Chapter 81
"Uncle, do not worry. I am fully aware of this matter," Qi Junmu said with a smile. Before the civil and military officials, he usually addressed Lin Xiao as Left Chancellor, rarely using such an intimate form of address.
Hearing this, Lin Xiao forced a smile. The imperial guards poured the wine, and the emperor raised his cup. "I have said I would observe three years of mourning for Imperial Father. Today, by rights, I should not drink—but my heart is merry today, so I shall make an exception."
Qi Junmu tilted his head back and drained the cup. Shen Nian drank as well.
No one dared to contradict the emperor, so they all drank in silence. After they had finished, the emperor clapped his hands and laughed. "A few days ago, I met a friend outside the palace—quick-witted, with unique insights, a rare talent. Today, in high spirits, I wish to present him to all of you."
The ministers were baffled, wondering who had caught the emperor's eye so that he would have all the officials meet him.
Qi Junmu said, "By the way, this person is also planning to take the imperial examination. His surname is Lin and his given name is Jiu—the same surname as the Left Chancellor."
After the Emperor said this, he revealed a very amiable and approachable smile.
Lin Xiao's eyes shifted. He gazed at the Emperor for a long time, but could not read anything from the Emperor's face.
The Emperor seemed to have said something very ordinary and done something very ordinary.
Some people vaguely felt that something was amiss with this matter, and couldn't help but mutter to themselves: just what kind of peerless genius was this Lin Jiu, to deserve such high regard from the Emperor? He would actually have someone appear on an occasion like this.
It was entirely a sign of meteoric rise.
Shen Nian, on the other hand, raised his head and glanced at the Emperor. Others did not know, but he knew that the Emperor had not even left the palace gates these past days. Whenever he had free time, he was with Shen Nian, and had never met any outsiders. So who was this Lin Jiu who had suddenly popped up?
From another perspective, the Emperor seemed to have been keeping an eye on this Lin Jiu all along, and Shen Nian had no idea what secret the man carried.
Shen Nian considered himself fairly familiar with the Emperor's temperament. The Emperor was a man who spoke and acted with purpose. When he mentioned Lin Jiu, he also mentioned Lin Xiao—that was definitely not said casually.
Could it be that Lin Xiao and Lin Jiu had some secret connection?
When Shen Nian was stationed at the North Frontier, he lived without much restraint. And in the battles against the Northern Rong, his tactics were unorthodox and impossible to predict. Compared to those constrained people in the capital, he tended to think of more possibilities, more tangled threads.
And he dared to think boldly.
While others were still wondering how Lin Jiu had caught the Emperor's eye, his first reaction was that there was something questionable about Lin Jiu's identity.
No matter what was going through everyone's minds, Lin Jiu still entered the hall.
Lin Jiu was not old, but he already carried himself with poise. At a glance, he looked like a scion of a noble clan—every movement was restrained and refined. However, since this was his first time entering the palace, and he was meeting the Emperor while being watched by the civil and military officials, his expression was somewhat tense.
When he knelt to pay his respects, his voice trembled slightly.
Qi Junmu looked at Lin Jiu with a beaming smile. Compared to the poise he had shown after the imperial examination in the previous life, the current Lin Jiu was a little less composed. Perhaps at that time, Lin Jiu had entered the court by his own real abilities, full of high spirits.
Today, Qi Junmu had suddenly summoned him in. The time and place were different, and so naturally the impact was different as well.
Qi Junmu kindly bade him rise, then publicly asked Lin Jiu some questions—nothing more than matters from books. When it came to his area of expertise, Lin Jiu momentarily forgot his nervousness and answered fluently and smoothly.
Qi Junmu's face was full of admiration, and he said, "I had long heard that Young Master Lin was talented, and now that I have seen you in person, the reputation is indeed well deserved."
Lin Jiu was no fool, and would not be bewitched by the Emperor's flattery. He pursed his lips and said respectfully, "This humble subject thanks His Majesty for the praise. I am but an ordinary commoner, and truly do not deserve such commendation."
Qi Junmu gave a soft laugh and asked, "Who's your teacher?"
"My teacher is an unknown scholar," Lin Jiu answered honestly.
If it had been anyone else, they would certainly have thought Lin Jiu was being arrogant and refusing to name his teacher. But Qi Junmu knew—his teacher was indeed an unknown man.
"Do you have any other family at home?" Qi Junmu asked again, in good spirits.
Lin Jiu lowered his gaze and said calmly, "This humble subject lost his father at a young age. My mother raised me and supported my studies."
"For a poor family, education is a luxury. That you have made a name for yourself through scholarship is truly rare." Qi Junmu's words were sincere, but the other ministers were thinking: who exactly was this Lin Jiu, and how had he become famous?
If he had truly been a top scholar in any prefectural or metropolitan exam, they should at least have heard his name and had some impression of him. The trouble was, none of them had ever heard of him. Were they really that ill-informed?
Others felt that there was certainly more to this than met the eye, but what secret lay beneath—no one knew.
Lin Jiu thanked the Emperor for his praise, then stood there quietly.
He looked calm, but a fine sheen of sweat covered his forehead.
He had no idea what was going on, nor why the Emperor wanted to see him. Everything had happened so suddenly that he had not even had time to react before he was brought into the palace.
He was not foolish—there was certainly something behind all this, and it most likely involved him.
He had even considered the worst-case scenario: that tonight, he would die in the palace. So before that, he tried to remain as calm as possible. Whatever the Emperor asked, he answered honestly. To give himself a sliver of a chance at survival, he also displayed his true learning, hoping that the Emperor, seeing his scholarly merit, might at least spare his life.
Lin Jiu's mind was in turmoil, his thoughts racing. He knew that compared to these ministers, he was still young and inexperienced, and it would be easy for them to read his emotions. So he restrained himself as much as possible, keeping his head lowered.
Then, to his great surprise, after praising him, the Emperor simply had someone escort him out.
There was no execution, no other indication. As Lin Jiu walked out of the hall, his head was still spinning. He truly could not make sense of it, nor did he understand why he had been summoned to the palace. Could it really be that the Emperor valued his talent?
After Lin Jiu withdrew, the expressions of those present varied greatly.
Qi Junmu clapped his hands. The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments rose, and palace maidens filed out gracefully, dancing in the center of the hall.
The civil and military officials were all preoccupied with their own thoughts. The only ones who truly had any interest in watching the dance were Qi Junmu and Shen Nian. Occasionally, Qi Junmu would whisper a comment to Shen Nian, remarking on which piece of music was the most pleasing.
While speaking with the Emperor, Shen Nian also observed the ministers below. He had a feeling that no matter what the Emperor intended to do, many people would find it hard to sleep tonight.
After a while, during a change of dancers, Qi Junmu leaned lazily against his table, eyes half-closed, and said, "Today I am enjoying this occasion with all of you. There will be opera performances later. If any of you have preferences, you may request a piece."
Though the Emperor said this, none of the ministers dared to take him at his word. They all insisted that whatever the Emperor chose would be the best.
Qi Junmu smiled and said, "I think so too."
Then Qi Junmu rose and said, "You all listen to the opera for now. I am a little tipsy and will take a stroll outside to clear my head."
Shen Nian quickly stood and said, "This humble subject will accompany His Majesty."
Wen Wan hesitated briefly, then also expressed the same intention. She was the Empress—if the Emperor was drunk, it was only natural that she accompany him.
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