Chapter 30: The Emperor’s Dogs
"Look at him. Doesn’t he look pitiful?"
"His wife even has to help him out of the carriage." One of the noblewomen clicked her tongue in pity. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a poor woman."
"I heard Old Lin spent years preparing his only daughter to marry a prince. Who would’ve thought she’d end up with a useless one instead?"
"Shh... keep your voice down. The Imperial Guards might hear you."
A nobleman nearby joined in with a laugh. "Nonsense. Compared to him, I’m far more useful."
"He used to have such a bright future." He sighed dramatically and shook his head. "What a waste... such a waste."
Lin Xueyi quietly gritted her teeth as she listened to the endless gossip.
She might not have extraordinary hearing, but they certainly weren’t trying to keep their voices down.
[These rotten people!]
[Just wait until Yanyan rises again. They’ll all be kneeling at his feet one day!]
If she weren’t trying to maintain her image in front of these shameless nobles, she would have already picked up a handful of pebbles and thrown them straight at their faces.
Beside her, Rong Shuyan spoke in his usual calm voice. "Ignore them." After a brief pause, he added, "They’re nothing more than the Emperor’s dogs."
Lin Xueyi looked at him in surprise. If he said that, it meant he had heard every single word and also noticed the solemn expression on her face.
[How can he stay so calm when they’re talking about him like this?]
"Your Highness," Lin Xueyi said softly, "you’re nothing like what they’re saying. Please don’t take their words to heart."
"I know," Rong Shuyan replied without the slightest hesitation.
He then allowed Eunuch Shen to push his wheelchair forward.
"That’s why," he said calmly, "I told you to ignore them."
Lin Xueyi silently followed him into the palace, doing her best not to look at the gossiping parrots.
The banquet would not begin until evening, and it was still early in the afternoon. Because of that, the imperial servants escorted the invited nobles to the guest quarters prepared for them so they could rest before the celebration.
As Prince Rui and his Princess Consort, Rong Shuyan and Lin Xueyi were assigned a private room within the palace.
The room was spacious and elegantly decorated. A faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, while the carved wooden windows overlooked a garden outside. A folding screen stood near the bed, offering a little privacy, though not enough to hide the awkwardness between the husband and wife.
Lin Xueyi silently stood by the window, pretending to admire the scenery. Meanwhile, Rong Shuyan remained in his wheelchair, flipping through a book that one of the servants had brought him.
The room was so quiet that even the sound of pages turning seemed unusually loud.
[Why is it so awkward?]
Lin Xueyi stole a quick glance at him before immediately looking away. [I’ve shared a bed with him before, but... why does sharing the same bedroom again suddenly feel so embarrassing?]
Thinking back, she realized she had probably been too overwhelmed by her transmigration to think straight when she insisted on sharing a room with Rong Shuyan back then.
[And, of course, I was terrified of ending up as his hotpot.]
Just as the silence became almost unbearable, a knock came from outside. "Your Highness."
Eunuch Shen’s voice came from beyond the door. "The Emperor requests your presence."
[What does that rotten Emperor want from Yanyan now?!] Lin Xueyi fumed inwardly. [He never once came to visit him, and now he can’t even be bothered to come see his own sickly son in this room!]
[He’s such a lazy father!]
Rong Shuyan heard every angry word in her mind, but his expression remained calm. After all, no matter how little he wanted to see his father, an imperial summons was not something he could refuse.
He closed the book in his hand. "I understand."
After Eunuch Shen turned his wheelchair toward the door, Rong Shuyan paused for a brief moment and looked back at Lin Xueyi.
"I may be gone for a while," he said.
Lin Xueyi nodded. "I’ll wait here, Your Highness."
[This room is so boring. I’ll probably—]
"If you do decide to go out," Rong Shuyan suddenly said, cutting off her train of thought, "don’t wander too far. There are a lot of vicious dogs here."
[Did he just... did he just call the nobles dogs?]
Lin Xueyi was startled, but when she remembered Rong Shuyan’s personality in the novel, she realized that a remark like that was perfectly in character for him.
In the end, she smiled at him. "I’ll remember that, Your Highness."
Rong Shuyan gave a small nod. Without another word, Eunuch Shen pushed his wheelchair out of the room.
Lin Xueyi stared at the closed door for a few seconds before finally letting out the breath she had been holding.
"He’s gone."
She could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but... why did she feel a little disappointed?
Wanting to forget that strange feeling, Lin Xueyi decided to leave the room. As soon as she stepped outside, she found Mei Lu, who had been standing guard outside the entire time.
The maid immediately bowed. "Your Highness."
Lin Xueyi smiled brightly. "Mei Lu, let’s go explore the imperial garden."
Even though the palace was filled with far too many vicious dogs, she still couldn’t resist the beauty of the imperial gardens. Besides, as long as she stayed nearby, she would be fine. After all, Rong Shuyan had only told her not to wander too far.
"As you wish, Your Highness," Mei Lu said with a smile. She then fell into step behind her as they left the guest courtyard together.
The imperial garden was only a short walk away. And unlike the palace entrance, which had been crowded with arriving guests, the garden was surprisingly quiet.
Most of the nobles had already gathered inside the main hall, eager to greet one another, exchange pleasantries, and catch the high-ranking nobles’ attention before the banquet began.
There were only a handful of nobles and palace maids could be seen walking along the stone paths.
"How peaceful..." Lin Xueyi murmured.
A gentle breeze brushed past her, carrying the sweet scent of flowers through the air.
She slowly wandered deeper into the garden, stopping now and then to admire the flowers or watch the colorful koi swimming beneath the clear water.
"This place must have cost a fortune to maintain," she murmured.
But then she couldn’t help clicking her tongue. [What a waste of money.]
[If he spent even half of this on helping Yanyan, maybe he wouldn’t have suffered for so many years.]
Just as she was about to continue walking, a familiar voice called out from behind. "So it’s really you."