After Lanqin woke up naturally, she immediately got up and had Sihua style her hair into a proper side-wife hairstyle. She then put on a complete set of kingfisher feather jewelry and a dark red cheongsam before taking Sihua's hand and getting into the carriage.
On the way back, Lanqin kept thinking about how to deal with Qiu Gui. He should have been sentenced to death for murder, but Lingzhu would definitely plead for him, and things might even get ugly. And then there was Qiu Fu—could he just stand by and watch his brother be executed in the autumn?
With a belly full of thoughts, Lanqin returned to the Ling residence. Her sister-in-law, Shishi, came out to greet her and told her that Qiufu had returned with his wife and children.
Lanqin went to see Anjia first. With such a thing happening in her family, Anjia must be feeling terrible. Sure enough, as soon as Lanqin stepped into Anjia's door, she heard her sigh.
"What a terrible thing! The whole family has been dragged into this mess for no reason," Anjia cursed, followed by a series of sighs.
"Mother!" Lanqin called out, "Don't worry, he won't implicate us."
"Qin'er, my child, you're finally back." Upon hearing Lanqin's voice, Anjia immediately came out and grabbed her arm.
“Mother, don’t be anxious. We have already separated our households. Even if he doesn’t know right from wrong and does these things, let him suffer the consequences himself,” Lanqin said.
“That’s exactly right. But your eldest brother has been in the Hanlin Academy for some time now, and it’s time for him to be promoted. If someone were to report that one of his half-brothers was murdered and executed, wouldn’t that affect his career?” said Madam Anjia. She had hated Madam Yang her whole life, hated that she had stolen her husband’s favor in her early years, hated that she had given birth to two illegitimate sons, which had annoyed her for years. Now that they had finally separated the family, even her sons were going to affect her own sons. How could she not be angry?
“Mother, the matter has already occurred. Let’s try our best to minimize its impact so as not to affect eldest brother’s career,” Lanqin said, giving Shi a wink, signaling her to also offer some words of comfort. After all, Anjia was getting old and was increasingly unable to handle things.
"Yes, Mother, Father is doing well at the Hanlin Academy these days. His evaluations have all been quite good. As long as we don't make a big fuss, no one will know. With a little tact and support from various sources, no one will say anything," Shi said knowingly.
Anjia calmed down a bit and pulled her daughter and daughter-in-law to sit down, saying, "It's hateful that your father is so senile, still caring about that good-for-nothing."
Lanqin and Shi comforted her for a while, which finally eased Anjia's worries.
After leaving Anjia's room, Lanqin went straight to Lingzhu's study. She had expected Lingzhu to come over, but he didn't appear even after waiting for a long time, which showed that he didn't want to talk about it in front of Anjia.
The person who opened the door for Lanqin was Zhou Sha, who had been squatting in the corner outside the Yongqin Prince's Mansion that day. When he saw Lanqin arrive, his face clearly relaxed. It was obvious that if he hadn't been able to invite Lanqin, Lingzhu would have been angry with him.
"Father!"
Lanqin left Sihua waiting outside and went into Lingzhu's study alone. Since the family split up, Lingzhu had actually been living a better life than before. Furthermore, as he grew older, the days without the rivalry between his wives and concubines made his life more leisurely and peaceful. He only needed to work for a few more years, submit his resignation, and he could peacefully enjoy the blessings of having multiple wives at home.
But fate seemed unwilling to let him have such a leisurely time. The illegitimate son's mischief made Lingzhu, who had just calmed down, restless again.
“Lanqin, I know you're in a difficult position, but he is still Father's son. We can't just treat him like a stranger and abandon him.” Lingzhu's temples were already gray, and his eyes were no longer as clear as before—all signs of aging. No matter what a person was like in the past, they will eventually grow old in the long years. The ambitions and aspirations of the past have vanished like a spring breeze. In the end, all that remains is an aging shell and some memories.
Lanqin knew Lingzhu would say that, but she really didn't want to clean up the messes for a spoiled brat like Qiugui again and again. Besides, he didn't die in vain. If the other party insisted on pursuing the matter, the Jingzhao Yin's yamen would not consider anyone's face and would sentence Qiugui to death without a doubt.
“Father, Qiu Gui is already over thirty years old. You have looked after him for over thirty years. How long are you going to indulge him? Now he has committed such a heinous crime of murder. How do you expect us to deal with him? Should we ask the Prince to inform the Prefect of the Capital and ask him to release his brother-in-law?” Lan Qin said coldly. Sometimes, blindly indulging weak and confused people can only lead to more mistakes. It is better to be calm and decisive from the beginning.
Lingzhu knew that Lanqin's words were all correct, but he still couldn't let go of that unfilial son in his heart.
"Qiu Fu is back. What did he say?" Lan Qin was a little curious about this brother. Logically, he should be the most anxious, after all, Qiu Gui was his own brother.
Lingzhu looked slightly embarrassed, because he couldn't quite figure out Qiufu's attitude. Qiufu had returned, but not to help; instead, he said the same things as Lanqin.
In truth, seeking wealth wouldn't be of much help; he was merely a minor official in Xiangyang, how could he possibly speak to the Prefect of the Capital?
"Compared to Qiu Fuye, it's time to let him taste the consequences of his reckless behavior?" Lan Qin noticed the embarrassment in Ling Zhu's eyes and guessed.
Lingzhu, his thoughts seen through by Lanqin, said sheepishly, "Qin'er, Father is at his wit's end!"
Lanqin sighed and said, "At most, you can save your life by asking for favors, but you can escape the death penalty, but you can't escape punishment! You will be exiled and never be able to come back."
Lingzhu looked at Lanqin with slight surprise. He knew that this daughter was no longer the gentle person she used to be. Since when had she become so much more decisive than him?
“Originally, it was a matter of life and death for murder, but now he’s only been exiled to do hard labor, which is already an act of leniency. The family that lost someone should be properly compensated and settled. I won’t pay for this money; let Aunt Yang take it herself.” Seeing Lingzhu’s expression, Lanqin, still unwilling to relax her coldness, continued.
Lingzhu felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word. Exile to a desolate land, forced labor—that meant the end of his life. To be left with only a breath was tantamount to death. Yet, he could no longer plead for his rebellious son.
“If Father still can’t bear to part with him, then we’ll swallow our pride and beg someone. But whether we can get it done is another matter. What era is the Prince in now? He can’t afford to make any mistakes. So many people are watching. I can’t use him to ask for your help in getting this matter resolved, can I?” Lanqin said.
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