Lin Jinyan took the document and said helplessly after reading it:
"What you wrote is the same as a death contract."
Li Siyu's eyes were sincere and his tone was solemn: "Miss believes in me so much that even if it is a death contract, I will sign it willingly."
Lin Jinyan: "Okay, I'll keep it. Don't mention the house to others. To the outside world, just say that you borrowed some silver to buy it."
After talking about the house, Lin Jinyan chatted with Li Siyu about family matters.
"Your father is the former governor of Binzhou? Based on your character, your father does not seem to be someone who would commit malfeasance in his duties. Is there any grievance between you?"
When Li Siyu heard this, he couldn't help but feel the bitterness and heat in his eyes:
"The young lady and my father have never met, and they both believe that my father was wronged. However, those colleagues who have worked with my father for many years do not believe it, and even go so far as to testify that the slander against my father is indeed dereliction of duty."
Lin Jinyan: "Why was your father's dereliction of duty discovered?"
Li Siyu: "It was my father's chief clerk who reported the case. Yang Yushi, who was sent to investigate the case, found countless gold and silver treasures in a house not far from my home, totaling more than 150,000 taels of silver. That house My father’s name is written on the house deed, and the dereliction of duty becomes irrefutable evidence.”
Lin Jinyan frowned slightly: "Yang Yushi? But Yang Hongzhen? Who is the current eunuch?"
Li Siyu: "It is Yang Hongzhen. The current eunuch is named Cui Qizhi. I heard that he has a sister who is a concubine in the palace and is very favored."
Lin Jinyan's eyes tightened upon hearing this, and many things suddenly became coherent.
Li Siyu: "I once asked my father, and he said he didn't know about that house at all, and he didn't know why it was in his name."
Lin Jinyan: "If it is really found that your father embezzled 150,000 taels, it would be enough to confiscate his home and behead him. Since he is only sentenced to exile, he must have the help of someone noble, right?"
Li Siyu nodded: "My father has a close personal relationship with Liu Yong and Liu Jishi. Liu Jishi believed in my father's character and petitioned His Majesty, saying that he hoped for a thorough investigation. In the end, although the grievances were not found out, the Li family was spared from having their house searched. Beheaded, only my father will be sentenced to exile, and descendants of the Li family will not be allowed to enter the officialdom."
Lin Jinyan said comfortingly: "If there is grievance, there will be a day when the grievances are redressed. After your family has settled down, you will have no worries and can work for your father to make a way out for the Li family."
After giving Li Siyu away with the money he bought to buy the house, Lin Jinyan returned to the study full of thoughts, laid out paper and picked up a pen to write down the names of several people:
"Binzhou...What is there in Binzhou? It's worth your trouble..."
Never sleep.
An Zhixian looked at the letter in his hand and frowned:
"In order to become the governor, Cui Qizhi framed the former governor for corruption and dereliction of duty and took the opportunity to replace him. This makes sense. But Lin Jinyan... what is it for? What is different about Li Siyu?"
Ling Yi: "Maybe it's because Miss Lin is so kind-hearted and has no other deep meaning."
An Zhixian thought for a moment and shook his head: "She won't do unnecessary things. Have you noticed that there are traces of Chu Chengyao in everything she did recently? The Li family was harmed by Concubine Rou's brother. The concubine is Chu Chengyao's adoptive mother. There is also the matter of the He family siblings. If she only avenges them, she will just deal with the Duke's Mansion and Hong Anbo. Why does it involve Chu Chengyao? "
Ling Yi: "Master, do you think too highly of Lin Jinyan? Even though she is smart, she is still just a child under ten years old. Binzhou is far away from Tai'an, so how does she know about Binzhou?"
An Zhixian was silent for a moment before saying, "Perhaps it's become a habit to think more about things over the years."
