Chapter 76 Lin Wan'er Turns Evil
The capital city, the Prime Minister's residence, Tingyu Pavilion.
This was originally Lin Wan'er's most prized boudoir, decorated with elegance and refinement, exuding a scholarly atmosphere. However, at this moment, the room was filled with a suffocating sense of anxiety and despair.
"Smack!"
A delicate blue-and-white porcelain teacup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Lin Wan'er's hair was disheveled, her eyes were bloodshot, and her chest was heaving violently. Her once gentle and lovely face was now distorted by extreme fear and resentment.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
She pointed at the black-clad guards kneeling on the ground, her voice shrill like a chicken being strangled, "Wasn't that fat Liu Deshui supposed to be very capable? How could he have fallen so quickly? And that fifty thousand taels of silver... how could it just disappear like that?"
The guard lowered his head, his voice muffled: "Reporting to Miss... the information is confirmed. The Regent acted swiftly, not only confiscating the Liu residence, but also... finding relief funds in a dry well. Now Liu Deshui has been beheaded and his head displayed to the public, and that account book... has also fallen into the Regent's hands."
Upon hearing the word "ledger," Lin Wan'er's body went limp, and she slumped into her chair.
It's over.
It's all over.
The ledger not only contained details of the embezzlement, but also secret letters written by her own hand! As soon as Shen Jin returns to the capital and throws those letters in her face, not only will she not be able to marry into the Prince's mansion, but her life, and even the entire Lin family, will be wiped out!
“Chen Jin… Jiang Mianmian…”
Lin Wan'er gripped the handrail tightly, her nails digging deep into the wood. "Why? Why do you have to force me? I just want to climb up, I just want to take back everything that's rightfully mine! Why did you have to destroy me?!"
Everything changed for Jiang Mianmian after she married into the royal family.
Her cousin, who had once been very fond of her, has become cold and ruthless; the spotlight that once belonged to her has been stolen by that good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat and drink; and now, even her last resort—the huge sum of money meant to fund her "great cause"—has been intercepted!
“Miss,” the guard whispered, “the master has sent word that you… should take care of yourself. If you are exposed, do not implicate the master.”
"Take care of yourself?"
Lin Wan'er suddenly burst into laughter, a shrill laugh, "Ha! Hahaha! What a fine 'good for yourself'! That's sacrificing the pawn to save the king! They want me to take the blame alone? Dream on!"
She stood up abruptly, her eyes flashing with a mad light that seemed to be filled with "destruction".
Since Da Gan can't tolerate her, and since Shen Jin wants to kill her, then she'll drag everyone down to hell with her!
"I still have chips."
Lin Wan'er rushed to the bookshelf and opened an extremely hidden compartment with trembling hands.
There was no gold or silver jewelry inside, only a scroll of drawings wrapped in parchment.
Those were copies she had secretly made from her father's study over the years, using her status as the daughter of a concubine in the Prime Minister's mansion—a map of the nine gates of the capital and a map of the weaknesses in the defenses of the northern border.
This is the lifeline of our great undertaking.
It was also her last lifeline.
"Get the car ready!"
Lin Wan'er stuffed the blueprints into her bosom, her eyes filled with malice. "I'm going out. To... the dilapidated temple in the west of the city."
...
West of the city, a dilapidated temple.
This place has been abandoned for a long time, covered with cobwebs. But under the cover of night, several sneaky figures are hidden.
Lin Wan'er, wrapped in a thick cloak, pushed open the door of the dilapidated temple.
From the shadows emerged a man dressed in Northern Yan attire, his face bearing a scar. He was the leader of Xiao Yi's secret agents in Da Gan, codenamed "Lone Wolf."
“Miss Lin,” Lone Wolf said in broken Central Plains dialect, his eyes filled with disdain, “coming to see me at this hour, aren’t you afraid of being discovered by the Regent?”
"Stop talking nonsense."
Lin Wan'er took out the parchment scroll from her bosom and held it up in her hand. "I want to see Xiao Yi. Or... can you make that decision?"
Lone Wolf glanced at the roll of paper, his pupils shrinking slightly: "What is this?"
"A life destined for great things."
Lin Wan'er sneered, her voice filled with determination, "This contains a detailed defense map of the capital and the northern border. It shows exactly where the troops are weak, where there are secret passages, and where the supplies are plentiful... It's all crystal clear."
"With it, your Northern Yan cavalry can advance unimpeded and crush Da Gan!"
The lone wolf's breathing instantly became heavy.
As a soldier, he knew all too well the significance of these blueprints. They were practically the key to breaking through the Great Wall!
"What do you want?" Lone Wolf asked in a deep voice.
I want to live.
Lin Wan'er stared at him and said, word by word, "Take me away. Take me to Northern Yan. And... I want Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian dead! I want to see them kneel at my feet and beg for mercy! I want to see this vast land...flow with rivers of blood!"
At this moment, she was no longer the petty, jealous female supporting character in a domestic power struggle.
Jealousy and fear completely transformed her into a ruthless traitor.
Lone Wolf looked at the crazed woman, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"make a deal."
He reached out and took the blueprints, unfolded them, glanced at them, and after confirming that they were correct, a gleam of ecstatic joy flashed in his eyes.
"Miss Lin, welcome to Bei Yan."
"The Crown Prince will be very pleased to see you. As for the Regent..."
Lone Wolf drew his curved sword from his waist and slashed fiercely at the void. "With this, his head will be our wine cup sooner or later."
...
Meanwhile, Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian, who were on their way back to Beijing, were completely unaware of this.
The carriage moved slowly along the official road.
Jiang Mianmian nestled in Shen Jin's arms, fast asleep. She had a dream in which she owned hot pot restaurants all over the country, and she was counting money until her hands cramped.
However, Shen Jin couldn't sleep.
He held the list of "remnants of the previous dynasty" that he had brought back from Jiangnan, his brows furrowed.
Just now, a sudden, intense unease surged through him. It felt like being stared at by a venomous snake, sending chills down his spine.
“Shadow One,” Shen Jin called out in a deep voice.
"Your subordinate is here."
"Pass down the order to speed up. I have a feeling... something bad is going to happen in the capital."
"yes!"
The wheels rolled on, crushing the fallen leaves on the ground.
The wind picked up.
What was initially thought to be a victory in eliminating corrupt officials ultimately turned into a storm that swept across the country.
Meanwhile, on the distant northern border, the Northern Yan army had already quietly assembled under the cover of night. Xiao Yi stood atop a high hill, holding a message delivered by carrier pigeon, and looked at the prosperous land to the south, a bloodthirsty smile on his face.
"Chen Jin, Jiang Mianmian."
"The game... has officially begun."
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