Chapter 26: A Gift Money Can’t Buy (2)
The more she spoke, the more excited she became. "You could also write a short message at the beginning, wishing His Majesty good health, peace, and a long life. Since every word was written by your own hand, everyone would know how much time and care you put into it."
[That would cost only a fraction of what the antique calligraphy scroll cost in the novel,] Lin Xueyi thought excitedly. [But I don’t think anyone would be able to make fun of a gift like that!]
[Even though his health is poor, he still spent days copying an entire classic just to prepare the best birthday gift for his Imperial Father.]
Her eyes seemed to sparkle as another idea popped into her head. [Wouldn’t that make an incredibly touching story?]
[I could casually mention it to a few servants... then they’ll tell the other servants in the palace.]
After all, there was nothing that spread faster than gossip. Whether the story was good or bad, once the palace servants started talking, it wouldn’t take long before everyone knew about it.
"But, Your Highness... the banquet is only three days away," Lin Xueyi said softly.
Her eyes drifted to Rong Shuyan’s pale face before moving back to the list of gifts on the desk. "Do you really think... you’ll be able to finish a gift like that in such a short time?"
[I’d love to help him, but my handwriting would probably send the Emperor straight into a coma,] Lin Xueyi thought.
Rong Shuyan bit the inside of his cheek, doing his best to hold back a laugh after hearing her ridiculous inner comment.
"It won’t be a problem," he said calmly. "It’s not as if I have much else to do these days. Besides, I could use some of your help."
Lin Xueyi’s eyes widened. She immediately straightened her back. "Y-Your Highness, I can’t write good calligraphy! My hands shake too much!"
She had spent nearly two weeks learning royal etiquette, yet whenever she talked to Rong Shuyan, she still couldn’t stay calm. The polite way of speaking she had practiced so hard would disappear in an instant.
Rong Shuyan looked at her for a moment before calmly shaking his head. "I wasn’t planning to ask you to copy the book."
Lin Xueyi let out a small sigh of relief. "That’s good."
"But," he continued, "I do need someone to help me grind the ink, prepare the paper, and organize the finished pages."
Her shoulders relaxed immediately. "Oh... I can do that!" She smiled without hesitation. "Leave those jobs to me."
[But... why does he want me to help?] Lin Xueyi wondered. [Eunuch Shen is much better at doing those things than I am.]
To be honest, Rong Shuyan was wondering the exact same thing.
He hadn’t thought it through at all. The request had simply slipped out of his mouth on impulse.
However, since Lin Xueyi didn’t seem to mind, Rong Shuyan decided it wasn’t a problem.
"I need to take my medicine first," Rong Shuyan said. "So I’ll begin this afternoon. Will you be free then?"
[The medicine must make him sleepy, so he can’t start right now,] Lin Xueyi thought. [Oh, poor Yanyan...]
"Of course, Your Highness." Lin Xueyi replied. "This consort doesn’t have anything else to do either."
===
He had changed into a thicker robe, probably because the air grew colder as evening approached.
His face no longer looked as pale as it had earlier, and he seemed to have regained some of his strength.
Still, every time Lin Xueyi looked at him, a dull ache filled her heart. She couldn’t forget that the man sitting in front of her was living with a chronic illness.
He had learned to live with the pain, but that didn’t mean the pain had disappeared.
More than once, she had seen him stop writing for a moment because his hand had suddenly become too weak to hold the brush steadily.
Seeing that always made her wonder how much pain he endured every single day without saying a word.
[I shouldn’t have suggested this gift...] Lin Xueyi sighed inwardly. [That damned Emperor doesn’t even deserve something this sincere.]
Sincere?
Rong Shuyan had written this gift with nothing but hatred in his heart.
Rong Shuyan had written every single word with hatred buried deep inside his heart.
Each time he wrote a blessing wishing the Emperor a long and healthy life, he secretly wished the man would collapse and die during the banquet instead.
Whenever he carefully wrote words filled with loyalty, respect, and filial devotion, his heart was filled with nothing but cold resentment.
The hatred he carried toward his own father ran so deep that even his body reacted to it.
His hand trembled more than usual, and every now and then, it would suddenly lose its strength, forcing him to stop and rest for a while before he could continue writing.
After all, the Emperor had been the first person to turn his back on him the moment he learned that Rong Shuyan was no longer useful.
Once, Rong Shuyan had been the Emperor’s greatest pride.
He had been praised as the Empire’s youngest and most talented general, a son who brought honor to the royal family wherever he went.
But after the poison destroyed his health and left him unable to stand, all of that praise disappeared.
The Emperor stopped visiting him and he even stopped asking about his condition.
To the Emperor, Rong Shuyan was no longer a son worth caring about. He was simply a broken prince who could no longer bring glory to the royal family.
Even now, remembering those days was enough to make Rong Shuyan tighten his grip around the brush until his knuckles turned white.
"Your Highness." Lin Xueyi’s sudden voice made Rong Shuyan stop writing. He slowly lowered his brush. "Why don’t you take a short break?"
Rong Shuyan lowered his eyes to his hand, which had begun trembling again. "I’m fine."
[But he doesn’t look fine at all,] Lin Xueyi thought. [Does his hand hurt that much? If I keep him talking, maybe he’ll forget about the pain for a little while.]
She wasn’t sure if it would help, but it was worth trying.
"Your handwriting is so beautiful," she said with a warm smile. "Every character is so neat and elegant."
After praising him, she quickly brought up a topic that might keep him talking for a while. "If this consort wants to learn calligraphy and write as beautifully as yours one day... do you think that’s possible?"