"Lin, Prince Lin?!"
Chen Kuishou looked at the handsome young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes in front of him, and his heart skipped a beat. He had already greeted Lu Fusheng's entire family in his heart.
Although he had never met the Prince of Lin, he knew he was not someone to be trifled with. Today, he encountered a murder case, and it was actually related to the Prince of Lin. Wasn't this Lu Fusheng clearly trying to trick him?
Chen Kuishou's heart sank slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He looked at the handsome, calm young man before him and said, "Your Highness, the Zhou family's son was poisoned to death. You were the only one present. Do you have anything to explain?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at Chen Kuishou, who was about thirty years old, dressed in a black robe and with a long sword at his waist. He had a restrained aura and his martial arts skills must be quite good.
Mitiansi?
Lin Jiangnian is no stranger to this organization.
An organization that was hated and feared by officials and civilians in the capital, similar to the Imperial Guard. Initially, it was established by the current emperor to strengthen his own rule. As the emperor began to retreat, the power of the Secret Heavenly Office gradually fell into the hands of the eunuchs around the emperor.
Now, the Secret Service has almost become a minion of the old eunuch in the palace, becoming a similar existence to the East Factory.
"Isn't this prince's explanation clear enough?"
Lin Jiangnian looked at him and said, "Could it be that you also think that this prince killed the person?"
"I dare not!"
Chen Kuishou's heart sank, and he felt that this case was extremely difficult.
The son of the Zhou family was murdered, and the biggest suspect was unexpectedly the Prince of Lin. Chen Kuishou instinctively felt something was wrong. Why did the Prince of Lin kill Zhou Huiguang for no reason?
Even if they wanted to kill, how could they do it so openly?
Chen Kuishou sensed something was amiss, but he hadn't found any clues yet. Many officials and aristocratic families present in the capital watched intently, waiting for him to solve the problem.
But, how to solve this problem?
Arrest Prince Lin?
After all, he is the Crown Prince. If he dares to arrest him, once anything goes wrong, he will be held responsible and will become the target of public criticism.
But if you don't catch...
So many eyes are staring at him now. In recent years, the Mi Tiansi has offended many officials in the capital. If this matter is not handled fairly, they will not miss this opportunity to attack the Mi Tiansi.
Thinking of this, Chen Kuishou was in a dilemma. Finally, he gritted his teeth and looked determined.
"Your Highness, Prince Lin, there are still many doubts in this case that have not been thoroughly investigated. I will definitely investigate and clear Your Highness's name. However..."
"Your Highness is the only person who witnessed the death of the young master of the Zhou family. If the murderer is at large, he is very likely to kill you to silence you. Please accompany me back to the Secret Heaven Division. By the way, I have some details about the murder of the young master of the Zhou family that I would like to ask you."
"Your Highness, what do you think?"
Chen Kuishou's answer was flawless. He used clever words to invite Lin Jiangnian back to the Secret Heaven Division.
On the one hand, it can shut everyone up, and on the other hand, it can give enough face to the Prince Lin.
Everyone is happy.
Lin Jiangnian looked at Chen Kuishou in front of him and had to say that this man was indeed capable and a talent.
As for a trip to Mi Tiansi, it was insignificant to him.
"Okay, then I'll follow you..."
Just as Lin Jiangnian nodded and was about to agree, a cold voice came from outside the crowd.
"no!"
At the same time, a graceful figure stepped into the room and spoke with a cold face.
Chen Kuishou turned around and saw a beautiful woman.
She was wearing a white and blue slim-fitting skirt, a mink fur long gown, and her jet-black hair was tied up with an exquisite hairpin, revealing a beautiful face full of mature temperament.
Everyone around was looking at her in amazement. Chen Kuishou was also slightly moved and quickly recognized the woman's identity and background.
Jiang Yuxiang!
The fourth young lady of the Jiangnan Jiang family!
Prince Lin’s… aunt!
At this moment, a hint of anger appeared on this exquisitely beautiful face as she walked into the room with a cool and graceful step. Her steps were light, yet they carried a certain unparalleled coolness that attracted everyone's attention.
She walked slowly to Lin Jiangnian. Lin Jiangnian looked at his aunt, who had her eyebrows slightly lowered than his, with an anxious and solemn expression on his face.
"Are you okay?"
With a concerned tone, he looked Lin Jiangnian up and down.
"It's okay." Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly.
Only after confirming that Lin Jiangnian was fine did Jiang Yuxiang feel relieved.
"You can't go with them." Jiang Yuxiang then said solemnly.
"Why?" Lin Jiangnian asked.
"You didn't kill anyone, why did you go?"
Jiang Yuxiang turned her head and glanced at Zhou Huiguang who was lying in a pool of blood not far away, with a hint of fear in her eyes.
She suddenly turned around and looked at Chen Kuishou standing beside her: "Chen Changqing, do you want to arrest my Jiang Nian?"
For some reason, the woman in front of him seemed to have an aura that overpowered him. Chen Kuishou was even a little afraid to confront her. He lowered his head slightly and explained, "Miss Jiang has misunderstood. We are just doing our usual thing..."
"What a routine!"
Jiang Yuxiang sneered: "Why did you take my Jiang Nian back with you when you were investigating the case at the Secret Heaven Division? Or do you really think he was the murderer of the Zhou family's son?"
Faced with such an aggressive questioning, Chen Kuishou broke out in a cold sweat: "We have absolutely no such intention!"
"That's not my intention. Why are you arresting him?"
Jiang Yuxiang asked coldly, "Could it be that you want everyone in the capital to think that my Jiang Nian is the murderer of Zhou Huiguang?!"
She was filled with anger.
If Lin Jiangnian were brought back to the Secret Heaven Division today, the news would surely spread throughout the capital tomorrow. By then, even if he hadn't killed Zhou Huiguang, few would believe it.
Being taken back to the Secret Heaven Division, it was almost assumed that he had committed homicide. Once public opinion spread in the capital, the truth would no longer matter, and the impact would be fatal!
Lin Jiangnian's reputation when he first arrived in the capital would be completely ruined and would be difficult to recover.
Jiang Yuxiang will never allow this to happen!
Chen Kuishou was sweating profusely. Just as he was about to explain something, he heard someone say, "Lin Jiangnian is the murderer!"
Jiang Yuxiang suddenly turned her head and stared expressionlessly at the young man in the crowd: "What evidence do you have?"
The young man was stared at by Jiang Yuxiang and subconsciously took a step back in fear.
"Need I say more? Everyone saw it. Who else could it be but him?"
"Where's the evidence?"
Jiang Yuxiang looked at him coldly.
The young man was speechless and asked where he got the evidence.
But does this require evidence?
"When the Zhou family's young master died, he was the only one present. Who else could the murderer be but him?"
In the crowd, an old man from an aristocratic family couldn't help but scold.
Jiang Yuxiang sneered: "Since you didn't see it with your own eyes, how can you conclude that he is the murderer?"
The old man was furious: "You are making a fuss. Who else could the murderer be if not him?"
Jiang Yuxiang said expressionlessly, "I'm afraid you're the one making such a fuss. You're making such a fuss without any evidence. Do you really think our Jiang family is easy to bully?"
Jiang Yuxiang turned around again, scanning the crowd one by one, and then sneered, "I know that most of the people here today are smart. Zhou Huiguang's death will be judged impartially. But if anyone dares to speak nonsense and slander him, don't blame me, Jiang Yuxiang, for being ruthless!"
It was quiet all around.
Jiang Yuxiang stood still, his cold tone and expressionless face almost shocking the entire audience.
Such behavior of protecting one's own child has made many people very angry.
"This Jiang Yuxiang is really a crazy woman. Does she really think this is her Jiangnan?"
"As expected of the Lin Wang Prince's aunt, it's true that people of the same family are alike..."
"She even dared to threaten us. This is simply too much..."
“…”
The crowd was buzzing with discussion and indignation, but no one stood up to voice a single word of opposition.
Nothing else.
The Jiang family was incredibly powerful in Jiangnan, and their influence in Beijing was not to be underestimated. Jiang Yuxiang was no pushover, and offending her would lead to bad consequences.
Now that Jiang Yuxiang has made it clear that he will protect Prince Lin, anyone who dares to stand up at this time will offend both the Jiang and Lin families at the same time, which is tantamount to seeking death.
Lin Jiangnian stood there, looking at the mature and beautiful face beside him, his expression dazed.
He didn't expect that this aunt would actually stand up at this time and stand on his side to help him, almost unreasonably. She had the attitude that if anyone dared to cause trouble for Lin Jiangnian, she would get angry with them.
Lin Jiangnian felt an indescribable emotion in his heart. He sighed softly and shook his head: "Aunt, it's not necessary."
He wasn't worried at all. Going to the Secret Heaven Division wouldn't have any impact on him. He also wanted to take this opportunity to catch the murderer who killed Zhou Huiguang.
But Jiang Yuxiang obviously didn't think so. She turned around and glanced at Lin Jiangnian, snorting coldly: "You are from my Jiang family. No one can bully you except me, your aunt!"
Lin Jiangnian was silent for a moment: "Auntie, aren't you afraid? Did I really kill Zhou Huiguang?"
"You won't."
Jiang Yuxiang curled her lips: "You don't seem like such a stupid person."
“…”
"Even if you killed him..."
After a pause, Jiang Yuxiang snorted softly, still expressionless: "Kill him if you want!"
"With Auntie here, no one can take you away!"
It is obvious that Jiang Yuxiang is very protective of her child.
Lin Jiangnian felt a little moved. Apart from anything else, this cheap aunt of his was indeed quite touching.
…
"Sir, look..."
At this time, Chen Kuishou was also in a dilemma and couldn't help but look back at Lu Fusheng.
If it were someone else, just catch him.
But this Prince Lin...can’t be caught!
What's more, there's Jiang Yuxiang standing in the way. Not to mention the consequences of offending the Jiang family, Jiang Yuxiang is said to be close to the current Empress. If they dare to take action, I'm afraid the imperial decree will come soon.
Lu Fusheng's brows were also furrowed, and his face looked gloomy and ugly.
Jiang Yuxiang stood in front of Lin Jiangnian, with an attitude of "let him try if he dares to touch him". Under such circumstances, the atmosphere gradually became tense.
Just then, a voice came from behind the crowd, breaking the deadlock.
"Since there is no direct evidence to indicate that the murderer of the Zhou family's son is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Lin, we should not jump to conclusions on this matter."
Outside the crowd, an elderly man in a gray robe spoke slowly.
"Mr. Zhao?"
Lu Fusheng was stunned for a moment, then he said, "According to what Mr. Zhao said, what should we do?"
The old man who spoke was named Zhao Jing.
Someone from the Zhao family in Beijing!
And he has another important identity.
Zhao Jing is a close confidant of the highly respected Prime Minister Zhao in the current court. He has been with Prime Minister Zhao for decades and is the person he is closest to and trusts most.
The Lu family is having a big wedding today, and Zhao Jing is here to attend the wedding on behalf of Prime Minister Zhao.
Zhao Jing's words often represented the intentions of Prime Minister Zhao. Because of this status, even Lu Fusheng had to respect him a little.
At this moment, Zhao Jing glanced at Lin Jiangnian who was not far away, and slowly said, "This matter is still unclear. It would not be too late to make a decision after the Secret Heaven Division has found out the truth. After all, today is Master Lu's family celebration, so it is better not to cause any unnecessary trouble..."
Lu Fusheng was silent for a moment, as if hesitating and considering something. After a while, he nodded and said, "Okay!"
"Since Mr. Zhao has said so, let's put this matter aside for now and deal with it after we find out the truth."
As he spoke, Lu Fusheng turned around and looked at Chen Kuishou. Chen Kuishou naturally understood quickly: "As the Minister said, I will definitely investigate the truth and make it public!"
The people around who were originally joining in the fun looked at each other in confusion.
Just, that’s it?
No more arrests?
On the other side, Li Qianlin and Gao Wenyang were extremely unwilling to accept this. Lin Jiangnian was obviously the murderer who hurt Zhou Huiguang. The evidence was conclusive, so why wasn't he arrested?
But seeing that even Minister Lu and Mr. Zhao had spoken, no one else dared to speak even if they had other ideas.
Both Minister Lu and Prime Minister Zhao behind Mr. Zhao are among the most senior officials in the Daning Dynasty!
“…”
The crisis of confrontation seemed to be resolved quietly as Mr. Zhao spoke.
But things are still far from over.
"let's go."
Seeing that the matter came to an end, Jiang Yuxiang finally breathed a sigh of relief, looked back at Lin Jiangnian, and prepared to take him away.
"Okay."
Lin Jiangnian nodded, glanced at Lu Fusheng, and chuckled, "Thank you, Lord Lu, for your hospitality today. If you have time someday, I will come visit you again, Lord Shangshu!"
Lu Fusheng glanced at Lin Jiangnian with a complicated expression, "Your Highness, Prince Lin, take care."
After Lin Jiangnian and Jiang Yuxiang left, Zhao Jing, standing by, bowed to Lu Fusheng and said, "Today is a great day for Lord Lu's family. I'm here on behalf of Prime Minister Zhao to congratulate Lord Lu. Prime Minister Zhao has important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. Lord Lu, please forgive me!"
Lu Fusheng said: "Since it is Prime Minister Zhao's order, I should prioritize official business!"
Zhao Jing bowed to Lu Fusheng, then said goodbye and left.
At the same time, after seeing Zhao Jing leave, some other people present also stood up and said goodbye and left one after another.
Soon, half of the figures around disappeared.
Lu Fusheng stood there, his face gradually becoming extremely ugly.
Outside the manor.
"Because you acted so recklessly, you almost got tricked to death without even seeing the Third Prince!"
In the side yard, next to the carriage, Jiang Yuxiang supported herself with one hand and pointed at Lin Jiangnian's head with the other, feeling very disappointed with him.
Lin Jiangnian, on the other hand, looked honest and obedient: "Yes, yes, my aunt is right."
"snort!"
Jiang Yuxiang glared at him angrily, "Let's see if you can continue to act so arrogantly in the future!"
Lin Jiangnian sighed, "I didn't expect him to be so cruel... He even dared to kill Zhou Huiguang."
Lin Jiangnian already had a guess as to who the murderer was.
But it still made him feel a little chilly.
Zhou Huiguang was the son of a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel, and even more so, his man. Who would have thought that he would be killed by such a ruthless and merciless man...
Lin Jiangnian was indeed careless!
This time, I never expected that his methods would be so cruel!
I still underestimated it!
Jiang Yuxiang's eyes also showed a trace of worry and fear: "He was indeed cruel and ruthless, you..."
She couldn't help but worry.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly.
After this lesson, he will no longer take chances.
Just then, a voice came from the side, interrupting their conversation.
"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Lin?"
Lin Jiangnian and Jiang Yuxiang turned their heads and saw a familiar old man standing in front of them.
"Mr. Zhao?"
Jiang Yuxiang was stunned. The person who appeared in front of her was none other than Mr. Zhao who had just been in the manor.
It was because of his words that Lin Jiangnian and Jiang Yuxiang were able to leave the manor smoothly.
"Old man, is there anything wrong?"
Lin Jiangnian asked, vaguely realizing something.
Zhao Jing looked at Lin Jiangnian and chuckled, "I've heard for a long time that His Royal Highness the Lin Prince is extraordinary. Seeing him today, he is indeed a handsome man..."
At this point, Zhao Jing suddenly paused: "My young lady wants to invite His Highness to a gathering at his mansion."
"I wonder if Your Highness would do me the honor?"
“…”