Lin Ze sat there without a word, his back straight, his gaze fixed on his daughter.
Although Madam Xu disliked this Lin Yanxi, she didn't want Lin Yanxi to truly die. Moreover, if she died because of this matter, it would still implicate the Grand Tutor's mansion. Her expression was also unpleasant.
She held Lin Ze's hand and comforted him, "My Lord, don't worry, the second young lady will be safe and sound."
"Yes, Lin... Second Sister, she's always been steady in her actions. Don't worry too much," Lin Shibai said from the side.
He and Lin Yanxi didn't have any deep-seated hatred. It was all just trivial matters within the mansion. They were family, after all. He didn't want Lin Yanxi to get into trouble because of this. Besides, it was precisely because of Lin Yanxi's reminder a while ago that he was confined to the mansion and thus avoided those creditors.
Later, he heard that Lin Yanxi had quietly found someone to settle those debts.
Lin Ze cast a sideways glance at Lin Shibai, a rare hint of relief appearing on his face, "Now you know to care about your sister."
Lin Shibai replied, "Of course. We are family, aren't we, Yuan'er."
Lin Yuan sat at the very end. The pupils of her eyes deepened slightly, and a hint of vicious anticipation was hidden in her gaze towards Lin Yanxi. Hearing Lin Shibai suddenly speak to her, she gave an unnatural cold laugh and nodded.
The group fell silent again, their attention returning to Lin Yanxi.
The Crown Prince sat to the side and said, "Father Emperor, we have waited for a long time and not a drop of rain has fallen. We should quickly pass judgment and let the commoners disperse."
Several old ministers who sided with the Crown Prince began to subtly pressure, "Yes, Your Majesty. This Lin Yanxi is truly audacious to dare to deceive Your Majesty with this matter."
"Your Majesty, this woman should be arrested and punished directly!"
Just then, Lin Yanxi suddenly stood up. She performed a bow and said, "Your Majesty, this rain cannot be summoned."
Emperor Nanmin narrowed his eyes in fury, saying with a hint of danger, "You dare to play tricks on me!"
Seeing the Emperor's anger, Shen Qingyun's face involuntarily revealed a cold smile.
She shook her head, showing no signs of panic, "Your humble subject dares not. Heaven has shown that there is a person in Nanmin, who holds a high position yet harms the common people, causing Nanmin to suffer immensely. This is why this tribulation has befallen us."
"If this person is not removed, rain cannot be summoned!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the previously quiet crowd erupted, discussing the matter.
Emperor Nanmin asked with disbelief, "Who is this person?"
Lin Yanxi's skin was fair and smooth. The sunlight cast a soft golden halo upon her. The fine hair by her ears swayed gently in the wind. She calmly surveyed everyone present, her gaze finally settling on the Crown Prince.
Shen Qingyun, unaware of what was happening, felt her gaze and his brows furrowed in panic. He sat there, forcing himself to remain calm.
She slowly raised her arm, pointing at Shen Qingyun, but her eyes did not look at him. Instead, she looked at the commoners below and said, "It is him, the current Crown Prince, Shen Qingyun!"
The Crown Prince slammed the table and stood up with a ‘swish,’ pointing at her and saying, "You are talking nonsense! Stop playing your little tricks here."
After he spoke, he looked at the commoners below the Fengshen Platform. The commoners below whispered among themselves, discussing recent events in hushed tones, yet not daring to look directly at the divine platform.
Lin Yanxi turned to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, Heaven has shown this. Everything is at Your Majesty's discretion."
Emperor Nanmin's deep eyes swept across the crowd and he spoke, "With just a few words, you wish to accuse the Crown Prince. Lin Yanxi, do you truly think all of this is child's play!"
Shen Muzhou walked to the center of the Fengshen Platform and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Dark Night Division has been investigating the matter of disaster relief and found many discrepancies. Local officials controlled water sources and sold them at exorbitant prices, causing the common people to suffer greatly. The mastermind behind all of this is His Highness the Crown Prince. Due to the urgency of time, we have not yet had the opportunity to present this to Your Majesty."
"This is the evidence of his crime!" As he spoke, he took out a thick stack of testimonies from his sleeve.
Seeing this, Shen Qingyun walked onto the Fengshen Platform, performed a bow, and said, "Your son is wronged, Father Emperor. This is all a deliberate frame-up against your son."
"Your son has never done such a heinous deed."
As soon as he finished speaking, the clear sky suddenly turned dark and gloomy, with dark clouds piling up on the horizon.
"Heavens, look! The sky has changed. It's going to rain!"
"The government sold water at high prices, a ladle of water cost one tael of silver. We were driven to desperation, how many people died! This is all the Crown Prince's fault!"
"The Crown Prince has made us suffer, yet as the Crown Prince, he has done such a thing."
The murmurs from below grew louder and louder. The commoners, seeing the sky darken, their accusations grew even more fervent.
Emperor Nanmin stared at the items in Shen Muzhou's hand and said, "Present the evidence."
The eunuch took the papers from Shen Muzhou and presented them to the Emperor with both hands.
Emperor Nanmin took the papers and flipped through two pages. His expression grew colder and more stern with each page.
Seeing the Emperor's displeased expression, the Crown Prince quickly said, "Your Majesty, Father Emperor! Your son is innocent. Those so-called testimonies are all slander!"
Lin Yanxi spoke, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, for the sake of the common people, for Nanmin, it is best to turn back soon and not persist in your errors."
In the eyes of the commoners, Lin Yanxi was now like a celestial maiden. Hearing her words, their indignation also flared.
"We implore Your Majesty to uphold justice for the people of Nanmin! Only by convicting the Crown Prince can we obtain divine forgiveness. A torrential rain is coming."
The emotions of the commoners below were stirred, and the scene became chaotic. Someone took the lead in shouting, "We implore Your Majesty to uphold justice for the people of Nanmin!"
"We implore Your Majesty to uphold justice for the people of Nanmin!"
Emperor Nanmin sat on his high throne, looking down upon the commoners below, his expression inscrutable.
A thunderclap boomed from the rolling dark clouds overhead, like a tear in the sky, accompanied by a flash of lightning.
The commoners, seeing the lightning, their voices grew louder and their emotions more fervent.
"We implore Your Majesty to convict the Crown Prince!"
"We implore Your Majesty to convict the Crown Prince!"
Lin Yanxi watched the lightning flash, her hand tightening slightly within her sleeve. She remembered that in her past life, after this thunderclap, it had rained for several days soon after.
However, the Emperor had not yet expressed his stance. If heavy rain were to fall, everything that had happened before would be rendered baseless.
Emperor Nanmin looked at Shen Muzhou and after a long silence said, "Guards, seize the Crown Prince. This matter will be handled by the Dark Night Division."
The guards from the Dark Night Division surrounded them.
Shen Qingyun did not expect things to escalate to this point. He was stunned for a moment, then rushed to the center of the Fengshen Platform, knelt on the ground, and shouted, "Your son is innocent, Father Emperor, your son is innocent."
He turned and pointed at the crowd below the Fengshen Platform, saying, "What Heaven's will! Ignorance! Foolishness!"
Lin Yanxi sneered and said, "You used fate to try and condemn me to death, and now it has come to you, and you are unwilling to obey Heaven's will."
Shen Qingyun took a few steps forward and lunged at Lin Yanxi, "It's you, it's all your scheme, you want to harm me, Father Emperor! She wants to harm your son!"
Shen Muzhou stepped forward and kicked him to the ground.
The Empress, seeing this, also knelt on the ground and said, "Lin Yanxi's heart is punishable. Your Majesty, do not be deceived by her tricks."
Shen Qingyun cried out, "Mother Empress save me, Mother Empress."
The muffled thunder continued to rumble in the sky, the wind and rain imminent.
Emperor Nanmin lowered his gaze to the woman kneeling at his feet, then looked at Shen Qingyun, "Mother and son, how much more of my face, the face of the royal family, are you going to disgrace before you stop!"
"Seize them!"
His voice lowered slightly as he said, "If you truly cannot bear to part with your son, then shed your position as Empress and go to the Dark Night Division with him."
The Empress's hands tightly gripped Emperor Nanmin's imperial robe. Upon hearing this, she froze for a moment, released his robe, withdrew her hand, and a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
Fine drops of rain began to fall on the ground.
"It's raining! It's really raining!"
The commoners looked excitedly at the raindrops falling from the sky onto their faces, opening their mouths to catch the water.
"Finally, it's raining! Nanmin's drought can be saved!"
Emperor Nanmin stretched out his hand, letting the raindrops fall into his palm. The young eunuchs quickly unfurled yellow silk umbrellas to shield the Emperor from the rain.
He smiled and helped her up, saying, "That's right. The Empress should always be mindful of her words and actions."
Holding the umbrellas, the young eunuchs walked with the Emperor. Emperor Nanmin took a few steps forward and addressed the commoners, "The people of Nanmin can rest assured. I will not shield the Crown Prince in this matter. It has already been handed over to the Dark Night Division for investigation, and a result will be announced soon..."
He said some words to pacify the people.
The commoners shouted a few times, "Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years!"
He stood there, clad in his dragon robe, looking majestic and benevolent.
Xiao Liu promptly handed over a paper umbrella. Shen Muzhou took it, opened it, and held it over Lin Yanxi, while he himself was largely exposed to the rain.
As the guards from the Dark Night Division escorted the Crown Prince away, Lin Ruoyan rushed onto the Fengshen Platform. She murmured, "Brother Crown Prince."
Shen Qingyun glanced at her and said, "Forget about me."
Lin Ruoyan shook her head and grabbed his sleeve, saying, "Brother Crown Prince, I believe you. I believe you are innocent."
"Little sister!" Lin Yanxi quickly walked to Lin Ruoyan's side.
Shen Muzhou followed behind her.
She looked at Shen Qingyun, a cold smile playing on his lips, like a blooming poppy, her eyes flashing with a sense of triumphant revenge, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, how does losing feel?"
Shen Qingyun's gaze shifted from Lin Ruoyan, and he gave a knowing smile, "Lost?"
"Take him away," Shen Muzhou said.
Shen Qingyun was escorted out of the Fengshen Platform by the guards from the Dark Night Division.
"Brother Crown Prince, Brother Crown Prince." Lin Ruoyan tried to chase after him, but Lin Yanxi pulled her back.
"Enough! Yan'er, don't you understand yet? Everything that happened today was orchestrated by him, and so were his actions that harmed the common people."
Lin Ruoyan broke free from her hand and retorted, "Harm the common people?"
She looked at the cheering commoners, who showed no sign of having been harmed!
"I only see you using superstition to incite the commoners to frame him!"
Lin Yanxi truly did not expect her to say this. She supposed that after being sent away to study, Lin Ruoyan had remained in the Grand Tutor's mansion upon her return. Even when she occasionally went out, it was with the Crown Prince, so naturally, she did not witness the suffering of the common people.
"Come with me!" Lin Yanxi dragged Lin Ruoyan towards Lin Ze.
"Let go of me, let go of me!" Lin Ruoyan struggled, but still followed her sister towards Lin Ze.
Upon reaching Lin Ze, Lin Yanxi let go of her hand and said, "The Crown Prince approached you for the sake of the Grand Tutor's mansion's influence. He doesn't like you at all."
"Oh, Yanxi ah." Lin Ze interrupted.
Lin Yanxi glared at her father. Lin Ze did not continue to interrupt. She said, "Father, look at Yan'er, what has she become, and you still won't let me speak the truth! Lin Ruoyan, remember this, the only people in this world who truly care about you are me and Father."
"The Crown Prince does not like you, nor is he a good person. I have no prejudice or misunderstanding towards him. You can be willful, you can be spoiled, and as your elder sister, I am willing to dote on you and cherish you. But you cannot distinguish between good and bad, twist right and wrong, and turn a blind eye to the suffering of the common people."
Lin Ruoyan's tears continued to fall, "Sister, I was wrong. I shouldn't have spoken like that. Please let Brother Crown Prince go."
Lin Yanxi: "..."
She suddenly felt a sense of helplessness, like a mother whose child wouldn't listen.
"No!" she said angrily, "You will stay in the mansion for the next few days to reflect. You are not allowed to go anywhere. Think carefully about what I have told you."