maidservant

Chapter 76 Lord Lin arrives in Wen County and Lin Yu is promoted to Consort Xian

After arriving in Wen County, the Lin family took the initiative to arrange a dinner. During the meal, Lord Lin invited several of his former garrisons, the local county magistrate, and the newly appointed military governor who had escorted him all the way.

After three rounds of drinks, Lord Lin, under the influence of alcohol, earnestly and solemnly advised the soldiers to follow the new governor and obey his orders in everything.

The officers and soldiers also expressed their loyalty to the court and their willingness to assist the governor with all their strength.

Lord Lin then pretended to be angry and complained that being on duty was too tiring and he was looking forward to some free time all day. He warned any of the soldiers present that as long as they were still officials, they were not allowed to visit his house privately.

"Now I just want to be a free and easy country man, and don't want to be bothered by these trivial matters of officialdom anymore. If anyone doesn't even satisfy this little wish of mine, I will definitely kick that guy out of the house!"

This matter soon reached the emperor's ears. After hearing it, the big stone in the emperor's heart finally fell to the ground.

Afterwards, the emperor held a grand ceremony to reward the harem.

During this grand ceremony of conferring titles on the six palaces, the emperor specially bestowed the character "Xian" on Lin Yu. From then on, she was known as the honorific Consort Xian, and her status was so high that she could be said to be on par with the empress dowager.

At the same time, other concubines in the harem also underwent changes.

Concubine Cui was promoted to Concubine Cui Guifei, and assisted Concubine Xian Guifei in managing the six palaces.

Gao Cairen, who was pregnant, was promoted to Gaopin.

Concubine Yang, who had followed the emperor from the palace, was promoted to Princess Yang.

After this personnel adjustment, the power structure of the harem was completely reshuffled.

After the lively enthronement ceremony, the crowd dispersed and the clamor returned to calm. Only the virtuous concubine Lin Yu sat alone on the couch, her hands tightly hugging her knees, a look of loneliness on her face.

Seeing this, Yunshan and Yunjin stepped forward with concern and asked, "Your Majesty, on such a happy occasion today, why do you look so lonely?"

Lin Yu lowered his eyes slightly, his eyes full of disappointment, and slowly said:

"Over the past few years, I have unknowingly poured all my affection into Your Majesty."

"When I first entered the East Palace, the constant vigilance and caution I maintained have now faded a lot. After experiencing all these things, I am really scared."

As she spoke, her eyes gradually turned red, and her voice became choked with sobs:
"I have always thought of His Majesty as my husband. I never expected him to remain as loving and devoted to me as he was at the beginning. I only hoped that we could live in harmony and unity, without suspicion or betrayal. But now, it seems that this wish has become impossible to achieve."

Yunshan and Yunjin were heartbroken after hearing this and could only offer gentle comfort. Although their words of comfort were sincere, they seemed so pale and powerless in the face of Lin Yu's current pain. They only hoped to comfort the Empress.

On the second day of the enthronement ceremony, the sunlight softly fell on the glazed tiles of Liuhua Palace, reflecting a dazzling light.

Thanks to God's grace, Lin Xiao was able to enter the palace to congratulate his sister Lin Yu on her promotion to Consort Xian.

Entering the palace, he knelt down respectfully in accordance with the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects. Lin Yu looked at his familiar and respectful brother in front of him, with a complicated emotion in his heart. He said softly: "Lin Xiao, get up quickly."

After the servants around them had left, they were the only ones left in the palace. Lin Yu ordered a table of exquisite snacks to be set up, and they sat around it.

She looked at her brother in front of her and couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion: "Fortunately, you are here with me in the capital, otherwise I would really be alone in this capital."

Lin Xiao frowned slightly, a trace of worry appearing on his face, and he softly advised: "Sister, there's nothing we can do about it." "In fact, when the Queen was critically ill, father had already predicted that this situation would happen today."

"He has always been worried that our Lin family will become too powerful and repeat the mistakes of our Li family. He is deeply concerned about this."

"Father and I have been weighing the pros and cons of whether it would be detrimental to you if I rashly resigned without properly communicating with my sister. After all, in this palace, the support of your mother's family is sometimes crucial, but if they can't provide it when you really need it, what will we do?"

"It wasn't until that day, when my elder sister passed the news to my father, that I realized how aligned your thoughts were. I then decisively resigned from my position. Now, it seems that my Lin family's title of Marquis remains, and my third brother can inherit it. This is the best way to minimize the damage to the family."

After saying that, Lin Xiao turned to look at Yun Shan with a hint of a smile on his face, and said jokingly, "Thank you also to this beautiful sister for the 'magic medicine'. After my father used it, the effect was remarkable. He even praised it as 'a sharp hand that can bring about winter'!"

Yunshan's cheeks flushed instantly when she heard this teasing. She lowered her head shyly, then asked solemnly and softly, "Is the Marquis all right now? Is there any hidden danger left?"

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Don't worry, my father has been on the battlefield for a long time and is a tough soldier. This medicine will not affect his health."

They chatted happily, and before they knew it, they were talking about recent events. It was getting late, so Yunshan saw him out of the palace.

The two of them walked out of the palace gate. The gentle wind blew slowly, lifting their clothes. The fluttering appearance of their clothes was like a lively painting.

The jade pendant worn on Lin Xiao's waist swayed rhythmically with his steady steps, reflecting a warm luster in the sunlight.

Yunshan inadvertently and unconsciously looked at the jade pendant a few more times.

As her thoughts drifted, she recalled the bet between him and Yan Lie over the jade pendant. She found it so amusing that she couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips and pursed them slightly.

Lin Xiao was keenly aware of Yunshan's gaze. Seeing her looking at his jade pendant and laughing, as if protecting a treasure, he quickly reached out and tugged at the jade pendant, saying seriously:

"I won this thing with my own ability, and I won't give it back. Don't try to take it."

After he finished speaking, his expression suddenly became exceptionally gentle. He looked at Yunshan intently and affectionately, and slowly spoke:
"But there's one thing I still need to tell you. A while ago, you came to change my dressings. I was so happy to see you every two days. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I never expected it to become a source of illness in my body."

Yunshan's heart tightened when she heard this, and a look of worry instantly appeared on her face. She looked at him nervously and asked, "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Lin Xiao nodded slightly and said helplessly, "Yes, I haven't seen you for half a month. I've been suffering from lovesickness. Song Yaozhichang, is there any antidote to relieve my longing?"

Yunshan was immediately struck by his teasing, and she felt that this man was truly mischievous. She spat softly, her cheeks flushing slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of pique as she whispered, "General, you'd better be careful in this palace."

Everything around them seemed immersed in a tranquil and beautiful atmosphere. Time seemed especially gentle, quietly accompanying Lin Xiao and Yun Shan. Every step of the journey they had taken together was imprinted with the quietly growing affection between them.

They followed each other step by step. Although there were not many words between them, this silent understanding spread in the air.

Before they knew it, they had reached the palace gate. Lin Xiao's figure was stretched out in the sunlight, and he walked further and further away step by step.

Yunshan just stood there quietly, following him closely with her eyes, until Lin Xiao's figure completely disappeared outside the palace gate and could no longer be seen.

With a soft sigh, Yunshan turned around reluctantly with a hint of nostalgia, and walked towards Liuhua Palace. Along the way, her mind kept replaying every little detail of her time with Lin Xiao, and this newly budding emotion, like a flower in spring, quietly blossomed in her heart, waiting for the next encounter and continuation.

(End of this chapter)