After Lin Daya finished speaking, she shrank behind the adult guiltily.

Yang Cui sneered: "Truly worthy of being a member of the Lin family! Their heartless and treacherous nature is exactly the same."

Fan gave Daya an approving look, then put her hands on her hips and yelled at Yang Cui, "Now that the child has testified against you, what else do you have to say? A vicious woman like you should be arrested and beheaded!"

Yang Cui threw the basket in her hand at Lin Daya: "This is the basket and earthworms you left at my house yesterday, here you go! Lin Daya, you asked Lin Xiaolian to dig for earthworms, right? Should I call the other girls over and question them one by one?"

Lin Daya panicked immediately.

Yesterday, they met at the entrance of Anjia Village and poured all the earthworms into a basket. Then, Lin Daya carried the basket to Yang Cui's house. This whole thing was already being observed by everyone.

Yang Cui turned her gaze to Lin Shikang: "Lord Lin, how about we take this person to the yamen?"

Yang Cui wasn't worried at all that they would collude to give a false testimony; children don't have that kind of mental fortitude. Once they were in the yamen, a little coaxing would make them confess everything.

Lin Shikang's face was now as black as the bottom of a pot.

Lin Daya looked at Lin Shikang with trepidation. She knew that if this matter went to the authorities, everyone would know what had happened, and she would be finished!

She has a father who is an official, and good days are just around the corner. We can't let them be ruined like this!

Lin Daya glared at Yang Cui with resentment, wishing Yang Cui were dead! She thought to herself, why didn't she drown when she jumped into the water?

Eunuch Liu has such sharp eyes and is such a shrewd person!

He laughed and said, "Interesting! Very interesting! Hahaha."

"Eunuch Liu..."

"Lord Lin, how about we go to the yamen?"

Lin Shikang was in a dilemma; going to the yamen would only make him lose face even more! And even more people would know about this!

Lin Shikang hated Yang Cui to the core!

He forced back his anger and uttered a few words: "No need. I will definitely keep my family in check and give... Madam Cen an explanation."

Seeing his appearance, Eunuch Liu said again, "Lord Lin, before we came, His Majesty spoke a few words to me..."

That must be the Emperor's decree!

Lin Shikang hurriedly knelt down, and when the Lin clan members saw that Lin Shikang had knelt down, they also knelt down.

"Lin Shih-kang has some talent, but an official should first cultivate virtue. It is hoped that he can restrain his clansmen and work with them to understand principles, cultivate virtue, and benefit the people!"

Slap, slap, slap! Lin Shikang felt like he was being slapped several times.

The emperor believed that he was talented but lacked virtue, and that the Lin family was morally corrupt.

This is a very serious warning!

Lin Shikang was drenched in cold sweat, knowing that if it weren't for the Tanhua Academy and the scholarship program, he wouldn't even have been able to get the official position of magistrate of Ganning County!

"Lord Lin, please rise," Eunuch Liu said with a smile, offering a helping hand. "I'll take my leave now."

"Eunuch Liu, you must be tired from your journey..."

Eunuch Liu waved his hand: "No need, Lord Lin should take care of his personal matters first. He is about to take office and must have a lot to say to his clansmen. We won't disturb him any longer."

Lin Shih-kang choked.

The meaning behind Eunuch Liu's words couldn't be clearer.

The handling of private matters refers to the matter of Fan Shi Lin Daya slandering and injuring Yang Cui, and the instructions to the clansmen refer to the matter of the Lin clansmen being reasonable and virtuous.

What made Lin Shikang even more furious was that before leaving, Eunuch Liu told Yang Cui, "Madam's herbal jelly, roast duck, and fried chicken have become a sensation in Beijing. Our family loves them very much. Madam is truly a master chef!"

Yang Cui smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Father-in-law. Wan'an County has launched a spicy hot pot chicken. If you like strong flavors, you can give it a try."

"Oh? It's Madam's cooking again. We must go and try it."

Lin Shikang sensed that Eunuch Liu was being respectful to Yang Cui based on his attitude and tone.

Is it just my imagination?

“How about I invite you to the Star Gazing Tower tonight for a meal, as a welcome dinner for you?” Lin Shikang stepped forward and said.

"No need, Lord Lin, you should attend to your own affairs first." After saying that, he gave Fan Shi and Lin Daya a meaningful look.

"It's my fault for not raising my daughter properly," Lin Shikang said to Yang Cui, knowing the situation well. "Madam Cen, please forgive me. I will definitely come to apologize in person tomorrow!"

Yang Cui replied without hesitation, "I'm waiting."

——

After Eunuch Liu and Yang Cui left, the Lin family was in an uproar...

"Yuhua, from now on you are a real old lady!"

"You're so lucky!"

Fan accepted the congratulations from the other clansmen with a hearty laugh.

"Yes, my son has made something of himself! This is an imperial edict. I've lived most of my life and this is the first time I've ever seen one. It's all thanks to Shikang..."

"Why call him Shikang? Now you should call him Lord Lin."

"Yes, yes, Lord Lin, when will Lord Lin take office? Yuhua, clan elders, shall we slaughter a chicken and a goose to celebrate?"

"This is a joyous occasion for our entire clan, and we must celebrate it..."

The noise was so loud it gave Lin Shikang a headache. He yelled, "Shut up, all of you!"

Silence fell instantly.

Seeing Lin Shikang's ashen face, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Let's go to the ancestral hall!"

Upon arriving at the ancestral hall, Lin Shih-kang sat in the main seat, and the members of the Lin family were startled to see Lin Shih-kang lose his temper for the first time.

“You all heard what Eunuch Liu said today,” Lin Shikang said. “Tomorrow, the two elders, Mother, and Daya will go together to apologize to Yang Cui.”

"What?!" Madam Fan exploded. "On what grounds?"

"You still ask me why?" Lin Shikang was also furious, his tone sharp. "If I had come back even a little later today, you would have already made a scene at the yamen again! Can you please stop causing me trouble! Didn't you hear what that eunuch said just now? His Majesty said I am talented but lack virtue, and that our Lin family is morally deficient! Do you know what that means?"

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