Chapter 63
AFTER LIN RUSHAN WAS REINSTATED, he became the physician tending to the emperor. Finally, Lin Qingyu no longer had to spend every day looking at a face that reminded him of Xiao Cheng. The medicinal skills of Lin Qingyu’s father surpassed his own, and his miraculous work improved the emperor’s condition day by day. Although he didn’t fully recover, the frequency of his migraines decreased; so long as they didn’t flare up again, he’d be no different from a healthy man.
On the other hand, although Xiao Cheng’s injury seemed to be healing, the sword wound in his chest had sapped so much of his vitality that there was no way he could recover his health fully, even with treatment. He needed to take medicine every day, which made his already volatile temper even more violent and unpredictable, casting a fearful, anxious atmosphere over the Eastern Palace.
Despite how long they’d searched, the Tianji Guard still couldn’t find any trace of Shen Huaishi’s whereabouts, and Xiao Cheng couldn’t focus on anything else. Knowing that his son had been through a frightful attack, the emperor tolerated his violent outbursts, but he also sent Xue Ying to discreetly remind the crown prince that he’d been going too far—although to no avail. How could someone as arrogant as Xiao Cheng stand to be dependent on medicine for the rest of his life? It enraged him even further that his childhood friend, Shen Huaishi, had reduced him to this state.
How many plans had Xiao Cheng made, and how many people had he killed, to reach the place where he was today? How could he stand that a mere shadow guard had been his downfall? He swore never to rest until Shen Huaishi was taken into custody and under the crown prince’s control.
In the emperor’s bedchambers, Lin Rushan had just finished performing acupuncture on the emperor. Although the emperor felt relaxed, he was still dissatisfied. Lin Qingyu and Lin Rushan were father and son, but they didn’t look much alike. Lin Rushan was only as handsome as the next man, but Lin Qingyu’s beauty was otherworldly. If it weren’t for the fact that male wives brought misfortune, the emperor would’ve been loath to let him go.
When Lin Rushan was leaving, the emperor asked casually, “What’s Lin Qingyu doing lately?”
Lin Rushan’s expression shifted slightly. “My son has been staying at the Department of Imperial Physicians, prescribing Your Majesty’s medicine.”
The emperor was skeptical, but he never lost sight of Lin Qingyu’s inauspiciousness, so he only waved a hand. “Fine. You’re dismissed.”
Weighed down by his thoughts, Lin Rushan returned home, only to see a majestic Ferghana horse standing in front of the door. He knew this steed; it belonged to Gu Fuzhou, although it had grown much fatter. Lin Rushan hurriedly entered his home and asked the steward, “Has Great General Gu come to visit?”
The steward’s expression seemed odd. “Y-yes, he’s drinking tea with the lady and the eldest young master right now.”
“Qingyu’s back too?” Perfect. He wanted to tell his son to beware the emperor.
In his yard, however, Lin Rushan found that these two were not his only guests. There were quite a few unfamiliar faces in the courtyard—probably all subordinates and servants of the general. Yuan Yin from the general’s residence was directing them to set several redwood trunks in place. There were red silk ribbons tied to the trunks, signifying that they held gifts from someone proposing marriage. The only thing was…the Lin family didn’t have a daughter.
Full of doubts, Lin Rushan walked into the front hall and saw that his wife’s expression was even more complex than his steward’s. When Lady Lin saw him, her shoulders relaxed, as though she’d finally spotted someone she could rely on. “You’re back.”
Lin Rushan greeted Gu Fuzhou first; the general quickly helped him to his feet. “Great General,” he said, “is this…?”
Gu Fuzhou smiled. “I’m here to propose, Godfather.”
Lin Rushan exchanged a glance with his wife. “May I ask to whom?”
“To me,” said Lin Qingyu.
What shocked the Lins more than Gu Fuzhou’s proposal was their son’s attitude. When the marquess of Nan’an’s household had come to them with a proposal, Lin Qingyu had viewed being a male wife as shameful. He would rather have died than marry a man, although the emperor forced him to accept in the end. Why was he agreeing so calmly this time?
“The emperor seeks to arrange a marriage for me,” Gu Fuzhou patiently explained. “But each of the girls he has singled out as a potential bride is either his own daughter or the daughter of one of those civil officials. I’ve thought about this over and over, and I cannot trust any maiden from those families. I’m afraid they’d be a danger to me if I keep them close, so I want to personally choose my bride before an imperial edict does.”
Lady Lin still didn’t understand his insistence. “Great General, you’re courageous, handsome, and a decorated hero. There must be many young women who truly admire you—you can choose the girl of your dreams from a military official’s family. Why would you want to marry Qingyu of all people?”
Gu Fuzhou didn’t have an answer and sent Lin Qingyu a pleading look. Lin Qingyu didn’t want his parents to worry, so he hadn’t told them about his predicament in the palace. Now he simply said, “The great general has always protected the Lin household. Marrying him would be more advantageous than not for me and our family.”
Lady Lin didn’t understand all this, but she remembered the shame her son had felt when he first became a male wife, and she didn’t want that to happen again. She looked at her husband. “Sir…”
After a long silence, Lin Rushan said, “I understand.” His son was doing this not only to help Great General Gu, but also to help himself. The emperor already coveted Lin Qingyu, and it was only a matter of time before an imperial edict forced him into the Inner Palace as a male concubine. If that day came, there would be truly nothing anyone could do.
Lin Qingyu had married a man before. If he’d wanted to marry a woman from a background comparable to his… Well, even if some girl did agree to it, he wouldn’t want to ruin her reputation. Under these circumstances, it was best that he and Gu Fuzhou marry; at least they could take care of each other in the future.
“Since you both have your own motivations, we naturally won’t oppose you,” Lin Rushan said. “But the emperor might not be so quick to agree.”