Water Margin: Gao Yanei is actually a Gal Genius

This is a blatant frame-up. The key to the conviction seems to lie in whether the princess admits it or not, but in reality, the crucial element is Cai Xiu.

I had heard before that Emperor Daojun intended to marry Zhao Fujin to Cai Xiu. Now that Cai Xiu dares to use the princess as a raft, he must be almost certain of success.

This was truly an unexpected disaster for Lin Chong.

Gao Jin understood that Cai Xiu was targeting him.

They're all from the same circle of powerful and influential people, so Cai Xiu shouldn't go to such lengths as to fight to the death, right?

Gao Jin lowered his head and pondered. This matter was caused by him. Should he go and humble himself before Cai Xiu? Would that way, the matter would be over?

"But brother is here?" Lin Chong asked weakly in Lu Zhishen's arms.

Gao Jin quickly came to his side and tightly grasped Lin Chong's hand, "Brother, don't be afraid, your brother is here."

Lin Chong, who had been weak just moments before, suddenly perked up, his voice becoming much louder, "Brother, believe me! I did not assassinate the Princess! I am utterly loyal to the Song Dynasty!"

He had barely spoken a few words when Lin Chong's voice became hoarse again, leaving only a soft murmur, "Brother, save me... My family didn't try to assassinate me..."

Recalling Lin Chong's former dashing and courteous demeanor, Gao Jin felt a surge of grief and indignation, tears welling in his eyes. "Brother, don't worry, I will definitely get you out!"

Gao Jin took off his clothes and spread them on the cell floor, gesturing for Lu Zhishen to place Lin Chong on them. "Brother Zhishen, go and find some doctors and physicians, and bring them here quickly!"

Lu Zhishen carefully put Lin Chong down and said in a deep voice, "Then I'm off."

After thinking for a moment, Gao Jin stuffed all the money he had into Lu Zhishen's pocket and instructed him, "It would be best to bring some medicine for your injuries. When you pass by my residence, please have two of your personal attendants come over."

After Lu Zhishen left, Gao Jin said to the jailer beside him, "I'll find someone to treat my brother's injuries. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"It's alright, it's alright," the jailer said obsequiously, but his body was slowly retreating. The jailer had originally intended to curry favor, but unexpectedly almost got a beating for nothing, so he wanted to slip away.

Noticing the jailer's subtle actions, Gao Jin ignored them and silently guarded Lin Chong in the cell.

Cai Xiu dared to frame Lin Chong out of thin air, but he wouldn't dare to frame Gao Jin out of thin air.

After an hour or so, having dealt with matters in the prison, Gao Jin instructed his attendants to stay there so they could contact him at any time. He then left the Kaifeng prison, intending to find Cai Xiu and see what he was up to.

Lu Zhishen originally wanted to go with Gao Jin, but Gao Jin wouldn't allow it, only telling him to take good care of Lin Chong.

Gao Jin felt that since this matter started with him, it should also end with him. He couldn't very well have his brothers stand by and watch him lose face, could he?

Stepping out of the Kaifeng government office, basking in the warm autumn sun and smelling the lively atmosphere of the marketplace, Gao Jin felt as if he had returned from the depths of hell to the human world.

Gao Jin let out a long sigh and turned to head home. He needed to go back and revise his visiting card and find a carriage before he could go to the Cai residence to see Cai Xiu.

He had only taken two steps when Gao Jin suddenly felt his wrist being clamped by iron clamps. Turning around, he saw Chen Liqing. She was wearing that blue veil, and before, no one knew where she was, but now she suddenly appeared and grabbed Gao Jin's wrist.

[Chen Liqing's favorability rating: 45.]

Gao Jin had no interest in knowing what this crazy woman was thinking, and directly withdrew his hand, asking, "Miss Chen, what do you mean by this?"

As expected, his favorability rating dropped, but Gao Jin didn't want to care anymore. He had important business to attend to and didn't have time to serve this crazy woman.

"Brother Gao, what did you do at Fan Hua Ju last night?" Chen Liqing asked.

Gao Jin frowned and said, "What else can a man do in a brothel? Miss Chen, I really don't have time to play around with you today. I have important business to attend to."

"What important business is more important than spending time with me?" Chen Liqing blurted out.

This crazy woman is too willful!

Gao Jin was displeased. Staring at Chen Liqing's blue veil, he said slowly, "My brother Lin Chong is currently imprisoned, so please forgive me for not having any intention of joking around."

He glanced at the plummeting favorability rating and didn't dare to say anything more hurtful, fearing that this crazy woman's outburst would ruin his business. He cupped his hands in greeting, turned around, and left. Chen Liqing didn't stop him.

.....

Outside the West Garden Gate of the Cai Mansion, which had been renovated a few years ago, Gao Jin got off his carriage and looked around listlessly.

The West Garden is surrounded by walls made of polished blue bricks, which are over two zhang high and covered with dark green glazed tiles, like a reclining blue dragon.

The walls were so smooth that not even moss grew on them. Every few feet there was a small window with cloud and thunder patterns carved on the window frame. From the outside, one could glimpse a few flowers, trees and rocks in the garden.

The main gate was tightly closed, consisting of two heavy black lacquered doors studded with copper nails, the animal-head rings gleaming faintly.

Normally, people only enter and exit through the East Corner Gate, where a plaque with the words "Cai Mansion" hangs under the eaves, its gold paint gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

The white stone steps in front of the gate are spotless, and on either side stand two ancient pine trees with gnarled branches, their trunks twisting and turning like canopies.

Outside the wall, rows of ancient willows droop long, and occasionally figures dressed in brocade robes ride in small sedan chairs with blue curtains through the side gate.

Gao Jin, who was waiting for news outside the side gate, felt that every group of people coming in and out would linger on him for a long time.

Gao Jin felt itchy all over and couldn't sit or stand still. He endured this for most of the hour before a servant in blue came out from the side gate to look for him.

Upon seeing the servant, Gao Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief and repeatedly beckoned the servant to come to him. "Well? Brother Renzhi, are you willing to see me?"

The servant bowed and apologized, then stood up and said, "Young Master Gao... what bad luck, my master said he went to sweep the tombs."

Gao Jin was furious upon hearing this. "Is Cai Xiu taking advantage of the fact that the Gao family has no one to rely on?"

The servant hurriedly waved his hand, saying in a panic, "I dare not speak nonsense... My master left a message before he left."

Gao Jin knew this was the climax of the story, "Tell me about it."

The servant respectfully said, "My master said that he was moved by the filial piety of Master Gao when he swept the tomb on the festive day, so he is going to sweep the tomb now as well."

This is a sign of Gao Jin, meaning that Gao Jin doesn't give face first.

Gao Jin pursed his lips and asked, "Where did he go?"

"My son has probably gone to the East Garden. My Cai family is a large and prosperous family, and we need to make proper preparations for the tomb sweeping and ancestral worship. My son should be in the East Garden making preparations."

Gao Jin understood; Cai Xiu wanted him to run around and embarrass him.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. Where did this elementary school student's revenge method come from? It was utterly speechless.

Cai Renzhi is actually quite adorable. If this can clear Lin Chong of the charge of assassinating the princess, then it would be a huge win.

"The East Garden of the Cai family, right?" Gao Jin asked.

The servant smiled and said, "That should be true."

Gao Jin turned and boarded the carriage, heading towards the East Garden of the Cai residence. It wasn't that he didn't want to ride a horse; if he had, his backside would have been bleeding profusely today.

In the west garden of the Cai family mansion, on a small pavilion facing the entrance.

Cai Xiu pointed to Gao Jin outside the side gate, turned his head and teased the noble lady beside him, "Princess Maode, look, that man is Gao Jin, the son of Grand Commandant Gao.

Zhao Fujin asked softly, "Why is this person so tall? I've seen Grand Commandant Gao before, but he doesn't seem to be this tall."

"It must be because the Grand Commandant is skilled at Cuju (ancient Chinese football). Cuju players are all tall and strong, so the Grand Commandant must have obtained some secret recipe. This Gao Tuizhi must have been taking the secret recipe since childhood, which is why he is so tall."

"Such a secret recipe should be offered by Grand Commandant Gao. If every soldier in our army is like this, how dare the Liao Kingdom bully us?"

"Princess Maode, you may not know this, but that secret recipe may have hidden dangers. Although Gao Tuizhi is tall and strong, we are often together, and if that fellow falls into the water and catches a cold, he will be bedridden for three months."

"Is this really true? This must be what storytellers mean by 'all show and no substance.' It looked quite magnificent, but who would have thought..."

Cai Xiu, who was watching Gao Jin and the servant talking, felt agitated and his mouth was dry. He glanced at Zhao Fujin's small hands folded on the table, and a surge of anger rose up.

He was about to touch Zhao Fujin's small hand when, fortunately, there was a burly maid nearby who grabbed his restless hand.

The maid said, "Please be mindful of your actions, Young Master Cai."

"I'm getting married to Fujin after the Mid-Autumn Festival, so what's wrong with touching hands now?" Cai Xiu blurted out.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fujin frowned, remained silent, and then got up and left angrily.

Cai Xiu used to be a handsome and refined man, but now he looks like a lecher.