014 : The Role of the Re-birthed Scholar

The thirteenth concubine did not want to visit the Emperor at all.

All Lin Mian Mian wanted to do is to just laze around the Lin Courtyard and sunbathe to his heart's content. He wanted to savor the feeling of being unemployed, yet, living a very luxurious and comfortable life.

He need not to worry about the food or money because he has a sugar daddy that will provide everything he needed voluntarily with the outmost amount and freebies. Plus, this sugar daddy also likes pampering him so he has no complaints aside from the usual 'sexual harassment' between couples.

Ah, what a good life it is, to become the emperor's favored concubine...

Lin Mian Mian quickly stood up from his late attempt of being lazy and prepared for departure. The ger already prepared the box lunch he made with all his 'heart and gentle' care for the emperor. But actually, he was cooking with the plan of feeding the emperor fat until to the point that he's all plump and huge that even walking is hard to do. With this wonderful chance, Lin Mian Mian will soon flee and the fat emperor will not be able to chase him.

Well, he can still chase him. But his weight will surely anchor him to ground and his lungs will give up from too much pressure. He might even die from just simply choking on his own fats.

Lu Mao and the three chambermaids carried the box lunches that was tied in a wonderful pink cloth. The ger specifically chose the color to embarrass the emperor. Little did he know that later on this cloth will be used as a 'covering' of 'something' that will be exposed after a sweet encounter. That time, this pink cloth will then compliment a flushing skin...

Lin Mian Mian checked the materials, and once everything was set, Lin Mian Mian fled from the Lin Courtyard for the first time after the wedding ceremony.

The existence of the thirteenth concubine is already famous from all the rumors. From now and then, some spectators would wander around the gates of the Lin Courtyard hoping to catch a glimpse from the beautiful jade. Some even wanted to enter the courtyard without permission, climbing on the walls to enter the property. Thanks to the skilled loyal guards assigned personally by the emperor that Lin Mian Mian was still safe and sound inside the court.

This day too, there are a few servants who are wandering around the gates. One of them is a young scholar named Li Hui. He is one of the students that will sooner take an examination to the imperial court. Despite his age, the wonder boy of thirteen is a genius when it comes to the art of war and economics. This paved his way to become one of the youngest examiners that will take the test.

Li Hui, while carrying a dozen scrolls on his arms, stopped at the front of the gate and craned his head to look around. His ragged and brown old robes caught the attention of the most people, whispering some stupid nonsense about how a beggar managed to enter the palace grounds. But those people who already know the identity of the young boy will greet the enthusiastic boy with respect knowing that this child will sooner play a huge role in guiding the next generation.

The guards just watched the little boy move his neck like an ostrich. They could not help but to marvel at the cute being, considering to tell the emperor about the adorable kid. They heard from Fu Xing that Lin Mian Mian likes kids so much so they thought that having this young scholar serve the concubine is not a bad idea.

Besides, Li Hui is a smart kid. Lin Mian Mian could use him at his disposal.

After a few minutes of watching and stretching his neck until broken, Li Hui gave up. He wanted to see the favored concubine once more, and so as his companions, Lu Mao and Yue Yue's gang of rotten women. He had seen Fu Xing a few more times but due to his 'role' as the emperor's spy, Fu Xing can't just simply leave his post and chat with him.

After all, Li Hui was also reborn from the previous life.

He is a close confidant of Lin Mian Mian and served under his jurisdiction. He managed to pass the Imperial Examination without a struggle and was then placed on the financial office. However, due to his young age, he was not treated well by the seniors so he resigned from his position to become a teacher. That's when he meet Lin Mian Mian and his circle of children.

Li Hui was mesmerized when he first saw Lin Mian Mian. He thought that Lin Mian Mian is really beautiful that he thought that writing a thousand of poems is not enough to describe his beauty. It was he who approached the ger and become close to him. To his surprise, Lin Mian Mian also carried a hint of intelligence with him. He can match the pace of their topics and would often laugh at silly jokes.

He also befriended the spoiled Lu Mao who would cling to his master when he is around. The three rotten women are the noisiest group that he met. They would talk about a lot of things, even gossips are shared to him. Li Hui thought that he finally found his place and requested to serve under Lin Mian Mian to which the Imperial Court willingly agrees.

Li Hui only remained beside Lin Mian Mian for three years. On the fourth year, Li Hui left the palace to take an expedition to the other country. It seems that the Imperial Court is having problems with an epidemic and is now ordering a few people to travel across the borders to search for medicine. Li Hui was then treated as a cannon fodder so they sent him to the most dangerous mission.

Well, Li Hui is really smart and from Lin Mian Mian's guidance, he managed to survive. After two years of searching, he came back with good news just to know that the Imperial Court already found the medicine. Li Hui is not mad and thought that it's good that somebody found a solution or else anyone would be in danger especially his master Lin Mian Mian who has a frail body. Yet, he did not expect the news that comes after.

Lin Mian Mian died. And it only happened a few days ago.

Of course, he won't believe anything until he sees it. So the scholar ran through the Lin Courtyard and found the place empty. He called his little friends over and over but nobody came to give an answer. The spoiled Lu Mao is not there to stop him. The three rotten ladies are also gone, their voices are missing. The valiant soldier is missing in action.

The whole place is empty as if human existence has never existed.

The scholar was brought to the burial site. He thought that he would be seeing a place with mounds of soil and signs thinking that Lin Mian Mian has lost favor to the emperor. Yet, the place where the Jade Lin was buried is so beautiful that Li Hui could not use enough words to describe. This is the same feeling when he first sees Lin Mian Mian, a time when words are not enough to speak.

When things are too beautiful to be real and the objects seem to be so ethereal, Li Hui found his self on a dark place. Just then, his view shifted to a new place that is brighter than he expected. He moved around just to found his soul back to his body, exactly five years ago before Lin Mian Mian's death.

And what would a reborned scholar do?

Li Hui quickly confirmed the date and the special events around. He found out that he reborned just the day after the marriage ceremony. He was still a student during this time, trying to enter the palace through the nationwide examinations conducted by Minister Chang Jie. He took the exam for the second time, and this time, he got the full marks earning a special credit of living inside the palace under the supervision of Minister Chang.

It took him a few weeks before he manage to arrive on the palace. He was the top player of the exams so he was introduced to the Emperor. The moment Li Hui met the emperor, he suddenly felt his nose gone sour. This man, this very person will torture his most favorite person in the future. He can't just let him have his way!

Li Hui is planning to take Lin Mian Mian outside the palace alone. But the moment he met Fu Xing, he found out that he is not the only one who came back through time. Lu Mao and the gang of the rotten women also came back protecting Lin Mian Mian from all sides. Li Hui wanted to return on that side but it is not the time yet. It would be weird if he suddenly files a request of staying inside the Lin Courtyard.

Fu Xing told him that the young master is very fine. Actually, the Lin Mian Mian in this time is not so frail like what they expected. He was strong and people smart, would actually work his self-hard than to have all his servants do their work. The Lin Mian Mian that they are serving now has the soul of a warrior that will eventually find his own path unto the free land than to be caged inside the palace walls.

He also told him about their master's plan of running away.

Currently, Li Hui has no power to use to help Lin Mian Mian. So what he will do is to get information from all the places that would sooner become a useful thing when Lin Mian Mian comes out.

He compiled all the safe places that they could live in. Preferably, it should be a house that is huge enough to contain a big family. A backyard garden is also good so whenever Lin Mian Mian wanted to relax, he can just take some chairs out and have some fun with the other kids. He also takes consideration of the security of the place. It should be well hidden from the outside that the emperor would take a few hundred years before he could find them.

He was already done with the part so now what he was doing is sketching up the escape route that they could use. He has been wandering around with a reason. By innocently walking around, Li Hui managed to get the number of guards patrolling day and night. He also recorded the number of horses and carriages that they can ride when they already got outside. The scrolls that he was holding now are actually the self-made sketches of the blueprint of the palace.

Not seeing Lin Mian Mian again is a disappointment but Li Hui convinced his self to work hard. He turned around to return to his room when suddenly someone bumped unto him. Li Hui and his small body fell down to the ground with his scrolls.

"Who is this dirty rat? Who let him inside the palace?" Some female voice rang to the air.

Li Hui quickly look up to see a woman wearing some beautiful robes. Of all the time, this is his first time meeting a lady coming from the harem. Well, who would expect that he would meet one right just before the Lin Courtyard? Unless if this concubine wanted to meet Lin Mian Mian then he would believe that reason.

"I am sorry. This servant wanted your humble apology," Lu Hui did not want to create a ruckus so he quickly kowtowed and apologized.

However, the concubine seems to be not satisfied considering that Li Hui dirtied a millimeter area of her clothing. She called a servant beside her and ordered a whip. She was disgusted when she found this rat around this place and would want to punish the little child for being so stupid. The whip was brought in a minute.

Li Hui cowered on the ground with all of his arms hugging his head. This is gonna be painful...

But the pain did not arrive when a familiar voice called out. Li Hui flinched from his position, taking his ears out to listen. That voice... that voice could only belong to a single person. The scholar slowly removed his arms and turned his head around to see a person coming out from the gate of the Lin Courtyard.

Like how the stars twinkled during the night and the moon shines brightly, the unblemished face of the master that he served appeared before his sight. Unlike from his previous memories, this master looks very healthy and energetic. By just looking at his eyes, Li Hui could feel the fire dancing.

Young Master Lin!

"What is happening here?" Lin Mian Mian's gentle voice resounded to the ears of the listeners.

Everyone around the gates stopped moving as their attention focused towards the speaker. Clad in a wonderful white and peach robe, the beautiful Jade Lin walked towards the side of Li Hui in graceful steps. He slightly lowered his body to see Li Hui's condition. Li Hui watched his master approaching him, even touching his ragged and dirty robes.

"What seems to be the problem, little scholar?" Lin Mian Mian asked.

"Young Master Lin, I-"

"Sister Lin," the concubine who was suddenly stricken by the beauty gulped down the frogs down to her throat and called out.

This concubine knows Lin Mian Mian's noble status. She also knows about the kindhearted nature of this man. She wanted to make use of his kindness and have him as a backup whenever something bad happens. Lin Mian Mian, though, ignored the lady and focused his attention towards the little child.

"Let me help you stand up," Lin Mian Mian helped Li Hui to gather his own feet. He called the other girls to pick the scrolls up.

"Young Master Lin," Li Hui called out.

"Mnn." Lin Mian Mian answered.

"Young Master Lin!" The scholar's eyes started to tear up.

"Mnn, what is it?" Lin Mian Mian suddenly felt a sense of Deja Vu. Isn't this scene the same with Lu Mao who also cried on their first meeting?

"I... I..." Beads of tears flowed out. Li Hui was not able to hide his happiness. Lin Mian Mian could not help but to feel helpless. These poor little children, how much did they suffer?

He used his sleeves to dry the scholar's tears. The people watching the scene could not help but to feel the warmth Lin Mian Mian is emitting. Despite the filthy appearance of this child, the kind and humble concubine still help the child to stand up. He even used his clothes to wipe the tears and snot away.

This beautiful Jade Lin is really a white lotus ah!

After the heartwarming scene, Lin Mian Mian uttered a few words to the scholar and Li Hui left with his scrolls. Lin Mian Mian only patted the dirt on his sleeves before walking towards his destination. The concubine who was ignored since earlier was enraged. She hastily walked towards the ger and stopped before him.

"Sister Lin-"

"I'm sorry but I don't remember having a sister," Lin Mian Mian frowned.

"Ah... what I mean-"

"Excuse me but I have a duty to attend. The emperor is WAITING for me," Lin Mian Mian only showed a gentle smile before turning around to avoid the concubine.

He didn't even want to walk the same path. The concubine was left alone with a red face. The watchers criticized the concubine as an attention seeker. How could she call Lin Mian Mian as her sister? Her beauty cannot even be compared with the Jade Lin's looks!

Lin Mian Mian left the scene like an idol while whipping his hair. Bitch please, but you are still a hundred years away to become my relative. My real sisters back there are even much cuter than you are ah!