Chapter 201 Willing to Make Meritorious Efforts

"Everyone in the Lin family will be punished for their crimes. Don't let anyone go."

The heavy shackles fell on Lin Rusheng's neck, and it was obvious that he was prepared.

"You..." Lin Rusheng's face was ashen, and he suddenly struggled. "I admit that I secretly adjusted the salt price and committed a serious crime, but I did not raise any private soldiers! You have no evidence and can't arrest me. I want to go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager!"

He knew which one would be punished more severely: privately adjusting the price of salt or raising private soldiers.

"It seems you still have some brains." Zhang Pu gently shook the secret letter in his hand and said nonchalantly, "Unfortunately, you used your little cleverness in the wrong place."

Lin Rusheng's eyes were bloodshot as he desperately resisted arrest, only shouting that he wanted to see the Queen Mother. "After all, I am an important official in the court and the biological father of Concubine Zhe! Even if the Emperor were here, he wouldn't arrest me so easily. Zhang Pu, why do you treat me like this, old man?"

"How dare you mention the Emperor?" Elder Zhang's face was filled with disdain as he raised his voice, "The Emperor trusted you so easily that he is in this situation today. Mr. Lin, I advise you to be more obedient. The Third Prince is young, and he sees things more clearly than you elders."

"Wake up, the Lin family is finished."

"Third Prince..." Lin Rusheng's body suddenly froze, his ears buzzed, and he could no longer hear what others were saying.

Not many people knew that he kept private soldiers, only Lin Yiting and Yan Mu.

"Mu'er..." Lin Rusheng was completely confused. He gave a wry smile, tears streaming down his face as he looked up at the sky. "Great...Great! I never thought I, Lin Rusheng, would be defeated by my own family one day."

"The Lin family is a century-old family after all, yet they fell into your hands." Elder Zhang slowly stepped down from the carriage and shook his head helplessly. "Mr. Lin, Mr. Lin, you pride yourself on being smart, but you don't realize that all your little tricks are being seen through."

"I lost at the hands of my grandson. Having such an unworthy descendant is a sin for my Lin family. I accept it." Lin Rusheng raised his scarlet eyes and twitched the corners of his mouth. "Zhang Pu, you also know that our Lin family is a century-old family with deep roots. How can you pull it out just because you want to?"

"When I make a comeback one day, you——"

"It's useless." Zhang Pu looked up at him with a calm expression and said patiently, "Mr. Lin, it's useless. You're raising private soldiers, which means you're alienating yourself from Huo Beiting. If he finds out, he'll never protect you again. The Empress Dowager and Huo Beiting are in the same boat. Concubine Xian's life in the harem won't be peaceful either."

Lin Rusheng was stunned and stared at the person in front of him.

"What's more, with a maternal family like this, the Third Prince's future is ruined." Zhang Pu frowned, his tone rather regretful. "If you hadn't followed suit after the Emperor got into trouble, how could we have ended up like this?"

"Mr. Lin, you are really greedy."

Lin Rusheng came back to his senses and gave a bitter smile, resigned to his fate. "So what? People are born greedy. If it weren't for Mu'er, how could I be where I am today?"

"Zhang Pu, can you catch me, can you catch Huo Beiting?"

Hearing this, Lord Zhang sneered, slowly turned sideways, revealing the carriage behind him.

Lin Rusheng looked towards the carriage in confusion, but saw a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar in the small window. Suddenly, his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground.

"Lord Lin's ability to remain calm in the face of adversity is truly eye-opening." The man's slender fingers lifted the carriage curtain, a smile on his lips, but unfortunately, the smile did not reach his eyes. "Yan Ci really admires you."

But in the blink of an eye, the clothes on Lin Rusheng's back were soaked with sweat. His mind went blank and his body was completely petrified. For a moment, he even thought he was hallucinating.

Why is Prince Ruyang here?

...How could Prince Ruyang be here!

At this point, Lin Rusheng's straight back finally bent down.

The fact that Prince Ruyang was able to break through Huo Beiting's surveillance and return to the capital must have been because he had accumulated enough power and made sufficient preparations.

If he is here, Dou Mingwei must be there too.

It's over...it's all over.

"I, the sinner Lin Rusheng, have committed a heinous crime. I know I deserve to be hacked into pieces." Lin Rusheng closed his eyes and lowered his head like a defeated rooster. Now that things had come to this, he had finally come to terms with the situation. "I only beg Your Highness to spare my family. They know nothing about what I have done!"

After he finished speaking, Lin Rusheng kowtowed desperately towards the carriage and confessed his guilt, trying to gain a little sympathy from Yan Ci.

"You also know that what you did was a heinous mistake." Yan Ci lowered his eyes, looking at his hunched back, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred. "It's a pity that someone protected you. Otherwise, I would have torn your entire family into pieces to avenge my father."

Lin Rusheng's body trembled violently, and he looked up in disbelief, "Protect me? Who is it——"

Who else in this world can protect their Lin family?

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the man sitting quietly beside Yan Ci. Looking at his handsome face, Lin Rusheng was struck by lightning and murmured, "Mu'er..."

Yan Mu's eyes were slightly red, which was not very noticeable in the night. He just glanced at Lin Rusheng quickly and then looked away, not daring to look at him.

Yan Ci sneered as he spoke, "Third brother has long been aware of your Lin family's activities and has been trying to force you to reveal the whereabouts of your private soldiers. You hate him for betraying your family, but you don't know that he has joined the conspiracy and used his life as a guarantee in exchange for your family being exiled thousands of miles away and avoiding the pain of beheading."

"Lord Lin, you are also a senior official in the court. You must know the consequences of raising private soldiers and plotting rebellion, right?"

Even though he wasn't close, he could still hear the resentment in Yan Ci's words, "Being exiled a thousand miles away is really too easy for you."

Yan Mu turned his head and looked at him, his eyes filled with pleading, "Royal Brother..."

Seeing him like this, Yan Ci closed his eyes and sighed, "Forget it, don't worry, since I promised you to spare their lives, my royal brother will not break his promise."

"but--"

Yan Mu became nervous again, and Lin Rusheng also froze, waiting for his fate.

Yan Ci narrowed his eyes and lowered his brows, "The death penalty can be avoided, but the living punishment cannot be escaped."

"Exile is not travel. Lord Lin knows how difficult it is to travel a thousand miles. Is that right?" Xie Suzhou was silent for a long time before he spoke slowly. "What exactly is going on between you and Huo Beiting? If you can explain everything clearly, His Majesty will know, and your family will feel more at ease on the journey."

"Lord Lin should also consider his relatives."

Yan Mu's eyes flashed, and he subconsciously looked at the old man kneeling not far away.

Lin Rusheng met his grandson's gaze, a trace of frustration flashing in his eyes. He leaned down, kowtowed in the direction of the carriage, and whispered, "I am willing to make meritorious contributions while serving my sentence. I beg Your Highness to show mercy."