Sharpening knives, ho ho
Upon hearing this, Yu Li and Xie Ao's eyes darted around—Shen Congyun was the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty, and if his wife went out to set up a stall to raise money, the news would spread throughout the entire capital in less than a quarter of an hour.
This man is asking a woman for money and even making his wife publicly sell her dowry. He'll have to lose face for eighteen generations of the Shen family's ancestors!
Moreover, when the news reached the Lin family, the master, mistress, and young masters and ladies would surely come to inquire about the situation. If the young lady were to cry about how Shen Congyun had bullied her, the master might even go and smash down the gates of the Eastern Palace to demand that His Highness the Crown Prince come out and take charge.
Why did the young lady suddenly turn bad?
The two were astonished by Lin Huaiyin's "sinister intentions" and shocked that she had actually come to the decision to return to the Lin family. Moreover, they thought that once this plan was implemented, they should be able to escape from the Shen family immediately. They couldn't help but be eager to try it and were so excited that they forgot themselves.
Lin Huaiyin finished a whole pot of cold tea, then urged everyone to pack up the gold and silver. She buried her head under the bed and, with a series of groans, dragged out a large box as long as the bed.
When the dusty box appeared, Yu Li and Xie Ao stared wide-eyed, rubbing their hands together as they surrounded it. They saw Lin Huaiyin sitting on the ground, deftly pulling off a shawl to wipe the dust, looking extremely undignified and lacking any semblance of the dignity of the Prime Minister's wife.
"Miss, this is... way too exaggerated."
Yu Li chuckled awkwardly, pinching her right hand with her left, her heart trembling. She thought to herself: If this thing is sold, the master will kill that man surnamed Shen.
"Click".
Unfasten the buckle.
Lin Huaiyin opened the box.
A wooden bow lay quietly in the box.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, and dust motes floated in the beams of light. The bowed body, which had been a deep, dark color from congealed bloodstains, suddenly revealed a gradient of blue and purple tortoise shell patterns, shimmering and illuminating the entire wooden box, as well as brightening Lin Huaiyin's eyes.
She reached out her hand with boundless affection, grasping it as if touching cold jade, then feeling its warmth.
This was a gift given by her father, Lin Zhenlie, on the day she came of age; it was not on the dowry list, and Shen Congyun was completely unaware of it.
A four-foot-long bow made of jujube wood struck by lightning—there wasn't another one like it in the entire Daxing Dynasty.
The bowstring is made from the back sinew of a snow leopard from the Tianshan Mountains, the arrow shaft is made from Xiangfei bamboo, the arrowhead is made from a piercing cone, and the fletching is made from the first feathers of a gyrfalcon. There are also three jars of arrow-nourishing oil made from the brain oil of a North Sea whale, the seed oil of a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains, and toad venom. Any one of these items would be priceless.
This reflects the Lin family's heritage and Lin Zhenlie's deep affection for his daughter.
Before her marriage, Lin Zhenlie was worried that she would be bored in the inner quarters after marriage, so he packed a whole box full of gifts for her.
However, because of Shen Congyun's words, "When it comes to women, silence is the first thing to consider; a virtuous woman is not valued for her talents," Lin Huaiyin gritted her teeth in pain, hid the words under her bed to gather dust, and never spoke of her superb archery skills.
For the past six months, she had not opened it once, and in that horrific dream, the bow was never in her hands.
History must never repeat itself.
Lin Huaiyin quickly applied ointment for maintenance, tested the strength of the bow, picked out two arrows and a bowstring, took down a painting of "Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" from the wall, neatly arranged the bowstring and arrows, then rolled up the scroll and tied it tightly.
Because of the curvature of the scroll, it looks a bit bulky, but that's not a big problem as long as it can be carried out smoothly.
She had to finish that job today; she couldn't wait a moment longer.
As Lin Huaiyin was pondering how to find a piece of fabric to wrap herself in, Xie Ao beat her to it, saying, "Miss, I'll do it," and happily picked up the scroll.
Crab Claw looked at Lin Huaiyin with utter adoration, its eyes gleaming with mischievous brilliance, and its voice trembled with excitement: "Miss, are you going out to kill someone? Tell me, whose dog head should we take first?"
Whose dog head? Of course, it's the culprit who framed his father for treason in his past life.
Lin Huaiyin's fingertips traced the piercing nail, the cold light reflecting off her scarlet eyes. She couldn't wait to see how that person died.
Seeing Lin Huaiyin's sharp gaze, Xie Ao knew she was right. Her young lady had been lurking by Shen Congyun's side for half a year and had dug up some juicy information!
If there really were eight crab claws, they would have already snapped open and pinched the sky. The astonishment in Yu Li's eyes only made her prouder. After all, she knew her mistress best. Her mistress was the best. That miserable look she had just made earlier was definitely a disguise. Now was the time to change her shell and make a big splash.
Excited, Crab Claw and Yu Li were both beaming. Lin Huaiyin didn't say much, but while pushing the box under the bed, she urged them to pack up quickly and set off immediately.
Before long, the gold and silver jewelry was packed into two heavy bundles.
As usual, Lin Huaiyin had to inform her mother-in-law—Shen Congyun's mother, Madam Shen—before leaving the house. However, Lin Huaiyin was too lazy to bother with her today. She had thought of ways to deal with the old hag. She would wait for her to go out and cause a scene before coming back to fight her.
So the three ignored the questions from the servants in the inner quarters, said they were doing something for Shen Congyun, went straight out, and climbed onto the oxcart.
Just as they were about to depart, the steward of the outer residence said that the Shen family's coachman was ill and could not drive.
After a moment's thought, Lin Huaiyin realized that Shen Congyun was afraid that if the coachman went to the Lin family, he would accidentally expose the hardships and mistreatment she was suffering here.
After all, the Lin family commands 100,000 imperial guards, protecting the capital, the imperial city, and the palace. Every member of the Lin family is skilled, and if they were willing, interrogating a coachman would be a piece of cake.
He was so confident that she was his puppet and wouldn't reveal his true intentions.
Lin Huaiyin chuckled inwardly, and with a single glance, Xie Ao took the lead without hesitation, turning over to drive the car.
The oxcart slowly left the Shen Mansion.
Xie Ao and Yu Li, separated by a curtain, discussed where the crowds were at their peak and where it would be best to set up their stall. Ideally, the area would be filled with gossipy people so that their story of selling their dowry would immediately become the talk of the town.
However, after listening to their conversation for a while, Lin Huaiyin said directly, "Go to the Imperial College."
Huh? The Imperial Academy? Yu Li and Xie Ao were both suspicious, thinking: "Those are all bookworms, oblivious to everything else, and they're very tight-lipped. No one would buy a stall there, would they? Why did Miss choose that place?"
Despite his doubts, Xie Ao was honest and straightforward, the kind of person who would do whatever the young lady pointed out. He immediately wielded his whip and headed straight for the Imperial Academy.
Lin Huaiyin then unrolled the scroll, took out the jujube wood bow, and installed the bowstring.
She only took two arrows with her when she went out, and had no intention of going to the Erwang Temple to fight the White Lotus sect members or seize their weapons.
Two fists can't beat four hands; she can't do it alone.
Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang's rebellious intentions have not yet been exposed. It would be too dangerous to rashly involve the Lin family and the Imperial Guards. Therefore, the only force she can utilize is that person in the Eastern Palace—His Highness the Crown Prince.
His Majesty has been bedridden for over a decade, and His Highness the Crown Prince has been overseeing the country for many years, yet he is only one step away from the throne.
Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang both want to seize the Crown Prince's throne. The enemy of my enemy is naturally my ally. Moreover, the Crown Prince has troops, power, and the ability to thoroughly investigate Princess Pingyang. It would be the best strategy to expose this matter to him and use him to eliminate Princess Pingyang.
Thinking of the Crown Prince, Lin Huaiyin was caught off guard, and the image of the white-clad prisoner in the imperial prison flashed through her mind.
In the center of the iron cage and red tent, the Crown Prince lay languidly on his back, speaking flippantly:
"This prince is ignorant of human affairs, Yinyin, you do it yourself."
The muddy, fragrant sweat, carrying a surge of masculine energy, suddenly assaulted Lin Huaiyin, causing her to gasp unconsciously, her cheeks flushed, and the bowstring tightened, creaking loudly.
Damn it! I'm the only one having nightmares, he probably doesn't know!
With the bowstring stretched to its limit, Lin Huaiyin's fingers slipped, and the bowstring hummed with a "clang," scraping her fingertip and drawing blood.
Yu Li nervously leaned closer and asked her why she was lost in thought, but Lin Huaiyin was too embarrassed to say what she was thinking about. She shook her head vigorously while sucking her fingers, but she couldn't shake off the flood of memories.
Clad in white robes and under a red canopy, the torches of the imperial prison flickered. The Crown Prince retrieved the sparrow-head shoes, straightened her hairpins and ornaments, twisted her ear to make her feel pain, offered her a way out, and urged her to live on.
Lin Huaiyin felt a subtle sense of disbelief.
It was clearly her sudden inspiration to use the title of "Crown Princess" to seek a way out, but the Crown Prince's behavior was truly intriguing.
He was so calm and composed, as if he had a backup plan even without going with the flow. He even gave her an address and a code, which vaguely represented some kind of enormous power. He entrusted everything to her, but at the last moment, he took away a jade hairpin.
Kingfisher feather hairpin. Lin Huaiyin raised her hand to touch her temple, feeling around. The kingfisher feathers had a unique texture. She took it off, placed it in her palm, and stared at it intently.
She couldn't understand why His Highness the Crown Prince had taken this hairpin by himself. She only knew that they had worked together to kill Shen Congyun, and she used the opportunity to escape that nightmare.
If it weren't for the Crown Prince's cooperation in thoroughly enraging Shen Congyun, Shen Congyun might have let her die silently, without wasting her breath to tell the truth, and there would never be today.
Thinking of this, Lin Huaiyin secretly added a note after her goal of divorcing her husband and sending the adulterous couple to hell: "Of course we should use them, but we should also try our best to protect His Highness the Crown Prince and Xiao Zhi'an."
As long as the Crown Prince remains in power, the Lin family will be absolutely safe, and only the Lin family can protect him.
Using his influence to bring down Princess Pingyang would be the greatest protection for him.
The only problem is that strangers can't get along with relatives.
Princess Pingyang is the Crown Prince's younger sister, born of the same mother. The two are blood relatives, and Lin Huaiyin would not be foolish enough to go directly to the Crown Prince and tell him that Princess Pingyang is plotting to become Empress. Otherwise, arguing back and forth would only expose herself and waste time.
If we're going to do it, we have to create a fait accompli so that the Crown Prince can see the result directly.
Therefore, a trip to the Imperial College is necessary.
Lin Huaiyin repeatedly lifted the carriage curtain to confirm that Shen Congyun had not sent anyone to follow them, and that their destination was already close at hand. He then told Xie Ao to find a secluded place to stop.
Soon, the car came to a stop, and Crab Claw poked its head in, asking what the next steps were, whether we were really going to set up a stall here, and whether we wouldn't reconsider.
Lin Huaiyin only said that she would set up the stall later, and told her and Yu Li to set out the writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones and wait obediently. Then she took off her hairpins and changed into a simple dress, dressing like a wife of a minor official, jumped off the carriage and headed towards the Imperial College.
In the front courtyard of the Imperial College, there are thirteen giant stone pillars.
At the foot of the stone pillar, men, women, and children gathered in clusters. There were quite a few people, but they were extremely quiet. Everyone went about their own business, occasionally looking up at the stone pillar, or burying their heads in writing.
The scene was solemn, and no one noticed Lin Huaiyin approaching. Everyone was focused on copying Chu Fan's version of "The Thirteen Classics with Commentaries" from the stone pillar.
The so-called "Chu Fan" refers to the handwritten model of the crown prince. After the crown prince began his studies, he would handwrite the "Thirteen Classics with Commentaries," which would then be made into woodblock prints and distributed to the imperial family members to demonstrate the crown prince's status as a "carrier of the Way through books."
This set of books should not have been circulated. Royal scriptures, how could commoners have the right to see them? However, the Crown Prince, who was in charge of the country, had a unique idea. He ordered that they be engraved as stone scriptures for all scholars in the country to read. The Imperial Academy had no choice but to comply.
In this way, Lin Huaiyin was able to take advantage of the situation.
The imperial court had explicitly forbidden copying the crown prince's handwriting, but she insisted on doing so.
She was to write a letter, a "secret edict" personally written by the Crown Prince, to directly mobilize the Imperial City Guard to suppress the White Lotus Sect, reclaim weapons, and thwart the conspiracy of Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang.
The Imperial City Guard, known as the Emperor's eyes and ears, was a supervisory agency that bypassed the Three Departments and Six Ministries and was directly under the Emperor's control. It had the power to supervise, arrest, and interrogate, and commanded an elite guard. Its commander, the Imperial City Envoy, could report to the Emperor independently.
With His Majesty seriously ill, the Crown Prince, who is in charge of all military and state affairs, is in charge of the affairs of state. If this matter is reported to the Imperial City Guard, it is tantamount to reporting it to His Highness the Crown Prince. It is a way to use someone else's strength against them. There is no better way.
The secret letter was brief. Lin Huaiyin found the words she needed, looked at them with her eyes, and traced them in the air with her fingers, striving to capture their essence.
A moment later, she turned and left, returning to the oxcart, where Yu Li had already ground the ink and laid out the paper, waiting for her to pick up her brush.
Lin Huaiyin doesn't plan to involve the two of them in these dangerous activities for the time being.
She turned her back and began to write, finishing in one stroke. Then she dried the paper, folded it into a neat square, and carefully tied it to the arrow.
The knife is sharpened; all that's needed is to hand it out. Lin Huaiyin, her heart pounding with excitement, called to Xie Ao, "Let's go, towards Tiefo Temple."
"Yes, miss."
The crab claws darted out at the sound, and she moved forward with great enthusiasm, the oxcart clattering along.
Yu Li was also very happy, thinking to herself that Miss had a good eye. With the Buddha's Birthday approaching, the Iron Buddha Temple would definitely be packed with people. If we set up a small stall there, we would definitely be surrounded by crowds.
Yu Li and Xie Ao were overjoyed, feeling that once the stall was set up, Shen Congyun would immediately become infamous, and the Lin family would descend like divine soldiers to take them and their young lady home.
Great, I'll be free soon.
Inside the same carriage, Yu Li's face flushed with excitement, while Lin Huaiyin remained quiet, squinting one eye, drawing her bow and arrow, repeatedly adjusting the force and angle to adapt to the bumpy ride of the oxcart.
She had only one chance, and she had to strike decisively to ensure the secret edict reached the Imperial City Guard.
The oxcart slowly traveled between the shops and markets. The Imperial City Guard was located in the center of Yongfeng Ward Main Street.
The main street was fifty paces wide and about four hundred paces long. In order to avoid possible suspicion and search, she could not walk on that main street. Therefore, she had to shoot the arrow at the Imperial City Guard the moment she passed the fork in the main street.
Two hundred paces away, he swept past various obstacles and shot an arrow from the side, still while the oxcart was traveling.
It's quite difficult.
In the past, Lin Huaiyin could keep her aim even with her eyes closed, but now that she is fifteen years old, she has been raised by Shen Congyun for more than half a year and has really neglected her practice.
As they drew closer and the fork in the road began to appear, she told Yu Li to lift a corner of the carriage curtain, take a deep breath, and hold it.
As the line of sight narrows, the red walls of the Imperial City Guard slowly come into view.
The arrow is on the bowstring.
The peddler's kite was blocking the way.
The tavern's flag fluttered in the breeze.
There was no chance to make a move.
Lin Huaiyin's fingers hovered between loosening and tightening, accompanied by the bumpy ride of the oxcart. The fork in the road was about to disappear completely when finally, her fingertips released their grip—
"call out!"
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