Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 422 How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?
Lu Nanyue and Yan Yu both raised their eyebrows, looking at Lu Huai with expressions of anticipation.

Lu Huai, however, paid no attention to the two men's gazes and slowly spoke:
"I've been busy answering questions and resolving doubts, but now I should be able to analyze that imperial edict."

Hmm? Isn't this topic changing too quickly?
Lu Nanyue had a look on her face that said, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Lin Zhiqing glanced at Lu Huai and smiled slightly: "That's right, I was just thinking about how the emperor would deal with Jiang Liuyun."

The imperial edict mainly covered three things.

First, Jiang Yunhe and his accomplices, including the Minister of War, were ordered to commit suicide.

Secondly, we hope that Shu Houlin's military service is innocent.

Third, Jiang Yunhe was spared.

The most unique of these is the third point.

The royal family kept Jiang Liuyun.

"He did so many bad things, yet he was still pardoned in the end. It's really unfair." Clearly, Lin Shi'an was not satisfied with Jiang Liuyun's handling of the matter.

Lin Congli and Lin Congyan also put down their chopsticks at the same time.

Now Lin Congrong's case has been overturned, and the culprit Jiang Yunhe has been convicted of not only deceiving the emperor, but also of multiple crimes such as forming cliques for personal gain.

It's safe to say that Jiang Yunhe is destined to die.

But the way the higher-ups handled Jiang Liuyun was indeed quite unexpected.

Lin Congyan also felt some disgust for Jiang Liuyun: "I thought the higher-ups would definitely punish Jiang Liuyun and order him to die along with Jiang Yunhe."

Lu Nanyue frowned:
"This matter is indeed a bit strange, but His Majesty has always been magnanimous and has not held a grudge against the Lin family because of Uncle Lin's matter."

Lu Nanyue was unaware of the royal family's true purpose in keeping the Lin family alive, which is why she said that.

But everyone else at the table knew very well that someone who could sit on the throne could hardly be virtuous.
Lin Zhiqing broke the silence: "Don't you all feel that this approach is somewhat familiar?"

Seems familiar?

Apart from Lu Huai and Yan Yu, the rest of them were somewhat confused.

Only Lin Shi'an thought for a moment and then suddenly realized.

It looks very similar, indeed.

"Zhiqing, are you saying that the Jiang family today is the same as the Lin family back then?" Lin Shi'an asked.

Upon hearing this, Lin Congli and Lin Congyan were both stunned.

Lin Shi'an's words struck them like a heavy hammer blow.

Lin Congrong was accused of treason and was sentenced to death.

Jiang Yunhe framed his colleague and was sentenced to immediate execution.

Jiang Yunhe's son, Jiang Liuyun, escaped the calamity, as did Lin Congrong's daughter, Lin Zhiqing.

The highly overlapping storylines caught them off guard and prevented them from reacting immediately.

Lin Zhiqing picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the dish.

After Lin Congli and the other person had reacted, she spoke:
"Yes, that's what I mean."

"Jiang Liuyun's purpose in being left behind is definitely not simple."

“My cousin and I previously analyzed that the court officials were likely aware of my father’s injustice, and they knew that my father could not possibly have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country.”

"But because the father infringed on their interests, they chose to remain silent."

"The reason why the higher-ups kept the Lin family around is twofold: firstly, it leaves the Jiang family with a handle, which allows them to use us to check and balance the Jiang family."

"Secondly, even if we cannot deal with the Jiang family and bring about our own destruction, it will not do any harm to the royal family."

Hearing this, Lin Congyan's thoughts were completely overturned. He was very puzzled: "According to your logic, why did the imperial court put pressure on the Lin family in the past, trying to solidify my crime?"

"If this is confirmed, the Lin family will be gone. How will they then check and balance the Jiang family?"

At that time, Lin Zhiqing only saw the disguise and thought that the royal family had not touched the Lin family for so many years just because they lacked a pretext or wanted to leave a good reputation for being lenient.

But after the court hearing, she realized that her fourth uncle's situation might be a turning point for the Lin family.

She recalled that back then, the Lin family was relatively peaceful and had just begun to show signs of unity against outsiders.

But Liu Mang's appearance instantly shattered the Lin family, causing them to fall apart and become suspicious and resentful of each other.

In other words, if Liu Mang is allowed to continue developing his ways, the Lin family will definitely fall apart.

Of course, before that, the Lin family had already fallen apart.

The Lin family in that state did not have the means to check and balance the Jiang family.

Hearing this, Lin Congli understood Lin Zhiqing's meaning and asked:
"Zhiqing, are you saying that the Lin family had no value at that time, and it was better to eliminate them than to keep them alive?"

"Not bad." Lin Zhiqing nodded.

"The key to the art of checks and balances lies in the word 'checks and balances' itself."

"Only when the forces on both sides are roughly equal can it be called a balance of power."

"At that time, the Lin family was mired in difficulties and did not have the strength to contend with the Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion, so the royal family probably did not intend to keep the Lin family."

Lin Congli frowned and spoke again:
"You mean the royal family saw the Lin family's potential to counterbalance the Jiang family in this incident, and therefore didn't pursue the Lin family any further?"

“Yes, this should be a turning point for the Lin family.” Lin Zhiqing nodded.

“From this incident onwards, the royal family felt that our Lin family had become useful again.”

"As it happens, the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion is very powerful. How can we allow others to snore beside our bed?"

"The most direct and justifiable way to deal with the Jiang family is through the Lin family."

"This...this is too far-fetched." Lin Congli's breathing became rapid.

"So, according to you, the Emperor always knew that Jiang Ziya's military service was innocent, but he just turned a blind eye to the Jiang family's affairs?"

"I'm not sure if they know the Jiang family was behind this, but there's a high probability they know about my father's injustice." Lin Zhiqing's voice remained relatively calm.
"The Lin and Jiang families' affair is not a recent occurrence, but rather the result of the royal family's deliberate indulgence, and a victim of power struggles."

"This is a situation that spans several decades."

From the very beginning, the Lin and Jiang families occupied both ends of the scale, and the weights on both sides were always controlled by the emperor.

Lu Nanyue shook her head as she drank to calm her nerves:
"I thought Xiao Qing'er was already very good at manipulating people's hearts, but it seems that our Emperor's methods are even more sophisticated!"

Who said no?
Lin Zhiqing had previously regarded the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion as a monstrous threat.

But now that the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion has fallen, she has discovered that the one on the dragon throne is the real mastermind behind everything.

He had long ago fueled the flames, sowing the seeds of hatred between the Lin and Jiang families.

Many years later, this seed took root and sprouted, becoming the opportunity for the royal family to eliminate the Jiang family.

Even Lin Zhiqing felt a chill run down her spine at such scheming and tactics.

She developed an extremely strong interest in the ailing emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Lu Huai steered the conversation back to Jiang Liuyun: "The imperial edict says that Jiang Liuyun will be kept, because they want to walk the same path again."

"As long as there are any members of the Jiang family and the Lin family alive, the Jiang family will always be enemies, and there will never be a day when they shake hands and make peace."

"In that case, if the Lin family gets out of control, Jiang Liuyun can revert to his current role in the Lin family."

"Heh, he really enjoys this kind of pointless trick." Yan Yu, who had been silent until now, sneered.
"Does the purpose of checks and balances justify the disregard for so many innocent lives?"