Chapter 1138 Execution of Lin Shusheng

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Xiao Chenggui twitched his lips and changed the subject.

Things are different now. Lin Yuesha's status and position allow her to act according to her own wishes without being constrained.

“Father, several cities in the north are implementing universal healthcare, but I want to set prices based on the specific circumstances of each city.”

In the north, crops only grow once a year, and heavy snow closes the mountains in winter, so people spend half the year hibernating. Naturally, it is not as prosperous as the beautiful and scenic south.

Lin Yuesha wanted to implement some adjustments, appropriately increasing taxes in the southern cities.

"That's right."

Xiao Chenggui agreed, “In our Chenjia Village, you only get fifteen coins a day for doing bricklaying work, without meals. You can’t get that price in the south.”

In the south, craftsmen doing manual labor earn at least 25 coins plus a meal; the price is even higher in the capital.

Implement the policy based on local prices; even if it results in a loss, the subsidy can be reduced.

In the future, the majority of the revenue of the Great Qi's national treasury will still come from trade, and merchants will be easier to exploit than farmers.

Merchants are driven by profit. Xiao Chenggui once investigated and found that a large number of merchants cheated and swindled, bribing tax officials with gifts and falsifying reports to reduce their own taxes.

"I have already drafted an imperial edict on behalf of Qi Heng, ordering a thorough investigation into this matter."

With constant warfare in recent years, Qi Heng inherited an empty treasury and a complete mess.

It's already difficult enough to curb rising food prices; it's necessary to put a knife in the hands of these unscrupulous merchants to deter them. Otherwise, with no money in the national treasury, those in power will feel insecure.

Lin Yuesha has earned a lot of money in recent years, and she has spent a lot of money on it, such as establishing a girls' school, a charity, and a workshop specifically for people with disabilities. She has hired skilled craftsmen there at great expense, believing that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.

"Miss, Lord Xu has arrived."

Qingxing came to deliver a message. Seeing Xu Da walking hurriedly, she knew he must have something important to do.

"Shouldn't the morning court session have just ended at this hour?"

Lin Yuesha glanced at the sky and headed straight for the living room. She figured that someone was bound to cause trouble.

"Cousin, these corrupt officials are incredibly audacious!"

Qi Heng was injured, which was no secret in the capital. As a result, people were restless and started looking for trouble.

The morning court session was jointly presided over by several ministers, among whom officials from the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward to raise the question of how to resolve the case of Lin Shusheng.

He said…

Xu Da hesitated whether to tell the truth or not, as his cousin had just recovered from the blow.

"What he meant was that keeping Lin Shusheng in jail was my own selfish decision, and that I would release him once things calmed down. It would be better to release him sooner rather than later. After all, it's Qi Heng's world now, and my father-in-law can't stay in jail forever. It's just for show."

Lin Yuesha got ahead of Xu Da; indeed, the case had dragged on for quite some time.

I heard that Lin Shusheng was very arrogant in prison, demanding a private room and preferential treatment. Sooner or later, he will be restored to his official position, or even sit in a higher position.

"Cousin, who can deliver messages faster than me?"

Xu Da was shocked once again. Seeing Lin Yuesha's leisurely expression, he said, feeling utterly defeated, "You didn't guess it again, did you?"

No wonder they're Qi Heng's people, they're all so cunning.

"It doesn't count."

Qi Heng has been unable to handle official business recently, and many of his reports have been approved by Lin Yuesha. She consulted with her father, Xiao Chenggui, and did her homework, so she knows the officials in the court very well.

The official from the Dali Temple that Xu Da mentioned was a distant relative of Cheng Dieyi, the daughter of an official family involved in the murder of the woman in red. Since the Cheng family held low-ranking positions and could not gain access to the imperial court, they must have entrusted this distant relative to seek justice.

In the past, when Qi Heng was in power, these officials were as obedient as quails under his intimidation, and dared not say a word.

Sure enough, news of Qi Heng's serious illness spread like wildfire, and these people complained and tested him.

In officialdom, checks and balances are essential, but Lin Yuesha had no desire to use her brain. Once the Prince of Luo recovered, she would continue to act as regent and do hard labor.

Previously, the Prince of Luo had long wanted to travel around, but now that the old princess had caused such a scene, he immediately became humbled and worked diligently without complaint.

"So what do you plan to do about it?"

It's not impossible to clear Lin Shusheng's name in this case; the blame can be shifted onto the deceased Qin Shi.

The old princess rebelled, but was spared. At worst, Lin Shusheng was not executed, so as not to be criticized for being heartless and unfilial.

"kill."

Lin Yuesha didn't hesitate for a moment. He wasn't her father to begin with, so she couldn't empathize with a vicious serial killer. Besides, from the original owner's perspective, she probably hoped that Lin Shusheng would meet his maker soon.

"Did you really kill him?"

Xu Da said with a solemn expression, "Cousin, you need to think this through."

“There’s nothing to consider. My husband and I didn’t return to the capital before, so we left the people here.”

For someone who has committed heinous crimes, why not kill them instead of keeping them alive for the New Year?

Let's not wait any longer. Choose an auspicious day and send him on his way. Right there in the capital, in a street known for its disturbances, announce his execution and display his head to the public.

When the proclamation was issued, the entire capital was in an uproar.

The above clearly describes the beginning and end of the matter, how Lin Shusheng conspired with Qin to commit murder and many other evil deeds.

Upon learning that Lin Shusheng was about to be beheaded, the people spread the news. Although the case of the woman in red had been around for some years, many people still turned pale at the mention of it.

In the Lin residence outside the capital, Lin Yue'e lay on her bed, her heart filled with anxiety as she listened to her maid tell her the news.

Lin Yue'e was unable to stand up and lay limp in bed, relying entirely on servants to take care of her eating, drinking, and toileting needs, much like Old Madam Lin.

"Where did you get the news that my father is going to be beheaded?"

Lin Yue'e was still somewhat skeptical. She and Lin Yuesha had no sisterly bond, but Lin Shusheng was, after all, their father, and that was an undeniable fact.

"The riots in the capital have been plastered with notices everywhere, and they even bear the seals of the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. They can't be fake."

The maids sighed. They were all unlucky to have a good master, but their indentures were in Lin Yue'e's hands, and they couldn't escape them.

Wanting to live a good life, he had no choice but to urge Lin Yue'e to find a way to get close to Lin Yuesha. Little did he know that Lin Yue'e herself was wicked and wanted to seduce Qi Heng by bypassing Lin Yuesha. As a result, she failed in her attempt to steal a chicken and ended up becoming crippled herself.

People shouldn't have crooked thoughts; it's all retribution, retribution!

"Miss, we have no hope of turning things around."

Once the master dies, it means Lin Yuesha is severing ties with the Lin family, and they will be left to live off their savings.

The old lady's nourishing soups cost hundreds of taels of silver every month, and she also insisted on eating ginseng and bird's nest, making the household expenses very high.

"My father's life is already hanging by a thread, what's the point of keeping that old hag alive?"

Lin Yue'e gritted her teeth and asked around for renowned doctors. She heard that there was a miraculous person in the south who could make people with broken bones stand up again. Undeterred, Lin Yue'e asked someone to spend a large sum of money to seek medical help.

Lin Yue'e didn't want to give a single copper coin to the old woman from her mother's dowry, so she came up with an idea.