Chapter 596: Forgive

The dust settled, the truth was revealed, and everyone around was stunned by what they saw.

I originally thought it was Prince Rui Xiao Yin who forced the death of today's great scholar Chen Zhuo, but I never expected that Official Chen had long ago used his own body as bait to set a trap, aiming to utterly ruin Prince Rui's reputation and status.

Such a reversal caught everyone off guard.

The students of the Imperial Academy were even more speechless, each with a pallid, ashen face.

The Mr. Chen Zhuo they had always respected actually set up such a huge scheme against himself; although his intention was to consider the welfare of all civil officials, framing Prince Rui in this way is itself the biggest stain on his life.

For a moment the atmosphere became solemn and grave, and everyone lifted their gaze to Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling steadied herself and slowly said: "Saving your elder brother is possible! It's not impossible to negotiate."

Lin Rujun's eyes flashed with joy, and she hurried to speak, but Gu Jiu Ling continued: "However, you must agree to one thing!"

Lin Rujun's pupils flickered slightly, and she slowly nodded: "As long as it can save my elder brother's life, Princess Consort of Rui, whatever you ask us to do, our Lin family will certainly not refuse."

Gu Jiu Ling slowly said: "It's not something too difficult to do."

"Your elder brother and Official Chen conspired to frame my lord Prince; this matter cannot just be left as is."

"You cannot think you're right just because you claim to be weak while facing death; your elder brother and the Chen family must apologize to my lord Prince, publicly!"

Lin Rujun's expression froze slightly.

She had to look at her own elder brother; if she, Lin Rujun, were to apologize, even kneeling to beg for mercy would be acceptable.

But if she were to make her elder brother bow his head to Xiao Yin, she feared he would not agree.

Back then, Prince Rui set a trap in the palace that killed the former crown prince, causing her elder brother to hate him to the bone.

Now the Lin family's power has been severely weakened, while military officials' status in court keeps rising; under these circumstances, the Lin family is even more irreconcilable with Prince Rui.

That's why she and Official Chen Zhuo came up with this plan; they had plotted for so long, yet in the end they would have to bow their heads to Xiao Yin, and she didn't know if her elder brother could bring himself to lower his head.

Lin Rujun anxiously looked at Lin Jingyuan; his condition was not good at the moment, his face had turned pale, like a sheet of paper.

His whole body was almost in a semi-conscious state from pain; Lin Rujun absolutely admired the medical skill of Princess Consort of Rui.

Although the relationship between the Lin family and Rui Wang Fu has grown increasingly distant, already in an unfriendly state.

But Gu Jiu Ling's medical skill is beyond doubt; at this moment, her elder brother's life and death are entirely in her hands.

"Brother, just give in to Prince Rui!"

"Although Lin Jingyuan was in agony, dazed and confused, how could he not understand Gu Jiu Ling's words?"

"If he were to kneel this time and kowtow to beg Prince Rui for mercy, the knees that bend would not be those of his Lin family alone, but the knees of the entire Southern Qi civil officialdom."

He groaned from the pain and slowly shook his head.

"Elder brother, I beg you!"

Lin Rujun's voice carried a hint of sobbing as she tightly gripped Lin Jingyuan's hand.

At this moment, a worm on Lin Jingyuan's hand had crawled onto Lin Rujun's hand back; she gasped in shock, lifted her hand and pushed her sister far away, after which the worm fell to the ground and was crushed under Lin Jingyuan's foot.

Because it tugged at his wound, Lin Jingyuan couldn't help but groan, then vomited a large mouthful of blood.

Lin Rujun pleaded: "Elder brother, I beg you, just admit your fault; this time you've gone too far wrong!"

"Even if you don't think for yourself, have you considered Mother? Have you considered Grandmother? At her age, she still has to worry day after day, enduring so many changes—could you really bear to let Grandmother and Mother worry about you?"

Lin Jingyuan's face flashed with a hint of ashen defeat; his previously steadfast gaze wavered for the first time.

Lin Rujun lunged again, ignoring the disgusting worms, tightly gripping Lin Jingyuan's arm and earnestly pleading: "Elder brother, please give yourself another chance!"

"I know you grieve for the departed, but have you considered? If you die here today, how could the Lin family ever find peace?"

"Look at the current situation, elder brother—don't you see? You've already lost, lost completely."

"As the saying goes, loyalty and filial piety cannot both be fulfilled; loyalty has now become an illusion, so fulfill filial piety—do you really want to watch the Lin family be utterly annihilated?"

Lin Rujun tended to Lin Jingyuan, needing to perform surgery as soon as possible.

Lin Jingyuan shifted his body slightly and slowly nodded.

Lin Rujun hurried to help him up, but he gently pushed her away.

Lin Jingyuan step by step approached Xiao Yin's front; although he was in so much pain he could hardly move, he still steadied his steps and fell to his knees with a thud before Xiao Yin.

"……It……is……my fault; I shouldn't have framed the lord Prince. Although we Southern Qi civil officials are pure and upright, this time our actions were truly not befitting a person; I beg the Prince to punish me!"

After Lin Jingyuan finished speaking, he slowly knelt before Xiao Yin, while Gu Jiu Ling on the side looked at Xiao Yin's cold, stern expression, awaiting his decision.

Xiao Yin's face darkened; looking at Lin Jingyuan covered in blood before him, he let out a cold laugh.

"You one or two place yourselves on such a high pedestal, always feeling that we military men have stripped you civil officials of your rights."

"But you never consider that without our military defending the homeland and resisting the Bei Di and Western Rong, how could you indulge in lofty discourse and compose poetry?"

Xiao Yin's gaze dimmed slightly, he spoke no further, and coldly laughed: "Last time I already gave you one chance; your sister brought you back from the road to Jiangnan, this time I originally did not want to give you another chance."

"But remembering that your sister once saved me, I decide to spare you a dog's life this time; once the poison in your body is cured by my consort, I will send you to Jiangnan."

"This time I will imprison you in the Jiangnan academy, where you will sweep and clean the academy daily and guard the Cang Shu Ge in the garden."

After Xiao Yin finished speaking, Gu Jiu Ling secretly breathed a sigh of relief; she never expected Xiao Yin would actually allow Lin Jingyuan to leave, which made her feel especially surprised.

Actually she also didn't know whether this time Xiao Yin would give the Lin family and Lin Jingyuan another chance, but she never expected that Xiao Yin would give them another chance, which made Gu Jiu Ling feel a sense of emotion.

Gu Jiu Ling stepped forward and lifted Lin Jingyuan from the icy ground.

"Come here! Send Master Lin to the medical hall, Prince, you accompany me a stretch, ride your horse faster."

"Also, have Senior Official Zu rush to the medical hall quickly, prepare those medicines, and at the same time prepare the medicinal ingredients brought back from the Northern Darkness Red Vine land."

After Gu Jiu Ling finished speaking, the people behind her had already helped the faint-from-pain Lin Jingyuan onto the carriage.