Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law

Chapter 780 - 786: The Lin Family Cannot Be Spared

One day later.Yelang Imperial Palace, Emperor’s bedroom.

Within the deep palace, the autumn scene was desolate, and the eunuchs and palace maids stood quietly outside the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, the lights were bright, enveloped by a calming scent of musk, with a faint hint of medicinal aroma mixed in.

On the dragon bed, an elderly man with a shriveled face and sallow complexion was quietly lying there, large patches of gray-black air lingering between his brows, making him look like he had one foot in the grave.

However, this Yelang Monarch Xingluo was not yet sixty years old and should be in his prime as a Middle-Grade Martial Artist, yet at this moment he appeared like a dying tree.

"Come, Father, drink the medicine." At this moment, a voice sounded.

Xingluo slightly turned his head to look, and upon seeing the visitor, his emotions became extremely agitated, emitting hoarse "uh uh" sounds while his body trembled violently. But despite his great effort, he couldn’t even lift a hand, his murky eyes filled with anger.

The visitor was Xingluo’s third son, Third Prince Xingyin.

He sat beside the dragon bed, holding a bowl of medicine, gently stirring the spoon in the medicinal soup, then scooped a spoonful, blew on it gently, and brought it to Xingluo’s lips.

But Xingluo tightly closed his lips, turning his head away to avoid it.

Once, twice.

After several attempts, Xingluo still stubbornly refused to drink the medicinal soup obediently. Xingyin too lost patience, and with a "clang," he threw the spoon on the ground, stood up, grabbed Xingluo’s mouth with one hand, waited for it to open, and then brought the bowl close, rudely forcing the medicine into Xingluo’s mouth.

"Cough cough..." The medicine flowed from Xingluo’s lips as he coughed and some splattered directly onto Xingyin’s face.

Xingluo’s imperial robe was drenched in the medicine.

Only half of the bowl of medicine went down Xingluo’s throat, the rest spilled over his body and the dragon bed.

After the medicine was poured, Xingluo lay on the dragon bed, constantly coughing, wanting to say something, but all that came out were hoarse "uh uh" sounds.

Xingyin casually threw the empty bowl aside, wiping the medicine off his face with a handkerchief, looking at Xingluo beside him; he did not leave immediately and after thinking for a moment, spoke his mind:

"Father, it was you who taught me this; to achieve great things, one must be ruthless; no familial ties in the Royal Family. What does the First Prince have over me? His talent is not better than mine, and neither are his methods. He’s indecisive, only knowing how to read useless scriptures.

When I governed, I organized Yelang efficiently and filled the treasury, yet you didn’t praise me even once. The First Prince did just a few trivial things and you made him Crown Prince.

Benevolent rule? Yelang doesn’t need benevolence now. Father, you’ll see, under my rule Yelang will only get better, even surpassing the era of our grandfather. I will let you live to see that day."

Having said this, Xingyin rose, was about to leave, but suddenly remembered something, turned back and said: "Father, Mother is taken care of by me now, so you can rest assured."

With this, Xingyin left the bedroom without looking back.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace doors, near strident "uh uh" sounds echoed from the bedroom.

Xingyin stood outside the bedroom, an Armored Warrior came quickly to him, whispered a few words in his ear.

Xingyin nodded to a nearby palace maid and said, "Attend to His Majesty’s bath."

Saying this, Xingyin walked away quickly.

...

Third Prince’s Mansion, study room.

"Your Highness, here is the list of people who have recently entered and left the city. Among them, the Jincheng Lin Family, Diao Family, and the Li and Xu Families in the Capital City are the most suspect." The housekeeper presented the investigative list to Xingyin.

Xingyin took it and began to look at it. The list not only contained names but also detailed identity information.

"Jincheng Lin Family?!"

Xingyin seemed to recall something, said to the housekeeper: "If I remember correctly, recently Diao Hong said the Jincheng Lin Family colluded with Louwo and captured the Lin Family’s Patriarch. Was anything discovered?"

"Your Highness, that is true. However, from what I understand, the Jincheng Lin Family did have business dealings with Louwo, but at that time our two countries were quite friendly. As for Diao Hong saying the Lin Family colluded with Louwo, aside from these transaction records, there is no conclusive evidence. Moreover, the Lin Family and Diao Family are business competitors, so I believe Diao Hong is just using Your Highness’s influence to try to crush the Lin Family." The housekeeper said.

Xingyin furrowed his brows, realizing he was being used by Diao Hong.

However, he wasn’t very angry because he appreciated cunning subordinates.

The reason he remembered Diao Hong.

Was because Diao Hong was very good at helping him make money.

Of course, not being angry doesn’t mean Xingyin wouldn’t hold Diao Hong accountable.

Xingyin kept a stern face and said solemnly, "Bring Diao Hong to me."

"Yes."

...

Elsewhere, the Diao Family residence in the Capital City.

In the main hall.

Diao Hong wore a somber expression, looking worried. It was that time when the subordinates sent out should have come back to report, yet no news had come back so far.

At this moment, a servant rushed forward and said, "Master, the housekeeper from Third Prince’s Mansion has come."

Just after the servant finished speaking, the housekeeper appeared before Diao Hong.

Diao Hong greeted with a fawning expression, saying, "Lord He, what brings you here?"

Housekeeper He did not exchange pleasantries with Diao Hong, and with a stern face, said, "His Highness requests your presence."

"His Highness is looking for me?" Diao Hong’s expression faltered, then he said, "Lord He, may I know what His Highness wants with me?"

While speaking, Diao Hong secretly stuffed Housekeeper He with some gold leaf.

Housekeeper He counted how many pieces there were, and his expression softened a bit, revealing some information to Diao Hong.

Diao Hong’s face immediately changed.

It was just as Lin Luo guessed, the matter of dealing with the Lin Family was not indicated by the Third Prince, after all, there was no enmity between the Lin Family and the Third Prince. It was Diao Hong, leveraging his association with the Third Prince, who aimed to crush and annex the Lin Family.

He wasn’t afraid of this matter being exposed.

He understood the Third Prince. As long as this matter didn’t cause "public outrage", he could later settle it with a hefty tribute, and it would be pardoned.

But he feared premature exposure of this matter.

After all, the Lin Family hadn’t been brought down yet, and he couldn’t produce that large sum of silver.

Should the Third Prince learn of this, he surely wouldn’t react kindly.

With a nervous heart, Diao Hong went all the way to the Third Prince’s Mansion and met with the Third Prince.

"Subordinate Diao Hong greets His Highness the Third Prince," Diao Hong respectfully said.

"Diao Hong, have you clarified the affair of the Jincheng Lin Family colluding with Louwo?"

Xingyin, while practicing calligraphy, inquired without looking up.

"Subordinate... subordinate is still investigating," Diao Hong broke into a cold sweat; he knew the calmer the Third Prince, the more dangerous he was.

"Still investigating, or trying to pry Lin Kong’s mouth open, planning to extract a confession through coercion?" Xingyin looked up at Diao Hong.

At that moment when their eyes met, Diao Hong suddenly felt a chill all over his body, his mental defenses almost collapsed. He knew, regardless, this was not a moment to admit anything, and said, "Still... still investigating."

Hearing this, Xingyin slightly paused his calligraphy, looked up from under his eyes at Diao Hong without any expression, just watching him.

After a long moment, seeing Diao Hong still stubbornly holding on, Xingyin put down his brush, then with his hands behind his back, said, "Let’s put this matter aside, let me ask you, on the day the Eldest Princess was assassinated, what were your people doing outside the city?"

Upon hearing this, Diao Hong’s body tensed up. That day, he had sent people out of the city, calculating the time that Diao Qing and his party should have returned, so he sent people to meet them, to see if anything had happened.

However, until now, not only had Diao Qing and his party not returned, but even the people sent out the day before yesterday had not returned.

After a brief hesitation, Diao Hong said, "Previously, subordinate received a letter from brother Qing, stating they would visit the Capital, so the subordinate calculated the time and sent people out to greet them."

This matter with the Lin Family, Diao Hong hadn’t even managed yet, so this sordid assassination affair, Diao Hong was embarrassed to admit and dared not speak of it.

"Is that truly so?" Xingyin’s voice was deep.

Diao Hong’s heart also sank accordingly, thinking that the Third Prince must know something, his breathing became somewhat erratic, his heartbeat quickened.

Just when he was almost unable to bear the pressure and wanted to confess truthfully,

Xingyin spoke again, "Did you send people out of the city that day intending to ambush and kill the Lin Family’s people?"

Cold sweat seeped on Diao Hong’s forehead, how could he dare to admit to such a thing; in the Yelang Kingdom, Xingyin was the law, and he, being a subordinate, had to respect the laws of Yelang, at least on the surface, and admitting it in front of Xingyin would mean trampling the law and slapping Xingyin in the face.

After all, such matters cannot be openly discussed, especially when he hadn’t accomplished his goal yet.

"I suppose you wouldn’t dare." Xingyin said this not because he wanted to deal with Diao Hong, but rather to knock some sense into him, and then said, "The people you sent to meet your brother that day, have they returned?"

"Perhaps they are delayed on the road, not yet."

"You previously said that the Patriarch of the Lin Family and Prince Consort Yanyang are close friends; is that true?"

"Without a doubt, Lin Kong and Prince Consort Yanyang are college friends."

"Alright, noted, you may leave now."

"Yes."

Diao Hong didn’t quite understand what the Third Prince intended, but he didn’t dare linger any longer, swiftly leaving the study.

After Diao Hong left, Xingyin quickly sorted through his thoughts.

The people Diao Hong sent that day still haven’t returned, but the Lin Family has already entered the Capital, so Xingyin believed the people sent by Diao Hong were dealt with by the Lin Family.

Therefore, the Lin Family has the capability to rescue Shuang’Er.

And with the Lin Family’s relationship with Prince Consort Yanyang, the Lin Family people who entered the city likely know Shuang’Er.

If Shuang’Er was being pursued and the Lin Family saw, it’s impossible they wouldn’t save her.

In this scenario, what Shuang’Er witnessed may have already been told to the Lin Family.

"Perhaps, the affair of Lin Family colluding with Louwo can be solidified as fact."

Xingyin already had an idea, and with a cold glint in his eyes, said, "Someone, come."