CHAPTER 166: CHAPTER 166: DONG FAMILY WITHDRAWS FROM REGISTRY

Lost in thoughts, she didn’t notice what was ahead.

The Emperor suddenly stopped, and she ended up bumping right into him.

Her nose hurt terribly, and seeing her like this, the Emperor felt both angry and concerned.

"Walking without looking, do you think you’re a three-year-old child?"

Though there’s blame in his words, they were said with good intentions.

This, Lin Wanyi could feel.

So she rubbed her nose and said,

"I was distracted, Your Majesty, please don’t worry."

"Distracted? What were you thinking about?"

How could Lin Wanyi possibly reveal her inner thoughts, as if her life depended on it?

So she had to change the subject and said,

"I was thinking of how to keep you from being upset, after all, the Second Prince’s discomfort was something I made up off the cuff."

So that’s it.

"Alright, I knew from the start it was fake, I won’t blame you."

After saying this, he turned his attention directly to Dong Yuzhong.

"You know how to take charge! Even know how to call for reinforcements!"

Dong Yuzhong chuckled awkwardly, glanced at the Emperor, and quickly bowed his head, saying,

"This servant deserves death, please punish me, Your Majesty."

The Emperor snorted coldly but didn’t say much more, lifting his foot to continue forward.

Lin Wanyi followed closely behind.

Dong Yuzhong watched the backs of the Emperor and Lin Wanyi, feeling that he had indeed made the right gamble.

If the Emperor truly blamed him for acting on his own, it wouldn’t have ended with just a few words.

Therefore, his respect for Lin Wanyi grew a bit more in his heart.

After serving the Emperor for so long, Lin Wanyi was the only one who could make the Emperor keep her in mind.

Even the former Empress Xu, though respected by the Emperor, was not truly loved.

The two walked together without saying much.

After venting earlier, the Emperor’s pent-up annoyance had dissipated quite a bit.

He addressed Lin Wanyi and asked,

"Still can’t get over it?"

Lin Wanyi remained silent, unsure of how to answer the Emperor’s question.

Say she could get over it?

She would clearly be lying.

But say she couldn’t?

What if the Emperor got upset because of this.

After pondering for a while, she gave up and said bluntly,

"I don’t know how to answer."

"What do you mean?"

"Your extra kindness brings joy to my heart, but it also leaves me feeling lost. When one can’t attain something, it’s a cherished dream, but once it’s within reach, it can feel ordinary. I don’t want nor wish for it to be like that, so I don’t know how to respond to Your Majesty’s affections."

Hearing this, the Emperor finally understood the source of her worries and apprehension.

Ultimately, she feared her efforts would come to naught, like trying to hold water in a basket.

Upset by it?

Yes, upset.

The only woman he had cared for with his heart in this life reacted this way.

But could he understand?

Yes, he could understand.

Given her living environment, it was already commendable that she could maintain her true self.

Wanting anything beyond that naturally came with many considerations.

Having understood this, the Emperor was not interested in probing further.

After all, they had only been acquainted for three months.

The days ahead were long; he could take his time.

Not pursuing the matter further, he instead brought up other topics with Lin Wanyi.

"Doctor Dou reported that your younger brother has regained consciousness, but still needs to rest. So I thought it best for him to wait until spring next year to report to the Imperial College. What do you think?"

The Imperial College!?

Lin Wanyi never dreamed that the Emperor would bring this up!

She had been thinking of bringing it up with the Emperor when the opportunity arose, but didn’t expect him to mention it first.

"Your Majesty, why bring up this matter?"

"Isn’t this also a knot in your heart?"

Lin Wanyi fell silent.

She had once mentioned to the Emperor that her younger brother was intelligent, but unfortunately, he was kept at the Prime Minister’s Mansion to be taught by a scholar.

While Lin Guangzhi from the second branch, who seemed to have a confused mind, could enter the Imperial College to receive guidance from esteemed teachers.

It was truly unfair.

"I thank Your Majesty on behalf of my brother, but there is one more matter I hope you will approve of."

"What is it?"

"In my maternal grandfather’s house, I have a cousin who is now sixteen. He has always been a studious person at home, and I do not request for him to enter the Imperial College, only that Your Majesty grant him the chance to be removed from commercial registration so he can participate in the imperial examinations."

After speaking, she saluted with a deep bow.

She was straightforward, not one bit reserved.

If it were anyone else, the Emperor might think she was carping even after benefiting.

But coming from Lin Wanyi, the Emperor felt she was someone who repaid kindness.

A person of deep affection and loyalty.

Evidently, people have biases in their hearts.

With an extra bit of love mixed in, anyone can receive some special favor.

"It’s not difficult to remove him from commercial registration, just a matter of my word. However, since your maternal grandfather’s family is rare in talent, let’s not have just one person removed from the registration."

What did this mean?

Before Lin Wanyi could realize it, the Emperor issued a new decree.

"Dong Yuzhong."

"I am here, Your Majesty."

"Go to the Imperial Hospital and inform the Medicine Supervision Bureau that the merchants supplying the hospital with medicinal herbs should all be elevated in rank, appoint them as Warehouse Committee Officials. As for the Dong Family, since Old Master Dong is still around, grant him this official position."

Thus, starting from Old Master Dong, the entire Dong Family leaped from being registered as merchants to officialdom.

Though this position of Warehouse Committee Official might not compare to even the smallest County Magistrate, for the merchant-born Dong Family, it was a grand fortune.

With official status, the descendants of the Dong Family could all participate in the imperial examinations.

If there were talented people among them, they could serve in the imperial court in the future, pledging their allegiance to Da Wei!

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanyi finally understood completely.

She had asked for a sesame seed, but the Emperor gave her a watermelon.

Such great kindness and generosity naturally filled her with immense gratitude.

She offered a formal bow and said to the Emperor,

"On behalf of my maternal grandfather and his family, I thank Your Majesty for your grace! The Dong Family will do everything possible to fulfill this task well."

Even though she wasn’t quite sure what the position of a Warehouse Committee Official at the Imperial Hospital entailed, solving a long-standing issue for her grandfather was a good thing.

Thinking of this, she became more "diligent" than usual.

The Emperor found it amusing, knowing that if he had known she was so easy to please, he would have issued the decree sooner.

The two of them wasted so many days for seemingly no reason, truly an unnecessary indulgence.

In the Huifang Courtyard, the evening banquet had been prepared well in advance.

The whole courtyard watched eagerly as the Emperor and their mistress arrived together.

After a moment, they noticed that both were in good spirits.

Everything returned to the beginning.

Chunqi desperately wanted to provide a feast of exceptional quality.

And Lin Wanyi was attending more diligently than usual.

The Emperor was happy, and so was everyone at Huifang Courtyard.

The clouds that had hovered over their heads for several days finally dispersed.

In no time, everyone returned to attending diligently to their tasks.