After the Lin family left, the onlookers gradually dispersed, and the three Ren family members returned to their study, closed the door, and discussed matters.
Ren Guiwang sat at his desk, his brows furrowed, and asked in a slightly tense voice, "The daughter of the second branch of the Lin family died mysteriously in our house. How should we handle this?"
Ren Chuanhe sat to the side and said with annoyance, "It's too unlucky for her to die in the mansion. We'll tell everyone that she went mad, stabbed herself in the back with a knife when she was out of her mind, and then fell into the lake and died."
He Chuanhu stared blankly at his elder brother, thinking to himself: Who has the ability to stab themselves in the back with a knife?
Ren Chuanhe then asked, "However, now that she's dead, should I go to marry Miss Lin from the eldest branch of the family, or should Ah Hai go instead?"
Ren Chuanhai, with an indifferent expression, said casually, "Father, I have no good feelings towards the Lin family's daughters. The eldest son's daughter is wicked, and the second son's daughter is despicable; neither of them are kind."
He paused, then continued, "My elder brother is going to marry two daughters from the Lin family, and as his half-brother, I naturally won't compete for it. However, I am not young anymore. Could I marry Xiaoxue, the palace maid of the imperial son-in-law? She has a gentle personality, and I have taken a liking to her."
Ren Guiwang's brows furrowed tightly, as if they could trap a fly. He lowered his voice and asked cautiously, "The maidservant beside the prince consort, is her body... unclean?" His implication was clear: he wanted to know if the maidservant had been favored by the prince consort.
Upon hearing his father's question, Ren Chuanhai couldn't help but laugh. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Father, you're overthinking it. The prince consort is utterly loyal to the princess and would never do such a thing."
Ren Chuanhe, standing to the side, was unimpressed. He curled his lip slightly, revealing a disdainful smile, and rolled his eyes.
Others may not know the prince consort's character, but he knows it perfectly well. This prince consort has kept several mistresses in and around the capital, and even has illegitimate children.
Two years ago, when Princess Kaiyang learned of this affair, she not only didn't fly into a rage, but instead took the initiative to bring a pregnant concubine back to her residence, where she successfully gave birth to a daughter. All of this was thanks to Princess Kaiyang's gentleness and kindness, as well as her deep love for her husband, which is why she was so tolerant in everything.
Of course, these things weren't a secret; Lin Daoqing, the princess's chief bodyguard, had secretly told Ren Chuanhe. Ren Chuanhe knew the inside story, but he couldn't discuss it too much in front of his father.
After careful consideration, Ren Guiwang made a decision: "After Lin Jinghui's funeral is over, regardless of whether the murderer is found or not, we must go to the Lin family's eldest branch to marry Miss Lin and bring her back to be our Ren family's daughter-in-law."
While speaking, Ren Guiwang kept his gaze fixed on his second son, Ren Chuanhu, without shifting it for a moment, as if trying to see through his eyes to his innermost thoughts.
Ren Chuanhu met his father's gaze calmly, without any attempt to dodge. His expression was completely open, revealing no sign of anything amiss.
Ren Guiwang then said, "Chuanhu, I agree to your marriage with that palace maid."
Ren Chuanhu's face immediately lit up with a joyful smile. He quickly bowed respectfully to his father and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Father!"
Ren Chuanhu smiled and said to his father, "Father, the prince consort wants me to move out of the Ren residence and live outside to help him manage the brothel business."
Upon hearing this, Ren Guiwang frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Ren Chuanhe eagerly replied, "Good, good, it's good for you to move out, brother. That way you can wholeheartedly help the prince consort manage the business."
Seeing that his second son was willing to move out and live on his own, Ren Guiwang decided not to stop him. He nodded and said, "Since you have this idea, I won't stop you. However, you can move out after your elder brother gets married."
Ren Chuanhu quickly replied, "Yes, Father, I will follow your arrangements."
Lin Mansion
Lin Daoyan and his wife, Madam Xu, sat in the courtyard, talking softly, "How could a murder have occurred at the Ren residence?"
Was the deceased actually the daughter of the second wife?
Lin Yajun would go inside to serve her parents tea and water, and then go inside to fetch snacks for Zhao Canchen and Lin Songhao.
She took this opportunity to go inside and check the data transmitted back by the drone.
She saw the gruesome death of Lin Jinghui, heard Lin Daowei's questions, and observed the various expressions on the faces of those present.
Lin Yajun was filled with doubt: Who exactly killed Lin Jinghui? Why did they choose a beggar to humiliate her before killing her? How did that beggar enter the mansion and leave?
With a heavy heart, Lin Daoqing escorted his weeping wife, children, and the wives and children of his third wife back to the mansion.
As he stepped out of the Ren residence, his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.
As he walked, he pondered General Ren's earlier demand for another marriage alliance and his words telling him not to continue arguing with the eldest branch of the family. Then, his daughter suddenly and mysteriously died at the Ren residence. This series of events made Lin Daoqing realize that things were probably not as simple as they seemed.
He knew that if this matter escalated, it would not only affect his own reputation and future, but could also jeopardize his son's future. Therefore, he kept quietly persuading Old Mrs. Lin and his wife along the way, hoping they could remain calm.
“Mother, this was definitely not done by the eldest branch of the family. Please do not scold them when you return to the manor,” Lin Daoqing said softly, a hint of anxiety in his voice.
He turned to his wife and continued to persuade her, "Don't be impulsive. Let's wait until the government finds out the real culprit."
He couldn't tell his mother and wife the truth about what General Ren had said. If he were to say, "General Ren said he would exchange our daughter back with his second son," it would surely cause more conflict and trouble.
Lin Daoqing then made some arrangements for everyone: "After I send you back to your residence, I will immediately go and buy a fine coffin, and then send my daughter out for burial."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Lin cried even more bitterly, sobbing as she said, "The Ren family should be the ones to buy the coffin!"
Lin Daoqing quickly explained, "Mother, I know what you mean, but I have to go and guard it, otherwise the servants probably won't buy the best coffin."
Old Mrs. Lin hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Okay, you can go after you've taken us back to our residence."
The third wife, Madam He, remained silent throughout the entire process. She followed behind Old Lady Lin with her two children, occasionally wiping her eyes and sobbing. Her eyes were as red as a rabbit's.
The mother and her two children from the third branch all remembered what Lin Daowei had said: "Those two branches have powerful backers, so it doesn't matter if they fight each other. If the eldest branch is in power, we will rely on the eldest branch; if the second branch is in power, we will rely on the second branch. Therefore, it is best not to offend either the eldest or the second branch."
The three families silently followed behind the old lady back to the Lin residence.
As soon as she entered the Lin family mansion, Old Lady Lin saw a row of lanterns lit up in the east courtyard, and the enticing aroma of food wafted from the eldest son's kitchen. Her anger surged uncontrollably.
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