Lin Huaiyin's counterattack
Lin Huaiyin fell silent.
The words had been made clear enough. Behind this was a whole scheme to seize power and usurp the throne. The plan was so meticulous and the intention so malicious that it was about to be realized. Mu Zhanjuan and the Crown Prince's attendant turned pale instantly.
If His Highness were to be assassinated today, he would surely be doomed forever, and everything would be over.
Mu Zhanjuan's lips trembled as he looked at Lin Huaiyin, slowly bent his knees, and performed a deep bow.
The palace guards were also filled with gratitude and silently knelt before Lin Huaiyin.
The eight eminent monks were then shocked to realize what kind of conspiracy they had been involved in, and how they had almost aided and abetted a wicked person and committed a grave mistake. They all raised their palms to their chests and chanted "Amitabha."
Lin Huaiyin stepped aside, refusing their courtesy.
"Now that things have come to this, we must retaliate as soon as possible."
Lin Huaiyin took out a stack of letters from his waist and presented them to the eight eminent monks with both hands: "Masters, you are all compassionate. If you want peace and tranquility, you must lend a helping hand to His Highness the Crown Prince. Please return to your localities as soon as possible and deliver these letters to the local prefectures. His Highness the Crown Prince's men will accompany you, and you will be acting as His Highness in person."
Lin Huaiyin turned to Mu Zhanjuan, raised his hand to let them stand up, and said, "You must choose a trusted confidant to go in person. Remember to use both kindness and severity, allow local officials to repent and reform, provide relief to the people, resettle the refugees, and completely sever the source of the White Lotus Sect. At the same time, bring back their confessions. When you have irrefutable evidence, Your Highness will have a legitimate reason to take action, and you can eliminate the Censorate and the Secretariat, revitalize the court, and bring peace to the people."
All the arrangements were laid bare, and the eight high monks looked at each other in disbelief. They never expected that in the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince, who had been framed, would turn from assassins into His Highness's envoys to deter local corrupt officials on His Highness's behalf.
Mu Zhanjuan was originally eager to report to His Highness the Crown Prince and discuss countermeasures, but after hearing Lin Huaiyin's arrangement and thinking it over carefully, he felt that this was the best course of action.
Without evidence, His Highness the Crown Prince can only defend and cannot retaliate.
The person who orchestrates everything behind the scenes is a force to be reckoned with.
Mu Zhanjuan's first thought was of the inner palace—the current emperor.
The Censorate and the Secretariat.
Liu Cang and Shen Congyun.
Both of them were personally supported by the Emperor, and Liu Cang was also the father of Consort Hui.
Consort Hui is pregnant. Has His Majesty considered deposing the heir apparent?
Even if it means widespread suffering and upheaval in the empire, would the Emperor really depose the heir apparent?
Such a scourge to the country and its people, what kind of bewitching vixen is Consort Hui?
Mu Zhanjuan broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to think further. He looked at Lin Huaiyin and thought to himself that Lin Huaiyin was Madam Shen. She must have sensed the conspiracy while spending time with Shen Congyun, which is why she was able to take the initiative and stop the assassination.
Fortunately, fortunately, Madam Shen is on His Highness the Crown Prince's side.
Fortunately, Madam Shen was resourceful and thought of using the high monk to turn the tide and target the local officials.
These eminent monks held immense prestige in the region, and local officials dared not easily antagonize them. Furthermore, having just arrived in the capital to pray for the Emperor and pay homage to His Highness the Crown Prince, and accompanied by the Eastern Palace guards, local officials would undoubtedly assume upon seeing the monks that His Highness the Crown Prince had sent envoys to reprimand them.
This plan is brilliant.
The situation is urgent and cannot be delayed; we must depart immediately.
He also had to go there personally, do his best to appease the local people, and bring back a confession.
As for the capital, Mu Zhanjuan believed that Lin Huaiyin would continue to protect His Highness as always.
She has the ability and the will.
She is "like His Highness," chosen by His Highness to be entrusted with everything; she can be trusted.
Mu Zhanjuan was very relieved and without hesitation clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Huaiyin: "There is no time to lose, I will set off immediately."
He turned to the eight high monks: "Masters, His Highness has been deceived by treacherous people. It is not that His Highness does not care about the people. I humbly request that you all lend me a helping hand."
"We humbly request your assistance, Master." The Eastern Palace guard clasped his hands and bowed.
Upon seeing this, the eight eminent monks clasped their hands together in perfect unison and said, "Amitabha."
After chanting the Buddhist mantra, they extended their palms upwards toward Lin Huaiyin.
Lin Huaiyin immediately handed over the envelope and explained, "Master, be careful. Inside is an arrowhead, extremely sharp. I suspect that even corrupt local officials will feel a chill down their spines upon seeing it."
She smiled slightly, but her eyes couldn't hide her thirst for blood.
Eight eminent monks chanted "Amitabha Buddha" in succession, hoping to lessen her karmic retribution.
At this point, Mu Zhanjuan became even more convinced that Minister Zhao of the Ministry of War had died at the hands of Lin Huaiyin.
This case shocked the court and the public, and behind it was a theft case in the Ministry of War, which was suspected of being a punishment for illegal acts.
The entire court is now investigating the mysterious archer, and local corrupt officials who receive arrows will be terrified.
A combination of kindness and severity is necessary; only when severity is shown can kindness be truly appreciated.
"Your Highness" has taken this tactic to its extreme.
Mu Zhanjuan was full of admiration and had a lot of nice things to say, but Lin Huaiyin clapped her hands and pointed to the corpse on the ground: "Remember to clean this up. I have something to do, so I'm leaving first."
She spoke decisively and walked briskly. As she passed Mu Zhanjuan, she gestured for him to squat down and whispered solemnly in his ear, "Don't tell him."
"Yes." Mu Zhanjuan replied without hesitation.
Lin Huaiyin was very satisfied and took the lead as a sign of respect.
In order to gain Mu Zhanjuan's trust and make him realize the situation, she had no choice but to reveal everything she knew from her past life.
However, she cannot let His Highness the Crown Prince know of her existence yet. She cannot explain the source of the information, and she is even more afraid of being interrogated by the Crown Prince about who is behind it all.
Without any evidence, her hasty accusation against Princess Pingyang would only alert the enemy and lead to her death.
Let Mu Zhanjuan carry out her actions behind the Crown Prince's back for now. Once they retrieve the evidence, the Crown Prince will be too busy with important matters to notice her.
Lin Huaiyin decided to persevere to the end.
Having given away 800,000 taels of silver and eight arrowheads, Lin Huaiyin's slender waist returned to its former delicate state. Feeling carefree, she strolled around admiring the morning scenery, then quietly slipped back into the Amitabha Hall, picked up the scriptures, and pretended that she had been there all along.
The entire prayer ceremony lasted from early morning until late afternoon.
There wasn't even a vegetarian meal available, and the noble lady in the hall was starving.
Princess Pingyang was the first to leave.
Lin Huaiyin and the other ladies all stood up to see them off.
Shen Lanyan remained kneeling on the prayer mat without moving. After Pingyang had gone far away, she asked the monks present if they had any scriptures to pray for His Highness the Crown Prince.
The monks recommended the "Benevolent King Protects the Nation Prajna Paramita Sutra".
Shen Lanyan immediately confirmed that this was the one and ordered the prayers to continue.
The monks were puzzled, thinking to themselves that they still had evening prayers to attend to after this was over.
However, Shen Lanyan sat in the main seat next to the princess, and her status seemed to be extraordinary. Seeing that she was determined to be there, the monks had no choice but to lower their heads and continue chanting scriptures on empty stomachs.
The ladies in the palace were busy performing rituals to appease their internal organs when the chanting of scriptures suddenly resumed. They were very surprised and did not understand what Shen Lanyan was doing.
Princess Pingyang didn't even say she wanted to pray for His Highness the Crown Prince, so why is it Shen Lanyan's turn to make the decision?
They all turned to look at Lin Huaiyin.
Lin Huaiyin was incredibly embarrassed inside, but she still smiled and said that it was only natural for her sister-in-law to do this.
The ladies immediately understood: it seemed that Miss Shen, the third daughter of the Shen family, had her eye on the Crown Prince's palace and was secretly working hard to secure it.
Unlike the group of officials' wives who went to the banquet at the Shen family's residence, these ladies came from high-ranking and noble families, and their worldview and experience were incomparable.
Compared to the newly rich and clearly siding with the Emperor, they valued Lin Huaiyin's century-old Imperial Guard family background more. Their previous courtesy was due to the fact that the Xiao and Lin families had been sworn brothers for generations, giving them a superior status.
Moreover, His Highness the Crown Prince dotes on Princess Pingyang, and they have witnessed firsthand how arrogant, disrespectful, and incredibly stupid this third young lady of the Shen family is.
Without the princess's favor, there is absolutely no chance of him becoming the crown prince. The ladies all agree on this, so they don't buy into Shen Lanyan's rhetoric and are too lazy to play along.
So the ladies left one by one.
In the blink of an eye, only Lin Huaiyin was left in the corner, her stomach growling loudly.
As she listened to the sounds of the wooden fish and the bronze chime, the stunningly beautiful face of Princess Pingyang appeared before her eyes, which were already clouded by hunger.
Lin Huaiyin thought that Princess Pingyang rushed out, probably to check whether His Highness the Crown Prince had been assassinated.
Your Highness is perfectly safe.
Lin Huaiyin secretly grinned.
Of the nine eminent monks, one was executed, and the other eight were immediately taken out of the capital by Mu Zhanjuan. Princess Pingyang and Shen Congyun couldn't find them even after digging three feet into the ground. They must be completely baffled and unable to figure out what had happened.
The assassination of His Highness the Crown Prince was a crucial step, but now that it has suddenly stalled, they are completely in the dark, and who knows if they are crying together right now.
Lin Huaiyin secretly rejoiced.
Today went too smoothly; it must be thanks to the Bodhisattva's blessing.
She glanced at the utterly devout Shen Lanyan, then quietly withdrew.
It was almost time, and Lin Huaiyin was going to the viewing area to select a woman in a white cloak.
Xiangguo Temple was so big that we wandered around and around until we met up with Yuli at the entrance. It was already 5:45 PM.
Many officials' wives had already come out. Yu Li knew they were hungry, so when she saw Lin Huaiyin, she took her to a small stall to eat soup dumplings.
As the Dharma assembly ended and officials and their families left one after another, Lin Huaiyin drank soup while observing the Imperial Guards assembling and withdrawing.
With no nobles or court officials to protect, Xiangguo Temple was no longer heavily guarded. Only monks maintained order, and ordinary people could freely enter and exit to pray, offer incense, and bathe the Buddha, enjoying themselves as they pleased.
On the riverbank in front of the temple, a huge lotus pedestal was built, with the procession of deities and the Sumeru pedestal placed on it. The crowd of onlookers stretched from the riverbanks to the temple gate, making it impossible to move.
Lin Huaiyin and Yu Li arrived late; the woman in the white cloak had already made her selections and was changing.
Before long, the chanting of Buddhist hymns began again, and several monks, holding incense and flowers, came out from the mountain gate.
The crowd automatically parted to both sides, and monks led the way in pairs. After twelve pairs, came the exquisitely dressed Sudhana and the Dragon Girl, also known as the Golden Boy and Jade Girl in folklore.
Following the golden boy and jade girl, the white-robed Guanyin gracefully appeared.
The White-Robed Guanyin wears a plain white robe, a white turban covering her head, and holds a mutton-fat vase. Because of her white attire, she appears from a distance to be wearing a white cloak, hence the name "White-Cloaked Woman".
Lin Huaiyin was too far away. At the age of fifteen, she was too petite. All around her, her head and neck were completely obscured.
She desperately stood on tiptoe, but couldn't see Guanyin's face, unsure if it was her benefactor in disguise.
Not far behind her, Xiao Zhian changed into casual clothes and was among the crowd.
He couldn't explain why; it was just a sudden whim that he wanted to see the women in white coats this year.
The Crown Prince, who was in charge of the state, was twenty-three years old this year. His tall and straight figure stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens.
As the woman in the white cloak appeared, everyone looked toward the temple gate, but he lazily scanned the crowd, searching for the dwarf.
She'll probably come and see the woman in the white cloak that I chose.
Xiao Zhian unconsciously thought of Lin Huaiyin, his brows furrowing again. He thought to himself that the wicked cat was reaching out its little claws, and as the Crown Prince Regent, he should supervise and restrain her, preventing her from using the white-cloaked woman to do evil.
He should, and must, keep a close eye on her.
This was his duty, nothing else.
Xiao Zhian thought so.
The first time I saw it, the naughty cat was lying on the food counter.
The second time I saw it, the bad cat was on the other side of the screen.
She had never stood beside him. Based on his intuition, Xiao Zhian felt that she was only up to his chest, so he tried to look down at the lower part of her body.
However, wherever the woman in the white cloak passed, the crowd surged like a tide, radiating and churning wave after wave, constantly shifting its position.
Xiao Zhian looked around, but couldn't find anything.
Could it be that she's hiding in a blind spot on the other side of the riverbank?
Is it really that much of a coincidence?
Why do you insist on avoiding him?
Xiao Zhian felt inexplicably annoyed and turned to leave. Suddenly, he noticed a small head in front of him that kept jumping up. The head was covered in hairpins that dazzled his eyes, and the hair ornaments swayed back and forth, hitting his chest and tickling his front.
The little thing is so lifelike.
Xiao Zhian's mind was in turmoil, and he gazed at her silently.
This is a little figure bouncing around, unruly, panting and shouting, "Let me see it, just one look," with a hint of grievance on its back.
Xiao Zhian recognized Lin Huaiyin's voice immediately.
She was once so pitiful, holding his hand and calling him "Your Highness".
When exactly did this person move here?
She was pushed through the surging crowd?
She bounced around in front of him.
She really was only up to his chest.
Even when I jump, I only reach his chin.
Her neck was snow-white and sweet-smelling, like tempting cheese, with fine downy hairs floating in the golden sunset, so alluring that just looking at it made one's heart itch.
At this distance, it's within reach; just look down and you can take a bite.
Xiao Zhian unconsciously leaned forward, and the faint scent of milk wafted into his nostrils. He inexplicably felt a tightness in his chest and turned to leave.
The world is a vast and turbulent sea of people; going against the tide is not an option.
Xuan Ge stood protectively beside Xiao Zhi'an, struggling to squeeze through the passage.
For a moment, Xiao Zhian couldn't go, and as if possessed, he turned around and saw another man standing behind Lin Huaiyin.
How could a man be standing next to her?
Xiao Zhian frowned.
That's his spot.
He was standing right there.
He never relinquished his position to anyone.
Xiao Zhian was furious. He turned around and went back to Lin Huaiyin's side, grabbed her and hugged her in his arms.
Lin Huaiyin's feet left the ground, and she suddenly felt like she was ascending to heaven. One hand wrapped around her waist and placed her in the clenched arms of a strong man.
In early April, when it's summer, clothing is light and thin.
Lin Huaiyin felt the muscles beneath her twitching, her breathing and heartbeat erratic. She reached for the hairpin, intending to stab the lecherous man to death, when she heard the man's vicious warning in her ear—
"You're dead if you dare turn around. I just wanted to make you look at me because I thought you were too noisy."
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