Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 211

Regarding the future rise and fall of the court, the person I value most is Han Jue's second elder brother, Han Ning. Long ago, I said that Han Ning was undoubtedly the best candidate for the position of Left Chancellor, but getting him to truly pledge his loyalty is not easy. Therefore, I had to tell him about the possible succession to Qin Gui and allow Qin Gui to gradually demonstrate his imperial abilities before him. A month later, Qin Gui excitedly told me that Han Ning had finally submitted to him, pledging lifelong loyalty.

Ever since Qin Gui decided to become emperor, I've rarely seen him show such a childlike smile. I couldn't help but stroke his hair and say softly, "From now on, you must find the joy of sitting in this position yourself. I know it's pointless to tell you to treat the people well or be benevolent. But you must remember that this position can bring you many things, but it can also make you lose many things. If you don't want to end up with nothing, you must carefully see your path before choosing which way to go."

Qin Gui revealed a childlike smile, grabbed my hand and shook it, saying, "As long as you stay by my side and remind me which way to go, Qin Gui won't end up with nothing."

I turned my head away, avoiding his unfathomable eyes, and smiled faintly.

The day after Han Ning swore allegiance to Qin Gui, Han Jue came to see me. He asked me angrily, "Do you really intend to let Qin Gui inherit the throne and become the ruler of the world?!"

I was reading a book when I heard this, so I just raised my eyelids slightly and said, "Yes."

Han Jue sat down in front of me, looking at me with a complicated expression: "Do you really believe that Qin Gui will tolerate you and Feng Yihan? Lin Yu, don't forget the saying that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. Right now, he may still be your subordinate and loyal to you, but after staying in that position for a long time, who would be willing to be subordinate to someone else?"

I nodded with a smile, and after he finished speaking, I suddenly said solemnly, "Jingyuan, the officialdom is the most murky pond. While I can still control this murky water, you should get out of it as soon as possible."

Han Jue stared at me with his mouth slightly open in disbelief: "I... I was the one advising you, how did it turn into you lecturing me?"

I tapped him on the head with the book and laughed, "I'll remember your advice, and please remember mine too. You never liked officialdom, so why stay here? You can take most of the funds from the Yi Xiu Association and hand it over to Qin Gui. You're a businessman; you just need to do your job and make the biggest profit, right?"

"Why should I stay here?" Han Jue stared at me blankly, then suddenly lowered his head and murmured with a bitter smile, "Yes, why should I... stay here, why... indulge in wishful thinking?"

I looked at him, somewhat bewildered. Han Jue suddenly stood up and said, "Fine! I'll listen to you and get out of this mess! But Lin Yu, you must promise me you'll live well!"

I smiled and nodded, stood up, and solemnly said, "Take care!"

Han Jue silently turned and left, but when he reached the door, he suddenly strode back, stood in front of me, and asked in a deep voice, "Lin Yu, may I hug you?"

"Huh?" I looked up at him, not quite understanding at first.

He suddenly reached out and pulled me into his arms, his warm breath brushing against my neck. I was completely stunned.

I heard Han Jue whisper in my ear, "Lin Yu, if you are a woman in the next life, I will definitely marry you!"

After saying that, he gently released me, looking somewhat embarrassed, with a hint of pain in his eyes. He forced a smile and said, "Lin Yu, how about we arrange a marriage between us before we were born? If you give birth to a daughter, she can marry my son. What do you say?"

He said this to me with a smile, yet with utmost seriousness. I stared, completely dumbfounded.

Modern, October 2010.

After Zimo left, I always tried to adjust the time scale of modern and ancient times to a 1:1 ratio so that the two worlds would rotate in sync. Sometimes, looking at the two similar skies, a deep loneliness would well up inside me.

Yi Han, Xu Lie, Zi Mo, Yu Fei… none of them are by my side anymore. Sometimes I feel fortunate that I was able to meet, get to know, and become friends with so many people, our fates intertwined, experiencing both joy and sorrow.

I led my one-year-old son, Xu Nuo, who could already walk unsteadily, step by step through the cemetery. Xu Nuo held my hand and walked very quietly. At such a young age, he already had a tendency to be expressionless, which really made me both laugh and cry.

However, he was extremely handsome, with thick eyebrows, a high nose, and eyes that, once they grew up, had a somewhat narrow, cat-like shape. It was as if one could already foresee that he would grow up to be a handsome and cool man who would not be inferior to Xu Lie.

Speaking of Nuo'er reminds me of Yun Yan. Yun Yan and Buying got married a year ago. The officiant was Uncle Li. Only I and the rest of the Sanxing Liusha people were there to offer their congratulations, but everyone was very happy, happy for Yun Yan and Buying.

Three months ago, Yunyan was diagnosed with pregnancy, and Buying refused to allow her to stay in Luocheng any longer. I also felt that the chaos of war was not suitable for a pregnant woman, so I helped Buying persuade Yunyan to return to Chiyu Tower to stay temporarily.

I imagine Yunyan's child, boy or girl, will be absolutely stunning. I'll definitely make him recognize me as his godmother. The thought makes me happy, but then a faint sense of melancholy creeps in. When will Yihan and I be able to have a child of our own?

"Mom...Mom." I suddenly heard Xu Nuo call me. When he called me, he always liked to pronounce each word separately. His soft and tender voice was indescribably pleasant to listen to.

I looked down and saw Xu Nuo pointing ahead and saying, "Dad... there's someone there."

I was taken aback, and sure enough, I saw three people standing in front of Xu Lie's grave: a man, a woman, and a child.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Shui Bingye. The woman beside him was elegant and beautiful, with boundless spirit in her eyes. Judging from their intimate posture, they were probably husband and wife.

I was smiling and nodding in greeting when Xu Nuo suddenly let go of my hand and stumbled forward. I was about to reach out and grab him when I looked ahead and froze.

Xu Nuo rushed to the child Bing Ye was with, stared at him for a long time, and then reached out his chubby hand to pinch his little face. He was a child so beautiful that words couldn't describe it; so beautiful that I almost forgot to breathe when I looked at him. Xu Nuo pinched his face, and he neither cried nor got angry. He just smiled wryly, took Xu Nuo's hand, placed it in his palm, and smiled gently, but didn't say anything.

"This...this is your child?" I exclaimed in surprise.

The woman chuckled, took a few steps back, and carried the child to my side. Xu Nuo, seeing the child being taken away, stumbled back, took my hand, her face expressionless, but her eyes were fixed on the beautiful child in the woman's arms.

I took a few steps forward and placed the flowers I was holding in my left hand in front of Xu Lie's tombstone. My gaze swept over the clear-cut photograph, and my heart still ached slightly.

The woman smiled and said, "My name is Ji Xiaoyu. Hello, I've heard Bingye mention you before."

I looked away, smiled, and nodded, saying, "Hello." I glanced at the child and said, "Your child is very beautiful."

Xiaoyu smiled and shook her head, saying, "His name is Xiao Bingshuo, and he is Bingye's child."

I nodded with slight surprise, then looked at the child named Bing Shuo. He was only five or six years old, but his appearance was already stunning. He was looking at me too, his azure eyes filled with curiosity, reminding me of Lin Yu's eyes. He always wore a faint smile, a kind and innocently cute smile, yet his gaze and demeanor were so composed that he didn't seem like a young child at all.

On the way back, Xu Nuo quietly let me carry him and didn't complain about wanting to walk by himself anymore. I pinched his soft little face and smiled, "I'll take you to their house to play often in the future, okay?"

Xu Nuo paused for a moment, then suddenly blushed and snuggled into my neck, nuzzling gently. I stroked his soft hair and burst out laughing.

Xu Lie, can you see? I'm very happy. We are all very happy.

February of the 776th year of the Wanli reign.

One year and ten months after Yi Han left me, the Jin Yao and Feng Yin kingdoms completed their reorganization and integration, and Qin Gui's path to becoming emperor slowly got back on track. In early spring, February, when the chill of spring was still lingering, I launched a war of annihilation against the Huo Ling kingdom in this season of both bitterness and hope.

On February 18th, I instructed Qin Wu to secretly contact Empress Dowager Huoling, formerly Princess Jianing of Jinyao, hoping to persuade her to seize Huoling without bloodshed. Three days later, Qin Wu sent a message by carrier pigeon, saying that Jianing insisted on meeting me before making a decision.

After much deliberation, I finally agreed to let Qin Wu take Jia Ning to the Ishuel Academy in the Water Mist Kingdom, and I rushed there to meet her.

Princess Jianing was now a mother of a seven-year-old child and the Empress Dowager of a nation, yet her appearance remained largely unchanged. More than seven years had passed since their last meeting, and compared to her younger self, her eyes now held a deathly gloom, yet also a strong resilience. This interplay of colors made her seem as if time had polished her, making her shine brighter and more captivating.

Jia Ning asked me, "Can you really guarantee that Nian'er and I will survive?"

I nodded solemnly and sincerely: "Princess, from the time we met until now, has Lin Yu ever lied to you even once?"