Chapter 19: After bidding farewell to Tang Suzi, and walking out of Fang Mansion...

After bidding farewell to Tang Suzi, on the way out of Fang Mansion, Chen Weiyu asked the maid accompanying him,

"Excuse me, is Pavilion Master Fang in the mansion now?"

The maid replied,

"The Pavilion Master is not in the mansion at the moment. According to convention, he should be handling government affairs at the Eagle Pavilion branch office."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wei Yu thought for a moment and decided to change his route and go to Tianying Pavilion to look for Fang Buyu.

*

"Pavilion Master, Chen Weiyu from Ningxiang Residence requests to see you."

The sound of a report outside the door interrupted Fang Buyu's contemplation. He immediately put down the document he was reviewing and ordered,

"Please ask her to come in."

When Chen Weiyu entered the room, Fang Buyu stood up from behind the desk to greet him.

"Miss Chen is visiting today, but what important matter do you want to discuss?"

Chen Weiyu slowly bowed and performed a profound salute.

After the ceremony, she did not rush to state her purpose. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"Pavilion Master Fang, I came here today because of Lin Bowen's matter."

She paused, her tone gradually firming.

"Regarding the plan you mentioned last time, asking me to unite with the women who were coerced in Ningxiang Residence to expose Lin Bowen's evil deeds, I... am willing to give it a try."

While saying this, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if to cheer herself up, and as if to show Fang Buyu her determination.

The moment Chen Weiyu made her decision, a hint of insight and understanding flashed in Fang Buyu's eyes. He seemed to have vaguely guessed the reason for her change of attitude.

Then, he nodded slightly, then he clasped his hands together, leaned forward slightly, and performed a standard Jianghu etiquette to the other party.

"I am deeply grateful to Miss Chen for her understanding of justice. If you encounter any difficulties during the execution process, please feel free to come to me for help."

After saying this, Fang Buyu seemed to remember something and added,

"There's another thing I want to ask Miss Chen. I wonder if she would mind asking me a question?"

"Master Fang, please feel free to speak."

"Besides the known Wang Gui, has Lin Bowen ever told you which officials he has connections with?"

Chen Weiyu frowned slightly, and after recalling carefully, he shook his head.

"Lin Bowen acted extremely cautiously. During the time I spent with him, he almost never touched on official business, let alone revealed any connections with officials."

Hearing this, Fang Buyu was not discouraged, but asked further,

"So, Miss Chen, have you ever noticed who is around Lin Bowen and who frequently interacts with him? Or, has he done anything unusual that struck you?"

Chen Wei Yu fell into deep thought again. She carefully reviewed the time she spent with Lin Bowen, trying to catch any subtle abnormalities.

However, after careful consideration, she could only shake her head regretfully.

"Pavilion Master Fang, I haven't noticed Lin Bowen has a regular partner. His social circle seems to be always changing and unpredictable. As for any unusual behavior, I haven't noticed it either.

Fang Buyu nodded slightly, expressing his understanding of Chen Weiyu's answer. At the same time, he secretly lamented Lin Bowen's cunning and hidden nature.

It seems that if we want to uncover Lin Bowen's true face, we need to spend more time and effort...

*

After several days of busy work, the number of victims' families who came to register due to the "Broken Bridge Case" has reached more than 800.

Lin Xiangli sat at the desk, holding the account book tightly in his hand, calculating the silver that could be used at the moment stroke by stroke.

After repeated consideration, she had to face a cruel reality -

The existing silver in hand is not enough to give these families the compensation they deserve.

After careful consideration, she made a difficult decision - to sell the Lin family's property.

She thought it through. In this precarious moment, no matter how much gold, silver, and jewelry she had, they were just cold, external things. If they could bring a little comfort to the victim's family and alleviate her father's guilt, that would be their best destination.

"Ling An, I want to go back to the Lin Mansion."

Lin Xiangli's voice broke the silence in the room.

However, when she was about to further elaborate on her thoughts, she found that Ling An did not respond as quickly as usual, but looked at the door with empty eyes, as if he was lost in some thoughts.

Lin Xiangli's heart moved slightly, and he called softly,

"Ling An?"

This sound broke Ling An's immersed thoughts.

"Um?"

He responded vaguely, but failed to conceal his inner turmoil.

Seeing this, Lin Xiangli slowly approached, his eyes full of concern.

"What are you thinking about? Is there something on your mind?"

Ling An shook his head slightly.

"Nothing, just...a little distracted."

At this time, Lin Xiangli seemed to have noticed something, and she spoke tentatively,

"Ling An, are you worried about Miss Tang?"

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

Ling An was stunned when he heard this, and then fell silent. The inexplicable worry in his heart surged up again.

Seeing this, Chen Weiyu muttered to himself,

"Come to think of it, Miss Tang hasn't been here for a few days. I wonder how she is doing now..."

Hearing this, Ling An looked out the window, Tang Suzi's figure appeared in his mind, and complex emotions surged in his heart.

Yes, he hadn’t seen Tang Suzi for several days. This abnormal silence and disappearance made him feel confused and worried.

Nothing happened to her, right?

This thought flashed through Ling An's mind, but he immediately denied it.

No, Tang Suzi is so smart, nothing will happen to him.

Maybe she just suddenly figured it out and decided to go back to Sandalwood Temple.

After sorting out his thoughts, Ling An turned his attention back to the conversation with Lin Xiangli.

"Where did you mention you were going?"

Lin Xiangli told her plan,

"Based on the registrations I've received in the past few days, I've discovered that the money I have is far from enough. Therefore, I plan to return to the Lin Residence and carefully inventory its assets to see if I can, through reasonable arrangements, raise sufficient funds to compensate the families of the victims."

After hearing this, Ling An expressed his approval of Lin Xiangli's idea.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

*

Standing in front of the towering gate of the Lin Mansion, Lin Xiangli gazed deeply at the ancient plaque engraved with the words "Lin Mansion", and a wave of sadness welled up in his heart.

The once prosperous and bustling scene with many guests is now deserted and lonely.

Her mother's decision to become a nun and her father's current situation, all these changes made her deeply realize the desolation of how things and people have changed.

"Xiang Li, let's go in."

Ling An's gentle voice sounded in his ears. He gently hugged Lin Xiangli's shoulders, giving her silent support and comfort.

Lin Xiangli nodded slightly, suppressing the sadness in her eyes, and pushed open the door that carried countless memories.

As she stepped into the courtyard, the scene before her made her feel even more emotional.

The garden, once thriving with flowers, is now overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, a stark contrast to its once meticulously manicured landscape.

The once tall willow trees on both sides of the path now look listless, with sparse branches and leaves, having lost their former vitality.

The water in the pond has become turbid, with ice and dead leaves floating on the surface. The fish that once swam in the pond have long disappeared, leaving only the empty water surface and ripples occasionally caused by the cold wind.

Lin Xiangli walked through the corridor with heavy steps, and every step seemed to wander in the intersection of memories and reality.

Arriving at the lobby, Ling An stopped and said gently,

"I'm here for you. If you need any help, just let me know."

Lin Xiangli nodded gratefully, then turned and walked into the depths of the wing room and began to carefully inventory the family treasures.

When she gently pushed open the heavy wooden door of her father's study, a strong smell of books instantly enveloped her. This smell, like her father's teachings, touched the softest part of her heart.

Inside the study, everything was the same as before, but it seemed especially quiet due to the absence of the owner's presence.

Lin Xiangli began to pace slowly in the study, checking every corner one by one, and found that except for a few precious calligraphy and paintings, most of the things were books.

She gently stroked the spines of rows of books, from classics to poetry and songs, it seemed that each book carried the profound cultural heritage and wisdom of the Lin family.

Her gaze finally settled on a copy of the Six Classics.

That was the most familiar chapter in her childhood memory. Her father's warm voice and stern teachings seemed to travel through time and space and echo in her ears again.

She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and carefully put the "Six Classics" back to its original place.

However, this unintentional action triggered a chain reaction, and the books next to it seemed to be summoned by something and slid down gently.

Lin Xiangli quickly reached out her hand to steady herself, and at the same time, her eyes were attracted by an inconspicuous detail on the bookshelf - it was an almost imperceptible horizontal crack hidden between the gaps of the books.

A strong curiosity suddenly surged in Lin Xiangli's heart. She couldn't help but stretch out her hand, and her fingers unconsciously pressed on the horizontal crack.

With a crisp "click", the horizontal axis of the bookshelf miraculously popped open, revealing a secret compartment hidden behind it.

The light inside the secret compartment was dim, but it was enough for her to see the neatly arranged items inside...

It's letters!