Finest Servant

Chapter 629 The Imperial Grandson

It seemed that everything had conspired to happen all at once—either nothing happened, or everything did. He hastened to the entrance with Luo Min and Xu Wei in tow, only to find that Gao Ping had already assisted the Emperor alighting from his palanquin.

Months had passed without a sighting of the Emperor, and he now appeared even more emaciated and feeble. His hair and beard had whitened, his eyes were lifeless, and he could scarcely walk a few steps without succumbing to a fit of coughing, a sight so alarming it sent shivers down one's spine.

“Your servants, Luo Min and Xu Wei, pay their respects to Your Majesty!” The two named rushed forward to kneel and kowtow, leading the greeting.

“Rise, all of you,” the old Emperor said with a slight nod, catching sight of Lin San standing behind the pair. A smile cracked on his visage as he playfully chided, “What's this? Does the hero who won the great victory still feel the need to hide from my presence?”

“Lin San pays his respects to Your Majesty!” Lin Wanrong advanced briskly, laughing heartily as he bowed with his fist clasped, “It's been months, and yet, Your Majesty, you seem more vigorous and commanding than ever—a truly auspicious sight!”

How could anyone be so shamelessly flattering? Luo Min inhaled sharply. Did he really think the Emperor so easily deceived? Xu Wei, on the other hand, was no longer surprised; the rapport between Lin San and the Emperor was a unique one, impenetrable to outsiders.

The Emperor laughed heartily, “When others speak falsely, it is because they fear I will see through them. You speak falsehoods as if you are afraid that I won’t notice them. Only you, Lin San, would dare such boldness!”

Lin Wanrong, undeterred, laughed it off. “Whatever I say, Your Majesty knows the truth. These notions of truth and lies are mere facades for others to see—how could they deceive an Emperor as wise and martial as you?”

With hands clasped behind his back, the Emperor strolled leisurely into the garden. “You look darker and thinner. You must have suffered much at the frontier, haven't you?”

“Suffered?” Lin Wanrong blinked in feigned bewilderment, “Not at all. The general and Miss Xu have been most kind to me. How could I have suffered?”

The Emperor smiled and nodded in approval. “Good, good. If they had wronged you, neither Nishang nor Chuyun would ever forgive me, ha!”

‘So, you’re worried about your daughters coming after you, not about me,’ Lin Wanrong thought but responded with a non-committal murmur, saying nothing more.

“I heard you visited the Turkic Khanate’s court and even breached their city,” the Emperor inquired with interest, “How did you travel there? And how was the battle waged? Tell me all about it!”

The Emperor, usually inscrutable, now showed a glint of eagerness. Lin Wanrong, filled with pride, spared no modesty and recounted his strategy: crossing the Helan Mountains, setting fire to Bayanhot, capturing Dalanzha, then daringly traversing the Sea of Death, piercing through the Tianshan Mountains, and overcoming Kyzil. He recounted each event in vivid detail.

Storytelling was Lin Wanrong’s forte, and once he began, there was no stopping him. His solo campaign deep into the steppe was a blend of reckless adventure and heroic valor, a tale of survival against all odds. He told it with such dramatic flair and suspense, like an excellent serialized novel, that it left his audience in thrilling apprehension, sweating cold beads of fear and amazement.

Xu Wei and Luo Min had somehow caught up without notice. After listening to his tale, they both sighed in admiration, "Little Brother Lin, your solitary venture into the heart of the nomads is a story told every day by the storytellers in the teahouses. I was already sweating just hearing it from them, but to hear it from you is even more thrilling. Admirable, truly admirable!"

"Lin San's storytelling prowess is known throughout the realm; those storytellers stand no chance against him!" The old Emperor nodded with a smile, pride surging in his expression: "But the battle at Kyzil was indeed well fought! Striking unexpectedly and achieving victory over the enemy, even capturing the Young Khan of the Turks and their Right Princec. You've bolstered the spirit and prestige of our Great Hua Dynasty. How will those nomads dare to act wildly now? Lin San, you've indeed rendered a great service!"

When the Emperor pronounced these words with his golden voice, the admiration was self-evident. Luo Min joyfully concurred, "His Majesty is absolutely right. Now across our Great Hua, from the highest-ranking officials to the common peddlers, everyone is talking about this Lin San. Such is the magnitude of his renown, it's truly a sight to behold for thousands!"

The three before him were all his fathers-in-law, regardless of their official rank, and Lin Wanrong responded with modesty, waving his hands, "Oh, where, where, I'm unworthy of such praise, truly unworthy!"

The old Emperor pondered for a while and then slowly said, "I've heard that you not only captured the Young Turkic Khan but also had some... let's say, 'inappropriate entanglements' with their Great Khan. Is there any truth to this?"

What kind of 'inappropriate entanglements'? Couldn't the old man put it more delicately? He laughed awkwardly, "Well, this... I and Yueya’er–, oh, no, I mean, with Golden Blade Khan, indeed there was a slight... intimacy!"

The Emperor laughed heartily, "Good, good! You really have a way with things. Even the female Khan of the nomads couldn't escape your charm! I must concede to you!"

The old Emperor looked rather amused, not a trace of reprimand but instead laughter filled with utmost joy, leaving Lin Wanrong wide-eyed, unsure of what exactly he was thinking.

As they entered the hall, Qin Xian'er had already excitedly rushed out and knelt down, "Greeting Father Emperor!"

"There is no need for such formalities, my child," the Emperor gently lifted her, and at the sound of an infant's cry coming from a distant room, his expression immediately turned excited, "The child, bring the child to me quickly!"

Qiaoqiao and the Eldest Miss, each holding a baby, approached with graceful steps. Before they even got close, the resounding cries already filled the air, prompting Xu Wei to smack his lips in amazement, "These two little fellows are incredible; just by their cries, you can tell they're not to be trifled with."

"Father Emperor, look, this is our second son, named Lin Xuan. He's the noisiest one!" Miss Qin was the first to pick up the loudest crying baby and handed him to her father.

The second son, suddenly in the arms of a stranger, didn't even open his eyes, but his tiny feet kicked incessantly. The old Emperor held him, examining the child for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Ah, Lin Xuan, you are the spitting image of Lin San reincarnate! Stubborn from the start, he will probably turn out naughtier than his father. This bodes well for our Great Hua Dynasty!"

Lin Wanrong was anything but pleased, thinking, ‘My son naughtier than me, and that's a blessing for the Empire? Is this not an insult to me?’

The Emperor, still in great spirits, gestured and Gao Ping hurriedly brought over a shining gold lock, embedded with a bright agate. It bore the imperial handwriting, "Long Life, Great Happiness" in golden letters, and on the back, "As If I Am Present."

The elder had personally placed the longevity gold lock around his little grandson's neck. With this imperial gift, the younger twin could now walk with his eyes closed throughout Great Hua!

"And this one is our eldest son," Qin Xian'er brought the wailing elder twin to the Emperor's embrace, "My husband says his surname is Zhao!"

"Surname Zhao?!" The Emperor's face muscles began to quiver with excitement as he carefully took the elder twin into his arms. Gazing into the swaddling clothes, one could faintly discern Lin San's features in the infant’s face, yet his expression was as gentle and handsome as his mother's. Crying one moment and then suddenly breaking into a smile, it was as if the baby possessed an ineffable wisdom and sharpness.

"Excellent! Excellent!" The Emperor's lips trembled as he was suddenly overcome with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes: "It's him, it's really him! His surname is Zhao, he is my grandson, my imperial grandson!"

The utterance of "imperial grandson" was momentous. Those two simple words confirmed the child’s status—a prince of royal blood!

Despite being the Emperor's grandson by marriage, his mother was Princess Chuyun, endowed with the noblest royal bloodline. His father was the revered Lin San, wielding military power and high esteem in Great Hua. With eminent statesmen like Xu Wei, Luo Min, and Li Tai for support, for him to inherit the imperial lineage was the wish of many. Who would dare object?

"Congratulations to His Majesty on the addition of an imperial grandson!" Luo Min and Xu Wei quickly realized the gravity of the moment, kneeling down with all the eunuchs and maids in unison, loudly echoing their sentiments.

The Emperor's face flushed with elation, and he laughed aloud: "Good, draft an edict immediately to announce to all. This morning, His Majesty has been blessed with an imperial grandson. This is an auspicious sign from heaven, a blessing upon Great Hua. In accordance with divine will, I hereby decree a general amnesty for prisoners, aid for refugees, and a three-year tax exemption for the entire nation! Let it be known!"

With this imperial decree, the fate of the elder twin in the swaddling clothes was forever altered, and the name Lin San would be honored and admired throughout the land.

Lin Wanrong listened with a mix of joy and astonishment, his mind going blank in the sudden rush of emotions.

Seeing the Emperor's tearful jubilation, Qin Xian'er felt a surge of joy and playfully chided, "Father Emperor, you've talked so much, but we still haven't chosen a name for our elder twin!"

"Right, right," the old Emperor came to his senses with a chuckle, "I was so delighted I forgot myself. Minister Xu, with your vast knowledge and erudition, what name would be fitting for my imperial grandson?"

Choosing a name for the imperial grandson was no small matter. Xu Wei pondered deeply and cautiously suggested, "The imperial grandson is the hope for Great Hua's resurgence. He must possess a steely resolve and distinguished wisdom to benefit the people and reach all corners of the realm. With all due respect, may I suggest the single character 'Zheng'?"

"Zhao Zheng?!" Xu Wei's insight was indeed profound, and the Emperor, showing approval on his face, nodded slightly: "This name carries weight! Lin San, what do you think?"

Lin Xuan, Zhao Zheng—though both were single characters, their names rang out more resoundingly than that of their father. Lin Wanrong, feeling somewhat deflated, conceded, "The name should indeed be chosen by the elder; I have no objections!"

The old emperor chuckled heartily and nodded, "Ah, what a name, Zhao Zheng! I hope he lives up to what Minister Xu has described — to possess the steel of integrity and the pride of wisdom! Send forth the decree, on this day let it be recorded in the annals that the imperial grandson, Zhao Zheng, will be brought to the palace once he is one month old. I will find the best teacher in all the lands for him. And yes, let’s not forget my little grandson, Lin Xuan. They must be brought up together in the palace. With one Zheng and one Xuan shining together, our Great Hua will surely rise to even greater heights. Ha ha!"

[The Chinese character 铮 (Zhēng) has a few meanings and connotations. Firstly, it is an onomatopoeia for the sound of metal objects being struck​​. This term is often extended metaphorically in a couple of ways. One is to denote a person's talent that stands out, as in the phrase "铁中铮铮" (Tiě zhōng zhēng zhēng), which can be interpreted as someone who is outstanding as iron amongst metals​. Additionally, it signifies being upright and unyielding, akin to having an iron bone, captured in the phrase "铮铮铁骨" (Zhēng zhēng tiě gǔ)​.

This character combines the metal radical 钅 (jīn) with the phonetic component 争 (zhēng), which means to dispute, to fight, to contend, or to strive, suggesting a connection to strength and resilience​​.]

To be brought to the palace at merely a month old? What could a child so young possibly learn? Lin Wanrong was about to protest, but Qin Xian'er kept giving him significant looks, obviously indicating there was more to this than met the eye.

The old Emperor was in high spirits, and he spent the entire day at the Lin residence, going nowhere else.

Qingxuan was still confined for her postpartum recovery, and as a daughter could not meet with her father, the Emperor spoke with her from across her chamber. The rest of his time was joyfully spent in the company of Zhao Zheng and Lin Xuan. Although the two children mostly slept, now and then they would open their eyes, yawn without a tooth in sight, or chuckle silently, delighting the Emperor to the point where he could scarcely bear to let them go. For all his imperial might and mastery over all under Heaven, such familial joy was a treasure that even his vast power could not purchase.

The day was indeed one of complete family unity and bliss. When night fell and the old Emperor left with evident reluctance, watching his palanquin slowly disappear into the distance, Qin Xian'er could no longer hold back her tears and burst into sobs in Lin Wanrong's arms.

"What’s wrong, Xian'er?" Lin Wanrong was shocked. "Don’t cry, don’t cry, what’s happened? Weren’t you just fine?"

Qin Xian'er choked back sobs, "My father, the Emperor — he..."

Something related to the old Emperor? A sense of dread sank into Lin Wanrong's heart.

"Do you know why father wishes for the children to be brought to the palace as soon as they are one month old?" Qin Xian'er said faintly.

Lin Wanrong shook his head, and Xian'er, unable to hold back her sobs, revealed, "Father has been in poor health. Since the start of spring, he has suffered an attack by the deceitful Prince Cheng. The imperial physicians privately concluded that he has only half a year left. During the days of your journey northward, my sister and I have tried every possible remedy and used all the spiritual medicines at our disposal, but we could only extend his life with Heaven’s grace. Though the medicines stimulated his potential, allowing him a year more, it has aged him considerably. Each day, he deteriorates rapidly. By next spring, he will no longer be able to move..."

So that was it. No wonder the old Emperor looked so aged upon this visit, and his urgency in establishing Zhao Zheng as the imperial grandson. It was clear he was preparing for what was to come, yet he concealed it so well that not a single clue was apparent.

The desire for life, the fear of death — all had to be suppressed within, invisible to others. To bear such solitude at the height of imperial power was indeed a sorrowful plight.

Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, and Xian'er, nestled in his embrace, whispered softly, "Husband, father asked me to tell you, you may reject this Empire for the love of freedom, and he does not blame you. But Zheng’er is your son. If you refuse to support even your own child, it would be against all that is right and just!"

Hi, if you like the story, please rate and review this novel on novelupdates. Thanks!

Announcement