"What?!" Lin Wanrong jumped up and put away the painting in her hand. She shouted, "Impossible! This is impossible! Xian 'er is my wife! She's not my brother or sister!"
"Impossible? In this world, nothing is impossible. " The aged Emperor's expression turned cold. "Xian 'er's identity may be tempting to others, but to you, it is a huge obstacle. Those who achieve great things should not be bothered by trifles. You must learn to give up in order to achieve great things. "
"Great things? What is great things? Old man, you've been cultivating your entire life. Is this the result you want? "Lin Wanrong didn't get angry. Instead, she laughed and clenched her fists. He was just thinking about how to treat Xian 'er well. But in the blink of an eye, her father had delivered such a blow to his head. How could he not be depressed?
"I've said everything I want to say. Whether it's good or bad, it's up to you. Don't say that I didn't give you a chance." The aged Emperor smiled sinisterly. His eyes glinted coldly. Compared to his kind and amiable demeanor just now, it was as if he was a completely different person.
Cold sweat trickled down Lin Wanrong's back. He subconsciously took two steps back and gritted his teeth. "Old Master, will I not be able to leave this room if I don't agree?"
"Lin San, I don't deny that you're a talented person. However, the Imperial Family knows nothing about the Imperial Family. Do you think I'm telling you a story? Since you've heard the secret, you can either agree to what I say, or … "The aged Emperor closed his eyes and stopped talking. A thick murderous aura appeared on his face.
He thought about what the aged Emperor had said today. Every word contained a deep meaning. They were all secrets that a third party must not know about. It seemed like this wasn't a joke. He was really going to lose his head this time. The room was silent for a moment. The sand in the hourglass flowed down slowly. The aged Emperor's eyes were closed in silence, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Lin Wanrong stood there in a daze. He didn't expect things to turn out this way. Thinking of Xian 'er's weak, helpless, and heartbroken look, his heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife, and his breathing gradually quickened.
Time ticked by, but the old Emperor did not utter a single word. It was as if he had gone into hibernation. The room was deathly silent, and Lin Wanrong could only hear his own heavy breathing.
Xian'er, what should I do? He clenched his fists and remained silent. His mind raced rapidly, and after pondering for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth, turned around, and walked out of the room.
The old Emperor did not stop him. One step, two steps, three steps … Lin Wanrong chanted in his heart. Every step he took was extremely heavy. Just as his hand touched the door latch, the old emperor's weak voice rang out from behind him, "Have you thought it through? Do you know what your next step is? "
Lin Wanrong put his hand on the door and stopped walking. Without turning his head, he said, "Your Majesty, I've thought it through very clearly. No matter what my next step is, even if I lose my life, I will still live happily. On the other hand, Your Majesty, even though you are the most respected and respected in the world, you have been muddle-headed your entire life and have never been happy. It is not worth it. "
"Are you lecturing zhen?" The old Emperor's eyes suddenly opened, and a ray of light shot out, piercing through his chest.
Lin Wanrong smiled faintly. "In terms of tenacity and perseverance, when it comes to matters of state, of course it is you, Old Master, who should be lecturing me. But in terms of how to live happily, it is not wrong for me to be the one to teach you. Your Majesty, your entire life has been spent in scheming and being schemed against. Even though you have enjoyed all the glory and wealth you have ever had, you have always been accompanied by loneliness. Even with your daughter by your side, there is no one to talk to you. Your Majesty, you have defeated Cheng Wang, you have succeeded, but you have lost to yourself. "
As soon as he finished speaking, he unhesitatingly pulled open the door bolt and stepped out. He saw that the courtyard was filled with soldiers from the Divine Arms Battalion. Several hundred bows and arrows were aimed at him. If he moved even the slightest bit, he would become a hedgehog.
Lin Wanrong smiled helplessly. Forcing a sale to this extent was really asking for his life. He stood at the door, not daring to move. There was no sound coming from the room, and he didn't know what the person inside was thinking.
There was an unbearable silence. The two of them didn't speak. It was like a pool of stagnant water, without the slightest ripple. After an unknown amount of time, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but turn his head. He saw the old Emperor staring at him with a dark expression. The expression in his eyes fluctuated between anger and calmness. It was frightening.
"You should leave." The old Emperor finally spoke, but his tone was filled with indescribable sorrow and desolation.
Looking at the Emperor who had aged in an instant, Lin Wanrong hesitated for a moment before carefully asking, "Old Master, are you speaking the truth?"
The old Emperor waved his hand, indicating for him to leave. Lin Wanrong was overjoyed and was about to leave. His gaze swept across the old Emperor's wrinkled face, and he felt an indescribable sense of loss. If he really left, what would happen to the old Emperor? China was about to start a war with the Turks, the Dong Ying was about to attack Korea, King Cheng wanted to control the military, but the old Emperor had to be assassinated at this time. If he couldn't hold on, then everything would be over.
His previously unwavering resolve suddenly wavered. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to start.
"Why aren't you leaving?!" The old Emperor roared, "Do you really think that we don't dare to kill you? Come — — "
Lin Wanrong hurriedly waved his hand. "Don't panic, don't panic. That's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask if there is any other way to get the best of both worlds? "
"Get the best of both worlds?" The Emperor glanced at him, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly laughed. "You wish. Are you going to take all the good things in this world for yourself?"
Seeing that the Emperor had laughed, Lin Wanrong heaved a long sigh of relief. He was no longer afraid. At least his life was spared. He chuckled. "Old Master, look at the relationship between me and Xian 'er. We're family, and as the saying goes,' Don't let the goodies flow to the fields of others. 'If there are any benefits, shouldn't they be left for your son-in-law? How about it, Old Master? Think about it and think of a way to get the best of both worlds. It won't make things difficult for you, and it won't make things difficult for me — — "
"Men! Throw Official Lin out of here!" the old Emperor said angrily. Dozens of guards rushed forward, grabbing Lin Wanrong and dragging her away.
The old Emperor sighed lightly, his voice just loud enough for Lin Wanrong to hear. "Consort Qin is buried in the mountain behind Xiang Guo Temple. Xian 'er built her hut there. When you find her, treat her well. Don't let her be sad. "
When Lin Wanrong was out of sight, the old Emperor pondered for a moment before struggling to sit up. A figure rushed out from the inner room and helped him sit up. The Emperor sighed and said, "Little Weizi, this Lin San is really stubborn."
The blind old man hurriedly knelt on the ground and said fearfully, "Master, it's this servant's incompetence that has disappointed you."
The old Emperor shook his head. "I'm not disappointed. On the contrary, I'm pleasantly surprised."
Old Man Wei was puzzled. "I don't understand what you mean."
"Little Wei, you've followed me for so many years. Tell me, what's the most important factor in choosing a candidate?" The Emperor asked.
"Tenacity and loyalty!" Old Man Wei answered without hesitation.
"You're right. Lin San appears to be cunning, but when he's faced with temptation, he's able to stick to his bottom line and not be swayed by external factors. This is a rare trait. He's many times better than those fence-sitters. He won't abandon Xian 'er today, and he won't abandon me in the future. With this, I'm more at ease with him. "The Emperor nodded.
"But he doesn't seem interested in these things." Old Man Wei looked at his master and said carefully.
The Emperor chuckled, but it triggered a violent coughing fit. Old Man Wei hurriedly hammered the Emperor's back. The Emperor's coughing subsided. "It's not that he's not interested. No one in the world can resist this kind of temptation. He's just not satisfied with the method I've used. If it weren't for Xian 'er, today's incident would have ended differently. "
"But the Princess has deep feelings for Lin Wanrong. The two of them can't be separated. If they're forcibly separated, I'm afraid it'll backfire." Old Man Wei frowned.
"No rush, no rush. Good things need more time." The Emperor coughed again and sighed. "Unfortunately, there's only five months left. God only gave me five months …"
…
After exiting the back door of Xiangguo Temple, Lin Wanrong's clothes were soaked. The conversation with the Emperor had consumed all his energy. He gently wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and carefully pondered over the Emperor's words. He felt that it was the most insidious and exciting thing he'd ever experienced in his life. He almost reached the heavens in one step. Just thinking about it made him excited.
After resting at the back door for a while, he followed the path up the mountain. He had been to the back mountain of Xiangguo Temple once. Sister An had pretended to be mysterious and invited him to meet at Tian Chi. All kinds of experiences flashed before his eyes as if it had happened yesterday.
Since Xian 'er was guarding the tomb, she naturally wouldn't be at the top of the mountain. The back mountain of Xiangguo Temple was vast. After searching for a long time, he didn't see a single hut, so he had to continue moving forward.
The further he went, the more remote it became. He climbed a big rock and turned his head to look at the Xiangguo Temple. He saw that he was more than ten li away from the Xiangguo Temple. He could only vaguely see the flower terrace and the building. Just as he was feeling puzzled, he heard a low murmur coming from the valley below.
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