Chapter 075
Chapter 75: Entering the Game
The next morning at court, Lin Ye Lan felt that everyone looked at him strangely, and he touched his face without thinking.
He did not know that Xia Meng Yan’s words in the Imperial Study had already been passed around by several Grand Secretaries.
After court he tried to stop a colleague he usually spoke with. The man only shook his head, said nothing, and hurried away.
Lin Ye Lan thought it over and decided he must be dragged down by the Xia Family. He was the former son?in?law, and Xia Ping Yuan was hiding in his own house. Since people could not find Xia Ping Yuan, they vented on him. He felt wronged and thought: [What does this have to do with me?]
In his plan, Xia Meng Yan, as the mother of his child, should be trapped in fire and water. With Xia Ping Yuan poisoned and the second branch stirring trouble, she should have accepted his demand and invited him to remarry into the Xia Family. But days had passed. The Xia gates stayed shut, and it looked like they had forgotten him entirely.
Uneasy, he rushed home.
When his long?time attendant returned, Lin Ye Lan asked at once: “What did you find?”
The attendant, too anxious to give a full bow, reported: “After Lord Xia was poisoned yesterday, Miss Xia entered the palace to cry for justice. The Chief Justice of the Dali Court escorted her back and went in to see Lord Xia.”
Lin Ye Lan already knew she had entered the palace. He had gone from shock to calm. He asked: “And then?” The Dali Court reopening the old case was understandable. What he wanted to know was whether Xia Meng Yan would collapse without support.
The attendant said: “Lord Xia was saved by Divine Physician Luo. Miss Xia stays by his side.”
Lin Ye Lan asked in disbelief: “She did not fall apart?”
The attendant shook his head and said: “No. And many of the people who were making trouble at the Xia gate have left.”
Hearing this, Lin Ye Lan felt it was impossible. [Did I judge wrong? No. Xia Meng Yan is just an ordinary woman. Faced with this, and pregnant, how could she still hold up?] He did not want to admit failure. This time, as Xia Meng Yan had guessed, it was he who spread the rumors, but the student’s drowning years ago had someone else fanning the flames, likely Xia Ping Yuan’s political enemies. He had not stopped them, not only because he did not dare offend them, but also because he wanted to teach Xia Meng Yan a lesson for always acting high and mighty.
He narrowed his eyes and ordered: “Watch the Xia Family. See if they are secretly hunting for evidence. Also, find who is pushing from behind.” In his heart he added: [If possible, I do not mind working with them.]
While Lin Ye Lan paced in confusion at home, the Xia household was calm and content.
After returning from the Imperial Palace, Xia Meng Yan went to see her father. Xia Ping Yuan and Madam Lin had indeed been poisoned, but they had taken the antidote before the poison, and the whole thing was a trap father and daughter had set. Divine Physician Luo asked nothing, came like clockwork twice a day to take their pulse. To outsiders, that meant things were bad. Otherwise, why come so often?
When the family of three took a meal together, the steward reported that men were lurking at the gate. The people they sent to check found they were from the Ping’an Marquis Manor.
Xia Meng Yan bit her chopsticks and pouted as she said: “Still as useless as in my past life. He cannot even tail someone without being spotted. I do not know how Lin Ye Lan earned his military merit.”
Madam Lin shook her head and said: “Good thing we divorced. A man who cannot protect himself, how will he protect his wife and child?”
Xia Meng Yan’s eyes flashed with mischief as she said: “Mother is right. A useless man cannot do anything well. But if he does not come, how will we carry out our plan?”
After several days of faking illness, Xia Ping Yuan’s body ached. He stretched and waved the steward out.
The steward withdrew and closed the door.
Xia Meng Yan called: “Song Mo.”
Song Mo slipped in and appeared before the three of them, saying: “The people are in place.”
Xia Meng Yan said: “Do not leave flaws. Draw Lin Ye Lan’s men over.” She sighed for herself and thought: [Look at me. He treats me like this, and I still make arrangements with him in mind. But if he has no bad intentions, he will not fall into the trap.]
Knowing the truth, Madam Lin huffed and said: “Heartless creature. We wasted Divine Physician Luo’s medicine for nothing.”
Sitting high in the main seat, Xia Ping Yuan snorted and said: “The Xia Family’s benefits are not so easy to take. Make Lin Ye Lan pay back double.”
Xia Meng Yan smiled to comfort her parents and said: “Do not be angry. You will be satisfied soon.” Her eyes narrowed. [Lin Ye Lan, do not disappoint me.]
After the noon rest, as most people in the manor dozed, a servant boy slipped out the back gate, bent over.
Heads hidden outside pulled back at once. Seeing the boy heading for the outskirts, the watchers hurried to follow.
Restless in his manor, Lin Ye Lan looked up as his attendant ran in and said: “Marquis, people from the Xia Family went to Peach Blossom Village. Our men have followed.”
At the name Peach Blossom Village, Lin Ye Lan grew alert. The drowned student, Zhao Kuan, was from that village. The Xia Family was going to investigate. But Zhao Kuan’s elder brother and sister?in?law had already taken his silver. Their story would only say that Zhao Kuan was forced by Xia Ping Yuan and jumped into the river after returning home.
Even so, Lin Ye Lan felt uneasy and ordered: “Keep eyes on Zhao Kuan’s brother and sister?in?law. If they change their statement, report at once.”
Night fell. The attendant returned and said: “Marquis, it seems the Xia Family found something. Zhao Kuan’s brother and sister?in?law look frightened, and they also said…”
Lin Ye Lan shot to his feet and asked: “Said what?”
The attendant answered: “They said it was all a misunderstanding and they will drop the accusation.”
Anger flared. Lin Ye Lan rushed out with his men and rode straight for Peach Blossom Village.
Peach Blossom Village lay only a few dozen li from the capital. After dark, the villagers slept early. Lin Ye Lan dismounted behind the village and silently reached the home of Zhao Kuan’s elder brother.
The yard was empty, and the low wall could not keep anyone out.
Inside, the elder brother looked at the meager food, threw his chopsticks on the table, and cursed as he said: “Useless woman, that man gave us fifty taels, and you serve me this? Tell me, did you give the silver to your own brother?”
Zhao Kuan’s sister?in?law was upset too. Since they chose to speak up for Zhao Kuan, officials had come by again and again. She had been fired by her employer and had to stay at home. She snapped back: “What nonsense. The day that man gave us fifty taels, you took twenty. We bought things for the house and clothes for the children. There are only ten taels left. If we keep spending like this, we will be eating only pickled vegetables.”
She wiped her eyes and thought: [If I had known fifty taels would be gone so fast, I should have asked for a hundred. No, five hundred.]
The elder brother grabbed a coarse bun, bit hard, and grumbled as he said: “Do not think I do not know you have private savings. I do not care. Give me ten taels more.”
“What?” she shrieked, hands on her waist, and demanded: “Where did the twenty taels you took go? Which fox spirit tricked you this time?”
“What fox spirit? I only went to play a little. My luck was bad. I owe twenty now.”
“You gambled again? I cannot live like this.”
Already in a foul mood, he grew more annoyed at her crying and shouted: “Cry, cry, cry. I am not dead yet. It is not a big deal. At worst, I will go and ask that man again.”
Her tears stopped at once. She scrubbed her cheeks and asked: “Will that work?”
“Why not?” He stiffened his neck like a scoundrel and said: “If he will not give, others will.”
Suddenly the door flew inward with a heavy kick.
The couple jumped up in shock. Seeing the visitor, Zhao Kuan’s elder brother stood up with a fawning smile and said: “Sir, you finally came. We have not said anything.”
Zhao Kuan’s sister?in?law bobbed her head and added: “Yes, yes, we insist that Zhao Kuan was forced to jump. We did not tell the officials about the silver you gave us.”
Lin Ye Lan narrowed his eyes. [Someone dares to threaten me? Seeking death.]