Chapter 142: The Prince's Friend
"Sir! I'm innocent! They must have hidden the things in my room. They're all in cahoots. Right... them!" The governor babbled without thinking, pointing his finger at Jiang Lin. The prefect, frightened to the point of almost stopping, immediately shouted at everyone around him to act quickly, "Stop him talking nonsense!" In an instant, countless hands tightly covered the governor's mouth.
It seemed that the prefecture government would not see the light of day. It was a pity that even until the very last moment, he did not know Jiang Lin's identity, nor did he know why he had ended up in such a state. After everyone in the government office had dispersed, the prefect dismissed his close associates. Only the three of them were left in the empty government office. The prefect walked up to Jiang Lin and respectfully saluted and greeted him.
"I didn't know the prince was here, and I didn't even receive him. I shouldn't have let you witness such a ridiculous thing."
The prefect raised his head and stole a glance at Jiang Lin's expression, and asked tentatively with some confusion, "I wonder what important matter has brought you here, Prince? Do you need me to send someone to assist you?" The position of the Prince of Xiaoyao Hou in the court is very important. Everyone knows that he is a favorite of the emperor. With just a few kisses on his lips, or if he mentions someone's name, the emperor may be able to rise to a high position tomorrow, or even leave the court.
There was really no clue in Jiang Lin's expression, and the prefect was even more nervous.
"I was just passing through here and came across the inn's problem. I dealt with it casually, but I didn't expect it would lead to all this later... Since this is a local matter, I have to deal with it for you. If I just killed him casually, wouldn't that be exceeding my authority?" Jiang Lin's eyes were cold, and his voice was emotionless. His tone was calm, but the prefect was terrified and wanted to kneel on the ground to apologize.
Jiang Lin took out a paper fan and pressed it against his knees, preventing him from kneeling.
"It's a private trip, without the emperor's order, so there's no need for you and me to be so polite." He looked at the messy government office, "It's just that I used to be in the capital, and I didn't know that the appointment of officials in the border areas would be such a joke. The people outside are suffering terribly, and you, as the prefect, turn a blind eye and let them embezzle and oppress them, isn't it..." Jiang Lin's eyes flashed with a bit of coldness, which made the prefect shudder.
He felt as if a sharp sword was hanging over his head. If he wasn't careful, the blade would pierce his skull, forcing him to lose his official hat and the robes he had worn for so long. The prefect's mind raced, and he replied hastily, "It was my negligence. Tomorrow, I will submit a memorial to the capital to apologize, and I will select a truly qualified official to take the position. Within six months, no, three months! I guarantee that this will never happen again. Could you, Your Highness, please show some mercy and forgive my negligence?"
Jiang Lin did not answer, and Qin Xiangnuan remained silent beside him.
Jiang Lin mastered the art of intimidating others and teaching his subordinates a lesson without making a sound. The air was thick with tension. Just before the prefect nearly fainted, Jiang Lin stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "There's no need to submit a memorial. I won't mention this to His Majesty, but if it happens again, you should know the consequences, as I will punish you for multiple crimes."
When the prefect heard this, he was so grateful that he almost knelt down to Jiang Lin.
Qin Xiangnuan, watching from the side, found it amusing, her lips curling up slightly as she laughed out loud. Jiang Lin and the prefect both cast their gazes on her, one full of inquiry, the other filled with curiosity. "Sorry, I couldn't help it," Qin Xiangnuan said calmly, her voice lowered.
The reason why Jiang Lin did not allow the prefect to submit a memorial was that he did not want people in the capital to know about his actions.
Not to mention that such actions were an overreach of authority, Jiang Lin was in charge of important military affairs at court, and even the prefect shouldn't have obeyed him in such a way. The emperor was extremely suspicious, and if he could unravel the entire story, he would undoubtedly become suspicious of Jiang Lin and accuse him of secretly colluding with court officials. This was not what Jiang Lin wanted to see, and even if the emperor didn't harbor suspicions, Gu Mingqi would undoubtedly whisper in his ear.
If Gu Mingqi finds any fault with Jiang Lin, he will step on him harshly.
They all have a consensus on this point.
What I said just now, since it can give the prefect face and can reduce a major issue to a minor one, it can be said to be the best solution. Qin Xiangnuan looked at Jiang Lin, a hint of admiration in her eyes. This prince has an excellent grasp of human relationships and the control of the overall situation. With such cunning and thinking, I am afraid that he cannot be an enemy, but only a friend.
If the two of them stood on opposite sides, Qin Xiangnuan felt that she would have to spend a lot of effort and might even lose.
While Qin Xiangnuan frowned and muttered to herself, the prefect couldn't help but look at Jiang Lin curiously and asked, "Prince, who is this?"
The General's Mansion was renowned, but Qin Xiangnuan, the legitimate daughter, was rarely seen. This was partly due to the original owner's personality, preferring to remain confined to the inner chambers and unwilling to be seen in public. Secondly, the legitimate daughters of state-guarding generals typically appeared in the imperial palace's backyards or in the mansions of the powerful. Minor officials like the prefect had no chance of meeting her. At best, they might have felt a familiar look.
After all, Qin Xiangnuan and Qin Guang are about 50% similar.
"This is..." Jiang Lin spread his hands, pointing at Qin Xiangnuan, wanting to introduce her. But before he could say anything, the person next to him interrupted him and introduced herself, "I'm Jiang Lin's good friend, Qin Xiang." She changed the name into a homophone, deleted and subtracted words to create another fake identity for herself, and said with a friendly smile, "The prince and I met while traveling in the martial arts world. Today is my first time meeting the prefect, and I really admire him."
No matter what, put a tall hat on the other person first.
As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person. Qin Xiangnuan's strategy was effective. The prefect was stunned at first, but soon put on a smile and said, "The prince's friends are my friends. If Mr. Qin needs help in the future, just let me know. I will do my best to do what I can!" Jiang Lin's favor was obtained. Qin Xiangnuan blinked cunningly, raised the corner of her lips to the surprised man beside her, and revealed a faint smile.
The two men looked at each other, and the prefect trembled violently.
The prefect sensed a strange aura about the two of them. He couldn't help but stare at Jiang Lin a few more times, wondering, how many women had admired Jiang Lin in the capital, yet he hadn't heard of any female relatives entering or leaving Jiang Lin's mansion. Now, it seemed, perhaps the prince was simply indifferent to women, but...
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