Chapter Twelve: The Mysterious Purple Oriole

  The atmosphere in Lin Ruhai's room was a bit eerie for a moment, and the two of them stared at each other with wide eyes, neither of them speaking again.

  "Alas!" Kangxi sighed, "You have guarded Jiangnan for me for so long, while I...I am the one who has wronged you." The great Emperor Kangxi bowed his head in apology. If outsiders were to see this, it would be shocking, but Lin Ruhai didn't take notice. He didn't even look at Kangxi, just stood with his back to him, lost in thought about his own affairs.

  "You are like the sea, you can't have a normal conversation with me. In this vast imperial court, I don't even have one person to talk to."

  "Your Majesty, I have held Jiangnan for you. I have done everything I promised to do. I am exhausted." Lin Ruhai turned around wearily and looked straight into Kangxi's eyes.

  Kangxi looked at Lin Ruhai, although he was younger than himself, but the white temples on both sides were so striking, he had really been exhausted in recent years. "Come back to Beijing with me this time."

  "It's all right, there is Min'er's breath here." Lin Ruhai shook his head and his eyes drifted away again.

  "Where is your daughter? Since you won't go, I'll have her come to my side." Kangxi said in a huff, completely forgetting the imperial edict he had just issued, which had already allowed Daiyu to often accompany Lin Ruhai.

  Lin Ruhai smiled, "Yu'er won't go." The current Daiyu is absolutely not a puppet manipulated by others, and anyone who wants to control her will pay the price in blood. "Besides, when the emperor granted Yu'er's title, it seemed like he gave her many favors." Although Lin Ruhai was inside the house, someone still told him what happened outside before Kangxi arrived.

  Kangxi hesitated, not wanting to say anything more. "Hmph, I'll issue an edict when I return for you to come back to the capital and report on your duties. Let's see if you dare disobey my orders." Kangxi said childishly.

  "Then I'll wait." Lin Ruhai turned his back, no longer looking at Kangxi. Kangxi smiled helplessly, he himself was at a loss for what to do with him, and he felt sorry for him.

  After parting with the prince's army, Daiyu returned to her room to rest. However, she found that there was no sign of Zi Juan in the room. "Nanny, where is Zi Juan?" Daiyu looked at Wang Nanny.

  "She just went out and hasn't come back yet. Maybe she's gone to find Jia Xian." Wang Nai'er said disdainfully, this Zi Juan is still a bit better towards Miss, but after all, she is also a person of the Jia family, helping the Jia family is normal. Still thinking about listening to that old lady's words and marrying her own family's miss to Jia Baoyu? How could that be possible?"

  Daiyu nodded slightly and didn't show much reaction, but her intuition told herself that Xiangyun was definitely not going to find Jia Lian.

  "Nurse, you go rest too, I'm tired as well." Daiyu wanted some quiet time alone.

  Wang Nainai nodded and led Xueyan to help Daiyu lock the door, then stood guard at the entrance. With her master arriving, safety would become a major concern here.

  Daiyu sat in front of the desk, Wang Nainai, Xueyan, Kangxi and so on, such a hidden line has been by her side for so many years, what is it all about? And where does the mystery on Zijuan's body come from? Daiyu always felt that an idea was about to emerge, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

  Alas! Daiyu sighed, forget it, still need to develop one's own power first. Kangxi is currently in Jiangnan, not easy to make arrangements, wait until he leaves, then start selecting some trustworthy people from under Ama's command.

  Daiyu was planning something in her room, while the Crown Prince's entourage followed Lin Fu on a dull tour of the Lin Mansion. This was their own request, and they could only pretend to be interested. Yongzheng's gaze wandered, as touring mansions was really too boring. Yongzheng furrowed his brow, feeling that someone had been following them with their eyes all along. Who was it? What was their purpose? Not just Yongzheng made this discovery, but also the Fourteenth Brother, who remained silent and only called out, "Second Brother, the Crown Prince, I'm tired."

  "Let's take a break, there is a pavilion in front of us, let's go sit for a while." Yongzheng pointed to the nearby pavilion. He didn't believe that Yongji was tired, but rather annoyed or possibly frustrated.

  "His Highness, gentlemen, this way please." Lin Fu naturally knew what these people were thinking and didn't mention it, he just had someone hurry to prepare tea and snacks.

  The prince led his brothers to sit down in order of age. The Lin Mansion was not very big, but it had a unique layout. If it were an ordinary day, it would be fine to take a look around, but today, with the incident involving Daiyu, all the brothers were somewhat distracted. Moreover, they did not know what Emperor Mama and Lin Ruhai were discussing, and it always felt mysterious.

  As they sat down, the dark shadow that had been quietly following them also stopped, observing each of their appearances, carefully remembering them in her heart, preparing to go back and draw them well. Almost done, she told herself in her heart, turned around wanting to leave carefully, but unexpectedly a hand suddenly stretched out from behind, blocking her way.

  "How dare you, a lowly servant, to follow me!" Little Fourteen's angry voice rang out. Only after they sat down did he realize that several of his brothers had more or less noticed something was amiss, but since this was the Lin estate, it wasn't suitable for him to make too big of a scene.

  Hei Ying was stopped, her face very unsightly, Yin Zhen grasped one of her hands and pulled her in front of Yin Yun and the others.

  Lin Fu saw the person being brought over and furrowed his brow, "Zi Juan, why did you secretly follow several masters?" Lin Fu's expression was not good. In the manor, all of the people from the Jia Manor had been cleared out. This Zi Juan was the young lady's maid. Since the young lady hadn't given any orders, he couldn't handle it, but then something like this happened.

  "I didn't expect the Lin Mansion to have such a servant." Yin Miao's face sank, following him and his entourage like this, was there some other ulterior motive.

  "She was a maid given to Miss Lin by Old Lady Jia when she went to the Rongguo Mansion for a temporary stay," Lin Fu explained, implying that this maid had little connection with the Lin family and that any issues of discipline or rules were the responsibility of the Rongguo Mansion.

  "Oh, I see. That's why I said it was impossible for the Lin estate to have such a maid." Yongzheng nodded, he had been at the Lin estate for less than half a day and saw that all the servants were very well-disciplined.

  Zi Juan was forced to kneel on the ground, her eyes blazing with anger as she stared at Yin Bin and the others, as if there was some deep-seated hatred.

  Yin Zan noticed this and furrowed his brow. His group had just arrived in Yangzhou, how could they possibly have a feud with a little maid? "Your Highness, since this maid is under the care of Princess Dai Xin, we shouldn't interfere, let her handle it herself."

  "The fourth brother is right, let's do this: Lin Guanjia will hand her over to Dai Xingjun. " Yi Min nodded, he was also somewhat uncomfortable with the gaze of this little girl, but after all, she was Dai Yu's person, and they couldn't handle it either."

  Lin Fu begged for forgiveness and had the servants escort Zijuan to see Daiyu, but before they could leave, they heard Daiyu's clear and cold voice, "No need to bring her over, I'm coming."