Chapter 35: Waking Up Rich

After dinner, the Emperor prepared to leave. As he stood up, he seemed to hesitate, then finally spoke, "Sister-in-law, do not be saddened. Huaiqing lacked a mother's guidance from a young age, but he is not malicious at heart."

Lin Yue: "Mhm." *Not malicious, just waiting for all of you to die off before stepping up to seize the throne, calling it 'avenging' you!*

The Emperor: "..."

"Ahem. If he dares to be disrespectful to you again, I will have him demoted to a remote province, never to return."

Lin Yue: "Thank you, Your Majesty." *Please don't. If he accidentally discovers some supernatural power and seizes the throne early, your whole family will still end up in tragedy!*

The Emperor: "..."

In this lifetime, both the Crown Prince and the Imperial Grandson were in good health, and he himself was still alive. If Xiao Huaiqing insisted on usurping the throne, he would have to harden his heart as an uncle.

The Emperor glanced at the Empress and said, "I am returning to attend to state affairs. You stay a while longer to keep the Empress Dowager and my sister-in-law company; you may return later."

The Empress, wishing for nothing more, nodded quickly.

Later, as the hour grew late, Lin Yue accompanied the Empress Dowager to Songyue Palace, taking the opportunity to see the Empress off. Once the Empress had departed, the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law began to chat intimately.

The Empress Dowager remarked, "Huaiqing has changed. He used to be so considerate and sensible."

Lin Yue replied, "Is it possible that he was only acting considerate and sensible in front of you?"

"I don't mean to disparage him, but people have an instinct to seek advantages and avoid harm. Perhaps he knew his father was not around, and that you were the only one who could protect him, so he feigned sensibility to win your sympathy?"

The Empress Dowager found this plausible and sighed, "If that is the case, the boy’s heart is far too deep."

Lin Yue said, "As long as he does not harm me, I will certainly not harm him. But if he does hurt me, I will not be polite."

As she spoke, Lin Yue hugged her mirror and thought: *If only Xiao Jingyun could understand me. Who would deliberately make life difficult for a stepson? Xiao Huaiqing has a personality disorder; he only wants what he cannot have and fails to cherish what he already possesses. All the conflict around him is of his own making.*

Meanwhile, far away at the frontier, Xiao Jingyun felt a faint ripple in his heart. How could he not understand?

Just as Xiao Jingyun was about to voice his thoughts, Liang Xing lifted the tent flap and entered, saying, "Mu Lixin sent word that the military supplies will definitely arrive before the winter month. If they cannot, he offered to provide half a month’s worth of supplies from his own stores to help us out, saying we need not worry."

"I previously doubted Mu Lixin's reliability, but it seems I was the one with the small heart."

Xiao Jingyun said, "Do not be blindly trusting; we must still rely on information from the Imperial Court."

Liang Xing replied, "Rest assured, Your Highness. We have prepared for this battle for a long time. If the Court holds us back, then this battle is not worth fighting."

Xiao Jingyun scolded him, "Don't talk nonsense."

Liang Xing laughed, "My meaning is, the Emperor also wants to win this war, so the officials below dare not act recklessly. The silver from the Ministry of Revenue has already arrived, so the supplies will surely follow."

Xiao Jingyun nodded, but he found it strange that he had not received a private letter from his Imperial Brother for a long time.

...

[System: Merit points increased by 20,000.]
[System: Merit points increased by 50,000.]
[System: Merit points increased by 100,000.]

Lin Yue sat up abruptly in bed, her eyes wide with astonishment, speechless.

*I woke up and became rich?*

System: *It is time for the morning court session. This must be the change in energy from saving the Crown Prince; merit points are continuing to increase.*

Lin Yue got up and saw the Empress Dowager already practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard. Looking at her posture and physique, one would believe she was only thirty. Tsk, tsk.

"Nanny Zhang."

"I am here, Mistress. What are your instructions?"

Lin Yue said, "You are familiar with the palace. Go and find out what was discussed in the morning court today. See if it relates to the Crown Prince."

Nanny Zhang felt a jolt of anxiety and quickly replied, "I will go at once."

After freshening up, Lin Yue prepared to join the Empress Dowager for breakfast. Just then, a servant reported that the Empress and Imperial Consort Lin had arrived. Lin Yue’s interest was piqued; there was never a dull moment in this palace.

However, this Imperial Consort Lin... she was interesting.

She had been brought back when the Emperor was traveling incognito. The two were very close; otherwise, she wouldn't have borne two children who both grew up safely. Her conflicts with the Empress were merely superficial; she had no interest in the power struggles of the court. Her only lingering regret was that the Emperor had deceived her into thinking she would be his wife, only for her to enter the palace as a consort. The Emperor, knowing he was in the wrong, favored her all the more.

In the future, after the Empress’s family fell, it was she who personally collected the Empress's body, for which she offended that old wretch Huo Renli and was eventually starved to death in the palace.

Imperial Consort Lin had run into the Empress at the palace gate. She admired the Empress's dedication to keeping up appearances—how else could she have remained Empress for so many years? But upon seeing Lin Yue, the Consort suddenly felt that the Empress was visiting so frequently because she was worried the Emperor might take a fancy to Lin Yue.

They were both married women, yet Lin Yue’s face was like a delicate flower, radiant as a pearl; she was truly too striking. With such a beautiful young woman whose husband was away, it was no wonder the Empress was on guard. So that was the truth of the matter?

"This consort pays her respects to the Empress Dowager. May you be healthy and may all your wishes be fulfilled."

The Empress Dowager said, "Enough. You haven't met the Princess of Ding yet, have you? It is good to meet; we are all family."

Imperial Consort Lin smiled, "The Empress Dowager is right. That is why I came."

"Are you accustomed to life in the palace, Your Highness? If you want someone to talk to, come to my palace. I am a chatterbox; I can talk from morning till night."

The Empress Dowager remarked, "How noisy. A little while is enough."

Imperial Consort Lin said, "Is the Empress Dowager already finding me tiresome?"

The Empress Dowager sighed and said to Lin Yue, "Of all the people in the palace, Imperial Consort Lin is the biggest talker. You will get used to it."

Lin Yue said, "The Consort has a lovely personality; she is very likable." *At least she isn't two-faced.*

The Empress nodded in agreement. Though she disliked the Consort, the woman lacked guile, so she could tolerate her.

"Let’s all sit. After breakfast, we shall walk in the Imperial Garden to get some exercise." The Empress Dowager looked eager.

Lin Yue asked in surprise, "Mother, didn't you just practice Tai Chi?"

The Empress Dowager said spiritedly, "That was just a casual round, it doesn't count for much." She now had boundless energy and wanted to get her body in shape so she could travel everywhere with Lin Yue later on.

Lin Yue was confused. She looked at the Empress and the Imperial Consort, noticing they were not very keen on the idea. The Empress felt sore and tired; she was exhausted enough as it was, and now she had to exercise? Imperial Consort Lin was even more direct: "Can't we lie down for a while after eating?"

The Empress Dowager said displeasedly, "Still lying down? Look at how slim you were when you entered the palace, how thin your waist was. Look at yourself now—do you even have a waist anymore?"

Imperial Consort Lin: "..." *Is this a critical hit so early in the morning?*

The Empress pursed her lips, wanting to laugh.

The Empress Dowager added, "You, don't laugh. Your hips are so wide, what kind of look is that?"

The Empress: "..."

"Pfft." Imperial Consort Lin laughed.

"Fine then. After we finish breakfast, we will accompany the Empress Dowager for a walk."

The Empress stared at Imperial Consort Lin's laughter, thinking sinisterly...

Lin Yue’s inner voice interrupted just in time: *Don't look at her; she is just simple-minded.*

*But she truly loves you. She risked everything to collect your body, offended that old wretch Huo Renli, and was starved to death in the palace.*

The Empress: "..." *Is that true? Why can't I believe it?*

*That old wretch Huo Renli actually dared to wreak havoc on the Imperial family,* the Empress thought darkly, wondering how best to get rid of him.

Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager unexpectedly placed a meat pie in Imperial Consort Lin's bowl: "Here, eat more."

Imperial Consort Lin was flattered and surprised: "Empress Dowager..."

The Empress Dowager said, "Shut up and eat your food."

Imperial Consort Lin: "..." *She won't even let me express my gratitude. How stifling.*