Post-war.
"Of course, it was the General who, to protect His Highness and all the officials, took the lead and led the Imperial Guards to annihilate the White Lotus Rebels. Unfortunately, he was seriously wounded—"
Lin Huaiyin looked down to confirm, ignoring the astonished expressions of Lin Cuiyue and the others, and continued, "Um, he broke his right leg."
"Third Sister, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Lin Cuiyue's face stiffened. With all four limbs intact, he stepped forward, grabbed Lin Huaiyin's leg, and reprimanded her: "How dare you speak nonsense and deceive the emperor in front of His Highness!"
"It's alright."
Xiao Zhian understood Lin Huaiyin's intention and explained on her behalf: "What Miss Lin means is: Minister Lin has made great contributions in protecting the Emperor and has made great sacrifices. In this way, Liu Cang's death will not fall on your shoulders. Even if Consort Hui blames you for dereliction of duty, the Emperor will not be able to hold you accountable, and all officials will do their best to protect you."
"Hehehe." Lin Huaiyin thought to herself, "Yes, yes, the big dog understands me."
He picked up his thigh, knelt and bowed to Xiao Zhian: "Your Highness is absolutely right, thank you for your protection."
"No need to thank me." Xiao Zhian shook his head, sighing at this moment of surprise. He hadn't expected Lin Huaiyin to be capable of both cunning and open schemes. He couldn't help but praise her: "Miss Lin is both scholarly and martial, with a clever mind, and has the spirit of Zhang Liang."
"Your Highness is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise."
Lin Huaiyin introduced herself as a subject's daughter, which made Xiao Zhian even more delighted. The two of them echoed each other and tacitly agreed to finalize the matter.
In this way, as long as they insist that Liu Cang died in an accident, Xiao Zhian will not have to take the blame, and Lin Cuiyue will not be implicated. It is simply impeccable.
With the possibility of a satisfactory resolution, the two imperial guards, who had personally thrown the hand into Liu Cang's bedroom, breathed a sigh of relief and secretly rejoiced.
Lin Cuiyue remained silent, startled by Lin Huaiyin's behavior.
His third sister was not the noisy, tearful, and simple-minded sister who was devoted to making chicken soup for Shen Congyun.
She killed one person with an arrow, chopped off a person's leg with her sword, and plotted to deceive the emperor while holding the person's leg without changing her expression.
How did she become like this, looking like a half-human, half-ghost?
Is the third sister still his third sister?
Lin Cuiyue subconsciously reached for the hilt of his sword, but couldn't find it; Lin Huaiyin had taken it.
He was uncertain, and when he saw Lin Huaiyin and Xiao Zhian standing opposite each other, he was surprised to find that his third sister had not bowed to His Highness the Crown Prince, and that His Highness had not been disgusted by her bloodstains, but had bent down to look at her and even unusually explained a long and rambling explanation for her, and approved of her plan.
His Highness seems to trust his third sister too much.
That's not right.
Lin Cuiyue stared at the two of them, gradually becoming lost in thought.
Lin Huaiyin pointed to the fire on the mountain and asked Xiao Zhian, "Your Highness, what about that fire?"
She wanted to ask if Princess Pingyang had set the fire, and if he had ignored it on the mountain. Had he caught her red-handed, apprehended her, and was just waiting to convict her and send her on her way? Then everything would be fine, and she could talk to Xiao Zhian about more personal matters, such as how Shen Congyun was probably doomed, and how she could go back and write a letter of divorce, thus becoming free...
Lin Huaiyin's eyes were bloodshot. She brushed her eyelids and eyelashes aside, then hugged the person's leg tightly, filled with longing—she had just defeated the White Lotus Sect, winning a crucial battle. And him? How far had things progressed?
Xiao Zhian didn't know what she was excited about, and replied softly, "I was worried that the officials and their families were scattered in different places, which would be difficult to protect. So I had Yuan Jie'e do something special at the altar, ordering everyone to gather at the altar for night prayers. The fire was lit on purpose to make the Imperial Guards more visible and to facilitate the detection of enemy movements."
Upon hearing this, Lin Huaiyin tightened her grip on the man's leg, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
It turns out that Xiao Zhian set the fire.
That means there's nothing on the mountaintop, and Princess Pingyang hasn't been captured. Everything is still stuck in the same place, with no progress whatsoever.
Princess Pingyang remained seated firmly on the high platform, showing no change whatsoever.
Lin Huaiyin's expression darkened, and she curtsied, replying indifferently, "Thank you for your explanation, Your Highness."
After saying that, she stepped back to Lin Cuiyue's side.
At this moment, the Imperial Guards on the mountain could no longer contain themselves and sent a small team down to investigate the situation. The captain's heavy armored soldiers and snake catchers also led their teams back and joined forces here.
Before they arrived, Lin Huaiyin shoved her leg into the Imperial Guard's arms, propped up Lin Cuiyue's right arm, and began to wail and scream—"Big brother, brother! How did your leg get broken? You're so miserable!"
She howled shrilly, and the two groups of people rushed over and saw that Xiao Zhian was also there. They hurriedly bowed.
Lin Huaiyin seized the opportunity to act out, bursting into tears and sobbing as she recounted that Lin Cuiyue's right leg was broken.
The imperial guards then raised a man's leg to signal to the crowd.
Lin Cuiyue was forced into a corner. Even the Crown Prince had tacitly accepted that his leg was broken, so he had no choice but to pretend.
Immediately, the Imperial Guards arranged for Lin Cuiyue to descend the mountain to provide medical assistance.
Lin Cuiyue instructed them to escort Xiao Zhian up the mountain.
In an instant, the troops had to split into two groups.
Xiao Zhian stood still, without moving.
Lin Huaiyin felt a burning gaze behind her. She knew Xiao Zhian was waiting for her and wanted to invite her to come along, but Princess Pingyang was on the mountain, which she didn't like.
She's now bloodthirsty and itching to kill, afraid she might just shoot Princess Pingyang with an arrow, making things awkward for everyone.
Two snake catchers were assigned to Xiao Zhian, Lin Huaiyin retrieved Lin Cuiyue's sword, and silently led the team toward Lin Cuiyue, choosing to descend the mountain.
Xiao Zhian could understand why she went with her brother.
But he could tell that Lin Huaiyin was not happy walking; she was not taking big steps and was not in high spirits, completely lacking the excitement she had shown earlier.
What's wrong with her?
Xiao Zhian didn't quite understand. He was protecting everyone on the mountain, while she was winning a great victory down below. They were in sync and worked together perfectly. She was just smiling at him, so why did she suddenly change her expression?
Lin Huaiyin followed Lin Cuiyue, crying as she walked, her acting so convincing that the two imperial guards wanted to kowtow to her.
Lin Huaiyin cried all the way down the mountain, feeling dazed and disoriented.
Upon seeing Lin Shifeng and Xie Ao, and hearing that all the White Lotus Sect traitors had been captured and the soldiers were searching the mountains, she didn't want to waste a moment and wanted to conduct a surprise interrogation that very night to uncover evidence of collusion between the White Lotus Sect and Shen Congyun. However, her mind was foggy and unclear, and she couldn't help but recall this day—
She woke up in Xiao Zhian's arms in the morning, attended the Golden Register Grand Ceremony at noon, sent Shen Congyun off in the afternoon, was captured by her older brother, was taken away by Xiao Zhian, almost killed Princess Pingyang, and was almost strangled to death by Xiao Zhian. In the afternoon, she patrolled the mountain and set traps, and in the evening, she had a great battle...
What a long day.
So tired.
Lin Huaiyin's legs trembled, and she fell into the crab's arms.
Lin Cuiyue and Lin Shifeng looked at each other in silence.
They didn't communicate, but both of them were prepared to interrogate her. However, she suddenly collapsed, and it didn't seem like she was faking it; she was genuinely exhausted. What exactly was tiring her up was the key question her two brothers wanted to answer.
It's my own sister, and I can't treat her like a criminal.
"Go."
Lin Shifeng took the jujube wood bow and let her go first.
Crab claws are strong; they lifted Lin Huaiyin onto the horse, returned to the post station, and then carried her back to her room.
She brought hot water and helped Lin Huaiyin undress.
First, remove the shawl around your neck—the five-finger palm print strikes the crab's pupils!
She swallowed hard and continued to undress—her fair and delicate body was covered in scarlet hickeys, a sight that continued to assault the crab's eyes!
Amitabha Buddha, well done, well done.
Crab's face turned red and its heart pounded wildly, its mind filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts.
She believed in Lin Huaiyin's abilities and didn't think her young lady would be bullied at all. Moreover, she immediately thought of Xiao Zhian's foxy face and marveled at how clever her young lady was.
"Is it still that same male prostitute? No... the young lady is up in the mountains. Could it be that they've changed her?"
The crab claw was talking to itself.
Lin Huaiyin woke up in the steaming hot bath, her face still wet. When she saw that Xie Ao had taken off her clothes, she immediately thought of the knife wound on her back and hid in the bathtub to cover herself up.
Sure enough, blood soon appeared in the bathtub, and Lin Huaiyin used her hand, which was chafed from shooting arrows, as an excuse.
Crab Claw, unsuspecting, chattered on about recent events, showing particular interest in the male prostitute.
Lin Huaiyin thought for a long time before realizing that Xie Ao had mistaken Xiao Zhi'an for a male prostitute. She was speechless, but she had to explain because of the marks all over her body. She couldn't come up with such a disgusting story that Shen Congyun had done it, so she just followed Xie Ao's train of thought and hummed and groaned.
The two talked more and more outrageously. By the time they finished bandaging their finger wounds and climbed into bed, Xie Ao could no longer look directly at Xiao Zhi'an, that shrewish, clingy fox who would follow his mistress and husband up the mountain even when they knew he was there, and who was also sexually frustrated and partied every night…
Could playing around like this turn a false pregnancy into a real one?
Crab Ao was very excited, while Lin Huaiyin beside him had already fallen fast asleep.
The next morning, before she even opened her eyes, she smelled the medicinal herbs. Lin Huaiyin couldn't quite describe whether she felt relaxed or something else. She didn't have much time to think about it. She pushed open the door, stepped out, and embraced the new day.
The air was crisp and clear, a gentle breeze caressed our faces, the inn was calm and peaceful, Crane Cry Mountain stood majestically, and the vast blue sky was cloudless.
In this life, Crane Cry Mountain bears only the scars left by last night's great battle.
There was no bloodshed, no disarray or regret. This time, Lin Huaiyin and her brothers fought side by side, and the Yuan Cong Imperial Guards achieved a great victory, capturing the White Lotus Rebels alive. In this life, they fought a brilliant blocking battle, shattering Princess Pingyang and Shen Congyun's beautiful dream!
By this time, times had changed, the traitor had been captured, and Mu Zhanjuan was active among the people, preventing refugees from becoming bandits. Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang should no longer have the opportunity to strengthen the White Lotus Sect, slaughter court officials, or frame Lin Cuiyue. Their dreams had become nothing but wishful thinking!
Now is the time to strike back.
Lin Huaiyin, carrying the crab claw, hurried to the place where the traitor was imprisoned.
All the members of the White Lotus sect have been arrested. Now they are going to identify them one by one. Lin Huaiyin is confident that she can identify the culprit who kidnapped her last year on the Shangsi Festival.
That was the beginning of Shen Congyun's plot against her and his schemes against the Lin family. It was the starting point of her past life falling for Shen Congyun's false tenderness, seeing him as her savior, being infatuated with him and trusting him, and ultimately being ruined by him. Lin Huaiyin couldn't wait to correct that mistake—
She wanted to turn the criminal into a witness, and transform Shen Congyun's self-righteous control into a fatal arrow aimed at his throat.
Princess Pingyang already knew that she and Xiao Zhian were entangled and that she might be able to find some clues. The current situation was no less than a life-or-death struggle. Lin Huaiyin was very clear that she had to take the initiative and collect all the evidence. As long as Xiao Zhian investigated Shen Congyun as soon as he returned to the capital, she and Yu Li would not have to go back to the Shen family's den of thieves and suffer his harm.
Aside from today, there are two more days until departure, plus six days on the road, so she has nine days to get everything sorted out.
With limited time and needing to evade Princess Pingyang's spies, Lin Huaiyin walked faster and faster, and Xie Ao also looked tense.
However, at that moment, a member of the Imperial Guard came to announce, "The General invites the Third Miss to come over and have breakfast together."
"I'm not hungry."
Lin Huaiyin was preoccupied with important business. After taking a couple of steps, she realized she shouldn't make things difficult for him, so she turned back and said, "Please tell my brothers that I'm going to find the villain who kidnapped me last year. If you need anything, just come find me after you've finished eating."
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards remained silent, then nodded with a smirk and followed Lin Huaiyin's steps, without returning to report.
The two suddenly became a trio. After walking for a while, they encountered another Imperial Guard. He then asked someone to pass on his message, and with a sinister look, he gritted his teeth at Lin Huaiyin: "Third Miss, you are in charge of finding it. Once you find it, I will kill it half to death first, and then hand it over to you and Miss Xie'ao to deal with."
"You're on the right track!"
The crab claw cackled and punched the Imperial Guard.
Lin Huaiyin smiled and continued walking quickly.
Soon, they arrived at their destination.
The open field was heavily guarded, with no shelter above or fencing on any side, and dust billowing below.
The soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, had their helmets covered in morning dew.
The White Lotus rebels were tied together like a string of people with their arms bound in the rope. They were pulling on each other, and if they were not careful, they would all fall down and trample each other. Without the support of their hands, they could not get up after falling.
Looking around, Lin Huaiyin saw no fewer than a thousand traitors, all dressed in rags, trembling like startled birds.
She gradually slowed her pace.
"Welcome, Third Miss!"
The soldiers shouted in unison.
The arrival of Lin Huaiyin boosted the morale of the soldiers more than anyone else.
Last year, she was kidnapped by thieves, a disgrace and eternal pain that cost the Imperial Guards 100,000 yuan. Now, they have traveled thousands of miles to surround and kill the traitors, capturing 1,323 people alive. They are no longer dejected. They have avenged their humiliation and their great hatred. They are extremely excited and look at Lin Huaiyin with pride on every face as they accept her inspection.
"Thank you all for your hard work."
Lin Huaiyin's eyes welled up with tears.
Forget about ministers, princesses, and princes; being with your own brothers is the most reassuring and enjoyable thing!
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