In the court, the cold wind blew the snowflakes flying outside the palace, but there was a heated discussion inside the palace. Li Chengqian was dressed in a bright yellow imperial robe, but he could not hide the vicious light in his eyes. He said loudly: "Lin Qingya, you are an important official of the court, but you have disturbed the government and formed a clique for personal gain. The evidence is conclusive!" As he spoke, he handed a letter to Emperor Li Heng. His tone was strong and powerful, but with a slight tremor that was easily detected. Many officials in the palace who were on good terms with Li Chengqian echoed him, and the voices rose and fell, and the atmosphere was tense for a while.
Lin Qingya stood aside, her sleeves fluttering, her expression calm, and she did not change at all because of Li Chengqian's accusation. She looked at the letter, a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and then she walked slowly and carefully in front of the emperor, calmly took the memorial, and read it carefully. Her slender fingers gently turned the thin paper, her movements were elegant and slow, and the noise in the palace seemed to slowly quiet down around her, leaving only her soft breathing. This soft breathing sound was particularly clear in the silent court.
After reading it, Lin Qingya raised her head humbly and scanned the officials present. "Your Highness, is the evidence solid? How can it be solid?" Her voice was cold but loud, and her tone was full of majesty that could not be questioned. She gently placed the memorial on the imperial desk and looked directly at Li Chengqian, with a look of insight that could not be ignored. Facing her calm gaze, Li Chengqian took a step back unconsciously.
"This letter is forged!" Lin Qingya's voice was full of undoubted certainty. She casually revealed Li Chengqian's carefully planned lie. Her tone was calm, her eyes were fixed on Li Chengqian, and the ups and downs of her voice were just right, without the slightest hesitation or panic.
She paused, then said calmly: "Your Highness, you mentioned in your letter that I had an affair with the Minister of Rites, but the handwriting on this letter was not written by the Minister himself, and the ink was not written by me, and there was no seal on this letter. What's your explanation?" Her tone was calm, but every word was sharp, and every word hit Li Chengqian's sore spot. Li Chengqian's face changed suddenly. He didn't expect Lin Qingya to see through his plan.
Seeing that Li Chengqian was speechless, Lin Qingya continued, "That's all. Your Highness, you said that I disturbed the government. Which of the witnesses dares to come forward to testify?" She looked around, her eyes as sharp as a knife, causing those ministers who originally agreed with Li Chengqian to lower their heads and dare not look her in the eye.
Emperor Li Heng looked at the scene in front of him with anger. He slapped the armrest of the dragon chair heavily, "How dare you, Li Chengqian, to frame a loyal official in the court! Come, arrest His Royal Highness!" The guards quickly stepped forward and took the pale-faced Li Chengqian away. Emperor Li Heng turned his gaze to Lin Qingya, with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes, "Lin Qing, you have worked hard."
Lin Qingya bowed slightly, "I obey your order." Her heart was in turmoil, and everything was under her control. She looked at Li Chengqian who was taken away calmly, with a barely perceptible sneer on her lips. After returning to the mansion, Lin Qingya immediately ordered to eliminate the remaining party of Li Chengqian and further consolidate her power. She ordered the servants, "List all the officials who have been involved with Li Chengqian, and don't let any of them go."
The cold north wind was still howling outside the window, hitting the window frames of the Lin Mansion and making low sobs. Lin Qingya sat at the desk, her slender fingers gently stroking the smooth sandalwood tabletop, her brows tightly locked. She had just mastered the art of mind reading and had glimpsed Li Chengze's heart full of ambition. Li Chengze secretly colluded with the ministers in the young court, planning to assassinate Li Rui to stir up disputes in the royal family and reap the benefits. She sighed softly, put down the brush in her hand, and a cold light flashed in her eyes.
"Ahfu," Lin Qingya called her maid, "Go to the imperial study and tell the emperor that I have something important to report." Ahfu bowed and left quietly. In the study of the Lin residence, there were various books and memorials. The sandalwood desk was shining, and the four treasures of the study were placed on the table. The air was filled with a faint scent of ink, and the cold wind outside the window seemed unable to invade this quiet space.
Lin Qingya pondered for a moment, picked up a pen and wrote a secret letter on paper. The letter described Li Chengze's conspiracy in detail, and hinted that the emperor should pay attention to Li Chengze's recent abnormal behavior, but deliberately left some loopholes so that Li Chengze would relax his vigilance. After writing the letter, she called the leader of the secret guards: "You personally deliver this letter to the emperor, and make sure it is foolproof." The leader of the secret guards took the letter solemnly, bowed to accept the order, and left quietly. The secret passages and tunnels of the Lin Mansion are connected in all directions, connecting to various secret places in the city. This is Lin Qingya's secret weapon to control the situation.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Li Chengze was conspiring with his trusted minister Guo Huai. "Now that the Queen Mother has been removed, it's a good time to seize power." Li Chengze's tone was sinister, with greed in his eyes. Guo Huai, a sinister and cunning man, was lowering his head, carefully studying the information in the book, as if weighing the pros and cons. "Your Highness," Guo Huai raised his head and spoke cautiously, "Lin Qingya is a very cunning person, and she is not easy to deal with." Li Chengze snorted coldly, "What can a mere girl do to me?" He unconsciously clenched his fists as he spoke. The lights in the study were dim and the atmosphere was solemn.
Lin Qingya's trap outside the palace is tightening step by step. The false news she spread successfully angered Li Chengze, making him eager to get rid of Li Rui. Li Chengze believed it to be true and prepared to act according to the plan, but he found that he had been surrounded by Lin Qingya. Zhao Sisi, however, chose to secretly help Li Chengze escape at this critical moment. She wanted to use Li Chengze to get rid of Lin Qingya, but she didn't expect that this would become an opportunity for her destruction. Lin Qingya looked at the intelligence she got from the secret guard, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, "Zhao Sisi, do you think you can escape like this?" She turned her eyes and quickly changed her plan to play the trick.
In the end, Li Chengze and Zhao Sisi's plot was completely crushed by Lin Qingya. She took advantage of Zhao Sisi's desire for power and set up a trap so that Zhao Sisi could personally send Li Chengze to the guillotine. Zhao Sisi's desperate eyes before her death did not make Lin Qingya feel a bit of pity. "You deserve it." Lin Qingya looked at everything in front of her and said softly.