Heavenly Price of Escaping the Imperial Concubine: The Two Treasures of a Black-Bellied Woman (Volume 100)

  This person is really good at taking what his own family says and splashing it onto the other party, turning the plaintiff into the defendant and the defendant into the plaintiff.

  Although Qi Yunyan had never been in contact with Lin Murong before, and perhaps they had only met at public events, but basically they hadn't exchanged a word privately. However, this doesn't mean she hadn't heard of Lin Murong's character, who was consistently evaluated by outsiders as a talented woman, not only possessing talent, but also receiving high praise for her moral character.

  It seems she was wrong.

  When people reach the point where their own interests are involved, even good morals become useless. Or it can be said that only things that benefit oneself are considered good morals, and this is what it means to be a successful person in society.

  Qī Yún stared coldly at the Lin mother and daughter, her face almost expressionless. She didn't feel cold or angry, but simply thought that this world was inherently absurd.

  Having seen through the vicissitudes of life, what is there to be joyful or angry about?

  When Lin Murong met her gaze, he was taken aback.

  Zi Yunyan's calm reaction pained her.

  Lin Muyong knew that only truly noble people would react with such a calm demeanor when being bitten back. Qi Yunyan now looked at her with eyes that saw her as a mad dog.

  Lin Muyong was deeply hurt.

  I didn't know Miss Qi was such a person, an absolutely not-to-be-underestimated person. Why didn't I realize it earlier? Until now. Is everything too late?

  In ancient times, women basically had no status unless they were empresses who sat on an equal or higher level with the emperor. Otherwise, whatever they did, they could only rely on men and were basically useless on their own.

  Her and her mother's fate, as well as Qi Yunyan's, are actually all in the hands of this man named Gong Xiangru. Now, it mainly depends on who Gong Xiangru wants to favor and is willing to favor.

  Lin Murong didn't have that confidence, but she knew one thing about Gong Xiangru - this person was absolutely unemotional and cold-blooded when it came to handling matters, fair and impartial, never taking sides. In other words, with her in control of the evidence, she wouldn't necessarily lose as long as Gong Xiangru followed standard procedures. She believed that with Gong Xiangru's stubborn personality, he would definitely follow standard procedures to the letter and handle this case without giving anyone special treatment.

  Lin Muyong had almost the same idea, and Qi Yunyan didn't think she had any advantage in front of this man. Since His Majesty appointed him as the Minister of Justice who holds the balance, two bowls of water held in both hands must be level and fair.

  Will she be sentenced by him and thrown into a dead prison?

  Die in his hands?

  Will she be willing? Will she admit it?

  Gong Xiang's eyes, as deep as the sea, swept over them lightly. Mrs. Lin tried her best to cover up the panic like a small rabbit, but she didn't have the courage to look directly at him. Lin Mu Rong's face was calm and composed, as if he had already won. Qi Yun's breathing was weak and faint, and every time she took a breath, it made his heart skip a beat, worrying that she would suddenly stop breathing like before.

  Looking at this situation, it can't be delayed any longer. If it's delayed further, Qiyun Yan's life will be in danger.

  "Miss Lin, show me the hand that Miss Qi pinched."

  Do you want to see physical evidence?

  Lin Murong determined that he absolutely couldn't tell it was her own doing, and under the current examination conditions, no one could have noticed. She calmly rolled up her sleeve, revealing a pale arm, and placed it in front of him. When she saw his gaze intently focused on her skin, Lin Murong's face suddenly flushed bright red.

  Until he suddenly stretched out his hand, grasped her wrist with the bruise on her arm, and she let out a low cry in her throat, desperately suppressing it, her heart both shocked and flustered. She thought to herself that this was the first time he had held her hand, thought that they were having their first skin-to-skin contact. His body heat transmitted to hers, her heartbeat like a flower that had just bloomed, tenderly coloring her cheeks red, faintly panting: "Lord Gong?"

  But his fingers, with their usual calm and clarity, didn't linger for half a moment before he grasped the hand of Qi Yunyan on the bed. Lin Murong's face froze, then became obscure.

  "Come on, Miss Qi, confirm it for me. Do you think this bruise could be caused by your fingers?" His calm tone made both of them unable to discern his emotions for a moment.

  Zi Yunyan hadn't actually pinched Lin Muyong before, but his words undoubtedly brought a sudden ray of light to her mind. She opened her eyes and carefully looked at Lin Muyong's arm before saying: "It can't be me who pinched you, Your Excellency."

  "How can it not be possible?!" Lin Mu Rong's eyes, feigning extreme grievance and anger, stared at her and said, "It was clearly you who pinched me, Miss Qi! Don't try to deny it after doing something bad and hurting someone, and then not taking responsibility for it!"

  "I said I didn't pinch you, and that's the truth, Miss Lin. You can take a look at my fingernails, they were injured when I was trimming the soil of those potted flowers in our backyard, and I cut them all off with scissors, so it's impossible for me to leave such sharp scratch marks." Qi Yunyan said calmly.

  "Nonsense! Lies!" Lin Murong was furious, "Lord Gong, you must not listen to her one-sided words. She clearly pinched me and won't admit it, but instead wants to shift the blame."

  "Who am I supposed to rely on now, Miss Lin?" Qi Yunyan raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

  Lin Muyong met her gaze without backing down.

  Qiyun Yan said: "You say I want to blame who, Miss Lin. Even if I were to blame someone, they would have had to be present at the time, close enough to Miss Lin's side, and have had the possibility of pinching Miss Lin to leave such a mark."

  "I don't need to rely on anyone! You clearly pinched me!" Lin Murong refused to back down.

  What sharp or not sharp fingernails are, is it Qiyunyan's pinch? She doesn't believe it, no, she absolutely can't admit it. Even if her heart was suddenly panicked when Qiyunyan raised this counterattack reason and evidence. Her gaze quickly swept over Qiyunyan's ten fingers, indeed none of them had fingernails. On the contrary, she and her mother, Lin's family women, all kept long fingernails. If you can't slander Qiyunyan with this, what can you do?

  "Alright. Facts speak louder than words. There's no need for the two ladies to argue anymore. I, the judge, have a way to prove immediately who made the finger marks on Miss Lin's arm."

  When Gong Xiang's soft and gentle voice sounded between the two of them, Qi Yunyan and Lin Muyong were both stunned at the same time: What did he want to prove?

  He grasped Lin Murong's hand and pressed it against the bedside, then said to Qian Yunyan: "Use your usual finger to pinch her arm, compare the pinch marks to see if it was you who did it."

  After this remark, Lin Murong's expression can be imagined. Qi Yunyan couldn't afford to lose the opportunity, and without waiting for Lin Murong to say whether it was good or bad, she straightforwardly raised her two fingers and pinched down hard on the intact part of Lin Murong's arm, saying: "Miss Lin, don't blame me, if I didn't pinch you hard enough, you would say that I intentionally relaxed my strength when pinching, and it can't be compared with the original pinch marks."

  Lin Murong hadn't even reacted yet, but was pinched by her and felt pain in the corner of his eye. His wrist was still unable to move because of Gong Xiangyu's grip. Just then, Gong Xiangyu looked at the way Qi Yunyan pinched Lin Murong and suggested in a calm tone: "Your pinching technique is no good, Miss Qi. It seems you haven't pinched anyone before and lack experience. When pinching, you need to twist the flesh hard. You'd better pinch again, or else Miss Lin will say that I'm biased towards you."

  "I dare not deceive Palace Master and Miss Lin, I will pinch again immediately. This time, I will fiercely twist Miss Lin's flesh." Qiyun Yan answered very obediently while pinching the intact part of Lin Murong's arm again, then, according to Gong Xiangru's words, she twisted Lin Murong's arm with force.

  Lin Murong endured the pain for a moment, and his eyes were about to shed tears, but he could only grit his teeth and bear it. He thought that as long as he suffered this torture, the evidence that came out would surely be enough to convict Qi Yunyan of a capital crime. Let's see how she dares to speak up for her then!

  After pinching, three pinch marks appeared on Lin Murong's delicate and wealthy white arm. Except for the original one as someone's criminal evidence, the other two were all Qi Yunyan appearing as comparative evidence.

  The eyes of the three people fell on these three fingernail marks. In just a short while, the two new fingernail marks that had fallen were not even half as swollen and red as the original one, let alone the fact that there were several sharp blood marks on the original mark that looked like they were scratched by cat claws, which was something that Qi Yunyan's fingers without nails couldn't have done.

  Qī Yún's eyes drooped, and her voice carried a long-held regret: "Miss Lin, I'm sorry. I used all my strength to pinch, but I couldn't produce the effect you mentioned."

  Lin Murong was pinched for no reason, and the pain brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't accept this outcome. With a twist of her face, she said pitifully: "Your Excellency Gong, if it wasn't her who pinched me, then who could it be? I clearly saw that it was her who pinched me."

  "Miss Lin." Palace Xiangru looked at her calmly, "You said you saw it was her who pinched you, she said she didn't pinch you. The testimonies of the two people are fair, verbal statements cannot be used as evidence in court, only the pinch marks are real. Since Miss Qi indeed couldn't have left that pinch mark on your arm, it must have been someone else at the scene who pinched you. This official will not wrong an innocent person and will not let a criminal go free. So, this official now orders all people present who could have pinched Miss Lin to come forward, one by one, to pinch Miss Lin's arm for comparison. I believe it won't take long for this official to find the culprit for Miss Lin and bring justice back to her."

  After hearing his words, Lin Muyong's face turned white. How many people would she be pinched by? Would her hand still be intact after being pinched? As a clever person, she knew that he would no longer trust her testimony. She quickly knelt down and said: "Your Honor, I was momentarily unclear and may have misunderstood Miss Qi. The pinch mark is not serious, and I don't want to pursue it further. In front of the Buddha, in the temple, one should be broad-minded and good at forgiving others. I am willing to forgive this sinner. I hope Your Honor will understand my intention to do a good deed and not pursue this sinner anymore."

  "No way." Palace Xiangru interrupted her with a simple and clear sentence.

  Lin Murong raised her face, and all she saw was a pair of clear eyes that seemed to see right through her. It was as if the mountain streams were flowing in his gaze, like a bright mirror hanging high above, illuminating the darkness within her heart, making it tremble with fear. She now regretted being so reckless in front of him, thinking she must be courting death.

  Indeed. Only the sound of his clear and just voice continued to say: "Miss Lin's injury is not only related to Miss Lin herself, but also to your mother, Mrs. Lin's conviction. If Mrs. Lin was not trying to protect her daughter by having someone beat up Miss Qi, it can be determined that Mrs. Lin is the main culprit of this case, intentionally injuring or even killing someone. According to my examination of Miss Qi's injuries, the people from the Lin household who laid hands on Miss Qi did so with the intention of taking her life, which constitutes intentional homicide. According to the laws of Dongling Country, intentional homicide can only be punished by death. The emperor and commoners are equal before the law.

  Mrs. Lin heard that she was going to be beheaded, her legs went soft and she fell to the ground, crying: "Your Honor, spare my life."

  "Please spare my mother, Lord Gong." Lin Muyong knocked his head on the ground, his voice trembling with tears, still trying to talk his way out of it. "Lord Gong, my mother just misunderstood, she thought Miss Qi had hurt me and was being overly protective of her daughter, that's why she had someone beat up Miss Qi."

  "So, as you said, catching the person who hurt you is the only way to avenge your mother's death. This person, being the main culprit in provoking conflict between the two families, can take the place of your mother's murderer. Miss Lin, do you think we should continue searching for this criminal who injured your arm?"

  Lin Murong's forehead was stuck to the cold ground, and she felt like her whole body had fallen into an ice cellar. She, she had never thought that in order to help her mother escape punishment, or more importantly, to splash dirty water on Qi Yunyan's face, would end up paying with her own life.

  After taking two deep breaths, Lin Murong said: "My mother and I are both people who have a heart to believe in Buddhism. The person who pinched me might just be an accidental mistake. My mother should also be willing to forgive this person like me. Please, Palace Master, don't pursue the matter of who that person is anymore."

  Mrs. Lin almost fainted after hearing her daughter's words. Her daughter, her good daughter, at the critical moment, didn't want her mother anymore, only wanting to save herself. However, thinking carefully, she couldn't let her own daughter die either. But hearing her daughter say this with her own ears, how could it not make this mother's heart suddenly turn cold?

  Her cold eyes swept over Mrs. Lin, who was sitting on the ground with her eyes tightly closed and not making a sound. Gong Xiangru's gaze became even more profound as he looked at Lin Mucun's head, which was pressed against the ground. He lightly coughed and said, "Miss Lin is indeed a kind-hearted and broad-minded person. She doesn't want to accuse that person who hurt her again."

  "Yes. Lord Miya."

  "But since I've taken on this case, I must investigate until the truth is revealed and not wrong any innocent person, including your mother, Lady Lin."

  Mrs. Lin opened her eyes, crawled over and knocked her head: "I am willing to plead guilty, Lord Gong. It was all my fabrication, I instructed someone to beat Miss Qi, with the intention of letting Miss Qi die."

  "Why did you want Miss Qi to die? What deep hatred does Miss Qi have with Mrs. Lin?"

  "Because Miss Qi wanted to curry favor with Lord Gong and Lady Gong, the commoner couldn't bear it anymore, was consumed by jealousy, and thus harbored murderous intentions."

  "Miss Ke Lin just said that Miss Qi dislikes you because she thinks you are trying to curry favor with the official and Madame Gong, and is jealous."

  "No, it's not her, it's me, not Miss Qi—"

  The judge said coldly, "Have you all recorded this? After recording, let Lady Lin confirm and affix her seal."

  "Yes, Lord Palace."

  A good confession was recorded, in black and white, placed in front of Mrs. Lin. Mrs. Lin's hair was disheveled as she looked at the lines of words on the paper, her head spinning, then saw her daughter still kneeling and not getting up, gritted her teeth, bit her finger, and pressed her handprint on the paper.

  At this time, someone came in from outside to report that Mr. Lin had arrived.

  Mr. Lin rushed here in a hurry as soon as he heard that his wife and daughter were arrested by Palace Director Rong for causing trouble and almost killing someone.

  He was led inside and saw that his wife and daughter were already unable to withstand the questioning by Gong Xiangru, and his wife had signed her name on a confession of murder. Lin Lao Ye was shocked at this sight.

  "Old master!" Mrs. Lin cried, her two eyes red and swollen from crying, looking at her own old master who could save herself.

  Mr. Lin looked at the confession and saw that his own wife had admitted to it, so how could he save her? He was anxious like an ant on a hot pot, and could only clasp his hands together and beg Palace Xiangru: "Palace sir, you and I are both officials in the imperial court, colleagues for many years. I hope that you will take into consideration my wife's situation - she is a woman who has made a mistake, and has unintentionally committed an error. Fortunately, no one has died, and no great harm has been done. Palace sir, please show mercy."

  It's clear that Gong Xiangru is not well-liked by his colleagues in the imperial court. Lin Laoye is no exception, and if he didn't have a mind to recruit him as a son-in-law, he would have secretly joined forces with others to get rid of him long ago. Now that he has done this to Lin Furen, no matter what, it will offend Lin Laoye. Lin Laoye can also forget about recruiting him as a son-in-law. So why not just stick to his principle of handling things impartially?

  Mr. Lin said this, and for a long time, he didn't see him respond. In his heart, he really hated him to death. As the Minister of Revenue, Mr. Lin always had others look up to him, not him looking up to others. It wasn't that he was arrogant, but what did the Ministry of Punishment amount to? In terms of real power, which one was greater, and which one had more benefits? In short, you, Gong Xiangyu, were just relying on the emperor's favor towards your sister.

  If it is said that Guan Xiangru still had a little sympathy for Lin Furen, but now suddenly received a private and hateful glance from Old Master Lin, his heart suddenly trembled. His own family, especially his sister, he absolutely would not allow them to be harmed like before.

  Cutting grass must remove roots.

  This Old Master Lin, has long been unable to move. It's all thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Lin and her daughter that he's being propped up. This time, he's taking revenge for his sister by removing these two hidden roots of trouble. It's likely that in the past, the plots to curse his sister to death wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Lin family behind the scenes. Just thinking about how close the Sun and Lin families used to be, and how much financial support the Lin family had given to the Sun family, supporting their rebellion is equivalent to supporting their plot to harm his sister.

  "Magistrate Lin," said Wang Xiangru, "it's not that the official doesn't want to save Madame Lin or give her a way out. It's just that Madame Lin voluntarily took the blame for someone else, and it's hard for the official to help her escape punishment."

  His wife helped someone take the blame? Who?

  Mr. Lin looked at his wife in surprise.

  Mrs. Lin hastily shook her head at him, never mind, don't pursue it any further, she's dead and that's the end of it.

  Mr. Lin's heart skipped a beat again, his frightened eyes finally found the girl who had been kowtowing on the ground and couldn't lift her head up. His usually clever daughter, was she outsmarted by Gong Xiangyu this time?

  Lin Murong's body was trembling with fear. She could clearly feel that the man who used to be on her mind, the one she wanted to get rid of the most, was not her mother, but herself.

  This man must be a terrible person, knowing that his mother is incompetent and prone to causing trouble, yet it was she who might have a significant impact on the Lin family, even their future. So, taking this opportunity, he must get rid of her.

  Mr. Lin hastily said: "Since my wife has confessed, let's handle this matter impartially, Your Excellency. I, Lin, absolutely cannot allow personal feelings to interfere with the Ministry of Justice's fairness."

  "What you said is right, Lord Lin. This official cannot wrongfully accuse Lady Lin just because she wants to take the blame for someone else." Palace Minister Xi's icy gaze fixed on the three members of the Lin family as he ordered, "Sixth Uncle, send people to throw Miss Lin into the death row prison and prepare to execute her at a later time."

  A chill ran down their spines, striking directly at the hearts of the three Lin family members.

  Lin Murong was stunned.

  Mrs. Lin cried and knelt forward: "Your Honor, Lord Gong, this is all done by me alone, it has nothing to do with my daughter!"

  "This official knows that originally it was you alone who did this thing." Gong Xiangyu coldly looked at her, "So, you too will not escape the death penalty. You will be thrown into prison to await extreme punishment, and then exiled to a desolate place in the north where you will die on the gallows. As for your daughter, this official pities her youth, and at first indeed wanted to help you avoid punishment by fabricating lies, but she ended up framing others, even wanting to harm people to death, and also cannot escape the death penalty. She will be executed at a later time, sparing her the suffering of being flogged after death."

  Mrs. Lin heard his words, unable to utter a single sentence, and her tears couldn't fall either. Her hands and feet were trembling like convulsions. As the second-class lady of the imperial edict, she would actually end up dying miserably in the northern wilderness.

  Mr. Lin suddenly stood up, his sleeves waving, pointing at Gong Xiangru: "This official will immediately join the court officials to impeach you, Gong Xiangru, for using public power for personal gain and plotting against my wife and daughter's lives! You wait! It's best if you release my wife and daughter immediately, otherwise, it will be you who ends up on the gallows, Gong Xiangru!"

  Facing Lin Lao Ye's arrogant shouting, Gong Xiangru's expression was calm and composed. He said to the people below: "As it involves someone trying to kill a prisoner, this official has made a judgment. Immediately take Lin Mu Rong out, strip him of all his status and identity, and execute him."

  Two executioners walked up immediately, pinched Lin Murong and dragged him out. Knowing that he was going to die, and it was at the hands of the man he liked. At this moment, Lin Murong felt nothing. He could only gaze deeply at the handsome face he had been thinking about in his heart for a long time, with one last glance as he was being dragged out of the room.

  Mr. Lin was furious and swung his fist at Palace's face.

  Sixth Uncle was anxious to protect his master and took out the precious sword bestowed by the Emperor, holding it in front of his young master, gesturing towards Old Man Lin.

  Mr. Lin was frantically pacing back and forth in the house when a crisp, metallic sound echoed from the courtyard, followed by someone entering with a blood-stained knife to report: "Your Excellency, the prisoner has been beheaded."

  Mr. Lin's eyes turned black and he fainted straight away.

  Mrs. Lin fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, unconscious, and had no life left in her.

  Zi Yunyan lay in bed, unable to avoid it, watching him handle the Lin family's people with a decisive and clean attitude. In her heart, she felt anxious and uncomfortable. She thought that at that time, his mother had done such things to his sister. If not for her righteousness in putting family ties aside at critical moments, her own family would probably be like the Lin family now.

  He is actually a cold-blooded and heartless man.

  Sixth Uncle decisively directed the people to clear the scene, turned around, and let out a deep sigh towards Qi Yunyan who was lying on the bed, then led the remaining people to retreat.

  Qiyun coughed, leaning against the pillow, with great force, gasping for breath, and almost couldn't catch her breath.

  Gong Miao's hand patted her back, gently patting, and whispered in her ear: "Miss Qi doesn't need to be frightened or worried anymore. From now on, no one will bully you again. Because this official won't marry you. You also don't have to torture yourself with difficulty, hesitation, pain, and suffering in your heart. Cry it out, vent thoroughly, and this illness of yours will be mostly cured."

  When she heard his words, Qi Yunyan looked up at him and saw that his white and refined handsome face was as usual, like a green bamboo shoot, emitting a clear and elegant fragrance. His warm eyes were now filled with worry and concern as he gazed at her.

  Qī Yún's eyes blinked once, and a tear the size of a bean rolled down from the corner of her eye: "Sir——"

  "Cry, if you must. I am ashamed and filled with regret that at such a young age, you have contracted this illness. This heart disease is incurable, the damage has been done, and even if I were a divine doctor, I would be unable to save your life."

  Tears fell uncontrollably, and two more dropped. When the sobbing sound was released from her throat, the knot in her heart suddenly loosened, she gasped for breath, but it was no longer as urgent, as desperate as before.

  His hand was so gentle as he patted her, more tender than her father's or mother's, that she closed her eyes unknowingly. He let go of her like this, setting her free, and it couldn't be better.

  The quilt was gently pulled up, covering her slightly curled-up body. Seeing that her eyebrows had relaxed in her sleep, Gong Xiangru's heart couldn't help but feel a little relieved. If she continued to torment herself like this, just as he had said before, she would end up harming herself.

  Her inner torment, she may not even see clearly herself. He saw it very clearly. Even if she really wanted to marry him, just thinking of her deceased mother, the knot in her heart, would probably never be resolved in this lifetime. Marrying him, she wouldn't be happy.

  He carefully helped her feel her pulse again and after seeing that it was stable, he put her hand back under the quilt.

  Gong Xiangru stood up and walked out of the room.

  Sixth Uncle had been waiting at the door for him and, seeing him come out, hastily followed behind him, somewhat anxiously gesturing to him: Young Master, is this really okay?

  The palace was like a deep sigh. He thought of what his sister had said to him a long time ago: "Brother, you're really harmful! You'd better find me a sister-in-law soon, so that other women can give up on you. Look at you, don't know how many girls you'll harm."

  Before, he never believed it, thinking that his sister's words were just alarmist. Now it seems that the culprit of this matter is actually him. He is the most guilty one. But where can his wife go?

  Furrowing her brow slightly, she first asked Liu Shu, "Has Madam Lin been taken away?"

  Sixth Uncle nodded, to prevent the Lin family from snatching people, he had already taken Mrs. Lin away. But this way, when Old Master Lin wakes up later and finds out that his wife and daughter are both gone, won't he become even more furious and get Palace Director Like killed?

  Gong Miao Ru simply said coldly: That's just right. The Imperial Household Department is waiting for the Emperor to clean up. He Lin, the old master, came to report himself, and it was a self-inflicted wound to come to this official.

  Sixth Uncle felt a chill in his heart, he had not expected that the young master of their own family was actually collaborating with the palace and planning to eliminate the Lin family.

  Two people walked straight to the most secluded room in the yard, which was located in a dark place and almost no one noticed its existence. The gatekeeper with a big knife guarded the palace and bowed to Gong Xiangyu after unlocking the chain on the door with a key.

  Sixth Uncle held a lamp because this house had no sunlight coming in and was very dark, to illuminate for Gong Xiangru.

  The palace was like a robe, crossing the threshold. The people inside heard the movement, faintly moving sounds, like mice, filled with fear and trepidation.

  Liu Shu's man shone the light on the woman crouched in the corner of the wall. It turned out to be Lin Muyong, who should have had her head chopped off in the courtyard.

  Lin Murong's body kept trembling, like a patient with a serious illness. She thought back to the moment in the courtyard when that knife came down on her, and she thought her soul was going to be separated from the world of the living. The despair of that instant crushed all her past pride.

  She was just a life, nothing more. She used to think highly of herself!

  The knife fell, cutting off the chicken's head, and blood spurted out of the severed neck, splashing her face and hair, making her look like a madwoman who had fallen ill. Her soul was startled away by the knife to the King of Hell.

  The soft rustling of clothes, the steady and light footsteps, Lin Murong opened a pair of small eyes from his knees, staring at the man in front of him with a frightened expression.

  For a moment, her eyes involuntarily moistened. She thought that before she died, in her last moments, she was still thinking that she had died at the hands of this man, and what she was worth to him. Maybe in his heart, her cheap life wasn't worth anything. But now, she surprisingly hadn't died.

  Didn't he really kill her?

  Why?

  "You——" The eyes that had just opened, when they touched the deep shadow at the bottom of his eyes, suddenly felt a chill in their hearts. It was recalling how he had expressionlessly told others to take her out and behead her back then. Since he could do that back then, it's possible that this time he might have another change of heart and take her out to be beheaded again.

  "Does Miss Lin know what it means to be afraid? Does she know that she is just a life?" His elegant voice seemed incredibly noble, hovering above her head.

  She nodded like a chick pecking at rice, still not quite understanding why he didn't kill her.

  "This official needs Miss Lin. However, since Miss Lin's head has already been chopped off by this official, from now on, Miss Lin can no longer be surnamed Lin. She will be renamed Xiaoqing. If Miss Lin is willing to acknowledge this name and start anew, this official will give you a way out."

  She opened her eyes wide and stared at him, with deep incomprehension in them. What did he want her to do? What could she do for him?

  "Sixth Uncle, give her a set of maid's clothes and an Easy Change Pill. From now on, she is a palace maid."

  Sixth Uncle nodded.

  He said this and walked out of the house with a calm expression, his sleeves fluttering behind him.

  Lin Murong was still in a state of shock, he wanted her to be a maid in the Gong family, that's why. After what happened last time when he wanted to cut off her head, she no longer believed that it was because he pitied her or had feelings for her. So, it could only be that he thought of the only value left on her body. Her heart suddenly felt a chill, her teeth were chattering with fear, and her knees went weak again, collapsing to the ground:

  Is it the Lin family? Is the entire Lin family going to be finished?

  She was the only one who had been accompanying her father for many years, and even replaced her father in handling the daily affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. If the Ministry of Revenue were to be reshuffled, the information she possessed would be a valuable asset, whether it was for the imperial court to purge the Ministry of Revenue or for the imperial court to send someone to take over the Ministry of Revenue again. This was because most people in the Ministry of Revenue were relatives of the Lin family. Therefore, the imperial court had been hesitant to take action against the Ministry of Revenue and her father. However, it was not clear when the emperor found out that the Lin family was actually related to Empress Hu's clan.

  She believes that this matter must not be known only to him, but must have been known by the man called Emperor, and then he was allowed to do so. She and her mother were so foolish as to give them the opportunity, giving them the last blow to destroy the Lin family.

  Is this her only choice? Besides living, trying to leave the last drop of blood for the Lin family?

  In Yongning Hall, Hua Xieyan was yawning and rubbing her eyes while holding a whetstone to sharpen the inkstone with great effort.

  Her body was almost hollowed out, her feet felt airy and she could hardly stand steadily.

  The man who held the pen to reply to the memorial, at the moment when her body slightly tilted, one hand circled around her waist, and soon pulled her close to his chest.

  Her nose was pressed against his solid chest, and she felt the fragrance of Longyan Xiang on him becoming more intense, seeping into her nostrils, seeping into her heart and lungs. The emotional pulse in her chest seemed to have some movement, thumping, thumping.

  As her body trembled slightly, just as she was about to break free, his fingertips inserted from behind her back into her chest, grasping the heart that wanted to escape. At the same time, his icy lips rubbed against her temples.

  "Your Majesty——" She whispered softly, feeling her body as light as if she were flying.

  If things go on like this, it's hard to guarantee she won't really die.

  She felt like she was going to die. Is it that when one's emotions are stirred, people always feel like they're going to die?

  Two hands, involuntarily embracing him, the dragon musk on his body, seeping into her heart, making her emotional soul stir again and again, after a feeling of being enchanted to death, stabilized.

  At this moment, she leaned against his soft body, making him even more gentle. He gently hugged her and said: "Qian Xi, Qian Xi has never been like this to me before."

  Where is she? She has always been better to him than to herself.

  But he absolutely didn't believe her words, because he thought she was hypocritical and pretending. Only by holding her heart tightly in his palm, never letting go, could he avoid having a moment of unease turn into black flames.

  The powerful aura within him transmitted to her meridians, making her extremely shocked and terrified. What kind of cultivation was this? It seemed like something very frightening.

  He hummed a low, intoxicating tune in his throat, accompanied by a sly smile that brushed against her ear: "Xī Suì is afraid of me. Xī Suì has known for a long time, from very early on, that I would devour Xī Suì."

  She had been afraid of him for a very, very long time. Back then, she always thought it was just because he was the emperor, but she forgot that he had the pure and unadulterated Dongling royal bloodline in his body. So the things in her subconscious were often the most real.

  He held her tightly in his arms, with a domineering tone: "Even so, Suī Qǔ cannot leave me. If I die, I must take Suī Qǔ with me to death. Cannot let Suī Qǔ be left alone in this world, that would allow others to get Suī Qǔ."

  This man is really a scoundrel! She can die for him once, but he only thinks that if he dies, she must die with him. He's only worried that if he dies and she lives, she'll be taken by other men - what kind of perverted psychology is this?

  Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she suddenly thought of what he said about the burial, it seemed that among the emperors of the Eastern Mausoleum, those who were buried with their queens or concubines were extremely rare. According to historical records, only two emperors had done so. One was the founding emperor, and the other was Ming Cheng Emperor Gaozu. Both of these emperors died and insisted that their most beloved people accompany them in death. Suddenly, she thought of what Nian Ci said before her death: "You must stay by the emperor's side, you absolutely cannot leave!"

  It turns out that what Nian Ci said was this meaning.

  Nian Ci had already anticipated this, he would definitely drag her down to be buried with him. Only because, like the founding emperor and Ming Cheng Huang's great-grandfather, he was infatuated with women.

  What if I don't die with the woman I love?

  The more Hua Yu thought about it, the more uneasy she felt in her heart.

  He bowed his head and kissed her, saying: "I see that your body is so weak, I can only let the people from the Imperial Household Department come over, and I will personally supervise it, letting you take charge of the household affairs."

  Afraid she can't hold on and faint?

  Her lips curved slightly at the corners as she smiled, but in reality, she was not weak to this extent. She just felt a little nervous and lightheaded when standing beside him, smelling the fragrance emanating from his body.

  So he's just making excuses to interfere with the affairs of the Imperial Household Department. Because previously, he announced that she would take over all the power in the palace as the mistress of the month, and he couldn't easily intervene, allowing her prestige in the palace to weaken.

  He sat on a high chair and ordered the people waiting for his decision in the Imperial Household Department to come in.

  People were packed tightly into the room, kneeling on the floor. None of them had been put in prison uniforms yet, as they hadn't been formally sentenced.

  The eunuch in charge of the imperial household looked calm on the surface, knelt down and explained that he had no knowledge of the Da Yan people disguising themselves as palace maids to sneak into the palace. He was being framed by others, who were greedy for small gains, deceiving their masters and committing wrongdoings behind their backs. The responsibility was pushed around like a ball, kicked in a series, until it finally landed on the head of a young eunuch who had just entered the palace.

  The little eunuch cried out that he was innocent, but those several eunuchs intimidated him and said it was because he had just entered the palace and didn't understand the rules, so he took advantage of a few pieces of silver and caused great disaster, hoping that Her Majesty would spare his life.