Сhарtеr 22: Оwing Her а Dеbt
Uроn hеaring this, Xiaо Lin instinсtively grеw anxiоus.
Сui Jin gеntlу ехtricаtеd hеrself frоm his embrаce аnd sаid softlу, “Your Нighnеss shоuld go sее the Sесоndаrу Соnsort.”
Хiaо Lin рaused, then said tо her, “Аs for whаt thе guаrd sаid earliеr…”
“It must be that hе misundеrstооd the Sеcоndary Соnsоrt’s intеntiоns.” Cui Jin smilеd. “The Seсоndаrу Сonsort is kind and rightеоus. Shе likelу intendеd to stand uр fоr mе, but hеr subordinatеs misundеrstood… Shе would nevеr dеlibеrаtelу hаrm anyone.”
A look оf aроlоgу surfаcеd in Xiao Lin’s еyеs.
If Cui Jin hаd insisted оn accusing Lin Zhao and demanded that he uphold justice, he would have blamed her for making a fuss and lacking propriety.
But she was so understanding—not even mentioning punishing Lin Zhao, and even making excuses for her… This made him feel as though he owed her a debt.
“This prince will go see her first and find out the truth.”
Cui Jin nodded. As she watched him leave, she suddenly called out, “Your Highness.”
Xiao Lin turned back in confusion.
“I nearly forgot something.” Cui Jin took a letter from her sleeve and quickly walked over. “Recently, I have been corresponding with my grandfather. He mentioned matters at court, but I didn’t quite understand. So he asked me to give this letter to Your Highness.”
Xiao Lin was startled.
Cui Jin’s grandfather was the head of the Xie clan of Qinghe, who had once served as the Emperor’s tutor—a figure even Emperor Yonglong held in high regard.
After Cui Jin had been substituted in the marriage, he had been relieved to be able to establish a connection with the Xie clan.
But the Xie clan had maintained an aloof posture. As a centuries-old noble family, they disdained involving themselves in the struggle for the throne, treating him with courtesy but no closeness.
With mixed feelings, he took the letter from Old Master Xie and skimmed through it rapidly.
Seeing his increasingly astonished expression, Cui Jin couldn’t help but ask, “Did my grandfather offend Your Highness? Please don’t be angry. He has always been fond of lecturing. I’ll write to him later—”
“You should write to thank your grandfather properly!” Xiao Lin interrupted her, unable to conceal the joy in his voice. “This is a letter of recommendation. Your grandfather has recommended me to Premier Li!”
This time, Cui Jin also showed surprise. “Although my grandfather has disciples everywhere, I don’t think he has any dealings with Premier Li.”
Xiao Lin smiled. “You’ve long lived in the inner quarters, so you likely don’t know about their connection. The place where Premier Li was once assigned to serve outside the capital was Qinghe. Because of this, he and your grandfather had many dealings and became close friends.”
Only then did Cui Jin understand.
“I never heard my grandfather mention it.”
Xiao Lin smiled without speaking.
After Premier Li’s assignment outside the capital ended, he returned to the capital and quickly became a favorite of the Emperor. From then on, he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a grand councilor. If he had openly maintained close ties with the Xie clan, it would inevitably invite speculation.
“Then… can this letter help Your Highness?” Cui Jin asked cautiously.
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Xiao Lin guessed, “Did you specifically ask your grandfather for this?”
Cui Jin’s eyes flickered with panic.
But under his penetrating gaze, she quietly admitted, “Your Highness has been downcast lately. I heard it was because of difficulties in court affairs. I was worried, but I don’t understand court matters, so I could only turn to my grandfather for help.”
Seeing that Xiao Lin wasn’t angry, she continued, “Although my grandfather has retired, he still has some connections. If he can help Your Highness, that would be best… I didn’t mean to interfere in court affairs.”
Her explanation moved Xiao Lin deeply, yet left him with a complicated feeling.
Just because she had noticed his despondency, she had written to the ill-tempered Old Master Xie—a man full of scholarly pride who had always disdained involving himself in trivial matters and had never used his connections to support even his own grandsons.
It was easy to imagine how much effort and time Cui Jin must have expended to obtain this letter of recommendation.After giving him such a great help, what she worried about most in the end was still fearing his anger.
He spoke with an indescribable feeling: “You’ve also been in the spotlight lately, yet you ignore your own affairs and instead devote yourself to running around for me. Isn’t that foolish?”
“They’re just some rumors. I’ll simply not listen to them. Your Highness’s matters are more important!”
Cui Jin said to him with a smile, then urged: “Your Highness, go quickly to see the Secondary Consort. She vomited blood, and I don’t know how she is. Please go check on her.”
Xiao Lin gently stroked the hair at her temple: “I will come to see you later.”
She had just given him such significant help yet didn’t seek any credit at all, instead urging him to go see Lin Zhao…
Such pure, unadulterated affection made him feel somewhat ashamed and unworthy.
He turned away somewhat flustered and left quickly.
Cui Jin watched him go, her gaze gradually deepening.
Ru Chun spoke the words in her heart for her: “So he knows you’ve been severely criticized these past days.”
He just didn’t care, so he ignored it.
…
Xiao Lin walked to the outside of Pearl Jade Courtyard with a complicated mood, still thinking about Cui Jin.
But suddenly hearing crying, his heart tightened, and he hurried inside.
In the inner room, Lin Zhao lay prostrate on the bed, her face deathly pale, nearly lifeless.
Xiao Lin frowned deeply and strode to the bedside: “Where is the Imperial Physician? Why did the Secondary Consort suddenly vomit blood?”
The Imperial Physician kneeling on the floor hurriedly replied: “Your Highness, the Secondary Consort suffered a sudden great fright, causing rage to attack the heart and leading to vomiting blood. This… I was unable to prevent it in time…”
Xiao Lin sat by the bed. Lin Zhao weakly raised her hand, and he hurriedly grasped it tightly.
“You knew I vomited blood. Why did you only come now?” Lin Zhao stared fixedly at him.
“The Princess Consort had matters—”
“What matters could she have that are more important than my life?” Lin Zhao coughed lightly a few times, her tone unable to conceal disappointment. “Right… in Your Highness’s heart, Lin Zhao is probably a scheming, malicious, and jealous person. Of course, you wouldn’t care whether I live or die!”
Xiao Lin rubbed his temples: “The Princess Consort and I were only delayed for a moment. With the Imperial Physician here, how could anything happen to you?”
Lin Zhao wanted to say more but was interrupted by him: “I have been under constant attack recently. Even while bearing a tarnished reputation herself, the Princess Consort has been trying to find solutions for me. You… I don’t ask you to devise strategies, only that you don’t hold things back with your noise and disturbances, alright?”
His tone was uncharacteristically weary, carrying a disappointment deeper than Lin Zhao’s.
Having just been besieged in the morning court by Prince Jin’s faction and the Censorate, barely managing to protect his own people, returning to the residence only to have Cui Ruyue cause trouble, followed by Lin Zhao vomiting blood… He hadn’t had a moment’s rest. It seemed only at Cui Jin’s place could he find a moment of peace and comfort.
He let out a heavy sigh.
Seeing this, Lin Zhao’s face turned slightly pale, her fingers clenching tightly.
Cui Jin, a useless feudal woman, just because she has a good family background, could make Xiao Lin change his view of her… And that fool Cui Ruyue, so utterly incompetent, was easily trapped by Cui Jin in just a few words!
And she implicated her too!
“I misunderstood,” two clear lines of tears slid down her face. “I thought… I thought Your Highness didn’t like me anymore…”
Xiao Lin’s expression softened slightly: “How could that be? Don’t overthink it.”
Lin Zhao smiled.
“The guards today were sent by me,” she coughed lightly twice, her gaze resolute and frank. “But I… I truly did not order him to kill anyone…”Qiu Wen hurriedly added, “The Secondary Consort already felt guilty toward the Princess Consort. When she suddenly heard that the Princess Consort had been slandered, she ordered the guards to teach Madam Shen a lesson. Who would have thought the guard would misunderstand the Secondary Consort’s intention… and dare to commit murder!”
“When the news reached the inner courtyard, the Secondary Consort immediately coughed up blood… Your Highness, the Secondary Consort is truly innocent!”
Xiao Lin fell silent for a moment before asking, “Do you truly feel guilty toward the Princess Consort?”
“Of course.”
After speaking, Lin Zhao seemed unable to hold on any longer, coughing violently for a while. When she finally raised her head, a few drops of blood stained her handkerchief.
Xiao Lin’s pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately called out, “Imperial Physician!”
The Imperial Physician hurriedly took Lin Zhao’s pulse, and the final diagnosis was no different from what had been said before.
It was nothing more than avoiding agitation and maintaining a calm state of mind.
Xiao Lin ordered Qing Xi to open the storeroom and fetch many tonics. He patiently stayed with Lin Zhao for a while longer before tucking her blanket in and saying, “I still have official duties to attend to. I will come see you later. You… rest well and don’t worry about matters outside.”
His tone had returned to its former gentleness.
Lin Zhao felt a wave of relief in her heart, and her expression softened. “Of course. In half a month, it will be Her Majesty’s birthday. I must stand by Your Highness’s side!”
At an occasion where all officials would attend with their families, she would never let Cui Jin steal the spotlight!