son, don't mess around

Tao Ya's death brought this matter to another climax!
She was, after all, the young mistress of the Lü family and the legitimate daughter of the Tao family, a woman of noble and illustrious status. Her suicide at home has caused a huge uproar. And all the blame is being pointed at the heir apparent of the Prince of Lin!

Thus, this single act caused a huge uproar. Public opinion in the capital almost unanimously turned against Lin Jiangnian.

In any case, Taoya's death was inextricably linked to him.

Even more so, the prevailing opinion in Beijing is that Lin Jiangnian is the murderer of Tao Ya!

Many of the onlookers jumped out, and some people with a sense of justice took the opportunity to stand up and accuse the Crown Prince of Lin of being the murderer, hoping that the government would punish him severely.

In restaurants and taverns throughout the bustling areas of the capital, one can find people speaking out with righteous indignation.

Even worse, some accuse the Prince of Xu in the north of rebelling, causing chaos in the country and making it a time of national crisis. They claim that the Prince of Lin, relying on his father's achievements, is complacent and oppressive to the people, causing innocent people to commit suicide in resentment. They argue that it is because of such a dissolute and parasitic person that the country is in danger and the people are suffering.

This means directly shifting the blame for the current rebellion of Prince Xu, which has caused chaos throughout the land, onto Lin Jiangnian.

Let him take the blame!

However, while the public was in an uproar, the various factions in the capital remained inactive, watching the drama unfold from the shadows.

The matter escalated, but the palace remained silent. As for the Jingzhao Prefecture, since the prefect claimed illness, he had closed his doors and refused to see anyone. Now, the Jingzhao Prefecture was in chaos, and no one could make a decision.

Everyone knows that there is no definitive conclusion about what exactly happened.

Let's set aside whether Tao Ya's death can be considered related to the Prince of Lin. Even if it were, so what?

In this capital city today, besides the current emperor, who else dares to offend that master?
As for what the common people say, arresting the Crown Prince of Lin and executing him on the spot?

That’s a nice thought!

Not to mention, who would go and arrest him? Would the Crown Prince of Lin really surrender so easily?

Even if the Crown Prince of Lin cooperates in allowing the arrest, who would dare to convict him?

Although all the factions in the capital were hoping that something would happen to the Prince of Lin, and that someone would come out and deal with him.

Given the current situation, with the north embroiled in fierce fighting, the imperial court has no time to spare. Under such circumstances, naturally no fool would dare to harm the only son of Prince Lin.

All factions hope that something will happen to the Crown Prince, but they also hope that someone else will be the one to take the lead.

Anyway, anyone can do this, but they can't!

And then, something strange happened.

The death of Tao Ya sparked a huge uproar among the public, causing an uproar.

Yet, it remained eerily silent in official circles, with no one even mentioning it, as if everyone had deliberately forgotten about it.

……

In late autumn, another heavy rain fell in the capital.

The rain lasted for a day and a night, then turned into a drizzle. The sky in the distance was gray, and smog drifted in the air, making it feel oppressive and suffocating.

A light drizzle was falling from the sky, and it felt chillingly cold on my skin.

The temperature is already very low!
If you look at the time, it's already winter!

It's estimated that the first snowfall of the winter will arrive in Beijing soon.

The war in the north has reached a stalemate, and battle reports from the front have not been sent back to the capital for some time.

The people in Beijing are currently unaware of the situation at the front, which makes many of them feel uncertain and uneasy.

Some people with wealth and connections started preparing for their future early on, moving their businesses and families south and finding a place to settle down in the south in advance.

Those who were unable or unwilling to leave had no choice but to remain in the capital, anxiously awaiting news.

They hoped that the imperial army could quell the rebellion in the north as soon as possible and restore peace to the country.

A light drizzle fell from the sky, and a cold wind howled. The once bustling streets were deserted. Apart from a few pedestrians and vendors passing by occasionally, there were no other people around.

Most of the shops along the street have closed, and those that remain are mostly deserted and no longer as bustling as they once were.

Passing through this once bustling street, one can see a mansion nestled in a quiet location. The once unassuming mansion now has white cloths hanging at its entrance, and white paper money scattered all over the ground outside the gate, giving it an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

A sense of sorrow and heaviness permeated the entire mansion, both inside and out.

Lin Jiangnian, dressed in a black robe, appeared silently on the street outside the door.

He held a black paper umbrella, the drizzling rain sliding off it, and slowly walked to the gate of the Lü residence.

Outside the Lu residence, guards had been waiting for some time. The young mistress's suicide had plunged the entire Lu household into grief. They had received orders not to receive any outside guests.

Therefore, when Lin Jiangnian appeared at the door, two guards dressed in black quickly stepped forward: "Young master, who are you?"

The two guards did not recognize Lin Jiangnian and asked him questions.

Lin Jiangnian glanced through the two people behind him at the front courtyard of the Lü residence. The entire Lü residence, inside and out, was draped in white cloth and hung with white lanterns.

Lin Jiangnian, holding a black paper umbrella, slowly spoke: "Lin Jiangnian."

"Lin Jiangnian?"

The two guards at the door paused for a moment, somewhat unfamiliar with the name.

"What is the purpose of your visit, young master?"

Lin Jiangnian calmly said, "We've come to offer our condolences to Madam Lü!"

"I'm sorry, but our master has ordered that we do not receive any outside guests."

The two guards ordered them to leave.

Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes, his expression indifferent: "Go and tell your master that the Prince of Lin's heir has arrived."

Upon hearing this, the two guards' expressions changed drastically, their eyes widening in horror: "Prince Lin, Prince Lin?!"

"You, you are the Crown Prince of Lin?!"

They were unfamiliar with the name Lin Jiangnian, but they were very familiar with the title of Prince Lin's Crown Prince!
Isn't the Crown Prince of Lin the murderer who killed their young mistress Lü?
How dare he come?
At this moment, the two guards were clearly a little confused!

When he finally realized what was happening, his expression turned terrified and wary: "What, what are you doing here?!"

Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "As I just said, I'm here to pay my respects to Madam Lü!"

The two guards exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

The Crown Prince of Lin came to offer condolences for their young mistress?

Isn't this like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken?

If it weren't for the Prince of Lin's son breaking into the Lü residence at night and defiling their young mistress's purity, how could the young mistress have been so ashamed that she hanged herself?
This is a scandal for the Lü family; no one dares to mention it, but everyone knows it.

This debt should naturally be placed on the shoulders of the Crown Prince of Lin.

But now, before their master has even gone to settle accounts with the Prince of Lin, the murderer has come knocking on their door himself.

They even dared to claim they would hold a memorial service for the young mistress?
Isn't this a deliberate provocation?

This is clearly blatant humiliation!

Is this Crown Prince of Lin perhaps trying to show off his power?

The two guards at the gate dared not be presumptuous. After exchanging glances and a brief exchange, one of them hurriedly returned to the mansion to report!

The remaining person stood warily at the door, staring at Lin Jiangnian who was standing in front of them, both vigilant and fearful.

Lin Jiangnian didn't argue with the guard. He stood quietly at the door, holding an umbrella. His black robe and umbrella seemed to blend into the gray sky.

Just standing there, he exuded an indescribable sense of oppression.

The oppressive atmosphere was quickly broken, and hurried footsteps came from inside the mansion.

Immediately afterwards, several figures appeared outside the gates of the Lü residence. At the same time, a voice filled with grief and anger accompanied them.

"Lin Jiangnian!!"

The sound of clenched teeth was filled with anger.

Lin Jiangnian slightly raised his eyes and caught sight of a familiar figure.

Lü Xuan! That young master of the Lü family with kidney deficiency, Tao Ya's husband!
Lu Xuan now looks much older and more haggard, extremely listless, which makes his already weak kidneys seem even weaker.

But when he saw Lin Jiangnian, it was as if he saw his wife's killer. A sharp, fierce light flashed in his eyes, his eyes turned red, and his face was full of viciousness.

He charged toward Lin Jiangnian, brandishing a long sword and exuding murderous intent.

"Lin Jiangnian, you killed Ya'er! I will never forgive you! Die!"

Lu Xuan staggered and rushed towards Lin Jiangnian outside the door.

But before they could get close, they were stopped by guards on both sides.

"Master, calm down!"

"Let me go! Let me go! I'm going to kill him to avenge Ya'er!"

Lu Xuan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Lin Jiangnian: "You killed Ya'er, and you still dare to come here today. If I don't kill you today, I swear I'm not a human being!"

A voice filled with grief and indignation rang out.

Lu Xuan struggled frantically, trying to shake off the guards beside him. The guards dared not stop him, but they also dared not let their young master act impulsively.

As he struggled, Lin Jiangnian remained standing, holding an umbrella and looking at the crazed Lü Xuan with a calm expression. He said, "Tao Ya was not killed by this young master."

"That's you!"

Lu Xuan's voice was hoarse and angry: "You humiliated Ya'er and then spread the news, causing her to suffer unbearable humiliation and ultimately choose to take her own life... You are the murderer!"

"I am going to kill you!!"

Overwhelmed by grief over the loss of his wife, Lü Xuan had lost his mind. At this moment, all he wanted was to kill Lin Jiangnian in front of him to avenge his beloved wife.

Lin Jiangnian looked at him quietly, his expression indifferent: "I will say it one last time, her death has nothing to do with me."

"I am surprised that she ended up like this, but it is her own fault."

Lin Jiangnian's tone was calm, without any schadenfreude or sympathy.

Tao Ya's death did indeed surprise Lin Jiangnian. But she was just a pawn, a pawn silenced. When she decided to walk this path, she should have known she would end up like this.

This was her own choice, and Lin Jiangnian felt no sympathy for her whatsoever.

"However, if you believe her death is related to me and wish to seek revenge, I welcome you at any time."

"As for whether you can kill me, that depends on your own abilities!"

His calm tone sounded extremely arrogant and domineering to the others present.

Their young mistress is dead, and yet this Prince Lin's heir has come here today to provoke them, even threatening to retaliate at any time?

Isn't this going too far?!

The guards around him also turned hostile, staring at the Crown Prince. However, no one dared to make a move.

With red eyes, Lü Xuan brandished his sword and roared angrily, "Get out of the way! All of you, get out of the way!"

"If you don't get out of the way, I'll kill you all!"

Seeing that their young master had gone berserk and could no longer be controlled, the guards and servants around them all took two steps back to avoid the sword in their young master's hand.

Having regained his freedom, Lü Xuan immediately set his sights on Lin Jiangnian, and, sword in hand, headed straight for Lin Jiangnian at the door.

"Die, Lin Jiangnian! I will avenge Ya'er!"

Lu Xuan angrily spoke, rushed to Lin Jiangnian, and thrust his sword fiercely towards his chest.

Lin Jiangnian stood still. Just as Lü Xuan approached with his sword drawn, he gripped the umbrella with one hand and gently turned the handle. The raindrops on the black umbrella formed a curtain of rain and suddenly poured down.

The water droplets, which were originally just raindrops, seemed to transform into powerful hidden weapons in an instant. The raindrops surged and struck Lü Xuan's right hand, which was holding a sword.

Lu Xuan's hand holding the sword became unsteady, and he felt a sharp pain.

"Clap!"

The sword in his hand was knocked away, and rainwater splashed onto his face, as if he were being whipped. He staggered back a step.

A surge of humiliation welled up within him, and he clenched his fists, lunging at Lin Jiangnian viciously once more.

Lin Jiangnian remained standing, lightly waving his umbrella, and a biting autumn wind howled out. Before Lin Jiangnian's clothes could even touch him, Lü Xuan was blasted away by the gust of wind.

"boom!"

He fell heavily to the ground, looking disheveled.

There was silence.

Only Lü Xuan remained lying on the ground in a sorry state, and Lin Jiangnian, who was still standing in the drizzle not far away, seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious black shadow over his black umbrella.

He looked down at him and slowly approached.

One step, two steps.

"With such rudimentary skills, you think you can get revenge?"

"ridiculous."

The calm tone seemed to strike the most vulnerable spot in Lü Xuan's heart. His eyes turned red, and he stared intently at Lin Jiangnian.

He struggled desperately to get up and fight Lin Jiangnian again.

"stop!"

At that moment, a deep voice rang out from inside the mansion.

Lu Xuan's figure suddenly swayed and stopped in place.

Upon hearing this, the guards and servants around the area quickly made way for them.

Inside the mansion, a middle-aged figure walked out slowly with a sullen expression.

Lü Fusheng!
"Father, he killed Ya'er, and today he even comes to provoke us... Father, I will avenge Ya'er!"

Lu Xuan spoke angrily, his voice trembling.

Lu Fusheng's gaze fell on him with a dark expression. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

"father……"

"Shut up!"

Lu Fusheng coldly rebuked him.

Lu Xuan trembled, his eyes widening. His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but in the end, he couldn't utter a single word.

"Someone, escort the young master back to his room to rest!"

Lu Fusheng calmly gave the instructions.

A servant stepped forward to comfort the young master.

Lu Xuan stood there, dejected, his eyes still filled with resentment. His eyes were red-rimmed as he stared intently at Lin Jiangnian, his gaze filled with hatred.

Finally, he took a deep breath, turned around, and went back.

Lu Fusheng turned around and looked towards the door, where Lin Jiangnian was in his line of sight.

His expression remained unchanged, and his tone was neither cold nor indifferent: "Your Highness, what brings you here today?"

"Condolences!"

Lin Jiangnian slowly closed his black umbrella, his tone equally calm and indifferent: "I have a connection with Madam Lü. I heard that she passed away suddenly, and I felt deeply sorry for her. I came here to see her off."

"Lord Lü, would you be so kind as to do me a favor?"

Lu Fusheng stared at Lin Jiangnian for a long time before finally speaking calmly.

"Your Highness, please proceed!"

"..." (End of this chapter)