Upon hearing what the gatekeeper said, the old woman's face changed drastically. In a panic, she immediately went to the inner courtyard to report the news. She tiptoed, trying not to make too much noise so as not to wake the others.

She arrived at the inner courtyard, stood outside Lin Daoyan's door, and whispered, "Master, Second Master has sent someone to report the death. The Second Madam has been murdered."

Although the old woman's voice was not loud, it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet night, as if it could penetrate the walls and go straight into everyone's ears.

This sudden news was like a bolt from the blue, startling Xu, who was sleeping in the east wing, so much so that she suddenly opened her eyes, sat up abruptly, her whole body stiff, and uttered a horrified voice: "Cheng was killed? How could it be so sudden?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daoyan, who was in the main courtyard, also sat up abruptly from his couch.

His eyes widened as he stared straight at Zhao Canchen, who had also been startled awake and sat up in bed.

Since Zhao Canchen was brought back to the Lin family, Lin Daoyan had cleaned up the main room, replaced the furniture and bedding with brand new ones, and specially invited Zhao Canchen to rest in the main room. Lin Daoyan himself curled up in a day chair by the window to sleep, so that he could protect Zhao Canchen closely.

Under the dim, hazy light of the lantern, Zhao Canchen and Lin Daoyan looked at each other in silence. However, they both knew exactly what had just happened: Cheng Shi must have been disrespectful to Zhao Canchen, not only speaking rudely but also picking up a stone and throwing it at him, which resulted in her being executed.

Zhao Canchen frowned slightly. "Who exactly is helping me in the dark?" he muttered to himself.

Lin Daoyan shook his head and replied in a low voice, "This subordinate doesn't know who it is either. I've been here the whole time and haven't gone out."

"Yes, I know." Zhao Canchen nodded, then slowly lay down on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, as if he was deep in thought.

After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes again, staring straight at the blue tent ceiling above, his mind beginning to recall every little thing from his childhood to adulthood.

He thought of the people in the royal family, who always seemed unusually distant from him, as if he were not a member of the family at all.

In these ten years of his life, apart from Lin Daoyan who always stayed by his side, only Uncle Song and Princess Aunt cared for him deeply.

During holidays and festivals, the rest of the royal family ignored him, even if they encountered him at the Prince Song's residence.

Only the Song emperor sent someone to the Imperial Clan Court to collect a small amount of silver and clothing for all four seasons for him.

Princess Kaiyang would also send people to the Song Prince's residence to deliver gold, silver, and seasonal clothing to him.

The emperor seemed to have completely forgotten that he had such a nephew, neither mentioning him nor sending anyone to get rid of him.

Zhao Canchen couldn't help but smile bitterly, a sense of indescribable sorrow welling up in his heart: he was just a superfluous person.

Over the years, Zhao Canchen has occasionally encountered some dim-witted people who, unaware of their own limitations, have come to cause him trouble.

Among these people, some might be trying to curry favor with the emperor for personal gain, some might have a grudge against his mother, and others might have a deep-seated hatred for his father. These people spoke rudely to Zhao Canchen in public, showing absolutely no respect.

Unexpectedly, everyone who spoke arrogantly to Zhao Canchen met a tragic end.

In these bizarre deaths, the government can never find the real culprit. They simply find a criminal who deserves to die to take the blame, making the case appear as if it has already been solved.

This secret is known only to Zhao Canchen and Lin Daoyan: anyone who dares to offend Zhao Canchen will definitely not have a good ending!

That's why Zhao Canchen decisively stopped Lin Daoyan when he tried to kill Cheng Shi.

He knew very well that, based on past experience, there was a high chance someone would eliminate the Cheng family.

As expected, Cheng was executed. What was shocking was that she didn't even last one night and died tragically in bed.

Lin Yajun was lying in the west wing of the third courtyard, half asleep and half awake, when she suddenly heard a shocking piece of news—Cheng Shi had died tragically! This news was like a thunderbolt, instantly waking her from her dream. She sat up in extreme shock, her eyes wide open, as if she could not believe what she had heard.

Her heart raced, a sense of tension she had never felt before washing over her. Who killed Cheng Shi? How could this be? Why did people in ancient times kill so easily? Lin Yajun murmured to herself, her heart filled with fear.

Originally, Lin Yajun had secretly made up her mind to first torment the arrogant and domineering Cheng Shi and her daughter Lin Jinghui, to make them taste bitterness, and then to make them half-dead.

But before she could even make a move, Lin Jinghui died tragically, and then Cheng Shi also met with misfortune.

This series of unexpected events kept Lin Yajun awake. She slowly lay down on the bed, her mind replaying the two bizarre murders, trying to piece together the clues. Who did it?

She pondered deeply. It seemed that the man was eliminating a vicious person for the eldest branch of the Lin family. But things couldn't be that simple. Her family was just an ordinary military and merchant household, neither high-ranking officials nor royalty…

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lin Yajun's mind: royalty? Could it be...?

Her eyes suddenly lit up, and a realization dawned on her: Ah, I understand! It must be that kid surnamed Zhao! He definitely has secret guards protecting him!

Although her father never came home to mention Zhao Canchen to the family, Lin Yajun, who had transmigrated from another world, was exceptionally clever. Through her observation and analysis, she quickly guessed some clues.

Lin Yajun knew that all members of the royal family in this dynasty were surnamed Zhao, and the boy her father was protecting also happened to be surnamed Zhao.

This made her suspicious: Could Zhao Canchen have some connection with the royal family? Considering that her father was stripped of his official post and sent to guard the city gate the same day he brought Zhao Canchen back to the mansion, Lin Yajun became even more certain that Zhao Canchen's background was definitely not simple.

After careful consideration, Lin Yajun boldly guessed: Zhao Canchen's father must have committed a crime, but the Emperor spared his life without killing him, yet he didn't let him off easily either. Her own father, acting on the orders of Prince Song to protect Zhao Canchen, was implicated and demoted to guard the city gates. Needless to say, all of this was orchestrated by the Emperor himself!

Lin Yajun desperately wanted to find out about Zhao Canchen's background and why he had become an outcast of the royal family, so that she could come up with a solution.