Xiao Lan shook her head, “I don’t think so. I made up an excuse, saying I had a headache, and managed to shake her off. But she might realize once news of the Imperial Concubine Jing spreads tomorrow.”
Lin Feilu smiled, “Even then, what could she do? Would she dare to tell the truth? Rather than that, I’m sure she will never approach our Mingyue Palace ever again.”
Everything that the palace maid said was just a ruse to trick Xiao Lan into following her. Imperial Concubine Jing knew that Xiao Lan missed her mother over the years, that was how she instructed the palace maid to borrow Madam Xiao’s name to trick her into the bamboo forest that everyone would pass by on their way to the Stargazing Court.
Imperial Concubine Jing arranged for the palace guard to hide inside, and when the time came, he would drag Xiao Lan into the bamboo forest.
If Lin Feilu did not read the message that came with the pebble, Xiao Lan would have been caught in Imperial Concubine Jing’s trap. The one facing persecution tonight could have been Xiao Lan instead.
Imperial Concubine Jing’s viciousness made sure that anyone implicated in this setup would not make it out alive.
What she did could have destroyed Xiao Lan and her family’s lives. As the saying goes, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; although it was cruel, all Lin Feilu did was just to return the ‘favor’.
When Lin Feilu first met with the palace guard, initially he was not willing to talk. It was not until the five-year-old girl calmly revealed the details of the plan that he eventually panicked.
He entered the palace and worked as a guard in order to make a living for his two younger sisters who were his only family. One of the younger sisters was already dead. Now there was only one left and she worked as a servant in the Imperial Concubine Jing’s residence. In order to protect his sister, he had no choice but to follow Imperial Concubine Jing’s orders.
Lin Feilu recalled what she said to him, “Your sister is faultless, but what about my mother and me? Are we not innocent too? To use such a vicious method to harm my mother, my brother, and me. This could even affect the entire Xiao family. Don’t you feel guilty about it at all?”
The guard did not speak, all he could do was to ceaselessly kowtow before her.
She was not angry, instead helped him up and spoke calmly, “What’s more, do you really believe that she will treat your sister well in the future? If you frame my mother, surely you won’t be able to avoid a death sentence. After you die, your sister will be the only one left in the world. Imperial Concubine Jing would suspect you may have told your sister about her plans. What do you think she will do to your sister after you die?”
The guard listened nervously. He was prepared to commit fraud because he cared for his sister. However, Lin Feilu’s words made him realize the path he was on was a true dead end.
But he could not turn back anymore. If he did not do this, Imperial Concubine Jing would find someone else to do it. Then, since he had already learned about this plan, knowing Imperial Concubine Jing, it was certain that she would attempt to silence him and his sister.
So he agreed to listen to Lin Feilu’s counterplan.
Lin Feilu told him, “Imperial Concubine Jing forced you into a villain’s role for the sake of harming others. All I’m suggesting is to let you play the villain’s role to protect my family. I never meant to harm anyone, but just like you, I just want to keep my loved ones safe. After you die, Imperial Concubine Jing will be banished to the cold palace. Everyone in Zhaoyang Palace would disband and be sent to other palaces. I will request for your sister to be sent to Mingyue Palace. I guarantee I will protect her for as long as I live.”