Chapter 48: Fengtai County (6)
On Lin Zikui’s first day entering the Xue Residence, he had barely settled in when a swarm of female relatives rushed over to see him.
“I heard Jieyuan Lin is a true prodigy—handsome and bright. Now that he’s become our Master’s student, he’ll surely earn a high post and great fortune in the future!”
Perhaps it was because he was newly married, but Lin Zikui had an aura like a spring breeze wrapped in scholarly charm, and a face that wore an unconscious smile like a blooming peach blossom. As he passed through the covered corridors, the women of the Xue family couldn’t help but sigh, “Such a young and refined talent, why did he have to marry so early?”
He moved into one of the side rooms and had just finished tidying up when, that very night, he began searching for something. “Mo Liu, have you seen a trunk of my clothes?”
When they got off the carriage, they had been too focused on unloading the books.
Mo Liu searched a whole area but came up empty-handed. “Young Master, perhaps it was left in the carriage. Don’t worry, Madam will take good care of it. Tomorrow while you attend class with the teacher, I’ll go into town and buy you a few new sets. Luckily, you still have two changes of clothes here.”
“That’ll have to do.” Lin Zikui didn’t even have a clean pair of underpants to change into. That night, after washing up and blowing out the candle, he lay down on the unfamiliar bed but felt a chill under the covers.
Yet everything the teacher had prepared for him—freshly laid quilts and blankets—should’ve been warm.
Perhaps the chill came from being alone. In the first two nights after the wedding, Lin Zikui had still refused to share a bed with him, but he couldn’t withstand Zhao Ling’s gentle persistence. Lin Zikui was easily swayed by beauty, and in a daze, had ended up tangled in bed with him.
Though they hadn’t done anything much—just lay there, skin to skin, exchanging kisses all afternoon. That night, Lin Zikui had held Zhao Ling as they slept. It was unclear who clung to whom. His fingers had gently traced the scars on Xiao Zhaoling’s body. The resentment he had once felt for being deceived seemed to quietly dissolve along with it.
He no longer blamed him. But some things were still hard to fully accept.
Lin Zikui thought about it for a while and, unable to help himself, squeezed his legs together under the covers and shook his head.
Absolutely not. No way.
What kind of man would allow someone to do that to them?
At Prime Minister Xue’s estate, Lin Zikui’s focus on his studies returned quickly. About ten days later, Xie Laosan arrived in a carriage, intending to stay at the estate to examine Lin Zikui daily and help him recover.
Lin Zikui immediately welcomed him into his courtyard and served tea. “Master Xie, did you travel here from Jinling just for this?”
Xie Laosan nodded and sat down. “Yes. As soon as Zhao Ling returned, he came to see me. He asked me to come to Xue’s estate and take a look at your eye. It seems your right eye has improved a lot. Is your vision still blurry?”
“The right eye alone is much better than before,” Lin Zikui replied. Then he asked, “Master Xie, I heard from Zhao Ling that he had some business to attend to in Jinling. Is he alright? Did he leave any message for me about when he’ll return?”
“He’s busy. He did bring something, though I don’t know if there’s a letter. He did say he’ll come see you when you’re on break.” Xie Laosan took out a square box. “This is from Zhao Ling. I haven’t opened it.”
Lin Zikui opened it right away and found a dozen or so glass lenses inside, all different sizes and thicknesses. Beneath them lay a letter.
This was Ai Dai? But why were they single lenses?
He opened the letter and saw it was written in Xiao Zhaoling’s childish handwriting:
Lin Lang, are you well? Do you miss me? Because I miss you. Day and night, I think of you so much I can’t eat or sleep. If only I could study too, then I could learn alongside you. Your teacher is strict—how does he treat you? Are you eating well at the Xue residence? Your teacher has bad teeth, so I bet the food is all soft and mushy, like pig slop. You must not be used to it. No good. I have to hire a chef to cook for you at Xue’s estate.
Also, why haven’t you changed your underpants if the old ones are so worn out? They’re all here with me. I bought you new ones—give the old ones to me, alright?
By the way, there are many women at the Xue residence. Any pretty ones?
It’s been raining a lot lately. There’s a lot of rain in Jinling. If you go out, remember to bring an umbrella. Don’t catch a cold.
Did you receive the Ai Dai lenses? Your right eye’s mostly healed, but you still can’t see clearly when squinting. I asked the craftsmen, and they said every person’s Ai Dai is different—man or woman, young or old—each requires a unique fit. So I had them make several single lenses for you. Try them all and see if any help you read the fine print in books. These are different from the usual Ai Dai, you know how to wear them? You’re smart, you’ll figure it out at a glance. But I really want to put them on my Little Husband myself—and give you a kiss afterward.
Sixth Day of the Fourth Month, Year of the Gengzi.
To: Zhao Ling.
His letters had never been flowery or filled with elegant turns of phrase. Of course, Lin Zikui knew Xiao Zhaoling wasn’t capable of writing anything particularly literary either. But it was precisely this plain and straightforward language that, beneath the surface, carried powerful undercurrents—easily stirring Lin Zikui’s heart.
He was just about to pick up his brush to write a reply, then hesitated, putting it down. Instead, he took out the single-lens Ai Dai and tried them one by one.
The method for wearing a single lens was the same as the dual ones: one glass lens, fitted onto a silver frame that rested on the bridge of the nose, with thin arms hooking over the ears. The craftsmanship was delicate, wrapping snugly around the ear to ensure the Ai Dai wouldn’t fall off when lowering one’s head.
Lin Zikui tried every one of them and finally found the one that fit him best. When he put it on, he could even clearly see the three moles on Xie Laosan’s forehead.
Third Master asked, “Well? How is it? Can you see clearly now?”
Lin Zikui nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, I can see now. These Ai Dai are excellent. Were they made by craftsmen? Can they be distributed to nearsighted people across the country?”
“Uh…” Third Master hesitated. “If it’s not too troublesome, then I suppose it’s possible. Anyway, Xiao Zhaoling’s family has money. Making these shouldn’t cost them much.”
That was true.
Lin Zikui cooled down a bit. Glass was expensive—mass-producing something like this would be quite a task. Not every scholar could afford to use it.
While Lin Zikui buried himself in his studies in Huainan, Xiao Fu had returned to the palace to assist Empress Dowager Xiao in guiding the young emperor during court sessions.
The moment Xiao Fu returned to the palace and appeared in court, the entire atmosphere shifted—it became noticeably more subdued.
The civil and military officials all stood solemn and obedient, well aware that the Prince Regent was even more unreasonable than Emperor Wen Tai had been.
Gonggong Liang kept his head low in front of the Prince Regent, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Xiao Fu sat high at the head of the imperial study, lowering his eyes and asking, “Liang Hong, while I was away, did any ministers give His Majesty a hard time?”
Liang Gonggong replied, “There were indeed a few veteran officials who posed some difficult questions during court sessions—questions His Majesty could not answer. After he responded, they said… they said it was childish nonsense, not worth listening to. Fortunately, His Majesty didn’t lose his temper, and thanks to the Empress Dowager’s intervention, the matters passed without incident.”
Xiao Fu’s tone turned cold. “The emperor is young—he still has much to learn about ruling a country. And those old fossils, already half-buried in the ground, still feel the need to bully a child!” Still, it wasn’t a bad thing for Yuwen Xuan to be challenged. Better to face difficulties now—he’d grow faster than if everything came too easily.
Liang Gonggong continued, “Your Grace, Prince Zhan, Prince Xian, and Prince Kang are all waiting outside the palace to greet you. His Majesty is waiting as well.”
The emperor was young, and as the Prince Regent was a senior relative, it was only proper for them to pay their respects.
Yuwen Xuan may have ascended to the throne, but he still had a clear head. He hadn’t let the sudden honor of donning the imperial robe go to his head.
“Let His Majesty come in first,” Xiao Fu instructed. “Take the three young princes to the side hall to sit—they don’t need to kneel.”
Prince Zhan, Prince Xian, and Prince Kang were formerly the Crown Prince, Third Prince, and Fourth Prince before the new emperor’s coronation.
The young emperor entered, lifted his robe, and knelt to salute the Prince Regent. “This son greets Royal Father. May Royal Father enjoy peace and good health.”
His etiquette was flawless.
“Rise, Xuan’er. Come, let Royal Father see how you’ve handled the memorials lately.”
The young emperor gestured to a small eunuch, who brought over a massive stack of documents—dozens of bundles so thick that the desk couldn’t even hold them all.
Xiao Fu asked, “This many memorials?”
The young emperor replied, “Royal Father, these are just the ones from the month you were away. You once instructed your son not to neglect any memorials, no matter how trivial, so I’ve read and commented on each one personally.”
Xiao Fu sat down and flipped through them. “You even responded to the ones just greeting you?”
“Yes.”
There were memorials from Taiwan and from Bashu, all sending greetings to the new emperor. The young emperor had actually written a few lines on each one, saying “I am well. How are you, my beloved subject?”
Just reading them made Xiao Fu feel tired. The fact that Yuwen Xuan had managed to go through so many dull documents was impressive.
“Although your efforts may help win over the court officials, it may also make them think the emperor is soft and easy to manipulate.”
Yuwen Xuan immediately objected, “This son is not a pushover! With Royal Father here, how could I be handled however they please?”
He said it with such seriousness that Xiao Fu gave him a look—and truly noticed the emperor had grown much thinner. The first month after ascending the throne had been far too exhausting. He was isolated in the palace with no one to lean on. The Empress Dowager didn’t like him, and the ministers were critical. Even eating required caution and restraint.
With Royal Father returning so soon, Yuwen Xuan was genuinely happy. Sitting before Xiao Fu, he said, “Royal Father, Prince Zhao has sent a memorial to pay his respects. He said you had promised to return Young Lord Zhao to him, and if he’s not returned, he’ll come personally to retrieve him.”
Xiao Fu, “Bring me the memorial.”
“Your Grace, here it is!” Liang Hong quickly handed it over. Xiao Fu opened it and glanced through. The wording was technically flawless, but every line reeked of arrogance. Prince Zhao, who held great military power, had likely been considering rebellion for some time. With the current instability and the young emperor lacking achievements or popular support, this was the perfect opportunity to act.
“Grind the ink.”
“Your Grace, the brush!” Liang Hong passed it to him, but Xiao Fu didn’t take it. “Let Xuan’er write it.”
“M-me?”
“Yes. You’re the emperor. Prince Zhao is your uncle. You need to write it.”
Xiao Fu’s own handwriting wasn’t exactly presentable.
Yuwen Xuan picked up the brush. “What should I write…”
Xiao Fu replied, “Royal Father says—you write.”
“Alright.” Yuwen Xuan looked at him.
Xiao Fu said, “Prince Zhao, I am well. I intend to send Young Lord Zhao back to his vessel state, but I worry you may not keep your word. Therefore, I shall send half of him first, to show my sincerity. Do you prefer his left side, or his right?’”
Yuwen Xuan’s hand trembled as he wrote.
Xiao Fu asked, “Finished? Seal it with the jade stamp.”
The Ye Dynasty’s carriages were slow. By the time Lin Zikui’s reply arrived, it was more than twenty days later. The letter was delivered to Duke Chang’s estate, and Young Master Yan personally brought it into the palace for Xiao Fu.
The envelope was labeled, and Young Master Yan commented, “To ‘Zhao Ling, personal and confidential’? Whose letter is this? It must be important—you told me to deliver it to the palace in the middle of the night.”
Xiao Fu said nothing. He took the letter and turned away to read it, shielding it with his hand to prevent Young Master Yan from sneaking a glance.
Xiao Fu was genuinely nervous about opening it, worried it might contain some overly flowery verses he couldn’t understand. Though he did enjoy poetry, and whatever Lin Zikui wrote, he would surely like.
But there wasn’t any poetry. Lin Zikui hadn’t written a single poem.
Instead, he wrote:
Wife, I am well. I’ve been eating well at the Xue residence. They don’t raise pigs here, but yesterday the cook made pig’s trotter soup. It also rained, and Teacher gave me an umbrella.
There are banana trees in the courtyard outside my room. I often sit beneath them to read and write. As for the women of the Xue household—I haven’t paid them any attention.
I received the Ai Dai. It suits me well, and I like it very much. I can see clearly now, and in my heart, I’m wishing to see you soon.
If you’re loving the tangled fates and slow-burning tension in Peach Blossom Decree, help Ciacia keep the petals falling by buying her a Kofi.
Can’t bear the suspense? Join the Duo-a-cia Tier to unlock up to 5 chapters early—and get ahead of the drama before the next decree drops.
