The Noble Consort is the most favored in the harem

Chapter 62 - Worried about the future

As they were talking, Xia An brought over another bowl of medicine. The medicine was for her coughing problem, so she had to drink it.

Lin Wanyi tilted her head back and drank it all in one go, then took a piece of sour plum to dissolve the bitterness in her mouth.

"Just now, a message came from Qian'an Hall saying that His Majesty will come for lunch. Chunqi is already preparing the dishes. Let Xiao Luzi go to the imperial kitchen and ask them to send fewer dishes to avoid waste."

"I understand, I'll take care of it."

After Qiu Ming left, Lin Wanyi, who had been sitting upright, relaxed and looked at the book in her hand, lost in thought.

Chu Daying's curses before leaving Xianyi Hall (Hall of Leisure) didn't bother Lin Wanyi at all.

For her, there were more important matters at hand.

Lin Guifei had sent a message saying that her brother was going to join the army.

Lin Wanyi was immediately worried. The battlefield is dangerous, and if her brother didn't return, what would happen to the family? She had thought her brother would just get a promotion in the Imperial Guard, but he was so determined! She knew why, which made her even more uneasy.

She kept thinking that if she had the chance, she would like to see her brother and try to persuade him.

So, she decided to sound out the emperor before saying anything else.

Coincidentally, a message came from Qian'an Hall, so Lin Wanyi ordered Chunqi to prepare a table of dishes early.

There were the emperor's favorite dishes: bamboo shoots with lamb, wine-steamed chicken, and Dongpo tofu.

Additionally, a pot of rice cooked with red beans and coix seeds, which smelled delicious.

Before noon, the emperor, dressed in casual clothes, walked into Xianyi Hall.

Lin Wanyi's leg problem had improved, so serving the emperor with a simple wash was not a big issue.

She used warm water to wring a cloth and wiped the sweat from his forehead, then washed his hands.

Only then did she have the hot dishes brought to the table.

"Today's dishes are all your favorites, Your Majesty. Please try them."

As Lin Wanyi spoke, she served the emperor. He took a bite and smiled.

"The taste is good. Your small kitchen is better than the imperial kitchen."

The emperor was happy with the food, and Dong Yuzhong, who was serving on the side, also smiled and said, "The food in Lin Changzai's side hall is really good. Every time His Majesty comes, he eats more."

"As long as His Majesty likes it."

After serving him a large bowl of rice, she brought up another topic.

"Your Majesty, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, I accidentally fell into the water. I hope it didn't disturb the other nobles."

She spoke cautiously, but the emperor put down his chopsticks and looked at her carefully, his probing gaze making Lin Wanyi uncomfortable.

She had only said a simple sentence, but did the emperor have such high vigilance? As she was thinking, the emperor said, "I've had the matter at Qingyuan thoroughly investigated. It was indeed because the wooden stakes were rotten and couldn't support the weight. When many people stood on them to watch the boat race, they loosened and caused you to fall into the water. The relevant people in the Inner Court have been punished. If you're still not satisfied, I can have them come and apologize to you!"

The emperor's explanation left Lin Wanyi speechless.

It seemed the emperor misunderstood, thinking she was indirectly asking about the fall into the water.

So she said helplessly, "Your Majesty misunderstood. That's not what I wanted to say."

"Then what do you want to say?"

The emperor's sudden straightforwardness caught Lin Wanyi off guard. After thinking it over, she decided it was best to speak directly to avoid any trouble.

"Lin Guifei sent a message saying that my brother is going to join the army. I'm a bit worried, so I wanted to ask."

The emperor thought it was something else, but it turned out to be this. He then said slowly, "Your brother has the opportunity to train in the Imperial Guard. That's his good fortune."

Lin Wanyi knew this was true. Although she didn't know much about the Imperial Guard, she had heard of the reputation of the two heroes of Da Wei.

Especially the Fourth Prince, who was highly praised by her brother.

Having the chance to train in his camp was a great opportunity.

"I know, but..."

"You're worried he'll get hurt?"

"Yes."

"That's a straightforward answer! But have you forgotten your current status?"

Lin Wanyi was puzzled. Did being the emperor's woman mean she couldn't care about her family?

This wasn't an outsider; Lin Xingzhi was her biological brother.

Seeing her displeasure, the emperor smiled and said, "I was just teasing you. Don't worry, the Imperial Guard hasn't had any battles in recent years. Although training in the army inevitably involves some injuries, a man's ambition is to travel far and wide. If he truly wants to join the army, your worries are useless."

The emperor's words enlightened Lin Wanyi.

If this was what her brother wanted to do, no amount of persuasion would change his mind.

Her brother was stubborn by nature.

Since even Lin Guifei had sent a message, it was clear this matter was already decided. She couldn't change it and could only sigh deeply.

The emperor drank his soup, waiting for her to speak, but she remained silent.

Seeing her troubled expression, and remembering how she had called out "mother" in her sleep at Wengu Hall, he softened a bit.

In a rare moment of kindness, he comforted Lin Wanyi, "Your brother is a good talent. Keeping him at home would not only be unhelpful to him but also a loss of support for you, wouldn't it?"

After the emperor finished speaking, Lin Wanyi fell silent.

She knew her brother's intentions, but that made it even harder for her.

She wished she could be strong enough to protect her family, rather than having them worry about her and risk their lives on the front lines.

The two of them remained silent, and what started as a pleasant meal ended in silence.

Before leaving, the emperor glanced at the clothes being sewn by the window and said, "You should take care of yourself. It's okay to delay the sewing."

Knowing he was concerned about her, Lin Wanyi stood up and smiled, feeling a bit better.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I understand."

"Good, recover quickly so you can join the trip to the summer palace."

After saying this, the emperor left Xianyi Hall, leaving Lin Wanyi standing there, puzzled.

Summer palace?

What's this about? She quickly called Qiu Ming to find out.

"Every year from June to October, His Majesty goes to the summer palace to escape the heat. The summer palace is thirty miles north of the city, backed by Xun Mountain, and has many man-made rivers. It's the most pleasant place to stay in summer."

He added, "Not many consorts are taken along, usually around ten." (Translator XiaoBai: 10 is not a lot? I guess it's not when you're the emperor haha)