Jiang Lin stood up and pushed Wei Yunzhao’s wheelchair. "It’s dawn. Let’s go to the government office."
Jiang Lin instructed the housekeeper to arrange for the corpses to be loaded onto carts and taken to the government office. Not only did he and Wei Yunzhao go, but Jiang Lin also had the housekeeper invite the neighbors whose houses had been burned. Jiang Lin complained to Wei Yunzhao, "Yin Ji probably hates us by now. Every time we go to him, it’s never good news."
But this really wasn’t their fault. If no one had caused trouble, Jiang Lin felt he would have been happily making money.
Yin Ji indeed didn’t want to see them, but there was no helping it. The fire last night was so big that everyone in the neighborhood knew something had happened.
So Yin Ji rushed to the government office before even attending court. But when he saw cart after cart of corpses, he was stunned, almost turning around on the spot and telling Jiang Lin to take them back.
Before Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao could speak, the neighbors whose houses had been burned surrounded Yin Ji, demanding that he, as the prefect, find the arsonists and make them pay for their homes.
To deal with these people, Yin Ji had no choice but to send someone to request leave for him. He wouldn’t be attending court today.
Jiang Lin didn’t say much, only suggesting that Yin Ji remind Emperor Changde that doing too many bad deeds would ruin his reputation. He shouldn’t end up like Cao Lan’er, with a ruined name and everyone cursing him.
He also advised Yin Ji to resign as the prefect of Shengjing and return to his position as the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Otherwise, he’d be worked to death by that murderous, trouble-loving emperor.
Yin Ji rolled his eyes and told Jiang Lin to get lost. Jiang Lin shrugged. "I’m just trying to be nice, and you don’t even appreciate it."
Yin Ji coldly spat out one word: "Leave!"
If this couple came to the yamen a few less times, he might live a few more years. He really didn’t want to see them.
Jiang Lin obediently pushed Wei Yunzhao away. Although they had gone through an unpleasant night, seeing Yin Ji with a burnt head and scorched forehead made Jiang Lin feel a little better.
[焦头烂额 (jiāo tóu làn é)]: lit. Burnt head and scorched forehead"; fig. Overwhelmed and in a difficult situation.
He pushed Wei Yunzhao around the streets for a while, buying a lot of things before heading back home.
On the way, Wei Yunzhao asked Jiang Lin, "Do you not believe what I said earlier?"
Jiang Lin was a bit confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Starting a rebellion," Wei Yunzhao said.
Jiang Lin thought about it. "You mean you don’t think I believe you’d be willing to rebel for me?"
Jiang Lin pondered for a moment. "It’s not that I don’t believe you. From the way you’ve actively shielded me from knives and arrows, I can see you’re willing to risk your life for me. I just think it’s unnecessary. If you rise in anger for your beloved and succeed, you’ll have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of ruling the world and caring for millions of subjects. If you fail, everyone who followed you in the rebellion will suffer, and many will die."
"Wei Yunzhao, are you prepared for that?"
Wei Yunzhao didn’t respond. Jiang Lin continued, "Besides, there’s a difference between me saying it and you saying it. When I say it, it’s just talk, a whim. But if you say it, you have to do it. Although I initially encouraged you to rebel, I’ve thought it over carefully. If you become emperor, you won’t be mine alone. I might not want you anymore."
If other women or men entered the picture, no matter the reason, he couldn’t accept it.
Jiang Lin laughed. "Ah, people are so complicated. First, I wanted you to be emperor, and now I don’t."
Wei Yunzhao thought to himself that he, too, was complicated. Previously, he had firmly stated that he had no such ambitions, but now the idea had taken root in his mind.
Jiang Lin concluded, "Let’s just go with the flow. Maybe we can still find a good candidate. At worst, you can become a regent, and we’ll pick a child to raise and groom. As long as we do it well, it’ll be fine."
The two of them casually discussed whether or not to become emperor as if it were as simple as buying cabbage or radishes at the market.
Xun Qi followed behind them, thinking that his master and young madam were truly extraordinary, far beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
____
The fire had failed to burn down the Wei mansion, and none of the people they wanted to kill had died.
So many assassins, taking advantage of the fire to kill a child, yet they hadn’t even touched the child’s clothes. Not a single assassin they sent had returned.
When both sides received the news, their reactions were equally furious.
Cao Lan’er, now the deposed Empress, lived in the cold palace. Her life wasn’t too bad, but the biggest change was that when she got angry, there was nothing to smash. The room was bare, with only a bed and a dressing table. Frustrated, she stomped on the overgrown weeds outside.
Then she viciously cursed Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao before turning her anger to the useless people Qiu Xi had sent. "I told you to burn down the entire Wei mansion. What were you doing? Did you think that just because I’m in the cold palace, you could ignore my orders and disrespect me?"
Qiu Xi hurriedly shook her head. "No, it’s just that the Wei family discovered it too early and put out the fire too quickly. That’s why it didn’t burn completely."
Cao Lan’er continued to berate her. "Useless trash. Not a single one of you can be relied on."
Qiu Xi cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, the Wei family has reported this to the authorities. If the Emperor investigates…"
Cao Lan’er sneered. "Investigate? I’m in the cold palace. I can’t leave, and I can’t see outsiders. What does it have to do with me?"
As she spoke, a brilliant idea came to her. "Arson and murder, targeting a third-rank official, not many people would dare to do such a thing. If it wasn’t me, then it must be…"
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