Chapter 226: Take This Bitch Back To The Sun Family For Me
He Sheng’s gaze was venomous; she naturally knew that the person before her was Jiang Ruanxi.
She was just frustrated by her lack of evidence and couldn’t expose her face-to-face.
It was she who had someone tell Lin Feng that she had killed Madam Zhou, making her life difficult in the Lin Family now.
So, even though she knew Lin Tingting was lying, she deliberately concealed it.
Yet she had never expected that she would drive her to complete extermination.
“Your Majesty, this subject wife has sinned.” He Sheng directly knelt down. “But this subject wife is wronged.”
Before Emperor Qin could speak, He Sheng spoke first.
“Although this subject wife knew about the jade pendant matter, she knew very little about the jade pendant itself. She only vaguely saw that the name on it was different from the one her husband had, so she concluded that the jade pendant was not Concubine Lin’s. Who knew there were so many secrets involved.”
Emperor Qin frowned, clearly believing He Sheng’s words.
“First Madam Lin has been married into the Lin Family for quite some time, hasn’t she?” Jiang Ruanxi stepped forward and asked faintly.
“In response to the Crown Princess, it has been over ten years.” Although He Sheng didn’t understand the meaning in her words, she still answered truthfully.
“Over ten years, yet she doesn’t know the Lin Family’s matters. Wouldn’t that be a joke if word got out?”
Jiang Ruanxi’s light words immediately swayed Emperor Qin’s heart toward her side.
He looked at He Sheng with a face full of frost.
Scaring He Sheng into immediately kneeling down. “Your Majesty, this subject wife is wronged.”
Deep down, she hated Jiang Ruanxi to the extreme.
“When this subject wife married into the Lin Family, she was not the Mistress of the Household. Most of the Lin Family matters were managed by the Second Branch. This subject wife had conflicts with her husband before and rarely stayed at her mother-in-law’s home during the year. When the Lin Family Second Branch was tragically wiped out, this subject wife’s mother-in-law also died tragically in that disaster. Therefore, when this subject wife took over the Lin Family’s inner courtyard affairs, with no one to guide her, she didn’t know that this small jade pendant had such a great origin. Please see clearly, Your Majesty.”
It seemed like she was taking all the blame upon herself, but in reality, she was making excuses for herself.
Compared to what she had done in the Lin Family, the most important thing now was not to offend His Majesty.
Otherwise, the crime of deceiving the emperor would mean even the He Family couldn’t protect her.
Although the He Family held no high positions and posed no threat to the court, they were deeply admired by scholars.
The He Family had no real power, yet it still needed to be considered.
“In that case, First Madam Lin was deceived by Concubine Lin and became an accomplice.”
He Sheng didn’t speak, which counted as acquiescence.
Jiang Ruanxi knew very well deep down that today was not the best time to topple the He Family.
If the He Family wasn’t implicated, they would certainly stand by and watch, and then Lin Tingting would face nothing but a dead end.
Seeing everyone silent, Emperor Qin was very satisfied. “In that case, the matter of the Sun Family concubine will be handled by the Sun Family and the Xiao Family themselves. I am tired; I am returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”
But as he left, he gave the Empress a deep look.
The Empress’s heart raced with fear, and she didn’t dare intervene in these matters anymore, naturally returning to Fengqi Palace as well.
“Empress, save me…” Seeing that the people who could help her had all left, Lin Tingting anxiously lunged forward, but the Sun Family people had already grabbed her, even stuffing something into her mouth.
Unfortunately, the Empress never looked at her from beginning to end, treating her like the plague and avoiding her.
Seeing that Emperor Qin and the Empress were unreliable, Lin Tingting could only look at He Sheng with eyes pleading for help, but He Sheng had just escaped danger and gained Emperor Qin’s trust—how could she help her?
So she gritted her teeth and could only avert her eyes elsewhere.
Yongning Marquis Manor erupted in fury. “Men, take this bitch back to the Sun Family.”
Seeing herself about to be dragged away, Lin Tingting could only look at Lin Qingxu, her eyes full of pleading.
After all, they were blood sisters, and Lin Qingxu’s heart softened, but before she could speak, Jiang Ruanxi spoke first. “Madam of Zhenguo Marquis, I heard that the Marquis of Zhenguo’s health has been gradually improving lately.”
These threatening words made Lin Qingxu swallow the words on the tip of her tongue.
The things Lin Tingting had done were all her own fault; she couldn’t be muddled and implicate Zhenguo Marquis Manor.
Now that the Marquis’s health was improving, he absolutely couldn’t be implicated.
Lin Tingting angrily glared at Jiang Ruanxi, as if blaming her for meddling, yet ignoring Qi Wu whose gaze followed her closely.
“Crown Princess, family misfortune—please forgive any offenses.”
“Yongning Marquis Manor is too polite. Concubine Lin’s matter is just her reaping what she sowed, unrelated to others.”
One sentence completely clarified the Eastern Palace’s stance toward Sun Tina: it wouldn’t affect her because of Lin Tingting.
Yongning Marquis Manor understood and was extremely grateful. “The Crown Princess is wise and just. This old minister is immensely grateful. For Concubine Lin committing such an outrageous act, this old minister will surely give the Crown Princess a satisfactory explanation.”
“Then I shall await good news from Yongning Marquis Manor.”
Amid Lin Tingting’s venomous gaze, Yongning Marquis Manor took her away, and Qi Wu quickly followed.
Sun Tina’s face also tightened. Although His Majesty said this was the Sun Family’s family matter to handle themselves.
But she knew very well deep down that this matter involved the Eastern Palace; neither the Crown Princess nor the Crown Prince would let her off.
So she awkwardly found an excuse to leave, leaving only Lin Qingxu and He Sheng.
Lin Qingxu naturally went without saying; she knew the person before her looked like Jiang Ruanxi but wasn’t actually Jiang Ruanxi, so she also found an excuse to leave, leaving only He Sheng at the scene.
Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, Jiang Ruanxi smiled casually. “What, does First Madam Lin still have words for this palace?”
“This subject wife was blind before and mistook the Crown Princess for my younger brother’s wife; that was this subject wife’s unintentional mistake.” He Sheng rarely set aside her arrogance, apologizing with a somewhat sincere expression.
Jiang Ruanxi had thought this person was always aloof and nothing could catch her eye, but now it seemed not necessarily so.
She was actually a bit curious about what exactly made that high-and-mighty person set aside her prized self-esteem.
“I only hope the Crown Princess won’t take it to heart. Forgive where possible.”
Jiang Ruanxi curved her lips. “First Madam Lin, can I take this as you begging me?”
The Eastern Palace wind carried a chill as it blew, also extinguishing He Sheng’s arrogance.
Finally, under Jiang Ruanxi’s teasing gaze, she finally lowered her head.
“Crown Princess, it is indeed me begging you. Please be magnanimous and not dwell on that matter. I dare guarantee that the future Lin Family, even the He Family, will not stand against you.”
“Is First Madam Lin negotiating terms with me?” Jiang Ruanxi said casually.
He Sheng didn’t speak; she had already made it very clear.
But Jiang Ruanxi smiled again. “It’s just a pity, First Madam Lin. The Lin Family has already declined now, and as for the He Family you mentioned, it’s not up to you. So your words bring me no benefit.”
