The Sickly Beauty Official Faked His Death and Now the Tyrant Has Gone Mad - Chapter 27

As spring gave way to summer, the season was on the verge of shifting, and the air carried a warmth that felt like embers scorching the earth.

All of Huaxia was shrouded in weariness and exhaustion, but the only cause for joy was that the Emperor of Dayong had finally resumed holding court. Even though the wanted notices had never been revoked, the civil and military officials no longer paid them any mind. As long as Su Yang was willing to return to court and handle state affairs, they were grateful to heaven and earth.

As for whether he had moved past Lin Huaiyu’s death, no one cared about Su Yang’s feelings no one could guess the heart of the Son of Heaven.

In the golden hall, Su Yang sat before his desk, reviewing the memorials submitted to him. “Have you all devised a solution for the flooding in Jiangnan?” he asked.

A minister stepped forward. “Your Majesty, in the past, the Ministry of Revenue allocated funds for local officials to construct dikes during floods in Jiangnan. Should we follow the same approach this time?”

Su Yang glanced at him but made no decision. Instead, he asked, “Does anyone else have something to say?”

Only then did Zhao Xiangyi step forward. “Your Majesty, this year’s flooding in Jiangnan shows signs of spreading. If we do not take precautions, it may lead to a major disaster. The usual methods may not be sufficient.”

Su Yang turned his gaze to Zhao Xiangyi. “Does Minister Zhao have any good ideas?”

Zhao Xiangyi thought for a moment but said, “Isn’t Lord Fang Zhixu a native of the south? I wonder what insights Lord Fang might have?”

Su Yang shifted his attention to Fang Zhixu, who stepped forward and said, “Your subject believes that in addition to prevention and dike construction, the flooding in Jiangnan must also be diverted.”

Su Yang opened a memorial beside him one submitted by Fang Zhixu, detailing his observations on the Jiangnan floods. “Since you have considerable understanding of the flooding in Jiangnan, I entrust this matter to you. Draft a comprehensive memorial and submit it to me.”

Fang Zhixu quickly replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

As Su Yang read the memorial on the flooding, an idea quietly took root in his mind.

After dismissing the court, he cast a deep, thoughtful glance at Fang Zhixu and said to De Fu beside him, “Have someone keep an eye on him.”

De Fu bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Fang Zhixu left the palace with Zhao Xiangyi. “Thank you for recommending me to His Majesty, Minister Zhao.”

Zhao Xiangyi smiled faintly. Fang Zhixu was not entirely clueless; though somewhat lacking in social graces, he was not too foolish. “However, if the flooding is not handled properly, I will also be implicated. You must put your heart into this.”

Fang Zhixu nodded earnestly. “Does Minister Zhao have any good strategies for dealing with this flood?”

Zhao Xiangyi considered Su Yang’s earlier expression and reminded him, “His Majesty does not wish to use the usual methods. Moreover, this flood indeed shows signs of becoming a major disaster. Although His Majesty has not set a deadline, you must devise a proper solution as soon as possible to avoid irreversible losses.”

Fang Zhixu nodded. “I understand. However, my teacher has considerable insight into flood control. His methods will surely spare the people of Jiangnan from disaster.”

Hearing him mention his teacher repeatedly, Zhao Xiangyi couldn’t help but feel curious. “Is your teacher truly that remarkable?”

Fang Zhixu’s tone carried a hint of pride, “Of course. My teacher is the most remarkable person in the world. His insights are unique, his ideas innovative, yet he always considers the bigger picture. I previously discussed the issue of flooding with him, and his approach is already quite comprehensive. If it can help the people of Jiangnan, my teacher would surely be delighted.”

Zhao Xiangyi said sincerely, “Your teacher sounds like someone who truly cares for the people. If he were to serve as an official, it would be a blessing for the common folk.”

Fang Zhixu shook his head, however. “My teacher won’t come. He doesn’t like the capital. His health is poor, and the capital is too cold for him to endure. But he did say that if I encounter any unsolvable difficulties in court, I can seek his advice.”

Zhao Xiangyi nodded thoughtfully, “I see.”

It sounded as though Fang Zhixu’s teacher truly resembled Lin Huaiyu in some ways. Though he had never met the man, hearing these descriptions made him think so.

After chatting for a while, Fang Zhixu returned to his residence. The steward immediately handed him a letter, saying, “A letter has arrived from Jiangnan.”

Fang Zhixu’s eyes lit up instantly, and he eagerly took the letter, asking, “Is it from my teacher?”

The steward smiled, “I wouldn’t dare open it, sir. You’d better read it yourself.”

Even as he asked, Fang Zhixu was already tearing open the envelope. Inside was his teacher’s handwriting, filling three pages. Two and a half pages were about the flooding in Jiangnan, while the last half-page praised him for achieving the top rank in the imperial examinations and offered advice on navigating officialdom.

Reading the letter, Fang Zhixu couldn’t help but smile. His teacher was still the same always concerned for the people. He tucked the letter carefully into his robe and returned to his study to begin drafting a memorial.

Su Yang sat in the imperial study, holding Lin Huaiyu’s pardon token in his hand. Sunlight shone on the golden plaque, warm and bright, as if Lin Huaiyu were standing before him, a faint smile gracing his lips.

But Lin Huaiyu had not smiled since entering the palace.

At the thought, Su Yang’s heart felt as though pierced by countless needles, the pain unbearable.

Though Lin Huaiyu was aloof and often indifferent to outsiders, he would still wear a faint smile from time to time sometimes distant, sometimes cold, yet vivid enough to reveal his temperament at a glance.

Yet it was Su Yang himself who had wiped away the few smiles from Lin Huaiyu’s face, turning him into a cold, lifeless shell…

Suppressing the ache in his heart, Su Yang listened as a guard reported while gently tracing the token with his fingers.

The guard knelt below, sensing the emperor’s somber expression and the low, oppressive atmosphere. He knew the emperor was in a poor mood.

This is bad, he thought. I haven’t brought back any useful information. I hope His Majesty will be lenient.

Lowering his head, he said, “Lord Fang returned to his residence and received a letter, likely from his teacher.”

Su Yang immediately looked up, asking, “What did it say?”

The guard shook his head, “It was hard to see clearly. It was addressed to ‘Zhixu,’ but the rest was illegible. Lord Fang remained in his study, so the letter couldn’t be retrieved.”

Su Yang’s mind stirred, and a sudden thought occurred to him. He quickly said, “Write down those four characters for me.”

Unaware that hope had once again ignited within him, his heart began to beat violently.

For some reason, ever since Fang Zhixu arrived in the capital, both he and his teacher had given Su Yang an inexplicably familiar feeling. That illusion of perhaps knowing them tugged at him, making him mistakenly believe it might be Lin Huaiyu or that there was news of Lin Huaiyu.

Time and again, his hopes were ignited only to be doused with cold water, yet he willingly pursued the truth.

He desperately longed for any news related to Lin Huaiyu, stumbling forward, even if it meant getting battered and bruised.

Defu hurriedly handed the brush and paper to the guard, who copied the handwriting from the envelope he had seen and presented it to Su Yang.

Upon seeing the handwriting, Su Yang’s wildly beating heart suddenly stilled. Losing interest, he dismissed the guard.

It wasn’t Lin Huaiyu’s handwriting.

Why was it that every time he harbored suspicions, the other party would erase those doubts from his heart?

Whether it was their appearance, their name, or even now, the handwriting it felt like a game of chess, as if they had anticipated his suspicions, only making him more doubtful.

That person was playing against him; for every move he made, the other would block it.

Even though all his suspicions had been dispelled by the other party, this very feeling made him even more convinced that the one across from him was Lin Huaiyu.

He rubbed the imperial pardon token, missing Lin Huaiyu. After a while, he heard Defu say, “Your Majesty, Minister Fang has submitted a memorial regarding the floods in Jiangnan.”

“Present it.”

As Su Yang read Fang Zhixu’s memorial, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

If he could use the Jiangnan floods as an excuse to travel there incognito, he could also investigate the matter.

He was genuinely curious whether this person was Lin Huaiyu. Their way of handling affairs, their meticulous calculations it was all too similar to Lin Huaiyu.

Even if the name and handwriting didn’t match, it still left him with lingering doubts.

What if it really was Lin Huaiyu.

He couldn’t afford to miss any news related to Lin Huaiyu.

Lost in thought, he opened the memorial submitted by Fang Zhixu.

Regarding the Jiangnan floods, Fang Zhixu indeed had considerable insight, whether due to being a native of Jiangnan or simply possessing such talent.

Su Yang found himself engrossed in reading. This person’s talent was on par with Zhao Xiangyi’s. Before Lin Huaiyu left, he had held Zhao Xiangyi in high regard. If Fang Zhixu hadn’t been taught by Lin Huaiyu, he would have surely praised him upon seeing his work.

Thinking of this, Su Yang couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Since his ascension to the throne, Lin Huaiyu had rarely praised him, yet he never hesitated to commend others. Su Yang had once asked Lin Huaiyu whose essays were better his or Zhao Xiangyi’s but Lin Huaiyu refused to praise him further.

Now he couldn’t even hear Lin Huaiyu’s reprimands anymore.

He had once asked Lin Huaiyu if he wanted to take Zhao Xiangyi as a student. Lin Huaiyu had said no. But what about now?

If Fang Zhixu’s teacher truly was Lin Huaiyu, then he was no longer Lin Huaiyu’s only student.

Lin Huaiyu had truly… abandoned him.

Su Yang clenched the corner of the memorial tightly, taking a long while before continuing to read.

But just as he was about to finish, his gaze suddenly froze.

In the next moment, Su Yang’s eyes widened in shock, his hands trembling as he held the memorial.

At the end of the memorial, three blank lines separated the final sentence from the signature, and the sign-off read: Fang Zhixu.

But this habit was unique to Lin Huaiyu. He was taught by Lin Huaiyu, had spent over a decade with him day and night, and knew every one of Lin Huaiyu’s habits.

Lin Huaiyu always liked to leave two or three lines blank at the end of a memorial before signing his name. Su Yang had once asked him why he did this.

Lin Huaiyu said it was a personal habit of his. He often had more thoughts after finishing a memorial and was afraid he might want to add something later. So, he would leave two or three lines blank at the end, just in case he had something more to write.

Although this habit of Lin Huaiyu’s wasn’t known only to him, no one would deliberately imitate another person’s habit like this, except…

Except… a student personally taught by Lin Huaiyu!

For a moment, overwhelming joy flooded Su Yang’s heart. He stared intently at the three blank lines at the end, as if trying to bore a hole through the page with his gaze.

“Summon Fang Zhixu to the palace immediately!” Su Yang looked up at Defu, his tone tinged with urgency and excitement.

Defu quickly complied.

How strange. It was rare to see His Majesty so excited. Even when Lord Lin was around, he had never seen him like this.

It was like finding a hidden path in the darkest of times?

Could it be that there was news of Lord Lin?