Chapter 25: A Gift Money Can’t Buy (1)
For a brief moment, she felt as though she was about to drool after staring at Rong Shuyan for too long.
[I’ve seen him sitting in the library so many times, but... he looks a little different today.]
Maybe it was because his hair had been styled more neatly today or maybe it was the robe he was wearing today. It looked more elegant than the loose robes he usually preferred.
But why would he make an effort to look so good when he didn’t have anything special to do? Normally, he always wore loose robes because they were easier for him to put on, considering how difficult it was for him to stand.
[Maybe... it’s the atmosphere of this room?]
After all, Lin Xueyi had always had a weakness for male leads who worked behind a desk. In fact, most of her favorite male leads had been CEOs who were always busy with work and loved showering their wives with expensive designer gifts.
Rong Shuyan had been listening to Lin Xueyi’s endless compliments in her mind for quite a while. In the end, he cleared his throat, trying to calm the strange warmth slowly spreading through his chest.
Why did he feel that way in the first place after all?
"I asked you to come here because I’d like to hear your opinion about the birthday gift I’m preparing for my Imperial Father," Rong Shuyan said after clearing his throat once again.
"I haven’t had many chances to see him since I fell ill, so I’d like to leave a good impression when we meet again," he added.
Good impression, my ass.
The truth was, Rong Shuyan simply wanted to prepare a proper gift because if he showed up with something that looked cheap or careless, the nobles would spend the entire banquet talking about him behind his back.
He was already used to being the target of gossip, but that didn’t mean he liked it.
Besides, Lin Xueyi would be attending the banquet with him. It would be her first appearance at such a formal gathering among the nobles, and he didn’t want anyone to look down on her because of him.
Once again, why would he suddenly care about her? He had no idea, but maybe it was because he knew she wasn’t from this world.
"Oh," Lin Xueyi said with a small smile. She finally walked over to his desk and stopped beside it. "Have you already made a list of possible gifts for His Majesty the Emperor?" she asked.
Rong Shuyan gave a slight nod and slid a sheet of paper across the desk. Written on it were several gifts he had been considering over the past few days.
"I have made a list of it," Rong Shuyan said.
Lin Xueyi lowered her eyes and carefully read through the list.
[Wow... every single one of these looks expensive...] Lin Xueyi thought as her eyes slowly moved down the list. [If he spends too much on the gift, Yanyan will be the one who suffers later.]
As the Sixth Prince and a former General—although he had only held that position for a short time before being poisoned at such a young age—Rong Shuyan still received a generous monthly allowance from the Imperial Court.
Even so, compared to his brothers, who were still active in the government or serving in the military, Rong Shuyan was probably the poorest prince among them.
Unlike the others, he no longer held an official position that brought in extra income. Most of what he lived on came from the allowance granted by the Imperial Court and the revenue from Prince Rui Manor.
While it was enough to support a comfortable life, it was nowhere near enough to afford the same luxurious lifestyle as his older brothers.
[The gift he sent to his father in the novel even became the laughingstock of the banquet,] Lin Xueyi thought.
[Not because it was cheap... but because it was too ordinary.]
The Emperor received countless priceless treasures every year. Rare jade, ancient paintings, precious swords, and jewels from foreign kingdoms were presented one after another.
Compared to those dazzling treasures, Rong Shuyan’s antique calligraphy scroll seemed plain and unimpressive.
Many of the nobles couldn’t appreciate its true value. They simply assumed the once-famous General had become so poor that he could no longer afford a proper birthday gift for the Emperor.
Some even mocked him for pretending to be filial while bringing nothing more than "an old scroll."
[None of them knew that the scroll had already cost Yanyan a fortune,] Lin Xueyi thought.
[After that banquet, he had to cut back on almost everything for nearly a year.]
He still had to buy medicine every month, pay the salaries of everyone in Prince Rui Manor, and cover all the manor’s daily expenses.
Even then, he never delayed anyone’s wages.
The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. Those people laughed at him without knowing how much he had sacrificed just to prepare that gift.
Her eyes slowly returned to the list in front of her. [No... I can’t let history repeat itself.]
Lin Xueyi tapped the paper lightly with her finger, deep in thought. A moment later, as if an idea had suddenly struck her, her eyes lit up.
"Your Highness... may I make a suggestion?" she asked.
Rong Shuyan looked at her. "Go ahead."
"What if, instead of giving something expensive, you gave His Majesty something more meaningful?"
He leaned forward, looking interested. "What kind?"
Lin Xueyi looked at Rong Shuyan and said, "Every year, His Majesty receives countless priceless treasures. No matter how expensive your gift is, someone else will always present something even more valuable."
A smile slowly appeared on her face. "So... why not give him something money can’t buy?"
Rong Shuyan’s eyes locked onto hers. "Can you suggest something to me?"
Lin Xueyi nodded quickly. "You have beautiful handwriting, Your Highness," she said. "Why don’t you personally hand-copy one of His Majesty’s favorite classics, then have it bound into a fine book?"