The eunuch lowered his voice again and said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid you don't know. The young lady of the Xie family was originally going to get married in Qingzhou, and it was to marry Lin Han, but it didn't work out. After all the trouble, she came to the capital and married into the Xie family."
The Queen's eyes flickered when she heard this, and she seemed to be interested for once: "And this?"
"My Lady, the person has been brought here. Do you want to see him?"
The Queen smiled meaningfully and said, "Then let's meet him. I can also take a look at what kind of person he is."
"yes."
The eunuch left the room and soon brought in a man in a blue shirt.
He entered respectfully, not daring to raise his head, and immediately knelt on the ground to pay his respects: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be well and safe."
The Queen sat in the phoenix chair, looking down at him condescendingly: "Raise your head."
Lin Han then raised his head tremblingly. He had left the capital since he passed the imperial examination. Apart from Xie Xianyu, he had never had the opportunity to meet any important figures. He had never expected that he would see the Empress Dowager as soon as he arrived in the capital. It was inevitable that he felt uneasy.
The queen glanced at him with some disdain in her eyes. His appearance could barely be considered handsome, but his temperament was timid. It was obvious that he was a timid person before he even opened his mouth. How could such a person almost snatch Xie Xianyu's woman?
"Why did you come to Beijing?" the queen asked coldly.
Lin Han kowtowed again, "Your Majesty, the plague is spreading in Shiya County, Qingzhou. Most of the people are suffering greatly. I have already reported this to the prefect, hoping the court would take it seriously, but there has been no news for half a month. Now the plague has spread to other counties in Qingzhou. If we continue to ignore this, I'm afraid the consequences will be disastrous."
Lin Han raised his head anxiously, "This humble servant has ventured into the capital, hoping to personally report this to Your Majesty, so that the court can send troops to provide disaster relief promptly, lest the situation worsen and the civilians suffer heavy casualties."
When the queen heard the word "plague", her brows furrowed and there was some disgust in her eyes.
The eunuch quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, don't worry. County Magistrate Lin is not ill. I have already had him examined by the imperial physician before coming here. He has also bathed and burned incense, so he won't be contaminated by anything."
The Queen's expression softened slightly, and she slowly picked up the teacup. "So you came to the capital without permission and reported it to your superiors. You are quite brave."
Lin Han said hurriedly, "I deserve to die, but I really have no choice. Shiya County is poor, and there are no famous doctors who can cure this plague. If it continues like this, Shiya County will probably become a living hell. I dare not..."
The Queen was already tired of listening to his nonsense and simply waved her hand: "Well, since you have come to me to beg for mercy, I will naturally not ignore you."
Lin Han's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"However," the Queen changed the subject, a glint in her eyes: "You have to do something for me."
"I am a humble servant, so what qualifications do I have to serve the Empress? If the Empress has any instructions, please do as you please."
"I heard that you had a relative in the past?"
Lin Han froze for a moment, then raised his head suddenly and met the Queen's greedy eyes.
He stammered, "That, that's nothing. It was just an unexpected event and the marriage didn't take place."
"Really? Do you know who Xu Wanruo is married to now?"
Lin Han's eyes dimmed. Of course he knew that the Xie family was marrying a princess, and everyone in Beijing knew about it. His classmates and friends had written to him, and the prefect Zhao had even prepared generous gifts and sent them to the capital to congratulate him.
"It's just a thing of the past..." he muttered.
The Queen sneered, "You are truly useless. How could you let go of the hatred of having your wife taken away? If I were you, I would not let him have an easy life even if I had to sacrifice everything!"
Lin Han's face was pale, and he pursed his lips: "Your humble servant, my words are not taken seriously. I am just a small county magistrate. How dare I be compared with Lord Xie?"
"What if I give you this opportunity?"
Lin Han's face froze.
The Queen smiled grimly, "It's spring hunting now. It's not surprising that anything could happen in these desolate mountains and ridges, including a secret meeting."
Lin Han's eyelids twitched, and he said with a stiff face: "This..."
"I will arrange an opportunity for you. Lure Xu Wanruo here. At the right time, you only need to pull her over and confess your true feelings. Afterwards, I will send someone to expose the situation. By then, Xu Wanruo will be ruined, and Xie Xianyu will also lose face. Xu Wanruo will lose her reputation and will inevitably be expelled from the Xie Mansion. You will be able to take revenge on Xie Xianyu, and I can also make the decision for you and give Xu Wanruo to you."
"When the time comes, it's up to you to decide what happens to her."
Lin Han frowned and shook his head: "This, this is too..."
"What are you afraid of? I'll support you!"
The Queen's voice rose considerably: "Have you forgotten the hatred of having your wife taken away? Have you forgotten the humiliation he inflicted on you? Have you forgotten that woman's betrayal?!"
Lin Han clenched his hands in his sleeves suddenly. The humiliating past resurfaced in his mind. How could he forget it? He would never forget it for the rest of his life!
"If you don't even have this little bit of courage, you deserve to be a poor county magistrate in that remote place like Cowardly Nian Nian for the rest of your life!"
"If you accomplish this, not only will you help me avenge Xie Xianyu, but you'll also avenge yourself. When the time comes, you can bring the beauty back. Xu Wanruo will be at your disposal from now on. Furthermore, I will promote you and allow you to take up a position in Beijing. With my connections, you can rise to higher positions."
The Queen's voice is seductive.
A hint of longing flashed through Lin Han's panicked eyes.
This is a smooth road that he never dared to dream of.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
