"Miss Lin Si has come today to try and buy a way out for your Lin family. Let me calculate how many silver notes Miss Lin Si brought!" After Ye Xianya finished speaking, she started to calculate with her fingers.
Lin Feiyan suddenly became anxious.
When she heard that Lu Yonglin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, had come to Ye Xianya for fortune-telling, she guessed that this matter must be related to their Zhongyong Earl's Mansion, so she immediately told her father and mother.
My father panicked and became incoherent.
Fortunately, her mother remained calm and had her bring 100,000 taels of silver to the princess's residence. Unexpectedly, the princess did not give her any face.
"Ten thousand taels of silver notes, your Zhongyong Marquis's mansion is indeed richer than a country. It's just a pity you're a step too late. I, the princess, have recorded all the crimes committed by your Lin family and sent them to the Jingzhao government office!" Ye Xianya said calmly.
Lin Feiyan was shocked upon hearing her words: "This... Princess, are you mistaken? Our Lin family has always been law-abiding. Even though my mother relied on her family to do some business, she always followed the rules and never violated the law. The one who made a mistake was my third brother!"
When I came, my father said that if there was really no other way, I shouldn't worry about my third brother; preserving the family was the most important thing.
As for the third brother, he was the one who killed someone first, and his family has already done their best.
"Your Lin family and Jiang family colluded to illegally trade salt in Jiangnan and the Northwest. Isn't that a serious crime? Furthermore, you sold inferior salt mixed with river sand to the people, yet the price remained the same as before. Local officials took bribes and turned a blind eye..."
Ye Xianya's expression turned cold as she said this: "In addition, you have been reselling farmland in various places, causing some people to have no land to cultivate and to become tenant farmers. Their lives are in your hands. Over the years, quite a few people have died from exhaustion on your Lin family's farms."
These prominent families in the capital really need to be thoroughly investigated.
If Lu Yonglin hadn't come to her for help, Ye Xianya wouldn't have used divination to predict the Lin family's actions over the years.
"No, that's impossible!" Lin Feiyan quickly shook her head: "My mother and uncles wouldn't do such illegal things. The Jiang family are imperial merchants; they know the rules best. They wouldn't..."
"Just because you don't know doesn't mean they didn't do it!" Ye Xianya said, waving her hand. "See Miss Lin out."
"Yes," the guard replied, turning to look at Lin Feiyan. "Please, Fourth Miss Lin!"
"Princess!" Lin Feiyan suddenly knelt on the ground: "Please, Princess, have mercy! Even if... even if my mother made a mistake, our Zhongyong Marquis's Mansion is not guilty of death and should not be exterminated. My grandfather also led troops into battle and died for the country. Please, Princess, have mercy!"
"Miss Lin, you should say these words to Prefect Wu of the Jingzhao Prefecture. I, the princess, am not responsible for judging cases. Prefect Wu is always fair and will investigate the matter of your Zhongyong Marquis's Mansion thoroughly and report it to the court. His Majesty will make his own decision," Ye Xianya said calmly.
Ye Xianya was certain that not everyone in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was bad.
Take this Miss Lin for example. Although she is a bit spoiled and has no manners, she always acts carefree wherever she goes. But she is also quite kind-hearted and has helped many ordinary people since she was a child.
But everyone has selfish desires.
Even though Lin Si-guniang knew that her third brother had committed a grave mistake by killing someone, she still chose to protect him.
This was true throughout the entire Zhongyong Earl's household.
Moreover, from the masters to the servants, everyone in the Zhongyong Earl's household has been living an incredibly luxurious life for years.
All of this was maintained by his wife and her brothers engaging in shady businesses.
Since the people of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion enjoyed these benefits, the confiscation of their property is a consequence they should bear.
As for exterminating the entire clan?
No, not at all!
According to the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty, the Marquis of Zhongyong's family would be stripped of their title and their property confiscated; some people would be executed, and some would be exiled.
People like Lin Si Guniang would be demoted to commoners and driven out of the capital.
"Princess!" Lin Feiyan wanted to plead for her, but found that her body was uncontrollably drifting out of the house.
Ye Xianya was already getting impatient and didn't want to hear any more of her words.
If it weren't for Lin Feiyan's many good deeds and accumulated merit, Ye Xianya wouldn't have wanted to say those words to her at all.
After all, the Marquis of Zhongyong's family has committed quite a few crimes over the years.
Especially Lin Feiyan's elder brother, a vain and lecherous playboy who has ruined many girls over the years.
The reason someone died this time was because the girl was strong-willed and refused to comply, causing Young Master Lin to lose his patience and push her off the attic.
The girl didn't die after falling, but Young Master Lin forbade anyone to take her to the hospital, leaving her lying on the ground unattended. She lost too much blood and died.
The girl's brother was also a man of strong character. He refused the one hundred taels of silver offered by the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and chose to report it to the authorities. As a result, he was killed by the men sent by the Third Young Master Lin on his way back.
This case was extremely serious. Lu Yonglin, who is known for his fairness and impartiality, took over the case and chose to handle it impartially, which is why the matter escalated.
After being sent away, Lin Feiyan left the princess's residence with tears in her eyes. She didn't know what to do and stood at the entrance of the princess's residence in a daze, her eyes red.
At this moment, she was completely different from the confident woman she had arrived with.
"Miss...where are we going now?" The maid Pei'er stepped forward and asked cautiously.
"Pei'er, how have I treated you all these years?" Lin Feiyan asked, her voice trembling as she grasped the maid's hand.
“When I was a beggar on the streets, I was almost frozen and starved to death. It was Miss who saved me. You have been very kind to me all these years. This is a blessing I earned in my past life,” Pei’er said quickly.
“Take this purse. You don’t have a contract of indenture, so you’re not considered a member of my Zhongyong Marquis’s mansion. Take these silver notes and leave the capital. Go… go to Qinghe County. Buy a small estate there with several dozen acres of land. I’ll come find you then, Pei’er… I won’t hide it from you. Something big is about to happen to our Zhongyong Marquis’s mansion. If you still remember my kindness, do as I say. If you don’t want to, take these silver notes and leave. Go as far away as you can.” Lin Feiyan said with tears in her eyes.
There were two thousand taels of silver in her purse. She usually carried a lot of silver notes with her when she went out, and today was no exception.
As for the 100,000 taels of silver her mother gave her to bribe Ye Xianya, she couldn't touch it and dared not touch it.
Their Zhongyong Earl's Mansion will definitely be raided.
Pei'er was a maid she rescued from the street seven years ago, not someone she bought, so there was no indenture.
Her mother said that it would be proper for the maids to have a contract of servitude, and Pei'er was willing to sign it, but Lin Feiyan did not agree.
She always trusted Pei'er.
Now it's up to Pei'er to decide what to do.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com