The matter has finally been settled.
Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.
In the imperial court, most officials were unaware of what had happened the previous night.
However, the morning court session on this day was presided over by the emperor alone.
Regent Qi Sichen did not come, nor did the old Prime Minister Lin Yanping, and even the eldest prince Qi Xiao, who was always cautious and honest in his work, did not come to court.
The sudden loss of so many powerful figures in the imperial court has caused widespread anxiety.
They wanted to ask Lin Weiming about it, but when they looked towards that corner, they found that even the Earl of Ning'an, Lin Weiming, who usually dozed off during court meetings, was nowhere to be seen.
This is all the more astonishing.
However, by the afternoon, everyone learned that it was because the eldest prince, Qi Xiao, had committed a serious offense, and the emperor had ordered the confiscation of his property. His mother, Consort Xiao, was also sent to the imperial mausoleum and was not allowed to return to the capital unless there was an imperial edict.
Ministers in the capital who had previously been on good terms with the Crown Prince suddenly became cautious in their words and actions.
They had no idea what had happened that night.
Some of the more quick-witted people went to the Lin family's door, wanting to ask Lin Weiming about something.
After all, among the bigwigs who didn't attend the morning court assembly, Lin Weiming's official rank was the lowest, so it should be the easiest for him to find out about them.
However, when they arrived, they saw no one.
"Ask our master?" The gatekeeper was old and hard of hearing, so he spoke very loudly.
The person who came to inquire felt his ears ringing from the noise, but he could only patiently ask, "Go and inform them quickly. We are all your master's compatriots, so we can't delay."
"It won't be delayed, it won't be delayed! My master is not in the capital right now, how could it be delayed when we go to pick up our young master?" the gatekeeper replied with a smile.
"Your eldest young master? Didn't your eldest young master unfortunately pass away a few days ago?" The people who came to inquire were all confused and had no idea what to do.
The eldest son of the Lin family has only been dead for less than a month, yet they remember it clearly and even came to offer condolences!
Now this old doorman is actually saying that Lin Weiming went to pick up his young master.
Where can we pick them up?
Is it possible they're going to the underworld to pick it up?
In broad daylight, under the clear sky, these grown men couldn't help but shudder with fear.
They secretly thought that since the little princess was so capable, she might actually be able to rescue people from the underworld.
The old gatekeeper wasn't lying. The Lin family had even handed over all their shops on Jinbao Street to Wang Youcai in the mansion, and they all boarded carriages to go to their estate in the suburbs of Beijing.
Lin Zhongyuan, who had faked his death and escaped, was now studying diligently at the manor. He heard from Lin Wanyue that the matter in the capital had been resolved, and that the eldest prince, Qi Xiao, was the mastermind behind it all and had been brought to justice.
Lin Zhongyuan was also very happy and said with a slow smile, "Now I can finally really put my mind at ease and concentrate on my studies. Although this place is nice and suitable for studying, I couldn't calm down because I hadn't received any news from you. Now it's all good. I can finally study more books and have a better chance of passing the exam."
The capital city is full of talented people, and even Lin Zhongyuan cannot guarantee that he will be on the list.
"?" Lin Weiming raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean by that? You're not planning to come back with us?"
“Father, although I heard from my sister that the First Prince has been captured, it is still quite troublesome to convict and prosecute him. It certainly cannot be done in the next two days. Moreover, in everyone’s mind, I am probably already dead. If I suddenly appear in front of them so soon, I am afraid it will frighten them.”
"Besides, the exam is approaching, and I should study hard. This place is quite secluded, and no one else knows me. I think it's quite suitable," Lin Zhongyuan reasoned with Lin Weiming.
Lin Weiming understood this principle, but he was a little reluctant to see his eldest son suffer alone outside.
After all, their family has never been separated for so many years. Now, only the eldest son is left, and he is only a teenager studying away from home. How pitiful!
He couldn't bear to part with it.
In the end, it was Liu Junlan who made the decision: "Children always have to grow up. They will become sensible on their own, and we adults can't hold them back."
Xuefu, being reluctant to part with her son back then, said she wanted to stay and be with her eldest son.
Lin Weiming immediately refused, but when he looked at his eldest son, he no longer felt reluctant.
"Wife, you can't just think about the eldest son. We also have the second, third, and fourth sons, and our daughter is waiting for you to take care of her." Lin Weiming quietly added himself to the list as he spoke, but he didn't dare to say it too loudly.
Both of them were her children, and Xuefu couldn't bear to part with either of them. In the end, the family decided to stay at the estate for a while longer and spend more time with Lin Zhongyuan.
But a message came from the capital just two days later.
Former Prime Minister Lin Yanping urged Lin Wanyue to return home as soon as possible.
The Lin family had no idea what had happened in the capital, but since the news came from the late Prime Minister Lin Yanping, they figured it was no small matter. So they bid farewell to Lin Zhongyuan and hurriedly set off for the capital again.
Lin Wanyue had already guessed some of it, but she didn't want to tell her parents so soon, so she set off with them in a flurry of activity.
The night they returned to the capital, Lin Yanping paid them a visit.
"Old Prime Minister, what happened to you all of a sudden?" Lin Weiming was startled when he opened the door to greet Lin Yanping.
Lin Yanping's body is not young, but he has a wrinkled old farmer's face. He looked old when he was in his forties or fifties, and now that he is in his seventies or eighties, he still looks the same.
Although he looks old, he is quite energetic, with jet-black hair and bright eyes, and looks only in his fifties or sixties.
But this time, Lin Weiming saw Lin Yanping with gray hair, a face full of wrinkles, and even his usually bright eyes were somewhat cloudy. He exuded an air of old age.
Lin Weiming remembered that when he saw Lin Yanping three or four days ago, he was not like this. The change was too fast and really amazing.
Lin Yanping waved his hand at Lin Weiming and said in an old voice, "It's alright, has Wanwan come back yet?"
"He's back! He's eating in the main hall. Let me take you there." For the first time, Lin Weiming showed respect to Lin Yanping, the old prime minister who had served three dynasties, and greeted him with a respectful expression.
Lin Wanyue and the others hurried on their way home, and by the time they arrived, it was already dark, and their stomachs were still empty.
Xuefu and Liu Junlan cooked a big pot of mushy noodles in the kitchen. It didn't look very appealing, but it tasted delicious and was very tasty.
The children each ate a large bowl of food. Lin Wanyue was younger and ate slowly, so her mouth was covered in food smeared with grease.
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