Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 313 Congratulations on Lord Lu's promotion!
Lin Zhiqing closed her eyes. What was this?

A misunderstanding that wasn't pretty at all?

For her, the memory of Lin Congrong was really vague.

Aside from snippets of information gleaned from Aunt Mu and others, there was almost no way to know anything about it.

But aside from those "treasonous acts," Lin Congrong left a fairly good impression on her.

Perhaps it was because of blood ties, but more so because of this person's way of doing things, which made Lin Zhiqing feel that he was different from some empty-headed people.

Lin Congrong not only did things for women, but also had some unique insights in the imperial court.

However, Lin Zhiqing knew relatively little about these aspects.

The main reason is that most people are terrified of Lin Congrong because of his alleged treason.

But now, Lin Zhiqing feels that she should delve deeper and think more about what kind of person her father, Lin Congrong, really is.

Of course, this is only a supplementary role. Her most important task at present is to find a way to get those who oppose the retrial to support it.

This would clear Lin Congrong's name and bring down the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion.

"Little Qing'er, Little Qing'er?" Lu Nanyue waved her hand in front of Lin Zhiqing's eyes when she noticed she was lost in thought. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing." Lin Zhiqing's thoughts were interrupted, but she quickly came back to her senses: "I was thinking about those children."

Once the topic turned to the children, Lu Nanyue became very talkative:
"They are all pitiful people. To put it bluntly, the current atmosphere in Dasheng is wrong. You don't know, the youngest of those children just now came from Lu Family Medical Clinic."

"A clinic?" This surprised Lin Zhiqing.

Lu Nanyue nodded:
“That’s right. When the child’s parents first became pregnant, they came to the clinic and asked me to take their pulse. They said that if I could tell that the baby was a girl, they would not keep it.”

"Putting aside the fact that I have no ability to tell whether it's a boy or a girl, how is their behavior any different from murder?"

Lu Nanyue became increasingly angry as she spoke:
"Later, they gave birth to a daughter, and the couple were furious. They insisted that it was a problem that I hadn't been able to detect during the pulse diagnosis, and they abandoned the child outside the clinic."

"The authorities can't do anything about them, so how can I bear to watch that child die?"

"A woman's body is not a rope that binds people, but a sword that can cleave through chaos. How she lives is up to her own words."

Lin Zhiqing frowned deeply after hearing this.

She knew this place was very harsh on women, but she didn't realize the impact it had had.

To be more precise, this place was more real than any of the novels and TV dramas she had read before, allowing Lin Zhiqing to personally experience some cruel things.

For this reason, Lin Congrong's appearance seemed like an anomaly in Dasheng.

After returning to Jianxin Hall with mixed feelings, Lin Zhiqing didn't stay long.

Now that she has figured out the reasons why the neutral ministers opposed the retrial, she naturally needs to go back and think about how to break the deadlock.

However, she never expected that Jiang Liuyun was still standing outside the Lin family's gate.

Even if they wanted to feign deep affection, they've already overdone it, haven't they?
She lifted her skirt and stepped off the carriage, not wanting to talk to Jiang Liuyun, and walked inside.

"Lin Zhiqing!"

Before she even stepped through the gate, Jiang Liuyun called out to her.

This time, Jiang Liuyun didn't call her Qing'er, but called her by her full name.

Lin Zhiqing smiled and was in a very good mood, because she knew that this was more than just a matter of address.

It seems that her scheme against the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion has indeed worked; at least for now, it has torn off the mask Jiang Liuyun was wearing.

Even so, she still had no intention of turning back.

But Jiang Liuyun spoke up again:

"Lin Zhiqing, I did not want things to develop to this point, but you should never have touched Mole Mother."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing slowly turned around: "Young Master Jiang, you yourself also feel that you are in the wrong, which is why you lowered your voice, right?"

"Aren't you using my words? You shouldn't have touched Aunt Mu, you shouldn't have done that."

Mentioning Aunt Mu, Jiang Liuyun frowned: "She's just a servant girl, is she worth you targeting me like this?"

"Damn it." Lin Zhiqing couldn't help but curse.
"So, Mother Mole's life is a life, but Aunt Mu's life isn't, right?" "You keep touching my sore spot, and now you come here to provoke me. Do you really think I have no tricks up my sleeve?"

"Your Achilles' heel?" Jiang Liuyun chuckled. "Besides Aunt Mu, what else is your Achilles' heel? Betrayal?"

Lin Zhiqing frowned slightly, sensing a hint of mockery in Jiang Liuyun's expression, but couldn't pinpoint the source of that mockery.

Although she had doubts, her expression remained unchanged:

"Betrayal? Apart from Prince Jiang, it seems no one in the entire capital city is more suitable for this word."

"Heh." Jiang Liuyun still had a smile on his face: "Lin Zhiqing, you're too confident."

"Even if you're smart, you can be fooled by me once, but you'll be fooled by others a second and a third time."

“I told you a long time ago that the backyard of the Zhenyuan Marquis’s mansion is the place you should go.”

"Have you forgotten how the Lin family bullied you in the past? And Lu Huai, have you never thought about why he helped you investigate Lin Yangyang back then?"

"Young Master, the Master has returned. He ordered me to invite you back to the manor." Jiang Liuyun was interrupted by the guard before he could finish speaking.

He wiped the smile off his face, gave Lin Zhiqing a deep, mocking look, and then turned and left.

Lin Zhiqing stared at Jiang Liuyun's back for a while until the Zhenyuan Marquis's carriage had driven far away before stepping into the gate.

However, her mood at this moment was no longer the relaxed and happy one she had been at the beginning.

Instead, there is a sense of unease.

This feeling was not unfamiliar; on the night she realized that Jiang Liuyun had a problem, Lin Zhiqing also felt uneasy.

However, this unease was clearly more intense than the previous one.

Recalling the ambiguous words Jiang Liuyun had just said, Lin Zhiqing's steps became very heavy.

As she walked, she suddenly stopped.

Asagao asked, puzzled, "Miss, what's wrong?"

Lin Zhiqing took a deep breath: "Go find the Minister of Rites and ask him what happened during the morning court session today."

Asagao was taken aback. Although she didn't know why her young mistress wasn't waiting for Young Master Lu's message, she still quickly nodded: "Yes, Miss."

As Zhaoyan's footsteps faded into the distance, Lin Zhiqing clutched her chest.

……

Half an hour later.

Lu Huai's carriage stopped at the Lin family's gate, a slight smile playing on his lips.

After the announcement, it was Asagao who came out to lead the way.

Upon seeing Lu Huai, Chaoyan's expression turned serious, unlike her usual smiling face.

Noticing this, Lu Huai frowned slightly and immediately asked to confirm if something had happened to Lin Zhiqing.
But Asagao kept her lips tightly pressed together and said nothing.

Upon reaching the gate of Shuqing Pavilion, she stopped, stepped aside, and said curtly, "Please."

Lu Huai had already sensed something was wrong and stepped into the courtyard.

He soon saw Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing also saw him.

When their eyes met, he could clearly sense the aloofness and unfamiliarity on Lin Zhiqing's face.

Before Lu Huai could speak, Lin Zhiqing smiled slightly:
"Lord Lu, your presence is an honor. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly and hope you will not take offense."

She was clearly smiling, but the coldness in her words and eyes was impossible to hide.

Lu Huai's heart sank: "Aqing..."

Lin Zhiqing interrupted him directly: "Lord Lu, my name is Lin Zhiqing. I heard that you are the next Minister of Revenue. Congratulations on your promotion."

"I hope that you will be lenient, considering how much the Lin family has contributed to your promotion."

(End of this chapter)