Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 531 Avenging Lin Daiyu!

“This, this, this~”

Lin Daiyu was flustered. "Grandma Rong, what are you saying?"

"Good sister."

Qin Keqing covered her mouth and chuckled, "I have already divorced that useless man. From now on, we can just call each other sisters."

Given Jia Min's relationship with her, Lin Daiyu should call him her nephew's wife.

Conversely, Qin Keqing should be addressed as her cousin.

However, Lin Daiyu's current status is actually that of a guest of the Jia family.

After all, a married daughter is like water spilled from a cup.

According to etiquette and customs, both Jia Min and Lin Daiyu belong to the Lin family.

Now that Qin Keqing and Jia Rong have divorced, they have absolutely no kinship ties left.

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu was shocked and exclaimed, "Divorce? How could it come to this?"

"Good sister."

Holding Lin Daiyu's hand, Qin Keqing, her pretty face full of smiles, gave her a knowing look.

"You witnessed what happened that night."

"This kind of good-for-nothing, if we don't divorce him, are we supposed to stay with him?"

Lin Daiyu thought about it carefully.

That night, Jia Rong, the husband, actually squatted at the door to guard it.

That's his wife inside!
She nodded subconsciously, "That's true~"

The next moment, meeting Qin Keqing's knowing gaze, Lin Daiyu sighed inwardly.

'Oh no~'

Qin Keqing breathed a sigh of relief. "It really was you~"

"I wasn't very confident before either."

"It's just that your voice sounds a lot like it~"

"Good sister."

Qin Keqing released her hand, took a step back, and bowed to Lin Daiyu.

"Thank you so much, sister, for saving my life!"

The two actually had very little contact.

During the few years after Lin Daiyu first entered the Jia family, she visited Tianxiang Tower to watch plays at most two or three times.

Despite such limited contact, Qin Keqing managed to remember Lin Daiyu's voice.

In fact, if Lin Daiyu hadn't been wearing a long cloak, she would have already confirmed it.

Now, with a slight trick, Lin Daiyu let slip that she was absolutely certain.

After all, the official version of events was that Jia Zhen died suddenly.

It wasn't even mentioned that he died in Tianxiang Tower.

Although word had already leaked out, Grandmother Jia had given a strict order that it must not be mentioned in front of the unmarried young ladies.

Lin Daiyu's simple "That's true~" immediately exposed the situation.

"Sister, please don't misunderstand."

Qin Keqing pulled her to sit down at the table. "I just wanted to express my gratitude."

"If it weren't for your rescue, I would probably have died of shame and indignation long ago."

Lin Daiyu pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but she agreed in her heart.

If it were her, she would definitely choose to die to prove her innocence.
'Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey~'

'I would never encounter such a thing~'

'Whoever dares to insult me~'

'I'll just slap him on the ground~'

While she was lost in thought, Qin Keqing spoke up again, "By the way, where is the other benefactor?"

"I want to express my sincere gratitude to him for saving my life."

Although it has been well protected by the forest road during this period.

But Lin Daiyu did not become stupid.

Having been tricked before, no matter what he says now, he can't possibly reveal Lin Dao's identity.

It's important to know that Lin Dao is not only a chivalrous hero; he also has an identity that he cannot reveal.

Rebel!

No matter what Qin Keqing said, Lin Daiyu was like Xu Shu entering Cao Cao's camp.
I stayed until it was time to say goodbye and leave.

Upon returning, Lin Daiyu immediately instructed Zijuan to inform her senior brother that they must make a date that night.

Zijuan was on the verge of tears.

Lin Daiyu and Lin Dao went out for a wild and lively time at night.

But Zijuan, who was pretending to be Miss Lin and hiding in bed, was under unprecedented psychological pressure.

She was really scared.

If it gets noticed, Miss Lin will at most be reprimanded or punished with confinement.

She was, after all, a daughter of an official; we couldn't just kill her.

But what does Zijuan amount to?
A mere maid dared to coax her master into sneaking out to play.

To be punished and beaten to death is considered a stroke of good fortune.

What I feared most was being punished and then sold to the brothel.

That would truly be a situation where no one would answer your cries for help.

These days, she is living in fear and can't sleep at night, and her eyes are covered in dark circles.

"girl."

Zijuan couldn't take it anymore and whispered, "Don't go out every night."

"If we were caught red-handed one day, it would be a huge, earth-shattering incident!"

She wasn't wrong; at least for her, it was indeed a momentous event.

"Beautiful Zijuan."

Lin Daiyu held her hand and comforted her, "You have to go out tonight, something really needs to happen."

She needed to inform her senior brother about Qin Keqing's matter as soon as possible.

Such matters must be discussed face-to-face, not passed on to others, and certainly not left in writing.

Zijuan could not refuse, so she could only go to find Lindao with a bitter expression.

When they arrived at the side room, they found Xiao Hong cleaning and tidying up.

"Xiao Hong, is Young Master Lin here?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hong stood up.

Upon seeing that it was Zijuan, she pursed her lips and said, "Young Master has gone out and hasn't said when he will be back."

Zijuan had no choice but to wait there.

After she sat down, Xiao Hong brought her some tea.

Just as Zijuan was about to say something joking, she looked up and was surprised to see that Xiaohong's hair bun had been changed from the maid's bun to a "heart-shaped" bun.

She knew about it because Lin Daiyu had seen the illustrations in the play "The Peony Pavilion" when she read it.

"You, you, you~"

Xiao Hong blushed slightly, put down the tea, and ran away.

Zijuan gritted her teeth, "Young Master Lin, you really are something else~" At the residence of Chen Mogong, the Censor of Guangdong Province of the Censorate, Lin Dao, who was drinking tea, sneezed.

Given his physical condition, sneezing is a very rare occurrence for him.

Sitting in the main seat, Chen Mogong stroked his beard and smiled, "Zihou, are you and Brother Ruhai related?"

Lin Ruhai's original name was Linhai, and his courtesy name was Ruhai.

Scholars like to use their courtesy names, so they usually call Lin Ruhai.

"Not related."

Lin Dao put down his teacup and shook his head. "Although we share the same surname, we are not related by blood."

This is the world of the book; there's no way Lin Daozu could have any connection with Lin Ruhai.

Chen Mogong was puzzled. Since they were not relatives, why did Lin Ruhai send a letter asking him to use his personal connections to help him?

"Ru Hai and I are the same age."

"Those who share the same interests are good friends."

"Since he sent a letter asking me to help him, then you can speak frankly if you need anything in the future."

Chen Mogong was one of Lin Ruhai's students and old friends.

Lin Daiyu wasn't truly alone and destitute; she just hadn't found a way to be.

"Alright." Lin Dao smiled slightly. "I have something to discuss with you today."

"Oh?"

Chen Mogong nodded. "Tell me about it."

"I am in the south of the city and have heard that someone is lending money at exorbitant interest rates."

"Countless people have been driven to the point of losing their families and lives because of this."

"Having heard that Lord Mo is the Imperial Inspector on the City Circuit, I have come to inform you of this matter."

The so-called "City Patrol Censor" was an inspectoral position under the Censorate.

Personnel were selected from among the thirteen circuit censors of the Censorate to serve concurrently.

Responsible for patrolling the five cities of the capital: east, west, south, north, and central.

Their duties included inspecting public order, adjudicating cases involving punishments less severe than caning, proclaiming imperial edicts and managing relief efforts, apprehending thieves, and handling criminal cases, among others.

Although his official rank was not high, his power was considerable.

After all, the capital city was home to countless imperial relatives, noble sons, and the families of civil and military officials.

Each of them has a background.

The officials of Shuntian Prefecture and the constables of Chang'an County and Wannian County basically dared not get involved.

Only these censors, who can be impeached by anyone, are the most suitable to suppress local officials.

In addition to the Imperial Censor who patrolled the city, the Censorate also had Imperial Inspectors who traveled to inspect the city.

The Imperial Inspector was the emperor's representative to inspect local areas and exercise his supervisory power. He wielded immense power.

These imperial inspectors, who were sent to various provinces for inspection, were commonly known among the people as the "Eight-Prefecture Inspectors."
Ordinary censors may not hold high official ranks, but they wield immense power.

If you find someone's weakness, you can impeach them directly.

If impeached, it will be a huge problem.

Some people even start a fight, only to be attacked by all sorts of open and covert rivals, resulting in the downfall of countless families.

Chen Mogong frowned slightly.

The practice of lending money at exorbitant interest rates has existed for a long time.

Moreover, those who can accomplish such things in the capital all have powerful backers.

This isn't about dealing with loan sharks; it's clearly about plotting something big.

He hesitated for a moment before asking the question.

"Do you know which family is behind this?"

This is a crucial issue; some governments are truly not to be trifled with.

He, Chen Mogong, is no hot-blooded young man.

Or perhaps, I've long passed the age of being impulsive and hot-blooded.

We need to know in advance who Lin Dao wants to deal with.

"The Duke of Rong's Mansion".

Lin Dao's words stunned Chen Mogong.

He was slightly taken aback. "The Duke of Rong's Mansion?"

"If I remember correctly, Ru Hai is the son-in-law of the Duke of Rongguo's mansion."

Isn't this just like family members fighting each other?

"Imperial Censor Lin has only one daughter," Lin Dao replied calmly. "Due to the chaotic situation in Yangzhou, she was fostered by the Duke of Rong's mansion."

He tapped the table with his fingers.

"He lives under someone else's roof and suffers humiliation!"

It was more than just humiliation; if it weren't for Lin Dao's appearance, Lin Daiyu would have been driven to her death.

The people of this world are unaware of these things, but Lin Dao knows them perfectly well.

The despair and pain felt when burying the flowers must be repaid a thousandfold.

This grudge must be avenged!
Upon hearing this, Chen Mogong nodded.

If Lin Ruhai was trying to avenge his beloved daughter, then that makes sense.

"However," Chen Mogong added, "the daughter of the Jia family was recently appointed as the Minister of the Phoenix Palace."

"It's nothing more than appeasing the nobles." Lin Dao waved his hand dismissively. "The Jia family is no longer the Jia family it was thirty years ago."

Thirty years ago, the Jia family was a family that held two dukedoms.

He controlled the military power of the Beijing Garrison, making him incredibly powerful.

But now, it has long since fallen on hard times.

Otherwise, there would be no need to call them the four great families, all of one mind.

Chen Mogong appeared slightly surprised.

This person looks young, but has a sharp eye.

He could see through the affairs of the imperial court so clearly.

He simply asked, "What do you want to do?"

"The usury was committed by Wang, the daughter-in-law of the eldest son of the Rongguo Duke's family."

"Lord Mo can first arrest his henchmen, and then impeach him."

"The Jia family will definitely try to make amends by continuing the family line."

"People can be bailed out, but they can't avoid paying fines."

"Punish them severely!"

What does the Jia family lack most right now?
It's not about the accumulated goodwill over decades; their family has plenty of that.

That's enough to pave the way for the Wang family and elevate Wang Ziteng to a higher position.

What they lack most right now is money.

The money for building the Grand View Garden was still nowhere to be found, and now there was the fine for usury.

The Jia family went bankrupt.

It should be understood that building the Grand View Garden was a political task for the Jia family.

Failure to complete it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor.

Lin Dao's first step in avenging Lin Daiyu was to drive the Jia family to the brink of ruin by using money!

(End of this chapter)