The young general and the prince, who was to be married off, fell in love at first sight!

Chapter 107 "Shi Ming is inside. Even if I can't, I will try my best."

Lu Yuxi's heart tightened, and she was about to explain when she heard a faint thud of a stick being struck coming from the main hall.

He was about to rush in, but Lin Shihe blocked his way again.

"Brother..."

"Let's talk things out first, then you can go in and see him."

Lu Yuxi was so anxious to save the person that she didn't care about explaining anything. She was only focused on rushing in and rescuing the person, and was even ready to fight Lin Shihe.

Lin Shihe sneered and blocked Lu Yuxi's attack in a few moves. "Your Highness, do you think you can get past me?"

Of course not. Lu Yuxi's martial arts skills are good, but they are far inferior to Lin Shihe, who comes from a military background.

But he was unwilling to give up.

"Shi Ming is inside. Even if I can't, I will try my best."

They do have some backbone.

Lin Shihe raised his arm with all his might, and in one fell swoop, he pushed Lu Yuxi back several steps.

“Your Highness’s courage is commendable, but you absolutely cannot get in.” Lin Shihe, having withdrawn his arm, stood up straight. “You might as well worry about what to do if you anger me and I order that we can only be released once we’ve finished talking.”

As he spoke, Lin Shihe smiled and said, "Or do you think that because the lady inside is the esteemed Crown Princess, I cannot reprimand her?"

Lu Yuxi clenched her hands tightly, and after a few breaths, she gritted her teeth and answered, "Of course, brother can."

"Then Your Highness should have a good talk with me first, and then we can save the people."

"But this matter was originally my fault..."

Are you sure you want to tell me this outside?

Lin Shihe ordered Shi Feng to bring the man to Lin Shiming's courtyard, and then specifically took him into the house, gagged him, and then beat him, because he didn't want the news of Lin Shiming being beaten to spread and affect his prestige.

These arrangements were not hard to guess. Lu Yuxi tried her best to control her anxious emotions, and after calming down and thinking about it for a while, she understood.

Lin Shihe's continued concern for Shi Ming's prestige suggests that they haven't reached the point of a direct divorce yet. Lu Yuxi had a clearer understanding of the situation, but she was still anxiously preoccupied with the events in the main hall.

Seeing that he was still gazing longingly at the main hall, Lin Shihe felt relieved, and the cold aura around him dissipated somewhat compared to before.

He patiently repeated himself, "You can only go in after you've explained it clearly."

After saying that, Lin Shihe pointed and gestured for Lu Yuxi to go to the side room first.

Lu Yuxi had no choice but to follow Lin Shihe's instructions and stride into the side room.

*

Inside the room, a servant had already prepared tea.

Lin Shihe walked with ease, flicked his sleeves, and sat down on the couch. Lu Yuxi, who seemed unsettled, followed suit and sat down opposite him.

He watched Lin Shihe slowly pour water and add tea, but couldn't help speaking first.

“If you are dissatisfied with this matter, you can point it out to us first before taking action. Besides, I should take responsibility for this matter. Shi Ming was just acting on impulse. It was my greed that led me to persuade him to write the ‘guarantee’.”

Lin Shihe, who had leisurely refilled the tea for the two of them, did not answer Lu Yuxi's explanation. Instead, he put down the teapot, rested his chin on his hand, and chuckled, "Feeling sorry for her?"

"...yes."

"It pains me. It's good that you feel sorry for me," Lin Shihe said in a clear voice with a smile, but then abruptly changed his expression. "I feel sorry for you too."

“He is my younger brother, whom I raised from the age of seven or eight. He wanted to learn martial arts, so I personally taught him. He didn’t like the court, so I paved the way for him and let him roam the world freely.”

"Even if he causes a huge disaster, I will step in to clean it up for him. From childhood to adulthood, there is nothing Shi Ming has not gotten, and he has always had the support of me and his father for whatever he wants to do."

"Tell me, which do you prefer, this kind of life or the daily scheming and backstabbing?"

Lu Yuxi gripped her robes tightly with both hands, head bowed and silent.

After a long silence, Lin Shihe chuckled softly, "It seems you also know which one it should be."

Lu Yuxi spoke with difficulty, "I know this marriage is more of a constraint for Shi Ming. But I really love him, and I sincerely want to be with him through thick and thin. Even in the future, I will never let him down."

"Will you not let me down in the future? Your Highness may not know, but what I dislike most is making promises about the future to people in the present."

Ever since he discovered Lin Shiming's approval of memorials, he had collected a whole box of storybooks from various bookstores in the capital. He had read through all sorts of strange ideas and vows of eternal love.

Without exception, everyone's promises and vows are the most unreliable. They start by making all sorts of promises, filling another person with anticipation for the future, but when the future arrives, they always find various reasons to renege on their word.

"I forget where I heard it, but it's said that the future self is not the same as the present self," Lin Shihe said, taking a sip of tea. "Time changes, circumstances change, and the people and things around us change. How can Your Highness guarantee that the future self will remain unchanged? And how can the present Your Highness make promises for the future Your Highness?"

"I..."

Lu Yuxi was speechless.

He couldn't provide any evidence to prove whether his future self would be the same as his present self.

Money is tangible and warm, and power is readily available, but vows are intangible and cannot be proven.

"Your Highness, Shiming is my only younger brother. I must always consider his well-being. What if you regret it later? Once a rift appears, it will inevitably grow into a towering tree."

"At that time, you will find Shi Ming an eyesore everywhere and want to get rid of him as soon as possible. You will also think that the vows you made have become a constraint. This is just like prejudice. Once it is there, it will continue to deepen."

"Not to mention that you will be the emperor who rules the world. To be honest, if you really decide not to recognize the edict you gave me, what can I do? After all, the curse left by my ancestors only applies to the two rulers. Shi Ming is not the ruler of the Lin family."

“In particular, because of this marriage, you will not have any biological children and will only be able to stay with Shi Ming alone.”

Lin Shihe's concerns were unfounded.

The human heart is the most unpredictable thing. And for an emperor, if he wants to do something, he can almost always do it.

Lu Yuxi had no way to defend herself against this.

When it comes to people's hearts, vows are the most pale and useless.

“I know my brother can’t fully trust my promise. I can’t prove it myself either, so I can only show my brother every day that I will never hurt Shi Ming. I will also destroy that ‘guarantee’ myself immediately, and I will never use it to force Shi Ming.”

Lin Shihe shook his head. "You're overthinking it. I'm not here today for an explanation or a guarantee from you. Those are all empty promises."

"I only want you to see today what your actions will bring to Shiming."