mtl008 Chapter 141 has a rather awkward feel to it, like someone who's taken advantage of another'
Chapter 141 has a rather awkward feel to it, like someone who's taken advantage of another'
Just as Chen Shi (7-9 AM) arrived, sunlight streamed through the window paper and fell on the book in Lu Yuxi's hands.
A soft knock came from the door. Lin Shiming frowned and stirred in bed, clearly disturbed but unable to wake up.
Fortunately, the people outside were very considerate; they only knocked six times as a reminder before returning to silence.
Lu Yuxi put down the book he was reading, gently smoothed Lin Shiming's brow, and then tiptoed to get dressed and get out of bed. Before leaving, he made sure to tuck the blanket in properly to prevent Lin Shiming from catching a cold.
When he finally quietly pushed open the door and came out, Lin Shihe had been sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard for a full quarter of an hour.
However, he showed no impatience whatsoever. He simply stood up slowly and subconsciously glanced towards the inner room.
"He's still not awake?"
As the sun rose, Lu Yuxi seemed to revert to her shy and timid personality, feeling rather embarrassed as if she had taken advantage of someone else's good fortune and been caught red-handed.
He touched his nose somewhat shyly and replied vaguely, "Still asleep."
Lin Shihe cursed inwardly. It was almost half the morning, and these two were really making a fuss, without any shame.
However, Lu Yuxi is quite capable.
Martial arts practitioners are generally very sensitive to their senses and are highly perceptive to changes in their surroundings. Even when asleep, they can quickly sense the presence of another person nearby.
Lin Shiming, being the most outstanding among them, is exceptionally sensitive to the presence of others. Over the years, apart from Lin Shi and his older brother with whom he spends a lot of time, even his parents, Lin Yunyue and Zhang Ting, cannot approach the sleeping Lin Shiming without disturbing him.
But Lu Yuxi, her "husband" whom she had only been dating for three months, was able to do it.
He had guessed it when Lu Yuxi came to pick him up last time, and this time the fact was right in front of him. Lin Shihe recalled the past ten years of raising his younger brother and felt a slight unease in his heart.
He is, after all, her husband with whom she shares a bed, and he is much closer to her than her own brother.
Tsk, boys are so outgoing!
Lin Shihe's mind was racing, but he looked at Lu Yuxi with an ambiguous expression. "Uncle Lin told me that Shiming provoked you again yesterday."
Everyone was so frightened that they ran home to escape.
Lu Yuxi gave an awkward laugh, "It was just a small thing, just joking around to make him happy. It's not like I provoked him."
Whether or not they can reach an agreement is no longer of much concern to Lin Shihe. Children grow up and need to be allowed to grow up; they have to live their own lives. Unless things escalate to a major point, he won't easily intervene.
Moreover, Lin Shiming has always been soft-hearted. Even if he is rational enough to handle the relationship between friend and foe, he cannot escape the sadness in his heart. He is inevitably moved by the death of Princess Ping.
Lu Yuxi's so-called "making him happy" was actually a way to divert Lin Shiming's attention. This person really understood Shiming very well, even able to detect some of his deepest emotions.
"Alright." Lin Shihe put his hands behind his back, turned around and walked out. "As long as it's not too outrageous, I'm not interested in your romantic escapades as a couple."
Lu Yuxi, who had been on tenterhooks, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's go to the study. I have something important to tell you."
*
Today the sun shines brightly, a peaceful time.
Lin Shihe then led Lu Yuxi to sit at the tea table by the window, where they boiled water and brewed tea amidst the gentle breeze and the sounds of birdsong and fragrant flowers outside.
The fluid movements, partially concealed by the swirling mist, calmed both of them.
Lin Shihe poured Lu Yuxi a cup of tea.
"I also heard about what happened to Princess Ping yesterday. Shi Ming did a good job."
Lu Yuxi picked up her teacup and took a sip, the mellow aroma of Junshan Yinzhen tea filling the air.
"Shi Ming always has some unique ways of handling things. He is quick-witted, decisive, and uses honorable methods. More importantly, he succeeds every time. Take yesterday's rumors, for example. There should be very few people in the capital who could think of and do so openly and honestly to find the source of the rumors."
"If it weren't for the meticulous actions of Prince Ping and Shen Lin, they probably would have made him uncover the truth on the spot."
Hearing Lu Yuxi's praise made Lin Shihe feel extremely pleased. My Shiming is indeed no less than the Crown Prince!
Lin Shihe used the act of sipping tea to conceal the pleasure and smugness on his face, and continued speaking from Lu Yuxi's words.
"However, that's all there is to it. Although Shi Ming has uniquely found the source of the rumors, the matter can only be dropped, both in terms of the royal family's reputation and the actual interrogation."
We couldn't extract anything useful from those "undercover agents," and without evidence, we couldn't convict them. Moreover, no matter how much Emperor Longyun disliked Prince Ping, he had to consider the image of the imperial family. Prince Ping was different from the Empress Dowager.
"Moreover, the incident involving Princess Ping also occurred within the Prince Ping's residence. Those maids and nannies were also Prince Ping's servants, so Prince Ping, as the master, didn't have to do much to cover up the traces."
That's why King Ping was so reckless and unscrupulous. He was looking for a way to investigate things that were unclear, a way that everyone knew the truth but couldn't find any evidence for.
Lu Yuxi nodded in agreement, "He is indeed ruthless and vicious, and he doesn't care about old feelings."
“Hitting a woman is indeed despicable.” Lin Shihe put down his teacup and tapped the table with one hand. “However, no matter what his methods are, the essence remains the same: what we need to do is to understand his purpose.”
"The death of Princess Ping gave Prince Ping a pitiful image of a victim who lost his first wife, avoiding the embarrassment that Princess Ping's daughter would bring him. It freed up the position of a princess to win over new people and also allowed him to be released from confinement early to participate in the imperial examinations."
"He also wants to use rumors to force His Majesty to punish you and Shi Ming, compensate him, and ruin your reputation. He might even use this as an excuse to postpone the investiture of Ting Song as the eldest grandson of the emperor."
The Imperial Observatory had already set the date a few days ago; Lu Tingsong's investiture ceremony was scheduled for the first day of the fifth month, which wouldn't be long.
"Shi Ming has already broken most of this situation yesterday. At least the part targeting you and Tingsong will no longer be effective, but the confinement is another matter."
Lu Yuxi swirled her teacup, then glanced at the bright blue sky. "Father will not agree."
“Your Majesty cannot stop everything.” Lin Shihe stood up, plucked a dark green leaf through the window, and played with it in his hand. “With the death of Princess Ping, mourning and funerals are inevitable. Even if Your Majesty only allows guests to enter and does not allow Prince Ping to leave, he can still come into contact with people outside. The confinement will inevitably be in name only.”
"As for a new marriage, there is no rush. Unless Prince Ping really has no shame and wants to be branded as a mean and ungrateful man, he will have to observe mourning for his wife for a year after her death."
Lin Shihe turned his head and smiled slightly, "You and His Majesty shouldn't let him wait this long, right?"
"Of course. By August at the latest, everything will be over."