Chapter 141 Thorn

Lin Zhu's tense expression eased slightly, but he still didn't move, just quietly looking at Pei Yan.

Pei Yan knew that simply saying he wouldn't pursue the matter wasn't enough.

He had to offer a way out, an explanation, to silence the gossip, to appease Xie Sangning and the Lin family, and more importantly... to salvage some of the face he had just lost.

"As for the Ministry of Revenue's relief funds..."

Pei Yan's cold gaze swept over the slumped Vice Minister of Revenue, Wang Qi, who was lying on the ground. "Wang Qi! As an official of the court, you are in charge of the allocation of funds and grain in the Northwest! How could there be such a huge deficit in disaster relief funds! What is your crime?!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, spare my life!" Wang Qi was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Guards!" Pei Yan shouted sternly, "Dismiss Wang Qi from his post and investigate him! Throw him into the imperial prison! Order the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate to conduct a joint trial and thoroughly investigate this case of embezzlement of relief funds! All those involved, regardless of their official rank, shall be severely punished without exception!"

This order was issued swiftly and decisively, both to vent anger and to shift the focus, demonstrating to the court and the world: Look, it's not that I'm incompetent, it's that there are corrupt officials below! I am astute as can be!

After dealing with the scapegoat, Pei Yan's gaze finally fell on Xie Sangning, who had been silent all along. His eyes were extremely complex, containing fear, anger, and a hint of compromise that he had no choice but to make.

“Princess Jianing…” Pei Yan’s voice was hoarse, “You have devoted yourself to Xihan and made great contributions. Now that the matter of concealment has been clarified, I am very pleased. The fiefdom of Xihan is a hereditary estate bestowed by my golden words, and naturally… it still belongs to you. I hope you… will govern it well and not let me down.”

He paused, seemingly trying to regain some of his imperial dignity, and added, "Considering the enormous expense you have incurred, I... hereby grant you a three-year tax exemption and bestow upon you a hundred bolts of brocade and a thousand taels of gold as a token of my appreciation."

Yes, that's the rule in Daqing. Although the taxes from the fiefdoms go to the county lords, they still have to pay 15% of the taxes to the imperial court every year. Previously, Xihan was poor and never mentioned taxes. Now, although the emperor said he would grant Xie Sangning a three-year tax exemption, he was actually reminding her that Xihan had to pay taxes.

Xie Sangning sneered inwardly, but showed no sign on her face, and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness! I will do my utmost to govern Xihan well and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

Lin Zhu nodded slightly in satisfaction and said to Pei Yan, "Your Majesty is wise! This way of handling things demonstrates the law of the court and appeases the hearts of meritorious officials! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

His words put an end to this turmoil and completely blocked Pei Yan's excuse for going back on his word later.

Pei Yan felt utterly exhausted. He waved his hand and said, "Grand Tutor, you've worked hard. Please help him to rest. That's all for today. Court is adjourned!"

He didn't want to stay in this place that had made him lose face for another second.

"Dismiss the court!" the eunuch's shrill voice rang out.

The ministers, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed respectfully and left the hall with their own thoughts.

Everyone knew in their hearts that the emperor had suffered a complete defeat at today's court assembly.

Xie Sangning's position was not weakened by this battle; on the contrary, it became more secure because of the strong support of Grand Tutor Lin and the emperor's forced concession.

The emperor's covetousness for Xihan will likely only deepen, but his next move will undoubtedly be more insidious and deadly.

Xie Sangning helped Lin Zhu out. The sun outside was a bit too bright, so she squinted.

"Great-grandfather, thank you so much for today." Xie Sangning's voice was soft, but it was filled with genuine gratitude.

Lin Zhu patted the back of her hand, his aged voice carrying the vicissitudes of life: "Silly child, there's no need for thanks among family. You did very well, even better than your great-grandfather imagined. But... the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow. From today onward, you must be even more careful. The emperor... he won't be satisfied."

Xie Sangning nodded, his eyes regaining their calm and sharpness: "I understand. Great-grandfather, don't worry."

Lin Zhu stopped and turned to look at his great-granddaughter, whom he was both proud and heartbroken by. His expression became serious: "Although we are family, I still want to sincerely thank you. If it weren't for you, the Lin family would still be wallowing in the mud, and we would never be able to stand up straight again."

Hearing this, Xie Sangning's eyes dimmed slightly: "Great-grandfather, you flatter me. This is what I should do. Back then... it was because of me that my family was financially ruined. Although they... were a bit foolish, couldn't judge people well, and were completely deceived..."

A helpless yet self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips. "But Sang Ning will always remember this sincerity and is grateful for it."

She paused, then added jokingly, "Besides, while I helped them, I didn't hold back with my words. I scolded them a lot, and they might still resent me."

"Nonsense!" Lin Zhu straightened his face and said seriously, "No one in the Lin family holds a grudge against you! Those people who spread rumors that you are sharp-tongued and ruthless don't know anything! Do they know what it was like when you were thrown into that godforsaken place, Xihan, at the age of six? The Lin family was barely able to protect itself then, and couldn't even leave the capital, let alone protect you! A little girl, all alone, had to survive. If she didn't grow a lot of thorns, how could she protect herself? How could she intimidate others?"

The old man's voice was filled with heartache and lingering fear, "These thorns all over your body were forged in the crucible of life and death. You can't just pull them out after you return to the capital and live a few peaceful days! Your great-grandfather understands, and every member of the Lin family with a conscience understands!"

He looked into Xie Sangning's eyes: "Yes, people outside say you have a sharp tongue and no heart. But what you've done, hasn't it all helped more people eat and stay warm, and brought that barren land of Xihan back to life? With power and status, have you ever bullied any ordinary people? Have you ever trampled on any helpless person? No! Just for that, Xie Sangning, you have a clear conscience!"

“Your great-grandfather isn’t worried about anything except one thing—he’s afraid you’ll listen to too much nonsense, get stuck in a dead end, and really think you’re some heartless and wicked person. You’ll despise yourself and drift along with the tide. Sang Ning, listen to me,” he gripped her hand tightly and said, word by word, “there’s no such thing as a perfect person in this world! And it’s impossible for everyone to like you or praise you! If anyone claims to have achieved that, they’re a monster! A fake person pretending to be perfect!”

Xie Sangning froze, tears welling up in her eyes.

In all these years... this is the first time someone has said something like that to her.

Yes, she heard quite a few harsh rumors after returning to Beijing.

Take the Lin family's case for example. Everyone says that the Lin family was cheated out of their money by bad people.

But she truly didn't think it was her fault, and she genuinely believed that the Lin family was foolish. Others said she was ungrateful and heartless, which made her doubt herself. She not only recovered the money for the Lin family, but also gave them extra capital to turn things around, enough for them to rise again. This was not her fault; it was the Lin family's poor judgment and their stupidity in being deceived. It was also Xie Wulu who was insidious, cunning, and shameless. How could she do so much, yet still be criticized?

No one knew that in the quiet of the night, thinking about those discussions, a slight wavering had crossed her mind, and she had doubted whether she was really that worthless.

Lin Zhu's words made Xie Sangning feel much more relaxed.

Lin Zhu gently patted her hand that was supporting him, deliberately changing the subject, his eyes filled with longing: "Ah, I'm getting old... If it weren't for these old bones being so useless, I really wanted to go to Xihan with my own eyes. They rave about it so much, I wonder what kind of heavenly place it's become..."

Xie Sangning quickly composed himself: "Great-grandfather, if you want to go, then go. Sangning has a specially made carriage that is very stable and not bumpy at all. Let's take our time and treat it as a scenic tour."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhu's face immediately lit up with a smile, like a child: "Really? Then... won't it interfere with your plans?"

"How could we delay!" Xie Sangning laughed. "I was originally going to inspect the fiefdom as soon as it was granted, and I planned to set off in two months. Now it's perfect, we can go ahead and return before my father and brothers go back to the capital! Let's take the Lin family with us, it'll be a good way to relax!"

"Great! Great! It's settled then! Let's take them out to broaden their horizons!" Lin Zhu clapped his hands and laughed, full of enthusiasm.

The grandfather and grandson talked as they slowly walked out of the palace gate.

Xie Sangning personally escorted Lin Zhu back to the Lin family home. The Lin family invited her to stay for dinner, but she politely declined with a smile, saying she needed to go back to prepare for her trip.

She knew that the current peace was only a temporary respite.

With the golden nugget of Xihan now completely exposed to the emperor's watchful eye, the days to come will only bring more and more open and covert attacks, and even greater dangers.

But at least today, she preserved her foundation and caused that high and mighty emperor to suffer a severe setback.

In the shadows around the corner of the palace wall, Ninth Prince Pei Zhi clutched the cricket jar in his hand, holding his breath.

He heard every word of the conversation between the grandfather and grandson. He tightened his grip on the jar, his mind churning with turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time.

So this is what Princess Jianing is like. It turns out, no one is perfect...

He suddenly made up his mind: He wanted to go to Xihan too!

Ninth Prince Pei Zhi, clutching his precious cricket jar, slipped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation in a flash.

Pei Yan was leaning against the couch, rubbing his throbbing temples, his mind filled with Xie Sangning and Lin Zhu, feeling incredibly frustrated.

Looking up, she saw her youngest son barging in carelessly with a nonchalant smile on his face. The nameless anger that was about to rise was forcibly suppressed.

He rarely showed genuine indulgence towards this youngest son.

Consort Shu was gentle and her family had no power. Pei Zhi didn't get involved in those power struggles at all. In his eyes, she was a simple child, and he received the little fatherly love he had.

"Ninth Prince? Why aren't you staying with your mother? What are you doing here?" Pei Yan's voice was hoarse with fatigue, and he seemed listless.

Pei Zhi bowed respectfully, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and leaned close to the bed: "Father, your son...your son wants to ask you for a favor."