Chapter 434: Lin Beifan Arrives, The Emperor’s Heart in Turmoil!
At this moment, within the Imperial Palace’s study, the Empress felt her heart in great turmoil. The secrets she had hidden for so long had unexpectedly been discovered by the officials. How could she face their countless questions in the future?
Would they mock her behind her back? Especially when she thought about the fact that even her beloved Lin Beifan knew about this, she wished she could find a hole to hide in, never wanting to see anyone again. The more she thought about it, the more chaotic and upset she became.
Staring at the piles of memorials in front of her, she couldn’t read a single one.
At this moment, an old eunuch brought a bowl of ginseng tea and smiled, saying, “Your Majesty, please have some tea!”
The Empress finally snapped out of her daze, “Oh… alright… tea!” She then immediately lowered her head to drink the tea but ended up drinking too quickly and choking on it.
“Cough, cough…”
“Your Majesty, no need to rush, drink slowly!”
“Oh… alright!”
And then, she really began to sip it slowly.
As she brought the teacup to her lips and took a gentle sip, her gaze suddenly became distant and she held that pose for a long time.
No one knew what she was thinking; she was deeply lost in thought. The old eunuch couldn’t help but chuckle as he observed this. He had watched the Empress grow up, and he could see right through her whenever she had something on her mind.
Bowing, he said, “Your Majesty, regarding the marriage between you and Prime Minister Lin, although there has been much discussion among the officials, overall, they are very supportive! After all, under the heavens, only Prime Minister Lin is worthy of you.”
The Empress, now more composed, expressed a hint of delight, “Is that so? Do the officials really think that way?”
“Yes, how could I dare to deceive Your Majesty?” the old eunuch laughed and continued, “It is said that after the court session ended, the officials all gathered around Prime Minister Lin, congratulating him and even expressing their desire to attend your wedding banquet!”
The Empress’s expression visibly brightened, and she happily took another sip of tea, “It seems that the courtiers still have me in their hearts! Let’s forget about the year-long penalty!”
“Yes, on behalf of the officials, I thank Your Majesty!”
But then, the Empress became nervous again, “What about the common people? How do they view me?”
The old eunuch bowed and smiled, “Actually, the common people are even more supportive! They say the union between you and the Prime Minister is a match made in heaven! They hope the two of you will marry soon and continue the imperial bloodline.”
“Very well!” The Empress was greatly pleased, “Then, let there be a three-day holiday to celebrate with the people!”
“Yes, on behalf of the common folk, I thank Your Majesty for your benevolence!”
However, the Empress began to feel uneasy again, “What about Sir Lin… how does Sir Lin view me?” After asking this question, her palms were sweaty, fearing an unfavorable response.
After all, Lin Beifan was the real party involved. If he didn’t agree, there was no use in forcing it.
“Your Majesty, as of now, this old servant has not received specific information from Prime Minister Lin! However, I heard from the little princess that most people in the Prime Minister’s residence are generally supportive!”
“Very well!” The Empress became happy again.
Although Lin Beifan hadn’t expressed his intentions yet, with the support of the people in the Prime Minister’s residence, especially Lin Beifan’s women, could he escape from this?
“Immediately select a batch of precious gold and silver jewelry from my treasury and send it to the Lin residence!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
After a while, the Empress dismissed everyone, and only she remained in the study. At this moment, she noticed a white figure in front of her.
Bai Guanyin provocatively said, “Your Majesty, now the entire Great Wu knows about you and Lin Beifan’s affair, your wedding is approaching!”
The Empress blushed and said, “Sister Bai, are you teasing me?”
Bai Guanyin shook her head and laughed, “How can this be teasing? It’s clearly a blessing! In fact, you two should have done this long ago! It’s just that you’ve been dragging your feet, hesitating, wanting to slowly nurture your feelings, and now you’ve reached this point! Otherwise, you could already have a child by now!” The Empress blushed deeply, and Bai Guanyin burst into laughter.
The Empress glared at her with annoyance, saying, “Sister Bai, my marriage matters are resolved, you should also consider your own affairs!”
Bai Guanyin’s laughter abruptly stopped, “What affairs do I have?”
The Empress approached with a smile, “Sister Bai, over these many years, you’ve been living alone, and you’re not getting any younger! So, it’s time for you to find a good partner for yourself.”
“I… I want to pursue the path of martial arts, and I’m not interested in romantic relationships…” Bai Guanyin stammered.
Although the Empress couldn’t see the other’s facial expression, she could tell from the hesitant and embarrassed words that Bai Guanyin was clearly nervous and shy. This was naturally perceived by the clever Empress.
As long as it didn’t involve her own private matters, she was very wise, and she said with a smile, “Sister Bai, you shouldn’t say that! I know you’ve devoted all your thoughts to martial arts, but the path of martial arts is long and lonely, and you may feel lonely traveling it alone. Wouldn’t it be better if you had someone to accompany you on the journey?”
“This… I don’t need…” Bai Guanyin stammered.
“Sister Bai, how can you say you don’t need it?”
The Empress laughed like a sly and charming fox, “I think Lin Beifan is quite suitable; he’s someone I can entrust my lifetime to! Sister Bai, haven’t you always said that Lin Beifan has great martial talent and will definitely catch up to you in the future? You two can walk this path together! That way, the martial arts journey won’t be lonely!”
Bai Guanyin finally felt what it was like to be pressured into marriage and was flustered, “Your Majesty, I… I seem to have gained some insight. I’ll take my leave for now and… we’ll talk about this another day!”
Then, with a swift movement, she disappeared. However, the Empress burst into hearty laughter, looking very happy.
She had been pressured into marriage by Bai Guanyin for a long time, making her scalp tingle with embarrassment and discomfort. Now, she had finally given it back in kind. It felt great!
“But Sister Bai is too shy; it seems I’ll have to plan things out,” the Empress mused.
She genuinely hoped that Lin Beifan and Bai Guanyin would become a couple. Her desire wasn’t just personal but also rooted in the greater good.
After all, Bai Guanyin was the top martial artist in the realm! If she could be persuaded to stay in Great Wu, it would greatly benefit the empire.
Just at that moment, the old eunuch entered, saying, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Lin has arrived, and he insists on seeing you. He says it’s a matter of utmost importance and can’t be delayed!”
“Oh my! Why is he here?” The Empress’s face turned red.
Her heart was in turmoil, and she felt an urge to escape!
The Empress waved her hand, “Tell him I’m not feeling well today and need to rest. He should come back another day!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The old eunuch withdrew. However, he returned quickly, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister has not left. He asked me to tell you that he only has a few words to say, which won’t disturb your rest. He will leave immediately after.”
“No! Tell him I’m very sleepy right now and need to rest, I don’t want to see anyone!” The Empress pretended to be half-asleep.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The old eunuch retreated once more. Soon, he returned again, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister still hasn’t…”
In this way, both sides communicated through the old eunuch. One desperately wanted to meet, while the other desperately wanted to avoid. The old eunuch caught in the middle was truly in a dilemma, almost running his legs off, exclaiming, “What is this, both of you young people with your matters have tangled me up! What a predicament…”
Once again in front of Lin Beifan, the old eunuch bowed and said, “Lord Prime Minister, Her Majesty has said that she has already gone to sleep and won’t receive any guests, no matter who comes. It’s best if you leave for now!”
“Is she really asleep?” Lin Beifan chuckled, his mental power scanning inside, making it clear.
The Empress was wide awake, dressed properly, and not at all asleep. It was evident she wanted to avoid him.
Lin Beifan felt very wronged; this Empress was too overbearing! She had taken charge of his marriage without consulting him, leaving him with no freedom in the matter. Now she was refusing to see him, not giving him a chance to voice his objections. What kind of reasoning was this?
Although he was her subject, he had his dignity, right?
“Liu Gonggong, go in again and tell Her Majesty that if she doesn’t see me today, I will never agree to this marriage!”
The old eunuch was shocked, “Lord Prime Minister, you absolutely mustn’t do that! The fact that Her Majesty has chosen you is a blessing from your past life; you should cherish it! If you resist the decree, it could cost you your head!”
Lin Beifan raised his head, “Humph! Do you think I’m that afraid? See if I dare or not.”
The old eunuch hesitated. Lin Beifan’s courage was known throughout the entire court. He had only just entered government service and had boldly opposed the entire court of civil and military officials. His daringness could be described as boundless!
The old eunuch was genuinely afraid that Lin Beifan might act impulsively.
“Liu Gonggong, just go in and tell Her Majesty this!” Lin Beifan urged.
“Ah, well…”
So, the old eunuch had no choice but to convey Lin Beifan’s words to the Empress. After hearing them, the Empress trembled with anger, “That Lin Beifan, how dare he use this matter to threaten me? He’s truly audacious and disrespectful, not placing me in his eyes at all! This is unreasonable!”
“Your Majesty, Prime Minister may have acted impulsively; please calm down,” the old eunuch pleaded.
The Empress was furious, “Can he say such things just because he acted impulsively? Does he think he can threaten me this way? Hmph! Absolutely impossible! I am the ruler of this realm; how could I easily yield? Liu Gonggong, go and tell him… to come in!”
“What?” The old eunuch was puzzled.
The Empress, annoyed, said, “Why are you standing there blankly? Hurry up and call him in!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The old eunuch bowed.
“Wait!” The Empress called out once more.
The old eunuch turned around and followed, asking, “Your Majesty, is there anything else you’d like to instruct?”
The Empress’s face looked somewhat unnatural as she said, “Have the palace maids help Lin Beifan tidy up in the Dragon’s Blessing chamber, and then assist him in changing into sleeping robes…”
The old eunuch was perplexed: “???”
