After Rescuing The Sickly White Moonlight - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The people in the room were stunned by Lin Yu’s words. “Xiao Yu, maritime smuggling is a capital offense. You can’t just say things like that recklessly.”

Lin Yu looked at them, showing he wasn’t speaking without reason. “The Morinda officinalis is just a smokescreen. What they are truly transporting via sea vessels isn’t just medicinal herbs—it’s people.”

Zheng Zhili’s hand slipped, nearly knocking over a nearby candlestick. “Are you saying… people from Red Ying?”

Lin Yu nodded. “The nameplate we found last time had Red Ying script on it. This suggests that the plates found previously likely all originated from Red Ying. Just that one plate corresponded to a small hidden armory; if there are a hundred such plates, wouldn’t our kingdom’s entire situation be mapped out by them?”

“Furthermore,” Lin Yu pondered for a moment before continuing, “the phrase ‘Purple Qi Comes from the East’—I keep feeling it has some connection to our family.”

Zheng Qingyun, nestled in the bath, listened to their conversation and suddenly spoke up: “If that is truly the case, we should report it to the court and have them send people to investigate.”

Knock, knock, knock—

Someone was at the door. “Young Master, there is a letter for you,” Guanqi said softly.

Zheng Yanzhang stood up, opened the door, and took the letter. He slowly unfolded it; the writing was extensive but small, appearing dense on the page. He skimmed through it quickly, extracting the key information.

“Suo Lou has petitioned for a reform of the Six Ministries. He claims that since the new graduates are entering the court, it’s a perfect time to rectify the declining atmosphere within the ministries to better serve the country and the people.”

Lin Yu’s eyes widened. “He wrote that?”

Zheng Yanzhang nodded. “The Prince’s own words.”

Zheng Qingyun was incredulous. “Is he really that devoted to the country and the people?”

Zheng Yanzhang shrugged, indicating he didn’t know either.

Lin Yu turned away, pacing in circles while cursing inwardly. That dead man is stirring up trouble again. This never happened in the first life. Seriously, I’m fed up.

Please, just stay quiet. Isn’t he tired of being this busy? Lin Yu thought helplessly.

Zheng Yanzhang tucked the letter away and checked the time; it was getting late. “It’s about time. Xiao Yu, Qingyun, Zhili—get some rest. We’ll discuss everything else tomorrow.”

With that, he departed. It took another fifteen minutes before they were settled in for the night.

Staring at the moon outside, Zheng Qingyun had a sudden thought. “Brother Xiao Yu, do you miss your parents?”

Lin Yu fell silent. To be honest, the memories of the Lin Han couple were somewhat faded in his mind. He only remembered they both loved medicine and were very gentle—excellent parents. But fate had been cruel, separating them by life and death so early.

In contrast, his parents from the modern world were more like traditional Chinese parents: a stern, silent father and a gentle but high-demanding mother. It was because of those high demands and Lin Yu’s own obsessive-compulsive tendencies that his resume had been so outstanding.

When he first regressed, Lin Yu would often dream of both sets of parents. Sometimes he was in a house with green tiles, grinding dried herbs; other times, he was in a classroom doing practice problems. He missed his family, and once, he even shed a few tears only to be caught by Zheng Qingyun. Lin Yu had felt deeply embarrassed—how could a forty-year-old man cry? He had completely forgotten that in the eyes of others, he was just an eight-year-old child who had recently lost his parents; crying was perfectly normal.

Later, the dreams became less frequent. Lin Yu figured that if he could never go back, he would repay his parents’ kindness in the next life.

Coming back to the present, Lin Yu looked at Zheng Qingyun, who was waiting for an answer with clear, expectant eyes. He smiled and pinched the boy’s cheek. “Sometimes I do. I still see them in my dreams.”

Zheng Qingyun grabbed his fingers to stop him from messing with his face. “I miss them too. Brother Xiao Yu, you are two years older than me, but why do I sometimes feel like you’re my father?”

Lin Yu’s posture stiffened for a split second before he seamlessly masked it with a joke. “Is it not enough that I take care of you? If you want to call me ‘godfather,’ that’s fine too.”

Zheng Qingyun, outmaneuvered in his attempt to tease, wasn’t annoyed. He smiled, his eyes curving like crescents. “My birthday is coming up. What are you planning to give me?”

Lin Yu didn’t expect the sudden shift in topic. He thought for a moment, counting off the years. “When you were seven, I gave you a jade pendant. At eight, I gave you a bow I made myself. At nine, I carved a seal for you. At ten, I forged a hairpin for you… Oh, speaking of the hairpin, I haven’t seen you wear it. Don’t you like it?”

Zheng Qingyun hadn’t expected the question to turn back on him and quickly searched his memory. “I like it! It’s just too precious, so I’ve stored it away carefully. I’m saving it for a truly important occasion.”

Lin Yu ruffled his hair. The young master’s hair was fine and soft, jet black like silk. “It was given to you to be used. What’s the point of letting it gather dust in a chest? This year… this year I’ll give you…”

Zheng Qingyun leaned his ear closer. “Give me what?”

Lin Yu laughed, teasing him. “I’m not telling. If I say it now, there won’t be a surprise.”

Zheng Qingyun let out a huff. “Fine, don’t tell me then. I’ll find out eventually.”

Looking at the slight pout on his lips, Lin Yu’s heart melted. In this life, Zheng Qingyun felt more like a younger brother to him—someone who threw tantrums, got angry, and acted spoiled. Lin Yu thought this was a very good development.

While the two were laughing and preparing for sleep, in another room, Zheng Yanzhang was tossing and turning, unable to drift off.

Earlier, in front of his brothers, he hadn’t read out the entire letter from Liang Yi’an. Now that he was alone, those words flickered in his mind again.

“Marrying a wife,” “When will you return”…

Liang Yi’an is going to take a Crown Princess…

The thought circled Zheng Yanzhang’s mind incessantly. It wasn’t until the sky began to brighten that he finally managed to fall into a shallow sleep.

When he finally woke up, he was startled by a dream. The ambiguous scenes in the dream made him flush with shame. He intended to get up to calm his heart, but the unusual sensation in his lower body left him dazed—stunned right there in his bed.

After a long while, his face red, he changed his clothes and quietly washed them in secret, hanging them up to dry. Only after the heat in his face subsided did he venture out of his room.

When Lin Yu and the others ran into Zheng Yanzhang that morning, the first thing they noticed was the crimson tint on his earlobes. They exchanged looks but didn’t ask what had happened.

While the Zheng brothers were enjoying their leisure at the ancestral home, Liang Yi’an was fretting over the “Hundred Flowers Banquet.”

In a moment of emotional impulse, he had sent that letter, only to realize later that something was off. But the arrow was already shot; the letter was gone and couldn’t be retrieved. Liang Yi’an forced himself to forget about it, acting as if he had never written it.

The Hundred Flowers Banquet hosted by the Empress arrived as scheduled. The noble ladies and consorts of the capital brought their children to the feast, everyone knowing exactly what the purpose of the gathering was. Each tried their hardest to stand out, hoping to catch the favor of the Empress and the Prince.

Zheng Yanzhang’s reply was slow—so slow that Liang Yi’an began to think he had dreamt the whole thing. When the letter finally arrived, Liang Yi’an dismissed everyone in the room. Once alone, he carefully opened it, yet he didn’t dare read it immediately, hiding it under a book instead.

Half an hour later, Li Quan came to report that dinner was ready. Liang Yi’an snapped out of his daze, hurriedly pulled out the letter, closed his eyes, took a breath, and finally read it.

“I hope Your Highness is well. Hearing that your joyous occasion is approaching, Yanzhang offers his congratulations in advance. Due to the tight schedule, I fear I cannot return to the capital for the banquet. I hope Your Highness finds a virtuous partner and lives in perfect harmony.”

Boom—

A ringing sound filled Liang Yi’an’s ears, and his temples throbbed. He felt as if he were walking on clouds, dazed, and slumped into his chair the next second.

The noise worried Li Quan, who disregarded protocol and pushed the door open. “Your Highness, you…”

Before he could finish, Liang Yi’an raised a hand to cut him off. One hand was clenched into a fist on his knee, the other supported his head. His tone, however, sounded unchanged. “Li Quan, go find that bow of mine. Look after it carefully.”

Li Quan withdrew and went to find the bow Liang Yi’an cherished so much, suddenly remembering it was a gift from the Eldest Young Master of the Zheng family.

Liang Yi’an turned the letter over. After a long silence, he finally let out a laugh.

Zheng Yanzhang usually didn’t speak to him like that. Even when following etiquette, he wouldn’t be that formal. To outsiders, Zheng Yanzhang was the epitome of grace and virtue, but Liang Yi’an had grown up with him. He knew that deep down, the man had a wild streak and had overstepped boundaries countless times in private.

Liang Yi’an understood now. Yanzhang had something on his mind, and it had everything to do with him. His somber mood turned to sunlight; he would simply wait for the man to return and meet him then.

Zheng Yanzhang was regretting it—deeply regretting it.

After that morning, looking at the letter from Liang Yi’an, a wave of nameless fire had surged in his heart. He had scribbled the reply in one go and sent it off. Only after it was gone did he realize the tone was completely unlike his usual self; Liang Yi’an would definitely notice.

He was absent-minded at the dinner table, giving irrelevant answers when Zheng Qingyun spoke to him. Lin Yu gave him a meaningful look, which startled Yanzhang, who quickly finished his meal and excused himself.

Zheng Qingyun looked at Lin Yu in confusion, but Lin Yu just smiled and shook his head. Lin Yu suddenly remembered that in the first life, after Liang Yi’an ascended the throne, he never took any concubines—not even an Empress. The old ministers had nagged him for a long time until Liang Yi’an, annoyed, threatened that if anyone nagged again, he would make that minister the Empress.

Lin Yu had been shocked by those words, shouting, “Your Majesty, there is no need for that!” Either way, by the time Lin Yu died in that life, no Empress had ever been crowned.

Zheng Yanzhang organized their findings and sent a letter to Zheng Heng, subtly mentioning Lin Yu’s suspicions. Since they currently lacked power and status, they were afraid of accidents if they handled it themselves.

“Leave professional matters to professional people,” Lin Yu had said. Zheng Yanzhang agreed.

As the days passed, it was time for Zheng Yanzhang to set out for the capital. Just as he was packing his things, a piece of news spread throughout the Rong Kingdom.

“The Crown Prince is to marry the Seventh Lady of the Gu family.”

Lin Yu was shocked. How is there another sudden plot twist?