A shocking secret.
During the day, the convoy stopped to rest.
On both sides of the official road, towering cypress trees form a verdant canopy.
The coachman feeds the horses.
The court officials disembarked and ate a simple meal, gathering in small groups to compose poems or express their feelings. They all remarked that the ancient cypress trees along the road were planted when the founding emperor ordered the construction of the imperial highways at the very beginning of the Great Empire's establishment.
The ancient cypress tree, over two hundred years old, has stood as long as the nation. Seeing it evokes a sense of nostalgia, much like how the founding emperor still blesses the officials of today. With a touch of piety in their hearts, the courtiers and their families whisper among themselves, seizing the moment to compose poems and paint.
After settling Yu Li and Xie Ao in, Lin Huaiyin slipped out of the car.
Shen Zaiyuan and Chu Jiu were still standing to the side. After she had exchanged greetings, she said she was going to visit her brother Lin Cuiyue, who had broken his leg. Shen Zaiyuan could only nod and ask his sister-in-law if she needed to come along.
Lin Huaiyin naturally declined his offer and walked through the traffic to her destination on her own.
The newly appointed Empress Chu stared at her retreating figure, then slowly turned her gaze away, looking towards the imperial carriage where Princess Pingyang was.
In the past few days, Lin Huaiyin has been frequently visiting Xiao Zhian's residence. Chu Jiu did not miss her once. He seriously suspected that Lin Huaiyin was having an affair with Xiao Zhian. However, Princess Pingyang smiled and remained silent, indicating that there was no need to tell Shen Congyun.
Chu Jiu was Princess Pingyang's man. He was ordered to serve Shen Congyun, but he would never risk his life for Shen Congyun.
He had personally witnessed Lin Huaiyin shooting and killing White Lotus Sect traitors on the battlefield, confirming that she was undoubtedly the murderer of Zhao Changji. However, Chu Jiu had no idea how she had targeted Zhao Changji, or whether it was because Shen Congyun had colluded with him. He simply found it strange.
Lin Huaiyin appears delicate and weak, but is actually ruthless and vicious, and is subtly opposing Shen Congyun. However, she is pregnant with Shen Congyun's child, and is also entangled with Xiao Zhian. In the end, she returned to the Shen family carriage. It is unknown how Lin Huaiyin will establish herself in Shen Congyun's side and in the Shen family after Shen Congyun returns to the capital.
After all, almost everyone knew that she had shot and killed Zhao Changji.
Shen Congyun would never let her off easily.
Chu Jiu watched Lin Huaiyin leave from afar, wondering what other tricks she could use to deceive Shen Congyun.
Lin Huaiyin quietly appeared beside Lin Cuiyue's car, stunned by the scene before her.
In the Battle of Heming Mountain, Lin Cuiyue defeated the White Lotus Sect rebels with great merit, but unfortunately he was "wounded" - losing his right leg. Previously at the post station, the Imperial Guards claimed that he was too badly injured and unconscious to visit him. Now the court officials finally seized the opportunity to come and offer their condolences.
Inside the car was the hero. Lin Cuiyue covered himself tightly with the blanket, afraid of revealing that his right leg was still intact and connected to his body.
Outside the carriage, as soon as Lin Huaiyin appeared, the court officials' hearts skipped a beat, and they looked at each other in bewilderment—how did the suspect arrested by His Highness the Crown Prince come out? Wasn't it said that the evidence of the shooting of Minister of War Zhao Changji was conclusive, with both witnesses and physical evidence?
Everyone was inwardly suspicious, but outwardly they were polite and quickly took their leave.
By the time Lin Huaiyin climbed onto the vehicle, the main force had already set off.
Fish and crabs are now under the protection of the Imperial Guards, so Lin Huaiyin is not worried about them.
Sitting down beside Lin Cuiyue's couch, she went straight to the point and asked how to persuade the Tiger Guardian Lin Xie Shi.
However, Lin Cuiyue sat up and answered irrelevantly: "Third sister, tell me the truth, when did you discover the truth about Shen Congyun's plot to murder you last year? After you discovered it, why didn't you go home and tell me and Father?"
“I never noticed.” Lin Huaiyin shook her head, her mind racing. “It was His Highness the Crown Prince who told me to cooperate with his investigation.”
"Was Zhao Changji also ordered to be killed by His Highness the Crown Prince?"
“Of course.” Lin Huaiyin nodded.
Lin Cuiyue remained noncommittal.
Having known each other for many years, he had a basic understanding of Xiao Zhian's character.
In his view, Xiao Zhian was bold and responsible, and dared to admit to killing Liu Cang; on the contrary, Lin Huaiyin's deep affection for Shen Congyun now seemed to be all a pretense, which only confirmed that she was a liar and could not be trusted.
Lin Ye did not believe that Xiao Zhian would order Lin Huaiyin to kill someone, but it was also inconceivable that Lin Huaiyin would shoot and kill a third-rank official of the imperial court for no reason.
Furthermore, even if Xiao Zhian arrested Lin Huaiyin out of a desire to protect her, making it public knowledge and drawing the attention of the entire court to the fact that she had committed murder was undoubtedly a foolish move.
Lin Cuiyue didn't know what Xiao Zhian was plotting, but there was something he had to tell Lin Huaiyin:
"After you return to Beijing, go back to the Lin family. You can no longer go to the Shen family."
"Big brother is confused. The Emperor has decreed this marriage; how can we not go?" Lin Huaiyin grinned, completely unconcerned.
This marriage had long been planned and executed by Shen Congyun. Without the Emperor's intervention, she couldn't get away, nor could she let Lin Cuiyue worry. She could only comfort him, saying, "Second Brother has issued a gag order. Shen Congyun doesn't know that we've already seen through him. It's the best course of action for me to infiltrate his side."
“How could he not know?” Lin Cuiyue flicked her forehead.
"According to your second brother, Shen Congyun had an affair with Princess Pingyang. His Highness the Crown Prince interrogated the Yuan family and detained Princess Pingyang's confidants, which alarmed Princess Pingyang. How could Shen Congyun sit idly by and wait for his death? If you go back, you might end up with your unborn child."
Lin Cuiyue looked at Lin Huaiyin's lower abdomen, never forgetting that she was pregnant.
Lin Huaiyin knew that her brother loved her, so she immediately seized the opportunity: "So brother, you must hurry to Hu Shoulin and ask the divine doctor to come. Firstly, to protect my pregnancy, and secondly, if he can cure the emperor's illness, perhaps he will grant me a divorce?"
"We'll see."
Seeing that Lin Cuiyue was about to refute, Lin Huaiyin continued to interrupt: "His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Princess have already forgiven each other and reconciled. In order to clear Princess Pingyang's name, His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely punish Shen Congyun. In order to protect herself, Princess Pingyang will definitely cut ties quickly. I bet that His Highness the Princess will keep it from Shen Congyun and use him to gain His Highness the Crown Prince's favor."
"Hmm." Lin Cuiyue shook his head: "That's not right."
"What's wrong with that?" Lin Huaiyin pouted. "That's exactly the point."
“There is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation between Your Highness and Princess Pingyang.” Lin Cuiyue shook his head and patted Lin Huaiyin’s head with his large hand. “If it were just a simple affair, given Your Highness’s long-standing affection for Princess Pingyang, you might turn a blind eye and even bestow Shen Congyun upon her. But this matter involves the White Lotus Sect and shakes the foundation of the country. Your Highness will definitely investigate it thoroughly and punish it severely.”
Lin Cuiyue spoke with a firm and resounding voice, not caring if it were heard outside. He ruffled Lin Huaiyin's little head until it was all fluffy, and then gave her a light tap on the forehead, showing his disdain for her lack of knowledge.
Lin Huaiyin had a headache, so she covered her head and leaned against the carriage wall. The carriage curtains fluttered in the wind, and at a glance, she could see Xiao Zhian's ornately decorated imperial carriage.
Thinking of Xiao Zhian standing side by side with Princess Pingyang this morning, with Princess Pingyang sweetly holding Xiao Zhian's arm and calling him "Royal Brother," Lin Huaiyin felt a pang of sadness, and a sudden, sharp pain shot through her head, making her brain buzz.
A cold wind blew on his head, and four shoes dangled in front of his eyes. Xiao Zhian stood with others, intimately connected with them.
After that scene, Lin Huaiyin buried Xiao Zhian, buried him behind her head, buried him in Heming Mountain, anywhere was fine. She never wanted to think of him again. She wanted to rot him, burying even his scent, his face, the temperature and touch of his skin.
He was an enemy, a liar, and she never wanted to think of him again.
But Lin Cuiyue suddenly said that Xiao Zhian would never tolerate Princess Pingyang.
To Lin Huaiyin, every word of these words carried a different meaning—Silly sister, Xiao Zhian is just putting on an act with Princess Pingyang. He won't abandon you; he promised to avenge you. You must believe him.
Big brother, could you be relaying a message for Xiao Zhi'an? Lin Huaiyin was bewildered, her lips and eyebrows involuntarily curving into a smile, her eyes slowly darting around, trying to extract solid evidence from Lin Cuiyue to prove that Xiao Zhi'an had made arrangements for her.
Meeting Lin Huaiyin's longing yet meaningful gaze, Lin Cuiyue didn't mince words, leaning closer and whispering mysteriously, "Besides, with His Majesty bedridden all these years, do you think I haven't suggested inviting the Lin Xie family, the Tiger Guard, to come and treat him? Actually, it was Father who refused. So forget about the Shen family. When you return to the capital, come home with me. If anything happens, Father and I will protect you, and His Highness the Crown Prince won't abandon you."
Lin Cuiyue's voice was deep. After saying that he was a good brother to his good sister, he continued to rub his head, indicating that everyone could rest assured and go home to live a good life.
Lin Huaiyin's pupils went unfocused, and then she was struck by lightning repeatedly, unsure of what to consider—
Why didn't the father allow the renowned physician to treat the Emperor?
Xiao Zhi'an won't just ignore her? How will he do it?
Father, do you intend to watch His Majesty prolong his illness and die? Why? My Lin family has been loyal to the Xiao imperial family for two hundred years. Is our loyalty unwavering? Heaven and earth can bear witness.
Will Xiao Zhian intervene in her marriage with Shen Congyun? How? The Emperor has decreed the marriage, and the decree is in the Shen family's possession. Can he defy the decree and let her return home so easily?
What exactly happened?
Was my father not a loyal subject?
Xiao Zhian didn't betray her?
If the father is unfaithful, isn't the very foundation of the Lin family, which has stood for centuries, rotten?
Xiao Zhian did not betray her. Why didn't he betray her? Wasn't he complaining that she was unfair to him?
Two unbelievable things happened at the same time, and Lin Huaiyin didn't know whether to believe them or who to believe.
She sat there blankly, speechless for a long time, her face and lips gradually losing color, turning deathly pale.
If, if her father were disloyal to the court, then, then, Lin Huaiyin's heart trembled.
The stench of the imperial prison, the rotten food and dead rats, the severed heads of the Lin family's nine clansmen, the blood frozen solid in front of the Meridian Gate, the animals gnawing on the wasteland, and the corpses scattered everywhere...
The scars on his back, the arrows piercing his heart, the flames engulfing his body...
Lin Huaiyin dared not think about it, yet her mind raced uncontrollably—if the Lin family was disloyal, if her father was disloyal, then in her past and present lives, everything, all the sins and bloodshed, were perhaps, perhaps, all deserved punishment?
No.
How could that be?
Absolutely not.
Lin Huaiyin stood up blankly and pushed open the car door.
Lin Cuiyue, a martial artist, was not good at disguising himself. In order to pretend that he had a leg injury, he made sure that his right leg was immobile on the bed. Right under his nose, Lin Huaiyin walked out and closed the door.
The driver thought she had come out for some fresh air, but Lin Huaiyin's eyes were empty as she stared straight ahead. She lost her footing and fell.
"Third Miss!"
The captain was quick-witted and nimble, and scooped it up.
"What's wrong with the Third Miss?" the Imperial Guards asked as they rode up.
Lin Huaiyin, in a daze, pulled on the reins and spurred the horse's belly—"Giddy up!"
Led by the captain, Lin Huaiyin galloped away on horseback.
The captain shouted a warning—the Imperial Guards ahead, immediately give way.
The horses galloped away with a resounding clang of hooves.
We passed through the line of cars.
They rushed past the imperial carriage.
The wind was like a knife, cutting Lin Huaiyin's eyes and blinding her.
The horses' hooves clattered, and her soul burned with fire, roaring as it wandered through her past and present lives.
If destruction is self-inflicted, then what is revenge?
What is the meaning of being reborn?
To whom should we seek revenge?
What is the destination?
have no idea.
Lin Huaiyin didn't know.
She wanted to go home, to find her father, and to ask Lin Zhenlie for clarification.
The horse's hooves were swift.
She ran frantically, disregarding everything, towards the only answer.
The horse beneath her seemed to understand human nature, becoming one with Lin Huaiyin. Its speed increased rapidly, and it would slip and fall when turning, with the horse and rider on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
The captain couldn't control the horse and could only overstep his bounds by grabbing Lin Huaiyin, preparing to protect her if she fell off the horse.
The Imperial Guards and the Crown Prince's guards were in pursuit. As danger drew near and the situation spiraled out of control, everyone was helpless and increasingly alarmed.
"Third Miss!"
The captain, in a desperate move, roared into Lin Huaiyin's ear against the wind, "If something happens to you, who will kill Shen Congyun? He bullied and humiliated you, aren't you going to avenge him? And the snake catchers are all waiting to learn archery from you. If anything happens to you, you'll be breaking your promise!"
After shouting it out, the captain felt that Lin Huaiyin softened a little.
"Third Miss!" the captain shouted again.
Keep yelling.
Over and over again.
In Lin Huaiyin's unfocused pupils, the image of Shen Congyun reappeared in the White Lotus Sect's den of thieves, reaching into her clothes and whispering in her ear, "I, Shen, have offended you."
In the dark forest, the snake catcher's eyes gleamed with excitement as he shouted, "We'll do it, no money required!"
Despite the existence of nothingness and uncertainty.
Shen Congyun deserves to die.
Comrades should not be abandoned.
Lin Huaiyin knelt down on the horse's head.
The captain immediately took the reins, and after rushing for several miles, finally stopped in the middle of the road.
The imperial guards and bodyguards who were chasing from behind arrived one after another.
After the captain waved his hand behind him to signal, they retreated without stepping forward.
The captain was Lin Cuiyue's close general and knew the schedule. He took Lin Huaiyin and the two went directly to their lodging for the night.
From then on, the minor commotion was treated as if it had never happened.
Lin Huaiyin didn't go to see Lin Cuiyue again. She stayed with Yu Li and Xie Ao because they would be parting ways in five days.
Yu Li and Xie Ao returned to the Lin family, and she was going to the Shen family.
Lin Huaiyin didn't believe that Shen Congyun would dare to do anything to her. So what if she killed Zhao Changji? So what if she fought against the White Lotus Sect? Shen Congyun was innocent and had nothing to do with these dirty things. Why would he bully her because of these things?
Could they be colluding with the White Lotus Sect?
She was carrying his child, and with the protection of Old Madam Shen, she had already made her presence known to Brother Lin and His Highness the Crown Prince. If Shen Congyun dared to kill her, he would have to pay with his own life.
She wanted to go back to the Shen family, to disgust him, and to continue to oppose him.
If His Highness the Crown Prince makes a move before her, she will stay by Shen Congyun's side, in the closest position, to watch the most exciting and lively spectacle.
On the road.
Lin Huaiyin traveled happily.
She enjoyed the company of fish and crabs along the way, and rejoiced at their impending safety and liberation.
She also looked forward to returning to the capital and to the Shen residence. She was eager to see Shen Congyun's expression when he first saw her.
Suddenly, life was filled with joy.
They rushed along the road, and when they were thirty miles from the capital, Shen Congyun led the officials left behind to meet them.
Lin Huaiyin peeked out from the carriage. She couldn't see Shen Congyun, but that didn't stop her from waving and calling out, "My husband, I'm back!"
Shen Zaiyuan rode beside him, gazing longingly at his infatuated sister-in-law. He had been too poor when he was young, and now he only cared about money. He didn't want to keep a woman because it cost money. So he simply looked at his beautiful sister-in-law and accompanied her for six days. They greeted each other every morning and evening and sometimes shared food and drink. His interest in women was already satisfied.
Now that he's back in the capital, Shen Zaiyuan is very worried about his case of embezzlement during disaster relief. If the rumored lowly commoner carrying a petition written in the blood of ten thousand people really does come to the capital to file a complaint with the emperor, his good days will be over.
However, Shen Zaiyuan still had a glimmer of hope—Xiao Zhian had summoned him earlier and inquired very carefully about the death of Shen's father nine years ago, even showing a hint of sorrow and sympathy.
Shen Zaiyuan felt that His Highness the Crown Prince was probably testing the Shen family's background. Perhaps His Highness had really taken a liking to Shen Lanyan and intended to bring her into the Eastern Palace...
In short, with the help of his eldest brother Shen Congyun, and the preparation of his third sister Shen Lanyan to block the petition written in blood by the people, he could at least ask his sister-in-law for help. With her help and the help of the Lin family, they could protect him.
After all, his sister-in-law had been very caring towards him throughout the journey, always smiling at him and calling him "Second Uncle" whenever she could, which sounded quite nice.
As Shen Zaiyuan looked at Lin Huaiyin, his mood gradually improved.
Chu Jiu stood silently to the side, waiting to return to the mansion to watch the play so she could report back to Princess Pingyang.
The court officials and their families around him were all curious about how Shen Congyun would react after learning that the person beside him was a murderer.
Only a few imperial guards knew that every time Lin Huaiyin called out "husband," it was laced with poison. If Lin Huaiyin forgot to lac it, they would follow suit, each with a knife, three cuts to stab her six times, until she was completely stabbed.
The procession continued its march.
After traveling thirty li, we entered the city gate.
From south to north, passing through the side streets and crossing the imperial street, everyone arrived at the gate of the imperial city. They dismounted from their carriages and bowed towards the palace to show their respect for the imperial palace and to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor.
Xiao Zhian and Princess Pingyang are in the north.
Shen Congyun led a group of court officials and their families, surrounded by imperial guards and numerous servants...
Thousands of people knelt in front of Danfeng Gate to pay their respects.
Just then, an uninvited guest arrived on horseback, clattering along.
Upon seeing Xiao Zhian, this man neither dismounted nor bowed, but brazenly rode his horse toward Shen Congyun.
Xiao Zhian remained silent.
Princess Pingyang narrowed her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing across them.
Beneath the horse's hooves, Shen Congyun slowly raised his eyes. The horse's legs were strong and its back was muscular. The brown steed had a body of bronze and iron. The person sitting majestically on the horse's back was backlit. In the shadows, only a pair of sinister eagle eyes could be seen, and a long spear wrapped in red cloth was held diagonally behind him.
"Father-in-law." Shen Congyun nodded, his handsome face gleaming, cold sweat beading on his back: "Greetings, Father-in-law."
Lin Zhenlie, tall and imposing, remained indifferent, offering no response.
Lin Huaiyin twitched her ear tips and quietly raised her eyes.
Lin Shifeng was terrified when he saw the long spear lying behind Lin Zhenlie.
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