Chapter 266: Affair and Rumors
When he saw Zhou Chongzheng again, Lin Zhiqing's mood was very different from before.
As always, his expression was solemn, and he got straight to the point: "Miss Lin, harboring a wanted criminal is a serious crime. I'm here today to ask you to hand over the flute player."
"Sir Zhou, thanks to Liu Mang and the flute player, our Lin family has also been to the underworld. Why should I harbor the flute player?" Lin Zhiqing's eyes were clear.
Zhou Chongzheng frowned slightly: "Because the Lin family is the victim, I never suspected that it was you who took the flute man away."
"But someone once said that they saw a flute player in Bianliang. Coincidentally, you also went to Bianliang a few days ago."
"If this is a misunderstanding, it's too much of a coincidence."
"Bianliang?" Lin Zhiqing raised an eyebrow. "According to what you said, I took the flute player to Bianliang. Why?"
"Also, I don't know who witnessed the flute player's appearance. Please tell me the identity of that person, so as to avoid the appearance of people with bad intentions like Liu Mang."
Zhou Chongzheng directly refused: "Whether he is a person with bad intentions, the Dali Temple will make the final judgment."
"If I remember correctly, the Marquis of Changning should be in Bianliang. If you, Miss Lin, refuse to acknowledge it, I will send someone to Bianliang."
What he meant was that if soft tactics didn't work, he would try hard, and he would go to Bianliang to find the whereabouts of the flute player.
This was his purpose. He wanted to search the Lin family, not just in Bianliang.
The smile on Lin Zhiqing's face faded. "Master Zhou, what you said is quite unreasonable. To want to search the Lin family based on a statement that only makes things worse is overbearing."
"I showed up in Bianliang, so I was harboring the flute player. But I wasn't the only one who went to Bianliang. My fiancé, Prince Jiang, also went there."
On the surface, this statement meant that she was not the only one who had been to Bianliang, but secretly it was shifting the blame to Jiang Liuyun.
After saying that, Lin Zhiqing added, "By the way, when I was in Bianliang, I heard that several officials from the Ministry of Revenue had also been to Bianliang."
"Why, with so many people around, does Lord Zhou think I'm harboring a suspect?"
Zhou Chongzheng frowned as if he had remembered something. "Ms. Lin, you can control the flute player with your flute. This is something everyone knows."
"I've also learned about the Jianxin School taught by your Jianxin Hall. As far as I know, in the entire Dasheng, no one else besides you can master this technique."
What he meant was that only Lin Zhiqing could control the flute player.
Lin Zhiqing raised his voice:
"Master Zhou, the art of judging the mind isn't a sorcery technique. Furthermore, the deceased Liu Mang also possessed this ability. How can you know if anyone else can master it?"
Zhou Chongzheng raised his eyes, clearly losing his patience. "I will investigate the officials who have been to Bianliang, including Mr. Lu from the Ministry of Revenue and Prince Jiang."
"But Miss Lin, you are still the biggest suspect. Tell me your whereabouts over the past few days, and I will conduct a comparison and investigation."
Hearing this, Lin Zhiqing raised his eyebrows. So he was waiting here.
Want to know your whereabouts?
From Zhou Chongzheng's perspective, it does seem reasonable, but from Jiang Liuyun's perspective, he simply wants to keep track of his whereabouts and stir up trouble.
If I don't say it, it will definitely arouse Zhou Chongzheng's suspicion and displeasure, and it will seem that the incident with the flute player is related to me.
If I tell it, the relationship between the Hengzhang prefect and Lu Huai will be exposed, and at the same time, clues about the Yongqing County incident will also be revealed.
The person who reported behind the scenes was most likely arranged by Jiang Liuyun.
By playing this trick, Jiang Liuyun will benefit regardless of whether Lin Zhiqing says it or not.
More importantly, by using this matter to tie up Lin Zhiqing's hands and feet, Jiang Liuyun was able to free up his time to investigate the matter of the imperial gift in depth.
Things are getting a little tricky.
"Sir, of course I can tell you my whereabouts, but I do not accept a search at the Lin family." Lin Zhiqing's attitude was very firm.
After hearing this, Zhou Chongzheng thought that Lin Zhiqing was guilty, so his face was serious:
"If you don't comply, you're obstructing the Dali Temple's investigation, which is a serious crime."
Lin Zhiqing refused to give in: "Forcible search without evidence is also a serious crime."
The arc of Zhou Chongzheng's chest rising and falling was a little bigger than before:
"I have witnesses in my hands. Also, Miss Lin, your whereabouts closely mirror those of Lu Huai, the head of the Ministry of Revenue. Rumors have already spread in Shengjing."
"Out of consideration for others, I didn't link your relationship with the flute man's affairs. If you insist on involving them, your affairs with Lu Huai will definitely cause a big uproar in the city."
"What's going on between me and Lu Huai? This concerns our reputation, so please be careful with your words, Lord Zhou!" Lin Zhiqing's expression remained calm, but he was extremely alert in his heart.
The only people who knew that she and Lu Huai had close contacts were the Lu family, the Lin family, and Jiang Liuyun.
Apart from the time when Fourth Uncle was in trouble and on the execution ground, and Lu Huai came to his rescue with a sword, they did not have many overt interactions.
If Jiang Liuyun hadn't deliberately exposed this matter, Lin Zhiqing wouldn't have believed it.
She and Jiang Liuyun have already torn their faces apart, but both of them have concerns and have not yet brought the matter to the table.
Now deliberately tying him and Lu Huai together is nothing more than Jiang Liuyun's test and preparation for the breakup between the two.
Regardless of whether this matter is true or not, Lin Zhiqing's reputation will be damaged.
At that time, Jiang Liuyun would just act like a deeply affectionate person, and his saliva would be enough to drown Lin Zhiqing.
It was amazing that a mere flute player could secretly set up so many traps. Jiang Liuyun had obviously thought it through carefully.
Zhou Chongzheng frowned tightly:
"Ms. Lin's personal affairs have nothing to do with me. I certainly don't know what they are, but there's no smoke without fire. If other people were involved, this matter would definitely not be easily resolved."
Lin Zhiqing understood what he meant.
If he insisted on bringing Lu Huai and Jiang Liuyun out, this rumored "love triangle" would surely cause a sensation.
In this case, it is not the best choice for Lin Zhiqing and the other two.
If Lin Zhiqing let go and let the people from the Dali Temple search, this matter would not involve other people and Lin Zhiqing's reputation would be preserved.
In Dasheng, the word "reputation" is more important than anything else, but Lin Zhiqing's situation cannot be suppressed by a superficial reputation.
Lin Zhiqing said in a clear voice:
"The innocent are innocent, Lord Zhou. If you insist on searching, please treat the Lu and Jiang families equally, as well as the officials who visited Bianliang during the time when the enemy appeared."
"Prince Jiang is deeply in love with me, so he certainly won't mind."
"If you only search the Lin family, I won't accept it."
Lin Zhiqing deliberately emphasized the ending tone of the words "deep love does not lead to longevity".
She knew very well in her heart that Jiang Liuyun was manipulating this matter behind the scenes in order to delay Lin Zhiqing so that Jiang Liuyun could find the flaws in the imperial gift and continue to attack.
He came prepared, and it was obviously impossible for Lin Zhiqing to escape the search, so he could only choose to sink together.
If we want to drag it out, let’s do it together.
In Zhou Chongzheng's opinion, Lin Zhiqing's attitude is probably just to delay time.
Besides, Lu Huai and Jiang Liuyun both have a close relationship with Lin Zhiqing. If these two hide and cover up, it will be useless for the Dali Temple.
However, the Liu Mang incident had already caused the emperor and the prince to have complaints about the Dali Temple. Now that he had received new information, he naturally could not stop.
After careful consideration, he nodded: "Okay, I will investigate everyone involved in this incident that day!"
"Lord Zhou is wise." Lin Zhiqing showed no joy on his face.
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