Don't Raise A Black Lotus Flower; Use The Emperor As A Substitute [Transmigration novel] - Chapter 8

Time passed quickly, and life remained calm as the weather gradually turned warmer.

That afternoon, Lin Ruoxuan returned to his residence from the Eastern Depot. After resting for a while, he was just about to head to the Cold Palace when Chen Lin entered the room, holding out a thin cowhide envelope with both hands. “Superintendent, a letter for you. It just arrived via the post station.”

“A letter for me? Who wrote it?” Lin Ruoxuan muttered while taking the envelope.

The moment he saw the signature on the envelope, he froze.

Xiao Tunan.

He was the protagonist of The Secret History of the Forbidden City and the Great Yuan Dynasty’s only prince with a different surname: the Prince of Ningyuan, Xiao Tunan.

Was Xiao Tunan writing to Lin Wa’er?

Lin Ruoxuan stared at the three characters “Xiao Tunan” on the bottom left corner of the envelope, his mind going blank. Although he had been here for almost a month, only now did he truly feel like he had stepped into the world of The Secret History of the Forbidden City.

Chen Lin asked with concern, “Superintendent, is something wrong?”

“It is nothing.” Lin Ruoxuan collected himself, took a deep breath, and slowly tore open the wax seal.

Inside was a single sheet of paper. The texture was quite rough, a world of difference from the scented stationery used in the imperial palace.

“My friend Ruoxuan, seeing this letter is like seeing me in person. Recently, I heard that the Eastern Depot, which you oversee…”

The letter was barely a hundred characters long. The handwriting was elegant and forceful, with sharp edges that seemed ready to leap off the page. The writer was indeed a renowned general who had spent years on the battlefield, yet the content of the letter was devoid of any warrior’s coarseness or arrogance; instead, it was gentle, refined, and logical.

Lin Ruoxuan quickly read through the entire letter. Since he was a science major, his classical Chinese was only average, but he had no trouble understanding it. Translated into modern language, it read roughly like this:

“Ruoxuan, my old friend, I heard that the Eastern Depot arrested Zhou Sixun. He was once my military scribe. He is very timid and would never dare to slander the imperial court. Please investigate carefully; do not wrong an innocent man.

“As for my poor nephew, Ji Ruxue, I heard that the Emperor dislikes him and has asked you to discipline him. Although I have not seen my nephew in many years, my sister, Empress Duanshu, was a woman of gentle temperament and great virtue; her child cannot be bad. As long as he is taught well, he will surely become a pillar of the nation.

“Regarding the past, I am the one who failed you. You can resent me, hate me, or even seek revenge against me, but please do not take your anger out on those around me, especially Ji Ruxue. He is still young, so please treat him well.

“It has been many years since we parted. There are many things I wish to discuss with you, but the war in Liaodong is intense, and I cannot get away. Once the situation eases here, I will lead my troops back to the capital. At that time, it would be a pleasure for us to sit and talk by candlelight.”

Lin Ruoxuan felt conflicted.

It appeared that, just as in the original novel, the protagonist Xiao Tunan was truly a good person. The entire letter was dedicated to persuading him not to vent his personal grievances against others, including Ji Ruxue.

However, he still felt a chill down his spine.

What did Xiao Tunan mean by, “I am the one who failed you”? In the original work, Xiao Tunan was a noble and upright gentleman. Why was this letter so vague? Combined with those sorrowful love letters and portraits, what exactly was the relationship between Xiao Tunan and Lin Wa’er?

Regardless, he was not interested in being gay.

What was even more troublesome was that while Xiao Tunan was currently safe in Liaodong, once he returned to the capital and insisted on talking by candlelight, how would he, an imposter, keep up the charade? It was enough to cost him his life.

The only small comfort was that, based on the letter, the war against the Jurchen in Liaodong was still intense. Xiao Tunan likely would not return for a year or more, giving him some time to prepare.

He decided not to think about it anymore. He would deal with whatever came when it happened. He needed to handle the matters at hand first.

Lin Ruoxuan mused internally that Zhou Sixun, mentioned in the letter, was currently locked in the Eastern Depot’s dungeon. He had visited him days ago; the man was just a scrawny scholar, certainly not a troublemaker who would dare slander the court. Even without Xiao Tunan’s plea, he could not wrongfully punish an innocent man.

Ji Ruxue’s education also needed to be put on the agenda, and he had to get his hands on that white jade ginseng. With all these messy things piling up, cleaning up the original owner’s messes while trying to complete the system’s tasks, Lin Ruoxuan felt a headache coming on.

To get any of this done, he could not avoid one person: Emperor Chengwu.

“Whew.” Lin Ruoxuan exhaled, deciding not to delay any longer. “Chen Lin, prepare my waist token and my sedan chair. I am going into the palace to see the Emperor shortly.”

“Yes, Superintendent,” Chen Lin replied, turning to make the arrangements.

Lin Ruoxuan pondered for a moment, held the letter near a candle, and watched the thin paper curl and burn in the flame until it was reduced to a pile of ash.

By the time Lin Ruoxuan entered the palace, the sky was filled with sunset clouds. The Forbidden City, with its gold tiles and red walls, was painted in a faint, blood-like hue, giving it an eerily solemn feeling.

As he walked toward the Imperial Study, he kept rehearsing what he would say to the Emperor, ensuring there were no flaws in his logic. Just as he reached a corner outside the Imperial Study, he heard low voices talking ahead, vaguely mentioning his own name.

Lin Ruoxuan stopped in his tracks.

A clear, resonant voice cursed in a low tone, “That eunuch thief Lin Ruoxuan! Poor Zhou Sixun, my classmate. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and went to Liaodong as a military scribe, pouring out his heart for the sake of the Great Yuan. Yet that eunuch thief actually slandered him for defaming the court. Sixun is such a weak scholar. I do not know how much he has suffered in the Eastern Depot’s dungeon all this time.”

“Huaixiu, stop talking. Be careful, walls have ears.”

“A’Jin, I do not believe that eunuch thief can cover the sky with one hand! I am going to see to this matter of Zhou Sixun.”

Someone was cursing him behind his back again. Lin Ruoxuan felt a bit helpless, but he had no choice but to take the blame. In truth, since he had taken over this body, he had not subjected Zhou Sixun to any torture; he just had not found a suitable excuse to release him yet.

He realized it was Zhong Huaixiu, the future Chief Grand Secretary, and Xue Jin, the future commander of the Three Great Camps, the left and right arms of Ji Ruxue.

He heard Xue Jin fall silent for a moment before saying, “Huaixiu, why do you think Lin Ruoxuan is targeting Official Zhou?”

Zhong Huaixiu said bitterly, “I cannot figure it out either. Sixun only returned from Liaodong last year. He is timid and avoids the Eastern Depot whenever he sees them. He has no reason to provoke that thief.”

Xue Jin sighed, “Lin Ruoxuan is treacherous and cruel; he does not act according to reason. By the way, have you heard? Last month in Pear Blossom Alley, he played a young boy from a good family to death, and he actually managed to suppress the whole incident.”

Zhong Huaixiu gritted his teeth, “One day, I will take down that damn eunuch thief with my own hands!”

The sound of their footsteps drew closer, and they were about to turn the corner. Lin Ruoxuan could not avoid them, so he stepped out from behind the corner and gave an awkward, light cough. “Ahem, Official Zhong, Official Xue.”

Zhong Huaixiu and Xue Jin froze.

Xue Jin was a handsome man with peach-blossom eyes and a solid, sturdy build. He was at most twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old. He stared at Lin Ruoxuan, his expression changing rapidly in a fascinating display, before finally forcing a smile, “Superintendent Lin, long time no see.”

Zhong Huaixiu was younger, tall, and slender, with refined and elegant features, but his temper was much fiercer than Xue Jin’s. He rolled his eyes so hard he barely looked at Lin Ruoxuan.

Lin Ruoxuan had his answer now. It seemed this commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was more tactful, while this future Chief Grand Secretary was a very haughty and stubborn person.

He forced a harmless smile, pretending he had not heard the insults from before, “Officials, what are you two chatting about?”

“Nothing, nothing, just rambling,” Xue Jin said, clearly relieved.

Zhong Huaixiu let out a cold snort and was just about to say something, but Xue Jin grabbed his arm, “Superintendent Lin, Huaixiu and I have some urgent matters to attend to. We will be going now.”

“A’Jin, you…” Zhong Huaixiu frowned with his delicate brows.

“Let us go, let us go.” Xue Jin insisted, dragging Zhong Huaixiu away quickly.

Lin Ruoxuan watched their retreating figures speechlessly, feeling that the unjust reputation on his back had grown even heavier. It seemed Lin Wa’er’s character was truly terrible; everyone feared and hated him. No wonder that when he was finally executed, all the townspeople rushed to celebrate.

He shook his head, refusing to imagine that scene, and headed toward the Imperial Study.

Just as he reached the door, he was stopped by an old eunuch, “Superintendent Lin.”

Lin Ruoxuan said politely, “Eunuch Yu, is His Majesty inside?”

The thin old eunuch was named Yu Zhongshan. He was the head eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and held considerable power. Unlike Lin Ruoxuan, he was extremely cautious and never did anything out of line. Perhaps that was why he had safely served as the head eunuch for over a dozen years.

Yu Zhongshan smiled, “His Majesty is still meditating. Please wait a moment, Superintendent.”

“Oh, I will wait here, then.”

Lin Ruoxuan waited outside the door for a full hour, bored to tears. Seeing that it was almost dark, he finally heard the sound of a crisp, melodic chime from inside, long and lingering.

Yu Zhongshan nodded, “Superintendent Lin, the Emperor’s jade chime has rung. You may go in.”

Lin Ruoxuan took a deep breath and finally stepped over the threshold of the Imperial Study.

As soon as he entered, a swirling white mist greeted him. This mist was not an imperial incense like dragon’s saliva; it smelled more like common sandalwood used in temples. Lin Ruoxuan could not help but mutter to himself that the Emperor was exactly as described, entirely obsessed with seeking immortality and worshipping Buddha, avoiding the inner palace, and ignoring state affairs.

The room was dimly lit, draped with heavy, multi-layered gauze curtains. Behind the curtains sat a person, a hazy silhouette that made it impossible to see his features clearly. It was the twelfth Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Chengwu.

Lin Ruoxuan hesitated for a moment before kneeling and kowtowing, “This servant greets Your Majesty.”

Eunuchs were not considered real men, so in front of the imperial family, they had to refer to themselves as nubi rather than nucai. While Lin Ruoxuan referred to himself as “I” in front of princes and officials as the Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, he still had to use nubi before Emperor Chengwu.

He felt frustrated by the restrictions of the society.

Emperor Chengwu said lazily, “Superintendent Lin, you rarely request an audience with me. Is there something important?”

The voice of the supreme ruler was slightly hoarse and drawn out, sounding lethargic, as if he cared about nothing at all.

Lin Ruoxuan kowtowed, “Replying to Your Majesty, it is regarding the case of Zhou Sixun slandering the imperial court.”

“Zhou Sixun?” Emperor Chengwu seemed to think for a long time before he finally recalled, “The military scribe for Xiao Tunan? How is the case progressing?”

“The case has been under investigation for a long time without any concrete evidence. It seems Official Zhou was framed. This servant believes the case can be closed and that he should be allowed to return home,” Lin Ruoxuan answered cautiously.

“Oh,” Emperor Chengwu chuckled softly. “You want to release him?”

Lin Ruoxuan felt sweat prickling on his back. “Yes.”

“Lin Ruoxuan, I truly cannot read you sometimes.”

“Your Majesty is wise.” He did not know how to respond to that.

“I do not know what happened between you and the Prince of Ningyuan, Xiao Tunan, all those years ago, to the point that he sent you, the steward eunuch of the Ningyuan Prince’s Mansion, into the Forbidden City. All these years, you have been trying your best to climb up, creating obstacles for him, and dealing with everyone connected to him, including this Zhou Sixun.”

Speaking of this, Emperor Chengwu paused and teased, “What, have you realized something now? You do not want to target Xiao Tunan anymore?”

Lin Ruoxuan was left speechless.

The information in the Emperor’s words was too much. Lin Ruoxuan’s mind was in chaos. Did the Emperor mean that Lin Wa’er had been the steward eunuch of the Ningyuan Prince’s Mansion and was later sent into the palace by Xiao Tunan to become a court eunuch?

Seeing him remain silent, Emperor Chengwu seemed bored. “Forget it. The matter of Zhou Sixun is not really that important. Do as you say.”

“Your Majesty is wise!” Lin Ruoxuan came back to his senses and quickly kowtowed.

Emperor Chengwu paused slightly and added in a nonchalant tone, “By the way, how is Ji Ruxue lately? I heard you broke one of his legs.”

His tone was casual, as if he did not care at all that his son’s leg had been broken.

“The Fourth Prince, he…” Lin Ruoxuan gritted his teeth and decided to follow his previous plan, daring to take a gamble.

The Emperor seemed to despise Ji Ruxue. No matter how much the boy wanted to study at the Shangshu Pavilion, and no matter how much he begged, the Emperor would certainly not agree.

If that was the case, he should try a different approach and do the complete opposite.

Thinking of this, Lin Ruoxuan put on a look of helplessness, “Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince recently heard some rumors from somewhere, saying that Your Majesty wanted him to study at the Shangshu Pavilion. Before, when he was caught eavesdropping on a lecture, the Crown Prince pushed him into a chamber pot, covering him in filth, and then he was beaten. Perhaps because of that, he is terrified the moment he hears about going to the Shangshu Pavilion to study.”

“Oh?” Emperor Chengwu seemed to show a bit of interest. “He is very afraid of studying?”

Looking at the Emperor’s attitude, there was hope!

Lin Ruoxuan quickly added more detail, “Yes, he heard that the Crown Prince now keeps a fierce mastiff, which makes him even more frightened. He cries and begs this servant every day, saying he must not be made to study at the Shangshu Pavilion, so the Crown Prince will not have the mastiff bite him. I have told him many times that he does not have to study, but he does not believe me; he just cries and makes a scene all day.”

“Heh.” Emperor Chengwu gave a light chuckle. The laughter was filled with amusement, as well as a bone-chilling malice. “Who said he does not have to study?”