Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 249 A Shady Deal

His expression only went out of control for a moment before he quickly returned to normal:

"Zhiqing, are you delirious from the fever? I can't understand what you're saying."

"Fourth Uncle, Grandfather has told me everything." Lin Zhiqing sat down in the main seat, his voice as calm as ever.

Lin Congyan lowered his head and remained silent, seemingly pondering the credibility of Lin Zhiqing's words.

Lin Zhiqing wasn't in a hurry; she picked up the tea beside her and took a small sip.

She waited for a long time before Lin Congyan slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly searching for the shadow of another person through Lin Zhiqing:
"You look a lot like your father."

He said the same thing as Lin Qingshan.

Immediately afterwards, memories flooded back, and Lin Congyan's thoughts seemed to return to a few years ago.

He sighed: "When I was young, I often didn't get along with your father."

“We practiced martial arts together since we were young, but he was a prodigy who broke the shackles of the Lin family and was proficient in military strategy and weaponry.”

"But I was never valued, and out of desperation, I had no choice but to take the civil service route."

Lin Zhiqing was surprised that he would say these things, so she listened carefully.

Lin Congyan was completely immersed in an indescribable emotion:

“When I took on the task of helping wounded soldiers, I didn’t see it as a responsibility, but as an opportunity to prove myself to my father.”

He paused slightly at this point: "Your marriage to your fourth aunt was more or less influenced by this factor."

Hearing this, Lin Zhiqing frowned.

Lin Congyan, however, did not notice this. He was immersed in his own world: "I have been handling this matter all these years. If it is not done properly, I will let you deal with it as you see fit."

"If the court finds out, they can just pin the blame on me. After all, I've already died once."

He looked very frustrated.

Lin Zhiqing closed her eyes, her tone less than friendly:
"Fourth Uncle, when you say these things, do you think of Fourth Aunt, or the rest of the Lin family?"

“This is not something you can solve by yourself, and I suspect that someone is already trying to make an issue of this.”

"Fourth Uncle, do you really think that as long as you become the scapegoat, the Lin family will be fine?"

"Who? Who wants to use this to their advantage?" Lin Congyan's voice was clearly anxious. "This matter was handled very discreetly, how could word have leaked out?"

“There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Let’s wait until my cousin invites my uncle over, and then we can discuss it together.” Lin Zhiqing’s eyes were clear.

She chose to confront Lin Congyan first because she wanted to delve deeper into the details of the matter.

Lin Congyan was not stupid.

When he realized that Lin Zhiqing wasn't questioning him, but rather that someone was trying to make things difficult for the Lin family, he immediately explained the details of the whole incident clearly.

By the time Lin Congli and Lin Yangyang arrived, Lin Zhiqing had already gathered almost all the information about the imperial gift.

The first thing Lin Congli asked after entering the room was Jiang Liuyun.

Lin Yangyang looked somewhat helpless: "I told my father the whole story, but he just wouldn't believe me."

Lin Zhiqing didn't try to hide it and ripped the dragon pendant off her neck.

Her fair neck was instantly exposed, with a hideous red mark and several finger marks on it.

"This is Jiang Liuyun's doing; he wants to kill me." Lin Zhiqing's simple words surprised Lin Congli and Lin Congyan.

"Father, Fourth Uncle, do you believe me now?" Lin Yangyang put her hands on her hips.

"Jiang Liuyun is no good person at all. Do you really intend to marry Qing'er off to such a dangerous place?"

Lin Congli was speechless for a moment, his brows furrowed with doubt.

Lin Zhiqing recounted her entire process of guessing and verifying her assumptions.

Lin Congli lost his footing and slumped into a chair.
"The Marquis of Zhenyuan was personally promoted by your father. The two of them are closer than brothers. How could he do such a thing?"

"The world is a bustling place, all driven by profit. He did this simply because the Lin family and I still have some use to him." Lin Zhiqing was too lazy to repeat himself.

"The most urgent task is for our Lin family to stabilize." "The Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion will probably use the imperial gift as a breakthrough to deal with the Lin family."

"Now that Jiang Liuyun's whereabouts are uncertain, we can only take advantage of this time to retrieve the imperial gifts that have been sold."

"This will require a large sum of money." Lin Congyan's heart trembled.

“Money is not a problem.” Lin Zhiqing explained the cooperation agreement reached with the Hua family, and then explained the matter of the imperial gift to the bewildered Lin Congli.

For a moment, the main hall fell silent.

Lin Zhiqing clapped his hands: "Fourth Uncle, give me the list of all the buyers. I'll go take a look."

“Since you are injured, leave this matter to me,” Lin Congyan said.

"No." Lin Zhiqing shook her head:

“If you step in, you may not be able to find those buyers, and even if you do, they may not be willing to hand over the goods.”

That was no ordinary object; it was a gift bestowed by the emperor, a gift that held the power of life and death.

Those buyers who can pay exorbitant prices to acquire items will not easily hand them over for money.

After explaining everything, Lin Zhiqing secretly contacted the buyers that night with the list.

However, things didn't go as she had imagined.

No one would admit to buying or selling imperial gifts; that was a capital offense.

Lin Zhiqing searched all night but found nothing.

When she returned to Shuqing Pavilion, Aunt Mu had been waiting for her for a long time.

Lin Zhiqing had previously given her a brief account of Jiang Liuyun's situation.

Even the greatest surprise has subsided with the passage of time.

After Lin Zhiqing finished her meal, Aunt Mu asked her many more questions about the details.

This attitude is rather unusual.

Aunt Mu is a very cautious person. If she has something on her mind, she will definitely confirm it again and again before telling Lin Zhiqing everything.

For example, when the fourth uncle explained his feelings for his mother last time, there was also such a process.

Aunt Mu probably realized something.

Realizing this, Lin Zhiqing asked directly.

After hesitating for a long time, Aunt Mu finally spoke with difficulty:

"Miss, the master's affairs have always been a taboo subject in the manor."

Do you know exactly how he died?

How did Lin Congrong die?

According to what Lin Zhiqing knew, after his treasonous act was exposed, it was Lin Congli who killed him and saved the rest of the Lin family.

This was also Aunt Mu's original statement.

But when asked to be more specific, Lin Zhiqing was not quite sure.

Aunt Mu's chest heaved: "This happened so suddenly back then, I didn't even have time to see the master."

"But I have always known in my heart that the master would never have colluded with the enemy or betrayed the country; he was wronged!"

Lin Zhiqing narrowed her eyes upon hearing this.

She had thought about this matter many times since Jiang Liuyun's true colors were exposed.

After all, the timing of the Zhenyuan Marquis's rise to power was just right, coinciding with Lin Congrong's death, which was too much of a coincidence.

Considering all these factors, it seems that Zhenyuan Hou's decision to join the army with Lin was not the case of a close friend as others described.

Is it possible that Lin Congrong's treason was actually related to something else, possibly involving the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion?