Chapter 115: My Dad Absolutely Couldn’t Have Ties To The Imperial Family
This snowfall lasted a total of three days. Although it didn’t stop during that time, the snowflakes weren’t large, so the accumulation was actually less than the previous two snowfalls. No houses in the village were crushed either.
Throughout this entire winter, Mo Ziyuan and Gao Yong kept circling around Lin Xin. It was mainly because they thought the business ideas she proposed were all too feasible, so they kept chasing her with questions. Later, they annoyed her to no end, and she threatened that if they asked again, she would get some laxative pills from Cui Shi and put them in the meal. This barely curbed their strong desire for knowledge.
Once the snow had completely stopped, Lin Xin took Lin Tao back to her own home.
Lin Nan had already grown attached to Mo Ziyuan and the others, but she wasn’t worried. Although those people all had a bit of a silly side, their character was very good, and they absolutely wouldn’t teach Lin Nan anything bad.
So, she resumed her happy slacker life, spending her days eating, drinking, and playing. Lin Tao was also very low-maintenance. She had quite a few small toys in her space that she had accidentally collected before. Giving him one would keep him occupied by himself for half a day, completely not interfering with Lin Xin’s lounging.
Pleasant days always pass quickly. In the blink of an eye, winter was over and spring had arrived.
The villagers, cooped up all winter, all came out of their houses. Taking advantage of the time before spring plowing began, they wandered around everywhere, discussing what to plant this year.
Lin Xin’s home didn’t have any land anyway, so she had no such worries. She simply continued lounging at home with Lin Tao.
But after the New Year, Lin Tao was already a full year old, and he had his own ideas.
Whenever there was any sound outside, his big, shiny black eyes would keep glancing outward. Although the house and courtyard wall blocked the view so he couldn’t see anything, he always looked at it with great interest.
Lin Xin had no choice but to hold him and go outside too. This delighted him immensely. His strong little legs kept kicking in her arms, and even someone as tough as Lin Xin felt a bit pained by his kicks.
“Behave yourself. If you keep fidgeting, I’ll lock you in the house and never take you out again.” Lin Xin patted his little bottom threateningly.
Lin Tao’s big eyes, like black grapes, stared at her unblinkingly. His little mouth opened and closed, babbling out the exact words she had just used to threaten him, but in a milky baby voice with no deterrent power at all. Instead, it amused Lin Xin.
They said they were going out for a stroll, but it was just from her home to Mo Ziyuan and the others’ home. During this time, they had already started setting up the workshop according to the recipe Lin Xin gave them. Lin Xin also saw the things they produced. Not to mention anything else, she really liked that soap, especially the medicated soap that Cui Shi had pressed.
Time passed unhurriedly like this for three years.
During these three years, someone from Mo Ziyuan’s group would disappear for a period irregularly. Even Lin Xin was forced to follow Mo Ziyuan to the Capital City twice. Once was to deliver a large quantity of glass products to the Capital City, and the other time was to take Cui Shi to rescue the Crown Prince, who had been seriously injured in an assassination attempt.
The Emperor’s body was increasingly failing, and he began frantically taking pills. He turned a blind eye to the white-hot struggle between the several princes, and even when his Crown Prince nearly lost his life, it didn’t pull him even a little from the afterglow of the pills to pay attention.
These were things Mo Ziyuan mentioned to Lin Xin during casual chats. She actually wasn’t that interested. What could you expect from someone aspiring to be a salted fish when it came to national affairs!
In three years, Lin Nan had grown into the appearance of a refined little scholar, and he had also built a certain foundation in kung fu. Given time, even if he didn’t become a master, self-preservation would definitely not be a problem.
Lin Tao was also four years old now. Eating well, drinking well, and playing well at Lin Xin’s place, she even occasionally gave him special treats. As a result, he grew white, fat, tall, and sturdy, at least half a head taller than children his age in the village.
What surprised everyone even more was that as Lin Tao grew, he looked more and more like Lin Nan—not in appearance, but in the charm between his brows, especially when focusing intently on you; it was almost identical.
But he didn’t resemble Lin Xin much. After all, the villagers had said before that Lin Xin was almost carved from the same mold as her mother, while Lin Nan resembled his father more.
This made Lin Xin involuntarily think of the man Old Man Lin had killed.
After hesitating repeatedly, she still called Mo Ziyuan alone to her home and took out the jade pendant that represented the original owner’s father’s identity.
“This is······” Mo Ziyuan’s eyes nearly popped out the window at first sight. After reacting, he quickly closed the courtyard gate, pulled her into the main hall, closed the door again, and then asked her in a hushed voice like a thief: “Where did you get this thing?”
Seeing him like this, Lin Xin felt utterly unwell. After thinking, she told him completely and accurately about what Old Man Lin had done back then and how this jade pendant came into her hands, finally asking: “You recognize this thing?”
Mo Ziyuan gave a wry smile. “If I’m not mistaken, this should be a royal item.”
“What thing?” Lin Xin instinctively felt something was wrong. Back then, that man had fled all the way to Willow Forest Village with her cheap father, which meant someone in that place of ultimate power wanted her father’s life!
“What exactly is going on here?”
“This matter has to start from the Former Emperor. Back then, the Former Emperor ascended to the throne relying on the Empress’s maternal family. Not long after, the Empress gave birth to the Crown Prince, who is the current Your Majesty. Later, relatives from the Empress’s maternal family were involved in privately selling salt. The Former Emperor, remembering the merit of assisting the dragon, only punished the involved relatives and did not implicate others.
But the Empress’s father still retired. Thereafter, the Empress’s power in the imperial harem began to decline. At that time, the Imperial Consort’s power was at its peak, and after giving birth to a prince, she became even more favored. She began to disregard the Empress, always thinking she would one day replace her position.
Unfortunately, the young prince drowned inexplicably in the palace at six years old. Just then, news broke that the Empress was pregnant, so the Imperial Consort was convinced the culprit was the Empress. She began tripping her up in various ways. At that time, enemies were knocking at the border, and the Former Emperor didn’t have the energy to manage the imperial harem. One can imagine the Empress’s days.
On a dark and windy night, the Empress gave birth to a little prince. At the same time, a raging fire broke out outside her sleeping palace. When the fire was extinguished, everyone in the sleeping palace had been burned to charcoal.
But later, somehow, there was news that the fire was set by the Empress herself. Before it started, she had already sent away the newborn little prince. Since there was no evidence, everyone just speculated in private, half-believing it.
“You don’t mean to say my father is that newborn little prince from back then!” Lin Xin was splattered with a face full of drama and had a bit of trouble accepting it.
Mo Ziyuan didn’t speak, only silently nodded.
“No, no, no, absolutely impossible. My father absolutely couldn’t have any connection to the royal family. Absolutely impossible!” Lin Xin shook her head vigorously.
“This matter is already so long in the past. If not for Lin Tao and Lin Nan’s resemblance, I probably wouldn’t have thought of this distant event.” Mo Ziyuan weighed his words and continued: “But in the future, try not to let Nan Nan and Tao Tao appear together.”
“Don’t worry. From now on, I’ll just live at home with Lin Tao by myself. Nan Nan is yours.” Lin Xin nodded her head like a little chicken pecking rice, almost leaving an afterimage.
