Xia Lin looked up at the emperor and was stunned for a moment. The emperor was looking at him with an inclusive and loving gaze. Suddenly, Xia Lin remembered that this man, who was his father by blood but had been his uncle before, had always been very kind to him, so kind that the other princes were jealous.
Xia Lin knelt down and said gratefully, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will never forget your kindness."
The emperor gently helped Xia Lin up himself. "I summoned you here today to relieve you of your worries about your birth. You're a good boy. I want you to be happy all the time."
Xia Lin was deeply touched. He wasn't afraid at all. "Your Majesty... Can I... Can I hug you?" The emperor opened his arms, answering his question with his action. Xia Lin's eyes were red as he hugged the emperor tightly.
After a while, Xia Lin let go of the emperor shyly. He composed himself and then asked, "What about the current Third Prince? Will Your Majesty... because he's not your son..."
"No. He will be a prince in his fiefdom in the future."
The emperor's words were kind, but they also revealed a message: the Third Prince would never inherit the throne. However, the emperor had done his utmost. He had allowed a son who wasn't his own to enjoy the glory of a prince.
Xia Lin left the palace. On his way back to the general's mansion, he felt much lighter than when he came. It was as if he had solved a major life issue and got rid of a burden.
Xia Lin hummed a song as he returned to the general's mansion. He just caught up with lunch. Seeing his happy mood, his family asked, "What happened? Did the emperor reward you?"
Xia Lin shook his head. "No. I was so nervous, thinking I had done something wrong to anger the emperor. But in the end, the emperor didn't get angry and even praised me. Of course I'm happy!"
General Xia was very proud. He playfully tapped Xia Lin on the head. "You little rascal. Just because the emperor praised you a couple of times, you're getting carried away. You should be humble. Don't be complacent."
"Got it, got it. Dad, you're so wordy. I'm full. I'm leaving!"
"Hey, Lin'er. Why are you in such a hurry right after dinner?"
"Mom, I need to talk to Master!" He had to go and share the good news with Jiang Yun quickly!
Xia Lin's mother sat back on the chair and complained to General Xia and Xia Lin's elder brother, "Lin'er has such a good relationship with his master. Does he think his master is more important than me in his heart now?"
General Xia and his elder brother exchanged a look. They thought women were just prone to overthinking. "I think you're just worried because our son is leaving. Our son surely values us family members the most. After all, blood is thicker than water. Stop overthinking. Jiang Yun treats Lin'er like a real elder brother. We should be happy that their master - disciple relationship is so good!"
On the other side, "Master, Master! Don't sleep! Listen to me!"
Xia Lin was so excited that he rather capriciously woke up Jiang Yun, who had just lain down but hadn't fallen asleep yet, and told him everything that had happened when he went to the palace to meet the emperor.
After listening, Jiang Yun thought for a while and said, "The emperor is a wise father and an even wiser monarch. Since he said so, it means that besides us and him, no one else will know the secret of your birth. Xiaolin, you can rest assured. Now, let's talk about the problem between you and me."