Chapter 20: Jin Family
Jin Tang was stunned for a moment, with his mouth open, not knowing how to answer, when he suddenly felt his body lighten.
A figure approached without anyone noticing, and with a single twirl, he swept all the servants who were beating him to the ground. Amidst the endless thuds and cries of pain, the figure grabbed Jin Baoyi, who was sprawled on the ground, by the back of his vest and lifted him up, looking at Jin Tang: "Get up."
The one with such extraordinary skills is naturally Ling Tianshui.
Jin Tang propped himself up and quickly supported the breathless Jin Baoyi.
Chang Si'en looked at Ling Tianshui and took a step back in fear, still pretending to be arrogant: "You... who are you? How dare you stop me from punishing the murderer in the princess's mansion in public?"
"The imperial court is carefully investigating Princess Gao's death, and the three judicial departments have yet to reach a conclusion. I wonder how Eunuch Chang learned the truth and is so eager to stir up trouble."
A voice as clear and icy as ice and jade came from behind him. Chang Si'en's scalp tightened when he heard the tone. Turning back to see who was coming, the crimson official uniform tightly wrapped around his slender and graceful figure was indeed the dreaded Dali Temple Shaoqing Cui Fufeng.
He took another step back, shrinking behind the servants, his face fierce but his heart weak. "Master Cui, our Grand Princess has been murdered, and yet the gambling den is openly displaying the suspects around the streets to attract attention. Do you have any say in this?"
"The court has its own arrangements for the Grand Princess's case. Why would you resort to unauthorized violence, injuring others, and disrupting businesses?" Cui Fufeng said coldly, surveying the chaotic scene. "The Princess's Mansion needs to investigate the truth behind the Princess's death. The court and the three judicial departments are responsible for this. Why bother making things difficult for local businesses and residents, and causing harm to innocent people for no reason?"
Chang Si'en was furious and said something very unpleasant: "Master Cui, there's no need to preach. You are also one of the suspects in Lingling County Lord's murder. Why are you so protective of your Lady? Do you think you are destined to be her husband?"
"Whether you're the county lady's husband or not, I'm a junior official at the Dali Temple. It's my job to uphold the court's laws and maintain national discipline." Cui Fufeng brushed his official robes and said sternly, "This time, the princess's mansion committed violence in the market, harming innocent people and disrupting normal businesses. The censors will inevitably impeach us. Return and await the court's decision!"
When the people around heard this, they all applauded and said, "That's right, isn't our money money? If Shengfa Casino is destroyed by you, won't we lose everything?"
"That's right. Didn't the Grand Princess fall into the water? We common people are just having some fun, betting on the Lingling County Lady's husband. How does this affect your Princess Mansion?"
"Look, the Princess of Lingling never cares, but you, the Princess's Mansion, are so nosy, causing trouble even though you have nothing to do with us. Can you learn from the Princess of Lingling's magnanimity?"
Qian Deng's lips twitched as he listened to these discussions. He thought, "Who said I don't care? I just have too many things to do and haven't had time to think about it yet."
"You, you bunch of unruly people..." Chang Si'en bulged his eyes, looking from Cui Fufeng to Ling Tianshui, and finally managed only one sentence, "Okay, then we in the Princess Mansion will wait and see whether Cui Shaoqing can be fair and selfless and find the real culprit!"
Seeing the group from the Princess' Mansion return home empty-handed, Jin Baoyi, supported by Jin Tang, repeatedly assured them that the gambling house's account books were backed up and that the bets would be cleared quickly, and that nothing would go wrong. They simply had to close for two days to clean up the mess, but the Jin family would definitely not default on their debts, so rest assured.
When the crowd dispersed, Jin Baoyi sighed, squatted down with difficulty, and picked up the broken wooden sign with Jin Tang's name on it. He wiped the footprints on it with his sleeve and whispered, "Silang, you were the one who insisted on running for the County Lady's husband. Now that the Princess's Mansion has broken off relations with us, you have no choice but to continue on this path."
Jin Tang lowered his head and responded muffledly.
"That's good. The Princess's Mansion is about to fall apart, so it's a good thing we changed our backers before the turmoil." Jin Baoyi picked up all the wooden signs on the ground and wiped the blood from his head. "Be careful and serve the county lady well. Our family will rely on you from now on!"
Turning around, he beamed, and with Jintang, he thanked Cui Fufeng and Ling Tianshui profusely: "Alas! This princess's mansion is so abusive and bullying. Today, I'm so thankful to have Cui Shaoqing and Ling Sijie's help. I'm truly grateful!"
Cui Fufeng said, "You're welcome. Jintang and I are both in the County Lord's backyard. We've known each other for a long time and have a history of helping each other. How can we stand by and watch our friend being bullied?"
Jin Baoyi patted Jin Tang's shoulder with relief and invited them in for tea. Turning around, he saw Cui Fufeng invite the thin young man standing quietly beside him to go first. He was surprised, and Jin Tang, already stunned, stammered, "County... County Master? Why are you here?"
Qian Deng nodded at him and said, "The Princess's Mansion has always been at odds with my Changhua Palace. I'm worried that you might get caught up in the conflict, so I came to see you. I also ask the two gentlemen, Cui Shu, to support you."
Jin Tang looked at her with emotion, his throat tightening for a moment: "Thank you, County Master..."
"The county lady has been working so hard for our son, and the Jin family is truly grateful!" Jin Baoyi's smile stretched to the back of his head, and he hurriedly invited her in. "County lady, please come in and have a cup of tea and rest for a while."
Although the gambling house's facade was smashed to pieces, the small courtyard in the backyard was not affected. There was a stone table and stone benches under a clump of bamboo, which looked quite elegant.
Jin Baoyi was busy running around and personally served the best yogurt tea.
Qian Deng signaled him not to bother: "Don't worry, old man, you should take care of the wound first. We need to discuss some trivial matters with your son."
"Okay, okay." Jin Baoyi smiled so hard that his teeth were showing. He nudged Jin Tang with his elbow to signal him to perform well. He turned around happily and was about to take his people away.
When he turned around, he was as if he had seen a ghost. He saw the person opposite him shrinking back, and his voice trembled: "Princess Changyi... I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. Please forgive me, please forgive me!"
Qian Deng and the other two exchanged glances, then stood up and went to the front of the courtyard. Who else could it be but Xiao Fu Yu who came over from the front yard with Chang Si'en?
She, who always wore brightly colored clothes, was now wearing plain clothes, with a white gauze tied in her hair. Her face, without any makeup, looked haggard and dull. Only the proud demeanor she had developed since childhood was not diluted by the sadness.
She glanced at Jin Baoyi, then walked straight towards Qian Deng and the others, asking bluntly, "Master Cui, I heard that you blocked the Princess Mansion's actions in public? How is it that, before my mother's body is even cold, no one takes the Princess Mansion of Gao Kingdom seriously?"
"Princess Changyi." Cui Fufeng stood to greet her, his tone calm. "The court has entrusted us, the three judicial officials, to conduct a detailed investigation into the Grand Princess's case. The current progress of the case should have been kept confidential, but Eunuch Chang has taken the initiative to make it public, hindering the court's investigation. I was just about to discuss this matter with your family. I believe that the princess is concerned about the princess's affairs after her death and will not show favoritism. Since you have brought him here, hand him over to us and take him away for your fate."
In just a few words, the roles of perpetrator and victim were reversed. Xiao Fuyu's face froze, and Chang Sien's knees weakened as he pleaded, "Princess, I... I also obey..."
"Shut up!" Xiao Fu Yu whispered to stop her. When he raised his eyes, he saw the man in men's clothes next to Cui Fufeng and recognized that it was Qian Deng.
She glared at Qian Deng and said bluntly, "If I don't spread the news quickly, who knows if the Lingling County Lady will do something behind the scenes to protect her fiancé?"
Qian Deng asked: "Why do you say that, Princess? Do you think I am that kind of person?"
"Hmph, I don't know who you are, but there must be someone among your fiancés who is dangerous!" Xiao Fuyu snorted coldly, his eyes swept across Ling Tianshui, paused for a moment but did not dare to attack, and turned to slide past Cui Fufeng and pointed at Jin Tang.
"Take Jintang for example. Do you know how servile his family was back then, begging my mother for support? Now they've clung to your Changhua Palace, but they wouldn't even lend us a few workers to fill the pond. Such an ungrateful villain, Lingling County Lady, should take a closer look!"
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