Chapter 78 Redemption: Let me save you, okay?
The maid who had been brought by Yue Yining to "chat" with her had just left when the guards at the door pushed the door open again.
Seeing several guards from the Jin family enter the room, Fu Yao immediately gripped the sword at her waist, flashed in front of Yue Yining, and asked warily, "What do you want?"
However, these people simply pushed the door open and then stopped moving, their expressions shifty. Seeing this, Yue Yining also stood up. Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and they arrived at the door in the blink of an eye. Then, Wei Yihua, dressed in a red dress and wearing a gold hairpin, rushed in, lifting her skirt.
Yue Yining was slightly stunned. What stunned her was not Wei Yihua's appearance, but the fleeting tension and panic on her face when she hurriedly entered the room.
"Your Highness..." Yue Yining didn't have time to finish speaking because Wei Yihua rushed up and hugged her tightly.
Yue Yining was completely stunned. The hug lasted only a short time; the face pressed against her neck was pulled away, replaced by a hand stroking her shoulder.
"Are you alright? Quick, let me see..." Wei Yihua let go of his hand and said anxiously.
The princess before her was dressed in bright red, as vibrant as fire. Her eyes scanned her body, as if checking for any injuries or whether anyone had bullied her while she was away.
The usually composed and dignified Wei Yihua held Yue Yining's hands tightly, with such force that Yue Yining felt a slight pain in her wrists. From this subtle pain, Yue Yining felt a long-lost warmth, which made her smile involuntarily.
Wei Yihua glared at her: "Yue Yining, how can you still laugh! Do you know how worried I was?"
Yue Yining smiled even more brightly: "I know. I knew you would be very worried about me and would come to find me right away. I was absolutely right, wasn't I?"
Wei Yihua blushed with anger at Yue Yining's playful attitude. She threw her hand away, turned her back, and even her back view exuded a fierce rage. However, she couldn't stay angry for long, because Yue Yining came over and took her hand in a conciliatory manner.
She turned around and saw the man's smiling eyes. "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving me."
"Hmph, it's a good thing you're clever." Wei Yihua accepted her advances without pulling away. She said, "If you hadn't sent me that letter beforehand, and if I had only found out when the news reached the capital before setting off to rescue you, it would have been too late."
Wei Yihua was right. Jin Yuanxiu, at such a young age, had risen from a wealthy merchant to the position of city lord; he was no ordinary person. If things were allowed to develop unchecked, he would definitely take action against Yue Yining today. The journey from Yanjing to Suyang was long, and moreover, after being trapped in the Jin residence, she had no way to send any messages to the outside world. If she hadn't sent Wei Yihua that urgent letter for help before setting off to explore the mint, Wei Yihua wouldn't have been able to save her.
"But how did you foresee that something bad would happen to you? Did you predict this crisis through divination?" Wei Yihua asked her.
Yue Yining's smile deepened. "It was a lucky accident, wasn't it? I didn't know so much would happen when I sent you the letter. I asked you to come to Suyang because I had already roughly figured out the truth of the Green Ghost case. The Jin family has absolute power in Suyang. If I could really get the evidence, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to leave Suyang City. That's why I sent you to help me."
In truth, Wei Yihua was actually her lord. Frankly, there's no reason for a strategist to call upon their lord for help. If it were anyone else, they'd probably rather face the situation with trepidation than dare to ask for assistance and displease their lord. Being a strategist is, frankly, a job; you do what you're paid for, and if you can't do it, you replace them—there's always someone more capable.
But Yue Yining didn't care about any of that. The moment she put pen to paper, she knew that Wei Yihua would set off for Suyang to find her immediately.
However, she hadn't expected Wei Yihua to arrive so quickly. She had sent the letter on the fourth night, and although she had ordered it to be sent back to the capital by express courier, the journey would still take at least a full day. Besides, it would take two days for a carriage to travel from Yanjing to Suyang, and she thought Wei Yihua wouldn't arrive in Suyang until tonight at the earliest.
"I came on horseback," Wei Yihua admitted.
Yue Yining was taken aback. Wei Yihua didn't look at her and continued, "I received news of your house arrest at a post station along the way. How could I sit still? I borrowed a horse, abandoned the carriage, and rushed here with the Embroidered Crimson Guards."
"Don't look at me like that. Although I am a princess who lives a life of luxury, I have practiced riding and archery since I was a child. I am not a delicate flower that can be blown down by the wind. This little bit of hardship is nothing compared to the injuries I have suffered."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Yes, Your Highness's courage and boldness are first-rate. I was so foolish and stupid to look at Your Highness with the same eyes as an ordinary princess."
Wei Yihua could always tell that she was deliberately using sweet words, but every time she was completely fooled.
"...Never mind, let's not talk about that anymore." Wei Yihua deliberately changed the subject, turning to her seriously and asking, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I heard that almost all the evidence Zhao Xu has was stolen from you. He was able to deduce so much, so you must have even more ideas in mind that you haven't mentioned yet, right?"
“Yes,” Yue Yining said. “Before Jin Yuanxiu imprisoned me, I had already found out the Jin family’s approval for minting inferior coins, the ins and outs of the Green Ghost case, and the secrets in the mint’s ledgers. The only thing missing was the whereabouts of the copper ore raw materials that were resold, that is, the stolen goods. Zhao Xu stole my evidence and deduced the same conclusion as me, but he failed. The copper ore that was embezzled was not mixed with copper coins and transported away.”
"So now that you know, what is your conclusion?"
While they were talking, several Embroidered Crimson Guards arrived and replaced the Jin family guards who had been standing guard inside. After closing the door, the room was now filled with their own people, so Yue Yining no longer held back. She frankly said, "Your Highness, I now know how the Jin family transported those copper ore. Please accompany me to the Suyang Wharf, and have the Jin family's trading ships wait there."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Today, I will settle this case for Your Highness. Then we will return to Yanjing together."
......
Kim Eom, the chief clerk of the Sukyang Canal Transport Office, was the least noticeable member of the collateral branch of the Kim family.
His unassuming nature was evident in every aspect. He was honest and reserved, cautious and disciplined in his dealings, and his talents were mediocre. Logically speaking, such an unremarkable person should not have been able to rise to the position of Chief of the Water Transport Commissioner. However, Jin Yuanxiu happened to see his unremarkable nature and thus arranged for him to do this seemingly insignificant but extremely crucial job.
Since three years ago, the copper obtained by the Jin family through corruption has been transported out via these cargo ships of the Grand Canal. It would be best to make Jin Yan the chief envoy. No one would investigate him first; everyone would focus on Jin Lu, the seemingly most problematic head of the mint.
What Jin Yan holds in his hands is the most crucial evidence to bring down the Jin family.
Upon receiving the princess's order, Jin Yan shuddered, a bad premonition creeping into his heart. He could only comfort himself: It's alright, so many officials have come to investigate before, and none of them discovered the secrets hidden by the Grand Canal Transport Office, right? This group coming now won't be any different.
Unfortunately, despite his efforts to expedite the transport of copper from Suyang these past two days in an attempt to destroy evidence, he still couldn't manage to get it all away before they arrived to investigate. There's only a little left; he truly hopes they won't discover it today.
In that case, if another batch is transported tomorrow, all the accumulated copper can be moved away from Suyang.
The afternoon breeze was strong and the river was wide, with dense, fluffy clouds. Eighteen cargo ships were moored at the dock, and the clatter of carriages drew near. Two young women stepped out of the ornately decorated carriage of the Princess's Palace, one in a crimson dress and the other in a green robe.
Jin Yan immediately recognized the woman at the head of the group as the elegant and graceful princess. He lowered his eyes and said respectfully, "Your humble servant Jin Yan, the Chief Commissioner of the Grand Canal Transport Office, greets Your Highness the Princess."
Wei Yihua nodded. "No need for formalities. Thank you for your cooperation in our investigation today, Lord Jin."
“No need for that, it is my duty,” Jin Yan said. “I just wonder what Your Highness and the Grand Marshal of Yue intend to investigate? All eighteen cargo ships are already anchored here; if you intend to search them—”
“No need to search the ship,” Yue Yining interrupted him with a smile.
Jin Yan's beard twitched, and that bad premonition began to intensify again.
"How long has Lord Jin been in office as the Director of the Grand Canal Transport Bureau?"
Jin Yan's forehead was beaded with sweat. "Three, three years."
"Then Lord Jin must be very familiar with these cargo ships?" Yue Yining looked at the ships moored at the dock and smiled slightly. "When I came to the dock last time, I was very curious as to why these cargo ships were different from the ships I had seen in other places. Are they specially made cargo ships by the local shipyard in Suyang?"
Jin Yan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Yes, these cargo ships are fast boats specially built by the local shipyard in Suyang, named 'Kaihong'. Suyang is located at the hub of the Ganjiang River, where the water conditions in the middle reaches of the river are complex. The Kaihong boats are constructed with mortise and tenon joints and nails to cope with the turbulent currents and hidden sands in the area. The spacing between each nail is different, with denser nails where the current is strong and sparser nails where the waves are calm. The bow is reinforced with iron-clad wooden planks to facilitate the handling of different water conditions and ensure the speed of the cargo ships."
As Yue Yining listened, he observed the structure of the cargo ship, lost in thought: "I see. Then why is this swallowtail rudder a few inches wider than that of a standard cargo ship? And what is the principle behind its densely packed rudder blades?"
"Your Excellency, to be precise, it is three inches and six fen. The Suyang Shipyard took the map of the eighteen shoals and currents of the Ganjiang River and measured that for every inch the rudder blade is widened and an additional blade is added, the boat can be sailed upstream without the combined effort of two boat trackers. If you look at the vortex pattern carved on the rudder surface, it is actually modeled after the water flow pattern on the dorsal fin of the Yangtze finless porpoise. These modifications make the Kaihong boat more agile than ordinary cargo ships, and it is also easy and effortless to turn."
Jin Yan's words were all reasonable and flawless. Yue Yining, however, merely smiled and then uttered a startling statement: "So, Lord Jin means that this cargo ship's design is solely for improving the ship's shipping capabilities, and not for any other purpose?"
Thump!
Jin Yan's forehead was covered in a thick layer of cold sweat. He dared not look up and simply replied, "I didn't understand what you meant, Lord Yue."
Yue Yining withdrew her gaze from him. She walked towards the nearest cargo ship, boarded it, and touched the mast, her fingertips tracing the mooring holes for the sail ropes: "This ship is built with mortise and tenon joints. Besides the improved shipping capacity that you mentioned, Lord Jin, it has another advantage: it can be disassembled and reassembled without damaging the hull."
As soon as Yue Yining said this, Jin Yan's face turned pale. He opened his mouth, but Yue Yining did not give him a chance to speak. "Ordinary ship nails will leave chisel marks after being disassembled, but the grooves on these nail heads are the slots for special wrenches, making it easy to remove the ship nails."
"Lord Jin, what do you think I will see if I remove this piece of ship plank?"
Nails. Countless, densely packed nails.
White light flashed before Jin Yan's eyes, and his knees, hidden beneath his official robes, began to tremble.
It's over. It's all over.
But how did she know? How did she guess? This was clearly a flawless plan!
“The Jin family has a truly ingenious plan.” Yue Yining seemed to read his mind, smilingly adding this remark, which made Jin Yan suddenly look up at her. The female official in blue remained calm, her dark eyes fixed on him. “By forging the embezzled copper ore into copper nails, and then building ships, they can transport massive amounts of copper away from Suyang without anyone noticing, and sell them to various places. The specially designed ship hull is easy to disassemble, and then all the copper nails can be removed and melted down, thus profiting from it.”
"For this reason, the Jin family spared no expense in developing this specially designed rainbow boat. It's because the hull structure of this type of boat is complex and requires a huge number of nails, making it the best carrier and cover for smuggling copper." Yue Yining smiled, "If all the nails in this boat were removed, how many would there be? Three hundred catties? Six hundred catties? I'm afraid it would be more than that."
Jin Yan's lips trembled, his mind blank. "Lord Yue has misunderstood. This...this is because..."
Yue Yining continued speaking to herself, her voice as light as the wind, "Under the same shipbuilding technology, a copper-nailed ship will have a slightly deeper draft than an iron-nailed ship. A 400-ton cargo ship, if all its nails are made of copper, will increase its weight by about two shi (a unit of dry measure), which is equivalent to carrying three more bags of millet."
"The specially designed 'kaihong' ship built by Suyang Shipyard has an intricate structure, so the number of nails used must be doubled, and the weight increase must be even greater. To verify this, all we need to do is have the boatman measure the draft of the cargo ship."
Jin Yan struggled to stand upright, his lips hidden beneath his beard struggling to breathe as he spoke steadily: "The Yue people have truly misunderstood. The Kaihong was not developed with any other intention in mind, and the nails used on the hull are all iron. The reason it drafts deeper is because the iron nails rusted, increasing their weight. The reason the Yue people mistakenly believed the nails were made of bronze is also due to this; the rust has changed the original color of the iron nails..."
"Is that so?" Yue Yining sneered, pointing to the base of the mast. "Why waste words? Just ask Lord Jin to send a craftsman from the shipyard to dismantle part of this ship and remove a nail, and that will prove whether my guess is right or wrong."
Jin Yan tried to stall for time, saying, "This, this... Your Majesty, perhaps you should rest for a while. Even if I send someone to fetch them now, the shipyard's craftsmen won't be able to arrive in a short time..."
“No need for all that trouble.” Yue Yining smiled slightly. “I’ll buy this cargo ship and just burn it down.”
"Let all of you and the heavens bear witness to see whether the ship nails driven into the hull are made of copper or iron!"
All of Jin Yan's words were stuck in his throat; he knew he was powerless to stop it from happening.
The moment the flames burst into flames, his knees buckled and he collapsed uncontrollably to the ground.
As dusk approached and the sun set in the west, the river, licking at the masts, transformed into a pool of molten gold. A dragon-like roar erupted from the cargo ship's spine, and the river wind swirled and solidified the ashes into a gleaming, dark dragon. Ten-year-old oak, coated in tung oil, transformed into a fiery phoenix, its wings flapping and its cry piercing, scattering countless golden scales across the sky, as if proclaiming the downfall of the Jin clan.
A sea of fire burned away the twilight, then quietly died down.
Finally, the guards collected the ship nails from the damaged hull and verified the materials; they were indeed made of precious copper.
The stolen goods have been found, and the evidence is irrefutable. Wei Yihua, in her capacity as the eldest princess, ordered the officials of Suyang to arrest Jin Yuanxiu, Jin Lu, Jin Yan, and others, and escort them to Yanjing. The Green Ghost case was transferred to the Dali Temple for handling, and the Jin family will await their final judgment in Yanjing.
As night falls, the deep blue sky is like a downy blanket, with a line of gold and red embroidered on the horizon.
With the Green Ghost case closed and nothing else to do, Wei Yihua suggested leaving Suyang that night, and Yue Yining agreed. They didn't have much luggage, and after the servants finished packing, they could depart in another hour.
The two stood before the gates of the Jin residence, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. The princess's carriage stood nearby, its white horse leisurely puffing and swishing its tail. Wei Yihua laughed at Yue Yining, "You were quite the showman just now, mentioning a whole ship with a single sentence. How come I didn't know you had so much private wealth?"
Yue Yining blinked, "Wasn't I just using someone else's power to bully others? Even if I couldn't afford it, His Highness would cover for me."
"So this is where you were waiting for me? I'm not going to pay for your extravagant spending."
Yue Yining kept laughing. A familiar carriage drove up from not far away and slowly stopped in front of the Jin residence. Yue Yining looked over and happened to see Jiang Hairong getting out of the carriage. Her eyes lit up and she went to greet her, naturally taking Jiang Hairong's hand, "Miss Jiang, you've finally arrived."
Wei Yihua followed, noticing the handshake between her and Jiang Hairong, and asked, "And who is this?"
Yue Yining: "I forgot to introduce her to Your Highness. This is Miss Jiang Hairong, an important witness in the Green Ghost case, who will be returning to Yanjing with our convoy."
Jiang Hairong then realized what was happening and quickly bowed, "This humble woman greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess."
Wei Yihua smiled and gestured, "No need for formalities, please get up."
While the three were chatting, a figure appeared at the gate. Yue Yining glanced at it and saw that it was Jin Lingxi, who looked astonished.
In just three days, Miss Jin looked much more haggard.
The Jin family is embroiled in a major case. Once Jin Yuanxiu's crimes are settled, in addition to beheading the main criminal, at the very least, his property will be confiscated and deposited into the national treasury. Even if Jin Lingxi manages to escape death, she may be implicated by her father for the rest of her life. As the daughter of a disgraced official, even with outstanding talent, she will have no hope of entering officialdom.
Seeing that all three of them were looking over, Jin Lingxi couldn't leave even if she wanted to. She could only look at Yue Yining with a somewhat awkward expression and say, "Lord Yue."
Jiang Hairong was also a little stunned, seemingly surprised to run into Jin Lingxi here. To her surprise, Yue Yining took her hand and led her to Jin Lingxi.
The gentle-looking female official in blue smiled faintly and said, "Miss Jin, may we speak in private for a moment?"
The setting sun merged into the sky. The three moved to a side room closest to the main gate of the Jin residence. Jin Lingxi personally poured tea for Yue Yining. The three sat around a tea table, remaining silent for a moment. Finally, Jin Lingxi spoke first:
"Is there anything else you, Lord Yue, would like to ask me?"
Yue Yining took a sip of tea, and when she put down the teacup, her fingertips were still lightly resting on her side. Her eyes were smiling as she looked at the two girls of similar age in front of her: "No. The ins and outs of the case have been investigated, and I think I have nothing more to ask Miss Jin."
"Does the Lord of Yue want to talk to me about something?"
“Miss Jin helped me with the case and provided me with a lot of assistance. I am very grateful to you. I will speak to Her Highness the Princess and ask her to request a pardon for you. In this way, Miss Jin can at least be guaranteed her safety and not be implicated by your father.”
Jin Lingxi gently shook her head, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Yue, but it's not necessary. As his daughter, I should share the blame for the crimes my father committed, since I benefited from it. Besides, I didn't help at all."
"How could that be?" Yue Yining smiled slightly, a sharp glint in her eyes. "If it weren't for Miss Jin and Miss Jiang's secret help, I wouldn't have been able to solve this case so quickly."
Jin Lingxi's expression froze.
At this moment, she seemed to finally take a good look at Yue Yining's face. Perhaps because she knew the lady-in-waiting before her was very intelligent, she did not intend to hide or make excuses, but directly dropped her disguise.
Jin Lingxi's aura changed instantly. Her eyes lost their superficiality and became calm, like a still lake. Her gaze was fixed on her. She was no longer the naive young lady of the Jin family, but more like a cunning strategist.
She stared at Yue Yining and said with certainty, "You know everything."
“If Miss Jin is referring to the fact that you deliberately leaked details and key parts of the Green Ghost case to me, deliberately arranged for Jiang Hairong to come to me, and then pretended to know nothing about it—” Yue Yining nodded and smiled, “Yes, I know everything.”
"How did you figure that out?" Jin Lingxi asked her.
Yue Yining had noticed that Jin Lingxi was acting strangely a long time ago.
But to pinpoint exactly when the suspicions about Jin Lingxi began, it was after Jiang Hairong appeared.
She wasn't one to believe in coincidences, but Jiang Hairong's actions were too bizarre. It just so happened that she arrived at the Liang family's door precisely when Jiang Hairong was looking for her, which struck her as odd. At the time, Yue Yining intended to keep a close eye on this young lady Jiang; she wasn't so all-knowing as to immediately connect her to Jin Lingxi.
Unfortunately, at that time, a group of guards from the Jin family came to report to her about the sudden death of an infant in East Street.
This was the biggest slip-up Jin Lingxi had given her. Because Jin Yuanxiu would never have been so dedicated to helping her investigate the case. If the guard who delivered the message was sent by Jin Yuanxiu, he wouldn't have found her so accurately, nor would he have arrived so quickly.
Among the other people in the Jin family who could mobilize the guards, Yue Yining immediately thought of Jin Lingxi.
She realized that Jin Lingxi was suspicious after her second night raid on the mint. She discovered that Jin Lingxi was not the marginalized, pitiful young lady of the Jin family that the craftsmen described as being neglected by Jin Yuanxiu.
Jin Lingxi actually controlled a large portion of the servants in the Jin family. The maids and guards obeyed her more than Jin Yuanxiu's orders, which is why she was able to allow Yue Yining to enter and leave the Jin family after curfew without being noticed by Jin Yuanxiu.
So the next day, in order to verify her conjecture, she invited Jin Lingxi out of the mansion and arranged for her to meet Jiang Hairong.
Although Jin Lingxi reacted quickly, she almost instantly fabricated a touching story of "reunion of old friends," which even Yue Yining, who had already investigated their past, could not find any fault with, which was truly impressive.
However, Jiang Hairong was not as intelligent as her. Jiang Hairong's series of reactions when she saw Jin Lingxi were enough to confirm Yue Yining's suspicions, who had been observing her.
Jiang Hairong and Jin Lingxi maintained contact. During this year, one was trapped in the Jin Mansion and the other was blocked outside Suyang City. Even though they were separated by many hardships and a blood feud that was related to life and death, they still maintained secret meetings and correspondence.
Therefore, Jiang Hairong was actually sent by Jin Lingxi to deliver incriminating evidence and clues to the case to her, so that she could solve the Green Ghost case more quickly and find out the truth behind it.
However, Yue Yining didn't tell the truth. Faced with Jin Lingxi's questioning, she simply smiled and said, "I am a Celestial Master, Miss Jin. You ask me how I know? Of course, it's all from divination. In front of a highly capable Celestial Master, no one has any secrets."
“But there are things I don’t know,” Yue Yining said. “I’ve investigated you. You are indeed a young lady of the Jin family, the biological daughter of Jin Yuanxiu. I’m very curious, why would you go to such lengths to send your father to prison?”
Jiang Hairong had been somewhat emotionally unstable from the start. She seemed very worried that Yue Yining would harm Jin Lingxi, and kept holding Jin Lingxi's hand while nervously watching Yue Yining. Jin Lingxi eventually took her hand back, reassuring her with her eyes.
Yue Yining understood. "I'm not trying to interrogate you. I'm just curious about the cause and effect behind this. If Miss Jin finds it difficult, just pretend I didn't ask that question."
Jin Lingxi looked at Yue Yining and said softly, "It's okay. It's not a secret that can't be told."
"Lord Yue, I'm so sorry. I lied to you so many times before."
Yue Yining shook her head. "I don't mind. Miss Jin, you don't need to apologize to me."
“Back then in the teahouse, I told you that Xiao Rong’s master had cured my eyes, but that was a lie,” Jin Lingxi said. “The one who truly cured my eyes was Xiao Rong.”
Jin Lingxi was born with an eye disease and could not see anything at birth. But after that, her ability to see gradually recovered as she grew older, and by the age of six, she had almost completely recovered her normal vision.
She knew that her mother, Lin, loved her very much. Even when she was a child and couldn't see clearly and needed extra care, her mother never disliked her and always told her that she loved her very much.
In contrast, she had hardly ever seen her father.
Jin Yuanxiu was a businessman who was always traveling far away, and when he returned home, he had a lot of things to do. Even if he had nothing to do, he wouldn't come to see her.
Because she was a girl, and she was blind.
Jin Yuanxiu was unaware that her eyesight was gradually improving and that she was no longer blind, because he didn't care about what was happening to Jin Lingxi at all. Even if Lin Shi brought it up with him, he would interrupt her and change the subject to other things.
Since Jin Lingxi's brother died young, she noticed that her mother was seeing her father less and less, and always stayed in the room with her. Her father never took the initiative to come and see her mother.
The summer when Jin Lingxi was six years old was humid and hot.
When she woke up from her afternoon nap, she discovered that she could see things she couldn't see before, even things far away. Jin Lingxi was overjoyed and quickly climbed off the bed, wanting to go to her mother's room to surprise her.
But when she pushed open the door, she saw her mother lying on the table covered in blood, and Jin Yuanxiu standing in front of her mother.
what happened?
Jin Lingxi stood frozen in place. Perhaps she was too frightened to speak, because Jin Yuanxiu turned around and looked at her.
Her father, who had never given her a kind look, came up to her and smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes.
"What's Little Rhino doing here?"
Perhaps out of the instinct for survival, or some kind of beastly intuition, even though she was terrified to the extreme, Jin Lingxi remained motionless.
She opened her mouth, her eyes fixed on a point in the void, and said, "Is that Father?"
"Little Rhino has come looking for Mother. Father, have you seen Mother?"
Less than three meters away from them, Lin lay on the ground, her face covered in scattered hair and blood, her chest no longer rising and falling.
Jin Yuanxiu stopped laughing. He picked her up and said, "Your mother isn't here."
"You should be taking a nap now. Father will take you back to your room. Don't run out here when the maid isn't around."
That was the first time Jin Yuanxiu had ever held her in his arms, and his one and only act of kindness and care was to cover up his crimes.
Young Jin Lingxi nestled on his shoulder, trying her best to keep herself from trembling.
Later, the Jin family held a simple funeral, and Jin Lingxi never saw her mother again. She was not allowed to enter the room where her mother had lived, because it was considered unlucky.
She heard from the servants that there was no blood in her mother's room, only a white silk ribbon.
However, she clearly saw a lot of blood at the time.
She didn't really know what had happened, why her mother was lying there bleeding, or why her father wouldn't save her. She knew nothing; it was her intuition that told her her father had killed her mother.
Jin Lingxi was not actually a very smart child from a young age; it was just that she was not loved by her father, so she learned to read people's expressions at a very young age.
The reason she was able to lie to Jin Yuanxiu without batting an eye back then was simply because she wanted to live.
Jin Yuanxiu had harbored murderous intentions towards her. If the truth about his wife's murder were revealed and spread, he would lose all face, and he had never liked her as his daughter. If only she hadn't pretended to be stupid back then, if only she had reacted a little slower…
Jin Lingxi dared not think any further. But after closing her eyes, the look in Jin Yuanxiu's eyes would always haunt her, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, constantly reminding her of the despairing reality.
Jin Lingxi has no recollection of how she spent her sixth year. That summer seemed endless, as if it rained all year round in her world.
She harbored a huge secret in her heart, which she was too young and helpless to face or deal with. She could only curl up in a corner and cry, letting the secret rot and stink in her heart.
She became taciturn, and fearing that her father would discover that her eyesight had recovered, she pretended that her vision was deteriorating and even covered her eyes with white cloth strips.
She began to fear looking Jin Yuanxiu in the eye, afraid that one day he would discover that she actually had a pair of bright eyes and that she was not blind.
That would be the end of it.
At the age of seven, Jin Lingxi was sent to a girls' school. As the young and promising new head of the Jin family, Jin Yuanxiu also began to frequently come into contact with people in the court.
She was the most special student in the entire private school because she was blind, so she was always accompanied by servants.
At the private school, Jin Lingxi met Jiang Hairong.
Jiang Hairong was very popular. She was smart, cheerful, friendly, and quick to learn. She also had a renowned teacher. All the students wanted to be her friend.
Jiang Hairong was very kind to her. Someone as kind as her would naturally be kind to everyone, and she wasn't just kind to her alone. But perhaps because of Jin Lingxi's eye condition, Jiang Hairong always paid more attention to her and was more mindful of whether she needed help.
For the first time, Jin Lingxi had a friend her own age.
She gradually began to look forward to going to school, to the only time she could spend with her best friends each day. It would allow her to briefly forget the painful memories and ignore the unhealable wound in her heart. People always tend to escape, especially when faced with suffering they cannot bear.
Jiang Hairong treated her better and better, and the two became closer and closer. Jiang Hairong became Jin Lingxi's "little crutch." Even the teacher said with a smile that they were always sticking together and sitting side by side, as if they were inseparable wherever they went.
Jiang Hairong was also the first person to discover that Jin Lingxi was very intelligent.
"Little Rhino, you learn things so fast!" Jiang Hairong wailed, slumped over the table. "I can't even understand this poem, and you've already memorized it!"
Jin Lingxi touched her nose, a little shyly, "No, not at all."
"If only you could see."
Jin Lingxi was stunned. Jiang Hairong, oblivious, excitedly said, "If you could see, you would definitely learn even faster! You're so smart and hardworking, you'll definitely do very well on the exams, and maybe you can even become an official in the capital!"
Jin Lingxi instinctively tried to avoid the question, "No, I can't do it, I... I can't even see things clearly..."
"It's alright, my master is the greatest healer in the world! I'll take you to her, she might be able to cure your eyes!"
As Jiang Hairong spoke, she took Jin Lingxi home, where Jin Lingxi met her master, Jiang Chiyin, for the first time.
Jiang Chiyin glanced at Jin Lingxi and said, "I can't cure her."
Jiang Hairong was taken aback, then quickly said, "Master hasn't even seen Xiaoxi's eyes yet, why do you say it won't work? At least try first..."
Jiang Chiyin said calmly, "Why should I treat someone who is not sick?"
Both girls were stunned. Jiang Hairong looked at Jin Lingxi, seemingly understanding something, her eyes gradually turning into astonishment, "Xiaoxi...you..."
Jin Lingxi grabbed her hand desperately, "It's not what you think, Xiao Rong, let me explain..."
"Why did you lie to me?" Jiang Hairong said softly.
It was this seemingly uncritical accusation that made Jin Lingxi burst into tears.
For the first time in so long, she cried. The deep-rooted pain in her heart seemed to slowly flow away from her frail body with her tears.
She said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Xiaorong. I didn't mean to lie to you, and I didn't want to."
Jin Lingxi told Jiang Hairong everything that happened that summer.
After hearing the last sentence, Jiang Hairong hugged her tightly. Jin Lingxi could never forget that hug. She clearly remembered being enveloped in unprecedented warmth, remembered Jiang Hairong crying with her because of her suffering, and remembered Jiang Hairong saying to her with a hoarse voice, "Little Xi, let me save you, okay? I will save you, I will definitely save you."
Jiang Hairong took Jin Lingxi to find Jiang Chiyin. Jiang Chiyin agreed to the two children's request and spent two years "curing" Jin Lingxi's eyes.
Two years later, as Jin Lingxi naturally removed the white cloth strip and stood under the sunlight gazing at the sky, she clearly felt a stinging pain in her eyes and inexplicably wanted to cry.
Jin Lingxi knew that what she had regained was not just a pair of healthy eyes, not just the opportunity to look at everyone openly, but that her precarious and helpless life had finally found someone she could entrust her heart to.
After that, Jin Lingxi gradually learned about Jiang Hairong's secrets. For example, although she studied medicine with her master, she preferred to study poisons. At a young age, Jiang Hairong's expertise in poisons far surpassed her medical skills.
On the day she learned that Jin Yuanxiu was about to remarry, Jiang Hairong said to Jin Lingxi, who was still wearing the white cloth strip, "Little Xi, I want to help you get revenge."
They began their revenge against Jin Yuanxiu.
Jin Lingxi took the poison given to her by Jiang Hairong home and repeatedly added it to the water Jin Yuanxiu usually drank. Therefore, no matter how many concubines Jin Yuanxiu took or how much he worked day and night, he could not have a child.
In Jiang Hairong's words, all of this was owed to her by Jin Yuanxiu. Therefore, everything in the Jin family should be left to her and Jin Lingxi in the future. Only after inheriting the Jin family's assets and becoming the next head of the Jin family could Jin Lingxi truly make Jin Yuanxiu pay for the crimes he had committed.
Jin Lingxi could have endured it. She had already endured it for fourteen years. If she had endured it for another ten years or so, until Jin Yuanxiu could no longer hold power and until she was fully powerful, she could have found an opportunity to confront him, let him fall into the abyss, and make him atone for his sins.
However, Jiang Chiyin died.
That night, it was raining heavily. Jin Lingxi, dressed in inconspicuous black clothes and wearing a straw hat, hurriedly left the Jin residence and found Jiang Hairong curled up in a ball in an alley near the government office.
Jiang Hairong's eyes were swollen from crying, and she was still holding Jiang Chiyin's urn in her arms.
The moment Jiang Hairong rushed up and hugged her, Jin Lingxi touched her rain-soaked hair and her trembling shoulders.
She felt an unprecedented hatred.
She hated Jin Yuanxiu.
She hated him to death.
Why does he always kill the only people who are good to her? Why does Jiang Hairong have to face the same pain as her? Why doesn't Jin Yuanxiu just die?
Jin Lingxi knew that without lying low and enduring, there would be no more than ten years left.
She would stop at nothing to make Jin Yuanxiu disappear from her life completely.
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