Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 165 Lin Congli's Arrangements
Lin Zhiqing had no idea what Liu Mang was thinking.

She was well aware of the Lin family's current situation, so she wasn't in a good mood.

Both she and Liu Mang knew perfectly well that if those letters were to be spread, it could be a devastating blow to the Lin family.

Lin Zhiqing might be murdered to silence him the moment he takes the letter to the person in question.

There are too many powerful and wealthy people in Shengjing City. In comparison, the Lin family is just an ordinary family with the title of Marquis.

Their current situation doesn't even qualify them as ordinary aristocratic families.

Therefore, Lin Zhiqing would not take the risk of using those letters to make a fuss unless he was absolutely confident that he could guarantee his own safety.

Liu Mang knew this too, which is why he relaxed after realizing that Lin Zhiqing had been turned away.

In his eyes, Lin Zhiqing and the Lin family can do nothing but make threats.

Just as Lin Zhiqing was thinking, Lin Congli spoke up: "Zhiqing, you've had a hard time these past few days."

"Given the current situation, your fourth uncle..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but both of them understood perfectly well.

Lin Congyan is in danger.

The Dali Temple did not accept the evidence presented by Lin Zhiqing and his group, so they had to find another way to save the Lin family.

But what other options are there?

Lin Zhiqing didn't speak, but instead pondered how to break the current situation.

After a pause, seeing that Lin Zhiqing did not speak, Lin Congli sighed slightly: "If... if the Lin family's fate is sealed, we must not sit idly by and wait for our doom."

"The foundation built by the Lin family ancestors cannot be squandered in our hands. You should take Shi'an and Yangyang and leave."

Lin Congli's expression was very serious, yet it also subtly revealed a sense of exhaustion.
"The Ling family teahouse in the north of the city is my property, and no one except the old Marquis knows about it."

"After you return to the Lin family, pack some valuables and go to the Ling family teahouse. Someone there will take you out."

He spoke very quickly and in a very low voice.

Lin Zhiqing was momentarily stunned; those words had actually come from Lin Congli.

"Uncle, do you...do you know that if we step out of Shengjing City, we will be labeled as fugitives?"

"Let him be a fugitive, as long as he survives." Lin Congli sighed deeply, as if all the spirit he had been holding on to over the years had vanished with that breath.

“A fugitive is a violation of the laws of Dasheng…” Lin Zhiqing said slowly.

"The law?" Before she could finish speaking, Lin Congli gave a wry smile:
"If Cong Yan has indeed committed those three crimes, even if he is executed today, I will not say a word more."

“But he didn’t, yet the laws of Dasheng forced him to this point, forced our Lin family to this point, and even the Dali Temple has become a place where right and wrong are turned upside down.”

"Why should I bother to abide by such laws?"

His tone was filled with sorrow and despair.

Lin Zhiqing's eyes flickered slightly: "Just like my father back then?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Congli paused, and then his eyes revealed undisguised grief.

Lin Zhiqing's tone was very calm, as if he were asking what he had eaten that day.

But such a simple sentence stirred up a huge wave in Lin Congli's heart.

“Your father…” Lin Congli didn’t finish his sentence, but sighed deeply: “The situation back then was even more severe than it is today.”

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.

As if he had thought of something, he changed the subject: "Back then, I was able to protect everyone in the Lin family except your father, and I can do it again now."

"Go away, go far away. As long as you are here, the Lin family will remain."

He seemed unwilling to bring up that past event, and seeing this, Lin Zhiqing did not continue to ask.

She brought this up only to check on Lin Congli's condition. After what happened with her fourth uncle, Lin Zhiqing had begun to suspect her father's alleged treason years ago.

Liu Mang had no prior connection with the Lin family.

According to the information Lin Zhiqing had, he and his father were from different parts of the country and had no contact with each other.

But why would someone like that target Lin Congyan?

After thinking it over, Lin Zhiqing came up with two possibilities.

First, it's possible that the imperial court disliked the Lin family and deliberately pushed Liu Mang forward to orchestrate all of this, just to deliver the final blow to the Lin family.

But if that's the case, the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice will act even faster than they are now, and I probably won't have the opportunity to investigate the case.

The second possibility is similar to the first: that is, there might have been an enemy of his father who instigated Liu Mang to do these things.

But regardless of the possibility, there is one point that cannot be explained.

Chunqin was specially placed in Qianjin Pavilion by Liu Mang according to his fourth uncle's preferences.

It is not easy to find someone who looks like Lin Zhiqing's mother.

So how could Liu Mang know that his fourth uncle had feelings for his mother?
She inquired around the Lin family and discovered that it seemed only Lin Jingya knew about this at first.

Because Uncle Si's study is not easily accessible to others.

Lin Jiusi was dealing with the Lin family's affairs. He originally wanted to replace his fourth uncle, so he secretly sneaked into the study and stumbled upon this secret.

However, they learned about this later than Chunqin appeared.

Because the timing doesn't match, these two people are not the culprits who betrayed the company.

Thinking about this, Lin Zhiqing felt that her mother was the most innocent party in this matter.

My mother was unaware of the ambiguous feelings my fourth uncle had for her.

This is something that Aunt Mu mentioned to Lin Zhiqing before.

My mother came to Shengjing alone. My father was busy with military affairs, so my mother was usually accompanied by Aunt Mu.

Aunt Mu knew her mother even better than she knew her father.

The mother rarely left the house and only met Lin Congyan a few times; she didn't care much about this younger brother.

In other words, it was all Lin Congyan's wishful thinking.

But after Lin Jingya exposed the matter, only the mother bore the brunt of the criticism, which is really unfair.

Lin Zhiqing silently vowed in her heart that one day she would seek justice for her mother and for women who had experienced similar things.

She kept this in mind, and her thoughts returned to normal.

Aside from Lin Jingya and Lin Jiusi, the people in the Lin family most likely to know this secret are the other heads of the family and the fourth aunt.

Yes, she suspected there was a mole within the Lin family.

But for a moment, he couldn't think of any reason why the mole would betray the Lin family.

Therefore, this point has been stuck in the middle, neither up nor down, and I can't figure it out.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Zhiqing definitely wanted to test Lin Congli.

But she didn't expect Lin Congli to say such a thing.

Lin Congli, that stubborn guy, actually changed his mind!

Lin Zhiqing had no idea how long Lin Congli had thought about it before coming up with this way to send them away.

But they cannot leave.

If we can leave Shengjing and Dasheng, can we really leave this land?