Chapter 291 Our Own People

Two troublesome maids arrived, and Lin Yuesha dared not underestimate them. She listened as Qi'er recounted her experiences from the capital to the north.

"You've endured hardships and slept in the open along the way; it must have been really tough for you."

Lin Yuesha said a few polite words, secretly pondering where to best introduce the topic.

Currently, Qi'er talks more than Qingxing, but you can't really understand a person just by looking at their appearance.

"It's alright, but Lin Mama doesn't like the food here."

Qi'er casually mentioned that although Granny Lin's surname was Lin, she was not a servant of the Lin family, but a dowry maid brought by Madam Qin.

Because she had served in the Lin family for more than ten years and was the manager of the inner courtyard, she changed her surname to Lin and held a very high position in the Lin family. Sometimes even Qin Shi had to listen to Lin Mama.

Lin Yuesha opened her mouth in surprise. Shouldn't she be the one asking this question? Why did Qi'er say it herself?

For some reason, Lin Yuesha felt that Qi'er had deliberately revealed the information, and Qingxing beside her had no expression, seemingly agreeing as well.

Something unusual must be going on. Could it be about choosing sides? But I don't have anything special about me. Even if I went to the Lin family in the capital, I wouldn't be able to compete with the matriarch, Madam Qin.

"Granny Lin doesn't eat spicy food, but loves duck the most. Every few days, she asks Sister Qingxing to stew a nourishing old duck soup."

Qi'er recounted her experiences along the way, emphasizing Lin Mama's temperament. As a servant, she was picky about food, loved to cause trouble, and was not easy to get along with.

"Miss, the tastes of the North and South are different. When you arrive in the capital, you will need to get used to the food there."

The Lin family's breakfast was plentiful, with steamed buns, mantou, flower rolls, and fried pancakes, all made with exquisite care. There were also several small side dishes, such as cold braised pork knuckle and braised chicken feet, as well as four or five kinds of porridge.

“Miss Yue’e is having breakfast with Madam. Young Master Haoran is only five years old and is with his wet nurse.”

After Qi'er finished speaking, Qingxing suddenly added a comment.

"Does the Yue'e you're talking about look like me?"

Since the other party brought it up on their own initiative, whether it was out of ulterior motives or to show goodwill, Lin Yuesha had to seize this opportunity to ask them carefully.

"Not at all. You look more like the master, while Miss Yue'e looks more like the madam."

Qi'er described Qin Shi as a woman with high cheekbones and a high nose bridge, who looked domineering. Lin Yue'e, on the other hand, did not inherit Lin Shusheng's good looks at all. She had single eyelids and high cheekbones, but liked to pretend to be weak.

Qingxing and Qi'er went back and forth, and in no time they had given a general account of the Jingzhao Yin's mansion.

Lin Yuesha didn't ask any questions because she found herself unable to get a word in edgewise.

She was completely bewildered, but she stubbornly kept quiet. She had clearly planned to bribe the two maids, but now she couldn't use it at all.

These two maids are very strange!

“Miss, I heard that the girls’ school in the city is about to open. I suggest you go to the girls’ school to learn etiquette first. I’m afraid Lin Mama won’t pay much attention to your etiquette.”

If the previous hints were just that, this time Qi'er made it very clear: Granny Lin is Qin's person and is eager for Lin Yuesha to make a fool of herself in the capital to highlight Lin Yue'e, so she must have ill intentions.

Anyway, she's just a country girl, not Qin Shi's own flesh and blood. Bringing her to the capital shows how generous she is.

"Then...why did my dad think of me?"

The other party was very open with information, so Lin Yuesha didn't bother to hide anything and directly asked the key question that she most wanted to know.

"This..."

Qingxing glanced at Qi'er, who nodded and said quickly, "Because the master was impeached by his political enemies, who said that his character was flawed, the master remembered you and asked Granny Lin to take him back."

Lin Shusheng's decision to take Lin Yuesha in was not due to a change of heart, but rather a last resort. Otherwise, his political enemies would seize upon this weakness and his position as the Prefect of the Capital would be in jeopardy.

Lin Yuesha opened her mouth, too shocked to speak. What shocked her was not that her father was taking her to the capital, but that she had managed to get both maids to confess without any effort.

It was strange. If she hadn't met the two maids for the first time, she would have thought they were two spies planted by the original owner in the Lin family mansion in the capital.

Granny Lin was Qin's person, and Qin was the one who orchestrated this trip to pick up the people. Lin Shusheng, the biological father, was indifferent and unconcerned about it.

"Oh, right, Miss, there's one more thing. I'm a gossip and I'll just say it without holding it in."

Qi'er simply spat it all out. She took a sip of water and said, "Miss Yue'e is engaged to a young master from a prestigious family in the capital. However, that young master is also unfortunate. He fell off his horse and became crippled. He is still paralyzed."

The other family refuses to break off the engagement and insists on marrying a woman from the Lin family. However, previously, the only eligible woman was Lin Yue'e. If Lin Yuesha goes back, the marriage may fall to Lin Yuesha.

Lin Yuesha: "..."

Isn't it going too far to bring this up? After all, Madam Qin is still the matriarch of the Lin family.

"Do you two have a grudge against the Qin family?"

Lin Yuesha rubbed her temples, finally unable to resist asking the question; she couldn't pretend to be confused anymore.

Lin Yuesha had racked her brains and created countless twists and turns in order to cultivate the two maids into her own people.

For example, she could find someone to harass the maid and come to her rescue, using sweet talk and flattery. If that didn't work, she could use Xiao Qi as a sedition.

Lin Yuesha would stop at nothing to make it work, but Qingxing and Qi'er simply didn't give her that chance.

Upon hearing the question, Qingxing smiled slightly but did not answer.

“Miss, in short, we sisters just want to express our stance and gain your trust. What we just said is the truth. You can find out from Granny Lin, but it will be a bit difficult.”

Qi'er smiled, knowing that Qi'er was one of her own.

Lin Yuesha was dizzy, and Bai Cha was also confused. In any case, they would definitely keep these two by their side and try to get along well in the future.

"All right."

Lin Yuesha nodded. She temporarily believed that the two were on her side, but her heart was still uneasy.

As the moon rose high in the sky and night fell, Bai Cha took the night watch, while Qing Xing lit a calming incense stick she had brought from the capital. The two immediately fell into a deep sleep.

At night, a gust of wind blew in, and then a figure dressed in a blue robe landed in the courtyard.

Upon hearing the noise, Qingxing and Qi'er went out together and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty."

Xiao Qi turned around, waved his hand to let the two of them stand up, and asked, "How did it go?"

"I have told you everything about the Lin family in Kyoto, but Miss is probably only half convinced."

Qi'er had lost her liveliness; her face was serious, and she answered in a very formal and methodical manner.

The two were spies in the Lin family, and had been lying in wait for many years. This time, the master used his methods to bring the two to the city for the sake of the young lady. And so, they were assigned to Lin Yuesha by Granny Lin as she wished.

I bet that old woman would be furious enough to vomit blood if she knew how outrageous her actions were.