Lin Qin looked at the emperor with an embarrassed expression and knocked his forehead to the ground, "Your Majesty, I just want to leave a memory."
"It's just a beast. My dear minister, you don't really think that's your daughter, do you?" The emperor laughed sarcastically.
Lin Qin prostrated himself on the ground, his voice choked with sobs. "I know this is impossible, but I miss my daughter so much. Animals can't speak, but I've raised her for so many days that I've developed some feelings for her."
The emperor chuckled and raised his hand. "Don't be so nervous. I'm just asking. If you don't want to give him up, you can send him to the palace to accompany the imperial concubine for a few days. The second prince is helping with disaster relief in the south and has contracted the plague. The imperial concubine has been very worried these past few days."
Lin Qin slowly raised his head and looked at the smiling man on the high seat. His throat felt as if there was an eggplant stuck in it. He couldn't nod, but he didn't dare to refuse.
"After Shen Qingwu gave you this red fox, you and the Shen family seem to have gotten a little too close." The emperor said calmly, "If you really like her, you can recognize her as your godparents and invite the old lady to the capital to enjoy the blessing and witness it. It would also be a happy event."
Lin Qin raised his head slightly and looked at the emperor, who was smiling freely and high above him. He swallowed hard and said, "Your humble servant is willing to present the red fox to the imperial concubine."
After saying this, he closed his eyes and kowtowed heavily.
…
Lin Qin left the emperor's secluded palace and bumped into a young eunuch on the corridor. When the young eunuch knelt down to apologize, Lin Qin found that he was holding a piece of paper in his hand.
His heart tightened and he quickly clutched the note. He glanced around and saw no one watching him. He didn't dare to stop or even look at the person on the ground. He tried to remain calm and left the palace.
He waited until he arrived at the study at home, drank two cups of tea pretending to be relaxed, and then sat in front of the window and read for a while as usual. Then, under the pretext of taking notes, he spread out the sweat-stained piece of paper in his hand on the pages of the book.
"Lin Qin, your mother has faked her death and left. What are your thoughts on the cooperation?"
Lin Qin looked at the unique perilla leaf logo at the bottom of the note, his heart trembled, and he didn't dare to look at it any longer. He put the note into his mouth and swallowed it with tea.
The hand holding the teacup slowly tightened. Cooperation?
After his daughter Lin Zhimeng got into trouble, the emperor found him again and mentioned his experience as a lone minister in his early years.
"My dear Lord Lin, although I am alone, I still have relatives. You must cherish them well." The emperor smiled and took out his mother's token and handed it to him.
From then on, he had no news of his mother and could only see her once on certain days.
Not long after this incident, the queen also came to see him.
"My dear Lin, I know your difficulties. I feel sad for you because of what happened." The queen smiled kindly.
Lin Qin didn't understand. The prince was already the crown prince, so what was the point of the queen trying to steal the emperor's favor?
He didn't ask, but the Queen understood his doubts. "Noble Concubine Liu has been favored for many years, and Your Majesty's heart has often wavered."
"My dear minister, you are in charge of the criminal justice system. Over the years, you have been deeply trusted and loved by the people..." The queen smiled faintly, "Unless you have sufficient leverage, I will not allow you to do anything."
The Queen ended the conversation with a smile.
After two years, the Queen's letter finally arrived again.
Mother is free?
However, he was in a dilemma.
So the emperor met him today because something happened to his mother, and he wanted to take advantage of his weakness again?
Lin Qin swallowed hard. The emperor had spies everywhere inside and outside the courtyard.
The door creaked open, and the little red fox squeezed in from the doorway with its tail raised and graceful steps. It jumped onto the table, tilted its head and looked at him in confusion, making worried sounds.
"Be good, it's okay." Lin Qin forced a smile towards the red fox, one that was uglier than crying. He rested his forehead against the fox's head and asked softly, "Are you really Mengmeng?"
He didn't believe in ghosts, but the appearance of the red fox made him feel dazed.
The red fox rubbed his face, as if to comfort him.
"The Emperor asked me to present you to the Imperial Concubine, and I agreed. I'm sorry." Lin Qin lowered his head and apologized. "You should leave here soon. Imperial Concubine Liu has a kind face but a dark heart. She's been thinking about you for a long time, and she's definitely not going to do anything good."
The red fox that was rubbing his face suddenly stopped and looked at Lin Qin blankly. Daddy doesn't want her anymore?
"I couldn't protect you once, and now I have to abandon you again. Daddy is incompetent." Feeling the Red Fox's daze, Lin Qin believed even more that this was his daughter, and his heart became more and more painful.
The red fox was confused after hearing this. What did it mean that he couldn't protect her once?
"Before you got into trouble, the emperor asked me to be a lone minister." Lin Qin lowered his voice.
This matter has been hidden in his heart for many years, and he really couldn't help but speak out.
"I have already said that I will always be loyal to Your Majesty. I have come to this day step by step, and I have always wanted to be a loyal minister and work for the welfare of the people..." Lin Qin felt more and more uncomfortable.
What has supported him all the way is his original intention, but the longer he walks and the higher he stands, the more wrong his original intention seems.
The red fox looked at him blankly. Lin Zhimeng knew better than anyone how much her father wanted to help the people of the world get justice.
"The emperor didn't say anything at the time, but something happened to you not long after. I always thought it was an accident until your grandmother suddenly disappeared."
Lin Qin once regretted in his heart that if he had lived a mediocre life and stayed at home to guard his three-acre land, would his daughter and mother be safe?
However, his wife had an accident, and what he wanted to do most was to seek justice for her.
Lin Zhimeng tilted her head. Grandmother was arrested?
Did something happen to that savage and vulgar yet extremely protective old lady?
"The emperor has come to me again. Your grandmother is in his hands."
"Over the years, he hasn't asked me to do anything unforgivable. He even supports me in handling cases impartially. The more playboys I bring to justice and the more powerful people I offend, the happier he is."
"But why he resorted to such despicable behavior? I really don't understand."
Lin Qin was confused and his thoughts were disordered when he spoke.
"But the Queen also came to me. She didn't tell me her purpose. Today, the Emperor asked me to choose between the two options with your grandmother's life. But the Queen told me that your grandmother had faked her death and was rescued by her. Now she has not escaped from the tiger's den but has fallen into the wolf's den. Mengmeng, you must leave this cannibalistic place as soon as possible, practice well, protect yourself, and one day, you will become an immortal." Lin Qin looked at the little fox with tears in his eyes tenderly, full of reluctance.
The little fox whimpered twice and said, "What will you do if I leave?"
"The Queen wouldn't do something without a purpose. Your grandmother is safe, and the Emperor has lost his leverage to threaten me. But he needs me and won't let me die. I'll be fine. But you, don't get close to people anymore." Lin Qin warned worriedly.
The little fox rubbed Lin Qin's hand, suddenly jumped off the table, and pounced on the long sword hanging on the wall by Lin Qin, and the scabbard fell off with a sound.
“Mengmeng, don’t—” Lin Qin cried out in surprise as he watched the little fox’s claws and neck smash down towards the hanging sword blade, and quickly stood up.
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