Chapter 94 "I have to spray...cough cough, I have to participate..."
As dusk deepened, lanterns were lit throughout the Lin residence.
Soon, servants brought several refreshing and delicious dishes and a pot of warm wine into Lin Yan's courtyard.
The dishes were simple, to Xiao Che's liking. The two ate quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
After the meal, the dishes were cleared away. Lin Yan poured Xiao Che a cup of tea, and then held one for himself. He leaned against the soft couch by the window, looked at the deep night outside, and sighed.
Xiao Che looked over upon hearing the voice: "Still thinking about that matter?"
Lin Yan shook his head, then nodded: "Not entirely. It's just that sometimes the evil in people's hearts is really hard to guard against. I ask myself if I have ever provoked anyone. I just want to protect my family, do my job well, and live a peaceful life. But there are always people who can't stand to see you doing well and have to pounce on you and take a bite."
Dealing with workplace infighting before time travel was already exhausting enough, but I never expected that even after time travel, with a different era and identity, I still couldn't escape these sordid schemes.
Xiao Che put down his teacup, walked to the edge of the couch and sat down. He pulled Lin Yan into his arms and gently patted his back, as if comforting a wronged child.
"The tallest tree in the forest will surely be felled by the wind." Xiao Che's voice was deep and steady. "The better you are, the more you please me, the more jealousy and hatred you will attract. This is not your fault, but the fault of those people who are wicked."
Xiao Che paused, his tone turning cold: "Therefore, when dealing with this kind of person, you can't be soft-hearted. If you back down, she won't stop there; she'll only take advantage of you and think you're easy to bully. This time, we must teach her a lesson she won't forget, and let others with similar thoughts see what happens when they mess with you or the Lin family."
Lin Yan leaned against Xiao Che's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat and feeling the protection and determination in his words. The gloom in her heart gradually dissipated.
He looked up at Xiao Che's profile, which was exceptionally clear even in the lamplight, and asked, "So what do you plan to do? Really make her...do that?"
Lin Yan made a throat-slitting gesture.
Xiao Che chuckled and flicked his forehead lightly with his finger: "What are you thinking? Am I a tyrant? It's not worth getting your hands dirty and tainting the history books for something like this."
“Death is liberation; only by living can one feel pain, right?” Xiao Che asked.
Lin Yan blinked, her curiosity piqued: "So, how does Your Majesty intend to cause her pain?"
Xiao Che kept him in suspense, twirling a strand of his hair between his fingers: "You'll know tomorrow morning at court. At that time, you just need to do what you want, and I'll back you up."
Seeing that Xiao Che was unwilling to elaborate, Lin Yan didn't press the matter further. He still had confidence in Xiao Che's abilities; they would see the results tomorrow anyway, so for now...
He yawned, feeling a bit tired.
Xiao Che noticed his drowsiness and said gently, "If you're tired, rest early. I should return to the palace now."
He said he was going back to the palace, but he didn't pull his arm away from Lin Yan's.
Lin Yan nestled in his arms, her nose filled with the comforting scent of agarwood. She lingered in the warmth, mumbling, "Let's stay a little longer, the palace gates won't be locked for a while..."
Xiao Che readily agreed and adjusted his posture to make Lin Yan more comfortable.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the faint sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard.
Xiao Che then moved slightly: "It's really time to go."
Lin Yan knew that Xiao Che couldn't stay long, and although she was reluctant, she obediently got up from his arms and straightened her slightly wrinkled robes: "I'll see you to the door."
Since his family still doesn't know about his relationship with Xiao Che, it will be difficult to explain to his mother when she returns home that Xiao Che is staying at home for no reason.
"No need. It's chilly at night. You've had a long day. Get some rest." Xiao Che pressed him down, stood up himself, and carefully tidied his temples. "I'll be waiting for you at the morning court tomorrow."
Lin Yan nodded: "Mm."
Xiao Che gave Lin Yan a deep look before turning around and leaving the Lin residence quietly with Li Defu, who was waiting outside.
After seeing off her clingy and considerate boyfriend, Lin Yan touched her hand, which still seemed to retain the warmth of Xiao Che's fingertips, and it took her a while to come back to her senses.
Lin Yan rubbed his face and decided to go to the study to type out the draft of the impeachment first. He was angry, but he couldn't forget the important matter. Even if he was cursing someone, he had to be reasonable and well-founded.
Just as they were about to turn back, they heard a series of hurried footsteps, accompanied by Wen Yun's unusually loud voice. Although they couldn't make out the specifics, they could feel the anger from a great distance.
"Mother, cousin, you're back." Lin Yan quickly went out to greet them.
"Outrageous! This is outrageous! Did our family desecrate their ancestral graves or something? How could they resort to such despicable means! Where is Mo'er? Is Mo'er alright?" Wen Yun had obviously just returned home and heard about the farce at the gate. Even though she was usually gentle, she was now so angry that her face turned pale and her chest heaved.
"Mother, please don't be angry. The matter has been resolved." Lin Yan stepped forward and held Wen Yun's arm, gently comforting her. "Mo'er is fine, just a little frightened. That scoundrel and matchmaker have been handed over to the Jingzhao Prefecture."
When Wen Yun saw her son, her emotions calmed down slightly, but her anger had not subsided: "Resolved? This time it's resolved, but what about next time? Those scoundrels are lurking in the shadows, impossible to guard against!"
Wen Ke, standing to the side, also had a livid face and clenched his fists tightly: "Cousin, this matter must not be let go. Sister Mo has suffered such a great humiliation for no reason. If she is not severely punished, won't any Tom, Dick, or Harry dare to come and bite her in the future?"
Lin Yan quickly ushered the two into the house, instructed the maid to serve tea, and then briefly recounted what had happened that afternoon, including how to expose the scoundrel, how to appease Lin Mo, and Xiao Che's promise to deal with the Rongyang County Princess.
Hearing that the Emperor had intervened, Wen Yun felt slightly relieved, but the worry between her brows did not fade: "His Majesty's intervention can naturally punish her, but such a person is like a maggot clinging to a bone. Even if she is punished this time, I'm afraid her resentment will only grow stronger, and it will be difficult to avoid it in the future..."
“So His Majesty’s punishment alone is not enough.” Lin Yan continued, “Mother, don’t you often associate with the ladies in the capital? Doesn’t Old Madam Rongyang value her pitiful imperial family reputation the most? Then let’s make sure she has absolutely no face left.”
Wen Yun immediately understood what her son meant: "You mean you want me to be in the ladies' circle..."
“Yes.” Lin Yan smiled slightly, but there was a hint of coldness in his smile. “Mother, you just need to casually mention why His Majesty dislikes her when you are having tea and chatting with other ladies. Which lady in the capital is not shrewd? Once the news spreads, who will dare to associate with her? Doesn’t she care about her reputation? Let’s make sure she can’t get along in the circle of ladies in the capital.”
Wen Yun listened to her son's words and showed an expression of agreement.
This is indeed a good method. It's like killing someone by breaking their spirit. For someone like Rongyang who values face more than life itself, making her lose face is probably more painful than beating her up.
“Okay, let’s do it this way.” Wen Yun slammed her hand on the table, feeling that her son’s idea suited her perfectly. “Let’s see how she will have the face to go out and see people after this.”
Wen Ke nodded in agreement: "It is most appropriate for my aunt to step in."
After comforting his mother, Lin Yan went back to his study, spread out paper, ground ink, and began to draft a plan to impeach the officials of the Rongyang County Lady's faction in the court at the morning court session the next day.
Although Xiao Che assured that as long as he spoke, someone would second him, one must be strong to succeed. The impeachment memorial must be well-reasoned, logically clear, and hit the mark.
He wanted to link Rongyang County Lady's misdeeds with the possible abuse of power and favoritism by her relatives in the court. Even if he couldn't bring them down immediately, he wanted to expose them severely so that others would not dare to associate with this family again.
Just as I was engrossed in writing, I heard a very soft knocking sound outside the window.
Lin Yan looked up and saw that Jin Jiu was already standing outside the window at some point.
"My lord, there's news from the Prefectural Governor's Office." Jin Jiu's voice was as calm and even as ever. "That scoundrel surnamed Wang violated the 'Theft and Robbery Law' for 'extortion by intimidation' and the 'Litigation Law' for 'false accusation and reciprocal punishment,' among other crimes. He was sentenced to death and will be executed in the autumn. As for that matchmaker, she violated the 'Household and Marriage Law' for 'marrying against the law.' She was given one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude. The government issued a public notice announcing her misdeeds, and she is forbidden from engaging in matchmaking for the rest of her life."
After listening, Lin Yan remained silent for a moment.
This is the first time in all the time he's been here that someone has died because of him, even though that person deserved it.
I didn't actually want to kill anyone.
But that's how this era is; falsely accusing officials' relatives, especially attempting to ruin someone's reputation through such means, is a serious crime.
If we soften our stance now, more people will likely think the Lin family is easy to bully in the future, and they will become even more ruthless.
"I understand." Lin Yan let out a soft breath, suppressing the discomfort in his heart, and his gaze became firm again. "They have only themselves to blame."
I feel a little sad, but I don't regret it.
Kim Gu did not leave immediately, but asked again, "Is Your Excellency preparing a memorial of impeachment for tomorrow?"
Lin Yan hummed in agreement: "I need to...cough cough, I need to write a letter to them to vent my anger."
Kim Gu paused for a moment, then handed over a piece of paper covered with names.
"This is information about officials closely associated with that old lady Rongyang, including her living brothers and sisters and their in-laws, her sons and daughters and their families, as well as her former associates who are officials in the court or rely on her power. As a member of the Golden Shadow Guard, I have all this information very well."
Lin Yan took it, looked at it carefully, and had a general idea of what it meant.
"Thank you, this list is very useful," Lin Yan said sincerely.
Jin Jiu nodded slightly: "If you have no further instructions, sir, I shall take my leave."
After Kim Gu left, Lin Yan took the list and compared it with the impeachment draft he had just written. He began to revise and polish it, striving to make every accusation tenable and the legal provisions cited accurate.
This busy period lasted until late at night.
Under the flickering candlelight, Lin Yan repeatedly scrutinized the words, revising it three or four times, until he felt that this impeachment memorial had reached the pinnacle of his current level, and could be described as logically rigorous, eloquent, and well-supported by evidence. Only then did he put down his pen with satisfaction.
If he doesn't verbally abuse the entire Rongyang County Lord's lineage to death tomorrow, he's not Lin Hanzhang.
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