The Sickly Beauty Official Faked His Death and Now the Tyrant Has Gone Mad - Chapter 38

A misty drizzle drifted down, falling gently upon the river’s surface and stirring delicate ripples. Just moments ago, there had been no rain, yet now fine threads of it descended, lending the river a unique charm.

On the painted pleasure boat, Lin Huaiyu’s slender fingers held a smooth, jade-like chess piece. Before him lay a game that had already been underway for half a day. He placed a piece and looked across the board.

Jing Fei, fan in hand, gazed at Lin Huaiyu and, without much thought, made his move. Though he appeared casual, his attention was entirely fixed on Lin Huaiyu.

Lin Huaiyu was well aware of this after all, since the game began, Jing Fei’s gaze had frequently drifted toward him.

Lin Huaiyu placed another piece, then raised his eyes to ask, “Why does the Seventh Prince keep looking at me?”

Jing Fei smiled, replying as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Master Yuxi is so pleasing to the eye naturally, I wish to look a little longer.”

Lin Huaiyu had long realized that his opponent’s mind was not on the game, so he paid little heed to Jing Fei’s moves as he laid out his own strategy. “The Seventh Prince has gifted me so many medicinal herbs and now invited me for a boat ride. Surely it’s not just to look at me, is it?”

Jing Fei casually placed another piece, failing to notice Lin Huaiyu’s unfolding strategy. “What if I said I like you and wish to marry you, to bring you back to Daxing as my Seventh Prince Consort? Would you agree?”

Lin Huaiyu lifted his gaze to meet Jing Fei’s, his expression calm and unruffled, showing no trace of surprise. “Is this truly what you wished to say when you invited me here today?”

Seeing Lin Huaiyu’s unshakable composure, Jing Fei couldn’t help but chuckle, yet he nodded. “Indeed.”

Lin Huaiyu lowered his eyes, sweeping a glance over the chessboard before speaking softly, “If that is the case, I shall take my leave.”

Jing Fei quickly extended his hand, using his fan to block Lin Huaiyu from rising. “Wait, wait Master Yuxi, you are too harsh. I merely made a suggestion, why must you turn so cold?”

Lin Huaiyu settled back into his seat. “I know your purpose in coming here. Daxing is currently in a turbulent state. If my understanding is correct, you and the Crown Prince are locked in a stalemate, a deadlock with no way out.”

As he spoke, Lin Huaiyu placed another piece. Only then did Jing Fei turn his attention to the board, realizing it had indeed become an impasse.

A flicker of change passed through Jing Fei’s eyes, and he could only smile helplessly in the end. “Minister Lin truly lives up to his reputation, understanding Daxing’s situation so thoroughly.”

Lin Huaiyu had no patience for the other’s insincere flattery. “Now, you may tell me what it is you truly want.”

Jing Fei looked at Lin Huaiyu, his gaze lingering deeply on his face before finally relenting. “Very well. In truth, I came here for you. I wish to ask you to become my strategist.”

Before Lin Huaiyu could respond, he continued, “Whatever Dayong can offer you, I can provide as well. Whatever Su Yang can give, I can match. Name your price I will spare no expense.”

“And as for your illness, I will seek out renowned physicians and reclusive masters without fail, determined to cure you so long as you are willing to assist me.” Jing Fei’s expression was earnest now, the usual leisurely demeanor gone. He watched Lin Huaiyu, even showing a hint of nervousness.

Lin Huaiyu lowered his eyes and chuckled softly. “But I do not have a second life to give you.”

Jing Fei was taken aback, somewhat at a loss, but still replied, “I will certainly not allow you to be placed in danger. If anyone threatens your life, I will stand before you.”

Lin Huaiyu shook his head gently. “There’s no need. I won’t go to Daxing with you.”

A flicker of disappointment passed through Jing Fei’s eyes. Although he had prepared himself for Lin Huaiyu’s refusal, when it actually came, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

Now, he was struggling in Daxing. While he could contend with the Crown Prince, if this stalemate persisted, the Crown Prince would inevitably ascend the throne. By then, there would be no room for negotiation, and only death awaited him and his followers.

Lin Huaiyu was his only hope.

Unwilling to give up, he pressed on, “If you can help me, I can agree to any condition.”

Lin Huaiyu smiled faintly, taking a sip of tea from the cup beside him. “There’s no need. I have nothing I desire now. I only wish to spend the rest of my days in this small town in Jiangnan.”

Jing Fei looked at Lin Huaiyu, pursing his lips. “I remember that Lord Lin once dedicated himself wholeheartedly to Dayong, carving a path out of the cold palace for Su Yang and helping him ascend the throne. Yet now, you end up like this. Do you think it wasn’t worth it?”

Lin Huaiyu curled the corner of his mouth slightly, gazing at the misty rain outside the window in Jiangnan. He shook his head. “It wasn’t without worth. I helped him because he once saved my life on a snowy night. After entering the palace, I observed the brothers. The Crown Prince’s cruelty was well-known he would go to any lengths to torment even those within the palace, utterly cold-blooded. The Second Prince lacked resolve, relying entirely on the Crown Prince and the Third Prince for decisions, weak-willed and not particularly clever. The Third Prince had a decent temperament, but unfortunately, he was blindly loyal, obeying only the late emperor’s commands. Whatever the late emperor ordered, he would do, even if he knew it harmed the people.”

Jing Fei couldn’t help but follow up, “What about Su Yang? I’ve heard that he hasn’t attended court much this year, neglecting state affairs and showing no ambition. Is this your choice? If you could choose him, then I…”

Lin Huaiyu interrupted him. “His temperament is somewhat stubborn, but he understands the bigger picture and knows his goals. You say he neglects state affairs, but when stacks of memorials were sent to the imperial study, he never simply cast them aside and ignored them.”

Jing Fei was stunned. “You always knew what he was doing?”

Lin Huaiyu smiled, his expression tinged with an inscrutable darkness. “If he truly intended to let the Dayong empire, which I painstakingly helped him secure, go up in flames, how could I have allowed him to survive until today?”

Jing Fei asked, “Then why did he stop attending court?”

Lin Huaiyu twirled a chess piece between his fingers and smiled. “It was an act for me. He deliberately stopped attending court, telling the whole world he was neglecting state affairs, all to lure me back.”

Jing Fei: “…”

So, he too had been deceived.

“Trying to deceive the one he wanted to deceive, but instead, he fooled an outsider like me for a whole year,” Jing Fei said with a hint of annoyance.

Lin Huaiyu remained silent, smiling faintly.

Jing Fei suppressed his smile and sighed. “It seems I’m still too inexperienced.”

Lin Huaiyu said, “Not just you. I heard that half a year ago, when Su Yang was at his most unruly, Daxing considered invading the border?”

Jing Fei immediately replied, “It wasn’t me it was the Crown Prince. He wanted to test whether Su Yang would truly be devastated by you. If so, it would naturally be a good opportunity to seize Dayong.”

Lin Huaiyu nodded. “So it wasn’t just you.”

Jing Fei: “…”

Fortunately, at the time, the Crown Prince feared that if he dispatched troops, it might provoke external threats and give Jing Fei, as an internal adversary, a chance to exploit the situation. That was why he ultimately refrained from sending troops.

Jing Fei found a silver lining in the predicament. “Looking at it this way, the Crown Prince is even more foolish than I am.”

Lin Huaiyu neither agreed nor disagreed. “He has ambition, but for you, that’s not a good thing.”

Jing Fei’s spirits lifted instantly, and he stared intently at Lin Huaiyu.

Seeing his eager, inquisitive gaze, Lin Huaiyu chuckled softly. “Since the Seventh Prince has gifted me so many rare medicinal herbs, I’ll point you in a direction.”

Jing Fei’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “I’m all ears.”

Lin Huaiyu tossed the chess piece in his hand back into the box, then swept all the pieces off the chessboard onto the floor.

The chess pieces clattered crisply against the wooden planks of the boat, blending with the sound of rain falling outside.

Jing Fei stared blankly, feeling as though something had brushed past his mind, but he couldn’t grasp it immediately.

Lin Huaiyu said calmly, “Since your situation has reached a deadlock, why not disregard everything, shatter it, and disrupt it? Sometimes, you don’t need to be overly concerned about whether someone is on your side or the opponent’s. To achieve great things, you must learn to be ruthless. As long as they can be of use to you, does it really matter whose side they’re on?”

Jing Fei suddenly saw the light. “Break the deadlock.”

Lin Huaiyu nodded. “In the current situation, it’s not about who moves first loses, but about the necessity to act. Whoever moves first is the winner.”

Jing Fei had a plan he had been hesitant to execute, but now it began to take shape. He stood up and bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, sir. I’ve learned much.”

Lin Huaiyu hesitated for a moment but still reminded him, “Your heart is sometimes too soft. Some people can be used if they’re useful; if not, eliminate them. Otherwise, when they cause trouble at a critical moment, you’ll only regret it yourself.”

Jing Fei was taken aback for a moment before nodding. “I understand.”

After hearing Lin Huaiyu’s words, he suddenly realized that Lin Huaiyu not only understood the situation in Dayong but was also fully aware of the internal dynamics of Daxing. Such a person, if he could be of use to him, would be like adding wings to a tiger. If he couldn’t be used…

He still needed to befriend him and avoid making an enemy of him at all costs.

Looking at Lin Huaiyu, who sat by the window gazing outside, Jing Fei suddenly said, “Sir, my feelings for you are genuine. I truly want to marry you and make you the Seventh Princess Consort.”

Lin Huaiyu didn’t turn around, only saying, “I appreciate the Seventh Prince’s kindness.”

Jing Fei, having been rejected, could only press his lips together and accompany Lin Huaiyu as they finished their boat ride.

As the boat docked, before Jing Fei could speak, a child suddenly ran over and stood in front of Lin Huaiyu. “Sir, I’ve already sold that storybook to the brother you mentioned!”

Lin Huaiyu smiled and nodded slightly, handing the child some loose silver. “Well done. Go buy something to eat.”

The child ran off happily.

Jing Fei held an umbrella for Lin Huaiyu and asked, “What storybook? Does Master Yu Xi also write and sell storybooks? Could I have the honor of buying one?”

Lin Huaiyu shook his head. “Unfortunately, there’s only that one copy, and it wasn’t written by me.”

Jing Fei responded, “Then never mind. Let me escort you back.”

Lin Huaiyu and Jing Fei walked side by side, raindrops pattering against the umbrella above them. Lin Huaiyu asked, “When will you depart?”

Jing Fei, not quite catching the words, leaned closer to Lin Huaiyu, causing the umbrella to tilt slightly. “In a couple of days. Three days from now is your birthday, and I’d like to shamelessly ask to celebrate it with you.”

Lin Huaiyu paused for a moment, then smiled. “I don’t celebrate my birthday. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”

Jing Fei quickly replied, “It’s no trouble at all. Think of it as… a farewell for me.”

In the end, Lin Huaiyu agreed.

As they walked toward the Lin residence, Lin Huaiyu caught sight of someone out of the corner of his eye.

Su Yang.

Su Yang stood not far behind them, drenched once again by the rain. He stood alone in the downpour, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Huaiyu.

He couldn’t hear what Lin Huaiyu and Jing Fei were saying, but the closeness between the two beneath the umbrella was unmistakable.