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Chapter 51 Not knowing your place
This day, Lin Qing was leaning on the couch while dealing with things. Zhao Zimu got into Lin Qing’s room after training a few subordinates and let people take away the documents that he had brought from the palace. Then, she got on the couch, hugged him carefully from behind and covered him with the quilt. Since Lin Qing’s wound hasn’t healed yet, she treated him very carefully.
Zhao Zimu said, “The new year is coming. Do you want to go to Qingyu Mountain with me to meet master?”
While she spoke, she rubbed her chin against his neck.
Lin Qing’s heart warmed up by her affectionate movements. He pondered for a moment and then said, “Okay.”
Zhao Zimu, “…Do you not want to think about it?” She knew that there were still many things in the palace that needed to be dealt with. If he left for too long, it may be cause for a bad variable.
Lin Qing shook his head and smiled, “Nothing will happen if I leave for a while. Anyway, Wang Yue is still in the palace. He is older than me, very capable and is tolerant. He knew how to do things. Because I have followed His Majesty since he was a prince of first rank, that was why I was more favored.”
Zhao Zimu was in a very good mood after hearing this. Therefore, she nibbled on Lin Qing’s neck. Lin Qing’s ears were a bit red. He took her hand without looking at her, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Zhao Zimu smiled, “You don’t have to be sorry. I don’t mind about what you don’t have. What you have, I will take what I want whether you give it or not. Don’t even think about not giving.”
Lin Qing shot daggers at her, but Lord Qiansui also knew that the prestige that he had accumulated through many years would disappear without a trace in front of this person and he was suppressed by this person. Just like how Zhao Zimu would only want a mile after getting an inch, “Give or not?”
Lin Qing didn’t answer her. She kissed him along his neck. Fearing that he would fly into rage out of humiliation, she deliberately pulled the quilt higher. The quilt was kept upright from the neck to the shoulders, but her hand went deep and pulled away the belt on his waist. Afterwards, she pulled off his clothes from behind his back. Although, the front was covered tightly, the back was naked and smooth. Zhao Zimu touched and kissed him softly on his back. Pn every sensitive place, she kissed tenderly and affectionate. Finally, she couldn’t hold it anymore, turned around and was in front of him. She sat on Lin Qing’s lap, pushed him down, pulled the quilt over and covered the both of them.
Zhao Zimu felt that every place was hot inside the dark quilt. Even the breath of the person under her body was like a light wave of heat. She lowered her head, grabbed the two thin lips and grinded them gently. To prevent him from suffocating, she deliberately made a hole. As her hands became more misbehaved in the dark, she felt the person under her tremble slightly. She left the darkness, stopped and finally separated from him. After a long time did she sigh and was going to stop there. However, just as she was about to leave, she was severely pulled by someone, making her hand even hurt.
Just as she was about to say something, she heard someone outside the door come to report. Zhao Zimu quickly got up and inadvertently saw Lin Qing’s expression. Blank, like a lifeless doll.
Zhao Zimu almost wanted to give herself a slap in the face. She quickly climbed in front of him and gently kissed his forehead, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t leave you and also won’t not want you…”
After a long time, until when the person outside was suspecting whether there was no one inside the room did the expression of Lin Qing’s face return. He turned his head away and didn’t look at her. Zhao Zimu gently kissed him a few times on his ear and said, “Trust me, I will prove it one day…”
After the person who avoided her heard that, he said faintly, “I will be waiting.”
Zhao Zimu felt helpless. It was obviously that he was afraid, how did it seem to have become her fault?
She didn’t let Lin Qing move nor call anyone in. Zhao Zimu took the initiative to walk to the door and inquire, but she didn’t expect that this matter happened to be related to her. Also, it was someone who she didn’t expect, had come to find her. This made her feel weird.
Zhao Zimu returned to her own courtyard. Speaking about it, she often went to Lin Qing’s and Lin Qing also liked to come here. However, ever since he got wounded, she often stayed there, causing the little girl Ling Er to look at her aggrieved every time she saw her. She didn’t understand before, but now she finally knew the reason. She thinks that she should move.
By the time she walked to the main room, Ling Er was already waiting respectfully inside. It was just that her expression was a bit too respectful. She also knew the reason.
There were two people she didn’t recognize at the door. She frowned and went in without any expression. Seeing the person who was sitting inside, Zhao Zimu suddenly asked Ling Er who was standing at a side, “Who is this?”
Ling Er was dumbfounded for a moment. She tried to hold the expression that was about to break and said boldly, “Answering miss, this is master Zhao!”
This was a deliberate mocking. Zhao Chengxian couldn’t help from getting angry and said, “Presumptuous, you, this shameless unfilial daughter. You actually dared to be disrespectful to your father? Still not admitting your mistake?!”
Zhao Zimu said indifferently, “Really? It turned out that I still have a father. If it wasn’t because you said it, I would’ve thought that only my mother had me. Why are you looking for me?”
Zhao Zimu’s cold attitude made Zhao Chengxian very annoyed. If it wasn’t because he heard someone mention it, he wouldn’t remembered that he still had this daughter. But look at her attitude. Sure enough, he did the right thing by giving her to Jiu Qiansui. Such an unfilial daughter should be given to a eunuch lest she caused harm to another (man).
Zhao Chengxian said coldly, “I heard that you are doing very well now. I don’t know what methods you used to let Jiu Qiansui love you dearly, but you have to remember that you are a Zhao. Always remember your identity and don’t bring shame to our Zhao household.”
Zhao Zimu played indifferently with the teacup in her hand. Only now did she realize that this person came to criticize her. She said unhurriedly, “What does this have to do with you?”
Ever since Zhao Chengxian gave her to Lin Qing, she is Lin Qing’s. She has no relation with him at all. It was ridiculous that he actually came here to criticize her as a father. She truly wondered where his integrity had gone to. Could it be that after becoming a bigger official, one would make the things that one had done in the past disappear? She truly got new an insight.
If she remembers correctly, his rank had improved after giving her to Lin Qing. Although, she ignored everything, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t know. As long as she wanted, she would know.
The face and courage of this Zhao Chengxian was thick enough. Wasn’t scolding her the equivalent as scolding Lin Qing? Who gave him this courage?
Zhao Zimu’s words made Zhao Chengxian very angry. He said furiously, “I’m telling you for your own good. Following him will only make you be scolded by everyone. Our Zhao household would also be looked down by others. If you still know shame, then take the initiative to leave him!”
TLNote: What a hypocrite. When he gifted her, he didn’t worry about the shame and scolding of everyone. What is he bulshitting about now?Zhao Chengxian was only talks. His main objective was to make Zhao Zimu lower her head. Only then would he be able to make her obedient.
“Who do you want her to leave?” An eerie voice suddenly sounded. The whole room was instantly filled with a cold aura. Zhao Chengxian jumped up and looked in the direction of the door.
Lin Qing was standing at the door. A light green robe lined his figure, making it appear slender and tall. Also, the sunlight shone from behind him, making him appear to be covered by shadows. A group of people stood respectfully behind him, but all of them had their head lowered and didn’t dare to look directly at the figure in front of them. This made him appear more gloomy and eerie.
Although, Zhao Chengxian had seen Lin Qing before, but it was only a few times. However, if he didn’t understand the words of the person that had arrived after seeing the disposition in front of him, then, he had been an official for nothing for so many years.
Zhao Chengxian knelt in front of Lin Qing with a thud and stuttered, “Zhao, Zhao Chengxian greets Jiu Qiansui.”
Lin Qing didn’t even spare him a glance and walked past him with a gloomy chill. The long and gorgeous robe went by in front of Zhao Chengxian’s eyes. It felt as if it had brushed through his heart, making his heart shiver.
“This Qiansui didn’t expect that sir Zhao has such refined attitude. Could it be that you still want to take back the thing you gifted away? This Qiansui remembers that this Qiansui had already paid the bill, right? Sir Zhao doesn’t remember, but this Qiansui remembers clearly. Could it be that you have forgotten?” Lin Qing said eerily.
Did this Zhao Chengxian take him for dead? He actually came to his residence and behaved atrociously towards his people. Lin Qing almost laughed from anger because of him. Who in the court dared to slap his face like this? This official who disliked him has been an official and lived for too long!
Zhao Zimu looked once at him. Then, she moved to his side and whispered in his ear, “Don’t get angry. If your body suffers because of the anger, I will feel heartache.”
Lin Qing blanked for a moment. Then, he pretended as if nothing had happened and said to Zhao Chengxian, “What does sir Zhao think?”
Zhao Chengxian’s body was trembling outrageously. He glanced expectantly and ambiguously once at Zhao Zimu, hoping that she would speak up for him. Unfortunately, this glance was seen by Lin Qing.
This time, Lin Qing truly laughed. The laughter was very strange. He pulled Zhao Zimu in front of him and she half-lied on his knee obediently. She obediently let him raise her head. Lin Qing said, “The appearance is not bad. The personality is also obedient and also knows how to serve people. Sir Zhao truly know how to teach your daughter.”
It was just that Lord Qiansui didn’t knew that when he spoke the first few words, the subordinates all around shook at the same time.
The fingertips of Lord Qiansui on Zhao Zimu’s chin looked very slender. The knuckles were distinct like the finest beautiful jade. It was very hard to imagine that the owner of this hand was actually a eunuch. Moreover, it was a eunuch that was only second to one and who held the life of death of countless of people!
The cold sweat on Zhao Chengxiang’s forehead had already fallen on the bluestone slab in the room, making it wet. He didn’t dare to look anymore at Lin Qing. He lowered his head and said tremblingly, “The love that Lord Qiansui had shown is the blessing of my little daughter.”
“Sir Zhao, please remember. This person has nothing to do with you anymore. No matter if she is alive or dead or became soil after death, she belongs to me. So, don’t speak with her in the tone of making decisions for her. Sir Zhao, that is overstepping your bounds.”
Zhao Chengxian lowered his head deeply. The reason why he came here to teach Zhao Zimu a lesson was because he was fortunate enough this time to got to know an official from the Ministry of Revenue and this official was from the crown prince’s fraction. He chatted with the official to curry favor from him. Unexpectedly, he learned accidentally about Zhao Zimu’s matter. In order to curry favor from the crown prince, he planned to come to Qiansui’s residence and secretly teach this daughter a lesson to let her remember that no matter what her identity is, she is their Zhao household’s and have to serve for Zhao household.
This way, when he meets that official next time, he would have something to talk with him about and he maybe would be noticed by the crown prince. The crown prince is the future emperor. Those who could be noticed by him naturally would have the opportunity to advance in their official career. He could use Zhao Zimu as bargaining chip to fawn upon the crown prince’s power. Even if he didn’t curry favor from the crown prince, wasn’t there still Jiu Qiansui?
As long as Jiu Qiansui still liked that unfilial daughter of his and he could make that unfilial daughter listen to him, by then, wouldn’t be promoted and gain wealth be a stretch of the hand?
A stretch of the hand and grab it: very easy
One had to say that Zhao Chengxian’s plan was very good. However, why didn’t he think whether Lin Qing was such an easy to get along person. He who was a small cong seventh rank official who had been promoted to the sixth rank, wanted to take advantage of Lord Qiansui who everyone feared? It was truly a wishful thinking. Moreover, what he had never expected was that the Jiu Qiansui who was rumored to still not have healed from his wound, paid so much attention to Zhao Zimu. He actually came to Zhao Zimu’s small courtyard when his injury was still not healed and happened to see the scene where he taught Zhao Zimu a lesson. This was the same as fiercely slapping Lin Qing on the face!
Officials work their way through the nine ranks (pin). 9 is the lowest and 1 is the highest. The nine ranks were further divided into two classes, a (zhèng 正) and b (cóng 從). Each class of ranks 4 through 9 was further divided into upper (shàng 上) and lower (xià 下) grades. For more info about ranks in ancient China click here.
After thinking about all of this, Zhao Chengxian’s soul almost flew out of his body. Although, he didn’t know how Lin Qing would retaliate against him, but as long as Lin Qing wanted to punish him, he would have many ways. Moreover, Lin Qing had always been famous for being sinister, crafty, vicious and merciless. If Lin Qing wanted to make him wish for death, it was just a matter of flicking his finger. And, his only hope was the daughter who he had always ignored and wanted to exploit.
Zhao Chengxiang turned his pleading gaze to Zhao Zimu. Lin Qing continued to tease the chin of the person in front of him as if he hasn’t noticed anything.
Zhao Zimu looked at the person whose face was getting colder and colder. If she didn’t stop him now, this person might cause a murder case at court. She didn’t want Lin Qing to be in a difficult position, so she straightened her body intentionally.
She went to Lin Qing’s ear and said, “As long as Lord Qiansui likes it, Zimu wouldn’t stop Lord Qiansui.”
Lin Qing glanced at her with the corner of his eyes and snorted lightly once.
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