Chapter 217: Utterly Shameful

Chapter 217: Utterly Shameful

There is a saying that divine retribution is the wheel of heaven—commit too many evils, and the heavens will intervene.

Some days ago, Princess Jianing was accompanying the old Lady of the Li Kingdom on a pilgrimage when their carriage broke down. They alighted, waiting for the coachman to repair it.

It was then that they were startled by a bloodied figure in the wild grass by the roadside. The guards from the Li Kingdom's residence immediately went to investigate and found the man covered in knife wounds but still clinging to life.

The old Lady of the Li Kingdom, being a devout Buddhist, could not bear to leave the man to die and instructed her guards and servants to place him in a servants' carriage. They brought him to a temple, where they sought the monks' help in treating him.

"That man was indeed fortunate to have survived. Upon learning that he had been saved by the Lady of the Li Guo Gongfu, he immediately declared he had secrets to divulge."

"It turns out, this individual was a long-standing retainer of Lin Yuquan, having served him since Lin's days as a xiucai scholar. When Lin Yuquan came to the capital, his retainer followed."

"Over the years, although Lin Yuquan held the rank of a sixth-grade official, such a position was insignificant in the capital. Lin's life was not particularly smooth, often marked by relentless striving."

"Recently, he conceived a scheme for promotion through marital alliance. His eye fell on the legitimate daughter of a Military Department official of the capital, Zhang Daren, intending for her to wed his younger brother."

"However, the daughter of a fourth-grade official would not easily marry the brother of a sixth-grade official. Therefore, Lin resorted to underhanded tactics, plotting for his brother to preemptively consummate a relationship with Zhang Daren's daughter."

"Lin Yuquan’s brother, handsome and charming, easily attracted young maidens. He managed to seduce Zhang Daren's daughter, who adamantly declared she would marry none but him."

"Zhang Daren, of course, vehemently opposed this, declaring he would rather send his daughter to a nunnery than allow her to marry Lin Yuquan's brother."

"At this impasse, Lin Yuquan advised his brother to elope with Zhang Daren's daughter. After all, she was Zhang's flesh and blood; even if Zhang refused to intervene, his wife would not abandon her daughter and would eventually consent to the marriage."

"Eloping wasn’t as simple as running away; it required meticulous planning. Lin Yuquan entrusted this task to his retainer, who arranged everything accordingly. However, on the day of the elopement, Zhang Daren discovered the plot, confined his daughter at home, and punished Lin Yuquan."

"Now, Lin Yuquan is under house arrest, uncertain whether he will be allowed to resume his duties."

"Naturally, Lin Yuquan was furious, blaming his retainer for the plan’s failure. Furthermore, Zhang Daren threatened that if the affair were disclosed, he would ensure the annihilation of Lin's entire family."

"Fearful, Lin Yuquan decided to eliminate all servants privy to the matter, including this retainer. However, by a stroke of luck, he was rescued by Princess Jianing and the Lady of the Li Guo Gongfu."

"Bearing a grudge against Lin Yuquan, the retainer was determined to expose Lin's deeds, such as his collusion with Zhao Shirou in deceiving the Prince."

"Princess Jianing and the Lady of the Li Guo Gongfu were taken aback; fate had indeed taken a strange turn. After hearing the retainer’s story, the Lady embraced Princess Jianing, weeping, 'Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds eventually meet retribution. See, retribution has arrived.'"

"Even after recounting the story to the Prince, Princess Jianing still felt as if she were in a dream."

"After hearing the entire account, the Prince, purple-faced with rage, turned to Princess Jianing and asked, 'How did Lin Yuquan manage to secure his official position in the capital?'"

"Princess Jianing replied, 'Does Father not know the saying ‘money talks’? As for the source of his wealth, I believe Zhao Shirou would know.'"

"Summon them!"

"The Prince bellowed towards the door, and his retainer promptly entered. The Prince instructed, 'Bring Lin Yuquan here.'"

"The retainer, utterly bewildered, thought to himself, 'Who is Lin Yuquan?'"

At that moment, Li Jinghao rose to his feet, "Allow me to escort you."

Upon hearing this, the attendant's eyes swiveled, and with a smile, he said, "Certainly, but might the young master inform this servant, who exactly is Lin Yuquan?"

Jianning Princess sneered, "Father, is this the kind of servant you have? Does he listen to you, or to the Princess Consort?"

Duke End, already prone to anger and harboring resentment towards Zhao Shirou, could not tolerate such insolence from his servant. He sprung to his feet, drew the treasured sword from the wall, strode up to the attendant, and plunged it directly into his chest. The attendant fell to the ground with a cry of agony.

Witnessing the scene, Li Jinghao quickly shielded Jianning Princess from the gruesome sight, his own face turning pale with fright.

Duke End, indifferent to the chaos, pulled the sword out of the attendant's body and turned to Li Jinghao, demanding, "Lead the way."

"Father," Jianning Princess urgently rose to her feet and said, "It's one thing to kill a servant in your own house, but you cannot kill outside."

Even though he was a prince, and murdering Lin Yuquan wouldn't lead to serious consequences, it would still be a troublesome affair. If someone were to make a fuss about it, it was uncertain what the Emperor would say.

Moreover, if the incident were to escalate, not only would it bring disgrace upon Duke End's household, but it would also tarnish the royal family's reputation. She had realized that the Emperor was a man who cared deeply about his image.

"I won't kill him," Duke End sneered. "I want him to confront that vile woman."

With that, he strode out, followed by Li Jinghao and a dozen guards, riding out of the mansion gates.

Truth be told, Duke End was a thorough debauchee. A young rake in his earlier days, and an old one now. Having been the absolute authority in his fiefdom, he was accustomed to acting on a whim, especially now, in the throes of rage.

He lashed his whip violently, urging his horse to gallop at breakneck speed, indifferent to the disturbance he caused. Chaos reigned wherever he passed.

Some were indignant and wanted to confront him, but were promptly restrained and quietly informed that it was Duke End. Those inclined to challenge him instantly extinguished their ire.

Li Jinghao, following behind Duke End, blushed with shame. This was utterly humiliating.

Soon, the party arrived at Lin Yuquan's residence. Duke End dismounted, kicked the door open without a second thought, and several people immediately came out from inside.

Lin Yuquan, leading the group and shocked to see Duke End, promptly knelt and kowtowed, "This official pays his respects to Your Grace."

Duke End approached him, stepped on his head, and asked, "Do you recognize me?"

Lin Yuquan was startled, breaking out in cold sweat, suspecting that their plot might have been exposed. Trembling, he stammered, "This official hails from Yangchang County, within the jurisdiction of Your Grace's fief. I had the fortune to behold Your Grace once."

"Hmph," Duke End pressed down with his foot, knocking Lin Yuquan to the ground, and then bellowed, "Take him away!"