Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 448 Cenotaph, Wordless Stele

Jiang Liuyun is dead.

The news spread like wildfire and quickly reached the entire capital.

In just one month, the once-popular Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion fell apart and ceased to exist.

The people treated this incident as a topic of conversation, sometimes sighing, sometimes cursing, but then they went back to their lives.

Strangely, the court was also very quiet, as if Jiang Yunhe and Jiang Liuyun had never been there.

When people leave, the tea is cool.

Even the officials who had once been supporters of the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion all fell silent.

It's not worth offending other officials and jeopardizing your career for the sake of someone who's already dead, is it?
Only Wang Yuan, the Imperial Censor, stepped forward and, with a few words, declared that even during Jiang Liuyun's period of mourning, he was still an official of the imperial court.

The death of an official is no small matter.

Zhou Chongzheng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was ordered to go to the Lin family for questioning.

In any case, this matter cannot be blamed on Lin Zhiqing and the Lin family.

Zhou Chongzheng dared not offend the Lin family at this point, and hastily closed the case.

Jiang Liuyun was the son of a disgraced official, and the court would not be responsible for collecting his body.

The Lin family soon learned about Jiang Liuyun's situation, and everyone had different thoughts.

Lin Zhiqing ordered people to collect the bodies of Jiang Liuyun and Jinniang and bury them together at the foot of Qiwu Mountain.

At the same time, she also took matters into her own hands and built a cenotaph at the place where Aunt Mu was originally buried.

After everything was settled at the Lin family's residence, she secretly asked Lin Yangyang to accompany her to pay respects to Aunt Mu.

Lin Yangyang was naturally very curious when she saw the nameless cenotaph.

"Sister Qing, what is this?" she couldn't help but ask.

“This is a friend of mine, my cousin. I’d like to talk to her,” Lin Zhiqing replied simply.

Lin Yangyang understood Lin Zhiqing and didn't ask any further questions:
"Okay, I'll go catch a wild rabbit in the woods, we'll have it for dinner tonight."

Lin Zhiqing nodded slightly.

She took out some fruits and placed them one by one in front of the cenotaph, and then burned some clothes, jewelry and paper money.

Then, he solemnly lit an incense stick.

“Your clothes and jewelry used to be very bright and beautiful; you must have been a person who loved beauty. I brought some with me today.” She gently touched the blank tombstone.

"I apologize for setting up this cenotaph for you so late. I was busy with the Lin family's affairs earlier."

At this point, Lin Zhiqing smiled:
"Look at me, I should tell you this."

"The filth on the Lin family has been washed away. Your father, Marquis Wangshu, is a great hero who stands tall and upright."

"The person who framed Marquis Wangshu was Marquis Zhenyuan, Jiang Yunhe, who is already dead."

"The person who killed you was Jiang Liuyun."

Lin Zhiqing paused slightly:
"You should know this person very well; he's a great actor."

"He's dead too."

"From the day I took over your body, I vowed to live well and get back all the grievances you suffered."

"Now, I should have done it."

Lin Zhiqing smiled slightly: "Thank you, I will always remember you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept across his face, carrying some leaves that landed in front of Lin Zhiqing.

She picked up an autumn leaf and put it in her handkerchief, stood up, patted her dress, and turned to leave.

"Cousin, let's go!" Lin Zhiqing's voice was filled with an unprecedented sense of freedom and relief.

After Jiang Liuyun's death, it seemed that everyone's life returned to normal.

Lin Zhiqing still remembers one person.

Together with Lin Qingshan, she knocked on the door of the Wang family, the Imperial Censor.

Wang Yuan's residence was unlike the Lin family's; it exuded a simple and unpretentious charm.

Upon arriving at the main hall, the Wang family's butler stepped forward to pay his respects. Then, looking at Lin Zhiqing, he said:

"Miss Lin, my wife is already waiting for you in the backyard."

This is the rule of the powerful and influential families of Dasheng.

The front yard belongs to the men, and the back yard belongs to the women.

Lin Qingshan frowned, and was about to speak when a steady voice came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Miss Lin is no ordinary person, you may leave."

The butler was taken aback, then apologized and withdrew.

Wang Yuan's attitude towards the Lin family grandfather and grandson was not particularly warm.

When he took office as the Imperial Censor, Marquis Changning, Lin Qingshan, had already retreated to Bianliang.

In addition, the former Censor-in-Chief had a grudge against the Lin family, and for many years, Wang Yuan did not have much contact with the Lin family.

For a moment, it was rather quiet.

Lin Zhiqing spoke first:
"Lord Wang, my grandfather and I have come to your door today for the first reason: to thank you for upholding justice during the joint trial by the three judicial authorities."

She did not attribute the incident to Wang Yuan's bias towards the Lin family, but rather said that he was enforcing the law impartially.

Wang Yuan stroked his beard, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Seeing this, Lin Zhiqing spoke again:
"Secondly, I would also like to ask Lord Wang if there were any misunderstandings between us and the Lin family in the past."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan put down his teacup.

He took a breath: "You girl, you're so thoughtful in everything you do and in your words, you know the rules."

"That's right, I used to have some prejudice against the Lin family." He readily admitted:

"As you all know, my mentor strongly recommended me for the position of Censor-in-Chief."

"He has been kind to me, and I respect him very much."

"In my memory, he was an extremely rare good official."

Hearing this, Lin Qingshan also spoke up:

"Indeed, before he impeached me and joined the army, my impression of him was that he was upright and incorruptible."

Upon receiving confirmation, Wang Yuan sighed, "The old Marquis is kind and generous."

"To be honest, it is precisely because I know my mentor so well that I have such deep faith in his words."

"Lin Congrong's treason and collusion with the enemy are just like this, as are the Lin family's sinister intentions."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing frowned slightly.

Wang Yuan suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Lin Qingshan:
"I was too confident in my own judgment. I was blinded by my own biases back then, and I still have prejudices against the Lin family many years later. That was my mistake."

Lin Qingshan glanced at Lin Zhiqing, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Then, he helped Wang Yuan up.

Wang Yuan insisted on performing all the proper etiquette before straightening up and reverting to his stubborn old man persona.

"During the first court hearing, I noticed something was amiss." Wang Yuan's tone was somewhat heavy:

"After the hall closed, I sent someone to find my mentor's former servant, and only then did I learn a lot of inside information."

"Indeed, my teacher wronged Marquis Wangshu back then."

“Jiang Yunhe threatened my mentor with my teacher’s wife’s life, causing my mentor to commit a false accusation.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhiqing understood.

The reason Jiang Yunhe had to threaten the former Censor-in-Chief to expose and frame Lin Congrong was naturally because of the former Censor-in-Chief's reputation for integrity and incorruptibility.

The credibility of such an accusation is very high, and it can also avoid implicating the Jiang family.

What a great deal!

Wang Yuan didn't notice Lin Zhiqing's expression; she looked somewhat forlorn.

"After this matter was settled, my mentor felt guilty and fell ill. He passed away not long afterward."