Chapter 218
"Doctor Lin, there is no need to look at me like that. I am looking for you today because of the farming work in Yuelin Garden." King Liang glanced at Lin Shuge, who had an angry look on his face, and said with a smile.
Lin Shuge smiled and said, "That's good. I'm just afraid that His Highness will have some earth-shattering ideas. I can't bear His Majesty's wrath."
"Doctor Lin, are you blaming me for turning around and pleading with my brother, even though I promised you not to get involved in the South?" The handsome Prince of Liang looked even more innocent with his eyes downcast. "Alas, I had no choice. Doctor Lin must be aware of the reasons behind this."
Lin Shuge played dumb: "Your Highness may think too highly of me."
King Liang explained: "It's not just because of that. I really like farming. It is a happy thing to see fruits grow from the barren land."
Lin Shuge looked at him, but before he could say anything, the servant outside the carriage said, "Your Highness, we have arrived at Yuelin Garden."
Lin Shuge got off the carriage. Yuelin Garden was now full of greenery, with lush crops everywhere he looked. The wheat and millet seedlings nearby are arranged neatly, and in the distance are potato and pepper seedlings that have already sprouted leaves. The dew on the leaves is crystal clear. All around are fresh green plants and the smell of soil, and everything is full of vitality.
"This year, we tried planting new grains according to your method during the spring plowing. They are indeed growing better. We can plant cotton after a while." King Liang squatted down and touched the green branches of a plant.
"This year, my brother also released a batch of potato and pepper seeds in Yandu. I'll take you to see them later. They are growing very well, especially peppers. Ever since they were introduced from the northwest, they have been highly sought after by people. At first, they were rare, so only nobles and high-ranking officials could enjoy them. Later, they became more abundant, and ordinary people could also grow one in their homes."
"Your Majesty is benevolent, this is a blessing for the people." Lin Shuge said, pinching the moist soil in his hand. The ground under his feet was still slightly damp, probably from the water that had just been poured.
"Lord Lin is even more compassionate. The curved plows used by the people of Yandu for farming, the drum carts used for watering, and the blowers used for cooking were all made by you. In fact, when the documents from the governor of Dingyuan County arrived, my brother would let me see the reports about these. I often wondered what kind of person could come up with these things, until I saw you in person in Yuelin Garden that time, and I knew the rumors were true."
"Your Highness, thank you for the compliment. As a local official, I should do something practical for the people." Lin Shuge felt that he could not bear such an evaluation and replied.
But the King of Liang ignored him and continued, "If it weren't for my brother who would definitely not let you go, I would definitely take you to the south."
Lin Shuge smiled slightly, not daring to answer such a question. It was impossible for him to be involved with the vassal king.
"Lin Huaiting, do you and Captain Xie have real feelings for each other?" King Liang suddenly asked.
Lin Shuge's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Prince Liang and asked tentatively, "What do you mean, Your Highness?"
King Liang looked at him calmly, as if he didn't know anything. "I heard a rumor recently about you and Captain Xie. The rumor is very convincing. It says that you two are young yet you have never married. It's because you two are married."
Lin Shuge's mind suddenly became confused. He didn't care about these rumors. What he cared about was what the instigator behind these rumors wanted to do.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I understand." Lin Shuge returned his greeting. "I still have things to deal with. I will take my leave now."
"Wait, Lin Huaiting, there's nothing strange about the story of a man who has been a man for a long time. You don't have to take it to heart. After people have been talking about it for a while, no one will remember it. But, Captain Xie has just gone out to fight, and someone is trying to tarnish your reputation at this critical juncture. It's obvious that they have an ulterior motive, so you need to be careful." King Liang said again.
"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness." Lin Shuge said sincerely.
Lin Shuge walked out of Yuelin Garden, thinking about how to resolve the matter. If he only spread the news of his relationship with Xie Chen, it would be fine. At worst, he could just admit it. But he was afraid that it would lead to other things later. He wondered what the purpose of the person behind this was?
"Axun, go and find out where this rumor came from." Lin Shuge said.
"Yes, sir." Axun responded.
In the following days, the people of Yandu were discussing the matter in private. Throughout history, this kind of gossip spread the fastest. By the time Lin Shuge reacted, it had become a city-wide uproar. Even Lin Xuan and Lin Qingyuan heard about it and came to comfort Lin Shuge.
Lin Shuge smiled and said, "So what if they know? Zhongxuan and I have behaved uprightly and have not done anything against our conscience. Let them talk."
"That's right. If anyone dares to talk about Big Brother and Erlang in front of me, I will beat them up." Lin Qingyuan said with his teeth bared.
Because Lin Xuan often comes into contact with noble ladies in Yandu, and because of the looks and talents of her two brothers, they often ask her whether Lin Shuge and Xie Chen are engaged. Do you have someone you like? This time, he was shocked by this shocking rumor and naturally wanted to ask Lin Xuan whether the rumor was true. Lin Xuan was not sure what Lin Shuge and Xie Chen were thinking at the moment, so she could only perfunctorily answer.
"Brother, you don't know. These past few days, they have stopped me and asked me what's going on. Many sisters have believed the recent rumors and are very sad. However, some of them are taking a different approach and think that if Brother and Erlang really look like this, it would be pleasing to the eye.
Lin Shuge listened to Lin Xuan's recent troubles and comforted her, "Let it be. If that day comes, Zhongxuan and I will naturally not deny it."
After the twins left, the smile on Lin Shuge's face faded. He had not been able to find the source of the rumor in the past few days. He didn't know who had such ability. It was just like the rumor about Zhongxuan's life experience back then, which made people hard to guard against.
Wait, the rumors about Zhongxuan’s life story, could it be?
"Sir, sir." He Qingran's voice came from outside the hall, and then his figure was seen. He was running out of breath, followed by a servant with an embarrassed look on his face.
Lin Shuge waved his hand to let the servant go, and said to He Qingran: "What happened? Why are you so flustered?"
"Sir, I heard rumors..." He hesitated.
"What rumors? The rumors about me and Zhongxuan?" Lin Shuge said indifferently, and reached out to pour a cup of tea and handed it to He Qingran.
"It's not that. My lord, you have a special friendship with Captain Xie. Anyone can see that." He Qingran said nonchalantly.
Lin Shuge was stunned for a moment. Is it so obvious that he is different from Zhongxuan?
Lin Shuge's expression was too real at the moment. He Qingran said, "Sir, the way Captain Xie looked at you was too obvious. I knew it in Ganzhou. No, I'm not talking about this. Today, rumors have spread again, saying that you and Captain Xie are close friends. One is a general who fought against the Xiongnu, and the other is a close confidant of His Majesty who introduced grain to benefit the people. If the two of you join forces, who in the court can defeat you?"
Lin Shuge's face suddenly turned cold. As expected, this was their real purpose.
"Some people even said that if Captain Xie wins another battle this time, Your Majesty will definitely reward him and his subordinates with great honors for Captain Xie's unprecedented achievements and Your Majesty's management in the northwest over the years. If you have any rebellious intentions, Ding Yanhe is a lesson for you," He Qingran said again.
Lin Shuge was immediately furious. This was really good news. The person behind the scenes knew very well that Emperor Yongyuan was suspicious and would never allow powerful officials like the Ding family to appear again. He and Xie Chen were both people who could not tolerate any grain of sand in their eyes. If he could instigate Emperor Yongyuan to become suspicious of him and Xie Chen and let them fight, he would be able to reap the benefits.
However, these people have misunderstood one thing. Although Emperor Yongyuan is very suspicious, he is the one who is going to establish a foundation for eternity. Xie Chen is attacking the Huns. In the current situation, the generals in the front are beating the Huns hard, but there are rumors in the back that the generals have rebellious intentions. Emperor Yongyuan will not let this happen.
The more he thought about it, the calmer he became. If it was really only his relationship with Xie Chen that was causing the uproar, he would have to think carefully about how to deal with it. However, once such a rumor came out, Emperor Yongyuan would definitely take action.
"Aran, why are you in such a hurry? We are not the ones who are in a hurry now." Lin Shuge said calmly after thinking it through.
Seeing that he was unmoved, He Qingran was so anxious that he scratched his head, "Sir, if this gets to the ears of His Majesty, you and Captain Xie will suffer a great loss. Captain Xie is not here now..."
"A Ran, do you want to make a bet with me?" Lin Shuge said with a smile.
"You're making a bet when the situation is critical," He Qingran was so angry that he sat down and asked, "What's the bet?"
Lin Shuge looked up at the sky and said, "I bet that within three days, these rumors will be broken on their own."
"My Lord, do you have an idea?" He Qingran asked happily, "So what should we do now? Should we arrest those who spread the rumors or follow the clues to find the person behind it?"
"If we do nothing, the more we do, the more mistakes we make. The only thing we can do is wait."
"Wait?" He Qingran was puzzled. Could it be that he was trying to lure the snake out of its hole? He looked distressed and very confused.
Lin Shuge smiled and said, "You will know in a few days."
Everything happened just as Lin Shuge had expected. A few days later, martial law was imposed in the capital of Yan. All places in the city where these rumors spread were closed, and the soldiers also arrested many people and put them in jail.
Emperor Yongyuan acted very quickly. After arresting the people, the Supreme Court conducted a trial overnight and pulled out several officials. These people admitted that they were bewitched and jealous. They could not stand the fact that Lin Shuge and Xie Chen had achieved such success at such a young age, so they came up with this idea. First, they would tarnish the reputation of the two and then stir up the emperor's suspicion, so as to bring them down.
As soon as the news got out, the entire Yan capital city knew about the "rumor-refuting" order, and they all lamented that the evil people had such vicious hearts. The people behind the scenes definitely didn't want Captain Xie to make any more achievements by spreading rumors at this time. Captain Xie was in the northwest, so wouldn't this affect his expedition to the Huns?
Some people even thought deeply, if Captain Xie started off unsuccessfully, who would benefit? It's still the Huns. Maybe these people are colluding with the Huns to harm the generals of our Yan Dynasty and endanger the Great Yan Dynasty.
Therefore, if anyone spread these rumors again, they would immediately be criticized by other people. For a while, the rumors miraculously disappeared.
He Qingran was stunned when he got the news. He looked at Lin Shuge and bowed, "Sir, how did you know this?"
Lin Shuge smiled but didn't say anything, "The heart of an emperor."
Suddenly, a servant came to report: "Sir, His Majesty asks you to come to the palace immediately."
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