Construyendo una dinastía de canciones armoniosas

Capítulo 29

"Is that so?" Qin Hao sneered. "But I wonder if the Grand Tutor and the Imperial Uncle had a pleasant chat today. They must have a lot to say after a year apart?" His slightly jealous tone made Lin Suyang feel as if Qin Hao had become a different person, a change that inexplicably frightened her. Just like when she faced Han Yufeng, but with Han Yufeng she only felt helpless and guilty. Now, however, she was truly afraid of this man, the one she had spent the most time with.

Calming down, Lin Suyang stood up and said, "Is Your Majesty interfering with my freedom? I have a clear conscience. If Your Majesty believes that I harbor disloyal intentions, Your Majesty may simply let me go."

"If you end things sooner, you can live happily ever after with that person? Lin Suyang, you're thinking too simply." Qin Hao unconsciously clenched his fists, then mocked himself, "I've truly gone mad. For a mere woman, I've disregarded morality and propriety. I'm unworthy of being an emperor, and I've failed my ancestors!"

He waved wearily: "Go down. I was just reminding the Grand Tutor. You are my subject, and I trust you."

Lin Suyang was taken aback by Qin Hao's sudden change in attitude, but she didn't want to think about it too much. She bowed and left the main hall.

As they passed Chaoyang Gate, they heard a voice outside the carriage: "Lord Lin, please wait." It sounded familiar, but Lin Suyang couldn't quite place it. He lifted the carriage curtain and saw that it was Yun Shuihan, Qin Ke's personal bodyguard.

"Does Guard Yun have something to say to me?" Lin Suyang asked.

Yun Shuihan nodded and said, "Please come closer, sir. I would like to have a talk with you." Lin Suyang glanced at the sky and then told the driver to follow him to the brightly lit East Market.

Qin Hao slumped into the dragon throne, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I remember when I was little, my father would often hold me and sit here teaching me to read and write. When he got tired, he would take out some little toys to amuse me. At that time, my mother would always come in with my father's favorite sweet soup. Then my father would hold me in one arm and hold my mother's hand with the other, saying, "My wife and son are both very good." At that time, he said "I" instead of "朕" (the imperial "I").

On the day his mother died, his father stayed in her palace for days and nights, neither eating nor drinking, not attending court, and refusing to see anyone. When his father finally emerged from the palace, he knew his father was no longer his father; he had become the true emperor. His father said, "As an emperor, you can gain nothing but power, especially love. When the one you love most is gone, your world becomes a cold void, and your status dictates that you cannot even have the thought of following her in death. That kind of pain is more agonizing than being pierced by a thousand arrows. Therefore, Hao'er, you must remember this: never fall in love with anyone. She will become the hardest tribulation you can overcome."

Qin Hao pulled a seal from his pocket. The three dark red characters on it pierced his heart with pain: "Lin Suyang, you are my calamity..."

Volume Three, Chapter Sixty-Eight: Heartbreak from Love (Part Two)

Lin Suyang sat by the window, looking at Yun Shuihan who remained silent across from him, and asked curiously, "Didn't Guard Yun have something to say to me? Why has Guard Yun been so quiet since we entered this teahouse?"

Yun Shuihan pursed his lips, as if something was on his mind but he didn't know where to begin. After another moment of silence, he asked Lin Suyang in a low voice, "Does Your Excellency have feelings for my master?"

"What?" Lin Suyang stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Yun Shuihan took a deep breath and said, "Lord Lin, there is no need to worry. Your subordinate will never reveal your identity."

Lin Suyang looked into his eyes and saw that they were clear and bright. Her doubts subsided, and she asked, "What does Guard Yun want to say?"

"My master is very drunk today." Qin Ke did drink a lot of alcohol today. When he left, Lin Suyang noticed that the two jars on the ground were empty, but he seemed quite sober at the time.

"Lord Lin, there are some things I'm unsure whether I should say or not," Yun Shuihan said earnestly.

“Guard Yun, please speak freely.”

"Does Your Excellency know how you were able to marry the princess three years ago?" He suddenly brought up this matter.

Lin Suyang didn't understand what was going on, so he asked, "Could it be that Guard Yun knows?" As for why he was able to marry Qin Yu so easily three years ago, Lin Suyang himself was also very puzzled. He originally wanted to make a name for himself and impress Emperor Shun, but before he could do anything, Emperor Shun issued an edict to bestow Qin Yu upon him in marriage. Later, he thought that something was very wrong. Logically speaking, Emperor Shun had already begun to guard against the Lin family at that time, so why would he allow the princess to marry him?

Seeing the confusion on her face, Yun Shuihan continued without pausing, "Actually, it was my master who pleaded with the late emperor."

Lin Suyang gently twisted his hand. "What were the late emperor's conditions?"

Yun Shuihan was amazed by her intelligence. She replied, word by word, "The new emperor has taken office. Retreat to the northwest. For all eternity, never to return to the capital."

The new emperor ascended the throne. He retreated to the northwest. For all eternity, he was forbidden from returning to the capital! It turned out that he had agreed to this condition before Emperor Shun agreed to let Qin Yu marry him. A man with such lofty ambitions, yet always constrained by his circumstances, was willing to live a life of seclusion in one place, never to set foot back in Yundu again. For whom? The answer was obvious. Lin Suyang felt a dull ache in his heart. Yun Shuihan's words, as cold as hail, rained down upon him.

"Does Your Excellency still remember that time in Shenzhou when the disaster relief supplies were robbed? Although Young Master Si recovered the supplies, he didn't know whether the thousands of bushels of grain had been poisoned!" These words startled Lin Suyang so much that he almost stood up.

"What? Poisoning?"

Yun Shuihan nodded and said, "At that time, our master was far away in the south dealing with Yan and Liao. But he secretly sent elite troops to accompany you and protect your safety. Meanwhile, I sent messages to our master by carrier pigeon to report the situation. After learning that the grain had been stolen and then recovered, our master suspected that the grain might have been tampered with. So he had elite troops disguised as soldiers secretly switch it. Your master was busy dealing with the flood and therefore did not pay attention. Later, when the epidemic broke out and the antidote was hard to find, it was our master who sent a letter from afar to ask for the help of a divine physician to prepare the antidote and give it to Young Master Si."

"Sir, can you imagine how haggard and worried our master must be, having to concentrate on being vigilant against the actions of Yan and Liao while constantly worrying about your situation?" The questioning caused Lin Suyang's indifferent expression to change several times.

"On the day Master left Yundu, I waited at the city gate from dawn until midday, just hoping to see you, sir, but you never came. During this year in the Northwest, Master worked tirelessly, investigating and distributing materials day and night. He often got so drunk late at night that he was unconscious, yet he still had to force himself to handle official business the next day..."

"Stop talking," Lin Suyang interrupted him. "I know I owe the Prince a lot, but there are some things that you, Guard Yun, cannot understand. If Guard Yun has nothing else to say, please excuse me for taking my leave." She stood up and was about to leave when Yun Shuihan immediately stood up, took a few steps to her, and knelt down.

"You..." Lin Suyang was so shocked that he took a few steps back.

"Lord Lin, I know this is very abrupt. I have been following my master for over twenty years and have never seen him so heartbroken. After you left today, he locked himself in his room and wouldn't let anyone near him. Lord Lin, please, for the sake of how much my master has helped you, go and see him, okay?" Yun Shuihan pleaded in a low voice.

"If... I don't go, will you not get up?"

Yun Shuihan looked at her and said, "You may leave, my lord, and I may kneel here forever."

Seeing his unwavering gaze, Lin Suyang sighed, "Get up, I'll go."

No outsiders were allowed in the backyard of the Prince's mansion, except for Yun Shuihan, who was indeed Qin Ke's confidant. The pungent smell of alcohol was noticeable even before entering Qin Ke's room.

Upon entering the room, Lin Suyang saw Qin Ke lying diagonally on the bed, the wine jar in his hand upside down, spilling wine all over the floor. He was still tightly gripping the mouth of the jar. Lin Suyang placed the hangover soup on the table, then went over and pried open Qin Ke's hand, took the jar and put it aside. Just as she was about to take the soup, Qin Ke grabbed her sleeve.

Lin Suyang looked back and saw that his eyes were tightly closed and he showed no signs of waking up. She reached out to pull out her long sleeves but suddenly felt a strong force pull her over. Before she could stand up, she fell forward and landed on Qin Ke. She was so shocked that she tried to get up, but a pair of strong arms immediately wrapped around her waist and held her tightly, making her unable to move.

"Is that you, Lin Suyang?" Qin Ke's eyes were still closed, but his words proved that he was awake.

Lin Suyang stopped struggling and simply said softly, "Your Highness, you are drunk."

"Really? Drunk? It's good that you're drunk, so I can see you by my side." A soft murmur brushed against Lin Suyang's ear with warm breath, carrying the strong smell of liquor.

The room was quiet, but the atmosphere was not one of beauty, but rather one of overwhelming desolation.

“When I was nine, it snowed heavily that winter.” Qin Ke pressed Lin Suyang’s head against his chest. “My servant and I went to the mountains to hunt rabbits, but we got separated. We had to rely on our senses to find our way down the mountain. The ground was covered in snow, white as the purest clouds in the sky. I walked with difficulty on the white clouds, passing through tree after tree.”

"I vaguely heard someone crying. I thought I had found the mountain dweller and could go home, so I ran as fast as I could. After running through the woods, I saw a little girl lying on the ground, which was also covered with white clouds."

"In front of the girl was a newly built mound of earth, with a wooden sign on it that read 'Tomb of Lin Su'."

"The little girl was very beautiful, as beautiful as the snowman the palace maids built. I couldn't take my eyes off her, but I was wondering why she hadn't woken up yet. Was she cold?"

"I took off my cloak and covered her with it, then squatted down beside her and waited. It took a long time before she opened her big eyes. What kind of eyes were they? They were as cold as ice, yet as beautiful as the most beautiful stars, making you want to hold them in your hands and protect them for a lifetime."

"She only said thank you to me, and I was so happy to hear her voice that I wanted to jump for joy. She left, and I shouted after her, 'Remember, my name is Ke'er…'"

"Ten years later, I finally saw her again. I learned her name, but she had forgotten me." Qin Ke's voice began to tremble slightly.

"I tried everything to get close to her. I wanted her to be happy, I wanted her to be free. I wanted to give her what she wanted. I so wanted to tell her, 'I love you.' It was love..." It was love, not just liking. On that snowy day, an indelible memory was etched in the eyes of that nine-year-old.

Lin Suyang's tears slid down his cheeks and fell onto his lapel. Outside the window, the swaying withered branches quietly bloomed with tiny flowers. The cold wind chilled the heart.

"This past year, I controlled myself, not sending anyone to look for you, not seeking news of you. I worked hard to build up the Northwest, hoping one day to bring you to see how beautiful the place I governed was. But it's too late." Qin Ke's throat became hoarse. "Too late. You've gone too far, I can't catch up, I can never catch up again. I abandoned myself, I gave up on you." If only he had told her those three words back then, if only he had seen her standing at the alley entrance that day, if only he had taken her away without hesitation. But there are no ifs.

The Buddha said that it takes five hundred glances in a past life to earn a mere brush with someone in this life. Perhaps they didn't look back enough in their past lives, so in this life they are destined to be together but not to be.

Lin Suyang recalled the warmth he saw and the innocent, affectionate calls he heard when he opened his eyes at the age of seven. The subsequent encounters brought a flutter of emotion, but he dared not look, dared not touch, simply following the wheels of fate. Though not a pen, he wrote of pain, and countless concerns drove them further and further apart. Only when he left did he realize that he still harbored some feelings, but this feeling was discovered too late, and before it could be carefully nurtured, it was nipped in the bud deep within his heart.

Now everything is clear, but it's too late. The hole that never bled has long been filled in. Despite the continued setbacks, I no longer want to miss out or cause any more harm.

"I'm sorry." All she could say was "I'm sorry." Lin Suyang closed her eyes, weeping silently. Qin Ke smiled, her pale face etched with sorrowful tears.

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Sixty-Nine: Facing the Empty Moon (Part 1)

Qin Hao was enraged, more furious than ever before. When he learned from the spies monitoring the Yin Prince's residence that Lin Suyang had spent the entire night there and only returned this morning, a torrent of anger surged within him. Yet, his expression was calmer than ever before, which deeply worried An Zhen, who had watched him grow up. The more furious the Emperor Hong became, the more terrifyingly calm he appeared, and the more severe the consequences would be. An Zhen didn't know why her master was acting this way, but she understood that someone had finally appeared who could cause such a drastic change in the emotions of this usually cautious and composed emperor.

Ten million taels of silver from the national treasury have vanished! This astonishing news was the first thing Lin Suyang heard at the morning court session.

With the late emperor's sacrificial ceremony approaching, this incident enraged Emperor Hong. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to threaten to engulf the entire Jinhe Hall, drawing in the biting wind and snow. The Minister of Revenue was temporarily dismissed and imprisoned for dereliction of duty and lax oversight. His subordinates, including clerks and secretaries, had their salaries reduced for a year, pending further investigation. Then, Lin Ziyan, the commander of the Imperial City Guards, was summoned in.

Emperor Hong, citing his dereliction of duty and the subsequent theft of millions of taels of silver from the national treasury right before his eyes, ordered him imprisoned and suspended from duty for investigation, and the position of Guard Commander to be transferred to another person. Lin Suyang stepped forward to stop him, arguing that according to the laws of the Great Central Court, officials could not be convicted without conclusive evidence. Emperor Hong's decision to imprison the Minister of Revenue and the Guard Commander before clarifying the facts violated the principles of the law.

The other officials breathed a sigh of relief. Emperor Hong's decree was indeed against the law, but thankfully, Grand Tutor Lin had spoken up. Almost everyone knew that only Grand Tutor Lin could persuade the stubborn and ruthless Emperor Hong to change his mind. Unexpectedly, this assumption led to a major surprise. Emperor Hong not only did not retract his order, but instead flew into a rage, coldly asking Lin Suyang, "If a court official oversteps his authority and contradicts the Emperor's grace in the main hall, what should his punishment be?" Lin Suyang replied, "The punishment is fifty strokes of the cane."

Emperor Hong immediately sneered, "Very well, does Grand Tutor Lin know his crime?"

Lin Suyang immediately knelt down and said, "Your subject knows his crime."

"Considering that the Grand Tutor's merits outweigh his demerits, his sentence can be reduced by twenty. Guards, carry out the execution."

"Your Majesty." Several voices rose in unison, and upon looking up, Lin Ziyan, Xin Min, Lin Cheng, Ouyang Yufeng, and others all spoke up.

"Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Lin was merely speaking the truth and has done nothing wrong. Please rescind your order," Lin Ziyan said hastily.

Xin Min also said, "Yes, Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Lin did not mean to contradict or refute. Please make the judgment clear, Your Majesty."

Qin Hao's face grew even more gloomy. "My esteemed ministers seem quite dissatisfied with my decision, aren't they? Ten million taels of silver is no small sum. Instead of trying to find the thief and recover the silver, you're all here criticizing me one by one! My mighty Great Central Kingdom has actually had its national treasury blatantly robbed. Wouldn't that be a huge joke if word got out!" His angry shout immediately made everyone unable to lift their heads.

"If I don't punish him severely today, who knows, another ten million taels might be stolen tomorrow. Then you'll come and argue with me again? You say Grand Tutor Lin didn't contradict or refute me? Fine. Then let me ask you. The Grand Tutor's duty is to uphold my moral principles, oversee all matters of the Hanlin Academy, and propose and decide on laws. Today, the conviction should fall under the jurisdiction of the Three Judicial Offices, and any strong rebuttal should also be the presiding authority of the Three Judicial Offices. The Grand Tutor disregarded etiquette and spoke out against me. Isn't this overstepping his authority and contradicting me? My words are golden, and the imperial edict is final. Isn't this also a rebuttal of imperial grace? The laws of the Great Central Court are man-made. Today, I want to see whether I can change these laws or not!"

Emperor Hong's coldness and unpredictable temper seemed to have fully erupted today. Who would dare to play the cat in front of a tiger? In the end, the Minister of Revenue and the Commander of the Imperial Guards were still imprisoned. Lin Suyang also received thirty heavy strokes of the imperial cane. How could her frail body withstand such severe punishment? She fainted as soon as the last stroke was finished. Lin Cheng hurriedly ordered someone to send her back to the Imperial Academy.

Qin Ke was preparing for the sacrificial ceremony a few days later. Upon hearing the news, he rushed over immediately. He happened to see Qin Yu having just finished applying medicine to her. He asked anxiously, "How is she?"

Qin Yu, her eyes red and choked with sobs, replied, "Fortunately, it was just some superficial injury. How could my brother be so cruel? With her constitution, thirty strokes of the imperial cane would have killed her." Seeing Lin Suyang being carried in with her eyes closed, Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat. After checking her injuries and finding no broken bones, the weight that had been hanging over his chest finally lifted.

Qin Ke tightened his grip on the ground. After a long while, he finally let go and said, "I'll go see her." He then turned to head towards Lin Suyang's room. Qin Yu quickly blocked his way, saying, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, Suyang... she's resting. It's not convenient for her." He was worried about the wound getting infected. He hadn't dressed her after applying the medicine. If Qin Ke went in, wouldn't everything be exposed?

Qin Ke opened his mouth, but finally said, "Then I'll come again in a couple of days. Yu'er, please take good care of her." No sooner had he left than a messenger from the palace arrived, saying medicine was to be delivered to Grand Tutor Lin. Qin Yu coldly accepted the medicine and dismissed the palace servants. After carefully examining the medicine bottle, she couldn't help but be somewhat surprised. Her imperial brother had actually sent the best imperial poisonous insects from the palace. This was no ordinary poisonous insect; it contained hundreds of rare herbs, extremely effective for both external and internal injuries, and was exclusively for the emperor's use in case of emergency.

If he had known this would happen, why would he have had Lin Suyang flogged and wasted a bottle of top-grade bewitching agent? Qin Yu couldn't understand, and Lin Suyang, who was lying on the bed enduring the pain, couldn't understand it even more. How could he, the Grand Tutor of the Great Central Court, be flogged thirty times just for pleading for someone? The saying "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger" is really true. If the master is unhappy one day, his head might be lost. It seems that the court is a dangerous place, and it would be best for him to withdraw as soon as possible.

The imperial medicines in the palace were indeed as renowned as they seemed, and with Lin Suyang absorbing the miraculous Nine Lotus Ice, her injuries healed quickly. However, she still felt a throbbing pain when sitting, so she had to stay in bed for another two days. During these two days, Lin Cheng came to see her twice, telling her not to worry about Lin Ziyan and to focus on recovering. Besides Lin Cheng, Ouyang Yufeng, Xin Min, and others also came to visit. From them, she learned that there was no other turmoil in the court, and the ministers were being even more cautious in their words and actions, afraid of angering Emperor Hong. Lin Suyang couldn't help but smile wryly; she had truly walked into the line of fire that day.

The one who visited the Scholar's Residence most frequently was Prince Yin, Qin Ke. From morning till night, after arranging the sacrificial rites, he would spend every moment with Lin Suyang, causing her to complain to Qin Yu every night. Qin Yu said that the Ninth Prince was also concerned about her as a friend, but she felt a pang of jealousy. Although she didn't know how the Ninth Prince knew Lin Suyang's true identity, she understood that the Ninth Prince's feelings for Lin Suyang were extraordinary. She knew that Lin Suyang had also had feelings for him before, but Lin Suyang was too proud and aloof, and not good at understanding her own true feelings, so she ignored the Ninth Prince. Now that the Ninth Prince had finally returned, could they... rekindle their past romance?

An Zhen stood motionless outside the Imperial Study, holding several stacks of dark red plaques. Qin Hao, casually reviewing memorials, asked without looking up, "Eunuch An, please come in if you have something to say."

Upon hearing this, An Zhen bowed and walked in, presenting the tray in her hands to Qin Hao, saying, "Your Majesty, these are the names of the concubines to be served tonight." The tray contained two rows of sandalwood incense tablets with the names of some of the concubines written on them. Whichever tablet the emperor selected, the concubine on that tablet would be the one to serve him.

Qin Hao kept his head down and said calmly, "I will stay in the Imperial Study tonight. There is no need for me to serve you in bed."

An Zhen raised her eyes to look at his expression, but couldn't tell what emotion he was showing. However, since the selection ceremony for the imperial concubines, Emperor Hong had only stayed one night with each of the newly appointed concubines and had never gone there again. If this continued, the ministers would surely have something to say.

"What, is there something else, Father-in-law?" Qin Hao asked unhappily when he saw that An Zhen had not left.

"Your Majesty, you haven't chosen a concubine for a month. The Empress Dowager asked yesterday if Your Majesty was feeling unwell or if you were dissatisfied with the concubines..." An Zhen answered cautiously. The Emperor's anger at the morning court a couple of days ago probably hadn't subsided yet. Even if he were to favor a concubine now, that lady would probably be on tenterhooks.

Qin Hao snorted a few times, "The Empress Dowager is quite 'concerned' about me. Bring it up." He casually picked up a piece from the plate and tossed it to An Zhen. An Zhen looked at it and called out to the palace servants waiting outside the door, "Tonight, Consort Xian of Quexing Palace will serve you in bed."

That night, all the concubines in the harem knew that Consort Xian had been favored for the second time. That night, Emperor Hong, Qin Hao, enjoyed singing and dancing all night at the Quexing Palace...

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Seventy: Facing the Empty Moon (Part Two)

The Guigan Mountain was already covered in snow, a thousand miles of ice and snow. The cold trees and silver flowers stood swaying on the snow-covered mountain, while the most beautiful scenery was scattered under the gray clouds, shining with a glittering light.

Shen Xiao skipped and hopped to the door of a wooden house, carrying a basket. She knocked on the door and called out, "Brother Si Junxing, I've come to change your dressing!" There was no answer. She knocked a few more times before she heard a creak, and Si Junxing stood in front of her.

During the Battle of Mu Cuo, Si Junxing was ambushed by Kong Mingqi, which caused poison to enter his eyes and ultimately blind him. He could have been cured with Nine Lotus Ice, but Lin Suyang used up the only Nine Lotus Ice in the world. Moreover, he had residual poison from the past, so there was no possibility of recovery.

Perhaps Heaven took pity on this devoted man, unwilling to let him never see the beauty of the world again, and allowed Master Guigan to accidentally discover the Juesi Grass, a cure-all poison, deep in the canyon. Upon returning, he used his skills to create a unique medicine to restore his sight. His only concern was the medicine's effectiveness and whether it might cause other ailments instead of curing his eyes. After informing Si Junxing of this, Master Guigan repeatedly urged him to think it over carefully, but without hesitation, he agreed to try the medicine. Knowing he couldn't let go of Lin Suyang, the others had no choice but to begin administering the medicine to him.

The prepared ointment needs to be applied for 49 days, and more than 20 days have already passed, so there's still half the time left. Shen Xiao carefully removed the medicated cloth covering Si Junxing's eyes and replaced it with a new one.

"Xiao'er, what do you think she's doing?" Si Junxing asked, tapping the edge of the nearby table as if he were asking a question intentionally but unintentionally.

Chen chuckled and quickly tied the ribbon behind his head, then clapped her hands and said, "Sister Suyan? I bet she's thinking about Brother Si Junxing too." She already knew that Lin Suyang was her real name, but she just couldn't change it. In private, she still thought Lin Suyan sounded better, at least when she called it that, she was Brother Si Junxing's wife.

"I miss her so much." A gentle breeze blew in through the small door; it wasn't cold.

Lin Suyang finally understood. Why had ten million taels of silver vanished from the national treasury overnight? Why had he been punished with thirty strokes of the imperial cane simply for pleading for Ziyan? Why had Emperor Hong ignored the case after the morning court session yet still launched a grand investigation into the silver's whereabouts? He had orchestrated a treasury theft and then framed the perpetrator. What a cunning Qin Hao, what a brilliant emperor! Truly a master hunter, knowing how to blatantly lay a deceptive trap in his own jungle!

Leaving aside the sheer size of the silver, even if it were loaded onto a carriage, it would be enormous. How could it possibly disappear without a trace in the heavily guarded imperial city? Ten million taels of silver—that's more than the funds allocated by the court for disaster relief in Shenzhou. If someone were to steal it, the emperor, driven by ambition, would probably execute everyone in the Ministry of Revenue without hesitation. Why wait to only punish the Minister of Revenue and the Commander of the Guards and send them to prison? Furthermore, many in the court probably know how Lin Suyang received her thirty lashes. She often speaks recklessly before Emperor Hong, and many ministers who want to speak but dare not do so prefer to have Lin Suyang relay messages to the emperor, knowing she won't be scolded. While envying her special treatment, people inevitably harbor the idea of "arrogance due to favor." This lash was not only a warning to certain people but also a subtle reminder to Lin Suyang of her place; she, after all, is still a subject.