standoff
The situation that day was so rushed that Zhu Ling still felt lingering fear when she thought about it. When she learned that Lin Xu had disappeared, she thought it was Bai Shi's doing. With Mu Wenjun's poisoning as an example, she couldn't care less about anything else. Just as she was about to abandon everything and demand an explanation from Bai Shi, Rong Wei, who had just gone to Yong'anfang to consult Liao Yan, rushed back.
Liao Yan seemed to have anticipated this day. On the one hand, he prepared manpower to snatch people from the Dou family if necessary, and on the other hand, he instructed Rong Wei not to make a fuss, and not to panic in a critical moment and be taken advantage of by Bai Shi.
The two finally calmed down, but Bai Shi and Aunt Guo had come in a fierce manner and soon led their men into the courtyard. They even used the excuse that Lin Xu was having an affair with outsiders to conduct a thorough search of the hall, completely ignoring Steward Qi's advice.
After Dou Yanxun returned, Bai Shi insisted on forcing him to divorce his wife. Guo Yiniang, holding fabricated letters, even persuaded Dou Huaisheng to relent. The entire Dou family was thrown into turmoil.
Lin Xu listened quietly. Although he was already aware of the Bai family's ruthless methods, he still couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Luckily, she managed to escape in time! Otherwise, she might have already died at the hands of the Bai family, let alone given birth to Mianxue safely...
When she heard that Dou Yanxun had returned in a rage and refused to sign the divorce papers, she was still deeply shaken.
What was he thinking at that moment? He resisted to the death, but unexpectedly, she wrote him a divorce agreement. She was the first to abandon everything.
Dou Yanxun must have hated himself back then.
Just thinking about his expression at that moment, that image of a jade mountain collapsing and crumbling, made her heart ache uncontrollably. She had used him from the very beginning, and now that it was over, she had chosen to avoid him like this, choosing such a drastic way to end things... How could he not resent her?
Dou Yanxun was by nature reserved and ruthless. So much time had passed since he was transferred to work at the Crown Prince's residence and had been out of contact with anyone. She assumed that he must hate her to death.
Seeing her dazed expression, Zhu Ling looked conflicted, but still couldn't help but say:
"Madam... perhaps I shouldn't say these things, but since you left, the Second Master hasn't slept well for a single day. Bai Shi wanted to use your disappearance as an excuse to send us servants away, but the Second Master coldly said, 'The villa is full of my people, how dare you make a move?' Only then was the villa protected intact. After you left, the Second Master almost broke ties with Bai Shi, and was punished by the Master according to family law. His already weak body, weakened by lack of rest, is now covered in blood; he no longer resembles a high-ranking official..."
Lin Xu turned to look at Mianxue, who was sleeping peacefully. She was smacking her lips happily, lost in her dream. Mianxue had looked remarkably like her since birth, especially her smiling eyes, which even Qin Mama found astonishing.
But only when she closes her eyes can one vaguely see the resemblance of Dou Yanxun on her snow-white and lovely face.
This is her and his daughter...
However, she had too many things to do now, and she couldn't think about it anymore. Lin Xu gently closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time.
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei looked at each other in bewilderment, and from then on, they dared not easily mention anything related to Dou Yanxun again.
After a while, Lin Xu asked about the whereabouts of the old people in the villa.
Now, apart from Zhuling, Rongwei, and Granny Qin who had been by her side since she was seven, everyone else has been dismissed. Gao Youyi gave each of them a considerable sum of money, enough for them to return to the countryside and live comfortably. Nongyu, who had always worked for Dou Yanxun, is now considered the head maid of the villa.
Counting the days, there are only half a month left until the imperial examination. Father Lin Fu listened to his repeated advice and declined the appointment as soon as he received the news that he might be appointed by the Crown Prince to be in charge of the examination. Thus, this important task ultimately fell to Fu Sheng, the doctor who used to teach Lin Xushou.
When she calmed down, she thought carefully about how the Lin family had fallen from power in her previous life because of Dou Huaisheng's false accusations. Dou Huaisheng was busy scheming and studying the ways of power. His downfall of the Lin family was nothing more than a pledge of allegiance to the imperial son-in-law so that he could continue to climb the social ladder.
Dou Huaisheng and Fu Sheng had no grudges against each other; they were merely nodding acquaintances. Now that Dou Huaisheng was preoccupied with his eldest son's situation, he was unlikely to make a fuss about the imperial examination this year.
However, as long as such a person is not eliminated, the Lin family will always have hidden dangers. How to completely overthrow the Dou family and eliminate this increasingly powerful force is what she must consider right now.
Meanwhile, the revenge for his mother's past remains unavenged.
The Empress... The Empress killed Liang Shuangyu and caused her to lose her mother at a young age, yet she still holds the position of Empress, and as long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne smoothly, she will enjoy a life of wealth and honor for the rest of her life.
Lin Xu clenched his hands, his clear, cold eyes gleaming in the candlelight, yet filled with an icy chill.
A gentle breeze drifted in through the crack in the window, which was not fully closed. Outside, a bright, clear moonlight and sparse, swaying branches could be faintly seen.
“Mianxue is growing fast now, so she should embroider a few more clothes. Let’s go and call Granny Qin over to discuss the designs.”
Rongwei nodded in agreement and soon invited Granny Qin over. Among all the servants around Lin Xu, Granny Qin was the best at embroidery. Whenever Lin Xu was both amused and exasperated by the crooked and messy patterns she embroidered, Granny Qin would always wait patiently by her side.
She had been with Lin Xu since he was a child. In her previous life, Lin Xu did not have Zhu Ling by his side, and Rong Wei and Qing Mo were always working elsewhere. At that time, the only people she could trust were Qing Wu and Granny Qin.
She was constantly fighting with Qi Shuang'er, but always came out on the losing end. Qin Mama would pat her shoulder affectionately and comfort her, saying, "Miss has a strong personality, unlike other people who are mean-spirited. That's why she was bullied by a concubine."
In her past life, she suffered the excruciating pain of losing her mother, which caused her to become increasingly self-destructive. If it weren't for Granny Qin's daily comforting and persuasion, she might not have been able to endure it.
Knowing that she was making clothes for Xiao Mianxue, Granny Qin quickly measured her size with a ruler. Worried that the child would grow quickly, she carefully measured the clothes several times, afraid that the clothes would not fit properly.
Lin Xu took a sip of the chrysanthemum tea to cool her down and smiled faintly, "Granny is so thoughtful and considerate, just like she was to me back then."
As Granny Qin compared the new fabric to the new one, she nodded with a smile, "Indeed, Miss was only seven years old then, but she was exceptionally mischievous, full of clever ideas like a little adult. You could never relax your vigilance around her for a moment, otherwise, she would slip away to play again in the blink of an eye..."
Whenever Granny Qin recalls these trivial matters from her childhood, she always has a whole basketful of things to say.
"Granny always has such a good memory. I wonder if Granny still remembers when I was seven years old, I fell from a tree and knocked over the grain and herbs that the steward had dried on the ground. Was it my left or right ankle that was injured?"
Granny Qin's already hunched back trembled almost imperceptibly.
She slowly turned around and smiled, "This old servant is getting old, and I can't remember things from so long ago. Time waits for no one..."
After speaking, he couldn't help but cough a few times.
Lin Xu put down her teacup, her clear eyes looking at the floating tea, as if trying to understand something from the one or two chrysanthemums floating in the water.
In the silence, it seemed as if more wind was seeping in through the cracks in the window.
The air was bitterly cold.
Granny Qin put down the bolt of satin in her hand. "It's cold at night, and you've just finished your postpartum period. You can't stand even the slightest chill." She then went to close the window.
But then Lin Xu's calm, icy voice rang out from behind him.
"At that time, I injured my right foot and was in so much pain that I couldn't get out of bed for several days. Qingwu took care of me every day. However, my nanny happened to go back to her hometown during those days, so I can't remember clearly."
An awkward smile appeared on the wrinkled face. "This old servant lives in the countryside, and it is always inconvenient for me to travel back and forth. It is thanks to the kindness and consideration of my grandfather that he has allowed me to stay at home for a few more days without having to travel... It is also kind of you, Miss, to remember what happened back then."
"It wasn't just that one time. Thinking about it carefully, over the years, Granny has often returned home to visit her family, so she must have a deep affection for them. I wonder how many people are still in Granny's family now, and whether they are all doing well?"
Granny Qin opened her mouth, but remained silent for a long time.
Lin Xu sighed softly, his voice tinged with regret:
"Or is it that the home that Granny refers to is not the countryside at all, but a magnificent palace? Over the years, has Granny always used the excuse of visiting relatives as an excuse to rush back to inform that person in Changchun Palace?"
Upon hearing this, an eerie silence fell over the hall.
Granny Qin's expression shifted in shock, but it quickly changed. She still held the scissors she had used to cut the cloth, and in a moment she pulled Rongwei, who had been guarding the hall, close to Rongwei's neck with the razor-sharp blade—
"I have treated Miss as my own daughter for many years, enduring hardships and suffering, but I never expected to be doubted by her. This truly breaks my heart!"
His usually kind and amiable face became ferocious and terrifying.
Lin Xu stood up and gave Zhu Ling, who was standing not far behind Qin Mama, a wink.
In an instant, the two acted at the same time. Lin Xu picked up the cup of hot tea and splashed it at Granny Qin, while Zhu Ling took advantage of Granny Qin's blindness from the hot tea and her attempt to dodge to snatch the scissors from her hand!
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. In the next instant, Rongwei broke free again and shouted out the window, "Someone come here!"
The guards who had been stationed inside the courtyard to protect Lin Xu rushed in. These men were well-trained and had received extensive instruction from Gao Youyi. They were told that if anything happened to Lin Xu, they would have to come back with their heads, so they dared not be negligent in the slightest.
In the blink of an eye, Qin Mama was roughly pinned to the ground by the guards. She raised her head, her eyes already brimming with tears, but she gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "Miss, you really have some tricks up your sleeve! When did you find out?"
Lin Xu looked at the person who had taken care of him for more than ten years. This person, who had been lying in wait by his side and had long been like a close relative, was actually a spy sent by the Empress.
From the day her mother passed away, her every move was under the watchful eye of Granny Qin, and was truthfully reported to the Empress.
The kindness she had so cherished for so many years had been completely misplaced. The person trusted so deeply by the entire Lin family had been plotting to kill her all along. How ridiculous.
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