Su Jinggui saves the day
Compared to Lin Cuiyue's tall horse, Su Jinggui looked excessively thin, as if a single breath from the horse could knock him over.
But he firmly stepped between the two, protecting Lin Huaiyin's carriage behind him, and looked up at Lin Cuiyue, saying, "Brother, if you want to blame someone, blame me. It was I who arranged to meet my third sister at Tiefo Temple. No matter what, it was Jinggui who insisted on seeing her."
"you?"
Lin Cuiyue looked at the gaunt and frail Su Jinggui, whose clear, slightly protruding eyes were very convincing.
This man, after being jilted by his third sister, went from a handsome young man to this withered, ghostly figure.
Lin Cuiyue felt a pang of pity and a look of doubt on his face. He thought to himself: It's not entirely impossible that Third Sister took two maids out and then left to see Su Jinggui.
After all, the two of them had been engaged. When the Third Sister was kidnapped by the White Lotus Sect, rumors spread throughout the capital. However, the Su family refused to break off the engagement and even wanted to get married ahead of schedule. It was the Third Sister who was bewitched by Shen Congyun and insisted on marrying into the Shen family, thus betraying the Su family.
The Lin family is in the wrong, and the Su family has not yet received the annulment letter, which means the Lin family still owes the Su family a daughter-in-law.
It's understandable that the third sister, feeling guilty, would secretly meet with him.
So today, my third sister had a secret rendezvous but didn't kill anyone. Was I misunderstanding her?
Although the third sister is undoubtedly the most suspicious based on the modus operandi, the question is, why would she kill Zhao Changji when there was no grudge between them?
She had no motive.
Lin Cuiyue was full of suspicion.
When Lin Huaiyin heard Su Jinggui mention "Iron Buddha Temple," she immediately understood what Su Jinggui meant: he must have seen her there. Perhaps he couldn't get close because of the crowd, but he must have guessed the truth from the assassination of Minister Zhao afterward, which is why he showed up to help.
He found out.
What should we do? We absolutely cannot drag him into this.
Lin Huaiyin's hand, hidden in her sleeve, slowly clenched into her palm. A heavy, damp mass seemed to fill her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her mind was ablaze with the nightmare.
In her dream, at the family banquet when Shen Zaiyuan returned to the capital, she and Su Jinggui were caught in bed together. Yu Li and Xie Ao were beaten to death on the spot. She foolishly thought that it was Su Jinggui's revenge for her breaking off the engagement and that he had said the most vicious things to her. However, Shen Congyun admitted in prison that he had drugged them with drugs to use this scandal to control the Su family and plot Su's father's official position in the Ministry of Personnel.
Shen Congyun, that beast, even used Su Jinggui! Lin Huaiyin was filled with remorse and her heart was breaking.
Outside the carriage, Lin Cuiyue stood tall on his horse. As the cool evening breeze passed, Su Jinggui's clothes rustled and swayed like a soul-summoning banner lifted by a bamboo pole.
The relationship between the Su and Lin families was common knowledge throughout the city, and now they were entangled in Lin Huaiyin's secret rendezvous with another man. The Imperial Guards, who had been focused on Lin Huaiyin, quietly left. Lin Cuiyue's attention, which had been focused on Lin Huaiyin, finally shifted slightly to notice the Su family's carriage parked in the distance.
It turned out that Su Jinggui had been following behind his third sister all the way, and when he saw him questioning her, he came to her rescue.
He personally escorted his third sister to the Shen residence; he really had the nerve to tolerate her.
Lin Cuiyue couldn't understand why a grown man of eight feet tall, with a clean background, good looks and good character, could be so unable to let go of his wife.
It's time to let it go. Lin Cuiyue wanted to persuade him; he had been holding back for a whole year and really wanted to give him some advice today. Unexpectedly, Su Jinggui suddenly bowed respectfully and said, "Jinggui has thought it over and over, and I think that painting shouldn't have been taken away by Third Sister. The painting is too big and can't be hidden. I'm afraid my brother-in-law will be displeased if he sees it. Therefore, I still want to take it back."
Upon hearing this, Lin Cuiyue immediately thought of the round pillar wrapped in silk cloth at Lin Huaiyin's feet.
Is it a painting? The shape definitely suggests it is.
Lin Cuiyue had initially believed it was the murder weapon, but now he suddenly realized: his third sister's restless tension and her fierce determination to crush the cylindrical object into nothingness could explain why she was afraid of being discovered if it was something Su Jinggui had given her.
"What painting?" Lin Cuiyue's doubts had not completely dissipated, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.
He wanted to find out more, and even wanted to open it up to confirm.
"This painting was specially created by Jinggui for my third sister. It depicts her from our first meeting as children to her outing on the Shangsi Festival. It is a humble work and not worth mentioning to outsiders." Su Jinggui's voice was weak and drifted away with the wind as soon as it came out.
Upon hearing this, Lin Cuiyue immediately abandoned the idea of opening the painting to take a look.
He watched Su Jinggui and Lin Huaiyin grow up, and could almost immediately imagine what the painting was about, and also understood why the scroll was so thick.
Memories of the past decade: the third sister practiced archery on the training ground while Su Jinggui studied on the side. The two little children went from one who couldn't hold a bow steadily to the other who passed the imperial examination and got engaged. They were childhood sweethearts for over ten years.
Lin Cuiyue knew better than anyone how difficult it was for Su Jinggui, the only son of the Lin family, to marry into the family and how much he had to endure and care for his third sister. The Lin family's daughters did not marry out of the family.
Lin Cuiyue didn't like this outcome, and he didn't want to look at the painting even more, especially since it was stuck on the Shangsi Festival last year, the day his third sister was kidnapped by the White Lotus Sect.
Lin Cuiyue shook his head again and again, wanting to scold the child for being stupid. Why did he paint the Shangsi Festival? It was like rubbing salt into his third sister's wounds. No wonder his third sister threw the painting under her feet and stepped on it.
The same words made Lin Cuiyue scratch his head, but to Lin Huaiyin, every word was like a lifeline.
Su Jinggui's meaning was clear enough: he guessed that the painting contained the murder weapon, he wanted to take it away, he wanted to protect her, and he wasn't afraid of getting burned.
You're not afraid, but I am.
Lin Huaiyin was torn. On one hand, she absolutely could not drag Su Jinggui into this mess, and on the other hand, she had her revenge plan.
She couldn't stop there. If her elder brother found out, she couldn't explain the reasons clearly. She could only continue to fight alone. Moreover, she had provoked Shen Congyun that afternoon. When she returned to the Shen residence, there would surely be bloodshed.
Weighing two evils, Lin Huaiyin stared at Su Jinggui's retreating figure, feeling as if she had returned to the Shangsi Festival of the previous year, when the White Lotus Rebels surrounded them, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Compared to that day, he is now thin and frail, looking weak and vulnerable, yet he resolutely stands in front of his elder brother's horse, determined to shoulder the heaviest burden for her.
"Brother Su." Lin Huaiyin's eyes welled up with tears as she slowly nodded, "Then please take it back, Young Master Su."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinggui turned around in surprise. As the setting sun slanted in, Lin Huaiyin saw his gaunt face and felt a pang of pain in her heart. She picked up the scroll and gently placed it on his arm.
Su Jinggui hugged the painting tightly, his skinny hands with prominent veins. He held her close, his eyes warm, as if he were holding her, someone he had thought about countless times but had never touched. The wrinkles on his face were filled with a gentle smile.
Seeing his infatuation, Lin Cuiyue felt extremely distressed.
It's all that wicked Shen Congyun's fault. He saved her, so what if she was drugged? My Lin family has doctors. If you bring her back, we can cure her. How could you ruin Third Sister's reputation and take her away alive?
Lin Cuiyue turned his face away, unable to bear to look.
Su Jinggui held the scroll firmly, looked at Lin Huaiyin, his throat bobbed, he stood on tiptoe, his thin lips trembled, and he opened them in the shape of a "three".
“Young Master Su,” Lin Huaiyin spoke first, “Given our current status, it is not appropriate for us to meet again. Please do not come to the banquet held at the Shen residence in a few days, as my husband will be displeased.”
Upon hearing this, Su Jinggui's lips trembled, and he was so sad that he felt like he was about to break. Lin Cuiyue felt as if he had been stabbed in the chest, and he was in unbearable pain.
It's all Shen Congyun's fault! Why doesn't God send down a lightning bolt and kill him?
Lin Huaiyin couldn't bear to look at Su Jinggui. She forced herself to treat him as a temporary ally to whom she could entrust her trust, and didn't think anything of him.
He handed the bow and arrow to Su Jinggui and reminded him of the family banquet five days later. The immediate crisis was temporarily resolved, and he felt relieved.
Looking down at Lin Cuiyue, she secretly glanced at him, wanting to see if her older brother still suspected her. Unexpectedly, she saw him stiffening his neck, holding his breath, his face flushed.
Big brother, what's wrong?
She paused slightly, her movements faltering.
Su Jinggui's throat tightened again. He hugged the scroll tightly and stammered, "Third Sister, what happened that day was all my fault. I keep thinking, if only—"
"Young Master Su."
Lin Huaiyin interrupted him. She knew what he wanted to say, but she didn't want to hear it. Clutching the curtain, she softly comforted him, "The imperial court has wiped out the White Lotus Sect today. Everything is over now. Please look forward, Young Master Su."
After saying that, she called to Lin Cuiyue, "Big brother, Young Master Su is weak. Why don't you send someone to escort him back to the manor? There will be someone to look after him on the way."
Lin Huaiyin's real intention was to prevent Su Jinggui from being questioned on the way, which would expose the evidence. Sending the Imperial Guards to escort him was the safest option.
Lin Cuiyue didn't think much of what she said. Instead, he felt comforted, thinking that although his third sister's words were harsh, she still cared about him. Moreover, Su Jinggui was indeed pitiful, and the Lin family had to take responsibility for him.
It was simply a matter of escorting them back to the manor. Lin Cuiyue immediately assigned two people to wait by the Su family's carriage.
Lin Huaiyin was completely relieved. She nodded slightly to Su Jinggui, then looked at Lin Cuiyue. Suddenly, she remembered the nightmare in which the entire Lin family was executed, her father, brothers, and mother's blood splattered at the Meridian Gate, and the corpses of her nine generations lying exposed in the wilderness.
Her heart was churning with emotions. She wanted to jump down, hug her brother, touch his face, confirm his breathing and body temperature, and confirm that her brother would forever ride a tall horse, standing majestically before everyone.
But Lin Huaiyin didn't dare. She silently lowered her head, covering her tearful eyes.
Seeing her pitiful state, Lin Cuiyue spurred his horse aside and said, "Go on," indicating that he did not intend to punish his sister for having an affair.
The crab claws dared not breathe and frantically lashed out with their whips.
Watching the oxcart speed away, Su Jinggui chased after it for a few steps, then stood there lost in thought.
Lin Cuiyue's eyes were dark, and he remained silent.
Two disturbances in one day; things are not peaceful in the capital.
He wanted to escort him, but when he thought of Shen Congyun, the chief minister's brother-in-law, he could only stop, no matter how reluctant he was.
The Imperial Guards are not allowed to get involved in politics, and the Lin family daughters never marry outside the family. The fact that His Highness the Crown Prince requested an imperial decree to grant them a marriage is already a great honor. The Lin family cannot be ungrateful and must avoid suspicion and stay away from the Shen family.
Since Shen Congyun is willing to risk public condemnation to marry her, he must treat his third sister well.
Lin Cuiyue comforted himself.
——
The setting sun casts its last rays.
It is already late afternoon (5-7 PM).
Crab claw hurriedly headed towards the Shen family.
Inside the oxcart, Yu Li looked gloomy and had lost all interest in unpacking the bundle.
In that fleeting glimpse, Su Jinggui appeared emaciated and looked like he wouldn't live much longer.
She had grown up with Lin Huaiyin since childhood, which meant she had grown up with Su Jinggui as well. Seeing how pitiful he was, and thinking of the bitter days Lin Huaiyin had endured in the Shen family, she felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She could only blame the heavens for being so cruel and oppressive to people.
"Miss, if we could get a divorce—" she blurted out involuntarily.
Upon hearing this, Lin Huaiyin slowly shook her head.
At that moment, she understood Shen Congyun's intention in asking her to request an imperial decree to grant her marriage.
On the surface, it was a marriage alliance between the Imperial Guards and a high-ranking official, which required the Emperor's approval. But in reality, the imperial decree granting the marriage was a shackle that firmly bound her to the Shen family, just like the iron chains that sealed the prison doors in the imperial prison.
The Emperor has decreed a marriage; to divorce would be to defy the Emperor's decree and deceive him.
The moment she received the imperial edict, she was severed from the Lin family and bound to the rebel ship of Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang, with no way to disembark.
But this is also good; the bigger the waves, the more valuable the fish, and the more dangerous the place, the better.
Having returned from hell, Lin Huaiyin's desire was never for a divorce, nor even for killing her husband and remaining a widow. She would expose Shen Congyun's vile face to the world, divorce him, and throw the divorce papers in his face.
As for Su Jinggui, she will help him as much as she can and do her best.
Lin Huaiyin will remember his kindness today and will repay him in due time and handle the aftermath properly. She only hopes that he will not come to the Shen residence in five days.
Overwhelmed by a sudden change in her mind, Lin Huaiyin looked up and saw Yu Li with her eyes downcast and looking lost. She immediately had no time to feel melancholy.
"Little Fish Li! Hehe!"
Lin Huaiyin grinned, baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, vigorously pinching Yu Li's cheeks with both hands, "Quickly tell me, what treasures are hidden in your little bundle?"
Poor Yu Li, her face contorted in pain, her teeth practically rubbed out, and Lin Huaiyin's nasty hands still wouldn't let up.
Pain is a good way to refresh the mind. Lin Huaiyin rubbed her hands together, thinking this to herself, until all the dejection in Yu Li's eyes disappeared, then she clapped her hands, crossed her arms, and sat up straight.
"It hurts so much." Yu Li held her face, tears welling up in her eyes, and called out "Miss" in a low, resentful voice, accusingly, "How could you be so rough? You weren't like this before. Who taught you to do this?"
The little one looks so cute. Lin Huaiyin felt an itch to touch her again.
Forget it, I'll bully her again next time. Lin Huaiyin held back, pursed her lips, and gestured for her to confess.
When her master spoke, Yu Li was unilaterally mistreated. Feeling wronged, she picked up her small bundle and silently tended to it, her face no longer showing the joy she had felt the first time she had held such a bundle.
Untie the two knots, one horizontal and one vertical, and you'll find a wooden food box inside.
Upon opening the box, you'll find three compartments horizontally and three vertically, for a total of nine. Each of the nine compartments contains different pastries and cookies.
It was a snack! Little Fish Li was so thoughtful. Lin Huaiyin smelled the aroma, her appetite whetted, and she reached out her little hand—"Snap!"
Yu Li slapped the back of her hand without any hesitation, and a smile finally appeared on her lips.
Hehehe.
Yu Li continued to fumble around in the food box, and with some clever trick or by pressing some secret mechanism, a hidden compartment popped out with a "click".
Inside the interlayer, there were nine small blue-and-white porcelain bottles, each about two fingers thick, with red paper pasted on them and words written on them.
"Laxatives," "Aphrodisiacs," "Sedatives," "Itching Relief," "Five Poisons Powder," and some other powerful substances whose names I cannot reveal.
When Lin Huaiyin looked, her temples throbbed violently, and countless large bumps appeared on her forehead.
"Where did this come from!"
With a furious shout, she grabbed Yu Li by the shoulders, overturned the food box, and scattered porcelain bottles and pastries all over the floor.
Lin Huaiyin's vision was filled with blood, and she heard constant wailing and screams. Her mind was filled with images of her and Su Jinggui being caught in bed together, and Yu Li and Xie Ao being beaten to death with sticks.
History must never repeat itself! Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang's spies are everywhere! Why would you touch such a harmful thing? Yu Li, why are you touching it?! If I need it, I'll make it myself!
Blood stained Lin Huaiyin's eyes. She was terrified, her features contorted, and she screamed frantically, "Crab, stop!"
"How could you be so bold? You'll be finished if someone starts watching you!"
Lin Huaiyin almost squeezed Yu Li's shoulder through, and in her horror, she saw that Yu Li's face was pale and her lips were trembling. She was terrified.
No, no, I didn't mean to. Lin Huaiyin realized she had lost control, released Yu Li's shoulders, took a deep breath, and suppressed her heaving chest. She tried to lower her voice and forced a bleak smile: "It's okay, it's okay, good Yu Li, tell me where you came from, I'll clean up the mess, I'll go right now, it's alright, I'm here, don't be afraid."
However, Yu Li was too scared to speak.
She had never seen her mistress so out of control, so terrified. It was as if she had gone mad, possessed by something.
But the possessed young lady was afraid of hurting or frightening her, so she tried her best to restrain herself and comfort her.
A young lady is a young lady. Yu Li is not afraid.
Just then, Xie Ao parked the car, peeked inside, saw the scene inside, and was about to explain when Yu Li mustered her courage and spoke first: "I'll tell Miss."
"Oh." The crab claw nodded and pulled its head away.
The oxcart creaked and started moving. Yu Li squatted down, tidying up as she explained, "Miss, don't worry, it was given to me by the Fourth Miss. The source should be safe."
Upon hearing that it was her fourth sister, Lin Mianfeng, Lin Huaiyin's head throbbed even more. Why was Mianfeng getting involved in this mess...?
Yu Li continued to relay the message: "The Fourth Miss said that she only saw you on the day you returned to your parents' home after your marriage six months ago, and she misses you terribly. In these six months, she has made many friends among the wives of officials and heard a lot about the affairs of the inner quarters. Thinking that you might need it, she secretly prepared it and asked me to bring it to you today."
Oh, I see.
Lin Huaiyin heard Shen Congyun's voice in her mind. It was because Mianfeng had been searching for news about the inner quarters of the Shen family and heard rumors of frequent incidents that he had figured out the reason. He then sought an opportunity to spy on Shen Congyun, which led to his murder by Shen Congyun's guard, Chu Jiu, who then staged it as a suicide.
Not only Yu Li and Xie Ao, but Mian Feng also met a tragic end at the hands of Shen Congyun.
Lin Huaiyin couldn't straighten up, and covered her face in pain. The blue and white porcelain vase pierced her eyes, and intense hatred burned her. The blood-red note and the silently arranged fish saucer gradually solidified before her eyes.
She had to protect them; she couldn't let any of them die.
Suddenly, a jolt pierced the top of her head, and Lin Huaiyin trembled all over. She thought of two words—fate.
Yu Li brought back Mianfeng's medicine; why not give Chu Jiu a dose and settle the score?
The will of Heaven cannot be defied. Hatred has been completely transformed into power. The original plan has been shelved. Lin Huaiyin now only wants to be a helper, so that Mianfeng, Yuli, and Xie'ao can take revenge themselves.
She squatted down and helped Yu Li pack, but Yu Li grabbed her and firmly helped her sit down, earnestly reminding her: "We're almost at the Shen residence, Miss, you must settle down and prepare to deal with Old Madam Shen."
Yu Li was very gentle, with bright, sparkling eyes, and more composed and reliable than ever before.
However, the atmosphere inside the car was heavy, and even the driver outside hesitated to crack the whip.
Lin Huaiyin had been feeling dizzy, but now that she was clear-headed, she realized how frightening she had been. Upon hearing "old lady," she immediately told him how to deal with the old witch.
Upon hearing this, Yu Li was so shocked that she jumped up and down.
The crab-shaped cart didn't even stop; it just lay its head up and came in, laughing hysterically.
The car was filled with a joyful atmosphere again.
The three of them, laughing and chatting, made their way to the Shen Mansion.
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