Two sedan chairs stopped simultaneously. The carriers carefully lowered the front poles, retreating silently into the distance as Fan Jian and Chen Pingping had done during their meeting. The chair heads naturally tilted forward, which should have made the occupants inside uncomfortable, but strangely, neither the Prime Minister nor the person in the other chair emerged to greet each other.

Instead, the chair heads faced each other and bowed, like two friends exchanging greetings, or a bridal couple kowtowing to heaven and earth before entering their wedding chamber.

"Ruo Fu, don't be too grieved," a soft, delicate voice finally sounded from the opposite chair. It was actually the Eldest Princess herself, who had come from the palace to see her lover of many years ago!

Hearing this familiar voice, the Prime Minister in his chair frowned slightly, as if reminded of events from long ago. He said calmly, "The Eldest Princess is concerned about my family affairs. I am deeply grateful."

Hearing his aloof words, the Eldest Princess's voice immediately became mournful. "Why must you bring up the distinction between sovereign and subject between us? Why do you speak so coldly today?"

A cold laugh came from the Prime Minister's chair. "Your Highness, Ruo Fu is incompetent, but I do not wish to become a piece of dough for Your Highness to knead at will."

Silence fell over the other sedan chair. She seemed unable to believe that he would say such hurtful words. After a long while, she replied with a sorrowful tone, "What do you mean, Ruo Fu? Although Gong'er is not my child, I always send gifts to your residence during festivals. I cherish him as you do... Am I, a princess of the realm, merely your punching bag? Very well... You are not in a good mood today. Let us speak no more for now."

Lin Ruo Fu suddenly snorted and said, "My meeting with the Eldest Princess today is precisely to tell you that I have agreed to Chen'er's marriage in October."

...

...

Outside the palace walls, it was pitch black, with only the lantern placed beside the Eldest Princess's chair emitting a faint glow. The prolonged silence was enough to confirm the shock and anger that filled the heart of the seemingly fragile woman within the chair. After a long time, the Eldest Princess's voice, as crisp as the bitterest winter wind, pierced through the chair curtains: "That is my daughter! I will not let her marry that little bastard from the Fan family." The Eldest Princess had always presented a frail image both inside and outside the palace, but now her words were surprisingly ruthless.

"Can you... overrule His Majesty?" Lin Ruo Fu's voice inexplicably carried a hint of self-reproach and self-pity. "Besides... His Majesty has made it known to the world that Chen'er is my daughter, which dooms her to a less-than-honorable role."

The Eldest Princess's voice immediately returned to its previous plaintive beauty. "Are you truly so heartless..."

Lin Ruo Fu found this tone of hers disgusting. He said with revulsion, "If the Princess is worried about the Imperial Treasury, it is no longer within my consideration."

The Eldest Princess said in a trembling voice, "If you do not consider it, who will? I am a mere woman, alone in the palace. Has it been easy for me all these years?"

Inside his chair, Lin Ruo Fu's face was contorted with disgust. "I have a daughter, yet I cannot see her except for occasional glimpses during grand court banquets. What kind of father am I! And I had a son... but..." His voice trembled. "... but he died tragically. Is this what you call my future? This is merely the power that you desire. You were unwilling to marry a consort who could never rise above his station and live a quiet life. Am I supposed to thank you for all this?"

Hearing these words, the Eldest Princess was filled with rage. She cried out sharply, "Lin Ruo Fu, now that things have come to this, you speak such nonsense! If you were truly unwilling, why did you not speak up when you were appointed as a censor in the Censorate? Why were you not unhappy when you entered the Hanlin Academy? Why did you not feel guilty when I obtained the substantive position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel for you? You did not remember my kindness as you steadily rose through the ranks, but now, at the slightest adversity, you vent all your anger on me!"

"Very well, Rui'er." As the Eldest Princess's voice grew louder, Lin Ruo Fu's voice became calmer, but his words were filled with venom. "I would rather you be such a shrew than forever putting on that pathetic act. Do you know how disgusting it is?"

The Eldest Princess was too angry to speak.

"I have decided on Chen'er's marriage. I have observed Fan Xian. Regardless of what kind of person he is, he is at least someone who is not easy to kill." Lin Ruo Fu said coldly, "I do not want my daughter to become a widow."

The Eldest Princess rebuked, "Are you out of your mind today? Gong'er has just been murdered, and you are already rushing to win over the Fan family. Do you really believe what that old dog Chen Pingping said? How could a figure like Si Gu Jian come to the capital to kill someone! Perhaps Fan Jian is the mastermind behind it."

Lin Ruo Fu said coldly, "It was my son who died. Do you think I did not see his last moments? Those wounds cannot be concealed. Si Gu Jian's sword intent is fierce but also capricious. Even if I am mistaken, the one in my residence would not be."

Seeing that she could not persuade him, the Eldest Princess softened her tone and pleaded, "Wait for me to investigate further. Even if you do not pity me, do not let Chen'er marry into the Fan family."

After a moment of silence, Lin Ruo Fu finally spoke. "Wu Bo'an proposed a plan to assassinate Fan Xian to me. I did not agree, but I did not expect that he would persuade the foolish Gong'er."

The Eldest Princess fell silent, knowing that it would be difficult to convince him that she had nothing to do with this matter.

"Wu Bo'an is your man." Lin Ruo Fu's voice was so cold that it seemed to freeze the sedan chair curtains swaying in the night wind. "I have always known that he is your man. He is the one you use to monitor me, but I never thought that my son would die because of you. Therefore, let us end it here."

The night wind gradually rose around the Imperial City. One green chair slowly disappeared into the darkness, while a lantern fell powerlessly beside another solitary chair. From within, the sound of a woman sobbing could be faintly heard.

Trembling with fear, a eunuch stepped forward. A palace maid held up a lantern beside him, and the group slowly entered the palace through a corner gate.

The chair traveled for a long time before arriving at the Guangxin Palace, where the Eldest Princess was temporarily residing. The chair curtains were lifted, and the Eldest Princess, her face covered in tears, stepped out. The eunuchs and palace maids quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look up. The Eldest Princess walked weakly up the stone steps, finally wiping away the tears on her face. Suddenly, she smiled sweetly, displaying a delicate grace like a willow after the dew, and said timidly, "Kill them all."

Several streaks of blue light flashed! Before the eunuchs could beg for mercy, they were killed by the palace maids close to the Eldest Princess, who slit their throats with short knives hidden in their sleeves. Inside the night palace, corpses fell to the ground, making slight thuds.

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The Prime Minister's residence was not the largest in Kyoto, but it was the wealthiest. Neither Prince Jing nor the Tianling Marquis family, with their generations of wealth, could compare to the Prime Minister's residence. The main gate and decorations of the Prime Minister's residence did not appear particularly lavish, but those who truly understood could immediately see that the furnishings inside were all high-end items that had concealed their flamboyant appearance, leaving only their inherent value. Just a few chairs could probably be exchanged for the entirety of Prince Jing's nursery.

Of course, our comparison naturally excludes the Emperor's residence, which is called the Imperial Palace. Who would dare to compare to that fellow?

Lin Ruo Fu was able to accumulate so much wealth in just over twenty years. The world knew that he was greedy and treacherous, but His Majesty always turned a blind eye, which was a very confusing thing.

After passing through the front hall and exchanging greetings with the civil officials who had come to offer their condolences, Lin Ruo Fu, looking somewhat haggard, walked into the inner residence. The officials knew that the Prime Minister was in low spirits and did not want to disturb him, so they took their leave one after another. Only a few officials with urgent business waited anxiously. Lin Ruo Fu seemed to remember them, walked back, asked what had happened, and, forcing himself, dealt with the matters at hand before wearily waving them away. When these officials left the Prime Minister's residence, they were both self-reproachful and deeply moved. The Prime Minister, having suffered such a tragedy, was still prioritizing official duties, truly a pillar of the state.

Arriving at the inner residence and entering his study, Lin Ruo Fu sat at his desk, not speaking for a long time.

"My lord, it does not seem appropriate to fall out with the Crown Prince at this time." Yuan Hongdao, the Prime Minister's closest friend and most trusted advisor, handed him a cup of tea. Yuan Hongdao was wearing plain clothes today. Seeing Lin Ruo Fu forcing himself, he could not help but feel a pang in his heart. He said, "Let us not talk about these things for now. My lord, please rest first."

Lin Ruo Fu shook his head, his wrinkles filled with deep sorrow. He said softly, "Now that things have come to this, for the sake of all the nephews and nieces in this residence, as well as the Lin clan, I must plan a way forward."