182. How should we connect them?
Lin Lingrong's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly took out the wooden box. When she opened it, she found a stack of letters and several booklets inside.
The letter contained correspondence between the Duke of Anguo and the old prime minister, filled with schemes about how to plot against Xie Wenling and how to win over officials in the court.
The booklet was an account book, recording evidence of the two men secretly transferring money and colluding with officials.
"Found it!" Lin Lingrong suppressed her excitement and quickly stuffed the letter and ledger into her bosom, pressing them close to her heart.
The paper felt cool to the touch, yet it made her feel feverish all over.
This is proof that she and her mother can be saved; there can be no mistakes.
She quickly placed the wooden box back on the bottom shelf of the bookcase, and carefully sorted through the surrounding files to make sure there were no signs of it being moved.
However, her fingerprints were clearly visible on the accumulated dust.
Clearly, this is another layer of insurance.
Lin Lingrong gritted her teeth, finally wiped off the dust, then ran to the incense burner, grabbed a handful of incense ash, and sprinkled it thinly and evenly on top.
Interestingly, the old wooden box was completely restored to its original appearance.
...It seems that Duke Anguo himself did the same thing.
Having finished all this, Lin Lingrong was about to turn and leave the bookshelf when she heard footsteps outside the courtyard, accompanied by the chatter of two servants—
"Why did the Duke leave so early tonight? I thought he would be busy in his study until the wee hours."
"Who knows? But the Duke just rushed off to Madam Li's place, apparently about the Second Miss. He probably won't be back for a while. Let's hurry up and hang up the lanterns so we can get some rest soon."
"That's true, but the master really dotes on Madam Li and the second young lady. I haven't heard of any other household where a concubine is addressed as 'Madam'."
"Alright, stop chatting and get to work."
Lin Lingrong's heart jumped into her throat.
The servants' voices grew closer, seemingly coming from the corridor outside the study.
She instinctively shrank into the shadows next to the bookshelf, holding her breath and barely daring to breathe.
If her servants were to discover her in the study late at night, carrying a secret letter... she would "suddenly fall ill and die that very night."
No one can protect her.
The footsteps stopped at the door, followed by the rustling sound of lanterns being hung.
Lin Lingrong clutched the papers tightly in her arms, her mind racing as she considered how to escape.
The study windows were locked from the inside, and the main entrance was blocked by servants. The only way out seemed to be the small side door of the study, which led to the backyard.
While the servants were focused on hanging lanterns, she crouched low, tiptoed, and slowly made her way to the side door.
The carpet beneath her feet was so thick that she could barely hear her footsteps, but her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.
"Hey, did you hear any noise in the study? It sounds like something fell."
Lin Lingrong's breath hitched.
"Really? I didn't hear anything. Are you sure you heard correctly? The study door is bolted, and the Duke isn't inside. What could possibly be going on?"
"That's true...it might be the wind."
Lin Lingrong's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.
She didn't dare to delay, quickly went to the side door, gently pushed it open a crack, and after confirming that no one was outside, slipped out and carefully closed the door to make sure that no one would notice anything unusual if someone came in later.
Then, she walked quickly along the wall, and as soon as she turned a corner, she saw a maid carrying a food box coming out of the kitchen, seemingly to deliver a late-night snack to one of her masters.
Lin Lingrong quickly hid behind a large flowerpot.
The maid hummed a little tune as she walked, her steps light and quick, unaware of the commotion around her.
Only after the maid's figure disappeared did Lin Lingrong breathe a sigh of relief and continue running forward.
She needed to find a way to get back to her yard.
After much thought, she decided to go to the most secluded little garden in the mansion first. Few people usually went there, so it would be a good place to hide temporarily until things calmed down before returning to the courtyard.
After passing through several corridors, we finally arrived at the small garden.
Almost simultaneously, footsteps echoed in the distance, accompanied by the steward's reprimanding voice: "Check carefully! The Duke has ordered that patrols be increased in the manor recently; there can be no mistakes!"
Lin Lingrong's heart jumped again. She quickly squatted down and hid under the stone table in the stone pavilion, using the darkness and shadows to conceal her figure.
The footsteps grew closer, and several guards carrying lanterns searched around the small garden. The light from the lanterns swept across the stone pavilion, almost shining on her.
"There's no one here, go check over there!" the steward's voice rang out, and the guards turned and walked away.
Lin Lingrong bit her lip tightly until the footsteps completely disappeared before she dared to crawl out from under the stone table and let out a long sigh of relief.
It's a pity, staying here isn't a long-term solution.
Both options carry risks, and she must choose the one with the least risk.
She still needs to get back to the courtyard as soon as possible and hide the evidence.
She straightened her clothes, and after confirming that everything was alright, she walked along the garden wall towards her own yard by the moonlight.
Along the way, she encountered several patrols of guards and servants, but fortunately, she escaped unharmed.
She quickly went into her room, locked the door from the inside, and then used a table and chairs to block it before she could finally relax.
He then took out the evidence from his purse, walked to the bed, lifted the bed board, carefully placed the evidence inside and covered it, then covered the bed board again, and smoothed out the sheets, leaving no trace.
After doing all this, Lin Lingrong slumped into a chair, her whole body soaked in cold sweat.
She looked at the moonlight outside the window, feeling nervous and excited.
The evidence is in hand; all she has to do is wait for Xie Wenling to send someone to retrieve it, and then she and her mother will be free from their misery.
She picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of warm water, and the cool tea slid down her throat, gradually calming her chaotic mind.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, but a new problem arose—how could she meet with Xie Wenling and hand over the evidence to him?
-
The residence of the Prince of Zhennan.
Dou Shichen lay on his desk, tears streaming down his face like broken beads, splashing onto the letter paper and spreading ink stains.
"This wretched capital is full of annoying people! That hypocrite Xie Wenling is always putting on airs! The emperor is no better; why won't he let me go home! A tyrant! A foolish ruler! How despicable!..."
He cursed and cried at the same time, his shoulders shaking with sobs. His usual arrogance had vanished without a trace, leaving only a heart full of grievances and frustration.
As she wrote, tears streamed down her face, and her handwriting became increasingly illegible: "Father, Mother, please take me home quickly. I never want to stay in the capital again. It's no good here at all..."
In this way, he wrote several letters in a row, each one cursing the people and things in the capital, and each ending with him begging his father and mother to take him back.
After finishing writing, he hastily wiped away his tears, stuffed the letter into an envelope, pressed the sealing wax firmly onto it, and shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"
A servant rushed in: "Young Master, what are your orders?"
"Send these letters out immediately. You must personally deliver them to my father and mother. No one else can see them!" Dou Shichen ordered, handing the letters to the servant, his eyes still red.
The servant took the letter and quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness!"
Watching the servant's hurried departure, Dou Shichen slumped back onto the table, tears welling up in his eyes again.
He missed home, missed his father and mother, missed his own courtyard, missed the delicious food his cook made...
Just as he was crying his heart out, a flurry of footsteps came from outside the door, and a servant rushed in, his face pale: "Young Master, something terrible has happened! Lord Xie... Lord Xie is here, he's right outside the door, and he wants to see you!"
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