Chapter 642 - An Olive Branch
Seeing Lin Shu act like that, Shang Zhuo shook his head with a smile. "What are you worried about? As long as you don't make mistakes, don't talk or act recklessly, you will not lose your head."
Lin Shu glanced at him, "I’m not worried at all! That’s nonsense. " Still so stubborn!
"Anyway, you should remember what Teacher said, as well as what I just said."
Lin Shu was angry and impatient. "I know, you've been saying it throughout our journey. Even if your mouth didn't end up forming any ulcers from repeating it so much, my ears are getting calloused."
"I was worried that you would forget, and Teacher also asked me to keep reminding you. I have to follow his instructions after all."
Look, everyone, this is the teacher's favorite kind of student! Truly a teacher’s pet.
Lin Shu, who belonged to the category of ‘underachievers’, despised this kind of student the most. He glanced at Shang Zhuo and said, "Okay, okay, just go back to whatever you’re painting." He waved his hands and went out.
Behind him, Shang Zhuo shook his head helplessly. He then held his brush and continued painting his replica.
Lin Shu had just returned to his room and found a man standing inside. He was shocked. "Who are you? Why are you standing here without saying a word? "
Dou Quan sized him up carefully, "Are you Lord Lin?"
Lord? He's not an official yet! The unexpected flattery hit Lin Shu hard and left him dazed, but he didn't dare to simply accept it. He quickly said, "My surname is Lin, but I am not an official. My given name is Shu, my name is Lin Shu." He skillfully avoided it instead.
Dou Quan didn't have time to play any word games with him, so he cut to the chase, "Prince Yi wants to see you."
"Prince Yi?"
"He invites Official Lin to his estate."
Lin Shu was confused, he was just talking to Shang Zhuo about that prince. Why is it the moment they had finished talking about it, the prince came to find him?
Before he could recover, he found himself already being shoved into the carriage by Dou Quan and transported all the way to Prince Yi’s estate. When he alighted, he was still a bit dazed and confused, but he followed Dou Quan into the estate and went to a side hall in the backyard.
Jing Yi had already made a pot of top-quality tea and had been expecting him.
Lin Shu found himself at a loss when he saw Jing Yi. He shivered for a moment and then bowed down. "Greetings, Prince Yi." There was a slight tremor in his voice.
Jing Yi was also very polite to him, "Lord Lin, you don't have to be so polite. It is this prince who had summoned you here rather rudely. You don't need to be nervous. I just want to enjoy some tea with Lord Lin." Who would believe it!
Lin Shu wasn't stupid, but he still responded, "Sure!"
"Lord Lin, please sit down."
Lin Shu sat down robotically across from him, crossing his legs at the knee.
Jing Yi pushed the tea in front of him, "Come on, Official Lin, try it and let me know if you like the tea in this prince's residence."
He nodded with a smile, picked up the tea to take a sip, and praised, "The tea from Your Highness's estate is very good, very good, very good." He had said ‘very good’ three times in a row.
Jing Yi poured him another cup.
He took another sip. Just like that, he drank three cups in a row, the tea seeming to dilute the wisdom in his brain along the way. In order to stop drinking further, he searched for a topic to divert attention. "This one surnamed Lin has yet to congratulate Your Highness on your wedding."
"It's just marrying my consort after all. It's not a big deal." In his eyes, becoming the Crown Prince and sitting on the throne is the only event that truly mattered. A mere consort was just a chess piece!
Lin Shu felt awkward, this topic was clearly exhausted. It was really impossible to find anything else to talk about.
Jing Yi secretly looked at him and started in on the main topic, "the Emperor has not yet determined the Zhuangyuan and Bangyan for this imperial examination. What do you think about it, Lord Lin?”
So that's what he wanted to talk about! Lin Shu had already considered it on his way here.
Although he had only just came to the capital city and had barely stepped into the imperial court, he knew more or less about what goes on in the imperial court. Sometimes, Teacher Yu would speak about it in class, so he also learned it there. When asked, he recalled what Shang Zhuo had told him before, so he didn't dare to say anything. After taking a moment to organize the words he needed to say, he said, "This one dares not have any ideas. Everything is to be decided by the Emperor."
"Doesn’t Official Lin want to be the Zhuangyuan?"
He tugged at his lips, "It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare to think about it."
"As long as you wish for it, then it will be yours."
"What does Your Highness mean?" Lin Shu wondered.
Jing Yi smiled meaningfully, "As long as this prince puts in a good word for Lord Lin, Lord Lin's career path will be bright in the future."
Lin Shu understood. This guy was trying to recruit me! If he agreed, he'll have to work for Prince Yi. Hehe. He had originally thought that Prince Yi wouldn’t care about a newcomer like him, but he didn't expect that Prince Yi would offer an olive branch to him so soon.
He was terrified and quickly said, "Your Highness, how can I, Lin, be deserving of your recognition? I'm just afraid… that I am not capable." A tactful excuse to decline.
Jing Yi said, "Why is Official Lin so nervous?"
"No… I am not."
"This prince asks you, for what reason did you study so hard for? For what purpose did you come to the capital to take the imperial examination??"
For… fame and recognition. Lin Shu knew that this was a hole that Jing Yi had dug out for him, so of course, he wouldn't jump down.
Instead, he said, against his will, "One reason why I studied so hard back then was to first complete my studies and become a scholar, and secondly to enter the imperial court as an official. However, I don’t merely want to become some high official or rise to the top quickly. Rather, I would like to do my duty in peace and to serve the imperial court and the people." Well, that was a great speech. Bro, doesn't your heart hurt for me?
Jing Yi continued to throw an olive branch to him, "There are many students who joined the imperial court with the same attitude as you, but the situation is very complicated. Even for the noblest person, as long as they were in the imperial court, it would be a path of no return. People could get injured or even die within the imperial court. Everyone wants to climb higher and they are willing to pay any cost in order to achieve their goals. There were even some who paid their lives for this. This process is far more dangerous than you think! This is the imperial court, where everyone may live, but everyone may die as well. If you want to live and move up the ranks, the only way to stand firm is to grab a patron you could rely on."
"..."
"Official Lin, this prince has made this so clear. Are you still not willing to take my olive branch?"
"Your Highness, this one..."
”As long as you agree, the title of Zhuangyuan will be presented to you. This prince offers it sincerely to you"
Lin Shu heart wavered. He took part in the imperial examination just for the Zhuangyuan position!
What Jing Yi said was right. Within the imperial court, if one was alone and had no backing, then it's the same as having their wings broken off, having their hands handcuffed with chains, and left to fleece. But now, Jing Yi offered him an olive branch and also promised him the title of Zhuangyuan. How could he refuse with such a great opportunity in front of him? Unless he was an idiot.
After hesitating for a long time, Lin Shu finally nodded, got up, and bowed, "In the future, as long as Your Highness could use me anywhere, I would not hesitate to walk through fire or dive into boiling water for you."
He made his promise. He had chosen his faction.