Chapter 161: The Prime Minister’s Grave Was Dug

Chapter 161: The Prime Minister's Grave Was Dug

Northman was helping two townsfolk carry heavy logs onto their shoulders nearby when he felt someone's eyes on him and looked up.

Honestly, he was a bit wary of Lin Buhuai.

Perhaps due to inner guilt, Qiu Niang's death made him realize that the Lin family could never forgive him.

So over the years, he had not had much contact with Lin Buhuai.

"Come here!" Xiao Yue called out to Northman, waving him over.

Northman walked up and bowed to Lin Buhuai. "Prime Minister Lin!"

"The Prime Minister of Beiling is already dead," Lin Buhuai said.

"Since I don't call you Prime Minister Lin anymore, I'll call you Father-in-law," Xiao Yue said.

Lin Buhuai snorted, flicked his sleeves, and turned to climb the mountain.

The townsfolk around them watched the old man climb up, curiously making way for him. Some even reminded him to be careful, as the steps were slippery.

This small exchange of kindness made Lin Buhuai's expression soften a little, as if something was beginning to sprout in his heart.

On the mountain, Ci Xin and Master Jing'en were picking mushrooms.

The bald monk and the young man in white stood out in the crowd.

"Baldy, don't snatch this one, okay? I found it. I'll ask Xiao Xi'er later about this beautiful mushroom. Is it highly toxic, and what will happen if eaten?" Ci Xin said, holding a large mushroom with a red cap and white stem.

"Don't bother my young master with everything. She's just a child," Master Jing'en protested, reaching out to grab it. "Clearly, a red cap and white stem, it's deadly!"

"Then I'll eat it and see," Ci Xin said, taking a bite of the mushroom.

"Hey, you..." Master Jing'en immediately stepped forward and grabbed Ci Xin. "Are you crazy? Spit it out right now! If you get poisoned, it could be serious!"

"Haha, after all these years, have you been a fool, old monk? Don't you know I was raised on poison?" Ci Xin laughed heartily and continued eating the mushroom.

Lin Buhuai raised his eyebrows at the scene but didn't bother with them, heading in the other direction.

He had visited Haiyue City before, staying in the city for only a day, but he had spent time on this mountain.

At that time, several nearby cities had jointly petitioned the emperor, saying they had no livelihood, struggled to get by, and couldn't eat or dress warmly.

The court sent investigators multiple times, but they found no evidence to support the claims.

Later, Lin Buhuai came and saw wild flowers and grass everywhere, but no food crops. The townsfolk were controlled and didn't speak the truth. He repeatedly urged the emperor in court to pay attention to the situation in Haiyue and Haitian cities.

But at that time, Ye Bai controlled the entire court, and no matter how hard he tried, it was useless. His family was even threatened by Ye Bai.

Even his second daughter, Lin Ruoyue, came back to say he was too rigid and told him not to harm her status in the royal family.

The issue was eventually abandoned without resolution.

Seeing it again today, the flowers and grass on the mountain were gone. The soil had been turned over, covered with a layer of snow that was slowly melting under the sunlight.

Some townsfolk were testing the soil with silver needles, and seeing the needles didn't turn black, they smiled with relief.

"This patch has a lot of snow, which has neutralized the toxins in the soil. In a month, we'll be able to plant something!"

"Yes, let's plant corn. We can use rotten leaves as fertilizer; corn is easy to grow, especially with this method."

The townsfolk spoke with excitement on their faces.

Standing in the mountains, Lin BuHuai felt the cold wind against him as he pondered deeply.

Below the mountain, Xiao Xi'er stretched lazily.

She glanced at the two people coming down the mountain, arguing and joking around, and couldn't help but feel exasperated.

"They are both old guys, so why are they acting like three-year-olds? Sigh..." Xiao Xi'er thought they might lack maturity.

"Imperial Tutor, Imperial Tutor, both of you, help me think of a way to truly change the Prime Minister's mind," Xiao Yin said.

He looked at them, awaiting their answers.

Actually, Xiao Xi'er had already mentioned it before.

"To really change this stubborn old man's mind, we need to either target his family again or let him see his family being persecuted by the Beiling court."

"If you want that old guy to completely change his heart, just ignore him and let him be," Ci Xin said, looking at Lin BuHuai on the hillside. "This old man still has considerable influence in the Imperial City. There are officials who follow him in the court. Likely, at least 30% of the officials in the Beiling court are causing trouble now."

Ci Xin was absolutely right.

In the Beiling court, many ministers from the Ministry of Works, the Inner Palace Service Department, and even the San Si Criminal Department claimed to be sick and asked for leave.

When the emperor sent people to find them, most of the ministers refused to see anyone, coming up with various excuses not to show up.

Some even went as far as breaking their own legs. When the chief palace eunuch went to see them, he found the ministers lying in bed with their legs bound.

Because of this, the emperor couldn't blame them much.

"Without the Prime Minister, it's as if there's no backbone, making people feel especially desperate."

"The Prime Minister's disciples have also packed up and set off. Some are preparing to go to Haiyue City to join Beiling, while others are planning to head north to find the Prime Minister's two sons, never to return to the Imperial City again."

The Beiling Emperor sat on his throne with a cold expression.

Half of the people below were missing, and the other half stood silently like statues, their heads bowed as if they were already dead.

"Report!" A voice from outside interrupted.

The courtiers turned their heads to look. Some of them had been standing since early morning and were almost falling asleep.

So, when someone suddenly entered, it jolted them awake.

"Your Majesty, the messenger reports that the Prime Minister's grave has been dug open."

"What?"

The entire court was shocked, and everyone turned to look at the Emperor.

"What do you mean by that? The Prime Minister is truly deceased; we confirmed it ourselves when he passed away..."

The courtiers didn't dare to say that they had even sent people to keep watch, and some even checked inside the coffin themselves. The Prime Minister was indeed dead.

"Could it be grave robbers?" someone suggested.

"Impossible. Nothing was placed inside the Prime Minister's coffin, and throughout his life, he was incorruptible in the eyes of the people. So, grave robbers wouldn't have any reason to disturb his coffin."

"What’s happening here?"

The court was abuzz with speculation, and everyone was eager for answers.

"Minister of Justice, dispatch an envoy to investigate this immediately," the emperor, too, was stunned, and after a long pause, he finally regained his composure and turned to the Minister of Justice.

The Ministry of Punishments quickly sent investigators.

Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, the streets of the Imperial City were already teeming with crowds.