son, don't mess around

"I'm actually more curious!"

The atmosphere inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation grew increasingly oppressive.

Until Li Cining spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Why is my brother-in-law so convinced that it was me who did it?"

"Your Majesty is so wise, why ask any further questions?"

Lin Jiangnian looked calmly at his former friend, now the emperor, his eyes undisturbed.

He has come here today to raise questions.

It's also a showdown.

Some of the evidence is already quite obvious.

Lin Jiangnian didn't even need to waste his breath explaining.

"Several months have passed since this incident. Does Your Majesty truly know nothing about it? Or perhaps... when I came to the capital this time, did Your Majesty not receive a single word of it?"

His calm and composed tone tore away all pretense of politeness.

It's all hypocritical lies!
Li Cining was so enthusiastic, but did he really not know that Lin Jiangnian had already arrived in the capital?
Lin Jiangnian naturally didn't believe it.

Just as the clues and truths that have already surfaced do not require him to explain further.

Why should the emperor before you ask questions you already know the answers to, pretending to be confused when you know the truth?
"Brother-in-law, you're really quite frank."

Li Cining spoke with emotion.

"Brother-in-law, have you come here today seeking the truth, or... are you trying to force me to abdicate?"

"That depends on His Majesty's attitude."

"If it was indeed my men who sent assassins to kill my brother-in-law, wouldn't his coming here today be like walking into a trap?"

Li Cining suddenly spoke up: "Brother-in-law, you came to the palace alone today and stood before me. Aren't you afraid?"

Looking at the handsome face before him, which was slightly pale, Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "Your Majesty would not."

"Why?"

"You do not dare!"

His calm tone, however, made the atmosphere tense and volatile.

Upon hearing this, Li Cining's smile widened.

He laughed loudly twice: "Dare not?"

"Yes, I certainly wouldn't dare."

"You, Prince Lin, command a large army and now pose a great threat to the court. How dare I openly kill you?"

"I'll send someone to assassinate you, then frame the Prince Xu in the north for your death, inciting a feud between your two families, so I can reap the benefits... That's more in line with my style, isn't it?"

Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes and gazed at the young figure on the dragon throne before him, nodding slightly: "Indeed!"

This is also what Lin Jiangnian has always suspected: the real motive behind the current emperor's attack on him!
For the court, having his death become the catalyst for conflict between the two non-royal princes of the dynasty was undoubtedly the best outcome.

"That's certainly a brilliant plan!"

Li Cining couldn't help but sigh, "If successful, it will definitely solve this huge hidden danger left by my father. It is a brilliant plan to kill with a borrowed knife."

His expression remained calm, without the slightest hint of guilt or other signs of being exposed, as he looked at Lin Jiangnian with utter composure.

There was an indescribable complexity in his eyes.

After a long pause, he sighed deeply.

"but……"

"If I were to say that this matter has nothing to do with me, I doubt my brother-in-law would believe me."

Lin Jiangnian remained noncommittal; the emperor's denial was within his expectations.

However, some truths have already reached this point. Even if he doesn't admit it, he can't clear his name.

The seed of suspicion was sown months ago when the power behind the Tao family was discovered in Chujiang City. The Tao family of Jiangnan was merely an insignificant, unremarkable clan. Even if they had a million times the courage, they wouldn't dare assassinate Lin Jiangnian.

But they did it anyway!
Undoubtedly, there is a deeper conspiracy behind this.

Through meticulous investigation, Lin Jiangnian discovered the Tao family in Beijing, and at the same time, he also discovered the Lü family in Beijing.

The Tao family and the Lü family have an extremely close relationship. And the Lü family is the biggest reason for Lin Jiangnian's suspicion.

Why was the Lü family able to escape this calamity?
Despite being part of the Third Prince's faction, they should have been considered rebellious long ago, yet the Lü family managed to escape unscathed from this turmoil.

The only one who decided all of this was the emperor standing before us!
He spared the Lü family's crimes!
But why did he spare the Lü family?
Was it really just because of the relationship between the Lü family and the Empress Dowager, or just because the emperor was kind-hearted?

Lin Jiangnian didn't believe it, and Zhao Xi's guess was also hard to convince him.

The only, and most plausible, explanation is this: the Lü family secretly reached some agreement with the emperor, or perhaps there was some unknown collusion between them.

For example, the case of Jiangnan's assassination of Lin Jiangnian!
These two events, taken individually, might not be enough to arouse Lin Jiangnian's suspicion. But when they are put together, the truth becomes obvious.

Lin Jiangnian absolutely refused to believe that there was no connection between the two.

Even if the Tao family had ten thousand times the courage, and the Lü family had ten million times the ability, they would still not have the guts or the ability to assassinate Lin Jiangnian.

But once it's mentioned that they have the support of the reigning emperor, everything becomes perfectly reasonable.

This was Lin Jiangnian's suspicion!
But that's all it is; it can only be considered suspicion. After all, it's still just Lin Jiangnian's suspicion.

Until the Sixth Prince came into Lin Jiangnian's view!

Who is the Sixth Prince?

Lin Jiangnian was unaware of this; he had no recollection of this prince, whose presence was extremely low. However, his identity destined him to play some important role in the matter.

Besides the Lü family, the Hu family is also implicated in the assassination attempt in Jiangnan. The two mysterious men who were captured and imprisoned in the Secret Observatory have also confessed to their crimes.

The assassination attempt in Jiangnan involved many powerful forces. And the key figure behind it all was the Sixth Prince.

He was the mastermind behind all of this!

Then, something strange happened.

Why would the Sixth Prince orchestrate such an assassination? How could a prince who has remained completely transparent for so many years wield such influence in the capital?

How could he secretly command so many forces to work for him?
This is clearly not plausible.

The only explanation is becoming clear... This Sixth Prince has a master advisor behind him.

As for who is behind this Sixth Prince?
If Lin Jiangnian had some doubts at the beginning, all his suspicions pointed in one direction when he learned that the Sixth Prince had been granted the title of Prince but was still able to stay in the capital.

The emperor before us may be the real mastermind!
He was the only one who had both the motive and the ability to plan such an assassination!
"Indeed, my suspicions were the greatest!"

Li Cining sighed softly: "All the signs point to the fact that this was done by me, right?"

"So……"

Li Cining asked, "If this matter is truly my doing, what are your plans, brother-in-law?"

"We demand an explanation from His Majesty!"

"What explanation does my brother-in-law want?"

Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "His Majesty will find out later."

“I saw murderous intent in my brother-in-law’s eyes.”

Li Cining laughed and said, "Brother-in-law wants to kill me?"

Lin Jiangnian shook his head.

Li Cining asked curiously, "If I go to such lengths to kill you, brother-in-law, don't you want revenge?" Lin Jiangnian glanced at him and said calmly, "Your Majesty is the supreme ruler. If the emperor wants his subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die... It is only natural for Your Majesty to want his subject to die."

"Brother-in-law, why say such hypocritical polite words? Just tell the truth."

Li Cining said, "My brother-in-law probably didn't harm me because of Piaomiao's influence, right?"

Lin Jiangnian remained expressionless, neither denying nor answering.

Li Piaomiao was indeed involved in this. If the emperor before them were not Li Piaomiao's elder brother, Lin Jiangnian would not be here today.

Naturally, they wouldn't be so calm and polite.

"It seems I have to thank Piaomiao!"

Li Cining's gaze was deep, his pale face filled with emotion: "My imperial sister was indeed a good sister!"

As if recalling something, a sigh appeared on Li Cining's face: "From a young age, my younger sister has always been different from others. In many ways, she is much more mature than me... In fact, she is more suited to this position than I am..."

Li Cining murmured.

Lin Jiangnian did not speak.

He already knew about this matter. The late emperor had mentioned it many times before his death.

He did indeed groom Li Piaomiao as his successor back then. But ultimately, because Li Piaomiao was a woman, he abandoned that plan.

But in his mind, Li Piaomiao was still the best candidate for that position.

"Brother-in-law, you've traveled a long way back to the capital, and today you've come to the palace to see me—is it for this very reason?"

Li Cining looked at Lin Jiangnian.

Lin Jiangnian nodded slightly.

"So, does your brother-in-law want an answer, or the truth?"

"What's the difference?"

"That depends on what you want, brother-in-law."

Looking at the emperor before him, he remained calm. Even though all the suspicions were now directed at him, he showed no emotion and showed no sign of anything else.

After a year on the throne, this emperor already possessed a certain imperial aura.

"the truth."

Lin Jiangnian spoke calmly.

"If that's the truth, then things will be much simpler."

Li Cining paused for a moment, then chuckled lightly: "This matter has nothing to do with me."

"The case of Jiangnan's assassination of my brother-in-law has had absolutely nothing to do with me from beginning to end. I never intended to assassinate my brother-in-law or put him to death."

"There's someone else behind this!"

Li Cining calmly and composedly explained the truth of the matter.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent once again.

Lin Jiangnian did not speak. He looked at the emperor in front of him, as if he was pondering whether the words were true or false.

Li Cining calmly gazed at Lin Jiangnian, his nominal future brother-in-law, who was also the son of a prince who posed one of the greatest threats to the court.

Finally, after a long silence, Lin Jiangnian spoke, breaking the stillness: "If this was not done by His Majesty, then who was it? Who else in the world could have accomplished this?"

"I also find this matter suspicious."

Li Cining spoke calmly, looking at Lin Jiangnian before him: "I will investigate this matter thoroughly."

A sharp, cold glint appeared in his eyes; at this moment, the emperor's aura gradually began to emerge.

"If you trust me, brother-in-law, give me some time, and I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give you an explanation!"

"how?"

Lin Jiangnian remained silent.

The emperor before him gave him absolutely no sense of imperial authority. It was truly unsettling to see the mighty emperor discussing matters with his subjects in such a manner.

Lin Jiangnian, who had initially harbored doubts, began to waver at this moment.

Was his assassination attempt truly not carried out by this emperor?
Or is there a deeper conspiracy behind this? What details did he overlook?

Lin Jiangnian frowned, countless thoughts flashing through his mind, before finally settling into calm.

"it is good!"

Lin Jiangnian looked up at the emperor and nodded calmly.

……

In the imperial city, a cold wind howled.

Clad in armor, the sharp, gleaming silver armor of the Imperial Guards made the atmosphere increasingly oppressive. They formed a dense, tangled web, making it hard to breathe.

At this moment, inside the imperial city, outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, under an inconspicuous roof, stood a refined figure in light-colored robes, gazing expressionlessly at the distance not far ahead.

This figure was thin, like an inconspicuous figure in the vast imperial city.

Her small, aloof face was expressionless, but upon closer inspection, one could discern a hint of seriousness and unease.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that the figure in light clothing is tense, with suppressed energy within her, as if it is about to burst forth, forming a resistance against the oppressive atmosphere of the world.

Silence, stillness, only the cold wind drifting through the world.

Then, a familiar figure appeared in her line of sight, slowly walking towards her. She, who had been tense all over, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

He then subconsciously took a step, but then stopped as if he had thought of something.

When I looked up again, a familiar figure was already approaching.

"Let's go."

Lin Jiangnian walked up to the kite and spoke softly.

Zhiyuan looked up at him quietly, then shifted her gaze to what was behind him. Behind him was nothing; there was no one there.

She didn't ask anything, she just nodded.

She turned around and followed Lin Jiangnian. As usual, the two walked one in front of the other, keeping a half-body distance, towards the palace gate.

A howling, cold wind swept across the imperial city square, enveloping the two figures. Compared to the vast imperial city, they remained inconspicuous.

The cold wind tousled their hair, and the girl's skirt fluttered, making her look dashing and spirited.

"Don't be so nervous, he wouldn't dare to make a move against me openly."

As if noticing the ever-vigilant expression on Zhiyuan's face beside him, Lin Jiang chuckled lightly.

Zhiyuan didn't speak, but looked up at him as if asking something. Lin Jiangnian looked up and gazed ahead, then shook his head: "He didn't admit it."

Upon hearing this, Zhiyuan looked up at him and asked, "Is it him?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

Lin Jiangnian recalled the scene of his interaction with that emperor earlier. Was it him who did it?

It's not certain yet.

However, one thing Lin Jiangnian was certain of was that... even if it wasn't done by the emperor, the assassination in Jiangnan must be inextricably linked to him.

"It seems like I've been ignoring some important information all along."

As if thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian gradually frowned, lost in thought. (End of Chapter)