novelhk Chapter 222 The Lin Family Has Changed
Chapter 222 The Lin Family Has Changed
The door was slowly pushed open, and a subordinate dressed in blue hurried in. He knelt on one knee, bowed, and said, "My lord, news has come from the palace!" He then respectfully handed a tightly sealed letter to Zheng Yuxiang.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuxiang stopped playing the black chess piece he was about to place, reached out and took the letter, gently tore open the seal, and began to read. As his gaze moved across the letter, an uncontrollable smile gradually spread across his lips.
After Zheng Yuxiang accepted the letter, the subordinate took his leave.
A moment later, Zheng Yuxiang handed the letter to Zheng Luoqi beside him, who quickly took it and read it carefully. After reading it, he was equally overjoyed, his face beaming with excitement.
“Father, in this way, we no longer need to take action against the Lin family! But how exactly did Xue Huaiyu obtain the evidence of the Lin family’s crimes?” Zheng Luoqi asked in confusion.
Zheng Yuxiang smiled slightly, stroked his beard, and replied leisurely, "I secretly lent him a hand; otherwise, how could he have accomplished anything on his own?"
“Father, this plan is brilliant! After the Lin family is destroyed, what should we do with the Pei and Chen families?” Zheng Luoqi asked.
Zheng Yuxiang narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "General Pei was upright and loyal throughout his life. I, as his father, truly admire his character."
"As for his descendants, if they do not pose a substantial threat to our interests, we might as well spare their lives. But this capital city absolutely cannot tolerate them."
At this point, Zheng Yuxiang paused, a cold smile appearing on his face: "As for the Chen family, based on my understanding of Xue Huaiyu, he certainly won't let this go easily. Back then, didn't he treat us like we were used and then discarded? Hmph, in his eyes, only by firmly grasping power in his own hands can he truly feel at ease!"
Zheng Yuxiang stroked his beard and continued his analysis: "The situation is now quite clear. General Pei is getting old and his health is deteriorating. I'm afraid he won't last much longer. It's only a matter of time before the Prince of Huainan takes his place. However, Xue Huaiyu is unlikely to easily relinquish the military power held by the Pei family."
"Father, should we seize this military power?" Zheng Luoqi asked.
"No need, we can't seize it. Without General Pei, the Pei family army is naturally loyal to the royal family. Even if we seize the military seal, we might not be able to command it. We just need to have enough ability to deal with the Pei family army. Besides, isn't the Prince of Huainan on our side now?"
“Even if the Pei family army falls into Xue Huaiyu’s hands, it’s not certain that he will know how to use it. The Pei family army is far away on the frontier, and it won’t be easy for him to recall it. So we don’t need to worry too much about the Pei family army!” Zheng Yuxiang explained.
"For now, we can just sit back and watch the show unfold!" Zheng Yuxiang said, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.
..............
A few days later
Chen Xianlin lay quietly on the couch, listening to the palace maid report on what had happened at the banquet that day.
On the day of the full moon banquet, it was Lin Zifeng's men who first discovered the death of Young Master Chen, and then led Pei Wenxuan to the room where Young Master Chen was, which led to the series of events that followed.
After the palace maid finished recounting the story vividly, Chen Xianlin's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open. Her eyes gleamed with undisguised excitement.
"Is that really true? It really was the Lin family who did it?" Chen Xianlin's voice trembled slightly, as if she couldn't believe the news she had heard, but the excitement in her eyes clearly showed the joy deep in her heart.
She knew that if it really was the Lin family who did it, then she would never be suspected of being the one to kill her brother.
"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true," the palace maid replied respectfully, her head bowed.
Chen Xianlin's lips curled up slightly, and she let out a contemptuous sneer.
Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something important, she slowly stood up and walked gracefully toward the door.
As she walked, she muttered to herself, "It's been a long time since I've had a proper chat with Consort Wan. Back then, Consort Wan and I entered the palace together."
"But before entering the palace, there were many misunderstandings and entanglements between me and her. Now that I think about it, it's time to put all those past issues behind me and let go of them completely!"
Before she finished speaking, Chen Xianlin quickened her pace and hurried towards the courtyard where Lin Wanwan lived.
Throughout the journey, Chen Xianlin kept thinking about how Lin Wanwan would feel if she knew about this. The Lin family was going to be destroyed, and the position of empress that she had fought for for so long had ultimately come to naught.
If Chen Xianlin was able to uncover this matter, then Chen Tongyu's abilities and methods must have been able to as well. At this moment, Chen Tongyu was sitting upright in his study, listening to his subordinates' report with a gloomy expression.
When Chen Tongyu learned the truth, anger surged into his heart. He stood up abruptly, slammed his hand on the table in front of him, and roared, "You Lin Changsheng, I knew it was you who did this!"
After discovering the truth of the matter, Chen Tongyu was filled with uncontrollable anger. So, at the morning court session the next day, Chen Tongyu exposed all the crimes committed by Lin Changsheng.
The court was in an uproar, but only a few people who knew the truth were not surprised.
Lin Changsheng never expected to be attacked so suddenly. Lin Zifeng had taken it upon himself to attack the Yu family at the full moon banquet, but Lin Changsheng thought it wouldn't be discovered so quickly.
After all, even if it is found out, it cannot be attributed to Lin Zifeng. Lin Zifeng only had someone lure Yu Yifei there, and for some reason it turned out to be Pei Wenxuan. Lin Changsheng had already planned how to refute this if it was found out. He did not expect that it was found that he was colluding with Liu Hongwei. Now he is completely finished.
At this moment, Lin Changsheng no longer cared about dignity or propriety, and tearfully begged, "Your Majesty, spare my life! It was all because this old minister was momentarily blinded by evil spirits and committed such a heinous crime! Please, Your Majesty, have mercy and spare this old minister! Your Majesty, spare my life..."
Accompanied by sobs, Lin Changsheng repeatedly kowtowed to apologize, his forehead hitting the ground with dull thuds.
Xue Huaiyu only expressed his regret for a few words, and then, remembering the years of loyalty between the ruler and his subjects, he left the Lin family with their bodies intact.
The Lin family has undergone a dramatic change...
Lin Mansion
The Imperial Guards surged in like a tide, quickly surrounding the Lin family residence. Zhang Zhiyuan, leading the group, his face grim, held aloft a bright yellow imperial edict and began to read it aloud.
The Lin family members' expressions froze instantly, their astonishment evident. They stared wide-eyed at what was happening before them in disbelief.
Lin Qianning, in particular, couldn't believe what had suddenly happened. She took a step forward and shouted, "How could this be? My father is loyal to the country and its people. He would never betray the country!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared intently at Zhang Zhiyuan, hoping to get an explanation from him.
Zhang Zhiyuan merely glanced at her, his tone polite yet carrying an undeniable air: "Miss Lin, it would be best if you asked your father about these matters yourself." With that, he ignored Lin Qianning and turned to the soldiers behind him, waving his hand and ordering, "Move!"
At the command, the Imperial Guards sprang into action. They stormed into the Lin family mansion like wolves, and shouts and sounds of fighting echoed throughout the courtyard. The Lin family members panicked and fled in all directions.