Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 421 Ancestral Hall
"Don't think I don't know, you were injured too." Lu Nanyue forcefully pulled him back:

“My medical skills are far superior to those of the people outside. I could tell at a glance that your hand was trembling slightly when you picked up the teacup just now.”

This was something that even Lin Zhiqing hadn't noticed.

Yan Yu didn't rush to leave, but simply sat down and waited for Lu Nanyue to handle the situation.

This is an admission that Lu Nanyue said he had injuries.

Lin Yangyang was somewhat surprised:
"Nan Yue, when did you secretly start studying the art of mind reading behind my back? You can even tell if someone is injured or not?"

Lu Nanyue raised her chin: "When I have nothing to do on weekdays, I've also attended a few of Zhiqing's classes."

Lin Zhiqing smiled slightly; this was not her doing.

Lu Nanyue is skilled in medicine, so combining it with the study of the mind would definitely be better.

As Lu Nanyue said, apart from herself, everyone else in the room was injured.

She worked for a long time before she finished treating everyone's injuries.

Lin Shi'an arranged a place for everyone to rest.

For them, this was destined to be a pretty good sleep.

Meanwhile, inside the Lin Family Ancestral Hall.

Lin Congli and Lin Congyan washed their hands and burned incense, then took out Lin Congrong's memorial tablet from the secret room and placed it in a very conspicuous position.

Lin Congli's eyes reddened, while Lin Congyan silently turned his head away.

The two were filled with emotion, and though the words were on the tip of their tongues, they couldn't utter a single one.

After a long while, Lin Congli finally let out a soft breath:
"Third brother, you've worked so hard all these years."

"Third Brother, I misunderstood you before. I was wrong," Lin Congyan murmured softly.

Lin Congli frowned, looking at the memorial tablets. The heavy weight that had been pressing on his heart was finally lifted:
"You joined the army and fought bravely on the battlefield, pacifying the borders for the Great Sheng Dynasty. Now, your hardships have finally come to an end."

"Your daughter, Zhiqing, is exceptionally talented. Her appointment as the head of the Lin family is the best decision I've ever made in my life."

"Congyan, we are getting old."

"Who can argue with that?" Lin Congyan took a deep breath.

“We are too old to pull the Lin family out of the mire, but Zhiqing and the others did it.”

"As it turns out, our previous approach was indeed wrong."

Lin Congli remained silent for a moment before smiling:
"We have never been able to see through the essence of the Lin family matter. Only by addressing the root cause can we find the right solution. We were wrong from the very beginning."

“I used to think that entering the court as an official was a good thing, but now it seems that Lu Zhen’s approach was the smartest.”

Retiring early and staying away from power means staying away from trouble.

"The Lin family can't escape, elder brother." Lin Congyan took a deep breath:

"My father has been retired for so long, only to gain a moment of peace."

"Now that Zhiqing has broken through, the Lin family has returned to the court's attention."

"Zhiqing is extremely capable. If she didn't have the surname Lin, her future prospects would be immeasurable."

Lin Congli shook his head: "Fourth brother, you're confused."

"Zhiqing is intelligent and composed. If he were a man, he would surely lead the Lin family to even greater heights."

"But in the imperial court, it is most taboo for women to hold power."

"I gave the position of family head to Zhiqing because no one is more capable, smarter, or better able to lead the Lin family than her."

"I know all of this, but unfortunately the one in power in Dasheng is a man."

"They just wanted to confine Zhiqing to the inner quarters and stifle her freedom."

Lin Congyan was somewhat surprised that Lin Congli would say such a thing:

"Brother, haven't you always thought that women can't accomplish anything?"

Lin Congli gave a bitter smile:
"It was precisely because of this idea that we made one wrong step after another, pushing the Lin family to the brink of destruction."

"Zhiqing showed me the unique qualities of women. I've been thinking about this these past few days. Perhaps it was the right thing for Congyan to insist on opening girls' schools back then." Lin Congyan thought for a moment, then smiled:
"Zhiqing's ability to read faces and discern subtle signs is unparalleled. The Lu family girl's medical skills are superb, and even Yangyang is more skilled in martial arts than men of the same age."

"After her right hand was damaged, she did not give up. Instead, she started from scratch again, wielding the whip and sword with her left hand, which was quite resilient."

"Big brother, you're right. I think I can understand what Third Brother did back then."

"Unfortunately, we realized it too late." Lin Congli sighed.

"Right now, all we can do is fully cooperate with Zhiqing."

"What we can't do, she can definitely do!"

Lin Congyan didn't speak, but just nodded silently.

After leaving the ancestral hall, the two received many visiting cards from their colleagues.

Officials in Beijing have always acted this way, frequently engaging in favoritism and belittling of those in power.

The Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion no longer exists, which is a signal that its rival, the Changning Marquis's Mansion, is about to rise again.

A quick-witted person would naturally want to get close to the Lin family.

In the past, Lin Congli and Lin Congrong would have been overjoyed, because these visiting cards meant that the Lin family had been accepted by the prominent families in Shengjing.

But now they understand that it's better to rely on yourself than on others, and they know that most of these people who rush to visit are opportunists, so they naturally don't care too much.

After dealing with those visiting cards, Lin Congli took a deep breath:

"Congyan, after Zhiqing has rested, I want to discuss with her whether we can invite Father back from Bianliang."

Upon hearing this, Lin Congyan's heart stirred: "Really? Brother, do you really have this idea?"

"Hmm." Lin Congli nodded slightly.

“My father left Shengjing City for the sake of the Lin family. Now that his name has been cleared, he should want to come back and see the world.”

"He has spent more time in Bianliang than in the capital."

"Furthermore, the rest of the people in Bianliang must also miss Shengjing City."

Lin Congyan certainly understood who this "other people" referred to.

There were indeed many members of the Lin family in Bianliang, including his wife and daughters.

Now that everything has settled down, he naturally misses his wife and daughter.

After making up their minds, the two prepared a family feast.

After Lin Zhiqing and the others had rested enough, the banquet began.

The Lin family was all smiles, a far cry from the lifeless atmosphere they had just been a few months ago.

Everyone except Lin Yangyang was present.

As Lin Zhiqing took her seat, she seemed somewhat dazed.

The same location, but the people are different.

Yan Yu has been added, but Jiang Liuyun has been lost.

Thinking of Jiang Liuyun, Lin Zhiqing's expression softened.

During the day, the people watching over the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence told her that the Jiang family's property had been confiscated, and Jiang Yunhe had been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail.

All of these actions were very swift, as if they had been planned in advance.

Jiang Liuyun lost his status as the heir of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion, but he still retained his status as the commander of the camp in the suburbs of the capital.

After the Jiang family's property was confiscated, he went directly to Cangxianglou.

The Jiang family was now an empty shell; their mansion had been sealed off, and apart from the Cangxianglou, he seemed to have nowhere else to go.

Lu Huai noticed that Lin Zhiqing was lost in thought, and subtly touched her shoulder:

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about Jiang Liuyun." Lin Zhiqing's voice was muffled.