Finest Servant

Chapter 361 Refusal

"What?" Lin Wanrong leaped up, hastily rolling up the scroll in his hand. He shouted loudly, "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible! Xian'er is my wife, not some sister."

"Impossible? In this world, there is no such thing as impossible," the elderly Emperor's expression turned cold, his voice sinister, "Xian'er's identity may be enticing to the ordinary person, but to you, it is a massive obstruction. Those who aim to accomplish great things mustn't sweat the small stuff; you must learn to let go, only then can you achieve the true result."

"True result? What is this true result? Old man, you have cultivated all your life, is this the 'true result' you desired?" Lin Wanrong laughed, devoid of anger, his fists clenched tightly. Just a moment ago, he was considering treating Xian'er well, yet in the blink of an eye, her father hit him with this sledgehammer of a revelation. How could he not be frustrated?

"I've said my piece, the choice of good or bad is yours, don't say I didn't give you a chance." The elderly Emperor smirked ominously, a chilling light shot out from his eyes. Compared to his previously gentle and amiable demeanor, he now seemed like a completely different person.

A cold sweat trickled down Lin Wanrong's spine, involuntarily stepping back twice, he gritted his teeth, "Old man, does this mean I can't leave this room unless I agree?"

"Lin San, I won't deny, you are talented. But imperial affairs are known to the imperial family. I've told you these things, do you think it's a tale? Secrets that are not transmitted, once they have entered your ears, you either agree to what I said, or—" the elderly Emperor's eyes slightly closed, he didn't continue, but a thick killing intent surfaced on his face.

Thinking about the words of the old Emperor today, every word and every sentence held profound implications, secrets that absolutely cannot be known to a third party. It seemed this time was no joke, it was a matter of life and death. Silence pervaded the room. The sands of the hourglass slowly flowed down, the old Emperor closed his eyes, silent and seemingly asleep.

Lin Wanrong stood there, dazed, he hadn't expected the situation to evolve to this point. Thinking about Xian'er's helpless, heartbroken demeanor, he felt as though a knife was twisting in his heart, his breathing gradually hastened.

Time ticked away second by second, the elderly Emperor silent as if hibernating, the room filled with deathly silence. Lin Wanrong could only hear his own heavy breathing, each breath heavier than the last.

‘Xian'er, what should I do?’ His hands clenched, he remained silent, his brain spinning rapidly. After considering for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth, turned around, and headed towards the door.

The elderly Emperor did not stop him. One step, two steps, three steps, Lin Wanrong kept the count in his mind. Each step forward was heavier than the last. Just as his hand reached the door latch, the faint voice of the elderly Emperor resounded behind him, "Have you made up your mind? Do you know what your next step is?"

Lin Wanrong, with his hand on the door, halted his steps. Without turning back, he replied, "Your Majesty, I've thought it through clearly. No matter what the next step is, even if it costs my life, I will live happily. As for you, Your Majesty, although you are the supreme sovereign, majestic to the world, your life has been muddled. You have never truly experienced happiness. It's not worth it."

"Are you admonishing me?" The elderly Emperor's eyes snapped open, a glimmer of light shooting out, as if it physically pierced through his chest.

Lin Wanrong smiled lightly and said, "When it comes to resilience, resolve, and matters of state, surely you, Old man, should be the one instructing me. However, when it comes to enjoying life, perhaps I could teach you a thing or two. Your Majesty, you have spent your entire life calculating and being calculated upon. Even though you have enjoyed wealth and power, loneliness has always been your only companion. Even with a daughter by your side, there is no one to truly converse with. Your Majesty, you defeated Prince Cheng, and you were victorious. However, you lost to yourself."

With these words, he unhesitatingly opened the door and stepped out, only to be met by hundreds of soldiers from the Divine Machine Unit with their crossbows drawn, targeting him alone. The slightest movement, and he would be turned into a porcupine.

Lin Wanrong gave a helpless, bitter smile. He stood at the doorway, not daring to make a move, while the room behind him remained silent, the person inside a mystery.

A suffocating silence stretched out as neither of them spoke. It was like a still pool, incapable of stirring a ripple. After an unknown amount of time, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but turn around, only to see the Emperor's expression as cold and deep as a lake, watching him with ever-changing eyes that alternated between fury and calm, evoking fear.

"You may leave," the Emperor finally spoke, his tone laced with a sorrow and desolation words couldn't capture.

Looking at the suddenly aged Emperor, Lin Wanrong hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Old man, are you serious?"

The Emperor waved his hand to signal him to leave quickly. Lin Wanrong felt a surge of joy in his heart and was about to step out, but a sense of indescribable loss washed over him when his eyes rested on the Emperor's aged face. If he really left, what would become of the Emperor? The Great Hua was about to wage war against the Turks, the Kingdom of Dongyin was about to invade Goryeo, and Prince Cheng was eager to take control of the military. With the Emperor just recovering from an assassination attempt, what if he couldn't hold on? Their entire Empire would be in jeopardy.

The resolve he had just moments ago wavered, he opened his mouth wanting to say something, but didn't know how to start.

"Why aren't you leaving?!" the Emperor roared, "Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you? Come--"

Lin Wanrong quickly waved his hands and said, "Hold on, hold on, Old man. That's not what I meant. I was wondering, isn't there another way? Preferably one that is beneficial to both?"

"Beneficial to both?" The Emperor glanced at him, silent for a while, and then suddenly started laughing, "You're really hoping for the best, aren't you? Do you want to have all the good things in this world for yourself?"

Seeing the Emperor laugh, Lin Wanrong heaved a sigh of relief. As long as he was laughing, at least his life was safe. He brazenly smiled and said, "Old man, consider the fact that Xian'er and I have that sort of relationship. We are all one family. As the saying goes, 'one shouldn't let the water of one's own mill flow into others' fields.' Any benefits should also be left for your son-in-law, right? How about it, Old man? Think about it and come up with a solution that benefits us both--"

"Take him out," the Emperor grumbled, and dozens of guards rushed over, holding onto Lin Wanrong and dragging him outside.

The old Emperor let out a soft sigh, audible enough for Lin Wanrong to hear, "Consort Qin is buried behind the Grand Prime Minister Temple, where Xian'er has made her hut. Find her and treat her well; don't make her sad."

When Lin Wanrong had vanished from sight, the old Emperor fell into deep contemplation before slowly struggling to sit up. A figure emerged hastily from the inner room to assist him, the Emperor sighed, "Little Wei, this Lin San is rather stubborn."

The blind old man fell to his knees in fear, "Master, I am incapable, and I have disappointed you."

The old Emperor shook his head, "I am not disappointed. On the contrary, I am pleasantly surprised."

The old man named Wei was puzzled, "I don't understand what you mean."

"Little Wei, you have been with me for many years. Tell me, what's most important when choosing people?" the Emperor asked in a deep voice.

"Resilience and loyalty!" Little Wei responded without hesitation.

"You are right. Lin San might seem cunning and deceitful on the surface, but when faced with temptation, he held his ground, undeterred by external influences. This trait is rare and is much stronger than the fair-weather, fence-sitters. He would not abandon Xian'er today, and he will not abandon me tomorrow. For this, I have faith in him," the Emperor affirmed.

"But, he doesn't seem too interested in these matters," Little Wei glanced at his master and cautiously stated.

The Emperor chuckled, which resulted in a fit of violent coughing. Little Wei quickly helped soothe his back. Once the Emperor's cough had calmed, he continued, "He is not disinterested – no one in this world could resist such a temptation. He is just unhappy with the way I handled it. Without Xian'er, today's incident might have ended differently."

"But the Princess holds deep affection for Lin Wanrong, it's impossible for them to separate. Forcibly separating them might backfire," Little Wei furrowed his brow.

"Patience is required. All good things come to those who wait," the Emperor coughed again, then sighed slowly, "Unfortunately, I only have five months left... the heavens have only given me five months..."

...

Upon leaving the back gate of the Grand Prime Minister Temple, Lin Wanrong was completely drenched. His conversation with the old Emperor had drained him of all his energy. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he carefully mulled over the Emperor's words. The underlying threats and stimulations were the most thrilling experiences of his life. The feeling of almost stepping into heaven was exciting just to think about.

After resting a bit at the back door, he followed a path up the mountain. He had been to the back mountain of the Grand Prime Minister Temple before when Sister An had mysteriously invited him to meet her at the celestial pond. The events seemed to have occurred only yesterday.

Since Xian'er was living in a hut by the tomb, she would not be on the top of the mountain. The back mountain of the Grand Prime Minister Temple was vast. He searched for a long time, but he couldn't see any huts. He had no choice but to continue onward.

The further he walked, the more secluded it became. Climbing a large rock and looking back at the Grand Prime Minister Temple, he realized he had already traveled ten miles. The ornate buildings were barely visible in the distance. Just as he was wondering, he heard a murmur from the valley below.

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