good season

Chapter 238 Kicked Out (Two Chapters Combined)

Just outside the courtyard, we could only see the tip of the iceberg, but now that we're inside, everyone is stunned.

From the outside, this courtyard looks unremarkable. If it weren't located in Gaosheng Hutong, it would be just another ordinary little courtyard in Beijing.

But who would have thought that this tiny courtyard would be crammed full?

The row of sheds against the wall was obviously newly built, and the sheds were full of all kinds of furniture and objects. These things, in terms of both material and style, were not commonly seen. Without asking, one could guess that they were all gifts from the palace.

Zhao Shiqing put her hands on her hips and shouted, "If the Lin family hadn't murdered and robbed the Luo family of their wealth, Lin Sen wouldn't have had money to study. Without money to study, he wouldn't have been able to pass the imperial examination. If he hadn't passed the imperial examination, who would know who he was? Let alone marry a princess, he wouldn't even have had the chance to go to the capital. So all the benefits the Lin family is getting now are things they stole from the Luo family. Don't you all agree?"

The crowd: "Yes, the Lin family are despicable villains, they deserve to be torn to pieces!"

Mr. Lin's expression was unpredictable, while the Lin family's relatives looked on with amusement. Mrs. Lin was both shocked and furious; every word these people said was a slap in her face.

Her gaze fell on Zhao Shiqing, the young boy with a slender build. Without a word, Lin's mother brandished her long fingernails and pounced on Zhao Shiqing.

The Lin family's life has been getting better and better over the years. Lin's mother has been living a life of luxury for many years, and she used to have servants and maids around. She has become quite plump and has not fought for many years.

Overall, the problem is a lack of practical experience.

Seeing her pounce, Zhao Shiqing silently stretched out one foot, and Lin's mother fell to the ground with a spectacular thud. The instant she fell, Zhao Shiqing jumped more than three zhang away. It was terrifying; she almost got hit by the falling object.

The maid, who arrived late, hurriedly helped Lin's mother up. Lin's mother was bleeding profusely from her nose, which was quite frightening.

Everyone was startled when they saw the blood.

Just then, someone shouted, "The officials are here! The officials are here to arrest people!"

The Lin family was overjoyed. While wiping away the blood, Lin's mother mumbled, "Fine, you troublemakers, just wait to face the lawsuit!"

Aunt Lin said with a smile, "Our Ah Sen is really capable. Whenever something happens at home, we don't even need to go to the yamen to report to the authorities. The officials send people over right away."

Zhao Shiqing rolled her eyes: "We still don't know who they're here to arrest."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the voice of an official came from outside the door: "Make way, make way, the Dali Temple is handling a case!"

Zhao Shiqing quickly rubbed her eyes. She had seen people arrested by the capital government and the Ministry of Justice before, but this was the first time she had ever seen the Court of Judicial Review come to her home to arrest someone. She had learned something new today.

Although Lin's father had no official rank, he was still educated, and he was taken aback when he heard that the person who came was from the Dali Temple.

Shouldn't these troublemakers be arrested by the capital authorities? Or, why are the people from the Court of Judicial Review sent by the Five City Division?

Before he could think further, he heard the leader ask loudly, "Is Lin Changfu of Yunzhou here? Is the Chang family of the Lin clan of Yunzhou here?"

Both of Lin's parents were taken aback. How did these officials know their names?
Has their son already reported their names to the heavens?

Come to think of it, their son is now the prospective son-in-law of the emperor, and they are now relatives of the emperor, so of course the imperial family knows their names.

Thinking of this, Mr. and Mrs. Lin raised their heads high and said, "We are indeed commoners."

The leading officer waved his hand and said, "Take these two away!"

Several constables stepped forward and, without saying a word, put Lin's father and mother in chains.

"Sir, you've made a mistake. You're arresting these troublemakers, not us."

The officer sneered: "We're arresting you. Your son beat the drum at the Dali Temple to appeal for justice, accusing you of murder for money and robbing people of their property."

Mr. and Mrs. Lin were shocked to find that what these troublemakers had said was true.

"Sir, we're innocent! We're innocent! My son is the imperial son-in-law, we're relatives of the emperor! How dare you arrest us like this?"

Officer: "Go cry your innocence in jail! We're just arresting people and taking them away!"

Lin's parents were pushed and shoved towards the outside. Lin's mother didn't want to leave and struggled violently, but was dragged away by two yamen runners like a dead dog.

The officer walked at the back, turning to look at the dumbfounded Lin family relatives, and then at the things in the courtyard.

"Are you accomplices of Lin Changfu and the Chang family?"

The Lin family relatives shook their heads like rattles. Good heavens! They just wanted to come to the capital to get some benefits, but instead of getting any benefits, they became accomplices.
"No, no, we don't usually have any contact with them. We know nothing about what they did. If we did, we would have cut ties with them long ago."

A mocking glint flashed in the officer's eyes: "If that's the case, you'd better leave immediately. Men, seal off this courtyard!"

The things in the courtyard were obviously gifts from the palace. Now that the Lin family has committed a crime, their marriage to the princess is definitely off, and the ownership of these things is still unknown. If the Imperial Household Department comes to take inventory and finds a few items missing, they might blame it on the Dali Temple. Who has the time to deal with those eunuchs? It's better to avoid trouble. Let's just seal off this courtyard for now.

When the Lin family relatives heard that the courtyard was to be sealed off, they were so frightened that they grabbed their belongings and rushed out the door. Fortunately, they had come with the intention of taking advantage of the situation and did not bring much luggage. They left without hesitation.

As the last person left the courtyard, the yamen runners from the Dali Temple locked the gate and affixed a seal.

The people from the Dali Temple had just left when the landlord of the courtyard arrived, panting. He had heard that his tenant had gotten into trouble, so he came to check on him. He never expected that the tenant would be arrested, and that his house would be sealed off by the government as a result.

The landlord was furious with Lin Sen. This idiot had ruined his house's feng shui. Even if the house were unsealed, no one would want to rent it.

Seeing that the Lin couple had been arrested, Zhao Shiqing gracefully withdrew and went off to have tea with her old man.

Princess Huixin, however, was preoccupied. After returning from the street, she went into her house and did not come out.

When Princess Jiarou returned from Zizhu Temple, the Chief Secretary came to see her. Although Princess Jiarou was aloof and distant, she never made things difficult for those around her. She did everything herself and tried her best not to ask others for help. Serving in her residence was the most leisurely job. The Chief Secretary had long planned to retire here and had even begun to meditate and cultivate himself. Unless there was something going on in the palace, the Chief Secretary would not take the initiative to appear in front of the Princess.

Upon hearing that the Chief Secretary wanted to see her, Princess Jiarou simply gave a faint "hmm".

However, this tranquility was soon shattered by the news brought by the Chief Secretary.

“Princess Huixin’s prospective husband went to beat the petition drum and complained to his parents. He was beaten with a cane and I heard he is dying.”

The incident occurred on Liubu Street, a place frequented by officials. One of them, who was acquainted with the Chief Secretary, made a special trip to inform him of the matter.

After all, it concerns Princess Huixin, who lives in the residence of Princess Jiarou.

The visitor spoke with great enthusiasm, and the Chief Secretary imitated him perfectly, leaving Princess Jiarou dumbfounded.

Although she doesn't concern herself with worldly affairs, it doesn't mean she's unaware of the scheming and intrigue. How many people raised in the palace are truly innocent?

Princess Jiarou's mood immediately soured.

She didn't believe Lin Sen went to appeal voluntarily, nor did she believe he would actually sue his biological parents, because whether his accusations were true or not, from the moment he sued his biological parents, his reputation and his future were completely ruined.

The Great Yong Dynasty revered filial piety, and a person labeled as unfilial had no future. Therefore, Lin Sen was framed.

But who would scheme against him?

Who would scheme against a low-ranking official of humble origins who has just entered officialdom?
The only thing he could be manipulated about was his marriage to Princess Huixin.

For those from wealthy and powerful families, Princess Huixin was definitely not a good marriage prospect. Otherwise, the emperor would not have chosen a husband for her from among the scholars from humble backgrounds. And those from similar backgrounds to Lin Sen did not have the opportunity or ability to frame him.

Why frame him?

To prevent him from becoming the emperor's son-in-law?
Who least wants him to become a prince consort?
His enemy.

What if he doesn't have any enemies? Then who is this person?

A name was about to be chosen, and Princess Jiarou knew who it was.

Her voice was calm, devoid of any emotion: "Ever since they moved in, there has been no peace and quiet. I hid here because I didn't want to get involved in this mess, but now, even though I don't go looking for trouble, trouble comes looking for me."

The chief secretary sighed. The eldest princess was such a good person, but she was too kind. When Princess Huixin came to her door, she shouldn't have softened her heart and let the sisters stay.

Princess Huiming's scandal also damaged the reputation of the eldest princess, who was also held responsible for her poor upbringing and was fined half a year's salary by the emperor. Fortunately, the eldest princess usually stayed in the Taoist temple, otherwise she would have heard countless gossips.

Princess Jiarou fiddled with the whisk in her hand and said calmly, "These kinds of things are what I hate most in my life. If they lived elsewhere, they could scheme and plot however they wanted, even if their methods were despicable, that would be their own business and have nothing to do with me. But since they live here, people will think that this matter is inseparable from me, and in the end, it is I who lose face."

Hearing her say that, the Chief Secretary understood what was going on.

Alas, Princess Huixin is usually well-behaved and sensible, unlike Princess Huiming who is willful. He thought she was a good person, but he never expected that a barking dog would bite. When nothing happens, everything is fine, but when something does happen, it's a big deal.

The princess's good intentions backfired; she shouldn't have sympathized with the sisters in the first place.

The chief secretary thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, why don't you go to the palace and bring this matter out into the open, and discuss it with Her Majesty the Empress? What do you think?"

Princess Jiarou's eyes flashed with annoyance. She had made a fuss about becoming a nun because she hated all the intrigue and gossip in the palace. Now that she had finally left the palace, she didn't want to go back. Even if she only stayed in the palace for half a day, she would feel uncomfortable all over.

But there's no other way now.

Unlike her sisters, she had no connections. Her life consisted of nothing but the Princess's Mansion and the Purple Bamboo Temple. Apart from praying to the ancestral master for protection, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and enter the palace.

The chief secretary immediately submitted a token to the palace on behalf of Princess Jiarou, and Princess Jiarou entered the palace early the next morning.

Princess Huixin was stunned when she heard that the eldest princess had entered the palace.

As far as she could remember, since Princess Jiarou left the palace to establish her own residence, she had only returned to the palace during the Lunar New Year, and she would return after the palace banquet without staying overnight.

No matter what happened in the palace, whether it was a concubine falling ill or a new baby being born, she never went into the palace.

what is it today?
Based on what happened yesterday, Princess Huixin had a vague feeling that this matter was related to her.

However, Princess Jiarou has always been indifferent to worldly affairs. Although she has not become a nun, she lives like one.

Could it be that Princess Jiarou blamed her because of Lin Sen's matter?
Princess Huixin felt wronged; she had not forced Lin Sen to beat the petition drum.

But why would Lin Sen do this?
And Luo Liqiong, where is she? Why didn't she go to Dali Temple and beat the Dengwen Drum?
After leaving Dali Temple yesterday, Princess Huixin instructed Manager Li to send someone to find Luo Liqiong.

The old beggar swore to God that when he left that back alley, Luo Liqiong was still obediently standing under the eaves waiting for dawn.

Therefore, Manager Li followed the route the old beggar had taken that day, searching all the way until he finally found the inn.

The inn's waiter, who was also the young owner, insisted that the female guest who checked in last night had left the inn before dawn.

He couldn't be mistaken, because there were only two guests that day; the female guest had left, and the male guest had been sleeping inside.

Manager Li went to Luo Liqiong's room and saw that the bedding was neatly folded, confirming that Luo Liqiong had already left.

Unable to find Luo Liqiong, Princess Huixin was unaware of how much of her plan had been exposed. Now, hearing that Princess Jiarou had entered the palace, she became even more uneasy.

Princess Jiarou rarely enters the palace, which surprised the Empress. However, after recalling what she had heard yesterday, the Empress guessed why Princess Jiarou had suddenly entered the palace.

As expected, Princess Jiarou got straight to the point and started talking about Princess Huixin.

Princess Jiarou didn't beat around the bush. She told the Empress about her difficulties. She needed to cultivate herself and didn't have the energy to take care of her two nieces. So she asked the Empress to arrange a new place for Princess Huixin to stay.

This is the first time Princess Jiarou has made such a request since she left the palace to establish her own residence.

Princess Jiarou was the Emperor Emeritus's youngest daughter and the only biological child he had ever held in his arms. Moreover, the Emperor Emeritus was still alive.

Furthermore, Princess Jiarou's request was very simple: she no longer wanted to take in Princess Huixin.

The Empress sighed and said, "These past two years have been tough on you. It's those two sisters who have been a real worry. Come to think of it, you're about the same age as them."

Princess Jiarou finally made her request, and the Empress immediately informed the Emperor.

Emperor Yongjia learned of this incident in court from the censor, and he was very angry and embarrassed.

Upon hearing the Empress speak on behalf of Princess Jiarou, Emperor Yongjia immediately granted the Empress's request and ordered her to arrange new accommodations for Princess Huixin.

Upon learning that she could no longer stay at the Princess's residence, Princess Huixin felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Princess Jiarou was too ruthless; she didn't even listen to her explanation and simply kicked her out.

Meanwhile, Luo Liqiong, who was making Princess Huixin uneasy, was staring blankly at Wan Ruyi, who had come to take care of her.

"You're saying the Lin Sen family has been imprisoned? Will they be beheaded?"

Wan Ruyi: "Yes, definitely!"

Luo Liqiong was overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling as she pulled Wan Ruyi along.

In fact, the Lin family's harm to Luo's mother was a long time ago, and there was no evidence. The idea of ​​"a life for a life" is hard to establish. Wan Ruyi and Luo Liqiong, one dared to speak and the other dared to believe, were quite happy.

Princess Huixin moved out of Princess Jiarou's residence and wanted to move to Princess Jiayi's residence, since Princess Jiayi was Emperor Xiaokang's younger sister and also her aunt.

Moreover, Princess Jiayi was the most powerful of all the princesses.

It now seems that once Luo Liqiong's affair is exposed, only this aunt can protect her.

She said to the Empress, "Aunt Jiayi has lost her beloved son, a white-haired person sending off a black-haired person. If I move in, I can be happy to be by her side and fulfill my filial duty on behalf of my cousin Xiao."

The Empress's lips twitched. "Jiayi would have intervened long ago if she wanted to. You've ignored us all these years. Don't you know your place, or are you just shameless?"