Chapter 012: I Have a Petition

Chapter 012: I Have a Petition

After falling into the water, Fu Jiaze had some suspicions about the mastermind behind the incident.

His uncle, Fu Bin, was known as the "Nine Thousand Years Old," which demonstrated his immense power. As the head of the Jinyiwei, he had offended countless people. Naturally, there were those who disliked him and might have discovered the connection between Fu Bin and himself, targeting him as a result.

Lin Yingxue, on the other hand, was an innocent victim. She witnessed him falling into the water and tried to call for help and save him, which led to her being pushed in as well.

Fu Jiaze briefly explained his suspicions to Princess Mingrui and added, "The relationship between my uncle and me will not be made public anytime soon. He will likely investigate my fall into the water secretly. If this causes any disturbance to your residence, please accept my apologies."

Princess Mingrui thought that eunuchs do not have heirs, yet Qin Yuanting, who was only Fu Bin's godson, was already fiercely protected by him. With Fu Jiaze bearing the Fu name, Fu Bin would undoubtedly be even more concerned and would thoroughly investigate the matter, turning her villa upside down if necessary.

However, Princess Mingrui could accept this, especially since without Lin Yingxue, Fu Bin's nephew might have truly died in her villa.

Perhaps due to his castration, eunuchs often had a certain madness within them. If possible, Princess Mingrui did not want to offend Fu Bin. If he wanted to investigate, she would let him.

Looking at Lin Yingxue, Princess Mingrui felt a lot of goodwill towards the young girl. Fortunately, Lin Yingxue was there, and fortunately, Fu Jiaze did not die.

With these thoughts in mind, Princess Mingrui nodded and said, "If it weren't for Second Miss Lin's swimming skills, a tragedy might have occurred during my flower banquet. It's good that Lord Fu will conduct a thorough investigation. I've been away from the capital for so long; all sorts of riffraff have emerged."

She then smiled warmly at Lin Yingxue, saying, "Second Miss Lin is blessed. Although you were frightened, you avoided other misfortunes and gained such a desirable husband."

Since learning that Fu Bin was Fu Jiaze's uncle, Lin Yingxue's mind had been buzzing. Her elder sister had embarrassed Fu Jiaze, and she was a concubine-born daughter of the Lin family. Would Fu Bin really approve of her?

Thinking this, she still needed to respond to Princess Mingrui. Lin Yingxue softly said, "Marriage is arranged by elders, following the wishes of parents and matchmakers. It also depends on fate."

Hearing Lin Yingxue's words, Fu Jiaze guessed her concerns and reassured her, "I mentioned earlier that I can make decisions for myself. Rest assured, I will send a matchmaker to your house later."

Lin Yingxue looked up at Fu Jiaze and nodded slightly.

Princess Mingrui was already grateful to Lin Yingxue. Since Fu Jiaze was also interested, why not help them?

"If Lord Fu agrees, I can assist you both. I can take care of sending the matchmaker."

After all, for their marriage to succeed, they needed to convince not only Fu Bin but also Lin Yi. If Princess Mingrui intervened, things would be much easier.

Fu Jiaze immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Princess."

Lin Yingxue responded a bit slower and then gracefully curtsied.

"If you two get married, I must attend the wedding and have a cup of wine," Princess Mingrui said with a smile. "It's getting late. Second Miss Lin, stay here for the night and I'll send you back tomorrow."

Lin Yingxue agreed, allowing Ye Zi to return home first to reassure Wen Hui.

The flower banquet continued without much fuss among the male guests, as the princess's maid informed everyone that Fu Jiaze had left early due to excessive drinking.

/

As for Lin Yingxue, another commotion arose when the princess's maid approached Lin Baozhen.

"Her Highness the Princess Mingrui greatly appreciates Miss Lin Yingxue's painting. She has a flawed piece and is asking Miss Lin Yingxue to repair it in the courtyard. Miss Lin Yingxue likely won't be able to return tonight and will be sent back to the mansion tomorrow morning by Her Highness."

Once the maid left, everyone couldn't help but look at Lin Baozhen. "Your younger sister really made a name for herself today."

Today, Lin Yingxue's exquisite appearance and talent left a deep impression on people.

Although no one actively sought to befriend Lin Yingxue yet, they were merely observing. If her temperament turned out to be gentle, people would eventually reach out to her.

Lin Baozhen hadn't planned to expose Lin Yingxue's status as an illegitimate daughter so soon. However, seeing that Lin Yingxue had gained the favor of Princess Mingrui, she said without hesitation, "No matter how accomplished she is, she has a mother who is shameless and was a mistress. My younger sister was born when that Wen woman was a mistress. Calling her a concubine-born daughter is already giving her face; she's just a mistress's daughter."

This news immediately sparked discussions, and many people looked at Lin Baozhen with subtle gazes.

After all, Lin Baozhen's father, Lin Yi, was a Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites and was rumored to be in line for promotion to Minister. Lin Baozhen's words could jeopardize her father's career prospects.

If Feiyan were here, she would certainly try to persuade Lin Baozhen. Chang Yan, however, showed solidarity with her mistress and nodded emphatically. "Yes, everyone in our household knows the true identity of the Second Miss."

The more elated Chang Yan felt now, the more miserable she would feel later, because Wang Shi did not scold her daughter but slapped Chang Yan hard.

"You little wench, do you think you can gossip about the household outside?" Wang Shi knew that her husband was at a critical juncture for promotion, and this incident could delay it. The position of Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites was vacant, but becoming the Minister meant being the head of the Ministry, making it easier to move their eldest son and giving their daughter more leverage in marriage negotiations.

Chang Yan was stunned by the slap and looked at Lin Baozhen pleadingly. "Miss..."

Lin Baozhen stepped forward. "Mother, what I said is true. If she hadn't stood out today, it would have been fine. But since she did, and gained the favor of the Princess, I just couldn't stand it."

Wang Shi wouldn't blame her daughter but only thought the maid was incompetent, especially since her daughter had given Feiyan away. She rubbed her temples. "If you hadn't given Feiyan away, this wouldn't have happened. Do you know your father's promotion is at a crucial stage?"

"Mother, in my dream..."

Just as she started to say this, Wang Shi hurriedly dismissed everyone else.

Lin Baozhen then continued, "In my dream, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites seems to be surnamed Lu, not Father. Mother, I know my limits. This might result in an impeachment, but I remember Father's position never changed; he always held a minor role in the Ministry."

"Deputy Minister Lu and your father are both Deputy Ministers of the Ministry of Rites. It seems he will be promoted," sighed Wang Shi, relieved. Although her relationship with Lin Yi was lukewarm, even somewhat strained, she still felt sorry if his promotion was hindered due to Lin Baozhen.

"Why did you give Feiyan to Lin Yingxue?"

"I don't like Feiyan." Lin Baozhen was determined to give Feiyan away and added, "In my dream, she played a part in my death. By the way, I've already promised to give her the deed."

Hearing that Feiyan contributed to her daughter's death in her premonition, Wang Shi remained silent. "Give it to her later. Why didn't you tell me sooner about this troublesome maid?"

Lin Baozhen hugged her mother and cooed, drawing out her voice. "Mother."

Wang Shi's anger dissipated, and she said to her daughter, "Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. By the way, Baozhen, go stay at the Changqing Marquis Mansion for a while."

Going to the Changqing Marquis Mansion suited Lin Baozhen perfectly; it was easier for her to sneak out from there, as she often did with her cousin when she was younger, compared to the stricter rules at the Lin Mansion.

However, she was curious why she needed to go there.

Wang Shi stroked her daughter's hair, her eyes gleaming strangely. "Because of Concubine Wen. She's his darling."

Lin Baozhen pursed her lips. "Isn't this matter simple? If it's not too serious, we can just apologize privately and pay a fine. If it's more serious, giving a divorce paper should be enough, right?"

A divorce paper?

Madam Wang's heart stirred, and she nudged her daughter. "Go to the Changqing Marquisate tonight."

Lin Baozhen was taken aback. "Mother, what are you planning to do?"

"The affair will soon become public knowledge," Madam Wang said with a smile. "I plan to talk to Madam Wen."

She disliked Madam Wen, considering her a thorn in her side. If it weren't for Wen Hui, she could have enjoyed more good years with Lin Yi instead of living like stagnant water.

With her daughter causing such a scene, exposing Lin Yi's festering sore to the public, this was a good opportunity to get rid of Wen Hui, that thorn in her side.

That night, Madam Wang had a long conversation with Wen Hui. Upon hearing about Madam Wang's actions, Lin Yi specifically went to warn her not to make things difficult for Wen Hui.

Madam Wang merely gave a casual acknowledgment, curious to see what Lin Yi would do the next day.

The next morning, when Lin Yi went to early court, Imperial Historian Shi stepped forward, speaking with righteous indignation: "Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter. I wish to impeach Lin Yi, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites. As a Deputy Minister, he has taken a concubine from outside, tarnishing his moral character!"

Lin Yi's heart sank heavily. This person had deep connections with the Changqing Marquisate. Years ago, when he brought Wen Hui into the household, there was no reaction from the Changqing Marquisate. He wondered why they were suddenly acting now.