Fangzhou Xier, starting with failing the art exam

"Yanxi..." Xun Huiming silently recited the name in his heart, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

It seems we have to find a way to completely suppress him.

……

Wherever the sun and moon reach, it is scorching earth: Chapter 249: The elder brother recounts the case, and a hero is planted in the young girl's heart.

The distant chimes of the Celestial Master's Mansion heralded the end of another phase of the coursework.

Lin Qingyan, carrying a small bag, jumped off the carriage with great joy.

She took a deep breath of the familiar air of Baizhao City; although it was still dusty, it felt incredibly welcoming.

The months-long intensive study made everything in the outside world feel new and exciting to her.

"Alas—<柒尔氵死九|齐)散死"

The coachman reined in the carriage, and it came to a steady stop in front of the Lin Mansion.

"Miss, we're home."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang!"

Lin Qingyan left with a thank you, and like a bird released from its cage, he rushed impatiently toward the gate of the mansion.

However, before she could even run up the steps, she was drawn to the noise coming from the east of the city.

It was a construction site, where countless migrant workers were working enthusiastically.

Some were dredging silt, some were moving stones, and some were repairing the river embankment.

The sounds of people, shouts, and tools clattering together blended together.

It was completely different from the lifeless, stinking mass grave area in the east of the city that she remembered.

"Uncle Zhang, what's going on over there? Why is it so lively?" Lin Qingyan asked curiously, pointing into the distance.

Coachman Zhang Bo smiled, his tone full of admiration: "Miss, you don't know, do you? His Highness the Prince of Qin is recruiting poor people in our capital who have no work to repair roads and dredge rivers!"

"I heard that they provide meals and even pay you thirty coins a day! Now the whole city is praising His Highness Prince Qin!"

"Your Highness, Prince Qin?" Lin Qingyan blinked.

Her impression of the second prince was still based on some rumors she had heard at the Celestial Master's Mansion.

I never expected that his return to the capital would cause such a commotion.

She was engrossed in watching when a tall figure strode out from inside the mansion gate, his face showing a mixture of helplessness and doting affection.

"You silly girl, you don't even come in the door first when you get home. What are you doing standing outside watching the commotion?"

Lin Qingyan turned around, saw the person who had come, and his eyes lit up instantly. He rushed over like a fledgling swallow returning to its nest: "Brother!"

The visitor was none other than Lin Yue, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

He caught his sister as she lunged at him, and his stern face softened.

"How old are you? Still so reckless. Didn't you get punished by your masters at the Celestial Master's Mansion?"

"I'm the best student!"

Lin Qingtian tilted his little face up and smugly hummed, then tugged at Lin Yue's sleeve and started chattering away.

"Brother, I just heard Uncle Zhang say that His Highness the Prince of Qin is doing things in the east of the city? What exactly is going on?"

"Also, I heard there was a really big case in the capital recently, and even the Minister of Revenue was arrested? Tell me about it, tell me about it!"

As she spoke, she pulled Lin Yue towards the mansion, her eyes sparkling.

Inside the Celestial Master's Mansion, she faced monotonous magical training every day, and she longed for the outside world, especially those major cases that affected the imperial court.

Lin Yue was completely unable to resist her pestering him. He had always doted on this younger sister since she was little, and he couldn't possibly win against her.

"Alright, alright, let's go inside and talk, let's go inside and talk."

"Look at all that sweat on your face, go wash your face and change your clothes." He scolded her, but his steps followed his sister's lead and led her inside.

"I want to hear it now!" Lin Qingyan acted like a rogue, clinging to Lin Yue's arm and refusing to let go.

"Brother, just tell me! Was it you who handled the case? Wasn't it impressive? Didn't you scare those corrupt officials so much they wet themselves?"

Her rapid-fire questions left Lin Yue both amused and exasperated.

Looking at his sister's adoring face, his heart softened.

These days, following His Highness the Prince of Qin, he has indeed experienced unprecedented storms, and his whole being seems to have been tempered.

These harrowing experiences are indeed difficult to keep inside.

I was afraid of leaking information if I told my colleagues, and I was afraid of worrying my parents if I told them.

Now, facing my innocent and carefree younger sister, I find myself wanting to confide in her.

"You..."

Lin Yue shook his head helplessly and pulled her to sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard.

"Want to hear it? Then I'll tell you the story from the beginning."

"But you have to promise that after you hear this, you won't go around talking about it, and you definitely won't do anything reckless on your own."

"I promise! I swear!" Lin Qingyan immediately raised three fingers, his face serious.

Lin Yue chuckled at her serious expression.

He cleared his throat, his thoughts drifting back to the night the King of Qin visited him late at night.

"This matter begins when His Highness the Prince of Qin invited me to the Canal Transport Reorganization Office..."

Lin Qingyan immediately sat up straight, her ears perked up, and she didn't even blink, afraid of missing any detail.

In the backyard of the Lin residence, under the wisteria trellis, freshly brewed fragrant tea was placed on a stone table.

Lin Qingyan rested his chin on his hands, listening intently to his brother's story.

"...Back then, when His Highness the Prince of Qin established the Grand Canal Transportation Management Office with the imperial decree, the first person he approached was me." Lin Yue's voice carried a touch of the感慨 of someone who had been through it all.

"To be honest, I had my doubts at the time."

"Who doesn't know how deep the waters are in the capital?"

"The canal transport system was a quagmire that was rotten to the core, and any disruption to it would have far-reaching consequences."

"Who stands behind Huang Shizhong, the Minister of Revenue? It's the Grand Tutor and the First Prince."

"How dare I, a mere Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, fight against them?"

Lin Qingyan clenched her small fists nervously: "Then, why did you still go?"

"Because His Highness the King of Qin said something to me," Lin Yue said, looking at his sister.

He said, 'This world ultimately belongs to the people. What use is the law if it cannot redress grievances for the people?'

Lin Qingyan's heart skipped a beat.

At the Celestial Master's Mansion, the masters taught that "there are countless magical arts, but the fundamental purpose is to protect all living beings," but those were ultimately just principles from books.

However, this Prince Qin put this principle into practice.

Lin Yue continued, "I was persuaded by his words, so I joined the Discipline Inspection Department to be in charge of law and discipline."

“At first, nobody took us seriously. Those officials in the canal transport were outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant and completely uncooperative.”

"It wasn't until we caught the Tongda Chamber of Commerce bullying the boatmen and publicly flogged the manager on the dock that we established our authority."

"When the people saw that we were really doing things and not just putting on a show, the public opinion gradually changed."

"And then? And then you found out about Huang Shizhong?" Lin Qingyan pressed, completely absorbed in the story.

"It's not that easy," Lin Yue said with a wry smile.

"Who is Huang Shih-chung? He is meticulous in his actions. Although we caught some small fry, we couldn't touch his foundation at all."

"The real breakthrough came from a minor tax collector named Zhou Quan."

Then, Lin Yue recounted exactly how he discovered the word "shame" on Zhou Quan's private account, how he broke down Zhou Quan's defenses with a meal of steamed buns and pickled vegetables, and how he finally got Zhou Quan to reveal the entire corruption network.

When Lin Qingyan heard that General Yang Wei had visited him in prison late at night and brought him hot steamed buns, his heart pounded.

She murmured, "This Prince Qin... he... he understands people so well."

“Yes,” Lin Yue exclaimed.

"Your Highness understands people's hearts and, even more so, human nature."

"He knew that Zhou Quan was a man with a conscience, but he just lacked a chance to turn back."

"With Zhou Quan's confession and the account books we later seized, we had both witnesses and physical evidence, which finally sealed the case of Huang Shizhong's treason."

Lin Qingyan was deeply moved, feeling that it was far more exciting than any other legend about ancient beasts in the Celestial Master's Mansion.

She imagined her brother interrogating people all night at the Dali Temple, General Yang Wei leading his men to raid the money exchange, and even more so, the Prince of Qin strategizing and winning battles from behind the scenes.

"But brother, I later heard people say that the King of Qin was forming cliques and suppressing the new nobles in order to fight for the crown prince position?"

Lin Qingyan recalled the rumors she had heard on her way back to the capital.

Lin Yue's face darkened, and he snorted coldly, "That's an attack by a villain."

“With Huang Shih-chung gone, some people will naturally try to muddy the waters and drag His Highness Prince Qin into the quagmire of factional strife.”

"In those days, the work of the rectification department was almost impossible to carry out. There were obstacles everywhere, and everyone was watching and waiting. We all thought that this time we were in big trouble."

"What then?"

"And then?" Lin Yue's admiration deepened as he spoke.

"Later, His Highness the Prince of Qin implemented the work-for-relief program that you saw in the east of the city."

"Those people spread rumors that the King of Qin was after power."

"His Highness the King of Qin used the saying, 'It is better to fill the bellies of the people than to silence them,' to expose all the conspiracies and schemes."

Lin Yue stood up, walked into the courtyard, and said with deep emotion, "Qingyan, remember this."

Words can lie, but the stomach can't.

"Whoever can feed the people is a good official, a living bodhisattva."

"The people have a scale in their hearts."

"Now go out and listen again, who dares to speak ill of His Highness Prince Qin?"

Lin Qingyan was completely shocked.

An image flashed through her mind: a young prince who, faced with overwhelming slander and framing, did not choose to fight violence with violence, but instead turned to the people at the bottom of society and won their support with the simplest methods.

What a magnanimous and wise mind this is!

Compared to the arrogant and conceited First Prince who only knew how to worship martial prowess, and the scheming Third Prince, this Second Prince seemed to belong to a different world.

A surge of passion welled up in Lin Qingyan's heart.

She also wants to be such a person!

She also wanted to participate in such a thrilling and momentous event, advocating for the people!

"Brother!"

She suddenly stood up, ran to Lin Yue's side, and blinked her eyes: "I want to help you too! I want to investigate the case too! Can you let me join the Canal Transport Rectification Department?"

"I... I haven't mastered the Thunder Magic yet, but within the Celestial Master's Mansion, I'm always number one in my studies!"

Lin Yue looked at his younger sister's eager and excited face and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He was so focused on confiding in his sister that he forgot what kind of person she was.

Because of her upbringing, she was very interested in solving cases.

Now that I've heard such a grand performance, hasn't my chivalrous spirit been completely ignited?

"Nonsense!" Lin Yue immediately put on a stern face.

Do you know how dangerous it is in there?

"How many people did we lose in the Huang Shih-chung case?"

"Those people are all desperate criminals who live on the edge! What are you doing getting involved, a girl like you!"