Reborn as a Happy Wife in a Rural Family
Chapter 104: Lin Jingyi

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Lin Jingyi

Liu Desheng sank into memories.

More than fifteen years ago, he fled to the Daqian Kingdom with the child. When he was seriously injured and unconscious, he not only lost the child but also suffered injuries that didn’t heal in time, rendering him no different from a eunuch.

Luckily, he later had a chance encounter that brought him to the side of Chu Xiong, who was the Third Prince at the time. He then helped Chu Xiong assassinate the previous Emperor, assisting him in his ascension to the throne.

During that period, he did many unspeakable things for Chu Xiong, including poisoning the Seventh Prince.

As Liu Desheng was lost in his thoughts, Gu Xicheng and the others arrived, and Chu Xiong dismissed him.

After Liu Desheng respectfully withdrew, he closed the door of the imperial study and waited outside.

「On the other side, in Fengqi Palace」

A palace maid hurriedly ran in and whispered something into Nanny Fang’s ear.

Nanny Fang was surprised and asked, "Hongdou, are you sure about this news?"

"Nanny Fang, it’s absolutely true. Please inform Her Majesty the Empress quickly," Hongdou nodded anxiously.

"Alright, I’ll go right now."

Nanny Fang hurriedly ran to the outside of Empress Lin Jingyi’s bedchamber and called out, "Is Your Highness awake?"

The Empress had suddenly fallen violently ill a few days ago. She had taken some medicine and was feeling slightly better, so she was likely asleep, having just finished her dose.

"Is that Nanny Fang?" Lin Jingyi’s weak voice sounded, yet even in its weakness, it was exceedingly beautiful. One listen was enough to know that this Empress Lin was undoubtedly a great beauty.

"Your Highness, it is I. I have important matters to report to you," Nanny Fang said softly.

Nanny Fang had been Lin Jingyi’s wet nurse and had insisted on following her into the palace. Afterward, she became her trusted head nanny, one of her confidantes.

"Nanny Fang, please come in."

Upon hearing this, Nanny Fang gently pushed open the bedchamber door and saw Lin Jingyi leaning against the headboard of the bed.

The twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old Lin Jingyi looked much like a young married woman in her early twenties. Her beautiful face was pale and thin, her three thousand strands of black silk hair cascaded over her shoulders, and as she leaned against the bed, she was the very image of a frail, beautiful Xishi, evoking pity in all who saw her.

Looking at Lin Jingyi’s frail appearance, Nanny Fang wondered if Her Highness could bear the news she was about to hear. But this matter had to be told. Dean Lin’s family was now in an uncertain state, their lives hanging in the balance. The sooner Her Highness knew, the sooner she could devise countermeasures. Although Dean Lin was merely the head of an academy, his power was not to be underestimated. The Empress had enjoyed the Emperor’s favor in the palace for many years, largely thanks to Dean Lin’s influence. Once Dean Lin fell, the forces backing him would crumble. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Those forces would become like loose sand, each scrambling to find their own way out. Who would still serve the Lin Family then?

"Nanny Fang, sit down and talk," Lin Jingyi said, noticing her hesitation.

Nanny Fang bit her lip and said, "Your Highness, what I am about to say is quite serious, but the situation is not beyond repair."

Nanny Fang tried her best to soothe Lin Jingyi’s emotions, hoping she wouldn’t suffer a shock upon hearing the news.

Lin Jingyi’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly. Nanny Fang was acting strangely today. What earth-shattering news could require her to be so composed? Could it be that something had happened to her elder brother? The Secret Guard she had dispatched earlier had lost contact. If the Secret Guard had lost contact, there was only one possibility: they were dead.

At this thought, Lin Jingyi sat up straight and struggled to get out of bed. Nanny Fang quickly helped her.

"Nanny Fang, tell me quickly, is it about my brother and the others?" Lin Jingyi grabbed Nanny Fang’s arm and asked anxiously.

Nanny Fang was wondering how to break the news to Lin Jingyi, but Her Highness had already guessed it.

Nanny Fang gently nodded.

"Ah! So they really met with misfortune! Nanny Fang, tell me quickly, what happened to them?" Lin Jingyi panicked. If her maternal family met with disaster, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"News just came from the court. The Lin Manor has been completely plundered, and Dean Lin’s entire family has been kidnapped by the bandits of Tiger Head Mountain. Their fate is unknown," Nanny Fang forced herself to say.

BUZZ.

Lin Jingyi’s mind reeled. What had she just heard? Kidnapped by bandits from Tiger Head Mountain?

Tiger Head Mountain, Tiger Head Mountain... those people there aren’t mere bandits. How could they have been kidnapped by people from Tiger Head Mountain? What on earth happened?

"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Seeing Lin Jingyi’s lack of reaction and dazed expression, Nanny Fang quickly called out to her.

Could Her Highness have been frightened out of her wits?

"Nanny Fang, is this true?" Lin Jingyi jolted, shaking Nanny Fang’s hand as she asked desperately.

"Your Highness, this is the news from the court. Your Highness, don’t worry, we’ll think of a way," Nanny Fang patted her back, trying to calm herself down to comfort Lin Jingyi.

"There’s no way, there’s no way." Lin Jingyi shook her head, feeling a great calamity looming.

Nanny Fang also wilted. A moment ago, she had only been thinking of Dean Lin’s family’s predicament, but she had forgotten that if it was discovered that the kidnappers were not bandits, the one in the worst position would be the Empress herself!

"Your Highness, what should we do now?" How could they possibly overcome this situation?

Nanny Fang, having experienced many things, wasn’t as overwhelmed as Lin Jingyi and quickly composed herself again.

Lin Jingyi looked up, her eyes devoid of any glimmer, dim and filled with utter despair.

She shook her head, "Nanny Fang, there’s no way."

Her only hope was that Dean Lin could find a way out of this danger on his own and manage to sever all ties with Tiger Head Mountain. Only then could everyone’s lives be spared. Otherwise, not only would her own life be at risk, but her imperial son might also be in mortal danger. She knew all too well how ruthless the Emperor was; he would absolutely show no mercy to anyone with ulterior motives.

Having said that, she weakly lay back down, waiting for the Emperor’s wrath.

Nanny Fang looked at her resigned appearance, her heart aching.

Her Highness was still so young; she shouldn’t just wait for death like this. I need to think of a way. But I am just a woman, deep within the palace. What solution could I possibly find? My own death doesn’t matter, but Her Highness and the Crown Prince...

SIGH. Nanny Fang let out a long sigh.

By now, the area outside must be filled with the Emperor’s men, monitoring every move inside Fengqi Palace.

「In the Imperial Study」

Gu Xicheng, Lord Fan, and General Wei hurriedly left the palace. They had received the Emperor’s decree to investigate the matter thoroughly and were to proceed immediately to Tiger Head Mountain.

Meanwhile, Chu Xiong sat in his chair with a sinister expression, fiddling with a few sheets of paper. On them was a list of tasks Dean Lin had instructed the people at Tiger Head Mountain to carry out, written with stark clarity.

His beloved Empress and his dear father-in-law had been secretly fostering their own private army behind his back, and so blatantly! Couldn’t they wait any longer? I’m only thirty years old!

"Liu Desheng, prepare the carriage to Fengqi Palace. I want to see my beloved Empress."

"Yes." Liu Desheng hurriedly followed Chu Xiong out of the Imperial Study, heading towards Fengqi Palace.

「Meanwhile, on Tiger Head Mountain」

Dean Lin’s family only regained consciousness three days later. When they awoke, they found themselves in a different place. The attendants around them had been replaced by people from Tiger Head Mountain.

"Am I on Tiger Head Mountain?" Dean Lin tried to sit up, but his head throbbed with waves of dizziness.

A young servant from Tiger Head Mountain replied, "Yes. I’ll go call the Big Boss over."