Finest Servant

Chapter 359

Chapter 359 Do You Understand?

"What did you say, Eunuch Gao?" Master Lin exclaimed in surprise and joy, "The Emperor is calling for me?"

Xu Wei, however, was a savvy man. Seeing someone who finally seemed to be in the know, he hurriedly grabbed Gao Ping, "Eunuch Gao, what is the situation inside? Is the Emperor all right?"

Eunuch Gao shook his head and sighed, "Master Xu, don't put me in a tough spot. You're no outsider. If I could tell you, would I dare to hide it from you?" Seeing the anxiety on Gao Ping's face, Xu Wei felt a chill in his heart, a foreboding feeling arose. He let go of Gao Ping's sleeve, nodded silently, accepting the message.

The Emperor had suffered an assassination attempt in Grand Prime Minister Temple and was currently resting in the largest chamber there. Lin Wanrong followed Gao Ping into the room. The first thing that met his eyes were dozens of imperial physicians with medicine boxes on their backs, all kneeling on the ground. They were visibly terrified, their faces as white as paper. When they saw Lin Wanrong come in, not a single one of them dared to lift their heads to look at him, let alone speak.

Gao Ping turned his head and hushed Lin Wanrong, signaling for him to be silent. He then tiptoed forward, fearful of disturbing those inside with any excessive movement.

Inside was a smaller Zen room. The door was slightly ajar, silence prevailing. As Gao Ping and Lin Wanrong approached, they heard a vigilant voice from inside, "Who is there?" Hearing this, Lin Wanrong was stunned. Why did this voice sound so familiar? But he couldn't recall where he had heard it before.

Gao Ping softly and respectfully said, "Reporting to Supervisor Wei, the Emperor asked this servant to fetch Master Lin, and he has been waiting outside."

"Let Lin San come in," a weak voice sounded, as if all strength had been drained. If not for the absolute silence of the room, Lin Wanrong would hardly hear him. He recognized this voice. The day before, in his newly bestowed mansion, this voice was both threatening and intimidating, an impression he could never forget.

A wave of emotion surged in his heart. He quickly pushed open the door and walked in. Inside the room was a pure white curtain hanging down. It was hooked up on both sides with silver hooks. Behind the curtain, on a large couch, lay a figure. Upon a closer look, he saw a pale face, lips devoid of color, breathing heavily, and coughing intermittently. If not for the occasional gleam in his eyes, Lin Wanrong wouldn't have recognized this as the grand Emperor of Great Hua who had been laughing and talking in front of him just yesterday.

"Your Majesty, what, what happened to you?!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed in horror, and rushed forward. Gao Ping wanted to stop him but was not fast enough. He could only shake his head and sigh lightly. How could Master Lin, acting as if he just climbed out from under the ground, ignore the etiquette of court?

The old Emperor opened his eyes, seeing him, his lips twitched a few times, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes. His voice was extremely weak, "Lin San, you're here, cough, cough——" After saying a sentence, he began to cough incessantly, his forehead veins bulging out. His painful and uncomfortable appearance could not have been feigned.

Lin Wanrong clenched his fist, his voice filled with anger, "Who did this, who did this?!"

The old Emperor drew several sharp breaths, his eyes briefly closing, then slowly opened again. With calmness in his voice, he said, "Lin San, one must never be impetuous or anxious in life. I'll teach you this lesson one more time. Remember it well, as there may not be another opportunity."

Seeing the old man, still educating him despite his severe illness, Lin Wanrong felt both amusement and a touch of emotion. He quickly said, "Old Man, I've been quite busy lately and rather forgetful. When you're feeling better, you can teach me again."

The Emperor glanced at him, sighed and said, "Throughout my life, I've survived countless assassination attempts, but I've never been worried. This time, however, I lack all confidence. I'm old. I've finally grown old." He took a slight breath, his voice barely audible, filled with a mix of regret and reflection, and ultimately a sigh.

Lin Wanrong quickly shook his head. "Old Man, you mustn't lose heart. There are so many imperial physicians outside. They will definitely have a solution."

"Lin San, do you know how I ascended to this position?" The Emperor seemed to ignore his words, his eyes flashing a reminiscing smile.

"I don't know, but considering your ability, Old Man, it must be a tale worth both songs and tears," Lin Wanrong responded with a grin.

"Worth both songs and tears?" The old Emperor's eyes sparkled. "Indeed. Years ago, Prince Cheng was wise and astute, favored deeply by the late Emperor. As for me, in terms of talent and cunning, I was far from his equal. Everyone thought the late Emperor would choose him as the heir."

"If I were your father, Old Man, I wouldn't choose Prince Cheng," Lin Wanrong disdainfully said, "There's an old saying, 'Judge a tree by its roots and a man by his heart.' Prince Cheng is like a lotus root with many twists—too cunning and deceptive."

The Emperor chuckled, taking several labored breaths. "You're right. His cunning was both his strength and downfall."

"What do you mean?" Lin Wanrong asked, confused. "Is being too cunning a bad thing? Am I not in great danger then?"

The Emperor laughed heartily, then fell into a fit of severe coughing. Eunuch Gao quickly handed over a white silk handkerchief. The Emperor covered his mouth to cough, staining the handkerchief with a mouthful of fresh blood. Gao Ping turned deathly pale, hands trembling as he took back the handkerchief. The Emperor shot him a cold glance. Gao Ping shivered and quickly retreated.

The old Emperor snorted, turned to Lin Wanrong, and said with a smile, "You're not cunning, you're crafty. Prince Cheng's downfall was his overthinking. He was highly favored by the late Emperor, who put him in charge of the Ministry of Personnel. Half of the officials in the country were appointed by him. What tremendous power he had! I, on the other hand, was stuck in the Ministry of Revenue, working thanklessly. Despite all the hard work, nobody knew about it. All Prince Cheng needed to do was put in a little effort, and considering the late Emperor's fondness for him, he would have been the ruler. But his cleverness became his undoing. In his quest to secure his position, he aligned himself with influential courtiers and gathered followers from all over the country. Everyone praised him as the 'Virtuous Prince Cheng,' and he enjoyed boundless respect and admiration. His trivial cunningness, however, sowed the seeds of great disaster. The late Emperor detested those who formed private cliques the most. Seeing him surrounded by such a group, he advised him several times, but to no avail. It greatly disappointed the late Emperor."

The old Emperor's spirits seemed to rally as he delved into the past, his coughing spells ceasing. Listening to the tales of a reigning monarch's struggle for power, Lin Wanrong found himself engrossed, even though he didn't understand why the Emperor would share such intimate details with him.

"When Father grew disillusioned with Prince Cheng, he slowly began to pay attention to me," the Emperor continued. "I had just met Miss Guo then. Despite our age difference, I admired her greatly. However, her father, Sir Guo, was the head scholar at the Pavilion of the Source of Literature at the time. To avoid the taint of favoritism, under the advice of Xu Wei and Li Tai, I had to reluctantly set aside my feelings for Miss Guo and devote myself fully to serving my father."

It dawned on Lin Wanrong that these complexities explained the Emperor's lingering attachment to Madam Xiao; what one never attains is always most desirable. Xu Wei wasn't particularly admirable either, having abandoned Su Qinglian for fame and fortune in his younger days, only to seek a late-life romance in his twilight years. Lin Wanrong couldn't help but disdain him.

"I won't elaborate further on what happened afterward," the Emperor said, his face flashing with pain. "When Father was gravely ill and dying, he stayed in the Grand Prime Minister Temple. I served him faithfully by his sickbed, while Prince Cheng was busy colluding with his allies, preparing for a final strike. In his anger, Father left a decree on his deathbed, passing the throne to me. But familial bonds persisted; he made me swear by his deathbed that as long as Prince Cheng was alive, I could not lay a hand on him."

A lengthy 'Oh' escaped Master Lin, as he realized why the Emperor was manipulating him to deal with Prince Cheng. He'd made a binding vow.

"Yet, just after Father was interred, I was attacked. If not for a loyal eunuch sacrificing himself, I would have become nothing more than a pile of bones." The Emperor's eyes flashed with pain, his words squeezed out between clenched teeth. "That is a disgrace that I cannot erase in my lifetime. Disgrace!"

Master Lin thought, given their struggle for the throne, assassination attempts seemed quite normal. What was there to be ashamed about? But seeing the Emperor's anguished expression, Master Lin sensed there was more to it than just an assassination attempt. He swallowed his words.

"Lin San, would you be willing to help me erase this disgrace?" the Emperor asked, his gaze heavy upon Master Lin.

"Well, you know, Prince Cheng is powerful and highly ranked, while I'm just a minor official. How can I stand a chance against him? Can't you give me some other task?" Lin Wanrong said, a worried look on his face.

"High rank and power?" the old Emperor chuckled. "Lin San, if I were to grant you the ultimate power and status under the heavens, would you be able to handle him?"

‘Ultimate power and status under the heavens? As long as you're here, I can never attain that.’ Lin Wanrong shook his head helplessly, saying, "Your Majesty, stop joking. It's making me think all kinds of crazy thoughts."

"Fool!" The Emperor grunted in annoyance. "Do you remember the title I wrote for you?"

"Of course, I remember. Your handwriting is elegant, as good as mine." Lin Wanrong chuckled.

"Read it out loud," the Emperor ordered in a deep voice.

"'The First Talent Under Heaven!' I remember it," Lin Wanrong replied, laughing.

"Listen closely to the words I wrote for you," the Emperor grunted, raising his voice, "'The First Talent Under Heaven! The First Talent Under Heaven!!' Do you understand?!!"

[TL: It can also mean The Number One Person In The World i.e., the Emperor.]

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