Empress. Lin Beifan, as the highest-ranking official in the court, was the first to step forward. He carried a tray covered with a red cloth, slowly making his way over.
The Empress began with a smile, saying, “Minister Lin, last year you gave me ‘One Unified Kingdom’ (a bucket of ginger). Indeed, under your diligent efforts, our Great Wu successfully ended the division and achieved unity! I really liked that gift! So, what do you plan to give me this year? Let’s make it clear from the start: if it’s an ordinary gift, I won’t accept it!”
“Your Majesty, rest assured, you will love this gift!” Lin Beifan replied with a smile.
“Oh? What is this gift?”
“Please have a look, Your Majesty,” Lin Beifan uncovered the red cloth.
What was revealed before everyone was, surprisingly, a bowl of plain white rice – quite ordinary white rice.
“Minister, what does this symbolize?” the Empress asked curiously.
“Your Majesty, this rice is not ordinary rice; it’s made from Taiping rice!” Lin Beifan replied.
“Oh…” The Empress nodded, still somewhat puzzled.
Lin Beifan continued, “Now, Your Majesty, take a closer look at the bowl in which this rice is served. What does it resemble?”
“It… looks like a persimmon?” the Empress said.
“That’s right; this is the idea. This is the New Year’s gift I’m presenting to Your Majesty!” Lin Beifan extended the bowl of white rice and declared loudly, “I present to Your Majesty – A Peaceful and Prosperous (Persimmon) Era!”
“A Peaceful and Prosperous Era! I really like this gift!” the Empress exclaimed joyfully. “Minister, please give me this bowl of A Peaceful and Prosperous Era. I want to eat it, hoping that it will bring a peaceful and prosperous era to our Great Wu!”
“Your Majesty, please enjoy it!” Lin Beifan offered the bowl.
The Empress happily took a couple of bites.
Following this, the court officials continued to present their gifts and pay their New Year’s respects, and the Empress accepted them with joy. Then, the Empress hosted a banquet for the officials.
They enjoyed palace delicacies that were usually unavailable, as well as fine palace wines. Everything was generously provided, allowing everyone to eat to their heart’s content and drink with delight. There was also court music and performances to enhance the festivities.
Observing the cheerful and lively atmosphere, the Empress couldn’t help but reminisce about the events of the past year.
Although the year had brought many accomplishments, it had been far from easy. The Great Xia’s 800,000-strong army had been repelled in their invasion, the three major rebel kings—Jiangnan, Wuxi, and Jibei—had been quelled, and the nation had put an end to 20 years of division, reunifying once again. They had faced a once-in-a-century locust plague and a once-in-a-century ice disaster but had managed to overcome them.
They had achieved their grand goal of expanding the territory, incorporating the Darro Kingdom into Great Wu. They had also developed high-yield rice, Taiping rice, leading to increased production and income. The situation in Great Wu had undergone a tremendous transformation, and all of this was thanks to one person.
“Minister Lin, you’ve worked hard this past year! I raise a toast to you and thank you for everything you’ve done for Great Wu!” The Empress raised her wine glass and solemnly spoke.
“Your Majesty, your words are too kind. Please!” Lin Beifan also raised his glass.
After drinking this toast, the Empress once again raised her glass and loudly proclaimed, “Esteemed ministers, throughout this past year, we have all witnessed Minister Lin’s outstanding contributions. Let us all raise our glasses and offer a toast to Minister Lin together!”
The officials all stood up, raised their glasses, and unanimously exclaimed, “A toast to Minister Lin!”
“Your Majesty, please, and colleagues, too!” Lin Beifan returned the toast.
