CHAPTER 471: CHAPTER 459: THE PERSON ADMIRED BY GENERAL LIN, THE NATIONAL GUARDIAN GENERAL

Lin Yi instantly woke up, with all drowsiness dissipating, and ran straight to the little Emperor’s sleeping chamber.

"My little treasured heart, you finally awoke. I’ve missed you to death."

After cooing and coddling for a while, the little Emperor gently pushed Lin Yi away. Did this rascal really need to exaggerate so much just for not seeing him for one night?

They couldn’t even continue their endearments when the hurried footsteps of a eunuch approached.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has come to request an audience."

The Empress? So early in the morning, what does she want?

The little Emperor looked at Lin Yi with puzzlement, and Lin Yi, not knowing either, could only shake his head.

"Have the Empress wait outside the Imperial Study Room."

The little Emperor couldn’t guess the Empress’s intentions but got out of bed cooperatively, while Lin Yi helped him tidy his clothes.

When they came out, seeing various gift boxes carried by the servants behind the Empress, they roughly understood why.

"Your Majesty, I think these are gifts for our Imperial Family. It should be Your Majesty who decides how to handle them."

The little Emperor was not pleased. It was common to send gifts to the Empress to curry favor, but as the sovereign of a nation, why should he be bothered with these trivial matters of the Harem? If so, what’s the use of having you manage the Harem?

Doesn’t the well-read and reasonable Empress understand this principle?

The little Emperor looked at the gifts and fell into deep thought, which made Lin Yi extremely anxious.

[Hey, my silly Emperor, this is money being delivered to you. Why won’t you accept it? They say it’s for the Imperial Family. Why the hesitation? Aren’t the Emperor and Empress one family? As the head of the family, you take the money, leave the tasks to the Empress, and it’s all settled. Why is your mind not working? It’s frustrating me.]

Hearing Lin Yi’s inner thoughts, the little Emperor had an epiphany. That’s right, the National Treasury needed this silver.

"How does the Empress wish to handle this?"

The little Emperor threw the question at the Empress, simultaneously testing whether his Empress was indeed capable of managing the Harem.

The Empress lived up to expectations. These gifts would replenish the National Treasury, alleviating its pressures. The names would be recorded in the ledgers, and the selection of the twenty women for the Imperial Consort must not be disrupted due to these gifts. If they sent gifts but were not chosen, they would have to wait for the next selection or have their gifts returned.

The little Emperor wasn’t particularly satisfied with this answer, but thinking of the National Treasury, he reluctantly nodded.

"Then let’s handle it according to the wishes of the Empress. Little Lin, keep an eye on the selection for me. I must go to court now."

The little Emperor issued a dismissal, and the Empress had no reason to stay any longer, leaving the congratulations gifts behind as she excused herself.

"My Empress still needs more training. Little Lin, how have your arrangements been going?"

"Your Majesty, your servant has made all the necessary arrangements."

Lin Yi was trustworthy in the eyes of the little Emperor, so he went to court with peace of mind.

At this moment, the liveliest place was not the court but the Empress’s Anning Palace.

In the Harem, only the Empress had the final say. The consorts of several Princes also watched and assisted with the selection. After the second round, the Empress only kept fifty palace maids.

Seizing the right opportunity, Lin Yi suddenly came in, nominally to guard on behalf of the little Emperor, but actually to secretly aid Murong Qingxue.

But when he carefully looked at Murong Qingxue’s face, he was shocked; it resembled his sister from his previous life. Could she also be a time-traveler?

In the future, the Harem would be his own. How could a brother get entangled with a sister?

Definitely not.

"I had no idea General Lin would grace us with his presence. Someone, bring a seat."

The Empress magnanimously offered a seat, and Lin Yi slowly collected himself, sitting down and quietly watching for developments. To ensure Murong Qingxue stayed, he must fully leverage her strengths.

Seizing the right moment, Lin Yi suddenly spoke.

"Recently, while serving Your Majesty, I’ve noticed that the Emperor has been plagued by nightmares, possibly due to poor sleep or overexertion. I was wondering whether the Empress should discuss with His Majesty about visiting the Great Buddha Temple to pray for the Emperor’s well-being and recite Buddhist Scriptures?"

The Empress was momentarily taken aback; after all, she was a daughter of a military family and had never engaged in such religious activities.

At that moment, Murong Qingxue began to speak incessantly.

Murong Qingxue, with her standard oval face and well-proportioned features, had a beauty mark between her eyebrows that added a touch of charm. Yet her cold and serious demeanor also kept people at a distance.

"I am willing to pray and recite scriptures for His Majesty for a lifetime."

Heh, finally on the right track, that’s the line I was waiting for.

Excited, Lin Yi stood up, his face a picture of shock as he asked, "You came here to participate in the selection process with hopes of becoming a consort and enjoying the Emperor’s favor. Are you truly willing to devote yourself to a life akin to that of a plain-dressed nun?"

"I am willing," said Murong Qingxue resolutely, leaving the Empress dumbfounded. This was supposed to be a selection of palace maids, so how had it turned into a choice like in a nunnery?

Lin Yi continued to heap praise on Murong Qingxue’s loyalty, leaving the Empress without an excuse to refuse.

Such a candidate, willing to forsake fame and fortune to pray for the young Emperor and full of loyalty—if the Empress were to turn her away at the selection gate, it could cause misunderstandings about the Empress’s own loyalty. Now the Empress had no choice but to accept.

Moreover, this was a person favored by General Lin, the National Guardian.

"Murong Qingxue, stay. Han Yuxiu, stay. Du Xiaoting, stay..."

The Palace Maid read aloud the Empress’s selection results, and Lin Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all the suspense, it was a close call.

What surprised him, though, was that upon learning she was the first to be selected, Murong Qingxue’s face showed no change—not even a second glance at him, as if none of this concerned her.

Could she be another indifferent person like Ying Yi?

Forget it, let the young Emperor interview them himself tomorrow.

"Your Majesty, I have urgent matters to attend to and must take my leave."

After seeing off Lin Yi, the Empress, examining the list of maidens, harbored doubts about Murong Qingxue, who had emerged unexpectedly into the process.

"Bring someone to thoroughly investigate Murong Qingxue’s background. With General Lin backing her up, this is definitely no ordinary matter."

However, the investigation results were a letdown for the Empress. The Murong family had no connection with Lin Yi, and indeed, Murong Qingxue’s interest in studying Buddhist Scriptures was noted.

The Empress, unsure of what Lin Yi was plotting, realized that with Murong Qingxue’s background, it would be impossible to upset the Empress’s standing in the Harem, as long as she didn’t bear the Heir.

The young Emperor, upon learning that Murong Qingxue had successfully entered the next day’s interview stage, began to formulate a new plan.

With the three-day deadline reached, according to the selection process, the young Emperor was finally entering the interview stage.

The Empress summoned the twenty selected maidens to wait in Anning Palace for the young Emperor, who rushed in, not even sparing the maidens at the entrance a glance.

Hmph, all these women will be the playthings of that debauchee. What need have I to look at them?

Meanwhile, Lin Yi’s gaze remained fixed on Murong Qingxue. Dressed in plain colors, her makeup modest, only the Patterned Fish Jade Pendant at her waist hinted at her distinction. At first glance, she didn’t look like a candidate in a selection process but more like someone out for a stroll.

"Your Majesty, here is the list of the twenty selected maidens for your review."

The young Emperor had already received the list and was well aware of the power and interests represented behind it. Since the Eighth Imperial Uncle and Fourth Imperial Uncle showed intentions to enrich my Harem, then let it be so.

"Han Yuxiu and Du Xiaoting will have the rank of Concubine; Murong Qingxue and the next three will be Consorts. That’s it—these are the five!"