Yinchu mustard
In order to consolidate his throne, Li Lin took his brother's wife Zhen Yin into his harem in the name of Yang Ya, the daughter of a criminal, and named her Shufei. He also tried to win over the Yin family and investigate the Yun family's treason.
Conversely, Zhen Yin's faith crumbles as her family mistakenly believes she engaged in unethical behavior toward her late husband, leading to their dislike. She craves her family's understanding, yet resents Li Lin. She seeks revenge, but is haunted by her child.
However, the maids' attitude towards Zhen Yin changed drastically. They teased her with hidden ulterior motives, leaving her unable to sleep soundly. But the words of a young maid changed her mind. She realized she could feign obedience and then resort to the deadly dragon bed to avenge the loss of her husband and son.
Late at night, she stared at the white moonlight filtering through the window grilles, lost in thought. Since Chen Yun had promised her, as the empress, that she would only carry out her duties and not let Li Lin touch her, the next day, she covered her face with a veil and entered the study in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
"Your Majesty, I, Yang Ya, pay my respects to His Majesty."
Li Lin heard that Zhen Yin had agreed, so he said, "Shufei, I..." He wanted to express again that he would not occupy her anymore, but he swallowed it back. He couldn't say it out loud, so he changed his words and said, "Now go to the palace, my beloved concubine, follow me."
Zhen Yin nodded slightly, her voice trembling slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty." She slowly stood up and followed Li Lin with heavy steps, feeling mixed emotions.
Li Lin said this deliberately, peeking out of the corner of his eye to see Zhen Yin's reaction. As she expected, her reaction was not big, but the slight frown on her brows was noticeable. Li Lin naturally saw through it but did not point it out.
In the Ye Ting, Yin Banluo was led by the prison guards to the prison palace. The surroundings were simply yet elegantly decorated, with a few tables, chairs, and bookshelves. As far as her eyes could see, she could see Zhen Yin, wearing a veil and sitting there embroidering.
"This humble lady pays homage to Her Majesty the Concubine Shu."
Zhen Yin stopped what she was doing and looked at Yin Banluo who was kneeling beside her, then gestured for him to sit down.
Yin Banluo didn't understand why she, the daughter of a guilty minister, was treated so well. She was so stunned that she could only obey.
"Let me get this straight. I am the daughter of Yang Chenji, the Deputy Governor of Yizhou. Your Majesty aspires to be a virtuous ruler, but suffers from the rebellion and its followers' distrust of your tolerance. Now, as a Consort, I also wish to contribute to your majesty's cause, so I need you to do something."
Yin Banluo was filled with doubt and surprise, wondering, "Hasn't the Yang family been executed? No, she's trying to win my favor, so she's asking me for something."
Zhen Yin thought to herself, "Okay, now we've opened up a new topic. Then, after we've gotten to know each other, I'll investigate the Zhen family's affairs. And then, I'll clarify things with my father." Then, pointing to her veil, she said, "Your Majesty has granted my double the ability to survive. That's why I'm wearing a veil to conceal my identity."
"As I just said, I am prepared to release you, the Yin family, but there are two prerequisites. First, you must be loyal to His Majesty. Everyone in the Yin family must do so. Second, you must make amends for your crimes. It all depends on what kind of intelligence you can provide."
"Release us? No matter what, this is an opportunity for our Yin family. Since we don't have any intelligence, why not use that incident to tell her?" Thinking of this, Yin Banluo said, "The Emperor's Consort Xiao Xian once had a scandal with my cousin. In fact, my cousin was already impotent three years before his death."
"Where's the evidence?"
Yin Panluo raised an eyebrow, and hesitated several times before answering slowly: "My Lady Shu. The person was cremated, and no evidence can be found on the body."
"Can't you make something out of nothing?" At this time, Li Lin walked out from behind the screen, and Yin Banluo knelt down quickly.
Zhen Yin said, "Your Majesty, I would like to introduce you to the Yin family, hoping to resolve the Yin family's problems and the Ninth Princess's. However, the Yin family was imprisoned for rioting. If you want to save them, I suggest that they use the excuse of saving our Yang family as a last resort to wage war against the Tufan Kingdom."
Yin Banluo didn't expect Zhen Yin to be so righteous and tried to stop her, but Zhen Yin held her hand and said, "The new emperor needs the loyalty of the people. Anyway, the Yang family has been executed. It won't have much impact."
Li Lin said, "Yin Banluo, what do you think?"
"She actually helped me like this, what's her intention? Since you are so righteous, I will definitely repay your kindness in the future." Thinking of this, Yin Banlu immediately knelt down: "I have no objection! Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Concubine Shu!"
Li Lin winked at Zhen Yin, who nodded. Then, Li Lin waved his sleeves and turned to leave. He said, "That's not enough. Confer the title of Defei on Yin Banluo and move her into the master bedroom of Taohua Palace. Bathe her and change her clothes, then bring her to Lizheng Palace. Concubine Yang Shufei, go to Qianqing Palace and handle harem affairs with Concubine Wei."
Elsewhere, in Lizheng Hall, the matter of the Ninth Princess Li Xuelu was being handled. Chen Yun was seen pouring tea beside Li Lie'ao at the main seat, while the Ninth Princess Li Xuelu and the Minister of Works, Cheng Yifeng, knelt before him.
At this time, Concubine Xiao Xian came running over and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Supreme Emperor. I know about Xue'er and Minister Cheng. Since they are deeply in love, please grant me your grace and grant them a marriage!"
Li Xuelu yelled, "Mother! I'm not attracted to him! We were just having a friendly chat about food!"
Cheng Yifeng also hurriedly explained: "Yes, Your Majesty, I have absolutely no desire to peek at the Ninth Princess's body."
But Li Lie'ao said disdainfully: "Humph! Like mother, like daughter. What can't she do?"
Li Xuelu frowned. She knew very well that she and her mother had been misunderstood since childhood, which led to them not being taken seriously in the palace. But now she was insulted again and again. She would rather believe the lies of the outside world than believe that she was Li Lieo's biological daughter. It was really sad.
This made Li Xuelu even more angry. She said, "What else can I say? I only ask that you be lenient with Cheng Lang's punishment."
Chen Yun said, "Xuelu, don't act on impulse."
"Sister-in-law, please stop trying to persuade me. Father has long disliked this wild mother and daughter. Why bother to embellish them?"
Hearing Li Xuelu's words, Li Lie'ao slammed the table in anger: "How dare you! You are getting more and more presumptuous, aren't you? Don't think that I can't punish you just because I've retired to the former dynasty!"
Li Xuelu's eyes were red, but she stubbornly raised her chin and looked directly at Li Lie'ao without fear. "Father, have you ever heard a single explanation from me? Since childhood, you have been partial to one side and believed everything you said. Now, you want to convict me based on just a few rumors. Although I am a woman, I also have my own dignity and backbone! Nothing means nothing!"
Li Lie'ao was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at Li Xuelu, his lips trembling but unable to speak. Chen Yun, who was standing by, saw this and hurried forward, gently stroking Li Lie'ao's chest and saying softly, "Father, please calm down. Xuelu is still young and doesn't understand things. Please don't argue with her."
Chen Yun then turned to look at Li Xuelu, his tone tinged with reproach, "Xuelu, why don't you apologize to your father quickly? As the eldest princess, how could you be so disobedient to your father?"
Li Xuelu bit her lip, her eyes filled with grievance and unwillingness, but she still slowly knelt down, her voice choked with sobs: "Your Highness, I know I am wrong. Please calm down, Father."
Li Lie'ao snorted coldly and turned away, no longer looking at Li Xuelu. At this point, Concubine Xiao Xian spoke again, "Xue'er was just confused for a moment. Please forgive her this time. As for the matter with Minister Cheng, we've already investigated. No one from the palace passed by between the hours of the morning and the morning last night. This doesn't prove that Minister Cheng stayed in the princess's room. I hope the Grand Emperor will understand."
Li Lie'ao was silent for a moment, then glanced at Cheng Yifeng and said coldly, "Cheng Yifeng, as the Minister of Works, you should have strictly adhered to your duties, but now you are involved in such a storm. I consider that you are usually quite diligent, so I will not pursue the matter for now, but if you do it again in the future, I will not let you off easily!"
Chen Yun thought, "Since this is the case, why not take advantage of the situation and allow Xuelu to leave the palace and escape the years of sadness she's suffered from lacking a father's love and the respect of the palace?" So Chen Yun said to Li Lie'ao, "Father, Concubine Xiao Xian was once involved in a scandal, and now my daughter is also involved in a scandal. This is not good for the royal family. For your reputation, I suggest that they marry."
Li Xuelu and Cheng Yifeng wanted to object, but Li Lieo felt it was a good idea. Anyway, he saw Concubine Xiao Xian and Li Xuelu as thorns in his eyes, so he might as well send them away.
Li Lie'ao then asked, "I think the two are quite a match, and the Ninth Princess is not young either. Concubine Xiao Xian, what do you think?"
Concubine Xiao Xian didn't want her daughter to stay in the palace and suffer grievances for another day, so she agreed.
At this time, Li Lin and Yin Banluo came to the hall to pay their respects.
Li Lieo also looked disgusted when he saw Li Lin.
Chen Yun noticed the awkwardness and spoke first: "Your Majesty, who is this girl?"
Li Lin replied, "This is the newly appointed Consort Yin De, the daughter of Master Yin the Hunter."
"Father has no right to interfere in the affairs of a wise ruler."
There was something hidden in Li Lieo's words, which made Li Lin and Chen Yin look unhappy, and they had to hide their thoughts slightly.
Li Lin nudged Concubine Yin De and said, "Father, I'm here today to clarify what happened to Concubine Xiao Xian. Concubine Yin De, please explain."
"Your daughter-in-law pays respects to His Majesty. The person in question is my cousin Yin Liluo. Three years ago, he lost his job due to an incident at a brothel. Furthermore, Concubine Xiao Xian originally forbade guards from entering the palace, so the person in question was simply slandered. Your Majesty, please understand."
Li Lie'ao pounded the table unhappily and said, "Where's the evidence? What evidence? Just your words?"
"The retired emperor is still unwilling to forgive each other. This mother and daughter are so pitiful. They have been disrespected in the palace for more than ten years. Just because he suspected that Concubine Xiao Xian had an affair with other men, he suspected that Li Xuelu was not his biological daughter." Chen Yan sighed in his heart.
"It's not convenient for me to stay here, so Xuelu and I will take our leave first."
Concubine Xiao Xian wanted to leave. When Li Xuelu helped her up, Chen Yun noticed the helplessness and resentment on her face, as well as Li Lie'ao's. The two had the same expression, which made Chen Yun feel that they still had feelings for each other, but the grudge had caused their relationship to regress.
Chen Yun wanted to solve the problem that had been bothering him for years, so he tried to say, "Why don't you listen to Concubine Yin De's words before leaving? Since there's no rush, listen to her first! We have a little time anyway."
Li Lieo fell silent. He saw Concubine Xiao Xian's change from hesitation to facing his behavior, and knew that she still wanted to listen. "She wants to listen, otherwise she wouldn't be here. So it's not a bad idea to listen." Then he let Yin Banluo continue.
Yin Panluo replied, "According to custom, only commoners or certain special people are cremated; the rest are primarily buried. Yet, my cousin, despite his decent family background, was cremated. This is quite strange. So, since this is a question, shouldn't all other questions remain?"
Chen Yun asked, "How can he be incapable of human affairs? Was it removed, or was it not removed but he still lacks the ability?"
"It has been removed. Doctor Shu has passed away."
"When dealing with a problem, first ask if, then why. Assuming you were invited and had sex, do you think you could be discovered in your own chambers? If you do something bad, you will definitely try to cover it up. It's impossible for it to be such a coincidence. Your Majesty, have you investigated whether Concubine Xiao Xian sent the others away? If not, then this can be ruled out preliminarily."
Li Lieao came out and took a few steps thoughtfully before saying, "Although that makes sense, it still doesn't prove that she didn't have an affair with that man."
Chen Yun was helpless in the face of Li Lieo's stubbornness. "Father, now that I've come to this, do you believe this case is full of doubts or is it just slander? It's a pity that the deceased's crotch is gone, otherwise we could have found evidence."
"Ah, my cousin's belongings are still here."
Everyone looked at Yin Panluo's slowly raised hand. A moment later, the remains were carried outside. A white crotch was placed under the scorching sun.
Chen Yun said: "Men's semen will leak out to some extent after sex, mainly to sterilize the excretion outlet. So if there is not enough time and it is not cleaned, some will be stained on the crotch. As time goes by, the smell of men's semen will gradually disappear, but the traces will not disappear without washing."
After saying that, Chen Yun picked it up and then took out an object that looked like a magnifying glass. "This is a homemade ultraviolet light delivery device. I won't explain the principle yet. Now I can tell you that there are many kinds of light rays, one of which is called ultraviolet rays. Under ultraviolet rays, old Yuan Yang will emit a light blue fluorescence."
Chen Yun fiddled with the crotch but found nothing. "After inspection, there's no luminous substance. Remember that the so-called adulterer was executed that day, which means it hasn't been washed. This also proves that sexual intercourse didn't take place. If your father still doesn't believe me, you can find some unwashed men's crotches and experiment with them. I can assure you, this method works."
Yin Banluo exclaimed, "Is this the legendary Yuan Tian Sect technique? They know absolutely everything!"
Li Lie'ao's eyes were fixed on the crotch, his expression changing from gloomy to bright. After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "Even so, how can we easily erase those past rumors?"
A trace of sadness flashed in Concubine Xiao Xian's eyes. She raised her head slightly and looked directly at Li Lie'ao. Although her voice was trembling, it was also firm: "Grand Emperor, those rumors over the years are nothing more than people with ulterior motives to destroy my reputation and alienate you and me."
Li Xuelu tightly grasped her mother's hand, her eyes filled with heartache and anger. "Father, why are you so stubborn and unwilling to believe us? For so many years, my mother and I have suffered so much injustice in this palace. Have you ever shown us even a shred of mercy?"
Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Chen Yun quickly tried to smooth things over, "Father, since you won't let go and are targeting me, why bother hurting each other? Now that this crucial matter has been proven, why not take this opportunity to clear up those past misunderstandings?"
Li Lin also echoed, "Father and the Concubine Dowager, the two of you are over a hundred years old combined. You have experienced so much, you should be clear about your own heart, right?"
Li Lie'ao frowned and paced back and forth, seemingly in a fierce struggle within. After a long pause, he sighed and said slowly, "Never mind, let this matter rest. I have agreed to Xuelu and Cheng Yifeng's marriage. However, from now on, you and your daughter must be careful with your words and actions and avoid causing any more trouble. I promise that if Concubine Xiaoxian and her family are harmed again, I will investigate."
Concubine Xiao Xian immediately ran over and hugged Li Lie'ao, tears welling up in her eyes. Li Lie'ao was surprised at first, then hugged her silently.
Concubine Xiao Xian said, "Grand Emperor, if you are willing to forgive me, we can be like strangers from now on. It will be enough if we don't hurt each other."
Li Lie'ao hadn't expected that the truth would eventually come to light, but instead of him forgiving him, he hoped they would distance themselves from each other. Perhaps this was the best outcome. Li Lie'ao replied calmly, "Okay."
Li Lin and Chen Yun looked at each other, then left with a satisfied smile.
At this time, Li Xuelu came up to the two and said, "Royal brother and sister-in-law, the misunderstandings of many years have finally been resolved. Xuelu is truly indebted."
Li Lin said, "Then live a good life from now on! Minister Cheng, Xuelu is a good girl, but she has low self-esteem by nature. You should encourage her more, and she will naturally become your good wife."
"I will definitely not let the princess down."
At this time, Wei Ningshuang came to them.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Personnel, Chang Sunfeng, has requested an audience with you regarding an urgent matter."
Li Lin left immediately after hearing this.
Wei Ningshuang saw Yin Banluo beside Li Lin and stood up with her eyes wide open.
"Is it you?"
Yin Banluo was also stunned for a moment: "Wei Ningshuang?"
Chen Yun asked curiously, "She is Concubine Wei. Do you know her?"
"Of course, Xuanyuan Haonan destroyed me just for her. Why are you here, Yin Banluo!"
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