Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Lin Ting hadn't set foot outside the palace in ages. The moment he stepped through the gates, he inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air.

The feeling of freedom was truly wonderful!

During his days in the palace, though Pei Xingjian hadn't confined him to any specific hall, the imperial palace was, after all, not his home. Everything he did felt scrutinized by a throng of palace servants, leaving him ill at ease.

A carriage waited at the Chongzheng Gate. A bearded man in deep blue brocade sat at the front, his gaze fixed on the palace entrance, as if awaiting someone.

Upon seeing Lin Ting, the man's eyes lit up. He promptly dismounted, scurried over, and bowed respectfully to Lin Ting: "Greetings, Lord Lin. I am Zhang Ji, the butler of the Lin residence."

Lin Ting observed him. The man's brocade attire, though not opulent, seemed rather plain. His features were upright, with strong, honest-looking brows and eyes. He appeared to be a trustworthy person.

Lin Ting was quite pleased, but after a moment's thought, he decided a background check was still in order: "Which household did you serve before?"

Zhang Ji replied, "This old servant was formerly a manservant at Prince Gong's estate. After the estate was sealed, I had nowhere to go. His Majesty, taking pity on me, allowed me to reside alone in the former Prince Gong's estate."

Lin Ting was surprised: "Prince Gong's estate?" What was he doing here?

Noticing Lord Lin's expression, Zhang Ji cautiously explained, "The current Lin residence was indeed renovated from the former Prince Gong's estate."

To think how favored Prince Gong once was by the late emperor—who would have imagined his estate would be bestowed upon a mere official by the current emperor?

Lin Ting: "Wait—they remodeled Prince Gong's estate?" He abruptly turned to Qing Shan, pointing at himself: "I'm just a personal bodyguard—living in a prince's estate?"

Had Pei Xingjian lost his mind?

Qing Shan cleared his throat lightly and said expressionlessly, "His Majesty said the former Prince Gong's residence is the closest to the palace, making it convenient for Lord Lin to enter and leave the palace at any time."

Lin Ting scoffed. So, it was just to make it easier to call him back for overtime.

Pei Xingjian truly possessed the potential of a modern-day capitalist exploiter.

"Lord Lin, perhaps we should return to the Lin residence first?" Zhang Ji prompted.

Lin Ting then boarded the carriage.

Though said to be just a short tea-drinking distance from the palace, they traveled several hundred meters along Zhengyang Street, turned into an alley, and after less than half a quarter-hour, the carriage came to a stop.

Zhang Ji announced, "Lord Lin, we've arrived at the Lin residence."

Lin Ting followed Zhang Ji as he lifted the curtain to gaze at the main gate. Above the entrance hung a plaque inscribed with the bold, powerful characters "Lin Residence." The golden wooden plaque looked freshly carved.

Noticing Lin Ting's gaze fixed on the plaque, Zhang Ji's tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride: "Lord Lin, His Majesty himself inscribed this plaque."

To his surprise, Lin Ting shook his head. Zhang Ji was startled and quickly asked, "Is there something amiss, Lord Lin?"

Lin Ting, however, said, "A worker bee's spirit, a worker bee's soul. I never expected the emperor to be so kind to me."

He mentally mourned for his future days.

Zhang Ji breathed a sigh of relief. "Indeed, His Majesty truly dotes on Lord Lin."

Lin Ting remained noncommittal. In his opinion, ancient emperors had it easiest when it came to drawing empty promises—a few casually written words could make people willingly exhaust themselves for him.

Just look at how thoroughly these people had been brainwashed.

Stepping inside, one was greeted by pavilions, terraces, and intricately carved and painted beams—every step offered a new scenic view. Though Prince Gong's residence wasn't the largest among the imperial estates in the capital, its proximity to the palace symbolized the late emperor's favor. Thus, its layout was meticulously designed, with every turn offering new scenery, beautiful beyond compare.

Lin Ting wandered around the garden before returning to the front courtyard.

Servants brought chairs and tea. Butler Zhang summoned all the household staff and lined them up before Lin Ting.

Zhang Ji asked, "Lord Lin, do you have any instructions?"

Lin Ting took a sip of tea and calmly set it down.

"Get me some plain water."

He still preferred fruit juice. Once he got around to it, he'd definitely brew a pot. Perfect—he'd serve tea while sipping juice.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Before coming, I’ve already made inquiries. You all came from good households of various nobles in the capital. Now that you’re here, I won’t mistreat you." He pulled out a bag of pearls and tossed it to Zhang Ji.

"Distribute these among them."

The servants were taken aback. They hadn't expected Lord Lin to reward them so soon after moving in, and they were overwhelmed by his generosity.

Lin Ting nodded in satisfaction. A good manager knows to balance rewards and discipline. Since these servants had been sourced from various noble households, there was no telling if some were spies planted by rivals. He couldn't rely on himself alone—he needed to encourage mutual supervision among them.

"I'm a benevolent master. Do well, and you’ll naturally be rewarded. But if you slack off, you’ll be punished," he said slowly.

"Lord Lin, rest assured! This humble one will make sure to sweep the floors spotless every day!" a burly man declared.

"Your clothes will be washed clean daily, my lord," an older maid chimed in.

"And if Lord Lin needs someone to warm his bed..." a young maid said shyly.

Lin Ting nearly choked on his water and waved his hands. "No need! I prefer sleeping alone."

The maid's face fell.

Still recovering, Lin Ting added, "From now on, no one enters my room without my permission." What if one day he walked in to find someone already in his bed? That'd be the end of him.

With that settled, Lin Ting dismissed them.

Shortly after, a bookkeeper came in lugging a chest of ledgers. "Lord Lin, these are the inventory records for the storeroom. Please review them."

Lin Ting's head started throbbing just looking at the ledgers. He considered himself a man of leisure, devoted to pleasure. Managing household affairs was worse than sleeping on the streets. Why trouble himself when he could enjoy life? Was he trying to die young?

He picked up one ledger and flipped through it. The ink was barely dry.

"Wait," he called out to Zhang Ji, who was about to leave. He dumped the ledger into Zhang Ji’s arms and kicked the chest his way. Patting Zhang Ji’s shoulder, he said, "Butler Zhang, the house is yours to run now."

Zhang Ji clutched the ledger, at a loss. "I couldn't possibly! This old servant still relies on Lord Lin’s guidance."

Lin Ting waved dismissively. "Let’s do it this way—I'll handle external affairs, you manage internal ones. These ledgers are yours now." He patted Zhang Ji’s shoulder again and walked away.

Left standing there, Zhang Ji's mustache quivered, rendered speechless by Lord Lin’s words. After a long pause, he turned to the accountant. "Lord Lin's dodging the books, isn’t he?"

The bookkeeper nodded uncertainly.

Lin Ting made a beeline for the garden.

Though Prince Gong's residence wasn't large, it was, as the saying goes, a sparrow complete with all its vital organs—it had all the necessary rock gardens and ponds, and they were quite exquisite.

Just as Lin Ting grabbed fish food for the koi, Butler Zhang came running up, out of breath again.

Lin Ting spoke calmly, "Butler Zhang, what's the rush? Take your time."

Butler Zhang said breathlessly, "Prime Minister Yan and Young Master Yan have arrived."

Lin Ting's eyes brightened—Prime Minister Yan and Yan Ji were here?

He rushed to the front courtyard and saw Prime Minister Yan and Yan Ji waiting at the gate.

Lin Ting quickly invited them inside.

Prime Minister Yan said, "I heard His Majesty bestowed a residence upon Lord Lin, so I brought Ji'er to visit. Seeing Lord Lin in such high spirits sets my mind at ease." He then gestured behind him.

A coachman pulled forward a cart piled high with boxes.

"I've brought nothing extravagant, just some items Lord Lin might find useful. I hope they won’t be considered beneath you."

The coachman lifted the covering cloth, revealing bundles of tables, chairs, tea sets, and other daily necessities.

Lin Ting peered in and saw the items on the cart were exactly what his residence currently lacked.

-

In the palace, Qing Shan arrived before the emperor without fanfare.

Pei Xingjian lifted an eyebrow.

Qing Shan reported, "The first person Lord Lin visited after settling into his residence was Prime Minister Yan."

Zhao Dehai said quietly, "Lord Lin saved Prime Minister Yan. Now that he’s moved, it’s only natural for him to express gratitude."

Pei Xingjian laid down his brush and tapped his fingers on the imperial desk. "Find similar items from the treasury and send them over."

Zhao Dehai was startled. Was His Majesty unwilling to let Lord Lin use the gifts from Prime Minister Yan?

The emperor’s thoughts were as inscrutable as the ocean’s depths. It seemed His Majesty had already begun guarding against overly close ties between these two ministers.

When Zhao Dehai arrived at Lin’s residence, Prime Minister Yan was being hosted for a meal by Lin Ting.

Upon hearing the gatekeeper’s announcement, the group hurried out.

Zhao Dehai smiled as he took in the scene—ah, they were all staying for dinner.

He waved his horsetail whisk, and the eunuchs behind him carried out the items.

"Upon hearing that Prime Minister Yan had sent gifts to Lord Lin’s residence, His Majesty ordered this old servant to select some unused items from the treasury to deliver as well."

The items the eunuchs carried were suspiciously similar to those Prime Minister Yan had brought.

Instantly, Yan Que broke out in a cold sweat.

This was his fault—knowing full well the emperor disliked excessive camaraderie among officials, he had still come openly, virtually inviting His Majesty’s scrutiny.

"What I brought are simple trifles, hardly comparable to His Majesty’s gifts."

He grabbed Yan Ji’s arm and said, "There are matters at home I must attend to. We’ll take our leave now."

With that, he dragged Yan Ji away.

Lin Ting was completely confused. What kind of act was this?

What had he missed? What wordless exchange had passed between Yan Que and Eunuch Zhao? Why the sudden departure?

He looked at Zhao Dehai in confusion.

Zhao Dehai sighed with exasperation. "Ah, Lord Lin, His Majesty bestowed this residence upon you, yet you haven’t even thanked him before rushing to express gratitude to Prime Minister Yan."

Lin Ting was bewildered. Was the emperor seriously competing with others over this?

But then he considered Pei Xingjian’s temperament—it really did seem possible.

He swallowed and asked, "Then how should I thank His Majesty?" He mentally considered his options. "Should I give His Majesty a massage every day?"

Zhao Dehai nodded. "With such sincerity, Lord Lin, His Majesty will surely be pleased."

Zhao Dehai left the gifts and departed.

Lin Ting looked at the courtyard full of furniture, his head throbbing.

He abruptly grabbed Zhang Ji. "Butler Zhang, I leave these to you. If you can’t finish inventory today, continue tomorrow. Take your time—no rush."

With that, he walked away, leaving Zhang Ji standing alone, utterly bewildered.

Early the next morning, Lin Ting was dragged from sleep—he had to attend court.

The sky outside was still dim, and Lin Ting could hardly keep his eyes open, his head heavy as if filled with lead, making it impossible to lift.

He considered asking for leave, but when he saw the courtyard filled with expensive furniture, his sense of duty warred with his exhaustion. In the end, he reluctantly gave in and boarded the carriage.

After barely making it through court, Lin Ting followed Pei Xingjian to Chonghua Hall.

By then, his head felt heavier still. He touched his forehead—it seemed warm with fever.

But seeing Pei Xingjian still discussing with officials about visiting a temple for fasting in a few days, he bore it silently.

In his haze, a pair of dark eyes suddenly appeared before him. Pei Xingjian said to him, "In seven days, you will accompany me to Nanxiang Temple."

Lin Ting’s vision abruptly darkened. His eyelids shut uncontrollably, his body weightless, then collapsing—until caught by something.

With great effort, he cracked his eyes open, meeting Pei Xingjian’s strikingly handsome face, now furrowed with concern.

This face was impossibly handsome, he thought.

His lips parted, a weak sound escaping his lips. His hand twitched upward but went limp as consciousness slipped away.

"I haven’t yet..." requested leave...