Chapter 109 Ruthless Enough
It was the 18th of August.
Under the same night sky, rain fell in the capital.
Lin Xiaocong, holding an umbrella, slowly stepped out of the East Palace.
The eunuch Chang, carrying his medicine chest, respectfully led the way.
After he left, the eunuch Chang handed him the medicine box with both hands, saying, "Please take care, Lord Lin."
"Please wait, Attendant Chang."
He took the medicine box, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cicadas in the distance looking like ants on a hot pan. He then walked towards the cicadas.
Qiu Chan greeted Lin Xiaocong and took the medicine box from his hand: "Young master, Marquis Gui has taken away the second young lady."
Lin Xiaocong's brows betrayed his weariness.
He hadn't slept for two days and one night, his eyes were bloodshot, and coupled with his ambiguous smile, he looked strangely frightening.
As Lin Xiaocong was about to board his carriage after crossing the forbidden river of the palace, a rider came from the inner court.
Chen Gao, the commander of the Northern Imperial Guards, dressed in a straw raincoat and wearing a bamboo hat, rushed to Lin Xiaocong's side and pulled on the reins.
"Mingxu, I, the commander, will assist you in saving people."
Lin Xiaocong straightened up, raised the umbrella, and looked at the person who had stopped in front of him with a smile: "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
Chen Gao, aged forty-three, admired Lin Xiaocong to the extreme: "The traitor Gui has not given up his ambition to usurp the country, how can we let Mingxu go to danger alone?"
Lin Xiaocong: "The Grand Commander is loyal to the late Emperor, dislikes the Empress Dowager's relatives, and despises treacherous officials."
"If the fourth prince ascends the throne, the Gui Party will surely prosper."
"Rather than accompanying the younger generation through dangerous situations, it would be better to cut off their support and eliminate the Gui Party's reliance on them."
Chen Gao stared in shock at Lin Xiaocong, who was smiling.
"The Grand Commander appeared beside me precisely because he feared I would be threatened by Marquis Gui, get involved in factional strife, secretly defect to the Fourth Prince, and threaten the Crown Prince's life?"
Lin Xiaocong raised his hand, signaling Qiu Chan to place the medicine box on the saddle of the carriage.
The cicada quickly did as instructed.
Lin Xiaocong opened the medicine box and randomly picked out an inconspicuous bottle from among the bottles and jars.
He opened it, sniffed it to make sure he hadn't taken the wrong one, and then tossed it to Chen Gao.
"A single strike can kill, Commander-in-Chief. With your abilities, you can accomplish anything, whether it's open assassination or covert assassination."
"Like you, I despise the incompetent relatives of the emperor who, relying solely on nepotism, can distort the truth, disrupt the foundation of our nation, and bring suffering to our people."
Chen Gao held the porcelain bottle in his hand, staring at Lin Xiaocong in shock.
"Tonight, to repay His Majesty's kindness in recognizing my talent, I am willing to take the life of Marquis Gui to serve His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Commander, for the sake of my peace and stability, would you dare to sneak into the Prince's residence at night?"
The autumn wind weaves a fine drizzle that dances wildly in the air.
She suddenly grabbed the ribbon hanging down the man's dark hair.
A person with a gentle demeanor can utter bloody and deadly cruel words in just a few words.
Chen Gao never expected that Lin Xiaocong's medicine box also contained a deadly poison that could kill on contact with blood.
It makes their actions—from the moment they brought him into the Eastern Palace, to have people constantly monitoring him and demanding that he lay down his weapons before entering the Eastern Palace—utterly ridiculous.
At the same time, she felt grateful to him for refusing to marry her daughter.
Chen Gao gripped the sword hilt and laughed.
"Lin Zhongtian has always adhered to the rules, yet he has such a lawless son as you!"
He looked at Lin Xiaocong and said, "To repay your kindness, I will serve you with my life."
“I, Chen, have long requested permission from Your Highness to clear away any obstacles for you with my life.”
"Your Highness is benevolent and has rejected Chen's request."
"Now that His Highness is seriously injured, if the Gui Party gains the upper hand, the Great Gan will be in grave danger."
"I am willing to act first and report later, and fight a desperate battle for Your Highness."
Lin Xiaocong, holding an umbrella, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "I wish the Commander-in-Chief a swift and successful mission."
Chen Gao burst into laughter.
A rough man like him prefers to settle things with fighting and killing.
"You little rascal, you're ruthless!"
He tossed a token to Lin Xiaocong, expressing his sincerity: "Hu Jiu is on night duty tonight, ask him for the person."
Having said that, he flicked his whip.
The horse galloped away, splashing some water onto Lin Xiaocong's robes.
Lin Xiaocong didn't delay and turned to get into the car: "Let's go to Wanzhen Pavilion first and pick out a gift for Rongrong to calm her nerves."
Autumn Cicada drove its carriage toward Wanzhen Pavilion.
When they arrived at the residence of Marquis Gui of Cheng'en, it was the hour of Hai (9-11 PM).
Lin Xiaocong, alone, led Qiu Chan into the Gui residence.
The steward, all smiles and laughter, led Lin Xiaocong to the main hall to meet Cheng'en Hou Guicheng, who had been waiting for a long time.
Lin Xiaocong wore a faint smile, showing no trace of murderous intent.
*
The power struggles among the princes were originally just small-scale battles that did not involve ordinary people.
Now, because of Lin Xiaocong, the Li family courtyard is surrounded by Gui Hou's men.
The old woman's body lay in the courtyard, her blood washed away by the rain and seeping into the soil, filling the air with a foul stench.
Li's mother sat in the main seat, trying to appear calm.
The immense impact of power made it impossible for her pupils to focus.
Their whole family had always lived under Li Qu's wing.
In Yan, they met the Crown Prince of Yan; in Hezhou, they met Zhou Jin.
Knowing that they are like ants under the power of authority, yet Li Qu is there.
They always felt confident, afraid of everyone yet also afraid of no one.
This morning, Gui Hou's men came in and tried to take Li Rong away.
Their whole family naturally resisted.
Without saying a word, the other party slit the throat of the rough matchmaker with a sword.
The courtyard fell silent instantly.
No one dared to utter a word of dissent anymore.
That is power.
When Li's mother learned that the other party was a marquis, she didn't even have the courage to send a message to her eldest son-in-law.
And so the stalemate continued from daytime until nightfall.
In a moment of utter despair, the door of the Li family was knocked on.
Hu Jiu arrived on Lin Xiaocong's orders.
The two sides were on the verge of exchanging blows when Hu Jiu spoke up: "By order of the Crown Prince, we invite the Li family to ascend to heaven."
Upon hearing this, the Gui faction assumed that Gui Hou had gained power and that Lin Xiaocong had already defected.
They risked their lives to protect the Li family.
Hu Jiu came prepared, but the members of the Gui Party resisted stubbornly, and none of them escaped.
Blood soaked the Li family's courtyard, and the neighbors huddled in fear in the corners of their homes, afraid of making a sound and being implicated.
As the chaos completely subsided, the distant barking of dogs became increasingly clear.
Holding a kitchen knife, Li's father blocked the doorway, his piercing eyes staring directly at the Northern Army soldiers in the courtyard.
Inside the house, Li's mother stuffed her youngest daughter, Li Han, into the wardrobe.
She wiped away her tears, crying, "Han'er, Han'er, if you were alive, if you had your third sister's abilities, you would definitely become a person of high status, a person that no one would dare to offend!"
She locked Li Han in the wardrobe, glanced at her son sleeping on the bed, and left with the scissors in her hand.
"Damn it, Lin Xiaocong dragged me down with you! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!"
She went to Li's father's side, and the couple blocked the gate together, vowing to protect their children behind them with their lives.
After ordering his men to clean up the corpses in the courtyard, Hu Jiu walked towards the main house.
Seeing that the couple was extremely wary of him, he did not approach them.
He only glanced at Li's disfigured mother with surprise.
He bowed to the couple and said, "The Gui Party is treacherous, and you are all in their hands. To prevent them from harming you..."
"Young Master Lin ordered us to lie and say we were sent by the Crown Prince to take your lives."
"Trick them into thinking that Young Master Lin has switched sides to Marquis Gui and is now protecting your lives."
"In fact, we are here on Young Master Lin's orders to protect your safety."
"Do not worry."
Mr. and Mrs. Li remained vigilant.
Seeing this, Hu Jiu led his men to retreat outside the courtyard.
After leaving enough men to protect the small courtyard, he led his men toward the Gui residence as planned.
In the courtyard, Li's parents, exhausted, collapsed to the ground.
We're all human; who isn't afraid of death?
*
Marquis Cheng'en, Gui Cheng, thought the same thing.
Therefore, he was completely unguarded against Lin Xiaocong, who was going to the banquet alone.
After Lin Xiaocong was led to the banquet hall by the butler, he laughed heartily and patted Lin Xiaocong on the shoulder.
"Nephew Lin, I've kept you waiting. Please take a seat. Little Fourteen is here today; let her dance for you to relax."
Lin Xiaocong smiled gently: "Oh, the Fourteenth Princess is here too?"
"Little Fourteen is deeply in love with you. Nephew Lin is still unmarried. They are a perfect match."
Lin Xiaocong is no ordinary doctor; coercion won't work to recruit him, so we have to use a scheme to entice him.
The other party has already gone to the Hongmen Banquet, so why should we be afraid that he will not fall into the trap?
Lord Gui was full of confidence.
Lin Xiaocong cupped his hands in greeting: "I dare not wrong the princess."
Gui Hou pulled Lin Xiaocong to the banquet and took their seats.
After chatting and exchanging drinks for fifteen minutes, Lin Xiaocong made Gui Hou laugh heartily.
At the end of the banquet, the Fourteenth Princess, Xiao Bailing, personally took the stage to perform a dance and music.
A maidservant brought a cup of wine to Lin Xiaocong.
Gui Hou said, "A little wine to liven things up, my dear nephew, please have a taste."
Lin Xiaocong accepted the cup with a faint smile, bowed to Gui Hou, and downed the wine without hesitation.
Lord Gui laughed heartily and rose from his seat.
The maids and musicians gradually left, leaving only the Fourteenth Princess Xiao Bailing dancing gracefully on stage.
Lin Xiaocong took a pill from his pocket and put it in his mouth. His eyes, with their long eyelashes lowered, revealed a murderous intent that he could not hide.
After all the irrelevant people had left, Xiao Bailing slowly stepped forward.
Her light, flowing dress trailed on the ground, and her waist swayed gently.
She stopped in front of Lin Xiaocong's desk, squatted down, and looked Lin Xiaocong in the eye: "Mingxu, why are you avoiding me?"
Lin Xiaocong concealed the murderous intent in his eyes and looked at her gently: "Where is she?"
You lied to her!
Lin Xiaocong frowned.
"The matchmaker doesn't have any records of the three-part marriage between you and her, Lin Mingxu. She calls herself your wife. Isn't that ridiculous?"
"Princess Cha Chen?"
"You are the consort I have chosen. Having heard that you have taken a wife, how could I not investigate you?"
Xiao Bailing chuckled: "This princess never expected that the dignified Seventh Young Master Lin would actually trick a commoner into becoming your mistress!"
"You disdain for forcing her?"
"You wouldn't actually fall for such a stupid woman who can only make steamed buns, would you?"
Lin Xiaocong: "Where is she?!"
“Tell me why you lied to her, and I will send her to you.”
Lin Xiaocong swallowed another pill.
Xiao Bailing chuckled: "It's useless. How can you use ordinary medicine to deal with a master of traditional Chinese medicine?"
She reached out to touch Lin Xiaocong's face, but Lin Xiaocong blocked her with his fan.
She was incredibly patient, and scoffed, "No rush, this princess is waiting for you to tear my dance costume."
As she spoke, she grabbed a piece of clothing and gently tugged at it.
With a hissing sound.
Her long, slender, snow-white legs were exposed.
"It's very easy to tear."
Lin Xiaocong looked away in disgust: "Where is she?"
Why did you lie to her and say you married her?
Lin Xiaocong replied dismissively, "It's just playing around with a woman; I can lie to her if I want to."
Suddenly, a loud scraping sound came from the cubicle.
Lin Xiaocong suddenly stood up and pushed open the door to the cubicle.
He met Li Rong's incredulous gaze.
Li Rong was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back to a chair.
The sound just now was from her trying to get up and move the chair in her excitement.
Now, a maid is holding her shoulder, and she can't get up from the chair.
Seeing that she was safe, Lin Xiaocong relaxed.
Xiao Bailing's loud laughter rang out behind him.
“I told her long ago that you were lying to her, but she didn’t believe me.”
"Hahaha, how could the young master of the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion possibly marry a commoner girl who makes steamed buns? Wouldn't that be a laughing stock?"
"Hahaha, even if you, Mingxu, agree, do you think your mother will agree?"
"Would any of the female members of the Lin clan agree to this?"
“If you have a sister-in-law or brother’s wife like this, people will always ask you when you go out: ‘Which of the arts are you good at, such as playing the zither, playing chess, playing calligraphy, or playing the wuxia?’ The answer is: ‘Making steamed buns.’”
"Hahaha, that's hilarious!"
Li Rong's eyes reddened with anger.
She stared straight at Lin Xiaocong.
Lin Xiaocong stepped forward and untied Li Rong.
After Li Rong was freed, she pulled out the object blocking her mouth and moved her jaw.
Just as she was about to question Lin Xiaocong, Lin Xiaocong pulled her into his arms.
Warm liquid splashed onto her ear.
She heard the sound of the maidservant falling to the ground.
Lin Xiaocong cut off a section of Li Rong's sleeve with his soft sword and tied it to her eyes.
He wiped away the bloodstains that had splattered on her ear, then leaned down and kissed her earlobe: "My dear Rong'er, don't look around, there are dead people."
Li Rong felt a sense of dread, as if she were being licked by a snake's tongue.
"Stay close to me, and I'll take you home."
He took her hand in his and led her outside.
Xiao Bailing frowned as she looked at the soft sword in Lin Xiaocong's hand that could kill without getting blood on its hands.
Lin Xiaocong stepped forward with a gentle expression and stood in front of Xiao Bailing.
"Fourteenth Princess, did I ever say that I dare not presume to be worthy of your status, and that you should have some self-respect?"
He was clearly gentle and smiling, but Xiao Bailing could still feel a chill rising from the soles of her feet.
She couldn't help but swallow hard: "This is the Marquis of Chengen's residence!"
"Your subject understands."
He placed the soft sword on Xiao Bailing's shoulder: "I dislike tactless women the most."
A sword to slit the throat.
Xiao Bailing's eyes were filled with fear when she looked at Lin Xiaocong before she died.
It seemed like she was meeting this man for the first time.
Lin Xiaocong released Li Rong's hand, took out a pill, and put it under his tongue.
He continued walking out, holding Li Rong's hand.
He noticed she was trembling and spoke gently:
"Everyone in this Marquis's mansion is involved in the plot to murder the Crown Prince. They intended to bring chaos to the country, and their deaths are not a pity."
"I am a good person and do not usually commit murder."
"Today we are ridding the country of a scourge."
She clearly didn't believe it.
He further explained: "The Guangxi clique is scheming, flattering and misleading the leader, only caring about its own interests and ignoring the people's livelihood."
“If we do not eliminate them today, they will surely exploit the people when they come to power.”
"In that case, it will be the powerless common people who will suffer."
Li Rong, having misspoke, was stiffly pulled along by him, stumbling forward.
Without sight, the other senses are magnified infinitely.
Along the way, screams, the sound of running, and the shouts of the Imperial Guards, "Lord Gui is plotting rebellion. We are ordered to arrest him. Those who resist will die!" could be heard all the way.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Li Rong heard the sound of cicadas.
“Young master, I have not failed in my mission. I have been following Lord Gui all along and witnessed him die from poisoning. After that, I opened the gate to welcome the Northern Army into the mansion.”
Lin Xiaocong praised him: "You did a good job."
He put her into the carriage and instructed Qiu Chan, "Take her back first."
Then he turned around and entered the residence of the Marquis of Chengen.
He cleaned up the mess and gave a bloody warning to all those who dared to mess with his mistress.
He slaughtered the entire family of Marquis Cheng'en, Gui Cheng.
When Hu Jiu arrived, Lin Xiaocong was carrying Gui Hou's head as he walked out of the Chengen Marquis's mansion.
I don't know when the rain stopped.
His clothes were wet, and his light blue robes were a deep color.
He threw Gui Hou's head at Hu Jiu's feet.
He laughed and said, "You Imperial Guards are too ruthless, how could you wipe out an entire family?"
Hu Jiu swallowed hard and cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Gui is putting up a stubborn resistance, and we are simply following orders."
"Search the study thoroughly, even break the flowerpots to find out the traitors in the Gui Party. Do not overlook any evidence of their treason due to negligence."
"Young Master Xie Lin reminded me."
Lin Xiaocong wrapped the soft sword around his waist, casually grabbed a horse parked at the door, and mounted it.
He patted his shoulder: "Do you think my shoulder is so easy to pat?"
Gui Cheng, the leader of the Gui Party, who was guarded by his personal bodyguards for twenty days and nights without leaving his side, was a cautious man who even had his food tested for poison. He died from poisoning.
Lin Xiaocong spurred his horse toward Chuntang Garden.
As for what happened next, the princelings will handle it.
Is he involved in factional strife?
The Lin family members never participate in factional struggles; he is merely here to eliminate the fools who are ruining his plans.
To say he committed murder?
Yes, he'll kill anyone who touches her!
*
Spring Begonia Garden.
Lin Xiaocong washed up and went to the main house.
Li Rong, who was lying on the tatami fully clothed, suddenly sat up when she heard footsteps.
Lin Xiaocong called out to her with a smile, "Rongrong, I heard you haven't eaten. Is it because the food wasn't to your liking?"
Li Rong felt a chill run down her spine when she saw his faint smile.
But what I felt most was anger.
"You're lying to me?"
"I'm not lying to you."
"I heard everything!"
"It's a lie to Xiao Bailing."
"Then take me back to the Marquis's residence! I want to see the elders of the Marquis's residence! I want to see with my own eyes whether my name is on your Lin family genealogy!"
“We haven’t had time to go back and register you in the family genealogy yet. I’ll take you back to the manor tomorrow.” He stepped forward.
Li Rong backed away in fright: "Don't come any closer!"
"Rongrong." His voice softened as he stepped closer.
"I'm very tired. Be good and let me hug you."
"We will not consummate our marriage tonight."
Li Rong refused his approach: "Didn't that princess give you some kind of unusual medicine?"
"I have an extraordinary way to solve this, so don't be afraid."
He softened his approach, trapping her in the corner between the pillars and the flower stand.
He stepped forward and said softly, "I'm sorry Rongrong was frightened. Do you like the gift I picked out for you today?"
Li Rong was in no mood to look at the gifts; she was both afraid of and angry with him.
"If you don't say anything, it means you don't like it. Rongrong can go and pick out what she likes tomorrow."
He reached out his hand to her.
She screamed, covered her face, and turned her back to him.
He stepped forward, pressed himself against her, and pulled her into his arms.
"My dear Rong'er, turn around and let me give you a kiss."
He turned the person around.
She raised her hand and pressed it against his chest, looking up at him with some fear: "I want to go home."
Her body trembled slightly uncontrollably.
She was finally frightened.
Lin Xiaocong sighed, utterly helpless.
"Rongrong, this is your home."
Li Rong shook her head: "I want to find my parents."
"They're all fine, you don't need to worry."
"Can you stay away from me?"
"I said we won't consummate the marriage tonight."
"Your eyes are so red, I'm scared!"
Lin Xiaocong left, and he extinguished all the candles in the room.
Li Rong was even more frightened.
When he reappeared before her, she was holding flowers from the flower stand in her arms: "You killed someone, I'm scared."
"They can kidnap you today, and they can kill you tomorrow. If I don't kill them, you'll be in danger. What do you suggest we do?"
He placed the flowerpot she was holding on the flower stand.
"Rongrong, be good. My patience isn't unlimited."
Darkness can effectively conceal a person's true expression.
This was the first time Li Rong had heard a warning uttered by Lin Xiaocong.
She unconsciously swallowed.
"I'm going to carry you to bed now, be a good girl, okay?"
She didn't make a sound, but the sound of her heels scraping against the pillars told him that she was shrinking back.
He crouched down to hug her, but her arm suddenly moved.
He grabbed her wrist, took the hairpin that was sticking up to him from her hand, and casually threw it on the ground.
He didn't speak, whether out of guilt or extreme exhaustion, he lacked his usual patience.
He grabbed both of her wrists and lowered his head to kiss her lips directly.
She struggled, while he relentlessly conquered her territory.
The flowerpots on the plant stand were wobbling and looked like they were about to fall.
She cried and pushed him away, saying, "No, no, please don't."
He didn't speak, but reached out with his large hand to her skirt. The more she cried, the harder he gripped her.
Each gasp and cry of pain from her brought him comfort after two days of worry.
"My dear Rong'er, please don't do anything to make me angry again, okay?"
She quickly replied, "Mhm."
"Say a complete sentence to me."
Her voice trembled and choked with sobs: "I... I will never use a hairpin to stab you again."
"Mmm, good girl." He kissed her lips. "If you're sleepy, go to bed and wait for me."
Withdraw your hand.
He stepped back, then turned around and ordered someone to bring water in to wash his hands.
He had barely finished speaking when he noticed Li Rong crawling on the ground looking for something.
He turned around, strode forward, and grabbed Li Rong's wrist, which she was about to stab herself with a hairpin.
"Li Rong!"
Qiu Hui lights the lamp.
As the light in the room gradually brightened, Lin Xiaocong saw that her flushed cheeks, still stained with passion, were streaked with tears.
Her eyes lost their color.
Seeing that she couldn't kill herself, she let go and threw away the hairpin.
Lin Xiaocong regretted his haste.
He rubbed his temples with his clean hands.
Tonight, I'm tainted by anger, which has disturbed my peace of mind.
He said softly, "Rongrong, your virginity mark is still there, you haven't lost your innocence."
"I said we wouldn't consummate our marriage tonight, and I definitely won't touch you."
Li Rong turned her head away from him, tears of humiliation streaming down her face.
Lin Xiaocong comforted her, "I won't do it again next time, don't cry."
"I want to go home!"
"Okay, I'll have Qiu Hui take you home."
Her eyes gradually regained their color.
He breathed a sigh of relief: "I have to go to the palace tomorrow morning. Wait for me at home. After I've dealt with things in the palace, I'll take you back to the Marquis's residence."
Li Rong replied dismissively, "Okay."
He stared at her for a while before asking, "Rongrong, you're not going to leave Beijing and head south, are you?"
Li Rong quickly shook her head: "No, no."
"Let Qiu Hui go back with you and take care of you, okay?"
Li Rong nodded: "Okay."
Lin Xiaocong stepped forward and kissed her. Seeing that she didn't dodge, he let her go.
She left without looking back, her steps quick, which gave him a terrible headache.
"How can someone have such a fiery temper!"
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