good season

Chapter 239 Case Closed (Two chapters combined)

The Empress originally felt pity for the two sisters.

She was a mother, and she felt compassion for children who had lost both parents and were left helpless.

Therefore, when Princess Jiarou asked her to let the two sisters live with her, she readily agreed.

But she never expected that, in just one year, Jia Rou would personally return to the palace to kick Hui Xin out.

The Empress knew Jia Rou's personality; she was someone who didn't take things to heart, and although she seemed aloof, she was actually the easiest to get along with.

So the fact that Jia Rou had to personally ask someone to leave shows that what that person had done was something Jia Rou could no longer tolerate.

Before the Empress could even reprimand her, Princess Huixin set her sights on Princess Jiayi's residence.

You really know how to pick a place!
The Empress remained expressionless, her tone indifferent: "Jiayi has only just recovered from the grief of losing her son. Don't make her grieve any further. After all, you and Xiao Zhen both studied in the palace when you were young. When Jiayi sees you, she will inevitably be reminded of Xiao Zhen. Do you understand what I mean?"

Princess Huixin was taken aback, but a strange sense of joy welled up inside her. Aunt Jiayi would think of Xiao Zhen when she saw her? Did that mean that if Xiao Zhen hadn't died, Aunt Jiayi would have approved of their marriage?

For a moment, she felt a mix of emotions, her gaze became unfocused, and the Empress frowned secretly.

She cleared her throat, and Princess Huixin finally came to her senses, her face now filled with sorrow: "If Aunt Jiayi's place is not suitable, then Huixin has nowhere else to go."

The Empress was displeased, but she didn't show it on her face: "How could there not be? I heard from the Imperial Household Department the other day that your princess residence will be fully renovated in three months at most, and you can move in then. Until then, you should come back to the palace and live in your old courtyard, which has been empty all this time."

Return to the palace?

These were the two words Princess Huixin least wanted to hear.

If she had stayed in the palace all along, it would have been fine, but she had gone out and stayed at Princess Jiarou's residence. These days were the most comfortable she had ever lived since she could remember, even better than when she was a child in the Eastern Palace.

Living in the East Palace, she had to listen to her mother's nagging every day. If anything displeased her, her mother would scold her and her sister, scolding them for not being imperial grandsons and for being useless.
So she cherished the days she spent living away from home, but unfortunately...
No, the Empress means that she can move into her princess's residence in three months.
She was neither married nor a half-nun like Princess Jiarou, so why was she able to establish her own residence?
Do they mean they want her to get married?

But where can we find her another husband in three months?
Could it be Lin Sen?
How could she have overlooked this? To this day, the emperor has not canceled her engagement with Lin Sen!
Thinking of this, Princess Huixin felt a chill run down her spine. She stared blankly at the Empress: "Your Majesty said that Huixin can establish her own residence in three months? Can Huixin establish her own residence on her own?"

The Empress smiled and said, "Silly child, what princess would stay in the palace after getting married? Getting married means you're an adult, of course you should leave the palace and establish your own residence."

"But Huixin's marriage, that Lin Sen, he, he..." Princess Huixin's lips trembled. Had all she done been in vain? Was she still going to marry Lin Sen?
The Empress knew what she wanted to say and said coldly, "The Dali Temple is still investigating Lin Sen's matter. As long as he is not convicted, he will remain your consort. His Majesty's words are law; how can they be changed by such a trivial matter?"

Princess Huixin didn't know how she left Chaoyang Palace. Feeling depressed, she heard laughter and cheerful voices coming from ahead. She looked up and saw several palace maids escorting a woman towards Jingyu Palace.

From her angle, she could only see the woman's profile, but she still recognized her as the Third Prince's Consort, Feng Jiahe.

Because of the incident with the Dengwen Drum, the Third Prince was implicated and has been keeping a low profile lately. Even Feng Jiahe has rarely made public appearances.

Looking at Feng Jiahe's relaxed and composed expression now, it seems that the wind has shifted, and the Third Prince has secured his position in front of the Emperor.

The Third Prince, Consort Qiao?
Princess Huixin's heart skipped a beat. How could she have forgotten Consort Qiao?
Since the Empress has no compassion, she doesn't need to hang herself on the Empress's tree.

She grew up in the palace, what else can't be seen?

Although the empress was nominally the head of the harem, her actual position was awkward.

The Empress had no children, while the Emperor already had nine princes. One had died, leaving eight. It was best for the Empress not to give birth to any more princes, as they would be the Emperor's youngest sons and would likely not survive to adulthood.

Above the Empress is Consort Li, but Consort Qiao is the Emperor's most favored person, equivalent to the Empress in the palace. More importantly, Consort Qiao has the Third Prince, who is the most favored by the Emperor, the most capable, and has the strongest backing among all the princes.

With these thoughts in mind, Princess Huixin made no further hesitation and headed towards Jingyu Palace.

Nowadays, the most talked-about person in the streets and alleys of Beijing is Lin Sen, the prospective son-in-law who beat the drum to appeal to the emperor.

Zhao Shiqing heard several versions of the story along the way. When she passed by the inn where she had stayed two days ago, she found the inn's door tightly closed.

Curious, Zhao Shiqing peeked through the crack in the door and found it completely empty, without even a table or chair.

Could it be that Princess Huixin killed someone to cover it up because of her? Luo Liqiong only stayed here for a few hours, why would she need to kill someone to cover it up?

Thinking of the cute young shop assistant, Zhao Shiqing felt a pang of pity. Just then, a shout came from behind her: "What are you doing? Trying to steal something?"

Zhao Shiqing turned around and saw an old lady with a righteous look on her face. She looked down at her clothes, a Hangzhou silk robe, and didn't look like a thief at all.

"Auntie, I'm not a thief. I'm just curious. Why is this inn closed? I passed by here a few days ago and the doors were wide open."

The righteous old lady snorted coldly: "Who knows if you're trying to break in or pick the lock? You look like a shifty-eyed person. Do you know where you are? This is the capital!"

Okay, no need to ask anymore. The moment she opens her mouth, people will know she's from out of town.

“Auntie, my grandfather wants to open an inn in the capital. I think this one is quite good, the size is just right. If they close down, I’ll have my grandfather take over this place.”

The righteous old lady's eyes lit up. It turned out that he was a rich but foolish man from the countryside who had taken a fancy to this haunted house!
"His family has indeed quit. They just moved out yesterday and sold everything inside. It's just that the house won't sell for a while. By the way, go ask at that brokerage firm at the intersection. This house was probably sold through that brokerage firm."

Zhao Shiqing thanked him profusely, looking like she had gotten a great deal, and ran towards the brokerage firm.

The righteous old lady stared at her back as if she were a fool. The last time this inn was taken over by a grandfather and grandson. The child just now said that his maternal grandfather wanted to open an inn. It seems that these days, even the biggest suckers are related to their grandparents.

When Zhao Shiqing found the brokerage, the brokerage staff, upon hearing that she had asked about the inn and that she was from out of town, became extremely enthusiastic, praising the small building to the skies. Zhao Shiqing's lips twitched. To be able to describe a haunted house as a feng shui treasure, you're something else!
However, she also received definite news that the young waiter, who was also the young owner of the inn, was still alive and kicking when he left the brokerage firm.

Zhao Shiqing was relieved; at least she hadn't been silenced.

"Why would he sell such a prime location so easily? He could have done something else besides running an inn."

The broker looked around seriously and said in a low voice, "Young master, to be honest, his family bought that inn through a secondary account. They're really rich, they didn't even haggle. So, in my opinion, that young master was probably just out here to train. His family paid him to practice, and now that his training is over, he's going home."

"I see," Zhao Shiqing said, giving him a thumbs up. "Good eye, awesome!" After leaving the brokerage, Zhao Shiqing went to a small courtyard not far away, where Luo Liqiong lived.

No one knows when Zhen Wuduo bought this courtyard. That day, Zhao Shiqing said she had picked up another big problem, so Zhen Wuduo gave her the key to this courtyard. Now Wan Ruyi lives here with Luo Liqiong.

Zhao Shiqing, accompanied by Lingbo who was also dressed in men's clothing, arrived at the small courtyard. It was a single-courtyard house. When they moved in that day, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, but now Wan Ruyi had cleaned it up and even planted a rose against the wall.

"Aunt Wan, look what I brought you?"

Zhao Shiqing and Ling Bo each handed over a basket, which contained not only the food prepared by Aunt Ji, but also a bunch of things that Xiuxiu had brought for Wan Ruyi, all of which were for making handicrafts, which Wan Ruyi loved to do the most.

Luo Liqiong came out when she heard the commotion in the courtyard. When she saw the two young men standing in front of her, she was stunned. She quickly covered her face with her sleeve and walked into the house. Wan Ruyi quickly stopped her: "No need to hide. These are the Second Miss and Ling Bo."

In the past few days, Luo Liqiong had heard "Second Miss" from Wan Ruyi quite often, and she also knew that the person who helped her that day was the Second Miss that Wan Ruyi mentioned.

Unfortunately, after that parting, she never saw the second young lady again.

Even the ones who brought her here were Wan Ruyi and the driver, Lao Fan.

Upon hearing that the person before her was the Second Miss, Luo Liqiong stopped hiding and knelt down to kowtow: "This humble woman kowtows to the Second Miss. I will never forget the Second Miss's great kindness in this lifetime."

She didn't dare to mention repaying the favor, not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know if she had the ability to do so. After that incident, she felt useless, like a fool. If it weren't for the Second Miss stopping her in time, it wouldn't be Lin Sen locked up in jail now, but her.

No, she might be dead, beaten to death.

How can someone like her have the audacity to claim she can repay a debt of gratitude?

Zhao Shiqing waved her hand, signaling Lingbo to help her up, and said, "I came to find you because I have something to ask you."

Luo Liqiong nodded quickly: "Second Miss, please ask. I will tell you everything."

Zhao Shiqing laughed and said, "You have no idea what I'm going to ask. What if it's something you don't know?"

Luo Liqiong blushed. She was so stupid; she couldn't do anything right, and she couldn't even speak properly.

"Don't be nervous, have a piece of candy." Zhao Shiqing handed over a piece of candy.

The brittle was made with peanuts and sesame seeds, and it was fragrant and sweet. Luo Liqiong thought it was the best candy she had ever eaten in her life. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction, like a child.

Zhao Shiqing smiled. It's so nice to be a simple-minded person. After experiencing so much, you can still have the joy of a child.

After finishing a piece of candy, Luo Liqiong asked, "Second Miss, please ask. As long as I know the answer, I will definitely tell you."

Zhao Shiqing nodded: "You said that a steward from the Luo family once came to see you, but he later drowned. Does that steward still have any relatives?"

Luo Liqiong actually knew about this: "Yes, the manager's surname was Wang, and his name was Wang Dashun. His wife was sick and he had no money to treat her. My father paid for her treatment and not only saved her, but also got her a job at the shop. Although he passed away, his wife and children are still alive. After he died, his wife and children went back to their hometown. His wife even came to the Lin family to look for me, but she was stopped by the gatekeeper. I only found out about this later. Wang Dashun's hometown is in Bo'an, which is said to be not far from the capital."

Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "Alright, I have no other questions. You can stay here in peace. As for your children, they are safe living in the clan."

Luo Liqiong thanked her again, but Zhao Shiqing did not linger. She needed to send someone to Bo'an immediately to find Wang Dashun's wife and children.

Bo'an is only about two hundred miles from the capital. Zhao Shiqing sent Niqiu and Shen Wangxing. The reason for sending them instead of the guards was that the two of them looked like ordinary people, unlike the guards, who were all fierce and menacing.

Zhao Shiqing guessed that since Wang Dashun had obtained evidence of the Lin family's embezzlement, this evidence was likely still in the hands of his wife and children after his death, especially since Wang's wife had also approached Luo Liqiong.

However, Zhao Shiqing only guessed half of it. What she didn't expect was that the evidence in Wang Dashun's hands was indeed in the hands of Wang's wife. In addition, they also had evidence that the Lin family had plotted to murder Wang Dashun!
Wang Dashun did not fall into the water on his own; he was killed by Lin's father with stones, and his body was thrown into the well.

Someone witnessed it firsthand, and that witness was none other than the son of Wang Dashun's neighbor. He saw Lin's father throw Wang Dashun, who was bleeding from his head, into the well.

Zhao Shiqing guessed that Lin Sen was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and his case would fall under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple. However, the case of Lin's father and mother committing murder would most likely be pushed out by the Dali Temple.

Therefore, she packed up Wang Dashun's wife and children, along with the witnesses and evidence they possessed, and handed them over to Yan Xia.

As she had guessed, a few days later, the Dali Temple indeed transferred the case of Lin's parents to the Ministry of Justice. However, Lin Sen remained imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison, while Lin's parents were transferred to the Ministry of Justice prison.

Yan Xia took the initiative to take on the case and completed the trial in just five days.

There is no evidence or proof that Lin's parents murdered Luo's mother, so they cannot be convicted.

However, there is conclusive evidence that the Lin family embezzled funds during the period when they were managing the Luo family's assets. The Lin family must return the Luo family's assets and make up for the profits they obtained from the Luo family's assets over the years.

Lin's father murdered Wang Dashun; there are witnesses to prove it. Lin's father is guilty of murder.

Since Luo Liqiong and Lin Sen did not have a marriage certificate, they were not husband and wife. Their marriages were separate matters. As for the two children, they would continue to be raised by the Lin family.

Interestingly, upon learning that he was facing certain death, Lin's father implicated Lin's mother, revealing that she had been poisoning his younger sister for a long time. Although the poison was not fatal, long-term use would cause mental instability, and that Lin's mother's eventual madness was due to the poison.

Originally, Lin's mother was to be released without charge, but instead she was imprisoned in a death row cell. Considering that she and Lin's father were husband and wife, the prison warden made an exception and made them neighbors. As a result, the two fought fiercely across the fence every day.

Lin Sen appears to be unrelated to these cases, yet the Dali Temple has yet to release him.

Luo Liqiong successfully retrieved her family property. Zhao Shiqing sent Lao Fan to escort her to the Lin family. Just as Zhao Shiqing had said, the family that had originally adopted the two children learned that Lin's parents were going to be beheaded, so they went to the clan leader and refused to take the two children back.

When Lao Fan arrived, the family was arguing loudly around the clan leader. The two children were huddled to the side in fear. Lao Fan claimed to be a distant relative of the Luo family. The clan leader's eyes lit up. Without taking a single penny, he threw these two hot potatoes to him.

Old Fan: I haven't taken out the money that Lady Luo gave me yet.

When Luo Liqiong returned to the capital and brought her child to kowtow to Zhao Shiqing, Lin Sen finally made contact.

He died, in the prison cell of Dali Temple.