webnovelfull Chapter 434 Refusing a toast only leads to a penalty drink; each harboring their own thoughts.
Chapter 434 Refusing a toast only leads to a penalty drink; each harboring their own thoughts.
Madam Lin is indeed not stupid, but Lord Lin still underestimated a mother's love for her child.
Even though she knew from the steward that it was a temporary measure to appease the eldest prince, Madam Lin still came over to take a look herself, still feeling uneasy.
Seeing that her son was indeed alright, she was finally relieved.
Lin Qi felt helpless; he knew his mother wouldn't ignore him.
However, it feels really good to be valued like this.
The imperial physicians and doctors from the Lin family all gathered and concluded that it was not advisable to move the family.
Does that mean I can't attend the Crown Prince's banquet invitation?
After all, how can you force a patient to come to your door while they are sick?
Even a prince shouldn't be so domineering and unreasonable. Whose reputation will be ruined if this gets out?
Even if the eldest prince knows it's just an excuse, so what? The Lin family has hired an imperial physician; do you think the imperial physician would lie on behalf of the Lin family?
Hey! You know what, it's true. After all, the imperial physician invited by the Lin family, although not surnamed Lin, is surnamed Wu.
That's right~ it's the Wu from Minister Wu.
Minister Lin and Minister Wu, as the emperor's right and left confidants, were practically inseparable.
The eldest prince is gentle, refined, and good-tempered in public, but he transforms into a volatile and violent monster in private.
I smashed seven or eight teacups, bowls, plates, and vases in a row, but thankfully they weren't particularly valuable.
The strategist stood by silently, letting the eldest prince vent his anger.
"Mr. Guan, what do you think the Lin family means by this?"
The strategist who was called out paused, trying to organize his thoughts as quickly as possible.
"Your Highness, the young master of the Lin family is not Minister Lin's biological son. I think it doesn't matter whether he comes or not."
For an adopted son, His Highness doesn't need to go to such great lengths as to personally send an invitation.
"Hmph! Yet this adopted son has offended me! Although he is an adopted son, Lin Qi is highly valued by Minister Lin, and his importance is no less than that of his own son!"
I've heard that the Minister's wife dotes on Lin Qi immensely, even more so than the former eldest daughter of the Minister's family.
"This..." Guan Moushi looked troubled, as if he didn't know whether he should say it or not.
"Just say what you have to say! Don't beat around the bush!"
Seeing that the eldest prince had spoken, Guan, the strategist, then revealed his thoughts in detail.
“Abduct people directly?! Wouldn’t that be too much…” The eldest prince looked hesitant, as if he didn’t quite agree with the strategist’s plan.
But when the eldest prince said those words, he was already leaning towards accepting the strategist's strategy. However, if he didn't question it, it would seem as if he were ruthless.
One question proves that this bad idea was all coming from you strategists, and has nothing to do with me, the one making the decision. I'm stuck here and have no choice but to listen.
The strategists inwardly scoffed at his behavior, but outwardly they all offered words of comfort, urging the eldest prince not to be soft-hearted or lenient.
After all, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles, and the victor is king and the loser is a bandit. This is not the time to be soft-hearted.
"Sigh~ Fine, then I'll listen to you all. Before my wedding, I'll have my men take care of everything."
Everything will be settled after my wedding; then, posterity will judge right and wrong.
The eldest prince appeared righteous and awe-inspiring, as if he had made the decision with great difficulty. The strategists readily agreed, but they were also secretly planning their own escape routes.
If the Crown Prince fails, how can those of them, who are all tied to the same boat, fight for a chance to escape?
The advisors in the hall each had their own thoughts, and it must be said that having them was truly a "blessing" for the Crown Prince.
The money the eldest prince amassed from various places was used partly to recruit soldiers and horses, but a considerable portion of it ended up in the pockets of these strategists.
To show respect for scholars and to value talent, the eldest prince arranged for these people to live in quiet, secluded courtyards in the capital.
None of the courtyards cost less than 10,000 taels of silver. Although they were not very large, they were all independent residences with one or two courtyards.
Even today, not every company's employees or executives receive such treatment.
This is, after all, the capital city, a place where land is incredibly valuable. Many officials of the sixth or seventh rank in the imperial court live in rented houses.
Take, for example, Lord Chen of the Hanlin Academy. He served as an official for decades but was unable to acquire property in the capital through his own efforts.
Even if they had the chance to make a small fortune, they wouldn't dare to flaunt it and would have to tighten their belts to make ends meet.
These so-called strategists, who had no official rank or title, lived more comfortable and affluent lives than many officials of the fourth or fifth rank.
The house he lived in was registered in his own name, and he had no shortage of servants and maids. He was also very particular about his food, clothing and daily necessities.
When it comes to the crucial moment, these people's first thought is how to find a way out for themselves if the eldest prince fails, rather than the disgrace of the emperor and the death of his subjects.
One can only say that the eldest prince is quite remarkable; he somehow managed to gather these "talented individuals" together and put them to his own use.
Although these people were trying their best to offer advice to the eldest prince, their limited vision and boundless selfishness were destined to become a cage that trapped them.
Lin Qi lay listlessly on the bed, "recovering from his injuries," with everything done for him, feeling as if all his muscles were about to atrophy.
In reality, he had only been in bed for less than three days, but his father and mother said that he had to put on a good show so that no one could find fault with him, so he had no choice but to obediently play the role of a useless person.
However, we only need to keep up this act until after the Crown Prince's wedding. According to Minister Lin's prediction, the Crown Prince is most likely to cause trouble during his wedding.
Once the Crown Prince's wedding is over, there shouldn't be any more trouble.
Minister Lin has been very busy these past two days, and Lin Qi only gets to see his father during dinner.
When asked, the answer was that he was busy with court affairs, but Lin Qi keenly noticed that his guards had started to increase, and many of them looked like military personnel.
It's true that my father is the Minister of War, but that doesn't mean I can abuse my power by having his soldiers serve as guards for the Minister of War's residence!
Lin Qi was puzzled and didn't want his father to make a mistake that violated principles, so he thought he should find a time to ask him clearly.
However, Minister Lin seemed to be even busier in the following days, and he didn't even eat dinner at home anymore. Every day, only Madam Lin and Lin Qi ate together.
"Mother, is Father not coming back today again?"
"Yes, I've already sent someone back to tell them that I'm with Lord Wu and haven't finished my official duties yet. I'll just grab a bite outside and go home later."
“My father seems to be very busy lately. I haven’t been able to chat with him for a long time. I’ll stay up late tonight and wait for him to come home with my mother.”
"Um, this... no need. I'll call you to have breakfast together before your father leaves tomorrow morning. You can talk about anything while you eat."
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Mother."
Lin Qi noticed the unnaturalness on Madam Lin's face; it seemed his parents were hiding something from him!