Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 263 The Lin Family's Advance!
She said it with absolute certainty.

Lu Huai smiled gently: "Since you know what you're doing, I'm relieved."

Lin Zhiqing smiled and then asked, "What happened between you and him after I left that day?"

"Thanks to your arrangements, Yun Feng was unable to unleash his full power when he fought him." The scene from that time replayed in Lu Huai's mind:
"He exchanged a few blows with Yun Feng, while I provided archery support from the side. The two of us were aiming to take his life."

"Perhaps he saw me and didn't want me to discover his identity, so he was hesitant to fight."

"After I got my things back, his men arrived."

Lu Huai frowned:

"He brought a total of twenty or thirty men. Yunfeng and I had no choice but to temporarily avoid his advance and escape to Hengzhang."

"Judging by the time, he should need to recover from his injury, so he should be moving a bit slower than me and hasn't returned to Shengjing yet."

Lin Zhiqing nodded:
"I trust your judgment, but since he doesn't want you to know his identity, how did you guess that he is Jiang Liuyun?"

"Ah Qing, I misjudged him and also mistook him for the young hero praised by everyone in the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion," Lu Huai said without any hesitation.
"At first, I did consider him a friend I could befriend."

“I know his every move very well.”

How could someone who spends every day with another person not notice?

Lin Zhiqing could understand Lu Huai's meaning, after all, she herself hadn't seen through Jiang Liuyun's true colors at first:

"He is an excellent actor."

Lu Huai shook his head: "I think his ability to disguise himself is related to Liu Mang, who is an expert in the study of mind and heart."

"Do you remember that arrow he shot that went astray back then?"

"Also, when you were framed for poisoning Lin Yangyang, the only witness, Biluo, had only been in contact with Brother Shi'an."

"When I sneaked into the Liu residence at night, I almost fell into the hypnotic spell of the pitcher plant dripping water, but he was not affected at all."

Lu Huai isn't stupid.

On the contrary, he was extremely intelligent.

After recognizing Jiang Liuyun, Lu Huai also recalled his past experiences.

His thinking was not much different from Lin Zhiqing's.

“These things are indeed related to him,” Lin Zhiqing confirmed his statement.
“After he returns, he will probably make trouble for the Lin family.”

“When Nan Yue came to find me, I was still in Yongqing. Yongqing does indeed hide some things.”

"Is it related to Jiang Liuyun?" Lu Huai asked.

“That’s right.” Lin Zhiqing nodded. “This matter is of great importance, and I cannot announce it for the time being, but I will take action in the next two days.”

"You just finished dealing with matters at the Ministry of Revenue, and you were previously very close to the Lin family. The court is keeping a close eye on you, so don't get involved yet."

When the Ministry of Revenue was mentioned, Lu Huai frowned slightly.

He nodded: "Don't worry, I came here secretly today with the same idea in mind."

“Since Jiang Liuyun wants to kill you, he must be afraid of you or the Lin family. He will not let this go.”

"He might still have something on the Lin family."

"If I show myself, he might seize the opportunity to plot against me, and then no one will be able to stand up for the Lin family."

"Aqing, a storm is brewing in Shengjing. I will remain hidden in the shadows and guard your chess game."

"Okay!" Lin Zhiqing smiled.

The moment their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts.

After talking with Lin Zhiqing for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Huai and Yun Feng disappeared into the shadows of the Lin family.

Lin Zhiqing focused his questions on matters concerning the Ministry of Revenue.

Then, she stood by the window for a long time before closing it.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Now she can ease some of her worries about Lu Huai.

Now, only two problems remain to be solved.

First, it was a gift from the emperor.

The difficulty of this matter is comparable to that of exonerating Lin Congrong. The key to the imperial gifts lies in nothing more than two or three items, and the wounded and disabled soldiers who benefited from them.

Needless to say, the wounded, sick, and disabled, the dead, and the missing, cannot be used as key evidence.

Putting aside everything else, the three imperial gifts that were sold cannot be recovered.

Because those who traded with the Lin family knew the value of the imperial gift; it could save their lives in a critical moment!
Those with a quick mind have already resold the items.

Lin Congli and Lin Congyan have been busy for so many days, but they haven't found any trace of them.

As for exonerating Lin Congrong, Jiang Liuyun is currently unaware that Lin Zhiqing has already obtained the truth about her father's murder.

This is the only point that Lin Zhiqing can actively use to make a fuss.

But this article wasn't something you could just write on a whim.

She needed to resolve the issue of the imperial gift first before she could free up her time to seek justice for her father.

However, the current problem is that the issue of the imperial gifts cannot be resolved in the short term.

This led to a stalemate.

If Jiang Liuyun were to take action against the Lin family over the imperial gift, the Lin family would have virtually no chance of fighting back.

Lin Zhiqing frowned. Was there any other solution?

The answer is, of course, yes. One way is to divert the attention of the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion, and another way is to prove that the Lin family never received any imperial gifts.

However, both of these methods are quite risky.

Especially the latter.

The three imperial gifts bestowed upon the Lin family were all secretly given to the grandfather, Lin Qingshan, by the late emperor.

Even though most people in the court, including the emperor, are not familiar with the specific details, this matter should be recorded in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites.

However, I'm not entirely sure.

Lin Zhiqing could still seek help from Lu Huai at the Ministry of Revenue and try his luck.

This is also why she and Lu Huai learned about the Ministry of Revenue.

Furthermore, during the conversation with Lu Huai just now, Lu Huai clearly stated that he had a great deal of control over the Ministry of Revenue.

As for the Minister of Rites, he has never been particularly close to the Lin family...

No, wait.

Lin Zhiqing stood up abruptly.

She had forgotten that she was not entirely unfamiliar with this Minister of Rites.

Lin Zhiqing took out a letter from the carefully stored box and smiled.

She knew how to destroy the Ministry of Revenue's records regarding the imperial gifts bestowed upon the Lin family.

Moreover, she also knew how to divert the attention of the Marquis of Zhenyuan's residence.

She came up with a foolproof plan!

The fact that it was a gift from the emperor must never be shown to anyone.

Because the Lin family has no evidence to prove that the imperial gift is still there.

Therefore, what she needs to do now is to keep quiet and destroy the evidence that the Lin family once possessed the imperial gift.

In other words, she had to silence the three forces.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the national treasury and directly allocated imperial gifts.

The Ministry of Rites was responsible for bestowing titles and rewards and directly drafted the list of recipients.

Holding the only leverage over the imperial gift bestowed upon the Lin family, the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion was eyeing them covetously.

Lin Zhiqing had devised solutions for all three.

This not only applies to the imperial gifts, but also to the fact that Lin Congrong's treasonous act of colluding with the enemy will also be brought to light.

She's going to declare war on the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion!
That night, Lin Zhiqing knocked on the gates of each house in the Lin family compound and simultaneously sent two letters to Yunnan and Bianliang.

The next day, the lights in the main hall of the Lin family had just been turned off.

At the same moment, at the city gate of Shengjing, Jiang Liuyun, the heir of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion, entered the city!