Chapter 21 Father and Son
Jin Tang was pointed at by her and opened his mouth but didn't dare to refute.
Jin Baoyi hurried over to smooth things over, "Princess, calm down. My workers have been incredibly busy these past few days and can't spare any help right now. Besides, our master craftsman has been there and said the garden pond at the Princess Mansion is one of the most picturesque in the capital. If it were filled in, it would greatly diminish the beauty of your residence. It would be better to temporarily install a fence around it, which would make it easier to restore later. Our workers are already preparing the wood, and we have absolutely no intention of neglecting your residence!"
"No neglect at all? You guys are relying on your connections to the Changhua Palace, what can't you do?"
Jin Tang didn't know the truth, and seeing Xiao Fuyu humiliating him and then slandering the palace, he finally couldn't help but retort: "The princess keeps saying that the murderer is among us, but do you have any evidence?"
"Oh, who do you think you are? How dare you ask this county lord for evidence?" Xiao Fuyu had no place to vent his anger, so he jumped up in anger when he caught him. "Lingling County Lord, is this how you investigate?"
Qiandeng glanced at Jin Tang and asked as casually as possible, "Jin Langjun, some traces were found at the crime scene. The three judges believe that the princess might not have fallen accidentally. Also, because the other Langjuns were nearby at the time, except for me, Cui Shaoqing, and Ling Sijie, you were all alone. Therefore, the judges want to investigate your whereabouts at the time."
"I wasn't alone. I was with the workers the whole time yesterday!" Jin Tang hurriedly clarified. "Yesterday morning, after the county lady left, I rushed to Qujiang Pond. I was either supervising the workers setting up the fireworks stands or arranging the waterside pavilion. I was busy until the county lady came over that afternoon!"
Cui Fufeng compared Yan Penglai's testimony and asked, "So, when did you finish the arrangement?"
Jin Tang was a little unsure: "It should have been at 3 p.m. After the masters left, the others hadn't arrived yet. I had nothing to do, so I checked the fireworks display again. Yan Penglai was near the river bend at the time, he can testify for me!"
There is no doubt that Jintang did appear in Yan Penglai's previous testimony.
"He's a mysophobe. He said there were dead branches and leaves tied up with ropes in the river bend upstream. Not only were they rotting and smelly, but with the movement downstream, they would float down and be an eyesore. I thought so too. Besides, wouldn't it be terrible if the broken branches caught fire when the fireworks fell? So I untied the ropes that were blocking the garbage nearby, wrapped the wire around a stick, and hooked the debris in the water to loosen it so it would float away. By the time I finished everything and cleaned myself up, everyone started arriving, and soon the county lady was here too. How could I have time to go anywhere else?"
"Humph, you're the only one who says you're busy. Who knows if you're really packing up, or if you've secretly gone to Qichun Pavilion?"
Hearing Xiao Fuyu say this, Jin Tang was immediately shocked and frantically defended himself: "But, I'm not familiar with the Grand Princess. How could I have tricked her out and then put her in trouble?"
"Hmph, you dare say you're not familiar with it?" Xiao Fuyu pointed at his nose and cursed. "When your caravan returned, didn't you always bring your treasures to my mother for her first inspection? Later, when you wanted to enter the Imperial College, your father and I braved the snow to come to my princess's residence and beg her, offering her that rare duck-cheek fur coat. We finally won my mother's favor, and she personally went to the chief priest to ask for a favor, and even hired someone to help you get into the Imperial College. I still remember the ugly way you and your father tried to curry favor with me back then. Now my mother's body is still warm, and you say you're not familiar with her?"
Jin Baoyi was so frightened that he even forgot to cover the wound on his forehead. He quickly pleaded, "Princess, please be careful with your words! My son is truly devoted to learning, but because he was born into a merchant family, he is not eligible to attend the Imperial College. That is why my family... dared to seek the favor of the Grand Princess, hoping that he would be able to enter and become a talented person..."
"Bah! When my mother sent Jin Tang in, she told me that the Jin family's son was not a good student. Even if he studied at the Imperial College for a hundred years, he probably wouldn't pass. Why bother? Who knew your family was using my mother's power to curry favor with the Changhua Palace!" Xiao Fuyu gritted his teeth and pointed at Jin Baoyi and asked, "Old man Jin, your family must have heard about the county lord's selection of a son-in-law a long time ago and knew that this was your family's only chance to enter the court. Unfortunately, a merchant's son is not eligible to participate in the selection, so you tried your best to get him the status of an Imperial College student, allowing him to squeeze into the county lord's backyard. It's really a cause for celebration!"
Jin Baoyi's portly body trembled like a sieve, and he quickly interrupted her, "Yes, yes, the princess has been kind to us, but my son also truly wants to advance himself, which is why he worked hard to enter the Imperial College... We are businessmen, and harmony brings wealth. We have to befriend all the important people in the capital, let alone those in your Princess's Mansion. I'll always remember this in my heart, and I'm endlessly grateful..."
He tried desperately to silence Xiao Fuyu's accusations of "money-for-power dealings, disrupting the academy," but Xiao Fuyu didn't care about their lives. He raised his chin towards Qian Deng and asked, "Lingling County Master, have you seen this? This kind of dog wags its tail when it's given a bone, but bites its owner after it's eaten. Would you be interested in raising it?"
Qiandeng frowned and turned around to see Jintang with a flushed face, looking at her with shame and helplessness.
Thinking of the grand fireworks display last night and how he had devoted himself to repairing the palace and taking care of the backyard over the past six months, Qian Deng's heart softened. He nodded at him reassuringly and said, "The princess likes to keep dogs, but the gentlemen and I have always helped each other and treated each other with sincerity. I really don't understand the princess's interest."
Hearing her words that were light-hearted but sincere in defending him, Jin Tang felt relieved. The humiliation that had been weighing heavily on his chest receded a little, and he felt an indescribable gratitude. His eyes turned red as he looked at Qian Deng.
Cui Fufeng also spoke up, addressing Jin Tang, "You and I were both in the Changhua Palace, and I believe you wouldn't do such a thing. When I was selecting a husband for the county lady for the Ministry of Rites, I saw the archived essay you submitted for the Imperial College entrance examination. I still remember a quote from the Guliang Chronicles that convinced me that you were a man of integrity, a gentleman who would not do anything unkind."
Jin Tang's breath was stuck in his throat for a long time. He could only lower his head in gratitude and shame, unable to utter a word.
Cui Fufeng turned to Xiao Fuyu and added, "I hope Princess Changyi will be careful with her words. The Grand Princess served at court for decades and accrued great favors. Now that she is gone, it is time for the final judgment. I believe she promoted the Jintang out of kindness and would never be one to abuse her power for personal gain or commit corruption. What do you think, Princess?"
This casual remark instantly cut short Xiao Fuyu's arrogance. She bit her lips and stared at him, unable to speak.
After all, some things are better covered up than revealed, especially the reputation after the mother's death.
No matter how much she wants to vent her anger and cause trouble, she has to know what is important and whether she should say it or whether she can do it.
In the end, she could only turn around and leave in disappointment, leaving only one last sentence: "Okay, since Lingling County Lady is determined, then I will wait and see which young man will be found in your backyard!"
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