"Speak, what is it!"
Nan Chaoyin and Nan Yujin entered the study one after the other. Nan Chaoyin sat behind the desk and motioned for Nan Yujin to sit down and report.
Nan Yujin said, "Father, it's like this..." He recounted every event that had happened since he left home, omitting only one detail: that Nan Yuqing might not have been killed by Nan Shiying!
"What did you say?"
"The attendant by your side is a spy from Dali? You were almost killed today on the pleasure boat at Huancai Pavilion?" No wonder he insisted on going to Li Wan Pavilion to find him despite the late hour. If such a major incident had occurred and he hadn't come to him immediately, Nan Chaoyin would have thought his son had other intentions.
However, hearing this now, Nan Chaoyin was more concerned about another matter: "You said Ji Jinmo and Nan Shiying saved you and allowed you to participate in the interrogation in the Prince's Mansion dungeon?"
Nan Yujin nodded, "And it seems that Ji Jinmo truly favors Nan Shiying."
Nan Chaoyin calculated the time. It seemed that as soon as Qing Yuan returned to the mansion, Ji Jinmo had brought her out to the pleasure boat to save Yujin. Fortunately, Qing Yuan had returned in time. It seemed that in the future, Qing Yuan should not be allowed to leave the Prince's Mansion easily unless there was a major event, to avoid Ji Jinmo discovering any clues.
"By the way, Father, there's one more thing..."
"What matter?"
"The attendant by my side confessed one person."
"Who?"
"Qin Qiancheng!"
"Who?"
"General Qin Qiancheng, under Ji Jinmo!"
Nan Chaoyin was silent for a long time. Just as Nan Yujin thought he would continue to remain silent, Nan Chaoyin spoke, "Did Ji Jinmo warn you?"
Nan Yujin shook his head, "No!"
"Before I left, neither Ji Jinmo nor Nan Shiying threatened me."
"I understand!"
Nan Chaoyin understood Ji Jinmo's intention. This was deliberately letting Yujin convey the message to him. As for the purpose, it was clearly to temporarily ease the internal conflicts within Linyuan and present a united front against the outside.
Nan Chaoyin said to Nan Yujin, "You may go down. Remember not to mention anything about today to anyone. As for the attendant by your side... he will return to your side tomorrow."
Nan Yujin was a little confused. What did he mean by "will return to my side"?
Did Father intend to get the person back from Ji Jinmo? But setting aside whether Father could get the person back, the fact that he was a spy from Dali alone meant he absolutely could not be allowed to remain in the Nan Mansion!
Seeing the doubt on his face, Nan Chaoyin did not want to explain further. He waved his hand, signaling him to rise and take his leave. His son was good in every way, except that his mind was too rigid and not intelligent enough.
Nan Yujin hid his confusion in his heart and did not dare to ask more. He got up to take his leave. When he reached the door, his footsteps paused slightly. He turned to look at Nan Chaoyin, his mouth opening as if he had something to say but hesitated.
"Is there anything else?"
Under the dim candlelight, Nan Chaoyin's face flickered. His deep, cold eyes were like the swamps of the abyss, capable of dragging anyone who ventured in to hell.
The words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back by Nan Yujin. Then he felt that this kind of hesitation would make his deeply calculating father speculate, so he found a perfunctory excuse: "Household affairs..."
After hearing just two words, a trace of impatience flashed in Nan Chaoyin's eyes. He raised his hand to stop Nan Yujin from speaking further, "Tomorrow morning, I will have someone send the key to the mansion's storeroom to your mother. Although men should not concern themselves with trivial matters of the inner court, your mother's health has just recovered, so you should help her. If you encounter any insolent servants like today, kill them!"
"Yes, your son understands!" Nan Yujin nodded, took his leave again, and pushed open the door to leave.
Outside the door, as the cold wind blew, Nan Yujin belatedly felt a chill. He quickly returned to his courtyard, locked the door, and lay on the bed fully clothed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He asked himself: Why did he hide that matter about Yuqing? Was it out of fear that his father would be in a difficult position, or fear... fear of realizing that his father actually knew the truth all along.
He didn't know if he would lose his mind and commit patricide if he found out that his father had always known the truth but had concealed it for Liu Shi and Nan Yuan'er.
Nan Yujin slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, only determination and coldness remained in his eyes.
He would not test his father.
He would find the truth from Liu Shi and restore the truth!
Father, I hope you are unaware!
...
During the morning court, Ji Hong again brought up the matter of the two marriages.
"My esteemed officials, do you have any suitable candidates in mind?" Ji Hong's gaze swept over them. The ministers lowered their heads one after another. Candidates? Linyuan and Dali appeared to be on good terms on the surface, but they had many private disputes. Which family would be willing to take on such a great burden?
It was better to have one less thing to worry about now. They didn't want to be targeted by the Emperor and have someone forced into their households.
"Imperial Uncle, what do you think?"
Seeing that the ministers remained silent, Ji Hong turned his gaze to Ji Jinmo.
Ji Jinmo sneered, "Your Majesty, as the ruler of a nation, why do you need to discuss such matters with your officials? Just bestow the marriage directly. It's nothing more than a small matter. This subject doesn't understand what Your Majesty is hesitating about!"
Hearing Ji Jinmo's words, the ministers couldn't help but feel a pang in their teeth. Since the matter wouldn't fall upon you, you're standing and talking without pain!
However, they only dared to complain in their hearts, and none of them, with their wits about them, dared to retort to the Prince's words.
They cherished their lives!
"Imperial Uncle, what you said is different. This concerns the friendship between our Linyuan and Dali. How can it be a small matter?" Ji Hong refuted as usual, his tone neither light nor heavy, but clearly showing great dissatisfaction with Ji Jinmo's attitude.
"If that's the case, why is Your Majesty asking this subject?" Ji Jinmo said mockingly.
Cold words, sharp tongue.
In the hall, no one spoke, and the silence was so profound that one could hear a pin drop.
Ji Hong sighed slightly. This play had made the ministers of Linyuan even more devoid of spirit. However, he couldn't have it both ways and be insatiably greedy, so he could only maintain the status quo for now.
His thoughts raced a thousand times in his mind, but on the surface, he appeared to be filled with righteous anger that he had to suppress, with a cold face and a voice that involuntarily rose, "Since my esteemed officials have no suitable candidates, then very well, I will personally select a Linyuan talent to marry the princess."
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers who had suitable candidates in their families panicked. If His Majesty personally selected someone, and it fell upon their own children, it would be a fait accompli. To defy His Majesty's bestowal of marriage would be a crime of confiscating their homes and exterminating their clans!