Chapter 68. We've surrounded the Lin residence; I want Song Yunyan's...

"What did you say?"

In the study, Lin Yansen was so shocked after hearing the report from the manor's secret guards that he almost dropped his teacup. He stared at the guard, his eyes wide open.

The guard said, "The Silver Shield Army killed almost all the villagers from Lingdong in the capital. Some of their bodies were hung on the streets and alleys of several main streets."

Lin Yansen: "Who did it?"

He only missed one morning court session, how did such a big incident happen?

Royal family, are you really not afraid of angering Ji Yujing?

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone Ji Yujing. If he could build the Ningdong Army from scratch and kill Wu Tingshan, then it's not impossible for him to bring the Song family down from their throne.

Guard: "Your Highness."

Lin Yansen: "..."

In that instant, Lin Yansen suddenly felt that Song Yunmian had returned not to vie for the throne, but to destroy the entire Xun Kingdom to make his mother pay the price.

But every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor; innocent people should never be targeted.

Killing them wasn't enough; they also had to desecrate their corpses.

My thoughts were in turmoil, and finally anger arose.

Lin Yansen immediately put down his teacup and stood up.

Why was he asking me this?

Lin Yansen: "To send the villagers to their final resting place."

The guard was alarmed upon hearing this and couldn't help but advise, "My lord, you mustn't. His Majesty has tacitly approved this. If you go, wouldn't that be going against His Majesty?"

"At this critical juncture, it's better to avoid trouble. Madam and Young Master are still waiting for you to go to the south."

Lin Yansen: "Zhaoxian, a gentleman has things he will do and things he will not do. If I know about this now and do nothing, even if I go to the south peacefully in the future, I will not be able to live like before."

"Even if I die, I will not have the face to meet the ancestors of the Lin family."

Zhao Xian stopped trying to persuade him, not because he didn't want to, but because his throat felt like it was blocked by a foreign object, making it impossible for him to make a sound.

"Let's go, let those villagers rest in peace. All of the Lin family's secret guards in the capital are mobilized."

"promise."

Lin Yansen led a group of experts out of the Lin residence and headed towards Baoshan Street. This street held great significance for the Zhuo family.

He wanted to start from here.

As we walked to the end of Baoshan Street, just as Zhao Xian had said, four corpses were hanging in the street. Their clothes were torn, and the wounds were clearly visible.

Lin Yansen watched this unfold and sighed inwardly: Song Yunmian, you will be punished, no matter what your motives were.

On the surface, he shouted, "Go and put them down, and bury them in peace."

This shout drew the attention of almost everyone around. Among them were Silver Shield soldiers patrolling nearby, as well as villagers from Baoshan Street and the surrounding area.

Upon receiving the order, Zhao Xian and Chen Qing immediately led their men forward.

The Silver Shield Army soldiers nearby immediately surged forward. Coincidentally, Min Yu'an was leading the team today.

The two sides clashed.

Min Yu'an looked at Lin Yansen and advised in a low voice that could only be heard nearby, "My lord, please don't get involved in this matter."

"This is His Majesty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yansen interrupted him, "Yu'an, just do what you need to do, don't feel embarrassed."

"But I will definitely send these villagers to their final resting place, even if His Majesty has to take my head."

Min Yu'an: "...Lord Marquis."

Lin Yansen raised his hand, signaling Zhao Xian and Chen Qing to lead their men into action.

Min Yu'an had a mission to complete, so he had no choice but to confront them.

Two groups of people got into a fight on Baoshan Street.

Neither the Silver Shield Army nor the rarely seen Lin family secret guards are easy to deal with; in a fight, it would be extremely difficult to completely suppress the other.

Baoshan Street was in complete chaos.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhao Xinkuo, one of the three leaders of the Silver Shield Army, arrived in person. He sat high on his horse, looking at Lin Yansen with a cold expression.

"If you're sick, you should stay home and rest. Why are you causing trouble?"

Lin Yansen met his gaze without flinching or avoiding it: "I can tolerate anything else, even the confiscation of my Lin family's century-old fortune. But I, Lin Yansen, cannot tolerate the unjustified slaughter of civilians and the subsequent humiliation of their lives."

"If you tolerate it today, the perpetrators will become increasingly vicious and unscrupulous in the future. No one can guarantee that this knife won't be turned on them in the future."

"Lin Yansen, do you know..."

Zhao Xinkuo wanted to tell him that although the perpetrator was the eldest prince, it was, in reality, the Emperor's will. Only if the outcome was disastrous would Ji Yujing consider the matter when making a decision later. But he stopped abruptly, on his own.

It's simply because he knows Lin Yansen too well. He may seem carefree and frivolous all day, but he's actually a stubborn person with a strong sense of right and wrong. Once he's made up his mind, even if His Majesty himself comes, he'll most likely fight for it.

"Stop fighting. Come with me to the palace to see His Majesty."

The fighting stopped.

Lin Yansen said to Zhao Xinkuo, "Put the villagers' bodies down first."

Zhao Xinkuo: "..."

This stubborn fellow can only be dealt with by His Majesty and Shuming.

After pondering this, he called to Min Yu'an, "Put down all the corpses at the street corners. We'll discuss the follow-up arrangements after the Marquis and I meet His Majesty."

Min Yu'an: "Yes, General."

Zhao Xinkuo led Lin Yansen into the palace as quickly as possible.

In the imperial study, the two met the emperor.

"Good day, Your Majesty."

"Good day, Your Majesty."

No matter how excited he was, Lin Yansen was still sensible when he came before the emperor and respectfully and thoroughly performed the proper greetings.

The emperor said, "No need for such formalities."

The emperor's gaze remained fixed on Lin Yansen. "Doesn't he look perfectly fine? Are you faking illness?"

Lin Yansen's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. "Pretending to be sick and not attending court is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor. How could I dare to do that?"

"I caught a chill last night and have a headache and fever. I was afraid of infecting His Majesty, so I missed the morning court session."

Emperor: "Then why are you here again?"

Lin Yansen: "Old Zhao sent me."

Upon hearing this, the emperor looked at Zhao Xinkuo.

Zhao Xinkuo: "..."

He then recounted the events that had occurred on Baoshan Street.

Before the emperor could react, Lin Yansen knelt on the ground. His kneecaps struck the ground with a clear sound.

It sounds painful.

He frowned slightly, but the pain did not stop him from stating his thoughts, not even for a moment.

"Your Majesty, Yan Sen only wants to give these villagers a proper burial. No matter how poor or humble they are, they are still your people."

“This action has damaged Your Majesty’s benevolence.”

The emperor's gaze turned cold. "Are you questioning my decision?"

Lin Yansen kowtowed heavily, saying, "Yansen dares not. Yansen only wants to protect His Majesty's reputation for benevolence."

“Your Majesty, if you are truly worried about Ji Yujing, then lock me up. I’m not going to the south anymore, I’m not going.”

At this point, tears welled up in Lin Yansen's eyes. "The villagers who died did nothing wrong, why did they have to suffer all this?"

Tears streaming down her face, she agitated Emperor Taining.

He picked up a teacup and smashed it at Lin Yansen.

He clearly held back; the teacup shattered in front of him but didn't hit him. However, the broken tea spilled everywhere, splashing onto his face and hands, and wetting his clothes.

"They've been meddling in everything, from the east to the west, and now they're even managing my affairs."

“Song Yunmian is right, I have been too lenient with you all.”

"Zhao Xinkuo, drag this annoying thing out and give him thirty lashes. You do it yourself. If you dare to show mercy, I'll take your head."

Zhao Xinkuo wanted to advise, "Your Majesty..."

The emperor said, "Besides, we'll share the punishment with him."

Lin Yansen showed no sign of panic. "Your Majesty, even if you kill me today, I will not hold a grudge against you. But do you still remember what you told me when I was young? A ruler should stop war and love his people."

"take away."

Zhao Xinkuo quickly pulled Lin Yansen up and dragged him out of the Imperial Study.

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhao Xinkuo returned to the imperial study and reported back to the emperor.

Emperor: "Is he dead?"

Zhao Xinkuo: "...He's not dead, but with Lord Lin's health, he probably won't be able to get out of bed for half a month."

Emperor: "You're asking for it. Do you think I won't satisfy you?"

Zhao Xinkuo hesitated for a moment, then asked another question, "What about Baoshan Street..."

It never ends, the emperor was extremely annoyed: "That bastard wants to send them to their graves, so let him handle it."

"Get out, everyone."

Zhao Xinkuo bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health. I will escort Lord Lin out of the palace immediately."

After walking backwards for a dozen steps, Zhao Xinkuo turned around and walked straight out of the imperial study. The moment he stepped out of the imperial study, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Old Lin, you win.

Those innocent villagers can now rest in peace.

...

As November draws to a close, every gust of wind in Lingdong seems to carry icy mist, bringing chill wherever it passes.

As the old and new moons were about to change, the Ningdong Army welcomed envoys from the capital.

The "grand gift," delivered by express courier at Song Yunmian's behest, arrived before Ji Yujing.

He didn't open it at the time, giving Tian Yi, the envoy from the capital, a cold look.

"Would the First Prince be so kind as to give me a gift?"

"Why don't you tell me what's inside?"

To be honest, Ji Yujing spoke these words in a very relaxed manner.

But Tian Yi's heart was still racing because of fear.

Once Ji Yujing finds out what's inside, his group will definitely never be able to leave Lingdong.

The fourth prince, who has remained here, may all die.

However, they were acting on orders, and there was no turning back from the very beginning.

"This box contains two ounces of human flesh, which was taken from a man from Lingdong named Zhaoning."

As soon as Tian finished speaking, the council hall seemed to freeze over instantly, becoming silent and cold.

Ji Yujing's gaze turned cold, as did her voice, "Say it again? What's in here?"

Tian Yi forced himself to repeat it. His face began to turn pale; he simply couldn't control himself.

After listening, Ji Yujing remained silent for a long time before opening the box.

If you look closely, you'll see that his fingers are trembling.

A moment later, the box was opened, and a strong smell of blood rushed towards him.

A fierce aura burst forth, and it was powerful from the moment it appeared.

"Song Yunmian".

Ji and Jing spoke silently, but their hatred was palpable, clearly felt by Tian Yi and the others. Not long after, a secret letter arrived at the army headquarters from the capital.

Ji and Jing opened the letter, and the contents of the letter confirmed that what Tian Yi said was true.

Because he refused to hand over the tiger tally, the Song family massacred hundreds of civilians from Lingdong. In order to ensure that these civilians could be properly buried, Lord Lin risked his life to remonstrate with the emperor, and was ultimately punished with thirty strokes of the cane.

"Song Qingwu, Song Yunmian."

"How dare you? The Song family is so cruel, how dare you sit in high positions and enjoy the offerings of the people?"

As he spoke, Ji Yujing's dark eyes reddened, and tears dripped from the corners of his eyes, landing on the paper and his hand.

"hehe……"

He was both crying and laughing, exuding a sense of madness.

To Tian Yi and the others, it was chilling and sent shivers down their spines.

Ye Xiao and the others felt both heartache and anger. Imperial power, which should have protected all people, had now become a knife that cut into them.

After a long pause, Ji Yujing coldly ordered, "Execute all the envoys from the capital."

"Surround the Lin residence. I want Song Yunyan's head."

Reason was completely crushed by hatred.

Ji Ci is no longer Ji Ci, but an evil demon who only believes in stopping war with war and repaying blood with blood.