Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

On the fourth day, Zhang Lin's wife, children, and elderly relatives were all brought to the Ministry of Justice's main hall.

A row of people knelt below, with two young women, around seventeen or eighteen years old, kneeling at the front. The elder sister was slightly taller than the younger, her back straight as a bamboo shoot, possessing a gentle and serene air, the kind of unassuming elegance that comes from being raised in a secluded chamber. She had an oval face, fair skin, a straight and delicate nose, and almond-shaped eyes that drooped slightly, her eyelashes casting a soft shadow beneath them. Her jawline was soft and rounded, and her lips were full and pale.

The younger sister knelt on the right, slightly smaller in stature. Her features resembled her older sister's by about five points, but their temperaments were completely different—her chin was slightly pointed, her eyes were larger and rounder than her sister's, and the corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, carrying an unpolished sharpness. She knelt there with her back straight, but her fingers were unconsciously twisting the corner of her skirt, and her lower lip had a very shallow tooth mark, which was quite deep.

The records about them in the case file are only a few words: the elder sister, Zhang, was seventeen years old. She was good at copying documents, and her handwriting was neat and tidy. She could remember what she read after reading it once. The younger sister, Zhang, was sixteen years old. She was good at accounting and could do mental arithmetic very quickly. She secretly checked most of the account books in the backyard of the house, but she only checked the numbers and did not know the true situation of the numbers she checked.

"My lord," the elder sister raised her head, her gaze fixed on the desk, her voice low but clear, "we sisters truly knew nothing of Father's crimes. His dealings with officials outside were never handled by us. We only copied his letters, but never opened them before sealing them."

The younger sister raised her head and said, "I've only checked the numbers in the account books; I don't know where that money came from. I know no one will believe me, but I've never done anything to betray His Majesty or Xuan Shuo."

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Zhao Yan, seated to the side, whispered to Lin Yanzhou, "Sir, those two truly knew nothing. There are old records in the case files, and there are also records in the palace—Zhang Lin's correspondence never passed through his daughter's hands."

Lin Yanzhou looked at them and remained silent for a moment before asking, "Do you want to live?"

The older sister answered first: "I want to live."

The younger sister chimed in, "I want to live too. But if it means doing evil to stay alive, I'd rather die."

Lin Yanzhou's lips twitched slightly. He took out a box of cold medicine from his sleeve, removed two capsules, and placed them on the table: "These are Nine-Insect Brain Corpse Pills. After taking them, remain in the Imperial Preceptor's residence to serve me. If I am satisfied within three years, I will grant you the antidote and set you free. If you refuse, you will be immediately exiled to the Northern Barbarians."

The older sister didn't speak. She knelt and took half a step forward, reached for the small porcelain bottle, uncorked it, poured out a white pill, and swallowed it. After swallowing, she gently closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, the tear that hadn't fallen finally slid down her cheek.

The younger sister followed suit. As she put down the porcelain vase, she suddenly whispered, "Thank you, Imperial Preceptor."

Lin Yanzhou put the remaining cold medicine back into his sleeve: "Zhang Lin's rest of his family will be exiled to the Northern Barbarians, departing immediately." Actually, as Lin Yanzhou said this, he thought to himself: "Zhang Lin, you old scoundrel, let your family pay for your sins. The Northern Barbarians hate you to the bone now, let them fend for themselves! You yourself said you'd give me your two daughters, but I didn't ask for them willingly. Even though you're dead, you've fulfilled your promise. Historical dramas portray women as utterly loyal, and in ancient times, it was common to have multiple wives and concubines. I'm just afraid the princess won't think that way. I just had sex with the princess on the road, and now I'm taking in two more women. I wonder if the princess will be jealous? Never mind, even the young emperor has pleaded for me. One dragon, two phoenixes, three phoenixes—just thinking about it is exciting!"

Just as he was indulging in his fantasies, Zhao Yan suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute."

The two sisters stopped in their tracks. Zhao Yan rose from his dragon throne, walked to the center of the hall, looked at them, then at Lin Yanzhou, and said, "Sir, now that they have entered the Imperial Preceptor's residence, they are no longer members of the Zhang family. I hereby decree that they be granted the surname Lin, and all past transgressions will be forgiven. From this day forward, their surname is Lin, not Zhang."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the two girls: "You, your name is Lin Xiaolan. You, your name is Lin Xiaoyu. Are you willing?"

The older sister paused for a moment, then knelt down, her forehead pressed to the ground, her voice finally trembling with tears: "This humble woman... thanks Your Majesty for bestowing upon me this surname. From this day forward, this humble woman will only have one name: Lin Xiaolan."

The younger sister knelt down as well, her voice trembling but clear: "I am Lin Xiaoyu, and I thank Your Majesty for bestowing upon me this surname. I will never speak of the past again. For the rest of my life, I will only be loyal to Your Majesty and the Imperial Advisor. If I break this vow, may Heaven and Earth condemn me."

Zhao Yan nodded, then looked at Lin Yanzhou: "Sir, they will serve by your side from now on. Xiaolan is skilled at copying documents; she will stay at the Imperial Preceptor's residence to manage your paperwork. Xiaoyu is adept at arithmetic; you can entrust her with any accounting matters you may have in the future. I see them as two promising talents; keeping them by my side is far more useful than exiling them to the Northern Barbarians."

Lin Yanzhou looked at the two girls kneeling on the ground—Lin Xiaolan's shoulder line relaxed slightly, as if she had finally shed a shell that had been stretched for a long time; Lin Xiaoyu's fingers no longer twisted the hem of her skirt, but clenched into fists and placed in front of her knees, but she was no longer trembling.

"Get up," Lin Yanzhou said. "The Imperial Preceptor's office is in the west courtyard. We start work at eight every day, from dawn until dusk. Learn slowly what you don't know how to do."

When Lin Xiaolan stood up, she reached out to help her younger sister. The two stood side by side in the hall, sunlight streaming in through the side window and falling on their plain white dresses, as if slowly fading the old shadow of that man surnamed Zhang.

As Lin Yanzhou turned and walked out of the Ministry of Justice's main hall, he mentally reviewed the things he needed to do next.

The court officials have been purged, Zhang Lin's power has been eradicated, the Northern Di have retreated, the Jurchens are temporarily pacified, and the water conservancy project in Ji Province is underway. Other places will also need to send people to follow suit; I can't do it all myself. One month in Xuan Shuo, one day with Xiao Ya, I can stay a while longer and fundamentally change the structure of the court. I'll finally have my fill of power; the whole world will have to listen to me.