son, don't mess around

Outside the dungeon, a cold wind howled.

Lin Jiangnian leaned against a tree, quietly admiring the snow scene in the courtyard. Under the blanket of snow, the winter plum blossoms were gradually blooming.

Lin Qingqing, dressed in a smart outfit, stood beside Lin Jiangnian, holding an umbrella to shield him from the wind and snow.

Lin Qingqing's gaze kept falling towards the dungeon, and she asked somewhat uneasily, "Your Highness, aren't you going to take a look?"

"Need not."

"But what if she kills the Sixth Prince..."

Lin Jiangnian chuckled: "So what if I killed her? I promised to give her a chance to take revenge herself. How can I go back on my word?"

"But……"

Lin Qingqing wanted to say something more, but Lin Jiangnian raised an eyebrow: "Don't you think that letting him be killed by the person he hates most is an even more painful form of torture?"

“He used to treat someone like a plaything he never cared about, but now he’s personally taken his life… Do you think Li Chang’an will die with his eyes wide open in disbelief?” Lin Jiangnian said with interest.

Lin Qingqing blinked. It did sound rather cruel.
It has to be His Highness... He certainly has a lot of dirty tricks up his sleeve.

"But, if Li Chang'an dies, won't that cause chaos?" Lin Qingqing asked worriedly.

"It doesn't matter. No one knows how he died, and no one will know that he died at our hands."

In this arrest of Li Chang'an, Lin Jiangnian did not use any personnel from the imperial court or the Secret Observatory; the entire operation was carried out in secret.

Nobody can find out!
In other words, even if Li Chang'an dies here, no one will know, and there will be no one to testify against him.

Li Chang'an's only use to Lin Jiangnian was finding Chen Zhao's whereabouts. Since he couldn't find Chen Zhao, he was no longer of any use to Lin Jiangnian.

Whether you stay or not makes no difference.

……

Just as the master and servant were chatting casually, there was a commotion in the direction of the dungeon.

Before long, a disheveled figure emerged from the dungeon.

It was Hu Yao.

Her eyes were glazed over, and she was in a daze until the biting cold wind in the courtyard blew on her, which gradually brought her back to her senses.

Looking up, I saw the master and servant under the tree in the courtyard.

Hu Yao stepped forward slowly, her eyes lowered.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Her hoarse voice and reddened eyes suggested what had happened to her not long ago.

Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "You don't need to thank me. Since I promised you, I will naturally keep my word."

Hu Yao remained silent, then shook her head: "If Your Highness hadn't given me this opportunity, I'm afraid I would never have had the chance to take revenge in my life... This opportunity was given to me by Your Highness."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for fulfilling my wish."

Hu Yao's calm tone carried an indescribable sense of relief.

Lin Jiangnian didn't say anything, but just turned around and glanced at Lin Qingqing behind him.

Lin Qingqing silently understood and turned to walk towards the dungeon.

Two people remained in the courtyard.

Lin Jiangnian was not interested in whether the woman in front of him lived or died. If it weren't for her cooperation in revealing the Sixth Prince and Tao Ya, and for Xu Zhongshan's sake, Lin Jiangnian wouldn't have bothered to look at her at all.

She is a pitiful woman, but her past actions do not warrant Lin Jiangnian's forgiveness.

Of course, she didn't have the right to make Lin Jiangnian hate her.

Hu Yao was well aware that in the eyes of the Prince of Lin, she was nothing more than an insignificant nobody.

They might not even be worthy of his attention.

For him, his existence was neither painful nor meaningful.

To Hu Yao, the Sixth Prince was an unapproachable figure. Yet, even such a powerful man's life was still in the hands of the Prince Lin's heir before her.

What's more, her?
"Your Highness..."

Hu Yao looked up, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Your Highness, what do you plan to do with the Hu family?"

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her. "You want to plead for me?"

Hu Yao lowered her eyes and shook her head: "The Hu family has fallen to its current state entirely of its own making. It is up to Your Highness to decide what to do."

The Hu family has been raided by the Secret Observatory. The entire Hu family, including her father and her two highly regarded elder brothers, have all been arrested and taken to the Secret Observatory.

The instructions behind all of this came from the Crown Prince of Lin.

As for what will happen to the Hu family next, it goes without saying.

But Hu Yao no longer cared what fate befell the Hu family. She had already repaid her debts to the Hu family, and she had long since severed ties with them.

As for her father and two brothers, whether they are dead or alive is no longer her concern.

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her and said calmly, "Your father and brother have committed such heinous crimes, they naturally cannot escape this time."

Hu Yao remained calm, having already anticipated this outcome. In fact, this result was a relief for her.

"For Xu Zhongshan's sake, I, the young master, will not hold your past actions against you. As for the future, you'd better take care of yourself."

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her indifferently.

He didn't intend to kill Hu Yao, out of respect for Xu Zhongshan. Of course, he didn't take this woman seriously either.

Her life or death is not important.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Hu Yao lowered her head and spoke calmly.

He turned around, ready to leave.

But after turning around and taking a few steps, Hu Yao stopped again. As if remembering something, a look of confusion appeared on her face, and she hesitated.

Finally, she turned around again, lowering her eyes: "Could Your Highness do me a favor?"

Lin Jiangnian was somewhat surprised that this woman dared to ask him for help.

Seemingly sensing Lin Jiangnian's reaction, Hu Yao added, "If it's inconvenient for Your Highness, then forget it..."

After saying that, Hu Yao bowed and prepared to leave.

"Tell me about it."

Lin Jiangnian called out to her, curious as to what kind of help this woman could possibly need from him.

Upon hearing this, Hu Yao remained silent for a moment before saying, "Could Your Highness please convey a message to Young Master Xu on my behalf?"

Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes: "What did you say?"

Hu Yao carefully considered her words before finally saying, "Your Highness, please help me thank Young Master Xu for taking care of me these past few days. Also, please tell Young Master Xu a message: just say... just say... if there is a next life, I will definitely go find him sooner."

Hu Yao smiled at Lin Jiangnian, forcing a bright smile. But the smile looked somewhat forced.

There was also a strangely melancholic atmosphere, as if it were a farewell.

Lin Jiangnian looked quietly at the woman in front of him and nodded calmly: "I will pass on the message to him."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Hu Yao smiled even more brightly and bowed deeply to Lin Jiangnian.

She turned around, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and left without looking back.

Lin Jiangnian stood there, watching Hu Yao's figure disappear completely. He then withdrew his gaze, his expression calm and unresponsive.

Until, Lin Qingqing's figure appeared silently beside Lin Jiangnian.

"Your Highness."

Lin Qingqing said, "Li Chang'an is not dead. He was stabbed twice, but it wasn't fatal."

Lin Jiangnian calmly replied, "I know."

Lin Qingqing looked up in surprise, "Your Highness, how did you know?"

"I could tell from her eyes."

Lin Jiangnian said, "There was no sense of satisfaction in her eyes as if she had gotten revenge, but rather a sense of relief, which means she still couldn't bring herself to do it."

Lin Qingqing was taken aback: "Why? Doesn't she hate Li Chang'an to the core?" Lin Qingqing still remembered the woman's intense hatred when she mentioned Li Chang'an; even she felt a chill run down her spine at the sight.

In the end, they didn't actually do it?

"I suppose this is what they mean by 'the deeper the hatred, the stronger the love'?"

Lin Jiangnian remarked with emotion, "The more you hate someone, the more you love them."

"Those two cuts are proof that she severed everything."

Lin Qingqing listened in a daze, not understanding at all.

She doesn't understand or like love and romance at all; it's too much trouble. Why does everyone prefer such roundabout ways? Wouldn't it be better to be straightforward?

Lin Qingqing couldn't understand it, and she stopped thinking about it.

"Your Highness, since Li Chang'an is not dead, what should be done with him?"

Lin Qingqing quickly remembered the important matter.

"Since he is not dead, let's hand him over to the Secret Observatory and send him to the palace."

Lin Jiangnian said calmly, "Consider it a favor I'm doing for that person."

Lin Qingqing immediately understood His Highness's meaning: "Yes, I will take care of it right away."

"..."

Beijing.

Xu Mansion.

"Is Mr. Xu still in good health?"

In the main hall of the Xu residence, Lin Jiangnian paid a visit and met with Old Master Xu.

A year later, Mr. Xu is still in good health. Since his dismissal from his post, his health has improved considerably over the past year.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Everything is fine."

Old Master Xu smiled and asked, "Your Highness, how have you been in Linjiang City this past year?"

"Everything is fine over there, Boss Xu, you can rest assured."

"That's good. Thank you for taking care of Lanlan, Your Highness."

Lin Jiangnian exchanged pleasantries with this old man, Mr. Xu.

Since what happened a year ago, Old Master Xu has stepped down from his position in the imperial court and finally understood things. Furthermore, with the relationship between Xu Lan and Lin Jiangnian, the Xu family has been completely tied to the Lin family's fate.

Grandpa Xu was quite pleased that the Prince of Lin had become his granddaughter's husband. This rumored Prince of Lin did not disappoint him.

This is the best possible situation now.

Besides visiting Old Master Xu, Lin Jiangnian also brought another piece of news during his visit.

"I wonder if Elder Xu has any plans to return to Linjiang City?"

Lin Jiangnian brought up the important matter.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Xu was taken aback: "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

Lin Jiangnian said, "Elder Xu should also be aware that the rebellion of the Xu Prince's Mansion in the North has already threatened the safety of the capital. The capital is currently in chaos, and Lanlan and the others are all in Linjiang City. Elder Xu may be left alone in the capital without anyone to take care of him."

"Should we consider returning to Linjiang City to retire?"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Xu fell silent.

After a long pause, he squinted at Lin Jiangnian: "Does Your Highness have a solution?"

"nature."

Lin Jiangnian nodded: "As long as Elder Xu is willing, there will naturally be a way."

Old Master Xu sighed: "If I could go back, I would certainly be willing, but I'm afraid..."

The Xu family was a remnant of the Third Prince's rebellion, and it was already a miracle that they survived. Now, like the Lü family, they are under house arrest in the capital.

Leaving isn't so easy.

"Mr. Xu, there's no need to worry about this. I have my own way of handling it."

To the imperial court, the Xu family was merely an insignificant entity. The only purpose of Old Master Xu remaining in the capital was to restrain the Prince Lin's residence.

However, given the current situation, those in the imperial court dare not offend the Prince Lin's residence.

Furthermore, Lin Jiangnian had just saved that emperor. Given their relationship, if Lin Jiangnian asked, how could Li Cining refuse?
Even if Li Cining doesn't agree... judging from his appearance, he probably doesn't have much time left to live. It would be the same result if Lin Jiangnian helped Li Piaomiao ascend the throne and then had her issue an edict pardoning the Xu family.

Upon hearing that he could return to Linjiang City, Old Master Xu became quite excited: "Then thank you very much, Your Highness."

"Mr. Xu, you're too kind. We're all family, there's no need for that."

Lin Jiangnian waved his hand: "Then please wait a few more days and make preparations in advance. Once His Majesty's decree is issued, I will send someone to escort you back to Linjiang City."

The Xu family's affairs will have to be resolved sooner or later. In any case, for Xu Lan's sake, Lin Jiangnian has to find a way to reunite the family.

After resolving this matter, Lin Jiangnian went to the backyard and found Xu Zhongshan, bringing it up again.

Xu Zhongshan was extremely excited upon learning of this. Since the Xu family lost power, they had found it extremely difficult to move an inch in the capital. Returning to Linjiang City would naturally be the best outcome.

Then, Lin Jiangnian asked Xu Zhongshan about his plans.

“I promised you last time that I would give you a chance, and now the chance is right in front of you.”

Lin Jiangnian looked at Xu Zhongshan: "You can go back to Linjiang City with your grandfather now and make a comeback. Or you can stay in the capital and make a name for yourself?"

"The choice is yours."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhongshan hesitated.

Having been away from home for several years, he naturally wanted to go back to see his father and other relatives.

He also knew that if he didn't go back this time, he didn't know when he would see his family again.

but……

If he leaves the capital, it means he will be under the protection of the Xu family for the rest of his life.

Although Linjiang City was nice, his heart was not in it.

This is also why he came to the capital with his grandfather.

After hesitating for a long time, Xu Zhongshan made up his mind and gritted his teeth: "I want to stay in the capital!"

"Have you thought about it?"

"Ah."

Xu Zhongshan nodded emphatically: "I, a son of the Xu family, am determined to make a name for myself. No matter what happens in the future, I want to give it a try."

"Row."

Lin Jiangnian nodded: "Then I will arrange for you to enter the Secret Observatory. As for the rest of the journey, you will have to walk it yourself."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhongshan was taken aback, then surprised and excited: "Secret Observatory?"

"I can join the Secret Celestial Bureau?!"

For Xu Zhongshan, the Secret Observatory was a completely different entity.

Those were the emperor's personal guards, not bound by the Six Ministries, and possessed the special power granted by the emperor to execute first and report later.

It is a force that strikes fear into the hearts of court officials and all the powers in the land!
And he actually had the opportunity to join the Secret Celestial Bureau?
"This is just an opportunity. As for how much you can achieve in the Secret Observatory after joining, that depends on yourself."

"I see!"

Xu Zhongshan nodded excitedly: "Brother-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely live up to your expectations!"

Lin Jiangnian nodded, agreeing to let Xu Zhongshan join the Secret Heavenly Bureau. Firstly, it was to fulfill his promise and give him a chance. Secondly, there was naturally a degree of personal motive involved.

Under Chen Changqing's leadership, the Secret Celestial Bureau, a royal guard organization, is destined to become the most terrifying force in the Great Ning Dynasty.

Placing Xu Zhongshan in this position can be seen as a pre-planned move. As for how far he will go in the future, that depends on him.

After discussing these matters, Xu Zhongshan finally remembered something. He looked at Lin Jiangnian with some trepidation and a somewhat embarrassed expression.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked tentatively, "By the way, brother-in-law, where is Miss Hu?"

"Where did she go?"

"..." (End of this chapter)