CH 185

“Sister.” The boy followed behind the girl, his voice high and childish, holding a wooden toy in his hand.

The girl pouted: “Don’t follow me, I’m going to see Uncle!”

The boy said quickly, “I’m going to see Uncle too!”

The girl stopped and turned to look at her little brother: “What do you want to see Uncle for?”

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Lin Xuan: “What does Sister want to see Uncle for?”

Lin De proudly said: “I want to show Uncle my martial arts!”

Lin Xuan stomped his feet: “I want to also!”

Lin De said strangely: “You don’t know martial arts, Mother said, you can’t learn.”

Lin Xuan suffered from a nutritional deficit in the womb, and his body was weaker than other children. He couldn’t take the cold or the heat, so Guo’er gave him a nickname, Jiaojiao. Boys being given a girl’s name could help them to avoid premature death——at least among the people such a custom was passed down.

Therefore, Lin De, the elder sister, became the object of Lin Xuan’s envy. His sister had been in good health since she was a child, and she was as strong as a calf. Although she was not very good at studying, she was very good at physical activities such as riding and shooting. Lin Xuan envied and admired his sister, hoping that one day he could become the same as his sister.

“Oh, forget it, let’s go together.” Lin De took her little brother’s hand.

They have been together since childhood, and have never been separated. They ate together, studied together, and slept together. They have yet to sleep in separate rooms, but according to Mother, they would be separated when they were seven years old.

Lin De led Lin Xuan out of the palace gate, and the attendants followed behind them.

The two siblings were taken into the palace by Lin Yuan when they were five years old. Guo’er was worried about the two children and moved back to the palace.

As for the princess’s consort…..Guo’er seemed to have forgotten that she had something like a husband.

Only when Han Ling occasionally reported to Lin Yuan did he get permission to enter the inner palace to see his children and wife.

Lin Yuan did not interfere in the affairs of this pair of husband and wife.

Standing in his position, he still hoped that Guo’er could get along with the princess’s consort.

But if it didn’t work, then it couldn’t be forced.

After all, ordinary common people could get divorced, so there was no reason Guo’er couldn’t as well.

“Your Majesty.” Er Liang stepped to the side and said, “The little princess and prince asks to see you.” (TN: unlike the emperor’s children and siblings, the princely titles of the emperor’s grandchildren or nieces and nephews are of the second and/or third rank. So the twins are Princess of the Second Rank and Prince of the Second Rank while Guo’er is a Princess of First Rank)

Lin Yuan put down the teacup and said with a smile, “Let them come in.”

Chen Baisong, who was sitting on the side, asked, “Do you want me to leave?”

Lin Yuan shook his head and smiled at Chen Baisong: “No, they are also your nephew and niece.”

Chen Baisong was stunned for a moment, as if dazed by Lin Yuan’s smile, and he nodded after a while.

“Uncle!” Lin De trotted in with her little brother. Like a whirlwind, Lin De threw herself into Lin Yuan’s arms, and was picked up by Lin Yuan and placed on his lap.

Lin Xuan stood aside shyly, envying that his sister could be held by their uncle.

Before they entered the palace, they rarely saw their uncle, barely twice a year.

But they kept hearing from their mother that their uncle was the person who loved them the most besides their mother. Their mother also said that their uncle was very, very powerful. Their uncle was the emperor and the master of the world. There was nothing in the world that their uncle could not do.

Under such teaching, even though they rarely saw Lin Yuan, they all admired their uncle.

And every time they saw their uncle, their uncle would give them gifts.

The gifts were not necessarily expensive, but they would definitely be in line with their likes and preferences. In the eyes of children, Lin Yuan was omnipotent.

And Lin De had already discovered that every time she went to see her uncle, the maids who served her would all scramble to go with her.

Lin De was puzzled before, and she asked her mother, who told her that because her uncle was the most noble person in the world, everyone wanted to get close to him and to be loved by him, and everyone he loved had a good life.

So Lin De never took the palace maids with her again.

She felt that the less people her uncle liked, the better, otherwise her uncle’s heart would be divided.

Lin De turned to look at Lin Xuan.

Well, if it was her little brother, then she was willing to give half of her uncle to him.

“What? What happened today?” Lin Yuan teased the child.

Lin De leaned on Lin Yuan’s chest and said earnestly, “Uncle, I have learned a set of martial arts.”

As she spoke, she jumped off Lin Yuan’s knees and stood in front of Lin Yuan, with a confident look on her little face, still plump with baby fat: “I’ll show you!”

After speaking, Lin De began to go through the movements.

This set of fist movements was actually taught to children so that they could keep fit, similar to modern radio gymnastics.

There was no difficulty, and there was no practical combative use. It just allowed the children not to delay the growth of the body when they were not studying.

“Xiao De is really amazing.” Lin Yuan applauded.

Lin De’s face flushed red, and she said happily, “I will be even more powerful in the future! I want to be a general!”

Lin Yuan said oddly, “Why do you want to be a general?”

Lin De said: “They all said that being a general is very powerful! You can wear very nice armor! You can command thousands of troops! Fight back those bandits who dare to harass us!”

Lin Yuan rubbed Lin De’s little head: “Then you have to work hard. Not everyone can be a general, and a general is the most powerful person.”

Lin De asked, “More powerful than you?”

Chen Baisong said next to him: “A general must be loyal to the emperor, there can be many generals, but there is only one emperor.”

Lin De’s eyes widened: “Then I want to be the most powerful general!”

Lin Yuan smiled: “Okay, Uncle is waiting for Xiao De to grow up and let Xiao De be Uncle’s general.”

“What about Jiaojiao? What do you want to do in the future?” Lin Yuan asked Lin Xuan, who was standing on the side and fidgeting with his sleeve.

Lin Xuan used his little brain to think for a while, and said, “Then I will be Sister’s military adviser, and let her always be victorious.”

Lin Yuan also reached out and rubbed Lin Xuan’s head. This pair of sister and brother were never separated under his advice. Their relationship was very good. Lin De had a carefree temperament, while Lin Xuan was much more attentive. The both of them had never quarreled with each other before.

Lin De seemed arrogant, but she never bullied her younger brother.

Lin Xuan looked weak, but he was not a weak child.

They were destined to be competitors in the future. Even if one of them wanted to back down, Lin Yuan would not allow it. In the end, it would depend on strength and ability.

But when they were still young, Lin Yuan hoped that they would have a complete and healthy family relationship, that they could experience familial affection, and that they didn’t have to face the cruel side of the world that soon.

What Lin Yuan didn’t expect was that these two children would be dependent on him like this.

But he could also understand, after all, Lin De and Lin Xuan didn’t have very deep feelings for their father.

Before they moved into the palace, Han Ling was always very busy. He was busy communicating with his colleagues and trying to find a way to make achievements. He didn’t have much time and energy to allocate to his family.

So Lin Yuan became the “father” in the eyes of the children.

The identity of the emperor was enough to gild him in a golden halo.

In fact, people, whether they were children or adults, tend to pursue the strong, worship the strong, and obey the strong. This was instinct.

People would protect the weak, but they would never worship the weak, nor want to be the weak.

Power was the proof of the strong.

The emperor who possessed the most power was the strongest.

Lin Yuan had just hugged Lin De, and this time it was changed to Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan sat obediently on Lin Yuan’s lap and said seriously, “Mother said she wants to change our teacher.”

Lin Yuan: “What’s the matter? Is the current teacher not good?”

Lin Xuan was a little confused: “I don’t know, but Mother said that the teacher is not a good teacher.”

Lin Yuan was also very puzzled. The teacher he chose for the two was the first in the second rank of candidates who passed the first imperial examination. He had real talent and knowledge, and he was more than enough to be a teacher for the children. Why would Guo’er say that he was not a good teacher? 

“Then next time you go to class, Uncle will also come visit, alright?” Lin Yuan asked.

Lin Xuan nodded and said happily, “Okay!”

Lin Xuan had delicate health and could not learn to ride horses and archery like Lin De. He spent more time indoors, so he liked to read books more than Lin De. Books were his friends other than his sister.

It was not that there were no people in the capital who wanted to send their children to Lin De and Lin Xuan as companions.

However, Lin De was just an addition, as their eyes were still focused on Lin Xuan.

After all, Lin Yuan had no children, and there were only two siblings, Lin De and Lin Xuan, in the imperial bloodline.

And Lin De was a girl, she couldn’t inherit the throne, only Lin Xuan.

Unless Princess Chang’an had a few more sons, no matter how they looked at it, Lin Xuan would be the future emperor.

Didn’t the emperor take Lin Xuan by his side to raise him?

They were sure that so long as Lin Xuan grew up, the emperor would let Lin Xuan go gain experience.

They already couldn’t wait to stand in line.

If they started now, when Lin Xuan really became emperor, they would get some benefits no matter what, right?

Lin Yuan had not spoken yet, but seeing Lin De and Lin Xuan getting older and older, and now they were six years old, it was time for them to collect their own aides. Judging people and managing people were sometimes abilities learned, though sometimes it also came naturally.

This was also talent, just don’t know which of these two siblings had such talent.

Moreover, the children of the officials and noble families grew up beside Lin De and Lin Xuan, and they could be considered to be well-known and familiar.

Whether Lin De or Lin Xuan became the emperor in the future, these children would be their “own people”.

It was just…..

Lin Yuan was a little worried that Lin De would not have any companions.

After all, the noble families still wouldn’t let their daughters go out, let alone send them into the palace as a companion.

It was also impossible to have their sons be the companion of a princess, otherwise there would be unpleasant rumors outside.

For example, the child is still so young, yet you want your son to marry the princess in the future. Truly, your shameless intentions are obvious to everyone.

Aristocratic families want face, even if they really had such intentions, they didn’t want others saying it.

After the two children left, Lin Yuan said to Chen Baisong, “Look for an opportunity later, let all the children of the noble families enter the palace, and let Lin De and Lin Xuan choose their own companions.”

Chen Baisong nodded, he felt that this method was very good, and those aristocratic families would not dare to say anything about the children’s affairs.

“Jiaojiao’s health is still not good.” Chen Baisong sighed, “How about you let me take care of him for a while.”

Lin Yuan smiled and looked at Chen Baisong: “How are you going to take care of him?”

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Chen Baisong said earnestly: “His physique is weak, so naturally he needs to get more sunlight and move more. Being locked in the house all day, even healthy people would have problems.”

“Then bring Xiao De with you as well.” Lin Yuan said, “I don’t want them to be too far apart before they turn sixteen.”

No feelings could stand the wear of distance.

Chen Baisong nodded: “Alright.”