After receiving the new emperor's approval, Prime Minister Xiao rushed towards the Prime Minister's residence like an arrow released from a bow.
Upon entering the government office, he rushed into a room without stopping, quickly changed into civilian clothes, and then slipped out through a hidden door like a nimble mouse.
Despite his obesity, Prime Minister Xiao moved with unusual agility, completely unaffected by his weight.
He weaved through narrow alleys, taking shortcuts straight to the Lin residence. His heart pounded like a drumbeat, a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
Finally, Prime Minister Xiao arrived at the backyard of the Lin residence. Standing outside the wall, he suddenly heard a fierce fighting sound coming from inside, which startled him. He quickly hid behind a pile of hay and pricked up his ears to listen to the sounds inside.
"Hand over the imperial seal right now, or I'll kill the Lin family!" A man's voice came from inside the wall, his tone fierce and resolute.
Zhao Canchen's voice followed immediately, filled with tension and panic: "Let her go, everything is negotiable!"
Lin Yajun was held tightly by the guards, unable to move, but her gaze was fixed firmly on Zhao Canchen. She gently shook her head, signaling him not to admit to the matter of the imperial seal.
Lin Yajun took a deep breath, composed herself, and then asked loudly, "Did the new emperor send you to threaten my husband with me?"
"Of course!" the guard replied without hesitation.
Lin Yajun sneered and mocked, "You and he believed it just because someone said that thing was in our hands? I really overestimated him. I thought he would be a wise ruler, but I didn't expect him to be nothing more than a hypocritical villain."
Upon hearing this, the guard was instantly enraged and roared, "Insolence! How dare you insult the new emperor! You're courting death!"
"He doesn't even have the imperial seal, what kind of new emperor is he?" Lin Yajun's mockery grew louder, as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"Enough nonsense, hand over the Imperial Seal now, or you'll be dead today!" The guard thrust his sword forward, the tip just inches from Lin Yajun's throat, the cold blade making her acutely aware of the threat of death.
Just moments ago, Lin Yajun was leisurely pouring tea for her father and husband when suddenly, a dark shadow descended from the sky like a ghost and landed steadily in front of her.
Before she could react, the long sword in the dark figure's hand was pressed against her neck with lightning speed, and a chill instantly spread throughout her body.
Lin Yajun's heart suddenly raced, and her hand instinctively reached for her waist, where she hid her concealed weapon for self-defense.
Just as she was about to launch a counterattack, the guard suddenly spoke up: "The new emperor has ordered you to hand over the imperial seal immediately!"
These words struck Lin Yajun like a bolt from the blue, leaving her stunned. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the mysterious guard before her, wondering to herself: How could this be? How could the new emperor know about this and suddenly send someone to demand the imperial seal?
Lin Daoyan and Zhao Canchen, standing to the side, also looked on with suspicion, clearly surprised by this sudden turn of events.
Lin Daoyan kept shaking his head, indicating that there was no jade seal at all.
Lin Yajun pondered to herself that if she wanted to unravel the layers of mystery and uncover more of the truth, she had to start with the guard in front of her.
Then, a clever idea struck her. She pretended to be captured by the guards, and then asked calmly, "Was it really the new emperor who sent you?"
Seeing this, the guard did not suspect anything and answered frankly, "That's natural."
The moment Lin Yajun was captured by the guards, Lin Daoyan and Zhao Canchen stood a few steps away, looking at each other with some unease in their hearts.
Although the two knew that Lin Yajun was clever and had ways to save her life, they were still quite worried about her safety and dared not rush forward to help her, for fear of angering the guards and causing Lin Yajun to be harmed.
When they heard the guards so readily admit that they were sent by the new emperor, most of their doubts vanished.
Originally, they were somewhat skeptical about this matter, but now, the guard's answer forced them to believe that it was all the new emperor's doing.
Only then did Lin Daoyan and Zhao Canchen realize that the true purpose of the Song King in protecting Zhao Canchen was not out of genuine affection, but to win the favor of the people and gain the trust of those hidden in the Eastern Palace.
Zhao Canchen's face was filled with disappointment and disbelief. He muttered to himself, "I was so grateful to him, trusted him, and treated him as my closest person. I never imagined that everything he did was an act, all fake!"
Just then, Lin Yajun suddenly turned her gaze to the guard and quickly reached out and pressed down.
The guard noticed her gaze and his heart tightened. Before he could react, a sharp pain suddenly struck him; it felt as if someone was gouging out his eyes with a knife, the pain almost making him faint.
"Ouch!" The guard couldn't help but let out a scream that echoed throughout the room. His mouth was wide open, as if he wanted to call for help, but he found that his throat was blocked by something, and he couldn't make a sound.
Just as the guard was struggling in agony, he felt a chill on his neck, followed by a gush of heat. His eyes widened in disbelief as Lin Daoyan's sword sliced across his neck, then his body separated from his head, and he fell heavily to the ground.
Lin Yajun watched all this coldly, her face devoid of any pity or sympathy. Standing beside her, her father, Lin Daoyan, held a long sword, its surface still stained with the blood of the guards, and stared expressionlessly at their corpses.
The three stood silently, their eyes fixed on the corpse before them, their minds racing as they considered how to deal with the situation.
They all realized one thing: since the new emperor had already sent his secret guards to seize the imperial seal, he certainly wouldn't let it go easily. After all, the imperial seal held immense significance for a new emperor; it represented legitimacy and legitimacy of his ascension to the throne.
Lin Daoyan broke the silence first, suggesting, "Why don't we go up the mountain and become bandits? That way, our family might still have a chance to survive."
Lin Yajun shook her head without hesitation, “If we go up the mountain to become bandits, the new emperor will definitely send a large army to surround and suppress us. At that time, not only will we be in danger, but we will also implicate many innocent people.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Daoyan's expression grew increasingly grave. Thinking of the consequences they would face, he anxiously asked, "Then what should we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?"
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